GA Russell

Hamilton Tiger-Cats 39....Montreal Alouettes 24 http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=401174 Lots of fun. Not much defense. The Ticats certainly seemed for real tonight. The record for kicks returned for touchdowns in a season is five. Chris Williams would have had his fourth, but turned around at the twenty and ran backwards the rest of the way in. He was caught and tackled at the one. I hope the coach fines him. Chevon Walker scored on the next play.

Here is yesterday's AP article about the fiftieth anniversary of The Girl from Ipanema. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jul/20/the-girl-from-ipanema-turns-50/?page=all#pagebreak

I seem to recall that Bobbie Gentry married a very rich guy.

Perhaps someone should start a new NHL thread now that the season is over, but in the meantime, here is a very thorough analysis of the finances of the teams as they head into labor negotiations. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/globe-on-hockey/why-nhl-teams-cry-poor-despite-the-leagues-record-growth/article4429817/

Edmonton Eskimos 27....British Columbia Lions 14 http://www.sportsnet...aspx?id=4515156 http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=401115 An upset for sure. Another surprise is that the Lions are only 2-2, when three of their first four games have been at home. ***** The Stampeders have signed Tad Kornegay. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=401114

Happy Birthday 2012 BeBop!

Happy Birthday 2012 Joel!

In all of last year, there were eight kicks returned for touchdowns. This year, after 14 games, there have been seven.

Calgary Stampeders 41....Saskatchewan Roughriders 38 http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=401036 http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfl/news/news.aspx?id=4514861 The Roughriders had a 17 point lead in the fourth quarter, and let it slip away. I went to bed at the end of the third quarter, so I'll have to watch the video of that fourth quarter at TSN's website.

The league announced today that nine regular season games (starting August 27), all four playoff games and the Grey Cup will be carried on the NBC Sports channel in the US. I don't get cable, but this news means that I won't have any trouble finding the games at a sports bar! http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=401051 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/nbc-announces-cfl-broadcast-plans/article4429686/

This looks interesting. Has anyone heard of him? Bay Area Pianist/Composer Eric Vaughn To Release First Nationally Distributed CD, "Minor Relocation," August 7 CD Release Shows Planned for 142 Throckmorton Theatre, Mill Valley, August 9 Rasselas, San Francisco, August 15 & Piedmont Piano Co., Oakland, October 13 July 20, 2012 Eric Vaughn has devoted most of his life to jazz, but recognition for his distinctively personal music has long eluded him. Vaughn's luck can be expected to turn, however, with the release on August 7 of Minor Relocation, the 58-year-old pianist/composer's first nationally distributed album. The new CD, released on his Vaughn Music label, serves as an introduction to a fresh and intriguing voice on the piano. Vaughn describes his music, which fuses elements of Thelonious Monk, Art Tatum, McCoy Tyner, and others, as "hard bop to modern-esque." "I've definitely learned from the traditional players," he says. "I've taken from a little bit of everybody and I've taken some classical and I've put it all in there." The "minor relocation" of the disc's title refers to the pianist's 2009 move back to the Bay Area from Seattle, where he'd resided the previous 12 years. Vaughn recorded the CD over a three-year period in both locales, working in Seattle with bassists Nate Omdal and Mark Bullis and drummers Nicholas Quitevis and Jamiel Nance, and in the Bay Area with tenor saxophonist Bob Kenmotsu, bassist John Wiitala, and drummer Kent Bryson. "I hadn't seen them in 35 years," Vaughn says of the three latter musicians, with whom he once worked in San Francisco's North Beach. Most of the CD's repertoire consists of Vaughn's striking originals, including the swinging title track, the minor-blues-based "Tune for Trane," and the bossa ballad "Joyce," as well as his takes on "Stella by Starlight," "Alone Together," and "On Green Dolphin Street." Bronx, NY-born Eric Vaughn grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he moved at age 7 with his mother and stepfather, a semi-professional musician. When Eric was 9, both he and his stepdad began taking piano lessons from Sal Mosca, the Lennie Tristano disciple noted for his recordings with Lee Konitz, among others. The younger Vaughn continued his studies till he was 14, when basketball became a primary focus. A basketball scholarship brought Vaughn to the University of San Francisco, but knee injuries thwarted his athletic ambitions. He applied for, and won, a music scholarship, despite having been away from his musical studies for nearly five years. Vaughn went on to earn his Bachelor's degree in music and a Master's in music performance, both from USF. Several years of classical piano lessons during this time "influenced my technique for sure and my ideas as well," he says now. "It's useful for improvising and my chops and reading." Vaughn spent two years in the early '80s playing in Europe with bassoonist Michael Rabinowitz, another former Mosca student, then moved to Oakland and became part of a circle of avant-garde players that included saxophonists Ghasem Batamutu and Julius Hemphill, trumpeter Rasul Siddik, and bassist James Lewis. In 1985 he moved to Vancouver, BC and remained there for 12 years, performing regularly at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival and working a steady club engagement with trumpeter Gabriel Mark Hasselbach. He also spent two years in the early '90s touring as a member of former B.B. King bassist Russell Jackson's blues band. During his years in Seattle (1997-2009), Vaughn played with his own groups and those led by tenor saxophonist Bert Wilson and conga drummer Billy Poindexter (son of Pony Poindexter). He recorded three little-noticed albums -- a solo piano date titled Reflections: Past and Present; the trio session A New Beginning; and The Chaotic World We Live In, on which he overdubbed piano and melodica parts. With Poindexter's quartet, he recorded Live at the Birkshire (2007). Vaughn's "minor relocation" back to the Bay Area in 2009 marks an exciting new chapter in his musical life. A Kickstarter campaign is supporting the release of his new CD, and higher-profile gigs are coming his way. To celebrate the release of Minor Relocation, Vaughn and his quartet (Bob Kenmotsu, John Wiitala, Kent Bryson) will be performing at 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley on Thursday 8/9 at 8pm. He's also set to appear at Rasselas, San Francisco, on Wednesday 8/15, 8pm, and at Piedmont Piano Company in Oakland on Saturday 10/13, 8pm, with more bookings in the works. Web Site: www.ericvaughnjazz.com

