New forum activity idea - your predictions for the near future

[PsiKik]

How about somewhere where members can make a prediction about some near term event, say 6 - 12 months in the future, and then later when the time has elapsed we can evaluate the predictions.

For example :
By Dec 2008 we will not have bombed Iran. (true) (false)

Perhaps the questions will be of this format:
event will occur by date (true) (false)

Any suggestions?

[Madrigal]

The US economic crisis a la '29, I'd like to hear some guesses about when that will happen.

[C.J.Woolf]

I like to think there will not be another Great Depression because the Republicans haven't succeeded yet in destroying the institutions that were created to prevent another one. There could be a big recession, though.

I also like to think there will be no attack on Iran. The military have always dragged their feet on it, and the National Intelligence Estimate that Iran shut down their nuclear program in 2003 gives them even more reason to do so.

Bush is a very lame duck. All he has been able to do since the 2006 elections is obstruct the Democratic Congress, and I see that continuing. If I didn't have to live with the results, I'd be breaking out the popcorn for the 2008 presidential campaign 'cause it promises to be quality entertainment. Bush is the Republicans' crazy uncle who they'd like to make disappear, but they owe their positions to him, and the fundies would scream bloody murder if they tried. Clinton and Obama are more moderate Republicans than Democrats, but few Americans see it that way. Tres sigh.

[Mr.G]

The economy will collapse, WW3 will begin and Global Warming will end the world in a unstoppable apocalyptic Hell fire...

[fripping]

i will have a bowel movement by 7pm today. keep your eye on the evening news.

[puzzled-observer]

i will have a bowel movement by 7pm today. keep your eye on the evening news.

So THAT's where they've been getting it from.

[PsiKik]

I think my Idea requires a web site of its own - the format of a forum such as this does not facilitate seeing a list of predictions layed out in a form that is easy to read.
The data/predictions would require some kind of grid display and facilities to search by date.

For example when it is say December 14 2008 it would be nice to see a list of all the predictions made for this time so you could evaluate them.

[PsiKik]

The economy will collapse, WW3 will begin and Global Warming will end the world in a unstoppable apocalyptic Hell fire...

You must specify a date by when each of these events would have happened.

[Intension]

This thread is only fun if people make definite predictions. By December 08:
- Giullani nominated, Hillary wins US election
- No US attack on Iran
- Bush will however bomb someone in a final display of pseudo-bravado: US interventionism in Somalia, Darfur, or some easier target than Iran.
- Bush allows some troop withdrawals in anticipation of US election.
- Further destabilization in Pakistan with Islamic militants/al Qaeda in uncontrolled areas.
- No economic depression or recession.

[xNTP]

Thank my brother for finding this.

http://www.longbets.org/predictions

[demagogic_schizoid]

recession, David Cameron Prime Minister, more redundancies, pensions cut-backs, etc.

[Lateralus]

My near future prediction: The Patriots will not win the Super Bowl.

[Birdsnest]

I don't know what, but I think Al Gore will do something quite amazing in the next two years.

I predict if Guilani wins the presidency, we will be in for another terrorist activity during his presidency.

I get the feeling everyone should pay their bills down immediately, as I think in the very near future (2-3 months) we could have a financial crisis, so my feeling/sense says to pay things off now and stock up on food too.

If the war were to escalate, I predict it would be during the month of May, don't know what year.

I worry a lot about the global warming and how fast its coming and causing droughts, heat waves, and weird diseases from pond bacteria. I think the heat will cause a lot more problems in the next three years.

If the WW3 comes, I predict it will be on a Friday during a holiday that typically the colour red is associated with. Valentines? Xmas? Don't know.

Might be good to get some seeds and one of those indoor gardens like aero Garden and plant lettuces and sprouts.

http://www.amazon.com/AeroGrow-AeroGarden-Garden-Kit-Black/dp/B000FI4O90/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1197673131&sr=8-1

I predict if diseases do abound due to global warming, Drs won't be able to give us a cure, and we will need to be resourceful and find a product ourselves to heal, or medicate. I don't know. Nettle? Vitamins? Alchohol?

Flooding in a desert. Is that possible? I guess I've had a feeling that a desert will be flooded somewhere.

[Sisyphus]

recession, David Cameron Prime Minister, more redundancies, pensions cut-backs, etc.

God, this sort of stuff is why my instant reaction to the thread was a loud inner LALALA. I am going to go and wrap my head in a pillow now. CAN'T HEAR YOU LALALA.

[Anonymous]

Internet regulation becomes heavier and heavier until citizen access to the internet is limited to certain government-approved websites. May create a large underground in the area of computers and internet usage.

The economy is heavily stressed, causing changes to be made. Resource plans are introduced, where citizens can pay one single price and receive a year's worth of food, water, transportation, and any other resources like this. Housing also becomes more standardized, with individual homes becoming very rare, and only belonging to the wealthy. Apartment complexes become what most families live in.

Government regulated breeding (such as what exists in China) ends up being used in many more nations.

An optional (at first, at least) plan is introduced which allows children to be analyzed by psychologists and then fitted with a career that would be best suited to the child, allowing that child to receive a very specific education. Since this would allow for a huge amount of government control over the population, going for this option would probably be gifted with many nice perks for the child and family of the child.

Privatized military becomes a widespread reality.

[Limey]

In the year 2000.....
I predict that a new leader will be more charismatic in the USA in the international arena, this will cause a calming effect on the G8 stage and the middle east shall return to fucking with Israel and pumping Texas tea.

[rek]

Flooding in a desert. Is that possible? I guess I've had a feeling that a desert will be flooded somewhere.

Actually that happens normally all the time. The types of soils as well as the lack of vegetation in deserts make them easy targets for flash floods. That's not to say real science will stop anyone from blaming the next big flood on global warming, though.

[HilbertSpace]

Actually that happens normally all the time. The types of soils as well as the lack of vegetation in deserts make them easy targets for flash floods. That's not to say real science will stop anyone from blaming the next big flood on global warming, though.

Literally all the time. Even deserts can get downpours, and the water just runs all over the place. That's why southwestern towns like Albuquerque (for example) build arroyos. They flood every year, and some years we get pretty major floods.

[Limey]

I think it's more likely to rain a desert than in a desert lately.

[Birdsnest]

Recession fears here to support my above prediction: http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080116/fed_economy.html

"I get the feeling everyone should pay their bills down immediately, as I think in the very near future (2-3 months) we could have a financial crisis, so my feeling/sense says to pay things off now and stock up on food too."

Maybe July 4th, since its on Friday this year:
"If the WW3 comes, I predict it will be on a Friday during a holiday that typically the colour red is associated with. Valentines? Xmas? Don't know."

[TONE381]

I predict it will be far less grim than predicted today, conditions will continue to improve, but the level of satisfaction people feel about the world will continue to deteriorate.

[ApeTheDog]

I predict that some woman will go on a diet because she thinks she is fat. Then, she will fail, feel like a failure, and begin to think she will no longer feel such when she is thin.