December 31, 2014 · 7:28 pm
Good grief, is it that time again? I’ve barely posted anything on my blog this year. Still, at today’s regular New Year’s Eve lunch official adjudicator Chris Walsh revealed just how appallingly inaccurate my 2014 predictions were. Here are the gory details – commentary etc in square brackets.
News
- ✓ In the referendum on independence, Scotland votes No. [Correct!]
- ✗ Brazil grants asylum to Edward Snowden. [Nope: still in Russia.]
- ✗ The Lib Dems replace Nick Clegg as leader. [Nope.]
- ✓ UKIP wins more MEPs in the European Parliamentary Elections than the Conservatives, Labour and Lib Dems. [Yes, considering the parties separately, not the combined total of the other parties.]
- ✗ An iconic building or monument is damaged in a freak/climate change weather event. [Couldn’t find anything.]
- ✗ Paul Dacre leaves his position as chief bigot/editor at the Daily Mail. [Nope.]
- ✗ More than 50% of Daily Express front page main headlines are about the weather. [Thought expressbingo.org.uk would have the answer, but it seems to stop on 5th Feb 2014. www.thepaperboy.com has front pages going back to September 2014. Taking all front pages from those sites, 22 out of 96 have weather-related headlines, which is 23%. Extrapolating: nope.]
[Score: 2/7]
Sport
- ½ Brazil win the World Cup. England don’t qualify from the group stage. [Chris ignored the bit about England and awarded no points. David thinks he deserves half a point.]
- ✗ Liverpool win the FA Premier League. [Manchester City.]
- ✗ Team GB win exactly one medal at the Winter Olympics in Sochi. [1 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze.]
- ✗ Andy Murray loses in the semi-final of the men’s singles at Wimbledon. [Lost to Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-final.]
- ✗ Wales win the rugby union Six Nations tournament. [Ireland.]
- ✗ Johnny Brownlee wins the ITU World Triathlon Series. [Third, behind Javier Gomez and Mario Mola.]
[Score: 0.5/6]
Science and technology
- ✓ Steve Ballmer is replaced as CEO of Microsoft by Satya Nadella. [Yes, on February 4.]
- ✗ The crew of the International Space Station is evacuated because of orbital debris. [Nope.]
- ✗ Apple announces a “revolutionary” (in their words) new TV device. [Nope.]
- ✗ The Nobel prize for physics is won by someone in the field of quantum computing/communication. [Nope: Blue LEDs]
- ✗ Google buys Oculus VR. [In March, Facebook agreed to acquire Oculus VR.]
- ✗ Webcam video of a celebrity, obtained covertly by an intelligence agency, leaks on the internet. [Don’t think so.]
[Score: 1/6]
Entertainment
- ✓ Best picture at the Oscars: 12 Years a Slave. [Yes.]
- ✗ Best actor at the Oscars: Chiwetel Ejiofor for 12 Years a Slave. [Nope: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club]
- ✗ Best actress at the Oscars: Emma Thompson for Saving Mr Banks. [Nope: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine. Emma Thompson wasn’t even nominated.]
- ✓ Bruce Forsyth stops presenting Strictly Come Dancing. [Yep.]
- ✓ The BBC reboots a classic 1970s sitcom (eg Dad’s Army). [A film of Dad’s Army is in production, unrelated to the BBC, but the BBC has broadcast Still Open All Hours, based on the old sitcom Open All Hours.]
- ½ In one of those “celebrities doing stuff” shows (Splash, Strictly, Dancing on Wolves, etc) a celebrity does stuff that results in a nasty injury on live TV. [Some TOWIE woman received various bruises. Stretching the definitions of both “celebrity” and “nasty”: half a point.]
[Score: 3.5/6]
Celebrity deathwatch
- ✗ His Racist Highness Prince Philip, 92
- ✗ Nobel Peace Prize winner and war criminal Henry Kissinger, 90
- ✗ Thatcher defenestrator Lord (Geoffrey) Howe, 87
- ✓ Swivel-eyed Ulster firebrand preacher Ian Paisley, 87 [Died September 12th]
- ✗ Oh no, it’s Yoko Ono, 80
- ✗ Fifties teen idol and Half a Sixpence crooner Tommy Steele, 77
- ✗ Much better than the last one Pope Francis, 77
- ✗ Founder of CNN and all-round not-Murdoch Ted Turner, 75
- ✗ Nobody did it better than Carly Simon, 68
- ✗ Free software evangelist and beardy gnu-lover Richard Stallman, 60
- ✗ Wayward ex-gurner and Gazza Paul Gascoigne, 46
- ✗ Apprentice self-firing rent-a-gob Katie Hopkins, 38
[Score: 1/12]
[Total score: 8/37]
Not as good as previous years: a dismal 22%. Overall, the predictions were far too bold. But some of them were very close, in particular the Oculus VR purchase. Ah well.
