How are my 2010 predictions doing?

I know it's very early in the year, but let's look at my predictions for the year and how they're doing. Especially since they are so dire, essentially an apocalypse making the Great Depression look like a bad hair day, it could be very useful to see if they are on track to come true. Below are original predictions, with today's updates in green:

1. Residential real estate prices in general will drop at least another 10 to 20%. Starts in the spring.

This has started, just announced.

2. Commercial real estate will lose a lot more value and default like crazy.

This has started.

3. Unemployment, even the official rate, will hit at least 11%.

Likely. Right now the numbers are being manipulated with statistical tricks.

4. Personal bankruptcies will continue to set new records. Why would they not?

They are.

5. The value of the dollar will continue to drop, driving up prices of gold, gas, oil, food, etc.

Stalled relative to Euro, still dropping relative to other currencies.

6. It will become clear that inflation has arrived, despite official denials.

Done. PPI and real CPI starting to cause alarm with large increases.

7. The stock market will drop by a few thousand points.

Dropped 800 points. The drop I’m talking about has been held off by direct Fed intervention.

8. Small banks will fail in droves.

Hundreds more have been added to the critical list. They officially expect the rate of growth of that list to increase, and hundreds to fail. About 1,800 are technically bankrupt, since their loss reserves could never cover their losses they are trying to ignore.

9. Talk of a recovery will evaporate as people realize unemployment is still rising, bankruptcies rising, defaults and foreclosures rising, and Christmas sales were dismal.

Done. Consumer confidence has plunged, hundreds of analysts, and some lawmakers are talking of the “inevitable collapse and depression”

10. Gold will continue to rise as people run to it as they worry about paper money

Stuck at the moment at a high level.

11. We will see the default/ bankruptcy of at least a couple of countries.

Greece and Portugal are teetering precariously. Ten more are right behind them.

12. Commodity prices will continue to rise, as free government money all over the world is chasing investments.

Some have so far.

13. Despite what most experts say, China’s economy will prove to be a bubble if they don’t rein it in soon.

Chinese have decided to rein it in and have started. There were clear signs of bubbles.

14. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I don’t see how the federal government is going to finance its debt. What they are trying to borrow this year is far, far beyond what any government has ever tried to borrow before. Americans are likely to lend about 5% of it. Foreigners, based on current trends, won’t lend any of it.

The Treasury auctions have been deteriorating. There was a near-failed auction on the 12^th, bid to cover ratios are down, China is reducing its holdings of US debt, foreign buyers in general are reducing their US debt. A plan is afoot to force Americans to lend money to the government. That’s not a good sign. People have always lent money voluntarily until now.

Unfortunately, the verdict so far is that things are right on track to say the least, the wrong track. There are no lollipops and rainbows on this track!