Ergo October 23

A BYTE OF LIFE

Thursday, October 23, 2008

08 GET THE LOWRIDER Alter your car suspension FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 2

No. 203

Exactly seven years ago, on October 23, 2001, Apple introduced the iPod. While expectations were high from the creators of Mac, none would have predicted its unrivalled popularity – more than 150 million people around the world own one. Vinnie Chieco, a freelance copywriter, came up with the name ‘iPod’. How? Apparently, after seeing a prototype, Chieco thought of a phrase from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey – “Open the pod bay door, Hal!”, with reference to the white EVA Pods of the Discovery One spaceship. Team Ergo

10 MONEY TALKS Guy Ritchie looks forward to comfy divorce settlement

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Thursday, October 23, 2008

Fitness shopping ACME Fitness has offers for Diwali. Customers who shop at Acme can avail of guaranteed gifts on every purchase. The offers are valid till October 31. For details call 2475 3272.

RAIN, RAIN

GO AWAY Sinful delight E

cstasy at Sathyam Cinemas has introduced an array of gift vouchers and special chocolate boxes for your loved ones. They include: ~ Gift vouchers – Specially designed for the season of celebration, the vouchers make the ideal gift for friends and colleagues, where one can pick delicacies of their choice. Price: Rs.150, Rs. 300, Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 ~ Chocolate boxes – These designer boxes and chocolates are made with Valrhona chocolate. Price: Rs.195, Rs. 385, Rs. 550 and Rs. 1050 ~ Chocolabs – A special collection of desserts made with varying amounts of cocoa and chocolate from Valrhona. Price: Rs. 420 to Rs. 510. Each dessert serves 3-4 persons ~ Chocolate nuts – An assortment of tinned nuts enrobed in Valrhona chocolate. Price: Rs. 450 - Rs. 520 for 150 - 200 gms ~ Mendiants – traditional French confection composed of a Valrhona chocolate disk studded with nuts and dried fruits. Price: Rs. 350 for 125 gms

It’s a rainy day for animal welfare NGOs in the city. It’s also a season for giving SRIYA NARAYANAN [email protected]

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he heavy rains that have lashed the city since last week have been hard on everyone, including the people who rescue homeless animals from the floods. The funds are limited and the space available remains the same even though the intake increases steadily. It’s time for IT professionals in Namma Chennai to come to their rescue yet again. Here’s a chance to give them a Diwali present they’ll never forget.

This Good Samaritan carries four newborn puppies as he wades through flood waters in the village of Vasna Chaudhry, some 50 kms north-east of Ahmedabad. AFP FILE PHOTO

Got anything to spare? If you’ve been waiting for a chance to give away your old clothes, now’s the perfect time. The Animal Welfare and Protection Trust (AWPT) will put them to good use. If you can donate biscuits and milk powder for their residents, you can tide them through this difficult season. Medicines are welcome. So are donations by cheque. Pay them a visit if you’d like to cheer up the animals and show your support to the aged couple that’s taking care of them. The trust is located at #3/ 140, Kalaignar Karunanidhi Street, Santhoshapuram, Velachery Tambaram Main Road and can be contacted at 2278 1381/ 98416 38489 / 98412 48870.

Puppy power Eleven adorable puppies were taken in during the storm by Mrs. Parimala who regularly rescues animals. She is now looking for people who will adopt these vulnerable pups. They are one month old, in good health and are very playful. Get in touch with her at 2491 5575 if you want to take one of them home. ■

Partners in rhyme Meet Ambi and Thambi who are being introduced to us as the friendliest kittens in the Cattitude Trust. Thambi (on the left), who is blind in one eye, doesn’t let that put a dampener on things and is extremely playful. They are around six months old and will easily adapt to a new home. If you’d like to adopt one of them (or both), call Devika Khazvini at 98840 97862.

03

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Diamonds are forever Tanishq has launched ‘Sampoornam’, a diamond collection in 22K gold. The collection is based out of Karaikudi, famous for its jewellerymaking style.

Playing Santa

Nikolay Davydenko in Chennai Open

In the last 10 years, Sneham has grown both in strength and reach

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orld No. 6 Nikolay Davydenko of Russia has confirmed his participation in the 2009 Chennai Open. The Russian No. 1, winner of the Miami Masters in 2008, is known for his aggressive, consistent style of play and will definitely be one of the top contenders for the event to be held at the SDAT Stadium from January 5 to 11. “I’m very excited to play at the Chennai Open. The tournament has become very popular on the circuit and I am looking forward to my first visit to India. I hope to make a good start to the New Year and improve my performance,” Davydenko said about his participation in the US$ 450,000 prize-money event. ■ Team Ergo

Volunteers at a recent social initiative V. HARIPRIYA [email protected]

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lean water is an investment and Infy associates know best. Recently, Sneham Social Welfare Foundation, the CSR initiative of Infosys Technologies, Chennai, installed a Reverse Osmosis (RO) water treatment plant at the Sholinganallur Govt. School in Namma Chennai. Started a decade ago by the employees of Infosys Technologies in Chennai, Sneham lends a helping hand to those in need. “The initiative, which started after an orphanage visit, has now grown to offering medical help, educational aid, rural development, environmental awareness and a lot more,” says R. Shankar, Group Project Manager and founder of Sneham. During one of the visits to the Sholinganallur School, the volunteers found that the water being used by the students in the school was not potable. This made them install a RO plant costing around Rs. 1.75 lakh. Sneham has more than 500 volunteers and each of them chip in money every month and also during emergency, says Shankar.

