Ergo November 14

A BYTE OF LIFE

Friday, November 14, 2008

18 OK TO BE GAY On screen, says Abhishek Vol. 2

FREE CIRCULATION

No. 217

’Prank’ly speaking Been victim of mischief lately? Or did you find a scapegoat? Here’s to pranks and pranksters

» PAGES 04 & 05

Moya for Chennai Open T

he darling of the Chennai crowd, Carlos Moya has confirmed his participation for the Chennai Open 2009 to be held at the SDAT Stadium in Nungambakkam from 5-11 January. World No. 42 Moya will be making an appearance for the seventh time in eight years and most definitely be one of the favourites to capture the singles crown. The 32-year-old Spaniard has already won the title twice in 2004, 2005 and had also reached the final in 2006. Confirming his participation, Carlos Moya said: “I love Chennai and the crowd always supports me. I just want to come and give my best and enjoy being part of this popular tournament.” Earlier World No. 1 doubles pairing of Mike and Bob Bryan had also confirmed their participation in the US$ 450,000 event. Ergo Correspondent

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ERGO Friday, November 14, 2008

Namma Chennai

Read on Thespian En will present a reading from ‘Hamlet – The Prince of Denmark’ on November 16 at Anokhi, 85 Chamiers Road, 7 p.m.

Music

We will, we will rock you Six of Chennai’s rock band -- Blind Image, Armour of God, Blood Covenant, Battalions, Carnage and TWKC – will rock the crowd with heavy metal, progressive and other genres of music. When: November 15; 5 p.m. Where: Alliance Francaise, College Road For details call 2827 9803/ 2827 1477

Food

Go Thai Benjarong is hosting the Loy Karthong Thai food festival. Loy Krathong is held on the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai Lunar calendar. When: Till November 16; Open for lunch and dinner Where: TTK Road, Alwarpet For reservations call 2432 2640

Food

Wine and dine

Unconference

Fail Camp Have a failure story to share? Or, do you want to hear success stories of some failed entrepreneurs. The Knowledge Foundation is playing host to the Failcamp, where people will come share and learn from failures. When: November 16; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Where: Tenth Planet Technologies Pvt., Ltd., #807, P.T.Lee Building, 6th Floor, Anna Salai, (Opposite LIC building) For queries call Kiruba Shankar at 98415 97744

Fort St George Bar has a new guest. Resident musician Inakshi Singh is here to give the perfect note to your evenings. Inakshi is a commercial singer trained in western, English pop, jazz and Hini pop. Also adding tone to the warm interiors is bartender Richard who has come in from Goa. When: 8 p.m. onwards Where: Taj Coromandel For details call 6600 2827

Music

That 60s show Relive the music from the 60s with the show ‘Pocketfull of Memories – 2’. The Live Martini will rock to western music from the 60s, 70s and 80s. When: November 15; 7 p.m. Where: Museum Theatre Tickets are priced at Rs. 200 and Rs. 300. For details call 98844 25405

Seminar

Liveable cities Goethe-Institut, Max Mueller Bhavan in association with Indian Institute of Technology, Madras is hosting a conference about creating utopias and liveable cities. A distinguished list of speaker will talk on the occasion. When: November 14 and 15; 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Where: Biotech seminar hall, IIT Madras For details call 2833 2343/ 1314

Music

Golden melodies The November Fest is here. Singers Srinivas, Anuradha Sriram, Chinmayi and Naresh Iyer will take you on a melodious journey with their Hindi retro. When: November 16; 7.15 p.m. Where: The Music Academy. Tickets for the show are priced at Rs. 150, Rs. 300 and Rs. 500. For details call 98419 62820

Workshop

Money, money, money It probably is the best time to buy shares, as some would say. IBut, if you are worried how to make money in the current scenario, here’s a workshop that could help you. The free onehour stock market seminar promises to teach you the skills and knowledge required to make a killing in stock market. When: November 16; 5 p.m. Where: Thiyagaraya Nagar Social Club (T. Nagar Club), Venkat Narayana Road, Behind Woodland Hotel, Near Panagal Park Call 98414 38486 to confirm your participation

Friday, November 14, 2008

Spin a magic

03

Today is Children’s Day and Odyssey should be a good place to treat your children. The store will play host to ‘Magic of Stories’ contest where children will be required to paint a story competition – draw or paint on the topic and write a story to substantiate the painting. Drop in at Odyssey, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar at 6 p.m. For details call 2440 2264/ 65.

Harris Jayaraj,Gautham Menon HEAD TO SPLITSVILLE ERGO CORRESPONDENT [email protected]

“I

have good respect for Gautham Menon and in return he has reciprocated the same. But now, things have gone sour that it’s better for us to part ways as good friends.” The contents of the email from the ace music director, distributed to media organisations on Thursday through a leading film PRO, could well be the anti-climax no one expected ahead of Suriya-starrer ‘Vaaranam Aayiram’. The songs have been setting the charts on fire for some time now, and the audiences have been waiting for some time now to catch up just how well the songs have been choreographed on screen. Gautham Menon and Harris Jayaraj pairing goes back to the year 2001, when both of them started their careers with the smash hit ‘Minnale’. In all fairness, it was not Gautham’s best work in terms of script or screenplay. It was Harris’s music, Madhavan’s chocolate boy antics and Vivek’s comedy that made the movie a box-office hit. The movie also introduced Thamarai as a lyricist. Minnale firmly established the duo as a force to reckon with.

The pair invariably re-ignited the blockbuster with every subsequent outing – ‘Rehana Hai Tere Dil Mein’ (‘Minnale’ remake), ‘Kaakha Kaakha’, ‘Gharshana’ (‘Kaakha Kaakha’ remake in Telugu), ‘Vettaiyadu Vilayadu’ and ‘Pachaikili Muthucharam’. While all was going well with the pair, Gautham had chosen A.R. Rahman as his composer for ‘Chennaiil Oru Mazhai Kaalam.’ When Ergo spoke to Ram, manager of Harris Jayaraj, he said that he did not know the details of the spilt and that it was Harris’s personal decision. Without divulging the exact reasons for the split, in his mail Harris had just said: “To create soul stirring music, the bond between a music composer and the director is vital. Once it’s lost its difficult to get back.” He has also thanked Gautham for introducing him into the industry and giving him good projects. “Gautham’s films have played a vital role in my life. The films have helped to explore my versatility and showcase my talent to the world and kept me where I am today.” He adds: “I never thought our combination would create such magic when we started our career and it still surprises us even after eight years.” We could not reach Gautham Menon for his comments. ■

In his email, Harris writes: “… things have gone sour that it’s better for us to part ways as good friends leaving behind some beautiful memories.”

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ERGO Friday, November 14, 2008

Big Story

Prankenstein ERGO CORRESPONDENT [email protected]

T

he Oxford Dictionary defines a prank as ‘a practical joke or mischievous act’. The kind of thing the French-Canadian comedy duo of Marc-Antoine Audette and Sebastien Trudel, known as The Masked Avengers, played on the favourite dartboard called Sarah Palin. Imagine Palin talking on radio for nearly six minutes thinking she’s talking to Nicholas Sarko-

zy! “You know, I see you as a president one day, too,” said the Avengers. “Maybe in eight years,” replied Palin. Not something she’s likely to forget anytime soon. Irrespective of whether one’s sportive enough or not, there’s no escaping pranks. Either you pounce on an unsuspecting victim or someone else rubs his or her hands in glee while looking at you. Pranks are reality television’s favourite. Read MTV Punk’d (and its Indian version, Bakra) or Just for Laughs Gags on PO-

GO. The sight of an unsuspecting person falling prey to a sadistic prankster, followed by the delayed dawning of enlightenment, always elicits its share of laughs. Victims of MTV Punk’d include Justin Timberlake, who famously got trapped by ‘tax officers’ who threatened to put all his assets under the hammer, Elijah Wood, who pictured his entire career grounded before take-off following a run down with the cops, Lindsay Lohan and Usher, to name a few. Indian viewers remember with amusement Rahul Dravid

turned into a ‘Bakra’ by notorious motor-mouth Cyrus Broacha. The sight of a hassled Dravid trying to ward off a starstruck teenager’s wedding proposal, while at the same time managing to maintain a grip over his lunch plate, made for a rather entertaining episode. Bollywood loves them, too. Bluffmaster, as the name suggests, began, continued and ended with pranks. The conman (Abhishek Bachchan) prides himself on his ability to trick people out of their money, till one fine day the ta-

bles are turned on him. A tradition since the days of the 1975 flick Khel Khel Mein, which starred Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh, where a prank goes horribly wrong when the person the college students are trying to trick, Ghanshyamdas, is killed by a third party. Akshay Kumar starrer, Khel, was on similar lines. But then, not all pranks need have such dark endings. On most occasions, they’re nothing but a way to have some harmless fun at another’s expense, nothing more. ■

