Ergo April 9

A BYTE OF LIFE

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Viru top of the world

FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 3

No. 67

Kite runners of CHENNAI You have seen them dot the sky at the beach. V.Haripriya follows the story of the kite sellers on the Marina beach and the wholesale kite trade on Waltax Road and Washermanpet, which itself is under threat following a police ban.

PHOTO: S.S.KUMAR

» PAGE 03

Wisden publication has named Virender Sehwag as the Leading Cricketer in the World for 2008. “He sought, and often achieved, mental domination from the first ball by scoring faster than any other opening batsman has ever done on a regular basis in Test cricket,” it said.

Do you think Sehwag really deserves the Wisden award? Email your response to [email protected]

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Thursday, April 9, 2009

Pick of the week A belated thank you to all the people who wrote to Nithya Pari of TAGS (featured in these columns on March 18). A special thanks to her future colleagues from Infosys who gave her a warm welcome and offered TAGS their support.

Romania on screen T

he Oscarnominated Romanian film The Rest is Silence will be screened at the South Indian Film Chamber Theatre on April 13. The film by renowned Romanian director, Nao Caranfil, has Grigore Ursache playing the central character. Grig is obsessed with making ‘the longest film ever produced’ and joins a nascent film academy run by a rich, half-mad landlord Leon Negrescu. When Leon learns that a major French company is shooting a movie about the war with the Turks, he gets the authorities to confiscate and burn the footage, on the basis that it is not accurate. He then steals the idea and gets royal backing for the project. The main theme of the film is “The Independence of Romania” (The War of Independence), where it celebrates the 35th anniversary of the war against the Ottoman Empire. The film features the eternal conflict between business and art. The film will be screened at 6.30 p.m. For details call 98401 51956.

Camels brought from Rajasthan on Puducherry beach.

PHOTO:

T. SINGARAVELOU

No joy in this ride A camel on a beach is like a fish out of water SRIYA NARAYANAN [email protected]

~ It is illegal to make animals work when the temperature is above 37 degrees Celsius (Draught and Pack Animals Rules). This means most summer afternoons. These animals must be given water urgently. Heat causes them to froth at the mouth. ~ An obviously exhausted animal cannot be forced to give a ride. Animals may not be worked for more than five hours at a stretch or for more than a total of eight hours a day. ~ Camels and horses may not be used on the beach in Mumbai. Camels are desert animals, and sea air damages their lungs (PCA Act, Sec 11). Source: petaindia.com

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wo large camels have become a familiar sight on Elliot’s Beach in Namma Chennai and onlookers may feel that there’s something wrong with the picture of camels in a city like ours. In Mumbai, the owners who are using these camels for ‘joyrides’ would have broken the law. According to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA Act), Section 11 - “camels and horses may not be used on the beach in Mumbai. Camels are desert animals, and sea air damages their lungs”. Like Mumbai, Chennai is also a coastal city and the same logic must apply. However, they have been forcibly relocated to an en-

vironment that’s destroying their organs. Many camels give rides to people until old age makes it difficult. They are then promptly shipped off to slaughter houses where they are repaid for a lifetime’s service with a painful death. Rule 3 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Draught and Pack Animals Rules (1965) states that these guidelines (see box) should be followed in the case of working animals, keeping in mind their biological requirements. However, enforcement of the law is a challenge. What members of the public can do is to refuse to take ‘joyrides’ on these magnificent animals and tell children that they belong to rescue centres in deserts like Rajasthan. ■

03

Thursday, April 9, 2009

It’s vacation time: Children flying kite on Marina Beach. PHOTO: S.S.KUMAR

Kite runners of Chennai V.Haripriya follows the story of the kite sellers on the Marina beach and the wholesale kite trade on Waltax Road and Washermanpet

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each means business for 12-year-old Karthik. His worn out Pothy’s bag is filled with multi-coloured kites that he hawks in evenings for Rs. 10 a piece. During the evenings, you can find him running behind families, especially the ones that arrive on the sands with small kids. This has been his routine for the past three years. During the day time, you can find him at class VII of the Government High School in Ice House. “I make around Rs. 100 on weekdays and around Rs. 300 during weekends and give the money to my mother,” he says. When dusk sets in and visitors to the beach thin down, Karthik and

his sister Shanthi, who owns a merry-go-round, return to their slum. Myriad colours decorate the skies of Marina around this time every year. It’s vacation time, which spells better business for the kite sellers. There are around 150 of them on the shores of the beach, and for majority of them this is a parttime business. P.Silambarasan, a house-keeping staff at the Citi Centre on Radhakrishnan Salai, sells kite to supplement his income. A native of Kumulur in Tiruchi, he came in search of a job to Chennai after he failed in class IX. He started out as a server in a hotel and fell in love with a girl whom he mar-

ried after three years. The 21year-old says that the Rs.3,000 he earns from his full-time job is not enough for him to run his family. He starts his day at 7 a.m. and works till 3 p.m. at Citi Centre. After 4 p.m. he hits the sands of the Marina. “I do not stand in one place. I walk from Light House to Anna Square in search of customers,” says Silambarasan who makes around Rs. 200 a day. “I wonder why elderly people shy away from buying kites. If they did, probably I would earn more. There is no harm in elders flying kites you know.” The kites which Silambarasan sells are bought from the retailers on Waltax Road and Zambazaar.

