Ergo October 31

A BYTE OF LIFE

Friday, October 31, 2008

12 RUFFLE TICKET Ruffles are the new fashion fad FREE CIRCULATION

Have you ever detected movement in the neighbours’ house when no one was at home? Ergo checks out the city’s urban legends, the locations with story and ‘spirit’. » PAGE 04

Vol. 2

No. 207

19 Aamir as Guru Dutt? Arun Dutt talks about films to be made based on his dad

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ERGO Friday, October 31, 2008

Namma Chennai Food

Mexican fare Chilli corn carne, chile colorado, almond biscuits, coconut custard... yes, it’s a Mexican fare. Chef Alejandro Estrada from Mexico promises to treat all you food lovers. Open only for dinner. When: From November 4 to 10 Where: The Raintree, St. Mary’s Road, Alwarpet For reservations call 4225 2525

Event

To a Tea Did you know tea tasting has its own distinct routines? Get to taste a range of organic fine tea varieties as well as learn the art of tea tasting, organised by Organic Darjeeling Teas in association with Tea Estate Avongrove from Darjeeling. When: November 1; 4.30 p.m. Where: Alliance Francaise, College Road Register before 6 p.m. on October 31 at the reception. It’s free of cost and Alliance Francaise members will be given priority. For further information contact Chinmaya Arjun Raja at 9789059024.

Television

Meet Ash

Event

Meet the vivacious Aishwarya Rai Bachchan this week on ‘Bollywood Biographies’ as she talks about her life story. Know more about her days as Miss World, acting career to her marriage with Abhishek Bachchan. When: October 31; 8.30 p.m, Where: Zoom at 8.30 p.m.

Men on mane Okay. If you have been complaining why there has not been a day for men, then mark this date on your calendar. International Men’s Day will be celebrated today by Schwarzkopf Professional and FitnessOne. Ankita Madan, technical advisor with Schwarzkopf, will model free hair makeover for men. When: October 31; 2.30 p.m. Where: # 218, TTK Road, Alwarpet

Theatre

Music

A chance with Rahman A.R. Rahman and Phat Phish have come together to launch ‘The big band’ hunt. The reality show for Doordarshan aims to give ethnic and contemporary musicians a platform. Bands must have between two and 10 members. For details log on to www. bigbandindia.com. November 15 is the last date for applying.

Stage show

Love to act, sing and dance, then here’s your chance. Stagefright Productions is conducting auditions for those keen on showing their skills in either of the arts. Participants should be between 18 and 30 years. When: November 1 and 2 Where: Studio Palazzo, 7, 1st Floor, Seethamma Road, Alwarpet For details call 98409 07755

Friday, October 31, 2008

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The big mix up Chefs at the GRT Grand on Thursday took step 1 of baking that Christmas cake

Crystal clear ‘Bohemian’ is an exhibition-cum-sale of the finest Bohemian crystal. After a successful show in Bangalore, Bohemian has brought its next exhibition to Chennai.

NANDHINI RAMKUMAR

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ighty bottles of cognac and brandy, over 100 kilos of dry fruits and nuts, mood lighting and a Spanish band; no we are not inviting you to a party. This was what got the mood going at the cake mixing event at the GRT Grand on Thursday afternoon. Chefs from the different branches of the Hotel, including Joseph A Chahine, the Executive Mediterranean chef at Azulia, put their hands together mixing the liquor, nuts, powered cinnamon and flour. “We wanted the event to be something that would rise up the spirits well ahead of the festive season. This is a newly constructed hall (the Southern Crown Hall) and has the best lighting in the city including mood lights,” adds Shashi Kumar, the General Manager. So why do they start this early with Christmas more than a month away? “It takes time for the mixture to ferment. When the cinnamon flavour settles in and the texture smoothens, we start baking. Over 120 kgs of cake can be baked with this entire mixture and we have already started taking orders,” explains Joseph. Joseph is from UK and has served in several European and Asian countries. His favourite Indian dish is dhal but maybe he can bake a mean cake. ■

Cognac, brandy, raisins and nuts ... Chefs at the GRT Grand mixed up the goodies at the Christmas cake mixing ceremony on Thursday. PHOTOS: S.S.KUMAR

These hand crafted pieces are imported directly from Czech Republic. The shape assortment is wide — wine glasses, champagne flutes, goblets, decanters and jugs, tea cups, dishes, doses, vases, candlesticks, bells, baskets, cosmetic bottles and cordial, beer, juice and water tumblers, mocca and bowl sets, lamps and chandeliers etc. Bohemian crystal items are decorated with various hand-cut decors; the typical Czech decorative patterns include rich ‘lace’ decorations which represent the Czech cutting school. Some of the items are further decorated with high enamel combined with 18K gold paint. The exhibition is on till November 12 at The Ambassador Pallava, 30 Montieth Road, Egmore, Chennai 600 008.

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ERGO Friday, October 31, 2008

Big Story

Here are some places that give some Chennaiites the heebie jeebies MITHRA SURESH

Broken Bridge, Adyar

[email protected]

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ark forces of the night lurk only when you’re alone. Haunted houses, murky waters, wailing woods and more exist in namma Chennai. Here are a few places to visit for the strong-spirited (pun not intended):

Theosophical Society, Adyar This place is known for its green surrounding, set against Adyar River. But it is also a spooky landmark for the mildhearted and a serene hideout for the adventurous. The banyan trees that populate the Theosophical Society are more than 100 years old, and inhabited by bats. For some, the thrill is in resting under banyan trees that sheltered at least 500 bats at a time.

This bridge was built over Adyar River, north of Elliot’s Beach in Besant Nagar. The area is considered unsafe due to the fishing hamlets and slums surrounding the bridge. The assault on the nose, due to the open sewage that Adyar River is, makes it even less favourable. However, this is one of the many places in Chennai that is called spooky simply because it is deserted. What can be enjoyed here are sunsets.

Blue Cross Road, Besant Nagar This road is a shortcut between Theosophical Society and the Blue Cross Animal Hospital. There are rumours that a person had committed suicide on one of the tall, willowy trees that border the lane. Since the area is not commonly used, drug peddling and prostitution became common on Blue Cross Road. Usually the non-functional street lights, combined with the thrill of no-escape, since the entire stretch is either bordered by high stone or wired walls, makes this a regular haunt of bikers.

Indian Institute of Technology, Guindy The institute is said to harbour a romantic piece of debris from the past. Located behind the Aerospace block, the remains of a bi-plane have become a favourite for treasure hunters. Urban legend has it that the plane crash-landed on campus 30 years ago during an air show. However, most IITians say that the plane is only one part of the spooky campus. Since only a small percentage of the campus is populated by humans, students say that venturing into any untouched territory is as good as an adventure.

Haunted House, Valmiki Nagar According to a source, this house is located off Thiruvanmiyur Beach, in 3rd Seaward Lane, Valmiki Nagar. While driving classes are regularly conducted in this lane, at night, spectral movement has been seen or/ and heard by many of the residents in the area. Often children dared each other to climb over the locked gates to spend one night in the haunted house. Rumour has it that the house has never had permanent residents since the ghost of the woman who committed suicide continues to haunt there.

The banyan trees that populate the Theosophical Society are more than 100 years old, and inhabited by bats

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Friday, October 31, 2008

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love watching horror and thriller movies and own collection of most in Tamil and English. In fact it is my hobby to collect 5.1 DVDs of horror films. There are many instances of watching horror movies with my sisters, aunties and mom and got scared and to mention one, we were watching Evil Dead. By the time, we finished watching 1.30 am on a Sunday. All my relatives went up to the terrace to get the clothes that had been drying. Actually there is a neem tree near my grandmother’s house which touches the terrace. The funniest part here is that my uncle went before my aunt and everyone, climbed the tree and deliberately hung himself upside down like a vethaal. He covered his body with a white dhoti which made the scene to reflect the Evil Dead movie. When my aunt and mom saw the white body on the tree, they ran like super-fast racers and started crying. This created a lot of noise which got to the neighbours. Finally everything got settled. This was one ‘horrific’ instance which I really enjoyed. Ezhil, Cybernet-SlashSupport

My favourite scary movie is Grudge. Though the story line of the movie is normal, the lady appearing as the ghost in the movie is very chilling, especially the fact she is one-eyed with hair falling over her face. The one-eyed ghost comes to my memory whenever I am in dark places, such as power cuts or when driving on dark roads. Santhosh M, Tata Consultancy Services

The one character which twisted my brain was Countess Elizabeth Bathory (August 7, 1560 – August 21, 1614). She killed 650 virgin girls, had a bath in and drank their blood to retain her youth. Bram Stoker, the author of Count Dracula was inspired by her who then wrote his book. Her modern nicknames are Blood Countess and Countess Dracula. Harish Danaraj Stephen King is synonymous with

