Trending
Jim Barker's Avatar

Jim Barker

@jimcbarker

Ledbury resident, Black Country exile.

90
Followers
209
Following
6
Posts
30.12.2023
Joined
Posts Following

Latest posts by Jim Barker @jimcbarker

Being a Canadian Liberal right now must be like being in the Labour Party c1998, but with the added bonus that the French keep vaguely threatening to invade Britain and William Hague, due to ideological ties to Jacques Chirac, can’t quite articulate if this is a bad thing or not.

23.02.2026 18:53 πŸ‘ 167 πŸ” 30 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 2
Post image

Please be careful in London. I have spent 25 years there, but I have never heard a story as frightening as this one from today in which nothing at all happened.

14.02.2026 12:07 πŸ‘ 3720 πŸ” 710 πŸ’¬ 529 πŸ“Œ 118

This is beyond shocking - how can this be allowed to happen? Why on earth can’t they be released on bail? They have a right to a fair trial, appropriate medical treatment, & the removal of punitive Prison Service conditions. Govt’s ban on Palestine Action is simply intolerable

12.01.2026 20:53 πŸ‘ 718 πŸ” 390 πŸ’¬ 25 πŸ“Œ 3
Preview
Venezuela has the world’s most oil: Why doesn’t it earn more from exports? Venezuela holds the world's largest proven oil reserves, more than five times more than the United States.

I happen to know quite a bit about Venezuelan oil.

TL;DR it’s hard to extract, notoriously investor-endangering, isn’t needed (global crude is oversupplied to the tune of 3.3 min bpd) and isn’t easily refined (it’s too dense so always sold at a heavy discount)

www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/202...

04.01.2026 14:06 πŸ‘ 705 πŸ” 275 πŸ’¬ 16 πŸ“Œ 26
Preview
HOME | Trump Kennedy Center

South Park alumnus Toby Morton saw the rename on the cards months ago and bought the trumpkennedycenter domain (com and org).

https://www.trumpkennedycenter.org

29.12.2025 10:11 πŸ‘ 177 πŸ” 70 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 8

This is a litmus test of British people's patriotism. Do you back your national broadcaster? Or do you back this guy?

16.12.2025 07:17 πŸ‘ 588 πŸ” 109 πŸ’¬ 95 πŸ“Œ 14
The Good Old Days
Β 
Pity the poor children
of today, with their calendars
stuffed with chocolates,
Β 
never to know the thrill
of opening a small cardboard door
and discovering behind it
Β 
a picture of a bell.


Brian Bilston

The Good Old Days Β  Pity the poor children of today, with their calendars stuffed with chocolates, Β  never to know the thrill of opening a small cardboard door and discovering behind it Β  a picture of a bell. Brian Bilston

This poem is dedicated to anyone making a start on their advent calendar today.

01.12.2025 08:05 πŸ‘ 1181 πŸ” 269 πŸ’¬ 41 πŸ“Œ 29
A social media post by Karoline Leavitt (The White House Press Secretary) showing two news headlines side-by-side. The left headline, under a caption that reads "Shot" reads: "Trump goes to war with 'fake news' BBC," and the right headline under a caption that reads "Chaser" reads: "Tim Davie resigns as BBC director general over Trump documentary edit."

A social media post by Karoline Leavitt (The White House Press Secretary) showing two news headlines side-by-side. The left headline, under a caption that reads "Shot" reads: "Trump goes to war with 'fake news' BBC," and the right headline under a caption that reads "Chaser" reads: "Tim Davie resigns as BBC director general over Trump documentary edit."

I had my disagreements with the BBC under Tim Davie but he was a decent man doing a difficult job.

To see Trump's White House claiming credit for his downfall and attacking the BBC should worry us all.

09.11.2025 20:00 πŸ‘ 1849 πŸ” 453 πŸ’¬ 115 πŸ“Œ 39

Luckily the β€˜Ready Brek’ glow makes it easy.

24.10.2025 15:31 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

Suggest you jump in on this poll.

β€”> xd.wayin.com/display/cont...?

And share…

21.10.2025 07:34 πŸ‘ 990 πŸ” 830 πŸ’¬ 331 πŸ“Œ 87
Post image

Grid scale batteries are changing our electricity system. Excellent new visual story on batteries in FT today shows just how far this technology has evolved.

Fasten your seatbelts, this is just the beginning.

ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...

13.10.2025 10:26 πŸ‘ 1439 πŸ” 445 πŸ’¬ 41 πŸ“Œ 59
Video thumbnail

this is, hands down, the best video I've seen on men's influencer content and it's not close either

14.09.2025 01:50 πŸ‘ 32001 πŸ” 8348 πŸ’¬ 368 πŸ“Œ 580

Yet no β€˜Tomorrow Belongs To Me?’

08.09.2025 10:05 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Brothers of Sid James?

19.07.2025 16:23 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

youtu.be/QN1rULxGHCA?...

19.07.2025 06:12 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Such a fantastic book. Can’t recommend this enough.

13.07.2025 16:33 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I'm no Oasis mega-fan, but this is such a beautifully written piece. I'm roughly the same age as @petepaphides.bsky.social so it takes me back to a formative time. Very evocative & surprisingly moving. Thank you πŸ™

08.07.2025 11:18 πŸ‘ 12 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

HEADS UP.

BSky added a feature that allows people to be notified every time you post. A fine feature!

