Ergo August 21

Full-time Techies Part-time teachers P.04

Korea leads the Olympic charge! P.09

A BYTE OF LIFE

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Vol. 2

FREE CIRCULATION

The hero next door » Page 10

Photo: S.S. KUMAR

No. 163

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Thursday, August 21, 2008

Climax on day one John Britto’s Dance Company will perform its annual dance spectacular ‘Climax’ today at Kamaraj Memorial Hall; 7 p.m. If you can’t make it, reserve your tickets for Friday or Saturday. For tickets, call 4224 4224

Man who immolated wife also dies A 36-year-old painter who killed his wife by setting her ablaze also died of burns on Wednesday morning. The deceased was Saravanan, a painter from Perumal Koil Street in Choolaimedu. Last Sunday evening, Saravanan in an inebriated state had an argument with his wife Manjula at home and in a fit of anger doused her with kerosene and set her afire. A burning Manjula grabbed her husband, severely injuring him in the process. Police booked Saravanan on charges of murder after Manjula’s death in Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital on Sunday night. Saravanan, who was admitted to the hospital with thirddegree burns, also succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday morning.

2 die after floor gives way Two people died after a floor of the building at the thermal power station in Ennore collapsed on Wednesday morning. According to Ennore police, the victims were Ramesh and Chokkalingam, who were employees of the power station. The two sustained serious injuries after the cement floor they were working on gave way. They were rushed to the hospital but pronounced “brought dead”. Ennore police registered a case and are investigating the incident.

A photo taken by Dr Afzal Mohamed in the initial stages of Bhaskar’s recovery

Here’s to happy endings Bhaskar would have been just another animal who suffered a road accident and died. If not for the guardian angels, that is … SRIYA NARAYANAN [email protected]

I

n this column on June 12th, the Cattitude Trust appealed to Ergo readers to become a part of the Guardian Angel programme and fund medical treatment and surgery for cats and dogs in need. A few generous folk came forward to help Bhaskar, a gorgeous Indian dog who survived a serious road accident. Two months later, Bhaskar’s bandages are off and he’s glad to have made a marvellous recovery. When the dog with soulful eyes was first brought to The Ark, a private veterinary clinic in Namma Chennai, Dr Aravind Kumar and his colleague Dr

Afzal Mohamed were determined not to give up even after seeing that his hind legs were completely smashed. Dr Kumar talks about how “everyone came together” to help the suffering animal, including the Cattitude Trust and people who saw posters of the dog. “It’s great when society takes responsibility for an injured animal. It was not a situation where the dog was left at a shelter and was forgotten. And time is the most precious thing you can offer in a situation like this. If you take the injured cat or dog to a doctor who says, for example, that it needs a bandage-change twice a week, try to make time for it in your schedule”. The vets, who partially

funded the complicated surgery, reveal that they kept nine friendly mongrels in their hostel rooms in the Madras Veterinary College. “It was against the rules and there were some complaints initially but over a period of time, everyone unofficially adopted these dogs”. Bhaskar is now the mascot for the programme and will live at The Ark with his doctor friends until he finds a family to move in with. ■

If you’d like to sign up to become a Guardian Angel, call Cattitude at 98840 97862.

03

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Chugging through MADRASPATTNAM Asan Memorial School plays host to an exhibition of old photographs, coins and all things Chennai MONISHA MOHANDAS

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t would take at least a week to tour Chennai. Agreed! But one visit to the Asan Memorial School auditorium will make you feel like you have taken a trip of the entire city. The bustling school campus wears a festive look this week. It is playing host to the Madras Week Celebrations, and an exhibition of photographs and miniatures of historical sites is on display. A series of charts explaining how Madraspattnam grew to Chennai takes one to the days of the Colonial rule. Sandeep, a Class IX student, exhibited models of the Rippon Building and Chennai Central. Students of Class IX caught the attention of many visitors. Their exhibits on different brass lamps – kuttu vilaku, kamakshi vilaku and agal vilaku – explained their composition and why the city holds Sharing knowledge about the them dear. The famous city landmarks of Chennai, including St. George Fort, Light House, Egmore Railway Station, to name a few, stood out with their illuminating lights. That’s not all, there is also an exhibition of rare coins. On the whole the exhibits took visitors on a trip down memory lane, starting from Beerangi times to the modern ‘golden chariot’ buses. If you are foodie, you must try some of the cuisines native to Chennai. For the next one week students of the school will offer guests samples of traditional dishes like sambar rice, pongal, vada, and filter coffee. Drop in at Asan Memorial School, Anderson Road. The exhibition is on till August 22; from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Students dressed in traditional costumes as part of the Madras Week Celebrations. PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN

04 KALEIDOSCOPE

ERGO Thursday, August 21, 2008

Cats and dogs Cats have more than one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten.