Coming soon: 2015. And also, by coincidence, my predictions for 2015.
December 31, 2013 · 9:08 pm
Here they are: the 2014 predictions literally everyone hasn’t been waiting for. Please return regularly to check my progress and coincidentally bump the readership stats on my blog to make me feel better.
News
- In the referendum on independence, Scotland votes No.
- Brazil grants asylum to Edward Snowden.
- The Lib Dems replace Nick Clegg as leader.
- UKIP wins more MEPs in the European Parliamentary Elections than the Conservatives, Labour and Lib Dems.
- An iconic building or monument is damaged in a freak/climate change weather event.
- Paul Dacre leaves his position as chief bigot/editor at the Daily Mail.
- More than 50% of Daily Express front page main headlines are about the weather.
Sport
- Brazil win the World Cup. England don’t qualify from the group stage.
- Liverpool win the FA Premier League.
- Team GB win exactly one medal at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
- Andy Murray loses in the semi-final of the men’s singles at Wimbledon.
- Wales win the rugby union Six Nations tournament.
- Johnny Brownlee wins the ITU World Triathlon Series.
Science and technology
- Steve Ballmer is replaced as CEO of Microsoft by Satya Nadella.
- The crew of the International Space Station is evacuated because of orbital debris.
- Apple announces a “revolutionary” (in their words) new TV device.
- The Nobel prize for physics is won by someone in the field of quantum computing/communication.
- Google buys Oculus VR.
- Webcam video of a celebrity, obtained covertly by an intelligence agency, leaks on the internet.
Entertainment
- Best picture at the Oscars: 12 Years a Slave.
- Best actor at the Oscars: Chiwetel Ejiofor for 12 Years a Slave.
- Best actress at the Oscars: Emma Thompson for Saving Mr Banks.
- Bruce Forsyth stops presenting Strictly Come Dancing.
- The BBC reboots a classic 1970s sitcom (eg Dad’s Army).
- In one of those “celebrities doing stuff” shows (Splash, Strictly, Dancing on Wolves, etc) a celebrity does stuff that results in a nasty injury on live TV.
Celebrity deathwatch
- His Racist Highness Prince Philip, 92
- Nobel Peace Prize winner and war criminal Henry Kissinger, 90
- Thatcher defenestrator Lord (Geoffrey) Howe, 87
- Swivel-eyed Ulster firebrand preacher Ian Paisley, 87
- Oh no, it’s Yoko Ono, 80
- Fifties teen idol and Half a Sixpence crooner Tommy Steele, 77
- Much better than the last one Pope Francis, 77
- Founder of CNN and all-round not-Murdoch Ted Turner, 75
- Nobody did it better than Carly Simon, 68
- Free software evangelist and beardy gnu-lover Richard Stallman, 60
- Wayward ex-gurner and Gazza Paul Gascoigne, 46
- Apprentice self-firing rent-a-gob Katie Hopkins, 38
Based on the pattern of previous years I’m expecting to get about 40% right. Join me this time next year to find out whether I’ve got that prediction wrong too.
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Tagged as 12 years a slave, 2014 predictions, andy murray, apple, apple tv, bbc, brazil, bruce forsyth, carly simon, chiwetel ejiofor, climate change, cnn, crystal ball, dad's army, daily express, daily mail, dancing on wolves, edward snowden, Emma Thompson, england, european parliamentary elections, fa premier league, fifa, fifa world cup, gazza, geoffrey howe, gnu, google, half a sixpence, Henry Kissinger, ian paisley, independence, international space station, iss, itu, johnny brownlee, katie hopkins, Lib Dems, liverpool, lord howe, microsoft, Nick Clegg, nobel prize, oculus vr, olympic winter games, orbital debris, oscar predictions, oscars, paul dacre, paul gascoigne, pope francis, predictions, prince philip, quantum communication, quantum computing, referendum, richard stallman, satya nadella, Saving Mr Banks, scotland, scottish independence, sitcom, six nations, sochi, sochi 2014, splash, steve ballmer, strictly come dancing, team gb, ted turner, the apprentice, tommy steele, triathlon, ukip, wales, webcam, wimbledon, winter olympics, world cup, yoko ono
December 31, 2013 · 8:32 pm
Here we are again. New Year’s Eve, fireworks, and celebrations filmed several weeks ago presented as if live TV. And most importantly, the results of my fabulous 2013 predictions – as marked by Chris Walsh, as usual. Commentary etc in square brackets.
