Ergo November 24

A BYTE OF LIFE

Monday, November 24, 2008

10

GUN N’ROSES RELOADED after 17 years FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 2

05 Economical prosthetic arm Chennai-based team wins business plan competition in the general category

No. 223

A MAD PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN

INITIATIVE Bhumi, a city-based NGO with several volunteers from IT companies, is one of the partners of the ‘Make a Difference’ (MAD) initiative that got the Ashoka Social Entrepreneurship Award. » PAGE 03

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Monday, November 24, 2008

Calling bold and beautiful girls The Chennai auditions for the Pantaloons Femina Miss India South 2009 will be held on November 25 at Pantaloons Store, Nelson Manickam Road at 3.30 p.m. Fashion designer Prasad Bidappa will judge the contestants.

Autumn hues

PHOTOS : R.RAVINDRAN

Twilight tones, jewel colours, dashes of yellow, pink and green among others. It’s a new season for Esprit. The lifestyle brand showcased its autumn/ holiday 2008/2009 collection to the glitterati of Chennai at its new Esprit Heritage store in Nungambakkam. Adding colour and style to the new range of collection were models like Nina Manuel, Pia Trivedi, Candice Pinto, Shayan Munshi and Acquin Paes.

03

Monday, November 24, 2008

A MAD initiative V.HARIPRIYA [email protected]

T

hirteen-year-old Ashok is the hero of his class. He knows the nuances of computer better than most of his classmates studying in a Corporation High School near Paalavakkam. “I have just finished MS Office,” he declares at an orphanage in Kottivakam, where he is one among several students attending a weekend class conducted by Bhumi, a city-based NGO that has volunteers from a number of the IT companies. Ashok is one of 400 students in the city to learn computer science at the ‘Kanini’ initiative of Bhumi. Volunteers of Bhumi dedicate their weekends to teach the students computer science. Recently, through a tie-up with Cochin-based NGO ‘Make a Difference’ (MAD), they have also started teaching them basics of the English language through activity-based learning, similar to the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan’s project in the state schools. Last week, MAD bagged the Ashoka Social Entrepreneurship Award, the only NGO from the country to do in the internationally-acclaimed award that had entries from 64 countries. When Ergo caught up last Saturday with a group of Bhumi’s volunteers, they were elated at being a part of the internationally-acclaimed award. E. Ayyanar, an employee of CTS and an active volunteer in Bhumi, explained about MAD: “Make A Difference is similar to the Govt’s activity-based learning. Through flash cards, match sticks, drawings and five verbs-per-day method, we teach English to these kids during weekends. Instead of making them memorize the words blindly, we make them understand the meaning and then learn the word. It is really working and these kids have improved a lot.”

Kanini initiative When Bhumi was launched in 2006, the volunteers decided to make computer science education for school student their primary objective. As part of the ‘Kanini’ iniatitive, they set up computer lab facilities in four orphanages and one slum locality of the city. The labs served as the weekend classrooms. M. Aruna, a volunteer working with the Ford says, “We have provided old PCs to all the orphanages we take class. We teach the kids the basics in computer science. Children studying from Std V to IX are our target group. First we make them overcome the fear of using computers. Then slowly we start to make them draw and write alphabets. Its two years we started this and most of the students are now well-versed in MS Office.” Self-financed “There are absolutely no sponsors for Bhumi,” says Dr Prahalathan, president of Bhumi, says. “All the volunteers pay out of their pockets and it is enough to manage our needs. The volunteers are trained by the Teachers Foundation on how to handle classes. We have a monthly orientation class for the newcomers apart from regular updates through our Orkut communities – ‘Make a Difference – BhumiChennai’ and ‘Bhumi, Chennai’. The ultimate aim of Bhumi volunteers is to reach as many children as possible. ■

Visit Bhumi’s website www.bhumichennai.org to know more about the NGO. If you wish to join them in their activities, get started by creating a user account.

A few of Bhumi’s volunteers at an orphanage. PHOTO: R.RAVINDRAN

A group of working professionals set aside some time in their weekends to reach out under-privileged kids

04 KALEIDOSCOPE

ERGO Monday, November 24, 2008

SIPly judicious? Why is it so great?

PRADEEP YUVARAJ

“I

want to invest in an SIP.” We often hear that from people who invest in mutual funds. But what exactly is an SIP? And why is it so interesting? First things first: An SIP (Systematic Investment Plan) is a fancy term used for investments in mutual funds. What it basically means is investing fixed amounts in mutual funds at regular intervals (monthly), when investing large amount at one go is not possible. So for a small investor, it gives the benefit of investing in the stock market indirectly giving all the benefits of a mutual fund and at the same time not biting into his monthly income too much. You can join a SIP for as low as Rs.500 a month.

Date

Amount invested

Apart from the above benefits, the best use of an SIP is its ability to produce better results due to Rupee Cost Averaging (RCA). RCA is the ability of an investment to overcome the ups and downs of the market and thus averaging out the returns. For example, if you invested Rs. 50,000 on January 1, 2008 at the rate of Rs. 100 per unit, you would have gotten 500 units. Suppose on November 1, the unit value is 110 then your investment is worth Rs. 55,000 and if it’s Rs. 90 per unit then your investment is worth 45,000. SIP gives us a way to avoid the second scenario. Assume instead of investing Rs. 50,000 at one go; you decide to invest Rs. 5,000 every month. So on January 1, you would get 50 units. And so on as shown in table.