Kites ban Following a couple of accidents in 2007, the city police had banned selling and flying of kites under Section XIV of the City Police Act. For the kite vendors and manufacturers in Waltax Road and Washermanpet, kites are the basic means of their income. “We know that there is a ban. But we are not using the glasscoated thread. It’s just the normal thread which is used to tie flowers and it won’t harm anyone,” says R.Rajagopal who owns C.K. Kite shop.

Kite tournament However, there are occasions when glass-coated thread is used,

but reportedly with prior permission from police. Every year, during the second week of April, a kite flying tournament is held at the Thiruporur Murugan temple. “About 128 teams participate in the tournament, where contestants from the age group of 10 to 90 years participate. We make our own kites for the tournament,” says M.K. Narayanan, a 60-yearold kite flyer, who has won the trophy thrice so far. “The kites sold in shops are for children. It is available from 50 paise to Rs. 20. We spent more than Rs. 5,000 every year and customise the kite for the competition,” he adds. Asked about the glass-coated thread, he maintains a long silence.■

04 VILLAGE

ERGO Thursday, April 9, 2009

Bad day at work A Californian woman left her boss irate after borrowing his top-ofthe-range Ferrari - and then crashing it after taking a bend too fast. The woman, who walked away unscathed, caused an estimated $125,000 (GBP85,000) worth of damage to the supercar.

Gemma does an Elizabeth Taylor Bond Girl Gemma Arterton recreated legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor’s look when she posed as Maggie ’the cat’ Pollitt. The 23-year-old actress recreated Taylor’s iconic image from the 1958 classic movie Cat on a Hot Tin Roof to launch Virgin Media’s new short film competition. “I’m so excited that I got to recreate the iconic shot that made Elizabeth Taylor a household name,” the Daily Express quoted Arterton as saying. ANI

One of world’s rarest sharks caught and eaten A megamouth shark, one of the world’s most elusive species, was caught, carved up and eaten by fishermen from a town in the Philippines, the environmental conservation group WWF said on Wednesday. So rare are megamouth shark sightings that each find is given a number - this one, caught by fishermen from the coastal town of Donsol, was only the 41st ever seen or captured in the world. But Elson Aca, a Donsol WWF representative, said it was butchered and its meat sautéed in coconut milk as a local delicacy, against the organisation’s advice. The four-metre, half-tonne megamouth was snared by fishermen trawling for mackerel off the Bicol peninsula on Luzon island. The species, which is named after its metrewide mouth, is a fairly recent scientific discovery. The first specimen was caught off Oahu, Hawaii in 1976, the WWF said.

Motorist survives 3 accidents in an hour A German woman was involved in three car accidents in less than an hour that left a total of seven vehicles damaged but she suffered only slight injuries from the series of mishaps, police said. The 69-year-old woman from Berlin first crashed into three cars while trying to pull out of a supermarket car park on the Baltic resort island of Usedom. Then, she accidentally stepped on the accelerator and sped across a lawn before crashing into a nearby house, police said. She was taken to hospital in an ambulance but that vehicle was then hit by a truck. Reuters

Madonna meets Guy Ritchie Madonna, who returned to London after a judge rejected her bid to adopt 4-year-old Chifundo ‘Mercy’ James from Malawi, was met by her ex-husband. The 50-year-old met the British director Guy Ritchie, at a London airport, where he took their sons - Rocco, 8, and David Banda, 3 - so that she could have some space while the court takes action on her appeal, a source told Usmagazine.com. Mercy’s uncle, Peter Baneti, said that he hopes the courts will reconsider the adoption. “I’m just very surprised that this has happened,” Baneti told Us.

AFP

ANI

Plane takes off without pilot A

runaway aircraft reportedly took off on its own when the pilot was not able to get into the cockpit after swinging the front propeller. The incident left hundreds of visitors at the air show horrified, when the classic biplane ran in circles on the ground at speeds of up to 60mph before taking off and flying on its own for 200m. The plane then crashed into trees at the edge of Goodwood airfield, and it is believed that had it cleared the trees, it could have flown for around 150 miles on a full tank of fuel. The aircraft, a 1940 model built in the style of a Tiger Moth, had foam sprayed on it by Goodwood staff to stop it from catching fire after the crash. The Stampe was one of a number of aircraft at the airfield for the Goodwood Breakfast Club, a monthly event, which displays vintage cars, motorbikes and aircraft for enthusiasts.

