Ergo October 17

A BYTE OF LIFE

HOME TRUTHS A relative peek into the pros and cons of hostels, rented flats and paying guest accommodations » Page 4 & 5

Friday, October 17, 2008

Vol. 2

FREE CIRCULATION

No. 199

12 INDIAN FASHION WEEKS DEMYSTIFIED

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ERGO Friday, October 17, 2008

Hello!

Namma Chennai

A comprehensive voice training workshop will be held on October 18 and 19 at Parnasus, 192, Poonamallee High Road, Kilpauk. For details, call 98401 27103 / 42858848

Bookworm’s Corner Top 10 fiction 1. Sea of Poppies – Amitav Ghosh. Rs. 599 2. One Night @ Call Centre – Chetan Bhagat. Rs. 95 3. Brida – Paulo Coelho. Rs.295 4. The 3 Mistakes of my Life – Chetan Bhagat. Rs.95 5. A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini. Rs.395 6. Unaccustomed Earth – Jhumpa Lahiri. Rs.450 7. The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini. Rs. 315 8. A Prisoner of Birth – Jeffery Archer. Rs. 270 9. You Are Here – Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan. Rs. 199 10. Five Point Someone – Chetan Bhagat. Rs. 95

Top 10 non-fiction 1. The Secret – Rhonda Byrne. Rs.550 2. The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life – Alice Schroeder. Rs.995 3. Stay Hungry Stay Foolish – Rashmi Bansal. Rs.125 4. The Last Lecture – Randy Pausch. Rs.295 5. Hot Flat & Crowded – Thomas Friedman. Rs. 595 6. Business Striped Bare – Richard Branson. Rs.515 7. Execution – Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan. Rs.695 8. Go Kiss The World – Subroto Bagchi. Rs. 399 9. Empires of the Indus – Alice Albinia. Rs.550 10. Guinness World Records. Rs.1460

Music

Food

Rock On

Kebab factory Here’s a great way to indulge in sumptuous varieties of kebabs, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. These Mughal dishes are served with an array of accompaniments. When: October 13 to 31 Where: Pergola, The Accord Metropolitan For reservations, call 2816 1000

Cinema

Filmy The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, New Delhi, and The Madras Film Society are hosting a festival of Chinese films. When: October 19, 21, 22, 23 and 24 Where: The Film Chamber Theatre For details, call 2495 8691

Courtesy: Crossword

Sale

On the shelves Wills Lifestyle has brought out an exquisite collection for the AutumnWinter. Signature designer wear, Wills classic formal wear, Wills sport relaxed wear, Wills clublife evening wear... there is a lot to choose from. Where: Across all Wills Lifestyle stores

If you are a fan of this fusion rock band, make sure you don’t miss their performance in the city. Indian Ocean promise to rock Chennai with their concert performed for a cause. When: October 19 Where: Lady Andal School Auditorium For bookings call Vijay at 98410 15861/ 98404 10462

Theatre

That’s reality Too busy to catch up with any entertainment in the evenings? Then, here’s a play that opens even in the night. Theatre Y makes it debut with realitY – its first public production. The play is an adaptation of playwright Manjula Padmanabhan’s book, Hidden Fires. When: October 17, 18, 19; 1 p.m., 4 p.m. 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Where: Alliance Francaise For tickets call 98840 70796/ 97

Showbiz

Madhuri’s biography She is Bollywood’s beautiful and charming star. You cannot stop watching her jhatkas and matkas. Yes? Find out more about Madhuri Dixit’s family and friends from the film industry and what others have to say about her. When: October 17; 8.30 p.m. Where: Zoom; Bollywood Biographies

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Friday, October 17, 2008

Single, no time to mingle

Shaadi help!

BharatMatrimony.com has launched ‘BM Privilege’, a personalised service that addresses the needs of singles who do not have the time or the opportunity to search and meet potential partners through the usual channels. Members who opt for this service will be assigned a personal matchmaker.

Shaadi.com has launched ‘Sapphire’ – an assisted matrimonial service with trained matchmaking assistants. Members subscribing to this service can dial 022-67752020, available daily from 10 a.m. to 7p.m. and get assistance in every single step of their matrimonial search – from profile making to search, connect and contact.

Gaga about RJing The first batch of 12 trainees graduated from the formal RJ training course V.HARIPRIYA [email protected]

“I

love talking to people and radio is the best medium to do so,” said Keerthi Vallabhan, a techie and one of the trained RJs to pass from the RJ training course. The Binny Room at Taj Connemara witnessed the passing out ceremony of the first batch of the formal RJ training course on Wednesday. The six-week course was jointly offered by Big FM and Access Atlantech Edutainment. The 12 trainees received their certificates from Tarun Katial, COO of Big FM. The RJ course was a training programme offering a mix of RJ training as well as future

Rathish Babu, CEO, Access Atlantech Edutainment and Tarun Katial, COO, Big FM (centre) with the RJ trainees. PHOTO: R.RAVINDRAN technology modules. Katial said that the FM has plans to recruit more than one RJ from the group. “The recruitment process will be different for these trainees as they do have basic knowledge in RJing.” Thamarai, a software engineer working with an MNC in Chennai, said that the course gave him an in

depth understanding about RJing. “Big FM offered its studio for theoretical sessions such that we got a hang of the environment. We also had various RJs addressing us as visiting faculties.” Rathish Babu, CEO of Access Atlantech Edutainment, said that the RJ course will help a number of youngsters. ■

Mumbai of my dreams U

rban Stories: Collection of Graphic Essays on the City of Mumbai by Nirupama Sekhar is on display at Tangerine. The Chennai-based artist, who lived in Mumbai working in the television industry, prior to a career in design, has used diverse genres such as collage and typography, illustration and photography. It seeks to explore the myriad hues and dimensions of the culture of Mumbai through a collection of stylised visual essays. Woven around Mumbai, the graphic essays address a host of urban issues from the aesthetics of colonial architecture to the politics of post-modern identities. Urban Stories finds its roots in the overt and untold influences of the city of Mumbai, its pace and its people on the outsider. Nirupama now works in the visual arts and enjoys pursuing independent projects in illustration and graphic design. ■ Where: Tangerine; October 18 to 31 When: No 5, Murrays Gate Road For details, call 2435 5834/ 4211 0888

Two-day BarCamp

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he Knowledge Foundation will be organising the second edition of Chennai BarCamp on October 18 and October 19 at IIT - CSIR Auditorium. The event is open for innovative minds to camp out for a couple of days with WiFi and smash their brains together. Apart from the tech topics, other topics of discussion include ‘Disaster Management for Chennai’ and ‘Safeguarding against Cyber Crime’, etc. For details, call Veena / Vignesh at 99400 57995 / 98407 41478. Website: www.barcampchennai.org

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ERGO Friday, October 17, 2008

Big Story

MY KINDA PLACE

The relative ups and downs of hostels, rented flats and paying guest accommodations

A

home away from home is a myth. But most of us try to make the myth a truth by living within the horrible conditions of strict curfew hours, landlords from hell and cockroaches in food. There are some memories, both good and bad, that we all cherish from our days in hostels, paying guest accommodations or rented apartments. For some, hostel life is heaven. They will gulp down atrocious mass-cooked food without worrying about how it tastes and won’t disturb anyone. Others love living in rented apartments. They’ll join hands with many and are always proud of living independently. Paying guest accommodation is also voted by many for the cosiness it offers. It’s cool, comfortable and secure, they’ll say. Here’s to the pros and cons of each:

Rented apartment PG accommodation Hostel Hostel life is good till you reach a certain age, says Teena, who works as team leader with Club Mahindra. The good thing about a hostel is that security will be good. For students, the best option is a hostel, but it can become difficult if working women and students are put together in one room. “The food in most hostels is terrible. But if there is an option to get outside food, a hostel is a good option for guys,” says Anu Warrior, who works as principal correspondent with The Sunday Indian magazine. The first lessons of adjustment are learned from a hostel – how to share a cot between two, how to take a shower in three minutes and how to gulp food without bothering what it is. A hostel is preferable for people who don’t want to take responsibility at all. VERDICT: Best place to learn about adjustments. Forget about your taste buds.

There are a lot of good things about paying guest accommodations. The first thing is ‘guests’ will get homemade food. There is only a remote probability that a PG accommodation will be overcrowded. The security will be good as there is a family to take care of you. Bonus points if there is TV to watch. But there are irritants, too – you can’t be out till midnight. “If you want to be self-sufficient, PG accommodation is not a wise decision. But there is a family to take care of you. It is like home away from home,” says Teena. “People who want to live their own way cannot adjust in a PG accommodation, especially if the house owner is not flexible,” she says. Kokila S., accounts service executive with Alamy Images India Pvt Ltd, has a different opinion about the food and security in a PG accommodation. “I was doing nightshifts and the house owner not even bothered giving me a spare key. Other inmates were staying upstairs and the rooms were not be locked from inside, so anyone could enter the rooms. Food was worse,” she says. For girls if security is an issue, the concern of guys is roommates. Anu Warrior says, “PG accommodation is good if other inmates are good and the worst if others are bad.” VERDICT: Good if other inmates and house owner are good. Good for security-lovers.

There are many good things about a rented apartment, like, you can cook your own food, there is no curfew, etc. Girls who are bold enough to handle issues will feel safe in a rented apartment even if there are no special security arrangements. “But not everyone can opt for it. It is better that supersensitive people keep away from the idea,” says Teena. And for Soumya, who was working with Yahoo India, life in a rented apartment with three other girls continues to be a nightmare. “No one was willing to take up responsibility and one of the roommates brought a guy (whom she claimed was her cousin) to the apartment. My roommates were never concerned about the others and disturbed everyone at midnight by playing music on high volume,” she said. “I won’t opt for a rented home anymore. I prefer a hostel,” she says. Money is another issue in rented apartments. Problems may rise about advance deposit, monthly rent, other bills, money pooled for groceries, etc. And, in most cases, it is a tiresome job to get back the advance amount from the house owner while vacating. But there are many positive aspects, too. There is no curfew in a rented apartment and you can live according to your will. Guys also see rented apartments as a good option, especially freedom-lovers like Anu. “You can’t compare a rented apartment with the other two. It is heaven,” says Anu. But there should be a rapport with other roommates, or life can just turn hell. “You can’t blame anyone for bad food, dirty bathrooms or blocked washbasins, as everything is the responsibility of the inmates. So, you will make it a point to keep everything clean,” says Teena. VERDICT: You are the king here. Super-sensitive people, please stay away.

