GA Russell

I received an email today from Laurie which says that An Afternoon in Norway is available for download from Bandcamp. https://artpepper.bandcamp.com/album/an-afternoon-in-norway-2

League previews https://www.cfl.ca/everything-you-need-to-know-ahead-of-the-2025-cfl-season/ https://pifflespodcast.com/blog/piffles-picks-2025-bold-cfl-predictions/ ***** Ottawa preview https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/ottawa-redblacks-look-to-go-further-this-season-after-making-return-to-playoffs-1.2316680 ***** Sask preview https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/saskatchewan-roughriders-look-to-build-off-solid-2024-season-under-head-coach-corey-mace-1.2316583 ***** Ten not in the Top 50 https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/04/10-players-who-were-overlooked-on-tsns-top-50-cfl-players-list/ ***** Week 1 preview https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/04/4-storylines-to-watch-on-cfl-kickoff/ ***** Bo Levi Mitchell ranks the Top 3 Quarterbacks https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/04/quarterback-rankings-bo-levi-mitchells-top-3-pivots/ ***** Coaches preview https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/04/canadian-coaches-gms-set-to-make-cfl-history-in-2025/ ***** Opening Night previews https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/04/3-keys-to-the-game-for-ottawa-saskatchewan-in-week-1/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/04/ottawa-redblacks-to-field-six-new-starters-for-season-opener-against-roughriders/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/04/saskatchewan-roughriders-to-field-four-new-starters-for-season-opener-against-ottawa/ Ottawa depth chart https://static.cfl.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025.06.05.GM01.OTT_SSK.DEPTH_.pdf ***** Janarion Grant hurt his ankle, and will miss this week. https://3downnation.com/2025/06/04/toronto-argonauts-officially-rule-out-chad-kelly-janarion-grant-for-week-1/ ***** Saturday's Edmonton-BC game will be the first Opening Week game in which both starting quarterbacks are Canadians. https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/elks-lions-game-features-first-cfl-opening-week-meeting-of-canadian-quarterbacks-1.2316713 ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

TSN has released its annual list of the league's 50 top players. https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/winnipeg-blue-bombers-rb-brady-oliveira-headlines-tsn-s-top-50-cfl-players-1.2316401 https://3downnation.com/2025/06/03/hamilton-tiger-cats-edmonton-elks-post-most-on-tsn-top-50-cfl-players-list/ https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/03/brady-oliveira-headlines-tsns-top-50-cfl-players-for-2025/ ***** Grey Cup picks https://3downnation.com/2025/06/04/3downnations-2025-cfl-season-predictions-grey-cup-winner-and-loser/ ***** Coaches' career won-lost percentages https://3downnation.com/2025/06/04/2025-cfl-head-coaches-ranked-by-career-win-percentage/

Eastern preview https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/other/cfl-east-preview-argonauts-face-tough-road-to-defend-grey-cup-title/ar-AA1G0yHt?ocid=BingNewsSerp ***** Western preview https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/other/cfl-west-preview-can-blue-bombers-get-to-yet-another-grey-cup/ar-AA1FVLjE?ocid=BingNewsSerp ***** League previews https://www.covers.com/cfl/team-by-team-season-preview-2025 https://rodpedersen.com/2025-cfl-preview-grey-cup-prediction/ https://www.sportsgamblingpodcast.com/2025/05/29/2025-cfl-season-preview-preseason-futures-win-totals-cfl-gambling-podcast-ep-88/ https://bvmsports.com/2025/06/03/cfl-week-1-preview-surprise-cuts-qb-questions-best-bets-cfl-110/ https://www.pff.com/news/cfl-preseason-all-cfl-team-top-players-entering-the-2025-season *****

As I say every year at this time, the week leading up to Opening Day is a favorite of mine because of the league previews and predictions. I'll make a special effort to look for websites I have not been aware of. Unfortunately, many of the newspapers have gone behind a pay wall. ***** League Previews https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/02/25-questions-ahead-of-the-2025-cfl-season/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/03/3downnations-2025-cfl-season-predictions-all-awards-including-most-outstanding-player/ https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/veteran-receiver-eugene-lewis-opens-cfl-season-chasing-cfl-touchdown-receptions-record-1.2316212 https://pifflespodcast.com/blog/piffles-picks-predicting-the-2025-cfl-standings/ ***** Calgary preview https://3downnation.com/2025/06/03/dave-dickenson-calgary-stampeders-could-have-12-different-starters-on-defence/ ***** Sask previews https://pifflespodcast.com/blog/digging-into-the-saskatchewan-roughriders-roster/ https://pifflespodcast.com/blog/piffles-picks-predicting-the-roughriders-award-winners/ Power Rankings https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/03/amsoil-power-rankings-the-journey-starts-now/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/02/3downnation-cfl-power-rankings-saskatchewan-roughriders-hamstrung-by-ol-injuries-entering-week-1/ ***** Week 1 picks and previews https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/03/prediction-time-cfl-ca-writers-cfl-kickoff-picks/ https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/03/weekly-predictor-who-wins-in-week-1/ https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/marquee-matchups-headline-cfl-s-week-1-on-tsn-1.2315841 https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/bc-lions-buck-pierce-edmonton-elks-mark-kilam-to-meet-in-their-cfl-head-coaching-debuts-1.2315788 https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/nick-arbuckle-expected-to-start-for-toronto-argonauts-in-season-opener-mcmanis-practicing-1.2316169 ***** Quarterbacks analyses https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/majority-of-cfl-teams-have-veteran-experience-at-quarterback-position-1.2316242 https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/02/mmqb-ranking-the-leagues-top-3-quarterbacks/ ***** Top 10 Surprise Cuts https://www.cfl.ca/2025/06/03/potential-landing-spots-for-10-surprise-cuts/ ***** More on the cuts https://3downnation.com/2025/06/02/corey-mace-explains-how-saskatchewan-roughriders-handle-final-cfl-roster-cuts/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/02/why-the-montreal-alouettes-released-veteran-running-back-walter-fletcher/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/03/mike-oshea-explains-winnipegs-decision-to-cut-myron-mitchell-keep-dillon-mitchell/ ***** David Foucault hurt his leg, and will be out long-term. https://3downnation.com/2025/06/03/buck-pierce-canadian-ol-david-foucault-will-be-out-a-long-time-for-b-c-lions/ ***** *****