Malcolm Phillips, 67, of Emsworth, Hants, was at the event and took pictures of the plane coming down to the ground behind the trees. “There were hundreds of people there watching as the plane ran amok, haring round in circles,” the Telegraph quoted him as saying. “We didn’t know which way it was going to go and it was worrying that it could head towards the crowd, other planes or the clubhouse,” he said. “Normally the idea is that you swing the propellers and have the handbrake on and chocks under the wheels,” he said. “You also need to make sure the throttle is only set at low revs. “Something clearly went wrong and it jumped over the chocks - I suspect what might have happened is that the throttle became loose,” he added. ■ ANI

05

Thursday, April 9, 2009

“It was shameful that the Left joined the BJP in attacking the Prime Minister. We are fortunate to have a PM like Manmohan Singh” Sonia Gandhi

35

Polls take a toll on weddings S

ome weddings in Madhya Pradesh are going for a toss, thanks to the elections. Government servants are putting off the weddings of their children as they have to report for poll duty and cannot go on leave. “Polling will take place in our state April 23 and 30, so I am now looking for some other auspicious date,” said an employee of the State irrigation department whose elder daughter’s wedding was to be held April 24. Rued an official in the State Secretariat: “Elections are important but there should be some relaxation for those who have social commitments on hand. My daughter’s marriage has been fixed for April 28 but I am not being spared from poll duty despite repeated requests to the Collector. “On the other hand, the

by the party workers of Moradabad district. Though the hall was jampacked, most of those present said they had come to have a glimpse of the former Indian cricket captain - and were not really interested in party deliberations!

A different take on UPA

Raman Singh groom’s family is insisting on the same date. I am in a quandary.”

Many fans, but few cadres for Azhar There was a long chain of cars and motorbikes parked outside a hall in Moradabad town in Uttar Pradesh. But unless one peeked inside, there was nothing to hint

that the man at the centre of all this attention was cricketerturned-politician Mohammed Azharuddin! Azharuddin is the Congress candidate from Moradabad, but there were no party banners outside the hall. Two cars carried small party flags. Inside too, there was just one poster put up

The UPA stands for United Progressive Alliance. But with several allies abandoning the coalition, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has a different take on the abbreviation. “Ulta Pulta Alliance” is how Singh is describing it at election rallies in the State’s interiors. Singh belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which heads the rival National Democratic Alliance. His version of the UPA is drawing a lot of laughs. ■ IANS

06 SPORT

ERGO Thursday, April 9, 2009

Super Kings leave for S Africa Gunning for the title that eluded them last year, Chennai Super Kings left for Johannesburg sans their skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to participate in the second edition of the IPL that kick-starts in South Africa on April 18. Apart from Dhoni, Lakshmipathy Balaji and opening batsman Murali Vijay, who will return from New Zealand on Wednesday and some overseas players, including coach-cum-player Stephen Fleming, Mathew Hayden and George Bailey will join the squad later.

Symonds gets ODI recall Troubled all-rounder Andrew Symonds has been included in Australia’s squad for their ODI series against Pakistan starting in April. Australia’s selectors also recalled injured fast bowler Brett Lee and all-rounder Shane Watson but omitted captain Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey and Mitchell Johnson to avoid burning them out ahead of the Ashes series in England. Symonds has been receiving counselling after a series of offfield incidents resulted in him being ruled out for selection until his behaviour improved. “Andrew Symonds has been cleared by Cricket Australia to resume playing for the Australian cricket team and he has been included in the squad,” Australia’s chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said in a statement. “At his best Andrew is a dynamic one-day player with an outstanding record for Australia. It will now be up to him to seize this opportunity.” Hilditch said Lee’s inclusion was subject to a fitness test after he recently underwent foot and ankle surgery while the injury-prone Watson was included just as a specialist batsman. Michael Clarke will take over the captaincy of the 14-man squad for the six-match series, involving five ODIs and a Twenty20 that will be held in the United Arab Emirates in April and May. Reuters

FIA pulls up McLaren Formula One giants McLaren-Mercedes have been summoned to appear before an extraordinary meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris on April 29 to answer charges over their behaviour at the opening Grand Prix of the season. Lewis Hamilton was disqualified from third place in the Australian Grand Prix last Thursday over lying to the stewards at the race that he had not been instructed to allow Jarno Trulli to pass him during the race when the safety car was out on the track. The incident earned the Italian a 25-second penalty, which saw him relegated, with Hamilton promoted onto the podium but at a hearing the FIA ruled Hamilton and his team lied about the circumstances. Trulli was reinstated and Hamilton disqualified, which led to the Briton apparently being so distraught that he threatened to leave the sport entirely but was persuaded by FIA chief Max Mosley not to. Now, the FIA want a fuller examination of the facts surrounding the case and among the answers they wish to know is why the team persisted even at the enquiry in Malaysia last Thursday with the line that they had not instructed Hamilton to allow Trulli to pass him. McLaren later on Tuesday issued a statement saying they would co-operate fully with the FIA. “McLaren acknowledge receipt of an invitation to appear at an FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) meeting in Paris on April 29, received on Tuesday afternoon,” read the statement. “We undertake to co-operate fully with all WMSC processes, and welcome the opportunity to work with the FIA in the best interests of Formula One.” AFP

