Mitchell Stirling
@mitchellst.bsky.social
I work with data and tell stories about it. I also write about closing tracks on albums on Substack.
A long-overdue update to my England goalscorers chart for 20+ goals: Harry Kane is now in the 90s.
Every goal plotted against the opponent’s kick-off Elo, plus a breakdown of goals against sides rated above 1,900. Saka, Rashford and Beckham added too.
Every goal plotted against the opponent’s kick-off Elo, plus a breakdown of goals against sides rated above 1,900. Saka, Rashford and Beckham added too.
October 6, 2026 at 11:25 PM
A long-overdue update to my England goalscorers chart for 20+ goals: Harry Kane is now in the 90s.
Every goal plotted against the opponent’s kick-off Elo, plus a breakdown of goals against sides rated above 1,900. Saka, Rashford and Beckham added too.
Every goal plotted against the opponent’s kick-off Elo, plus a breakdown of goals against sides rated above 1,900. Saka, Rashford and Beckham added too.
Less than a week to vote in the Run Out Grooves readers' poll: the best closing tracks of the 2000s.
200 albums on the long list - Pick up to ten, add honourable mentions, or write in the one we missed.
Closes Monday 12 October, therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
200 albums on the long list - Pick up to ten, add honourable mentions, or write in the one we missed.
Closes Monday 12 October, therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
October 6, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Less than a week to vote in the Run Out Grooves readers' poll: the best closing tracks of the 2000s.
200 albums on the long list - Pick up to ten, add honourable mentions, or write in the one we missed.
Closes Monday 12 October, therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
200 albums on the long list - Pick up to ten, add honourable mentions, or write in the one we missed.
Closes Monday 12 October, therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
Reposted by Mitchell Stirling
Kemi Badenoch has said that Edinburgh is the UK's 'second city' - a view shared by only 12% of Britons
Instead the public split between 34% Manchester vs 30% Birmingham, with answers depending heavily on where people live
yougov.com/en-gb/articl...
Instead the public split between 34% Manchester vs 30% Birmingham, with answers depending heavily on where people live
yougov.com/en-gb/articl...
October 4, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Kemi Badenoch has said that Edinburgh is the UK's 'second city' - a view shared by only 12% of Britons
Instead the public split between 34% Manchester vs 30% Birmingham, with answers depending heavily on where people live
yougov.com/en-gb/articl...
Instead the public split between 34% Manchester vs 30% Birmingham, with answers depending heavily on where people live
yougov.com/en-gb/articl...
Our 2000s album-closers poll now runs a week longer, to Mon 12 Oct.
It's tight at the top, and almost all tracks have been voted on. Still waiting: The Streets, Beck, Nas, Sleater-Kinney. Five minutes to vote:
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
It's tight at the top, and almost all tracks have been voted on. Still waiting: The Streets, Beck, Nas, Sleater-Kinney. Five minutes to vote:
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
October 2, 2026 at 7:21 AM
Our 2000s album-closers poll now runs a week longer, to Mon 12 Oct.
It's tight at the top, and almost all tracks have been voted on. Still waiting: The Streets, Beck, Nas, Sleater-Kinney. Five minutes to vote:
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
It's tight at the top, and almost all tracks have been voted on. Still waiting: The Streets, Beck, Nas, Sleater-Kinney. Five minutes to vote:
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
Reposted by Mitchell Stirling
Can't believe Richard E Grant allowed that episode to go out.
October 1, 2026 at 9:40 PM
Can't believe Richard E Grant allowed that episode to go out.
One ballot this morning rescued Bowie, Tom Waits, Steely Dan and Common from zero in the 2000s album-closers poll. 172 of 200 tracks now have a vote. Still waiting: The Streets, Beck, Nas, Sleater-Kinney. Closes Mon 5 Oct
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
September 30, 2026 at 10:42 PM
One ballot this morning rescued Bowie, Tom Waits, Steely Dan and Common from zero in the 2000s album-closers poll. 172 of 200 tracks now have a vote. Still waiting: The Streets, Beck, Nas, Sleater-Kinney. Closes Mon 5 Oct
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
If you are an opposition leader who could be doing better in the polls, what better way to move those polling numbers than to be on the wrong side of emerging public opinion.
