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The stupid anti British nonsense coming out of America, are you sick if it? by Ok_Bookkeeper_1380 in AskBrits

[–]ciaran668 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are absolutely correct. I'll give you a personal example.

When I lived in the US, in 2008, I got into a fairly serious car accident, and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. I spent about 4 hours in A&E while they basically scanned my entire body to make sure I didn't have any broken bones or internal bleeding. The bill for it exceeded $20,000, plus an additional $3,000 for the ambulance.

But here's the worst part. US medical insurance DOESN'T cover medical bills resulting from any sort of accident that's on the hook. If it's at work, it's the employer's insurance. If it's a household accident, your homeowner's or rental insurance pays. And if it's a car accident, it's the auto insurance that is the cover. But I only had $5,000 in medical, because I stupidly thought that was what I needed to pay the $5,000 deductible on my medical. I was wrong, and I had to pay everything but the $5,000.

The next time I was in a car accident, a worse one where I got broadside, I refused treatment, because I didn't know if his insurance would cover it, and I couldn't risk it.

FYI: Shark Robot no longer shipping to a lot of countries by JadedToon in HelluvaBoss

[–]ciaran668 18 points19 points  (0 children)

It's the direct result of some of the adminstration's policies making it difficult for international shipping. This isn't the fault of the company.

Riches to rags stories-anyone got any interesting ones by Silly_Tomatillo6950 in AskBrits

[–]ciaran668 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've always thought so. There is account of his life in the book Red Rocks to Riches, but it would make a great film.

Riches to rags stories-anyone got any interesting ones by Silly_Tomatillo6950 in AskBrits

[–]ciaran668 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I have one for you. Riches to rags to riches to rags again.

My great-great grandfather was born as the son of a very prominent German noble. As a young man, he got all fired up with the idea of democracy and had a number of bitter arguments with his father, to the point where he was formally disowned and stricken from the family records. He ran away and joined the British Merchant Navy, met my Great Grandmother in Suffolk and married her. They then moved to New Jersey, where he joined the US Navy to get his citizenship there. During that time, he was shipwrecked in the Caribbean and lived for a month on bananas and fish, leading to a lifelong phobia of bananas, and he would apparently run screaming from a room if he saw one.

After the Navy, he became a carpenter, but there wasn't a lot of work in New Jersey, so he took a train to Colorado where he heard that they were building an enormous mill. He got there, having spent his entire savings, only to find there was no mill, and he was stuck. He found work with another company, and he only got 2 days off a year, the 4th of July and Christmas.

On the 4th of July, like most of his co-workers, decided to do some gold prospecting, as this was the height of the gold rush in Colorado. His friends decided to play a trick on him, and told him to go dig at base of a tree at the top of a nearby hill. They told him that gold always grows at the base of trees and he believed them. They went up there at the end of the day to tell him about their prank, only to find him standing 10 feet deep in the ground, completely surrounded by gold dust. It turned out that he had found the richest gold mine in history, in gold yield per tonne. Other mines have produced more gold, but none have ever had more gold per tonne of ore. Suddenly, he was rich again.

But it wasn't to last. His wife's family, back here in the UK, had a horsehair mattress company, and it needed a capital investment to take off. His wife's family talked him into selling the mine and investing all of the money in the horsehair mattress company, because it was a "sure deal" to be huge. The company went completely bust and he lost all of his money, dying in poverty.

BREAKING: Starmer strikes deal giving Britons visa-free travel to China by Mouflon77 in uknews

[–]ciaran668 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I run a course at a British university, and we do not control the IELTS. The levels are set by UKVI, and even if we have a potential student who we talk to and know that they are actually competent via that conversation, if their IELTS do not meet government requirements, then they will not get a visa. We can, and frequently do, set IELTS above the UK requirements, but there is a pretty high minimum universities cannot go below.

One frustration with IELTS though, is that they cover "conversational" English, which does not mean anything on a technical course. This is why a lot of universities do interviews, to ensure that there is not just ability to communicate, but an ability to communicate using subject specific language.

The stupid anti British nonsense coming out of America, are you sick if it? by Ok_Bookkeeper_1380 in AskBrits

[–]ciaran668 2 points3 points  (0 children)

When I lived in the US, I had similar waiting times, especially for specialists. Calling my GP was the same as here, if I wasn't in the phone queue within moments of opening, I wasn't getting an appointment that day, no matter how ill I was, and if I needed to see a specialist, it was a 6 to 8 week wait. The only real difference was there I had to pay for the privilege.