United held to draw by Porto The European champions suffered a late setback

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anchester United are in danger of losing their grip on the Champions League after the holders were held to a 2-2 draw by Porto in Tuesday’s quarter-final first leg. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side looked to have earned a barely deserved victory when Carlos Tevez stabbed United into the lead with five minutes to play at Old Trafford. But Porto substitute Mariano equalised four minutes later to give the visitors just reward for an impressive display and leave United almost certainly needing to become the first English side to win at Porto’s stadium next week. Jesualdo Ferreira’s side had gone ahead early in the first half through Cristian Rodriguez and could have been further in front before a calamitous mistake from Bruno Alves set up Wayne Rooney’s equaliser. After staging a dramatic late fightback to beat Aston Villa on Sunday, Ferguson had expected the momentum from Federico Macheda’s winner to give his players enough adrenaline to ignore

Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney in action during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal match against FC Porto at Old Trafford. AFP PHOTO/ANDREW YATES

their aching limbs as they returned to action 48 hours later. He couldn’t have been more wrong. Although they enjoying a record-breaking run of cleansheets earlier this season, United’s defence has sprung a few leaks in recent weeks. They looked no more secure in the opening minutes here. Lisandro Lopez, Porto’s Argentine striker, almost took advantage as he sprinted past Jonny Evans and forced Edwin van der Sar into a sprawling save. Porto attacked United’s soft centre again in the fourth minute and this time they were able to punish another sloppy piece of defending. When Cristiano Ronaldo lost the ball, Lucho Gonzalez crossed towards Rodriguez, but Evans should have cleared easily. Instead he scuffed only as far as Rodriguez, who drove a fine low strike past van der Sar into the far corner. Porto could have had a

second goal if Rodriguez had steered his close-range header either side of van der Sar instead of straight at the Dutch keeper. While United laboured, Porto looked impressive whenever they went forward and van der Sar was at full stretch to turn over a longrange shot from Raul Meireles. After watching such a lacklustre effort from his players, Ferguson must have been tempted to give them the full ’hairdryer’ treatment at half-time. United responded at last and Rooney produced a superb chip from 30 yards that Helton just managed to tip over. From the resulting corner Vidic headed goalwards but Helton made a brilliant stop to deny the Serbian. The Portuguese champions kept their nerve and Lisandro’s skimming strike needed an alert stop from van der Sar before Aly Cissokho tested the United keeper from long-range. This was no way for United to celebrate their 100th home game in the European Cup and Ferguson made his last two changes, opting to leave Italian sensation Marcheda on the bench and send on Tevez and Gary Neville instead. Tevez made an instant impact. In the 85th minute Rooney flicked on Neville’s throw and Tevez showed great determination to turn the ball home from close-range. But Porto refused to accept defeat and staged the kind of dramatic finale that United have made their trademark. Lisandro swept over an 89th minute cross that O’Shea could only help on to Mariano and the Porto substitute stabbed his shot over van der Sar. It was no more than Porto deserved. ■ AFP

07

Thursday, April 9, 2009

‘‘In the

This team have shown the whole season they are mentally very strong and when they have their backs to the wall, these young players always find an answer and never give up. I believe we have created momentum. We are a very young team, but are capable of focussing. Arsene Wenger, Arsenal manager

big league Jeev gears up for Augusta Masters

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eev Milkha Singh already feels like a winner at the Masters, having been paired alongside 14-time major champion Tiger Woods for the first and second rounds of the year’s first major. The reigning Asian Tour number one has already enjoyed practice rounds with Australian star Greg Norman and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and exchanged greetings with Arnold Palmer this week at Augusta National Golf Club. Now Singh gets a dream draw with Woods and US veteran Stewart Cink, even though it will mean a horde of spectators following the trio across the course. “It’s a pleasant surprise,” said Singh, who has played with Woods previously in Asia. “I’m excited about that and looking forward to it. It’ll be great to have the opportunity to play with Tiger and it’ll be interesting. I’ll be a little nervous but I’ll try to make the most of it and enjoy it.” Singh, 37, sees himself belonging among the world’s elite players after taking his second Asian Order of Merit title last year and his first top-10 in a major at last year’s PGA Championship. “It’s great to come back to the Masters. Every time you are here, it’s different,” Singh said. “It’s something really special. I’m playing well and we’ll see what happens. “My next goal will be to win a major. I think I’ve got the game to win a major. I feel it all depends on the mindset and how you deal with the pressure. I feel I do have the game and hopefully before my golfing career is over, I will have a major under my belt. “One day you never know what will happen.” Singh, ranked 31st, has six Asian Tour wins plus four in Japan and two triumphs in Europe. “I’ve worked hard and there is more trust in my game and more trust in my golf swing,” Singh said. “I’m always looking forward to the bigger events. That’s why we play golf for, to prove myself at the highest level.” Practicing with Norman gave Singh a taste of what he might experience in October as a member of the Internationals at the Presidents Cup, when Norman will captain the non-European side against a US squad. “I’ve always looked up to him and often watched him play,” Singh said. “I had a good nine holes and we talked about general stuff but didn’t touch anything about the Presidents Cup. I guess he wants to get to know the International players and I was fortunate enough to play with him.” ■ AFP

08 ROADSTER

ERGO Thursday, April 9, 2009

CNG hybrid car Opel is working on a compressed natural gas (CNG) hybrid drive system to combine a turbo engine with an electric motor. A prototype based on an Astra Caravan and equipped with a start-stop-system achieved a carbon dioxide emission figure of just 90 grammes per kilometre.

