Ergo November 21

A BYTE OF LIFE

Friday, November 21, 2008

08 FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 2

ONE, TWO BUCKLE MY SHOE

Review

The simple but fashionable canvas footwear for Chennaiites

Yuvvraaj is a damp squib

No. 222

Spirit of Service Ergo looks at Corporate India’s newfound formula of employees’ sabbaticals and profiles some places you can opt for. » PAGE 4 & 5

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ERGO Friday, November 21, 2008

Namma Chennai Food

Going nuts over coffee

Food

Do you always need a reason to spring a surprise? At least not Barista’s new range ‘Nuts about coffee’, a delicious range of coffees with nuts and an incredible dose of sinful chocolate. Hazelnuts and almonds combine with coffees hot and cold, adding a rich taste. Where: All Barista outlets When: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

South East Asian fare Thai chicken with coconut milk soup, Vietnamese fish in lemongrass sauce, Burmese lamp...what’s cooking here? A South East Asian food festival, with chef Kroongthana flown in from Thailand, is on at Rain Tree. When: November 21 to 30 Where: Lemongrass, Rain Tree Hotel The buffet dinner is priced at Rs. 750 + taxes For reservation call 4225 2525

Art Contest

Rising rhythm Interior designer Lahira is showcasing her acrylic works. Her collection of abstracts art works are inspired by a passion for music – like the beat of one’s heart, the chords repetitive with the pitch and tone rising and falling, awakening and energising one’s senses. When: November 22 to 30 Where: Tangerine, No 5, Murrays Gate Road, Alwarpet Ph: 24355834 / 42110888

Crowning moments The Femina Miss India pageant is back. The 2008-09 season rolls out with Pantaloons Femina Miss India South 2009. The winner of the South pageant stands to get a direct entry into the top 10 finalists of the Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2009 pageant scheduled to take place in April 2009. When: Audition on November 24 Where: Pantaloons Store; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For further information log on to or http://fmi.idiva.com/ or email your queries to [email protected]

Contest

She... Womanhood these days is celebrated in different forms, beauty, mother and child relationship, successful home manager, etc. LifeCell International is organising the ‘Future Moms Contest’. Moms to be can also participate for the contest. The event is being conducted as part of Mrs Chennai 2008 contest. When: December 4 Last date for receipt of entries is November 25.

Movies

Film fiesta In celebration of the 52nd anniversary of The Madras Film Society, an Italian Film Festival is being organised in association with Indo-Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and ICA Foundation. When: November 22 to 27; 6.30 p.m. Where: Film Chamber Theatre, Gemini Circle For further information contact 2495 8691

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Friday, November 21, 2008

The wall of inspiration Cholamandal artist BO Shailesh’s was so moved by his experience at the East Side Gallery in Berlin that he did not want to relegate it to being just a memory KARTHIK SUBRAMANIAN [email protected]

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here are few places in the world that offer as much inspiration as the East Side Gallery in Berlin – a 1.3-kilometer-long remnant of the erstwhile Berlin Wall that in the December of 1989 became the canvas for 106 contemporary artists to display their interpretation of freedom. It was poignant justice to a construction that came to exist to divide the people. But the world’s largest open air gallery has deteriorated over the past decade. BO Shailesh, a contemporary artist from the Cholamandal Village, who was in Berlin this March, was so moved at seeing the art work and its stage of deterioration that he decided that he would not relegate it to being just a memory. Instead, he has put together an art installation, combining panaromic photographs of the gallery as well as his own interpretations on canvas. “It is important for artists to share with others what they have learnt by way of their overseas travel,” he says. “When an artist travels, he has a dialogue with the place he is visiting. These are my interpretations of what I felt.” Shailesh was in Lyon, France earlier this year to receive the S.L.B.A. award when he decided to travel to Berlin and some other cities in Europe. “I had a fascination for museums that took me to various cities, including Amsterdam and Berlin. Though I visited many places, it was my visit to the East Side Gallery that really moved me.” To Shailesh, the East Side Gallery epitomises the spirit of German expressionism but feels sad that it is slowly but surely falling away. “You cannot even see some of the art works anymore. There is a lot of punk graffiti on that and the wall itself is crumbling slowly. It is entirely possible that in ten years’ time the gallery itself will not remain. Which is why I decided to photograph as the gallery as extensively possible.” The photo installation at the Goethe Institute, Shailesh promises, is as close an experience of

We will, we will rock you

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Artist Shailesh BO with his art works at Goethe Institute. PHOTO: S.S. KUMAR

the gallery one can get away from the original. And his own set pieces for the installation bear the Tamil words “Naan” (me). There are also some of this own grafitti on it, including a reference to a popular students movement. On the floor of the hall, I find my own favourite art work from the East Side Gallery. The East German mural of the famous

‘Brotherly Kiss’ between former USSR leader Leonid Brezhnev and East German President Erich Honecker on the occasion of GDR’s 30th anniversary. Just for a moment, good memories of Berlin come rushing back. In case you have visited Berlin, I would recommend dropping by at the Goethe Institute to feel that rush. ■

ur music has flavour of mainstream German pop. We will play punk rock, classical rock mixed with pop music,” say the young and upcoming German rock band Nulltarif. The band is all set for its first-ever South Asian tour. The poppy punk rock specialist will perform in nine cities. The four-member band from Stuttgart area has performed over 200 concerts in Germany. “We are looking forward to our South-Asian tour. The people here are friendly and helpful and we hope that we take back great memories,” says With Jules, vocalist and guitarist. Bollywood seems to be a hit with people world-wide including this German rock band. “We are a big fan of Bollywood. It is very popular in Germany and we would love to meet some stars during our tour,” smiles Jules. The band has With Jules and Danny (vocalists and guitarists), Denis Bass and Tobi (drums). Every song of theirs is different from another in terms of the mood and meanings – sometimes it is melancholic, humorous or sometimes with a pinch of self-irony The Nultarifs tour to India is a part of the German Foreign Ministry’s global initiative called ’Schools: Partners for the Future’. It aims to develop a network around 1000 partner schools worldwide, to promote young create awareness and inculcate interest and enthusiasm for modern Germany and German society. “Our songs are in German but we will communicate through our music. Regardless of the language barrier, our music makes things much easier,” adds Jules. Nulltarif will perform on November 22 at Museum Theatre, Egmore at 6.30 p.m. Entry is free. Vipasha Sinha

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ERGO Friday, November 21, 2008

Big Story

On a break! Sabbaticals are a good grooming exercise and an attractive option to retain talent. But is Corporate Inc. ready?

LIFFY THOMAS [email protected]

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lobal recession, pink slips, cost-cutting measures … corporate India is certainly not in the ‘pink of health’ these days. But there are also things that are happening against the run of play. Some software engineers are handing over files, clearing their desks and moving out too willingly. They are ‘on a break’ from regular office chores to pursue whatever dreams they have in reaching out through social causes. India Inc is warming up to the possibility of sending its employees on paid leave for a considerably long duration in a bid to both hone their leadership skills

and also to allow them to pursue their passion – something that will ultimately help retain them. Infosys Technologies has seen a tremendous response to its recent ‘sabbatical’ initiative. On October 1, 2008, the IT major introduced a new policy, wherein its associates could go a sabbatical for community service for a period of six months to one year. Fifty employees are to be selected by a panel of seniors for the paid leave, where Infosys will pay 50 per cent of the individual’s salary. A voluntary initiative where employees, who have involved in some kind of social work, will be given preference for a philanthropic work he wants to take up. Nandita Gurjar, vice-president and group head – HRD, Infosys,

explain the reason behind the policy: “Very often employees who may want to participate in social action initiatives hold back because of various commitments – work, family, financial commitments etc. Through this policy Infosys will accept requests from up to 50 employees who will be supported by the company financially. Post the period the employees will return to the regular job structure.” HCL Technologies also sends employees on a paid leave on a voluntary basis; it has not introduced any formal structure about sabbaticals though. Ma Foi had five of its employees deputed for its social wing the Ma Foi Foundation. Air India also came up with a slightly different sabbatical pro-

gramme, which is still under consideration, where staff involved in non-operational work get between two and five years off from their job. Unlike Indian companies, sabbatical, or extended paid leaves, have always been a trend among international organisations. By encouraging employees to go on leave, companies show that they care about the employees’ needs, as the break sometimes provided employees an opportunity to escape from workplace pressures. Companies least preferred to lay-off its workers, Ma Foi said in a recent survey.

