We are a weekly compilation of local and national notes along with a smattering of sports, local history and the oft-borrowed piece of wisdom from the 5:05 Newsletter – all from a politically incorrect slant.

First thing on our mind:

This week we say goodbye to a fine TV journalist. Keith Cate retires after 26 years at Channel 8 and 40 years in the biz. Fair winds and following seas, Keith.

Leading off: Gambling and politics

The New York Times reports that gambling interests will spend $41 million on their political efforts this year. The money goes to pro-gambling legislators, mostly at the gubernatorial and state legislative level – because to use a gambling phrase, that’s where the action is. Also receiving gambling’s largesse are PACs and political parties, mostly Democrats. The main issues are expansion with the main thrust being states that do not allow casinos and on-line gambling. There currently only 11 holdouts – the most significant being Alaska, California, Georgia, Oklahoma and Texas. The last state to cross over to the dark side was Missouri last year. The other aim of gambling’s lobbying is making sure as little gambling tax money as possible reach state coffers. Their donations flow to the political candidates who oppose increased taxation on the industry.

Tampa Bay, politics and notes:

Hope the socialists in this country are looking towards the country just to our south (Cuba) where the power grid in the eastern half of the nation has collapsed and the nation has run out of oil.

Surely you have read about Pope Leo XIV’s brush with customer service at his former bank. If Pope Leo cannot get proper customer service, what hope is there for mere mortals?

Delta Airlines, in business for over 100 years, is expanding its horizons. It’s not in new routes or their sky clubs, but in boosting their maintenance facilities to accommodate work from other carriers that company spokesmen say will eventually bring in $5 billion in additional revenues.

Idle thought: Did you ever think you would live to see the day when you could not buy a Buick, Chevy or Ford sedan?

Second idle thought: we wonder how companies stay in business with missed appointments, unreturned emails, texts and calls. Business can’t be that good.

Believe it or not, school ends this week for most students in the bay area.

We salute the Cornell professor who once each term has her students produce a paper on a typewriter – no screens, on-line dictionaries, spellchecking or delete keys. We assume Wite-Out is permitted.

Health note from the 5:05 Newsletter: Marijuana is different than liquor. Five drunken guys will start a fight while five stoned guys will start a band.

This week in 1969 (May 22) Apollo 10 manned by Thomas Stafford and Eugene Cernan orbit the moon, paving the way for the first moon landing by Apollo 11 two months later.

Sports and random notes:

People we would like to meet: Newsmax Right Squad commentators Chris Plante and Mercedes Schlapp.

We see the local bi-weekly has launched its annual appeal for all of us to financially support its left-wing journalism. Here at the very right of center weekly blog, there will be no such appeal – as long as you promise not to charge us for reading this rubbish.

Update from last week: Don’t look now, but the Rays have the best record in the American League and the second best in all of baseball.

Going into last Saturday’s play, half of the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber’s 40 hits were homers.

In this modern digital age, paper tickets are a thing of the past – or are they? More than a few fans are clamoring for a return to paper for their value as souvenirs.

One last thing: Look at the demographics!

The knuckleheads at the local gazette can’t seem to figure out why as they put it, the Rays often feel like the visiting team at the Trop. First, the bay area is a retirement mecca. Folks who came here to retire spent their entire lives rooting for the Cubs, Tigers, Bosox and others. Such loyalties die hard. Even those who have been here a long time and did switch loyalties crossed over to the Braves who beat the Rays to the South by 30 years and had that TBS superstation and their radio network pumping every game to the west coast of Florida. And there is one other factor, if you have attended games at other major league parks, you tend to feel a lot more welcome there than at the Trop. Maybe that will change with new ownership and a new stadium, but in the meanwhile, get used to often feeling outnumbered at Rays’ home games.

Next Week: In search of “Tip”; Summer songs; Santa Fe

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