Predictions for 2021

It’s time to finally put this in writing! I have some interesting predictions for this year. This summer will be particularly interesting.

There will be a monstrously huge hack. A major hosting provider (not naming any names). Let’s make it detailed, just to make it interesting: A minimum of 300 million mailboxes and/or private drives exposed as well impacting at least 100 of the Fortune 500 companies. Or possibly PPI, HIPAA, or financial data for at least 300 million individuals globally. Something remarkably large is around the corner. I can feel it.

Power outage: Some time between May and August there will be an extended power outage affecting an entire Chicago South Side neighborhood, inciting residents to take their thawing meat out of their freezers and having a giant barbecue.

The US will have a record high number of mental health hospitalizations due to a shocking surge in manic episodes.

Our confidence in our safety and health will reach a tipping point against our crippling fear of COVID. This will manifest on a strikingly beautiful late spring or summer day. People will suddenly feel compelled to step outside. The number of folks in the streets as people walk out of their homes and offices will be phenomenal. People will openly cry, embrace each other in the sun, and they will mourn. That night they will begin to celebrate. The celebration will continue for at least another day or two, with a parade-like atmosphere in several Chicago neighborhoods.

Another virus as bad as COVID. Sorry, folks. I really hate this one. I don’t have more details unfortunately.

The US population (minus the number of immigrants) will remain stagnant for the first time ever. This is despite the surge in “COVID babies”

Church membership will increase. News outlets will report a surge in anti-atheist sentiment. There will be a few newsworthy instances of violence against alleged atheists.

Mass suicide resulting in at least 700 deaths, but it gets very little attention.

Both protests and riots will encounter a more decisive and violent response than they typically have in the past.

I will be grateful for a blessed year in which my family and friends have their basic needs.

There will be a problem with a vaccine resulting in thousands of deaths but millions of saved lives. Nevertheless the public will ignore that math. The global change in public attitudes will lead to a resistance against vaccines and growing mistrust against medicine and government for years.

There will be violence between “vaxxers” (aka reasonable folks) and “anti-vaxxers (aka morons) resulting in 30 deaths in the US alone. The global situation will be much worse with 5,500 deaths.

The stock market will continue to do well for most of the year. In April or May it will hit a brief speed bump, and then again in September, but overall the Market will have a good year.

The percentage of US households with pets will soar above 70%. The number of service animals will increase dramatically.