Predictions end of year 2017

This year holds with it much uncertainty as we see the safety net come tumbling down and a follower of the Russian state take control of our country. The conventional wisdom is that it will be a good year for stocks and the capitalist class. The calendar dictates it is time for my annual economic predictions, so here we are.

In red are the numbers at the close of today, the last business day of 2016. In black are my predictions from last year and  this time next year.

Entity      No. today     My prediction a year ago     Prediction a year from now.
S and P     2239             2100                                      2400
Dow         19763          18500                                    20100
NAS          5383            5000                                      5500
MSFT        63.55           60                                         60
Oil             53.89           60                                          60
Unemployed  4.4%       5%                                         4.3%

So it looks like I under priced the market. This year I think things will get better too, at least for those of us who dabble in such things.

The Philadelphia Eagles will get in the playoffs this year. The left wing of the country will be noisy and hold lots of demonstrations in the coming year. For the Trump voters it will be a nerve wracking time, following the old adage "be careful what you wish for". Happy New Years. May we have a nuclear free winter.

Christmas clutter

I don't know why, but this year my place seems to be inundated with Christmas clutter. I just came in from the cold and the first thing I did was, crunch, step on three Christmas candy canes in a bow. They were so cute before I pulverized them. Where did they come from? They were a goodie bag that I was handed when I walked into the work holiday party. And last night I stumbled over wrapping paper. Why are there all those boxes blocking the way to the kitchen? They are the boxes my out of town gifts came in.

I have Christmas letters on the floor of the living room, empty candy boxes on top of the tv, and my one empty chair has Christmas record album inner sleeves that should go with the albums I hope to play tomorrow.

Things are worse for me since I am a December birthday baby and still have birthday cards and birthday gifts on the floor of my home office. Once I get all my Christmas gifts in the next few days I will have more clutter. Plus I have all the gifts I have yet to wrap. I hope the tape holds out.  If I can find it in all the clutter.

I know. The secret is organization. And getting rid of stuff. Tomorrow I'll try to get organized. Happy Kringles, Mr. Mustache.

Adult school

Apparently, millennials don't know how to do some of the things we adults know how to do. I was just reading this article about how lame millennials are. Apparently they don't know how to make a bed, set a table or change a tire.
In horror, I realized that I have grown terribly rusty myself on these apparent life skills.
Skill:                     Last time I did it
Making a bed        The last time I really made my bed was in 1998 when my        mother was visiting from Texas.

Setting a table       The last time I set a table was in October.

Changed a tire       The last time I changed a tire was when I owned the Escort in                                1995.

Changing a diaper  I have never changed a diaper.

Put up Christmas lights outside     I helped put up Christmas lights the day after Thanksgiving in 2010.

Cooked breakfast for a hungry group of people   I have never cooked breakfast     for a hungry group of people.

Carved a turkey                              I have never carved a turkey.

Made dinner rolls for Thanksgiving dinner   Last month I made dinner rolls for a hungry group of people.

Put up a Christmas tree                   I helped put up a Christmas tree last week.

Chopped down a Christmas tree     I chopped down a Christmas tree in 1984.

Change a smoke detector                I changed a smoke detector last year.

Grow vegetables                              I grew tomatoes two years ago.

Fold sheets                                       I have never folded sheets.

The four rules of life

Never play cards with a man called Doc. Never eat at a place called Mom's. Never sleep with a woman whose troubles are worse than your own. Never make a Secretary of Defense a man called "Mad dog."  Just saying. 

Editor's note: Nelson Algren wrote the three rules of life.