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.

Looking out for the little guy? We don’t think so.

Joe Biden’s pitch during the 2020 campaign was that Trump was not a friend of the average guy. So, how are Mr. and Mrs. Middle American doing some ten months into the Biden presidency? Well, inflation is up 5.4% - a 13-year high. Gas, alone, is up well over a buck a gallon and there are ships stacked up offshore from our nation’s ports – loaded with a lot of goods that could be manufactured here in America. The previously mentioned gas prices are a direct result of Biden’s stripping away Trump’s energy dependence programs. To paraphrase the Ron Reagan question, “Are you better off than you were a year ago?” In one respect (COVID), yes, but that’s because of the Trump administration fast tracking three vaccines. Otherwise, it’s hard for the average American family to think of ways they are better off as we enter the last two months of 2021.

Great Tampa Bay, politics and stuff:

Idle thought – any chance we could get biennial Presidential elections thus quickly undoing the mess we are faced with on the economic and international fronts?

Democrats seem resigned to losing the House in next year’s mid-terms. They are simply hoping to keep the Republican majority as small as possible. A lot can happen between now and next November.

An EST reminder from the now unofficial 5:05 Newsletter, “We will soon be turning our clocks back an hour. Gaining an extra hour in 2021 is like getting a bonus track on a Yoko Ono album.

Added EST note: as we prepare to “fall back “ next week, more than half our states have passed legislation calling for Daylight Time year round. Congress will hopefully get around to that after they deal with pressing issues like tree equity.

While we justifiably blasted Wal-Mart last week, we give a rave to Amazon. We experienced our first ever problem with an order a few weeks back. It was handled within 24 hours.

Community activist Lina Teixeira has confirmed rumors on the street that she will make a second run for the Clearwater City Council next March. She will oppose anti-Scientology candidate Aaron Smith-Levin although other candidates could surface before the December 17 filing deadline.

Sports, media and lighter stuff:

We wish the best to Dick Norris who retires after three decades at the auto dealership that bore his name. We estimate we bought well over a dozen personal and business vehicles over the years from this man of integrity.

If you have decided to continue to follow major league baseball despite their thuggish behavior, enjoy this season. More and more experts are predicting a work stoppage for the 2022 season as millionaires argue with billionaires over money while fans are left out in the cold. And frankly, a few of us fans don’t have that many seasons left.

Watching the playoffs, we simply cannot imagine Ted Williams stepping out of the box to adjust the various parts of his suit of armor or his jewelry, just as we cannot imagine Bob Gibson not plunking him for wasting his time.

Number of the Week: 1818 – that’s the year the nation’s longest continuously operated men’s store, Brooks Brothers, opened up. With more work from home and casual workplace trends, the chain has experienced rocky times over the past several years. The closest Brooks Brothers now are in Lutz or the Ellington Outlet Mall.

Random thought: When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change.

The leading male artists of the 80s

By the time the 1980s rolled around, in the words of Philly Cream, “There ain’t no  more Motown Review” – and there were no more of Elvis, John Denver or Marvin Gaye topping the charts. For the most part, a new breed took over the male music charts – notably Michael Jackson with nine number one songs in the decade – the most of any male artist in any decade except Elvis’ 12 in the fifties. Joining Michael in the list of bestselling male artists in the eighties were George Michael with eight number ones, Prince, Billy Joel (Piano Man), then came the seventies top male artist, Elton John (Sad Songs), Lionel Richie, former Genesis lead singer Phil Collins (Two Hearts), John Cougar Mellencamp, Stevie Wonder who along with Kenny Rogers (Islands in the Stream) spanned three decades of success. And just missing the top ten were Rod Stewart and Paul McCartney – who had the biggest male single of the 80s with Ebony and Ivory. Next month, Madonna and the other top female artists from the 1980s.

NEXT UP: Farrell’s; Can’t Buy Me Love; Saluting our Vets    

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