Ergo April 10

A BYTE OF LIFE

Friday, April 10, 2009

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THE PERMANENT DOTS

10 STRONG AT 62 Sylvester Stallone still has his Rambo abs

Polka dots refuse to go FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 3

No. 68

Fit for Change in season also means change in gym regimen. Experts speak on what to » PAGES 04 & 05 do and what not to this summer.

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Namma Chennai Travel

Once upon a time

Food

Wondering how to make your children make best use of the summers! Storytrails has a number of interesting trails planned from April 11 to May 3 and a second batch from May 9 to 29. Around 13 trails – Car trail, Forest Trail, Cinema Trail, Birdman Trail, Unwind Trail, etc – promises to get one more friends and keep you engaged. Register with the Storytrails Trailblazers Club by calling 9600080215 or email [email protected]

Easter treat This Sunday is Easter and Hotel Asiana welcomes you to gorge on a selection of Easter goodies – bunnies, hot cross buns and homemade cookies – at Bytes till April 12. Also, be a part of the Sunday lunch at Atrium where a lavish buffet, a glass of wine or beer, live music and games are sure to keep you entertained. The lunch is priced at Rs. 699. For reservation call 67411000 (Extn:7242)

Television

Summer watch

Food

Feast on Polo ala cacciatore (roast chicken), gosht dum biryani (mutton), vegetable who up noodles, spaghetti carbonara, legumes ...yes it’s Easter and time for a great feast. Spice Jar at The Residency is serving buffet lunch and dinner. The buffet is priced at Rs. 425. For reservations call 2825 3434

Workshop

It’s summer time and UTV World Movies is bringing home its Film Club Choice and Summer Camp special on weekends for the entire month. Rock a Doodle is the story of a little boy named Edmond who learns that the crowning of Chanticleer the rooster did not make the sun rise. But when a flood threatens his fa mily’s farm, Edmond sets off to get Chanticleer and to make the sun rise and save the day. Rock a Doodle will be shown on April 11 at 10 a.m. Also, watch 13Tzameti on April 12 at 12 p.m.

Sale

Holistic wellness

A little gold

Sifu K.R. Swathi, a wellness and health food expert from Hong Kong, of Swathi’s Integrated Holistic Wellness Management, is conducting an orientation programme in holistic wellness and an introduction to Tai Chi, Chi Kung, yoga and food. When: April 11 to 18 Where: Mandaveli and Krishnapuri To register call 98409 62929, 9444 746 444 or email:[email protected]

To celebrate Akshaya Trithiya, Tanishq is offering a discount on making charges of 22 karat gold jewellery and 5 per cent discount on purchase of diamond jewellery less than Rs. 2 lakh. When: April 10 to 27 Where: Tanishq outlets

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Friday, April 10, 2009

Animal rights activists allege that animals and birds are paraded by political parties during campaigning

VOX POP send your views to [email protected]

No more animals for polls

Thursday’s Question: Do you think Sehwag really deserves the Wisden award?

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es, Sehwag really deserves the Wisden award because; the Indian cricket team has a tendency to falter, if the top order fails. Sehwag’s scoring rate keeps the opponent team’s captain and bowlers gnashing their teeth and not knowing how to bowl to this super batsman. ■ K.S.Rajan, Andhra Bank, DRC

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es he does. Who else than Sehwag deserves it? Since his comeback, he has done tremendously well. I think the fact that he was out of the team for a while hurt him really bad. He worked really hard, and he announced his comeback with a century runs against Australia in the 4th Test Down Under. And ever since, he never looked back. ■ K.Praveen

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A camel being used for the campaign of the Kozhikode constituency LDF candidate P.A. Muhammed Riyaz. PHOTO: S. RAMESH KURUP

“India cannot be fitted into a so-called two party system. We are in for coalitions” A.B.Bardhan

