Oakland Plans to Party for 'End of the World' Dec. 21

Bay City News Service—Some Bay Area residents are concerned that the end of the world is near, while others are taking the possibility of the ultimate demise of humanity lightheartedly.

According to some interpretations of the Mayan calendar, the world will come to an end on the winter solstice this year, Dec. 21. This has led some to prepare for the alleged doomsday.

A Stockton resident who asked to be identified only as Pete, 40, said he is planning on hunkering down for the end he believes is coming. He has been networking with Bay Area residents about how to prepare for whatever may come on Dec. 21. He said he was always taught to plan for the worst and hope for the best.

Pete said he has spoken with about 27 people, many from the Bay Area, including residents of Santa Rosa, Milpitas and San Francisco, about what essentials to stock up on and whether to attempt to leave the area or stay put.

He said he has been sharing ideas with a range of people, mostly between the ages of 30 and 60, for the past two weeks who have gotten in touch through an online Craigslist listing where he posted that he was looking for fellow "preppers" in California to "to get ideas and network in the event of unforeseen events."

Pete said he works as a security consultant and has a wife, and four teenage sons, ages 18, 16, 15 and 14. He has made preparations for them, too, including by purchasing 255 gallons of water and a heating device and stocking his cellar with canned foods and other nonperishable items.

He said his sons are also anticipating the worst, with backpacks ready with a change of clothes and other basic survival supplies.

Although some of his extended family members are critical of his preparations, to their doubts about the end falling on Dec. 21 he responds, "Do you know when it's going to happen?"

He acknowledged some people have become maniacal in preparing for the apocalypse, especially with the influence of TV shows such as National Geographic's "Doomsday Preppers," while he just wants to be equipped in case anything happens.

"If it doesn't happen, we get to live another day," he said.

He reflected on his worries in 1999 about the "Y2K" scare and how those fears ended up being unfounded.

"That one passed, so I hope this one passes too," he said.

The Apocalypse Comes to Oakland — or Doesn't

Others in the Bay Area are taking on the imminent apocalypse in style. Many "End of the world" or "Doomsday" parties have been planned the days on or before Dec. 21.

The East Bay Bike Party is having a pre-Apocalypse ride at 7:30 p.m. today, starting at the MacArthur BART station in Oakland for what might be the group's last monthly bicycle ride.

Also in Oakland, the music group "La Fin Absolute du Monde" is celebrating with a party at the Vagabond Ballroom at 830 Isabella St. that Friday evening, while partygoers in San Francisco say they will take on the end at DNA Lounge on 11th Street at an "End of the World" dance party.

A Meetup group is planning to have their ultimate happy hour at Oakland's The Layover at 1517 Franklin St. at 6 p.m. on Dec. 20, the night before the last day. An event organizer gave a few reasons to celebrate Doomsday on the online listing, writing, "Just think, no last minute Christmas shopping and no work the next day!!"

Benicia Kite and Paddle Sports owner Chris Gatewood has an end-of-the-year deal at his Benicia sports shop for thrill-seekers hoping to arrive at the end while kiteboarding or practicing other extreme sports. The shop, located at 238 First St. in Benicia, is offering kite and paddle boarding package specials, and also sells other sporting goods.

Gatewood said, "You never know, it could be the end of the world," but advised that the better kiteboarding conditions in the Delta region are during the windier March through September season.

Astronomy experts at the SETI Institute, a Mountain View-based nonprofit scientific and educational organization, held a panel earlier this week to address fears that Earth is set to explode or implode, that there will be a catastrophe caused by a certain cosmic alignment, that the sun will explode or that the Earth's poles will shift.

The panel featured Foothill College astronomy professor Andrew Fraknoi, SETI Institute and NASA Ames Research Center scientist Dr. David Morrison, and Ed Krupp of the Griffith Observatory in Southern California. The three discussed at the Mountain View center the feasibility, along with the astronomy and science, behind the unlikely chance that the apocalypse will come to Earth before the end of the year.

To watch the panel, click on the YouTube video above or visit https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/cvdkpj271hd9s6its3933fucoc8.

Copyright © 2012 by Bay City News, Inc. -- Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.

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