Ergo May 19

A BYTE OF LIFE

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

02 AT YOUR DOORSTEP A round-the-clock service for the senior citizens Vol. 3

FREE CIRCULATION

LIGHTING UP LIVES Work has therapeutic value, says John Chandy. With this in mind, Chandy has been advocating the employment of the differently-abled in various sectors » Page 03

No. 91

11 Nadodigal Audio launched

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Festival of arts A workshop on assorted forms of art will be conducted for women. ‘Festival of Arts’ is on at C.U. Shah Bhavan in Purshuwalkam, where jewellery making, self grooming, art of lamasa, etc. will be conducted. For registration call 9884049371/ 9884061700

At your doorstep

Aspirians in orange

Unity in diversity The last week of April saw Aspire Systems decorated in the tri-colours of the Indian flag, quite literally. ‘GalaMores’, the ethnic week celebrations at Aspire, is a week marked for every Aspirian to pay tribute to their culture. The campus saw four days of ‘Indian’ celebration with each day revolving around the tri-colour and the value each colour carries – orange (sacrifice), white (truth) and green (faith).

Now, a helpline that will attend to personal services of senior citizens

The employees were welcomed with sweets of the respective colours. Games were conducted throughout the week and even the rangoli at the entrance was put in tricolours. An extra ingredient, which added spice to the event, was that Aspirians came dressed in the respective tri-colours each day! The last day witnessed ethnic dressings and the one who depicted his/her roots the best was crowned Ms. Ethnic and Mr. Ethnic. The evening also saw a small celebration of pure masti, patriotic music and other cultural programmes.

LIFFY THOMAS [email protected]

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(Contributed by Namita Sreekumar, Aspire Systems)

Ms. Ethnic

ife could be dull and drab when one is old and there is nobody to take care. It could be especially difficult when the children are elsewhere and there is no one around to run errands. Good Governance Guards (GGG), a registered trust started by S.S. Radhakrishnan, a lawyer and international consultant, aims to solve the problem many find themselves in during their twilight years. Launched on May 10, GGG has 46 founding members comprising advocates, businessmen and professionals of different age groups and from different sectors. “We offer personal services only to senior citizens. This could range from paying electricity bills, undertaking repair and maintenance of the home, taking the patient to hospital, shopping for food and groceries, helping in bank-related works or anything for that matter,” says Radhakrishnan. Radhakrishnan witnessed the agony of his advocate friend, who lived on the same street. This triggered in him the need to start ‘Senior Citizens Support Services’, says Radhakrishnan, who himself is a senior citizen. “The beneficiary needs to pay Rs. 500 per month to avail of any number of calls at any time of the day,” says Radhakrishnan who was the former Additional Commissioner of Customs. While about a dozen people from South Chennai have so far registered to avail of the services, GGG is looking at around 100 en-

Some help during those twilight years rolments to run an economically viable service.

Call us any time Take for example the case of G. Radhika (name changed), 73 years old, single and living all by herself in Besant Nagar. Four months ago she fractured her vertebra. Her brother recently signed up for a six-month period with GGG, when she will be needing help in going to the hospital and paying bills, among others.

“The time GGG would take to attend to a service is what needs to be seen,” says Radhika’s brother, who did not want to be named, and who is yet to avail of the service. Besides offering round-theclock personal services, GGG is also into reviving the cooperative movement, giving management teaching, leadership training and offering free legal advice. ■ To know more call 9941013448/ 42032833 or visit www.goodgovernanceguards.com

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Tuesday, May 19, 2009

To light up their lives V.HARIPRIYA [email protected]

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ay back in the 1950s, inspired by an article he read in Reader’s Digest on Dr. Henry Viscardi Jr., a pioneer for the rights and opportunities of people with disabilities, 20year-old John Chandy wanted to do something similar. Now in 2009, 67-year-old Chandy has already helped up to 40 differently-abled persons get jobs in various industries. For Chandy, a former Indian Oil Corporation employee, differently-abled persons are not objects of charity. “Provide them with an opportunity, they will prove their ability,” he says.

Early days After completing his graduation in Chemistry, he opted for Associate Membership Aeronautical Society of India, a degree equivalent to B.E. Aeronautical Engineering, and joined the aviation field in Indian Oil Corporation. “While working in IOC, I tried my level best to help people with disabilities. Whenever calls for contract works come, I used to give preference to disabled people. But it was very difficult to convince the authorities.”

