Ben
@benfields.net
🇺🇸immigrant in LDN
recovering academic
Trying to understand humanity with data, music, libations
Might not be looking in the right places
–
currently: Head of Data @lakaHQ
previously: @bbc @futurelearn @funandplausible
cf https://assemblag.es/@alsothings
recovering academic
Trying to understand humanity with data, music, libations
Might not be looking in the right places
–
currently: Head of Data @lakaHQ
previously: @bbc @futurelearn @funandplausible
cf https://assemblag.es/@alsothings
Reposted by Ben
But even revered public institutions need to be simultaneously on the offensive and the defensive these days. There is no "neutral public good" when there's another side playing with no rules at all.
November 11, 2025 at 6:47 AM
But even revered public institutions need to be simultaneously on the offensive and the defensive these days. There is no "neutral public good" when there's another side playing with no rules at all.
Reposted by Ben
Quick thread on the BBC and the political and societal significance of recent developments:
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
November 10, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Quick thread on the BBC and the political and societal significance of recent developments:
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
Reposted by Ben
20,000 views, which is 19,998 more than anyone has seen of the actual TCNs heatherburns.tech/2025/11/10/t...
November 11, 2025 at 6:34 AM
20,000 views, which is 19,998 more than anyone has seen of the actual TCNs heatherburns.tech/2025/11/10/t...
Reposted by Ben
Tell me you don’t understand risk pools without telling me you don’t understand risk pools
November 10, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Tell me you don’t understand risk pools without telling me you don’t understand risk pools
Reposted by Ben
wait until JCO finds out about how he doesn't even actually play video games
November 10, 2025 at 8:08 PM
wait until JCO finds out about how he doesn't even actually play video games
Reposted by Ben
The BBC withdrew from the Stonewall workplace scheme in 2021. Absolute lies
The language is word-for-word from gender-critical campaigning…
“Captured by Stonewall.”
“Trans agenda.”
“Biological sex, not gender identity.”
This isn’t media ethics, it’s an op-ed straight from the ‘Sex Matters’ / Transgender Trend’ playbook! 😖
“Captured by Stonewall.”
“Trans agenda.”
“Biological sex, not gender identity.”
This isn’t media ethics, it’s an op-ed straight from the ‘Sex Matters’ / Transgender Trend’ playbook! 😖
November 10, 2025 at 1:36 PM
The BBC withdrew from the Stonewall workplace scheme in 2021. Absolute lies
Reposted by Ben
The surrender caucus secured yes votes from Democrats who aren't facing re-election this cycle, but four of them have Democratic governors who can pick their replacement.
If you live in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maine or Virginia this is an easy and effective way to make your anger clear.
If you live in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maine or Virginia this is an easy and effective way to make your anger clear.
Yup, and the damage isn’t so much in the story as in the proof of weakness. Trump now knows he has new torture tools to make Dems do what he wants. It’s why at least one of the 7 capitulators oughta be run out of office now, mid session. Get that number down to 6. www.offmessage.net/p/16-thought...
November 10, 2025 at 12:55 PM
The surrender caucus secured yes votes from Democrats who aren't facing re-election this cycle, but four of them have Democratic governors who can pick their replacement.
If you live in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maine or Virginia this is an easy and effective way to make your anger clear.
If you live in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maine or Virginia this is an easy and effective way to make your anger clear.
Retire! Yesterday!
Democrats have been fighting for months to address America's healthcare crisis
For the millions who will lose coverage
For people with cancer who won't get the care they need
For working families who can't afford to pay $25K more a year for healthcare
We will keep fighting
For the millions who will lose coverage
For people with cancer who won't get the care they need
For working families who can't afford to pay $25K more a year for healthcare
We will keep fighting
November 10, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Retire! Yesterday!
what are the odds this terrible deal to end the shutdown just gets rejected by the house? Cause if that is how this goes it means Schumer has made bad decisions that expose how out of touch he is in both New York and Washington
November 10, 2025 at 1:05 PM
what are the odds this terrible deal to end the shutdown just gets rejected by the house? Cause if that is how this goes it means Schumer has made bad decisions that expose how out of touch he is in both New York and Washington
Reposted by Ben
Should Gibb be sacked? yes, obviously. He's an abomination of basic journalistic standards. His GB News channel spreads conspiracy theory & disinformation. His Jewish Chronicle newspaper spreads invented stories. He is plainly trying to undermine the BBC so it's as bad as everything else he touches.
