Ergo April 2

A BYTE OF LIFE

Thursday, April 2, 2009

11 Dr. A.R. Rahman Middlesex University to honour Rahman with a doctorate FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 3

No. 62

Cops on WATER Ergo takes you to Chennai’s only ’floating police station’ » PAGE 03

Lamby love The old Lambretta scooters are still in demand » PAGE 08

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Thursday, April 2, 2009

Art attack ‘Imprints – masterstrokes made timeless’ is on display at Vinnyasa Premier Art Gallery till April 5. The initiative is an effort to make available fine art prints as works of art. The fine art prints will bear the artist’s signature and be of limited editions. Vinnyasa is at 21/11, 1st Main Road CIT Colony, Mylapore.

Do not allow your pet to play with children unsupervised. FILE PHOTO

From Lakshman’s Dream. PHOTO: S.S. KUMAR

Staging Madhavi T

he Indianostrum Theatre is organising a two-day theatre event. The highlight of the day-long event is the play titled Madhavi. The original text of the play was written in Kannada by H. S. Shiva Prakash and the translated version will be played for two days. Directed by Koumarane Valavane, the play has three characters – Madhavi and her two servants. “It is a dramatic story about Madhavi’s wait. It has a different story line and talks about the characters preparing for the comeback of Kovalan,” says the director. Indianostrum, a full-time theatre group has directed plays like Karna, Midnight Traveller, Dalida, Antigone, Lakshman’s Dream and Le Monologue de Gayatri. Madhavi will be staged at the Alliance Francaise, 24, College Road, Nungambakkam. Tickets are priced at Rs. 50. For details call 9942809932.

Lessons from a tragedy SRIYA NARAYANAN [email protected]

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rror-riddled news reports have been published since 11-year-old Aravind’s tragic fall to his death from his building’s terrace two days ago. Society needs to ensure that no accident like this happens again and that no hasty decisions are made to the detriment of pets. Vandana Gopikumar, founder of The Banyan, received the below details from the pet owner Samita in a conversation with her at Puzhal prison. 1) Contrary to earlier reports, the pet was a pug, a small docile breed that was accustomed to playing with children in the building. Her other pet is a friendly labrador. 2) The children approached the pet owner for permission to play with her pet. There was no instance of the dog being unchained carelessly. 3) While on the terrace, the boy slipped and fell to his death. The terrace wall was a particular low one. Amidst the chaos surrounding the accident, many residents’ as-

sociations have begun to pressurise pet owners to abandon their dogs on the street or in shelters and have overlooked the real issue: safety. These dos and don’ts have been compiled with the help of parents, pet lovers and apartment dwellers:

Pet owner a) Ensure that your dog is always on leash in common areas. b) Do not allow your pet to play with children unsupervised. c) The dog should be vaccinated regularly and must never be a hindrance to neighbours. There is no law against keeping pets in an apartment (write to [email protected] for legal info), provided you follow the above

The Meenambakkam tragedy and what we can learn from it

rules.

Residents’ Associations a) Check that the height of the parapet walls is sufficient to prevent a slip from turning into a deadly fall. b) Do not allow children to play on roads or on terraces, with or without dogs. c) Do not harass pet owners into abandoning their family members when a code of conduct will solve the problem. A pet that’s thrown out onto the street will either starve to death or get run over. NGOs are the worst-hit during the recession and are already battling a fund crunch while working for homeless animals. Human welfare and animal welfare are far from being mutually exclusive and it’s never the zero sum game that it’s made out to be. Dogs are full-time caretakers who prevent burglaries and murders and are a great asset to the community. Our obligation is to learn from this loss and show foresight to ensure the safety of our children and our pets in future. ■

03

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Take home Nano Tata Teleservice has introduced an offer for all prospective customers of Tata Nano. The retail showroom will stock Nano applications forms. These forms will come attached with a coupon of Rs. 300, which can be redeemed against the purchase of Walky Handsets, USB Plug to Surf Data Cards or Photon Broadband Plus services. For details log on to www.tataindicom.com

The Port Marine police station has an enviable patrolling vehicle – a hi-tech speedboat

Chennai’s ‘floating police station’ E

ighty-four of the 85 police stations in namma Chennai boast of stylish white Hyundai Accents bearing beacons. One of them has no car but something bigger and better – a state-of-the-art speedboat costing a whopping Rs. 1 crore. The B6 Port Marine police station inside the Chennai Port, perhaps the only police station in South India with a speedboat patrol, keeps vigil over the seas from Ennore in the north to Thiruvanmiyur in the south. With a strength of 27 policemen patrolling in three shifts, the boat is referred to as the ‘floating police station’. The history of the floating police station dates back to 1895, when a police constable was posted on the sands following an increase in ship traffic on the Madras shores. Later, in 1910, the Marine and Harbour police were

formed due to the escalating number of thefts from anchorage ships. The first patrol boat under the Port Marine police station, E.L. Stracey, was sent out to sea on March 28, 1990. The Port Marine team has a history of stringent surveillance and had even captured an LTTE boat two years ago. The hi-tech boat in use was handed over by the then Shipping Minister T.R. Baalu on May 4, 2007. Under the guidance of an Assistant Commissioner of Police (Port Marine), the team of armed policemen (one Sub Inspector and four constables) and two rescue divers scans 5 nautical miles for pirates and monitors movement of fishermen near large anchored vessels. “We scan the waters thoroughly. Apart from that, deaths, thefts and any other kind of criminal activity within 5 nautical miles in the water comes under our jurisdiction,” says Mohammed Mutahir Hussain, AC, Port Marine police station, amidst a patrolling shift on Tuesday afternoon. According to Inspector Sheik

