2012 events put doom (in sports and politics) on the calendar

Odd years tend to be odd, but 2011 was beyond strange. Protests, quakes, tsunamis, assassinations, wars beginning, wars ending, and Eurozones cracking.

2011 was like a day where you had nothing planned and craziness decided to fill your calendar for you. 2012 has got a little more structure to it, but that only makes it nuttier. Add all the Mayan calendar kerfuffle and it might be partly cloudy with a chance of doom all year.

Just like armies of old that used to have to wait for the spring offensive to get back on the battlefield, things don’t get going until May. I’ve got a preliminary list of the biggies here that I’d like to expand on with your help. Feel free to add omissions and predictions to the comments.

MAY
NATO summit – Chicago, May 15 – 22
G8 meeting – Chicago, May 19 – 20
The overlap between these two makes it like one big piece of cheese for occupiers of all stripes (not that any form of hierarchy is acceptable). Just remember that Chicago doesn’t handle dissent well.

JUNE
UEFA Euro 2012 Soccer Tournament – Friday, June 8 – Sunday, July 10 in Poland and Ukraine
This will be more fun than ever – a Greece vs. Germany final, please. @jimmywiky thinks that Greece might just drop the Euro currency altogether. Playing that big chip before the big tourney? Too much to ask for from a storyline standpoint. (Not so good from a global economic recovery standpoint though).

JULY
Volvo Ocean Race ends – Sunday, July 1 in Galway
Thanks for the heads up on this from @petertweeeter who treats this stuff like NASCAR.

Games of the XXX Olympiad (2012 Olympics) – London, July 27 – Aug. 12
English hand wringers will compete with London quibblers for the gold.

AUGUST
Republican National Convention – week of Aug. 27 in Tampa, Fla.
How could we make it hotter than this event in this week in this town? Everyone wears a trashbag?

SEPTEMBER
Democratic National Convention – week of Sept. 3 in Charlotte, N.C.
Boy howdy, it’s gonna get twangy down in North Cackalacky – them Dems love reminding Southerners where their political persuasions used to lie.

NOVEMBER
U.S. General Election – Tuesday, Nov. 6
The day the Internet will explode.

DECEMBER
Mesoamerican Long Count calendar ends – Thursday, Dec. 20
Start of the 14th b’ak’tun, 13.0.0.0.0 – Friday, Dec. 21
I’m going to wait to buy my Christmas presents this year.