Stephen JC
@stephenjcol.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
Stephen JC
@stephenjcol.bsky.social
· Nov 1
Updated my handle as I now have a LinkedIn account, may God help me.
January 29, 2026 at 10:57 AM
Updated my handle as I now have a LinkedIn account, may God help me.
Enjoyably dotty comment on a Martin Lewis video. It’s alarming just how many people really do think this way.
Also, “whilst at the same time” is redundancy.
Also, “whilst at the same time” is redundancy.
![“Don’t trust this bellend, he’s just part of the system trying to control every respect [sic] of your life.
He claims to be helping whilst at the same time being paid by those in control. Listen carefully to what he is advising you do!!! Then make it to the wider agenda [sic]. It’s the same story, spread Fear [sic] then advise ways to protect yourself by using their system of control.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4pyxk65hzrtb3kcmqh2o23mr/bafkreigo6btukhvkzjbgnklw7dsmhn4hhovioy3nfngzoyx43swrwta6qq@jpeg)
January 29, 2026 at 9:17 AM
Enjoyably dotty comment on a Martin Lewis video. It’s alarming just how many people really do think this way.
Also, “whilst at the same time” is redundancy.
Also, “whilst at the same time” is redundancy.
According to BBC News this morning, Hamlet was first staged in 1948.
January 29, 2026 at 8:21 AM
According to BBC News this morning, Hamlet was first staged in 1948.
Running first aid in Apple’s Disk Utility for my partner. It’s taking for ever and there’s no way to abort it other than pulling the plug.
January 26, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Running first aid in Apple’s Disk Utility for my partner. It’s taking for ever and there’s no way to abort it other than pulling the plug.
I honestly thought Braverman was already in Reform.
January 26, 2026 at 12:38 PM
I honestly thought Braverman was already in Reform.
Fascinating thread. I run in what I might call some pretty woke circles - here and elsewhere - and I find myself biting my tongue a lot. Not because I don’t agree with people, but because I spend so much time trying to work out the nuances of what I say that I just give up and post nothing.
I spend a lot of time chewing this one over - why did some of the people who agreed with, say, this piece I wrote in 2020 become people who now think that race is real, that a black person born in Britain cannot ever be 'properly' British', etc.
January 26, 2026 at 9:52 AM
Fascinating thread. I run in what I might call some pretty woke circles - here and elsewhere - and I find myself biting my tongue a lot. Not because I don’t agree with people, but because I spend so much time trying to work out the nuances of what I say that I just give up and post nothing.
Back down to 75kg. Phew. Self-restraint is being slowly restored post-Christmas.
January 24, 2026 at 10:24 AM
Back down to 75kg. Phew. Self-restraint is being slowly restored post-Christmas.
In this AI world, my immediate instinct was to count the fingers.
An observation test for your inner 8-year-old.
You’ll be doing well to spot 12 deliberate mistakes.
From Treasure magazine, 1963
Official answers coming soon
(Even if you don’t reply, could you please ‘like’ or share this one?)
You’ll be doing well to spot 12 deliberate mistakes.
From Treasure magazine, 1963
Official answers coming soon
(Even if you don’t reply, could you please ‘like’ or share this one?)
January 24, 2026 at 9:54 AM
In this AI world, my immediate instinct was to count the fingers.
I’ve never watched The Traitors, as I’ve barely watched any television in the last decade. Is it basically Among Us but in human form?
January 24, 2026 at 9:50 AM
I’ve never watched The Traitors, as I’ve barely watched any television in the last decade. Is it basically Among Us but in human form?
Reposted by Stephen JC
I need a Scottish investigative journalists to look into the explosion of tartan and tweed shops, and how the island of Harris is producing so much tweed.
January 24, 2026 at 9:03 AM
I need a Scottish investigative journalists to look into the explosion of tartan and tweed shops, and how the island of Harris is producing so much tweed.
Counterpoint (sort of): I grew up pre-videogames. Gary Gygax’s wordy, nerdy D&D manuals were my escape from ‘productivity’. But they also massively widened my vocabulary (it’s how I discovered what ‘ecology’ meant, for example) and made me comfortable with handling statistics.
January 22, 2026 at 8:50 AM
Counterpoint (sort of): I grew up pre-videogames. Gary Gygax’s wordy, nerdy D&D manuals were my escape from ‘productivity’. But they also massively widened my vocabulary (it’s how I discovered what ‘ecology’ meant, for example) and made me comfortable with handling statistics.
It depends if the underling (and their underlings all the way down) is also relying on the AI summary.
At what level of responsibility does a human generate the info, and what are the chances it can be communicated to CEO level if the AI misses it?
At what level of responsibility does a human generate the info, and what are the chances it can be communicated to CEO level if the AI misses it?
I’d also argue it’s probably easier for a CEO-type to rely on AI summaries of info, because if the AI misses out a crucial bit/hallucinates something then there’s a good chance an underling will point this out at some point.
January 22, 2026 at 8:43 AM
It depends if the underling (and their underlings all the way down) is also relying on the AI summary.
At what level of responsibility does a human generate the info, and what are the chances it can be communicated to CEO level if the AI misses it?
At what level of responsibility does a human generate the info, and what are the chances it can be communicated to CEO level if the AI misses it?
No new pictures. Where are you mentally?
January 21, 2026 at 5:59 PM
No new pictures. Where are you mentally?