Chennai SNAPSHOT

Full-time techies, parttime teachers Employees of Mphasis double up as teachers at Panchayat Government Schools

Neck deep in fun: At the Thiruvanmiyur Beach, a youngster finds out what mud therapy is all about. Of course it is all for fun! Photo: N.Sridharan

V.HARIPRIYA [email protected]

Dark Knights aplenty! At the Museum complex, it is easy these days to catch a glimpse of the fruit bats. PHOTO: S.THANTHONI

STOCKTRACK 134.50

47.50

14678.28

4415.75

SENSEX

NIFTY

“E

ach one teach one” goes the slogan to promote literacy. As part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, several employees of Mphasis tutor students of two schools in namma Chennai. They spend about six hours a week teaching students from Std VI to VIII of Panchayat Govt Schools at Neelangarai and Perungudi the basics of computer and spoken English. Mphasis, an EDS company, as part of its CSR, had formed four core groups – education, healthcare, general awareness and environmental awareness in their 3 facilities in Chennai. There are more than 2,300 people employed in these facilities and 200 employees have volunteered for community initiative activities.

The education core group handles the tutorship programme. Meenu Bhambhani|, manager, Community Initiative, leads the CSR activities that are co-ordinated by Gokul Santhanam, HRLeader, Raghuram V (Senior Manager - HR), Anand C ( Assistant Manager-HR) and Arun Prasad P (Assistant Manager-HR) in the city. “The CSR-education group has come up with specially designed course materials on basic computers and spoken English,” explains Arun Prasad. “We have also provided study materials to the students. This is a threemonth course and conduct regular tests for these students.” Apart from this, the firm has also tied up with an NGO Kazhingarya that works for the welfare of school dropouts in Tirusulam. There is a plan to adopt this village and carry out community service, Arun Prasad added. V. Karthick, Senior Software

Engineer, who conducts classes in one of the schools says that the main aim of the initiative is to improve the standard of govt schools in par to that of matriculation schools. “In the beginning, we found it difficult to control the students who lacked discipline and they didn’t even know alphabets properly. We had to start everything from the scrap. We handle basic computers, spoken English and moral science. It has been 45 days since we started and now we have started receiving positive feedback from the teachers, both in terms of students discipline and studies.” ■ CSR Dossier will be a regular feature in Ergo to showcase the activities of the companies that we reach out to. If you want to feature your organisation’s CSR activities in Ergo, ping us at [email protected] or [email protected]. Phone: 2857 6690.

05

Thursday, August 21, 2008

The ultimate movie website: www.chud.com All you ever needed to know about handbags: www.armcandygirl.com

MITHRA SURESH [email protected]

A

red carpet welcome, bugles blaring, fireworks and flower girls welcoming guests with rose petals made the launch of Anise on Tuesday night a big affair. Taj Coromandel announced the shutting down of their 24 hour multi-cuisine diner, Matchpoint, which will be replaced by the Anise. While cocktails and finger food were served at Matchpoint, the guests were entertained with live music by namma David Pascal who sang songs by artistes as varied as Frank Sinatra to Bob Marley to Creed. Adding to that was DJ Steve, who played classy retro tracks and Cuban lounge music, and flair bartender David Coulthard who displayed fantastic acrobatics, especially with his blindfolded juggling. Post-fireworks by the pool, a

bugle announced the final countdown to the opening of Anise. The crowd was lead up stairs to view the restaurant, where champagne was served. The minimalist ambience was a slight reminder of The Park’s Leather Bar minus the leather but with more Zen. After that, the crowd was again led back downstairs to one of their halls, where dinner was served. The tedious journey up and down the stairs was forgotten however, thanks to the choice of cuisine displayed. The menu at Anise is as extensive as Matchpoint’s but the attraction is the live dosa counter in addition to a separate table for South Indian cuisine only. And if the same desserts are to be served, then the top-rated favourite should be strawberry cream with pieces of fresh strawberries in brandy snaps. Yum. For more on specific dishes and their delectability, await a food review next week.

US $ Pound Euro 100 Yen

(Clockwise) Minnie Menon, the newly opened Anise, friends Nadia and Devika enjoy a drink, bartender David Coulthard PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN

43.72 81.45 64.47 39.75

SOURCE: RBI

Websites of the day

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Thursday, August 21, 2008

Badminton The world’s fastest racquet sport is badminton. Shuttlecock speeds approach 200 mph.

