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HALIFAX Thursday, January 19, 2012 www.metronews.ca News worth sharing. PUT YOUR PAWS ON CAREERBEAR.COM NEW WEBSITE AIMS TO SOLVE PROBLEM SURROUNDING FINDING DREAM CAREER MANY CareerBear.com, a new website, is the first in Canada to help people learn more about their dream careers and take steps to become what they want to be. CHOICES Many of us like to daydream — usually while at our current job — about other careers. Maybe you have thought about becoming a chef, or a plumber or a pilot. CareerBear.com features more Many of these careers and others are than 40 different careers, sorted often shrouded in mystery. For example, either by name or by industry. most people don’t know how much a The site lists programs closest flight attendant makes, or what kind of to major cities Vancouver, training is required to become a paralegal. 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If you have ever thought about chang- ing careers or want to learn more about a different path, the site is definitely worth checking out. LEARN MORE AT CAREERBEAR.COM metroclassifieds.ca INFO BREWING BLINDING SELL YOUR COFFEES COME WITH LIGHTS CRIME-PREVENTION STUFF FOR SLEEVES FREE {page 2} SINGER BACK ON TOUR Details in Classifieds section {page 9} HALIFAX Thursday, January 19, 2012 www.metronews.ca 1 News worth 1 sharing. e g a p n o Nova Scotia r e f Screened. Shot f o t poorer due s e t a l r u to debt: AG o t u o k c e h Jacques Lapointe presents his first C consolidated financial report to legislature NDP MLA pushes back on his findings ALEX BOUTILIER What debt costs @METRONEWS.CA In Nova Scotia, the percentage of Is it right for us to be demanding total government revenue spent services future generations will on paying interest on the provin- have to pay for? cial debt has been on the decline That question is at the heart of over the past five years. a report presented by auditor general Jacques Lapointe to the Nova 2007: 11.6 per cent ($959 million) Scotia legislature’s law amend- 2008: 10.3 per cent ($954 million) ments committee on Wednesday. 2009: 9.7 per cent ($887 million) Lapointe’s 2010: 9.2 per cent ($850 million) office presented 2011: 8.7 per cent ($861 million) its first standalone report on the focus on the long-term effects the province’s of debt was not to indict any one finances government or party, but to draw through the lens attention to the larger issue. of the effect of a “One of the things I wanted to $13-billion debt do with the commentary is to gen- Jacques on Nova Scotia’s erate dialogue … and to get peo- Lapointe future financial ple thinking and talking about that health. issue in a slightly different way, “At present, about nine per cent and to not accept the way things of revenue received by Nova Scotia have always been,” Lapointe told (approximately $860 million) is reporters. needed to pay interest on loans Over the past five years, the debt obtained to pay for services deliv- attributed to every man, woman ered in the past,” reads Lapointe’s and child in Nova Scotia has introductory remarks. “In effect, increased from $13,205 to $13,568. Dalhousie Tigers forward Pierre-Alexandre Vandall tries to screen Acadia Axemen goalie Evan Mosher we are all poorer today because of The bottom line: For every dol- during last night’s AUS game at Memorial Arena. The Axemen scored in overtime to beat the Tigers, 3-2. government spending in the past.” lar the provincial government col- Story, page 18. Nova Scotia’s net debt has hov- lects in revenue, nine cents go to RYAN TAPLIN/METRO ered around $12 billion since 2001. paying off past borrowing. Tigers can’t claw out overtime win In 2011, the net debt came in at $12.8 billion. Lapointe emphasized More coverage {pages 2 and 3} 02 news: halifax metronews.ca THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012 Epstein to auditor: Who asked you? 1 RYAN TAPLIN/METRO ALEX BOUTILIER ture on a wide array of top- “I think the auditor gen- that was inappropriate.” @METRONEWS.CA ics, from the causes of the eral strayed away from his Finance Minister Gra- Halifax-Chebucto MLA world economic crisis to original function of looking ham Steele was slightly Howard Epstein thinks the what’s likely to happen at the books of the province more diplomatic in his re- auditor general over- with interest rates. in order to give us auditing action to the report. stepped his bounds in offer- At issue was a report de- advice and moved himself Steele said the