Police personnel patrolling the seas near the Harbour on their speedboat. PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN

AC Mohammed Mutahir Hussain (left) inside the patrol boat Ahmed, his patrol team also does surveillance on the waters near the Kasimedu fishing harbour. “There is a possibility for fishermen to find a bigger catch where the ships are anchored and some might even try to enter the ships to commit theft,” he adds. The speedboat, owned by a private operator and rented by the Chennai Port Trust, is a 310 bhp twin-screw engine with 250 rpm

and a top speed of 16-18 nautical miles per hour. With a capacity for 12 persons and sleeping space for six, the boat is equipped with advanced communication facilities, including GPS and radar. This patrol vehicle of the City Police costs the Chennai Port a daily rent of Rs. 26,000 only. ■

We scan the waters thoroughly. Apart from that, deaths, thefts and any other kind of criminal activity within 5 nautical miles in the water comes under our jurisdiction

04 VILLAGE

ERGO Thursday, April 2, 2009

Twitter traveller British man Paul Smith travelled all the way to New Zealand - funded solely by donations from people on social networking site Twitter.com.

Miss Universe says had ‘lot of fun’ in Guantanamo A “relaxing, calm, beautiful place” may not be everyone’s description of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the United States holds about 240 prisoners in a detention centre that has drawn condemnation from around the world. But this was the opinion of reigning Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela, who visited the US naval facility in eastern Cuba this month on a trip organized by the United Service Organizations (USO) which supports US troops. Caracas-born Mendoza, 22, who visited the facility March 20-25 along with Miss USA Crystle Stewart, 27, enthused about her Guantanamo trip as an “incredible experience” in a blog entry posted on the Miss Universe website dated March 27, 2009 (http://www.missuniverse.com/missuniverse/blog.php). “We visited the Detainees camps and we saw the jails, where they shower, how the(y) recreate themselves with movies, classes of art, books. It was very interesting,” she wrote. Reuters

Aussies outraged by China takeover prank A n April Fool’s Day prank in Australia suggesting a Chinese firm wanted to buy naming rights for the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) sparked a furious online reaction on Wednesday. In a sign of sensitivities at Chinese takeover activity in Australia’s mining sector, the story on the Herald Sun’s website saying the stadium would be renamed the Mekong Cricket Ground drew more than 200 comments by midday. While many realised it was a joke with the story quoting a spokeswoman named April Fulton - most expressed anger at the idea of renaming the 100,000 capacity ground regarded as a symbol of Australia’s second-largest city. “Let’s just give up this whole country to the Asians and be done with it,” posted ‘Mister Master.’ “What did our diggers (soldiers) fight

and die for in the past wars???? And they still expect us to be patriotic. This country is selling its soul.” Anthony of Melbourne expressed sim-

ilar sentiments. “Are we serious... de we have to sell everything to the Asians!!!? “They are taking over the world, and we are letting them. I am not being racist

when I say this, but aside from the Australian Asians, what possible interest do China have in the MCG?” A reader using the name Cam linked the story to recent Chinese moves to buy stakes in Australian resources firms. “The Chinese corporate takeover of Australia has begun,” he posted. “OZ Minerals, Rio Tinto, Fortescue Minerals, now the MCG. What next?” And an advertisement in The Australian newspaper supposedly from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said politicians would provide free child-minding services at their electoral offices. It referred readers to a website, where lobby group GetUp revealed it had staged the prank to highlight the government’s lack of action on an election promise to provide paid parental leave. ■ AFP

05

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Captain and his 40 warriors In conversation with DMDK Youth Wing secretary L.K.Sudhish

L.K.Sudhish, Youth Wing Secretary, DMDK S.SREEJITH

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“Maybe he (Varun Gandhi) wanted to say something and could not put it rightly probably because of his political inexperience”. Hema Malini

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y ruling out electoral alliances with other political parties in the State for the Lok Sabha polls, DMDK (Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam) founder Vijaykant has sent out a strong signal to his rivals that his party is not a new entrant, but a powerful force to reckon with. From finalising candidates to kick-starting its poll campaign, Captain singlehandedly manages the party affairs and also tackles his opponents in the election battle. L.K. Sudhish, DMDK’s Youth Wing Secretary, spoke to Ergo about the polls and the party’s prospects. Excerpts from the interview: Why did your party decide to go it alone in the LS polls? It’s the decision of party chief Vijaykant, as he strongly believes that parties in a coalition government lack stability and they cannot solve key issues affecting the people. He also stressed that unlike other major parties in Tamil Nadu, DMDK has a clear vision and the will power to provide a solution to long-pending issues like Cauvery river water dispute, attacks on Sri Lankan Tamils etc. What are the positive issues

