48 R.E.M. Was On To Something

I have only seen one preview for "2012-Doomsday" the soon-to-be released movie. I do listen to a lot of talk radio and I have heard quite a few "experts" debate on the subject. Their view range from the movie's version of worldwide destruction to a more, intellectual and social upheaval.

I dont really want to get into the movie, as I havent seen much about it, but I will say that some of the professional researchers on the talk radio shows have said that there is a galactic alignment of sorts that is due to happen on that date. Planets and galaxies are going to be in an alignment that occurs once every 26,000 years. The Mayan calendar just happened to be a 26,000 year calendar that they miraculously calculated all those millenia ago. From what they say, every so often in Earth's history, the planet has pole-shifted on a somewhat regular basis. They think it coincides with the galactic alignment. The planet literally shifts on it's axis and some believe that, for example, the current equator would shift from being a latitude to a longitude. This would create the kind of global devastation that is seen on the movie preview. Massive, global devastation on a scale not seen by modern man. Earthquakes and upheavals, massive floods, tidal waves, storms and the like. It is scientific fact that it has happened before and just like the dinosaur killing asteroid strikes, it hasnt happened in the certain period that has been calculated and to put it bluntly-we are due. Scary? Yes, if you think no global event will or can happen, you are sadly mistaken. It just hasnt happened since man began keeping records. It could happen, it will happen sometime, nobody really knows when, but the upcoming alignment of planets and galaxies is a good possibility because of the unheard of potential for gravitational forces that could occur.

The other side of that coin are the folks that say 2012 being the end of this 26,000 year cycle, it portends a great social upheaval. They say it will be a shift in man's thinking. It could be a mass upheaval towards good fortune or bad. We could have an awakening, leading people to a more"global" consciousness or just the opposite: a further dumbing down of society. If we fare well, we could all be enlightened and aware of each other's misery, man helping man, as many of us desire. It could also be quite the opposite with man falling on each other like a pack of wild dogs tearing into a lame sheep. Let's hope for the best.

If you care to read further, I'll give you my opinion. I know I can be a bit opinionated:), but here we go: I think that there may be some shift in awareness and probably for the better, but will not be based on a schedule of galactic alignment. I think that there is an underlying , pervasive feeling that a lot of you may feel, but may not care to admit. Havent you had a feeling for a while now, that something is not right? Not just the obvious social and economic problems, but something that either has yet to happen or is about to happen? A sense of almost-dread? There is a web-bot program that some braniac computer-geeks put into effect a while back and it searches posts worldwide from many, many web sources that searches for key words and patterns in the post. It has confirmed and predicted,yes predicted, events that have happened. It also has detected a sense of a yet-to-happen major, catastrophic event. I dont think we're going to get smacked by an asteroid, but I do think we could well see an almost globally-devastating event in our lifetime. I hope I'm wrong, but only time will tell, eh? Think I'm a kook? What about that feeling I mentioned? Be honest, do you have that little nagging in the back of your mind? Not the "bills, taxes, kids" nagging or your wife or boss or the cat wanting fed all the time nagging, but a little knot of something you cant define that you shove aside or smash down from time to time when you have time to sit and reflect on things. A vague sense of uneasiness that people sometimes get before a traumatic event occurs. It's sort of like when that little voice tells you"dont get on the bus" and then the bus crashes 2 blocks down the street.

I think that we have to , as a society and one earth, answer the call of energy responsibility, suppression of war and violence and management of our global resources, i.e. food, water and livable space. If we do not, we may be in for an unheard of die-off or kill-off of millions or perhaps billions of people. Again, you may think I'm crazy, but it could happen. A lot of you dont realize just how fragile and tenable our hold is on this planet. Are you paying attention to the massive, fish killing algae blooms in the Gulf of Mexico? They are believed to be caused by fertilizer and pesticide run-off from the Mississippi basin's agricultural areas. Honeybees are dying on a massive scale from possible genetic damage due to the same. Massive areas are becoming drought-stricken because of (in-part) over-saturation of people. We build housing developments in places that are scenic but were never meant to support large populations. We have drained lakes almost dry purifying water for human consumption and use and forsaken the fish and wildlife to do it.

We are on a downward spiral with fossil fuels, there are massive reserves under the planet, but many are unattainable with current technology. We need to be sinking more money into research and development of sustainable energy for our vehicles and homes. I think the time is coming soon, that it must happen. In the last 10 days, gas locally has risen 30cents. I have said before that it could quite easily approach 4,5,6, maybe even 8 or 10 dollars a gallon. Think you could afford to drive then? Not if you have much of a commute. Vehicles that get 30, 40 even 50 mpg are not enough. We need to put massive research and development into bio-fuels and vehicles now and then, when we have enough breathing room, look for more "space-age" technology. Maybe gravity based? Fission? I dont know, I'm not a physicist. Or a scientist. Or an oil baron. They control it now anyway, but I do think it's coming. Over the winter, I am going to try my hand at distilling some different plants and making some bio-fuel. If I dont burn down my building or vehicle, I may convert all my vehicles and hopefully inspire others to try it. Anywho---

The coming 2012 date, in my opinion , is flawed. We are operating on the Gregorian calendar and the dates have been changed and manipulated at the onset of it, so who can say where the true date actually falls? I imagine we're close but after all, most of this was based on the upcoming alignment. Our downfall will lie in apathy and prejudice, probably not on a planet-wide destructive event. We may fall prey to not caring for our neighbors, both here and planet-wide. We may fall to not putting what resources we have into becoming more earth-friendly and continuing to use and abuse the planet. Whatever happens(or doesnt) we are in a period now of change. We have made choices here to elect a man that years ago, would not have been elected because of prejudice. We have charged him with changing our attitudes and our policies and methods. He has allowed the vocal minority to begin to take charge against entrenched, old-money mentality. Big business and big money controlled many if not most policies, but now, ah now, we are on the verge of challenging the old ways. We no longer think in terms of say, oil is our only option, or that's the way it is for folks that have all and those that have nothing. We are looking at options for taking care of people that have never had help. We challenge poor choices quickly and with a loud voice instead of shrugging shoulders and saying"we cant change it, so we just have to take it". So, yes, I think we may experience a sort-of "end of society" but it is going to be a years-long, gradual change with little spurts of "aha" moments and advancements.

On the offhand chance that the galactic alignment tears great rifts in the fabric of our universe and stands(quite literally) our planet on its ear, I will continue to post hopefully, until the servers crash and West Virginia winds up somewhere around the new equator. I have fattened up our bassett hound and she should feed us well in an emergency. I wont touch the cat, mostly because I dont like cat and they Dont taste like chicken....