Mad Skillz
Have you ever taken out the trash, mowed the lawn, or fixed the car?
Have you boasted about this to your friends or family, only to be asked: "What do you want? A friggin' medal?"
Yes. Yes I do want a friggin' medal!
And now I can have it! Thanks to the World Skills Competition, which was going on while gieves and I were in Canada. It's a biannual competition that brings over 900 competitors from 47+ countries together for a no-holds-barred, Olympic-style throw down. There are judges, there are medals, there are national anthems, and the Prime Minister of Canada opened the 8-day event noting that the "world's eyes are on Calgary" in the most significant way since the 1988 Olympics.
Raise your hand if you've ever heard of the World Skills Competition. Go on. I'll wait.
Right.
But my friends, you have NO idea what you've been missing. Re-branded from their former name as the "Skill Olympics", they've captured the imagination of the world. You could defend the honor of your nation and win a global medal in high-stakes competitions like:
* Metal Roofing
* CNC Milling
* Floristry
* Restaurant Service (Waiting)
* Refrigeration
... or my favorite:
* the Team Caring competition
"On your marks competitors... get ready... aaand... CARE!"**
The host nation took gold in Cabinetmaking, Restaurant Service and Graphic Design, only to be narrowly defeated by the brutal Australians in the Beauty Therapy competition. But their spunky newcomer's strong Silver showing in the Aircraft Maintenance competition, beating out the crowd-favorite UK competitor, really pulled at the heart strings of the Canadians and made front-page news in the Calgary paper.
The demonstration competition in Plastering and Drywall Systems went to France, with Switzerland and Japan close behind. The WSC committee is currently in hot debate whether Plastering will be a mainline sport when the games go to London in 2011.
The US team was a shameful boil on the rump of our fine nation. We took silver in Automotive Service and Welding. Consolation prize "Medals for Excellence" were taken in Printing, Car Painting, Cooking and Hairdressing. I blame the schools.
But how can anyone resist signing up?! You can "battle it out against the clock, and against difficulties commonly encountered in the workplace."
Grrrrr!!!! The 2011 HP Printer Paper Jam competition is MINE, bitch... do you hear me? MINE!!!
I don't much like my chances in London, against the crushing speed and power of the Japanese and Norwegian Information Network Cabling teams, though. Those guys can plug in Ethernet like nothing I've ever seen before. Golly...
No. Freaking. Joke.
(** - I really do have to wonder... Do they like bus in a bunch of invalids from the nearest nursing home, dump them into the ring, and send in the national teams to try and sort things out? Are you judged on your compassion? Do you lose points if the diapers are all full before you finish changing all of the TVs over to Maury?? The website is unacceptably vague!)
Have you boasted about this to your friends or family, only to be asked: "What do you want? A friggin' medal?"
Yes. Yes I do want a friggin' medal!
And now I can have it! Thanks to the World Skills Competition, which was going on while gieves and I were in Canada. It's a biannual competition that brings over 900 competitors from 47+ countries together for a no-holds-barred, Olympic-style throw down. There are judges, there are medals, there are national anthems, and the Prime Minister of Canada opened the 8-day event noting that the "world's eyes are on Calgary" in the most significant way since the 1988 Olympics.
Raise your hand if you've ever heard of the World Skills Competition. Go on. I'll wait.
Right.
But my friends, you have NO idea what you've been missing. Re-branded from their former name as the "Skill Olympics", they've captured the imagination of the world. You could defend the honor of your nation and win a global medal in high-stakes competitions like:
* Metal Roofing
* CNC Milling
* Floristry
* Restaurant Service (Waiting)
* Refrigeration
... or my favorite:
* the Team Caring competition
"On your marks competitors... get ready... aaand... CARE!"**
The host nation took gold in Cabinetmaking, Restaurant Service and Graphic Design, only to be narrowly defeated by the brutal Australians in the Beauty Therapy competition. But their spunky newcomer's strong Silver showing in the Aircraft Maintenance competition, beating out the crowd-favorite UK competitor, really pulled at the heart strings of the Canadians and made front-page news in the Calgary paper.
The demonstration competition in Plastering and Drywall Systems went to France, with Switzerland and Japan close behind. The WSC committee is currently in hot debate whether Plastering will be a mainline sport when the games go to London in 2011.
The US team was a shameful boil on the rump of our fine nation. We took silver in Automotive Service and Welding. Consolation prize "Medals for Excellence" were taken in Printing, Car Painting, Cooking and Hairdressing. I blame the schools.
But how can anyone resist signing up?! You can "battle it out against the clock, and against difficulties commonly encountered in the workplace."
Grrrrr!!!! The 2011 HP Printer Paper Jam competition is MINE, bitch... do you hear me? MINE!!!
I don't much like my chances in London, against the crushing speed and power of the Japanese and Norwegian Information Network Cabling teams, though. Those guys can plug in Ethernet like nothing I've ever seen before. Golly...
No. Freaking. Joke.
(** - I really do have to wonder... Do they like bus in a bunch of invalids from the nearest nursing home, dump them into the ring, and send in the national teams to try and sort things out? Are you judged on your compassion? Do you lose points if the diapers are all full before you finish changing all of the TVs over to Maury?? The website is unacceptably vague!)