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Friday, November 14, 2008

Perfect and Fake

To cop it all…

My friend and I were always in love with the idea of falling in love. We believed all the romantic movies that we saw. She had a beautiful room with apple green curtains, where we would discuss “that someone” who would storm into our boring lives and take our breath away. But, in reality, we were 16, gawky with hairy legs and untrimmed eyebrows. So we didn’t get much attention from anybody, forget “that special someone”. We had a dictum, too: “It’s our fate to wait”. If you had known us then, you would see this scrawled in our diaries, behind our notebooks and on our desks at college. So we waited, and days turned to months and nothing happened. My friend looked disillusioned. It was then that I got introduced to ‘S’, the hottest guy in the neighbourhood , who, of course considered me as a little sister. I asked him a favour, whether he could woo my friend and pretend to be in love with her. After much cajoling, he agreed. It was a rainy day. My friend and I were sharing the umbrella with her dupatta flying around like a mini parachute. We took a sharp turn, and almost got hit by a bike. “Idiot,” my friend screamed. Their eyes met, ‘S’ takes off his helmet and looks deep into her eyes. “Yeah, but I am your idiot,” he says and vrooms away. If I didn’t know that this was orchestrated, I would have believed it. With a broken umbrella and a dead dupatta, my friend soaked in that perfect moment, smiling and blushing. I wish I could tell you that my friend met “that special someone”

Well, this incident was very funny to me but definitely not so funny for my friend. My friend from Infosys was the ex-boyfriend of a wellknown TV serial actress two years ago. But soon they separated and after a year she committed suicide (for some other reason). After hearing this news, I called up my friend and pretended to be the Asst. Commissioner of Police. I told him that we’ve found out that he was the boyfriend of the victim and so we wanted him to identify some photographs and get some more information from him. I then told him to come to the Adyar police station the next evening. My friend got really scared. Then I got scared that he might go to the police station the next morning itself, so I called him up again and asked for his address. I then made another call after an hour and told him that we were right below his apartment and asked him to come down immediately. He got really scared and as he was coming down I revealed my true identity and told him it was just for fun. He got really angry and didn’t speak to me for a week. However, I somehow managed to convince him otherwise. I heard from his room-mates that he cried and was really out of his mind after he got the call. I later realised it was a bad trick to play on him in that situation. Still, I laugh to myself when I think about this incident. Dude, I know you’ll fire me if you see this article in Ergo... Anyways, keep rocking!!!

and they lived happily ever after. She is no more today, and sometimes I wish I had told her that it was a prank. It was the only secret I held from her. ■

Vinoth Khanna S., Satyam Computer Services

Sundae, fun day An idle mind is the devil’s workshop and for a teenage boy who has just finished school and is doing nothing in his holidays, it is the devil’s workshop working overtime. It was during this time that I played a prank on my friend, Pradeep (same name). I called him up from my father’s mobile phone and asked him if he had written a slogan for a reputed ice-cream brand as part of a contest. I knew that as part of its promotional drive the ice-cream brand had distributed contest forms to all students in our school and everyone had written a slogan. As expected, he replied in the affirmative. I told him that he had won a sundae at the nearest ice-cream parlour belonging to that brand. I gave him a bogus 10-digit number and told him to go and mention this number and produce his proof of identity at the ice-cream parlour to get the sundae. He was overjoyed! All through the conversation, I managed to roll my Rs, flatten my Ds and talk in what could be called a desi-desperatelytrying-to-be-American accent. Apparently, it worked and he found himself in the parlour, claiming a sundae which was never his! That evening, I asked him about the sundae. That was when he realised who had taken him for a ride. Thankfully, he is a good sport and took it lightly and spared me any verbal or physical assault.

Namitha Jayanarayanan

Battle for the key There used to be one crackpot in my cubicle. One day, I took away her MP3 player and did not give it back when she asked for it the first time, as I used to do. She left in a fury. So, on the second day, she took my mobile phone, keys and wristwatch and put them in her locker and locked it. On the third day, she put her small bag in the locker with all her belongings, including her mobile phone which she cannot live without, and locked it. I somehow got hold of her desk key and took out all my things (which she had locked

Pradeep D., Hexaware

up the previous day). In the evening, while leaving office, she was puzzled when she did not find her key and hunted for it for more than half-an-hour, roaming the entire office. I, being a good guy, gave her the key and asked her to give my things back. Now, she got another surprise (as I had already taken back my belongings, without her knowledge). After five minutes she was relieved when I revealed that all my things were with me. I cannot refrain from laughing when I remember this incident. Pradeep

VILLAGE

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ERGO Friday, November 14, 2008

Cremation

Village

The Japanese cremate 93 per cent of their dead, as compared to Great Britain at 67 per cent and the United States at just over 12 per cent.

Mukesh Ambani, the richest Indian

R

eliance Industries’ Mukesh Ambani has overtaken NRI steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal as the richest Indian in the world, with a net worth of US$ 20.8 billion, Forbes said in its annual rich list for the country. Mittal, who has moved to second position with a net worth of US$ 20.5 billion, is followed by Mukesh’s younger brother Anil Ambani, whose wealth stood at US$ 12.5 billion. Telecom czar Sunil Mittal and realtor K P Singh are ranked fourth and fifth with net worth of US$ 7.9 billion and US$ 7.8 billion, respectively. The magazine said that the combined net worth of India’s 40 richest has declined by 60 per cent due to weak stock markets amid depreciating rupee against the greenback. Their total wealth is now US$ 139 billion, down from US$ 351 billion just a year ago, according to Forbes India Rich List. While all 40 tycoons listed last year were billionaires, only 27 have 10-figure net worths now. A net worth of 760 million dollar was needed to make to the list

Mukesh Ambani has overtaken NRI steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal as the richest Indian in the world.

India’s top 40 richest people Mukesh Ambani, Lakshmi Mittal, Anil Ambani, Sunil Mittal, Kushal Pal Singh, Shashi and Ravi Ruia, Azim Premji, Kumar Birla, Adi Godrej, Gautam Adani, Dilip Shanghvi, Savitri Jindal, Malvinder and Shivinder Singh, Anil Agarwal, Shiv Nadar, Micky Jagtiani, Indu Jain, Cyrus Poonawalla, Uday Kotak, Chandru Raheja, G M Rao, Vivek Burman, Anurag Dikshit, Kalanithi Maran, Venugopal Dhoot, Yusuf Hamied, Ramesh Chandra, Subhash Chandra, N R Narayana Murthy, Rajan Raheja, Brijmohan Lall Munjal, Baba Kalyani, Tulsi Tanti, Jaiprakash Gaur, Niranjan Hiranandani, Murali Divi, Hemant Shah, Gracias Saldanha, Anand Jain, Rahul Bajaj

this year, 840 million dollar less than last year. The Ruia brothers were ranked at sixth position with a net worth of US$ 7.6 billion, followed by Wipro Chairman Aziz Premji, worth US$ 7 billion. The magazine states that the combined net worth of brothers Malvinder and Shivinder Singh increased by US$ 550 million, thereby grabbing 13th place on the list. Their combined net worth stood at US$ 2.8 billion after they sold their stake in Ranbaxy Laboratories to Daiichi Sankyo. The list says the major loser was property tycoon Ramesh Chandra, whose net worth dropped by 91 per cent to US$ 1 billion. Among the new entrants in the list are retailer Micky Jagtiani at 16th position with a net worth of US$ 2 billion, followed by Divi’s Laboratories’ founder Murali Divi at 36th place with a net worth of US$ 870 million. Also Akruti City’s Hemant Shah stood at 37th place with a wealth of US$ 830 million. ■

Savitri Jindal

Savitri Jindal and Indu Jain in the list Two women – Savitri Jindal and Indu Jain – have made it to the Forbes list of 40 richest Indians this year. Savitri Jindal, Chairperson of O P Jindal Group, is country’s richest woman with a net worth of US$ 2.9 billion and is ranked 12th, according to the latest US magazine Forbes’ India Rich list. Bennett, Coleman & Co’s Chairperson Indu Jain has also got a place among the 40 Indians Rich list and is at 17th position with a net worth of US$ 1.8 billion. ■ PTI

PTI

Lindsay Lohan calls Obama ‘coloured’

Rush hour rescheduled for crucial exams Rush hour was rescheduled, aircraft landings were delayed and even the stock market opened late as more than half a million South Korean children sat a crucial examination on Thursday. Parents could be seen praying outside schools where their kids were taking the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), a decisive factor in determining future careers. At Incheon city near Seoul younger students and graduates lined up outside a high school, cheering on test applicants and handing them cups of coffee and tea before their ordeal. Military training exercises nationwide were suspended and military aircraft grounded to avoid noise during audio foreign language tests, a spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff told AFP. AFP

Hollywood actress Lindsay Lohan used the derogatory word ‘coloured’ while talking about president-elect Barack Obama in an interview. “It’s an amazing feeling. It’s our first coloured president, so I’m thrilled to be a part of the country while that’s going on,” Lohan said in an interview while discussing her excitement over Obama’s victory in US presidential elections, the Mirror reported. The ‘Mean Girls’ star was talking about her role in ‘Ugly Betty’. Though the 22year-old actress has supported Obama in an election rally but she also favoured his rival John McCain.

China plans for 9 nuclear plants

Google Inc said on Thursday it is launching a new feature to help businesses that use its Site Search service to instantly incorporate and update new Web pages in the latest phase of its expansion into business services. Although Google is best known for its free consumer search, which is supported by advertising revenue, the company has been developing more services that make money by licensing search technology or services to client websites.

