The 2005 Predictions (aka, Predictions 8.0) are here. The tradition is this: The following items get written as they get written with no attention given to theme or audience interest. Take them for what they are. Last year saw a more conservative approach and a shorter than normal list (53). This year is a slightly riskier and longer list with more personal prognostications than in any previous version. Peace—JDJ

Correct Predictions are in Blue. Incorrect Predictions are in Red.

1—A Euro will set you back $1.50

2—Tony Blair will be re-elected

3—Iraq’s elections will be held on January 30^th, as originally scheduled

4—France will ratify the European Union’s constitution.

5—All of George W. Bush’s first choices for his second term cabinet will be approved by the Senate (not counting the already ineligible choice for Homeland Security)

6—The Indianapolis Colts will win the Super Bowl

7—Oil will surpass 60 dollars a barrell

8—‘Star Wars: Episode III-Revenge of the Sith’ will suck. Also, if you’re a fan of the good guys, it will have an unhappy ending. (Think about it)

9—There will be no congressional proposal of a gay marriage ban amendment

10—Congress will not make the Bush tax cuts permanent

11—Israel will stage a pre-emptive air strike of an Iranian nuclear weapons program facility

12—The University of Illinois will win the Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament.

13—Japan will normalize relations with North Korea

14—There will be no Stanley Cup

15—Major League Baseball will revise its steroid policy to coincide with its current minor league policy

16—Marion Jones will be stripped of her Sydney medals by the IOC

17—I will walk the streets of Paris, with my wife, on my tenth wedding anniversary

18—Osama bin Laden will not be found

19—Tyler Hamilton will not be at the starting line for the Tour de France

20—Neither will Lance Armstrong

21—Jan Ullrich will be at the starting line and will wear yellow when it’s all finished

22—Real estate values in America will see their slowest growth in over a decade

23—Russia will experience yet another Chechen backed terrorist act that has a death toll of over 200 people.

24—Chief Justice William Rehnquist will retire

25—There will be no Israeli soldiers or Jewish settlers in Gaza

26—The St. Louis Cardinals will win the World Series

27—The Minnesota Timberwolves will win the NBA Championship

28—In addition to Chief Justice Rehnquist’s retirement, at least one additional Supreme Court Justice will retire

29—Bill Frist will be replaced as Senate Majority Leader

30—The Bush nominee for the second Supreme Court vacancy will be Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez

31—Simon Lessing will win the Hawaii Ironman World Championship

32—Shorewood School District teachers will be working without a new contract at the conclusion of 2005

33—Average class size at Shorewood High School will go over 30 students for social studies courses taught exclusively to 11^th and 12^th graders

34—The NCAA will announce the creation of a 4 team, end of the year college football playoff system (that will not be in effect for the 2005 season)

35—A major U.S. commercial airliner will stop flying altogether

36—The spring ‘elections’ in Saudi Arabia will have a voter turnout rate of less than 25%

37—There will be no Al Qaeda sponsored terrorist acts on U.S. soil

38—Sweden will impose a usage tax on SUV drivers that will amount to the rough equivalent of at least $7,500

39—The United States will impose no such SUV tax

40—‘The Rocket’ will hang up his cleats after another 15 win season.

41—Peyton Manning will be named the NFL’s MVP

42—Kevin Garnett will be named the NBA’s MVP

43—Tiger Woods will go another year without a major win

44—I will break 4:45:00 for a half ironman

45—I will do so at less than 165 pounds (I’m 195 at the keyboard right now)

46—Paris Hilton will get engaged to someone

47—The NYSE will be purchased by the Chicago Merc.

48—Wal-Mart’s stock will drop by over 25%

49—Either Donald Rumsfeld or Dick Cheney will not hold his present job by year’s end

50—President Bush’s approval rating will not go below 52%

51—Barack Obama’s approval rating will not go below 62%

52—Dick Pound will resign his position at WADA

53—The Cubs will win at least 90 games

54—For the first time in U.S. history, more money will be spent on adult videos and DVD’s than on mainstream first run box office movies shown in theaters

55—Merck Pharmaceutical will, as a consequence of massive, unwinnable litigation, convert itself into what will essentially amount to a clearinghouse for settlement payouts. The actual selling of pharmaceutical goods will amount to less than 20% of company resources.

