Sign in

Charlie Hooson-Sykes

@thepickledginger.co.uk
324 followers 239 following 441 posts

Writer, blogger, lifter of heavy things (PL British European and World Champion. Holder of Records). Fat bird. Drinks a bit. Eats a lot. Often Sweary. Contributor: Canal Street Media, Woman and Home. Blogger: thepickledginger.co.uk

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Lucy Antal aka Grab Your Spoon @lucyantal.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
When I *ahem* occasionally mither you on here for support for the Queen of Greens, this is why. www.channel4.com/news/the-fru...
channel4.com
The fruit and veg bus tackling the cost of living crisis in Liverpool
After years of a cost of living crisis, many people across Britain are wondering how, or even if, they will be able to cope with the price of food and fuel going up yet again.
22912
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Peggy Blair @peggyjblair.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
So Kindle is removing tech support from its device, pretty much requiring people to buy new ones, and introducing ads. This is why we sell our ReBound press books on Kobo. Also for ideological reasons: Amazon has been terribly destructive too booksellers and publishers, and I refuse to support it.
1783438640
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Sooz Kempner @soozuk.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
The comments are full of "tsk tsk bloody Reform" when Labour is the GOVERNMENT RIGHT NOW and they, get this, are in charge of the NHS.
014242
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Better Things Are Possible @internethippo.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Me, an atheist: Your holiness I stand ready to join the crusade against these heretics
86108611747
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Abigail Thorn @theabigailthorn.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
NEW PHILOSOPHY TUBE DROPS TONIGHT 18:30 British time Our biggest episode yet, the spiritual sequel to “I Emailed My Doctor 133 Times” A full investigation into conversion therapy in the UK. This video names names and has big implications for the NHS and government. youtu.be/_S5w18sjYLk?...
youtu.be
How To Ban Conversion Therapy
YouTube video by Philosophy Tube
151002279
Charlie Hooson-Sykes @thepickledginger.co.uk · 18/03/2026
Did you know that where I grew up in Derby was a UFO hotspot? I didn't til I just had to spend 40+ minutes on a call to someone who believes she has seen them a number of times.
200
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Lucy Antal aka Grab Your Spoon @lucyantal.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
In a meeting today led by public health. Children in Liverpool have stunted growth due to malnutrition. Welcome back to the Victorian era. ☹️
394
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Marina Purkiss @marina-purkiss.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
A couple and their 5 and 7 year old kids… Shot and killed in front of their 2 other kids by the IDF This would be on every front page and condemned by politicians far and wide if the victims has been Israelis And yet when they’re Palestinians… Utterly utterly shameful.
581015464
Charlie Hooson-Sykes @thepickledginger.co.uk · 14/03/2026
Trying to coordinate mother's day stuff with my teenage nephew is hard bloody work. At least my sister can rest easy that he's shit at sneaking about and hiding stuff.
000
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Helen Czerski @helenczerski.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
I learned about a brilliant project yesterday to support British Sign Language (BSL) users, creating new signs for scientific terms in chemistry, oceanography, data science & more. And they're fabulously descriptive. Do have a look and share! www.ssc.education.ed.ac.uk/BSL/index.ht...
Screenshot of someone signing "evaporation"
13503150
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Ricardo Autobahn @ricardoautobahn.co.uk · 11/03/2026
The BBC are really going out of their way to not call these The Peter Files.
262331531
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Lucy Antal aka Grab Your Spoon @lucyantal.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
*Taps mic. Fuel price rises mean food cost increases esp for the UK. We are not food secure & continue to rely on imports. Investment needed in sustainable UK agriculture & produce NOT weapons. Nor is it the time to start tinkering with welfare support. Next cost of living crisis incoming.
3215
Charlie Hooson-Sykes @thepickledginger.co.uk · 12/03/2026
Hurdly gurdying to be honest.
000
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Greg Jenner (Historian) @gregjenner.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
I’m one of the thousands of authors who have published this empty book, in protest at AI companies stealing our copyrighted work www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
theguardian.com
Thousands of authors publish ‘empty’ book in protest over AI using their work
About 10,000 writers including Kazuo Ishiguro, Philippa Gregory and Richard Osman join copyright campaign
219152
Charlie Hooson-Sykes @thepickledginger.co.uk · 11/03/2026
It cannot be said I don't give my all for powerlifting. Outside on a Tuesday evening in March, working with weight releases with my coach, all because I want bigger numbers on my bench.
000
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Marina Purkiss @marina-purkiss.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Lets' brace ourselves... Our cost of living is about to rise. Again. Food. Petrol. Mortgages. Why? Because Trump needed a distraction from the Epstein files and another opportunity to make himself and his billionaire mates even richer And the result?
24585129
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Tom Gauld @tomgauld.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
A cartoon reminder that tomorrow is World Book Day (In the UK anyway). Originally for the @theguardian.com
A small girl wearing a rabbit costume and blue coat carries a book as she walks to school. 

