So, how's everyones last day on earth going?

The R.C. actually had a ceremony at dawn. No I didn't go, now if there had been a sacrifice or two, well I might have gotten up early for that. So far same old same old. Coffee, some cigarettes. The dog is sleeping peacefully, he seems a bit bored and has even abandoned his teddy bear.

So far so good, I think. Received one of those K-Mart shopper e-mails yesterday with photos of the most disgusting humans ever seen. It was so gross I couldn't even forward it and it left me with the thought that today would be a good day for it all to end. It's time to put humanity out of it's misery.

We got up early (as usual). We're showered and dressed...wouldn't want to be dirty for the end of the world.

Did you wear your good underwear?

As a matter of fact yes...although I don't really see the point since I'm gonna s#$t myself if the world explodes.

Well where I am, in Kampala, Uganda, it's already 7:30 pm (10:30 am for you) and the end of the world hasn't started here yet. Although if the end of the world involves a lot of noise and chaos, we might not have noticed it because Kampala IS noise and chaos. I was going to spend the day repairing and painting my bed but instead I wound up making tea for a stream of visitors and participating in some fascinating conversations, which was certainly a satisfying way to spend the day. Nobody here is concerned about the end of the world although many are deeply worried about the short-term future of the DRC (Congo), which is looking so grim that the Apocalypse would probably be preferable. At this moment, Rose is preparing beans for supper on the charcoal stove on the balcony, the neighborhood bars are gearing up to their usual window-rattling volume, and I'm on my laptop wondering how much of today's conversations I can write about without betraying anyone's confidence.

By the way, one of my housemates just started a big batch of sorghum wine with the help of his father who was visiting from DRC. The wine will be ready in one month and I sincerely hope the world can hang in there until this stuff is ready because it's really good!

ferret wrote:As a matter of fact yes...although I don't really see the point since I'm gonna s#$t myself if the world explodes.

Excellent point ferret. I'll save my good undies just in case the world does not come to an end.

@R.B. yes, I've seen some of those too. In fact I was considering posting a video of drunken episodes, however some of them were just too revolting for words. A lot were censored. So, discretion being the better part of valor I decided against it.

That all being said, today might be a good day to have an extra cocktail, if my stomach can manage it. Then celebrate tomorrow in a BIG way. Or alternatively not, having viewed that video, I'm a bit concerned.

Traveller wrote:Well where I am, in Kampala, Uganda, it's already 7:30 pm (10:30 am for you) and the end of the world hasn't started here yet. Although if the end of the world involves a lot of noise and chaos, we might not have noticed it because Kampala IS noise and chaos. I was going to spend the day repairing and painting my bed but instead I wound up making tea for a stream of visitors and participating in some fascinating conversations, which was certainly a satisfying way to spend the day. Nobody here is concerned about the end of the world although many are deeply worried about the short-term future of the DRC (Congo), which is looking so grim that the Apocalypse would probably be preferable. At this moment, Rose is preparing beans for supper on the charcoal stove on the balcony, the neighborhood bars are gearing up to their usual window-rattling volume, and I'm on my laptop wondering how much of today's conversations I can write about without betraying anyone's confidence.

By the way, one of my housemates just started a big batch of sorghum wine with the help of his father who was visiting from DRC. The wine will be ready in one month and I sincerely hope the world can hang in there until this stuff is ready because it's really good!

Haven't heard the latest but it sure sounded the "end of the world" for the gay and lesbian population in Uganda if the new law passed, with the penalty of "DEATH".

It's all OK, it's already tomorrow in Japan, Austrailia, and China!

damn, i was sooooo looking forward to this....and meeting the devil, one on one ! or i guess he'd be toast too,
living in the fiery center of the earths core and all. nothin' ever works out for me.

Never had ANY faith in the Mayan calendar. We're all still here waiting for Christmas and hopefully another good year.

Well, I just heard that it's still on for 6:30 p.m. in Mexico City. Who knows? The R.C. apparently had dancing and drums etc. at 6:30 a.m. The racket woke up our housekeeper down in SJC in an unusual turn of events. Why only last week they were waking us up at 5:30 a.m.

Sooo, don't give up hope halcon, it might just work out for you yet.

slainte39 wrote: Haven't heard the latest but it sure sounded the "end of the world" for the gay and lesbian population in Uganda if the new law passed, with the penalty of "DEATH".

It wouldn't surprise me if that law never passes. The death penalty has already been dropped.

The anti-homosexuality thing is driven and financed by fanatical so-called Christians from the USA. Here there is a lot of ignorance about sexuality because it's traditionally not discussed in public, so it is easy to spread misinformation. The President and the ruling NRM party could put a stop to it in a heartbeat but it suits their political interests to fan the flames. You can always count on MP David Bahati and the sex-obsessed Pastor Martin Ssempa to start making noise about gays whenever a major scandal starts heating up. Gay-bashing takes up a lot of talk-show time and distracts the population - kind of like the old Roman bread-and-circuses tactic. But the Ugandans get circuses without the bread. Fortunately there are a surprising number of people here who recognize the anti-gay crusade for the smokescreen it is.

