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Meditation 06
Fearless Psychic Forecasts For 2000

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After-the-fact Note: This forecast was written in late 1999. I give myself an 80% mark in the accuracy of my psychic forecast [made, using absolutely none of my own psychic ability] - which I consider to be a higher score than any set of predictions from any "real" psychic. And if those using psychic powers cannot do better than me on predictions, what does that say about those so called psychic powers? I could update this article with a new set of predictions - or I could just allow the exact same predictions to stand for 2001. But I will just let it stand as originally written.

Meditation 72 provides a follow up on the same subject of psychic powers

As we approach the end of 1999, we are getting to the time when psychics make their forecasts for the coming year. I have absolutely no belief in psychic phenomena. However, I will make my own set of psychic predictions using absolutely none of my own psychic abilities!

What I will give are ten predictions which will range from the fairly general to the apparently fairly specific. Then below that, I will explain why these predictions will prove valid.

I am cheating a bit here. By making my predictions early - in September 1999 - I am giving myself three extra months for my psychic predictions to come true. Of course, I need this little edge because I am using absolutely none of my own psychic abilities!

Readers' Challenge: Submit your own psychic predictions to me for publication here. Submit one. Submit a dozen. Can you do better? (This challenge is always open - do it for any year)

PREDICTIONS

1. Kennedy curse to strike again.
   
2. Top US politician to die in air tragedy.
3. British monarchy threatened by sex scandal.
4. Canada's Chretien to resign.
5. Cox / Arquette marriage on the rocks.
6. Gwynneth Paltrow's heart broken again.
7. Brittney Spears in internet sex scandal.
8. Crisis rocks Canada's Governor-General's office.
9. Leading Hollywood actor, long suspected of AIDS, dies.
10. New Saturday Night Live cast widely criticized.

ANALYSIS

1. Kennedy curse to strike again. This is a very safe bet. The Kennedys are a pretty large family, particularly when you include all the cousins, in-laws, and various hangers-on. And the Kennedy curse is not well-defined - its pretty well anything bad or unfortunate that happens to the Kennedys. The Senator could make this one come true all by himself. At least a 90% chance on this one. Hey, it's the Kennedys! Ok - we'll make that 99%.
2. Top US politician to die in air tragedy. Looks reasonably specific doesn't it. But, what's a "top US politician? Any member of the Executive, any Senator or Congressman, any Governor, the mayor of any of a dozen cities, anyone who has served in any of these offices in the past. Probably at least 2000 individuals can reasonably be described as "top US politicians." And this group travels more than average. Further, what's an air tragedy? I was careful not to say crash. This leaves the door open to claim the prediction was filled if a death occurs on a plane for any reason, in the airport, or even on the way to or from the airport. Or a death in hospital can easily be partially attributed to a delay in changing oxygen bottles. That's an air tragedy. Even other accidents apply. "The car / train / motorcycle / bicycle / skateboard went airborne after impact." At least a 90% chance of success on this one.
3. British monarchy threatened by sex scandal. This one is just too easy. Even if nothing new is reported, we still have the ongoing Charles & Camilla story. And James Blabbermouth Hewitt, the British Upper Class Twit of the Millennium, is still out there talking. Guaranteed! 100% success on this prediction.
4. Canada's Chretien to resign. [Apologies to non-Canadians, but Canadian psychic content regulations require a minimum 20% Canadian content on Canadian psychic predictions. And lots of use of the words Canada and Canadian to shore up the crumbling Canadian culture. And this is the first of two Canadian predictions so as meet Canadian psychic content regulations. And, I must also acknowledge a grant from the Psychic Canada Council which made this Canadian prediction possible.] Jean Chretien is Canada's prime minister. He's overdue to pack it in. If he doesn't, my fallback is his nephew Raymond Chretien who is our ambassador to Washington. He's overdue for a job change. 75% chance on this one.
5. Cox / Arquette marriage on the rocks. Predictions must include a high proportion of "star quality" material, including predictions of marriage break-up. Pick people who don't seem to belong together. By saying "on the rocks," I can claim success even if they are still married when year 2001 rolls around. All I have to do is "prove" marital difficulty through articles or pictures in the tabloids. Easily 90% here.
6. Gwynneth Paltrow's heart broken again. Just look at the woman's romantic record! Is there any doubt we'll go through at least one break-up in the next 15 months. Failing that, I can claim she was heartbroken over not being nominated or not winning a Golden Globe or an Oscar, or not getting a choice role, or over a hundred other things. 90% at least on this prediction.
7. Brittney Spears in internet sex scandal. Just go and do an internet search on the key words of nude brittney spears. Bingo. Real or fake, it doesn't matter. We have our scandal. 95%.
8. Crisis rocks Canada's Governor-General's office. [Apologies to non-Canadians, but Canadian psychic content regulations require a minimum 20% Canadian content on Canadian psychic predictions. And lots of use of the words Canada and Canadian to shore up the crumbling Canadian culture. And this is the second of two Canadian predictions so as meet Canadian psychic content regulations. And, I must also acknowledge a grant from the Psychic Canada Council which made this Canadian prediction possible.] We have a new Governor-General just appointed. She is outspoken. Her husband is outspoken. It is highly unlikely either of them will remain a apolitical as the job requires. And if they manage to do that, there is still a possibility of a sex scandal or a financial scandal occurring among their staff. 80%
9. Leading Hollywood actor, long suspected of AIDS, dies. What's a leading Hollywood actor? Any actor famous enough to have potentially appeared as a celebrity on Hollywood Squares. What is long suspected of AIDS? The slightest suggestion of possible drug use or possible homosexuality brings up that suspicion - and we are talking Hollywood actors here. And notice, I did not say what he actually dies of. With a pool of at least a thousand actors to pick from, 85% chance on this one.
10. New Saturday Night Live cast widely criticized. This is a long range prediction because the new cast I'm talking about is the one supposedly arriving in the fall of 2000 - a full year from now. So to make this prediction, I'm assuming the show will be renewed for a 26th season, and I'm assuming that the cast will indeed change. If this happens, then given the excellent current cast, it is a reasonable prediction to suggest that a new cast will have trouble living up to the expected standard. I'm not confident on this prediction because of the many variables. 67%

End of Year 2000 Commentary

As the year 2000 ends I have reviewed my predictions and given myself a 80% - at least as good as any real psychic. 1, 2 and 3 were correct. I was saved on prediction 4 by my fall back position of Chretien's nephew. Predictions 5 and 6 have been fully covered by the tabloids, and 7 and 9 were no-brainers. I was totally wrong on prediction 8, and thanks to only a partial change in the SNL cast, and a minor rather than major deterioration in quality, I cannot claim I was right on prediction 10 (though I could claim half marks on that one.) But, all in all, I was dead on in 8 of the 10.