Beyond the 'all-City Fireworks' display seen from our friends' Palos Verdes backyard, and the platters of endless food that kept coming from the kitchen, I must say that one of the main highlights for the Fourth was the Semi-Final game between Germany and Italia!

It's World Cup fever in this house because I live with an Italian, and half our friends are European. The game was a a real tense, 'wait and groan' type of game, with neither side scoring for the entire two 45 minute periods.

Then came the 2 15- minute periods, where the winner would be the first team to score. But it was only just two minutes to go at the end of the second 15 minute period, ...And then Italia scored, with an incredible goal! And, as if to tell the crowd and the millions of TV viewers, that this was NOT a lucky hit, they scored again!!!........ less than two minutes later, at exactly the last few seconds of the Period, saving everyone the mandatory, unexciting Penalty Kick phase.

I am looking forward to the France-Italy Final Game on Sunday. I have really gotton into it, and have the 'Soccer Fever'. I most likely will be going through some game withdrawal after the Final Game...I have been watching most all of them for about a month.

Check out the 'YouTube' replays of the games.........the best sports narration of the games is in Arabic! Click this!Arabic Sportscasting! That guy gets more excited than the Mexican sportsjocks. He keeps yelling Allah! Allah! over and over again..... But those poor Muslims(Saudi Arabia) were out of the running before they could even make it to the Quarter-Finals.....