Stephen JC
@sjcoltrane.bsky.social
I got a PhD and somehow I ended up live streaming Dark Souls. Living the dream in west London. He/him and Welsh.
(Profile pic is my black cat.)
(Profile pic is my black cat.)
Pinned
It should be the best candidate, of course, but if only it could finally — *finally* — be a woman.
November 12, 2025 at 10:57 AM
It should be the best candidate, of course, but if only it could finally — *finally* — be a woman.
Reposted by Stephen JC
This pic 😂
Health Secretary Wes Streeting denies plotting to oust Prime Minister Keir Starmer, but launched a series of sharp criticisms about the British leader’s political operation.
Streeting Denies Plot to Oust Starmer as UK Prime Minister
Health Secretary Wes Streeting denied plotting to oust Keir Starmer, as fresh doubts about the British prime minister’s grip on power plunged the government into crisis.
bloom.bg
November 12, 2025 at 9:07 AM
This pic 😂
Reposted by Stephen JC
Reposted by Stephen JC
You are essentially stuck between an ageing society desiring nostalgia and / or risk removal and a shrill social media cacophony demanding everything is sorted out now. With glib supposedly edgy one-liners far too often passing as serious commentary.
November 12, 2025 at 7:33 AM
You are essentially stuck between an ageing society desiring nostalgia and / or risk removal and a shrill social media cacophony demanding everything is sorted out now. With glib supposedly edgy one-liners far too often passing as serious commentary.
Arm pain is excruciating this morning, I’d better get on with my happy post.
November 12, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Arm pain is excruciating this morning, I’d better get on with my happy post.
Some lovely early morning London photos in this thread. Good mind bleach.
www.reddit.com/r/london/s/L...
www.reddit.com/r/london/s/L...
From the london community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the london community
www.reddit.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Some lovely early morning London photos in this thread. Good mind bleach.
www.reddit.com/r/london/s/L...
www.reddit.com/r/london/s/L...
Still waking in agony. Never mind, I’m seeing my trainer later for the first time since all this arm business started. Let’s see if we can actually achieve anything today.
Anyway, time to do the Happy thread.
Anyway, time to do the Happy thread.
November 11, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Still waking in agony. Never mind, I’m seeing my trainer later for the first time since all this arm business started. Let’s see if we can actually achieve anything today.
Anyway, time to do the Happy thread.
Anyway, time to do the Happy thread.
So they’ve resigned but for the wrong reasons, is that right?
November 9, 2025 at 10:08 PM
So they’ve resigned but for the wrong reasons, is that right?
Reposted by Stephen JC
The worst thing about this is that Coca-Cola is a rich company. Its market cap is £300bn, it has nearly £11bn cash on hand. The cost of real animators wouldn't even be a rounding error. They have literally no reason to use AI to make their Christmas ad.
Mirroring the video here if you don't want to even humor going onto Twitter, but when it gets into the "process" section, there's so many red flags of them lying about the work they put into the commercial that reveal how much of this video is them trying and lying after the fact.
November 9, 2025 at 9:10 AM
The worst thing about this is that Coca-Cola is a rich company. Its market cap is £300bn, it has nearly £11bn cash on hand. The cost of real animators wouldn't even be a rounding error. They have literally no reason to use AI to make their Christmas ad.
8 Nov. Things Which Make Me #Happy. Advent candles.
There’s something very beautiful about watching the flame edge its way slowly down to the next date, the flame gently illuminating the space around it. It builds up the anticipation better than a calendar.
There’s something very beautiful about watching the flame edge its way slowly down to the next date, the flame gently illuminating the space around it. It builds up the anticipation better than a calendar.
November 8, 2025 at 8:21 AM
8 Nov. Things Which Make Me #Happy. Advent candles.
There’s something very beautiful about watching the flame edge its way slowly down to the next date, the flame gently illuminating the space around it. It builds up the anticipation better than a calendar.
There’s something very beautiful about watching the flame edge its way slowly down to the next date, the flame gently illuminating the space around it. It builds up the anticipation better than a calendar.
The Reform voter’s mindset seems rooted in, “hurt them, make them suffer, I don’t care how.” An entire worldview focused on vindictiveness, based - I would assume - in fear.
“If I hurt them hard enough, they won’t hurt me.”
“If I hurt them hard enough, they won’t hurt me.”
