Ergo July 14

A BYTE OF LIFE

HEART BREAK AGAIN!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Force simply not with Sutil!

08 FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 3

No. 131

SHOOTING STAR At 21, Manjula Veeraragavan juggles a career with HCL Technologies and represents Tamil Nadu at National level in shooting » PAGE 03

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Mid-night buffet Now, satisfy your midnight hunger pangs with pani puri, bhel puri, pav baji, vada pav and many more at the Raintree Hotel. Open only on weekends, the buffet starts from mid-night and goes on till 3.30 a.m. Price: Rs. 399. For details call 4225 2525

Run Chennai Run T

PHOTO: R. RAGU

he second edition of the GiveLife Chennai Marathon seems to have gotten bigger and better. This year the organisers are expecting participation from around two lakh people. Besides, the run has also received an international accreditation from The Association of International Marathon Society, London and international marathon runners from Europe and Africa will be participating. The run will be held on August 22, with prizes for professional run (21.09 km for men and women), Great Chennai City Run (7 km) and wheel chair run for the differently-abled. Registration fee for the half marathon is Rs. 100, city run is Rs. 20 and wheel chair run is free. For details visit www.givelifechennaimarathon.com. Or call Sasitha at 9444960704/ 044-24994344.

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE Evam’s theatre and acting workshop is for you

D

o you want to act or do theatre? But you don’t know how and where to start. Or, are you bored of your monotonous job and want to take a break? You have nil experience but want to have fun and learn. Yes! Then join Cut Chennai Edition 5. Evam is introducing fun theatre and acting workshop for all you who want to do more in life. You will learn about the various aspects of theatre including acting, body language, voice, creativity, storytelling and much more. The workshop will be conducted by theatre professionals and costs Rs. 3,000. You can avail discount if you register as a team of three.

What, When, Where What: Learn Acting When: July 18 and 19; 9 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. The applications are available at www.evam.in or email [email protected]. Call 9940438669/ 9840281513

Ergo Correspondent

My U.S.P. 쑸 This fruit cart owner on 100 Feet Road in Vadapalani has found a new way to establish his identity. His cart has a vehicle registration number. Apparently, a customer who did not have money pledged his number plate for a glass of juice. PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN

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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

A shooting star at close range At 21, Manjula Veeraragavan juggles a career with HCL Technologies and represents Tamil Nadu at National level in shooting PREETHI R. [email protected]

W

ith a rifle crooked between her shoulder and fist, Manjula Veeraragavan steadies herself, peers down the scope of her rifle, and leans back slightly. The air is heavy with silence and stillness, except for the sounds of the morning breeze. Ten seconds later, there’s a crack of a bullet as she pulls the trigger and one can see the ever fascinating twist of smoke coming out of the gun’s slot. Birds happily chattering and resting on a patch of grass under a tree scatter away for their lives. Bull’s eye! “I don’t know how to explain it,” she says, reviewing her shot. “It feels like you have so much power. You just have to be in the right mental state.” Squeezing the trigger comes with a great sacrifice for Manjula. The 21-year-old juggles hard for time – she works as a legal administrator at HCL Technologies and also pursues an MBA degree through correspondence. After a gruelling week of work, she proceeds to Madurai on Fridays. Rigorous practice sessions punctuate her weekends and before she knows it, she’s back. But Manjula remains surprisingly unruffled. “I’ve always believed that the human brain can concentrate on more things than one. I like it that my schedule is jam-packed,” she smiles.

Exciting start with NCC Manjula’s tryst with shooting started when she was the Cadet Under Officer in the NCC wing of JBAS College. “NCC kindled my interest in shooting. The rigorous competitions and training sessions were tiring, yet very exciting,” she says. Eager to continue, she applied for a membership with the Chennai Rifle Club in 2008, but was unable to pay the initial subscription of Rs. one lakh. Not disheartened, she proceeded to the Madurai Rifle Club, where she met renowned coach K.Velshankar. After practicing for two weeks, the coach asked her to join the club, impressed by her talent. With just a month’s training,

Manjula was deemed fit to take part in the 34th State Level Shooting Championship. Pre-nationals, the G.V. Mavlankar Shooting Championship followed, and she emerged successful at fourth place scoring 567/600. It was raining medals, and Manjula was selected to represent Tamil Nadu at the National level. There’s been no looking back after that.

Fighting out Compared to other sports, shooting is quite expensive. An air-rifle fit for competitions can cost around Rs. one lakh, and more money fades away for bullets and pellets. And when big bucks seem to go up in a poof of smoke, there is an increasing need for sponsors. “Most of what

I earn will go towards my family. And my expenses would primarily include food, transportation and bullets.” Manjula is desperately trying to make all ends meet. “I thought I’ll start a business. Currently, I’m in a contract to sell ladies salwar materials. I’ve also managed to buy a computer through which I could do some extra paperwork and medical transcriptions.” Right now, her sights are fixed on the National Shooting Championship 2009 in Jharkhand where she represents Tamil Nadu. “During practice, when I know that I have only 10 bullets, my concentration is disrupted and that is not good.” In a cricket-crazy nation, shooting probably never had a fighting chance. But thanks to

people like Abhinav Bindra and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, this discipline seems to be getting more limelight. Manjula puts it forth very candidly. “I need sponsors and the sport needs more publicity.” Manjula shells out nearly Rs. 5,000 every month for practice. This would translate into nearly Rs. 30,000, if she has to meet all her needs and gear up for the National Championship. “I’m aiming for the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics. I want to prove myself and bring more laurels to our nation,” she says. Manjula has set her target, one that would never blur. To put it in her words, “I have the fire in my blood, and with a little help, I can reach great heights in firing.” ■

During practice, when I know that I have only 10 bullets, my concentration is disrupted and that is not good.