China, the world’s second largest power user, plans to start building at least nine nuclear plants in the next two years, as it aims to reduce its dependence on power plants fired by dirty coal. China now has 11 working reactors with 9.07 gigawatts of total capacity and wants to raise its capacity to 60 GW by 2020, over 5 per cent of its total installed capacity, or enough to power Spain. Officials said China is considering raising the already ambitious goal to 70 GW by 2020.

Reuters

Reuters

PTI

Google to let businesses generate more search pages

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Friday, November 14, 2008

This day, that year

Physicist reproduces Vermeer

It was on November 14, 1963 that a new island was created off the Icelandic coast by an undersea volcanic eruption.

A University of Montreal researcher has reproduced Johannes Vermeer’s famed Girl With A Pearl Earring piece within a single drop of liquid vitamin on a microscope’s glass slide. The work is about the width of two human hairs.

Phone that brews coffee T

he new Pomegranate phone plays music, takes photos, browses the Web, doubles as a harmonica and a shaver, and even brews coffee. Internet chat rooms and blogs were abuzz with what is billed as ‘the ultimate all-in-one device.’ But if it sounds too good to be true, it is. It is actually a promotional gimmick to lure entrepreneurs to Nova Scotia, a province on Canada’s Atlantic coast. It is part of a 3,00,000-dollar marketing campaign launched in September by the Nova Scotia government to draw newcomers and businesses to the province. As hoped, it has duped tens of thousands into linking to a website promoting Nova Scotia. But it has also unwittingly provoked lively online discussions about the fake phone itself, with many longing for such a device to actually exist. “We wanted to reach out to key influencers, business leaders, expatriates, senior government officials who are bombarded with information, so we needed to stand out in the clutter,” Fiona

A promotional gimmick to lure entrepreneurs, the fake phone also provoked online discussions, with many longing for such a device to actually exist

Gibb, a spokeswoman for the campaign, told AFP. “What they all have in common, typically, is an interest in the latest and greatest technologies – iPhones, Blackberries, etc. So, we thought the Pomegranate phone would tweak their interest, and engage them,” she said. The website received 210,000 hits and most stayed long enough to learn a bit about opportunities in Nova Scotia, she said. But it’s too soon to say if anyone infected by the unusual viral marketing campaign is planning to move to Canada’s easternmost province. ■

The gimmick is part of a 300,000-dollar marketing campaign launched by the Nova Scotia government to draw newcomers and businesses to the province. AFP PHOTO

AFP

End of Iraq war

T

Bush indicted for treason charges?

he United States has ended the war in Iraq and Dated July 4, 2009, its front-page motto reads: “All the indicted President George W. Bush on treason news we hope to print” – a play on the Times’ famous charges, The New York Times reported on Tuesday. “All the news that’s fit to print.” OK, well not really. According to gawker.com, The Yes Men arranged a An elaborate spoof hit the streets of New York on Tueslightning operation where volunteers distributed the day: a convincing fake of The New York Times announcfake Times early Wednesday and also organised soing not just the withdrawal of troops from Iraq but a raft called viral emails to spread the word. of other US liberal fantasies. In a secret email sent from organisers, volunteers were Bush is indicted, Secretary of only instructed ahead of time that State Condoleezza Rice apologises “something cool!” will happen, rethat the fuss about Iraq’s weapons ported gawker.com. of mass destruction was invented, “You’ll receive materials and inand Americans are finally getting structions when you arrive. national health insurance. NOTE: YOU DON’T KNOW WHO And that’s just on the front page. DID THIS. We want to maintain The only problem? The free, 14maximum mystery around this, page ‘special edition’ newspaper – for as long as possible,” the secret and its equally realistic looking mail read. New York Times website – are phoA Times spokeswoman said: ney. “This is obviously a fake issue. We Website www.gawker.com has are in the process of finding out identified the pranksters behind more about it.” the stunt as The Yes men, a liberal One of the newspaper’s own group famous for practical jokes. online commentators had a witThe newspaper was a vision of tier retort: The New York Times front what Democratic Americans “Sorry, folks, the paper isn’t would love to see under Barack free. And the Iraq war isn’t over, at page proclaimation Obama after he takes power in Jaleast not yet.” ■ AFP nuary.

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ERGO Friday, November 14, 2008

Game Obama

Technorama

Barack Obama has inspired a new free online video game which sees him running round a world modelled on Nintendo’s Super Mario World. It also shows Obama collecting flags and dodging lipstick-wearing pit bulls, lobbyists, and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Games to buy for Prepare your thumbs for a pounding: gaming season is coming. Here are all the titles coming your way before the New Year chimes in

Strategy games

Shooting Games

Golden axe: Beast rider PS3, X360 A revival of the classic button-mashing hack ’n’ slasher of arcade and Mega Drive infamy. Ride unwieldy beasts, chopping appendages off of foes as you trot along, in glorious 3D. Secret weapon: According to Wikipedia, it’ll feature “dismemberments and nudity”

Halo Wars X360 Send a thousand genetically enhanced super soldiers to their grisly deaths in this wartime tactics game set during the war against the Covenant. Bloody aliens - always killing our Master Chiefs. Secret weapon: You can also play as the Covenant. Bloody humans – always killing our Elites and Brutes

Spore

Call of duty: World at war PC, PS3, Wii, X360 COD has gone back to the blood-soaked grit of World War II and is powered by an enhanced version of the Modern Warfare engine. Hold on to your metal hats. Secret weapon: A darker, more violent tone than previously

Mercenaries 2: World in flames PC, PS2, PS3, X360 Messy, contract destruction in war-torn Venezuela, all you have to do is make everything around you die, so hijack any vehicle, fire any weapon, and destroy any tract of land you fancy. Secret weapon: You can destroy everything apart from the sky

Fallout III PC, PS3, X360 It’s 2277 in Washington DC,

and something highly apocalyptic even by DC standards – has occurred. You must find your missing dad, whilst shooting the monsters who roam the wasteland. Secret weapon: Hundreds of different endings, depending on your in-game actions

Legendary PC, PS3, X360 A clumsy New York thief opens Pandora’s box - always a danger and much nastiness ensues. Fortunately, said clumsy thief becomes endowed with exactly the powers needed to defeat said nastiness. Handy. Secret weapon: Great, every-man for-himself brawls

PC, Mac A God-sim of massive scope, where you invent single-celled organisms and evolve them to space-faring galaxy conquerors. Along the way, you can dress them up however you want, like an all-powerful, Gok Wan. Secret weapon: You can upload your favourite creatures’ antics to YouTube

Infinite undiscovery X360 Enjoy sword ’n’ sorcery escapades in a constantly changing world. The developers claim it packs in 10 years worth of ideas and is a “true evolution” of RPGs, just as Darwin foretold when he discovered Final Fantasy VII. Secret weapon: You can interact with the game world to an unprecedented degree. It says here

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Friday, November 14, 2008

Robo Jules Robotics engineers at the University of Bristol in UK, actually made a copycat robotic head, called Jules, which can mimic the facial expressions and lip movements of a human being. The researchers developed their own software to transfer expressions recorded by the video camera into commands so that the servos produce similarly realistic facial movements.

the festive season Sports Games

PES 2009 PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, X360 Following PES3’s lacklustre debut, maker Shingo Takatsuka promises a complete overhaul and a return to form. And not in a Gazza post-Euro 96 way.Secret weapon: It should be back to the standards we’ve come to expect

The game: TNA impact! PS2, PS3 Wii, X360 Total Nonstop Action means lots of punching, which can only

Fighting games

Mortal Kombat versus DC universe

WWE Smackdown VS Raw 2009

PS3, Xbox 360 Batman fights Sub-Zero. Superman fights Scorpion - and wins, presumably. Either way, this looks to be a real comeback for the MK series, which has spent the last few years residing in the “where are they now?” file. Secret weapon: Offers the frankly implausible chance to rip out Superman’s spine.

DS, PS2, PS3, Wii, X360 This latest dose of leotarded grunting action offers up a brand new tag team mode and co-op storylines. Downloadable extras then crack you over the back of the head with a folding seat taken from ringside.Secret weapon: Lets you create your own signature moves - the reverse nelson sasquatch pile driver, for instance

be a fine thing. Fast-paced, ballsout scrapping, with none of that tactical nonsense to bog you down.Secret weapon: A live match has been filmed as exclusive game content

NHL 2K9 PS2, PS3, Wii, X360 You don’t have to be a hockey nut to play this: it’s pure arcade fun, with the all important fighting aspect of the game beefed-up like Jason from Friday the 13th. Music is provided by The Ramones, too. Secret weapon: Lets you use your Wiimote as a hockey stick

Driving Games

GTR Evolution

The wheelman

PC An add-on to Race 07, which is the official British Touring Car Championship game. The full version includes both, with the main reason to snap up the expansion pack being a smattering of new tracks and motor-mobiles. Secret weapon Fully-modded tracks ’n’ cars

PC, PS3, X360 Vin Diesel gets digitised for this tie-in with his latest celluloid classic. Expect swift motoring antics in a sweaty Barcelona, and plenty of entertaining nonsense. Secret weapon Features car chases inspired by Hollywood’s greatest

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ERGO Friday, November 14, 2008

BackPackers

Blissful Binsar Calm and peaceful on the laps of majestic Himalayas, Binsar is the place to rejuvenate your souls SHRINIDHI HANDE

