The Top Five Lesser-Known Failed Apocalypses
The world is probably going to end tomorrow! Alternately, the world is definitely not going to end tomorrow! Frequent, vigorous, nonsensical, and ultimately unsuccessful apocalyptic predictions are a part of our shared cultural heritage; making them is a tradition we're simply carrying forward.
5. Some time in the 1600s: Christopher Columbus
Most of us know Christopher Columbus as a guy who sailed the ocean blue/ genocidal maniac, but he was also fascinated by the apocalypse, and toward the end of his life wrote The Book of Prophecies, which drew apocalyptic theories from the Old and New Testament, as well as his own era, to try to convince King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to sponsor new voyages that would help bring around the end times and the return of Christ. In fact, some claim that his entire voyage to the ‘new world’ was part of an attempt to discover a new route to Jerusalem, the first step toward bringing about the end of days. He died in 1506, convinced the end was quite near.
4. 1999: Charles Berlitz
Charles Berlitz was a Yale magna cum laude and an heir to the Berlitz language school company, and he helped pioneer the recording of foreign language lessons on tape. But who cares about any of that stuff! Berlitz’s real legacy was that he predicted the end of the world. In 1982, he published Doomsday 1999: Countdown to the Apocalypse, which made the case that because of problems like famine, overpopulation, and climate change, the world would end around 1999 (certainly not the most far-out claim on this list). His other books, on topics like the lost city of Atlantis, the Bermuda Triangle, and Roswell UFOs, are available on Amazon, in case you’re still trying to figure out what to get anyone for Christmas.
3. March 1982: John Gribbin and Stephen Plagemann
In 1974, a book called The Jupiter Effect, written by two actual scientists, predicted that because of planetary alignment, the world would end in March of 1982. The book was a runaway best-seller, and created the annoying "planetary alignment apocalypse” theory, which many confused college freshman who stink of bong water believe to this very day. Gribbin repudiated the book’s theory in 1980 in an article in New Scientist, claiming that in his reasoning, he had been “too clever by half” — but that didn’t stop him from writing, with co-author Plagemann, a sequel called The Jupiter Effect Reconsidered, in 1982. The follow-up linked a number of recent-at-the-time natural disasters — including the eruption of Mt. Saint Helens — with their theories from the first book.
2. May 19, 1780: The people of New England
This was less a failed prediction than a failed ... interpretation. On this extraordinarily overcast day in New England, fog combined with smoke from a forest fire to create what seemed to locals to be a nightfall that lasted all day and through the next. Many thought it meant the world was ending — a theory that went so far as to be discussed during a Connecticut state legislature session. Abraham Davenport, a legislator, comforted his panicking fellow legislators, who wanted to adjourn work for the day, by saying “The day of judgment is either approaching, or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause of an adjournment; if it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. I wish therefore that candles may be brought.” This earned him the honor of being immortalized in verse by the writer John Greenleaf Whittier. Fun game to play: Tell your friends and co-workers that work shouldn’t be canceled on Friday, and see if anyone writes a poem about you!
1. 1806: The Prophet Hen of Leeds
“The Prophet Hen of Leeds” was exactly what it sounds like: a hen that laid eggs with the cryptic, apocalyptic message “Christ is Coming” written on them. The hen attracted huge crowds of visitors, who briefly believed that she really did have some inner apoco-knowledge that could only be expressed via egg. But it was soon revealed that the hen's owner had been etching the messages on the eggs in acid, shoving them back up the hen's egg hole, and acting surprised when they came out again. Oh man, that old trick?!
The only thing we really know about the apocalypse is that if the world ever does end, we’ll never see it coming (that’s either from the Bible or Ferris Bueller’s Day Off). So try to keep calm, carry on, and enjoy your Mayan-themed pizza party — who knows if it’s your last? - The Hair Pin
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12 Failed Psychic Predictions for 2012
It happens every year at around this time: so-called psychics reveal their mystical prognostications for the coming 12 months.
They use their magical powers to predict global catastrophes and celebrity divorces (is there really a difference?), and news outlets lap it up because they’re understaffed around the Christmas holidays and desperately need filler.
The psychics can basically predict anything they want, because practically nobody remembers what they’ve predicted after a martini-fueled New Year’s celebration.
But a few watchdogs are keeping tabs on the hucksters. The good people at Relatively Interesting have compiled a thorough rundown of 2012 predictions by some of America’s “top” psychics, and checked to see which predictions actually came true (hint: not many).
The revelations that did come to pass were, for the most part, commonsense predictions that anyone with basic human cognition could have made through educated guesswork.
Below is a rundown of some of the most egregious lapses in clairvoyance for 2012. Remember, these are from people considered to be among the best psychics.