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Friday, October 17, 2008

Faceless silhouette Neela mami, our second mother

It was nearly 15 years ago that I moved to Chennai after getting my first job. I was hunting for hostels with my friend when we got a surprise invite to stay as paying guests from an elderly couple who were distantly related to some of my relatives. The mami, as we called the lady, took care of me and my friend like her own daughters. We were both employed in different organisations and, hence, had different working hours, sometimes even night shifts. The affection the couple showed was something really great. We are indebted to them forever. Mami used to cook fresh food for us at 6.30 a.m. if we are going on morning shifts, prepare hot rotis at 10 p.m. if we are returning late. She or her husband would be waiting at the bus stop if we are late, not even knowing when we would come – those were the non-mobile days. When we fell sick they would

prepare special food for us, ensure that our clothes are washed by the maid. They were also friendly and jovial and we could discuss anything from office love stories to movie reviews to the latest fashions. In fact, mami was friendly with most of our colleagues and used to pack additional snack boxes for them. We occupied a small room with a wardrobe and there was not even a cot for us to sleep. But the kind of affection and care that was showered on us gave us the cosiness and comfort which we didn’t even get in our own house. When I got married, I had to leave that paying guest accommodation but mami and mama ensured that we were present in all their family functions, and vice-versa. Neela mami, that second mother of ours, left for her heavenly abode 3-4 years ago, but will be fondly remembered by us forever. Sudha S, Hexaware Technologies Limited

My hostel room was on the top floor of the building and I was sharing it with three other roommates. At night, when we would step out of the room, we could see the stars and if we looked down we could see rows of dotted lights of houses that look like glittering fireflies. It was almost like living in a penthouse. Being on the terrace, it was also the hottest room. One day we noticed something that made us scream and rush into the room. In the opposite building, there was a faceless silhouette hidden amidst the pillars, watching us. But by the time the watchman came, it had disappeared. This became a regular feature and, finally, the silhouette became a joke. We would taunt him, make catcalls, and nobody cared the least. The next day, the stars were still there, the dotted houses still looked the same, but amidst the pillars of the opposite building there was no tormenting silhouette. He lost interest when he found out that we knew about his presence and we finally got our freedom. Namitha Jayanarayanan

Open terrace welcomed me Three of us (Saran, Radha and myself) from different parts of the state met during the Sutherland induction programme. We joined hands with a few other friends and took a flat on rent at Kotturpuram. Just like the lyrics ‘men may come, men may go’, our house had new residents coming in and going out. We had enthusiastic people, lazy people, cheating people, hyper people and superstitious people. But, above all, we all felt like it was home. Each day has given us something to remember and cherish for a lifetime. I will share an incident where I was left alone. Every day Radha and I would return from the shift at around 3:30 a.m. On that particular day, Radha left for her hometown for the weekend. So, I returned home all alone. I knocked at the door. But my roommates never heard me as the bedroom door had shut somehow. I tried calling them on their mobile phones. Unlike other days, a network problem appeared. My phone battery died out. At last, only the open terrace gave me accommodation and my dupatta become my carpet on that cold morning. Suder

Remote control smugglers I am sharing my cherished memories of the PG accommodation where I stayed with my friend in Bangalore. Along with us there lived two people from Karnataka, one from Andhra, one from Orissa and one from Bengal. A little India, you may call it. The place had a DTH service with a 14-inch, all-dots-no-picture TV. The Karnataka guys always wanted the Kannada songs, the Andhra guy loved to see the power star fight, the Orissa guy liked to wind up with Hindi songs, the Bengali preferred to watch English movies, and we demanded some Tamil comedy – all at the same time. The remote control became a prized possession and we even smuggled it once at midnight. Then came a day when the battle for owning the remote control finally ended. It was the India-West Indies One Day tournament and all of us were glued to the sports channel. Glued indeed, beyond all regional differences. Rams, iNautix Technologies

We are one Having experienced all three – hostel, rented flat and PG – I found PG accommodation the best. We were seven in the PG – three from Tamil Nadu, two from Kerala, one each from Goa and Bangalore. My PG was in a nice location. I used to enjoy my mornings gazing at a brown tree full of green leaves studded with yellow flowers in the back ground of a red roof from my cot. The food provided was not that good, but we used to cook on weekends. Be it a tea, or rasam, everything tasted good when we cooked together. If one of us was late, we would get calls from others to check where we were. Every Friday night, we would gather on one cot and talk till midnight. The best moment was my birthday celebration and, for the first time, I celebrated my birthday with a birthday cake. Missing you, my dear PG, my dearest friends. Rashmi, TCS

Cricket matches and hostel My vote is for the hostel. It is the place where we are surrounded with good and bad people. The first lesson of financial management is learnt from a hostel. When we reached the final year of BE, we were the kings in the hostel. Our word was final. So, during the 2003 cricket World Cup we enjoyed all the matches without any interruption. India reached the final but Australia won the World Cup. Our college life was also coming to an end within a month. Enjoying the event you like most with your friends is the best moment of your life. Bala Kumaran, Sella Synergy

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ERGO Friday, October 17, 2008

Websites of the day

Village

A popular site nominates its 100 most annoying things of the year just passed http://www.retrocrush.com/archive2007/ annoying/ Which Trainspotting character are you? http://members.aol.com/ groovydougie/quizzes/trainspotting.htm

Pollution kills more than AIDS A study released on Wednesday by the Sao Paulo University’s (USP) Air Pollution Lab said air pollution is more lethal than AIDS and traffic accidents. The study said diseases caused by pollution results in about nine deaths a day in Sao Paulo, or 3,500 deaths a year, while AIDS and traffic accidents together caused 1,624 deaths in 2007. The study estimates that the Sao Paulo metropolitan area’s government spends 1.5 billion U.S. dollars on pollutioncaused diseases. The six million vehicles in the city are mainly to be blamed for the air pollution in Sal Paulo. Xinhua

Madonna hails Obama Pop diva Madonna relished in the wild cheers of 20,000 fans at the Wednesday night’s concert in Boston, never mentioning her impending divorce but urging Americans to vote for Democrat Barack Obama. “Hello Boston!” the 50-year-old called to out to the hordes of young and some not so young fans who ventured out to see her perform hits from “Borderline” to “Beat Goes On” on her Sticky and Sweet World Tour. Madonna ended the show on a political note, departing backstage while a video showed images of Republican White House hopeful John McCain accompanied by the words: “Don’t be stupid,” followed by a picture of a grinning Obama, his arms lifted in victory. “Are you registered to vote?” Madonna asked the crowd when she returned for the final ovation. “Come on mother*******, just vote for Obama! No more Sarah Palin,” she yelled.

Madrid Olympic bid haunted by racism Madrid’s Olympic bid chief is worrying that another racist incident in Spanish sports could affect the city’s chances of bidding for the 2016 Games. “The bid is preoccupied about something that can affect us,” Madrid 2016 bid chief Mercedes Coghen said on Wednesday. Coghen was reacting to UEFA’s decision on Tuesday to order Atletico Madrid to play its next two Champions League home games at a neutral venue because of violent and racist behaviour by the club’s fans during a match against Marseille earlier this month. Madrid is bidding against Tokyo, Chicago, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the right to host the 2016 Olympics. A decision will be made in Copenhagen, Denmark, in November 2009. AFP

Top text-message senders Phone users in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are Asia’s most enthusiastic senders of text messages, according to a survey released on Thursday. More than 97 per cent of mobile phone users in Singapore have sent text messages in the past month, followed by 96 per cent in Kuala Lumpur and 94 per cent in Seoul. More than 87 per cent of people in Melbourne and Sydney said they had sent texts in the past month while the region’s lowest rate of text messaging was recorded by Bangkok (69 per cent). The survey was conducted by the market research company Synovate, which studied the habits of more than 5,000 mobile phone users in seven Asian-Pacific markets.

AFP

DPA

Joe steals the show Plumber stars in US Presidential debate

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he star of Wednesday’s final presidential debate? John McCain? Barack Obama? No, Joe the Plumber. The final face-to-face clash between the two fierce White House rivals granted an unexpected 15 minutes of fame to Joe Wurzelbacher. Until Sunday, when he bumped into Obama while the Democratic presidential candidate was doing some door-todoor canvassing, Wurzelbacher was living a normal life, unknown to most of his fellow Americans. But his encounter with Obama in Toledo, Ohio, and a spirited de-

bate about the front-running Democrat’s tax policy, turned him into a media star. Both candidates spoke directly to Wurzelbacher, turning him into a real life version of “Joe Six Pack”, the ordinary guy chasing the American dream, as they faced off in their third and final debate. “Joe wants to buy the business that he’s been in for all these years,” McCain said, using Obama’s encounter with the plumber to flay his rival over a tax plan he maintains would shackle small businesses. Obama says his tax plan will actually mean lower taxes for

those earning less than a quarter of a million dollars a year, and hit back with his version of his chat with Joe. “What I essentially said to him was, five years ago, when you were in the position to buy your business, you needed a tax cut then. And what I want to do is to make sure that the plumber, the nurse, the fire-fighter, the teacher, the young entrepreneur who doesn’t yet have money, I want to give them a tax break now.” Not to be outdone by the candidates, Plumber Joe got in on the act himself, granting an interview to CBS news queen Katie Couric.

US Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama (left) speaks to Joe Wurzelbacher as he canvasses in a neighbourhood in Holland, Ohio. AFP PHOTO Wurzelbacher said McCain did a “fine job” and said Obama did well too, though added “talk is talk”. And he said Obama had dodged around his question

about taxes when they met. “I asked the question, but I still got a tap dance ... almost as good as Sammy Davis Junior.” ■ AFP

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Friday, October 17, 2008

Cure for swollen hands

This day, that year

Ukranian boxing champion Vitali Klitschko says he uses his son’s wet nappies to keep his fists from swelling up.

It was on October 17, 1979 that Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Titanic remnants vs. nursing home fees T

he last remaining survivor of the Titanic disaster is auctioning mementoes from the doomed liner to pay for her hursing home fees, a newspaper said Thursday.

I am selling it all now because I have to pay these nursing home fees and am selling anything that I think might fetch some money

Millvina Dean She was only two months old when the Titanic struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage and sank in 1912, but now at the age of 96 she is struggling to make ends meet and hopes to make 3,000 pounds (3,845 euros, 5,171 dollars) from the sale. Personal items going under the hammer include a 100-year-old suitcase filled with clothes given to her family by the people of New York after they arrived there following the catastrophe. Dean has lived in a nursing home for the last two years.

Nursing home woes “I was hoping to be here for two weeks after breaking my hip but I developed an infection and have been here for two years. I am not able to live in my home any more,” she told the Southern Daily Echo newspaper. “I am selling it all now because

Snooping laws to change

I have to pay these nursing home fees and am selling anything that I think might fetch some money,” she added. “The fees are quite expensive. The more money I can get from the auction the better.” Some 1,500 passengers and crew aboard the Titanic died when the White Star Line luxury ship sank in the frigid northern Atlantic ocean on its way from Southampton to New York. Dean’s family were emigrating to Kansas aboard the doomed liner. She was the youngest survivor, rescued along with her baby brother and mother Eva, although her father died.

Last of survivors In all, some 700 people survived the sinking, one of the worst maritime disasters ever. Their numbers have dwindled over the decades, leaving only Dean left after fellow Briton Barbara Joyce Dainton died last year. The auction of her belongings will be held on Saturday at Henry Aldridge and Son auctioneers in the town of Devizes, southwest England.

For the sake of old times

Every call, text and web visit will be monitored by British intelligence

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ritish intelligence sleuths will use new snooping laws to log on to phone and computer records of all citizens in the country. They will track and store details of every call, email, text and web visit, reports The Sun. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith unveiled the plan on Wednesday, promising cops and MI5 more power to gather data. She warned failure to act would give terrorists a free rein and lead to more unsolved murders, robberies and kidnaps. Massive growth in phone and computer networks has made it harder to check who calls who. Many firms offer free calls or access and have no need to store billing data. The governments move sparked accusations of expansion

of Big Brother tactics. Anti-terror watchdog Lord Carlile branded the idea of a database awful. But Ms Smith said it was vital and details of what people discuss will not be held. The laws will be included in a Communications Data Bill in next months Queens Speech. Police and intelligence chiefs welcomed the step but Tories called for a proper debate. ANI

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith unveiled the plan on Wednesday, promising cops and MI5 more power to gather data

쒀 A Lebanese archaeologist works at a Roman archaeological site in Ashrafiyeh, in the eastern suburbs of Beirut. Ancient history is getting in the way of construction in Beirut’s building boom as new archaeological discoveries delay the springing up of long-planned high rises. AFP PHOTO

AFP

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ERGO Friday, October 17, 2008

Enthusiastic senders

Technorama

Mobile phone users in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are Asia’s most enthusiastic senders of text messages, according to a survey conducted by market research company Synovate.

Mini packer This memory will serve you well A debutante from Buffalo Inc, the dual drive LinkStation Mini struts its 1TB memory in a sleek, compact form factor. Touted as a perfect space-saving solution for storing and sharing large amounts of digital content, it comes with a DLNA server, built-in Web Access Features and a Remote Power Feature, which can power the unit remotely with the included Navigator software. Plus it has an extra USB port. Some stud! Rs 50,000 www.buffalo-asia.com

Flippin’ over BlackBerry gets the fashion blues Here’s a bit of news that could be both good and bad for business users looking to make a style statement. Good, because BlackBerry’s just announced a stylish flip phone, a first from their stable and bad because you guys will be spoilt for choice. After creating ripples with their recent ’bold’ moves, RIM hopes to get firmly enconsced in the lifestyle segment with its Pearl Flip 8220. This flip phone comes with two light-sensing screens, a QWERTY keyboard, a 2-meg snapper and a microSD expansion slot. EDGE and WiFi promise to deliver your email BlackBerry style, and you can edit your documents on the move. Time to flip out, we say!

SNIPPETS SOURCED FROM T3 MAGAZINE OF INFOMEDIA 18 LIMITED

We want ’one’ iPhone 3G cowers in a corner as ‘the one’ wows… Those "enthusiasts" who queued for hours for an iPhone 3G will probably feel a little silly now. The 01 is a 5-megapixel, 32GB, music playing, web-surfing, GPStoting titan that leaves the 3G looking like number two. The cherries on this cellular sundae are a slide out panel, fully loaded with music playback controls, and a laser keyboard that makes the iPhone’s finnicky onscreen keypad look as cutting-edge as wrought iron. So when will we be getting our grubby mitts on one? Well, sadly that’s a mystery since this is currently just a concept. Petition your MP: we need The 01 by the New Year. TBC, www.the01phone.com

Project well Power players Want to make a ’big impression’ at the power meeting? Get the networkable projector NP3150 from NEC. Supporting Windows Vista Cinematic video powered by HQV, it comes complete with high brightness, LAN capability and picture-in-picture function. That apart, it has a manual lens shift and multiple input/ output terminals. Also, a variety of functions can be added by updating the firmware. There you go!

www.blackberry.com.

Master blaster No compromise here, says LG It doesn’t quite yell "Aiiela", but LG’s new ultra-slim ultralight LED Notebook P300 sounds like a lappy that Mr Tendulkar would be proud of. A 13.3 inch notebook, it weighs only 1.6kg and is 21mm in thickness. It boasts of Nvidia Geforce 8400M graphics, 4GB memory, a 250GB hard disk drive and a 2.1GHz Intel Core2 Duo Processor. The LED backlit LCD makes its intentions clear for 3D gaming, video and picture viewing owing to enhanced brightness and contrast ratio. With its realistic sound reproducing Surround System (SRS), high output stereo speakers and a 1.3-mega pixel webcam, the notebook is the perfect mobile entertainment machine. Mind blowing indeed? Rs 75,000 + taxes www.in.lge.com

Rs 2,95,000 + taxes www.necindia.in

Samsung Touchwiz Web is super-fast but not quite fast enough

Apple iPhone 3G 2-meg just doesn’t cut it anymore, Apple

Nokia N82 5-meg cam but weak on its features

LG Secret It’s pretty… but does it have a laser keyboard?

Sony Ericsson W890i Sounds awesome but just 4GB tops! No dice

Mobiles: The rivals How the current crop measure up

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Friday, October 17, 2008

Noiseless Amplifier American researchers have developed the first tunable "noiseless" amplifier, which can boost the speed and precision of quantum computing and communications systems. According to the research team, the amplifier can enable faster and more precise measurements in certain types of quantum computers, which can solve some of the problems that are presently considered to be intractable.

Self-assembling computers come closer to reality

Improving the characteristics of the molecules and tweaking the technique will eventually lead to self-assembling circuits that out-perform existing technologies, which use thick films of organic molecules

I

“The nicest example is DNA. n a breakthrough study, European physicists have devel- Our genetic code provides a set of oped a unique computer instructions that can be used to circuit that can build itself - a marshal molecules into an entire development that can lead to person, and researchers would like to come up with a similar set self-assembling computers. The work, appearing in Nature, of compounds able to organise international weekly journal of each other into circuits,” he said. De Leeuw also said that the cirscience, is an important step towards its ultimate goal - a self- cuit is truly self-assembling. Another researcher at Philips, assembling computer. Currently, computer chips are Edsger Smits said that the differmade by etching patterns onto ent molecules are like little semi-conducting wafers using a bricks. “Frankly it worked much combination of light and photo- better than we expected,” he said. Hagen Klauk, an electrical ensensitive chemicals. gineer at the Max In the new study, the Planck Institute for scientists took a long orga- Frankly, it Solid State Research in nic molecule with mobile Stuttgart, Germany electrons, called quin- worked found the new techquethiophene that acts much impressive but like a semiconductor and better than nique said that it still needs attached it to a long carimprovements. bon chain with a silicon we “Self-assembly and group at the end, which expected nanotechnology is ceracts as an anchor. tainly cool, but the one They later soaked the circuit board with pre-printed thing missing is higher perforelectrodes into a solution of their mance,” he added. He also said that the movenew molecules. The experiment showed that ment of electrons through the cirthe molecules got attached to an cuit would make for a very slow insulating layer between the elec- computer. Klauk hopes that improving the trodes, forming bridges from one characteristics of the molecules electrode to the next. “We dump it in a beaker with a and tweaking the technique will solution of the molecules, we eventually lead to self-assemtake it out, we wash it, and it bling circuits that out-perform works,” Nature quoted Dago de existing technologies, which use films of organic Leeuw, researcher at Philips Re- thick search Laboratories in Eindho- molecules.■ ANI ven, the Netherlands, as saying.

