Rich Messenger
@woofly.bsky.social
Stirchley fellow. Might occasionally post about wildlife, music, sport, some other stuff.
Dunno if I've posted this before, but since I'll be seeing one next week: on album anniversary tours, where bands play the full album, I don't think they necessarily need to play it IN ORDER. Good album sequence is quite different from good gig setlist sequence. Feel free to rearrange!
November 15, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Dunno if I've posted this before, but since I'll be seeing one next week: on album anniversary tours, where bands play the full album, I don't think they necessarily need to play it IN ORDER. Good album sequence is quite different from good gig setlist sequence. Feel free to rearrange!
I'd be interested to know if anyone more knowledgeable than me has ever written about why major British cities outside of London just can't seem to maintain momentum in the long term. Glasgow had a bit of a renaissance in the 90s; Birmingham in the 2000s, and Manchester now.
November 15, 2025 at 2:36 PM
I'd be interested to know if anyone more knowledgeable than me has ever written about why major British cities outside of London just can't seem to maintain momentum in the long term. Glasgow had a bit of a renaissance in the 90s; Birmingham in the 2000s, and Manchester now.
This is what I don't get. Irrespective of what the final decision is - we can judge that in a couple of weeks - it doesn't exactly fill me with confidence that they still don't have clear idea of what they're doing at this late stage.
Well I guess when they said ‘no decisions had been made’ two weeks before the defining budget of their political careers they were not actually lying and they really had not made any decisions www.ft.com/content/6cbb...
Starmer and Reeves ditch plan to increase income tax rates in the Budget
Chancellor explores alternative ways to raise revenue to fill fiscal hole estimated at up to £30bn
www.ft.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:27 AM
This is what I don't get. Irrespective of what the final decision is - we can judge that in a couple of weeks - it doesn't exactly fill me with confidence that they still don't have clear idea of what they're doing at this late stage.
These people are really bad at keeping their stories straight. How hard is it to not to obviously weird racist shit? Apparently too hard for anyone involved in putting up flags.
For a while I thought this guy was surprisingly ok at the PR bit, but I guess the donations are just too hard to resist.
For a while I thought this guy was surprisingly ok at the PR bit, but I guess the donations are just too hard to resist.
“The Barnt Green bullshitter”
www.facebook.com/share/p/19jG...
www.facebook.com/share/p/19jG...
November 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
These people are really bad at keeping their stories straight. How hard is it to not to obviously weird racist shit? Apparently too hard for anyone involved in putting up flags.
For a while I thought this guy was surprisingly ok at the PR bit, but I guess the donations are just too hard to resist.
For a while I thought this guy was surprisingly ok at the PR bit, but I guess the donations are just too hard to resist.
Zack Polanski was pretty good on the Last Leg to be fair; definitely more at ease than most politicians are. Would've preferred it if he actually clarified his stance on NATO when he had the chance though.
November 8, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Zack Polanski was pretty good on the Last Leg to be fair; definitely more at ease than most politicians are. Would've preferred it if he actually clarified his stance on NATO when he had the chance though.
Well, it was only a matter of time I guess.
We take no joy criticising a young left-wing UK political figure who has often spoken up for workers' rights and progressive causes. But these barely coherent comments from Zarah Sultana on Ukraine sum up much of what is wrong with her wing of the left www.instagram.com/reel/DQT62ys...
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October 27, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Well, it was only a matter of time I guess.
Honestly, it's a decent place! City centre isn't quite what it was 15 years ago, admittedly, but JQ is great, the good suburbs are better than ever and the less good bits are kinda just the same as any other city really. The worst thing is the roads, but there are plenty of nice parks and trees.
The Westminster chatterati’s perception of Birmingham is so utterly deranged by this point I’m actually sitting here laughing
The way people are talking about it you’d think it was some dystopia from the Hunger Games or something
Go outside, touch grass, come to Birmingham - you’ll be fine 😂
The way people are talking about it you’d think it was some dystopia from the Hunger Games or something
Go outside, touch grass, come to Birmingham - you’ll be fine 😂
October 18, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Honestly, it's a decent place! City centre isn't quite what it was 15 years ago, admittedly, but JQ is great, the good suburbs are better than ever and the less good bits are kinda just the same as any other city really. The worst thing is the roads, but there are plenty of nice parks and trees.
