Ergo August 29

A BYTE OF LIFE

Friday, August 29, 2008

12 NAMMA T-SHIRT What do you want on Chennai’s t-shirt? FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 2

05 Tishani Doshi Makes debut as novelist

No. 169

A LEGACY LIKE NO OTHER » PAGE 04

PHOTO: S.S. KUMAR

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ERGO Friday, August 29, 2008

Namma Chennai Chennai’s Captain Planet City girl selected to visit the Arctic for campaign on global warming

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hruti K. Neelakantan, a Class XII student of Sri Sankara Senior Secondary School, is thrilled to bits. While her classmates will be burning the midnight oil to prepare for the Quarterly examinations, she makes an escape to the Earth’s coldest region. Tomorrow she packs her bag to go on a voyage to the Arctic. “My first overseas trip which I have earned myself,” she exclaims with joy. Shruti is amongst the 28 other students from across the world, one of the two chosen from India, to be selected for the Cape Farewell Youth Expedition 2008. Selected by the British Council in collaboration with Cape Farewell in Britain, she will be accompanied by student representatives from Canada, Brazil, Ireland, Mexico and the UK. The 22-day trip (September 1 to 22) will also require her to travel two weeks on a ship. “I will get to see ice caps melting. The whole thought about the Arctic is so thrilling,” says the chocoholic who loves music and cooking. A nine-minute video on global warming, where she could take help from four friends, earned the winning points for Shruti. “We took the idea from Captain Planet, with each of us talking on the five elements of the earth,” says the Indian Climate Campaigner whose most recent campaign was for ‘8888’. Though she will be bringing home lessons on global warming, for now Shruti is looking forward to an encounter with the polar bear. ■ Ergo Correspondent

Once upon a time The World Storytelling Institute is offering a one-day workshop in ‘Introduction to Storytelling’. The session will be held on August 31 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 18, Radhakrishan Salai, 9th Street, Opp. Chennai City Centre, Mylapore. For details, call 98403 94282.

Bunk up at Dee Cee Manor Bunker Bar is the latest club in town to watch out for

Bunker Bar is an underground watering hole for those who like theirspace, especially 1,700 sq ft of it

Bunker Bar and its unique dancefloor.

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hank goodness for more clubs. Recently, at least in the last three months, three new clubs have mushroomed in the city – Vertigo (Deccan Plaza), OPM (Accord Metropolitan) and the more recent Bunker Bar at Dee Cee Manor located in G.N. Chetty Road, T.Nagar. Bunker Bar is an underground watering hole for those who like their space, especially 1,700 sq ft of it. There are two attractions to this place, one being the dancefloor which is merely a four inch elevation from the ground. However, it does have a see-through glass under which several alcohol bottles are laid out on a satin red sheet. P. Viswam, assistant food and beverage manager is quite excited about this and says, “This glass

cover alone can support 40 people at a time and it is quite safe.” And the second attraction – the alcoholic herbal drinks which Viswam claims will leave you with no hangover. I had an Arrow Missile, a mojito which contained white rum, 7up, sugar, cumin seeds, mint, chilly powder and a lime wedge. While the drink was refreshing as promised, it was also slightly spicy. And the Telugu significance does not end there –

My drink, Arrow Missile. Look closely and you will find masala powder sprinkled

PHOTOS: R.RAVINDRAN

even the recommended food on the menu was piquant, starting with the Iyer podi garlic idly, and the salsa sauce that was served with the vegetable bunker roll. For most of it, I was drinking my Arrow Missile the snuff the smoke. The décor of Bunker Bar is tastefully minimalist. Each drinking booth has high-backed wall sofas with hypnotic swirl designs on cushions, cordoned off from other tables with similar designed curtains which leave a neutral, clean environment that anyone will enjoy. Plus, the space is the biggest advantage to Bunker Bar. Even if there isn’t enough place to sit, rest assured that this will be a great place to bring a birthday in.

A whisper to the women In case you were unhappy about the once-a-week sloshers’ fest at 10 Downing Street or at OPM on Wednesday nights, Ladies’ Nights opened this Thursday to the public at Bunker Bar where free drinks (Indian liqueur only) are available between 8 and 10 pm. Stags will have to cough up Rs. 750 as cover charge. For more information, call 28158833/ 28158899.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Chalk your weekend A quick reminder of events and happenings My favourite teacher Teacher’s Day is round the corner and The Accord Metropolitan has an essay contest for students from Classes IX to XII. Topic for the contest is: “The teacher you admire the most”, and should be emailed to [email protected] with name, school, age, class and mailing address of the participant. Essays should not be exceed 250 words and must reach by September 3. The winning entry gets to stay one night at The Accord Metropolitan with his/her family of four and the teacher will be awarded a gift coupon. For details, call 2816 1000.

Ode to the Bard A reading from William Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ will be conducted at Anoki, Chamiers, Chamiers Road at 7 p.m. Aradhana Natabyal, Malathi Muralikrishna, Vasudev Menon, Suresh Koul, Arjun Vasudev and Ajit Chitturi will be part of the readings. For details, call 98401 27103/ 4285 8848

Run Chennai Run Remember to put a reminded on your alarm this Sunday. The Marg Chennai Marathon starts from 6 a.m. at War Memorial near Island Grounds. The registration is still open, so log on to www.givelife-chennaimarathon.com or www.margchennaimarathon.com. Chennai Marathon for Men and Women (18 years and above – 21.09 kms) assembling time 6.00 a.m. The City Run (7 kms) assembling time

7.30 am Junior Run (for school children – 7 kms) assembling 8.00 a.m. Masters Run (3 kms) assembling time 8.30 a.m. Wheel-chair Run (300 mts) assem bling time 7.00 a.m.

Chinese films The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, New Delhi and the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation are organising a Chinese Film Festival. It will feature six Chinese films at South Indian Film Chamber Theatre, 606, Anna Salai. 2 Become 1 is a 97-minute movie directed by Tin Sun Yut Dui, which will be screened on September 3. Other films to be screened include: The Birthday (Sep 3; 7.45 p.m.), Beautiful Homeland (Sep 4; 6.15 p.m.), Call for Love (Sep 4; 8 p.m.), Full Moon Over LiangZhou (Sep 5; 6.15 p.m.) and Turpans Love Songs (Sep 5; 8 p.m.). ■

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AND LET THE GAMES BEGIN T

he ETA Star Corporate Olympiad kicks off Saturday with the bowling championship at Du Bowl, Egmore. Ergo is the media partner for the sports event that has over 35 companies pitting their skills in around 60 disciplines over the next two months. If your company tops an event, be sure to contact us via [email protected]. We will proactively cover the event over the next 60 days, highlighting the success stories. Do remember to send us the photos as well.

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ERGO Friday, August 29, 2008

PHOTO: S.S.KUMAR

Big Story

A legacy like no other T

ucked in a corner of Mylapore is a family like no other, who attend the Sunday mass at a nearby church and make a living out of mirudhangams. Surprised? The legacy started at Tanjore in the early twentieth century and has been carried down the generations and found its way into modern Chennai in 1990s. Walk into Apparsaamy Koil Street (a lane adjacent to Saptaswara Musicals) in Mylapore and ask for Johnson’s Mirudhangam Kadai, and you are sure to be directed to a small space below one of the houses. A cluster of carved wood can be found lying around. Johnson, youngest of four brothers, was the third person in the family to set shop in Chennai.

Anusha Parthasarathy and Nandhini Ramkumar profile the ‘mirudhangam factory’ of Namma Chennai, in the process tracing a legacy that began a century ago The family’s first shop was opened by his brother Guna in 1991. Right now, the extended family, including his brothers and inlaws, own six shops in the Mylapore area. Johnson says: “We were all trained by my dad and his brother. Before setting up the shops, we used to work from home.” Johnson has 25 years of experience in the field even though he set up his shop only a few years ago.

Rich legacy The legacy of Johnson and his brothers date back to over a century ago to the shores of the River Cauvery in Tanjore, where the roots of Carnatic music lay. Traditionally, the family has become synonymous with manufacturing and repairing mirudhangams for an exalted list of musicians, including T.K. Murthy, Umayalpuram Sivaraman, Thiruchur Narendran, Neyveli Narayanan and Erode Nagaraj to name a few.

The materials for making the instruments are bought from Tanjore. There are three kinds of animal skins used: cow, goat and buffalo skins. Apart from these, the other important material used is the kittangal – a rice mixture. This makes the black in the centre of the mirudhangam. They accept custom orders and design mirudhangams according to the singer’s voice or their preference. “Some people buy the basic carved wood from Panrutti and bring it to us for the other

effects like adding the skins and the black centre. When people get used to the skins we provide, they keep coming back to us.”

