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Will this be
2012…¿
WELL, what has 2012 got in
line for us all? We have looked at a more national come
international aspect than local, as locally it will be the same as
nationally! So where do we start…? We have all heard the doom and
gloom before; "A black hole could swallow up the Earth,
leaving a gaping void." also "Aliens could invade,
wiping out human civilization." even that "The
planet’s magnetic poles could reverse." so it should come as
no shock, it is 2000 all over again, but this time without the
Millennium Bug! Last year a California preacher, Harold Camping,
prophesised that Judgment Day would actually come on 21 October
2011, with the globe being "consumed by a fireball". The odd thing
was about his doomsday prediction was that he had first said that
the world end 5 months before that, originally stating it was going
to be 21 May 2011. Alright, the whole idea proved mad in 2011, but
this year could be the year! Others have for a long time suggested
that 21 December 2012 will be the end of the world as we know it or
there will be a catastrophe. Yep, the end of the world is nigh, if
Mayan Calendar prophecy scholars and Hollywood’s film 2012 are to be
believed. Also the Lynx deodorant advert that says
"Last Edition". The plot gets deeper. According to the
Bulletin of Atomic Scientists (BAS)
on 11 January 2012, potentially cataclysmic events may already have
begun! Yep the scholars might be correct after all, as the
world's 'Doomsday Clock' has been moved 60 seconds
closer to midnight, to 11.55pm. This Doomsday Clock was created in
1947 by BAS as a symbolic measure of how much the Earth is in peril.
Thankfully, it doesn't really mean that 5 minutes from now we can
expect Armageddon to begin, although this would accord with Harold
Camping’s ideas quite closely. This move forward, after a steady
move back, comes as the BAS records that the threat to our planet,
from the likes of nuclear weapons and climate issues, has worsened.
So will 2012 l bring the end of the world or at least the end of the
world as we know it? Only time will tell.
Whatever the Mayan calendar doomsayers may foresee, what do we think
the economic outlook for the UK will be? In 2011 the gloomy economic
data appeared almost daily and the prospects for the economy remain
as poor for 2012. After one of the most volatile years for the
global markets, 2012 will see many traders nervous and many are
saying it is now too hard to predict the economic outlook for the
UK. Sadly, the prediction of a return to recession may yet come true
if our state debts are unaffordable, or cuts to the public sector
are too deep. So this year a battle by Unions and the threat of
strikes are on the cards, no matter what! On the upside, London 2012
will put the country in to the world's spotlight, so let’s hope we
do not burn up... But with major events occurring round the UK
as the countdown to the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games
continues, there should be, if the optimistic economists are
correct, a big growth in sales and tourism. Combine this with the
Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee and Shakespeare and Dickens
anniversaries, and 2012 might be a better year for the UK than we
think. Even a few days into 2012, Chief Executive Officer Bolland of
Marks & Spencer, said that he is "very positive" on
the outlook for the summer. He added:- "We’re very much part
of events, so we look forward to summer." But he did go on
to say that it’s going to be a difficult year for customers, as was
2011. But unlike 2010 and 2011, many are pointing out that people
are now more realistic and better prepared for problems.
Back in 2011 Citizens Advice warned people to be aware of payday
loans after they became increasingly concerned at the way were being
advertised. But Wonga has pushed it that one step to far and started
targeting students! So watch out for moves by the Government to
establishing a rate cap to limit the damage these loans can do on
financially vulnerable sections of society in 2012!
Weather, believe it or not, it is not always predictable, so what
has 2012 got in store? Many have stopped doing long term forecasts,
but a few still do. MetCheck has an interesting
page that has a
probabilities section in which they say:- "There are higher
probabilities of certain weather types across the UK at certain
periods of the year." Our advice is- get a Pinecone or some
Seaweed! Yet with talk of Global Warming and the Doomsday Clock's
move, it does make you tune in to the few who are saying that this
year is set to be a very wet one, with only a low chance of very low
temperatures affecting us, as they did in 2011. So might that be why
we now hear of talks of a new energy price war starting; or is that
just a reaction to the year of complaints about gas prices? It
might come as no shock that in the long term prediction stakes for
Britain's weather, Tesco's Transport sections forecasts have been
the closest so far!
The media in 2012 will see many changes, with many more newspapers
going online only like us.
