Ergo September 2

A BYTE OF LIFE

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

12

DIFFERENT STROKES

Anandha Kannan the RJ, VJ, actor FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 2

09 RECALLING ASEAN GLORY with East Bengal’s Baichung Bhutia

No. 171

MADE IN CHENNAI About 103 years ago, Joonis Said started Joonis Said & Sons to cater to the clothing needs of the Englishmen in Chennai. In 1995, the family’s fourth generation, headed by Rafique Said, started Gatsby Collection. PAGE 05

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Two guys, four bikes and a formula for doom. Petlee Peter on the story of two youths and their path of crime » PAGE 03

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Is fiction your pick? British Council is organising a special display of over 150 fiction titles till September 6. For details, call 4205 0600.

Biker thieves

PETLEE PETER

[email protected]

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enki alias Venkeshwaran, a 22-year-old resident of Kodambakkam, was an ace biker who could perform his wheelies and stoppies at ease. It helped him get all the attention he needed, which was once more than enough for him. But it was his friend Nanda, a student of a flight steward school in Nungambakkam, who came up with the idea of using the skills to earn something much more than just attention. The duo are now cooling their heels in Puzhal prison after city police arrested them and booked them for their role in a spate of chain-snatching events. And this is their story. An idea Venki’s bike was his third arm. The son of a domestic help got his first bike – a second vehicle – quite early and took to it with a passion and craze. The B.Com graduate’s biking skills were closely watched and appreciated by his friend Nanda alias Nanda Kumar, a native of Polichaloor, who was residing at T V Kovil Street in Royapettah. Nanda had completed his diploma in Civil Engineering and was studying at a flight steward training school in Nungambakkam.

Fast bikes and the lure of good life … Petlee Peter profiles the story of two Chennai youths, both in their early 20s, and their life of crime It was Nanda who came up with idea of chain snatching, which he would commit himself. Venki was the getaway expert. The duo would pick and choose their victims and crime spots and flee in a matter of seconds. On February, 2008 the two youngsters put their plan to practice for the first time in Mylapore.

They snatched a 12.5-sovereigngold chain from a woman and rode away. After tasting success and realising that weren’t identified, the duo started indulging in more chain snatchings and selling the gold for cash. At one stage, the two bought four Hero Honda Karizmas to facilitate their crime. The bikes 223 cc power machines meant faster and faster getaway. They fitted the engines with imported pistons and even gave it an additional boosting at a mechanic shed in Ashok Nagar to increase speed, police sources added. During a chain snatching attempt at Abiramapuram on August 28, Nanda slipped and fell from the bike that Venki was riding but managed to flee with a 9.5-sovereign gold chain from a woman pedestrian. Unfortunately for them, Nandu dropped his mobile phone. Police confiscated the phone and that was their downfall. Nanda was tracked to his rented home in Royapettah and upon his confession to the investigating officers, Venki was also apprehended. A total of 53.5 sovereigns of gold jewellery were seized from them apart from the four bikes they used. The two were booked under IPC 379 for theft and sent to Puzhal prison on Monday. ■

Join the club whatever! Website: www.swiftclub.org Email: [email protected]

Madras Bullet Club/ MadBulls

If you are a bike or car

Jeep Thrills

enthusiast and have been longing to find like-minded people who could fuel your passion, here are some of Chennai’s best clubs

This is strictly for those who love jeeps and off-road driving. Website: www.jeepthrills.in Email: [email protected]

Enfield Bullet enthusiasts meet once a month. Website: www.madrasbulls.com Email: [email protected] Contact Senthil Kumar @ 93810 10200

Chennai Swift Club

This all-India Biking club is active both online and offline. It welcomes all passionate Indian bikers (motorcycle, bicycle or any two-wheeler) to join them. Website: www.xkmph.com

They own Swift cars and meet regularly online and offline to chat, exchange notes on experiences, doubts, advice and

xKmph

Madras Heritage Motoring Club Purely for lovers and owners of vintage, classic cars and bikes. Email: [email protected]

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

03

17 events, 68 categories, your chance to win some medals for your company

Cognizant leads points table HP downs Cognizant in men’s volleyball

(Left) HP team celebrate after winning the men’s volleyball competition. Cognizant won the women’s team event.

H

ewlett Packard downed Cognizant to win gold in men’s volleyball at the second edition of the ETA Star Corporate Olympiad at the Nehru Stadium on Sunday, while Info-

sys and Verizon settled for bronze. In the women’s section Cognizant got the better off Wipro to grab gold. Both Steria and FSS won a bronze each. C. V. Rajalakshmi of Syntel won

gold in women’s chess, while the silver was won by Hewlett Packard’s Y MMagheswari. V.Thavamani of Steria won the bronze. The men’s chess gold was pocketed by R Anthony of Cognizant

Fire at Saravana Stores ERGO CORRESPONDENT major fire that lasted for nearly nine hours broke out at retail outlet Saravana Stores on Ranganathan Street in T. Nagar on Monday morning. There were no causalities. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Police sources said smoke started puffing out from the third floor of the building at around 6 a.m., which later turned to massive flames engulfing the above two floors as well. Following a distress call to the police at 6.10 a.m., three fire tenders rushed to the spot. But the flames showed no signs of dying out and soon spread to the adjoining Lucky Plaza build-

PHOTO: S. KANNAN

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ing. The fire was finally put out at around 3 in the afternoon by a total of 7 fire tenders, 2 sky lifters, 2 foam tenders, 20 water

tankers and an emergency rescue tender. The estimated loss of property is known to be worth a few lakhs. ■

PHOTOS: BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

and R.V. Sathya Narayanan from Wipro had to be contended with silver after a close fight. The bronze went to B.Sreehari of iSoft. After the end of the first two

days of the two-month long event, Cognizant are sitting pretty at the top of the medals table with two gold and one silver. ■ Ergo Correspondent

04 KALEIDOSCOPE

ERGO Tuesday, September 2, 2008

‘‘

The way to become rich is to put all your eggs in one basket and then watch that basket. Andrew Carnegie

Have you got spam?