B

insar is an enchanting hill station in the state of Uttarakhand (formerly Uttaranchal), located visibly close to the mighty Himalayas. Snow covered peaks, dense forests, curvy mountains and valleys coupled with friendly weather and people make Binsar an ideal holiday destination far away from maddening crowd. Our four days three nights trip to Binsar was highly memorable and took us up close with Himalayas. The drive through the valley was a refreshing one, with eye catching views of the rivers, hills and nature. We reached Binsar resort after nearly 24 hours of travelling-including a break at a resort in Naukuchiatal (Hindi for: nine cornered lake), where we stopped for refreshment and breakfast. Previous night it took ●

About Binsar

Binsar is a well known forest reserve and bird sanctuary, Binsar is situated at an altitude of 2,480m, on the Jhandi Dhar hills of Kumaon. Once the capital of the Chand Raj Dynasty, it is located at a distance of 26kms from Almora. ●

Sightseeing

Binsar wildlife sanctuary was set up in 1988, and spreads over an area of 45.59 sq kms. It is home to a variety of flora and fauna, and over 200 species of birds. Bineshwar Jageshwar Temple is a famous 16th century temple, eight km away with the shrine of Lord Shiva. Binsar is said to have been named after this temple. Four km from Binsar is the Golu Devta Temple, with the deity that is very popular all over Kumaon. ●

Tourism Info

Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam,Golu Deva Holiday Home.Almora Phone: 05962- 22180

us more than two hours of travelling from airport to the Delhi railway station, and had it not been for a sensible localite, who cared to guide us through a shortcut, we would have probably missed our train (Ranikhet Express) to Kathagodam. Rock climbing and rappelling was a new experience for most of us, which we enjoyed thoroughly, under the expert guidance of the resort’s activity staff. Day two consisted of a mild trek to Manipur villa, a valley view point and visit to Jageshwar temple, a Siva temple that is abode of 12 Jyothirlingas. The temple complex, consisting of 124 temples and hundreds of statues or lingas is surrounded by magnificent deodar trees that are centuries old. On Day three, we went out to explore Binsar Bird Sanctuary. This place is famous for its viewpoint from where one would get magnificent view of the great Himalayan mountain ranges. We were lucky to reach there just in time, before clouds could cover up the peaks. The aerial distance to the peaks was just 25 km from the view point, if a local guide was to be believed. Later in the day we headed out for night camping. The red and green coloured, ISO certified tents with comfortable sleeping bags made us think if it would be a better idea to stop paying a rent of several thousand rupees per month back home in Chennai and set up a tent close to our offices instead. Day four, we checked out, stopped at Almora, a city popular for sweets. After buying sweets we left for Nainitaal, enjoyed a swim in the Kosi River on the way. Nainital was another wonderful place to spend time at, but unfortunately we were short of time. After having a good look at the lake we left for Kathagodam to board Delhi bound Ranikhet Express, bringing a memorable end to our Binsar trip. ■ The writer is an avid blogger and a freelance writer

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Friday, November 14, 2008

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The new address in town LIFFY THOMAS [email protected]

I

t was one of those cloudy mornings in Kottayam. The South West monsoons had paid its annual visits to Kerala, but you know the State just has too many visitors. The North East monsoon that follows, however, is not accompanied by torrential rains and thankfully you don’t have to be under house-arrest. The days can be muggy, yet pleasant – but you never know when the rain gods shower you a surprise. It was during one of those days that we decided to witness the state’s latest spiritual destinations, which are attracting droves of people to two different locations in Kottayam district – Kudamaloor (the birth place of Sister Alphonsa) and Bharananganam (the tomb where she was cremated). For the uninitiated, this little district was in the news as its daughter of the soil was canonised as India’s first woman saint.

All roads lead to … If the backwaters of Allepey, hills of Munnar and beaches of Trivandrum are what make Kerala take pride in calling itself God’s Own Country, then Kottayam is here to give it one more dimension. Apart from the dime-a-dozen churches, Kottayam needs no introduction to hundreds of Ayyappa devotees going to Sabarimala year after year. It is either in Kottayam station or Ettumanoor that a majority of them alight before taking on the yatra to the rugged hills.

The Ettumanoor Mahadevar temple is equally popular among devotees coming from other states.

Spiritual route Around 40 km from Kottayam station is St. Mary’s Forane Church at Bharananganam. Between the school and the church is the museum which houses exhibits of the late sister. But for those who are not very spiritually inclined, we suggest the drive from Pala through Bharananganam under the cloudy sky is a delight. The smell of fish fried in coconut oil accompanied with fresh coconut toddy, workers tapping rubber in estates or spices being cultivated in large acres of land, even a walk will not wear you out.

Collector’s delight However, if you are more the kind who loves architecture, relics and all things old, my pick is Kudamaloor. Though the century-old house has been extended and modified, there is so much to appreciate here. A walk inside the lower middle-class three-roomed home promises to revitalise you. The low ceiling home is build of teak wood, with cow dung flooring and traditional style attic adding to the architecture of those days, something we don’t get to see in today’s plush houses. Surrounded by rubber estates on one side and palm on the side, the quaint little village promises to be a serene retreat. ■

Kottayam also beckons tourists for its churches and temples

Fact File How to get there: The city is well connected both within and outside the city by buses and trains. What else to see: Kottayam has been most synonymous with Kumarokom. There is also Wagamon on the borders of Kottayam and Idukki.

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ERGO Friday, November 14, 2008

I

f Hercules was a woman who had to lift the world on her shoulders, she would have loved this. From varying hemlines to necklines to sleeves and waists, clothes have seen it all. This time, though, the focus has gone a little higher – to the shoulders, that is. So far, when it came to dress shoulders, the closer to the body the better it was. While some clothes have dispensed with it, the new trend is a complete reversal. While sleeves have gone from tapering to butterfly to puffed, the silhouettes have kept alternating between fishtail, A-line, billowing, bubbles, layers and ruffles. However, when it came to shoulders, there have been no two ways about it. An accurate fit here has always been a dress or jacket’s first sign of a good fit. This has now changed. Dramatic, extended shoulders, sometimes even extending half a foot away from the anatomy, are the new statement. When Jean Paul Gaultier showcased his spring/summer 2009 ready-to-wear collection in Paris, the focus was on re-inventing the swimsuit and show how it could be worn with everything from suits to cocktail dresses. The jackets, too, caught our attention. Stiff, broad-shouldered to the point of being masculine, they provide definition and an illusion of power-dressing to an

Elie Saab

otherwise lean silhouette. Christian Lacroix incorporated the same in his spring/summer 2009 ready-to-wear line, this time on the classic LBD. Shoulders so broad and stiff, you could balance a tray on it and walk the ramp. Junko Shimada had another version of the stiff wide shoulder, making it an intersection of a puffed sleeve and starched shoulder. Alexander McQueen’s animalthemed spring/summer show came with sharp, geometrical, cuts, the shoulders jutting out in extreme angles. Lebanese designer Elie Saab, the red-carpet favourite (remember Halle Berry’s Oscar gown?), though well-known for the prettiest gowns ever, isn’t known to experiment too much with silhouette. This time, however, there was a departure, the dramatic extended shoulders ending in some extra-puffy sleeves. All eyes were on Hannah MacGibbon’s debut show for Chloe. The show was a success and spotted were this season’s weighty shoulders again. Marc Jacobs’ line for Louis Vuitton, widely titled ‘Mary Poppins goes to Dubai’, perhaps sums it up. When it comes to carrying it off, Victoria Beckham wins without objection. At the launch of her dVb clothing collection in Duesseldorf, Germany, her broad-shouldered jacket got as many SLRs clicking as her pixie crop. And coming to carrying it off, the un-ignorable premise is an extremely tiny waist and hips to match. We don’t want to look like American rugby players, do we? ■

(Anti-clockwise from top) Hannah MacGibbon fo Chernitsov, Frankie Xie for Jefen, and Victoria B dVb launch

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Friday, November 14, 2008

Portfolio

BULLETIN Tom Watch No, former Gucci designer Tom Ford will not be costuming his own film. Sources say Arianne Phillips, the stylist to Madonna and Oscar nominee for Walk the Line, has been enlisted to design costumes for A Single Man. The movie, Ford’s directorial debut, began shooting on November 10 in Los Angeles. NYT News Service

Schiffer and Saint Laurent

Shoulders, sometimes as good as a coffee table, are the new focus area

or Chloe, Max Beckham at the

It seems supermodels haven’t lost their lustre at Yves Saint Laurent. After Naomi Campbell featured in the label’s fall ads, Stefano Pilati has tapped Claudia Schiffer as the face of the fashion house for spring. Schiffer said at a British Vogue and Van Cleef & Arpels’ party in London that YSL is one of the campaigns she has shot for the upcoming season, along with ads for Dolce & Gabbana and Salvatore Ferragamo. Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin photographed YSL’s spring campaign in Los Angeles last month. NYT News Service

A suit called Obama Barack Obama’s elegance and fashion sense has inspired a Bosnian company to name a new line of men’s business suits after the US president-elect. “We chose the name ‘Obama’ for the suits, which were already selling well in Bosnia and neighbouring Croatia,” said Ahmet Curic, a manager at Borac, the company that produces the outfits. “It’s a line of top quality business suits, and naming it Obama was an obvious choice because the president-elect is clearly a very elegant man and one of a few who knows how to wear a suit,” said. Based in the central town of Travnik, Borac is Bosnia’s oldest clothing factory. It cooperates with several leading European fashion houses including Hugo Boss. AFP

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ERGO Friday, November 14, 2008

Insulin

Wellness

World Diabetes Day is celebrated every year on 14 November, a date chosen to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting, who is widely credited with the discovery of insulin in 1921.

