Ergo July 10

A BYTE OF LIFE

Friday, July 10, 2009

07 LITTLE MASTER turns 60 FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 3

No. 129

DR. DOG TO THE RESCUE Students of Saraswathi regularly interact with a black Labrador to help them with their communication skills. Anusha Parthasarathy reports.

PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN

» PAGE 03

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Friday, July 10, 2009

On time Fastrack is offering 20 per cent off on all its watches and sunglasses. Post-discount the watches start from Rs. 475 and glasses from Rs. 555.

Food

Contest

Play on The King of Pop is no more, but his music will remain immortal. To bring alive the magic of Michael Jackson, Desitara invites you to participate in the contest “Michael Jackson is Alive”. Participants need to perform their favourite Michael Jackson song and upload the video on Desitara.com. The contest is on till July 20. Those who get the maximum number of votes win exciting goodies such as play stations and iPods.

Here’s come chef Cheung Chin Chin at the Residency is playing host to Chef Hardy Cheung, who will delight guests with Chinese food. The main course will have sea food, poultry, lamb, tenderloin, pork and vegetarian cuisines, showcasing the different cooking styles that China has to offer. To make your reservations call 98841 39319

Contest Food

Balle, balle If machili Amristari, chooza e bhalle bhalle, Punjabi pakodi kadi, dal makhani...and all things Punjabi are sure to please your taste buds, Asiana Hotel should be your stop. The hotel is hosting ‘Khana be Bassant’ with Punjabi cuisines from July 13 to 18 with a lunch buffet. For reservations call 67411000 extn 7242

Workshop

The TED show TED (Technology, Education, Design) is an annual conference where the best speakers share their ideas to the world. These talks are updated on TED.com. Now, Chennai in a small way is playing host to these TED videos. The event is open to all. Drop in at F5IVE Technologies, C-2, Raj Paris Apartments, 82, Kamaraj Street, Virugambakkam. For details call 9790371573

Calling homemakers Twilite Corpos is back with its yearly event Mrs Homemaker. The talent hunt taps the forgotten skills of married women. As homemakers have no retirement, there is no age limit for participation. For details call 9884331103/ 65446967. Email: [email protected]

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Friday, July 10, 2009

Doctor Dog A black Labrador plays the role of a doctor at Saraswathi Kendra Learning Centre for Children in Alwarpet pen describing it and ‘Pet Therapy with Sachin’ written in big bold letters at the top. “Sachin is a little Dachshund puppy… He has a body like a sausage...” it goes. It was written by an autistic boy who, after nine years of silence, spoke about Sachin the first ever time he spoke. “You can’t have this kind of success with other animals. But even with dogs, the best breeds to work with are Labradors and retrievers. They’re naturally friendly dogs. The smaller breeds are unpredictable and though we did work with two Dachshunds, labs are the best,” Dr. Nanditha Krishnan, Hon. Director, CPR Foundation, says. Dr. Dog sessions are two times a week for about 45 minutes. It is on a one-on-one basis and the dog works with three or four kids every class. During the course the student works with dogs in a planned way to increase desirable abilities. Saraswathi Kendra, in association with Blue Cross, certifies these dogs and trains them for use in other special schools across the city. “We encourage volunteers too. People can bring in their dog to work with us for the Dr. Dog pro-

Students of Saraswathi Kendra Learning Centre during a session with Dr. Dog. PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN ANUSHA PARTHASARATHY [email protected]

D

r. Moosa is a regular at Saraswathi Kendra Learning Centre for Children. As he enters the class, the children crowd around him, excited and a little scared. He sits down and waits patiently as they approach him. “Hi! My name is Ashok,” one of the boys says shyly, adding “I like dosa. Do you like dosa?” Moosa holds out a paw and someone at the back says, “He likes Dosa too.” Dr. Moosa is a black Labrador. Saraswathi Kendra Learning

Centre for Children, a part of the C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation, is India’s first full-time school for children with autism, learning disabilities, dyslexia and behaviour and habit disorders. It provides a range of innovative therapies for its 175-odd students and one of it is animal-assisted therapy for autistic children. And what better animal to work with than man’s best friend? “Autistic children have an inability to communicate verbally and concentrate on one particular thing. Some of them never talk. But when there is a dog, they feel a lot more at ease. We talk

through the dog and encourage the children to reply. This not only improves their verbal communication but they also learn to concentrate. We have found it to be more effective than traditional therapy,” says Marlene J. Kamdar, the principal. Dr. Dog has been around for 13-odd years and remains a highly successful method even today. Dr. Moosa is the seventh on call. One among the therapy’s best success stories hangs in the front office of the school in the form of a framed chart with the childish drawing of a Dachshund, 10 scrawling lines written in sketch

gramme. The dog has to be minimum two years old, healthy, vaccinated and must have basic obedience skills. A lot of people have volunteered in the past but they drop out soon because we insist that the dogs have to be sterilised to prevent aggression. But it’s imperative because one mistake could cost the dog and the child their life,” Nanditha explains.

