More Fun with Crop Circles.. this time its Dec. 2012

[Ichingcarpenter]

This one 'appeared' on July 15th at Avebury Manor outside of Stonehenge.
I have a program that gives me the astrological projection of the planets
for any date........ Someone is having fun.

[BridgeTheGap]

1. Or someone is sending a message! n.t

[Ichingcarpenter]

3. Or Both! n/t

[MorningGlow]

2. Another recent circle referenced the Mayan calendar

I'm voting that they're sending a message too! :hi:

[Hugabear]

4. Maybe someone can explain why this date is so significant

I understand about the whole Mayan calendar thing. And I've also heard that this is when the Earth will be in direct alignment with the center of the galaxy. However, I have never really understood what the hell that meant. Since our solar system is constantly circling the center of the galaxy, aren't we ALWAYS in 'direct alignment' with the center? Isn't that akin to saying that the Earth is in direct alignment with the Sun?

Just seems to me like another bullshit nonsense thing to scare people into spending money on books about 2012. I remember when all the planets in the solar system lined up back in the 80s, and people were predicting all sorts of doom and disaster because of the "extreme" tidal forces that it would inflict on our planet. Methinks this is just the same.

[Warpy]

5. Apparently we'll be transiting the geometric center

of the plane of the spiral. The truth is that we've been transiting it for some time, that it's not a single point but an area thousands of light years thick. Since we're on one of the outer parts of one of the spiral arms, we never actually leave the plane of the galaxy.

The Maya don't expect the end of the world, just the end of this world (the fifth age), meaning the whole business will go on but take a radically different direction.

Part of me hopes they're right. A world where a few live in fabulous wealth while the many starve and die of neglect isn't a great one. We can do better and maybe we will in the next one.

[MorningGlow]

14. Excellent, concise explanation, Warpy

Thank you for pointing out that this is NOT the end of the world, despite all the gloom-and-doomers running around with their hair on fire--all that apocalypse talk only caters to the rabble who love to be scared shitless.

[TheWraith]

6. You're not wrong, the whole "2012" thing is nonsense.

The idea that the Mayan calendar has the world ending in 2012 is totally false and based on a misinterpretation. It's just the end of the fifth age and the beginning of the sixth, kind of akin to our millenium.

[TlalocW]

9. Yes, but when each age ends

It's normally pretty violent - flood, fire, etc. So when 2012 comes around, we might all be on our way to Xibalba (Mayan underworld).

TlalocW

[Hugabear]

11. Flood, fire, etc?

Sounds like the "end times" that the fundies love to go on and on about. Flood, fires, war, pestilence, diseases, famine, etc. Which is pretty much constant.

[MorningGlow]

15. We're already going through all the scary, violent stuff

All the stuff that has been prophesied for ages is happening right now--tidal waves, powerful and more frequent hurricanes, drought, overpopulation, starvation, genocide, collapsing economies, attacks on cities, etc. Yes, all that stuff has always happened for centuries, but the amount of disasters (ongoing and sudden) and the frequency with which they happen has been pretty intense for the past several years. (Exhibit A: Hurricane George W.) And we're surviving. The world will not end because of all these things, but it sure has been tough, no?

[Posteritatis]

10. That's because it *is* a BS nonsense thing to scare people etc

It's a Y2K bug, nothing more.

[Occulus]

12. This link might help you understand what the big deal is

http://alignment2012.com/whatisGA.htm

Also, note that our solar system "bobs" up and down across the Galactic equator. I think this alignment has to do with our position relative to the equator; the "era-2012" thing describes the period of time our solar system is in this position.

It's an actual astronomical event, but not really that big a deal (to us; the Mayans would have something different to say about it) apart from that.

[Thor_MN]

16. It's the day before my 50th birthday

So in a way, it's the end of something, for me at least.

[Ian David]

7. Let's make one for Janurary 20, 2009!

How Crop Circles Work

by Stephanie Watson
Browse the article How Crop Circles Work

Introduction to How Crop Circles Work

<snip>

How Do You Make a Crop Circle?
Crop circles appear to be very intricate formations, with many geometric shapes linked in sophisticated patterns. But the basics of crop-circle creation and the tools involved are actually fairly simple.

In general, circlemakers follow the following steps:

1. Choose a location.
2. Create a diagram of the design (although some circlemakers decide to come up with an idea spontaneously when they arrive at their intended site).
3. Once they arrive at the field, they use ropes and poles to measure out the circle.
4. One circlemaker stands in the middle of the proposed circle and turns on one foot while pushing the crop down with the other foot to make a center.
5. The team makes the radius of the circle using a long piece of rope tied at both ends to an approximately 4-foot-long (1.2-meter) board called a stalk stomper (a garden roller can also be used). One member of the team stands at the center of the circle while the other walks around the edge of the circle, putting one foot in the middle of the board to stomp down the circle's outline.



More:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/crop-circle.htm/printable

[Indenturedebtor]

13. YES! And lets get some illegal immigrants to do it!

That would really make some heads spin!

"We have verified that aliens in fact did produce this picture of George Bush getting a spanking by a Grobuloid!"

Ooo I can see the book deals now :bounce:

[Sanity Claws]

8. Didn't the aliens hear that Pluto is no longer a planet?

How dare the aliens list Pluto in this line up of planets!! The aliens are challenging the beliefs of our greatest astronomers. Who are you going to believe -- these illegal aliens or our greatest astronomers?