Unit Value (assumed for example)

Units purchased

1-Jan-08

5000

100

50

1-Feb-08

5000

103

49

1-Mar-08

5000

105

48

1-Apr-08

5000

108

46

1-May-08

5000

110

45

1-Jun-08

5000

100

50

1-Jul-08

5000

95

53

1-Aug-08

5000

93

54

1-Sep-08

5000

90

56

1-Oct-08

5000

86

58

TOTAL

50000

990

508

Mini quiz Winner gets a free Personal Finance Health Check up from Finerva. 1. What is the maximum Percentage of Basic pay up to which HRA can be claimed? Choice:25%, 40%, 50%, 30% 2. How many life insurance companies are there is India? Choice:45, 16, 50, 21 Send your answers to [email protected] or SMS your answers to 90470 91910. For example if you choose A as the answer to question 1 and B as the answer to question 2 type it as 1A2B and send it.

Thus we can see that the market has gone from a start of Rs. 100 per unit to a high of 110 per unit and a low of 86 per unit. Still the investor has earned more units than he would have done had he invested Rs. 50,000 on January 1. At this point we must also understand that this might not hold true during extreme conditions. We realise that an SIP not only gives us to opportunity to invest small amounts but by means of Rupee Cost Averaging gives us a chance to get better returns or correspondingly minimize our loss in case of negative markets. So what are you waiting for? SIP it. I am sure most people have understood the real benefit of an SIP in the current market scenario. The number of units on your Folio statement would surely have shown a rise. Albeit it must be added that the value might be less. Be patient. If you have been investing in a SIP, please continue doing so as you get high value units at dirt cheap when the markets are low. ■ (The author is Director –Education and can be mailed at

[email protected])

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Monday, November 24, 2008

Websites of the day Read These Top Tips To Avoid Any Hitches On Your Wedding Day. http:// www.magnetduo.com.au/speeches/weddingentertainment-disaster-stories.htm* Sign Up Here To Help Save Chimps Held In Captivity.http://www.savethechimps.org/

I’m not sure I knew what an entrepreneur was when I was 10, but I knew that starting little businesses and trying to sell greeting cards or newspapers doorto-door or just vending machine kind of thing is... There’s just something very intriguing to me about that. Steve Case, entrepreneur

Flights of fantasy Friends in ‘arms’ Founder: Kumar Loganathan Team size: 8 Email: [email protected] rofessionals from all the major branches of Engineering and some doctors make up this vibrant young team called ELBOW (a Biblical term with an aim to help others). They are all school friends (both juniors and seniors) from Janaki Ramachandran Kalalayalam and Chettinad Vidyashram who come with expertise in their respective areas to design an economically-friendly prosthetic arm. The idea to design a prosthetic arm for the physical-

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ly challenged struck them when they visited their friend’s father working with Mukti Ashram in Tambaram. “We started by liaising with a team in the US, which is funding the Ashram. They said our plan was technically feasible but economically not possible,” says Kumar, the BE (Mechanical) engineer from Velammal Engineering College. They took it up as a challenge and have been working on the design for the last two years. What distinguishes “their arm” from those in the market is that it is only 1/10th of the cost. The

length can be adjusted as per the person’s comfort. “In short it is an electro-mechanical arm (Mechatronics), which can also be used as an industrial robotic arm,” explains Kumar. The team has already won two other business plan competitions – runner-up of the Best Business Plan of India conducted by the Department of Science and Technology, and another by the Indo-US Technical Forum. If the Indian Medical Council grants them permission, team ELBOW should be incubated in six months time. ■

It is said every good business starts with two things: a good idea and a robust business plan. And these entrepreneurs have just done that. Ergo caught up with the winners of the panIndia business plan competition conducted by LIBA, IDG Venture and TiE, Chennai

Banking on Hope Founder: Mukesh Kumar Team Size: 5 Email:[email protected] ndia is making leaps in stem cell research. And this team promises to add to that with their low-investment business model with a social cause. Hope (as they are known) has won laurels for their ‘Dual Stem Cell Bank’, where they provide biological insurance, security and

I

We are hiring Founders: Nupur Panjabi and Sumit Panjabi Team Size: 14 Website: www.thehiringtool.com Email: [email protected] here are 20,000 placement companies in the country, but what makes us different is we are a central point where everybody can post their requirements,” explains Nupur Punjabi, the IIT-Roorke graduate who has worked with Wipro and Accenture before starting the start-up with her husband. Sumit was in the US for the last 15

“T

years and was into different ventures, including running a motor sport business, when the couple decided to start their own firm in Hyderabad. TheHiring Tool is an online market place, which connects employers and recruitment agencies from a network of recruitment agencies. In less than six months since they launched the firm, they have won the trust of around 400 consultants, and they say are going strong – both with respective to the number of employers and consultants. With both their experience, the couple are hopeful of breaking even by October 2009.

safety of the customer. The venture will be carried in two units – private stem cell bank and public stem cell bank. “We have been working on the idea for the last one and a half years and will be launching our company soon,” says Mukesh, who is pursuing management at Birla Institute of Technology. Mukesh’s three-year stint with a bio-medical design firm and team members, who come from varied fields, should help them carry their dream venture forward, he says.

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Monday, November 24, 2008

Rattlesnakes Rattlesnakes gather in groups to sleep through the winter. Sometimes up to1,000 of them will coil up together to keep warm.

Help from god to fight recession A two-year long yagna, an ancient Hindu fire ritual, is being held in a village in Gujarat to save the world from the economic downturn, news reports said on Sunday. The yagna, which involves groups of priests reciting ancient religious verses and pouring oblations in a ceremonial fire, is being held at Ramsana village in Mehsana district of Gujara. The ritual entered its 16th day and will continue uninterrupted for two years, the organiser of the event, Dahyabhai Patel, convenor of a religious trust, was quoted as saying. He said at least 3,000 priests from from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. PTI

Obama names White House spokesman US president-elect Barack Obama announced on Saturday that a long-time communications aide would serve as White House press secretary after the January 20 inauguration. Robert Gibbs held the position of communications director in Obama’s presidential campaign before becoming senior strategist for communications and message leading up to the November 4 general elections. He first joined Obama’s US Senate campaign in 2004 as communications director and later handled communications in Obama’s Senate office. Obama named Ellen Moran as White House director of communications. She is executive director of Emily’s List, a left-wing women’s political organisation, and previously worked for the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of US labour unions.

