Ergo December 17

A BYTE OF LIFE

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

11 JACK BLACK in The Office FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 2

03 WINDOW SHOPPER A decked-up X-Mas with Raave’s

No. 240

And the twain shall meet Liffy Thomas meets working professionals who have managed to balance profession and passion for music this Margazhi season

PHOTO: R.RAVINDRAN

» PAGES 04 & 05

Date Disasters Do you remember the time when you took your friend or colleague to impress them and it turned topsy-turvy when you realised that you had forgotten your wallet or when your guy friend subtly points to the lettuce stuck between your teeth? Well, write them in to [email protected] for our weekend’s Big Story on date disasters.

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Wednesday, December 17, 2008

My story TiE, Chennai will host the ‘My Story Session’ today with Mr. Parthasarathy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nu Street Technologies. The session will be held at Harrisons Hotel, 315 Valluvar Kottam High Road, Nungambakkam at 7 p.m. For details call 98842 84578/ 65154900.

‘Can you throw a shoe at Bush?’ M

onday’s shoe-throwing incident in which a pair narrowly missed its mark, i.e., George W. Bush’s face, has found its fans in the virtual gaming world. And both Bushhaters and sympathisers now have a pastime to boot. T-Enterprise, UK, in its game Bush’s Boot Camp, takes a dig at the security agents who rushed in a little too late, and is aimed at “teaching” them how to save people from random shoe-flingers. “This game was inspired by the event that took place on the 14th December 2008, in the middle of a news conference in Baghdad’s Green Zone,” the website says. Players take on the role of security personnel and shoot at shoes thrown at Bush. At the end of every game, Bush’s health is displayed on the health meter. ‘Protect W’s dignity by stopping the flying shoes for as long as you can’ read the instructions. Krona’s game, on the other hand, gives players a chance to vent out steam. ‘Can you throw a shoe at Bush?’ the site asks. Bush got hit approximately 3,33,200 times till 5 p.m. on Tuesday! By the way, according to reports, a Saudi businessman has offered to pay USD 10 million for one of those shoes. There are other takers, too. ■ Ergo Correspondent

TURTLE BURIED, DEER RESCUED Dead Olive Ridley is washed ashore the Marina, while stray deer is rescued from Mylapore PETLEE PETER [email protected]

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hennai residents had a tryst with the wild on Tuesday; while the dead Olive Ridley turtle on Marina Beach was an object of curiosity, a live deer that ran helter-skelter around Mylapore kept the residents on their toes. An Olive Ridley turtle, listed as an endangered species under the Wildlife Protection Act, was washed ashore at the Marina in a decomposed state on Tuesday morning. Morning walkers who spotted the dead turtle informed the authorities, who on arrival conducted preliminary examinations and buried the carcass there.

Hit by propeller? Ascertaining the cause of the Olive Ridley’s death, K.S. Sathyamoorthy, Ranger, Wildlife Headquarters in Chennai, suspected that the turtle could have been hit by a fishing trawler’s propeller. “The hind limbs were badly wounded and cut marks were visible in the abdominal area. It might have died two days ago and washed ashore on Monday,” said the Ranger. Mr. Sathyamoorthy also informed that the dead turtle could be around 20 kg with a carapace width of 2.5ft and measured 3ft from head to carapace.

Deer trouble A female spotted deer that strayed into R.K. Mutt Road in Mylapore on Monday morning was a surprise visitor for motorists. Following an alert from the public, the Adyar police informed the Forest Department authorities, who rushed and conducted a speedy rescue of the animal. The deer, believed to be five years old, was released into the Guindy National Park here. Authorities point out that there are over 200 stray deer in and around the city, including pockets near the Adyar river and Velachery. ■

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Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Jingle, bauble all the way A shopping session at Raave’s makes for a very pretty Christmas home

PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN

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t’s a week for Christmas and carol singers are already knocking on your door. You’re probably digging around in old cartons to pull out carefully stowed baubles, Christmas stars, shiny jingle bells, Santa sticks and ribbons, all wrapped in dusty cellophane. All fine if you have a good Christmas tree to hang them on. All the better if you don’t. Raave’s on Casa Major Road, Egmore, is probably what a

dream Christmas is made of. Anything you might need to do up your home for December 25, it’s here. The shop was started in 1995 and is probably the largest in the city to deal with Christmas decorations. For obvious reasons, the shop is open only 40 days a year – from November 15 to December 25, after and before which the proprietors revert to their import-export business. The biggest attraction here are the Christmas trees. There are trees that extend to 15ft, while there are others whose star can be fixed by a 3ft-tall kid without him/her standing on a stool. Prices range between Rs. 1,200 and

Rs. 27,000. The trees are made of fibre and are foldable (in case you’re wondering how big a truck you’d need to ferry the 15-footer home). Manger sets start from Rs. 900 and the most expensive one is a 12-statue porcelain set that comes at Rs. 9,500. Fibre ‘mistletoe’ wreaths are priced between Rs. 250 and Rs. 850. Colourful baubles cost between Rs. 5 and Rs. 1,500. There are also musical Santas and angels. According to Nachi of Raave’s, “Sometimes, even when people already have their Christmas trees and decorations, they come here every year to buy some little things just for luck.” Actress

