Reflections on 2016 - Final

This isn't actually another retrospective post, but instead it's my attempt at predicting what my life will be like one year from now. I could expand the scope of my prognostication and try to make some predictions about the world around me, but given that we're less than one month away from President Donald J. Trump, I don't think anyone has a legitimate clue what's going to happen on a national or international level in 2017. I certainly don't. Maybe I'll throw some random forecasts out there just for the fuck of it. Maybe not. Anyway, moving on. Here are my predictions for this time next year.

1. I'll have successfully completed the 2017 Atacama Crossing. Duh. That's the whole point of this damn blog. If this one doesn't come true, then what the fuck was I doing?
2. I'll still be working at the same company I'm at now. I imagine I'll be doing the same thing I do now or something close to it, and I expect that I'll have once again failed to pass the engineering promotion process. Having re-read some of the expectations for the next level up, I think my skills and area of work are just too specialized. Whatever.
3. I'll be in the same apartment. This one is sort of a no-brainer, because my lease expires at the end of December next year, but what I really mean to say is that I'll have renewed my lease for one more year. That said, I will also have a serious plan put together for making my exit from the SF area.
4. I won't be dating anyone. This will be by choice, rather than by lack of success. I just don't foresee wanting to get involved in any kind of serious relationship; it takes a fuck-ton of effort, and let's face it, blackbirds are not for amateurs or the faint of heart. I think it's not outside the realm of possibility that I might go on a date or two at some point next year, but I doubt that I will like any of those people enough to want to see them more than once or twice.^[1]
5. Mass-wise, I'll be closer to 200 than 250. Mathematically, all this means is that I'll be under 225, but I think it's a virtual certainty that this will happen given my training for #1. I doubt I'll be under 200 unless I drop into the single digits for body fat percentage, and I like food way too much for that to happen.

There's nothing too exciting in the above list, but I think that's because I'm not expecting my life to be that chaotic next year. I'll still have my trip to Ozora, and I'll do as much skiing as I can, but I'm not planning any major life changes. So, let's have some fun - a few predictions for the world as a whole in 2017 - some of which I definitely hope will NOT come true.

1. North Korea will successfully miniaturize their nuclear weapons to put onto a missile warhead and conduct a successful test of their delivery system. Shortly thereafter, the DPRK will be wiped off the face of the earth, because Kim Jong-Un mistakenly thought he could lob a nuke at a populated area and not incur any reprisals.
2. The Supreme Court will NOT reverse Roe v. Wade. This might happen in 2018, but even though Trump will be picking Scalia's replacement early in his first term, he'll just be replacing a conservative with another conservative, and it won't upset the ideological balance of power.
3. There will be a CBRN terrorist attack on a major world city. I don't think it will be in the USA; it's more likely to come in Europe or Southeast Asia.
4. At least one European country will hold a referendum on leaving the EU.
5. The Dow will close the year at around 18000, or roughly 10 percent lower than it is today. Gold prices will be up about 15 percent, which I think puts it at around $1300/oz. Bitcoin will be at an all-time high - over $1500.
6. The Chicago Cubs, having broken the curse of the billy goat, will repeat as World Series champions.
7. The Cleveland Cavaliers will not repeat as NBA champions; the Golden State Warriors will get revenge for last year's defeat and reclaim the title.
8. Ronda Rousey will never win again in the UFC and retire from MMA.

I think that's enough. What I should really be saying is that I have no fucking idea what the future holds, and we'll find out when we get there. It will probably be nothing at all like what any of us are expecting - it never is.