Ergo December 4

A BYTE OF LIFE

Thursday, December 4, 2008

10 SANJAY SURI on why he’s still not satisfied FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 2

08 MISSION AUSTRALIA Proteas seek help from Kirsten

No. 231

GAME ON? The signs are positive that the first test match will start at the M.A.Chidambaram Stadium on December 11. But do you think it is time to start cheering for a Tendulkar century? Send us your views to [email protected]

LIGHTEN YOUR CAR Want to reduce your car’s weight and increase fuel efficiency? Go for carbon fibre body parts.

» PAGE 03

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Thursday, December 4, 2008

For today’s men Titan has launched ‘Orion’, a unique range of watches inspired by the astral wonders of the universe. Orion celebrates the intelligence and masculinity of today’s men. The collection consists of 15 sophisticated styles, priced up to Rs. 8,000.

An appeal to IT firms N

ethrodaya, a self-help organisation formed by the visually challenged for the visually challenged, has appealed to all IT companies to spare a bus on December 6 and 7 for a two-day symposium to be held at Velammal School Grounds, Mogappair. Visually challenged people from all over Tamil Nadu are expected to participate in the symposium. But the NGO is in dire need of vehicles to transport the participants to the venue. So, they have made an appeal to all IT companies to help them by sparing a bus during the weekend. They need the bus to pick up the students from the respective railway stations and bus stops on Saturday from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. and then drop them back on Sunday noon at 2.30 p.m. The symposium will be addressed by visually challenged persons who have overcome their challenges and are now successful in their lives. Audio books for visually impaired Plus Two students will also be launched on the occasion.

THE DOCTOR IS IN Sometimes, a dog’s company is the best medicine

For more details contact C. Govindakrishnan at 9382896636.

Rescued dog Dr. Jumble turns healer

ERGO CORRESPONDENT [email protected]

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ll over the world, pet animals have doubled up as therapists and brought joy to young and old alike. In India, the first organised animal assisted therapy programme was started by the Blue Cross of India in the early nineties with a dog named Cleopatra at the Saraswathi Kendra Learning Centre. This grew into the Dr. Dog programme in 2002 in association with the Animals Asia Foundation, Hong Kong (AAF). When the first Dr. Dog visit happened in the ESK Learning Centre in Chennai with Dr. Bozo, a 2-yr-old dog, the children at the centre gave the dog and her com-

panion an overwhelming response and pleaded that Dr. Bozo be allowed to stay another day. Progress monitors have shown that therapy dogs have made a positive impact on autistic children, patients and caregivers simply by being around. Run with the help of volunteers (both people and dogs), animal welfare organizations and doctors, the Dr. Dog programme has successfully been conducted in schools and hospitals and is now looking forward to including old age homes and orphanages in the list of beneficiaries. The dogs are tested to ensure that they have a docile temperament and have their visits spaced out so as not to cause any stress to the animal. Their capac-

ity to heal the sick and bring cheer to children with special needs is even more inspiring when one looks at the history of some of these therapy dogs. Dr. Jumble was rescued by the Blue Cross as a ten-day-old puppy in 1993. She has the distinction of being the first mongrel therapy dog to be certified by the Animals Asia Foundation, Hong Kong. The goal of the programme is to allow more people to experience the joy that pet animals bring into our lives everyday and by the looks of it; they’ve already done that many times over. Do you have a friendly dog that you’d like to volunteer for the Dr. Dog programme? Write to [email protected]

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Thursday, December 4, 2008

GAME ON? N. Srinivasan, secretary, BCCI (left) and Reg Dickason, security consultant, ECB inspect the security arrangements at the Chepauk Stadium. PHOTO: S. RAGHUNATHAN

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f the indications on Wednesday are anything to go by, the English Cricket Team could well be in Namma Chennai coming Monday to participate in the first of the twomatch Test series that has become a subject matter of much speculation in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks. On Wednesday, English Cricket Board’s security consultant Reg Dickason accompanied BCCI secretary and TNCA president N.Srinivasan and other cricket board officials inspected security arrangements at the M.A.Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk. They also met the city police commissioner K. Radhakrishnan. The police commissioner along with his deputy is likely to visit the Chepauk Stadium on Thursday to inspect the security arrangements. Radhakrishnan said he expected the English cricket team to arrive in Chennai on December 8. He also said that Dickason was satisfied with security arrangements here. “I am sure everything will go well and we will provide absolute security for the visiting team.” N. Srinivasan also expressed confidence in the security steps taken and said, “Based on the discussions held and the clarifications given, BCCI ex-

pects no problem with the first Test being held in Chennai.”

