Tuesday, June 5, 2007

The Butterfly Effect

I had my very first by-line today.






June 05, 2007 12:34pm

"WHEN A butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, or someone buys goats cheese in Gouger St, will that cause a tornado in Africa?

Organic grocer Angela Trevor knew there was something in the air when she woke up this morning.

"Mum rang me and said do you realise today is the fifth of the sixth, 2007?" Angela says. "I thought: 'I’m going to sell something at 12.34pm for exactly $8.90."

As you do.

"1, 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0! How special is that?"

Like the Halley’s Comet of the date world, such an anomaly hits the calendar once in a lifetime.

Cath Jenner and her daughter India unwittingly became part of this numerical one-off when Angela sold her a slab of Kangaroo Island Feta in her Gouger St store at 12.34pm today.

‘I'm not very good with numbers,' says Cath. 'But India was born on the 07/04/07, so I think that means she’s going to be a world traveller.'

"Numbers are fascinating," says Angela, a 43 year-old from Hawthorn Vale.

"I always get a thrill when these coincidences happen! "

And while the stars (or, at least, numbers) are aligning, what could this mean?

‘It’s got to mean something!’ says Angela.

Cue Twilight Zone music."


>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<

So thats the story. In its entirety. Thank God I've got that out of the way.

I got back to the office, and posted my copy. Very soon I was fielding reader comments with slightly embarassed interest. Which meant people out there, at their desks, in their offices, were actually reading it.


What the?? Can someone please explain to me what the hell Michael Harry is on about??
Posted by: Tim of adelaide

is this a news item or an add?
Posted by: h.grech of gawler

this is the most biggest crap ive read in a long time, apart from paris going to jail, surely we can talk about something else
Posted by: Dylan of Adelaide

How excitement!
Posted by: Care factor 0 of Adelaide

What about 1.23 on the 4th of May 06/ 7 minutes to half past 1 (1/2/3/4/5/6/7) with 8 idiots having worked out this stupid crap and 9 is the number of digits we have now, 10 comes next so now i have ten numbers and then the clock ticks onto 11:12 so thats two more numbers and i'll stop there coz 13 is an unlucky number! Now that will never happen again! :D
Posted by: Matt of Modbury

this does not make any sence at all, stop wasting eveyones time writing crap like this, what a waste of paper.
Posted by: nick humphies of adelaide

What about 12:34 on the 5th of the June, 1978. That would make it 12:34 5/6/78. Not that amazing...
Posted by: KG of Adelaide 1:35pm today

>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

Throughout this, I have half a lazy eye on the plasma TV looping SkyNews above my desk. Then, a flash of red on the screen: BREAKING NEWS.

An uneasy energy hit the newsroom as details of the Kerang train tragedy broke. At first, nothing, no details, just hazy sketches. Four people confirmed dead after a semi trailer smacked into a busy commuter train on a lonely country intersection.

We furiously monitored the wires: raw news text from around the world which flows onto our computer screens. We refreshed icons in flighty staccato, seeing what the other news sites were doing. Then things pulled into murky focus. Not four people dead, but ten, and scores more injured.

SkyNews found a shaken passenger and wheeled her out for an exclusive eyewitness account. Then the photos poured in, mangled images of shredded trains, recorded from the TV at first, then clearer shots of stretchered patients from scattered freelancers.

When it happens, it really happens, there's no warning. It gets you wondering about those butterfly wings.

Makes you think, it's got to mean something.

Hasn't it?


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