Sign in

"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden

@stephencobden.bsky.social
294 followers 499 following 3.4K posts

Was a penguin before fascists decided to be weird about them. History buff. Classic cinema lover. Formerly resident of Alexandria, Dublin, Sofia and Los Angeles. Enjoys the odd video game. Great War Living Historian. Ferroequinologist. He/him.

PostsRepliesMedia
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 1h
Seconding this - tight slacks, especially in combination with certain styles of pants, can force seams into very unpleasant places. And it's why I don't wear that suit anymore
010
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 4h
It occurs to me is that Brits are almost equally likely to avoid to use the word toilet, but are far more likely to use a cacophemism rather than a euphemism.
000
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 9h
Yeah, it's something I've noticed is that the UK and US have, since the mid 2010s, started importing each others versions of racism (simplified: British hierarchy based on a perceived "Britishness" vs the US hierarchy of complexion) and creating a horrifying fusion.
0130
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Honestly, it isn't really codified - there isn't an overall organisation like cars have to classify the terminology.
000
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I mean, if it is about diagnosing a poorly cat...
020
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
120
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Considered running as the Tory candidate, but realised that this clashed with her desire to be MP for that particular constituency. Ran as an Independent instead, winning largely based on being her (Tory) father's daughter and some possible mild cases of semi murder.
010
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
That's what Hove is for.
020
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Explains the attitude towards firearms too.
020
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
The bro handshake meme - left arm says "Dude's watching the Olympics", right arm says "Me watching Air Crash Investigation". They agree on "Reckon I could do better"
020
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Mark Strong and Stanley Tucci.
000
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
As someone who doesn't particularly care for Batman, it's pretty much just the Dark Knight, plus watching the good TV show with Adam West and the animated series as a child. However, on account of this, I do not presume to have takes on the franchise, especially ones that were pedestrian by 2006.
031
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I'm grateful that a cock-up on the cleaning front meant I am accidentally wearing a flannel shirt, rather than the aertex shirt I had planned to wear on account of the forecast
010
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"He's got a woman down there"
000
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Honestly, I think it was somewhat old fashioned by the 70s - its a term I associate with clean cut 1950s USAF daredevil test pilots for some reason
150
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The only slang term I remember from my time in LA that I think would bamboozle Brits is "Copacetic", but that's pretty dated slang
2120
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
It's why I tend to holiday in November, and am mildly cursing myself that I chose this years destination to be Norway.
030
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The most subversive TV detective is Inspectors Barnaby from Midsomer Murders. No trauma nor dependency issues, happy family life, professional and neurotypical.
110
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
"Hello BTP? I want yo report something suspicious on the train. There is a man on this train wearing a green suit."
000
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Yeah, railways have a massive problem in that they are a very manpower heavy - roughly one person needed for every 100m of permanent way. Aeroplanes need a lot of maintenance and on board staff, but no-one needs to maintain the sky.
100
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Not just north London - Peterborough has direct Gatwick trains!
110
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Should have specified I meant train transfers!
100
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
A point I made elsewhere, but if you live in Amersham and want to train to Heathrow airport by rail, you need to use the tube and make to two changes. If you live in Inverness and are going to Gatwick, one change, no tube.
330
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
It's mad to think that the journey from both Paris and Inverness to Gatwick involves fewer transfer than Amersham to Heathrow
220
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
"How would you describe Andy Burnham, Britain's new Prime Minister?" "Yes, that's right"
120
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
It is, bizarrely, a lot more convenient for me to fly from Gatwick than Heathrow, despite living in Oxfordshire. Though I suspect having family within walking distance of a Brighton mainline station and on a street with ample free parking is not, perhaps, representative.
130
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Maybe the problem she has with Paris is the lack of massive boats?
001
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
It's also one of those things, to me at least, that is fairly mutable. In Oxford I'm from Sussex, in Scotland I'm an Englishman, in Germany I'm British, and on Mars I would be an Earthling...
000
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Honestly, he came across as a genuinely good man. His talk sticks in my brain after (mutters a period of time in the decades) - funny, honest, and not afraid to get emotional. Was genuinely sad when I found out he had passed away, despite my only connection being "I saw a talk of his when at school"
040
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
He repudiated both that advice, and a lot of the news stories circling that at the time (it wasn't her first time doing ecstasy, for e.g.). Honestly, his honest description of what actually happened versus the news reports was probably our first foray into media literacy.
160
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
We had a drugs talk from Leah Betts' father. Similarly, went through the different drugs, but I will admit the way he dealt with it was very good. He was even honest about the actual affects (to the extent of saying more or less "If you are going to try anything, this one is pretty harmless").
140
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Anyone have the number for the College of Arms? I think I need to change a family motto
060
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Possible - that or the posters were printed slop. In any case, the name number issue is a human error, not an AI one.
010
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Oxford is Dutch. Brighton & Hove is Danish.
000
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
This feels like it could be a line in Yankee Doodle
020
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Just find all the people the government owes money to, place some pentagrams around their house, then burn them at the stake as heretics. Worked for Philip IV.
000
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The most memorable thing about it (or at least the only thing I can remember) is the reflecting pool debacle...
000
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Somehow mine is full of pillar box content. I keep clicking the images as, whilst I do not care that much for pillar boxes, it seems preferable to the alternative
010
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Ah, the much loved* GS cap** *hated ** "cap, ridiculous"
110
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Cannot comment on London, but North Oxfordshire is awful. Like inhaling soup
011
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
I mean, surely it depends on whether you are, say, going to an office job or are the centre forward for Sheffield Wednesday?
0120
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
I think the problem is not that they don't know how, it's that giving the trust, integration, and training necessary for them to defeat a modern foe is also giving them the trust, integration, and training necessary to turn up at the palace, armed, and with a limo to take the King to the airport.
2100
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Danielle Steel is an Americorn. The other two are fine, though
010
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Some light Googling: I think it might be Desmond Bagley’s Running Blind. I have no idea if the quote is, actually, in that book. Might have been something similar. Or a back formation my noggin has made.
120
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I think it was set in Iceland.
110
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Now, my memory of it is from a book. It was one of those 1960s/70s adventure spy novels (not Fleming. Or MacLean, I don't think). IIRC, the plot was there is a gizmo that is very clever but useless, and MI6 is trying to get the Russians to steal it to waste their time working out its purpose.
110
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Of all the jobs I have had, it is the one I enjoyed the most.
000
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I was once an Air Raid Warden in Guildford. In the early 2010s.
100
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
My hope is that, if I need to go through the process, the fact that the only Irish phrase I can say is "Please can I go to the toilet?" will see me in good stead. I understand that this is also the limit of most Irish people.
020
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden @stephencobden.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Whilst perfectly fine in the context, I do find people are unaware that, in the real world, to ensure a pair of high quality leather boots last a very long time one does need to spend money maintaining them. Approximately a cheap pair of shoes amount per year, in fact.
021