New Year's Predictions

We’ll revisit this post in a year. Here are some things that I will be looking for in 2009:

1. The United States Federal deficit for calendar year 2009 will exceed $1.5 trillion.
2. A human being will be cloned.
3. There will be serious attempts at coups in two of the following: Morocco, Boliva, Colombia, Ethiopia, or Pakistan.
4. GDP for the United States will decline for at least three of the four quarters in CY 2009.
5. California will endure a shutdown of all non-essential state government functions, and then increase state taxes.
6. Neither the United States nor Israel will participate in an overt military attack against Iran.
7. Britney Spears will "find Jesus" and make a spectacle of displaying her newfound piety.*
8. At least once in 2009, it will take two U.S. dollars to buy one Euro.
9. Watchmen will gross over $1 billion, including its timed-for-Christmas DVD release. However, a movie called Public Enemies will get tons of hype but lose money in theatrical release, as its cast of hot young stars fails to excite audiences about crime in the 1930’s.
10. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown will survive a no-confidence vote.
11. The Detroit Lions will use their #1 overall draft pick to select Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford rather than the strong, fast DLB that they really need.
12. General Motors will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
13. The United States will abandon plans to re-invigorate its space program with supra-orbital manned missions.
14. Over vitriolic but ineffectual Republican opposition, Congress will pass a “carbon tax.”
15. Barack Obama will name at least one Justice to the Supreme Court of the United States.
16. The average U.S. price for a gallon of 87-octane unleaded gasoline in CY 2009 will be under $2.50 a gallon.

Your predictions are welcome also. Best batting average over 50% gets bragging rights for 2010.

* Yes, I remember that I predicted that this would happen in 2008 and it hasn't. But mark my words, it's going to happen and it'll happen soon.