Squash scrapped With the World Doubles Squash championship to be held at Chennai from December 15-21 already scrapped due to security concerns, the BCCI and also the Government of India have had to work overtime to get the English series up and running. The English has asked for various security measures for their players. Among the measures England have reportedly demanded are a 20-man commando force at every venue and an evacuation procedure in place in case of any untoward incidents. But for all England’s concerns, there is a desire to continue with the tour and help India recover from the Mumbai attacks. Former players have already pointed out that three years ago, during the train bombings in London, Australia did not cancel their Ashes tourney. The first cricket Test between India and England is scheduled to be held at M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk, Chennai from December 11 to 15. ■ Ergo Correspondents with Agency inputs

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BI and trends A workshop on Business Intelligence (BI) and its emerging trends will be conducted on December 6 (9.30 a.m. - 5.30 p.m.) at GRT Convention Centre, T. Nagar. The session is open for senior and middle-level managers. For queries call 2496 2766

04 VILLAGE

ERGO Thursday, December 4, 2008

Map error Fast food chain McDonalds has apologised for cutting Western Sahara off a map of the country on its Happy Meal boxes.

Tourists to be barred from Tokyo tuna auctions

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ourists will be banned from pre-dawn tuna auctions at the largest fish market in Japan – and the world – for at least a month, officials said Wednesday. “We have decided on a total ban as visitors are taking pictures with flash and touching tuna, which gets in the way of bidding,” said Akiko Ueyama, a spokeswoman for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. “The market is not a visitor attraction but a place for fish bidding.” Local authorities have long overlooked hundreds of people,

mostly foreign tourists, flocking every day to Tsukiji market to see the tuna auctions. But the metropolitan government will now deploy guards to enforce the ban, which is due to begin on December 15. It will notify embassies, hotels and travel agencies of the move. “We are also considering if we should continue it indefinitely,” Ueyama said. The market, the source of fresh sushi and sashimi flown daily to top restaurants the world over, has long topped must-see lists for first-time visitors to Tokyo. ■ AFP

South Korea’s media reform bills draw fire South Korea’s conservative ruling party on Wednesday unveiled a series of bills aimed at removing ownership barriers between print news media and TV networks. The opposition accused the governing Grand National Party (GNP) of trying to secure a dominant role in the media industry for its major supporters. One bill would, if passed, remove a ban on crossplatform ownership. Businesses that own a newspaper would also be allowed to hold up to 20 percent of a terrestrial TV channel and up to 49 percent of a cable channel. Foreigners will continue to be barred from owning a terrestrial channel but will be allowed to acquire up to a 20 percent stake in a cable TV channel and up to 49 percent in a satellite channel. AFP

Egypt lifts ban on doctors going to Saudi Egypt has lifted a ban imposed last month on its doctors taking up jobs in Saudi Arabia after two doctors were ordered jailed and flogged in the conservative kingdom, local media reported on Wednesday. “Manpower and Immigration Minister Aisha Abdel Hadi announced the lifting of the ban on Egyptian doctors going to take up jobs in the private sector” in Saudi Arabia, the state-owned Al-Ahram daily reported. Cairo said on November 13 that it would no longer allow doctors to travel to Saudi after two doctors were sentenced to between 15 and 20 years in prison and 1,500 lashes for allegedly turning a Saudi princess into a drug addict. AFP

Mass Liberian jail break sees 200 prisoners escape

The market, the source of fresh sushi and sashimi flown daily to top restaurants the world over, has long topped mustsee lists for first-time visitors to Tokyo

The Liberian government has put the final number of prisoners who escaped in a mass jail break earlier this week at 200. Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Justice Minister Philip Banks told journalists that over twenty of the prisoners were injured while attempting to escape from Monrovia Central Prison on Monday. The prisoners had warned prison guards on Monday that they would attempt to break out if they did not get a court date before Christmas, reports said. Banks blamed the jail break on ‘serious security lapses’ and said that only the arrival of riot police, who fired into the air, prevented more prisoners escaping. DPA

Google resorting to austerity measures Feeling the pinch of the global economic slowdown and the US recession in particular, Google, the internet search engine giant, is resorting to austerity measures, The Wall Street Journal has reported. Prominent among them include cutting new projects, chipping away at perks and reducing employee strength. Such measure from Google, which is known for its generous perks, has come as a surprise to many industry watchers. The latest Google measures are understandable as its revenue growth has slowed down dramatically over the past one year. Google’s share price Tuesday was US$ 275.11 as compared to US$ 741.79 in November 2007. IANS

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Thursday, December 4, 2008

One look is all it takes NEWS AND NEWSMAKERS IN PICTURES

Actress Nicole Kidman attends ’Australia’ Madrid premiere at Kinepolis cinema on Tuesday in Madrid, Spain. GETTY IMAGES

Actress Eva Mendes attends a photocall for ’The Spirit’ at La Quinta hotel on Tuesday in Madrid, Spain. GETTY IMAGES

Jessica Alba attends the Campari Club, 2009 Campari Calendar launch at La Permanente on Tuesday in Milano, Italy. GETTY IMAGES

Actress Scarlett Johansson attends a photocall for ’The Spirit’ at the Santo Mauro Hotel on Tuesday in Madrid, Spain. GETTY IMAGES

06 SPORT

ERGO Thursday, December 4, 2008

MUPC final Raghav FC of Gurgaon and Salgaocar SC will play in the summit clash of the fourth Nike Manchester United Premier Cup 2009 Under-15 football tournament India finals in Goa. In the first semi-final, Raghav blanked Kalyani Municipal Academy 2-0 with goals from Ravi Kumar (25th minute) and Jaipal (41st). In the second semifinal Salgaocar beat defending champions St Stephen’s Football Academy, Chandigarh 5-4 via penalty shootout after both the two sides were locked goal-less at the end of regulation time.

