Vaping is the new menace all around us and it's about time it was taken more seriously than it already is. Temptation, peer pressure , and experimentation are strong words and however wrong this may sound , no ones' child is exempt.

No parent should ever say " my ward will never ever try it ". No one is beyond reproach.  We live in a world of sweeping fads. They come in like a typhoon and destroy all in their path leaving behind tears , illness ,sadness and above all blame . 

Vaping is on the increase and that's the undeniable truth.

Teens as young as thirteen are getting sucked into the vortex and by the time they are eighteen they are well on the way to being ruined .

It is a misconception that vaping is much safer than smoking and hence awareness is the key. 

Gender, affluence , locality,  family values , educational qualifications and the like are all inconsequential.  

Parents and educational institutions must work closely together to eradicate this menace.

So whether it's formulating new policies,organzing awareness campaigns or tightening of discipline by educational institutions, or looking for signs and just spending more time together for parents  , everyone needs to reach out to the youth to tackle vaping head on.

This is serious business- very serious.

Michael Guzder 

0506568672

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Vaping is the new menace all around us and it's about time it was taken more seriously than it already is. Temptation, peer pressure , and experimentation are strong words and however wrong this may sound , no ones' child is exempt.

No parent should ever say " my ward will never ever try it ". No one is beyond reproach.  We live in a world of sweeping fads. They come in like a typhoon and destroy all in their path leaving behind tears , illness ,sadness and above all blame . 

Vaping is on the increase and that's the undeniable truth.

Teens as young as thirteen are getting sucked into the vortex and by the time they are eighteen they are well on the way to being ruined .

It is a misconception that vaping is much safer than smoking and hence awareness is the key. 

Gender, affluence , locality,  family values , educational qualifications and the like are all inconsequential.  

Parents and educational institutions must work closely together to eradicate this menace.

So whether it's formulating new policies,organzing awareness campaigns or tightening of discipline by educational institutions, or looking for signs and just spending more time together for parents  , everyone needs to reach out to the youth to tackle vaping head on.

This is serious business- very serious.

Michael Guzder 

0506568672

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

The humble onion

So the humble onion is in the news again and yes , its bringing tears to peoples eyes. Will it make them weep ? That is the question everyone is asking

Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh , West Bengal , Karnataka and Bihar account for most of the onions grown in the country . Maharashtra accounts for one third of that total with its onion belt of Nashik, Ahmednagar , Pune and Aurangabad . As a large part of the state was facing drought this year, the onion was the only hope for farmers to survive.Unfortunately rates never picked up for the entire season and the farmers are not only disgruntled - they are very angry . And an angry farmer in a country like India is not a very good sign .

Farmers blame the central government’s policies for the fall in onion rates. “This government works for the middle class in big cities. To keep them happy, this government controls onion prices. Why is it that every time only farmers are forced to face problems"

In 2010, the prices of onion, in India rose to ₹ 88 from ₹ 25 (per kg) in just one week. The Government had to ban the export of onions and even had to import it from another country .

The Great Onion Crisis of 2010” haunted Mr Manmohan Singh’s government and was something he wished had never happened .

Something similar happened in the year 1980. Due to the sky rocketing prices of onions, the Central government was toppled .

In 1998, once again the prices of onions rose very high leading to a ban on export & affecting the common man . This led to the fall of BJP government in the State elections in Delhi.

In a country like India, where the majority of the population, still, is either spending or making their largest share of income on food items, such rise or fall of prices of basic ingredient can be catastrophic .

Is anybody listening ?

The humble onion

So the humble onion is in the news again and yes , its bringing tears to peoples eyes. Will it make them weep ? That is the question everyone is asking

Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh , West Bengal , Karnataka and Bihar account for most of the onions grown in the country . Maharashtra accounts for one third of that total with its onion belt of Nashik, Ahmednagar , Pune and Aurangabad . As a large part of the state was facing drought this year, the onion was the only hope for farmers to survive.Unfortunately rates never picked up for the entire season and the farmers are not only disgruntled - they are very angry . And an angry farmer in a country like India is not a very good sign .

Farmers blame the central government’s policies for the fall in onion rates. “This government works for the middle class in big cities. To keep them happy, this government controls onion prices. Why is it that every time only farmers are forced to face problems"

In 2010, the prices of onion, in India rose to ₹ 88 from ₹ 25 (per kg) in just one week. The Government had to ban the export of onions and even had to import it from another country .