Reposted by Stephen JC
Life your life in such a way that people don't immediately start hoping you're dead on news that your plane has turned back mid-flight.
January 21, 2026 at 5:48 AM
Life your life in such a way that people don't immediately start hoping you're dead on news that your plane has turned back mid-flight.
Reposted by Stephen JC
This is the way to stand up to racism and support your people. Thank you @bromleyfc.bsky.social
January 19, 2026 at 8:18 AM
This is the way to stand up to racism and support your people. Thank you @bromleyfc.bsky.social
Reposted by Stephen JC
You know, for most of us between thinking we can't do things because we're too young & inexperienced and thinking we can't do things because we're too old and tired there is a sweet spot where we both know stuff and have the energy to do it. We're just too busy at the time to really appreciate it
January 18, 2026 at 8:37 AM
You know, for most of us between thinking we can't do things because we're too young & inexperienced and thinking we can't do things because we're too old and tired there is a sweet spot where we both know stuff and have the energy to do it. We're just too busy at the time to really appreciate it
Reposted by Stephen JC
Europe has - in technical terms - an absolute sod load of potential economic leverage over the United States.
It has turned the other cheek due to security concerns.
The US seems intent on demonstrating that it will not guarantee European security.
So Europe may start using that leverage.
It has turned the other cheek due to security concerns.
The US seems intent on demonstrating that it will not guarantee European security.
So Europe may start using that leverage.
January 17, 2026 at 7:02 PM
Europe has - in technical terms - an absolute sod load of potential economic leverage over the United States.
It has turned the other cheek due to security concerns.
The US seems intent on demonstrating that it will not guarantee European security.
So Europe may start using that leverage.
It has turned the other cheek due to security concerns.
The US seems intent on demonstrating that it will not guarantee European security.
So Europe may start using that leverage.
Reposted by Stephen JC
Much is made of the last 10 years of PM ‘churn’ but it seems very odd not to have noted that 5 of the 6 churnees have been churned by their own party.
Perhaps this is telling us something as much about the Conservative Party as of some innate ungovernability?
Perhaps this is telling us something as much about the Conservative Party as of some innate ungovernability?
January 17, 2026 at 6:58 AM
Much is made of the last 10 years of PM ‘churn’ but it seems very odd not to have noted that 5 of the 6 churnees have been churned by their own party.
Perhaps this is telling us something as much about the Conservative Party as of some innate ungovernability?
Perhaps this is telling us something as much about the Conservative Party as of some innate ungovernability?
My list would probably be vetoed by the BBC for having too much ‘difficult’ classical music on it. But I do genuinely enjoy Messiaën, Berio and Ives. Luckily it’s not going to happen, so it doesn’t matter.
I am delighted I will never be famous enough to be on Desert Island Discs. I struggle to pick my favourite eight Radiohead tracks / Frank Turner songs let alone "the entire canon of western music".
I could probably do you "my favourite eight madrigals written between 1580 and 1625". Just.
I could probably do you "my favourite eight madrigals written between 1580 and 1625". Just.
Yes, we’re all individuals
January 16, 2026 at 5:31 PM
My list would probably be vetoed by the BBC for having too much ‘difficult’ classical music on it. But I do genuinely enjoy Messiaën, Berio and Ives. Luckily it’s not going to happen, so it doesn’t matter.
Reposted by Stephen JC
Note to UK weather app users. Please time travel back to yesterday and stop your Met Office app from updating. It has dropped the single-screen view and clear design in favour of a long-scroll monstrosity which looks like every other shitty overcrowded weather app. WITH ADS.
January 16, 2026 at 6:34 AM
Note to UK weather app users. Please time travel back to yesterday and stop your Met Office app from updating. It has dropped the single-screen view and clear design in favour of a long-scroll monstrosity which looks like every other shitty overcrowded weather app. WITH ADS.
Duolingo appears to have introduced a facility whereby you can smack someone in the same league as you in the face. Their avatar, not their actual face. Still, it might finally be time to move on. This stinks.
January 15, 2026 at 9:58 PM
Duolingo appears to have introduced a facility whereby you can smack someone in the same league as you in the face. Their avatar, not their actual face. Still, it might finally be time to move on. This stinks.
This thread is utterly fantastic, and a good antidote to *waves at absolutely everything else*.
For many years I have been posting little observations online. What you may not know is that for many years, artists have been illustrating them - for no reason other than they wanted to respond. Below is a thread of some of these beautiful drawings because they should be seen 🧵
January 15, 2026 at 1:26 PM
This thread is utterly fantastic, and a good antidote to *waves at absolutely everything else*.
Delighted to see my old Labour MP @ruthcadbury.bsky.social posting on Bluesky - the one person who would definitely make me vote Labour next time because she’s good on so many levels.
Sadly because of boundary changes I can’t vote for her any more.
Sadly because of boundary changes I can’t vote for her any more.
January 13, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Delighted to see my old Labour MP @ruthcadbury.bsky.social posting on Bluesky - the one person who would definitely make me vote Labour next time because she’s good on so many levels.
Sadly because of boundary changes I can’t vote for her any more.
Sadly because of boundary changes I can’t vote for her any more.
The BBC absolutely determined to shove America down our throats because of the 1776 anniversary. I don’t think we want to have America in the front of our minds just now.
January 10, 2026 at 1:13 PM
The BBC absolutely determined to shove America down our throats because of the 1776 anniversary. I don’t think we want to have America in the front of our minds just now.