News
- ✗ The Assad regime in Syria will fall. [Bashar al-Assad still President of Syria]
- ✓ There will be no changes in US federal gun-control laws. [Obama has called for tighter gun control, but no actual laws yet]
- ✓ The Duchess of Cambridge will give birth to a human boy. [21-Jul: Duchess of Cambridge gives birth to the future king]
- ✗ At least one Tory MP will defect to UKIP. [Plenty of councillors defected, and one UKIP MEP defected to the Conservatives, but this specific prediction proved false]
- ✗ The equal marriage bill for England and Wales will pass in the Commons but not the Lords. [15-Jul: Equal marriage bill for England and Wales has passed its Third Reading in the House of Lords]
- ✓ Dangerous idiot Michael Gove will be involved in a scandal over the exam board selection process for the new EBacc exams. [07-Feb: Education Secretary to announce dramatic climbdown over plans to scrap GCSEs]
[Score: 3/6]
Sport
- ✓ Manchester United will win the FA Premier League. [22-Apr: Manchester United won their 13th Premier League title by defeating Aston Villa 3-0 at Old Trafford]
- ✗ Chelsea FC will change manager at least twice. [Only one change of manager in 2013: Benitez -> Mourinho]
- ✓ At least one British person will win a Wimbledon title. [08-Jul: Andy Murray wins Wimbledon 2013 men’s singles final with straight sets victory over Novak Djokovic]
- ✓ Mo Farah will win at least one gold medal at the World Athletics Championships. [10-Aug: Won the 10,000m. Also 16-Aug: Won 5,000m]
- ✗ Rory McIlroy will win at least two majors in golf. [Wikipedia: “McIlroy began 2013 with high aspirations, but mostly did not fare well in early tournaments… 25th place at the 2013 Masters Tournament… won the 2013 Emirates Australian Open]
- ✗ At least one footballer playing in the UK will come out as gay or bisexual. [Robbie Rogers, but he plays in the USA]
[Score: 3/6]
Science and technology
- ✓ Microsoft will buy Nokia. [03-Sep: Microsoft to buy Nokia’s mobile phone unit]
- ✗ Scientists will announce the synthesis of one or more atoms of element 119 or higher. [Ununseptium remains the most recently synthesised transuranic element, in 2010. Sapphire and Steel have been assigned]
- ✓ NASA will declare that Voyager 1 has left the solar system and entered interstellar space. [12-Sep: Voyager 1 departs to interstellar space]
- ✗ Scientists will announce the discovery of an ‘Earth twin’ – an Earth-sized exoplanet within the habitable zone of its star. [Kepler 78b is the same size as Earth, and has same proportions of iron and rock, but is so close to the sun that its year lasts 8.5 hours, rendering it a little too toasty to be habitable]
- ✓ The year will be one of the ten warmest years in the global record, and warmer than 2012, according to the World Meteorological Organisation. [13-Nov: “The year 2013 is currently on course to be among the top ten warmest years since modern records began. January-September 2013 was warmer than the same period in both 2011 and 2012.” We’re catching up with Kepler 78b!]
- ✓ Archaeologists will confirm that the bones dug up in a Leicester car park are those of Richard III. [04-Feb: DNA confirms bones are king’s]
[Score: 4/6]
Entertainment
- ✗ Lincoln will receive the Oscar for Best Picture. [Feb-24: Argo]
- ✓ Daniel Day-Lewis will receive the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in Lincoln.
- ✓ Jennifer Lawrence will receive the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in Silver Linings Playbook.
- ✓ The 50th anniversary of Doctor Who will involve appearances (in newly filmed scenes) from at least one former Doctor. [23-Nov: Tennant and Baker T, plus future Doctor!]
