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I thought this was a threads about a Thunderbirds themed pinball machine

So did I but some people can't help themselves......

[noj472]

This is another great thread turning to poo. Lets get back on track fellas!! Looking forward to your next update Mike

[Freiherr]

Kind of went off track Dec 10th 2013. Maybe there needs to be a separate topic on Chinese factories, workers and pay entitlements.

[Caveoftreasures]

I have always thought that most people really know little about a country unless they have visited the country as a minimum.
I know a bit about China from watching lots of engineering shows on Foxtel but I would only know a billionth of 1 percent about the place, as do most people in Australia I would think.

I like the fact this thread is all about everything Thunderbirds and China. That's what makes the thread so dam interesting. Also, respectfully, its Mikes thread, so I say Mike can say what he wants about everything and anything cause its HIS thread. If people don't like a certain facet, change threads, or increase the respect/politeness percentage when typing to avoid opinions versus opinions and then the forum loses sight of what the thread was designed to do, entertain and inform, not upset and to have a unfriendly debate. Hopefully 2014 can be a year of live and let live versus the nasty character assassinations by the 1 percent.
Even if something is taken accidentally the wrong way, everyone shld support Mike and what he is doing with everything he is doing for pinball, the hobby and the industry.
 We shld get behind people who put everything on the line to do their absolute best in business. Mike is a Aussie, we shld always support our own, espescially when the guy has gone overseas and put his heart n soul into something for other people. Sure Mike will make a dollar or a million, that's what business is for, but he could be sitting at home doing nothing, so full support shld be given by all members. I think to do anything else would be un-Australian...IMO. respectfully.

ABOUT THUNDERBIRDS......

Man, I like that 2 RPM part, keeps us all thinking....guessing...salivating as to what the machine will have......
Didn't know China had a social security system, as long as they don't copy the Australian model ever, China will continue to be a Superpower.

THE QUESTION I haven't seen asked (unless I missed it is >>>>

Mike, are u planning on trying to sell Pinball/promote Pinball machines to the Chineese and get in arcade places assuming the Chineese have them like the Japaneese ?
Because, if u got Chineese people to buy them, given the 1.3 billion people, everything outside China would be gravy.....could u imagine setting up a pinball dealership and your machines/various pinball titles catching on over there...game over ! Your sales numbers could make Sterns yearly output look like chicken feed, and if your business grows as your sales grow proportionally, u could have a mammoth market with the Chineese market ??

I would be interested if you were going to get Chineese sales from the ones who can afford it ! Also, is Thunderbirds only a western TV show, or was it also in China previously, or reruns on today ?

I know u are busy Mike, but I would love to hear more about tapping into the 1.3 billion pockets. U could start a massive hobby over there, even have a chineese AP style pinball forum and get people to join/promote your products ofcourse.....Thunderbirds are GO !

regards, Brett

[skywalker]

Well said brett 

pretty sick of the negativity really,

[ddstoys]

Well said brett 

pretty sick of the negativity really,

 +1.   

[GORGAR 1]

Well said brett 

pretty sick of the negativity really,

 +1. 

+2 .

[Cow Corner]

How many years work does this guy have to do before he gets a Swiss chronometer?

3 days. He got it made in China...

 
Classic

[ssspl]

Amazing how much incentive there is for a whole nation to work when they don't run a social security system....

This is completely untrue - I don't know where you got that information from but there is a very robust social security system here that includes free housing for th eelderly, food and health benefits and many more things FOR THE NEEDY!!

The usual propaganda - most likely run by our governments in the west - is simply not true.

The BIG difference is that here in China if I WANT to work harder or longer I can reap the rewards for doing so, in Australia the government takes 60% of what you earn so what incentive is there???

Please refrain from regurgitating complete crap when you certainly have no facts to back it up.

And you Mike. I've visited China several times and traded with them since 1998. I don't have the immersion you do in staying there for longer times, but I do pick up on things. There is no social security in outlying villages. China's system and "transparency" only goes so far. A lot of the people working in the cities have migrated en masses, so their culture of work or perish will have come with them even with whatever the Government offers them being available. And as many Chinese have a certain caution of dealing with Government, it goes without saying that not all of them want to declare their status, especially if they are not carrying a permit to work in that city. Doesn't seem like an equal system to me.

