To say that the vast majority of people in the world did not expect the world to end last Friday would be a gross understatement. The 21st came and went with a whimper, not an explosion of super volcanoes, hidden rogue planets, or Pole shifting. The lesson to be learned here is best exemplified by a quote from the Bible repeated ad nauseam across social networks: “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the Angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows,” Matthew 24:36.

It is an understandable reaction. No one can predict the future. Not anyone today, and surely not anyone 2,000 years ago. It is very hard to take seriously the idea that a race of people could predict the end of the world thousands of years ago, but could not see the trouble coming for them when Cortez and the Spanish showed up. Yes, the dismissive attitude many people had that day is infinitely understandable. It is also troubling.

A closer examination, whether it is Facebook comments, news articles, comments made in television interviews, etc., reveals not a dismal of the Mayan prophecy, but of the idea that the world will end at all. That is the underlying emotion. Nothing will end. Nothing bad will happen. The biggest lesson to be gleaned from December 21, 2012 is not that no can predict when the world will end. The jokes, the dismissal of preppers, end of the world parties, all point to the sad fact that if something bad happens, no one is prepared.

The victims of Hurricane Sandy and Katrina are living examples of this sad fact. Both had days of warning. Everyone in the areas hit by the storms knew they were coming. Yet after the storms hit, the degree to which those affected needed help from the federal government and charitable Americans country-wide demonstrated that the residents were unprepared. The response by the federal government, and days it took power companies to get electricity up and running to all their customers, shows our institutions were not ready.

Neither of these events is world ending. However, there is an old saying, “If you lose everything you own, then it’s the end of the world to you.” Can anyone dispute that to a family who lost their home and everything they own in Sandy, Katrina, or even the tornadoes of Joplin that their world has ended? If you are snowed in your home resulting from the current winter storm sweeping across America with little food and no heat, does it matter that the state of Florida is fine? No. You are in an emergency that might not end the world, but could end your life.

So why do the eyes of most people roll in their heads if you mention prepping for an emergency? Why do they act like no big event is ever going to happen in their lifetimes? The answer is probably no more complicated than that people do not expect bad things to happen to them. It may happen to someone else, some other city, state, or country, but not to me. This is a very dangerous thought to have. Eleven years ago three thousand people had that same thought process, and then the building they worked in was hit by a plane. Some were in areas that negated any hope of survival. Others allowed themselves to be led back into the building. Some of those people did not make it out.

Life threatening emergencies can occur at any moment. The Bible verse, “No one knows the day or the hour,” means something bad could happen right now. If it did are you ready to handle it? If you get a call from your child’s school what is your plan? If you get into a car accident and your wife is gushing blood, do you have a kit in the car to save her before the ambulance gets there? If you live in the mid-west or up north, what is your plan for when your pipes freeze and the power goes out? A national emergency occurs, and your cell phone does not work because the lines are slammed. Do you know how to contact your loved ones? Do they know how to reach you?

Does the world actually need to end in order for you see the value of being prepared for an emergency?

The Mayans were wrong. No real news flash there. But here is a prediction that is absolutely certain and does not take an elaborate calendar to see; there will be future catastrophes. Not earth shattering (though that will happen one day too) just local, or regional. There will be storms, hurricanes, terrorist attacks, freak storms, and earthquakes. These things will happen. Will you be ready when they do? Or are you going to just brush them off in hopes that it will happen to someone else in some other place? The response from the government to Sandy has shown that even if the federal, state, and local governments work hard to respond the response is always slower than needed. People will have to take these things seriously, and ready themselves to protect their families and help neighbors, If that is not done, then even a localized event can have more serious consequences than necessary.

The article Lessons from Mayan Doomsday Failure appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Washington, U.S.A. — If the Mayans were right, and the world ends December 21, 2012, are you prepared? Your neighbors might be, and they’re not sharing their supplies. Most of us barely have enough water to last 48 hours, but preppers are preparing for the end of the world as we know it — working around the clock to ensure that they and their families remain safe — whether that’s from the Mayan end, an F-5 tornado, economic collapse or a mega-earthquake.

On Tuesday, November 13, 2012, at 9 and 10 p.m. ET/PT, National Geographic Channel is premiering the second season of its No. 1 series, “Doomsday Preppers” with back to back episodes. And the highly successful season one will premiere on Spanish network, Nat Geo Mundo, beginning Friday, November 16, 2012, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Jennifer Lawrence, star of the blockbuster ‘Hunger Games’, told Peoplemagazine she was hooked on “Doomsday Preppers”; Fox’s hit series “The Simpsons” recently had an episode with Homer becoming a prepper; Stephen Colbert has said, “My favorite Nat Geo show has got be the new series, Doomsday Preppers”; and MAD magazine recently dedicated a two-page spread to the Nat Geo show, including practical pointers such as, “If possible choose a vegan as your bunkermate. That way you can be certain who runs out of food first.”

No gimmicks or games, the original that spawned cable copycats and started a prepping phenomenon, focuses on the lives of otherwise ordinary Americans who are preparing for the end of the world, with experts who analyze the thoroughness of their preps. These men and women stand united in their unshakable certainty that America and the world soon face tougher times — times when grocery stores are empty, urine might be converted to drinking water and electricity is only a dream.