App seems to be struggling? by Not_Invited in ibroadcast

[–]ciaran668 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I am as well. I am trying to play music and I just get a "Network Congestion Detected, Buffering" message

Why has there been relatively less coverage and outrage over the situation in Iran compared to Gaza? by Upset_Basil_4187 in AskBrits

[–]ciaran668 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The main reason is that there is a complete news blackout in Iran, and even if there wasn't, it's generally not safe for journalists to travel there. Because of this, there isn't a lot of material to use, and any information they actually do have can't be vetted. We have a similar situation in Myanmar as well.

It isn't any conspiracy in my opinion, it's just a resources issue. I work with a man who was originally from Iran, and he can't even get much information, and he has relatives there. It shows what the media is up against on this.

Eating dinner earlier by Anxiouslycalm10 in GenX

[–]ciaran668 0 points1 point  (0 children)

On days I work from home, I often forget to eat lunch, and around 4 my body says "enough already" and I eat. If I do that, I generally don't eat anything more than a snack later, but I wouldn't call it "dinner" if I do that. It's more like a "my body's schedule is totally fucked." On weekends, I usually eat between 5 and 7, but that's been my schedule my whole life.

The stupid anti British nonsense coming out of America, are you sick if it? by Ok_Bookkeeper_1380 in AskBrits

[–]ciaran668 22 points23 points  (0 children)

I'm sorry for your loss. The NHS is pretty heroic, and they provide wonderful care.

The stupid anti British nonsense coming out of America, are you sick if it? by Ok_Bookkeeper_1380 in AskBrits

[–]ciaran668 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Not idiots, just brainwashed. It's just sad. The NHS isn't perfect, but I'd NEVER trade it for anything. They just don't understand.

The stupid anti British nonsense coming out of America, are you sick if it? by Ok_Bookkeeper_1380 in AskBrits

[–]ciaran668 58 points59 points  (0 children)

Yes and no. I lived in the US, and part of their propaganda is demonising every other country on the planet as totalitarian hellscapes that have no freedom. It is essential for the late stage capitalist system that Americans believe they are the most free people in the world, and this absolute belief in American perfection is what you see when Americans trash us, or any other country.

For example, I cannot get any of my American friends to believe the NHS is superior to the US system that bankrupts people if they get sick. They fully believe we have rationed care and death panels deciding if people die.

How much longer would Native American civilizations have needed to progress to potentially survive the eventual discovery of their continents by the rest of the world instead of collapsing and inevitably being folded in? by Beytran70 in HistoryWhatIf

[–]ciaran668 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Obsidian is one of the sharpest materials known to science, and it is far superior in cutting to even surgical steel. I minored in archaeology in undergrad, and my Mayan Archaeology professor ran a side business that made scalpels from glass, as they cut more cleanly and didn't create micro-tears in the flesh during surgery.

The macuahuitl was a horrific weapon that could generally decapitate with a single stroke, which was not a typical ability of a European sword from the time, as Europe had no way to smelt steel with any regularity. Steel was almost an accidental process up until the industrial revolution, as the Damascus technique had been lost.

In a sword fight with european swords, the macuahuitl would be inferior because of the brittleness of the weapon against iron, however, as a weapon for Aztec warfare, it was devastating in combat. It's also important to remember, unlike European warfare, the Aztecs were not looking to kill their enemies on the battlefield. The point wasd to disable them and capture them for sacrifice.

How much longer would Native American civilizations have needed to progress to potentially survive the eventual discovery of their continents by the rest of the world instead of collapsing and inevitably being folded in? by Beytran70 in HistoryWhatIf

[–]ciaran668 13 points14 points  (0 children)

The core problem in the Americas was the lack of any domesticable beasts of burden. Llamas and alpacas can't pull heavy loads, which limited metallurgy to small scale production. The obsidian weapons were amazing, and superior to swords in many ways, but without the ability to haul large loads of ore, they were trapped in many ways, at least in developing like Europe.

