Yo Russell Stover, where the heck are the Jelly Beans in my coconut nests?

Hi there and a Happy Easter. Oh there are so many good juicy things to talk about. Lets start with major league baseball. First is the Barry Bonds trial where the government spent 75 million dollars to prosecute and try the former Pirate and Giant on a variety of charges and the only one they got him on was obstruction of justice. I've written this many times regarding the P.E.D era in major league baseball and how the blowhard purists like Bob Costas and George Will want all the records either stricken from the books or an asterisk put in front of them. Leave the records in place. Since there was nothing in the collective bargaining agreement that said they couldn't use them, nothing was done wrong. The person that should have been gone after on any criminal charges was Donald Fehr, head of the players union. If you've ever heard Marvin Miller speak, he is even more defiant than Fehr is on the topic.
Other baseball news, Major League Baseball is taking control of the Dodgers while the McCourts go through a nasty, messy divorce. Why couldn't Bud Selig do that for us Mets, Royals, and Pirates fans too please!
I guess $425,000 doesn't go that far anymore. I didn't realize how high the cost of living in Cincinnati really is where Reds pitcher Mike Leake was caught shoplifting 6 shirts worth just around $60.00.
Happy Birthday Giants first baseman Brandon Belt. The team got you a little present. It's a bus ticket to Fresno! You've been demoted to Triple A. Don't forget to make a wish and blow out the candles!
Its time for the first soccer mention of the year and it comes from the MLS where the scariest mascot is that of the Portland Timbers. Timber Joey is a real life lumberjack with a chain saw so big that it would make Tim Allen go back to "Tool Time" if you know what I mean . When the Timbers score a goal, he fires up that big old bad boy and actually cuts off a piece from this huge log that's on the sideline. I'm not making this one up.
Poor Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana is touring South America and Australia and is also not debuting any of her new music back here. She feels unloved in her home country. Thanks for not sharing the new material. I might just plan and hold a, "Party in the U.S.A" over that revelation!
Now for some really serious stuff. Last football season a young man named Declan Sullivan died when a 40 foot hydraulic lift he was video taping a Notre Dame football practice on blew over in a 53 mph wind gust. The final investigation found that no one was at fault or to blame. Excuse me. This comes from a university where they fired George O'Leary before he ever coached a practice because they found inconsistencies on his resume! Brian Kelly keeps his gig after a student volunteer dies while taping one his practices! Big time Division 1 uber conference college football is becoming totally out of control and is so screwed up. Our biggest complaint about the sport is we don't have a play-off to determine who is number 1!
You gotta love our beloved New York state legislature. Instead of trying to figure out how stimulate economic and business growth by cutting back on all the red tape. They are creating lists of risky and dangerous activities at summer camp. On the lists: dodge ball, kick ball, wiffle ball, red rover, and freeze tag among others. Now the reason behind this is that they don't want kids getting hurt and many places don't have adequate medical staff to care for the scrapes and bruises. Let's see we have a child hood obesity probem and kids are spending way too much time inside playing video games, texting, and watching television. So how do we rectify the problem? Not by saying games are dangerous. Not by regulating fat, salt and sugar in the foods they eat. Not by banning toys in fast food kids meals. It's up to the parents to force their kids outside and play. Take away the video game, cell phone and laptop for a while. Limit the trips to the fast food restaurant. There was something in our show prep where a woman in her divorce papers asked for $60.00 a week from her ex to fund her one of her kids fast food restaurant habit! Portion control and healthier choices!
I've been reading a lot about school budgets in the daily and weekly newspapers. It is a hot topic to say the least. Somethings' got to give. You want everything to be the status quo and yet you don't want taxes being raised or jobs, sports, or other programs cut to balance the budget. There's got to be some compromise on both sides no matter how painful the cuts maybe.
The eggplant seeds finally sprouted. I have this feeling that I'll be buying some plants for the patio.
F.Y.I - There will be no Skyping Easter with the family. The folks and kid sister will be celebrating in South Carolina with no video hook up to me here where there is still snowpiles behind my driveway. My back is appreciating that very much after what took place Christmas. I guess I'll just have watch the Heritage Classic from Hilton Head on tv to get my fix of the area. However I am planning to make a trip down there in September.
Finally my favorite Easter Candy is the milk chocolate coconut nest made by Russell Stover. One little problem. They're making them different now and they're screwing you out of the jelly beans that used to be in them. What's up with that?..Leccese out.