This week’s dining suggestion (see back story in Jan. 1 Rants), when was the last time you pigged out on a box of doughnut holes from Dunkin Donuts along with their excellent coffee? Save your HB (Humble Blogger) one or two of the cinnamon treats.

Will Sewergate decide the St. Pete election?

It now seems that gross inattention by Mayor Rick Kriseman’s administration lead to the sewage crisis in St. Petersburg. This has to make the Rick Baker camp happy. But wait. There are a lot more dynamics in St. Pete other than the admittedly serious sewage issue. Little things about what they are going to do about the ill-conceived dungeon where the Rays play, the economic malaise of Midtown and the city’s embarrassingly high crime rate. It will only get more interesting as we head to August 29^th’s primary.

Tampa Bay, politics and stuff:

1. TIA’s renovation includes new trams to get folks around – built in Japan. Less than 90 miles away is one of the world’s busiest and most efficient tram systems (Disneyworld) all built in North America.

2. It was truly a local bank when it was called Liberty Bank, then it was gobbled up by Tampa-based USAmeribank losing quite a bit of its local feel. Now the “delocalization” is complete with the sale to a New Jersey bank.

3. Admittedly, we are political and military wonks, but can’t help thinking about 98 per cent of the free world is wondering “who the hell is John Kelly”?

4. New Florida auto tags noted over the past several weeks – NASCAR and Tennis - still to come, no doubt, lawn bowling, shuffleboard and horseshoes.

5. From TBRR one year ago this week: “Beach and Island Estates residents are bracing themselves this week for the closure of the Island Estates Publix for probably a year or so while a new store is constructed on the current site”. The “or so” in a year or so appears to be another three months.

The diamond, the media and other stuff:

6. Last month (RANTS – June 25), we profiled five recording artists who, despite great careers, never had a number one record. Here are five more – Blood Sweat and Tears, the Hollies, Martha and the Vandellas, the Moody Blues and Gene Pitney - despite his 15 Top 40 songs.

7. Five names that remind us baseball is still the most unpredictable of all our sports –Kirk Gibson, Don Larsen, Bill Mazeroski, Dusty Rhodes and Bucky F. Dent.

8. Bumper sticker seen on the car of a dog lover: “Wag more, bark less”. Good advice for all of us.

9. If you remember and enjoyed Punch magazine, you’ll love the 5:05 Newsletter. A recent sampling: “Former Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Kaine tweeted that President Trump pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement because he is jealous of Former President Obama. Kaine is still waiting for one of his 15 followers to retweet him”.

10. You’ve lived in Clearwater a long time if you went to the movies at the Ritz Theater on North Fort Harrison Avenue.

Some shows we never get tired of watching

Every once in a while, we stroll up to some of the channels numbered 600 and up where a lot of vintage TV shows are replayed. Most of them, sadly, are tired or just not relevant in the second decade of our new century. But here are four that stand the test of time, we’re sure you can think of more; Seinfeld, other than the old cars in the exterior shots, the program could still be current. Two and a Half Men, the Charlie Sheen episodes only, make you laugh at a joke you’ve heard six times before. M*A*S*H, was a period piece (1950s) and the strong cast and good writing never grows old. Finally, another period piece, The Untouchables, (1930s) had such a docu-drama flavor to it, you felt you were watching history back then as you do today.

SNEAK PEEK AT NEXT WEEK – MLB TRADE DEADLINE MOVES, GOOD & BAD