Earthquakes, Budget Airlines and Zulus

I don't know if you saw this, frankly ludicrous story in the Daily Star last month? I somehow missed it, which is a shame, because I would have ridiculed it at length on this very blog.

Basically, the gist of it is that there's going to be an earthquake during the 2010 World Cup Final in South Africa.

However, close reading of the story suggests that, well, there isn't going to be an earthquake during the World Cup Finals.

What the Star have done is taken a prediction by Dr Chris Hartnady, who says it is "inevitable" there will be a major earthquake in Southern Africa, and somehow contrived to sensationalise this into a 'world cup in peril' story.

The fact that Dr Hartnady never mentions the World Cup or even the year 2010 and the fact that the last major earthquake in the country was in 1890 is somehow overlooked.

Anyway, the reason I bring up this, er, extremely well researched and responsible piece of journalism now is this. Budget South African airline Kulula have used the article to drum up some trade for their airline with this publicity stunt and advert. Good on 'em.