‘Top guys not to tour India’ Traumatised by last week’s Mumbai attacks, as many as six cricketers might stay back even if England decide to tour India for the two-match Test series, according to former pacer Dominick Cork. Cork said he talked to most of the English cricketers who returned home abandoning the last two ODIs in India following the Mumbai attacks and claimed five-six of them are definitely not going to return to India. “I know of at least five or six players who are going to turn their backs on England. Those I’ve spoken to are traumatised. What they saw on television was 10 times worse than what was shown here,” Cork told the BBC Five Radio. Though he didn’t name the players, pacer Steve Harmison and spinner Graeme Swann have already gone public with their reluctance to tour India, while Andrew Flintoff too feels the same way. Pacer James Anderson is also likely to stay back to be with his pregnant wife. The England and Wales Cricket Board, for the past few days, were locked in talks over the future of the Test series, the fate of which now hangs on security expert Reg Dickason’s report.

GUNNING FOR AUSSIES SA coach seeks Kirsten’s tips on taming Ponting and party

PTI

Malik hits out at Yousuf Lashing out at Mohammad Yousuf, Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik said the senior batsman should have spared a thought for the team’s image before going to India and giving vent to his disgruntlement there. Malik said he still respected Yousuf as a senior player but felt it was wrong on his part to hold a press conference in India and make accusations against him. “I don’t know why he is saying this. But it would have been better if he had come to me as a senior player, friend or brother and told me about his feelings,” Malik said. “This would have been better instead of him going to India and saying all these things in a press conference there. I still respect him as a senior player and as a friend and I feel he still could have given a lot to Pakistan team and we needed his services. Yousuf should have thought about Pakistan cricket,” he added. Yousuf, who joined the rebel Indian Cricket League last month, has repeatedly claimed that he was forced to do this because Malik didn’t give him the required respect as a senior player. PTI

South Africa captain Graeme Smith (right) along with team coach Micky Arthur. PHOTO: S. SUBRAMANIUM

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outh Africa coach Micky Arthur is leaving no stone unturned in his ambitious bid to humble the world champions and has now turned to India coach Gary Kirsten to learn what it takes to tame Australia. Arthur’s meticulous plan for the away series included roping in former England coach Duncan Fletcher in a consultancy role before seeking Kirsten’s help. Under Fletcher, England beat the Aussies to win the 2005 Ashes, while Kirsten guided India to a thumping 2-0 win over Ricky Ponting’s men recently. “I have had a chat with Gary... and he reinforced that our ideas were right,” Arthur told Sydney Morning Herald. “And Fletch, after just his first six days with us, has

already convinced me that we made a very good decision in bringing him into the group. We have been looking to speak to anyone who has enjoyed success over the Australians, and Fletch has provided us with some very interesting ideas,” he said. Incidentally, Arthur almost roped in John Buchanan in an advisory role before the former Australia coach joined Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. “It struck me as a good idea. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be with John, but it led us to Fletch, and we couldn’t be happier with that. He’s one of the few guys around to have beaten Australia in a Test series, and his knowledge and insights will prove ex-

tremely useful over the next few weeks,” Arthur said. Zimbabwe-born Fletcher has been unemployed since resigning from the England post last year after the 0-5 Test thrashing in Australia which followed England’s 2-1 series triumph in 2005. Cricket South Africa chief executive, Gerald Majola, said the approach to employ Fletcher had come from Arthur and the rest of the management and coaching team. “This move was mooted by the team management and says much for their maturity and eagerness to use the best preparation methods available,” Majola said. ■ Agencies

Thursday, December 4, 2008

‘‘Minnows dump Arsenal It’s all very well to say ‘We mustn’t let the terrorists win’, but what about the grieving families who have lost loved ones. Sport is supposed to be enjoyable, entertaining and essentially fun. But I don’t know how any of that can be possible when India is burying more than 200 victims of terror.

