The Mayan calender does NOT end in 2012. It just simply rolls over. Sure, the long count comes to an end, and the Mayans believed many bad things might happen,(to Mayans) BUT on December 22, 2012 a new long count begins. It's very similar to what happened in 2000 in the Gegorian calander (in more ways then one) It just rolls over, like your car odometer does at 100,000 miles, like your watch does twice a day at 12:00.
However, we humans have an obession with 'magic' numbers and 2012 is shaping up to be the next big end of the world (non) event. *sigh*
And the bad news is we have 5 long years to listen to hucksters selling us on books, videos, misleading documentaries.
Doomsday sells.