I'm really not looking forward to 2012.

[PhunkyPhazon]

At the very least, I'm not looking forward to the last few months of it. I still remember the mass hysteria that surrounded Y2K. Despite being a supposed apocalypse that made absolutely no sense whatsoever, people were stockpiling canned foods and getting ready to depart with all electronics. And that was just a hypothetical computer bug.

2012? This is the big kahuna. This is the apocalyptic event that people have been talking about for years. The conspiracy theorists will be loud and numerous, the religious zealots will be coming at everyone with full force, and there's bound to be some sensationalist news stories. I'm hoping I'm wrong and that the 2012 holiday season will be just like any other. But I doubt it.

What do you guys think? Is there any chance we can get to 2013 headache free?

 

[Terminate421]

I'll see if I can get laid before the 21st, I'll pull the "I don't want to die a virgin" line.

Besides, it won't happen. It would be funny to see a presidential candidate attempt to pull the end of the world reason as to how they should be president though.

Besides, the world will not end until the Halo rings are activated.

 

[Buzz Killington_v1legacy]

And that was just a hypothetical computer bug.

Nothing hypothetical about it, really. The Y2K bug was very real. Oh, it wouldn't have dropped planes out of the sky or set off nuclear missiles or anything, but you would have seen things like people being charged 99 years of past-due payments on their credit cards, or 100-year-old people being seen as newborns by hospital systems, or having -99 years' worth of equity on your house...that sort of thing.

The reason none of that happened is that thousands upon thousands of programmers[footnote]Including me; there's a small part of a city phone system somewhere in southern California that functioned properly on 1/1/2000 because of me.[/footnote] put in tons of overtime poring over old code (sometimes decades old) making sure everything was updated to handle four-digit years.


But yes, the 2012 thing is complete nonsense and I'm not looking forward to the kooks coming out of the woodwork.

 

[piplink]

i can just imagine the looting that will be going on and all the sales store will have. we are probably going to have a big food shortage because everyone will buy it all waiting for the apocalypse.

TLR food shortage, low prices, looting.

 

[PhunkyPhazon]

And that was just a hypothetical computer bug.

Nothing hypothetical about it, really. The Y2K bug was very real. Oh, it wouldn't have dropped planes out of the sky or set off nuclear missiles or anything, but you would have seen things like people being charged 99 years of past-due payments on their credit cards, or 100-year-old people being seen as newborns by hospital systems, or having -99 years' worth of equity on your house...that sort of thing.

The reason none of that happened is that thousands upon thousands of programmers put in tons of overtime poring over old code (sometimes decades old) making sure everything was updated to handle four-digit years.


But yes, the 2012 thing is complete nonsense and I'm not looking forward to the kooks coming out of the woodwork.

Really? Well, thanks for helping out with it. Still though, the hysteria did get out of hand. None of this really sounds apocalyptic.

 

[Daget Sparrow]

Halo 4. That's why 2012 scares me. Will it be good? Will it suck? Will I be able to keep my faith in the world if it does suck?

Hell, I'll start the apocalypse myself if 343 ruins Halo for me.

Besides...didn't they misinterpret the 2012 date? I'm having trouble finding a source for this, but I heard it whilst absentmindedly staring at the television.

 

[Crazy_Dude]

2012 brings The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, so I can't wait.

 

[snagli]

Thank god I live in a country with some common sense. I'm pretty sure people won't overreact here like they will in countries in a different... State... of mind.

 

[similar.squirrel]

Sit back and enjoy the momentary chaos. If you're American, mainly.

 

[JesterRaiin]

What do you guys think? Is there any chance we can get to 2013 headache free?

Nope. I don't believe in prophecies, Mayans, Armageddon, year of Dragon and sh*t, but hard facts are unbeatable. To cite one of our politicians who (as usual) had no clue what he was talking about : "we stood on the edge of global collapse and we took a long leap forward".

Yep, leap over the edge indeed.

War after war, revolutions, economical destabilization, USA changing into Soviet States threatening with numerous acts that would put Ingsoc into shame, EU problems, Euro 2012 which will ruin my country... That can't end well. At least for some of us. :|

 

[Jonluw]

I thought people had pretty much gotten over the "prophecy"?

