Bugarach is still under siege by New Agers.

I posted about this over a year ago but it's making the rounds again with a few updates on the situation.

Doomsday 2012: Thousands queue for UFO rescue at Pic de Bugarach
Hippies head for Noah’s Ark: Queue here for rescue aboard alien spaceship

I can admire the conviction of these people. They believe something so much that they aren't content to just talk about it or preach it; they're actually out there doing what they believe they should be doing. Regardless of how I differ from them in my beliefs I can respect them for theirs.

I am a little concerned about what might happen if what they're expecting doesn't happen though. At the same time I don't understand the enmity toward these people that's expressed in the comments on these articles. Can the whole thing be seen as amusing? Sure. However, some of those comments go beyond expressing amusement and seem to express some kind of hatred towards these "hippies." Or maybe it's jealousy of how completely devoted they are to something greater than themselves.

Maybe we really do need a new spiritual age.

2012 Scenarios Debunked

2012 Pictures: 6 Maya Apocalypse Myths Debunked

This is something to think about for anyone feeling on edge this year. This debunking says nothing of unforeseen supernatural influences but it does give a little more insight into the date and the theories that are getting passed around. There are, of course, many more individual theories of apocalypse as well as theories of transformation.

I don't worry about it too much. Whatever is coming, if anything, is totally beyond my control. An event of this magnitude is on a scale so large that my worry and fear will do absolutely nothing to thwart it. As such I don't worry about it. I just go on with my life. If this really is the last year then I'm going to live it how I want, not cowering in fear of something I have no control over. Live life to the fullest whether the world ends tonight, tomorrow, in December, or never.

End of the World?

World will end on May 21 says ex-MTA worker Robert Fitzpatrick, who's putting money where mouth is
2011 end times prediction at Wikipedia.

Those two links should tell you just about everything you need to know about all of this hubbub about the end of the world on Saturday. Technically it's just supposed to be the Rapture, but for most people it'll be close enough. The true end is supposed to be on October 21st.

Like most end of the world claims this one will be pretty easy to test. We just have to wait and see. In all likelihood nothing will happen. I'm by no means a scholar of Christianity but I do seem to remember there being something in the Bible about no man knowing the day or time of the end. I guess we'll find out in a couple of days. I mostly feel sorry for the people that have spent their life savings advertising for this.

Now, for your enjoyment:

What an apocalypse survival bunker looks like.

When the Aliens Touch Down, Make for This Missile Base

I think that aliens are one of the more unlikely things to cause an apocalypse but this makes me wonder:  If civilians are working on projects like this then what might the government have already?  Continuity of government is something that we know the government takes very seriously and they already have facilities suited to this purpose.

Do these types of facilities tie into the mysteries surrounding Denver International Airport?  I think that they might.  There have been rumors for a while that the elites and governments of the world know something that the general public doesn't know about a future cataclysm and that they are preparing for it.  Are facilities like the one in the above article just the tip of the iceberg?  Are there far more extravagant facilities built by the rich and powerful that will allow them to survive impending disaster?  I think that it is a very real possibility.

The 2012 hype has people buying into projects like the one above; I don't see why the elite of society wouldn't be doing the same, especially if they know something we don't.  Thinking about it, a global catastrophe may not be the biggest of their worries.  Civil unrest has been on the rise around the world and the faltering economies in many countries have a lot of people on edge.  What would happen to the haves if the have-nots began to turn against them?  Maybe that's the scariest possibility that they can imagine.  Regardless, survival bunkers like this seem to be up to the task of protecting people from just about anything.  Let's hope that no one ever has to use them.

The Supermoon and Earthquakes

I'm sure that by now you've heard of the devastating earthquake and resulting tsunamis that occurred in Japan.  It just so happened that hours before I learned about the disaster I was reading this article about the "Supermoon" that's coming up on March 19th.  Aside from being a potential incidence of synchronicity, the disaster in Japan did make me wonder if there might not be something to the moon setting off natural disasters.

The link above mentions the slight increase in earthquake and volcano activity during certain moon phases.  These are just tidal forces at work.  However, there is potentially more going on here than just the moon as can be seen in this article that describes a March earthquake warning mentioned for the United States.  That article describes other factors at play besides the moon's position.

It might also be worth noting that the magnetic north pole is moving faster now than at any other time in human history.  If this is the precursor to a pole reversal and the disaster theories surrounding the idea of a magnetic pole reversal are correct then this could all mean a very tumultuous time ahead of us from a geological standpoint.

If that's not enough then there's the fact that all of this is being drawn into doomsday theories concerning the year 2011.

Only time will tell about any of this but I'm not really worried about it.  Earthquakes and other natural disasters can happen at any time and all we can do about it is be prepared.  These events are ultimately out of our control and it does us no good to worry about things that we cannot change.  Just in case though, this may be a good time to make sure you have the recommended emergency supplies.  Being prepared can save your life whether it's an earthquake, a tornado, or a fire.  No doomsday scenarios are necessary.

