Dil Se - Chaiyya Chaiyya

What can I say? Total entertainment! I am still very much on my Bollywood kick, and at this point, it shows no signs of slowing down, much less stopping. Many of my friends are now either providing me names of movies to watch or the DVD's themselves. I'm loving this!

The other day, I came across one particular video which caught my eye. My apologies to my Indian friends, because I know that this is somewhat dated, but here in the US, we just don't see that many videos filmed on top of moving trains! Enjoy!

Wired in the ATL

I heard a story on National Public Radio today about how Atlanta now ranks as the top city in the nation for frequency of email checking. I believe this. One of the factors cited was the increased use of Blackberries and other mobile devices, and another was the long commutes that many of us experience every work day -- drives so long that we somehow feel we have to stay in touch or get a jump on the day ahead.

I own a Windows Mobile smartphone. It's a lot like a Blackberry, only smaller, and with a Windows interface. I know that I must check email at least twenty times a day, and that doesn't count text messages and real honest-to-goodness-people-on-the-other-end cell phone calls. I receive email from four different sources, each with its own separate email address. Oh, yes...I am definitely one of the guilty ones.

Here's an example of how geeked-out things can get: At an after-work P-Council libations session the other night, we took a cell phone picture of our friend Sonya, who had procured some pink Wellington boots to match her pink De La Hoya-Mayweather boxing match baseball cap. Ensuring that the picture met with Sonya's approval, we then Bluetooth-beamed the picture around to each of our phones. We did this in a public place. High nerd mode at its finest. Of course, in the picture, Sonya is talking on her own cell phone. It never stops.

So when I hear that we are way wired down here and that we're always checking email (even in church, according to the radio story), I have to laugh and plead insanity. But I've gotta say...it is kinda cool. Spin my propeller... =:)

Monsoon Season

It may be common in India, but in Atlanta, it is odd. We get our summer rains, of course, but not quite like the ones we've experienced for the last two weeks. My work compadres and I sit on the third floor of a modern office building, directly beneath the roof. It started raining off and on about two weeks ago, and it shows no signs of stopping. Every afternoon, a torrential rain comes along and washes the place clean.

Several days ago, while taking the stairs to get a little microcardio workout, I noticed that the building roof sits only a foot or two above our floor. Maybe this explains why storms have such an impact. Whenever it rains, we hear a gentle roar from the roof above, but in more severe thunderstorms, it sometimes sounds like the place is going to come apart.

I don't see evidence of any roof leaks at this point, but rest assured that I'm ready to bring in a poncho if necessary.

Stop Picking on Giada!

Oh, for heaven's sake! Today, I saw an article in TV Guide entitled "Giada De Laurentiis: Is the Sexy Chef Too Hot for TV?" I'm over it! Someone is always complaining that Giada has "a big head" or "too many teeth" or some other nonsense. Will everyone just leave this poor (OK, not literally poor) woman alone?

If you don't know the background, some reader apparently sent TV Guide a letter a few weeks ago complaining about the outfits that Giada wears on her Food Network cooking show Everyday Italian. The magazine was instantly flooded with responses both positive and negative. All the while, most people are probably unaware that if you actually try cooking some of Giada's recipes, they're outstanding. Anything she makes with cranberries, for example, is definitely worth a try.

Sure, I have my three DVD set of Everyday Italian. I think it's a nice show, and yes, I like the hostess -- she is cute, polished, and energetic and she usually appears to be having a good time. She is undoubtedly my favorite TV female. The only thing I would suggest is that Food Network find the male equivalent of Giada for the ladies in the viewing audience. Let's face it -- Mario Batali can whip up a great Orecchiette with Italian Sausage, but he's not quite as easy on the eye as GDL. And Emeril, well, he's Emeril. BAM! Where is the ruggedly handsome guy who throws some stuff on the grill and makes it turn into magic? I'll bet the ladies would like that.

My vote goes to Giada. You go, girl. You're only young once, and you might as well make the most of it. Ciao!