Sign in

Ben Beck

@bsbeck.bsky.social
574 followers 132 following 83 posts

See benbeck.co.uk - my interests include: firsts in the recording of sight and sound; anarchism and science fiction; UK TMOs (tenant management orgs); family history; British Quaker history

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Ben Beck
Defend Our Juries @defendourjuries.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
🏆 BREAKING: Defend Our Juries to receive 2026 Quaker Truth and Integrity Award “Defend Our Juries is as aligned to Quaker values today, in 2026, as it was in 1670, when the independence of juries was struggled for, and won by Quakers for us all.” Full: defendourjuries.net/press-releas...
18642
Reposted by Ben Beck
Oliver @oliver48.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
via Meg Graham
211963
Ben Beck @bsbeck.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
This is a real joy
youtube.com
5.2) That UK Sound - The Origin of Dub & UK Sound Systems
YouTube video by BearingUK
000
Reposted by Ben Beck
Tade "Will Eat Your Heart in the Marketplace" Thompson @tadethompson.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I'm against the death penalty. Like, without exception against. When our ideas about justice were simplistic, it was necessary, I suppose. But we, as humans, civilised, should know better by now.
2799
Ben Beck @bsbeck.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
anarchysf.com: September update New addition: • Frankenstein (2025) Updates to: • Andor, Nikolai Chernyshevsky, Suzanne Collins
anarchysf.com
Welcome to anarchySF! | anarchySF
000
Reposted by Ben Beck
ᑎᗩTᑌᖇᗩᒪ, ᒪIKE ᐯEᖇᑎOᑎ @naturallikevernon.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Trump died and got buried at Mar-Lago. A man went to the airport and said, "I need a ticket to go piss on Trump's grave." The agent said, "Yes, sir. Here's a ticket to Los Angeles." The guy said, "Los Angeles?! But Trump's buried in Florida!" The agent said, "Yes, sir, but the back of the line..."
15154011228
Reposted by Ben Beck
Tade "Will Eat Your Heart in the Marketplace" Thompson @tadethompson.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
youtu.be
Orange Blossom - HABIBI - Live à fip
YouTube video by alifie from mars
1102
Reposted by Ben Beck
Secure ICS OT @secure-ics-ot.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
391547331
Reposted by Ben Beck
Freedom Press @freedompress.org.uk · 10/09/2026
Gerrard Winstanley: “To make the Earth a Common Treasury” Features, Sep 10th Marking 350 years since the death of the English revolutionary Digger (1609-1676) ~ Robert Graham, Illustrations: Clifford Harper ~ freedomnews.org.uk/2026/09/10/g...
freedomnews.org.uk
Gerrard Winstanley: "To make the Earth a Common Treasury" - Freedom News
Marking 350 years since the death of the English revolutionary Digger (1609-1676) ~ Robert Graham, Illustrations: Clifford Harper ~ During the pe…
198
Reposted by Ben Beck
Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
UK govts don't lack resources to improve the quality of life. Even if it does not embrace modern monetary theory, borrow, or hike taxes, it can harvest billions by eliminating tax, legal and fiscal policy anomalies. Some suggestions are in the linked article. Poverty is a political choice.
leftfootforward.org
Here’s how the chancellor can raise the billions needed to improve the quality of life of millions
Prem Sikka is an Emeritus Professor of Accounting at the University of Essex and the University of Sheffield, a Labour member of the House of Lords, and Contributing Editor at Left Foot Forward. Mi...
