Richard James Foster
@richardjamesfoster.bsky.social
Artist, author & culture writer. History & art buff. The Museum of Photocopies. Quietus. Write about music, NL, & my family history. #MDANT. My 2nd book, The Punk Rock Birdwatching Club is now out. All stuff here. https://linktr.ee/richardfoster
Pinned
I’m delighted to say that you can now order the Punk Rock Birdwatching Club teeshirt and tote bag from the redoubtable @weare1of100.bsky.social link below!
weare1of100.co.uk/the-punk-roc...
weare1of100.co.uk/the-punk-roc...
Reposted by Richard James Foster
Tomorrow is a month away from Xmas Eve. Please have a look to see if you have any children's clothes, books, toys, etc that are no longer needed & donate them to your local charity shop ASAP. The demand for these items is now, not after Xmas. People are skint but still want to make Xmas special. ❤️
November 23, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Tomorrow is a month away from Xmas Eve. Please have a look to see if you have any children's clothes, books, toys, etc that are no longer needed & donate them to your local charity shop ASAP. The demand for these items is now, not after Xmas. People are skint but still want to make Xmas special. ❤️
Rubio looks like the Ralf Hütter robot
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio:
It is in my personal view that we've had probably the most productive and meaningful meeting so far in this entire process since we've been involved in it from the beginning.
It is in my personal view that we've had probably the most productive and meaningful meeting so far in this entire process since we've been involved in it from the beginning.
November 23, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Rubio looks like the Ralf Hütter robot
Reposted by Richard James Foster
I am just going to keep reposting this every month or so:
Is there no enterprising UK-based law firm willing to pursue this on behalf of UK authors?
I have two novels and about ten academic articles on the Anthropic list, but I’m not going to get a penny because nothing is registered with the US copyright office (academic articles seem to be entirely excluded from the settlement). What a bummer.
November 23, 2025 at 6:10 PM
I am just going to keep reposting this every month or so:
Reposted by Richard James Foster
Is there no enterprising UK-based law firm willing to pursue this on behalf of UK authors?
I have two novels and about ten academic articles on the Anthropic list, but I’m not going to get a penny because nothing is registered with the US copyright office (academic articles seem to be entirely excluded from the settlement). What a bummer.
September 30, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Is there no enterprising UK-based law firm willing to pursue this on behalf of UK authors?
Reposted by Richard James Foster
1) Start the worst European war since 1945 and commit every imaginable war crime
2) Decide how you want to be rewarded for your aggression
3) Leak the list of your desiderata to the US press
4) Wait for the US president to enforce your wish list on your victim.
Russian policy 2025
2) Decide how you want to be rewarded for your aggression
3) Leak the list of your desiderata to the US press
4) Wait for the US president to enforce your wish list on your victim.
Russian policy 2025
November 23, 2025 at 3:30 PM
1) Start the worst European war since 1945 and commit every imaginable war crime
2) Decide how you want to be rewarded for your aggression
3) Leak the list of your desiderata to the US press
4) Wait for the US president to enforce your wish list on your victim.
Russian policy 2025
2) Decide how you want to be rewarded for your aggression
3) Leak the list of your desiderata to the US press
4) Wait for the US president to enforce your wish list on your victim.
Russian policy 2025
Reposted by Richard James Foster
Everyone's dunking on this opening (and nobody, including me, has read the rest) but I for one am very impressed at him being a fan of Nirvana in 1987, when their first gig was March 1988. That's *true* hipsterism.
As someone who is this guy's age I can tell you 100% that if you were into Pixies, Nirvana, 120 Minutes stuff, etc. but didn't like the Beatles you had to have worked hard to contort yourself into that special little box. Your enemy, if you absolutely needed one, was hair metal. GTFO here with this.
November 23, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Everyone's dunking on this opening (and nobody, including me, has read the rest) but I for one am very impressed at him being a fan of Nirvana in 1987, when their first gig was March 1988. That's *true* hipsterism.