Anyway, I think your Thunderbirds theme is going to be a rocket in sales. Are you going to sell as many as are wanted or are you going to do the "boutique pin sales, only 100 made" a la Spooky et al? FAB.

[Homepin]

Amazing how much incentive there is for a whole nation to work when they don't run a social security system....

This is completely untrue - I don't know where you got that information from but there is a very robust social security system here that includes free housing for th eelderly, food and health benefits and many more things FOR THE NEEDY!!

The usual propaganda - most likely run by our governments in the west - is simply not true.

The BIG difference is that here in China if I WANT to work harder or longer I can reap the rewards for doing so, in Australia the government takes 60% of what you earn so what incentive is there???

Please refrain from regurgitating complete crap when you certainly have no facts to back it up.

And you Mike. I've visited China several times and traded with them since 1998. I don't have the immersion you do in staying there for longer times, but I do pick up on things. There is no social security in outlying villages. China's system and "transparency" only goes so far. A lot of the people working in the cities have migrated en masses, so their culture of work or perish will have come with them even with whatever the Government offers them being available. And as many Chinese have a certain caution of dealing with Government, it goes without saying that not all of them want to declare their status, especially if they are not carrying a permit to work in that city. Doesn't seem like an equal system to me.

Anyway, I think your Thunderbirds theme is going to be a rocket in sales. Are you going to sell as many as are wanted or are you going to do the "boutique pin sales, only 100 made" a la Spooky et al? FAB.

The freedom to move about the country and the "permit to work" (your words) was all relaxed about 6 years ago. There is no requirement to stay in your "birth" town any longer and any citizen can move about the country and work anywhere they choose without requiring any permission from anyone. As long as tax is paid on their income the government doesn't care where they are living/working.

For certain things it is still a requirement to travel to your home town such as a permit to visit Hong Kong (valid for one year and two entries) and passport and ID card related things. Pretty well every other aspect of life is - in a lot of ways - actually more open and free than in Australia.

Naturally in a one party system the man in the street doesn't vote for who the leader is but all of the everyday people I have met don't give a toss about voting/elections/who is running the country as the leaders JUST GET ON WITH IT so they are doing OK generally -  our system could learn a lot.

I am personally 100% sick and tired of the absolute BS that goes on in our country with politicians bickering and arguing with each other "he said, she said" - JUST GET ON AND RUN THE COUNTRY YOU IDIOTS!!!!

Take just a single example - while our politicians have been crapping on for - I don't know??? 15 years? about a second airport for Sydney with STILL no decison - China has built 30+ world class international airports and upgraded countless others.

Forget about "feeling sorry" for the Chinese person in the street - they are mostly pretty happy with their lot. We should be feeling sorry for OURSELVES as we are sinking deeper into a very deep hole and most don't even realise that yet.

The beggers you see in the street are (for the most part) an organisattion run by "the bad guys" and it is purely a money thing. There is indeed a social security network funded by the "China Welfare Lottery" (much like Qld used to be under Jo) and you can buy a ticket pretty well anywhere. If you are genuinly needy you can get Govt assistance. Certainly not like our dole but we are simply too stupid to see the bigger picture.

Don't worry, I see things on a daily basis that make me cringe and things that make me think "WTF?" Just yesterday my business coillegue went to a trade show in Germany and his wall posters that were printed using his artwork and displaying his products were taken from him at the border with the explanation "these are not allowed to be taken out of the country" Why - who knows?? Stupidity I would have thought......
 

[ssspl]

I am personally 100% sick and tired of the absolute BS that goes on in our country with politicians bickering and arguing with each other "he said, she said" - JUST GET ON AND RUN THE COUNTRY YOU IDIOTS!!!!

I hear that.

[Marty Machine]

If China is so great, WHY CANT THEY STAY THERE?.......Stop coming over here and raping our country.

We currently don't have a government, it's purpose should be to 'govern', yet it bends over and lets everyone else rape us time & time again.

MM

[Homepin]

I can't see this thread going anywhere positive so I'm closing it.......