Comments on: Your Modern World Kicks Your Balls In http://www.mikeoliveri.com/2009/01/21/your-modern-world-kicks-your-balls-in/ Diary of a Supervillain Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:30:26 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Mike http://www.mikeoliveri.com/2009/01/21/your-modern-world-kicks-your-balls-in/comment-page-1/#comment-123349 Mike Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:08:32 +0000 http://www.mikeoliveri.com/?p=3558#comment-123349 Takes a hell of a lot less effort than "slay all non-believers," too. Takes a hell of a lot less effort than “slay all non-believers,” too.

]]> By: Noah L http://www.mikeoliveri.com/2009/01/21/your-modern-world-kicks-your-balls-in/comment-page-1/#comment-123348 Noah L Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:23:27 +0000 http://www.mikeoliveri.com/?p=3558#comment-123348 Ah, my mistake--I had thought it was 12/25/12, hence my "day after Christmas" commentary. Yeah, I can't say that most superstitions or religions make much sense, but they definitely serve to instill fear, and therefor loyalty. That's why I like Bhuddists in general; "Life is good if you are good to others, it doesn't matter who believes what" is a pretty nice generalization of all the Bhuddists I've met. Ah, my mistake–I had thought it was 12/25/12, hence my “day after Christmas” commentary. Yeah, I can’t say that most superstitions or religions make much sense, but they definitely serve to instill fear, and therefor loyalty. That’s why I like Bhuddists in general; “Life is good if you are good to others, it doesn’t matter who believes what” is a pretty nice generalization of all the Bhuddists I’ve met.

]]> By: Mike http://www.mikeoliveri.com/2009/01/21/your-modern-world-kicks-your-balls-in/comment-page-1/#comment-123347 Mike Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:20:04 +0000 http://www.mikeoliveri.com/?p=3558#comment-123347 The 12/21/12 is the end of a calendar cycle that is, if memory serves, 13,000 years long. The Mayans believed this would mark the end of the world and the rebirth of a new one. This means we have believers in a religion that says the Earth is no more than 6000 years old sweating the end of the world on a 13,000-year calendar. Superstition is a strange and powerful animal. The 12/21/12 is the end of a calendar cycle that is, if memory serves, 13,000 years long. The Mayans believed this would mark the end of the world and the rebirth of a new one. This means we have believers in a religion that says the Earth is no more than 6000 years old sweating the end of the world on a 13,000-year calendar.

Superstition is a strange and powerful animal.

]]> By: Noah L http://www.mikeoliveri.com/2009/01/21/your-modern-world-kicks-your-balls-in/comment-page-1/#comment-123346 Noah L Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:17:03 +0000 http://www.mikeoliveri.com/?p=3558#comment-123346 People are paranoid about everything. I'm still not sure what makes them think that ancient people are any better at predicting the end of the world than scientists trained to analyze the data about our world. Worst case scenario, people freak out on Christmas of 2012, and the day after Christmas will be somber--either out of relief, embarrassment, or shock at stupidity, depending on your views. I remember seeing one of those TV specials on it where they said the Mayans believed that all the animals would turn against them on that day. Somehow, they had a parakeet rip open its cage and kill a guy, and some other guy got his tie sucked into a fax machine (still not sure what technology has to do with animals, but oh well). Fun stuff :P People are paranoid about everything. I’m still not sure what makes them think that ancient people are any better at predicting the end of the world than scientists trained to analyze the data about our world. Worst case scenario, people freak out on Christmas of 2012, and the day after Christmas will be somber–either out of relief, embarrassment, or shock at stupidity, depending on your views. I remember seeing one of those TV specials on it where they said the Mayans believed that all the animals would turn against them on that day. Somehow, they had a parakeet rip open its cage and kill a guy, and some other guy got his tie sucked into a fax machine (still not sure what technology has to do with animals, but oh well). Fun stuff :P

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