Ergo April 30

Recession-proof Indian footballers are raking in the moolah as clubs make a beeline to make most of the limited talent

A BYTE OF LIFE

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Vol. 3

FREE CIRCULATION

No. 80

» Page 09

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SERIAL KISSER

Going for image makeover with Tum Mile

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MBA POLITICIAN

E. Sarath Babu answers queries from Ergo readers

NO EDITION TOMORROW - On account of May Day, there wont be an ERGO edition dated May 1. - Editor

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Thursday, April 30, 2009

Movie

Slovakian films SHOPPING

To dear mom Convey your Mother’s Day wishes with flowers or present a pretty hand bag, an exquisite piece of jewellery or kurti from Amethyst. Looking at the more utilitarian, then you could also consider presenting a showcase in the form of an elegant classic glass cupboard for all her precious artefacts, surely associated with special memories, collected over the years. Where: Amethyst, 14 / 30, Padmavathi Road, Jeypore Colony, Gopalapuram For details call 044 – 28351143 / 28311917

Movie buffs make sure you watch some of the best Slovakian Films which is being screened at South Indian Film Chamber Theatre as part of the Slovakian Film Festival on May 4 and 5. Two films each will be screened on both the days. When: May 4 and 5; 6.15 p.m. and 7.45 p.m. Where: South Indian Film Chamber Theatre, 606, Anna Salai

Sports

READING

Poetry reading at Odyssey Theatre Y presents an evening for the children below the age of 101. ComYc promises an evening of funny, wacky and silly poem reading session at Odyssey book store between 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 30. The entry is free. When: April 30; 7 to 8 p.m. Where: Odyssey, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar For details call 9840019476

Corporate sports F5 Ventures presents All Under Lights 2009 a series of 3 Sports – Volleyball, Basketball and 5 A Side Soccer, all to be played under the Flood Lights during the last week of May. The event is open to all corporate houses of Chennai and for both men & women. The weeklong event would be played on a continuous basis from 6 p.m. to 12 p.m. The last date for registration is 12 May 2009. There are no limitations as to the size of the Corporate. The participants should be the full time employees of the company. For further details on the event participation & sponsorship you can contact F5Ventures.com @ 9840 220 110, 93823 14839, 9840 27 3090 or mail at [email protected]

Movies Fashion

That’s me Planet M, a music and accessories retail chain has launched a funky range of exclusive KAOS T-Shirts, a perfect fit for the style leaders and fashion conscious with a dose of attitude through its punch-line – “that’s me”. The new exciting collection is available in 12 - 15 interesting designs, and is priced at a range of Rs. 399 - Rs 599 each. The collections are available at the following Planet M stores: Anna Nagar, OMR Nehru Nagar, Perambur, Nungambakam, and Mylapore. What: Kaos T-shirts Where: Planet M

The Pursuit of Happyness Watch the Will Smith starrer The Pursuit of Happyness and Orson Well’s Citizen Kane at the American Library on May 2 at 11 a.m. respectively. Please don’t forget to bring a valid original Photo Identification (ID) at the Consulate’s Cathedral Road entrance. Acceptable photo IDs are: passport, driver’s license, voter ID card, PAN card, government employer issued Ids or college/ university issued ID. The Consulate will only accept original Ids and not photocopies. What: Film screening Where: The American Library When: May 2; 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

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Thursday, April 30, 2009

As simple as ABC Neutering your pets will make a positive difference to them and to the world of animals SRIYA NARAYANAN [email protected]

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ompanion animals are a great joy to people and all pet-owners have heart warming stories to share about their cats and dogs. However, it’s widely known that the number of needy animals is far greater than the number of families that can adopt them. If you have a pet or if you’ve befriended a homeless one, experts strongly recommend that they be neutered. The benefits are many and span reasons that include both the biological and ethical. Veterinarians recommend neutering in male dogs to reduce aggressiveness towards other dogs and to prevent prostate gland enlargement, perineal hernias and testicular cancers. While this has health benefits, it does not affect other behaviour such as playfulness or affection. For puppies, neutering is done be-

tween 4-6 months of age. Birth control for female cats and dogs has the crucial benefit of population control. This startling statistic is courtesy the Humane Society of United States (hsus.org) – a female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in just six years.

Anuradha Sawhney, Chief Functionary of PETA India says that the single most important thing that we can do to save animals from all the suffering and death that their overpopulation causes is to spay and neuter them. “Every single stray cat, every neglected dog came from an

animal that wasn’t spayed or neutered. While animals are dying for lack of good homes, there’s no excuse for allowing our dogs and cats to even have ‘just one litter’. Sterilization is an important and routine procedure that helps reduce the dog overpopulation problem and steril-

ized dogs are less likely to bite as hormones no longer play a role in their moods”. While efforts are on to campaign for government-funded animal birth control projects, individuals can play a key role by doing this for their own pets. Saving lives is as simple as ABC. ■

Carrying a friend’s wish R. Mohan runs a Hitler name plate shop on Anna Salai that sings praise of Adolf Hitler in memory of his friend Mohammed Alees PETLEE PETER [email protected]