Own start-up In 1994, Chandy opted for Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) and bought three grounds of land near Moolakadai in Perambur to start a small-scale industrial unit for differently-abled persons. “I recruited 15 people, which included the physically and visually-challenged, and started running the unit with contract works from Dunlop and Medimix. My aim was not to make profit, but to make the common people understand that even those who are considered unfit by the society, in a few cases even by parents and relatives, are very much like normal people,” says Chandy. Later due to some political pressure he had to close down the unit. But he made sure that all 15 got jobs somewhere.

“While working with the differently-abled, I did a study on how they could be employable and wrote a booklet on techniques to interview visually-challenged people,” says Chandy, who in his website www.employdifferentlyabled.org has mentioned his case studies in detail. Chandy also convinced a friend and saw to it that 15 people got a job in his friend’s automobile engineering unit. “Most of them were visually-challenged and polio victims. With proper training they successfully did tinkering, welding and other strenuous works. The initial notion that they can’t work like normal people remains a mental block in their minds. Once you convince them and remove such thoughts, they are very much normal,” says Chandy, who is now planning to start an industrial therapy unit for the disabled along with Daniel Jegannathan, an employee of HCL, who also runs Mypeople, a charity organisation.

Work has therapeutic value, says John Chandy. With this in mind, Chandy has been advocating the employment of the differently-abled in various sectors

New project John Chandy says there are a lot of government-run training units for the disabled. But not everyone who passes out from these institutes get jobs. “My idea is to start an industrial therapy unit, wherein both the mentally and physically challenged will be given treatment as well as industrial training. Work has a therapeutic nature. When they are engaged productively there will be changes physically and mentally. This unit will be run in collaboration with industrial experts, scientists, ergonomist and doctors,” says Chandy, who has also completed a Homoeopathy course from the Indian Board of Alternative Medicine. Employers who are interested in recruiting physicallychallenged people can contact John Chandy at 9382871214. Also visit http://www.employdifferentlyabled.org/ and http://www.mypeopleindia.org/ for details. ■

John Chandy instructing a visually- challenged person at his unit. FILE PHOTO

04 TECHNORAMA

ERGO Tuesday, May 19, 2009

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With the advent of relatively cheap computing, relatively cheap bandwidth for communications, the cost of setting up a start-up has gone down Cliff Reeves, head of Microsoft’s emerging business team

Technology snippets sources from T3 magazine of Infomedia18 Group

IT GOES ON AND ON ... and on. It ‘s Asus’ super battery life! Asus’ elder offspring, the EeePC 1000 might have lost the battle of attention and affordability to Acer’s Aspire One, but Eee PC 1000HE is all set to win back the crown. Loaded to the brim with features such as the next generation Intel Atom N280 procesor, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a 160GB hard disk with an additional 10GB of Eee Online, the 10-incher comes with a keyboard that looks more Mac than Asus, and a claimed battery life of 9.5 hours that will make full-fl edged laptops sweat in anxiety. The latter is courtesy the Super Hybrid Engine (SHE) battery conservation technology, making this the fastest, strongest and smartest Eee PC ever! Rs 24,990, IN.ASUS.COM

MIDAS TOUCHED It’s for a gold digger! Finally a phone that is ‘Made in Gold’, literally – the designer edition piece has 18carat gold plating with a generous sprinkling of diamonds and other semi-precious stones. Damn, even the interface icons are golden! Each piece comes along with 2 batteries, a Bluetooth headset (A2DP), a 2 gig memory card and a 2 megapixel camera. What say Bappi Da, one for the road? RS 49,990, WWW.XFONE.COM

MTV UNLEASHED

SLIM WONDER

No, not the channel, but the new line of monitors by the Korean giant, LG, interestingly named LG MTV (M for monitor). The first from their stable, this innovative flat screen doubles up as a competent computer monitor too. It comes with D-SUB and DVI-D connectors for hooking up your PC and HDMI port for connecting it to a gaming console or a DVD player, at once. A remote control is thrown in to complete TV experience.

HP walks the thin line of size zero The thinner, the better. This adage doesn’t seem to be a fascination with celebs only, but for elite netbook makers too. Not only does the HP Pavilion DV2 look stunning, it’s spec’ed to the hilt. The first laptop to use AMD’s Athlon Neo, a small, inexpensive, and efficient processor for ultraportable laptops. The other specs aren’t shabby either – there’s a 12.1inch screen, a 500GB hard drive and an external Blu-ray drive to go. It’s just under an inch thin and weighs a mere 1.64 kg! Way to go, HP!

RS 12,990 FOR 18INCH, RS 16,990 FOR 21INCH, RS 17, 990 FOR 23INCH, IN.LGE.COM

RS 37,490 PLUS TAXES, WWW.HP.COM/IN

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Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Skype’s new service If you use the telephone a lot, it’s probably time for you to revisit Skype. This Internet telephony product now allows you to place calls to landline telephones, so the receiver of your call need not be connected through Skype in order for you to talk with him or her. Skype even allows you to receive calls from traditional phones with an optional online number.