govern- ing economic and policy livered to the committee on really into the thick of eco- ment’s commitment is not advice to government. the province’s financial sit- nomics and policy and po- to pay off the $12.8-billion Epstein, the ranking uation on Wednesday, litical questions,” Epstein debt, but rather to see a NDP member at Wednes- where Lapointe offered said outside the committee. steady decrease in the debt- day’s public-accounts meet- commentary on the chal- “(Lapointe) is not an econo- to-GDP ratio, which he ing, offered Jacques lenges presented by long- mist and really tried to give called a more reasonable Howard Epstein news Lapointe a 35-minute lec- term provincial debt. us economic advice, and measure of financial health. Coffee shop serves up crime tips RYAN TAPLIN/METRO Dalhousie and Halifax Regional Police split cost of $2,000 for 26,000 coffee sleeves with messages More smartphones are wielding video call technology, and it turns out JENNIFER a lot of us hate it. TAPLIN Messages Scan code for story. @METRONEWS.CA There are three different How about cream, sugar messages on the sleeves 1 Download the free and a crime-prevention dealing with common ScanLife app with message with your coffee? crime in Halifax: your smartphone Halifax Regional Police, at 2dscan.com Dalhousie University and Break-and-enters into Coburg Coffee in down- homes. 2 Use your town Halifax launched a Vehicle thefts. smartphone to pilot project Wednesday, Binge drinking and how it scan 2D barcodes using coffee-cup sleeves to leads to liquor-related in Metro deliver police warnings. offences. “I’ve been challenged 3 The codes will with new and innovative watcher incidents in the direct your mobile ways to get crime-preven- university area and other browser to tion messages out to the break-and-enters, many of m.metronews.ca public” said Supt. Don which were accommodat- Spicer, HRM public-safety ed by unlocked doors and On the web at officer. “We find brochures windows. Alyssa Lewis pours hot chocolate at Coburg Coffee on Wednesday. The shop is taking metronews.ca have simply become white “(In) a lot of the crime part in a pilot project that will see crime-prevention messages printed on coffee sleeves. noise and they get very lit- that happens in Halifax, tle attention.” young people are the vic- Police issue warnings on tims, so we’re taking it to fectively here, too. if the program made a at least at first, since there Twitter, Facebook and the people who are most It’s a pilot project that dent. If successful, Spicer hasn’t been a message on YouTube, but something likely to be victimized,” will last as long as the said they’ll look at expand- them before. else was needed. Spicer said. sleeves do. Prevention pro- ing it to other coffee shops. “There’s a great big ‘Did The idea sprang from A similar coffee-sleeve grams are always hard to Kelly Irvine, owner of you know?’ on the top of the desire to get out warn- campaign was done in Eu- evaluate, but Spicer said Coburg Coffee, said she it, so hopefully people will ings to young women in gene, Ore., and Spicer they’ll look at crime statis- thinks her customers will take notice and be interest- Investment light of several sleep- thought it would work ef- tics before and after to see likely notice new sleeves, ed in it.” adviser Allan Small has a few Warrant out for robbery suspect degree murder of Nadine questions Taylor, who went missing investors should News in brief in 2010. METRO ask CONTRIBUTED A Canada-wide warrant has $5,000. Laffin murder Story about the state been issued for a 34-year- The first holdup was at of the market in old man wanted for two Scotiabank on Lacewood trial on break correction bank robberies in HRM on Drive in Clayton Park, fol- 2012. More at Tuesday. lowed by a second robbery The preliminary hearing The Canadian Force’s metronews.ca/ Police say Timothy Ed- at the TD Bank on Portland for a man charged with Stadacona facility is actu- ward Walsh is charged with Street in Dartmouth. murdering a Halifax ally part of CFB Halifax, investing two counts of robbery, pos- Police say Walsh should- woman has taken a not a standalone base. In- session of a concealed n’t be approached and any- break until next correct information Follow us weapon, possession of a one with information on Thursday. appeared in the Jan. 18 on Twitter weapon dangerous to the his whereabouts should Police are looking for Stephen Laffin is edition of Metro Halifax. @metrohalifax public and one count of contact police