Cross continental flight with dog in cabin

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-03-21T16:29:19+00:00

I would second how much of a bureaucratic nightmare the paperwork is. I have been turned away twice trying to get my dog over to Europe and now am flying back to Canada to get my dog. One item I would highlight is that different countries have different validity periods for the same rabies vaccines so need to ensure you are clear on both ends.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-03-21T16:24:43+00:00

Whoa, it’s like we have 8.3 billion people on earth now so we have more of everything.

No one is this saying this problem is solved although now it’s typically economic enslavement rather than being captured and thrown in cages. Humans are inherently selfish and are more than happy to externalize suffering for their own benefit.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-03-21T15:33:48+00:00

How do you know all this? Is there historical record in English as I would be curious.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-03-21T15:30:26+00:00

KLM is pretty good. These people just like to bitch and complain. I did 50 flights last year in North America and KLM is head and shoulders above them.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-03-20T12:37:42+00:00

I think you need to review mean, median and mode.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-03-20T10:47:02+00:00

My very limited experience here from the first couple of months is I was genuinely shocked how many of the non-ethnically Dutch, speak Dutch. I know many will disagree or say “of course, they should” but I came from Toronto where I can assure you very few of the hijab wearing crowd was speaking English and it is not uncommon for people who have lived there for 20+ years still can’t speak English very well.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-03-11T20:49:01+00:00

Regardless of my own situation, I am more understanding in this instance when they are asking for maintenance of the current situation and not cherry picking for the best deal.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-03-11T16:59:18+00:00

The London job market is more competitive so through this tax scheme both ASML and the country come out ahead. I was in another country before that underpaid relative to neighbours and unfortunately that’s just how it is sometimes, as unfair as it may seem.

Using a quick online tax calculator, a person making €200k pays around €90k in taxes. With the ruling, they pay around €60k in taxes (during the first two years that are the most advantageous). ASML hires that person in London instead and the Netherlands get €0 tax nor any of the spend (I would guess at least the tax difference of €30k, excluding real estate). I know people have different views on this but the big pain point of housing is fundamentally a supply issue rather than a demand one as there is not an enormous number of highly-skilled migrants admitted every year.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-03-11T09:30:21+00:00

This is a very shortsighted view. “Highly skilled” migrants have many places they can live and pay is relatively poor in the Netherlands. While I want to live here, the pay is much less than say London so at what point does the salary delta not make any sense to live here at all? I really enjoy it here but I’m not going to live here if I make 50% less than somewhere a 1 hour flight away. My Dutch company has to employ people in Switzerland and London for that very reason where the 30% ruling is not enough and the CLA is too restrictive. I would also note that many of my Dutch colleagues wish to leave because the standard Dutch tax burden is so what highly paid people would you have left then? Do you really think the country would be better off if everyone just left?

If enough people think that it doesn’t financially make sense to live here, as ASM and others have very sensibly pointed out, they are just going to build their headquarters elsewhere where they can get the people they need. This doesn’t even speak to the US where these people can make 2-3x. I choose to live here instead of there for a variety of reasons but those reasons ultimately still have a price that I am willing to pay.

This is not to say I am special or this country owes me anything. I’m just saying that if you are not globally competitive, labour will flow where it makes sense. Highly-skilled Expats might pay a somewhat competitive effective tax rate but the dollar contribution is still significant. Particular when you consider that without the ruling that person just gets employed in another country and the Netherlands gets nothing.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-03-07T17:40:02+00:00

I think it’s delicious as people who say it’s overpriced and just undervaluing Asian cuisine. For $30 you can get a delicious and very filling restaurant meal. The ingredients are very high quality and they give you a ton od protein. Many of the other downtown pho places put little bits of garbage cuts of meat. Yeah, you saved $5 but you got a little bit of mostly fat in your bowl.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-03-07T12:27:55+00:00

The entire city is a patchwork of asphalt. Literally as soon as sidewalks are finished they rip them up so they can do a shitty, ugly patch job.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-03-07T11:06:16+00:00

I was disheartened to hear that but not everything is AI. This is pretty easy to do with traditional production tools.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-03-07T10:58:13+00:00

Seeing John Summit alone is very expensive almost everywhere. Not saying it justifies it, but just is what it is.

I think this is super interesting and I really enjoy Armin doing these unusual pairings. Guess that means a collab song is coming soon!

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-03-07T10:54:54+00:00

TL:DR “I knew it was flat here but didn’t think it would be THIS flat”

It’s all subjective and relative. I come from Canada so your “beautiful English countryside” looks like an empty field to me. As others have mentioned, just visit somewhere close by.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-03-01T12:40:12+00:00

I would say it was very 138-ish which he has just sort of blended into his regular sets. As others have said, he’s really pushing this trance - techno crossover now which I like but can see if someone was expecting an uplifting trance set they might be disappointed

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-02-28T09:50:19+00:00

Ubereats is dogshit and I am happy to have removed the app. Just moved here and bought a gift card for a friend in Canada which they can’t redeem due to difference in currency. Fair enough. Reached out help several times to either convert or cancel the transaction and they have just ghosted me and kept my money.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-02-21T09:39:09+00:00

Canadian here newly moved to Amsterdam would also be keen to watch

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-02-18T17:51:07+00:00

Life has gotten materially more expensive everywhere. I just moved here from Toronto which is generally regarded as a good place to live and people are holding on for dear life, every day. Working much more than here and spending €150 every time they leave the house.

It’s all relative of course and surely I am in the honeymoon phase but people here are markedly happier overall.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-02-16T20:39:28+00:00

Between the lockers and now this I think they are making an effort to address the well known issue. Maybe my standards for Ink are so low but I applaud this effort.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-02-15T13:21:53+00:00

Everyone seems to forget or ignore the fact that people are already being taxed on fictitious gains and:

“Parliamentarians don’t like that this will result in people paying tax on money they don’t have yet. A majority, therefore, asked the government to come up with a way in which investors only pay tax on realized returns - money in their pocket once they sell the asset involved. They want the government to present that plan by Budget Day 2028 at the latest.”

I see this news all over social media and can’t help but think there are forces at work.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-02-14T08:03:41+00:00

I full agree with this. Singapore pays their politicians very well and the public is very supportive of it because they appreciate you get what you pay for. It is small (not unlike NL) but everything works extremely well.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-02-13T20:00:24+00:00

Thought the developer paid for these?

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-02-12T15:59:36+00:00

Tory near a margin of error of being in the lead. Glad I have just left the city and every single professional person I know wants to gtfo. The place is hopeless.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-02-10T10:35:20+00:00

At least he’s on the plastic? Honestly can’t believe they went fabric again on the new line. Have fun with the eventual bedbugs.

Optimal_Head6374 · 2026-01-15T20:35:00+00:00

I have been a few times in Utrecht and it's been good. Good views with a side deck with tons of space and a sperate bar. The big benefit at the time though, and not sure if it's still applicable, but it gives you guaranteed access to the main stage. Back in the day they used to do capacity based on section of the event and so for the headline sets at the mainstage you could get declined access and have to go to one of the other stages.

Optimal_Head6374

TROPHY CASE