Ergo December 29

A BYTE OF LIFE

Monday, December 29, 2008

05 HIGHS AND LOWS

FIRST INNINGS Now, process your loan application online at BankBazaar.com FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 2

09 of 2008 cricket season

No. 247

Saaral started as an Orkut community of five members. It is now an NGO with 5,000 people working for the underprivileged.

MY 2009 MY RESOLUTION

» PAGE 03

Many drops in Saaral’s ocean

New Year’s approaching and you’re probably thinking how you’ll make next year different and better than the year that went by. You’re likely to have a New Year resolution, too. Tell us about it. Besides “I’ll quit smoking” or “I’ll visit the gym more often”, what else can you think of? Get innovative. Tell us about your resolution in 200 words and send it to us at [email protected] with the subject line ‘RESOLUTION’ before Tuesday noon.

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Monday, December 29, 2008

Friends circle Vodafone Essar has introduced the ‘Friends Circle’ offer, where Vodadone customers can make calls to their friends at 20 paise/minute. A maximum of five local numbers can be added by both the post-paid and pre-paid customer. To activate this service send sms to FRIENDS to 144 (toll free).

We won it Team Kamikaze comprising Abi, Zayd, Anish and Sandeep won the ‘Call of Duty 4’ tournament at Blur, Sathyam Cinemas. The competition saw a total of 24 teams that registered, bringing close to a hundred participants last week to the event. The winners walked away with prizes totalling Rs. 75, 000. Usual Suspects (Navin, Rahul, Faraz and Abhimanyu) came second and bagged prizes worth Rs. 35, 000.

CHENNAI TO TRIVANDRUM

CYCLING They come from a country where the bicycle is used extensively as the best mode of transport. But, when the two came to Chennai on an expedition they made at least a few heads turn. Couple Roel Vermeulen and Wieteke Willemen are from the Netherland, and have come to carry out a cycle expedition in India. Their expedition started on the Thiruvanmiyur beach in Chennai on Sunday and will conclude in Trivandrum. What also makes their trip interesting is that they will not be using any other mode of transport. They will be touching Puducherry and Madurai before reaching Kerala. The trip is being organised by TI Cycles.

Roel Vermeulen and Wieteke Willemen on East Coast Road, Thiruvanmiyur. PHOTO: N. SRIDHARAN

Drug trade behind bars A gangster based in central Chennai, who recently made headlines for frequent paroles from Puzhal Prison, is well-known as the ‘drug don’ among inmates. The reason – the gangster and his aides, who are in prison for drugdealing, run a monopolised drug trade inside the prison with the blessings of some corrupt jail cops.

The cupid-struck Suburban police are in a fix over the escalating number of teenage girl missing cases there. The fact is that almost all of them aren’t abducted for ransom but

are cupid struck teens who elope with their respective boyfriends. The couple return home after a while and parents withdrawing the ‘missing’ complaint have become increasingly common in the suburbs, reliable police sources reveal.

Wrong number The telephone number of Nolambur police station available listed on the police phone directory is actually that of a resi-

dence. After one dials the number, a woman usually picks up the phone only to reply ‘wrong number’ in an angry tone to the caller. Little does the woman or the callers on the other end know that a change in number for the station hasn’t been recorded yet with the police phone number database.

For son’s sake A senior khaki attached to the traffic police in the city is running pillar to post to revoke a probable transfer that can arrive any day on his table. The officer, who has earned a clean chit in service, prefers to be in the city only because of his son who is in class XII and will be writing his Board exams in April.

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Monday, December 29, 2008

In the spirit of Christmas The Yellow Bus, a play home with a difference for children between two and four years, celebrated Christmas on its premises in Besant Nagar. Suri Srinivasan, GM, HR HCL Technologies was the chief guest. The Bus members celebrated the festivities by participating with underprivileged children attending a pre-school run by an NGO Mangaiyarkarasi Mahalir Mandram in Shastri Nagar, Adyar.

Raindrops on roses From a humble start with five members, today Alekhya Banerjee has 5,000 people to help her carry out different volunteering roles ANUSHA PARTHASARATHY

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ometimes simple gestures make the biggest difference. ‘Saaral’ (Tamil for ‘drizzle’), an NGO, is an apt example. It began as a community on Orkut that had five members who wanted to lend a hand to the underprivileged and has now grown into a registered NGO of more than 100 active members in Chennai alone. What’s more, they’re planning to open up branches in three other cities. Alekhya Banerjee (24) has al-

ways been part of the social service scene. Right from childhood, she has been helping orphanages during birthdays and special occasions by donating clothes, gifts and whatever she could. In 2005, she started Saaral on Orkut to make it a medium where those who wanted to help the poor could contact her and they pool in things to give in. “When I was young my dad used to take me along to orphanages during my birthday and other occasions. When Orkut came around, a lot of people were start-

ing communities on every little thing and I wanted to be different and it clicked. No one in my initial team was related to me in anyway. We would post threads on events or things we could possibly do and carry it out together. We help only those orphanages that are not so well-known and are genuinely in need of provisions,” Alekhya explains.