or Crime Timothy Edward Walsh. charged with the second- METRO theft and possession over Stoppers. METRO news: halifax metronews.ca 03 THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012 Community speaks out ANTIGONISH for the past few years and died on Tuesday in Former Halifax. against boundary change Campbell was bishop ordained as a priest in the archdiocese of dead at 80 Halifax in 1956 and was appointed bishop of the African Nova Scotian riding had 7,680 eligible voters in 2009 election diocese of Antigonish Most Rev. Colin in 1986. RYAN TAPLIN/METRO Campbell, a former bish- He stepped down as JENNIFER op of the diocese of bishop of the diocese in TAPLIN Antigonish, has died 2002. @METRONEWS.CA after a long illness. Abbass says funeral He was 80. details have not been fi- The Preston community is Rev. Paul Abbass, a nalized, but the service voicing its opposition to spokesman for the dio- will be held at St. Ninian proposed changes to their cese, says Campbell had Cathedral in Antigonish. provincial electoral bound- serious health problems THE CANADIAN PRESS ary. “The time has come that we have to stop letting peo- ‘Need to see it all’: Auditor ple tell us what to do and how we should do it,” said Spencer Colley, president Nova Scotia’s auditor gener- all government revenues of the East Preston al recommends the would increase transparen- Ratepayers Community De- province report all rev- cy. RYAN TAPLIN/METRO velopment Association, at enues from government Finance a press conference agencies in the budget. Minister Wednesday. In a report released Graham A recommendation that Wednesday, auditor general Steele said would remove the protect- Jacques Lapointe recom- the re- ed status of the Preston rid- mends the government pro- sources re- Steele ing as well as three vide revenue estimates for quired to Avery Crawley, left, and Spencer Colley from the East Preston Ratepayers Community Acadian ridings is being its agencies — such as estimate Development Association speak at a press conference on Wednesday. considered by the Provin- school boards and district revenues from all govern- cial Boundaries Commis- health authorities — as ment entities outweigh the sion in their review. An well as the general revenue benefits. amendment to the terms “There may not be the tax base that’s coming fund. “(This issue) has been of reference for the com- out of other communities, but that shouldn’t be “If you want to see, in around for at least 10 mission suggest each con- an answer, and we shouldn’t have to worry about that.” one place, how much all of years,” Steele said. stituency be within 25 per the parts of government are “It makes absolutely no SPENCER COLLEY, PRESIDENT OF THE EAST PRESTON RATEPAYERS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION cent of the average. going to receive as revenue difference to government “It’s important to us be- and therefore how much decision making around cause we’ve had black rep- “They’re making the the matter could go to “We need to be heard, they’ll be able to spend, budgeting. It makes no dif- resentation for our boundaries much broader court, but as of Wednesday not spoken to, and need you need to see it all,” said ference to regular Nova Sco- community going to back and lessening our chance the group hadn’t spoken people to come to us. This Lapointe. “You have a ques- tians.” to before I was born, mu- to get black representation directly to Preston MLA is the beginning of what tion (about whether) this is But Steele said the mat- nicipally, and two in to represent us in govern- Keith Colwell or anyone we’re doing with the issue a $9-billion budget or a $10- ter needs to be resolved, provincial elections as ment.” else in the provincial gov- and from here we’ll have billion budget.” and he’s determined to re- well,” Colley said. Colley said it’s possible ernment. more to say,” Colley said. Lapointe said including solve it. ALEX BOUTILIER 04 news: halifax metronews.ca THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012 NewPage creditor Homicide. Suspect protection extended Money-losing mill in Point Tupper was closed in September, throwing 600 employees out of work CAPE BRETON POST A Nova Scotia judge has must also negotiate deals granted an idled paper mill with the union on a collec- in Cape Breton 10 more tive agreement and pen- weeks of creditor protec- sion. Talks must also be tion as a court-appointed held to discuss wood costs monitor tries to finalize a for fibre suppliers. Jason