GA Russell

Happy Birthday Ghost!

Allen, have you considered lulu.com? I saw a presentation by owner Bob Young of Red Hat fame, and it all seemed pretty good.

I saw Olivia Friday on Fox & Friends. She's pushing 60, but she still looks fantastic, and she sounded better than ever. She was promoting her new Christmas album. The song she sang was pretty stupid, so I won't be picking up the CD. But for someone out of the limelight for so many years, she was a very pleasant surprise.

I've been in Chicago on a business trip the past week, and I was away from a computer. A lot happened that I will get to soon, but I want to make a point of mentioning that Jake Gaudaur passed away. I first met him in 1978. We met and spoke on the phone a number of times, and my dealings with him were a highlight of my life. So in memoriam, I would like to post Dan Ralph's entire obituary: Former CFL commissioner dies Gaudaur served from '68 to '84 By Dan Ralph, THE CANADIAN PRESS Jake Gaudaur. Pete Martin will forever remember Jake Gaudaur's tenure as CFL commissioner. Gaudaur, who served as CFL commissioner from 1968 until 1984, died Tuesday in a Burlington, Ont., nursing home of prostate cancer. He was 87. Martin was a linebacker with the Toronto Argonauts in the late 1960s when he received a letter personally signed by Gaudaur after being ejected from a game with the Ottawa Rough Riders. "It was a polite letter from Jake informing me that I was being fined $75," Martin recollected Tuesday. "I still have it and smile when I read it because I didn't feel very good about what I had done. "But I've always thought Jake was a very, very classy man. He was always very friendly and he always remembered who you were. He was an incredible commissioner who really helped make the CFL what it is today." Gaudaur was born Oct. 5, 1920 in Orillia, Ont. His father, Jacob, was a professional rowing champion and while Jake Gaudaur did follow in his father's footsteps initially, he also played hockey and lacrosse before blazing his own trail in Canadian pro football. "He was a very humble and modest man so he never spoke of his accomplishments," Diane Gaudaur said of her father. "I went through his scrapbooks a few weeks ago and I was quite stunned by all of his involvements. "He was an accomplished athlete. But I don't think he was as great an athlete as he was an administrator because he commanded so much respect from people. It was hard to be rude to my father because he was such a gentle giant. He was certainly proud of his involvement with the CFL at all levels, even back to the early days." Gaudaur played for the Hamilton Tigers (1940-1941, 1948-1949), Toronto Argonauts (1941), Toronto RCAF Hurricanes (1942), Toronto Indians (of the Ontario Rugby Football Union, 1945-'46), Montreal Alouettes (1947), Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1950-1951, 1953). He won Grey Cups as a player with the Hurricanes as well as his final season with the Ticats in '53. He served as a director with the Ticats in '52 and was the club's president and general manager from 1954 to '67. During that time, Hamilton captured nine East Division titles and four Grey Cup crowns but Gaudaur never wanted to bring attention to that success, even in retirement. Diane Gaudaur remembers a comment her father made to her after she bought him a marker for his walker. "All I could find was a Curious George or a Tiger-Cat so I settled on Curious George," she said. "He said, 'I'm glad you didn't get the Tiger-Cat because it would look like I was drawing attention to myself.' "That is my father." Gaudaur, who served as a pilot in the Second World War, was named the CFL's fifth commissioner in 1968. During his term, Gaudaur was instrumental in keeping the league a Canadian entity and resisted American influence by ensuring it maintained its Canadian rules and regulations. He also took an active role in the boardroom, heading up the Player Pension Plan Advisory Board, the Management Council as well as the Rules Committee. He was also a determined negotiator, a quality that put the CFL on a more solid financial footing thanks to the radio and television deals he brokered. It allowed the league to compete with the NFL for players such as Joe Theismann, who spurned the Miami Dolphins to sign with Toronto in the 1970s. "The passing of Jake Gaudaur has left the CFL family with a heavy heart today," CFL commissioner Mark Cohon said in a statement. "Jake's leadership and dedication to the CFL throughout his career were a great service to our League and to the sport of Canadian football. "While we mourn his passing, we also celebrate his life, his community leadership and all of his wonderful accomplishments. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Gaudaur family and all of Jake's friends and fans across the country." Some of Diane Gaudaur's fondest recent memories of her father was his interaction with Bella, her four-year-old golden lab. "It's my dog but he took it over," she said with a chuckle. "Every night we would go into his room and she'd jump on his bed and they would have a little fight. "They would go through the motions, they'd both growl. It was quite wonderful. "He loved this dog. This dog just kept him going. Every time she walked into his room, he'd give her heck like, "What are you doing here, madame?" He was very playful with her." Gaudaur was inducted into both the Toronto Argonauts and Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1984 and was made an officer of the Order of Canada in 1985. Gaudaur is also a member of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. Gaudaur is survived by his wife, Isabel, three daughters and seven grandchildren. Visitation will be held Friday at Smith Funeral Homes in Burlington from 3-5 p.m. ET and 7-9 p.m. A private family service will be held Saturday.

