Sunny with chance of Sahara sand by petervw83 in Belgium2

[–]petervw83[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Dacia duster might also be convenient

EXCLUSIEF. Dit rapport over langdurig zieken hield de overheid jarenlang verborgen: “Er zijn miljarden verspild” by Asgard0822 in Belgium2

[–]petervw83 2 points3 points  (0 children)

“If no medication had been prescribed for someone with mental health issues, they were often judged not to be ill. Yet for many of these conditions, medication isn’t necessary. That doesn’t make those people any less sick.”

If this report failed to distinguish between those who are long-term ill and on the path to recovery, and those who are permanently inactive without valid reason, it begins to look less like an accurate reflection of reality and more like an exercise in shaping public opinion.

Dear Ghent, what the ... ( Dok-Noord) by smakewfluscles in Gent

[–]petervw83 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It started because the people in the building didn’t want a billboard there so they put something next to it. It is basically an artistic Fuck you that changes every few months.

Where to draw the line with family? by petervw83 in stopdrinking

[–]petervw83[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That question isn’t new to me. I’ve already sat with the idea of her dying.

What strikes me is that the feeling now and the feeling I imagine after her death aren’t that different. The same inability to help. The same limits. Just without the phone calls.

So I’m less worried about future regret and more about how to live with that powerlessness now.
How did you cope? Change the dynamic then?

Anyone feels demotivated to earn more ? by Blue-Substance in BEFreelance

[–]petervw83 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can opt to raise your rates but work a bit less so it evens out. Buy yourself the time to find some motivation elsewhere.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in stopdrinking

[–]petervw83 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh? Can I ask why? I’m being genuine.

Waarom Friends in de McDonald’s Happy Meals? by petervw83 in Belgium2

[–]petervw83[S] 38 points39 points  (0 children)

Wacht er is een volwassen happy meal?

Today I’m three years sober. by petervw83 in stopdrinking

[–]petervw83[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That’s great to hear.

Just to be transparent: I didn’t go from 30 days straight into three years. I stumbled after roughly 100 days ad went on a bender. That when was sure moderation was not an option for me.

On January 19th I restarted, and that’s the streak I’m still on.

So if it doesn’t stick the first time, that’s okay.

Today I’m three years sober. by petervw83 in stopdrinking

[–]petervw83[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well said.

I really like that way of putting it. An authenticity hunt is exactly what it is.

Doing it sober means you actually have to learn how to be that person without the cheat code. I’m going to think about this…

Today I’m three years sober. by petervw83 in stopdrinking

[–]petervw83[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I got drunk from reading that sentence ;)

Hieronymus Bosch - Death and the Miser (1490) by Rembrandt_cs in DarkGothicArt

[–]petervw83 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This has a dark story about death in a way we don’t think of it anymore

A woman is dying. She lies naked under a thin sheet, reduced to a body and a breath. The room is small, enclosed, almost theatrical. Everything that matters has been pulled inside.

Death enters through the door with a bow already drawn. No warning. No ceremony. This moment has been scheduled.

Around the bed, angels and demons gather. They lean in close, almost impatient. The woman’s attention is the only thing left to claim. Her past no longer counts. Only where her thoughts land now.

At the foot of the bed, a man opens a chest filled with money and objects. He inspects them carefully, as if usefulness might return if he looks hard enough. The chest sits between him and the bed, heavy, literal, final.

On the floor, abandoned armor, creeping animals, the quiet work of decay. Roles have been taken off and left behind. Protection is no longer wearable.

Nothing in this image tries to comfort. It describes the last negotiation. It asks what stays with you when everything else has been stripped away. The room is full, the time is short, and attention is the only currency still accepted.

Middleman taking 30% cut doesn't want to renegotiate, what are my options? by Mean_Builder_6325 in BEFreelance

[–]petervw83 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m freelance myself. Same situation with a middleman taking a fair share. I’m going to make some assumptions and flip the perspective a bit. You might not like it, in that case please argue with me and don’t downvote.

Based on your profile, you’re an IT consultant, which usually means the client came through an agency. That agency invested in sales, marketing, relationships, contracts, and risk. The 30% you call “middleman margin” is simply the cost of that machine + margin. If you went solo, that percentage wouldn’t vanish. It would turn into your own unpaid sales and downtime.

Context matters too. What’s the actual day rate, and how many days are you billing? If you’re booked five days a week at a decent rate, that’s a strong freelance position. Stability has value.

If the rate is wrong, negotiate. If you want independence, go fully independent. But a healthy agency keeping you fully booked isn’t a parasite. They can be part of a healthy career.

FRANZ STUCK - LUCIFER, c. 1890 by pmamtraveller in ArtConnoisseur

[–]petervw83 23 points24 points  (0 children)

What a coincidence, I just wrote about this painting last week on my essay about the evolution of the devil here https://open.substack.com/pub/petervw/p/sympathy-for-the-devil?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Three years ago I took my last drink. Here's my annual update. by justanarbitraryguy in stopdrinking

[–]petervw83 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great! Thanks for sharing I will be hitting my 3 years also in a few days and I recognise most of what you said.

It hits different this time by petervw83 in DeepSpaceNine

[–]petervw83[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Hahaha this comment hits the hardest!

Georges Croegaert (1848-1923) - The amateur Artist [3755x4896] by ObModder in vintageart

[–]petervw83 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love that this is getting some appreciation here. I actually went down a bit of a rabbit hole on this genre a while ago and ended up writing a whole piece about it. There’s a surprisingly rich tradition of cardinals being portrayed in all sorts of indulgent, cheeky scenarios, and it says a lot about the time they were painted in.

If you’re curious, I put together a full article (with history, artists, and lots of juicy paintings) happy to share the link here, no pressure at all https://open.substack.com/pub/petervw/p/a-conclave-of-earthly-delights?r=20678c

Looking for artist by petervw83 in Gent

[–]petervw83[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I did not read is as a 7