Whitehead leaves a courtroom at Halifax provincial court sale of the 50-year-old oper- Harris said talks between in this file photo from December. ation. Pacific West Commercial Judge John Murphy of and Nova Scotia Power are Cabaret death court case adjourRYAnN TAPLeIN/MEdTRO FILE the provincial Supreme underway, and if there is a Court agreed Wednesday to deal on energy rates, it may extend the protection for have to be presented to the NewPage Port Hawkesbury The NewPage mill. Nova Scotia Utility and Re- Whitehead was scheduled to enter a plea in court on Wednesday to a charge of until March 30. It was set to view Board for approval. manslaughter in the death of James Philip Mattatall, but the matter was adjourned expire Friday. Archie MacLachlan, first until Feb. 20. Mattatall was struck and then hit the ground outside the Toothy Mathew Harris, a mid-February. vice-president of the Com- Moose Cabaret on Argyle Street last month and died the next day in hospital. spokesman for court-ap- Pacific West Commercial munications, Energy and pointed monitor Ernst & has said it intends to restart Paperworkers Union, said Young, says the time is one of the mill’s two paper that talks haven't started Fraud suspect to appear in court next month needed to continue negotia- machines if the sale is ap- between Pacific West and tions with Pacific West proved, but a number of his union yet. Commercial Corp. hurdles remain. “We’re on hold,” he said. A Nova Scotia woman court Feb. 29. water on Wednesday to en- Harris said he hopes to It still has to complete “We’re anticipating they who’s facing charges of Sandra Skinner, 47, was ter a plea on five counts of return to court for approval talks with Nova Scotia Pow- will start to talk with us fraud totalling more than scheduled to appear in fraud over $5,000. of a sales agreement by er on energy costs, and it shortly.” THE CANADIAN PRESS $80,000 will appear in provincial court in Bridge- THE CANADIAN PRESS metronews.ca 05 THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012 The day the web got a black eye Websites go dark in support of Wikipedia’s protest U.S. legislation called threat to freedom on the web ERIC RISBERG/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Jan. 18 is a date that will live in ignorance. Wikipedia was black. The online encyclopedia launched a 24-hour black- out of its English-language articles in a protest against pending U.S. legislation aimed at shutting down sites that share pirated movies and other content. Other sites joined in: Reddit.com shut down its social news service for A blacked-out page 12 hours. is displayed in Wikipedia’s Google blacked out the San Francisco “war room.” logo on its home page, directing surfers to a page where they could add their names to a petition against thinking the whole site mate sites where users the bills. was blacked out. share content. Craigslist changed its lo- The Internet companies Wikipedia’s decision cal home pages to a black were protesting over the was reached after polling screen directing users to Stop Online Piracy Act in its community of contribu- an anti-legislation page. the U.S. House and the Pro- tors. After 10 seconds, a link tect Intellectual Property But dissenters say politi- to the main site appeared Act under consideration in cal advocacy undermines on the home page, but the Senate. the site’s mission as a neu- some surfers missed that If passed, the bills could tral source. and were fooled into be used to target legiti- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Kingston. Murder trial General: We know how to keep a secret Canada’s top military com- mander is trying to scrub away the tarnish created by a spy case involving a naval intelligence officer. Gen. Walt Natynczyk says everyone handling secrets is required to observe stringent Mohammad Shafia and son Hamed are escorted procedures and conduct into court in Kingston on Wednesday. Both men, themselves ethically. with Mohammad’s wife Tooba Yahya, have pleaded Sub-Lt. Jeffrey Paul not guilty to first-degree murder in the deaths Delisle is charged with of four family members. communicating informa- SEAN KILPATRICK/THE CANADIAN PRESS tion to a foreign entity A curse or just a cuss? without authorization. THE CANADIAN PRESS MacKay mum The so-called honour-killing trial on Wednesday got a lesson … in swearing. Mohammad Shafia, It has been suggested that accused of killing his daughters, was caught on Sub-Lt. Jeffrey Delisle was police wiretaps saying: “May