Page 34 - 2011 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - January 2011

From The ‘X’ Zone Newsroom Groundhogs at odds over Fla. Lawyer Who Touts Psychic: I Can Tell You weather predictions His Psychic Abilities Lottery Raffle Winning QMIAgency Lands Job as Deputy Numbers…For a Fee Most Canadians can expect an early Court Clerk spring, if you believe in the predicting powers by Rachel Daley of groundhogs. A Florida lawyer who touts his ability to Chicago Independent Press But Western Canada should stay speak with the dead has landed a $90,000-a- www.chicagoindiepress.com bundled up for snow and sleet, according to one year job helping run the court clerk’s office in critter and a puppet. Brevard County. Across the country, many states run a According to tradition, if a groundhog Mark Anthony calls himself “the raffle operated by their local lottery group. Each sees his shadow and runs back into his burrow, psychic lawyer" on his website. He says he got state-run raffle operates nearly the same. The there will be six more weeks of winter. the chief deputy job in the clerk’s office because lottery group sells raffle tickets (some go for Alberta's Billie Balzac saw his shadow of his experience running law firms rather than $10 – $30, depending on the state) and a Wednesday morning, predicting six more weeks his psychic abilities, WFTV.com reports. He drawing is held months later. The jackpot won’t of winter. said court clerk Mitch Needleman knew of his rival cross-state millions seen in Powerball or But spring predictions came in from psychic work before giving him the job. Mega Millions, but it’s easily enough to quit more famous groundhogs, like Wiarton Willie Anthony told the television station that your day job and buy three suits of armor…and from Wiarton, Ont., and Punxsutawney Phil in he realized he had psychic abilities as a child. maybe a tank. Pennsylvania. As an adult, he developed a side business The odds are terrible, but one North America's first groundhog helping people overcome grief by Chicagoland woman says she knows how to prediction came from Nova Scotia's communicating with the dead. level the playing field and will to raffle players Shubenacadie Sam, who didn't see his shadow. "I communicate with spirits,” Anthony the winning numbers…for small price of Soon after, Wiarton Willie also failed to said. “I see them. I feel sensations." $500,000. see his shadow. The official announcement, “I have guessed the winning raffle which came at 8:07 a.m. ET, was greeted with Princess Diana is the dead numbers for each of the past raffles in Arizona, cheers by the hundreds of people who braved Colorado and Michigan. I can do the same for the worst storm of the winter to attend the person Britons would the next raffle in Arkansas on January 31st,” festivities inside a huge tent in Wiarton's says Madam Jessica La Rue. A psychic Bluewater Park. most like to reach operating from the basement of her parent’s Punxsutawney Phil emerged from a tree home in Aurora, IL. stump at dawn and, unusually, did not see his www.sifynews.com “You may be wondering why I have not shadow, signaling that spring is just around the simply used the vision to benefit myself and my corner. A new survey has revealed that most answer is this: I can not,” says La Rue. “I am "He found that there was no shadow," bound by an oath I took by the master Langshu said Bill Deeley, president of a club that Britons think it is possible to talk to the dead - Chi. My teacher who forbids me from using my and the person they would most like to reach is organizes Groundhog Day in the western gift to directly take part in a gambling operation. Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney. "So an Princess Diana. However, I can help one person become rich by According to the poll on modern early spring it will be." attitudes towards spiritualism, two-thirds of revealing the winning numbers for a small fee Lacking a psychic groundhog to call its of $500,000. $500,000 in exchange for $20 own, Manitoba uses a puppet to get its annual them believe in life after death, a third think million is a pretty sweet deal.” there is a heaven and a fifth expect to be weather report. Madame La Rue says eager raffle Manitoba Merv apparently walked out reincarnated, reports the Daily Express. players can wire her the money directly to her Some 58 per cent of Britons believe of his den at Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive their dead loved ones are "with them in spirit" - bank account. But authorities say, it’s scam. Centre at sunrise Wednesday morning and saw while 40 per cent believe in guardian angels. “Don’t do it,” says Deshawn Mccall. his shadow. A fifth claim to have seen a ghost or felt “Let me be clear. Don’t do it. It’s a scam. One Toronto also does not have a groundhog, we’ve seen a thousand times before. We’re but Herman, a Vancouver Island marmot at the the presence of a spirit and 53 per cent believe currently looking into this but until a scam that psychics are able to communicate with the Toronto Zoo, predicted an early spring as well. dead. actually takes place, we can’t stop her. Just be A marmot is a cousin to a groundhog. safe and if it’s too good to be true…it is.” [] Instead of having Herman look for his Diana was the most popular choice of shadow, he was given a choice of two dishes famous person to contact, with Albert Einstein and Marilyn Monroe in second and third place. filled with equal amounts of tasty treats — one But the most common ghost sighting is dish next to a sign reading "early spring," the of a relative or friend, the survey of 3,000 adults other next to a sign reading "six more weeks of winter." revealed. The poll, by Dr Penny Sartori, was Herman immediately dug into some conducted to mark the release of Hereafter, cauliflower next to the "early spring" sign. In directed by Clint Eastwood. The film is about a fact, he stuffed his face from that dish and man who can talk to the dead. completely ignored the "six more weeks of Two out of five of those surveyed winter" food. admitted they would like to speak to a deceased "After today's storm, I think everyone is looking forward to an early spring," said Maria loved one. One in five said they had visited a Franke, the zoo's curator of mammals. "And medium or psychic, spending an average of 31 Herman picked it right off the hop. He didn't pounds per visit. hesitate at all." Almost the same number believed that Despite the positive predictions from Phil, Willie, Sam and Herman, a severe winter someone in his or her family had a psychic storm blasted Eastern Canada and swaths of the ability. (ANI) U.S. Wednesday. Listen to The ‘X’ Zone Archives for -With files from Michael Den Tandt, F R E E Chris Doucette and Reuters www.xzonepodcast.com