Become a Santa initiative Why should we wait for Santa Claus to distribute gifts every year before Christmas? Instead, why don’t we turn Santa? This thought resulted in another initia-

tive titled ‘Become a Santa’. This New Year gift collection drive goes across its Development Centres in Sholinganallur and Mahendra City. The volunteers first collect the ‘wish’ of the children and surprise them with the gifts. “We receive numerous requests from economically backward people from the city. We have been supporting such cases for the last eight years. Once we get request for help, our volunteers check the genuineness of the case and then we follow it up with financial assistance,” adds Shankar. An initiative powered by love and driven by humanity, Sneham has miles to go! ■ (CSR Dossier will be a regular feature in Ergo to showcase the activities of companies that we reach out to. If you want to feature your organisation’s CSR activities in Ergo, ping us at [email protected] or [email protected]. Phone: 28576690)

Once we get request for help, our volunteers check the genuineness of the case and then we follow it up with financial assistance

04 VILLAGE

ERGO Thursday, October 23, 2008

Prison punch Portuguese inmates are producing award-winning wines from behind bars. The wines produced sell for more than $40 (GBP20) dollars a bottle in Lisbon’s top restaurants.

Iran arrests ’spy pigeons’ near nuclear site

Yahoo to cut 1,400 jobs

Iranian security forces have arrested two pigeons for apparently spying near its Natanz nuclear facility. According to the Etemad Melli newspaper, one of the pigeons captured near rose water production plant in the city of Kashan in Isfahan province had metal rings and ‘invisible’ strings attached to it. It is believed that the bird might have been communicating what it had seen with the equipment it was carrying. ANI

Brit man to move court after ’toxic sofa’ leaves him with heart failure An English man is dragging a furniture company to court, claiming that a “toxic sofa” they had sold to him left him with a permanent heart condition. Barry Green, 63, a resident of Plymouth in Devon, claims that he had to spend a week in hospital with blisters, breathing problems, pneumonia, and eventually heart failure. The father-of-four bought the brown leather couch worth 545 pounds from Land of Leather a year ago, but soon began to suffer health problems. He is now seeking damages from the firm and its manufacturers, Chinese firm Eurosofa, via a High Court legal action. Green claims that his heart failure has been brought on by sachets of an anti-mould fungicide under the cushions, which contain the chemical dimethyl fumarate.

Yahoo has announced plans to lay off at least 10 per cent of its workforce, some 1,400 employees, as the weak economy cut deeply into thirdquarter profits at the struggling Web company. Yahoo said net profit for the third-quarter of the year was 54 million dollars, or four cents per share, down from 151 million dollars and 11 cents per share during the same period of 2007. It said revenues were 1.78 billion dollars in the third-quarter, an increase of only one per cent over the 1.76 billion dollars in the same period last year. Yahoo has been losing ground on the Internet to companies such as Google, MySpace and Facebook and the economic slowdown has hurt the firm particularly hard as advertisers cut back on spending. “An increasingly challenging economic climate and softening advertising demand contributed to revenues this quarter coming in at the low end of our outlook range,” said Yahoo chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen. AFP

150,000 dollars for Palin’s outfits Financial records show that the Republican National Committee appears to have spent more than 150,000 dollars on clothes for vice presidential pick Sarah Palin, Politico reported late on Tuesday. The Republicans’ main campaign and fundraising organ spent tens of thousands at high-end stores, such as Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York (49,425 dollars) and Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis (75,062 dollars), the Politico website said. The RNC also spent 4,716 dollars on hair and makeup through September, Politico said.

ANI

AFP

India won’t be UK’s bin again

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ocal government officials have called for new regulations to prevent the dumping of British household waste in India after a television investigation traced such waste to a location in Tamil Nadu. The Local Government Association, a body comprising local authorities across the United Kingdom, said regulations needed to be introduced to ensure goods sent for recycling do not end up in landfill in India or elsewhere.

Post items and newspapers from Leicestershire meant for recycling found its way to a dump in Tamil Nadu during a documentary produced by ITV. Council officials could not explain how the waste ended up in India. The initial response was that it may have been sent out to a relative in India, or taken on holiday. Leicester cabinet member for waste, Councillor Nicholas Rushton, said, “We have never directly sold recyclable materials abroad,

Officials have called for new regulations to prevent the dumping of British household waste in India after a television investigation traced such waste to a location in Tamil Nadu

dealing solely with UK based contractors. However, the market in recyclable materials is global and some may be exported. “Ultimately we want to make sure both members and Leicestershire residents have confidence that recycling is a valid and worthwhile activity, and none of the material collected is exported illegally.” County Hall and district councils in Leicestershire hand over their recyclables to companies from the UK. However, as per rules, recyclables should not be dumped in a tip, and could be breaking strict regulations if found to be doing so. Critics fear that unless the situation is sorted, it may discourage people to recycle. ■ PTI

05

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Snail record broken

This day, that year

A nine-year-old schoolgirl in the U.K. has broken the world record for having the most snails on her face at once. With 25 creatures, she beat the record of 15 previously held by Australian Liam Kenny.