The launch of two robotic probes, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) is the first step in NASA’s plans to return humans to the moon by 2020

LAUNCH VEHICLE

Will spend up to five years in polar orbit to study lunar resources and identify future landing sites

Atlas 5 rocket Rocket payload fairing

Hackers launch attack on Facebook users

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LRO spacecraft LCROSS spacecraft Centaur upper stage LRO/ LCROSS separate two hours after launch Aims to confirm if valuable water ice deposits exist in craters at moon’s poles

ackers launched an attack on Facebook’s 200 million users, successfully gathering passwords from some of them in the latest campaign to prey on members of the popular social networking site. Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt said that the site was in the process of cleaning up damage from the attack. He said that Facebook was blocking compromised accounts. Schnitt declined to say how many accounts had been compromised. The hackers got passwords through what is known as a phishing attack, breaking into accounts of some Facebook members, then sending e-mails to friends and urging them to click on links to fake websites. Those sites were designed to look like the Facebook home page. The victims were directed to log back in to the site, but actually logged into the one controlled by the hackers, unwittingly giving away their passwords. The purpose of such attacks is generally identify theft and to spread spam. Schnitt said that Facebook’s security team believes the hackers intended to collect a large number of credentials, and then use those accounts at a later time to send spam hawking fake pharmaceuticals and other goods to Facebook members. ■ Reuters

After 86-day flight, LCROSS spacecraft manoeuvres to line up Centaur upper stage for impact with crater Source: NASA

Centaur separates and hits moon, creating huge plume of debris which can be studied for signs of lunar water

LCROSS records data before hitting moon and creating second debris plume for study by Earth and other spacecraft © GRAPHIC NEWS

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Motorists are in the money A German motorway was closed in both directions after an envelope containing thousands of Euros in cash flew out of an open-top car, causing a rainstorm of money.

Natalie denies dating Sean Penn Natalie Portman has denied reports of her romantic link-up with Sean Penn, insisting that the actor is ’a friend and colleague’. Several tabloid reports have claimed the two are an item after being seen together in a West Hollywood bar shortly after Penn, 48, filed for a legal separation from his wife of 13 years, Robin Wright Penn. “Sean Penn is a friend and colleague,” E! Online quoted her as telling Extra. ANI

Stephanie can’t find the perfect swimsuit It looks like triple Olympic gold medallist Stephanie Rice has become a bit choosy when it comes to her swimming suits. Rice has offers of more than 1 million dollars to wear certain brands of speedsuits. However, the swimming sensation feels none of them meet her requirements and could even slow her down. After six months of testing suits of every type, Rice is no closer to an answer. Rice is said to have already turned down an offer well over seven figures from one swimsuit manufacturer. “I don’t want to rush into anything, especially if it’s such an important contract,” News.com.au quoted Rice as saying. “I’ve got a few different suits I’m going to try over in the States but otherwise I’m trying not to think about it too much.” “Everyone is making such a big deal out of all the new brands,” she added.

Gambling addict wants his money back An Australian gambling addict who ended up losing his property portfolio was lured to Melbourne’s Crown Casino with promises of free flights, free accommodation and his own butler, a court was told on Monday. Former property tycoon Harry Kakavas is suing the casino for 50 million Australian dollars over his loses of 20 million Australian dollars between 2004 and 2006. The self-confessed pathological gambler banned himself from the casino in 1995. But when he began flying the Pacific to gamble in Las Vegas, it’s alleged the casino offered inducements for him to return to Crown. Kakavas, 42, claims he was flown for free 30 times from his Gold Coast home to Melbourne. As well as trips on Crown’s VIP executive jet, Kakavas said he was handed wads of cash to start his sprees on the baccarat tables. DPA

1957 Ferrari sells for 9 m euros A 1957 Ferrari sold for a record nine million euros (12.2 million dollars) at auction in Rome, the company said in a statement. The 250 Testa Rossa, one of 34 models manufactured at Ferrari’s factory in Maranello in the north of Italy, had completed several races in North and South America. The previous record sale at auction was held by a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider, which belonged to American actor James Coburn and fetched seven million euros.

ANI

AFP

Alcohol ban during polls surprises Archer

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elebrated British writer Jeffrey Archer, currently on a visit to India to promote his novel Paths of Glory, was quite astonished to learn that dry days are observed in the country during elections. “I arrived (in India) the day before the election in Chennai (May 13) I didn’t discover until I arrived to make my speech at a dinner in the evening that this is a dry day, Archer wrote on his blog. “Two days before the election, you are not allowed to drink alcohol - pubs close, liquor stores close, a bottle of wine was removed from my room and I noticed that even the miniatures had disappeared from the minibar. So I sat down to dinner with

300 people who were drinking orange juice and Coca Cola. “I’m flattered they bothered to turn up. I can’t imagine how the English would take to that as an idea,” he wrote. Paths of Glory is the story of a man who loved two women, and one of them killed him. It is a real-life mountaineering mystery and revokes the debate about George Mallory being possibly the first man to have reached Mt Everest. In Paths of Glory, which is the former Tory MP’s 15th novel, Mallory makes three visits to India on his way to the Himalayas. ■ PTI

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Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Websites of the day

Pensioner politics

Why buy new clothes when you can rent them? www.rentnotbuy.co.uk Find a partner with www.match.com

A 101-year-old great-grandmother is standing for election in an Italian town - so she can help her grandson become mayor.

26-year-old ‘baby’ baffles doctors A

26-year-old Jerly Lyngdoh who looks like a toddler.

PHOTO: PTI

26-year-old youth who looks like a toddler has baffled doctors in Meghalaya. Jerly Lyngdoh is an adult trapped, perhaps forever, in a baby’s body and mind. Born on March 29, 1983, Jerly has not grown beyond 84 cm, which is the normal height of a two-year-old baby and weighs about 10 kg. He cannot communicate and needs his mother’s help for any normal activity. In fact, the only sign of adulthood in him is his denture, his milk teeth having been replaced at the right age. Ruling out malnutrition as a cause for the retarded growth of Jerly, senior paediatrician J Ryngdong, who is looking into the case at the government-run Ganesh Das Hospital here, said, “The boy has a proper diet, has strong teeth and has no digestive problem. What is more intriguing is his inability to speak a single word even at this age”. Born to illiterate parents in a remote village in the State’s Jaintia Hills district, Jerly was shifted to the hospital on April 3 last after 17 months of unsuccessful treatment at the Shillong Civil hospital. Jerly’s mother Merilda said she did not notice any abnormality when her son was born but when he was about four months, she noticed some kind of an epileptic disorder. Too poor to afford proper treatment, she had relied on a traditional healer after Jerly became 15 years old, but to no avail. ■ PTI

Exam result stolen for official’s daughter

A Chinese police official has been arrested for stealing another girl’s exam results and passing it off as his daughter’s to ensure her a place in college, Chinese media reported. Wang Zhengrong, formerly of the Public Security Bureau in

Shaodong county in the southern province of Hunan, was charged with forging and altering official documents and seals in 2004, the China Youth Daily said. He passed off the identity information and exam results of a village girl, his daughter’s classmate, as those of his daughter who had failed the National Examination for College Entrance. The scam was uncovered when the village girl found she couldn’t apply for a credit card as her ID number belonged to someone else, the newspaper said. The story has become a hot topic on Chinese websites, infuriating many bloggers. “Did they ever think about the future of that country girl and her desperation?” one asked. The issue eventually attracted the attention of Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu who demanded an investigation. ■ Reuters

Wireless bliss

쑸 Sisters of an infant help her hear the voice of their father on a cell phone in Bangalore on Monday, which is World Telecommunication Day. PHOTO: G.R.N SOMASHEKHAR

08 SPORT

ERGO Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Bashar quits rebel league Bangladesh’s former Test captain Habibul Bashar said on Monday he had ended his contract with the unauthorised Indian Twenty20 league and wanted to play for his country. Bashar was among 14 players who quit the national side to play in the Indian Cricket League (ICL), earning them a 10-year ban from international cricket.

Vijender endorses n Indian boxers comfortable with the change in bout

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he new format of boxing has given defensive pugilists an edge, says India’s Olympic hero Vijender Singh, who feels the changes introduced this year have made scoring immensely tough besides increasing the risk of injury. Vijender returned to the country on Monday after winning a bronze medal at the European Grand Prix event in Usti Nad Labem, Czech Republic, his first competition since notching up a historic bronze in Beijing Olympics. The 23-year-old boxer said he is hoping to do better at next month’s Asian Championship in Zhuhai, China after getting a feel of the new format, which are three rounds of three minutes each. Earlier, the format was four rounds of two minutes each. “Boxers have become more defensive because it is tough test of your endurance and stamina, the scoring has gone down because judges no longer give points on touch and go and the risk of injury has increased. The new format is, however, exciting as there won’t be many lop-sided bouts from now on,” Vijender says. “I was coming back into competitive boxing after an eightmonth gap and I think I adjusted pretty well to the changes,” he says. He said it would be impossible for a pugilist to keep his guard down in the new format. “You can’t compete with your guard down, it’s very risky. As I found out, you have to attack