By default, it's set to allow anyone to do this. If you are prone to stalkers though:

*Under Privacy and Security settings, you can change this to only allow people you follow back to use this.*

07.07.2025 17:52 πŸ‘ 2192 πŸ” 1625 πŸ’¬ 19 πŸ“Œ 52
Preview
To those who question what Labour stands for – look at Best Start. It will change Britain’s future | Polly Toynbee Sure Start was New Labour’s finest achievement, and the Tories destroyed it. Now it’s back with a mission to put children at the heart of everything, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

To those who question what Labour stands for – look at Best Start. It will change Britain’s future | Polly Toynbee

08.07.2025 05:30 πŸ‘ 89 πŸ” 32 πŸ’¬ 19 πŸ“Œ 3

Have you read β€˜The Antidote’ by Oliver Burkeman? I read it in lockdown and really liked it.

07.07.2025 12:38 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Violence plummets in men's prison after inmates were taught philosophy Inmates at HMP Wayland, Norfolk, were taught how to live virtuous, peaceful lives based on resilience, rational thinking and self-discipline.

Phenomenal news story this and I love how the Mail seems quite supportive of it.

06.07.2025 08:33 πŸ‘ 814 πŸ” 193 πŸ’¬ 42 πŸ“Œ 61
Post image

The Ballad of Wallis Island is a gorgeous little instant classic. I laughed hard, I wept, I sighed β€” such a beautiful film. Go see it in cinemas, and support a charming UK indie

19.06.2025 15:35 πŸ‘ 197 πŸ” 19 πŸ’¬ 14 πŸ“Œ 6
Preview
Has America Reached the End of the Road? Donald Trump has forced the one crisis that will tell us who we are.

The existential national crucible that Donald Trump has brought to the fore with his experiment in disappearing people to a torture gulag in El Salvador presents us with one of the starkest test of values and the constitution our country has ever faced. www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/has-americ...

15.04.2025 17:28 πŸ‘ 512 πŸ” 173 πŸ’¬ 21 πŸ“Œ 24
Post image
25.01.2025 23:48 πŸ‘ 38279 πŸ” 8571 πŸ’¬ 887 πŸ“Œ 433

Vaccines do not cause autism.

Keep saying things that have been demonstrated by robust science and are the subject or organised disinformation. Don’t just ignore the attempts to brainwash.

#academicsky

26.01.2025 09:06 πŸ‘ 1174 πŸ” 293 πŸ’¬ 31 πŸ“Œ 16
Post image

You've got to hand it to Elon Musk - getting 71% of British people to agree on anything is impressive

13.01.2025 17:48 πŸ‘ 3669 πŸ” 689 πŸ’¬ 61 πŸ“Œ 46

Thanks . In the Christmas @newstatesman.com

24.12.2024 20:30 πŸ‘ 558 πŸ” 101 πŸ’¬ 12 πŸ“Œ 2
A Child's Calendar
George Mackay Brown

No visitors in January.
A snowman smokes a cold pipe in the yard.

They stand about like ancient women,
The February hills.
They have seen many a coming and going, the hills.

In March Moorfea is littered
With knock-kneed lambs.

Daffodils at the door in April,
Three shawled Marys.
A lark splurges in galilees of sky.

And in May
A russet stallion shoulders the hill apart.
The mares tremble.

The June bee
Bumps in the pane with a heavy bag of plunder.

Strangers swarm in July
With cameras, binoculars, bird books.

He thumped the crag in August,
A blind blue whale.

September crofts get wrecked in blond surges.
They struggle, the harvesters.
They drag loaf and ale-kirn into winter.

In October the fishmonger
Argues, pleads, threatens at the shore.

Nothing in November
But tinkers at the door, keening, with cans.

Some December midnight
Christ, lord, lie warm in our byre.
Here are stars, an ox, poverty enough.

A Child's Calendar George Mackay Brown No visitors in January. A snowman smokes a cold pipe in the yard. They stand about like ancient women, The February hills. They have seen many a coming and going, the hills. In March Moorfea is littered With knock-kneed lambs. Daffodils at the door in April, Three shawled Marys. A lark splurges in galilees of sky. And in May A russet stallion shoulders the hill apart. The mares tremble. The June bee Bumps in the pane with a heavy bag of plunder. Strangers swarm in July With cameras, binoculars, bird books. He thumped the crag in August, A blind blue whale. September crofts get wrecked in blond surges. They struggle, the harvesters. They drag loaf and ale-kirn into winter. In October the fishmonger Argues, pleads, threatens at the shore. Nothing in November But tinkers at the door, keening, with cans. Some December midnight Christ, lord, lie warm in our byre. Here are stars, an ox, poverty enough.

Some December midnight
Christ, lord, lie warm in our byre.
Here are stars, an ox, poverty enough.

β€”George Mackay Brown, β€œA Child’s Calendar”
published in FISHERMEN WITH PLOUGHS (Hogarth Press 1971)
#Christmas #poetry

24.12.2024 19:40 πŸ‘ 17 πŸ” 13 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Donate to Duvet Know It's Christmas, 2024, organized by Rhodri Marsden Unbelievably, it's the 14th year of this thing. What is it? Improbably, the nig… Rhodri Marsden needs your support for Duvet Know It's Christmas, 2024

6/ Incredibly, over the last few years around Β£200,000 has been raised for homeless charities as a result of this thing. So, this year, if you're enjoying the pix, you could fling a few quid to Centrepoint via this link: gofund.me/637d21d0

24.12.2024 19:32 πŸ‘ 400 πŸ” 187 πŸ’¬ 11 πŸ“Œ 32
24 books wrapped up and positioned on Bert's bookshelves.

24 books wrapped up and positioned on Bert's bookshelves.

I've been a bit rubbish with #BertVent this year... We've still been doing it, but I've forgotten to tell you what they are.

So we're gonna do a mega-thread!

These are the books I've enjoyed the most in this year. Each day during December, we've given one away!

23.12.2024 12:29 πŸ‘ 103 πŸ” 21 πŸ’¬ 8 πŸ“Œ 5