Spicy Ganesha 쑸 An artist gives final touches to an idol of Lord Ganesha coated with a variety of spices in Ahmedabad on Monday. The volunteers from Nadiawala Mitra Mandal will install this idol on Ganesh Chathurti. The idol weighs some 300kgs, coated with an additional 50kgs of spices like black pepper, mustard, cloves, fenugreek and coriander. AFP PHOTO

All that glitters is gold 쑸 French made limited edition pen of Watermann’s is worth Rs. 10 lakhs at the company’s Signature Store in Hyderabad. The body of this handcrafted pen along with the nib is made of 18 carat solid gold.

With a series of events in August attracting global attention, e-criminals were on the prowl Don’t be a victim of spam

LIFFY THOMAS [email protected]

I

f a computer virus could sneak aboard the International Space Station, the latest of threats confirmed by NASA recently, how safe is your PC? Not at least when spammers are getting more intelligent, and experts say this unfortunate trend is here to stay! Off late, e-criminals have been on the prowl targeting global events. August, for example, was a hectic season for spammers as the Beijing Olympics 2008, the U.S. Presidential election campaigns and crude oil crisis hogged the limelight for various reasons. You are amongst the lucky ones if you escaped either of these spam mails in your inbox. In order to capitalise on the fact that there are many people getting the latest updates on the Olympics or results of the Presidential campaign through the internet, spammers have been sending emails and links on the above subjects.

Malicious intention According to Symantec’s monthly report for August, two months before the run-up to the sporting event spammers trained their eyes on the Olympics, infecting computers with viruses and trojans. And, now that the games are over, Obama and McCain’s campaign or something more current should be topmost on their list. Watch out. “Spammers put a spin to media reports, enticing users to open them,” says Shantanu Ghosh, vice-president, India Product Operations, Symantec. “Example: “Beijing Olympics cancelled due to … .”Another example of a World War III spam hoax read: “Negotiations between USA and Iran ended in war.” The email contained a video showing a bomb explosion which, when clicked, links to the trojan. “With 80 per cent of the mails that go around being spam, the trend is only said to increase. The least users can do is install anti-

~ Install spam filtering/ blocking software. ~ Do not respond to suspicious emails. Just delete them. ~ Have a secondary address for public use, such as online registration and e-commerce sites. ~ Create an email name which is tough to guess. ~ View email in plain text. Spam written in HTML can contain programs that redirect the user’s web browser to an advertised page. Spammers use images in emails to locate active email addresses for future spamming. ~ Create a spam filter for your email. If your email program does not have a filter, create one that checks for messages that do not include your email address in the “TO: or CC: fields.” ~ Do not post links to email addresses on web sites. Spammers can locate email addresses on web pages, so consider displaying email addresses in a way their ’spam bots’ can’t recognise. ~ Watch out for check boxes. Before signing up for services or newsletters on the Web, carefully read through everything. Watch out for text at the end of the registration forms. Courtesy Symantec

spam software and always be cautious before opening unsolicited mails,” adds Ghosh. ■

PHOTO:MOHAMMED YOUSUF

Sify Interactive celebrates spirit of Madras

A STOCKTRACK 14498.51

4348.65

66.02

11.35

SENSEX

NIFTY

s part of the Madras Day celebrations, Sify Technologies Ltd. at Tidel Park celebrated the event at its premises in style. The maiden initiative by the Interactive Services team, proved a success among the Sifyiites. Most of the associtates came attired in traditional costumes like dhoties and sarees – the trademark of Madras.The Sifyiites, both belonging to Madras and also from other cities, actively took part in the Madras Day quiz and dumb charades, which was based on the city. While the quiz was more about personalities and history, the dumb charades was all about the various place of the city. Winners of the events were also given prizes. ■ Contributed by Francis Sunder Singh

05

Websites of the day

US $ Pound Euro 100 Yen

A tribute to the cult Japanese TV series Monkey (sometimes called Monkey Magic). http://www.monkeyheaven.com/ Treat a sore throat. http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/sorethroat.htm

00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00

SOURCE: RBI

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Suit yourself Gatsby Collection brought chinos and sherwanis to the city. The immaculate suit, though, occupies pride of the place SHALINI SHAH [email protected]

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hey were boycotted during the Swadeshi movement that swept the nation in the early 1900s as part of India’s freedom struggle, primarily because most of their cloth was imported from England. (‘Made in India’ was in, and so was Khadi.) The family business that Joonis Khan started in 1905, under the name Joonis Khan & Sons, has come a long way and now rests and grows in the hands of Rafique Said and son Omar in the form of Gatsby Collection. Catering to a niche clientele in the area of well-tailored suits and other formals for both men and women, Gatsby Collection’s USP, besides housing international suiting fabrics and readymade brands, lies in the customisation of fit, which has garnered it a loyal clientele over the years.

Welcoming the sherwani “We started Gatsby Collection in 1995 at our home on C.P. Ramaswamy Road in Alwarpet as a small boutique. At that time, chinos and cotton pants were unheard of in Chennai. We were the ones who brought them here,” says Rafique, the fourth-generation Said. “But we ultimately realised that our forte was in suits and jackets,” he says. Gatsby Collection will soon have a store in Alwarpet, in a way going back to it roots. The folks at Gatsby also hold credit for bringing the sherwani to Chennai.

TIMELINE 1905: Joonis Khan started Joonis Khan & Sons.

Rafique Said (right) with son Omar at the Gatsby Collection store on Khader Nawaz Khan Road. PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN

“Before that, people would get theirs from either Delhi or Bombay,” says Omar. “We were the first ones to make it here.” “In 1905, we were selling sweaters in a place like Chennai! We always knew who our clientele was – the well-travelled individual who knows his style,” says Omar.

The Great Gatsby The story behind the name is also an interesting one, and not completely taking after F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous work. “There used to be this very famous discotheque here called Gatsby where I was a regular.

A friend and former business partner suggested we name our store after it,” laughs Rafique. “Besides, Gatsby was someone who was always fashionable and well turned-out.”