Small steps The Saaral team’s first orphanage visit was in 2006 where they donated medicines, clothes, paid

fees for over 100 children and helped in construction work. This was the start of many more such events, on a bi-monthly basis, which eventually led to the community’s membership increasing from the initial five to its current strength of 5,000, a majority of them being techies. Finally, in August this year, the community became a registered NGO with a team of 16 members who arrange for activities and pool in provisions to distribute to various orphanages, old-age homes and homes for the under-

(Clockwise) Saaral’s team gathers for a photo shoot at a home; gifting and sharing; and Alekhya Banerjee, who spearheaded it all

privileged.

Tech-savvy “The purpose of registering ourselves as an NGO was to instil confidence in people about our genuineness. People are more active in contributing when it is a registered NGO rather then a community. Following this, Saaral’s growth has been tremendous and I attribute its success to the many people who were with me from the very beginning. Manivendan, our coordinator, has been a very important person in the group. Anitha, vice-president, actively involves herself in all activities. Krishna is our website and documentary designer and editor. He’s done a fabulous job so far.” A tech-savvy NGO, the team not only communicates online and has documentaries of its various activities but has also formed an active SMS group that updates members about future events. This Christmas, the team left ‘wish’ boxes at different orphanages so that kids could drop in their wishes. They are in the process of making those wishes come true and are also planning to spend New Year with those kids. “Every time you spend a day with them you cannot leave without getting emotional. The children never want to let you go because they become so attached. We want to keep them happy and we’re trying our best. I give you my word that Saaral will definitely go places,” exclaims its proud founder. ■

04 KALEIDOSCOPE

ERGO Monday, December 29, 2008

WHITEWORD Crossword without the black spots!

Tax planning demystified Previously, we looked at the basics of tax and why the government gives you tax benefits. Let us look at various parts of income tax calculation TAXABLE INCOME = SUM OF ALL INCOMES – EXEMPTED INCOME – DEDUCTIONS – DEDUCTIONS UPON REIMBURSEMENT

Daily Investment Systematic Investment Plan Bharti Axa Investment Managers has come out with what is probably the first Daily Investment Systematic Investment Plan. The idea is to reduce your average purchase cost by entering the markets everyday, with a small investment amount starting right from Rs 300. This could be a good instrument for salaried employees who have income flow through out the month. People like sales professionals who get reimbursements every week could use this instrument to get into the habit of compulsive saving. For more details check www.bhartiaxa-im.com

In simpler terms The income on which the government charges income tax is called as Taxable Income. This is different from your actual earnings. Although you earn X amount of rupees Government will only charge you on a portion of it and give you “discount” based on your contributions to nation building activities directly or indirectly.

Exempted Income These are those earnings which will be subtracted from your total income. This will include- Earnings from Agriculture, Pension received (provided your age is >45 years and the pension is less than a third of your total income), Insurance claims, House rent allowance (40% of your basic or actual received whichever is lower), Upto Rs 800 as conveyance, Profits from long term investments (>3 years) in Shares/Equity based mutual funds.

Deductions Sum of all incomes It is the total of all the kinds of inflows into your kitty. This would include- Your salary, Rent from your property, Profit/loss from any business you are involved in, Capital gains (profit from any investment) and all other types of incomes.

These are the amounts subtracted from your salary provided you have spent money on them. These include – EPF, PPF, Children’s Fees, NSC, Principal component of housing loan, Insurance premium, Pension plan premium, ELSS Mutual funds, Bank deposits with >5 years lock in. You will get

benefit only on the amount actually spent up to a maximum of Rs 1 lakh. Apart from the above we get additional savings by spending on – medical insurance premium(<15k), Interest on housing loan (Upto 1.5 lakh), donations to registered charity, Persons with physical disability get a further deduction of Rs 50,000 to 75,000 based on severity.

Reimbursement based deductions Only applicable if you show bills and get reimbursement. This includes medical bills (upto 15K), LTA (twice in four years), Food coupons, Actual expenses on higher education.

