LunaDisc Kickstarter Project to Benefit Mayan Artisans in Guatemala’s Solola Region

From Virtual Strategy.com:  LunaDisc Kickstarter Project to Benefit Mayan Artisans in Guatemala’s Solola Region

Crowdfunding Project for LunaDisc on Kickstarter will Benefit Mayan Artisans in Guatemala through Fair Trade

Charlotte, NC (PRWEB) June 27, 2012

The new LunaDisc, a crocheted flying disc with LED lights, is not just another Kickstarter project aimed at funding a new product. Its creators and co-founders, Patrick Groft and Chris Larsen, also have a broader vision in mind: helping support Mayan weavers in the Solola region of Guatemala.

Groft and Larsen formed their company, PhD Productions, in 2007, after getting an idea from Groft’s daughter, Savanna, a third grader at the time. After seeing a crocheted school project she made—a round doily shaped like a disc—Larsen grabbed it and threw it to Groft. A light bulb went off. They tinkered with the design to add a more substantial lip to the disc, making it easier to throw. They named it the Pocket Disc and decided to form a new company to produce and sell it.

The Secret to Pocket Disc: Finding the Right Weavers
It turned out that the circular design of the 100% cotton crocheted Pocket Disc was trickier than they thought.
Each disc would need to be made by hand, not using a machine. So Groft and Larsen began a quest to find the best weavers who could affordably mass produce the Pocket Disc.

“We also wanted to do more than just make a great new disc,” Groft said. “We wanted a company that created sustainable jobs and brought fun to people who bought our products.”

So the two began exploring the idea of finding talented workers who could make the best product while improving the weavers’ lives financially.

Through a veteran importer they met, Groft and Larsen learned about cooperatives of Mayan weavers in villages within the region surrounding Panajachel in Guatemala.

“The Mayans of Guatemala have been weaving and crocheting bright patterns for centuries, and they bring a deep cultural talent for handwork,” Larsen said. “Each village specializes in a few patterns, and the patterns of a village are passed down through the generations.”

In return for the artistry that these women add to the Pocket Disc, they are paid a fair wage and work under good conditions.

“The money they make crocheting Pocket Discs and other handmade products enables their children to stay in school longer and helps keeps them out of poverty, in a country where 75% of people live below the poverty level,” Larsen said.

Original Pocket Disc is a Hit with Disc Golfers, Dog Lovers and Others

The Pocket Disc has quickly become one of the hottest discs on the market for teens, college students, children, outdoor and disc golf enthusiasts and dog lovers. What started as a homework assignment in Savanna Groft’s third grade class now earns rave reviews for its performance, safety, portability and versatility. The Pocket Disc is a 100% cotton, brilliantly colorful flying disc – the first true indoor/outdoor disc for all ages.

Pocket Discs can be purchased at a variety of retailers nationwide including Eastern Mountain Sports, L.L. Bean, Learning Express Toys, many independent Play-It-Again Sports and over 1,500 specialty outdoor, sporting goods, toy, pet and gift retailers. The company has added additional products to its line, such as crocheted footbags, pouches and a variety of headbands.

Launching the New Fair Trade LunaDisc through Crowdfunding

In early 2012, Groft and Larsen hit on the idea of adding LED lights to the Pocket Disc. After making a few prototypes, they determined to bring their LunaDisc to market.

Still soft and safe, the LunaDisc is a new variation of the Pocket Disc. However, the LunaDisc will have LED lights throughout, making it fun to play with both in and outdoors and now at night.

But first, they needed to raise the money—at least $50,000—for the materials. They decided to use the crowdfunding website Kickstarter to pre-sell LunaDiscs.

“As part of our fair trade commitment, we supply all the materials up front," Groft said. “The money we raise on Kickstarter will go toward buying the materials and pliable LED wires needed for the first round of LunaDiscs.”
Since launching the Kickstarter campaign on June 15, they have raised over $12,000 toward the $50,000 goal. The campaign runs through August 5, and Groft and Larsen expect to meet or exceed the funding goal.
“We are excited and hopeful about bringing the LunaDisc to life through our backers on Kickstarter,” Groft said. “It’s a great, fun product and will continue to benefit the Mayan weavers and their families.”

On Kickstarter, backers of LunaDisc have several opportunities to pre-order the product, as well as pay for much-needed school supplies and lunches for Mayan children. At the highest level ($5,000+), backers will receive LunaDiscs, provide food and school supplies for Mayan children and visit the artisan communities on a 5-day trip for two to Guatemala.
For more information about PhD Productions and a store locator, visit http://www.pocketdisc.com.
For more information or to pre-order the LunaDisc, visit http://kck.st/LunaKS.

 

 

6 months left before Mayan calendar ends – will the world end, too?

From KYPost:  6 months left before Mayan calendar ends – will the world end, too?

