Badger28's recent activity

  1. Comment on Any motorcyclists? in ~hobbies

    Badger28
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    I went yamaha ybr 125 > kawasaki er6 > triumph Street triple (had 3 of these now). The street triple is enough to have fun, but not insane. Good value, well built and nice and fun to throw around....

    I went yamaha ybr 125 > kawasaki er6 > triumph Street triple (had 3 of these now). The street triple is enough to have fun, but not insane. Good value, well built and nice and fun to throw around.

    Definitely get good kit. Never ride with any skin showing. Goretex if you can afford it.

    Be visible, and don't trust any other road user. Ever.

    I commute most days on the bike. It's great fun.

    1 vote
  2. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~science

    Badger28
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    I am vegetarian because I read 'eating animals' too. The way the book was set out, the arguments and the non-judgmental tone spoke to me. I agreed with all the logical arguments, so thought I had...

    I am vegetarian because I read 'eating animals' too. The way the book was set out, the arguments and the non-judgmental tone spoke to me.

    I agreed with all the logical arguments, so thought I had better give up meat and fish. That was about 8 years ago. Went vegan this year too.

    3 votes
  3. Comment on Anyone fancy a bash at the Game of Thrones board game? in ~games.tabletop

    Badger28
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    I have only played this once a few weeks ago, and not online. Happy to give it a go, I do enjoy a good strategy game.

    I have only played this once a few weeks ago, and not online. Happy to give it a go, I do enjoy a good strategy game.

    1 vote
  4. Comment on I’m a journalist but didn't fully realize the terrible power of US border officials until they violated my rights and privacy in ~life

    Badger28
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    I recently went to New York and was genuinely shocked at the 'welcoming' atmosphere at the airport... Having my fingerprint and face scanned on the way in and out is not my idea of a modern...

    I recently went to New York and was genuinely shocked at the 'welcoming' atmosphere at the airport...

    Having my fingerprint and face scanned on the way in and out is not my idea of a modern liberal welcoming country.

    Plenty of other wonderful places in the world to check out instead in future.

    5 votes
  5. Comment on What is your top 1 song? in ~music

    Badger28
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    Live versions of this song are pretty amazing too. Takes a special musician to convey so much emotion through a guitar.

    Live versions of this song are pretty amazing too.

    Takes a special musician to convey so much emotion through a guitar.

    1 vote
  6. Comment on EU leaders have agreed on a plan to delay the Article 50 process, postponing Brexit beyond 29 March in ~news

    Badger28
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    Exactly this. The question asked originally was too vague, the result so narrow and the entire public (including mp's) didnt really know what brexit entailed. Too much propaganda from both sides....

    Exactly this.

    The question asked originally was too vague, the result so narrow and the entire public (including mp's) didnt really know what brexit entailed. Too much propaganda from both sides.

    Ideally there would be another vote which would give solid options - no deal, leave with mays deal, remain. At least this way mp's would actually know the will of the people. A three way split wouldn't help though...

    2 votes
  7. Comment on American asking - how does your country's healthcare system perform for you? in ~health

    Badger28
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    100% this. No country on earth has it completely right yet. I honestly believe some are better than others, but no system is perfect. Healthcare which is genuinely available to all, and well...

    100% this.

    No country on earth has it completely right yet. I honestly believe some are better than others, but no system is perfect. Healthcare which is genuinely available to all, and well funded across the board is the dream.

    I would like to hear more from people from Scandinavian countries. The general opinion in the UK of these countries is that cost of living there is high, as are taxes but a lot of the money goes into education, health care etc and so quality of life is generally very good.

    3 votes
  8. Comment on American asking - how does your country's healthcare system perform for you? in ~health

    Badger28
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    British: we have universal health care. It is open to anyone and there is no payment at all to see a doctor, visit a hospital or receive any treatment. The only costs which we have to personally...

    British: we have universal health care. It is open to anyone and there is no payment at all to see a doctor, visit a hospital or receive any treatment.

    The only costs which we have to personally cover are prescriptions and car parking. If you are unemployed or have certain illnesses you don't have to pay for prescriptions. If you have to pay it is possible to get a prepayment card for about £15 per month which covers all prescriptions.

    Car parking is often expensive.

    The NHS is amazing, if you have a life threatening illness or accident then you will be treated and rushed to the front of the queue. However there are waiting times for non-emergency treatments.

    In recent years with funding being squeezed a lot of services have been stripped back. Mental health services have been cut to the bone in some areas, and complimentary services are less well funded now.

    Nurses / doctors are also underpaid and over worked but are largely brilliant at what they do.

    I am personally proud of the NHS in the UK. We pay national insurance to fund it and although I thankfully dont use it often, I am more than happy to help fund it. I know if I am ill then I will be helped without a financial cost. Those less fortunate than myself can seek treatment without worrying about cost.

    In my opinion this is an essential part of a caring / responsible society. It isnt perfect, but is far superior to the majority of health services across the world.

    The American system is quite alien to me. I would genuinely be scared of being ill, or seeking treatment because of all the costs involved. It could be ruinous.

    14 votes
  9. Comment on The best album ever in ~music

    Badger28
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    I never expected a James album to be suggested for this! I love James, so many good albums. The morning after / the night before are great examples of their recent work.

    I never expected a James album to be suggested for this! I love James, so many good albums. The morning after / the night before are great examples of their recent work.

  10. Comment on Magic the Gathering announces "Modern Horizons", the first set designed to skip Standard legality and go straight to Modern in ~games.tabletop

    Badger28
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    I have a few keyforge decks and have played a number of times... And agree that it probably won't satisfy mtg players. It is a great game and can be really fun and rewarding. But I always end up...

    I have a few keyforge decks and have played a number of times... And agree that it probably won't satisfy mtg players.

    It is a great game and can be really fun and rewarding. But I always end up going back to netrunner because of the sheer scope of cards and possibilities.

    Well worth grabbing a couple of keyforge decks though. They are so cheap and you only need 1 to start a game if a friend already has one.

    1 vote
  11. Comment on Recommended two-player board games under sixty minutes in ~games.tabletop

    Badger28
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    Getting slightly more difficult to acquire now, but netrunner is specifically designed for 2 players. Basic premise is one person is a hacker, the other a corporation. The hacker has to steal...

    Getting slightly more difficult to acquire now, but netrunner is specifically designed for 2 players.

    Basic premise is one person is a hacker, the other a corporation. The hacker has to steal stuff, the Corp has to protect stuff.

    It is a deck building game so each player can customise their deck to suit their preferred style of play.

    Board game geek - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/124742/Android-netrunner

    Intro video https://youtu.be/vvRwynAp5tI

    3 votes
  12. Comment on US President Donald Trump declares national emergency to help fund southern border wall in ~society

    Badger28
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    It is similar to the issue the UK is facing at the moment with brexit. Things are so divided and I can't see any way of the country coming together. At least we mostly only screw ourselves, where...

    It is similar to the issue the UK is facing at the moment with brexit. Things are so divided and I can't see any way of the country coming together.

    At least we mostly only screw ourselves, where as what goes on in America genuinely matters to the world...

    Things look promising in 10 years or so though with the new wave of young democratic congresswomen coming through. Hopefully progressive changes are on the way.

    3 votes
  13. Comment on Altavista: The Rise & Fall of the Biggest Pre-Google Search Engine in ~tech

    Badger28
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    This one worked for me. Interesting article.

    This one worked for me. Interesting article.

    1 vote