What Are Your Predictions for the New Year?

Here’s a simple idea that’s fun to do whether you plan to ring in the New Year at a wild party or at a small gathering at home:

Ask people you know what they predict for the upcoming year.

Make sure you write their ideas down, especially if you plan to enjoy a cocktail or two. Now all you need to do is tuck the list somewhere safe, and remember to bring it out the following year.

My Friends’ Predictions from Last Year
Last year, I posted some predictions for 2010 that people at my New Year’s party made. Here they are:

• Iran will have a civil war. – LL
• More bad stuff in Israel and Palestine – JS
• Chevy Volt will be a big success – Tex
• After ending her talk show, Oprah will colonize a planet. – Me
• It will be called ‘Planet O.’ – AH
• Sarah Palin will have her own talk show. – Tex

Looks like Tex was the big winner this year at my house, since the Chevy Volt was named Car of the Year by Motor Trend (much to Rush Limbaugh’s chagrin as I mentioned in this post) and Sarah Palin has her own reality show.

As for me, I think the jury is still out on Oprah. She could begin some serious terraforming in 2011. Mark my words!

When my daughter was little, we made predictions like this every year. Kids, of course, come up with some really playful stuff. They aren’t as afraid as adults to let their imaginations go wild. With adults, if you ask your predictions too early in the evening on New Year’s you might get some pretty boring stuff. As the night progresses, however, you start getting predictions that would rival anything the almighty Criswell would have come up with.

What Would Criswell Predict?
Who is Criswell? I didn’t know either, until the fateful day I stumbled upon his epic tome, “Criswell Predicts: From Now to the Year 2000” (pictured above) in a freebie book bin. Just look at that hair! Wouldn’t you love to have him over for dinner?

Although Criswell claims 87% accuracy, that man made some wonderfully atrocious, hilariously wrong predictions. Here are a few of my favorites:

“I predict that a large city in Colorado will be the victim of a strange and terrible pressure from outer space, which will cause all solids to turn into a jelly-like mass.”

“I predict that man’s exploration of space and the building of space stations will be the salvation of the human race. By 1999 there will be more than 200 of these space stations in existence. They will house entire colonies – men, women and children. When the earth is destroyed on August 18, 1999, these space colonists will be the only Earth-humans left in the Universe.

“I predict that our own United States will in the future be swept by the popular clouds of an Aphrodesian fragrance. It will be invented by a scientist who is searching for an improved anti-septic spray. Instead, he will invent a spray that is almost odorless, but when breathed it stimulates the most basic sexual erotic areas.”

Even Pundits Have Trouble Predicting the Future
Stephen Abram, who blogs over at Stephen’s Lighthouse recently assessed some predictions for 2011 which were made back in 1931 by some of the brightest minds of the day. It’s a fascinating post entitled, Friday Fun: 1931 Predictions for 2011.  (I have to agree with him, too, Henry Ford’s prediction was a total cop out!)

What are Your Predictions for 2011?
Care to share? I would love to know what you and your friends think will happen in the coming year. If you feel like it, leave a comment below with your 2011 predictions. I’ll compile a list and bring it out for all of us to enjoy a year from now.