James Piper, Author

Movies Watched in March 20071. 2007/03/01 The Big Red One. War. (1980, 162 mins.) NR
2. 2007/03/02 Patton. War. (1970, 170 mins.) NR
3. 2007/03/02 Patton. War. (1970, 170 mins.) NR
4. 2007/03/03 Easter Parade. Musical. (1948, 107 mins.) NR
5. 2007/03/03 Easter Parade. Musical. (1948, 107 mins.) NR
6. 2007/03/04 The Birds. Thriller. (1963, 120 mins.) NR
7. 2007/03/04 All The President's Men. Drama. (1976, 138 mins.) NR
8. 2007/03/05 The Awful Truth. Romantic Comedy. (1937, 91 mins.) NR
9. 2007/03/05 Summer Stock. Musical. (1950, 108 mins.) NR
10. 2007/03/05 The Bells Of St. Mary's. Drama. (1945, 126 mins.) NR
11. 2007/03/06 The Joy Luck Club. Drama. (1993, 139 mins.) NR
12. 2007/03/07 The Awful Truth. Romantic Comedy. (1937, 91 mins.) NR
13. 2007/03/08 Truly, Madly, Deeply. Romantic Comedy. (1991, 107 mins.) NR
14. 2007/03/09 Sense and Sensibility. Drama. (1995, 136 mins.) NR
15. 2007/03/09 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Comedy. (1966, 99 mins.) NR
16. 2007/03/…

Saturday, March 10, 2007 ...mourning doves take over the nest... I n the late summer of 2006, a pair of robins decided to build a nest on a spout that ran down from the eavestrough then back under the roof. Where it attached to the side of the house, the spout is almost horizontal giving the birds a flat surface to build their nest and a protected area from rain, wind and I suppose predators. They worked non-stop to build this nest. An engineering marvel—sturdy—built of twigs, grass, string and mud. Then came their chicks. Two parents and two chicks. The parents took turns gathering worms to feed the chicks. Flight after the flight, one parent would arrive with food then the other would leave to find more. Hour after hour these chicks were feed. At first, the points of their beaks were the only thing that popped out of the nest, later, more of the beaks, then more, then their necks showed, until, not less than four weeks later these chicks were as big as the parents. Then one d…

Monday, March 12, 2007 ...words, words, words...we got words... I started reading Words, Words, Words by David Crystal (Oxford University Press, 2006) and I was surprised by his statement that there is no definitive word count for the English language. On a number of occasions I've read and heard that the English language has so many million words and the French language this many or Swedish a much smaller number. I took it that someone went to the trouble of counting the words and came up with a total, but it's not that easy. Compare a British dictionary to an American dictionary and there are numerous differences—differences that extend beyond simple spelling variations. Words are included in one dictionary but not the other and vice-versa. Then there is the issue of scientific words. Do you include all those Latin-derived mouthfuls used to name plants and animals? Lawyers may use stare decisis and economists, ceterus paribus, but should they be counted as words, include…

Saturday, March 10, 2007 ...Chris Simons' attack brings out the worst in hockey fans... O n Thursday, March 8th, Chris Simon of the New York Islanders thought he was a baseball player instead of a hockey player. Thought his stick was a bat and Ryan Hollweg's head a baseball. With two hands and one swing, Simon smashed his stick into Hollweg's face.It was a repulsive and barbarous act that highlights the worst aspects of hockey.There can be no justification for his attack. It was criminal, yet to hear some callers on the FAN 590 in Toronto, incidents like this were bound to happen because of the instigator rule.They argue that if the instigator rule were removed, the players could police themselves. They could drop their gloves at will and everything would be fine. But it wouldn't be fine. Chris Simon took matters into his own hands and swung his stick. Swinging his fists instead simply eliminates the stick.What they are really saying is that they love blood sports…

Thursday, March 8, 2007 ...Me went to the movies ... Hollywood can't write as good as I.... Me or I and I am me.I hear it all the time.Me and my friend went to the show...He's not that smart. He's certainly not as smart as I.The misuse of I and me is so common I ignore it, but then I read this from page 8 of While Europe Slept by Bruce Bawer published by Doubleday.How often had I stood in a New York subway surrounded by men, many of them smaller than I...Would you say: Me went to the show? No, but every day people say: me and fill in the partner went to the show. And as smart as I may be, I'm not as smart as I think I am or as smart as me. Posted 2007/03/08 at 01h09ET in Writing.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007 ...Online Tax Services Suspended by CRA... I received an email press release from the Canada Revenue Agency late on Tuesday stating they were shutting down the computer that processed e-filed personal tax returns. For many tax preparers the announcement means they will have to file paper returns or wait for the system to come back on, but it could be a long wait.Until we can announce a business recovery date, the Agency will provide daily updates to the media on the steps we are taking.On the surface, e-filing a return makes sense because it is more efficient, but at present it only makes sense for simple returns.If you file a return beyond a T4 and an RRSP deduction, you can expect follow-up letters requesting original receipts. For accountants, this hassle means additional time—time that usually can't be recovered. As result, many accountants file paper returns for their benefit.What is required is a system that allows the receipts to be e-filed along wi…

Monday, March 5, 2007 ...a valuable lesson about rabies... There is a story in the news that a man is in an Albertan hospital waiting to die. There are probably hundreds of people in hospitals waiting to die and it's not news, but for this man, they won't disclose his name, it is news because he is dying of rabies.As a child growing up in rural Ontario, people talked about rabies. I remember one instance where a dog at a cousin's farm was quarantined to determine if he had rabies and I was in no circumstance to go near the abandoned chick coup where he was held and I didn't. I also remember horror stories about people who got rabies. They had to spend weeks in hospital getting injections forty times a day with needles as long as my leg and as thick as pretzels. The treatment seemed horrifying but never once did anyone explain that a bite from a rabid animal (e.g., a bat, fox, skunk) would lead to certain death without medical treatment.Now, years later, I have a be…

Sunday, March 4, 2007 ...This is the start.... There has to be a start and this is it.Is there an objective, a purpose? I suppose, but it's personal.If there are rules, then I set those rules and I like that.Posted 2007/03/04 at 19h37ET in JamesPiper.com.