“There is something about a dog that makes the child talk. No one knows how or why. But it just happens.” As Dr. Moosa leaves the class, the kids protest for a few minutes and then watch as their doctor is led away by his handler. “This helps them learn to let go,” Nanditha concludes, adding, “But I must tell you that there is something about a dog that makes the child talk. No one knows how or why. But it just happens.” ■

04

ERGO Friday, July 10, 2009

Village

Witch wanted A tourist attraction in Somerset, England is offering a $72,500 (GBP50,000) job for a witch to live in a cave.

A bed in ’Florence’ for PM Leaders of the world’s wealthiest countries gathered for the G8-G5 summit may not have the time to go sightseeing but their hosts have ensured that Italy’s famous tourist cities are never from their minds. The buildings where the heads of G8 and G5 governments are staying have been given names like Venice, Turin and Florence. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his wife Gursharan Kaur, two relatives and senior members of the Prime Minister’s Office are in the Florence building. The visiting heads of states and their accompanying officials have been lodged in 19 buildings that have been converted into virtual hotels with nearly 1,000 rooms. They are all in the Scuola Sottouficiali campus of the Guardia da Finanzia, the Italian financial police, at Coppito near here. L’Aquila was hit by a major earthquake this April. Under a contingency plan to evacuate the delegates in case of another big quake during the summit in this tremor-prone area, the complex of a police institute in Rome, about 100 km away, has been kept ready.

Recession hits Queen hard The worst economic recession in generations has seen the British monarch loosing 1.3 billion pounds from the value of her assets in the property market collapse, according to a news report. The Crown Estate, which supervises Queen Elizabeth’s land and property empire, slumped in value from 7.3 billion pounds to 6 billion pounds in the year to March. The 18 per cent decline in its potential asking price was the first since 1993, the Daily Mail reported. The Crown Estate’s annual report showed that the value of its assets, which excludes Queen Elizabeth’s privately-held royal palaces, have been hit badly by falling office and retail rents in the recession. The British Queen received more than 500,000 euros in European agricultural subsidies in 2008. According to figures released by the department of rural affairs (Defra), the monarch - who is Britain’s 214th richest person according to the Sunday Times Rich List - received 473,583.31 pounds (about 700,000 dollars, 530,000 euros) for her farm at Sandringham. Her eldest son, Prince Charles, received 95,222.56 pounds for his Duchy of Cornwall, and 86,262.98 for the Duchy’s farm - a total of 181,485.54 pounds.

IANS

PTI

Puppy love in the time of networking sites

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earing a pair of black shades, Neemo literally grins through his profile picture. Looking for a mate and proudly claiming that it will be “love at first sight” for anyone seeing him, Neemo is not a biped like us but a cocker spaniel registered on a pet networking site. An offshoot of Pawprints, a dog grooming centre, www.puppylove.in is a meeting point for dog lovers eager to share information and other tit-bits about their pets. But more importantly it provides them a platform to find a suitable mate for their adorable

canines. Geetika Nigam, the woman behind the initiative, said the birth of the website - with the tagline “it’s a dog meet dog world” - happened after Pawprints came into being in 2006. “In the grooming centre I came across a lot of dog owners distraught over finding a suitable mate for their pet. They usually went through two channels - either through their vets who themselves have a limited circle of people or newspaper ads which they didn’t entirely rely on,” Nigam said. So while Neemo is a four-yearold male cocker spaniel from

Gurgaon, “fit banda” Brownie, a golden retriever, prefers not to disclose his location. Mumbaikar Shelly, a Labrador, is looking for a play mate. So if anyone is interested, they can add these canines’ owners to their buddy list and get in touch. “Most of my clientele in the grooming centre are from the expat community. But puppylove.com got some 1,000 users registered in the first week itself from amongst a wide range of people. That egged me to add more information on the site and make it more fun,” said Nigam. ■ IANS

05

Friday, July 10, 2009

Mountain lays eggs Officials in China are hoping to encourage tourists to visit the Gandeng Mountain by suggesting the natural wonder “lays eggs.”

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES/AFP

Meet new Nobel Peace Prize candidate

TWITTER A US official proposes the honour for the micro-blogging site, which is ruling the cyberspace

