James Piper, Author

Saturday, March 21, 2009 ... what is with some people? ... O n Thursday, March 19, 2008, the Globe and Mail published a front page story on the death of Natasha Richardson. To my surprise, when the story broke on the Tuesday, I followed it with great interest. I wasn't alone. It captured the attention of millions. I'm not entirely sure why that happened, but it did. I'm not sure why I got caught up in it. I was reading everything I could to get the facts on the story--something I rarely do. In reading the comments about the article I came across this entry: Golden Locks from O'bama Land, United States writes: This death is on the hands of Canada for not having the proper medical capabilities and instead having to airlift her to the Good Ole USA; your favourite country to hate. Posted 18/03/09 at 8:35 PM EDT | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment First, it's impossible to know if this person truly believes the comment or is simply throwing lighte...

Friday, April 20, 2007 ... new limit to what television newscasts will broadcast ... O n April 16, 2007 I clicked on a Toronto newspaper's web site and learnt about the shootings in Virginia earlier that day. Two days later when I clicked on the same site, I saw a photo, the size of a paperback, of a man pointing a gun at me. A second newspaper had the same image. I wasn't pleased. The saying goes: don't point a gun at someone unless you intend to shot. I don't intend to get shot and I don't like the idea of a gun pointed at me even if it is a photograph. How many movies have you seen where an actor points a gun directly, in close-up, at the audience? Rarely. There is a famous early sound film where that stunt took place, but it failed miserable as people keeled over from freight. Why did The Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail think the photos were appropriate? Money. Today I read in the G&M that TV news broadcasts were playing video of...