Trisha and singer Vijay Yesudas are a few of the shop’s regular customers. The things are mostly sourced from Taiwan, China, the Philippines and France. ■

Address: Raave’s No. 18, Casa Major Road, Egmore, Chennai - 600 008 (Opposite Don Bosco School) Ph: 4214 6214, 2819 3715/16 Email: [email protected] Website: www.christmasraave.in

04 KALEIDOSCOPE

(Clockwise From Top Left): Vasanth Jayaraman, Ethirajan Ramanujam, Ramakrishnan L, Vasudha Ravi and Sanjeev V. PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN

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he city’s air is filled with raagams, pallavis, aalapanas and the sounds of anklets, quite literally, just in case you paid heed while negotiating the traffic at T. Nagar, Mylapore and a few other pockets. The curtains are already up for Chennai’s Margazhi Mahotsavam, the season of music and dance. A busy schedule for musicians who have a flurry of kutcheris and music-related events lined up for the season. And even more if you are like one of these young, talented software professionals who are juggling work and a line of concert schedules for the season. Liffy Thomas caught up with them in a freewheeling chat outside Luz Church, Mylapore, where they talk about work, music and how the twain meets. Sanjeev: You have to be in the good books of your boss to juggle work and music. Vasanth, Ramakrishnan: Very true! Make sure you perform well at work to come up with any excuses before the music season starts. Sanjeev: I have 22 concerts lined up for the season. And for the last eight years when Margazhi approaches I am given flexi hours – I work from home. Ethirajan: Last year, I was in Bangalore and I took 17 days off from work. I

ERGO Wednesday, December 17, 2008

was shuttling between Bangalore and Chennai. One day off, one day at a kutcheri. It was like a one-day match. Vasanth: It is a different kind of pressure for me. I am into sales. Thankfully, my manager is a guitarist and appreciates and understands me well. Ramakrishnan: I have a ‘deliverable’ on December 31, so my boss is very considerate. (Laughs) These days I only work four hours a day in office. Vasudha: I have a weekly target; so far balancing work, music and a family has all been fine.

Best compliment All (in chorus): Satisfying ourselves is the greatest satisfaction we derive. Have I performed to the best of my capability? Getting a packed audience or performing with stalwarts comes later. Ethirajan, Vasanth: In fact, it is very difficult to hear a compliment from your guru. Vasudha: When I am completely drowned in to my music. When I lose myself...when it looks like I am floating...it is something which I cannot explain...that’s a personal joy which I have got in many of my kutcheris and the greatest satisfaction.

Practice makes one perfect Sanjeev: Classical music is not about practising a month or two before the concert. You are tuned round the year learning various nuances. I have even taken my violin during onsite projects – not for any international performance, music is a great company. Ramakrishnan: We accompanists have to keep on listening. That’s the best form of practice for us. Vasudha: There is nothing like a rehearsal for a majority of classical musicians. Vasanth: That’s why it is said classical music is more an extempore!

Future perfect Sanjeev (firmly): I can’t think of quitting either my profession or my music. Both work and music keep me going. Vasanth: I need to keep selling all my life. Both go hand-in-hand Ethirajan: Thanks to music, we have two set of contacts – corporate circle and friends who have grown with us since our school days. Vasanth: My two software friends are the shade of life at work and it is a different group in my music circle. ■

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Wednesday, December 17, 2008

A gloomy economy, project deadlines, work pressure… watch how some of your corporate colleagues are taking part in the December music season

Ethirajan Ramanujam

V Sanjeev

MRIDANGAM

VIOLINIST

Project Engineer, Wipro Watch out: Vani Mahal (December 20, 1 p.m.), Vipanchi, Lady Siva Swami Kalayala School, Mylapore (December 21, 4.30 p.m.) My Diet: There is no particular food that accompanists need to keep in mind, just that you have to practice very less on the day of the concert, to avoid stress and strain. An unforgettable goof-up: Once I was asked to play for a thalam which I did not know. I had to make it up with some mathematical calculations, so I played the lessons of a different thalam that was mathematically equivalent.

Vasanth Jayaraman PERCUSSIONIST CUM VOCALIST Senior Business Development Executive, Aspire Systems Watch Out: My concerts happen round the year

Sr. Technical Specialist, HCL Watch Out: Santhana Gopalan (Jan 5, Sri Ranjani Trust), Malladi Brothers (December 31, Sri Ranjani Trust), Gayathri Girish (December 17, Karthik Fine Arts), Nithyasree Mahadevan (December 20, Chennaiyil Thiruvaiyaaru)

Ramakrishnan L VIOLINIST Associate, Cognizant Watch Out: Music Academy (December 28, noon), Mylapore Fine Arts (December 21, 3 p.m.), Parthasarathy Swami Sabha (December 29, 2 p.m.)

Shradha Balu

Vasudha Ravi

M.R. Subramaniam

DANCER

VOCALIST

VOCALIST

Software engineer, Cognizant Watch Out: Mylapore Fine Arts (January 7, 7.15 p.m.), Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha, Vani Mahal (January 24, 6:30 p.m.) My Diet: Dance is more than enough to keep me fit. I avoid skipping meals as classical dance demands energy and stamina. An unforgettable goofup: One that I can think of is when I took a quick twirl and I found my false hair (souri) on stage. Really embarrassing!