you think would fetch you the votes? Both the governments at the Centre and in the State have failed on all fronts and they have failed to control spiralling price rice, sliding economy; the State was virtually plunged into darkness due to regular power cuts, so we will rake up all these issues during our campaign and urge the people not to repeat the same mistake again. Captain’s campaigns are a crowd-puller. Will these crowds bring in votes? Definitely, that’s why Captain said: “I am not running the party for three or four seats. My alliance is only with the people and God”. His rally attracts many youngsters and women, and we are confident that people will vote for us for better governance. All your party candidates are new and unfamiliar to people. How difficult is it to promote them during campaigns? Also on what basis your party is selecting contestants and allotting them tickets? “Familiarity of the candidates doesn’t matter, only Vijaykant’s message and the symbol of the party (Drum) matters. People don’t look for familiar faces, they always believe in the party and our leader’s ideology. From Chennai to Kanyakumari, Captain’s fiery speeches are our potent weapon to reach out to the masses and our candidates are surely going to benefit from that, despite their unfamiliarity among the public. Our party candidates are selected on basis of their educational qualifications, knowledge about their constituencies, voter ratio in their constituencies, typography of their constituencies etc. Based on these criteria, our leader has screened thousands of aspiring contestants and selected 33 ‘eligible’ nominees so

far. The selected candidates also have the zeal to work towards the betterment of the State. Any plan to campaign on the Internet? We have already launched our website and it’s being updated quite regularly, the party will go for an all-out campaign on the web, as it will help us to garner the support of young voters. The DMDK will also make use of the mobile revolution by campaigning via SMS. The party has also chalked out certain strategies to attract net-savvy voters; also students of the engineering college owned by Vijaykant have played a vital role in designing the party’s website. Do you think freebies alone could fetch votes? No. As all the parties are banking on freebies to win the election, DMDK has also decided to give freebies a try, but our schemes will benefit people (for instance, we will provide free cows, so that people can im-

prove their livelihood) rather making them lazy by providing colour TVs. The Youth Wing Secretary also took a dig at the Re1/ kg rice scheme, saying “The prices of essential commodities had already skyrocketed and there is no point in providing rice at cheaper rates when poor people are finding it difficult to make their ends meet”. If voted to Lok Sabha, what changes can people expect from DMDK candidates? We will ensure a corruptionfree government, transparency in bureaucracy, boosting employment scenario in the State and the list goes on. Sudhish also insists that the motive of Vijaykant is not merely coming to power and swindling money, but to ‘serve’ the people and work for the welfare of the State. Though the statement sounds optimistic, only the poll results will decide whether his party’s ideology would remain ephemeral or eternal. ■

VOX POP send your views to [email protected]

Tuesday’s question Should Manmohan Singh take up Advani’s call for a televised debate? ■ No! Our Nation needs action-oriented leaders than skilled babblers. Vijayanandraj

Today’s Question Will you ever vote for an independent candidate? If so what qualities are you looking for?

06 SPORT

ERGO Thursday, April 2, 2009

Paes-Dlouhy crashes out Fourth seeds Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy crashed out of the Miami Masters with a shocking straight-set defeat at the hands of the un-seeded Czech-Slovak pair of Frantisek Cermak and Michal Mertinak in the men’s doubles second round here. The Indo-Czech combine went down 3-6, 3-6 in the just over an hour long contest.

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afael Nadal came from behind in both sets to beat Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-4) and reach the quarterfinals in pursuit of his first Sony Ericsson Open title in Florida. The top-ranked Nadal won despite converting only one of 12 breakpoint chances. He had four match points at 5-4 in the second set, but the No 16seeded Wawrinka hit a succession of big serves to stay alive. “Sure I can play better,” Nadal said on Wednesday morning. “But I’m happy with my match. It’s an important win for me.”

HARD FOUGHT WIN

Nadal, Federer advances at Key Biscayne

Long battle The two gruelling sets lasted 2 hours, 42 minutes before Nadal closed out the victory with a backhand crosscourt passing shot at 12:20 am local time. “The best players are winning always, no?” Nadal said. “Winning titles is almost more difficult than ever, because you have to play against the best.” His opponent in the quarterfinals on Thursday will be sixth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina. Secondseeded Roger Federer overcame eight break points in a remarkable sequence to take the lead for good and he beat American Taylor Dent 6-3, 6-2. Federer will meet American Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals. Dent’s only break-point chances against Federer came in their 26-point fifth game. Federer double-faulted twice in the game and dumped several hurried shots into the net, which had him mumbling, then screaming. “I had to save so many break points over and over again,” Federer said. “I was serving against the wind, so I was struggling with my first serve there a bit. He did well to keep coming at me and creating opportunities. It was definitely a big game for me.”

Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a shot against Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland during day nine of the Sony Ericsson Open at the Crandon Park Tennis Centre in Florida.