- ✗ The BBC will cancel The Sky at Night (probably while pretending not to). [Still running – Maggie Aderin-Pocock announced in December 2013 as a new presenter]
- ✓ The UK entry will finish in the third quarter of the rankings (ie, top half of the bottom half) in the Eurovision Song Contest. [1pt. 18-May: 19th out of 26 puts us 73% of the way down the leader board]
[Score: 4/6]
Celebrity Deathwatch
[We decided to award half a point per death to make the scores more compatible with predictions from previous years, since I included double the usual number of names in this section. We also abandoned the idea to score based on ages.]
- ✗ Denis Healey (95)
- ✓ Nelson Mandela (94) [Died 5-Dec aged 95]
- ✗ Mickey Rooney (92)
- ✗ Nancy Reagan (91)
- ✗ Richard Attenborough (89)
- ✗ Robert Mugabe (88)
- ✗ George H. W. Bush (88)
- ✓ Richard Briers (78) [Died 17-Feb aged 79]
- ✗ Barry Humphries (78)
- ✗ Shirley MacLaine (78)
- ✗ Bill Murray (62)
- ✗ Piers Morgan (47)
[Score: 1/6]
[Total score: 15/30]
A staggering score of 50%! This makes 2013 officially my most successful year ever for predictions. And if the trend of alternating better-worse but generally rising is anything to go by, my predictions for 2014 are on course for 40%. Though I can reveal that’s not one of my official 2014 predictions, otherwise we’re adrift in a glittering sea of meta.
Anyway, return soon for the 2014 predictions in all their 40%-likely glory.
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Tagged as 2013, 2013 predictions, andy murray, archaeology, assad, barry humphries, bashar al-assad, bbc, benitez, best actor, best actress, best picture, bill murray, bisexual, chelsea, Chris Walsh, climate change, crystal ball, dangerous idiot, daniel day-lewis, david tennant, denis healey, dna, doctor who, duchess of cambridge, earth twin, element 119, equal marriage, equal marriage bill, eurovision song contest, fa premier league, footballer, gay, george h w bush, gun control, jennifer lawrence, kate middleton, kepler, kepler 78b, king, leicester car park, lincoln, maggie aderin-pocock, manchester united, Michael Gove, mickey rooney, microsoft, mo farah, mourinho, nancy reagan, nasa, nelson mandela, nokia, Novak Djokovic, oscar predictions, oscars, peter capaldi, piers morgan, predictions, President of Syria, prince george, richard attenborough, richard briers, richard iii, robbie rogers, robert mugabe, rory mcilroy, sapphire and steel, shirley maclaine, silver linings playbook, the sky at night, tom baker, ukip, ununseptium, voyager 1, wimbledon, world athletics championships, world meteorological organisation
January 1, 2013 · 10:13 am
2012! Who could forget the glorious summer? The coronation of Queen (formerly Sir Alan) Amidala? Britain’s abject failure in the 1500m tug-of-raw at the organic Spacelympics? The universal acclaim for the politics of austerity?
As the dregs of the year drip from the meths bottle of tomorrow into the tramp’s mouth of history and dribble through the foetid beard of ornithology onto the mangy dog’s head of clinical studies at Guy’s Hospital, it is time to stare resolutely past the tramp’s outstretched palm of invisibility to what 2013 will bring forth, or perhaps fifth. Here’s what I think:
News
- The Assad regime in Syria will fall.
- There will be no changes in US federal gun-control laws.
- The Duchess of Cambridge will give birth to a human boy.
- At least one Tory MP will defect to UKIP.
- The equal marriage bill for England and Wales will pass in the Commons but not the Lords.
- Dangerous idiot Michael Gove will be involved in a scandal over the exam board selection process for the new EBacc exams.
Sport
- Manchester United will win the FA Premier League.
- Chelsea FC will change manager at least twice.
- At least one British person will win a Wimbledon title.
- Mo Farah will win at least one gold medal at the World Athletics Championships.
- Rory McIlroy will win at least two majors in golf.
- At least one footballer playing in the UK will come out as gay or bisexual.
Science and technology
- Microsoft will buy Nokia.
- Scientists will announce the synthesis of one or more atoms of element 119 or higher.
- NASA will declare that Voyager 1 has left the solar system and entered interstellar space.
- Scientists will announce the discovery of an ‘Earth twin’ – an Earth-sized exoplanet within the habitable zone of its star.