T

he next time you surf the Internet, you may bump into a Nobel Peace Prize candidate. A US security expert has proposed the honour for micro-blogging site Twitter, which helped protesters in Iran beat censorship and tell their tale to the world. The free social messaging utility uniquely documented and personalised the story of hope, heroism and horror in Iran, says Mark Pfeifle, former deputy national security adviser for strategic communications and global outreach at the US National Security Council. “The video gave substance to what seemed so far away. We saw the look in her eyes as they went lifeless. We heard the sounds of

her friends and family as they begged her to hold on. And she became the personification of the struggle for democracy in a country where voices for freedom are quelled,” Pfeifle wrote in The Christian Science Monitor this week. “Her name was Neda Agha-Soltan, and without Twitter we might never have known that she lived in Iran, that she dreamed of a free Iran, and that she died in a divided Iran for her dreams.” “Neda became the voice of a movement; Twitter became the megaphone. Twitter is a free social messaging utility. It drove people around the world to pictures, videos, sound bites, and blogs in a true reality show of life, dreams, and death. Last month’s

marches for freedom and the violent crackdowns were not only documented but personalised into a story of mythic tragedy.” The article titled “A Nobel Peace Prize for Twitter?” notes that when journalists were forced to leave Iran, Twitter became a “window for the world to view hope, heroism, and horror. It became the assignment desk, the reporter, and the producer. And, because of this, Twitter and its creators are worthy of being considered for the Nobel Peace Prize.” Is it a bit of a far-fetched proposal or merely a nice headline? Well, Pfeifle is fully serious. “I first mentioned this idea while being interviewed on a cable news programme. Many

scoffed. That’s understandable. But think about what Twitter has accomplished: It has empowered people to attempt to resolve a domestic showdown with international implications - and has enabled the world to stand with them. It laid the foundation to pressure the world to denounce oppression in Iran.” As many people in Iran came out on the streets against what they saw as fraud in the presidential elections last month, 140 characters were enough “to shine a light on Iranian oppression and elevate Twitter to the level of change agent. Even the government of Iran has been forced to utilise the very tool they attempted to squelch to try to hold on to power”.

Without Twitter, the article argues, the world might have known little more than a losing candidate accusing the powers that be of alleged fraud. With Twitter, “they now shout hope with a passion and dedication that resonates not just with those on their street but with millions across the globe”. “Twitter and other social media outlets have become the soft weapons of democracy. Twitter told us the story of Neda’s supreme sacrifice. It is telling the story of the Iranian people yearning to breathe free. For those reasons, Twitter deserves consideration for the Nobel Peace Prize.” ■ IANS

06 SPORT

ERGO Friday, July 10, 2009

Akhtar eyes recall Controversial Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has declared himself 100 per cent fit, saying he would soon force his way back into the national squad. He expressed his hope of being recalled into the national team for the Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka scheduled to be played on August 12.

Indian pugilists excel Indians were assured of at least two bronze medals at Magomed-Salam Umakhanov Memorial Boxing Championship after Amandeep Singh (48kg) and Manpreet Singh (91kg) advanced to the semi-finals of the event in Makhachkala, Russia. Amandeep defeated local favourite Ginnachmaev V 11-2 in the quarter-finals. Manpreet knocked out another Russian, Abdullaev Rustam, in the round of eight and booked a place in the semi-finals. Indians had a reasonably good day in other categories as well with national champion Jasveer Singh (81kg) defeating Iskanderov Khatiz of Azerbaijan 8-2 in his opening bout. However, Jai Singh Patil (69kg) lost to Armenian Olympian Ambartzumyn Edurd 2-8. Another national champion Kuldeep Singh lost a close bout to Russian Yron Nikolia 9-12.

India dominate South Asian Shooting Win six gold on day four, total tally moves to 20

PTI

Marykom cries for support Ahead of a crucial International Olympic Committee meeting next month, four-time world champion M. C. Marykom has asked the IOC to give female pugilists a “perfect answer” by including women’s boxing in the quadrennial multi-sporting extravaganza. IOC Executive Board meets on August 13 to make a final decision regarding the inclusion of women’s boxing in the Olympic Games, and Mary is quite confident that the world’s top sports administrators will decide in favour of her sport. “Boxing is my career, my life. I’m just hopeful that the IOC gives us female boxers the perfect answer,” she said. The 25-year-old Manipuri, mother of two-year-old twins, continues to follow her dream of achieving ultimate glory in Olympic Games. Mary has competed in all five AIBA Women’s World Championships since its inception in 2001. She has claimed four gold and a silver medal, making her the most successful women boxer in the world. Ergo Correspondent

Ashok Pandit.

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PHOTO: K. BHAGYA PRAKASH

avourites India continued their domination to secure six of the eight gold on the fourth day of the South Asian Shooting championships in Bangladesh to stay atop the medals tally with figures of 20-10-5. Pakistan stayed in second place with two gold, five silver and four bronze medals. Bangladesh bagged two silver and three bronze to raise their medals tally to five silver and as many bronze while Sri Lanka earned two silver and four bronze medals to be in fourth position. In the women’s 10m air pistol event, India’s Harveen Srao bagged gold with a score of 479.5 and compatriot Heena Shidhu won the bronze. Silver went to Pakistan’s Mehush Mashud. In-