The silent killer Sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy food habits, the two major risk factors of Type II Diabetes

DIET SIGNAL Go ahead Whole grains, steamed rice, phulka, chapatti, brown bread, ragi, popcorn Variety of sundal preparations, dhal-roti, sprouted whole grams, roasted grams, Bengal garm dhal. Salads, clear vegetable soups, steamed vegetable. A variety of fruits Cow’s milk, toned milk, skimmed milk, curd, buttermilk. Fish, chicken, egg white, boiled/grilled fish, tandoor chicken. Sunflower oil, Safflower oil, Groundnut oil, Gingelly oil, Soyabean oil.

Go slow Maida, vermicelli, white bread, bakery biscuits, tapioca, idiyappam, steamed noodles. Cream soups, vegetable juices (carrot juice). Unsweetened fruit juices, fruit salads. Whole egg, sea-foods like prawns, shrimps, crab, oysters. Coconut chutney, coconut-based preparations.

Avoid

V.HARIPRIYA [email protected]

W

atch your waist is a good watch word on the occasion of the World Diabetes Day. Those who are obese are prone to type-II Diabetes, a condition that could lead to a considerably difficult lifestyle, according to Dr. Vijay Viswanathan of M.V.Hospital for Diabetes and Diabetes Research Centre. Speaking to Ergo ahead of the World Diabetes Day, which falls on November 14, the doctor, said sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy food habits are the two major risk factors of type II diabetes and “the shocking fact is that over 3040 percent of professionals in the age group of 25- 40 are diabetics.” According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), there were an estimated 40 million people with diabetes in India in

2007 and this number is predicted to rise to almost 70 million people by 2025. “We, the Asian Indians are genetically prone to diabetes than the other ethnic groups in the world. When an obese person

Dr. Vijay Viswanathan

with the family history of diabetes, follows an unhealthy food habit with minimum physical activity, he falls under the risk of developing diabetes,” the doctor said. If the waist circumference of a man and woman reaches 90 cm and 85 cm respectively, they are termed as obese. When obesity is accompanied by mild increase in blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol, the condition is termed as metabolic syndrome. This leads to insulin resistance or glucose intolerance, where the body cannot use insulin or blood sugar properly, the reason for type-II Diabetes. “The reason for obesity in IT professionals is their sleeping pattern, lack of physical activity, no exercise/ walking and improper eating habits. When a person works just opposite to the biological clock, like working at night and sleeping during day, his

sleeping pattern and food timings are changed. Adding to this, junk foods and stress spoil health and make one obese” Dr.Vijay said. Symptoms The common symptoms of type II diabetes are frequent urination, thirst, fatigue, excessive hunger and sudden loss of weight. Who should go for screening? According to Dr. Vijay, people with family history of diabetes and obese should go for a diabetes screening. Also women who gave birth to big babies and who had gestational diabetes should screen for type-II Diabetes. Prevention Prevention of diabetes is very simple. Shed your weight by proper exercise or walking. While in office avoid lift and opt for healthy food in canteen. Drink as much water as possible. Sleep well and eat at right time. ■

Parota, poori, sweetened breakfast cereals, butternan, biryani, fried rice, cakes. Dhals with excess ghee, deep fried pulses, dhal preparations, Dhal makhani, vada, bonda, bajji. Vegetable curries with excess oil/coconut milk, vegetable pakoras and koftas. Sweetened fruit juices, fruit shakes, fruit based desserts. Whole milk, condensed milk, cheese, sweetened milkshakes, payasam, ice creams. Mutton, pork, beef, organ meat(liver, brain), fried fish/chicken, butter chicken Salted and fried nuts, dried coconut, coconut oil, ghee, butter, vanaspathi, margarine Sugars,jaggery, sweets, confectionaries, chocolates, sweetened beverages.

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Friday, November 14, 2008

Size matters The colour of a chilli is no indication of its spiciness, but size usually is - the smaller the pepper, the hotter it is.

The DPD syndrome It involves lot of time, patience and strategy for girls to choose clothes for every date VIPASHA SINHA

T

omorrow is my one-month anniversary with my boyfriend Rahul and as usual I don’t know what to wear. This special day needs some extra-special dress but I have already worn all the good ones that I have and it is out of question that I repeat them. Ever since I started dating him, my ultimate aim has always been to surprise him with my looks. I don’t know if I have ever succeeded in that but his routine ‘You are beautiful’ dialogue is convincingly satisfying. Believe me, only I know that how much time and money I splurge on narrowing down on my wardrobe. Not to repeat my clothes is my biggest concern. I don’t want Rahul to ask embarrassing questions like “Hey, is this the same shirt you wore to 10 D last time?” or “This was the jacket you wore when I met you

Believe me, only I know that how much time and money I splurge on narrowing down on my wardrobe. Not to repeat my clothes is my biggest concern.

for the first date” (this may sound sweet, but it is definitely not). Relationship columns say that guys notice the gals from head to toe, this is reason enough for us to hunt for new clothes every time. So, it’s a Dress Per Date (DPD) syndrome, the more I date, the more I buy. I don’t blame Princess Diana for not repeating her clothes, I can totally understand! I have tried all the discount sales, factory-outlets and the fashion streets around the city and it is still ‘mission (+ ve ly) impossible’ to get that perfect buy for every perfect date. Tomorrow on our special date, I have to dress different, and that ‘different’ should be something different from what I’ve worn in the past month. That is not all. The shoes, the earrings, the perfume, the pendants, the rings, the belts and the hairstyle has to be taken care of. So Rahul better multiply the gifts and their frequency! ■

Shed tears to stay healthy Crying is not only a stress-buster, but is good at healing too

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re you alexithymic or anhedonic? You may profit from therapeutic interventions to stimulate your lacrimal apparatus. In other words, if you can’t feel emotions or are unable to derive pleasure from good experiences, make yourself weep with medical help, scientists across the world advise. And if you don’t suffer from either symptom, carry on weeping still, for good health, they suggest. Why we cry and what happens when we do is still a mystery, but that hasn’t stopped researchers from studying its effects. Their latest research suggests that crying is not only a stress-buster, but is good at healing too. Emotional tears A clue to the purpose of crying

perhaps lies in the experimental finding that emotional tears contain different compounds from regular eye watering, such as that triggered by chopping onions. Tears associated with emotion have higher levels of some proteins, and of manganese and potassium, and hormones, including prolactin, than mere eye watering. Manganese is an essential nutrient. Too little of it can lead to slowed blood clotting, skin problems, and lowered cholesterol levels. Potassium is involved in nerve working, muscle control and blood pressure. Prolactin is a hormone involved in stress and plays a role in the immune system. William Frey, professor of pharmaceutics at the University of Minnesota, is quoted by The

Independent as saying: “Because unalleviated stress can increase our risk for heart attack and damage certain areas of our brain, the human ability to cry has survival value.” Skin sensitivity New research shows that crying increases arousal of certain body functions to ward off some physiological threats. In support of this theory, some research shows that skin sensitivity increases during and after crying, and that breathing deepens both considered healthy signs. “It is possible that crying is both an arousing distress signal and a means to restore psychological and physiological balance,” say researchers at the University of South Florida. ■ IANS

16

Sport

ERGO Friday, November 14, 2008

New bat to add to batsmen’s delight A new design of cricket bat, likely to find acceptance in Twenty20 format of the game, which will allow batsmen play shots using both sides of the willow has been developed by bat-makers Gray-Nicolls. Batsmen, including Andrew Symonds, have been experimenting with using the back of the bat but have been restricted by its angular shape. The new bat, which will need ICC approval, is expected to open scoring options for the batsmen in the Twenty20 version of cricket with its smaller and pressed hitting area on the reverse side of the blade.