Social calling Social organisations are seeing an opportunity in the present scenario. iVolunteer, an initiative

of MITRA – a not-for-profit organisation working in the social sector, for example, launched its ‘India Fellow Professional’ programme, to enable professionals to work with NGOs and communities across India. “We target employees who are planning to take a break before moving to a new organisation,” says Rahul Nainwal, director, MITRA. Now with corporate opening up to the possibilities of sending their employees on a sabbatical, they iVolunteer plans have talks with Infosys, HP and Citi Groups to take it as an opportunity to invest in their staff. “We only want employees who are interested in offering their inputs for the development of rural sectors,” says Rahul. ■

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Friday, November 21, 2008

NOTICE BOARD Akshara Foundation Your Role: If you

iVolunteer

web Your Role: If you have skills in , arch rese ket mar designing, marketing, film ing, sult con ent, lopm deve business proposal making, data management, owship Fell a Indi its , king ban writing, with you ch enri to Programme promises ce. rien expe a new Duration: 3 to 6 months Website: www.ivolunteer.in/professional Email: [email protected]

Association for Sustainable Community Development (ASSCOroDle:) Train field staff

Your rtner in field on computers, pa es programm months Duration: 3 to 6 scod.org as w. ww Website: ahoo.co.in @y Email: asscod ) an th na ga (Attn: Lo

r skills as software engineer, tech nology marketing, etc. match with their requirement then there is nothing like shar ing your knowledge here. Duration: Minimum of one year Website: www.aksharafoundation.o rg Email: info@aksharafoundation .org (Attn: Suzanne) (Please mail them and check if your skills meet their requirements. Also, some of these programmes offer accommodation, travel expense and a monthly stipend)

Hand in Hand Your Role: Website management, database management, MIS, setting extranet Duration: 6 months to 1 year Website: www.hihseed.org Email: [email protected]

DHAN Foundation Your Ro

le: Urbanisation, Infrastructure fa cilities Duration: 1 to 6 months Website: www.dhanfounda tion.org Email: [email protected] .net.in (Attn: Uma Rani, programme leader)

A sabbatical for life A short narrative of how an individual decided to give up a conventional job for an alternate career option

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s a youngster I did not give serious thoughts to my career. Most friends were looking at engineering or medicine as career options. Having joined the bandwagon, I considered myself lucky to get admission to a premier engineering college, and subsequently get placed in the manufacturing sector. Work made me reflect a lot on what I was doing, and where life was supposedly taking me. The more I thought about it, the more I felt that working with machines was not my call. I wanted to do something that would leave me with a sense of fulfilment. On impulse, I decided to kick the job. I tried a stint as a part-time teacher in schools and it left me with a profound sense of grief and yearning. Grief, that the future generation was being put through mindless things in the name of education, and yearning, to see how I could make a change. I was beginning to realise that education is where I could contribute meaningfully, and hope for a lasting change.

It was entirely by accident that at that point, I came across EZ Vidya. I decided to give it a shot. The passion that the members here, especially its founder Ms. Chitra Ravi, exuded in the initial days was palpable. It has almost been three years now, and I haven’t looked back. We work with schools, both urban and rural, with a desire and commitment to bring meaningful change. The remunerations may not be as lucrative as some of the ‘conventional’ jobs, but the joy of watching educators reflect, and attempt to change is incomparable to anything tangible. People tell me I wasted my engineering education, but I believe the sound logic that the course built in me, is only helping me with my work. We have a long way to go, and I believe we will, for the drive comes mostly from within, with willing support from all members of the organisation, and of course, my family. (Balasubrahmanian S works as senior manager - Trg. & Dev with EZ Vidya. You can email him at [email protected])

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ERGO Friday, November 21, 2008

Websites of the day

Village

Break a World record: www.guinnessworldrecords.com Get a Geordie accent: www.wikihow.com/Talk-Like-a-Geordieal

No kissing please

Hugh Jackman is the Sexiest Man Alive

The decision by a headmaster in Austria to ban kissing from his school made front-page news on Thursday as outraged pupils and politicians slammed the move as medieval and excessive. Siegfried Biermair, the head of a school in Gunskirchen, Upper Austria, sent a letter to parents on Monday informing them of the kissing ban after teachers complained that the kissing rituals of some girls were getting out of hand. Instead of simply greeting each other with a light peck on the cheeks between lessons, some 14-year-olds had taken to “theatrically falling into each other’s arms and kissing each other on the mouth, sometimes very intimately and for many minutes,” Biermair complained. However, the move was immediately slammed as “ridiculous” and “excessive”, not only by pupils, but by politicians as well.

The 40-year-old Australian actor Huge Jackman has been voted as Sexiest Man Alive for 2008 by People magazine. The actor beat James Bond star Daniel Craig to the top spot. Jackman also eclipsed stars like Brad Pitt, Zac Efron and Daniel Craig for the number one spot on a list by People magazine. The other Britishers who have made to the list are – Simon Cowell, race-car drive Lewis Hamilton, football star David Beckham and TV chef Gordon Ramsay.

AFP

Rahman to sing election tune The electoral office in the national capital is trying to rope in playback singer A.R. Rahman to educate people about the benefits of elections and improve voter turnout for the November 29 assembly election. “Rahman has already given us permission to use one of his compositions for our awareness campaign. Now we are trying to rope him in personally to campaign for us and tell people to come out and vote,” said Satbir Silas Bedi, chief electoral officer of Delhi. The electoral office is using one of Rahman’s compositions, ‘Pappu can’t dance…’ from the Bollywood movie Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na for creating TV, radio and print adds to encourage voters to cast their ballots. The campaign aims at creating awareness among 12 different segments of people who generally don’t vote.

PTI

New HP trailer today A new trailer on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, a film on the famous boy wizard’s sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will go online on Friday with a whole lot of new characters and a love-struck Ron Weasely. The release of the new satellite trailer follows last month’s international teaser that previewed the forthcoming film which was scheduled to be released by Warner Bros on November 21 but got postponed to July 17, next year, according to a statement. Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching.

IANS

PTI

Asian in Britain? You can be a spy

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ritain’s secret service wants more Black and Asian spies. But wannabe 007s needn’t apply. The head of recruitment at MI6, Britain’s external spying agency, says the service needs to be “more flexible, more adaptable”, after years of a “rather comfortable cold war existence,” the Guardian newspaper reported on Thursday. The man was identified as John. MI6 has placed adverts in publications aimed at ethnic minorities for several years, but broke the tradition on Wednesday by inviting Black and Asian people to meet with serving intelligence officers. This was the first time in its 99year history that it had taken a di-

rect approach to recruitment, the paper said. Ten per cent of the service’s latest fast-track intake of high fliers was from ethnic minorities, and 35 per cent were women, but it wants to increase the number.

We are not looking for a James Bond - people jumping out of windows, running around disobeying orders, drinking dry martinis, clutching women and firing guns

The high fliers will be trained to gather intelligence and recruit and run agents abroad. However, wannabe James Bonds have been told not to bother applying. John said MI6 needed people with discretion, people who were good at sustaining relationships and who could “recruit and run people” as spies. “We are not looking for a James Bond - people jumping out of windows, running around disobeying orders, drinking dry martinis, clutching women and firing guns,” explained Catherine, an agent. Although the job might sound dangerous, in general it was not, she added. ■ IANS

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Friday, November 21, 2008

Skull therapy An oversize skull with a built-in sauna is turning heads in the Austrian capital. The white walk-in structure - situated near a busy Vienna intersection - is known as the "Wellness Skull" and also boasts a bathtub and shower.

Too many incentives spoil the employer Yes. That’s what a recent study has to say about performance-related incentives

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new Canadian study shows by the university. that paying too much perShe said a moderate hike in informance-related incentive centives improved performance may not get you the top of participants doing tasks reperformance. quiring creative Citing studies thinking, problemdone in India and solving or memory the US, Canadian skills. But once the university researchincentives crossed a If the ers in behavioural certain threshold, payments economics warn they did not perform that employers hopas well and just are too ing to get the best “choked”. out of their em“What we were rehigh, they ployees with high ally surprised by is may salaries may actualthat it didn’t matter ly be helping them what kind of task – as backfire to do worse. soon as it involved “If the payments even a little bit of are too high, they cognition, very high may backfire,” said incentives did not Nina Mazar, study co-author and work,” said Mazar. Toronto University marketing However, performance-related professor. incentives seemed to work very “I don’t think people realise well in tasks that were purely rote that there is a threshold,” she was and mechanical, according to the quoted as saying in a statement study.

t’s a revolution! Nearly two million students pursuing education in the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) across India and abroad will soon be able to choose their examination date. “No stress, no fixed exam date. Students can walk in to examination leaving behind stress, tension or fear,” IGNOU spokesman Ravi Mohan said on Thursday. “Walk-in-examination would give learners the liberty to decide the dates of exams as per their own suitability and convenience, thus lowering the exam pressure on them and thereby bringing down the percentage of failures,” he added. The varsity, which has presence in over 35 countries across the globe, said that under the scheme, students, instead of waiting for the six-monthly term end examination, could simply

year’s income on a modest research budget, the statement said. Another experiment was conducted on American university students at the end of an academic term, when they were low on funds and thus more responsive to financial incentives. But there was no difference in

the findings in the different experiment settings, Mazar said. “There is evidence from psychology that too high levels of stimulation can harm performance. We show that a similar relationship can be found for financial incentives and performance,” she said. ■