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olitical parties no longer opt for animals as election symbols but they are not acting solely out of love for the creatures. Persistent opposition by animal rights activists against cruelty inflicted to animals and birds during electioneering has led the Election Commission to ban the allotment of such symbols, replacing them with inanimate objects. Citing various laws preventing cruelty to animals, the wildlife rights activists complained that parties were parading these hapless creatures during campaigns and in turn subjecting them to cruelty. The only exceptions are the lion (Forward Bloc symbol) and the elephant (Bahujan Samaj Party and Asom Gana Parishad) that are being used by respective parties. While the BSP is a national party, the All India Forward Bloc and Asom Gana Parishad are State party from

West Bengal and Assam respectively. And these parties are in no mood to give up their symbols despite opposition from various quarters. “These are the reserved symbols and were allotted much before the Election Commission order came banning allotment as emblem,” a senior official from Delhi electoral office said. In fact politicians have always been keen to use symbols depicting animals to seek publicity among the voters but in the process subjected the creatures to torturous treatment. It was none other than the Congress party, which professed its love for animals since its inception. After using a pair of yoked ‘bullocks’ for decades, it opted for a ‘cow-and-calf’ symbol during the post emergency period. Later it changed its symbol to the ‘hand’. Till 1991, the Election Commission had kept 45 free sym-

bols and of them many were animals. Independents were allotted symbols from these free symbols to fight elections. But animal activists succeeded in getting symbols like parrot dropped from the free symbols list on the plea that campaigners often inflict cruelty to the bird. If the candidate had a pigeon symbol candidates would carry pigeons with them, which was often torturous to the bird. Organisations like International Blue Cross, Peta and Prevention to Cruelty to Animals led by Maneka Gandhi had been raising voice against the blatant use of animals as election symbols and projections. “It is torturous to use animals as election symbols. They are tamed through atrocities and brought in processions. It is completely unethical,” says Maneka Gandhi, a feisty animal rights activist. ■ PTI

n 2007, Sehwag seemed to be a little out of form. But in 2008 he proved his class. He took opening in Test cricket to a new level. Dominated the opponents from the very first ball of all the innings he played. He also scored the fastest triple century last year. He was one of the key players in India’s victory against Australia and England. Along with Gambhir, he has made a solid opening pair for India both in ODIs and Tests. ■ Janani N, Infosys

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iru is the one and only the best opener in the world cricket. So he is fully eligible for getting the Wisden award 2008 .Congrats Viru! ■ Reegan Joseph, CSS

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efinitely Viru deserves the award. From the latest form of cricket till Test cricket he shows the same aggressiveness. No cricketer can beat his fastest triple century record in future. No one can take the same rhythm for 300 runs even hitting 6 to get his triple century. ■ Pradeep Sundaram.S, Sella Synergy

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Big Story

What not to do at the With the summer sapping the energies, it will be wise if one modifies his gym workout accordingly. PETLEE PETER [email protected]

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he scorching summer has just begun and breaking a sweat seems no sweat at all. As the suns saps out our energies, we contacted some of the fitness experts in Namma Chennai on what to do and most importantly what not to do at the gyms. They rule a strict no-no to certain fitness practices like excessive cardio workouts, unregulated strength training and an imbalanced diet. These fitness and health tips should be followed even for people training in air-conditioned gyms. A workout session must begin with a 10 to 15 minute warm-up session.

Excessive Cardio Avoiding heavy cardio exercises is a good thing for summer, experts contend. Swimming, cycling, running, skipping or aerobics should be restricted to 20 or 25 minutes in a day for beginners and could differ according to what time of the day the workout is done. “In summer it is advisable to workout cardio exercises in a room that has a controlled temperature. Otherwise there may be a dip in the heart rate which could in turn affect the metabolism rate of the body,” says Ajit Shetty, a veteran fitness trainer and Fitness Director for Fitness One gyms in Chennai. Shetty also advices a workout time of one hour for intermediates this summer and also a 3, 4 or 6 day weekly workout schedule.