Astronauts complete longest space-walk Two astronauts on the U.S. space shuttle Endeavor completed the third and longest spacewalk of the mission on Saturday, nearly wrapping up the lube job on the right-side solar panel joint outside the International Space Station, according to NASA TV. Spacewalkers Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steve Bowen reentered the Quest airlock at 0058 GMT Sunday. Their excursion was completely devoted to additional cleaning, lubricating and bearing-replacement of the massive, jammed joint. During the nearly seven-hour spacewalk, the duo swapped five bearings among a total of 12. Five others were replaced in earlier spacewalks, one was swapped out, and the last one had been cleaned, waiting for replacement during the fourth spacewalk set for Monday, mission managers said. Xinhua

Austria may accept Guantanamo detainees Austria may accept 50 prisoners released from the United States’ Guantanamo Bay prison, Emilou MacLean, attorney from the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) said on Wednesday. According to the Austrian Press Agency (APA), MacLean said these 50 prisoners are from the Middle East and Asian countries like Uzbekistan, Syria, Algeria and Palestine. MacLean said she is visiting European countries to lobby with them to accept the prisoners, but she declined to name which countries she would visit except for Germany and Switzerland. She also said certain European countries have already expressed their willingness to accept the prisoners, but so far none of them has published an official statement on this.

DPA

Xinhua

Radicals take on pirates Somali Shebab fighters warn pirates to free tanker, or face battle

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omali Islamist fighters on Sunday urged pirates holding a Saudi super-tanker to free the ship or face armed action. “If the pirates want peace, they had better release the tanker,” Sheikh Ahmed, a spokesman for the Shebab group in the coastal region of Harardhere said. The Sirius Star, a huge tanker carrying around 100 million dollars worth of crude oil and owned by Saudi Aramco, was hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean on November 15. Pirates have since anchored it off their base in Harardhere and have demanded a ransom of 25 million dollars be paid

by November 30. The Shebab (youth) armed group controls much of southern and central Somalia, and has positioned fighters in and around Harardhere in recent days. Islamist leaders have stressed that piracy is a capital offence in Islam and officially condemned the surge in acts of piracy in Somalia’s waters. A member of the pirate group holding the Sirius Star retorted that his own men were not afraid of the Shebab’s threats. “We are the Shebab of the sea and we can’t be scared by the Shebab of the land,” Mohamed Said said. “If anybody attempts to attack, that would be

suicide.” Said had earlier on Thursday said that his group was demanding 25 million dollars to release the vessel, which is carrying the equivalent of almost a quarter of top producer Saudi Arabia’s daily output. “There is a small Shebab vanguard on the ground but we also have a strong presence. Every Somali has great respect for the holy kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We have nothing against them but unfortunately what happened was just business for us and I hope the Saudis will understand,” the pirate said.■ AFP

Saudi-owned oil tanker MV Sirius Star is at anchor off the coast of Somalia. PHOTO: AFP

07

Monday, November 24, 2008

Sandwich smack

This day, that year

A man in Florida faces an assault charge after allegedly hitting his girlfriend with a sandwich as she was driving. Police say the 19-year-old man became angry and hit the woman in the arm and face with a sandwich, knocking her glasses off.

It was on November 24, 1859 that Charles Darwin’s controversial ’Origin of Species’ was published. His revolutionary theory of evolution had its critics, notably the church, which feared the book undermined religious belief.

Emails ‘waste an hour a day’ Researchers in Britain found that office workers actually waste an hour a day sending and receiving emails – the obsession has led to a culture in which many process them without even thinking

E

mails have joined fags and runs for coffee as the latest threat to workplace productivity, for a new study has revealed that the popular online communication mode wastes an hour a

day. Researchers in Britain have carried out the study and found that office workers actually waste an hour a day sending and receiving emails – the obsession has led to a culture in which many process them without even thinking. They have based their findings on a survey of 4,000 employees from 150 business houses in Britain. The poll found that the average

Beer REDEFINED A

ustralia could change its legal definition of beer in order to stop brewers using a tax loophole to pass off sweet, pre-mixed alcoholic drinks as the thirst-slaking

Australia to redefine the legal definition of beer to beat tax loophole

worker wastes one hour every day through inefficient use of email; most do not filter or organise their emails correctly; and many of emails sent do not help people do their jobs, The Daily Telegraph reported. And, according to a spokesman for communications consultants Expert Messaging, which commissioned the research, this could be because workers had not been given appropriate training for proper use of emails. “As a communications tool that we have all grown up with, but seldom if ever given any formal training on or provided any corporate guidelines for, it’s no wonder that email is a significant sources of stress, miscommunication and inefficiency for companies and individuals,” he said. Agreed Nigel Shadbolt, a Professor of artificial intelligence at Southampton University: “I think we are still working out what is acceptable and unacceptable email use. Some companies have banned their workers from sending carbon copies of emails, and in extreme cases have banned them from sending emails altogether. There’s a problem that with superabundance of information there’s a scarcity of attention.” ■ PTI

My blessings with you

brew, a report said on Sunday. The report follows the government’s decision to increase the tax on alcopops – bottled or canned fizzy drinks usually mixed with rum or vodka – by 70 per cent to curtail binge drinking among young people. Some drinks companies have sidestepped the tax by producing drinks brewed using the same methods as beer but with all the ‘beer characteristics’ removed and sugar and colouring added, the Sun-Herald newspaper said. The products, known as ‘malternatives’, are also packaged like a flavoured beverage and sell for as little as two Australian dollars (1.25 US) a drink – significantly cheaper than the ‘alcopops’ that fall under the new tax regime. Health Minister Nicola Roxon said the government would be looking to close any loopholes which allowed drinks manufacturers to undermine initiatives to curb harmful teenage drinking. ■ AFP

쒀 Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty along with Akshay Kumar at the prize distribution ceremony of a TV show ’Big Boss’ in Mumbai on Saturday.