CLEVELAND - The biggest doomsday party of the century is set for six months from today, on Dec. 21, 2012. Where will you be?
Now that the summer solstice has passed, 2012 doomsdayers believe there are less than six months until The End Of The World As We Know It, aka: TEOTWAWKI, according to doomsday websites and blogs.
The end of days has been predicted often during human history. The Bible's Book of Revelation predicts it. Europeans expected the end of the world would come in the year 1000. We all remember Y2K. Then last year, American evangelist Harold Camping predicted doomsday would arrive May 21, 2011.
These dates all came and went.
This time, TEOTWAWKI talk is all about the Mayan calendar, specifically the Long Count calendar. If you know nothing about the Mayans, know this: their ability to map the heavens and keep time was astonishing. But one of their calendars simply ends on Dec. 21, 2012.
The Mayan culture thrived for six centuries before collapsing around 900 A.D., according to recent scholarship, because of a series of droughts and possibly warfare. Scholars readily admit the Mayans were sophisticated calendar makers and time keepers. But most scholars said the end date is bunk.
NASA explains the reason for the calendar's end this way: "Just as the calendar you have on your kitchen wall does not cease to exist after December 31, the Mayan calendar does not cease to exist on December 21, 2012. This date is the end of the Mayan long-count period but then -- just as your calendar begins again on January 1 -- another long-count period begins for the Mayan calendar."
Another NASA post on its website goes into much greater detail using the math about how the Mayans kept time. One part reads, "Just as we number our years counting from a historically and culturally significant event (the presumed birth year of Christ), Maya times were numbered from a date endowed with religious and cosmic significance: the creation date of the present world order. A Long Count date is the tally of days from that mythic startup."
In other words, if the Mayan Long Count calendar started from a "mythic startup" date, the end date is based on myth, as well.
But what about the party the writer described?
Even though scholars and professionals publicly debunk all of this doomsday 2012 talk as wild fantasy, there are people who still wonder.
Hollywood cashes in on that. In addition to the 2009 movie "2012", another end of the world flick opens in theaters Friday. It stars comedian Steve Carell and it's called, "Seeking a Friend For the End of the World."
But it probably won't be an asteroid or zombies or gigantic solar eruption. Some people seriously think the Mayan feathered serpent Kukulkan will emerge from the ground at the Chichen Itza ruins.
The pyramids were constructed so precisely that on the the spring and vernal equinoxes, the shadow of what appears to be a serpent falls to let the Mayans know it was time to either plant or harvest. (Kukulkan is similar to the Aztec god, Quetzalcoatl).
That's one reason the Riviera Maya region is one of the top spots to party in the days leading up to Dec. 21, even though no such shadow appears at the site on the winter solstice. The sun, however, does appear to climb up the edge of the Temple of Kukulkan, until it rests momentarily directly above the temple.
Still others believe there are more clues to the mysterious Mayan calendar. For example, one recent archeological discovery in Guatemala shows calendars counting time thousands of years into the future.*
This writer believes all the hype around the date simply is another great reason to celebrate this mysterious existence we call life.
I'll be in the Riviera Maya and the Yucatan region for the party. The trip was booked months ago. Good thing. At the time all flights to Cancun, Mexico were almost full. Perhaps airlines have since added more flights. Also, moderately priced accommodations were sold out. So, I'll be living in a hut on Tulum's beach ahead of the big day. Not exactly the best protection from zombies or asteroid crashes.
And if I happen to see the feathered serpent, I'll snap a shot and upload it for you.

 

Digging for treasures at Maya tomb, ruins

From Charlotte Observer:  Digging for treasures at Maya tomb, ruins

A team of teenage archaeologists from Davidson Day School flew to the Central American country of Belize on June 22 to unearth artifacts at a tomb of Maya royals who ruled more than a thousand years ago.
Leading the group of 22 students is archaeologist Mat Saunders, 34, who has dug at the Cahal Pech Maya ruins site in western Belize since 2006. Saunders teaches anthropology, world religions, history and mythology at Davidson Day, a private college preparatory school.

His American Foreign Academic Research nonprofit is based at the school and raised at least $80,000 during the past year for student scholarships and preservation of the archaeological sites they discover.
Saunders also brings 20 of the world’s foremost experts on Maya archaeology and culture to Davidson Day each spring to share their latest research with the public at a Maya conference. He hosts a similar conference each year in Palm Coast, Fla., where he previously taught.

His trips to Belize have become so popular that Saunders added a second two-week session this summer, with some students planning to stay the entire four weeks, from June 22 to July 23.

In 2010, Saunders and his students found ancient jade beads, a staircase leading to a plaza and a circular building dating to about 500 B.C. Last summer, they discovered the Late Classic Period royal tomb with three kings in it.

They found what Saunders said were never-before-seen artifacts, including hieroglyphic inscriptions, artists’ tools and ornaments, a cache of jade jewelry and a carved, jaguar-tooth necklace.

“Other people have to look at it through glass,” rising 11th-grader George James, 16, of Huntersville said of the artifacts he and other students found. “We get to touch it. Gently.”

All of the artifacts will be on a museum tour beginning this fall out West, in Canada and possibly as far south as Washington, D.C., Saunders said at his home in Huntersville on June 20. Students and parents filed into their house throughout the afternoon for a pre-dig party, where the students received digging tools for the backpacks they’ll carry each day to the site.

Also on the dig are Davidson Day instructors Mike and Tiffani Thomas and noted archaeologists Marc Zender of Tulane University and Jaime Awe of the Belize Institute of Archaeology.

“It’s a full-scale archaeological project,” Saunders said – one that gives students hands-on learning.
George said he discovered an obsidian blade at the site last summer.

“We also found all sorts of pottery,” said rising 10th-grader Howard Strachan, 15, of Mooresville.

The pair is back in Belize again this summer, as are Sierra Thorson, 16, a rising senior from Davidson, and Jason Chinuntdet, 17, a rising senior from Mooresville. Sierra and Jason intend to make archaeology a career – Sierra wants to be a faunal archaeologist, one who studies ancient animal bones and skeletons.
When Sierra told a reporter of her career ambitions after she and other students gathered at their teacher’s home June 20, George interjected: “We already are archaeologists.”