PETLEE PETER [email protected]

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he much-awaited people’s car, the Tata Nano is finally here. On display at Tata car dealer showrooms in Chennai city, the Nano is attracting festival crowds. Two-wheeler users who were looking forward to upgrade to a car see the Nano as the light at the end of the tunnel. Ergo checked out the Nano LX (hi-end model) on display at TAFE Reach Ltd on Anna Salai recently. Quite a sleek and stylish looking car, the Nano is the first Indian car with a rear engine. So the front interestingly makes room for the stepney tyre, tool box and little luggage room. Nano has a 624 cc rear engine boasting 35 bhp with a top speed of 105 kmph and a mileage claimed to be over 20 kmpl in city-riding conditions. C R N Prasad, GM operations of TAFE, claims the Nano would revolutionise the Indian car market. “The Nano is the most fuel-efficient car and is easy to manoeuvre on city roads. It is also

PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN

21 percent more spacious for passengers that any other small car in the market today and has a good ground clearance of 180 mm,” he adds. Sporting a chic dash board and comfortable seating for four, the Nano LX comes with an air-conditioner with heater and power windows only in the front. “Initially people had doubts about the car. After seeing the car on display many are convinced,” says P.A. Krishnan, senior manager, TAFE, accounting for the booking applications for the car pouring in at his showroom. More than a lakh applicants from across the country will be lucky enough to be allotted the car in the month of July, 2009. The first car is expected to hit the roads by October. ■

The front area holds the stepney tyre and luggage room as the Nano has a 624 cc rear engine.

Booking R.Ravind

09

Thursday, April 9, 2009

New Merc Mercedes Benz launched its limited edition E-Class cars in India. The luxury car priced at Rs 43.4 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) would include double-spoke light alloy wheels, LED technology tail lights and six different colour options.

Tata Nano is available in 3 models Nano LX – Fully-loaded version with AC, power windows, central locking, fog lamps and tubeless tyres. Available in colours Champagne gold, Lunar silver and Sunshine yellow.

Nano CX – AC and tubeless tyres. Available in colours Racing red, Ivory white, Summer blue, Champagne gold and Lunar silver.

Nano basic – Non AC and tubeless tyres. Available in colours Racing red, Ivory white and Summer blue. For more details log on to www.tatanano.com

How to own a Nano? Spacious seating which is said to have 21 percent more room that any small car in the market.

Chic dash board with AC vents, gear knob and power window switches Nano’s rear engine seen as a mirror image

The model featured here is a Tata Nano LX which is priced Rs. 1,80,248 (ex-showroom)

s have opened for the Tata wondercar. Petlee Peter and photojournalist dran capture the best parts of the vehicle at a showroom in the city

Application form to book a Tata Nano is available for Rs. 300 at all Tata Motors showroom and also at Tata Sky outlets, Titan watch showrooms and Westside clothes store. Customers can draw a cheque or DD for an amount of Rs 3,125 (amount for Nano basic only) from any State Bank of India branch. The challan should be attached along with a filled form and can be submitting at a Nano application counter at any Tata Motors showroom in the city. The sale of application forms and acceptance of booking will start from today and end on April 25th. The lucky draw to pick 1 lakh Nano car winners through out the country will commence on July 25, 2009.

Nano merchandise The people’s car has also merchandise like phones, pen drives, clocks, mugs, key chains, mouse pads, magnets, pen sets, pencil boxes, water bottles, Tshirts and caps that are on sale at all Tata Motors car showrooms and Westside store from today. Merchandises can also be bought online on www.tatanano.com

10 FLICK

ERGO Thursday, April 9, 2009

Attention please! Hollywood studio Warner Bros has warned Indian movie makers against remake or adaptation of the Oscar-winning film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Jackman ‘heartbroken’ over leaked superhero film The leaked version of the 20th Century Fox action movie was reportedly downloaded tens of thousands of times within a day of being posted on file-sharing websites at the end of March

