Ergo January 19

A BYTE OF LIFE

Monday, January 19, 2009

08 ROOKIE JADEJA drafted in for Sri Lanka series

10 CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA A review

FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 3

No. 10

YOUR SECRET FRIEND Ragasiya Snegidhi of Big FM in conversation with V. Haripriya » PAGE 03

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Monday, January 19, 2009

Write, delete, repeat! Luxor has introduced ‘Pilot Frixion’ with metamocolour ink technology. The speciality of the pen is that the ink disappears when exposed to heat and reappears when kept under freezing temperature. The pens are available in eight colours and priced at Rs. 95.

Mongolian Film Festival The South Indian Film Chambers, from Monday, January 19, will play host to the Mongolian film festival. Organised by the Embassy of Mongolia in New Delhi, Consulate of Mongolia in Tamil Nadu and the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation, the three-day fest will witness the screening of three movies starting at 6.30 p.m. everyday. The film festival will be inaugurated by Voroshilov Enkhbold, Ambassador of Mongolia in India. C.V. Karthik Narayanan, Consul of Serbia and Montenegro, Chennai, will be the chief guest. Actor Lekha Washington will also be present. Venue: South Indian Film Chamber Theatre, 606, Anna Salai, Chennai 600 006. Screening schedule: Date Title Time Jan 19: The Love Such a Love, 6.45 p.m. Jan 20: The story of the weeping camel, 6.30 p.m. Jan 21: Tsogt Taij / Choghtu Tayiji, 6.30 p.m.

Helping hands ecently, some of us from Trimble Navigation, an IT company in Tidel Park, volunteered to visit Hands of Compassion, a home-cumschool. The place shelters about 110 children, between the age of two and 16 years, from Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Manipur, Assam and Andaman. All these children are victims of the earthquakes, the tsunami and terrorist attacks. Preparation for the visit started a couple of weeks ago. One of

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Trimble employees went to the orphanage and gathered details on what was required for the children. We pooled in cash and essentials like sleeping mats, bed sheets, towels, dresses, shoes, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, pillows, toys, notebooks, crayons, etc., along with cash. It was an occasion to remember. We spent quality time with children, conducted games and distributed eatables. It was fun to see them participate so actively.

The ideal pair

he was arrested on charges of threatening a computer agent. Reliable sources say the man is good friends with a top cop in the suburbs. Therefore, the victim’s complaint wasn’t accepted there. Following the victim’s complaint to the city police, a case was booked against the accused as if the crime had happened in the city limits and he was later sent to prison.

These days, the husband of a senior lady police officer, who is a lawyer, is working together with his wife to make some big bucks. The man is known to be referring ‘lucrative’ cases to the wife and vice-versa. It is also known that the lady cop even refers complainants to her hubby for a compromise, all for a fee. Police circles refer to the duo as the ideal couple.

A cop’s pal trapped A smuggler, who was out on bail sometime ago, started an IT firm with another cyber crime accused he met in prison. Recently, the former was in the news after

Breathing a sigh of relief The present top cop of the city is a little publicity-shy compared to his predecessor, who preferred to be in the spotlight most of the time. As a result, the PR department staff of the CoP office is breathing a sigh of relief – a

We were told that the money we contributed would be used to provide care to children suffering from certain deficiencies. Also, for eye and dental check ups as well as to purchase medicines. If you think you would like to make a difference in their lives, please contact Sumathy (orphanage representative) at 92831 22472. Or, visit Hands of Compassion, Vaanian Chathiram, Redhills, Alamathi Road, Chennai – 600054. ■ (Contributed by Tanvi Rupa)

much-needed break from regular press meets and camera unveiling ceremonies in the city.

Juvenile watch Police have launched an operation to keep track of juvenile offenders released from juvenile homes to monitor their activities. An officer is appointed to keep track of nearly 200 teenagers. The surveillance system to watch former juvenile offenders is on paper but was never implemented till recently.

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Monday, January 19, 2009

What’s your score? Sathyam Cinemas has tied up with Sweden-based global gaming factory X AB and Smartlaunch Systems A/S of Denmark to launch the GameTheGlobe.com international ranking system for gamers at its gaming zone Blur. The system already serves tens of thousands of players in the US and Europe and is growing rapidly.

The mask is off

THIS WEEK!

Ragasiya Snegidhi, the RJ with no name from Big FM, plans to reveal her identity this week. V. Haripriya caught up with her for a tête-à-tête recently

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he is the agony aunt for many bruised souls in Chennai. No matter how serious the problem is, a listener can pour out his heart to her. With no identity other than her voice, Ragasiya Snegidhi (meaning ‘secret friend’) is as popular as any other RJ in town. But now, to the surprise of her many fans, this week the RJ is finally revealing her name on the show, airing between 9 p.m. to midnight. Hosting the show Ragasiyamai on Big FM for the past two years, this bubbly RJ says the USP of the programme was concealing her name. “But now I feel it’s time to reveal my name.” “The idea behind concealing my name was that no one would like to reveal their sorrows or feelings of guilt to anyone, including their friends. So we thought that instead of making them talk to a popular RJ it would be better if they talk to someone whose identity they don’t know. That really worked well and we started receiving around 100 calls per day. Now we have completed two years successfully. So it’s time for the listeners to know my identity and there are other surprises, too.” “While starting the show, it was really difficult for me to handle the callers. But now I am used to it and know how to tackle them and their problems,” she says. “Most of the callers have problems in their love lives. Misunderstandings, silly fights and even possessiveness might be the reasons for the feud. I always sound positive and try to make them understand the situations. Extreme cases like extra-marital affairs,

Hosting the show Ragasiyamai on Big FM for the past two years, this bubbly RJ says the USP of the programme was concealing her name.