USP Exclusive fabrics from around the world are what you would

The Gatsby Collection No 34, Kakani Towers Khader Nawaz Khan Road Chennai – 600 006 Ph: 044-2833 1677 Website: gatsbycollection.com

find on shelves here, assures Omar. Suits, sherwanis, and trousers is what the store specialises in. The store also takes overseas orders over the phone and ships the garments. Gatsby Collection is the exclusive retailer for Givo in Chennai. Besides, it also deals in brands like Giovanni and Raymond. In fact, The Raymond Shop on Nungambakkam High Road, which is also run by the Saids, was voted among the top five Raymond shops in the country. Gatsby’s 16,000-sq ft tailoring unit is testament to the fact that the worth of a suit is in its fit. ■

1977: The first Raymond Shop in the city was opened on Mount Road, near the old Buhari’s 1986: Business moved to the old location on Khader Nawaz Khan Road 1995: Gatsby Collection started in the family home on C.P. Ramaswamy Road, Alwarpet 2000: Moved to Nungambakkam 2008: Stores on ECR, Muscat and Alwarpet

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Crucified frog An Italian museum has defied Pope Benedict and refused to remove a modern art sculpture portraying a crucified green frog holding a beer mug and an egg that the Vatican had condemned as blasphemous.

Can public beat crime?

Pisa no longer Europe’s most leaning tower

Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Sunday called on all Mexicans to help fight escalating crime, a day after tens of thousands protested against insecurity and impunity across the country. Violence has spiked across Mexico since Calderon launched a crackdown on drug trafficking and related attacks, including the deployment of more than 36,000 soldiers nationwide. As Calderon met with protest leaders, police in the southern state of Guerrero reported the discovery of the head of a 50-year-old man in an ice cooler, making a total of 19 headless bodies found since Thursday.

The Tower of Pisa is being challenged by a lesser-known 12thcentury building in the northern Dutch town of Bedum as Europe’s most steeply leaning tower. Retired geometrician Jacob van Dijk said measurements this week on Bedum’s 36metre church tower of Walfridus revealed it is now leaning more than its Italian rival, which lost part of its tilt following restoration works. At a height of 55.86 meters, Pisa’s tower leans about 4 metres, while Bedum’s tower leans 2.61 metres on its height of 35.7 meters. If both towers were the same height, Bedum would have a greater tilt of 6 cm, Van Dijk argues. “In Italy they’re happy with the result, but here in Bedum we are much more happy, because the tower of Pisa is now leaning less than the tower of Bedum,” said Van Dijk.

AFP

California Senate passes restaurantcalorie bill California Senate passed a bill on Sunday, requiring some 17,000 chain restaurants around the state to display calorie information on menus. If Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signs the bill, California will be the first state to require restaurant chains to show calorie counts of their menu offerings. Senators voted 24-13 for the menu labeling measure, SB 1420, which would take full effect in 2011. “California is poised to become the first state in the nation to tackle obesity with menu labeling,” said Senator Alex Padilla, who submitted the bill. Padilla said he believes diners will make healthier food choices if they know how many calories they may consume. He noted that nearly 16 million Californians are overweight. But opponents said the bill would add a burden to restaurants and do no good to diners.

Reuters

Eiffel Tower’s lights to be cut The Eiffel tower is set to loose its sparkle, as the administration has decided to cut its glittering light in a new green initiative. Sete, the company sub-contracted by Paris to run the tower, has decided to cut the time bulbs are run by half, with 400 to 200 hours per year. Since January 1, 2000, every hour after dusk, the 20,000 bulbs twinkle brilliantly for 10 minutes and is, indeed, a hit among tourists. “It’s above all a symbolic decision, as the cost savings are not enormous,” said the deputy of Paris mayor.

Xinhua

ANI

WANT TO PART? Stay together till economy is steady

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ritain’s economic uncertainty may have resulted in a more socially cohesive society, with unhappily married couples reluctant to separate because they cannot afford it, experts have suggested. “Many couples looking to separate are being forced to stay together under the same roof due to the lack of movement in the housing market and also the fact that some simply can’t afford to go through divorce proceedings,” said Jill Goldman, a family law ex-

pert. The UK Office for National Statistics revealed that the divorce rate last year was the lowest since 1981. It showed that the number of divorces fell 2.6 per cent in 2007 on the previous year, from 148,141 to 144,220, a rate of 11.9 divorces per 1,000 married individuals, the Daily Mail newspaper said. Jill Goldman, a family law expert said couples forced to compromise may ultimately “find a

renewed respect for one another”. Property analysts Savills Research was quoted as saying by the British daily that historical data from England and Wales showed a ‘remarkably strong’ link between the property market and divorce rates. The government figures showed divorce is most common for couples in their late 20s, with almost 27 divorces per 1,000 married people. ■ PTI

Credit crunch in UK forces unhappy couples to stay together because they cannot afford it

07

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Poisonous recipe

This day, that year

Ten thousand copies of a food magazine were recalled in Sweden after a mistake in one of its recipes left four people poisoned. Matmagasinet’s chief editor Ulla Cocke said: “There was a mistake in a recipe for apple cake. Instead of calling for two pinches of nutmeg it said 20 nutmeg nuts were needed.”

Kareena is safe

It was in September 2, 1935 that a hurricane hit the Florida Keys, killing 423 people.

Plot to sell intimate photos of William with Kate ’busted’

P 쒀 Bollywood Actor Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor share a lighter time at ZEE Carnival, in New Jersey on Sunday. PTI PHOTO

Nun quits order alleging harassment A

senior Catholic nun and College before becoming the principal of a church-run col- principal, said was forced to go lege in Thrissur resigned from on leave. the order alleging ‘mental haShe said she earned the wrath rassment’ by the church author- of the church for questioning ities for questioning their stand the propriety of charging high on issues like high rate of fees for coursfee rates charged es in the self-financChurch from students. ing colleges run by Sister Jesmi, a authorities the church. The nun with 21 years CMC authorities, questioned her experience in the however, refuted the CMC order and stand on fees charges of Jesmi principal of St structure in dubbing them as ‘toMary’s College, tally baseless’. announced her self-financing Jesmy had been decision to re- colleges part of the college nounce the holy for long, a press note robe at a press issued from the CMC meet held at her lawyer’s resi- provincial house said. dence in Thrissur on Sunday. There was some resentment The 51-year-old nun said she among students and parents had been put under severe about some of her activitities mental pressure, and even after she became principal. branded as a mentally-disturbed She and her relatives had person, by the authorities for been told about this. She had questioning their stand on sev- gone on leave on her own sayeral issues. ing she wanted some rest, it Jesmi, who headed the En- said. ■ PTI glish Department of St Mary’s

olice in Britain claim to have busted a plot to sell intimate stolen photographs of Prince William, the second-in-line to the English throne, and his girlfriend Kate Middleton. The photos included snaps of both Prince William and bikiniclad Kate enjoying some private moments while they were on a holiday in the Caribbean, and were offered to ‘The Sun’ for

