May's Silly Disaster

Well, here I am, trying to get back on track. 

It's month five, with seven more to go in the annals of silly disasterdom, and the grand inspiration isn't coming.  I'm still scrambling along, one month at a time, or at best, two. 

Perhaps it's time for a little refresher.  In honor of the supposed ending of the world, my personal challenge was/is to create a new way for the world to end for every month of 2012. 

For inspiration, I checked out Youtube again.  This time, I did a general search on disaster and prophecy. 

There, I discovered that I am a rank amateur in the world of disaster silliness.  I have to admit, though, I was impressed.  There's no way I could have done even a minute of some of that stuff with a straight face.  And several of those guys went on for hours.  I'll admit I didn't watch more than a bit of any of them.

I did find my inspiration for May.  Here's the writing prompt:

A charismatic cult leader has suffered a few embarrassments.   He's been calling for the world to end, and it hasn't been cooperating.  Now, he's planning to take matters into his own hands.  Using his existing network of followers, he's been recruiting.  The new members don't realize they're part of a cult.  Using strong drugs to influence them, they're been shaped into tools.  At a specific time, all around the world, they're going to poison water supplies. 

Our hero gets wind of the plot.  He has some resources to call upon, but he's going to need to mobilize more, and to coordinate a massive effort, if this is to be stopped. 

April (Just under the wire)

Well, it's been a horrendous April, and I'm glad it's gone. 

I still have work to do on the blog, but it will have to wait. 

Here, however, is April's disaster.  It's piggybacking off the March cause.

With the organics and big particles gone, the soil becomes made of of small particles.  Combined with the additional rainfall and higher water levels attributed to global warming, huge pockets of soil become supersaturated.  In essence, building, entire cities, become built on quicksand.

If a solution can't be found, millions may die, and will certainly be left homeless.

March Disaster

Where I live, March is one of the those months you just have to get through.  It's usually cold, grey, and blustery, with the kind of wind that frosts your skin and makes your eyes tear up.  So far, this one is a far cry from most.  Of course, it's still early.  Mother Nature may just be waiting for me to take off my snow tires.

This time of year, seeing new shoots of crocus, daffodil and tulip poke their noses, either through frozen earth or though snow, is welcome.  As is the daylight that's now arriving earlier and sticking around longer. 

Accordingly, it seems appropriate that this month's silly way for the world to end should involve the soil.

This premise is a big complicated, probably too complex for one short story.  So, I'm going to break it into more than one.  (And yes, this is also a marvelous way for me to cheat, piggybacking more than one disaster off the same cause.)

So, anyway, here's my base:

With global warming, the great ice sheets of the Antarctic are melting.  Among other things, ancient creatures are being set free.  Microbes, and perhaps other things, have survived. 

The depletion of the ozone layer means that these microbes are now being subjected to more radiation.  Some of them mutate.  When combined with warm soil and water, they reproduce rapidly.

And here's March's disaster:

These microbes are depleting the soil of nutrients, making them unavailable for plant and animal life alike.  Food production drops.  If our scientist hero can't find a way to tame this rogue microbe population, the entire planet may starve to death.  

Carl Sagan's Amazing Perspective on our World

My silly way for the world to end, March entry, will be along in a week or so.  Unlike the earlier editions, I actually have one ready.  (Shocking, yes).

I just happened upon this video.  There are other versions out there, but I like the visuals on this one.  It is on topic, sort of.  Anyway, I just had to share it.

http://en.video.sympatico.ca/tech-autos/science-and-space/watch/carl-sagans-pale-blue-dot/1454948489001/

February's Post

Well, it's mid-February, and it appears that Europe has absconded with our winter.  Not that I'm complaining about the ease of getting around, or the reduced heating bill.  And I do have a great deal of sympathy for those poor people who aren't equipped to cope with winter conditions.  This seems a particularly nasty trick to play on those who've endured some blisteringly hot summers. 

Still, by this time of year, we've usually had several good weekends of cross-country skiing.  It's hard to do on dormant grass. 

It does, however, provide the fodder for my February installment of silly ways for the world to end, as inspired by the misinterpretation of the Mayan calendar.

Here's the writing prompt:

The deep freeze in Europe causes both huge economic losses and increased spending.  It's the straw that breaks the camel, spiraling the entire world into deep depression.  If your hero, one of the world's leading bankers, can't find a brilliant solution that will reverse the trend, the entire world will be plunged into another dark age.

Doom and Destruction

Here goes, the first scenario for the end of the world, as inspired by the popular misrepresentation of the Mayan calendar for 2012.

January's entry is courtesy of the "weird sounds heard around the world" videos on youtube. 

Some folk believe these strange sounds are courtesy of HAARP, or one of the similar programs.

Some don't.

So, here's January's silly end-of-the-world writing prompt:

A atmospheric sound test goes awry.  It creates a harmonic that sets off a series of earthquakes all around the world.  Continents are ripped apart.  Some sink, pushing oceanic levels up, and leaving only the highest altitudes habitable.  Your character must decide who will survive, and how. 

Just Another Pretty Picture?

Ok, it's confession time.  One silly way per month for the world to end is probably my limit.  In fact, it may be more than I can manage.  I haven't come up with even one, yet.

My first criterion is, I can't draw on any of the normal disaster-movie fodder.  And, it also has to be something that will happen fast enough to meet my Dec 21 deadline.  I still hope I'll come up with something for January.  Maybe the first will be the toughest.  (Though I suspect not.)

In the meantime, I thought I'd share another photo. 

It was taken on the east coast of Newfoundland.  This iceberg was reputed to be one of the last of the season that year.  Thanks to the assistance of some friendly locals, we found it in time to watch it break apart.  The picture was taken midway through the process.