OVERLY VERBOSE?

I may change my last name to "verbosity" based upon my recent urge to author more blogs. Guess there's just a lot of things on my mind

Maybe it's just that I don't want to plant those remaining 8 trays of grass plugs in this heat.

Anyway, here goes.

It would be fascinating to hear from at least 20 anonymous baseball G.M.'s as to what they feel is at the root of the Pirates misfortunes.

The writers covering baseball in Pittsburgh are all over the board.

Some said fire John Russell (and they did), some said fire the pitching coach (which they did) some said fire the G.M which they have yet to do.

Most said "fire the ownership group", which Selig is apparently not about to do unless the Nuttings file for divorce; a fate I would not wish on them.

When I was more involved with the coming and goings of the Pirates I remarked to my brother Jim that I seriously wondered as to the quality of their scouts and the knowledge they imparted.

Trades are a little like raising kids. It takes quite a while to determine if what you could control - you controlled correctly.

Now, if you are scouts giving good advice but unable to control the decisions made by an inadequate General Manager, then that's a far different control problem - and we're not just talking about trading pitchers like Javier Lopez.

Because in most families there are two or more parents - regardless whether or not they reside under the same roof - success or failure is often a shared responsibility.

Only someone fatheaded - like one ex-husband I know - would claim that they, and they alone, are exclusively responsible for any measure of success their children have - and I'm not necessarily speaking of monetarial acquisition.

The same can be said for the Pirates - both good and bad. However, I would hate to brag on any success were I a member of the Pirates various coaching, scouting, and managerial departments in the past 18 years.

Obviously, something is terribly wrong. Hopefully, someday we may be fortunate enough to find an impartial someone who can become the determinant.

Now, if the Pirates pitching continues to improve over last years pitching statistics - please forget I wrote this.
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Lot's of hoopla over the impending wedding. We sort of have mixed feelings. It's just that Bill and Kate don't stop around nearly as much as they did a few years ago - even though we bought all that stuff from Kate's Mom & Dad. Maybe they just got tired of the jug wine.

Given the mixed success ratings of William's parents' marriage it seems everybody and their sister or brother want to chime in with advice on keeping their passion and romance in tact.

Mine is simple. Do not refer to Bills stepmother as "horseyface."

However, I was struck by one bit of advice for a marriage rich with longevity.

Gaelen Foley author of "My Irrestible Earl" had this to say:

"Have a policy of pre-emptive forgiveness. Refuse to get offended by petty things. MAKE A DECISION EARLY ON TO CUT THE OTHER PERSON SOME SLACK IN EVERYDAY LIFE. Then you can comfort in knowing they'll do it for you, as well. Accepting each other, flaws and all, is what love is all about."
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Do you really believe that, as in playright Aristohanes 411 B.C comedy "Lysistrata" about the women witholding sex from their men in hopes of bringing an end to the Peloponnesian War, it might work today?
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OK, maybe overly verbose there.