Tropical storm Danny is currently a 'disorganized' system that may or may not become a hurricane, 'albeit a weak one.' By contrarian's back-of-the-envelope calculations, it lies roughly 2300 km south-southwest of Halifax. At its present speed of 17 km/hr, it could reach Nova Scotia in a just under six days—if it traveled in a straight line, which it won't. But that's close enough for the weather hysterics at CBC News to warn that it "could strengthen into a hurricane and affect Atlantic Canada by the weekend." Gee, maybe they should cancel normal programming. This continues a policy established last winter, when the first...

27 August, 2009
Contrarian reader David Smith has doubts about the Anne Calder arrest story:
Too much about this story is starting to look like a setup to me. First, there is the bit about the police not identifying the lawyer, but "sources" naming her.  Somebody wanted her identity leaked, and the front-page photo in the Chronicle the next day certainly made sure everyone knew who she was. Then there were the two "tidbits" about her legal career: that one client had a mistrial, and that another client had fired her.  How many other trial lawyers in Nova Scotia could have both of those things said about them?  I'm willing to bet a fairly high percentage.  Again, it looks to me as if this information is being reported in an effort to embarrass and humiliate her.  Just to make sure, the Chronicle-Herald repeated those "details" again the next day. Just who did Anne piss off, anyway?
22 July, 2009
calder
The Halifax Chronicle-Herald details the arrest of Anne Calder, a defense lawyer and former Crown prosecutor, on suspicion of smuggling prescription narcotics to a client in the Burnside Jail. As it happens, contrarian knows Calder slightly. She has always struck us as an idealistic, compassionate, conservative woman. She was also an outspoken admirer of Peter MacKay, with whom she served when they were both Crown prosecutors in Pictou County. An Amherst native, Calder followed an unconventional career path.  She graduated from Dalhousie and Carleton Universities, then worked as an airline flight attendant before earning her law degree at the University of British Columbia. At various times she worked as as a Crown prosecutor, either staff or casual, in Halifax,  Truro, Pictou, and New Glasgow. Along the way she spent a few years in New Zealand, and graduated from the one-year, masters in journalism program at King's in 2006.
15 July, 2009