The big, fat kimchi feast

Choose your exam date at IGNOU I

In the experiments (which form the basis of the study), participants were given games to play, anagrams to solve, adding tasks and jobs involving pressing keys. One such experiment was conducted in rural India where participants were offered high financial incentives of up to half a

walk into any identified test centres of the university. The results would be processed on a monthly basis. The flexible examination pattern will reduce the possibility of malpractices in the examinations, as each student will get a different set of question papers and examinations will be conducted with camera surveillance. Registration of students, allotment of the dates and the issue of hall ticket to the examinees for the walk-in examination would be done online. Authorities said initially selected regional centres of the university would conduct the walk-in-examination once a week - Sunday. The frequency of conduct of walk-in-exam may be increased in future depending on the need. ■ IANS

쒀 Some 2,000 South Korean housewives make 140 tons of kimchi, a traditional Korean dish of spicy fermented cabbage and radish, in a park outside the metropolitan government building in Seoul on Thursday. City officials will hand out kimchi to about 13,000 poor households in an event marking the start of the winter season. AFP PHOTO

IANS

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ERGO Friday, November 21, 2008

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Technorama PSP 2 Sony’s next incarnation of the PSP should be landing here soon. Expect the PSP-3000 to have a better screen, offering improved image quality and crisper colours with more definition in natural light. GTA: Chinatown Wars while sunning ourselves in the park? Yes please. It’ll also have a built-in microphone to use with Go! Messenger and Skype. TBC, www.playstation.com

THE NOKIA TOUCH Nokia’s 58OO touches our hearts. The media bar provides direct access to entertainment, while the contacts bar lets you highlight four favourite contacts on the home screen

Seeing double

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Touch the tube

NEW SONY CAMERAS OFFER SLIM BODIES. AND FAT STORAGE. Sony’s latest Cyber-shot is the slimmest camera ever with a 4x optical zoom. The T77 (front) is just 15mm thick that’s just a little thicker than a CD album case. It’s packing ten megapixels, as is the T700, which is slightly portlier, but has 4GB of storage built in - enough for up to 40,000 pics. Both come in a range of colours and have great extras such as Smile Shutter, which fires off a shot when it sees a smile (so not much use in the local trains). Both are very sexy indeed, we trust you’ll agree. T77 Rs 15,990, T700 TBC, www.sony.co.in

NOKIA’S 58OO TOUCHES OUR HEARTS Codenamed Tube, Nokia’s newest allscreen and (mostly) buttonless wonder Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is not an iPhone-killer! That’s because we presume the Finnish manufacturer is wise enough to lay off a year and a half old design and instead cough up a blower that’s compelling in its own right. And by golly, they seem to have done it! Spec-wise, this music phone is a wireless fi end and comes with WiFi, HSDPA and Bluetooth 2.0. There’s also 8-gigs of storage and a 3.2-megapixel shooter. The 640x360 3.2inch screen is rather pixelicious too and handwriting support is the icing on the cake. Word on the street goes that it’s easy on the wallet too. TBC, www.nokia.co.in

Snippets sourced from T3 Magazine of Infomedia 18 Group

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Kick-ass watch

This piece is used by the SAS, hence the logo. There’s a limited run of 300 Chronofighter Oversize Commanders, they feature a carbon bezel and carbon fibre dial. The trigger on the side that looks like a hand grenade pin doesn’t blow anything up, disappointingly; it starts the stopwatch. It’s so big because in war, accurate lap timings are very important. Rs 5,00,000*, www.grahamlondon.com

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Friday, November 21, 2008

Microsoft RULES OUT BUYING Yahoo AFP

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icrosoft Corp Chief Executive Steve Ballmer ruled out an acquisition of Yahoo Inc on Wednesday but said his company was interested in resuming talks on a Web search partnership. Yahoo shares fell 19 percent on the remarks, after gaining this week on renewed investor hopes that Microsoft may refresh its bid for the Internet company after Yahoo Chief Executive Jerry Yang announced that he would step down. “Let me be as clear as I think

I’ve tried to be publicly. We are done with all acquisition discussions with Yahoo,” Ballmer told Microsoft’s annual shareholders meeting, in response to a question on what was happening with Yahoo. “I’ve said that a bunch of times. Somehow some people have gotten confused nonetheless,” Ballmer added. “We thought we had something that made sense. (It) didn’t make sense to them. We’ve moved on.” Microsoft withdrew its $47.5 billion buyout offer for Yahoo in

May after Yang and his board rejected the bid as too low. The software company then offered to buy Yahoo’s search business, but Yahoo decided instead to sign a search advertising deal with Google Inc. The Google deal has since fallen apart, after opposition from U.S. antitrust regulators who were concerned about an alliance between the Web’s two biggest search companies. Microsoft has said that it was still interested in pursuing a search deal with Yahoo, and Ballmer reiterated that on Wednes-

day. “There’s no active discussion on that front. But we’d be very open to it. But acquisition discussions are finished,” he said. At the meeting, which was broadcast over the Internet, Ballmer told shareholders that while the world’s biggest software maker is seeing growth in all of its business groups, it is “not immune” to the tough economic climate. He repeated that Microsoft is looking for areas to cut costs, including hiring, which “points to much, much slower growth ... in

Interactive Toy 쑸 Japan’s toy giant Bandai employee Hajime Kondo sticks his finger into the box from a small hole "Tuttuki bako", which has a LCD display showing his virtual finger and another object to interact with such as a human face animation, a panda clutching a ball or a karatepracticing stickman at the company’s headquarters in Tokyo. Bandai, which introduced the toy in Japan on November 15 for the Christmas shopping season, aims to sell 100,000 units by the March. AFP PHOTO / YOSHIKAZU TSUNO

head count for the remainder of this financial year and I suspect into next financial year.” However, investment in research and development would continue, Ballmer said. Microsoft, the world’s largest software maker with more than 91,000 employees worldwide, has been on a hiring spree, adding more than 20,000 employees in the last two years. Shares of Yahoo fell 19 percent to $9.38, while Microsoft shares were down 3 percent at $18.99. ■ Reuters

Livejournal.com launches new communities L

iveJournal.com, the San Francisco-based global blogging platform, marked the next phase of their development in India by launching a number of new India-focused communities designed to provide forums for informed and intelligent user-generated content. LiveJournal unveiled brand new India communities on cinema and sport respectively: 1. India Movies, which aims to bring leading voices from the movie Industry, critics and fans to-

gether on one common forum. The community can be found online here: http://india_movies. livejournal.com/ 2. India Sport a new community, which will share Indian sport in all its dimensions. The community can be found online here: http:// india sport .livejournal.com/ These new projects build upon on earlier LiveJournal initiatives in India that focused on writing, travel, Bollywood and US elections. ■ PTI

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ERGO Friday, November 21, 2008

BackPackers

Savouring Italy,

ONE BEER AT A TIME EVAN RAIL

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alfway through our sixcourse tasting menu of regional Piemontese cuisine, the sommelier arrived with a special beverage to accompany the plate of raviolini stuffed with local pumpkin and asparagus. “I think this will go well, because it matches the sweetness of the pumpkin,” he said, setting down a glass not of wine, but of slightly oxidized golden ale, which, he explained, had been fermented with wine yeast and had spent four years aging in the bottle.

Strange combination A cold beer might seem like a strange pairing for traditional Italian cuisine, especially in the heart of wine-loving Piedmont,

but the entire meal that night was based on local brews, and the sommelier himself was Teo Musso, a brewmaster with near-rockstar status in the Italian culinary scene. Through his artful small brewery, Le Baladin, Musso has helped bridge the worlds of craft beer and fine dining, ensuring that fine beers have a large presence in Eataly, Turin’s high-end supermarket, and founding his own beer-themed restaurant and hotel, Casa Baladin, where my wife and I stayed one night this spring. Craft beer Around Italy, a craft beer scene has sprung up, bringing wellmade specialty brews into haute cuisine dining rooms and elevating the fare served in brew pubs, creating an attractive destination for beer lovers who also love great food.

