James Barrass
@jamesbarrass.bsky.social
Toronto. Real estate. Community builder. Dog person.
Reposted by James Barrass
Have you wondered what types of businesses Torontonians work in? The 2025 #TorontoEmploymentSurvey has the answers, showing that the largest share of employment continues to be in the Office sector with half of Toronto’s jobs.
See our very first #TorontoEmploymentSurvey:
https://ow.ly/igNY50Xzcgy
See our very first #TorontoEmploymentSurvey:
https://ow.ly/igNY50Xzcgy
November 29, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Have you wondered what types of businesses Torontonians work in? The 2025 #TorontoEmploymentSurvey has the answers, showing that the largest share of employment continues to be in the Office sector with half of Toronto’s jobs.
See our very first #TorontoEmploymentSurvey:
https://ow.ly/igNY50Xzcgy
See our very first #TorontoEmploymentSurvey:
https://ow.ly/igNY50Xzcgy
Reposted by James Barrass
Reposted by James Barrass
Watch this.
I swear your blood will boil.
I swear your blood will boil.
November 18, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Watch this.
I swear your blood will boil.
I swear your blood will boil.
Reposted by James Barrass
Oh wow @reuters.com got the photo here:
November 14, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Oh wow @reuters.com got the photo here:
www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...
It's almost as if the White House *wants* Congress to exercise its authority. Who knew?
It's almost as if the White House *wants* Congress to exercise its authority. Who knew?
Trump administration says it will fully fund SNAP while court appeal plays out
The administration has asked a federal appeals court for an emergency pause on a judge's order to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
www.nbcnews.com
November 7, 2025 at 11:44 PM
www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...
It's almost as if the White House *wants* Congress to exercise its authority. Who knew?
It's almost as if the White House *wants* Congress to exercise its authority. Who knew?
Reposted by James Barrass
Ellis: "Requiring the government to comply with its obligations under the Constitution, in particular the Fourth Amendment, is simply not a harm."
November 6, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Ellis: "Requiring the government to comply with its obligations under the Constitution, in particular the Fourth Amendment, is simply not a harm."
Reposted by James Barrass
The Social Security Administration used to have an incredible communications arm, including even a film unit. This was crucial in helping people understand the program, and how it would work. From 1936, 1939.
www.ssa.gov/history/puba...
www.ssa.gov/history/puba...
November 6, 2025 at 2:13 PM
The Social Security Administration used to have an incredible communications arm, including even a film unit. This was crucial in helping people understand the program, and how it would work. From 1936, 1939.
www.ssa.gov/history/puba...
www.ssa.gov/history/puba...
Reposted by James Barrass
Mamdani: "We can respond to oligarchy and authoritarianism with the strength it fears, not the appeasement it craves. After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him."
November 5, 2025 at 4:38 AM
Mamdani: "We can respond to oligarchy and authoritarianism with the strength it fears, not the appeasement it craves. After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him."
Reposted by James Barrass
An antibiotic for superbugs? "They discovered an intermediate compound — called premethylenomycin C lactone — whose antimicrobial activity was 100 times stronger than that of the final product. Tiny doses of it killed strains of bacteria known to cause hard-to-treat infections"
Powerful new antibiotic that can kill superbugs discovered in soil bacteria
Surprise discovery could pave the way for new treatments against drug-resistant infections.
www.nature.com
November 3, 2025 at 5:54 AM
An antibiotic for superbugs? "They discovered an intermediate compound — called premethylenomycin C lactone — whose antimicrobial activity was 100 times stronger than that of the final product. Tiny doses of it killed strains of bacteria known to cause hard-to-treat infections"
Reposted by James Barrass
centrists will tell you to your face that we all need to abandon identity issues, and focus on kitchen table issues instead and yet when a leftist candidate runs a generational campaign based on kitchen table issues, it's the centrists weaponizing identity politics to smear the leftist.
October 28, 2025 at 12:08 AM
centrists will tell you to your face that we all need to abandon identity issues, and focus on kitchen table issues instead and yet when a leftist candidate runs a generational campaign based on kitchen table issues, it's the centrists weaponizing identity politics to smear the leftist.
Reposted by James Barrass
The post from the Reagan Foundation is just complete gibberish.
The ad did not, in fact, misrepresent Reagan's views. But the idea that anyone needs the Reagan Foundation's goddamn permission to use the publicly broadcast official remarks of a former president and/or edit them for brevity is crazy
The ad did not, in fact, misrepresent Reagan's views. But the idea that anyone needs the Reagan Foundation's goddamn permission to use the publicly broadcast official remarks of a former president and/or edit them for brevity is crazy
October 25, 2025 at 2:42 PM
The post from the Reagan Foundation is just complete gibberish.
The ad did not, in fact, misrepresent Reagan's views. But the idea that anyone needs the Reagan Foundation's goddamn permission to use the publicly broadcast official remarks of a former president and/or edit them for brevity is crazy
The ad did not, in fact, misrepresent Reagan's views. But the idea that anyone needs the Reagan Foundation's goddamn permission to use the publicly broadcast official remarks of a former president and/or edit them for brevity is crazy
Reposted by James Barrass
Mike Johnson doesn't know sh*t
October 22, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Mike Johnson doesn't know sh*t
Reposted by James Barrass
Won’t be long now until our use of gas peaker plants is only required on rare occasions.
landartgenerator.org/blagi/archiv...
landartgenerator.org/blagi/archiv...
October 13, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Won’t be long now until our use of gas peaker plants is only required on rare occasions.
landartgenerator.org/blagi/archiv...
landartgenerator.org/blagi/archiv...
