Doomsday never Came

I awoke this morning and cautiously lifted only one eyelid.
I did not really want to see the heavy white frost on the ground outside OR the total destruction of the world with both eyes at once, --that would have been a little much, being tired,  still almost pleasantly dreaming and only one thin eyelid away from snoozing.
With the sun shining brilliantly into the east facing window, reflecting in a wall-mirror and shining down upon my sleepy face, the light was bright enough that I could have believed the rapture was upon me, ---but no, it was not.  At least not yet.

Hopefully we'll see yet another glorious sunrise...

 Clearing the cobwebs from the sleepy mind, I came to the fine conclusion that Doomsday never came, --at least not during the first 8 hours into Harold Camping's Official prediction of an Apocalyptic Doomsday Rapture which "is" to occur today, October 21st.

Another failure on his part is likely,  just like on May 21st earlier this year,  when nothing occurred except the realization of an error of assumption, --and in spite of the 'big political scene',  gardens were happily being planted. 

Not to be too critical or picky,  in recognition of a marginal propensity to err frequently myself,  I offer the observation "there's nothing quite like being wrong",  --doing so often turns the  erring, confused and befuddled  into stand-up beings that eventually come to an indisputable understanding that they, too, are fallible. 

Yes, (Harold & Co) still completely and wholly believe the end is coming today. That is because they fully believe in their own interpretation  and understanding of  translations and predictions made in the bible.  We all make mistakes, who hasn't been there?

Here at Incoming Bytes we're just as happy to go along with the sleepy  earth, stones and bones of Terra Firma --for now, one eye open or not, --grass grows, leaves fall off of trees, children are born, folks pass on --and true to form,  down in Arizona  gardens are sprouting according to M.J. Joachim.  (Yes, that MJ, of "Gum Pets on the Hill")

That would be " sprouting in  glorious optimism" --- and let's stretch that a bit further according to my  old-fashioned and perhaps idiosyncratic way of thinking, especially today, sprouting in glorious optimism with the approval  of God's official plan.
We aren't finished quite yet.
There is  hope offered as we see Harold's  predictions of doom come closer to naught by the hour -- undoubtedly destined to fail as previously, and like May  dire predictions from the past.
 I therefore shall continue to believe not the minds and fabrications of men, and  shall not pretend to know the mind of God either.  Let the cantaloupe sprout in Arizona  right on schedule as per THE plan,  and around here, we'll buckle down  and pray the coming winter isn't too severe up in this neck of the woods.
Coffee time.




That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Not again, Harold ! October 21st? Even earlier?

The Profits of Prophets

Guess what?  The world is coming to an end again. October 21st!

  I have it on good authority from some Clever Diabolic Seed Company that also provides cherry pie seeds that magically turn into tomatillos when planted. After all, who needs cherry pie if the world is about to end?   Besides that, Glory Lennon is about to send me an apple pie.  Let us dream on-- but I digress.... 

Yes, the world is ending again. ( not again, Harold !)
 So confirms  Harold Camping, the 80-Million-dollar fund-raising genius and  practicing predictor of gloom, doom and boom,  who offered the total destruction of the world on May 21st earlier this year.  That apocalyptic  event was  supposed to be the BIG one providing  destruction of  mankind's tenure on Terra Firma  with a rapture and  super-destructive earthquakes.

For any survivors, it was supposed to be pure hell.  Imagine that, hell on earth. Some might say that has already happened with fire, floods, earthquakes, famine and other worldwide disasters increasingly taking their toll, but no.   It just didn't happen.  

Should we ignore Harold's predictions again, and just grow a bonsai tree, pull some weeds, spread some mulch  or plan a new garden for spring?  We must leave those important decisions to the individual readers of Incoming Bytes.  We can choose  to panic or not, we can choose to be productive and creative or not. Hope for the future is implied by growing things.
Regardless, for purposes of discussion, let us not divert attention too much attention from Harold Camping and his latest predictions of doom for a moment.

What did happen on May 21st  was the apex of  a huge transfer of a lot of additional cash from Harold's followers into 'corporate piggy-banks or other hands'.  
It also produced a lot of unnecessary fear and trepidation for people seeking an end, ---any end, to solve their problems in this world.

I believe we should give Harold's October 21st plan some genuine thought this time but  NOT be afraid, whilst we smartly do him a favour and hang onto our wallets and purses. Where is the logic of giving money to anyone else if it will be worthless anyway, when  Harold's prediction come true? Why would anyone "in the know" bother collecting cash?

