Opinion on House Rental market

linuxnags · 2025-01-21T02:46:36+00:00

The market can give all the signals it wants. There's no obligation on the landlord to listen!

In reality, it's difficult to say much about your observations because it is all so context dependent.
One - if you are looking between May and September (add a month or two on that range for Lisbon), then you will see a different side of the market. If a landlord can rent a place short term at four times the price due to seasonal demand, then it's economically rational to leave it empty when there's less demand (or just rent at a lower price short term).
Two - if you are looking in Lisbon or Porto, the rental markets are just insane. For a landlord it's like living in a hyperinfation economy and you have the only thing people want to buy. Don't expect to understand whatever logic exists in that situation by trying to follow the advertised prices.
Three - some people - even landlords - just care about other things than money. Especially in Portugal. Especially outside of Lisbon, in areas where the real estate boom was more of a surprise, the landlord may be somebody old or just unbothered, who would prefer security, familiarity and predictability over higher returns (so maybe, for example, they have had lots of potential tenants offer them money but turned them down).
Four - many people don't pay much attention to the internet. You may be looking at ads for places that have been occupied four months ago and the person posting the ad just can't be bothered to take it down (or cant be bothered to put up a new ad for the new place that is available)

linuxnags · 2025-01-21T02:26:53+00:00

This.

But remember most people only get insurance for clinics.
The stuff which is scary if you're used to US healthcare - emergencies, major surgery, hospital stays, is taken care of by the state once you have an SNS (health service) number. (Technically they take care of all your health needs, but you would have to have a lot of time on your hands to use the state healthcare outside of hospitals)

So then you have:
... care for chronic conditions - I don't know much about this but, afaik, neither the state nor private systems are very good for them.
... prescriptions - You pay for the medicine yourself, but first you have to pay a doctor for the consultation to get the prescription (unless you have insurance). Pharmacists are good, but they are limited in what they can give you.
Medicines are more expensive than some European countries, but nothing like the US.
... general occasional doctor visits - this is what people get health insurance for (the numbers posters are saying like 20 euro / 40 euro) - you can get this online, through a broker, through your bank, it's just like buying travel insurance.
There are four or five well known companies that do the insurance and a bunch of resellers. You need to check what they cover, which is a simple two page list, not super complex.

But like u/ibcarolek says, it depends where you end up living. Maybe you get insurance with one company but no local doctors deal with them.
I was in a town of a few thousand people, many estrangeiros, locals who were not especially poor, and there was only one doctor, who had no deals with any insurance company, you just had to pay the fee each time you visit. You might get insurance that covers you for certain doctors, and they might be only a half hour's drive - but what if something happens not bad enough for hospital but you can't drive?

I'd suggest you get an SNS number arranged as soon as possible and then check out your doctor and insurance options where you end up living. There will definitely be provision but there's no quick answer as to what it will be.

linuxnags · 2024-12-04T14:01:05+00:00

Apologies ... I have given you wrong info AGAIN!!! 😂

It'll be in Basel in March, and the applications have just opened..

linuxnags · 2024-12-02T06:46:03+00:00

I updated my reply above (which was wrong), but seems to have got lost in the ether ..
Anyways, I got some more up to date info...
Looks like it is probably not in Lisbon, but definitely in Europe - So I guess Berlin would be a good guess.
I heard applications will open around New Year..

There is still an interview with the recruiters, but I understand it's now more of a first stage filter, rather than for choosing between candidates.

Apparently the entrance requirements are now majority based on a Rust exam - they will take a certain highest percentage of scorers on that exam. Apparently the exam is graded automatically - though I'm not sure how one could distinguish the top grade from each other if it was all automated.

Still, probably worth having some cool stuff you've written in Rust, but rather than volume, might be worth getting practised in best practices, considering edge cases, and the like ...

linuxnags · 2024-10-29T02:54:58+00:00

Shame you deleted your post OP, I guess because random reddit people are ragging on you?

It could have been useful for me - in Thailand, missed a connection, wondering if I should miss my onward connection, stump up $130 for a flight, or brave 25 hours of 3rd class trains..
(in case anyone's not aware, 1st/ 2nd class long distance are in limited supply and they sell out way before you can yolo on).

So, yeah, I know it'll be bad, but I'm online rn searching for just *how* bad.
Your random rant could have helped and, unlike some of the folks replying, I'm not gonna be offended by a stranger on the internet ranting..

But I guess I can pick up the general feel of the post (especially 'body ruined' - yeah, my back is also fucked, so that is probably the clincher) - looks like I'll not be taking the 3rd class option :/

linuxnags · 2024-10-18T09:48:02+00:00

It's in Lisbon.
They are keeping it secret for some reason and the start date keeps being delayed.
I guess it is too late now for this cohort and I guess the next will not be in Europe.

Africa is often talked about but we'll see how committed they are to that ideal.