Human Resources, Lister Technologies Watch Out: Most of them are over. I have one which I am looking forward to. ‘Mudhra’ concert on December 19 at 6.15 p.m. The ‘saptharathnangal’ thematic presentation by Radha Bhaskar will have me recite a few of the special compositions by the Musical Trinity. My Diet: No diet restriction in particular, but I avoid cold stuff especially ice-cream. An unforgettable goof-up: I was singing extempore swaras for a particular lyric in a song. I sang so much of extempore and got so much drowned in it that I forgot the sentence, and ended up with another set of lyrics!

Software Engineer, Satyam Watch Out: Narada Gana Sabha (December 18, 12.30 p.m.), Music Academy (December 20, noon), An unforgettable goof-up: At a concert in Andhra Pradesh, I accidentally merged half of the charanam from a different composition to the one I was singing.

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Masterpieces unearthed Two rare Italian paintings that hung in an English village church for almost 100 years have been unearthed as 15th century masterpieces by Sano di Pietro, and have been valued at around US$ 4,50,000.

Bruni sues over use of nude image on bags

Bush’s shoe-shoot duck becomes YouTube sensation!

French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is suing a fashion chain for selling bags emblazoned with nude images of her in the latest legal action over the presidential couple’s image. At a court hearing on Monday in the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion, Bruni-Sarkozy’s lawyer said the former model was demanding 125,000 euros ($168,300) in damages from local chain Pardon which sold the bags there for a few days.

Video of George Bush, depicting the U.S President ducking shoes thrown at him by an Iraqi journalist during a news conference, has become a rapidly growing YouTube sensation. The footage has taken cyberspace by storm acquiring 11 of the top 20 mostwatched videos spot at the video-sharing website while also becoming a forum for anti-Bush campaigners. Various YouTube users had uploaded different versions of the video, with several videos having more than 500,000 views each, while dozens of versions topped 100,000 views. “People are uploading videos of the incident to YouTube at an average rate of 209 per hour. Currently, there are over 5,000 versions, totalling over 8,145,000 views,” he added.

Reuters

Australian doc claims to produce world’s healthiest wine An Australian doctor has claimed to have produced the world’s healthiest wine that will clean blood vessels and also reduce the risk of heart attacks, if drunk in moderation. “Each bottle contains up to 100 times the amount of resveratrol- a naturally occurring anti-oxidant found in grapes- than a standard drop and helps to maintain blood flow,” a Sydney-based doctor Philip Norrie said. Resveratrol, besides, helping in maintaining blood flow by keeping arteries free of fatty deposits called atherosclerotic plaque, Norrie said adding, a wine infused with high levels of the odourless, tasteless antioxidant would act as a ‘vascular pipe-cleaner’. “While the positive effects of moderate wine consumption have long been documented, the inclusion of such large quantities is very good news for wine drinkers,” Norrie said.

ANI

Paid holiday to federal employees The outgoing Bush administration has one final gift for federal employees - a paid holiday on December 26, which will cost the national treasury 450 million dollars in holiday pay. The National Taxpayers Union, a watchdog on working practices in government and allied fields, was quoted by Fox News as saying that President Bush issued an executive order on Friday, declaring the day after Christmas a holiday and excusing all, but essential executive branch employees from work, with pay. ANI

PTI

Why is US obsessed with ‘God bless America’?

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hy are Americans obsessed with the words “God bless America?” A new Canadian documentary looks at the American fascination with invoking god. The six-part documentary by award-winning Canadian journalist Ralph Benmergui probes why and when faith became such an important part in the life of that country. It probes: When did it become obligatory for presidents to end every speech with the words “God bless America”? Why do so many Americans believe that their country enjoys the lord’s special favour? “God Bless America”, to be aired on Canada’s Vision TV,

premieres January 19 - just a day before the new US president Barack Obama takes oath of office. The documentary looks at how although the American constitution separates the church and state, this dividing line is often hard to find in practice. It shows how the 50 millionstrong Evangelical Christian movement has exercised enormous influence on US politics in recent years of Republican victories, said a Vision TV statement. The documentary also looks at the possibility that the Evangelical movement may decline with the ascension of Obama.

As part of his investigation, Benmergui travelled across the US - from the Virginia campus of America’s most important Evangelical university to the streets of Denver during the Democratic National convention - to meet the men and women who are at the heart of the religious debate within American political life. After meeting punk rock evangelists and Muslim hiphoppers to radical atheists and born-again teenagers on his journey, the documentary maker finds that the relationship between church and state in the US is even more complex than people imagine. ■ IANS

When did it become obligatory for presidents to end every speech with the words “God bless America”? Why do so many Americans believe that their country enjoys the Lord’s special favour?, probes a documentary

07

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Swiss watch in ancient tomb

This day, that year

Archaeologists in China have called in experts after discovering a ring-sized watch with ’Swiss’ engraved on the back whilst excavating a 400year-old Ming dynasty tomb.

