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Leon Black

@drleonblack.bsky.social

Professor of Infrastructure Materials at the University of Leeds. Posting about materials, resilience, circular economy, green stuff, and whatever else I stumble on that I find interesting. No DMs, unless they're size 12 cherry reds.

1,163 Followers  |  1,531 Following  |  1,340 Posts  |  Joined: 01.09.2024  |  1.7067

Latest posts by drleonblack.bsky.social on Bluesky

I thought Reform were all about saving money?

They've just cost us all another Β£63m....as that is what the government has now been forced to give councils undergoing reorganisation so they can afford to do that AND run & staff elections in this May.

The coucils had asked the government...

1/2

16.02.2026 16:26 β€” πŸ‘ 115    πŸ” 48    πŸ’¬ 10    πŸ“Œ 6

The fact that Reform want people to have more kids and also want to end working from home shows how incoherent their world view is.

16.02.2026 08:55 β€” πŸ‘ 398    πŸ” 84    πŸ’¬ 38    πŸ“Œ 3

The UK was declared measles free in 2017.

Vaccine programs completely eliminated it.

Since then, pro sickness conspiracy theorists and anti science idiots have enabled its return.

15.02.2026 22:19 β€” πŸ‘ 1955    πŸ” 714    πŸ’¬ 70    πŸ“Œ 36
Preview
β€˜First feline’ Larry marks 15 years as Britain’s political top cat Larry the cat is marking 15 years as Britain’s Chief Mouser at 10 Downing Street, a symbol of stability in turbulent political times.

Larry the Cat celebrates 15 years as Downing Street’s chief mouser on Sunday.

The 19-year-old tabby is serving his sixth prime minister, having survived a decade of political turbulence in the UK government.

15.02.2026 11:15 β€” πŸ‘ 137    πŸ” 42    πŸ’¬ 8    πŸ“Œ 16

The 19-year-old tabby is being served by his sixth Prime Minister, surely?

15.02.2026 15:28 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
SISTERS OF FUCKING MERCY DOMINION INNIT

SISTERS OF FUCKING MERCY DOMINION INNIT

38

15.02.2026 00:28 β€” πŸ‘ 55    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 2
Vice headline reads: "Zara, Nike, and Abercrombie’s Indian Factories Weren’t Fully Paying Workers"

The story was reporting on something put out by the Workers Rights Consortium.

Vice headline reads: "Zara, Nike, and Abercrombie’s Indian Factories Weren’t Fully Paying Workers" The story was reporting on something put out by the Workers Rights Consortium.

Story at Mind The Gap reads: 

CASE STUDY: Zara fights sanctions for forced labour in Brazilian supply chain

Spanish fast fashion giant Zara, an Inditex brand, has been found to source clothes from Brazilian workshops with modern slavery conditions but fought against sanctions in court – showing how corporations seek to avoid liability by hiding behind complex supply chains.

Story at Mind The Gap reads: CASE STUDY: Zara fights sanctions for forced labour in Brazilian supply chain Spanish fast fashion giant Zara, an Inditex brand, has been found to source clothes from Brazilian workshops with modern slavery conditions but fought against sanctions in court – showing how corporations seek to avoid liability by hiding behind complex supply chains.

Disappointed to learn Bad Bunny wore Zara, effectively promoting the brand to millions. Although Zara has made admirable strides to address labor conditions, fast fashion can never be ethical because it depends on rapid production and cheap prices, which results in worker exploitation.

09.02.2026 06:52 β€” πŸ‘ 5478    πŸ” 512    πŸ’¬ 102    πŸ“Œ 40
US Attorney General Pam Bondi with Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt sitting on a stage talking. Eric Schmitt is wearing a navy suit with a white or light blue dress shirt, solid red tie, and black cowboy boots. His pants are very slim causing them to ride up high when he sits down and revealing a bit of leg betwen his pant hem and the tops of his cowboy boots.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi with Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt sitting on a stage talking. Eric Schmitt is wearing a navy suit with a white or light blue dress shirt, solid red tie, and black cowboy boots. His pants are very slim causing them to ride up high when he sits down and revealing a bit of leg betwen his pant hem and the tops of his cowboy boots.

come on

12.02.2026 18:57 β€” πŸ‘ 15202    πŸ” 1205    πŸ’¬ 1089    πŸ“Œ 291

I once needed to search for white Portland cement. The search for WPC just returned lots of women in uniforms.

