Skipstone's 2010 New Year's Predictions

I've always wondered why the people who sell books telling us how to run our businesses, or make millions in real estate, are writing books in the first place.  If they are such experts, shouldn't they just be kicking back with all the millions they made by taking their own advice?

It's the same with people who try to predict the future.  If they were really good at it, they shouldn't be telling us; they should be in Vegas cleaning up at the card table or sports betting window.

That said, I think there are a few safe bets to be made for the coming year and beyond.  I'll share my "top ten" here and invite you to share your own as well:

1) Somewhere, a celebrity will be spectacularly caught cheating on his wife.  And like rubber-neckers at a traffic accident, we won't be able to look away.

2) Health care will be reformed.  Will it be better?  How would I know - do I look like The Amazing Kreskin?

3) We'll all learn to make do with a bit less that we ever thought we could, and maybe even to save a bit more.  Of course, when the economy really gets going again we'll quickly forget the lessons learned in 2009.  Why is it that my parents never forgot the hard lessons they learned about thrift during the Great Depression?  Were they smarter, or were those lessons just so much more painful and permanent?  I hope that one remains a mystery.

4) In healthcare staffing, travel nursing will return to it's position as the "hot" specialty for staffing companies.  The big, multi-specialty staffing companies will redirect their resources to nursing, leaving companies like Skipstone, which specializes only on travel therapy staffing, to continue serving the niche we are totally dedicated to.

5) The average temperature of the earth will either rise or fall.  "Experts" will argue over the accuracy of the measurement, who's fault it is and what, if anything, we should do about it.  Which side of the argument we are on will be closely correlated with who we voted for in the last presidential election.

6) The BCS (Bowl Championship Series) will continue to be a farce.

7) Computers, cell phones and TVs will get better, faster, and cheaper.  But my wife still won't learn how to program them.

8) Somewhere, some idiot will humiliate him/herself, or wrecklessly endanger his/her children, while trying to become a celebrity.  Too many of us will encourage this behavior by actually watching.

9) Rehabilitation Therapy (PT, OT, SLP) will continue to be a vital and necessary part of our health care system.  Coming changes to that system may create challenges for the profession to overcome, but the benefits provided will be recognized and the system will find a way to compensate these important healthcare professionals appropriately.  

10) The world will not end in 2012.  Sue me if I get this one wrong.