It was on December 17, 1967 that Harold Holt, Australian prime minister, drowned while swimming off Portsea, near Melbourne. His deputy, John McEwen, succeeded him.

‘Vogue’ editor tops the list of fashion faux pas of 2008

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he futuristic Chanel gown worn by ‘Vogue’ editor and style icon Anna Wintour has topped the ‘Time’ magazine’s list of biggest faux pas of this year. The magazine has compiled the list of the worst outfits of the year for its upcoming issue. Wintour wore the Karl Lagerfield designed dress at a party in New York in May at a star studded event attended by celebrities like Tom Cruise, his wife Katie Holmes, George Clooney and the Beckhams. Wintour beat celebrities like Madonna, Janet Jackson and Gwyneth Paltrow to earn the first place on ‘Time’ magazine’s list of fashion faux pas. “When the history of modern fashion is written, this will be its Waterloo. Singer Janet Jackson with her glittery futuristic outfit came second on the fashion faux pas list. Third place went to ‘Project Runway’ winner Christian Siriano for her outfit at the premiere of Sex and The City. Shakespeare in Love actress Gwyneth Paltrow came in fourth with the transparent lace basque

Antonio Berardi dress she donned at the Paris premiere of Two Lovers in November. The dress, which showed part of her breasts, thighs and even her white underwear, was slammed by fashionistas. Sixth place went to Kate Bosworth for her vintage Chanel Haute Couture. Seventh position was awarded to Katie Holmes for the white silk jumpsuit and black lacy top combination she wore to the opening of her play All My Sons last month, which was the result of her own creativity. Others in the top ten include Paula Abdul, Kate Bosworth, Madonna and Beyonce. Editors at ‘Time’ magazine have compiled the list for their ‘Top Ten of Everything’ edition. ■ PTI

Time magazine has compiled the list of the worst outfits of the year for its upcoming issue Vogue Editor Anna Wintour, singer Janet Jackson and actor Gwyneth Paltrow.

For a sparkling capital

GETTY IMAGES

A tree for Christmas

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sparkling, clean Delhi and no bad smells either? This attractive picture seems a distinct possibility with the civic agency set to crack the whip from the New Year on all those found littering and urinating in public places. With the 2010 Commonwealth Games barely two years away, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the capital’s largest civic agency, is keen to see Delhi look spic and span. From January 1, 2009, a team of 132 anti-litter inspectors will go around the capital, slapping onthe-spot penalties of Rs.50 on offenders to enforce a long pending anti-litter law. Though the move does not seem very different from previous attempts to enforce the anti-litter law, officials are hoping they will be able to sustain the cleanliness movement this time around. “Keeping in mind the forthcoming Commonwealth Games and in keeping with Supreme Court directives, we have decided

to initiate the enforcement of the anti-litter law from the New Year and to sustain efforts to keep the city clean,” MCD commissioner K.S. Mehra told IANS. The Supreme Court had in 2006 asked for a strict law against those who littered the city. The implementation of the MCD’s policy was lax, with just 1,000 challans for penalties issued in 2006-07. ■ IANS

쒀 A Christmas trees is pictured at a tree farm in Skjoeldenaesholm, in eastern Denmark. AFP PHOTO

08 SPORT

ERGO Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Vendor sells Bradman cap for loss The baggy green cap worn by Australian legend Donald Bradman at his final Test sold for more than 400,000 dollars (267,000 US) on Tuesday, less than its vendor paid for it in 2003. Auctioneer Charles Leski would not reveal the exact price but said it was above 400,000 dollars and below the 420,000 dollars Tim Serisier paid for it in England with the help of his winnings from a TV show.

Sreesanth satisfied with performance Speedster S Sreesanth, who finished with a figure of seven for 117 runs in the last plate group Ranji trophy league match at Keenan stadium in Jamshedpur on Tuesday, expressed satisfaction with his performance. The strike bowler of 20Twenty World Cup winning Indian team eight months ago, Sreesanth played his first Ranji match of the season against Jharkhand after being cured of a back injury suffered six months ago. “I am quite satisfied with the performance and feel 110 per cent fit. This match was very important for me as I have taken to the field after six months following the injury I suffered on my back six months ago. I have really enjoyed the match against Jharkhand,” Sreesanth said when asked how he felt to play after six months. “I will continue to perform to my best and deliver result. It is up to the selector to decide.” PTI

Lehmann hopes to change Deccan Chargers’ fortunes Former Australia batsman Darren Lehmann, who has been roped in as coach of Indian Premier League side Deccan Chargers, feels he can change the fortunes of the team which finished last in the first edition of the Twenty20 league last year. Lehmann will be teaming up with former Australia teammate Adam Gilchrist as he bids to graduate into an international coach. Deccan Chargers, touted one of the favourites in the IPL with explosive batsmen like Andrew Symonds, Shahid Afridi, Herschelle Gibbs and Gilchrist, won just two of their 14 games that resulted in coach Robin Singh being shown the door and VVS Laxman dropped from captaincy. “There was a lot of negative feeling around the team last year,” said Lehmann, aware of Afridi’s criticism of Laxman’s dour leadership. “We are trying to turn it around – before I even get there – into a positive feel through the players and coaching staff. I want to gel the group to become closer and play a better brand of cricket than last season. I think Gilly is sick of me ringing him but we are planning for a positive and fluent IPL side,” Lehmann was quoted as saying by The Advertiser. Lehmann feels a sound performance with the Deccan Chargers would enhance his ultimate desire to become Australia’s coach.

