FAIRHOPE, Ala. — The Amazing Kreskin nailed many of his local and national predictions for 2009, but missed the mark on hurricanes. To be fair, so did most of the meteorologists who earn a living keeping track of such things. The 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season was not nearly as active as expected because an El Niño developed, something that thrilled those of us living here on the Gulf Coast.

He was correct, however, in his assessment the economy would not experience the recovery last year that so many hoped for. He expects a somewhat rocky road ahead in 2010 as well.

“This is probably the most serious year I’ve ever focused on with my predictions,” Kreskin said during a December interview. The mentalist, who made nearly 200 appearances in 2009, covering three million miles, added, “I decided with all going on, I’m going to focus on very serious aspects of the present and future.”

That means no glimpse into the year ahead for Paris Hilton, Jon and Kate (with or without the eight), Octomom, Charlie Sheen, or those people who crashed the White House state dinner yet continue to claim they were invited.

Kreskin said it is unlikely the United States government will ever repay its debt, adding, “$1 million a day since the birth of Christ does not add up to our debt.” And he doesn’t expect legislators to ever willingly step aside to let someone else have a crack at the problem.

“I remember at the end of World War II that Congress became concerned about term limits,” Kreskin said. He noted he lost faith in most politicians long ago, adding, “How can they be such hypocrites that they didn’t act on limiting their terms? They’re almost satires of themselves. We should extend the amount of time, but limit it.”

Kreskin expects a renewed American outcry for term limits to soon come, but stressed he is not political and therefore not considering making a run at any of those currently walking the halls of power. He said, “I want to go on record that I refuse to run for public office because I have more respect for organized crime. I don’t think either a Democrat or Republican president has the answers to our problems. Teddy Roosevelt was right. We need a third party, but it may erode support for the Republican Party.”

President Obama’s support in the polls is rapidly fading, and Kreskin predicts that if he fails to be elected to a second term, it will be because of one or two women. He didn’t elaborate on whether that might spell scandal for the president, or simply means a woman will defeat Obama in 2012.

Kreskin, who appears semi-regularly on former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s Fox News Channel program, said several broadcast news giants have come from foreign countries, but it will be Warren, Ohio native Roger Ailes, Fox News Channel president, who makes waves this year “in ways people don’t know right now.”

Lawyers have long been the target of humor, but Kreskin wasn’t joking when he predicted the “partial death of the law profession.” He said, “There is one lawyer for every 300 people. (The profession) has to create problems to make a living.”

Kreskin said there is a need to shut down law schools for four or five years to even the balance. He said Benjamin Franklin wrote that legislators should be representative of the population, yet too many are attorneys by trade.

He also lamented a lack of hesitation in filing “outrageous lawsuits.” Kreskin said, “We are the most litigious country in the world, and personal lawsuits will increase as people look to make money.”

Kreskin also worries about the crimes committed against children, and about the desensitizing of the public when it comes to gun violence, something he sees increasing.

“When I was a kid, the art of self defense was a popular activity,” he said. “It will continue to be an art in this country. You don’t know if someone has a gun or not. Kids don’t want to walk to school today. I’m not against possessing guns, but there’s less qualifications for possessing a gun than driving a car.”

Kreskin said a catastrophic murder involving 16-18 victims may be the catalyst that makes people examine gun use more closely. He said, “We’re talking about the safety of an individual in their home. A home is broken into every 15 seconds. We’re going to have a situation where people are going to wonder how to be safe in their homes.” A byproduct of this, he said, will be a surge in neighborhood cohesion in addressing the problem.

Leisure will take an interesting turn this year, according to Kreskin. He predicts more time will be spent searching for treasure in forests and other locales. That could mean an uptick in GPS and metal detector purchases.

A four-day work week is on the horizon for more Americans this year, Kreskin said, although he expects such a schedule “will be of social detriment to workers.” One person holding three jobs will become more common.

He also projected that more people will look for jobs as referees at sporting events, riding on trains and buses will gain in popularity and business meetings will include quiet time to think. He explained, “People are going to realize it’s not necessary to have noise all the time.”

Kreskin said the continuing recession will force people to live with less while they actually lead richer lives. He added, “People will invite others into their homes to have dinner for side cash. It’s already started in the South.”

Kreskin predicts that drug enforcement will continue to be a failure in 2010, as was Prohibition during the 1920s. He said, “History has hardly taught us at all, and we will pay that price.”

Women will visit their obstetricians less this year because of the growing cost of insurance,” Kreskin said. But more will be known about the causes of dementia, and how to treat it.

“There will be new techniques in everyday life to keep minds sharp, such as dance lessons, gardening, listening to classical music, the use of the non-dominant hand. I think we will be surprised,” he said.

Pets will be of more importance in our lives, the mentalist said. Turtles will become a more popular pet, and more folks will become involved in training guide dogs for the blind and disabled.

Tourism along the Alabama coast will continue to suffer because of the recession. Kreskin said, “This is a slow transitional time because of the financial transition. People aren’t traveling as much. This will take a couple of years to change.”

He cautioned, “Don’t jump to the conclusion that gambling will solve all the problems though. There is a downside. Casinos were not built by winners.”

Kreskin predicts good times ahead for the area’s charter boat industry. The red snapper population might be the key. He said, “I have a feeling it will rebound.”

Asked about global warming, Kreskin said, “There’s been a lot of deception on that. Do I see some warming? Yes, but it’s cyclical.”

The Montclair, N.J. native, who will turn 75 on Jan. 12, expects the American people will be less “expense-minded” this year. He said, “I think there’s going to be an offshoot of people not spending so endlessly. We’re going to be a more happy nation. Neighborhoods are going to take care of each other. More young people will be doing service work more and more.”

Kreskin said universities will even encourage potential students to wait two years after high school before enrolling because it will give them a chance to help others and solidify future plans. But he is no fan of the No Child Left Behind act championed by President George W. Bush.

“It’s an asinine, outrageous thing,” he said. “We learn from our mistakes.”

Kreskin was recently a passenger aboard an airplane that came within 100 feet of crashing into a mountain in Canada. He struck his head on the bulkhead when the plane suddenly dropped. Although he was not seriously injured, the experience might have had an impact on the topics he chose to discuss.

“Some of the things I’ve talked about have been on my mind for a couple of years, and I’m not a negative person. I’m a positive person,” Kreskin said.

The difficulty we as a nation often have getting along with one another seems to weigh heavily on Kreskin’s mind these days. If attitudes in general don’t change, Kreskin believes we will soon be “at war” with each other. He said, “We have to be cohesive in our thinking. I predict with the problems we’re having now with our society, this will turn out to be a better society because of it.”

Kreskin was fascinated with magic by age 5. His ability to find hidden objects emerged during childhood games. He said that since then, he developed his talents to include hypnosis and mind reading.

He is also an accomplished pianist who has performed as a guest artist with symphonies throughout the U.S. and Canada, and showcases his talents as a mentalist at theaters around the country.

Kreskin has made countless appearances on radio and television, including late night shows hosted by Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Carson Daly. He has also made regular appearances on the “Today Show” and “Live” with Regis Philbin, along with Fox News Channel and ESPN.

He has assisted in various law enforcement investigations, and is the author of more than a dozen books, including the latest out in paperback, “Kreskin Confidential: The World's Greatest Mentalist Speaks Out.”