India-Pakistan match ahead of T20 WC India and Pakistan will reprise the final of the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in a practice match at The Oval on June 3. According to details, tickets for the match have already been sold out making it the perfect platform for the launch of the World Cup starting June 5. A Pakistan Cricket Board official said the ICC had arranged the match as a replay of the final of the first T20 World Cup. The match is a part of the warm up schedule of the participating teams before the tournament. India beat Pakistan in the last over in a nerve-wrecking final of the World Cup. Both the teams are once again among the favourites to win the event. PTI

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‘‘ new format

Well, the win was very important for us. It was a collective team effort. The boys bowled well. Sangakkara batted very well. It was an interesting game. The hat-trick is not as important as winning the game. I was happy that I got the second hattrick of this tournament. It’s unbelievable, but I am very happy with the win.

t system but make sure that you have a tight defence. Besides, there is no scope of evading the opponent with footwork, the moment you step back, the referee stops and tells you to engage,” he explained. Vijender’s assessment of the format was also endorsed by his fellow boxers, who went to the tournament in Czech Republic, where India won a gold medal – through Suranjoy Singh (51kg) – for the first time in eight years. “I find it quite exciting. Though it is a tough format, it has helped me improve my skills,” says Suranjoy. Jai Bhagwan (60kg) said Russian boxers have already adjusted to the format and it won’t be long before the Indians also familiarise themselves. “The Russians, it seemed were slightly better at adapting to the format but the Indians wouldn’t have much trouble either. It is essential that the guard is kept up because a single-point lead can also turn out to be huge in the end,” he adds. The coach accompanying them on the trip, C. Kuttappa, credited by Vijender for his grooming before Olympics, said the Indians will return with a better tally of medals in Asian Championships. “I think the Indians are adjusting well. They just have to learn to keep their guard all the time because our boxers have a natural aggressive style of fighting. I think, the boys are going to do very well in the Asian Championship,” he says. ■

Yuvraj Singh

Strong national contingent

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lympics bronze medallist Vijender Singh will lead the Indian challenge at the Asian Boxing championships in Zhuhai, china from 5-14 June. “Asian Championships are the stepping stones for the World Championships in Milan later this year. Doing well in China is vital for our preparation,” Vijender said. “I had a long lay-off. But I felt comfortable boxing at the Grand Prix meet in the Czech Republic. And that gives me lot of confidence,” he added. Vijender would be joined by fellow Olympians Jitender Kumar, Dinesh Kumar in the 11-member strong contingent. Notably missing from the list is Akhil Kumar who had won a bronze at the last World Cup. Akhil who is suffering from an injury will have to wait further for his feather-weight debut. A three-member coaching team led by Gurbax Singh Sandhu and comprising Jaidev Bisht and C Kuttappa will accompany the team.

Squad T Nanao Singh (48kg), Suranjoy Singh (51kg), Jitender Kumar (54kg), Chhote Lal yadav (57kg), Jai Bhagwan (60kg), Balwinder Beniwal (64kg), Jagat Singh(69kg), Vijender Singh (75kg), Dinesh Kumar (81kg), Gurlal Singh (91kg) and Paramjeet Samota (+91kg). ■ PTI

PTI

Hansiegate henchman makes shadowy appearance A key figure in the 2000 match-fixing scandal that rocked world cricket, Hamid ‘Banjo’ Cassim made a sly appearance at the Wanderers to watch an Indian Premier League match before the media forced him into a hasty exit. Cassim, who reportedly introduced the late South African skipper Hansie Cronje to an Indian bookie leading to the infamous ‘Hansiegate’ episode, walked into the hospitality area of the Wanderers with two ladies in tow, believed to be family members, to watch the Kings XI Punjab vs Deccan Chargers match. In white T-shirt, dark troussers and shades, Cassim took his seat and had barely settled down when a journalist recognised him and tried to rekindle his old acquaintance. “How are you?” he asked the journalist and shook hands with him. With other journalists also identifying him, Banjo, looked less than amused and repeatedly asked them not to pose any question, insisting he had moved on in life. “I’m here to watch cricket, that’s it,” he said. Just not interested in raking up his dubious past, Banjo insisted “I am not talking about something I have been absolved of.” And Banjo made it clear this was not his first appearance in IPL. “I have been a regular here and watching many matches of IPL II,” he said nonchalantly before going silent. Minutes later, he made a silent exit, just as he had come, leaving the media in a tizzy. PTI

10 FLICK

ERGO Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Brooke Shields to sue reporter Brooke Shields is all set to file a case against a journalist who allegedly checked her ailing mother out of a nursing home for an interview. According to reports, Teri Shields, who suffers from dementia, allegedly left a New Jersey nursing home on May 14 with a writer seeking a “tabloid story”. Later, the 75-year-old lady was found unharmed talking to a freelance reporter at a restaurant adjacent to an assisted living centre in Old Tappan, revealed the police.

