TBR&R is a weekly airing of national and local politics, sports, lifestyle and nostalgia items from a very politically incorrect viewpoint. As always, beware - much of what is printed here should not be taken literally.

It’s going to be a bumpy four years

It is more than abundantly apparent that the Democrats have won the White House. It is just as abundantly clear that there were voting irregularities in the 2020 election – not enough to swing the election, but enough that should make the American voter extremely concerned. This needs to be addressed in the next two years, but we’re not sure we can trust the incoming administration to do so. We can just hope that 2021 on will not be a repeat of the years 2009-17 with a corrupt Justice Department, weak economy and a general lack of confidence in the administration. The early days of the new administration have not inspired confidence. Do we really need another cabinet infected with John Kerry?

Great Tampa Bay, politics and stuff:

1. Last Tuesday upon unveiling his first handful of Cabinet nominees, President-Elect Joe Biden urged the Senate to consider his picks in good faith. “I hope these outstanding nominees receive a prompt hearing, and that we can work across the aisle in good faith to move forward for the country,” Biden said. Sure Joe, just the way it was over the last four years with Chuck, Nancy and the gang.

2. In a related note, Joltin’ Joe names Antony Blinken as Secretary of State. The new administration is expected to announce posts for Winkin and Nod at a later date.

3. Political scientists looking at Donald Trump’s strong showing in South Florida have a simple answer. Biden is linked to a lot of socialistic factions and the great many Cuban expatriates living in South Florida have seen the socialism movie before and didn’t particularly like it.

4. Our “President- Elect” spent a great deal of the campaign ensconced in a bunker, but let our Governor be out of pocket for a few days and our liberal excuse for a newspaper goes nuts. Boy, it sure matters what letter follows your name.

5. Idle thought: can’t help wondering how our founding fathers would have viewed New York’s Emperor Cuomo’s attempt to limit church attendance during the season of Advent. Fortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court last week struck down the governor’s unilateral restriction on worship.

Sports, media and other stuff:

6. This week we celebrate the 100^th birthday of jazz giant Dave Brubeck who won a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 1996.

7. And lest we forget, Happy Birthday, Sis.

8. It’s not surprising that the Rays are open to offers on Blake Snell. He generates quality innings, but at what cost to the team’s chemistry? Prediction, the Rays will obviously be looking for an over pay for Snell. We don’t think they’ll get it.

9. Sports idle thought: shouldn’t the Bucs be in the Eastern Division of the NFC rather than Dallas?

10. From TBR&R Five Years Ago (Nov. 29, 2015): Cubs and former Ray’s bench coach Dave Martinez apparently doesn’t interview well as he lost out on the Ray’s top job and, more recently, the Dodger’s managerial post. One of these days, he will be thrust into the top spot by a firing, resignation or whatever and when that happens, he will make a couple clubs very unhappy they didn’t hire him. (Update - that happened and last year he led the Washington franchise to its first ever World Series championship.

Remembering: Christmas of years past

(Editor’s note: In each month’s final edition, we take a look back at the people, places and things that make the area what it is. Previous subjects have included Star Spectaculars, Spring Training, the Clearwater Bombers, High School Graduations; Clearwater’s WTAN, Howard the Trader, water front dining delights, very cool things from our past that we miss and radio’s 100^th birthday).

This one is tough because each of us have family traditions that are special to us. In our family, it is the Christmas stocking. Both our children are in their forties, but you better have a Christmas stocking for them on Christmas Eve or Day. For our community, it was the annual Christmas Parade down Cleveland Street, the huge Christmas tree at the bottom of the hill on Cleveland, just before the Causeway and some of the beautiful Christmas pageants put on by our places of worship. It seems many of us got our first bike at Christmas – particularly in Florida where you could bike year round. Conversely, a prized Christmas present up north was a sled or toboggan. No matter where you grew up, there was always (and still is) the red kettle of the Salvation Army where Mom or Dad would hand you a coin or two to drop in the kettle – perhaps in exchange for a candy cane from the bell ringer. Two movies that have become staples at Christmas are Jimmy Stewart in 1946’s A Wonderful Life and the 1983 family favorite A Christmas Story.

NEXT UP: How bad will the economy be; 3 Musketeers; More bumps

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