David Harmes
@davidharmes.bsky.social
Issues of public concern.
Kitchener-Waterloo-Ontario-Canada. 🇨🇦
Kitchener-Waterloo-Ontario-Canada. 🇨🇦
“Friendships have shifted to include the passivity of witnessing people’s lives online, as opposed to making the effort to spend quality time with them.”
Why we need to party more
We’ve grown accustomed to online social interaction, but having in-person fun is good for you, and infectious
www.theglobeandmail.com
December 28, 2025 at 12:51 AM
“Friendships have shifted to include the passivity of witnessing people’s lives online, as opposed to making the effort to spend quality time with them.”
“Nation-building requires consensus. And though national unity in Canada is still imperilled, 2025 was encouraging.”
Opinion: 2025 will rank as one of Canada’s great nation-building years
The country’s move toward more independence from the U.S. will be a defining moment in its history
www.theglobeandmail.com
December 26, 2025 at 3:20 PM
“Nation-building requires consensus. And though national unity in Canada is still imperilled, 2025 was encouraging.”
“Westinghouse has been signing up Canadian suppliers and opened an engineering hub in Kitchener, Ont., last year.”
U.S. sees Canadian-controlled nuclear giant Westinghouse as its own strategic asset, documents reveal — The Logic
OTTAWA — The U.S. government sees the Canadian-owned Westinghouse nuclear company as a tool of American influence, federal officials have warned Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson.
apple.news
December 24, 2025 at 3:35 PM
“Westinghouse has been signing up Canadian suppliers and opened an engineering hub in Kitchener, Ont., last year.”
Copaganda fills the news desert.
When we hollow out our newsrooms, we're left relying on the police for our 'news'. From The Record's homepage today. www.therecord.com
December 20, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Copaganda fills the news desert.
The bloodletting continues.
Conestoga College laid off another 197 full-time support staff Thursday after laying off 181 full-time faculty Tuesday. www.therecord.com/news/waterlo...
Heartbreak as Conestoga College cuts 197 more jobs in second layoff of support staff
The faltering college laid off 378 full-time faculty and support staff this week in job cuts that take effect in mid-March.
www.therecord.com
December 19, 2025 at 10:36 PM
The bloodletting continues.
“Any flag-of-convenience state that registers ships but does not enforce international rules against them needs to know that dark ships will face real consequences.”
Opinion: At least one part of the U.S. campaign against Venezuela makes sense: taking on the ‘dark fleet’
Amid debatably legal efforts to remove Nicolas Maduro, including a new blockade, the U.S. did show leadership on the world stage when it seized a falsely registered ‘dark fleet’ oil tanker
www.theglobeandmail.com
December 17, 2025 at 2:58 PM
“Any flag-of-convenience state that registers ships but does not enforce international rules against them needs to know that dark ships will face real consequences.”
“Conestoga’s changing fortunes are having an outsized impact in the community, leading to layoffs in higher education, weaker sales for local businesses and fewer job seekers.”
Immigration cuts leave an Ontario college, and its city, feeling the strain
Conestoga College’s changing fortunes leading to layoffs in higher education, weaker sales for local businesses and fewer job seekers in the community
www.theglobeandmail.com
December 16, 2025 at 1:00 AM
“Conestoga’s changing fortunes are having an outsized impact in the community, leading to layoffs in higher education, weaker sales for local businesses and fewer job seekers.”
“You can’t make any plans, and even if you do, it doesn’t mean it will happen.”
Kyiv digs in for a war-weary winter in Ukraine
A city endures a week of uncertainty in December, from rolling blackouts to air-raid sirens and other hazards of the Russian invasion
www.theglobeandmail.com
December 13, 2025 at 4:31 AM
“You can’t make any plans, and even if you do, it doesn’t mean it will happen.”
“Every company should have a defence strategy.”
A fighting chance: How Canada can beef up its defences and grow its economy at the same time
With a generational increase in spending and a NATO target to hit, here’s what a modern defence economy could look like
www.theglobeandmail.com
December 7, 2025 at 1:02 AM
“Every company should have a defence strategy.”
“The fundamental logic of charging for time spent rather than value delivered is becoming increasingly untenable.”
Say Goodbye to the Billable Hour, Thanks to AI — The Wall Street Journal
With AI taking over their grunt work, lawyers and other professionals may have to charge for outcomes rather than time spent
apple.news
December 5, 2025 at 4:29 AM
“The fundamental logic of charging for time spent rather than value delivered is becoming increasingly untenable.”
“The order comes despite Trump's ‘America-first’ trade policy and as he pursues a protracted trade war to poach jobs and plants from the Canadian steel, manufacturing and automotive sectors.”
ICE ordering fleet of 20 armoured vehicles from Canadian firm — The Canadian Press
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement earmarked millions of dollars for a
apple.news
December 4, 2025 at 12:42 AM
“The order comes despite Trump's ‘America-first’ trade policy and as he pursues a protracted trade war to poach jobs and plants from the Canadian steel, manufacturing and automotive sectors.”
“The United States has been amassing military forces and assets in the region since August.”
Here are the Caribbean allies helping the U.S. against Venezuela — The Washington Post
The Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago are hosting U.S. forces and facilities. Grenada is considering it.
apple.news
November 30, 2025 at 1:36 AM
“The United States has been amassing military forces and assets in the region since August.”
