End of Days

       Happy new year,  2012 is here.

                       An eventful year just got over. Another starts . This year is predicted to be the year of doom . Why? Well the Mayans were too bored to go beyond this year on their calendar.  Dec 21st , 2012  is marked for apocalypse and Armageddon. End of the World ( EOW , better this way cause I don’t like the sound of it). So is it true ? Is the world really going to end ? Should I be preparing a bucket list ? Well , I don’t know if I should care about the Mayan calendar getting over or what Nostradamus scribbled when he was drunk. Never the less , there has been a huge set of people who strongly believe that the EOW is a possibility. Many are damn right sure about it being an assured phenomenon.  


                      There is not much base to this prediction. How will the EOW happen ? Earthquake ? Asteroid ? Wrath of the Titans?  21/12 being a palindrome , I find it too filmy a number to believe in it. But what if it really does happen ? What do we do ?  


                       The best we can do is to be prepared. 21/12 might have been predicted , but there are events that are bound to happen due to the unpredictable nature of nature . And here are few things that can help you during / after such a crisis . Of course this is only if it isn't a total wipe out.  




1)  Get a stock of some essentials and have them ready at home at all times. 

• First Aid kit , Medicines  
• A Water filter  and a Stock of fresh water for 2 weeks .  
• Food for at least 2 weeks, non perishable food , Dry Fruits. 
• Some basic tools , A Swiss knife . 
• Batteries . ( not a pair,  a whole lot of them ). 
• A Torch / Flashlight. 
• A good ole Radio  ( FM / AM ) and a Walkie-Talkie . 
• Matches / Lighter. 
• An Alternative SIM from an adjoining state ( To avoid network Jam during crisis ) .  

2) When a disaster occurs, I don’t think Google will be able to answer your questions. So once in a while practice thinking "What would my grandparents do to get this done?"   


3) Keep a copy of your important documents at some other location, Say a relative staying in another city.


4) Staying Calm and collected during the crisis will save your ass for the most part.  


5) Save yourselves. Then think about others . I know there is nothing heroic about this but the fact is people helping others are the ones that get killed. ( I salute them , but cant do that in person ). Post catastrophe, Check yourself for injuries and then start helping others .  


6) Get Educated on what to do in various situations.


Now to the specifics . 


1) Earthquakes / Tsunami / Cyclones  

• These are serious and ever present dangers .  Worst part is they are by products of most EOW scenarios .  
• Please read through the survival info publish on the following sites ( Google / Bing for more )  
• Earthquake - Link 1 , Link 2   
• Tsunami - Link 1 , Link 2  
• Tornados/ Cyclones - Link 1 , Link 2

2) Asteroid Crash 

• This is scary and very much possible  
• NEO ( Near Earth Objects ) can disrupt surface activity or erupt to create havoc .  
• All previous occurrences have  known to cause terrible damage ( one of which particularly made sure I can never ride on the back of  Sauropod to school )  
• Only solution I can think of, is an Armageddon style rescue .  

3) Solar Flare  

• A Strong enough solar flare can have  the same effect as an atomic bomb, Just a little way bit more powerful than that . Extreme heat , Radiation .
• If it is a smaller flare , that leaves us alive . First thing you will notice is that your fancy smart phone and your TV don’t work . because a solar flare will have a EMP ( Electro Magnetic Pulse ) accompanying it . So , that will put us at "What would my Great Great Grand father do ?" ideology. 
• Radiation post flare will still last for a long time. So we would end up living in Tin Foil Tents  . 

4) Crazy Planet alignment causes cosmic energies to affect everything on earth. 

• Consult a gemologist . Get a bunch of rings .  
• Wear your lucky charm 
• On a serious note , These can cause Tsunamis and Earthquakes. 

5) Kali yuga 

• This is the EOW as predicted in the Hindu texts.  
•  Be good , do Good , Think Good to survive Kalki's wrath. 
• Bible's Armageddon . Nostradamus predictions . All the same 

6) Zombie Apocalypse .  

• Get Fit , you are going to be doing a lot of running  
• Stay away from tunnels and closed paths. After watching so many movies , you will know that is where most people die ( and horrible background scores are created ) .  
• Don’t be a hero and go around investigating surroundings. There will be a zombie behind door no 2.   
• Get Guns :D . All those years of playing first person shooters , this will be your true test.   

7) Meddling Scientists 

• This is my best bet for a cause for the EOW . I am guessing some crazy scientist will be poking at the dynamics of energies / particles he does not understand and unintentionally create Armegeddon. 
• Current researches are on God particle and Antimatter. These are things that could cause a black hole and gobble the planet as a whole . 
• Silliest but plausible reason for an EOW. 

8 ) Alien Invasion 

•  Learn a language , you never know what they will speak .
• Learn to play the piano . ( Close Encounters ) 
• Have a vial of Common Cold virus handy , it will come to be of use. ( War of the worlds ) 

              Other possibilities of concern are Nuclear war , Global Warming and Chuck Norris's Sneeze . No matter what , I am sure we will survive. Earth survived a million years , we will survive a million more. Live today like there is no tomorrow


BTW , Don't forget to create your bucket list :P