Bottomline We need to try to make sure that our taxable income is as low as possible by using all the above “discounts” given by our Government. Next week we will look at how best to do it. ■

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Monday, December 29, 2008

Business plan competition The IFIM Business School, Bangalore invites entries for the business plan competition they are conducting as part of Panorama-09. The competition is being conducted as part of the National Entrepreneurship Week, scheduled between February 9 and 14, 2009. Log on to www.ifimbschool.com/ about_ethon.html. Contact professor Shinu Abhi 99729 16030 for further details.

Bank on us: The BankBazaar team at their office. PHOTO: S.S. KUMAR

DON’T MOAN ABOUT LOANS Bankbazaar claims to give info on the best loan deals and process your loan application online

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o you hate going to one of those banks? You are completely lost filling details on that pink chalan or listening to the smart executive tell you about the reduced interest rate on loans. In the end, nothing tangible enters your head. Well, this “neutral” online marketplace could be your stop for the umpteen queries you have on the best rate of interest, credit cards and insurance products financial institutions have in store. Bankbazaar.com is one among the youngest entrants to tap the growling online market, where it

offers free financial services to customers, be it helping you compare the best loan or even process your application online. It was started by three US-returned professionals – Adhil Shetty, Arjun Shetty and Rati Rajkumar – who promise to be a company that is here to grow and stay. The current economic scenario is at least not conducive for takeoff, we remark. “Google started during the dotcom bust. It is tough times, but you need to be tougher and better,” says Arjun, formerly with Amazon in Seattle. The core team – all hailing from Chennai – are unfazed by what critics have to say since they launched 10 months ago(the site went live in September). “My parents were freaked out when they heard from a common

friend, ‘Go back to the US. See if Deloitte will take you back. This will not work,’” recalls Arjun. Or, to hear the COO of a bank tell the team, “I see this bunch of you people, all under-30…, but you really need to convince me why you have to work with me.”

Starting small

Thanks to Rati’s dad, they started functioning from the small cubicle they got in the Velvette Building on Dr. Ambedkar Road. “Until we started stepping on each other we worked from the small space,” Arjun laughs. They eventually hired a little more space until they got the whole floor for the 20-strong team who

IN A Minute Company: Bank Bazaar Started: 2008 Founders” Arjun Shetty, Adhil Shetty, Rati Rajkumar Team: 20 Funding: Series A Focus Areas: Find your personal and home loans instantly, and credit cards Website: www.bankbazaar.com Contact us: 4265 5251

have risked their well-paying jobs to join the start-up. Funding? “Each of us brought out our personal savings,” says Rati. This apart, they had their former bosses and colleagues helping them during their second round of funding. So far Bankbazaar has signed nine contracts, which includes most of the private sector banks like HDFC, ABN-Amro, Citi Financial, Deutsche Bank, ING Vyasa Bank, etc. “We are next tapping the public sector banks,” says Adhil. “We are seeing a healthy growth rate.” ■ (This column celebrates the spirit of entrepreneurship. If you are an entrepreneur with a successful business model or know one, write to us at [email protected])

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Monday, December 29, 2008

Dog’s nose A dog’s nose has over 200 scent-receiving cells.

The top ten political scoops of 2008 revealed

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rom Sarah Palin’s shopping bills to John Edwards’ ‘extra-marital’ affair, the 2008 US presidential campaign was full of political scoops. And now, Politico.com has released its list of the top ten political scoops of 2008, which is: 1. Couric and Palin: CBS anchor Katie Couric’s interview with Sarah Palin turned out to be quite tough for the now-defeated vice presidential candidate, who couldn’t answer simple questions as to what newspapers she regularly read. 2. McCain’s houses: In an interview with Politico’s Mike Allen and Jonathan Martin in August, John McCain failed to answer how many houses he owned. 3. Obama on ‘bitter’ smalltown Americans (Huffington Post): Obama’s worst verbal misstep was caught by citizen journalist Mayhill Fowler-At a San Francisco fundraiser, Obama talked about small-town voters who “get bitter” and “cling to guns or religion.” 4. Palin’s shopping spree (Politico): Palin’s image was questioned when Politico’s Jeanne Cummings reported that the Republican National Committee