Indian challenge ends at Tennis Masters Cup Mahesh Bhupathi and his Bahamian partner Mark Knowles crashed out of the season ending Tennis Masters Cup after losing their virtual quarter-final clash against Luis Horna and Pablo Cue Vas in Shanghai on Thursday. The third seeded IndoBahamaian pair lost their last round robin match of the Red Group 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (4-7), 5-10 to the eighth seeded Peru-Uruguay combination. Both the pairs had come into the match with one defeat and one victory. It was a must win match for both the team in order to qualify for the semi-final stage. With this defeat, Indian challenge ended at the prestigious USD 4,45,000 event as Leander Paes and his partner Lukas Dlouhy also failed to make the semi-final cut. Only the top two teams of the Red and Gold groups will compete in the semi-finals. Paes and Dlouhy finished last in the four-team Gold group. PTI

Amritraj reaches round two Prakash Amritraj prevailed over qualifier Izak Van Der Merwe in a fiercely fought opening round match to advance to the second round of the USD 50,000 ATP Challenger series event in Champaign, USA. The un-seeded Indian Davis Cupper came from behind to pip his South African opponent 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) in the opening round of the hard court event. Prakash will next take on Australian giant killer Carseten Ball, who stunned top seed and local favourite Vincent Spadea in his opening encounter. In the doubles event, Somdev Devvarman and Izak beat Kiwi-American combination of Gd Jones and Connor Roth 6-1, 3-6, 10-8 to advance to the second round. PTI

Mithali, Jhulan cling on India’s Mithali Raj and captain Jhulan Goswami hung on to their third position in the batters’ and bowlers’ charts respectively in the ICC Women’s ODI rankings issued on Thursday. However, veteran batter Anjum Chopra has slipped out of the top 20 to be placed at the 21st position. Apart from Jhulan, Rumeli Dhar (8th) is the other Indian bowler to find a place in the top 10 chart. The batting list is being headed by Claire Taylor of England with Indian-born Aussie Lisa Sthalekar in the second spot. Indian-born Isha Guha of England continues to top the bowlers’ chart followed by Australian Shelley Nitschke. Meanwhile, no Indian finds place in the top five all-rounders’ list, which is being headed by Australia’s Sthalekar and followed by her team-mate Nitschke. Nicola Brown of New Zealand occupies the third position. PTI

BCCI OFFICIALS IN DOCK Another victory for resurgent Dalmiya ERGO CORRESPONDENT [email protected]

T

he fight for supremacy and control of the Board of Control for Cricket in India took an interesting twist on Wednesday when the Calcutta High Court decided to initiate criminal proceedings against six of the board’s top officials. If proven guilty they could face prison sentences ranging from three to seven years. Justice Nadira Pathariya passed the order eight months after the former BCCI and ICC president, Jagmohan Dalmiya, moved a case of perjury against the then BCCI president Sharad Pawar and other Board officials for allegedly producing false documents in court. The High Court passed the order and directed its Registrar to start criminal proceedings under section 195 of CRPC (prosecution for contempt of lawful authority of public servants for offences against public justice and for offences relating to documents given in evidence) at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s court, Kolkata. An elated Dalmiya camp welcomed the move and the man himself hailed the court’s judgement and said: “At last my stand has been vindicated. I have full faith in our judiciary and I know truth always comes out.” Since his unceremonious ouster from the BCCI in December 2006, Dalmiya has trained his guns against Pawar and Co. and has accused them of carrying a “witchhunt” against him, to try and maintain their control over the cash-rich and powerful cricket body. The Board had filed a series of cases against him and had debarred him from holding any posts, accusing him of money laundering from the 1996 World Cup accounts. But after earning a reprieve from the same court earlier in the year, Dalmiya has wrested power at the Cricket Association of Bengal and had even attended the BCCI AGM in Mumbai in September. Speaking about the proceed-

PHOTO: AFP

ings, Dalmiya said: “After my unjust expulsion I thought I didn’t deserve this and decided to challenge it in court. When I first approached the High Court, my lawyers pointed out that the documents relied upon had a lot of discrepancies. So I filed a case for criminal prosecution.” Dalmiya had alleged that the Board had placed forged documents before the High Court for the registration of an amendment to BCCI’s Clause V of Rule 38, which relates to disciplinary action against a member of the Board. He said that the BCCI had wrongly claimed to have received consent from the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration body to register the amendment at a later date and so his expulsion was void. The BCCI officials who have got themselves entangled in this legal

mess are president Sashank Manohar, former president Pawar and four top officials Ratnakar Shetty (chief administrative officer), Niranjan Shah (former secretary), N. Srinivasan (secretary) and Chirayu Amin (junior cricket committee chairman). When contacted, Shah refused to comment on the matter, stating it was sub-judice and that the BCCI lawyers will deal with it accordingly. Shetty also decided to stay mum. Pawar, the ICC president-elect, towed the same line. “What we are confident is that we will be able to bring the proper facts before the honourable court. I think we can only comment after we have seen the papers and discussed it with our lawyers,” the central minister told a news agency on Wednesday. ■

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Friday, November 14, 2008

‘‘

He (Ponting) is a player who has always put the team first and he has never measured success by personal statistics. Any suggestion that he put himself first ahead of the team last week in Nagpur is completely off beam and can only come from someone who does not know him or understand him. CA CEO James Sutherland

England faces tough India challenge E

ngland fast bowler Stuart Broad recovered from a sore knee to be named in the playing eleven for Friday’s opening One-day International against India. Broad had been doubtful of playing after he pulled out of the tourists second warm-up match on Tuesday, boosting England after left-arm Ryan Sidebottom was ruled out due to an Achilles injury. The tourists also picked pacemen James Anderson and Steve Harmison alongside all rounder Andrew Flintoff in a pace-oriented bowling attack for the first of the sevenmatch series. “I think our bowling has been pretty special,” skipper Kevin Pietersen told a news conference on Thursday. “I think that’s been our strength against South Africa,” he said, referring to the 4-0 series win in September.

Batting blues Poor batting form remains England’s big worry after they suffered a humiliating Stanford Twenty20 Challenge defeat in the Caribbean last month where they were bowled out for 99. They were also skittled for 98 by a secondstring Mumbai team to lose their second warm-up game on Tuesday. “I think the guys will have a work a little bit harder,” Pietersen said. “I just think we

ENGLAND PACEMAN BROAD DECLARED FIT FOR FIRST ODI

Andrew Flintoff (right) and Stuart Broad during a practice session PHOTO:

PTI

lack competitive cricket, and hopefully we’ve learnt enough lessons in the last couple of weeks so that we can come out and fire on all cylinders.” England won last year’s home ODI series against India 4-3 after losing 1-5 in their previous series in India in 2006.

New ball game India will look to quickly adapt after completing a 2-0 Test series victory over Australia four days ago. “It’s never easy when you are playing back to back international tournaments,” skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. “In three days time to switch over from the last Test series and get on with one-day cricket, it’s quite tough, but as an international cricket team you will have to do it. Half the side does not play the Test game. That’s in a way good, some of them are fresh.” Fast bowler Ishant Sharma was ruled out of the match due to an ankle injury while batsman Sachin Tendulkar has been rested for the first three matches. After the opener in Rajkot, the series will continue on to Indore (Nov. 17), Kanpur (Nov. 20), Bangalore (Nov. 23), Cuttack (Nov. 26), Gauhati (Nov. 29) and New Delhi (Dec. 2). The one-dayers will be followed by two Tests. ■ Reuters

18

ERGO Friday, November 14, 2008

Flick A

bhishek Bachchan, who pretends to be gay in Dostana, says the film does not make fun of any community and adds that he wouldn’t mind doing a film like Brokeback Mountain. “Actors are required to do many things, not all close to their personality or orientation. I wouldn’t call Dostana unusual. I’d call it unique. It’s a very funny film,” Abhishek told IANS in an interview. Set in Miami, Florida, Dostana is about two friends Abhishek and John Abraham, who pretend to be gay to get an accommodation. “I don’t think there’s anything objectionable on homosexuality in Dostana. We aren’t trying to make fun of anybody. We aren’t making a comment on any community.It’s not about homosexuality. It’s not a Brokeback Mountain,” he said. Would you do a Brokeback Mountain? Yes, why not? It’d depend entirely on the script. Last week you gave everyone a scare by falling ill. Unfortunately, falling ill is a part of life. I was shooting in the rain and I got a viral fever. Now I’m back on my feet working hard. Now that your Dostana is being released, don’t you feel left out of the excitement? I wouldn’t say left out. But, yes, I do feel a bit disconnected because I’m shooting for Mani Ratnam’s film in the jungles of Kerala, two hours’ drive from Kochi where there’s no network. It’s very tough to connect with the world. Is that a blessing or a curse?

Britney’s secret project American pop princess Britney Spears is said to be working on a top secret project with her manager and choreographer.

Both. A blessing because there’re no distractions and one can get completely into the world of the film. Once we wrap up, all of us head for the gym and then sit on the scenes for the next day. On the deficit side, I don’t get to connect with my loved ones. God forbid, if there’s another medical emergency. How do you feel about the very unusual space that you’re occupying in Dostana? Why do you call it unusual? We’ve never had a comedy where the two heroes masquerade as gay characters, though we did have Rishi Kapoor and Paintal in drag throughout Raffoo Chakkar decades ago. There you have it. Actors are required to do many things, not all close to their personality or orientation. I wouldn’t call Dostana unusual. I’d call it unique. It’s a very funny film. I haven’t done a comedy in a long while. The last one was Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. But Dostana is a full-on comedy. So a first for me! How do you think the gay community will react to Dostana? I don’t think there’s anything objectionable about homosexuality in Dostana. The film is a love triangle. John and I tell Priyanka we’re a couple in order to

become tenants in her house. We aren’t trying to make fun of anybody. We aren’t making a comment on any community. I don’t think anyone needs to be offended. . Are you as friendly with your Dostana co-star John off screen as you’re on screen? In the film, John and I are rivals. Off screen John has been a dear friend from the time we did Dhoom together. That was our first hit. So there was a bit of an emotional connection there. We’ve remained friends since then. We truly had a blast shooting Dostana. You must have been extremely disturbed by your dad’s illness? Of course! I think any parent’s illness is extremely disturbing to any child. I’m not an exception. We hope our parents will never fall ill. But they do. I love my father immensely. I dealt with his illness as best as I could. And I hope I’m half as good a son as he was to his parents. That’s a hard act to follow I know. But I don’t compare myself as a son to my father. I just try to follow in his footsteps. Calling it a hard act is very cynical. I look at his track record as a son as very inspiring. ■ IANS