Reposted by James Barrass
Grid scale batteries are changing our electricity system. Excellent new visual story on batteries in FT today shows just how far this technology has evolved.
Fasten your seatbelts, this is just the beginning.
ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
Fasten your seatbelts, this is just the beginning.
ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
October 13, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Grid scale batteries are changing our electricity system. Excellent new visual story on batteries in FT today shows just how far this technology has evolved.
Fasten your seatbelts, this is just the beginning.
ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
Fasten your seatbelts, this is just the beginning.
ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
Reposted by James Barrass
Pope Leo quotes Hannah Arendt:
“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exist."
www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...
“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exist."
www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...
Pope Leo calls for news agencies to stand as bulwark against "post-truths," lies and manipulation
Pope Leo XIV has encouraged international news agencies to stand firm as a bulwark against the "ancient art of lying" and manipulation.
www.cbsnews.com
October 12, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Pope Leo quotes Hannah Arendt:
“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exist."
www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...
“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exist."
www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...
Reposted by James Barrass
Renewables surpass coal for electricity in 1H2025.
Crucially, gas down slightly despite the investment boom in LNG in recent years
ember-energy.org/latest-insig...
Crucially, gas down slightly despite the investment boom in LNG in recent years
ember-energy.org/latest-insig...
October 7, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Renewables surpass coal for electricity in 1H2025.
Crucially, gas down slightly despite the investment boom in LNG in recent years
ember-energy.org/latest-insig...
Crucially, gas down slightly despite the investment boom in LNG in recent years
ember-energy.org/latest-insig...
Reposted by James Barrass
We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.
October 1, 2025 at 2:38 PM
We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.
Reposted by James Barrass
It's easy to see this speech as just weirdly performative, but there's a lot more—and a lot worse—going on here.
The meeting & speeches are part of a larger project aimed at promoting the military leadership’s partisan alignment with the administration.
How? 1/
The meeting & speeches are part of a larger project aimed at promoting the military leadership’s partisan alignment with the administration.
How? 1/
Hegseth: "If the words I'm speaking today are making your heart sink, they you should do the honorable thing and resign."
September 30, 2025 at 3:55 PM
It's easy to see this speech as just weirdly performative, but there's a lot more—and a lot worse—going on here.
The meeting & speeches are part of a larger project aimed at promoting the military leadership’s partisan alignment with the administration.
How? 1/
The meeting & speeches are part of a larger project aimed at promoting the military leadership’s partisan alignment with the administration.
How? 1/
Reposted by James Barrass
In 2020, we mapped out the danger zones that will close in on Americans over the next 30 years — combining climate data with wildfire projections by US Forest Service researchers and others.
See what changes are in store for your county 👇
See what changes are in store for your county 👇
New Climate Maps Show a Transformed United States
According to new data analyzed by ProPublica and The New York Times Magazine, warming temperatures, rising seas and changing rainfall will profoundly reshape the way people have lived in North America...
projects.propublica.org
September 24, 2025 at 3:00 AM
In 2020, we mapped out the danger zones that will close in on Americans over the next 30 years — combining climate data with wildfire projections by US Forest Service researchers and others.
See what changes are in store for your county 👇
See what changes are in store for your county 👇
Reposted by James Barrass
Kimmel: "This show is not important. What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this."
September 24, 2025 at 3:45 AM
Kimmel: "This show is not important. What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this."
Reposted by James Barrass
a few thoughts (gift link) www.nytimes.com/2025/09/20/o...
Opinion | The MAGA Movement Is Not a Debating Society
www.nytimes.com
September 20, 2025 at 5:06 PM
a few thoughts (gift link) www.nytimes.com/2025/09/20/o...
Reposted by James Barrass
there’s a lot of talk about big tech and corporations but so many international academic colleagues are also on H1Bs.
no university is going to pay 100k extra a year to keep them. if this holds, it would essentially mean the end of foreigners on tenure track jobs at US universities.
no university is going to pay 100k extra a year to keep them. if this holds, it would essentially mean the end of foreigners on tenure track jobs at US universities.
At $100,000 per H1B visa, Amazon alone will end up paying $1 Billion. Or, more likely, laying off most of their international staff.
www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-h...
www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-h...
Trump administration to add $100,000 fee for H-1B visas
The Trump administration is targeting a visa widely used by tech companies and other employers to hire foreign workers.
www.cbsnews.com
September 20, 2025 at 3:34 PM
there’s a lot of talk about big tech and corporations but so many international academic colleagues are also on H1Bs.
no university is going to pay 100k extra a year to keep them. if this holds, it would essentially mean the end of foreigners on tenure track jobs at US universities.
no university is going to pay 100k extra a year to keep them. if this holds, it would essentially mean the end of foreigners on tenure track jobs at US universities.
Reposted by James Barrass
i don’t think people on bluesky understand the severity of this situation.
i woke up to literally hundreds of texts from friends and family thinking about either moving back home to india or applying to other countries for jobs. this includes me.
i woke up to literally hundreds of texts from friends and family thinking about either moving back home to india or applying to other countries for jobs. this includes me.
Those on an H1B cannot return to the US from tomorrow (Sunday) unless paying $100K. This is an out-of-the blue presidential action. We’ll see software engineers stranded abroad.
One easy to predict outcome: those on US visas will travel less… for work, for conferences etc.
One easy to predict outcome: those on US visas will travel less… for work, for conferences etc.
September 20, 2025 at 12:20 PM
i don’t think people on bluesky understand the severity of this situation.
i woke up to literally hundreds of texts from friends and family thinking about either moving back home to india or applying to other countries for jobs. this includes me.
i woke up to literally hundreds of texts from friends and family thinking about either moving back home to india or applying to other countries for jobs. this includes me.