battybattybat's recent activity

  1. Comment on The US Supreme Court just quietly handed a huge win to veterans seeking an education in ~life

    battybattybat
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    The headline got my hopes up, but it sounds like this only applies to veterans who served before September 11th 2001, and there is still a 48 month cap on educational benefits. The opinion is...

    The headline got my hopes up, but it sounds like this only applies to veterans who served before September 11th 2001, and there is still a 48 month cap on educational benefits.

    The opinion is pretty accessibly written if anyone wants more detail.
    https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/22-888_1b8e.pdf

    8 votes

  2. Comment on Smallest folding bike suggestions in ~transport

    battybattybat
    Link Parent
    That sounds reasonable to me if it’s in good condition, but it’s also been a while since I went shopping for one. I would definitely go for a test ride on a two speed though! If you have any hills...

    That sounds reasonable to me if it’s in good condition, but it’s also been a while since I went shopping for one. I would definitely go for a test ride on a two speed though! If you have any hills then at least a 3 speed might be helpful.

    Also just in case you haven’t seen it, Brompton makes an extended seatpost that people often pair with H bars. A bonus feature they don’t mention on the website is that this allows you to remove the saddle easily if you need to store the bike in a very tight space.

  3. Comment on Smallest folding bike suggestions in ~transport

    battybattybat
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    I also live in a city with very limited apartment space, with four flights of narrow stairs and no elevator. My bike commute is about 15 minutes each way. When I decided to get a bike three years...

    I also live in a city with very limited apartment space, with four flights of narrow stairs and no elevator. My bike commute is about 15 minutes each way.

    When I decided to get a bike three years ago my priorities were:

    1. Folded size (it needs to live under a desk in my apartment)
    2. Ease of carrying
    3. Riding experience

    Brompton won out clearly on 1 (not sure if options have changed in the last year or so) and its folded carry ergonomics seemed best as well. In the end I purchased a 6-speed “superlight” model (the predecessor to the P-line).

    Since then, I’ve discovered that:

    • Brompton mania is very real. There’s a meetup group in my city that goes on rides and puts on a few neat events throughout the year. It’s a fun group of people! The bike is also a bit of a conversation starter when waiting at a light with other commuters.
    • Brompton has some great accessories. I try to keep the weight as low as possible so I don’t use a rack, but their bag mounting system is really well designed and functional. I use “shopping cart mode” to buy groceries pretty often on my commute home.
    • I’ve gone on a bunch of 100-150km rides, which I never expected to be able to do! Switching to 3-finger Ergon grips was essential though.
    • When I rent a car or take a train to another town, it’s pretty easy to bring the bike and use it to explore when I get there.
    • Most restaurants in my city are happy to keep the bike in a coat closet or let me leave it under the table. I call ahead when making a reservation.

    Things I don’t like:

    • Price (although I would buy again in a heartbeat if my bike was damaged or stolen)
    • Changing flats is a little more tricky compared to a full size bike. I’ve only had one in three years though, and that’s with riding through all sorts of debris, potholes, construction zones, etc. on my commute. I use marathon racer tires.
    3 votes

  4. Comment on Another media outlet comment: Misuse of "gaffe" for Nikki Haley in ~talk

    battybattybat
    Link Parent
    If you replace the OP’s definition of gaffe with any dictionary definition, does it change the meaning of the post? I would say no. I find it a bit unfortunate that we’re so caught up on this when...

    If you replace the OP’s definition of gaffe with any dictionary definition, does it change the meaning of the post?

    I would say no. I find it a bit unfortunate that we’re so caught up on this when the actual point is that the word used to label Haley’s actions also serves to help excuse them.

  5. Comment on Clicks: Physical keyboard for iPhone in ~tech

    battybattybat
    Link Parent
    FYI iPhones have a one-handed mode that I find pretty easy to trigger temporarily: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/use-reachability-iph145eba8e9/ios I think Android has a similar feature,...

    FYI iPhones have a one-handed mode that I find pretty easy to trigger temporarily: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/use-reachability-iph145eba8e9/ios

    I think Android has a similar feature, though I haven’t used it myself. https://support.google.com/accessibility/android/answer/12652418?hl=en

    1 vote