Shoes to power gadgets

Click and shoot 쑸 Hidehiko Tanaka, MD, Nikon India, unveiled the new Nikon D90 camera in Chennai on Thursday. The digital SLR camera also comes with a video shoot mode. It also features a GPS powered by software View NX 1.2. D90, priced Rs. 81,900, is available in the market. For more details visit www.nikon.co.in. PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN

The futuristic shoes currently generate 1.2 watts of electricity, a level sufficient to run an iPod

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ired of your iPod running out of power? A Japanese company says it has found a way to charge portable gadgets just by walking. Telecoms giant NTT of Japan is developing shoes that generate electricity as you walk. The shoes have a small generator attached to water-filled soles. Each step puts pressure on the soles, causing the water to spin a small turbine and generate power, NTT said. The futuristic shoes currently generate 1.2 watts of electricity, “a level sufficient to run an iPod mobile music player forever, as long as the wearer keeps walking,” said Hideomi Tenma, spokesman of NTT. “The company is trying to improve the power-generating capacity to 3 watts, which is the amount of electricity to power a

The special shoe that can generate electricity. mobile phone,” he said. “The shoes do not have a power-storage function, but you would be able to charge a mobile phone automatically or talk on it forever as long as you connect the

AFP PHOTO

phone to your shoes and just keep walking." NTT hopes to put the generator into actual products as early as 2010.■ AFP

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BackPackers

Weekend on a Scorpio Hairpin curves, drive through tea plantations, feeding monkeys…what can be a better way to unwind with friends along! High Four!: Shrinidhi, Raviraj, Raveesh and Jayasimha

SHRINIDHI HANDE [email protected]

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ur recent trip to Wayanad was a memorable one. We started from Bangalore around 6.30 a.m. in a Scorpio and reached Matunga Wildlife Sanctuary in Wayanad by 11 a.m. The route was Mysore-Gundlupet-NH 212 via Bandipura Reserve Forest. Our first two stops were disappointing, but from the Edakkal Caves started the real adventure. The place mainly has giant rocks positioned such that it looks like a cave having ancient markings and symbols. Later, we started climbing the hill where the view got more exciting as we went up. Though it appeared steep and difficult, we were at ease reaching Edakkal Hill where we took rest and clicked lots of pictures. The 360-degree view was mesmerising, showing Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Our climb downhill was equally challenging. We stopped for butter milk, fed some monkeys with groundnuts, and also had a simple but wholesome meal comprising boiled rice, sambar, butter milk and pickle. We stopped by to visit the small museum on the way showcasing artefacts made by villagers. Later, we headed to Soojippara waterfalls, which was

quite refreshing due to its force. The drive through lush tea plantation was also rejuvenating. Though our original intention was to camp at some good home stay, we changed plans as it was quite dark and we couldn’t locate a place. Instead, we settled for Hotel Woodlands.

Day Two Early morning we went to Lakkidi. The view of the valley was breathtaking. We drove a few kilometres clearing hairpin turns and then opted to return. Our stop at Pookud Lake and Banasura Dam was fun. Our last stop was at Kuruva Island, after stopping at Manthanavadi for lunch, which is an ideal picnic spot because of the dense forest with the Kabini river flowing. We entered Karnataka border, near Nagarahole forest from a non-existent road. Luckily, our Scorpio could clear this tough road with ease to reach Mysore by dinner time. The fully-illuminated Mysore Palace looked pretty. As I was too sleepy to drive, I pulled over near Mandya, slept for two hours, and then cruised the remaining distance to reach Bangalore by 2 a.m., marking the end our trip. ■ (The writer is a Business Analyst with Satyam Computer Services)

An ode to my grandmother’s home KRISHNAMOORTHY BALAKRISHNAN [email protected]

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few months ago I went to Danushkodi with my family and my grandmother, who was a resident of the place before

1964. Dhanushkodi is situated in the south-east of Pamban. It was destroyed in the 1964 cyclone from the Pamban Station and a train load of passengers were washed into the sea. Though the railway line was constructed between Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi, in course of time it had to be covered by six sand dunes. One can reach Dhanushkodi only on foot or a jeep or on fish carts. Interestingly, the place is about 18 miles West of Talaimannar in Jaffna, Ceylon. Dhanushkodi shares land border between India and Ceylon, which is one of the smallest in the world, just 50 yards in length on a

sand dune in Palk Strait.

The only landmark For people who stayed in this city before 1964, it is the church which serves as the best landmark. The roofless shattered building, resembling a church, was built during the British era. Inside you see a pedestal, which could have been the altar. You can almost visualise the pews (An enclosed compartment in a church that provides seating for a number of people) packed with choir singers and the voice of the pastor resonating. The Pamban Palam was built by the British in 1914, which connects Rameswaram to mainland India. It is the longest sea bridge in India and extends to about 2.3 km. ■ (The writer is an employee of Wipro Technologies)

The Pamban Palam bridge and Danushkodi church. PHOTOS: KRISHNAMOORTHY BALAKRISHNAN

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Friday, October 17, 2008

Bonus night

All Blacks

Singapore Tourism Board has launched the 2+1 Bonus Night. This offers visitors one additional night stay free to their two-night weekend stay in Singapore. Bundled with the free night stay, the offer also includes two days of complementary visit to HiPPO City and river tour. Log on to visitsingapore.com/weekends to know more. The offer is valid for accommodation till November 14.

The All Blacks are New Zealand’s national team in Rugby Union, the country’s national sport. The All Blacks are a respected and formidable force in international rugby and have a winning record against every international rugby team

Young,dynamic, volcanic and likeable PHOTOS: AFP

A visit to enchanting New Zealand

GEORG ALEXANDER

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ntold ages ago, the moon was not well and fell ill. Then it bathed in Rotorua’s curative waters and regained strength. Many places in New Zealand, especially between Rotorua and Taupo on the North Island, are associated with similar myths of the Maori, a Polynesian people that settled in New Zealand long before the Europeans came. New Zealand is young and dynamic in every respect, including geologically. The North Island in particular is a tectonic cauldron. Beneath New Zealand, the Pacific Plate subducts under the Australian Plate, continually causing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Thermal show Travelling from the city of Rotorua to Tongariro National Park, you not only see volcanic cones but also numerous geysers, boiling mud pools and hot springs. The road linking Rotorua and Tongariro is part of what is called the Thermal Explorer Highway. It could also be dubbed the “Highway to Hell” because 12 kilo-

metres northeast of Rotorua lies Hell’s Gate, a thermal area covering four hectares that is one of the region’s largest. Literally breathtaking is the town of Taupo, between Rotorua and Tongariro. The air there reeks of sulphur, clouds of smoke obscure visibility, and steam-spewing fumaroles hiss right beside the main street. One of the most beautiful thermal areas on North Island is Orakei Korako, also known as the Hidden Valley, which is about 70 kilometres south of Rotorua. It can be reached via a by-road that branches off from State Highway 5 near Golden Springs. The road ends at the shore of Lake Ohakuri, and a five-minute boat ride takes visitors to the thermal area. Orakei Korako means “place of adorning” in the Maori language. The colourful, mineral-bearing pools used to be the equivalent of a wellness centre and make-up room for Maori chieftains. Tourists taking a twohour hike over the extensive network of footbridges and paths are amazed at the gurgling mud pools and silica deposits that shine in the colours of the rain-

bow. There are also bubbly “champagne pools” and white sinter terraces. All of this is set in a lush green valley with huge silver ferns, the plant most associated with New Zealand. Visitors may explore Orakei Korako without a guide but should keep to the paths and heed the warning signs. Hot thermal waters are everywhere, and people who are careless are likely to be scalded. The Diamond Geyser, for instance, ejects boiling water up to eight metres into the air, sometimes every minute, sometimes in intervals of several hours. The

Information New Zealand High Commission Sir Edmund Hillary Marg, Chanakyapuri. New Delhi 110 021. Phone: 011-2688 3170 ● Honorary Consul for New Zealand L Ganesh Rane Engine Valves Ltd, Maithri, 132 Cathedral Road.Chennai 600 086. Phone: 044-2811 2472 ext 21 ●

water disperses into tiny droplets that glitter like diamonds.

Hospitality Aside from its natural beauty, New Zealand is worth visiting because of its likable people. The islanders are known to invite tourists into their homes, where a convivial evening with good food and plenty of wine is guaranteed. They are very interested in Europeans who fly halfway across the globe to see “Kiwi Country”. New Zealanders brave their storms, floods, and earthquakes with dry humour, and they enjoy outdoor life and being with their families. One consequence of this is that many shopkeepers close their doors as early as 5pm so that they can slip into their boots and spend the evening fly-fishing on a river. Every year on Lake Taupo, fishermen pull in more than 100,000 trout. Many a catch is so big – the locals are wont to say with a bit of exaggeration – that the water level drops. Lake Taupo is, in fact, the largest lake in New Zealand and third-largest in the southern hemisphere. It was created by a tectonic catastrophe more than 20,000 years ago: the

explosion of a super-volcano, which left a huge caldera that later filled with water. Tourists itching to dance on an active volcano can visit White Island. Situated in the Bay of Plenty some 50 kilometres northeast of the town of Whakatane, it is New Zealand’s only active marine volcano. The island, which lacks vegetation, is covered with bubbling mud pools, yellow mounds of sulphur, and a dazzling crater filled with boiling, garish-green water. Bleak and forbidding, White Island is a fascinating place that offers insight into the Earth’s early geologic history. The volcano can spit out ash, pumice, or lava at any moment, and a plume of smoke constantly hangs over the island. Hundreds of earthquakes shake it each day, usually so minor that only seismographs detect them. Nevertheless, tourists can book a day trip by boat to White Island in Whakatane. Before they are allowed on the island, however, they are given a respiratory mask and have to put on a protective helmet. The last big eruption was seven years ago – but you never know. ■ DPA

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Portfolio However, Sumeet Nair of Fashion Foundation of India, which is backing Delhi Fashion Week, said, “More events will have a positive impact. Designers will get more business and buyers a chance to see more talents due to simultaneous holding of events.” Referring to fashion weeks in Paris, which sees a number of simultaneous events, Nair said India, with Delhi in particular, should become a fashion destination for holding more such fashion events simultaneously. Phew! Complicated? We dissect India’s three major fashion weeks for you:

ERGO CORRESPONDENT [email protected]

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he national capital is abuzz these days. The fashion week calendar has a new addition – Delhi Fashion Week. As the action unfolds simultaneously, with the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WLIFW) and Delhi Fashion Week (DFW) commencing a day within each other, loyalties are split and worries over another divide in the fashion industry mount – the last being that between Mumbai’s Lakme Fashion Week and Delhi’s Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. “It’s not a very positive thing what they are doing and it makes no sense (holding the two events at the same time),” said Sunil Sethi, president of FDCI, which is organising WLIFW. However, Sethi said it is a win-win situation for the fashion industry. “If some buyers go to DFW and give some business to them, it doesn’t matter to us. At the end of the day, the fashion fraternity will get the money,” he said.

