Thursday, December 20, 2012

End of the World?


Okay, here we go, a mere hour away from the end of the world and what am I doing? I'm blogging. After all, what else am I supposed to do? Save it?  Rewrite/correct the Mayan Calendar? Get a better view?



Actually, by my count, this is roughly the fifth time I'll be surviving the end of the world. I remember all the hubbub that was my first end of the world experience. No, I missed the Beatles breaking up, I'm talking about the Y2K "virus". For those of you who weren't around for that, let me tell you what you missed. NOTHING! And I'm thinking that this is just another Y2K waiting to happen. Why? Several reasons.

1) Nothing cool has happened to me lately. Oh, wait, I've finished my first book that will most likely get published, but I'm not counting that. With my Karma, it would happen the day BEFORE it was to be released. My book is not being released tomorrow, so you can all rest assured that we will live to see another day. Seriously. If you ever want a business to fail just talk me into investing into them. A couple of shares of Apple and, poof, their company will fold within weeks.


2) What did the Mayans know anyway? You are talking about a culture celebrated for predicting the end of the world, yet didn't have the premonition to see the Spaniards coming and nearly wiping them off the face of the planet. Because somebody ran out of room on a tablet doesn't mean it is the end of the world. Chances are they just took a smoke break and then went on to another project. I wonder if somebody thought , "Hey, if I stop here I bet somebody will freak out some day." Personally, I think the whole calendar creation was just a union job. Or government. However, I do need to give the Mayans some credit here. Microsoft, the biggest software company in the world, has trouble making their electronic computers figure out dates within a hundred years of each other. At least the Mayan calendar was Y2K compatible.


3) Or was it? Truth is, it doesn't align with the Gregorian calendar (the one you and I use). The Mayans did not account for leap year, which means every four years (roughly) they lost a day. Are you sitting down? The Mayans Calendar actually ended about eight months ago. So, we're good!

With that said, I think this is a great opportunity for a practical joker to have some fun. I saw a video of some kid talking on his cell phone telling people he just heard that New York just went underwater with a tsunami and they had half an hour before it hit them in Florida. I'm not going to post it because of the language but the link is here. Think along these lines. Only turn New York into Jerusalem and you've got the makings for a riot.

I was thinking of hitting the local thrift store, buying some clothes, and just leave them on park benches around town like the rapture just happened. Who wants to join me on that?

If I owned a power station, I would probably turn the lights on and off just to freak people out. Too bad I don't own one. But, rest assured, if I did I would call it Greyskull.

If the end of the world does happen I'm seriously going to be bummed. Right before the weekend? Come on, Mayans, if you are going to blink us out couldn't you have the decency to schedule it on a Monday?

Truth be told, I have a big fear that the end will not come. Because, this will happen:


Scary, isn't it? More scary than the world getting snuffed out by the zombie apocalypse. So, a few last thoughts on December 21, 2012:




What is your take on the situation? And, for the record, I'm heading to Vegas so if the end of the world comes I intend to go out partying!

82 comments:

  1. In some parts of the world its already tomorrow, things looking good so far!

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  2. Even though some other Mayan prophecies seem to have been accurate, these sceptics point out several logical holes in the 2012 prophecies. Among these counterpoints are simple observations like the fact that Mayan culture may have simply ended before their scholars could put together another calendar. Others say that the Mayan calendar system consisted of set periods far longer than one year, and this one just happens to end in 2012. They claim there is no special significance to this at all.

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  3. The reality is that no calenders are accurate even the Georgian . The amazing thing about the Mayan's was their ability to compute numbers and this is what the Mayan Calender is about. Its only scholars of the calender that have made the claims not the Mayans as such

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    1. "Scholars..."

      Actually academics studying the mayans have all said for ages that the calendar makes no such suggestions/assumptions. :)

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  4. Enjoyable take on the end of the world ( as we know it), anyway! Thanks for sharing!

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  5. Its already tomorrow in Australia, so why worry?