“Just minus degrees,” Jason said.

“They definitely will have a leg up,” Saunders said of the experience the students gain in Belize.
When Jason went for a college interview at Northwestern University, a professor asked if he’d ever met the famous archaeologist Jaime Awe.

He’d even sat and chatted with him, Jason replied.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/06/22/3332522/digging-for-treasures-at-maya.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/06/22/3332522/digging-for-treasures-at-maya.html#storylink=cpy

 

Is this the lost Mayan city of Yupaha? Historian creates 3D image of 1,000-year-old civilisation in GEORGIA mountains

From Mil Online:  Is this the lost Mayan city of Yupaha? Historian creates 3D image of 1,000-year-old civilisation in GEORGIA mountains

The Mayans built astonishing temples in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras - but now some believe the ancient peoples fled their dissolving civilization and ended up in Georgia.
Historian and architect Richard Thornton believes a 1,100-year-old archaeological site shows that Mayan refugees fled Central America and ended up in the North Georgian mountains near Blairsville.
His astonishing theory is based on the discovery of 300 to 500 rock terraces and mounds on the side of Brasstown Bald mountain that date to 900AD - around the time the Mayans began to die out.

City Spotting: This 3D virtual reality image was made from the ruins found in the Brasstown Bald mountain

Georgia Mountain: The theory revolves around an area near Brasstown Bald mountain, pictured, potentially being the 'fabled city of Yupaha, which Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto failed to find in 1540'

Mr Thornton’s blockbuster theory revolves around the area near Brasstown Bald potentially being the ‘fabled city of Yupaha, which Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto failed to find in 1540’.
He described it as ‘certainly one of the most important archaeological discoveries in recent times’.
The Mayans died out around 900AD for reasons still debated by scholars - although drought, overpopulation and war are the most popular theories, reported the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

 

The remains were first found by retired engineer Carey Waldrip when he went walking in the area in the 1990s.
Archaeologist Johannes Loubser excavated part of the site and wrote a report about it in 2010, but does not believe the rock terraces are Mayan.
‘I think that (Mr Thornton) selectively presents the evidence,’ Mr Loubser told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. ‘But he’s a better marketer than I and other archaeologists are.’

Look at this: The remains were first found by retired engineer Carey Waldrip, pictured, when he went walking in the area in the 1990s

Row: Not everyone was impressed by historian and author Richard Thornton's, right, theory. University of Georgia archaeology professor Mark Williams, left, who was cited in his article, labelled it as 'complete bunk'

Mr Loubser, who excavated a rock wall and small mound, added that claims like this must be backed up with ‘hard evidence’ because of the various conflicting opinions in the archaeological world.'
Mr Loubser believes the structures could have been built by the Cherokee Indians or an earlier tribe between 800AD and 1100AD.

'It is possibly the site of the fabled city of Yupaha, which Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto failed to find in 1540, and certainly one of the most important archaeological discoveries in recent times'
Richard Thornton

He stopped digging because he realized the site could be a grave.
Still, Mr Thornton claims early maps of the location named two villages ‘Itsate’, which was how Itza Mayans described themselves.
The terrace structures and date helped him reach his conclusion.
'It was commonplace for the Itza Maya to sculpt a hill into a pentagonal mound,' he argues. 'There are dozens of such structures in Central America.'
But not everyone is impressed by Mr Thornton’s theory. He cited University of Georgia archaeology professor Mark Williams in an article on Examiner.com.
‘I am the archaeologist Mark Williams mentioned in this article,’ Professor Williams said on Facebook. ‘This is total and complete bunk. There is no evidence of Maya in Georgia. Move along now.’

Theory: The Mayans could have left Central America and ended up in the North Georgian mountains

Fascinating: The Mayans died out around 900AD for reasons still debated by scholars - although drought, overpopulation and war are the most popular theories (file picture)

‘The sites are certainly those of Native Americans of prehistoric Georgia,’ Professor Williams told ABC News. ‘Wild theories are not new, but the web simply spreads them faster than ever.’
Mr Thornton wasn't bothered by the ensuing debate, in fact, that's exactly what he wanted.
'I’m not an archaeologist. I’m a big picture man,' said Mr Thorton to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
'We’re hoping this article stirs up some interest. I was just trying to get the archaeologists to work some more on the site and they come back snapping like mad dogs.'

'This is total and complete bunk. There is no evidence of Maya in Georgia. Move along now.'

Archaeologist, Mark Williams

He works with a company called History Revealed Media that helps create three-dimensional maps of excavated sites and said that when he compared his map of the Georgia site, it reminded him of other Mayan works.
'It’s identical to sites in Belize,' he argued.
The Mayans have been under intense scrutiny over the past few years as rumors abound about their mysterious 5,125-year calendar allegedly predicting the apocalypse on December 21 2012.
But various experts have spoken out against Doomsday, including Mexico's 'Grand Warlock' Antonio Vazquez, to say that the Mayan calendar instead will just reset and a new time-span will begin.