the devil (defecate) on spying for Russia — some- their graves.” But linguistic expert Nabi Misdaq thing Defence Minister testified that the expression in the Dari language is Peter MacKay refuses to comparable in English to “To hell with them.” confirm or deny. 06 news metronews.ca THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012 An outspoken Kim spills the beans SHIZUO KAMBAYASHI/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Does new book expose North Korean family discord? The eldest son of North Ko- “I have my doubts quotes Kim Jong-nam as rea’s late leader Kim Jong- about whether a saying. il appears to have exposed person with only It claims he said the col- a rare public sign of dis- lapse of North Korea’s two years of cord in the secretive fami- economy is likely unless it ly that has ruled the grooming as a initiates reforms, which country for decades. leader can govern.” could also bring it down. Kim Jong-nam is quoted “Without reforms and KIM JONG-NAM, as dishing the dirt on his liberalization, the collapse QUOTED IN THE BOOK young half-brother — the of the economy is within new ruler — and on the sight,” he is quoted as say- regime itself. youngest son, Kim Jong- ing. “But reforms and A new book claims Kim un. opening up could also in- Jong-nam believes the im- The book by Tokyo- vite dangers.” poverished regime is in based journalist Yoji Gomi Gomi claims he ex- danger of collapse and that went on sale Wednesday. changed 150 emails and his half-brother, chosen to Titled My Father, Kim spent seven hours inter- lead, is merely a figure- Jong-il And Me, it drew im- viewing Kim Jong-nam, head. mediate attention as a rare who was seen as a possible A rare view of North Korea’s ruling family? Copies of journalist Since Kim Jong-il's view into the family. successor until he fell out Yoji Gomi’s new book go on sale in Tokyo Wednesday. death Dec. 17, North Korea “Jong-un will just be a of favour with Kim Jong-il. has been led by his figurehead,” the book THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Musician on cruise ship more than $30 billion a year. News in brief “If the federal government moves on this, it Cancer: First, will show it is very, very died for his beloved violin serious about eliminating the good news dumb and ineffective rules and improving gov- DISEASE. More Canadians ernment customer serv- are being diagnosed with ice,” said Catherine DIGITALGLOBE/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS cancer due in part to the Swift, head of the Canadi- A Hungarian musician aging population, but an Federation of died in the Costa Concor- more are surviving the Independent Business dia cruise-ship disaster be- disease over time, a new and a member of the cause he tried to retrieve Statistics Canada study commission. his beloved violin from his has found. THE CANADIAN PRESS cabin. But StatsCan senior Violinist Sandor Feher, analyst Kathryn Wilkins Porn industry 38, had been working as called it a “good news an entertainer on the ill- story”: People are living in condom war fated liner, which longer with cancer, so slammed into a reef off the obviously it’s more tiny Italian island of prevalent.” Giglio. Wilkins added: “We Jozsef Balog, a pianist found that for all cancers working with Feher, said combined, the aging of Feher was wearing a life- the population accounts jacket when he decided to for about half the rise in return to his cabin to get the rate of prevalence.” his violin. THE CANADIAN PRESS WITHDRAWAL. Porn movie- Before that, Balog said, makers say they’ll pack Feher helped put lifejack- This panel has up their sex toys and ets on several crying chil- abandon Los Angeles if dren. red tape taped officials order every actor He was last seen on to wear a condom. deck en route to the area PAPERWORK. Bring in a City council voted for where he was supposed to A satellite image provided Wednesday by DigitalGlobe new regulation, get rid of a law that would deny board a lifeboat. shows the Costa Concordia lying on its side off Giglio. an old one. permits to producers Feher’s body was found That’s the way to cut who do not comply. inside the wreck and iden- searching for the missing. red tape, says the govern- The law now goes to tified by his mother, ac- Captain tripped? sel and never intended to Bad weather also post- ment’s red-tape- the mayor for approval. cording to Hungary’s abandon his passengers. poned the operation to ex- reduction commission. But before it can take foreign ministry. Francesco