Price list The price of the mirudhangams varies with size and ranges between Rs.3,000 for kids to Rs.8,000 for professionals. There are three grades of wood quality and usually for bhajans and the like, third quality wood is used and for concerts first quality is preferred. “Our labour charges range anywhere from Rs. 250 to Rs.600 for repair work. For making the entire instrument, the charge is fixed at Rs.1800,” says Johnson. Apart from Mirudhangam, they also do repair work for dholak and tabla. ■

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Friday, August 29, 2008

The poet-journalist-dancer on Muttiah Muralitharan, her first novel and the late Chandralekha

Tishani’s tryst VIPASHA SINHA Tishani Doshi doesn’t quite match the general perception of an author. You are most likely to mistake this 31-year-old writer, poet, journalist and dancer for an actor or model at first sight. Born in Chennai to a Welsh mother and an Indian father, she had her education from Queens College and Johns Hopkins University in the US. Tishani was conferred the Eric Gregory Award in 2001, which is awarded to poets, and her first collection, Countries of the Body, won the 2006 Forward Poetry Prize for best first collection. The opening poem, ‘The Day We Went to the Sea’, which is based on the 2004 tsunami, won the 2005 British Council supported All India Poetry Competition. Her most talked-about work, however, is her contribution to Muttiah Muralitharan’s biography. Besides, she has also trained in contemporary dance under the late Chandralekha. Tishani on her career, experiences and future plans:

Cricket connection I had met Muralitharan in Sri Lanka and his enthusiasm impressed me. I then realised that he hasn’t been given a fair share in the media. I wanted to know about racism in cricket and he is one of the few candidates. But Muralitharan proves to be a loveable cricketer and a link between Ceylon and the Tamils. In the biography I have covered his childhood days and to do the same I travelled to Sri Lanka. I met his parents and

Book Review “Why am I being urged to uncover the meaning of life? Is it my plight? Or is it the curse of being a writer?” writes G.B. Prabhat in the translation of his father G.S. Balakrishnan’s Tamil short story, ‘One Stone’s Throw, One Thousand Droplets’. The short story is one of the 27 short stories that have been compiled and translated into English by Prabhat called Intimate Moments and Other Stories. It is always special to read a book authored by a Tamil writer as their writing style stands out distinctly from others. Take for example, R.K. Narayanan, whose style can be distinguished by a fan even if he just hears a single sentence from one of his books. ‘Intimate Moments’, which is the first story in the book, takes the reader to a whole new level with subtle hints of irony and its wellwritten portrayal of divorce. The story revolves around a sudden coincidental meeting of two people, who were once husband and wife.

Book: Intimate Moments and Other Stories Translation by G.B. Prabhat Price: Rs. 195 There are other light reads with hints of humour that make the readers think, like ‘Hanuman the Fourth’ and ‘The Night of My Desire’. Then there are those that talk about life’s realities like ‘Feet of Clay’ and ‘Violet’. There are also stories that talk about peculiar characters in society, like ‘Doting Diktats’, which is about a man who was extremely conservative and always did the ‘right’ things. Not only have the stories been well-translated, but the writer’s flavour in each of the stories is left intact. The writing flows smoothly, allowing the reader to relate to each of the 27 stories. Some of the stories G.S. Balakrishnan writes are on himself and his family, which is new and quite surprising to read. “Having a father who is a literary genius is both a gift and a problem,” he says in the forword. Intimate Moments and Other Stories is a mustread for any one who wants to explore Indian writing. ■ Anusha Parthasarathy

friends and also visited his school and learnt that he was the naughtiest of all siblings. He had spent his childhood in a boarding school with a brother and his other two brothers studied in day school. When I asked his mother why she chose to send Murali to boarding school, she said he was the naughtiest. The biography will take some time to come out. Muralitharan wants it to be released after he retires and I don’t see that happening any time soon as his career is on a high.

The Pleasure Seekers My first novel, The Pleasure Seekers, should release in 2009 if things go well. It is a love story that involves three generations. It is a story about two children in the ‘60s who are in love and how one of them travels to another country for it. The story is very loosely based on the life of my parents. But it is fiction.

Tishani, the dancer The five years that I spent dancing became the most important days of my life. After a casual meeting with Chandralekha, she asked me to join her and I did so. I was not a dancer but I surrendered myself to her and working with her gave me immense satisfaction. Chandralekha has always been a source of inspiration and I can say that dancing has made me a better writer.

Future plans Right now I am working on the final edit of the novel. Apart from this, my second collection of poems is in the pipeline. I would still like to discover myself further and would love to do something other than writing. ■

Best seller’s list

Top Ten Fiction Brida – Paulo Coelho. Price Rs. 295 Sea of Poppies – Amitav Ghosh. Rs. 599 A Prisoner of Birth – Jeffrey Archer. Rs. 270 The 3 Mistakes of My Life – Chetan Bhagat. Rs. 95 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini. Rs. 315 Shantaram – Gregory Roberts. Rs. 475 Six Suspects – Vikas Swarup. Rs. 495 A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini. Rs. 395 The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho. Rs. 195 Unaccustomed Earth – Jhumpa Lahiri. Rs. 450

Top Ten NonFiction The Secret – Rhonda Byrne. Rs. 550 The Last Lecture – Randy Pausch. Rs. 295 Mario de Miranda – Rs. 2,700 Cold Steel: The Multi Billion Dollar Battle for a Global Industry – Tim Bouquet & Bryon Ousey – Rs. 650 Greatness Guide 2 – Robin Sharma. Rs. 195 Lonely Planet India - Rs. 1095 7 Habits of highly Effective People – Stephen Covey. Rs. 395 We are Like That Only – Rama Bijapurkar. Rs. 495 Aids Sutra – Rs. 395 Blue Ocean Strategy – W. Chan Kim. Rs. 1355 Courtesy: Crossword

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ERGO Friday, August 29, 2008

Village

Mahogany The only wood used by famed London cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale was mahogany.

World’s thinnest LCD

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ony Corp said on Thursday it would launch the world’s thinnest liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs this year, broadening its product line-up ahead of the critical year-end shopping season. The new 40-inch model, which is 9.9 mm thick, is estimated to sell for 490,000 yen ($4,478) in Japan, Sony said. The Japanese electronics and entertainment conglomerate will also offer the world’s first LCD TVs that display 240 frames per second, compared with 120 frames for Sony’s existing models. More frames in a given time make fast-moving images in sports programmes and action movies look seamless.

World’s highest sightseeing spot

Sony, the world’s second-largest LCD TV maker behind Samsung Electronics Co Ltd expects a 46-inch model with the 240 frame function to sell for around 400,000 yen. Both models will go on sale in Japan on November 10, closely followed by overseas launches. Sony said a slowing economy has had little effect on its LCD TV sales, and that the maker of Bravia brand flat TVs is on track to hit its target to sell 17 million LCD TVs in the year to March 2009. Sony shares were down 0.7 percent at 4,140 yen, outperforming the Tokyo stock market’s electrical machinery index IELEC. which fell 1.1 percent. ■ Reuters

The world’s highest sightseeing spot on the 100th floor of China’s tallest skyscraper will be opened to the public on Saturday. The observation deck is 474m above the ground in the Shanghai World Financial Centre. Those wishing to experience a bird’s-eye view of the city will have to pay 25 dollars each, reports the Daily Telegraph. The construction of the building finished earlier this year, but has not been opened to the public as yet. It is the tallest building in China, and has 101 floors for a total height of 492m. Besides the observation deck, the building also boasts a luxury hotel, shops, and 70 floors of office space. Until now, the highest similar venue has been the Sky Pod of the CN Tower in Toronto at 447m high. ANI

Flying is a headache, literally, for many travellers Headaches associated with air travel appear to be a ‘huge and painful problem,’ Israeli researchers report. In a study of 906 men and women who had travelled more than once by plane, nearly 6 percent reported that they experienced headaches associated with flying. Based on 3.3 billion seats available each year on commercial flights, with 70 percent occupancy, Dr. Israel Potasman and colleagues from Bnai Zion Medical Center in Haifa estimate that more than 100 million people suffer from flight-associated headaches annually. “This finding has enormous impact both in terms of suffering and economics,” they write in the medical journal Cephalalgia. Reuters

BBC forced to make musicians keep volume down The BBC has been forced to make musicians keep the volume down to comply with an EU safety directive to ensure performers are not exposed to excessive levels of noise. EU noise control officers have been monitoring rehearsals to ensure orchestras keep below 140 decibels. They are demanding that performers ease off on extra-loud crescendos during the Proms concerts series to protect their hearing. Proms is short for promenade concerts, a term which arose from the original practice of audience members promenading, or strolling, in some areas of the concert hall during the recital. PTI

1,000 pounds for Charles and Diana wedding cake A 27-year-old piece of wedding cake from the marriage of the Prince of Wales Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales has fetched 1,000 pounds at an auction. The cake piece was originally given to Moyra Smith, a member of the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s household at Clarence House, who preserved the topping in cling film and kept it in a metal tin. The nine-inch square piece of icing and marzipan, bought by an anonymous buyer, has the royal coat-of-arms and is coloured in gold, silver, red and blue.