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Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week

Venue: Pragati Maidan, New Delhi When: October 15 – 19 Organiser: Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) New this year: Two new concepts have been introduced this time – an elevated area in the main lobby and a system of locking the stalls in the exhibition area. “This is an effort to bring in the best business in a practical way. The safety issue was an important concern for the designers, so we have provided them with cabins that can be locked, so that they can focus more on business rather than waste three hours just in doing up theirs stall every morning,” said FDCI president Sunil Sethi. Buyers: Already 160 buyers have registered themselves with WLIFW. These include noted international fashion houses like Liberty of London, Harvey Nichols of the UAE and Anthropologie of the US. Leading designers: About 80 designers are taking part, prominent among them being Anjana Bhargav, Manoviraj Khosla, Ritu Kumar, Ranna Gill, Vivienne Tam, Namrata Joshipura, Rina Dhaka, Falguni & Shane Peacock, Satya Paul, Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna, Vikram Phadnis, JJ Valaya and Rajesh Pratap Singh. Chennai presence: Rehane Grand finale: Manish Arora

Delhi is witnessing two simultaneous fashion weeks. Another in Mumbai will commence soon. We simplify India’s three leading fashion events for you

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Friday, October 17, 2008

Too many cooks spoil the dough? 02 Lakme Fashion Week When: October 20 – 24 Where: National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai Organiser: Lakme and IMG This year: The ‘Menswear Day’ will see an entire day dedicated to menswear. Another addition is the Group Accessory Designer Show. Testimony to the growing interdependence between art and fashion, ‘ArtStudio’ will feature works of 20 artists, to be displayed at the fashion week venue. Leading designers: Nikhil & Shantanu, Shane & Falguni Peacock, Narendra Kumar, Tarun Tahiliani, Lecoanet Hemant, Raghavendra Rathore, Vikram Phadnis Chennai presence: Vivek Karunakaran for Westside, Chaitanya Rao Grand finale: Sabyasachi Mukherjee

Palin specs spark fashion wave Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin is doing more than just rocking the political world. She’s is finding her niche in the fashion industry with her glasses. Thousands of women around the world are rushing to their local optician demanding a pair of Palin’s Kazuo Kawasaki MP-704 rimless glasses. The spectacles are flying off the shelves so fast that the manufacturer, Masunaga Optical Manufacturing Co Ltd, based in Fukui, Japan, has stopped producing other Kazuo Kawasaki models to focus on ‘The Palin’. ANI

Queen’s ‘dressmaker’ in dire straits Hardy Amies, the fashion house which ‘dressed’ Queen Elizabeth II for more than half a century, announced that it had filed for administration after funding talks failed. The firm, founded in 1946 by the late (Sir) Hardy Amies, who died in 2003, had been suffering losses for several years and warned in June that poor womenswear sales would see losses accelerate in the first half of this year and would continue into 2009. The group, which still has its headquarters in Savile Row, the London street famous for bespoke tailoring, has a number of outlets across Britain and licences around the globe. DPA

Delhi Fashion Week Venue: Emporio Mall, New Delhi When: October 14 – 18 Organiser: Prodigy Fashion. The Delhi Fashion Week is endorsed by Fashion Foundation of India. Sumeet Nair, a founding member of Fashion Foundation of India, was the former Executive Director of FDCI, which backs rival Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. This year: The Delhi Fashion Week claims to be a platform for talented designers who have been handpicked by an eminent jury. Tarun Tahiliani’s defection from Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week is the hot topic. Buyers: DFW expects the number of buyers to touch 175. International buyers include ISETAN of Japan, SEIBU of Hong Kong and Paris-based Showroom Romeo. Leading designers: A total of 33 designers are participating. Vineet Bahl, Lecoanet Hemant, Raghavendra Rathore, Sonam Dubal, Tarun Tahiliani, Meera & Muzaffar Ali, Rohit Bal, Gaurav Gupta, Malini Ramani and Anamika Khanna are the prominent names. Chennai presence: It’s still early days Grand finale: Anamika Khanna

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BULLETIN

Inputs from agencies

Marimekko, D&G settle over flower pattern Finnish textile design company Marimekko said it had reached an agreement with Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana to end their spat over its trademarked poppy flower pattern ‘Unikko’. “The parties have agreed on the handling of already manufactured products and on the fee to be paid to Marimekko, and will both withdraw all the legal proceedings concerning the Unikko trademark,” the Finnish firm said in a statement. The dispute started when Marimekko discovered that the Italian fashion house had been using a red flower pattern similar to Unikko without permission. AFP

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Bean fact

Wellness

From the royal tombs of ancient Egypt to the Old Testament cultivation, preparation, and consumption of beans are recognized. In some Eastern cultures, legumes were a basic dietary staple that can be traced back more than 20,000 years.

Grace descends upon you SADHGURU JAGGI VASUDEV

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he nature of the mind is always to accumulate. When it is gross, it wants to accumulate things; when it becomes a little more evolved, it wants to accumulate knowledge. When emotion becomes dominant, it wants to accumulate people. But the basic nature is: it wants to accumulate. Mind is a gatherer - always wanting to gather something. When a person starts thinking or believing that he is on a spiritual path, then he starts accumulating the so-called spiritual wisdom; maybe he starts gathering the Guru’s words. One has to go beyond the need to accumulate - whether it is food, or things, or people, or knowledge, or wisdom. It does not matter what you accumulate. The need to accumulate means there is an insufficiency. And the insufficiency, the feeling of being insufficient has entered into this unbounded being only because somewhere you got identified with limited things that you are not. If one brings sufficient awareness and above all, a constant sadhana (yogic practices) into his life, slowly the vessel becomes totally empty.

Awareness empties the vessel. Sadhana cleanses the vessel. When these two aspects are sustained - awareness and sadhana are sustained for a sufficiently long period - then your vessel becomes empty. Only when this emptiness arises, Grace descends upon you. Without Grace nobody really gets anywhere. If you need to experience the Grace, you have to become empty or your vessel has to become totally empty. If you are living with a Guru just to gather his words, your life has been more wasteful than the ant which gathers food for the winter or rainy season. If you do not experience the Grace, if you do not make yourself receptive for the Grace, if you do not empty yourself to bear the Grace, then spiritual path is something that needs to be pursued for many, many life times. But if you become empty enough for the Grace to descend, then the ultimate nature is not far away. It is here to be experienced. It is here to be realized. It is going beyond all dimensions of existence, into the exalted state. It is not tomorrow, not another lifetime. It becomes a living reality. ■

Mobile phones do up brain cancer risk It’s official: mobile phones do raise the risk of brain cancer, claim boffins. According to the experts, the chances of developing a malignant tumour are “significantly increased” for people who use a mobile for ten years. The shocking finding is the result of the biggest ever study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organisation. The experts found a type of brain tumour called glioma is more likely in long-term mobile users. French experts analysed data from 13 countries, including Britain. Although researchers admit the cause is unknown, but according to them radiation from handsets could be the trigger. “To underestimate the risk would be a complete disaster,” the Sun quoted study chief Professor Elisabeth Cardis, as saying. However, a British expert insisted mobiles are not dangerous. Professor Patricia McKinney of the University of Leeds said: “Reasonable use is unlikely to increase the risk of tumours.”■ ANI

Forget troubles and keep heart healthy Forgetting troubles might help you keep your heart healthy, suggests a new study, which has found that failing memory in Alzheimer’s helps reduce high blood pressure. Previous studies have put cognitive problems suffered by some Alzheimer’s patients to low blood pressure (arterial hypotension). However, the new study led by researchers from Osijek Medical Faculty in Croati suggests that as the patient’s memory fails, they forget the causes of anxiety and worry that was causing high blood pressure: failing memory causes hypotension. It also suggests that heart disease could be substantially reduced in old people simply by making them happier about themselves and their lives. The study proposes that some people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease experience a reduction in their high blood pressure because of cognitive decline. The study is published in Bioscience Hypotheses.■ ANI

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Friday, October 17, 2008

Watermelon, a natural viagra Scientists say that watermelon contains a chemical called Citrulline that relaxes the blood vessels, thereby making blood move around the body more easily and make the consumers aroused.

