Predictions from 2018

A year ago I made some guesses.  Let's see if they've come back to haunt me.

Domestic Politics:

The GOP tax plan will grow in popularity.

 

I'd say I got this wrong.

The Dems will not take the Senate.  They will gain seats in the House, but not take that either. 

 

Right on the Senate, way off in the House.

Justice Kennedy, enjoying his power, will decide to stay on the Supreme Court.

 

Completely wrong. I'm way off this year.

The baker will lose his case in Masterpiece Cakeshop.

Wrong again.  The Court split the difference, and let him win individually without establishing a serious precedent.

DACA will not be dealt with in a way that satisfies anyone.

Perhaps some were satisfied, but not anyone who cares about it.

Trump will keep tweeting (hardly a prediction, but I'm sure plenty are telling him to stop).

Not bad for essentially a non-guess.

International Politics:

Europe will see a major terrorist attack.

There were some attacks, but I'm not sure if you'd call any of them major.

Trump will not get an official peace plan in place for the Middle East.

He tried a bit, but nothing major so far.

There will be an attempted revolution in Iran which, based on recent history, will be put down harshly by the mullahs as the world watches.

Nope.

The Economy:

By the end of the year, the Dow will be lower than where it is now.

Unfortunately, my most accurate call.

Bitcoins will lose value.

Yep

Unemployment will be close to where it is now.

Perhaps.  It went down slightly.

Gas will be cheaper than it is now.

Prices at the pump may just be a wee bit lower than a year ago (though if you live in California it's hard to tell).


Sports: 

Alabama will beat Oklahoma for the national football championship.

Alabama won in OT--against Georgia.

The Wolverines will beat the Gamecocks today (and no one will care).

Nope.  South Carolina came back in the fourth quarter.

The Patriots will put it all together and once again take the Super Bowl.

Brady failed to come back and the Eagles took it.


Popular Culture:

Movies: Solo will do comparably to Rogue One, though Alden Ehrenreich will not get great reviews.  Oceans 8 will disappoint.  Infinity War will be a major hit but not as big as the first Avengers movie. Ready Player One will disappoint.  Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom will disappoint.  Neither Aquaman or Black Panther will be playing in the big leagues.

Solo crashed.  Ocean's 8 did fine. Infinity War did better than Avengers (unless you want to take inflation into account).  It's a judgment call if Ready Player One disappointed, though I say yes.  Fallen Kingdom didn't do anywhere near how Jurassic World did, though it was still a huge hit.  The jury is still out in Aquaman (though it's doing quite well), but Black Panther was gigantic.

Oscars:  Tough picks this year.  Best Picture will go to Lady Bird.  For Best Actor, Timothee Chalamet will beat Gary Oldman (unless the Academy feels it's Oldman's turn). Lots of competition for Best Actress, such as Margot Robbie, Frances McDormand and Sally Hawkins, but Saoirse Ronan will take it.  Willem DaFoe will beat Sam Rockwell for Best Supporting Actor.  Very close competition for Best Supporting Actress, but it'll be a battle of the moms, and Allison Janney will beat Laurie Metcalf.

Best Picture was The Shape Of Water.  Oldman took Best Actor.  McDormand took Best Actress. Rockwell won Supporting Actor.  Finally got one--Allison Janney won Supporting Actress. 

TV:

There will be no new episodes of  Game Of Thrones. (Okay, it's been announced, but they can still change their minds.)

I was right, they didn't lie.

On The Walking Dead, Negan will finally die.

With everyone else leaving the show, they couldn't kill him.  Sure, stick him in a small cell for years for no good reason, but not kill him.

There will be a major twist at the end of this season's The Good Place.

There was, but that's how the show works.

On Better Call Saul, he'll move into his Saul office.  The show will be renewed for a fifth season.

Jimmy has become Saul, but hasn't moved in yet.  The show has been renewed.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine will not be renewed.

Right and wrong.  Fox canceled, but NBC picked it up.  New episodes will soon be airing.