Found: Another 3D virtual reality image of the lost Mayan city of Yupaha, according to Richard Thornton, left, and a relief sculpture of a warrior at the Mayan ruins in Uxmal, right

 

Mayan Calendar Comes to Life and Speaks Mayan Date as No One Could Hear for More Than 1000 Years

From SF Gate:  Mayan Calendar Comes to Life and Speaks Mayan Date as No One Could Hear for More Than 1000 Years

Modern technology brings to life piece of cold stone and makes it speak Mayan date as recorded by Maya civilization during classic period (approx. 250 AD - 900 AD) to commemorate life of kings and queens, and to remember important historical events. Maya Stone Calendar app has been released for iPhone and iPad. Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2012) takes place on the days from 6 Manik' 10 Sotz' to 10 Chuwen 14 Sotz'.

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) June 11, 2012 

After decades of intensive study of Mayan stone carvings researchers have deciphered many Mayan glyphs and learned how these for long time mysterious texts translate into spoken language. From completely unknown writing system we can now read entire texts commemorating life of kings and queens, describing historical events, religious believes and even revealing works of Mayan literature. Apart from their writing system Maya civilization had also developed skills in mathematics and astronomy which led to creation of Mayan calendar. Unlocking secret to this calendar was a question of understanding the Mayan number system, identifying symbols representing names of the days, glyphs and numbers identifying time periods, collecting drawings and photographs of stone carvings, and examining different calendar dates. Knowledge of Mayan base-20 mathematics and symbols for periods of time provide clue not only to the Mayan method of counting days, but along with astronomical observations gives us reference between Gregorian calendar and Mayan calendar. Mayan calendar starts with so called Long Count of 0.0.0.0.0 on the day of 4 Ahau 8 Kumk'u, known as Mayan Date of Creation, which corresponds to August 11, 3114 BC. This information and ability to read mayan texts provided building blocks for creation of a new smart device app, which speaks date in Mayan language. Maya Stone Calendar comes to life on iPhone and iPad. Thanks to archeologists, linguists, historians, and other researchers, Mayan calendar, this beautiful ancient work of art and science, is now preserved hopefully forever.

Mayan writing seems to be very complex at first. Their glyphs representing syllables and words are combined together to create new words. Two glyphs can be laid down side by side, or one on top of another, small representation of one glyph can be inserted inside another glyph, glyphs can change their shape, size and orientation. How can anyone learn such a complex writing system? It is not as difficult as it may seem. Evolution of graphical user interface in computer technology allowed programmers and graphic designers to create new way of representing objects, actions and ideas in form of computer icons. Paper calendar icon, for example, represents calendar app or scheduling software, postage stamp may represent email client, small red badge with number "2" on top of this postage stamp tells us "you have 2 new email messages". Every user of a desktop computer, smart phone, or tablet device, works daily with icons and can understand meaning of tens, or even hundreds of icons and their combination. So after centuries of evolution of our society we have rediscovered the world of hieroglyphs, similar to the one used by ancient Maya civilization. Now we can see that writing system of the Maya is not as strange as we have originally thought.

One does not necessarily have to be a Mayan linguist to discover how Mayan calendar works, when playing with it's electronic version. Maya Stone Calendar app provides calendar in form of Sun Stone and Stela with it's End of The World Countdown. Sun stone is made of stone rings with Mayan symbols. Stone rings rotate in order to set particular date of the Mayan calendar. The inner two rotating rings represent "Tzolk'in date" which is defined by combination of a Tzolk'in day name and a number. The outer two rotating rings represent Haab' date defined by combination of Haab month and a number for each day of the month. The official Mayan date as shown on Stela is composed of combination of Tzolk'in date, Haab' date, and another measure of time called Long Count, which has 5 periods of B'ak'tun, K'atun, Tun, Winal and K'in. Just as mayan writing, mayan calendar seems to be very complex at first, but closer examination shows that it is no more difficult than Gregorian calendar and would pose no problem using it today. If today's mayan date is 6 Manik' 10 Sotz' and Apple is going to make a big announcement in 4 days, it is clear that the announcement will happen on the date of 10 Chuwen 14 Sotz'. Let's hope that Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, which is going to take place on these days, will introduce new devices where Maya Stone Calendar could find new home.
Mayan date 12 B'ak'tun, 19, K'atun, 19 Tun, 16 Winal, 2 Kin - 5 Ik' 5 Keh sounds very long and complicated, but Tuesday, November 13, 2 Thousand, 0 Hundred, 12 Years is just as mouthful, but both represent the day of Solar eclipse as predicted by Maya Stone Calendar app.

Let's play a game: Become famous archeologist, who is trying to decipher Mayan Calendar.

1. Start the app and write down combination of Mayan glyphs representing today's date.

2. Rotate the rings to select next day and write down combination of glyphs.

3. Continue until you discover a pattern of repeating cycles (years). You will find out that the three Mayan date systems mentioned earlier have different number of days of these repeating cycles. How many days does Tzolk'in year have? How long Haab' year is? How many days Long Count have in the full cycle of Winal and Kin?

4. Find out why is December 21, 2012 so significant, that it draws attention of enthusiasts from all over the world. Does Mayan calendar predict The End of The World? Are we heading for 2012 Apocalypse?
The author will leave the answers to the reader.