Kingsley returns after ‘Gandhi’ Sir Ben Kingsley to star with Amitabh Bachchan in ‘Teen Patti’

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fter almost three decades, Gandhi star Sir Ben Kingsley has returned to India – as a Bollywood star. The Oscar-winning actor, who garnered much appreciation for his role of Mahatma Gandhi, will star alongside Amitabh Bachchan in thriller Teen Patti. The storyline revolves around a reclusive maths genius who becomes involved in the world of gambling. The name is a reference to a popular game of three-card poker. “Ever since I left India after filming Gandhi, I wanted to participate. I can’t go back to India as a tourist. I can’t do it. I need to be creating or doing or telling a story in India,” The Telegraph quoted Kingsley, as saying. In Teen Patti he plays Perci Trachtenberg, regarded as the world’s greatest living mathematician, who befriends Bachchan, a shy fellow academic. ■ ANI

Ben Kingsley in a still from Gandhi (1982)

A still from Hannibal (2001)

Hannibal again

A bruised Cruz

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nthony Hopkins is teaming up with director Ridley Scott again to bring infamous villain Hannibal Lecter back on the big screen in a fourth instalment of the film. The actor will reprise his role as a cannibalistic serial killer for the fourth time in a second sequel to the 1991 hit film The Silence of the Lambs, for which he won a Best Actor Oscar, reports Hollywood.com. Hopkins earlier appeared in 2001’s Hannibal before starring in the 2002 prequel of the same, Red Dragon. Actress Cate Blanchett has been tipped to star in the film for the role of Clarice Starling after Jodie Foster, who earlier played the character, pulled out due to other professional commitments. “Hopkins and Scott are both very committed. We like what we’ve got, and the revised script is really, really good,” said a spokesperson of the movie’s production house Universal. ■ IANS

ctress Penelope Cruz was left badly bruised by her vigorous dance efforts in new film Nine. Also starring Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie and Daniel Day Lewis, Cruz reveals filming the burlesque scenes was quite an ordeal for her, reports thesun.co.uk. “When something like that happens, you just have to keep going and forget about any physical pain. I was dancing in the dark with just one spotlight on me so I had to be extremely alert,” she said. ■ IANS

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Miley Cyrus hits back at weight critics Miley Cyrus has hit back at cruel bloggers who mocked her body after she was pictured frolicking on a Bahamas beach in a bikini. The Hannah Montana star was spotted in the Bahamas soaking up the sun in a mix and match bikini. But her idyllic break was rudely interrupted when negative remarks about her weight hit the web.

Nadodigal audio Cine City launched Small-screen director Samudirakani of ‘Arasi’ fame makes his debut in tinsel town with ‘Nadodigal’

STAR WINNERS, LOSERS

(From left) Directors Ameer, Bala, K. Balachander and Cheran releasing the audio CD of Nadodigal at the function held on Monday. Photos: R. RAVINDRAN ERGO CORRESPONDENT [email protected]

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ith the theme ‘Nanbanin nanban ennudaya nanban’ (Friend’s friend is my friend), small-screen director Samudirakani makes his debut in tinsel town with Nadodigal. The audio launch of the movie Nadodigal starring Sasi Kumar, Ananya, Ganja Karuppu, Barani of Kalloori fame and Vijay was held at Sathyam Cinemas on Monday. Sundar C. Babu has composed the music. The movie is produced by Michael S. Rayappan under the banner Global Infotainment Pvt. Ltd. Veteran director K. Balachander, who released the audio CD, said he was a great fan of kuthu songs. “Though I have not attempted any item numbers in my movies, I enjoy listening to them and these songs will rock the audience.” He also added that the movie is going