56—Hummer sales will decline in the U.S.

57—Gasoline will go over $2.90 per gallon in parts of Illinois and/or Wisconsin.

58—The Wisconsin State Legislature will pass a taxpayers bill of rights that will then be vetoed by Governor Doyle

59—Tommy Thompson will begin organizing a campaign staff (without announcing a candidacy) to make a run at the United States Senate

60—‘Oprah’s Favorite Things’ will focus on members of the military (and their spouses).

61—Japan will be highly vocal about being given a permanent seat (with full veto power) on the UN Security Council

62—“Joey” will be canceled

63—Alan Alda will emerge as the odds on favorite (along with Jimmy Smits) to replace Martin Sheen as the new President of the United States for “The West Wing”

64—Satellite radio will triple its subscriber rate

65—Michael Jackson will be found guilty

66—Kobe Bryant will settle out of court, paying out an undisclosed sum of money to his accuser

67—Ken Lay will be found guilty

68—The NYSE will not go above 11,000

69—The Miami Heat will win the Eastern Conference

70—Barry Bonds will retire at the end of the season

71—Lance Armstrong will win the Giro d’ Italia

72—Lance Armstrong will win the Vuelta a Espana

73—Lance Armstrong will set the world record for the one hour ride

74—Unemployment will drop below 5% at least once

75—The Boston Red Sox will not make the playoffs

76—I will finally have a Masters Degree

77—Nick Weyer will make the Pick ‘em Playoffs

78—Congress will appropriate funds to form a federal I.D. program

79—Porter Goss will be nominated by the President and approved by the Senate as the nation’s first National Intelligence Director

80—Tony Blair, George W. Bush, and/or Ariel Sharon will survive an assassination attempt

81—Karbo will break 10:40:00 at IronmanWisconsin

82—I will ingest some form of caffeine every single day

83—Speaking of ingesting caffeine, ALL coffee made at 1943 N. Summit #20 will be made from beans that were ground at 1943 N. Summit #20

84—Maren Wollmer will take a step on her own before her ten month birthday

85—Phil Mickelson will win a major

86—Congress will propose a constitutional amendment to eliminate the “U.S. citizen for life” eligibility requirement for being President of the United States (thanks to some very well organized Governor Schwarznegger supporters)

87—Regrettably, Pope John Paul II will not live to see 2006

88—Andy Carey will win the Baseball Pool Championship Series

89—I will wear an earring every day (as a part of an ongoing rebellion against “the 59 million”)

90—Brett Alberty will win the Big Ten Basketball Pool

91—I will break 5:20 for 400 yards of swimming

92—Britney and her dancer husband will stay together

93—Nick and Jessica will file for divorce

94—I will ride my bike(s) over 7,500 miles

95—At least 800 U.S. soldiers will die in Iraq

96—Howard Dean will NOT be the new DNC Chair

97—Congress will not pass a bill allowing for the personal investment of Social Security funds in the stock market

98—The Asian tsunami death toll will end up being greater than 250,000

99—The FDA will issue a new warning on the drug Prozac which will suggest that certain individuals may experience an increase in violent behavior and/or suicidal tendencies after its continued use.

100—I will tell every telemarketer who calls my home that John D. Jacobson is a fugitive from justice and, if located, should not be addressed without appropriate law enforcement consultation

Year	Correct Predictions	Incorrect Predictions	Percentage
1998	22	22	.500
1999	31	22	.585
2000	27	25	.519
2001	31	38	.449
2002	40	30	.571
2003	40	72	.357
2004	28	25	.528
2005*	44	56	.440

*As of December13, 2005

Year