Ergo June 18

A BYTE OF LIFE

Thursday, June 18, 2009

03 YOCEE A monthly newsletter by and for the children FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 3

No. 113

Three from TN Badrinath, Dinesh Kaarthick and Murali Vijay in; Tendulkar, Zaheer rested

L

eft-arm seamer Asish Nehra has clawed his way back to the Indian side for the four-match One Day International tour to the West Indies. Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar and pace spearhead Zaheer Khan have been rested tough for the tour, starting on June 26. Also missing the bus was Suresh Raina due to a hairline fracture on his thumb. Nehra’s impressive performances for the Delhi Daredevils in this year’s IPL made him an automatic choice to replace Zaheer, while the big-hitting Mumbai all-rounder Abhishek Nayar gets his maiden call-up to the national squad. Meanwhile, three players from Tamil Nadu made it to the squad.

Squad M.S. Dhoni (capt/wk), Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Yusuf Pathan, Murali Vijay, S. Badrinath, R.P. Singh, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Abhishek Nayar, Ashish Nehra, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Kaarthick. ■

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Thursday, June 18, 2009

Take me home! Playful Whiskers and her siblings are identical and adorable. They’re healthy and tend to bea handful when they’re playing. For adoptions, contact Ananya Ashok at 952040339.

Calling all tech professionals

A bouquet of Hindi films A bouquet of Hindi films he Alliance Francaise of Madras in association with UTV and ICAF will present a festival of Indian movies. The selected films will be screened from June 22 to 26 at AFM Auditorium at 6.30 p.m. The festival starts with the screening of Life in a... Metro, directed by Anurag Basu. The film narrates the individual lives of seven people living in Mumbai, and deals with topics like extramarital affairs, sanctity of marriage and love. Award-winning film Bombay, directed by Mani Ratnam, will be screened on June 23. Actor Revathi’s directorial debut Mitr, which won the Best English Film of the Year award at the 49th National Film Awards, will be screened on June 24. Shyam Benegal’s Zubeidaa and Santosh Sivan’s The Terrorist will be screened on June 25 and 26 respectively. For details call 2827 9803/ 2827 1477.

T

Your knowledge of technology will change hundreds of lives

Padmavathy of the Animal Welfare and Protection Trust surrounded by abandoned dogs at the shelter run by the trust at Santhoshapuram. PHOTO : A. MURALITHARAN

MAHALAKSHMI PARTHASARATHY

P

admavathy and Narasimhamoorthy are senior citizens, grappling with the task of running a non-profit organisation in an age where technology makes all the difference. Until recently, they did not know how to use email. Their young volunteers connected them to an email account and showed them the basics. Over a decade ago, the aged couple founded the Animal Welfare and Protection Trust (AWPT) that is now a familiar name in Chennai. The organisation has made thousands of rescues, sterilised large number of street animals in many areas in and around the city to bring down the population and conducted vacci-

nation camps. Recently, in the wake of layoffs, salary cuts and uncertainty, their donations have plummeted. Their new plan is to appeal to large corporate organisations that could assist them as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, thereby reducing their dependence on individual contributions. When companies are contacted, they usually expect to see a full-fledged website, a logo and a slogan. While the Trustees do have an online presence (awptrust.co.cc), a professionally maintained image in the virtual world will make a better impact when they’re appealing to large corporate houses for help.

Can you help them? (a) If you have a passion for

web designing, your skills in completely revamping their website will be of great help. Better navigation and clarity are the top goals, but any other inputs you might have will be welcome during the redesigning process. All the content is ready and will be provided by their volunteers. (b) If you’re a graphic designer or simply someone who has an artistic side, you can create a logo for AWPT that symbolises their compassion. The Trustees are not in a position to pay for these services so they seek your help. Please come through for them once again with your thinking hats and your technological expertise. Rest assured, it will make all the difference. ■ Buzz Mahalakshmi at 9940026283 or email [email protected]

03

Thursday, June 18, 2009

You see YOCee? A banker who quit her job to be with her son started a scribble magazine to engage him, herself and neighbourhood kids. In Chennai, it took form as YOCee, which displayed poems, riddles and anything original penned by a website-cum-newsletter for children.” The makeshift notice board became Chennai kids, with reports by a hit and soon a scribble magazine Kids Magic was started, circulated only for school students on activities the apartment inmates. The run continued for 11 months until Revathi’s concerning children family moved out from the quarters on LIFFY THOMAS [email protected]

YOCee, New No 15B, Karpagam Garden, 1 Main Road, Adyar his may be just another address for those who frequent this calm street on the way to Besant Nagar. But not for the many children who love writing and seeing their name in print. The lumber room in the cellar of this four-flat residential apartment is home to a children’s magazine. It’s here that eight colourful pages of content, written entirely by children, are collated, edited and designed on Pagemaker, to finally release YOCee (‘think’ in Tamil). It’s also here that the young team meets up a week before every issue. Besides its online presence (www.yocee.in), around 2,500 free copies of YOCee get circulated every month at eight different hotspots in namma Chennai

T

that are frequented by children. This also includes the copies of the newsletter each of the writers (student reporters) distribute in their school and neighbourhood.

transfer. “Some decided to keep it going online through Google pages and Orkut. But, the last I heard was some kids are still running Kids Magic in a small way in the apartment,” she exclaims.

Calling writers Once upon a time… Giving wing to these young minds is R. Revathi, who is running the newsletter in Chennai since 2006 and earlier in Mumbai. Revathi quit her job with Canara Bank when in Mumbai to spend time with her growing son. “I realised I had to make use of my free time in a more creative way as well as engage my son in the process,” Revathi recalls. “Ours was a 17-floor staff quarters with 80-90 children in the apartment. I observed that kids love to talk about all that happens in school. My first exercise towards that was through a notice board made from an old carton that I hung next to the lift,

Revathi’s son has grown up – Prasanna is now pursuing his Engineering at IIT-Madras. Her husband’s transferable job means she might yet have to move to another city, but her passion to “get the children out to have their own space for news, events and other happenings” doesn’t stop. She decided to launch a similar initiative in Chennai when she came here on transfer. Every year the director (as she calls herself) recruits a team of children as student reporters who are assigned the task of gathering reports for YOCee. The children are from different schools and from Class VI and above, though this time she has an enthusiastic girl from

Class V enrolled as reporter. They have their visiting cards and a ‘Reporter’s Handbook’. “They are free to write whatever they want, but not about students who secure 490 marks… I ask for inspirational stories,” says Revathi about the liberty the cub reporters get. However, running YOCee has been a challenge. “This time I received around 90 applicants for the student reporters’ post. It is a tough exercise filtering them down. Some show the initial enthusiasm but later drop out. Between unit tests and examinations, I sometimes have to make a reminder call on the assignment report that is pending with them.”

YOCee weekly? The former banker has many more plans. “I want to start paying them for their reports, form an editorial team, extend it as a weekly tabloid, register with the Newspapers Society of India, look if somebody can replicate the same model in a different city… ,” she lists outs her many plans. It is a task, Revathi says, that will pave the way if she looks at YOCee with a commercial bent of mind. The newsletter’s ad rates per sq cm start from Rs. 500, and its revenue picks up during summer camp time, which helps her cover the expense for the year. ■

This time I received around 90 applicants for the student reporters’ post. It is a tough exercise narrowing them down. Some show the initial enthusiasm but later drop out. Between unit tests and examinations, I sometimes have to make a reminder call on the assignment report that is pending with them

The annual Reporters Meet was recently held at Children’s Club, Mylapore. Their are 30 enrolled as student reporters for 2009. (Below) Revathi and the YOCee badge. PHOTOS: M. KARUNAKARAN

04 VILLAGE

ERGO Thursday, June 18, 2009

Grandpa graduates A 96-year-old man has graduated on the same day as his grandson after earning a master’s degree to set an example for the youngster.

Bruni to sing on Mandela’s birthday French First Lady Carla Bruni will lend her voice at the upcoming Nelson Mandela Day tribute in New York. Bruni will sing a duet with pop star Dave Stwart, who is the man behind the first Mandela Day concert in South Africa, reports contactmusic.com Celebrities like Aretha Franklin, Queen Latifah, Cyndi Lauper, Jesse McCartney, Josh Groban and Wyclef Jean will also appear at the former South African President’s birthday tribute - to be held on July 18 at Madison Square Garden. IANS

US urged Twitter to keep running during Iran poll The US State Department urged the social networking website Twitter to delay scheduled maintenance that would have cut off access for Iranians as protests were erupting over the presidential election, an official said. The State Department was concerned the Iranians would not be able to communicate the rapidly unfolding events in the country if Twitter went down for the maintenance. “We highlighted to them that this was an important form of communication,” a senior official said, according to the Washington Times. “One of the areas where people are able to get out the word is through Twitter. They announced they were going to shut down their system for maintenance and we asked them not to.” US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly confirmed that the State Department had been in contact “all weekend” with Twitter but did not say whether it was directly related to the election in Iran.

Jobless man steals for free prison lunch A jobless Taiwan man released from prison stole a box of cotton swabs just to get arrested again because he “could not forget the police department boxed lunches,” officers and local media said. The homeless man in Taipei first stole a pair of shoes on Sunday, was detained and released, the Liberty Times said. He then resorted to stealing again the next day just to get back inside and be fed for free. “If someone’s not doing well and comes in around meal time, we’ll definitely prepare food,” said an officer, surnamed Wang, at the Hsinyi District police station, which handled the case but again released the suspect, Tsou Hao-lan. Reuters

Jet Li takes Singapore citizenship Chinese action star Jet Li has taken up Singapore citizenship and bought a property in the city state worth nearly 20 million Singapore dollars, according to a media report. The Business Times did not say when the Beijing-born star took up his new nationality or bought the upmarket property. It did not give its source. Li is the latest Chinese star to have taken up Singapore citizenship, following in the footsteps of leading actress Gong Li, who shot to fame with her roles in Farewell My Concubine and later Memoirs of a Geisha.

DPA

AFP

Michelle’s inaugural outfit in NY exhibit

T

he ensemble worn by Michelle Obama on Inauguration Day goes on display on Wednesday, allowing the public a first close-up look at the design that helped earn the First Lady praise for her fashion sense. The sheath dress and matching coat appear in a retrospective of designs by Cuban-born Isabel Toledo, who held her first show in 1985 but was largely unknown outside the fashion world until Obama wore the outfit on January 20, 2009. “This is now one of the most fa-

mous dresses in the world,” said Valerie Steele, chief curator at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, which is hosting the exhibit. “It’s become a piece of history.” “Even people who have little or no interest in fashion will be really interested to see this,” Steele said. The wife of President Barack Obama has won acclaim for her fashion style, particularly for mixing high and low-end pieces and choosing little-known designers over industry stalwarts. Even her choice of colours - the

Toledo dress is a muted yellow “lemongrass” - is distinctive compared with most First Ladies who largely wore red and blue, experts note. “She’s been able to balance a very precarious thing,” said Patricia Mears, the FIT museum’s deputy director. “On the one hand she has to look like a First Lady. You’ve got to have a conservative but also powerful presence. At the same time I think she has very much understood she is a pioneer.” ■ Reuters

05

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Paris

Websites of the day The perfect site for all you banana fanatics. http://www.banana.com/ Welcome to the home of tea http://www.twinings.com/home.php

VOTED WORLD’S BEST CITY

S

ydney was voted the city with the friendliest people, the best quality of life, climate and views in a global survey, but was beaten to the top spot by Paris, which was seen as being more interesting. The 2009 Anholt-GfK Roper City Brands IndexSM (CBI), based on a survey of some 10,000 people across 20 countries, likens cities to “brands” and measures consumer perception of the image and reputation of 50 major cities worldwide. Paris ranks as the top overall city brand, followed by Sydney, London, Rome and New York. “The index measures the world’s perception of each city, which influences people’s choices on where to live, work and vacation,” CBI founder Simon Anholt said in a statement. “Particularly in the face of today’s uncertain economic climate, it’s vital to understand the forces

and opinions that drive business toward and away from these cities.” Respondents were asked to rank the 50 cities according to six categories that include “presence” or knowledge of the city and its global contribution; “place” or cleanliness and climate; “pulse” or interesting lifestyles and “potential” or perception as good place to do business, to find a job and go to school. “While Sydney lands in first place in three of the six categories, it is Paris’ big lead over Sydney in the Presence and Pulse dimensions that push it into the top position overall,” said Xiaoyan Zhao, director of the CBI study at GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media. “Similarly, there are cities with notable strengths in some areas but are pulled down by their poor showings in others.” London, in the number 3 spot overall, was the best-known city and the one most people see as having business opportunities. ■ Reuters

400 Koreans in race to marry millionairess

A

lmost 400 South Koreans have applied to marry a millionairess who advertised for a soulmate but only eight “serious-minded” applicants will make the final cut, a matchmaking agency said on Wednesday. The 49-year-old woman who is reportedly worth 18 million dollars has been seeking a husband through an online advertisement since May 20, a spokeswoman for Sunoo matchmaking agency said. Some 394 men including doctors, lawyers, accountants, soldiers and government employees and ranging in age from 26 to 49 years - responded to the ad-

vertisement. “As a business operator, she was too busy to find her husband herself,” the spokeswoman said. The woman picked eight of the men for interviews and is expected to meet two or three of them per month over the next three months. They are aged between 37 and 49 and include company employees, teachers and bank workers. “The bride prefers average but serious persons to high-flying professionals,” the spokeswoman said. “She wants a soulmate with a passion for life, who will share the ups and downs of life with her.” ■

Clouds of uncertainty

쒀 Low clouds are illuminated above the US space shuttle Endeavour at Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Lift-off was delayed by four days for repairs to a hydrogen gas vent valve. AFP PHOTO / STAN HONDA

AFP

06 SPORT

ERGO Thursday, June 18, 2009

‘ICL: low standard cricket’ Back in the national side after snapping ties with the ICL, Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq said he had a torrid time adjusting to mainstream cricket after playing in the “low standard" rebel League. “It wasn’t easy getting back into international cricket after a long absence. This is the highest standards of cricket being played in the world and playing in the ICL and its low standards of cricket, it needs a great deal of mental adjustment,” Razzaq said.

Final countdown Sri Lanka and South Africa favourites for final Eves on track On a roll with consecutive wins in their last two matches, Indian eves will face an uphill task of disrupting the applecart of an unbeaten New Zealand when the two teams lock horns in the first semi-final of the women’s Twenty20 World Cup in Nottingham on Thursday. Shrugging off the opening match disappointment against England, India bounced back with two successive wins against Pakistan and Sri Lanka to seal their place in the semi-finals and skipper Jhulan Goswami hopes that her girls keep the momentum going. India’s opening pair of Punam Raut and Anjum Chopra has not been able to give them a rollicking start. Although Anjum stood as a wall playing some good knocks, Raut struggled in her first match against England, scoring only four runs. But the left-handed teen will take some confidence from her 41-ball 30-run knock in the last outing against Sri Lanka, which set the tone for India’s five-wicket win. The middle order also looks a bit shaky with batters crumbling under pressure while chasing paltry targets. Even in their last match against Sri Lanka, the middle-order fall like a house of cards before Mithali Raj saved India the blushes with a 22-ball 32 which eventually sealed their semi-final berth.

Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis (centre) celebrates with teammates after the fall of a New Zealand wicket during their ICC World Twenty20 super eight match at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. PHOTO: AFP

PTI

ICC to help Associates With the 2011 World Cup just over 20 months away, the International Cricket Council is eager to see that the four Associate members who have qualified for it do not feel like “babes in the woods” in the company of cricket’s elite nations. The ICC is anxious to utilise the intervening period to help its Associate qualifiers Ireland, Canada, the Netherlands and Kenya to gear up for the 50-over mega event to be held in March-April 2011 in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. ICC’s High Performance Programme has been entrusted with this important task “to ensure that the top Associate teams are as well prepared as possible to take on and compete with the 10 Full Members at the next World Cup”, according to its manager Richard Done. Penning his thoughts on the onerous job in the June edition of the ICC’s official newsletter, Done says that improving their performance to narrow down the wide gap with the top teams is the High Performance Programme’s top priority. The first push for this largely amateur lot of players is to provide them with extra funding to the tune of US$ 3,00,000 annually, according to Done, who sees regular matches between these nations and the higher ranked teams as another “vital” factor towards achieving this aim. PTI

I

n keeping with a captivating tournament where sustained excellence has been consistently rewarded the Twenty20 World Cup semi-finalists have been the best teams in the competition. South Africa meet Pakistan in Nottingham on Thursday followed by Sri Lanka against West Indies at the Oval on Friday. The final will be staged at Lord’s on Sunday (1300). A Sri Lanka-Pakistan final would provide an emotional climax to the tournament following the armed attack on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore in March. Captain Kumar Sangakkara was one of six Sri Lanka players wounded by a small group of heavily armed men who killed six Pakistani policemen and the driver of the bus carrying the match officials. The more likely outcome is an enticing clash of cultures and styles between the innovative and intelligent Sri Lankans and the rigorously drilled and athletic South Africans. After grinding their way to a narrow victory over New Zealand in the first round, South Africa have gone from strength to strength. They cover

all bases in attack and defence with high pace from Dale Steyn and Wayne Parnell, effective spin from Johan Botha and Roelof van der Merwe, sharp fielding and lengthy batting headed by Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis. Kallis epitomises the team’s ambition and spirit. Derided as too conservative for one-day cricket, he has proven an effective opening partner for captain Smith and at 34 he is bowling with the zest of a man 10 years younger. Sri Lanka, as they did in the 50-over game at the 1996 World Cup, are setting the pace in Twenty20 cricket.

Bewildering variety Lacking power hitters, once thought essential, they have compensated with artistry and invention. Leading the charge are Tiilakaratne Dilshan with the scoop shot over his head and Mahela Jayawardena, who has discovered a bewildering variety of ways to score runs including a reverse sweep with the back of his bat. Their bowling is equally effective. Lasith Malinga has demonstrated a masterly command of

bouncers, yorkers and change of pace and Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis both contain and attack with their unorthodox spin.

Underdogs Pakistan, the most mercurial team in world cricket, have improved dramatically since losing to England in the first round. Their strength lies in the bowling where Umar Gul destroyed New Zealand with reverse swing. Shahid Afridi’s batting has fallen off but his brisk leg-spin has been a constant danger backed up by off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and his dangerous doosra. West Indies look the most fallible of the semifinalists but, after losing two tests and two one-day internationals to England last month, they feel they have the most to prove. If the sun shines and their supporters continue to turn out in force they have the talent in Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Fidel Edwards to emulate their heady Lord’s triumphs of 1975 and 1979 in the first two one-day World Cups. ■ Reuters

07

Thursday, June 18, 2009

‘‘

Pressure is always there. I prefer to block it rather than let it play on my mind. And it is always difficult to retain than winning a tournament. I remember before the World Championship at Bonn, I isolated myself with the chess, so that I am not affected by the pressure. I am almost paranoid about it and I guess it worked for me. I feel the Indian cricket team had a good chance but every new format throws a new winner. I feel they had a good chance but I guess you need a bit of luck as well. Viswanathan Anand

E

lena Dementieva raised eyebrows in Paris last month when she predicted a fall for Rafael Nadal the day before the clay king was dethroned, but the Russian is not planning on swapping her racquet for a crystal ball just yet. Dementieva’s insightful prediction of the world number one’s premature demise was pretty much the only high point for the 27-year-old Olympic champion at Roland Garros after a third-round defeat by Australia’s Sam Stosur. The elegant Muscovite saw world-weariness in the previously unbeatable Nadal that practically no-one else spotted, and journalists’ eyes rolled when she made her claim that his days as Paris champion were numbered. But a day later the four-time Spanish champion was knocked out in the fourth round by Swede Robin Soderling in one of the biggest shocks ever seen at the French Open and Dementieva won bragging rights for weeks to come. “It was so strange because he was winning, first round, second round, but when I was watching him I didn’t see happiness in his eyes when he had finished a match,” Dementieva said at the Wimbledon tune-up event at Eastbourne.

Mixed blessing

Dementieva has no plans to change her racquet for crystal balls

“I was thinking he must be so tired, playing so many matches. It’s very physical the way he’s playing. I didn’t want him to lose. I think he’s a very nice guy and he was desperately looking for this title but when it’s enough, it’s enough. He needs to have a break.” So could she predict who would win the men’s title at Wimbledon? The Russian laughed. “Don’t ask me. That was the only time I was right.” Losing unexpectedly early in Paris could turn out to be a blessing in disguise though for Dementieva, a Wimbledon semi-finalist last year. Many players complain that there is too little time to adjust from the slow, red clay of Roland Garros to the fast, green grass of Wimbledon with two weeks between the two grand slams. The trick, Dementieva feels, is not to get too anxious about making the switch. “I think it’s such a short period of time when it comes to the grass so you have to be very positive,” she said. “It is an unpredictable surface. You have to enjoy it... like I did last time when I was playing Wimbledon, I really enjoy my time there and I was trying just to be focused on my game and trying to do as well as I could and trying not to get crazy with the bounces and so on.”

Tough challenge Elena Dementieva of Russia during her first round match against Maria Kirilenko of Russia at the Aegon International Tennis Championships at Devonshire Park in Eastbourne. PHOTO: AFP

Dementieva’s sense of enjoyment came through as she sailed into the semi-finals at last year’s Wimbledon, before losing to eventual champion Venus Williams. “I don’t want to think about my chances,” she said after winning her first match of the year on grass at the Eastbourne International. “I know it is going to be a tough challenge. I know everyone is ready and it’s going to be a tough battle from the beginning so I just want to take one match at a time and get my focus.” She is looking forward to the next fortnight. “It is one of the very special events for all the players, absolutely unique atmosphere,” she said of Wimbledon. “I think the crowd makes it very special every time we come there. You can see such long lines of people trying to get into the stadium and you realise just how special it is for everyone. It’s a great social event and it’s where we smell the history as a player and it is just an honour to play there.” Does she have a prediction for this year? “I would say that Venus Williams is definitely the favourite to win the title. She won it five times already and she is looking for another one and she really looks very strong when it comes to Wimbledon.” You can almost hear the bookmakers running for cover. ■ Reuters

No future in fortune-telling

08 ROADSTER

ERGO Thursday, June 18, 2009

Camber adjustment for a Adjusting camber angle of wheels prevents wear and tear and, thus, improves handling of your car

09

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Fiat

alignment

launches Grande Punto The small car’s petrol variants is priced Rs 3.99 to 5.61 lakh, while the diesel ones start from Rs 4.85 to 6.11 lakh

I

always wanted to lower my car by installing lowering springs and upgrade dampening system as well to complement the springs to perform some amount of shock absorption for a comfortable ride. While doing such a mod, the camber angle of the wheels changes and this leads to greater wear and tear and more stress on the tyres, directly affecting the handling of the car. So in case you want better handling, you might not want to lower the car at all unless you want just style. Camber adjustment kits alter the angle of the vertical axis of the wheels. What does this contraption do to a car, you might wonder? The camber assists and improves handling of a car with better traction and road-holding capabilities of the wheels. The camber angles are of two types – negative camber and positive camber. It’s like this; when you look at the wheels facing the front side of the car and if you see the bottom part of the wheel angled to be pushed out further than the top point of the wheel, it’s negative camber. It’s a positive camber when the top portion of the tyre is pushed out. If you drive a car on a track or hill where there are more right turns, it’s ideal to have a camber specification configured to handle the right turns effortlessly with less body roll and very good road handling. The camber adjustment is measured in metrics calculated in degrees. So instead of having the entire rubber make contact of the road, the car will ride on the edge of the tyres with appropriate adjustment and the end result is very responsive handling of the car on corners at high speed. When the car requires more straight-line speed, better traction is achieved when the tyres are a perfect 0 degree shift – that is a perfect 90 degree angle of the tyre with complete usage of all the flat area of the tyres. ■

Silverio Bonfiglioli (left), Chief Operating Officer, Fiat India and Rajeev Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer, at the launch of ’Grande Punto hatchback car in New Delhi on June 17, 2009. PHOTO: S_SUBRAMANIUM

I

talian car major Fiat today launched its much-awaited premium small car Grande Punto in both petrol and diesel variants in the Indian market, priced between Rs 3.99 lakh and Rs 6.11 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). “The launch of Grande Punto marks a new milestone for Fiat in India as we bring the quintessentially Italian designs to Indian shores,” Fiat India Automobiles Ltd (FIAL) Chief Executive Officer Rajeev Kapoor told reporters in New Delhi. The company believes that the small-car segment is un-

der-tapped and customers are increasingly looking forward to international brands on Indian roads, he added. Grande Punto, which was first launched in the European market in 2005, would be rolled out from the company’s plant at Ranjangaon in Maharashtra in four variants each in both petrol (1.2 litre an 1.4 litre) and diesel modes (1.3 litre). The petrol variants would cost Rs 3.99-5.61 lakh, while the diesel cars would be offered at Rs 4.85-6.11 lakh. FIAL, a 50:50 joint venture between Italy-based Fiat SpA

and domestic auto major Tata Motors, plans to position the car in the premium hatchback segment along with Maruti Suzuki’s Ritz, Hyundai’s i20, Skoda’s Fabia and Honda Siel’s Jazz. The company said Grande Punto would be retailed through over 100 Tata-Fiat dealers network across the country. The company’s Ranjangaon facility has a production capacity of two lakh cars and three lakh engines per annum. It produces Palio Stile and Linea from the plant. PTI

"The launch of Grande Punto marks a new milestone for Fiat in India as we bring the quintessentially Italian designs to Indian shores"

10 FLICK

ERGO Thursday, June 18, 2009

‘I love the way Aishwarya carries herself’ Kareena Kapoor on surprising role models, supposed archrivals and why the bikini scene in Tashan is her last

SUBHASH K. JHA

M

um is the word for Kareena Kapoor and the actress would go any length to keep her mother happy. So she has decided to stay away from bikini scenes in future. “No more bikini shots for me. I mean I’m very happy with the kind of attention and adulation I got for getting into a bikini in Tashan. And I wasn’t uncomfortable wearing it. Why should I be? I’ve the physique to carry it off. But that’s it. My mother didn’t like me in a bikini. Also the kind of work that I’m doing now in 3 Idiots or Rensil D’Silva’s film doesn’t require that kind of exposure,” says Kareena. With Kareena being extremely busy with her career and beau Saif Ali Khan, mom Babita has a lot of time on hand. “She now does a lot of charity work with charitable institutions like the Mount Mary Old Age Home in Bandra and other places. She’s a very giving woman. I should know. She sacrificed her own career and joys to bring up my sister and me,” says the actress. Surprisingly, the actress is full of praise for her supposed archrival Priyanka Chopra. “I don’t know why so much is made of our rivalry. We are in totally different spaces. She does her own films. I do mine. Whenever we meet, she’s really sweet to me. I don’t understand why we’re made out to be two squabbling sirens. Please, we’re grown up women,” says Kareena, who has also kissed and made up with Aishwarya Rai. As far as conducting a career goes, Kareena’s role model is Aishwarya. “I love the way she carries herself and the roles she’s choosing after marriage. I’d like to follow

that pattern when I get married,” she says. But that’s a long way off. At the moment Kareena is just happy being with Saif. “He may appear to be very volatile and undecided, just like me. But actually he takes all the right decisions on my behalf. He’s totally into his books while I love films. I keep him clued in to what’s happening in the industry. We’re both Aamir (Khan) fans. After Ghajini, I think the next film Saif will see will be my 3 Idiots. And this time it won’t be for Aamir.” Kareena, whose next release is the much-hyped Kambakkht Ishq, is also reading some scripts. “I’m definitely going to read some scripts and select the right films to do after 3 Idiots and Rensil’s film. I’ve to find films that justify my presence.” The actress has also bought a new apartment for herself in a building called Queen. “Of course, my mother is moving with me. I can’t live, breathe or take one step without my mother. The only difference is she’ll now have a separate apartment. But we’re still on the same floor,” she says. As for the home that Saif is preparing for the two of them, Kareena says: “That won’t be ready for another two years. That’s how long it’s going to be before we get married anyway. Right now my diary is filled up till 2010. There’s no space for even a runaway marriage.” ■ IANS

We (Priyanka Chopra and I) are in totally different spaces. She does her own films. I do mine. Whenever we meet, she’s really sweet to me. I don’t understand why we’re made out to be two squabbling sirens. Please, we’re grown up women

11

Thursday, June 18, 2009

That thin line between ‘stole’ and ‘sample’

LaBeouf confirms Indiana Jones 5 Shia LaBeouf has confirmed that Indiana Jones is coming back for a fifth time, reports The Daily Express. LaBeouf, who played the history hero’s son and sidekick Mutt, confirmed director Steven Spielberg planned to continue the franchise without Ford.

Cine City

P

op star Nelly Furtado and producer Timbaland have been sued by a record label in Finland for plagiarism. The music label claims that the two borrowed segments of someone else’s song to create the track ‘Do it’. Furtado and Timbaland were first accused of plagiarism in relation to the hit song in 2007, after the track appeared on the singer’s 2006 album Loose, reports contactmusic.com. Timbaland had denied that he had “stolen” extracts from 2000 song ‘Acidjazzed evening’ by artist Janne Suni or the remixed 2002 version by Norwegian musician Glenn Rune Gallefoss. “Sample and stole is two different things. Stole is like I walked in your house, watched you make it... went to my house and told Nelly, ‘Hey, I got a great song for you.’ Sample is like you heard it somewhere, and you just sampled. Maybe you didn’t know who it was by because it don’t have the credits listed,” said the producer. The fighting musicians are claiming copyright infringement and request an injunction prohibiting the further release, reprinting, performance and sale of the song ‘Do it’. ■

Twenty 20 to be remade in Tamil Blockbuster Malayalam movie Twenty 20 is being remade in Tamil. The remake rights have been bagged by Murali of Classic Creators. The film has been tentatively titled Irubadhu Irubhadu. The original had Malayalam superstars Mohanlal, Mammootty, Jayaram, Suresh Gopi, Dileep and Bhavana in prominent roles. Sources say that leading stars have been approached to act in the film. The recent Malayalam movies remade are Kadha Parayumbol (Kuselan) and Classmates (Ninaithale Inikkum), which is under production now. Murali had earlier produced Avvai Shanmughi, and his upcoming flick Jagan Mohini starring Namitha is under production.

IANS

GETTY IMAGES FOR MTV

Michael Sheen may play Bond VILLIAN I

f reports are to be believed, British actor Michael Sheen will play legendary villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the next James Bond movie. The Frost/Nixon star is said to be in the process of signing up for the superspy flick. Blofeld is a legendary character seen in six Bond films previously, including From Russia with Love, You Only Live Twice and For Your Eyes Only. If Sheen grabs the role he will be facing off with Daniel Craig in reel life, who is the present day James Bond. “Michael is hot property right now and it’s felt he’s the right man to bring Blofeld back to life. Michael was a Bond fan in his youth so this would be a dream role for him,” Contactmusic quoted a source, as telling the Daily Express. The super-villain has been played by actors including late Kojak star Telly Savalas, who appeared in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. ■ ANI

Dhanush croons for Arya Actor Dhanush made his singing talent public by crooning at the audio launch of his brother Selvaraghavan’s upcoming flick, Aayirathil Oruvan. He along with his wife Aishwarya and actor Andrea Jeremiah have sung the song ‘Un Mela Aasadhaan’ in the flick. Now what we hear is that the actor has sung for actor Arya in Madarasapattinam. Sources say Dhanush has sung the song along with Mellisai Mannar M.S. Viswanathan.

12

ERGO Thursday, June 18, 2009

Wednesday’s Query: Imagine you are chosen as the cover girl/ boy of an international magazine. Now, tell your colleagues why you were chosen, just for a few laughs. ■ Naanum periya rowdy thaan. Naan magazine la varaporan, sir sinam konda singatha paper la pota adhu magazine ye azichidum paravaliyaa Saranya.M, Cognizant

S. Ganeshkumar from Infosys has nominated his schoolmates as Partners in Crime. This picture was taken during their bike trip to Tada Falls.

■ Just because of my romantic look and smile Vasanth Softeon Nideesh Allsec

■ It’s obvious that famous personality’s pictures will be selected for the cover page G.Sudha, Cognizant

■ I would tell, I was chosen for working with a bunch of duffers like you Vinitha, HCL

■ I promised the editor quarter and koli biriyani so he chose me Aisha, Pentamedia Tech

■ For working without sleeping in office Francis, Raj Perotsystems

■ Bcos I’m the no 1 among most powerful people in the world and also no 1 in the top 100 Forbes celeb list Raghav, TCS

Suresh Kumar.D from Tata Consultancy Services has nominated his team members as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked during their team lunch at a Restaurant near OMR Road.

■ I would say that, it’s for international horror magazine CS.Shankar, CSS

■ I’m chosen for my big smile N.Deepan, TCS

Ergo’s pick ■ Bcoz of my 10 pack body (even Arnold Schwarzenegger is wondering) Kartik, Hewitt Associates

Today’s Query: Your favourite vehicle on which you like to take your partner on a long ride? U. Vasanth Kumar from Allsec Technologies has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This pic was at Kodaikanal.

13

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Ramesh from Ford, Tidel Park has been nominated as Office Angel by his team members. Ramesh is committed, hardworking & enthusiastic guy with high helping tendency. He is very jovial and sweat hearted person.

■ Hi Priya, Many More Happy Returns of the Day!! Have a great Day! Regards, Subhashini, Infosys.

■ Hi Sivasankari, Wishing you a very happy birthday. Let this day bring you lots of happiness and success in future. All the very best to you Best Wishes, Bhagya,

■ Dear Daddy (Balaji), Wish you many more happy returns of this day. Wishing you success in all your endeavors!!!! With lots of love and kisses from your daughters, Sai Niharika(Pinku) and Sai Pravallika Hexaware Technologies

■ Dear Sangeetha, We wish many more happy returns of the day. May you acquire all that you desire and each passing year be filled with joy. Good people are hard to find, difficult to depart and impossible to forget. You are not only, one among them. But you are the best among them.... Keep rocking.... Have a wonderful year ahead..... When is the treat????????? Best Wishes from Shared Services Team TCS

Maria Rajiv A. from TCS E-Serve doodled this.

■ Hi Madhi, All of us are joining in to say, that May the year which your birthday begins, brings all the special things, that mean the most to you! Wishing you a very Happy Birthday!!! Best wishes from, Ramah, Navanee, Ravi, Suresh

■ Hai Saira Varghese, Wish you a Happy Birthday. May all your wishes fulfil n live happy for years to come. Vikram Chand M.S. Infosys

1) Leo Coffee ya yen Kalyanam Pannikka Mudiyaathu Enna Adhu "Manamaana Coffee" 2) What is the Similarity between Krishna Jayanthi and Communism "Kaal Marks" 3)Tea Kadaikaarar Kabbadi Vilaiyadina Eppadi Vilayaduvaaru Cup -tea Cup tea Cup-tea Jayaraman V. HCL Technologies Ltd

■ Dear Arul.T, Tons and tons of birthday wishes to you... Tons of lov, Ecnet, R systems

■ Dear Tharani S P, Some things r left undone, Some words r left unsaid, Some feelings are left unexpressed, but Some ones as nice as you

could never be left unwished, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO U !!! Best wishes, Treattukku wait pannum unn uiyr thozhigal :-)

■ Dear SRINI (Smart Robust Intelligent Nasty Intellect) Don’t think of it as getting older; think of it as becoming a classic. An old age is as good as a new one. You age like cheese... You just keep getting smellier! The younger you try to look; the older you actually are. You’re another year older and another year wiser So put your brain to work And figure out there ain’t no gift for you. Two tips on your birthday: Forget the past, you can’t change it. Forget the present, I didn’t get you one. Some words of wisdom for your birthday, "Smile while you still have teeth!" Count your blessings, not your wrinkles. Happy Birthday you old Man Another year, One more year of existence down the drain. Happy Birthday! The only reason you hate your birthday is because people give you odd gifts, scary cards with weird messages in them, and because you’re getting older. Anyway, Happy Birthday! With age comes wisdom. (You’re one of the wisest people I know!) I was trying to think of what to get you for your birthday but nothing came to mind. Anyway Many more Happy Returns of the day With Luv, Akila

■ Sagar, A special day thats sunchine bright A happy heart thats warm & light May every bday wish come true. These things r wished just 4 U.. Happy Birthday ra Modhu :-) Cheers, Sirisha

Belated Wishes Hi Ramakrishan P Wish you a many more happy returns of the day !!!! Your Friend Adventnet

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Thursday, June 18, 2009

Tough stuff Bosses at car firm Land Rover have debuted what they claim is the world’s toughest phone - it is dirtproof, waterproof and shockproof.

sudoku

Zahufar Sadiq S. from Perot Systems has shot this picture at Alagarkovil (Madurai) using Sony Ericsson W810i camera mobile. Hobbies : Photography, script writing and travelling.

So you think you would make a terrific photographer but never really had the platform? Mail us your best work and we’ll publish it in this space, with credit. E-mail: [email protected]

TEAM Editor: Karthik Subramanian [email protected]

Sr Dy Chief Designer: J.A. Prem Kumar Dy Chief Designer: R. Ravi Kannan Illustrator: R. Venugopal Technical Support: V.R. Vasudevan, K.G. Gurumurthy N. Ravichandran, E. Baskar

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: Contact: 2857 5757 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.goergo.in Head of Circulation: M.G.M. Sharief [email protected]

SNAIL MAIL 859/860, Anna Salai, Chennai - 600 002 mail your feedback to [email protected]

FAX 2857 6691

Printed and Published by S. Karthik on behalf of KASTURI & SONS LTD., at Plot B-6 & B-7, CMDA Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar, Chengleput Taluk, Kancheepuram Dist., Pin: 603209 & at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai-600002. Editor: S. Karthik (Editor responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act). RNI No. TNENG/2007/24553

KAKURO

15

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Seeing stars

Word’s worth

A Belgian woman is suing a tattooist after she woke up and found 56 stars inked on her face. The 18-year-old claims she fell asleep in the parlour - and the artist misunderstood her request for only three stars

Winebibber (wine-bib-er), a person who habitually drinks a lot of alcohol. The word was coined by Miles Coverdale (1488 - 1568) in his translation of the first complete printed English Bible: “Keep no company with wyne bebbers and ryotous eaters of flesh” (Proverbs 23:20). It is rarely used today except for humorous effect.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 You will be brilliant with your thinking today. Ganesha feels that your brilliance will give a considerable push to your career. You will leave your partner ecstatic with the intensity of your love and your beloved will respond likewise.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Work will a drag and you will stick to only routine stuff, avoiding anything that requires more than a casual attention. Love life, on the other hand, will blossom. You will want to spend as much time as possible with your beloved.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 You will be convinced that you are right on a particular issue which is under debate. Try to present your point of view as clearly as possible to avoid conflicts. Also, you will try to apprise your beloved about your work and future plans.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 Today promises good time at work and with your partner. At work, you will efficiently spearhead all the responsibilities given to you. Your love life will be smooth, but Ganesha suggests that don’t try to prevail upon your beloved.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 Today will be the beginning or end of a very important project. You will be very pleased with yourself to have achieved what you have. You may also try to use this as an oppurtunity to impress your superiors.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

Today, planets are heavily stacked against any task you take up, even the most insignificant one. So relax and avoid taking up anything significantly important. In fact, direct all that energy to your love life, Ganesha says.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 A good day at work will lead to a great day in your love life. Today is when you should be arranging that tricky group discussion or meeting as you will be at the best of your game. Romance will be back to the top of your priority list.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 To do well in your career will be of the foremost priority today. Towards the end of the day, you will draw great pride and satisfaction in whatever you have achieved. Romance, however, will take a beating.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 If there is anything wrong or out of place, today is the day to set it all right. This will have a positive effect on your career. Going on a long drive with your beloved will be your way of expressing love, Ganesha adds.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 A day to think out the goings-on at workplace, says Ganesha. You will be thinking getting a bit more organised. But, this needs to be done rather diplomatically. You will try hard to ensure smoother sailing on the emotional front.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 Avoid getting into negotiations inside or outside work. During negotiations, you may have to compromise on some counts. Today, you will let your beloved call the shots, which will make him/ her feel special.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Today is a long day for you. You may have to stretch for longer hours in order to finish your work. Ganesha strongly suggests that you should give enough time to your personal life and make sure it’s not side-tracked because of work. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Thursday, June 18, 2009

A model displays a pure gold made beer mug as Japan’s Tanaka Kikinzoku Jewellery unveiled its summer collection in Tokyo. The beer mug is 10 cm in diameter, 13.5 cm in tall, weighs 850g and is priced at 50,000 USD. PHOTO: AFP

Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro plays with a lion cub during a visit at the Lion Park in Randburg. PHOTO: AFP

Colombian cliff diver Orlando Duque leaps 20 metres from a helicopter near some windmills in preparation for round two of the Red Bull Cliff Diving Series in Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands. PHOTO: AFP

Circus Oz strongwoman Mel Fyfe (bottom) holds up seven members of the circus band as they prepare for their opening night in Melbourne. PHOTO: AFP