Random, pointless 2011 predictions

Film: The following Oscar wins:  The Social Network (Picture and Adapted Screenplay, Director), Firth (Actor), Bale (Supp. Actor, The Fighter) Portman (Actress, Black Swan), Leo (Supp. Actress, The Fighter), Inception (Original Screenplay)

Politics: winners National (NZ) governs in its own right, Coalition (NSW) thumps the ALP, Obama (Gallup approval average rises to 51.5 for calendar 2011), Huckabee emerges as strong consensus possibility for GOP pres. nod by October.

Random Peter Dunne bolts to National; Goff promotes Shane Jones by Feb as part of a “Hail Mary” reshuffle; Anne Tolley is demoted before the election due to inescapable incompetence, Gillard fires Rudd and retakes Newspoll lead with surge of national relief

Sport: All Blacks win Rugby World Cup. That’s all.

Media: NY Times pay-wall exceeds expectations; Twitter IPO announced for 2012; Fairfax struggles; Google tablet challenge sinks and stock price drops