PTI PHOTO

08 SPORT

ERGO Monday, November 24, 2008

Real win Wesley Sneijder earned champions Real Madrid a 1-0 home victory over Recreativo Huelva on Saturday, easing the pressure on coach Bernd Schuster. The win took Real second above Villarreal whose 17-match unbeaten run in the Primera Liga ended with a surprise 0-3 home defeat by Valladolid. Real, with 26 points from 12 matches, are two behind Barcelona.

Lewis seeks return Former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis would be tempted out of retirement by the lure of a $100 million payday as well as his desire to “save the sport”, he told a British newspaper on Sunday. Lewis who retired from the ring in 2003 after beating Vitali Klitschko but the 43-year-old said he could be ready for a title fight after six months of training. “If someone wants to pay me serious money, $100m or so, then I will fight again,” he told the Mail on Sunday. “I don’t have to do this, I don’t need the money and my legacy speaks for itself. But boxing needs me. The heavyweight game is so boring now. All the characters are gone. I would like to save my sport.” Lewis said the poor quality of the current crop of heavyweights was one of the main reasons he was tempted to return to the ring. “Boxers usually come back or continue fighting for two reasons,” he said. “Either the atmosphere of the crowd or the money. Me? I don’t need either, I’m happy as I am. But I think the sport needs me and I love my sport. And I don’t like seeing it the way it is.” Reuters

Victoria Bushrangers announce squad for Champions League With three players who have played in the Indian Premier League in their 15-man squad, Victoria Bushrangers arrive in India on Friday hoping for a good show in the Champions League Twenty20 which starts on December 3. Victoria, who announced their squad Sunday, have in their ranks three players in captain Cameron White, David Hussey and Brad Hodge who have played in the inaugural edition of the IPL this year. The team also has Australia fast bowler Peter Siddle who toured India in the just-concluded Test series. They will reach Mumbai on Friday for cricket’s first Twenty20 Champions League, with hopes of a semi-final showdown with Victoria’s favourite son Shane Warne, captain of IPL champions Rajasthan Royals, in the USD 5 million eight-team tournament. Victoria play Middlesex Crusaders of England on December 3 before taking on Chennai Superkings on December 4 and Titans of South Africa (December 6).

Squad Cameron White (c), Aiden Blizzard, Adam Crosthwaite, Aaron Finch, Shane Harwood, John Hastings, Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Andrew McDonald, Clinton McKay, Dirk Nannes, James Pattinson, Rob Quiney, Peter Siddle, Matthew Wade. PTI

Chase is on Ferguson confident of catching Chelsea

A

lex Ferguson insists Manchester United’s English Premier League title challenge is still alive despite being eight points off the pace. The Red Devils missed a glorious chance to close the gap on leaders Chelsea and second-placed Liverpool to just six points, with a game in hand. But, after the top two had earlier both been held to 0-0 draws, United turned in a subdued performance Saturday at Villa Park – a ground where they had won on their 11 previous visits – and were themselves held to a goalless stalemate.

Big blow Beleaguered Arsenal were dealt a hammer blow in a 0-3 defeat at Manchester City, while, Chelsea endured a frustrating home draw with Newcastle United and second-placed Liverpool were also held 0-0 by Fulham at Anfield. It might have been worse for Ferguson had not referee Chris Foy turned down loud home appeals for a second-half penalty. Third-placed United could fall further behind in the title race when they travel to Japan next

month to take part in the 2008 Club World Cup. “We are going to be two games behind when we get to January. But I think we can make it up,” Ferguson said of the gap between United and the leaders. “If we can get to within two or three points of the leaders by New Year’s Day it would be a great feeling for us. It would put us in with a great chance. It’s not difficult, not with our club. We’re capable of winning runs as everyone knows.”

Close call United flirted with throwing away their 22-match unbeaten run against Villa, who created the best chances. Villa midfielder Ashley Young twice tested United’s goalkeeper Edwin van der Saar, but the game’s big talking point was Foy’s decision not to award the home side a 59th minute penalty after Nemanja Vidic brought down Gabriel Agbonlahor. He was through on goal, but Vidic pulled the England striker back by his shirt before both players tumbled over just inside the penalty box. Villa boss Mar-

tin O’Neill claimed Vidic should have been sent off. “It was the major decision of the game,” he said. “I can understand the referee not being sure whether it was a penalty but the foul was a sending-off offence. “I’m the first to acknowledge how difficult it is to referee games, but that was a big moment and he chose to ignore it.” Ferguson, though, believed the official got it right. “Vidic clearly got the ball, he was goal side of the player. Agbonlahor was always going to find it difficult to go around him,” he said. The point edged Villa up to fourth place, ahead of Arsenal, who they beat 2-0 away at Emirates Stadium in their previous game. But O’Neill continues to play down suggestions that his side are now genuine contenders for a top four spot. Ferguson gambled on the fitness of Wayne Rooney, who was pulled out of England’s 2-1 win over Germany in Berlin on Wednesday, but the striker was below par and missed United’s best chance when he blazed over in the second half. ■ AFP

Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney (centre) tries to get past Aston Villa’s Curtis Davies (left) and Ashley Young during the Premier League match at Villa Park in Birmingham. PHOTO: AFP

09

Monday, November 24, 2008

Watson dropped All-rounder Shane Watson was on Sunday left out of the 12-man Australian squad named for the second Test against New Zealand starting on Friday in Adelaide. Watson bowled well in the first Test taking two wickets but let himself down with the bat, scoring one and five when Australia were in trouble in both the innings. Victorian fast bowler Peter Siddle will rejoin the 12-man squad after being released from a 13-man squad for the first Test in Brisbane where Australia beat the Kiwis by 149 runs.

