Joshua Barretto
@jsbarretto.com
Software engineering / security / safety. Also gardening, urbanism, lefty politics, DIY, and occasional dog photos. Really, really dislikes fascists. Born at 364 ppm. He/him.
More active on Mastodon: social.coop/@jsbarretto
More active on Mastodon: social.coop/@jsbarretto
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
pretty funny in retrospect that QAnon hinged on the idea that powerful elites at the highest levels of government were smart enough to talk in code when sending emails to each other about their despicable crimes
November 12, 2025 at 10:08 PM
pretty funny in retrospect that QAnon hinged on the idea that powerful elites at the highest levels of government were smart enough to talk in code when sending emails to each other about their despicable crimes
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
just opening up the new Epstein docs at random:
November 12, 2025 at 9:42 PM
just opening up the new Epstein docs at random:
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
IMO the worst thing about this government is its failure to see Trump, Farage, anti-immigration rhetoric, rising racism, and the 'gender critical' lobby as connected elements of a global war against liberalism and social democracy – and instead treating them as discrete issues to be 'managed'.
November 11, 2025 at 9:30 AM
IMO the worst thing about this government is its failure to see Trump, Farage, anti-immigration rhetoric, rising racism, and the 'gender critical' lobby as connected elements of a global war against liberalism and social democracy – and instead treating them as discrete issues to be 'managed'.
Reform are a fifth column.
🧵/ How far does the public support net zero?
Support: 60%
Oppose: 25%
Net support by party
Green: +81
Lib Dem: +67
Lab: +64
Con: +11
Reform: -44
yougov.co.uk/politics/art...
Support: 60%
Oppose: 25%
Net support by party
Green: +81
Lib Dem: +67
Lab: +64
Con: +11
Reform: -44
yougov.co.uk/politics/art...
November 11, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Reform are a fifth column.
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
It is curious how the Labour Party came to set its face so firmly against the principle of broad-based taxes. The idea that "working people" collectively shoulder the costs of the welfare state (or defence of the realm) seems like a good idea for progressives to defend
November 10, 2025 at 6:07 PM
It is curious how the Labour Party came to set its face so firmly against the principle of broad-based taxes. The idea that "working people" collectively shoulder the costs of the welfare state (or defence of the realm) seems like a good idea for progressives to defend
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
Depressing that the BBC has so little inherent institutional strength, it is kicked about so easily.
This is not good sign for our polity.
This is not good sign for our polity.
November 9, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Depressing that the BBC has so little inherent institutional strength, it is kicked about so easily.
This is not good sign for our polity.
This is not good sign for our polity.
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
Tech guys six months ago: haha yes we’re cutting all this WASTEFUL spending by eliminating medical research and USAID
Tech guys now: yes I think taxpayers will be excited to bailout my non consensual pornography machine
Tech guys now: yes I think taxpayers will be excited to bailout my non consensual pornography machine
November 8, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Tech guys six months ago: haha yes we’re cutting all this WASTEFUL spending by eliminating medical research and USAID
Tech guys now: yes I think taxpayers will be excited to bailout my non consensual pornography machine
Tech guys now: yes I think taxpayers will be excited to bailout my non consensual pornography machine
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
Tax policy on the British left is pure "anti-bedtime left". Bizarre idea that you can have a big social democratic welfare state without everyone contributing properly www.economist.com/britain/2025...
November 6, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Tax policy on the British left is pure "anti-bedtime left". Bizarre idea that you can have a big social democratic welfare state without everyone contributing properly www.economist.com/britain/2025...
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
For as many years as anyone been counting two or more inmates been mistakenly released from British prisons most weeks. Record does not make it acceptable. System needs to be fixed. It does leave me asking why BBC now gripped by end-of-civilisation hysteria heard on Radio 4 Today programme.
November 6, 2025 at 10:52 AM
For as many years as anyone been counting two or more inmates been mistakenly released from British prisons most weeks. Record does not make it acceptable. System needs to be fixed. It does leave me asking why BBC now gripped by end-of-civilisation hysteria heard on Radio 4 Today programme.
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
If you asked me to come up with the names of politicians who are publicly and unapologetically pro-LGBT and pro-trans rights in particular, two of the most obvious would now both be Muslim mayors of major cities. And both are routinely smeared as regards to 'Sharia Law'.
November 5, 2025 at 8:32 PM
If you asked me to come up with the names of politicians who are publicly and unapologetically pro-LGBT and pro-trans rights in particular, two of the most obvious would now both be Muslim mayors of major cities. And both are routinely smeared as regards to 'Sharia Law'.
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
the entire twitter and group chat poisoned elite of American society who decided Trump winning an election by 1.5% heralded a thousand year reich may have miscalculated a bit
November 5, 2025 at 3:50 AM
the entire twitter and group chat poisoned elite of American society who decided Trump winning an election by 1.5% heralded a thousand year reich may have miscalculated a bit
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
Notable in today's YouGov that the centre/left bloc - Lab/Green/LD/SNP are on 54%. With Reform/Tories on 43%. That's the biggest differential in a long time.
I think useful to track blocs given instability between parties at the moment.
I think useful to track blocs given instability between parties at the moment.
November 4, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Notable in today's YouGov that the centre/left bloc - Lab/Green/LD/SNP are on 54%. With Reform/Tories on 43%. That's the biggest differential in a long time.
I think useful to track blocs given instability between parties at the moment.
I think useful to track blocs given instability between parties at the moment.
Got to be careful with those sandwiches, they pack a lunch
It's not in this article but the government asserts that the sandwich was thrown at "point blank range", which implies subway sandwiches have defined effective weapon ranges of varying lethality, and I would like to see the government's chart of these ranges.