My wife and I decided to make a five-day road trip to see what the fuss was all about, focusing on two regions with growing reputations in the beer world: Piedmont, along Italy’s French border, and, next-door, Lombardy, which borders Switzerland. Most travellers would probably want to start in Milan, Lombardy’s capital and the heart of the region’s beer scene. Birrificio Italiano We reached our first brew pub, Birrificio Italiano, in the small town of Lurago Marinone. The pub’s legendary beers had brought tourists from around the world to the glorious Alpine foothills minutes from the shore of Lake Como. We celebrated our arrival with a couple of the brewery’s pilsnerstyle beers, a ubiquitous, oftenoverlooked style that Birrificio Italiano’s brewmaster, Agostino

Arioli, has attempted to redeem with hoppier, more flavourful versions, travelling to Germany to select his own hops. Lambrate Milan has a growing reputation for beer lovers, in part owing to what’s said to be the city’s first brew pub, Lambrate, with its brewmaster, Fabio Brocca. Lambrate’s Ghisa smoked stout is the 180-degree opposite of the gassy, golden lagers that dominate Italy’s industrial beer production -- hefty and malty with a clean, dry finish followed by a lingering smoky note. Grado Plato In Piedmont, in the village of Chieri, near Turin, we found our next brewery, Birrificio Grado Plato, and sampled the brew pub’s line of beers and its unique culinary specialty: snails. After a drive past blossoming magnolias, terraced hillside vine-

yards and hazelnut orchards, we found Piozzo, a village celebrated for just two things: an annual pumpkin festival on the first Sunday in October, and the Baladin brew pub on the town’s main square. Casa Baladin Across from the brew pub was Casa Baladin, a slick new hotel and restaurant with a casbahcum-clubhouse feel, where the wine-free dinner started off with an aperitif of Baladin’s own hard cider. "I find that, for me, beer has become a great beverage for pairing with food," said Musso, the brewmaster-by-way-of-sommelier, introducing one of his brews that, he added, "had never been put on the market" as the accompaniment for a fillet of wild boar, seared in Cognac and served with a spicy, ginger-scented chutney.■

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Friday, November 21, 2008

Land of silver Argentina means “land of silver”. It is a rich and vast land—second largest (after Brazil) in South America and eighth largest in the world.

ON CLOUD NINE Argentina’s head-in-the-clouds tourism is breathtaking

W

ith the global slowdown threatening tourism, Argentina is banking not only on its budget status to woo visitors, but also a newlyreopened attraction that it can bill, quite literally, as breathtaking. The Train to the Clouds, El Tren a las Nubes in Spanish, takes its passengers high into the Andes in the country’s north – so high, in fact, that oxygen bottles are a feature in every carriage, to help those left light-headed by the journey. The train, which leaves the town of Salta for a 400-kilometre round trip into the South American mountain range, reaches an altitude normally reserved by helicopters.

Different experience “It’s totally different from what I’ve seen before. It’s high – we’re about 4,000 metres. And it’s very warm – about 20 degrees centigrade. You don’t feel cold. And it’s great,” said Roswithr Brueder, a 48-year-old German tourist. She was one of around 200 people peering from the windows of the train as it sauntered leisurely across an arid plain and up barren slopes on its 16-hour trek. They paid upwards of 100 dollars a ticket for one of the trips which are conducted three times a week. Despite the length of the voyage, the passengers seemed transfixed by the landscape – the highlight of the tour: a long curving viaduct straddling two peaks. “It’s amazing when we see people crying at seeing the viaduct, crying at seeing people who live in this area, seeing the landscape. It’s amazing to me,” said Caterina Salcedo, one of the train’s guides.

Third-highest railway in the world The train line was built in the 1920s and 1930s as a freight service for mines in the region. It was designed by a US architect, Richard Maury, who is considered something of a hero in the locale, and who has a station named after him. More than a thousand labour-

ers strived in the thin atmosphere to lay the track. After being closed down in mid-2005, the tourist train has re-opened under new management and has again become a draw for foreigners and Argentines alike. One of the trips in October even attracted a minor British royal, Lady Gabriella Windsor, the 27-year-old daughter of Princess Michael of Kent. Despite being a self-styled freelance journalist, she avoided other passengers carrying cameras and spent most of the trip in the dining car with friends. The Tren a las Nubes today ranks as the third-highest railway in the world, after one in the Peruvian Andes, and another higher one in Tibet. A team of three nurses and a doctor are on hand to treat those suffering from altitude sickness.

Doctor on board

The Tren a las Nubes today ranks as the thirdhighest railway in the world, after one in the Peruvian Andes, and another higher one in Tibet

Of the 200 people on each trip, “there are 30 to 40 passengers who need care. The main thing they need is oxygen,” said nurse Lorena Torres. Symptoms from the altitude can include headaches, stomach pain and nausea. Many passengers are prepared, though -- and a few prefer to turn to the traditional remedy used by the Andean locals: paste or tea made from coca, the plant that can also be processed to produce cocaine. “I feel a little sick, but it’s OK. That’s why I have coca,” said one Argentine tourist from Buenos Aires, Laura Carta, as she showed the green gum in her teeth. Maire-France Mayet, a French tourist from Bordeaux in the same carriage, said she had been taking coca tea since the morning. “And it’s really effective,” she said. ■ AFP

The train known as Train to the Clouds crosses La Polvorilla viaduct, the highest structure in the line at around 4,200 metres above mean sea level, 219 km from the city of Salta, in the Argentine northern province of the same name, some 1670 km from Buenos Aires. AFP PHOTO

12

ERGO Friday, November 21, 2008

Fashion B

ollywood’s King Khan and Chotte Nawab have worn it. Arjun Rampal and Farhan Akhtar have flaunted them a bright red pair in movie ‘Rock On’. Even Surya is seen in it in ‘Vaaranam Ayiram’ and ‘Chiyaan’ Vikram leaps in one for the promo of his ‘does anybody know when it will release’ Kandasami. The simple and workman grade ‘canvas shoe’ have just gotten itself a metrosexual makeover. For some time now, celebrities have started flaunting it, as have some college students and even professionals. The USP of these canvas shoes is that they are available at affordable prices and are now considered high on the style quotient. The god father of canvas shoes probably is the brand Converse. Known world over as chucks (named after American basketball player Charles Hollis Taylor), the shoes come in vibrant colours and in designs that have evolved over decades. They even have a cult following worldwide, an example of that is a youngster from US who holds a Guinness Record for owning a large collection of Chucks. In fact, the popularity of Chucks has inspired many other brands like Adidas, Reebok and Puma to bring out similar footwear collections. In Namma Chennai, Chucks’ basic range is available at a price range from Rs. 850 to Rs. 2,000. Designer Jack Purcell’s line of Converse Shoes are also available here for Rs 2,600. Brands Adidas, Reebok, Puma and Bata have their line of canvas shoes to fulfil the fashion-hungry ones here. The footwear model features in brands like Red Tape, ID, Forca and few other brands. ■

You used to shun wearing them day after day after day to school. But the canvas shoe has graduated. Have you?

While actor Sriya Saran is seen in ballerina shoes, Vikram performs a dance move in a pair of Converse by Jack Purcell. A promo shot from upcoming Tamil movie Kandasamy.

THE SHOES Hollywood actor Will Smith seen in Converse shoes

Converse models are priced between Rs 850 to Adidas have models starting from Rs 1,099 Reebok have models in both its Regular and Clas prices above Rs 1,000. Bata’s own brand line North Star also has fashion shoe starting from Rs 600. Some store in city also stock replica models of des Ed Hardy shoes for Rs 1,800. Shoe designs called Slips (comes sans laces) which model and a hit, is available here in brands Conv

13

Friday, November 21, 2008

Portfolio Mega mall

Canvas

Fashion Avenue inside the newly opened Dubai Mall in Dubai has over 70 flagships including Chanel, Calvin Klein, Armani, Versace, Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana

T

Actor Saif Ali Khan sporting a pair of Nike.

THERE IS EVEN A CULT FOLLOW FOR CHUCK SHOES WORLDWIDE AND AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IS A YOUNGSTER FROM US WHO HOLDS A GUINNESS RECORD FOR OWNING A LARGE COLLECTION OF CHUCKS Rs 2,600

ssic line with

nable canvas

signer brand

is new entry verse and ID.

he highly anticipated Dubai Mall opened on November 4, unveiling the first phase of a new retail, fashion and entertainment mecca. At 5.6 million square feet of retail space, the mall is considered the largest in the world. There are 1,200 stores plus 160 food and beverage outlets, and the mall is expected to attract 30 million visitors in its first year. And while Dubai, like the rest of the world’s economies, is experiencing a slowdown, the mall is poised to do business in this major shopping and leisure destination. The mall houses 10 mini-malls within the massive structure. These include a Gold Souk, designed to recreate a traditional Middle Eastern gold bazaar, and a designerfocused Fashion Avenue. Bloomingdale’s and Galeries Lafayette will anchor the 440,000-square-foot section dedicated to high street brands. Fashion Avenue has over 70 flagships, including Chanel, Calvin Klein, Gucci, Dior, Armani, Versace, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, Burberry, Roberto Cavalli, Hugo Boss, Loewe, Galliano, Givenchy, Cerruti, Missoni, Tom Ford, Escada, Ermenegildo Zegna, Pucci, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Jean Paul Gaultier, Valentino and Salvatore Ferragamo. Adding to the exclusivity of Fashion Avenue is a dedicated VIP valet entrance. A special event facility is also part of the area. “We will have the ability to host year-round entertainment and high-profile fashion events. Our Fashion Catwalk atrium with a (65-foot) runway will be a launching pad for unveiling collections, hosting product launches or VIP functions,” said Al Ali. The Dubai Mall is the UAE’s most ambitious retail launch to date. Besides an array of shopping, the mall has a number of entertainment options. It hosts the Olympicsized Dubai Ice Rink, an indoor waterfall that drops four levels and a 22-screen cineplex, the largest in the region. One of the mall’s most complex attractions is the Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre. Set in the center of the mall, visitors can enter a 270-degree walk-through tunnel to view over 33,000 aquatic creatures, including 400 sharks, the largest single school of sharks on earth. NYT News Service

14

ERGO Friday, November 21, 2008

Honey power

Wellness

Honey is believed to be the only food that does not spoil. Honey found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs has been tasted by archaeologists and found to still be edible.

