Matt Andrews
@mattandrews.info
Engineering manager at GitLab. Formerly Economist, BBC, Guardian etc. Music nerd, cyclist, tired dad. Run a 20+ year old music webzine and still blogs sometimes, too! https://mattandrews.info/
Wish I'd seen the person who posted it through my door so I could have handed it back to them while telling them that Birmingham doesn't need their hatred, division and empty "solutions".
February 11, 2026 at 12:15 PM
Wish I'd seen the person who posted it through my door so I could have handed it back to them while telling them that Birmingham doesn't need their hatred, division and empty "solutions".
Just got the first political flyer I can remember receiving for Reform UK. Incredibly it promises to "end Low Traffic Neighbourhoods". I know what they mean and why people oppose LTNs, but imagine just... writing that on a flyer. "We support high traffic neighbourhoods! Britain needs more cars!"
February 11, 2026 at 12:15 PM
Just got the first political flyer I can remember receiving for Reform UK. Incredibly it promises to "end Low Traffic Neighbourhoods". I know what they mean and why people oppose LTNs, but imagine just... writing that on a flyer. "We support high traffic neighbourhoods! Britain needs more cars!"
I couldn't bring myself to confront the driver this morning, but I nearly got a photo today of a huge lorry parked outside the builder's warehouse that's helpfully opposite our school, which was directly touching a "Do not park here" sign.
February 11, 2026 at 11:26 AM
I couldn't bring myself to confront the driver this morning, but I nearly got a photo today of a huge lorry parked outside the builder's warehouse that's helpfully opposite our school, which was directly touching a "Do not park here" sign.
Not entirely serious question: are you saying that it's not very good at things you know how to do well, but it's great at doing things you don't have expertise in? Is that because shoe leather journalism is just harder to define/formalise in the way programming is? Or some other difference?
February 10, 2026 at 5:50 PM
Not entirely serious question: are you saying that it's not very good at things you know how to do well, but it's great at doing things you don't have expertise in? Is that because shoe leather journalism is just harder to define/formalise in the way programming is? Or some other difference?
Last time I had my recycling collected, Joe Biden was still president
How is Birmingham's bin strike going to be resolved?
How is Birmingham's bin strike going to be resolved?
With no end in sight to the year long dispute the BBC looks at what has to happen for it to end.
www.bbc.com
February 9, 2026 at 7:19 AM
Last time I had my recycling collected, Joe Biden was still president
This must be the only songbook in the world that goes from Danzig right into Imagine Dragons 👏
February 7, 2026 at 6:39 PM
This must be the only songbook in the world that goes from Danzig right into Imagine Dragons 👏
Idle thought: someone could probably calculate how many Guardian contributors publish on Substack even in 2026, years after the rest of the internet discovered this.
February 7, 2026 at 5:16 PM
Idle thought: someone could probably calculate how many Guardian contributors publish on Substack even in 2026, years after the rest of the internet discovered this.
I'm sure you don't want this pressure hanging over you but... I would 100% read a book of this writing. Like: a collected set of pieces, or something bigger that links them. Your writing is beautiful and there's so much going on with it, I love it. Please keep doing it!
February 6, 2026 at 5:52 PM
I'm sure you don't want this pressure hanging over you but... I would 100% read a book of this writing. Like: a collected set of pieces, or something bigger that links them. Your writing is beautiful and there's so much going on with it, I love it. Please keep doing it!
Oh god we had to do that last year and I made a cardboard box with a big plus sign on it. This theme is much more fun!
February 6, 2026 at 12:24 PM
Oh god we had to do that last year and I made a cardboard box with a big plus sign on it. This theme is much more fun!
Oh my god this is amazing
February 6, 2026 at 9:15 AM
Oh my god this is amazing
It's Times Tables Rock Stars day at primary school (if you know, you know) and I'm very proud of "Teddy Mercury" this morning. He's going to subject his whole class to a rendition of We Will Rock You for show and tell later.
February 6, 2026 at 9:04 AM
It's Times Tables Rock Stars day at primary school (if you know, you know) and I'm very proud of "Teddy Mercury" this morning. He's going to subject his whole class to a rendition of We Will Rock You for show and tell later.
This is genuinely amazing
February 4, 2026 at 12:38 PM
This is genuinely amazing
At the very least, this feels like a missed upselling opportunity
February 4, 2026 at 11:58 AM
At the very least, this feels like a missed upselling opportunity
(okay clearly this is hampered by the later change which means the Witch King is already dead by this point in the final text, but come on, there are eight other Nazgûl)
February 3, 2026 at 7:28 PM
(okay clearly this is hampered by the later change which means the Witch King is already dead by this point in the final text, but come on, there are eight other Nazgûl)
Later on there's another draft of this scene where the Witch King arrives just after the Ring is destroyed; says his cool one-liner; but this time Frodo "commands the Black Rider to follow the Ring his master and drives it into the fire".
