Happy Easter!

What I learned at the Giants game today:

• Not getting a single run out of bases loaded with no outs is of the best ways to motivate an opponent team that was showing all the signs of getting beaten into submission.
• Speaking of which, you probably won’t go very far in the season (or deserve to win) until you get at least one run out of bases loaded with no outs.
• Barry Zito is a great pitcher, but having played in the American League sure shows when he’s at bat.
• Recording 1-2-3 innings against a pitcher who was at 50+ pitches after two innings is a good way to keep that pitcher in the game much longer than he should have been.
• Barry Bonds might still be a great hitter with an outstanding OBP, but his diminished speed is hurting the team. He only got to frst base on the “double” that drove in Aurilia, and he was out at 2nd base in the same inning when other players would easily have made it.
• I don’t really care that the Giants are 1-5 and were swept by the Dodgers. It’s early in the season and they have lots of time to pick up the pace. I kinda like that peace of mind, it’s too early to get upset
• Taking the Larkspur ferry to the ballpark and watching a game is an awesome way to spend Easter Sunday.
• Not putting on any sunscreen – even if the entire day was overcast – is an awesome way to get sunburned in the face. This is San Francisco, after all!
• Reading an interesting book is a great way to pass the time in the ferry. The ride never felt that short before.

And finally:

• I love going to games with my fiancee.
• And she looks great with a Giants hat on.

Mailaf kenn ich gar nicht, nur Olaf

Hidden in the depths of my 9000 song iPod shuffle there’s a selection of the best Deep Dance CDs. Most of these mixes date themselves quite convincingly – and the music is cheap and fluffy dancefloor techno, which will never earn anybody a spot in the music hall of fame. But in my late teen phase these CDs were my some of my most priced posessions, and when I’m in a good mood I listen to whatever mix comes on. Especially if it’s one of the yearly summery mixes, because those are a fun (and often depressing) reminder of what music was hip in Germany in the early 90s. Most of the songs are crap, but ever so often I’m reminded of a song that everybody loved back then and that became a pervasive part of German pop culture.

So yesterday the 1991 mix came on, and here’s the one song that I was pleasantly reminded of when listening:

Frighteningly bad performance, isn’t it? (Psst, I don’t think they’re really singing!) But the song was quite a phenonemon when it came out, and exactly the kind of stuff that we, as teenagers, would latch on to. Plus Diether Krebs, the late great comedian from Essen, deserves a special mention on this webpage. I can’t think of many other comics who have left their mark on German comedy as prominently as Diether Krebs. Think of him as a German Benny Hill – but with a serious acting career to go along with the slapstick. Krebs died of lung cancer (ironically enough, “Krebs” is the German word for cancer) when he was only 53 years old. He leaves many iconic characters of German TV history. And of course this, “Ne Pikfloete!”

Verfall

Am Abend, wenn die Glocken Frieden läuten,
Folg’ ich der Vögel wundervollen Flügen,
Die lang geschart, gleich frommen Pilgerzügen,
Entschwinden in den herbstlich klaren Weiten.

Hinwandelnd durch den dämmervollen Garten
Träum’ ich nach ihren helleren Geschicken
Und fühl’ der Stunden Weiser kaum mehr rücken.
So folg’ ich über Wolken ihrer Fahrten.

Da macht ein Hauch mich von Verfall erzittern.

Die Amsel klagt in den entlaubten Zweigen.
Es schwankt der rote Wein an rostigen Gittern.
Indes wie blasser Kinder Todesreigen
Um dunkle Brunnenräder, die verwittern,
Im Wind sich fröstelnd blaue Astern neigen.

(Georg Trakl)