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ixty four years ago this day, Adolf Hitler committed suicide by shooting himself inside his bunker in Berlin. A number of Neo-Nazi groups idolising the fuehrer had surfaced across the globe after the war. Some are still active and renowned for notoriety. Here is a name-plate maker near Spencer Plaza in Chennai, who runs a shop after Hitler’s Nazi party and even given it the name Great Eagle Plastic Works. That’s not all. He’s running it to fulfil a dead friend’s wish, an ardent fan of Hitler and even wrote a book on him that was published in 2005. R. Mohan (40), the name-plate maker, hawks on the sidewalk of Binny Road near Taj Connemara in Anna Salai. One can’t miss his

pavement shop beaming the portrait of Adolf Hitler and some of his quotes from the autobiography Mein Kampf (My Struggle). “The shop was owned by my long time buddy Mohammed

Alees who was a die-hard fan of Adolf Hitler. Before he death due to cancer last April, he handed over the shop to me. I decided to go ahead with the same name and Nazi party symbol for the shop in memory of Alees even though he gave me an option to change it,” he says. Mohammed Alees ran Golden Eagle Plastic Works for over two decades before the Corporation authorities evicted the pavement shop three years ago. Neighbouring hawkers remember Alees as a bold man who often R.Mohan at the pavement store near spoke proudly of Spencer Plaza. PHOTO: R.RAVINDRAN Hitler. ■

04 VILLAGE

ERGO Thursday, April 30, 2009

Blind hole-in-one A nearly blind, one-armed golfer has overcome his disabilities to hit his first hole-in-one.

Rihanna chills out in Barbados Rihanna has been spotted soaking up the sun in swanky Barbados resort Sandy Lane. It looks like the singer is trying to come to terms with her terrible split with rapper Chris Brown, right after he supposedly attacked her at the Grammys. Dressed in a skimpy bikini, the singer was seen sipping a few fizzy lagers quite a few times. It seems the dusky beauty is making the most of being single, reports the Sun. ANI

Web abuzz with swine flu chatter Swine flu chatter criss-crossed the Internet as the global spread of the virus became the hottest subject at microblogging service Twitter. Google’s trend-tracking website rated swine flu a "spicy" Internet search topic due to a sudden spike in interest that earned it a spot in a Top 10 online Hot Trends list. “Current estimates of flu activity are still generally low across the United States, as is expected given the confirmed swine flu case count,” Google.org said in a message atop its Flu Trends home page. Swine flu chatter was rife on Twitter, as people shared news stories, headlines, fears, perceptions and misperceptions. “Overheard in a bar: Swine flu is the new Susan Boyle. Still chuckling but I’m not sure why,” tweeted a Twitter user by the online name CBCType. The US Centres for Disease Control is using Twitter to send real-time alerts and updates regarding swine flu.

Man shot 34 times in head with nail gun Australian police released a shocking x-ray photo showing the skull of a murdered Chinese immigrant shot 34 times in the head and neck with a high-power nail gun. The body of Chen Liu, 27, was found by two children last year in marshland in south Sydney, wrapped in a carpet and bound with electrical wire. Detectives said the weapon used was a standard gas nail gun widely available and used in construction, firing nails up to 85mm long. “In 36 years, I’ve never seen a murder of this nature,” Homicide Squad Superintendent Geoff Beresford told reporters. Reuters

Posh wants to look younger Victoria Beckham has embarked on a strict fitness and beauty regime in order to look younger so that she can keep up with new brigade of Hollywood stars. The former ‘Spice Girl’ is reportedly terrified about getting older and is doing everything she can to stop time taking its toll, reported femalefirst.com “Victoria really felt that 35 was a turning point. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2007, she has been surrounded by young Hollywood stars and she wants to keep up with them,” said a source. The mother-of-three has rejoined her exclusive old gym.

AFP

IANS

How surgery turned a Yorkshireman Irish

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taff at Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital couldn’t help laughing when a Yorkshireman started speaking in a broad Irish accent after waking up from a brain surgery. Chris Gregory’s family was shocked to see the 30-year-old belting out a version of Irish ballad Danny Boy from his hospital bed, even though he has never visited the country. Gregory greeted his wife Mary with “It’s da broid” and then continued to speak in the new accent for 30 minutes until his normal voice returned. Gregory’s strange

behaviour - apparently the result of a rare condition called Foreign Accent Syndrome - lifted the mood of the intensive care ward at the hospital where he was recovering from surgery to correct a life-threatening blood vessel rupture in his brain. “All the nurses were trying really hard not to laugh, and I was too. I just couldn’t take it in at first, it seemed so comical, but it didn’t matter at all because I’d been so worried about losing him altogether,” the Telegraph quoted Mary as telling the Daily Mail. “Chris’ Yorkshire accent had

vanished completely, and he was talking like an Irishman all the time. “At one point he looked at me adoringly and said: ‘You’re da fabbest gal oi know!’ with a perfect Irish lilt in his voice. “It sounded crazy, but I didn’t care. It was just great to have him back in one piece after such a traumatic time.” “It’s not as if Chris has any Irish relatives. He’s no connection with the country and he’s never been there - that’s what makes it all so strange,” she added. ■ ANI

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Thursday, April 30, 2009

‘I am not thinking of starting any political party or joining one’ E.Sarath Babu, the independent candidate contesting from the South Chennai Constituency, replies to the queries of Ergo Readers ■What attributes make people identify you from other politicians this election? What do you think about the role of the young generation in current politics? (Nithya Priya Shanmugam, Hexaware Technologies) 1. Track record of commitment and sincerity. 2. One of the highest levels of education among all MP candidates. 3. Coming from a slum I have seen the plight of my people and shown how one can overcome barriers. 4. Passion to serve. Politics is about making the country a better place to live for. There is a thought of the future. It is the youth who have the energy, passion, commitment and responsibility to make the future bright and present better.

