Ergo December 8

A BYTE OF LIFE

Monday, December 8, 2008

02

What’s your reason for leave

MUSCLE MAN An IT professional is Mr. Tamil Nadu FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 2

06 Survey finds America’s innovative excuses for not coming to office

No. 233

A walk through

CHENNAI An IIM-Indore graduate and former techie starts Story Trails to destroy the myth that there’s not much to do in Chennai. A group of trained storytellers familiarise those who sign up with the ‘Chennai way of life’.

» PAGE 05

THE STRAIGHT SHOOTER Gautham Menon on the ’mixed’ response to Varanam Aayiram, Chennaiyil Oru Mazhai Kaalam and future projects .... in a freewheeling chat over a hot cup of coffee with Anusha Parthasarathy. » PAGE10

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Monday, December 8, 2008

Real estate watch

Disaster for the expert Recently during the torrential rains, a disaster management expert, who is an adviser to the state government, was speaking to a reporter about how rains affected the same parts of the city year after year. Interestingly the man himself was standing in ankle deep water inside his own home in Velachery.

Wear these A few days after the Law College student clash where the police were mute spectators and faced lot of criticism, a top police officer received an anonymous parcel at his office. When opened, the parcel contained four sarees and letter saying ‘please wear them instead of your uniforms.’

Helicopter and cricket A rumour on helicopters to keep vigil on the cricket stadium here during Indian vs England Test match spread among media circles. The false news even made headlines in some papers and reciprocating to that was a cricket ardent cop who lashed out on scribes saying “how can one play when a helicopter is creating a cacophony on top of the head.” EOM

Meeting

MACHO MAN Mr. Tamil Nadu Murali Vijayakumar is now eyeing the Mr. India title V. HARIPRIYA [email protected]

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ill you believe it if I tell you that a bone fracture was responsible for a person turning bodybuilder? “Believe it or not, the physiotherapy which I had undergone to recover from a fracture in my leg inspired me to build my body,” says 23-year-old Murali Vijayakumar, who recently won the Mr. Tamil Nadu title in the under-80 kg category. Bodybuilding is a passion for this software engineer working with Infosys Technologies. “A year and a half of hard work made me Mr. Tamil Nadu and now I am eyeing the Mr. India title,” says Murali, a great fan of Dorian Yates (the six-time Mr. Olympia winner). Murali would be competing at the national-level contest next year. Shuttling between work and passion easily, Murali says he never found his profession tasking. “I never stay back late at office. My motto is ‘early to office and early to leave’. If I have a deadline, I will try my level best to meet it before eight and rush home. My day starts at five in the morning and ends by 10.30 p.m. Sleep is a must for a healthy body, which many don’t realise,” says Murali. A lacto-ovo vegetarian, Murali says he consumes around 40-50 eggs a day along with lots of green vegetables. “Diet is very important for building a body, especially protein. I consume food once every two-and-a half hours. I pack my food from home.”

Standing 5’ 9" tall, Murali credits the film stars with popularising the six-pack. “Everyone has a six-pack in their constitution. Based on the fat content and the period of workout, the time needed to develop a six-pack will differ. If the fat content is high, it might take up to six months; for others it is just three months. It’s a myth that it is all about hormone injections. No hormone shot can help a person build his body without proper diet and workout,” Murali adds. “The most common complaint which I hear about techies is that they lead a very unhealthy lifestyle. If you ask me, it’s not the sector which leads to such a lifestyle but the concerned person. I have been working for the past two years, take food from home and stick to regular exercise. My advice to IT professionals is, be early to office and finish your work. Also, avoid consuming junk like fizzy drinks and chips first. Skipping breakfast has become common for both boys and girls in the IT sector. It is really dangerous,” says Murali, who regularly blogs on healthy diets and workouts. “As far as my office is concerned, we have a wellequipped gym. If I get the time I will workout even there. But I regularly go to a gym in Foreshore Es-

tate. Earlier, I trained under Mr. M. Arasu (former Mr. India) and for the Mr. Tamil Nadu contest I trained with Mr. Murthuza and Mr. Lakshmi Kumar,” Murali informs. Murali, who dreams of becoming a professional bodybuilder, wants to popularise bodybuilding. “Misconceptions about bodybuilding should be erased from people’s mind. Bodybuilding should gain popularity similar to cricket,” Murali adds. ■

PHOTOS: S.S.KUMAR

A senior officer attached to the suburban commissionerate has become a terror among real estate agents in the area. The reason – the khaki pokes his nose into all possible real estate dealings in the area and walks away with fat commission. The officer has even ‘deputed’ juniors to keep a watch on real estate matters happening inside his jurisdiction.

03

Monday, December 8, 2008

Ten out of

TEN

Venkat Prabhu decides to give a chance to all the 10 finalists of Vodafone’s SMS contest for his next flick ‘Goa’. And there is a big surprise for fans of Chennai 600 028 V.HARIPRIYA [email protected]