New Bravia 40-inch LCD televison (ZX1 series) which is 9.9 millimeters thick. AFP PHOTO

ANI

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Friday, August 29, 2008

Websites of the day

This day, that year

Hyperactive child rocks out singing school nursery rhyme http://www.i-am-bored.com/ bored_link.cfm?link_id=23636 Want to spruce up your garden gnomes with a morbid twist then this is the site for you http://www.bifrost.com.au/hosting/gnomes/

Tango in red

It was in August 29, 1966 that The Beatles, one of the most popular Rock and Roll bands of all time, made their last scheduled public performance before the group disbanded in 1970.

Recycle and reuse are the keywords The latest ads from many outdoor wear companies boast that products such as garments, shoes and accessories are made exclusively or partly from reusable materials

쒀 The Brazilian couple of Nilza and Pablito dances during the first day of the qualifying round of the Stage Tango competition at the 6th edition of the Tango World Championship in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. AFP PHOTO

Learn thru radio T

housands of primary schools Government schoolteachers are being provided educa- today impart lessons to the prition through radio in Punjab, mary schoolchildren through as part of the Sarva Sikhsa Ab- All India Radio as an attempt to hiyan (education for all) by the improve the quality of educaPunjab government. tion provided at the State-run To make the initiative suc- schools. cessful, radio sets have been At 12-noon everyday, stuprovided to 13,000 primary dents at primary schools in schools in the State. Punjab have a guest-a Radio set The objective is to make edu- Students tune in to the half-ancation accessible to those chil- hour programme relayed from dren who cannot the Jalandhar station of attend a regular the All India Radio. As part of school. Schoolteachers from Launched on Au- Sarvs Siksha different districts are segust 7, “Learning Abhiyan, lected to undergo a Through Radio” pro- primary training programme gramme of the Sarva under the Sarva Shiksha Shiksha Abhiyan is school Abhiyan. meant for students of children in “Learning through the government pri- Punjab are Radio,” will add another mary school. It inpositive dimension to cludes general given improve the standard of knowledge, languag- education primary education in es, and regular curri- through radio Punjab. ■ ANI culum.

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hoe soles made of old tyres, breathable jackets which used to be plastic bottles and T-shirts derived from old rags. The world of outdoor and sporting fashion has discovered that recycled products are not only kinder to the planet - they sell well too. The latest advertising blurbs from many outdoor wear companies boast that products such as garments, shoes and accessories are made exclusively or partly from reusable materials.

Recycling and sustainability Recycling and sustainability were also among the key themes at a recent outdoor clothing trade show in the southern German town of Friedrichshafen. “Nowadays there is hardly anything that hasn’t been recycled,” said Ralf-Stefan Beppler, a journalist who writes about

outdoor equipment and is attuned to the latest trends.

Breathable jackets The first tests with recycled fleece occurred in the 1990s, “but the material turned out to be too hard and customers didn’t accept it. Things have got moving again because the technology is there and modern consumers are more aware of environmental issues. It was about time that the producers of man-made fibres and their customers woke up to what is happening,” said Kristin Grosse-Boelting who heads a research centre on garment technology and economics at the University of Muenster. The recycled material ends up as fabric or as the membranes used in waterproof or breathable jackets. According to Beppler, it is mainly the smaller firms who are taking the initiative and

switching to recyclable products. Among those at the forefront is the Patagonia company in the United States. “In their jackets they are using a recycled polyester membrane which can itself be recycled,” said the expert. Other familiar names are keying into the trend as well. Shoe company Timberland has a product line with soles made partly from recycled rubber. The uppers, cushions and soles of a new range of inline skates for 2009 from K2 are set to be made from fully-recyclable material and T- shirt-maker Anvil in the US has a model which utilises scrap materials. Shoe firm Keen makes bags and rucksacks with inner linings made from recycled polyester using reinforcement material recovered from scrap shoe rubber. ■ DPA

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ERGO Friday, August 29, 2008

Virus at ISS

Technorama

NASA confirmed on Wednesday that a ’worm type’ computer virus sneaked aboard the International Space Station only to be tossed into quarantine on July 25 by security software.

T3 Select: the juiciest technology snippets from T3 Magazine of Infomedia

Ai-eee! Acer slays the EEE PC with its own mini-laptop Standing next to the Eee in the UMPC toilet and giving it stage fright is Acer’s Aspire One. It’s available with a whopping 80GB hard drive, yet has a case barely bigger than its 8.9inch screen - that’s like cramming a piano in to a sock. An 8GB solid state drive version is also available should you want to keep the cost, and risk of it breaking when dropped, down. It can run Linux or Windows XP, weighs less than a kilo and has a pretty decent battery life of 6-hour. It’s out now in blue and white, and will soon be available in, ahem, pink or brown. Nice. Rs 17,000*, www.acer.com

iPhone 3gesus! Apple’s phone is cheaper, faster, finer This is what you’ve been waiting for. The iPhone’ price has been slashed, it’s 3G-equipped for faster downloads and, most crucially, a bit thinner around the bezel. The iPhone 3G - or 3Gesus Phone, as we’ve been calling it - switches between EDGE and 3G to get the swiftest connection, with speeds of about 1.8Mbps possible over the network of Apple’s chosen phone chum, O2. It also has built-in GPS, for potential satnav-type japes and, courtesy of Loopt, the stalker-friendly ability to detect if any of your contacts are nearby. Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync handles push email, so you need never again miss the chance to enlarge your “manhood”. Oh, and the back is now made of plastic and comes in a choice of black or white. How retro. Pricing varies, www.apple.com

Moving on Sing along while you are at it Creative is trying to woo the masses with its MP3 player MuVo T200. Embedded with a new ready thumb drive technology to download the files easily and wirelessly, the portable player has high file storage capacity with loud music that can be heard without earphones. Say what? Rs 3,399, 2GB; Rs 4,999, 4GB, in.creative.com

IE 8.0 unveiled, to contest FF 3.0

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icrosoft has unveiled a trial version of a new Internet Explorer designed to fight the growing challenge from Firefox. But the new browser from the giant software company won’t have it easy. Developers for the opensourced Firefox released a trial version of a new application for the Internet, Ubiquity, which makes it easier to access and share information that combines intuitive commands with

browser functionality. Microsoft’s new Internet Explorer showed off improved privacy and security features that give users greater control over their browsing history, “cookies” and other data. The browser boasts “InPrivateBrowsing,” which allows users to surf the visit being logged in the browser history, and “InPrivateBlocking” that prevents sites gathering information about their visit. It also includes a browsing tool called an “accelerator,”

which allows users to highlight text on a Web site and access a variety of functions, including different search engines, language translation or map

displays. Ubiquity offers a similar service but with a much wider range of commands. Initial reviews found that IE8 also loaded

web pages significantly faster than its predecessor, IE7, and that it matched Firefox for speed. Microsoft is anxious to boost use of its browsers, which have 73 per cent of the browser market compared to Firefox’s 19 per cent share. Prior to the launch of Firefox four years ago, Internet Explorer had over 90 per cent of the market, and Microsoft’s fading power on the Internet is a chief strategic concern. Firefox made its biggest gain in June when more than 8 million people downloaded a new version in the first 24 hours of release. ■ DPA

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Friday, August 29, 2008

Porn mode The latest version of Microsoft’s Internet browser includes a piece of software that lets you surf the Web without a trace of what you checked out. The InPrivate feature on Internet Explorer 8, dubbed "porn mode", allows users to conceal the sites they have viewed at the click of a button.

Light up your drive

A watch loaded with gadgetry W

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oticed that bright white/ bluish headlight emitted by some high end luxury cars like the Skoda, Porsche, Audi? The headlights on these cars are not the ordinary regular type. These are lights emitted by the High Intensity Discharge bulbs also known as HID in short and some of us might know them as Xenons. Most our cars have the Halogen bulbs in the headlight assembly, which are usually 55–65 watts, good enough to give us a clear vision of the road while driving in the dark. But HID kits have revolutionized the lighting technology for cars and bikes, giving a whole new experience and dimension of driving in the dark. HID kits are very similar to mercury vapour lamps used on street lights. The bulb is filled with gas and metal salts that react with an electric charge be-

tween the tungsten electrodes housed within the bulb. Gulp! Let us not get geeky here. The interesting part of the HID is, it does not heat up as quickly as the halogen bulb and it’s a lot brighter than the halogen bulb and most importantly consumes less power. The good old mercury vapour lamps as most of us remember takes a long time to light up to its full potential, but the HID have stood up to this problem with the support of the ballast box. This box is an electronic device that has a group of high current capacitors that help jumpstart the HID instantly. Some of my friends have installed HIDs on their SWIFT, Lancer, Civic and Accord and man! Does it look cool or what?