Unregulated strength training Pumping lot of iron could drain you out this season. A 20 to 30 minute workout with fewer weights is advised for beginners and intermediates, while the professionals can stick on to their regime irrespective of what time of the year it is. “Beginners at-

tempting to lift heavy weights will only end up getting fatigued in a very less time. Therefore the purpose of strength exercises itself is defeated,” says M.E. Srinivasan, a personal fitness consultant. Shetty also agrees with the fatigue factor and also adds that number of reps while lifting weights can be reduced for better results. “A 30-second break between reps in winter can be substituted with 1.5-minute break in summer,” says the trainer, who also pressed the need for intake of lot of water these summer workout days. He adds that unregulated heavy strength training this season could also drive a fitness freak to an anaerobic stage where the body utilised muscles for energy instead of fat and the individual will suffer muscle loss and looks weak.

Imbalanced diet Apart from more intake of fluids, an adequate mix of protein and carbohydrates is necessary as one losses salt and potassium from the body after a good workout in the gym these days. According to nutritionist Kavitha Ramachandran of Talwalkars Fitness Centre, Nungambakkam, sensible eating habits, including a complete abstinence from fried foods and consumption of very less sugar, is what is required for the summer. “This season one tries to stay indoors in an AC room instead of going out in the sun. Therefore, the chance of burning calories is very less. Adding to the misery are food counters in offices that mostly sell junk food.” She recommends a lot of fruits for the season that should be preferably eaten raw instead of mixing it with ice-cream. “It’s a myth that food items like mango and chicken should be avoided as they increase body heat,” she adds. “Any food rich in vitamins and mineral had in moderate quantities will help maintain health conditions in the long run.” ■

Cardio workouts for summer include 20 to 25 minutes a day on the treadmill. PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN

Friday, April 10, 2009

Get your vitamin Vitamin D deficiency is associated with inflammation, a negative response of the immune system, even in healthy women, a new study has found. A University of Missouri nutritional sciences researcher said that increased concentrations of serum Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), an inflammatory marker, were found in women who had insufficient vitamin D levels.

gyms this summer

Regulated strength training can avoid fatigue.

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Friday, April 10, 2009

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It’s an achievement. Everyone is happy. The entire country has supported us. It was victory after 41 years. Sachin Tendulkar on Team India creating history in New Zealand

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helsea moved within touching distance of the Champions League semifinals thanks to a stunning 3-1 victory over Liverpool in Wednesday’s quarter-final first leg at Anfield. Guus Hiddink’s side produced a breathtaking response after falling behind to an early Fernando Torres strike as Branislav Ivanovic buried two headers before Didier Drogba added a third goal. Liverpool had beaten Chelsea twice in the league this season, but that was during Luiz Felipe Scolari’s underwhelming reign. Rafa Benitez’s team had only themselves to blame. Steven Gerrard was completely out of touch and woeful marking gifted Ivanovic his goals. Now the Reds, for so long Chelsea’s bogey team in Europe, look odds on to crash out against the Londoners for the second successive season. Hiddink said: “If you score in an away Champions League tie it is a tremendous blow to the opposition and that is what we aimed for. We wanted to neutralise Gerrard and make them sweat in defence. “But it is only half-time in the tie. If we go to the second game thinking it will be easy that would be wrong. We have seen in the past what Liverpool are capable of.” Benitez added: “We scored the first goal and were doing well. But they had some chances and we conceded from a corner when we could have done better. “After that we were not in control. The second game will be very difficult now because we have to score three goals.” From Liverpool’s first attack, Ivanovic almost deflected Dirk Kuyt’s powerful strike into his own goal. If that was a fortunate escape for Chelsea, they had no such luck in the sixth minute as Liverpool sliced through their defence in clinical fashion. Kuyt’s back-heel picked out Alvaro Arbeloa on the right and his cross caught the Blues flat-footed. Torres took full advantage to steer a perfectly placed shot past Petr Cech. Anfield went wild but, with the celebrations still in full swing, Drogba had a golden opportunity to silence the Kop. Fabio Aurelio’s error allowed Salomon Kalou to pick out Drogba, but with just Jose Reina to beat his shot was too close to the Liverpool keeper. Torres was terrifying the visitors’ defence with his pace and movement. He pulled clear of