Support outnumbers opposition in every age group, including those most affected:
-> 55-64: 61% support, 16% oppose
-> 65+: 55% support, 27% oppose
8/9
-> 55-64: 61% support, 16% oppose
-> 65+: 55% support, 27% oppose
8/9
September 30, 2026 at 9:01 AM
If you are an opposition leader who could be doing better in the polls, what better way to move those polling numbers than to be on the wrong side of emerging public opinion.
Reposted by Mitchell Stirling
Reposted by Mitchell Stirling
“Tap, tap, tap at the window. Bloody AI Greta Garbo, trying to sell me ball bearings.”
September 30, 2026 at 5:44 AM
“Tap, tap, tap at the window. Bloody AI Greta Garbo, trying to sell me ball bearings.”
It's tight at the top of the 2000s album-closers poll: Overnight ballots reshuffled the top three. 167 of 200 tracks now have votes, including Jay-Z. Still waiting: Bowie, The Streets, Beck, Nas, Tom Waits. Closes Mon 5 Oct
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
September 29, 2026 at 12:45 PM
It's tight at the top of the 2000s album-closers poll: Overnight ballots reshuffled the top three. 167 of 200 tracks now have votes, including Jay-Z. Still waiting: Bowie, The Streets, Beck, Nas, Tom Waits. Closes Mon 5 Oct
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
Reposted by Mitchell Stirling
Reposted by Mitchell Stirling
A clear leader has emerged in the 2000s album-closers poll. 157 of 200 tracks now have a vote. Still waiting: Jay-Z, Bowie, The Streets, Beck, Nas, Tom Waits. And 2008 is still at the bottom of the years. Closes Mon 5 Oct
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
September 28, 2026 at 3:17 PM
A clear leader has emerged in the 2000s album-closers poll. 157 of 200 tracks now have a vote. Still waiting: Jay-Z, Bowie, The Streets, Beck, Nas, Tom Waits. And 2008 is still at the bottom of the years. Closes Mon 5 Oct
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
Reposted by Mitchell Stirling
Reposted by Mitchell Stirling
Can the arts business model survive AI? Perhaps the best guide is to look at how the arts survived past tech revolutions
Take music—internet piracy and then streaming killed the lucrative CD market, but musicians mostly saved their jobs by focusing much more on live concerts
Take music—internet piracy and then streaming killed the lucrative CD market, but musicians mostly saved their jobs by focusing much more on live concerts
September 27, 2026 at 6:50 PM
Can the arts business model survive AI? Perhaps the best guide is to look at how the arts survived past tech revolutions
Take music—internet piracy and then streaming killed the lucrative CD market, but musicians mostly saved their jobs by focusing much more on live concerts
Take music—internet piracy and then streaming killed the lucrative CD market, but musicians mostly saved their jobs by focusing much more on live concerts
Reposted by Mitchell Stirling
Reposted by Mitchell Stirling
Reposted by Mitchell Stirling
If you claim to have never heard Crazy Frog’s “Axel F,” it says more about you than it does Mr. Frog. This about virtue signaling that you are better than entire genres of music, that your friends are not in the custom ringtone game.
September 27, 2026 at 2:09 PM
If you claim to have never heard Crazy Frog’s “Axel F,” it says more about you than it does Mr. Frog. This about virtue signaling that you are better than entire genres of music, that your friends are not in the custom ringtone game.
Reposted by Mitchell Stirling
*blackadder theme*
His head is bigger than a fence
He breathes, and everything gets warmer
His urge to trample represents
A nation's nuclear war trauma
Godzilla! Godzilla!
The scourge of beast and man!
Godzilla! Godzilla!
He's flattening Japan!
