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Non-baseball items, part II
An item from the Toronto Star on the five hockey players who were involved in that sex scandal. It seems that one has already signed with a Swiss team. The expectation is that Hart will sign with someone. The rest we will see. It does back up what I said about teams facing criticism if they sign any of them. I am including a link. This is from the Toronto Star but there was no paywall so you might get to see it.https://www.thestar.com/sports/nhl/nh...
There is a documentary movie coming out with the following title:‘You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution…’.
I can honestly say I was there. The rector of the Anglican church I attended in Streetsville took the church's youth group in to Toronto to see the show at the Royal Alexandra Theatre.
Here is the score from today's other Semi-Final for Australian Rules football: Brisbane 14.16 (100) - Gold Coast 06.11 (47). The game started off really well for The Suns, but then everything fell apart and The Lions emerged triumphant. Thus they have booked themselves a place one of the Preliminary Finals where they will play Collingwood.
Today is the Manchester Deby in the Premier League. Should be fun.While on the subject of Man U, Ruben Amorim, their coach, has a system that he employs. Well the system isn't working at United for one reason or another. However, Amorim is not prepared to make any changes.
The spirit of George Steinbrenner must be running Sheffield United, who play in the Championship (2nd tier of British Football). They just sacked their manager, Ruben Selles, who was appointed in June after their sixth straight loss to start the season. The guy they are bringing in to replace him, Chris Wilder, is the person Selles replaced. This is also Wilder's third stint as manager of the team. Shades of Billy Martin
Singer songwriter Bobby Hart has passed away at age 86. He was one half of the duo Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, who had several hits of their own as well as writing many of The Monkees' hits. Boyce and Hart would later team up with Davey Jones and Mickey Dolenz to form Dolenz, Jones, Boyce and Hart as a Japanese promoter was wanting to do some shows featuring The Monkees.
British Boxing legend Ricky Hatton has passed away at age 46. He was scheduled for a match in December.
I see the Emmy Awards are tonight. That means I am going to end up with a lot of stuff in my inbox over the course of the evening. Ah well, such is life (especially at awards time)
Hockey HOFer Eddie Gaicomin has passed away. He played goal for the Rangers and later the Red Wings.
Article on the team with the longest name in Football. I do not know how to even pronounce it.https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/foo...
Actor Robert Redford has passed away at age 89.
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Does the following mean I can start listening to the Christmas music now. Not sure my family would approve.Season’s greetings. It’s officially 100 days until Christmas, so this is your reminder to start counting down like you’re the Hallmark Channel. Go ahead and get in the holiday spirit: Make those vacation plans, start shopping, complain about your neighbor’s seasonal display. We’d advise against putting milk and cookies out for Santa just yet, though—unless you want it to turn into yogurt and cookies.
—Dave Lozo, Molly Liebergall, Sam Klebanov, Abby Rubenstein, Neal Freyman
Trump is on a state visit to the UK for the next few days. Reading about it in the London Playbook it sounds like the UK government is pulling out all the stops on this one. SO LOOK OVER HERE, MR. PRESIDENT: Come late afternoon and the Starmers will be rocking up in Windsor. The PM and his “beautiful wife” Victoria (as Trump so awkwardly loves to put it) join proceedings for what the MoD describes as the largest military ceremony for a state visit in living memory — it’s full of superlatives and firsts too.
And look up there! Trump will be treated to a joint RAF and U.S. Air Force flypast (a first of its kind) and a Red Arrows demonstration … 1,300 troops taking place in a guard of honor (the largest ever at a state visit) … and a beating retreat (apparently not as painful as it sounds) which, you guessed it, is a first of its kind too.
I am actually curious is to what a beating retreat is. All this military stuff is likely to appeal to Mr. Trump. A lot of ordinary people enjoy these things so why shouldn't a politician.
Oh, and the writers referred to the state banquet tonight, which will be hosted by Charles and Camilla, as the McFeast. Only the British.