“And as far as the building of Ram Temple is concerned, our commitment for it remains intact and we will subsequently prove it” Rajnath Singh

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■What are the different strategies you are going to put forward in order to convince the people that you can do good to them when South Chennai is a strong constituency of the DMK? Chennai may be a strong constituency of the DMK, but Chennai is also among the most highly educated constituencies in India. I have come from a slum to now being a successful businessman by my hard work and education. It was not an easy road. I am confident people will realise that when I have overcome barriers myself, I can try to help them overcome their barriers, too. I have seen a lot of enthusiasm in people who have met me and have given their commitment to support my endeavour. ■What makes you choose politics over business, a typical route of IIM graduates? I had chosen a typical route of business like all IIM grads. But I had different reasons. I wanted to give employment to people so that they could support their families. I mentor other entrepreneurs so that we can have 100 more companies like FoodKing in this country. I have full faith in the youth today. I have seen how the system de-motivates the youth and dulls their passion and energy. I wish to enter poli-

tics to help remove the barriers that youth face when the go out to make their destiny by their own hands. That way they will realize their full potential. ■ How important is campaigning through websites ? Do u have one ? For an educated constituency like South Chennai, it is very important to campaign through websites and online methods. I have a dedicated team doing it for me. I also have a website : www.sarathbabu.co.in ■What will you do for the well being of namma Chennai ? This is a question that is answered through my manifesto. For the sake of brevity, I list my 10 missions : Hunger free India; Improved education for all by improving both curriculum and infrastructure and access to schools; Strong youth forums to increase citizen awareness; Effective government plans to develop slums and small scale

enterprises; Increase employment by conducting job fairs and encouraging entrepreneurship; Women empowerment by opening bank accounts for all women; Security and support programs including high quality healthcare facilities for senior citizens; Enhanced town planning as per international standards; Focus on improved water, sanitation and emergency facilities in all residential areas; Increase environment awareness by promoting campaign to plant 60 trees a day in Chennai South ■Your message to youngsters who are interested but scared to get in to politics (Saravanakumar V, Sify Technologies Ltd) We have to clean our home ourselves. Our home is beyond the place we live. It includes my city and my country. It is the home I show when someone comes to visit me. It is the same home I represent when I go abroad. I want people to respect

me and praise the home I am coming from. Just like I throw chips packets into the dustbin at my house, I will do the same when I am on the road. If something wrong is happening at my house, I raise my voice and correct it. I won’t stay quiet when wrong things are happening in my home country. If I raise my voice in my home for my future, someone will hear it and join me. It may be suppressed, but people would have heard me. It may be a matter of time, and I won’t wait so long. I want my children to tell me, “We are proud of you and we’ll try to do at least as good as you did in taking care of our home.” ■What will you do to cut down the fee structure in private schools, because now the education has become a high scale business? Spending more than Rs. 35,000 for a LKG admission is too much and in coming years will quality education be a dream? Cutting down fees of private schools is matter which is not under the direct responsibility of the MP. That is why they are called private schools. I agree that donation should not be a criterion for admissions to schools and if any school is taking them, strict action can be taken against them. I’ll take care of these issues through my youth centres when I am elected. If the quality of public schools is considered, a lot of steps need to be taken. They are handled in detail in my manifesto. ■If you are elected, what can you do as an independent candidate? What are your focusing areas? Please refer to my 10 missions above. ■ If you ask me who is the best PM India ever had I have to search for names. But if you ask me who is the best President India ever had, the immediate answer is Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam, because he had such a vision. He focused on India 2020. Do you have such a Vision? Of course I do have a vision, a vision of a Hunger-free India by 2025. I have shared the stage with Dr. Kalam and his vision and intellect inspired me to work for the country. (To be continued….)

06 SPORT

ERGO Thursday, April 30, 2009

Medal winner failed dope test Cycling road race silver medallist Davide Rebellin failed a drugs test from the Beijing Olympics, the Italian Olympic Committee said on Wednesday. The International Olympic Committee said on Tuesday it had discovered seven more positive results from re-testing samples taken at last year’s Games, stemming from six athletes.

BCCI softens stand Offering a reprieve to the “rebel” Indian Cricket League (ICL) players, the BCCI on Wednesday offered amnesty to people involved with the league. “We have decided to grant amnesty to the ICL players and welcome them to return to the BCCI fold. The players will not be given any international assignment for one year after they quit the ICL as a punishment. But they can play in the domestic competitions. They have been given the amnesty time till May 31,” board president Shashank Manohar told reporters after BCCI’s Working Committee meeting in Mumbai. The ICL backed by Zee Group owner Subhash Chandra have failed to seek authorisation from the ICC and players and officials involved with the tournament have been hounded as pariahs by cricket boards across the world. But with the recent softening of stands by the Pakistan Cricket Board and its New Zealand counterpart have also forced the BCCI to show some leniency, which till now had been adamant at its stand of acting tough on all associated with ICL. In another development, ICL’s business head Himanshu Modi in a Press announcement stated: “Taking forward its Sports Performance Evaluation process across cricket operations, the ICL management has decided not to renew the contracts of some ICL players and support staff that have expired. As cricket professionals they are free to decide and explore their options.” However, ICL officials refused to divulge the names of players whose contracts have been terminated. Speculations are rife on the cricketing circles over the league’s future and it is believed a host of Indian players are set to switch their allegiance back to the BCCI’s fold. Ergo Correspondent