Branislav Ivanovic of Chelsea celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg match against Liverpool at Anfield. PHOTO: CLIVE ROSE/GETTY IMAGES

Ivanovic double sinks Liverpool Frank Lampard before curling a long-range strike just over. Drogba’s first miss had been bad enough but the Ivory Coast star was guilty of an even worse effort in the 30th minute. When Michael Ballack whipped in a low cross, Drogba had Reina’s goal at his mercy, yet he lashed over from no more than 10 yards. After such a frenetic opening, Liverpool were beginning to falter and Chelsea, sensing blood, equalised in the 39th minute when Ivanovic met Florent Malouda’s corner with an emphatic header that flashed past Reina for

his first Chelsea goal. Drogba threatened again when he overpowered Martin Skrtel to reach Lampard’s pass and slid his shot past Reina, only for Jamie Carragher to make a superb goalline clearance. Then John Terry, one booking away from a suspension, rashly challenged Reina for a ball the keeper was clearly going to win. Both players fell to the turf but when Terry got up Danish referee Claus Bo Larsen was waiting with a yellow card that rules him out of the return leg. Just as the momentum ap-

peared to have swung in Liverpool’s favour, Chelsea took the lead in the 62nd minute from another set-piece. When Lampard curled over a corner, Liverpool, marking zonally rather than man-to-man, allowed Ivanovic a clear run at the ball. Once again he made them pay with a bullet header past Reina. Liverpool were stunned and there was worse to come. Five minutes later Ballack played in Malouda, whose low cross was turned in by Drogba from close-range. ■ AFP

Hiddink wins tactical battle to put Chelsea on course for semifinals

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Portfolio Sign on the dotted l Blugirl Vivienne Westwood

Esteban Cortazar for Emmanuel Ungaro

Polka dots are fun. Plus, they’re good on everyone. Almost

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hink polka dots and Brian Hyland’s 1960s song ‘Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini’ will be the first to come to mind. Polka dots is a fun print, something famously handed down from the 1960s. The print is immortal, surviving the scathing tongues of those who despise it as something boldly un-chic, very Barbie doll and completely un-adult. Even now, most associate it with children’s clothes and playthings. Not all, though. The ability of the print to go well with varied fabrics (from satin to chiffon and cotton) and various body types (by changing the size of the print) lends it a versatility that other prints would vie and die for. One of the most memorable images of polka dots in recent days was that of a very pregnant M.I.A. performing at the 2009 Grammy Awards in a clever House of Holland creation. Eva Mendes, too, made a cool entrance at the Spirit premiere in December in Paris. Christian Lacroix’s Spring/Summer 2009 Haute Couture collection show in Paris this January showcased multi-sized polka dot fabrics fused in single dresses. Gucci’s Fall/Winter 2009-2010 was based on the ‘80s rock ‘n’ roll glamour – leather tights, leather wrist bands and big polka dots. Label Blugirl resorted to multi-coloured embellished polka dots. Dolce & Gabbana’s Fall/Winter 2009-2010 show paid tribute to the glamour of the Marilyn Monroe era. Polka dots were bold and even came on the shoes! Noteworthy, however, was the glass-studded outfit which became the ultimate polka dots tribute. Jean-Charles de Castelbajac’s fish scaleish outfit at the Autumn/Winter 2009 ready-to-wear show in Paris, too, honoured the polka dots. Esteban Cortazar for Emmanuel Ungaro’s Fall/Winter 2009-2010 ready-to-wear collection used a combination of polka dots on scarves and blouses, offset by more sturdy and grim jackets outside – the new-age, mature way of sporting the dots. ■