04 TECHNORAMA

ERGO Tuesday, July 14, 2009

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We’re through the shock, we’re through the collapse. I would argue the worst is behind us, speaking generally, not specifically to Google Eric Schmidt, Google CEO

Test PC monitors before purchasing T

hey’re all flat; 22 inches measured horizontally and offer a range of additional functions. So how can buyers tell a good PC monitor from a bad one? Is a contrast of 500:1 sufficient, or does it need a ratio of 3000:1? “The benchmark data they provide is only of limited usefulness,” says Dirk Lorenz from the German consumer testing organisation Stiftung Warentest in Berlin. Much more important is taking a look at the display itself in the store. The first step is to consider how the monitor is going to be used. Displays needed for gaming, for example, need to have attributes different from office monitors. A monitor for video playback has to be big and offer high levels of colour gradation, brightness, and contrast. Office monitors, by contrast, should feature good ergonomics. Overly large monitors can be a distraction in that setting, though. “It’s like being in the movie theatre and sitting in the first row,” explains Juergen Reinhard from hardware-maker Samsung. Lorenz recommends against mirrored models for the same reason. “It may look nice in the store, but it is distracting in daily use,” she says. Ulrike Kuhlmann from Hanover-based computer magazine c’t, also recommends a device with digital inputs such as HDMI or VDI. “They are more expensive, but they’re worth it,” she notes. Displays with only analogue input can only be attached to the computer using an adapter, since most computers today offer digital-only image output. “The images may end up with a flicker. But you won’t notice it in the store - only once you get it home,” Kuhlmann says. One thing that can and should be checked

in the store is the image quality. The customer should trust his or her own eyes, not the data on the sales sheet. “They really aren’t very informative, because the manufacturer doesn’t measure under normal conditions,” Lorenz explains. Colour quality in particular is often a matter of taste, Kuhlmann says: “What one person finds pleasant is not at all so for the next guy.” The sample screen offered in the store is not suitable for testing. Potential buyers should instead watch a video on the monitor, or view photos stored on USB stick or similar removable medium. Manufacturers, for their part, try to funnel consumers toward numbers-heavy units with contrast ratios up to 30,000:1 and higher. The experts note that a ratio of 500:1 is more than enough, however. Anything above 1,000 is just bells and whistles, Kuhlmann notes. Of much more significance is that the monitor is uniformly illuminated - not darker on the edges than in the middle. A monitor without a restricted viewing angle is helpful in this regard as well. PC monitors are not necessarily the best place to try and save a few pennies, Kuhlmann says. Good displays currently cost around 200-300 dollars. “You really shouldn’t underestimate your own requirements. After all, this is what you’re going to be looking at day after day,” Kuhlmann says. ■ DPA

Office monitors must be height adjustable. If the display is set too low, the ceiling lighting can be reflected in it

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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

M Tips on buying the best

MP3 player

P3 players have become one of the most popular accessories for joggers as listening to your favourite music can help overcome the last few metres before finally arriving home. But to enjoy jogging and listening to music at the same time there are a few things you should take note of. The best kind of MP3 player to go jogging with is one with flash memory. Many players have a hard disk drive with moving parts that can experience problems while you’re jogging over rough terrain, as Michael Knott from the Hamburgbased technology website netzwelt.de explains. “Electronic flash players on the other hand are completely immune to vibration,” he says. It is usually older MP3 players that are vulnerable to shocks and vibrations and almost all players found in stores today have flash memory. Last year 4.16 million MP3 players were sold but only 23,000 of them had hard drives, according to Roland Stehle from Germany’s Gesellschaft fuer Unterhaltungs und Kommunikationselektronik, a consumer electronics umbrella organisation that provides information about the sector. Although the capacity of flash players to store songs is growing steadily and almost all of them are suitable for jogging, some come with headphones that can cause problems when running, as Urs Weber from the German magazine Runner’s World explains. “In many cases the standard headphones don’t fit well and fall out when jogging.” Weber recommends choosing headphones that have multiple types of ear attachments and are adjustable. What are known as In-Ear headphones are the best, according to Stehle. Weber also believes In-Ear models produce better quality sound. “Many joggers swear by In-Ear headphones while some don’t think they’re any good at all,” says Knott. They feel un-

All in all MP3 players can provide motivation without taking your breath away as you jog