Barcelona forward Thierry Henry (left) fights for the ball with Chelsea’s Jose Bosingwa during their Champions League semi-final, first-leg match at Camp Nou in Barcelona on Tuesday. PHOTO: AFP

Barca fire blanks Chelsea in pole position

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helsea saw mission accomplished after they stood firm against a barrage from Barcelona at the Camp Nou to draw 0-0 in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final in Barcelona on Tuesday leaving the hosts goalless for the first time at home this season in the competition. As expected Barca took the game to Chelsea and enjoyed the vast majority of the possession but they were unable to find a way through to goal. Petr Cech made a couple of important blocks from Samuel Eto’o and substitute Alexandr Hleb but too often they were restricted to strikes from distance. “This was a good result but the tie is not decided yet and we have another very hard game ahead of us,” said Chelsea’s manager Guus Hiddink. “It was not an easy game to play and we will have to improve in some areas for the next match but overall I am happy as we defended very well. Barca keep the ball very well and so it meant we

had to defend a lot but we defended very well and I have to praise (John) Terry for his courage.”

Frustrated coach Barca coach Pep Guardiola was left frustrated at Chelsea’s negative approach to the game. “It is difficult to play against a team which doesn’t want to play football,” said the 37-year-old, who has revived the side since replacing Frank Rijkaard after the Dutchman was sacked following a disappointing last campaign. “It was a game in which Chelsea had five defenders and the ball was always Cech to (Didier) Drogba and then backwards and forwards. The result was just, though, because neither side scored but there is something wrong when we ended up with the same number of yellow cards as they did and yet they committed 20 fouls compared to seven,” he said.

Hopes afloat

Eto’o, who it has been denied is subject to a 40million pound bid from Manchester City, said that there was hope for Barcelona in the second leg because Chelsea could not just lie back in their half the whole time. “We had all the chances,” said the Cameroon marksman. “I would imagine they won’t be able to play in the second leg like they did tonight by sitting back in their half. We will see how they are going to approach it. We will try and score the goal that we need to get us to the final.” Chelsea skipper Terry conceded that Barcelona had had the majority of the chances but was delighted to have come away with the draw. “We stayed very tight at the back,” said Terry, whose missed penalty in last year’s final handed victory to Manchester United. “It was a fantastic performance and to not concede a goal is delightful. Hopefully going back to the Bridge (Stamford Bridge) we can use that to our advantage.” ■ AFP

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Thursday, April 30, 2009

‘‘

Ishant Sharma is a great prospect in fast bowling, if he keeps himself injury free, he can become an outstanding match winning bowler. I predicted the same for Irfan Pathan. When I saw Irfan four years ago, he was a genuine talent. A couple of years later, I noticed slump in his speed. Injury is one scare. There are certain phases in your career. I look back at Shane Bond, he was a potential fast bowler, but couldn’t sustain.

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s the rest of the planet grapples with recession, footballers in India are bracing for financial windfall, with teams vying against each other to sign the limited talent. Churchill Brothers’ Nigerian striker Odafe Okolie, who was instrumental in winning the I-League for the Goan side with 24 goals from 22 outings, is high on every team’s shopping list and is commanding a price tag of Rs. 1.15 crore, a big jump from his current contract of Rs. 72 lakh. Kolkata giants East Bengal and Mohun Bagan are both interested in the lanky forward, who has been the highest scorer in the I-League for three years running. The two clubs are ready to offer him a crore for his services. However, it is learnt that Odafe may well stay back at Churchill for Rs. 1.10 crore. Former Asean Cup winner East Bengal, who had their worst season in over two decades, failing to win a single trophy, are doing all the early running and have also approached Dempo’s talismanic midfielder Beto with an offer of Rs. 75 lakh. They have already secured the services of former India under-19 and Sporting Clube de Goa midfielder Harmanjot Singh Khabra for close to Rs. 15 lakh, paying more than double his current salary. Although there’s been no change in East Bengal’s Rs. five crore budget for the upcoming season, the Kolkata giants have approached more than a dozen players so far and are ready to smash transfer records for at least two foreign players. “We will go for utility players and not mere big names. A few of the nonperforming assets may be released or asked to go for a pay cut,” coach Subhash Bhowmick says. “We plan to sign only three or four Indian internationals keeping the federation’s pol-

Imran Khan

icy in mind.” The AIFF had earlier announced an ambitious project to take all national players on its rolls in preparation for the 2011 Asian Cup. However, financial constrains may put hold to that plan. But national team players are expected to miss most of the season. East Bengal at present has six internationals and the likes of Surkumar Singh, Subrata Paul and Sunil Chetri are all set to get the boot. Chetri, who is trying to net a deal in Europe, also has a substantial offer from Dempo.