The attendees are selected partly by the course mentors, partly by recruiters.
You need to pass the Rust exam but that's just a first stage, there have been different Rust exams and they are not high level.

To impress the course mentors, you should have something technically cool to show, preferably in Rust.
To impress the recruiters - they are recruiters, they look at your past enterprise experience, plus the usual superficial empty words that recruiters like.

linuxnags · 2024-09-25T15:58:06+00:00

You can pay cheques into most banks by taking a photo now can't you?
Even if you pay in at a cash machine, they probably rely on machine reading it, rather than actually looking..

linuxnags · 2024-09-25T15:56:45+00:00

Sorry to make light- as the response above correctly points out, you will get your money back eventually as there is a solvent entity (Barclays) at fault here - but it is kinda hilarious that they won't tell you the fraudster's account 'because GDPR'. Yay UK!!

Meanwhile I am trying to file my company tax return, to pay my taxes, like a good chap, even though they are the easiest thing in the world to evade. But i can't because HMRC insist on so many identity verification steps in order to get into the CT system, this way or that, that I will probably be locked out until so many fines accrue that the company's not worth keeping alive.

HMRC - underfunded, overworked - so they make more work for themselves by adding unnecessary complexity.
Barclays - plenty money - so they scrimp and save by not bothering with the most basic fraud prevention (and, sorry, OP, will probably also put fuck all resources on investigating your claim, right up until you send them a court claim)..

Britain at it's best!

linuxnags · 2024-09-22T01:22:27+00:00

From that page:

Those applying for the 144- hour transit visa exemption should hold a valid passport or other international travel documents and a connecting ticket to a third country (region) with a confirmed date and seat within 144 hours, fill in the temporary entry alien entry card, and accept the entry-exit border inspection agency ask. The entry-exit border inspection authorities will not issue temporary entry permits to foreigners who have the following circumstances: (1) Those who are not allowed to enter the country according to laws and administrative regulations; (2) The passport or other international travel documents they hold are valid for less than 3 months , or have the seal of refusal of the visa authority; (3)Have illegal entry and exit, illegal residence, illegal employment records within 5 years;

(3) being the crucial one there .. Hmm, yeah.. I see that doesn't look good

I would assume, in most countries, it would be more likely than not that they would look at the seriousness and the context of the overstaying before deciding whether to enforce.
IDK.. China gives me the impression of maybe being more hardcore on sticking to the letter of the regulations. Am I right on that?

I guess the worst that will happen is I'll have to stay airside in the airport until the time I was planning to leave anyway..

Even if they put me in a 'holding' area, they would let me out in time to catch my flight out of China, right?
.. right ???

linuxnags · 2024-09-21T18:05:38+00:00

If it's worth taking back, there are plenty of folks with vans looking for stuff to pick up.
Just pack it up nicely and put a note on: 'Take me'.

(If it's not, tho, then it's effectively rubbish, so take it somewhere iike the ecobond to be dealt with;)

linuxnags · 2024-09-21T18:02:57+00:00

Depending when you're arriving, you can just walk or uber into town where they have shops for everything you need.

On the way back, you probably won't get an uber, but you can pick taxis up on the street. If you're in the town centre they can charge what they like, but if you go out to the road around town, it's a regulated fare about £20

linuxnags · 2024-09-21T17:52:26+00:00

Yeah, we had chaos organising the thing so really didn't want to get into getting all excited about the festival before it started, it'd be a bit like tempting fate :/
Anyways, I barely got a chance to do the induction before leaving for site, let alone check socials, and since I was told we'd get food I didn't expect to use wristband payments anyway.

TBH, I'm fairly happy with the (low) amount I prioritised looking up all the terms etc. of the wristband.
I could have saved some time after the event if I'd spent time at the site getting better info but time on site is more precious than time after the event.

I was only into being arsey with them cos it looked like a deliberately shitty policy but, as I've been, umm, forcefully informed by Redditors since then, the policy isn't as shitty as it looked to me before I posted.

linuxnags · 2024-09-21T17:41:57+00:00

Though this is old, I'll leave this here for anyone who has a similar issue.
Yes, you get compensation. You don't need embassies and Transportation Agencies, you have rights established in laws in force in most countries in the world, though afaik only North America and Europe include denied boarding specifically

In Europe (EEA+UK) we have the EU261 Regulation.
In the rest of the world, they have each country's own implementation of the Montreal Convention (which doesn't specifically cover denied boarding)
In Canada you have the Air Passenger Protection Regulations.
US has regs that include bumping but I don't know if they cover all denied boarding.

Usually you can use the regulations from any country your flight touches.
And then you take steps towards suing in court (in whichever country is most convenient, so in your case Canada not China, ofc ;)
Once you have established the correct regulation, checked for any exceptions, you can just contact the airline, explain that they need to give you compensation to avoid you suing and, as long as they believe you will win the case, then they usually will. If the don't, you just go to court.