I think this was on Mood, but maybe not. It's somewhere in one of my LP boxes.

https://x.com/Thebestfigen/status/1922270661281501326

Disc Three

Much better than I expected.

Jim, it so happens that at that time, I had a friend who was an author. His name was Tom Block, and he wrote a best-selling thriller called Mayday. He told me that he was required by his publisher to include a sex scene. I am content to know that the two characters spent the night together without reading smut. In my view, the sex scenes interrupt the story, and are never necessary.

Spy thriller from 1979. It was pretty good, but it would have been much better without the sex scenes.

Let's take a look at who was cut today. https://www.cfl.ca/2025/05/31/cutdown-tracker-teams-make-their-final-roster-moves-3/ ***** In addition to Fletcher, I see some surprising names, the biggest being Ka'Deem Carey. https://3downnation.com/2025/06/01/team-10-making-the-best-cfl-team-from-this-years-final-training-camp-cuts/ https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/toronto-argonauts-release-all-star-rb-ka-deem-carey-in-final-roster-cut-downs-1.2315392 https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/toronto-argonauts/toronto-argonauts-announce-several-surprise-cuts-ahead-of-2025-regular-season/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/01/toronto-argonauts-release-veterans-cameron-dukes-ciante-evans-with-training-camp-cuts/ https://3downnation.com/2025/05/31/ottawa-redblacks-release-former-nfl-running-back-jaylen-samules-20-others/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/01/hamilton-tiger-cats-release-canadian-receiver-luther-hakunavanhu-23-others/ https://3downnation.com/2025/05/31/saskatchewan-roughriders-cut-17-including-twin-canadian-lbs-justin-jordan-herdman-reed/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/01/winnipeg-blue-bombers-release-24-including-receiver-myron-mitchell/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/01/calgary-stampeders-release-20-including-qb-logan-bonner/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/01/edmonton-elks-release-27-including-veteran-db-marcus-lewis/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/01/edmonton-elks-release-former-all-star-receiver-alexander-hollins-sources/ https://3downnation.com/2025/06/01/b-c-lions-release-16-including-simon-fraser-standout-rysen-john/ ***** Sask analysis https://pifflespodcast.com/blog/riderville-roundup-june-1-2025/ ***** Stamps analysis https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/despite-the-odds-the-calgary-stampeders-have-reason-for-optimism/ ***** ***** Today's view count is 462,800; an increase of 5,600 since May 10 (255 views per day).

I ordered a used copy of Living with Jazz today. $7.04 with free shipping. https://www.amazon.com/dp/037542072X

Last night's four pre-season games Hamilton - Toronto https://3downnation.com/2025/05/31/hamilton-tiger-cats-cant-cash-in-on-stout-defensive-first-half-in-preseason-loss-to-argos-eight-other-thoughts/ https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/tucker-horn-s-late-touchdown-pass-sends-toronto-argonauts-over-tiger-cats-in-preseason-finale-1.2314923 https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/argonauts-split-preseason-with-30-23-victory-over-tiger-cats/ ***** Montreal - Ottawa https://3downnation.com/2025/05/31/montreal-alouettes-backups-beat-redblacks-answer-questions-for-coaching-staff-five-other-thoughts/ https://3downnation.com/2025/05/31/eight-thoughts-on-the-ottawa-redblacks-preseason-finale-loss-to-montreal/ https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/alouettes-complete-preseason-with-24-16-victory-over-redblacks/ ***** Winnipeg - Saskatchewan https://3downnation.com/2025/05/31/fourteen-thoughts-on-the-winnipeg-blue-bombers-preseason-win-over-roughriders/ https://pifflespodcast.com/blog/alexs-thoughts-on-last-nights-preseason-finale-for-the-saskatchewan-roughriders/ https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/blue-bombers-complete-perfect-preseason-sweep-with-27-20-victory-over-roughriders/ ***** BC - Edmonton https://3downnation.com/2025/05/31/nathan-rourkes-perfect-game-overshadows-b-c-lions-preseason-loss-to-elks-10-other-thoughts/ https://3downnation.com/2025/05/31/edmonton-elks-make-it-exciting-at-the-end-tough-on-coaches-in-preseason-win-four-other-thoughts/ https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/elks-edge-lions-20-19-in-thrilling-preseason-finale/ ***** Today is Final Cutdown Day. Each team has the deadline of 10:00 pm local. The Als have let go Walter Fletcher. https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/alouettes-release-rb-fletcher-after-career-season-in-2024-1.2315191 https://3downnation.com/2025/05/31/montreal-alouettes-release-running-back-walter-fletcher-19-others/

Braves' Chris Sale reaches 2,500 strikeouts faster than any pitcher in MLB history

Hey Rooster! Pittsburgh is #2!