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rom singing songs to cracking jokes and enacting scenes, the winners of Vodafone’s SMS contest tried their best to grab the attention of director Venkat Prabhu at the conference hall of Vodafone office that turned an audition spot for the director’s next flick, Goa, on Saturday morning. The ‘Wish and Act’ SMS contest run by Vodafone invited the customers to wish Venkat Prabhu on November 7, his birthday, and win a chance to act in Goa. Out of over 15,000 creative messages received, 250 messages were selected for the second round. Finally, 10 messages were picked by Venkat Prabhu and the winners had an interaction with the director

on the Vodafone campus. The winners, who had come from places like Coimbatore and Salem, included professionals as well as college students. Balaji Mani Khumaran, a final-year Engineering student and a part-time VJ from Salem, impressed everyone with his performance. For S. Dhileepan, a II-year BSc student, it became a space to vent out his feelings. Still, he tried to impress Venkat by enacting a sentimental scene. These were the two who actually wanted a chance to act. For others, just a meeting with Venkat Prabhu was enough. Especially for A. Amarnath, who works with Reliance, who got the chance to meet the director because of his girlfriend, who is a Vodafone customer. “I don’t know to act and I came here only to meet Venkat Prabhu. Thanks to my girlfriend who

alerted me about the contest. ” But Venkat Prabhu surprised everyone by giving the verdict that he will include all the 10 winners in the film. He said it is tough to take a decision on the winners, since it would be a disappointment for them. “Goa will be a fun-packed entertainer on the likes of Rock On and Jaane Tu... The film will have Jai, Premji Amaran, Arvind Akash and Vaibhav in the lead roles. Search is on for the heroine. The film will start rolling from next year. I have not completely scripted the story which will be made in Tamil and Telugu,” Venkat Prabhu said. The director also added that in the near future we can expect the remainder of the trilogy of Chennai 600 028 -- Chennai 28 Second Innings and Chennai 28 The Finals. ■

The winners of Vodafone ‘Wish and Act’ sms contest along with director Venkat Prabhu on Saturday. PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN

Faking IT The big companies have slowed down recruitments. Fly-by-night ‘IT firms’ are now cashing in on job demand PETLEE PETER [email protected]

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n November 29, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of Chennai City Police arrested a Bangalore-based couple on charges of cheating people after promising them IT jobs after collecting huge sums of money. The arrested were Arun Kumar and his wife Rekha, who together started a software firm called Givion Soft Make Technologies India Pvt Ltd at Ramasamy Street in T. Nagar. The duo had reportedly collected upto Rs 1.5 lakh from each candidate, promising them job placements and had provided only training in return. After a few months the couple closed the firm and left. This case of fraud is just among the mounting number of incidents in the city where young IT aspirants are being taken for a ride by fraudulent individuals and firms they float to facilitate the fraud. Their modus operandi is simple. An advertisement calling for aspiring software engineers is sent out. Candidates are asked to join the firm as trainees after paying huge sums as initial deposit, which can range from Rs. 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh. In most cases, an eyewash training programme is started and the ‘employer’ vanishes with the money. In the case involving the

fraudulent Bangalore couple, more than 50 people were provided computer training at the company and left in the lurch after six months. The couple had pocketed close to Rs. 1 crore, after which Chennai police smoked them out from a hideout in the tech city. “The arrest was the third of its kind in the month of November itself. Similar cases are under investigation,” said a senior CCB official. Reliable police sources reveal that there are seven such cases under investigation and a few more cases are yet to be reported, perhaps making this the new and extremely lucrative type of job fraud in the city. S. Venkatesan, a citybased IT business analyst, asserts that a good firm will select candidates only on merit basis and not after collecting money from them. “IT job aspirants should always verify with their peers and informed professionals the credibility of their future employer,” he says. Venkatesan also says that there is at present no forum to ascertain the credibility of particular firms, especially the smaller ones. “One can even try and approach the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) as there are professionals who might be able to guide aspirants,” he suggested. ■

04 KALEIDOSCOPE

Rewind Personal finance-related news from last week ■ RBI reduced the repo rates and reverse repo rates (rates at which RBI lends to banks, and banks can lend to RBI respectively) by 100 basis point (1%) to 6.5% and 5% respectively. The CRR & SLR remain the same. This will be effective from Monday. ■ The prices of petrol and diesel slashed. The reduction is Rs.5 for petrol and Rs.2 for diesel. The crude price in the international market has dropped to $40, the lowest in four years. ■ Vodafone’s request of no TDS has been declined by Maharastra High Court. The company can appeal in the Supreme Court. The tax liability can be as high as $2 billion if turned down by the Supreme Court too.

ERGO Monday, December 8, 2008

10 steps to manage health insurance

Mini quiz Winner gets a free Personal Finance Health Check up from Finerva. 1. What is the maximum amount for tax benefit for Health Insurance premium under 80D for a senior citizen? Choice: A. Rs.15,000/B. Rs.20,000/C. 20% of Rs.20,000/D. Rs.7,500/2. What is the tax on the claim amount of health insurance? Choice: A. 0% B. The claim amount is added to the income and taxed accordingly C. 10% of the claim amount D. 30% + surcharge on the claim amount Send your answers to [email protected] or SMS your answers to 92813 98889. For example if you choose A as the answer to question 1 and B as the answer to question 2 type it as 1A2B and send it.

Golden calendar 쑸 An employee of Japan’s jeweler Tanaka Kikinzoku displays a ox mascot wearing a gold foil calendar. AFP PHOTO

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n today’s world, it is a given that health insurance is a necessity. The high impact of pollution, work-related stress, odd and long working hours, indifferent food habits, sedentary lifestyle and the commute to and from office add to the health hazards. Is there a way out in case you are stuck with some illness? Yes, a properly planned health insurance scheme can take care of it. Here is a ten step process for well-planned health insurance management.