On October 23, 1915, around 25,000 women marched in New York City, demanding the right to vote.

Buffett tops most generous American billionaires list 78-year-old Warren Buffett gave away US$ 46.1 billion between 2002 and 2006

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arren Buffett, known for his legendary investments and philanthropic activities, has made it to the top of the 50 most generous American billionaires list prepared by a leading US magazine. Topping the ‘Conde Nast Portfolio’ magazine’s list of generous billionaires, Buffett has edged past his friend and software czar Bill Gates, who is at the second spot followed by Eli Broad – founder of financial major SunAmerica – in the third position. However, two other popular names – that of Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer and media moghul Rupert Murdoch – are placed in the bottom half of the list at 49th and 50th places, respectively. According to the magazine, 78year-old Buffett who also heads Berkshire Hathaway, gave away US$ 46.1 billion between 2002 and 2006. Buffett has a net worth

Seoul turns to bicycles to combat global warming

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he Seoul city government plans to build 207 kilometres (129 miles) of cycle paths over the next four years extending to all corners of the South Korean capital, officials said on Wednesday. The 120-billion-won (88-million-dollar) plan is based on a ‘road diet’ programme, under which the number of lanes for passenger vehicles in major roads will be cut to create new cycle paths. It calls for the construction of 17 main cycle paths totalling 200 kilometres that criss-cross

the sprawling city and one downtown seven-kilometre beltway. “Any urban areas where commuters only rely on vehicles burning fuel cannot avoid blame for global warming and traffic congestion,” Seoul City Mayor Oh Se-Hoon said on the city government’s website. “We will make sure that bicycles will compete with vehicles for commuting in Seoul,” said Oh, who rides his bicycle to work every day. Only 1.6 per cent of all commuters use bicycles in Seoul, partly due to a lack of dedicated paths. The city government wants to increase this to 4.4 per cent in 2012, 7.6 per cent in 2016, and 10 per cent in 2020. The city will also construct bicycle parks at 16 subway stations – complete with shower rooms and lockers for cyclists before they transit to the subway. ■ AFP

of US$ 52 billion but the legendary investor’s donations during 2007-08 have not been disclosed. Conde Nast Portfolio noted that his favourite cause is education. Gates who has a net worth of US$ 59 billion, gave US$ 3.7 billion in the 2002-06 period. In 2007-08 alone, the software czar donated US$ 10 million. For the 53-year-old architect of Microsoft, the favourite cause is healthcare. The billionaires have been ranked on the basis of the magazine’s Generosity Index which ranks billionaires’ philanthropy relative to their wealth. Other names in the top ten are George Soros who runs Soros Fund Management (4th), John Kluge of Metromedia (5th), New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (6th), David Koch of Koch Industries (7th), eBay founder Pierre Omidyar (8th), George Kaiser of BOK Financial (9th) and Michael

Dell of Dell Computers (10th). At the third place is Broad who had given away US$ 1.15 billion between 2002-2006 and donated US$ 609.3 million in 2007-08 period. The magazine noted that his favourite causes are education, arts, science and health-care. Conde Naste Portfolio said the donations made by both Ballmer and Murdoch have not been disclosed. The 52-year-old Ballmer has a net worth of USD 15.2 billion, while Murdoch who is 77 years old, has a net worth of USD 8.8 billion. Further, Oracle’s Larry Ellison (21), Steve Cohen of SAC Capital (24), three from Internet giant Google – Larry Page (28), Sergey Brin (31) and Eric Schmidt (34), Carl Icahn of Icahn Enterprises (33) are among the 50 most generous billionaires. The list would be published in the November issue of the magazine. ■

Poem of Kung Fu

쒀 Chinese dancers perform ‘Poem of Kung Fu: Nine Scrolls’ during the final rehearsal at the Star Theatre in Sydney on Wednesday. The spectacular dance theatre piece combines the skill of Kung Fu with the grace of choreography directed by Chinese body art master Liu Zhen. AFP PHOTO

PTI

06 SPORT

ERGO Thursday, October 23, 2008

New role for Miandad Former captain Javed Miandad is all set to join Pakistan Cricket Board as governing board member, PCB sources said on Wednesday. Officials in the board confirmed that Miandad has agreed to become a governing body member in place of Ejaz Butt who is now the Chairman of the PCB.

Australia lose sleep over reverse swing

Little Master

Australia’s inability to reverse swing the ball is a cause of concern as they head into the third Test 1-0 down, skipper Ricky Ponting has admitted. Australia’s struggles with the ball have been exposed all the more because of the success the Indian bowlers enjoyed in the second Test, which they won Tuesday by a record 320-run margin to seize the lead in the four-Test series. Left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan picked three wickets from four balls on the fifth morning with a prodigiously swinging ball, leaving the Aussies completely bamboozled. Young Ishant Sharma was equally effective, troubling the batsmen with his monstrous swing, underlined by his sensational dismissals of Ponting in both the innings. Ponting said it was imperative for his bowlers to achieve reverse swing early in the innings as the Indians have managed to do. “We do need to definitely get it going as quickly as we possibly can,” he said after the team’s defeat in Mohali on Tuesday. “The Indians have been getting the ball to swing extremely quickly, as early as the eighth over, which is amazing. But for us it is not swinging. This has made a huge difference.”

