What will the New Year bring?

I won't make a list of predictions for the New Year. Everyone else is doing that already. Predictions are usually either things that are a virtual certainty to happen or so outlandish there is no chance it will occur. Instead I'll just list a few things I expect to happen next year. Some will happen some will not. In no particular order, here are some 2005 events:

• Bored with retirement, I get off my backside and get a new job.

• The violence in Iraq will wane after the elections. The election will not be perfect but will take place. Six months later most folks will forget the few regions that don't participate. How many Americans could name which three states didn't vote in the 1868 presidential election? BTW, that was over 3 years after the Civil War ended.

• The Indians win the Central Division

• The Browns rebound and win 10 games

• The Cavaliers led by Lebron James will make the playoffs.

• The Vast Right Wing Conspiracy (member since 1972) will celebrate President Bush's inauguration.

• Al Gore, Dan Rather, Bill Moyers, Maureen Dowd, Helen Thomas and other delusional leftists will continue to pretend Bush was not elected.

• In preparation for 2008, Hillary Clinton attempts to move slightly to the right. She fools no one.
  

• Kofi Annan is ousted from the scandal ridden U.N. Nothing changes.
  

• There will be a second technology boom on Wall Street. The NASDAQ rises over 25% in a year marked by mergers and consolidations.

• There will be at least one vacancy on the Supreme Court. The fight over the nomination of a replacement will be surprisingly mild. It will be called the "Daschle Effect."

• DOW will reach 12,000 in October.

• We'll probably re-do the kitchen cabinets. We'll talk about doing the basement but won't (yet). She probably has many projects for me that I'm unaware of yet.
  

All in all I think it will be a very good year. But take that for what it's worth as I'd rather be an optimist and wrong than a pessimist and right. Here's wishing all of you a great New Year!

2005 Dead Pool open for 2 more days

The DeadPool is by its very nature a morbid contest. You have to pick famous (or almost famous) people who will pass on between 1 January and 31 December 2005. I entered it with mixed feelings and will admit I listed a couple I hope I'm wrong about.