had shelled out US$ 150,000 for her family’s wardrobe. 5. Clinton camp turmoil (Washington Post and The Atlantic): Within just two of Hillary Clinton chalking up wins in Ohio and Texas, Washington Post’s Peter Baker and Anne Kornblut revealed bitter squabbling among her top advisers, including Harold Ickes and Mark Penn. 6. Jeremiah Wright tapes (ABC News): The fiery sermons by Obama’s pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, first aired by ABC’s Brian Ross, became YouTube staples, including his “God Damn America!” outbursts and his post-9/11 comments. 7. Network TV’s military analysts (NYT): David Barstow from NYT exhaustively reported on lucrative ties between TV’s military analysts, the Pentagon and lobbying firms. 8 McCain’s inner circle (NYT Magazine): In “The Making (and Remaking) of John McCain,” Robert Draper used his extraordinary access to provide both a tick-tock of events and overall portrait of a campaign struggling relentlessly to craft an effective message against Obama. 9) Edwards’ extramarital affair : Although National Enquirer’s reports on John Edwards’ affair were initially ignored, the constant digging by tabloids succeeded in a July stakeout of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles - where Edwards met with the woman - and Edwards’ subsequent admission of an affair in an interview with ABC’s Bob Woodruff. 10) Powell’s endorsement (NBC): With the campaign winding down, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, whose support would benefit either candidate, told that was he was bucking the Republican Party and backing Obama. ■ ANI

Chinese cyclist killed after suicidal man jumps from 35th floor A cyclist in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen died after he was hit by an apparently suicidal man who jumped from the 35th floor of a nearby building, state media said on Sunday. The 52-year-old cyclist, surnamed Li, was making deliveries from his fast-food restaurant when the jumper landed on him Thursday afternoon, the official China Daily said. The younger man, surnamed Liu, was allegedly a drug addict who had moved to Shenzhen from the north-eastern province of Heilongjiang, the newspaper quoted local media as saying. DPA

Couples pucker up in Times Square for kissing seminar Fifty couples locked lips in the northern triangle of Times Square in New York City during a pre-New Year’s kissing seminar. The seminar, promoting global skin- and body-care brand Nivea, had been a prelude to the big kiss at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s. The couples, which had been handed out free lip-gloss, made contact after the count down “5-4-3-2-1 Happy New Year,” reports the New York Daily News. Kissing expert Andrea Demirjian had graced the venue and advised the crowd on lip-locking techniques to mark the special moment bringing in the year 2009. She said: “Abstaining is a good way to make the kiss more special. To know you can’t kiss someone makes you anticipate it, for both new and old couples.” ANI

China sets up fund for victims of tainted milk powder China’s dairy producers have set up a fund to compensate victims of melamine-tainted milk powder, which apparently led to the death of at least six infants and may have sickened tens of thousands of others, state media said on Sunday. The China Dairy Industry Association said it set up the fund from 22 dairy producers implicated in the scandal, who “hope to earn understanding and forgiveness of the families of the sickened children” through the move. All victims will get a one-time cash payment, the association said without specifying the amount or other details of the compensation. DPA

Royal displeasure to bankers The British Queen has backed moves to scrap leading bankers and financiers from her New Year’s honours list because they helped cause the current global economic crisis, a newspaper reported on Sunday. The traditional honours list, to be unveiled this week, contains “few, if any” high-ranking awards for financiers, the Mail on Sunday reported, citing the omission as a case of “royal displeasure” on the part of Queen Elizabeth II. Traditionally, the list honours prominent City figures in recognition of their role in making London the centre of the global economy and for supporting charities. But the paper quoted an unnamed source as saying such a move would be inappropriate in the current climate. IANS

Monday, December 29, 2008

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08 SPORT

ERGO Monday, December 29, 2008

Goodbye India’s most hard-working soldier over the past decade retired from international cricket during the Delhi Test with Australia. Kumble has been India’s chief wicket-taker home and abroad since the 90s and it will be difficult to replace him. Other stalwarts who bid adieu to the game in 2008 were Bengal Tiger Sourav Ganguly and Australian Adam Gilchrist.

New Wo AKSHAY R.

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he tag ‘World Champion’ is not a tie or a badge that can be removed and worn at will. The two champions who will vouch for that in 2008 are Roger Federer and the Australian cricket team. For a team that really wore the tag with relative ease over the last 12 years, 2008 proved to be a reality check. Winning was no more a certainty that used to be. Not that they lost many a battle, if you go by the numbers, but definitely, the tag is eastward bound. India, with an impressive record all through the last 12 months, has signalled its arrival to take the top spot, under, arguably’ it’s most composed and coollike-a-cucumber leader. South Africa’s steady run, too, has proved its competence.

Farcical Start The 2008 season of the gentleman’s game triggered off to a farcical start at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and presented its worst-ever testimonial.

India and Australia, the top two teams in terms of TRPs, played in this match that was dominated by umpiring and behavioural inconsistencies. Australia was gifted victory in the end by the crooked fingers of Steve Bucknor and Harper, and for the first time in history, umpires were replaced for the following games on players’ request.