HITS OUT

AFP

Anand excels Viswanathan Anand seems intent on retaining his world championship crown. Having already taken a two-point lead over Russian Vladimir Kramnik, the Indian ace on Tuesday took another step towards the title, winning his third game in the 12game contest to go three points clear. Anand now has 4.5 points to Kramnik’s 1.5 points with three draws. This was Anand’s first win with white pieces and he clearly looked the better player. Anand has appeared better prepared for the showdown throughout the contest so far, and Tuesday was no different. Kramnik employed a Nimzo Indian defence but did not get too much advantage. Anand continued to play safe, not trying anything complicated and maintaining an upper hand. Already under pressure, Kramnik tried variations but that did not help. Kramnik did manage to stay at par with Anand, though, before committing some mistakes to lose from an equal position. PTI

Gavaskar accuses match referees of anti-Asian bias

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ormer India captain Sunil Gavaskar has again accused International Cricket Council match referees of being biased against Asian players after Zaheer Khan was fined for a code of conduct breach. India paceman Khan was fined 80 percent

of his match fee by match referee Chris Broad of England after he pleaded guilty to a level two charge following the second test against Australia on Tuesday. The left-arm paceman appeared to say something to opener Matthew Hayden following the batsman’s dismissal before tea on Monday’s fourth day. “If he swore at him, if he abused him, he obviously deserves to get punished,” Gavaskar said on Wednesday. “But let’s not mince words here. Every time, it is always an Indian or a sub-continent player who gets hauled up, never the Australians. There were a lot of incidents in the match. Do you remember Virender Sehwag batting in the second innings was given not out where everybody appealed and (Australia captain) Ricky Ponting came from extra cover towards the umpire and kept on asking

again? Now if that had been an Indian, the match referee would have taken him to task, fined him. This is where I think the ICC needs to actually get its act together.” India won the contest by 320 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the fourmatch series ahead of the third Test starting on October 29. Gavaskar resigned as ICC cricket committee chairman in May after being asked to choose between his position with the sport’s governing body and his job as a paid media pundit over concerns about a conflict of interest. In January, he claimed white ICC match referee Mike Procter was biased against Indian players because of their skin colour, after the South African found spinner Harbhajan Singh guilty of racially abusing Andrew Symonds in the Sydney Test. ■ Reuters

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Thursday, October 23, 2008

F1 agrees to cost cuts Formula One’s teams and ruling body, bracing for the fallout of the global financial crisis, agreed to “significant” cost savings from next season. The most-watched motor sport will also “urgently” explore further proposals to reduce expenses, the teams and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile said in a statement after meeting in Geneva on Tuesday day.

Goals galore in Europe Big win for English clubs

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he Champions League burst into life on Tuesday with 36 goals in eight matches, including 24 in just three games, to equal a competition record with Villarreal leading the goal fest thanks to a 6-3 victory over AaB Aalborg. Olympique Lyon beat Steaua Bucharest 5-3 in Romania while Arsenal thrashed Fenerbahce 5-2 in Turkey as the competition equalled a goalscoring record set on September 13 2000. Manchester United enjoyed a 3-0 win over Celtic at Old Trafford af- ter a second Champions League double in a row from Dimitar Berbatov kept the European champions top of Group E.

Llorente’s hat-trick helped the Spanish side keep pace in the same group as they overwhelmed their Danish opponents having gone behind to an early goal. Alessandro Del Piero and Amauri gave Juventus a 2-1 win over Real Madrid in Group H in Turin where Ruud Van Nistelrooy pulled a goal back for the visitors who could not find an equaliser. Juve are top on seven points with Real just a point behind. Zenit St Petersburg were held 1-1 by BATE Borisov in Tuesday’s early kick-off in that group, leaving the Russian UEFA Cup holders bottom on one point with their Belarussian opponents also struggling a mere point above them in the standings. Bayern Munich beat Fiorentina 3-0 to stay top of Group F on seven points, two

Hat-trick Villarreal substitute Joseba

Manchester United’s Bulgarian forward Dimitar Berbatov (centre) celebrates scoring against Celtic during their UEFA Champions League Group E football match at Old Trafford in Manchester. PHOTO: AFP

points ahead of Lyon who overcame Steaua with two goals each from Karim Benzema and substitute Fred. Fiore are third on two points while the Romanians have just one point.