Phone

a friend for exams

A

ustralian high school students will be able to telephone a friend, surf the Internet and listen to pod casts during exams under a plan revealed by a girls’ college on Wednesday. Sydney’s Presbyterian Ladies’ College said it was updating the ‘open book’ exam concept, in which students are able to bring in reference books, to take into account new technology. The school is trialling the use of the new media with 14 and 15year-old English students but hopes to expand its use across all subjects by year end, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. English teacher Deirdre Coleman, who is coordinating the pi-

Australian college can surf Internet and listen to pod casts during exams

lot programme, said students were being encouraged to access information using their mobile phones, the Internet and from pod casts on their MP3 players during exams. But any time a source is used, it must be cited on the test paper to prevent plagiarism, she said. “In terms of preparing them for the world, we need to redefine our attitudes toward traditional ideas of cheating,” Coleman told the newspaper. “In their working lives they will never need to carry enormous amounts of information around in their heads.” “What they will need to do is access information from all their sources quickly and they will need to check the reliability of their information.” Student Anne Achie, who called an aunt during her English test, told the newspaper that ‘phoning a friend really helped.’ ■ AFP

PM’s voicemail: call my predecessor Ever wished your predecessor was there to take the flak for the problems you inherited? Ireland’s Prime Minister Brian Cowen may have the answer. Three months after Cowen took office, callers to two numbers for the prime minister’s office listed in Dublin’s telephone directory were still being redirected to the previous incumbent. “Thank you for calling the office of the Taoiseach (prime minister), however if you wish to call Bertie Ahern’s constituency office, please ring ...” a recorded message instructed callers. Cowen became prime minister in May after Ahern stepped down amid mounting questions over his complex personal finances. Reuters

McCain copies material from Wikipedia Senior U.S. Senator John McCain has been accused of copying material, some from Wikipedia, for the speeches he made on the campaign trail. A speech McCain made about Georgia on August 11 is also said to bear strong similarities to the country’s entry on Wikipedia, the online encyclopaedia compiled by the public. Congressional Quarterly alleged that two passages were almost identical to Wikipedia, and a third of the speech bore striking resemblances. McCain has also been accused of exaggerating or concocting the prison story, which he periodically uses in his stump speeches. ANI

Used Olympics tickets get second life Used tickets from the Olympics have become a much sought-after item among Chinese collectors since the Games began. On popular Chinese collectors’ websites, an ordinary used ticket for track and field was going for about 50 yuan (US$ 7.3) while tickets to popular fixtures such as the China-U.S. basketball preliminary were going for some 300 yuan. When China met the United States on the basketball court in Wukesong Sports Center on August 10, many Chinese collectors queued up to buy tickets from spectators leaving the stadium. Many of these tickets will find their way into a growing online market for Olympic souvenirs. Xinhua

Maradona slams ‘stingy’ Brazil Diego Maradona said he had rarely seen Brazil play as negatively as they did in their Olympic Games semi-final defeat to Argentina. “It’s a long time since I’ve seen Brazil so stingy and defensive,” the former Argentina captain was quoted in his country’s media as saying. “I didn’t think they could do any damage. They never managed to play their way out of defence, nobody helped Ronaldinho and they never played coherently. I think Argentina were better in every metre of the field.” Maradona watched Tuesday’s 3-0 win at the Workers’ stadium. He has also been to see Argentina’s men’s basketball and women’s hockey teams in action in Beijing. Reuters

07

Thursday, August 21, 2008

This day, that year

Oak tree

It was in August 21, 1911 that Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous painting ’Mona Lisa’ was stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris by Italian waiter Vicenzo Perruggia. The painting was recovered two years later.

The average mature oak tree sheds approximately 700,000 leaves in the Autumn.

Divine right to education Nepal’s SC rules that ‘kumari’ can go to school

A

Nepali tradition of locking a young virgin girl in a palace and worshipping her as a ‘living goddess’ has been dealt a blow with the country’s Supreme Court ruling she has the right to go to school. The court said there was no justification for the specially chosen pre-pubescent girl, known as the Kumari, to be subjected to a practice that dates back centuries. The current Kumari is nineyear-old Preeti Shakya. The ruling comes barely three months after Nepali lawmakers abolished the country’s 240-yearold Hindu monarchy, who received annual blessings from the Kumari in a ceremony designed to underpin the legitimacy of the royals. The court’s verdict was prompted by a complaint from local lawyers that keeping a young girl cooped up in an ornate but decrepit palace in Kathmandu’s medieval quarter was a violation of her rights. “The Supreme Court came up with a verdict... asking the government to take action to protect the rights of the Kumari,” Supreme Court spokesman He-

Sajani Shakya who has just retired as the living goddess Kumari in the town of Bhaktapur, at Mount Valley School in Kathmandu. (Right) Nepalese living goddess Kumari attends the festivities. AFP PHOTOS manta Rawal told AFP. “The court ruled there were no historic or religious documents that state the child should be denied the rights of education, movement etc. She should not be denied these

Ex-con is now Prince Charles’ window-washer

things just because she is the Kumari.” Furthermore, the ‘living goddess’ concept is facing redundancy given that Nepal is now officially a secular republic run by ultra-leftist ex-rebel Maoists keen

to do away with the country’s ‘feudal’ practices. But it was not immediately clear whether the court’s decision would herald the end of the tradition, given that the Kumari’s aura is to a large part dependent on

her total separation from the outside world. The people in charge of looking after her said they took orders from the heavens – and not the Supreme Court. ■

Oh my God!