November 10, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Should Gibb be sacked? yes, obviously. He's an abomination of basic journalistic standards. His GB News channel spreads conspiracy theory & disinformation. His Jewish Chronicle newspaper spreads invented stories. He is plainly trying to undermine the BBC so it's as bad as everything else he touches.
Reposted by Ben
The coordinated nature of this—none are facing voters in 2026—means that either Schumer approved it or failed in his job as Senate Majority Leader to stop it.
Dems voting "no" get zero credit until they demand a change in leadership. Schumer out as Leader, Durbin out as Whip.
Dems voting "no" get zero credit until they demand a change in leadership. Schumer out as Leader, Durbin out as Whip.
so currently defectors are:
Kaine (2030)
Shaheen (Retiring)
Hasan (2028)
Fetterman (2028)
Durbin (Retiring)
CCM (2028)
Rosen (2030)
King (2030)
Kaine (2030)
Shaheen (Retiring)
Hasan (2028)
Fetterman (2028)
Durbin (Retiring)
CCM (2028)
Rosen (2030)
King (2030)
November 10, 2025 at 2:43 AM
The coordinated nature of this—none are facing voters in 2026—means that either Schumer approved it or failed in his job as Senate Majority Leader to stop it.
Dems voting "no" get zero credit until they demand a change in leadership. Schumer out as Leader, Durbin out as Whip.
Dems voting "no" get zero credit until they demand a change in leadership. Schumer out as Leader, Durbin out as Whip.
Reposted by Ben
Schumer said the Dems will "keep fighting". Keep fighting their own voters? Keep fighting off effectiveness? Keep fighting being held accountable for anything? As far as I can tell the Democratic leadership is good at one thing only now, which is sending fundraising messages to my phone.
November 10, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Schumer said the Dems will "keep fighting". Keep fighting their own voters? Keep fighting off effectiveness? Keep fighting being held accountable for anything? As far as I can tell the Democratic leadership is good at one thing only now, which is sending fundraising messages to my phone.
Reposted by Ben
Reposted by Ben
November 10, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Reposted by Ben
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:55 AM
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.
Reposted by Ben
!["I saw someone call Ai a Thneed and I can't stop thinking about it. It's a PERFECT analogy. The Thneed was an all-purpose tool that didn't do anything really useful. It was a fad that did major damage to the environment to make the Onceler a billionare. It left no real lasting impact, only damage." [image makes it look like the Lorax is angrily yelling this.]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4djfp3b27soxcfkxhirydi6d/bafkreig7hxt32jint77g4k2jttlenyjfsk7r54vrz22wyvxq5l4p7tpzuy@jpeg)
Reposted by Ben
Me, giggling like a goblin, strapping myself into the BBC Boss chair, commissioning non-celeb sitcom & sketch show after another. High concept narrative comedies by women! 100 shows with writers rooms! Tell whatever celeb blokes are doing a travel show they can make their own way back from Bordeaux!
November 9, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Me, giggling like a goblin, strapping myself into the BBC Boss chair, commissioning non-celeb sitcom & sketch show after another. High concept narrative comedies by women! 100 shows with writers rooms! Tell whatever celeb blokes are doing a travel show they can make their own way back from Bordeaux!
Reposted by Ben
Glad that someone has finally taken responsibility for the appalling assault on democracy that was the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
November 9, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Glad that someone has finally taken responsibility for the appalling assault on democracy that was the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
Reposted by Ben
It's incredible that we let billionaires bloviate about their policy views without throwing tomatoes at them. We know what they want, they want policies that work for a few dozen people and immiserate the other 300 million. Not interested!
