The village idiot of Las Vegas chats with his friend Mad Max about the end of the world.

"The other night I dreamt of knives, continental drift divide. Mountains sitting in a line, Leonard Bernstein. Leonid Brezhnev, Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs. Birthday party, cheesecake, jelly bean, boom! You symbiotic, patriotic, slam bug net, right? Right."

R.E.M. - It's The End Of The World (As We Know It)

Today's version of the phrase - Mad Max - is best used as a connotation to describe chaos, disorder and anarchy. Example: "The other day I was in Chinatown eating lunch with a Chinese friend of mine. He told me China was sick and tired of being pushed around by the Japanese, and that one of these days he wouldn't be surprised one bit if China went Mad Max on Japan."

The following is an excerpt of a recent conversation I had with a friend of mine, I have affectionately nicknamed him Mad Max. He is an anarchist in every sense of the word:

"Mad Max, shut the fuck up. The end of the world is not coming. It's called change! Now, no one claims that change is always for the better, but I can promise you one thing is for certain. Change is the one constant in life. It's always going to happen!." I had just finished listening to a five minute diatribe in which he criticized everything from Ma Bell to the Federal Reserve. According to Mad Max, they're all out to fuck him. "Now you listen boy, and you listen good!" Unfortunately for me, his diatribe was only half way done. "The government is not your friend. The clowns we have in office right now are destroying the country. Now, it seems like every time I tell you to get ready for the end, you start laughing. You wait motherfucker! When the levy finally breaks, and it will break. I'll be ready!"

I have to admit a truth to everyone. I do find Mad Max and his ranting a bit far-fetched, thus making it humorous to me. But somehow, I was hoping his rhetoric would soften a bit. I told him such and his response was, well for the lack of a better phrase, classical Mad Max. "Listen motherfucker, you need to get this through that thick skull of yours. Now is the time to stockpile all the necessities. A complete collapse of the country is close. Whatever you're doing, forget about it and 'run to the hills." Mad Max and I go a long ways back. So it isn't that I don't respect his views, it's just that he's gotten too far out for me - I look at it this way - If what he's spewing really comes to fruition. Well, I'll find the nearest bridge and jump off of it. But until 'the end of the world' actually hits. I ain't gonna worry about it. I shared my sentiment with him and he told me this, "You're acting like a lamb just waiting for slaughter, but it's your choice. Just remember, when the shit house catches fire, I warned you!"