One of my favorites! I'm sure you'll like it, Tom!

I had Phaedra when it was new, and I'm pretty sure I got Moondawn as a cutout. I haven't thought about them in decades! If I ever come across them I'll put them on. Old times! Thanks, Guy!

Thanks Marla, particularly for the shot from the bandstand. I can't imagine there are enough seats to be able to pay musicians. Of course, the deal with the club originally was that it didn't pay the jam session musicians, right?.

ak, I saw Steve Novosel in concert in DC with Lloyd McNeal and Eric Gravat in '68. I thought the whole band was great! I didn't hear much of him in the next few years, and then his name cropped up again in the papers as the husband of Roberta Flack.

We live in a world now where celebrities have never done anything. For sure, you can't say that he didn't earn his money! The first time I heard of him was that Las Vegas Caesar's Palace jump in the 60s. In those days, news shows rarely showed films of things happening. There just wasn't much documentation to be had. But that jump (and the spectacular crash) was on film, and shown on the six o'clock news more than once. With that crash, he was (in people's minds) just a nut daredevil, a really nuts daredevil. But then he became famous because the next time he would do a stunt people would think, "I remember seeing that Caesar's Palace jump. You mean that guy survived and is still doing stunts?" I would say that the Snake River Canyon jump rivalled the Bobby Riggs-Billie Jean King match as the most hyped nothings of my lifetime.

aloc, that's how I feel listening to the CFL games each week on the internet! And I love doing without the instant replay. On the radio they talk about the game. On TV, they talk about the replay.

Bobby Simpson has died. I have read many times about The Sleeper Play. http://www.canada.com/topics/sports/footba...13d9c04&p=1

Happy Birthday felser!

The Bombers have denied the Ticats permission to speak with Brendan Taman. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/news_story/?ID=223834&hubname=cfl

Anagrams were once very popular among jazz musicians. I guess the two most famous are Re: Person I Knew, which is an anagram for Orrin Keepnews; and Svengali, which is an anagram for Gil Evans. I see them from time to time on the internet. As I mentioned in the CFL thread, Britney Spears gives us Presbyterian! I saw one yesterday: mother-in-law....Woman Hitler! What are your favorites?

Happy Birthday B!

I'm sorry, GoodSpeak. I agree with Chris that you should consider getting another to love.

Sorry to hear of it Rooster. It may make you feel better to learn that CNet yesterday published an article saying that Vista is one of the worst inventions of all time!

It has seemed to me that there hasn't been much conversation the past few months both here and at the "What's next on your queue?" thread. Maybe the thrill of cheap CDs is wearing off. Granted, there hasn't been much in the way of new listings, but I'm not seeing comments about great finds and such either. Perhaps folks here either buy a CD when it's first put on the list or not at all. As I mentioned on the other thread, one day I just perused through the catalogue with nothing better to do, and discovered that they had Gerry Mulligan's Jeru. That has turned out to be the best album I've picked up from Your Music. (Unfortunately, it's a Columbia, so it's no longer available.) So I figure there must be other gems waiting to be had, but we're not talking about them!

One Marc Bellemare is running for mayor of Quebec City on a platform of getting a CFL expansion team for the city! http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/news_story/?ID=223688&hubname=

Jim Popp is out as the Als' head coach, but he will remain as the GM and personnel chief. IMO, this is as it should be. http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home

aloc, I lived in Pittsburgh in the 70s when the Steelers were winning their Super Bowls, and each year that they won Iron City Beer had a can with a photo of the team on it! how about last year? No idea. I haven't llived in Pittsburgh since '82.

aloc, I lived in Pittsburgh in the 70s when the Steelers were winning their Super Bowls, and each year that they won Iron City Beer had a can with a photo of the team on it!

Ricky Ray is entering his option year. He expects to sign a two-year extension in December. http://www.canada.com/topics/sports/footba...k=88085&p=1 ***** The Stampeders are expected to name John Hufnagel as their new head coach very soon. Such announcements are prohibited until after the Grey Cup game. http://www.canada.com/topics/sports/footba...221&k=40751 ***** Unnamed sources say that the Bombers' Brendon Taman is the Ticats' pick for new GM if he wants the job. http://www.canada.com/topics/sports/footba...be1&k=63747 edit for typo

Your Mosaic gift certificate is on its way, brownie! Now I understand why you guys have been commenting on the international postage rates!

Anyone have any thoughts about the game? If I see anything more about the Grey Cup game or the 2007 season, I'll post it here. But for off-season news, I have started a new Hot Stove League thread here: http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...c=37361&hl=