DOUBLES JOY FOR SPAIN

Lopez, Verdasco put Spain in Davis Cup driving seat

F

eliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco put Spain in the driving seat in the Davis Cup final on Saturday, beating Argentina’s David Nalbandian and Agustin Calleri 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 in the doubles to give their country a 2-1 lead in Mar del Plata. The Spanish, champions in 2000 and 2004 and runners-up on three other occasions, had hardly dared hope of going into the final day leading after world number one Rafael Nadal had to cry off through injury. But Lopez, having stunned number one Argentine Juan Martin del Potro 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 after Nalbandian had thrashed David Ferrer in straight sets, once again shone as the visitors overcame an inauspicious start to tough out what may prove to be the decisive rubber.

Fitness worries While Argentina sweat on the fitness of groin strain victim Del Potro, who may have to cede his place in the return singles to Jose Acasuso – for whom Nalbandian stepped in Saturday – Spanish skipper Emilio Sanchez Vicario was elated. “That was a hard-earned win. All kinds of emotions were present in the third set – we thought we’d sunk ourselves and then we won an incredible tiebreak,” said Sanchez Vicario as the Spanish first let slip a 5-1 lead then came back from 1-5 down in the breaker before pocketing the final set comfortably. Verdasco was equally ebullient as the Spanish set themselves up for what would be a famous triumph given the absence of Nadal. “I’m not certain if that was the best match of my career but in doubles, definitely” said Verdasco, who could be preferred to Ferrer in Sunday’s reverse sin-

gles against Del Potro – or Acasuso before Lopez goes up against Nalbandian.

History favours the visitors Worryingly for Argentina, in the last 36 years of Davis Cup finals, only three times have the doubles victors not gone on to win the title. Both of the two opening sets were as tight as the scoreline suggested, Nalbandian and Calleri both producing some pinpoint serving – including winning 100 percent of points on second serve – to get their noses in front 7-5 in 47min after Vardasco double faulted in the 11th game. Nalbandian then closed out the set after he first managed to stave off a triple break point. But the Spaniards, both lefties, came roaring back and pinched the second by the same margin. In the third set, it looked as if the Spanish tandem would rue letting slide a 5-1 lead. Verdasco strode up to serve out and a Nalbandian return into the net brought up a first set point. But Verdasco produced a double fault as the hosts closed the gap in the seventh game and Lopez then dropped serve in turn, misjudging a

Spain’s Feliciano Lopez (left) and teammate Fernando Verdasco (right) celebrate after winning their doubles match in the final of the Davis Cup against Argentina at Islas Malvinas stadium in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires. PHOTO: AFP

volley on a ball which was going out in any case as the Argentines forced their way back to 4-5. That sparked such emotion among the home fans that it brought a warning from the umpire of a potential penalty unless they calmed down. A Calleri hold made it 5-5 and two further games went with serve to force the tiebreak. This time it was Argentina who threw away the early initiative gained as they streaked 5-1 clear only for Nalbandian to miss a volley before Verdasco produced a clean winner and then Calleri netted a forehand to gift the Spanish a 2-1 lead. ■ AFP

10 FLICK

A

fter 17 years, millions of dollars, and numerous false dawns, the wait has finally ended for fans of Guns N’Roses on Sunday with the release of the rock group’s longawaited ‘Chinese Democracy’. The US band’s first album of original material since 1991’s ‘Use Your Illusion I’ and ‘II’, the arrival of ‘Chinese Democracy’ comes after a tortuous gestation that had become something of a running joke in the music industry. Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose, 46, is the only member of the band’s original line-up to feature on the new album, which will feature 14 tracks and is being hyped as a milestone in rock n’ roll. Founded in Los Angeles in 1985,

ERGO Monday, November 24, 2008

Guns N’Roses went on to become one of the biggest bands of the late 1980s and early 1990s, their 1987 album ‘Appetite for Destruction’ becoming a seminal work. At the height of their fame the group were regularly selling out 80,000-seater arenas and album sales to date have topped more than 90 million. But since the release of their last studio album in 1993, the music industry has changed beyond recognition. In terms of time and money, ‘Chinese Democracy’ is already exceptional. A total of 14 studios have been used to help produce its 14 tracks. The New York Times in 2005 described the album as the ‘most expensive album nev-

er made,’ estimating its cost at 13 million dollars. Much of the excruciating development can be traced back to the notoriously difficult temperament of front-man Rose, who has had enough band members to form a soccer team. According to Phil Gallo, associate editor of Daily Variety, the band remains relevant because “there’s an absence of hard rock bands with star power, with very charismatic persons in front. Guns N’Roses still make a difference. They have lots songs that stood the test of time and get played in football stadiums and make it on to the radio, they’re a key part of classic rock in the States.” Axl Rose’s celebrity has still relevance. They were a football stadium band, “and they could play 60 to 80,000 people every single night.”