10-point checklist 1.a: Based on your family history and your work style, plan for the highest expense due to medical emergency. It is ok to be paranoid when doing this estimation. 1.b: Do the same exercise for all members of your family. Include your children too (if you have any). In fact children are the most vulnerable to contagious diseases. 2. Check the cover available with your company’s health plan; check for the amount; check for the diseases covered; and finally check for the emergency facilities covered. 3. Bridge the gap between your

estimation in Step 1 and the cover in your company in Step 2. Some companies may not have health insurance. Some others may even cover pregnancy and child birth (which is not normally covered by insurance companies). 4. Look for a General Insurance company to fill the gap with their products. Consider the health insurance premiums as necessary expenses. They are not investments. One good thing is that the Government also gives us Income Tax benefits under Section 80D for all health insurance premiums (slab is Rs.15000/- per year). The premiums generally change on a yearly basis; increasing with age. 5. Take another health insurance from Life Insurance companies for Critical Illness only. There are several products in the market. For any Life Insurance based health plan - choose the longest term possible and take the plan as early in your life as possible. Here the premiums are fixed throughout he term and is dependent on the age at entry. 6. Always read the fine print of the proposal and the products.

Please don’t entertain telephone calls where the sales person says that the details will be available when you say YES and they send the document. 7. Cross check the document on whether you have got the same plan for which you applied. 8. General Insurance plans need to be renewed every year. Don’t forget the date for renewal. Writing the renewal date on your diary’s first page should be a good enough reminder for this. 9.Don’t change the insurance company – you get the advantage of discounts (no-claim bonus - upto 50%; either in the form of reduced premiums or increased cover) from general insurance companies and fixed premiums for the term from life insurance companies. 10. Once every 3 years (lesser in case there were any claims) review the cover available. Do the Steps 1 to 3 and increase the cover as per requirement. Never decrease the cover (your next company may not have all the goodies). Karthikeyan Jawahar Finerva Financial Solutions Pvt Ltd

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Monday, December 8, 2008

Websites of the day Explore the fascinating world of art with this interactive site: http://www.tate.org.uk/ tateplayer/ Ever wondered where the food on your plate comes from? This site has the answers http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/foodstories

Participants at the Peacock Trail at Mylapore in Chennai on Saturday. PHOTOS: R.RAVINDRAN

ON

CHENNAI’S

TRAIL Listen to unusual tales about the city with this group KALPAGAM SARMA

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here is not much to do in Chennai.” Agree? We are not surprised if you have heard this cliché an umpteen number of times. “Well, we are here to disprove that, and we don’t seem to be doing badly at all. If you have some time on your hands and like the idea of using it to explore, experiment and learn in the process, check us out, and you’ll be sur-

Company: Story Trails Started: December 2006 Strengths: A team from different walks of life with inquisitive minds Vision: Creative outings USP: Unique new service in cultural and alternative tourism Website: www.storytrails.in Ph: 4212 4214/ 99400 40215

prised at how many enjoyable weekends we can tailor for you.” That’s Vijay Kamalakara, an alumnus of IIM-Indore, a former IT professional who quit the corporate world to turn entrepreneur, telling us about Namma Chennai. His company Story Trails gets people to experience a slice of the fascinating “Chennai way of life” using stories as the medium.

Road less travelled India is usually associated with elephants and snake charmers. Story Trails decided to take the road less travelled to change that perception. They say there is a fascinating story behind every aspect of the Indian way of life. “Why do we wear a bindi on our forehead? Why do we draw a kolam in front of our homes? … the list goes on,” explains Vijay, founder and managing director of Story Trails.

The big idea behind creating each trail is to use a different theme to bind some interesting sights and relevant activities together. All trails are hosted by a storyteller, who accompanies the group on tours. Story Trails has a standardised training programme for all their storytellers.

Trail desk Peacock Trail (A walk through Mylapore); Dancer’s Trail (The nuances of Bharatanatyam for a beginner); Country Roads (Wander in Chennai’s countryside); Steeple Chase (Trace the growth of Christianity in Chennai); Bazaar Trail (A walk through George Town); Chennai Suttru (Chennai discovered, with a twist); Spice Trail (The magic of spices in Indian cooking); and Family Trail (An experiential outing for an entire family) are some of the trails they conduct. ■

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Monday, December 8, 2008

4:20 Contrary to legend, all of the clocks in the movie Pulp Fiction are NOT stuck on 4:20.

Iran tests new missile from warship

All eyes on Ghana presidential vote

Iran’s military test-fired a new surface-to-surface missile from a warship as part of exercises along a strategic shipping route, state media reported on Sunday. Iran launched six days of naval war games on Tuesday in the Sea of Oman and the Gulf region amid tension with the United States and Israel, which have not ruled out military action if diplomacy fails to end a row over Tehran’s nuclear work. Reuters

Only one-fourth of Japan voters back PM Support for Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso slid more than 15 points to around 25 per cent in a poll released on Sunday that also showed voters unhappy with his decision to delay measures to prop up the sagging economy. Aso is finding it increasingly difficult to keep his party in line as his support rate falls and the economy slides deeper into recession, intensifying criticism from lawmakers who fear defeat in a general election that must be held by September 2009. Only 25.5 percent of respondents to a weekend poll by Kyodo news agency backed Aso, who took office in September hoping to lead the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior partner to victory in an election that must be held by September 2009.

