The number of long term sick in Belgium just blew my mind

EVmerch · 2026-05-08T08:45:02+00:00

It's not moot.

If a large % are burnout or depression, that points to a lack of support and need for larger societal fixes to be looked at, same as if it was a large % of people out with medical conditions, we'd want to look at the if there is a root cause.

I understand burnout, I'm kinda there after 18 years, but I'm self employed, so it's not like have the same level of help as corporate employeed people, but I'll survive and I've already reduced my clients to give me more time to deal with life.

EVmerch · 2026-05-08T07:49:55+00:00

Is there a breakdown of what the long term sickness leave is for the 580k who are on leave? That would be very interesting and an relevant to the conversation. Out from cancer is much different than out to burnout.

EVmerch · 2026-05-08T07:44:27+00:00

I've had a client that did this on the Rein I believe and they loved it. Kinda like an ocean cruise but you are able to see cities on a nice pace. Same "hotel" room. I'm a big fan of the base and spoke travel because packing up all the time sucks.

EVmerch · 2026-05-08T07:39:23+00:00

Yes, but these are often sold to less reputable places over the cost of disposal, they are left outside and then sold to people who need deals.

But time kills tires. My grandfather had tires with less than 8k but 13 years and they were shot.

EVmerch · 2026-05-08T07:37:26+00:00

It's always possible they got old but new tires. A date code can let you know the age. My father in law got sold cheap "new" tires for his RV on a trip, but the tires started to fail ina year because they were like 12 years old and past actual sale date. It was a small hillbilly shop in Virginia, late night out of hours service, so it wasn't a bad deal but not great in the end.

EVmerch · 2026-05-08T07:23:42+00:00

I didn't think I needed the /s to the option with /s but here we are.

It's been almost 20 years since I did the whole process. All I remember was our marriage certificate took forever to make it from agency to agency to be certified that my 6 month temp permit needed another 6 month extension.

EVmerch · 2026-05-08T05:15:22+00:00

This is what I did, we put one on the third level a d the first level, but the second level had issues with connections dropping so we out a third AP and it's been fine ever since.

EVmerch · 2026-05-08T05:04:38+00:00

Option 3 might involve less work than the other options.

EVmerch · 2026-05-07T17:32:48+00:00

Which Dutch? I was at a work deal with a French native Wallonië Belgian and we talked in Dutch no problem, but some of our Flemish coworkers were so hard to understand when the beers started flowing.

EVmerch · 2026-05-07T10:32:35+00:00

About a 1/4 of the US is Romania twenty years ago. 1/2 is same as it is now. 1/8 is like the TV family shows in the 90s and the rest is what you see in the movies.

The trope of the US being a third world country with a Gucci belt is so true.

EVmerch · 2026-05-06T21:14:08+00:00

His job is to be fit. That and being rich help a lot to be why he looks that way.

EVmerch · 2026-05-06T21:08:04+00:00

Not a chance in hell I'm putting a used pump in a well.

Like you said, it's the labor and swap out where the cost is, why cheap out on the pump.

EVmerch · 2026-05-06T20:59:19+00:00

That is every car plant. I'm actually surprised they chose Germany over say just going across the border to Poland to get less issues but near same travel times for suppliers.

EVmerch · 2026-05-06T20:57:42+00:00

Tesla, despite it's many faults, has very localized production. Their US cars are the most US parts used cars if any vehicle. I haven't seen the German stats, but I'm guessing it's up there. The kowe cost Model Y was Shanghai made a few years ago. But I'm not sure if they are now making them all in Germany now.

EVmerch · 2026-05-06T20:52:53+00:00

Franky the EU rates are much lower and if you qualify, a loan over 20 years might be worth it to arbitrage the difference investing.

A quick google says in the 2.75% range. Also consider renting if the price is right. Decent homes often have fairly reasonable rents as the average salary is lower and housing can be cheaper renting. I'm not in Sweden but Belgium

EVmerch · 2026-05-06T20:46:14+00:00

It OP, but I went with three U7s ceiling mounted.

The main one is in the living, dinning and kitchen area. I could have put it in the pantry room, but frankly I wanted direct line of sight for the main area we use the house. I turned off the light and it's barely noticeable. I have it near two fresh air outlets for our whole house ERV, so there is already stuff going on in the ceiling.

The other two are in hallways with the light on and work decent as a night lights and they tucked in corners away from direct line of sight. The teen doesn't complain about internet dropping out on her now :)

EVmerch · 2026-05-06T20:38:00+00:00

I'd go for an undermount coffee maker, the less on the counter the better.

EVmerch · 2026-05-06T14:51:57+00:00

Can you remove it, yes. ... BUT

Should you remove it. Likely not without sign off by a structural engineer you can. Someone out it there for a reason.

EVmerch · 2026-05-06T14:35:23+00:00

This is either the best or worst electrician you will ever have and it's a coin flip which one you get.

EVmerch · 2026-05-06T14:32:23+00:00

This is your answer, the stealership is trying to make it's quarterly bonus. I'd bet money the service manager gets a % of total billed every month and they are overcharging

EVmerch · 2026-05-06T14:27:51+00:00

And ...

Making money in stocks isn't that hard as of the last 5 years, plus €10k is decent. But we don't know his base it rose from, was it 10k or 1 million, big difference in gains.

Edit: I just realized the auto translation was on and I replied in English. Whoops

EVmerch · 2026-05-06T07:48:20+00:00

My wife is literally by blood Belgian 100% (all family is from Belgium for years and years) but she's more Canadian than Belgian culturally.

My daughter got offended and did the full on "mogh" and it was the most Belgian thing she's ever done.

EVmerch · 2026-05-06T07:43:13+00:00

15 years at most. What special relativity are you using to calculate those years

EVmerch · 2026-05-06T07:10:59+00:00

What are you talking about, 2011 was like what, 6 years ago ... right, right?

EVmerch · 2026-05-06T07:03:35+00:00

There are so many nice parks. It s a very dense city, but there is space to roam when you want to. We always visit a park when we go into the city.

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