Brian Probert
@brianhprobert.bsky.social
Retired British software developer.
Yorkshire (near) Dales 75%, Connecticut 25%
Yorkshire (near) Dales 75%, Connecticut 25%
Return of the Oystercatchers. I count 68
February 9, 2026 at 4:52 PM
Return of the Oystercatchers. I count 68
One year to the day and the oystercatchers are back — but I didn’t have my camera this time
The oystercatchers have returned to the Leeds Liverpool Canal
February 8, 2026 at 4:29 PM
One year to the day and the oystercatchers are back — but I didn’t have my camera this time
Interesting article in @washingtonpost.com
roughly 7 million men between the ages of 25 and 54 are now un-workers: over 1 in 10. For every prime-age man who is actually unemployed — i.e. jobless but looking — there are three who are jobless and not looking.
roughly 7 million men between the ages of 25 and 54 are now un-workers: over 1 in 10. For every prime-age man who is actually unemployed — i.e. jobless but looking — there are three who are jobless and not looking.
February 4, 2026 at 10:20 PM
Interesting article in @washingtonpost.com
roughly 7 million men between the ages of 25 and 54 are now un-workers: over 1 in 10. For every prime-age man who is actually unemployed — i.e. jobless but looking — there are three who are jobless and not looking.
roughly 7 million men between the ages of 25 and 54 are now un-workers: over 1 in 10. For every prime-age man who is actually unemployed — i.e. jobless but looking — there are three who are jobless and not looking.
EU dependency on critical minerals -- skip to the graph if you can't read French
Pour la transition énergétique, l’inquiétante dépendance de l’Union européenne aux importations de matières premières
Pour la transition énergétique, l’inquiétante dépendance de l’Union européenne aux importations de matières premières
Selon la Cour des comptes européenne, la dépendance est totale pour dix matières premières critiques. Elle suggère de diversifier les importations, d’augmenter la production intérieure et de gérer plus durablement les ressources.
www.lemonde.fr
February 2, 2026 at 4:48 PM
EU dependency on critical minerals -- skip to the graph if you can't read French
Reposted by Brian Probert
Pour la transition énergétique, l’inquiétante dépendance de l’Union européenne aux importations de matières premières
Pour la transition énergétique, l’inquiétante dépendance de l’Union européenne aux importations de matières premières
Selon la Cour des comptes européenne, la dépendance est totale pour dix matières premières critiques. Elle suggère de diversifier les importations, d’augmenter la production intérieure et de gérer plus durablement les ressources.
www.lemonde.fr
February 2, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Pour la transition énergétique, l’inquiétante dépendance de l’Union européenne aux importations de matières premières
Spell checker a real pain when typing Ynysybwl into Google Maps
February 2, 2026 at 3:57 PM
Spell checker a real pain when typing Ynysybwl into Google Maps
Swans fighting on the frozen Leeds Liverpool Canal
January 15, 2026 at 4:21 PM
Swans fighting on the frozen Leeds Liverpool Canal
Confabulation on DuckDuckGo
Search Assist
"Two British Labour MPs, Imran Ahmed and Clare Melford, were banned from entering the US after being accused of trying to coerce American tech platforms into suppressing free speech. "
These are not MPs
Search Assist
"Two British Labour MPs, Imran Ahmed and Clare Melford, were banned from entering the US after being accused of trying to coerce American tech platforms into suppressing free speech. "
These are not MPs
January 5, 2026 at 11:35 AM
Confabulation on DuckDuckGo
Search Assist
"Two British Labour MPs, Imran Ahmed and Clare Melford, were banned from entering the US after being accused of trying to coerce American tech platforms into suppressing free speech. "
These are not MPs
Search Assist
"Two British Labour MPs, Imran Ahmed and Clare Melford, were banned from entering the US after being accused of trying to coerce American tech platforms into suppressing free speech. "
These are not MPs
Algeria passes a law ruling that French colonialism 1830 to 1962 was illegal and criminal. Apparently. the French are pretty pissed off about it
bsky.app/profile/lemo...
bsky.app/profile/lemo...
La France déplore la loi votée en Algérie pour « criminaliser la colonisation française », une « initiative manifestement hostile »
La France déplore la loi votée en Algérie pour « criminaliser la colonisation française », une « initiative manifestement hostile »
Le ministère des affaires étrangères a dit souhaiter, mercredi, continuer « de travailler à la reprise d’un dialogue exigeant » avec Alger, malgré la multiplication des signes de contentieux entre les deux pays ces dernières années.
www.lemonde.fr
December 24, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Algeria passes a law ruling that French colonialism 1830 to 1962 was illegal and criminal. Apparently. the French are pretty pissed off about it
bsky.app/profile/lemo...
bsky.app/profile/lemo...
USA sanctions five Europeans involved in regulation or fact checking of social media -- including a Brit currently residing in the US. No coverage in @thetimes.com yet
bsky.app/profile/lexp...
bsky.app/profile/lexp...
Régulation de la tech : Thierry Breton et plusieurs Européens sanctionnés par l'administration Trump
➡️ https://l.lexpress.fr/FgG
➡️ https://l.lexpress.fr/FgG
December 24, 2025 at 11:18 AM
USA sanctions five Europeans involved in regulation or fact checking of social media -- including a Brit currently residing in the US. No coverage in @thetimes.com yet
bsky.app/profile/lexp...
bsky.app/profile/lexp...