50,000 pounds, according to a report in that tabloid. One person has also been arrested in this connection, the Scotland Yard has said. In fact, the stolen photographs were part of more than 40 frames of the couple and were held on the digital device of a camera, belonging to Kate’s younger sister Pippa, which was reportedly stolen.Other snaps included William relaxing with Kate and members

of her family, including Pippa, brother James, and parents Carole and Michael. In several portrait shots, Kate posed for the camera in her bikini as she enjoyed a yoga-style session on the beach, the report said. In another sequence, the Prince was seen wearing a woman’s hat and striking a camp pose like 1970s sitcom star John Inman. ■ PTI

Man with 86 wives agrees to divorce 82 He accepts the decree issued by the Islamic authorities

A

n 84-year-old Nigerian man with 86 wives and 170 children has accepted a decree issued by Islamic authorities that he must divorce 82 of them, reports said on Monday. The BBC, quoting a local emir, reported that Mohammadu Bello Abubakar on Saturday agreed to the mass divorce. Abubakar, a former teacher and preacher, faced the death penalty under Sharia law, which was reintroduced to the Muslimmajority Niger State, North-West Nigeria, in 2000. While the death sentence was lifted, Abubakar still faced eviction from his home. Nigerian media and the BBC interviewed Abubakar several weeks previously, when he claimed there was no punishment in the Koran for having more than four wives. However, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) said that Sharia law clearly limited a man to four wives. ■ DPA

08 SPORT

ERGO Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Korean striker set for Monaco FC Seoul striker Park Chu-young is close to sealing a multi-year deal with French club AS Monaco, the South Korean international’s team and management agency said on Monday. The 23-year-old Park, who played in the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany, was once one of the leading scorers in South Korea’s professional KLeague but has struggled with form and injuries over the past two years.

Symonds mulls quitting international cricket Disillusioned Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds is mulling quitting international cricket after he was sent home by Cricket Australia for going on a "fishing trip" instead of attending a compulsory team meeting last week. “I have been asked to think about what is important to me and I will take this time to do that,” Symonds was quoted as saying by the Courier Mail on Monday. "I would ask that during this time, people respect my privacy and that of my friends and family,” he said. The 33-year-old player’s decision would be of great significance to the Australians as their team is set to tour India in October and the final squad would be picked in next two weeks. Australia’s stand-in skipper Michael Clarke has questioned Symonds’ commitment and claimed he needed time away from the game to get his act together. Symonds would lose his $500,000 CA contract if he quits the game but the highest-paid Australian player in the IPL can still earn handsomely in the Indian sub-continent by playing in the Indian Premier League or the Indian Cricket League. It is not the first time Symonds has thought of quitting cricket. He had contacted Brisbane Broncos coach Wayne Bennett and talked about reinventing himself as a rugby league player in 2002. PTI

Flintoff puts newfound form down to promotion England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff believes his promotion to number five has boosted his form with the bat. Flintoff starred in Sunday’s seven wicket win over South Africa in the fourth One-Day International at Lord’s, scoring 31 not out to add to half centuries at Headingley and the Oval. After a fourth ankle operation and a side strain Flintoff could hardly score a run for Lancashire at the start of the season but has been lifted by Kevin Pietersen’s decision to move him up the order in one-day cricket. He said: “It is a stark contrast to the beginning of the season when I was playing for Lancashire and got four ducks. I didn’t know where I was going to score runs. But by playing more and more I’ve found my rhythm and I feel more at ease playing international cricket than county cricket. When Kevin asked me to bat at number five I was delighted – I have had some of my best times going in at five – it gives you the chance to get in before the last 10 or 15 overs.” Flintoff has had so many injury setbacks that he is refusing to go overboard about his current golden spell. He had grueling spells in America and South Africa with his fitness coach Dave Roberts after his latest operation and says he would not have bothered if he did not think he would be back to his best. AFP

Spanish season starts with surprises No Robinho and no points for Real

T

itle favourites Real Madrid and Barcelona both slipped to opening day defeats on Sunday as underdogs Deportivo La Coruna and Numancia took the headlines. Champions Real sorely missed Brazilian Robinho, excluded from the squad due to his insistence on a move to Chelsea, as they fell to a 2-1 defeat against bogey side Deportivo. Depor continue to hold the edge over the capital giants who have not won at their Riazor stadium since the 1991/92 season. “I am not interested in talking about Robinho,” said glum ReBarcelona’s al coach Bernd Lionel Messi Schuster. “Depor (left) vies for the won and congratuball with lations to them but Numancia’s J.C. we should have dePalacios during fended better for their Spanish both of their goals.” Premier League Rivals Barca fared match at the little better with Pep Pajaritos Guardiola’s first Stadium in Soria. league match in AFP charge ending in an embarrassing 0-1 loss to promoted Numancia. Guardiola, a member of Barca’s 1992 European Cup winning team, has the job of wrestling the title from Real but the omens do not look good after an insipid display. “It was a big slip-up,” admitted Guardiola. “We were poor going forward and know we have to improve.”

Room for improvement Real also have some room for improvement if their display against Depor is anything to go by. With Wesley Sneijder injured and new signing Rafael van der Vaart suspended Schuster drafted in Argentine Gonzalo Higuain. Robinho, pining for a move to Chelsea, had been left out of the squad so Arjen Robben provided the width. After just 90 seconds Depor gave Real a shock when Mista, who failed to cut the grade at Real Madrid as a youngster, hit the crossbar. Mista then scored heading home on 26 minutes after some shocking Real defending.

