Ergo September 5

A BYTE OF LIFE

Friday, September 5, 2008

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’POCKET FRIENDLY’ Now pockets even come on evening gowns FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 2

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

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Pulsar to Hayabusa, almost

No. 172

WALL-E Review

» Page 04

» Page 19

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ERGO Friday, September 5, 2008

Tribal crafts

Namma Chennai Flamenco Homeward Bound fusion

Women’s Entrepreneurship Promotional Association will hold their annual exhibition of their members’ products. They include dress materials, artificial jewellery in exquisite designs, scented candles, herbal medicines, handbags, dolls and miniature idols manufactured by tribal women. The sale is on till September 5 at Community Centre, C.P. Ramasamy Road, Abiramapuram.

MITHRA SURESH [email protected]

Ojos de Brujo’s new album Techari brings out a fusion of sounds, but stays grounded in Flamenco. An interesting example of this is the track Todo Tiende which features Asian Dub Foundation’s Prithpal Rajput on the dhol. The same track commences with a tabla portion (Xavia Turull) and moves on to Gypsy-esque hip hop accentuated with rapid Flamenco guitar playing. Rich in rhythms, Ojos De Brujo is a ninepiece band from Spain whose previous album releases include the self-produced Bari. Since, gypsy music itself has its origins in Indian, Arabic and Pakistani music amongst others, the band itself promotes multiculturalism in their music. Another track to look out for is Feedback which features Satyajit Talwalkar on vocals and tabla, Rajinder Singh on the violin and Sawhney who does the programming and flamenco guitar. Still want more fusion ? For further recommended listening on the album, try Runali where Senegalese rapper Faada Freddy of Daara J. You don’t know what he is rapping, but he is in sync with the rapid flamenco guitaring in the background. So what kind of an album is this? Do you listen to it intensely or do you play it while hitting the pedal on the highway? Well, the album is great for light listening, the kind that is heard in the background during dinner with expatriate friends.

This month’s adoption list features animals that have faced tough struggles and have fascinating stories. What they all have in common is the need for a home and people who will love them. SRIYA NARAYANAN [email protected]

Sher Khan: This royal cat is an amputee who is waiting to be adopted by a family that has no other pets and lives in a house with access to the outdoors. Contact [email protected] if you fit the bill.

Black Beauty: This five month old female pup was rescued when she was seen wandering about alone in the CMC campus, Vellore. A bit timid, but once she gets acquainted with you, is very friendly and affectionate. Contact [email protected].

Kittens: For mischievous kittens that tug at your heartstrings with their trusting nature and playful ways, get in touch with Cattitude at devika.khazvini @gmail.com

Crusoe: This five-month old male has a temperament similar to the hue of his brown coat: honey sweet. He has white socks, melting eyes and sharp wit. Email [email protected] if you would like to be his Man Friday.

Puppie s white : Three black puppie s (four puppies and males) th m h pair b ave been res ales and tw ree o fecued fr y the om Protec Anima tion l Welf Mogapare a Contac Trust. nd t aw adopt one or ptshelter@gm ail.com brats. more of thes e gorg to eous

Friday, September 5, 2008

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

The observer’s chronicles Long plane journeys resulted in ‘I Witness: Partial Observations’, Kapil Sibal’s collection of poems ERGO CORRESPONDENT [email protected]

“I

t resulted out of boredom. There’s only so much you can do on a flight.” Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Science and Technology and Minister of Earth Sciences, was speaking on I Witness: Partial Observations, a collection of poems the history teacherturned-lawyer-turned-politician typed on his mobile phone. Partial, because the minister admits that the views expressed are solely his own and not universal truths. At a book-reading session held at Landmark, Nungambakkam, on Tuesday, Kapil Sibal read po-

ems from his anthology, the one on the tsunami kick-starting the evening. MP Kanimozhi was also present. “I wrote these poems mostly for self-entertainment. In May 2008, I was reading these poems to a small gathering, when a journalist suggested that I publish them. At that point of time I had only 15-20 poems ready. By June I had 30-35. Then Khushwant Singh told me to publish them… The publisher of Roli Books asked me to send 100 by the end of July,” recalled Sibal. On Kanimozhi’s query on how it felt to be a poet, Sibal said, “I don’t consider myself a poet.” Sibal calls his anthology a “satire on India” and covers topics like

