Ben Jackson

@jacksobc.bsky.social

2090 Followers 2172 Following

Welsh. Former central banker. Mostly skeeting about my cooking and LFC. Mostly. He/him. Almost died once and I wrote about my accident and the role Zwift had in my rehabilitation: https://zwiftinsider.com/the-fresh-puncheur-of-watopia/

It’s a still from the movie Proof of Life. David Morse and Russell Crowe advancing through the jungle, apparently still searching for signs that Mitch McConnell is alive.
A screenshot of two Bluesky posts: Franky Pelvis @frankypelvis.bsky.so... • 1h I do wonder if our calculus would be different if Platner was like 10 points ahead of Collins AFTER the allegations, and if he were the only Dem able to manage that. He was already slipping, and the fact that he's obviously going to lose now makes the decision to dump him pretty trivial. Parker Molloy • @parkermolloy.com •1h Good question, and I'm really not sure • • •
It’s a photo of a woman dressed in a superb Babadook costume at a Halloween party. The guy sat to her left is in normal clothes, as is everyone at the rest of the party, we’re led to believe. It’s an all timer of a photo, and it is no surprise that Katie Dippold would write such a funny horror TV show.
It’s a still from Widow’s Bay showing Matthew Rhys is as Tom. He’s dressed in a blue gillet and he’s smiling and squinting, expectantly looking out at some terrifying unknown future.
It’s a promotional photo for the Amazon Prime Original, Patriot. It’s Michael Dorman wearing a suit, struggling to stay afloat, in a sea of jellyfish. It’s a spoiler for season 2, really. Anyway, you should probably stop what you’re doing now and watch Patriot.
It’s a photo of two chicken thighs sitting in a bowl, shot from above. To the right of the chicken is a green mass of peas, celery, lettuce, leek, and bacon. It’s been sprinkled with fresh tarragon. It’s sitting in a cider based liquor.
It’s a photo of a chilled coupe glass with a lime green liquid. It’s sitting on a white marble work surface. In the background are bottles of mezcal, luxardo, and syrup. Two limes lie to the right of the glass.
It’s a photo of Favorite Salad of All Time from Matty Matheson’s Home Style Cookery book. SERVES: 4 TO 6 PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES What can I say? Is there anything better than a perfectly dressed lettuce leaf salad? No! The answer is no! With a bit of tuna and chopped vegetables, this is not just a side, it can be the main attraction. 0.5 cup (100 ml) white vinegar 1 cup (40 g) chopped flat-leaf parsley 3½ tablespoons canola oil 3% tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing 1 teaspoon sea salt 0.25 cup (40 g) green olives, pitted and chopped 0.3 cup (30 g) diced celery 0.25 cup (30 g) finely chopped shallot ½/ cup (55 g) sliced cooked green beans ½/ cup (30 g) diced cucumber 1 (5-ounce/142 g) can albacore tuna, drained and flaked 2 heads (200 g) green leaf lettuce Freshly ground black pepper In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, parsley, canola oil, and olive oil and blast it with an immersion blender until incorporated. Season with salt. In a medium bowl, combine the green olives, celery, shallot, green beans, cucumber, and tuna and dress with half the dressing In a separate medium bowl, toss the lettuce with the remaining dressing and season with salt and pepper. Start by layering 3 leaves of lettuce in a tight pile and spoon over the tuna mixture to cover the lettuce. Repeat 3 times, until you have a mountain of salad; finish the top layer with the tuna mixture and splash the top with olive oil and salt.
It’s a photo of a large white bowl, filled with a very green salad, shot from above. It’s contains gem lettuce, green beans, green olives, cucumber, celery, shallots, and hot smoked salad. It’s dressed with a parsley vinaigrette with one part white vinegar, half part neutral oil, half part extra virgin olive oil.
It’s a photograph of a basketball game at the O2 Arena. It was a three point game at time of taking, with the Hatters attacking the Gladiators basket.