A

former convict is now washing windows at Prince Charles’s new Llwyny Wormwood Estate in Wales after having been apparently hired without any screening, the Daily Mirror reported on Wednesday. Matthew Bell, 35, has previously served two jail terms, nine months for burglary and 21 days for not paying a traffic fine. Bell, who at the outset of 2008 had set up a cleaning company, had worked two days cleaning the windows of the new residence before Prince Charles and his wife Camilla arrived. Bell received 1,200 pounds (1,500 euros) for his work. The Mirror said the royal household intends to hire Bell out every month. “I’m a changed man and I’ve worked bloody hard for this,” Bell said. “I did an absolutely beautiful job up there and nothing went missing.

“I don’t go to houses thinking, ’I could get 100 pounds for that TV’, because that’s a part of my life that’s gone,” he added. “Prince Charles has talked of offenders being given a second chance. Now it’s his chance to give me one.” ■ DPA

쒀 A Chinese girl with a bust of Chinese basketball star Yao Ming on display at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games fine arts exhibition in Beijing. AFP PHOTO

AFP

08 SPORT

ERGO Thursday, August 21, 2008

China vaults to glory

China muscled aside the competition to proclaim itself the gy superpower at the Beijing Games, dominating the sport in a m China’s gymnasts hit form as they were cheered on night afte National Indoor Stadium, snaring nine of the 14 gold on offe Seoul in 1988.

Sharath disappoints Indian challenge ended in the table tennis event of Olympics after Achantha Sharath Kamal meekly surrendered 1-4 to Austria’s Chen Weixing in the second round clash of the men’s singles event in Beijing on Wednesday. Not looking in good touch the Chennai paddler struggled to get his rhythm and was outplayed 5-11, 12-14, 2-11, 11-8, 10-12 by his Austrian opponent. Chen played an attacking game and the Indian wilted under pressure, struggling to get his placements right. The Indian, undone by his unforced errors, could manage to win just one game in the match, which lasted just 32 minutes. Neha Aggarwal had already crashed out of the women’s singles event after losing her first round match. PTI GETTY IMAGES

Good start for BhupathiKnowles Ace Indian doubles player Mahesh Bhupathi and his Bahamian partner Mark Knowles cruised into the second round of USD 708,000 Pilot Pen tennis tournament with a straight-set win in the opening round in New Heaven. The second seeded IndoBahamian pair got the better of French duo of Marc Gicquel and Nicolas Mahut 6-2, 6-3 in one hour and 14 minutes, on Tuesday. Bhupathi-Knowles saved two breakpoints and converted two on their opponent’s serve to pocket the first set. In the second set, they dropped their serve once but converted two of the three chances they got to script a convincing win. They next play the American-Slovakian pair of James Cerretani and Filip Polasek, who defeated the American pair of Eric Butorac and Scott Lipsky 6-2, 6-4 in their opening match. PTI

Cricket ponders Olympic declaration T20 can make its Olympic debut in 2020

W

hen veteran Chinese leader Zhou Enlai was asked in the early 1970s what he thought of the impact of the French Revolution of 1789, he replied: “It is too early to say.” How much harder it must be then to speculate on the future. And when it came to cricket’s possible inclusion as an Olympic sport, International Cricket Council (ICC) president David Morgan, in Beijing for the ongoing Games, weighed his words with a care that would have appealed to both Zhou and the opening batsman deciding on what to play and what to leave. It is not so much too early as too easy to say that while Adam Gilchrist is in favour of Twenty20 cricket, the shortest international form of the game, becoming an Olympic sport and Ian Chappell is very much against; Morgan is very much sat on the fence. Unlike the two Australians, Morgan leads a large multi-national organisation which finds it difficult to make decisions without the consent of its most powerful members, who do not always see eye-to-eye. Add in the fact that the earliest

likely date for the return of cricket, which did feature in the 1900 Games, to the Olympics is 2020 and Morgan’s caution is all the more understandable. Cricket’s rulers are often accused of being obsessed with money and one of the initial consequences of being recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), an organisation founded to promote lofty, amateur ideals, is a financial one. “The important first step for the International Cricket Council was gaining recognition of the sport and of the council from the IOC,” Morgan said in Beijing. “That is important particularly for many of our smaller nations because to belong to a sporting body that has recognition from the IOC improves their opportunity for funding,” the Welshman added.

Twenty20 Morgan believes Twenty 20 would fit into the Olympic fortnight “without any difficulty whatsoever”. But with administrators already dealing with fixture clashes caused by the relentless milking of the still-

young Twenty20 cash-cow, Morgan admitted trying to find space for yet another tournament – one whose date won’t be set by a cricket official – was a potential barrier to Olympic participation. “It is something that cricket has to think about very carefully,” he said. “This visit, these few days gives us the opportunity to assess the potential for cricket becoming an Olympic sport.” He added: “2020 must be the earliest realistic date but I must emphasise the International Cricket Council has to consider its position just as the IOC has to consider its position.” Even though athletes are not paid directly for competing at the Olympics, former Australia wicket-keeper Gilchrist said they would jump at the chance to play in the Games.