politics, architecture, feminism, terrorism and love. A few of the poems that the minister read to the gathering included ‘Live Memories’ (on the importance of a hand-penned love letter over an SMS), ‘Left Me Midway’ (on his late wife) and ‘Sunday’ (an observation of the rituals that an average family goes through on Sunday). ‘ Universal Mom’ and ‘My Very Own Journey’ are about the need for parents to let go of their child’s hand. There’s even one on nanotechnology! ‘Defining Moments’ is his dig on politicians, lawyers and journalists. “Looking at things from afar is essential to preserve the beauty of things,” he said. ■

Recalling those good times IIT-Madras Alumni Association to host alumni conclave ERGO CORRESPONDENT [email protected]

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here is over two months before IIT-Madras plays hosts to the PanIIT 2008, but before that if you are longing to catch up with you old college mates then the IIT Madras Alumni Association get-together is here. The old students of IIT-Madras will play host to the first alumni-student conclave on September 6, where it hopes to deepen the strength between its alumni and students. Over 700 alumni and 500 students are expected to take part in the meet which will also see a range of fun events. The conclave promises to be a great place to network especially if you are a budding entrepreneur. A panel discussion on ‘Entrepreneurship’ with Subroto Bagchi of Mindtree and Srini Nageshwar, founder of medical technology start-up, DyAnsys, will be held in the first half of the day. The meet will also showcase some of the initiatives of the association to foster and support entrepreneurship amongst its alumni and students. A number of projects to be un-

dertaken by the alumni as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of IIT Madras will be other highlight of the day-long meet. Projects to be highlighted at the event include: a water resource management programme, an education programme for helping rural schools, a seminar series conducted by the alumni throughout the year and a book documenting the 50-year history of IIT Madras. The event is open to alumni from all the seven IITs,

and is a prelude to the three-day PanIIT 2008. ■ When, Where, What When: September 6; 9 a.m. Where: IIT Campus Where: Alumni meet Contact: 22578391 or email [email protected] A registration fee of Rs. 250 and Rs. 300 (on-thespot registration) will be charged.

Union Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Kapil Sibal, and Kanimozhi MP. and Poet PHOTO S_THANTHONI

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ERGO Friday, September 5, 2008

‘‘ A toast to teachers Big Story

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. That’s exactly what a teacher has done for us and we celebrate this joyous occasion in remembrance of the greatest teachers of India on his birthday. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan

Lessons for a lifetime

How Maths became my favourite Each morning, what I look forward most is the hour when I would be in front of my class. As a teacher, one has an opportunity to shape young minds. The biggest joy is therefore when one sees a twinkle in eyes of the students as one tries to get across a difficult concept. One feels that one has done the day’s work well. Shaping the minds is exactly what my teachers did when I was young. I remember my Hindi teacher, L.V. Singh distinctly. He would teach us Hindi literature and convey to us how literature is reflection of the society of the day. It is he who introduced me to Premchand and therefore to rural India. Through ‘Subhadra Kumari Chauhan’, he taught us the concept of karma and through ‘Jayashankar Prasad’ he taught us the ups and downs of life. My English teacher, Father Carlson, taught us to take responsibility of one’s action. My sports teacher, Lawrence, impressed upon us to work as a team and taught us that “alone one can achieve so little, even in individual sports.” And I can not forget my uncle who taught me Mathematics, when I was barely five – mathematical techniques which I never knew that I would not learn during my formal training, and something which will make mathematics my favourite subject. Today all I can say is that my teachers not only shaped my mind, but also my life. Jhunjhunwala, Professor, IITMadras

They all occupy different seats of power, yet these executives look back up to their teachers for lessons in life. Ergo spoke to some top guns of the city who recall their favourite classroom moments.

Rock climbing and chanting in class I studied at Rishi Valley School and my favourite teacher was Venks Sir (Mr.Venkatachalam) our Physics teacher. He not only taught us Physics but also took us hiking, rock climbing and taught us chanting. He would organise the fireworks at Diwali and without a doubt the cleaning up after. He is one of the most versatile people I have met. He not only made physics fun, but also taught me to look at life positively and also brought in me a “CAN DO” attitude. To sum up he was always cheerful and full of life. R. Ramaraj, Senior Advisor Sequoia Capital, India

Breathing life into Economics

I still recall my Anglo-Indian teacher who taught me at T.R.V. Middle School, Royapuram in Class III. Today, though the school does not exist, her words still linger in my ears. Miss Roseline used to tell us that the greatest satisfaction she prides as a teacher was to hear that her former students occupy respectable positions. That kind of got into my head and that’s probably my greatest inspiration.

