Follow The Bouncing Ball

You'd think having a freeway burn down would be the major story in most metropolitan areas, but here in the Bay Area it's taken a backseat to the most amazing event of the past decade and a half. Not that a melting freeway isn't big news, but let's face it, all that really means is another monumental Bay Area traffic jam, and, after all, how newsworthy is that (not very). On the other hand, no one in the Bay Area can quite believe

The Warriors are in the playoffs.

Now let me make it clear that I'm not a diehard Warriors fan. I'm strictly a "fairweather" fan, and if you've seen the Warriors play over the past 13 seasons or so, then I'm sure you'd understand. Watching the same train wreck every night gets a little monotonous after a while.

That said, however, I hope you'll excuse the short post tonight because Game 6 with the Mav's is tonight and you couldn't pry me away from the T.V. if you tried. It never should have gotten to a Game 6, of course, but that's another story, and the mere possiblity that the 8th seeded Warriors could knock off perhaps the best team in the NBA has got the entire Bay Area buzzing. Believe me, around here burning freeways and Barry Bonds have definitely taken a backseat to the Warriors and their David vs. Goliath struggle.

Dee-fense, (stomp), (stomp), Dee-fense, (stomp), (stomp)...

Before I go I do have one more thing I want to mention. I finally got my hands on the new Julia Fischer CD. Yep, this is the one you've been hearing about - the people camping out in front of record stores, the unscrupulous opportunists selling their copies on EBay for 100 times the retail price, the young punks hanging out in parking lots and beating up people and taking their copy. I placed my order at Amazon.com last March, and watched April came and go and then May roll around, and still nothing in my mailbox.

So I finally got tired of waiting and beat up a couple of 12 year olds and took their copy. (No, no, no, I'm just kidding. Your typical 12 year old would probably kick my ass)

Anyways, I'm not going to even attempt to pass judgement on who is the best violinist out there today (although I have my opinion), and I'm not going to attempt to review the CD after just 3 listens either. Instead, I'm going to recommend that you go buy yourself a copy of Fischer's new Brahms CD and then settle back and listen to one the most sublimely beautiful sounds in all of nature. Don't over-analyze, don't compare - just listen to the way the music comes off her strings. If I had to pick one cliché to describe Fischer, it would be magic.

Julia Fischer has the magic.

Now, if you'll excuse me, they're getting ready to tip off.

What d'ya mean blocking? He had position. He had position. That was a charge. Stinking ref...