Richard
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magecycle.bsky.social
Richard
@magecycle.bsky.social
130 followers 330 following 45 posts
Cyclist, software engineer, vegan, green party member, queer. He/him.
🚲⌨️🌱🏳️‍🌈
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Reposted by Richard
quietriotpod.bsky.social
🔔 Nothing to see Year... with James O'Brien ☃️

Who's up? Who's down? Who's in and who's out?

🎅🏽 Join us for a review of 2025 🛷

Part I of a @sturdyalex.bsky.social, @pimlicat.bsky.social & @mrjamesob.bsky.social special.

🎁
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/q...
🎄 open.spotify.com/episode/2dbS...
December 25, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Reposted by Richard
sireviscerate.myatproto.social
And Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, was present at the end of the universe, having witnessed every black hole evaporate and every proton decay. Even so, Death would not come.
December 24, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Reposted by Richard
martinmbauer.bsky.social
What would really be the implications of taking Santa Claus seriously?

It's the time of the year to review the current state of the physics of Santa Claus

1/12
December 24, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Reposted by Richard
pimlicat.bsky.social
😍We are rejoining Erasmus. Official announcement tomorrow😍

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
UK to rejoin EU’s Erasmus student exchange programme
Exclusive: British students will be able to participate in EU-wide scheme from January 2027, sources say
www.theguardian.com
December 16, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Reposted by Richard
iandunt.bsky.social
Incredibly brave. Imagine the faceless bores the BBC will have making their programmes if they continue down this path.
robinince.bsky.social Robin Ince @robinince.bsky.social · 14d
Very sad that I felt I had no choice but to resign from The Infinite Monkey Cage - a victory for the transphobes and other bigots - I did it because so much of the media has chosen to believe the kind and empathetic people are a fiction - they are real and so often unrepresented.
This is the saddest day of my professional life. Today is not only the final recording of the latest series of The Infinite Monkey Cage, it is my last ever Monkey Cage. I never thought that I would have to leave the show. I always imagined going on until | dropped dead under the studio lights due to a brain aneurysm caused by my final attempt to understand notions of quantum gravity or the shock of being told about fly maggot infestations in the sacks of macaque monkeys. I resigned in September, after sixteen years of dedication to the show, A show that I named and helped develop over all those years. Unfortunately, my opinions outside the BBC have been considered problematic for sometime, whether it has been voicing support for the trans community, criticism of Donald Trump, numerous other outlandish opinions, including once gently criticising Stephen Fry. These things were considered to conflict with being a freelance BBC science presenter In a recent meeting where BBC Studio executives again voiced problems with me, I realised my choices. Obedience and being quieter to remain making Monkey Cage, or 'Resign and have the freedom to speak out against what I believe are injustices'. • I chose the latter. It broke my heart. I love this show and I love the audience, and it is because of the audience in particular, that this decision was so difficult to make. I kept thinking about all the extremist voices promoting hate and division. They are being given so many platforms, while voices that represent kindness, open mindedness, empathy seem to be scarcer and scarcer. I felt I couldn't pamper myself with the luxury of silence. One of my many privileges is that I am able to resign and I can speak out even if it is to the detriment of my career. I have thought a lot about my heroes, Sinead O Connor, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and so many more. I think of Sinead's words, "the job of an artist is to be themselves at any cost". James Baldwin said prejudice was really just a word for cowardice. Audre Lorde, viewing her life, wrote that her only regrets were her silences. I think of my father as I resign, he brought me up to believe in fairness , justice and kindness. Though my heart is broken, it is also full of fire. I apologise to our incredible listeners for my departure, your love of the show means a great deal. I am so sorry to let you down. I hope that you can understand my reasoning. I have to accept that I am not what the current BBC expects of their freelance presenters. Despite this I should add that I have always worked far more than my contracted hours to try and ensure the show was always the best it could be, as well as making myself accessible and responsive to the audience wherever and whenever I met them. Every night, we have recorded, I have been filled with determination to make the best show possible. This was not "just a job" I hope that with my departure I can be a better ally to the LGBTQ community, to the neurodivergent community, to activists fighting against those who aim to brutalise society, to those currently in prison on hunger strike, and to all those who fight for a more inclusive world. From many conversations, I know there are many Monkey Cage listeners who support these communities and activists too. The strawberry is dead. Long live the strawberry. B
December 13, 2025 at 7:28 AM
Reposted by Richard
robinince.bsky.social
Very sad that I felt I had no choice but to resign from The Infinite Monkey Cage - a victory for the transphobes and other bigots - I did it because so much of the media has chosen to believe the kind and empathetic people are a fiction - they are real and so often unrepresented.
This is the saddest day of my professional life. Today is not only the final recording of the latest series of The Infinite Monkey Cage, it is my last ever Monkey Cage. I never thought that I would have to leave the show. I always imagined going on until | dropped dead under the studio lights due to a brain aneurysm caused by my final attempt to understand notions of quantum gravity or the shock of being told about fly maggot infestations in the sacks of macaque monkeys. I resigned in September, after sixteen years of dedication to the show, A show that I named and helped develop over all those years. Unfortunately, my opinions outside the BBC have been considered problematic for sometime, whether it has been voicing support for the trans community, criticism of Donald Trump, numerous other outlandish opinions, including once gently criticising Stephen Fry. These things were considered to conflict with being a freelance BBC science presenter In a recent meeting where BBC Studio executives again voiced problems with me, I realised my choices. Obedience and being quieter to remain making Monkey Cage, or 'Resign and have the freedom to speak out against what I believe are injustices'. • I chose the latter. It broke my heart. I love this show and I love the audience, and it is because of the audience in particular, that this decision was so difficult to make. I kept thinking about all the extremist voices promoting hate and division. They are being given so many platforms, while voices that represent kindness, open mindedness, empathy seem to be scarcer and scarcer. I felt I couldn't pamper myself with the luxury of silence. One of my many privileges is that I am able to resign and I can speak out even if it is to the detriment of my career. I have thought a lot about my heroes, Sinead O Connor, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and so many more. I think of Sinead's words, "the job of an artist is to be themselves at any cost". James Baldwin said prejudice was really just a word for cowardice. Audre Lorde, viewing her life, wrote that her only regrets were her silences. I think of my father as I resign, he brought me up to believe in fairness , justice and kindness. Though my heart is broken, it is also full of fire. I apologise to our incredible listeners for my departure, your love of the show means a great deal. I am so sorry to let you down. I hope that you can understand my reasoning. I have to accept that I am not what the current BBC expects of their freelance presenters. Despite this I should add that I have always worked far more than my contracted hours to try and ensure the show was always the best it could be, as well as making myself accessible and responsive to the audience wherever and whenever I met them. Every night, we have recorded, I have been filled with determination to make the best show possible. This was not "just a job" I hope that with my departure I can be a better ally to the LGBTQ community, to the neurodivergent community, to activists fighting against those who aim to brutalise society, to those currently in prison on hunger strike, and to all those who fight for a more inclusive world. From many conversations, I know there are many Monkey Cage listeners who support these communities and activists too. The strawberry is dead. Long live the strawberry. B
December 13, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Reposted by Richard
judgedewie.bsky.social
The court ruled that:

She sent racist messages to colleagues.

She lied in her evidence.

She bullied her trans colleague.

Trans women do not present any risk to other women in changing rooms to toilets.

The headlines don't seem to mention those facts.
December 9, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Reposted by Richard
jessicaelgot.bsky.social
Truly shocking that Rachel Reeves had the audacity to call herself the U14 girls chess champions when she won the U14 girls chess championship but some bloke thought she was talking about something else.
December 3, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Reposted by Richard
philsturgeon.com
My charity @protect.earth is five years old this week.

Some stats. 🧵

- Planted 157,453 trees

- Created 4,985m of hedgerow

- Removed over 15 acres of invasive species (Japanese knotweed, rhododendrons, bamboo and Himalayan balsam)

- Run 5 free hedge-laying courses for Welsh farmers.
November 28, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Reposted by Richard
rutgerbregman.com
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.

They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Reposted by Richard
goodlawproject.bsky.social
Greater Manchester ICB has again put off its adoption of an NHS data platform prescribed by the UK government and run by Palantir until there is more evidence that it will be in the “best interests” of the city's population 👀
https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/20/manchester_nhs_fdp_deferred/
Manchester defers joining Palantir NHS data platform again
: Care board still waiting for evidence that it will be in the best interests of the population
www.theregister.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Reposted by Richard
mikegalsworthy.bsky.social
The black hole in Durham County Council’s budget has grown by £11.1mn in the past two months under the control of Reform UK.

Its cabinet has been forced to approve a £10mn list of cuts.

But the measures will still leave the county council with a deficit of £72mn over the coming four years
Reform cabinet backs £10mn cuts to start filling Durham’s growing black hole
Reform is now learning that running a big council is not as easy as it probably thought
northeastbylines.co.uk
November 20, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Reposted by Richard
bylinetimes.bsky.social
🔴Maurice Glasman and Morgan McSweeney: The Bannon-Inspired ‘Blue Labour’ Lobby Behind Shabana Mahmood