What is missing in today’s teachers is patience, that skill to impart knowledge in an inspiring way. One of my English teachers in H.S.S Muthugapatti, Namakkal district was Mr. Reddiar who taught us that the right way to learn English was to understand its grammar, pronunciation and handwriting – everything that goes into appreciating the language. He used to even make us write on sand so that we wrote each letter clearly. My two favourites in St. Josephs College, Tiruchy were Rev Father Dr. Sequiera and Professor Thomas Srinivasan. The former taught me English and his reading of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is still alive in my mind, although he never did repeat the performance. And as for Professor Srinivasan, it is because of him that I learnt Economics and became a University rank holder. But my academic interest in Economics was solely because of Professor Velayudam at Presidency College. It was here that the subject started to excite me, after which I moved on to complete a PhD at the University of Pittsburgh under the guidance of Dr. Mark Pearlman and Dr. Marina Whitman. My only problem with some of the teachers today is that they do not know how to transfer their knowledge. It is all about generating the highest marks and gearing children towards examinations, which is just marginally important.

J. Murugavel, Founder and CEO, Consim Info Pvt. Ltd

Dr. Palani G. Periasamy, Chairman, PGP Group

That Anglo-Indian teacher

Two of my teachers have left an indelible impression on me. Dr. C. R. Muthukrishnan was my Computer Science professor some 25 years ago at IIT-Madras. One of the most intelligent persons I have interacted with. He taught me programming and his teaching was so unique that I never heard anybody else teach as effectively as him. Second is A.S. Lakshman Rao, my history teacher at Sharada Vilas High School, Mysore. History became so alive with his teaching that it instilled patriotism in me. B. Suresh Kamath, Managing Director, Laser Soft Infosystems Ltd.

The decision maker G. Swaminathan was my Headmaster at SBKV Higher Secondary School, Coimbatore. He is one person whom I consult in all the decisions that impact my life – both personal and official. He was responsible for shaping my growing-up years and in kickstarting my professional career. Vaidyanathan P, HR-Head, California Software Co. Ltd. (As told to Liffy Thomas and Mithra Suresh)

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Friday, September 5, 2008

Honouring teachers The origins of Teacher Day are murky. Around 1944 Arkansas teacher Mattye Whyte Woodridge began corresponding with political and education leaders about the need for a national day to honour teachers. Woodbridge wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt who in 1953 persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day.

GRAPHICS: R.PRATHAP

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ERGO Friday, September 5, 2008

Websites of the day

Village

Watch BBC shows online: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/ Things to do in the office if you’re bored: http://www.tbs.com/officefun/

Japan’s Koike to run for prime minister Former defence minister Yuriko Koike joined the race to become Japanese prime minister on Thursday, having secured the necessary backing from 20 lawmakers, Kyodo news agency said. The previous prime minister, Yasuo Fukuda, announced his resignation on Monday. Her opponents will likely include frontrunner Taro Aso, a former foreign minister, and economics minister Kaoru Yosano, who revealed his candidacy on Thursday. Reuters

Marriage problems? Husband’s genes may be to blame The same gene that affects a rodent’s ability to mate for life may affect human marriages, Swedish and U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday. Men carrying a common variation of a gene involved in brain signaling were more likely to be in unhappy marriages than men with the other version, the team at the Karolinska Institute found. Reuters

Remember your loved one - as a diamond Algordanza, a small company based in the mountainous southeast of Switzerland, uses the ashes of dead people to make diamonds as a permanent memento for their nearest and dearest. And with prices starting at less than 5,000 euros ($7,488), the jewels are not solely the preserve of the jetset. “Some people find it helpful to go to the cemetery and grieve, and they leave their grief in the cemetery,” said Algordanza Chairman Veit Brimer. The technology for making artificial diamonds was first pioneered by General Electric in the 1950s, and mirrors nature by subjecting carbon to huge pressure and temperature. Reuters

Singapore ranks in top 10 for wealth funds management Two Singapore sovereign wealth funds were ranked sixth and seventh in the world for good governance and transparency by a US-based economic think tank, a newspaper reported Thursday. Tamasek Holdings was sixth, followed by the Singapore Government Investment Corp, The Straits Times said. The rankings of 100 government investment funds by the Peterson Institute for International Economics put Norway’s Pension Fund-Global in the top position. DPA

JOHANNESBURG TO HOST MISS WORLD PAGEANT It is for the sixth time that the South African city is hosting this prestigious event.