Photo: AFP

comfortable using In-Ear headphones because they cannot hear what is going on in the outside world. Knott recommends trying the traditional style semi-open headphones that sit on the ears and remain in a stable position with the aid of a headband. Studio style headphones, on the other hand, are not suitable because they fill with too much sweat. “It might happen that while you’re jogging you feel like you’re wearing steam boilers over your ears.” Some headphone models already have an MP3 player integrated into the headband. Another thing to look out for is the connection between the headphone and the player. Cables are often a source of possible danger for joggers, according to Knott. “It can get caught on something and pull the headphones from your ears.” A cable can also distract you while jogging if you continually have to take care of where it is. In that case it might be wise to choose a Bluetooth headphone that has no cables. “A pair of Bluetooth headphones cost between 28 and 42 dollars more than cable headphones.” But the downside is that there is just a small choice of Bluetooth headphones on the market. A good way to keep a normal player in a secure and stable position is with the aid of an armband placed in the upper area of your arm, explains Knott. That way the player will not bounce around as when it is in your pocket. Apple’s iPod Shuffle and players from Creative and Philips are easily and safely attached to your clothing with a clip, adds Weber. One way to protect the player from rain is with a silicone covering. “Unfortunately many silicone covers don’t fit 100 per cent,” says Knott. For those who lose their sense of rhythm while listening to music as they jog there are MP3 players that choose music to suit your running pace. “That is very useful as many joggers tend to run too quickly when they listen to a fast song,” says Knott. Those players can identify the beats per minute of a song and match it to your jogging tempo. Or the jogger can choose the pace. ■ DPA

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Bestselling bra - for men A silky bra has become a instant hit in Japan with men. Experts suggest Japanese men find wearing a bra under their shirts "relaxing".

Queen joins Twitter Queen Elizabeth II and the British Royal family have joined social networking website Twitter. The page of the royal family on the site will be run to provide news and information service, with lists of engagements and updates to websites reporting about the royalty. However, members of the family will not tweet on the page. “The Queen has been advised that it’s up and running but there won’t be any members of the Royal Family tweeting,” the Telegraph quoted a spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace as saying. Already more than 450 people have started following the monarchy at http://twitter.com/BritishMonarchy. ANI

Hillary to find hot showers for staff at State Department US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton apparently added another initiative to her portfolio during a question-answer session with staffers - finding hot showers for her employees at the State Department. Apart from being asked about “biking and running to work”, she was asked by a young woman: “Whether you would support an initiative to get us access to showers.” According to the New York Daily News, the crowd in the Dean Acheson auditorium at the State Department cracked up as the former First Lady replied: “I don’t know what portable showers look like. (But) we’ll look into it.” It was Clinton’s first extended public appearance since she broke her elbow during a tumble last month. After six months on the job, the former First Lady told her team: “We need to get in the habit of looking to the horizon and planning for how we want things to be.”

Brick-throwing vigilante an Internet hit A retired teacher has become an unlikely Internet hit in China for throwing bricks at cars whose drivers were ignoring red lights at a dangerous crossing, state media reported Monday. The furious 74-year-old last week took up position on an intersection in Lanzhou, the capital of northwest Gansu province, and damaged more than 30 cars before he was stopped by police, the China Daily reported. “I just wanted to catch people’s attention and tell the drivers to think of pedestrians,” the man said, according to the report. The unnamed man’s attacks drew wide support in Chinese cyberspace, with nearly 80 percent of 400,000 respondents to an online poll backing him, the paper said. The ex-teacher became a campaigner for road safety after a pedestrian was killed near where he lived. He successfully lobbied for traffic lights at the intersection, but drivers continued to ignore them, the report said, citing the Lanzhou Morning Post. AFP

Taller men make more money Taller men are able to earn more money than their shorter counterparts, according to a study. The study suggests that taller people make more money simply because they are perceived to be more intelligent and powerful. “Our estimates suggest that if the average man of about 178 centimetres gains an additional five centimetres in height, he would be able to earn an extra 950 dollars per year - which is approximately equal to the wage gain from one extra year of labour market experience,” Live Science quoted study co-author Andrew Leigh, an economist at the Australian National University, as saying.

ANI

ANI

Udaipur voted world’s best city

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daipur was voted the world’s best city for travellers in 2009 in an online poll by Travel + Leisure magazine, trumping last year’s winner Bangkok. The island of Bali in Indonesia topped the Galapagos to be named best island in the annual poll, in which casual and laidback destinations prevailed. Magazine readers also voted Bushmans Kloof Cedar Mountains, in South Africa, as the world’s top hotel while Singapore Airlines grabbed the best airline award again. Nancy Novogrod, editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure said this year’s poll reflected changing travel interests in a challenging economy, with Udaipur, famous for its canals and palaces, a current tourist favourite for well-heeled

Westerners. “Value, intimacy, service, and discovery are top priorities. As for that so-lastAugust-sounding word, luxury, it’s all about enclaves that shelter stealth wealth,” she said in a statement. Novogrod said dramatically sited outposts ranging from Jade Mountain in St. Lucia to San Ysidro Ranch in California featured highly this year. Value ratings for a number of topranked cities - Udaipur, Cape Town, Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Chiang Mai, and Luang Prabang - were sky-high while other far-flung cities also made a strong showing. However, favourites such as New York City, Florence, Rome, and San Francisco remained in the top 10 overall. ■ Reuters

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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Websites of the day

Hide and seek

Sneak a peek at those lucky enough to be the world’s richest people http://www.forbes.com/billionaires Find out how many cups of coffee you can consume before the caffeine kills you http://www.energyfiend.com/death-by-caffeine

A two-year-old girl from Pennsylvania is so good at playing hide and seek - her worried family had to call police and firefighters to help find her.