Another Churchill Brothers’ foreign import, Ogba Kalu, is also set for a huge gain in his monthly salary from Rs. 1.75 lakh to roughly Rs. five lakh should he opt for a transfer to either Mohun Bagan, Mumbai FC or Mahindra United. “We will ideally retain most of our players from last season. They won three titles for us and also came second in the national league,” Mohun Bagan secretary Anjan Mitra says. “We may have a spot open for the third foreigner’s slot. All our players can expect to be rewarded for their

performance.” Talisman Jose Ramirez Barreto and skipper Baichung Bhutia are expected to be the biggest gainers, with the Brazilian reported to have been offered a little over a crore. With the I-League now extended to accommodate 14 teams from next season – the highest number since its inception in 1996 — players are more in demand than ever before. Middle-rank players yet to break into the national team are also playing hardball. Churchill winger Naoba Singh has threatened to quit if his demand for a Rs. 30 lakh contract is not met and Robert Lalthamba has settled for Rs. 20 lakh, a steep jump from Rs. 11 lakh last year. “There’s no recession in Indian football. Every player of any repute is demanding nothing less than Rs. 20 lakh,” an official from Goa summarises. The footballers are still lagging far behind their cricketing counterparts; a Mashrafe Mortaza is earning Rs. 21 lakh for each game with the Kolkata Knight Riders, though he is yet to take the field in five outings. ■

As corporates go for costcutting, football clubs in India are not ready to follow suit

f o o r p n o i s s ece

R Old Warhorses: Baichung Bhutia and Jose Barreto

Goal Machine: Odafe Okolie

08 ROADSTER

ERGO Thursday, April 30, 2009

Minister reigns for over speeding John van Dongen, home minister of Canada’s British Columbia province, resigned on Monday after he was caught and fined for over-speeding. The minister, who has been challenged nine times for over-speeding over the last five years, had his driving licence suspended by his own traffic cops last week.

Spice up your

To make things simple, cheaper and effective is to improve handling is by having the strut braces, which will improve handling a bit. Strut braces reduces or stops the suspension mount area from swaying or moving.

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et braces for your car! We are referring to the Strut braces and there is nothing complicated in this part. So what does this simple contraption do? The Strut braces improve the

handling of the car a bit. If you had to improve the car’s handling, you might want to replace the entire suspension kit, dampers and springs with the sway bars and you can imagine the big damage it can make on your bank account, it could cost anywhere around a lakh or less.

To make things simple, cheaper and effective is to improve handling is by having the strut braces, which will improve handling a bit. Strut braces reduces or stops the suspension mount area from swaying or moving. But truly speaking, having strut braces would not have much effect

when you compare it with a complete suspension upgrade. Installation is very simple. Bolt the Strut Braces over the strut mount by removing the bolts on the top of the strut. The braces should be bolted on very tight with no tension while the car is stable.

Revv quicker with a lightened flywheel Why would anyone want to lighten a flywheel you may ask? A flywheel is primarily designed to control the pressure built on the differential within the transmission and also control the RPMs

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Thursday, April 30, 2009

r ride

Fiat localisation plan on track; new paint-shop commissioned

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iat India Automobiles aims to increase localisation in the manufacturing process of its two cars – Linea and Grande Punto – to 90 per cent by early 2010, a top company official said. “We have achieved a 65 per cent localisation in both and we are increasing it month by month. By early 2010, localisation will be to the tune of 90 per cent,” said Fiat India’s President and CEO, Rajeev Kapoor. Localisation of its third car, the Palio, is at 60 per cent. Fiat India is a joint venture between the Fiat group and Tata Motors and has its manufacturing facility at Ranjangaon, near Pune, in Maharashtra. The advantages of localisation are a healthy saving on logistics costs and import duties. “Production costs are lower and besides, we can achieve just-in-time supply and have a better control over quality,” he said. “There is around a 15-20 per cent savings because of localisation in the cars produced in India and their equivalent worldwide,” Kapoor said. Fiat India has also commissioned its state-of-the-art robotic paint-shop at its Ranjangaon plant. ■ PTI

People who drive black cars are most likely to break speed limits, a new poll has found.

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from quickly reducing and also have a smoother running car. Having the flywheel lightened you get quicker revving. With the lightness of the flywheel the engine revs smoother and a lot quicker all this with minimal throttle. The RPM increases quickly when you step on the gas

pedal and vice versa when you step off the pedal. All this modification does have other factors that you drag upon yourself and that is with the RPMs quickly dropping the driver is forced to quickly shift through gears or keep the revs up between every gear shift. ■

he survey, by insurer elephant.co.uk, found that almost 25.4 per cent of black-car owners have speeding convictions. And they are also 9 per cent more likely than average drivers to get speeding penalty points. Next "most speedy" colour in line was grey, with 25.1 per cent of owners of grey vehicles having speeding convictions. The poll based on a study of data from 1.7 million drivers revealed that the next colours in the speedconviction list were silver, blue and brown Purple car owners were least likely to have exceeded limits, while owners of white, red and yellow cars also have comparatively few convictions. "Evidently for drivers (of black and grey] cars, the temptation to break speed limits is just too great," the Scotsman quoted elephant.co.uk managing director Brian Martin, as saying. ■ ANI

10 FLICK

ERGO Thursday, April 30, 2009

Big B to sing for TV commercial After crooning songs like ‘Mere angane mein’, ‘Rang barse’ and ‘Chali chali’ for his movies, actor Amitabh Bachchan now has lent his voice for Himani Navratna Oil commercial, for which he is also the brand ambassador.

