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First.. even in the US, you are told what to do! Its called laws.. and each state has different sets of rules.
Second,
Europe and the US, both attracts people who are after a better life!
Some belive more money is better. -> US
Some belive a better work/life balance is better. ->Europe
The only reason I would move to the US, is because of earning more.
But I earn more then 99,9% of the worlds population.
My GF earns more then me.
And we never gave away more then 40% in income taxes. More like 38%.
What would I gain, by working harder, longer hours, have less worker rights, often no Union to help me, stupidly expensive healtcare ( that used to force you to stay with an employer, because you could not afford it yourself.. ), when all I do is work? How many weeks of vacation does one get in the US?
Second.. what types of jobs, pays more in the US? Very specialized ones.. Finance, IT, Medicine ( if your degrees is recognized ).. Society is run on "ordinary jobs", and those jobs in the US are painfully low paid!
People might wish to come to Europe, to be protected by the safety net.. but Europe will not accept you, if you dont have anything to offer!!
We accept refugees.. because our obligations to the UN. Those have to be "feed and housed".. and many find productive jobs, that are suited to their qualifications after a while. Of course, there are those that never do integrate, and it irks me aswell as many others, as the system is based on everybody trying to work together. I totaly understand that!
This is all interesting. I live in Southern California where I have year-round access to the farmer's market. The produce there has not been sprayed. I buy fresh local strawberries every month of the year, even January. I buy them on Friday and they were maybe picked the day before. They usually don't last a week because we eat them up, but in case any are left on Wednesday or Thursday (6 or 7 days after picking), most are still good. A few will have started to get soft by that time. If your strawberries are getting bad after only 3 days, I wonder if you are not handling them properly. They have to stay dry and unbruised. If you wash and handle them right away they will go bad much faster. Also, if you spray them with white vinegar after you get them home and let them air dry before refrigerating, this kills any mold and extends the shelf life by several days.
It's maybe the amount of sun that the strawberries get? I can definitely say that German strawberries taste better than imported ones from Spain. But in Spain Spanish strawberries taste much better than the ones we import from Spain, they also taste better than domestic strawberries in Germany.
I think I handle strawberries properly, but the hint with the vinegar is new to me.
An article from the grocery chain Edeka about the shelf life of strawberries;
Quote:
Erdbeeren sind hochempfindliche Früchte, die sich nicht lange lagern lassen. Selbst im Kühlschrank bleiben die leckeren, aber sehr sensiblen Früchte nur etwa einen bis zwei Tage haltbar, bevor sie zu verderben beginnen. Indem Sie mögliche Feuchtigkeitsquellen reduzieren, können Sie jedoch verhindern, dass die Erdbeeren binnen dieser Zeit matschig werden oder Schimmel ansetzen.
Translation:
Strawberries are highly sensitive, they cant be stored for longer. Even in the refrigerator they only last for about one to two days before they start to spoil. While reducing sources of moisture you can prevent that they become mushy or mouldy within this time.
Or is it possible that it has something to do with AC in the U.S. I don't know. Would be interesting to hear from Spaniards about the shelf life of their strawberries.
Quote:
I make my own bread, using whole wheat and rye flour, and it does last at least a week, sitting on the counter in a plastic bag. Of course the texture is not the same by the end of that time, but it is still perfectly edible and not moldy. There are no preservatives in it. I am not sure why German bread goes bad so fast?
We have mostly issues with "Toastbrot" (bread for toasting). Sometimes it's getting mouldy within 3 days, and sometimes it seems ok even after a week.
Most pre-packed sliced breads in Germany have a best-before date of 4 days from the day you purchase it. If I would buy a sliced bread today at Aldi, the best-before date would be January the 6th. Sometimes they still have bread from the day before, that would have a best-before date of January the 5th.
Most of the bread is still edible after that date, but I really don't like to eat such breads, because the texture is getting so dry. I'm not a picky eater, but I can't stand dry bread. I mostly grab a loose unsliced bread that I slice in the store by myself or at home when I want to eat a slice.
Personally I prefer wholemeal bread. Preferably spelt wholemeal bread. This bread is even after a week still quite moist. Protein bread seems to be the worst, when it comes to shelf-life. It's getting mouldy often in just 2 days.
Last edited by lukas1973; 01-02-2017 at 07:12 AM..
First.. even in the US, you are told what to do! Its called laws.. and each state has different sets of rules.
Second,
Europe and the US, both attracts people who are after a better life!
