markvdb

5 ms·

61.
by markvdb 4mo ago
Not convinced. The problem is with the human layer of managing large complicated projects. Nuclear could become less unsafe once humanity has found ways not to go commity horrble violence every other generation.
62.
by markvdb 4mo ago
Hetzner is actually somewhat reliable, and OVH is not.
63.
by markvdb 4mo ago
About ten years ago, Ryanaiar suffered a booking system malfunction. My ticket was wrongly booked to "John Smith" and apparently sent to an email address "joxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx" due to a flaw in their booking system. I n
64.
by markvdb 4mo ago
Hint for dumbphone users. The app works in waydroid. Screenshot your ticket. Print it or dump it to your e-reader.
65.
by markvdb 4mo ago
> It's a serious problem in this industry s/in this industry//
66.
by markvdb 4mo ago
It's part of the package now. The same thing with the euro for example. New member states are supposed to adopt the euro at one point.
67.
by markvdb 4mo ago
Any electric gear with the battery as its main wear part. Ebikes. Sit-on mowers. Cars. This is about so much more than cost. Agency, autonomy, environment, efficiency, geopolitics even. I refuse to buy drm'ed gear. The exception is sec
68.
by markvdb 4mo ago
I don't know about the US. The EU limit on cash transactions differs by country, with a legal maximum of 10k€. Belgium and the Netherlands for example are at 3k€.
69.
by markvdb 4mo ago
Patent trolls are nasty. How long will it take for one to get the full support of those shaking the independence of the US judiciary for their own gain? Let's hope the rot stops before that.
70.
by markvdb 4mo ago
Of course every country throws hurdles onto the student entrepreneur's path. Belgium, unlike the Baltics, the US (for now) or many others, just happens to be a world championship contender in this discipline.
71.
by markvdb 4mo ago
I'm very much pro EU, and I don't want to deviate from the OP's excellent original article too much, but here are few Belgium specific examples. Not too many of them hold for all EU member states, but those would still make f
72.
by markvdb 4mo ago
Congratulations and hat tip to you sir! You must have executed incredibly well. I have to admit I'm a little bit jealous of an environment so conductive to starting a small business. I can see many hurdles in this small EU country to s
73.
by markvdb 4mo ago
> Renting is good advice, but in 5-10 years, we won't be able to afford rent here, let alone buy. You don't know if you will get priced out. You don't know how housing prices will evolve in your area. They could as well go
74.
by markvdb 4mo ago
As per the Dutch language saying: "Trust comes on foot, but leaves on horseback." Trust breakdowns are costly, except to the vultures "winning" the negative-sum game. Might want to read about the fall of the Warsaw pact.
75.
by markvdb 4mo ago
Observing the fact of individual geo-arbitrage is easy. I'm not superbly well-placed to answer your follow-up question.
76.
by markvdb 4mo ago
From a science and engineering point of view, I root for this. From an environmental point of view, I hope this won't materialise for some time.
77.
by markvdb 5mo ago
> Even in my small Eastern European home town I hear more and more french speakers in the city center every year, and when I talk to them I understand they're all here to study medicine or get junior tech jobs, which is insane to me
78.
by markvdb 5mo ago
One could reasonably have expected much worse than "just" automotive and energy intensive sectors in crisis in Germany. The Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Trump administration actively shrinking the economic cake worldwide. Its
79.
by markvdb 5mo ago
> Grandma's heirloom Tiffany engagement ring will have meaning in the way that a lab grown no name ring ordered online will not, even if they are completely indistinguishable. Not sure how to parse that. Perhaps it's a cultural
80.
by markvdb 5mo ago
Multiplier times price of necessary care denied? One can dream. How do you get accountable people in charge of healthcare policy?
81.
by markvdb 5mo ago
Pro guitar teacher here with over twenty years of experience teaching the guitar, and close to fourty years of experience playing the guitar. I still struggle with properly tuning my instrument by ear. Nothing wrong with my ears. It's
82.
by markvdb 5mo ago
Regulating US companies operating in the EU still leaves a kill switch in untrusted hands. It doesn't solve issues like the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Guillou problem.
83.
by markvdb 5mo ago
EPA [0] and EPI [1] are doing that. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Payments_Initiative [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Payments_Alliance
84.
by markvdb 5mo ago
In this subject area, I recommend Jacob Lund Fisker[0]'s Early Retirement Extreme book [1]. Don't let the title fool you. The man has a surprisingly level-headed and refreshing approach to spending. [0] https://en.wikip
85.
by markvdb 5mo ago
Looks like busy times ahead for Cycling Mikey [0]! [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CyclingMikey
86.
by markvdb 5mo ago
I'd love to also have a low smell airport. So many airports direct passenger flow through a shopping zone drenched in perfume fumes. Disgusting as far as I'm concerned. Not to mention the screaming visual pollution of course.
87.
by markvdb 6mo ago
Combined heat and electricity production is uncommon in the US, but much more so in Europe. Especially in the Baltics, Scandinavia and the Netherlands, non-CHP generation is rare. Related: higher energy cost, and elaborate local heat distri
88.
by markvdb 6mo ago
Vague. Early 2027 perhaps with a lot of luck, for a regime that will at best solve a very limited subset of issues. I'm not holding my breath. For some perspective, look at how something with a much smaller scope is being "revolut
89.
by markvdb 6mo ago
Adding a layer does not simplify. It adds complexity.
90.
by markvdb 7mo ago
See also: https://primarium.info/handwriting-models .

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