Wednesday Night #930 – the last Wednesday of the 20th century

THE INVITATION

Wednesday Night Salon # 930
Yes, yes, of course the doors are open on this, the last Wednesday of the 1990s – the last Wednesday of the 20th century. So, please join us for a look back – or forward – maybe even sideways!

To all our friends, new and old, we extend our warmest greetings and voeux les plus sincères for a wonderful season, embracing Christmas, Chanukah, the Winter Solstice, Rammadan and even the Pop Apocalypse.

With a certain sadness, we recognize that this is the last time that we write 1999 in connection with a Wednesday Night. The 19’s have been good to Wednesday Night, bringing us many new faces who have become friends, many good topics and many discussions which have opened our eyes to preoccupations and issues that transcend borders. For this, we thank YOU!

The 19’s have been good to many of us personally and probably no better – or worse – than any other century, except for the amazing leaps in technology that permit us all to keep in touch with family, friends and associates around the world. For that we should be truly thankful.

NOW what we would wish for is that ALL those people we cherish and whose friendship we value could be together in one place so that we might enjoy you often and share you with all the others. Maybe in the new Millennium there will be a technology that allows us to “beam you all up”….

In the meantime, this will have to suffice as an expression of our abiding affection and warmest wishes for a truly happy Millennium Christmas Season.

May the Two Thousands bring you much health, “comfort and joy”, and may we often see you “beamed up” to 33 Rosemount on a Wednesday-Night.

Soyez toujours les bienvenus au 33 Rosemount et partagez avec les votres nos meilleurs voeux de santé, de bonheur et de joie.

David and Diana Nicholson

The Salon, #930
December 29, The Last Wednesday-Night of 1999 – and of the 1900s

The loyal band of Wednesday Night Regulars was joined by WN Irregulars, Marc Nicholson, and Jean Low from London (Eng), Isabelle Ramsay Brackstone and Kirby Brackstone from Toronto.

Predictions for the year 2000 and Beyond:
[Editor’s Note:
It has been suggested that over the course of the next few weeks, all those interested – and with something to add, or dispute – bring their predictions regarding their special fields of interest or expertise to the Wednesday-Night table, or write them to the web site. The Nicholsons and their faithful amanuenses will edit to avoid replication, attribute and generally keep track of what was said by whom.]

At his request, Diana Nicholson read into the Record Ron Meisels’ predictions dated November 12 1993 wherein he “declared that the Dow Industrials will touch 7000 on January 14, 1996 at 11:31 a.m.”. On the date of the prediction, the close was 3684.51.

Appended to that bold prediction was a list of others that had materialized or were yet to come:

Mr. Mulroney’s resignation
Mr. Chrétien will form a majority government
Meech Lake will fail
Free Trade will pass
NAFTA will pass
The worst of the recession is yet to come
Québec will not separate.
The sun will rise again … somewhere

He did not mention the depression that he called for
The Toronto Stock Exchange
On January 1, 1995, Market Maven Ron Meisels coined the phrase “10,000 in 2000”. When asked at that time, whether his prediction held true for the TSE as well as for the Dow, Ron replied in the affirmative. It is obvious that the Dow has attained and exceeded the 10,000 level ahead of schedule, but what of the TSE? Ron sticks by his original prediction, 10,000 in 2000 for the TSE.
How will the bubble burst?