*SPORTS*
* MLB Baseball: YES, this is the year. Ron Santo, the most famous Cub’s third baseman, who passed away in 2010 would say that every year–well, actually he would shout it! So, once again, I predict that the Chicago Cubs will win the world series.
Wrong again 🙁 – The Cubs finished in the cellar but they have new management now.
* NBA Basketball: Celtics in seven in 2011
Wrong–congratulations Dallas.
* NHL Hockey: yawn…
yawn…
* NFL Football: Bears vs. Patriots in the Super Bowl. Bears win 30-21.
Argh–wrong.
Sports: 0 for 4
*WEATHER*
* Another mild winter in Vermont. February will be the snowiest month. Early spring once again with early April motorcycling. Summer in Vermont will be perfect once again.
Spot on!
Weather: 1 for 1
*POLITICS*
* There will be 11 Republicans with their hats in the ring for the Presidential nomination by year’s end.
I count 8 or 9.
* Gridlock will be the name of the game in Washington with fewer pieces of legislation passing than in 2010.
In SPADES.
* Barack Obama’s approval rating will improve by 10 points to be over 55% by the end of the year.
Nope–the payroll tax debacle is having a positive impact but the approval rating is below 50%.
* Vermont will pass the first in the nation Single Payer health care reform bill.
YES!
* US will be out of Iraq and begin to withdraw from Afghanistan.
Yes! Not nearly fast enough.
Politics: 3 for 4
*ECONOMY*
* Republicans will force a government shutdown which will cause a 500 point drop in the Dow.
To the brink but no shutdown.
* The overall economy will improve with unemployment dipping below 9%.
Yes, this has happened.
* Premium gasoline will reach $5/gallon at one point during the year.
Nope.
Economy: 1 for 3
*APPLE*
* Apple stock will hit $400/share and a 5 to 1 stock split will occur.
Yes on the $400, but no on the stock split.
* Apple will introduce a subscription-based media service streaming content from their gigantic server farm in N. Carolina.
Not yet.
* Apple will re-enter the server market by acquisition.
Nope–no sign of this.
* Apple will spend more than $25 Billion of their $63 Billion cash reserve on acquisitions.
Nope–they are more cautious.
* Apple will sell more than 17 million iPads.
Yes.
* Apple’s Mac App store will do $1 Billion in sales in the first year.
Yes.
Apple: 2.5 for 6
*SMALL DOG ELECTRONICS*
* Small Dog Electronics will open its 4th store.
Not yet.
* Small Dog will have over 67 employees.
Yes.
* Small Dog will be featured in at least one national publication.
No.
Small Dog Electronics: 1 for 3
*MISC.*
* There will be scientifically confirmed evidence of extra-terrestrial life.
No.
* The mysterious bird and fish deaths of early 2011 will have an explanation that does not involve fireworks or natural phenomena.
No.
Misc: 0 for 2
Not a stellar record on predictions this year–I’ll try to do better next time!
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