From the yesteryears’ Evil Dead to Stephen King, the king of horror, this week readers tell us the scariest flick or fiction they have come across. Sleepless nights or nostalgic memories, read on to see what made their heart stop. horror novels. I stopped bragging about never leaving a book halfread after I came across one of his books, It. I had read other books by him and had been disgusted and revolted, but never frightened. Well, this book changed all that, in just a few pages! The gory details of children being killed bothered me a bit, but what really spooked me was the description of the shapeless and formless creature which took on the shape of each child’s worst fear. A being which lives in a drainage, which cannot be seen or heard, but can always be felt as an impending danger, a menacing evil just around the corner - that sent shivers down my spine. I got so paranoid that every time a door creaked or a gust of air blew, my hair would stand on end and I would check all the rooms, under the beds and behind the cupboards. The very idea that an evil of such great magnitude took on the form of a clown, a symbol of fun for most kids, was sinister. I believe that I took a wise decision that day by swallowing my pride and quitting the book barely after I had started it. But those four pages were enough to make me feel creepy for a long time. Parvathy Vijayaraghavan, Hexaware Technologies

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ERGO Friday, October 31, 2008

Websites of the day

Village

Get some ice cream inspiration with this random flavour generator: http:// www.bloglander.com/ice-cream-flavors/Treat yourself to a visit to a no-frills website: http://www.cavaliers.org/john/boring.html

Teen boy abandoned at US hospital A 17-year-old boy was confirmed as the 23rd child abandoned under the state’s unique safe-haven law, as the governor prepared to address changes in the law. State officials said the boy’s parents took him to BryanLGH Medical Centre West in Lincoln, on Wednesday. Lincoln Police Capt Jim Thoms said the parents told officers the boy wouldn’t follow their rules and that they couldn’t afford some programs he needed. Nebraska’s safe-haven law is the only one in the country that lets caregivers leave children as old as 18 at a state-licensed hospital without fear of prosecution for abandonment. PTI

World’s oldest flamingo attacked Four Australian teenagers were charged on Thursday with attacking an almost blind greater flamingo that is believed to be the oldest bird of its kind in the world, police and zoo officials said. The flamingo’s head and beak were injured and it was bleeding from an eye after the attack at Adelaide Zoo that left it in a critical condition, zoo staff said. “The bird arrived at the zoo in 1933 and was a mature bird at that stage,” a spokeswoman for the zoo told AFP. “So although we don’t know the exact age of the bird, it is at least 75 years old – much older than they grow in the wild.” The zoo’s website describes the bird as “undoubtedly the oldest flamingo in the world,” adding that despite its great age its quality of life was very good. Police said four men aged between 17 and 19 were charged with aggravated ill-treatment of an animal and released on bail to appear in court at a later date.

BBC suspends TV stars over ‘juvenile’ radio prank The British Broadcasting Corporation suspended two of its most successful and highly paid presenters on Wednesday after they verbally abused a 78-year-old comedy actor in a radio stunt that went wrong. Russell Brand, a motor-mouth comedian with a burgeoning Hollywood career, and Jonathan Ross, one of the most highly paid presenters on British television, were suspended for a ‘gross lapse of taste’ during a radio appearance 10 days ago. In the pre-recorded show, the pair left insulting messages on the answerphone of Andrew Sachs, a comedy actor best known for playing the hapless Spanish waiter Manuel in the well-known British comedy series ‘Fawlty Towers’ in the 1970s. Reuters

Indonesia passes far-reaching anti-porn law Indonesian lawmakers rammed a far-reaching antipornography law through parliament on Thursday despite howls of protest by artists and religious minorities who say it threatens national unity. Lawmakers voted by an overwhelming majority to back a modified version of the law, which criminalises all works and ‘bodily movements’ deemed obscene and capable of violating public morality.

AFP

AFP

Wanna marry a comic character? A Japanese man has enlisted hundreds of people in a campaign to allow marriages between humans and cartoon characters

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Japanese man has enlisted hundreds of people in a campaign to allow marriages between humans and cartoon characters, saying he feels more at ease in the “twodimensional world.” Comic books are immensely popular in Japan, with some fictional characters becoming celebrities or even sex symbols. Marriage is meanwhile on the decline as many young Japanese find it difficult to find life partners. Taichi Takashita launched an online petition aiming for one million signatures to present to

the government to establish a law on marriages with cartoon characters. Within a week he has gathered more than 1,000 signatures through the Internet. “I am no longer interested in three dimensions. I would even like to become a resident of the two-dimensional world,” he wrote. “However, that seems impossible with present-day technology. Therefore, at the very least, would it be possible to legally authorise marriage with a two-dimensional character?” Befitting his desire to be two-

dimensional, he listed no contact details, making it impossible to reach him for comment to explain if his campaign is serious or tongue-in-cheek. But some people signing the petition are true believers. “For a long time I have only been able to fall in love with twodimensional people and currently I have someone I really love,” one person wrote. “Even if she is fictional, it is still loving someone. I would like to have legal approval for this system at any cost,” the person wrote. ■ AFP

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Friday, October 31, 2008

Thermometer

This day, that year

Dating back to the 1600s, thermometers were filled with brandy instead of mercury.

It was in October 31, 1984 that Indira Gandhi was assassinated by three Sikh members of her bodyguard while she was walking in the garden of her New Delhi home.

Obama growing grey hair as presidential election draws near

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he stress of campaigning has apparently caused U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama to gain grey hair, for he had a jet black crop when he began the race as a sprightly 45-year-old. Some media reports suggest that the pressure of election campaign, and hundreds of sleepless nights might be to blame for patches of salt and pepper that have sprouted all over Obama’s head. While the 47-year-old candidate was talking to supporters in Colorado in July, he seemed to have resigned to his more mature look. “The grey is coming quick. By the time I’m sworn in, I’ll look the part,” the Telegraph quoted him as saying at the time. His Chicago barber Zariff told Politico.com that his client’s amount of grey was “normal for his age”. As to whether Obama had ever contemplated colouring his hair, Zariff said: “No, most definitely not. It will be quite some time before we go there.”

Though there exists no conclusive proof that stress causes greying, some studies suggest that it may play a role. Tyler Cymet of Sinai Hospital in Baltimore found in a study that patients under stress for two or three years went grey sooner than expected. While Republican presidential candidate John McCain is presently Obama’s main rival, the latter attributes the change in his appearance to the efforts he made to overcome Hillary Clinton, his opponent for the Democratic candidacy in the party’s dramatic primary race. “She is the primary reason I have all this grey in my hair now,” he told guests at the Al Smith dinner earlier this month. ■ ANI

Air Deccan to pay family Rs 4 lakh A

Delhi consumer court has asked Air Deccan to pay compensation of Rs 100,000 each to a family of four for cancelling a Pune-Delhi flight at the last minute in January 2007. The Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission headed by Justice J.D. Kapoor pulled up Air Deccan Aviation Private Limited for not informing the passengers about the cancellation of the flight in advance and for not providing alternative arrangements. “By no stretch of imagination, a passenger can be left stranded high and dry at the airport after reaching there without being informed of the cancellation of the flight,” Kapoor said. The complainant, Anil Bhandoola, a resident of Lodhi Colony in the capital, had booked four tickets from Pune to Delhi for January 2, 2007. The flight was

Media reports suggest that the pressure of election campaign, and hundreds of sleepless nights might be to blame for patches of salt and pepper that have sprouted all over Obama’s head

Protesting faces

scheduled to leave at 2.30 p.m. the airlines sent him a message on his mobile when he had already left for the airport with his wife and children. Bhandoola found himself stranded at the airport. He tried to get on to a flight of another airline but no seats were available. Left with no option, he travelled to Mumbai by taxi to catch the first available flight to Delhi. Besides having to incur additional expenditure on the taxi, he also had to stay in Mumbai for two days till January 4 when he got on to a Spicejet flight. Deccan Air officials said they cancelled the flight because of bad weather. ■ IANS

Compensation for cancelling Pune-Delhi flight

쒀 Protesters display their faces painted with slogans during a press presentation by the International Assembly of Migrants criticising the United Nations-backed Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) taking place in Manila on Thursday. AFP PHOTO

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ERGO Friday, October 31, 2008

Go Disney!

Technorama

The new Disney mobile phone, which has original wallpaper and animation contents on its stylish waterproof body, produced by Japanese electronics giant Sharp.

Smallest SLR camera, almost Panasonic’s DMC-G1 camera ($800 list price) is indeed small compared to popular SLRs like the Canon Rebel or the Nikon D90

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ost people – about 92 percent of us – buy little pocket cameras that take so-so photos. Only about 8 percent buy those big, black, heavy SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras that take magazine-worthy photos. It’s not that people don’t want better pictures. It’s just that they’re not willing to hang an anvil around their necks to get them. Next month, however, Panasonic will offer the first camera in a new format called Micro Four Thirds. Its mission: to put the photographic quality of an SLR into a compact body. If it works, then these cameras will surely earn adjectives like “revolutionary,” “important” and “popular.” Panasonic’s DMC-G1 camera ($800 list price) is indeed small compared to popular SLRs like the Canon Rebel or the Nikon D90. Both the body and the lens are smaller in every dimension. As a result, the new G1 occupies 29 cubic inches, in contrast to 64 cubic inches on that Nikon; it weighs 8 ounces, versus 22. It is, in fact, the world’s smallest interchangeable-lens camera. Why not just say it’s the world’s smallest SLR? Because technically, it’s not an SLR. Panasonic achieved the space savings by performing a radical boxectomy. That is, it removed the box containing the mirror and prism that traditionally bend the lens’ light up to your eye (the “reflex” sys-

tem that gives an SLR its name). Without that contraption, the camera loses nearly an inch of depth. The lens can now be placed much closer to the light sensor, and therefore the lens itself is much smaller. And yet the sensor itself – a crucial factor in picture quality – remains full size. At 0.9 inches diagonally, this 12-megapixel sensor is not quite as big as the Nikon’s (1.1 inches), but it’s still SLR-worthy – and much bigger than a typical compact camera’s sensor (usually about 0.4 inches).