Some of my friends have installed HIDs on their SWIFT, Lancer, Civic and Accord and man! Does it look cool or what?

hile the chunky Suunto X10 might not go well with a tuxedo, James Bond would still love it. The watch hides a Global Positioning System unit, stopwatch, compass, barometer and altimeter into a package not much bigger than 007’s favourite Omega. Because the X10 can track GPS satellites, you can record and download your last run or hike to Google Earth or other digital mapping programs. You can also plan routes and set waypoints for future trips on a PC using the included Track Exporter software.The X10 offers 33 percent longer battery life

There is one important part that we need to buy before running to your nearest car accessory store to get the HID. The HID kits are best if you replace your headlight assembly with the projector headlight kit as shown in the picture. HID are very bright and disperses light all over the place literally blinding oncoming traffic, hence it needs to be focused using a projector kit. You can still install the HID on your regular headlight assembly as well but you will find it difficult to focus the lights and also end up being mobbed by other drivers for blinding them. So please get the projectors before you install the HID and enjoy High Definition night driving. ■ Ping your feedback to Vikram at [email protected]

than its predecessor, the X9i, and charges via an included USB cable. It also uses a newer GPS chip that finds and locks onto satellites faster than the X9i. If you become lost, a press of the "Find Home" button will direct you back along the same route you came or even offer a more direct route. The watch also displays current speed and distance travelled. It should be available in September, sadly without the garrotte or sleeping gas attachments available from Q branch. NYT News Service

Recording a smile 쑸 A model displays Japanese camera giant Nikon’s new digital single lens reflex (SLR) camera "D90", equipped with a 12.3 mega-pixel CMOS sensor, enabling to shoot video recording, the world’s first function for digital SLR camera at a Tokyo hotel. Nikon will put it on the market on September 19. AFP

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ERGO Friday, August 29, 2008 Hello Backpackers, Send us pictures of your team or family outing with a small write-up on the place, mentioning why the trip was special, how you got there or any travel experience for that matter. Email: [email protected]

BackPackers

On a nature trail MURUGAKUMAR

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n a recent visit to Ernakulam, I was lucky enough to spend some time at Ezhattumugham (35 km form Cochin) one of the few places in Kerala which is still tucked away from the eyes of the marauding tourists. We took a car from Cochin and drove along NH47 before taking one of the many side roads at Karayam Parambu near Angamaly before reaching our destination after several detours. Road signs are a scarcity and very few know about the place and we would have been lost if not for a few helpful local residents. Ezhattumugham is located in the mouth of seven streams and the place provides you with a sense of privacy and abundant natural beauty. It has slowly

started to gain in popularity amongst the locals and the civic body has built a small park with rest rooms and charge you a nominal sum for all the facilities. Unlike other tourist spots, Ezhattumugham is still free from ugly constructions and shops and hotels are yet to spring up at every corner, giving the place a rare sense of calm. But one wonder how long it will stay like that. The Chalakudy River flows lazily through the area before forming a waterfall at Athirampalli, eight km from Ezhattumugham. It can be a perfect place for a family outing, where you can simply pass a day playing or just relaxing in Chalakudy’s cool pristine waters. ■ (The writer works as a Manager with Financial Software & Systems)

Where is it? Ezhattumugham is 35 km away from Cochin and is a part of the Vettilapparai Estate owned by the Kerala Government.

How to go? The best way to reach the place is to take a car from Cochin. There are bus services available from Angamaly and Chalakudy via Mookkannur, but they are infrequent.

Places to see? Athriapalli Falls and Vazhachal Falls

Online booking: http://www.naturenest.com/naturePackage_4.htm

Helping hand

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ibetan antelope popularly known as Chiru, blue sheep, wild Yak and many other rare and threatened species in the high-altitude Himalayan region have greater hope of survival with wildlife experts and armed forces joining hands for their conservation. A research project has been initiated by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in collaboration with forest department of Jammu and Kashmir, ITBP and Army in Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary’s Changchenmo valley in Ladakh to identify threats and management issues for the survival of these animals. The idea is also to study the habitat characteristics and seasonal movement patterns of these ungulates which are on the verge of extinction due to massive destruction

of their habitat and hunting by poachers. For instance, wild Yak presently exists only in the Changchenmo valley in Ladakh in the entire Himalayas and are rarely sighted says K Sankar, senior scientist at the Dehradun-based WII who along with his colleague GS Rawat has undertaken the four-year-study. In other areas in Himalayas, the bulky animals that weigh about 1,000 kg and have long black hair with curved horns on their head are domesticated and their breed is not pure. “The wild gene of yak is thus very important for future genetic studies for diseases resistance etc. The study aims to evolve a longterm population and habitat monitoring protocol for Yak as other fauna in the region,” says Sankar. Since army and paramilitary forces per-

sonnel are always on patrol in inaccessible mountain terrain where temperature plummets to as low as minus 40C during winter, they can do the job better then any wildlife expert, explains Sankar. ■

Army comes in to conserve rare wild animals

PTI

Tibetan antelope (Endangered species) Scientific name: Pantholops hodgsonii Height: 1.2 metres (4 feet) The coat is grey to reddishbrown, with a white underside. The males have long, curvedback horns which measure about 50 cm (20 inches) in length. There are less than 75000 individuals left in wild, down from a million 50 years ago.

PHOTO: AFP

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Friday, August 29, 2008

Longest journey The Himsagar Express, between Kanyakumari and Jammu Tawai, has the longest run in terms of distance and time on Indian Railways network. It covers 3,745 km (2,327 miles) in about 74 hours and 55 minutes.

Kalka-Shimla Railway Kalka-Shimla runs on one of the most fascinating landscapes and runs on a narrow gauge only 0.762 m wide. It covers a 96 km stretch between Kalka and Shimla and passes through breathtaking landscapes of the majestic Himalayas, tunnels, bridges and lush green valleys embroidered with pine and oak trees.

Chugging ALONG ERGO CORRESPONDENT

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ince its introduction in 1853 Indian Railways has become the easiest and the most widely used travel medium in the country. Covering the length and breadth of the country; Indian Railways covers a total length of more than 63,327km making it one of the most extensive railway networks in the world. Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya are the only states in the country apart from the two islands of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep that are not connected by the Railways. India altogether has 6,853 Railway stations and Ib station in Orissa has the shortest name while Sri Venkatanarasimharajuvaripeta in Tamil Nadu has the longest name. Apart from the normal freight, passenger and suburban trains, Indian Railways also has a few modern day luxury trains like the Palace on Wheels and Golden Chariot. But a host of toy trains specially built for mountainous terrains give Indian Railways its most unique feature. We take a look into the various toy trains that run in the country. ■

The Kangra Valley Railway The Kangra valley railway is one of the most fascinating railway networks in India. A train that travels through the breathtaking valleys of the Himalayan region, the Kangra Valley railway is truly unmatchable. The unique line of Kangra Valley Railway has just two tunnels, one of which is only 250 feet and the other 1,000 feet in length.

The Darjeeling Railway

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is one of the most fascinating and superb engineering feats of the world. The Darjeeling toy train runs 83 km between Siliguri and Darjeeling and takes about eight hours to complete the journey. It runs on a narrow gauge, only 0.6096 m wide but the journey offers an exhilarating experience, travelling through innumerable loops and tunnels. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Running since 1899 Nilgiri Mountain Railway’s has one of the steepest railway tracks in Asia. The main feature of the Nilgiri mountain railway is its unique rack system and the equally unique and complicated locomotives. It covers a total distance of 46 km between Mettupalayam and Ooty and is also a World Heritage Site.

Matheran Light Railway

The Matheran light railway has an interesting history. Abdul Hussain, son of business tycoon, Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy, started the construction of Matheran railway. The construction of Matheran light railway started in 1904 and the two feet gauge line finally opened to traffic in 1907. The “One Kiss Tunnel” is the most notable point in its journey when the train passes through a tunnel which gives couples only enough time to steal “one single” kiss.

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ERGO Friday, August 29, 2008

Portfolio

Kapaleeswarar Temple, Filter Coffee, C W What should namma Chennai’s t-shirt flaunt?

hen it comes to flaunting one’s love for one’s city on a t-shirt, ‘I Love New York’ is probably the most successful logo around the world, spawning copycats like ‘I Love London’ and more. The ‘I Love New York’ t-shirts (with a capital ‘I’ followed by a red heart and ‘NY’ in American Typewriter font) are souvenirs any tourist to the Big Apple wouldn’t come back without. Milton Glaser was the man who designed the logo for an advertisement campaign. In India ‘I am a Mumbaikar’ is high on recall value when it comes to Mumbai’s t-shirt. Similarly, ‘Bangalore My World’ (with a majestic Vidhan Soudha’s picture on it) and ‘I’d Rather Be In Bangalore’ are quite popular.

Kapi and kolam What should namma Chennai’s t-shirt capture – the bustle of Chennai Central, the colour of Mylapore’s Kapaleeswarar temple, the legendary filter coffee or Chennai’s music scene where both Rock and Margazhi find patronage?