Apparently while testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday Kash Patel was seen to be wearing a Liverpool F.C. tie. I have no idea why.
According to the Morning Brew newsletter, which I am finally getting around to reading, today is Constitution Day. However my desktop calendar doesn't mention it. I hope everyone had a good Constitution Day. Up here our constitution strictly speaking only dates back to 1980. Before that there was the British North America Act of 1867 and the Statutes of West Minster which dates back to the 1933. Those two, along with some other stuff, comprise the Constitution Act of 1980. And wasn't getting to that one fun.
There has been a bit of controversy at the World Stone Skimming Championships.https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp9...
Brief item from the London Playbook in regards today's meeting of Sir Keir Starmer and Donald TrumpOne last treat for Donald: The pair will then head into the garden terrace to watch an air display from the Red Devils (a parachute regiment display team, not the failing football team).
Gotta get that Football reference in somehow. The Red Devils is a nickname for Manchester United, who are definitely failing.
Happy National Cheeseburger Day by the way. I really must search for my Morning Brew newsletter when I get up and on the computer.
Ahoy mateys, 'tis time to hoist the Jolly Roger. It is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Let the wind always blow in your mainsail.
The FIFA rankings are now out, at least on the men's side. Canada has moved up to #26. This is the highest we have ever been ranked. The top ten are as follows1. Spain
2. France
3. Argentina
4. England
5. Portugal
6. Brazil
7. Netherlands
8. Belgium
9. Croatia
10. Italy
Canada defeated New Zealand and thus advances to the finals of the Rugby Women's World Cup. They will play either France or England. The game is on September 27th.
In the AFL's First Preliminary Final Geelong defeated Hawthorn.
Article on why college quarterbacks don't make the transition to the pro game easily, at least according to Nick Saban, who probably knows something on the subject.https://larrybrownsports.com/football...
Oscar Pistorius is in the news again. He is trying to live a quiet life these days but he has been seen with a new girlfriend. Apparently she looks a lot like his former girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
Now here is an item on Blue Jays, not the baseball kind. I found it interesting. I had also never heard of Green Jays before but apparently there is a species of bird by that name.https://www.chron.com/life/wildlife/a...
If you attend a school sporting event in Texas you had better behave yourself,.https://www.chron.com/sports/article/...
AFL's second Preliminary Final was today and it was Brisbane 15.10 (100) defeating Collingwood 11.5 (71). So Brisbane will now take on Geelong in next week's Grand Final.
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https://www.chron.com/sports/article/......"
Frankly, that’s a good thing. Although what concerns me more is the harassment and even death threats college athletes are getting now, thanks to online sports betting. Those who lost their bets are growing increasingly hostile toward players on losing teams. Very sad.
I suspect we have seen a rise in that with what they call prop betting, where someone bets on a specific player doing something, say hit three home runs.
Since it's Sunday I am listening to a playlist of 'religious' music. This is the first such list I concocted and I labelled it "A (Liberal Catholic) Anglican's Playlist". That pretty much sums what where my religiousity lies. Nothing like having the rector direct comments at you in his sermon, though I doubt that anyone else in the congregation knew what was going on. Oh, in case anyone is wondering liberal defines one's theology and Catholic defines one's churchmanship/liturgical inclinations.
Below is a link to an article from The Guardian that looks at the upcoming Rugby final match between Canada and England. Some interesting Canadian allusions in this one. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/202...
Looking at my playlist I note I have a couple of songs by The King Family. Anyone else remember them?
Apparently qualifying for today's Grand Prix in Baku was quite the affair.https://www.theguardian.com/sport/202...
