January 1, 2024
Just Saying…
The Science of Predicting the Future
By Q.C. Jones
As we move forward in January, I have been suffering flashbacks to my early childhood and my first conscious encounters with the launching of a new year. Thinking about one’s childhood is a strange phenomenon. While I am pretty sure I heard the term, the actual flipping of the calendar and being capable of understanding the difference between, say 1958 and 1959, doesn’t take place until you are able to comprehend a calendar.
My first such event took place in my fifth year when I recall my grandfather taking an old calendar down and ceremonially replacing it with the new. In this case it was a calendar with a cool picture of a streamline Wabash Railroad Blue Bird passenger train. In some ways this single event brought the concept of years into my thought stream.
As these early years slowly passed, I became cognizant of New Year’s Eve parties, and the meaning behind, “We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.” This was a big deal for an emerging “mid-century” mind.
While I could go onward ad nauseum on the growing up and the forming of young QC Jones, I suspect the whole deal would be BORING so we will leave that pontification for another time. But, if you thirst for more, find me in some downtown saloon, pretend you are interested, and ply me with strong drink. Instead, I want to talk about New Years Predictions.
Back in the day, the tabloids and radio chit-chat always included much on the topic of psychic predictions. During each of my January trips to the grocery store with my family, I was drawn to the magazine section of the store and the tabloids. While the family was perusing Cheerios in the cereal aisle, I was reading The National Enquirer. I, like a moth drawn to a flame, was pulled toward that harbinger of journalistically screaming headlines.
I loved the predictions. Thinking about this further, I wonder why I completed third grade knowing full well that aliens would destroy the earth sometime just before summer break.
Just to give you all a flavor for these predictions, my extensive research reveals several predictions worth revisiting. To add to your reading enjoyment, I have taken the indecent liberty of tossing in commentary from your favorite journalistic friend – QC Jones.
The reigning queen of the mid-century psychics was Jeane Dixon. Knowing full well that she predicted that robots would be writing about her in 2024, I leaned on ChatGPT for a paragraph on Ms. Dixon. Here’s what this computerized marvel came up with: “In the whimsical world of predictions, Jeane Dixon reigns supreme, wearing her psychic crown with flair. Known for foreseeing the future, she once predicted QC Jones would find his keys, but he’s still searching. Maybe she saw the punchline before the joke. Either way, I hope she’s not foreseeing my next 50+ Lifestyle topics.”
Jeane Dixon, photo credit: Wikipedia
Here are a few noteworthy predictions from Jeane.
World War III in 1958: Dixon predicted that World War III would begin in 1958 and involve the Soviet Union and the United States. Fortunately, this prediction did not come true. While I was quite young at the time, and war could have been raging, I don’t recall any of this interfering with Santa’s ability to bring a genuine electric robot for Christmas.
Assassination Attempt on President Eisenhower: She predicted that President Dwight D. Eisenhower would be assassinated in 1955. Again, I was pretty young, but my family was pretty big on President Eisenhower, and I suspect I would have heard at least something.
End of the World in 2020: In her book “The Call to Glory,” Dixon predicted that the world would end in 2020. This is one of my favorite predictions. I hope everyone will excuse me for not reporting on the apocalypse.
Predictions of the apocalyptic variety are my personal favorite. Just to bring you up to speed, here are a couple more:
End of the World October 21, 2011: Harold Camping, a Christian radio broadcaster predicted the world would end on October 21, 2011. While famous Apple President Steve Jobs died two weeks ahead of this day, the rest of us made it. The 21st was a Friday, and I didn’t even get off early.
End of the World December 21, 2012: Detailed interpretations of the Mayan calendar said sayonara to the world. Everybody talked about it. I considered a trip to the Mayan city of Chicken Itza in Mexico. I did get a great deal on reservations in Cancun for January 2013. I didn’t prepay because there were no refunds tied to world-ending catastrophes.
It seems like these psychic types are striking out so I might as well end with a prediction of my own. I predict parking spaces down at the mall will be much easier to find after the New Year.
Just saying… QC Jones