Ruud van Nistelrooy equalised two minutes after the interval but Alberto Lopo restored Depor’s lead four minutes later with a glancing header. Barca were poor travellers last season under Frank Rijkaard and the new manager and season has failed to bring a change in fortune. Barcelona handed a league debut to Dani Alves – a 29.5 million Euro signing from Sevilla in the summer – with Lionel Messi starting in attack after inspiring Argentina to Olympic gold. Numancia took the lead with Mario rifling home on 12 minutes after Barca’s defence failed to deal with a cross from the left. Barca twice hit the woodwork through Samuel Eto’o and Messi but Numancia held on for a historic win. After just one game the league now goes on international break

until September 14 giving Guardiola and Schuster time to ponder their team’s shortcomings. Atletico Madrid top the table after they followed up their impressive midweek qualification for the Champions League with a crushing 4-0 victory over promoted Malaga on Sunday. Dutch international Johnny Heitinga scored 26 minutes into his league debut and Diego Forlan grabbed a quick fire brace before the interval to leave Malaga down and out. Florent-Sinama Pongolle completed the rout with a debut goal. Last season’s runners-up Villarreal were left frustrated as they were pegged back to a 1-1 draw by Osasuna. ■ AFP

09

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Roddick OK with rowdy fans Andy Roddick is all for raucous, rowdy tennis fans. Just as long as they’re quiet while a point is being played. The issue arose at the US Open – where, as it is, spectators traditionally are louder than at Wimbledon or the French Open – because the chair umpire warned a group of fans for being disruptive during James Blake’s loss to Mardy Fish.

The day East Bengal had a ball I

ndia’s success in soccer has been far and in between. The national team recently won the AFC Challenge Cup to qualify for the Asian Cup in 2011 after coming up trumps in the Nehru Cup last year. Indian clubs have performed a trifle better against continental sides. But no Indian club has so far matched East Bengal’s success of 2003, when they pocketed the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) Cup. Going into the tournament as underdogs, the Kolkata side, led from the front by Bhaichung Bhutia, exceeded all expectations to win the South Asian club championship. They outplayed Thailand’s BEC Terro Sasana 3-1 in a one-sided final in Jakarta. Five years after the glorious win, one of the key members of the squad, Bhutia recalls the moment. “It was a great win for us. BEC Terro was the champion club of Asia then and they had beaten us 0-1 in the group stage.” “I think it was the first baby step Indian football took on its way to recovery. People abroad and more importantly here in India for the first time in decades realised that we can play good football and hold our own against quality opposition.” Speaking about the side, the current Indian captain says: “East Bengal was unstoppable in the domestic circuit at that time. We were a balanced outfit and there were adequate reserves. We should also thank the officials who had kept no stones unturned so that we could enjoy all the top facilities while preparing. I think it was for the first time that an Indian club was residing in a five-star hotel during their conditioning camp. Coach Subhash Bhowmick had a lot to do to take us to such a level.” East Bengal went on the attack from the onset and Nigerian Mike Okoro opened the scoring in the 30th minute. “The early goal soothed our nerves and we gradually settled down and played the waiting game. We completely controlled the midfield and the Thais tried too hard putting added pressure on themselves. Then I scored and that put them on the back foot.” On a quick counter attack, Bhutia snatched the ball from Thai defender Thanongsak Pajakkta in a one-to-one battle, before he drew the goalkeeper out of position and found the net with a firm right footer. “I was just happy to score and after that I was sure we were going to win. They pulled one back few minutes later but we kept up the pressure,” Bhutia recalls. Alvito D’Cunha completed the rout for the then Indian champions in the 78th minute and the Geloran Senayan Stadium in Jakarta once again turned out to be a lucky venue for Indian soccer, where India had won the Jakarta Asian Games gold medal in 1962. ■ Close(d) Encounters celebrates some of the finest moments of sporting glory the country has seen across disciplines. If you have any suggestions/ feedback, ping [email protected].

In his second column for Close(d) Encounters Ayon Sengupta rolls the clock back to 2003 ASEAN Cup

East Bengal celebrate after winning the Asean Cup in Jakarta. AFP

10 FLICK

ERGO Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Unseen Monroe footage to be auctioned An unreleased footage of screen legend Marilyn Monroe taken on the set of her 1959 movie, ’Some Like It Hot’, is due to be auctioned.

V. HARIPRIYA [email protected]

I

f Mani Ratnam’s Agni Natchatiram was about the feud between the son and illegitimate son of a politician, then his assistant R. Kannan’s film Jayam Kondaan revolves around the hero and his step-sister. R. Kannan makes his debut as director with the family entertainer starring Vinay, Bhavana and Lekha Washington. Arjun (Vinay) returns from London to start a business in Chennai. To his shock he finds that his deceased father had an illegitimate family and his hardearned money has been invested to buy a house in Madurai, which his step-sister Brinda (Lekha Washington) is trying to sell. Arjun meets a chilli merchant (Nizhalgal Ravi) and his daughter Annapoorani (Bhavana) in his house in Madurai. Love blossoms between Arjun and Annapoorani. Arjun’s attempt to sell his house is spoiled by Brinda, with the support of a local goon Guna (Kishore Kumar). An accident makes Arjun turn into the enemy no.1 of Guna. The later half of the story is about how Arjun joins hands with his sister and fights back Guna. Vinay has improved a lot in acting when compared to his debut movie, Unnale Unnale, but he is let down by poor dubbing in several portions of the film. Lekha Washington has

better scope for acting than Bhavana, who is there just be easy on the eye thanks to a new make-up artiste. Kishore Kumar fits the role of villain with ease. Santhanam evokes more laughter than Vivek, who is irritating at times with his lengthy dialogues. The seriousness of the film is interrupted by unnecessary songs. Vidyasagar’s magic has not

worked well in the movie. The film drags a little after the intermission, which could have been avoided. The movie, a combination of love, sentiments and friendship, comes with a message against gangsters. On the whole though, it is a promising debut from R.Kannan and one looks forward to better things from the director in future.

Film: Jayam Kondan Cast: Vinay, Bhavana, Lekha Washington, Vivek, Kishore Director: R.Kannan Music Vidyasagar Genre: Family entertainer

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

11

Winehouse falls ill

Second-class treatment

British soul singer Amy Winehouse was pulled out of a Paris concert at short notice on Friday after falling ill at home in London.

Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet world tour could be in crisis situation after the singer’s crew threatened to quit over ’second class’ treatment. Many of the pop star’s 250-staff were left furious after they were forced to sleep in a 50 pounds-a-night airport hotel while Madonna stayed at a 11,000 pounds-a-night castle.

