Florida needs to get with it regarding texting and driving

Worlds are colliding. A few weeks back, we caught ourselves nodding our head vigorously in agreement with a Times editorial. The subject was making texting while driving in Florida a primary offense – that is a driver need not be committing another violation to be pulled over for texting. Alarming statistics show that fatal crashes caused by distractions (read texting) have increased by over a third in the past four years. Granted, distractions can be caused by things other than texting but count the number of days you have not been on the road for any significant amount of time when you have not observed drivers around you texting while they should have their eyes on the road. Three-quarters of our states have laws making texting while driving a primary offense. It is a no brainer for our legislature to enact a similar law in their next session.

Around Tampa Bay:

1. Betty Perkins was an incredible woman. Widowed three times by three very prominent men, Betty was herself prominence personified. An event wasn’t an event unless Betty was there. For many years, the same could be said for flying events as she was an outstanding pilot. She lived her 98 years to the fullest and our community was better for it.

2. A combined total of six Pinellas County commissioners and constitutional officers were elected last week without opposition. That is way too many. Names like Ken Burke, Deborah Clark and Karen Seel have strong track records attached. Others here in Pinellas and neighboring counties not so much, including one Pinellas County constitutional officer elected with absolutely no track record – a result of not so much qualifications as slick politics.

3. It apparently will not be now, but sooner or later the Rays are going to have to admit Kevin Cash was a bad hire and move on.

4. Sick dogs on Craig’s List; unlicensed contractors/con men on Craig’s List; people getting mugged after answering ads on Craig’s List. Seems there’s a lesson here.

5. You’ve lived in Pinellas County a long time if you bought furniture at Ethan Allen or later at Heritage House –now just a part of our county’s history.

The diamond, the media and other stuff:

6. Fifty years ago this week, “Old Blue Eyes” hit the number one spot on the charts for the first time in over ten years with Strangers in the Night. It would be his last solo number one hit although he went back to the top a year later with daughter Nancy Sinatra with their duet Something Stupid.

7. From Tim Kurkjian’s extremely interesting new book I’m Fascinated by Sacrifice Flies this nugget: more hitters struck out 100 times in 2014 than in 1900-1963 combined. We will do a review /synopsis of the book in a future RANTS.

8. Best player to never make an All-Star team? By far, it’s Kirk Gibson who has an MVP trophy at home.

9. Another thought “borrowed” from the almost always correct 5:05 Newsletter: “The welcome sign on I-10 as you enter the State of California notifies visitors that You Are Now Entering a Work-Free Drug Place”.

10. Factoid: With another summer holiday with plenty of grilling and plenty of soda – here are the five most popular sodas in America: the first two belong to Coke – Coca Cola and Diet Coke; then two Pepsi products Pepsi and Mountain Dew and number five is Dr. Pepper narrowly edging out Sprite.

Now we understand why we started this blog

We’ve always credited the chutzpah of Alex Sink (failed Hillsborough turned Pinellas congressional candidate) as the inspiration for this blog. But a recent piece from a United Healthcare newsletter makes as much sense –“Learning new things can be revitalizing — and help keep your brain and memory sharp. Maybe that's building furniture, starting a blog, studying a new language or taking up salsa dancing”. Well, when you’re not handy, still scarred from Florence Gilbert’s Latin I & II classes and - have you ever seen us dance? The blog seemed a very logical choice.

SNEAK PEEK AT NEXT WEEK – 2016 ELECTION: ALL ABOUT THE “SUPREMES”