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ugh Jackman, who plays superhero Wolverine in the new X-Men movie, said Wednesday he was “heartbroken” that the film was leaked on the Internet a month before its official release. The Australian star of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” said the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was on the case and he believed the culprit would be found. “It’s a serious crime and there’s no doubt its very disappointing – I was heartbroken by it,” Jackman told reporters at a promotion for the movie in Sydney. The leaked version of the 20th Century Fox action movie was reportedly downloaded tens of thousands of times within a day of being posted on file-sharing websites at the end of March. “Obviously, people are seeing an unfinished film,” Jackman said. “It’s like a Ferrari without a paint job.” The 40-year-old Hollywood heartthrob, named Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine last year, said he was convinced that whoever had posted the copy would be tracked down. “The FBI are on to it and they’re taking it very, very seriously,” he said. “Rest assured that person will be found.” Jackman arrived by helicopter on Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour, where some of the movie was filmed, for the first stop of a world promotion tour ahead of its official release at the end of the

month. He then delighted hundreds of invited guests and media by swooping down from a cliff top on a cable before unveiling 20 minutes of completed footage. Jackman said he was heartened by the fact that most people had condemned the leak and thought fans would still go to see it at the cinema. The leak has already claimed at least one casualty – a US entertainment columnist who was fired for reviewing a stolen copy downloaded from the Internet. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, which owns both 20th Century Fox Films and Fox News, said writer Roger Friedman had been “promptly terminated” after posting his column on the Fox News website last week. “We, along with 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, have been a consistent leader in the fight against piracy and have zero tolerance for any action that encourages and promotes piracy,” News Corporation said in an emailed statement. “When we advised Fox News of the facts they took immediate action, removed the post, and promptly terminated Mr Friedman.” The X-Men film, based on the eponymous comic book characters, was apparently spread with Bit Torrent file-sharing technology that lets people exchange large data files between computers. ■ AFP

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Thursday, April 9, 2009

Tom Cruise spends $1 mn on daughter’s education

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ollywood actor Tom Cruise wants his two-year-old daughter Suri to have a well-rounded upbringing. So he is spending $1 million on her education. Suri will turn three on April 18 and both Tom and his wife Katie Holmes, who want her to be an all rounder, have made arrangements not only for her basic education but have also invested in dancing, foreign language and art classes. “It doesn’t matter what Suri is doing, Tom wants her to be able to do it better than any other child. All parents think their kids are special, but Tom and Katie firmly believe that their daughter is gifted,” chinadaily.com quoted a source as saying. “Suri has shown interest in dancing, so Tom and Katie are encouraging her as much as possible. She practices ballet, tap and modern dance for hours every day. She also has private gymnastics lessons and is learning soccer,” he added. Cruise is also planning to send Suri for music classes to improve her musical aptitude. “Piano and violin lessons are on the to-do list. Tom and Katie just have to find time in Suri’s busy schedule,” the source said. Holmes also likes Suri to mingle with her friends - Victoria Beckham’s two kids Romeo, six, and Cruz, four because she believes that socialising with older kids will benefit her daughter’s development. The source said: “Katie likes to have the Beckham boys around, since they are older. She thinks Suri will emulate what they do and learn even faster.” ■ IANS

No movies with my dad, please: Sonam Kapoor

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Julia Roberts feels for Hollywood’s younger generation

hose who want to see Sonam Kapoor and her dad Anil Kapoor together on screen will have to wait for a long time. The Delhi 6 girl thinks Kapoor senior looks far younger than his age to play a conventional father in a Bollywood flick. The buzz around tinsel town is that there’s a pivotal role in Anil’s home production of Sonam’s father - that he was supposed to play. But Anil is not doing the film titled Ayesha. Earlier, Anil had been offered a role in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Delhi 6 with Sonam, but both father and daughter decided against it. In fact, Sonam was more against the idea of their coming together than Anil.

ollywood superstar Julia Roberts said on Tuesday that she feels the starlets of today have a much harder time than she ever did, with every little detail of their lives splashed over the front pages. The 41-year-old Pretty Woman and Notting Hill star told German celebrity magazine Bunte in an interview: “I am often aware of how much harder it is for young women in Hollywood today.” “I am so relieved and feel so privileged that I am beyond that,” added Roberts, who hit the big time when she starred opposite Richard Gere in Pretty Woman at the age of 22. The mother-of-three, who returned to the screen last month in the espionage caper Duplicity, said her priorities had changed enormously since having children. “Every day I have to put on puppet shows and read endless stories,” she said. ■

IANS

AFP

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12

ERGO Thursday, April 9, 2009

Wednesday’s query: In the year 2024 what kind of computer will you be using? ■120 GB ram, 1200 GB hard disk with Google server installed in my system Mani, CTS

Paul Matthew from Infosys has nominated his team for the section. Location courtesy: Kodaikanal garden

■Cheap and very slim like pen or pencil model Zahoor, RRDonnelley

■Finger-top computer Somasundaram, TCS

■Intel Pentium xxiv 24.66 GHZ with 24 GB DDR22 ram 240 TB HDD, with blu ray dual layer disc and touch screen 4 in 1 monitor Sathish.A, PSBPS

■Pocket size computers Suman, Perot Systems

■Mobile computer, it will have all d features of a computer Senthil, Wipro

Chaitanya Kumar R and friends from TCS in Puducherry

■Lip stick size computer, so that I can keep it in my hand purse itself Abhirami, IBM

■Pen computer Rani, Farah, TCS-eserve

■Virtual computer in air with mind commands, free from keyboard and mouse. Operating system needs 2 have direct interface with human brain Prem, Arunkumar, Allsec

■DNA computer, if it exists in the market by that time Revathi, Inautix

■Note book computer Priyanga, Technip

■A computer fixed to my clothes Suresh.R, TCS

■Chip-based infra red computer N.Deepan, LTSB, TCS

Today’s query: You have just won Rs. 10 crores. What will you do for the next 24 hours?