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outh African city Johannesburg has been selected to host this year’s Miss World Pageant. It is for the sixth time that the city is hosting this prestigious event, said the government of Gauteng Province in which Jo-

hannesburg is located. Earlier, the organisers decided to change the previous location of Kiev in the Ukraine after concerns about the conflict in nearby Georgia. Miss World Ltd Chairperson Julia Morley said she was impressed by Johannesburg’s bid as the city implemented its proposal with great speed and professionalism. “This demonstrates that we can stage a successful Miss World in Johannesburg,” she said. Zin Lin Zhang of China won the Miss world 2007. The host country is looking forward to their contestant, current

Miss South Africa, Tansy Coetzee to emulate the successes of former South African Miss World title holders Penny Coelen and Anneline Kriel who claimed the title in 1958 and 1974 respectively. India hosted the Pageant in 1996 in Bangalore but the event was marred by controversies over swimsuit round which had to be shifted to Seychelles. India has won the prestigious title for five times. The last winner was current Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, who won the title in 2000 in London. ■ PTI

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Friday, September 5, 2008

Brit woman in skydive first

This day that year

A British woman plans to make a parachute jump over Mount Everest hoping to become the first woman ever to skydive over the world’s highest peak.

It was on September 5, 1905 the Treaty of Portsmouth was signed by Russia and Japan to end the RussoJapanese War.

Berlin’s suburban trains to get their own fragrance The Paris transport system, the Metro, has had its own scent since 1999

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or the tens of thousands of commuters who rely on Berlin’s crowded suburban trains the days of unpleasant early-morning smells from stale alcohol through reminders of last night’s dinner to overpowering perfumes - may soon be over, transport authorities said Thursday. S-Bahn Berlin, the city’s metropolitan transport company, aimed to tackle the smells by introducing a special scent for the trains. Plans for the perfume are still in the initial stage, with aroma tests planned for November. “The idea surfaced in an inhouse ideas competition,” S-Bahn spokesman Burkhard Ahlert said. "It remains to be seen if we will also invite external test sniffers to select our fragrance." The Paris transport system, the Metro, has had its own scent since 1999, when Madeleine, smelling of lemons, oranges and lavender, was introduced. Some 1.5 tons of Madeleine, named after one of the stations and also a French pastry, are mixed into cleaning fluids and spread on station floors every month. ■ DPA

Jumbo kicks heroin addiction after 3 yr rehab

Holy reading

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our-year-old male elephant, Xiguang, became addicted to drugs in March 2005, after eating a banana smeared with heroin. According to the China Daily, he was among six elephants lured by animal smugglers along the Sino-Myanmar border. The report reveals that the smugglers used the bananas as bait for the animals, which were being brought into China’s Dehong Autonomous Prefecture of Dai and Jingpo nationalities. The newspaper further said that the police captured the elephants in May the same year, and Xiguang was sent to a wild animal protection centre in Hainan three months later, after he was confirmed to be suffering from withdrawal symptoms. For a year, rehabilitation experts gave Xiguang injections of methadone, at five times human doses, and the elephant has now

fully recovered. Xiguang is expected to arrive at the Yunnan Wild Animal Park on Saturday after a 1,500-km journey home. ANI

쒀 An Afghan Muslim reads the Koran in a mosque in Kabul on September 4, 2008, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Muslims all over the world are supposed to go without food, drink, smoke and sex from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan in order to purify themselves and concentrate their mind on Islamic teachings. AFP PHOTO/SHAH MARAI

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ERGO Friday, September 5, 2008

Comic book launch

Technorama

Trust Google to do things the quirky way. For their much-talked about launch of the Chrome Internet Browser, Google opted to narrate the development in comic-book style. Just check out http://www.google.com/ chrome to see the 38-page comic book.

Bling it on... Blingy yet chic and on an attractive metal chain, Transcend JetFlash V90P is the “in” ultra-compact USB flash drive. With its 4GB memory capacity, stylish metal body and golden faceplate with embossed pattern, it’ll give any fashion accessory a tech competition. 50 Cents’ placed a bulk order, we reckon.

Technology snippets first appered in T3 magazine of Infomedia Group

2GB, Rs. 700; 4GB, Rs 1,100, www.transcendusa.com

Lightning speed

GADGET

World’s slimmest smartphone

WATCH Imation’s portable has landed

Secrets in a flash, on a flask No, that’s not a hip flask, it’s Iomega’s eGoT Leather Portable Hard Drive. With its luxury leather casing it makes its lowrent, so-called rivals look about as exciting as, well, an external hard drive. With 250GB of space, you can cram on a shedload of music and movies, as well as work files, if you must. Just don’t try putting Scotch in it.

Imation’s new Apollo Portable Hard Drive comes with a midnight blackbrushed surface. Weighing a mere half a pound, it can pack all your data in its ultra-slim design. Featuring Total Media Backup software, the drive offers backup, schedule, synchronise and restore functions with just a click of the mouse. Rs 4,500 onwards, www.imationsouthasia.com

Full-featured, low-fat blower disrobes Think business-minded smart phones are duller than dry toast? Think again: Samsung’s new i200 is as stylish as it is spreadsheetfriendly. Its 11.8mm depth makes it the skinniest Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone on the planet. It’s friendly with Microsoft’s Office software - that’s Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook - and there’s HSDPA to keep your internet connection nice ’n’ speedy when you’re on the road. Finally, a light sensor dims the 2.3inch screen’s backlight where possible, minimising power consumption, thereby appeasing econazis. Rs 17,000*, www.samsung.com

2 flask, 2 furious

Full-featured, low-fat blower disrobes

Rs 8,500*, www.iomega.com

Jaw-jaw: Phwoar

First plug and play. Then sing and swing Want to mix calling and music with driving? Get the Sony MEX–BT 3600U, a new Bluetooth and USB In-car CD tuner. You can plug in your USB pen drive in the front panel port and browse music files via an LCD interface, or you can enjoy high-quality stereo audio via a Bluetooth compatible Walkman or mobile phone with no connecting wires. It even makes hands-free calling safe. Music is paused automatically when a call is accepted and music resumes when the call is ended. Sing and drive safely then... Rs. 9,990, www.sony.co.in

Flashy deal

The new Aliph Jawbone is half the size of the previous model, and features even better noise cancellation technology, so you’ll be able to hear those “riders on the storm”, even during particularly inclement weather. As an added bonus, it’s also one of the relatively few hands-free sets that won’t make you look like you work in a drive-thru burger bar. Rs 7,000*, www.jawbone.com

Groove on wheels

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Friday, September 5, 2008

When my Pulsar grew up to be a Hayabusa S

uzuki Hayabusa, Yamaha R1, Honda CBR and Ducati Monster are some of the fastest motorcycles in the world. To own one of these state-of-the-art speed and style monsters is a sports bike lover’s ultimate dream. These machines come with hefty price tags and, hence, remain a forbidden fruit for many in India. What if you are an enthusiast and do not have the big bucks to get your dream machine? The answer could be customising or ‘mod’ifying them. Pulsars, Karizmas and CBZs take shape into replicas of Hayabusas, R1s and CBRs in namma Chennai, thanks to some skilful custom motorcycle builders spread around the city. These men can turn your conventional two-wheeler into a look-alike of your dream machine. The only catch in the conversion is the fact that the engine will remain more or less the same. The body, though, takes a shape beyond recognition. Mohammad Jaffer Sha of Pudupet is one such replica bike builder, who has converted more than 20 motorcycles for his clients. He says his clients come to him with their regular motorcycles and demand it to be converted into fancy look-alike super bikes of their

choice. “The bike is completely dismantled, barring the engine, and the entire body is custom-made to match the original super bike as much as possible,” Jaffer adds. The customisation process involves several stages. The bike’s frame (chassis) is cut and widened to increase the length of the vehicle. Imported forks, a wider swing arm, mono shock absorbers, imported alloy wheels and wide tyres with front double disc brakes and back single disc brakes are fitted. The fibre fuel tank and fairing (a stylish engine shield), which are usually moulds replicated after the original, are also mounted on to the vehicle to give it the final touch. Both are given a fancy paint job and stickering. The front meter panel of Karizma is usually preferred for the custom bike as the panel is wider compared to other Indian bikes. Finally, twin custom-made silencers are added (in most cases the left one remains a showpiece). The customising could bring down the fuel economy of your vehicle, but if it is looks that count for you this could be your resort. ■

Original

If you have any specific queries on customising motorcycles, ping us at [email protected]

Dream of 1,300 cc bikes yet stuck with a 150cc decorative piece? Ergo profiles the trend of ‘mod’ing the bikes to make them look like the kick ass monsters

Modified Pulsar

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ERGO Friday, September 5, 2008

Backpackers

Gearing up Singapore is giving workers in the tourism sector a tune-up before tens of thousands of auto racing fans descend on the city-state for the world’s first Formula One Grand Prix night race. Up to 2,000 supervisors who work in shops, bars, restaurants and tourist attractions will receive the four-hour training.

A modern wonder N.JOSEPH NISHANTH

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he echo of enlightenment, the thunder of nature and the wonder of modern engineering, Nagarjunasagar is indeed a temple of modern India. Located at a distance of 150 km from Hyderabad, is one of the most prominent Buddhist centres and a popular tourist destination for anybody visiting Andhra Pradesh. Known as Vijayapuri in earlier times, , Nagarjunasagar takes its present name from Nagarjuna, one of the most revered Buddhist monks, who governed the sangha or the area for nearly 60 years during the 2nd century AD. It is an archaeological treasure trove and various excavations carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India shows it as one of the main centres of Buddhist learning in the Deccan. The Nagarjuna dam, completed in 1966, is 124 metres high and one km long and has 26 crest gates. The lake is the third largest manmade lake in the world. One of the earliest hydro-electric projects of India, the Nagarjunasagar Dam is a symbol of modern India’s architectural and technological triumphs over nature. It is a great weekend destination from Hyderabad and a lot of resorts have cropped up in the vicinity providing great facilities. An island called Nagarjuna konda is situated at the middle of the reservoir and hosts a Buddhist museum. One can also visit the Ethipothala water falls located nearly 15 km away from Nagarjuna Sagar en route to Macherla. The writer works for IBS

How to go: Air: The nearest airport is Hyderabad at a distance of 149 km Rail: The nearest railhead is Macherla, on the Hyderabad-Guntur-Vijaywada railway line. From Macherala it is only 22 km by road. Places to see: Nagarjunasagar Dam Nagarjunakonda Anupa (Buddhist University and stadium) Ethipothala Waterfalls Places to stay: Punnami Vijay Vihar Tel: 08680-277362/277363; Punnami Hill Colony Tel: 08680-276540; Pongal-Ethipothala Punnami Vihar Tel: 08680-277361

Butterflies to tourists Butterfly Garden in Singapore airport

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welcoming tropical sanctuary right in the heart of Terminal 3 at the Changi Airport (Singapore) officially launched its new facility – the Butterfly Garden – in the heart of Terminal 3’s Departure/Transit Mall. The 330 square metre garden, designed as a tropical nature retreat, is home to more than 1,000 free roaming butterflies. One of the fascinating aspects of this garden is the opportunity for passengers to observe the life cycle of butterflies at close range. The two-storey open-air and non-smoking garden is fully enclosed by a curvilinear shaped

roof in stainless steel mesh and glass panels. They serve to keep the butterflies in, maintain exchange of wind and natural air which is vital to the survival of butterflies and maximise the butterflies’ flight activity. The timber walkway allows visitors to experience the garden while the incorporated waterfall feature helps keep the garden cool. A variety of 47 butterfly species that are native to Singapore and Malaysia were specially selected for the Butterfly Garden. These farm-bred butterflies are friendly and receptive to human presence. The garden is kept as close