What do you want? Men prefer women who are different from themselves and women want like-minded soulmates MITHRA SURESH [email protected]

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xamine your loved one: it has been observed that while men prefer women who are different from themselves, women want likeminded soulmates. “This whole soulmate concept was invented by a woman,” says Radhakrishnan, a software engineer. But, women say that it is important to be compatible and the term means that a couple should agree on something. “Excuse me if I am looking for conversation and not sex. I want to be inspired by him, otherwise why am I still in the relationship?” asks Radhakrishnan’s tired girlfriend, Lakshmi. Dhruv, a professional boxer, says that his girlfriend initially shied away from him. “When I was courting her, she stated a number of reasons about why we would not work as a couple, such as my boxing and the ‘vio-

lence’ it involved, how we liked different actors and movies, how our parents and friends would never get along and that too not because they would not like me as person, but that we came from different backgrounds – which has nothing to do with religion, just lifestyle.” What Poonam, his girlfriend, had to say was that women tend to get easily attached if they give in to affection, which was why she resisted for so long, till she was absolutely sure. Ramya Jayachandran, a relationship advisor, says that women and men need to enjoy the differences. “Men on one hand have to understand that they should continue the attention, whether they are at work or at home. Women, on the other hand, need to stop comparing.” That said, I would think my mantra in a nutshell would be: Girl lets, man lives, humanity survives. ■

Chicken soup may help fight high BP C

hicken soup, which has been used for years as an effective home remedy to deal with the common cold, can also help fight high blood pressure, researchers in Japan have learnt. Study leader Ai Saiga, a researcher from Nippon Meat Packers, says that chicken breast contains collagen proteins with effects similar to ACE inhibitors, mainstay medications for treating high blood pressure. The researcher concedes that chicken breast contains such small amounts of the proteins that it cannot be used to develop food and medical products for high blood pressure. Saiga, however, insists that chicken soup, also known as ‘Grandma’s Penicillin’, appears

Chicken soup, also known as ‘Grandma’s Penicillin’, appears to be a great source of collagen proteins

to be a great source of collagen proteins. During the study, the researchers extracted collagen from chicken legs and tested its ability to act as an ACE inhibitor in the laboratory studies. They identified four different proteins in the collagen mixture with high ACE-inhibitory activity. The proteins were then administered to rats used to model human high blood pressure, which produced a significant and prolonged decrease in blood pressure, according to the researchers. An article on the study has been published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.■ ANI

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Young Gun

Sport

Asher Gusti Noria not only shot a double trap gold for India at the Commonwealth Youth Games on Wednesday but in the process he bettered Athens silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore’s score by one bird. The 16-year-old, who picked up shooting four years ago under his father Gusti Jall Noria, a former national double trap specialist, shot a total of 180 en route to the gold.

Kirsten bats for skipper

Pak skipper and coach hits out at selectors The skipper and the coach of the Pakistan cricket team have revealed that the squad selected for the fournation Twenty20 tournament in Toronto was not of their choice. Pakistan lost the final match of the tournament to Sri Lanka early this week. Shoaib Malik and Geoff Lawson interacted with media after reaching Lahore from Toronto on Wednesday night. “The team that went to Canada was different from the one the selectors, Shoaib and I discussed. The selectors picked that team and it is their responsibility. Their Chairman has resigned so you should ask the selectors what happened between them,” Lawson said. Chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed had resigned before the tournament in protest to a change made in the selected squad without the consent of the selectors. The selectors had picked off spinner Saeed Ajmal in the squad but he was replaced by the rookie batsman Shoaib Khan in the last minute change. The batsman from Quetta played in all four games in Toronto and flopped in three including the final. “I was there when we discussed the team but we didn’t discuss who to take and who to drop. Certainly the team that went to Toronto was not the one I had in mind,” Malik said.

Team India coach defends erratic Kumble

Indo-Pak clash in Hong Kong India and Pakistan have been included in the same group of the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes event, and the arch-rivals will clash on day one of the event, beginning at the Kowloon Cricket Club in Hong Kong on November 8. The Asian giants will bring the curtains down on the first day’s action when they face off in a crucial Group encounter. Eight teams have been divided into two groups of four and only two teams from each group would advance to the next stage. Apart from India and Pakistan, the Bradman Group comprises England and South Africa. “Any game between India and Pakistan is to be savoured. But what makes this clash even more mouth-watering is that there is every chance a place in the Cup will be at stake,” said tournament director Mark Burns. “If either team has the opportunity to knock the other out of the Cup, then we really can expect some fireworks,” Burns added. Players who have taken part over the past 16 years include Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Steve and Mark Waugh, Vivian Richards, Andrew Flintoff, Adam Gilchrist and Wasim Akram. PTI

PHOTO: PTI

PTI

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mbattled India skipper Anil Kumble has received a ringing endorsement from coach Gary Kirsten as he struggles with his form and fitness ahead of the second Test against Australia. Nursing a sore shoulder, the 37-year-old legspinner failed to bag a single wicket in the drawn first test at Bangalore. It was only the third time in his career and the first time ever in front of a home crowd he has walked away empty-handed. He also dropped two catches off his own bowling to cap a miserable outing and trigger a debate as to whether he was fit enough to lead the Indian side. However, Kirsten reaffirmed his faith in Kumble and warned Australians of a comeback from the stalwart in the second Test, which begins in Mohali on Friday. “Kumble is a warrior,” Kirsten said on Wednesday. “He is alright at the moment. He has a little bit of pain but he is very keen to play. I am sure that regardless of how he is physically, he would be ready to represent his country. We don’t look at

form in one Test but over a long period of time. He is one of the greatest Indian players ever. Any champion player who struggles comes back stronger. He is going to come back more determined than before to put in a match-winning performance. He has been doing this for the last 17 years.”

Confident The former South African opener also spoke about the upbeat mood in the Indian camp following their match-saving heroics in Bangalore. “As a coach or even when I was playing against them, I have never seen such strong team unity and togetherness. They are very eager to win this Test series. They have the belief that they can beat Australia. The greatest catalyst has been the fact that we are up against the number one team in the world. No one is talking about individual records but what we can do as a team.” Kirsten did not rule out playing an extra fast bowler at the expense of a spinner, consider-

ing the success his seamers enjoyed in difficult conditions in the previous Test. “These are exciting times in Indian cricket. Seamers are making a contribution and affecting the course of a match and that too on any kind of wicket. The skills that our fast bowlers showed in Bangalore have given them a lot of belief, so we are looking at different options and will decide on the final bowling combination after having another look at the Mohali wicket.”

Fast and furious The Indian fast bowlers, led by left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan, gave the team crucial breakthroughs and picked 13 of the 16 Aussie wickets to fall in Bangalore. Kirsten heaped praise on Zaheer, who finished the match with six wickets. “Zaheer has a tremendous belief in himself, he is intelligent and understands how he must bowl in different conditions. He has great variations which come from experience. He is a highly skilled bowler.” ■ AFP

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Friday, October 17, 2008

‘‘

Warne’s been the best legspinner that I’ve ever seen. There’s not an obsession there (to find the next Warne), but everyone would like someone to come up as Warne did virtually from nowhere.

World Cup finals in South Africa and the fifth plays off against a side from the North and Central American CONCACAF region for another place. Argentina and Brazil, who both won at the weekend, continued their inconsistent campaigns. Argentina, missing mercurial playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme through suspension, never found an answer to a lively, creative Chile team led by their former mentor Bielsa, whose six year stint in charge included the 2002 World Cup.

Fifteen players Fabian Orellana turned in the winner in the 36th minute in Santiago following a sweeping move to move Chile level on 16 points with their opponents and give them their first win over their neighbours for 35 years. “I have never seen a performance like this from Chile, it was amazing how much running they did, they were like a machine and pressed us in every part of the pitch and

didn’t let us settle,” said Argentina coach Alfio Basile. “It seemed like there were 15 of them against 11 of us. We thought they would get tired in the second half but they kept going very well.” In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil struggled to muster a chance against a resolute but negative Colombia team, who completed their fifth qualifier without scoring and have managed a total of only four goals. Kaka blamed their lethargy on the 15-hour journey home from Venezuela following their 4-0 win over Sunday. “I don’t like to make excuses, but the journey took its toll,” he said. Substitute Edgar Benitez, called into the squad as a replacement for the injured Roque Santa Cruz, scored an 82nd minute winner in Asuncion to keep Paraguay on course for a fourth successive World Cup. In Puerto La Cruz, Ecuador got the perfect start with Isaac Mina headed them in front after 10 minutes. Venezuela, however, hit back as Giancarlo Maldonado, Alejandro Moreno and Juan Arango scored in a 25-minute spell after the break, giving them their first win in six qualifiers under Cesar Farias. The defeat left Ecuador in sixth place on 12 points. ■ Reuters

Paraguay head CONCACAF points table

Chilean players celebrate after scoring against Argentina in their World Cup qualifier in Santiago. PHOTO: AFP

MORE MISERY FOR ARGENTINA, BRAZIL

A

rgentina were outplayed and beaten 0-1 by a Chilean team led by their former coach Marcelo Bielsa in the World Cup qualifiers on Wednesday while Brazil continued their astonishing run of goalless draws at home. Dunga’s team, held 0-0 by Bolivia last month and Argentina in June, this time played out a dismal stalemate with Colombia as the Maracana crowd jeered the team, insulted the coach and then left early in what has become a sad ritual. Paraguay moved further ahead at the top of the 10-team South American group with a late 1-0 win over bottom side Peru and Venezuela kept their faint hopes of a first World Cup appearance alive by coming from behind to beat Ecuador 3-1. Paraguay, who have won seven of their 10 matches, have 23 points, six clear of Brazil. Argentina are third with 16 points and only six separate them from eighth-placed Venezuela, with Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador and Colombia sandwiched in between. The top four qualify directly for a place at the 2010

Richie Benaud

18

ERGO Friday, October 17, 2008

Flick

Birthday bumps! On this day in 1972, Eminem also known as Marshall Bruce Mathers III, was born in Kansas city, Missouri.

Lens perfect: Lindsay and Madonna Lindsay Lohan might record album with the Queen of Pop

H

ollywood actress Lindsay Lohan may soon be seen recording a duet with Madonna, as the actress has got a nod from the Queen of Pop herself.

The Mean Girls star expressed her desire to work with Madonna, saying, “That would be incredible. That would be beyond...’’ And the Material Girl seems to be up for the idea, when she agreed to work with the 22-year-old actress/ singer. “Yeah, sure. Why not?” Contactmusic quoted Madonna as telling U.S. news show Extra, on being asked about the idea.

♥ ANI

THAT WOULD BE INCREDIBLE. THAT WOULD BE BEYOND...

