Once again it’s tax time and that means it’s also time for my annual battle with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), but it’s not for the reason you might think. I’m not averse to paying taxes. I am annoyed at the CRA’s continuing discrimination against those of us who wish to file a paper return.

The federal government’s commitment to electronic filing is all well and good, particularly for those taxpayers who wish to choose that option. But that fact doesn’t give the CRA the right to undercut those of us who still choose the paper-filing route.

I have my reasons for choosing paper, including being more comfortable with paper filing, the ease of relying on past paper records, and the government’s questionable record implementing and maintaining electronic online systems (the Phoenix pay system, the Canada.ca project and the long-gun registry, to name but three). It seems that whenever the feds try to implement a government-wide computerized system, the only thing that increases are the cost overruns.

In any event, I’m not sure why I should have to justify my preference for paper filing. After all, I’m trying to give the government some of my money, so presumably they would want to make that easy for me.

Needless to say, the CRA does not go out of its way to accommodate paper filers. In fact, the last 10 years has seen them make it increasingly difficult to submit a paper return. The most egregious step was the elimination of the annual mailing of personalized forms to those still filing by paper, a step that was hardest on low-income filers and those with no (or poor) internet connections.

Luckily, it appears that there have been enough complaints from Luddites like me that the government has reversed that policy. For the past few years, I either had to order the forms online and hope that they actually showed up, or visit my local Canada Post outlet. I’m happy to report that because I filed a paper return last year, a paper return for the 2018 tax year recently showed up in my mailbox.

Sadly, that victory did not come without cost. A recent visit to my local Canada Post outlet revealed no 2018 income tax packages. Instead, there was a notice urging taxpayers to file electronically, print the forms themselves or order them online (an option that, in my experience, is somewhat unpredictable).

Still, there was another small tax form victory for the little guy this year. If you’re running a small business (in my case, a Lilliputian writing business with barely a four-figure income), it used to be you could order the required form online in as many numbers as you needed.

Two years ago, that changed. You were not allowed to order that particular form (form T2125 for those with a bureaucratic bent). Instead, you had to print it from the CRA website which was no easy matter for folks who didn’t have an internet connection and a printer.

Again, the Canada Revenue Agency relented and is once again allowing people to order form T2125 online, but with one small catch: you can only order one copy. When I tried to order a second copy for my wife’s business, the system blocked me.

I then phoned the CRA personal tax line and talked to a nice young woman who offered to help me out. But when she tried to order the form, the order was again blocked. Since our one-year-old printer is no longer functional, she suggested we go somewhere and make a copy at our expense. When I politely asked to speak to her supervisor, she took down my number, claimed to transfer my call and promptly disconnected me.

The fact that I’m not alone in receiving sub-par service from the CRA is small comfort.

I’m not sure why the CRA continues to make life difficult for the little guy. Unlike rich tax avoiders with their offshore holdings, wealthy corporations with their maze of tax loopholes and deferments, and the cash-under-the-table tax evaders, we paper filers are simply honest citizens trying to pay our taxes and do the right thing. Sadly, that seems to count for little these days.

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CHADRON, Neb. – The thoughts of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and the entire softball community are with the Chadron State softball program, CSC’s entire athletics and campus community as well as family and friends of sophomore infielder Fatima Larios (Seaside, Calif.), who passed away unexpectedly early Saturday morning.

A candlelight vigil is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday night at the Chadron State College Softball Field to honor the life of Larios. Members of the CSC softball team are asking those who knew Larios to bring candles. They are also encouraging others to share photos and memories.

A memorial service is tentatively planned for next week on campus. Details will be released once they are finalized.

— Information and image courtesy of CSC Athletics

Some rather unpleasant warning signs have appeared in Canada’s economy recently, and one that has captured the attention of many experts is the savings rate — the percentage of income that Canadians manage to save.

Over the past year, the savings rate has dropped to its lowest level since 2005, averaging just 1.4 per cent of Canadians’ incomes, according to revised data released by Statistics Canada on Friday.

“Canadians dipped into their nest eggs to compensate for weak real disposable incomes,” National Bank Financial economist Krishen Rangasamy wrote in a client note.

“That does not bode well for consumption going forward.”

Earlier on HuffPost: Bank of Canada’s heat maps show extreme debt levels spreading across Canada (story continues below)

A falling savings rate can be a problem for the economy, because it suggests consumers are running out of steam.

The lack of a financial cushion in hard times means that “households are even more vulnerable to higher interest rate(s) than we had previously thought,” wrote Stephen Brown, senior Canada economist at Capital Economics, which has taken a bearish view of the economy in recent years.

“In that environment, the Bank of Canada’s plan to raise interest rates repeatedly could be a serious policy mistake.”

