TOP OF THE WEEK:

Behold the all-inclusive Democratic Party. The Rev. Manuel Sykes is told he need not apply to run for the District 13 Congressional seat against Rep. David Jolly this fall. Among Sykes’ shortcomings according to party bigwigs, he is a political novice - as were Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama at one time, if memory serves. But our favorite complaint from the Demos is that Sykes doesn’t live in the District. Good grief, the last candidate the Democrats came up with didn’t even live in the same county. It was fun to watch the backpedaling this week of various Democrats including former candidate Alex Sink. They went from encouraging the right Reverend to run to “I barely know the man.” Stay tuned, this can only become more fun as we enter the summer months. 

THIS WEEK’S TEN:

1. The gubernatorial candidate from the Weathervane Party (as in which way is the wind blowing today?) Charlie Crist says he is pro-life “by my definition”.  My, isn’t that comforting to today’s unborn children?

2.  Factoid: only one set of siblings have ever both won an Academy Award for best leading actor or actress. Can you name them? Answer at the bottom of the blog.

3. In all the bizarre happenings surrounding the Donald Sterling situation, perhaps the most bizarre is the NAACP announcing they were cancelling their scheduled May “lifetime achievement award” ceremony for Sterling. Lifetime achievement award? That would be akin to the NRA making President Obama their Man of the Year.

4. Our resident sports guru Mohammed Walled (pronounced wall-ED) wonders if you remember when they used to call a traveling violation in the NBA – or the NCAA for that matter.

5. Doesn’t just a small part of you want to walk into Publix this week and stroll out with thirty bucks worth of seafood and see what would happen to you?

6. Love it when a guy or gal wins a multi-candidate political race with 42 per cent of the vote then trumpets “the people have spoken” or something equally self-serving. Yes, the people have spoken and 58 per cent of them don’t want you holding office. Much more appreciate the approach of David Jolly who personally reached out to a voter who pointed out that Jolly won with less than a majority.

7. Read a unique piece recently regarding Consumer Reports rankings of hospitals. Some small hospital in Maine topped the list. Consumer Reports, Reader’s Digest and People Magazine rankings aside, we’ll take our chances (and we have) with Morton Plant Hospital. A city the size of Clearwater is lucky to have a medical facility of that caliber.

8. A sure sign of getting old is when the music you rocked out to on WLCY, WALT or Q105 is now playing exclusively on WDUV – The Dove.

9. Give a little man/woman a job with the slightest hint of authority and they often become Nazis. A few examples – ticket takers at entertainment venues, crosswalk guards and the ultimate job sure to turn a nobody into a Nazi – a condo or HOA board.

10. Doesn’t it seem a certain baseball manager is getting a bit full of himself? Not content to manage his own sub .500 team, he recently took exception with how the Baltimore Orioles run their organization. Here’s a tip, put a couple World Series trophies on the mantel before you start knocking an organization that has more than a few championship flags flying in their park.       

IN CLOSING:

We assume new USF AD Mark Harlan comes to the bay area with his eyes wide open. This is not Duke or Ohio State he’s taking over; it is USF with its own personality and problems. The school has not had a decent program in either of the two major sports since people named Greenberg and Leavitt were on the sidelines. One issue Harlan will find at USF that he did not face at UCLA is the lack of tradition. For a great number of USF grads, there were no football and basketball programs when they attended the school; so for baby boomers and beyond there was never the “must go” game on Saturday afternoon or night – same with basketball. The double dribble on the basketball hire aside, Harlan seems like a bright guy, but he has a very large mountain to climb.

From above: Olivia de Havilland (twice, The Heiress and To Each His Own) and sister Joan Fontaine (de Havilland) for Alfred Hitchcock’s Suspicion.