With Maurice Glasman and Dominic Lawson calling for the return of the stocks, we find most Britons opposed - although Reform voters are divided
All Britons: 21% support / 72% oppose
Lib Dem: 12% / 85%
Labour: 12% / 83%
Green: 13% / 82%
Con: 28% / 64%
Reform: 43% / 48%
yougov.co.uk/society/arti...
All Britons: 21% support / 72% oppose
Lib Dem: 12% / 85%
Labour: 12% / 83%
Green: 13% / 82%
Con: 28% / 64%
Reform: 43% / 48%
yougov.co.uk/society/arti...
November 7, 2025 at 1:02 PM
The Reform voter’s mindset seems rooted in, “hurt them, make them suffer, I don’t care how.” An entire worldview focused on vindictiveness, based - I would assume - in fear.
“If I hurt them hard enough, they won’t hurt me.”
“If I hurt them hard enough, they won’t hurt me.”
Live Aid was twenty years ago, wasn’t it? Not forty.
I am right, aren’t I? Twenty years.
Yes, definitely twenty. Not forty. Not nearly two generations ago.
I’m right, no?
I am right, aren’t I? Twenty years.
Yes, definitely twenty. Not forty. Not nearly two generations ago.
I’m right, no?
November 7, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Live Aid was twenty years ago, wasn’t it? Not forty.
I am right, aren’t I? Twenty years.
Yes, definitely twenty. Not forty. Not nearly two generations ago.
I’m right, no?
I am right, aren’t I? Twenty years.
Yes, definitely twenty. Not forty. Not nearly two generations ago.
I’m right, no?
I don’t wear one. I don’t object to wearing them, but I feel if I were to do so it would be only because I felt societal pressure. Which is surely the opposite of what’s intended.
At the risk of recycling my own content, it’s interesting that this has happened while the number of people you see wearing a poppy out and about has fallen a lot bsky.app/profile/adam...
Went for a wander through a big office development in Leeds and while there’s a big display put up by the people running the development and giant poppies stuck to every tree, I’m yet to see a single person wearing one. It’s odd.
November 6, 2025 at 12:14 PM
I don’t wear one. I don’t object to wearing them, but I feel if I were to do so it would be only because I felt societal pressure. Which is surely the opposite of what’s intended.
Apparently I can ask my smart speaker to play #Radio3. If I ever get a smart speaker, that’ll be good as reaching out and touching a fucking button is way beyond me.
(I shouldn’t complain, as R3 is my refuge from the shithole that is the Today programme. But enough with the patronising messages!)
(I shouldn’t complain, as R3 is my refuge from the shithole that is the Today programme. But enough with the patronising messages!)
November 6, 2025 at 8:22 AM
Apparently I can ask my smart speaker to play #Radio3. If I ever get a smart speaker, that’ll be good as reaching out and touching a fucking button is way beyond me.
(I shouldn’t complain, as R3 is my refuge from the shithole that is the Today programme. But enough with the patronising messages!)
(I shouldn’t complain, as R3 is my refuge from the shithole that is the Today programme. But enough with the patronising messages!)
Reposted by Stephen JC
So it’s the tenth birthday of Midnight, a book that was nearly but not quite a lot of things. Happy birthday, little book. Still looking good.
November 5, 2025 at 11:27 AM
So it’s the tenth birthday of Midnight, a book that was nearly but not quite a lot of things. Happy birthday, little book. Still looking good.
Absolutely this. [T-word] completely turns a lot of us off, but to half the electorate he has charisma and authenticity.
(Condensed Alt text from the extract: “‘What he really teaches the Democrats is — find a charismatic candidate!’ says Larry Sabato. ‘Someone who people like.’l
(Condensed Alt text from the extract: “‘What he really teaches the Democrats is — find a charismatic candidate!’ says Larry Sabato. ‘Someone who people like.’l
This isn't the only takeaway of Mamdani's victory, but it is the most important one www.ft.com/content/92bf...
November 5, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Absolutely this. [T-word] completely turns a lot of us off, but to half the electorate he has charisma and authenticity.
(Condensed Alt text from the extract: “‘What he really teaches the Democrats is — find a charismatic candidate!’ says Larry Sabato. ‘Someone who people like.’l
(Condensed Alt text from the extract: “‘What he really teaches the Democrats is — find a charismatic candidate!’ says Larry Sabato. ‘Someone who people like.’l
This is *it*. Courage. Building the narrative. No bloody Ming vases. No “legitimate concerns.” We elect leaders to BE leaders.
You don’t have to be a ‘radical’ to make this work.
