May 5, 2000: Will You Survive the Cosmic Y2K Glitch? - Brief Article - book review

Hang on to all the canned goods you stockpiled for Y2K. The year 2000 is not done yet. And if you believe Richard W. Noone's scenario of the coming global apocalypse, don't make plans for Memorial Day.

Noone believes that on May 5, 2000 (give or rake a few days), the Earth's axis will suddenly lurch out of position. This cosmic realignment will create apocalyptic stresses here on Earth. Noone believes that we can expect anything from "a few earthquakes" to the collective revolt of every natural phenomenon. Tectonic plates will shift creating megaquakes. Polar ice will melt, raising sea levels by hundreds of feet. Supersonic winds will blast cities to rubble, and massive walls of ice jarred from their polar repositories will careen over the planet scything down everything in their path.

Noone's book, 5/5/2000 Ice: The Ultimate Disaster first came out in the early 80s (the latest edition came out in 1997). The book offers a smorgasbord of possible causes for an a la carte menu of disasters. Some of his theories are outdated, but he has all possible pseudoscientific bases covered. One possibility is that Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the Sun and Moon will line up on one side of Earth on May 5, destabilizing our little blue marble.

Another is that as Earth cools (this idea was formulated before the measurements of global warming), an ice buildup at the poles will unbalance the planetary center of gravity. Noone arrays a free association of claims to back up his hypotheses: the mathematical and astronomical symmetries of the Egyptian pyramids, Masonic lore, the Shroud of Turin, the Aztecs, Atlantis, and the lost continent of Mu all figure in his body of evidence. According to Noone, the date May 5, 2000, was known to the sages of Egypt thousands of years ago and incorporated right into the dimensions of the pyramids.

If esoteric lore doesn't convince you, maybe the evening weather reports will. On his Web site, www.rnoone.com, Noone writes: "Some of the signs we can all see is the increase in strange and severe weather. We also note that we are having more hurricanes, storms and abnormal weather along with increases in earthquake activity. The Pacific Northwest is experiencing weather that no one in the area can ever remember happening there. More frequent and deadlier hurricanes run up the east coast. Cleveland, Ohio, got buried with snow, the most on record and it goes on and on throughout the world. Can you afford to wait to prepare?"

If you're convinced that nature is signaling impending doom, Noone's site has copious links to www.survivalcenrer.com, where you can purchase survival guides, water filters, and other supplies to get you through the coming catastrophe.

Besides, if the mother of all disasters never happens, at least you'll have the supplies on hand for the mother of all Memorial Day barbecues.

Kevin Christopher is Public Relations Director for CSICOP.

COPYRIGHT 2000 Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal
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