Sadly, even though the "war on gays" is a phony war, the LGBT community suffers fallout from the anti-gay rhetoric.

It's midnight and this side of the world is still here!

Thanks for the report on your side of the world. Looks like a third cocktail is in the cards for this evening, unless of course the Maya did know all about time zones and used their own future one.

Speaking of Death penalties, apparently if you are an atheist you will be put to death. Fortunately we aren't interested in visiting those countries.

E-raq wrote: Speaking of Death penalties, apparently if you are an atheist you will be put to death. Fortunately we aren't interested in visiting those countries.

Seriously? Here in Uganda? I would be surprised if that were the case. Mind you, I am in a more or less constant state of amazement here anyway.

I haven't met a local agnostic, never mind an atheist. I know they exist because sometimes one will post a comment on the on-line newspapers. There is even a group called Freethought Kampala which has some atheist members. http://freethoughtkampala.wordpress.com/ But most people here claim to be Christian or Muslim and many of them manage to believe in God and in the traditional spirits at the same time. Not just the villagers but educated people too. I think if someone claimed to be an atheist, most of my friends here would be amused but not offended. There is a general acceptance of different cultures and beliefs which doesn't come across in the media but only when you spend time with the people.

Traveller wrote:Well where I am, in Kampala, Uganda, it's already 7:30 pm (10:30 am for you) and the end of the world hasn't started here yet. Although if the end of the world involves a lot of noise and chaos, we might not have noticed it because Kampala IS noise and chaos. I was going to spend the day repairing and painting my bed but instead I wound up making tea for a stream of visitors and participating in some fascinating conversations, which was certainly a satisfying way to spend the day. Nobody here is concerned about the end of the world although many are deeply worried about the short-term future of the DRC (Congo), which is looking so grim that the Apocalypse would probably be preferable. At this moment, Rose is preparing beans for supper on the charcoal stove on the balcony, the neighborhood bars are gearing up to their usual window-rattling volume, and I'm on my laptop wondering how much of today's conversations I can write about without betraying anyone's confidence.

By the way, one of my housemates just started a big batch of sorghum wine with the help of his father who was visiting from DRC. The wine will be ready in one month and I sincerely hope the world can hang in there until this stuff is ready because it's really good!

Dawg lived in Kampala in 1969 for a time under the regime of Milton Obote just before the murderous reign and slaughter of countless thousands after the Idi Amin coup and also traveled about Uganda here and there for a few months. I thought back then that it was a fine and beautiful country. Kampala seemed to me to be more pleasant than other East African capitals in those days. A nice small, tree lined, residentially attractive city in 1969 filled, in those days, with an abundance of very good East Indian restaurants and small, largely East Indian owned shops that filled downtown Kampala with very good Indian food and all sorts of fun merchandise. Actually, some of the best East Indian food I have ever tasted anywhere in all my 70 years and that is among my favorite ethnic foods on the planet whethr prepared in Mumbai, London or Chennai .

When I arrived in Kampala in 1969, the Ugandan East Indian community was in a state of great fear as Milton Obote´s government had decreed that East Indian aliens would be compelled to either continue their British citizenship or opt for Ugandan citizenship within a short period of time. A Hobson´s Choice as it turned out and most, out of fear for their lives and the commencement of genocide, opted to retain their British citizenship and subsequently were expelled from the country and had their lands and businesses confiscated. There was a tremendous amount of tension between the native African and immigrant East Indian communities in those days which is understandable for many reasons which I won´t go into here unless someone requests that I do so but I can tell you this without equivocation. The government surely did f*ck up the great Indian restaurants there and any East Indian who opted for Ugandan citizenship surely regretted that decision after Idi Amin came into murderous power shortly thereafter turning Uganda from the most pleasant and livable country in East Africa into a charnal house with no escape possible.

The DRC will never outdo Uganda under Idi Amin when it comes to merciless human slaughter. Drink your so-called wine now rather that store it in your cellar. By tomorrow, you may not need nor desire any sort of wine.

Traveller wrote:

E-raq wrote: Speaking of Death penalties, apparently if you are an atheist you will be put to death. Fortunately we aren't interested in visiting those countries.

Seriously? Here in Uganda? I would be surprised if that were the case. Mind you, I am in a more or less constant state of amazement here anyway.

I haven't met a local agnostic, never mind an atheist. I know they exist because sometimes one will post a comment on the on-line newspapers. There is even a group called Freethought Kampala which has some atheist members. http://freethoughtkampala.wordpress.com/ But most people here claim to be Christian or Muslim and many of them manage to believe in God and in the traditional spirits at the same time. Not just the villagers but educated people too. I think if someone claimed to be an atheist, most of my friends here would be amused but not offended. There is a general acceptance of different cultures and beliefs which doesn't come across in the media but only when you spend time with the people.

No not Uganda, here's a list put out by the Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2012/12/10/the-seven-countries-where-the-state-can-execute-you-for-being-atheist/

Me I am fast freezing filet of bass! Maybe we are all zombies now....LOL

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Two lost souls looking for the costume party in Bugarach, France touted as a haven from the Maya apocalypse.

I thought at minimum CFE would just turn off the power as a warning that they are in charge of the end of the earth.