You don’t have to be a ‘radical’ to make this work.
Not sure I quite agree with Tim. Sure the ideological and party machine specifics are unique to New York and the US.
But understanding that a willingness to fight, to highlight easy to grasp policies and shape discourse rather than chase polls and focus groups has lessons applicable to any society
But understanding that a willingness to fight, to highlight easy to grasp policies and shape discourse rather than chase polls and focus groups has lessons applicable to any society
“What lessons on pan-European politics can we draw from an election to an executive mayoralty?”
“No more than we can that of Anne Hidalgo?”
“But if we *had* to?”
“That it helps to be running on local issues against a loathed sex-pest who’s being savaged by the local lunatic in a beret?”
“No more than we can that of Anne Hidalgo?”
“But if we *had* to?”
“That it helps to be running on local issues against a loathed sex-pest who’s being savaged by the local lunatic in a beret?”
November 5, 2025 at 10:13 AM
This is *it*. Courage. Building the narrative. No bloody Ming vases. No “legitimate concerns.” We elect leaders to BE leaders.
You don’t have to be a ‘radical’ to make this work.
You don’t have to be a ‘radical’ to make this work.
Reposted by Stephen JC
And let's not forget Hyderabad-born Ghazala Hashmi this morning, new Democratic lieutenant governor of the state of Virginia.
She's the first Indian-American and first Muslim woman there to be elected to a statewide office.
edition.cnn.com/2025/11/04/p...
She's the first Indian-American and first Muslim woman there to be elected to a statewide office.
edition.cnn.com/2025/11/04/p...
Ghazala Hashmi will win Virginia lieutenant governor’s race, CNN projects, becoming nation’s first Muslim woman elected statewide | CNN Politics
Democrat Ghazala Hashmi will win the Virginia lieutenant governor’s race and become the nation’s first Muslim woman elected to statewide office, CNN projects.
edition.cnn.com
November 5, 2025 at 8:00 AM
And let's not forget Hyderabad-born Ghazala Hashmi this morning, new Democratic lieutenant governor of the state of Virginia.
She's the first Indian-American and first Muslim woman there to be elected to a statewide office.
edition.cnn.com/2025/11/04/p...
She's the first Indian-American and first Muslim woman there to be elected to a statewide office.
edition.cnn.com/2025/11/04/p...
I missed the name of the interviewee, but an American was on the news this morning making three excellent points:
- Mamdani was not afraid;
- he won by changing the electorate
- the divide in the party isn’t between left and centre, it’s between old and young.
- Mamdani was not afraid;
- he won by changing the electorate
- the divide in the party isn’t between left and centre, it’s between old and young.
November 5, 2025 at 8:51 AM
I missed the name of the interviewee, but an American was on the news this morning making three excellent points:
- Mamdani was not afraid;
- he won by changing the electorate
- the divide in the party isn’t between left and centre, it’s between old and young.
- Mamdani was not afraid;
- he won by changing the electorate
- the divide in the party isn’t between left and centre, it’s between old and young.
5 Nov. Things Which Make Me #Happy.
I won’t post an image so as not to trigger rage, but…
I do genuinely feel happy when I look back on the small hours of 2 May 1997, especially my memory of walking down the road at dawn with my party colleagues singing, “Labour’s coming home.”
I won’t post an image so as not to trigger rage, but…
I do genuinely feel happy when I look back on the small hours of 2 May 1997, especially my memory of walking down the road at dawn with my party colleagues singing, “Labour’s coming home.”
November 5, 2025 at 8:47 AM
5 Nov. Things Which Make Me #Happy.
I won’t post an image so as not to trigger rage, but…
I do genuinely feel happy when I look back on the small hours of 2 May 1997, especially my memory of walking down the road at dawn with my party colleagues singing, “Labour’s coming home.”
I won’t post an image so as not to trigger rage, but…
I do genuinely feel happy when I look back on the small hours of 2 May 1997, especially my memory of walking down the road at dawn with my party colleagues singing, “Labour’s coming home.”
Help me, everyone. Was BBC News always this shit and I just didn’t notice?
November 4, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Help me, everyone. Was BBC News always this shit and I just didn’t notice?
Oh dear. How sad. Never mind.
(Relating to the breaking news from the US.)
(Relating to the breaking news from the US.)
November 4, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Oh dear. How sad. Never mind.
(Relating to the breaking news from the US.)
(Relating to the breaking news from the US.)