Recently, Chennai celebrated Madras Week with a host of events and contests. Among the latter is a t-shirt design contest that is held every year. According to organiser Vincent D’Souza, “We invite the winner to better the design that he/she has entered for the contest or even come up with a totally new design for next year. We are not professional designers but we do give in our inputs to the designer. At the end of it, about 100200 t-shirts are printed for next year’s Madras Week and circulated.” Architecture student Aparna won the contest this year. Previous designs include the kolam and kapi t-shirts with ‘Namma Chennai’ inscribed on them. Says designer Sidney Sladen: “The trick is to get something that one can easily remember. I guess that’s why ‘I love New York’ is so popular. ‘Chennai Rocks’ is one t-shirt slogan I can recollect and that would be my pick for a Chennai t-shirt.”

Make your own Getting your own customised Chennai t-shirt is easy as all you

need is a soft copy of what you want printed on it. There are stores that cater to both bulk and individual orders. Imran Khan of Cuir Galerie and Falcon in Spencer Plaza says, “A fivestar hotel recently placed an order for 200 Chennai t-shirts to gift to visiting dignitaries. We’ve been asked to do a collage of prominent Chennai landmarks, like Central Station, the Kapaleeswarar temple and St. Thomas Mount.” On whether there have been many individual orders for Chennai-themed tshirts so far, “No” comes the reply. Chennai-based DilSeBol.com is a site where you can get your t-shirt customised. T-shirt makers Myntra Designs sent us their instant designs for Chennai t-shirts. One design goes ‘Film City Namma Chennai’. Ode to Rajini and Kamal Land. ■ If you have an idea for Chennai’s own t-shirt, just send it to us at [email protected]. You can either send us a JPEG version of your own logo or design or just a description. The best ones shall be published in these columns next week.

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Friday, August 29, 2008

Central Station or Kolam

PRICETAG

쒀 (From left) The famous ’I Love New York’ t-shirt, a Bangalore tshirt and a jiffy design sent by Myntra

Nike brings to you the Sport Exotic Premium Tote. Styled in synthetic leather or faux suede, the tote comes with a zippered main compartment with easy access to contents. Along with an exterior front zip pocket there’s also an interior pocket for personal items. Price: Rs. 2,700 ColorPlus Woman presents the ‘La Dolce Vita’ collection, inspired by the works of Vincent Van Gogh. Elegant and low-key, the clothes combine the modern with an old world charm. Jewel tones and subtle embellishments characterise the line, along with delicate tie-ups, pin-tuck detailing and contrast trimming. The range includes ultra-feminine skirts, dresses and tops in shades like burnt oranges, wine tones, royal purples, emerald greens and blacks. For more information visit: www.cpwoman.com. Price: Rs. 2,000 onwards

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ERGO Friday, August 29, 2008

Cucumber

Wellness

Anyone allergic to pollen or aspirin should avoid eating cucumbers. They can cause an upleasant mouth itch.

Time to play “God has done everything he can do for you. He created a fantastic world for you that you would never imagine. He has put his own being into you in so many ways. And now, it is your time to play the game.” SADHGURU JAGGI VASUDEV

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od will not lift a little finger for you, please know, because whatever he has to do, he has done it. His work is not pending. He has done a fantastic job over the creation, isn’t it? He has done a fantastic job. There is nothing to complain. He has put himself into you; beyond that he cannot do anything. Now you go on asking,

‘O god! – Give me money, give me that.’ God will not do anything because his job is finished now it is your job. Let us say, you are in the football team for India for the next world cup and you are with the coach. He puts everything into you; everything he knows about football, he puts them into you. So many years of intense training happens and everything that you need to know about football you

came to know. Now the time to play the match has come and you are in the football field. When the ball comes to you, if you look at the coach, what to do! That’s what you are doing now. God has done everything he can

Agarbathis and cancer risk B

urning incense sticks or agarbathis may create a sweet scent, but regularly inhaling the smoke could put people at risk of cancers of the respiratory tract, researchers have found out. In a study of more than 61,000 ethnic Chinese living in Singapore who were followed for up to 12 years, the investigators found a link between heavy incense use and various respiratory cancers. A common practice Incense has been used for millennia in many cultures’ religious and spiritual ceremonies. In Asia, people commonly burn incense in their homes – a practice that is becoming more popular in Western countries as well. Incense is usually derived from fragrant

plant materials, like tree bark, resins, roots, flowers and essential oils. Past research has found that burning these materials can produce potentially cancer-causing substances, including benzene and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. For their study, the researchers followed 61,320 Singapore Chi-

Burning agarbathis can produce carcinogens like benzene and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, says a new study

nese men and women between the ages of 45 and 74 from the Hokkien or Cantonese dialect group. All of the subjects were cancer-free at the outset. Those who used incense heavily had higher rates of a type of cancer called squamous cell carcinoma, which refers to tumors that arise in the cells lining the internal and external surfaces of the body. The risk was seen in smokers and nonsmokers. Study participants who used incense in their homes all day or throughout the day and night were 80 percent more likely than non-users to develop squamous cell carcinoma of the entire respiratory tract. ■ Reuters

do for you. He created a fantastic world for you that you would never imagine. He has put his own being into you in so many ways. And now, it is your time to play the game. But you look at God and ask, ‘take care of my children, take care of my business, property, make me pass my examination.’ If you are such who cannot pass an examination, why join college or school. If you are such an idiot, you cannot run a

business, why do you start the business? If you are such a fool, you cannot bear your children, why did you bear them? He has given you the intelligence; he has given you the body; he has given you everything to run the stupid things in life, isn’t it? Everything that you need now has been given. So, it is your turn to play the game now. Match has started, coach cannot interfere now. ■

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Friday, August 29, 2008

Boiling point Vegetables that are boiled actually lose some of their water content. They will weighless after boiling in water than they did before. This is caused by the heat, which breaks down the cell walls and allows some of the water to leak from the plants cells.

Eggs Eggs will age more in one day at room temperature than in one week in the refrigerator.

I want my gift MITHRA SURESH [email protected]

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live with a group of women, some working and some students, who are unanimously adamant on receiving gifts from their boyfriends. What classifies as a gift varies of course.

Where gifting is concerned, it’s never quid pro quo

What we want One of them, let’s call her Sakina, was visibly annoyed and in tears when she complained that despite completing almost a year with her boyfriend, he had not gifted her anything expensive. “It’s not about how costly the present is. It’s about saving up enough money to buy me something that I really like,” she sniffed. And then there is Ramya who will bring back a souvenir from each of her vacations abroad to gift her out-of-station boyfriend and all she wants in return is a phone call or a visit from him. “I know he is working and a student’s life is easier, but I don’t think it takes much time to SMS.”Also there is Nalini who just wants to be left alone. “I come home extremely stressed, more from the office gossip than the workload itself. The last thing I need is my boyfriend calling up to whine about his work or his family.”

What they say Why is it that women are forever dissatisfied with the gifts they get? The men have all the answers. One of them said, “Whatever I get, it’s never enough because a woman reacts optimistically to a gift according to her mood.” And to the fact that they never call when they are supposed to, another said, “I completely agree with the fact that SMSs should be replied to, phone calls should be returned and all that. But if I do not, then I am just tired! There is nothing more to it.” And Nalini’s boyfriend responded to her statement with, “Women want everything. If I was the sort to ignore her and give her all the ‘space’ she needed, I am an inconsiderate workaholic. If I ask how her day was and tell her how mine is, I am a weepy romantic. Either way I lose.”

Mediator musings Ramya Jayachandran, a well-spoken critic on the milestone act of gifting says, “Gifts are a symbol. Both entities in a relationship need to understand that it is important to give the other person what they value the most. It may be knee-pads for the soccer player or a birthstone ring for the girlfriend’s birthday. Or it may be something as simple as making a card. It’s really about the time and the effort put in to make that gift special.” ■

Out of shape wives beware! Married men are going for younger look

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ut of shape wives beware! Married men are now spending more on their looks to become trimmer, fitter and sexier and in the meantime are also attracted to women with similar characteristics. Health experts in the capital city are of the opinion that there is an increasing concern among married men to look slimmer and smarter, an obsession they attribute to the evolution of MNCs and increasing westernisation of the Indian culture. On the flip side, there has been ironically a downward shift in the ever so looks conscious Indian women as they generally get busy with their household affairs ignoring their looks, resulting in being out of shape. “Today, the prosperity among Indian men begins at an early age, where they are slightly balding, confident, mature and wealthy. At this prime of their career, they are going for

cosmetic surgeries, skin toning, facials and massage, which we have never heard from them (men) earlier,” says eminent Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon, Dr Devansh, Max Healthcare hospital. “It’s natural to be attracted by a young secretary or a female employee in your office who works closely with you taking care of your business and projects,” adds another plastic surgeon Dr R Khajanchi, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. However, experts say there are many cosmetic therapies and procedures available through which a woman can regain her looks and shape, which includes botox, fillers, tummy tucks and liposuction. ■ PTI

Men nowadays are going for cosmetic surgeries, skin toning, facials and massage, which we have never heard from them earlier

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Kaneria yearns for Test action

Sport

Pakistani leg spinner Danish Kaneria on Thursday expressed frustration at not playing Test cricket for more than eight months since he toured India in last December and urged his board to increase the Test schedule. “Just imagine my last Test appearance was in India in December. Sometimes it is frustrating. How can a country go without a Test match for eight months?” he asked.