Stirchley community coming together; a pint at Attic after a dog walk past the carillon playing Bach; a Mateta hat-trick; making French onion soup; listening to Liza Tarbuck while looking at photos of the joyous crowds in America; it's been a nice day considering I'm on my own for the weekend.
October 18, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Stirchley community coming together; a pint at Attic after a dog walk past the carillon playing Bach; a Mateta hat-trick; making French onion soup; listening to Liza Tarbuck while looking at photos of the joyous crowds in America; it's been a nice day considering I'm on my own for the weekend.
Fun to see an inflatable frog costume in the flesh(?) at the Stirchley thing. It's a good trend! (Also thanks to everyone who said hello to my dog - he appreciated it.)
October 18, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Fun to see an inflatable frog costume in the flesh(?) at the Stirchley thing. It's a good trend! (Also thanks to everyone who said hello to my dog - he appreciated it.)
I know I'm just repeating myself here, but this is so stupid. The obsession with 'red tape' is preventing easy wins that have virtually no public opposition. It's cheap! It's simple! People like swifts! What are you doing?!
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Government U-turns on support for bird-friendly swift bricks in new homes
Housing minister Steve Reed refuses to back mandating measure, despite giving support while in environment job
www.theguardian.com
October 17, 2025 at 6:24 PM
I know I'm just repeating myself here, but this is so stupid. The obsession with 'red tape' is preventing easy wins that have virtually no public opposition. It's cheap! It's simple! People like swifts! What are you doing?!
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Oh wow, I just found some folders of old banners I made for forums circa 2001-2007. Nostalgic, but also when I look at the later ones especially, it's like... what the hell, did I really make that? I never realised they were that good at the time.
October 16, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Oh wow, I just found some folders of old banners I made for forums circa 2001-2007. Nostalgic, but also when I look at the later ones especially, it's like... what the hell, did I really make that? I never realised they were that good at the time.
This should be extremely easy to argue against. There are so many examples of hypocrisy from 'free speech advocates', and some fairly obvious examples one could bring up of restrictions on free speech which I think almost everyone supports.
The right-wing campaign group that helped topple Roe v Wade in the US is now working to roll back abortion laws in the UK, with the help of Nigel Farage.
Its first step? Trying to create a debate around "free speech"
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/w...
Its first step? Trying to create a debate around "free speech"
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/w...
October 13, 2025 at 12:14 PM
This should be extremely easy to argue against. There are so many examples of hypocrisy from 'free speech advocates', and some fairly obvious examples one could bring up of restrictions on free speech which I think almost everyone supports.
Kinda wish trip hop would make a come back. There's only so many times you can listen to Dummy and Maxinquaye, but nothing else quite hits the spot when you want melancholy but without feeling like you're back in 6th form or something.
October 11, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Kinda wish trip hop would make a come back. There's only so many times you can listen to Dummy and Maxinquaye, but nothing else quite hits the spot when you want melancholy but without feeling like you're back in 6th form or something.
Obviously what he says is almost certainly untrue, but even if we take it at face value, I think Bridge shows a real lack of understanding of the set of conditions that gave rise to 'Cool Britannia', as well as about how... [Rant incoming] www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Lamp-post flags organiser has 'no regrets' over movement
Ryan Bridge says despite a mixed response to thousands of St George's Cross flags, there are positives.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 11, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Obviously what he says is almost certainly untrue, but even if we take it at face value, I think Bridge shows a real lack of understanding of the set of conditions that gave rise to 'Cool Britannia', as well as about how... [Rant incoming] www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
This is good. A warm, nostalgic kind of album, and quite a rare one where the slow songs really hold their own amongst the more uptempo ones. 2025 is quietly turning out to be a pretty good year for indiepop, I think!
thetelephonenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/scarec...
thetelephonenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/scarec...