Early reviews of Chinese Democracy have been mixed. Rolling Stone described the album simply as a “great, audacious, unhinged and uncompromising hard-rock record. In other words, it sounds a lot like the Guns N’ Roses you know.” But the New York Times offered a more withering assessment. While acknowledging the ‘bursts of remarkable musicianship,’ the paper described the album as the “Titanic of rock albums: the ship, not the movie.” “It’s outsize, lavish, obsessive, technologically advanced and, all too clearly, the end of an era,” the Times said. “It’s also a shipwreck, capsized by pretensions and top-heavy production. In its 14 songs there are glimpses of heartfelt ferocity and despair, along with bursts of remarkable musicianship. But they are overwhelmed by countless layers of studio diddling and a tone of curdled self-pity. The album concludes with five bombastic power ballads in a row.” ■ AFP

The release of ‘Chinese Democracy’ has proved expensive for makers of the popular US soft drink Dr Pepper, who promised a free can of the soda for everyone in America if the album was released before the end of 2008. The company has proved as good as its word, offering a free coupon on its website for a 24-hour period from Sunday.

17 years later, Guns N’ Roses are back

11

Monday, November 24, 2008

“Harris split is temporary” Gowtham Menon has hinted that the much-publicised split with his favourite music director Harris Jayaraj is most likely to be a temporary one. “Harris is an unparalleled originator. We started our journey together from Minnale. He has grown by leaps and bounds. We have worked together to render several hit songs. I always enjoyed his company. I sincerely feel the split is a temporary phase. There are chances of us patching up and work together again in future.”

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Cine City

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Suriya meets fans in USA Actor Suriya who is on vacation with his family in USA, spent last Friday interacting with fans in Bay Area. Bharat Creations the distributor of his new release Vaaranam Aayiram, made arrangements for Surya to visit two of the theatres in Bay Area where his movie is running for a successful second week. Hundreds of Surya Fans stormed the theatres to see their hero live and they were happy to take pictures and interact with him. All his fans, including the ones who came to watch the telugu version of the movie ‘Surya S/O Krishnan’ participated in a brief Q&A session with Surya.

IANS

Y

et another Superstar remake will hit the floors soon. On December 1, shooting commences for the remake of Rajnikanth’s super hit Murattu Kalai. While Sundar C will don the role performed by Rajnikanth, Suman will play the villain role played by Jai Shankar. Sneha will play the role performed by Rathi in the original, while search is on for the other heroine. Thiyagu, ‘Cell’ Murugan and Alex are also in the cast. Selvabharathy, who directed films like Ninaithen Vanthai, Vaseegara and Pasupathy C/O Rasakkapalayam, is directing the remake version. No major changes have been made in the script. Srikanth Deva is scoring the music, while Santario Tersio handles cinematography. The film also marks the return of Gunanidhi Amirtham, grandson of Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi, to film production after a gap of 13 years. ■

Sundar C in Superstar remake

www.cinesnacks.com

Kollywood queen of ads She may not be the highest paid actress in Tamil cinema, but with national brands like Mirinda, Fairever, Clinic All Clear, Parachute and Tanishq in her bag, Asin is the undisputed Kollywood queen of ads. She is getting close to Rs 1.25 crores for an annual contract which may include a maximum of a week’s shooting, few functions. Trisha and Shriya Saran occupy the second and third position in the list of actress getting huge pay packets through advertisements.

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ERGO Monday, November 24, 2008

If the world would be destroyed within a few minutes, what would you like to do within that time period

■ Will rejoice thinking of the unforgettable moments of the past and people who made a difference in me so far

■ I will run and hug my friend Madhusrinivas because he should not escape at any point of time

■ Will catch a rocket to space with as many resources and people that the rocket can accommodate

Virgil Joseph David, Perot Systems

■ I will kiss my beloved till my last breath and spend time with her. Ramesh Kumar (Perot Systems), Satish (Ramco Systems), Hariharan (Sify), Ramesh Rajan (Wipro)

■ I would try 2 spend my last few minutes wit my parents and beloved ones in this world and see that hey are Happy.

R Balasubramanian Wipro Technologies

■ ’Amma kitta nandu varuthu thara solli saapiduvaen .’ Sathish Shankar, TCS

Vimprash, Patni Computers

■ Watch Varanam Aiyiram with friends and scream and enjoy the last moment. Annapoorani M, TCS

■ Sip a strong cup of coffee and watch Vadivel comedy with family. You may still be laughing as the world caves in Sridhar R (STG), Loganathan (Perot Systems)

Bhanupriya, Sathish Babu (CGSL), LakshmiRake (Accenture), Dhanabal Rekha, Ashok, Shanthi (TCS), Kannan (Sify), S.Lakshmi (CTS)

■ Just lie down calmly with my head on my mothers lap. That’s heaven. I don’t care even if the world is destroyed

■ I will kiss my sweet heart if that’s my last moment ... And, it goes without saying that my sweet heart forever would be my dear Mom.

■ I’ll first catch up Chandrayaan and go to moon and settle there

Arunkumar Raja, CGSL

■ I’ll buy a Pulsar 200cc with a credit card. Ride at the maximum speed, I’ll hit a BMW and kill myself. I hate to see the disaster. MohanKumar (CGSL), Rajeshkumar.P (TCS)

■ I make a call to Kamal and K.S.Ravikumar. Because, they know how to save the world. Reference: DHASAVATHARAM Jagan, (DELL RR) ALLSEC

■ Odi poi enga boss thalaila NANGU NANGUNU kottu vaipen Ajay, Allsec Technologies, Ergo Pick

Anjitha Narayanan of BCMD, Infosys Technologies has nominated ’The Fabulous Four’ as Partners in Crime. This snap was clicked at the beautiful Valparai estates.