It’s a screenshot of the Bluesky skeets in the Gift Links/Gift Articles feed. It shows one post from the Globe and Mail where the image didn’t work, and one from the NYT where it did. Sadly that means we have to look at a side profile shot of Donald Trump with his hair combed over and slicked back like a 60s Teddy Boy, only without an ounce of the style or cool
It’s a screenshot from the BBC News live blog. It reads: Here is the 10-point plan, according to an Iranian state broadcaster: 1. Complete cessation of the war on Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen 2. Complete and permanent cessation of the war on Iran with no time limit 3. Ending all conflicts in the region in their entirety 4. Reopening the Strait of Hormuz 5. Establishing a protocol and conditions to ensure freedom and security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz 6. Full payment of compensation for reconstruction costs to Iran 7. Full commitment to lifting sanctions on Iran 8. Release of Iranian funds and frozen assets held by the United States 9. Iran fully commits to not seeking possession of any nuclear weapons 10. Immediate ceasefire takes effect on all fronts immediately upon approval of the above conditions
Book cover of Leaving the Atocha Station by Ben Lerner, featuring layered horizontal stripes in muted colours. They emanate from classical-style figures on the right, as if they have been distorted and smeared across the page. They take the shape of trains. The title and author’s name are in large pale blue capital letters across each one.
It’s a front cover to the book Flesh, by David Szalay. It features a red apple that has been eaten throughly to the core.
It’s a photo of Liverpool players standing united in a row. Arms round each other. There’s a full crowd in the background. A faint fog in the air. A team that have just been pronounced Premier League champions.
It’s a video of Jeremy Vine claiming people dancing like Trump while waving an Israeli flag are in Iran.
It’s a video of Jeremy Vine being an idiot.
It’s a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation: Him: Okay agree to disagree Me: Nah, not really. I can't support white supremacists Him: You will have to. He will soon be the world first trillionaire and have super powers.
It’s a photo of the boiled beef. It’s shot from above and its large white bowl filled with broth and thin slivers of fillet steak. Underneath is a bed of bean sprouts, cabbage, spring onions, and celery. It’s topped with mala, a mix of chopped chillies and Sichuan peppercorns. There’s a final garnish of spring onion greens.
It’s a photo of a small white bowl shot from above. It contains two scoops of ice cream and two slices of grilled banana. Some would say that they have been provocatively positioned, but I couldn’t possibly comment.
It’s a photo of a bowl with a bright green heap of food in it. I probably used too much asparagus as you can’t really see the ribbons of courgette underneath. Pooling round the vegetables is a light green-coloured liquid.
It’s a photo of four bowls sitting on a dining table, shot from above. Top left is the salsa brava. Sliced onions and chillies that have been marinating in lime juice and olive oil overnight. Top right is the pico de gallo. Chopped onions, avocado, tomatoes, and chillies, with a little lime juice, olive oil, and minced coriander. Bottom left is a much larger bowl of guacamole. The mashed avocado is enveloping the onions, tomatoes, and chillies contained within. Bottom right is a bowl of tortilla chips.
It’s a photo of a pack of monosodium glutamate, resting against my trusty rice cooker. There are several quarter teaspoon worths of white powder in there.
It’s a screen shot of the result odds for England v Wales in the Six Nations. If you put £1 on England to win those generous bookmakers will give you a 1p return.
It’s a screenshot of Sofascore with the current league standings for the Liga MX. The team from Guadalajara are at the top with five wins from five games.
It’s a screenshot from the Guardian’s US politics live blog. It reads: 2h ago 11.36 GMT Trump posts racist video depicting Obamas as monkeys Hello and welcome to today's live coverage. Donald Trump went on a massive social media spree overnight that included posting on Truth Social an election conspiracy video that ended with a clip depicting former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as monkeys.
It’s a photo of two coupe glasses containing a deep red drink. They’re shaken with egg white and a lovely pink foam it’s on top. They’re sitting on a white kitchen work surface and in the background are bottles of grenadine, vermouth and gin.
It’s the leg of lamb before being roasted. It’s studded with garlic and rosemary. Anchovy fillets have also been stuffed in those holes. It’s sitting on the yellow paper from the butcher.
It’s a mountain of deep fried chicken bites sitting on a plate lined with kitchen towel.
It’s a photo of a Jaegermeister dispenser, with a branded bar mat and a handle to pour shots of all those herbs. Next to it is a branded ice box, and then you can just make out the rest of the spirit bottles and shot glasses. Through the window you can see a very cold and snowy Riga airport.
