Fear of the Future

This year, 2025, we have seen a lot of change, and we have had to condition ourselves to many “new norms.” Sundry “red lines” were crossed, so what might we expect in 2026?

It is difficult to predict the future; I prove this to myself, each time I visit the racetrack betting window. One certainty, which I understand about 2026, is that it will be the final publication of the venerable Farmer’s Almanac. Not many of us are farmers these days, but it always felt comforting to browse this hardcopy prognosticator. This Almanac has provided weather forecasts, astronomical data with your place in the zodiac, and gardening advice since 1818.

The United States Mint has discontinued the production of our copper coin, and the shining profile of Abe Lincoln will not be part of future transactions. We will simply “round-up” or “round-down.” I’ll bet you can guess which way this will go for you and me, and all other consumers. This rounding-down has been practiced at our racetracks, on the flat or the trotters, for decades. It seems almost comical that our State Racing and Wager Board would eliminate “breakage” for punters in 2025, along with the demise of the penny.

In the illustrious past of Saratoga Springs and its gaming halls, a card game called Faro was dealt, which at one time exceeded the popularity of poker and craps. The players would bet on the next card to be drawn from the house deck. The player could also wager on which card they felt would not be drawn by placing a penny on that icon. Betting against a horse, or coppering, is still a method practiced by many handicappers in our time.

Speaking of luck and pennies, it has long been held that finding a single cent on the ground was a sign of good fortune. Unless you had bones-in-your-belly, it was a quick way to improve your individual capital. In 2026 finding a penny may take on a new dimension, as the coin becomes as rare as a 2-door pickup truck.

I have one other surprising certainty for you in 2026, Ivory Soap no longer floats! Had you realized this unexpected and, for some, unfortunate development, was foisted upon the public? Ivory Soap was developed in the late 1870’s when Mr. Proctor and Mr. Gamble took an active role in their personal products partnership. 

This buoyant feature of bar soap was important when many took their baths outdoors, and in lakes and ponds. Non-submerging became a clever marketing slogan, “lathers freely, rinses readily, it floats!” Alas, one more constant on everyday life, consigned to the past.

My advice for 2026, go forth boldly with change in your pocket, rely on the intelligence you have developed by seeing things with your own eyes and not something artificial, and watch out for what might be on the bottom of your bathtub.