Allergic to Spirituality SADHGURU JAGGI VASUDEV

I

t is very important that the spiritual dimension of life is brought into everybody’s lives. Why many people have developed an allergy to spirituality is because somebody always told them, ‘spirituality means leaving everything and going to the mountains.’ Even if you Better learn want to go, there is not how to be enough space for all of you there. You had spiritual in better learn how to be your office, spiritual in your office, in your in your home, on the streets, wherever you home, on are. You had better the streets, learn that because spirituality is about wherever your interiority, not you are what you do outside. Spirituality is an inner science to create a more conducive inner atmosphere. This is because the quality of your life is dependent on how you are within yourself. That quality, this moment depends on how joyous, how peaceful you are. This dimension you have completely neglected. Unless you do something to the inner, you will not know what it is to be peaceful, to be joyous; you will not know how to go beyond the limitations of being just a physical body and mind. See, your body is simply accumulations of what you have gathered from

Laughter as medicine H

ave you laughed today? Good thing if you have because most people take life too seriously. But those who laugh are healthier because laughing helps them loosen up. Though it causes the pulse initially to quicken, it slows down considerably, so that blood pressure sinks. “The skeletal muscles relax and the overall result is better circulation to the muscles,” said psychologist Michael Titze, chairman of an association called Humour Care in Tuttlingen, Germany, and

a researcher into laughter. Laughing also helps to break down stress hormones and build up hormones associated with happiness. And laughing helps to increase the immune defences in the bloodstream, including those that help the body protect itself from cancer and heart disease. The antibody-containing immunoglobulin in the saliva, which inhibits germ attacks on respiratory organs, also rises. “Laughing, among other things,

tenses the muscles in the eye and activates positive emotions in the brain,” said Titze, adding that laughter is an expression of pure deliverance and total tension release. The therapist therefore advocates looking for things that trigger laughter in daily life and activating the laugh reflex. “Laughing induces good mood and that in turn engenders hearty and intense laughter,” Titze said.■ DPA

the Earth – when you leave you can’t take an atom of this body. So this body is not really yours. Your mind is not yours too. It is also just an accumulation – what you have gathered from the backgrounds in which you were brought up in life. So there is something else which needs to be looked at beyond these dimensions. Even if I erase all your memory, still you will be here. Yes? Your family will disappear, your status will disappear, your business will disappear, and everything that you own in the world will disappear. But still you are here. So beyond all the things that you identify yourself with, still there is something called as ‘You’. That you is not subject to what you accumulate from outside. But unfortunately that you have been so much covered, so much crowded with other things that you never allowed yourself to look at that. You always thought that what you are identified with is much more important than who you really are. Now if your focus shifts, then the other dimension can start opening up for you. The whole process of spiritual science, yoga in particular, is to somehow elevate you to an experience that is beyond the five sense organs. When you transcend the limited experience of what you know as yourself, your experience of life is naturally in a different dimension. Then you begin to experience that which is not physical, the spiritual, the Divinity of your true nature. If you are ready and willing to experience life in a deeper dimension, to be truly happy, there are many methods. Then you can begin to experience the joy, the blissfulness of knowing who you really are. ■

15

Friday, November 21, 2008

Antenatal Workshop Life Cell International, pioneer in the Stem Cell Banking and Research and Therapy in India, is holding, first of its kind all free one-day Antenatal Workshop for pregnant mothers at Hotel Accord Metropolitan, G.N Chetty Road, T. Nagar on November 23 from 2 p.m.to 5 p.m. Sessions will be conducted by Ms. Rekha Sudarshan, psychologist, child birth educator and lactation consultant who is an expert trainer for mother-to-be in pregnancy management. For Registration Call 24892798/28171385 or Mobile 9941018210/ 9841702271.

FOR THE

MOMMY TO BE

Arm yourself with information about the many ways to stay as healthy as possible PSYCHOLOGIST REKHA SUDARSHAN

MOUSHMI KISHORE

N

ow that you’re pregnant, taking care of yourself has never been more important. Of course, you’ll probably get advice from everyone-your doctor, family members, friends, co-workers and even complete strangers- about what you should and shouldn’t be doing. But staying healthy during pregnancy depends on you, so arm yourself with information about the many ways to keep you and your body as healthy as possible. “Wherever you are in your pregnancy, these months are yours, you are special, its your special time, so cherish your changing body, nourish it, indulge it”, says Psychologist Rekha Sudarshan of Seethapathi Hospital, Chennai. Expert advice This is the time to call in all favours and revel in attention you’re getting especially from your spouse. Allow yourself to be pampered silly. “But you should take massage only from an expert” Ms. Sudarshan suggests. Don’t feel embarrassed to share your doubts, myths, and misconception about your pregnancy with your doctor or a professional advisor. Don’t be a Google-con-

fined mom. Special outfits Maternity outfits are actually in fashion, so go on a shopping spree and buy some of those fashionable clothes. Since you’ve got it, flaunt it. Weight gain Healthy eating is always important, but especially when you are pregnant. According to Rekha Sudarshan, there is nothing called eating for two. “For a pregnant mother, a calorie intake of 300400 a day and for a lactating mother, calories intake of 400500- a day should be sufficient”. . Weight gain is different for everyone but pregnant women should gain about 10-12 kg and not more than 14 kg. Regular exercise “Exercise during pregnancy has been shown to be extremely beneficial, provided you come to right instructor and of course with green chit from your doctor” says Ms. Sudarshan. Exercising is such a joy when you’re pregnant because you don’t have to kill yourself working out to burn maximum calories. Right now, your goal is fitness, health and happiness. There are few stretches and pregnancy yoga that you can learn from your instructor. Tight sleep Get all sleep you can, while taking care of your work. It is generally advisable to sleep on your left side because one of those big blood vessels is on the right side of your abdomen. Lying on your

left side helps keep the uterus off of it and also optimizes blood flow to the placenta and your baby. For working women “There is no harm in working women to continue with their work till the last month of pregnancy”, says Ms. Sudarshan unless there is problem with pregnancy. Working on computer will not cause any harm to you and your baby. Talk to your doctor, your personal instructor about your work environment. Misconceptions And while you are at all these, don’t forget to play sex goddess. It is said to initiate labour. Avoid sex during first 3 months of your pregnancy. According to Ms. Sudarshan, there are no rooms for many theories, horrified stories about labour because of which many pregnant women are scared to go out after 8 months of their pregnancy. Mood swings Due to hormonal changes in the body during pregnancy the mood will be on its swing. Relax and try to find some moments of quiet, un-interrupted time each day for yourself. Stretch marks appear as red mark on your skin. Lotion with shea butter can help keep your skin soft and moist and may reduce itchiness. So, you have this wonderful experience to look forward to and anticipate changes, which come during pregnancy with positive outlook. ■

DON’Ts

Avoid drugs, smoking and alcohol. Limit your caffeine intake Don’t eat raw uncooked food or meat. Don’t change your cat’s litter box. Avoid foul smell. If you are allergic don’t keep pets in home Don’t sit in sauna/hot bath, as there is risk of miscarriage. Avoid two-wheelers, if it is hurting your tummy.

DOs

Maintain a well balanced diet and don’t miss your meal. If you feel hungry in-between your supplement it with sprouts, salad, juice, fruits, soup. Increase your intake of galactagenic food like garlic, almond, fenugreek, apple, guava, and pomegranate. This helps in lactation. Drink plenty of fluids especially water and exercise regularly Get enough sleep and relax yourself. Take care of your breast. Do not apply soap. Wear right kind of under-garments.

WARNING SIGNALS

Call your Doctor if you have Blood or fluid coming from vagina. Sudden swelling of face or fingers. Dizziness Headache that are severe and won’t go away. Nausea or vomiting that are severe and won’t go away. Fever or feeling chill. Blurry vision. Severe pain in lower abdomen. Less urine or burning while urinate. Change in baby’s movement. Anything that bothers you

16

ERGO Friday, November 21, 2008

Prize money reduced

Sport

The LPGA is cutting its tournaments from 34 to 31 in 2009 and slashing its official prize money by just over five million dollars, commissioner Carolyn Bivens announced. He said the prize money would drop to 55 million dollars from a little more than 60 million in 2007 and blamed the decrease on the worsening US and European economies.