Schettino, the He was placed under tract 1.8 million litres of Its proposal: “Every effect, the council has The $450-million Costa captain of the ill-fated house arrest Tuesday, fac- fuel on board, as Italy’s time the government called for the creation of Concordia was carrying ship, was quoted as saying ing possible charges of environment minister proposes a new a committee made up of more than 4,200 passen- Wednesday that he manslaughter, causing a warned of ecological impli- regulation, it must elimi- police and health gers and crew when disas- tripped and fell into the shipwreck and cations if the ship sinks. nate an existing one.” officials and others to ter struck. water from the listing ves- abandoning his ship. A U.S. congressional Paperwork caused by determine how it might The death toll stands at committee says it will hold government regulations be enforced. 11, but 21 people are still pended operations rocks, creating deep con- a hearing on the safety im- is said to cost businesses THE ASSOCIATED PRESS unaccounted for. Wednesday after the cruise cerns for the safety of plications of the disaster. Rescue workers sus- ship shifted slightly on the divers and firefighters THE ASSOCIATED PRESS business metronews.ca 07 THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012 U.S. rejects Keystone EVAN VUCCI/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Republican presidential hopefuls seize chance to slam announcement Trapped by an untenable decision his Canadian took pains to point out that aquifer in Nebraska. Feb. 21 deadline imposed counterpart greeted with TransCanada was free to TransCanada was not by Congress, U.S. President “profound disappoint- submit an amended plan surprised by the announce- Barack Obama rejected ment.” — one that would reroute ment, and quickly con- Demonstrators march with a replica of a pipeline during TransCanada's proposed $7- When he called Prime the Alberta-to-Texas firmed plans to submit an a protest against the Keystone XL pipeline outside the billion Keystone XL Minister Stephen Harper to pipeline around an envi- amended proposal. White House on Nov. 6, 2011, in Washington. pipeline on Wednesday in a break the news, Obama ronmentally sensitive THE CANADIAN PRESS to Canada's economy Wednesday, estimating News in brief the loss in output this year will be about $10 billion. IMF seeking up Bank governor Mark Carney said his estimate to $500B only represents the bill from Europe’s current re- The International Mone- cession and will be much tary Fund said Wednesday steeper if the continent is it’s aiming to increase its unable to contain its ongo- financial firepower by ing debt crisis. around $500 billion so it THE CANADIAN PRESS can issue new loans to hnabaeonlTpuch iteea aa ls tcIehMr aiisrF iwd s .oohrfa stseh nepi nfuignt afinu-cp- TMSXarket mDoomllarent PRICES AS OF 5 P.M. W ibgnragoil wouiontfgs . wtBhourer ti eestu htrheorazeto nnaoern’es- EDNESDAY European countries will also need more help because of the worsening + 94.69 + 0.39¢ economic outlook. (12,327.52) (98.89¢ US) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS European crisis Oil Natural gas affecting $2.47 US Canada: BoC (- 2¢ US) Gold The Bank of Canada called - 12¢US $1,659.90 US Europe the biggest threat ($100.59 US) (+ $4.30 US) 08 voices metronews.ca THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012 TORIES’ NOSES Register at Local tweets metropolitanpanel.ca MAY BE A LITTLE and take the quick poll @shaunma- can’t express my jumder: Is that excitement!!!!!!! Should Stanley Cup rioters be minus 50 deg @alexvautour:Victoria se- OUT OF JOINT sentenced to jail time? weather from cret opening in Halifax out west coming to shopping center .... #bye- halifax? It’s practically byemoney #cantevenwait spring here! Plus 7 here. @BosnDavid:Left over The Liberal Party has gone to 57% @Engibeer17:weather in wings from HE SAYS ... YES. THE pot — and I like it. PUNISHMENT #halifax today is so nice I #Lion’sHeadPub in #Hali- The Grits, their popularity WOULD FIT didn’t wear a jacket back fax just as #delicious the THE CRIME up in smoke, have decided to from school.. are we sure day after....:) JOHN MAZEROLLE nip the problem in the bud by we didn’t skip January and @morgmacd:Halifax is METRO legalizing marijuana. February? known for its warm There. Now that I’ve got @DiamondsWithaZ:So it’s weather and low crime every marijuana pun out of the way, I can summer outside... That’s rates say that the Liberals’ recent