Selvaganapathy S is all praise for the fun and relaxed environment Wipro, Sholingnallur has in store for employees. That’s why he sent us this picture, where members of the SEARS -DCC process team are on an outing.

13

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Meena Kumari Jagadeesh from Infosys Technologies has been nominated as Office Angel by Saritha Devi. Meet the rock star. She is enthusiastic and energetic and participates in all cultural activities and comes first in competitions.

■ Farewell wishes to Dear Pushpa (Kudumba Ishthiri), You have been great PUSH! We all will miss your PUSH ! It was pleasure working with you PUSH Now that u are leaving, things won’t be the same again PUSH! But we want you to know PUSH, We will always be wishing the best for you especially me PUSH Wish you achieve whatever you have set out to do! All the very best PUSH! Good bye and Good luck in all that you do PUSH!!!

you for your birthday but nothing came to mind. But I know only thing which make you extremely happy is that "Suresh giving treat for all of us". Birthdays are good. Statistics say the people who give treat for other’s birthday live the longest. So Suresh will give us a wonderful treat for his long life. Wishing you a very happy and joyful birthday Ravi!!!

With Love, Wakeel, Ravivarman, Prabhakar, Deepashankar, Sasikumar, Devikala, singer Geetha, Vidhyalakshmi, Lokesh, Ekambaram, Rajasekar, Uma, Sakthi, Devarajalu, Shankar (alias Suriya), Daniel, Mythili, Hari, Murugan, and me Sivanath

Chau, Lukeson, Wipro

■ Dear Puppy, Wish u a very Happy Birthday and many more happy returns of the day. We wish you celebrate 100 more B’Days and we will be there always with u to wish you every year. Wish U all success in ur life.

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.

Regards, Teddy & Frds. Team PSI, PEROT SYSTEMS

■ Dear Nehru Mama Wishing you all the best in the years to come. May your days be filled with sunshine and beautiful colours. And may your nights be filled with comforting dreams and wishes to come. Rajalakshmi Subramanian from Wipro doodled this.

Colleagues from Wipro Technologies

■ Krish, Wish You a Many More Happy Returns of the Day Krish. Un Valkai Nalamaai Irukka En valthukkal. Rajesh

■ Beloved Viki (Vigneshwar), Many more happy returns of the day in advance. Have a wonderful and successful year ahead. Yours Prema, Sethu and anaya

Ella Examukku pinnalum Oru pen Undu. Adhu Hero Pen, Ball point pen, Ink Pen, Gel Pennagavum Irukkalaam. Ennathaan Kili "Ki ki" nu Kathinalum Adhala Oru Locka Kuda open Panna Mudiyathu Man 1 - Entha road Enge Poguthu Man2 - Engeyum Pogalai. Naan Poranthila irundu Ingeye thaan irukku. Man 1 - ??????????????? Ramu - Which animal is the religious animal? Somu - Don’t Know Ramu - Elephant Somu - How? Ramu - Because “Athukku thaane Matham Pidikkum” Somu - ????????????? Jayaraman V, HCL Technologies, Tidel Park

■ Hi Papu (Rajkumar) Today is you special day that day is your bday So it is the perfect time to say You are always thought of in a very special way A time to have new hopes and dreams And now we would like to take the time to say You are very special in every way So we wish you a very special Bday Happy Birthday Papu God bless you With love Friends....

■ Hi Ravi, We were trying to think of what to get

Best wishes Ramah, Navanee, Suresh, Madhi

■ Hey Lipensa Happy advance “Easter”. ■ Dear Gersh, Wish u a many more happy returns of the day!!! May God bless u with all success in every aspect of ur lifeJ

With love, Jerry and friends

■ Dear Rajesh, Wish u a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Have a rocking life and a great year ahead. With luv, Financial Transaction Team

■ Dear sasikUMAr, Wish u many more happy returns of the day May this day brings happiness to you as well as AMU. Happy birthday SASI Seenivasan S, Cognizant

■ Hai Kundu, Wish u many more happy returns of this day, Have a wonderful day:)Love u With care and affection, Terror-Group

■ Dear Fayaz, Wish you a very happy birthday. Regards, Healthcare Vertical, Sify Technologies

■ Dear Srividhya, Today is a beginning of another fantabulous year with a perfect blend of JOY, HARMONY and VICTORIES. Yet another 52 weeks of happiness to feel like listening to spell binding melodies. This is not an ode but a prayer that all your dreams and desires to reach the pinnacle may come true. May the almighty bless you with PEACE, OPULENCE and GOOD HEALTH. Wishing you a very happy Birthday. With Luv, Brindly, Ranjeeth, Praveen, Venky, Bharath, Pavithra & Mathangi

■ Hey Alagu, Vayasu yeruna yenna manasu ilamaya thana irukku.... Our hearty birthday wishes. By everlasting friends

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Thursday, April 9, 2009

Record broken A German DJ has smashed the world record for the longest continuous radio show after broadcasting his show for 169 consecutive hours - beating the previous record set by an Indian DJ by one hour.

sudoku

T.C.Vaideky from R System clicked this picture on the backwaters of Kerala. Her hobbies include watching cricket and movies.

