Two years ago we rolled into a new century, a new millennium. That magical roll from the year 1999 to 2000 gave many of us the reason to sit and reflect on the past, and then to dream of the &quote;what if's&quote; that the future may hold. There is no doubt that our past has developed us into the achievements of today. Just as our situation and decisions of today will develop our tomorrow. Reflection and prediction are a key part of a business plan. We assess our past, calculate our current position, and then have a short-term look into the future, followed by a longer-tern view. Current and short-term are relatively easy to predict, the trick is in the long-term view. This is the magic ball zone! Let's ask some simple questions about cotton.