Prediction 1.  A tornado will not wipe out downtown Dallas killing 421 people.  Homeland Security will claim credit for the nonevent.

Prediction 2.  Congress will continuously debate and endless view with alarm, but will do nothing about Medicare, Social Security and Universal Health Care

Prediction 3.  Bill O'Riely a.k.a. Bill-O The Clown will continue to badger, insult, interrupt and abuse his guests.  But amazingly, no one will reach across his desk, hit him up the side of the head with a wet fish and say, "Listen you biased, narcissistic, wind-bag and perhaps the truth can penetrate even your thick skull."

Prediction 4.  The economy will continue to struggle but The Dow will  remain above 5,000.

Prediction 5.  Bernie Madoff who swindled (alleged) investors out of $50,000,000,000 will not serve a day in jail.  He will continue to live in luxury at home.  The rich and powerful take care of their own.

Prediction 6.  A Cat5 hurricane will not strike New York drowning 1,243 people.  Homeland Security will claim credit for the nonevent.

Prediction 7.  President Obama will not meet with an extraterrestrial (ET)  who will demand that we stop polluting the earth by eating meat and using oil for transportation.  However, visits by more that 20 ETs each month will be reported to the Mutual UFO Network .

Prediction 8.   Hillary Clinton will divorce Bill.  For the obvious reasons, see my Blog of April 3, 2008 below.

Prediction 9.  Jay Leno will continue to keep that silly black top knot in the middle of his forehead.  No one will care, since he is still the greatest comedian in the world.

Prediction 10.  A dinosour egg will not be discovered by the University of California which will be hatched and used to terrorize Hollywood with a real life drama. 

  You will please note that I have given specific names, events and places.  Further, I will revisit my predictions at the end of the year and give you my accuracy percentage.  I dare, make that double dare, any physic in America do the same.

Copyright 2009 by C. D. Gragg, All rights reserved

I have no known physic capabilities. However, I have often noted in the past that, within my limits, I can predict the future. Here are my FEARLESS predictions for 2008.

Prediction 1. The Democrats will have a majority in both houses of congress and will win the presidency. They will still complain about not having enough power to enact legislation.  My prediction of the Democrats' sweep was right on.  However, I outsmarted myself in predicting their complains.  Why?  I predicted they would do this in 2008 and they don't even take office until 2009!   For that bone-headed play I give myself only 5 Points.

Prediction 2. A huge jet will not crash into the Empire State Building causing 1,564 fatalities. Home Land Security will claim credit for the nonevent.  True, as predicted.  Both Bush and Home Land Security claimed credit for this nonevent.  10 Points

Prediction 3. Although there is a striking resemblance, David Letterman will not be replaced by a Japanese robot.  A close call but completely accurate.  10 Points

Prediction 4. Despite the hand-wringing, political posturing and finger pointing, Social Security will remain solid as a rock.  True,  Anything in government that is good to the year 2047 is by definition,solid as a rock.   10 Points

Pediction 5. A UFO will not land on the White House lawn. However more than 150 UFO sightings each month will be reported to MUFON (Mutual UFO Network). True, there was no landing however, there were more than 300 UFO sightings reported to MUFON each month.   10 Points

Prediction 6. Chris Angel will not levitate a broom for Ann Coulter to ride out of town.  A great idea which did not happen.            10 Points

Prediction 7. Mexico will not declare war on the United States . Possibly losing the opportunity for repatriations, Marshall Plan, Lend Lease, Favorite Nation Status and priority immigration status for its people.  An opportunity which they have missed again.