- The year will be one of the ten warmest years in the global record, and warmer than 2012, according to the World Meteorological Organisation.
- Archaeologists will confirm that the bones dug up in a Leicester car park are those of Richard III.
Entertainment
- Lincoln will receive the Oscar for Best Picture.
- Daniel Day-Lewis will receive the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in Lincoln.
- Jennifer Lawrence will receive the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in Silver Linings Playbook.
- The 50th anniversary of Doctor Who will involve appearances (in newly filmed scenes) from at least one former Doctor.
- The BBC will cancel The Sky at Night (probably while pretending not to).
- The UK entry will finish in the third quarter of the rankings (ie, top half of the bottom half) in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Celebrity Deathwatch
In previous years I’ve named six people. This year I thought I’d round it up to nine, but then discovered three of my names overlapped with Andrew’s (caution: Facebook). Consequently I added three more, to make twelve.
Also, I’m adopting Andrew’s scoring system: each valid death (occurring at any time in the year) scores that person’s age at death subtracted from 100. For example, an 85-year-old’s death would score 15 points, and a 101-year-old’s would score -1 point (thus making it a daft choice). For reference, I’ve included the age of each of my selected celebrities, as at January 1st 2013.
- Denis Healey (95)
- Nelson Mandela (94)
- Mickey Rooney (92)
- Nancy Reagan (91)
- Richard Attenborough (89)
- Robert Mugabe (88)
- George H. W. Bush (88)
- Richard Briers (78)
- Barry Humphries (78)
- Shirley MacLaine (78)
- Bill Murray (62)
- Piers Morgan (47)
Please join me next New Year’s Eve for the official adjudication and other assorted lols.
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Tagged as assad, barry humphries, bill murray, bisexual, chelsea, climate change, crystal ball, dangerous idiot, daniel day-lewis, denis healey, doctor who, duchess of cambridge, earth twin, ebacc, element 119, equal marriage, eurovision song contest, exoplanet, fa premier league, gay, george h w bush, global warming, jennifer lawrence, lincoln, manchester united, Michael Gove, mickey rooney, microsoft, mo farah, nancy reagan, nasa, nelson mandela, nokia, oscar predictions, oscars, piers morgan, predictions, queen amidala, richard attenborough, richard briers, richard iii, robert mugabe, rory mcilroy, shirley maclaine, silver linings playbook, solar system, syria, the sky at night, ukip, voyager 1, wimbledon, wishful thinking, world meteorological organisation
January 1, 2013 · 9:53 am
As usual the cider-enhanced Chris Walsh has cast a rheumy eye over the predictions I made a year ago and awarded the marks as he saw fit. Adjudications and correct answers in square brackets.
News
- It will be announced that the Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant. [1pt]
- Ed Miliband will be replaced as leader of the Labour party. [0pt]
- The US presidential election will be between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Obama will be re-elected. [1pt]
- At least one country will leave the euro. [0pt]
- Boris Johnson will be re-elected as Mayor of London. [1pt]
- There will be an earthquake in the UK of magnitude 4.0 or above on the Richter scale. (I’m only using this scale as it’s the one used on the Wikipedia page for UK earthquakes.) [0pt]
[Score: 3/6]
Sport
- Great Britain & Northern Ireland will win 21 gold medals at the Summer Olympics, and over 50 medals in total. [1pt: GB&NI won 29 gold and 65 in total]
- Great Britain & Northern Ireland will top the medal table at the Paralympics. [0pt: third, after China and Russia]
- Spain will win the Euro 2012 football tournament. [1pt]
- The United States will regain golf’s Ryder Cup. [0pt: Europe won in a very close finish]
- Jensen Button will regain the Formula One championship. [0pt: Sebastian Vettel]
- Manchester City will win the English Premier League. [1pt: with a last-minute goal on the last day of the season]
[Score: 3/6]
Science and technology
- Having miraculously survived 2011, Steve Ballmer will definitely be fired as Microsoft CEO. [0pt: still there!]
- CERN will announce the official discovery of the Higgs boson. [0.999pt, rounded up to 1pt]
- Apple will launch a TV. [0pt]
- At least one of the co-CEOs of RIM will be fired, and the company will be bought. [0pt: Jim Balsillie resigned but was not fired, and RIM wasn’t bought]
- The next version of the iPhone will include an NFC chip. [0pt: rumoured for the 5S]
- Amazon will release a free version of the Kindle. [0pt: but Chris wishes they would, as he sat on his and broke it]
[Score: 1/6]
Entertainment
- The 2012 season of X Factor in the UK will be the last. [0pt: nothing announced – time will tell!]