Gavaskar blasts Ponting S

unil Gavaskar hit back at Ricky Ponting for his “uncalled for” remarks that the former India captain was no angel in his playing days, saying the Australian skipper’s comments were an indication that his side was "rattled" to find a challenger in India. “I think it was totally uncalled for and it is showing the world that they are rattled,” Gavaskar told a TV channel. The former Indian captain said Ponting’s comments also smelled of publicity gimmick. “I think they have been a champion side and suddenly they find that they have a challenger in India. And therefore, it’s not just Ponting but all the other statements that we have heard from other Australians,” he said. “...Probably (they are) trying to sell their books or whatever it is,” he added. Ponting, in his just-published ’Captain’s Diary 2008’, has lashed out at Gavaskar and oth-

er former players for often blaming the Australian team for on-field confrontations. “Unfortunately, as soon as a spectator or a commentator spots one of my teammate chipping on opponent, they assume it is a pre-meditated attack. The most laughable aspect is when I hear former players complaining, as though they never put a toe out of line in their day. “I still have a vivid image of Sunil Gavaskar angrily trying to take his opening partner off the MCG with him in 1981 when he was given out lbw in a Test match, but to hear him today you’d think he was positively angelic when he was the best opening batsman in the world,” he wrote. Gavaskar pointed out that Ponting would not have a clear understanding of the incident as he was just a child then. “Ponting was just seven-yearold when MCG incident happened. He does not know the background,” he said. PTI

Asif in trouble again

Ganguly gets new job Barely a few weeks after retiring from international cricket, former India captain Sourav Ganguly was on Thursday nominated as a member of the BCCI’s technical committee. “Sourav Ganguly has been nominated to the technical committee of the BCCI,” a press release from the BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said. Ganguly has the experience of close to 20 years of cricket behind him and will be a key addition to the technical committee, the powerful body, which takes decisions on cricketing matters and rule changes. The BCCI’s technical committee is headed by former captain Sunil Gavaskar and also has former Test batsman Chetan Chauhan, national selector Kris Srikkanth among other members. PTI

Dope-tainted pacer Mohammad Asif’s miseries doesn’t seem to end as the troubled Pakistani cricketer has now been slapped with a whopping bill as the legal costs for his release from detention in Dubai earlier this year. Asif was detained for 19-days in Dubai for possession of a banned substance and the Pakistan Cricket Board had hired the legal firm, Afridi and Angel, to represent the pacer in the case contested with the Dubai police. “The issue now is that the previous PCB management have forwarded a bill sent by the Dubai-based Afridi and Angel firm to Asif for payment,” a wellinformed PCB source told PTI. “Asif has taken up the issue with the present management pointing out that no one ever consulted him or took his consent while hiring the services of the firm that time, so why should he pay for the legal costs,” the source added. PTI

17

Friday, November 21, 2008

Aussie cricket coverage boycotted

Aussies stumble

Global news agencies have boycotted coverage of the first cricket Test between Australia and New Zealand because of conditions imposed by organisers. The agencies -- AFP, AP, Reuters and Getty Images -- have also suspended coverage of all Australian cricket news until further notice over demands made by Cricket Australia.

Michael Clarke top-scored with 98, as Australia was all out for 214 in their first innings in the first Test on day one against New Zealand at the Brisbane Cricket Ground on Thursday. New Zealand pacer Southee picked up 4 wickets and the Kiwis were 7/0 at stumps.

Maradona starts with win D

iego Maradona said he felt "proud" after his first match as coach of Argentina ended in a 1-0 friendly international win over Scotland at Hampden Park here on Wednesday. Maradona said he hoped his players could banish the memories of their poor start to their World Cup qualifying campaign after claiming a morale-boosting victory. “I am a very proud manager tonight. It was a great experience and the lads made me feel very relaxed throughout,” Maradona said. “We have been in a bit of a minicrisis but the players are men and showed they were men out there and they made me proud,” added Maradona who, as a teenager, scored his first international goal at Hampden in a 3-1 win over Scotland in 1979. “What really encouraged me was there were great performances out there which gave me hope and heart for the future.” And the midfield maestro said as he took to the bench for the first time his thoughts has been with his daughter Giannina after she suffered problems with her pregnancy earlier in the week. “I had been thinking of my daughter and her baby. My thoughts are obviously with my daughter. She was happy for me to be head of the Argentina side tonight and that is why I was here. “The lads made things easy for me and gave me great support to work through a difficult time and I would like to thank them. “I can assure the people of Argentina these players will give everything for the shirt and won’t leave anything behind on the field.” Earlier in the week former centrehalf Butcher said he could not forgive Maradona for his opening goal in eventual champions Argentina’s 2-1

World Cup quarter-final win 22 years ago. Maradona punched the ball past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and further infuriated England afterwards by claiming the goal had been scored by the “Hand of God”. Barely five minutes after his controversial opener, Maradona dribbled past half the England team to score a superb solo goal. Asked if he had the chance to speak with Butcher after Wednesday’s match, a mock-puzzled Maradona replied: “Who is Butcher? I am asking you who is Butcher? “I greeted the manager of Scotland (George Burley) and you are asking me about Butcher. “Since all the bad news about my daughter this has been the first time I have been able to laugh.” Maxi Rodriguez’s eighth minute goal, the result of a slick passing move, was all that separated the two teams although Argentina, a class above their opponents, should have increased their lead. “I thought in the first 25 minutes we were brilliant. We played some excellent football and scored the goal,” Maradona said. “Unfortunately we weren’t able to convert any of the other chances we made but we kept the ball pretty much throughout the whole of the game.” Burley added this match was what Scotland needed ahead of their World Cup qualifier against the Netherlands in Amsterdam in March. “We were playing against one of the best teams in the world and Holland are also a top-10 team. “It was good for our players to play against Carlos Tevez and other top names just as it was good for me when I played against Diego here in 1979.” AFP

18

ERGO Friday, November 21, 2008

Flick VIPASHA SINHA

“W

e’ll party harder if Yuvvraaj fails”: this was a pre-release statement by Zayed Khan, about his plans after the release of Yuvvraj, which also coincides with his third marriage anniversary. Only God can save him and his crew from not partying harder. Yuvvraaj is a Subhash Ghai musical after Taal starring Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anil Kapoor and Zayed Khan in lead roles. The music is by A.R Rahman which unfortunately fails to create a Taal-like impact. The story is about Devan Yuvvraaj (Salman Khan), who has been disowned by his London-based billionaire father, and his relationship with two brothers Gyanesh (Anil Kapoor) and Danny (Zayed Khan). Anushka (Katrina Kaif) plays a cellist in the movie and is Devan’s love interest. Like typical Bollywood story, here also heroine’s father hates the poor hero and the hero (Danny) is ready to do anything for the heroine (Katrina). To convince the heroine’s father he goes back to acquire his father’s inherited property to become rich. Here he meets his much-hated brothers with whom he plays mind-games. As usual eventually starts feeling the brother-brother love. And the goodness, simplicity, innocence etc of elder brother Gyanesh turns bad boy into good boy. The only thing new about this movie is the exotic locations of Austria and Prague and the sets. More than the actors you tend to notice the wall-paintings in the background and invariably start

deciding on your wall designs. Thinking about these wall designs is much entertaining and pleasant than watching the movie. The first half of the movie is slow and draggy, so much, so that you find the movie trailers in the interval much more interesting. Salman Khan with his transplanted hair has nothing special to play rather it looks like he is being himself throughout. Zayed Khan flys aeroplanes, he kisses his girlfriend, he shouts and ya he also acts here and there. The only saviour and the only reason to make you sit on your seat is Anil Kapoor. He makes you love him when you hate yourself for having come for the movie. He plays a mentally-slow musical genius whose innocence is sweet and convincing. He is the only one who has seemed to have put in some detail to his role, right from fidgeting hands, oiled hair to child-like walk. Rather, he is the only one who has done some acting in the movie out of the three. Oh by the way, Katrina Kaif is also seen in the movie for her regular glamour-quotient but on the whole is convincing. Boman Irani and Mithun Chakraborty come in as breathers in their small roles After Kisna, Black & White’s failure we can only pray for a miracle to save Yuvvraj. Things to watch in Yuvvraaj are Anil Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and only Anil Kapoor. ■

Damp Squib

THINGS TO WATCH IN YUVVRAAJ ARE ANIL KAPOOR, ANIL KAPOOR AND ONLY ANIL KAPOOR.

19

Friday, November 21, 2008

SRK’s knighthood postponed Bollywood legend Shah Rukh Khan has postponed a controversial ceremony to award him a Malaysian "knighthood" because he is too busy.

Raveena refuses to play Ajay Devgan’s mom

Cine City

Makkal Thilagam, Dhanush’s next flick Actor Dhanush’s future project is being tentatively titled as Makkal Thilagam. The movie is directed by Malayalam film director Vinayan who earlier made films like Kaasi, En Mana Vaanil and Arputha Theevu in Tamil. At present Dhanush is busy shooting for Padikadhavan and his brother Selvaraghavan’s directorial Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam.