12. Giant Earthquake in California
This is a classic. This time it comes from Psychic Nikki, but every year lots of psychics predict “The Big One” will finally hit California. The state is overdue for a huge quake. You can bet that, when it happens, dozens of psychics will come out of the wordwork screaming “I told you so.” They might be drowned out, however, by all the seismologists shouting the same thing.
11. An Emmy Award for Anderson Cooper’s TV talk show
Californian “Spiritual Counselor” Judy Hevenly was likely trying to land herself a guest spot on the show with this one. Cooper has chatted with supposed psychics in the past. But flattery got Hevenly nowhere, it seems, possibly because she was wrong — way wrong: Cooper’s talk show was canceled in the fall.
10. Tiger Woods will win the U.S. Open this year
Although betting on Tiger was practically a sure-thing for years, Webb Simpson took the U.S. Open in 2012. Psychic Blair Robertson, who bungled this prediction, charges $500 for an hour-long phone reading.
9. Barack Obama will trip or fall
So-called “World Psychic” Lamont Hamilton made a pretty safe guess with this one. Has anyone ever made it through an entire year without tripping and falling? Well, Obama did, apparently. If he did have such a blooper, the cameras didn’t catch it. That man is graceful like a cat.
UPDATE: We stand corrected! Lamont Hamilton has helpfully pointed out (see comments below) that this premonition actually came to pass, and Obama did indeed stumble at a campaign stop in Tampa. Although Hamilton’s timing wasn’t quite right — he predicted it would happen in the “early months” of 2012, and it actually happened in June — Obama did stumble. Of course, Obama has cameras pointed at him practically every minute of every day, and he’s only human, but we’ll concede that Hamilton correctly predicted this wholly predictable happening.
8. George Clooney will become a father
Sidney “Sidney Seer” Friedman could technically be correct about this one. Clooney might have “slipped one past the goalie” at some point in 2012. But, if so, the news hasn’t been made public. There are certainly enough women out there who wish they could give this a try.
7. A baby for Jennifer Anniston (sic)
Perhaps Jennifer Aniston (note the spelling, Psychic Nikki) secretly hooked up with George Clooney. But without any confirmation, zillions of men and women worldwide will just have to continue fantasizing about a Clooney-Aniston baby-making session.
6. Indi (sic) and Pakistan at war
Nikki (Psychic to the Stars!), is at war with spelling. And the facts.
5. The Holy Grail will be found
Another fail by Nikki. Everybody knows that the Holy Grail remains protected by the Rabbit of Caerbannog, which can only be defeated by the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch.
4. Watch for major riots to occur in Miami and London in the spring
Blair Robertson is The Washington Times‘ “favorite prognosticator.” Perhaps he earned that distinction because some reporters got sent on cushy assignments to the lovely, riot-free locales of Miami and London this past year?
3. A member of royalty will die in a car crash within 6 months
Blair Robertson didn’t specify which “royalty” he meant, so it’s quite possible that an obscure monarch in some backwater country indeed got fatally schmucked in a car accident. But it certainly didn’t happen to anyone in the British Royal Family.
2. Terrorist attacks planned for New York, Washington, Boston, Texas and Florida (but most are thwarted)
“Psychic Twins” Terry and Linda Jamison hedged their bets here, since the prediction was basically that terrorist attack’s won’t happen. Perhaps such attacks were indeed thwarted, and the public has been kept in the dark about it? Or perhaps the Psychic Twins are spouting nonsense in unison?
1. Barack Obama will be a one-term president
Unlike some of her wishy-washy peers, Carmen Harra (who calls herself an “Intuitive Psychologist and Karmic Relationship Counselor”) actually made a bold, unequivocal prediction. And she was boldly, unequivocally wrong. -
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Lon's Predictions for 2012 (published on 12/27/2011)
What's Up For 2012...and Beyond?
- I think an important 'first step' in Bigfoot research may come to light in the coming year. In the long term, science will continue to inch toward the realization that the paranormal may be closer to the truth than previously thought. We can only hope.
- I feel the overall strong earthquake activity will continue worldwide. I do fear for Alaska. As well, places that don't normally experience earthquakes may feel more rumbling...notably in the US Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. The Pacific 'Ring of Fire' will continue to be active.
- The Euro crisis will continue to deepen...though I see some 'light at the end of the tunnel' for the United States economy. More detail below...
- Tensions between the United States and China will increase because of continued US economic and military influence in Asia. China will continue to increase their economic rise and military build up but western technology will give the US a significant 'leg up' over emerging powers. I expect this trend to continue for many years, if not decades.
- Russia's economic and political footing will become very tenuous in the coming year. Only 20 years after the last Russian revolution, another may be in the cards.
- For the most part, people worldwide are fed up with the status quo. Demonstrations will be the result of frustration, political lies and broken promises. I see bloodshed on the streets...including American cities.
