The Mess Around

Richard is a bit jangled as he has just come from the Dentist . He ,surprisingly ,didn't enjoy being hurt & having to pay for it .Naturally ,this makes Andrew think of B & D ,a confusing discussion follows . Richard also had to return to a restaurant where there was some awkwardness. A brisk conversation on the expiry date for prominently displayed restaurant  awards takes place. What...

It's raining in the Gold Coast but disappointingly Andrew's lift is still working . It's also the start of AFL season & the rules swing wildly this time of year . Andrew is bang up for it. He gently asks Richard just how into AFL he is . " A bit" Richard replies but then explains in more detail. The revelations will both shock and terrify you. A discussion of spiders l...

Do we ask each other about our levels of hydration too much ?  It's the go-to for every ailment ,"how much have you drunk today?" The handshake is reasserting itself as COVID is beaten back into submissions in Australia. Richard is not happy & analyses why the other options failed  Andrew analyses nothing ,isn't happy & has an alarming response to the greeting . The Vic...

Andrew is planning on cutting his hair - sure not a big deal, except..it is . Andrew's hair is long ,this has consequences which Richard helpfully explores. His long hair talk leads us to his Uni experiences. Andrew feels recent events have raised his status among his fellow students . Richard is not so sure. Richard begins a discussion on the nature of "Brownie Points" earned withi...

Today we discuss etiquette & the awkward cultural moments that can arise with well meaning clods like Richard and Andrew. Andrew experienced some Big Trouble In a Little part of China .  Richard made a terrible cultural faux pas and learned a big lesson. Richard's partner managed to nearly destroy a poignant funeral  Richard calls it all part of learning to be an adult . He is now of the...

Overeating clouds this week's episode as Richard has a run in with a giant pizza. This invites a discussion about the annoying aspects of craft beers, and how there's no reliable standard of the size of pizzas.   ( There's a brief sidetrack into Starbucks that is best not spoken of )  Regular listeners will be delighted to get an update on the Dog Hair Jumper, which has now potentia...

In a refreshing change from Richard's history rants, Andrew manages to rant ( at length) about Star Trek uniforms. Somehow this leads us into Andrew confronted with a lot of nudity .Richard tries to help but is uncertain what is happening. Thankfully , the conversation swings back to Andrews potential new sport . Richard has some thoughts but clearly no real idea . Honestly ,he's just gl...

The random question of "what's your cowboy name ? " appears & straight out of the gate Andrew tricks Richard in to a history "conversation", in which we learn more about crossbows & longbows than we ever cared to . There's an awkward pause as they both try to move on . Things get worse however when Andrew reveals his money making scheme , which is Richard play...

Richard has had a shaky week, his partner is going thru old photos - including those of her ex's  There is a discussion & Andrew is less than helpful. They move on to discuss the weather ,Andrew is uncertain of aspects of his work out clothing in the heat . Richard helps because he has spent far too long thinking about this . There's a terrifying confession from Richard. All of you w...

Early on , we are uncomfortable because Richard is just feeling so happy . He is able to explain what has caused him to spark joy . He has done a massive tidy of his garage and taken the excess out to the nature strip for hard rubbish collection  . Unfortunately he feels the need to spruik his rubbish to folk who stop to have a look and takes it personally if they reject the stuff he has already c...

Richard is trying to regain fitness because , as he explains , its the only thing in his life he can control. It is ,however, a long journey & therefore requires a soundtrack . This is discussed in some detail. It leads us naturally to a conversation about TV themes & Andrew mourns the lost genre of the explanatory theme. Under the theme of recovery, Richard asks "Would a bit of stero...

We find the resolution to the story of Andrew living in a high-rise with no functioning lift . Christmas has come and gone ,you'll hear tales of family gatherings ,presents & backyard cricket matches . A terrible day for bracelets - or was it ? Richard tells the story then asks "is the bottle half full or half empty ?" The subsequent discussion will help to guide our view of wha...

Richard feels he could do other things .Andrew points out that other things would make a wonderful Comedy Festival show .This then gets workshopped , some ideas are better than others. We find out why the phrase "end of night sushi" triggers Andrew & ,oddly ,his hatred of Duran Duran. Andrew is living in Hell, what does that look like I'll let him tell you... Also, how do you an...

Episode 23 is the Christmas Precursor. Some podcasts wait until the last minute to actually talk about Christmas, but not at The Mess Around .  No, we get in early to prepare you for the oncoming storm.  And it's not just Christmas, the significance of birthday cards is debated heavily as well. Richard reveals his son's unique, emotionally detached and yet amusing way of signing off card...

It's difficult to explain this week's episode. For starters, Richard has a tree named after his son.  Make of that what you will. Which is nothing compared to Andrew who names his plants, and the cars he has owned...  one of which was a literal tiny red clown car. He even occasionally talks to them, the cars, not the plants.  Meanwhile some irresponsible business is advertising dangerous...

In this episode you will learn why we should all strive to become Happy Idiots. Richard and Andrew appear to have nailed at least one part of that description, you be the judge which one. Unusually there's a plethora of useful advice this week, most of which would be found in the Richard Stubbs Self Help Book, were it not for the fact that this seems to be one of the worst ideas in publishing...

In this episode we take the time to look back at the Compilation Episode that could’ve been, but ultimately wasn’t. But first we present insights into sleeping, waking, being grumpy and all the nuances in between.  Andrew comes to the terrible, realisation that his partner is purposely laying a trap for him every morning, and Richard presents a piece of bedroom advice that will surely come in hand...

Andrew finally tells the story of the time he travelled to Rome with his dog . Without spoiling it , lets just say the story wasn't as simple as "we both got on a plane , we both got off a plane and were in Rome "  This is a true saga and a testament to what can happen to a young person with a dream but who doesn't think it thru  There's other stuff in the podcast but its...

Andrew talks elections - no not that one , his local council. He voted but not without disappointment . This leads to the heartwarming story of his dog who loved elections and we learn why. An idle question triggers Richard & there's a realization that the sins of the father may have also been visited on the grandchildren. As usual , film references are scatted throughout the podcast , od...

Richard and Andrew declare themselves firmly in the "Dumb and Dumber" Sub Genre. Fascinatingly Richard shares the multiple reasons why he doesn't go sailing at night.  Andrew struggles with the concept of changing names to protect the innocent, while sharing a nasty whipper snipper incident, that didn’t happen to him, so is therefore funnier. Speaking of tragic incidents, sadly and...

Andrew tries to defend his relaxed Gold Coast lifestyle to listeners, who may or may not be in a pandemic lockdown. Richard’s family are concerned that his growing fascination with local elections may develop into an unhealthy obsession.  He calms the angry mob by taking them out on Stubbs Family Picnic, which during lockdown turns into a culinary  operation requiring military precision. Staying w...

Andrew is struggling with life at Uni.  A closer examination of his behaviours reveals many of the issues. Andrew details his Tao of Shopping & Lists.  This leads to a conversation about list creation & how our partners help. We also discover what Andrew lives for, it is indeed a gift that keeps on giving . Richard sums up Melbourne's lockdown vibe at the moment. He is coping by reall...