Roddick advances Fifth-seeded Roddick also left the baseline behind as he beat Frenchman Gael Monfils 7-6 (7-2), 6-4. Roddick won 22 points at the net, showing a willingness to move forward that’s part of his

more well-rounded game under his new coach, Larry Stefanki. While Roddick has improved his volley and backhand in recent months, he still possesses an overpowering serve and won 38 of 44 first-serve points against the No 9-seeded Monfils. Roddick leads the ATP Tour in victories this year with a record of 26-4. Other men’s fourth-round winners were No. 3 Novak Djokovic of Serbia, fourth-seeded Andy Murray of Britain, del Potro, Spanish No. 8 Fernando Verdasco and No 10. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France. Djokovic will play Tsonga in the first men’s quarterfinal and Murray will play Verdasco. Roddick’s most recent match against Federer came in the Australian Open semifinals in January. Federer won in straight sets. “The thing that Roger seems to do really well against me is serve really well,” Roddick said. “Obviously it’ll be tough. But I’m going to go out there and just go after it.” In other men’s fourth-round matches, Djokovic beat No. 21 Tomas Berdych 6-3, 6-2. Murray routed Viktor Troicki 6-1, 6-0. Tsonga won 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-2 against No. 7 Gilles Simon, the highest-seeded man to be eliminated. ■ PTI

PHOTO: AFP

PCB hires bodyguards

Shearer at Newcastle helm

The Pakistan Cricket Board has hired around 100 private bodyguards as part of its comprehensive security plan for the April 22 to May 7 One-Day International series against Australia in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. According to information, besides the 100 bodyguards the Dubai police would also press their officers into service to protect the Pakistan and Australian teams in the Emirates states. “The private bodyguards have been hired as we don’t want to take any chances at all with the security plan for this series,” a PCB official said. The bodyguards and the Dubai police will provide protection to the two teams at their hotels, ground and on the route between the two points at all times.

Alan Shearer is to become Newcastle’s fourth manager this season after agreeing to take on the challenge of saving the club he used to captain from relegation. Shearer, 38, a hero to the Magpies’ fans for his exploits on the pitch, had long been tipped as a future manager of the club but he could never have envisaged taking over in such difficult circumstances. Newcastle are currently third from bottom of the Premier League, two points adrift of Blackburn, the club currently occupying the last survival spot. Shearer, who has no coaching experience, has just eight games to save the club from the financially calamitous consequences of relegation and Chelsea’s visit on Saturday means he could hardly have a tougher start to his rein. Newcastle turned to Shearer as it became clear that, under the temporary management of caretaker boss Chris Hughton, the club was drifting towards disaster after a run which has seen them win only one of their last 12 league matches. Shearer, who has mostly worked as a television pundit since hanging up his boots three years ago, had made it clear he wanted the job in January 2008, when Sam Allardyce was sacked.

PTI

AFP

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Thursday, April 2, 2009

‘‘

The first half of the winter was a shambles under my leadership. We didn’t come close to winning a game in India and we didn’t come close to winning a game here before we won on Sunday - except for the mathematical error on the West Indies’ part in Guyana. The comments (soul destroying tour) were born from the frustration of that. We all want to go home, but it does not stop the commitment we all put in on a daily basis. Kevin Pietersen

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N AMASESHA AKSHAY R ra ling finale fo to be a chil as the Indit promises t Test series ew Zealand hard-fough N to take on e ar arts p ans pre Test that st al n fi d an d ir th e th for i, Singh Dhon Friday. r l Mahendra o te o af C t in fi ta d Cap e declare b to e t av se h l who is al d test, will g a t the secon missing ou pportunity of winnin o ec d e r after fou the uniqu the country exe in th es ri is se test ge though n le is al at ch h e here, in w ades. Th conditions t ground. ld co y el trem icke up: nd’s best cr New Zeala summed it ey m u ll u cC M th t n b o u d o n d re B e, no it cold her their “If we find ng. I am sure, from zi that g ee fr in p e o b h l wil ey will be th , mes ew co vi f the sun point o down and s t to ie ea d gr d in e b w l the rs, it wil u o dim n o fr co e out but, when th gon the park o e ar em e th w e re su hav ke this. I am ns a little bit tions are li ditio n co e th ing to find they are.” will urable than iwi bowlers g more pleas K d dian an Both the In their efforts after havin une lifeless have to re-t me at the haustive ti seamex e th an f o ad s h ier. Fitnes ap porN im in t t n wicke aramou n to ill be of p w w o n rs K le . w ch o b to the mat in Reg in in as go B tance adise, batting par s with er n in sp be another not assist Tim serve does rn, which may see tu el for r at P an et bounce o Je r and ming in fo Southee co India wins the toss sk ta If . gh be a tou the Kiwis it sure will ho , w at b rs le to w ts o elec the Kiwi b ntinuous f o t ar p on the r two co bowling fo have been the as looked innings. e India h for is t w u b gn es ti ri at se B out the gh u ro ea Z th e d ew r. For N better si gs in Napie their flavour in n in t rs fi the een Ryder has b ok forward to land, Jesse l lo il w d an n sing o of the seas od run. For India, lo y. h go p o e tr th e extend aring th will mean sh uld be happy to ch at m e th o i will y captains w While man ch and end 1-0, Mah 2-0. at m h is e n th fi w d ra d inning it an aggressive w n o en be ke y the have to pla e been playing India will av h ey th t uch icke brand of cr ar to complete the m ye st la e th r fo . t series win t series victoawaited Tes last Tes e th er y, ll ta , when Tig Inciden dia in 1968 1 triumph. In r fo e m a 3ry ca the team to took Pataudi led Wellington that they reat ry as to w is h it l And lead. Wil 1 2le ab il an unassa ■ peat itself? r the e session fo g a practic ton. PHOTO: AFP n ri u d ts e en ing rve in Well id bat at th Rahul Drav ia, at the Basin Rese d n a ) ft e (l and Ind ehwag Virender S tween New Zealand e b st e T final

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08 ROADSTER

ERGO Thursday, April 2, 2009

dangerous Italy’s tunnels most dangerous in Europe, according to a report by

Italy’s tunnels are the most Automobile Club ACI and roads agency ANAS. The report said 78 percent of Italian tunnels are hazardous compared to 36 percent in other European countries. Lack of security in the tunnels is mainly attributed to inefficient fire and ventilation systems, badly identified escape tunnels, poorly managed traffic flows, missing traffic lights and ineffective management in case of emergencies.