 

[robot slipper]

I'm being made redundant in September 2012, so anything that happens after that which is mildly interesting (including an apocalypse) is fine by me. It might even make the bank forget about my mortgage payments!

 

[jakeblues69]

I doubt anything will happen. Maybe another war, oil shortage, economic problems, all shit we're dealing with now.

That being said, I own a truckload of weapons and have stockpiled everything I might possibly need for years. I've always been a bit of a prepper, just the way I was raised growing up on a farm. I've bailed out a lot of my neighbors when we've had some major problems here on the east coast the last few years. Hopefully if the "big one" comes I'll be gone before it really kicks off and up in my backwoods hideaway in New Hampshire.

 

[Esotera]

What do you guys think? Is there any chance we can get to 2013 headache free?

Haha, no. This is the way I see it going:

Spoiler

6 months
A bit of media attention, maybe a few wacky cults forming. Maybe some light relief on local news channels

3 months
Same again, except maybe some larger cults, more notable news channels

2 months
Some guy makes a crazy prediction, like familyradio, everyone listens to him for some reason, even though loads of other people are saying the same thing.

Advertising companies start getting behind it, end-of-the-world promotions, casual references to it in popular culture.

1 month
Mainstream media attention. A few crazy people start camping outside government buildings.

1 week
All over facebook. Consistent media coverage (national news), 2012 permeates our culture; it's impossible to escape a conversation. 6 different people post the same thread in this forum, older members rage at them for not using the searchbar.

1 day
Conversations about it at least every hour, the majority of jokes on facebook are either scared posts or joking posts. The internet CANNOT shut up. Even rationalists who don't believe anything will spend most of their time talking about it, and get into the spirit of things. A few people will start dying from cults, maybe there will be a few riots.

4 hours
After several weeks of careful marketing, pubs across the world will be full to the brim due to various end-of-the-world offers. This will result in one of the best nights out most people will ever have, as everyone will have lowered inhibitions and will get astoundingly drunk.

10 minutes
Everyone in the pubs buys a last drink, has a final countdown.

Doomsday
ZOMG ZOMBIES Everyone cheers and buys another drink, proceed to get royally drunk.

Next day
Everyone is really hungover. All those people who predicted the end look rather sheepish. Similar prophecy will inevitably repeat these happenings in approximately 10 years' time.

And that's why we're not getting to 2013 without one gigantic headache...not the reason you'd think.

 

[Chased]

Valve will announce Half Life 3.

The world will descend into turmoil and humanity will meet its end.

No, no, more like this.

Valve will release Half Life 3.

The world will descend into turmoil and humanity will meet its end.

No being on this earth can even fathom the awesomeness that it will be, much less than actually play it. I think I'm alright with Valve bringing about the end of mankind.

 

[Ursus Buckler]

Either way, I don't give a fuck. It's been a fun ride (mostly) and I had an alright time of it despite it all. If there's the end of the world, yeah ok. I'm not gonna care until a meteor lands on my face or something. Although I'm not looking forward to everyone else's reactions to it either...

On that note, Avengers and Batman.

 

[Doclector]

I think I heard somewhere about the cyclical nature of the Mayan calendar, and that the end was simply the beginning of a new cycle, but, that they believed it to herald great social upheaval and change. Never did put much faith in prophecies, but let's face it-revolutions in the middle east, dictators dropping like flies, economies reaching breaking point, balance of global power shifting-it's looking to be pretty accurate.

As for the crazies, inevitable. Media will make it worse, and hopefully, if anything comes out of it, it'll be that the media is forced to be more responsible.

 

[iLazy]

No, because the media will blow it out of proportion as usual. My friend plans to go to the mall with a sign that says "THE END IS HERE!".

If we do die, my only regret will be not seeing The Hobbit part 2.

--sigh-- What a cruel fate (possibly).

 

[Phlakes]

le snip

Our names are thematically related.

Anyway, one of the worst parts about it will the the Facebook whores getting all emotional over their regrets and things like that. I expect a 3-400% increase in posts of song lyrics.

 

[Evil Smurf]

I thought people had pretty much gotten over the "prophecy"?

I got over Indigo Prophesy a while back, hehe