DEEPA VENKATRAMAN Kunal Deshmukh’s Jannat was a hit for you. The two of you have again paired up for Tum Mile… Kunal had told me about Tum Mile before Jannat happened but the finances for the project were not approved then. Hence, we had to shelve it for a while. After the completion of Jannat, the money came in. There was no looking back and we completed the project. I was moved by the concept right from the beginning as it revolved around a true romantic story against the backdrop of the Mumbai floods that took place in July 2005. How different is this project going to be from your other romantic flicks? It is very real and does not have filmy dialogues. I have seen to it

that there are no hot kissing scenes and the romance seems to be very natural. I play the role of a guy next door who goes to college, works in a firm and falls in love with his dream girl. Considering the movie revolves around floods, what effects were used to make it look realistic? The shooting of the floods lasted for one whole month. The shoot was not done in a studio but in an unused scrap-metal factory in Mulund. For the first few days the water was ankle-deep

and very soon it was raised waist level to give it a realistic feel. Share an interesting anecdote during your shoot. We used to wade through the water continuously for an hour at times. In spite of taking vaccination and getting the water recycled in intervals, both Soha (Ali Khan) and I were affected. While I suffered an eye injury and broken finger, Soha got a skin infection. How was it working with Soha Ali Khan? She has no frills and is very down-to-earth. Hence, it was very easy to work with her. I haven’t seen any of her movies but she was brilliant in Tum Mile. Your next film also revolves around Mumbai – Once Upon a Time in Mumbai. It is a cult film based on the underworld. The movie has a totally different energy level and it is more character-based. Along

with me, there is Ajay Devgan, Kangana Ranaut and Prachi Desai. There is a buzz that with several recent hits, Emraan has hiked up his fee and has started charging about Rs. 15 crore. I would not like to comment on that but, yes, unlike my contemporaries I don’t pressurise or burden my producers by charging exorbitant amounts. I am very fair when it comes to my fees – I charge an amount, put in a lot of hard work, the movie releases and it becomes a hit. ■

He is notorious in B town as the ‘serial kisser’. But this time Emraan Hashmi has made a conscious effort to prove it wrong in his upcoming romantic adventure movie, Tum Mile, produced by the Bhatt brothers

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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Shilpa takes cricket lessons Actress Shilpa Shetty, who co-owns the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Rajasthan Royals, had a brush with on-field action when she teamed up with cricketers to learn a few tips. She tried to learn some basics about the game from Graeme Smith and Shane Warne, the members of her team, but soon she was left out of breath.

Twin

joy

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arah Jessica Parker and husband Matthew Broderick are expecting twin girls born to a surrogate, People magazine reported on Tuesday. Sex and the City star Parker (44) and actor husband Broderick (47) already have a sixyear-old son together, James Wilkie. People quoted a representative as saying the couple were “happily anticipating the birth of their twin daughters later this summer with the generous help of a surrogate. The entire family is overjoyed.” Broderick and Parker married in 1997. The surprise baby news comes just weeks after Parker and Broderick were forced to defend their marriage in the wake of reports of infidelity. The actress recently waved the rumours away, saying: “We don’t even bother to address them (the reports).” ■

Cine City

Agencies

Vishnuvardhan to direct Allu Arjun Director Vishnuvardhan, who made films like Arindum Ariyamalaum, Pattiyal, Billa, is all set to enter Tollywood. He will be directing actor Allu Arjun for the movie produced by DVV Danayya of Universal Media. Meanwhile his upcoming Tamil flick Sarvam starring Arya and Trisha will hit the screens on May 15. The movie produced by Ayngaran has obtained U certificate from the Censor Board.

Kamal Haasan makes surprise visit Actor Kamal Hassan, who is camping at Ramoji Film city in Hyderabad for the shooting of his film Unnai Pol Oruvan, made a surprise visit to the Jaganmohini film unit in the adjoining sets. The entire unit members of Jaganmohini including director N.K. Viswanathan, producer Murali, and actress Namitha were awestruck by the actor’s visit.

12

ERGO Thursday, April 30, 2009

Anuradha Prakash, TCS

Wednesday’s Query: Give your one-shot solution to Shah Rukh Khan to revive KKR’s fortunes?

■ Telecast Chak de India’ to the KKR team. Sangeetha Naresh HP, Lexsminarayanan TCSeserve

■ Stop acting in ads and concentrate on d game. Karthik, Ken, Anthony, Allsec

■ SRK should avoid watching IPL; he should appoint a person who’s aware of cricket. Mohan Sridharan, TCS

■ SRK should ask Bipasha Basu to cheer up the team and more importantly she should hug the players if the team wins. CP.Rajesh, Allsec

■ SRK must advise his team like he advises in Chak de film with all seriousness but with a humour element like this - Seedhi baath. No bakwaz. 7Up piyo tho jeeth hamaari

■ SRK can try singing ’Tuj Me Rab Dikhta Hai Yaara Main Kya Karoon’ to KKR players before every match. Vijayachakravarthy, Infosys

■ Reinstate Dada at the helm and rope in Juhi Chawla n Kajol to support the team Usha, Anandswamy, Allsec

■ Make the cheerleaders dance in the bowler’s view when they bat, and in the batsman’s view when they bowl Shiva, CSS

■ Give back the captaincy to Dada. M.Srinivasan Allsec, Raj Sreenivasan, Wipro, Harsha.R, TCS, R.Manikandan Heartland Infoservice

Amit from CTS has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This picture was clicked at Papanasam Falls.

■ Come in terms with fake IPL player and put Google adsense in his blog. Siju, IGT

■ Gayle and Ganguly has to open and McCullum has to come down the order. Nagarajan K, Wipro

Today’s Query: What Kollywood song must CSK adopt to revive its fortunes?

