Ergo November 18

A BYTE OF LIFE

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

04 DANCING TOTS dont underestimate them, these kids can put reality tv stars to shame FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 2

No. 219

Vandalur Zoo will soon allow its inmates to be adopted by animal lovers. » PAGE 03

PHOTO : R. RAVINDRAN.

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Antenatal workshop LifeCell International is organising an antenatal workshop by Rekha Sudarsan, child birth educator and lactation consultant. The class will be held on November 23 at Hotel Accord Metropolitan, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. For registration call 24892798 / 28171385/ 99410 18210.

Dial a mechanic Need help in changing a flat tyre or when your vehicle refuses to start? Some of these mobile repair stations could be of help.

Kwik Fitt Motors Address: 4th Avenue, Ashok Nagar Time: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Ph: 4203 3399 All four-wheelers

TVS Express Address: Poonamalle Trunk Road, Porur Time: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Ph: 2476 8818 All four-wheelers

Bike Zone Address: Next to Royapettah Government Hospital Time: 9 a.m. – 7.30 p.m., Ph: 4232 6262 All two-wheelers

Bike Point Address: Shenoy Nagar, Anna Nagar Time: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., Ph: 2622 3511 All two-wheelers

Jains Car Shoppe Address: Near Kasi Theatre Bridge, Ekathutangal Time: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Ph: 98419 33332 All four-wheelers (The services of some of these repair stations are restricted to a specific locality)

Guns don’t have hearts, what about you? Software professionals join hands to condemn the Sri Lankan government offensive against the Tamil rebels ERGO CORRESPONDENT [email protected]

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ore than 200 software engineers from different IT companies on the IT corridor (Rajiv Gandhi Salai) joined hands on Monday evening to voice their support to the ‘stop the war in Sri Lanka’ campaign that has been gaining momentum over the past few weeks in Namma Chennai. Actors Suriya and Karthi were there along with the software professionals, as was Ma Foi managing director K.Pandia Rajan. The participants wore t shirts with the slogans: “Stop the War. Guns don’t have hearts. Do you?” One of the participants, Ramesh Balasubramaniam, said the protest was strictly “non-political and entirely humanitarian” in approach. He said all the participants

were sent emails over the weekend to participate in the protest and every one had participated voluntarily. Among various demands, the protesters urged the Indian government mount pressure on the Sri Lankan government to cease

fire in the island nation. As a continuing mark of protest, some of the software professionals have decided to wear the ‘stop war’ tshirts to their office on Friday. Fridays are usually the days when non-formal dressing is permitted by most companies. ■

PHOTO: M.KARUNAKARAN

Learning from failures Sunday’s FailCamp succeeded on many counts ERGO CORRESPONDENT [email protected]

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hy I took five years to complete B.Com, when my debut venture bombed, when my partner cheated me, how I formed my company … ? Some of these are probably secrets that nobody would like to discuss, let alone bring up in front of a gathering. But on Sunday, many gave way to their inhibitions to share what it was to learn from their failures. The Knowledge Foundation, initiated by Kiruba Shankar, conducted the FailCamp on Sunday, at the aesthetically-designed of-

fice of Tenth Planet Technologies, in Anna Salai. The otherwise lazy Sunday saw entrepreneurs all charged up to talk about the how they started out, why their venture failed and what they learnt from their failures. Gogineni Kalyaan Kumar’s, VPMarketing of Quads IT Solutions, first venture failed when he was 23. “For an entrepreneur failure is nothing new, it is part of life,” says Kalyaan. “But, what was more interesting was to hear why one makes mistakes and the different viewpoints people have to say from one’s failures.” Shivakumar, for example, in his blog, www.mindinspiration-

s.com, writes that listening to Suresh (founder of Orangescape) was full of experiences and insights. “He sounded like a reservoir of information, and put forth a lot of his thoughts in very simple terms that people could understand.” At the end of the day what most people took home is that “many have goofed up in life” but failure is about fighting all those hurdles. Though tech start-ups dominated the gathering and it would have been nice to hear from more experienced entrepreneurs, as many had to say, events like FailCamp should only get the startup community closer. ■

03

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

My foster child is a beast! Vandalur Zoo authorities are awaiting the state government nod on an adoption programme for wild animals in captivity. They even hope that the patrons will get an IT exemption.

AYON SENGUPTA [email protected]

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our dreams of playing with a chimpanzee or feeding an elephant calf could well become a reality, if a proposal from the authorities at Arignar Anna Zoological Park gets the state government nod. Following the footsteps of the modern zoos worldwide and also few of its national counterparts, the zoo has plans to introduce an animal adoption programme for the public. A wildlife enthusiast or an animal lover can just walk in and adopt one of the many lions or tigers in the zoo for as less as Rs 350 for a day. An elephant adoption will cost a bit more at Rs 500 a day. The zoo will make special arrangements for the “foster parents” and they can be rest assured to get a privileged treatment and a much closer interaction with “his or her” animal (as close as the safety requirements would permit). “We don’t want to make money out of this,” explains Zoo Director and Chief Conservator of Forests (Tamil Nadu) P.L.Ananthasamy. “Our sole aim is to make the people more involved and for them

to understand how fragile our nature is and also the difficulties conversationalists are facing to protect wildlife.” “But while introducing the programme, we are making sure that we just don’t hand over the zoo to commercial interests. Welfare and comfort of the animals are our main priority and we will take every step keeping that in mind. I want corporates, individuals to come and help us in doing our duty better but I won’t allow them to virtually run the show for any commercial benefits.” The authorities have already