Narendran, Infosys

Satyanathan, Capgemini

■ I’d like to complete my appraisal and get a role change, which seems to be impossible these days Vijayachakravarthy, Infosys

■ I would write my happy moments and put it inside an airtight bottle and sit at the beach waiting for the waves to take away me and my memories Praveen, CGSL

■ I would like to spend the last few minutes with my loved one and my kid Revathy, Sangeetha, Nirmala, Perot Systems

■ I would like to ride with cine and cricket Thala (Ajith and Ganguly) in one bike

Satheesh from HCL Technologies has nominated his office colleague Jeyakumar.S as Partners in Crime. This photo was clicked at Munnar.

Manikandan (SUDYK data soft)

■ I will sleep. Jayaseelan (Perot Systems), Maheswar Aitha (TCS0

■ Send a quick SMS saying "Sorry" to all whose feelings I would have hurt and "thank you" to a special few for making a difference in my life and finally keep praying to God that the world doesn’t end

Senthil Kumar P (RR Donnelley) Rakshita Sreenivasan (Wipro Technologies), Dominic Xavier(CGSL)

■ I will sing "uchi mithu vaan idinthu vizhukindra pothilum acham illai, acham illai acham enpathu illaiye" Sasi Subbaraman, Perot Systems

■ I would like to meet Sachin and bowl an over to him Pravin, L&D, TCS-RTSC

■ I will marry a girl who was ignored by the society to give her happiness at least in the last few minutes. Santhosh, TCS-SNR

■ I like to go to my boss desk and ask for leave if he says no then I will give him a tight slap on his face Hariprasad, Wipro Tech

Today’s Query: What post-retirement plans will you suggest for George W.Bush?

Rajesh Vaidyanathan of Technosoft Global Services Pvt. Ltd. has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime.

13

Monday, November 24, 2008

Gopalakrishnan Selvakumar of ZNA Ariba team, Wipro Technologies has been nominated as Office Angel by his team Deepak, Merlina, Harini, Arun, Shivakumar, Priyanka, Prasanna, Beetha, Balaji,Radha, Banu & Lily. He is the super hero of the offshore team. .All he needs to make things OK is just 2 minutes. With him, even the most seemingly difficult task is possible.

■ Dear Sathya Wish u Many Many Happy Returns of the day. Let u find ur hero this year and we will pray for that. Have Fun :) From ur Dear Friends..

■ Hi Subbu Birthday Wishes to u. Keep smiling and wishing u a year full of success, happiness, and may all ur dreams come true this year Malini.T, Calsoft

■ Dear Hubby (Bunti) I really thank God for giving me such a wonderful Husband! “Happy 3rd Month da Purusha!” I love u da! Ur Loving Wife, Bably , Infosys

■ Dear Betty Jerushah As its time for us to wish u once again, We wish u joy, peace and love to gain. Have a blessed and blasting birthday. The Gang

■ Dear Dinesh May god bless u on ur birthday. Let the celebrations start. Happy Birthday:) By, HCM BOFA Team,Infosys

■ Dear Santa Happy Birthday Dear! Enjoy the day. God Bless U:) Let all good things come to u:) Hearty Wishes Friends, Wipro

■ Hi BVJ Karthika Hav a Wonderful day & beautiful year ahead. Happy Birthday day. CHNTS 23 & 24 Team, Cognizant

■ Hi Vijay(King of Mokkai) Wish u Many More Happy Returns of the Day.Happy Birthday:)No mokkais today

Malathy Sasikumar of TCS doodled this

Cheers...Anti – AssegniCircolori Team , SSIL

■ Hey Suyash Belated BIRTHDAY wishes:-)Now that we have wished u specially we rlooking forward for the treat. Wish u all success:) Cheers, Customer World Team, TCS

■ Dear Sri Vidhya Many More Happy Returns Of The Day, May all ur Dreams Come True, With Regards, friends, BTS(FS&TMT) Wipro

■ Dear Julie... Wish u a very Happy Birthday. May god bless u now and Forever.. Keep Smiling..:) 1.University first vara valigal: (i) 4Maniku Yenthrichu brush panitu kulura irunthalum kuli (ii). 5mani aydum ammava yelupna coffee yo tea yo tharuvanga. (iii). 5:30 mani ayidum, tv podu, sami paatu kaetu manasa relax panniko, (iv). 6 maniku kelambu, (v): 6:30 maikellam univeristy poidalam. Nee Thaan Univeristy First... 2. Calendarla thethi kilikrathu mukkiyam illa, kilicha thethi la naama ennatha kilichomngrathu than mukkiyam.... Devendiranm Caliber Point Business Solutions Ltd

with Love, Janet, CGSL

■ Dear Suresh, Many more happy returns of the day. Have a blessed life with your dream girl:) Sweet Wishes...Pre, Divs, Reku & Bharathy

■ Dear Harini Happy Birthday:) May God bless u with Good health and Happiness forever Cheers, Friends, Hexaware.

■ Dear Saranya KS Wish u a very Happy Birthday!May god bless u a prosperous and healthy life. Have a

fun-filled birthday:) mSites Team , TCS

■ Hey Nels Sing a song of Birthday Full of fun and cheer And may you keep on having them For years.. With Regards 3rd July 2006 Batch, Patni Computer

■ Dear Sushmi, Belated Happy B’day Wishes. Have a happiest year. surprises will continue ;-) UTS Global ■ Dear Shahila Happy Birthday. Many more Happy returns of the day.Wish u all success. May god bless u:) With lots of Luv, Geetha,Jeevitha,Gayathri,Uvais (UAE), Nithyanandan(CTS)&AV018-BOA team, TCS

■ Dear Masthan Sending you warmest wishes on your special day and everyday! God Bless U my Dear.I am sending all my loving thoughts ur way...just to say " Our Friendship is true " Hearty Wishes from Anand

■ Hey DivSpan Birthday Wishes to a very special person, Special in many ways, May God bless u. It’s ur day, have a Blast! By D‘ Nuts n Bolts crew, Ramco Systems.

