BBC Focus Magazine

[nath2099]

Hey,

Bit of a weird one but my brother stumbled across this and is now terrified: http://alamongordo.com/

It's kind of a 2012 thing and more. Tried telling him this guy is carpet bombing with predictions using unreliable news sources to support them but can't win him over.

It all is mumbo jumbo but as the guy is doing near future predictions it looks more realistic hence my brothers fear. Sick of this kinda stuff scaring people, it's not right!

Any help would be appreciated before he loses it,

Nath

[Shadowwolf]

Bit of a weird one but my brother stumbled across this and is now terrified...

Was it the awful design?

Seriously though, that site is mess of far fetched nonsense cosying up to mildly plausible prognostications and probably for the purposes of making all the dreck seem plausible. Given the mess that the European, heck, global financial system is in, saying that somewhere like Portugal will need a bail out is hardly the most insightful of predictions, especially when it is already in economic difficulty. These are trivial observations anyone paying even scant attention to the daily news could make and are so open to interpretation that many events could fulfill them, it's like predicting rain in Ireland. One can also make much more dire observations based on daily world news, take the DPRK's recent promise of eliminating the South Korean government by unusual means that will take no more than minutes and leave behind nothing but ashes. Very easy to wonder if by all that they mean to nuke Seoul.

However, the guy is prolific and just shotgunning predictions mixing semi-plausible and largely inconsequential ones with the insane variety, there is so much there I'd really need to know specific claims worried over to indicate whats wrong with em. But I'll briefly go through one list on the site.

Things that could happen around the transit of Venus:

What Venus' transit has to do with anything I don't know nor is it explained, may as well predicate it on things that could happen during summer or when Venus is not transiting the sun.

BILDERBERG GROUP makes wrong decision and plunge world into chaos.
What kind of prediction is that? Such and such non-existing organisation makes ephemeral wrong decision at unstated time and creates unspecified chaos; meaningless, by that standard one could say 2008 financial crash was that chaos or the recent JP Morgan debacle or anything else you like.

GREECE LEAVES THE EURO ZONE and the EU will drop into a large economic crisis.
Thus far, at every expected point of departure Greece has not left or been ejected. It is also a trivial and obvious observation that a Euro currency member departing would create an economic crisis in the EU.

SPAIN or ITALY drop into LARGE ECONOMIC CRISIS - This will destroy the EU within 1 month.
The EU has been going through economic crisis after crisis and has not collapsed, why would this change because it is Spain or Italy? That it would cause an effect is painfully obvious as is the economic woes of both nations and the EU at the current time.

Election of MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD PRESIDENT of Egypt around June 15th 2012.
Given their popularity and the 50 / 50 nature of the election this is a trivial observation.

NATO ATTACK AGAINST SYRIA – The 3rd great war in the Middle East starts 1 month after.
ISRAEL ATTACKS IRAN - The 3rd great war in the Middle East starts within 1 month.
The US ATTACKS IRAN - The 3rd great war starts within 1 month.
CHINA ATTACKS PHILLIPINNES - The 3rd great war starts within 1 month.
This is almost at the point of saying if it rains it will be wet.

LARGE EARTHQUAKE – VULCANO or LARGE DISASTER between June 3rd and June 15th 2012.
Fail, it even misses the Italian quakes of May and the same day as the post. But the inclusion of the open 'large disaster' means that pretty much any tragedy can be interpreted as confirming the prediction.

SIGNS IN THE SKY will be seen like the prophecy states, just before the start of WWIII
Far too open and ultimately meaningless.

CRISIS between the US and RUSSIA about SYRIA ?
This already exists and has done since long before this uncertain observation was made.

SOLARFLARES between June 3 and June 15 2012 ?
Solar flares are a common occurrence and quite probably happened during that period, don't know and don't care to find out as it's a trivial observation that is also couched in a questioning manner as though even everyday events are uncertain.

Also, none of these things happened during the period of the transit.

[nath2099]

Thanks, he read it and somewhat helps. Also showed him the joint Russia/Iran/China excersize was bull. That one was getting him a bit as he thought it was the start of an attack but pointed out these tensions are decades old and we have been a LOT closer to world war 3 than this and it is all mainly geo-political posturing.