Why not just say it’s the world’s smallest SLR? Because technically, it’s not an SLR So if this is such a simple idea, how come nobody else has tried it? Two reasons. First, it means junking the basic SLR design that’s been in force for 50 years. It means that generations of full-

size lenses won’t fit without an adapter. Second, if the mirror and prism are gone, how are you supposed to compose your shot? On the Panasonic, when you put your eye up to the viewfinder, you are not, in fact, seeing out the lens. You’re looking at a tiny screen. Photographers generally hate these electronic viewfinders. They look coarse and jerky. But Panasonic, recognizing the importance of this issue, adapted a higher-res technology from its

Copy addresses to your Gmail Start by looking for an export command in the old mail program.

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s there a way to add the addresses from your old e-mail account to a new Web-based Gmail account? The answer is yes. One can indeed pull the address book from the old program into the Gmail contacts list. This

can be a fairly simple process if you use Outlook, Outlook Express, Yahoo or any mail program that can export your address book as a comma-separated values file, which is what Gmail likes to import. Start by looking for an export command in the old mail program. In Outlook, for example, go to the File menu and choose “Import and Export.” Select “Export to a file,” click on the Next button and select “Comma Separated Values (Windows).” Click the Next button again,

select the Contacts folder and click on Next. Pick a place to save the exported file like the desktop or a folder, name it contacts.csv or something else recognizable, click the Next button and then click on Finish to save a copy of your address book. Log into the Gmail account and click on the Contacts link. At the top of the Contacts page, click on the Import link. Click on the Browse button and select the recently exported comma-separated values file. Click on the Import button to pull the addresses

into Gmail. Google has instructions for exporting contacts from several other programs at http://snipurl.com/4n2gs. Mac owners using Apple’s Mail program may have to take an extra step or two to wrestle the exported contacts file from the Mac OS X Address Book. Google suggests a free program called “A to G” that converts Mac OS X addresses from the vCard format to comma-separated values; the software can be found at www.bborofka.com /A_to_G/A_to_G.html.■

commercial TV equipment. The result: a tiny screen with 1.4 million pixels, compared with the paltry 200,000 on most electronic viewfinders. As a result, looking through the viewfinder comes breathtakingly close to peering through glass. Not quite as clear or realistic, but fine for most people. Besides, you don’t have to look through the eyepiece. You can also use the huge back-panel screen to frame your shots. It, too, has much higher resolution than most cameras; it also updates itself 60 times a second, twice as often as is typical, so your preview is amazingly smooth. This screen also flips out and swivels, so you can take pictures over your head or down at your knees without climbing or bending. You can even frame your own self-portraits, which is impossible on most SLRs. Without the mirror, Panasonic also had to ditch the autofocus system that most SLRs use. The replacement system, called contrast detection, is not new – all SLRs that have a “live view” feature (where you can frame the shot using the screen) use this system. Most of them, however, do it horribly slowly; it can take as long as three seconds to focus. But the G1 can focus in about a third of a second, about the same speed as other non-live-view SLRs in this price range.■ NYT News Service

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Friday, October 31, 2008

Gadget galore A Star Wars inspired hover chair, a 125 mph electric motorbike and hi-fi speakers that cost a fortune are among the attractions at Britain’s biggest gadget show Stuff Live 2008 in London this weekend.

One look is all it takes Scientists develop software that can enable people duplicate keys using images clicked from even 200 feet away

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C San Diego computer scientists have written a piece of software that can process pictures of keys from nearly all angles, and calculate the number and depth of cuts on them, which is all one requires to make a duplicate key. “We built our key duplication software system to show people that their keys are not inherently secret,” said Stefan Savage, the computer science professor from UC San Diego’s Jacobs School of Engineering who led the studentrun project. “Perhaps this was once a reasonable assumption, but advanc-

es in digital imaging and optics have made it easy to duplicate someone’s keys from a distance without them even noticing,” he added. Professor Savage made a presentation on the new software called ‘Sneakey’ at ACM’s Conference on Communications and Computer Security (CCS) 2008, one of the premier academic computer security conferences. In one demonstration of the new software system, the computer scientists took pictures of common residential house keys with a cell phone camera, and fed the image into their software, which then produced the information needed to create identical copies. In another experiment, they used a five-inch telephoto lens to capture images from the roof of a campus building, and duplicate keys sitting on a cafe table more than 200 feet away. “This idea should come as little surprise to locksmiths or lock vendors. There are experts who have been able to copy keys by hand from high-resolution photographs for some time. Howev-

What a phone! 쑸 Japanese actress Aya Ueto displays Japanese mobile operator Softbank’s “Tiffany mobile phone”, studded with 537-piece, a total of 18.34 carats diamonds, produced by US jeweller Tiffany and Japanese electronics giant Sharp. Tiffany mobile phones, of which only 10 pieces are made, will go on sale with a price of 12.98 million yen (130,000 USD). AFP PHOTO

er, we argue that the threat has turned a corner—cheap image sensors have made digital cameras pervasive and basic computer vision techniques can automatically extract a key’s information without requiring any expertise,” said Savage. So far as the threat of key duplication is concerned, Savage says that companies are actively developing and marketing new locking systems that encode electromagnetic secrets as well as a physical code. “Many car keys, for example, have RFID immobiliser chips that prevent duplicated keys from turning the car on.” he says. He suggests that people treat their keys like they treat their credit cards. “Keep it in your pocket unless you need to use it,” he said. ■ ANI

Keep it (your key) in your pocket unless you need to use it

Sync Flickr with your iPod E

ver faced the problem where, while trying to download and print photos from a Flickr page, the photos appear in your Picasa files but don’t sync with the other pictures on your my iPod? The Picasa free photo-management software does not actually store picture files but finds them on the computer’s hard drive and displays them in organised folders within the program. Those photos downloaded from Flickr are somewhere on the computer’s hard drive, possibly in the My Pictures folder. If they are on the desktop, move them to the My Pictures folder or wherever you keep the other photos that have already been copied onto the iPod. Plug the iPod into the PC. Click on the iPod’s icon when it pops up in iTunes and then click on

the Photos tab to make sure the player is set to pull in all pictures from wherever the photos are kept on the computer, then click on the Sync button. (Apple has more information on synching photos to the iPod at support.apple.com/kb/HT1678.) If for some reason, the new photos aren’t showing up on the iPod, you might try saving new versions of them. In Picasa 3, select the photos you want to use and click the Export button at the bottom of the screen. When the ‘Export to Folder’ window pops up, navigate to the folder where your other iPodfriendly photos are kept. To make smaller files, you can also resize these copies to 320 pixels wide, which should be fine for iPod viewing. ■ NYT News Service

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ERGO Friday, October 31, 2008

BackPackers

Travel advisor Gone are the days of tireless research and careful planning when it comes to picking a holiday destination of your choice. "Travel Decisions are made easy with Grasshoppersindia.com" says the team behind the launch of Chennai’s first and best travel information site. Get in touch at www.grasshoppersindia.com or call 044-28221930, 28230877

Courtallam COME FALL IN LOVE PRATHAP NAIR

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f the deafening noise of the roaring waterfalls did nothing to scare me away from poking my body underneath the downpour, the fear of any rocks rolling flippantly down the falls did prove a matter of concern for me. But not for too long. I couldn’t help but get used to the (meaningless) fear of getting squashed in no time and join the number of halfnaked men who took a bath amidst loud screeches. That almost sums up my entire funny little trip to Courtallam. Funny little trip as in the trip only lasted for two nights. The lushly peaks that border the place, the dense tree-packed landscape, lovely countryside, and not to mention the chilly air with no pollution – especially without the maddening dust that clouds the roads after each vehicle passes by – makes the place awfully beautiful. Courtallam is blissfully devoid of the usual jam-packed tourist crowd.