Glamour in Cricket The year also saw the game being taken to its entertaining best – Indian Premier League – the brain-child of the BCCI (ATM of world cricket). India and the world for the first time saw players being auctioned to various franchise owners, with Dhoni getting the highest pay-packet. The mood of the cricketcrazy nation was at its hysteric best during the summer, with non-stop, blink-and-you-miss action for 45 consecutive days. Twenty 20, cricket’s answer to crisp entertainment, took centre stage and is likely to continue to do so. While all the Khans of Bollywood de-

layed or cancelled their new releases, one of them, the King, made sure he was present where the action is. Women across the country, too, flocked to the arenas, to further endorse the being of capsule-sized cricket, thereby impacting the sitcoms. The already cash-rich BCCI laughed all the way to the bank and Lalit Modi became a subject of dinner-table conversations overnight. Rajasthan Royals, led by Shane Warne, managed a last-ball finish over Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings to take the cup at the inaugural edition. The entire nation watched IPL and the audience was immediate to spot the hidden talent who would play for the country in the future. And the selectors nodded in agreement. This has been IPL’s best contribution to the development of cricket.

World Champions, who? Australia, the most dominating team for the last decade, steadily slipped in its quality, following the exit of

Monday, December 29, 2008

‘‘ orld Order I am bound to feel bad. I had to fight with my heart. If there is a gun to your head all the time, how long can you bear this? After all, I have played 400 matches for India. I have played badly in only one series. Yet every Tom, Dick and Harry is playing in the team.

Sourav Ganguly about India’s selection procedure

their match-winners for the last decade. Ricky “Punter” Ponting probably got his moves wrong, during what has been a litmus test year for the team. Losing a Test match at Perth to India; losing two back-to-back finals in the triangular CB series, again to India; then the mother of all – a 2-0 drubbing in the Test series in India, their first series defeat without a single win in many years; losing again at Perth to South Africa in the second biggest final innings chase ever. The exit of world-beating players in Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist, Ponting’s own lack of form and insipid captaincy, personal issues with Andrew Symonds and Brett Lee, and

an inexperienced current bowling attack, collectively contributed to Australia’s woes. India, on the other hand, led by Captain Courageous Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a formidable opening pair in Gambhir and Sehwag, the evergreen Tendulkar, the classy VVS Laxman and the most impressive of all, the Sultans of Reverse Swing, Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, believed in winning and did so all through the year. The only blip in the radar: the Sri Lankan tour.

Records and Performances Sachin Tendulkar became the highest run-getter in the history of Test Cricket when he crossed Brian Lara’s run tally at Mohali against Australia. He now owns most of the batting records in both forms of the game. For a man into his

20th year of international Cricket, Sachin played with boyish charm and energy, the reason for his longevity, and contributed as both an inspiration and instructor to the younger crop. Nine batsmen – four Indians, four South Africans and one Englishman – managed to amass over 1,000 Test runs in the calendar year. This strengthens the argument that India and South Africa have been the pick among all teams, albeit, two Proteas managed a quarter of their runs scored against a weak Bangladeshi attack. Gautham Gambhir, the third Indian to have a 1,000 run double (Tests and ODIs) in a calendar year, batted with un-diminishing hunger for runs. Virender Sehwag bettered his personal best with a 319 at Chepauk. Sachin Tendulkar, too, for the fifth time in his career, crossed the landmark, and looks well-oiled for more. VVS Laxman, Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, A B De Villiers, Neil Mckenzie and Kevin Pietersen complete the list. Among the bowlers South African Dale Steyn leads the pack and Harbhajan Singh comes a close second with 63 wickets. ■

Australia’s melting prowess, India and South Africa’s solid march to the top, IPL and a plethora of records and milestones are the nominations in this year’s cricket calendar

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10 FLICK

ERGO CORRESPONDENT [email protected]

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hile expectations from Ghajini were high, so was the scepticism. The problem that most Bollywood versions of Southern movies face has been that of dialogue translation and story context. To a fair extent, both have been dealt with here, barring, perhaps, Asin’s role. Except the last one hour of the movie (where it turns out to be a small yawn), the makers have been true to the original. (We will not reveal what happens in that hour –

ERGO Monday, December 29, 2008

Good, if not better not because of some highly exciting twist in the tale but because we would like you to believe there COULD be a surprise). Aamir, both as the angry young tattooed man dealing with vengeance and as his shy former self, Sanjay Singhania, adds an intensity that keeps you gripped. Besides the performance, the ef-

fort he has put in towards his physique also shows. He looks menacing and plays the part, too. Asin, however, gets a little irritating after a point and the