Reposted by Brian Probert
Régulation de la tech : Thierry Breton et plusieurs Européens sanctionnés par l'administration Trump
➡️ https://l.lexpress.fr/FgG
➡️ https://l.lexpress.fr/FgG
December 24, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Régulation de la tech : Thierry Breton et plusieurs Européens sanctionnés par l'administration Trump
➡️ https://l.lexpress.fr/FgG
➡️ https://l.lexpress.fr/FgG
Time to ditch the pseudo-analogue controls on streaming apps?
Why do they still use the slider for fast forward and back? I often want to replay the last 30 secs when I miss something and it's really difficult. A pop up menu with a few options (+ or - 30s, 1 min, 5min etc) would be much better
Why do they still use the slider for fast forward and back? I often want to replay the last 30 secs when I miss something and it's really difficult. A pop up menu with a few options (+ or - 30s, 1 min, 5min etc) would be much better
December 3, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Time to ditch the pseudo-analogue controls on streaming apps?
Why do they still use the slider for fast forward and back? I often want to replay the last 30 secs when I miss something and it's really difficult. A pop up menu with a few options (+ or - 30s, 1 min, 5min etc) would be much better
Why do they still use the slider for fast forward and back? I often want to replay the last 30 secs when I miss something and it's really difficult. A pop up menu with a few options (+ or - 30s, 1 min, 5min etc) would be much better
Sooner @sarahsackman.bsky.social takes over from her useless boss, the better for all of us
December 2, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Sooner @sarahsackman.bsky.social takes over from her useless boss, the better for all of us
@newyorker.com has a very good article about data centres
October 27, 2025 at 3:30 PM
@newyorker.com has a very good article about data centres
I see that The Descent is on BBC iPlayer -- one of the most frightening horror films ever made. I remember coming out from a late afternoon showing and thinking that if it had been dark everyone would have been afraid to go home.
October 12, 2025 at 12:52 PM
I see that The Descent is on BBC iPlayer -- one of the most frightening horror films ever made. I remember coming out from a late afternoon showing and thinking that if it had been dark everyone would have been afraid to go home.
Just received this winter fuel payment scam. A criminal opportunity created by government U turns
October 3, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Just received this winter fuel payment scam. A criminal opportunity created by government U turns
@thetimes.com 1,580 families on universal credit with 5 or more children stand to benefit from abolishing the [2 child] cap ..,
It includes 14,899 families with 6 children, 4,812 with 7 children, 1,822 with eight children and 668 with 9 children, [and] 424 families with 10 or more children
It includes 14,899 families with 6 children, 4,812 with 7 children, 1,822 with eight children and 668 with 9 children, [and] 424 families with 10 or more children
October 1, 2025 at 12:22 PM
@thetimes.com 1,580 families on universal credit with 5 or more children stand to benefit from abolishing the [2 child] cap ..,
It includes 14,899 families with 6 children, 4,812 with 7 children, 1,822 with eight children and 668 with 9 children, [and] 424 families with 10 or more children
It includes 14,899 families with 6 children, 4,812 with 7 children, 1,822 with eight children and 668 with 9 children, [and] 424 families with 10 or more children
Three giant puffballs
September 14, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Three giant puffballs
Leeds Liverpool canal near Gargrave
July 28, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Leeds Liverpool canal near Gargrave
Saw this black rabbit on the lawn outside our window. According to the web these are very rare 1/100,000
July 13, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Saw this black rabbit on the lawn outside our window. According to the web these are very rare 1/100,000
Reposted by Brian Probert
Tour de France : tout comprendre sur le classement du meilleur grimpeur
Tour de France : tout comprendre sur le classement du meilleur grimpeur
L’édition 2025 marque le cinquantième anniversaire de la présence sur la Grande Boucle du maillot distinctif blanc à pois rouges porté par le meilleur grimpeur de l’épreuve. L’occasion de revenir sur le fonctionnement de ce classement annexe.
www.lemonde.fr
July 5, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Tour de France : tout comprendre sur le classement du meilleur grimpeur
6 years older than the new pope so this is probably the last time I will see the smoke
May 8, 2025 at 9:57 PM
6 years older than the new pope so this is probably the last time I will see the smoke
@publicinquiry.bsky.social 30 years ago on the 50th anniversary of VE Day you gave an imaginary despatch from a defeated Berlin. I thought it was really outstanding and I wondered if it was available online.
April 18, 2025 at 9:32 PM
@publicinquiry.bsky.social 30 years ago on the 50th anniversary of VE Day you gave an imaginary despatch from a defeated Berlin. I thought it was really outstanding and I wondered if it was available online.
BBC 27-Feb-2025 Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos has announced that the newspaper's opinion section will focus on supporting “personal liberties and free markets", and pieces opposing those views will not be published.
How’s that working out now?
How’s that working out now?
April 9, 2025 at 5:14 PM
BBC 27-Feb-2025 Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos has announced that the newspaper's opinion section will focus on supporting “personal liberties and free markets", and pieces opposing those views will not be published.
How’s that working out now?
How’s that working out now?
Article about de-extinction in this week’s @newyorker.com
Michael Abrams is one of the heads of the woolly-mammoth team; Sara Ord leads the thylacine group; Anna Keyte is in charge of the dodo project.
Michael Abrams is one of the heads of the woolly-mammoth team; Sara Ord leads the thylacine group; Anna Keyte is in charge of the dodo project.
April 7, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Article about de-extinction in this week’s @newyorker.com
Michael Abrams is one of the heads of the woolly-mammoth team; Sara Ord leads the thylacine group; Anna Keyte is in charge of the dodo project.
Michael Abrams is one of the heads of the woolly-mammoth team; Sara Ord leads the thylacine group; Anna Keyte is in charge of the dodo project.