Butterfly garden to the butterflies’ natural habitat as possible. Apart from the aesthetics and relaxing aspects of the garden, there are features that showcase these winged beauties’ complete life cycle at designated areas around the garden. They include informative panels of fascinating facts about butterflies at the education corners, and feeding corners where butterflies can be observed at a close range. Visitors can also view caterpillars feeding at the breeding corner, and take a peek at the Emergence Enclosure, where adult butterflies emerge from their pupae. ■

PHOTO: AFP

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Friday, September 5, 2008

Eighth wonder of the world Pioneering conservancies struggle to save Kenya’s wildlife jewel

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nvestors and conservationists have dreamt up an innovative business plan to save Kenya’s iconic Maasai Mara, a wildlife haven threatened by overgrazing, farming and mass tourism. Around August each year, swarms of wildebeests come stampeding from neighbouring Tanzania’s Serengeti plains to find pasture in the Maasai Mara, in a great migration recently dubbed the world’s “eighth wonder”. “Twelve years ago, there were 1.2 million wildebeests, last year we had only 300,000. If nothing is done, it could put pay to the migration forever,” says Ron Beaton, a leading Kenyan conservationist. Having lived in the Maasai Mara for the past 34 years, farming wheat before launching a high-end lodge, Ron Beaton knows better than most the dangers looming over the crown jewel of Kenya’s tourism industry. “We could be looking at a repetition of the bison and buffalo disappearance in North America,” he warns. Beaton was one of the masterminds of an idea that came up two years ago and is aimed at making conservation a viable alternative for the Maasais, the main custodians of the country’s wildlife treasure. The Maasai Mara national park is a protected area, but the ecosystem around it – which is four times larger – is privately owned. In 2000, the Kenyan authorities started subdividing the land into small plots for Maasai families. In a pastoralist culture where land had always been considered as God-given, the newly-acquired notion of ownership soon led to tensions between neighbours trespassing to find pasture for their livestock. Cramped for grazing in their shrivelled estates, many Maasais opted for wheat farming or simply sold their plots to developers. In 2006, dozens of Maasai landowners in the immediate surroundings of the Mara reserve and private tourism investors teamed up to create the Olare Orok conservancy. “The new arrangement is that having wildlife earns you money, whether there are tourists or not,” says Kaelo. Using a completely new approach to generating and sharing tourism revenue, Olare Orok hosts four luxury tourist lodges to form a conservancy of more than 20,000 acres bordering the national reserve. The conservancy brings together the 150-acre plots of some 150 Maasai landowners, who lease the land to the tourism partners in exchange for a fixed rent providing better income than what they could achieve with farming. Upon signing the five-year lease, landowners move out their huts and allow wildlife to roam freely in the conservancy, which is run by a management company itself operating under a foundation. Conservationists argue that Kenya’s new conservancy model can also help the Maasais – prone to social woes such as drinking when thrust into an urban environment – preserve their identity by reclaiming their original lifestyle. ■ AFP

At the Olare Orok conservancy within the Masai Mara eco system AFP

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ERGO Friday, September 5, 2008

Portfolio

Liz Claiborne’s spring/summer 2008 and (below) an Indonesian model displays an outfit created by Indonesian designer Priyo Oktaviano during Jakarta Fashion Week 2008

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ay w a e ; now sses v o M sers re ts d d u tro ns an pocke gow flaunt will

A Nitin Bal Chauhan creation for Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week in March 2008.

ockets have usually been a symbol of utility paired with a little quirkiness. Trousers, jackets, coats or even baby-doll dresses carry them off with ease. The gowns, on the other hand, stands for elegance (sometimes far removed from mundane practicality). It’s for the lady whose limo can contain everything except that little cake of compressed powder to touch up a shiny nose, which fits snugly in the mini clutch that she carries. Pockets, actually, don’t belong here. Or do they? Recent shows, such as J.J. Valaya’s opening show at the Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai or even Nitin Bal Chauhan’s at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, are a growing testament to how pockets have started occupying pride of the place on things more pretty, or let’s say feminine and non-pocket-friendly. Even on international ramps, pockets on dresses are gaining popularity, examples being the Cape Town Fashion Week (where Goat clothing showcased models tucking their hands into the pockets of elegant gowns) or the Mikio Sakabe 2009 spring/summer collection of Mikio Sakabe and Shueh Jen-Fang of Taiwan in