Film: Ghajini (Hindi) Director: A.R. Murugadoss Cast: Aamir Khan, Asin, Pradeep Rawat, Jiah Khan

over-talkative Good Samaritan could have done with a little toning down. Jiah Khan, however, who plays the role of the curious medical student that Nayanthara played in the Tamil version, lends more likeability to her role. One improvement on the Tamil Ghajini here. Pradeep Rawat, as the villain

Ghajini, keeps the association with the original alive and though you see a little less of him (we won’t tell you how) there is a strong sense of déjà vu. A few ridiculous elements of the Tamil Ghajini’s script have been removed, while a little more added. Keeping all things constant, watch Ghajini again for Aamir Khan. ■

Beyonce on top

Shahid’s new moves

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inger-actress Beyonce Knowles has bagged the No. 1 spot on two of Billboard’s song charts. Knowles hit ‘Single Ladies’ outshone the competition on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R+B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, in its third and sixth week respectively, contactmusic.com reported. Rapper T.I. held his spot on the Hot 100 at number two with his track ‘Live Your Life’, featuring Rihanna, while Lady GaGa’s ‘Just Dance’ remains at number three. Rounding out the top five is Britney Spears, who continues her comeback with ‘Womanizer’, rising from number six to the fifth spot this week. ■ IANS

udiences appreciated Shahid Kapoor’s dancing prowess in Ishq Vishk, 36 China Town and Jab We Met. The actor is now taking a step forward by learning a new dance style called Krumping. The actor is learning the dance form for Ken Ghosh’s film, tentatively titled Yahoo. “Shahid has left no stone unturned to learn this form of dance. He appreciates the artistic and cultural nuances of the form and is doing pretty well,” said a source. “In fact, everyone on the set, including Marty, who has choreographed songs for the likes of Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson and Jennifer Aniston, is impressed,” he added. Krumping is a relatively new, urban street dance form that began in South Central Los Angeles and is characterised by free, expressive and highly energetic moves involving the arms and chest. ■ IANS

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Monday, December 29, 2008

Lennon in TV ad 28 years after his death Imagine, John Lennon makes a television commercial for charity – 28 years after his death. Through the use of digital technology, the former Beatle urges people across the United States to support a campaign by ‘One Laptop per Child’ to deliver tough, solar-powered XO laptop computers to the world’s poorest children. Reuters

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alman Khan and Sanjay Dutt, who were not on talking terms for quite sometime, met up on the sets of Veer and poured their hearts out to each other. A few days earlier when Salman heard Sanjay was shooting on an adjoining set at Film City, he decided to pay his estranged friend a visit. “It’s true Salman came all the way to Sanju’s set. But when he realised Sanjay was shooting for Bunty Walia he quickly beat a retreat,” said a source. Walia, it must be remembered, was a Salman groupie until a few years ago when things soured between them. And now Salman doesn’t want to see Bunty’s face. So he (Salman) turned back from his meeting with Sanjay. When Sanjay heard about this, he took charge of the situation. On Thursday afternoon, he

walked up to Salman’s set and spent a good 45 minutes with his old friend. “The ice between them broke the minute they hugged each other. They spoke about everything under the sun, except films,” the source said. At the end of the reunion, Sanjay and Salman, who teamed up in hit movie Sajan, decided to do a film together. The two will be coming together in a film to be produced by Sanjay. So what had gone wrong between Salman and his erstwhile mentor and role model? The two were thick as thieves until a world tour where Salman apparently cut his hand to

Friends again?

impress Sanjay, but it didn’t go down well with the senior actor. Soon after this incident in the US, Sanjay had said: “I wish he would model himself on my better qualities. I do have many good qualities. Salman should keep a low profile and work hard and get serious in life. All the playing around isn’t finally worth it. Ultimately all of us want to be remembered as good hardworking human beings. The hit-and-run incident wouldn’t have made such a media splash if it wasn’t Salman Khan. But because he has been constantly in the news he went to jail and had to suffer. Being rash and brash in life is finally self-defeating.” Having come to terms with his own rashness and brashness Salman seems to be mending the bridges with old friends. Sanjay was on top of his list. “They met like nothing had gone wrong between them and have promised to meet up regularly,” the source said. ■ IANS

Cine City

Kamal, Mammootty to team up If Internet buzz is to be believed, Kamal Hassan and Mammootty would be teaming up for a movie. Actor Kamal Hassan is trying to buy the rights of the Hindi movie, A Wednesday, and to remake it in Tamil and Malayalam. It is also said that plans are on to rope in Mammootty to do the role of the police officer that Anupam Kher did in the original. Kamal will play the role that Naseerudeen Shah essayed.