D&G

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac

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Friday, April 10, 2009

Gucci

line

BULLETIN It’s still Victoria, not Anne

Christian Lacroix

Designer Marc Jacobs has rebuffed claims that actor Anne Hathaway might replace Victoria Beckham as the face of his ad campaign. Though Jacobs and Hathaway have become close pals, the designer revealed that there were no plans to feature her as the face of her ad campaign. “I’m afraid that is not true,” Contactmusic quoted a spokesman of the designer as telling People.com. “Marc and Annie are good friends, but there are no plans of her appearing in our ads,” he added. Rumours that Anne Hathaway might replace Victoria began circulating after Marc reportedly promised to dress the former for all her upcoming red carpet engagements. ANI

Dell’Acqua quits Malo

The King of the Mountains at the Tour de France gets to wear a red-and-white polka dotted jersey, first introduced in 1975. Opinions vary about the reason behind the choice of colours – some say it was decided by the then sponsor, Poulain Chocolate, while others say former organiser Felix Levitan got inspired by the Veldrome d’Hiver track in Paris during his youth. Source: Wikipedia

Alessandro Dell’Acqua has quit as designer at Italian fashion house Malo less than a year after taking the role at the firm, which is in special administration trying to avoid bankruptcy. In a statement, Malo’s owner IT Holding said the brand’s in-house creative team would design the collections from the spring/summer 2010 season onwards. Dell’Acqua’s first collection for Malo was the spring/summer 2009, shown in Milan in September. His predecessors at Malo, Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi, moved to Gianfranco Ferre which is also owned by IT Holding. Last month, a source close to the matter said the company could sell Ferre and Malo to focus on its production licences. Reuters

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Flick Sly still has his Rambo and Rocky abs at 62

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ylvester Stallone may have turned 62, but when it comes to having a tough guy physique, the Rambo star can give today’s stars a run for their money. The action hero, famous as ‘Sly’, recently gave a glimpse of his muscular torso, when he stripped off his top while filming his latest movie. Stallone was on location in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, filming his latest work The Expendables. Crowds gathered to watch the

shoot, which included a stunt in which the legendary star ran along a pier and flung himself off it. “He is in amazing shape for a man of his age and seemed to be doing all his own stunts,” the Telegraph quoted one onlooker as saying. The Expendables is a thriller written by Stallone. It also stars Jason Statham and Dolph Lundgren. ■ ANI

Russell Crowe binges on chicken tikka masala

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scar winning actor Russell Crowe is shooting in Surrey and is avoiding the food from the fancy Pennyhill Park hotel. Instead he is making trips to the local curry house for chicken tikka masala. Crowe has visited the Mogul in Bagshot at least six times in two weeks, reports the sun.co.uk. A guest at the hotel in Surrey said: “He prefers a chicken tikka masala to the Michelin-star food at the hotel.” He’s also been ignoring the hotel’s luxury gym and spa. The actor was seen working out at the local gym, Fitness First. ■ IANS

Ritchie comforts Madonna as adoption plan fails British filmmaker Guy Ritchie has been comforting ex-wife Madonna after her attempt to adopt a baby from Malawi failed. Thesun.co.uk reports that the two had got divorced in January and the singer cited his “unreasonable behaviour” behind their break up. But the two have been able to talk again when she broke down while talking to her son Rocco on the phone. “Civil conversations between them have been few and far between in the past year. But over the last week things have improved. Guy had Rocco over for a visit when Em (Madonna) called to see if he was okay, as she always does when she is away from the kids. Rocco was speaking to her and suddenly turned to Guy and said, ‘Daddy, daddy. Mummy is crying’. He then handed Guy the phone,” said a source close to them. ■ IANS

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Friday, April 10, 2009

Ashlee Simpson posts 4-month-old son’s photo on Twitter American pop rock singer-songwriter Ashlee Simpson recently unveiled her 4-month-old son Bronx to her fans by posting his photo on her Twitter page. “I present you my little man and his adorable cheeks,” People magazine quoted Simpson

ANYWHERE BUT HERE

Cine City

Title change Actor Kamal Hassan’s upcoming flick, Thalaivan Irukkiran, a remake of Hindi film A Wednesday, goes for a title change. If Internet buzz is true, the new title is Unnai Pol Oruvan. The film has Kamal Hassan and Mohanlal playing the lead roles. Kamal’s daughter Shruthi Hassan will be debuting as the music director of this film. Unnai Pol Oruvan will be directed by debutant director Chakri and produced under the Raj Kamal banner and UTV Productions.