...continued... |
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...continued... Also more
changes are likely as a consequence of the Leveson Inquiry into
media ethics and "the chilling power of the tabloids"
might be weakened for ever. One thing is for certain, the cuts
to the BBC will be one of the most important media stories.
On the entertainment side,
thankfully if you are Formula 1 Fans, the BBC will continue to show
half of 2012 races live free, but the remaining races will just have
highlights on it. Many have questioned why Sky's has launched a new
channel for its Formula 1 coverage; some faithful fans perceive it
to be too costly. Many fans might move to other sports or just
watching the highlights of races on the BBC and the free live races.
One thing is on the cards for sport, we will see massive amounts of
Olympic Games and Paralympic Games news. In football, we think that
Liverpool is going to make a few very surprising moves in mid 2012
and Everton will be getting stronger! Euro 2012 is also going
to be good for the UK, with sales of beer, televisions to rise.
Sorry, but with just 16 teams in this tournament, without a weak
link in sight, England won't win Euro 2012.
For the film industry, 2012 will witness the
return of many old film titles. Yep Hollywood is on a roll, with
many sequels to past hit films. One of the many sequels to hit our
screens will be a predicted smash-hit, the latest instalment of
Ghost Rider called Spirit of Vengeance. It will be released in
February 2012 and is hoped to be one of this year’s high riding
films. Sorry, no pun intended, honestly. That brings us on to
Marvel's the Avengers. No, not the BBC version but a blending of
Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and other heroes coming together to
form Marvel's first super group, The Avengers! That will fly on to
the big screen around May 2012. The Amazing Spider-Man, in July,-
The Dark Knight Rises in July, G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation also in
July... Then we have Men in Black III, again another follow on. For
kids in June, Madagascar 3 - Europe's Most Wanted and Ice Age:
Continental Drift in July... Total Recall in August, ok that is a
remake, but still... So we can say 2012 will be the year of the
sequels with the Big Screen. But it is not all sequels that are
billed , as a few surprises are in store like Battleship, due out in
May and fans of the book Shiver, The Wolves of Mercy Falls, by
Maggie
Stievater, will be pleased to note
that it is due to be released at the end of the year. For us
in Liverpool area, the film due out in May called Dark Shadows might
be well worth watching, as it is set around the year 1752, as Joshua
and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool,
England to start a new life in America. James Bond's Skyfall is also
out in October or November 2012, so what a way to celebrate the 50th
anniversary of the first Bond big screen adaptation. So Bond Fans
can expect to be standing in line for hours upon to get tickets to
see it on the week of release, this year; that is if the hype is to
be believed... Plus keep an eye out, in April, the makers of Star
Wreck are to release the long awaited science-fiction comedy film
Iron Sky. It will course quite a fuss... But fans of Ghostbusters
might be surprised as well....
With budgets being strained, both sexes will be mixing and matching
old with a bit of new, many clothing outlets are predicting. The
"Fashionable Scruffy Look", (once known as ShabbyChic?)
is set to take to the streets for Summer 2012! Plus... bootylicious
fans take note... Some of whom who may want a bum like Kim
Kardashian, the reality TV star, who last year was reported to have
had the scan to show critics that she has not had silicone implants
in her cheeks "for a dare." 2011 had seen many asking about 'butt
enhancement'. There may be no need for such drastic action however
for fashion industry gurus are predicting the return of the Bustle
on casual skirts for 2012. Also Flares will be heading back in for
men! Well as some females were saying in 2011; they need a
rocket...!
In Japan, a lack of appetite for relationships is threatening to see
its birth rate plummet in the next few years and over 2012
researchers are predicting that stress and lack of available cash
for young people could see the same happen here!
President Obama will be seeking a 2nd term in office in 2012. So who
will be the Republican challenger? That has yet been decided, but
could have a massive impact on the world as we know it... In the UK
we also have a political fighters going head to head… A fantastic
political war to look forward to... The two most unconventional
political mavericks you could ever imagine are now due to clash,
like Titans, in the London Mayoral Election... This will be a
genuinely fascinating contest that could go any direction! Be warned
as these words will be cropping up "Liverpool still wants a
Mayor like London." Yep, we predict this will be repeatedly
told in 2012!
Thanks to all of you who have suggested things to keep an eye on…
The only thing that is 100% predictable is we will all be in for a
very strange year! |