P

rakash Jha’s Rajneeti was to be Raveena Tandon’s dream comeback but the actress quit the project once she learnt that she would have to play Ajay Devgan’s mother. “You can’t blame me for saying no to playing mother to an actor with whom I co-starred in so many films. But I had a bigger reason for my refusal. The film required me to leave Mumbai for two months at a stretch. Both my children are too young to be left behind for such a long time, especially since they don’t even go to school yet,” Raveena told IANS.

Raveena was expected to play the role of an all-powerful politician in director Prakash Jha’s Rajneeti, inspired by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s life and times. Raveena was to play Ranbir Kapoor’s mother. And Ranbir would play Rajiv Gandhi. Raveena, who had earlier played a politician in Satta, had several meetings with Jha and both of them were excited about it. Raveena had to age from 20 to 60. Her makeup, saris and styling were all finalised. Until she realised the role required her to play not just Ranbir’s mom but also Ajay’s mother.

That’s when the National Award winning actress decided to back out, thereby halting her spectacular comeback plans. Raveena, who was last seen in the 2006 dud Sandwich, is ready to return to the big screen. But she will only do a film that requires her to shoot in and around Mumbai. The actress is best remembered for her hits like Mohra, Andaz Apna Apna and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. As for the role of the female politician in Rajneeti, Jha is now thinking of casting either Tisca Chopra or Mrinal Kulkarni.■ IANS

Raveena had to age from 20 to 60. Her makeup, saris and styling were all finalised. Until she realised the role required her to play not just Ranbir’s mom but also Ajay’s mother.

Salary goes down in Kollywood It seems global recession is hitting Kollywood too. According to sources the corporate film companies are planning to reduce the salaries of big stars. it is also heard that actors like Ajith and Vijay would be reducing their remuneration. It is to be remembered that the trend of huge pay packets was introduced to the film industry by the same corporates who are now reducing it.

20

ERGO Friday, November 21, 2008

Thursday’s Question: Which comedy dialogue of Vadivelu do you think is best and make us laugh anytime?

■ Sing in the rain..... I want more in the rain

■ Venaam, valikuthu…, Aluthiduven…

■ Punch dialogue ka paesurae nee enna periyaaaa ...... Paruppa... Ama da unga uruppu edukka vantha karuppu paruppu

M.Laxmipathy(RR Donnelley), Prabahar.P(Perot Systems), Mohamed Siddiq(TCS), Hariharan (Sify), Vijayachakravarthy(Infosys)

■‘Risk Edukrathellam Enaku Rusk Sapdramathri’ Pravin.S (TCS-RTSC), Bharathiraja(CSS), Gavaskar Ezhilarasan(Hexaware), Balky(Wipro)

■ Kaiya pidichi iluthiya? Enna kaiya pidichi iluthiya??? Vijaya (Infosys), Jagan(Dell), RR (ALLSEC TECH)

■ Eppadiyae ussupaythee ussupaythee odamba ranagalam aakeytanga da… R.Viswanathan(Hexaware), Kalaiyarasan, Bruce Vimalageethan(Perot Systems)

■ Enne vachu comedy keemady panalaiae Thiru(Satyam), Divyatha Swaminathan, Gopi L3(Wipro), Mohana Krishnan S(Perot Systems)

■ "Aaniye pudunga vendam" Rekha(TCS), Praveen(CGSL), Jagan(Capgemini), Rajalakshmi, Karthik Sekar(TCS), Gayathri Bheemannan(Infosys), J.Karthikeyan(Wipro) Ergo Pick

■ Yenna edu chinna pulla thanama erukku rascal Nirmala(Perot Systems), Sultan(Mphasis)

■ Yenda! Intha ooru inuma nammala nambikitu iruku Balaji(Perot Systems), Arasu A(TCS)

■ Vokkandhu yosippanungaloo Nithyaalangaran, HCL

■ Vanthitangaya.. Vanthitangaya… & Kelambitaya... kelambitaya... Anusha(TCS), Praveen Kumar(Allsec Tech), Ashwin(Satyam)

■ Edhu pannalum plan panni pannanum Dinesh S Infosys

■ Ungala ellam paatha enaku paavama irukku Umapathy M(TCS), Rajesh, Moodys(RRD)

■ Thodada! Keela thodada! Tharaiya thodada! Kolraangalae MAK, Infosys

■ Ssh..sapbha ippovae kanna kattuthey Karthik Sampath(Wipro Technologies), Sasi, VDSI, Thulsz(Wipro)

■ Kudutha kasuku mela kuvuranda goyala Kolappan S K, CTS

Vinoth Kumar(Allsec), Selva(Perot Systems)

■ Sinam konda singatha serailla adacha authu cellaiye sethai chidum paravalaiya Sathish Babu(CGSL), Rajesh,Geetha(Ramco Systems)

Rajeshkumar.P, TCS

■ Parthiban(P): Sir, mani enna aachu, Vadivel(V): watch kattala, P: watch illaati enna, meena paarthu sollu, V: yo.. meena paarthu eppadiyaa maniya solluva!!?? P: watchla enna iruku? V: mullu, p: meenla enna iruku? V: mullu, p: sari, ippa sollu mani enna? V: !!?? Aiyoo.! Paduthuraane… Dhanabal (TCS)

Gomathy of Hewlett Packard(HP) has nominated her friends as Partners in Crime. This photo was taken at Sterling Resorts, Mahabalipuram.

■Mappu....Mappu.... Vechittanya appu RAJESH. R(Perot Systems), Satish(Ramco Systems), Rohit (Bell Canada), Nari(Wipro), Krishnaveni(Accenture), Murugan(Ramco Systems), Rajee Anand(Coastal Training technologies)

■ Building strongu basement weaku… Suresh(Allsec), Praveen(CGSL), Revathy(Perot Systems), Thara Comedy Club(Wipro), Bala, Sathish Babu(CGSL), Mahesh Rajamani(Perot Base Camp), Sha(Slash Support), Dude Team

■ Evalavu adichalum thangaran evan Romba nallavanu sollitan ma Jayaseelan.S(Perot Systems), Vimprash(Patni Computers), Priyadarshini, Antony(TCS)

■ Dangerous fellow!!! Ivana carepulla deal pannanum Ganesh, John, Jhenu, Komal, Mithun, Sid Target Supply, TCS, RTSC

■ Ahaa Oru groupa than ya alayaranga athuvum ennaiye sutti sutti varanga awhhh…

Nagamathan S of Tata Consultancy Services has nominated his team as Partners in Crime. This photo was clicked at Kart Attack on ECR road.

Sasi Subbaraman, Perot Systems

■ Opening nallathan irruthu, aana Finishing seri ellaiye pa” from the film WINNER. S.Sundaresan, Software Specialist Patni Computer Systems Ltd,

Today’s Query: If the world would be destroyed within a few minutes, what would you like to do within that time period? By Ramachandran M, CGSL

T. Sankarlingam from Changepond Technologies has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This photo was taken at Madurai Railway Station.

21

Friday, November 21, 2008

Prabhu of Satyam Computer Services Limited has been nominated as Office Angel by the ADMS team, Sumithra Mathew, Sheeba Joshua, Sridhar Krishnamurthy,Uma Ramesh, Saravanan Thina, Sridhar V, Senthilkumar S, Atul Nashine and Lavanya Menon He is our office assistant. He is very helpful and is responsible for handling various HR activities. He performs all activities within the time period and does it neatly.

