The Sun is blazing.

As you can tell I am not about to talk about the weather. After tonite the stage will be set for probably the most thrilling games in the playoffs this year. Chicago Bulls swept their series against D. Wade and O'Neal. Pistons and Cavs also swept their series against Orlando Magic and Wizards respectively. The next match-ups are going to be Suns against San Antonio Spurs. I am so excited about this particular series because the last time the Spurs met Suns in the playoffs, the Suns didn't have Mr Amare S. The dominating figure (on the right side of Shawn Marion in the picture) is a presence to contend with. He will rival Tim Duncan under the rims. Steve Nash/Barbosa combo have to face Ginobli/Parker on the offence. This year these two teams seem to be evenly match and that is why this is a non miss series for basketball lovers. Both teams have the ability to attack in the paint area and also perimeter shooting. So far I have taped all the games these playoffs and watched them after work and classes. I am going to be making it a point to be sitting on the couch when these games are on though.

The next matchup I am salivating for is the Bulls-Pistons series. Ben Wallace who won defensive player of the year when he played for the Pistons is now on the opposite team facing the Pistons. Billups has a younger team to contend with but Billups has experience in his favor. Ben Gordon/Nocioni/Deng are quick with the ball and move the ball around just like the Pistons do. After the Pistons won the championship in 2004, many teams in the NBA started preaching about teamwork and being unselfish with the ball. Bulls seem to have taken that mentality to heart. I love both teams but my loyality lies with Pistons, though I will secretly be cheering for Ben Gordon and crew.

Cavs get to play with the winners of the Nets-Raptors series (3-1) and tonite the world gets to know which two teams will square off against each other in Western Conference. Rockets is leading its series against Jazz by a game and so does Warriors against Mavs. I am looking for Warriors to close out the series tonite if they can get their emotion in check and they learn appropriate ball handling. Davis needs to be able to use the clock to his advantage. It was the most dumbest play I saw in the last game. Warriors was up and instead of using the clock to his advantage Davis got a stupid foul and fouled out, giving Nowitzki a chance to find his game during clutch time. Facing elimination, Nowitzki, who has been struggling in this series, discovered a way around the Warriors defense. He was able to shot before the double team shut him out and the last few minutes of the game he was able to make a couple of game changing three pointers. Warriors have a task ahead of them to try to knock out the #1 seed in Western Conference. Harrington, Davis, Jackson, Richardson and Ellis have to find a way to stop the Mavs from leaving Oakland with a W.

I will try to keep the blog updated with more analysis as the finals draw near. It was sad to see AI leave the series but the guy dribbles too darn much. He either needs to shot or pass the ball to Melo. I was happy to see the Laker eliminated and D-Wade too. I have no love for James Posey and Haslem. They both get on my last nerves. Keep watching the NBA playoffs and wear the colors of your teams as you yell on your couch.

Ps:- if Suns make it into the finals, I will try to convince my roomate to get me tickets and instead of her coming to Minnehopeless, I will fly to Arizona just to cheer on the Suns.

News from the world.

Who is on the receiving end of the Isreali community these days? Who else but Ehud Olmert. People are calling for his resignation from office due to his inefficent tactics during the 2006 Lebanon War. Apparently after destroying the infrastructure of Lebanon in a matter of days, the Isrealis are not satisfied with Olmert. He was supposed to annihilate Hezbollah and bring back the two Isreali captives. He didn't do that now did he? Instead he caused a lot of death and destroyed a small country that was just starting to emerge from decades of war. The public polls show that his popularity is on the decline since the Lebanon War. His own deputy is calling for his resignation. Its only been a year since Olmert won the elections and the country seems to be at polar opposites on the issue of re-election. Livni (the deputy) might have her work cut out for her, that is if she doesn't get replaced.



On the US side of the world, I got to be say I am not suprised by the turnout of the immigration demonstration in Los Angeles. LAPD seem to be carving out a reputation for themselves as anti-immigrant. The LAPD attack on the demostrators is another showcase of violence tendacies within the police force. 240 rounds of bullets and no arrest, are you kidding me? The footage itself is disturbing. It reminded me of the days of GSU or FFU as they are better known in Kenya. During the times of unrest, the Kenyan government would let loose these bullies on citizens. They were effective in scaring the S-H-I-T out of you. I bet y'all wondering why I am harping on this. I think it will set a precendant for other police departments to follow suit. I would definately like to see what happens when the Police Commissioner gets a couple names. It probably be a hush thing with a couple scape goats selected. This violence is a tumor that might grow out of control. LA is a beautiful city that is infused with many cultures from around the world not to mention it is the port of entry for most immigrants. If the tumor starts there then there is no hope for the rest of continental US. Watch footage

Now my corner of the world; drugs. FDA asks antidepressants manufactures to broaden their black box warning to include ages 18-24. During the initial months of treatment (antidepressant), there is a notable increase in suicidal thoughts in young adults and children. The companies have been given 30 days to resubmit their package labels. This would practically affect the entire class of antidepressants i.e SSRI (Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitors). Let me put this in perspective, nearly 15 million people in the US take antidepressant each month. Even a fraction of those folks having suicidal thoughts is scary, especially if the trend shows that it affects only the children & young adults (the future generations).