2012 conference attended by hundreds

[nofreeman]

Hundreds of people gathered near the Golden Gate Bridge over the weekend to ponder the enigmatic date of Dec. 21, 2012, the last day of the ancient Maya calendar and the focus of many end-of-the-world predictions. In these times of economic distress, participants shelled out $300 each to attend the sold-out 2012 Conference, where astrologers, UFO fans, shamans and New Age entrepreneurs of every stripe presented their dreams and dreads in two days of lectures, group meditations, documentaries and, of course, self-promotion. Normally, New Age platforms attract the interest of only the narrowest group of enthusiasts. But this one has been generating wider audiences because it so forcefully underscores the turmoil of the times, as indicated by the stock market plunge, Iran's nuclear ambitions, the Sept. 11 attacks, global warming and the possibility of a magnetic pole shift and stronger sunspot cycles.To some, the end of the Maya Long Calendar's roughly 5,000-year cycle portends calamity, or the birth of a new age, or both.The conference's slogan: "Shift happens." The gathering of about 300 people from as far away as Holland was launched with the blessings of a Guatemalan shaman and the scary predictions of Jay Weidner, whose firm, Sacred Mysteries, has sponsored four 2012 events in the last six months."The greatest crisis in human history is unfolding all around us. It's not the end of this world, but it's the end of this age," he likes to say. "To survive the 21st century, we're going to have to become a sustainable world -- people should want to know how to pound a nail, milk a cow and grow their own food.

"Now, a gold rush of "2012ology" is underway. A similar conference in Hollywood this year drew an audience of more than 1,000. At least two gatherings are planned for the Los Angeles area in the spring. "A Complete Idiot's Guide to 2012" was published last month, adding to a burgeoning market of books, CDs and History Channel specials suggesting that the ancient Maya predicted the impending end of the world as we know it.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

A Complete Idiot's Guide to 2012? Just get Fallout 3. Close enough.

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

Heh, I remember all that fuss in 2000 about the end of the world.

Lol.

 

[Kula Meenur]

^this.

 

[Darkside55]

I would've gone if it wasn't $300.

I would've just spent all my time yelling about the comet anyway.

 

[Omnomnick]

Pffft. End of the world my backside...

 

[Godron]

But this one has been generating wider audiences because it so forcefully underscores the turmoil of the times, as indicated by the stock market plunge, Iran's nuclear ambitions, the Sept. 11 attacks, global warming and the possibility of a magnetic pole shift and stronger sunspot cycles.

Turmoil of the times? We've had recesions before. We've had a cold war before. We've had the ****ing bubonic plague before. Did it cause the end of the world? No, of course it didn't. Nor did it mark the dawn of a new age. As much as it feels like the whole world's going to shit, humanity's had it all much worse before.

 

[Kyorisu]

Heh why did he put global warming in there? Oh noes the planet is heating up like it has countless times before. Oh the horror. You see that big ball of fire in the sky? Yeah that big yellow raging inferno, possibly the source of this thing we call heat.

 

[Ravioli]

Only in America


All i can do is laugh at these primitive people

 

[DEATH eVADER]

"Shift happens."

Play on words ftw

 

[[Matt]]

Pffft. End of the world my backside...

Is your arse really that big??

 

[Sheepo]

Yellowstone Supervolcano, I choose you!

 

[jverne]

i'd go there, poop in the middle of the crowd and yell out loud "i ate uranium for breakfast"!