New Agers converge on a French village; hilarity ensues.

French village which will 'survive 2012 Armageddon' plagued by visitors

The kicker is that they are supposed to survive 2012 because there are aliens under the local mountain that will evacuate when things get bad, hopefully taking some of the New Agers with them.  I know that this really isn't that funny for those poor villagers, but my head is filled with images of stereotypical New Age hippies surrounding the place like its some kind of UFO Mecca and I find it hilarious.  Most of this is fueled by the very descriptions in the article.

Naked men performing rituals on the mountainside, apparently within plain view of the mayor.  Hippies lying around, chanting and meditating in the streets.  I imagine a lot of crystals, patchouli, and tie-dye.  Perhaps the worst part is that all of this apocalypse business is based on misinformation about what the Mayans actually said about 2012.  I'm confident that the villagers will find a way to profit from this and allay their frustrations though.

My overall reaction to the absurdity is represented by the article's photo of the mayor on the outskirts of town, in front of the sign.  Notice his expression and gesturing.  I don't need to be French to understand that.  He's saying "WTF?"  I expect more of this kind of thing as December 21, 2012 gets closer.

The Zombie Apocalypse

I know zombies are popular right now (and have been for a while) but I had an idea while I was watching TV earlier (no, not The Walking Dead; it was actually the first few episodes of a good series called Dead Set). I had the idea to go over some of my thoughts on surviving the Zombie Apocalypse.  I know countless people have done this and some have even written books about it, but I figured it might be fun so here goes.

We first have to take into account what kind of zombies we're dealing with.  If we're dealing with zombies of a supernatural origin then things get complicated depending on the details.  For the sake of this post I'm going to go with the overwhelmingly popular viral outbreak scenario.  There is some kind of virus outbreak that infects people and turns them into zombies.  If you get bitten or otherwise infected by a zombie you will slowly die and then reanimate as a zombie with a hunger for human flesh.  The typical destruction of the brain puts them down permanently.  Pretty simple, right?

Instead of giving a rundown of what I, personally, would do I'm just going to outline a few things that I feel would be very important.

1.  Get out of the population centers as soon as you can.  Take whatever useful supplies and equipment you can get your hands on and get out of there.  Humans will be just as dangerous as zombies during the initial chaos.  Go somewhere that won't be obvious.  It doesn't make sense to flee a population center if the rest of the population is just going to follow after you to an obvious refuge.  Try to keep in mind the geographical isolation of the place, the potential for harvesting natural resources (like food, water, and material), and also how defensible it might be.

2.  Don't try to take everything with you.  Take essentials and take things that have more than one use.  If you have time to cook and properly preserve perishable food before you leave then do so.  The highways might be impassible so be prepared for that and find another way if you can.  If you're already in an isolated area because you live there then you will probably have more time to prepare.  If you are already where you want to be then try to preserve as much perishable food as you can before the power goes out and try to store as much clean water as you can before the water service fails.  Reinforce doors and windows on the ground floor (or everywhere if you can).

3.  Wait out the initial chaos.  It would be best not to go into a population center to rescue someone or to snatch up supplies if you're already out of there but I understand that it isn't human nature to leave friends and family behind in such a situation.  You may even be trapped in a population center and have no choice but to stay.  Everyone is going to have the same idea to make a run on food, water, medicine, etc. so you will probably be better off avoiding supermarkets, superstores, and hospitals (especially hospitals because of infected people going in for treatment).

4.  Try to avoid the infected as much as possible.  Stealth over aggression.  Unnecessarily engaging infected wastes ammunition, opens you up to being infected yourself, and could also attract more infected or humans that want to rob you of your supplies or worse.

5.  Once you have your safe haven established you should strive to be self-sufficient.  Growing food, collecting rain water, reusing and recycling everything.  If you have to go into population centers to scavenge for supplies then I would suggest traveling light and having a plan.  Ideally this wouldn't be until a week or two after the initial chaos; maybe longer.  I highly recommend learning survival skills (including long-term survival skills) and learning the natural foods and medicines of your area.

6.  Remain off the radar.  Don't broadcast your presence to anyone unless there is a definite chance of being rescued by authorities (i.e. you heard it on the radio).  Don't fall for other people trying to take advantage of you though.  Just hole up and wait it out if you can.  Eventually the infected should become incapacitated.  There's a possibility this could take years though depending on the nature of the infected physiology.

This is all just common sense from my perspective.  Then again, I'm a bit of a survivalist so maybe not everyone thinks this way.  I am of the opinion that a zombie outbreak is incredibly unlikely but these same points could apply to a large-scale natural disaster as well.  Even if zombies are incredibly unlikely, it sure is fun to think about.  If you have something to add to this list then leave a comment:  Our survival may depend on it.