The adoption money will go towards feeding the animals. So naturally adopting the elephant will be a bit pricey. PHOTOS: R.RAVINDRAN

set up a specific guideline and procedure for the adoption programme and are only waiting for a green signal from the state government to implement the project. An individual or a corporate or any institution can adopt an animal for a day, a week, a month, six months or a year. The money will be used in only buying the feed for the

animals. Keeping that in mind, the officials have fixed the cost for a lion or a tiger at Rs 350, with each animal consuming seven kg of beef every day for six days a week. The zoo buys around 700 kg of beef daily at a market price of Rs 50 per kg. Ananthaswamy is even confident of getting an Income Tax rebate for the

project. “I have talked with the IT department and the response has been positive. I think we will be able to offer some tax rebate to the people who come forward to put money to provide for the animals. That would be a great step forward.” The Nandankanan Zoo in Orissa already has an adoption programme and also offers a tax benefit to its patrons. Few other Indian zoos that have an adoption programme are Mysore, Hyderabad, Darjeeling and Ranchi. ■

04 KALEIDOSCOPE

ERGO Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Life of galaxy An estimated 10,000 million of the 100,000 million stars in our galaxy have died and produced white dwarfs.

CHILD’S PLAY

Students from kindergarten to class Nine follow a rigorous grind to have all the fun at ‘Let’s Dance’ academy

VIPASHA SINHA

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f you think that dance is not child’s play, then you are in for a twist! You would have never imagined the ease with which a juvenile’s tender hands and teeny legs could move. Don’t go by their size, when it comes to dance, some of them can give the seasoned dancers a run for their money. Still can’t believe? Then watch out the kids of ‘Let’s Dance’ dance studio at EVK Sampath Road, Vepery. Here, kids right from their kindergarten to 9th standard train in all kinds of dance form. Mansoor Ahmed, DirectorChoreographer of ‘Let’s Dance,’ has been training children for nine years now. “Dance is an art and I want my kids to inherit it in the best way possible. Most of the time, importance is given for the adult performers and the kids are treated as a casual fare. Here we give the little ones the same facilities and the expertise that we offer the other dancers,” says the 26year-old choreographer.

Strict schedule The children follow a wellstructured schedule that is religiously followed. When Ergo caught up with the class, it found the students dressed in tracks or leggings with neatly made hair. After wishing their dance trainer Mansoor in a perfect action, the kids set themselves for an hourlong session. To brush-up on the previous

class’s lesson, the kids practice the steps for 15 minutes in the absence of the trainer which is followed by a 15-minute yoga sessions. The ever-energetic boisterous kids need to warm-up before the day’s session, they do the stretch exercises and gymnastics to flex their muscles for twenty minutes after which they shake their body to the music with their trainer. They come twice a week and all the kids are an integral part of the Annual event by Mansoor and his team. Kids are hard to handle when away from their parents but especially when they are handled strict “being strict doesn’t mean being harsh. I make sure that I have good rapport with all of them. It doesn’t limit only to dance, my students share their school and personal experiences with me. I can safely say, my students respect me and love me at the same time," smiles Mansoor. So much so that they have stayed with him for several years, some right from the kindergarten days. In age-specified batches of 16 each, classes at ’Let’s Dance’ are conducted twice a week which includes a complete dance-training package. For more details, contact Mansoor at 65367777. ■

PHOTOS: S. S. KUMAR

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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

US $ Pound Euro 100 Yen

Learn famous superstitions http://www.bored.com/ oldsuperstitions/index.htm Some images of the 80s toys in honour of the big screen movie http://www.transformertoys.co.uk

48.99 72.14 61.57 50.53

SOURCE: RBI

Websites of the day

A party ’serious’ about sex S

ex can now lead you to climb the ladder of politics! This phenomenon is being branded about in Australia where a political party is all set to be launched for all those who take sex ‘seriously’. ‘The Australian sex party’ with a slogan ‘we are serious about sex’ would be launched in Melbourne on Thursday. The party, which is targeting four million Australians who access pornography, believes it has a real chance of winning seats in state and federal parliaments. Its policies will include a national sex education curriculum, reducing censorship, abolishing government’s proposed Internet filter and supporting gay marriage. Party convener Fiona Patten was quoted in a media report saying that the Internet filter would put the Australian sex industry out of business in five years. “It’s a real step backwards to where we’ve come. In fact it’s far more censorial then we probably were 30 years ago,”

she said adding, “material that would be classified X-rated is considered illegal content and that is material that is currently available in newsagents.” “You will not be able to opt out of that block.” Emphasising over the need of national sex curriculum, Fiona said, “There’s so much concern about the sexualisation of children, children being exposed to material. I would have thought our first action would be education,” she added. ■ PTI

Calls for reducing censorship, introducing sex education at schools, abolishing Internet filters and legalising gay marriages