February 3, 2026 at 7:26 PM
Later on there's another draft of this scene where the Witch King arrives just after the Ring is destroyed; says his cool one-liner; but this time Frodo "commands the Black Rider to follow the Ring his master and drives it into the fire".
I've been reading the History Of Middle Earth books. This is absolute Alpha Nerd territory, eg. it's a compilation of Tolkien's early drafts of LOTR with textual commentary by his son.
But look at *this* early draft for the final scene where the Ring is destroyed! Why did this get cut?!
But look at *this* early draft for the final scene where the Ring is destroyed! Why did this get cut?!
February 3, 2026 at 7:24 PM
I've been reading the History Of Middle Earth books. This is absolute Alpha Nerd territory, eg. it's a compilation of Tolkien's early drafts of LOTR with textual commentary by his son.
But look at *this* early draft for the final scene where the Ring is destroyed! Why did this get cut?!
But look at *this* early draft for the final scene where the Ring is destroyed! Why did this get cut?!
Just got ID'd trying to buy a can of Red Bull, in case anyone heard the sound of almost-40-year-old shouting with joy from South Birmingham
February 3, 2026 at 12:06 PM
Just got ID'd trying to buy a can of Red Bull, in case anyone heard the sound of almost-40-year-old shouting with joy from South Birmingham
Reposted by Matt Andrews
they should make a movie series about how it’s irresponsible to use technology to mess with the natural order of things for profit
Xfinity has just released its Jurassic Park-themed Super Bowl ad that features a digitally de-aged Sam Neil, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum. https://bit.ly/4rmRhrK
February 3, 2026 at 3:32 AM
they should make a movie series about how it’s irresponsible to use technology to mess with the natural order of things for profit
Just found it and shared, quick skim suggests we didn't get a First 👀
That's promising though! Although for the fees kids pay today I'd expect nothing less
That's promising though! Although for the fees kids pay today I'd expect nothing less
January 31, 2026 at 6:21 PM
Just found it and shared, quick skim suggests we didn't get a First 👀
That's promising though! Although for the fees kids pay today I'd expect nothing less
That's promising though! Although for the fees kids pay today I'd expect nothing less
Oh god I just found that chain and wow look at those little clever children totally out of their depths
January 31, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Oh god I just found that chain and wow look at those little clever children totally out of their depths
For sale: baby shoes (no republicans)
Firm behind Prince George's baby shoes warns of closure risk
Firm behind Prince George's baby shoes warns of closure risk
The Leicester-based family firm of 73 years said it has been hit by "prices going up, but demand going down".
www.bbc.com
January 30, 2026 at 2:24 PM
For sale: baby shoes (no republicans)
Reposted by Matt Andrews
I love this thoughtful and beautifully presented piece by @terry.social.godier.me.ap.brid.gy (found via @tyfromtheinternet.com’s newsletter), on the anxiety of unread counts and the questionable evolution of app design.
“Phantom obligation — the guilt you feel for something no one asked you to do.”
“Phantom obligation — the guilt you feel for something no one asked you to do.”
Phantom Obligation
Why RSS readers look like email clients, and what that's doing to us.
www.terrygodier.com
January 30, 2026 at 9:46 AM
I love this thoughtful and beautifully presented piece by @terry.social.godier.me.ap.brid.gy (found via @tyfromtheinternet.com’s newsletter), on the anxiety of unread counts and the questionable evolution of app design.
“Phantom obligation — the guilt you feel for something no one asked you to do.”
“Phantom obligation — the guilt you feel for something no one asked you to do.”
Ahhh happy birthday - congratulations and all that.
Just read your earlier post though: beautifully expressed and thought-provoking as ever. I don't have high hopes for 2026 really but I like your point about the Necker cube. Will try to keep that in mind as the year progresses.
Just read your earlier post though: beautifully expressed and thought-provoking as ever. I don't have high hopes for 2026 really but I like your point about the Necker cube. Will try to keep that in mind as the year progresses.
January 30, 2026 at 9:04 AM
Ahhh happy birthday - congratulations and all that.
Just read your earlier post though: beautifully expressed and thought-provoking as ever. I don't have high hopes for 2026 really but I like your point about the Necker cube. Will try to keep that in mind as the year progresses.
Just read your earlier post though: beautifully expressed and thought-provoking as ever. I don't have high hopes for 2026 really but I like your point about the Necker cube. Will try to keep that in mind as the year progresses.
Amazing, congratulations!
January 29, 2026 at 3:58 PM
Amazing, congratulations!
Yes! You get +20 Scene Points for this knowledge, though.
January 29, 2026 at 11:49 AM
Yes! You get +20 Scene Points for this knowledge, though.