ChinmayC Blog

Football is very physical, very tough, involves lots of tearing, pushing and legging and a part and parcel of the human body. Is this the reason for FIFA's puzzling unwillingness to welcome technology in? They want it to remain a dangerous primeval sport that it was? They say human errors add charms to the game! But human errors at whose cost? That Super Sunday Soccer was mouth watering and incredible. England and Germany racing full swing up and down the field promised what was expected. But, that goal that wasn't given in spite of clear replays robbed the jest out of England. Well, you only say this game is totally body oriented and so your horrible decisions would definitely affect the bodies. Of course, England could have bounded back and altered the course of the game, but that goal that wasn't given still stank. Mexico matched Argentina in pace and fury. It was a game to relish. But, your decisions again marred it. Bravo, Mexico still fought like lions even after conc...

True. Incidence of heart disease has been increasing world over, particularly in India. Most common risk factors are: high cholesterol with high triglycerides,  high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, lack of exercise, sedentary lifestyle, junk food habits and of course, smoking and alcoholism. It's okay to warn people about risk factors. So that they become careful and apply moderation in everything they do or eat. But, studies based on selected samples and on a selected time period are increasing by leaps and bounds. They are mostly hypothetical and speculative. Some random samples cannot be binding for all. So, they mislead and confuse people. And, above all, they intend to terrorize people without realizing the simple fact that a negative bend of mind could also be harmful for the heart health. Recently I read about such a study in a newspaper. The study says that four hours of TV watching a day could increase the risk of heart disease by more than ten percent over the normal r...

Along with FIFA World Cup football matches every evening in India, today we had a bonus of an India-Pakistan Onedayer in the ongoing Asia Cup cricket championship in Sri Lanka. Like always, the match was tense intense fluctuating and edge of the seat suspense. Finally India won thanks to Harbhajan hitting a six in the penultimate ball of the final over. A reminder of the Javed Miandad last ball six winner at that historic Sharjah match against India in 1986. Watching football at the same time one is reminded of a basic difference between the two games. No, not those that of rules or fan following. It's the commercial breaks! Once a soccer match starts you are blissfully free of commercial breaks for 45 minutes. No breaks can afford to break in--not during goal kicks, free kicks, throw ins, corners, penalties or after scoring goals. Not even during injury intervals. Only at half time breaks come when you can also take a break! But oh cricket! After every over, after every wicket fa...

Yes! Monsoon is in Mumbai! Maybe the exact date was not met! But it had been lashing the city since June 11. And, major downpours happened on June 14 and June 16. The moment you started enjoying the black sky, the rain drops, the drenched street and alleys, the dramatic change in climate, the windy wavy beaches and seasides...well, the related problems also surfaced. Water logging, traffic jams, local train delays, chaos in airports and so on. Yesterday, it was all in one day. Heavy rains since dawn and the high tides later on. And, the forecasts of more rains and high tides for next twenty four hours. But as always, monsoon does not need forecasts to unfold its fury...today being a day of clearing sky and interludes of sunshine. At the moment lets look at the positive side. Rains are needed for all the good reasons. So enjoy! Monsoon is here to stay for next four months.

The moment I completed my last post it did rain in Mumbai! Maybe light, but it did hit several parts of the city. And today it rained more! Just now, about to be midnight, it was good rains for few minutes! The clouds look real today--the monsoon type, you know, call it pre-monsoon. And the good news! The South West Monsoon finally moved out of Kerala and reached Goa. Now, it's set to hit Maharashtra in two days. Means Mumbai is about to welcome the monsoon. The forecast is good too. The monsoon is expected to deliver 97% rains this season. Lets hope for the best and celebrate!

South West Monsoon seems to have developed a fatal attraction for Keralian hospitality. It arrived there in May 30 and stayed put there. This time thanks to Phet --a cyclonic upheaval in the Arabian sea. Or has it been Indian Monsoon's 'fate' as usual? Same old story like in 2009 . Last it was aila cyclone in the Bay of Bengal plus a suspected El Nino conspiracy. This year the heat is more persistent with mercury hovering over 45 in the state of Maharashtra and other parts of the country. Water scarcity and even drought like situations developing in many parts. Remaining water levels are at the lowest--be it the city of Mumbai or the villages. If the monsoon is delayed further...well, let's not think about it. Phet had come and spent itself, but the South West Monsoon is yet to be active and moving. The expected date of 5th June in Mumbai is gone. Now it is expected by 10th, but before that the monsoon has to reach Goa. O' Monsoon please pour soon! Maybe independen...