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James Halls

@topsey.bsky.social
233 followers 93 following 1.2K posts

Jack of all trades, master of none. Knows just enough to be dangerous. Usually to himself. Lives in the north half of North America.

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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 19h
So DeSantis wants to cut the residential property tax for Floridians. Who gets taxed more? Canadians, local businesses, other foreigners, etc. The knock on effects of such a move are potentially catastrophic www.cbc.ca/news/world/f...
cbc.ca
Florida weighs ditching property taxes and sticking Canadians with the bill | CBC News
Florida voters are weighing whether to scrap residential property taxes and the state's governor has a solution to that potentially huge revenue loss: tax Canadians more.
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
While it seems the world is falling apart, there are still things that happen to show there is reason to hope www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/...
aljazeera.com
‘Truly historic’: Morocco’s king appoints first woman prime minister
Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri becomes the second woman to serve as prime minister in the Arab world.
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
It may not be likely, but I'm hoping against hope.
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
We all know how Trump will try to end this. He'll send in the demolition equipment in the middle of the night. I hope that whatever activists are watching The Kennedy Center can have hundreds of people, and the press, there in minutes www.npr.org/2026/09/15/n...
npr.org
Kennedy Center board votes to close it, as judge again keeps Trump's name off
The board's vote to shutter the historic arts center came amid concerns about financial, structural problems.
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Reposted by James Halls
Mick Ryan @warinthefuture.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
While Ukraine fights to preserve its democracy and history against Russia, Russia funds the wedding for the son of the person formerly known as "leader of the free world". abcnews.com/Politics/rus...
abcnews.com
Russian oligarch paid for parts of Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding celebration, report says
Bettina Anderson characterized it as an "extremely generous wedding gift from a friend."
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
@wellerstein.bsky.social this seems like something you'd be interested in. Currently in beta so early it's not even in early access yet, however... store.steampowered.com/app/4190240/....
store.steampowered.com
Nuclear Design Bureau on Steam
Design. Detonate. Survive. As the Chief Engineer of the Kurchatov Institute, you must design atomic devices to satisfy the demands of the State. A hardcore physics-based puzzle game simulating hydrody...
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Premier Doug Ford of Ontario is a Trumpist. More clever than the man he imitates, but just as hostile to education and science. www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/poli...
ctvnews.ca
Ontario Science Centre laying off entire science department
The Ontario Science Centre has laid off 30 workers including the entire science department, The Canadian Press has learned. Science centre CEO Paul Kortenaar told employees at a meeting Thursday that ...
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Isn't this vote buying? Isn't this illegal in the United States? And if it is, shouldn't he be impeached and removed from office? www.cbc.ca/news/world/t...
cbc.ca
Trump offers $5,000 US to every American if Republicans win midterm elections | CBC News
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he would pay every American adult a $5,000 US "Trump dividend" if Republicans retain control of Congress in November's midterm elections, an extraordinary at...
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Watching a Perun video about drone adaptation in Ukraine, and as they were talking about tanks, IFV's, UGV's, etc. and low calibre dumb anti-drone weapons, youtu.be/4tCRMQnFGxw?...
youtu.be
Restoring Manoeuvre in Ukraine? - The Technology, Tactics, and Tests (with Rob & Dmytro)
YouTube video by Perun
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
What does this even mean? What does he expect to be done? So many questions, and no answers.... www.ctvnews.ca/world/trumps...
ctvnews.ca
Donald Trump calls Canada’s exchange rate with the U.S. ‘unacceptable’
In a post shared to Truth Social on Sunday, Trump added it has 'been that way for years.' However, the U.S. president did not elaborate on what he meant by the post.
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
No matter how much is completed, erase it from the Washington cityscape like it never existed. www.npr.org/2026/09/04/n...
npr.org
Trump's arch may break ground without final approval. Veterans are trying to stop it
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum says "excavation work" will begin in the next two weeks, without approval from a key federal body. Veterans who sued over the arch want a judge to intervene before then.
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
"Come any closer and I'll blow my other leg off," said the President
Trump Threatens to Halt Some Trade Unless the Fed Cuts Rates

The president said he could halt trade between the United States and countries with which it has a trade deficit if the central bank doesn’t do his bidding.