Eva can’t cook

Cine City

E

va Mendes has revealed that she does not have the ability to put together a decent meal, and that she is still passionate about junk food. Mendes, who loves food, admitted that she is so incompetent in the kitchen that she has given up trying to cook. “I have too much respect for food to do what I’ve done to it in the past. Man, I’ve really killed some stuff,” the Daily Telegraph quoted her as saying. The 34-year-old actress revealed that even though she had to maintain her svelte figure, she had never cut down on junk food to maintain her weight. “I’d shock you at how much I could eat. Any kind of dessert is fantastic. It’s gross, but I also love cup noodles. I’ll eat two at a time because the salt really does it for me. They’re so cheap so they can’t be that good for you, but they’re yummy!” she said. But she does admit to having to watch her diet when she is filming, and to only indulge herself at other times. “If I have a shoot I’ll work out more and watch what I eat, but if I don’t I’ll let myself go. I’m addicted to bread. I want it constantly so, right now, I’m letting myself have more of it but when I start my next movie I”ll cut down,” she added. ■

ANY KIND OF DESSERT IS FANTASTIC. IT’S GROSS, BUT I ALSO LOVE CUP NOODLES. I’LL EAT TWO AT A TIME BECAUSE THE SALT REALLY DOES IT FOR ME. THEY’RE SO CHEAP SO THEY CAN’T BE THAT GOOD FOR YOU, BUT THEY’RE YUMMY!

Respects food too much to repeat culinary disasters of the past, she says

Venkat Prabhu’s next flick Venkat Prabhu, who made his directorial debut with Chennai 600028, seems to be more excited about his next film, Goa. The film is produced by Soundarya Rajinikanth of Ocher Studios along with Warner Bros. The story revolves around four youngsters and actor Jai plays one of them. Speaking about Saroja, Venkat Prabhu said that soon after the success of Chennai 600028 none of the producers approached him believing he would make a sequel to it. Thankfully, T.Siva of Amma Creations offered to produce Saroja, Venkat Prabhu said. The film is slated to hit the screens on September 5.

Madhavan in remake of Namastey London It seems like Kollywood actors feel comfortable doing remakes. Some of the remakes currently under production are Ajith’s Aegan (Main Hoon Naa), Vijay’s Villu (Soldier), Madhavan’s Guru En Aalu (Yes Boss), Sakthi’s Classmates, and Vikram’s Moondru Mugam. Madhavan, quite elated with the grand success of his latest Hindi release Mumbai Meri Jaan, is planning to act in another remake. At present busy shooting for Guru En Aalu, Madhavan has been roped in to play the lead in the remake of Namastey London. www.cinesnacks.com

12 SCAN

ERGO Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Muscle Power According to IMdb, to play the role of Krrish, Hrithik Roshan lifted weights and dieted for two months to add 15 pounds of muscle to his frame.

PICK OF THE DAY

Filmy

Sony Pix

Zee Studio

Star Movies

Umrao Jaan

Stranger than Fiction

The Three Musketeers

Infamous – 10-55 pm

– 9 pm Harold Crick, an IRS Agent whose world is turned upside-down when he begins to hear his life being chronicled by a narrator only he can hear.

– 8 pm The story of three swordsmen of the disbanded French king’s guard plus one young man who dreams to become one of them, seek to save their King from the scheming of the Cardinal Richelieu.

On November 16, 1959, Truman Capote reads about the murder of a Kansas family. There are no suspects. With Harper Lee, he visits the town and he wants to write about their response.

– 8 pm Ameeran lives a poor-lifestyle with her family in British India. When her dad testifies against the local corrupt cop, Dilawar Khan, Khan swears to avenge, and years later, abducts Ameeran, holds her for ransom. and later, he sells her.

Centre of attention NANDHINI RAMKUMAR

F

our years back, Anandha Kannan moved out of hometown Singapore to head to Namma Chennai to pursue theatre studies, after getting a scholarship with Koothu-p-patarai. Now, we all know him as a popular game show host through various programmes in Sun TV and more recently as a Radio City RJ. Recalling his first few days in Chennai, Anandha Kannan says he started dabbling with TV to earn a quick buck. “I did programmes for Vijay TV and was working part-time mainly for money. After a month, I auditioned for Sun Music and got through and that is how it all began.”

He shot to instant fame with his bold streaks and his bright clothes when he started off as a VJ. He proclaims that the white spikes he sported was his craziest makeover ever. “I dared to do all that and considered myself a clown to entertain people.” Dressing up was a hobby for him, and now it has turned into serious business, with him running the Kodambakkam outlet of the popular saloon chain Naturals. Three years of VJing must have been fun. But what made him quit at the peak of his popularity? “I get bored easily,” pat comes the reply. “Even while I was with Sun Music I kept shifting through different shows and fought for new shows. Any new show and I would make sure I’m a part of it. I had a great time there.”

While television was on one side, he ventured into Radio and now hosts ‘The Radio City Joy Ride’ during evenings. But interestingly neither RJing nor VJing is as challenging enough as acting for him. “RJing and VJing require me to be myself which is easy, whereas a lot of research has to go in for acting. I have to analyse the character and get into its skin.” After the not so successful TV serial Sindhubad, currently he is associated with a cinema which is at the scripting stage, “It is something very close to my heart and I am also one of the core writers.” he says. ■

PHOTO R. RAVINDRAN

Anandha Kannan loves to be in the spotlight, be it through RJing, VJing or his new-found love, cinema.

13

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Totally British ice-cream British department store Harrods has launched a new range of ice creams with traditional British flavours including Yorkshire pudding, clotted cream, sausage and mash, pork pie, haggis, Cornish pasty, Cheddar cheese, Lancashire hot pot, Eccles cake and Kendal mint cake.

[email protected] Dearest Sowme, We wish you, all happiness and enjoyment in your life. This day will be the starting day of your lovely future. Congratulations Sowme. With tonnes & tonnes of luv, Allan, Divya, Imran, Krithiga, Neeraja, Sowmeya, Svettha & Vinoth, Wipro Technologies.

Hi Sumangali, May this day be the beginning of another special year to you. Let this birthday bring you lot of joy and happiness in your life! Best Wishes from Team GIT – Cognizant

Hi Hariharan, May your birthday bring you as much happiness as you give to everyone who know you. Happy Birthday!! Wishes from Gayathri (Wipro Technologies), Uma, Raja, Viki, Raju, Teju

Hi Stella and Gayathri, Many many happy returns of the day. May all your dreams come true. God bless you. Regards, SIT & UAT, Sherin Joseph, TCS

Dearest Suganya, May this day be the beginning of another special year. Let it unfold many joys and happy moments for you to cherish. Happy birthday wishes from all your loving teammates. With tonnes & tonnes of luv, Allan, Divya, Imran, Krithiga, Neeraja, Sowmeya, Svettha & Vinoth, Wipro Technologies.