Some belive more money is better. -> US
Some belive a better work/life balance is better. ->Europe
The only reason I would move to the US, is because of earning more.
But I earn more then 99,9% of the worlds population.
My GF earns more then me.
And we never gave away more then 40% in income taxes. More like 38%.
What would I gain, by working harder, longer hours, have less worker rights, often no Union to help me, stupidly expensive healtcare ( that used to force you to stay with an employer, because you could not afford it yourself.. ), when all I do is work? How many weeks of vacation does one get in the US?
Second.. what types of jobs, pays more in the US? Very specialized ones.. Finance, IT, Medicine ( if your degrees is recognized ).. Society is run on "ordinary jobs", and those jobs in the US are painfully low paid!
People might wish to come to Europe, to be protected by the safety net.. but Europe will not accept you, if you dont have anything to offer!!
We accept refugees.. because our obligations to the UN. Those have to be "feed and housed".. and many find productive jobs, that are suited to their qualifications after a while. Of course, there are those that never do integrate, and it irks me aswell as many others, as the system is based on everybody trying to work together. I totaly understand that!
There's a reason why bicycles are so popular in Denmark. The tax on new car purchases more than doubles the price of the car, I've heard.
Denmark is flat as a pancake. There you have the main reason for bicycles being popular. It's a very comfortable way of getting from A to B without much struggle, even for non-sporty persons. Perfect for commuting.
Yes, cars and gas are expensive in Europe, which discourages car using
Saying a low % of population are having cars in Europe is an urban legend. I don't know how it compares to the US, butI know many newyorkers don't have a car whereas in rural Germany or France many families can have several cars (agreed, usually smaller thant inthe US, but still...)Cities like Amsterdam and Kopenhagen where "bicycle is king" are the exception, not the rule, as much as cities like Portland (Ore) are the exception, not the rule in the US.
Europe has the densest grid of highways, and autobahnen in the world! the eiropean auto industries are in full swing right now.
If more Europeans don't have cars , it's not because they are more environmentally -friendly than the average American (mostly not), it's that their average standard of living being lower, they can't afford as much to own a car . And there is no room for more cars anyway in our overpopulated, congested cities.
(and Rutftruth and Ariete, stop bashing RT, I know you always didn't accept the political choices of the Russian and American peoples and believe probably Obama's lies about "russian spies", but the fact that you insist so much about it proves that what RT drives it home...)
Yes, cars and gas are expensive in Europe, which discourages car using
Europe has the densest grid of highways, and autobahnen in the world! the eiropean auto industries are in full swing right now.
If more Europeans don't have cars , it's not because they are more environmentally -friendly than the average American (mostly not), it's that their average standard of living being lower, they can't afford as much to own a car . And there is no room for more cars anyway in our overpopulated, congested cities.
(and Rutftruth and Ariete, stop bashing RT, I know you always didn't accept the political choices of the Russian and American peoples and believe probably Obama's lies about "russian spies", but the fact that you insist so much about it proves that what RT drives it home...)
So the essence:
- Europeans are more likely not to afford cars, because they have both, less disposable income and far higher prices for car operation
- Cities in Europe are overpopulated and congested
Here are the bare numbers: USA has 797 vehicles per 1000 people. Germany only has 572.
That cars are much more expensive in Europe is not a myth. Even if you exclude extremes such as V8 muscle cars, high-end luxury cars or trucks which are not common in Europe, unfortunately, you will see that comparable cars are always much more expensive.
The Hyundai Sonata for example in the US is around $20k while a comparable model in Europe, the I40 is around €30k with similar features. Same for the Ford Mondeo, which is similar as the Ford Fusion US model, or the Volkswagen Passat.
I dont see why or how you would use car ownership or fuel prices as a measure for the quaility of life?
Population density has something to do with car ownership numbers.
Like I said before, me and my GF are in the 0,01% of world earners. I dont have a car. She owns a $4000 Toyota.
Society is structured around public transportation, so we dont need one, but its handy for those days we want a long drive. (But in more rural areas its of course needed.. but once population density increases fewer and fewer needs it )
Congratulations that you make like $700k a year, but that does not mean that it represents the European society. With that income, you are probably rich in every part of the world and can afford a car everywhere. Now, the question is how many of the average income people can afford a car.
What would I gain, by working harder, longer hours, have less worker rights, often no Union to help me
Quote:
Originally Posted by dmarko
Like I said before, me and my GF are in the 0,01% of world earners.
Those two statements make no sense at all. Are there management unions in Norway that protect managers from managers? What kind of labor position pays over $700,000 a year?
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