On the fast track Armaan Ebrahim signs up for Formula 2 Championship

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pcoming Indian motor racer Armaan Ebrahim will compete in next year’s F2 Series which is being promoted by the FIA, the world body of motor sports, and billed as the feeder series to Formula One. F2 Series organiser and former F1 driver Jonathan Palmer of Motor sport Vision Ltd confirmed the signing of Armaan for the championship, which starts in April next year. Armaan joined drivers such as Julian Jousse from France who finished second overall in the World Series Renault and Robert Wickens, a junior Red Bull driver who won a couple of A1GP races in 200708, who have been the first few contracted drivers with F2. The F2 series, which was conceptualised by FIA for those drivers who cannot afford huge budgets required for GP2 and World Series Renault, will consist of eight rounds with 16 races across Europe. It starts in April with the official test days and the races start in May 2009 and finishes in November.

Big catch The winner of the F2 Championship will get a test drive with the Williams Formula One team and the top three winners will be awarded a F1 license by the FIA. Armaan, who is undergoing training in Singapore after his very first test in the new Ferrari powered car in Sepang, for A1GP Team India said it was a welcome development for a racer like him who could not find enough sponsors for GP2 Series or World Series Renault Championship. “The F2 Championship is a bold and revolutionary concept and a very beneficial concept for most drivers including myself. I wanted to try to do the GP2 Series or the World Series by Renault for 2009. But had only a five per cent chance to find the budgets for those championships as I am not from a wealthy family, nor are such huge sums of sponsorship money available in India for an upcoming racing driver. The budget for 2009 that we have to find is in the region of Rs two crore. My existing sponsors JK Tyres and Amaron have already confirmed their support for 2009 despite these difficult financial times. I am presently in discussions with BPCL for their continued association with me,” Armaan said.

Fast cars The Williams Formula 1 Team is building the official partners to the championship and all the cars. The cars will be built very close to F1 car specifications adopting the same technology of a F1 car. The engines that will be used are the Audi 1.8litre Turbo charged engines producing 450 BHP with power boost. The gearbox will be a six-speed paddle shift gearbox, which will be very similar to that of the present F1 cars. The F2 Championship will cost 1/4th that of the GP2 Se- ries and half the cost of the World Series Renault Championship. All the 24 cars will be built by the Williams F1 Team at their factory and all the cars will be run by the mechanics and engineers appointed by Palmer Motorsport. Certain suspension mechanisms and the gear ratios as well as the differential settings will be the same for all cars, thereby reducing the cost and cutting down on inventory and more importantly making the cars more equal than before which then puts a lot of focus on the driver rather than the expertise of the team. ■ PTI

PTI PHOTO: RAJEEV BHATT

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Wednesday, December 17, 2008

‘‘

Obviously the lads have put everything into it and to come out with nothing at the end of five hard days is tough, but it was a great game of Test match cricket. Sehwag came out and changed the momentum of the game completely and then they played with great skill and took themselves home. England coach Peter Moores

Chasing the elusive S

ir Alex Ferguson is desperate for Manchester United to be the first British team to get their hands on the Club World Cup, one of the few trophies he has yet to win. United arrived in Tokyo on Monday after a long flight from London, hoping that the gruelling mid-season trip will not damage their Premier League campaign. Having already put back August’s match against Fulham because of their participation in the UEFA Super Cup, the trip here leaves them with two games to make up on their chief rivals. After a scoreless draw against Tottenham on Saturday, at least United will be buoyed by Chelsea’s failure to take advantage in their 1-1 stalemate with West Ham on Sunday. Even if United return home facing a daunting points deficit in the league, the Scot believes the Club World Cup is worth the trouble.

Poor record Having won the Champions League in 1999, United qualified for the inaugural tournament of continental champions in Brazil in early 2000 after controversially pulling out of the FA Cup in order to feature. But they failed to get past the group stage after being beaten 1-3 by Brazilian side Vasco De Gama and drawing with Mexico’s Rayos del Necaxa. “This is a very difficult tournament, different from what we were used to last time, but hopefully we can handle it,” he said before United’s departure. “It’s a good opportunity for us to get the team together in a serious competition because no British team has ever won it and it’s a big challenge to us.” He said winning the trophy would be important for the club and for the club’s record. “We feel we should have won more in Europe but having won the Intercontinental Cup back in 1999, we were the first British club to do it, and that’s a prestigious piece of history for us,” he said. United defeated Brazilian side Palmeiras in Tokyo in December

Cristiano Ronaldo (centre) of Manchester United works out with team mates during a soccer training session for the FIFA Club World Cup in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES 1999 to win the traditional showdown between European and South American champions. “To win this one would be even better for us,” Ferguson said. Despite missing next weekend’s round of Premier League matches, Ferguson is not overly concerned. “It isn’t the best in terms of us going for the championship but if you ask me if we’d like to play in it again next year, I would, without question, love to be there,” he said. “You only get there by invitation if you win the Champions League and that’s how prestigious it is for us. It’s a fantastic tournament to be involved in.”