Reposted by Richard James Foster
Also! The cover was designed by the great young Turkish artist in Rotterdam, Sevgi Tan and I’d much rather SHE got the credit as her cover is doing the lifting here…
November 23, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Also! The cover was designed by the great young Turkish artist in Rotterdam, Sevgi Tan and I’d much rather SHE got the credit as her cover is doing the lifting here…
Reposted by Richard James Foster
The Russian "opposition" needs Putin to motivate its own existence. When Putin falls it will become clear to everybody how irrelevant the "opposition" is to Russians in general. The "opposition" will never get a say about what really happens in Russia.
OPINION: According to Yulia Navalnaya, the Russian opposition believe their nation is an inseparable part of European civilization.
For this reason, they see the dark years of Putinism as an aberration, not an historical inevitability.
🔗 politi.co/3K7mbnY
For this reason, they see the dark years of Putinism as an aberration, not an historical inevitability.
🔗 politi.co/3K7mbnY
November 23, 2025 at 5:04 PM
The Russian "opposition" needs Putin to motivate its own existence. When Putin falls it will become clear to everybody how irrelevant the "opposition" is to Russians in general. The "opposition" will never get a say about what really happens in Russia.
Wild! My latest book is in a full page ad for Marks & Spencer in @theobserveruk.bsky.social’s supplement today. I’m baffled, flattered, wondering what to do, but, MUCH WORSE: is my book contributing to cosiness??? I feel like Terry in the Likely Lads going to Bob & Thelma’s posh housewarming party…
November 23, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Wild! My latest book is in a full page ad for Marks & Spencer in @theobserveruk.bsky.social’s supplement today. I’m baffled, flattered, wondering what to do, but, MUCH WORSE: is my book contributing to cosiness??? I feel like Terry in the Likely Lads going to Bob & Thelma’s posh housewarming party…
Reposted by Richard James Foster
"Reform would be worse" is both entirely correct and entirely irrelevant until polling day 2029. What matters right now is that Labour's approach is morally repugnant on its own terms, *and is empowering Reform*. As things stand today, its not Labour or Reform. Its Labour *then* Reform.
While it feels like I'm repeatedly slamming my head against a brick wall repeating this massively simple concept. Saying "Reform would be worse" doesn't make what Labour is doing better. Labour is now the most anti-immigration, anti-any marginalised group, government we have seen in decades. 1/
Very long thread: As with many of Labour's anti-immigration policies, this isn't new. British police have been stationed in other countries for this purpose for a long time
It does however show how Labour is pushing more on anti-immigration than previous governments. 1/
www.lbc.co.uk/article/shab...
It does however show how Labour is pushing more on anti-immigration than previous governments. 1/
www.lbc.co.uk/article/shab...
November 22, 2025 at 10:03 AM
"Reform would be worse" is both entirely correct and entirely irrelevant until polling day 2029. What matters right now is that Labour's approach is morally repugnant on its own terms, *and is empowering Reform*. As things stand today, its not Labour or Reform. Its Labour *then* Reform.
Talk about gaslighting and projection #muddled #inconsistency
Boris Johnson rejects 'muddled' COVID inquiry report and accuses chair of 'breathtaking inconsistency'
Boris Johnson rejects 'muddled' COVID inquiry report and accuses chair of 'breathtaking inconsistency'
Boris Johnson has rejected claims he presided over a toxic and chaotic culture at the heart of the UK government during the pandemic, and accused the COVID-19 Inquiry of being "totally muddled".
news.sky.com
November 23, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Talk about gaslighting and projection #muddled #inconsistency
Reposted by Richard James Foster
One of the biggest hypocrisies related to the Russo-Ukrainian war is when western leaders keep repeating that borders should never be allowed to be changed by force while almost in the same sentence pushing Ukraine to accept new borders. Very few states are free from guilt here.
November 23, 2025 at 7:31 AM
One of the biggest hypocrisies related to the Russo-Ukrainian war is when western leaders keep repeating that borders should never be allowed to be changed by force while almost in the same sentence pushing Ukraine to accept new borders. Very few states are free from guilt here.
Reposted by Richard James Foster
The Netherlands talks a big game about tech sovereignty, but is now about to allow the domestic cloud provider that underpins its national digital identity system and several other critical government services to be sold off to a new American owner.