Scarecrow II, by The Telephone Numbers
10 track album
thetelephonenumbers.bandcamp.com
October 10, 2025 at 10:59 AM
This is good. A warm, nostalgic kind of album, and quite a rare one where the slow songs really hold their own amongst the more uptempo ones. 2025 is quietly turning out to be a pretty good year for indiepop, I think!
thetelephonenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/scarec...
thetelephonenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/scarec...
Quite an astonishingly poor article. How can you write so many words on the subject and fail to mention the fact that in 2024 fatalities were down 75% on 2023 (16 to 4), and lower than 2022 and 2021? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Why dog attacks are still rising - even after the XL bully ban
With close to 32,000 dog attacks recorded in England and Wales last year, is there a better solution?
www.bbc.co.uk
October 8, 2025 at 4:02 AM
Quite an astonishingly poor article. How can you write so many words on the subject and fail to mention the fact that in 2024 fatalities were down 75% on 2023 (16 to 4), and lower than 2022 and 2021? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Rich Messenger
Utterly beholden to lobbyists, staggeringly ignorant and dismissive of the natural world: Rachel Reeves might not look or sound like Donald Trump, but she is behaving very much like him. This government is even more of an ecological hazard than the Tories were.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Rachel Reeves clears planning blockage amid ‘good relationship’ with developer
Exclusive: Chancellor says 20,000 homes were being held up due to ‘some snails that are a protected species or something’
www.theguardian.com
October 7, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Utterly beholden to lobbyists, staggeringly ignorant and dismissive of the natural world: Rachel Reeves might not look or sound like Donald Trump, but she is behaving very much like him. This government is even more of an ecological hazard than the Tories were.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Bit of a weird assortment for my 'show us the last four albums...' thing.
October 6, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Bit of a weird assortment for my 'show us the last four albums...' thing.
I see the flag weirdos have been out in Harborne too. Quite interested in what the response will be, especially how proactive the council is here.
October 6, 2025 at 4:44 AM
I see the flag weirdos have been out in Harborne too. Quite interested in what the response will be, especially how proactive the council is here.
Lol just took my dog for a walk and saw the Stirchley flags, they already look so shit in this wind.
October 3, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Lol just took my dog for a walk and saw the Stirchley flags, they already look so shit in this wind.
Quick thoughts on Saint Paul's Market: the food is excellent, as expected, and quite reasonably priced. We tried things from a couple of the traders that would normally be difficult to get here, Corner Shop and Zindiya, and it was all great. Left feeling full for less than £25 including a drink!
October 3, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Quick thoughts on Saint Paul's Market: the food is excellent, as expected, and quite reasonably priced. We tried things from a couple of the traders that would normally be difficult to get here, Corner Shop and Zindiya, and it was all great. Left feeling full for less than £25 including a drink!
In the year 2025, I just used Spotify for the first time ever. Quite quickly discovered that Bust 'em Green isn't on there. And so ends my brief foray into the world of normal people music streaming.
September 19, 2025 at 7:02 PM
In the year 2025, I just used Spotify for the first time ever. Quite quickly discovered that Bust 'em Green isn't on there. And so ends my brief foray into the world of normal people music streaming.
New theory: the world started to go wrong when Going Steady split up after releasing a series of outrageously good singles in 2002. I mean, I like Ging Nang Boyz too, but man, the stuff Going Steady were releasing towards the end... just 10/10 after 10/10 shit. What a loss.
September 6, 2025 at 7:21 PM
New theory: the world started to go wrong when Going Steady split up after releasing a series of outrageously good singles in 2002. I mean, I like Ging Nang Boyz too, but man, the stuff Going Steady were releasing towards the end... just 10/10 after 10/10 shit. What a loss.
In one of those moods where there's like 30 records I want to listen to at the same time (probably not recommended). In a few months' time I'll be struggling to find anything I feel like. Anyway! Songs About You by Language of Flowers, what an album! Perfect jangle, perfect melodies, beautiful.
September 6, 2025 at 5:21 PM
In one of those moods where there's like 30 records I want to listen to at the same time (probably not recommended). In a few months' time I'll be struggling to find anything I feel like. Anyway! Songs About You by Language of Flowers, what an album! Perfect jangle, perfect melodies, beautiful.