pre-marital sex and puppy love also pop up. I try my level best to give solutions as the decisions lie in their hands.” Even without disclosing her name, she remains the favourite of many. “You might be surprised if I say I have a lot of fans. There are people who are trying to track my details through various social networking sites. And some have even come up with proposals to marry me. For instance, one person called me and said that I have a very sweet voice and I talk so caringly that he wants to marry me. And another even kissed me over the phone!” The RJ says that even she is amazed by her own popularity. “Once I was quite ill and after my show went to a medical shop to buy pills. Usually, I leave office 15 minutes before the show ends, as we only play songs in the last segment. When I went to the medical shop, the salesman was listening to my programme. He didn’t bother to ask what I wanted and when I asked him to rush he was annoyed! Finally, when he saw our office cab, he inquired about all the RJs, especially Ragasiya Snegidhi, and conveyed his wishes to her. I was very happy but still couldn’t tell him it was me.” A graduate in English Literature, the RJ loves what she does. “I involve myself in this show. Once I enter the studio I switch off all the lights to get into the mood. I believe this has helped me a lot.” “I have three favourites in life; Rajinikanth, Silk Smitha and, of course, namma Chennai,” she adds. ■

04 KALEIDOSCOPE

At a glance HDFC reduces home loan rate HDFC, one of the biggest players in the home loans market, has cut housing loan rates. The new rates are as below: 9.75 % for all loans up to Rs. 30 lakh rupees and 10.75% for all loans above Rs. 30 lakh rupees. This is a steep drop from the earlier rates of 10.25% and 11.25 % respectively.

30 per cent dividend Franklin India Blue chip fund has announced a dividend of 30% on its open ended diversified equity fund. This would mean that for every unit of face value Rs. 10 you hold, you would get Rs. 3 added to your account. The fund has shown better performance as compared to the SENSEX. The record date for the dividend is Jan 21, 2009. Meaning, you would get the additional Rs. 3 only on the number of units you hold as of Jan 21.

New IPOs Unfazed by the ongoing turmoil in the financial markets four companies have filed their Red Herring Prospectus with SEBI. They are Pradip Overseas, Sea TV Network, Great Eastern Energy Corporation and Texmo Pipes and Products.

Mini Quiz 1. When the RBI cuts the CRR rate, what is it talking about? a. Compulsory Return Rate b. Currency Reduction Ration c. Cash Reserve Ratio d. Credit Rate of Reserve bank 2. IBN is the symbol for the ADR of which company? a. CNN IBN b. IBM India c. ICICI Bank d. Indian Bank Winners get a free monthly budgeting book. Send your answers to [email protected] or SMS 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.

Answers for last week’s quiz: 1. FMP stands for Fixed Maturity Plans 2. EPS stands for earnings per share

Ask a query I have around 1000 shares of Satyam, which I brought for around Rs. 226. I do not know what to do as it is not even worth Rs. 24, 000. Syed Jainulavudeen, Velachery

Any stock market investment has to be long-term and has to be based on fundamentals. You need to do your research in the business papers/magazines and try to understand various factors like the new management, government response, the company’s customer profile, etc. Once you are clear of these issues and if you feel confident of a better future you can decide your course. From a logical point, if the 24,000 is not of urgency now as you have lost close to Rs. 2 lakh already, just let it stay till you recover more. (Queries related to personal finance can be sent to [email protected])

ERGO Monday, January 19, 2009

Dictating rules, policies, standards… PRADEEP YUVARAJ

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he Satyam imbroglio has been hogging the limelight for the last fortnight on every newspaper, television channel and website worth its salt. We are not going to discuss or analyse the aftermath of the episode for the company and its employees, but rather look at ‘Corporate Governance’ and what it means to us individuals and its effect on your money. Corporate governance literally means how a corporate is governed. That is: the set of rules, processes, policies, ethics, standards, reports and internal laws by which the day-to-day running of any company are dictated. It is also the link for the stake holders of a company. They include individuals/organisations that are affected directly or indirectly by the activities of the company, such as shareholders, directors, employees, customers, suppliers, lenders, government and the general public.

Understanding corporate governance and your money

Effect on our investments As investors, most of our investments are directly or indirectly channelled into the stock markets, which is nothing but investing in to various organisations. Depending on the visible and self-reported activities of these organisations the stake holders take multiple decisions. For example, a fund manager might increase his investment exposure, a supplier might extend higher credit, a lender may lend higher amount and potential employees would be willing to join and so on. If an organisation is transparent and follows ethical corporate governance at all times, the stake holders can benefit from its growth. But they could also hurt themselves if the company or its employees behave contrary to their own set standards. And each one of us is responsible for maintaining corporate governance standards of the organisation we are associated with. ■

Corporate governance is all about following the rules, policies, customs and laws

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Monday, January 19, 2009

EUREKA

Inspiration to start a new venture – small or big – can be found in many places, but you need to be looking

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uccessful inventors, entrepreneurs and writers say they are often asked where their big ideas came from. They will acknowledge that serendipity often plays a role. But equally as important, they say, is having an open mind – especially in tumultuous times like these. Big and small ideas are out there, they say, if you are looking for them.

Magic or science Consider the experience of Lopa Mehrotra, who was studying to be a political scientist. One hot summer day she was watching her six-year-old daughter playing outside. “Look,” her daughter said, as she scraped two gray rocks on stone and watched them turn white. “It’s magic.” “I said, “Actually, it’s science,”” Mehrotra said, explaining how that moment inspired her to create TestToob.com, a social networking site that allows students to showcase scientific experiments.

Sound of music

WHAT’S ON

Jacques Heim, who founded Diavolo Dance Theater, was in Aspen, Colorado, with his dance company, using an elementary classroom as a dressing room. Naturally, it was full of toys, he recalled. He saw a box of blocks, including three in particular that caught his interest: Identical fivesided pyramids that created a cube. “I was inspired by the geometry behind it,” he said, “and played with it for months.” Ultimately those cubes led to a performance piece called “Foreign Bodies,” set to music by EsaPekka Salonen, music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Members of Diavolo, based in Los Angeles – gymnasts, actors and dancers – use everyday ob-

jects, like doors, stairs and chairs for dramatic movement, as well as the three mobile pyramids for “Foreign Bodies.” His choreography, Heim said, is influenced by what he can see, feel, touch and hear. “I believe if you have the child inside you and you walk down the streets, things happen to you,” he said. “Intuition. That’s how I operate.”