The place in itself seems to be enjoying its own tranquillity and exuding a sense of selfpleasure, only if you care to read the signs. Waking down the numerous meandering paths and listening to the chirping of strange and unfamiliar birds and the squeals of monkeys trying to pilfer food from the tourists makes it a pleasant experience. For once, I wished that I woke up there everyday. A tiny piece of nature’s work, Courtallam has numerous waterfalls – small and big – in its territory. All it takes is just a day or two to visit all the attractions. Season starts from mid-June to mid-August. During the monsoon season, the entire region wears an almost deserted look. However, there isn’t any dearth of enthusiastic – and often noisy – visitors who take a dip in the falls with profuse merriment. Options to stay are plenty, in nominal charges. ■ The writer works for Polaris

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Friday, October 31, 2008

A night in the barn W

aking up in a strange hotel can be disorienting. Now imagine staying down the hall from 60 cows, two goats and a baby rabbit. Oh, and you’re sleeping on a pile of hay. Leave it to the Germans to combine livestock with lodging. In the last decade, hundreds of farms throughout Germany have transformed old barns and potato warehouses into heuhotels, or hay hotels, where guests spend the night on a bed of dried grass. The eco-friendly hotels (no sheets to change) are cheap and appeal to the country’s many cyclists, nature lovers and outdoorsy families. Sleeping accommodations range from open lofts filled with bales of hay, to feed stalls furnished with wooden platforms. And while a few hotels have added more civilized amenities like privacy curtains and bottles of wine to take to bed, most still require that guests bring their own sleeping bag and towels. One of the quirkiest is Herrenhaus Salderatzen (www.salderatzen.de), a handsome barn in the tiny village of Salderatzen, 70 miles southeast of Hamburg. The big open hayloft, which can sleep about 40, is decorated with two ceramic chickens and a portrait of a donkey. The rate is 14 Euros a person a night, with breakfast. It may not be a honeymoon suite, but the hotel does host about a dozen weddings a year. In fact, newlywed couples often spend their first night in the barn. “For lovers, there’s nothing more exciting than a night on the hay,” said Heinz Laing, a former Greenpeace activist who runs the hotel. (For those who prefer to sleep on a real mattress, the hotel also offers a dozen regular rooms.) Barnyard nuptials may be a growing trend. At the Kleyhauers Heuhotel in Wangerland, near the North Sea (www.kleyhauersferienbauernhof.de), couples can check into the “bridal suite”. For 23 euros each, the bride and groom will find a small platform of hay for two, a bottle of sekt and Christmas lights strung in the shape of a heart. Never mind that there is a herd of smelly cows in the adjoining

stall. In the morning, you can enjoy the freshest milk with your muesli. Bavaria is home to one of the most extreme hay hotels. Bett im Kornfeld (www.bett-im-kornfeld.de) in the spa town of Bad Kissingen has done away with walls and barns entirely. For two weeks in August, guests can sleep under the stars in the middle of a wheat field on 19 beds constructed of hay for 15 Euros, including breakfast. Amenities include a brass bed with a mattress of loose hay.Toilets are housed in a construction trailer, and there’s a rustic outdoor shower under an apple tree. Don’t expect small bottles of shampoo and conditioner, or even a bar of soap. ■ NYT News Service

Hay Hotels A list of hay hotels throughout Germany can be found on www.heuhotels.de, a website created by an association for farm vacations and hay hotels. Another site, in German only, like the others, www.heuhotelferien.de, specialises in Lower Saxony. ●

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ERGO Friday, October 31, 2008

Portfolio

Nikhil & Shantanu

d l ha ane crea h C for a re ffl eld wn gerf ting do nt in ru d o t t d ene stru hop fro ruffle fast ith cels on s l ith g e n s w le ‘C’ m no win ress w n y w n i llia go doub rd sh n Ga ffles ally of you y pins. oon be d h u n o q J a e t ru it s ars. back hing safe guit flowing tiff gra the e and up and f anyt hat s t o p e y a fre equall ter pr lot u grew itome f frills the t Yo he ep kind o ed on rs and the la r the t t o t e , o e o r h f i p t p m ha hesis o chett – ca e s a Ka fore t stly hav anti te Blan in C gha would aris(h)m uch be ws o a m r K n C u s b t o e i y s, ’s gow d ey i Dix lam ani festival i m Nee Madhur threade a. e d e v e h r s of t s. The re and ays of Malhot es are ing day t fl d k y e ligh shoulde the Manish ame ruf ’re loo thos f a prett e n y s ed r e t o n i e e n h o h stun h t a a b t w m de ha 2009 c u Now e. And eme n your i pink or ers of m s y e it. mer her Pari whe was a and la s you wor ong th ryw y! /sum s in d g s n k s n r c e a i t r e w o r t Am al c d y cy fr pre e sp ar sho s forms -toe in la d of a fan rit B u h e o t T o o one he kin a o i w R h n t inderg a T -to- s in var e head Valli r y ? o d a w nz as rea ruffle ile th ttista n k lt to orga ld have tition i sing up nd’ saw ths. Wh Giamba difficu you a e s u e p w o ‘ r m d ( w a and ere s co leng that s a little ramp d dres f you w with paper i dye k o d e h o e c h l i s t a r y aa e n r L c e i p f e t fa silv arl how ate of ike a K s e n , l i ) t l ic lit ne d repl t look ee in o ppe wra h r t g i s m a stm Chri

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XP U A NF W‘ O I H FAS THE NE A E E ONC LES AR F RUF

Cate Blanchett in Giorgio Armani

Manish Arora

13

Friday, October 31, 2008

BULLETIN Couture. Kick. Soul

less end nd e v a A me. ou h if y ow fra dn’t be y l n r o nar ss nee at the them and a dre m eckffles ro legs entire few ru ffs or n ook en f and e s l r u as you ed. A eves, c time) t in es, er 2008 ions. r fl e s a l f e e s y u t t b r a la r, ec int ulde ly one y look ilk, chif with fall/w 009 coll ne was o r h i s e a a s i n s f l h 2 i o g T ’ e r ( h m s n k e s r i u a el line y, too. brics li le. Add r both g/summ a’s ‘Circ are w khil o mod at a k l , i r n Ch pret inine’ f and tu in blac is a spri ish Aro rs, too Rao, N lack a ated kirts, i e ‘fem organz r belt dress and s Man ed. Oth darshin d-and-b riya e fled lines re Pr ffl . Priya fon, d leath ruffled e smart low u d a r m n n n a i l p o ( i he med a n a c u n o br to t mbi k ye ing antanu a Geha he just igh ram wn y to co u thin withou h t h o k i r t S e nog mbined p b r a a o e e & s y a w e u d e r w f a fl fd s lin op ), D o co chiffon goo . And i o ahe k like a saline intan’s n week ka Ch ram g o y d g l n o l gir s i -defyin ou, f you lo m’s o e of & Ch d fashi Priyan for Vik e. s y n y l e suit dering i P.S. Mo sourc avit ly as a clud ruffles. ramp hite tul y’re ( d b won icken. a goo ■ on ed the ffled w , so the for roba er. .) ch n be re u e k r l r o A m m y r a e f G n u w fo ca erial h r. is i dd vol gio ne a r n s e o d i e t a w e o G r Ph ffles a type t’s s ma was ighRu bodydres nes h l Can carpet fled l a no uf s red ally r s as n a iago wn w who y go ed e lad s th a , r ne ners esig afd n e lov ndia he I ues his n i cont

Beyonce Knowles has teamed up with her designer mother Tina Knowles (54) for the launch of their latest collection in their fashion range of House of Dereon. The duo’s latest season is inspired by the singer’s latest film role, playing Etta James in Cadillac Records, which is set for release in December, reports dailymail.co.uk. House of Dereon was launched by the Knowles family in 2006 as a prêt-a-porter fashion line. Dereon was the maiden name of Beyonce’s grandmother Agnèz Deréon, whose married name Agnèz Beyincé inspired the singer’s first name. The collection is sold with the tagline “Couture. Kick. Soul” as it represents the spirits of three generations of Knowles women. Tina is the ‘couture’ thanks to her design talents, Beyonce brings the ‘kick’, while late Agnez had the ‘soul’. IANS

Tom Ford in Hollywood

, PAS HING IN’ T

The cast for fashion designer Tom Ford’s movie entry has been finalised. Colin Firth, Julianne Moore and Matthew Goode will star in A Single Man, Ford’s adaptation of a Christopher Isherwood novel. Ford rose to the pinnacle of the fashion world with a 10-year stint at Gucci. He stepped down in 2004 and established his own design line. Daniel Craig wears Tom Ford outfits in the new Bond flick, Quantum of Solace. Agencies

Deepika Gehani

Giambattista Valli

14

ERGO Friday, October 31, 2008

Old, new viruses spread by air travel

Wellness

Tourists traveling by plane and the growth of cities are combining to help new and old infections spread around the world. Viruses such as Chikungunya and dengue fever are finding new homes or returning to places where they were eradicated, researchers said.

