iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Hong Shao Rou / Red Braised Pork Belly. Basically sticky and sweet popcorn pork. Utterly delicious. Served it with a wood ear mushroom salad (Xiang Cai Mu Er) and hot and sour courgettes (Tang Cu Yi Da Li Gua). #foodsky 🍜🍽️

It’s a close up photo of a white bowl full of braised pork belly. It’s a deep red colour and sticky with a sugar and soy based sauce. Traces of the sauce cling to the side of the bowl.

It’s a photo of a pile of wood ear mushrooms with plenty of red chilli and garlic. The sauce of black vinegar and chilli oil really makes the dish zing.

It’s another bowl with thin slices of courgette/zucchini that have been salted and stir fried with garlic and black vinegar. A nice release when the chilli hit of the mushrooms gets too much.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Bought my dad a smoker 2.5 years ago and he’s never used it, so I’ve gone home and smoked 4kg of pork ribs. #foodsky 🍽️🍜

It’s a photo of two 2kg racks of pork breast ribs sitting on the grill in the smoker. The left one has a Kansas style rub, and the right Memphis.

It’s a photo of the ribs after they’ve been cooked sitting on a serving plate. At the back are the Memphis ribs, and in the foreground are the glazed Kansas ribs.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

My big handsome man is back, and #Reacher season 4 has got off to a rollicking start.

It’s a photo of Alan Ritchson as Reacher being held at gun point on the SEPTA Metro in Philly. His arms are spread wide. He is both large and handsome.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

It’s such a hollow “apology” because further down the thread she entertains the idea that things would be different if he was ahead in the polls.

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
• • •

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

This is a great interview. Sod the football, you should binge watch the whole of Widow’s Bay right now just so you can read it. And who would have thought the star of this photo could write a brilliant horror comedy? Life is full of mysteries, eh? #TV 📺 #WidowsBay

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

The finale of Widow’s Bay is superb. Caps a terrific season of TV with such fantastic writing that you’re immediately annoyed we’ll have to wait so long for the next episode. Apple TV knocking it out of the park again.

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Doing my annual rewatch of one of the greatest TV shows ever, Patriot. It feels even more relevant today than it did 10 years ago. This time round I’m loving the way that Michael Dorman’s face lights up every time he gets to speak to his wife. 📺 #series #TV #Patriot

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

@nigella.bsky.social’s Spring Chicken. A perfect accompaniment to a Spanish Chris.

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 the same dish in the cooking pan, only now there are four chicken thighs!

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Having chicken with tarragon tonight so treated myself to a Spanish Chris. 7.5g tarragon leaves blender muddled with the spirits 45ml mezcal 15ml luxardo 22.5ml lime juice 15ml syrup 3 drops saline Strain the muddled tarragon then add with lime, syrup, and saline. Shake and serve. #cocktails 🍸🍹

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Trying to get back in the habit of making a big salad for lunch. This is a Matty Matheson special where I’ve replaced tuna with hot smoked salmon. 🍜🍽️ #foodsky #goodlunch

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

Looking like an exciting end to the women’s @sprleaguebballm.bsky.social final. Caledonia Gladiators have made a great comeback. Almost nothing better than a basketball game that’s close in the final two minutes. Live on BBC right now. 🏀⛹️‍♀️

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Yeah, from the gift links feed 30 mins ago, one worked and one didn’t.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

The BBC has a slightly different list. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c5...

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

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Loved Ben Lerner’s Leaving the Atocha Station. A funny and moving account of an American living in Madrid around the time of the bombing. Perfect portrayal of residing in a foreign culture and trying to find your place. Just excellent writing. #booksky 📚

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Just finished reading Flesh by David Szalay. Had a visceral reaction to it. Not sure I liked it, or anyone in the novel, but it did make me want to write. It made me want to make active choices in my life. #Booksky 📚📖

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

“I find it a bit strange and a bit difficult when I hear people speaking about the players at Liverpool and the performances, because I don’t think this season is even important from a football aspect for them, to be honest. It’s more about them personally and mentally.” - Caoimhin Kelleher #LFC

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Haha, was that prompted by this?

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

This is quite sensational by Jeremy Vine, suggesting people in Iran are dancing like Trump while waving the Israeli flag…

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Caught up with a British Indian mate of mine over text tonight. I was trying to offer him a job and he said he wants to be super rich like Elon Musk. I called Musk an idiot and white supremacist, and our conversation ended like this. I need to stop being friends with him, right?

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

A friend from Singapore is visiting and she misses Asian food so we’re back on a Sichuan kick. Boiled Beef (水煮牛肉). Served it with some smashed cucumber. Really tender and flavoursome with that great mouthfeel from the mala. 🍜🍽️ #foodsky

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 smashed cucumber salad. It’s a pile of greenery in a pale bowl. At the bottom is a pool of the soy and black vinegar sauce. A trail of the sediment of the chilli oil snakes around the top of the cucumber and coriander.

