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The sky is blue and serene with occasional sheet-like, spongy clouds high above me as I look up, but a huge mass of off-white nimbus up ahead is quickly taking over the hopeful scene. Strong winds have been bothering our windows and closing our open doors since last night, and incessant rains continue their gentle sprinkles, leaving damp pavements and strong earthy scents. Pools have been on the bumpy roads for a week now, with no certainty of evaporation, for the sun could not reveal its golden face and share its usually uncontrollable heat for long, as clouds carrying rain conceal it for more than half a day. The sky may be blue and serene with occasional sheet-like, spongy clouds high above me as I look up, but the day is not as bright and warm as it should always be.
Is there something that's bound to happen, or is it just another odd December day?
If my way of thinking remained from when I was fourteen, I will have been enthusiastically awaiting water drops -- with the color of wine or gleaming rubies -- fall from the dim and strongly carmine-tinted heavens; and tidal waves of the same shade swallow city by city. I will have been searching for the dreadful scene where people scream and panic when the red rain drenches them and the ground; when sudden quakes break open the roads they frantically approach. Balls of fire will descend like casual precipitation, and lightning will violently destroy the electric posts to burn those that surround them. Cemeteries will be places to avoid and definitely not the good spots to hide in, for rotten hands will shoot up from the soil, as the bodies long below the ground will be awaken from their sleep, and they will rise to join the living.
But I'm not fourteen anymore.
Much controversy and debate continually heat up when one speaks of tomorrow's unsure and upcoming event. Join me if you wish to know a bit about tomorrow.
Wikipedia:
The 2012 phenomenon comprises a range of eschatological beliefs according to which cataclysmic or transformative events will occur on 21 December 2012. This date is regarded as the end-date of a 5125-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar. Various astronomical alignments and numerological formulae have been proposed as pertaining to this date, though none has been accepted by mainstream scholarship.
A New Age interpretation of this transition is that the date marks the start of time in which Earth and its inhabitants may undergo a positive physical or spiritual transformation, and that 21 December 2012 may mark the beginning of a new era. Others suggest that the date marks the end of the world or a similar catastrophe. Scenarios suggested for the end of the world include the arrival of the next solar maximum, an interaction between Earth and the black hole at the center of the galaxy, or Earth's collision with a planet called "Nibiru".
Scholars from various disciplines have dismissed the idea of such cataclysmic events occurring in 2012. Professional Mayanist scholars state that predictions of impending doom are not found in any of the extant classic Maya accounts, and that the idea that the Long Count calendar "ends" in 2012 misrepresents Maya history and culture, while astronomers have rejected the various proposed doomsday scenarios as pseudoscience, stating that they conflict with simple astronomical observations.
A New Age interpretation of this transition is that the date marks the start of time in which Earth and its inhabitants may undergo a positive physical or spiritual transformation, and that 21 December 2012 may mark the beginning of a new era. Others suggest that the date marks the end of the world or a similar catastrophe. Scenarios suggested for the end of the world include the arrival of the next solar maximum, an interaction between Earth and the black hole at the center of the galaxy, or Earth's collision with a planet called "Nibiru".
Scholars from various disciplines have dismissed the idea of such cataclysmic events occurring in 2012. Professional Mayanist scholars state that predictions of impending doom are not found in any of the extant classic Maya accounts, and that the idea that the Long Count calendar "ends" in 2012 misrepresents Maya history and culture, while astronomers have rejected the various proposed doomsday scenarios as pseudoscience, stating that they conflict with simple astronomical observations.
UrbanLegends.about.com:
"Claim: NASA Predicts Total Blackout in Dec. 2012"
Has NASA Predicted a 'Total Blackout' Due to an 'Alignment of the Universe'? NO!
NASA has predicted no such thing. There will be no three-day blackout in December 2012. Indeed, the phrases used above — "total blackout of planet," "alignment of the universe," "shift from the current third dimension to zero dimension," etc. — are not only undefined, but meaningless. It's pseudo-scientific nonsense.
The "alignment" to which our unknown authors apparently refer is the passing of the sun, as seen from earth, across the approximate center of our galaxy on December 21, 2012 (the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere). This happens every year at about the same time and portends nothing in terms of earthly events — good or ill — given that the galactic center is some 28,000 light years (165,000 trillion miles) away. It's a cosmic non-event.
It so happens there's a super-massive black hole at the center of the galaxy, and, as everyone knows, black holes are mysterious and scary, so purveyors of 2012 doomsday scenarios have used this as an excuse to spread fears that the aforementioned "alignment" may in fact wreak physical havoc here on earth, somehow. But again, we're talking about a cosmic entity unimaginably far away from our planet and a galactic alignment that occurs every year like clockwork, and has throughout all human existence.
What's so special about 2012?
Answer: nothing.
The "alignment" to which our unknown authors apparently refer is the passing of the sun, as seen from earth, across the approximate center of our galaxy on December 21, 2012 (the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere). This happens every year at about the same time and portends nothing in terms of earthly events — good or ill — given that the galactic center is some 28,000 light years (165,000 trillion miles) away. It's a cosmic non-event.