Meera Jasmine to act with Prashanth Actor Prashanth is back to cinema in full form. He is all set to resume his career that was left hanging for a while. Prashanth will be playing the lead role in the remake of his father Thyagarajan’s mega hit movie Malayoor Mammattiyan. The remake will feature Meera Jasmine as the leading lady. She will don the role enacted by Saritha in the original. Prakash Raj and Vadivelu, among others, will be in the cast. The movie, to be produced and directed by Thyagarajan himself, would start soon.

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ERGO Monday, December 29, 2008

Friday’s Query: If your blind date turned out to be the person with whom you just broke up with, what would you do? ■ I would tell him that I met with an accident and don’t remember the past and end the date. Meenakshi Mohan TCS

■ Oh god! It is a follow on! And in such a situation, I won’t mind scoring a pair.

Indhumathi S from TCS has nominated her friends as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Coorg.

Sree Hari, TCS

■ Vaanga pazhagalaam vanga pazhagalaam. Pidichirutha vechikonga pidikalena friendsaavae irupoom. Vinesh Kumar Damodaran, Accenture

■ Have dinner with him in a five star hotel, make him pay the bill, spit on his face and go home happily. Vinitha, HCL

■ I’ll apologise for what happened earlier saying past is past and start a new relationship with her. Minu S, Sutherland

Today’s Query: What’s your word of the year 2008 and why?

Shanmuga Sundaram from TCS has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Scotland.

(Ergo, in association with Radio One, welcomes you to nominate your word of the year 2008. Send us the reason why you are nominating it, along with your contact details. If we find your entry interesting, we will welcome you to go on air on December 31.)

Balagei G N from Infosys has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Yelagiri.

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Monday, December 29, 2008

Shanthi from Sagitec has been nominated as Office Angel by Sujatha Sampathkumar. “Politeness is the mantra she follows. She does everything with a smile! ”

December 26 ■ Dear MATHAN RAJ (Mr. Criminology), You Grace us with your presence When you entered into this world And like a burning candle You truly glisten in the night With the warmest of wishes HAPPY BIRTHDAY. We Simply wish The very best for you. Hearty wishes from, HAFIZ KHAN. VETRI. HCL Technologies Ltd.

■ Hi Venki (Bajji), Iniya Piranthanal valthukkal. Have a great Life ahead... Keep sleeping, Keep Sleeping... Keep on Sleeping... 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^2, Gayathri, Beulah Wipro Technologies"

■ Dear Arthy Narayanan, You are specially dear, And its a joy to wish you a wonderful b’day! May all you cherished dreams come true in the near future Have a blast on this day Your dearest friends, The Chennai Future bright Team, Wipro Technologies

Ramesh Kumar R from TCS has doodled this.

December 27 Hi Karthik, Belated Happy Birthday to you (ayyo sirippa paru)... May all your dreams come true ... All the very best for the next step in a career ... Don’t forget to give us treat … With Love, Raji, Bhu, Suvi, Gowri, Gay, Gaja, Sumathi, Jesi, PV, Prem, Saravanan, Prosper, Paul, Ravi, Nazir, Srini, Sadha, Raj, Senthil

December 28

Lady 1: Indha bus conductor idhukku munnadi nagai kadai-la vaelai partharunnu yeppadi kandupudicha?Lady 2: Yella ponnaiyum orasi orasi ticket kodukkaradha vachudhan.... Mohamed Yusufdeen J, HCL

Ennathan oruthan gunda irunthalum avanai thuppakikulla poda mudiuma? Kolamaavil kolam podalam aana kadalai maavil kadalai poda mudiuma? Rajee Anand, Coastal Training Technologies

■ Dear Ara Anna, Let this special day brings you all the joy and success,as you ever asked for... Wishing you a Belated Happy Birthday!!! Let your B’day lights up with smiles & glows with all love and care... Cheers, Mams.

■ Dear RIZ We all wish U a Blessed and Bright

Bday :-) Wish U all Success and happiness from this moment Let the coming Year be as bright as ever. Have a great Day!!! With Lots of Care & Luv, Praveena, Manchu, Padmini, Preetha, Krishna, Lakshmy, Nigina, Nivedhan , Saravana , Jayakrishnan , Shahul , Arvind , Rakesh , Pranab . Wipro Technologies.