Trial Begins for Man Accused of Lobbing a Sandwich at a Federal Agent www.nytimes.com/2025/11/03/u...
November 3, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Got to be careful with those sandwiches, they pack a lunch
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
As someone who does not live in America, let alone New York, let me reiterate again how the best option for me personally is Eric Adams.
Years of entertainment, lost like tears in the rain
Years of entertainment, lost like tears in the rain
November 2, 2025 at 10:06 PM
As someone who does not live in America, let alone New York, let me reiterate again how the best option for me personally is Eric Adams.
Years of entertainment, lost like tears in the rain
Years of entertainment, lost like tears in the rain
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
i know trans people who think about trans people less often than some broadsheet columnists
November 2, 2025 at 11:20 PM
i know trans people who think about trans people less often than some broadsheet columnists
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
Next time someone tells you that train drivers "just push buttons" show them this from the BBC
November 2, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Next time someone tells you that train drivers "just push buttons" show them this from the BBC
This, incidentally, is why I am a Labour Party member
November 2, 2025 at 1:03 PM
This, incidentally, is why I am a Labour Party member
Recently been working on a project that needs user query result ranking. In my experience, you rank by a few things:
- Does it start with the query?
- Does it contain the query?
- How recently was it last used?
This is all you need to get the right result 99% of the time on, like, 2 keystrokes
- Does it start with the query?
- Does it contain the query?
- How recently was it last used?
This is all you need to get the right result 99% of the time on, like, 2 keystrokes
![ulauncher for "mesen", showing "welcome screen" (welco[me s]cre[en]) ranked above "mesen"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:gwfx4qjjq2yhjzrgr5xqcnyz/bafkreihgl6ba46uls4txp7xa5m7xv4rd2a3ft6yamijm2a3q5ommy53cvm@jpeg)
November 2, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Recently been working on a project that needs user query result ranking. In my experience, you rank by a few things:
- Does it start with the query?
- Does it contain the query?
- How recently was it last used?
This is all you need to get the right result 99% of the time on, like, 2 keystrokes
- Does it start with the query?
- Does it contain the query?
- How recently was it last used?
This is all you need to get the right result 99% of the time on, like, 2 keystrokes
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
have respect for every human life. we are all made in gods image. big computers on top. buncha important balloons in the middle. stilts.
June 3, 2023 at 2:55 AM
have respect for every human life. we are all made in gods image. big computers on top. buncha important balloons in the middle. stilts.
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
The problem with diagnosing "the electorate have unreasonable expectations around tax and spend" is that those expectations did not develop in a vacuum. They are the product of decades of politicians and the media telling them they can have x services with y tax levels, or not contradicting it.
November 1, 2025 at 8:06 PM
The problem with diagnosing "the electorate have unreasonable expectations around tax and spend" is that those expectations did not develop in a vacuum. They are the product of decades of politicians and the media telling them they can have x services with y tax levels, or not contradicting it.
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
Nigel Farage says this summer’s movement was led by ‘ordinary people’ expressing their patriotism. That’s not what we found
www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/the-men-who-...
www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/the-men-who-...
The men who raised the flags
Nigel Farage says this summer’s movement was led by ‘ordinary people’ expressing their patriotism. That’s not what we found
www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk
November 1, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Nigel Farage says this summer’s movement was led by ‘ordinary people’ expressing their patriotism. That’s not what we found
www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/the-men-who-...
www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/the-men-who-...
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
so glad I can be learning Rust from the experts at Adobe, their beautiful elegant code is really an inspiration 😊
![impl<'a> From<&'a dyn Stream> for StreamAdapter<'a> {
#[allow(invalid_reference_casting)]
fn from(stream: &'a dyn Stream) -> Self {
let stream = &*stream as *const dyn Stream as *mut dyn Stream;
let stream = unsafe { &mut *stream };
Self { stream }
}
}](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2zmxikig2sj7gqaezl5gntae/bafkreidb7urqadk6li75wsjwpi3ntv5majbbngkr2nhr54jkabkcshgf7y@jpeg)
November 1, 2025 at 12:57 AM
so glad I can be learning Rust from the experts at Adobe, their beautiful elegant code is really an inspiration 😊
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
Another nice example of centre and left votes lining up behind the best candidate to beat Reform.
Bromsgrove South (Worcestershire) Council By-Election Result:
🔶 LDM: 51.9% (+20.3)
➡️ RFM: 33.4% (-1.5)
🌳 CON: 11.3% (-5.8)
🌹 LAB: 3.4% (-4.1)
No GRN (-5.5) or Ind (-3.4) as previous.
Liberal Democrat GAIN from Reform.
Changes w/ 2025.
🔶 LDM: 51.9% (+20.3)
➡️ RFM: 33.4% (-1.5)
🌳 CON: 11.3% (-5.8)
🌹 LAB: 3.4% (-4.1)
No GRN (-5.5) or Ind (-3.4) as previous.
Liberal Democrat GAIN from Reform.
Changes w/ 2025.
October 31, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Another nice example of centre and left votes lining up behind the best candidate to beat Reform.
This man is the 'Interesting number paradox' in human form. He's so incredibly normal for a politician, and that alone makes him bizarre.
Juntos vamos a construir la ciudad que merecemos!
Y con tu ayuda, voy a seguir aprendiendo español 😉
Y con tu ayuda, voy a seguir aprendiendo español 😉
October 31, 2025 at 11:53 AM
This man is the 'Interesting number paradox' in human form. He's so incredibly normal for a politician, and that alone makes him bizarre.
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
Very poor from the government: it won't review suitability of X for its communications, and insists on keeping secret its previous review.
October 31, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Very poor from the government: it won't review suitability of X for its communications, and insists on keeping secret its previous review.