JOB-SEEKING FORMER POT SMUGGLER'S FAME GROWS

A former international drug smuggler who purchased for-hire advertisements
in the National Post has become something of an international media
celebrity, thanks in part to the Internet.

Brian O'Dea was scheduled to appear today on the ABC television show Good
Morning America with host Diane Sawyer, after copies of his ad -- along
with news stories about his gambit -- were circulated by e-mail around the
world.

The Wall Street Journal recounted his story in yesterday's issue after one
of its reporters received the e-mail, and Reader's Digest is producing an
article about him.

Producers for Oprah Winfrey, the superstar talk-show host, have also
expressed interest, though they have not scheduled an appearance. The BBC
and Radio Ireland are among the overseas broadcasters who have arranged
interviews with him.

"Initially it was a little overwhelming, but what surprises me is that it
goes on," Mr. O'Dea said. "I suppose this has happened because I'm someone
who speaks out about something most people would keep secret."

Mr. O'Dea, a 52-year-old who was born in Newfoundland but now lives in
Toronto, threw caution to the wind last month by running a frank
advertisement on this newspaper's classified pages.

The ad touted the management and organizational skills he acquired as a
marijuana importer in the 1980s, noting he helped distribute more than
$100-million worth of Vietnamese-grown cannabis on the northwest U.S. coast.

It also pointed out he has completed a 10-year prison sentence for his
crimes and is determined to support his family "through legal and
legitimate means."

The media response was intense: Mr. O'Dea pegs the number of media calls to
his home at about 200, with no end in sight.

As for job offers, he has sifted through more than 150 responses to the ad
- -- many from reporters and jokesters. But he has identified 15 expressions
of interest from prospective employers, a handful of which he deems promising.

"They're not all jobs I would want," he said. "But they're all kind to have
called."