- In Doctor Who, the replacement for the Ponds will not be from Earth. [0pt: nothing to suggest she’s not from earth – time will tell!]
- Best Actress Oscar: Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady. [1pt]
- Best Actor Oscar: Jean Dujardin, The Artist. [1pt]
- Best Picture Oscar: The Artist. [1pt]
- CNN will fire Piers Morgan. [0pt: although competing petitions to deport/refuse repatriation suggest nobody wants him]
[Score: 3/6]
Celebrity Deathwatch
- Former anthropology student, US evangelist Billy Graham. [alive!]
- Former ophthalmology student, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. [alive!]
- Former chemistry student, Baroness Thatcher. [alive!]
- Former naval cadet, Prince Philip. [alive!]
- Former Cassius Clay, Muhammad Ali. [alive!]
- Former Hitler Youth, Pope Benedict XVI. [alive!]
[Score: 0/6]
[Total score: 10/30]
Not as good as last year. I suspect I was a year early on most of the science and technology predictions. And my celebrity deathwatch category maintains its staggering 100% failure record.
Stay tuned for Avaragado’s 2013 predictions…
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Tagged as 2012, amazon, apple, barack obama, baroness thatcher, bashar al-assad, billy graham, boris johnson, cern, cnn, crystal ball, doctor who, duchess of cambridge, earthquake, ed milband, euro, euro 2012, formula 1, formula one, higgs boson, iphone, jean dujardin, jensen button, jim balsillie, kindle, london 2012, manchester city, margaret thatcher, meryl streep, microsoft, mitt romney, muhammad ali, nfc, olympics, paralympics, piers morgan, pope benedict xvi, predictions, premier league, prince philip, rim, ryder cup, spain, steve ballmer, the artist, the iron lady, x factor
January 1, 2012 · 12:59 pm
Now spelunked into the Brechtian caverns of history: the year of the Arab Spring, the deaths of several prominent nutjobs, the end of the Screws, the looting of cheap sportswear, the Royal Day Off, the Occupy tent sale, and, of course, what is believed to be Sir Paul McCartney’s 49th or 50th marriage; estimates vary. And what will 2012 bring forth? Here’s your exclusive guide.
News
- It will be announced that the Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant.
- Ed Miliband will be replaced as leader of the Labour party.
- The US presidential election will be between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Obama will be re-elected.
- At least one country will leave the euro.
- Boris Johnson will be re-elected as Mayor of London.
- There will be an earthquake in the UK of magnitude 4.0 or above on the Richter scale. (I’m only using this scale as it’s the one used on the Wikipedia page for UK earthquakes.)
Sport
- Great Britain & Northern Ireland will win 21 gold medals at the Summer Olympics, and over 50 medals in total.
- Great Britain & Northern Ireland will top the medal table at the Paralympics.
- Spain will win the Euro 2012 football tournament.
- The United States will regain golf’s Ryder Cup.
- Jensen Button will regain the Formula One championship.
- Manchester City will win the English Premier League.
Science and technology
- Having miraculously survived 2011, Steve Ballmer will definitely be fired as Microsoft CEO.
- CERN will announce the official discovery of the Higgs boson.
- Apple will launch a TV.
- At least one of the co-CEOs of RIM will be fired, and the company will be bought.
- The next version of the iPhone will include an NFC chip.
- Amazon will release a free version of the Kindle.
Entertainment
- The 2012 season of X Factor in the UK will be the last.
- In Doctor Who, the replacement for the Ponds will not be from Earth.
- Best Actress Oscar: Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady.
- Best Actor Oscar: Jean Dujardin, The Artist.
- Best Picture Oscar: The Artist.
- CNN will fire Piers Morgan.
Celebrity Deathwatch
- Former anthropology student, US evangelist Billy Graham.
- Former ophthalmology student, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
- Former chemistry student, Baroness Thatcher.
- Former naval cadet, Prince Philip.
- Former Cassius Clay, Muhammad Ali.
- Former Hitler Youth, Pope Benedict XVI.
