SUNDAY FEBRURAY 7, 2016

THE HYPE IS OVER...THE PUNDITS HAVE HAD THEIR SAY...NOW IT'S UP TO DENVER AND CAROLINA TO GIVE US A GAME TO REMEMBER....

I would love to see Payton Manning win his 4th Super Bowl  on probably the last football game of his career; however, I cannot overlook the strength of Cam Newton and his Carolina Panthers.  So I pick them, but root for Manning!!!

Lady Ga Ga, no longer the outlandish entertainer, but a full- fledged star will be singing The National Anthem.  And Beyonce joins Cold Play for half time.

If you're a fan of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, or have never watched before, you'll have your chance tonight.  Colbert has been given the coveted spot immediately following the game with a live one hour special.  He was terrific on Comedy Central and has moved his adult brand of comedy to CBS.  If too late for you, tape this one.

On Tuesday, very early in the morning, Punxatwany  Phil, that infamous Pennsylvania groundhog came out of hiding and did NOT see his shadow.  He then went back in hiding for another year after predicting an early spring!!!  We had a taste of spring temperatures in SARASOTA last week. Not so much this weekend.   Hope wherever you're reading this you had the same.


After slipping noticeably (at least in my estimation) KONA GRILL seems to have its mojo back.  Granted one lunch does not make a big sample, but six of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals.  Soup, sushi, salads and hamburger all served hot, fresh and quick.  Service was excellent and the manager even visited to see how meal was. With ALL the competition on University Parkway, and more coming every day, it's nice to see KONA delivering good product again. 

We ate at one of my SARASOTA favorites last week.   One which I never grow tired of and is as consistent in quality and service as any restaurant in town.  I am speaking of EL TORO BRAVO, a true authentic Mexican restaurant in a strip mall off Clark and Swift.  With limited seating  we had a small wait, but well worth it.  However, we learned some exciting news from owner/chef Ruben.  El Toro Bravo is moving into a new location in a few months allowing for more seating and a full bar as well.  I know for some of you the travel time is lengthy, but once there you will not regret the extra mileage. 

Recently, we had a wonderful Sunday brunch at ROSEMARY along with several others fortunate to have a table at the time we were there.  Owner George Armstrong in just a few short months has turned this once dormant property into a must have reservation location for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

And, don't forget the private dining area in back of the restaurant.  Seating 11 comfortably it is great for meetings or small parties.   Call 941-955-7600 for reservations.

As with most of us, television viewing has changed over the years.   We spend less time with drama and more time with news; especially cable.  Case in point, the recent Iowa Caucus coverage started at 6pm and lasted until well after midnight.  You have to give it to the media for creating this circus. Iowa should be thankful for all the dollars Caucus brought into their state through advertising, food and lodging.

But do not fret.  Forget about New Hampshire and go to FX Tuesday at 10, and for the next 9 weeks (you'll have to watch the first episode on demand) be riveted by an event most of us lived through many years ago.  The People v. O.J. Simpson:American Crime Story is a brilliant re-telling of the murder, car chase and trial.  Based on the book by Jeffrey Toobin "The Run of His Life", as with the book, this one is hard to put down.

What a great cast.  John Travolta, Nathan Lane, Sarah Paulson, David Schwimmer,  Cuba Gooding Jr., Connie Britten and more.    The ending is well-known, but many facts presented in this unique television event are not.  Don't miss it!!!

Looking for a good read other than the Toobin book?  Stuart Woods is still writing Scott Barrington mysteries, and with his 31st has written one far different from previous books.  I stopped reading Woods years ago since I felt the Barrington series was stale.  Not his latest, Scandalous Behavior. It is entertaining from the beginning,  while Woods seems to have improved with age.  One can only guess how old Barrington is, but he hasn't lost his touch with the women; that's for sure.  If you're looking for a no-brainer of a mystery pick up a copy today.

Last week's Town Hall program was timely.  Following the Iowa Caucus by two days, former CBS correspondent Sharyl Attkisson moderated a lively and informative discussion by Jim Messina, Manager of 2012 Obama Re-election campaign and Karl Rove, Manager of 2000, 2004 Bush campaigns.  Their insight on Trump, Cruz, Clinton, Sanders and all the remaining candidates along with anecdotes from their past campaigns easily filled the hour and beyond.  This outstanding series continues next week with Sir Ken Robinson, an expert of Creativity and Innovation.

AND, if you missed YANNI kicking off his International Tour at Van Wezel, you missed one of this or any year's best performances.   A solid 2 hour 20 minute non-stop music.  He LOVES SARASOTA, and the sold-out loved him back.
 
 
JIM'S RANT...Once again I am ranting about traffic; specifically , those lights that control traffic. It cannot be my imagination, but aren't most signals poorly timed?  No way to predict how many cars move through green before that yellow caution light pops up and how long it will stay up. And why is it the busiest intersections seem to have the shortest lights. Could all this be leading to the many accidents we witness on a daily basis....????

Three cheers for Tracy and her editing of this week's blog....until next week....JIM

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