The Bank of Canada will make an interest rate announcement on Wednesday. Most observers expect Governor Stephen Poloz to stand pat this time around, with the next interest rate hike coming in January.

But following some disappointing numbers on Canadian economic growth in the third quarter, many observers have started questioning whether that rate hike will still happen.

Brown noted that Canadians are taking on debt faster than they are paying it off. “Although this situation has been sustained for 16 years … it can’t be sustained forever,” he wrote in a client note Monday.

Savings tumbled as debt grew

This is not a new phenomenon. Canada’s savings rate — as well as the savings rates in the U.S. and other developed countries — has been falling for decades.

Economists don’t really know why. One explanation is that the population is aging, and retired people draw down their savings rather than building them up.

However, that alone couldn’t explain the enormous drop in Canadians’ savings rate, from 12 to 15 per cent in the early 1990s to below 2 per cent today. Nor could it explain why much of the drop took place in the 1990s, when the boomers were still in prime working age.

Another explanation is that decades of declining interest rates have made it easier to borrow, and made people less concerned about how they’ll finance their consumption in hard times. Rather than saving up for the things we want, we just buy them on credit.

But this means households are more dependent on interest rates than they were before.

Given the weakness in consumers’ finances, Brown predicted that the Bank of Canada’s interest rate will peak at a lower rate than previously expected, and “the Bank will ultimately be forced to reverse course next year” and start reducing rates.

For now, that’s not the majority view. Many analysts continue to expect the Bank of Canada to keep raising interest rates next year, as it continues to worry about inflationary pressures in an economy that showed signs of overheating until recently.

OTTAWA — Online sales and auctioning giant eBay called on the federal government Wednesday to legislate an end to the Canada Post contract dispute, warning that quick action is needed to ensure retailers don’t lose out on Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.

The plea, contained in a letter sent to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday, came as the postal service said recent rotating strikes by its employees have resulted in a historic backlog of undelivered parcels and packages.

“I encourage the government to explore all available legislative solutions to alleviate the current situation,” eBay’s general manager of Canada and Latin America operations, Andrea Stairs, wrote in the letter, which was also sent to Labour Minister Patty Hajdu and Public Services Minister Carla Qualtrough.

Continued rotating strikes at Canada Post will result in significant losses for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) across the country, Stairs warned, noting that smaller businesses are unable to negotiate lower shipping fees with other delivery services.

Concerns over ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Cyber Monday’

While many businesses have adapted as best they can to the strikes that began Oct. 22, Stairs said adjustments online sellers have made so far to avoid delivery disruptions are unsustainable.

“Black Friday and Cyber Monday are critical sales opportunities for Canadian small and micro retailers, particularly those that sell into the U.S. — the largest consumer market in the world,” she wrote. “Should the Canada Post service disruptions continue through this key retail moment, these SMBs will be seriously disadvantaged in competing for U.S. demand.”

“Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” are major days for shopping discounts, tied to American Thanksgiving. This year, they’re Nov. 23 and 26.

A dispute about pay between urban and rural postal workers triggered rotating strikes last month.

The prime minister warned last week that his government would look at “all options” to bring the labour dispute to an end if there was no significant progress in Canada Post’s contract talks with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. Trudeau did not elaborate on what actions could be taken, although the previous Conservative government passed legislation to end a two-week lockout of postal employees by the agency in 2011.

A spokeswoman for Hajdu said Wednesday the government recognizes Canadians and small businesses rely on the postal service, and encouraged corporate and union negotiators to keep talking.

“We urge both parties to reach a deal soon to reduce the impacts to Canadians, businesses, Canada Post and their workers,” Veronique Simard said in an email.

Canada Post said Wednesday it was facing an unprecedented backlog of shipments and warned the situation could escalate quickly.

CUPW members staged pickets in Toronto on Tuesday for the third time in the past two weeks. While the latest job action in Toronto had ended, by Wednesday morning the shutdown added to the items that need to be sorted and shipped from there, said Canada Post spokesman Jon Hamilton.

“At Gateway parcel processing plant in Toronto, we have now surpassed 260 trailers of parcels and packets waiting to be unloaded,” Hamilton said in an email.

“The union just took down their pickets but we are backed up beyond anything we’ve ever seen in our history. With Toronto out on strike, we also missed two days of customer pickups, which will likely push that trailer total over 300 today.”

The previous peak for backlogged trailers reached 220 during last year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping period, he said.

CUPW, which is negotiating contracts for 50,000 of its members in two divisions — urban carriers and rural and suburban workers — said Tuesday that Canada Post was refusing to address key issues, including health and safety, staffing levels, over-burdening and job security.

The Crown corporation, though, said it had made “significant” offers of increased wages and benefits, as well as added job security.