The app allows to set any date in history and speaks the date in Mayan language. It was very interesting to hear my birth date in Maya. What about yours? What it sounds like to hear in Mayan language the date, when Christopher Columbus arrived in America? Maya Stone Calendar for iPhone/iPad can whisper it to those who are curious.
Homepage: www.guardedkey.com/MayaCalendar.aspx

Mayan End of World Hype is Causing Real Fear Among Children

From Fox Nes Latino: <a href="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/lifestyle/2012/06/12/mayan-end-world-prediction-is-frightening-children/">Mayan End of World Hype is Causing Real Fear Among Children</a> <P>

Scientist David Morrison has for many years made it his personal quest to debunk doomsday rumors. Lately, it’s the Mayan calendar that’s on his radar.
<P>
On his “Ask an Astrobiologist” web page, Morrison, a doctor of astrobiology and astrology from Harvard University and a senior scientist at the NASA Astrobiology Institute at the Ames Research Center, receives at least five emails a day from people (mostly kids) who are terrified the world is coming to an end.
<P>
Even worse, Morrison says, he recently met a middle-school teacher from Stockton, Calif., who told him that two parents had come to her and said they were planning to kill themselves and their children on or before December, because they believed the end was near.
<P>
“I’m afraid of what people will do on that day (12/21/2012). They may do crazy things. There is no scientific evidence backing up what these doomsday people believe,” Morrison says. And he fervently states,  “If something horrible was going to happen, I would tell people.”
<P>
Humans are in constant fear of the sky falling—probably from the beginning of time when they couldn’t explain lightning, sunset, disease, or death. The latest doomsday fears are being fomented by the believers in the Mayan calendar—using it to predict the worlds end on 12/21/2011 at 11:11 GMT—suspecting a demise by a rogue planet or star colliding with Earth, an earthquake of some magnitude, a solar blast from the Sun causing catastrophic fires, alignment of planets, or axis/gravity shifts.
<P>
The Mayan doomsday prediction has been widely debunked by scientists, and most people laugh at it or are mildly intrigued by it. Mayan sites have even launched tourism campaigns around it. But all of it is causing a very high and serious level of fear, particularly in children.
<P>
“Given what’s out there on TV or online, depending on their environments and their ages, children are easily susceptible to irrational beliefs. If you share this doomsday information with them, you’re going to scare them. And if they see the end of the world as a villain, they could hurt themselves in order to ‘outsmart the villain’,” says Donna Kashani, M.D. Board certified adult, child and adolescent psychiatrist and faculty member at UCSD School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry.
<P>
In May, a 16-year-old UK girl by the name of Isabel Taylor hanged herself after she’d done extensive research on the Internet about Doomsday predictions, and convinced herself the world would end in 2012.  According to her friend, Taylor had become obsessed with the world ending—constantly making comments to friends and family about a nuclear disaster caused by sunspots resulting in a reaction so big as to end the world.
<P>
According to the 200 inhabitants of a small town in France called Pic de Bugarach, 20,000 people have descended on their hamlet to wait out and possibly save themselves from the impending doom.  At 1,230 meters (or 4,035 feet), it’s the highest peak in the Corbieres mountain range, and many believe that like Mount Sinai, it possesses mystical energies and magnetic waves. Many of the pilgrims or “New Agers” believe that on December 21st, aliens will come to the mountain and rescue them, taking them to the place of the “new age or era”. The French government is concerned that if nothing happens on the day, there could be mass suicides. 
<P>
John Kenhe, web developer of the site December 21, 2012, a doomsday clearinghouse of sorts, says the site he created in 2005 wasn’t meant to scare people but be a place for all opinions. Although Kenhe is an admitted  “prepper” —someone who is prepared for a disaster with food, water, and gas masks located in a bunker under his house— he doesn’t believe the world will end on 12/21.
<P>
“Whether we can witness it or not, something will happen on that day.  No one can know for sure what will happen. I tell my kids there will be a Christmas this year.  I feel positive that we’re headed for a more enlightened way of living on the planet,” Kehne says.
<P>
“When children are afraid or anxious by this doomsday stuff, it’s because they lack adult figures in their lives who aren’t reassuring them they’re safe,” said Dr. Saurabh Gupta, a researcher in the department of Psychiatry at UCSD. “Emotional safety is created by adults for children, kids can’t be held responsible for making themselves feel worry free—it’s not their job.”

The End of the Maya Calendar

From Honduras Weekly:  The End of the Maya Calendar

According to many people, 2012 marks the beginning of the end of the world as we know it. But what exactly does that mean? What exactly is predicted to happen on December 21, 2012? Does it mean the planet is on the threshold of some galactic catastrophe? Or does it mean that the human race is on the threshold of a positive transformation that will touch our minds, bodies, and even our souls? Or does it mean something else entirely?

At present, there are tons of sites across the web that focus on the 2012 prophecy. These sites can all trace their roots back to the Mayan Long Count Calendar. This calendar is a non-repeating, base-20 calendar that identifies a day by counting the number of days that have passed since the date of creation. For the Maya, the date of creation equates to August 11, 3114 BCE on the Gregorian calendar.

August 11, 3114 BCE is the date. This date also was the start of the present 5,125-year cycle which is set to end on December 21, 2012. This cycle is based on the Mayan study of astronomy. The Mayans realized the earth wobbles as it spins on its axis. This wobbling rotation causes the stars’ patterns of movement to drift gradually in the sky in a 5,125-year cycle. With this information in hand, along with their knack for mathematics, the Maya came up with their Long Count Calendar around 355 BCE.

The Long Count Calendar was rediscovered and translated in the 1950s. However, it was a 1966 interpretation of the Mayan Long Count Calendar that seems to have taken the world by storm.

In 1966, Michael D. Coe wrote in his book, The Maya, that "there is a suggestion... that Armageddon would overtake the degenerate peoples of the world and all creation on the final day of the 13th b'ak'tun". According to the Mayan Long Count Calendar, we are currently in the 13th b'ak'tun. So, the big question is: What happens on the final day of the 13th b'ak'tun?

