Established in 2014, Tampa Bay Rants and Raves is a weekly airing of local and national politics, sports, lifestyles and Tampa Bay memories from a politically incorrect viewpoint.

Leading off: 10 not so credible 2024 predictions

1. This pains us, but Joe Biden will, very likely through devious means (see #5 below), keep the lease on the White House. Sincerely hope we’re wrong.

2. Because of #1, there will be little or no improvement in the nation’s border crisis.

3. Also because of #1, inflation in America will continue unabated.

4. Interest rates will remain at their high 2023 levels, but perhaps drop very slightly sometime after the first quarter.

5. The Supreme Court will overturn election intrusions in both Colorado and Maine. The only question is will the verdict be 9-0? It should be.

6. The gradual, but increasing withdrawal from China by high tech firms will further accelerate in 2024.

7. This is only a 50-50 shot, but FSU will negotiate an exit from the ACC and head where?

8. It is probably bowl or bust for Billy Napier’s career (11-14 so far) at UF in 2024. We predict bust (tough as nails schedule).

9. The Los Angeles Dodgers, with their other worldly payroll, will not win the World Series. In our annual MLB predictions in March, we’ll tell you who will.

10. Finally, Joe Biden will have at least one airplane boarding stairs incident before Election Day.

Tampa Bay, politics and notes:

Welcome to Florida, Sean.

Quote of the week: The Harvard Corporation, the university's 11-member governing body, said in an email to the community that its members had accepted Claudine Gay's resignation "with sorrow." The sorrow is in that they did a lousy job of vetting a university presidential candidate.

We warned that once Ron DeSantis stepped on the national stage, the attack pieces in the local left-wing bi-weekly would accelerate. But after reading the over the top garbage last week, you would think that rather than the thriving state of Florida, he was the governor of California.

Well, Shenna Bellows has had her fifteen minutes of fame. Wonder how long it will take before everyone forgets her? In case you already have, she’s the idiot Secretary of State in Maine who tried to take the state’s primary into her own hands.

Is Ohio still part of the United States? Laissez-faire abortion laws, “gender affirming care” for minors and transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports – the last two due to a veto of common sense legislation by their supposed GOP governor, who hopefully will be looking for work soon.

Political thought from our friend TL: All politicians should wear uniforms. You know, like NASCAR drivers, so we could identify their corporate sponsors.

The ever growing Publix chain is completing its first store in Kentucky which will open this week in Louisville. The grocer is now in eight Southeastern states.

This week in 1971 (Jan. 12) the comedy classic “All in the Family” debuts on CBS.

Sports, media and other notes:

Related to our historical note above – Tom Bosley, Jackie Gleason, Mickey Rooney and Jack Warden were all considered for the role of Archie Bunker in All in the Family. It was actually offered to Rooney, who turned it down.

The rumble you hear is George Blanda, Sonny Jurgensen and Bobby Layne rolling over in their graves as virtually all of playoff-bound quarterbacks sit out the NFL season’s final game.

Number of the week: As the college football season comes to a close, just short of 2800 players have entered the transfer portal. We don’t know what we’re watching, but it isn’t college football anymore.

33 games into the season, four NBA franchises (Detroit, Portland, San Antonio and Washington) had not yet notched 10 wins.

A ubiquitous item around the home recently celebrated its 100^th year in use – the Q-tip.

Post holiday tip from the 5:05 Newsletter: It’s time to throw out the Eggnog when it begins to look like your Chia Pet.

… One last thing: A few resolutions

The holidays were busy, but a few of our esteemed Focus Group weighed in on their singular resolution for 2024.

Leading off, one of our group, who works too hard, resolved to take better care of themselves.

From our western most (NOLA) contributor: to find balance between soaking in the moment and documenting events - i.e., taking a couple of pictures but then putting the phone away to really experience things!

Another of our group put it simply: My resolution is to attempt to be more mindful.

Another of our number, smug in the fact they already dropped nearly 10 pounds in the last two months of the year, instead went for a vow to do a better job in communicating with old friends, classmates and extended family in 2024.

Thanks to our group for some solid thoughts.

NEXT UP: Disillusioned; Elsbeth; Hall of Fame ballot

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