Aussies wary of Bangladesh Australia appear to hold all the aces, but they won’t be underestimating Bangladesh in their three-match one-day series starting on Saturday. All three games are being played in Darwin, the series originally scheduled as a Champions Trophy warm-up before that tournament was postponed due to security concerns over the host country Pakistan. Despite being without captain Ricky Ponting, opener Matthew Hayden and leading paceman Brett Lee, the defending World Cup champions are expected to be far too strong for Bangladesh. However, Australian seamer Nathan Bracken said they wouldn’t underestimate their opponents, having been beaten by them in Cardiff in 2005. “They’ve done it before so, yeah, we’ve got to go out and play well,” he said on Wednesday. “We’re off a break, we’re I guess under a bit of pressure and it’s up to these guys now. It’s up to us to put our hands up and perform well and basically if they play good cricket we have to match it.” Only two of the Australians who played in the Cardiff match, Australia’s only defeat in 13 one-day matches against Bangladesh, are in their 13-man squad for this series – interim captain Michael Clarke and his deputy, Mike Hussey. Bracken said he expected the conditions in Darwin to suit his swing bowling. AFP

Cyprus hails landmark win Football-mad Cyprus celebrated on Thursday after Anorthosis Famagusta made sporting history by becoming the first Cypriot side to reach the Champions League group stages. Around 4,000 fans gathered outside Larnaca airport early Thursday morning to welcome their heroes after Anorthosis qualified 3-1 on aggregate following a 1-0 reverse against Olympiakos in Athens. AFP

Acid test for Scholari

BATTLE FOR EUROPE Ferguson plans to field strong team in Super Cup

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lex Ferguson is likely to use Friday’s European Super Cup match against Zenit St Petersburg as the perfect opportunity to revitalise his Manchester United team after a tricky start to the season. Zenit will be looking for another British scalp in the traditional match between the winners of the previous season’s Champions League and UEFA Cup, which the Russian side clinched with victory in the May final against Scotland’s Rangers. United have been hit by injuries, suspensions and Olympic call-ups this month but Ferguson is hoping club skipper Gary Neville, fit after a series of careerthreatening injuries, Nani, who has had a league suspension, and Brazil’s Anderson, just back from the Beijing Games, will play a part on Friday.

Going for a win

Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari should enjoy his first taste of a London derby on Sunday, with the Premier League leaders hosting unsettled Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge. The Brazilian’s side have yet to concede a goal in two league games while Spurs, undermined by Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov’s determination to leave, have suffered two stinging defeats. With champions Manchester United playing the UEFA Super Cup with Zenit St Petersburg in Monaco on Friday and absent from the weekend’s domestic programme, the spotlight falls on early pacesetters Chelsea and Liverpool. “I am happy because we have played two games and won two games, but it is difficult,” Scolari said on Wednesday. “We now have a big derby on Sunday and all the teams are very good.” Chelsea thrashed Portsmouth 4-0 in their opening match of the season but were more restrained in winning 1-0 at Wigan last weekend. Pending the signing of Brazilian forward Robinho from Real Madrid, and following the departure of Andriy Shevchenko to AC Milan, the West Londoners remain short on strikers although Didier Drogba could be back from injury to play at least a part in Sunday’s game. AFP

“I think we’ll view the Super Cup as a one-off and we want to win it obviously,” Ferguson said at a press briefing at United’s Carrington training ground before leaving for Monaco. “But it is also an opportunity to play Anderson, back from the Olympic Games, Nani who’s available from suspension, and if possible Gary Neville. I think those three will all figure in Friday’s game. Patrice Evra and Wayne Rooney will also be involved. After that it depend whose back from injury – if Owen Hargreaves has maintained his training performances he will play. I think we’ll play a strong team but there’ll certainly be some changes.” United will, be without the injured Michael Carrick, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs who has a hamstring problem. Anderson and Carlos Tevez, who missed United’s disappointing 1-1 draw against Newcastle United in the opening league game of the season because of a family bereave-

ment, returned to the side for Monday’s 1-0 win at Portsmouth. Ferguson will be hoping they also feature against the Russian champions at the Stade Louis II.

Impressive Zenith Zenit, who scored some impressive victories on their way to lifting the UEFA Cup, should have their latest acquisition, Portugal midfielder Danni, available. He joined Zenit for a Russian league record 30 million euros ($44.12 million) from Dynamo Moscow this week and is expected to play against United. “Danni looked good in training and he’ll get a chance against Manchester United provided that all the paper work is done on time,” Zenit coach Dick Advocaat told reporters. Unsettled playmaker Andrei Arshavin, who could still move abroad following his fine showing at Euro 2008, is also included in the squad. “Arshavin is flying with us to Monaco but I haven’t decided yet if he would play or not,” said Advocaat, mindful of the fact that the summer transfer window is closing shortly. Arshavin, who has been strongly linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur in England for the last two months, missed Zenit’s last league match on Sunday. Zenit won 3-0 at Krylya Sovietov Samara to move back into title contention. They trail league leaders Rubin Kazan by 11 points with 11 matches left. ■ Reuters

Andrei Arshavin PHOTO: AFP

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Friday, August 29, 2008

Winning bonanza Olympic bronze medallist Vijender boxed his way to his first endorsement deal with Bajaj Allianz on Thursday. Meanwhile low-cost carrier SpiceJet Friday announced life-time free travel for Indian boxer.

Matter of Honour ERGO CORRESPONDENT

Liuzzi comes eighth fastest in training session

[email protected]

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fter a series of debacles, Force India is slowly creeping back to win some respectability in the F1 circuit. The elder statesman of the team, Giancarlo Fisichella, finished a strong 14th at the recentlyconcluded European Championships in Hungary and on Thursday test driver Vitantonio Liuzzi surprised everyone, driving a hiccup-free 99 laps on his way to post the eight-fastest time at a free practice session at Autodromo Nazionale di Monza in Italy. Happy with his effort, Liuzzi said: “We tried to get a good set-up for the rest of the test and the race in just a couple of weeks’ time, and I think we can be happy with how it went.” Race drivers Adrian Suti and Fisichella are expected to take over for the rest of the test sessions scheduled for the next two days. “We had a difficult race in Hungary,

where the conditions were very hot. We had some problems with the gear box and our strategies didn’t work sometimes, but we have to keep focus and keep moving forward,” Italian Fisichella said about his home Grand Prix. Scheduled for September 14, the Italian Grand Prix, where Michael Schumacher had set a track record of 1:21.832m in 2003, is one of the fastest circuits in the F1 calendar with very few hairpin turns, making it a driver’s delight. The Vijay Mallya-owned team are expected to continue with their progress and the chief technical officer of the team, Mike Gascoyne, also echoed Fisichella’s view and egged his team to look forward. “Adrain was honest enough to admit that he made a mistake at Hungary. Giancarlo did well and it’s a big bonus for us and I am confident of a better showing at Monza,” he said. Chief race and test engineer Do-

minic Harlow, too, was pleased with the output. “With the aero configuration for Monza being dramatically different to any other track we visit on the calendar, Thursday’s programme focussed on evaluating different set-ups and wing levels specifically for the Italian Grand Prix. Grip levels are low at the moment, and the tyres we are using are very hard for the conditions, but everyone has the same issue so we will work over the next days to optimise performance,” he added. ■

Giancarlo Fisichella

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ERGO Friday, August 29, 2008

Flick

Britney look-alike, a male Pop princess Britney Spears’ impersonator is not an ordinary look-alike, for it happens to be a male by the name of Derrick Barry.

Kate Moss’ golden glory

The 50 kg solid gold sculpture worth 1.5 million pounds is being counted as the largest gold statue to be made in the world since the time of ancient Egypt

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upermodel Kate Moss’ 1.5 million pounds worth solid gold sculpture is to be unveiled at the Nereid Gallery of the British Museum. The 50-kg magnificent statue has been created by the famous sculptor Marc Quinn. Marc has earlier also made a white painted bronze statue of the star. The artist said that Moss’ iconic beauty was the inspiration behind the creation. “I thought the next thing to do would be to make a sculpture of the person who’s the ideal beauty of the moment, but even Kate Moss doesn’t live up to the image,” The Daily Express quoted Quinn, as saying. The London born artist’s creation is being counted as the largest gold statue to be made in the world since the time of ancient Egypt. Quinn’s latest work, which is thought to also show Moss in a yoga pose, is part of a collection, entitled Statuephilia, by contemporary artists going on display at the British Museum. The exhibition is the subject of a Channel 4 documentary The Sculpture Diaries to be broadcast in the autumn. ANI

The statue would be unveiled at the Nereid Gallery of the British Museum on October 4

US blogger arrested for leaking Guns N’ Roses’ new songs online US federal police on Wednesday arrested a blogger for posting songs from a yet-to-be released Guns N’ Roses album titled ‘Chinese Democracy’ online without the rock band’s permission. Kevin Cogill, who uses ‘Skwerl’ as an Internet name, is charged with violating copyright laws by putting nine of the band’s unreleased songs on his ww.antiquiet.com website for visitors to hear. Skwerl wrote the following message on his website in June when he invited visitors to listen to the unreleased Guns N’ Roses songs: “I always said that the more that Axl and Geffen jerked around trying to figure out how to release this finally finished album that we’ve all been waiting over 13 years for, the greater the chances would be that it would slip out of a pressing plant or office somewhere and wind up in the hands of some asshole with a blog." Cogill could be sentenced up to five years in prison if he is convicted as charged and the motive is determined to be financial profit. AFP

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Friday, August 29, 2008

Chocolate blood

RGV’s claims

Chocolate syrup was used for the blood in the famous shower scene in the Alfred Hitchcock movie Psycho. The scene lasts for about 45 seconds in the movie, but took 7 days to film.

