At this time of year, it's traditional to make predictions for the forthcoming 12 months. Then, in a year's time, it's traditional to try to convince everyone that you were uncannily accurate in your predictions.
list of anagrams of my friend Carolyn (whose surname is Farthing)'s name. So I chose 10 anagrams from the list at random. Here they are (in alphabetical order):
- Anything for Carl
- Fact: gnarly rhino
- Flat granny choir
- Frantic horny gal
- Fraying cloth ran
- Half-contrary gin
- Hot girl ran. Fancy!
- Lift angry anchor
- Nor canary flight
- RAF clothing yarn
Throughout 2003, I shall keep a look out for newsworthy stories or personal events that happened to me or people I know, that can generously be described as having been foretold/described by one of the above 'predictions'.
Postscript: The results are in…
Throughout 2003, I did indeed keep a look out for newsworthy stories that could generously be described as having been foretold/described by my 'predictions'.
The final result was 8 out of 10 [*], which is uncanny in anyone's book. Here is the list of successes:
- Prediction 2: Fact: gnarly rhino
Baby rhino born. [More »]- Prediction 4: Frantic horny gal
Also the baby rhino story (see prediction 2 above). [More »]- Prediction 5: Fraying cloth ran
Fraying cloth was the in thing in fashion this year. [More »]- Prediction 6: Half-contrary gin
Locals semi-disagree with government slur. [More »]- Prediction 7: Hot girl ran. Fancy!
Paula Radcliffe smashes the women's marathon record. [More »]- Prediction 8: Lift angry anchor
Veteran TV news anchorman, Bill Carlson, leaves show. [More »]- Prediction 9: Nor canary flight
Norwich City defender Daryl Sutch leaves his club. [More »]- Prediction 10: RAF clothing yarn
RAF employees complain that they are ill-equiped for the Gulf. [More »]
…So the next time you hear someone claiming to be psychic, tell them about my friend Carolyn, and how she managed to get 8 out of 10 without even trying.
[*] Stop Press: Of the two remaining predictions, one of them eventually came true on 9th May, 2004:
- Prediction 1: Anything for Carl
Dick Van Dyke says he would "do anything for Carl Reiner". [More »]
