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

Understanding common folks

We are closing in on the two year mark of America under siege – complete with rising interest rates, out of control inflation and people’s retirement funds down double digits. The good news is Americans can correct some of that next month. But it is going to take more than a voter revolt in the midterm elections. It’s going to take a change in mindset in Washington – something that likely can only happen come 2024. The current elitist administration doesn’t understand how rash actions like the closing of the Keystone Pipeline affect the common citizen – in this case – 11,000 paychecks vanish. But this means nothing to Biden, Kerry, Harris, Pelosi and the rest of the effete gang who don’t know what it is to actually work for a paycheck- or to lose one through someone’s arrogance.

Tampa Bay, politics and stuff:

Here’s a solution to the problem above – the reckless destroying of careers. For every job eliminated by Keystone-like buffoonery, there would be an equal amount of cuts in the bureaucracy to help replace those legitimate paychecks in the private sector.

Biden seeing the overwhelming response to his energy policies, decides to tap oil reserves. Might be a little too late, Joe. A lot of us have already voted.

Watching Senate candidate Val Deming’s double talk about abortion not being a crime, but rape and incest are makes us think she has conveniently forgotten that pesky Fifth Commandment – Thou Shall Not Kill.

Related: Tampa Bay Half Truth endorses Crist, Demings and Putin.

Following up on a question about Senate Majority Leaders from a couple weeks ago (TBR&R Oct. 9): this answer and question: James K. Polk is the answer and the question is: who is the only Speaker of the House to ever be elected President?

Sabine “Beanie” Korosy, the beloved matriarch of The Sandy Book Store, passed away last week at the amazing age of 103.

This week in 1940 (October 26): It’s the maiden flight of the magnificent P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft.

Sports, media and other stuff:

Business news from the 5:05 Newsletter: Elon Musk offers to purchase the FBI for $100 billion. No word yet if the Clintons are willing to sell.

Before Deion Sanders, Bo Jackson and the others, there was Charlie Trippi. The two-sport athlete led Georgia to their first national championship and, later, the Chicago Cardinals to their first NFL championship – after turning down an offer from the New York Yankees. The legendary Trippi died last week at age 100.

It’s beginning to look like two SEC teams will be in the college football playoffs again this year – just not the two we expected.

Sports Number of the Week – 20 games. That’s the number of games Alabama has lost in the past 15 years, also the number USF has lost in the last two years.

From our Curmudgeon Dept. – Tennessee fined $100,000 for their fans flooding the field and tearing down the goalposts after their historic win over Bama. Remember when Saturday college football was fun?

He’s not Tom Brady, but you have to love the name of the new Patriots’ quarterback – Bailey Zappe.

Three baseball broadcasters we’d like to dine with during the post season: the Giants’ colorful Jon Miller, Braves’ traditionalist Joe Simpson and everybody’s favorite broadcaster Harry Doyle aka Bob Uecker.

Our friend TL reminds us that despite baseball’s many attempts to coat a ball, they are still dependent on mud originally gathered from the Mississippi River by a former major league Lena Blackburne some one hundred years ago.

You’ve lived in Clearwater a long time if you furnished your home with the help of Cullers, Days, Harrisons or Helmleys furniture stores.

Related note: it wasn’t a strictly local store like the others, but Ethan Allen was also a great place to shop.

About that game this coming weekend

1933 – FDR was moving into the White House, Prohibition was ending and construction was just beginning on the Golden Gate Bridge. A football game was played for the first time in Jacksonville between the Universities of Florida and Georgia. They will play it again this coming Saturday. Each university will net millions (the estimates vary wildly) from the game – which is why it is not played home and home. The schools estimate the take from home and home games would only be half of the battle in Jacksonville. Over the years, coaches have complained it is harder to recruit at an off-site game, but several million dollars can ease a lot of pain. Things might be a little dicey with the expansion of the SEC to keep Florida-Georgia on the schedule each year, but it’s hard to see the SEC shooting themselves in the foot over such a delicious payday. Oh the series – it’s 47-42-1 in favor of the Dawgs in the games played since ’33 with the exception of 1994-95 when a new stadium was being built in Jax - still the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party.

NEXT UP: Junk mail; Florida’s big ditch; Focus group treats

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