Tuesday, April 13, 2004
Deep impact
For some reason best known to themselves the Western Mail devote nearly a full broadsheet page to speculating what would happen if a 500- metre-wide porous rock asteroid hit Pontypridd. Is this an attempt to do away with Kim Howells MP or Assembly Education Minister, Jane Davidson, both of whom represent this very pleasant town?
As is usual with pieces such as this the MP for Montgomeryshire is not far away from the scene. "Although the chances of a large asteroid hitting earth are remote, the figures are not as small as some people think," said Mr Opik."A serious asteroid collision could happen at any time. It could be 100,000 years in the future or before readers finish this article. It's science fact you are 750 times more likely to die because of an asteroid collision than winning the national lottery on any given weekend. As the people from the National Lottery would say, it could happen to you."
I suppose stranger things have happened. Only a few years ago for example Bargoed was the epicentre of a fairly substantial earthquake. If however this or any other newspaper is so short of copy that they feel moved to repeat this feat of space-filling then I feel that I should offer them some advice. Use one of my press releases instead. I write enough of them for goodness sake!
As is usual with pieces such as this the MP for Montgomeryshire is not far away from the scene. "Although the chances of a large asteroid hitting earth are remote, the figures are not as small as some people think," said Mr Opik."A serious asteroid collision could happen at any time. It could be 100,000 years in the future or before readers finish this article. It's science fact you are 750 times more likely to die because of an asteroid collision than winning the national lottery on any given weekend. As the people from the National Lottery would say, it could happen to you."
I suppose stranger things have happened. Only a few years ago for example Bargoed was the epicentre of a fairly substantial earthquake. If however this or any other newspaper is so short of copy that they feel moved to repeat this feat of space-filling then I feel that I should offer them some advice. Use one of my press releases instead. I write enough of them for goodness sake!