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

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

TEAM Editor: Karthik Subramanian [email protected]

Sr Dy Chief Designer: J.A. Prem Kumar Dy Chief Designer: R. Ravi Kannan Illustrator: R. Venugopal Technical Support: V.R. Vasudevan, K.G. Gurumurthy N. Ravichandran, E. Baskar

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Printed and Published by S. Karthik on behalf of KASTURI & SONS LTD., at Plot B-6 & B-7, CMDA Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar, Chengleput Taluk, Kancheepuram Dist., Pin: 603209 & at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai-600002. Editor: S. Karthik (Editor responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act). RNI No. TNENG/2007/24553

KAKURO

15

Thursday, April 9, 2009

No laughing matter

Word’s worth

A helicopter rescue team was scrambled after screams were heard in a German forest - only to find a man laughing loudly at a new book.

Satanophany (say-tuh-nah-fuh-nee) a visible manifestation of Satan. From Satan, obviously, and the same -phany as in epiphany, from a Greek word meaning ‘manifestation.’

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 Professionally, you are on an all time high. At work, your Boss will be pleased with your commitment and may give you additional responsibilities. You are advised to not appear overconfident. Love life may take a back seat as work pressure increases.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 You will be distracted at work today for some reason or the other. However, things will start improving as the day progresses. A no-nonsense approach at work will benefit you. This approach might help you at work.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Be wary of people who are jealous of your professional achievements. Such people may try to look for flaws in your expertise. Do not lose your cool over trivial issues as this will only make matters worse.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 You will be passionate about commitments at work as the day progresses. With your emotional temperament, you should treat everybody with empathy rather than adopting a practical stand, says Ganesha.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 You will begin the day on an optimistic note. Ganesha observes you meeting your deadlines. Post lunch time will prove to be fruitful if used for important meetings. You may be in a frame of mind to enjoy some spicy moments with your beloved.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

You may come up with a lot of innovative ideas today; however they might not materialise. Ganesha assures you that you may find some use for them later so do not discard them. You will focus on expanding your professional skills today.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Each oral/ written word from your side will carry an explicit meaning, so be cautious in your communication. Ganesha sees you concentrating work related targets. You may feel tired today and want to rush home to relax.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Your words maybe misinterpreted today. Hence Ganesha asks you to be vigilant during communication. Conversely, being too clear-cut may hinder rather than help your case. Learn to be diplomatic.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 How you manage your time today will be a crucial determinant of your overall success. Professional life will be rewarding today provided you don’t act overconfident. Ganesha sees you boosting the morale of your team members.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 Review all your back log work today. If you put in extra efforts, the back log should be dealt with by evening. A reduced amount of consideration to personal life may result in unhappiness, warns Ganesha.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 You may organise a gathering for some definite negotiations. Ganesha thinks you will handle work related activities without any major obstacles. Job responsibilities may exhaust you by the end of the day.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Overload of work will be unable to divert your attention at workplace. You may work extremely hard for satisfying experience and escalation on the professional front. Ganesha blesses your hard work and sees it earning dividends in the long run. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Thursday, April 9, 2009

Paper models of the Nano car with pictures of BJP leaders, to be used in election campaigns, at the party headquarters in Ahemedabad on Monday. PTI PHOTO

Actress and owner of Rajasthan Royals Shilpa Shetty holds the new jersey of the team at a press conference to announce the tie-up between Rajasthan Royals and the Ultratech Cement in Mumbai on Tuesday. PTI PHOTO BY SHIRISH SHETE

A Swarovski employee displays "The Super Hello Kitty Jewel Doll", studded with a 1.027ct diamond on its ribbon, 403-piece pink sapphires on its body, a citrine on its yellow nose, black spinels on its eyes and a total 1,939-piece white topaz on its head on the platinum 900 made body in Tokyo on April 8, 2009. Swarovski, Japan’s character giant Sanrio and Japanese jewelery maker I.K. unveiled the 15 million yen (150,000 USD) hello kitty doll, 10.5cm tall and weighing 569g at the Baselworld watch and jewellery show in Switzerland last month to celebrate Hello Kitty’s 35th anniversary. AFP PHOTO / YOSHIKAZU TSUNO

A Russian Soyuz TMA-13 space capsule lands near Dzhezkazgan, in central Kazakhstan on April 8, 2009. The capsule carrying US astronaut Mike Fincke, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Lonchakov and US billionaire space tourist Charles Simonyi returned to Earth. AFP PHOTO / POOL / MIKHAIL METZEL