h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

There were quite a few hits and almosts - but some of those were almost certainties

I'm working on a list now.

Can we have a list of "Almosts" - that would be most telling I think

Wasn't it said in the 2nd post that the Pope would pop his clogs?

St Demon:

I'm starting to work on my list now. I've always been interested in the ambiguity of the Nostradamus predictions and trying to do a modern equivalent. I want to combine ambiguity with statistical probability to form my predictions.

For example, wasn't it highly likely that George Best would hit the booze again? If I'd made that prediction at the beginning of the year, that alone wouldn't have enabled me to pass myself off as psychic, but it would have added to my 'hit' rate. If you look at my predictions above you will see that my hit rate was fairly good.

I'm going to put a fair amount of work into this. I already have one prediction - that a prominent figure from the Thatcher cabinet will die. (It's also highly likely that Thatcher will be involved in another health scare).

So far first 50 postings

Saturine

Miss the Pope still liveth, just
No WMD found in Wales under slag heaps.
Slip knot are still
but
Hit More BB.
More people died a given
Uk celeb did die from suspicious circumstances falling from boyfriends window and at 24 definitely premature.
More Posh and Becks as they head to Spain.
Pop idols/rivals/stars etc.
Channel 4 did seem to take on channel 5’s mantel for obscene and offensive
Not Ann Widdecombe - Michael Howard
Yasser Arafat has not been assasinated yet.

Did you make money? Not enough to buy out hootoo obviously.

Pinniped

England did play Zimbabwe but won that match didn’t they.
The Archbishop of Cantab is now a Druid poet supporting possibly gay priests I think that constitutes an embarrassment.
Royal Family = Bad Press
Trains crashed like they do every years but some of these are started to get blamed on people.
Saddam did an Osama until yesterday morning that is.

As for Tony Blair disassociating from Iraq no!
Ulrika no embarrassment this year really, well done Sweden.
‘Walking with Conservaitves’ nose dived there is something of the night about that though.

How are London house prices doing increase <50% yet?

Clive TFO

Andy Serkis was not nominated for Oscar but still missed on statuette.
IDS will count as the politician the press crusified as a scandal and miss-management. Betty as secretary springs to mind.
No news from San Andreas though.
Didn&#8217;t notice the world almost ending so is that a hit.
Hunting with dogs is surprisingly still there, I blame the Lords. As for telemarketers&#8230;.
Profesor Gunther van Hagen did try another publicity stunt.


RMF

Canada did NOT invade USA.
Nor did the US invade New Mexico as a case of mistaken id.
Simpsons are still going strong even going to use Beckham see above.
No film staring Jay and Silent Bob as of yet this year&#8230;.
Several World leaders have suffered embarrassing falls from power. Apart from Saddam no reall big players though.

Abbi normal

Blaming society still exists
Most people don&#8217;t know where Central and Southern America are still, let alone their plight.
More awareness of good ideas ICAN is launched well done on that one.

Amy

Bush pissed off France, Gemany, Russia war has only been narrowly averted when he lifted steel tarrifs.
Not aware of any republican conspiracies.
Religious upheaval - Church of England over gay priest what a schism.
New wave in Music/Literature.

Mark is not back permanently
Still can&#8217;t upload pictures.

Brolean

Programmers still give us reality junk

Pastey

British Govt near corporal law - id cards coming but not this year, Hutton inquiry into Gilligan&#8217;s report close. You decide.
Humiliating defeat for Government. Almost on foundation hospitals. The Lords are holding all sorts up though.

Gubernatrix


Five economic tests were a complete non-event.
The AIDS vaccine works to delay
Girls Aloud split up.
IDS was replaced as Tory leader.
Yasser Arafat has not been replaced as Palestinian leader. Despite Bush and Sharon&#8217;s best efforts.
The problems in West Africa have continued to be ignored.
Catherine Zeta Jones hasonly had one more child.
The Angligan no Raelians took over from the Scientologists as the next trendy sect.
JK Rowling finished that damn Harry Potter book herself no ghost writer required
Finally Homegrown (British) hip hop will start getting some attention. GET REAL!!!!

OIC. A list to review last year. My list is for 2004. I'll start the thread now.

No. I made no money. But the hope hasn't died yet.

KEEP THE FAITH!

Possibly, but that's there's only 8 days to go...It seems less and less likely.

>> predict that after Castro dies in 2003, Cuba will become both a haven for American corporations seeking cheap labor and a more exotic version of Nevada, complete with legalized gambling and prostitution. Booming tourist trade from its northern neighbor will ultimately turn
the island nation into a wealthy "paradise of vice."<<
You mean, just like it used to be before Castro came along?

Marzipan is disgusting!

I presume the above were predictions... here I am at the opposite end of the year, and I am surprised how many of them came 'quasi' true! In the celebrity section, numbers 6,11,13 and 18. In the world section - 3,10,15 and 17 (yesterday (!) except it was a little weeny teeny earthquake with a disproportionately big fuss beingh made about it.