Wanna unlock teen daughter’s secret? Log on to mydaughter.co.uk

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eenage girls and their temper are some of the biggest mysteries for parents, therefore, in a bid to solve the enigma, headmistresses of Britain’ leading girls’ school have

launched a new website called mydaughter.co.uk. Created by the Girls’ School Association (GSA), the My Daughter website will be open to all parents, and not just those with

Top tips from the site: 1. It is unrealistic to expect your teenage daughter to be happy all the time: she’s on a journey, some turbulence is inevitable 2. Make sure she knows you love her for who she is, not for what you want her to become 3. Don’t expect your daughter to tell you everything. You’re not her best friend 4. Don’t automatically believe her when she says: “Everyone else is allowed to” 5. And the parent who says: “I know my daughter and she would never, ever lie to me,” the only answer is “Get real!”

daughters at the GSA’s fee-paying schools. The site will provide tips and advice provided directly from the GSA’s 200 headmistresses on topics that include- how to realise your daughter’s full academic potential, dealing with bullying, recognising eating disorders, use of social networking sites, friendships and how to communicate with your daughter. The website will be launched in January after a speech next week by Vicky Tuck, of Cheltenham Ladies’ College, the GSA’s president. Tuck thinks that Britain’s top head mistresses are perfectly placed to dispense such advice. “We have had thousands of

teenage girls pass through our care, as teachers and headmistresses. There’s not much that we do not know about dealing with girls and certainly nothing they could do that could surprise us,” Times Online quoted her as saying. Tuck said that the advice on the website will not only help parents, but would benefit the nation as a whole. ■ ANI

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Unhappy meal A Scottish man who attacked a McDonald’s employee in Australia for not serving him a normal meal while only the breakfast range was on offer has been fined and cautioned.

Infosys CEO Kris Gopalakrishnan

Australia, China to speed up process for FTA Australia and China have agreed to iron out their long standing differences over market access and investment policies and would speed up the process of forging a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The decision was taken during a meeting between Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Chinese President Hu Jintao in Washington, a day after the G-20 summit on the global economic crisis was concluded. In their hour-long meeting, the two leaders discussed on economic matters, including the Australia-China free trade deal. “We’ve agreed to adopt a fresh approach to the speeding up the conclusion of this agreement even more,” Rudd said. PTI

Jackson sued for breach of contract Troubled pop singer Michael Jackson is being sued by a sheikh for 4.3 million pounds for breach of contract. Thesun.co.uk reports that Prince Abdulla Al-Khalif of Bahrain had signed a deal for an autobiography, two albums and a musical with Jackson. And in return he gave Jackson an 180,000 pound Rolls-Royce. They met after Jackson’s acquittal on child-molesting charges in June 2005. And the prince also bailed out Jackson’s Neverland ranch. The sheikh has filed the case in London High Court.

Infosys for acquisitions in Europe, Japan

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espite the global economic heat. slowdown, India’s second Gopalakrishnan, however, said largest IT exporter Infosys the economic crunch had not afTechnologies on Monday fected the company’s hiring said it was looking at mergers and plans. acquisitions in Europe and Japan Earlier this fiscal, the software as it would “accelerate growth”. major announced it would hire “We are looking at acquisitions recruit 25,000 new people this fiand have a dedicated team work- nancial year. ing on it. We do not make an acThe company which signed 40 quisition based on valuation new customers in the last quarter alone, we will invest and acquire has revised its growth rate predicin companies which make stra- tion to about 15 percent annually. tegic sense and are The CEO said he able to integrate in Infosys wants was not very conthat entity properwhether the to invest in the cerned ly,” Infosys chief exnew US administraecutive officer and “right company tion led by Barack managing director for the right Obama would introKris Gopalakrishnan duce protectionist price”. said in Delhi. measures, offering tax “We had two fobreaks to American cus areas to fill a gap in our ser- companies which do not outvices like consultancy, business source jobs, as mentioned in the process outsourcing and geogra- Democrat leader’s campaign phy-based acquisitions, typically manifesto. in Europe and Japan, where with “I cannot make any comment acquisition we can accelerate on what policies the administragrowth,” he said. tion will adopt when Obama He said Infosys wanted to in- takes office in January. However, vest in the “right company for the in the past, we have seen that the right price”. mention of outsourcing and job Gopalakrishnan agreed that losses during the campaign did the economic situation was chal- not translate into change when lenging and companies working new presidents came in,” Gopain the non-financial services lakrishnan said. ■ IANS business were also facing the

IANS

Colombia fires more soldiers over civilian deaths Colombia fired 10 army officers and three soldiers on Sunday in a widening scandal over the killing of innocent civilians that threatens to further complicate a U.S. trade deal bogged down over human rights. The soldiers and officers are accused of shooting seven young men in the northern province of Cordoba and passing the bodies off as leftist guerrillas killed in combat. “We have taken action. The cases are now in front of the attorney general’s office,” Defence Minister Juan Manuel Santos said in a public address. Reuters

Taiwan nearing approval for casinos Taiwan’s parliament is set to legalise gambling on a group of offshore islands as soon as year end, legislative sources said on Monday, as local officials eye permits for three resort casinos to shore up their economy. The passage of a bill authorising gaming in the Penghu archipelago would bring Taiwan into competition with other East Asia gaming hotspots such as Macau and South Korea, and upcoming casinos in Singapore. Penghu, a summer destination in the Taiwan Strait which lies largely dormant during the winter months, wants to issue three casino permits. Reuters

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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Grave news

This day, that year

Human remains in the U.K. are to be dug up and re-buried deeper in the ground in double-decker graves to tackle a shortage of space for new burials, according to reports.

