“The check is in the mail”

That’s what happens when you rehire the local DVP during reunification.

Decided to OpenSource instead of Software Patent (as my employer was urging me). Nowadays, that technique is used in every decent Image CDN + compression tool. Still proud to see it everywhere. Maybe it wouldn’t have made it if had been patented.

Many other good ones have already been mentioned, so I won’t repeat those titles. But “Suspiria” (2018 edition) definitely deserves a mention. The ending is just … well, clearly somebody amongst the original writers had some issues regarding reproductive systems … but the other 98% of the movie feature brilliant suspense & eiriness at all times. And Tilda Swinton is simply to-die-for in it. ;)

It Follows is definitely one of the best horror movies regarding suspense and general feeling of … gloom?! Eireness?! Futility?! Darkness?! Whatever it is, I love it!

And the (potentially) underlying message is powerful.

(FYI: this is divorcées attempting to date)

Went on my 1st date after divorce. Sat down together at a café. After greeting each other, she immediately asks “So when do you intend to move to my town?”. I reply by saying “Whoa! Take it slow. Let’s get to know each other first!” and feeling that she can’t be serious about her question.

She, however, explodes in my face that she has a life and a kid in that other town and no time to waste. I managed to reply that I have a life and kids in this current town we’re in, too, before she jumps up and storms away cursing.

Not the most conducive first post-marital dating experience.

Magnolia.

Yes! No.1 reason: microphone quality! I have to attend many calls every day and no Bluetooth headset (BT v.4 > 5.3, SPS, AAC, LDAC) has even come close to the simple quality of a ~25,-€ wired headset.

As a parent, EVERY kid feels like your kid. This made me cry.

I’m glad to hear it’s not an issue in your experience / industry.

German here: I have yet to witness these “European-style” vacations mentioned in the post title.

Most workplaces seem to frown at people taking >2 consecutive weeks of vacation, esp. if they don’t have kids and do it in main travel season / during school holidays. Handing in ~3 weeks of holidays often at least needs some kind of explanation to the team-lead, e.g. “I have school kids who have their summer holidays and we need to keep them busy until school starts again.”

I have yet to see a single company going easy on someone saying “I’ll be off all of August KTHXBYE”.