Good Evening:
It’s fun trying to predict the future, especially since in my case I am so absolutely HORRIBLE at it (apologies for the shouting). But what the heck, we haven’t lived even one week of the new year, so we shall all forget my flubs before the week has ended.
One possible certainty: since 2015 is an odd-numbered year, the San Francisco Giants will not win the World Series. Fellow G-Men fans, we shall have to wait for 2016 whilst the St. Louis Cardinals win another pennant this year. One more likely certainty: the San Francisco 49ers will go downhill thanks to their front-office dys- and malfunctioning. Still can’t believe they let Harbaugh go.
Another (fairly safe) prediction: the bartenders of San Francisco will continue to compete among themselves in the creation of the wackiest new cocktails. Thanks to the revival of what the industry calls “brown goods,” (examples include Scotch, Bourbon, rye, et alia) restaurants and bars both new and hold have gone crazy for the cocktail um, er, uh, craze.
And the title “Lust” in the San Francisco Chronicle will continue to have nothing to do with sex (as astonishing as that might sound): it will continue to be the title of one of the San Francisco Chronicle’s real estate columns.
One guarantee, since it has already occurred: the massive construction makeover of San Francisco will continue apace. Presenting recent photos of just a few of the construction sites within a few blocks of the Civic Center:
It will not shock me if more than 200 construction cranes scrape our skies.
Unfortunately, I must predict that one of the saddest aspects of San Francisco will not improve: homelessness in this ridiculously wealthy will probably get worse. Only a few days ago, I saw this homeless woman on Polk Street near Fulton struggling to awaken and walk away from the sidewalk where she had spent the night.
Personally, I find it an American embarrassment that not only does the phrase “Greyhound therapy” exist, it has its own Wikipedia entry. This past year, I visited both Portland, Oregon and New Haven, Connecticut, and felt shocked by the numbers of homeless people not living on their streets. We still await the results of various legal actions against the state of Nevada for their habit of shipping their homeless to California.
One more prediction, most likely to become the most wildly incorrect unless it becomes true: one major Internet company based in San Francisco will shock the tech world by going bust. I have no idea which one; just wanted to make a prediction that I personally believe won’t happen.
Vonn Scott Bair
The San Francisco Scene--Seen! 