Ghanaians went to the polls Sunday to choose the man who will succeed president John Kufuor, who is stepping down after two four-year terms, and vote for candidates to 230 parliamentary seats. Nana Akufo-Addo, a 64-year-old lawyer from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and John Atta-Mills, also 64, a law professor from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), are the leading contenders for president. Ghana was the first African nation to free itself of colonial rule and the poll is being closely followed in Africa and further afield, in particular since Nigeria’s elections last year were marred by fraud and those in Kenya and Zimbabwe by widespread violence. “It’s significant for Africa as it was one of the first countries to get independence and if it succeeds it adds a score for the continent,” former Botswana president Ketumile Massire told AFP. AFP

Britain plots Zimbabwe invasion - Mugabe spokesman Zimbabwe’s government has accused former colonial ruler Britain of using a cholera epidemic to rally Western support for an invasion of the collapsing southern African nation, a state-run newspaper said on Sunday. President Robert Mugabe has in the past week come under pressure from the international community, especially Western nations who accuse him of ruining the once relatively prosperous country and exposing its people to famine and disease.

Reuters

Reuters

What’s your reason for leave

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aving a job may be the latest status symbol for Americans in the times of massive layoffs, but many still skip work with no valid reasons and one in three employees call in sick when they are not. Besides, workers conjure innovative excuses for not coming to the office – such as not wanting to lose the parking space in front of his house or having nothing to wear because the wife burnt all the clothes. These are findings of an annual survey on absenteeism by the largest online job site CareerBuilder.com of the US, which revealed that 33 per cent or one-third of workers called in sick to office, when they were well at least once in the year. In the survey, nearly one in ten (nine per cent) workers who lied when calling in sick admitted doing so to miss a meeting, buy some time to work on a project that was already due, or to avoid the wrath of a boss or colleague.

Besides, nearly one in three (34 per cent) said they “just did not feel like going to work that day.” The survey, conducted by global research major Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder.com within the US, also revealed a dozen ‘unusual’ excuses that the employees gave for missing work. These included: employee did not want to lose the parking space in front of his house; employee hit a turkey while riding a bike; employee said he had a heart attack early that morning, but he was ‘all better now’. Other excuses are: employee having ‘swallowed too much mouthwash’, wife burning all clothes leaving nothing to wear to office, employee’s toe getting injured when a soda can fell out of the fridge, being up all night as police was probing the death of someone discovered behind her hose and the employee’s psychic telling her to stay home were other pleas for staying at home. ■ PTI

Americans conjure innovative excuses for not coming to the office – such as not wanting to lose the parking space in front of his house or having nothing to wear because the wife burnt all the clothes

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Monday, December 8, 2008

One look is all it takes NEWS AND NEWSMAKERS IN PICTURES

Model Barbara Meier attends Stars In Der Manege At Circus Crone on Saturday in Munich, Germany. GETTY IMAGES

Actress Rita Russek attends the Stars In Der Manege At Circus Crone in Munich on December 06, 2008 in Munich, Germany. GETTY IMAGES

Quote of the day

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"There’s nothing Islamic about terrorism. I am a Muslim, I read the Koran, but nowhere in the holy text does it say you can get ’jannat’ (paradise) from ’jihad’," Shah Rukh Khan

Miss Ecowas Ivorian Manie Murielle, 20, (C), Vice Miss Hann Fatoumata of Guinea (R), 18, and third placed Uchechi Unubia of Nigeria (L), 21, pose during a beauty contest of The Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) on Saturday in Yamoussoukro. AFP PHOTO

AFP

08 SPORT

ERGO Monday, December 8, 2008

Bracken turns to spin Desperate Nathan Bracken is eyeing to cash in on the void in Australia’s spin department to force his way back into the national side and now-adays the left-arm pacer is busy fine-tuning his spin bowling skills in the nets, instead of swing. “I’ve been practising them (spin) a fair bit. I’ve been bowling them at training but the hardest thing has been trying to get the chance to bowl them in a game,” said Bracken.

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It’s T10 now With Indian pace spearhead Ishant Sharma as brand ambassador and former Team India manager Lalchand Rajput as Tournament Director, cricket is all set to experiment with the 10-over-a-side gully format next year. Targeted at 15 to 24 year olds, who have not yet made the first-class cut, the tournament is all set to roll January 16 with a few batsmenfriendly innovations and absolutely nothing for the bowlers. Eight teams from Surat, Pune, Ludhiana, Thane, Lucknow, Jalandhar, Kanpur and Nashik will vie for Rs 10 lakh winners’ purse out of a total prize money of Rs 25 lakh. The preliminary stage will see four sponsored teams in each city competing against each other to qualify for the final play-off. The play-off will feature two groups of four teams each with the top-two qualifying for the semi-finals. “I loved playing gully cricket. Everybody starts with it. This is the format that takes everyone forward,” Ishant said at the launch. Rajput said the tournament could act as a stepping stone for those aspiring for a place in the Twenty20 side. “It is like a selection trial for twenty20. If we manage to produce even two or three good cricketers, then that would be great,” he said.

Saina needs a travelling physiotherapist immediately: Gopichand

aina Nehwal has the potential to be the numero uno women shuttler but the prodigal talent urgently needs a travelling physio to retain her fitness, feels national coach Pullela Gopichand. Beijing Olympics quarter-finalist, Saina, sneaked into the elite zone of top 10 players on Thursday and immediately set herself a new target of breaking into the top five next year. “Saina has 8-10 years of international badminton ahead. She has the potential to be on the top provided she remains injury-free and for that she urgently needs a travelling physiotherapist who can chart out a specific fitness plan for her,” Gopichand, the former All England Champion, said from Cochin. “Fitness has been her strong point till date but women badminton is very tiresome. There are long matches and you need the stamina to do well consistently,” he added.