The two sides have been negotiating for almost a full year, with little success despite the assistance of government-appointed mediators.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Michigan sophomore Megan Betsa tossed a four-hit shutout and Lauren Sweet hit a grand slam as the third-ranked Wolverines (57-6) blanked sixth-seeded Alabama, 5-0 in game three of the 2015 Women’s College World Series, Thursday evening at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

Box Score | Michigan Press Quotes | Alabama Press Quotes

A first inning solo home run by Kelly Christner was all the run support Betsa (31-4) would need. She struck out six, walked one and only allowed one base runner reach second base all game.

Sweet’s fourth-inning grand slambroke up a tightly contested pitcher’s dual between Betsa and Alabama’s freshman Alexis Osorio.

Take away the two long balls and Osorio had strong outing. The rookie righthander allowed just four hits, struck out seven and walk four as she fell to 21-9.

The Crimson Tide (47-16) were limited to five base runners and were led at the plate by Jadyn Spencer, who went 2-for-3.

Christner (1-for-1, 2 runs) put Michigan on the board with a two-out solo home run in the first inning. It was the third straight game of the day that a team homered with two outs in the first and went on to win the contest (LSU & Florida).

After being silenced for the next two innings, Michigan’s bats came alive in the three-hit four-run fourth. Lauren Sweet was the big bopper, just clearing the fence in rightfield for a grand slam and 5-0 Wolverine advantage.

LSU advances to the winner’s bracket tomorrow and will face top-seeded Florida 7:00 p.m. ET. Auburn moves down to the loser’s bracket and will return to action Saturday, May 30 at 12:00 p.m. ET against No. 8 Tennessee.

— Image courtesy of Richard T. Clifton

Alma Loken was five months old when she was diagnosed with a genetic condition that involves medical problems and developmental challenges. “I guess we’re not going to the Olympics,” her mom, Melanie, remembers saying. “But I think we have a Special Olympics athlete on our hands.”

Now five years old, extremely social and very energetic, Alma is just that. She’s been involved with the Special Olympics Active Start program since she was just two. Once she’s older, she plans to start figure skating, and hopes to one day represent Canada at the Special Olympics World Games.

Alma has Williams Syndrome, a rare disorder that affects about 1 in 10,000 people worldwide. It often involves life-threatening cardiovascular problems, and can cause a host of other medical issues as well: elevated blood levels, low birth weight and feeding problems, musculoskeletal issues and kidney abnormalities are all common symptoms. There’s also some degree developmental delay and learning disability, as well as speech problems.

But, like Alma, most children with Williams Syndrome are usually very social, with a genuine interest in the people around them and expressive personalities. You’ll see Alma’s energy and personality shine through in the video above.

The Special Olympics were founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968, several years after groundbreaking medical research by Frank Hayden, a Canadian doctor. In 1960, Hayden discovered that children with intellectual disabilities were in fact capable of participating in sports, and simply weren’t given the opportunity. This year marks the Special Olympics’ 50th anniversary.

Microsoft has won a “$480 million contract to supply prototypes for augmented reality systems to the Army for use on combat missions and in training.”

As reported by Bloomberg, this contract could lead to the US Army purchasing over 100,000 HoloLens headsets, intending to “increase lethality by enhancing the ability to detect, decide and engage before the enemy.”

While the U.S. Army and Israeli military have been running training programs with Microsoft HoloLens, these next steps would prepare them in use for live combat.

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While the Army will be using HoloLens devices, they will obviously be different than the consumer-grade products as they will look to “incorporate night vision and thermal sensing, measure vital signs like breathing and “readiness,” monitor for concussions and offer hearing protection.”

This contract’s bidding process was aimed at those who “aren’t traditional defense contractors,” and included HoloLens competitor Magic Leap.

Even though Microsoft secured the contract, many employees have not been happy about the company involving its products for use by the military. Last month, a blog post said to be written by Microsoft employees implored the company not to pursue a multi-billion dollar U.S. military contract and said “many Microsoft employees don’t believe that what we build should be used for waging war.”

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Following this, Microsoft’s president and chief legal office, Brad Smith, said the company would continue to sell to the military and that “employees with ethical qualms with projects would be allowed to move to other work within the company.”

“Artificial intelligence, augmented reality and other technologies are raising new and profoundly important issues, including the ability of weapons to act autonomously. As we have discussed these issues with governments, we’ve appreciated that no military in the world wants to wake up to discover that machines have started a war,” Smith wrote. “But we can’t expect these new developments to be addressed wisely if the people in the tech sector who know the most about technology withdraw from the conversation.”

Microsoft began shipping the Development Edition of its augmented reality HoloLens device in 2016 and while it has shown that amazing potential in the gaming world, it’s clearly the applications outside the gaming space that appear to be the future of this product.

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At E3 2018, Microsoft even confirmed that it has no plans to bring HoloLens to the Xbox.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN who has always wanted to try the HoloLens. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst.