Ergo July 30

A BYTE OF LIFE

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Hello readers, Collaborate with us on our big story cover for our last print edition. Write to us your experience with online friendships – the like-minded friends whom you have discovered on social networks or even about the pests that bug you with ‘can I make friendship with you’ requests. Email us at [email protected] before 1 p.m. today or even text us at 9094013535.

FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 3

No. 143

THE CHENNAI K9 The Chennai City Police Kennel in Egmore is the first training centre for dogs in the country. V. Haripriya visits the place to see the working of the canine cops » PAGES 8 & 9 PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Thursday, July 30, 2009

Book launch The Enemy of my Enemy will be launched at Landmark, Citi Center on July 31 at 4.30 p.m. The book is on gaming is authored by Anshumani Ruddra.

Past Perfect: S. Chinny Krishna of Blue Cross and Mary with her pets in Foreshore Estate

Green drive PHOTO: S. S. KUMAR

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lanting saplings is one best way each of us can show our support for a green earth, and Steria India seems to be doing it in full swing. The company as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative recently planted 800 saplings at Mambakkam village in the outskirts of Chennai. The initiative was done in association with Isha Foundation. The saplings planted included that of mango, chikoo and gooseberry along with other flowering trees. The CSR wing has so far planted 1750 saplings since November 2008. How can professionals neutralise the carbon footprint created by air travel? Steria does it innovatively. It tabulates data from its travel desk on the number of employees who have taken domestic and international flights. Every domestic and international travel is converted with one and three saplings respectively. Besides, it has kept green boxes at various locations in the office – reception, travel desk, etc, where contributions are received from staff who are travelling by air. This they say help in carrying out the tree planting drive.

Four Legs grateful SRIYA NARAYANAN [email protected]

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hough times have been very tough recently, the animal welfare scene in Chennai had a reason to smile – Ergo’s readers. Every week saw a request from these NGOs and there was never an occasion when your help did not reach them immediately. You took time off from your frenzied work schedules to drop off food at shelters, sent money to ‘Mary of the Thirty Cats’, volunteered to be foster parents for baby squirrels, bought ceiling fans for abandoned dogs, signed on-

Dear readers, thank you for coming to the rescue every single time line petitions and sponsored medical care for handicapped rescues. Your response to the appeals has always been a certainty. On behalf of the animals, the trustees thank you for your consistent generosity and hope that

HELPLINE Blue Cross: 22354959 / 22300666/ 9962800800 Animal Welfare and Protection Trust: 22781381 / 99629-68265 For cruelty cases, dial 100 and cite the PCA Act (can be downloaded at www.bluecross.org.in/downloads/pca-act.pdf)

BLOGS AWPT volunteer Mahalakshmi Parthasarathy’s blog: fivegoodsenses.blogspot.com Blue Cross Blog: http://blog.bluecrossofindia.org To volunteer, adopt or donate AWPT: [email protected] TAGS: [email protected] or tagsonline.co.in Blue Cross: [email protected]

you will continue to support them. Four Legs Good’s last and most important thank you is directed at the compassionate folks who adopted the puppies and kittens that were featured in this space. Here’s hoping your friends and relatives will be inspired by you and that they will take in rescued animals instead of buying them from breeders. While it’s not yet clear what direction this column will take in the online edition, it would be great to hear from you if you are interested in helping animals in any way. Please check out my column in The Hindu Metro Plus on Wednesdays titled ‘Pet Pals’ or email me at [email protected]. And since all my articles end with an appeal, here’s one more! Please remember to spay/neuter your pet or friendly neighbourhood street dog. Preventing unwanted births is a great way to improve the quality of their lives. Thank you again and stay in touch. ■ (The author is a marketing professional with The Hindu and blogs at sriyanarayanan.blogspot.com)

03

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Who is Terry Fox?

53 and running

He was a Canadian athlete who had bone cancer. Fox set on a 5300 kmrun across Canada from the Pacific to the Atlantic coast, to raise funds for cancer research, which he called the ‘Marathon of Hope’. He dies before he could complete the run and his parents set up the foundation.

Every year the Terry Fox run is held in 53 countries. In India, Mumbai and Delhi host the event. For details log on to www.terryfoxrun.org

Terry Fox Run comes to Chennai 17-year-old cancer-affected Akash Dube initiates it in city to create awareness and raise funds for research LIFFY THOMAS [email protected]

“M

y count is okay now but next week it will go down. But I am hoping to take part in the run. If not, I will definitely be there to oversee everything,” says Akash Dube, settling into the sofa of his grandparents’ home in Srinagar Colony, Saidapet. Everything in him is calm and composed, his clean-shaven head being the only reminder of his chemotherapy. The 17-year-old high school senior from Sharjah is fighting cancer. He is diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) which attacked him at the end of January, bringing him to Apollo Hospitals in Chennai where he is undergoing treatment. Besides fighting cancer from within, Akash is organising a run to raise funds as well as create awareness on the disease. The Terry Fox Run is being held in the

INITIATING THE RUN GAVE ME SOMETHING TO DO WHEN MY CHEMO WAS ON city for the first time on August 30, on the IIT-Madras campus. “I had near perfect SAT scores and was one of the youngest members of Mensa. I thought I was on my way to realising my dream of following my brother to Stanford University, when the little blood spots on my forearm seemingly shattered my hopes and dreams,” Akash writes in the note he has been circulating in various organisations about his fight with cancer. “There were times when I was down, but my family always gave me support. Initiating the run

Akash (third from left) with friends after the run in Dubai

gave me something to do when my chemo was on,” he says.

Run for a cause Akash and the Terry Fox annual charity run have been associated for some years now. He has been taking part in the annual Dubai run for the last six years, where he has been collecting 500 to 600 dirham for the foundation every year. “This year was the first time I missed being part of the run as I was in hospital. That’s when I thought of organising a similar event here.” It’s another challenging job for the NRI who says he has never been to schools in India. Chennai is equally new to him, except his mother’s association as an alumnus of IIT-Madras and his relatives who are spreading the word. “I recently visited Kendriya Vidyalaya at IIT, where the principal asked me to come and speak in the assembly,” says Akash, who is gearing up to prepare a speech.

What, when, where Date: August 30; 8 a.m. Venue: IIT-Madras How can you be a part: You can either show your support by taking part in the run or help collect funds favouring Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai For any queries email [email protected]

Using technology Akash is campaigning more about the run, getting volunteers and making arrangements for D-Day. Keeping him equally busy is the SAT Physics paper, for which he will be appearing this October.

Like a picnic What makes this run special is

that there are no prizes to be won; you get a certificate of participation. One can run on anything non-motorised to show your support for the cause. “It’s usually a fun day, like a picnic,” his mother recalls. Akash asserts, “Come run. Today’s research is tomorrow’s cure.” ■

04 VILLAGE

ERGO Thursday, July 30, 2009

Woman trapped behind toilet An Australian woman was rescued by police after being trapped in her bathroom for nearly a week. She somehow became stuck with her feet on either side of the toilet with her body wedged against the door.

Tenant sued for tweeting about mold A Chicago real estate management company is suing a former tenant for defamation for complaining on Twitter about mold in her apartment. Horizon Group Management filed the lawsuit against Amanda Bonnen, the former tenant, in Cook County Circuit Court and is seeking at least 50,000 dollars in damages. Horizon, in its suit, said that on May 12, Bonnen wrote a “false and defamatory” message on the micro-blogging service. "Who said sleeping in a moldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon realty thinks it’s okay," said the "tweet" sent from Bonnen’s account. AFP

No Indian writer in 2009 Man Booker list For the first time in recent years, no Indian writer figures in the long list for the 2009 Man Booker prize with noted writer JM Coetzee, who won the prestigious prize in 1983 and 1999, in the running again for his book, Summertime. Coetzee, the reclusive South African author, is the bookies’ favourite to win an unprecedented third Man Booker award for Summertime, following his previous success with Life & Times of Michael K (1983) and Disgrace (1999). His latest work, which is yet to be published, is described as a “creative memoir” charting a young biographer’s attempts to piece together the life of a dead novelist. Other entries in the long list are AS Byatt for The Children’s Book, Adam Foulds for The Quickening Maze, Sarah Hall for How to Paint a Dead Man, Samantha Harvey for The Wilderness.

Baby born with two heads Doctors at a Philippine hospital were trying to save a baby girl born with two heads, officials said. The baby was born late Tuesday and is now under observation at the neonatal intensive care unit of the Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila. A hospital spokeswoman said the baby was stable at the moment, but said she may die if tests proved both heads shared only one set of vital organs. “The rate of survival will depend on the shared organ. If they only have one heart, they will not survive,” the unidentified spokeswoman told local radio. Officials at the hospital said the extra head appeared to be a twin of the girl who failed to fully separate during the development stage in early pregnancy. “This is the first case of its kind here in the hospital,” one Fabella doctor said, but said other hospitals in Manila have in the past recorded similar cases. AFP

Sunbeds cause cancer The International Agency for Research on Cancer announced that it had elevated sunbeds, used by tens of millions of people for tanning, to its highest cancer risk category. Classified in 1992 and a “probable” cancer agent, research since then has left no doubt that soaking up UV rays at tanning salons significantly enhances the chances of developing the disease, WHO agency found. “The use of sunbeds is carcinogenic to humans. It causes melanoma of the skin, and melanoma of the eye,” said Vincent Cogliano, an IARC researcher who led the new assessment. “I cannot see any reason why a healthy person should use them,” he said.

PTI

AFP

MJ’s death was blogosphere’s saddest day

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s it possible to tell how happy we all are? Yes, according to US scientists who have devised a way to measure the happiness of millions of bloggers - and found Michael Jackson’s death was one of the saddest days while the US election was the happiest in four years. Peter Dodds and Chris Danforth, a mathematician and computer scientist from the Advanced Computing Centre at the University of Vermont, have created a “sensor” to mine 2.3 million blogs and gather sentences beginning with “I feel” or “I am feeling.” Each sentence is then given a happiness score from 1 to 9

depending on a point system allocated to 1,034 words. For example, “triumphant” averages 8.87 points, “paradise” 8.72, “pancakes” 6.08, and “suicide” 1.25. They said this “hedonometer” showed that the US election day last November was the happiest day in four years with a spike in the word “proud” while the day of the “King of Pop’s” death was one of the unhappiest. Their study, reported this week in the Journal of Happiness Studies, involved gathering nearly 10 million sentences. “Our method is only reasonable for large-scale texts, like what’s available on the web.

Any one sentence might not show much. There’s too much variability in individual expression,” said Dodds. Their method showed young teenagers are unhappiest with a disproportionate use of “sick,” “hate,” “stupid,” “sad,” “depressed,” “bored,” “lonely,” “mad,” and “fat.” Then people get happier until they are old, when happiness drops off. But the scientists said it was impossible to know what was really going on in people’s heads. “Our study is a data exploration,” said Danforth. “It’s not about developing a theory.” ■ Reuters

05

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Websites of the day

Serial bigamist avoids jail

All you need to know about your favourite comic book characters on the big screen: http:// www.superherohype.com/ For all musical fanatics: http://www.allmusicals.com

A former model has avoided a jail sentence after she was charged with marrying five men, without divorcing any of them. Four of the marriages took place by the time the woman was 23.

Big spenders tend to marry big savers F

rustrated by your spouse’s spending habits? It might be why you married them, according to a working paper titled “Fatal (Fiscal) Attraction” by professors of the Wharton School of Finance and Northwestern University. “Surveys of married adults suggest that opposites attract when it comes to emotional reactions toward spending,” Wharton’s Scott Rick and Deborah Small and Northwestern’s Eli Finkel said in the paper. George Loewenstein, a professor of economics and psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, in a separate study called “Tightwads and Spendthrifts” published last year, found that the degree people feel of a “pain of paying” determines if they are a “tightwad” or a “spendthrift.” Loewenstein’s study, conducted with Wharton’s Rick and Carnegie Mellon doctoral student

Cynthia Cryder, found that the extent to which people said they found a pain of paying strongly predicted their savings and credit card debt, but were unrelated to income. That could be a reason why these opposites attract, Rick, Small and Finkel wrote. Those who find it painful to spend, for example, may dislike that characteristic in themselves, and so are attracted to people who are more

RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT PEOPLE WHO GENERALLY SPEND LESS THAN THEY WOULD IDEALLY LIKE TO SPEND, AND THOSE WHO SPEND MORE THAN THEY WOULD LIKE TO TEND TO MARRY EACH OTHER

liberal in their approach to money. That’s even though most single people say they would be happiest marrying someone with similar spending habits to their own. “The disconnect between what people say they look for in an ideal mate and the characteristics of actual mates to whom they are attracted is unfortunate,” Rick, Small and Finkel wrote, as the different spending habits often result in greater financial conflict in marriage. It is also unlikely that people will change from being a big spender to being a big saver or vice versa, said Loewenstein. “We have been looking for any reason in people’s pasts that could make them into a tightwad or a spendthrift,” he said in an interview. “We haven’t found it yet. Perhaps it is genetic.” ■ Reuters

Woman faces 40 lashes for wearing trousers

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Sudanese woman journalist was preparing to be flogged 40 times in Khartoum for wearing indecent clothes, with 10 women already whipped for similar offences against Islamic law. Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein, who works with the Al-Sahafa newspaper and works for the media department of the United Nations Mission in Sudan, was arrested in Khartoum earlier this month after being caught wearing trousers. “I received a telephone call from the authorities saying I must appear at 10 am (0700 GMT) on Wednesday in front of the judge,” Hussein said. “It is important that people know what is happening,” Hussein said in an invitation to journalists to attend

Wanna go 4 a ride?

her court appearance and flogging. “They will lash me 40 times, and also fine me 250 Sudanese pounds (100 dollars).” Hussein said she was at a restaurant on July 3 when police came in and ordered 13 women wearing trousers to follow them to the police station. Ten of the women were summoned to a police station two days later and were lashed 10 times each, according to Hussein, who wears a headscarf. Police have also cracked down on another woman journalist, Amal Habbani, after she wrote an article condemning Hussein’s treatment. Habbani wrote an article for Ajrass Al-Horreya newspaper following the arrests entitled “Lubna, a case of subduing a woman’s body.” “I am waiting for a decision,” Habbani said after she was charged with defaming police, a charge which can carry a fine of up to several hundred thousand dollars. ■ AFP

쒀 A Harley Davidson rider poses with models and his motorbike in Berlin in front of the Parliament. The first Harley Days in Berlin takes place from July 31 to August 2, 2009. PHOTO: AFP

06 SPORT

ERGO Thursday, July 30, 2009

Descenza breaks world record Mary Descenza broke the world record in the women’s 200 metres butterfly heats at the world championships on Wednesday. The American swam two minutes, 04.14 to beat Liu Zige’s previous best of 2:04.18.

Somdev crashes out India’s promising tennis player Somdev Devvarman’s campaign at the ATP LA Open was cut short following a straight set defeat at the hands of world number 37 Igor Kuntisyn in the opening match. The Indian qualifier fought well against the fifth seed Russian but eventually lost 5-7, 2-6 after a one hour 15 minutes in the first round of the hard court event last night. In an intense first set battle, Somdev broke his fancied opponent twice but also dropped his own serve thrice. In the second set, Somdev did not get any chance to break the Russian, who converted two of the five chances to close the match in his favour. Somdev had earned 12 ranking points for making the main draw but the first round exit meant no additional points for him. PTI

BMW to quit Formula One German car manufacturer BMW announced on Wednesday that they will pull out of Formula One at the end of this season. “The BMW Group will not continue its Formula One campaign after the end of the 2009 season,” the Formula One team said in a statement. AFP

Afridi to lead Pakistan Pakistan have named all-rounder Shahid Afridi to captain their Twenty20 side in a one-off international against Sri Lanka next month. Afridi will be captaining the side for the first time in his 13-year international career. “The chairman of the board, Ejaz Butt, has selected Afridi to lead Pakistan for the one-off international against Sri Lanka,” a spokesman for the Pakistan Cricket Board said. “A decision on future Twenty20 matches would be taken later on.” Reuters

Tigers earn their stripes

Bangladesh win first ODI series in West Indies

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan (right) celebrates with wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim (second right) and Rubel Hossain (third right) the wicket of West Indies opening batsman Dale Richards during their second One-Day International at Windsor Park. PHOTO: AFP

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alf-centuries from Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Ashraful trumped a maiden One-day International hundred from Travis Dowlin, and inspired Bangladesh to a seriesclinching three-wicket victory over West Indies in Dominica on Tuesday. Shakib, the Bangladesh captain, struck 65 from 61 balls to earn the Man-of-the-Match award, while Ashraful scored 64 from 77 balls, as the Tigers successfully chased 275 at Windsor Park for a 2-0 lead in the threematch series. Left-hander Abdur Razzak sealed the result with six balls to spare, when he top-edged a pull at a short, wide ball from Dave Bernard Jr to third man for four. It was Bangladesh’s highest successful run chase in more than 200 ODIs, and the victory followed their first-ever against West Indies by 52 runs on Sunday at the same venue. “I can’t explain the feeling,” said Shakib. “The boys have tried their best. The team has been supportive throughout the series, and so have the support staff, and we have done well. This was a good win though. It was

much tougher. They really tested us, and they played our spinners really well.” The series concludes on Friday at Warner Park in St. Kitts, where the two sides will also contest a Twenty20 International on Sunday. “We thought that 274 was a brilliant score,” said West Indies captain Floyd Reifer. “Travis played really, really well for his hundred. We knew coming into the game with five bowlers we were taking a risk, and it did not help that we lost three of our bowlers at critical stages. But I thought we played well and put in a big effort. There have been a lot of positives which the guys can take from this series. It’s a young team, and we all need to be patient with them.” But the Tigers stumbled through their chase, after Dowlin struck an even, undefeated 100 to help West Indies post 274 for six from their allocation of 50 overs. They made a steady start and then wobbled on 64 for two before Ashraful featured in two successive half-century stands that stabilised the innings and put Bangladesh firmly on course. Ashraful added 52 for the third

wicket with Raqibul Hasan, and then 74 for the fourth wicket with Shakib before he was caught at long-off off leg-spinner Rawl Lewis in the 37th over with 85 still needed. But there was plenty of drama in the closing stages, as Bangladesh would lose Shakib, Mahmudullah, and Mushfiqur Rahim, and West Indies would lose the services of key fast bowler Kemar Roach after he bowled two beamers. Earlier, Bangladesh too, lost control in the closing overs of the West Indies innings. The Tigers have cruelly exposed the limitations of the batting of the makeshift West Indies side with their spin bowling in the preceding two Tests, and the first ODI, but Dowlin flipped the script with six fours and one six in a 117ball knock. He reached his hundred, when he steered a delivery from Syed Rasel into square cover for a single.

Brief scores West Indies 274/5 (T. Dowlin 100 not out, D. Smith 44) lose by three wickets to Bangladesh 276/7 (Shakib 65, M. Ashraful 64). ■ AFP

07

Thursday, July 30, 2009

‘‘

If the board and selectors can assure me that they will seriously consider my name for national selection once again, I will leave the ICL. My contract is still intact with the ICL but I don’t know when the next tournament will be held or what its future is. All this is a bit of concern for me as a professional cricketer. Pakistani pace bowler Mohammad Sami

Return of the prodigal sons A BCCI decision on the entry of ICL players into the IPL is expected shortly

ERGO CORRESPONDENT [email protected]

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fter granting general amnesty to “rebel” Indian Cricket League players earlier this year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India is all set to open the “lucrative” IPL window for the rehabilitated players. Although the spadework for the move is already believed to be in motion, the final decision and procedures related to it are expected to be taken up after the return of chairman Lalit Modi early next month. ICL players, who are now looking for ways to get back to mainstream cricket, were barred from participating in any form of international cricket by the BCCI and even the ICC. According to BCCI sources, high interest level of franchise owners in particular foreign players like Shane Bond, Justin Kemp and Inzamam-ul Haq has paved the way for this decision. Individual franchises have already got in touch with a few of the players and are just awaiting the BCCI green signal. Incidentally, Bengal middle-order batsman Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, who was part of the probables list of the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, has already attended a training camp for the Rajasthan Royals and was also part of their one-off English sojourn against Middlesex earlier this month. Apart from him other domestic players like Deep Dasgupta, Rohan Gavaskar, Hemang Badani, Dinesh Mongia and Ambabati Rayadu, all of whom have now terminated their contracts with ICL, are expected to land meaty deals. “We are waiting for an official statement from the IPL governing body. There are a lot of cricketers in the ICL bandwagon who interest us,” Kolkata Knight Riders’ Joy Bhattacharya says. With most teams already having filled up their maximum quota of 10 foreign players, it’s the domestic players who stand the chance of maximum gain. “I am not sure of the foreigners, but a few good young domestic players will definitely add balance to the side,” says Amrit Mathur from Delhi Daredevils. Modi, too, is not willing to leave the cash cow unattended and is hoping for another grand auction

From top left clockwise: Inzamam-ul-Haq, Justin Kemp and Shane Bond for these players, sometime in September. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu fast bowler Rajamani Jesuraj became the first cricketer from the ICL fold to represent a state team after he was picked for the KSCA All-India Invitation Tournament. The KSCA tournament is a preseason series which is used by teams to finalise their Ranji Trophy squads. “I never thought I would get a chance to play for Tamil Nadu again. I am thankful to the selectors and hope I can repay the confidence shown in me,” he says. The 26-year-old made his firstclass debut for the state in 200304 and played his last match in December 2006 before joining the ICL. However, in a surprise move the state selectors have ignored senior pros Badani and S. Sriram (both have scored prolifically in the ongoing club games), throwing a question mark over their career revival. ■

08 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Thursday, July 30, 2009

Canine love A trainer would take a long time to recover from the loss of his favourite canine in the Dog Squad, such is their relationship.

The Chenn

The Chennai City Police Kennel in Egmore is the first training centre for dogs in the country. V. Haripriya v

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eema walks past the first three suspects. Nothing suspicious, she is certain. She reaches the next in line, who looks like he might break down any minute. The odour doesn’t escape her. She circles him and sniffs all over. Got you! Bow bow! She then squats before suspect. It is the signal to the officer in-charge. “Well done, Seema,” the handler pats her gently. Six-year-old Seema is an expert drug detector. The female Doberman pinscher can trace out the narcotics even if it is hidden under many layers. So can the other canines – Spears, Sindhu and Lovely – a few tracker dogs on duty at the Chennai City Police Kennel in Egmore. The kennel in namma Chennai is proud enough to be known as the first training centre for dogs to be started in entire India. From detecting drugs and explosives to tracking culprits and guarding VIPs, the canine heroes here have found enough space in newspapers and magazines speaking about their bravery.

Early days Started in 1952, the Madras City Police Kennel was first located inside the CB-CID office campus on Anna Salai. Later it was shifted to Egmore in 1957, where it is situated till date. The first batch of dogs for training was sourced by the Indian Government from Germany. Now the Chennai City Police Dog Squad is 27member-strong and the breeds now on duty include German Shepherd, Great Dane, Labrador retriever, Doberman pinscher and Rottweiler. N. Radhakkannu, Sub-Inspector of Police and in-charge of dog squad, Chennai, says the dogs

trained in Tamil Nadu are sent to other Indian states even now. “The dogs for Railways, Military and Police departments are trained by instructors in Tamil Nadu. Now every state and district is equipped with kennels,” he adds.

Handler-dog relation The pups, taken into service at the age of three months and above, develop a strong bonding with their handlers. “When we get the tiny ones, we have to pamper them like we pamper a kid. Patience is

the first word a handler has to keep in mind always. Even if the dog doesn’t obey the commands, the handler should not get angry or cane it. Instead, he should coax it and make it do as told,” says B. Ashok Kumar, a dog handler. “The animal will be playing with you, but once harnessed the dog knows it is on duty and will be alert from that very moment. My dog can even identify the sound of my bike,” he says proudly.

Pension

The government, which allocates Rs. 6,000 to buy a puppy, provides Rs. 55 per day for its food when it is in service. The retirement age is 10 to 12 years for a dog. In 2007, for the first time two retired dogs, Ponni and Oscar, received their lifetime pension – Rs. 44 per and official accommodation. Previously, retired police animals were auctioned off. After a canine dies, the carcass is donated to Government Veterinary Hospital in Vepery. ■

09

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Baby steps The dogs adopted as three-month-old puppies are trained for a period of nine months. The dogs are trained in obedience, scent work and duty work and the last three months involve specialising in their respective fields – explosives, narcotics and tracking.

ai K9 Dress Rehearsal: Seema sniffs out cocaine during a training session at the Kennel in Egmore.

Meet Sindhu Sindhu is the first and last Rottweiler to be trained in the history of Indian Dog Squad. Being a ferocious hunter breed, taming is difficult. M. Narayanamurthy, the handler of 11-year-old Sindhu, says the animal he tames is very intelligent and calm. Sindhu is a tracker dog and has won gold medals at the State-level and All-India-level sports meets. P. Radhakrishnan, an instructor with the dog squad, says it was on experimental basis that Rottweiler breeds were trained. So far, the animal has not become ferocious, but we can’t be sure since by nature it is a killer dog banned in foreign countries.

Stand-at-ease: Dogs with their handlers warming up for a session..

PHOTOS: R.RAVINDRAN

visits the place to see the working of the canine cops

10 FLICK

ERGO Thursday, July 30, 2009

‘Winehouse stole cocaine from Kate Moss’ Troubled British singer Amy Winehouse’s estranged husband Blake FielderCivil has claimed the ‘Rehab’ singer once stole cocaine from supermodel Kate Moss’ handbag at a star-studded bash in New York. “Kate was so drunk, she never noticed it was missing,” he added. IANS

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cottish actor Sir Sean Connery may come out of retirement for a film about a Scottish war veteran who won an epic battle with military bosses. Campaigner Ken McGinley (71) made history when he was granted the right to sue the Ministry of Defence on behalf of thousands of former servicemen who were involved in nuclear testing on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. More than 1,000 British soldiers claim they and their children were left with cancer and deformities after being exposed to radiation on the island more than 50 years ago. Now, McGinley has revealed his fight has won the backing of Connery (78), who has declared he will happily narrate a movie about the soldiers’ ordeal. “Sir Sean was very interested in what we are fighting for. Having Sir Sean’s backing really gave me a boost. I can’t think of anyone better to help raise our profile,” the Daily Express quoted McGinley as telling the Scotsman. Connery followed up his conversation with McGinley by penning a letter to his friend, journalist Alan Rimmer, to reveal his interest in the case. “It is a shocking history of events,” he wrote. “I have already made my opinion regarding the possibility of filming the book to Mr McGinley. I am more than interested to see the end result and I would be prepared to do narration,” he added. ■ ANI

Kyunki Sallu can’t dance

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horeographer-turned-director Farah Khan says Salman Khan left her red-faced when he took her along for the auditions of his super hit 1989 film Maine Pyar Kiya. Farah recalled the incident when she came on the reality show Dus Ka Dum 2, which is being hosted by Salman. “He (Salman) took me along so that I could show him a few steps to do before director Sooraj Barjatya. But when Salman did the steps, it was so appalling that I simply picked up my footwear, hailed a cab and took off home,” said Farah on the show. Salman, who started blushing after his secret was revealed, agreed that he did have two left feet then and later even demonstrated the step he was required to perform at the auditions, said a source from the sets of the show. This particular episode will air Saturday at 9 p.m. on Sony TV. ■ IANS

Katie Holmes escapes unhurt in car explosion

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The name is Connery, Sean Connery

ctor Katie Holmes narrowly escaped unhurt after a car caught fire on a movie set. The actress, who is currently in Australia filming Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, was reportedly shooting a scene in the vehicle when the battery exploded and the actor was left shaken after dashing from the car just before it burst into flames, reports femalefirst.co.uk. “Katie was inside a car when the vehicle’s battery exploded. It was sparking smoke and fumes before the car caught fire. The exploding battery was not a part of the film,” said a source from the production unit. A remake of a 1973 TV movie, the film has Holmes playing a woman who is stalked by wicked gnomes. ■ IANS

11

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Ben Affleck to play bank robber

Johansson set to release music album S

carlett Johansson is all set to return to the music scene as the actror has plans to release an album with singer-songwriter Pete Yorn. The actor hit the charts last year with Where I Lay My Head, an album full of Tom Waits tunes, and now Yorn plans to release Break Up, whose songs were recorded two years ago, in September this year, Contactmusic reported. The cult songwriter said that he hopes to recreate the kind of the working relationship between French stars Serge Gainsbourg and

Brigitte Bardot with the actress. “I was really into Bonnie & Clyde at the time, by Serge and Brigitte, and I thought, ‘Brigitte... Scarlett! She’s Brigitte!’ It was a really manic thought pattern that was going on. Within 10 minutes, I was texting Scarlett: ‘We have to make a record!’,” Yorn said. Yorn said that he and Johansson are hoping to tour with their new album and added, “Hopefully we’ll be able to put a couple of events together where we could perform a little bit.” ■ PTI

Ben Affleck has signed on to direct and star in romantic crime thriller The Town, according to The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday. The film is based on the Chuck Hogan novel Prince of Thieves and Affleck plays a bank robber who is considering going straight after falling in love with a bank teller.

Yellow! B

ritish rockers Coldplay have signed up to appear in hit animated show, The Simpsons. The cartoon series regularly features star guests and has seen cameos from high profile acts, including Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, Green Day, Aerosmith and U2. Now the ‘Yellow’ hit-makers are set to join the yellow cast for a one-off episode, in which comedic patriarch Homer Simpson wins the lottery and hires the band to perform a private show for his family, reports contactmuasic.com. ■ IANS

Mischa Barton released from hospital T

he OC star Mischa Barton who was under ‘involuntary psychiatric hold’ has been discharged and now wants to resume working on her TV show. The 23-year-old actress who was admitted to the Cedars Sinai Medical Centre two weeks ago, is “out of the hospital and continuing to improve in anticipation of resuming production as planned,” said her spokesman Craig Schneider. The UK born actress who according to friends was exhibiting suicidal tendencies before being hospitalised, plans to continue working on her show, The Beautiful Life, where ironically she plays a drug-addict supermodel, reported People magazine online. The actress was held under Section 5150 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code, the same code which hospitalised Britney Spears twice in 2008. ■ PTI

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Uma Sanker Narayanan from Accenture has nominated her friends Nagaraj, Satu, Naresh, Jaakko, Miia, Antti, Juha, Uma Sanker, MSK and Karthi as Partners in Crime. This picture was clicked during their team outing in Finland.

Dineshkumar from Infosys Technologies has nominated his friends Bharath, Neppoliyan, Anush, Sathya, Dinesh(myself), Santhosh, Siva and Saurab as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Chamundi Hills in Mysore.

Suresh from HCL Technologies has nominated his team as Partners in Crime. This picture was clicked at Sathyam Cinemas.

Praveen Kumar from Allesec Tech has nominated his team ATG as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Spencer Plaza

Ganesh from EZP Team of Technosoft (DLF) has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This pic was taken during their trip to Munnar.

Swapna from CTS has nominated her room-mates as Partners in Crime. This picture was clicked during their trip to Munnar.

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Thursday, July 30, 2009

Navinan from CTS has been nominated as Office Angel by Bond Polaris Team, Karthik and Anusuya. Navinan, is the person who can create fun atmosphere in any critical situation and his presence always gives happiness and enthusiasm. He is jovial, optimistic and good motivator. He is leaving our team. We all miss him a lot. Navinan you Rock as usual. Cheers!

■ Dear Meenakshi Sundaram, Many more Happy Returns of the Day! May God Check-In Happiness and Prosperity and Check-out worries and difficulties in your Life. Wishing U all the great things in Life, Without any Planning and Tracking Issues and SSDs. Wishing you a Very Happy Birthday!!! Greets, AGF SCORE Team, HCL Technologies

■ Dear Jagadeesh, Wishing you a very happy birthday!! May you be blessed with a wonderful year ahead!! Happy Birthday once again!! Friends, New Age Software and Solutions.

■ Dear Poo, As we observe your birthday now, ur cake and gifts don’t matter much. We celebrate a person who Brings happiness to everyone, Someone who gives more than she gets, And fills our lives with joy and fun. You’re older today than yesterday but younger than tomorrow, Happy Bday! to our cutest and bubbly Zoozoo :) With lots of love, Pragadeesh, Annamalai, Saravana, Hari, Nithya Excelacom Technologies

■ Dear Prasanna, Many more happy returns of the day! Have a great birthday! Pavitra Badri, iNautix Technologies Ltd.

■ Hey SweetHeart.... Yaaroda presence, yaaroda happiness namma lifeku air, water, food ah vida essentiala irukko u can decide that u r loving that person. Its not only the definition i’d given for love. This s wat i feel for u.. i’m not jus saying ’i love u’, i do.... yeah.. u r my life..u r my love..u r my everything.... with love, Sweetie, FSS

V.Anithasenthilnathan of Ajuba Solutions India Private Limited doodled this.

■ Hi Anusha, In soft gleaming night of stars may all ur dreams come true.. may every star of every night bring lov n joy 2 u happy b’day 2 u... D.Sukanya Eswari Infosys Technologies Ltd

■ Hi My Dear & Cute Lavanya (Wipro Technologies), Wish you a many more happy returns of the day dear!! Am blessed by God to have such a lovely, wonderful, great friend like u in my life dear!! May God Bless you with more wisdom, knowledge and happiness in ur life forever and ever dear!! You are always my one and only best friend in my life!!

be all you want to be... Many Many Happy Returns Of The DAY… By yours Ganesh.S (Passer-by)

■ Hi Pravina, We wish u many many more happy returns of the day!! u are such a sweeet angel. We thank god for giving us such a wonderful friend on earth who makes our life a heaven with ur presence! Wish u all success in your life ahead.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! With Love Ur everloving frnz!!

■ Hi Velu Rajan & Rajalakshmi May this special day be filled wit sweet memories&happy hours. Wishin u all de fun&excitement that only b’days can bring! With Cheers, Human Resources, Coastal Training Technologies India (P) Ltd, Chennai

■ Dear Balaji V.N. Happy Birthday... I wish you happiness and joy in life And many more birthdays to bring you delight. Cheers, Ashwin Raj K.S. Infosys Technologies

■ Dear Sukumar Wish you all happiness, health and prosperity with many many returns of the day. May every special happiness fill this day for you and may the year bring everything you look forward to. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUKU. best wishes from, Barclays Team, Steria.

■ Dear Hema aka, It’s my immense pleasure to wish you from my heart as well as behalf of all our family members on this auspicious day once in a year for U in terms of your birth, but for us it’s a feel that each & every moment we have in our soul. With lots of love Huma, Rupa & suji (Lovable siblings), Srimathi & priyavarshini (Cute trouble making kids), Revathy & Kesavan (Honorable, phenomenal & admiring parents) finally fascinating Bhaskar (Desperate dream full filler & U r life partner) Company Name: Tech Mahindra

■ Dear Dinkar, As you celebrate your birthday. Here’s sending you my wishes to say. May happiness and joy be with you always! And may all your birthday wishes come true in every way. Happy Birthday!!! Your Ever Dear Friends, Online Team:-VC Sir, Rex, Santo, Sundar, Karthika, Rekha, Bhuvana, Pushpa, Gowthami, Nandhinee. (SIFY)

Always urs, Sadeesh.. (Ur Rasagulla)

1. Mosquito Veettuku Varaama Iruka Enna Seiyanum.? Mosquito "Vuku Namma Address Kodukka Koodathu?

■ Dear Punitha, Happy b’day wishes to you my dear!!! I am so lucky to have you in my life!!! I wish you to get all the chances to make your dreams comes true. Love you so much kutty ma... With lots of love, Rajesh TCS

2. Thennai Marathukku Keela 5 Police Nikkiraanga.. Yean Theriyuma?? Kola Vilum-nu Thaan...? By CBI Postku Tri Pannuvor Sangam... Ruban New Age, Ashok Nagar

■ Hi Bagyalakshmi... You are very special and you deserve the best… I wish you a wonderful life filled with love and happiness… I hope others bring you joy, just as you’ve brought joy to me, then you can weather any storm and

Belated Wishes ■ Dear Ramya (Jimmy) Happy Birthday to Mokka Rani of RBP Team, Kutti Saathaan of Cup-set girls sangam and Rowdy of BP4 Track! She s always busy in chatting as well as roaming with her friends. On your birthday, We would like to give you Some words of wisdom. Smile while you still have teeth. Wish you a many more happy returns of the day. Have a fantastic and fabulous year ahead. Regards, BP4 Track, HCL Technologies.

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Chipmunk takes over kitchen A couple was shocked to find that a tiny chipmunk took over their kitchen recently, terrifying the family’s cats and helping himself to a box of cereal.

sudoku

Syamkumar S. from TCS has shot this picture at Chicago using Canon Powershot S3 IS camera. Hobbies: Photography, music

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Thursday, July 30, 2009

Toilet breaks recorded Phone operators at Britain’s Scotland Yard police headquarters are now required to record each time they use the toilet, and the information will be stored in a database. Needless to say, the staff is not thrilled about the policy changes.

Word’s worth Kye (kie) a miserly sailor. Of unknown origin, but possibly related to a dialect word, kyish, meaning ’dirty.’

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 Ganesha promises today to be quite dynamic day for people whose work involves communication. For everyone else, new avenues might open up soon. You may end the day with a nostalgic tour of fond memories with t your family. Love life is at its peak.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Personal interests may take up a lot of your productive time. You are also likely to indulge in over spending, notes Ganesha. On the professional front, people planning to start a new business should consider this as the right time.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 The day marks the beginning of a new phase in you life. Nothing to worry about, everything will be in your favour. However, advance planning is always helpful. Ganesha feels you will be in high spirits and may feel like going for a drive later.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 A day to make your dreams come true. You will be excited about new stuff happening around you. In the entire hullabaloo, make sure that you don’t take up more thing than you can handle. The evening calls for some celebration or a romantic date.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 It certainly is the best time to socialise. Since the work pressure may increase soon and you may not be able to catch up with friends, why not utilize today? Office may not be hectic today, and you may end up taking half day off.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

This ‘too-good-to-be-true’ day comes only once in a while. Ganesha says that all your aims will hit the bull’s eye today. Do not hesitate, just keep going. Personal life may be invaded by guests or neighbours.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 The day will put in some kind of a dilemma today. You may have top pick and choose from many options available. Find the answers within yourself, about what you want. You may feel like pouring your hearth out to that special someone.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 There is going to be some shopping today, whether you like it or not. Why not make the most of it, jokes Ganesha, gift yourself a nice apparel today. On the work front, things are quite smooth as compared to last week.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 The day will be smooth as butter, says Ganesha. An easy going day at the office as well. You may be able to find time to relax a bit and chat with your colleagues for a while. If you keep your eyes open you will see opportunities beckoning you.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 On this rapid paced day, a quick decision may be necessary to finalize a contract. Do not offer financial assistance to any one, warns Ganesha, unless it’s in the family. Your sweetheart may make some demands today.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 Be patient and be ready to offer your support if necessary. Financially the time is good for you. Ganesha feels you may get payments or you may earn profit in your transactions. However, don’t mix up personal life with professional life.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 If you get a choice, choose hard work over luck. Even if there are favours coming up for you, do not wait for them to come. On the love front, Ganesha feels you should stop predicting things and making assumptions. Take life as it comes. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

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