Washington

THE HOTTEST LIVING MOVIE STUDIOS M

ove over Hollywood, butt out Broadway: Washington, once seen as a dour city with too many grimfaced lobbyists and politicos, is attracting hordes of film-makers and stars these days, as well as the people who like to watch them. In 1991, half a dozen films and TV shows were shot in Washington. Fifteen years later, more than three times that number were shot here and in the first six months of 2009, Washington has been buzzing with movie and TV activity. Last month, visitors and locals watched the residents in music channel MTV’s reality show, The Real World, check into a house in Dupont Circle for weeks of cohabitation and filming for a show that will air next year. Some DC natives reported on celeb-spotting website JustJared.com, seeing actor Jack Nicholson outside La Tomate restaurant, also in Dupont Circle near Washington’s embassy row. Nicholson, according to JustJared, is in Washington - referred to by locals as “The District” or DC - to film Academy Award-winning director James Brooks’ new movie, in which Nicholson plays Reese Witherspoon’s father. The romantic comedy, which has a working title of “How Do You Know” and also stars Owen Wilson and Paul Judd as two men vying for Witherspoon’s affections, recently wrapped up several weeks of filming in Washington. Earlier this year, Angelina Jolie filmed several takes of a scene for the spy thriller Salt outside the Archives-Navy Memorial Metro station in downtown DC. “The scene played out right in front of anyone who wanted to watch, and the set was so unassuming that some people who were walking by had no idea what they had stumbled onto,” Fox Television, which filmed Jolie being filmed, wrote on its website. “But even if they’re just passing through, they stay in our hotels,

eat in our restaurants, shop here and all that generates revenues for the city,” said Josh Friedman, spokesman for the DC Office of Motion Picture and Television Development. Washington is highly prized as a filming location not only because it pays movie-makers in-

centives - almost every town or city does, said Friedman - but also because the capital simply cannot be replicated in a studio. “We have landmarks you can’t do justice to if you try to recreate them.” “It’s too obviously fake,” said Mike Montgomery, a card-carry-

ing member of the Screen Actors Guild who works between acting jobs as a guide on tours of DC locations where films have been shot. Forrest Gump, Wedding Crashers, National Treasure and even the 1930s classic Mr Smith Goes to Washington are just some of

Most of the productions that film in Washington are smaller affairs that merely pass through the capital without putting down roots for several weeks

This file photo shows people standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Washington DC is becoming more and more popular as a set for film and TV producers. Washington is highly prized as a filming location not only because it pays movie-makers incentives - almost every town or city does, - but also because the capital simply cannot be replicated in a studio. PHOTO: AFP

the movies that used the Lincoln Memorial as a backdrop, Montgomery told a group of cinema buffs on one of the tours, which On Location Tours launched less than a year ago in Washington. Peter Sellers’s Being There, All the President’s Men and Thank you for Smoking are among more than 120 movies shot at the Capitol, the most popular Washington film location, Montgomery said. In the movies the building has been swarmed by locusts - which were actually Styrofoam packing peanuts, painted brown - and has “been the target of a lot of violence from aliens,” said Montgomery. But although Montgomery can spot a studio set or blooper about Washington in a movie - like Joan Allen jogging through Arlington cemetery in The Contender, which, Montgomery said, “nobody does” - since the September 11, 2001 attacks, in which Washington was targeted other cities have been acting as ersatz US capitals for film-makers. Toronto has been particularly good at mimicking Washington, with more than 20 films, including the TV movies The Day Reagan was Shot, Secret Service and RFK, about the assassinated brother of slain president John F. Kennedy, filmed in the Canadian city between 2000 and 2006. But there’s no denying that there’s a sense of cool about living in or visiting Washington these days, and according to Rebecca Pawlowski, director of communications at Destination DC, much of that is thanks to President Barack Obama. “There’s been a lot of buzz and excitement around Washington DC, starting with the election in November and continuing into the inauguration in January, particularly internationally - we’ve seen a lot of visitors coming over for that reason, to be part of this phenomenon,” Pawlowski said. “People want to be part of the energy and changes in Washington.” ■ AFP

08 SPORT

ERGO Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Chowrasia disappoints SSP Chowrasia could not arrest the slide in form and signed off with his worst card of the week – a five-over 76 – to finish a lowly 77th in the Barclays Scottish Open golf tournament. After a poor third round of 75 dashed his hopes for a decent finish in the European Tour event, Chowrasia seemed to have lost the plot as the diminutive Kolkata pro stuttered to 76 to total nine-over 293 and pocket Euro 5196.