dia also won the women’s air pistol team event with a score of 1131, Bangladesh won silver with a score of 1095 while Sri Lanka took the bronze scoring 1092 points. In the 25m standard pistol event, veteran Indian Ashok Pandit shot 566 to claim the gold, Vijay Kumar won the silver with a score of 561 while bronze was won by Pakistan’s Mustakim Shah who shot 551. The Indian men’s team finished top in the standard pistol team event scoring 1677 points, 39 clear of second-placed Pakistan, who earned 1638 points. Bangladesh came third with 1403 points. In the men’s 50m rifle three position event, gold went to India’s Sanjeev Rajput, who garnered 1165 points while compatriot Im-

ran Hassan Khan shot 1150 to win the silver and Sri Lanka’s SMS Samarakun finished third with 1142 points. The Indian men’s team also bagged gold in the 50m rifle three position team event with a score of 3437 while Bangladesh finished second with a score of 3358. Pakistan bagged bronze with 3348. Mairaj Khan of India won silver in the men’s skeet event after shooting a score of 112. Pakistan’s Raja Munir bagged the gold with a score of 114 while another Pakistan shooter, Ahmed Usman, won bronze with a score of 110. Pakistan bagged gold in the skeet team event while India and Bangladesh finished second and third, respectively. ■ PTI

07

Friday, July 10, 2009

‘‘Little Master

The four Asian representatives gathered in New Delhi to finalise our joint bid for the 2011 World Cup. The last date for the bid was a few days after our New Delhi meeting. To my horror, the BCCI had not completed its preparation for our joint bid which entailed filling detailed and copious forms that ICC had sent out to all the countries bidding for the World Cup. There was consternation in ranks when we -- Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan -- pointed out that our joint bid was bound to hit the rocks because India had not remotely completed the data required by the ICC.

turns 60 A

ctor Mithun Chakraborty once played under Sunil Gavaskar against the West Indies and got the wicket of Gordon Greenidge. Gavaskar recommended Arjuna Ranatunga’s name for captaincy to the then Sri Lanka President. A self-confessed Gavaskar fan, virtuoso singer Manna Dey has dedicated a song to the batting great. These are some of the nuggets from Sunil Gavaskar, Cricket’s Little Master, a book put together by seasoned cricket journalist Debasish Datta to mark Gavaskar’s 60th birthday on Friday. Former England opener Geoffrey Boycott has written the foreword of the book, the theme of which is 60 years, 100 tributes. “This book is going to be a treasure-trove about one of the best batsmen cricket has ever seen,” Datta said. West Indian legend Sir Garfield Sobers penned the first article before others joined in, paying glowing tributes to Gavaskar. The anthology, to be published by Niyogi Books, would shed light on many little known aspects of Gavaskar’s illustrious life, Datta said. Sachin Tendulkar too swaps the bat for the pen to elaborate why Gavaskar will always remain his hero. In the book, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram laments not getting Gavaskar’s wicket in Test cricket, while West Indian legend Vivian Richards elaborates on how the Indian “tortured” the bowlers in the Caribbean. Fellow West Indian Andy Roberts claims it was he who had informed Gavaskar about the Calypso written on him, while the actual writer, Lord Relator, also shares his admiration for the Indian. “I would rather call it a bouquet, collecting contributory articles from his family members, boyhood friends, cricketers both past and current, celebrities from other world and renowned cricket scribes from all over the world,” . Datta said. From his family, father Manohar Gavaskar, mother Meenal, son Rohan and brother-in-law Gundappa Viswanath have contributed to the book. From other walks of life, singer Lata Mangeshkar, tennis player Vijay Amritraj, ace cueist Geet Sethi, former shuttler Prakash Padukone have penned articles. Some of the legends of the game who paid rich tribute to Gavaskar include David Lloyd, Ian Chappell, Kapil Dev, Hanif Mohammad, Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Glenn Turner, John Wright, Mike Brearley, Ian Botham, Duleep Mendis and Dickie Bird. BCCI President Shashank Manohar, secretary N Srinivasan and former South Africa Cricket Board chief Ali Bacher also share their admiration for the Indian batting great, first batsman to score 10,000 Test runs. ■ PTI

PHOTO: RAJEEV BHATT

Former Pakistan Cricket Board chief Shaharyar Khan

Sachin swaps bat for pen to mark the occasion

08

ERGO Friday, July 10, 2009

While fragrance counters see few customers nowadays, perfume loyalty has also taken a beating. Are there too many scents to choose from?

A

winning fragrance is magical – so sensuous, transporting or just plain special that it’s irresistible. So irresistible that in recent years fragrance manufacturers, eager to sniff out the next classic, have introduced an average of 250 scents annually – about one for every business day, industry observers say. And those are just the fragrances sold at department stores. A hit, after all, can mean a huge win. Sales of Jennifer Lopez Glow, credited with igniting the mania for celebrity scents, reached $100 million in 2002, the year it was introduced, said Carlos Timiraos, a vice president for marketing at Coty which launched the scent. But these days, the sweet smell of success is proving elusive as customers walk away from fragrance counters empty-handed. While department store sales of beauty products fell 3 percent in dollars in 2008 – a drop credited to the recession – the decline was most profound in the fragrance industry, according to NPD Group, a market research firm. It said $2.68 billion was spent on fragrance, down 6 percent from 2007. The drop is even more notable when the rise in fragrance prices is taken into account, said Allan Mottus, an industry analyst, who estimates that unit sales dropped 10 percent to 12 percent last year. It’s like the movie industry, where a jump in ticket prices obscures a drop in the number of tickets sold. Among the losers? Those celebrity scents, which fell around 20 percent, Mottus said. Yet fragrance’s troubles go far deeper than a recessionary dip. “Fragrance sales have never rebounded to what we saw before 9/11,” said Karen Grant, an analyst with NPD.

