Is the steep hike in the prices of petro-products justified?No, certainly not, it seems as if the common man in being taken for a ride by the Government. It is presenting a totally different picture of the reality. The petroleum companies are certainly not suffering any kind of losses as the Government is trying to project, as the companies have never come forward stating their losses. The former is stressing about the under-recoveries but what kind of under-recoveries are not specified.All around the globe the petroleum companies are minting money even after the hike in the prices of crude oil, eg, BP, Exxon and Shell have made billions. Then why should we pay more for our transport and cooking gas, as the Government has lifted its control on the companies and has given them the liberties to fix prices of fuels on the basis of market forces- of state controlled prices of petrol? The reason evident of dismantling Administrative Price Mechanism (APM) is obviously not aimed at the profits of the Public Sector Companies, which are nine in number, but for the private oil companies who find it hard to compete with the tight budgeting of PSUs. This apparently can be said to be the after-effect of the agreement between the two feuding brothers’ oil-companies. Their retail outlets were in a state of fix because of PSUs maintaining just prices. The hike in the prices of the petroleum products would mean increase in the prices of other goods, that would push the existing inflation rate of 10% even higher. It would further add to the costs of other commodities like- cement, metals, other consumer durable items, hotels etc. The concerned companies have to bear the burden as they cannot immediately increase the prices on the commodities. This would make the poor consumers have a fit. However in the end the consumers will have to bear the brunt.
Dr. Medhavi Chourey

A Nice Article By Swami Vivekananda...............
I once had a friend who grew to be very close to me. Once when we were sitting at the edge of a swimming pool, she filled the palm of her hand withsome water and held it before me, and said this: "You see this water carefully contained on my hand?It symbolizes Love."This was how I saw it: As long as you keep your hand caringly open and allow it to remain there, it will always be there. However, if you attempt to close your fingers round it and try to posses it, it will spill through the first cracks it finds. This is the greatest mistake that people do when they meet love...they try to posses it, they demand, they expect... and just like the water spilling ofyour hand, love will retrieve from you. For love is meant to be free, you cannot change its nature. If there are people you love allow them to be free beings. Give and don't expect.Advise, but don't order.Ask, but never demand. It might sound simple, but it is a lesson that may take a lifetime to truly practice. It is the secret to true love. To truly practice it, you must sincerely feel no expectations from those who you love, and yet an unconditional caring." Passing thought... Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take; but by the moments that take our breath away..... Life is beautiful!!! Live it !!!--
Dr. Medhavi Chourey

A recent cross-cultural study on the nutrition and food habits, and its impact on heart-disease has finally cut through the previous conflicting findings from other medical studies.
The researchers investigated the food habits of British and North Americans (who have the highest rate of heart-attacks) vis-a-vis the food habits in other cultures. They found that: - The Japanese eat very little fat... and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or North Americans.- The Mexicans eat a lot of fat... and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or North Americans. - The Chinese drink very little red wine... and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or North Americans.- The Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine... and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or North Americans. - The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats... and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or North Americans.

India in Football world cup?

India to play football in the next World Cup? No way. A nation of a billion-plus and unable to make it in the qualifying cycle. Is it that we do not have good players that we
do not invest money in them or is it that we do not invest and that is why we do not have good players. The truth strikes us like a bolt of lightning- it is just not our cup of tea. It involves real big money which a country like India cannot afford.

In countries like Brazil, Argentina, Spain football comes as naturally as Mamta Banerjee being a Marxist In Brazil to get into a football academy is as difficult as getting into an IIT or an IIM in India. We can be ardent admirers of the most democratic game of skills, stamina spontaneity, endurance and sportsmanship, with millions glued to the TV sets for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, can further move to Ronaldo haircuts, Messi and Kaka slogans, set soccer theme-song as ring-tones however are unable to produce a team which would even qualify for the World Cup.

India with the 113rd ranking even behind Fiji, Faroe Islands, Sudan and Iceland is a country with an emerging economic power, it can have a stable democracy still it has two big drawbacks as far as football is concerned- lack of funds and infrastructure. The kind of big money that is involved a country like India cannot imagine for atleast another fifty years. Its still a far- fetched dream.

Dr Medhavi Chourey