Food For Thought: At the Very Edge of the End of the World

I had recently been told that the world was ending on 21^st December 2012. Funny that; it wasn’t even in the morning papers today!

I found that quite rude; I mean, surely, if the world was about to end in a day’s time, humanity had a perfectly legitimate right to know that!

After all, if Judgment Day was upon us, we had to prepare for it: sharp lapelled tux, silk black bowtie, onyx cuff links, pristinely white dinner shirt, white silk scarf, that sort of thing.

But seriously, here is what the Mayan Prophecy is all about:

“December 21, 2012 marks the completion of the Great Mayan Cycle, and the beginning of a New World Age.”

Even though the above statement is far from a dissertation on the matter, I trust that it sums up the position quite neatly.

The Mayan Prophecy suggests that a CHANGE of the world AS WE KNOW IT and NOT AN UTTER OBLITERATION of it will occur.

So, instead of panicking and screaming like little girls (no offence meant to little girls, of course), let’s do something about it and change the world as we know it; for the better.

Here’s some food for thought for you:

1. Eradicate poverty

By introducing a new world ‘charity’ tax of 1% of salary, applicable to people earning more than £ 15, 000. The money will go to developing countries, directly to the people (and NOT the governments) who have registered an income of less than £ 5000 per year.

2. Get rid of corruption

Make giving bribes legal and receiving bribes illegal; this will incentivise the giver to tell on the receiver and will do away with corruption. See 'The Legality Of Bribes',

< http://myveryownhell.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/good-idea-chap-legality-of-bribes.html >

3. Make education free

Many young and talented people are unable to realise their full potential mainly because they have no access to education. Tuition fees for a three- year bachelor’s degree in England come to a total of £ 27, 000; that figure is ludicrous, mainly because of the high levels of youth unemployment. The solution: lectures and seminars delivered via online schools and universities ( < www.coursera.org >>) on the ‘hundred- dollar laptop’ ( < http://www.technologyreview.com/fromtheeditor/404464/from-the-editor-the-hundred-dollar-laptop/ >)

4. Work on youth unemployment

Currently at some 20% in the UK; utterly unacceptable. Way forward is for universities to fund a one or two- week placement for students in their designated sector. Also, universities must teach students more practical and less academic skills. See 'Big Idea 2013: Help the Youth Today, Save the World Tomorrow', < http://myveryownhell.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/good-idea-chap-big-idea-2013-help-youth.html >

5. Start caring about climate change

It is a fact; get used to it. Start caring, start recycling, start using paper bags, walk to work. It is high time we realised how much this planet had done for us and little we had done for it. This needs to change before it gets too late. Do watch this in your spare time

< http://www.ted.com/talks/james_balog_time_lapse_proof_of_extreme_ice_loss.html >

6. Start being positive

Being negative all the time will get you absolutely nowhere. Smile your troubles away and concentrate on what you have rather than on what you do not; and remember:

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery but today…today is a gift; that is why we call it present. “

Keep going forward and do not look back; mainly because you do not know what's coming after you to try and bite your head off. See 'The Half- empty Glass',

< http://myveryownhell.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/academic-intelligence-half-empty-glass.html>

Those are not clichés; they are just things that people tend to forget.

The above is, I believe, quite about enough; let us start small.

So, rather than whinging about how horrible the world is and how difficult life is, let us for a day, on 21^st December 2012, focus on what we CAN do to change the world we live in for the better.