It’s not about the money “Cricketers won’t care about the money. The chance to stand on top of the Olympic podium, to wear an Olympic gold medal and the pride of belting out your national anthem would be a lifechanging money-can’t-buy experience,” he said. But legendary Australian captain Chappell said while the Olympics would be fine for a few fortunate players from the sport’s top teams it would do nothing for cricket as a whole. “Marching in an Olympic Games opening ceremony might give individual cricketers goosebumps,” Chappell said. “But as part of the evolution of the game, it wouldn’t raise a pimple on the backside.” ■ AFP

09

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Dream run South Africa’s Natalie du Toit says she wants to inspire others to realise their dreams after fulfilling her ambition to compete at the Olympic Games despite having her leg amputated seven years ago. The 24-year-old finished 16th in the women’s 10 kilometres marathon swim on Wednesday.

ymnastics world’s new Olympic manner not seen since the Soviet era. er night by18,000 screaming fans at the r, second only to the USSR’s 10 in

North Korea, Georgia head Games medal table

N

orth Korea and Georgia are the most successful countries at the Olympic Games; according to alternative medal tables which take into account a country’s size, wealth and even human rights. Of the 75 countries who have made the official table, based solely on gold medals, China have a strong lead with 43 compared to the United States on 26 and Great Britain’s 16. However, a table produced after the first week by Britain’s Daily Telegraph taking population into account put Georgia at the top with its two gold medals amounting to one for just over every two million people. China’s 43 medals equal one for every 30 million. But if the medal table are based on a country’s gross domestic product then impoverished North Korea (two gold; one silver, three bronze) leads from Zimbabwe (1-3-0) and Mongolia (1-1-0), according to both the Billmitchell.org and Britain’s Channel 4 television websites. On a population basis, and a weighted value for the various medals, it is Jamaica from Slovenia and Bahrain. The official medal table is generally considered to reflect economic input, and Britain with a population around 60 million has made no secret of the fact its rapid leap from 36th in Athens to third in Beijing is a pay-off for years of investment. “We’ve invested in sports’ governing bodies, getting them to step up and professionalise,” said Peter Keen, UK Sport’s head of performance. “Today we’re a nation feeling really good about it.” But statistics can prove anything and Britain is second to the United States if you go by Channel 4’s human rights medals table, where the number of medals won is weighted against a country’s rating by the US Freedom House organisation. China is ninth on this table. The Billmitchell.org website believes its version of the medals table is “more meaningful than the official rankings which just reflect world power”. The Daily Telegraph said Georgia leads its table compiled on “an alternative ranking that more fairly represents a country’s performance”. India are ranked 16th according to the GDP per capita ranking but in population weighed ranking India is placed at the bottom on 75th position. ■ AFP

North Korea’s An Kum Ae after losing to Xian Dongmei of China in the women’s 52 kg judo final at the Beijing Games. AFP

10 FLICK

ERGO Thursday, August 21, 2008

Winehouse’s rehab Troubled English singer Amy Winehouse will enter a drugs rehab centre in Suffolk, so that she can be near her jailed husband. Winehouse, 24, will be getting treatment at the ‘small and friendly’ Focus 12 Clinic in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, where comedian Russell Brand is said to have overcome his own addictions.

PHOTO: S.S.KUMAR

‘I wanted to become a music director’

Petlee Peter catches up with the young sensation Jai at the sidelines of the launch of his new film Aval Peyar Tamilarasi

A

fter the success of Chennai 600 028 and Subramaniapuram, actor Jai has carved a niche for himself in the Tamil film industry. Ergo caught up with Jai at the mahurat ceremony of his forthcoming flick, Aval Peyar Tamilarasi, on Wednesday morning.

What then?

Tell us something about Aval Peyar Tamilarasi?

Then how did your Kollywood entry happen?

It’s a very interesting script and the film is directed by debutant Meera Kathiravan. I play a 28year-old in the film, about four years older than my actual self. Keeping in mind the character, I had to do my homework quite well and play the character to perfection.

You can call it my luck that struck in 2002 when director Venkatesh was making the film Bhagavathy with actor Vijay. He was searching for a new face to play the role of Vijay’s brother in the movie. And he happened to meet me at the studio and offered the role which I accepted.

Ever thought you would be an actor? Not even in my wildest of dreams.

I wanted to become a music director. I learnt to play the keyboard for nearly six years and was training in the studios with music director Deva and his son Srikanth Deva during my leisure time.

After Bhagavathy there was a long gap. Yes. I almost made it to the cast

of director Shankar’s Boys but it didn’t work out towards the end. I came back with Chennai 600028.

You have the mannerisms of actor Vijay. That could be because I am a great fan of his. I don’t miss any of his movies. Priyamanavale and Gilli are my all-time favourites. I bought a new Ford Fiesta recently and specially got the number 567 for it, similar to actor Vijay’s cars.