I look forward to your company next New Year’s Eve when all shall be judged.
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Tagged as amazon, apple tv, barack obama, bashar al-assad, billy graham, boris johnson, cassius clay, crystal ball, doctor who, duchess of cambridge, duke of edinburgh, earthquake, ed miliband, euro, euro 2012, formula 1, higgs boson, iphone, iron lady, jean dujardin, jensen button, kate middleton, kindle, london 2012, manchester city, margaret thatcher, meryl streep, mitt romney, muhammad ali, nfc, olympics, paralympics, piers morgan, pope benedict, predictions, prince philip, rim, ryder cup, steve ballmer, the artist, x factor
January 1, 2012 · 12:37 pm
Adjudicated as ever by the glamorous and drunken Miss Christopher Walsh, here are the staggering results of Avaragado’s 2011 predictions. Adjudications and corrections in square brackets.
News
- Kate gets William’s name slightly wrong in the wedding ceremony. [0pt]
- The Great British Public vote No in the AV referendum. [1pt]
- Sarah Palin officially declares as a Republican candidate for US President. [0pt – announced in Oct that she would not be running.]
- At least one national UK newspaper closes by the end of the year. [1pt – News of the World]
- Sudan will break apart. [1pt – South Sudan became an independent state on 9 July 2011]
[Score: 3/5]
Sport
- Only one of the home nations qualifies for the Euro 2012 football championships. [1pt – England in; Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland are out.]
- Andy Murray reaches the men’s singles final of at least one Grand Slam tournament. [1pt – Beaten by Novak Djoković in the final of the Australian Open]
- Pyeongchang in South Korea is awarded the 2018 Winter Olympics. [1pt]
- New Zealand win the 2011 Rubgy Union World Cup. [1pt – defeated France 8–7 in the final]
- Manchester United wins the English football Premiership. [1pt – Manchester United won their 12th Premier League title and their 19th championship, beating Liverpool’s record of 18 championships set in 1990]
[Score: 5/5]
Tech
- Apple launches a new thinner, lighter, faster iPad model with a camera. [1pt – iPad 2 launched March 11 2011: 33% thinner, 15% lighter, twice as fast, and 2 cameras.]
- Yahoo sells Flickr to Google. [0pt – Flickr still owned by Yahoo, though rumours in Oct that Google was considering buying Yahoo (cutting out the middle man!)]
- Facebook buys Skype. [0pt – 10 May 2011, Microsoft buys Skype]
- There will not be a ‘Windows Phone 7 for Tablets’. [1pt]
- Steve Ballmer will be replaced as Microsoft CEO. [0pt – Still there.]
[Score: 2/5]
Entertainment
- Oscar for Best Actor: Colin Firth, for The King’s Speech. [1 p-p-p-p-p-point]
- Oscar for Best Supporting Actor: Andrew Garfield, for The Social Network. [0pt – Christian Bale for The Fighter]
- Oscar for Best Film: The Social Network. [0pt – The King’s Speech]
- Oscar for Best Director: Christopher Nolan for Inception. [0pt – Tom Hooper for The King’s Speech]
- Upstairs Downstairs returns as a regular TV series. [0.5pt – Didn’t return in 2011 but BBC1 has recommissioned six 60-minute episodes of the drama to be broadcast in 2012]
[Score: 1.5/5]
Cambridge
- Pembroke finish Head of the River in the May Bumps (men’s first division). [0pt – Caius 1st; Pembroke down to 5th]
- Cambridge win the University Boat Race. [0pt – Oxford won]
- Strawberry Fair takes place. [1pt – Yes]
- By the year’s end Cambridge’s LGBT pub is not The Bird. [0pt]
- The Misguided Bus actually opens. [1pt – Hurrah!]
[Score: 2/5]
Celebrity Deathwatch
- Margaret Thatcher [0pt – alive, though regenerated into Meryl Streep]
- Zsa Zsa Gabor [0pt – alive, though deficient in the leg department to the tune of one]
- Kirk Douglas [0pt – still alive]
- Michael Douglas [0pt – still alive]
- King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia [0pt – still alive]
[Score: 0/5]
[Total score: 13.5/30]
Not bad, not bad. An 80% success rate on news and sport is very pleasing. Appearance on my deathwatch list is a guarantee of immortality, as usual.
Stay tuned for Avaragado’s 2012 predictions…
Avaragado's blog 