11300157
Reposted by Ben Beck
Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Today’s song is “Dust My Broom” by Elmore James, master of the electric slide guitar. Originally recorded in 1951, this version from the “Fire Sessions” of a decade later. The song is a cover of Robert Johnson’s 1936 “I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom”. youtu.be/5jcGY7NbaQw?...
youtu.be
Dust My Broom
YouTube video by Elmore James - Topic
1332045
Ben Beck @bsbeck.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
anarchysf.com: August update New addition: • Julie Bertagna Updates to: • Isaac Asimov, J.G. Ballard, Philip K. Dick, Ruthanna Emrys, Mick Farren, Leslie Fish, James P. Hogan, Jo Walton
anarchysf.com
Welcome to anarchySF! | anarchySF
000
Reposted by Ben Beck
Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
This is such an early catastrophic failure of leadership from Andy Burnham. It makes it very clear that ultimately he isn't serving people in this country (or nature), he is serving private equity and the interests of the super rich. This is why we currently live in Rip Off Britain.
68905344
Reposted by Ben Beck
National Secular Society @natsecsoc.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Religious lobbyists have claimed new findings from Britain's food regulator undermine animal welfare concerns about killing animals without first stunning them. They do nothing of the sort. Read more 👇 www.secularism.org.uk/opinion/2026...
secularism.org.uk
Don’t be misled about non-stun slaughter
Despite religious lobbyists' claims, the Food Standards Agency has not pronounced non-stun slaughter equally humane, says Stephen Evans Read More »
195
Reposted by Ben Beck
Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
You can sign this petition to help fix the fact that far too much of our billionaire backed media is owned by people who don't live in this country and have the opposite of our best interests at heart. When it gets to 100,000 Parliament will debate it 👇🏽 petition.parliament.uk/petitions/76...
petition.parliament.uk
Petition: Ban foreign media ownership, enact a social media levy & new regulatory reform
Pass law to ban foreign & offshore ownership of UK media, enact a social-media levy to distribute media ownership across society & fund independent, local & cooperative-owned media. We believe democra...
11235133
Reposted by Ben Beck
Count Binface @countbinface.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
An American interviewer asked me about my political beliefs. #VoteBinface
12940201067
Reposted by Ben Beck
Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Thames Water’s £1m payout to finance chief is ‘unacceptable’, says govt dept. Weasel words won't do. Cancel TW licence. Dumps tons of sewage in rivers. 571m litres of water a day lost to leaks. Numerous criminal convictions Customers fleeced. End criminality. Bankrupt TW. Nationalise water.
theguardian.com
Thames Water’s £1m payout to finance chief is ‘unacceptable’, says government department
Utility firm’s payment criticised by Defra and campaign groups, with some urging Andy Burnham to nationalise it
22415186
Reposted by Ben Beck
Another Green @anothergreen.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Cuba is being strangled by the USA. Absolute solidarity with Cuba!
2398
Ben Beck @bsbeck.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
anarchysf.com: July update New addition: • Charles Malato Updates to: • 2001, L'An 01, Gautam Bhatia, John Pilgrim, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Starhawk, Charles Stross
anarchysf.com
Welcome to anarchySF! | anarchySF
001
Reposted by Ben Beck
George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
The greatest global threat to both peace and a habitable planet is the government of the USA. It has been so for a long time, but Trump has nixed the deniability. We should stop treating it as an ally that has mysteriously gone astray and start treating it as a hazard to be avoided and contained.
561491406
Reposted by Ben Beck
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 22/07/2026
Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal.
20338811724818
Reposted by Ben Beck
Jane @janeynorth.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
1289
Ben Beck @bsbeck.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
anarchysf.com: June update New additions: • Basma Abdel Aziz • Steve Erickson • Jean Hegland Updates to: • Philip K. Dick, Robert A. Heinlein, Ursula K. Le Guin, James Morrow
anarchysf.com
Welcome to anarchySF! | anarchySF
000
Reposted by Ben Beck
Butterflies Katz ⓥ @butterflieskatz.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
A #mural by Dutch #artist Judith de Leeuw shows the Statue of Liberty covering her eyes (in shame) in Roubaix, France (in 2025, just before July 4th). Judith de Leeuw, also known as JDL #StreetArt, creates #murals worldwide (41 countries) to draw attention to social issues. info@jdlstreetart.com
12471871897
Reposted by Ben Beck
Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Thames Water moves closer to nationalisation after govt objects to rescue deal. Govt concerned about public backlash to a deal that injects £3.35bn equity, more debt, exemption from fines and bigger customer bills. Let TW collapse, buy at knockdown price. Must end profit motive. Nationalise water
bbc.co.uk
Thames Water moves step closer to nationalisation after government objects to rescue deal
A government spokesman tells the BBC that the current offer "does not do enough to protect consumers or the environment".
