Grand Theft Auto IV

Fact: Grand Theft Auto IV officially goes on sale at midnight tonight.

Prediction: Crime rates will increase over the next 3-5 months.

This prediction has nothing to do with Grand Theft Auto IV. Instead, crime rates will increase because the economy is tanking and also because crime rates typically increase in the summer.

In fact, if anything, Grand Theft Auto IV's effect on crime rates will be to decrease them since a whole bunch of people are going to be playing the game for many of their waking hours over the next few months.

But I doubt this will stop the media and morons like Jack Thompson from attributing it to the video game.

One more prediction, this time one that is attributable to Grand Theft Auto IV: A hell of a lot of people are going to be calling in sick to work the next few days.