Geoff Boycott

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rsene Wenger’s Arsenal youngsters were sent crashing out of the League Cup as two goals from midfielder Kevin McDonald sealed a 2-0 victory for Burnley at Turf Moor on Tuesday. Although Wenger’s senior stars answered their critics with a 2-1 Premier League victory at Chelsea on Sunday, the club’s young guns were subjected to a cup quarter-final humbling as Owen Coyle’s Championship team upset the odds to reach their first major semi-final since 1983. While Arsenal’s first-teamers have had their problems this season, Wenger’s talented prodigies have rightly earned top billing in the League Cup after destroying Sheffield United and Wigan in the early rounds. The youngsters rattled in nine goals without reply in those two games, but having eliminated Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the last round, Burnley have also made an impact in this season’s competition. And Coyle’s team, riding high in fourth place in the Championship, gave Arsenal a real scare in the first-half as they grabbed an early lead through McDonald before proceeding to carve out a series of further goal scoring chances.

Burnley matched Arsenal’s attacking intent with their own, however, and Coyle’s team pushed forward in search of the second goal that would as good as seal the game. It came on 57 minutes when Eagles’s quick throw-in released McDonald in the Arsenal penalty area. The former Dundee midfielder ghosted past Randall before beating Fabianski with a coolly taken right foot strike into the far corner. With Arsenal now bursting forward in an attempt to rescue the tie, Burnley had the opportunity to put the game firmly beyond Wenger’s young side. But Northern Ireland striker Paterson missed a golden chance to set the seal on a famous victory when he headed straight at Fabianski from Blake’s pinpoint cross. ■

Burnley’s McDonald outshines Arsenal’s starlets

AFP

Early miss Arsenal had the opportunity to strike first when Fran Merida’s precise pass released Nicklas Bendtner on five minutes, but Burnley keeper Brian Jensen set the tone for an impressive performance by saving well from his fellow Dane. Less than a minute later, the home side were ahead after Arsenal’s failure to clear a Chris Eagles cross left McDonald with a tap-in from six yards. Instead of sitting on their lead, Burnley showed ambition and they pushed Arsenal back as they went in search of a second goal. Martin Paterson twice brought saves from Lukasz Fabianski before the Polish keeper fumbled a 20-yard volley from Robbie Blake. Arsenal were by no means out of it, however, and Wenger’s pacy youngsters looked lethal on the break, but the formidable frame of Jensen twice denied the visitors an equaliser. On both occasions, the keeper raced off his line to block goalbound efforts from Mark Randall and the lively Carlos Vela. Despite their impressive firsthalf display, Burnley would have known that Arsenal would come back at them strongly after the break.

Burnley’s Kevin McDonald (left) celebrates after scoring against Arsenal during their English League Cup match in Burnley. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Close shave And Wenger’s team almost equalised in stunning style on 49 minutes when Merida jinked past three Burnley defenders before sending a right-foot strike inches wide.

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08 ROADSTER

ERGO Thursday, December 4, 2008

Now on, hire a ta

As part of the administrative Pradesh government has sus asked its officials to hire tax vehicle. The government has official purposes.

Weight and watch CARBON FIBRE PARTS GO A LONG WAY IN REDUCING CAR WEIGHT

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arbon fibre body parts, being light, are the most preferred material by many auto enthusiasts. The hood is one of the heaviest external body components and the

most preferred part to be replaced with a CF hood. Using a CF part would reduce the weight of the car drastically and also increase fuel efficiency due to reduced drag. Not to forget a huge improvement in performance and speed you get from the same engine without any modifications and it is due to the re-

duction in weight. Carbon fibre is a very light and strong material used for different requirements. CF is usually in the form of hair strands, very flexible in nature. The CF strands are weaved together and laid over any shape or mould and with a coat of resin to get the CF strands to take shape and grip

onto the mould. A carbon fibre part is very expensive. Hence, most of our fellow racers or drivers get the look-alike sheets to stick over parts and make it look like a CF component. Then we have fibre glass, a material used to make mould out of composite materials fused together on pre-designed moulds for most of the show car audio installation pods. We have a good audio installer in Chennai with skills to design and develop very cool moulds for your audio kits. ■

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Thursday, December 4, 2008

axi

e cost cutting exercise, the Himachal spended purchase of new cars and xis to meet the requirement of extra s also fixed norms for hiring taxis for

The junk artist

SNIPPETS Gear knob Replace the boring factory-fitted gear knobs with slick and stylish gear knobs from MOMO. Taiwan-made are a good option, too. Price: Rs. 2,500 - Rs. 4,000

Strobe lighting Strobes are fancy lights that burst bright lights like a camera’s flash. They are available in different colours and I personally like the white. Usually installed inside the sidelights and taillights or underneath the car. Price: Rs. 1,500 - Rs. 3,000

Engine headers Stainless steel engine headers tuned for performance. The header can be customised to the customer’s specification if required. Price: Rs. 7,000 – Rs. 10,000

Artist Ilyas Ahmed’s creations. (Inset) Ilyas Ahmed. PHOTOS: AP

Bikes, cars and even dinosaurs, all made of scrap, are Bangalorean Ilyas Ahmed’s forte

