A Few Predictions For 2009 and Words About Dreaded New Years Resolutions

FIRST ABOUT RESOLUTIONS

AS I'VE GOTTEN OLDER, I've come to realize that deep expectations of ourselves and others with dictates about hard and fast change that we stake our happiness on are just big disappointments waiting to happen. That doesn't mean I have to be hard-hearted towards relationships (to the contrary), nor I'm not disappointed in myself and others at times, but it does mean I put my trust ultimately and realistically in and on another Source, another Hope and in another, Higher World. And this Source alone helps guide me---the only one I can deal with---to change.

I've learned something's usually going right, when things seem to be going wrong. My job is to discover what it is and grow as best I can, with minimum protest.

I've learned to use the words Never and Always less. As much as I wish to be the paragon of consistency and virtue, I find that in my fallen state, I'm not what I wish all the time. That's why the gift of repentance is such a powerful process in my life. And it is a process.

So when it comes to New Year's resolutions I've learned to think more in terms of going in a certain direction, rather than attaining some high-and-mighty goal, for once and for all. It helps me move forward with direction, knowing I'm sometimes going to miss the mark. But it also keeps me from letting myself off the hook. In the end, I believe God puts us here to turn to Him and to grow up with His help. It can be a terribly messy process----one day, sometimes one minute, at a time.

This year I want to continue in several directions I began last year: I want to spend more time in Bible study, prayer, Scripture memorization and service to others. I want to eat well and less, and exercise daily. I want to do more original writing and thinking ---is there anything original under the sun?---here at Webutante, even if it means not posting every single day. I want to waste less time in trivia and spend more quality time in person, in the real world with family, friends, those I love and would like to know better. As per 2008, I'll win a few and lose a few. But with God's help and guidance, I commit to doing what I think is best in each situation.

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NOW FOR SOME 2009 PREDICTIONS:

1. Stocks markets will rebound and pick-up mightily the first half of this year. While still no conclusive leadership groups have been established---which indeed will most certainly happen and soon---my hunch is on construction for infra-structure, bio-techs, Internet and wireless stocks. I'm up-in-the-air about gold. Will revamp this as the month goes on.

2. The Day of Gore Hysteria has come and going, going ....soon gone as more real scientists step-up and dispute faux evidence for man-made climate change. That's not to say that climates aren't changing or that Gore won't, for a while at least, make a ton of money with his carbon bashing investment funds, as nincompoops like these jump on his band wagon. My money is on solar sunspot activity being the biggest predictor of weather forces here on earth. And the dirth of sunspots this past year portends a chilling trend over the next year.

3. Bill Clinton will be named to fill his wife's vacant Senate seat until 2010 as she goes to head State Department. This will be a good thing in that it may rein Bill in for a little while as global emissary who would be World Czar and potentially minimize embarrassment to the Obama Administration with Bill running all over like a loose cannon. It also gets us beyond the now thorny question of Caroline, The Divine.....er, wrong already?

4.Petro-tyrants like Putin, Chavez, Ahmadinejad and the Cuba brothers won't be nearly so bold in their threats as their oil revenues go steadily down in 2009. Sure, they can still make trouble, but not nearly as much as when they're flush with too much cash.

5. Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, and Czech President Vaclav Klaus, new head of the EU, will remain my favorite politicians. There are so many reasons to like these two that I'll make a point to follow them much more. While I'm at it, I want to keep an eye on the new mayor of London, former journalist Boris Johnson who's refreshingly politically incorrect and may be a new conservative leader in the Thatcher genre.

6. Bankruptcies will proliferate with the state of California leading the way. Anything, anyone with lots of debt it can't pay off will be up for grabs. It won't be pretty.

7. The Southeastern United States will still be the most vibrant place to live this year and for decades to come. Its sounder economic base, God-fearing people and conservative values, not to mention its great home-cooking, will mean the trials and tribulations we face as a nation will be a little less dismal. And yes, SEC college football will continue to rule our nation's sports heart and soul.