(Clockwise) Jayasudha, Chiranjeevi, Krishnam Raju and Roja

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Actors Ananya, Chandini, Neha and Abinaya to be a definite hit. “I have seen the confidence in Samudirakani and liked the movie Subramaniapuram. Similarly, Nadodigal will also touch great heights.” “Every time a movie is released, the film’s crew vouch

that the movie will be different. But I hope this movie will be really different,” actor Cheran said. Directors Ameer and Bala were also present at the audio launch. Nadodigal is expected to hit theatres soon. ■

he verdict of the General Election 2009 hasn’t seen many smiling faces, at least in Andhra Pradesh. Twelve personalities from the film industry contested the election, but only four won from their respective constituencies. Among the prominent winners were Vijayashanthi (Medak), Chiranjeevi (had contested from two constituency – won in Tirupati but lost in Palakollu, his native in West Godavari district), Jayasudha (Secunderabad) and producer Kodali Venkateshwara Rao (Gudiwada). As for the losers: Allu Arvind of Ghajini fame lost the Anakapalle parliamentary seat, producer Nookarapu Surya Prakash Rao, actors Krishnam Raju, Murali Mohan and Babu Mohan. TDP’s women wing president and actor Roja was not even lucky the second time. She lost from Chandragiri. As for Tamil Nadu, actors J.K. Ritheesh and Napolean are basking on their victories. Ergo Correspondent

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ERGO Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Sunday’s query: Your expectations from the new government ■200 varushama nadakkara government. Naan kooda pudhusu nenache emara virumbala. So no expectation Saranya.M Cognizant

K. Vijay Rathinam from TCS E-serve has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. The pic was clicked in New York.

■Truly secular governance that can abolish reservations down to even lexicographical level without being cowed down by allies’ pressures and other threats or bowing down unwarrantedly to vote bank strengths Deepak Vasudevan Verizon, Shiva CSS

■To stop terrorism & make some innovation changes Aakash CSS, Guru Allsec, Mohan Sridharan TCS

■Take severe action on those who receive capitation fees for college education. And reduce the fees of all B schools since it is depriving many under previleged meritorious students from taking up higher education Conan Accenture

■Plan to rescue the software engineers from this recession

B. Karthiyayeni from HCL Technologies has nominted her friends as Partners in Crime. The pic was clicked during a trip to Puducherry.

Arunachalam Cognizant

■Need to stop corruption and need to take off reservations Maggi TCS

■Clean roads and streets, strict traffic rules Venkatesh HCL

■Quick completion of metro train in Chennai Kannan Patni

■Accountability, a feasible common minimum program with a good solution to beat recession, security, jobs for the poor and benefits to farmers. Ahalya TCS

Todays’ Query: Do you think Vikram’s Kandasamy will live upto its hype and expectations?

Lavanya from Hexaware Technologies her team members Puru, Punitha, Lavanya & Larsen as Partners in Crime. This picture was taken at Masinagudi Ooty Resort.

13

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Chiranjeevee from Verizon has nominated his team mate Sowmyanarayanan as Office Angel. He is a very fun making person and makes the environment happy. He is a good hard worker and great fan of J. K. Riteesh (a.k.a.) Sivakumar.

Manjunath Murgod of HCL Technologies (Ambattur-4) doodled this.

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

■ Dear Deep, On your birthday, special one, I wish that all your dreams come true May your day be filled with joy Wonderful gifts and goodies, too On your day I wish for you Favourite people to embrace, Loving smiles and caring looks That earthly gifts cannot replace. I wish you fine and simple pleasures. I wish you many years of laughter. I wish you all of life’s best treasures. I wish you happily ever after! Happy Birthday!!!! With lots of love, Gayu Wipro Technologies

■ Dear Bharu, On your birthday, I wish all your dreams are fulfilled I hope that for every candle on your cake you get a wonderful surprise. I wish for you that whatever you want most in life, it comes to you, just the way you imagined it, or better. I look forward to enjoying our friendship for many more birthdays. Happy Birthday! Nokia-CCMS, TCS

■A photographer who focused on a dead body, was beaten up by the dead man’s relatives. Why?????? Becuse the photographer said “SMILE PLEASE!” ■Senthil: Annae Software, hardware na enna ? Goundamani: yai Bluetooth mandaya, chediya pudunguna adhula soft veru, maratha pudunguna adhula hard veru’ da. Careshine, STG

■ Dear Radhika, A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey. Enjoy the trip! Be happy Hope for Heights, And will to have flights, Petals spread in your ways, Plotted with the dreams whites. You May! Such enjoy days and nights! If I am asking u a stone U gave me a statue, If I am asking u a leaf U gave me a flower,

If I am asking u a kerchief to wipe my tears U offered ur hands for me, With Love and Prayers KB Santhosh(TCS) and Jenni (Infosys)

■ Dear Sweat Heart, It must have been a rainy day when u were born, but it was not really raining, the sky was crying becoz it lost his beautiful angel. Dua hai Ki Kamyabi ke har sikhar pe aap ka naam hoga, aapke har kadam par duniya ka salam hoga, Himat se mushkilon ka samana karna, hamari dua hai ki waqt bhi ek din aapka gulam hoga. Wish u a wonderful & splendid Happy Birthday. With Love, Dilip Kumar TCS