12418165
Reposted by Ben Beck
Gem&Molly ⓥ @gemandmoll.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
I think Labour Friends of Israel should be proscribed. Israeli violence is off the charts.
063
Reposted by Ben Beck
Richard Carrier, PhD @richardcarrier.info · 08/06/2026
Thorough analysis of the evidence for how much #ancientliterature was lost. Converges on > 98% & possibly > 99%. Can't rule out 99%. Can't claim under 98%. Some 100,000 books thrown away across all genres. www.richardcarrier.info/archives/41852 #lostbooks #darkages #christianity #churchhistory
richardcarrier.info
How Many Ancient Books Did the Christians Throw Away? • Richard Carrier Blogs
How much have we lost? That’s a question I get asked a lot. I have often ballparked it at over 99%. But I decided to dig in to some real numbers to see what percentage can actually be backed by eviden...
21312
Ben Beck @bsbeck.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Excellent piece by Ted Chiang. I totally agree about the dishonesty of using first person pronouns. Hope Richard Dawkins reads this!
020
Ben Beck @bsbeck.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
anarchysf.com: May update New additions: • Alasdair Gray • T.H. White Update to: • Franz Kafka
anarchysf.com
Welcome to anarchySF! | anarchySF
000
Reposted by Ben Beck
Richard Carrier, PhD @richardcarrier.info · 30/05/2026
My new go-to for why scientific #atheism won the argument against #christianity & the rest is just evasion. I get to the essence of what we're arguing about, split the bullshit away from the real debates & then show those all point away from Christianity. www.richardcarrier.info/archives/41899
richardcarrier.info
Christians vs. Atheists: What Are We Actually Arguing About? • Richard Carrier Blogs
I’ve made the point before that really, Christians and Atheists are only arguing over one single thing: whether the ground of all being has thoughts and feelings or not. Otherwise atheists already agr...
1125
Reposted by Ben Beck
Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Water privatisation has been outright theft. Whoever is next PM must commit to ending this scandal and take our water back into public ownership. No more failed regulation. www.theguardian.com/business/202...
theguardian.com
Billionaire Trump donor in line to make millions from Thames Water bid
Paul Singer is founder of a leading creditor in the hedge fund consortium locked in talks with the UK government
441238444
Reposted by Ben Beck
Tade "Will Eat Your Heart in the Marketplace" Thompson @tadethompson.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Music for a while Shall all your cares beguile...
youtu.be
The song that got me into Baroque music 🎶
YouTube video by Brandon Acker
5324
Ben Beck @bsbeck.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Streeting would be even worse than Starmer. Get a grip!
010
Reposted by Ben Beck
Freedom Press @freedompress.org.uk · 13/05/2026
Incredible to watch Wes Streeting being taken seriously as a candidate. It's the truest form of Westminster bubble to conclude the solution to Starmer is replacing him with an empty suit who's neck deep in Labour's political mess and hated by everyone outside a few centrist crash test dummies. ~Rr
36912
Reposted by Ben Beck
A Cat Called Ⓐnarchy @acatcalledanarchy.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Not Wes Streeting f'fucksake
011
Reposted by Ben Beck
Caroline Lucas @carolinelucas.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Amen to this 👇
435170
Reposted by Ben Beck
Natalie Bennett @nataliegreenpeer.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Worth waiting for: @lewishamgreenparty.bsky.social don't just win control of our second London council, but win comprehensively: Final count is 40 Green councillors and 14 Labour Congratulations!! www.salamandernews.org/lewisham-ele...
