SPORTS
MLB Baseball: Okay I’m getting really tired of saying “wait until next year” so this is absolutely the year that the Cubs make it to the World Series and beat the Boston Red Sox in 7 games. Geoff and the rest of the Red Sox fans will paper my wall with signed $1 bills. How can they miss with a new right fielder named Kosuke Fukudome? Lou Piniella will have a powerful line-up with Fukudome, Soriano, Lee and Ramirez. – Wrong again, just wait until next year!
NBA Basketball: The Boston Celtics will have the best record of any Celtics team ever, will have the best record in the NBA and will go all the way to hang the 17th NBA title banner in the Garden by beating the Spurs in 6. Kevin Garnett will be MVP. – The Boston Celtics hung #17 and are the world champs well on their way to #18
NFL Football: Some Pats fans are okay but some of the Pats fans are incredibly obnoxious. The Pats look like one of the best football teams ever and will post the undefeated record and the SuperBowl win. Next fall, look for the Pats to have their first loss within the first two games of the season. – Wrong – they lost the third game but won the first two
Olympics – the summer Olympics in China will be simply spectacular and the USA will dominate the gold medals. – The USA did great at a great Olympics
WEATHER
After the great start to the snow season, Vermont will have one of the snowiest winters in years with three “dumps” of over two feet before spring. Temperatures will remain mild with little below 0° F. Spring will be here early again and I’ll be riding my motorcycle in Vermont by the end of March. More storms and freak weather will be seen in most parts of the country as Mother Nature tries to shake off her hot flashes. – All True
POLITICS
Not much will happen in Congress during this election year with a lame duck President. The deficit will soar due to declining economic growth and the continued demands of the wars and the escalating cost of health care.
Barack Obama will win the democratic nomination by May and John McCain will win the republican nod. Obama will be elected in a close election with at least two third party candidates drawing votes from both sides.
Vermont Governor Jim Douglas will be only the second incumbent governor in the state’s history to be voted out of office.
Democrats will control both houses of congress but not by a veto-proof margin.
I did pretty good here — all right except the close election and Governor Douglas was re-elected by a strong margin versus two liberal candidates
WORLD
In a tragic repeat of last year, Iraq will continue to drain resources and kill young soldiers and innocent civilians, and the Iraqi people will continue to suffer. (This is unfortunately, the identical prediction from the last two years!) What a tragic waste of resources! – OMG – yes, sad but true.
In the face of new scientific evidence that climate change is much worse and getting worse faster, more countries will join the fight against climate change. Climate change will begin to influence everyone’s life. – I calling this one as right.
Pakistan will be the scene of the next major conflict driven by religious extremism. – Close, unfortunately.
Israel and the Palestinians will finally sign a peace deal and there will be a two-state solution. – Not yet, unfortunately. Can we peacefully end this conflict, please?
ECONOMY
Gasoline prices will exceed $5/gallon by the end of the summer – High and then low
More high efficiency cars will make it to market – Not very many, just wait a couple years
Renewable energy and conservation/efficiency companies will create thousands of jobs and create a new sector of economic growth – Yes, wind turbines, energy conservation and other renewables are creating non-exportable jobs NOW and will be even more next year
The will be a sharp correction in the stock market with the Dow losing 20%. – And then some…
APPLE
Apple stock will be split 4 to 1 and will reach $100 a share ($400 adjusted) – nope AAPL lost over 50% of its value
Apple will post its best operating results ever for 2008 and 2009 – YES
Apple’s Macintosh market share will continue to grow and will exceed 12% – YES
Apple will expand its hand-held computing/cell phone platform with new offerings – not yet, soon to come perhaps
The iPhone will see two new models – Yes if you count black and white 3G models
An Apple subcompact featuring flash memory drives will be introduced – MacBook Air!
AppleTV will be enhanced – Yes, if you count AppleTV Take 2
Apple will make one surprising major acquisition – Nope
SMALL DOG ELECTRONICS
Small Dog Electronics will post record sales for the 3rd year in a row – Yes
Small Dog will unveil a new web site with new looks and functionality – Yes
Small Dog will open two additional retail stores – Not yet
Small Dog Electronics will have 65 employees by the end of the year – up to 40
Small Dog Electronics will recycle over 75 tons of eWaste – Blasted through that one with 155 Tons at one event – we are now the only electronics retailer that can claim to have recycled more electronics than we have sold!
PERSONAL
I will go on a motorcycle trip of over 3000 miles – Yup – Sturgis, SD and back
I will not wear a tie all year – Another year under my belt
I will have two new computers – Two MacBook Airs and a MacBook Pro
35 predictions, 21 right, 13 wrong, batting .600 for 2008. See next week’s Kibbles for my prognostications on 2009.