His head is bigger than a fence
He breathes, and everything gets warmer
His urge to trample represents
A nation's nuclear war trauma
Godzilla! Godzilla!
The scourge of beast and man!
Godzilla! Godzilla!
He's flattening Japan!
September 27, 2026 at 12:46 PM
*blackadder theme*
His head is bigger than a fence
He breathes, and everything gets warmer
His urge to trample represents
A nation's nuclear war trauma
Godzilla! Godzilla!
The scourge of beast and man!
Godzilla! Godzilla!
He's flattening Japan!
His head is bigger than a fence
He breathes, and everything gets warmer
His urge to trample represents
A nation's nuclear war trauma
Godzilla! Godzilla!
The scourge of beast and man!
Godzilla! Godzilla!
He's flattening Japan!
132 of the 200 closers in the 2000s poll now have a vote. Coldplay and Britney are off the mark. Still waiting: Jay-Z, Bowie, Dylan, The Streets, Interpol, Beck, Nas, Tom Waits. And 2008 is still the decade's least-loved year.
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
September 26, 2026 at 12:11 PM
132 of the 200 closers in the 2000s poll now have a vote. Coldplay and Britney are off the mark. Still waiting: Jay-Z, Bowie, Dylan, The Streets, Interpol, Beck, Nas, Tom Waits. And 2008 is still the decade's least-loved year.
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
Reposted by Mitchell Stirling
Alberta’s self-image as world’s only rat-free region shattered by discovery of rat
Alberta’s self-image as world’s only rat-free region shattered by discovery of rat
Province’s rat patrol called in to investigate as town of Bowden announces discovery of dead vermin
www.theguardian.com
September 25, 2026 at 11:34 PM
Alberta’s self-image as world’s only rat-free region shattered by discovery of rat
Reposted by Mitchell Stirling
“PUT THAT ICED COFFEE DOWN.”
September 25, 2026 at 6:42 PM
“PUT THAT ICED COFFEE DOWN.”
@tomewing.bsky.social just watching this and baffled that Le Tigre have almost as many streams as The Bad Touch. youtu.be/8_ZLlyBfZ_I?...
top 50 most streamed songs from 1999
YouTube video by boogiehead
youtu.be
September 25, 2026 at 6:24 PM
@tomewing.bsky.social just watching this and baffled that Le Tigre have almost as many streams as The Bad Touch. youtu.be/8_ZLlyBfZ_I?...
Reposted by Mitchell Stirling
When was the last time our Secretary of State for Culture displayed anything approaching this degree of public enthusiasm for our world-class arts industry? Has she been seen anywhere? Given impending charter renewal... did she even bother to visit a single prom?
Never been to the opera before?
Now’s your chance. We’re giving away 70,000 free tickets to the @metopera at the iconic Lincoln Center. Go to on.nyc.gov/opera to enter the lottery. There’s not a bad seat in the house.
Now’s your chance. We’re giving away 70,000 free tickets to the @metopera at the iconic Lincoln Center. Go to on.nyc.gov/opera to enter the lottery. There’s not a bad seat in the house.
September 25, 2026 at 8:31 AM
When was the last time our Secretary of State for Culture displayed anything approaching this degree of public enthusiasm for our world-class arts industry? Has she been seen anywhere? Given impending charter renewal... did she even bother to visit a single prom?
New leader overnight in the 2000s album-closers poll. 111 of 200 tracks now have a vote; still waiting: Coldplay, Jay-Z, Bowie, Dylan, The Streets, Interpol. Closes Sun 5 Oct
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
Reader's Poll: Let’s all meet up in the year 2000
Have Your Say - Your best album closers of the 2000s
therunoutgrooves.substack.com
September 25, 2026 at 8:50 AM
New leader overnight in the 2000s album-closers poll. 111 of 200 tracks now have a vote; still waiting: Coldplay, Jay-Z, Bowie, Dylan, The Streets, Interpol. Closes Sun 5 Oct
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in
therunoutgrooves.substack.com/p/readers-poll-lets-all-meet-up-in