Brilliant Berbatov Manchester United’s Berbatov pounced on the half-hour and got a second in the 51st minute at Old Trafford before England forward Wayne Rooney wrapped up the win in the 76th with his ninth goal in seven games for club and country. Manager Sir Alex Ferguson was fulsome in his praise of the Bulgaria striker, who added to his double strike against Aalborg on his Champions League debut for the English champions. “He was fantastic. It was a marvellous performance again. He’s

bringing that composure to the last third of the field and his decision-making and passing are excellent,” he said. Celtic have now lost 18 of their last 19 away games in the Champions League. In the other Group E game at the Madrigal, Villarreal triumphed thanks to goals from Giuseppe Rossi and Joan Capdevila in a five-minute spell before Llorente came off the bench to score three times while Robert Pires also netted late on. “We suffered a lot. These games against supposedly inferior sides are always tough,” Llorente told Canal Plus. **We didn’t play well in the first half but were much improved in the second.’’ United and Villarreal are level on seven points after three matches with Celtic trailing with just

one point along with Aalborg at the halfway stage in the group. Arsenal remained in pole position in Group G after their demolition of Fenerbahce in Istanbul ended the Turkish club’s 15-match unbeaten home record in Europe. Emmanuel Adebayor and Theo Walcott scored early on before Abou Diaby, Alexandre Song and Aaron Ramsey wrapped up the win. Mikael Silvestre’s deflected own goal mattered little. “We came to Turkey and tried to dictate the game in a very heated atmosphere. I’m very proud of that,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told a news conference. “Our pace movement and technique made all the difference.” The English side have seven points, two ahead of Dynamo Kiev who beat Porto 1-0 away. The struggling Portuguese have three points and Fenerbahce just one point after three games. ■ Reuters

08 ROADSTER

ERGO Thursday, October 23, 2008

Lohan sued American actress Lindsay Lohan has been sued by three men who were passengers in the SUV she drove during a car chase. The men alleged that the actress was "angry and aggressive" during the chase, which subsequently led to her second DUI arrest last year..

Go low with the L Getting your car’s suspension altered and lowered can give it better handling and the cool, mean look you desire. And there are new ways to do it

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SNIPPETS

ver seen a lowered car in your neighbourhood before? In the early ‘70s, the motor heads took a new turn to get their cars stand out in the crowd and they did just that by getting the suspension altered and having them lowered to give the car that added advantage of better handling or for the mean, cool look. It does not stop there; the suspension mod goes one step ahead with an electronically controlled hydraulic or air suspension that can alter the height of the car from inside with the help

of a remote control. The entire kit is called the Lowrider. The Lowrider is available in air suspension type and the other is hydraulic. In the air suspension type, the springs are replaced

with a high-quality and flexible rubber bag which is interlinked to a compressed air tank interlooped to an air compressor that supplies endless amount of air to maintain pressure and inflate

and deflate the rubber bags. The hydraulic type introduces an actuator in place of the springs. The hydraulic actuator is again a bag or bladder which is filled with fluid with a lot of force,

Dynamics subwoofer

Latest 17-inch rims

Image Dynamics subwoofer, a high-end audiophile grade subwoofer, is now available in India. It features a dual-voice coil, a frequency response of 5 to 110 hz and a power range of 350 watts rms.

The latest imported rim designs were launched last week. If you have plans to upgrade your rims, then go for it now. Available in chrome, black and brushed metal finish.

Model no: iD 12 D4 v.3, Price: Rs.12,700.

Price: Rs.33,000 to Rs.36,000.

driven by a compressor. The compressor generates a lot of force to push the liquid into the bag to expand the actuator quickly to increase and decrease the height of the car and also make it

jump Th were them mote man

09

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Bad biker gang Bikers from Mongols, a California-based motorcycle gang, were arrested in raids across seven US states following a three-year probe into criminal racketeering. A total of 61 members were detained in a series of arrests that followed a wide-ranging investigation into allegations of murder, hate crimes, assualts, fire-arm violations and drug trafficking.

Lowrider

MAHINDRA launches ‘micro - hybrid’ Scorpio, Bolero The technology enables the vehicle engine to turn off automatically when idle or in neutral gear. The engine restarts once the clutch is pressed

p in some cases. he hydraulic actuator is poed by many batteries to drive m and it is controlled by a ree. It is a cool contraption that ny would want to have in their

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utomobile manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra on Tuesday launched its ’micro-hybrid’ technology equipped variant of Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) – Scorpio and Bolero, priced between Rs. 6.5 lakh and Rs. 6.97 lakh. “This is the technological innovation which we have developed with the support from Bosch. This will give an average fuel saving of about five per cent from the normal vehicles," Mahindra & Mahindra President (Auto Motive sector) Pawan Goenka told reporters after the launch. The micro-hybrid technology enables the vehicle engine to turn off automatically when idle or in neutral gear. The engine restarts once the clutch is pressed. Goenka said the company is planning to bring this technology in all of the company’s high-volume products, including Mahindra Pick-up and other engine series such as the M-Hawk. The company is also considering using the technology in its yet-to-be launched Ingenio SUVs, he added. Asked about the sales target of this new product, he declined to give a specific answer. On possibilities of exporting this vehicle, he said “We may look at similar markets like South-East Asia and Nepal in future but our present focus will be on the domestic market." M&M has also applied for a patent for a specific sensor, which it has developed as part of this technology.■

cars for fun and for its cool factor of increasing and decreasing the height of the car. The Lowrider in India is a totally new concept, but it won’t be long before we see it here.■

Sports Steering Wheel The stock replacement sports steering is made of good-quality grip and comes with an ergonomic design that snugly fits into your palms for the best grip while driving. Price: Rs. 4,000 to Rs.7,000.