■ Capt Stuart Lawrence Wishing you a very very happy advance birth day greeting from all us. May blessing come from God for eternal joy, peace, happiness and all round prosperity. Chennai Admin Team (CAT), CGSL

■ Dear Sumanaa Wish u many more happy returns of the day:) Wish u the best of health,happiness and hope all ur wishes get fulfilled forever. With lots of love, Subhashini, Rajeswari, Rajamathy

■ Hi Anil, Hearty wishes on your birthday! Let our friendship continue forever!!! Luv, Swaroop, TCS

■ Dear MDD Though deepa may not be roja and konapuli may never be kodukkapuli.. U will always remain the sweetest.. Here’s wishing lots of fun on ur birthday

with loads of love, Sapg ,T.A.P, Sify

■ Dear Priyanka Wish u a very Happy Birthday! May God bless u a Prosperous and healthy life. May all ur dreams come true. May u have god’s best in everything. With Luv, Sudha, EDS

■ Hi Cute Uma While lighting the candles every year, the count will increase, But dont know how it decreases as the days passes over... May be will it be applicable to "Cute Angel" Happy Birthday:) Sharanya & Kamal TCS Siruseri

Vijayagowri of Infosys Technologies ltd, M-City doodled this

■ Hey Arjun (Mr.Drupal ) May God bless u with good health and happiness.Have a fun-filled birthday n let all ur dreams come true :-) cheers, Customer World Team

■ Dear Little Angel (Savitha) Happy Birthday to u. May God shower his blessings through out your life. May your laughter bring us more joy. With luv, Dad & Mom, Uma, TCS

■ Dear Pattupa Happy birthday to you pattupa. And may your good times multiply, till they’re flying off the chart! Have a Lovely day dear. Mrs. Devi Loganathan, Patni Computer

1. Santa standing on platform suddenly jumps on the railway track. Banta: Santa u’ll die. Santa: You will die bcoz haven’t u heard train is coming on platform? Banta:?????? 2.Santa : Sitting on The Top of the Mountain and Studying.... When Banta asked what he was doing.... He replied... Oye!! Higher Studies Yaar...!!! Manonmani Kesav, HCL

■ Dear Padma Happy birthday, and have a great year! Enjoy your life and the dance of life keep on shining like the sun, Spread the pleasure like moon light. Love N Wishes, Ur School Friends Preethi, Anne, Amudha, Archana, Anna, Komala, & Vanniya, HCL

■ Dear Thiru Wish u belated birthday wishes. May u get all the happiness in this world. All

the best for your future endeavours. Viswa, Rajasekar, Kayal, Swapna, Shahila,Madhavi, AV018-BOA,Siruseri, TCS

■ Dear Thoufiq chatri many many more happy returns of the day. Let all ur dreams come true. Parvez, CGSL

■ Dear Friends Congratulations for the successful completion of one year at Infy M city. All the best for the coming years. Yuva - Nov 19th Batch, Infosys, M city.

■ Hey Jiji Many More Happy Returns Of the Day. May God bless you:) Happy Birthday:) Regards, Alwin Raj & CSA OOH Team,Wipro

■ Dear Dinesh God bless you on your birthday. Let the celebrations start, Enjoy life’s precious gifts, And remain young at heart. HCM BOFA Team,Infosys

■ Hi BVJ Karthika Have a Wonderful Day & beautiful Upcoming yrs. Happy Birthday day. Many More Happy Returns of the Day. CHNTS 23 & 24 Team (Chandy) Cognizant

■ Dear Jawahhar Enjoying every moment of IT’, Experience Certainty’, We know all these captions have meaning for the “on track” we in TCS only because of ur presence. We wish u all the best in ur future endeavors:) Hearty Bday wishes, PA_Web Testing Team

■ 12B’s in Chinna Gounder Srini avargale, Avan UC la enna solla varan na! Nanga ottuka enna solla varomna! Kasa kasanu pesama matterku varom!!! Advance happy b’day dham dham srini Cheers, 12Bees, Hexaware technologies

■ Dear Rajesh (Little Master) Many more happy returns of the day. May God bless you with all the happiness….. Ashwin, Satyam, Muthu, Quintegra

■ Hi Arun Many more happy returns of the day. Now that you have got your pay We want a party by the bay, Many happy returns of the day!!!! ERS Recruitment Team....

■ Dear SARANYA mami It’s a nice feeling when you know that someone likes you,someone thinks about you, but it feels much better when you know that someone never ever forgets your birthday. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY". With love Sethu, catherine ,TCS

■ Hi Karthik (Madurai Veera) Advance Birthday Wishes to u. Keep smiling and wishing you a year full of success, happiness, fun and may all your dreams come true this year. With Regards, Siebel team, Infosys

22

ERGO Friday, November 21, 2008

Tree ‘monster’ terrifies Japan

Traffic Jam

Residents in the Japanese region of Chiba Prefecture are being terrorised by a gigantic tree, which has been cut into the shape of giant lizard monster Godzilla.

sudoku

Senguttuvan Sugumaran of HCL Technologies, Vadapalani sent us this picture of the Malpe Beach in Karnataka. Hobbies: Photography and Travelling

KAKURO 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

23

Friday, November 21, 2008

Spaced out

Words’ worth

A NASA crewmember is in hot water after dropping her toolbag during a spacewalk - the unfortunate astronaut watched helplessly as her precious cargo floated off into space.

Emmetropia" (em-uh-troh-pee-uh) the condition of the eye in which no correction of vision is needed - in other words, 20/20 visition or better. From Greek words meaning ’(well) proportioned’ and ’eye.’ If both eyes have the same vision, they are isometropic.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 Career progress expected today. Your work will be appreciated says Ganesha and you will be given more responsible work to do. Do not be overconfident as it may be a cataclysm. Your busy schedule may hamper time with your beloved.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 You may not be focussed when the day begins however Ganesha suggests being practical today will be beneficial. This may seem to be the right attitude to achieve good results on the career front; but on love front, would’nt be of much help.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Being busy with your routine activities will consume a lot of time hence you are required to be more attentive. You may lose interest in important tasks and initiations from your end will be seen only after lunch. You will have a good time with your beloved.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 You will be very easy going today and as the day advances, there will be an augment in your enthusiasm. Known for being emotional by nature, treating people around you in a different manner will surprise them.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 You will kick start your day with a powerful charged up morning which may be beneficial in finishing off your work. As a pleasant day at workplace ends, you will be penchanted to share your joy with your beloved.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

Creativity will bloom today however you might not be successful to implement your ideas in projects. Do not get disheartened. By the end of the day you will be focussed on improving your professional skills. Pay as much attention to your love life.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 A busy day but your mind will be focussed on right things at right time. Communication skills will be at its best. The later part of the day is expected to be on lighter side. A dinner with your beloved will be pleasant.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 A tricky day on its way, but be careful with words especially with strangers. To maintain peace at work, being too ingenuous is not advisable. In the evening you may have a prolonged discussion with your beloved regarding career prospects.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 Your career graph doing amazingly well says Ganesha; however the overconfidence developed is not good. Finish your important work as you are likely to forget. Given a chance, do not restrain yourself from helping or motivating colleagues. .

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 As the day starts, you may want to contemplate about your pending work. By concentrating on your work, you may be able to finish off everything before the day ends. Pay more attention on your career front rather than love life.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 The day may begin on a positive note. Since you can handle meetings well, do not hesitate in calling for meetings, if required. The professional in you may forget to pay due attention on love life. Try to spice up the evening with a romantic dinner.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 You will not be bothered by heavy workload and Ganesha congratulates you for your sincere and hard working attitude. This is the best time to implement new goals and ambitions. Along with a career boost, love life will flourish. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

24

ERGO Friday, November 21, 2008

!

Powerful toddler

The count is out

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes daughter Suri has been named the World’s Most Powerful toddler.

A

The cardboard box fugitive German police searching nationwide for a convicted drug dealer who escaped from jail by hiding in a cardboard box to be taken away for recycling, plan to issue an international arrest warrant for him. A Viersen police spokesman said the 37-year-old Turkish national, whose seven-year prison sentence for drug dealing runs to 2011, had escaped from the Willich prison by hiding in a cardboard box about to be picked up by a recycling truck. Reuters

Coffin containing dead German billionaire stolen A coffin containing the remains of German-born billionaire Friedrich Karl Flick was stolen from his mausoleum in the southern Austrian town of Velden, Austrian news agency APA reported. Police investigators said they thought several criminals were involved in removing the granite slabs weighing several hundred kilograms from the grave last weekend. The motive for the theft was unclear, but unnamed investigators told APA they did not exclude the possibility that the crime was related to extortion. In 2006, the billionaire with dual Austrian-German citizenship died at the age of 79 in Austria, where he had been living with his wife. His four children have been reported to have inherited a total of 5 to 6 billion euros (6.4 to 7.6 billion dollars) of the family fortune, which was built by investments in the steel, paper and chemical industries. DPA

Police hq in Norway robbed Thieves broke into the Norwegian criminal police’s headquarters in Oslo, making off with several computers, police said on Monday. “I can confirm that we were the victim of a robbery overnight Saturday to Sunday,” Pia Solhaug, a spokeswoman for Norway’s criminal police Kripos, told AFP. “Several computers were taken,” she added. According to tabloid Verdens Gang (VG), the intruders smashed a window to gain entry into the building. The robbery was discovered three hours later. Oslo police have launched an investigation. AFP

total of 1,323,218 books were read by children between the ages of three and 14 in the course of a twoweek campaign in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) aimed at helping the education of children in developing nations. What is that again, you would ask? Well, the idea is simple, novel, challenging, innovative and exemplary. Dubai Cares, a charitable establishment of the Dubai government established last year by Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Makhtoum, to help educate children in developing

nations had put a unique challenge to school children here. Read a million books in two weeks and for each book read, a book will be donated to children in need in developing nations. A total of 141,415 students from 159 schools in Al Ain in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah, apart from Dubai, read up 1,323,218 books, an equivalent number of which will be distributed to children in developing nations. According to the UAE’s Ministry of Social Affairs, students with special needs also proactively got involved in this unique initiative. ■ IANS