60 days, so around 3 months. 2 personal days. 2 days a month sick time that accumulated. It isn't bragging, you only see it that way because it defies your narrative.

Other places have less, few have more. But no, it isn't a select group. In point of fact, I seldom took all of the vacation days. Other than the time I broke my ankle playing Ice Hockey and miscellaneous dental work, I didn't use much sick leave either. Don't fret though, I got paid for those days upon retirement. Not bragging, just a point of fact.

It isn't a data point, and it isn't a whole country I'm referring to.It's just something that doesn't conform to your narrative. And you are quite triggered by it. Your propaganda does not allow for accepting that. I only offer it as a counterpoint to your narrative. We don't have guvmint mandated vacation or sick leave. But you make an interesting point that we'll revisit soon.

If you think that I care about some rando posting about their superiority, sorry, I do not. I do however get some small measure of satisfaction of having the vaunted supremacists of Europe get triggered. The amount of popcorn munching this whole topic provides us, where it is pointed out quite truthfully that Europeans are less hard-working, less ambitious, more regulated and more risk-averse than the US.

I simply love pissing you folks off. And it is so easy.

Extra "data point" for you - I retired at 55.

Ah, I see. Other's can judge your countries as well. Here are some links of how you treat your neighbors. Read them then come back with your attitude of Europe's kind and caring attitude. Seems that racism is alive and well in your area - https://www.bbc.com/news/world... https://www.euronews.com/2023/... https://www.un.org/en/chronicl... How are you and the Romani doing? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... https://news.un.org/en/story/2...

And the crown jewel of European care about people What happened to Europe's Jewish population? https://www.theguardian.com/wo...

Why are they so little represented in Europe now? Did Europeans do something that bothered them a little bit? What happened?

There are many more. No "single data points" at all

Luck had very little to do with it. Careful planning and bringing value added to my work did. My son is doing quite well too, if it is any of your business. He's rising in management in his company, buying a house soon.

You have your own very inconvenient truths to deal with. You paint a rosy picture of European superiority, with free people and a caring government supporting them, and living their best lives, yet have your own problems with poverty, racism, and an exceptionally sordid history. Read the cites, they aren't propaganda.

The difference is that we Americans face our shortcomings, we know we have problems - as do all countries, while you ignore your own, and your malicious projection would just seem to be you hiding from your truth.

I probably would not have done as well as I have if I was in a European system. But that's more a you problem than any problem at all for me. I've risen above mediocrity, while the EU embraces it.

I like the look and feel of Mate as well. I moved to Mint Mate after Ubuntu went ugly.

something something Skynet.

The days of Bell Labs type outfits are over. At least in the US, the defense and industrial sectors cooperate with Universities to do research.

It's not perfect, but it works okay on this side of the pond.

Value added. It's that simple. If you are valuable for the people you are working for, you'll do well except in the rare case the whole company folds, or some other bad problem.

For example, years ago in 1979 I was laid off from my ideal job when a funding problem occurred, and I was let go for not having enough time in. I had another job (paying 50 percent more) before my last day. Then after a year, I was contacted again by the people who laid me off. Another 50 percent raise. So I went back noting I wanted they seniority I lost applied, and they even credited me for the time at the job I took when laid off.

So 100 percent wage increase, and reapplied seniority. There were downturns in the future, but with my value added, I was never hit.

And in my post retirement work, I was given a 50 percent raise even though I was well paid in the first place.

Meantime over all these years, I've seen a lot of people who added no value, or even negative value who get terminated whatever there is a downturn. They always have the same story about how the man is keeping them down, how it's impossible to get ahead, blah, blah, blah. Frankly? They are either lazy or drank the proletariat KoolAid.

Some call me a suckup or other pejorative - which is about as far from the truth as you can get. I'm where I'm at specifically because I'm not a yes man. I'm paid a lot because I'm worth a lot. And while I don't get vacation at my present job - the pay is based per tasking, at the job I retired from, I got more vacation and time off than the vaunted French model.

But they gotta have their narrative. A smooth homogenous mass of proletariat.

And you have trouble with what I post! I understand now.

Sounds like a you problem.

Although I could outline the sentence if you are having comprehension issues.

Europeans are used to the government ruling their lives.

Cool story bro - you Eurokings are really triggered by this one story that dares to claim you're not the ubermenschen you are. Probably should get used to it - your slinging shit our way so often - it's understandable you get booboo feelings.

Mine have trouble knowing about what I do, but my performance tells them I know what I'm doing.

My field is electromagnetics, so very few understand it.

Maybe you should move to Europe and be happy? I hear they have no labor problems ever, and the employees are treated like the kings and queens they are.

Depends on whether you bring value added or not. I've never had an issue, even being lured out of retirement with offers I couldn't refuse.

There is a whole lot to be said for working hard, and reaping the rewards. You can go on some pretty awesome vacations when you have the resources you build up.

Some of us get all kinds of offers without even looking. I just got one yesterday.

How do the superior Europeans know exactly how many hours all employees will work? And what do you superiors do if a critical piece isn't finished at the end of your day - you just walk away and let it crash?

I've never had a job where everything is cut and dried. Research often has experiments that run constantly for hours. The experiment might take 12 hours, and the experiment doesn't take off time for lunch. I've had some that work longer than that, and if you are the principle, it's best to hang around.

Even now that I'm presumably retired, my present work involves a day that takes as long as it takes. No one is getting arrested, and if that long day offends some folk, they can get a different job that suits them, because some work doesn't involve walking away after your 8 hours.

Although your concern is noted, for professionals, it's not as big a thing to us as it is to you.

I take it that your ultimate goal in life is to not have to work at all, or not worked at all.

Going to be a lot of popcorn eaten on this article, because Europeans cannot handle any statements that do not assure the world that they are the epitome of humanity.

I always like to remind our superiors that before I retired, I got a lot more vacation than they do. Makee go ree.

Most definitely, compounding is one of those math things that seems strange to people until they take a hard look at it. The biggest deterrent is that it takes time. But damn! it does work.

One of the things with saving is also living within your means - and as long as you understand the element of time, it's not that hard. After getting married, we kept our cars longer, furniture longer, and here's the part where I lose people - we lived in a mobile home as I was saving money for a house. Then bought a decent place with a big down payment, and paid it off over 12 years.

People don't seem to understand the concept of total outlay. In the event that it might help someone, let's assume a 500,000 dollar house with a 20 percent down payment at 5 percent interest.

Okay, so the person decides to do a 30 year mortgage. The payments are 2542 a month so over 30 years, you would have paid back 915,120 dollars.

You would have paid the bank 415,120 dollars over the 500,000 purchase price.

If you paid off the same loan at the same interest in 15 years, you would have paid back 640,440 dollars.

You would have paid the bank 140,440 dollars over the 500000 dollars, or 274,680 dollars less.

Now, imagine what you could have realized if you put that 274,680 dollars to work for you, and the fact that after 15 years, you wouldn't be paying any mortgage at all after 15 years.

You could really kick the compounding into overdrive.

This is true, but a big part of this is males forgoing sex. Which of course is the ultimate birth control.Pew research indicates that 60 percent of young males are single, and that sexual intimacy is at a 30 year low.

It is not unreasonable to think that there might be other reasons than the standard reasons given. Indeed, back in the day, if there was any danger of pregnancy, my lady friends and I could have quite enjoyable evenings together, without getting our naughty bits close to each other. This isn't that. This is zero sex.