Preppers come in all shapes, ages, sizes, worries and preparedness levels. But many of them rely on having a fail-safe “buggin’ out plan.” A term widely used in the prepper community, “buggin’ out” basically means grabbing your bug out bag (a backpack with supplies that will allow a person to survive up to three days) and getting out of sight. When things get crazy, preppers plan to leave the disaster or threatening situation and go to a secret bug out location. Many preppers have different kinds of bug out locations, including a cave or underground shelter.

“Some of our preppers may seem extreme and out of this world, but after hearing each one’s story and reasons for prepping, we are all guilty of checking our own pantries to see if we are prepared to survive a catastrophic event,” said Michael Cascio, executive vice president of programming for NGC.

In season two, we’ll meet a plethora of individuals who are committed to thinking through every contingency plan. We’ll meet a diabetic mother stockpiling insulin to survive the devastation of an F-5 tornado she fears is coming; a 14-year-old preparing for a global economic collapse; a millionaire getting ready for a massive earthquake; and a “Brady Bunch” type prepping family with six children who anticipate a terrorist smallpox epidemic.

Running emergency drills and stockpiling food and weapons are basic parts of a prepper’s life. They’ll go to whatever lengths deemed necessary to make sure they are prepared if simple services should falter, and chaos and violence become the order of the day. Each episode will include an assessment by an expert who analyzes how prepared the preppers actually are if their worst fears become a reality and they have to put their plans into action. Viewers are left to make their own decision as to whether the preppers are tip-top planners … or just plain paranoid.

Premiere episodes include:

“Doomsday Preppers: Am I Nuts Or Are You?” — Tuesday, November 13, 2012, at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Could there be a Brady Bunch prepping family? Meet Braxton Southwick, a former professional motocross racer who lives with his wife and their six children, who are prepping for a terrorist smallpox attack. Each family member keeps a bug out bag in their car and has a special prepping skill — making them the ultimate prepping family. Big Al is a musician who wrote his own “prepping country song” and is getting ready for a nuclear attack from Russia. He has built an underground bunker that will protect him from nuclear fallout and has a special bunker stew recipe just in case he needs a tasty meal one day. Jason Beacham, a 15-year-old, has been prepping since he was 11. He fears anarchy following economic collapse and uses his allowance money to stock up on weapons and food.

“Doomsday Preppers: You Can’t Let Evil Win” – Tuesday, November 13, 2012, at 10 p.m. ET/PT

Some American families have drastically altered their lifestyles in order to survive what they fear will be the end of the world. Johnny O fears a terrorist attack on nuclear power plants, and his prepping philosophy is always having backups for your backups. He is a husband and father of two who lives with his wife and his wife’s twin sister, who also knows their bug out plan. Wilma and Gary Bryant, who live with their children and granddaughter on a farm, are preparing for a series of F-5 tornados. They are building an underground Noah’s Ark for their animals and stockpiling insulin for Wilma and her daughter, who both suffer from diabetes. Robert Earl and his wife are a retired couple who fear the melting of the Greenlandice sheet. They have relocated from Florida to a remote desert area of Texas and have built a self-sustainable property for themselves and their 21 dogs.

“Doomsday Preppers: Bad Times All the Time” – Tuesday, November 20, 2012, at 9 p.m. ET/PT

At some point, we’ve all wondered what will happen to our economy. Jay Blevins has probably thought about it more than most. He is a former law enforcement officer who is preparing for a global economic crisis. He fears that social unrest will erupt and has found creative ways to protect his family, including his own recipe for homemade pepper spray. Bryan May, a small-business owner, is prepping for a New Madrid earthquake, which he thinks will leave much of the United States submerged underwater. He has already begun to barter for goods in preparation for his belief that the dollar will lose its value in a doomsday situation. Brian Murdock is a real estate owner who believes that World War III is eminent. He has purchased a 10-acre plot of land in upstate New York, where he plans to bug out in a motor home with his new fiancee.

“Doomsday Preppers: The Time of Reckoning” – Tuesday, November 27, 2012, at 9 p.m. ET/PT

A single dirty bomb could cause massive chaos. Tom Perez is prepping for a terrorist attack and suspects it’s only a matter of time before one gets through our defenses. He has not worked in 12 years because he spends most of his day prepping and spends much of his family’s yearly income on preps. To ensure full safety for his family, Tom has teamed up with Steve Vanasse, who works for a company that assesses contaminated sites throughout Texas, which Tom highly values in preparing for radioactive dispersal from a dirty bomb. Steve knows that radiation cannot be detected by human senses; therefore, he checks the radiation levels in his home several times a month. Together, Tom and Steve are working hard to cover all their bases.

“Doomsday Preppers” is produced by Sharp Entertainment for National Geographic Channel (NGC). For Sharp Entertainment, executive producer is Matt Sharp and co-executive producer is Alan Madison. For NGC, executive producer is Kathleen Cromley and executive vice president of programming is Michael Cascio.

For more information, please visit www.natgeotv.com/preppers.

The article Doomsday Preppers Season 2 Premieres November 13 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.