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utomobile parts, nuts and bolts, metal scrap, discarded wood and even domestic waste is not junk for artist Ilyas Ahmed. They are a rich source of raw material to be cut, chiselled and welded into giant dinosaurs or a modern day Robocop. All that Ahmed, a self-made artist, needs to turn waste into beautiful artefacts is a simple cutter, a chisel and a welder. Of course to give shape to his imagination, the 33-year-old Bangalore man spends up to 12 hours a day in his workshop chiselling and refashioning junk into various models. His seven-day exhibition of 20 sculptures, held at the gallery of Chitrakala Paristha recently in Bangalore, drew thousands of visitors who showered praise on Ahmed - for his 10-ft tall dinosaur and the latest models of bikes and cars. Eighteen of the displayed artefacts made of junk have been sold and might adorn the houses of the buyers. The scrap artists not only displayed the dinosaur but a Robocop, a predator, a giant spider, cheetah, tiger and elephant. Ahmed’s foray into the art world started as a hobby when he was in his teens. Over the years it has turned into a passion. It was during his stint as a 19-year-old welder at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bangalore, that Ahmed discovered his latent talent. “While working later at Merck and Company, a co-worker encouraged me a lot and also taught a lot about how pieces of nuts, bolts, springs, cans and other scrap could be chiselled to give them the shape of sculptures,” Ahmed adds. Ahmed says he sourced the junk from household waste, garages and factories. “In waste also I find wealth. All my work has been handcrafted and sculptured with intricate assembling. I collect all the thrown away objects from various households, garages and factories in Bangalore and use them for my artworks,” he avers. Ahmed’s workshop is located at New Thippasandra, about 12 km from the city centre. He has admirers in the US, Britain, Japan, Italy and Singapore and sells his artworks to them. Till date, he has sold around 150 of his sculptures in foreign shores, Ahmed said. The price ranges from Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 500,000. Ahmed has exhibited his works seven times in Bangalore and once in Dubai. He plans to hold similar exhibitions across the country, but is looking for curators to take the entire responsibility of holding the exhibitions. After mastering the craft, Ahmed is now imparting his skill to turn junk into nuggets to children.■ IANS

10 FLICK

ERGO Thursday, December 4, 2008

Bhoomika floats production company Actress Bhoomika has floated a film production company and a film magazine recently. The first venture of her firm will be Thakita Thakita, a Telugu flick, and the magazine is titled Mayanagar.

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anjay Suri has received much critical acclaim for his performance in movies like Pinjar and My Brother Nikhil and he has many projects lined up for the coming year, but the actor feels he is underutilised in the industry. “After being in the industry for almost a decade now I still feel that I am underutilised as an actor. I am happy with the way my career has shaped, but I am not satisfied. I want to do much more,” says Suri. Sanjay started off as a model before entering Bollywood in 1999 with Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi. He then went on to do films like Daman, Jhankaar Beats, Bas Ek Pal and Filhaal, among others. The actor has primarily worked in films with an ensemble cast, but maintains that it was not planned that way.

“It was not a conscious decision to do mainly multi-starrers. It just happened that the kind of films offered to me were ensemble pieces with multi-dimensional stories,” he said. “I feel the trend today is bent towards the saying ‘the more the merrier’. The ticket prices are so high that people want to see more and more (actors).” The coming year will see Sanjay portraying myriad characters in films like Nandita Das’ directorial venture Firaaq, Sanjay Gupta’s Alibaug, Anjum Rizvi’s supernatural thriller Flat and Sudhir Mishra’s Sikandar. Mishra’s movie has terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir as its backdrop and it was extensively shot in the state. Sanjay, who has grown up in Kashmir, said it was extremely emotional visiting the valley after 18 years. “Going back to Kashmir was, I think, a catharsis waiting to happen. My entire childhood was

spent in Kashmir. It was a very emotional state for me to be in. At one level I liked being there. At the other I did not enjoy it, because it brought back too many memories. Even today when I think about home, it’s always Kashmir. One can never take Kashmir out of me,” he added. Suri, who was now promoting Sorry Bhai, his second production venture after My Brother Nikhil, said that even though producing a film is a tough task, it makes him feel empowered. “Producing a film definitely becomes a little difficult since it carries with it a sense of pressure, but it also makes you feel empowered. There is a feeling of ownership, which gives you a high. As an actor it is someone else’s responsibility, but when you become a producer the responsibility of the film is on your shoulders,” he says. The producer-actor, however, says he has no plans to direct a film any time soon. “I haven’t thought of directing a film as of now. It is a highly qualified job and I’m not ready for it yet. I love the craft and I love being a part of cinema. But right now my focus is acting and then production,” he said. ■ IANS

SANJAY SURI ISN’T SATISFIED YET

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Thursday, December 4, 2008

Asin’s costly shoes During the shooting of London Dreams, Asin had complained to director Vipul Shah about the shoes given to her on the sets. The director took her to the nearby store and she got a pair of black shoes that cost Rs. 2 lakh.

