The Maya (and Elvis Costello?)

     So, according to common, current mythology the World will be ending in just a few days--December 21, it seems.  We've been hearing about this for some time but now the day of reckoning is bearing down on us and we've not much time left. 
     Apparently, and as I understand it, the Maya--more commonly referred to as the Mayans--designed this great calendar some time ago and they for some unbeknownst reason created it with an expiration date.  This calendar is said to be extremely accurate and precise in ways that we in modern times can't understand.  That is, we can't really understand how a primitive, if you will, society was able to come up with it.  So we've decided that they were skilled mathematicians and astromomers and that explains it.
     I've done a bit of research on the Maya (read that: I googled "Maya" and read a couple paragraphs about them) and to say the least, I am now educated.  I won't bore you with details but I learned a couple interesting things.  One is that the Maya were not just some little native tribe living out in the jungle, as is commonly believed, but a burgeoning civilization of millions and millions of folk in numerous cities who, over the course of time thrived in many ways--most notably calendar making. 
     The second thing--and, again, I'm not giving a formal history lesson here--there are Maya alive and well today, albeit not as thriving or burgeoning as they once were.  In fact, it seems there are approximately 20,000 living in southern California, of all places. 
     This got me to thinking:  What do the modern Maya do for work?  I'll bet they're not operating a calendar kiosk in the mall.  I mean, if they are, and they're selling these really great, precise calendars then what's the point?  They're going to be out of business in a few days.  And would they even take returns?  Also, are they out right now running around maxxing out their credit cards?  If they are then maybe the laugh is on us, after all.  If they're not then I'd say the laugh is on them.  I mean, what's the point of making and promoting a doomsday calendar if you're not going to live up to it?  You got to walk the walk, people.
     Honestly, I'm not too worried about it.  Come Saturday morning I'm just going to flip my Mayan calendar over and start again at the beginning.  That's what all the Mayan calendar scholars tell us, anyway.  (Hold it--let's back up for a moment--can you believe we even have Mayan calendar scholars?  "What do you want to be when you grow up, Johnny?"  "I want to be a Mayan calendar scholar!") Basically, they ran out of room on the stone so at the end they just carved a little arrow next to the word "over."      
     Actually, it's various other groups of doomsday profiteers who have co-opted the Mayan calendar thing to promulgate their own warped and twisted fantasies.  I really think that if the world were going to end on a particular day then Nostradamus or Jesus would have at least mentioned it in passing ("Oh, and by the way...")
     Yep, so I'm planning on getting up on Saturday and going about my life.  By that time the Mayan calendar will be as relevant as an abacus.  A few days after that is Christmas and a few days after that is the new year:  2013!  And you can bet on it because our calendars work, girlfriend, uh-huh!  Oh and by the way, no offense intended to any living Maya.
     So now, for your listening and viewing pleasure, here's His Majesty, Sir Elvis Costello discussing this very topic.  Click the "play" button and enjoy...