Incomprehensible.
nos.nl/artikel/2591...
Incomprehensible.
nos.nl/artikel/2591...
Zorgen in de Tweede Kamer over Amerikaanse overname van DigiD-partner
Het van oorsprong Nederlandse cloud-bedrijf Solvinity komt mogelijk in Amerikaanse handen.
nos.nl
November 21, 2025 at 11:52 AM
The Netherlands talks a big game about tech sovereignty, but is now about to allow the domestic cloud provider that underpins its national digital identity system and several other critical government services to be sold off to a new American owner.
Incomprehensible.
nos.nl/artikel/2591...
Incomprehensible.
nos.nl/artikel/2591...
Reposted by Richard James Foster
In plain terms, the United States aligned itself with Russia against Ukraine and NATO. By transmitting Moscow’s surrender terms unedited and pressuring Kyiv to accept them, the Trump Regime effectively sided with Russia in the war and attempted to force Ukraine’s capitulation. It is betrayal.
Russia drafted a 28 point surrender plan, handed it to the Trump team, and the regime delivered it to Kyiv unedited, demanding Zelensky sign it by Thanksgiving or lose all US support. Trump and Vance then promoted the plan exactly as Russia wrote it, verbatim, on TV, online, and in person.
November 23, 2025 at 5:00 AM
In plain terms, the United States aligned itself with Russia against Ukraine and NATO. By transmitting Moscow’s surrender terms unedited and pressuring Kyiv to accept them, the Trump Regime effectively sided with Russia in the war and attempted to force Ukraine’s capitulation. It is betrayal.
Reposted by Richard James Foster
Let me decode that.
Para 1: Nice of you to show up.
Para 2: There's some stuff in here, like 'Russia stops invading other countries', that we can live with
Para 3: Over our dead bodies. Fuck off. Fuck off some more.
Para 4: Fuck off.
Para 5: Fuck off.
Para 1: Nice of you to show up.
Para 2: There's some stuff in here, like 'Russia stops invading other countries', that we can live with
Para 3: Over our dead bodies. Fuck off. Fuck off some more.
Para 4: Fuck off.
Para 5: Fuck off.
Leaders’ statement on Ukraine 🇺🇦🇪🇺
We are clear on the principle that borders must not be changed by force. We are also concerned by the proposed limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack.
We are clear on the principle that borders must not be changed by force. We are also concerned by the proposed limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack.
November 22, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Let me decode that.
Para 1: Nice of you to show up.
Para 2: There's some stuff in here, like 'Russia stops invading other countries', that we can live with
Para 3: Over our dead bodies. Fuck off. Fuck off some more.
Para 4: Fuck off.
Para 5: Fuck off.
Para 1: Nice of you to show up.
Para 2: There's some stuff in here, like 'Russia stops invading other countries', that we can live with
Para 3: Over our dead bodies. Fuck off. Fuck off some more.
Para 4: Fuck off.
Para 5: Fuck off.
I’ll stick to my dad’s stamps
Come on, England
November 22, 2025 at 12:12 PM
I’ll stick to my dad’s stamps
Reposted by Richard James Foster
This is well worth reading.
‘America is British’. Heaven is ‘a socialist state’. David Attenborough is ‘anti-human’ – the startling theories of Reform MP Danny Kruger
‘America is British’. Heaven is ‘a socialist state’. David Attenborough is ‘anti-human’ – the startling theories of Reform MP Danny Kruger
He was a Conservative party big-hitter who wrote speeches for David Cameron and worked with Boris Johnson before he suddenly jumped ship. He talks family, flags and why Nigel Farage is ‘top dog’
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 11:40 AM
This is well worth reading.
Reposted by Richard James Foster
It would be even funnier if, one glorious day, their incessant, inane, witless, self-involved mooing was silenced by a grand piano falling out of an overflying cargo aircraft, but it's something.
The Barmy Army spending longer in a plane to watch the first test than they did actually watching the first test will never not be funny
November 22, 2025 at 10:50 AM
It would be even funnier if, one glorious day, their incessant, inane, witless, self-involved mooing was silenced by a grand piano falling out of an overflying cargo aircraft, but it's something.