AYON SENGUPTA [email protected]

Force India’s Adrian Sutil drives during the German Grand Prix at Nurburgring on Sunday. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Laxman leads Lancashire to victory

Warne takes on KP

Worcestershire: 172 all out and 236 all out lose by seven-wickets to Lancashire: 145 all out and 264/3.

Australian spin legend Shane Warne has termed Kevin Pietersen’s unconventional paddle sweep in the opening Ashes Test as an “ego shot” which the England batsman should have avoided “to put the team first, not himself”. Pietersen was going great guns at 69 when he stretched to play a pre-determined paddle sweep from way outside off-stump off Nathan Hauritz and the ball brushed his helmet before Simon Katich completing the “brain snap” dismissal in the England first innings in Cardiff. “You have to be careful not to over criticise. Any batsman can get out. What matters is the way they get out, because that reveals their thought processes about batting. It seemed that Pietersen just wanted to keep playing sweep shots against Hauritz. To me, that is an ego shot,” Warne said. “I think Pietersen, too, just gets bored. That is where hunger comes in. He prepares better than anybody for games, but he has to put the team first, not himself,” he said.

PTI

PTI

VVS Laxman hit a sedate unbeaten 64 to script Lancashire’s seven-wicket win over Worcestershire in the division one County Championship at Old Trafford. The Indian, who scored only 19 in the first innings, more than made up when it mattered most and remained unbeaten after a 93-ball knock studded with six fours. Laxman and Steven Croft (40 not out) put together an unseparated 91-run stand to see Lancashire home. It was, however, Paul Horton (77) who top-scored in Lancashire’s second innings. Lancashire bagged 17 points from the win which would keep the fourth-placed team in the hunt for the title race.

Brief scores

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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

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I don’t think it was required. I was unhappy with it. He (Anderson) changed it (the gloves) the over before, I don’t think they’d be too sweaty in one over. I’m not sure what the physio was doing out there. I didn’t see anyone call for the physio to come out. As far as I’m concerned, it was pretty ordinary really. But they can play whatever way they want to play. We came to play by the rules and the spirit of the game. It’s up to them to do what they want to do. Ricky Ponting accusing England of not playing in the spirit of the game

Heartbreak for Sutil From a possible podium finish the German driver finishes a disastrous 15th

A

drian Sutil tryst with wretched luck continued at his home grand prix, as the Force India driver was bumped off by Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen from a possible podium finish at the German Grand Prix on Sunday. The German driving in front of his home crowd at the Nurburgring had done exceptionally well to claw to the second spot in the grid before his first pit stop after lap 27 of the 60 lap race and looked destined to win Force India’s and his first championship points. But similar to last year’s Monaco Grand Prix, he was involved in a colli-

Kaka defends Real spending spree Brazilian midfielder Kaka has said he believes he and Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo are worth the huge transfer fees which Spanish giants Real Madrid dished out for them last month. “If Real Madrid have decided to pay so much money for us it is because we are worth it, isn’t it? Because we have shown it with our football in recent years,” he said. “We are in a sport which pays these kinds of figures and within this sphere it could be that we are worth this investment,” the 27-year-old added. Real signed Kaka from AC Milan for 65 million euros and paid a record fee of around 94 million euros to sign Ronaldo from Manchester United. “In the case of Cristiano Ronaldo, who is the most expensive player, he has shown that he’s number one and that he’s worth this money,” said Kaka. Ronaldo, 24, has also said the astronomical sum paid by Real for him made business sense. But the hefty amounts paid for the two most recent winners of the FIFA World Player of the Year award have sparked controversy, with UEFA president Michel Platini calling the transfers “a serious challenge to the idea of fairplay”. AFP

sion with more-experienced Raikkonen while coming out of his pit stop sequence. The crash left his car with a bloody nose and Sutil had to retire back to the pit lane for repairs, which robbed him close to 15 seconds. That ended his points dream. The Ferrari driver coming from behind looked a tad reckless to bump into Sutil, though the race stewards chose to term it as just another “racing accident”. Earlier, last year in Monaco, Sutil running fourth was thrown out of the race after Rakkionen clipped him from behind, prompting an angry response from the Force India driver. However, this time Sutil chose to stay away from the blame game. “When I went out of the pit lane I saw Kimi coming on the outside of the corner and I just tried to hold my line but he went to the outside and I touched him and lost part of my front wing,” Sutil explained. “We shouldn’t be that disappointed with this result as we have had a

good weekend and the next one will come very soon. All our development shows we are on the right track and that we are much more competitive.” The driver, who had started seventh on the grid eventually finished 15th. “It was a good race for me. The start was a bit difficult but I lost just one position. In the first stint I did really well and it was looking very promising as I was up to second by my first stop. But in motor sport unfortunate incidents happen. You cannot take them to heart,” he said. “Overall I think we’ve learnt a lot. It’s the first time starting in the top 10 and it’s a different race up there.” Chairman and team principal, Vijay Mallya too said the same. “It’s been largely all good this weekend and again I am very proud of the team and both our drivers. It’s just a shame that after such a great weekend performance that we don’t have any points to show for it. Both that’s motor sport,” he said “The next race is only in a couple of weeks so we’ll refocus on this and try to finish the job in Hungary. ■