Here's a video of the Top Ten Special Teams plays of 2011. http://cfl.ca/video/index/id/76345/autostart/true

six string, would you like to share the link with us so that others can share in your find?

Here's a video of the Top Ten plays of 2011. http://cfl.ca/video/index/id/76345/autostart/true

Thanks, Marcel. That's very informative!

Thanks Jerry! Will you volunteer to be the Official YouTube ombudsman for CFL kick returns? The audio of that clip was the Saskatchewan Roughriders' radio broadcast with Rod and Carm, which I happened to listen to at that time.

I think I found what I was looking for: High Jinks. Unfortunately, it's currently going for $49.94. http://www.amazon.com/High-Jinks-Mose-Allison-Trilogy/dp/B000008MWP/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1342722438&sr=1-1&keywords=Mose+Allison+Sony

I don't have any CDs of Mose Allison on Columbia or Epic. Are any available? I have a vague recollection that there was a two-CD set issued about ten years ago, but I may be wrong. Recommendations, anyone?

This guy had quite a career. He directed I Love Lucy and Bewitched. I think his name rings a bell for me because of the Beach Party movies. RIP http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-william-asher-20120718,0,5228058.story

Toronto Argonauts 25....Winnipeg Blue Bombers 22 http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=400957 http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfl/news/news.aspx?id=4514548 Hard fought game. The Argos led for the first three quarters. The Bombers led for most of the fourth. With two minutes to go, the Argos pulled the fat out of the fire with a 37 yard TD pass and run play to Jason Barnes. The Bombers remain the league's only winless team.

Here's an article that says that Lin's value to the Rockets is that he can carry on the popularity the team enjoyed in China because of Yao Ming. Apparently the team made a lot of money from the Chinese market because of Yao. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jul/18/goodbye-linsanity-knicks-let-lin-walk/?page=all#pagebreak

I'm delighted for Mose Allison. I didn't know he was sufficiently regarded for this. He's been one of my favorites since I head him for the first time.

Rob Bagg missed all of last year with a torn ACL in his right knee. Now he has torn the ACL in his left knee. I figure this could be the end of his career. It's a real shame because I always liked him. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=400898 ***** Greg Xenakes Week 4 picks http://www.sportsnet...aspx?id=4514415 ***** The announcement of a new stadium for Regina has got the mayor of Toronto thinking about a new stadium for Hogtown. The Argos sure could use one. http://www.sportsnet...aspx?id=4514418 ***** Lowell Ullrich Week 4 picks http://www.cflblogzo...cks-for-week-4/

Jerry, that's possible, although I don't think that the NFL and the NCAA have anything to worry about. My experience at sports bars was that plenty of people would watch my Canadian league games on the tv screens during the summer when there was no other football; but after Labor Day interest in the CFL nosedived. That was also the case for the American teams selling tickets to their games in the mid-90s.

I learned how to type in 1966. Since moving over to a computer in 1987, the keys on the keyboard have been in the same spots. But I have been unable to adapt to my new keyboard after six months. It is a Logitech. It works fine. The problem is that the two shift keys are quite small. The area of the keyboard where I am accustomed to pressing with my pinkies to get a capital letter have been replaced with control keys. As a result, I am frequently typing lower case letters, and sometimes (even worse) setting some unwanted action in motion! Can anyone recommend a computer keyboard with large shift keys? By the way, the pictures that I have seen at websites like Newegg make it very difficult to judge how large the keys are.