I think I remember hearing about folk who shopped like there was no tomorrow when their fearless leaders told them the world would end on a certain day. They lost everything. And the ones who sold their worldly goods for the same reason? Homeless the day after.
Ideally, we should live our lives with reverence because any day could be our last, but if I knew tomorrow really was the last day of my life, I wouldn’t willingly spend today shopping. 🙂
i saw an ad for a car dealership along this line. Looked like the promotions where if so much snow or this or that happens after you buy the car, the car will be free… so they went for the world ending as their “if”.
Martin Luther is supposed to have said that if he knew Christ was returning tomorrow he would still plant a tree. That seems to me a good strategy. Why live our limited lives as if they were unlimited? Why put off the things we are doing to do something else?
Still, if the end does come on Friday, I hope the supermarkets are playing Jingle Bells Rock. That’s the “Christmas” song which is nothing more than what it pretends to be. No faking religious intent or anything like that. I think it’s my favourite Christmas supermarket song.
If the world does end on Friday we’ll get to see it first here in Australia, so I’ll send you an email to alert you.
All apocalypses are local. Have you noticed that? These prophets have such knowledge of the ending of the world, but seem oblivious to the idea that the world is round. Here’s a thought experiment: Is it ever the same day all around the globe? I suggest it is only for that brief moment when the sun is passing over the International Date Line and it is morning on one side of Greenwich and afternoon on the other.
It’s just gone 1 pm Australian Eastern Daylight time and we are still here. The decline of Western civilisation, however, continues apace. A young TV newsreader this morning announced in solemn tones, “The Acropolis may be upon us”. Oh well, it’s a big word and sort of has the right letters in it.
But then, you also think you are sarcastic. I don’t see that anything I said is cynical, but if it is, I’ve watched the world since just on the middle of last century, so I’ve earned my cynicism and intend to enjoy it.
It’s not yet New Year. Here in Sydney the stores have had their major clearout sales. They need the space to restock with hot cross buns and chocolate Easter eggs, which they have now done. Christmas may start in October, but Easter runs for the whole year.
A cynic may suggest that in the near future corporations will trademark Christmas and Easter so they can take action to prevent private citizens and community groups from using these for private religious celebrations. That will make it easier for their current push to keep the shops open on these currently uncommercial dead days. If there really was a god he would want people to shop all year round. What else is life for?
I think I remember hearing about folk who shopped like there was no tomorrow when their fearless leaders told them the world would end on a certain day. They lost everything. And the ones who sold their worldly goods for the same reason? Homeless the day after.
Ideally, we should live our lives with reverence because any day could be our last, but if I knew tomorrow really was the last day of my life, I wouldn’t willingly spend today shopping. 🙂
i saw an ad for a car dealership along this line. Looked like the promotions where if so much snow or this or that happens after you buy the car, the car will be free… so they went for the world ending as their “if”.
Oy. Sometimes life is its own satire. 😀
Hey, wait a minute . . .
This offer is good only *after* the world is supposed to end!
I meant to post it Friday. 🙂
Martin Luther is supposed to have said that if he knew Christ was returning tomorrow he would still plant a tree. That seems to me a good strategy. Why live our limited lives as if they were unlimited? Why put off the things we are doing to do something else?
Still, if the end does come on Friday, I hope the supermarkets are playing Jingle Bells Rock. That’s the “Christmas” song which is nothing more than what it pretends to be. No faking religious intent or anything like that. I think it’s my favourite Christmas supermarket song.
If the world does end on Friday we’ll get to see it first here in Australia, so I’ll send you an email to alert you.
So you think it’ll be a rolling apocalypse? 🙂
All apocalypses are local. Have you noticed that? These prophets have such knowledge of the ending of the world, but seem oblivious to the idea that the world is round. Here’s a thought experiment: Is it ever the same day all around the globe? I suggest it is only for that brief moment when the sun is passing over the International Date Line and it is morning on one side of Greenwich and afternoon on the other.
It’s just gone 1 pm Australian Eastern Daylight time and we are still here. The decline of Western civilisation, however, continues apace. A young TV newsreader this morning announced in solemn tones, “The Acropolis may be upon us”. Oh well, it’s a big word and sort of has the right letters in it.
And I thought I was cynical. 😉
But then, you also think you are sarcastic. I don’t see that anything I said is cynical, but if it is, I’ve watched the world since just on the middle of last century, so I’ve earned my cynicism and intend to enjoy it.
It’s not yet New Year. Here in Sydney the stores have had their major clearout sales. They need the space to restock with hot cross buns and chocolate Easter eggs, which they have now done. Christmas may start in October, but Easter runs for the whole year.
A cynic may suggest that in the near future corporations will trademark Christmas and Easter so they can take action to prevent private citizens and community groups from using these for private religious celebrations. That will make it easier for their current push to keep the shops open on these currently uncommercial dead days. If there really was a god he would want people to shop all year round. What else is life for?
Cynical? Moi?
Hilarious! Your post does a great job summing up another “bust” for the apocolypse predictors
Kassie aka “Mom”