Grapplers excel Indian grapplers signed off the Junior Asian Wrestling Championship in style, bagging gold and a silver on the final day in Manila on Sunday, to finish with an impressive haul of 14 medals Rahul Aware won the gold in 55kg freestyle category, while the silver was bagged by Rahul Mann in 60kg division. Overall, India won five gold, four silver and five bronze medals in the threeday meet, a Wrestling Federation of India release stated. Apart from Aware, other medal winners in men’s freestyle category are Surender (50kg, gold); Joginder Kumar (120kg, gold), Rahul Mann (60kg, silver). Suresh Yadav (60kg, gold); Manjit (50kg bronze); Manoj (55 Kg, bronze); Rupender (96kg, bronze); Rakesh Hooda (120kg, bronze) are medal winners in the Greco Roman style division. In the women’s freestyle, Navjot Kaur (67kg, gold); Gargi Yadav (55kg, silver); Anmol (72kg, silver); Sakshi Malik (59kg, silver); Anju Chaudhary (51kg, bronze) were the medal winners. PTI

10 FLICK

ERGO Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Brangelina searching for luxury house Globetrotting Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are apparently thinking of setting up base in New York, for reports have suggested that the celebrity couple have been secretly checking out plush properties in the Big Apple.

“Daddy this is for you” Jackson’s daughter Paris’ final necklace gift to him

M

ichael Jackson’s 11-year-old daughter Paris wrapped a necklace around her father’s wrist as he lay in his open coffin, the singer’s elder sister La Toya has re-

vealed. La Toya, 53, saw Paris’ heartbreaking act during the family’s private viewing of his body at the Forest Lawn Cemetery. “Paris told me, ‘The heart is in two pieces. I want one half to go to Daddy and I will wear the other half forever’,” the Mirror quoted La Toya as saying. “She carefully wrapped it around his wrist and said, ‘Daddy this is for you. On Daddy, it will be blue because he is cold. On me, it’s purple. He’s so cold, he is so cold’,” she added. Paris purchased the broken heart necklace, which changes colour in different temperatures, after the King of Pop died and wore it when she delivered her emotional tribute at his memorial service. La Toya also revealed that Paris got some coloured stones and decorated Michael’s body with them. “His lips were slightly swollen from the autopsy and Paris asked, ‘Who did that to Daddy?’ I told her it was because he had passed,” she said. ■ ANI

Paris Jackson (L) and her brother Prince Michael Jackson I on stage during the memorial service for Michael Jackson at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on July 7, 2009. AFP PHOTO

I’m not quitting acting: Emma Watson

World’s hottest celeb daughter

Harry Potter star Emma Watson has dismissed reports suggesting she plans to turn her back on acting after her stint as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films end in 2010. The 19-yearold has enrolled herself at US’ prestigious Columbia University but says that she plans to take on film roles during breaks from university, reported femalefirst.co.uk. “I’m going to university but it doesn’t mean I’m giving up acting. I feel like I do want to continue. I just want a normal experience for a bit,” she said. “I’ve managed to juggle and balance study and working well enough up to this point, so I don’t see why I can’t keep doing that,” she added.

Amber Le Bon, the stunning daughter of supermodel Yasmin Le Bon and ’Duran Duran’ frontman Simon Le Bon, has been voted the world’s hottest celebrity daughter in a poll. During the study, conducted for men’s magazine Zoo, voters named the 19-year-old model as their choice for the hottest celebrity daughter. Amber had recently abandoned her studies to pursue a career on the catwalk. "Despite being one of the lesser-known celebrity daughters, the ZOO web users have been swung by the beauty of Simon and Yasmin Le Bon’s daughter Amber.

IANS

ANI

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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Gardening keeps Sienna Miller grounded Hollywood actress Sienna Miller says that she loves nothing better than getting dirty in the grass and mud because it helps keep her grounded. “I’m trying to make my place in the country self-sufficient - I’m planting a vegetable patch. I love having that balance in my life, which can get a bit crazy,” contactmusic.com quoted the actress as saying.