Spirituality is extraordinary greed SADHGURU JAGGI VASUDEV

S

uppose you give up your ambition for money and take on an ambition for God. That means earlier you desired a piece of creation, now you start desiring the Creator himself! Has your ambition come down? No, it’s grown to an extraordinary greed! The point always is this: as a human being, wherever you are, you want to be a little more than what you are. When that happens; then a little more, then a little more… So fundamentally what you are seeking is expansion, whatever your currency may be. For one person it may be money, for another person it might be knowledge, or love, or pleasure or whatever. Everyone is constantly seeking expansion through the currency that he knows best. So if expansion is what you are seeking, how much expansion do you think you will settle for? Generally, it will be boundless expansion. That means your goal is infinite. But you are seeking the infinite through the physical. Can the physical ever become infinite? The physical is finite, always within a finite boundary, it can never be infi-

nite. It’s like, you are riding a bullock cart but your destination is the moon and somebody says, ‘Buy yourself a new whip!’ If your destination is the moon, you need an appropriate vehicle. Isn’t it? So through the physical if you are seeking the infinite, there will only be frustration. If there is an unfulfilled desire, you will be unhappy, and the very nature of desire you have, is such that you will always have one desire unfulfilled: “I want to give up desire” is also a desire, isn’t it? So you are into a no-win situation. There was a time when everybody thought a competitor means kill him, now they are saying let’s collaborate. That means the mindset is changing. What I am saying is that the mindset is not just about the outside, but also the business of life. Life is inter-dependence; it is constant collaboration with everything around you. So if you collaborate willingly, you will go through the process of life joyfully. If you collaborate unwillingly, you think life is being taken away from you. I don’t intend to change the content of anybody’s life; we just want to change the context of their life. ■

As a human being, wherever you are, you want to be a little more than what you are. When that happens; then a little more, then a little more...

Scientists grow eggs from five-year-old girls with cancer Scientists from Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Centre in Jerusalem have successfully grown eggs from tissue taken from five-year-old girls suffering from cancer. The breakthrough offers a ray of hope to childhood cancer sufferers who are often left infertile by the treatment, and are compelled to rely on donated eggs and sperm or adopting to have their own family. The problem is especially difficult for children who develop cancer before they reach puberty because they cannot freeze their own eggs and sperm. The scientists have managed to grow eggs in the laboratory from samples of ovarian tissue taken from girls as young as five. Immature eggs can be removed from the tissue and grown to maturity in special culture. The researchers further plan to conduct studies if they can be fertilised to create viable embryos. These could then be frozen and stored for future use or the unfertilised eggs could be frozen using the latest techniques, which have proven more effective. ANI

Cold virus on home surfaces transferable If a family member has a cold, it’s very likely that several surfaces in the home, including the refrigerator door, TV remote, and faucet, are contaminated with the cold virus (also called rhinovirus), which can then be transferred to fingertips following contact, new research shows. “Rhinovirus in mucus may contaminate surfaces in the home that are frequently touched, and infectious virus may be transferred to fingertips during activities of daily life,” senior researcher Dr. J. Owen Hendley, from the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville, told Reuters health.

Reuters

15

Friday, October 31, 2008

Snoring good for aged

Cancer fighting tomato developed

A study has suggested that the nocturnal snorts, whistles and wheezes can give you a long and healthy life, particularly if you are elderly.

A purple tomato genetically engineered to contain nutrients more commonly seen in dark berries helped prevent cancer in mice, British researchers said on Sunday.

Women

LEND US YOUR EARS

10 THINGS MEN WOULD LIKE TO TELL WOMEN, IF ONLY THEY COULD!

ANUSHA PARTHASARATHY Don’t keep asking us if we love you For starters, none of us will stick on with you for more than a day or two if we don’t love you. Even if it’s not love… yet, we still like you. Just because you ask us a 100 times a day, doesn’t mean it’s going to increase. In fact, we only tend to get more irritated. We are not Superman or Batman or Spiderman I know women like to think that their boyfriends are the best but please do remember that we are normal human beings. And the word ‘normal’ is underlined twice with a red marker! We do not climb walls or kiss our women upside down nor do we own a cool bat-mobile though we would love to, if you would like to sponsor! And, we simply DO NOT wear our underwear on top of our pants! I mean, what’s with that guy? We do not find ‘his’ flirting

skills amusing It’s bad enough watching that guy from your workplace or some random friend you made flirting with you. But when you defend him saying he’s just trying to be friendly, the only friendly reaction we imagine is one where his face is black and blue. Left means left and right

means right! This message is for all those women who think they can drive. Let me say this again, Left means left and not any other direction that may pop up in your creative little head. And likewise with right. Do not confuse yourself and everyone else following you, ending up in a major traffic jam.

It is said that almost 90% of traffic jams are due to women drivers. We are sloppy and we don’t care Why should the clothes be in order? And why can’t we use a particular spoon for a particular kind of food? Whoever made a rule that cupboards must be neatly segregated with various columns and rows? I can find my favourite t shirt even if it is hiding beneath a stack of socks and shoes. That’s all that matters. When we say you are beautiful, don’t push it. We only tell selected women that they are beautiful. And when we do that, don’t ridicule it or pass it off or laugh at it or even worse; ask us again if we are sure. Well, we wouldn’t say “You look beautiful today” if we thought you looked like a cow that sprouted two tails, would we? We do help around the house in our own little ways Most wives complain that their husbands laze around the house, ordering the women to do all the work. That’s totally not true. We

do our bit too. We don’t ask you to brush our teeth for us, or eat for us or sleep for us. See how much we handle by ourselves? We still think Angelina Jolie is hot Just because we are committed to you, it doesn’t mean we can’t ‘admire’ other women. Of course, you are the most beautiful woman on the earth but Angelina Jolie is still hot and so is Eva Mandes. But they all come after you! We love to sleep on the couch Men have this innate ability to sleep on couches. We simply adore them and think they are the best place to nap. But, we promised you we’ll always be there for you and if that means giving up a cozy night’s sleep on the couch, that’s ok! Men do cry Shh! This one is classified. Yes, we do cry. But we don’t want you to know that because you’ll think we are not man enough. If it helps, the first time a man cries almost always happens when his woman leaves him.■

Play in youth, pay in old age, healthwise P

laying tennis or badminton might be an excellent way of keeping fit, but if you’re not careful, you may end up paying in old age, healthwise, says a new study headed by Navah Ratzon, director of occupational therapy department at Tel Aviv University (TAU). “Increasing numbers of adults are pursuing amateur athletics during their leisure hours. But we’ve found worrying indications that this activity – when not done properly – may have negative effects on the musculoskeletal system,” Ratzon warned. Musculoskeletal complaints include discomfort, pain or disease of the muscles, joints or soft tissues connecting the bones. Focusing specifically on bowlers, Ratzon and her graduate student Nurit Mizrachi found that 62 percent of the 98

athletes in their study reported musculoskeletal problems – aches and pains in the back, fingers, and wrist, for example. The risks are particularly high in sports where the body is held asymmetrically and repetitive movements are made, according to a TAU release. “All ball sports should be played with caution, Ratzon advised, including sports like golf, basketball, tennis and squash. Your body is meant to work in a certain way,” she added. “If you jump for the tennis ball while twisting your back, you put too much stress on your body because it’s an unnatural movement.” Stretching before games is an obvious prevention method against long-term damage. But people should take other measures to keep their bodies fit. ■ IANS

16

ERGO Friday, October 31, 2008

Bad day for Indians

Sport

Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi crashed out of the Euro 2,270,000 Paris Masters after suffering straight-set defeats along with their respective partners in the second round encounter. The third seed Indo-Czech pair of Paes and Dlouhy, who got a first round bye, lost to their Brazilian opponents Marcelo Melo and Andre Spa 3-6, 2-6, while fourth seeded pair of Bhupathi and his Bahamian partner Mark Knowles lost their second round match 4-6, 2-6 to Juan Monaco of Brazil and Rafael Nadal of Spain.

G

King Vishy Former great hails Anand

World champion Viswanathan Anand (left) receives the trophy from FIDE World Chess Federation president Kirsan Iljumzhinov after winning the chess world championships in Bonn. PHOTO: AFP

rand Master Viswanathan Anand successfully defended his world title on Wednesday by defeating Russian Vladimir Kramnik in a match-play series in Bonn, Germany. The 38-year-old former world number one won by 6.5-4.5 after a draw in the penultimate round to take an unassailable lead in the 12-match contest. Former world champion Gary Kasparov of Russia on Thursday hailed Anand’s triumph, saying it would not be easy for the younger generation to push the Indian aside. “A great result for Anand and for chess. Vishy deserved the win in every way and I’m very happy for him. It will not be easy for the younger generation to push him aside,” Kasparov said. The former great said while Anand played consistently, Kramnik showed decline in strength and had some work to do. “It was a very well-played match by Vishy. Except for the loss of concentration in the 10th game he played consistently and managed to enforce his style. This result ends the illusion that Kramnik is a great match player,” he said. Analysing the performances of the two players, Kasparov, who lost to Kramnik in 2000 in London, said Anand was well prepared to counter his opponent who appeared “overly defensive”. “Anand out-prepared Kramnik completely. In this way it reminded me of my match with Kramnik in London 2000. Like I was then, Kramnik may have been very well prepared for this match, but we never saw it. I didn’t expect the Berlin and ended up fighting on Kramnik’s preferred terrain,” he said. “(In this match) Kramnik did not expect tough, sharp challenges with white, and this was the key for Anand. He kicked some sand in Kramnik’s face and hit his weakness, his conservative approach to the game itself. Suddenly Kramnik had to fight in these sharp positions and he wasn’t able to do it. London was a unique occurrence and I still stand with Leonid Yudasin as the only players Kramnik has ever beaten in a match. Kramnik now has some work to do.” Anand, currently world number five, regained the world title he won in Mexico last year where he edged out defending champion Kramnik by one point. Kramnik had a right to challenge the Indian by virtue of being the 2006 champion. In Bonn, Anand and Kramnik started out with draws before the Indian won three games. Kramnik pulled off a magnificent win in game 10 but Anand drew the next with white pieces to retain his crown. ■ Agencies

Ronaldo, Casillas and Torres top FIFA award nominees Cristiano Ronaldo, Iker Casillas and Fernando Torres head a 23-strong list of candidates for the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year title, the sport’s world governing body has said. Manchester United’s Ronaldo, Real Madrid keeper Casillas and Liverpool striker Torres are also top candidates for this year’s European Footballer of the Year award, or Ballon d’Or, organised by France Football magazine. The winner, voted by national captains and coaches, will be unveiled on January 12 at Zurich’s opera theatre. FIFA also unveiled the names of the 10 nominees for the women’s version of the award yesterday.