Lamby lov

A made-in-Milan scooter that stopped production years ag passion ride for a few Chennaiites PETLEE PETER [email protected]

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Balaram seen with his 1970 model Lambretta along with mechanic Sekar. PHOTO : R. RAVINDRAN.

ambretta, the famous Italian scooter brand that was assembled and later manufactured as Lamby in India post-Independence, has been out of production for over a decade now. Well-known for its sleek looks and performance, the Lambretta models are interestingly a prided possession for a few to this day. Sixty-one-year-old P.V. Balaram (61) rides his 1970-model Lambretta Li 150 to Vimonisha Gallery on Khader Nawaz Khan Road, where he works as a manager. The man bought his green-and-grey scooter during his time with the English Electricals Company from where he retired. “I put in my bonus money, Rs. 3,500, to buy the scooter,” he recalls. The Lambretta lover has maintained his machine well, much to the envy of others, as the scooter boasts of original spare parts and an excellent paintjob. T. Sekar is a mechanic who specialises in Lambrettas from the 1970s onward, operating from a shed on Tank Bund Road at Pushpa Nagar in Nungambakkam. “I’ve always had a passion for the Lambretta and my career evolved working on this famous scooter from Milan,” he says. “In the last five years I have seen the Lambretta and Lamby scooters gaining in popularity not just among senior citizens but also among vintage-loving youngsters,” he adds. Sekar also says that Lamby models can be rarely found on roads these days, making them one of the most sought-after twowheelers among vintage enthusiasts and motorcycle collectors. One such young Lambretta fan is Varun Kondath, who owns a 1952 model imported Lambretta 150 D Mark II. “I bought the scooter three years ago and restored it to its present condition,” says Varun, whose vehicle comprises an eye-catching body with a skeletal structure. ■

Lambretta scoo in Milan by Innocen bled in India by Au ucts of India (AP post-Independence. manufacture of the from the early sixtie scooter was known as L ers India Ltd acquired t brand name. In the 198 manufacturing other L which met with a lukewa the market.

Varun Kondath with his 1952 Lambretta 150 D

09

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Toyota develops rear seat airbag Toyota has developed the first centrally positioned rear seat airbag to offer passengers improved protection in the event of an accident. In a side-on collision, the airbag is activated from a fixed rear-seat console, preventing injury to passengers who would normally collide with each other. Toyota did not say in which model the system would be installed, saying only that it will be available “in the near future.”

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etting in and out of the car could be become much easier soon if some of the ideas seen on concept cars at the recent Geneva Motor Show find their way into production vehicles. The back seat passengers of some sports cars will find it a welcome relief as they will no longer have to clamber in through the front door and squeeze around the front seats to sit down in the rear of the vehicle. If some of the designers have their way, we will see sets of wide doors opening both to the left and right without any obstructive bodywork in between, such as the structural B-pillar between the doors. The feature was shown on the Nissan Qazana SUV and on the Dacia Duster. The doors on the Duster are so wide that a bicycle can be loaded with ease. On the air pressure car, Airpod, which low-cost manufacturer MDI plans to put into production soon, the driver enters via a front door similar to that seen on the Isetta bubble car of the 1950s, while passengers enter from the rear. Both doors open up wide like those of a station wagon. Ford has found a different solution for its IosisMax, the model which is expected to succeed the C-Max. Engineers have placed a sliding door for the rear passengers directly behind the front door in an arrangement that also dispenses with the B-Pillar. “At the moment it is still a design study but the technology functions quite well,” says Ford press spokesman Detlev Jenter. He did not confirm whether the idea will be used for production cars but prototypes have been sighted at the Ford development centre. Rolls-Royce, meanwhile, has left no doubt that the new ‘baby Rolls’, still known by the secretive label 200EX, will have butterfly doors which hark back to the horse-drawn coach era. Opel spokesman Wolfgang Scholz has also confirmed that a similar solution may well be in the pipeline for the next generation of the Meriva van. Meanwhile, the classic gull-wing door is set to make a comeback.

Drama at the doors

Carmakers at the Geneva Motor Show look at ways to simplify task of getting in and out of cars

Mercedes subsidiary AMG has confirmed plans for a new super sports car which will take cues from the legendary Mercedes 300 SL gull-wing sportster of the 1950s. AMG CEO Volker Mornhinweg is not keen to talk about a “retro” model but says the upward swinging doors are a “brilliant idea”. Bodywork director Guenther Ast believes the solution is practical as well. “Even tall people can get in easily and you only need a width of 30 centimetres alongside the car in order to be able to open the doors,” he said. But carmakers are not only

looking at transforming the conventional doors. The bonnet of the Ford IosisMax concept opens up and swings to one side like a parallelogram although it is highly unlikely that it will find its way into production cars. The Skoda Superb already offers a practical rear set-up with its twin-door hatch. The tailgate splits below the window, allowing normal boot access or complete hatchback accessibility. BMW offers a similar solution on the new 5-Series GT. Such exotic constructions have in the past been limited to super cars such as the Rolls-Royce

Phantom with a butterfly door arrangement and the Lamborghini with its signature scissor-like doors. Now such unusual solutions can be found in bread-andbutter models, too. The different approach has its risks though. The Peugeot 1007 flopped mainly because the electric sliding doors were so expensive and heavy. Likewise the Renault Avantime would probably have been in production for much longer than just three years if engineers had managed to solve the bugbears with its twin door hinges. ■ DPA

10 FLICK

ERGO Thursday, April 2, 2009

Not fast, not furious Working titles for The Fast and the Furious (2001) included ‘Racer X’, ‘Redline’ and ‘Race Wars’, according to imdb.com.

