GA Russell

Breaking news: The Roughriders have released Michael Bishop! You may recall that I commented at the time that when the Riders released Marcus Crandell, it was the only time I was aware of that a team in first place released its starting quarterback. As I recall, they had only lost one or two games, and had suffered many injuries. As it turned out, they never did settle on a quarterback for the remainder of the season. http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home ***** Fourteen (!) Bombers played out their options this year and are set to become free agents. http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home

Chuck, where did you find that great price? From an Amazon "seller" "importcds" for $13.95. I see the offer is gone now Rats!

I hear Bryant's recording fairly often on Sirius. It reminds me of the line dances that were popular ten years ago that I could never do.

Chuck, where did you find that great price?

paps, it sounds like he returned the love he received. I'm sure he was grateful for all you did for him.

Edmonton Eskimos 29....Winnipeg Blue Bombers 21 http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform...aspx?id=4189795 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...ory/GlobeSports Exciting game, particularly because the Winnipeg crowd was so electric from start to finish. Jason Armstead set a Bomber team playoff record with a 93 yard punt return for a TD. This was the fifth time a Western team crossed over for the Eastern playoffs, and the first time they won. This was probably Milt Stegall's last game. ***** British Columbia Lions 33....Saskatchewan Roughriders 12 http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=s...aspx?id=4189841 http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home The score flatters the Riders. The Lions dominated from start to finish. The Riders had four turnovers in the first quarter alone. ***** So both road teams won today. I don't know of another league in which the home field advantage is worth so little in the playoffs as it is in the CFL. Just think of all the Western Finals Wally Buono has lost at home in Calgary and BC. ***** Versus, the cable network which carries the NHL, will carry the Grey Cup game Nov. 23. Versus serves 73 million US viewers. http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=s...aspx?id=4189726

Look again, GA! It's a red letter day for Conn.

Naturally, every artist would like to see every record get five stars. But I would be more interested in the airplay ranking, and Groovadelphia came in at #1 in that one.

I'm very surprised we've gone this far without the word "dick" being used!!!!

Happy Birthday Conn!

Happy Birthday Paul! Hope you get to spend the day listening to your favorite Kennedy administration vocal groups!

Here's another link I forgot to post the other day: Final Team Stats http://stats.globesports.com/cfl/tmleaders.asp ***** Fred Williams Semi-Finals previews http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform...aspx?id=4189572

Best wishes Dan!

Happy Birthday ISBY!

Happy Birthday GoodSpeak!

Thanks again, guys!

Happy Birthday Porcy!

These don't cut & paste well, so here are the links: Final Standings http://stats.globesports.com/cfl/totalstandings.asp Final Stats http://stats.globesports.com/cfl/leaders.asp

Some years ago I saw him on the Charlie Rose Show promoting his latest book. Crichton said something, to which Rose responded, "That's stupid." So Crichton pretty much shut up the rest of the interview.

Many thanks, my friends! I had a pretty uneventful day working. Just came back from Cici's Pizza. I received some money, which will go toward: Stan Getz - Sweet Rain Kenny Wheeler - Gnu High Abercrombie/Holland/DeJohnette - Gateway Norma Winstone - Somewhere Called Home Dave Holland - Extensions

What a huge number of hits this guy arranged! http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-...0,4351915.story Ray Ellis dies at 85; arranger worked with Bobby Darin, Johnny Mathis, Doris Day, scores of others Ray Ellis, a saxophone player who turned to arranging pop music, wrote charts for hits by the Four Lads, Bobby Darin, Connie Francis, Doris Day, Johnny Mathis, Barbra Streisand, Billie Holiday and many others. By Jon Thurber 5:57 PM PST, November 4, 2008 Ray Ellis, the versatile pop music arranger who wrote the charts for hits by the Four Lads, Bobby Darin, Connie Francis, Doris Day and Johnny Mathis, has died. He was 85. Ellis, a longtime resident of Ojai, died Oct. 27 of liver cancer at an assisted living facility in Encino, according to his son Marc, a film and television composer. In a career that began in the mid-1950s, Ellis arranged the music for "Standing on the Corner" and "Moments to Remember" for the Four Lads; "Splish Splash" and "Dream Lover" for Bobby Darin; "Everybody Loves a Lover" for Doris Day; "Where the Boys Are" for Connie Francis; and "That Certain Smile" for Johnny Mathis. According to his son, Ellis worked with producer Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records arranging a number of R&B classics, including Ben E. King's "Spanish Harlem," Brook Benton's "There Goes My Baby" and the Drifters' "Under the Boardwalk." He also worked on some Ahmet Ertegun productions. "He's one of the greats that ever lived," said Peter Marshall, the longtime former host of "The Hollywood Squares" who is also a pop singer and worked with Ellis on a couple of albums. "He was so eclectic, he could arrange 'Splish Splash' for Bobby Darin and a version of 'Silent Night' for Barbra Streisand. When you hear his body of work, it is really astounding." Born in Philadelphia in 1923, Ellis took saxophone lessons as a teenager and played in dance bands in the Northeast before going into the Army in 1943. He found his way into the band of the 1st Armored Division; he played dances and tried his hand at arranging. After the war, he played saxophone, clarinet and flute for Paul Whiteman's band, including some television work in a live jazz group at a Philadelphia station. His break came when a friend introduced him to Mitch Miller, then a leading executive with Columbia, who helped Ellis get work arranging the songs for the Four Lads, including "Moments to Remember" in 1955 and "Standing on the Corner" from the 1956 Frank Loesser musical "The Most Happy Fella." Both songs were hits, and Ellis became Miller's protege at Columbia, where he found steady work producing records and often leading the orchestra for his arrangements. In 1958, he gained notice as the arranger for Billie Holiday's last two albums, including "Lady in Satin," which received mixed critical notice. The album seemed to gain greater acceptance over the years and was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000. "He loved lyrics, and you can hear that on his album 'Lady in Satin,' " Marshall said. In 1959, Ellis became the A&R director for MGM Records, creating hits for Francis, Frankie Laine and Clyde McPhatter. He later worked with Lena Horne, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Maurice Chevalier and Streisand. In the early 1960s he recorded a number of albums of easy listening music for several labels under his own name, including "Let's Get Away From It All" and "Ellis in Wonderland" for Columbia. His career also included work for television and commercials. In 1971, he composed the first of two themes for the "Today" show, which lasted until the end of the decade. A second theme, based on the NBC chimes, was the show's signature for several years in the 1980s. In the late 1960s, he became a composer for the cartoon studio Filmation and wrote the scores or the arrangements for several Saturday morning cartoon shows, including " Spider-Man," "The Archies," "The New Adventures of Tarzan," "Star Trek" and "Fat Albert." As he reached his early 80s, he was still called on occasionally for arrangements. In the last few years he worked with Barry Manilow and on Bette Midler's " Peggy Lee Songbook" album.

The finalists for the CFL Awards were announced today. It will be Burris against Calvillo for Outstanding Player. http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home By the way, Calvillo (Las Vegas Posse) and Sask's Eddie Davis (Birmingham Barracudas) are the last two players in the league left from the CFL's American teams of 1993-95.

Aggie, lala.com has 13 Metallica albums you can listen to for free.

The division all-star teams were announced today. http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform...aspx?id=4188953 http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=s...aspx?id=4188955

Thanks Chas!