From the Sep 4, 2026 New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/04/business/economy/trump-trade-threats-fed-rate-cuts.html
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Somehow, the Attorney General of Missouri thinks the voters are disenfranchised because the Missouri Supreme Court wants to let the voters vote in a referendum? 🤔 missouriindependent.com/2026/09/03/m...
missouriindependent.com
Missouri Supreme Court blocks gerrymandered congressional map, orders referendum vote • Missouri Independent
Missourians will vote on the gerrymandered congressional map muscled through the Legislature in 2025, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled.
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
These are cadets, and cadets in Canada tend to be under 18. So Pete, how does it feel to be a real man, now that you can add child abuse to your list of "qualifications"? www.ctvnews.ca/canada/artic...
ctvnews.ca
Pentagon defends Hegseth's controversial post about Canadian cadet program
The Pentagon is standing behind a controversial social media post by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about a Canadian cadet program as the Trump administration continues to denigrate Canada’s Arme...
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Reposted by James Halls
Illia Ponomarenko @ioponomarenko.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Wouldn’t it be great if Narendra Modi, instead of philosophically lamenting how every day of the war sets humanity back and calling for peace, actually stopped buying bloody oil from Putin and thereby finally stopped financing Russia’s war to exterminate Ukraine?
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Agree or disagree, Colonel Reisner always covers topics about things worth thinking about youtu.be/DiuffbyXr-I?...
youtu.be
All In
YouTube video by Österreichs Bundesheer
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
In the end, renaming Lake Ontario on American maps will have as much effect as renaming the Gulf of Mexico. Everybody except the US will use the original name, and when Trump leaves office the next President will reverse the orders. Such a pathetic, deluded man. www.cbc.ca/news/world/t...
cbc.ca
Trump moves to rename Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' amid trade spat with 'entitled' Canada | CBC News
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to change the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America" as tensions with Canada worsen.
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Reposted by James Halls
Tod Maffin 🇨🇦 @todmaffin.com · 27/08/2026
You vote in the midterms, that’s how.
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Donald Trump and Doug Ford. Hell hath no fury like a jilted political acolyte. Which is not to say I like Ford. He's a small minded creep just like his former master. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
How much leverage does Ontario have in the U.S. trade war? | CBC News
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been at the forefront of the fight against the tariffs the Trump administration has imposed on Canada. Amid the escalating trade war, here's a look at what leverage Ontar...
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
One of the US conditions in the trade negotiations was to change Canadian and Quebec language laws. That would be like Canada asking the US to make Spanish their other official language. Both are completely unacceptable negotiating positions.
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
"United Snakes... Sorry, States" youtu.be/AmVIXrdc2hE?...
youtu.be
A Message From The Government of Canada Regarding the US Trade War
YouTube video by brittlestar
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
I think a major problem Americans have is believing that electing a President is just about them. It's not. The person they elect is effectively the President of Earth due to the economic, scientific, military and cultural power of the United States. 1/2
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
It seems to me that Canada is past the "Elbows Up" part of this dispute and we should now be at "Sticks High." Let's hope we don't get to "Gloves Off" www.npr.org/2026/08/22/n...
npr.org
U.S.-Canada trade talks collapse just before deadline for tariffs
The midnight deadline means that U.S. will impose 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian products. Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada "will match those tariffs dollar for dollar."
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
"However, last-minute changes in the U.S. proposed terms were unfair, uneconomic, and called into question the reliability of any deal." And this is why no one likes to negotiate with Trump. Good on PM Carney for calling it out. www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/stat...
pm.gc.ca
Statement by Prime Minister Carney on Canada-U.S. trade negotiations
We have recognised from the beginning that America has changed, and that we will not return to our old relationship. Our government understood, before many, that America is altering all its trade rela...
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
I know this will get ugly, but Trump needs to learn that negotiation is give and take, not "my way or the highway". Sticks high Canada. www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/stat...
pm.gc.ca
Statement by Prime Minister Carney on Canada-U.S. trade negotiations
We have recognised from the beginning that America has changed, and that we will not return to our old relationship. Our government understood, before many, that America is altering all its trade rela...
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
35 years ago today, the coup that brought about the end of the USSR happened. I had left a few days earlier for a holiday at the family off-grid cabin. When I left there was a USSR. When I came back a week later what was left... was not. 1/2
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Chandler was a time traveler from the 2020s or later. 1) You could drop this techno-babble into most any Star Trek episode and it would fit. 2) "Google told him." I rest my case.
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
This is truth. I just wish we knew how long it will take the people who make the funding decisions to realize AI is just the current "shiny thing"
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Reposted by James Halls
"Online Rent-a-Sage" Bret Devereaux @bretdevereaux.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
What we are learning is not that the US military is weak or that Iran is a superpower or that the PLA-N wished a global supply chain into being. What we're learning is that no amount of military excellence can rescue strategic incompetence. Stop voting for orange idiots.
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
If you're a space nerd and want and educated guess-work (until SpaceX gives us info) on how SpaceX can tow Starship in the Indian Ocean, Sal is the guy to watch youtu.be/0i0hpJ0Hqj4?...
youtu.be
Space X's Starship 40: The Voyage Home
YouTube video by What's Going on With Shipping?