December 29 ■ Dear Ramakrishnan, Wish you many more happy returns of the Day. May God shower you with happiness and success. Rouse Ramki this is your last Bachelor B`day. We hope you will give a big treat for usJ Hearty wishes from, Klarity Defect Team, HCLT

■ Hi Deepa, May this birthday be just the beginning of a year filled with happy memories, wonderful moments and shinning dreams.. Best Wishes from R4 Rascals Cognizant Technology Solutions

■ Hi PV, Engal Iniya Pirandha Naal Nal Vaazhthukkal (snake babu siringa plz) ( Don’t forget to give us treat in Taj Coromandel) With Love, Raji, Bhu, Suvi, Gay, Gowri, Gaja, Jesi, Sumathi, Prem, Saravanan, Prosper, Paul, Ravi, Srini, Sadha, Karthik, Nazir, Raj and Senthil

■ Dear MATHAN RAJ (Mr. Criminology), You Grace us with your presence When you entered into this world And like a burning candle You truly glisten in the night With the warmest of wishes HAPPY BIRTHDAY. We Simply wish The very best for you. Hearty wishes from, HAFIZ KHAN. VETRI. HCL Technologies Ltd.

■ Dear Gurpreet, A many more happy returns of the day! You have been an angel in all our lives who helped us through all the hard times. May all your wishes and dreams come true and please stop being Ekta Kapoors walking inspiration! Happy birthday! Love, Nidhi and Devil

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Monday, December 29, 2008

Snow joke A hitchhiker was arrested in the U.S. for throwing snowballs at passing cars because they failed to stop and give him a lift.

sudoku

S. Manivannan of eNoah iSolution India Pvt. Ltd. clicked this sand sculpture during his morning walk on Marina Beach. The sculptures were made in memory of tsunami victims who died four years ago.

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

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Monday, December 29, 2008

Knut-ter in bear enclosure

Word’s worth

Police in Germany say a lonely man jumped into the Berlin zoo enclosure of famed polar bear Knut to try and make friends with the enormous predator.

"Aginate" (adj-uh-nate) to sell small things. The noun aginator would be a nice term for an online auction seller. "Oh, I’m an aginator on eBay, you know." The citation in the OED gives the gloss "He which retaileth," from 1626. From a Latin word for a part of a scale.

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

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 You will be distracted at work today. However, things will start improving as the day progresses. A no-nonsense approach at work will benefit you. This approach might help you at work but may cause some turbulence in your love life.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Be wary of people who are jealous of your professional achievements. Such people may try to look for flaws in your expertise. Do not lose your cool over trivial issues. Ganesha envisions that you will find peace in the arms of your beloved.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 You will be passionate about commitments at work. With your emotional temperament, you are should treat everybody with empathy. On the other hand, spending emotional moments with your beloved will earn you brownie points, notes Ganesha.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 You will begin the day on an optimistic note. Ganesha observes you meeting your deadlines. Post lunch time will prove to be fruitful. You may enjoy some spicy moments with your beloved but later realise that what you crave is emotional bonding.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

You may come up with a lot of innovative ideas today; however they might not materialise. Ganesha assures you that you may find some use for them later. In the second half of the day, you will focus on expanding your professional skills.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Each oral/ written word from your side will carry an explicit meaning, so be cautious in communication. Ganesha sees you concentrating on work-related targets. You may feel tired today. The best way of unwinding is to stay indoors or talk to your beloved.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Your words maybe misinterpreted today. Be vigilant during communication. Conversely, being too clear-cut may hinder rather than help your case. Unloading your feelings regarding professional incidents to your beloved will help you relax.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 How you manage your time today will be a crucial determinant of your overall success. Professional life will be rewarding today. Ganesha sees you boosting the morale of your team members. You will spend a romantic evening with your love.

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

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 Ganesha thinks you will be handle work related activities without any major obstacles. Job may exhaust you by the end of the day. Your loved one might feel uncared. Ganesha suggests you to strike a balance between personal and professional life.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Overload of work will be unable to divert your attention at workplace. You may work extremely hard for satisfying experience and escalation on the professional front. Intimate moments are on the cards for lovers, notes Ganesha. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

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ERGO Monday, December 29, 2008

One look is all it takes NEWS AND NEWSMAKERS IN PICTURES British singer Katherine Jenkins holds a Westie dog during the Harrods department store winter sale opening in central London. AFP PHOTO

Bollywood Actor Saif Ali Khan talks to the media after he was discharged from Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on Saturday. PTI PHOTO

A foreign tourist kisses a poster of Salman Khan on the actor’s 43rd birthday, at a hotel in Bikaner on Saturday. PTI PHOTO