The Physics of Nascar Diandra Leslie-Pelecky, a physics professor, said she got her

idea when she was changing the channels one day and happened upon a car race. Without warning, she recalled, one of the cars hit an outside wall. None of the cars had bumped, she said, and there were no engine failures or flat tires. So what happened? It was not idle curiosity. To solve the problem, she immersed herself in racing by spending time with pit crews, crew chiefs, mechanics and drivers, and eventually wrote, “The Physics of Nascar.” The book traces a race car

from its design to its race to the finish line. Whether it is a festival, a concert, a speech, a convention or a book, creative thinkers say, you have to actively look for inspiration, and that takes time. Carving out time to find inspiration may seem unrealistic to a small-business owner working 90 hours a week. But Kimel said it must be done to find and keep a competitive edge. “You cannot afford to say, ’I don’t have the time to get out of

my little circle here to understand what’s going on,” Kimel said. “You can’t make the mistake of thinking the only place you’ll learn is from colleagues who are doing exactly what you’re doing.” But what if you are not creative? “Hang out with creative people who are interested in the kinds of things you hope to contribute to,” advised Sandy Goldberg, an author and philosopher. Goldberg suggested, “Don’t neglect thinking when you’re not thinking,” for example, on a run. When people ask her about how she comes up with an idea, Jane McGonigal, a top game designer and future forecaster, tells them, “You have to systematically expose yourself to things outside your domain because the breakthrough ideas will come from areas where you are not constrained by doing the daily job.” “Otherwise, you are doing what others in the field have done and it won’ be a breakthrough.” As a researcher of alternate reality games, McGonigal focuses on how games can help the real world. In her research, she has also found a connection between gamers and the science of happiness, which led her to a moment of inspiration. “Games give you new models for looking at the world,” she said. They are the “ultimate happiness engine,” because they work better than reality -- there are better instructions, better feedback and better community. In the end, McGonigal said her experience and research taught her this: “We don’t have to be famous or rich. But we have to be good at something. We are happiest when we are applying our signature strength.” ■ NYT News Service

Are you going for Proto.in?

Ban Jao Biyani

The fifth edition of Proto.in will open curtains this time in Bangalore on January 23 and 24. Around 15 start-ups will showcase some of their best innovations. Besides, this year will have the edition introduce new events. Like, ‘Shotgun Startups’ will see teams of technologists, programmers, designers, and product architects compete with each other to build a product in 24 hours, and also to get them voted by the audience. There’s lot more planned this edition, so make sure you register for the event to be held at NIMHANS Convention Centre, Bangalore. Log on to www.proto.in to learn a lot more.

After business plan competitions that give you an opportunity to be mentored, now it a reality show modelled on the similar lines. ‘Ban Jao Biyani’ is being hosted by CNBC Awaaz in association with Future Group, where the short-listed entrepreneur gets an opportunity to be mentored by Kishore Biyani. So, if you have what it takes to be a winner, register for the selection process at www.banjaobiyani.in.com

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Monday, January 19, 2009

Non-stop laughing A Chinese couple is seeking a cure for their young daughter who has been laughing non-stop for 12 years. The problem began when the girl was just eight months old.

‘Too low, too slow’ In his first statement on the Airbus crash landing on the Hudson River, captain Chesley Sullenberger told investigators the plane was “too low, too slow” to reach the next airport after its engines were hit by birds. The machine had also been too close to “too many buildings, too populated an area”, said the former US Air force pilot, who said he wanted to avoid a catastrophe last Thursday. He steered the Airbus 320 plane operated by US Airways to land in the river without breaking up, saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew. The pilot was being questioned by the US National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB). DPA

Putin painting auctioned for over USD 1 million It’s no Picasso, but a painting by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has sold for more than a million dollars at a charity auction in his hometown of St. Petersburg. Putin’s picture of a frost-rimed window in a traditional log hut was among artworks by well-known Russians from various walks of life that were auctioned on Saturday to raise money for a hospital, a church and a cancer clinic in the city. Moscow gallery owner Natalya Kurnikova snapped the painting up for USD 1.1 million. She said she bought it because it could be the first and last painting of its kind. Putin’s painting brought in more than any of the others on auction. A painting by opera singer Anna Netrebko fetched USD 34,000.

Zimbabwe’s first lady allegedly assaults British photographer A British photographer said on Sunday he had been beaten up and punched repeatedly by the wife of Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe as he was trying to snap photos of her in Hong Kong. Grace Mugabe (43) flew into a rage when she saw photographer Richard Jones waiting outside as she left the five-star Kowloon Shangri-la Hotel with a female friend and a bodyguard in the southern Chinese city on Thursday. Jones was about 20 feet away from Mugabe when she told her bodyguard to attack him, said Michael Sheridan, The Sunday Times correspondent who joined the photographer seconds after the assault. “The bodyguard grabbed Mr Jones, wrestled with him, attempted to take his camera. He then held him while Mrs. Mugabe struck him in the face repeatedly,” Sheridan said. Jones said he went to see a doctor afterwards and was diagnosed as suffering from numerous bruises, cuts, and abrasions to his head and face. “The cuts and bruises allegedly caused by the First Lady... were due to the diamond rings on her fingers,” he said. AFP

Al-Qaeda threatens Germany over Afghanistan presence A presumed member of Al-Qaeda threatened Germany with reprisals for its presence in Afghanistan in a video made public late Saturday by the US centre for surveillance of Islamist sites SITE. In the 30-minute video message, an individual calling himself Abu Talha Al-Alamani said the Germans were “gullible and naïve” if they thought they could “escape unscathed when they are the third occupation force in Afghanistan.” SITE said the video, in German with Arabic subtitles, had been produced by AlQaeda’s production unit As-Sahab and was dated October 2008.