PTI -Compiled by Vikram Sunderraj

10 FLICK

ERGO Thursday, October 23, 2008

Ritchie RICH The director is predicted to earn an eight-figure amount as divorce settlement

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uy Ritchie will reportedly get around 18 million dollars from Madonna in their divorce settlement. According to reports, the Brit director has also agreed upon a gagging clause that shall hold him legally accountable if he spoke publicly about his seven and half-year-marriage to the Queen of Pop. However, a source close to the 40-year-old told Britain’s Daily Mail that Guy was apparently happy to be done with the marriage and has been breathing easy since the divorce process. “Guy is more than happy to sign - it’s not his style to talk,” the New York Daily News quoted the insider as saying. “Guy is walking away and has said he is a much happier man,” the insider added. Though Madonna’s rep has denied any settlement between the couple as yet, Guy is also said to be entitled to the couple’s 1200-acre Ashcombe House in Wiltshire in addition to having complete access to his sons Rocco and David Banda. His friend said: “He has had enough of the Madonna circus and he is massively relieved. It was never about the money.” ■

Guy Ritchie and Madonna GETTY IMAGES

Guy is walking away and has said he is a much happier man

ANI

What Katie did next

Eminem backs Barack Obama

Kate Perry has been slammed by the critics for trying to glamorise knives in a photo, especially after reports about the stabbing of a teen were published. The 23-year-old, who sold a staggering five million copies of chart topping hit ‘I Kissed a Girl’, has reportedly incurred the wrath of critics by posing with a knife. The picture of the American singersongwriter emerged just as a 16-year-old Army cadet was reportedly killed with multiple stab wounds by a gang of selfproclaimed ‘defenders’ in Liverpool. Though the image was allegedly meant to make the pop star look ‘edgy’, the critics said that she was ‘out of her mind’ for trying to make knives look fashionable, reports the Sun. ANI

American rapper Eminem has declared his support for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. The Stan hitmaker hopes that Obama will rectify the mistakes of President George W. Bush. He says that he has decided to vote in Obama’s favour because the country “needs something to change”. “I’ll vote for Barack. I can’t get too political because I don’t know enough (about the candidates’ policies),” Contactmusic quoted him as telling the BBC. “I mean, I know we are going into a recession. Pardon the cliché but we need something to change. I think Barack would be a breath of fresh air, to get in there and actually get what’s left of the Bush administration out the door,” he added. ANI

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Thursday, October 23, 2008

Birthday bumps! Born on October 23, 1976, in Canada, Ryan Reynolds almost gave up acting before he landed the role that got him noticed in the 1997 sitcom Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place

Cine City

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el Gibson’s church in Malibu has tax-free assets worth 42 million dollars, according to reports. The assets in the Holy Family Catholic Church in California include artwork worth approximately 500,000 dollars, reports FoxNews. According to the federal tax filings, the actor is said to have incurred three major expenses in the year 2007 that includes paying an architect and landscaper to help him keep building in and around the church. The official findings, which have been made available online at guidestar.org, also revealed that the 52-year-old paid a law firm 69,000 dollars for its services. However, the Catholic Church does not recognise the church, which has Gibson as its sole yearly contributor. ■ ANI

Nandhanam to be remade in Tamil Nandhanam, an award winning Malayalam film, which also marked the entry of actor Prithviraj in the film industry, goes for a remake in Tamil. Directed by Renjith, the movie starring Prithviraj and Navya Nair was a box office hit in Kerala. In the Tamil version, Prithviraj himself will don the lead, but the role of Balamani that was immortalised by Navya Nair in the original will be presented by this year’s National Award winner, Priyamani. Actor Dhanush will do a cameo in the film.

Gisele TO WED? She began dating Tom Brady after her much-publicised split from Leonardo DiCaprio

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upermodel Gisele Bundchen has raised eyebrows speculating that she might tie the knot with beau Tom Brady after reportedly planning a wedding reception at a New York restaurant. According to the New York Post, the Brazilian model has approached party planners at the renowned Tavern on the Green in Central Park to plan the occasion marking their union. The 28-year-old, who according to ‘Forbes’ is the highest-paid model in the world, began dating the New England Patriots star soon after her much-publicised split from Leonardo DiCaprio. Reps of both Bundchen and Tavern on the Green have refused to comment on the reports. ■ ANI

Gisele Bundchen

GETTY IMAGES

Vijay on Villu Actor Vijay has pinned all his hopes on Villu. His combination with director-choreographer Prabhu Deva worked well in Pokkiri. Again, both are joining hands for Villu and expectations are high for this film. The movie featuring Vijay and Nayanthara is shot in foreign locales. The crew is planning to release the movie for Pongal. Vijay also has another great desire. Guess what? To act in a movie directed by Mani Rathnam. www.cinesnacks.com

12 SCAN

ERGO Thursday, October 23, 2008

TUESDAY’S QUERY: The best prank that you have played on your friend. ■ One fine day when i was in college, i was very lazy but had to wash my clothes. I told my friend ethel that i was not keeping well. I had a serious expression. She believed and washed all my clothes while i happily slept in my room Sharmila joe, css corp, north boag road, Chennai

■ We convinced a veggie friend of mine that he ate a meat piece ( actually it was a soya souffle). He got so upset and started home to take a gangasnan. Had to persuade him more than ever to convince him otherwise

Saravanan.M from TCS, Solinganallur has nominated his team members for Partners in Crime. The photo was taken at Neelangarai Beach.

