GA Russell

This may seem trivial, but I grew up with Chris Montez's hit, and I recommend that you listen to it for its joie de vivre.

The two Division All-Star teams were announced today. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/feature/?id=33075

Other than the recent threads about the Bill Evans and Red Garland boxes, I don't recall much conversation here about mainstream jazz box sets on sale. I see that the Coltrane Prestige boxes can still be had fairly cheaply. Any other bargains that I don't know about?

Conrad, why do you know what is on CNN's website?????

The 2010 final stats are up: http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/statistics/

Here are the final 2010 standings: http://stats.sports.theglobeandmail.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=globeandmail&page=cfl/stand/standingAJ.htm

Happy Birthday Conn!

Happy Birthday Jeff!

British Columbia Lions 23....Hamilton Tiger-Cats 21 http://scoreboards.c.../final/W901.htm Good game. The Ticats led the entire game until Paul McCallum kicked the winning FG with 1:40 left in the game. BC's win meant that the Eskimos needed to win to make the playoffs. ***** Saskatchewan Roughriders 31....Edmonton Eskimos 23 http://scoreboards.c.../final/W902.htm Edmonton was game, but the Riders were the better team. The Riders needed to win this game too, because if they didn't they would have entered the playoffs on a five-game losing streak. Ricky Ray was back for the Eskimos. ***** Toronto Argonauts 30....Montreal Alouettes 4 http://scoreboards.c.../final/W903.htm Meaningless game played mostly with subs like a pre-season game. Danny Brannigan became the first Canadian QB to take a snap since Giulio Caravatta in '96. ***** Andy Fantuz won the receiving title. He is the first Canadian to do that since Dave Sapunjis. ***** Next week's Semi-Finals games will both be played on Sunday: Toronto at Hamilton and BC at Saskatchewan. ***** Jesse Lumsden tore his ACL. I've got to think that no one will take a chance on him again. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=340300

RCA issued a cd and double LP ca. '87 called Short Stops which is a favorite of mine. I think that it is long out of print.

I like some of his radio shows, such as Pat Novak for Hire. They were all hard-boiled. The Dragnet radio shows were terrific too!

Happy Birthday Paul!

The liner notes of the If album I got yesterday for my birthday (Europe '72) say that Futterman was If's manager, and that the name of the band was his idea.

Happy Birthday ISBY!

Happy Birthday Porcy!

Happy Birthday GS!

I read a few years ago in our Raleigh paper's celebrity birthday list that Reginald Veal (bass) was born Nov. 5, I think 1961, but I can't find any reference to it on the internet.

Calgary Stampeders 35....Winnipeg Blue Bombers 32 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/stamps-send-bombers-packing/article1788423/ Entertaining meaningless game. Both Joey Elliott and Drew Tate played well enough to expect them to be invited to somebody's training camp next year. Justin Palardy went 6 for 6 in FGs. The Bombers extended their league record to losing nine games by four points or less. To play nine four-point games will probably not happen again in our lifetimes, and to lose all nine of them is truly a mark for the ages! ***** Tomorrow's two games: BC plays in Hamilton first. If BC loses, they are out of the playoffs. Then Edmonton plays in Regina. If BC wins, Edmonton must win or they will be out of the playoffs.

Many thanks again this year, my friends! History was made this year. For the first time, I celebrated my birthday in Daylight Savings Time! I got a nice haul of music - four CDs! One of my favorite bands when I was in college was Dick Morrisey's jazz-rock group called If. They put out four albums in four years and called it a day. In 1997 a German label called Repertoire issued a CD of concert tapes called Europe '72. It doesn't break any new ground, but it's great to hear, as this is my first If album since getting their fourth in 1973. For the past twenty years I have wanted a copy of Henry Mancini's soundtrack of the movie Charade. I'm not sure that a CD has ever been released in the US. This appears to be German. The music is coupled with a second album, Mancini's soundtrack of the movie Experiment in Terror, which I understand to be good. I also received two promos that I am looking forward to hearing: The first is Paquito D'Rivera's Panamericana. The second is The Either Orchestra's Mood Music for Time Travellers. Now for some cake!

Allan Maki Week 19 picks http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/cfl-picks/article1786423/

RIP. I had his bubble gum card in 1960, when he was known as George Anderson, outfielder for the Phillies. Not only did he enjoy success as a manager, but he was more well-spoken than most managers are. He was good for a quote.

Matt Flowers East report http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfl/news/news.aspx?id=4353376

Matt Flowers West report http://64.246.64.33/...aspx?id=4353165 ***** Gregg Xenakes Week 19 picks http://64.246.64.33/...aspx?id=4353143 ***** TSN polled all of the players, over half (218) of whom responded, regarding Who is the most...respected, under-rated, dirty, biggest trash talker, etc. Their vote for Outstanding Player goes to Anthony Calvillo. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=339603

Each team's nominees for the CFL Awards were announced today. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=339742

The news reports of Charlie O'Donnell's passing talk about his many years as the announcer of Wheel of Fortune. This is news to me, as I had not recognized his voice from my youth. I remember him as Dick Clark's sidekick on American Bandstand. Clark would host the music, and then pass off to "Charlie" the commercials, such as for Dentyne. I thought it odd that the guy who did the commercials would be treated by Clark like he was a somebody, but he was a part of the show nonetheless. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_O%27Donnell