Karthikeyan C, Team Leader, Servion has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime.

Santhoshkumar Poornachandran from CSS Corp has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This photo was clicked at Queensland during their team trip.

Fuchsia Pink H

er fingers on the key board ran amok but the eyes were listless. Sometimes waiting for ever can do that to a person. She pursed her lips; scabs were forming on them as if mocking her a bit. But she decides against going to the coffee machine. She can’t afford that. Not now. Last year was different. Plus it would take approximately twenty seconds to cross the corridor, another 20 to pause for a turn or maybe more because today there seem to be

more than a usual crowd there. Another 2 minutes to drink coffee perfunctorily doled out by that cold judgmental machine. 20 seconds back. Total 2mins 40 secs. Enough time to mail a reply on the profitability table and stretch her arms a bit. Her neck feels like iron.

But she is prepared. Not really. One can never be prepared. But one can brace against it, as she is doing now. She saw it in his eyes today. Though they exchanged no words, his eyes said it all. She might have to give away the car, move to another city or worst go back to her father and drown in the deafening silence of “I told you so, you were better off with us”. “Why god! Why me,” She thought again. A lone

tear fell on the keyboard sloppily. She finally decides to take that 2 minute 40 second break. Not for coffee though. Papa, I am coming home. Silence, no whys, what, how ... just silence. And palpable relief. The travel agent will come with your tickets. So now you are ready to get married? Yes. That’s my girl. Click. End of conversation. She then takes her sim out and slowly starts cutting it with

precision. Yes, she is a coward, running way from him, from his carefully modulated “boss talk” that would break the news. The wait for the pink slip is finally over. Sometime after she walks out never to appear in that office, he walks in to her bay and leaves a letter ironically in a pink cover with a lovely red bow. He feels happy that she got this promotion. Damn I love her … Namitha Jayanarayanan/ [email protected]/ Cybernet SlashSupport

13

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Arun Kumar N.C. of TCS Karapakkam has been nominated as Office Angel by Nikhil and friends. Arun, He is very jovial and is ready to help any one at any time. He is capable of doing any work given to him and he has got an award for his capabilities.

April 30 ■ Dear Barobar, Vivaahbandhanaat adakalyabaddal hardik abhinandan. Sagajeewanasathi hardik shubheccha. Hope you understand. :))

birthday to u. Wishing U all success Naresh, Kala, Venmathi & DN029 folks, n CTS

Dear Madhu Advance Birthday Wishes. May u always Wishes from, QA team, TCS remember hw wonderful u are and hold on to ur dreams&keep them close to ur heart. Hv a grt day.. ■ Hi Jai & Prasy, Wish you a very Happy Married Life. May Best wishes, Team Worldsource, TCS all wishes come to you both. Yours loving & Caring friend ■ Dear Radha, G. Ravishankar, First Source You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt, as young as your selfconfidence, as old as your fear, as ■ Dear Mala, Wishing u many more happy returns of young as your hope, as old as your despair. Many more Happy Returns of the day with lot of surprises, joy and happiness in the coming years da... Keep the Day Dear. Have a Bright and a Colourful Future.. Smiling:-) Urs lovingly, Agila & Room mates, Wipro

■ Dear Radha, U are as young as ur faith, as old as ur doubt, as young as ur self-confidence, as old as ur fear, as young as your hope, as old as ur despair. Many more Happy Returns of the Day. Have a Bright and a Colourful Future.. With lots of Love Poornima, Wipro.

Dhivya Chandru from Tata Consultancy Services doodled this.

■ Hi Prasad, Flying papers, multi colours of balloon, delicate blossom, fantastic people, love and laughter. What it describes? HAPPY BIRTHDAY

With lots of Love, Poornima, Wipro.

■ Sri Vidhya Many More Happy Returns Of The Day, I Wish You For Your Great Birthday. May God Bless u with All Your Endeavour Comes True. Deepa Mirpuri, IBM India Pvt Ltd

May1 ■ Rooms Ravi (i10 Hero), While U r turning 18 years old with 12 years of experience!, Wishing u many more happy returns of the day! With Luv, TCS-SNR BFC Back Table Gang

Luv, KBC - Visteon – Olympia

■ Dear Arul Sir, Step by step the journey goes on; Little by little it may seem so long. Forget about your past, you can’t change it, Regards, Pradeep and Forget about your future, you can’t HCRS Team Memebers, TCS predict it. Just think about present, you can handle it. Enjoy presents every moment & be happy… Happy Birthday ■ Hi Srini, Congratulations on completing 7 years at to U! Hex!! Wish u all Good luck. Enjoy ur Regards, John. Cets Vmt Team, CSS CORP. long week end. Best Wishes, Akila B, ■ Dear Viji Happy BIrth Day to you. May all your dreams come true.

Hexaware Technologies

■ Hi Buviii (Bhuvana), May god bless u with happiness, peace. Let this birthday make ur life brighter than ever and let all ur dreams come true, how much u mean although you surely must know that without a doubt there’s no-one nicer than u or anyone dearer wish u many more happy returns of the day.

