So if the world is going to end tomorrow, what should I wear? “Something apocalyptic” says husband. But I’ve got my outfit for the wedding on Sunday and if Sunday isn’t going to happen, can I wear my new dress tomorrow? At the risk of spilling something on it, of course, and then what, when Saturday dawns as usual? Can’t just shove it in the machine.
Frankly all this “end of the world” stuff is annoying and I think the Mayans got it wrong. As husband points out, they didn’t make it past the 9th century themselves. And look at that date! It’s not right. 21/12/2112 would be more suitable. And new granddaughter greeted us with her first, or possibly last, smile today.
If they did get it right, however, I would like to say farewell to all cherished colleagues here. If they got it wrong, then I’d like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Guid New Year to yin and a’.
Boadicea's Chariot 
I’ve just ordered a tonne of firewood and bought the NSW’s Christmas presents. Have I wasted the money?
Merry Christmas or Farewell. (Delete according to belief)
OZ
Sheona: I am reasonably confident I shall be able to wish you a Merry Christmas a bit nearer the time, but just in case, I wish you a Merry Christmas and I will sink a last large malt tonight! 🙂
This seems a good plan, particularly the last bit.
OZ
To be fair I think you ought to point out to husband that they seemed to die out with their penultimate calendar! Oops!
I do hope all goes well for your family over the weekend.
With the amount of rain out here I rather think the end of the world is going to take the form of a giant mould overtaking everything, a la Stephen King style!
Merry christmas just in case and bah humbug.
Sheona, an informed source reckons the Mayans made no such prediction. Their calendar ended. End of…what? Our kitchen calendar ends on 31st December and guess what? We’ve acquired a new one for 2013. However, it’s understandable that all those people who are susceptible to supernatural thoughts will take the safe option and expect the worst – then, as with the fate of the Euro, they’ll be deliriously happy when it the prediction fails and world stock markets will rise.
But just in case, à la Pascal’s Wager, let me wish you and yours a happy eternity!
I suspect that your new granddaughter will delight you with many more smiles, Sheona.
I hope you enjoy the wedding. 🙂
Pascal’s statment that “le silence éternel des espaces infinies m’effraie” always scares me. Though I think he was wise to hedge his bets.
I have never bought into Pascal’s argument. I think both God and Beelzebub would have seen through it. The former would have offered him to the latter who would have accepted him with warm, very warm, enthusiasm.
I watched Love Story the other night, first time since it came out in 1970. Ali Mcgraw’s acting was abominable, but as Jenny sat watching ‘Preppie’, Ryan O’Neal skate, with the knowledge that she was about to die, I could not help feeling slightly envious. Don’t get me wrong, life is good and I have just ‘been to a marvellous party’, but the knowledge that one will soon be bidding adieu to all the crap that goes on in the world also has its attractions. I suspect Doom Merchants, such as the Mayan chronologists, serve a useful purpose.
In any event may the future, for as long as it lasts, provide good things to all people.
Sipu, I’m sure you’re right about old Pascal’s get-ot-of-jail-free card.
It’s now 8.30 a.m. here – and so far there have been no untoward rumblings of doom. But maybe I’ll have to wait until midday in mid-America.
May I reciprocate your last wish?
It has past 11:21 in these here parts, so think it is safe for me to wish all fellow Charioteers a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 🙂
Hang on, maybe the Mayans meant 11:21 in Samoa, the last place to see midnight 😦
You’re safe FEEG. Samoa changed its dateline earlier this year and is now in the same time zone as Australia, having ‘lost’ a whole day in the process. I still have a Millennium celebration t-shirt from Samoa dated 01-01-00. At the time some rich Aussies chartered a jet to Tonga for a New Year thrash and then flew across to Samoa to do it all over again the next day, as it were. It must have been the granddaddy of all parties.
Happy thingies and all that.
OZ
OZ: So the Samoans celebrated one year (or should that be three years?) early too. 🙂
Nah, t’was a business thing in 2012, Australia and New Zealand being Samoa’s biggest trading partners. It therefore made no sense for Samoa to be closed on their Mondays but open on a southern hemisphere Saturday. It did take a bit of ‘head getting around’, I will grant.
OZ