Her mother (head out of shot) wheels her baby brother along in a pushchair. 

The baby says "Peter Rabbit may be the 'Hero' of the story, but surely the obedient, widowed Mrs Rabbit is a more effective symbol of the oppression inherent within Mister McGregor's regime"

The girls looks furious and snaps "Mum!! He's critiquing my world book day costume from a marxist perspective again!"
101262448
Charlie Hooson-Sykes @thepickledginger.co.uk · 04/03/2026
Well things got a bit heavy this afternoon. A friend who lives over in Vienna has been diagnosed with kidney cancer, and it's metastasised in her lungs. Sooooo.... That's a bit shit.
000
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Catherine @shadowdogdesigns.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
#Treetops Emit #Ultraviolet Sparkles During #Thunderstorms. Researchers Just Filmed It in Nature for the First Time Link for more info and photos: www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/t...
482039458
Charlie Hooson-Sykes @thepickledginger.co.uk · 04/03/2026
Coaching my nephew through getting gifts for his mum. Bloody hell it's painful. I can almost hear the teenage grunts as we go through each stage of the process.
000
Charlie Hooson-Sykes @thepickledginger.co.uk · 04/03/2026
Past me was an idiot. I picked a tomato based pasta for lunch, but put a white long sleeved tshirt on. Fool.
000
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Not In Our Name (NION) Women @nionwomen.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Thank you to @zackpolanski.bsky.social for your clear support for the trans community. In a political climate where too many are stepping back, visible allyship from political leaders matters. We were proud to meet Zack at launch of the Trans Lives Report by @transactualuk.bsky.social
Picture of Zack Polanski holding a board that says: Will you sign the letter? 

