While many rationale and thinking people dismiss the Dec 21, 2012 end-of-the-world doomsday prediction as a hoax, the speculations had caused a global buzz with different groups contributing their two-cents' worth of advice.

In an tongue-in-cheek advice that brings to mind the Y2K scare preparation made by some groups, News.com.au listed 13 things needed in the event that the Mayan prediction would come to pass or fail to happen.

Here are the 13 essential items and things to do:

1. Waterproof matches - to use when tsunami floods the world

2. Garlic - to be less appealing to hungry Mayan gods

3. Batteries - obviously to power flashlight and other battery-operated devices

4. Stopwatch - to begin 12,000-year countdown again

5. Corn chips - a modern update to ancient Mayan maize offering to appease gods, in the hope they would accept the fastfood alternative

6. Duct tape - to fix a lot of things

7. Hangover pills - to fix the hangover resulting from disappointment that the world did not end as expected

8. Compass with erasable direction markers - to address the swapping of poles

9. Sunglasses, sensible shirt, hat - to provide protection from very bright sun storms

10. Broadcast Lolcat videos - for needed sense of humour such as the following cat bloopers viewed by more than 6 million people.

11. Like the Mayan gods on Facebook - in the hope that the gods will forget the reason they are back

12. Move to open, flat and distant part of the Outback to escape possible catastrophe from crashing skyscrapers, overpasses and falling mobile phone towers during an earth-shattering tremor

13. Build an ark - similar to what Biblical character Noah did, but possibly made out of empty softdrinks bottles instead of wood to survive tsunamis.

Lu Zhenghai, a Chinese man, apparently took item no. 13 to heart and spent his $160,000 lifetime savings to build an ark-like vessel in preparation for 12-21-12. Mr Lu, who has a science degree, used wood and steel to build the 80-tonne vessel which he started to construct in 2010 but is still incomplete.

The panic reaction of some people brings to mind the Y2K scare in 1999 when some groups, fearful of losing modern-day comforts, hoarded even non-essentials such as boxfuls of earbuds and hand sanitizers.

Astronomers and scientists both dismissed the Mayan doomsday scenario as a misunderstanding.

Astronomy professor Andrew Fraknoi pointed out that the Mayan calendar and the ordinary calendar is virtually the same. He said it effect of the Doomsday date will be similar to when New Year's eve happens and what people just need to do is buy a new calendar for the new year.

NASA published an FAQ regarding the doomsday, but the assurance was not enough to assure a number of Americans, Chinese and Russians to panic buy candles and other basic goods.

Because of the panic buying, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev went on record that he does not believe in the end-of-the world prediction of the Mayan calendar.

However, the opposite response was made by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard as seen in this YouTube posting.

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