For those of you who watch Top Chef you will be aware that Radhika is out. Now I know that my like of her was purely based on that fact she was Indian-American and of similar background (raised in the Midwest on a fusion of Indian and American food). She was a good chef but not entirely assertive which was her undoing. It kills me that she was eliminated during the biggest show of the series ("Restaurant Wars") for being in a role she was placed into by winning the elimination challenge. I believe Jaime (the chef from SF who own Absinthe--a fav. of mine) said that she almost didn't want to win the elimination challenge for "Restaurant Wars" because the restaurant owner's head is on the block if their restaurant fails. How true. Radhika actually was the winner, Leah was second, and the judges actually judged the food from her restaurant to be better, yet faulted her 'front of house' experience. She's won several elimination challenges and been in the top 3 numerous times, yet the reason she goes home is because she is nervous and didn't set out spoons for dessert? I thought this was Top Chef not Top Matrie'd.

Mainly I'm just sad such a good chef was eliminated not on the basis of her food, which was strong, but on judgment calls, mainly not sending someone else to front of house and staying in the kitchen. Radhika, you will be missed.

AND secondly, yay Slumdog Millionaire which won the SAG Award showing that it's Golden Globe win wasn't a fluke. I have to admit, I wasn't so worried about The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (which I did enjoy) but about Milk which is a superb movie with a poignant message (and not just because I live near where Harvey Milk was shot and oppose Prop. 8). While Milk is probably a better movie, Slumdog Millionaire is a nice feel-good film foe these depressing times. Likewise, with the Bombay bombings, and the fact that my favs. A.R. Rahman and Irfan Khan are involved helps give it the edge in my affections.

Well here's to waiting for the Oscars...

And my last shoutout, HERE WE GO STILLERS, HERE WE GO, PITTSBURGH'S GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL!.