Too many smells All those new fragrances are in part to blame for the industry’s woes. Fragrance today is sold more widely than ever, especially when specialty-store scents like Gap Close and niche fragrances sold at health food stores, spas and online sites like Luckyscent.com are counted, making the number of newcomers swell to about 1,000 a year. “There’s way too much stuff out there,” said Robin Krug, who edits Now Smell This, a fragrance blog. “I don’t know how you’re supposed to know about them all.” The number of new fragrances at department stores has, in fact, dropped this year, by about 50 percent for the first quarter of 2009, compared with the same time last year, in part due to the costs. To create and market a fragrance made from scratch costs about $20 million. Flora by Gucci and Marc Jacobs Lola are among the year’s few newcomers. But new products are still proliferating, like limited-edition scents, including Tommy Girl Summer, or spinoffs of established fragrances called flankers, like Chanel Cristalle Eau Verte. “Instead of taking 24 months to develop it, they do it in 8 months, 9 months, 11 months,” said Rochelle Bloom, president of the Fragrance Foundation, a trade group. Yet the fragrances that consistently turn up on the best-seller list are at least

Good scents, small sizes But Grant says women are less interested in fragrance today than a decade ago when signature scents like Happy by Clinique and Chance by Chanel reigned. “Fragrance has become optional,” she said. “The attitude is, why bother?” The fragrances themselves may be partly responsible, she added. Once the high-octane scents of the ’80s evaporated, fragrances became lighter, and, Grant said, “perhaps they trained us not to smell scent.” Teenagers and young women seem particularly indifferent. They may have snapped up fragrances that come in clever packages, like Ed Hardy and Harajuku Lovers, but there’s little loyalty to a single fragrance. “Fragrance isn’t part of their lifestyle, so the industry is

A moment in a bottle Ultimately, the recession is causing the industry to take stock, and some believe needed change may occur. “We have to make sure what we bring to market is meaningful and relevant,” said Veronique Gabai-Pinsky, president of the Aramis and Designer Fragrance division of Estee Lauder. Some think this is the perfect time for the industry to get back to the essence of fragrance: its emotional wallop. Marketers should help consumers learn to connect a fragrance to a special moment, said Rachel Herz, author of The Scent of Desire: Discovering our Enigmatic Sense of Smell. She suggests they find a way to persuade consumers to buy a new fragrance to celebrate an important event. “Every time you put it on you’ll remember that fantastic honeymoon in Hawaii,” she said. And maybe then the fragrance industry can get its magic back. ■ NYT News Service

The drop Lola

CENIC

To catch a s

Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers collection. Inventive packaging is more important than ever as a way to separate a brand from the pack. TONY CENICOLA/THE NEW YORK TIMES

five years old. Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle, Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, Beautiful by Estee Lauder, Donna Karan Cashmere Mist and that resilient octogenarian Chanel No. 5 were the top department-store sellers for this year’s first quarter, NPD said. In fact, at the Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday night, giant replicas of the distinctive Chanel No. 5 perfume bottles towered over the runway at Karl Lagerfeld’s haute couture – a timely reminder of the reliable revenue for fashion houses from scent, which Coco Chanel was one of the first to understand.

competing with video games and iPods for their dollars,” Mottus said. The introduction of smaller bottles last year with the debuts of Estee Lauder’s Sensuous and Harajuku Lovers was a bright spot, and has been picked up by many others. The lower price – between $30 and $50 – made the fragrances attractive to recession-conscious buyers. On the other end of the spectrum, sales of fragrances $100 and up rose 10 percent in the first quarter of 2009, according to NPD. Included are small-batch perfumes like Frederic Malle, Serge Lutens and Heeley, with cult-like appeal for fragrance fanatics, a fast-growing contingent thanks to the rise in fragrance blogs.

"Fragrance has become optional... The attitude is, why bother?"

Gian Lage Tue

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Friday, July 10, 2009

Portfolio Autumn in Paris Highlights from the 20092010 Autumn-Winter Haute Couture shows in Paris

number of new fragrances at department stores has, pped this year by 50 percent for the first quarter of 2009. a by Marc Jacobs is among the year’s few newcomers . TONY

COLA/THE NEW YORK TIMES

Jean Paul Gaultier

scent

nt replicas of Chanel No. 5 perfume bottles form the backdrop at Karl erfeld’s Haute Couture 2009-2010 collection for Chanel in Paris on sday

Christian Lacroix

Christian Dior PHOTOS: AFP

Giorgio Armani Prive

10 FLICK

ERGO Friday, July 10, 2009

Charlize Theron hospitalised According to reports, Charlize Theron spent four nights in a Los Angeles hospital last week after contracting a painful stomach virus. The Monster star suffered severe abdominal pains, which she attributed to food poisoning, reports Contactmusic.