Here is the current top twenty-five artists for the month on my Spotify account. The next time I post this listing it should be after Christmas and I daresay it will look somewhat different.1. Tom Jones
2. Neil Diamond
3. Marie-Lynn Hammond
4,. Horslips
5. David McCallum (yes, that David McCallum)
6. Mannheim Steamroller
7. Focus
8. Renaissance
9. The Rippingtons
10. Premiata Forneria Marconi
11. Maynard Ferguson
12. Johnny Rivers
13. Chuck Mangione
14. Downchild Blues Band
15. Spyro Gyra
16. Emerson, Lake and Palmer
17. Trans-Siberian Orchestra
18. The Beach Boys
19. Celtic Thunder
20. The Righteous Brothers
21. Tommy Roe
22. The Grass Roots
23. Laura Branigan
24. The Cowsills
25. Beggars Opera
Beggars Opera is an interesting case. I have not played any of their albums and though they might show up on the odd playlist or two I have made myself. However, they often show up on the playlists Spotify has created or when I something I was listening to has finished Spotify will continue to play stuff and they do show up then. I think they are a British Progressive Rock group.
And of course I daresay some of the names will be unfamiliar to most/all of you.
Sonny Curtis, a member of the Crickets, has passed away. As well as being a performer he was also a songwriter. His two most famous compositions are "I Fought the Law" and the theme for the Mary Tyler Moore Show.
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1. To..."
Well, I do know 18 of the 25 listed so not too bad.
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C. John wrote: "Here is the current top twenty-five artists for the month on my Spotify account. The next time I post this listing it should be after Christmas and I daresay it will look somewhat different.1. To..."
I only knew 15. Our oldest son was a cranky baby but if we put on our CD of Spyro Gyra he would settle down and sleep.
Not sure who people don't recognize but I am pretty sure number three is one of them. Marie-Lynn Hammond is a Canadian artist. She started out as a member of the folk trio Stringband and then went solo when the band split up. She has several albums out. Her father was English Canadian and her mother was French Canadian. Finally she happens to be a distant cousin of mine, either sixth cousin or first cousin six times removed. She and my Great Aunt Esther tried to figure it out once but gave up.
Had to chuckle when I read the following about yesterday's Arsenal/Manchester City match.In the Premier League, Arsenal scored a last-gasp equaliser to draw with Manchester City. The second half was notable for a stark contrast in tactics: Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal took off the handbrake while Pep Guardiola’s City parked the bus.
Hall of Fame goalie Bernie Parent has passed away at age 80. Not sure what the cause of death was. Apparently he was at a Flyers event on the weekend and it was reported he was in pain.
Reading an article on possible upcoming federal by-elections. A couple of MP's are rumoured to be in line for diplomatic appointments and thus would be resigning there seats. One of the people said to be a potential candidate for the Liberal nomination is John Tory, Jr. who is the son of the former mayor of Toronto. I have to chuckle over this as 'tory' is the nickname of the Conservative Party.
The Ballon d'Or both men and women were awarded last night. This award is for the best Football player in Europe. Ousmane Dembele who plays for Paris St. Germaine took home the men's honour whileAitana Bonmati won the women's award. She plays her club Football for Barcelona of the Spanish Liga F. As far as I know Real Madrid actually showed up for the ceremony this year.
Looking at one of my European newsletters and it mentions that a majority of the countries in the European Union now recognize Palestine as a country. it then gave a list. Noticeable by its absence was the United Kingdom. That actually isn't surprising given that the UK withdrew from the EU a few years ago. As anyone who reads/listens to the news knows the UK has in fact recognized Palestine, as has Australia and Canada.
MLB just adopted the ABS system. Here is all you need to know about it. https://www.mlb.com/news/abs-challeng...
Apparently the Rapture will take place either today or tomorrow. This is according to some South African preacher. Hasn't happened yet.
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Books mentioned in this topic
A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers (other topics)Sense and Sensibility (other topics)
The Game (other topics)
The Game (other topics)
Rory Land: The Up-and-Down World of Golf's Global Icon (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jenny Adams (other topics)Susan Elia MacNeal (other topics)
Good morrow. It is a truth universally acknowledged that an author with a fan base as devoted as Jane Austen’s must be in want of a massive birthday blowout. Wit..."
How appropriate that I'm re-reading Sense and Sensibility for the umpteenth time.