It so happens there's a super-massive black hole at the center of the galaxy, and, as everyone knows, black holes are mysterious and scary, so purveyors of 2012 doomsday scenarios have used this as an excuse to spread fears that the aforementioned "alignment" may in fact wreak physical havoc here on earth, somehow. But again, we're talking about a cosmic entity unimaginably far away from our planet and a galactic alignment that occurs every year like clockwork, and has throughout all human existence.
What's so special about 2012?
Answer: nothing.
Youtube:
IBNLive:
US space agency NASA, says 21.12.12 is going to be just another day
and has put forward five scientific arguments debunking the rumours:
1. The issue with December 21, 2012 and the predicted disasters that some folks think will come, probably started with the so-called end of the Mayan calendar. Their calendar does not end on December 21, 2012. It's just the end of the cycle and the beginning of a new one. It's just like on December 31st, our calendar comes to an end but a new calendar for the next year begins on January 1st.
2. Niburu is supposed to be a planet that's four times the size of the Earth. It's going to get very close to the Earth and cause all kinds of disasters. So this enormous planet is suppose to be coming toward Earth, but if it were, we would've seen it long ago and if it were invisible somehow, we would've seen the affects of this planet on neighbouring planets. Thousands of astronomers who scan the night skies on a daily basis have not seen this.
And then there's folks who think that NASA astronomers are actually hiding this information so as to prevent panic from the populous. Can you imagine thousands of astronomers who observe the skies on a nightly basis keeping the same secret from the public for several years?
3. Some folks think there's going to be a solar storm associated with December 21st of 2012. Now, solar storms do exist. The sun's activity goes through a cycle that reaches a maximum every eleven years. The next solar maximum when you might expect enhanced solar activity will take place actually in May of 2013. It's supposed to be fairly mild solar activity maximum and there's no evidence that there's going to be any solar storms.
4. And then we have planetary alignments. There's a planetary alignment. The sun, the Earth and some of the planets are aligned and this is going to cause some tidal effects on the Earth that's going to be catastrophic. Well, first of all, there are no planetary alignments in December of 2012 and even if there were, there are no tidal effects on the Earth as a result.
The only two bodies in the solar system that can affect the Earth's tides are the moon, which is very close, and the sun, which is massive and also fairly close. But the other planets have a negligible effect on the Earth.
5. One of the myths for December 21, 2012 is that the Earth's axes are going to somehow shift. The rotation axis can't shift because of the orbit of the moon around the Earth stabilises it and doesn't allow it to shift.
The magnetic field does shift from time to time but the last time it did was 740,000 years ago and it doesn't do that sort of a shift but every half million years or so. But there's no evidence that's going to happen in December and even if it were to be shifting, it takes thousands of years to do so.
And even if it did shift it's not going to cause a problem on the Earth apart from the fact that we're going to have to recalibrate our compasses.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Since the beginning of recorded time, there have been literally hundreds of thousands of predictions for the end of the world and we're still here.
Signs Of 2012
1. The issue with December 21, 2012 and the predicted disasters that some folks think will come, probably started with the so-called end of the Mayan calendar. Their calendar does not end on December 21, 2012. It's just the end of the cycle and the beginning of a new one. It's just like on December 31st, our calendar comes to an end but a new calendar for the next year begins on January 1st.
2. Niburu is supposed to be a planet that's four times the size of the Earth. It's going to get very close to the Earth and cause all kinds of disasters. So this enormous planet is suppose to be coming toward Earth, but if it were, we would've seen it long ago and if it were invisible somehow, we would've seen the affects of this planet on neighbouring planets. Thousands of astronomers who scan the night skies on a daily basis have not seen this.
And then there's folks who think that NASA astronomers are actually hiding this information so as to prevent panic from the populous. Can you imagine thousands of astronomers who observe the skies on a nightly basis keeping the same secret from the public for several years?
3. Some folks think there's going to be a solar storm associated with December 21st of 2012. Now, solar storms do exist. The sun's activity goes through a cycle that reaches a maximum every eleven years. The next solar maximum when you might expect enhanced solar activity will take place actually in May of 2013. It's supposed to be fairly mild solar activity maximum and there's no evidence that there's going to be any solar storms.
4. And then we have planetary alignments. There's a planetary alignment. The sun, the Earth and some of the planets are aligned and this is going to cause some tidal effects on the Earth that's going to be catastrophic. Well, first of all, there are no planetary alignments in December of 2012 and even if there were, there are no tidal effects on the Earth as a result.
The only two bodies in the solar system that can affect the Earth's tides are the moon, which is very close, and the sun, which is massive and also fairly close. But the other planets have a negligible effect on the Earth.
5. One of the myths for December 21, 2012 is that the Earth's axes are going to somehow shift. The rotation axis can't shift because of the orbit of the moon around the Earth stabilises it and doesn't allow it to shift.
