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

A great loss to our community

Last Saturday, I asked a mutual friend to remind retiring City Manager Bill Horne we had a breakfast appointment for a “debriefing” as we Air Force veterans call it. Suffice to say Colonel Bill Horne’s Air Force career was far more distinguished than yours truly. He was a city manager before he was officially a city manager running Air Force bases across the globe. Less than 24 hours later after the chance remark about breakfast, as we exited church, my wife got a text from another friend telling us of Bill’s passing. Pardon the use of the word “stinks” but this stinks in so many ways. Bill and his wonderful wife, Loretta, had planned a lot of travel now that he was no longer responsible for a city of 110,000. And our community is poorer because Bill’s idea of “retirement” was simply serving his city in other ways – in a larger role now that the burden of running a city was lifted. We meet a lot of people on life’s pathway. I cannot get to a handful count of folks with more integrity and sense of purpose than Bill Horne. Our community shares in the Horne family’s loss.

Great Tampa Bay, politics and stuff:

Hillsborough County is doing the right thing in mandating masks for students. And Governor Ron DeSantis needs to rethink his stance on masks in our schools.

Afghanistan analysis from The Dispatch: This is happening on Biden’s watch, at Biden’s insistence, against the advice of his senior military advisers and with Biden’s firm assurance to the American people that what has just come to pass wouldn’t come to pass.”

Memo to Joe: By now most folks have forgotten about those $1400 checks and are focusing on the border crisis, your energy mess plus the above mentioned Afghanistan crisis.

Something we read recently worth sharing: Put yourself on the “Ten Thousand Year Plan” – that is, try not to focus too much on things that won’t matter ten thousand years from now – or even ten thousand hours from now – a little over a year. Thanks to author Ginger Rue.

From the 5:05 Newsletter – unofficial edition: Am starting to wonder if UFOs may just be billionaires from other planets?

Sports, media and lighter stuff:

Legendary Bishop Barry (now St. Pete Catholic) baseball star Bill Freehan passed away last week. The 79-year-old played his entire career with the Detroit Tigers and, with his teammate Mickey Lolich, holds the MLB record for most starts by a battery – 324 starts.

Born 100 years ago this week was long time Let’s Make a Deal host Monty Hall.

Sign of the times: remember when you would pick up a ream of paper (500 sheets) for the office or your home printer? The price hasn’t changed much, but many of those “reams” are now 400 sheets.

Idle thought (borrowed from longtime friend and wellness guru Dr. Don Ardell): Apparently RSVPing to a wedding invitation "Maybe next time” isn't the correct response.

Answers: Albert Einstein, Tina Fey, Adolf Hitler, J.K. Rowling, Barbra Streisand and Barbara Walters. What this eclectic sextet has in common is that none of them drove a car in their lifetime.

Dinner for four

Our most recent assignment for the TBR&R Focus Group asks what three living people (excluding family) would you invite for a very interesting dinner for four?

One of our eldest elders’ threesome includes composer Burt Bacharach, former Ohio Governor Mike Kasich and the smartest man ever to throw a baseball, Greg Maddux.

We would like to be a fly on the wall for another of our focus group’s dinner parties which would include Bob Newhart, Betty White and retiring Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

And how about this eclectic trio from another of our elite group: Navy vet and Dallas Cowboy quarterback, Roger Staubach, up and coming U.S. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas and completing the dinner party is author, former disc jockey and blogger (must be a fine man) – Mark Steyn.

Another august member just celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary and chose another person married over 50 years – cook Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa), a truly fascinating woman. Accompanying her at the table are famed author J. K. Rowling and the incredibly versatile actor Tom Hanks.

The musician in our group is inviting musical giants Elton John, Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney. If allowed four, he would have invited the Pope – if only to hear him say grace – Musicians!

And the very newest (and youngest) member of our Focus Group would like to dine with the GOAT (Tom Brady, of course), the extremely reserved Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and financial wizard Warren Buffet.

After seeing all these captivating foursomes, can we just make it a banquet with folks switching tables every half hour?

NEXT UP: Chick-fil-A; ONJ; Double Jeopardy!

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