PTI

AFP

Shashi Tharoor in anthem trouble The UN Under Secretary General accused of “interrupting” national anthem

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petition has been moved in a lower court in Kochi seeking action against former UN Under Secretary General Shashi Tharoor for allegedly interrupting the national anthem at a function in Kochi last month, a charge denied by him. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Cherian Kuriakose posted the case to Jan 31 for recording the statement of the petitioner Joy Kaitharath, General Secretary of the State Human Rights Protection Centre, and the witness.

The court, however, declined to forward the matter to police. However, Tharoor refuted the allegation that he had shown disrespect to the national anthem and dubbed as “motivated lies” reports appearing in a section of the media. The petitioner alleged that Tharoor had “intentionally prevented” the singing of the National Anthem and caused disturbance to the assembly engaged in singing the anthem on Dec 16 at a function at Le Meri-

dian. The petitioner stated that he did not lodge a complaint with the police since he apprehended that they will not register a case against “an influential person”. “The allegation is totally false. There was no interruption of the national anthem. At no point in my life have I ever interrupted the singing of National Anthem or shown disrespect to any national symbol,” Tharoor said in a statement in Thiruvananthapuram. PTI

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Monday, January 19, 2009

Websites of the day

This day that year

Hilarious real-life newspaper headlines: http://funnies.paco.to/Headlines.html Everything you need to know about the history of body art: http://www.designboom.com/ history/tattoo_history.html

It was on January 19, 1966, Indira Gandhi was elected prime minister of India in succession to Lal Bahadur Shastri who had died on January 11. Shastri had succeeded Gandhi’s father, Jawaharlal Nehru.

The White Tiger under attack Kathmandu Post calls Adiga’s novel “shocking” for its “distorted” portrayal of Nepalis

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ndian author Aravind Adiga’s debut novel, The White Tiger, which went on to win the prestigious Booker prize in 2008, has raised hackles in Nepal over what is being regarded as the belittling stereotyping of Nepalis. “Many English-educated urban Indians have a distorted view of Nepalis,” said an article in the Kathmandu Post daily on Sunday, calling the novel “shocking” and “blatantly representing Nepalis”. The author of the article, Deepak Adhikari, objects to the fact that though the novel has several Nepali characters, all of them remain nameless and marginalised. They are also stereotyped negatively, portrayed either as “slanteyed” Nepali security guards of no consequence or “Chinese”eyed prostitutes. As the novel begins to unfold, the protagonist Balram Halwai is taken to a brothel that houses four “light-skinned Nepali women in gorgeous red petticoats”. The same imagery of Nepali women as prostitutes is rein-

forced at the end of the novel when Halwai visits another brothel in New Delhi and is told by the pimp that he looks as if he can afford a Nepali beauty. Halwai finds the Nepali inmates “really good-looking: very light-skinned and with those Chinese eyes that just drives us Indian men mad”. Adhikari says many urban Indians think “Nepalis are modernday slaves – women languishing in brothels and youths keeping vigil...” While conceding that Nepali women are trafficked to India and unemployed men cross the border in search of jobs, Adhikari says it is an attack on the Nepali identity to present them as nameless generic specimens. “Granted, a novel is a work of imagination,” he says. “But when a novel gets a prestigious award, it climbs further up on the bestseller list. And readers may come to identify Nepali men with wily security guards and Nepali women with those who sell sex for livelihood.” ■ IANS

Hungry squirt

Raju ban gaya popular Ramalinga Raju rivals Obama in terms of Internet search popularity

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atyam’s disgraced founder Ramalinga Raju has beaten US President-elect Barack Obama on Internet popularity charts in India, and is closing the gap abroad, too. Google’s search volume index shows Raju and Obama were generating almost equal searches from India during the first six days of the year, with Obama leading by a small margin. However, Raju jumped up the charts on January 7, when he admitted to a massive fraud of about Rs. 7,800 crore. The search volumes for Raju are estimated to have been over 10 times more than that of Obama on January 7,

after which it has been declining consistently but Raju is still holding an edge over the US President-elect. In terms of cities, the maximum search volume has been from Hyderabad, where both Raju and Satyam are based. As regards searches for Obama, Tamil Nadu has been on the top. For cities, the maximum search volume for Obama has come from Chennai. Outside India too, Raju has generated significant search volumes from UAE, Singapore, Finland, US, Poland, Australia, UK, Canada and Germany, but has lagged behind Obama. ■ PTI

쒀 An undated hand out photo released on Sunday shows one of Australia’s deepest residents, a bizarre carnivorous sea squirt, or ascidian, standing half a metre tall on the seafloor on the Tasman Fracture Zone at a depth of 4006 metres. The animal feeds opportunistically, triggered when a fish or any other swimming organism touches it. The animal is then trapped by the funnel-like front section, which collapses around the prey item. AFP PHOTO

08 SPORT

ERGO Monday, January 19, 2009

Man U go on top Dimitar Berbatov’s last-minute winner for Manchester United put the Red Devils top of the Premier League after a 1-0 victory at Bolton while Chelsea netted twice in the last three minutes to salvage a 2-1 win at home to Stoke. With Liverpool not in action until Monday, when it hosts neighbour Everton, Alex Ferguson’s defending champions had the chance to go top for at least 48 hours.