The magnetic field does shift from time to time but the last time it did was 740,000 years ago and it doesn't do that sort of a shift but every half million years or so. But there's no evidence that's going to happen in December and even if it were to be shifting, it takes thousands of years to do so.
And even if it did shift it's not going to cause a problem on the Earth apart from the fact that we're going to have to recalibrate our compasses.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Since the beginning of recorded time, there have been literally hundreds of thousands of predictions for the end of the world and we're still here.
Signs Of 2012
Earth has just one day left - make it a good one.
The Mayan calendar “ends” on December 21, 2012. But keep in mind how many ways we’ve changed the calendar over the years - daylight savings time, leap years, etc. It is possible we’ll be breathing a sigh of relief on Saturday only to be unpleasantly surprised in a few days, weeks or short months.
NASA continues to say NOTHING out of the ordinary will happen on Friday. Let’s hope they’re right.
The Mayan calendar “ends” on December 21, 2012. But keep in mind how many ways we’ve changed the calendar over the years - daylight savings time, leap years, etc. It is possible we’ll be breathing a sigh of relief on Saturday only to be unpleasantly surprised in a few days, weeks or short months.
NASA continues to say NOTHING out of the ordinary will happen on Friday. Let’s hope they’re right.
FallsChurchPatch:
Don’t make any rash decisions: Experts say Dec. 21, 2012 is going to be just another typical winter solstice.
Killer solar flares aren’t expected. Another planet isn’t on a collision course with ours. And the Mayan “long count calendar” ending on this date has no real significance — they had to end it somewhere!
What is All the Fuss About?
There are a number of theories and predictions that call for earth’s demise on Dec. 21, 2012. They include:
Killer solar flares aren’t expected. Another planet isn’t on a collision course with ours. And the Mayan “long count calendar” ending on this date has no real significance — they had to end it somewhere!
What is All the Fuss About?
There are a number of theories and predictions that call for earth’s demise on Dec. 21, 2012. They include:
- The ending of the Mayan calendar. The Mayans, according to a Sarasota, Fla. Patch article, kept three separate calendars. The “long calendar” ends on Dec. 21. Some say this constitutes a Doomsday prediction; many do not.
- Nostradamus. That famed French seer from the 1500s has been credited with predicting several end-of-the-world scenarios that some believe will take place in 2012. The website December212012.com points to the potential sparking of World War III on this date.
- The collision of Earth and the supposed planet Nibiru. This supposed space catastrophe was initially predicted to strike back in 2003. The planet in question was supposedly discovered by the Sumerians, according to NASA. When the world didn’t end in 2003, the date was moved to December 2012 for the deadly collision with earth.
What are the Experts Saying?
The intrigue created by multiple end-of-the-world predictions has made some scholars and even NASA stand up to make statements debunking the claims. And they’re all saying the same thing: Go ahead and pay that mortgage bill and wrap those holiday presents.
Here’s what NASA has to say about all of the collective Doomsday prophesies:
"The world will not end in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012."
News.com.au:
One of Nostradamus' quatrains is:
Let's go through this step by step.
Calm morning = Korea. A notoriously calm part of the world. Which has mornings. Pretty much every day, in fact.
The end will come = December 21, the doomsday date predicted in an ancient Mayan calendar.
The dancing horse = Psy's galloping groove.
The number of circles will be nine = the number of zeroes in one billion, the number of hits Psy's Gangnam style will soon have.
If it wasn't already so hackneyed, you'd say: Mind. Blown.
"From the calm morning, the end will come, when of the dancing horse, the number of circles will be nine."
Let's go through this step by step.
Calm morning = Korea. A notoriously calm part of the world. Which has mornings. Pretty much every day, in fact.
The end will come = December 21, the doomsday date predicted in an ancient Mayan calendar.
The dancing horse = Psy's galloping groove.
The number of circles will be nine = the number of zeroes in one billion, the number of hits Psy's Gangnam style will soon have.
If it wasn't already so hackneyed, you'd say: Mind. Blown.
.~♥~.
So I guess everything credible says NO.
Less than an hour from now will be the 21st of December here in the Philippines, but still the 20th in some countries. Does that mean we're scheduled to die first? And it's already December 21, 2012 in Australia and nothing happened. So I guess everyone's gonna wait 'til midday again, huh?
Oh well.
Your prose should be a movie, Minxie!
ReplyDeleteThere's also the "superstitious" theory behind 12/12/12... the "end" of the world... (which obviously didn't happen)
hahahaha yeah i did have that scary, morbid mind when i was 14. i planned to make a comic book out of it; it already has a plot, and ive started a few pages already, but i guess i didnt have much time and my enthusiasm slowly flickered away so i discontinued it D:
Deleteyeah ive heard about that too, and new apocalypse dates have been set again: January 1, 2013 and May 15, 2015 are just two. -_-
ive seen a list of all the past and future rumored apocalyptic dates in wikipedia. i guess there're over a hundred dates. hahaha