Trisha makes her dream debut in Bollywood with Khatta Meetha

Yet another sweet start

T

Star-studded audio launch of Ninaithale Inikkum

risha describes her entry into Bollywood as dream debut and thanks her mentor, filmmaker Priyadarshan, who launched her in Tamil movies with Lesa Lesa seven years ago, for now introducing her to Hindi films as well. Priyan has signed Trisha for the Hindi movie Khatta Meetha opposite Bollywood star Akshay Kumar. “My lucky director Priyadarshan, who introduced me in Tamil movies, is giving me a break in Hindi films too. After my debut in Lesa Lesa, I was reticent about my career. Now with a firm foot in southern cinema, things have worked out for Bollywood as well, thanks to Priyadarshan. I have a meaty role on par with Akshay in the movie,” Trisha said. The former Miss Chennai has one more reason to feel happy about her association with Akshay. Yes, she has signed on the dotted lines for two more Hindi movies to be made by the Akshay’s production house, Hari Om Productions. “I should consider myself lucky. Though I had several offers from Bollywood earlier, I couldn’t accommodate the dates as I was busy with Tamil and Telugu films. Now the moment has come and that too in a big way. Three movies and a dream debut opposite Akshay Kumar, that too directed by my mentor Priyadarshan,” she says with a vivacious smile. Asked will she bid adieu to south Indian films now, Trisha said: “No. I have done over 30 films in various south Indian languages. Why do you think I should say bye to my native?” She also rubbished rumours that she had pulled out of Aadukalam. “I am extremely happy to be part of the movie directed by Vetrimaran. However, if the dates allotted for the film will clash with my Hindi movies, I will have to rethink about it. But as of now, the rumours are baseless,” she said. The actress is optimistic about stiff competition in Bollywood. Trisha has signed on “There is competithe dotted lines for tion everywhere. It keeps one going. When two more Hindi I entered southern film industry, Simran and movies to be made Jyothika were ruling by the Akshay’s the roost. Competition makes you give your production house, best. And I am ready for Hari Om Productions the game,” she said. ■

SREEJITH S. “I am thrilled to the core. Sharing the dais with Kamal Hassan is a fabulous experience. Thanks to Ulaganayagan for making this a memorable day,” said Prithviraj at the audio launch of Ninaithale Inikkum, the remake of super hit Malayalam film Classmates, held at Sathyam Cinemas on Monday. Directed by debutant G. N. R. Kumaravelan, the movie stars Prithviraj, Priyamani, K. Bhagyaraj, Sakthi and Evam Karthik. It has music scored by Vijay Antony, who has been getting rave review oflate. Releasing the audio CD, Kamal Hassan praised composer Vijay Antony’s Nakka Mukka song saying, “I’m listening to that song daily, as it’s the caller tune of my daughter Shruti.” He also said that remaking a good script is a healthy trend, also referring to his next venture Unnaipol Oruvan, which is a remake of A Wednesday. The lead pairs were all praise for the director. Prithvi was grateful that the director retained him for the lead role, which he did in the Malayalam version. Screen siren Priyamani rued over missing a chance to unleash her glamour. “The flick has a racy song and I wanted to do an item number for that and the director declined my request. But in the end the song has shaped up well,” said the National award-winning actress. For Karthik, this is his first role as an anti-hero. “This is a key project for me and for the past few years I have been waiting for a breakthrough and I hope this film will fire me up, as I don’t want to stick onto a particular role. I learnt a lot from my co-stars,” said Karthik, who wants to shed his image as theatre artiste. Cameraman Balasubramaniam and other technical members of the crew were also present at the event. ■

Thanks to Priyan Photo: R. Ravindran

PHOTO: R.RAVINDRAN

IANS

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ERGO Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Babu Ramu from Perot Systems has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This picture was clicked at Queensland during their team CRT’s 7th year anniversary celebration.

Anand Babu from Allsec Technologies Limited has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This picture was clicked in Yercaud during their team outing.

Vidhya Gopu from Wipro has nominated her team as Partners in Crime. This photo was clicked by her team mate Senthil R. in Yelagiri during their outing.

Vasanth Chakravarthy from Cybernet Slashsupport has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This picture was taken during their trip to Kodaikanal.

Narayan from HCL Technologies has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked during their get together at a restaurant on ECR.

Anandbabu M. from Cognizant Technology Solutions has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This photo was clicked at Kodaikanal.

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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Debit QA team of Wipro Technologies has nominated Sharmi Dyana Selvi as Office Angel. Sharmi is a polite, cute, clever, helping and honest person. She is very prompt in her work and very friendly to her team members. She is a hard worker and very innocent girl.

■ Dear Raje, Hope it adds, Some special pleasure To the hours of your day & To know you’re being thought of In the very warmest way... And when your birthday’s over, Hope that you’ll remember, too, The same warm thoughts as always Will keep going out to you! Best Wishes from, Sugan and Vinoth HCL Technologies Ltd.

■ Dear Sridhar, Millions of birthday wishes to you!! God bless you today and for evermore!!

Cheerz & have fun!! Friends, New Age Software and Solutions. Ashok Nagar.

■ Hi Gajendran May this special day be filled with sweet memories and happy hours. Wishing you all the fun and excitement that only birthdays can bring!

With Cheers, Human Resources, Coastal Training Technologies India (P) Ltd, Chennai

Viswa from Wipro doodled this

■ Hi Subha, Hope u ll be doing good... why not nu kaekuren..? veetu sapadu, njying the new life apram enna dear!!!:) seri pullainga edo sollanumnu aasa padrom so solrom kettuko Already stepped in to a new chapter and we wish atleast be a unforgettable anectode in ur entire life time... even though we live at a distance, u will always live in our hearts as always our trusted friend engal iniya weightaana drumstick friendku Birthday wishes

with luv Nivedita.M, Saranya.S, Suganya.S, Vidhya T. and all M-City Friends

■ Hi Prasanna, May your special day be filled with memories and flowers, friendship and happy hours This birthday be the beginning of a year filled with happy memories, wonderful moments and shining dreams Your birthday only comes around once a year so let’s make today a day to remember

Best wishes, Ameriprise Team, Syntel Ltd, Chennai.