What is your dream role and with whom? A villain in director Venkat Prabu’s movie is what I am dying to play. Hope I get the call soon (laughs).

The happiest moment of your life? Recently, I was in Dindigul for the shooting of a TV show. I was

thronged by some of my fans. And it took an unbelievable 30 minutes to go from one street to another for the shoot. I can never forget that.

Any unpleasant moment? I get so pissed when people drop garbage out of their cars onto the road. I can’t stand that.

Which is one destination you want to visit? Switzerland. snowfall.

To

see

the

And in India? I’m happy with Elliot’s Beach and Sathyam Cinemas. I can never get bored of the two places.

Friends? The Chennai 600028 gang are my best buddies with whom I often hangout.

11

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Serendipity

WALL- E?

In the movie serendipity when both the actors are on a subway staircase they see an ad that reads"Six Degrees of Separation". "Six Degrees of Seperation" is a theory which claims that any two given people on the planet are linked by a chain of only six mutual acquaintances.

In the movie WALL-E the main character’s name is actually an acronym, standing for "Waste Allocation Load Lifter-Earth-class" and EVE stands for "Extraterrestial Vegetation Evaluator."

ZOHAN comes to India B

est known for his funny characters in hit films like Anger Management and The Wedding Singer, Hollywood actor Adam Sandler is all set to tickle the funny bone of Indian fans with the latest comedy flick You Don’t Mess with Zohan. Directed by Dennis Dugan, the film is based on the comic antics of a Mossad agent, who is out to catch a terrorist. The theme of Sandler’s latest film is based on Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The film is being released by Sony Pictures Entertainment in India on 19 September.

for himself in a lesser known shop of a Palestinian woman. Word of his extra special attention to detail spreads and soon the ladies start lining up to sit in Zohans chair and be serviced. But his fame invites not only friends but attracts the attention of enemies old and new, who try to take their revenge with him and Zohan has to deal with them in his own style. Besides, Sandler, the film also casts talented actors like John Turturro, Emanuelle Chriqui, Rob Schneider and the gorgeous Mariah Carey and tennis legend John McEnroe in guest appearances. With You Don’t Mess with the Zohan Adam Sandler has also teamed up with two celebrated comedy scribes of Hollywood -Robert Smigel of Triumph the Insult and Saturday Night Live fame and Judd Apatow of Knocked Up and Fun with Dick and Jane. The film, which was released worldwide on June 6, has already generated a very good response at the box office and with its India release makers are hoping that the film will be successful in wooing the Sadler’s fans in India as well. ■

Sandle and scissors The story of You Don’t Mess with the Zohan revolves around Zohan Dvir (Adam Sandler), an Israeli Mossad agent whose dream is to become a successful hair stylist in New York. Zohan becomes upset with his officers after they cut short his holiday and send him on a mission to recapture the Phantom, a known terrorist. Zohan takes advantage of the situation and fakes his own death. Armed with his scissors and his coveted book of hip hairstyles, Zohan finally heads for America. Shunned by the uptight salons of New York, he makes a name

US actors Adam Sandler (R) and Rob Schneider pose during a photocall to promote their film "You Don’t Mess with the Zohan" Photo: AFP

Bond man on memoirs

B

eing Bond could be scary New York, Aug 20 (AP) It’s not easy being Bond. Roger Moore, who starred in seven Bond films in the 1970s and 1980s, recounts his days as the dashing super-spy in his upcoming memoir, "My Word Is My Bond," and says things weren’t always as they seemed. "Jimmy Bond had a big jet boat chase in ’Live and Let Die,’" writes Moore, now 80. "I did quite a few run-throughs to practice and whilst banking on one such run, the engine cut out. I had no steering! I therefore continued in a straight line ... directly into a wooden boat house." He instantly catapulted from the boat into a wall, cracking his front teeth and twisting his knee.

"There I was, as a fearless 007, hobbling on a cane to my boat and then pretending to be indestructible for the cameras. Who says I can’t act?" Moore replaced Sean Connery in the 007 franchise in 1973. His films include "The Spy Who Loved Me," "Live and Let Die," "The Man With the Golden Gun" and "A View to a Kill." The book, due out November 4, also recounts the time Moore bumped into a young Steven Spielberg at a Paris hotel. "He was a huge Bond fan and said that he would love to direct one of the films," Moore says. "He’d recently had great success with ’Jaws’ and ’Close Encounters’ and was considered a very hot property. I was rather excited at this news and went looking for (film

producer Albert R ’Cubby’ Broccoli) to tell him." But Broccoli, who steered the Bond franchise over three decades, shook his head and asked, "Do you know how much of a percentage he’d want?" "It’s always been policy that no Bond director ever got a slice of the box office profits," Moore says. "So, Spielberg went off and made ’Indiana Jones’ who I reckon to be a period James Bond!" ■ AP

PTI

12 SCAN

ERGO Thursday, August 21, 2008

Responsible Sara According to bollywood hungama, Saif Ali Khan’s daughter Sara ensured that all safety gears were in place before Saif did a dare-devil stunt on the sets of Race. She didn’t let him shoot until she double-checked safety cables that Saif had to wear while filming a difficult action sequence.