1) A man kills a deer & cooks it doesn’t tell kids what it is. He gives a clue: "it’s what your Mom calls me (dear)!" Son: Ayyo! Yaarum saptrathinga idu NAAI kari..." 2) Q.: Oruthan Mazhai-la Nananjan. But Avan Manda Veengiruchu... Why..? A.: Because, Avan Kottra Mazhai-la Nananjan.. Regards, Senthil Kumar P, RR Donnelley

May2 ■ Dear Lalitha and Prasad, Today is your day, and you’re wished the best, We hope you celebrate it, with a lot of zest. For today though you are a year older, Store away your many wishes, until you feel bolder. So let the drums roll and horns toot, Now make a wish for a lot of loot. Your’s Everloving

Team, BBC - Steria Rudra, Naveen, Subir, 4ever & ever-loving Frndz... Veronica, Anitha, Chandru, Dinesh, Madhu, Ismail, Proshpher, Ravi, Paul, Karthick, John, Revathy, Rajiv Senthil, Jessy, Gayathri, Suvitha, Gaja, Meena, Gowri, Nithya, Monitoring Team, Fls Team, Nms Team, Service Desk Team, Rds Team & NOC Team Members :-) CSS. ■ Dear Beauty Bama,

May3

■ Dear Lokesh, Advance Birthday wishes to “Net Puli” May u acquire all that u desire and each passing years be filled with joy. We pray god that at least u should get a girl friend by this year. C# won’t help dude. So b # to achieve the above goal. Happy

Ur birthday is a special time to celebrate the gift of "U" to the world. Wish u a very "Happy Birthday". We hope this year brings u all the happiness, peace, joy, Contentment and love that you so deserve! God bless you dear. Ur Quotes “YES NOT NOW LATER” Happy Birthday!! Best Regards Route No. 4 Friends, Scope International.

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Thursday, April 30, 2009

Snake bite A Somerset postman was bitten by a snake as he collected letters from a postbox.

sudoku

Chandrasekaran P. from ISGN Technologies has shot this picture at Ooty with his Sony H10 camera. Hobbies: Photography

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KAKURO

15

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Pesky police officer

Word’s worth

A detective was arrested for robbing a bank without a mask using his police issue pistol - and making his getaway in an unmarked patrol car.

Geoponic (djee-uh-pah-nick) an adjective meaning ‘relating to farming or agriculture,’ and, like most farming words, it has an extended humorous meaning of ‘rustic, countrified.’ As a noun, geoponic means ‘a book about agriculture’ or ‘a writer on agricultural topics.’ A geoponist is a student of agriculture.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 It’s a day to put in more efforts. Since you are determined to do so, you will finish all your tasks within the deadline. On the personal front, the second half of the day will see you having mushy conversations with your darling. Have fun!

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Today is the best time to launch new projects and decide the plan of action for ongoing ones. Meetings on financial issues should go well. Love life will blossom as you may employ innovative ways to win your partner’s heart.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 There are chances that your efforts may get channelised in the wrong direction. Hence, Ganesha advises you to ensure that your hard work doesn’t go in vain. Spending time in the company of your darling will refresh and rejuvenate your senses.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 A lovely day awaits you, says Ganesha. A big pat for the tasks you have accomplished at the workplace will add to your happiness. A pleasant evening in the company of your sweetheart will make love life more blissful.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 Pleasant day at work today. Since you will concentrate completely on work, you will see your career grow in leaps and bounds. But, the same efforts may not bear fruit in persuading your partner and he/she may feel that you are being negligent.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

At work, others might feel you are working with ease but on the contrary, you will be putting in a lot of efforts. You might feel like gifting something precious to the most precious person in your life. An excellent day for showing off your creative side.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 In fact, if you are designing a software, a few random changes might jazz up the entire thing! Your sensuality will mesmerise your lover into whipping up a romantic mood for a steamy interlude.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Meetings at office will go well, by the grace of Ganesha. But you may have to agree to your colleagues’ point of view. You need to maintain your dignity. Love life should be harmonious as you will agree to anything said by your beloved.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 Ganesha foresees a busy day for you today. Even if your colleagues are whiling away time, you may slog at work. Balance your professional and personal life so well that neither is ignored. Get ready to woo and please your beloved.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 Ganesha advises you to handle official meetings judiciously. You may develop new professional skills which inspire you to embark on an ambitious project. Lovers will find the intensity of love at a dizzying peak, says Ganesha with a wink.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 Trouble shooting might present major hassles at work today. Directed projects might land up on your table and you may have to follow your superiors’ orders. Fortunately, you will spend quality time with your family members or your sweetheart.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 With clouds of confusion getting cleared today, you shall emerge more confident. Despite hurdles, you may be able to meet deadlines. Intellectual discussions with your beloved will quench your thirst for knowledge, assures Ganesha. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Thursday, April 30, 2009

Young South Koreans play in a swimming pool during a promotional drive at the Everland amusement park in Yongin, south of Seoul. AFP PHOTO/HONG JIN-HWAN

A couple kissing and petting with their masks at the Gante Street, in Mexico City. Mexico is the epicentre of a deadly swine flu outbreak, which has been blamed for more than 150 deaths nationwide. AFP PHOTO/ALFREDO ESTRELLA

This handout photo released by a research team at the Seoul National University in Seoul shows the world’s first transgenic dogs containing a fluorescent protein, which make them glow red under ultraviolet light. Picture was taken four months after their birth. AFP PHOTO/HO/SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Los es for the erry arriv g of X-Men B y ll e H Actress ese screenin industry t Grauman’s Chin Angeles a e n rnia. olveri Origins-W Hollywood, Califo in e tr a The SAMAD EL

/JEW AFP PHOTO