By Nick Allen, Los Angeles, Malcolm Moore in Beijing and Tom Parfitt in Moscow
6:42PM GMT 07 Dec 2012
Ahead of December 21, which marks the conclusion of the 5,125-year “Long Count” Mayan calendar, panic buying of candles and essentials has been reported in China and Russia, along with an explosion in sales of survival shelters in America. In France believers were preparing to converge on a mountain where they believe aliens will rescue them.
The precise manner of Armageddon remains vague, ranging from a catastrophic celestial collision between Earth and the mythical planet Nibiru, also known as Planet X, a disastrous crash with a comet, or the annihilation of civilisation by a giant solar storm.
In America Ron Hubbard, a manufacturer of hi-tech underground survival shelters, has seen his business explode.
“We’ve gone from one a month to one a day,” he said. “I don’t have an opinion on the Mayan calendar but, when astrophysicists come to me, buy my shelters and tell me to be prepared for solar flares, radiation, EMPs (electromagnetic pulses) … I’m going underground on the 19th and coming out on the 23rd. It’s just in case anybody’s right.”
In the French Pyrenees the mayor of Bugarach, population 179, has attempted to prevent pandemonium by banning UFO watchers and light aircraft from the flat topped mount Pic de Bugarach. According to New Age lore it is an “alien garage” where extraterrestrials are waiting to abandon Earth, taking a lucky few humans with them.
Good Morning Gloucester 
Hi Paul
Have a great trip and if you happen to meet any aliens give them a “Mork and Mindy” Nanu Nanu for me.
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You know I will Glenn. I’ll see if we can stop by and pick up you and your family on the way out.
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Is it to much to ask to be dropped off on Mount Orohena on the way?
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It won’t be there glenn. but if it is we will.
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Send a postcard!
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Sorry EJ. i’M SURE IT WON’T GET TO YOU BY THE END.
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Are you flying one way or round trip ??????
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One way of course!
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