- The world stock markets (in particular the US) will see some losses early in the new year but a consistent increase will begin during the Summer and continue into 2013. Major news in medical research and lower unemployment will spark confidence in the markets.
- 2012 may very well be remembered as the year of disclosure...but not for anything UFO / extraterrestrial related. Powerful politicians from the past will be exposed for illegal activity - conspiracies first thought to be conjecture will be uncovered as fact.
- I'm not going to make any predictions for the 2012 elections since there are many variables to be played out. I will say that I doubt there will be as much 'change' as many expect. Consistent executive leadership may be seen as prudent by the time the elections come into play.
NOTE: these were my personal thoughts based on what I perceived...published on 12/27/2011. I was off on a few though, interpretation isn't always the same for everyone. It's also important to note that I didn't predict I'd write a book either. I'm unsure if I'll provided predictions for 2013...will know more after Xmas. Lon
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Pennsylvania Man Hires Hitman to Kill 3 Psychic Mediums
Craven Vaughn sat beside the hitman in a car parked Thursday outside Wal-Mart on Route 29 in Eaton Twp. He gave the man $3,000 and the names of three psychic mediums he wanted "eliminated."
The 32-year-old Towanda man did not want to talk about why the three mediums - two of them television personalities, all of them authors - had to die. But the man Mr. Vaughn spent about two weeks soliciting to kill for him had a secret of his own.
While Mr. Vaughn allegedly spoke about James Van Praagh, an author, television producer and self-proclaimed medium; Maureen Hancock, another TV medium credited with a series on the Style Channel; and David M. Baker, another professional medium who has written books, investigators from the state police and Wyoming County district attorney's office listened to the conversation, which a hidden microphone recorded.
And just moments after Mr. Vaughn got out of the car, climbed into his green Chevrolet 1500 and pulled out onto Route 29, the undercover state trooper he had just hired to kill three people on the West Coast radioed the arrest team.
The state troopers took Mr. Vaughn into custody on three counts each of criminal solicitation of criminal homicide, criminal attempt to commit criminal homicide and criminal use of a communication facility.
Despite the brazen plan, the whole arrangement took only about two weeks to put together, according to an affidavit of probable cause supporting the charges against Mr. Vaughn.
That is at least as long as state police knew about Mr. Vaughn's intentions - on Dec. 5 an unidentified source told troopers at the Towanda station that Mr. Vaughn planned to hire a hitman to take out the three mediums at the price of $1,500 per head.
Mr. Vaughn would pay up to $10,000 for the job if he had to, the source told them, but he could only afford that price on an installment plan. He had $3,000 for a down payment.
When Mr. Vaughn called the source at 9 a.m. on Dec. 7, the individual had already arranged to have the conversation recorded, according to the affidavit.
"I'd like to get this done," Mr. Vaughn said during the call. "Soon as I could."
The source then gave Mr. Vaughn a phone number for the state trooper who would pose as a hired gun and told him that the man would get the job done.
Over the next week or so Mr. Vaughn repeatedly called the trooper, leaving messages seeking return calls.
On Tuesday, the trooper arranged to have his phone call recorded and dialed Mr. Vaughn, who agreed to meet him at Wal-Mart in Eaton Twp. on Thursday with the $3,000 he promised him.
As they discussed the job minutes before his arrest, Mr. Vaughn did not explain to the trooper why he wanted the three mediums killed. He offered to tell him the trooper the whole story once he finished the job.
It was also not clear Friday if and how Mr. Vaughn came to know the three mediums.
Mr. Van Praagh, the highest-profile among them, has published books, hosts live seminars and online courses on topics like meditation and recovering from grief and has appeared on a litany of television shows, from "Unsolved Mysteries" to "Larry King Live," according to his website.
Ms. Hancock, who is identified as Nina M. Hancock in the criminal complaint against Mr. Vaughn, had a special on the Style Channel called "Psychic in Suburbia" which Mr. Van Praagh produced.
The special features the blonde-haired, blue-eyed "soccer mom who talks to the dead," as a news report once referred to her, finding herself overcome with psychic visions in innocuous places like the neighborhood hair salon. She has also written a book and is affiliated with organizations that help emotionally prepare the terminally ill for death.
Mr. Baker's resume is the most modest among the three mediums, as far as his website relates it. The page credits him with writing at least one book, appearing on various radio programs and podcasts and also mentions that an encounter he had with Mr. Van Praagh is what made him realize that all his life he had been suppressing his psychic abilities.
Efforts to reach all three mediums were unsuccessful on Friday. It was not clear if Mr. Vaughn had retained an attorney.
After his arrest on Thursday, Mr. Vaughn was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge David Plummer and was sent to the Wyoming County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail.
A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Dec. 26. - The Times Tribune
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