Two wins away

As a seeded side, United go straight into the semi-finals of the seven-team competition on Thursday, where they face Japan’s Gamba Osaka, who beat Adelaide United 1-0 on Sunday in a replay of their AFC Champions League final. Despite being strong favourites to lift the cup, Ferguson expects a stiff test in front of a home crowd in Yokohama. He admits he has been impressed with the emergence of the Japanese game. “I don’t know a lot about Gamba but I do know that Japanese football over the last decade has been improving remarkably,” he said. “We’ve been to Japan three times and each time they’ve been very difficult games. They’ve

always been very close games so the improvement is there for everyone to see, the enthusiasm is fantastic in Japan, the crowds are very high and the stadia are fantastic. Japan is a great platform. Where we played the Urawa Reds was fantastic, not just the stadium but the facilities for the players to prepare. The gyms for the warm-up were the best I’ve ever seen. It was really remarkable.” United’s main threat to their title push is expected to come from South American champions Liga de Quito of Ecuador, who play Mexican powerhouse Pachuca in their semifinal on Wednesday. ■ AFP

FERGIE DESPERATE TO WIN CLUB WORLD CUP

10 FLICK

ERGO Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Susan to Sigourney Sigourney Weaver’s real name is Susan Weaver, but she changed her first name to be named after a character in the classic novel The Great Gatsby.

It wasn’t her

An unlikely date

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nne Hathaway will walk down the red carpet for the Golden Globe Awards next year with her mother – not new boyfriend Adam Shulman. The 26-year-old actress, who is dating Shulman, has received a Best Actress nomination for her role in Rachel Getting Married, reports the China Daily. And although the ceremony is still over a month away, Anne has decided that she’ll take her mum as her date to the awards. “I already asked my mum if she can come with me. So mummy is going to be my date,” she said. ■

Magazine blames freelance reporter for ‘fabricating’ Scarlett Johansson’s interview

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agazine bosses accused of fabricating Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson’s interview have come out in defence of the accusations, and blame a freelance reporter for the controversy. The U.K. edition of Cosmopolitan magazine had put the Horse Whisperer star on its cover, accompanied by an interview, which her rep insists is fabricated. In the interview Johansson’s seemingly spoke openly about her marriage to Ryan Reynolds. Refuting the accusations, the Cosmopolitan editors have revealed that a freelance journalist, who claimed to have interviewed the star, provided the marriage quotes to them, reports Contactmusic. A statement read: “UK Cosmopolitan printed an interview with Scarlett Johansson that included quotes from an agency journalist regarding the actress’s marriage. We ran these quotes in good faith with the understanding that the interview was carried out with the approval of Ms. Johansson and her publicist. UK Cosmopolitan is taking the complaints by Ms. Johansson’s publicist seriously and is investigating the matter further,” the statement said. ■

ANI

Hitler’s ‘ghost’ on Valkyrie set

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We ran these quotes in good faith with the understanding that the interview was carried out with the approval of Ms. Johansson and her publicist. UK Cosmopolitan is taking the complaints by Ms. Johansson’s publicist seriously and is investigating the matter further

GETTY IMAGES

ANI

ilmmaker Bryan Singer feared that Adolf Hitler’s ghost had taken over his Valkyrie set after a runaway tank threatened to destroy thousands of dollars worth of sound and camera equipment. While shooting a scene with Tom Cruise in Cougar Buttes in California, a tank was getting out-of-control and to avoid the container from crashing the equipment a stuntman had to be called in. Singer reckons that Hitler was behind the controls of the armoured vehicle. “We had one tank that malfunctioned and it started rolling on its own. It started rolling towards the camera equipment and nothing was stopping it because it’s a tank and it’s meant to roll over camera crews and other things in its way,” Contactmusic quoted him, as saying. “A very brave guy crawled in it and worked the brake system and got it to stop. Maybe the ghost of Hitler was in there!” the director added. In the new film, Cruise plays a real-life German officer who led an assassination attempt on Hitler. ■ ANI

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Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Cool characters Out of Jaws The late Paul Newman was originally cast in the role of Captain Quint in Jaws (1975).

Samuel L. Jackson’s starring role of Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction was ranked by the UK’s Empire magazine as the second coolest movie character of all time, after Brad Pitt’s Tyler Durden from Fight Club.

Jackman jacked?