 

End of the World 2012: Top 5 places to watch it all go down

From Global Post: End of the World 2012: Top 5 places to watch it all go down

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico — It might be the end of the world, and what better place to be than where the doomsday theory all began.
No matter what you believe will or will not happen on Dec. 21, 2012, the day Mesoamerican astronomers pegged as the end of their 5,125-year long count calendar, one thing is certain: 2012 is an auspicious year to travel to the Mayan heartland.
Though there is no evidence that the Maya foretold any specific earthly event or cataclysm, it is an important cycle-ending nevertheless, and an excuse to celebrate and cleanse.
More from GlobalPost: Tourists expected to flood the Mayan heartland ahead of Dec. 21
It’s also a reason to explore the Maya region. The most popular dates to travel to Mundo Maya — the common term for the region that includes southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador — are the summer solstice (June 20), the autumnal equinox (Sept. 21), and, of course, the winter solstice, which the Mayans call “13 b’aktun,” or Dec. 21.
There will be raucous celebrations, solemn fire ceremonies and a curious excitement at all minor and major Maya archaeological sites throughout the year. The biggest challenge is deciding where to begin. Here are the top 5 Mayan hotspots to mark whatever it is that might happen on Dec. 21, 2012.
Uxmal, Mexico
The best gateway to this stunning archaeological site is the city of Merida, a colonial jewel and wonderful destination in its own right. One of Merida’s main attractions is access to the Puuc Route, a distinctive chain of Maya archaeological sites that includes Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil and Labna.
Stay at the wood-creaking Hacienda Uxmal, a stone’s throw from one of the Mayan world’s most detailed, stunning sites. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Queen Elizabeth and the Shah of Iran have all stayed there. This December, Hacienda Uxmal will be the setting for Wilderness Travel’s “World of the Maya: Cycles of Time Symposium and Travel Event,” which will give 80 participants the chance to spend Dec. 21, 2012 with the world’s top Mayan studies scholars.
Riviera Maya, Mexico
Why should the end of the world be a hassle? Flying into Cancun is a breeze from most cities, and there are tens of thousands of beachside rooms from which to watch the calamity, or lack thereof, unfold. Stay in an over-the-top five-diamond, all-inclusive resort like Grand Velas or Hacienda Tres Rios, or choose a more budget-minded place in Playa del Carmen or Akumel. No matter what your thread-count is, you’ll have immediate access to many natural and Maya-related archaeological sites, theme parks and sacred water pits known as “cenotes.”
San Ignacio, Belize
The Cayo District in Western Belize has rivers, ruins and access to vast swaths of forest, including the Peten wilderness of northern Guatemala (and the Guatemalan archaeological sites of Tikal, Yaxha, and Uaxantun).
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The whole area revolves around the tranquil town of San Ignacio, where a small, diverse population clings to the hillside and riverbanks. The Mopan and Macal Rivers meet here to form the Belize River, which runs out to the Caribbean. Cayo also boasts the best selection of jungle lodges anywhere in Central America, including many small, off-grid eco-resorts on the upper Macal. Some of these, notably The Lodge at Chaa Creek, are offering special tours and retreats in honor of 2012. There is a large event planned for Dec. 21, 2012 at Xunantunich archaeological site, and special solstice camping permits are being issued at Caracol.
Lago de Atitlan, Guatemala
This long-time escape for budget travelers and Spanish-language students is usually accessed via Antigua, Guatemala, a UNESCO World Heritage town of 35,000. Use Antigua as your base, then head west (and up) to one of the densest populations of living Maya in the world, where modern-day shamans still keep the calendars alive and are performing purification ceremonies throughout 2012. Here, in the volcanic hills surrounding Lago de Atitlan — the deepest, most scenic lake in all of Central America — scores of lakeside and upcountry communities offer tourism opportunities from primitive homestays to small, luxurious spas and resorts. All will have unique 2012 offerings.
Copan, Honduras
Honduras’ contribution to the Maya world consists of a single grand ancient city near its western border with Guatemala. The precision and detail of Copan’s artists and scribes earned it the nickname: "The Athens of the Maya world."
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Copan does not tower vertically as Tikal does, to the north. But what it lacks in altitude, it makes up for in rich, important history, a gorgeous, tranquil valley, and an interesting selection of health-related retreat possibilities. Access Copan by flying into San Pedro Sula, Honduras, or drive there from Guatemala City or Antigua. You’ll stay in Copan Ruinas, a cozy little tourist town only a 20-minute walk from the main archaeological site. There are also Maya sweat lodges, spas, yoga retreats, and planned 2012 festivals.
Joshua Berman is the author of "Maya 2012: A Guide to Celebrations in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize & Honduras." His website is JoshuaBerman.net and you’ll find him on Twitter at @tranquilotravel.

 

ade Jewelry Recreated From Ancient Mayan Culture

From the Epoch Times: Jade Jewelry Recreated From Ancient Mayan Culture

GUATEMALA—Antigua, a city in the mountains, about 40 miles southwest of the capital of Guatemala City, is home to jade workshops and stores that specialize in jade jewelry.

The Casa del Jade, near Antigua’s central square, uses highly skilled artisans to create modern replicas of ancient Mayan jade masks and fine jewelry set in gold with diamonds.