ERGO CORRESPONDENT [email protected]

I KKR looking for alternative home venues The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and Kolkata IPL franchisee owners Red Chillies are at loggerheads over the fundamentals related to the hosting of the Kolkata Knight Riders home games at the Eden Gardens. A difference of opinion over the financial settlements between the two parties may see the Kolkata team playing a few of their home matches at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack and also possibly far away from home in Gujarat. After inspecting facilities in Cuttack, Knight Riders officials are also in talks with Gujarat Cricket Association president N. Amin for a possible shift of venues. “Personally, I am in good terms with a few of the top Knight Riders officials and we want to host at least two of their games. There is a lot of enthusiasm here about cricket and our stadiums are also of international standards,” Amin said. “We have already approached the Rajasthan Royals to play a few of their home matches here and their officials came and inspected the venue and facilities offered.” Meanwhile, the CAB seemed not to be perturbed by the current development and president Jagmohan Dalmiya feigned ignorance and said: “I have no knowledge about it.” The former BCCI and ICC president had a marathon meeting with KKR top official Jay Mehta last week to sort out the differences. But according to CAB sources the association has resigned to the fact that some matches will be shifted out of Eden Gardens and Barabati is the likely replacement. Ergo Correspondent

Kenyan Mugara wins Mumbai marathon Kenneth Mugara led a Kenyan sweep in the men’s event of the Mumbai marathon on Sunday in the city’s first international sports event since the militant attacks last November. Almost 35,000 people participated in five separate events in the annual run through the streets of south and central Mumbai, taking them past two of the three landmarks where Islamic gunmen laid siege, killing 179 people. Mugara clocked a course record time of 2:11.51 ahead of David Tarus in second and John Kelai, winner of the previous two editions, third. Ethiopia’s Haile Kebebush won the women’s race in a time of 2:34.08 with compatriot Marta Marcos second and Kenya’s Irene Mogaka third. Reuters

ndia brought in uncapped Saurashtra all-rounder and under-19 World Cup winner Ravindra Jadeja for the away series against Sri Lanka, where the visitors will play five ODIs and one T20 International. Jadeja, who was instrumental in Saurashtra’s success in the recently-concluded Ranji Trophy (Saurashtra reached the semi-finals before going down to eventual champions Mumbai), shined both with the bat and ball during the tournament, scoring 739 runs at 67.18 to finish sixth on the run-scorers’ list. The slow leftarm orthodox picked up 42 wickets. An integral part of India’s under-19 World Cup winning team, Jadeja also showed his mettle playing for the winners, Rajasthan Royals, in the inaugural IPL and drew praise from team captain Shane Warne for his all-round abilities. The Krish Srikanth led selection committee dropped opener and Jadeja’s World Cup winning skipper Virat Kohli, while off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was rested as he was recovering from a hamstring injury. The other notable change in the side is the comeback of Uttar Pradesh pacer Praveen Kumar who was unexpectedly dropped form the ODI side for the home series against England. However, Kumar had a listless Ranji Trophy final, going wicket-less against Mumbai in Hyderabad. Pathan brothers – Yusuf and Irfan – retained their place in the 15-man squad along with left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who will lead the spin department in Bhajji’s absence. Dambulla is scheduled to host the first two ODIs on January 28 and 30, followed by the next three in Colombo on February 2, 5 and 8. The only T20 match will take place in Colombo on February 10. The Indian team will meet in Chennai on January 25 before leaving for Sri Lanka. “The Indian team will assemble in Chennai on January 25 and practise under lights at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. They would then depart for Sri Lanka the next day,” BCCI joint secretary Sanjay Jagdale said. Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Yusuf Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Pragyan Ojha, Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar. ■

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Bhajji out, Jadeja in Ravindra Jadeja rewarded for good Ranji Trophy showing

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Monday, January 19, 2009

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There is no possibility of a shift in venue for the Commonwealth Games and there is no reason to do it. I don’t know why this issue comes up. There should not be one percent of doubt about Delhi staging the Games. Lalit Bhanot, general secretary of the Delhi Commonwealth Games organising committee about speculations of the Games being moved from Delhi to Melbourne because of slow construction work in Games sites

PHOTOS: AFP

No clear favourites

Big Four leave Australian Slam wide open

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en’s tennis has moved swiftly from one dominant player to two, then the Big Three and now the Big Four, making this year’s Australian Open the least predictable in recent history. World number one Rafael Nadal is seeded top, Novak Djokovic is defending champion but Britain’s Andy Murray is some bookies’ favourite, rankling three-time winner Roger Federer. “Murray’s the favourite? Good for him, but it doesn’t help him a lot,” said the Swiss. Federer heads into the season’s opening Grand Slam without the top seeding for the first time since 2004 but encouraged by his US Open win in September. The Swiss also lifted the Kooyong Classic trophy on Saturday as he goes in search of Grand Slam title number 14, which would equal the record set by Pete Sampras. “I’m playing well, I’m feeling well,” he said. “It’s going to be interesting. I think it’s an in-

teresting year ahead of us. That’s why I’m excited.”

Young Brit However, Federer has already lost twice this year to Murray, whose redhot form is raising genuine hopes that he may be about to end Britain’s 73year wait for a Grand Slam title. Murray has also smashed past Nadal and defended his Qatar Open title in a riproaring start to the year after dominating the latter part of last season. “I’m going into each match confident, not as many nerves,” Murray said. “In the past I’ve been a little bit erratic with my performances. I feel like now I’ve sort of become more consistent. That’s made a big difference.” Murray’s physical fragility may be a worry in the 128-man draw, often played in brutal heat, after a back problem flared during the Doha semis. He was also a first-round loser last year to

eventual runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. “I feel good going into the Australian Open but after what happened last year I don’t want to get too carried away,” he said.