‘I returned to pay homage to Dominic Toretto’ ROBIN BANSAL

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Vin Diesel on returning to the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise

ollywood action man Vin Diesel, who once again gets behind the wheel in the fourth instalment of the Fast & Furious franchise, reveals he had to attend a special car school to learn driving stunts for the role. “Yes, and not just because of the driving but also to achieve what the cinematographer and the director needed to get the shot right – like doing a 360 degree into the camera without wiping out the whole crew!” Diesel says. “I think I get such a charge doing it (getting behind the wheel), while surrounded by the best stunt guys that they are more often than not actually trying to hold me back,” the actor says. Directed by Justin Lin, Fast & Furious is an interquel set between the second and third films 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006). Known for his action-packed performances, Diesel reprises his role as ace driver Dominic Toretto in Fast & Furious. “We have always tried to find cars that match the personalities of the different characters in the film; like I am a muscle car kind of guy, and I have always been consistent about that,” he says. The 41-year-old, who attained action hero status with The Fast and the Furious, played a cameo in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. He turned down the offer to play lead in 2 Fast 2 Furious and says he had his reasons for coming back to the franchise. “I did the film because of the good response I got to the cameo I did in ...Tokyo Drift. It proved to me that the audience had embraced my character and were hungry for more. Essentially I returned to pay homage to Dominic Toretto.” Not many know that Diesel has also directed a 20-minute prequel to Fast & Furious, focusing on the absence of characters Dominic and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) after the first film in the series. Throwing light on the new film, he

says: “The landscape for us (the characters) has changed, because we were young rebels then but now we are starting to get a bit over the hill. Quite frankly, we have grown up in the film.” Diesel, who became the father of a girl close to the end of the film’s making, thinks that his daughter has changed his approach towards doing dangerous stunts in movies. “I have always been a kind of stoic and independent person who never needed anyone, but now I find myself addicted to this little angel. You are definitely not thinking only about your own threshold of danger once you have a kid. I have to take into consideration now every single thing I do. And that isn’t limited only to stunts, but to all my work,” the star says. Diesel’s forthcoming projects include Hannibal the Conqueror, which he has directed, The Wheelman and the third instalment of the action-thriller series xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. He has also lent his voice for animated movie Rockfish and driving game Wheelman. Made on a budget of $80 million, Fast & Furious has been coproduced by Neal H. Moritz, Ricardo Del Rio and Diesel himself. It releases on Friday in the US and India. Apart from Diesel, actors Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster also reprise their roles from the series in the film. ■ IANS

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Thursday, April 2, 2009

Halle Berry drinks perfume Oscar winning actress Halle Berry surprised viewers when she drank perfume on a US TV talk show hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. DeGeneres was the first to take a sip of the perfume and then offered it to the actress, reports contactmusic.com.

Taskmaster John “John (Abraham) has set up a gym at the hotel they are staying at and has persuaded Shreyas, along with Kay Kay, Sharad and Krushna to sweat it out every evening

Cine City

J

ohn Abraham, whose sculpted body is something most youngsters desire, is busy helping actor Shreyas Talpade to get into shape these days. The two actors along with Kay Kay Menon, Sharad Kapoor and Krushna Abhishek are shooting in Hyderabad for David Dhawan’s comedy thriller, Hook Ya Crook. “Shreyas is going to be on a fitness regime for two weeks while he’s doing a marathon shoot of Hook Ya Crook,” said a press release. “John (Abraham) has set up a gym at the hotel they are staying at and has persuaded Shreyas, along with Kay Kay, Sharad and Krushna to sweat it out every evening after pack-up. Also, Shreyas would be on a stringent dietary regime chalked out by John; so that means keeping a check on what he eats and when,” added the release. ■

RAHMAN TO BE HONOURED WITH A DOCTORATE Following the Oscars, music director A.R. Rahman will be conferred an honorary doctorate by Middlesex University, London. Interestingly, Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory has initiated a dialogue with the Regional Director - South Asia, of Middlesex University to explore the possibility of developing an academic articulation for the Bachelor of Arts Honours programmed for music composition and music performance.

IANS

‘I’m a big SRK fan’ H

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is one of my favourite films

e finds inspiration in his uncle Aamir Khan, but Imraan Khan says he is a big Shah Rukh Khan fan. “I am a big Shah Rukh Khan fan. In fact, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is one of my favourite films. It’s one of the very quintessential Bollywood films – I just love it,” Imraan says. After having worked in romantic comedy Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na and thriller Kidnap, Imraan is now working in action thriller Luck and comic caper Delhi Belly. ■

MADHAVI TO CONTEST THE POLLS Yesteryear actress Madhavi, who had paired up with Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan in several movies in the 1980s, will be contesting the polls from Adoni Assembly Constituency in Kurnool district on the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) ticket. The actress is a native of Adoni and rumour is that she recently procured some land near Adoni to develop an old-age home.