decision to add 43% cool, I guess? #Halifax #FactsWithoutWikipedia pot decriminalization to its platform is a NO. THEY #globalwarming @gregglemuffin: The rare instance when political expediency KIDWS ECRAEU JGUHSTT @michellewhittle: weather in #Halifax can’t collides with common sense. UP IN MOB Victoria’s Secret FINALLY decide what it wants.. Yeah, the Liberals are Canada’s longest- MENTALITY coming to #Halifax !! I #idontmind running situation comedy, and need to do something to win back their dwindling audience. But if that desperation leads to an actual common-sense revolu- GUY TAL tion where the War on Drugs is seen as Reefer Madness, Daily Zoom then smoke ’em if you got ’em, because I’m in. I don’t even like pot — the smell makes me queasy — but I know the decades-long battle to teach kids about the dangers of drugs is a colos- sal failure. How? Because I “... in my was a kid. When I was young, all experience the the Nancy Reagan, very-spe- predominant cial-Blossom, this-is-your- symptom among brain-on-drugs propaganda pot smokers is a led me to believe that smoking a joint was on par, good-natured health-wise, with enjoying a sleepiness. Do glass of anti-freeze. we really need Then I got to junior high and noted with interest that the pot-smoking classmates ap- government’s peared to be fine, save for War on Naps?” an apparent inability to comb their hair. At this point the War on Drugs was useless, because I no longer trusted anything else I had “learned.” To this day I have no idea what the relative danger of, say, cocaine actually is. (If it were as dangerous as I was told, you’d notice the crowd thinning over the course of the Oscars.) Deep purple Drug education is a lot like those sex-ed classes where they never let on that sex might feel as good as a satisfying sneeze. As you watch a different teacher each year awkwardly describe sex as if it were Basic Tent Assembly, it finally dawns on you: “They’re holding back on something amazing.” With both sex and drugs, the powers-that-be are with- Desert becomes “Five years after holding the full truth from kids when they need adults’ Scorpionweed guidance most. That’s nothing short of irresponsible. magic carpet conceiving the So, if any kids are reading this, tell your friends: Crimi- image, I was at last nal charges aside, pot looks kind of fun. MOJAVE DESERT, UTAH. Every five It has this name for a rea- able to capture it. I I’ve seen angry, puking, bawling alcohol drinkers pret- years or so, this isolated ex- son.Its flowerhead looks ty much every week of my life, but in my experience the panse of Utah desert is had the dramatic like a scorpion’s tail and it predominant symptom among pot smokers is a good-na- magically transformed into backdrop of a leaves a nasty rash when tured sleepiness. Do we really need the government’s War a meadow of purple wild- thunderstorm — touched. on ANnadp sle?t’s not forget that the Conservatives are planning fpleotws ethrsi.s S sceocrtpioionn owf ethede car- an especially rare How the photographer saw to make our marijuana laws even tougher. On the slim event in these it.“Each day the patchwork Utah badlands only when chance that they ask you if you agree with their approach, there’s a rare combination parts.” of colours shifted from pur- remJuesmt sbaeyr nyoo.u r training, kids. of winter rainfall and sun- GPHUYO TTOAGLRAPHER pulnet itlo, jyuesltl oaw co aunpdle c hoaf nshgoedrt shine within a narrow time weeks later, the place was Read more of John Mazerolle’s columns at metronews.ca/hesays frame. MWN again barren.” METRO HALIFAX • 3260 Barrington St., Unit 102, Halifax NS • B3K 0B5 • T: 902-444-4444 • Fax: 902-422-5610 • Advertising: 902-421-5824 • [email protected] • Distribution: [email protected] • Vice-President and Group Publisher, Metro Eastern Canada Greg Lutes, Managing EditorPhilip Croucher, Sales ManagerDianne Curran, Distribution ManagerApril Doucette, Marketing Specialist Mike Beaton • METRO CANADA:President and Publisher Bill McDonald, Vice-President, SalesQuin Millar, Vice-President, Business Ventures Tracy Day, Vice-President, Marketing & Interactive Jodi Brown, Editor-in-ChiefCharlotte Empey, National Deputy EditorFernando Carneiro, Managing Editor, News & Business Amber Shortt, Managing Editor, Life & EntertainmentDean Lisk, Managing Editor, Night Production Matt LaForge,Associate Manag- ing Editor, News & BusinessKristen Thompson, Art DirectorLaila Hakim, National Sales DirectorPeter Bartrem, Director, Marketing & ResearchRobyn Payne