Besides two good lead actors, there’s nothing much to see in ‘Anywhere But Home’

After Arundhathi, it’s Madhura Thimiru

SHALINI SHAH [email protected]

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n Anywhere But Home, Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon) are happily unmarried. They attend ballroom dancing classes together, vacation together, share an apartment and love telling others how they are with each other not because they HAVE to but because they LIKE to. Their respective divorced parents are people they don’t want to become like and the two lie their way to avoid spending Christmas with their families. (No families minus ‘lies’, they say). Christmas comes, a vacation to Fiji is cancelled due to fog and unexpected television coverage ensures they visit those they’re dreading to meet – four parents in a single day. ‘Christmas from Hell’ should have been the movie’s name.

Brad’s brothers practise drawingroom combat, Kate’s mother is a newly-converted spiritualist, Brad’s childhood best friend is married to his mother and Kate’s sister is Miss-Spill-The-Beans. It’s a bunch of people so annoying that you don’t wonder that their saner children don’t see them as idols. In the process, the couple discover how much and how little they know of each other and that’s supposed to be the emotional core.

Film: Anywhere But Home Cast: Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon Director: Seth Gordon

Vince Vaughn as Brad is hilarious, especially in the church scene where he’s forced to play Joseph and suddenly discovers he actually enjoys it. Reese Witherspoon has her moments too, but it’s more of Vaughn’s film than hers. What looks like a strange pairing, especially with Witherspoon barely reaching Vaughn’s waist, soon doesn’t seem too bad at all. It’s the end where the film falls flat, when you see the conviction with which Brad and Kate held their former beliefs blowing away like a pack of cards in a Christmas breeze, without as much as a tear. The characters end up looking as hollow and shallow as the script they’re in. ■

After the success of Anushka-starrer Arundhathi, a Telugu flick dubbed in Tamil, the next such Telugu movie to hit the screens is Krishna. The movie, titled Madura Thimiru in Tamil, is releasing next month. Madura Thimiru has Ravi Teja and Trisha playing the lead roles. Other actors include Kotta Srinivasa Rao, Shayaji Shinde and Dhandapani. The movie is produced by singer Mano.

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ERGO Friday, April 10, 2009

Thursday’s query: You have just won Rs. 10 crores. What will you do for the next 24 hours? ■Will start a political party. So that v can earn more money n serve d poor Hari, Chandru, Bastin, Shankar, Sundar, Balaji Nittany, N.Shriram Allsec, Saravanan HCL

■Will make Slumdog Millionaire II

on roads besides being exposed to gruesome weather Deepak Vasudevan Verizon

■I will take my mom and wife to Munar and settle there and start a new business and live happily Kamesh Infosys

■I will start a new MNC and recruit people who lost jobs during recession Hari Sutherland (HR dept), Levi Infoview Technologies

■I’ll stand for MP post Suresh RR Donnelley

■I will order all top model bikes available in the market

Ameen Nittany

■Will count all the money Saravanana Kumar Infoview Technology, Amoolya Wipro, Don, Arunkumar, Sudha Allsec, T.A.Krishnakumar, Jagan, Sudharshan, Basha, Karthik, Parthi HCL, Yuva CSS, Ishwarya Technip

■Start the "share plane" (like share auto) between Guindy and Navallur Rajakumar Infoview Technology

■Purchase a beautiful well furnished villa in the centre of city, buy a BMW and a Volkswagen and a apple laptop for my personal use

Martin Allsec

■I will go to bar with my friends to make the government rich Gladwin, Devakumar TCS-eserve

