Established in 2014, Tampa Bay Rants and Raves is a weekly airing of local and national news, sports and historical notes from a politically incorrect viewpoint.

First thing on our mind:

Those overhead signs read: “Texting is illegal. Put it down.” Yes, it’s illegal, but when are we going to start enforcing it?

Leading off: Half a million for what?

The city of Clearwater is hell-bent on doing a study costing upwards of $500,000 to determine if they should take over the city’s power needs from Duke Energy. A few thoughts: storms like Debby and her much bigger brothers and sisters play hob with power systems. When that happens, Duke can call in reinforcements from its multi-state team. And Clearwater? Secondly, the last time the franchise agreement came up, back in the late nineties, it was studied (not for $500,000) and soundly rejected, little has changed. Third, while other cities have their own power systems, they are much smaller communities. The last to do this was Winter Park, about a quarter the size of Clearwater. Finally, if the city is really interested in lowering its resident’s power bills, stop taxing electric usage so darn much (over $20 a month for the average consumer).

Tampa Bay, politics and notes:

In the old days, you thought of Michigan’s economy alone being fueled by the auto industry, but now Alabama received a $10.8 billion boost to its economy last year from autos. Ironically, it’s Mercedes, Honda, Toyota and Hyundai fueling the uplift.

Political columnist George Will on Kamala Harris: “Democratic delegates who convene in Chicago should think before possibly handing to her the nuclear launch codes.”

There’s a reason it’s been almost 60 years since Chicago hosted a political convention. And if they blow this one…

The headline in one liberal newspaper reads “Is Vance, Walz military service (a) pressing issue?” Not to the media, because the conservative Vance’s military record is spotless, while the ultraliberal Walz’ is filled with lies and half truths.

This year’s campus protesters and law breakers are learning there are consequences for illegal actions. Many are facing legal charges as well as academic disciplinary actions at their schools.

Watching the ups and downs of the stock market, we are reminded of the sage advice of a man who we greatly admired and did very well in the market. The advice was, “only invest in things you personally consume.”

A note from the special mind behind the 5:05 Newsletter applying to way too many of us: Some call it multitasking, but these days it’s just me doing something else until I remember what I was going to do in the first place.

This week in 1909 (August 19), the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway opens. The first Indy 500 would be on Memorial Day two years later.

Sports, media and other notes:

Mitchell Mick was one of the true characters in the radio biz. We ran events from his ISI sports network back in our radio days. He was disorganized, always late for appointments, but a guy who was honest as the day is long. The Tampa Bay icon died last week at age 94.

M&Ms meet Cheez-Its as the Mars company buys the Cheez-Its and Pop-Tarts company.

With thanks to a good friend: “Books: Helping Introverts Avoid Conversation Since 1454.”

Number of the week: $18 million, a year’s salary for a middling starting pitcher today – or the entire cost to build the Atlanta Braves’ original home, Fulton County Stadium – from Mark Bowman’s definitive 2024 book on the Braves, The Franchise.

By comparison, the new Rays’ stadium price tag is somewhere north of $1.3 billion.

Topping the charts fifty years ago this week, a one hit wonder, The Night Chicago Died by Paper Lace. Ten years earlier, crooner Dean Martin had his last number one hit, Everybody Loves Somebody.

One last thing: Focus Group - turning the tables

Rather than asking our prestigious group a question this time around, we turned the tables and asked them what question they would like to ask.

Leading off, a member replied with: What one song immediately transports you back to a specific memory or earlier time in your life?

Our second respondent also had a musical tilt to their question, it was “Keeping my answer lighthearted:  If you had intro music, what song would
it be?  Why?”

A very introspective question came from one of our long time focus group members: Reflecting on your life so far, would you rather have a regret about something you did or did not do?

Our fourth member’s question was: What living celebrity strikes you as someone you would like to hang out with on a regular basis?

Our newest focus group member weighs in with: From start to finish, what would your plans be for a perfect day off. (We wager part of it would involve a golf club).

Lastly, from our northernmost member: What are the three most annoying songs in the history of popular music? That one is sooo good it will most likely be our next question for the group as whole.

These were great questions and a lazy way of not having to formulate Focus Group questions for several months!

NEXT UP: Must see TV; Convenient trial date; Mike Trout

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