H

Jack Black in The Office

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omedian Jack Black is set to make a guest appearance in the hit show, The Office. Imdb.com reports that Black will appear in an episode which will be aired in February. It is unknown in what capacity he will feature, but the episode, titled ‘Stress Relief’, will follow the workers as they try to secretly watch a bootlegged Hollywood movie at work. ■ IANS

ugh Jackman has been panned by TV critics who have raised questions on the actor’s ability to host the Academy Award ceremony on February 22. The New York Times pondered if the Van Helsing star would be able to pull off the three-hour starstudded evening, despite his Emmy-award-winning experience hosting the Tony Awards. Similarly, LA Times television critic Mary McNamara cited his “less than memorable” career and a “weak” fan following as compared to recent Academy Awards hosts Ellen DeGeneres and Chris Rock. “Yes, Jackman was just named People’s Sexiest Man Alive, and yes, he is Wolverine of X-Men but do we want Wolverine hosting the Oscars? Probably not.” Mary added. ■ ANI

Cowgirl Aniston J

ennifer Aniston has revealed that she would love to put on her cowboy hat and add ‘shoot’em-up’ films to her kitty if given the chance. The Rachel Green of Friends said she would love to try her hand in different genres, reports China Daily. She told the USA Today newspaper: “Would I like to do a shoot-’em-up film? Like a Western? I’d like to do that, too. There’s something else out there that I’m going to be possibly doing called Bounty Hunter. It’s good. It’s not definite yet.” Jennifer further added that she hit it off with co-star Owen Wilson at the sets of her latest movie Marley and Me. She said: “It was an instant ease when we met and started rehearsing, and I think it’s rare. Sometimes you actually really like the person you are having good chemistry with. We lucked out. It was fun to be at work and play these people.” ■ ANI

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ERGO Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Tuesday’s Question: If you win a lottery of 1 crore, what would you do with it? ■ 50 lakhs for me & my family expenses, 20 lakhs to orphanages, 10 lakhs each to Army, Navy& Air Force Manikandan, TCS

■ 1 kodikum lottery ticketa vanguven Annapoorani M - TCS, Prabhakaran.S - HCL Tech, Sukumar - Cognizant, Rajesh P - Perot Systems

■ Would like to donate for few good things, then will start a business to settle Jubair, Cognizant

■ Will buy the Mount Road Rajeshkumar P, TCS

■ Will build a hidden underground road to bypass OMR toll plaza

Elampooranan of HCL has nominated his team as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Kerela

Vinesh Kumar Damodaran, Accenture

■ Start five star tea stall in Mount Road

Hasan, Satyam

■ I would be a partner in producing a reality show in some TV channel Mukund, Standard Chartered

■ I would start a company and I will ask Americans to work in night shifts and I will surely provide them a cab Ram, Sutherland

■ I will give it to charity organisations Aravinth, Asath Kani - TCS, Rakshita Sreenivasan – Wipro

■ I will become the owner of a supermarket since that’s the only place where no layoff and recession takes place in the current situation Hari Prasad T, Wipro

■ I will spend like Arunachalam-Rajini in one day happily Archana, Wipro

■ I call my college friends and office friends to celebrate the whole day in Spencer Plaza till the amount ends

G. Mani of Infosys has nominated his team as Partners in Crime.

Krishna, Prakash, Ganesh, Uma, Geetha, Deepa - Perot Systems

■ I will go for a world tour with my family Hema - Indus RSystems, Brooklyn - Wipro

■ I’ll give 10% of money for orphans and poor people, 20% of money to children for their educational purposes. And remaining money I’ll keep myself for constructing my dream house Satish, Ramco Systems

■ I will spend 25% of money for my family. And spend remaining 75% for poor people, orphanage

Shobana, RRD

Today’s Query: You wake up in the morning and see yourself shrunk to the size of a walnut. How would you react what would you do? By Priyadarshini, Infosys. Send your mobile query suggestions to [email protected] with subject line: Mobile Query Suggestion

Manomani Kesav of HCL has nominated her team as Partners in Crmie, This pic was clicked at Delhi

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Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Dinesh S and his colleagues at Infosys have nominated Charanya Jayaraaman as Office Angel. Charanya is bubbly, cheerful and an excellent dancer. She was part of the dance team that won the first place in ‘Radio Mirchi Clash of Corporates 2008’.Extremely sincere and dedicated in her work, she is never short of a few naughty pranks, which got her the name – “Daring Darling” among her friends.Add to that is her chirpy nature and charismatic personality. Indeed an Angel at Work!

■ Dear Subbi, Wishing you all the happiness today ’N’ throughout ur Life.... We just want you to know how much your friendship has made a difference in our Life. Happy Birthday Subbiiiiii..... Keep Smiling :) Your Loving Frndz, PQS-PTD Team Wipro Technologies Ltd.

■ Dear Mallik, Its another day 4 u. god picked another petals on your flower, wishing your flowers may bloom for year,wish u many happy returns of the day.

pandu(hcl) ravi(scm micro systems) prashanth(indian bank) jaggu(3i infotech)

■ Dear Mathi Many more happy returns of the day. May all your dreams come true .May happiness and peace fill your heart for ever. mathi..mathi..mathi..mokkai ..mathi...

Hearty Wishes from Tamil Mantram

■ Dear MANIGANDAN (Mani) We all Wish you a Very Happy Birthday !!! A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip. :-))

With loads of luv, "IgNiTe GaNgStErS" (TCS)

■ Hi Vinoth R, Iniya piranthanal vazhthukkal... Let your life be filled with happiness... Wish you many more returns of the day...