Great commitment Elated to see Saina grow as a player from strength to strength, Gopichand said the 18-year-old has always been a quick learner. “Saina has done tremendously well. She is a quick learner and you have to be really good to be in top 10. I had the confidence in her since the beginning.” Reckoning that winning tournaments will be more important than focusing on ranking, Gopi-

chand said Saina would look for a consistent podium finish in the upcoming tournaments. “Rankings are indicative of how you play in that period. It is good to have high rankings but podium finish is more important. We will try to win or reach in semis or finals in the coming tournaments,” he said.

Future plans He said that apart from Asian and World championship, Saina will play 12 Super Series events next year and he is quite optimistic about the champion shuttler’s chances. Asked about how he is preparing Saina for the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, Gopichand said it is still two years away and the duo will churn out tournament-wise strategy. “Of course, we want to do well in Commonwealth Games but there are so many tournaments to be played in between. Our immediate plan is to do well in Korean and Malaysian Super Series to be held in January.” he said. With her popularity graph soaring each day, Saina is now giving tough competition to tennis sensation Sania Mirza but Gopichand said it would be unfair to compare the two stars. “Both have many similarities. They hail from the same city (Hyderabad) and have taken Indian sports high in international circuit. Instead of comparing them, we should enjoy their success.” ■ PTI

PTI

Pakistan’s Asad Rauf has had to step down as an umpire for the scheduled first Test between England and India as he could not get the proper visa, the International Cricket Council said on Sunday. Pakistan nationals require city-specific visas when travelling to India and Rauf, who will be replaced by New Zealand’s Billy Bowden, was issued visas for the original Test venues. The first Test, starting on Thursday, was moved to Chennai from Ahmedabad and the final Test to Mohali (December 19-23) from Mumbai following last week’s militant attacks that killed at least 171 people. “With the change in venues he (Rauf) required a new visa but due to the weekend, followed by the Eid alAdha holidays, there was insufficient time for one to be issued, so he has had to step down from the first Test,” the ICC said in a statement. “It is anticipated Asad will be able to stand in the second match of the series in Mohali.” Bowden will join Australia’s Daryl Harper as an on-field umpire for the Chennai Test. Reuters

PHOTO: MOHAMMED YOUSUF

Rauf to miss Chennai Test

‘Bright future ahead’

09

Monday, December 8, 2008

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ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat will be in Chennai for the first Test and I will be in Mohali to show the ICC’s support for India and the two teams. I would urge as many supporters as possible to join us during the series, not only because they will see two excellent sides playing Test cricket, the pinnacle of our sport, but also because by doing so we will demonstrate that we will not be dictated to by terrorists. ICC President David Morgan

Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines connects with a right to the head of Oscar De La Hoya during their welterweight fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. PHOTO: AFP

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anny Pacquiao of the Philippines stunned 10-times world champion Oscar De La Hoya with an eighth-round TKO in their non-title fight in Las Vegas on Saturday. Moving up two weight classes for his first fight at welterweight, WBC lightweight champion Pacquiao dominated De La Hoya from the opening bell, defying the American’s longer reach and picking him off with straight left hands to the face. Clearly ahead after the first few rounds, Pacquiao backed De La Hoya up against the ropes and opened up with combinations in the seventh and eighth. At the end of the eighth round De La Hoya’s trainer signalled he had seen enough and the referee stopped the fight. “From the first round, I knew we had him,” said Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach. “He had no legs, he was hesitant, he was shot.”

Dejected champion As Pacquiao celebrated, De La Hoya walked across the ring to Roach. “I’m OK,” he said. “I just don’t have it any more.” Widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Pacquiao was still the underdog entering the bout as De La Hoya was favoured to defeat the smaller man by utilising his longer reach and

stiff left jab. However, it was the Filipino’s jab that looked superior, keeping De La Hoya at bay as he bounced on his toes and waited for openings to throw his straight left hand. “I knew right away I would win this fight,” said Pacquiao. “I controlled the fight. I was able to defend against his jab. I was able to connect with everything; he was able to connect with nothing.”

Price is right Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) looked ahead to a possible clash with Britain’s light-welterweight champion Ricky Hatton, who won in the same ring two weeks ago. “I will fight him anywhere they want if the price is right,” said Pacquiao. “But not until after I take a long vacation.” After an explosive first few rounds, the pace dipped slightly in the fifth and sixth, as De La Hoya seemed increasingly reluctant to leave himself open to Pacquiao’s punches. But in the seventh, Pac-

quiao turned up the heat. A series of right hooks to the head backed De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) up against the ropes. Pacquiao opened up with fierce combinations that forced “The Golden Boy” to cover up as referee Tony Weeks kept a close eye on how much damage De La Hoya was taking. The eighth was even more lopsided with De La Hoya offering no resistance backed to the ropes and Pacquiao unloading with impunity. As a dejected De La Hoya sat in his corner at the end of the round, his trainer Nacho Beristain signalled he had seen enough and Weeks called a halt to the contest. “I’m not shocked,” said De La Hoya. “At this stage, when you fight someone like Manny Pacquiao, it’s going to be a tough fight. I felt flat. I just didn’t have it.” Asked about the prospect of retirement, De La Hoya said: “we will have to wait and see.” ■ Reuters