Mariah Carey sings with Trey Lorenz (not in frame) at the memorial service for music legend Michael Jackson, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on Tuesday. AFP/POOL/ GABRIEL BOUYS

Harry Potter and the fit of giggles Watson, Grint couldn’t stop giggling while shooting kissing scene Harry Potter star Emma Watson has revealed that she and Rupert Grint had a hard time shooting their onscreen kiss for the new boy wizard movie – because they couldn’t stop giggling. Watson and Grint, who play Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley in the hit franchise, locked lips for the first time in the latest instalment, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. However, Watson says that during the shoot, the pair was struck with a fit of the giggles. “I was quite terrified. We weren’t looking forward to it really. The thing is, it could potentially sound like we are putting each other down but we were both in the same boat. It was a horrible thing to have to do because we are just like brother and sister, so it’s really weird,” Contactmusic quoted Watson, as saying. “He (director David Yates) did spring it on us. We didn’t really know. We had problems with laughing – we kept laughing. We would get there, and we just couldn’t take it seriously. It was awful. But anyway, it’s done now, and it was good. We have watched the playback and it’s good,” she added. ■ ANI

‘I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to pull it together’ M

ariah Carey has admitted that she is dissatisfied with her performance at the Michael Jackson public memorial service held at Staples Center on July 7 in Los Angeles. She stated on the social network site Twitter that the moment was too emotional for her to be at her best, the New York Daily News reports. She said: “Trying to sing today was basically impossible for me, I could barely keep myself from crying. I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to pull it together and really do it right, but I was literally choked up when I saw him there in front of me.” The singer further wrote: “One thing I know is, we will never really have to say goodbye to MJ. His legacy lives on through his music and the millions of people he inspired with his timeless music. He will be forever in our hearts.” Carey had performed a cover of The Jackson 5 hit, ‘I’ll Be There’, with Trey Lorenz. ■ ANI

Jolie new face of Armani perfume

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ngelina Jolie has signed with Emporio Armani to become the face of their new perfume. The Tomb Raider star is said to be fronting the advertising campaign for the as-yet-unknown fragrance, reported femalefirst.co.uk. “For this fragrance, they needed a true A-lister, and Angelina is the biggest, most dynamic female star in the world,” said a source. “She’s giving a lot of input on that stuff (ad campaign) already, picking the photographers and directors. The campaign is going to be bold,” the source added. Other models for Armani are soccer star David Beckham and his wife Victoria. ■ IANS

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Friday, July 10, 2009

Madonna, Guy getting back together? Madonna and her former husband Guy Ritchie have sparked rumours that they may be headed for a romantic reconciliation. Madonna’s newly-adopted daughter Mercy James was previously reported to have rekindled talking terms between the pair, who fought a bitter divorce battle before officially splitting earlier this year.

Kargil inspired me to join Army Marc Robinson

Anaida

Sweta Tiwari

Chetan Hansraj

It’s a jungle out there A

fter doing soaps and anchoring shows, popular television stars Shweta Tiwari and Aman Verma will now be seen struggling to survive in a jungle in Sony’s new adventure reality show Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao, starting July 13. They are among the 10 participants who have agreed to be part of the reality show shot in Malaysia’s oldest and largest Taman Negara tropical rain forest. Others to join them are television actors Aakashh Deep Saigal and Chetan Hansraj, pop singer Anaida, model coordinator and choreographer Marc Robinson, actress Mona Vasu, ex-MTV Roadie Palak and hip hop artist Ishq Bector. A lawyer called Fiza, whose earlier name was Anuradha Bali, will also be in the jungle. She has been in the news since last year

Aman Verma

Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, who was inducted in the Indian Army on Thursday as honorary Lt-Colonel, said the tough life faced by soldiers in Kargil and other parts of Jammu and Kashmir inspired him to join the armed forces. The actor joined the Territorial Army (TA), the part-time citizen’s force which functions as a vital adjunct to the regular Army. Mohanlal will serve the 122 Infantry Battalion (TA) of Madras Regiment or “Kannur Terriers”. Before donning the uniform he had visited Kargil a couple of times. “I am honoured to join the Army. Kargil and Kashmir inspired me to join the forces and the tough time faced by the army personnel is the main motivation behind my step,” he told reporters here. After former cricket captain Kapil Dev, Mohan Lal is the second big celebrity to join the Territorial Army. ANI