Ippadiku Muthu, Laavanyaaaaaa, Saravanan, Madhu, Sindil, SIva, RJPal, Laks, Gopi, Anne, Patti, JP, Karthi(Lite House), Target, Ramya^2, Lavnaya, Varalakshmi, Deepti, Anbil, Vinoth, Gayathri, Venki, Beulah... Wipro Technologies

■ Hi TappasUU Senthil, machi nium nanum onnu. ponnungalukku namma mela kannu athanala ni ethachu pannu so our team will have funnu happy birthday

K. Asha doodled this.

Hutch UK SIT Tidel park & Amrita

■ Dear Kumaran, Happy birthday, and have a great year Enjoy your life and the dance of life Keep on shining like the sun, Spread the pleasure like moon light. Happy birthday & Many more to come!!!! Wish u all success n your Energetic Youth life!!!

With Love&Care, Boeing friends, Wipro

■ Hi Jaffer Ali, Congratulations!!!! We wish you a wonderful future filled with many warm memories, many happy times, good health, and everything good....Good luck for you & Farida.

Yours, Archana, Arunkumar, Hema & Vimala Infosys Technologies Ltd (Mahindra city)

■ Dear Jothish Wishing you many more happy returns of the day. May all your dreams come true in your life. We wish you all the success in your life.HAPPY BIRTHDAY . Kangalal Paarthalum puriyathu, Kaigalal yeduthalum theriyaathu, Yosithu paarthalum Bathil Varathu. What’s that? "Question Paper" Saravanan.V, HCL

Pagalil mattum paakkum channel yethu? SUN TV. Eravu mattum paakkum channel yethu? STAR TV. Sivanandam, Wipro

Hearty Wishes Muthuraman,Sutherson,Karthik,UmaDevi(SIPTECH Solutions Limited) ,Mrs.GIBI JOTHISH.

■ Dear Prakash_SK (Christ-Child), Wishing you for a happiness, health, double digit hike and hoping all your desires come true. Have a fantastic New year ahead.

Christ-Mom Infosys-MFGite.

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Refrigerated beach Fashion house Versace is to create the world’s first refrigerated beach in Dubai, so that hotel guests can walk comfortably across the sand on scorching days.

sudoku

Rema Moorthy of Indus Teqsite/ Datapatterns clicked this picture at Badrinath in the Himalayas.

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Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Word’s worth "Telpherage" (tel-fer-ij) a system where minerals or other goods are transported in buckets suspended from a cable and moved by an electric motor supplied with current from an adjacent conductor. From Greek roots meaning ’distance’ and bearing.

The dog was a fox A Chinese man has been left shocked after discovering the dog he had raised from a pup is actually a rare Arctic fox.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 You are advised to be careful of ego problems. Technology related work may go smooth but power-cut or some other type of problem may bother you. At home, you may be enjoying marital bliss with your lovable life partner.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Your mind may be very stable and focussed. You can be working very hard. As soon as the day is over, you may wish to spend time with your family. In relationship matters, you need to beware of ego issues. Your decisions on personal life may be firm.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 You may share good intellectual rapport with people working with you. You may be able to get the work done through people working under you. In other words, your team will support you. On the domestic and relationship front, you may not have any issues.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 You have scope of acquiring commanding position today. Ganesha finds you getting into investigation and trouble-shooting kind of activities at office. At home, you may have cordial terms with everyone. In love life, you may display great devotion.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 Ganesha foresees you working with full form today. You will be handling everything efficiently. If you are wiling to express your love, it is the best day. Married couples or lovers should go out to lonesome place to spend nice time with each other.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

If you want to experiment with a formula or software, you should avoid it today. The day doesn’t support innovative ideas. Those working under you may try to create undue pressure and burden, feels Ganesha. At home, you should avoid arguments.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Ganesha finds your energy levels increasing hence you may spend more time at work and less with family. This may create problems at home front. Idea is to strike balance between personal and professional life. Handle the day with utmost care.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Ganesha finds you busy at work today. You may be stressed enough while handling others, specifically those working under you. There may be difference of opinion between you and your partner or beloved, if you do not develop attitude to ’let go’.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 If you are travelling for work, this is a favourable day. If you are supposed to work on important projects, you may be able to lead it to satisfactory stage. Technology and technical work may run smoothly. Your personal life may be very romantic.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 Your professional progress may be cause of concern. You might have to work harder to prove your points. You may not be in a mood to compromise in relationship matters which may create problems in personal life. Ensure that you nurture love life.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 You may need to beware of those jealous of your progress. Ganesha finds everything going against you, provided you commit a mistake in your work. In personal life you may try to dominate your partner. Avoid getting into conflicts with partner.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 You may remain very energetic at workplace and will finish off your work soon. In love life, you can be compromising and adjusting. Lesser the resistance you have in front of your partner or beloved, happier you would be. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

One look is all it takes News and newsmakers in pictures

ERGO Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Bipasha Basu during ’Spinnathon Championship 2008’ in Mumbai on Monday night. PTI PHOTO

QUOTE OF THE DAY

‘‘

When I came here, I weighed three times more than what I am. And why would he accuse me of sending my money to Pakistan? I earn and pay taxes in Mumbai, I can show you my PAN card,’’

Actress Katie Holmes and her daughter Suri Cruise visit ’The Nutcracker’ at the New York City Ballet in New York City. AFP PHOTO

Adnan Sami reacted to Jagjit Singh’s criticism that Adnan came here to become an actor and he makes money here and send it to Pakistan