Frankie & Alice A

cademy award winning actress Halle Berry is starring and producing psychological drama ‘Frankie and Alice’, which narrates the tale of a young woman struggling with multiple personality disorder. The 42-year-old’ character in the film is torn between who she is and a racist Caucasian personality that occasionally takes over her mind, reports dailymail.co.uk. Berry is sporting a curly hairdo for the film and shooting in Vancouver, Canada.

Cine City R.K Selvamani plans a film on Mumbai attacks As long as terror attacks keep happening, filmmakers wouldn’t run out of themes. Films have been made on religious clashes, sandalwood smugglers, international mafias and LTTE issues. And now the latest in Kollywood is a film based on the Mumbai terror attacks and the movie is directed by none other than R.K. Selvamani, who is known to make movies on copa and the whodunit genre. The director has earlier churned out super hit movies like Pulan Visaranai and Captain Prabhakaran.

www.cinesnacks.com

IANS GETTY IMAGES

I am addiccted to skydiving:: Hilton

GETTY IMAGES

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ocialite Paris Hilton is addicted to skydiving after throwing herself out of a plane to celebrate her birthday last year. The 27-year-old socialite is known for teetering around in high heels and skimpy outfits in the Hollywood party scene. But Hilton insists she’s become an adrenaline junkie since taking part in her first parachute jump in February 2007, reports imdb.com. She said: “I went for my birthday last year and got addicted, it’s so much fun. I was (terrified) but it’s such a rush, it’s really thrilling.” IANS

Sonia Agarwal plans a comeback through TV serials Actress Sonia Agarwal, who made her debut in Kollywood through Kadhal Kondaen, is planning a comeback to the industry through serials. The actress, who married director Selvaraghavan, remained a homemaker for the past two years. Though she had expressed her willingness to act, sources said that Selvaraghavan was against her decision and made her the assistant director in his movie Aayirathil Oruvan. Sonia was not so pleased even here and expressed her willingness to do soaps. Hope she got a nod from her husband. The latest news we heard was she has been approached by two popular media channels.

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ERGO Thursday, December 4, 2008

Wednesday’s Question: If you get a time machine, in which year would you like to land and why? ■ 3000, to see a new millennium. Sangeetha, John, Perot Systems

■ 2012, because my parents have decided to gt me married that year. Javid, Cognizant

■ 1985, to call my friends and hubby as a kid. Sheeba, Infosys

■ 1947, I want to feel the pulse of the people, their joy and ecstasy at achieving independence. I want to live that moment with the likes of Gandhi and Nehru. Vignesh C, Cognizant, Nirmala, Perot Systems, K Sridher, Perot Systems, Girija, Ford, Arunkumar Raja, CGSL

■1935, the year when my dad was born. I want to grow and also be with him. Shiva, EDS

■ We would definitely want to go back to our college days. That’s when we had the time of our lives. Meenakshi Mohan, TCS, Deepthi, Infosys, Vijayan M, CTS, R.Viswanathan, Kalpana, Hexaware, R.Selvaganesh, Sutherland

■ I would like to land to the year 2020 now itself to foresee my future. Sundar Shri Ganesh, CGSL

■ I would like to go back o my childhood days. only till my 10th i stayed at my house and i miss my mom. Sasi, VDSI

■ I would like to get landed in 2011...confident to see our men in blue team under the leadership of our luckiest captain Dhoni winning the World Cup. Riyaz Ahamed M, Allsec Tech

■ I’ll go to 2010 to know about my future husband, my family and my post at my office. Rashmi, CTS

■ I’ll go to 2060 and check whether I’m happy in my oldies. Srinivasan, Perot Systems

■ I would like to go to Hitler’s time period and show him what women can really do. Divya Swaminathan, Wipro Technologies

■ I would love to go back to 1984 and watch my parent’s wedding. Janani, Wipro Technologies

■ 1995, to enjoy with my 12th std school friends again. Senthilnathan, CGSL

■ 1983, to see Indian cricket team’s World Cup winning moment.

Justin Sekar from Wipro Technologies has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. this pic was clicked at Ooty.

Prabhakaran S, HCL Tech, Hema, Indus, Sundar Narayan, Polaris

■ 1981, I wish to be a small baby with no worries, grudges and grumble, wrapped under my mom’s safe hands peacefully. Maria Agnes, TCS

■ 2020 and see the dream of Dr.Abdul Kalam come true. I will see a developed India. Gavaskar Ezhilarasan, Hexaware, Mohamed Siddiq A, TCS, Vimprash, Patni Computers

■ I will go to my dad’s school days and find out his real marks. Manickam R, TCS

■ Go five years ahead to see how naughty my kids are. Radha, Inautix

Anbuselvan Sivaraju from Satyam has nominated his colleagues as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Calicut.