It was on November 18, 1883 that the United States adopted standard time and divided the country into four time-zones.

Japanese whalers set sail, says Greenpeace Japan aims to kill some 1,000 whales a year using a loophole in a 1986 global whaling moratorium that allows ‘lethal research’ on the ocean giants

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The Japanese whaling ship harpoons a whale in the Southern Ocean off Antarctica in 2006.

Just Rs10,000 for four samosas

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Dutch couple on a visit to Bihar paid Rs 10,000 (US$ 204) for four samosas, that usually doesn’t cost more than a few rupees, a newspaper reported on Monday. After the tourists ate the snacks, a stall owner at the Sonepur cattle fair last week told them his ‘special’ samosas cost more because they were made

apan’s whaling fleet set sail on Monday, environmentalists said, apparently on an annual Antarctic hunt likely to provoke fresh friction with anti-whaling countries such as Australia. Greenpeace activists said they saw the whalers depart from a port in western Hiroshima prefecture waved off by their families and whaling officials. The Fisheries Agency and Kyodo Senpaku, which owns the mother ship, refused to confirm whether the fleet had left on its annual fivemonth Antarctic voyage, which last year departed on November 18. “We cannot disclose any information on its departure out of consideration for the safety of the crew,” said a Kyodo Senpaku spokesman. Greenpeace said the fleet left from a pier on Innoshima Island, instead of its usual departure point of Shimonoseki, led by the 8,044-tonne ‘Nisshin Maru’ factory ship. “The fleet attempted to leave Japan quietly,” a Greenpeace statement said. During the last Antarctic hunt, activists from the US-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

tracked down and hurled bottles of chemicals at the fleet in an attempt to disrupt operations, leading Japan to label them ‘terrorists.’ Greenpeace also has denounced the hunt but decided not to chase the whalers this year as it fights to clear two activists being prosecuted in Japan on charges of stealing whale meat during an investigation into alleged corruption. Japan aims to kill some 1,000 whales a year using a loophole in a 1986 global whaling moratorium that allows ‘lethal research’ on the ocean giants. Tokyo says whaling is part of its culture but makes no secret the meat ends up on dinner tables. As the Japanese whalers set off, Australia unveiled a four-million-dollar (2.58-million US) scientific research programme aimed at persuading Japan that it is not necessary to kill the mammals in order to study them. The package also includes money to develop commercial whale watching in the Pacific and an independent assessment of Japan’s whaling programme. ■

Little devils

of herbs and had aphrodisiac qualities, the Hindustan Times said. After an argument, the couple paid the shopkeeper. But they later complained to a policeman. Police forced the shopkeeper to return the change – Rs 9,990. ■ Reuters

After the couple complained to police, the shopkeeper returned Rs 9,990

쒀 A pair of Tasmanian devil joeys (Sarcophilus harrisi) explore their habitat at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo as part of an Australia-wide breeding programme to save the species. AFP PHOTO

AFP

08 SPORT

ERGO Tuesday, November 18, 2008

China jails two Olympic ticket scalpers

Two men who tried to scalp over 500 Olympic Games tickets have 894,000 yuan (131,000 dollars) in the biggest such case in Beijing Monday. He Yongsheng and Fu Shuiguo were sentenced to 30 an respectively, the China Daily reported.

Jeev eyes more glory Jeev Milkha Singh, who added another feather in his cap by winning the Singapore Open, said the Asian Order of Merit title will help Indian golfers in getting recognition at the top level and boost the confidence of young players back home. Jeev, who on Sunday put up a special performance at the Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore to claim the Singapore Open – his third title of the year and sixth on the Asian Tour – said the “golfing gods helped him in the crunch situation”. Asked that he was now assured of the Asian Order of Merit title, he said over phone, “It will make things easier for me as I would get direct entries to many top tournaments and playing in big events will give confidence to me. It will also help me in getting my rankings below 50 which at present is my main aim.” On the significance of the title, he said: “It will be another feather in the cap of Indian golfers, who have been doing well at the highest level. This will help us in getting recognition at the top level and will boost the confidence of young golfers back home.” On his stunning win at the Singapore Open which came playing against top players Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els, the 38-year-old Jeev who hails from Chandigarh said: “It was an excellent performance. I have thoroughly enjoyed myself. I was really excited about playing against the world’s top players and winning the tournament in the end is a great treat for me.” PTI

