Page 15 - 201212 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - December 2012

Another Unfunny Australian P.M. Prank Another unfunny Australian prank - and this time the Prime Minister's involved! Julia Gillard warns of the 'end of the world' www.dailymail.co.uk - 2012.12.06 The end of the world is nigh, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announces in a TV appearance, warning of flesh-eating zombies and demonic beasts from hell. But don't panic – true to Australia's penchant for over-the-air pranksters in the wake of the Kate Middleton radio hoax – Miss Gillard's dire warnings are just a spoof. She has agreed to make the short video to promote a radio station's breakfast show as part of their 'end of the world' celebrations 'Anyway, the world's going to end BREAKING A MORROR: At one time in the following predictions that we will all die on tomorrow, so shouldn't you be writing about ancient world, mirrors were used to tell December 21, according to interpretations of that?' fortunes. If a mirror was broken during the the Mayan calendar. The 'tomorrow' reference is based on reading, it meant that the person was doomed. Her jokey, but emotionless, warning that science writer Dr Karl Kruszeinicki's theory Later, this was amended; a person’s image was Armageddon will be upon us in a couple of that the world will end two weeks earlier than interpreted as a symbol of health, and a cracked week's time is reminiscent of Orson Welles' the Mayan prediction. image in the mirror meant imminent illness. But radio production of H.G.Wells' novel 'War of the The author of '50 Shades of Grey Matter' ultimately, the superstition of seven years bad Worlds' ,which caused widespread panic across came up with the earlier date after developing a luck is common today because it was used to America when it went to air in 1938. complex algorithm using the Mayan calendar scare European servants in the 1400s and 1500s With a straight face, British-born Miss the Gregorian calendar, mathematics and, well, into using extra care when polishing their Gillard stares into the camera and addresses comedy. [] master’s expensive mirrors. No servant (or viewers as 'My dear remaining fellow anyone, for that matter) wanted to court a Australians. SUPERSTITIONS lifetime of bad luck. The belief spread, and 'The end of the world is coming. It became ingrained in European culture. wasn't Y2K, it wasn't even the carbon price (a LADDERS: The belief that walking under a reference to her Labour government's SALT: The origin of this nearly worldwide introduction of a carbon tax).' ladder propped up against a building will bring superstition is hard ot trace, but it logically you bad lick comes from the early Christians. Then came the terrifying details. They held that the leaning ladder formed a stems from salt’s historic importance as a spice 'Whether the final blow comes from and medicine. If you were the kind of person flesh-eating zombies, demonic hell beasts or triangle, and that the symbol of the Holy Trinity who could spill something as precious as salt, should not be violated by walking through it. from the total triumph of K-pop, if you know you were clearly headed for trouble. Some one thing about me it is this: I will always fight Those who did were considered in league with historians attribute the rituals surrounding salt the devil. for you to the very end.' to Judas spilling salt at the table during the Last Finishing the 46-second video, made for Supper, but that’s spurious. The antidote - radio station Triple J's breakfast show – which FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH: Friday, in throeing a few grains over your left shoulder - is general, is considered an unlucky day. An old was not the broadcaster involved in the Kate a little puzzling. The best explanation: in some hoax – she adds in a reference to a popular poem goes: “Now Friday came. Your old wives cultures, people believed that nasty spirits say / Of all the week’s unluckiest day.” question-and-answer political programme she Adam and Eve were supposed to have inhabited the left side, and tossing some salt has appeared in: 'At least this means I won't over the shoulder hit them right in the eyes - have to do Q&A again.' been kicked out of the Garden of Eden on a thus preventing their evil deeds. Friday; Noah’s great flood started on a Friday; Her tongue-in-cheek support of the Mayan belief that doom is upon us later this and Christ was crucified on a Friday. Couple BLACK CATS: In ancient Egypt, cast were this with the fact that 12 witches plus the devil - month has been met with mixed reactions from totalling 13 - are necessary for a Satanic regarded as spiritual creatures, and among the Australians. more exalted Goddesses was Bast, a black Some thought she had been wasting meeting, and the resulting combination (of female cat. But in European culture, the black taxpayers' money, while others saw the funny Friday plus 13) is a deadly one. cat became an animal to avoid. Apparently, in side. SNEEZES: The European/American tradition the Middle Ages, when ignorant peasants were 'Go Jules!' said one man in an online convinced that witches and evil demons were comment. 'You went up a giant notch for of saying, “God bless you” when someone living among them, cats were singled out as this…And personally, I hope it's zombies.' sneezes originated during the sixth century. It suspicious creatures (perhaps because of their was already customary to congratulate someone Another writer commented: 'Just think silent, fluid movements, or the way they stare, of all the men that will be spared the X-mas eve when they sneezed (the prevalent idea being or even their occasionally unworldly wailing). shopping rush.' that a sneeze expelled evil from the body), but The fact that some of the women who cared for when a plague whose symptoms also included A spokesman for the Prime Minister's cats were old and grizzled - with material - office seemed aghast when a newspaper asked violent sneezes began spreading around probably added to the legend. Ultimately, southern Europe, the Pope stepped in. He for an official comment about Miss Gillard's declared that since a sneeze could be a sign of people came to believe that a black cat was the video clip. nightmare embodiment of a witch. [] 'What Australian doesn't mind a laugh imminent death, people should bless the Spend New Year’s Eve 9 p.m. - 1 a.m. with from time to time?' he asked sneezer. The phrase caught on and became Rob McConnell and The ‘X’ Zone Radio Show common place. www.xzoneradiotv.com