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Philippe Veraart

@belsmo.bsky.social
194 followers 48 following 301 posts

Belgian-Ing-Military, ResOffr Signal Corps, Spectrum Management Officer-Experience in Mil rail and Nuclear Power-Scuba Diver-Wannabe Sailor-Brompton rider-Anglophile-Fluent in Flemish (i.e. Dutch without the drunken Klingon ;-) ), French and English

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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
My question is: who gains from the relaxation of the standards? Or doesn't the old adage "follow the money" count here?
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
There's no denying that. For me it's a shared first....and that's coming from somebody raised on our chocolate, pastries ('koffiekoeken' and 'patekes'), REAL Liege gaufres (I don't know what they serve in the US for breakfast but they are NOT waffles to us!) and of course spéculoos.
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I follow...and raise you : speculoos (or Biscoff to the non-Flemish/Dutch speakers)
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Reposted by Philippe Veraart
Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Republicans' fear of fake socialism in the United States is bringing about real fascism in the United States. Mainly because they are too ignorant to know the difference.
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
... and what about Trumpet Winsock?? Everybody seems to have forgotten that without it, there was no connection plus to get all that you had to have a disk (CD or 1.44 floppy) from a magasine or the starter kit from you (dial-up) ISP just to get started!
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
There is always a Monty Python sketch you can refer to, so cue...
static.klipy.com
Monty Python's Argument Clinic: Michael Palin & John Cleese
ALT: Monty Python's Argument Clinic: Michael Palin & John Cleese
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Wow, impressive thread as always! Just raises the question: can they see the effects of climate change in these charts over last 150-170 years, and secondly, as this is a US agency what are the risks to this being shut down? (there was news of a sensor network being shut down. Related??)
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Jocelyn Lambert Squires @jocelynsquires.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Antwerp Central 😍
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Where's the kroepoek (or however you spell it)??? ;-)
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Although more oriented classic railways, have a try with the national rail museum located in Schaerbeek: www.trainworld.be or the parent company NMBS/SNCB. They also have an archive as they were created by the nationalisation of all independent railway companies.
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Ik stelde mij al vragen bij faillissement van BELGAN, gezien duidelijke strategische waarde voor elektrificatie en dus groot potentieel: blijkt dat we ons nog eens beet hebben laten nemen als een bende amateurs... www.standaard.be/binnenland/t... Dit is een opportuniteit die niet meer terugkomt.
standaard.be
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
What I don't understand: these people filming the queues from their moving cars: why the V-sign and won't they be needing fuel at some point (unless in EV of course)?
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Just asked a Finnish colleague and yes it does! And not only that but apparently it also asks if he should walk or run!
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
What surprises me is how similar this Old English is to Dutch/Flemish!
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Don't get me wrong: I'm all for renewables AS LONG as it is part of a comprehensive approach to Electricity production and distribution and not just pure blind ideology. We will be paying the price for her ideals for a long time to come ...
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Hmmm ... Tinne Van Der Straeten also present. Ex Belgian Minister for Energy of Green party who pushed very hard to make us dependent on (Russian) Gas for electricity production to detriment of our Nuclear capacity. Lets just say I have second thoughts about what motivates her.
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
"KRASNOV" going for this yearly performance review with his KGB handler? 🕵️
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Other suggestions: "Dance with the Sun (i.e. just one star)" in Death Valley in high summer, "Celebrity Chef in the Desert", A quite literal "Hell's kitchen", (your choice of country) "has got 'Survival' talent" ...
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
I saw an interview online with the fantastic Stephen Fry and in it he mentions the fact that Troy must have been immensely rich due to it's strategic location wrt the trade routes. Even made comparison to importance of Gallipoli in WW1. Surely there's a link?
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
As an Engineer...guilty as charged your honour.
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
I think you meant torque and not couple as proper translation of 'koppel'?
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Hmmm...pet peeve of mine. As Spectrum Manager have to deal with so many interference reports from Civ Aviation. People have no idea what risks they take by interfering with safety equipment! Spoken with aviation experts (Skeyes & Eurocontrol) and they have confirmed although better than in past.
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laurentfranckx.bsky.social @laurentfranckx.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
What have they done to my town??
static.klipy.com
Cars Disney: Sheriff's Warning
ALT: Cars Disney: Sheriff's Warning
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
#Resilience : when you need telecom operators to add 5G masts so that 'modern' services are even possible or are entirely dependant on them, you have to wonder how prepared we are for when networks go down?? Backups?? (article in Dutch) www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/20...
vrt.be
Oplossing in zicht voor slechte GSM-ontvangst in Hageland, operatoren plaatsen 2 nieuwe masten in Kortenaken | VRT NWS Nieuws
In Hoeleden en Stok komen 2 nieuwe gsm-antennes. Dan zou de regio eindelijk een stabiele en goede gsm-verbinding krijgen. Nu is er nauwelijks verbinding, tot grote frustratie van veel smartphonegebrui...
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Never seen this before! Thanks. Looks deceptively simple but indeed must be very usefull.
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
It's basically indeed a cottage industry to keep them running although there are companies around Europe specialised in making all sorts of parts for them and some of these specialise in EV conversions. But being MIL, I'm quite partial to this company: www.jauntmotors.com
