Real Talk!

So, here it is... the 2nd of January 2012. We're short of snow to operate the ski hill (Madawaska Mountain)... waiting for more to accumulate and ready to reopen as soon as it comes. The Chamber of Commerce is closed today (although I did go in for about an hour and a half to catch up on email and a few other things) and Real Estate... well... we've got the same irons in the same fire... and so, Real Estate just is.

Piper is having a mid-day siesta... at 2 1/2, it's an Australian shepherd's way of telling me that I'm not exactly the life of the party... the kids are showering- and complaining of being bored. Oh relish the moment, you guys!

I can't believe how long it is taking for my achilles tendon to heal AND how much it curtails one- but I know there are worse things and I know that this, too, shall pass.

I've been perusing some of the predictions for 2012 (aside from the Mayan Calendar hype)... something I generally like to do at the beginning of the year... here are a few:

2012 is the year Americans finally learn the difference between an Arab and a Persian, and it's a lesson that won't come cheap.

Clinton will run with Obama. Obama stays in the white house.

In social media, it will be less of "be everywhere" and more of "be where it counts" and master your craft- content is what matters!

Democracy will not return to Greece or Italy- this won't worry the Italians but the Greeks will rebel.

Oil prices will drop.

Some famous-name restaurants in Las Vegas will close down.

The hot new food of 2012 will be Asian dumplings.

The "old fashioned" will be cocktail of the year.

The US military footprint will widen considerably.

Al-Quadea will re-emerge with strong links to Africa.

Synthetic biology will be the hot investment area for venture capitalists.

A year from now, two out of these three entities will no longer exist: Groupon, Kodak, Newsweek.

Energy efficiency standards will be more widely implemented.

Big Data: The increasing volume of unstructured data will inevitably lead companies to start investigating options not only around how to contain and manage this volume of structured and unstructured data, but also how to mine it and leverage it for competitive advantage.

Email's usefulness is reaching an end.

The biggest innovation for coming years will happen around virtual storage.

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel will tie the knot.

Kim Kardashian will remarry and have a baby.

Rock of Ages will be the movie event of the year.

Madonna will take on Lady Gaga.

Black wedding dresses will be popular.

Watch for Snooki in Playboy Magazine.

European vacations make a comeback.

Beekeeping sweeps North America.

A Royal baby will be born.