A new icon Pacquiao stuns ‘Golden Boy’ De La Hoya

10 FLICK

ERGO Monday, December 8, 2008

PHOTO: R.RAVINDRAN

It’s not everyday that you get to have a cup of coffee with Gautham Vasudev Menon. But when you do, his answers are straightforward and as crisp as the light blue shirt he is wearing, says Anusha Parthasarathy. She caught up with the ace director last week just a day before he left for New York What led to the recent rift between you and Harris Jayaraj? Just like the media got an email from him, I got one too, one which was formatted differently. I won’t go into details because I don’t want to discuss it but the reasons he has stated are not the real ones. I have no issues with him. Of course, music has always been the strength of my films. You did not see it coming? Nope, none at all. I had no idea all this was brewing until I got the email. If he wants to disclose the reasons, let him. I have nothing more to comment. Is this the reason why two of your upcoming movies have A.R Rahman behind the music? Not at all. I have always wanted to work with Rahman. I signed him up last year for Chennayil oru Mazhai Kalam. So, it has nothing to do with Harris and me splitting. If Harris has an issue with this, then I can’t help it. It’s not as though he doesn’t work for any other director but me. Music is an area I can afford to explore. And I want to explore in every avenue possible. Varanam Aayiram has received mixed reactions from the public. Do you feel it is justified? From what I know, eighty percent of the audience liked the movie. The response has been extraordinary. Of course, there are always exceptions. I never make movies for the critics. I do take criticism but I make movies that I want to make. It’s not targeted at any audience. If I feel that people

would like to watch a certain kind of film, then I do it. Especially this one was a tribute to my father and is very close to my heart. I would say I discovered myself with Varanam Aayiram. Considering that the average movie goer may lack English knowledge, what do you think about the general feeling that there was an overdose of English in the movie? I didn’t write the script in English, on purpose. I went with the flow, that’s all. The movie is for a mature audience and it was differently handled. Even if there is a lot of English, I don’t see why it is a problem. And people from U.S.A and others who do not know Tamil were able to understand the movie because parts of it were in English. Your comments about Suriya’s performance in the movie. He was tremendous. He transported everyone into another world. And that’s the point of any movie. He’s the most versatile actor I’ve seen since Kamal Hassan. He gave his everything and he certainly looked the part whether it was a 17-year-old or a 60-year-old. Suriya was portrayed as an NSG commando in VA. In the light of recent developments, how do you view the co-incidence? I think it was tremendous. I’ve always had a fascination for the armed forces. It was only after the Mumbai attacks that people started noticing the army and NSG. But I think the highest point in a person’s life is when he serves the country. I believe every

Indian should go through 2 years of compulsory military training in their life to be equipped to face consequences. What is ‘Chennayil Oru Mazhai Kaalam’ about? It’s a story about a group of guys and girls who have fun. They’re fresh out of college and looking out to get settled in life. There are three girls and four guys. It’s about how they meet each other, fall in love –there’s a love triangle there – and if they get what they want, in the end. Trisha, in the lead role, happens to work in an IT firm. It’s a colourful, yuppie, feel-good movie. Other future projects? Apart from Chennayil Oru Mazhai Kaalam, I will be doing a Telugu film with Mahesh Babu in the lead. It will begin in April. I’ve also signed up for a film with Soundarya Rajinikanth and Warner Bros. We’ve approached Amitabh Bachchan to play the lead and he has shown interest. I’m also going to start on another script in a couple of days. It’s a surprise, though. How do you work on your scripts? After every movie, I need an unwinding period, which I spend with my family. After this, I pack my bags and travel. I need to travel to write a script. As soon as I fasten my seat belt and open my laptop, I’m off, writing at a stretch, until the entire script is over in a week. Finally, would you like to remake Varanam Aayiram in Hindi? I would love to. I think it’s the kind of film they would love to watch. If I get the right kind of actors, I’m game.

11

Monday, December 8, 2008

Oh, Daddy! Actor Hugh Jackman’s adopted son got a chance to act in the movie Australia, but his role got cut out finally. Now Jackman is convinced that his son will never want to act in another movie. “After four days, he came up to me and goes, ‘Dad, you have the most boring job in the world. I never wanna do it again’,” said Jackman. IANS

‘I saw it first when I was 14 or 15’

Cine City

I

t was a childhood fantasy come true for Hollywood heartthrob Keanu Reeves when he was asked to star as the lead in the remake of the 1951 sci-fi thriller, The Day The Earth Stood Still, which he thoroughly enjoyed watching on TV as a teenager in the early 1980s. “I saw it first when I was 14 or 15 on a black and white TV and I loved it. I remember as a young boy enjoying the spectacle, the drama, the flying saucer, the scary music, and the power when everything stopped in the world. But watching it (the film) again, I observed the sly and clever social commentary about the media and the world,” says Reeves. In the movie, Keanu portrays Klaatu, an iconic alien messenger in human form whose arrival on Earth triggers a global upheaval as governments and scientists race to unravel the mystery behind the extra-terrestrial’s visit. Directed by Scott Derickson of The Exorcism of Emily Rose fame, The Day the Earth Stood Still is being released worldwide on Dec 12. Besides Keanu, it also stars Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates, Jaden Smith and John Cleese in pivotal roles. Known for his disapproval of remakes, Keanu was impressed by the new interpretation and script for the film, which he deemed to be a “reimagining”. He even spent many weeks giving advice on the script and making Klaatu’s transition from an alien in human form to one who appreciates human emotions and beliefs in a subtle manner. Throwing light on his character, the 44-year-old actor says: “Klaatu has a wonderful sort of ease about him. He has a quality to him. You (audiences) will believe his naturalistic bemusement and also his frustrations.” The star of such films Point Break, Speed, A Walk in the Clouds, The Devil’s Advocate, The Matrix trilogy and Sweet November will be next seen in Rebecca Miller’s drama, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, which is scheduled to be released in 2009. ■ IANS

Mom first The shooting of Mani Rathnam’s next film, Ravana, in progress in Chalakudy, Kerala, had to be temporarily suspended when the film’s lead actors, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan had to rush to Mumbai without prior notice. Apparently, Jaya Bachchan’s health was the cause of concern.

