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* (provided year exists)

A disclaimer on calendars stating that future years are not guaranteed
  (+26, -3)(+26, -3)(+26, -3)
(+26, -3)
  [vote for,
against]

Planners, gift calendars, wallet calendars, etc. always have the current year and the next year (and sometimes the year after that) printed on the calendar. How can they be so sure that these future years, months, and days they promise to us will actually exist?

Maybe by then we'll have been taken over by a different culture that imposes their own calendar system. Maybe we'll elect to change the calendar system ourselves before then - It's happened already twice or so in the last few thousand years. Maybe the world itself will cease to exist.

It's nice that we can calculate so confidently that July 13, 2010 will fall on a Wednesday, but I still think the future years should at least be marked with an asterisk and a small warning that, you know, we shouldn't take time for granted. Thank you.

phundug, Jun 18 2008

Exit Mundi http://www.exitmundi.nl/exitmundi.htm
A million ways to die suddenly. [Klaatu, Jun 18 2008]

Dark Star http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069945/
Awesome [8th of 7, Jun 23 2008]

Teach the bomb phenomenology http://www.youtube....watch?v=qjGRySVyTDk
With added argument from yours truly [nineteenthly, Jun 23 2008]

NOT Bomb Number 20 http://news.bbc.co..../7468966.stm?hadron
{Probably} [Dub, Jun 24 2008]

[link]






       Seeing that we could go at any time <link>, wouldn't all days and months also garner an asterisk?
Klaatu, Jun 18 2008
  

       I hope my bun has registered, my annos don't seem to...
4whom, Jun 18 2008
  

       You're correct [4whom], we can't see that anno at all.
Klaatu, Jun 18 2008
  

       Seriously, suppose one country does want to change their calendar system. Is there any current law or agreement that the rest of the world must be given a certain amount of warning before we do it?
phundug, Jun 18 2008
  

       If we could only talk the Myans into it...   

       It would need to be a peel-off asterisk so that it can be removed when the future happens. Or you could just cover yourself against the possibility of litigation by printing a smallprint disclaimer on every calendar: "Warning: Future events may not happen".
hippo, Jun 19 2008
  

       + awesome idea*
xandram, Jun 19 2008
  

       I would think that they could just use what the year would be in the Julian calender.
apocalyps956, Jun 19 2008
  

       The idea was posted one day ago. So far, so good!
Amos Kito, Jun 19 2008
  

       [+] for the annos that have made this a great idea.
Klaatu, Jun 19 2008
  

       That is a good point, and a good idea. I'd do it to my own calendar, but I haven't the room. Hence, it would be good if the calendar had it done for me.
TahuNuva, Jun 21 2008
  

       [+] How about a -* for (supposed) years gone by? 1774? (pfffffffft)I have no proof that the year 1774 ever existed.
r_kreher, Jun 22 2008
  

       Useful for New Age people using Mayan diaries.
nineteenthly, Jun 22 2008
  

       Just a daily reminder of the overwhelming futility of life and all that you do.*   

       *This comment may, or may not appear. It may or may not be found humorous, thought-provoking or grim. Perhaps your browser will render it appropriately, perhaps not. And maybe, just maybe, it could even be administratively deleted altogether.
Noexit, Jun 23 2008
  

       Admirably stoical, [Noexit].   

       Then again, unless it can be demonstrated that some kind of cosmic apocalypse is imminent, the actual time to which the date occurs will still happen. It's just that no-one will be there to witness it, or the orbit and the rotation of this planet won't be relevant. We refer to dates before the adoption of the Gregorian calendar using that calendar.   

       The answer is maybe to come up with a different calendar based on the time since, say, the explosion of the Crab Nebula, dividing it into multiples of the Planck time, a la my ultimate units plan.
nineteenthly, Jun 23 2008
  

       *****yay*****I love this*****laughed, I did*****
blissmiss, Jun 23 2008
  

       // some kind of cosmic apocalypse is imminent //   

       <Captain Powell>   

       "Teach the bomb ... phenomenology ...."   

       </Captain Powell>   

       <link>
8th of 7, Jun 23 2008
  

       <gentle aside> My wife, long suffering as she already is, also has an auto-immune desease. After our last appointment, the rhuematologist's suggestion was a consult in six months time. Imagine his surprise when I asked him for a discount, in case said appointment could not occur (due to the end of the world,etc). </ga>   

       Just think of the consequences for the LHC. The mind boggles.
4whom, Jun 23 2008
  

       "Past performance is no guarantee of future existence ...."
8th of 7, Jun 23 2008
  

       Order diary-updates by the day/week.   

       <Bomb refnumber=20> Let there be light </Bomb>
Dub, Jun 24 2008
  

       <light refnumber=1>Here I am!</light>
luxlucet, Jun 24 2008
  
      
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