End of the world

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Asset managers, stop to execute maintenance and to plan new investments. Enjoy as long as it is possible. The end is near. According to the Mayans the world will end today. We hope that we are just in time with this warning, so you can take a break from your work. If that is not possible, then that does not really matter.

The reason that the world will end is very simple. In preparing the calendar there were no days left after 21 December. Today is the last day and logically after the last day there will be no next. The only correct conclusion is that the world decays today. On Monument 6 at the Tortuguero archaeological site in southern Mexico the date of 21 December 2012 is explicitly stated. According to this inscription the god Bolon Yokte 'K'uh will descend on 21 December 2012[1]. And that predicts no good apparently.....

Because risk management is a part of asset management, we conducted a risk assessment some time ago to guard us against the impending doom. We quickly agreed on the effects of the risk. Although no organisation has a matrix in which the end of the world is captured, it seemed to us that this is a typical example of a catastrophic event. On the likelihood we had some more discussion. However, it is written that on December 21 the world will end and what is written is true. It is therefore certain that the world will end. But there is a very slight chance that the Maya who chiselled the date on Monument 6 was dyslexic and that 2102 was meant[2]. Then we need not to worry, because we will probably not make it till that date. Therefore we applied the precautionary principle. Suppose that we mitigate against the destruction and the world does not perish, then we are a little crazy but we will get over it. But suppose that the world will end and we did not take a preventive measure, then we have a problem. And so we went to the south of France, where a small Gallic village called Bugarach lies. Near the village is a mountain, the ´Pic de Bugarach´[3]. That mountain is in the French Pyrenees. According to ´New Agers´ it is the only safe place on earth and that is why we are now waiting on this mountain for things to come. We are told that supernatural forces have shaped the mountain. It seems that a door to a parallel universe can be found or that Bolon Yokte 'K'uh arrives in a spaceship which picks up people who are around the mountain.

If you still want to enter the mountain, you have bad luck. Due to our proactive risk analysis we were in time and we now see how the French police have been closing the roads to the mountain and sending back the New Agers and hippy-like types. To give you a view what we see here, just a short impression. The mountain is not very high, 1230 meters to be exact. In the distance, the Pyrenees are visible. At the top of the mountain it is rather bare. Frankly, nothing grows here above, it is damn cold and rainy and there is no restaurant or bar in sight. To say nothing about other entertainment. The door to the parallel universe has to be opened quickly, or at least the spaceship should arrive, because here is really nothing. Couldn´t Bolon Yokte 'K'uh indeed not choose a tropical beach somewhere to land? Or else for example on 21 June 2013, it would be better here. Maybe we're fooled by the precautionary principle. We now at least regret the unfortunate decision to sit on a heap somewhere far away in the cold, and if the world would end while we were enjoying then we would probably not even notice. Why sorry?

 Picture: Thierry Strub. 14 November 2007. See wikipedia site Pic de Bugarach 

While it is still possible, we look back on 2012. A memorable year in which the new Dutch government seemed to stumble before it was installed. A year in which, despite all predictions, Greece did not leave the Euro. A year in which the Dutch skate trip ‘Elfstedentocht’ (200 km in one day) was almost held. But also the year the Pope went to use Twitter. We never expected we would experience this. But it's all over. Today the world ends. About these things we do not have to worry anymore. Instead in our columns we can now discuss the lack of maintenance of the spaceship Bolon, or the poor location for the door to the parallel universe. But that you will not be possible to read.

In case the world does not perish today, we will attempt proceeding what we were doing. But whether that will work at the same pace we do not know. The internet freezes here and pigeons fly not so fast. And coming down the mountain will not be easy. It looks like the police is no longer trying to prevent people to go up the mountain, but she tries to keep us on the mountain. Suddenly there are also many people with injection needles and with straitjackets on. It looks like we're here for a while.

If the world continues turning after tomorrow (but who believes it), then we will be there for you again next year. But even then it is important to continue enjoying. In that case you can still read our columns. We realise that here on the mountain it is actually not all that bad. If the world is still there, then we can go down to shop for some food and drinks and we stay here longer to enjoy the tranquillity. The columns will be published only slightly less often, because we need the time to enjoy and the digital connection to the rest of the world is not so good. In that case we wish you a very good Christmas and a happy New Year!

Time is short, we're about to close. We wish you all the best, enjoy it while you can. And if the world after today continuous turning then we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

John de Croon and Ype Wijnia are partner at AssetResolutions BV, a company they co-founded. In turn, they give their vision on an aspect of asset management in a column. The columns are published on the website of AssetResolutions, http://www.assetresolutions.nl/en/column

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