Karuppu in dual role Comedian Ganja Karuppu who started his journey with Ram, directed by Ameer will now be seen playing a dual role in the film Aaru Maname. He acts as an auto driver and as a cheating agent in the film. The actor has also played one of the lead roles in the film Arai En 305il Kadavul.

12

ERGO Monday, December 8, 2008

Friday’s Question: If you are given a boon to change one aspect of your day-to-day, life which one would you change? ■ Change my work timings to only 2hrs a day

Hariprasad T, Wipro Technologies

■ Waking up early and cooking

Gulzar Nizam, Infosys

■ The ability to spend more time with my daughter

Senthil Kumar P, RR Donnelley

■ Change the aspect of going to work daily as it affects me from eating, sleeping and roaming whenever I wish

Sundar Shri Ganesh, CGSL

Vimal Kumar of Wipro has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime.

■ No eating habits through life because it takes long time

Idayath, Perot System

■ I want to change taking bath and brush

Karthikeyan.A.T - Perot System, Karthika - RR Donnelley, Annapoorani - M TCS

■ It’s going to office

M. Hariharakumar, Zylog Systems Ltd

■ Instead of 8 hours working time and one hour lunch break I need to change vice versa

Rajee Anand, Coastal Training Technologies

■ The client should no more be interested in the Daily Status Report on the assignments which I don’t have anything to say daily

R.Ganapathy Subramanian, Polaris

■ I’ll change day as night and night as day so that I can work in morning shift

Shabber, Raj Kamal - Sutherland

■ I would like to work from home instead of travelling in this busy traffic

Rajesh Khanna J - Datamark Prodapt

■ I would like to plan my day perfectly that I will have no hurdles in work and home

Praveen, CGSL

■ I would like to change my long working hours to shorter ones

Elumalai J of AdventNet has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Coorg.

Rakshita Sreenivasan - Wipro Technologies, Anitha - Ramco Systems

■ I would definitely change the field I’m currently working

Deepthi, Dhivya - Infosys

■ I will try operating my computer mouse with left hand

Balaji Mohan, Inautix

■ I will change my entire body profile

Ashiq Rahman, Datacraft

■ I will call my TL at 3 in morning and ask about project status

Sofiya Ambrose, Wipro Technologies

Today’s Query: If you get a chance to act in a film, with whom would you like to act and why? Rajee Anand, Coastal Training Technologies

Anthony and Rajeiv of Ford have nominated their team as Partners in Crime.

13

Monday, December 8, 2008

Syed Khader Ghouse of HCL has been nominated as Office Angel by Prabu M. Syed is a very sweet person. He is cool and stong-hearted and we’ve never seen him lose his temper. He’s also intelligent and we can collect details of any domain from him. He also knows everybody in the office.

■ Dear Prabhu, May you have all the joy your heart can hold, all the smiles a day can bring and all the blessings a life can unfold. May you have God’s best in everything. Happy birthday Prabhu!! From, Friends, New Age Software and Solutions

■ Dear Rekha, Only very few people give the gift of peace and tranquillity to every life they touch upon. They are always who they really are. They are blessedly reliable, dependably good, predictably pleasant, loved and treasured by all who know them. You are one of those people. Wish u very happy birthday!!! Wish u many more happy returns of the day... Let all your dreams come true and we will all be there with you to make every step of your life HAPPY!!! Cheers, TCS (friends)

■ Hi Barath (VIRUZ), When you were born that day raining heavily do you know why? The Sky, Moon and all the Planets are crying because they are losing a cute little star to Earth. We wish you many more happy returns of the day to our Dearest Friend. We will pray the god to give you all wealth and health.

Saravanan Vaithiyanat of HCL has doodled this.

With Lots and Loads of love Your Friends Murali,Shab,Muthu,Sudhan,Jish, Archana,Kezia and Brooklin

■ Hi Shobhi, Wish you a many more happy returns of the day! May all your dreams come true in this year! Have a nice year ahead. With Love, Jayakumar Natarajan HCL Technologies

Why did the man suddenly stop his bike and start dancing? Answer: - He was a break (brake) dancer. Railway stationla police station irukkalam; Ana police stationla railway station irukka mudiyadhu. Idli podiya thottu idly saappidalaam;Aanaa, mookku podiya thottu mookka saappida mudiyuma? Manonmani Kesav, HCL

Yaar adichalum thirupi adika mudiyum bore adicha thirupi adika mudiyuma..? Sivanandam, Wipro

■ Dear Honey Anitha K.L (Belated wishes) We all wish you a Very Happy Birthday!!! Let all your three dimples be filled with Happiness, Joy and Prosperity forever..... Keep Smiling always :-))) With loads of luv, "IgNiTe GaNgStErS" (TCS)

■ Hi Nari(Aruna), Belated birthday Wishes d..................!!!!!!!! Regards, Revathi (Nick Name??) & Duglas Akka (Sasikala B) CitiCards. TCS.

■ Dear Naks ( Nakiran - Navis Technologies), Wish you a many more return of the Day… May God bless you with all love and affection. Wish you all success in your future… With blessings from, Balasubramaniyan (Thalai), Senthil Kumar Thangavel (HCL), Muthuraman (Infosys), Chandrasekar Panuganti (CTS) and your beloved friends.