Pakistan blank West Indies Rao Iftikhar returned career-best bowling figures while Younus Khan struck a brilliant hundred to guide Pakistan to a 31-run win over the West Indies in the third and final one-day in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Iftikhar took four for 59 to foil a fighting 122 by Chris Gayle as the West Indies, chasing 274 to win, were bowled out for 242 in 46.3 overs to give Pakistan a 3-0 series win at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. Pakistan won the first match by four wickets and the second by 24 runs. Gayle fought a lone battle in the lost cause, hitting his second century in the series, but other than him only Ramnaresh Sarwan (62) put up any resistance as Pakistani bowlers, led by Iftikhar, exploited the conditions well. The 27-year-old Iftikhar broke the Gayle-Sarwan second-wicket stand of 151 to revive Pakistan’s chances, trapping Sarwan in the 33rd over and then dismissing Shivnarine Chanderpaul (three) and Xavier Marshall (nought) in his next. Gayle, who hit 113 in the first match, was lucky to reach his 18th one-day hundred after television replays showed he edged one from Iftikhar to wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal on 99 but was ruled not out. Earlier Pakistan were helped to 273-6 in their 50 overs by a brilliant 101 by Younus Khan and an unbeaten 79 by Misbahul Haq who together added 103 for the third wicket. AFP

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ovak Djokovic’s Masters Cup triumph marked the end of a four-year Shanghai sojourn for the tournament and might also have brought down the curtain on the Roger Federer era at the season-ending championships. Federer had played in the previous seven Masters Cups and the last five finals, losing out only in 2005 when David Nalbandian came back to beat the injured Swiss in a fifth set tiebreak. This week, though, the 13-times grand slam winner bowed out in the group stage for the first time when, hampered by injury and illness, he lost a titanic clash with Briton Andy Murray. That was his 15th defeat in a season when he lost his world number one ranking and beloved Wimbledon title to Rafael Nadal, prompting speculation that 2008 might have been the beginning of the end for the Swiss master. “The fact is that he’s one of the best – maybe even the best player – that this sport has ever had,” said world number three Djokovic, whose victory on Sunday brought him to within 10 points of Federer in the rankings. “But he’s reached a certain point when certain players start to win against him, and then you lose a little bit of the confidence with the loss. The other players start believing more that they can win. For him it’s a big challenge to come back next year. It’s still not over. Roger is the second in the world and he’s intending to

get the top spot back next year.”

Back injury Federer, who started the season suffering from glandular fever and ended it in Shanghai with a back injury and a stomach upset, put a positive spin on his 11th season as a professional. “I was happy I could win the U.S. Open for the fifth straight year,” he said. “I’m looking forward to next year to go for six. It’s been a good year. But tough to start off. And tough to end. So obviously I have a little bit of mixed feelings. But I think it gives me the opportunity to start over all new again next year.” World number four Murray, who along with his fellow 21-year- old Djokovic will be looking to break the Federer-Nadal duopoly next year, said talk of terminal decline was premature. “He’s still playing great,” said the Scot. “Nadal’s had one of the best years in tennis over the last 20 years and he’s still not that far behind him. He’s maybe lost a few more matches than normal but it’s not totally surprising. Normally he loses like seven matches a year, which is ridiculous.” Young legs are catching up

Losing finalist Nikolay Davydenko, who has a 0-12 career record against his fellow 27-yearold Federer, said the new generation of young players like Djokovic and Murray were now a threat to Federer, particularly when he was not fully fit. “He’s already been number one for many years,” said Russia’s world number five. “He can’t play good for all his life. There are some really young players coming up, 21, 22 years old. They’re fast, have very good concentration and are physically better. Because I see that Federer is not physically perfect at the moment. That’s why the other players have more chance to beat him.” ■ Reuters

BAD YEAR FOR FEDERER Tough start and tough finish sums up Federer’s 2008 season

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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

e been jailed and fined a total of so far, state media said on nd 18 months in prison

Over and out

‘‘

I feel like I never left. I feel the same perfume, the same smell, the same need, the same motivation, the same commitment.

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Diego Maradona on his appointment as the Argentina coach

inning the T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007 brought back the smiles on the faces of Indian cricket fans after a poor show at the World Cup in the West Indies. It seems an unlikely bunch of fringe players changed into roaring tigers at the touch of a magic wand and did the unthinkable. Although the more established Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni excelled in the championship, it was an unknown lad from Rohtak who snatched the final for India, saving the country another heartbreak. After making his One-Day International debut against Bangladesh in 2004, Joginder Sharma was always in the fringes and in spite of his stellar domestic record failed to park himself permanently in the Indian dressing room. But with a never-say-die attitude like his better-known Haryanvi predecessor Kapil Dev, Jogi went on toiling hard and his labour bore fruit when he bowled a magical last over to win the

T20 World Cup for India. “Our idea was to get (Mohammed) Asif back on strike and I gained in confidence after bowling a dot ball first up, but then I was hoicked for a six. The skipper came in to have a chat and that soothed my nerves and I just told myself ‘T20 is an unpredictable game and anything can happen over the next four deliveries’. And the very next ball Misbah-ul Haq tried to play an adventurous shot and I had the wicket,” Sharma recalls. “The rest is history.” Twelve runs were needed in the last over and Misbah was marauding the Indian bowling. Dhoni had picked the rookie all-rounder ahead of a more experienced Harbhajan and Sharma bowled the most important 3.3 over spell of his life. “It was a very dramatic and special win, since everybody had written India off following the poor show in the World Cup. But with the performance and our bowl-out win over Pakistan, fans slowly started supporting us,” the man with the magic arm says. The team received a grand welcome on their return to Mumbai and Sharma says: “None of us expected such a grand reception and I can’t describe it in words.” ■ Close(d) Encounters is a column about India’s greatest sporting achievements.