It’s a photo of my wok with the broth bubbling away. To the left is the marinating beef. Below it is an open jar of chilli bean sauce.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

Technically, would we say this dessert is an ice cream dish or a banana dish? 🍜🍽️ #foodsky

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

This was a hit. Rodrigo described it as a vegetarian aguachile. It’s an ensalade de calabacitas y espárragos. Basically raw courgettes/zucchini and asparagus in a vinaigrette of lime juice, olive oil, and chillies. 🍜🍽️🌱 #foodsky

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Got to keep my Mexican buddy sustained in the manner to which he is accustomed, so we have a pico de gallo, salsa brava, and guacamole. He says it’s all properly legit, so I’m taking that as a huge win. 🍜🍽️ #foodsky

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

It’s going to last me a while! 😂

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

It’s a sad state of affairs in Welsh rugby when these are the odds on an England victory.

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

A friend from Guadalajara is staying with me, and look at Chivas go! Although, as I keep reminding him, Liverpool won their first five league games this season…

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Someone had to get up and write this in a politics blog for a national newspaper about the President of the United States of America. Every day seems to bring a new low. And there are *some* Americans that are absolutely fine with this.

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Dry Jan is definitely over. Celebrating with a Clover Club (sorta) 🍸🍹 60ml Plymouth gin 15ml Dolin vermouth 15ml lemon juice 15ml grenadine 30ml egg white Should be raspberry syrup but I don’t have any and I can’t be arsed making any. #cocktail #cocktails

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

Roast lamb for dinner tonight. Been a while since I had a leg and I hadn’t realised how much I missed it. 🍽️🍜 #foodsky

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 is the roast leg of lamb just as it’s starting to rest. It’s sitting on a dark gray chopping board.

It’s a photo of the dining table laden with food. At the back is the partially carved lamb. Next to it is a Pyrex jug of the roasting juices. There is a small bowl of steamed green vegetables, as well as a large bowl of roast potatoes and broccoli. At the front of the photo are two metal bowls. The smaller bowl has a mint sauce, and the larger one has a salsa verde.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

Bit of General Tso’s chicken to watch with the game. 🍜🍽️

It’s a mountain of deep fried chicken bites sitting on a plate lined with kitchen towel.

It’s a photo of the finished dish in my wok. Those chunks of chicken and now coated in the sauce, garlic, ginger, spring onions, and dried chillies.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

You can tell you’re in the Baltics when the airport lounge has a Jäegermeister dispenser. Next to all the spirits there is just a series of shot glasses, no tumblers.

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

It’s amazing the number of people that believe this. I got into a bit of an argument with a colleague about my refusal to travel to the US. It descended into this. I found it so funny that the typical IQ range could be considered as having read a lot of books…

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

This cabin safety pamphlet feels like it’s been Fight Club’d. Buddy, if you’re ditching at that angle I ain’t bracing for shit.

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

Scott Adams was a piece of shit, and he once wrote a Dilbert that colleagues asked if I had somehow commissioned it.

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

A pork mince ramen with ginger and toasted garlic. Perfect for winter’s evening. 🍽️🍜 #foodsky

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Season 2 of Landman is great. The whole of the Taylor Sheridan Televisual Universe is pretty terrific. Just need an Avengers style crossover episode. However, it’s such a shame it’s all on the Nazi channel, Paramount+. #series #TV #Landman 📺

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Mad that the odds on a football commentator getting the job are so short, but I put nothing past the Manchester United board.

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

Trump is out of control and there is no saying how this ends.

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 ^

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

Justifiably. It’s weird wanting a World Cup to be a failure because the pricing of tickets is outrageous. As you say, nothing will actually change unless people do speak out (or don’t buying tickets) On the surge pricing on cat 4 tickets, most of the time it’s hard to find any cat 4 tickets at all!

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

London pubs can do one. 🍺🍻

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

Connections Puzzle #909 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨🟨🟨🟨 Picked up the badge for 350 games getting purple first.

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

I know it says it’s about screenwriting and things that are interesting to screenwriters, but it’s so much more. If you have any interest in Film & TV, or writing in any form, this is fascinating stuff. @johnaugust.bsky.social and @clmazin.bsky.social have produced a great book. 📚📖 #booksky

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

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

In Egypt, travellers seemingly need telling not to hang clothes on sprinklers. It’s so high that I, at 6’4”, can’t reach it. But someone must have done it to prompt the sign, right?

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

Ancient relic found in The Egyptian Museum in Cairo. #LFC #YNWA

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

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

This is why Rachel Reeves has an impossible task. You already pay national insurance on your pension contributions. For most people this won’t change anything. If you currently do a salary sacrifice—receiving a lower salary and saving both income tax and NI contributions—then you’ll be hit by this.

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.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Here’s the context from the paragraph before it:

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

But this is just about salary sacrifice contributions, right? This doesn’t impact the standard minimum 3% employer and 5% employee contributions. This is only if you opt to contribute more in a salary sacrifice scheme.

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Ben Jackson @jacksobc.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

One magical animal, and some roast potatoes/garlic. 🍽️🍜 #foodsky

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 a photo of the same roasted meat, this time from above to get a better very of the cracking. The score marks are apparent, as are some flakes of salt.

It’s a photo of the sliced meat on the chopping board. It’s soft, tender, and laced with fat.

It’s a bowl of roast potatoes. They have crispy edges, and tucked in between are roasted cloves of garlic.

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