[M Paul Lloyd]

For what it is worth I am 100% behind Mr.S on this one.
It's all just a load of silly nonsense and really not worth worrying about at all.
Goodness knows their is more than enough to worry about in the world without taking this sort of stuff seriously?
Time was it would be limited to such outlets as the National Enquirer but for better or worse the internet has created a massive, virtual, lavatory wall where every loony and weirdo can scrawl whatever nonsense they like without any regulation.
What you have to do is treat it accordingly and just walk away.


Hopefully we manage to keep things in better order on here...............most of the time?!

[Shadowwolf]

The whole 2012 thing is a nonsense, our calendar ends every December 31st without any calamity so why should their longer one be any different? Furthermore every alleged doomsday scenario is just utterly lacking in any credible evidence or scientific reason, they're just empty assertions that might make good scary fiction but that's it. So beyond reason is this that even some proponents have been stepping away from as they recalculate the date to a few decades down the line so as to avoid the bubble being so conclusively burst when nothing happens.

But I bet as the date comes and goes without any global calamity some groups will be exuberantly proclaiming that with the assistance of powerful and far off alien telepaths they erected a psychic shield that protected the planet. What's worse is that they'll actually believe this.

As for exercises and wars, the former happens all the time and this one appears to be an invention anyway, and the latter will be with us for some time. I don't see any concrete sign of a global conflict anytime soon so even that is nothing to be particularly worried of.

Anyhoo no probs Mr Nath.

[M Paul Lloyd]

If I might just add?

The end of the world has been foretold on many occasions in the past with the year 1975 featuring large in the world of the Jehovah's Witnesses as the beginning of the apocalypse. It hasn't happened so far, although if you can get any of them to talk about it the stock answer seems to be along the lines of 'oh but it has, just look around you and see what has become of the world ever since' and, well they could have a point as the world does appear to be in a bit of a state.

However the world isn't actually coming to and end despite many such predictions the date has absolutely nothing to do with it, have a read of these and see.
http://www.bible.ca/pre-date-setters.htm
You'll have to scroll down past the advertisement, oh and be aware it is a bible site.

[nath2099]

The problem is everyone has an opinion and access to the internet. People claiming comparisons left right and centre. Economy troubles = WW2 and they think it is the same now. I don't think the current issues will cause WW3 but I do think the world is changing and maybe when the dust settles in ten years or so it will be for the better.

[Shadowwolf]

The problem is everyone has an opinion and access to the internet.

Like backsides, everyone's got one

There will always be ups and downs, crises and calamity or reasonably inferred portents of impending troubles, that's life in our world as it stands today. But these seem to be just window dressing, trivial signs at best for much of the end of days scenarios that are out there. Most of the 2012 stuff I'm aware of have nothing to do with political or economic issues but rest squarely on a calendar ending, the equating of this end with apocalypse followed by wild spit-ball pondering on what kind of non-human event could do the deed. The events on the daily news tend to be utilised more by the Nostradamus folks where just about anything can be pressed into the service of some arbitrarily interpreted quatrain, every new event or person might be what this or that verse was about. A seer that apparently predicted everything and so far nothing at the same time.

The problem with the net is that misinformation can so easily be presented in such a manner that appears as though there is merit to the claims. It can so easily be dressed up to sound scientific and factual, as though the providers have done diligent and reasonable research, heck the providers may even have academic credentials to further muddy the water. Unless you have some element of training, that is sadly lacking in standard education, and time then it can be difficult to know where to go, how to evaluate a source and sift truth from lies. It gets worse when so called respectable channels like "History" or Discovery Science and even news outlets peddle unchallenged complete fictions under their mantle of credibility because the audience allegedly prefers fantasy. So they get told the fantasy they want to hear and because they hear it from there they then imagine it must be real because how else could it be on.

[Isee]

Just ask any of the doomsayers to sign over all of their earthly posessions over to you if the world does not end, and you will sign all of yours to them if it does.

Put their money where their mouth is so to speak.

[Lateralman]

1984 come and gone...

[M Paul Lloyd]

Ah ... now then..... don't get me started on our Orwellian world.