14.02.2026 16:21 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Headline from the Telegraph
Matt Ridley
CO2 is simply not a danger to human health, and it’s actively good for crops

Headline from the Telegraph Matt Ridley CO2 is simply not a danger to human health, and it’s actively good for crops

CO2 is good for plants, including Matt Ridley, a fossil fuel plant if ever there was one.

14.02.2026 16:14 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Norman Rockwell’s β€œfreedom of speech” painting. AKA the guy standing up with an unpopular opinion meme.

Norman Rockwell’s β€œfreedom of speech” painting. AKA the guy standing up with an unpopular opinion meme.

Betting markets are designed to clear profitably – partly by pricing all the outcomes to make participation tempting! – rather than to accurately predict outcomes.

The first goal is often in direct competition with the second. Calling them β€œprediction” markets is false advertising.

14.02.2026 12:30 β€” πŸ‘ 488    πŸ” 72    πŸ’¬ 21    πŸ“Œ 5

Is there a hole underneath the funnel? and is the container full of water? If so, could it be expansion upon ice formation? All guesses.

14.02.2026 13:49 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

Keir Starmer has branded Reform UK as 'pro-Putin' at the Munich Security Conference

28% of Britons see Reform UK as pro-Russia, making them the only party the public see as more pro-Russia than anti-Russia

yougov.co.uk/politics/art...

14.02.2026 11:09 β€” πŸ‘ 118    πŸ” 50    πŸ’¬ 6    πŸ“Œ 5
Post image 14.02.2026 01:34 β€” πŸ‘ 1533    πŸ” 385    πŸ’¬ 97    πŸ“Œ 41

It doesn’t really matter *why* Trump’s desire to destabilise & divide Europe precisely mirrors Vladimir Putin’s - whether kompromat, self-interest, naked bigotry or something else l. What matters is that Europe treats both regimes like the enemies of progress & democracy they so clearly are.

14.02.2026 11:10 β€” πŸ‘ 1495    πŸ” 329    πŸ’¬ 41    πŸ“Œ 16

I know this isn't the point of the clip, but Zahawi says "I'm a big guy". Farage is 5'8" and Johnson is 5'9".

14.02.2026 11:45 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1

His neighbours should stop working their staff so hard.

14.02.2026 11:32 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I spent a weekend there in December. Got talking to lots of people and everyone was lovely.

14.02.2026 11:31 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Reform MPs Accused of Pandering to Putin After Skipping Russian Interference Debate Nigel Farage's party refused to attend the debate, called after more than 100,000 people signed a petition demanding a public inquiry into Russian interference in British politics

ICYMI: "Nigel Farage’s party refused to attend the Russian interference debate, called after more than 100,000 people signed a petition demanding a public inquiry into Russian interference in British politics"
bylinetimes.com/2026/02/10/r...

14.02.2026 08:13 β€” πŸ‘ 267    πŸ” 144    πŸ’¬ 6    πŸ“Œ 13

I miss Allsorts since being diagnosed coeliac. But the bobbly ones can get in the bin.

14.02.2026 11:08 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Is it being paid for by the NHS

14.02.2026 08:32 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

A third of people emigrating are British: two-thirds of people emigrating are foreign nationals.

But the rise in emigration is most often among non-EU migrants who arrived 3-5 years ago (including students, some leaving after post-study visas)

13.02.2026 16:06 β€” πŸ‘ 83    πŸ” 20    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 1

Folks, no need to post any more. We have a winner.

14.02.2026 07:50 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
A man in a supermarket with a β€˜bouquet’ of salami and cheese. Mainly salami. For Valentine’s Day.

A man in a supermarket with a β€˜bouquet’ of salami and cheese. Mainly salami. For Valentine’s Day.

Pffft. Red roses for Valentine’s Day? German supermarket Edeka is out here making sausage bouquets.

13.02.2026 21:55 β€” πŸ‘ 167    πŸ” 49    πŸ’¬ 8    πŸ“Œ 30
Jidge from My Cousin Vinnie saying "did you just say I have searched the depths of Legal Arguments not yet articulated"

Jidge from My Cousin Vinnie saying "did you just say I have searched the depths of Legal Arguments not yet articulated"

14.02.2026 07:42 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I passed through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnel

13.02.2026 22:19 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I passed through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnel

13.02.2026 22:18 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

It’s over for this country

13.02.2026 16:10 β€” πŸ‘ 414    πŸ” 79    πŸ’¬ 88    πŸ“Œ 77

Wouldn't it be better to offer jobs picking litter?

13.02.2026 16:49 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

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