R Suresh, CGSL

■ Years back my friend was fond of websites that offered points everytime one visited it. I sent a very realistic mail that she had won $2000. She was thrilled. And that friend happens to be my wife today Senthil Kumar P, RR Donnelley

■ Speaking to my friend’s mother like his girl friend, and making him get scoldings.

Shah Nawaz from Satyam Computers has nominated his team for Partners in Crime.

Love, Avril

■ On my friend’s comp, took a screenshot of his desktop and made the image as the desktop wallpaper hiding all icons. He logged in and was clicking on the icons in the wallpaper for a long time cursing the mouse! Rc, TCS

TODAY’S QUERY: What are the two things that you hate about rainy days? Henceforth, only SMSes with names of senders will be accepted, for the purpose of cross-verification. Moreover, readers are requested to refrain from sending obscene and objectionable messages

Krishnamoorthy.B from Wipro Technologies has nominated his team for partners in crime.

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Thursday, October 23, 2008

The EPASD team of Ramco Systems has nominated Felix Anburaj, Team Lead as their office angel. “He is known for his patience and knowledge. He is for sure the right hand or even the heart of the team! There is a lot to learn from him on both personal and official front. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FELIX”

■ Dear Sowjanya, Wish you a happy marriage anniversary. Mayall your goals turn to reality and love become tenfold. Yours affectionately, Sunil Tumuluri. Zylog Systems Ltd.

■ To My Dear Divyamol, Many more happy returns of the day, May all your wishes and dreams come true on this occasion.I love you so much. Divya, Accenture

■ Hey Kishore Our Dearest Friend., Wish you a Happy Birthday.... Its time to celebrate your last Bachelor Birthday. With Luv, DD & Adi

■ Dear Nagarajan, We wish you advance happy birthday...may be this birthday brings you lots of happy and courage... GOD BLESS YOU Reg R.Mani mozhi,V.Sunitha N.Sandhiya , K.Rajeswari, Jaya bala,parameswari,Maria Sify technologies

■ Dear Santosh Kumar(Dad), "A heartfelt birthday wish to our father who’s our friend... who gives us a hand to hold and always has a ear to lend..." Our daddy strongest!!! With Luv Aashutosh & Ananya

■ Dear Saranya, "Wish you many more happy returns of the day"May this year bring you lot of happiness and prosperity. Hearty wishes Friends - Insurance Team – CGSL

■ Annan 23(irupathi moondram) felikessii avargal, PIRANDHU VITAR PIRANDHU VITAR PIRANDHU VITAR ELARUM HAPPY B’DAY SOLLAROOM With love EPASD TEAM, Ramco systems.

Banu from CTS doodled this.

■ Hi Padhu, Many more happy returns of this special day !! Regards,eRavi, HCL Technologies

■ Dearmost Muthu, We wish you a very Happy Birthday in ADVANCE (October 27th). May this birthday be just the beginning of a year filled with happy memories, wonderful moments and shining dreams. We wholeheartedly wish that you’ll always find happiness in whatever you may do. Smiles and laughter, joy and cheer; New happiness that stays throughout the year; Hope your birthday brings all these and more; Filling life with surprise and joys galore! With loads of love and best wishes, Sangee akka, Channa, Dhivi, Shanmu, Dhava, Sow, & Mythili

Son: Dad, have you ever been to Egypt? Dad: No, but why do you ask? Son: Where did you get mummy from, then? Manonmani Kesav HCL

Teacher : Dei, Nee endhirichi oru thirukkural sollu! Student : Yaar adikkum borukkum mudivundam mudivillai sir adikkum borukku. Baskaran POLARIS

■ Dear Mudita, Growing old is Mandatory; Growing up is Optional. Wishing you all the best in the year to come. May your days be filled with sunshine and beautiful colours. And may your nights be filled with comforting dreams and wishes to come. We are wishing you many more happy returns of the day Have non-stop happiness in your life. Happy Birthday Mudita!!! Best Regards, Route No. 4 Friends, Scope International.

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Thursday, October 23, 2008

Neighbourly arrest An 89-year-old American woman has been arrested for refusing to give a ball back to a child who had kicked it into her garden.

sudoku

Stock market investors need no introduction to the ‘Big Bronze Bull’ installed in front of the BSE. Though the idea was to symbolise the aspirations of investors, it did not go well with people. Lamb Navin of Wipro clicked this picture where he worked for two years. He was inspired by the arrogant look of the bull. Hobbies: 2D/3D animation and painting 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]

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FAX 2857 6691 ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Call our Advertisement Manager at 99400 13255. 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

KAKURO

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Thursday, October 23, 2008

Fishy problem An Australian woman has been diagnosed with a rare genetic condition, trimethylaminuria, which has made her smell of rotting fish for over 30 years.