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  6. Very Enjoyable Take on The end of the World (as we know it) Thanks for sharing!!!!

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  7. Had a great life and living in the now. All my focus is now and so there is no anguish, fear, or regret in the nevermore. I take all of this with a grain of salt and actually get a sense of relief seeing the contrast between now and not knowing and nevermore.

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  8. Hi from tomorrow. My understanding is that Mayans did account for the leap years, they simply did it in bundles of 52 years -- a "wholesale adjustment -- rather than every 4 years as we do.

    And yes, they didn't "predict" or "prophesize" the year end. This is a later addition. There's no need to belittle the Mayan culture for something they didn't do :)

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  9. Quite amusing, it is sad that we listen to "teachings" from a race that died out.

    From memory the only person to make prophesies any way in an accurate manner has been Nostradamus.

    Glad that we are all still here.
    Have a great holiday break.

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  10. We are still alive :-) Greetings from Germany

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  11. The scariest thing about the end of the world is the people freaking out about the end of the world... again.

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  12. I am singing R.E.M. "It's End Of The World And I Feel Fine". When that session is completed, the world will continue along as before. Season's greetings and peace be with you.

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  13. Hilarious! On a serious note though, I remember hearing this prediction in the news by another group eons ago when I was in the fourth grade. It seemed to alarm everyone, but we are still here, LOL! In case there were some this really effected:

    "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." (Matthew 24: 36)

    All the Best!

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  14. Where is your faith. We have 5 hours to go...

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  15. i wonder what are all those people that thought today is the end of the word did last night/today? Hide in their bunkers, prayed etc. And today is yet another day...do they feel disappointed?
    Oh but what about all those theories....people who calculated .... how do they feel?
    hm....we will find out i guess one of these days. In the mind of an 'optimistic' person, im sure they tell themselves that the end of the world will come....:)

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  16. how do you think the world will end? calm and peaceful or destruction and chaos

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  17. glad this chaotic cult status has come to the end and people can concentrate on other important stuff!

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  18. This has been hyped up to promote tourism in the south east of Mexico - now if I can just think of somwthing for the north west...

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  19. Благодарю за оптимизм!

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  20. Woke up on the 21st and was wondering whether I should do my washing

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  21. someone should start a more positive global occasion

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  22. I'm not that worried about the Mayan's. I'm more worried about our own government and all the drama that has been coming from it lately. If I'm going to prep for anything it would be the financial collapse of our country. That scares me more then the Mayans when I go to sleep at night..lol

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  23. ummm yeah...not that concerned...

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  24. I actually forgot it was supposed to be the end of the world today...
    -I feel fine! As far as I can tell, no genetic mutations, there hasn't been a polar shift, no freak tornadoes or floods (although it is raining rather hard), no mass populous ascensions, and it's 3:00am my time.
    Damn the end of the world hype, on with more programming!

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  25. There never was question in the Mayan calender that December 21st, 2012 would be the end of the world, it only means, that it is the end of an era, very much like 1999 was the end of an era and 2000 a new era!

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  26. Nice post, I've never known a end of the world prediction like this, normally you hear a few days before hand that someone things this is the end but this time it's had a really big build up.

    I am not sure the Mayan's have suggested this is the end of the world! just the end of their calendar, maybe the person who put this together just died and that's as far as he/she got with it!

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  27. Only a few hours left of the 21st here in Australia so the end of the world is running out of time

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  28. Like how you brought it all together. Hope we can read your day after blog.

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  29. Great post James, thanks for directing me to your post. It is 2:35 a.m. in California, and yes, my 17 year-old-dog woke me up. I of course decided to read your blog because you asked me. No I do not fear this day because I see it as as a new beginning for our society to look at our world without a dependence on automatic weapons. The terrible crime that happened a week ago today from a mentally ill person points out that we must change how we handle the mentally ill and our society with ability to get guns into anyone's hands.