Not in our name: Women in support of the trans+ community

Nion Women logo

notinourname.org.uk
4779189
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Stephen Collins @stephencollins.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
theguardian.com
An expat in Dubai has a startling revelation: the Stephen Collins cartoon
Reality check …
311113409
Charlie Hooson-Sykes @thepickledginger.co.uk · 03/03/2026
Oh spicy brain why.... Why did we just put 'water' as a reminder to do something in the calendar. I can't remember wtf that means...
000
Charlie Hooson-Sykes @thepickledginger.co.uk · 01/03/2026
Spent most of today in recovery after a VIP night at the BRIT Awards. She's tired.
000
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Allison Gill @muellershewrote.com · 28/02/2026
The thing about the U.S. and Israel is that both of their leaders are trying to stay out of prison.
309110993328
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
mady castigan✨ 🏳️‍⚧️ @mady.cat · 26/02/2026
In 1938, the German Reich invalidated all German Jewish passports. They must surrender them, after which their ID will mark them as a Jew. In 2026, the state of Kansas invalidated all correct trans drivers licenses. They must surrender them, after which their ID will mark them as trans.
91509700
Charlie Hooson-Sykes @thepickledginger.co.uk · 26/02/2026
My Brit Awards outfit is taking shape.
The left lapel of a lime green blazer is pictured, a string of pearls runs the length, and a large pin shaped like a peeled and upside down banana is attached to the lapel. Words at the bottom say 'The Brits outfit is taking shape. I do have a backup, but I like this idea....'
000
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Russ Jones @russincheshire.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
"Oh baby, give me that hot, state regulated sexual economy, so I can have a legally mandated baby that we can't afford to feed."
1615324
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Jessica Mason @drinksmaven.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Brewdog workers protest on sale citing ‘years of catastrophic mismanagement’ @teamdb.bsky.social
thedrinksbusiness.com
Brewdog workers protest on sale citing ‘years of catastrophic mismanagement’
The union that represents the workforce of Scottish brewery and bar business Brewdog is staging a demonstration today in a bid to rise up against the company’s proposed sale. db looks at the emotions ...
021
Charlie Hooson-Sykes @thepickledginger.co.uk · 24/02/2026
I swear the security guard in the Coop near MMU on Stretford Road is cosplaying Hitler. I did the biggst double take as I went past on the bus. Had I not been hanging on with both hands I'd have snapped a picture. Going to have to try and stop in for full verification of my eyes.
000
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
FLAVOR FLAV ⏰ @flavorflav.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Formal invitation to the hockey team sent,,, if any people with connections to the hockey team wanna have them email my team my bio. I’m for real. 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
Email to USA Hockey
533187653067
Charlie Hooson-Sykes @thepickledginger.co.uk · 23/02/2026
Yesterday's yoga session included far too many inversions. If I wanted to be suffocated by my boobs, I could do that at home.
Picture of the head, shoulders and boobs of a fat redheaded woman with a mirror behind her, facing the camera
010
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Jessica Mason @drinksmaven.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Frightened Rabbit drummer launches cider festival @teamdb.bsky.social
thedrinksbusiness.com
Frightened Rabbit drummer launches cider festival
Musician Grant Hutchison, known for being in the band Frightened Rabbit, will be launching a cider festival in Edinburgh next month. But what can visitors expect? Learn more here.
061
Charlie Hooson-Sykes @thepickledginger.co.uk · 23/02/2026
My horoscope for this week: watch your ankles Me, having gone over on my ankle yesterday: bit late lads.
000
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
A new paper shows that less than 2 months of exposure to Twitter’s algorithmic feed significantly shifts people’s political views to the right. Moving from chronological feed to the algorithmic feed also increases engagement. This is one of the most concerning papers I’ve read in awhile.
The political effects of X's feed algorithm
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10098-2
Received: 16 December 2024
Accepted: 4 January 2026
Published online: 18 February 2026
Open access
• Check for updates
Germain Gauthier,5, Roland Hodler?5, Philine Widmer35 & Ekaterina Zhuravskaya3,4,5 m
Feed algorithms are widely suspected to influence political attitudes. However, previous evidence from switching off the algorithm on Meta platforms found no political effects'. Here we present results from a 2023 field experiment on Elon Musk's platform X shedding light on this puzzle. We assigned active US-based users randomly to either an algorithmic or a chronological feed for 7 weeks, measuring political attitudes and online behaviour. Switching from a chronological to an algorithmic feed increased engagement and shifted political opinion towards more conservative positions, particularly regarding policy priorities, perceptions of criminal investigations into Donald Trump and views on the war in Ukraine. In contrast, switching from the algorithmic to the chronological feed had no comparable effects.
Neither switching the algorithm on nor switching it off significantly affected affective polarization or self-reported partisanship. To investigate the mechanism, we analysed users' feed content and behaviour. We found that the algorithm promotes conservative content and demotes posts by traditional media. Exposure to algorithmic content leads users to follow conservative political activist accounts, which they continue to follow even after switching off the algorithm, helping explain the asymmetry in effects. These results suggest that initial exposure to X's algorithm has persistent effects on users' current political attitudes and account-following behaviour, even in the absence of a detectable effect on partisanship.
15764963272
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Marina Purkiss @marina-purkiss.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
We’ve all had enough of politicians lying to us, right? Reckon on that we can all agree Which is why I’m absolutely buzzing for this legislation that would criminalise lying in politics …”punishable by up to two years in jail!” GAME-CHANGER news.sky.com/story/hillsb...
news.sky.com
Hillsborough Law will 'criminalise lying' by senior ministers, say campaigners
It's via a new standalone offence - which will apply to the prime minister - of "misleading the public", punishable by up to two years in jail.
731116323
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Owain Sutton @owainsutton.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
The police Whatsapp chat definitely already has a poll on who will get him to break a sweat first.
032
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Janine Gibson @janinegibson.ft.com · 19/02/2026
every device i own just pinged with the news that andrew has been arrested. I think probably the oven did.
2842536
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Jim Hawkins @jimallthetime.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
This could be the greatest ever episode of 24 Hours in Police Custody …
2163
Charlie Hooson-Sykes @thepickledginger.co.uk · 19/02/2026
Bloody hell. Never normally hits this hard, but blood donation yesterday is kicking my arse! Iron was fine, so guessing it's probably a stressful couple of weeks adding to the feeling 🙁
000
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 16/02/2026
They want to scare people out of posting ICE-critical content, because they know these posts are turning even their supporters against them. But the better option is to take a page out of their playbook and flood the zone.
8731371214
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Joshi Herrmann @joshih.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
At long last, we’re launching in Leeds! Ever since I started The Mill, people have asked us to create a publication across the Pennines. If 500 people pledge to become members, we’re going to hire two journalists and do it. Please share with Leeds friends. leeds.ghost.io
97456
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
The fate of the 2,787 people arrested for terrorism offences for peacefully holding signs saying “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action” in silent vigils will be decided this Friday. The long-awaited Judicial Review ruling will be read out at 10am in the Royal Courts of Justice.
4792258
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Naomi Kritzer @naomikritzer.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
My favorite exchange on Twitter in the history of the site
314347575
Charlie Hooson-Sykes @thepickledginger.co.uk · 11/02/2026
OK. Looks like I'm going to the BRIT Awards. As you do.
120
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Marina Purkiss @marina-purkiss.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
One of my fave community notes to date…
841463377
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
Micah @rincewind.run · 09/02/2026
every single person writing credulously about "elon will put people on the moon" should have to pin this post to their monitor
Mastodon post from @rodhilton

He talked about electric cars. I don't know anything about cars, so when people said he was a genius I figured he must be a genius.

Then he talked about rockets. I don't know anything about rockets, so when people said he was a genius I figured he must be a genius.

Now he talks about software. I happen to know a lot about software & Elon Musk is saying the stupidest shit I've ever heard anyone say, so when people say he's a genius I figure I should stay the hell away from his cars and rockets.
5046911209
Reposted by Charlie Hooson-Sykes
daryl "rupert pumpkin" b 🏳️‍⚧️ @hypercubexl.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
see how easy it is when they're not as rich and powerful? now keep going
153792923