10 Points

Prediction 8. A speeding passenger train will not crash into the Mississippi River drowning 453 passengers. Home Land Security will take credit for the nonevent.  True.  Again both Bush and Home Land Security took credit for this nonevent.  10 Points

Prediction 9. In spite of their wobbly high heels, all of the Miss America contestants will successfully walk across the stage with out a single one falling on her butt.  True, they all made it.  The one you are thinking about who fell on her butt was in Italy!    10 Points

Prediction 10. President Bush will not run for a third term. In a related event, he will not suspend the Constitution, dissolve the Congress and declare himself President-For-Life.  True, it must have been a temptation, but even the worst president in history couldn't bring himself to do this.  10 Points

  So, add up the points and you will see that my accuracy was 95 percent.  I never claimed to be perfect. You will please note that I have given specific names, events and places. Further, I have revisited my predictions at the end of the year and have given you my accuracy percentage. Would your physic, could your physic do the same.  I doubt it. 

   Please stay tuned for my fearless predictions for 2009.  Out in about a week.

Copyright 2007, 2008 and 2009 by C. D. Gragg, All rights reserved

What Your Basketball Sportscaster

                           Doesn't Want You To Know!!

    Your basketball sportscaster doesn’t want you to know that virtually every basketball game is decided long before it becomes obvious.   Why doesn’t he want you to know?  He has a built in conflict of interest.

    If you knew the game was over, you would stop listening and his sponsor would sell less soap, beer, Viagra, or whatever.  It is simply a matter of money.  It is his job to keep you interested until the last second.  It really  doesn’t matter to him that the game was decided long ago.

    Well, if you buy into that, fine.  But if you don’t there is a simple way to determine the winner well ahead of time.  Here  are the three simple steps that you can learn quickly and remember easily.

1. Round the game clock up to the next whole minute. 

2. Double that number.

3. Add 1.

   Let’s take an example to be sure you have the concept.

1. Say the game clock shows 3:14, round that up to 4.0

2. Double it.  That is, 2 times 4 equals 8.

3. Add 1.  That is, 8 plus 1 equals 9.

  That’s it.  When a team possesses the ball and is leading by 9 points they will win the game with a “high degree of reliability”^*.

    In case you need a little extra assistance, here is a simple table to help.  Remember that the winning team must have the ball at the time the win is declared.

   ^*In “statistics-speak”, they will win with a minimum reliability of 98.7 per cent at the 90 percent confidence level.  In “human-speak”, this system will fail about one time in a hundred.  A complete documentation of my research is contained in the Articles section of this site.

 The Illegal Alien Problem: The Fair Solution

      To begin, it must be recognized that U. S. citizens and illegal aliens have a symbiotic relationship.  We absolutely depend upon each other.  Without them and their cheap labor, our prices would soar out of sight.  Inflation would hit high double digits almost immediately.  Yet without us, the aliens would be back in their poverty stricken, third world hovels.

    We absolutely must live together.   Any other idea is pure political hokum.   My plan is the fair solution to the illegal alien problem.  In can be accomplished in the following two easy steps

Step1. Seal the borders.  No plan has any hope, even this perfectly fair one, until the borders are sealed.     Whether that takes a fence, cameras, ground surveillance, or sea and air surveillance, that must come before anything else!

Step 2. Every illegal alien must register within six months.  No action will be taken against them unless they have committed crimes.  Failure to be registered after six months will be cause for immediate deportation.  No questions asked.  No excuses allowed.  No sob stories permitted.  Just out.  Gone, now!

   Every illegal alien must become a U. S. citizen within five years.  They may take the citizenship exam in the language of their choice, IF, AND ONLY IF, they have passed the Basic English Survival Exam (BESE).  The BESE will consist of several hundred words which they must be able to speak, understand, read and write.

   These words will deal with how to talk to a doctor or a policeman, report a fire or a crime.  They must know the names of the body parts, common grocery items, and how to count money.  In short they must demonstrate a minimum functioning capability in an English speaking world.

    Failure to become a U. S. citizen after five years would be cause for immediate deportation.  No questions asked.  No excuses allowed.  No sob stories permitted.  Just out.  Gone, now!

   This fair plan considers and satisfies the needs of both.  We will have a stable, cheap work force which protects us from the ravages of inflation and they will get stable, deportation proof jobs making many times the money they made in their country of origin.  This plan is a win-win for everyone and for everyone it is perfectly fair.

deegragg@yahoo.com