Cartoon dialog for our visually challenged friends:

Two ancient Mayans, with their bodacious headgear made of a gold crown with a big bird on it, are standing in front of one of the huge Mayan pyramids.  The steps leading down from the pyramid are numbers by years, ending with 2010, 2011 and finally, the last and bottom step 2012.

Mayan 1: Hmmm – so 5000 years X 365 days = 1460000 = 12/21/2102 = the end of the world.

Mayan 2: Your math’s all wrong – it’s 1825000 days = 12/21/3012.

Mayan 1: OOOPS – So I calculated a 1000 years too soon.

Mayan 2: No big deal.

Mayan 1: Yeah – who’s going to notice.

Mayan 2: Let’s do lunch.

Mayan 1: Good idea – I’ll get my bow and arrow.