It's a new year, which means it's time for people to start predicting what the next 363 days have in store. People, including the Phillyist staff. After the jump, check out what they're anticipating for the not-too-distant future. Feel free to leave your predictions in the comments section!

Jim Genzano, Editor
1. Mayor Street will finally get indicted for something or other.
2. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah will really make it big.
3. John Kerry and Al Gore will officially announce their candidacy for President.
4. An environmental disaster will occur that will finally force the US government to make big changes to pertinent laws and regulations.
5. Phillyist will really make it big.

Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey, Editor
1. Philadelphians continue to have their panties in a wad over their losing sports teams. Phillyist combats the problem by wearing only thong underwear.
2. Pirates sail up the Delaware River and reclaim, from the Independence Seaport Museum, any possessions belonging to their pirate brethren and ancestors.
3. Stephen Starr, backed by an army of sous chefs with sharpened cooking knives, completes his takeover of the Philadelphia restaurant industry. Nobody will ever have to B their O again—trendy, fluorescent cocktails for everyone!
4. Water-free urinals in the new Comcast Tower make it that much harder to find a willing custodial staff.
5. Mayor Street continues to get away with shit, until he runs out of family members to blame.

Sarah Gormley, Arts and Entertainment
1. Apamate will have to close its doors if more people don't start showing up on weeknights.
2. Marah will give up their European pretensions and move back home.
3. It will be a great year for the undead.

Brion Shreffler, Sports
1. Despite last year's high murder rate, we will see no significant changes in gun control legislation. Sure, the candidates in the upcoming election will talk about making changes, but remember deep down the NRA and the gun lobby (same thing) have more pull than people getting shot in low income neighborhoods. How else do you explain that city council and Harrisburg couldn't even move forward with a one-gun-a-month law? Lets not slip back into complacency simply because the count was reset.
2. The Mayoral Race will once again see the city divided along racial lines. While this is lamentable and plain embarrassing to us all, it would be nice if we could kick everyone out of City Hall and start over again. Since we can't do that, let's at least not elect one of Mayor Street's buddies (Chaka Fatah). Do we really need someone from one of the most corrupt administrations in office come 2008? But then again, Street's administration has been all about helping his friends, so having one of them replace him would be a perfect way to cap off one of the worst administrations this city has ever seen.
3. The Comcast Center is going to be a giant blight on our skyline. Surpassing Liberty One's antenna by thirty feet, its going to look like a cloaked robot standing out in the middle of a crowd. Better fit for Metropolis then Philly, I just wish I could say I was the Dean of Yale's School of Architecture every time I fucked up.
4. The Eagles, after embarrassing the Giants, narrowly defeating the Saints, and revealing the many weaknesses of Da Bears, will be back in the Superbowl. More than one person will take out another mortgage on their house this time. (Side note: Either the Sixers or the Flyers will score big in their respective drafts—they can't both walk away losers, right?)
5. Playoffs for the Phillies? Ok, sure. Maybe we'll get some more after hours clubs, reconsider our draconian Quaker laws (last call for last call at two a.m.), enact changes to keep people from getting killed on the Boulevard, get more movie theaters, have more outdoor concerts in the summer a la Live 8, and possibly MUCH BETTER public transportation (why does SEPTA get a free pass based on poor performance?). Oh, and it's just generally going to be a great year in Philadelphia.

Jen Cohan, Food and Drink
1. The 13th Street corridor of the Gayborhood will continue to become more gentrified, with even the tranny hookers getting makeovers. Also, after opening 3 businesses (Grocery, Lolita, Open House) within one block of 13th Street, Valerie Safran and Marcie Turney will be declared the reigning diva mayors of said block;
2. Target will open in the old Strawbridge's, bringing low-priced chic closer to Center City denizens;
3. Wig and beauty shops will be added to the Center City Real Estate Endangered Species List.

Brooke Palmieri, Arts and Entertainment
This New Years is a numbers game, and people factor into it too. First, the Eagles will surprise us with a major letdown. For the someteenth consecutive season. Second, the gross domestic rate of men Katie Kuhl attracts will reach 425 in the months of January, February, and March alone. Third, the homicide rate will exceed that. Fourth, so will the number of times Milton Street steals something and gets away with it (good for him). Fifth & finally, World Peace will finally be achieved!

Joanne Jordan, Food and Drink
I predict that Jose Garces will be nominated for a James Beard Award (the culinary equivalent of the Oscars) in May.

Gillian Neff, Style
1. Bobby Clark will continue sucking the life out of the Philadelphia Flyers.
2. Mayor Street will continue not getting his hair cut when he should (that boy is seriously "woofin'," like, always).
3. The Mummers will continue frightening innocent men, women, and children.
4. Keith Richards will continue not dying.

Joe Ross, Arts and Entertainment
My predictions, for what they're worth:

We will (hopefully) see increased awareness and novel policing methods cause a decrease in the murder rate that has not only taken so many native Philadelphian lives but also discouraged scores of others from coming to our city.

The institutions with existing wifi hot spots and the several plans to develop new ones will work together to close the gaps in service, potentially bringing the internet and all the knowledge (and dangers) it has to offer to thousands who don't currently have the privilege.

I will get another job. Possibly even one that I enjoy.

Perhaps now that there is a new agreement between the city's largest papers and their publishers, the two once-opposing parties can get together and figure out how exactly they expect paper news to compete against the instantaneous publishing capabilities of digital cable and the internet.

Finally, I hope that next year when the Storm Trooper and Boba Fett set up their little kiosk out in front of City Hall, that I will be able to stop by and tell them how much I enjoyed their performances in the Star Wars movies. I think they deserve the gratitude, and this year I missed them by only a half hour!