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

First thing on our mind:

Compliments of our saintly wife: How to frighten the new generation – put them in a room with a rotary phone, an analog watch and a TV with no remote. Then leave directions – in cursive.

Leading off: Overall, a good legislative session

New laws that took effect last week are the products of a good legislative session in Tallahassee. Our legislature tightened the willy-nilly way our state constitution can be amended. Additionally, our solons (always wanted to use that word) wisely restricted the use of cell phones by elementary and middle school students during the school day. They prevented our parks from becoming commercial enterprises as well as expanding our judicial system. One necessary law we hated to see prevents the publication of our lawmakers’ personal information. Time was you didn’t sweat your phone number being out there, but sadly times have changed.

Tampa Bay, politics and notes:

My, but Chuck Schumer’s act is growing old.

Factoid: The B-52, a veteran of the Cold and Vietnam Wars, first flew in 1955. With its various upgrades, it’s estimated that the giant bomber will be part of the U.S. Air Force through 2050.

Breaking international news from the 5:05 Newsletter: Iran declared victory over the United States after destroying 14 American bunker buster bombs with its nuclear lab facilities. CNN has confirmed that America suffered a significant setback due to the loss of their 14 bunker buster bombs.

In a related note, the 5:05 reports: Former President Barack Obama is suffering from depression after learning President Trump had destroyed the nuclear facilities that he had paid for.

Born 100 years ago this week (7/6) in Highland Park, Michigan was the man many consider the father of rock and roll, Bill Haley (Rock Around the Clock).

Sports, media and other notes:.

This week’s twisted thought: “If it’s worth, doing, it’s worth doing badly” - Kim Boykin in Zen for Christians.

Our friend TL reports that Penn is the latest university to fall in line and not allow biological males compete against females. The university issues an apology to its female athletes.

The Caitlyn Clark-fueled WNBA continues to grow with expansion franchises coming to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia, all backed by NBA franchise holders. Still no Florida franchise.

The last surviving member of the St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles, Billy Hunter passed away last week at age 97. An All Star shortstop, Hunter also managed the Texas Rangers in the 1970s.

Tops at the box office 25 years ago this week was the scary The Perfect Storm. Fifty years ago, we were all watching the even scarier Jaws.

One last thing: Mount Rushmore VI

This first full month of summer, we asked our Focus Group to reflect on summers’ past for their Mount Rushmore of summer-themed songs or simply songs from a special summer.

Our leadoff and northernmost member remarked that the Beach Boys are the definitive summer band, but chose to go elsewhere for his playlist – Summer in the City by the Lovin’ Spoonful, Seals and Croft’s Summer Breeze, Chicago’s 1972 summer hit Saturday in the Park and from the late nineties, Fastball’s The Way.

Our newest member suggested the popular Chicken Fried by the Zac Brown Band, Otis Redding’s soulful Dock of the Bay plus Bob Marley and the Wailers’ Three Little Birds along with Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffet’s anthem It’s Five O’clock Somewhere.

One of our charter members selected the Beach Boy’s classic Kokomo along with the Drifters’ 1964 summer hit Under the Boardwalk. Also in their list was the beautiful movie theme from 1960’s A Summer Place by Percy Faith plus Freddy Cannon’s Palisades Park.

In conjunction with our nation’s holiday, one of our Focus Group suggested Stars and Stripes Forever along with the Beach Boys’ Surfin’ Safari, Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves and the Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta collaboration Summer Nights.

Another Beach Boys classic leads off another group member’s list, the terrific California Girls; she adds Roy Orbison’s mega hit from the summer of ’64 Pretty Woman; the Lovin’ Spoonful’s Summer in the City makes her list along with a one-hit wonder by the British skiffle group Mungo Jerry, 1970’s In the Summertime.

Another member selected a not so well known, but pretty summer song, The Jack Gold Chorus’ Summer Symphony along with John Franklin’s Carolina beach song Ocean Drive Sunday. He adds The Beach Boys’ All Summer Long and, as a recovering disk jockey, the first song he ever played on the radio, Jan & Dean’s 1963 summer anthem Surf City.

Our New Orleans Focus Group Member adds some local flavor with Anders Osborne’s Summertime in New Orleans, the Big Easy native Andrew Duhon’s Street Fair, a great summer road song Miles and Miles by Britain’s The Heavy Heavy and another stellar Beach Boys’ side, Good Vibrations.

Our cleanup hitter voted for the enduring standard Summertime by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, the 1961 Chubby Checker summer hit Let’s Twist Again, surf band The Surfaris’ instrumental hit Wipe Out and Antonio Carlos Jobim’s beautiful The Girl From Ipanema interpreted so well by Stan Getz with vocalist Astrud Gilberto.

Thanks to our elite group for a playlist that will provide some great road enjoyment this summer! They’re back in September with a Mount Rushmore of TV series.

NEXT WEEK: Clearwater Sun; Big Bang; Drive-in theaters

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