Dear Mrs Ambika, Nalla Nanbarakalai nan Ithayathil Vaipathillai. Ithayamaga Vaithirukkiren. Wish You Happy married life. Have a wonderful year ahead with lot of surprises. Best wishes, N.Narayanan, Heroldsuvi, Sridevi, Kavitha, Dhanasekhar, Chaktavarthy, Kumar babu, Nizamudeen, Optimus global Services

Hi Rajani Rani Minz &Ramya Prabhakaran (UST-Global) This is a special birthday wish that comes with love to you. Wish you many more happy returns of the day dear friends, From Your Dear Colleagues UST-Global, ASV Sun Tech Park,

Dear Prasanna, There can be only one person like you who is passionate, supportive, caring, affectionate and what not. No one can fill your space in our hearts. Let us get this opportunity to greet you on this special day and thank god to give you for ever. Happy birthday sweety. With Love, Butterflies, Wipro.

Hi Selva, Happy birthday. Many more happy returns of the day da, may all your dreams come true. From Melmaruvathur guys and Sify Technologies

Greetings Dear Sheshu, Belated birthday wishes. From, Pandi, Rajan, Arjun, Barath, Suresh, Ashok&Indu, Dhana, Apoorva, Kavi, TCS

Dear Ajesh, Wishing you all the best in the year to come. May all your dreams come true not only on your special day but all along your life.. Regards Vanitha.J, Sify

Hi Vaal, Joyeux anniversaire ! Have a wonderful birthday and may all your dreams come true. Have a Great Year Ahead. Sunny Smiles, Lavanya, Sundar, Senthil, Shemida, Sai, Wiproites

Dear Bharathi, Happy birthday to the one who fills my life with so much love! I want you to be happy! Not just at birthday time, but always! May all your dreams come true! Happy birthday Sweetheart! With love, Padma jothi, TCS

Dear Gnanaprakash, Have a blissful married life!! Ungal Thiruma Vazhvil Pathinarum Pettru Peru Vazhvu Vazhga!!

The Space and Rhythm of Leadership Thomas Kuriyan, a martial artist, meditation teacher and holistic healer based in Chennai will conduct The rhythm of leadership, the space of leadership" is a corporate workshoplecture for senior management at Alliance Francaise Where : Auditorium AFM,Alliance Francaise,College Road When: Sep 6

Chinese Film Festival

Best Wishes from Golden Gate Team, Financial Software & Systems

Hi Sadhana, Birthdays are good for you. Wish you many more happy returns of the day. With Love, Shobana & Nisha, HCL Technologies.

Dear Rajashree & Sriram, Happy wedding anniversary. May the coming year be filled with Happiness, Peace and Love. May Gods Choicest Blessings shower on your family. Best wishes from Application Packaging team, Mphasis

Hi Roops, Advance birthday Wishes!! May all your wishes come true. We are all awaiting a major treat. God Bless and the Devil Kiss. Cheers, Roshni, Kannan,Viji, Balaji (TCS) and SVCE IT Gang

My Dear Sundari, Wish you many more happy returns of the day. May GOD bless you and your dreams come true with your efforts. Have a great year ahead. With Luv, UV, Citigroup Global Services Limited.

Hi Sudha, We wish you a many more happy returns of the day. May all your dreams come true. With loads of luv and prayer, Amma, Anna2, Anni, Ammu, Tarun & Aishu (Syntel Ltd)

Dear Nazar, Happy wedding. Best wishes for everything in the years to come. Best wishes from Muruganantham, Narendra, Thilak and Eugene, Hexaware Technologies

Dear Allwin Uncle, Time can make us forget some memories, but there would be some memories which will make us to forget the time – your birthday is one of those. Have a cool day topped with dollops of fun. Cheers from all of us @ Payments, Citigroup Global Services Ltd

The Cultural Office, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, New Delhi, and the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation are organizing Chinese Film Festival from September 3 to 5 at South Indian Film Chamber Theatre. The films to be screened are: September 3 2 Become 1/ Tin sun yut dui 6.15 p.m. The Birthday 7.45 p.m. September 4 Beautiful Homeland 6.15 p.m. Call for Love 8.00 p.m. September 5 Full Moon over Liangzhou 6.15 p.m. Turpans Love Songs 8.00 p.m. Where & When: South Indian Film Chamber Theatre, Anna Salai . Sept 3-5 Contact 98401 51956

TOP 5 EYE MAKEUP TIPS you eye liner pencils in the fridge. Kohl can get soft and 1 Keep smudgy in the sun. Refrigerate the pencils before you sharpen then.

2

Use a white eye pencil to line the insides of your lower lash line. The white would make your eyes brighter

your eyes before you use eye makeup. Lie down 3 De-puff with your eyes shut an a slice of cucumber over each eye.

4

Use a concealer to hide the dark circles, even if you want to go for smoky eye makeup.

metallic eyeshadow for glamour. A light touch of shimmer over 5 Use the centre of the eyelid and on the brow bone would suffice for day.

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Train fanatic convert garden A steam train fan in England has built a working miniature railway in his front garden. Eric Marshall, 68, spent three years crafting the network which features four trains plus stations, signals, bridges, houses, waterfalls and even a working a cable car.

sudoku

Senthilkumar G.A. of HCL-Comnet clicked this picture while returning from work. Cool siesta, isn’t it! Hobbies: travelling and listening to music

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

Over the next two weeks, the photos featured in this column will win special discount vouchers from travel portal www.yatra.com So do send your address.

KAKURO

15

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Lost and found

Word’s worth

A woman in England, who lost her engagement ring in her bathroom three years ago, has found it in a magpie’s nest. Julia Boaler, 36, thought the US$ 10,000 ring had gone forever until her partner Justin Laycock found it in the bird’s nest at the bottom of their garden.