■I’ll get all costly dresses and matching accessories Teena Infosys

■I’ll book a hi-fi house for my parents, inform my ex-girlfriend who told me that I’m worth for nothing, then donate a amount to charity Hashim Allsec

■Ask any political party for a seat

M.Venkataraj Perot Systems

■Keep thinking how to spend it and thereby waste the day

Singaravelu Mindtree

, Dhananjayan Scope International ■I’ll buy any IPL team

Padma Gopal Cognizant, Iniyan, Sathish Perot Systems

■Deposit it in a government bank which offers high interest Ramesh Technip, Harsha TCS

■I’ll resign my job Kalai Perot Systems, Selvan Ranganathan TCS(AIG)

■I’ll give to orphanages, needy, poor people Rani, Farah, Jeevitha TCS-eserve

■Book a brand new edition of BMW Aravind.S RR Donnelley

■Buy lottery ticket for 10 crores Velmurugan Perot System, Pradeep, Karthick, Jacob TCS-eserve, Narendran FBSC

■I would setup a self reliant and self supporting animal welfare home since there are so many of these poor dumb friends are risking their safety

To celebrate the take over of ABN Amro by Royal Bank of Scotland, the employees celebrated Blue Day (that’s the colour of RBS) on August 17. Vaijayanthi Rajmohan picked one best picture from her album for this column.

Vijay Technip

Ergo pick:

Sundara Sakthivel from RMZ Corp with friends at Rose Gardens in Ooty – their first outing from the company.

■Will count all the money Saravana Kumar, Infoview Technology, Amoolya, Wipro, Don, Arunkumar, Sudha Allsec, T.A.Krishnakumar, Jagan, Sudharshan, Basha, Karthik, Parthi HCL, Yuva, CSS, Ishwarya, Technip

Today’s query: If you were a politician and had to make an election promise, which you are very clear that you will break it, what would it be? Lakshminarayanan from Sify Technologies with friends in Puducherry

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Friday, April 10, 2009

April 10 Dhana Balan and friends from HCL Tech has nominated Asha S (A (aggressive), S (simple and smiling), H (humorous), A (Angel) as Office Angel. She is the pearl of the project. Very brilliant and involved in work. She is very fast in working and asking treats.

■ Dear Suresh, May your Birthday hold many beautiful moments, and may the coming year bring enough happiness to make every day as wonderful as you are!!! Enjoy ur day with lots of fun. With love, Savitha, Ram, Sujatha, Subha, Anand, Akshaya, Vijaya & Lakshmanan

■ Dear Bhavani, May this day be the beginning of another special year which fulfils your wish. Let this birthday bring you lot of joy and happiness in your life! A Warm Birthday wish from all of us! Ur friendly, PM Smart team (HCL, Chennai team) & Quality team (Amb-6)

■ Dear Reebe Maryn Benjamin, Happy Birthday May this birthday start a new turn in your world. May it also bring forth inevitable joy, happiness and favor your way. Wipro Technologies

■ Hi Hemanth (Thala), Iniya Pirantha naal nalvazhthukal. May you be blessed with all joys forever. Happy bday..... Ur friends,

Art featured in this column will receive gift coupons from Fruit Shop on Greams Road. Send in your addresses so that we can post the coupons.

Kokila, Ramya, Padma, Claudia, Poonkodi, Vijay, Venu, Seelam

■ Dear Bhavani, Best wishes on your birthday and throughout the coming year! May your birthday be filled with excitement, joy, and laughter. Enjoy your life with the smile on your face. Always glow like a diamond and spread your smile all over. Wish you a very happy birthday and we wish many more to come

Sukanyaa Padmanabhan working with Tech Mahindra has her embossed art work displayed at her home. She has been painting for the last two years.