salamandernews.org
Lewisham elections live: mayor and councillor results
Live reporting on Lewisham's election for mayor and councillors
424161
Reposted by Ben Beck
The Green Party of England & Wales @greenparty.org.uk · 09/05/2026
A grand total of 40 Green councillors elected in Lewisham to work with Mayor @liamshrivastava.bsky.social 💪
LOCAL ELECTIONS 2026
40 COUNCILLORS ELECTED IN LEWISHAM
Green Party
Promoted by Chris Williams on behalf of The Green Party, both at PO Box 78066, London SE16 9GQ
042080
Ben Beck @bsbeck.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
AOC saying what I've always said: xcancel.com/MarcoFoster_...
xcancel.com
Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_)
AOC: “There’s a certain level of wealth and accumulation that is unearned. You can’t earn a billion dollars. You just can’t earn that. You can get market power, you can break rules, you can abuse labo...
010
Ben Beck @bsbeck.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
No doubt in my mind: #IVotedGreen
000
Reposted by Ben Beck
Lewisham Green Party @lewishamgreenparty.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
The time has come, Lewisham 🗳️ Polls are showing it's really close - EVERY SINGLE VOTE COUNTS Let's make history 💚 #lewisham #greenparty #elections #localelections #london
04914
Reposted by Ben Beck
Lewisham Green Party @lewishamgreenparty.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
⏰ The polls are open! Can you feel the ENERGY? 💚 Lewisham has been a one-party state for too long - but today feels different. The momentum is real, the people of Lewisham are ready for change. GO VOTE 🙌 Polls close at 10pm - let's go Lewisham! #lewisham #greenparty #london #elections #politics
24515
Ben Beck @bsbeck.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
anarchysf.com: March/April update New additions: • Jacques Sternberg • K.M. Szpara Updates to: • Philip K. Dick, M.E. O'Brien & Eman Abdelhadi, Rudy Rucker, Mary Shelley, Gore Vidal, Kurt Vonnegut, Andy Weir
anarchysf.com
Welcome to anarchySF! | anarchySF
000
Reposted by Ben Beck
The Green Party of England & Wales @greenparty.org.uk · 30/04/2026
The UK government must ACT NOW and: • Condemn the Israeli Navy’s illegal actions against the Flotilla • Demand the safety and release of all British Citizens involved in this mission • Stop all arms exports to Israel immediately • Do everything in its power to end this ongoing genocide
14559230
Ben Beck @bsbeck.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
The Science Fiction Encyclopedia now has this article on anarchist SF: sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/anarch...
sf-encyclopedia.com
SFE: Anarchist SF
Welcome to the fourth edition of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.
000
Reposted by Ben Beck
Lewisham Green Party @lewishamgreenparty.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Our manifesto is here - and we're not holding back. 1,000 social homes. Safer, Cleaner streets. A fairer economy. Sanctuary for all. And a Lewisham that finally works for the people who live here. Read the full manifesto - link in bio. #lewisham #greenparty #votegreen #hope #localelections
0116
Reposted by Ben Beck
Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
I'm Jewish. I condemn genocide. I condemn the Labour Governments role in the Genocide. The Prime Minister repeatedly conflating criticism of the Israeli Governments genocide and actual antisemitism is disgusting - and makes so many of us as Jewish people feel less safe.
Starmer slams Polanski over "disgraceful" Antisemitism comments.
1033086941
Reposted by Ben Beck
rprobbins.bsky.social @rprobbins.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
All factual information sadly 😳😳😡🤬
23719
Ben Beck @bsbeck.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Disgusting.
010
Reposted by Ben Beck
Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
The last 24 hours have shown what many have said for a long time. Britain's role as an accomplice to Trump's America must end. We must urgently decouple from a rogue US & seek security with allies closer to home. That starts with suspension of the US bombers on British soil.
592428555