One of the key supporters of the Home Secretary’s hard line on asylum seekers is an admirer of Trump’s former campaign manager

bylinetimes.com/2025/11/17/m...
Maurice Glasman and Morgan McSweeney: The Bannon-Inspired ‘Blue Labour’ Lobby Behind Shabana Mahmood
One of the key supporters of the Home Secretary’s hard line on asylum seekers is an admirer of Trump’s former campaign manager – one of Jeffrey Epstein’s closest confidantes
bylinetimes.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Reposted by Richard
sturdyalex.bsky.social
There is no reason why this should have made me laugh so hard a bit of gas escaped.
Nigel Farage Speaking to Laura Kuenssberg. The speech bubble read: Farage: I was about 14 and it was over the photo of Eva Braun Kuenssberg: Erm... I asked you about the West Bank
November 16, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Reposted by Richard
carolinelucas.bsky.social
This is the logical consequence of Labour’s appeasement of the far right - this is an arms race Labour should never seek to win
adambienkov.bsky.social Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · Nov 16
Not everyone is unhappy about the Government's descent into anti-refugee politics
November 16, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Reposted by Richard
alexpodyssey.bsky.social
🆕 Director's Cut: ECHO & NARCISSUS - The Influencer & The Follower

🏛️ Even more storytelling. Even stranger connections. Even cleaner sound. Even worse puns.

Brush up, ahead of Season 2.

🍊 open.spotify.com/episode/5nB1...

🍏 podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a...
Director's Cut: ECHO & NARCISSUS - The Influencer & The Follower
Podcast Episode · Alex Andreou's Podyssey · 16/11/2025 · 1h 7m
podcasts.apple.com
November 16, 2025 at 8:03 AM
magecycle.bsky.social
www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-e...
EXCLUSIVE: Michael Prescott himself doctored Trump quote in his anti-BBC report
A report alleging Panorama broadcast misleading Trump quotes contains misleading quotes itself
www.thenewworld.co.uk
November 15, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Reposted by Richard
bylinetimes.bsky.social
🧵On our revelations today about the BBC Coup and the Prescott Dossier.

The leaked ‘BBC Bias’ memo Trump used to attack the BBC was authored by Michael Prescott — a Hanover lobbyist paid by US tech/media giants tied to Trump. Full story: bylinetimes.com/2025/11/11/b... 1/12
'BBC Bias' Memo Was Authored by Lobbyist Tied to Pro-Trump Tech Giants
The leaked memo that fuelled Trump’s attack on the BBC was written by a lobbyist at a firm paid by US tech giants tied to the President
bylinetimes.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Reposted by Richard
iandunt.bsky.social
Should Gibb be sacked? yes, obviously. He's an abomination of basic journalistic standards. His GB News channel spreads conspiracy theory & disinformation. His Jewish Chronicle newspaper spreads invented stories. He is plainly trying to undermine the BBC so it's as bad as everything else he touches.
November 10, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Reposted by Richard
originstorypodcast.bsky.social
Take a listen back to @iandunt.bsky.social and @dorianlynskey.bsky.social's epic story of the British Broadcasting Corporation — the BBC - play.megaphone.fm/s74mbfkfsnep...
#TheBBC #BBCNews #BritishBroadcastingCorporation #originstory
The BBC – Part one – Inform, educate, entertain
So far this season we’ve had to deal with Russell Brand and Benjamin Netanyahu, and we’ve got the Daily Mail coming up, so we all deserve a more uplifting tale. This week we commence the epic story…
play.megaphone.fm
November 10, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Reposted by Richard
happytoast.co.uk
Billie Piper announced as the new BBC Director General but we've got to wait until next Christmas to find out why.
November 9, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Reposted by Richard
sianberry.bsky.social
Can see why Labour waited for Lords stages before adding THIS to the Crime and Policing Bill.

Extending protest suppression to include vague ‘cumulative’ impacts (that could include OTHER protests!) will clearly be misused by police.

Lords must oppose this attack on our rights.
libertyhq.bsky.social Liberty @libertyhq.bsky.social · Nov 4
🚨 BREAKING: The government has tabled their plan to restrict repeat protests.

Demonstrations could now banned based on the 'cumulative disruption' that previous protests have caused in the area - regardless of if they have been organised by the same people or not.

This is worse than we feared.
Government's repeat protest restrictions worse than feared - Liberty
www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk
November 5, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Reposted by Richard
sturdyalex.bsky.social
Quite an unfortunate place to drift off into an ellipsis.
October 23, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Reposted by Richard
samfr.bsky.social
I was looking at Reform's policy again the other day. They're proposing a £60k salary for people on ILR keeping their visa. Which means pretty much every nurse on ILR would be a risk. It's insane.
benansell.bsky.social Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · Oct 19
Apropos of nothing, I really do think UK journalists and politicians need some reminding that mass deportation of LEGAL immigrants, particularly those with permanent status, is far more extreme than even Trump's America and would basically place Britain completely on its own among democracies.
October 19, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Reposted by Richard
ronfilipkowski.bsky.social
OK guys, post your best signs from today for entry into my Top 15 No Kings Sign Contest.
October 18, 2025 at 7:34 PM