An Indian filmgoer reportedly rented out an entire cinema to disprove director’s Ram Gopal Varma’s claim that his latest horror movie is so scary no one can watch it alone. Pavin Ponanna booked all 227 seats at a Bangalore multiplex for an evening screening of Phoonk.

Cine City

McCartney

Happy B’day, Prasanna

to perform in Israel This is his first ever concert in Israel, four decades after The Beatles were barred from playing there

Actor Prasanna celebrated his birthday in advance on Monday, though it actually falls on August 28. The actor who made his debut in Susi Ganesan’s 5 Stars shot to fame with his performance in Azhagiya Theeyae. His anti-hero role in Anjathey was also well-received. At present, the actor is doing Achchamundu Achchamundu with Sneha.

Congrats! WallE winners The following are the winners of the WallE contest run by Ergo. August 22: Sirisha (TCS), M.Loganathan (Infosys), S. Sathish Kumar (Changepond Technology), Sujoy Roy (Wipro) and Sarantel (Wipro). August 25: E.Srinivas (TCS), Binu (TCS), Indira Boorla (Wipro), R.Satish (Changepond Technology) and Thirumurugavelan (Birlasoft). August 26: K.S.Karthikeyan (Satyam Computers), Vaibhav Singhal (Hexaware Technology), Vijay (TCS), Vimal Varghese (TCS) and Raja Manavalan (Birlasoft). August 27: Maran (Wipro), Indhumathi (TCS), AFP PHOTO

M

usic legend Paul McCartney is to stage his first ever concert in Israel next month, four decades after the Beatles were barred from playing there, he said on his website Thursday. The former Beatles star will play a ‘Friendship First’ concert in Tel Aviv on September 25, as part of a series of one-off gigs in places he has never visited before. “I’ve heard so many great things about Tel Aviv and Israel, but hearing is one thing and experiencing it for yourself is another. We are planning to have a great time and a great evening,” he said. “We can’t wait to get out there and rock.” The Beatles drew up plans to play in Israel at the height of Beatlemania in 1965, but they were cancelled after sponsors failed to raise enough money, and lawmakers voiced concern that they might corrupt young Israeli minds. McCartney also nearly performed in Israel in the late 1970s, when concerts with his post-Beatles band Wings were cancelled due to problems with the venues, he said. In January Israel apologized in letters to the two surviving members of the Beatles – McCartney and drummer Ringo Starr – and asked them to play at the nation’s 60th birthday bash in May. . The Tel Aviv concert will be staged in the city’s Hayarkon Park. AFP

THE FORMER BEATLES STAR WILL PLAY A ‘FRIENDSHIP FIRST’ CONCERT IN TEL AVIV ON SEPTEMBER 25

Selviaruna Radha (iNautix), Vijayshree (Birlasoft) and Subhalakshmi Ramkumar (Wipro) August 28: Arivukkarasu (Wipro), Gobiganesh (Verizon), Rajsekhar (Satyam), Ankit (CTS-Siruseri) and Kalpana (TCS). The winners will get two tickets each to the WallE screening at the Inox multiplex in Citi Centre this Sunday. Winners can collect the tickets at Ergo office situated with The Hindu Newspaper complex on Anna Salai (next to P.Orr and Sons) on Saturday or Sunday between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. The tickets are available in limited numbers for the 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. shows and will be handed out on a firstcome-first-served basis. ■

20

ERGO Friday, August 29, 2008

Scan

Obsessed? According to TV.com, Jake Gyllenhaal’s fans refer to themselves as "Gyllenhaalics."

PICK OF THE DAY - Friday

Zee Studio

Zee Cafe

Star World

Troy – 10-30 pm

Sex and the City

How I Met Your Mother

A modern epic with legendary warrior Achilles reluctantly leading the armies of ancient Greece into battle against the proud city of Troy.

– 9 pm Four beautiful, successful female New Yorkers gossip about their sex-lives (or lack thereof) and find new ways to deal with being a woman in the 90’s.

Zoom

pm Marshall tries to get used to being single in a world that is very coupled-oriented. Barney intended one-night-stand won’t go away.

Kaun – 9-30 pm Urmilla is alone at home on a stormy night, scared and nervous she hears on TV about a killer (who kills women) roaming around.And then, there is a knock on the front door. Who could it be?

–8

PICK OF THE DAY - Saturday

Star Plus

Zee Café

Discovery Travel and Living

Sony

Star Voice of India – 10 pm

Criss Angel Mindfreak

Europe’s Richest People

10 Ka Dum – 9 pm

The show is hosted by Shaan, who with his charming smile and endearing style instantly wins the hearts of all and takes us through weeks and months of tension and joy in the lives of the participants each one striving to achieve the epitome of musical success.

– 10-30 pm Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos ,better known by his stage name Criss Angel is a magician, musician, escapologist, stunt performer, and actor. The show centres on Criss Angel performing unusual stunts and street magic acts.

– 11 pm Europe is a playground for the rich and famous. The show reveal how the better half lives, as Europe’s super rich open their doors to give us an exclusive glimpse into their extraordinary lives

Salman Khan plays a game of Rs 10 crore with participants who have to think like India. In answer to his question the participant needs to guess as close to India’s collective opinion as possible.

Sony Pix

CNN IBN

NDTV Good Times

SS Music

The Queen – 8 pm

The Devil’s Advocate – 8 -30 pm On Devil’s Advocate Karan Thapar studies and probes the week’s biggest developments. This is a razor sharp analysis of the week’s most important happening, a happening that will shape India.

Lounge – 11 pm Relationships, living in, living alone, breaking up and bouncing back, second chances, single parenting. No topic is taboo in the Lounge with Rajat Kapoor.

Room With the View

In the wake of a national tragedy, the prime minister and royal family find themselves quietly at odds. The initial reluctance of Buckingham Palace to mourn Diana is seen by the public as a sign of cool emotional distance.

PICK OF THE DAY - Sunday

– 8-30 pm Room With the View takes you into the glitzy world of movies, from a small budget film to a blockbuster. From opiniated and punchy reviews, a tête-à-tête with the stars to the making of a movie, the show has it all.

21

Friday, August 29, 2008

Aerobics of delivery person A United Parcel Service delivery person typically makes up to 300 pickups or deliveries a day. That compares to someone doing 600 sets of step aerobics a day.

Greetings

[email protected]

.

Anbulla Arnold, Neenga rasikira Ilayarajavin isai pola innalum inivarum ovoru nalum inimayaga amaya manamarndha vazhthukal. Happy Bday... Inganam, Nanbarkal pattalam, Wipro Technologies

Dear Muthu Anna, Some things are left undone, some words are left unsaid, some feelings are left unexpressed, though we are depart,d ue some reasons, i never left u unwished `Happy birthday dear Anna’. Your lovable Sister, V.Radha, IBM DAKSH

Dear Chandrika Parimala, Happy Birthday!!!! From Today New life should start for your best!!! By ever loving Arunkumar.C, Steria India Ltd

Dear Anu, May this day be the beginning of another special year. Let this birthday bring you lot of joy and happiness in your life! A Warm Birthday Wishes from All of us! Warm Regards, FastService ASG Team(HCL)

Dear Bala, Friends are like Rainbows... They brighten your life after you’ve gone through a storm. You ve always been the best friend to us. Wishing you a very happy, colourful and joyful Birthday and a successful year ahead! Ur ever loving friend Saumya, Wipro Technologies

Dear Ganesan, We wish you a wonderful birthday and colours of joy and fun fill the entire life. May all your dreams come true. Cheers, CAT Mfgpro Team Satyam Computer Services Ltd.

