As you read this editorial one year is rapidly coming to an end while a new one is just about to get under way.
As in any year, 2012 will have its share of highlights and lowlights, heroes and villains, break-ups and make-ups, of winners and losers, of good times and bad times and everything in between.
So, what are some of the major events we can look forward to in 2012?
The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives to highlight the contribution of cooperatives to socio-economic development round the world.
In making this announcement the United Nations noted that cooperatives impact poverty reduction, generate employment, and cause social integration.
While the provincial and national political scene will be fairly quiet in Canada next year, the American political picture will be very interesting as 2012 is an election year in the United States. President Obama could be reelected for another four-year term or some Republican candidate could take the presidential office. It’s going to be a very absorbing story come November 2012.
It won’t generate as much hype and buzz as the wedding of Will and Kate in 2011, but if you’re a fan of the British Royal Family, you might be looking forward to the New Year. Queen Elizabeth 11 celebrates the 60th anniversary of her ascension to the throne of the United Kingdom in February. Look forward to more of those crazy hats and maybe, just maybe, Pippa Middleton will be there dressed in her famous white dress.
One of the key events of 2012 will be the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the most historic ship of them all, the ‘Titanic’. The famous White Star Liner struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic on her maiden voyage from England to New York City and was lost to history and legend on April 14, 1912.
The sinking of the ‘Titanic’ was the worst peacetime maritime disaster of all time as over 1,500 people lost their lives on that fateful night all those years ago.
We’ll probably be hit with an avalanche of books, magazines, and TV shows about the famous liner that Johnny McEvoy sang about in his song ‘The Ballad of John Williams’. A line in the song goes: “They say that naught can sink her, not even God’s own hand.”
Man’s pride can be his own downfall, and the ‘Titanic’ will always be a reminder that nothing, absolutely nothing, ever made by humans is more powerful than nature.
Look for the Arab Spring to continue in 2012 in the Middle East and possibly in other parts of the world. There may be no stopping these Tsunamis of protest and change now as people around the world are connected via the Internet and social media systems.
‘Time’ magazine has named the protestor as the Person of the Year for 2011 with good reason and that coverage will bring more power and encouragement to the movements.
On a little lighter note, one of the top Rock and Roll bands of all time, the Rolling Stones, will celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2012. Expect some sort of world tour by the aging Rockers that might even include original band members Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor.
For all the kids at heart out there, 2012 will see new movies about two of the most famous comic-book characters of them all – Spider-Man and Batman. These movies probably won’t be Oscar contenders but so what? Who cares? They’ll be fun movies to go and see and to get lost in for two hours or so.
They don’t make many really good movies anymore, and these two characters will help rescue the box office in the New Year.
There are a number of major sporting events such as the Stanley Cup Play-Offs every year. All of the regular sporting events in hockey, baseball, football and basketball will be dwarfed in comparison in 2012 to the Summer Olympics, which will be held in London, England from July 27 to August 12. London will become the first city in history to host the games three times.
World will end again in 2012
Yes Sir, the world will end again in 2012 – December 21, 2012 to be exact. The calendar we use today is not really new of course and is based on those used by the ancient Mayans of Central and South America thousands of years ago. It’s really complicated, but apparently, an ancient Mayan calendar of 2012 points to the end of the world. People who believe this have picked December 21, 2012 as the day because that’s when the Mayan calendar ends.
Now, a lot of people call this prediction a bunch of nonsense given the fact that many past doomsday predictions and omens about the end of the world didn’t really pan out. Remember May 21 2011? That was the day Harold Camping said the world would end and we’re still around. Chances are we’ll be still around and doing fine on December 22, 2012 as well.
Anyway, don’t worry about it - enjoy your New Year’s celebrations and have a great 2012.
editor@thecoaster.ca
.jpg)
