Established in 2014, Tampa Bay Rants and Raves is a weekly airing of local and national news, sports and historical notes from a politically incorrect viewpoint.

First thing on our mind:

The CHS Class of ’64 is planning a no-frills 60^th get together two months hence (Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. at O’Keeffe’s) Questions or RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . They do need a head count.

Leading off: It’s only the issues, stupid

Heeding the wise words of Karl Rove a few weeks back, the GOP can win simply by drilling down on record inflation, a border torn asunder, interest rates in the stratosphere and, if they have spine enough, Kamala Harris’ and Tim Walz’ unrestricted warfare on unborn children. Stay away from the trap of name calling, the broken Biden/Harris agenda will be plenty, thank you. And along the way, lay out a cogent plan on how the Trump/Vance ticket is going to undo the mess that is being left behind.

Tampa Bay, politics and notes:

The father of Clearwater’s Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation passed away last week at age 88. The colorful golf pro was a member of the sport’s Hall of Fame and the first native Puerto Rican to play in the PGA.

The reaction to the choice of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is decidedly mixed on both sides of the aisle. But give Kamala this, she couldn’t have found a more far to the left running mate.

Moving with the speed of a snail, the Fed says a cut in interest rates “could be on the table in September.”

St.Pete Times to jettison some 250 plus employees as the hard left publication continues to struggle.

You know the economy is not all that well when even McDonald’s sales and profits are in the dumper.

Statistic of the week: 87 percent of the U.S. population have no unpaid student debt, but are helping pay for the 13 percent who do.

A tip of our cap to both the Florida Police Chiefs Association and the Florida Sheriffs Association for their opposition to the deeply flawed ballot initiative to legalize marijuana in our state.

Related: Florida’s eyes will be on Ohio which rolled out their legal grass program this past week.

From the editorial office of the 5:05 Newsletter: We all have that one friend who would take a bullet for us. They are probably also the same friend who would be the reason we’re getting shot at in the first place.

55 years ago this week in rural New York, it was Woodstock!

Sports, media and other notes:

This is also the week our saintly wife receives cards of condolence for fifty five years of attempting to raise her husband.

Referring back to the top of the page (CHS 64), we don’t think they would throw you out if you were ’63 or ’65.

Happy to report that Mike Seidel, who was inexplicably cast adrift by the Weather Channel, is now with the Fox News Channel and did a bang up job covering Debby in north Florida.

Useless trivia: Remember Tequila by the Champs? What you may not know was that some of the members of that group went on to even greater fame – Glen Campbell (Wichita Lineman and 38 other hits); Jim Seals and Dash Crofts (Summer Breeze and a dozen others) and songwriter Jerry Fuller (Travelin’ Man, Over You, Young Girl and Little Green Apples). 

Last week’s shutout of the Atlanta Braves by the Miami Marlins at Truist Field was their first home shutout in 231 games – a major league record. Then, the Braves were shut out again their very next game.

A final note on last week’s trade deadline: Florida’s two MLB teams provided fully 17 players to contending teams looking to upgrade.

Rookie managers Stephen Vogt of Cleveland and the Brewers’ Pat Murphy are the runaway choices for Manager of the Year.

FSU (10) and Miami (19) are both in the pre-season football coach’s poll. Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas and Alabama comprise the top five.

…one last thing: Dining on Gulf to Bay Blvd.

First, let us say there are still good food opportunities on Gulf-to-Bay, principally Capogna’s Dugout, Chick-fil-A and the super blizzards at Dairy Queen, but we pine for the days of the world’s best pancakes at Robby’s Pancake House, the terrific steaks at Chief Charley’s at the boulevard’s eastern end. For BBQ, no one could touch Young’s at the corner of Gulf-to-Bay and Keene – not to mention their peach cobbler. And there were two great ‘50s style drive-ins – Steak and Shake at the northwest corner of the boulevard and Duncan Avenue and just east up the road on the south side was Frisch’s Big Boy which also featured carhops as well as inside dining. Those were the days!

NEXT UP: Half a million for what? Books; Focus Group

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