jauntmotors.com
Jaunt — Electric Conversions of Iconic Classic Cars
We convert iconic classics to electric: Land Rover, Classic Mini, Moke and Porsche 911 conversions. Award-winning design and engineering. Hand-built in Australia.
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
You want a low-tech car ... let me introduce you to the Citroën 2CV. You can't get more low tech than that. I drove one for 7 years, so I know! And now with electric resto-mods available, staying true to the spirit of the original car, what are you waiting for?? ;-)
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
A lot of people we know right now...
static.klipy.com
Sealyx Naked Gun Facepalm Scene
ALT: Sealyx Naked Gun Facepalm Scene
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Something I don't understand with all these warehouses...how come they apparently burn down so easily??? No fire suppression systems?? Oh wait...we're talking Russia here of course...
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Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Donald Trump has used up almost all of the United States’ long-range missiles to increase all of the United States’ gas prices. He’s smart that way.
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
...you only notice the complexity and how much you rely on it when it goes wrong and the service stops working. This is what resilience is really all about!
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Services such as water, electricity, telecoms, sewers or even railways (to bring in LOG perspective) all just seem to magically work yet are highly complex systems requiring specialised maintenance. I guess 90% of population have no idea what is required to make them work..
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
This whole story reminds me of the Ted Lasso episode where the Ghanian billionaire tries to buy his own competition... A case of life imitating art?
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Very fitting to post this in the 'month of August' ;-)
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Of course: the GI bill. Sorry, don't know details besides the name.
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
True. I was probably thinking with my socialist poisoned European mind ;⁠-⁠)
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Some ideas straight off the cuff: full free medical insurance for life, reduced interest rates on loans, priority access to government jobs (although risks here), reduced rates (free?) on public transport, pension schemes ... Basically a whole social security model such as UK built after WW2.
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Molly White @molly.wiki · 27/07/2026
Click any node or connection in the Trump crypto empire map to open its panel and view explanatory annotations and citations. Toggle the income overlay to see financial-disclosure figures from the most recent filings. Search for entities, or filter by category. map.citationneeded.news
A screenshot of the map, with a side panel open showing Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust. Side panel contents: Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust Intermediary Entity When Walter Shaub, then Director of the Office of Government Ethics, called on President Trump to divest from the Trump Organization during his first term, Trump instead transferred his operating businesses to the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust. Many had urged him to use a blind trust. Critics argued the DJT Revocable Trust fell far short of that standard: Trump remained the sole beneficiary, his son controlled the assets, and Trump could revoke the arrangement at any time. Shaub later commented that the arrangement was “meaningless from a conflict of interest perspective” and that “setting up a trust to hold his operating businesses adds nothing to the equation. This is not a blind trust—it’s not even close.” Established 2014 Sources ↗ Stenglein, Christine, "OGE Director warns Trump’s business plan insufficient", The Brookings Institution, January 11, 2017 ↗ Craig, Susanne, and Eric Lipton, "Trust Records Show Trump Is Still Closely Tied to His Empire", The New York Times, February 3, 2017 ↗ Kravitz, Derek, and Al Shaw, "Trump Lawyer Confirms President Can Pull Money From His Businesses Whenever He Wants", ProPublica, April 4, 2017 ←controlled by Donald Trump Jr. According to a 2024 regulatory filing, Donald Trump Jr. "is the sole trustee and has sole voting and
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Spot on!
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Famous quote (although origin disputed): “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.”
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
static.klipy.com
Man Reacts with 'Dirty!!!!'
ALT: Man Reacts with 'Dirty!!!!'
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
I guess the large portion of sea without naval (AIS) traffic is a sort of clue??
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Does he even realise that it was Belgium that supplied the initial uranium ore for Manhattan project from the mines in the Congo??
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Erik Op de Beeck @erikopdebeeck.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
#BELUSA #Belgium
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Erik Op de Beeck @erikopdebeeck.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
#Marec #FIFA #Balorun #BELUSA #cecinestpasuncartonrouge
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Ik stel mij de vraag hoe we vroeger meetings organiseerden voor er iets als Outlook bestond! Ik herinner me nog iets vaag met langs secretariaten te lopen om te zien wie wanneer aanwezig was en dan interne post met uitnodigingen.
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Alleen al de beschrijving!...
static.klipy.com
Smells Bad
ALT: Smells Bad
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
My thought of the day: from being 2nd army in the world, to 2nd army in Ukraine...have Z forces now devolved to 2nd army in Russia???
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Philippe Veraart @belsmo.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
For those who don't know about railcars and design limits: standard EU rail lines have a limit 22.5 Ton per axle (Ten-T can go to 25). Having 6 axles - as indicated by red arrow on picture and 2 more than normal - gives you a max gross weight of 135 Ton! Read more: railwaynews.net/wiki/what-is...
railwaynews.net
What is Axle Load? Understanding Railway Weight Limits - Railway News - Rolling Stock, High Speed Rail & Infrastructure
The axle load debate sits at the heart of European rail freight's competitiveness challenge. EU freight operators are constrained to 22.5 tonnes on most mainlines — sometimes less on secondary routes ...
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