Joginder Sharma on the T20 World Cup spell he is unlikely to forget

10 FLICK

ERGO Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Bond breaks records The new James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, brought in $70.4 million in its North American debut weekend, a record for the 47-year-old series detailing the adventures of British secret agent 007.

Brook revealed that her secret to instant glamour was red lipstick, nails and a dress, and her style icon is Sophia Loren.

Kelly Brook’s beauty secrets

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nglish model Kelly Brook, who has been known to be a favourite with the British public, has in an interview revealed the secrets of her beauty. Brook, who launched her own fragrance called Vivacious this week, revealed what her fragrance is all about, and how it reflects her personality. “It’s fun, sexy, demure and sophisticated. I like to think I can be those things when I wear it,” the Sun quoted her as saying. She also revealed that her secret to instant glamour was red lipstick, nails and a dress, and that her style icon is Sophia

Shilpa’s mantra for success Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty’s mantra for success is ‘Do what you love’. Shilpa says it is important to be satisfied in life, and that will affect how successful an individual is. “If you’re unhappy at home it will affect you in your workplace and that will affect how successful you are,” the Telegraph quoted her, as saying “We need to strike a better home/ work balance,” she added. Shilpa also revealed that mediation helps her to visualise what she wants. “The process of meditating is a great way of making sure I have my priorities sorted,” she added. She says her mantra is “you should do what you love and the money will follow.” ANI

My manager misled me about signing films: Eesha Eesha Koppikhar has lashed out at her manager for misleading her and blames him for having signed up for an insignificant role in 36 China Town and B-grade films like Haseena. “I trust people very easily and I trusted my manager, Babubhai Thiba, too, but he misled me on several occasions,” Eesha, who was seen in recently released family drama Ek Vivaah... Aisa Bhi, told IANS. Haseena, which also starred Raj Babbar, Preeti Jhangiani, Tara Sharma and Kiran Janjani, was released in February 2007 and was a box-office dud. Eesha was also not happy with her small role in Abbas Mustan’s 36 China Town. “It was again Babubhai who made me sign this film in an insignificant role,” she said. When contacted, Babubhai refused to comment on her allegations. IANS

Loren. Brook also revealed that her favourite nail polish was Fishnet stockings by Essie or Malaga Wine by OPI, when asked, and that she maintains her luscious locks by using vegetable treatments at Daniel Galvin. Her weight ? Brook stated that she has never checked. On the beauty products that she uses, Brook revealed that Soap And Glory scrubs are great and that on a date she always wears Chanel lipgloss. With the accessories to make her beautiful, Brook revealed that the one thing that makes her feel sexy is her boyfriend. ■ ANI

11

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Film festival Veteran actors Rekha and Kamal Haasan will grace the opening and closing ceremonies respectively of the forthcoming International Film Festival of India (IFFI), starting on November 22 in Panaji.

Cine City

Paathshaala different from TAARE ZAMEEN PAR

Villain from Hollywood If internet buzz is to be believed, Roland Kickinger, the star of the tobe-released Terminator 4, will play the villain in Jayam Ravi’s upcoming flick Peranmai. Kickinger is the replacement to the famous Arnold Schwarzenegger for the now legendary Terminator series. An Austrian by birth, Kickinger had won the Mr. Universe title in the year 1995 after which he worked for about 20 Hollywood films. Peranmai is produced by Ayngaran International.

"Aamir was dealing with one child who was dyslexic, but Shahid deals with many kids and basically with the whole education system in Paathshaala"

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hahid Kapur’s role as teacher in upcoming film Paathshaala is very different from Aamir Khan’s in Taare Zameen Par, says choreographerturned-producer Ahmed Khan. “There is no similarity between Shahid’s role in the film and Aamir’s character in Taare Zameen Par. In his film, Aamir was dealing with one child who was dyslexic, but Shahid deals with

many kids and basically with the whole education system in Paathshaala, Khan told IANS. Paathshaala, directed by Milind Ukey, is Khan’s production debut and revolves around a group of troubled young students. And Shahid has not charged any fee. “Shahid and I are very good friends. We share a great rapport. When I told him about the film, he said he wanted to be a part of it even though the role wasn’t long enough. He treats my wife like his sister; so as a goodwill gesture he decided not to charge any money for the role,” Khan said. Along with Shahid, the film also stars Nana Patekar and Ayesha Takia in pivotal roles. Child actors Swini Khara, Dwij Yadav, Ali Haji and Balika Vadhu star Avika Gor are also part of the cast. Paathshaala is primarily a children’s film, said Khan, adding that working with children was a great experience. Khan, known for his choreog-

raphy in films like Rangeela, Ghulam, Taal, Salaam Namaste and Jab We Met has tried his hand at direction as well. He wielded the megaphone for Lakeer and Fool N Final, but both the ventures bombed. However, he is optimistic about Paathshaala, saying it is very appealing. Khan has been keeping really busy these days. Apart from producing Paathshaala, he has also choreographed songs for the much talked about Aamir Khanstarrer Ghajini. “I enjoyed doing the choreography for the song Guzarish. It was done in the exotic locales of Namibia. Another song that required Aamir to do totally western steps is my best work ever. The song is great and I’m sure it will be highly appreciated,” Khan said. Khan is teaming up with Aamir and music director A.R. Rehman after 13 years in Ghajini. The last film they worked together was Rangeela. ■ IANS

Ranjitha acts as Vijay’s mom Yesteryear heroine Ranjitha, who made her debut in Nadodi Thendral, plays Vijay’s mother in Villu. The actress, who had been part of several films in the early 1990’s, ventured in to the small screen after her marriage. At present she is also acting in a mega serial for Kalaignar TV under the direction of Bharathiraja, who introduced her to the film industry.