■ Hey Jeba How do you expect me to remember your birthday, when you never look any older? HAPPY BIRTHDAY 1. Teacher: "What is common between JESUS, KRISHNA , RAM, GANDHI and BUDHA?" Gangu: "All are born on government holidays...!!! 2. Sir: What is difference between Orange and Apple? Gangu: Color of Orange is orange, but color of Apple is not APPLE. 3. One tourist from U.S.A. asked to Gangu: Any great man born in this village??? Gangu: No sir, only small Babies!!! Saravanan.G Calsoft Labs

With Love, Vijaya :)

Belated Wishes ■ Hi Sridharan May this special day be filled with sweet memories and happy hours. Wishing you all the fun and excitement that only birthdays can bring! With Cheers, Human Resources, Coastal Training Technologies India (P) Ltd, Chennai

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Jackson butter tribute to go for vote Plans to erect a giant statue of Michael Jackson made from butter at the Iowa State Fair are to be voted for by locals.

sudoku

Anand Rajagopalan from CybernetSlash Support shot this picture at Mysore Zoo using Sony Cybershot 7.2 Megapixel camera. Hobbies: Reading, quizzing and watching movies

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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Gas gas goes wrong

Word’s worth

Pranksters landed a British family of tourists in trouble with a Florida hotel - after they persuaded them to smash the hotels windows with a toilet tank by insisting there was a gas leak.

Verticordious (ver-ti-kor-dee-us) an obsolete and rare word that means ‘turning the heart from evil.’ From a Latin word meaning ‘turner of hearts,’ used as an epithet for Venus.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 A mixed day full of surprises. While the first half of the day seems favourable for important discussions, the later half of the day might make you feel as if you are wasting time pursuing needless goals. You might end up in arguments with your partner.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Hard work always pays off and you seem to agree whole heartedly. The efforts made in the first half of the day will blossom beautifully towards the end of the day. It will be a good day on the career front and you should be open to receive opportunities.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Your grey cells might feel very active today due to important discussions with colleagues and superiors at office. Ganesha suggests that if you remain focused during the day, the outcome of the discussions might be in your favour.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 Comfortable balancing of emotions towards the end of the day will take over a pessimistic beginning of the day. Ganesha feels you might lend help to colleagues, revealing your compassionate nature. Similarly in love life, you might be more sensitive.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 Tip for the day – be positive and focused. Try to avoid any kind of arguments and do not indulge in pointless discussions with anyone at office during the entire day. Do not let negative thoughts creep into personal and professional life.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

A perfect day for office today. Ganesha feels that you tend to systemize your working pattern today, which includes punctuality and handling responsibilities. Although you might feel drained out by the end of the day.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Late working hours may result into physical and mental stress. Nevertheless, such dedication to work and genius brain will be your two key factors for your profession. Ganesha feels you should apply the same intelligence on the romance front as well.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 The second half of the day is in your favour, hence do not get agitated in case some technical problems do not get solved. Ganesha states that your administrative abilities will prove to be very useful today.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 End of the ‘incommunicado’ phase. You will communicate with important people within or outside the organization and might also indulge in social and professional networking. Make a trip with your beloved or spend time with family at home.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 The day today can be bifurcated in two sections; the earlier part of the day involves technical and administrative work resulting into physical drain. The second part of the day might leave you brooding over professional and personal issues.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 Ooh la la! That’s exactly how you will be seen today. The smooth talker in you takes control as you make your way into people’s hearts. A perfect day for developmental meetings. Don’t forget to pray Ganesha!

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Ganesha finds you in a dull mood towards the beginning of the day, but energy will pump up as the day progresses. At work you will be noticed for taking initiatives and gelling well with colleagues, says Ganesha. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Children admire the Arctic wolves from behind a glass window at a zoo in Hefei, in eastern China’s Anhui province. PHOTO: AFP

Colombian salsa dancers perform during the Colombia Salsa Congress at Medellin University in Medellin, Antioquia Department, Colombia. PHOTO: AFP

Spanish matador Rafael Rubio "Rafaelillo" is gored by a bull during a bullfight of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, northern Spain. PHOTO: AFP

Michael Ball, Chairman of the Bradman Foundation, (L) and former Prime Minister of Australia John Howard AC pose with two ’Bradman Cricket Bats’ at the Goring Hotel in central London. The bats, one of which is the famous ’140’ Bradman bat and the other is signed by Australia and England Test teams from the fourth Test of the Series, have been loaned to the International Cricket Hall of Fame in Bowral, New South Wales, by current owners Martin and Eugene Withers from Scotland. The ’140’ bat was used by Australian cricketer Sir Donald Bradman to score 140 runs against Yorkshire at Sheffield on July 16, 1934. PHOTO: AFP

Protesters against a development project on the banks of the river Spree in Berlin pull a giant baby behind their boat in Berlin. PHOTO: AFP