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ERGO Thursday, April 2, 2009

Tuesday’s Question: If you could only have one food item for every meal for the next month, what would it be? ■ Dosai. I never get bored for dosa at any situation, adhu onnu mattum irundha podhum. Nothing else I need

Lokeshwaran, Karthik Allsec, Harikrishnan TCS

■ My mom’s puli sadham with potato curry

S.Ilakkiya TCS-eserve

■ Curd rice with mango pickle

Suresh Infosys

■ More kulambu with raw onion Venkata Raj Perot Systems

Sridhar.R STG, Kausik Srinivasan CSS, Prakash Wipro, Mahesh Rajamani Perot Systems, Balakumaran SSIL, Anand, Swamy Allsec, Chelvambikai, Dandapani, Daniel HCL, Aravind.S RRD, Krishnaveni Accenture Venkatnarayanan Verizon

■ Panneer salsa wrap from Mc. Donald’s Priyesh Anand Patni Computers

■ Sambar rice Shamsundar CSS

■ Rasam rice ■ Poori

■ KFC’s chicken burger Nagesh.LG HCL, Lasya CSS

■ Chicken fry Nivedhan Infoview Technologies

Anand.K Infoview Technologies

■ Old rice with green chilly

Murugan Raghuraman from RR Donnelley has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Kishkinta.

■ Full tandoori chicken Senthil Wipro

■ Chappatis and dal made by my sweet mom Arun Kumar Allsec, Dhananjayan Scope International

■ Arisi upma made by my mom Lakshminarasimhan Verizon

Soumya HCL

Kathirvel from RBS has nominated my friends as Partners in Crime.This picture was clicked at Ambica Empire

■ Appam with coconut milk Rajesh Thanthoni RRD

■ Fruit salad Padma Gopal Cognizant

Today’s Question: What’s the bravest thing you have ever done?

Sambaraju from Paypal has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Wayanad

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Thursday, April 2, 2009

Let your creative juices flow, and for all you know, you might become a writer on the go! Ergo invites original literary pieces in the form of short stories, flash fiction and poems from its readers. Works should not exceed more than 400 words. So, pick up those pens and start writing! Send in your entries to [email protected] with your name, company details and a contact number. And keep watching this space for updates.

■ Dear Friends, Fool a wonderful friend like you on April Fools’ Day?Never! Press F13 on your keyboard if you agree with me! Regards, Ponniah

■ Dear ’GUN’a, Sediuku thevai wateru, 6 maniku canteen poriye enna materu!! Call vanthaathaan cellu, atha summavea vachirukiyea unnaku inna lollu!! Un perilayea irukuthu terroru, ana unaku vara porava sappa figuru!! Ellariyum keppa treatu, atha neeyea vacha greatu!! Kavithai…Kavithai…. !!! Happy Birthday !!! THALA the terror, SSIL

■ Dear Baskaran [Father], Wish u a Many Many Many more happy returns of the day daddy. It must be a rainy day when u were born cuz the sky was crying for losing one of its precious stars. May god continue to give u abundant happiness, Love, Fun, Peace, success, Joy, wealth and good health in your life. Have a fun filled Birthday and let all your dreams come true. Happy Birthday pa …..

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.

With lots & lots of love from Ganesh, Karthik & Ram

Ameet Karthikeyan from HCL doodled this.

■ Dear Radhakrishnan, Let this day bring in more smiles in your face. Let all your wishes and dreams come true as early as possible. May god bless you richly. Happy birthday RK. So…., where is the party!!!! Environment Support Team, Scope international.

■ Oru girl veettukku late aa vara. odane antha ponnoda appa "yen lattu" appadinraru. amma "why are you late?" apdinaanga. What can you infer from this? Oru ponnu late a vanda 2 per 2 vidhama pesuvanga. ■ Oru aalu oru kakaa valathaan,atha touch pannunaa romba menmaiyaa irukum.Avan athuku enna peru vapaanThink? "MI-CRO-SOFT" Saravanan V, HCL

■ Dear Glowing Jaya,Wishing you not just another year of happiness,but also 12 months of joy,52 weeks of bliss,365 successful days,and on top of all these, 31536000 Glowing moments (seconds)!Have an eventful birthday and a great year ahead! Forever urs, Sandeep, TCS.

