GA Russell

I'll be one of those coming out of the woodwork!

Stan Kasten and Magic Johnson are getting the Dodgers for a whopping $2 billion. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/baseball/la-dodgers-sold-to-group-with-magic-johnson/article2383660/

The Als have signed Luc Mullinder again. http://tsn.ca/cfl/feature/?id=54526 ***** Dave Naylor has a good column comparing Tim Tebow's situation to Doug Flutie's - basically, he is too much of a distraction to be a second string quarterback, so nobody wants him. But I remember that Flutie played for $1 million a year when the Canadian dollar was worth 60 cents. Would Tebow be willing to play in the CFL for current CFL wages? By the way, the Ticats have the neg rights to Tebow. http://tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=391521

Remember Carl Hairston of the Philadelphia Eagles? Today the Lions named him their defensive line coach. http://tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=391163

I believe in the old baseball saying that it's better to trade a player a year too soon than a year too late. When you trade a player too soon, you get top value for him. But Denver got only two lower draft picks. Did no one want him? Say what you will about his lack of talent, Tebow showed when given the chance that he's a winner. Isn't that the idea? I also don't understand the idea that clearing Tebow out of town will make it easier for Manning, as the crowd won't be shouting for Tebow. Who cares what Manning thinks? Denver doesn't owe him anything. Manning has no goodwill with the Denver team or fans. He said at the Indianapolis press conference last week that he will always be a Colt. Why should Manning be made more comfortable in Denver than any other pro quarterback except Brady? The sports talkers on Sirius say that the Jets team is a zoo from the top down. I think that the Jets players would rally around Tebow if he came up with some fourth quarter wins like he did in Denver. Players want to win. Tebow is a star, and New York is the best place for stars to shine. This scenario reminds me of how the Bills players rallied around Doug Flutie when the coaches insisted that Rob Johnson was their man.

Not only is this cool, but it has a good beat and is easy to dance to!

I saw a mint on eBay two years ago. I think it went for $360, but my memory is fuzzy.

The Ticats have signed Luca Congi. http://tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=391093 ***** The Bombers traded Odell Willis to the Riders for draft picks. http://tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=391103

As expected throughout last season, Doug Brown has retired. http://tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=391002

This has made the rounds, but here it is in case you haven't seen it yet. A fellow I trust who goes by the name of mantic59 says that the basic two blade cartridge isn't bad, although not as good as a double edge safety razor blade. Here's Mark's (mantic's) analysis:

Do we have alder thickets in North Carolina?

I'm excited about all four of these. Two years ago Ketil Bjornstad's album Remembrance was my favorite new album of the year.

I have strong nostalgia for the soft drink logos of my childhood in the 50s, especially 7 Up, and I wish they would return to them.

Guys, I bought mine yesterday at 3:15 pm, and received my email confirmation at 11:35 this morning.

I guess the party is over. The word is that Amazon is "sold out", and is not taking any more orders.

Amazon has a program competing with Groupon and Living Social called Amazon Local. Today's deal is a $10 Amazon gift card for $5. The deal expires tonight at midnight pacific time. I think you can order it over the phone at 1-866-395-2090. I also think you can get it online at https://local.amazon.com/

I wish everyone well, but I am skeptical that Manning will last all year without an injury.

Congrats Jeff! Thanks for posting those!