Matador Meanwhile, Nadal has made a slow start to the only season he has begun as world number one, going down to the in-form Gael Monfils in Doha after his loss to Murray at an exhibition event. The Spaniard, who took an extended break at the end of last year with chronic knee tendinitis, admits he is lacking match practice as he looks to improve on last year’s semi-final appearance. “You never know, no? Hopefully yes,” he said, when asked if he was ready for the Open. “But I was two months out of competition, so maybe I need a few more matches to get my rhythm.” Djokovic is breathing down Federer’s neck for the second ranking but also

has made an unedifying start to the season. The Serb blamed a change of racquet after losing to Ernests Gulbis in Doha, and was then ousted in the Sydney International semis by Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen. “(My game’s) not 100 percent, but it’s getting there,” Djokovic said. Sixth-ranked Tsonga dazzled Melbourne with his run to the final last year, but his build-up has been hit by a back injury which forced him out of the Sydney International. Czech player Radek Stepanek is buoyed by his Brisbane International win over Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, while Marin Cilic was victorious in Chennai and ex-number one Lleyton Hewitt may be a dangerous floater on home soil. Federer opens his campaign on Monday against Andreas Seppi while Djokovic is playing Andrea Stoppini. On Tuesday, Nadal faces Christophe Rochus and Murray plays Andrei Pavel. ■ AFP

10 FLICK

ERGO Monday, January 19, 2009

My dream best friend Paris Hilton has revealed that her dream best friend is none other than the ‘gorgeous’ Angelina Jolie. The hotel heiress has revealed that she would like Jolie to be her best mate because the Tomb Raider star is strong and uses her popularity for noble causes.

Indian Chop Suey Lots of ridiculously entertaining stunts, visuals of the Great Wall of China, and some much-loved Bollywood clichés are ingredients in Chandni Chowk to China

SHALINI SHAH [email protected]

W

hy won’t the tale of a potbellied chef who takes on the evil kung fu exploiter, and wins, not appeal! No, we’re not talking Kung Fu Panda. After that headache-inducing Salaam Namaste, Nikhil Advani returns to direct some mindless, actionpacked fun and comes up with a winner in Chandni Chowk to China, Warner Bros’ Bollywood foray. Sidhu (Akshay Kumar) is a dissatisfied ‘vegetable-cutter’ in a

roadside restaurant in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk who takes his chance with every astrologer and lottery ticket. Mithun Chakraborty (as Dada, who else) is his mentor who’s brought him up and who repeatedly keeps stressing to him the power of fist over palm. A greedy astrologer who calls himself Chopstick (Ranvir Shorey) makes Sidhu believe that riches await him if he accompanies two visiting Chinese men to their country, conveniently ignoring the need to warn him that the Chinese villagers see Sidhu as a reincarnation of an ancient hero and expect him to rid them of diamond smuggler Hojo (Gordon Liu), who’s been exploiting them. Sidhu goes to China and discovers Chopstick’s trickery, but only after Hojo learns the truth and then leaves Sidhu for dead. The action man in Sidhu, expectedly, soon awakens – with a little help from the right sources. To put it another way, Sidhu becomes Akshay Kumar. Akshay Kumar is brilliant, especially as the simpleton during the first half of the film, before the transformation happens. The children, especially, will love him. The revelation, however, is Deepika Padukone in a double role as Sakhi and Meow. She performs her stunts with the ease and confidence of a Lara Croft and, at the same time, is good

with the song-and-dance. The action is larger-than-life and completely unimaginable, but thoroughly entertaining. How else would you explain Sidhu whipping up a semi-tsunami with the power of his ‘cosmic’ sutra or even churning a tornado by spinning two hapless goons like a merry-go-round! It’s the kind of funny action that you wouldn’t even see in a Jackie Chan movie. Sidhu’s cooking skills prove his ultimate weapon, too. The setting of the Chinese village, beside the film’s lead’s characterisation, gives you a strong sense of déjà vu, as if you’re watching the non-animated version of Kung Fu Panda. There’s also a Master Shifu-like taskmaster in the form of Chiang (Roger Yuan). Some scenes are so ridiculous that they end up being funny. There’s this one particular scene in a gadget-manufacturing unit of Tele Shoppers Media in China where the factory workers are dancing and explaining the products like the way they do in lowbudget TV commercials, with Hindi translation! We loved the ‘Churake dil mera’ dance sequence involving Sidhu and Chopstick. The assassin called Meow (Deepika Padukone’s evil avatar), in one scene, tries to kill Sidhu by seducing him after watching a dozen Bollywood masala oldies. She’s not supposed to know Hindi and she needn’t have taken the pains, but it’s the makers’ way of paying tribute to Bollywood, doing in a small way what an Om Shanti Om or Main Hoon Na did on a much bigger scale. ■

Film: Chandni Chowk to China Director: Nikhil Advani Cast: Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Gordon Liu, Roger Yuan, Mithun Chakraborty

11

Monday, January 19, 2009

Winehouse to launch record company Singer Amy Winehouse is spending a whopping 1 million pounds to launch her own record company, according to reports. Named the business Lioness, she has already made her first signing - her ubertalented 12-year-old goddaughter Dionne Bromfield.

Clooney shows up Cine City in Generes show by US mpaign De Gea c y h gt he len w host Ellen d hearto o talk sh get Hollywo on her y o e t n s o e r Clo ne ctor George . The a ce ff o throb id a n p a r y a ll e a as fin e app show h long overdu ry 16. a a made how on Janu very trick to s e e d h t ie r t n he coo s has e how. T Dolly r s e n r e e h G n , o n udso oney get Clo sent Kate H s, sexy male d n n a ia b d me over to hing , marc hot models to get Parton e rs and n offic strippe ’s productio e, the Conm y e m n ogra Cloo her pr him on ic reported. , who fi s n’ star tactmu ceans Eleve ance on her The ‘O e an appear as getting ad he w nally m mitted that ees and d mploy . a e , is w h o h m s up o time fr owing a hard s for not sh hat I would n w Ellen fa ming is not s been doing r a h fo n e I c “ g. They offi at my plainin call wh hey’re) com d when the (T ne to me. little concer . “People do e a y, m were nd ca and sa ing ba all the time ’t h n c r o a d m y e p to m ou, wh come u wrong with y ...?’ I’ve been w ‘What’s o Ellen’s sho d o g PTI you .” y s u b

T

Ayan audio launch today After the success of Vaaranam Aayiram, Suriya’s next flick Ayan is gearing up for release. The film starring Suriya and Tamanna is directed by K.V. Anand, who earlier gave a decent family entertainer Kana Kandein. Music director Harris Jayaraj, who gave hit numbers for Suriya in Kakka Kakka, Ghajini and Vaaranam Aayiram has composed the music for the film. The audio launch of the movie will be held on Monday. It is also heard that Sun Pictures has bagged the rights to distribute the film.