“The term dates back to 1956, when American sociologists observed TV viewers engaging in ‘para-social’ relationships with on-screen personalities.”
Parasocial is Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year — BBC News
Examples include the parasocial interest shown by fans to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's engagement.
apple.news
November 18, 2025 at 1:32 PM
“The term dates back to 1956, when American sociologists observed TV viewers engaging in ‘para-social’ relationships with on-screen personalities.”
“Like all great works of art, the portrait asks as many questions as it answers. For instance: How did such a farcical disaster befall the most powerful office in the world?”
Opinion | No 'official' portrait could capture Donald Trump's presidency like this one does — Toronto Star
Next to the scene of collapse around him, the President of the United States cuts a solitary and disdainful figure.
apple.news
November 15, 2025 at 5:57 AM
“Like all great works of art, the portrait asks as many questions as it answers. For instance: How did such a farcical disaster befall the most powerful office in the world?”
“The mobilization initiative prompted support from some members of the public, but the overall sentiment appeared to be one of ridicule.”
Top soldier has second thoughts about recruiting public servants for reserves — Ottawa Citizen
Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan had faced public backlash and questions about her plan.
apple.news
November 13, 2025 at 5:18 PM
“The mobilization initiative prompted support from some members of the public, but the overall sentiment appeared to be one of ridicule.”
“The army we have is not the army we need.”
From Ukraine, the lesson is clear: adaptation matters. Lieutenant General Michael Wright speaks to Wesley Wark about his plan to “flood the zone” and harness bottom-up drone innovation across the Canadian Army. thewalrus.ca/canadian-army-to...
November 5, 2025 at 4:05 PM
“The army we have is not the army we need.”
“It is a gift to live in a place where such a trivial thing meant so much to so many. For 29 remarkable days in October (and November) they made us feel like we were in something together.”
Congrats on the loss, Toronto. It was a masterpiece
It’s easy to focus on the little things after a loss as heartbreaking as this one, but the Blue Jays played one of the greatest games of baseball ever
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 2, 2025 at 5:50 PM
“It is a gift to live in a place where such a trivial thing meant so much to so many. For 29 remarkable days in October (and November) they made us feel like we were in something together.”
I appreciate seeing local ads on the Sportsnet feed tonight. Good, basic information about local organizations.
November 1, 2025 at 12:36 AM
I appreciate seeing local ads on the Sportsnet feed tonight. Good, basic information about local organizations.
“What we’re dealing with is a happy marriage of medium and message. The sounds and rhythms of baseball just mesh organically with the technology of radio broadcasting.”
The curious romance of baseball on the radio endures against all odds
The sport and the medium complement each other, like an old couple on a porch swing
www.theglobeandmail.com
October 27, 2025 at 9:35 PM
“What we’re dealing with is a happy marriage of medium and message. The sounds and rhythms of baseball just mesh organically with the technology of radio broadcasting.”
A masterclass in earned media. 🙌
What did Reagan actually say about tariffs? Read the transcript of his 1987 address — The Canadian Press
The latest storm in Canada's tense trade negotiations with the United States
apple.news
October 26, 2025 at 1:00 PM
A masterclass in earned media. 🙌
The ‘90s: “Those were the days a U.S. president would apologize for something.”
Opinion | There's one massive similarity between these World Series-bound Blue Jays and the 1992 version. It starts with the flag — Toronto Star
The Blue Jays' first World Series appearance came as a relief after a handful of heartbreaking playoff failures. This year's version came from left field by a team coming off a last-place finish. But ...
apple.news
October 24, 2025 at 1:45 AM
The ‘90s: “Those were the days a U.S. president would apologize for something.”
“Impact funds have gained more attention in recent years as some investors around the world became wary of the environmental, social and governance field amid concerns about of greenwashing, and exaggerating environmental benefits.”
Concordia University invests $25-million in social impact fund
The money is going into Realize Fund I, which was set up through Rally Assets with seed money from the federal government to help the country meet UN goals
www.theglobeandmail.com
October 21, 2025 at 11:15 PM
“Impact funds have gained more attention in recent years as some investors around the world became wary of the environmental, social and governance field amid concerns about of greenwashing, and exaggerating environmental benefits.”
A good case for supporting the cultural industries in Canada. 🇨🇦
Why we’re blowing a generational moment for Canadian culture
We’re checking the origins of our groceries, but where’s the love for the sector that truly defines who we are?
www.theglobeandmail.com
October 19, 2025 at 3:37 PM
A good case for supporting the cultural industries in Canada. 🇨🇦
Brand identity politics.
‘The worst of all time’: Trump rails against ‘super bad’ Time magazine cover — Guardian US
Despite the glowing story, the cover earned the ire of the US president with criticism of his appearance
apple.news
October 16, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Brand identity politics.
“This is an evolving and escalating campaign. Things are happening now that would have been unthinkable a few short years ago, because Russia is achieving the steady normalization of the ways in which it causes damage and harms and costs to European countries.”
Russian drones over Europe could be a ‘psyop’ – or preparations for a wider war
Analysts say the Kremlin already sees itself as being in a low-intensity war with the West
www.theglobeandmail.com
October 14, 2025 at 11:12 AM
“This is an evolving and escalating campaign. Things are happening now that would have been unthinkable a few short years ago, because Russia is achieving the steady normalization of the ways in which it causes damage and harms and costs to European countries.”