PICK OF THE DAY

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Animal Planet

Less than perfect - 8 pm

Good Will Hunting – 11-25 pm

The Departed

The Blue Beyond – 9 pm

Upon returning from vacation, Claude learns that her boss, network anchor Will Butler, has resigned, leaving her jobless.

Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Robin Williams star in Gus Van Sant’s Oscar-winning film, with Damon as Will Hunting, a school janitor who also happens to be a savant with a photographic memory and the ability to solve seemingly impossible math problems.

, Dear Diary day! And ut of jail to o t go I , So u go in yo w o range h it’s pretty st l these preconal there with s of what convicts on ceived noti images borrowed – Hollywill be like Bolly/Kolly/ from bad . But the truth is es wood movi that. The people nothing like ormal; they seem n there are so than the outside er n sa much iendlier. so much fr e – to d n A . d rl o w tim e they have ce, inFor in ther inis m re to e, philosophis rd the best, most ea vent! I’ve h es of my life toori st ic st ta n theatfa to teach them ith a in go w day. I t u come o memore, and I ories and st f o h p but wealt el h ’t ! I can se ries! Phew o conhere are th wonder – W ake the movies m victs they t? is that abou ally funny What is re atch the nes who m the only o e cops in charge, th movies are tive and uth, insensi co n u as screen just r ei th tal as verbally bru They seem to ts! counterpar life roles far more al re r nvicts. take thei an the co t. ■ th y sl u o gh seri u o th r ood fo ini Hmmm... F ld to Nandh As to

Ramkumar

– 11 pm Two just-graduated officers from Massachusetts State Police Academy follow opposite sides of the law: William Costigan is assigned to work undercover with the Irish mobster Frank Costello to get evidences to arrest him.

After final research to understand dolphin life in the wild more fully, the conservation team opens the dolphin’s pen. The choice of a world of humans or a world of dolphins is now hers.

Dear Diary Deesh Mariwala Deesh on how he changed his opinions about convicts

13

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Electrifying ride A light aircraft which hit a 380,000-volt power line ended up entangled in it and dangling 20m (65ft) above the ground for nearly three hours.

Greetings Hello Senthooran, On your Birthday we wish u much pleasure and joy,we hope all your wishes come true.many More Happy returns of the day with love and prayers Vicky’s Team CSS Corp pvt ltd (Cybernet - Slash Support)

Dear Saravana Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that people who have the most live the longest! We are so glad you were born, because you brighten our life and fill it with joy. Happy birthday!!

Tata Crucible Tata Crucible – The Business Quiz 2008, is ready to hit the corporate world once again. The Chennai leg of the quiz will take place on September 21. Corporates can register online on www.tatacrucible.com. The Business Quiz 2008 will be conducted by the well-known quizmaster Giri Balasubramanian. When: September 21 Register online: www.tatacrucible.com

Impressions 18th - 20th Century An art exhibition of artistic creation by national award winner P.Krishnamurthy, eminent artist and art director is being held at Gallery Sri Parvati on the topic ‘Madras: Impressions 18th to 20th century’. The exhibition contains paintings and sketches of Madras in the past and the present. Where: Gallery Sri Parvati, Eldams Road, Teynampet When: August 21, 10 a.m. - 7.00 p.m.

Cheers Arun, Ramesh, Raghu, Prabha n Shakthi The Ghauls Satyam Computer Services

Dear Sukanya Birthdays are nature’s way of telling us to eat more cake! ...We are waiting ;) Happy Birthday! With love n wishes Diptee, Durga, Manidipa, Meenakshi, Sathiya, Sudha

Dear Abhilash A Many more happy returns of the day. Have a great day and wonderful year ahead. A Shanmugam, HCL Technologies Ltd

Dear Dhinnesh Many more happy returns of the day. May the coming year be the best for you and may you achieve all your dreams. Regards, Team-Beacon. HCL Technologies Ltd.

Hi Yojna Many more "HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY". May GOD give you lots & lots of happiness & fulfill all your wishes With Ocean of LOVE from Hardik Thaker

Housewives work out

The Academy of Fitness Management is conducting a unique fitness workshop for housewives who do not have the time or space to work out. Into their busy lives FitnessOne plans to build in a fitness life style using simple exercises, basics of yoga and aerobics. A registration charge for each workshop is Rs. 150 per head. Repeaters will be given a concession. Where: Academy of Fitness Management Kilpauk Garden When: August 21, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

TOP 5 FUNNIEST PICK UP LINES 1. Coff e (Comm e? Tea? Me? issione daugh ter me r !)