I won’t mind doing a film like ‘Brokeback Mountain’:

Abhishek

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Friday, November 14, 2008

What’s your verdict? If you are among the first to catch Varanam Aayiram over the weekend, send in your verdict on the movie to [email protected] with the subject line: verdict

“New bond films too violent”

Cine City

Roger Moore says that he is disappointed at the level of brutality featured in modern day Bond films

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ormer James Bond Roger Moore has blasted the latest instalments of the super spy franchise, insisting that they are ‘too violent’. The veteran British actor, who played 007 in seven films during the 1970s and 80s, says that he isn’t a huge fan of new Bond films as they are too violent. He is disappointed at the level of brutality featured in modern day Bond films. “I am happy to have done it, but I’m sad that it has turned so violent. That’s keeping up with the times, it’s what cinema-goers seem to want and it’s proved by the box-office figures,” Contactmusic quoted him, as saying. Meanwhile, the latest Bond film Quantum of Solace, which stars Daniel Craig as the suave secret agent, has so far grossed more than 106 million dollars worldwide. ■

Ash and paparazzi

ANI

After the leaking of Endhiran photos in internet, director Maniratham is cautious that the same doesn’t happen for Ravan. In order to keep away from paparazzi, the ace director wraps Abishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan with blankets after they get dressed up in their resort every morning. They are escorted to the waiting jeep, which is again closed with thick bed sheets and are taken to the shooting spot.

Anil Kapoor plays autistic in Yuvvraaj A

fter the success of Taare Zameen Par, now Anil Kapoor will be seen as an autistic in his forthcoming movie Yuvvraaj. “Anil plays elder brother to Salman and Zayed Khan. Subhash Ghai had been meaning to incorporate a physically-psychologically challenged character into his script for a long time. It was Anil who told Subhashji the story idea for Yuvvraaj,” a source told IANS. If sources are to be believed Anil’s reference point in Yuvvraaj is Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump. This isn’t the first time that Anil is playing an autistic role. In K. Vishwanath’s Eeshwar too he was cast as a slow, saintly man who wins over a village widow. Shah Rukh Khan too plays an isolated Muslim suffering from an autistic disorder in Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan. IANS

Cheran teams up with Jeeva Actor Cheran and Jeeva are joining hands for a movie produced by Super Good Films RB Choudhary soon. Cheran will not be directing the film, but would be playing a prominent role in it. The film is directed by Brindha Sarathy, who did Jeeva’s Thithikudhae. The shooting will commence once Cheran completes his works for Pokkisham. Jeeva also has plans to do a movie alongside Srikanth.

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ERGO Friday, November 14, 2008

Thursday’s Question: If you were a referee at your office, for what offences would you give yellow or even red cards?

■ Nodding their head for what everyone says. Nasir Ahmed, TAG, Perot Systems

■ If I found my associates sleeping in the cafe or putting ’kadalai’ in canteen. Srinivasan (Perot Systems), Ganga (Wipro)

■ I would definitely give a red card to people who over react, show faces to junior employees and underestimate junior talents. Meenakshi Mohan, TCS

■ A red card for a person who always take n number of breaks and says... “Less tension, more work” Arunkumar Raja, CGSL

■ Work while you work and play while you play is our team motto.... So its not necessary for yellow or red cards Vinoth Kumar, Allsec

■ Red card for finding defects in the code. D. Raja, TCS

■ If anyone corrupts the office culture by staying beyond working hours. Dai vituku pongada! Yacub, Patni Computers

■ I would give yellow cards for biased appraisal, lazy and irresponsible act and red card for eve-teasing, stalkers and sexual favour for accelerated growth. Rahul Bhatia, TCS

■ For persons who often makes the workstation dirty, I would issue red cards. Kicha, CGSL

■ I’ll give yellow card to those who are working in the morning and red card to those who are working after lunch. We are supposed to sleep in office man! Suju, Ajuba Internationa

■ I would give red card to an employee who speaks through mobile phone during meetings. Vasan, Thinksoft

■ I would give red cards for the girls who laugh loudly in floor for mokkai jokes. A.G. Sivakumar, Perot Systems

■ I would give red card for people who take long coffee breaks. Sundar Narayan, Polaris

■ Whenever my boss asks me to work

overtime I would give him a red card Satish Kumar, Inautix

■ I’ll give red card to the canteen staffs as they are not customer friendly towards delivering the stuff. Dhananjayan, Scope International

■ Those who are not properly attired following dress codes should be given red cards and people who speak on the mobile phone in work station should be given yellow cards. Sriram , Perot Systems ■ For using company landline numbers for talking to girl friends pretending to be attending business calls. Priyaa JS, Sutherland

Shanmugapriya of Anantara Solutions has nominated her team members as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Green Meadows resort.

■ Speaking very loudly on the phone in work area. Jude, Infosys

■ Yellow for early cabs and buses .. Red for still being early Aaron, Wipro

■ I will give yellow cards for those who sleep during office hours and red card to those who take credit for other’s work. Rakshita Sreenivasan, Wipro Technologies

■ A yellow card for not switching off the fan, tubelights and monitors before leaving for the day.

E.Ethies from Calsoft has nominated his team as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Residency Towers.

Ashwin Bhargava, Infosys MCity

■ I would give a red or yellow card if anybody would ask us to work on holidays. Rohit, Bell Canada

You are invited for some coffee, biscuits and freewheeling chatter

■ If my TL assigns me a work that I’m suppose to do I would give "red card" Sudhan Wipro

■ Cynicism could merit a yellow card while any kind of personal abuse, a red card. Sridhar R, STG

■ I will give yellow card for not even taking the tea break and working sincerely. And red card for coming to office without taking any leave and also working after the shift hour Bala (PMC), Satish (Ramco System)

■ Yellow card for playing computer games during office hours. Red card for loud, annoying cell ring tones. Red card for sycophantic boss pleasing. Rajan, AB DRC

Today’s query: Recall your favourite fancy dress moment from school days ...

W

e are soon launching our discussion forum - Chatterbox - through which we want to discuss with you the issues that affect you the most. It will be a forum where you can voice your opinion - quite literally through the Chatterbox podcast that would be hosted on our website www.goergo.in. Also we will feature the Chatterboxers in our tabloid. The first Chatterbox forum will be on the topic ’Marriage’. The chat will be on issues ranging from marriage vs career debate to the arranged marriage

vs love marriage argument. If you want to be among the first to participate in Chatterbox, send in your requests to [email protected], with a brief profile of yourself and your views on the topic. You can also call us to register on phone at 2857 6688 between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. We are working out where the Chatterbox discussion will happen - most probably in a cafe. The discussions will happen on Saturday evenings and will not last beyond an hour. We will mail you back on the specifics.

21

Friday, November 14, 2008

■ Dear Suraj Kumar Jana, Wish you many happy returns of the day. May God bless you with all love and affection. Wish you all success in you future endeavours. Hearty Wishes, Naseem Ahamed, Navin K, Wipro

■ Hi Mahalakshmi Friends are God’s way of taking care of us. Thank God I’ve got you. A very happy birthday to you my friend. Wishes from Gopalan.J, Krishnamurthy, Rajagopalan, Ganesh, Shanmugavel, Infosys

■ Hi Senthil alias Marshall, Wishing u many more happy returns of the day with lot of surprises, joy and happiness in the coming years da... Urs loving sister, Agila.M, Wipro Technologies

■ Hi Vidya, Kick off ur shoes,take a break,Crank the tunes,Dance & Shake,light the candles,cut the cake. Make ita a day,that’s simply Great!!! Hope this day will bring you an extra share of all that makes you happiest. Advance Happy B’Day....!!! Vigneshwaran,Vignesh Kumar, Pappy, Vikram, Rathi, Viji, Vinitha, Infosys Technologies Ltd., Mcity

■ Dear Charanya, You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt, as young as your selfconfidence, as old as your fear, as young as your hope, as old as your despair”. Lovely friends wishing u Many Birthdays to come With Blessings from, Shuttle 1 – “Rocking Stars", Accenture

■ Hi Padmaramya, “Many more happy returns in advance…” Manager N crew, HCLT, Vadapalani

■ Dear Abhi (Abhishek), Wish U a Maaany more Happppyyy returns of the day... Let ur dreams come true... :) Have a Fun rocking Day

your dreams come true.

ahead... Regards, Bala and Freinds, TCS

■ Dear Deepa & Saravanan, Your anniversary is a time. For sharing your affection; It’s obvious the two of you. Have quite a deep connection! We send glad congratulations. And heartfelt wishes, too, for joyful happiness and love In everything you do. Our hearty Anniversary wishes to you on this spl occasion!!!! With Luv, Shanny, Sudhakar, Swamy, Saravanan, Ramya, Gautham, Pradeep & FTM team members :) Wipro Technologies

■ Hi Pushpa, This is a small prayer that comes specially on your way, From our little hearts, on the occasion of your birthday… And we shall pray the Almighty above, to bless… To keep you always happy, content and successful… Not only today… but this whole life full…………… Anbudan Un batch mate, Ramco systems

■ Hi Ajeet (ASCS), May your birthday be extra special, may your dreams and wishes come true.. because no one else in the whole wide world deserves it more than you. We wish you will be a child forever, with your face always smiling and your focus always on your planned achievements. We wish you a very Happy Birthday. With Lots of Love, Monu,Sree,Jaggu,Poonam, Nithiya,Hema,Balaji,Arijith, Susmita, Maheswar,Arul,Preethi, Prasad ,Mani MDB, TCS

■ Dear Deepa Karthick, Wish you many more happy returns of the day (15th November). Have lots of fun. Hope all your dreams come true soon. With Love, Karthick C

■ Hey Shoba! A simple celebration, a gathering of friends; Here is wishing you great happiness, a joy that never ends. Happy Birthday! May all

Cheers, Archana, Mahendra, Sunitha

■ Hi Priya (CP the gr8) !!!! Happy birthday!!! Wish u many more Bags, Pens, Watch’s & Mobiles !!! Lov, Preethu, Vish, Nalnu , Kads , Subbu.