■ I would go back to the age of Thomas Alva Edison and do all the inventions along with him. John Vijay, Sify Technologies

■ I would like to land to my teenage years and would like to enjoy. Sathya Narayanan, FSS

■ 1980’s where the bell bottoms and hippi hair style rocked. Aravind, Hexaware

Today’s Query: If you could nominate one Indian movie for the Oscars, which would it be and why?

Solaimalai Subramanian from HCL has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime.

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Thursday, December 4, 2008

Syed Khader Ghouse from HCL Technologies has been nominated as Office Angel by Prabhu Murugan Syed Khader Ghouse is a very cool person and never worries about any problem. Also he is a brain box; we can collect details of any domain from him.

■ Dear Eashwaran, Wish you Many, Happy Returns of the day. God bless you. With Warm Regards, Raghavan.SS & all members from Global Finance-Team

■ Hi Keerthy & Pradip, Wish you many more Happy Returns of the Day.May god bless you in all Endeavour’s of life. With lots of love, S.Lavenya, A.Arabi, California Software Co Ltd

Is there an angel in your office - ideally it could be a behind the scenes staff - an office attender or a cleaner. Some one who is there all the time, helping, but their presence is taken for granted. Feature them here, and give them their due. Send your emails to [email protected] with subject line: "Office Angel"

■ Dear Devi, Wish You a Many more Happy returns of the Day (Belated).May all your Dreams come true in this Year. Yours, VSR friends.

■ Dear Vethu Scene Sriraman P.C, Wish You Happy Birthday. We wishing you all success in your life, may all your desires come true. Have a great year ahead. Ithu varai treate kudukama emathura, intha thadavayavathu VAAYA OPEN PANNAMA PURSE’A OPEN PANNU With lot of love, Ever Vshing Friends

Malathy Sasikumar of TCS doodled this.

■ Hi Kripa, En iniya piranthanaal vaazhthukkal. Indru pol endrum punnagai unnidam nirantharamai nilaithirukka en Vaazhthukal. Btw eppo treat kodukka pora. Romba kashtapattu tamil ellam msg anupi irukaen. Ethachum paathu pannu. Have a rocking day buddy. Thiagarajan B, TLS

■ Dear Nantha, I hope you feel deep in your heart, As your birthdays come and go, How very much you mean to us, More than you can know. Happy b’day to you! Cheers, Jerlin & Sangeetha

■ Dear Kasaiah, Here’s a posy of flowers, and a basket too, With Birthday greetings all for you. Many More Happy Return. With Best Wishes, Manger ‘N’ Crew HCLT

■ Dear Taruna, Valu Taruna,many more happy returns of the Day. From this b’day Eat more.Enjoy Life. With Love B2B Web Team(Jeril,Babu, Senthil,Uma,Anitha,Selvaraj), TCS

1.Night-la kosu kadaicha Good Night vaika mudium. Kaalai-la kosu kadichaa good morning vaika mudiumaa? 2. Idhu oru chemistry question. What is the equivalent of Ba+2Na? Banana Manomani Kesav, HCL

Nee oru kuzhandhai(child) .Tell this in one word ’Kid’ney Saravanan, HCL

■ Hei Ranga, You are special to be remembered on your birthday. And may your good times multiply from this day.Wish you a many happy returns of the day.May HE bless you with health, wealth and prosperity in your life. Happy Birthday to you da Ever loving wishes from Team – GIT, Cognizant.

■Dear Eashwar Sir, Belated Birthday Wishes. You are an exemplar of best boss. Thanks for being our boss. long live for 100 years.

Yours, Naughty Team Members, TCS.

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Thursday, December 4, 2008

Man swallows earrings An 18-year-old man attempted to steal a pair of earrings from a store at the mall by swallowing them. He now faces charges including retail theft and tampering with evidence.

sudoku

Prem Anand J of Wipro sent us this picture of St. Francis Xavier Church, Goa. Hobbies: Playing cricket and photography

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

TEAM Editor: Karthik Subramanian [email protected]

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

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: Contact: 2857 5757 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.goergo.in Head of Circulation: M.G.M. Sharief [email protected]

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

15

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Naked Hitler sparks complaints

Word’s worth

TV bosses in Belgium have been slammed for featuring a semi-naked Adolf Hitler in an advert for a travel programme. The show’s presenter Tomas de Soete was shown in his underwear, wearing a swastika armband and giving a Sieg Heil salute in front of a Nazi flag.

"Magirology" (madj-uh-rah-luh-djee) a rare word meaning ’the art or science of cooking.’ A magirist (or magirologist) is an expert cook; something that is magiristic is related to cooking or cookery, and someone that is magirological is skilled in cooking. From a Greek word meaning ’cook.’