"Faitour" (fay-ter) a cheat, especially a person who shams illness or tells fortunes; an impostor. Since there never seem to be enough derogatory terms to apply to all those who deserve them, this word may come in handy.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 You will be able to concentrate on financial aspects only in the later part of the day. Initially, you may have to focus on work. Your attention is accurate when dealing with financial matters. Lovers will be able to spend some quality time with each other.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 You may waste a lot time in looking for better techniques. You may be able to meet targets after lunch. Keeping this in mind, Ganesha suggests that you should not take up important work before lunch hours. Favourable day for couples to freak out.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Finally you will wake up to the alarming call of your pending work. But if you work with zest, you will be able to achieve astounding results. Ganesha advises you to keep a track on your emotions. On love front, grace of Ganesha will smile upon you.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 You may have to encounter a serious technical complication today. This error may not get solved till the day is over. Ganesha advises you to be patient at work. If you remain flexible and open minded, there will be no troubles in your love life.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 It could be an action-packed day. You may enjoy R and D. Important meetings may be arranged. In personal life, you will not be able to pay due attention. However, your partner may be supportive hence you are advised not to worry.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

Ganesha appreciates you dedication and hard work but at the same time, it is advisable for you to also take care of your health. Progress in professional and personal life will be on a slow pace, feels Ganesha. Don’t try to rush things up.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 The day may not be very favourable for you. In addition to this, Ganesha advises you not to confront anyone at office today. Even in personal life, you may encounter fatigue. Try and remain cool today, especially when dealing with loved ones.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 You will be motivated to finish off all your pending work till now. Ganesha feels that it will be helpful for you if you work in technical field. You can alternatively try developing codes. About your love life, leave everything to the grace of Ganesha.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 You may feel as if you have woken up on the wrong side of the bed. Ganesha suggests that you should take up important things only after you mind is settled. Some incidents in love life may make you more responsible towards your beloved.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 You luck will start rising along with the day. Due to this, Ganesha suggests that all important things like meetings, etc should be arranged in the later part of the day. Love life will be full of charm and excitement.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 This is best day to begin new projects. If you are at a managerial level, you may handle your job intelligently. Love life may be full of charm and you will be in a good humour throughout the day. Your life partner may be drawn towards your appearance.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 You will be very active in your participation at activities at work. However, if time gets wasted, you might get irritated. Ganesha believes that the best way to fight frustration is to remain patient. On the love front, try and be as expressive as possible. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Hip blunder A Prague lawyer has been granted a pardon after trying to sell what he claimed was the Czech president’s hip joint on internet auction site e-bay.

The tale of 200 orgasms A Brit woman is bored of her sex life because she has 200 orgasms a day. The rumble of a train on the tracks, the purr of a hairdryer, the rhythmic drone of a photo-copier are all enough to make Sarah Carmen orgasm. The 24-year-old suffers from Permanent Sexual Arousal Syndrome (PSAS), which increases blood flow to the sex organs. ‘‘Sometimes I have so much sex to try to calm myself down I get bored of it. And men I sleep with don’t seem to make as much effort because I climax so easily,’’ News of the World quoted her, as saying. Carmen, from London, developed PSAS after being prescribed anti-depressants at 19. She believes the pills are responsible for her condition.

Have you read Facebook? The site has become the gossip guru’s ’Deep Throat’

ANI

Disney robots to spy for British troops British soldiers are to get spies in the form of Disney Robots Wall-e as they battle terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Saturn robot spy is a dead ringer for the children’s movie favourite as it navigates, sees and works on its own. Army bosses were looking for gizmos which could identify threats encountered by UK troops on current operations, until Wall-e look-alike robots built by Team Stellar came up. “I am extremely pleased. We worked very hard and it is a fantastic result,” the Daily Star quoted Team Leader Julia Richardson as saying. “I am excited by what I have seen,” Major Matt Kelly, from the Royal Irish Regiment, said.

WHEN SOURCES DO NOT TELL, USE FACEBOOK PHOTO : M_VEDHAN.

ANI

Snobs built Stonehenge Archeologists have uncovered the remains of what they believe to be a 20 feet fence designed to screen Stonehenge from the view of ‘lower classes’ in Britain during the Stone Age. According to a report in the Telegraph, the wooden construction extended nearly two miles across Salisbury Plain more than 5,000 years ago. Trenches have been dug around the monument, tracing the course of the fence that meanders around the stone circle. “The palisade is an open structure which would have been too high to be practical for controlling livestock. It certainly wasn’t for hunting herded animals. So we have to believe it must have had a religious significance,” said Dr Josh Pollard, codirector of Bristol University. ANI

F

or some, gossip has gone digital. While Facebook is the preferred playground of the rich and the bored thanks to the numerous applications, it has also acquired a newspaper-like status by providing peephole news updates of friends and acquaintances. Through ‘news feeds’ one can view relationship status, birthdays, events, ‘wall’ scribbles, photo albums and most importantly status updates. Rithika Sharma (21), a student, says that she was shocked to find out that a friend from school had gotten married. “The last time I checked she was single. But that’s the disadvantage with Facebook. You have the option of setting your relationship status to ‘in a relationship’ and leave it at that and /or include the Facebook link of

the person you’re dating. So, people start getting curious about this new person in one’s life.” Wall scribbles are particularly juicy as acquaintances do not always remember that their messages can be viewed by a third party. As a particular reporter friend confides, “A colleague, who is also on my Facebook friends’ list, got a scribble on her wall from one of my ex-colleagues, saying that the company made a mistake in hiring me. Little did she realise that it made her look like a fool because she was bitching about me in public.” While obituaries have a high hit (pun not intended) quotient with the sexagenarians, it is the birth-

Through ‘news feeds’ one can view relationship status, birthdays, events, ‘wall’ scribbles, photo albums and most importantly status updates

days that excite the salaried 20something professionals. “Men have a tendency to include the year, along with the day and month of birth. With just this information I can open conversation using for example, sun signs and music of the decade. After a bit of research of course!” says Deepika Gupta (23), a copywriter. And for yet some others, Facebook has taken on the online form of Good Housekeeping. “Most of my friends are mothers. Whichever part of the world we are in, we are able to view albums of each others’ children. Because my Facebook is on all the time, I get messages from friends asking for advice or better still we chat through Facebook’s messenger.”■

And while you are at it, check out these top five viral videos

■ Free hugs campaign ■ Will Ferrel in The Landlord ■ Lonelygirl15 ■ Here it Goes Again – Ok Go ■ Kiwi