Men’s FIFA World Player of the Year nominees Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), Sergio Aguero (Argentina), Andrei Arshavin (Russia), Michael Ballack (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Deco (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Steven Gerrard (England), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Kaka (Brazil), Frank Lampard (England), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Franck Ribery (France), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), John Terry (England), Fernando Torres (Spain), Ruud van Nistelrooy (The Netherlands), David Villa (Spain) and Xavi (Spain)

Women’s FIFA World Player of the Year nominees Nadine Angerer (Germany), Shannon Boxx (USA), Cristiane (Brazil), Daniela (Brazil), Marta (Brazil), Birgit Prinz (Germany), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Kelly Smith (England), Hope Solo (USA) and Ingvild Stensland (Norway). AFP

Nanao shines brightly Thokchom Nanao Singh (48kg) assured himself a medal after advancing to the semi-finals but it was curtains for Balwinder Beniwal (69kg), who bowed out with a quarterfinal loss at the inaugural AIBA Youth World Boxing Championship in Guadalajara, Mexico. Nanao Singh, who won a gold medal at the justconcluded Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, blanked Uzbek Jasurbek Latipov 6-0 in the last-eight stage to enter the medal rounds that start on Friday after a rest day on Thursday. He will now be up against Frenchman Jeremy Beccu. However, it was all over for Balwinder, also a CYG gold medallist and cousin of Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Singh. The Haryana-boxer lost to German Satula Abdulai 5-16. India, which had sent a sevenmember squad for the event, currently stands 11th in the team rankings for the event with 10 points. The points-per-boxer average for the Indians is 1.4. Russia leads the rankings with 21 points with their points-perboxer average at 1.9. PTI

17

Friday, October 31, 2008

First win After six fruitless years playing international soccer, the world’s worst team are beginning to see the romance of the beautiful game. When the rag-tag national side of East Timor drew 2-2 with fellow strugglers Cambodia last week, they clinched the first point they had ever won to stem a seemingly endless run of defeats. FIFA’s lowest-ranked nation finally had something to celebrate.

Prince

in waiting With a win in Brazil, Hamilton can silence his critics once and for all

L

ewis Hamilton has always been supremely confident, a young man so unshakeable in his self-belief that some have accused him of arrogance. The 23-year-old McLaren driver assured an appeal court hearing last month he was the best in the business and in Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix he can hand over the proof by becoming Formula One’s youngest champion. There have been doubters since the he made a sensational debut last year, reeling off nine successive podiums only to blow his chance of becoming the first rookie champion in the final two races. After Hamilton flopped from pole position in Japan this month in a moment of first-corner madness, there were those who saw history repeating itself and detected an inner fragility behind the polished facade. A question were raised about whether he could see the bigger picture, was susceptible to pressure and mentally equipped to race strategically. Attacked on all sides by rivals criticising his driving, and with former world champions urging him to calm down, Hamilton showed at the Chinese Grand Prix he was determined to become Britain’s first champion since Damon Hill in 1996. He took pole position, set the fastest lap and won with ease to head for Brazil with a seven-point cushion over Ferrari’s Felipe Massa. Sao Paulo, the birth and final resting place of his hero and triple champion Ayrton Senna, would be a fitting backdrop to

Hamilton’s coronation. He showed last year he was in awe of no reputation, with Spaniard Alonso discovering his rookie team mate was not one for playing supporting roles. By the end of 2007, Alonso was heading back to Renault and Hamilton was being hailed as a future great. This season Hamilton, tipped to become Britain’s highest-earning sportsman, has presented himself as better prepared, fitter, hungrier and wiser. It has not all been plain sailing. In a championship where the leading contenders have seemed intent on throwing away their advantage, he has made errors on and off the track but come out mentally stronger. Hamilton’s move to Switzerland drew criticism before the season started when he said it was to protect his privacy rather than the tax reasons connected with a contract tying him to McLaren until 2012. Newspapers derided him as a “Crash Dummy” at the Canadian Grand Prix in June when he rammed into the back of Raikkonen’s stationary Ferrari, waiting for a red light to change at the pit-lane exit. There have also been unforgettable moments, such as the victory at Silverstone in the wet which was hailed as one of the sport’s great performances after he lapped all but the second and third placed finishers and won by more than a minute. He was also supreme in Australia, Monaco, Germany and China, making it a memorable season. ■ Reuters

18

ERGO Friday, October 31, 2008

Flick Nandita Das’s debut directorial feature, Firaaq, on post-Godhra Gujarat premiered at the recent 33rd Toronto Film Festival. It has also been selected for showing in a number of film festivals including Dubai, Pusan and London. An interview: RANJITA BISWAS

F

iraaq is your directorial debut. Is the subject a reflection of your social activism?

Making the film was actually a journey. I was not looking for a script. During my touring through Gujarat with friends as a socially aware citizen, I was astounded by the violence that was unleashed in the state and how it affected the people. I wanted to tell their story. My thoughts were already shaping up into a script. Film is a powerful medium; it reaches to a larger population. So I thought of telling this story through celluloid.

Why is it so important to tell the story when people apparently want to move on? People say they have learnt from history. They don’t. Yes, this is not the first time a community has been targeted specifically. It happened in Delhi in 1984 (after Indira Gandhi’s assassination). I couldn’t react to it that time; I was too young. Gujarat was happening in my time. I am reacting to it in my own way.

Firaaq means both separation and quest. What quest do you refer to? Peace? It is a search for harmony in our fragmented life. It’s located in Gujarat but I’m not pointing fingers. I am giving a human face to what violence does to people, and the aftermath. And it can be anywhere. That’s why I don’t show the acts of violence itself, but the people; how Muneera tries to revive her charred life, literally, in her burnt house with her devastated husband Hanif and a baby; how her friendship with a Hindu girl, Jyoti, from her locality goes through a subtle change; she can’t trust her old friend despite herself, suspecting if she was one of the perpetrators though she is the one who is trying to help her now.

When are you releasing the film in India? As of now, the plan is to release it coming December.

Do you see your film facing trouble here for obvious reasons – that some people would see it as one-sided? Why should it be so? It’s a universal theme. As of being one-sided, what happened in Gujarat during that shameful period was a carnage of helpless people. It was not a riot, I say. Besides, in general, Indians are secular and, hopefully, they’ll see what I am trying to say.

Now that you have stepped into direction, what about your acting career? I enjoy both. But even in my choice of roles, I pick up only those that appeal to my sensibilities, my beliefs. Besides, I am involved in many things besides acting and they keep me occupied and satisfied as a creative person. However, at the moment, I am reading quite a few scripts. Let’s see. ■ Trans World Features

People say they have learnt from history. They don’t’

19

Friday, October 31, 2008

Kannan’s next

Nominations from Kollywood

Kannan who commenced his directorial venture with Jayam Kondan would be directing the Jab We Met remake. Bharath and Tammanah will play the lead.

Priyadarshan’s Kanchivaram,Vishnuvardhan’s Billa, Balaji Sakthivel’s Kalloori and Krishnan Seshadri Komadam’s Mudhal Mudhal Mudhal Varai’ are the films making its way to Goa International Film Festival to be held this year.