[Lateralman]

If you don’t believe in time, 2012 presents no worries.

[Shadowwolf]

I think it's better to be aware that there is no fire and that there's no way for a fire to start rather than pretending that fire doesn't burn you.

[MikeG]

Tell your brother that another Mayan calendar found recently shows dates reaching well beyond 2012.

The scientists say the symbols reflect a certain world view. "The ancient Maya predicted the world would continue, that 7,000 years from now, things would be exactly like this," Saturno said. "We keep looking for endings. The Maya were looking for a guarantee that nothing would change. It's an entirely different mindset."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 141953.htm

[Willxx]

If you go online you can buy calendars for 2013 and onwards, my laptop has dates well in advance of 2012, (Jan 30 2042 is a Thursday btw), the 2016 olympics are planned for Rio, the Uncatolopa Settlers of the lower gabala delta in 12540 BCE believed that the world ended every night as the sun set and they were reincarnated by the Sun Wolf every morning after she mated with the Moon each night* (ok I made that one up )

Dates are arbitary and the end of a calendar is the start of another, does anyone seriously think that a society which failed to predict their own demise by somewhere around half a millenium or more is likely to be spot on with something like the end of everything?

BTW its not a doomsday calendar - its a countdown clock to aliens arriving to pick up the Mayans who were refugees from an intergalactic conflict and we'll be the plucky indigenous sidekicks who have been nurtured to travel to the stars and be schooled in the awesome secrets of the elders .... blah blah bloody blah

I'm planning on 2013 coming around, but please - anyone who isn't is welcome to join one of the end of the world groups but don't forget to sign over all your worldy possessions to me please, after all if you are right you won't need them and I won't benefit from them so whats the harm??

[Nails]

1. Explain to him a little thing that is called Special Relativity. It works pretty well (ie E=mc2), and one of the implications is that you cannot have an effect before the cause - or you cannot predict the future. this quashes all prophets and doom-mongers with a healthy doese of reality
2. I havn't read the link because I suspect, having read yours & Shadow's post it would be a load of rubbish. But one question you can ask, is if these predictions are so accurate then why are they so vague? If you can really see the future, you should be able to see the time and day of a disaster. Postulating a vague time-frame is just hedging your bets.
3. If this is somehow linked to the Mayan calander, as many 2012 doom stories are, you could ask why they couldn't see the end of their own civilisation coming. These people believed in human sacrifices for heaven's sake, how could you expect them to know more about the universe than all of the modern eras greatest minds and technology?
4. If this doesn't work, ask him to give you all his money and all personal possessions - especially if he has a new car or a decent TV. If this doesn't work, you might have to shake him a few times and call him an idiot. I doubt that it would work, but then all you have left is to have him sectioned undet the mental health act.

http://www.bible.ca/pre-date-setters.htm
You'll have to scroll down past the advertisement, oh and be aware it is a bible site.

Nice to see you warn it's a biblical site!

If you go online you can buy calendars for 2013 and onwards, my laptop has dates well in advance of 2012, (Jan 30 2042 is a Thursday btw), the 2016 olympics are planned for Rio,

I agree.

[Jamie]

The worrying thing is that whilst none of these 'predictions' ever happen, people still believe they will. Remember that Harold Camping pillock in America a few years back ? Got it wrong once, then changed his mind came up with a nother end-of-world date and people were selling their houses and moving to the hills. Needless to say we're still all here.

And even if they did, it doesn't worry me. I've spent pretty much the entire history of the universe not existing, and I wasn't bothered.

[MikeG]

Is this the beginning of the end

http://now.msn.com/red-tide-in-australi ... ks-concern

[M Paul Lloyd]

I seem to recall that happening before and its caused by a 'bloom' of some sort of algae. I bet a good google will pull up a few examples. The Azov sea comes to mind?;)

Either that or it's down to Revelations 16:3 And the second angel didst pour out his bowl upon the sea ..

[MikeG]

You're right MPL, it is an algae bloom. Which means that even in antquity, they must have seen blooms like this and thought it was blood. So its not related to mankind causing an imbalance or related to pollution. The suffocating effect of this bloom was to kill all the fish, just as Revelations describes.