Latte with Phoenix

I remember so many things from my childhood which are no more seen. Some items are lost due to technology, which we should not repent. But there are several things which having no connection with technology, yet have gone into disuse.           I remember all us children playing with a bicycle tyre and enjoying it no end. It gave lots of exercise, allowed us to see the whole street and mohalla, made several friends, learnt how to dodge traffic etc., etc. Children also raced each other to see who reached a point first.           It was easily available in nearly every home and easy to play with it. Maybe in some remote places children may still be playing with this do-it-yourself toy. Boy playing with cycle tyre                     A class above was the boy who had a cycle rim ! It was the envy of the others. It was solid, shiny, made a nice meta...

In my earlier post ‘SHORTAGE’  I had mentioned these items continuing in short supply….. 1980 onwards        Electricity & continuing           Water  Cooking gas  Fertilisers  Pulses  Milk  Text books of primary classes  Admission to Professional courses 2000 onwards        Train berths / seats & continuing         Skilled workers These items continue to be in short supply, and I feel some more items can be added. Criteria for any item to be considered should be that the majority should be affected by it. Such an item that can be added is Public transport.                                 Public transport, whether provided & run by Municipal authorities or State authorities or by Private en...

The government introduced a system of marking the price of articles on its packing so that the public is not cheated into paying more than a reasonable price           Under the Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules, all packed goods should carry certain essential information on the package which includes among other things the maximum retail price ( MRP ). Under the Consumer Goods (Mandatory Printing of Cost of Production and Maximum Retail Price) Act, 2006, certain guidelines have been provided so that the consumer cannot be charged over the maximum price printed on the goods by the manufacturer.                                                    This MRP is so devised that it includes the cost including profit of the manufacturer + the cost of transportation to a far point in India f...

If you go out from home with some work, and find out on getting there that there is a strike in the department etc, it not only irritates you, wastes your time but also spoils the day. The past history of Lucknow shows that some departments go on strike on a regular basis.                        GREECE had a  STRIKE CALENDAR this year from 10 to 14 Sept 2012 as given below ….. TEI -technical university – teachers: 5-day strike, Sept 10-14/2012 University and TEI professors: 48-hour strike, Sept 10-11/2012 School teachers (elementary & secondary) public and private schools: 24-hour strike      Sept 12/2012, one day after the schools opening Public Sector union ADEDY: work stoppage after 12 o’ clock noon, Sept 12/2012 State hospital doctors: 24-hour strike, Sept 12/2012 Tax officers: 4-hour work stoppage, Sept 13/2012 Fuel Stations: Crete : 48-hour strike, Sept 10-11/2012...

A   NATIONAL   SECRET  ?                                Now-a-days in India …. - You can buy / acquire unlimited land, flats, farm houses, hill-station bungalows all over the country – no question asked, - You can buy tones’ of gold – no question asked, - You can spend oodles of money in 5 to 7 star hotels – no question asked, - You can spend crores of rupees on giving parties to thousands of persons – no question asked, - You can buy any number of SUV beasts, and buy unlimited amount of petrol / diesel to run them – no questions asked, - Etc., etc.,  etc., - BUT  YOU CANNOT  GET A  GAS  CYLINDER  FOR  COOKING  YOUR  FOOD  WITHOUT  GIVING YOUR  ‘JANM KUNDLI’ TO  THE GOVERNMENT                             ...

IS  IT  SUBSIDY - 1 A retail vegetable seller normally goes to the wholesale vegetable market and buys a load of tomatoes and brings them to his shop. He sorts them into say 3 heaps – one – the larger and sturdy ones, - two – the unblemished but average sized, - three – the smaller and softer ones.                  Now if his purchasing price of the tomatoes averaged Rs 10/= per kilo, he would sell his heap A at probably Rs 20/= a kg, heap B at probably 15/= per kg, and heap C at probably Rs 8/= a kg. Is a subsidy being given on heap C ?  By him / by the Vegetable sellers association / by the citizen’s welfare group / by any other agency ? The answer is NO. He is keeping a differential pricing according to the type of tomatoes, so that he is able to clear all his goods accumulated in the transaction. His pricing is such that the better variety costs more, the average costs average, while the lesser value cos...

Why INDIA is in trouble..... ..   Population: 110 crore 9 crore retired   37 crore in state Govt;   20 crore in central Govt. (Neither category works)   1 crore IT professionals   (don't work for India ), ha, useless 25 crore in school,   too childish.   1 crore are under 5 years, unaware of the ways of the world.   15 crore unemployed and   irresponsible 1.2 crore you can find anytime in hospitals, therefore crippled.  Statistics say you find 79,99,998 people anytime in jail   The Balance   two are YOU and ME.   YOU   are busy checking Mails   /sending forwards....!!   HOW CAN I HANDLE INDIA alone?