FEARLESS PREDICTIONS for 2013

And now it's time for FEARLESS PREDICTIONS, the feature of this blog in which I try to guess what will happen in the year to come.

Before we do that, however, let us take a quick look back at last year's predictions.

The big prediction from last year happened just as forecast. President Obama was re-elected and defeated Mitt Romney, who I called the "Stepford Republican." As we look back, it's easy to say the election result was obvious, but it seemed less so last December. Democrats kept control of the Senate and Republicans retained a majority in the House, as predicted. It's looking like more gridlock in Washington, also as the 2011 edition of this blog said it would.

On the other hand, Charlie Sheen did not marry any of the women in show business I named, or anyone's mother/daughter/sister or other relative.

So, last year's score was pretty  good, but hardly perfect. Here's this year's forecast, which I trust will be better.

First, an  easy one. There will be a natural disaster somewhere on our planet sometime in 2013. This could be an earthquake, a flood, a hurricane, or a volcanic eruption, but whatever it is, we Americans will give it scant attention unless it happens in our country. Some politician will call it God's will and blame it all on gay marriage.

Now it gets a little harder. The "financial cliff" will turn out to be much ado about nothing. A last minute deal will be reached which will allow the filthy rich to get even filthier, and the national debt will continue to grow. There will be another big fight about the debt ceiling, which most people will greet with a yawn.

President Obama will get to make another Supreme Court nomination when Ruth Bader Ginsberg retires from the court. This will bring about another fight in the Senate, but the nominee will be confirmed.

Hillary Clinton also will retire from public life and devote herself to scrap-booking.

The Keystone pipeline project will win White House approval. Construction will begin as soon as sufficient private property is condemned by state governments. There will be no appreciable effect of the project on the nation's unemployment rate, and no spills during the year, prompting conservative politicians to call environmentalists "Nervous Nellies."

The unemployment rate will fall gradually through the year and be below six percent by next December. At the same time, the stock market will go up, and the Dow will close 2013 above the 15,000 mark. Republicans will insist that's not nearly good enough.

I hate to say it, but as American soldiers are drawn out of Afghanistan the Taliban will become more and more influential there. By year's end, President Obama will have to make a difficult choice between allowing them to gain complete control over the country or making an open-ended commitment there.

Likewise, the North Korean missile program will require a concerted international response, which, as you know, never really happens. The Obama administration will try to use diplomacy and an involved carrot and stick approach with the Koreans, while Congressional saber-rattlers call for  military action against the regime there. Korean rockets capable of carrying nuclear warheads to the United States will be built by year end.

Charlie Sheen will finish 2013 still single. Lindsey Lohan will have more trouble with the law, but her very expensive attorneys will keep her out of jail.

"Lincoln" will sweep the Oscars, winning all four of the most important awards.

The Powerball lottery will have its first billion dollar prize. I'll buy five tickets, but not one of my numbers will be a winner.

Despite re-stocking their team, the Boston Red Sox will finish the baseball season with a losing record. Ditto the Colorado Rockies.  The 2013 World Series will see the Toronto Blue Jays defeat the Atlanta Braves.

Violet Baker Baril will go through "terrible twos," and emerge by year's end as a delightful child. (She's always delightful to me, but I recognize that my opinion might not be entirely objective.)

The Curiosity rover on Mars will discover more complex molecules, but no definitive evidence of life there. Many more exoplanets will be found, including several "Goldilocks" ones, capable of engendering life more or less as we know it.

All of Kris' cats will survive 2013. None of them will require expensive medical care.

My children, nieces and nephews will all be gainfully employed for most of 2013.

We're going to have a white Christmas here in Colorado, with snow on Christmas day.

Kris and I will make a trip east during the year, and will journey to Nevada for our anniversary and to Hawaii for her sixtieth birthday in December. (The trips are already booked, so this is an easy one.)

I plan to leave my library job, and will devote myself to volunteer work.