‘Aamir is a perfectionist and should be apt for the role’ Arun Dutt talks about the ongoing work on the two scripts based on his father, Guru Dutt

Sean Connery 1962: 1963: 1964: 1965: 1967: 1971:

Dr. No. From Russia with Love Goldfinger Thunderball You Only Live Twice Diamonds Are Forever

Timothy Dalton 1987: The Living Daylights 1989: Licence to Kill

George Lazenby 1969: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Pierce Brosnan 1995: GoldenEye 1997: Tomorrow Never Dies 1999: The World Is Not Enough 2002: Die Another Day

LIFFY THOMAS

Pyaasa remake?

sembles my dad but he is a perfectionist and everybody thinks he can do a good job with the role.” Of the two scripts, one is by script writer Nasreen Munni Kabir, based in England. “She was the first person who made a documentary on my father and also a biography,” he explains. “The script is based on the making of Pyaasa (1956 -57). Also, we are trying to compare the original hand version of Pyaasa to the final one.” The bio-pic is important as it was during this period that he made a transition from commercial to art cinema, says Arun. It will be directed by Rakesh Mehra. The second script by Anurag Kashyap, to be directed by Shivindra Dungarpur, is more about

In Chennai for ‘Retrospective of Guru Dutt Films’, organised by the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation, the director of Guru Dutt Films Private Limited spoke to ERGO about the making of films based on his father. “There are two scripts under consideration by Aamir Khan, who has been approached to play the role of Guru Dutt,” he says. Why Aamir? “Well, he no way re-

Arun Dutt & a still from Pyaasa

[email protected]

T

all and suave, his Bengali features are quite evident. But Arun Dutt in no way commands the name or fame that his late father and yesteryear actor Guru Dutt enjoyed during ‘Bollywood’s Golden Age’. Perhaps, Indian cinema would have seen one more star son rising if the actor was alive. But, these days it is the tribute paid to the late icon in different cities, through the screening of Guru Dutt’s films or fans recalling some of his masterpiece works, which make him a happier man. After all, Arun was eight years of age when his father died.

the life and experiences of the actor.

Black and White So, while Aamir Khan has to give the final nod on which of the two scripts he prefers, Arun will also have to approve them. This apart, Arun keeps himself busy with his animation projects. “I am also into restoring colour of films, for which I come regularly to Orcher Studios,” says Arun about his visits to Chennai. Work is currently on for Sahib Bibi Aur Gulam. That’s making more youngsters keeping themselves tuned to the actor, director, producer and choreographer’s works. ■

Roger Moore 1973: Live and Let Die 1974: The Man with the Golden Gun 1977: The Spy Who Loved Me 1979: Moonraker 1981: For Your Eyes Only 1983: Octopussy 1985: A View to a Kill

Daniel Craig 2006: Casino Royale 2008: Quantum of Solace.

Here is a list of James Bond movies over the years, along with the actors who have played the iconic British spy. AFP

20

ERGO Friday, October 31, 2008

Thursday’s Question: If you had the chance to call back the spirit of a famous personality whom would you call and why? ■ I would call Thiruvalluvar, to write Thirukural for current period. N. Vijayaraj, Perot Systems

■ I wish to call Lord Krishna, from him I can know how he made so many Gopis. Sundeep, HCL Tech

■ I would like to call back Hitler, because only such kind of people can handle my boss who is another Hitler. Hema

■ I will call back Silk Sumitha to act a lead role opposite to Namitha. Vimalraj

■ My choice is for acting Legend Sivaji Ganesan, to teach what is acting to Aegan and Kuruvi guys. Chakkravarthy P, TCS, Siruseri

■ I would call Kamaraj to change the political condition of Tamilnadu. Ashwin, Ford

■ I like to call the spirit of Bharathiar and ask him to write a poem for us (I.T Guys). Only he can write Beautiful & Revolutionary poems for Struggling Hearts. Rajasekar, TCS, Siruseri

■ Charlie Chaplin. To ask him about the steps he would had take to sort out the sorrows in his personal life. Poniface Dinesh, CGSL

■ Major Dhyan Chand Singh, Asking him to bring the golden period of hockey. Senthil Kumaran Sankaran, CGSL

■ I would call back Stephen Robert Irwin, the crocodile hunter, for he might continue to enthral the world with his exploits under water. Karthikeyan, TCS

■ Actress Divya Bharati, if she would comeback, she will be more famous than Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Yes. Aish’s place will be the second or may be last, when Divya enters again. Suhasni,

CGSL

■ I would call Marilyn Monroe. To solve her mysterious death. Evangelin Jerome, CGSL

■ I would call back the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi to fight against terrorism as people have lost the freedom which he got for us. Sundar Shri Ganesh, CGSL

■ I’ll call back Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi... I just want to fall on his feet.

Prayaga Purushotham of Mphasis has nominated his team members as Partners in Crime.

Satish, Ramco Systems

■ The King Maker - Kamaraj. To get a clarity on how public has to react to the current political situation in India. Girija, Ford

■ I would call back Karl Marx to suggest and implement better economic strategy and plans to rescue the world from today’s economic crisis. Yaani, CTS

Janani of Infosys Technologies has nominated her team members for Partners in Crime. This photo was clicked at Kodaikanal.

■ I would like to call Mother Terasa, to learn how to be kind to all. Preethi, TCS

■ I would call Bharathiyar because of his courage and dedication to serve and create awareness to the society at large. Thilak, TCS

■ I would call Kamarajar for his simple life despite holding the big position (CM of Tamilnadu). Mahmood, TCS

Magesh Koteeswaran, of Verizon doodled this.

■ I would call writer Sujata. To guide and teach the present day so called writers on what is interesting narration, humour etc… Shiva, EDS

■ I would call back Rajiv Gandhi - he would be a great leader under current scenario Sridhar R, STG

Today’s Query: If you could possess a super power what would it be?

1. Medical shopla kidaikkadha marundhu edhu??? Vedi marundhu............ 2. What is the difference between writer & Doctor??? Writer writes the story. Doctor closes the story..... Devendiran and Muthu Caliber Point Business Solutions Ltd

21

Friday, October 31, 2008

■ Dear Sangu, Here is the weather forecast for today, there shall be showers of blessings all over u & a heavy downpour of god’s love all around u. Belated Happy Birthday :) With Luv, Revathy,Janani,Akila,Anbu,Kalps, Krupa,Koushik, Infosys Tech. Ltd.

■ Dear Sindhu, Wishing you belated Happy Birthday. May all your desires be fulfilled .Be Happy and Keep Smiling.

From Ur Buddies,Viji,Sasi,Kiran,Gaayu,Madhu,SP,Sudha, Raghav and Govind, Hexaware Technologies ,

■ Hey Rishabh, On this special occasion we all are delighted to wish you a very happy birthday.May all your wishes come true. Enjoy the day with lots of fun.Dont forget to include us.And a special advice for you on your birthday, please be talkative from now onwards as it suits you better. Keep smiling.

With lots of care, Balamurugan, Debanjana, Mangai, Parthiban, Rakhi, Ranjoy, Ruban, Sathya.P, Siva Excelacom Technologies Private Ltd.

■ Dear Vishnuram, Some people give the gift of peace and tranquillity to every life they touch. They are always who they really are. They are blessedly reliable, dependably good, predictably pleasant, loved and treasured by all who know them. You are one of those people. You are a gift of peace and tranquillity in our life. Happy Birthday

With love, Anitha,Kriti,Karti,Kriba,Bala & Avi. Wipro

■ Dear Shama, Wish You Many Many Happy Returns of the day. Have a wonderful birthday.

With love, Rekha S P , Tata Consultancy Services

■ Dear Bhooo Advance B’day Wishes dear.... :-) So 2maro TREAT ku enga p00rum ?? :-D

With loads of Luv, Aanish, Aishu, Anitha , Freeda, Nalini,Karpagam, Selva. TCS

■ Dear Bhoooooo (a) Bhuvaneswari Advance birthday wishes(1st Nov).We are wishing you another year of joy,love and happiness on this Special day. On this day,may God shower his blessings on you to lead a happier,healthier abd peaceful life forever....A Warm Birthday wishes from All of us....

Cheers,CITI-IBS Statements,TCS.

■ Dear Sumathi, The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate. We wish you a very Happy Birthday! It is your last day with us and we will miss you a lot, but… "We will meet again, When we’re least expecting it one day in some far off place, We will recognize your face, We won’t say goodbye our friend. For you and We will meet again.

Lots of love, Sandy,Johncy,Sri,Jamuna,Loge,Supi. HCL

■ Hey Siva, We wish u a safe and happy journey. We wish that you will get sucess in all your actions. Hope to see you with lots and lots of chocolates for us. Dont you dare to forget otherwise you know the consequences. All the best, keep in touch

With lots of care and affection, Bala, Debanjana, Mangai, Parthiban, Rakhi, Ranjoy, Rishabh, Sathya.P Excelacom Technologies Private Ltd.

■ Dear JEGAN (AEGAN) Wish U Many More Happy Retuns Of TheDay.Lets this birthday brings u all sort of happyness of your life. With Warm Wishes from 3B "BACK SEAT BOYS", Wipro

■ Drummer Stanley Belated b’day wishes to you man. Keep rocking n drumming……

From your loving 603 friends, Hexaware Technologies

■ Dearest Dexter, Have the BEST bday ever! Cuz ma SM is alwayz on TOP!!! :) Dexter, you’re the best! :)

Luv u tons, Chido :) HCL

■ The BOSS!! ;) Yappy yappy burthday! Merry merry burthday! Yappy yappy burthday to you :) Wish you a wunnerful day & a splendid year ahead cuz you deserve better than the BEST!!! :) Atleast this year reduce your "Chari" count! ;) Lol! Have a blast pal! :) We Love you! Keep smiling (you look bearable only then! lol!)