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Canada has had the ability to get its own nuclear bombs for a long time, but the fact that it is now being openly discussed in Canadian media is something we can thank President Trump for. www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
cbc.ca
Canada remains anti-nuke, but its potential path to the bomb is getting shorter | CBC News
Canada's indigenous nuclear industry, homegrown tech, use of heavy-water reactors producing plutonium and tritium, and abundant domestic supply of uranium all position this country as a prime candidat...
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
There is no reasoning with a person as stupid and petty as Trump. He has no honour, honesty or forethought. He does only what he thinks will make him look good now. 1/4 www.cbc.ca/news/world/t...
cbc.ca
Trump vows tariffs to come for Canada over wildfire smoke that has drifted to U.S. | CBC News
U.S. President ‌Donald ​Trump on Friday ​vowed to impose tariffs ​on Canada in ‌retaliation for smoke from wildfires that ‌has drifted ​into the United States.
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
This is actually the primary strategic failure. Otherwise, spot on.
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
And again, because he sees advantage, Trump breaks a contract, in this case his Free Trade Agreement he signed with Canada in 2018. Always remember that Trump will betray you for any reason, or even no reason, at all apnews.com/article/trum...
apnews.com
Trump imposes 50% tariffs on Canadian goods, citing disputes over autos, alcohol and cheese
President Donald Trump has imposed 50% tariffs on most Canadian goods, declaring that Canada has unfairly discriminated against American autos, alcohol and dairy products.
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
"Sandy" Nininger won the 1st US Medal of Honour of WW2. From what I understand, Hegseth would probably think him weak. From Niniger's bio "He appreciated art, literature, and classical music" and at West Point brought "the first Broadway show there." www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles...
nationalww2museum.org
Lieutenant Alexander R. Nininger's Medal of Honor
Lieutenant Alexander R. Nininger received the first Medal of Honor of World War II.
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
This would be what most Canadians think of the Michigan Republicans who are upset about the smoke drifting down from our burning towns and forests youtube.com/shorts/zB2ZH...
youtube.com
Canada is burning, and America is complaining about the view.
YouTube video by Tod Maffin
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
The truth *should* hurt
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Sad but true on so many levels.
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Old news in Germany, but new to me. Apparently there may be other vehicles in the trench the Stug III was found in. #stuglife www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...
euronews.com
Chance find in Nordholz: Wehrmacht assault gun unearthed
The almost completely intact vehicle was found during construction work in Nordholz. It is due to be moved to the German Tank Museum in Munster in August. #EuropeNews
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Apropos of nothing, I think I'd like blue sky (the sky, not the app!) to be semi-gloss. I know it would entail changing the rules of physics, but really, what could go wrong?
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Do your research. Double and triple check that you've done your research, or else an expert will come along and justifiably incinerate what you wrote and scatter the ashes
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
I've seen a lot about Count Binface in my feed. The man behind the bin is educated, has a sense of humour, and even been a presenter for BBC. From my limited knowledge of British politics, it seems Clacton could do worse than to elect him their MP.
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
"The drone will always get through," to slightly rephrase Stanley Baldwin
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
I finally got around to listening to Anders Puck Neilsen's interview with Anthony Scaramucci, and it was not what I was expecting. Definitely worth listening too youtu.be/Eql7csZqy7c?...
youtu.be
Would the US actually defend NATO? — Interview with Anthony Scaramucci
YouTube video by Anders Puck Nielsen — conversations
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Two things come to mind reading about Trump on Greenland: 1) The psychodrama begins again 2) One war at a time Mr Trump. One war at a time (because Iran is obviously more than enough) www.cbc.ca/news/world/t...
cbc.ca
Trump revives argument that U.S. should control Greenland as NATO leaders gather | CBC News
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the U.S., not Denmark, should control Greenland, reviving a stance that has ‌caused tensions among NATO allies just as leaders of the alliance gathered...
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Ambassador Hoekstra can demand whatever he wants. The USA elected Trump twice. I won't buy American alcohol until Trump is in jail and the rest of his enablers are either in jail, removed from their positions, or both www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
cbc.ca
Ambassador Hoekstra wants American booze back on Canadian shelves next year | CBC News
U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra's speech at a Fourth of July party in Ottawa included a political nudge aimed at Canada, with American F-35 fighter jets flying over the crowd and a comment abo...
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
And I do want to say that in spite of my posts today, I wish my American followers a very happy 4th. The USA never lost its greatness in my eyes.
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
This is worse than the ignorance in the cartoon Yankee Doodle Bugs. How can you be proud of what America stands for when you don't know why July 4th is celebrated, or the reason for America's independence. 1/2 www.npr.org/2026/07/03/n...
npr.org
Nearly half of Americans surveyed don't know what America 250 commemorates
A new national poll reveals a striking paradox in public sentiment ahead of America's 250th anniversary: a disconnect between Americans' strong patriotic pride and their lack of civic knowledge.
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Donald Trump on July 4th and President William Henry Harrison at his inauguration. I wonder if history will rhyme? www.cbc.ca/player/play/...
cbc.ca
Trump promises 'really long' Fourth of July speech despite heat warning
U.S. President Donald Trump said he plans to deliver a ‘really long’ Fourth of July speech despite many celebrations for America’s 250 birthday in Washington have already been cancelled due to severe ...
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James Halls @topsey.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
This is probably the most unique combination I have seen - a ramjet assisted biplane. Early aviation did surely produce some strange airplanes.
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