Paquito D'Rivera's Panamericana Suite came out in November of 2010, but I didn't get around to listening to it until a year later. I listened to it closely, and hated it. Today I had it on in the background, and quite enjoyed it. Go figure! It's unique all right. So I have dug out the press release that came with it for you to see. Paquito D'Rivera's "Panamericana Suite," A Concert Recording, To Be Released on CD November 2 By MCG Jazz D'Rivera's Panamericana Orchestra Features Edmar Castaneda, Dave Samuels, Andy Narell, & Soprano Brenda Feliciano October 6, 2010 Few jazz artists have been as musically omnivorous -- and dazzingly accomplished -- as the Cuban-born alto saxophone and clarinet virtuoso Paquito D'Rivera. Equally at home performing bebop, tango, and classical as well as Afro-Cuban styles, D'Rivera displays his mastery of many genres on his new CD, Panamericana Suite, which will be released by the MCG Jazz label on November 2. Recorded live at Pittsburgh's Manchester Craftsmen's Guild for MCG Jazz in April 2008, Panamericana Suite takes its name from a piece commissioned by Jazz at Lincoln Center that D'Rivera premiered in 2000. A stunning cultural synthesis encompassing North, Central, and South America leavened with a Caribbean rhythmic sensibility, the project reflects D'Rivera's embracing musical vision. "I am an eclectic person," D'Rivera says. "I grew up the son of a classical saxophone player who loved jazz. He loved to put on Heifetz and Mario Lanza, and then listen to Benny Goodman and the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Growing up in Havana, Latin American music was in the air." The new CD boasts an all-star international cast, with Pedro Martinez (batas, timbales, vocals), Pernell Saturnino (percussion), Oscar Stagnaro (bass), and Mark Walker (bass) comprising the supple rhythm section. Also featured in the Panamericana Orchestra are pianist Alon Yavnai; Dana Leong on trombone and cello; Hector del Curto, bandoneon; Andy Narell on steel pans; Dave Samuels, vibraphone and marimba; trumpeter Diego Urcola; the Colombian harpist Edmar Castaneda; and the Puerto Rican lyric soprano Brenda Feliciano. "This recording expresses the essence of Paquito D'Rivera," says Marty Ashby, who produced the CD with his brother Jay Ashby. "From refined Classical compositions to swinging jazz, Paquito takes the listener on a journey celebrating the multitude of Latin and World rhythms, connecting them with the best of jazz and Classical traditions." Since making his way to the U.S. in 1979, Paquito D'Rivera has established himself as a force in the jazz world, with numerous solo albums and a long-running association with Dizzy Gillespie, culminating when he became one of the musical directors of the trumpeter's last great band, the United Nation Orchestra. D'Rivera led the United Nation Orchestra to a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album at the 40th annual Grammy Awards with its Live at MCG CD, which was recorded at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild. In 2005, he was named an NEA Jazz Master and awarded the National Medal of Arts at the White House. He's the only artist ever to have won Latin Grammy Awards in both Classical and Jazz categories, for 2003's Stravinsky's Historia del Soldado (L'Histoire du Soldat) and Brazilian Dreams. No matter what style he's exploring, D'Rivera consistently collaborates with the finest musicians and ensembles, from the Ying Quartet, Turtle Island Quartet, Imani Winds, and Yo-Yo Ma to the London Royal Symphony, Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra. As a leader of numerous bands and projects, and an increasingly acclaimed composer, D'Rivera continues to blaze new trails, combining the styles and traditions that excite his imagination. He was recently commissioned by Caramoor, as Composer in Residence, to write a concerto for the St. Luke's Chamber Orchestra; the work, titled "Conversations with Cachao," is dedicated to the Cuban bass legend. D'Rivera has just released a new CD called Tango Jazz: Live at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Paquito Records/Sunnyside Records. Web Sites: www.paquitodrivera.com www.mcgjazz.com

Best wishes Jeff!

Valerie, it's Granny! Didn't you ever watch the show? LOL Yes, Irene Ryan looks to me like a different person than Granny. She was 60 years old when she started playing Granny, and IMO she looked closer to 75. I wonder how much of it was make-up, and how much of it was her.

Who's this?

Happy Birthday 2012 RT!

The Ticats have released Stevie Baggs. http://tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=390449

Honey West: The Complete Series - $14.28 http://www.amazon.com/Honey-West-Fullscreen-Anne-Francis/dp/B001B0H7DG/ref=pd_cp_mov_3