The Great Onion Crisis of 2010” haunted Mr Manmohan Singh’s government and was something he wished had never happened .

Something similar happened in the year 1980. Due to the sky rocketing prices of onions, the Central government was toppled .

In 1998, once again the prices of onions rose very high leading to a ban on export & affecting the common man . This led to the fall of BJP government in the State elections in Delhi.

In a country like India, where the majority of the population, still, is either spending or making their largest share of income on food items, such rise or fall of prices of basic ingredient can be catastrophic .

Is anybody listening ?

Friday musings.... As a very young boy I vividly remember my aunt ( lived in a joint family ) teaching my cousins and me to be responsible. So that meant that we made our beds & learnt to sweep and swab the house - there were no vacuum cleaners back then. At times we washed the rooms on summer afternoons and enjoyed the fun. I remember cleaning cobwebs with a broom attached to a long pole. The ceiling was high. We tidied the rooms , including the kitchen after meals . Oh yes , after a bath we washed the toilet and left it spotless. There were three of us and we competed to see who did the best cleaning . Yes we still had to study and complete our homework by ourselves . Walking to buy groceries or stuff like that was literally taken in my stride. Gardening took up time and we maintained a pretty decent flower garden without any outside help. A tip of 8 annas or 50 paise now and then was a big deal. We were taught to fry an egg, make an omelette , make toast , tea and coffee too. By observing and helping, we learnt to bake ! Stitching on buttons and putting up a hem were part of our training too. I believe children must be taught these things early on in life . It won't harm them in any way. I don't see this happening very often . Are you bringing them up to face the world head on ? Are you ashamed to tell your friends that your children help with the house work? Can they do for themselves? As a couple , you should ask yourselves these pertinent questions . Teach them now . You will never regret it. And do remember- it's not only girls who must be taught house work. Boys must learn as well.

Friday musings.... As a very young boy I vividly remember my aunt ( lived in a joint family ) teaching my cousins and me to be responsible. So that meant that we made our beds & learnt to sweep and swab the house - there were no vacuum cleaners back then. At times we washed the rooms on summer afternoons and enjoyed the fun. I remember cleaning cobwebs with a broom attached to a long pole. The ceiling was high. We tidied the rooms , including the kitchen after meals . Oh yes , after a bath we washed the toilet and left it spotless. There were three of us and we competed to see who did the best cleaning . Yes we still had to study and complete our homework by ourselves . Walking to buy groceries or stuff like that was literally taken in my stride. Gardening took up time and we maintained a pretty decent flower garden without any outside help. A tip of 8 annas or 50 paise now and then was a big deal. We were taught to fry an egg, make an omelette , make toast , tea and coffee too. By observing and helping, we learnt to bake ! Stitching on buttons and putting up a hem were part of our training too. I believe children must be taught these things early on in life . It won't harm them in any way. I don't see this happening very often . Are you bringing them up to face the world head on ? Are you ashamed to tell your friends that your children help with the house work? Can they do for themselves? As a couple , you should ask yourselves these pertinent questions . Teach them now . You will never regret it. And do remember- it's not only girls who must be taught house work. Boys must learn as well.

Nothing political about this

Silly musings....... Car sales are sinking like never before, capital investments have plunged and global investors are a disillusioned lot. Jobs are scarce and unemployment is on the rise. The banking system leaves plenty to be desired and oil prices have increased. The minorities are worried about what may befall them and the roads are in such a mess that they resemble the moon. The less said about inflation the better- a hundred rupees just about gets you a semi decent cup of coffee. The borders are tense and war cannot be written off. Innumerable pre election promises have been forgotten and everyone is confused. Then there is the news that infiltration will cause an attack in some parts of the country . A distraction may do the trick say the powers that be . We cannot afford to let the comman man get disillusioned can we? A ploy is the answer. Something so disturbing that it will get people talking. Maybe if Hindi is imposed all over it will cure all ills. Or maybe at least it will get people so engrossed in that debate that all else will be either forgotten or put on the back burner for some time. I am not into politics and I don't support any party . Just a common Indian with a thought on my mind . Am thinking out loud . Are you too?