2. Baby did you fart, ‘cause you blow me away! (Make sure you are two feet away from her)

5. I’ve been no not noticing ticing you m (Certification e. for good observation) g parkin got you a 3. Are (What?) You you. ticket? ten all over rit a) fine w in Chin (Made

4. I’m invisible. (Really?) Can you see me? (Yes) How about tomorrow night? (Yeyy! Mr India)

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Thursday, August 21, 2008

Dead man holidaying A missing man returned after an extended holiday in Australia. To his surprise he found that his near and dear ones have been mourning his death - after he forgot to tell them he was going away.

sudoku

Vijay Venkatesh of Altrion Technologies clicked this picture in Kumbhavaurutty, about 40 kms from Tenkasi. Hobbies: Bird watching, photography and surfing

KAKURO 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 Head of Advertising: Sriya Narayanan [email protected]

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SNAIL MAIL 859/860, Anna Salai, Chennai - 600 002 mail your feedback to [email protected]

FAX 2857 6691 ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Call our Advertisement Manager at 2857 6695. email: [email protected] Website: www.goergo.in

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

15

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Standing stiff A Puerto Rican man has been granted his last wish - to remain standing, even after death.

Word’s worth "Xenomenia" (zen-oh-mee-nee-uh) a medical condition in which blood flows from some part of a woman’s body at a different place than (but at the same time as, and replacing) her regular menses. Also called ’vicarious menstruation.’ From Greek words meaning ’strange’ and ’menses.’

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 It’s a power day for you, says Ganesha. You will be full of vitality, vigour and creativity. You will be ready to take initiative. You may be assigned new projects at office. A positive turning point in your love life may add to your happiness.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 You may start your day at a very dull note. Office circumstances may be very demanding. Ganesha suggests you to see to it that you are not working in a wrong direction, else you will have to redo the task already done. Love life may remain passionate.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 You may be in a position to lead discussions. Your performance at work will be appreciated by others. You may discuss important matters with your superiors. Your beloved one may shower love on you so you will be satisfied with your love life.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 You will be thinking about career progress . Your efforts will be appreciated by others. If you are assigned new responsibility, consider it as opportunity. You may have hot discussions with your spouse or beloved, over very trivial matters.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 Your luck is shining today hence you will be ready to take any kind of risk. Office work may be handled well and you will be appreciated. . Your participation in meetings may be enthusiastic. Lovers may enjoy togetherness in quite environment.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

Your mind may be thinking about unresolved issues today. Willingness to finish off pending activities may be high. Before starting anything new, think twice. Love life may not be much charming provided you put in lot of effort to woo the beloved.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 You may face opposition from someone regarding work. You may not be in a position to prove your points, hence you are advised not to confront much. Stress regarding work may make you feel tired. However, your partner may treat you so nicely.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 You might have to put in back-breaking hard work at office today. You will not be interested in any side talks. You may be so engrossed in work that you may even forget your family life. Ganesha suggests you to handle love life with due care.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 Your mind will be full of new ideas that you want to implement at work. You will develop new skills today. As the day favours you, nothing will bother but work pressure may increase because of your initiative. Lovers may enjoy a ball time together.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 Your day may start with a small discussion about a domestic matter. You may reach office in a little strange mood but you will get over it as soon as you start working. . There may not be any remarkable event in your love life.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 Your complete concentration may remain on communications related to work. You may be dealing with new things with new approach. Ganesha finds you handling love life very easily but partner may feel that you are taking it too lightly.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Ganesha finds you highly sensitive to your work. You will have good time at work and may finish your job with complete dedication but as soon as the day is over, you may wish to rush home or wish to see your beloved. A romantic evening awaits you. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Thursday, August 21, 2008

Holy gas A society of churches in Germany has set up its own gas company to help credit crunch families hit by spiralling energy prices.

Grappler grabs bronze

Sushil Kumar adds to India’s medal tally

F

reestyle grappler Sushil Kumar provided an unexpected boost to India’s Olympic campaign by clinching a bronze medal, beating Kazakhstan’s Leonid Spiridonov in the repechage match of the men’s freestyle wrestling 66kg class in Beijing on Wednesday. Sushil also thwarted the challenge from American Doug Schwab and Belarusian Albert Batyrov in the first two repechage rounds after losing his opening round bout earlier in the day. Sushil is only the second Indian wrestler to win an Olympic medal after Kashabha Jadhav had returned with a bronze from the 1952 Helsinki Games. This will be after 56 years that an Indian

contingent will return with more than one Olympic medal with shooter Abhinav Bindra already winning the first-ever individual Games gold medal for the country. Sushil had lost to far superior Ukrainian Andriy Stadnik in his first round bout. Immediately after the win Delhi chief minister Sheila Dixit announced a cash award of Rs 50 lakh for the wrestler. “It is a great achievement for Sushil. He is the new icon for Delhi and I will give him a cash award of Rs 5 lakh. If he doesn’t have a job I will provide him with one and if he has one he will get an out-ofturn promotion. His coach Satpal will also get promotion,” Dixit said. PTI