Playboy mansion needs playgirls

Cameron Diaz gives acting tips Cameron Diaz has turned into a real-life teacher for the sake of love - the stunner is giving her British boyfriend Paul Sculfor a few acting tips. The British model, who has dated Jennifer Aniston, said that he turns to his stunning girlfriend when he needs to rehearse a scene or when he’s having trouble with it. “If I need to go over a scene or something, then we help each other out,” the Daily Express quoted him as telling New! Magazine. The 37-year-old further said that despite their common acting interests, the duo had not drawn any plans to work together. “We have no plans to act together but who knows about the future?” he added. ANI

Hugh Hefner’s former No. 1 girlfriend Holly Madison is not moving out of the Playboy Mansion any time soon, for she doesn’t have time to pack her stuff. The busty blonde had recently announced her split with the Playboy mogul, but is still staying as a guest in his house. Apparently, Madison is lending a helping hand to Hefner’s new 19-year-old twin gal pals, Kristina and Karissa Shannon, in moving in. “I don’t have time to pack. Nobody can pack for me. Nobody knows what I need to keep or what goes into storage. I have to do it myself,” Contactmusic quoted Madison, as telling HollyScoop.com, She added, “I’m making myself useful - I worked with the twins this summer on their playmate layout. I directed their pictorial. I just want Hef to be happy and have fun (with them).”

ANI

19

Friday, October 17, 2008

‘‘

I don’t think anyone should write their autobiography until after they’re dead. Samuel Goldwyn, US movie producer

Cine City

M

iley Cyrus, the 15-year-old ‘Hannah Montana’ star, has finished writing a book detailing her life story.

The young actress, who shot to fame after the Disney’s TV show made its debut in March 2006, has apparently been paid with a seven-figure sum to narrate her life accounts. The book recounts the singer’s childhood days and her upbringing, especially as a daughter to the renowned country singer, Billy Ray Cyrus, reports the Sun. It shall further “reveal how her solid relationship with her family, especially her mother Letica, helps her navigate the spotlight.” Miley, who is currently filming ‘Hannah Montana: The Movie’ said, “I’m not sure when it’s going to come out. It’s finished but you’ve got a long process of editing and all that kind of stuff, so it takes a while.” ANI

Miley Cyrus

GETTY IMAGES

AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY AT 15? F

ormer James Bond girl Honor Blackman has hit back at the claims that her role ‘Pussy Galore’ was that of a bimbo, insisting that the character was a strong feminist. In an interview to TV Times, the 80-year-old actress described her kung-fu kicking character in ‘Goldfinger’ as a career woman who ends up collapsing into Bond’s arms. “In so many of the films, the girls just looked at James and fell flat on their backs,” the Telegraph quoted her, as saying. “Yet Pussy Galore was a career woman - a pilot who had her own air force, which was very impressive. She was never a bimbo,” she added. She says that Pussy was a realistic depiction of a modern woman. “Pussy’s flying a plane, so she’s got to be a strong feminist, but then she collapses into Bond’s arms at the end. “Deary me. Unfortunately women do that. We’re good at our jobs, but if we fall in love, we’re a bit stupid,” she added. ANI

Big B in Soundarya’s film This was supposed to have happened earlier, when Amitabh Bachchan was offered the role of Raghuvaran in Shankar’s Sivaji. But Bachchan couldn’t sign the project due to call sheet problems. Now plans are on to make Big B act in the movie produced jointly by Soundarya Rajinikanth and Warner Bros. under the direction of Gowtham Menon. Soundarya would be meeting Bachchan next week regarding the project.

Bond girl was no bimbo

No shows on Oct 19 Honor Blackman GETTY IMAGES

Pussy Galore was a career woman - a pilot who had her own air force, which was very impressive

With the entire Tamil film industry planning to protest in the coastal area of Rameshwaram on October 19, it has been announced that there would be no matinee shows on that day throughout Tamil Nadu. The protest is against the ill-treatment of Tamils in Sri Lanka. The entire film industry, including the producers’ council, directors’ association, artistes’ association, FEFSI, theatre exhibitors and distributors have extended their support to the protest. www.cinesnacks.com

20

ERGO Friday, October 17, 2008

Thursday’s Question: What is the one song you would like to sing to your boss, so that he gets the hint? ■ “Naan oru muttaalunga;romba nalla padichavanga 4 per(am de 1 among them) sonnnga naan oru muttalunga!" Mani CCSL

■ Who let the boss out....? who who who? who let the boss out? who whom who?:) Ezhilan Vikraman, PEROT SYSTEMS

■ Vetri meethu vetri vanthu unnai serum,athai vangi thantha perumai ellam ennai serum;) Lakshmi Rajendran, PEROT SYSTEMS

■ Poda Poda punnakku podatha thappu kanaku

Bala, PEROT SYSTEMS

■ Thoongaadhe thambi thoongaadhe nee somberi endra peyar vaangaadhe.. Guess its explicit, i’l sing it while he is asleep in his cabin.. :-) Bragadeesh, VDSI

■ Enge sellum indha paathai.... Yaro yaro arivaro... Dominic xavier. Cgsl.

■ “Sodhanai mel sodhanai pothumada saami. Sodhanaithan valkai endral thaangathu boomi” Elaiyaraja, ALLSEC

■ “Thenpandi seemaiila therodum veedhiyila maanpola vandhavane yaar adicharoo yaar adicharoo Suresh, ALLSEC

■ enkite mothathe na rajathi rajana da... Sridher,Miva, PEROT SYSTEMS

■ If my boss is girl, my song is unakkaaga thaney intha uyir ullathu unthuyaram thaanga en thool ullathu. 9884016663

■My Boss is a nice man. I’ll sing ejaman kaaladi manneduthu nethiyila pottu veppom Vijay, CGSL

■ Treking in a hill station with your boss singing vaaraai ne vaaraai , poogum edam veygu thooram illai , ne vaaraai....

SAM - Athena Timber Wolves, PEROT SYSTEMS

■Unkuthama...enkuthama...

9884373581

■I would sing ’ushar aiya ushar’ song.

Babloo, ALLSEC

■"Andha vanathai pola manam padaicha mannavaray..

Rajasekar, TCS

■ To remind my boss about salary hike, I ll will sing "Varavu ettana, selavu pathana, so pls put ettana more"

Abul, TCS.

■ Nan poladhan poi solathavan kai kati vaimudi yar munbum nan nindru athayam thadathavan nan polathavan 9790853362

■ Yen kadhai mudiyum neramidhu.... Dilipkumar, INFOSYS

■ Aadatha aatamelam potavanga manukulae pora katha unaku theriyuma .? 9894369726

■ After good appraisal manithan enbavan theyvamagalam vari vari kodukumbothu valal agalam

Manomani J of HCL Technologies nominates her team members as Partners in Crime. They clicked this pic at V.G.P Resorts.

Latha, TCS

■engirundhu vandhay ada ennai paadu paduththa, nee ennai paadu padhuththa... ■ "Budhi ulla manidan ellam vetri kanbadillai... Vetri petra manidan elam budhisali illai"

JS

Padma Gopal, CTS

■ Yenga yeria ula varadhae. . Sundararajan, Interglobe

■ ’Mujhko bhi to lift kara de’ Vipin Mittal, TCS

■ Unakenna maele ninraay.. O nandhalaalaa G.R, TCS

■ Olimayamana edhirkalam en ullathil therigiradhu....

Meenakshi of Infosys clicked this picture of her Partners in Crime on their project trip to Wayanad.

Vijayakannan.S, HCL Tech

■ ’ rum bum bum arambum , rumbum bum perum thunbum ’ 9710918871

■ Yaen pirandhai maganey yaen pirandhayo... 9841624060

■ Gangai karai thottam kanni pengal kootam kannan naduviniley oh kannan naduviniley. Anand.k

Today’s Question: What would your reaction be if your blind date turned out to be 10 years elder to you?

Rashmi Nandita from Satyam Computers sent this picture of her Partners in Crime

21

Friday, October 17, 2008

Hi Ergo is a really good newspaper. This is my small suggestion. Can you please allocate a separate column for ‘Health Tips for the Day’? Thanks & Regards Ramya R. Congruent Solutions, Guindy

Hi , I really like the U-Turn section of Ergo and the Doodle corner initiative is really commendable. Ergo has become a part of our daily dose of refreshment and we eagerly wait for it while travelling from ECR to OMR. All the very best for your novel effort. With regards Rupesh Dubey Cognizant Technology solutions

■ Dearest Janu, "Happy Anniv" The past one year has made a lot of difference to my Life. Thank you for being my "Sweetheart". I will always be there for you. lotss of Love Deepu 9962212223

■ Hey Criminal! Wishing you a very Happy Birthday! May all your dreams come true. Enjoy!!!

Cheers, Cheeku ;)

■ Hi ALCATEL Guys, Happy Journey to the Gang going for "Kodaikanal" this Weekend. Njoy the days & Have fun !!! !! Happy Journey !!

Thanks, Vijayasankar

■ Dear Pooja (O3), I know, Its a bit early, but i will be the first one to wish you Happy B’day. May GOD bless you n have a sweet,special and rocking day on 19th. Chalo Chaa peen Chaleye !!! Pakore Khaeye !!! Sunder from Cognizant Technologies doodled this.

Yours Lovingly, Manpreet Verma (KD)

■ Dear Kavitha, Happy Birthday(Oct 17th)...Many more Happy Returns of the day...

From, Indu, Dhanashri, Apoorva, Bharath, Suresh, Pandi, Rajan, Ashok & Sheshu

■ Hi Priya, Wish you many more happy returns of the day.. This is a special day as special as you. May God bless you and let this new year bring you all success and happiness in your life.

Regards, Mohan (YFC President) Ramco Systems

■ Dear Ravi Sir, Here’s wishing you a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Wishing you all success and happiness in all your future endeavours. Thanks for all your support,moral boost,confidence and many more that you instilled in us to make our lives a better one. Thanks for being there for us.

Regards, FDC Oracle DBA Team, Wipro Technologies.