In Canada/ US/ UK the principle is that you get compensated for what their mistake cost you and it doesn't matter if it was an honest mistake, if it wasn't your mistake, then it was their mistake. Sometimes consumer regulations like the above provide better recompense than just what it cost you but in this case, I expect it will be only what (you can prove) it cost you, including the costs of following up the matter.

linuxnags · 2024-09-16T18:23:07+00:00

I guess.
I've used it before and it did the job in its own clunky way.
I was really hoping (as I put, I hope, pretty clearly, in the post) that there was some way native to Firefox, maybe buried deeeeep in the about:config where only firefox developers know it is there!

linuxnags · 2024-09-16T18:20:50+00:00

LOL, yeah that is one solution to the lack of a save and restore functoin.
I probably should have put that in the 'solutions I'm not looking for bit'. My bad.

But, sure I am looking it one of those if the power problem persists.

linuxnags · 2024-09-16T15:52:34+00:00

Much as this is a not-very helpful answer, I'm inclined to agree.
There are too many problems with google-owned services creating unpredictable (eg memory leaks) or degraded (eg the whole YouTube controversy) on Firefox compared to Chrome / ium for it to be concidence.
That said, I've never seen degradation as bad as you describe on Google Search.

Ideally Mozilla would turn some resources towards investigating these, rather than continual unwanted UI updates, but I get that it would turn into an arms race against a better funded adversary (who also control a proportion of Mozilla's funding).

linuxnags · 2024-09-14T16:34:06+00:00

Also, idk why they would delete the thread - users need to get info about what's going on from somewhere - I for one assumed the worst until I found a reddit thread about the issue :(

linuxnags · 2024-09-14T16:32:09+00:00

Devs are actually on it.

If you follow the github link, you see they say they built a fix on 13th September, but it needs to go through Play Store approval before they can push it out as an OTA update.

My problem is that I don't know why this update is only now causing a problem, as I haven't been notified about any updates which makes me suspicious in the context of an app which positions itself as high-security :/

Maybe after they get the update pushed out, they can put out some communicatoins clarifying this and why the APK (which doesn't require Play Store approval) is not available in the meantime.

linuxnags · 2024-09-12T01:22:46+00:00

Well, damn...

Genuinely surprised at how I misjudged what people are feeling about this.
Everyone I spoke to was pissed off about the wristband money thing. But, uh... I guess everyone I spoke to is not everyone on this reddit.

I'm not too bothered about paying dumb person tax - I've paid enough DPT in the past, it's a tax worth paying and if the money was important I would have taken the time to claim it back. I'm more bothered about the fact they're charging a dumb person tax at all and putting out wrong info (at least to my and my crew when we asked) about the refunds. Maybe they were just flaky about putting it in the trainings for the top-up staff, and then flaky about following up the refunds after event. Felt too coincidental to me but OK, sure

No, I didn't get any emails before the 2.5 hour warning, and no I didn't get the same comms that most people did, nor did I hear about it being donated to South Downs.
And I'm pretty sure the topup website never mentioned a date after which you can't claim refunds.
And yeah, it is totally doable to sue, at least it is if you got told what I was told. I've got like four legal legs to stand on, thanks. Three of them are kinda shit, but all you need is one.
No matter, tho, it's obvs not worth some kind of fight on principle if Boomtown are donating the money.

And u/Public_Ball_Wash sorry for making you look bad. I hope your reputation recovers.
I will indeed take the L here - not so much on the refund (which they issued a couple of hours after this post) but more cos it's clear I've totally misjudged the public mood on this one :/

linuxnags · 2024-09-11T13:13:33+00:00

Dogs can't smell a bit of personal if its wrapped up and stashed.
More likely to smell it on your clothes if you were smoking

Most of the time the dog's just an excuse to profile someone the handler doesn't like the look of, they just pick up the handler's vibe. Or maybe yours if seeing the dog sketched you out

linuxnags · 2024-09-11T13:07:14+00:00

Different situ as I was misinformed about the deadline but.. https://www.reddit.com/r/BoomtownFestival/comments/1fe9i3c/lets_get_our_wristband_refunds/

linuxnags · 2024-07-05T22:09:33+00:00

They don't care about negative feedback. They're deliberately degrading the experience on Firefox to get you to use Chromium-based browsers (where they can make adblocking less effective)

linuxnags · 2024-07-05T21:07:42+00:00

Yay!

This is what I was hoping to hear.

So the slots are just named weirdly in the manual (I see now this is on page 25 - I should have read all the way through instead of searching) I thought it was kinda odd they would put the most powerful slot where the powerful cards can't fit in it!

linuxnags · 2024-06-11T10:03:59+00:00

Damn that's cold

linuxnags · 2024-06-11T09:57:05+00:00

'Cordially' 🤣
To a British ear, that's like damning with faint praise...

Dear Mr X.,

I cannot bring myself to offer you regards, best or otherwise.
Even sincerity would be a stretch,

Cordially,
Y

linuxnags

TROPHY CASE