■ Dear Ms. Popular (Dhanya), A day’s delay saved you from

being branded (_ _ol). Your resolution on birthday – learn to cook well at least this year & start speaking chaste TamilJ Wishing you a very special birthday!! By the way where are you taking us for lunch? Regards Anand S Senior Manager – HR

■ Hi Karthik, Last week the candle factory burned down. Everyone just stood around and sang "Happy Birthday."Many more happy returns of this special day....let all success comes through your way....keep Rocking.... Forever urs,. Hemalatha, Sivaranjani, Sowdhamini, Saravanan, Vignesh, Viki and Senthil

■ Dear Hashini J (Ha ha ha Hashini), We all wishing you a many more happy returns of the day.. May this year bring with it all the success & fulfillment your heart desires.. Let your life be filled with joy and happiness and all you need more.. Have a blast and enjoy the life at most... Its too short to worry and waste.. Wishing you loads and loads of happiness in your life.. Hope our little B’day wishes will make u smile.. Have a great and lovable years ahead.. With lots & lots of luv, Bhavani, Venki, Saravana, Sasthan, Sangeetha,Kavitha

■ "Anbu Tholan Arun, Iniya Piranthanal valthukkal... Indru pol endrum punnagaiyodu iruppayaga... Have a greatLife ahead... Keep smiling,... Keep Smiling... Keep on smiling, 80kg Monkey avargale, koncham oasila kotikiratha korachutu enagaluku treat kudukra vazhiya parunga… Wish you many more returns of the day... Ippadiku Tholarkal, Vela, Ramkumar (Mazha Maadu), Saravanan, Moorthy, Vijay, Usha, Viji, Bharathi, Bala, Maddy”

■ Dear Vishnu Vardhan, Many more happy returns of the day. Wish you happiness and joy in your life. Endrum anbudan, Vigneshwar, Sethu, Prema

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Thursday, April 2, 2009

Ocean cruiser The world’s first water-faring bus has been launched, allowing coach-riding passengers to take to the waves to tour the ocean.

sudoku

Srihari S. from Sutherland Global Services is an amateur wildlife photographer and has contributed his photographs to the Wildlife and Forest Department of Coimbatore. The picture was shot in Madhumalai Wildlife Reserve.

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]

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KAKURO

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Thursday, April 2, 2009

Breakfast of champions

Word’s worth

A breakfast menu Winston Churchill wrote in 1954 - demanding eggs, whisky and a cigar - has gone under the hammer in England.

“Onolatry” (oh-nah-luh-tree) a very rare word meaning ‘the worship of donkeys or asses.’ It is taken from a Greek word meaning ‘ass,’ and another word based on this root is onocentaur, a term from Greek mythology that refers to a centaur with the body of an ass rather than that of a horse.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 On the professional front, you will get good output if you try your hand at software developing. Ganesha feels that there may be a lot of logical discussions you may get into, however they may not yield good results but will give you a good learning.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Your communication skills will do wonders for you today. Not only will your work get done quickly, but you will also be successful in meetings at work. You may feel like relaxing with your beloved over a quiet dinner table, notes Ganesha.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Your energy will be so high today that you will be seen brimming with joy. On the personal front, your beloved will share the same intense feelings. On the professional front, you should work more on research and development due to high energy.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 Don’t waste time on insignificant things if you are not comfortable. Wasting of time may irritate and frustrate you. However, the good thing is that your beloved will be very supportive during your mood swings.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 You may encounter some matters which may never get solved. Ganesha feels you just need to be persistent. At office, you might try to show off your negotiation skills. These tactics may also follow up to your personal life.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

Ganesha feels that today you will be concentrating only on work and nothing else. Matters related to career and progress will be of prime importance. In addition to this, please pay proper attention to love life as well or you may have to face conflicts.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 This is a good day to ask for a salary rise or to negotiate remuneration with your boss. If you are satisfied with your salary, you will feel a strong sense of job security and may get a quick level shift in the organisation.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Sadly, the day is not in favour for you. You may face unnecessary delays for particular results or projects. However, things are going great on the romantic front. Your lover might indulge in activities that make your bonding stronger.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 Ganesha foresees a very busy day at work today. However, you may feel lazy or bored to take up too much work. In that case, you must not try to experiment new things today. On the personal front, you will remain submissive and flexible.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 You will face a cut-throat competition at work today. It is advisable to keep a keen watch on things happening around you. Being alert will also help you in your personal relations as there is a possibility for conflicts and differences.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 You may experience extreme and frequent mood swings today. Take it easy at work today. If you have to indulge in multi-tasking, try to distribute it, if possible. Ganesha assures that this tough day will end on a positive note.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 In spite of domestic affairs bothering you, you may not let your work suffer due to this. Your office work will keep you busy throughout the day. In official meetings, you might have to agree to the view points of other people. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Thursday, April 2, 2009

ANGEL EVA: Actress Eva Longoria Parker poses at a press conference for Rally For Kids with Cancer Scavenger Cup Presented by Wonderwall.com at the Americana at Brand on Tuesday in Los Angeles, California. PHOTO: CHARLEY GALLAY/GETTY IMAGES/AFP

WWII MEMORIES: Members of the choral group ‘Memories of the Heart’, made up primarily of Belarusian WWII veterans, hold a concert in Minsk on Tuesday. The youngest vocalist in the group that sings WWII-era war songs is 71 years old. PHOTO: AFP / VIKTOR DRACHEV

MONKEY AND MISS: Sania Mirza poses with a monkey during day nine of the Sony Ericsson Open at the Crandon Park Tennis Center on Tuesday in Key Biscayne, Florida. PHOTO: MICHAEL HEIMAN/GETTY IMAGES/AFP

UP IN SMOKE: This image released by the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) shows Mount Redoubt in Alaska as it erupts on Monday, hurling ash and smoke high into the atmosphere, forcing flight cancellations and prompting new precautions on the ground, authorities said. The last significant blast from Mount Redoubt began in December 1989. PHOTO: AFP