Unpredictable Death of Paul

"Octopus Paul"

Octopus Paul was famous for his for his tale tentacles that predicted the outcome of many of the World cup matches and indeed the final has been red carded at the hands of fate. British-born aquarium inhabitant at Sea Life in Oberhausen, western Germany was discovered dead in his aquarium in the early hours of the morning. It is reported that he passed away during the night. The management at Oberhausen Sea Life Centre have expressed deep regret over his death and are devastated by the tragic departure of their resident oracle. Paul achieved global fame and recognition in 2010 by accurately predicting the outcome of eight World Cup football matches including the final earlier this year. He sent the Germans packing in the semi final upset much to the dismay and anger of German fans.

 Paul’s preferred method of soothsaying was wrapping his tentacles around either one of the two plastic boxes that caught his fancy (both containing food and respective national flags of the prospective teams). The odds for getting eight predictions right were reportedly 1 in 256. Totally unbelievable it was! Paul was also at one point heavily sought after by Goldman Sachs which was reportedly offering a USD 4 million per year package for Paul to head its propriety trading book (PoliteMarketBlogSpot.com). Despite his fan following, Paul had also invited rebuke from the likes of the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who accused the entire soothsaying venture as a charade and a means of ‘spreading western propaganda and superstition”. Though Paul may have rounded up many in the opposition camp and many would have liked to have him for dinner instead of correctly predicting the controversial outcomes of crucial games, the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre has “ruled out foul play”. He became a hero for people.

In honor of the legend, a monument will be erected at the aquarium which sheltered him. It may not be far from the truth if bidders began a search for a list of Paul’s heirs who may possibly possess a similar gift. In the famous words of Smashing Pumpkins, could this be a case of “the beginning is the end is the beginning”? Let’s wait and watch how the cookie crumbles.