2012

Hey, so have you guys heard about the impending apocalypse? Really, it's on wikipedia, an unwavering source of factual information, so we know it must be true.

Basically, the Mayan calendar ends on December 21, 2012 and because it seems that the Mayans had a better understanding or the solar system and the calendar than we do, then their calendar ending on this day must mean doom, right?

Well, since I'm always looking for something to worry about, I'm somewhat interested in this. I don't want to die, but more than not wanting to die personally, I don't want civilization to die. Why is it that the end of civilization is so much more disturbing that the death of an individual, even if that individual is yourself? Why does is matter what happens to the world if you're dead? No one knows what happens after death. Everyone has their beliefs, but from atheist to Muslim, no one thinks that once you are dead, you are terribly concerned with the living. But the world ending. It's disturbing. I guess maybe the end of the world is like the death of God, of hope. We are all part of something larger than ourselves. Some call it God. Some call it Atman. Some call it Humanity. Some call it Civilization. It's all that remains of us when we are gone and we live our lives hoping to achieve immortality through make some small impression on it. Some people have kids. Some write novels. Some blow up buildings. But we do all these things to try to make an imprint on society so that when we are dead and gone, our life will have mattered, even if it's in the smallest way.

But the apocalypse. That means that none of us matter. Nothing we do matters. And that's depressing!

So, if you only have three and a half years left until the world is consumed by fire, what would you do? Is it different than if you only had three and a half years left until you are hit by a car and killed?

And oh yeah. There's a movie staring John Cusack.