Big B advised rest

after marrying then deputy chief minister of Haryana Chand Mohammed, earlier called Chandra Mohan. The show, which is an adaptation of ITV Global Entertainment’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, will see the 10 celebrities swap a life of luxury to survive in the Malaysian rain forest, in a bid to be crowned King or Queen of the Jungle. “The show has been well-received by audiences internationally and we are sure that the innovative concept will entertain and keep the viewers on the edge of their seats wondering what next,” said Gurdip Bhangoo, programming head of Sony Entertainment Television. The show will be aired from Monday to Thursday at 10 p.m. and Fridays at 9 p.m. Mini Mathur and Yudi will host it. ■ IANS

Actor Amitabh Bachchan, who underwent tests for his stomach ailment, has been advised a few days of rest and is under medical observation. “The tests have been conducted. They do not show anything alarming, but the symptoms persist, albeit on a lesser scale than last time,” Bachchan wrote on his blog on Thursday. The actor was scheduled to travel to Singapore to be with his friend and Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, who will undergo a kidney transplant. His wife Jaya, son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya are already in Singapore. Bachchan was shooting in London for Pa and returned home two days ago. He is suffering from a stomach pain similar to the one he experienced on his last birthday, when he had to be hospitalised for a week. PTI

12

ERGO Friday, July 10, 2009

Siva Kumar from Cybernet Slash Support has nominated his friends Vinay, Rakesh, Devan, Lavanya, Sowsheelya, Usha Sukhanya and Ellamma Devi as Partners in Crime". This picture was taken at Queens Land.

Jasmine from Wipro Technologies has nominated her friends as Partners in Crime. This picture was clicked at Chikmagalur during their team outing.

Satheesh from HCL Technologies Ltd has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This picture was taken at MGM –Dizzee world.

Joel David Sequeira from Allsec Technologies Limited has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This photo was taken during their trip to Yercaud on USA’s Independence Day.

Subash has nominated his NCHOM Sapphire Team as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked during a lunch get together at Cognizant, Sriuseri.

Karthikeya Srinivasan S. from Hexaware Technologies has nominated his friends Sravas, Joyce, Rufus, Vijju and Purna as Partners in Crime. This pic was taken in Kodaikanal.

13

Friday, July 10, 2009

Akash from Technocrat Automation Limited has been nominated Office Angel by his team members. Akash has an extraordinary helping tendency and good behaviour. He will do anything for his friends. He loves roses a lot and has nearly 50 pots at home. He cares for them like anything. He writes poems (Tamil), which impresses us all.

July 10 ■ Hi Uma-TP, Nothing works better than the gift of laughter. So spread the joy with these funny birthday quotes. Make your loved ones’ birthdays memorable. Please Sponsor a treat today @ FOODCOURT Regards, Vijith, Abdul, Jabarstin, Preetha, Arul, Uma, Ranjit, & TCS BT TEAM

■ Dear Leena, Many more happy returns of the day kiddo!!! Keep smiling and be happy. with lotsa love, Loganathan Tata Consultancy Services

■ Dear Sunitha We wish you Many More Happy Returns of the Day May this brings you all that things that make you smile ..Happy Birthday Dear Friend With Lots of Love Rajeswari,Manimozhi, Sandhiya, Jayasudha, Nagarajan and Saravanan.J.P Sify Technologies Ltd Tidel Park

■ Dear Geetha, Wish You Many More Happy Return of the day. May all your dreams come true and this be another fantastic year for you. With lots of love MIS TEAM (TCS e-Serve)

July 11 ■ Hi Ganesh, (Mr.White) Wish u many more Happy returns of the DayJJJ May all ur dreams come to live in upcoming days… Enjoy ur day with fun & color And not with black & green Mainframe screen J May your day packed with ur favorite as follows… Morning – Ada Dosai with ground nut chutney Lunch - Chicken Soup, Brain, Chicken LollyPop, Tandoori, Chicken Briyani Eve ChitChat - Pani poori, Sundale Night Dine - Pulicha Keerai saatham (Bill is urs J) Kavitha.S Infosys

July 12 Namita Sreekumar from Aspire Systems doodled this

■ Dear Murali, Wish U Many More Happy Returns of the Day.. 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, And your birthday be perfect for you! You’re older today than yesterday but younger than tomorrow, Happy B’day.. God will shower all his blessing on you. Let this B’day bring you lots of Happiness, Success and Good Health in your Life. Your are better than the best..Always be smilely... Once again Manyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Moreeeeeeeeeeeeee Happyyyyyyyyyyyyy Returnsssssssss of the day. Best wishes by MCSD & MTMD Caliberpoint Business Solutions

Belated Wishes 1. Yennadhan maths pudikaama irundhaalum Two wheeler licence edukkumbodhu 8 pottu thaan aaganum 2.Thozhukku maela valandhaa thozhaannu sollalam, Aana Thalaikku maela valandhaa thalaivannu solla mudiyumaa? Mohamed Yusufdeen J. HCL Technologies

■ Virudhunagar Raamsu, Unaku illada aarmsu, Nee saapidanum datesu, Apadham pickup agum girlsu… Iduthan engaloda birthday wishu!!! From, eBay Testing team

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Friday, July 10, 2009

Passenger fixes plane Holidaymakers were saved from an eight-hour flight delay after a fault on their plane was fixed by a passenger who happened to be a qualified aircraft engineer.

sudoku

Playmates: Umamageshwaran G. of RR Donnelley shot this in Kodaikanal

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15

Friday, July 10, 2009

Pupils get to phone a friend

Scarecrow arrested

Students in Austria are being given an extra chance to boost their exam results they are now allowed to call experts for help during the tests.