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ERGO Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Monday’s Query: What Friends character would you like to be and why?

Kandaswamy Selvaraj from HCL has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime.

■ I would like to be like my friend Mathi. He is straight forward and will not hide any secrets, he is my best pal. Venkat.S, Sutherland

■ Joey of course. He gets all the girls. Kannan S, TCS

■ I would like to be in Monica character because she’s a perfect homemaker obsessed wit a spic and span mania. She’s beautiful and career minded too. Sandhya, Wipro

■ I would like to be more helping tendency person like my friend Senthil.. He’s having extreme helping mind.

Sekhar VG from TCS has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime.

Vasanth, Wipro

■ I like the dedicated and hardworking nature of my friends Kenchani and Aarthi... No matter what the obstacles they break through it and emerge successfully. 9994156164

■ My best friend Sasi guided me much more when I was looking for a job and she gave the way to decide the offer when I got from two concerns, now I met the chance for an on site to, so I would like to have the heart to make others to come up in life. Murugan, RSI

■ If I want to learn something from one of my friend would be patience. Patience and myself are quite a big extreme guess I need at least a little of that. 9962312435

Today’s Query: If you were to ask the genie in the bottle a wish, just one wish, what would it be?

K.Sheik Meerasa from Wipro has nominated his team members as Partner in Crime. This pic was clicked at Wayanad.

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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Balajee G. V. of Satyam has nominated his Office Assistant Vijay as Office Angel. He completes all the work assigned to him on time. A caring and hard working person, he comes to office before others and keeps the place very clean and tidy. And does all the ground work for the day before we reach the office. His support helps us in finishing our work on time.

■ Dear Mansoor Siraj Wish u Happy Birthday. We wish u all success in ur life, may all ur desires come true. Have a great year ahead. With lots of love, Ganapathi, Thiru Arul, Hanumantha Reddy, Karthick, Navasingam,Rajeshkhanna Shivakumar, Suresh, Selva, Sriraman Financial Software Solutions

■ Hi Uma Maheswari Wish you many more happy returns of the day. Happy Birthday:) Wish you the best of health & happiness and hope all your wishes get fulfilled forever. Endrum Natpudan TSJ Praveen, PCI_PD and SVCE_chem04

■ Dear Prakash It’s ur special day today! The day to celebrate! Wishing u a fun-filled birthday Prakash! Friends, New Age Software and Solutions.

■ Dear Manpreet Kick off ur shoes, take a break, Crank the tunes, dance & shake, light the candles, cut the cake. Make it a day, That’s simply great! May ur dreams and wishes come true. I wish you a very happy birthay! With lots of gud wishes from Rohit urf Chasmish, UST global

Srimathi Y of Tata Consultancy Services, Tidel Park doodled this.

■ Dear Neeraja Chowdary Wish u many many happy returns of the day. May u have all the joy.Enjoy the day with lots of fun. Wishes from, Rajendraprasad & Vinitha, TCS

■ Dear Bhuvana Wish u a very Happy and Joyful B’day. May God showers his love and give great strength, and blessings on u throughout ur life. We feel very proud and happy to be ur friends. With Lots of Love Rosh & Jay, Elnet Tech Ltd

1. Innaiku thoonguna nalaiku enthirikalam. Aana naalaiku thoonguna inaiku enthirika mudiyuma???? 2. Thanneera Thanninnu sollalaam; Panneera panninnu solla mudiyuma? Manonmani Kesav, HCL

Osama bin laden ku “BAYAM” na ennanae theriyadhu. Why?? Yenna.. Osamaku “Tamizhae” theriyadhu.. Thanks and Regards Lakshmi K Satyam Computers

Ritu :Hi… Hw r u .. Wassup ?? Ram: Wassup ? Sky …sun …star…clouds… Ritu: appa !! Mudila… Ram: hey !! talaila mudi irruku la vunnaku.. Thanks LaN

■ Hi Naresh Kumar (Naree) Wishing u many more happy returns of the day, Bright future Ahead !!! Your Friend, Mani, Wipro Tech.

■ Dear Shrimathi We just want to say, Happy Birthday to u, our dear friend. U have always been there for us and our friendship will never end! God bless u:) With Lots of Care and Affection, Geetha, Sathya, Pradee

■ Dear Uma Wish you a very happy birthday. Many more happy returns of day.