Joaquin Phoenix makes singing debut A

fter shocking onlookers with his bloated and dishevelled appearance at a Miami nightclub, Joaquin Phoenix looked happy but unkempt as he gave his first stage performance at a Las Vegas club. “This is me saying this is who I am. This is my story,” the actorturned-aspiring rapper told People magazine before taking the stage at the nightclub club Lavo and performing three songs from his upcoming yet-to-be-titled album. The Academy Award winning actor announced his retirement from acting in October last year so that he could dedicate his time to a career in music. Since his announcement Pheonix’s appear-

ance has dramatically transformed since he announced his retirement from acting as he went from well kept to dishevelled. The 34-year-old Phoenix sporting long unkempt hair, a beard and a ripped gray hat rapped to the sounds of a drum beat and encouraged the crowd to dance. Concerns are mounting about the 34-year-old’s health, sanity and well-being because the actor had a troubled 2008 and was in rehab for alcohol abuse. His well wishers are now worried that he might meet the same fate as elder brother River Phoenix who died of an overdose of heroin and cocaine at the age of 23. ■ PTI

Trisha in Dhanush’s next? The Dhanush-Vettrimaran team, which churned out the hit movie Polladhavan, is planning a comeback. The yet-to-be-titled movie, to be shot in Madurai, revolves around the life a local youth and an Anglo-Indian girl. If Internet buzz is to be believed, Trisha might play the role of the Anglo-Indian girl. This the first time Dhanush and Trisha are pairing onscreen. The shooting of the movie will start in the second week of February and it will be released later this year.

12

ERGO Monday, January 19, 2009

Friday’s Question: ‘Taare Zameen Par’ missed out on an Oscar nomination, which Indian movie would you nominate for Oscar 2009? ■ It goes without doubt, Oscar for this year goes to Kuruvi for great action packed jump and winning the introduction race by holding clutch cable in mouth by Vijay Yacub - Patni Computers, Syed - STG

■ President is Coming as it will satisfy American jury for American President Dibakar, Wipro

■ Slumdog Millionaire for its outstanding subject and the way movie was taken in different dimensions

Raju, Perot Systems

■ Abhiyum Nanum. A picture where relationship between a father and daughter depicted in a beautiful way

Vijayalakshmi Gnanasekar from Infosys has nominated her friends as Partners in Crime. This photo was taken at Kodaikanal.v

Sathya Narayanan, FSS

■ Nayagan. They have to know...Oru Hollywood padathe ippadiyum remake pannalamnu Safeer, TCS

■ Villu. It is best comedy movie of the year. Villu powerfullu, no one else can beat this Chinnaraj - Cognizant, Sundarapandian - Wipro, Ram - Perot Systems

■ Thangar Bachan’s "Onbadu Roobaai Nottu" Mukund S, Scope International

■ Subramaniyapuram, even though it’s a "Love Story" the specialisation is that Hero never even touch the shadow of Heroine Front seat fantastic futurz, TCS

■ Phoonk Prem Anand, Satish Kumar, Ranganathan, Rajesh Alaguvel, Thiru, Mohan - Wipro

■ Shivaji. The movie had made an impact and revolution in the field of education. It has blown a good moral that education should not be business and it should be a service

RK Hota from Polaris Software Labs Ltd. has nominated his GETEAM as Partners in Crime. This photo was clicked at Queen’s Land.

Aparna, Manoj, Ramesh, Ameer - HCL

■ Dasavatharam. Not only for his ten roles. Various subjects like religions, science, culture, natural disaster, political ethics, various language, protest against untouchability, from Chennai to USA, from carnatic to western, from Manmohan to George Bush, and for his appearance in all frames Balaji Sivakumar - TCS, Ekambareswar - Perot Systems, Gunah, Manonmani Kesav - HCL, Lakshmi S (phase forward team) - CTS, Dilip Manohar Technip

■ Naan Kadavul - showing a different world to the world Balaji Mohan, Inautix

■ Gajini Seenivasan, Technip

Today’s Query: Do you think "Slumdog Millionaire" romaticises poverty or just holds a mirror to our society?

Rahul from CGSL has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked in Spencer Plaza.

13

Monday, January 19, 2009

Senthil Kumar of Wipro has been nominated as Office Angel by his friends. Senthil is a nice, cool and a jovial guy who makes our workplace lively. He is a good mimicry artist too. Belated birthday wishes (Jan 18), Senthil

Today’s Wishes ■ Dear Bannu, Happy Pongal 4ever Urz... Bujji

Recognise your office angels - those souls who are generally taken for granted. Nominate as a group your angel along with photograph and your words of appreciation. Send emails to [email protected] with the subject line “Office Angel”. Also remember to send your phone number for verification.

Art featured in this column will receive gift coupons from Fruit Shop on Greams Road. Phone: 23450870. Send in your addresses so that we can post the coupons.

■ Dear Priyanka (Goofy), Wish you many more happy returns of the day!!! We wish for you that whatever you want most in life,it comes to you,just the way you imagined it. Regards, Alcatel 5620 Team Wipro Technologies

■ Dear Hema, Happy Birthday and may the coming year Brings you lot of Happiness and Prosperity. May this Birthday be a wonderful one. May your fondest wish come true. Best Regards, Panasonic Team.

Belated Wishes ■ Dear Karthikeyan Rajan(RIDER), How much you mean Although you surely must know That without a doubt There’s no-one nicer than you Or anyone dearer To wish Happy Birthday to Many More Happy Return Of the DAY.