Let's be true believers and accept the fact that the end of the world will likely occur at some time, --but not at the bidding of any slick fundraising effort.
Harold reportedly says he was "right" last time, there was an earthquake or two, or three, and maybe a whole lot of people were practicing "end of the world stuff by storing food,  buying new cars, and hiding in caves --in fact they were doing   anything other than being raptured,  but no matter,

Harold seems to think God simply " changed his mind" about saving souls.
At Incoming Bytes  we think this  is an exceedingly interesting hypothesis. " God changed his mind."    We should keep that in mind  that would be God according to Harold, --who is a truly profitable prophet -- but it is still an interesting idea.  Does God arbitrarily change his mind at any time, or does he follow THE perfect plan?  Good question.


What is wrong with Harold's hypothesis?  The fact is, it implies that 'he'  or even  " elective WE" know the mind of God -- flaunting the  very foundation of human arrogance-- and a guarantee of failure.
Now what are all the other arrogant prophets ---profiteer deceivers or not -- going to say?  What will they be left with as a bargaining chip? Maybe they are "more right" than Harold. Maybe not.

Well, no matter,  we'll listen, we're flexible.   Harold may get raptured on October 21st  if he believes hard enough, I do know that faith does amazing things.   Maybe ordinary folk will just have to wait patiently and see.

The fact is, an earth-shattering event or apocalypse is likely to happen at some point.  Being logical and  of the faith it seems we are indeed to believe in that prediction, but on October 21st?  What time? 
 That's only a few days away, hardly enough time to get the yard cleaned up before snow flies.  Can't we have more time?

Maybe the Mayan calendar and other predictors are right. Maybe the science of  "prophet  mathematics"  is wrong predicting 2012 as "the end" too, even if Elenin and other catastrophic occurrences are all supposedly lined up like peas in a pod, each in turn about to smack us into eternity.  Let us remain calm and rake up the leaves anyway.  Why?

Just how likely is it that Harold is probably wrong about the date again?  Quite.
NOBODY knows when a great Apocalypse shall be upon us, including deceivers raising funds from fools--simply by implying they possess 'knowledge of the mind of God" and thereby insinuating knowledge of God's plans.

I think the level of  human arrogance implied is frightening.
Meantime,  like I did prior to May 21st --which was an uneventful doomsday failure, I'll keep doing what is necessary to solve problems that look me in the eye every day.  I don't have 80 Million dollars so I'll keep on figuring out how to grow food, make the best of things, and retain some semblance of logic.
Our readers might cleverly observe that not one of the propheteer's (yes, let's use that adapted term, it sounds appropriate, does it not? )  revelations has terminated life on the planet as we know it --yet.
Why?   Like the rest of life, it is  totally logical. Simple. "Only the good die young" comes to mind. That suggests that greedy miserable people live longer.   Maybe God gives them extra time to change their mind and become more informed, kinder, more generous of soul, and more civilized.  Using the same model of "God changing his mind", perhaps God has decided  all of humanity needs time, even Harold.

Let's go with that idea. All of humanity needs time to change our minds,  reinvent what we're doing, and the basic process of  how we think, --and why.

If anything in life is logical,  it is this:   Humanity needs to get a lot smarter, a lot faster, and stop being so arrogant .....and with all due respect, Harold  et al...... that  includes you and I.  --Hmmm...maybe before October 21st, too.



That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

New Apocalypse Date: How Handy.

Well, it's not really a surprise that  Mr. Harold Camping's  May 21st  date with the future  didn't quite turn out to be an apocalypse,  On May 21st, we tried gardening instead,  and that was a good thing. May 21st came and went,  mind you,  in the old-fashioned realm of yesteryear, with the sun rising and setting right on time. I guess there is  always 3 days grace for everything,
In case you missed the last rapture and apocalypse, the NEW apocalypse date is Oct. 21st,    It seems Harold was off by 5 months,  we know not why .   A new Doomsday  date, how handy.  Shall we try again? 

Meantime we'll keep on gardening and taking care of our lives in the best possible manner as honestly as possible, and realizing just how fortunate we really ARE. Why?



" Back in the real world of devastating events,  the city of  JOPLIN, Missouri was hit by a major tornado. So far 117 people have been confirmed killed in this terrible tragedy.   People are still missing."

  Is that a good enough answer? 

  At Incoming Bytes, we send our hearts and prayers to the survivors and  especially to families  that have lost loved ones. May they all find peace in their faith as they try to rebuild their shattered lives. 

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.