Tampa Bay Rants and Raves is a weekly airing of national and local politics, sports, lifestyles and historical notes from a very politically incorrect viewpoint. As always, beware - some of what is printed here should not be taken literally.

First thing on our mind:

An old Greek proverb: “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” We still enjoy seeing the oaks we planted close to five decades ago at a home we have not owned for 30 years.

Leading off: Should we fund CPB?

First, full disclosure, in an earlier life we worked at NPR and PBS stations here in the bay area. We also remember cutting a couple of checks to the local stations long ago. But that was before the CPB (Corporation for Public Broadcasting) took a hard left turn several decades back. Now Congress is looking at whether we, the taxpayers, should continue to fund CPB to the tune of a couple billion dollars a year. Our vote is no – no more than we should have our government fund Fox or CNBC. CPB has corporate sponsors (usually companies with far left agendas) and left-leaning listeners who pitch in. But our tax dollars - there are so many more deserving needs for our monies. Kudos to President Trump for moving to cut funding to this left wing propaganda voice.

Tampa Bay, politics and notes:

We never encountered this man without his smile and a cheery hello. Former Morton Plant Hospital head Duane Houtz died earlier this month at age 92.

Dilbert’s creator, Scott Adams and a close friend, both prostate cancer patients, say it’s impossible for Joe Biden not to know he was affected by the disease.

Comey throws wife under the bus in the 86 47 controversy. Way to keep it classy, Jim.

Pro-abortion Hillsborough Circuit Judge NancyJacobs steps down after the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission found her in violation of ethics rules. She had served on the bench a little over two years. Her resignation heads off her formal ouster by the FJQC.

Yo, Kim Jong-Un, nice launch!

Rite Aid, which closed all of its bay area stores some time ago, has now announced it will shutter the remaining 1200 stores across the country in the next few months.

For the second week in a row, a spot on immigration insight from the 5:05 Newsletter: If you think about it, most of this country’s troubles today can be traced back to the Native Indians being soft on immigration policy.

This week in 1927 (May 27), the end of an era as the last Ford Model T rolls off the line, making way for the “new” Model A.

Sports, media and other notes:.

Related to our lead article: NPR’s Washington headquarters has 87 registered Democrats among its editors and zero Republicans. From an article by George Washington University law Professor Jonathon Turley – an article well worth reading.

Spectrum and Cox Communications have announced plans to merge. It should have little effect on the bay area.

ESPN’s Around the Horn ended last Friday. Always enjoyed host Tony Reali (particularly on Pardon the Interruption) but never understood the concept of Around the Horn.

Who didn’t love Norm? George Wendt who played the lovable barfly in Cheers passed away last week at age76.

It’s summertime and time for soft drinks. The latest statistics show the top five sellers as Coke, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Pepsi and Diet Coke.

Sage advice from a friend: I never eat at a restaurant whose name I cannot pronounce.

The Rays must work out two conflicts with early season Bucs games that would tax parking beyond capacity.

You’ve lived in the bay area a long time if you remember the A&W Drive In on Gulf to Bay Blvd. operated by the McCrillis family.

One last thing: MLB at the two month mark

The National League West continues to be the best division in baseball meaning there will be a scramble in the other two divisions, probably the East, for a sole playoff spot. The Braves now have both Strider and Acuna back, but will that be enough to overcome an inept offense and execution? After two months, you have to believe the Orioles nosedive is real and a managerial change won’t help. Meanwhile, we still wait for what should be an inevitable hot streak from the two Texas teams. Aaron Judge remains head and shoulders the best player in baseball while the NL MVP race is more crowded with Freddie Freeman and Pete Alonso leading the pack. The Cy Young race still features the undefeated Max Fried and Houston’s Hunter Brown in the AL and the NL contest between Michael King and Zack Wheeler.

NEXT UP: Midway; Great sporting events; Hurricane season

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