“It takes us seven days to make this jade mask,” said Pascual de Paz, an artisan at Casa del Jade. He and Gustavo Ramirez were working on small pieces of dark-green jade that were to be fitted to a wood frame carved to the dimensions and proportions of original burial masks.

“This one will require 103 individual pieces of jade,” de Paz said. He held up a finished piece used as a model next to the carved wooden frame being fitted with jadeite pieces.

Each mask requires selection from stones found in the jade mine at Zacapa, careful cutting of the stone, then selection of pieces that are eventually cut to size, ground, and polished.

Indigenous people of the Americas considered jade holy. Intricate masks of worked jade have been found in ancient Mayan burial sites. Ornaments of jade were used to adorn royalty.

De Paz fitted hand-cut and polished pieces of green jade to the wooden form that was a copy of the King Pacal mask. The mosaic mask was discovered covering the face of King Pacal in his burial pyramid.

King Pacal lived during the Mayan classical era and died on Aug. 31, 683. He lived to see the completion of his burial pyramid and ruled as king over Palenque, Chiapas, in Mexico. When the king’s tomb under the Temple of Inscriptions was opened, the mask covering his face was discovered along with many jade, mother-of-pearl, and ceramic pieces.

Another museum-quality replica worked on by de Paz and Ramirez in the jade factory is the Tikal 160 Mask. When the burial mask was discovered in Tomb 160, it was broken into 174 pieces. The Tikal 160 mask dates from the early classical Mayan era, A.D. 527.

Restoration of the original mask was made from stelae inscriptions. Clearly a nobleman’s death mask, it was composed of serpentine for the face, jasper for the ears and lips, with shell-and-obsidian eyes and jade for the ear flares.

The Spanish came looking for gold. For the Mayans, jade was more important.
—Fredy Gomez

“The Spanish came looking for gold. For the Mayans, jade was more important. The Spaniards took the gold, not the jade,” explained artisan Fredy Gomez, who has been working at Casa del Jade for 23 years.

The Mayan jade mines that produce the shop’s jade were only discovered in 1950, according to Gomez. The founder of Casa del Jade was one of two people who started the jade industry in Guatemala.

To give an idea of the value placed on finished jade jewelry, an imperial-jade ring with a beautifully polished stone set with diamonds had a price tag of $6,500. A small orange-jade ring was $2,900. A bracelet with cabochon-cut jade of various colors cost $2,600.

“A month ago, I sold a bracelet with 17 cabochons, 6 by 4 millimeters [0.2 by 0.15 inches], set in gold, with diamonds, for $13,600,” Gomez said. A lavender-jade bead necklace cost $4,845.

The Casa del Jade has its own staff of designers, jewelers, and artists.

To make round beads like those used in the lavender-jade necklace, the best part of the stone must be chosen. Then it is cut into a cube. Factory workers make the cube round by hand. The smallest bead is hardest to make and is about 4 millimeters. It takes on average of two hours to make a round bead of jade. Once cut into a cube, the finished imperial-jade piece, used for the ring, took four hours to shape round.

While people traditionally associate jade with the color green, jade colors vary, including black and white. There are shades called apple green, typical green, moon jade, orange, imperial, lavender, baby blue, and light green. Single sculpted pieces of jade, like those used in the bracelet, sell for $600.

“Black jade is the hardest. We use diamonds to cut it. Black jade only comes from Zacapa and from Burma, in Asia,” Gomez said. Mayan warriors and hunters used black jade in weapons because of its hardness.

They only discovered orange jade in Zacapa, Guatemala, six years ago in a vein inside white jade. Thirteen years before that, they discovered lavender jade.

“Hurricane Mitch brought down parts of the mountain, and we found the lavender. We have three rare varieties of jade here: lavender, baby blue, which was discovered in a vein inside lavender and orange, which was found inside the white. These three can only be found in Guatemala. All have been examined by the Gemological Institute of America and certified as jade,” Gomez said.

Outside the jade factory were large rocks. One contained a vein of imperial jade. The deep-green color was visible in the boulder. Spraying water on the stone brought out the contrast, showing the deep-green color of the vein.

“These jade rocks come from the river and the mountain. You have to cut this rock to get to the vein. It is always a surprise where the vein runs,” Gomez said.

Other jade rocks contained black jade. Some showed mica that glinted like silver in the sunlight.

“We use 20 to 30 percent. The rest are impurities like mica, carbon crystals, and fractures,” the jade expert explained.

“We have to cut the rock with a 36-inch diamond blade that turns at 1,700 rotations per minute. We can only cut 4 1/2 inches in an hour,” Gomez said. “We then choose only the best part of the jade.”

The end of the world in 2012? Nonsense, Mexican astronomer says

From Focus Taiwan: The end of the world in 2012? Nonsense, Mexican astronomer says

Taipei, June 5 (CNA) The Mayan prophesy that the world will end in 2012 is nothing but a show business fabrication, a distinguished Mexican astronomer said recently in Taiwan, asserting that a rare view of the planet Venus this week will present a far more accurate picture of the Mayan calendar.

Jesus Galindo Trejo, a researcher at National Autonomous University of Mexico, said there was no Mayan document predicting doomsday in 2012 as has been highly publicized in popular media.

"The saying did not exist in the ancient Mayan culture, and it does not exist in modern astronomy, either," Galindo said at a forum at the Taipei Astronomical Museum over the weekend.

Those spreading the idea of the Mayan apocalypse contend that the world will come to an end on Dec. 21 or 22 this year, when the Mayan "Long Count" calendar completes a "great cycle" covering 13 smaller cycles over 5,125 years.