It’s a screenshot from WhatsApp. It reads: Him: Yeah right.....you guys project. You are the ones who censored the right, controlled free speech, you are the facists and morons on top of it. Like sheep. remember the Nazis were national SOCIALISTS and gave away health care and controlled the media just like you! Me: Hahahaha. Oh my word, you might need to actually go read a book about the Nazis Him: I've read more books that you have IQ points. I respond to that last message with the laughing emoji. We have not corresponded since.
It’s a photo of the cabin safety leaflet for bahamasair. If demonstrates the brace position and when you should adopt it. The examples used are ploughing into the ground and the sea at a 45 degree angle. You can brace all you want but it’s not going to stop the chair in front crushing you.
It’s a three panel Dilbert strip. The first panel has Pointy-Haired Boss introducing a very tall man to Dilbert: PHB: DILBERT, I'D LIKE YOU TO MEET BEN, OUR NEWEST FAST-TRACK MANAGER. Dilbert: HI The second panel shows PHB and Ben face on to emphasise quite how tall Ben is. PHB: BEN HAS NO REAL EXPERIENCE BUT HE'S VERY TALL, SO WE KNOW HE'LL GO FAR. The third panel reverts on the side on view of the first panel, as Ben towers over PHB and leans in: Ben: I ALSO HAVE EXECUTIVE STYLE HAIR. PHB: WE THINK IT WILL TURN SILVER. Nb. It did. It did go silver.
Photo of a bowl of pork noodle soup. You can just about make out the ramen noodles and chunks of pork mince, as well as wilted baby spinach. Scattered on top are coriander leaves, fresh red chillies, and fried off garlic slices.
It’s a screen cap from the best TV show of 2025, The Rehearsal. It depicts Nathan Fielder’s vision of the Paramount offices. He’s sat at a large table, in an even larger chair, in a vast ballroom. Hanging down over three of the widows are large flags. Instead of Nazi insignia, they’re blue with the Paramount logo. Nathan looks very sad about everything.
It’s a screenshot of the odds for the next Manchester United manager from oddschecker.com. It reads: Enzo Maresca 3/1 Darren Fletcher 4/1 Oliver Glasner 5/1 Gareth Southgate 12/1 Xavi Hernandez 12/1 Kieran McKenna 14/1 Michael Carrick 14/1 Unai Emery 20/1 Marco Silva 20/1 My little joke is that the former United player and current interim manager, Darren Fletcher, shares a name with a football commentator.
It’s a screenshot from the FT app. It reads: president to 'watch his ass' after Venezuela attack Donald Trump issued a new warning to Colombian president Gustavo Petro. "He's making cocaine and they're sending it into the United States. So he does have to watch his ass," he said. Collapse post ^
It’s a seat plan for the stadium in Boston to be used for the World Cup. The different categories have different colours. The majority of the stadium is gold for category 1 tickets, the most expensive. Tucked right in two of the corners are small slivers of green, representing the cheapest tickets.
It’s a screenshot of my phone’s lock screen, with a Money Out notification for £8.35 for one pint from a pub in London.
It’s a screenshot of the NYT Games app on my phone. It shows the 350 Purple First badge. The text reads: EARNED DEC. 6, 2025 350 Purple First You earned this badge by successfully completing 350 Connections puzzles after getting the purple category first.
It’s a photo of my copy of the Scriptnotes book by John August and Craig Mazin. It is bright orange, with their names at the top, then a picture of an old fashioned type writer, then the word: SCRIPTNOTES At the bottom it reads: A Book About Screenwriting and Things That Are Interesting to Screenwriters
It’s a photo of the join between ceiling and wall in a hotel room in Cairo. There’s a small metal sprinkler very close to the ceiling. Just below it is a small sign with a clothes hanger with a red circular no symbol over it.
It’s a photo of an ancient statue, dug up from the sacred grounds of Egypt. It depicts a young Mo Salah, his arms out spread, as he celebrates what the ancients refer to as a goal. I remember them well. He’s is resplendent in the red kit of Liverpool FC
The tax raid on companies will be less explicit this year than in Reeves' first Budget, although her plan to tighten the rules on salary sacrifice schemes has been described as a £2 billion take through the back door. Currently workers can pay up to £60,000 a year into their pension without being liable for national insurance but the Treasury plans to cap this to £2,000.
