Single-transferable vote with multi-member districts is not really a proportional system. Due to the necessarily small number of seats per district, it favours the larger parties, though not by as much as first-past-the-post or STV with single-member districts.

If you consider the political dynamics of systems with open-list PR, closed-list PR and MMR, the difference actually isn’t all that significant. The average person doesn’t have the time to investigate the merits of each candidate, so in these systems most people vote according to party preference, perhaps also considering the charisma of its leader. Of these systems, MMR is probably the least effective, since it requires an electoral threshold (5% is chosen in both Germany and New Zealand) to keep the system workable. This electoral threshold again favours the larger parties, and skews the system away from proportionality.

The top of the global quality-of-life rankings is dominated by countries using open and semi-closed PR.

Do you think this is helpful advice for someone who has already decided they want a photographer and have budgeted for it?

I think it’s good advice, which is unlikely to be followed in this case.

It’s cool that you didn’t feel the need for photos. I will point out that physical photos are one of the first items people try to grab when there’s a fire or other disaster that forces them from their homes.

All the more reason not to have them.

Different people will place different priorities on wedding events. It’s ok for OP to want to have photos of their wedding.

I think it’s OK for OP and anyone else to ignore my advice in this case.

Just don’t have one and save some money. My wife and I never miss having a wedding photo album. We also didn’t have a wedding, which helped mitigate the need for a photographer.

NFTs are not a good comparison, because NFTs were only ever a gambling instrument, lacking any practical application.

Instead, the dotcom bubble is a better comparison. E-commerce didn’t go away after the bubble burst. Likewise, AI will continue to have applications and be part of the economy - as it also was prior to the LLM-driven boom. It’s just that some of the more bullshitty aspects will disappear, and the remainder will have more sensible market valuations.

You can just hire a shipping container and send your stuff. Will cost you a couple grand.

I have lived in a couple of different countries and in total moved about 20 times or so. It’s really not that big a deal, but I do recommend throwing away most of your stuff. Most of what we have fits in a few boxes, aside from some cheap furniture.

Now is a good time to move away from the US because you are ahead of the large refugee waves that will come if and when things get really bad (but even if they don’t, it’s unlikely the US is going to catch up to Northern Europe economically any time soon). You do need to have a job lined up though, no Nordic country is going to give you a residence permit just because your grandparents were from there.

Have you noticed how ancient religious texts like the Bible often heavily focus on financial themes, especially debt and inequality? This was long before capitalism existed. The existence of markets (capitalist or not) tends to lead to inequality. In fact, modern capitalist societies were the first to have the ability (though not necessarily the will…) to adequately address this issue using progressive taxation, as opposed to the older methods like the Jubilee, bans on usury, and later feudalism (all of which have severe drawbacks).

I traveled alone by train for the first time when I was about 10 years old, though not abroad.

There are Europe-wide train tickets you can buy, I’d recommend this if you’re curious. Plenty to see.

Some comments mention safety, probably Americans who don’t realize how safe Europe is. Though of course something bad can always happen.

Some very good suggestions, and not just the already well-known stuff among mainstream audiences from most of the other comments.

I would personally cite Cocteau Twins over This Mortal Coil, not only did they predate them, but Treasure is also the better (and more influential) record in my opinion.

Therion has been quite explicit with its acknowledgment of Celtic Frost as a major influence (even taking the name) - though their records suffer from subpar production, and one could argue Therion was able to fulfill the ambition of Celtic Frost.

One shouldn’t mention no wave without mentioning Swans, who were massively influential to grunge, post-punk, post-rock and heavy music in general. The colossal Soundtracks for the Blind is their magnum opus.

Aside from Kraftwerk, the krautrock scene spawned several more highly influential groups, including Neu! (who invented the remix), CAN (cited as a major influence by Radiohead and many others) and Popul Vuh (pioneers of early ambient, electronic and “new age” music).

A few more suggestions not related to yours: Oddly enough Zappa hasn’t been mentioned yet in the comments (as of writing this comment), probably the most influential pop music artist of the 20th Century, though his music can be challenging at times and not all of his humour has aged very well. We’re Only In It For the Money is probably the best starting point.

Brian Eno - Apollo. Not Eno’s first ambient album, but probably his most accomplished one.

Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden. It’s hard to believe you are listening to what used to be a new wave band only a few years earlier if you play this record. It was so far ahead of its time their label dropped them amidst an acrimonious lawsuit.

Ulver has been cited as a major influence by modern electronic music artists (e.g., Carpenter Brut). Their output is extremely diverse and creatively shifts dramatically from album to album. I would recommend Perdition City as a starting point.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - F#A#∞. Not coincidentally released shortly after Soundtracks for the Blind, a massive creative leap nonetheless and one of the defining post-rock records of the 1990s.

In my experience, they work as engineers, engineers or engineers.

Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. Not a “nice” or “beautiful” tourist experience, obviously, but an extremely impressive one. I’m not a very emotional person, and have no personal link to the Holocaust, but one of the few times of my adult life I cried was when I visited the memorial site.

I have a contract that allows for up to 50% work from home. I use 0%. I live 10 minutes from work, so the commute isn’t significant (and it gives me a reason for some light exercise). It’s easier to work with colleagues if you’re talking face-to-face, and I like to mentally separate being in a working mindset and a relaxation mindset, which is more difficult if my home is a workplace.

Depending on where you intend to retire and your intended expenses during retirement, anywhere from 0 to billions.

PhD in physics. Worked in academia for a while after that, but getting permanent positions is hard so I sold out and am now chilling in an engineering job.

Avoiding branded products should get you a long way, it’s mostly those that are regularly discounted.

Well, the difference is not that big. Actually, I’d probably save money in the Netherlands since I spend about €100 per month buying lunches at work and I’d probably take my lunch from home if I’d live there again.

About €350 per month for two people. This is in Germany, where food is relatively affordable compared to other high-income European countries.

What’s ironic is that de Gaulle created a strong presidency, mirroring the US system, and in doing so created the western European system most susceptible to a fascist takeover and subsequent collapse.

They generally are, in rich countries. In poorer countries with less developed infrastructure you can still commonly find them.

If you want to go to Europe, don’t apply for asylum. This has no chance of succeeding, even for people from war-torn countries with ongoing genocides it is difficult.

The easiest way is to apply for a study visa. There are many EU countries with very good education, very low requirements for admission, and very low (or even no) tuition fees, even for non-EU students. Once you have a degree, you are anchored and can find a job and get citizenship without too much difficulty.

The alternative is to apply for a job. In this case you need some marketable skill that is difficult to find among the locals.