Salut encore Les Bermudes! It's World Cup Time. Bafana Bafana! It's great that the pinnacle of the Beautiful Game is being held in mother Africa. There have been some great games already and some disappointments. It will be interesting to see who reaches the final 16 and who ultimately wins it all. It's too early for me to make a prediction; maybe next week.

DJLT is still in Geneva, Switzerland, and can't wait to get back home. I got to catch up with a childhood buddy of mine and his family. It's good to see old friends. Last week I was ranting and raving about how the Europeans seem to have healthier lifestyles and are generally thinner. I was thinking that this initial opinion was based on only two days in Geneva. Well, its been a week now and I have not passed a single fat person or an individual who is grossly overweight! More on this after the top 20.

Rude Boy by Rihanna is holding court at #1. Up at #2 is Neighbors Know My Name by Trey Songz. Falling to #3 is Hard by Rihanna, Falling to #4 is Hey Daddy, (Daddy's Home) by Usher featuring Plies. Up to #5 is My Chick Bad by Ludacris featuring Nicki Minaj, which is improving every week.

Over, by Drake, improves to #6. Falling to #7 is Everything To Me by Monica. Slipping to #8 is Tik Tok by Ke$ha, a popular dance/club/pop sing along hit of the first half of the year.

Up to #9 is Unthinkable by Alicia Keys. Up to #10 is Nothing On You BoB featuring Bruno Mars. Down to #11 is Say Something by Timbaland featuring Drake, a former essential new jam. Tumbling to #12 is Sexy Chick by David Guetta Featuring Akon. Tumbling to #13 is On To The Next One by Jay Z and Swizz Beats.

Climbing to #14 is L'il Freak by Usher featuring Nicki Manj, a former essential new jam and a hot song. Up to #15 is There Goes My Baby by Usher.

Now the new jams. This week's essential new tune, in at #16 is I'm Not A Superstar by Remady, one of the coolest dance tracks of the year. There are a ton of remixes and it bangs on the European Dance Club circuit. Entering at #17, it's Break Your Heart by Taio Cruz featuring Ludacris. Entering at #18 is OMG by Usher featuring Will I AM. Also new but joining this elite list at #19 is California Girls by Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg, a bangin pop club track. Tumbling to #20 and on the way out is Why Don't You Love Me by Beyonce.

Now back to this week's word – getting fitter and not fatter. Let me start with the disclaimer that I understand that sexy is not a dress size, it is an attitude! Big girls are sexy too, as long as they feel that way. I will also acknowledge that one can be thin but unfit. I got that. But those are the exceptions rather than the rule.

Ask any big person if they would rather be thinner and 95 percent of them will say yes. I know because I was chubby as a child. Thank God and my parents for involving me in sports. But I digress.

As I move around Europe I am amazed that these folks eat a lot of bread and cheese, but they do not gain lots of weight. Also, they tend to eat the bread in the morning or at lunch. Then they do not eat as much fried food as we and our American Cousins do. Yes they have McDonald's and BK but they eat more fresh fruit, vegetables, meats than we do and they do not deep fry everything.

But the other reason they do not seem to gain weight is because they walk everywhere, take public transportation and ride bikes. I saw a guy in what looked to be an Armani Suit the other day, riding a bike along the Lake. It's a way of life, they just get more exercise than we do and its done effortlessly. They don't make a special trip to the gym, they just ride a bike to work or walk to the bus or train station and walk to work, shopping or wherever they are going, rather than driving a car or motor bike. It reminds me of the way we used to be some 60 years ago, before the proliferation of the motor car and the motorbike in Bermuda.

Don't get me wrong, I am not the kind of Bermudian who thinks that the foreign man's ice is colder! I can tell you that it is not. Our ice is just as cold as anyone else's ice. However, when it is clear that someone else is doing something better than you, it is wise to learn from them and where sensible, implement what they are doing. That is what I am proposing. The Europeans have a healthier lifestyle and we should try to make our lifestyles much healthier too. It's just a sensible and sustainable thing to do.

Then there's the argument about alcohol. Well, the French like to have a glass of wine every day; but they also have one of the lowest rates of heart disease. We often diss people who drink alcohol and put them all in a box. But if people drank one glass of wine per day; they would be fine. The problem, as outlined in a song written and performed by famous Bermudian entertainer, comedian, radio personality and now entrepreneur Bootsie, is that Bermudians like to drink!

Many of us do not know when to stop or when enough is enough. If we could just have one drink per day we would be cool. Or if we drank one glass of wine instead of several glasses of rum, vodka, scotch or any of the other hard liquors we consume, we would be fine. Rum has loads of sugar in it and is not good for you. Wine isn't as bad but too much of it isn't good either.

I will try to practice what I preach by getting a pedal bike and riding it sometimes, which also gives the benefit of being more environmentally friendly than always taking the car or moped, in addition to getting more exercise.

Anyway, the suggestion is there for your use. It could extend your life and make your later years more enjoyable. Tschuss ... DJLT.