Reposted by Richard James Foster
this week's newsletter is titled "aren't you tired of feeling insane all the time?" and I think it speaks for itself
it is also free to read
youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/arent-you-...
it is also free to read
youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/arent-you-...
November 21, 2025 at 10:18 AM
this week's newsletter is titled "aren't you tired of feeling insane all the time?" and I think it speaks for itself
it is also free to read
youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/arent-you-...
it is also free to read
youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/arent-you-...
Come on, England
November 22, 2025 at 6:44 AM
Come on, England
Reposted by Richard James Foster
Good fun from when alternative / underground culture was alternative @richardjamesfoster.bsky.social on the changing genus loci as seen through local bars, Klaus Maeck on the making of his film Decoder, O Yuki Conjugate & more
www.kormplastics.nl
www.kormplastics.nl
November 22, 2025 at 6:29 AM
Good fun from when alternative / underground culture was alternative @richardjamesfoster.bsky.social on the changing genus loci as seen through local bars, Klaus Maeck on the making of his film Decoder, O Yuki Conjugate & more
www.kormplastics.nl
www.kormplastics.nl
Should add that @wednesdayerskin.bsky.social’s book is in my top 3 this year.
Steve Pyke's pictures of Irish writers in @theguardian.com, featuring @wednesdayerskin.bsky.social, Edna O'Brien, me, @lucycaldwell.bsky.social, Glenn Patterson, Joseph O'Connor, @felispeaks.bsky.social, Colin Barrett, @jancarsonwrites.bsky.social & Iris Murdoch. www.theguardian.com/books/galler...
The wild old wicked gang: great Irish writers – in pictures
Edna O’Brien on her sofa, Joseph O’Connor in his garden, Seamus Heaney surrounded by books … British photographer Steve Pyke on capturing the greats of Irish literature
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Should add that @wednesdayerskin.bsky.social’s book is in my top 3 this year.
Reposted by Richard James Foster
Steve Pyke's pictures of Irish writers in @theguardian.com, featuring @wednesdayerskin.bsky.social, Edna O'Brien, me, @lucycaldwell.bsky.social, Glenn Patterson, Joseph O'Connor, @felispeaks.bsky.social, Colin Barrett, @jancarsonwrites.bsky.social & Iris Murdoch. www.theguardian.com/books/galler...
The wild old wicked gang: great Irish writers – in pictures
Edna O’Brien on her sofa, Joseph O’Connor in his garden, Seamus Heaney surrounded by books … British photographer Steve Pyke on capturing the greats of Irish literature
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Steve Pyke's pictures of Irish writers in @theguardian.com, featuring @wednesdayerskin.bsky.social, Edna O'Brien, me, @lucycaldwell.bsky.social, Glenn Patterson, Joseph O'Connor, @felispeaks.bsky.social, Colin Barrett, @jancarsonwrites.bsky.social & Iris Murdoch. www.theguardian.com/books/galler...
Reposted by Richard James Foster
This is... quite a commentary on the broligarchy.
But when we crave power over life—endless wealth, unassailable safety, immortality—then desire becomes greed. And if knowledge allies itself to that greed, then comes evil. Then the balance of the world is swayed, and ruin weighs heavy in the scale.
November 21, 2025 at 5:39 AM
This is... quite a commentary on the broligarchy.
Reposted by Richard James Foster
“If I asked you which country has the most progressive tax system in the developed world—where high earners hand over an especially large share of their income relative to the average worker—what would your answer be? Perhaps Sweden? Denmark?
The answer is in fact Britain.”
@jburnmurdoch.ft.com:
The answer is in fact Britain.”
@jburnmurdoch.ft.com:
Britain’s tax system combines the worst of the US and Scandinavia
The UK’s experiment in eating the rich while shrinking the state has left everyone worse off
on.ft.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:39 AM
“If I asked you which country has the most progressive tax system in the developed world—where high earners hand over an especially large share of their income relative to the average worker—what would your answer be? Perhaps Sweden? Denmark?
The answer is in fact Britain.”
@jburnmurdoch.ft.com:
The answer is in fact Britain.”
@jburnmurdoch.ft.com: