Remember a few months ago when I was talking about this book….
and how I couldn’t sleep after I read it?
To refresh your memory, it is yet another apocalyptic tome about evil terrorists who immobilize the entire electrical grid in the US (because all Americans are evil, of course). A high altitude nuclear bomb is set off and unleashes an electromagnetic pulse that paralyzes the United States. Death and destruction ensue. For over a year. The forward and afterword are written by a politician and a U.S. Captain in the Navy, telling us that this is a book describing not if these horrors will happen, but when, justifying their cause to get tough with terrorists.
Well.
I was listening to the news this morning.
And the book was right. It can happen. It probably will happen. But not by some evil dictator.
Oh no.
But by this cheerful, little guy.
Solar flares. They’re common. They happen all the time. But the big ones? The really, really huge solar flares? Happen about once a century. And we’re overdue.
Way overdue.
Scientists predict that the last really big one happened about 150 years ago. And because the only electrical-type system being used at the time was a telegraph, it only mildly paralyzed the area affected.
But today? When our very existence is dependent on electrical power? According to the scientist being interviewed, a really big one could paralyze an entire area (and we’re talking really big areas – like continents) for at best, a few months, most probably a year or more.
Are you kidding me? An evil terrorist I can deal with. (Well, two months ago I couldn’t deal with it but when you compare it to an act of nature, I can.) I can pray for a change of heart. I can send them love and light. But the sun? The whimsical, unpredictable flurries of the sun? Are you freakin’ kidding me?
I should just throw in the towel and start makin’ my sign.
This is so depressing.
I’m going back to bed.
Theycallmejane's Blog 
Eat, drink and be merry, Jane….we may end up extra-crispy, but may end up being hit by a bus. All of these doomsday things make me live more, breathe more, and love more. Which you can do in bed, if you like!
Like Evenshine, I’m taking this as a warning to eat salty snacks and drink as much wine as possible.
Oh dear, yes, I had heard this. 2013 is apparently the most likely predicted year. I’m going to sound off my trolley but I have been thinking of burning our photos to DVD (optical storage should be unaffected) and print out the really precious ones. You can see how skewed my priorities are – I’m not really thinking about how we’d feed ourselves, I’m concentrating on saving precious memories!
First… Yikes. Second… I guess it’s time to get serious about a disaster kit. And learning some skills. Maybe my friend who wanted to keep chickens and goats wasn’t wrong. At least we could have eggs and milk.
Maybe my friend who wanted to keep chickens and goats wasn’t wrong. At least we could have eggs and milk. Yikes.
I watched a documentary about this on television. Yes, one is supposed to happen sometime soon, but not to worry – at least not overly worry. All the bad case scenarios are just that – bad case. It’s still pretty scary. But the way I see it (and all natural disasters)? I can’t live my life worrying about them. If they happen, they happen. The most I can do is be prepared and continue to live my life.
Interesting. And scary. But I’ll think I’ll bury my head back in the sand and not think about this. 🙂
Ugh, too creepy for me. I can’t read books like that. And now I have to worry about the possibility of months/years without a blow dryer!!!!
Oh I don’t know. There are so many apocalyptic possibilities I can’t even begin to process them.
I’d just as soon carry the sign – but modify it a tad:
“The end is FEAR” – know what I mean?
Perfect!
We lost our power now! I know exactly what you are talking about! Once my BB runs out of power, we r going to eat each other!
This would probably have a negative effect on the internet and our ability to connect, wouldn’t it? Which would mean no blogs to read, no blogs to post. We could write them. Well, no we couldn’t. No power, no computer for very long. Generators? Well, would we be able to pump gas to feed them?
Oh heck. I’ll join Shannon L in burying my head.
I am taking the Kitchen’s Witch’s lead…. I am eating more salty snacks and drinking more wine!
I agree with Kitchen Witch and Velva…only I’m adding chocolate to my salty snacks.
Our knowledge is our doom. We were so smart that we invented electricity, and then dumb enough to become completely dependent on it. Not to mention we are so smart we can predict future But that makes us live in fear indefinitely because we are not as smart as we’d like to be, and all we know is that the doom is coming and have no clue when.
If it takes solar flares to teach us a lesson in humbleness, so be it. Until then – the tried and tested glass of wine here and there as we enjoy our days to their fullest sounds about right to me.
I try to shut that part of my brain off, the disasters-I-can’t-do-anything-about part, but every once in a while, I can’t keep it quiet. So I stay up at night and worry about famines and tornadoes and plagues and meteors. And now solar flares! Thanks a lot, Jane! =>
Anytime! 😉
Can I join you? That is, after my Partylite Candle party on Friday?
OMG! No WordPress?!
I remember when Y2K was suppose to be the end the world. The reminders are everywhere. I just forge on.
Nothing like a light, happy read from you to make me want to stay up for a while longer and not go to bed and perchance dream.
Fae, you make me laugh!