■ HI Prakash(Kutty Mani) Wish you a Happy Birthday.We wish u all success in life and may all ur dreams will come true. One thief is praying before the photo of Arcot Veeraswamy, EB Minister, “Swamy thozhiluku poraen, tayavu senju current varama pathuka swamy”… - Marie, CTS

A sardar proposed to a girl.. Girl :“I am a year older to you…" Sardar: “Okay, I will marry you next year…” - Suganthi, CTS

with love, R.Deivendran(InterGlobe Technologies) R.Suresh Kumar(TCS) K.Senthil Kumar(Mobious) C.RajKumar(HOV services)

■ Hi Goutam Belated B’day wishes to u man….

From Sandy , Surya , Pramit , Jhinku and Rash. Hexaware Technologies

■ Dear Krishnan, It is probably first time for us at work place to see one in our team, completing

25 years of service in an organization. At this time, we learn from you, the dedication you have towards the job. We wish you good Health, happiness, Cheer, Love, Laughs, Good times and many more Success this year and in years to come. Happy Silver Jubilee Anniversary! Cheers, SVT Team, Amb-1, HCL Technologies.

■ Dear Chinnari Wish u a very sweet n warm birhday. May god bless you and have a rocking year ahead.

With Love, Nanna,Amma,Bulki.

■ Hi Aunty(Akhi), Wish u many more Happy returns of d day :-) Have a Blast.Waiting 4 ur treat ;)

By GOG

■ Dear Himachal (FSS), Wish You Happy Birthday (Pirantha naal nalvazhthukal). We wishing you all success in your life, may all your desires come true… Have a great year ahead…

With lot of love, Ganapathi, Kuhan, Sandhiya, Uma, Gayathri, Sampath, Gnana Prakash, Sathya, Shoaib, FSS

■ Hi Sangeetha (Admin - ETA) Wish you many more happy returns of the day. Have a great day and wonderful year ahead.

Shan – Admin

■ Dear Krish, On your birthday, special one, We wish that all your dreams come true. May your day be filled with joy, Wonderful gifts and goodies, too. On your day we wish for you Favorite people to embrace, Loving smiles and caring looks That earthly gifts cannot replace. Happy Birthday Krish!!!

Best Regards, Route No. 4 Friends, Scope International.

■ Hey Pooja, Advance Birthday Wishes !! Let all your dreams come true & may you have a lovely and blessed life ahead. ~~~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY ~~~

Hearty Wishes, Ashish (Wipro)

■ Chweet ANIMAL PLANET(Divya), Athaadiku Iniya Piranthanaal Nalvazhthukkal.. J Itha Padicha udanae un palla kadikkatha.. J Adi paadavathigala nu thitatha.. J May God Bless You with love, happiness and success all through your way J Wish all your dreams come true (May ur bro get you your favourite mobile)… J Inaikavathu unnoda new dresses la onnu podu.. Marakkama “Le Royal Meridian” la treat kudu J Already Taj la 3 treat baaki iruku ma kannu.. Ithellam padichitu un favourite dialogue ( “Eruma Maadaeeee…….”) nu sollatha J

Love, Urs favourite Manidha Thozhigal Uma, Sangee, Raji, Jayu

22

ERGO Friday, October 17, 2008

Traffic Jam

Poisonous hazelnuts Thieves who stole 300kg of hazelnuts in Germany have been urgently warned not to eat them - because they’re poisonous.

sudoku

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]

Head of Circulation: M.G.M. Sharief [email protected]

SNAIL MAIL 859/860, Anna Salai, Chennai - 600 002 mail your feedback to [email protected]

FAX 2857 6691 ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Call our Advertisement Manager at 2857 6695. email: [email protected] Website: www.goergo.in

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

Vinoth Kumar P of Zylog Systems Ltd. clicked this picture in the Masinagudi forest. Hobbies: Playing TT, roaming on his bike

KAKURO

23

Friday, October 17, 2008

Musical surgery

Word’s worth

A veteran bluegrass legend played banjo while surgeons operated on his brain.

"Decemnovenarianize" (di-sem-no-vi-na-ree-uhnize) to act like a person of the nineteenth century (a decemnovenarian).

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 Today, you have scope of getting some good financial rewards of your work. This doesn’t need to be in the physical form but whatever you do may add positive points to appraisal in future. You may exchange sweet words with your life partner.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Your basic qualities are highlighted today so it is a ‘power day’ for you. At office, you can finish off your work as per the schedule. In personal life, if you are not careful your relations with your spouse may get sour. Handle everything diplomatically.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Hard work is on the cards but ensure that nothing goes in vain! Ganesha foresees you working in wrong direction today. Colleagues may try to tarnish your image. You may try to woo someone. If you are married, you may be attracted to your partner.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 It’s a perfect day to organise regular group activities like meetings. Your diligence and commitment to work will prove beneficial to you in the longer run. Love life or married life may remain ‘stress free’ which will make you feel better, emotionally.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 This is a perfect day to handle creative part of your job. Slogging alone may not work but you may need to use your imagination. Your relations with bosses may need to be handled carefully. You may not be able to pay much attention to love life.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

Ganesha foresees you in a very practical mood at work. This will help you finish off your job in time. You may plan for a trip with your family or beloved one. Travelling is not on the cards but planning is surely foreseen.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Whatever you have learnt from seniors and superiors may be useful in your job. You can be trying to solve complex issues at workplace. In love life, you may enjoy very high-quality private time with your beloved one.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 You may not be in a mood to put in more efforts at office. Even if you wish, you may not be able to stay back at work till late evening. Health requires attention. In personal life, you may receive positive response from beloved one or life partner.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 Complimentary day for you, predicts Ganesha. You may not sit relaxed for a moment and utilize your time at office. Take rest and maintain good health. Love life may require attention but you may not be able to devote time to it because of busy schedule.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 Your professional life may offer you plethora of opportunities today. If you work hard, you may get good incentives. Love life may blossom as you are likely to express your emotions very creatively to woo your beloved one or life partner.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 It is high time you think about your own shortcomings in routine office work. Ganesha finds you contemplating over some matters related to work. You may wish to reach home early to spend more time with family members.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Your creative talents may be boosted. You may change your modus operandi which will help you handle work easily. In love life, you will be almost unpredictable and may leave your partner puzzled about what you actually expect from him or her! Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

24

ERGO Friday, October 17, 2008

!

Early welcome to Santa Claus A Gloucestershire, England, town has already put up its Christmas decorations - with 73 days to go.

Beliefs gone Batty It is considered unlucky to do anything good with one’s left hand. In tune with this, the article has been typed only with the right hand, to adhere to social custom. Sounds familiar? ANUSHA PARTHASARATHY

I

f you had a time machine that could take you back fifty years, not only would you land up in the late ‘50s or early ‘60s, when your fathers and mothers were running around playing ringa-ringa roses, you would also find many customs and beliefs very unique to Chennaiites. But how did they come up with them? Here are likely reasons why those beliefs were created. Disclaimer: All sentences written below are subject to the writer’s opinion!

where that came from. ●Thou shalt not sleep at the entrance of thy house. There is a very logical reason for this one. Anyone entering the house will stamp your head on their way in. ● If thou hurts thy leg on a piece of furniture, then thou hath done something wrong for which thou are being punished by Him. You are most probably blind if you hit yourself repeatedly on pieces of furniture. But, according to reverse psychology, people mostly get hit by furniture when they are moved by others and not in their original place.

Home Rules ●Thou shalt not accept anything that does not taste sweet like bitter gourd. It is bad for not only thy health but also the home, in general. Let us look at this objectively. Either ways, bitter gourd is cheap and it’s not much of a gift. Imagine yourself celebrating your birthday and your uncle gives you a bitter gourd saying ‘Happy birthday!” Wouldn’t that be a spoiler? ●Thou shalt not question thy relatives about their agenda, just as they are about to leave. The basic rule behind this is not to ask too many questions. Suppose your uncle wants to go to the loo and just as he gets up from his chair, you jump up asking “Where are you going?” what kind of reaction would you except. ●Thou shalt not clip nails after sundown in order to prevent bad health. Nail cutters are not exactly what you think they are (Shh!!). I’ll let you in on a secret. As soon as the sun goes down, they turn into Dracula! They suck your blood and drain you dry, which is why most people advise you not to cut your nails after sundown. Scary huh? ●Thou shalt not confuse ull patharam (‘in’ vessels) with veli patharam (‘out’ vessels) There is this card game called ‘Mangatha’ where one has to choose a card and also if it is ‘ulle’ (in) and ‘veliye’ (out). If the card comes in the set that you’ve chosen, you win. In olden days, when people did not have cards, they used vessels to play this game! So, now you know

Rules for communication ●

Thou shalt not swear on Fridays

Even in olden days, people used to swear. The wise old men, who I mentioned earlier, wanted to give those poor swear words a holiday as they were being misused. Henceforth, Friday was called nonswearing day. ● If thou choke on anything, someone is thinking of you! Well, I don’t really know why people say this but if someone’s thinking of you and you choke then it’s kind of bad. Either they have telekinetic powers like Stephen King’s ‘Carrie’ or they would love to choke the life out of you and are thinking of doing so that very instant. Does that sound pleasant? ● Thou shalt begin any new venture by breaking a pumpkin. When people usually smash pumpkins on the roads after they start a business, there’s an ulterior motive. Just as they smash it, they would be thinking “Oh lord, please make sure my rivals all come this way today and slip and fall on this pumpkin and injure themselves!”. Nice tactic, eh? ● Thou shalt start each new page in a notebook with a ‘Pillaiyar suzhi’ This is very useful for students. You remember how your teachers always complained that there is ‘nothing in your paper’? Well, the next time you (or your kids) can point to the ‘suzhi’ and say “Ma’am, there is something. Please open your eyes and see. It’s a pillaiyaar suzhi.” ■

Rabbit invasion shuts Mandela museum South African’s Robben Island museum will be closed while authorities cull a colony of rabbits that has invaded the site where Nelson Mandela was jailed. Authorities said on Tuesday the museum, popular with tourists wanting to see the former president’s cell, would be temporarily closed while the rabbits were killed to protect plant life and historical buildings at the World Heritage site. ■ Reuters