Stephen Pihlaja

Flagging

Take, take, take // Flagging blogcast

Winners Never Quit In which I reflect on Thankfulness

Newest Blogcast! Also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Shepherd's Tone In which everything is always building towards something which never comes

Take, take, take // Shepherd's Tone

stephenpihlaja.substack.com/p/shepherds-...

The Pursuit of Happiness In which I am American on New Year's Eve

Take, take, take// The Pursuit of Happiness

Embracing facts In which I refuse to die on a mountain

Take, take, take // Embracing Facts

Can anyone write a chapter on 'Belief' for me for a Cambridge Companion on Religion and Language?

I had the most excellent, short conversation about editing with @lyzzybee.bsky.social tonight. I love how language works and how people know how language works.

Winners Never Quit In which I try to be thankful on a day of mandated thankfulness

Take, take, take // Winners never quit

In which I write about American Thanksgiving.

Thanks for the review @lyzzybee.bsky.social!

Train fares frozen: not happened for decades.

Bringing rail back into public ownership means we can take action on fares.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Loving all the, uh, nuanced discussion of immigration and refugee and asylum seekers this morning. My take: 20 years is a ridiculous amount of time to take to settle and terrible for everyone in the system.

I hate when the algorithm picks up on you being interested in a thing you're trying to low key avoid.

I feel like I should be here more, what's going on here, what are we talking about.

Man on the DLR: Are you prepared for today’s meeting?
Woman: No.
Man: It’s at 9am.
Woman: I know it’s at 9am, Dave. And I remain, unprepared.

That’ll be a no from me dawg. Call your local asshole and explain that this ain’t it

The sound after the sound In which I try to write an ending

Take, take, take // The Sound after the Sound

V good: 'My Socialism is a Christian Socialism, an actual redemption of a Christian Evangelicalism I have rejected, where I had read, 'Blessed are the poor', and immediately amended it with 'in spirit' to deflect it, to not have to deal with the open wound in our society that Socialism addresses.'

How to disappear completely In which I lose a local byelection for city council, reportedly with grace and dignity

I'm which I reflect on losing a city council byelection

open.substack.com/pub/stephenp...

Great to be out over the weekend with my good friend @jessphillipsmp.bsky.social campaigning in the Moseley by-election for @stephenpihlaja.bsky.social.

Friends in politics are very important. Jess is loyal, feisty, kind, and you know exactly what she’s about. Politics needs more like Jess.

Please follow my Candidate FB page for updates about my candidacy at Labour Councillor for Moseley Ward.

Moseley Farmers Market! Ftw!

The art of the FB argument is giving a person the last work right as it makes them look like an asshole.

Here we go 💪

If you are a thoughts and prayers person, please keep me and my family in them over the next month, particularly as parts of this work can be quite unsafe and we live in challenging times.

I love being able to show some care to people who suddenly open up to you about things you wouldn't expect to hear people open up to about: the death of a husband or the pain an obscure policy has caused them. I love listening to people talk about what matters to them.

I don't think everyone should be a politician, but after completing my first doorknocking session as a candidate, I am certain this is the right path for me. I absolutely love it. I love speaking to people about their concerns, I love arguing about policy.

This has been a difficult decision for me, as the groups and people I have worked with over the years have been dear friends to me, and I will miss seeing all of them so regularly. The fight continues, just from different perspectives.

Taking on this partisan role means that I need to resign my leadership positions at Birmingham Citizens, the community organising charity I have worked with over the last nine years.

Regardless of whether I win or lose this by-election, I will also stand in the citywide election next year in May.