■ Dear Jerom Jiiiiiiii May this year bring with it all the success & fulfillment ur heart desires. Happy Birthday:) Cheers, Chalz – PSL

■ Dear Saravanan Happy Birthday:) A simple celebration, a gathering of friends; here is wishing you great happiness, a joy that never ends. With Cheers, Senthil, VDSI

■ Dear Bujjuma Wish you many more happy returns of the day. With Luv, Chellu Solomon. Infosys

■ Dear Lakshmi Narasimhan, Happy Birthday,With all our Heart we wish u that all ur dreams come true. Wishes from your dear friends AC UAT, Hexaware

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

■Dear Karthick @ Mr. Perfect Birthdays r nature’s way of telling us to eat cakes..So on ur special day,u keep on bringing home made cakes for us. Happy Birthday Hearty wishes from, Friends, CTS.

■ Dear Ramana We wish for u that whatever u want most in life, it comes to u,Happy Birthday Ramana!! Friends, New Age Software and Solutions.

■ Dear Yuvaraj Many More Happy Returns of the day.Let this year give u more reasons to smile:) Hearty wishes from, ODC-5 Friends,Amb-3,HCL

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Monday, November 24, 2008

Car tattoos A Taiwanese pensioner has tattooed his four cars with virtuous words from Buddhist texts. Li Zongxiong, 71, a workshop owner, started to ’tattoo’ his car, two trucks and a motorbike nine years ago.

sudoku

Bhargavi Mohan of Perot Systems clicked this shot at Topslip in Munnar

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Monday, November 24, 2008

iPhone confused A new voice-recognition search tool for the iPhone has problems understanding British accents, leading to some bizarre answers to spoken queries. The free application, which allows iPhone owners to use the Google search engine with their voice, mistook the word ’iPhone’ variously for ’sex,’ ’Einstein’ and ’kitchen sink.’

Word’s worth "Flaffer" (flaff-er) to rustle when moving, to flutter. The citations in the OED seem to show that this word was used mostly about birds, but it seems like a useful word forimpractical dresses.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 It is a lucky day for you in general. Ganesha feels that you will be trying to work on new things. At office, everyone will value your suggestions. On the relationship front, you may be very enthusiastic. In short, a positive day is lying ahead for you.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 You are in a slightly different mood today. You may not wish to take up anything that is very heavy or serious. Office work may seem slightly boring unless you explore something new. Relationship front may remain almost uneventful, says Ganesha.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Your attention is drawn towards worldly matters today. You may seek attention of others but may have lesser consideration, at office as well at home. Unless you deal very nicely with your beloved, you have scope of getting into false arguments.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 You are likely to feel like working very hard at office. On the personal front, you need to be adjusting. In other words, to remain happy with your partner, you may need to compromise. Briefly, it’s a good day but requires careful handling.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 Ganesha finds this to be energetic and active day for you. There can be opportunities to learn or adapt new things at work. You may feel like developing good skills at personal level. Ganesha finds you in cheerful mood, throughout the day.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

Your attention is divided in two parts – domestic needs and professional front. This split can make you feel a little confused at the start of the day. Ganesha feels that you will spend good time with your partner today. It’s a favourable day for you.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 It’s a day to earn credit at work. Important meetings should go well. On the personal front, it is day to socialise. Your partner may find you in a good mood hence romance may also flourish. In short, you should try to fetch more out of lucky day.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 You are likely to be pretty direct while talking to others. Ganesha suggests you to keep focus on communications at work. With beloved, you may not have major issues, unless you are pinpointing his/her mistakes. Day requires careful dealing.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 You may be quite optimistic today. Confidence evidently appears in your behaviour and actions today. You may take up challenging tasks and finish them off in time, at office. Romance may be on the peak. In short, day may remain cheerful.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 You will be philosophical in your thinking but at the same time, may be focussing on loss and gain at work. On the personal front, you may wish to establish more spiritual union with your mate. The day is Karmic in terms of work and relationship.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 It’s a day to fetch gains through various means at work. You can be addressing a group discussing various matters, by and large yet ’to the point’. Your life partner may remain in cheerful mood. It’s a day to enjoy parties or go for a long drive.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Ganesha finds you becoming more practical about work. You may be interested in working out long term plans. Your love relationships may undergo serious discussions or contemplation. Ganesha finds this day quite positive for you. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Monday, November 24, 2008

Obese? Get two airline seats at the price of one Obese people have the right to two seats for the price of one on flights within Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled on Thursday. The high court declined to hear an appeal by Canadian airlines of a decision by the Canadian Transportation Agency that people who are “functionally disabled by obesity” deserve to have two seats for one fare. Reuters

Online bestseller: Bra for boys Who said bras are only for women? A Japanese online lingerie retailer is selling bras for cross-dressing men and they’ve quickly become one of its most popular items. Since launching two weeks ago on Rakuten, a major Japanese web shopping mall, the Wishroom shop has sold over 300 men’s bras for 2,800 yen ($30) each. The shop also stocks men’s panties, as well as lingerie for women. Reuters

Fire ceremony to tackle recession A two-year long yagna, an ancient Hindu fire ritual, is being held in a village in western Gujarat to save the world from the economic downturn. The yagna, which involves groups of priests reciting ancient religious verses and pouring oblations in a ceremonial fire, is being held at Ramsana village in Mehsana district of Gujarat. The ritual entered its 16th day and will continue uninterrupted for two years, the organiser of the event, Dahyabhai Patel, convenor of a religious trust, was quoted as saying. He said at least 3,000 priests from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh states would take part in the ritual which involved 109 havan kunds or ceremonial fires. The ritual seeks divine blessings to relieve the world of the economic crisis that seems to have no end in sight, Patel said. DPA