But Galindo said the calendar was merely one of many Mesoamerican calendars used in ancient times.

Also, due to different interpretations of the calendar, whose original versions were destroyed when the Spanish occupied the region in the 1600s, the exact starting point of the calendar remains a mystery.

In other words, Galindo said, there is not even a consensus that the 13th cycle of the Long Count ends this year -- a time when some believe a widespread catastrophe will be triggered, bringing an end to human civilization.

Having studied astrophysics and astronomical archaeology for more than 20 years, Galindo said that if people wanted to find out the truth about the end of the 13th cycle, called "Baktun," they should follow Venus on Wednesday.

On that day, the planet is expected to travel between the sun and the earth, forming a small dot in front of the sun as seen from the earth.

A rare celestial event that comes in pairs eight years apart, with each pair separated by over a century, the transit of Venus could coincide with the end of the latest Baktun, Galindo said.

"The Mayans worshiped Venus and depended much on it in time recording," Galindo said.

He believes this transit of Venus best represents the description of the conclusion of the 13th Baktun left behind in ancient Mayan documents.

To sum up, Galindo said that instead of panicking over the so-called Mayan prophesy, one should feel upbeat about embracing the start of a new cycle -- whenever that date is.

"No one in my country is really worried about this 2012 thing," he said. "On the contrary, Mexicans are all thrilled as the nonsense has brought us tons of foreign tourists."

Maya ‘End of the World’ Rally targets RVers and overlanders

From Examiner.com: Maya ‘End of the World’ Rally targets RVers and overlanders

The 2012 Maya “End of the World” Rally may well live up to its billing as “one of the last great adventures of this century” especially if the pre-Columbian Mesoamerican Mayan calendar is to be believed. This imaginative RV and overlanding expedition come scavenger hunt – that kicks off in Guanajuato, Mexico on December 12th and wraps up in Bacalar, Mexico on December 20th – finishes one day before the end of the 5,125-year-long cycle of the Maya Long Count calendar. A state of affairs that some doomsday advocates believe will herald the end of the world.

“We are putting this rally together for the end of the world” said Maya Rally organizer and Expedition Portal founder, Christian Pelletier. “Initially we wanted to finish in Guatemala at some of the Mayan sites but Guatemala is too crazy,” said Pelletier who subsequently decided to keep the overland rally confined to Mexico where the terrain is just as challenging and the political situation fractionally more stable than its southern neighbour. Twenty of the forty available spots on the rally have already been snapped up and Pelletier believes that the remaining slots - which cost $350 for a car or RV and $175 for a motorcycle - will likely be taken by the end of summer.

The addition of a scavenger hunt to the 2,500 mile overland journey will add a little extra frisson of excitement to an event that has no official route, no support, and few rules. “You pick up points on the way down. One example of a way to get points is to go visit a tequila factory (and) grab a bottle of tequila...If you bring the bottle full you get 50 points but if you bring it empty you get 10 points,” said Christian. Whoever arrives in Bacalar with the most points will be declared the winner.

How you get to Bacalar (by car, SUV, RV, or motorbike) how long you want to take, and where you choose to stay is up to each individual competitor says Christian. There will be dry camping base camps at both Guanajuato and Bacalar along with a suggested list of hotels. “In between we’re going to suggest some places but it will be up to the competitors to decide where they want to stay,” he said.

Although there is a departure party in Guanajuato on the 12th December there’s actually no official start date to the Maya Rally so competitors wishing to steal a march on the other teams can set of earlier if they wish. The route taken is also up to individual competitors though it’s likely that some elements of the scavenger hunt may require that you pass through destinations like Oaxaca.

Nine days of driving and camping during the Maya Rally will come to a close on the shores of Laguna Bacalar on the Yucatan Peninsula. Known by the Maya as the "place surrounded by reeds" the stunning turquoise waters of the lake will provide the perfect backdrop for the grand End of the World party to celebrate the successful completion of your overland expedition and - if the world doesn’t end on the 21st as predicted - participants can head down to Belize with Christian to celebrate Christmas.

Myth or maya?

From the Economic Times of India: Myth or maya?

A friend sent an anthology called Mystery of 2012, which she published in Mumbai under her imprint. One essay delves into the mysteries of the Mayan calendar. Another weighs the evidence for the predicted shift in the earth's magnetic field. Yet another examines the possibility of 'accelerated pace of evolution', ostensibly transforming us into a brash new species.

Now, if you believed in any of this, you'd have lots of company: for, according to a Reuters survey, 10% of the global population subscribed to the ancient Mayan prophecy about the world's end.

But why should we believe a prophecy attributed to a culture that could not predict its own end or that of the Aztecs at the swords wielded by Conquistador 'gods'? And if you believe the latest news-flash from National Geographic, a treasure trove of calendars and paintings recently unearthed from Guatemala is lending welcome support to the optimists. Anthropologists have found new images of the calculations left behind by Mayan soothsayers on the walls of a small chamber.

Here, a Mayan nerd seems to have left behind numbers and time stretches that reach 7,000 years into the future.

This debunks the apocalyptic mythmakers who insist that the Mayan calendar stops at 5,000 years and that we're supposedly coming up to the end of the very last stretch. The moral of the new discovery is that there's obviously a lot more to the Mayan calendars than the naysayers would have led us to believe.

Also, the cosmos is infinitely more robust and resilient. Don't expect it to be toppled by twaddle.