Best wishes from Team Beacon

Belated Wishes ■ Dear Honey, Wishing u a day soft as silk..... white as milk..... sweet as honey& full of money. may all ur dreams come true.... Many more happy returns of the day. Loving wishes from, Mano, suresh, kalpana, yasodhai Wipro

■ Man: Sir enakku nalla ponna parunga! Broker: Eppadi patta ponnu venum? Man: Nalla adakkamana ponnu venum Broker: Appo vaanga ,"SUDUKATTUKKU" poi nalla Adakkamana ponna parthuttu varalam!!! ■ Vaalkaina, 1000 medu pallam, 1000 kallu mullu irrukkathan seiyum, athanala... Nalla qualityana "Seruppu" vaangi pottukonga... N. Deepan, TCS, Siruseri

S. Kadhiravan May good times and great memories be the special gifts that fill your Birthday with happiness. Happy Birthday Kotteeswaran, RR Donnelley Outsourcing

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ERGO Friday, April 10, 2009

Traffic Jam

Dead mayor elected Harry Stonebraker has been re-elected mayor of Winfield, Missouri - a month after his death. Stonebraker died of a heart attack in March (09) but ballots had already been printed and absentee voting had already begun, meaning he was an easy winner in Tuesday’s election.

sudoku

Naveen Kumar V of Sutherland Global Services clicked this picture in Munnar. Hobbies: Photography, cricket and music

Entries to the column will get gift vouchers from Bubbles Spa worth Rs.1,000. Winners can come to Ergo office on weekends between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to collect the vouchers. Call 2857 6688.

So you think you would make a terrific photographer but never really had the platform? Mail us your best work and we’ll publish it in this space, with credit. E-mail: [email protected]

TEAM Editor: Karthik Subramanian [email protected]

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KAKURO

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Friday, April 10, 2009

Tom-cat teacher

Word’s worth

A cat in China has adopted two orphaned puppies - and is teaching them how to catch mice. The female cat, named Tom, nurses the puppies and washes them with her tongue, according to owner Ms Shen.

Ultrafidian (ul-truh-fid-ee-uhn) an adjective meaning ‘blindly credulous.’ It comes from the Latin phrase ultra fidem ‘beyond faith.’

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 It is a day to compromise and adjust with others, in order to keep harmonious relations. You will be able to solve technical difficulties very easily with the help of others. Love life may remain very smooth and satisfactory, by the Grace of Ganesha.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Ganesha finds you working in a very comfortable environment today. You may have cordial relations with your colleagues. In case of love life, you might have to go an extra mile to convince your partner for a particular point.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Your logical-self is very active today so it is the best day to design a software or to start coding a new programme. Ganesha foresees you learning new professional techniques and using them to your and company’s advantage.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 It may be slightly stressful day for you, feels Ganesha, specifically because there may be conflict between intellect and emotion. You are emotional by nature and you may be forced to take decisions a little tactfully today.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 If you try to command everything and everyone at office, it may not work in your favour. Ganesha suggests you to keep a balanced and friendly approach in order to get the work done. Thorough professional approach may also fail.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

You will have to give opinion about someone’s work or excellence today. Criticism is not going to work in your favour, it may instead tarnish your image. Ganesha advises you to utter every word with extra caution to maintain balance around.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 It is a favourable day to take up new projects or assignments on hand. You will remain calm and composed at office and home, which will make others feel very good about you. Everyone will appreciate your ability to maintain equilibrium.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 You will desire to keep things in balance at workplace, but this effort may go in vain. As long you are doing things in good faith, it’s just fine. In short day requires little careful handling of personal and professional life.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 It is a perfect day to call for a meeting which sets high aims. The day favours initiation of team work or group activities with major objectives. Ganesha finds you handling love life very intelligently.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 At office, you may wish to combine creativity and technology. As the day favours you for such activity, you can surely work on final designs of products or softwares. Output of your practical decisions will be tremendous.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 It is perfect day to create fusion between two softwares or combine old and new techniques to give a better output at workplace. Your intelligence may play major role and you will receive due appreciation for the same.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Ganesha finds you little bothered about pending activities at office. With little more effort and with someone’s help you will be able to find a way to sort out everything. Take good care of health and avoid mental stress. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

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ERGO Friday, April 10, 2009