Suguna Jayapalan from Cognizant Technology Solutions dodled this.

Hearty wishes from, All Nokia COACH Team, Tata Consultancy Services.

■ Dear Mamtha, We all wish you a very Happy Birthday! May God bless you & all your dreams come true!!! With love, Raju, Bhuvana, Sakthi, Viji, Kavitha, Tapas. TCS

Mokkai 1: Enna thaan un thalai suthinaalum, Un mudhukai nee paakka mudiyumaa? Mokkai 2: Yennathan ahimsaivaadhiya irundhaalum Chappathiya suttu dhaan saappidanum! Jayaganesh, Tata Consultancy Services

“Friends-kooda tea kadai poi tea kudichittu varalaam…. Aaana friends-kooda marundhu kadai(medical shop) poi marundhu kudichittu vara mudiyumaa?” Mohammed J, HCL

■ Hi Gokila, You think you’re special because its your birthday today. That’s complete nonsense... you’re special every day.... In this world, where everything seems uncertain, only one thing is definite. You’ll always be our friend, beyond words, beyond time and beyond distance. .... May today be filled with sunshine and smiles, laughter and love...... Many Many More Happy Returns of the Day......

With Love & Regards FTP GT 2007, Hexaware Technologies

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Monday, January 19, 2009

Flash in the pan An American man had his gun confiscated after it accidentally went off and shot a toilet bowl while he was hitching up his trousers in the bathroom.

S.L. Raja of TCS captured the Jallikatu fight near Madurai. Hobbies: Watching wildlife, trekking and tennis

sudoku

It’s time we made the Click Pick column a little more interesting. Photographs of the harvest festival, rural India and littleknown rituals will be given preference this month. Please send us fresh photographs, preferably those clicked by you on a recent trip, to [email protected]

All photos selected for clickpick this month will receive a gift voucher worth Rs.1,000, courtesy Kantilal Diamonds (Ph: 2828 1700). Readers are requested to send their addresses with their entries.

TEAM Editor: Karthik Subramanian [email protected]

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KAKURO

15

Monday, January 19, 2009

Hide and seek crook

Word’s worth

A crook tried to escape the police by rolling himself up in a giant rug and propping himself up against a balcony wall while cops searched the flat.

“Naufragate” (naw-fri-gate) an obsolete and rare verb meaning ‘to wreck.’ If something is naufrageous, it is in danger of shipwreck; if it is naufragous, it causes shipwreck. These all derive from a Latin word meaning ‘to suffer shipwreck.’

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 It’s day to expect and look forward to rewards of efforts. New technology may attract you more than the older one so you may try to use new programmes, applications or even softwares. Love life may be hunky-dory because of your friendly.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Administrative jobs may keep you occupied. Alternatively, you might have to check deadlines of projects. To keep balance on love life, you might have to put in special effort as your complete focus may be on profession only.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 It’s a busy day due to various interactions, meetings, dealings etc. Your communication may be quick and to the point as you may have lesser time and greater jobs to do. Evening time is going to be precious in the company of beloved.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 If someone else handles your responsibility, you may feel bit insecure. Your conscious may bite if you hurry up with routine work so do everything precisely and take your sweet time. Love is calling you in the evening.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 Day to understand other people’s needs and problems. You will be bit upset due to lack of support from others but in few days things will start falling in place, so keep worries aside. Try to remain as cool as possible with your sweetheart.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

Focus on your own job first before helping others. It is time to have a look at schedule and make necessary changes. Your heart may be full of love but you might have to seek for right words to express them in front of the beloved.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Time to take up vital activities on hand and keep mundane tasks aside. Define a refined goal and be clearer about what you want to do on the career front. Fantastic day for flirting but better be serious about ongoing relationships, advises Ganesha.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 You will be very much attached to your work. You will not let anyone else handle your job due to increased possessiveness. Try to be liberal to people working under you. Lovers can expect to enjoy each other’s company and dine together too.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 You are open to other people’s views and opinions which will help you think differently. You will help your subordinates too, with technical matters. Your beloved one may send you a nice message which will make you feel very good.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 The day indicates multi-tasking. You will have pragmatic approach so there will not be problem in handling everything at once. Share work with others. When burden is shared, everything is fine. Joy and good times await you in love life.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 You will feel that positive changes are coming up. You will now see the path clearly and decide the destination you want to reach, in the current job. Time is good for lovely interactions with spouse or beloved and it is best day to exchange gifts.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Efforts do not always pay result in time. Sometimes one has to wait for good things. Your job responsibilities may be handled very nicely. Compromising attitude will work wonders in personal relationships, specifically if you are in love! Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Monday, January 19, 2009

Hunt for lost lover A 72-year-old woman has begun a search to find a stranger who once told her "I love you" - 40 years ago

Tom Cruise poses for a photo during a press conference in Seoul on Sunday. Cruise is in Seoul to promote his new film, Valkyrie, on the real life story on an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler by a group of German officers. Cruise, who fails to assassinate Adolph Hitler in the movie, said he grew up really wanting to kill the Nazi leader.. AFP PHOTO/JUNG YEON-JE

An elderly woman participates in the Standard Chartered International Marathon in Mumbai on Sunday. PTI PHOTO

QUOTE OF THE DAY

‘‘

I know a lot of people are always saying like this seems like a tough generation right now with Murray, Djokovic, Rafa and everything. I don’t think it’s that much stronger than when I came about. We had Agassi, Roddick, Hewitt, Safin, Ferrero, Nalbandian, all these other guys… It’s not just now that we have really four great players again. I think they were there before, but there were just different names. Roger Federer on how tennis pundits have short memories and need to get things in perspective

Action during the men’s snowboard cross final at the FIS Snowboard World Championships in Hoengseong, east of Seoul, on Sunday. AFP PHOTO/KIM JAE-HWAN