A scarecrow dressed as a police officer was arrested by real cops for wielding a speed gun at the roadside to warn motorists to slow down.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 You maywith dealing be dealing lots of work with lot at office of work butatwill office be but rewarded will be rewarded with appreciation with appreciation too. It’sfrom best superiors. day for redesigning It’s best daytechnical for redesigning work that technical you have workdone thatinyou the past. have done.Even Evenwhile whileyouyouarearewith withyour yourbeloved belovedyou may may you be talking be talking aboutabout workwork and related matters.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 You may get a stroke of luck today. Expect good news from distant place place. or Exchange abroad. emails Exchange carefully emails as there are carefully as there chances are of chances some faux of some pas faux in thepas in communications. the communications. Ganesha You may thinks need thattoyou putmay in more need to put in efforts to more woo your efforts beloved to wooone. your beloved one.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 You may remain a bit confused at workplace about which task to take up first. Strong determination is necessary to handle work office successfully. work successfully. In personal In personal life, generally life, you you might wouldhave talk more to listen buttotoday your you belovedhave might patiently. to listen to your beloved patiently.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 It is anot It’s lowa energy very favourable day for you. day You for you are hence advisedyou to keepadvised are low profile to keep at office. low profile If youattryoffice. to react If you to try someone to react toaggressively, someone aggressively, you might have you might to accept have to defeat. defeat. accept PersonalPersonal life maylife help mayyou help balance you balance stress that you stress thatmight you might have had haveduring had during the day. the day.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 You might have to work harder. harder today. BeforeBefore you expect you expect to others others deliver to deliver something something very much veryinmuch time,inlook time, at thelook situation at theobjectively situation objectively and try to evaluate. and try toYou evaluate. may be least You concerned may be least about concerned love life about today,love life today,you although although carry the you’heart carry of theGold’. ’heart of Gold’.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

You may not be interested in handling simple and mundane tasks. You are in a mood to develop something new which is in line with your work. job. You You may wish to spend more time with your beloved, for your desire for the companionship is intensified.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Atisworkplace, It going to be youa might stressful have daytofordeal you.with Relations with superiors something thatmay you also would need generally to be handled not prefer with to care. In Relations handle. love life you withmay superiors experience may undue also need stress. to Basically, be handledthewith daycare. will taste In love your lifepatience you maybut if you act prudently, experience undue everything stress. will be fine.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 It is best day to put new plans on paper. It’s also favourable day to communicate with important people. You may try to please your partner but you may have practical approach towards expenses, so there are least chances of overspending.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 You will try to be more precise and punctual today. The pace Your workofmay yourslow workdown may so slow youdown mightsohave you to mightback stay haveattooffice stay till back late. at On office thetillother late hand to finish it. On themay family otheralso hand demand familyyour mayattention, also demand due your to attention, which you due maytofeel which stressed you may out. feel stressed out.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 You are filled with zeal and thrill. thrill today. You may Youwish mayto wish to too achieve achieve muchtoobutmuch you but mayyou not may be able not be to be able to be patient, patient, so yousomay youtake mayyourself take yourself and others and others for a for a Your ride. ride. beloved Your beloved one may mayfind findyou youself-centred, self-centred, despite that you may not be able to change. change it.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 Youdeal to might withhave problems to dealatwith work. problems You willatthink work,to give it may which a chance be negligible to try your for best others. to sort This out. may Inputlove life, off you youbut mayyou have willa try strong your feeling best tothat solveyouit. are In love sacrificing life, you may far have way too a strong much.feeling Don’t that continue you are with such a feeling, sacrificing way too try to much.Try composeto yourself. compose yourself.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Your decision power may be weak so you are advised not to take important decisions regarding work, instead postpone them for three-four days. You may be able to devote time to your love life, which will fill your day with joy. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

A model presents a creation by French designer Jean Paul Gaultier during 2009/ 2010 Autumn-Winter Haute Couture collection show in Paris. PHOTO: AFP

ERGO Friday, July 10, 2009

Two tigers battle for a piece of meat at the Serengeti-Park animal park in Hodenhagen, northern Germany. PHOTO: AFP

A woman stands next to the 1980 Lotus Turbo Esprit from the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only holding a limited edition replica pistol from The Man with the Golden Gun in central London. PHOTO: AFP