Since I'm feeling a bit psychic, and in keeping with the New Year's theme, here are:
Ten Things I'd Predict for (or Really Like to See Happen in) 2020
Be Nice to Others: Those who are hateful to others, but especially those who spend all day on social media attacking someone else, will get some Karma. Being human toward other humans will become a new trend. All right, not for members of RWA, but everyone else.
Book Scammer Bans for Life: Okay this one is probably wishful thinking: being discovered swindling readers results in a lifetime ban from publishing anything on any platform.
College Education Cost Revamp: It's too expensive, and not every parent can save up the way we did. I doubt student loan forgiveness will happen, but someone will create real options to help parents with the financial burdens, and/or give kids like my grandson here a chance to better their future without putting themselves in debt with student loans for the rest of their adult lives.
Curbing the Emotional Support Animal Usage: I know people love their pets. I love mine, too. But if a person can't leave the house without that pit bull who growls at me in the supermarket or the restaurant or the doctor's office, they're messing with my emotional well-being. I'd never do that to them. Anyway, using the very lax rules for ESAs that are allowing people to bring untrained, scary pets into inappropriate places will be somehow curbed. I hope.
Drug Cost Regulation: I think this actually has to happen this year. Because people should not have to ration their insulin or drive to Canada to buy it because they can't afford to pay American prices for life-sustaining drugs. That includes Oliver's mother, btw.
Elect a Decent US President: I don't want to get political, but I think after four years we've had more than enough of the drama, right? And the porn stars. And the violence against children, immigrants, women, Jews, African-Americans -- oh, that list is becoming endless. So I predict we'll have a new prez in office who is a decent person. Just decent, that's all I wish for. Really, that's how low my bar has dropped. Are there any of those people left in Washington?
Health Insurance Repair: I don't know how it can be repaired, but from my POV it's now a huge towering broken mess (like RWA has always been! Ha.) Something has to be in the works to fix it.
New Indie Author Publishing Platform: All indies are sick of Amazon and their scammer-friendly business practices. A new, major platform for indie authors that treats them fairly is overdue, so hopefully we see that this year.
Print on Demand Improvement: I still buy a lot of POD books because I don't like e-readers. The quality of these print editions has gone from eh to dreadful. I bought one book that started shedding pages the first time I read it because the printer didn't use enough glue on the spine. Would be nice to see a POD printer come out with quality control standards.
World-Wide Optimism Restoration: I'd like me and everyone else to look forward to the future with hope rather than dread. Can't guarantee it will happen, though. I'm not going to make another RWA joke, promise.
What are your predictions or wishes for this year? Let us know in comments.
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