Dear VJ, Advance Happy Birthday To You.. Have a Great Year Ahead.. Love ICPRP Team, Hexaware Technologies

Hi Regi, It is a lovely and special day today just because it is your birthday. May every dream of yours come true. Many more happy returns of the day dear....! With Love, Vidhya & Uma, Wipro Technologies

Hi Brinda, Wish u many more happy returns of the day. May all ur dreamz come true. Luv, Ajay, Kalpana, Zubin & Mahesh, Steria & Satyam

Dear Shirish, On your birthday I wish you much pleasure and joy, I hope all of your wishes come true. May each hour and minute be filled with delight, wishing you a Birthday that’s sweet and beautiful…Just like you! Many More Happy Returns of the day! Best Wishes from CFB TEAM & TCS

Dear Kavitha, May your special day be filled with memories and flowers, friendship and happy hours. Wishing you all the fun and excitement that only birthdays can bring. You’re Older today than yesterday but Younger than tomorrow, Happy Bday! Wishing all the best for your birthday. You were born to Party! Cheers, Your Lovable Nokia AS Team , TCS Dear Baskar, You Turn Not Older With Years, But Newer Every Day. Wishing you a Sparkling and Scintillating Birthday..

‘Dance Like A Man’ Lillete Dubey directed play ‘Dance Like A Man’, is a play is about a dancer couple and their family with the recent and ancient, history of India in personal terms, probing three generations of conflict. Where: Lady Andal School, 7 Harrington Road When: August 29, 7 pm Contact: 28363403

Vadapalani Room Guys, Vinod(Wipro), Anbu , Arun , Basha

Hi Vidhiya, Friends will come and friends will go, The seasons change and it will show,, I will age and so will you,, But our friendship stays, strong and true. Advance Birthday wishes my friend From PasserBy

Dear Suji, Today’s the day we get to say we are happy You were born. Let all your dreams come true this year. Many more happy returns of the day.

The Acacia Touch

Desi night @OPM

Wipro friends

Hi Ganesan, May Gods Choicest Blessings shower on your Family! Happy Wedding Anniversary With Love, Pratheesh H, Ganesh S, John, Ganesh C, Thilip, Technosoft Global Services Pvt., Ltd

Hey Raghu, Wish you a plenty wishes from Pradeep, Gani and Arya on your B’day. We all wish you lots of joy follow you and a bright future. We will missssssss you. Cheers, Pradeep(Satyam), Gani and Arya

Dear Wills, God has decorated a life of prosperity for you. May the Sep 1st 2008, be the beginning of it for the couple. All the best dear. By yours, Lloyds-Telephony Team - TCS Dear Deepan, A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip friend! Your birthday makes this day special...Just like you. (Advance) Happy birthday. Have fun filled years ahead! Warm Regards, Vaidhegi, Govind(TCS), Sangeetha,Ashok, Sreevidhya, Lavanya, Rajkumar, Manoj, Jayachitra, Nagappan, Suguna, Parameswari, Priyanka, Gopi, Shenbaga, Karthik, Baby, Shrin, Sridevi and Ashok Moorthy

Hello Gang, Send your greetings to [email protected], with the word ‘greeting’ and the preferred date of publication in the subject line. Example: “Greeting: September 1”. This will help us organise the column. Also, those who want to dedicate greetings, please send your full name, company name and contact number for verification. Cheers, Team Ergo

Pamper yourself with Acacia Touch package, a Hawaiian massage Acacia Touch is a package designed specially using Decleor products to provide radiance and boost to your complexion. Where: Aura, The Park 601 Anna Salai

Shake your legs on some groovy desi numbers at the Desi Night at OPM. Where: OPM, The Accord Metropolitan, 35 GN Chetty Road, T Nagar When: August 29

TOP 5 ONE LINERS 1. An expert is someone who takes a subject you understand and makes it sound confusing.

2. Where there’s a will, there are five hundred relatives.

3. When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.

4. Join the Army, meet interesting people, kill them.

5. Death is hereditary.

22

ERGO Friday, August 29, 2008

Credit crunch eases traffic

Traffic Jam

Congestion on Britain’s motorways has eased following fears the country is about to enter a recession. A new survey suggests that more people than ever in the U.K. are worried about the credit crunch and many have stopped using their cars because of the soaring petrol prices.

sudoku

Abdul Muthalif of Cognizant Technology Solutions clicked this picture while travelling from Chennai to Kanyakumari – between Thenkasi and Tiruneveli station. He titles it as global warming. Agree? Email him at AbdulMuthalif.Syed @cognizant.com Hobby: Gardening Over the next two weeks, the photos featured in this column will win special discount vouchers from travel portal www.yatra.com. So do send your address.

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]

Head of Circulation: RA. Babu Vijay [email protected]

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

KAKURO

23

Friday, August 29, 2008

Word’s worth "Dactylonomy" (dack-tuh-lah-nuh-mee) the science of counting on your fingers. A nice saving term for people who are bad at math. "I’m a dactylonomist, actually. It’s very difficult to be a good one." Chisanbop is a Korean method of using the fingers as an abacus; on the left hand each finger is counted as ten and the thumb as

fifty and on the right hand the thumb is five and the fingers each one. So counting 22 would involve pressing down the fist two fingers on the left hand and the first two of the right; adding the thumb of the left and the remaining two fingers of the right add 52; then you can read the total, 74, from your pressed-down fingers. Chisanbop comes from Korean words meaning ’finger counting method.’

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 You may remain highly creative today. Pace of work may slow down as you may be in a mood to take things very easy. You must avoid ego conflicts with superiors. You will be able to express your love dramatically in front of your beloved, says Ganesha.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Although it is a favourable day for you, you may not be in a mood to do hard work. Probably you are not in a mood to put in any extra effort to do something different. Your relations with beloved may get strained if you display inflexibility.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Ganesha finds you communicating with higher authorities. You may need to be careful about language when you draft email. You need to be careful of misgivings on professional and personal fronts. You will be able to please your partner.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 Others may find you acting bit more authoritative today. Ensure that your relations do not get spoilt because of the same. Besides this, it is a smooth day at work. You may wish to enjoy nice but spicy dinner with your life partnerone, feels Ganesha.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 You may be very assertive, creative and overenthusiastic today. Others may count on you for important decisions. In personal life, your partner may find you very charming. You may remain in a very romantic mood today, says Ganesha.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

Ganesha finds you running after a mirage today. You may fail to judge whether you are working in right direction. Technical difficulties may pull your nerves. Lovers may spend money but ensure that you don’t burn a hole in your pocket.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Important meetings will go well today. You are in a mood to showcase your talents and you will be rewarded well for the hard work. You may need to control your ego while you are talking to spouse or beloved one as only this can spoil your mood.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Ganesha finds you taking your day to day work very easy. You will be focussed while you’re at desk so there are least probabilities of goof ups. If you are at a higher position, you may not allow indiscipline. Love life may take back-seat for a while.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 You will be full of energy today. Because of this, you will be able to finish off your work in time. Your relations with superiors may improve. Personal life may remain cool and hassle free. Ganesha finds you in a mood to treat your life partner very nicely.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 Ganesha finds you getting frustrated over petty matters at office. Ensure that your outbursts do not create problems at office. Control anger. You may remain very romantic hence may wish to spend more time in quite environment with beloved one.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 Ganesha suggests you not to waste time behind false arguments at office. You may feel that others are trying to tarnish your image. But you will win the heart of others by your friendly nature. You must avoid conflicts with beloved today.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 It is day to put in more efforts to prove your abilities. While you are in process to finish off your work, ensure that your health doesn’t suffer. Your love life may require nurturing, for Ganesha feels that you may hardly have time for your lover. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

24

ERGO Friday, August 29, 2008

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Naked art banned A council in Australia is running an art competition but has banned all entries featuring nudes.

EMU compartment becomes delivery room Baby girl born in train that reached Chennai Central

ERGO CORRESPONDENT The EMU train journey from Thiruninravur to Chennai Central on August 28, 2008, is something this 28-year-old mother is unlikely to forget. Her daughter was born in the train compartment during the journey. According to Railway Police, Chitra of Rajan Kuppam near Thiruninravur was nine months pregnant. Following discomfort and pain, Chitra, along with her father, had boarded an EMU train at 5.30 a.m. on Thursday to reach a hospital in Chennai. During the course of the journey, she developed severe labour pain. A few female co-passengers in the compartment came to her aid but before the train could reach the destination she gave birth to a baby girl in the train compartment itself. The Railway Police were informed and when the train reached platform no. 13 at Central Railway Station, a Railway Police team consisting of sub-inspector Gnanaraj and RPF constables Nirmala, Sridharan and Mani helped Chitra and her newborn into a waiting ambulance. The mother and daughter were taken to Egmore Children’s Hospital and they are known to be in good health.■

Anything for Tintin A diehard Tintin fan in Bristol is all set to drive 5,000 miles to recreate the character’s journey in Herge’s 1939 comic ‘The Land of Black Gold’. Businessman Barrimore England-Davis, 33, is doing all he can to make his expedition look exactly like that of Tintin. He has spent 6,500 pounds on a classic red Willey’s jeep, which resembles the one Tintin drove. Dog Snowy will accompany Barrimore during the latter’s six-week tour of Europe and Morocco. “It’s something I always wanted to do,” British tabloid The Sun quoted Barrimore as saying. ANI