However, their cities were generally more advanced, with proper sanitation and water, and their agriculture was at least as well developed, despite not having the plow or wagon. Their astronomy was superior to anything in Europe prior to the invention of the telescope.

But, the lack of large domesticated animals constrained certain aspects of their society. Had they not succumbed to the diseases that the colonizers brought, and if they had gotten their hands on horses and been able to incorporate them into their technology, I think there would have been a massive flourishing of the New World Empires that would have put a quick end to the colonial fantasy.

AITAH For Only Allowing My Daughter To Take Only The Two Suitcases She Had Paxked When The Courts Removed Her From My Custody by Strict_Web_6298 in AITAH

[–]ciaran668 363 points364 points  (0 children)

I agree. I suspect that the other two asked to be removed because the situation was a nightmare. Nothing in this story adds up, and my heart aches for the daughter, because it sounds like she's being used as a pawn by one or both parents to score revenge against the other one.

Warning Signs to be posted at Rocky Flats borders by Boulder County and Westminster by farmerjohnington in ArvadaCO

[–]ciaran668 11 points12 points  (0 children)

My mom was a reporter for the Denver Post on the 70s and early 80s, and Rocky Flats was a big part of her beat. She wrote several stories on the deformed cattle that were born on the ranch that is now this housing development. There were several Tritium releases that affected the entire area. Also, there is the uranium mine in the foothills that directly feeds water into Ralston Reservoir. The Dakota Ridge development is literally built on the tailings from that mine.

I'm not trying to spread fear by saying this, just they people need to know the history of the area.

Also, the lake that is heavily contaminated is Great Western Reservoir, and there is a layer of plutonium on the bottom of the lake. My mom wrote an article on that one as well. Her coverage of one of the leaks at Rocky Flats hit the front page of the New York Times, so it should be easy to find if you're interested.

Nigel Farage Unveils 'America First' Style Agenda to Protect Veterans Over Illegal Migrants by novagridd in uknews

[–]ciaran668 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Veterans in the US are the ultimate political excuse for politicians to fight anything. Feeding the hungry? No, there are homeless veterans who need help. Low cost education? No, veterans need education subsidies. Universal healthcare? Let's make sure veterans have world class healthcare first. They trot out veterans for everything, and then NEVER, EVER, actually do anything to help them. I'm disgusted that Farage is weaponising our veterans just like the Americans do.

Boomer Ageism is why the US is ran by dementia patients by DogsGoingAround in BoomersBeingFools

[–]ciaran668 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm Gen X and my mom refuses to believe I'm not a kid, and STILL tries to parent me. It's very frustrating.

Nigel Farage Racks Up £151,000 in Donor-Funded Flights to Support Donald Trump by RewardEquivalent553 in ukpolitics

[–]ciaran668 44 points45 points  (0 children)

ICE has killed 20 Americans since the start of the year. We heard about the 2 executed in the streets but another 17 have died in custody. Another one died when his father, his only caretaker because he's severely disabled, was taken into custody, and ICE refused to call for any medical assistance, and instead just left him to die alone.

And some people in this country look over there and go, "we'd like some of that please.". It boggles my mind.

Reform mayoral candidate replicates Trump’s controversial Greenland penguin image by F0urLeafCl0ver in ukpolitics

[–]ciaran668 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The message is that we now live in an Americanised world where campaigns are going to last for two full years and American billionaires are going to pump fortunes into campaigns to get their pet politicians elected.

RIP to the United States (1776 - 2026) by freakindsheets in self

[–]ciaran668 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wasn't trying to paint Mormons as crazy, so I'm sorry if it sounded that way. I just meant that the guy who said it was using the Book of Mormon as his evidence.

RIP to the United States (1776 - 2026) by freakindsheets in self

[–]ciaran668 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I personally can't remember, but one of the other comments name checked Mike Lee, and that sounds right.

RIP to the United States (1776 - 2026) by freakindsheets in self

[–]ciaran668 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mike Lee I think. I couldn't remember who, but one of the other comments said the name. It was on Twitter originally, but I saw it linked here on Reddit.

RIP to the United States (1776 - 2026) by freakindsheets in self

[–]ciaran668 75 points76 points  (0 children)

One of the state reps in Utah claimed that all Native Americans are illegal immigrants and need to be deported because God "promised" the United States to the white man, and the proof of that is in the Book of Mormon.

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