Word’s worth "Neoplorgismanteau" (nee-oh-plorg-is-man-toh) a word meaning ’a new word (neologism) formed by putting together two existing words (portmanteau).’ As such, neoplorgismanteau is a neoplorgismanteau. The word seems to have been coined by Wikipedia user BDAbramson, who put up a humorous article about his creation on the site.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 You are advised to be careful of ego problems. Technology related work may go smooth but power-cut or some other type of problem may bother you. At home, you may be enjoying marital bliss with your lovable life partner.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Your mind may be very stable. You can be working very hard. As soon as the day is over, you may wish to spend time with your family. In relationship matters, you need to beware of ego issues. Your decisions regarding personal life may be very firm.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 You may share good intellectual rapport with people working with you. You may be able to get the work done through people working under you. On the domestic and relationship front, you may not have any issues. The day ensures smoother sailing today.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 You have scope of acquiring commanding position. You may get into investigation and trouble-shooting. At home, you may have cordial terms with everyone and if there was any problem, it may be sorted out today. In love life, you may display devotion.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 Ganesha foresees you working with full form today. Tough jobs may become easy. If you are wiling to express your love, it is the best day. Couples should go out to lonesome place. Alternatively, you both can go for a ’royal dinner party’.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

If you want to experiment with a formula or software, you should avoid it today. The day doesn’t support innovative ideas. Those working under you may try to create undue pressure and burden, feels Ganesha. At home, you should avoid arguments.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Ganesha finds your energy levels increasing hence you may spend more time at work and less with family. This may create problems at home front. Idea is to strike balance between personal and professional life. Handle the day with utmost care.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Ganesha finds you busy at work today. You may be stressed enough while handling others, specifically those working under you but will be in good terms with superiors. There may be difference in love life, if you do not develop attitude to ’let go’.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 If you are travelling for work, this is a favourable day. If you are supposed to work on important projects, you may be able to lead it to satisfactory stage. Technology and technical work may run smoothly. Your personal life may be very romantic.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 Your professional progress may be cause of concern. You might have to work harder to prove your points. You may not be in a mood to compromise in relationship which may create issues in personal life. Ensure that you nurture love life properly.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 You may need to beware of those jealous of your progress. Ganesha finds everything going against you, provided you commit a mistake in your work. You may try to dominate your partner. If you are in relationship avoid getting into arguments.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 You may remain very energetic and may wish to finish your work as soon as possible so that more time can be devoted to home or personal life. Your understanding with your colleagues may require some attention. In love life, you can be adjusting. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Thursday, October 23, 2008

Silly filly A horse had to be rescued in the U.S. after it got its head stuck in a hole in a tree. The horse was found with a dislocated jaw and scrapes after neighbour Jason Harschbarger heard her whinnying in Pullman, West Virginia.

Oops! McCain asks Russia’s U.N. envoy for money John McCain’s U.S. presidential election campaign has solicited a financial contribution from an unlikely source – Russia’s U.N. envoy – but a McCain spokesman said on Monday it was a mistake. In the letter, McCain urged Russia’s U.N. Ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, to contribute anywhere from $35 to $5,000 to help ensure McCain’s victory over Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama, currently ahead in voter preference polls. Reuters

Sarkozy fights back against voodoo doll French President Nicolas Sarkozy has threatened to sue a publishing company unless it withdraws a Sarkozy doll that comes with a “voodoo manual” instructing readers to plant pins in it, his lawyer said Tuesday. The doll is emblazoned with some of Sarkozy’s most famous quotes such as “Get lost you pathetic a***hole” – his words to a bystander who refused to shake his hand at a farm show last year. Readers are encouraged to plant pins in the quotes. Reuters

U.S. pilot was ordered to shoot down UFO Two U.S. fighter planes were scrambled and ordered to shoot down an unidentified flying object (UFO) over the English countryside during the Cold War, according to secret files made public on Monday. One pilot said he was seconds away from firing 24 rockets at the object, which moved erratically and gave a radar reading like “a flying aircraft carrier.” Reuters

Sloshed? Call a cab As part of Delhi’s ‘Don’t Drink and Drive’ campaign, cab operator ties up with restaurants and bars

N

ext time when you venture out for a tipple, you can hope to return home safely under a ‘Don’t Drink and Drive’ scheme launched in the capital. Mumbai-based cab operator Meru Cabs, which launched the scheme in Delhi recently, has tied up with four TGI’s Friday outlets and 160 restaurants and bars across Delhi to provide its services. A person will have to just inform the bar manager for the cab or dial our customer care number i.e. 44224422 and the cab will be there

within minutes. The customers will be advised through time-to-time warnings to take a cab rather than drive after getting high on spirits. The restaurants will place tent cards and coasters on the tables as well as display messages on LCD screens advising customers to call a cab. The first drink has a black coaster, next a green one followed by an amber one, and the fourth drink has a red coaster signifying that it is time to call. ■ PTI