■ Dear Kavitha, Belated birthday wishes. Have a Fantastic Year ahead. On your birthday we wish you much pleasure and joy; We hope all of your wishes come true. May each hour and minute be filled with delight so that your birthday is perfect for you! By MS Team (Technology SOFA), Ramco Systems,

■ Dear Balaji R Wish you a very happy birthday. Birthdays are feathers in the broad wing of time. I wish you happiness and joy in life and many more birthdays to bring you delight. With lots of Love, Balaji Deepa

■ Hi Pandeeswari (Kelvi Ketpathil Villi), Now that you are leaving, things won’t be the same again. But we want you to know, we will always be wishing the best for you. Good bye and Good luck in all that you do!!!!! We will miss you lot Pandi.......... Don’t forget us...... With Lots of luv, Wakeel,Sivanath,Prabha,Ravi,Devaraj, Pushpa,Daniel,Deepasankar,Jyotsna, Charles,Devikala,Uma,Geetha,Lokesh, Duraisamy,Bhuvaneswar,Shankar, Shakthi. TEAM PSI - Perot System.

■ Hi Abilah, Wish you many more belated happy returns of the day. We wish you all the Success in your life. From, T&Q TEAM (DATAMARK PRODAPT PVT. INDIA LTD.)

■ Dear Lakshmi Kiruthika S, Wish you many more happy returns of the day. May all your dreams come true. Ever Loving Brother, MMA & family

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Monday, December 8, 2008

Printing snake An Australian couple got a shock when they went to use their printer and found it was jammed - with a huge snake.

sudoku

Dennis J. of MindTree clicked this picture of the BigBen in London with his Olympus E-300. Hobbies: Music, movies, going on long walks and drives

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

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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

Monday, December 8, 2008

Stone flower

Word’s worth

Villagers in China have flocked to catch glimpse of a flower-shaped rock - after heavy rainfall changed the shape of a mountainside.

"Ombrifuge" (ahm-bruh-fyoodj) a rare word meaning ’a rain shelter.’ From a Greek word meaning ’a shower of rain.’ A semantically related word is paravent, ’a wind shelter.’

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 There may be many distractions, when it comes to work. Ganesha feels you should be careful in interacting with colleagues. Time after lunch will be productive. On the love front, you may have to compromise a little or may have to woo beloved.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 You may feel as id time is playing tricks on you. Ganesha feels it is best to strike the hammer when the iron is hot. Be quick in taking decisions or making moves. However, on the love front, don’t rush with things. Take things as easily as possible.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Waiting might get on your nerves. Ganesha feels most of your things may get delayed today. You should be careful about controlling your playful attitude. On the love front, let your playful side come out. It will earn you more points as a lover!

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 Luck will suddenly appear to be on your side after a long time. It is better to make the most of it. Ganesha suggests you should try to get things in your favour. In love life, Ganesha is amused to see you boasting and trying to impress your beloved.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 On the work front, you may have to deal with technical errors or complexities. Use proper logic to solve such problems, or else you may end up wasting the entire. The evening will be wonderful as ever, of course in the company of your beloved.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

There is no risk in taking risk today. Ganesha feels you will be enthusiastic in meetings and will handle office work brilliantly resulting into appreciation by colleagues. Love birds will get their share of romance and togetherness by the grace of Ganesha.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Gear up for a busy and hectic day at work. The work will be hectic enough for you to spend time on chatting or games. In fact, you might be so tied up with work that you might not even pay attention to family life. Handle your love life with care.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Do not lose focus today, warns Ganesha. Also, in everything you do today; try not to be loud about it. On the love front, you might need to compromise and adjust. Ganesha assures that this the best way to tackle emotional issues with your partner.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 You will have to tackle a lot of stress today. While you are advised to keep your cool, you should be careful about not hurting anyone else’s feelings. On the love front, do not try to confront your beloved. On the contrary, be as supportive as possible.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 Important decision should be put on hold today. In case you still go ahead with decisions, you might have to rectify them later. Extreme decisions like changing job, etc should be strictly avoided. You might face some emotional stress with your beloved.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 Creativity and innovation will come to your naturally today, says Ganesha. In fact, stars are in your favour throughout the day. Since you are feeling lucky, you might act dramatically with your beloved, which of course will amuse both of you.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Ganesha says it’s a power day for you. You might be assigned new projects at work today and you will be ready to take up initiatives and more. Ganesha thinks you will be full of vigour. A positive turning point in your love life may double your joy. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Monday, December 8, 2008

EL DIEGO! A

fter enthralling thousands of soccer crazy citizens of Kolkata on Saturday, Diego Maradona took some time out of his packed schedule to pay a visit to Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity on Sunday. The Argentinean legend lit a candle and prayed at Mother Teresa’s tomb during a special mass arranged for the occasion. Later he also interacted with the sisters of the order and also the children at the home. The recently appointed Argentine coach also went to Mohun Bagan, Asia’s oldest football club, and shared his vast knowledge with the players. The football genius is also expected to meet veteran Communist leader Jyothi Basu at the latter’s residence before leaving for Argentina. On Saturday, he had expressed his surprise with the excitement level in the city and said: “I did not know that I had so many fans in India and people of the country loved football so Diego Maradona shows his much.” juggling skills at the Mohun Ergo Correspondent Bagan ground. PHOTO: AFP

Diego Maradoma hugs a wax impression of himself at the Salt Lake Stadium.

Fans show their support for the football legend.

Diego Maradona visits the Mother House in Kolkata.

PHOTO: PTI

PHOTO: AFP

PHOTO: AFP