Wish you the best of health and happiness and hope all your wishes get fulfilled forever. With heartfelt wishes, and waiting eagerly for your treat(s) :-) HB Team, Wipro Technologies

■ Dear Kamuru You are my sweet heart I could tell from my heart, You made me realize we could never be apart... The things you do to make me smile, I love being with you, You make life Worthwhile… A Warm Bday Wishes da... Yours Ever Lovable, Puppy, TCS

■ Dear Lavanya Many more Happy Returns of the day. May god give all success in your life. Have a Bright and Flourishing Future. Best Wishes, DCMS –Team, Financial Software Solutions

■ Dear Juju Many more happy returns of the day... Wishing you all success as you add one more petal to the Rose of your Life...May you turn all thorns into rose bed and shine like a sun... May all your dreams come true... Rock on!Happy B’day! From, Appu, Jillu, Minnie and Saro.(WT)

■ Dear Srikesh Here is a Lovely message for a Lovely Person from Lovely Friends for a Lovely Reason at a Lovely Time from a Lovely Mind in a Lovely Style to wish you Have a Lovely Birthday. A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip! Cheers, CAT Mfgpro Team Satyam Computer Services Ltd.

■ Hai Rasa, Chellam, Dear Pandian "Happy Birthday" to you...:) Bhoomi Ethirparthirupathu Suriya Ozhi Kaga, Nangal Ethirparthirupathu Un Anbana Treat Kaga...! We all Wish You A Happiest Birthday :-) Un Treatukaga Kathirukkum........ Chantigadu Local (Tadi), Kundavai (SCMT), Swetha (SCMT), Narsi Reddy(TCS), Arunachalam(Anja singam), Thirumoorthy(Wind), Krishna(Wind), Subbu(Lloyds Road King).

■ Dear Lavi We wish u a very happy birthday with lots of fun and happiness. Have a fun filled birthday. With lots and lots fo love Dad, Mom, Sowji, Baby

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Whatever he wants A conman convinced a whole English town he was the Status Quo frontman Francis Rossi, earning himself free meals and trips in the mayor’s limousine for almost a year.

sudoku

Naga Vikram S of MindTree Ltd. shot this picture in an island village near Pazhaverkadu. Hobbies: Travelling, trekking, photography

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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Dirty mail A crafty German inmate escaped from jail by posting himself out of prison in a giant box of dirty laundry.

Word’s worth "Balbutiate" (bal-byoo-shee-ate) to stutter or stammer. From a Latin wordmeaning ’to stammer.’ Someone who is balbutient is stammering. Balbuties is the medical term forstuttering or lisping,or, as one citation has it, "vicious pronunciation."

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 Ganesha advises you to be as inquisitive as possible. The more questions you ask, simpler life will be. If in case you have to deal with crisis, don’t panic and seek help. On this tricky day, you may also have minor conflicts with your beloved.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 You will be able to get rid of the pending work today. Ganesha things you will be able to manage routine tasks very effectively today. In matters of the heart it will be better if you don’t dominate today. Try to woo your beloved in a creative way instead.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Ganesha stresses on the fact that you should work towards sharpening your skills at work. If you are able to do that, your professional life will bloom amazingly. Work life is peaceful on the whole. For lovers, the time is good for future planning.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 The sure way to succeed is to believe in your own self. Ganesha wants you to be more confident and aggressive towards your approach at things in office. Once you gain control of events at office, your zest for other things will automatically increase.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 It could be an action-packed day. You may enjoy R and D activities. Important meetings may be arranged. In personal life, you will not be able to pay due attention. However, your partner may be supportive and understanding.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

Life is indeed fast these days and if there is no proper planning, you may have to face a lot of problems. If not a weekly timetable, try to make daily schedules. In the evening you may feel like going to a theatre or an art gallery.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 New ventures might achieve fast success or progress rapidly today. You tend to be innovative and creative today, making it a good day at work. In matters of love or office, Ganesha believes you will use your head more often than the heart.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Knowledge has no horizons, they say, and you tend to agree whole-heartedly today. Ganesha thinks you will be in an exploration and learning mode in your work area. Since you are feeling bright, you might want to carry this of further with beloved as well.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 You may come across accidental joy by meeting an old friend. At work, things will be smoothunless some technical error arises. Do not try to woo the opposite sex too much today, it might just not work. Married couples may have good times!

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 Trees of Patience bear the sweetest fruits. At work you might feel underestimated, unappreciated and underpaid! This is a temporary phase, patience is the best virtue. Your partner will shower you affection making the evening pleasant.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 Ganesha finds you in a dull mood towards the beginning of the day, but energy will pump up as the day progresses. At work you will be noticed for taking initiatives. On the romantic front, high level of sensitivity and intensity is expected from you.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 The day today can be bifurcated in two sections; the earlier part of the day involves technical and administrative work. Whereas the second part might leave you brooding over professional and personal issues. This is not the right time to take decisions. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

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ERGO Tuesday, November 18, 2008

ONE LOOK IS ALL IT TAKES News and newsmakers in picture

Models display creations by Belarussian design group "Pank-M" during the Vanguard fashion festival "Mammoth-2008" in Minsk on Sunday. AFP PHOTO

Cheerleaders line up for the National Anthem before the Jacksonville Jaguars take on the Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium on Sunday in Jacksonville, Florida. AFP PHOTO

A Cuban actress participates of a parade during the celebration of the 489th anniversary of the foundation of San Cristobal de la Habana (Havana) on Sunday at Havana’s old quarter. AFP PHOTO