Sooper 8s! :)HCL

■ Dear Sak Muttai Alias Sandeep Kumar Raju, Vilambrae priyar Sandeep as you wished and cried for this, your name came on the paper. "Belated Happy Piranthanal Vazthukal ". May the years ahead bring you all success and happiness"

Best Wishes, Ca7 Team, FORD - Satyam Team.

■ Dear Sandali mami, Today is a lovely and extra-special day, with all my heart i pray that every dream of urs come true! Be happy and smile always. Wishing you very very happy birthday!!!

From urs lovingly, Sandalan mams. Wipro

■ Dear Senthilnathan, Wish you Many More Happy returns of the Day!We Wish you a wonderful life filled with Love and Happiness always.

With Lots of Luv, Ur Friends. Wipro

■ Hi Mutharam, Dear, Birthday Wishes to You. You get sweeter as you get older. May you have all the joy your heart can hold, All the smiles a day can bring, All the blessings a life can unfold, May you have Gods best in everything. Wishing u a Happy Birthday!!!!!

With Luv n lots of Luv, Selvalakshmi, Polaris

■ Dear Mottai(Vinoth) and Divi, "Wish You Many More Happy Returns Of The Day! May your special day be filled with memories , friendship and happy hours...May every dream of yours come true... A Warm Birthday Wish from all of us.... ’

Your GMACI frens, Krithiga R, Svettha T, Sowmeya S, Suganya R, Neeraja S,Imran B, Allan Austin, Wipro Technologies

■ Dear Selvarani Ajitkumar, We Wish you a very Happy Birthday dear ... Have a gr8 & prosperous year ahead :-)

With loads of Luv, Aanish, Aishu, Bhuvana, Freeda, Nalini,Karpagam (TCS)

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

With lot of love, Ganapathi, Hanumantha Reddy, Karthick, Mansoorsirajmi, Navasingam, Rajeshkhanna, Shivakumar, Suresh Financial Software & Systems (P) Ltd

■ Dear Scorpian, Its not just your birthday that I celebrate...But also for those bright shades that you’ve brought

into my life...Thanks for making my life so colourful...Wishing you a Happy Birthday... Hearty Birthday wishes from: Taurean.

■ Deerest Superman! Yu meen a GR8 lot 2 me! Want yu 2 b @ d zenith of yappiness ALL thro! Wish yu d BEST burthday u’ve eva had Sooperman! & wishin yu many many many many more golden yers of yappiness 2 come J { allredy have 220 yers, remember? ;) }

Loads n tons a luv, CG! ;) HCL

■ Hi Suthagar, Many More Happy returns of the day. May the coming year be best in your life. Have an enjoyable day.

yours friendly, Savitha, TCS

■ Hi Gayathri, It has not been too long a journey since I have known you, but then it certainly has been a memorable one...a journey, I would cherish throughout my life. I thank the ALMIGHTY for rewarding me with such a sweet, caring and understanding friend in disguise of you. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR...

Warm wishes, Mohit. Wipro

■ Hi Shanmugavel(our dear TL), Advance Birthday Wishes to you. May all your desires come true.Thanks for being there for us. Wishing you a year full of fun,joy,success,love and happiness.

With Love, Team Members,Siebel Team Infosys Technologies Limited(Mcity)

■ Hi Viji (Aricent), Wish you a Happy Birthday. I wish u all success in life and may all ur dreams will come true. with love n care , R.Deivendran (InterGlobe Technologies)

■ Dear Gopi, I send to you warm wishes,that your happiness will be as wonderful as the happiness, you have always given me. Am so glad to have a friend like u happy birthday

Regards, Harini, HCL Technologies

■ Dear Prade (Kuttima), Your birthday is a special time to celebrate the gift of ’YOU’ to the world. Wish u a very "Happy Birthday". We hope this year brings you all the happiness, peace, joy, contentment and love that you so deserve!. Wish you an awesome birthday as you are.. God bless you, dear friend!!.

With Lots of Care and Affection, Geetha, Sathya, Srimathi. Excelacom Technologies

■ Dear Salu, Many more Happy Returns of the day. May each hour and minute be filled with delight and your birthday be perfect for you!!! May you live long and lead a happy and successful life.

FROM: MAG CORP CMR, Satyam computers

■ Hi Shilpa K. R. Have loads of fun on your birthday.

Wishes from Gopalan.J & Krishnamurthy.S Infosys

■ Dear Meyyappan, Happiness and Joy come your way on this special day and all the days of your life!! Wishing you a joyous birthday Meyyappan!!

From, Friends, New Age Software and Solutions.

■ Dear Divya, Best wishes for a happy married life !! Have a blissful life ahead, Don’t forget to give us the treat. God bless you always. Regards, Santo… HCL

TRAFFIC JAM

22

ERGO Friday, October 31, 2008

Traffic Jam

Granny turns gangster A teenager coaxed his senile grandmother into holding a gun and threatening to shoot ’all the pigs’ in a homemade ’gangsta rap’ video.

sudoku

Roshind Raghavan of Sutherland Global Services spotted this snail near Guduvancherry Railway Station. Hobbies: Snooker, photography and travelling

So you think you would make a terrific photographer but never really had the platform? Mail us your best work and we’ll publish it in this space, with credit. E-mail: [email protected]

TEAM Editor: Karthik Subramanian [email protected]

Sr Dy Chief Designer: J.A. Prem Kumar Dy Chief Designer: R. Ravi Kannan Illustrator: R. Venugopal Technical Support: V.R. Vasudevan, K.G. Gurumurthy N. Ravichandran, E. Baskar Head of Advertising: Sriya Narayanan [email protected]

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Printed and Published by S. Karthik on behalf of KASTURI & SONS LTD., at Plot B-6 & B-7, CMDA Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar, Chengleput Taluk, Kancheepuram Dist., Pin: 603209 & at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai-600002. Editor: S. Karthik (Editor responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act). RNI No. TNENG/2007/24553

What strikes you the most when we talk about ‘poverty’? Tell us through one of your best photographs that has moved you, with details of the place, person, etc. Theme ‘Poverty’ will be featured in the Click Pick section till November 15.

KAKURO

23

Friday, October 31, 2008

Wife for sale

Word’s worth

A Romanian man has put his 25-yearold wife up for sale on a website specialising in used cars.

"Ratomorphic" (rat-oh-mor-fick) a rare word meaning ’someone who refuses to believe that people have any mental processes that can’t be shown to exist in lower animals.’ From rat, on the model of anthropomorphic.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 You may not feel like doing very important work at office, instead you may be in slightly leisurely mood. On the personal front, pressure may mount if you get into conflicts with the beloved one. You may be in a mood to spend time with your beloved.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 You may be feeling low energy and at work, people may be crosschecking your work. You may be quite demanding in case of relationship matters. Remember always that ‘Expectation reduces joy’! Ganesha suggests you to be cool and calm.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 It’s a busy day for you. You may start the day little early and may work till late. Your personal life may take backseat for the day and career or professional front may be the driving force. You may be in a mood to deal with pending activities today.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 Love is in the air today. Irrespective of your gender and marital status, you are likely to feel the need of ‘true love’. At office, you may wish to perform well in order to prove yourself. If you are research oriented by nature, it is the best day for you.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 Today, domestic matters may demand your attention and if it clashes with your routine work, you may feel stressed. Control temper today. In love life, if you are not flexible, there can be conflicts. In short, it is an average day requiring careful handling.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

Your mind will be quite active today. You may learn about many trade secrets today. Office work may be done smoothly. You may be quite practical in love and related matters. Your communication skills may benefit you. On the whole, it’s a good day.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Your ‘vindictive language’ may hurt some hearts. Your approach towards others needs to be balanced using basic trait of your Sun sign. Love life seems to go smoothprovided you don’t intend to find faults. You may expect precision and speed from others.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 You may be cautious about your appearance. You may wish to spend private time with your beloved one. Those willing to woo someone have all the cards in favour. At work, you will be able to convince others for your viewpoints.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 You may be slightly secretive today. You may work hard to balance your emotional conflicts but your partner may not be supportive. You should avoid taking up important activities on hand. The day is hassle-free if you are dealing with mundane tasks.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 You can expect some gains today. At work, it is day to arrange important group meetings. You may depend on other’s views and ideas. . You are likely to be a little tired mentally but your nerves may find some peace in the company of your beloved.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 Your complete focus may be on career. This may be good for progress on the professional front. Domestic front may become demanding if not handled properly. Your loved one may demand more time from you which may add stress.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 You may be in a mood to speculate or try your luck. Your personal life seems to go smooth. You may be sentimental about your partner or beloved. Your superiors may appreciate you for good work. It is time to build good terms at office. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

24

ERGO Friday, October 31, 2008

The White House: Inside, Out A graphic guide to the White House, from the Oval Office to China Room to Rose Garden. After four days, George W. Bush’s eight-year reign will come to an end and the name of the White House’s new occupant will be known.