■ Hai Mangaa...Tangoo (Krishna TCS) Unakellam oru porantha nalla da.. Sari Ponna Poguthu "Iniya pirantha naal vazhthukkal" Enna Kodumai saar ithu Ivanukellam Porantha nall wish ERGOla kodukanuma!

come With Care, Revathy, Saraswathy, Praga, Accenture

■ Dear Ram It’s just another day, but this one is the best of the year! Happy Birthday my sweetheart. With love Ravi, SNR TCS

■ Dear Shweta Bhatkal Happy Happy Birthday Dear...We wish u a very fabulous future ahead!! God Bless u! Remember us always as we do!!!:) Yours Gang 17thDecember2008 oracle, Wipro Technologies,

By Un Treatukaga kathirukkum........ Chantigadu Local, Kundavai (Chris friend), Arunachalam (Anja singam), Sundar(Black pandi), Thirumoorthy(Gounder), Ranjith(Silence Boy), Dinesh (Boongoo Teammember), Nathan(Onsite king), George (Monk) (TCS GE- Wind )

■ Ramesh, (Maclellan) Wishing you very happy Birthday on 16th Nov 2008. May God Bless you with all prosperity & bless you with many more returns of this day

■ Dear RaviKanth “Your birthday is a special time to celebrate the gift of ’YOU’ to the world.” Many More Happy Returns of the Day!!!!!

■ Dear Karthi, Wish you many more Happy Return of the Day… May Life lead you to Great Happiness & Success. Keep SMILING Always…

From Rockers, Accenture

Best Wishes, ACCC… Accenture

■ Dear Jingly Chitra, Wish you many more happy returns of the day… May HE bless you with abundance of love and care and fulfill all your wishes in the years ahead.

■ Hi Abi Chellam, Happy B’Day to you dear!!! Wish you all success in your future endeavours. May God’s Grace enrich your LIFE with joy, peace, happiness, health on your Special Day and Always!!! Have a Wonderful Birthday!!!!

With Love & prayers, Team GIT – Cognizant

■ Dear Raddy, Happy Birthday to you… Let this fabulous day be the beginning of another exciting year in your life… May almighty bless you with all delights and wishes in this Universe… With love and care, Madhusudhanan Mohanraj HCL Technologies

■ Dear Vishnu, You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt, as young as your selfconfidence, as old as your fear, as young as your hope, as old as your despair”. We lovely sisters wish u many birthdays to

The Chennai Admin Team(CAT), Citigroup Global Services Ltd

Hearty Wishes, From Ur beloved Friendz, TCS.

■ Hey, Muralidhar Reddy ( Honey ) Wish U a very sweet n warm Birthday, and many more & more happy returns of the day!!! You are the person, so passionate, supportive, caring and affectionate that the conversation with you in my path is to glory, Honey a step with you is my completness my life with you, It’s full of happiness the way you love me !. Thank’s for being my love in my life. Once again and again Many more happy

returns of the day, have a very nice & prosperous year ahead ... , May all the forthcoming days pour happiness and joy on you for your lifetime... Love you..... D.Usha Reddy.

■ Dear Chandana (daughter of my colleague Shankari), Wishing you in Advance of your stepping into 366th day of your life (1st birthday). May God bless you with all love and affection. Have a fun filled Birthday and let all your dreams come true. Hearty Wishes, Vinothkumar.A, CTS

■ Hi Raesh Kumar To our beloved buddy Rajesh Kumar (allsec technologies) as the day begins, here comes your way best of wishes with lots of love to adorn your day. Have a special birthday. With lots of good wishes from, Gopal, T.P,Pillai, Joshi and Santanna warriors.

■ Dear Shameel, Wishing you a Happy Birthday and many more to come.I hope all your birthday dreams and wishes come true.A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip. With cheers, Team,Verizon.

■ Hi Suseela Rao Wish u many more happy returns of the day n hop all ur dreams come true.Wishing u a bright future in Praja Rajyam Party !!! hav a great day .. Cheers, TELSTRA Team, Satyam Computers Ltd.

■ Dear Kiddo, Happy Childrens Day. Have Fun!!! DNA-RIGMOR team

■ Dear Raj, Advance Birthday Wishes (16th Nov). You’re older today than yesterday but younger than tomorrow, Happy Birthday! Have a wonderful day and fabulous year. Cheers, Chalz, Polaris

22

ERGO Friday, November 14, 2008

Traffic Jam

Tequila diamonds Scientists in Mexico have turned the country’s national tipple tequila into diamonds. The crystals are too small to be used in jewellery - but they may be used to detect radiation or as substitutes for silicon in computer chips.

sudoku

Prasanna Parthibhendran of Infosys Technologies sent us this picture. Hobbies: Travelling and photography

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 Head of Advertising: Sriya Narayanan [email protected]

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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

What strikes you the most when we talk about ‘poverty’? Tell us through one of your best photographs that has moved you, with details of the place, person, etc. Theme ‘Poverty’ will be featured in the Click Pick section till November 15.

KAKURO

23

Friday, November 14, 2008

Welsh council bans British

Word’s worth

A Welsh government council has warned its staff not to use the word ’British’ - in case it upsets people. Town hall workers in Caerphilly in South Wales say "many Scots, Welsh and Irish resist being called British" because it implies a false sense of unity.

"Spanghew" (spang-hyoo) to cause a frog or toad to fly into the air. (Usually violently, from the end of a stick, although it seems as though it wouldn’t ever feel gentle to the poor toad or frog!) Of obscure origin.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 Today you will be very much determined to finish off work that you have been assigned. You will not waste a single moment at office. In the evening you may have very nice conversation with your beloved or spouse which will add delight to the day.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 This is the best day to start working on new projects. The day also favours important meetings. You will be able to decide course of action for the projects on hand. You will change your stance in love life and try to woo your partner.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 You might waste time behind fruitless pursuits today. You may not even realise if you are working in a wrong direction. Ensure that your hard work won’t go to ‘recycle bin’. You may refresh yourself in company of beloved by spending quality time.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 Your creative talents may come to the fore today so you will do some ‘value addition’ to your routine work. In love life, you may remain deeply involved. There is also chance of meeting a group of friends today, indicates Ganesha.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 Instead of wasting time, you will focus on work today. Your career will uplift and some encouraging move may happen. Lovers may pay due attention to the relationship but somehow the partner may feel that you are not devoting time to the love life.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

You will be depending a great deal on the ‘luck factor’ today. Others may feel that you are handling your work very easily but actually you will be putting in lot of effort. Your goals may be achieved provided you don’t deviate from the path.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Technical area of work may not interest you. Even if you are designing a software, you may try to alter something in a creative way. You may remain very intense and demanding in love life, feels Ganesha. Your partner may find you very sensual today.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 At office, you might have to agree to what others say. Important meetings should go well. You may need to remain alert and maintain your dignity very smartly. Love life should go smooth, for you will let your partner decide anything and everything.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 It may be a busy day at work. Even if others are enjoying leisure time, you may be slogging far too much today. You might have to balance between your personal and professional life, else your partner may feel that you ’don’t care’ for the relationship!

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 Today you may develop new professional skills. Meetings may be handled judiciously. You may be inspired to develop a new and ambitious project. While you are with your beloved, you may wish to look attractive. Lovers may find the intensity of love.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 You may be tired of handling ’issues’ related to your work. Time may be wasted behind ’problem shooting’. Your superiors may direct a particular project and you will just have to follow it. In the evening, you will spend time with family members.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 If you had any confusion regarding your job, it may be cleared out. You may handle work with confidence. Ganesha finds you exchanging emails related to work. You will share some knowledge with your lover or may have intellectual discussion. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

!

24

ERGO Friday, November 14, 2008

ONE LOOK IS ALL IT TAKES

News and Newsmakers in picture

Valentin Pasquier, a French student of the Audencia Management School of Nantes, kisses a student on Thursday. Pasquier won the Guiness World record for the most kisses given in one minute, a total of 94. AFP PHOTO

US Singer Fergie unveils the Swarovski Star, which will adorn the Rockefeller Christmas tree erected yearly on the Rockefeller Plaza to mark the end of the year holiday season, in New York, on Thursday. Fergie unveiled the 550-pound, 9.5-foot star, made of 25,000 crystals which will be set atop the giant Rockefeller Christmas tree. AFP PHOTO

A rare Bengal white tiger yawns in its enclosure at the Singapore Zoo. An apparently disturbed zoo worker was mauled to death by three tigers which pounced on him at the Singapore Zoo on Thursday. AFP FILE PHOTO