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 First half of the day is really favourable for important discussions. However, in the second half, you may feel that your time is being wasted behind fruitless pursuits. Ganesha feels that you may have some sort of disagreement with life partner.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 It is a favourable day on the career front. Important discussions with superiors may go well. Hard work done in the first half of the day can pay you good rewards in the second part of the day. Love relationships may blossom in second half of the day.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Day may be spent in important discussions with peers. If you avoid being confused, outcome of these discussions may be in your favour. It is best day to do something for the family members in the time that you can steal from your busy schedule.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 At the beginning of the day you may be pessimistic in approach. You will be compassionate about difficulties that others may be facing at work so you may help colleagues. In love life, you may be more expressive and highly sensitive too.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 In first half of the day, you should avoid frictions and differences with everyone at office. In the second half, you must avoid negative thinking and fruitless discussions with anyone. In short, Ganesha suggests to handle the day with utmost care.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

You may try hard to be more systematic. In second half of the day you may feel bit tired and worked up. You may remain very much attached to family members. You may be submissive and may have compromising attitude in case of love life.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Your intelligence and dedication to work – these two are key factors on the career front. You might have to stay back at office till late. Romance is embedded basic quality that you possess but today your honey may find you slightly unromantic.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Your administrative abilities will be very useful todaynotes Ganesha. In technical work, despite your hard work, if the problem is not fixed or if the desired result is not achieved, don’t feel frustrated, as second half of the day is in your favour.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 The day indicates communications with important people. You may also be active in social or professional networks today. In the second half of the day, you may go out with your lover. Alternatively, you may spend time with family also.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 In first part of the day, you may be doing mental hard work. As the day moves, you will find yourself busy in office and domestic front. Probably it is not right day to take firm decisions.If you are in love, you may enjoy nice chatting with your beloved.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 Your appearance and the way you talk to others are highlighted today. You will be impressive in speech so it’s right day to attend or arrange meetings. In the second half, you may have wonderful dinner with the person you love the most, says Ganesha.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Ganesha doesn’t find you in a very good humour at the beginning of the day but as the day progresses, you may find yourself charged up. You will adjust with everyone at office very nicely. High level of sensitivity is expected on your love relationship. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Thursday, December 4, 2008

The audio launch on Wednesday started with a silent prayer.

Youth fl fliick alert Get ready to meet the gang of ‘Kanaa Kaanum Kalangal’ of Star Vijay fame on the Silver Screen. The director of the serial, along with four actors, will to graduate to the big screen with ‘Pattalam’

Actors Jeeva, Sakthi, Prasanna, Srikanth, Bharath and Jayam Ravi at the audio launch of Pattalam at Sathyam Cinemas on Wednesday. PHOTOS: R.RAVINDRAN

KALPAGAM SARMA

T

hey had captured the imagination of TV audiences with their zany portrayal of school students in Star Vijay’s serial Kanaa Kaanum Kalangal. Now the gang from KKK seems all set to blaze the screens with Pattalam, a story of a school gang of seven guys and a girl, with one heck of a good-looking head-

Movie: Pattalam Producer: Lingusamy, Subash Chandra Bose - Thirupathy Brothers Cast: Nadiya, Irfan, Guru, Vignesh, Balaji, Sathya, Hari and Krupa Director: Rohan Krishna Music director: Jazzy Gift

master to tackle. On Wednesday, at the launch of the audio of the movie at Sathyam Cinemas, the cast and crew members promised a fun ride of a movie. Some of the bright young stars of Tamil cinema – of the likes of actors Bharat, Jeeva, ‘Jayam’ Ravi, Prasanna, Jai, Shakti and Vijayalakshmi and directors Venkat Prabhu and Balaji Sakhtivel – were there to introduce the cast and crew. Graduating to the big screen from KKK are Irfan, Guru, Vignesh and Balaji. Three others – Sathya, Hari and Krupa (the lone girl of the gang) are set to debut. The story is penned by Sheeba, wife of director Rohan Krishna, who had earlier worked as an assistant director with Priyadarshan. Though it was an all-youth af-

fair, the queen bee of the event was the stunning Nadia, who continues to awe one and all by defying age. Talking about Pattalam, she said, “I’m very happy to be a part of such a young team and the music has turned out really well.” She was all praise for the team, her co-artistes and the producer. The music for the movie is scored by Jazzy Gift, music director of the hit number ‘Lajjavathiye’ from Malayalam blockbuster 4 the People. This is his first direct foray into Tamil cinema. The album has six songs and since the storyline revolves around school life “the attempt is to add zing and vibrancy to the songs and is mainly targeted at the youth,” the cast and crew of the film said. ■

Two minutes’ silence Nadia, a Mumbai resident, arrived for the event after mourning the loss of two close friends to the terrorists attacks at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai. Highlighting the aftermath of the terror attacks in Mumbai she said: “I signed up to be a part of the memorial walk for the terror victims to be held in Mumbai today. However, since work comes first, I decided to come down here.” Before addressing the press about the movie, she requested everybody present at the launch to maintain a two-minute silence in memory of all the victims and NSG commandos who lost their lives.