November 8, 2025 at 9:22 PM
It's incredible that we let billionaires bloviate about their policy views without throwing tomatoes at them. We know what they want, they want policies that work for a few dozen people and immiserate the other 300 million. Not interested!
Reposted by Ben
It's Friday, I'm sick as hell, and I'm so goddamned tired of Marjorie Taylor Greene's face.
I GOTTA SCREAM.
catvalente.substack.com/p/are-you-th...
I GOTTA SCREAM.
catvalente.substack.com/p/are-you-th...
Are You There, God? It's Me, Marjorie.
What's going on with--god help us--Marjorie Taylor Greene, as efficiently explained as possible
catvalente.substack.com
November 7, 2025 at 11:34 PM
It's Friday, I'm sick as hell, and I'm so goddamned tired of Marjorie Taylor Greene's face.
I GOTTA SCREAM.
catvalente.substack.com/p/are-you-th...
I GOTTA SCREAM.
catvalente.substack.com/p/are-you-th...
Reposted by Ben
one thing i find crazy-making is the idea that getting rid of the filibuster would make congress a purely majoritarian institution. bicameralism itself is counter-majoritarian! equal state representation is counter-majoritarian! the fact that senate elections are staggered is counter-majoritarian!
November 8, 2025 at 10:26 PM
one thing i find crazy-making is the idea that getting rid of the filibuster would make congress a purely majoritarian institution. bicameralism itself is counter-majoritarian! equal state representation is counter-majoritarian! the fact that senate elections are staggered is counter-majoritarian!
Reposted by Ben
It's funny how she avoid saying "the Jews" and instead says "Jewish individuals" which, I've noticed, is considered more polite language for unclear reason.
There’s no daylight between what Candace says here about “the Jews” & what Nazi propagandists & Father Coughlin said about the Jews in the 1930s. Her show is one of the top 5 “conservative” podcasts in the US. She has 5.5 million subscribers on YouTube and 7.3 million followers on X.
November 8, 2025 at 9:44 PM
It's funny how she avoid saying "the Jews" and instead says "Jewish individuals" which, I've noticed, is considered more polite language for unclear reason.
Reposted by Ben
“More and more cabinet members — Rubio, Miller, Noem — live on military bases now, & it's another parallel to Iraq, where the administration lived in the Green Zone. There’s something deeply unhealthy about a society where leaders are literally shut off from the communities that they govern.”
Don Moynihan on "Purge, Merge, and Surge"
"Instead of surging in Iraq, it’s happening here in American cities."
www.publicnotice.co
November 8, 2025 at 4:44 PM
“More and more cabinet members — Rubio, Miller, Noem — live on military bases now, & it's another parallel to Iraq, where the administration lived in the Green Zone. There’s something deeply unhealthy about a society where leaders are literally shut off from the communities that they govern.”
Reposted by Ben
There’s a young southern woman on tt doing an experiment: calling churches & asking if they can help her get baby formula, saying she can’t afford it. Of the 30+ she’s called, nearly every church has said no. The ones who said yes were:
Black Baptist Churches
A Mosque
A small Appalachian church
Black Baptist Churches
A Mosque
A small Appalachian church
November 8, 2025 at 11:07 AM
There’s a young southern woman on tt doing an experiment: calling churches & asking if they can help her get baby formula, saying she can’t afford it. Of the 30+ she’s called, nearly every church has said no. The ones who said yes were:
Black Baptist Churches
A Mosque
A small Appalachian church
Black Baptist Churches
A Mosque
A small Appalachian church
Reposted by Ben
2015: oh well they probably have my social security number already
2025: oh well they probably have root at the Pentagon already
2025: oh well they probably have root at the Pentagon already
The Government Shutdown Is a Ticking Cybersecurity Time Bomb
Many critical systems are still being maintained, and the cloud provides some security cover. But experts say that any lapses in protections like patching and monitoring could expose government system...
www.wired.com
November 7, 2025 at 10:38 PM
2015: oh well they probably have my social security number already
2025: oh well they probably have root at the Pentagon already
2025: oh well they probably have root at the Pentagon already