Mother's Day Again
Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill firmly believes that if Ted Kennedy ran for President, he'd win the Democratic nomination over Jimmy Carter. But O'Neill wonders about Kennedy's chances in the general election. "If Teddy goes," figures O'Neill, "the ball game is over as far as the primaries go. From Chicago and Detroit East, there'd be no point in Carter getting into the primaries. Kennedy's got the charisma and flair. It's easy for him to win a convention—but a son of a bitch to win the election." But that is not why Tip is certain Ted won't take the plunge. "I've always said that he would never run while his mother is alive," says O'Neill. "He once told me that. I've never raised the subject with him again. What he said was: 'While my mother lives, I'll never be a candidate. She's suffered enough.' "

No. 390
When Massachusetts ex-Senator Ed Brooke, 59, married 30-year-old Anne Fleming of St. Martin, West Indies last Saturday, the music included Barbra Streisand's Evergreen. That's no surprise to Barbra. Since the song was first recorded in 1976, reports Streisand's secretary, her boss has received 389 wedding programs featuring the tune.

Fred's Friend
At the Johnny Carson Friars roast, troubled NBC President Fred Silverman was consoled by a veteran target of the media pot-shotters. "I know how you feel," the friend sympathized. "It has to hurt. But you just have to keep doing the job and the tide will turn. Two years ago I was the target. Last year it was Roone Arledge, and that ended when the ABC News ratings went up. And now it's Silverman." Fred's sympathizer? Barbara Walters.

Go and Play
Warning to any parent with a child who hates to practice the piano: Don't let the kid see this item. Vladimir Horowitz, 74, one of the world's great pianists, was in Chicago recently for a series of concerts and admitted: "I never play exercises. This week, the day after the recital, I did not touch the piano at all. In the summer I will play for a few hours every two or three days, but that is enough. A lot of the time spent in practicing is wasted. If you know what you're doing," concluded Horowitz, "it doesn't take so long."

Furthermore

•At 40, Gaylord Perry is long in the tooth for baseball but still going strong. The San Diego ace pitcher gave New York Met Doug Flynn a thrill the other day by serving up a high curve ball which Flynn belted for his first home run in three years. "Now I've got something to tell my grandchildren," beamed Flynn. "The thing is, he'll still be pitching when I have grandchildren."

•Atlanta entrepreneur and America's Cup sailing champion Ted Turner, a man not otherwise known for his knowledge of the Middle East (and not in the least bothered by the fact), makes this optimistic assessment of the energy situation: "We've got plenty of rain in America, thank God. And you can't live without water. When those Arabs run out of that oil, they may have all the money in the world—it ain't going to buy them rain."

•Philadelphia Phillies slugger Pete Rose told his former boss, ex-Cincinnati Reds manager Sparky Anderson, that "I played a more important part in your life than your mother." How's that? "She only carried you for nine months. I carried you for nine years."

•Six months married—and even more pregnant—Cybill Shepherd, who once remarked that "living in sin is sexy," now concludes that "living in matrimony is even sexier." She adds, "Being pregnant is better than being a movie star—especially in terms of the attention I get from everyone."