The tax raid on companies will be less explicit this year than in Reeves' first Budget, although her plan to tighten the rules on salary sacrifice schemes has been described as a £2 billion take through the back door. Currently workers can pay up to £60,000 a year into their pension without being liable for national insurance but the Treasury plans to cap this to £2,000.
The tax raid on companies will be less explicit this year than in Reeves' first Budget, although her plan to tighten the rules on salary sacrifice schemes has been described as a £2 billion take through the back door. Currently workers can pay up to £60,000 a year into their pension without being liable for national insurance but the Treasury plans to cap this to £2,000.
It’s a photo of a roasted shoulder of pork. It’s sitting on a dark gray chopping board. The cracking is orange and blistered. The meat facing the camera is browned and crispy.
It’s Robbo talking about his best mate Diogo
It’s a photo of a small sign in an Avani hotel room in Frankfurt. It reads: Kettle for water only
It’s a photo of a large octopus, grilled to perfection. There is a pool of oil around the plate with three black olives and a clove of garlic in the top right corner.
Does he have a point about some Wikipedia articles having a "liberal" or left-leaning bias that obscures or fails to provide a full and fair version of the truth, though? Yes. Just look up the "COVID-19 Lab leak theory" entry as an example. Despite the fact that two-thirds of Americans in a 2023 study by YouGov and the Economist said they believed the virus originated in a Chinese laboratory and not, as originally thought, a wet market, this is described in the second sentence as a "highly controversial" claim, while it is stated that "many scenarios proposed for a lab leak are characteristic of conspiracy theories" - as if there were not legitimate and non-conspiratorial reasons for believing in it.
It’s a photo of a 64 year old man jumping of the top rung of a wrestling ring. He’s star shaped, wearing gray Lycra pants and a gray Luchador mask. He’s about to land on a wrestler wearing green pants and a green mask. Another wrestler in the ring looks on expectantly
It’s a photo of a white plate piled high with lamb chops. They’re a deep brown colour, and they’ve been finished in a wok with loads of garlic, chilli (green and red), spring onion, and a Sichuan peppercorn and salt mix.
"I'm not massive on reading politics," Shelvey said. "I just see some of the things that go on. "I see people getting arrested for tweeting and, then, all of the flags and 'taking back the country. "I'm not going to sit here and comment on things like that because I'm not clever enough to, and I'll get myself into trouble if I carry on, but I just feel that the UK isn't what it was 10 to 15 years ago."
Top US financiers have warned of an erosion in lending standards after credit markets were shaken by the collapse of First Brands Group and Tricolor Holdings. Apollo Global Management chief executive Marc Rowan said the unravelling of the two businesses followed years in which lenders had sought out riskier borrowers. "It does not surprise me that we are seeing late-cycle accidents," Rowan said on Tuesday. "I think it's a desire to win in a competitive market that sometimes leads to shorteuts."
The price list for the 2018 World Cup in Russia FIFA WORLD CUP RUSSIA 2018 BUY TICKETS MATCH CAT 1 CAT 2 CAT 3 CAT 4* OPENING MATCH (N° 1) USD 550 USD 390 USD 220 RUB 3 200 GROUP MATCHES (N° 2 TO 48) USD 210 USD 165 USD 105 RUB 1280 ROUND OF 16 (N° 49 TO 56) USD 245 USD 185 USD 115 RUB 2 240 QUARTER-FINALS (N° 57 TO 60) USD 365 USD 255 USD 175 RUB 3 800 SEMI-FINALS (N° 61 TO 62) USD 750 USD 480 USD 285 RUB 4 480 3*°/4™ PLACE MATCH (N° 63) USD 365 USD 255 USD 175 RUB 3 800 FINAL (N° 64) USD 1100 USD 710 USD 455 RUB 7040
Certified beefcake Frank Grillo dressed all in black leaning on the backs of two black leather chairs. There’s a hint of gray in his hair, but somehow this guy is 60 years old.
It’s a photo of Gry Larsen from Facebook. It features a red cap, MAGA-style, reading MAKE HUMAN RIGHTS GREAT AGAIN.
It’s a video from Portland with an inflatable green frog staring down Stasi-style militia in the USA. He thrusts his hips and then hypnotises them, forcing the fascist crew to back away.
It’s a promotional image for the game, Thank Goodness You’re Here! Set against a blue, cloudy sky is a motley array of colourful characters. They’re all the people in the town you need to help out while they make smutty jokes.