    I do feel that we must be able to protect ourselves, but not everyone should have guns or automatic weapons. There needs to be a balance. We have gone crazy as a society and over the edge. Maybe it isn't the end of the world, but the beginning of a new one with a gentler way to help each other.

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  30. Man you stay up late and get up early! Great blog post though. My hubby was reading it with me a laughing. I'm totally making DI run today, lol! Love the pictures too, so awesome :)

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  31. Wait.... So you mean the world *didn't* end this morning?

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  33. Up and at you on the day that counts

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  34. I remember Y2K, millenium virus etc.. but this mayan thingy is more sensational.. I guess everyday could be the end of the world for some but a new beginning as well.. let's just live life to the fullest.. or foolest should I say? hehehe

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  35. Still alive... let's party... :-)

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  36. так отметим же конец света!

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  37. Hi James. This is very funny stuff. Thanks! Of course, the Mayan calendar didn't operate like a modern day calendar. Today's event was specifically tied to an astronomical event - the northern hemisphere's winter solstice - so I'm afraid your observations about the Gregorian calendar don't count. Sorry about that!

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  38. Fun post! Good to know that if it does end, you are going out with a smile :O)

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  39. Hi James. It is a very interesting article and a good abstract on what is going on. I like it.

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  40. We are still alive and here! Interesting article. Greetings from Barcelona

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  41. interesting article

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  42. Loving the end of the world weather forecast!

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  43. We made it! Still ticking here.... Wait .. what's that ticking?

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  44. Well, in Singapore, it's passed the time for the end of the world at 7.11 pm. Well, I am still writing this post at 10 pm. Guess, it is not going to happen today. CHEERS and Merry Christmas, everybody.

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  45. Giving up fear we can face any kind of news living our lives according to our faith :)

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  46. I'm with Sue -- what's that ticking sound? At least we made it INTO the last day. Let's see how it ends.

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  47. I was never concerned about the world ending hype, that was until I went to drop my misses off at work this morning, as we drove out of our road, the entire place had been cornered of by police, roads taped shut.. and as we went through the diversions we kept seeing more police cars.. there where also a lot of gas company vans working.. so am guessing we had a major issue with our local gas lines.. so the world might not of ended but there is a possibility my local town could of got blown off the map yesterday.. that would of been 'sods law' wouldnt it lol!

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  48. If this is the last day, I had fun reading this post. If it is *not* the last day, can we work together in investing in Apple? I'd like to short it just before you invest.

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  49. Hey... I am still alive and kicking! 0oo0

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  50. I am dying to find out what the end of the world feels like. I suppose that I will feel fine as well, but let's wait and see. I prefer fast instead of a slow one. Just in case, It was nice knowing you beforehand, James. :)

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  51. I plan to sleep through it, if I wake up dead so be it

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  52. The crazy's will be out I'm sure. By the end of the day there will be some sort of news that the media will spin out of control.

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  53. The big fizzle is what I am calling it. This was almost as disappointing as the Y2K thing. We need to get a few of those crazy, end of the world preachers into this to stir up some real trouble.

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    1. I tried, I couldn't find anybody taking this seriously.

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  54. Fun post, James. Glad the world didn't end. Whoot!

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  55. I always said if the Mayan's could actually predict the future... they're be Mayans today. :)

    Happy holidays everyone.... best go get your Christmas shopping done :)

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  56. I'm thankful for every hour of every day that I survive but never worry about it. Great post James and thanks for the humor too!

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  57. Never doubted I'd still be here today, great post James!

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  58. Very good post! Always a good idea to include a Sheldon Cooper quote. LOL!

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  59. And the countdown to the Mayan Apokalypse (sic) Baby Boom has begun...

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  60. James, I LOVE your idea about thrift store clothes on benches. That's a nice, friendly, prank. However, you've scared me. I hadn't considered the population explosion that is coming. THAT is something to fear!

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  61. The world didn't end and life goes on as usual (until the next end of the world).

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