Belated ■ Dear Hakkim, It’s always a treat to wish happy birthday to some one who is so sweet Here’s to celebrating you! May this birthday be just the beginning of a year filled with happy memories, wonderful moments and shining dreams. Wishing you all the great things in life, hope this day will bring you an extra share of all that makes you happiest. A Simple celebration, a gathering of friends, here is wishing you a great happiness, a joy that never ends. Happy Birthday Tall man!!!!!!! What is ur B’day treat and wen u r planning to give the treat....? By Team AD - Wipro - Nestle

■ Dear Coastalites, Prabhu, Kasi Rajan, Jagadeesan, Saravana Kumar, Prem, Geetha, Manjima & Sujatha – We hope your birthday was as special as you are. Belated Birthday wishes! With Cheers, Human Resources, Coastal Training Technologies India (P) Ltd, Chennai

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Emu love A woman in Australia is being chased by a frustrated male emu - because the giant bird cannot find a mate.

sudoku

K. Ramasubramaniyan from HCL Comnet has shot this picture at Puducherry using his Panasonic TZ28 camera. Hobbies: Photography, Travelling and Trekking

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Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Sexy theme park

Word’s worth

A sex theme park in south-west China which exhibits naked human sculptures, giant genitals and boasts a sex technique workshop has sparked outrage in the country.

Verecund (vare-i-kund) an adjective meaning ‘shy, coy, bashful.’ Other words that end in -cund are the familiar fecund- fruitful, irecund - passionate, angry and namecund - famous. However, these words are not closely related etymologically. A word that is related to verecund etymologically is vergoynous, ‘ashamed.’

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 Today’s astral configuration gives you a chance to perform well with softwares. You may not reach a desired conclusion but will learn a lot on the way. Your intellectual talk may evoke carnal desires in your partner.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Today’s planetary alignment gives an extra mileage to your vocal engine. In fact, your excellent communication skills will make sure that all your work is done in a jiffy. Even important meetings will be fruitful.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Blame it on the Red Bull you gulped down on your way to office, but today, you’re fired up with a generous dose of energy. Hence, you’ll be fantastic while working on softwares and earn many compliments.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 Today, the day is not too favourable in office. Tempers may flare, resulting in a war of words between you and your colleagues. All this may be due to frustration resulting from the time and energy wasted doing mammoth projects.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 Some technical glitches at work will stick out like stubborn sore thumbs, refusing to fall in line. Your inability to solve these complex issues may frustrate you to no end. But you won’t miss a chance to flaunt your skills and earn some brownie points.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

Today, all your actions mean ‘business’. Wasting time on futile matters will not be your cup of tea because you really want to advance professionally. Don’t be unfair to your lover by depriving him or her of your tender, loving care.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Have you been awaiting a raise? The day is finally here when you can negotiate your remuneration. Now that you feel you aren’t in the danger zone as far as your job is concerned, your productivity will increase manifold.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Current astral configuration makes it impossible for you to complete a project. Shrug off those frustrations. Think what Thomas Jefferson had said once, “Delay is preferable to error”. The enticing looks of your cute hottie will steal your attention.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 Today, your energy levels aren’t high enough to match the work pressure in office. Do you plan to work on a software? Then, it’s better you shift it to some other day. In personal relations, your flexibility will hold the key to bliss.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 Current planetary alignment show that you are in for some trouble. Ganesha warns you against lowering your guards as your colleagues are eager to renew old rivalries. Be cautious in your personal life as well.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 Since you’ll be suffering constant mood swings today, your concerted effort at meeting deadlines will go unnoticed. Instead, your superior will demand that you handle more tasks than one, says Ganesha.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Today’s celestial energies make you enterprising enough to accomplish your tasks without experiencing any problems. You’ll feel satisfied after working out your priorities and putting an action plan in place. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Tuesday, May 19, 2009

This picture provided by NASA shows STS-125 mission specialist Andrew Feustel working during the mission’s third extravehicular activity (EVA). The space shuttle Atlantis’ mission is to overhaul the Hubble Space Telescope in order to extend its working life. AFP PHOTO/NASA

Tunisian model Afef Jnifen (C), Dutch model Doutzen Kroes (L) and US actress Evangeline Lilly arrive for the screening of the movie Vengeance at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival. AFP PHOTO / ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT

US President Barack Obama receives an honorary doctor of laws degree during the commencement ceremony in the Joyce Centre of Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana. AFP PHOTO/MANDEL NGAN

Actors Vikram and Shreya at the audio launch of the movie Kanthasamy in Chennai. PHOTO: R. SHIVAJI RAO