Tokyo. The Liz Claiborne spring/ summer 2008 show also saw pockets on dresses. Besides, Oscar de la Renta , Catherine Malandrino and Proenza Schouler have also been fans of the pocket on girly clothing. Red-carpeters like Eva Mendes, Jennifer Aniston and Teri Hatcher are fans, too. The pocket dress, however, is another example of what goes around comes around. Almost a decade ago, labels like St. Pucchi, Catherine Regehr and Bill Blass put the pocket on the wedding dress, probably to let the bride hide twitching fingers and some tissue for those tear-inducing moments. Sceptics have drawn out their swords. Many claim that adding pockets on something as elegant as an evening or wedding gown is nothing short of blasphemy, an invention of those who substitute class with misplaced enthusiasm. Fashion has always been subjective. If you want a pocket on your gown, go ahead. With your hands tucked in, you can even get that models’ gait. One word of caution though – just because your dress has a pocket, try not to stuff your world into it. Leave that for the Birkin. ■

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Friday, September 5, 2008

Ergo Readers, Thank you for your response to last week’s Portfolio column inviting designs for namma Chennai’s t-shirt. Sidharth Our pick, however, are the designs sent by Sidharth of Satyam Computer Services. Not only has he designed the t-shirts, he has also taken the effort to explain the concept behind each design. Sidharth has sent us a total of 10 designs. We pick our favourite five: 1. Go Green is supposed to be the awarenesscreating t-Shirt of the future consequences, depicting ‘Veetuku Oru Maram Valarpom’. 2. Chennai is known as the Cultural Capital of India, hence the silhouette of a classical dancer. 3. Chennai is also known as the ‘Detroit of India’. 4. Chennai is the home of South Indian cinema, producing greats like T.R. Mahalingam, Sivaji, Rajinikanth, Kamal Hasan , M.S. Viswanathan, A.R Rahman, Ashokan, Raghuvaran and more......... 5. Proud Chennaiite – this is what I can call myself. The picture denotes people from various communities. Hence, different colours for the fingers. The heart in the palm symbolises that we love every one of them.

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14

ERGO Friday, September 5, 2008

Wellness

Gene therapy to restore hearing A new study by U.S. researchers has revealed that gene therapy has the potential to restore hearing in mice, offering hope for humans too.

A SINGLE PEBBLE CAN WIPE OUT A VILLAGE SADHGURU JAGGI VASUDEV

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arma means action. Action means we are talking about your action. Once again when it comes to action, you perform action in four different ways. You can do action with your body; you can do mental action, emotional action and energy action. In all these four levels, action is constantly happening. Some of it you are consciously doing, a large part of it unconsciously happening, isn’t it?

Every action that you perform in these four dimensions, the imprint of these actions is always left within you as a residue. So these imprints gather over a period of time and they develop their own tendencies. This is like the software, unconsciously you write your own software depending upon the type of the actions that you perform in your mind, in your emotion, in your body and in

PERFUMES DURING PREGNANCY MIGHT BE DANGEROUS P

regnant women who use perfumes or scented creams may increase the risk of unborn boys developing infertility in later life, a new research by Edinburgh University scientists suggests. The research team reckons that exposure to chemicals found in cosmetics during the pregnancy period of eight and 12 weeks may affect later sperm production. But they stressed there was not yet conclusive proof this was the case. The research team was led by Professor Richard Sharpe of the Medical Research Council’s Human Reproductive Sciences Unit, based in Edinburgh. During tests on rats, they blocked the action of androgens, which in-

clude male sex hormones such as testosterone. The experiments confirmed that if the hormones are blocked, the animals suffered fertility problems. Some of the chemicals which can block the hormones are widely used in the production of items such as cosmetics, household fabrics and plastics. Prof Sharpe said the chemicals may also increase the risk of baby boys developing other reproductive conditions in later life, including testicular cancer. He added that women planning on becoming pregnant should avoid putting any cosmetic products on their skin which could then be absorbed into their bodies. “If you are planning to become

pregnant you should change your lifestyle. Those lifestyle things don’t necessarily mean that you are going to cause terrible harm to your baby, but by avoiding them you are going to have a positive effect. Prof Richard Sharpe said. ANI

Women planning to become pregnant should avoid putting any cosmetic products on their skin which could then be absorbed into their bodies

your energy. Accordingly you write your software. Whichever kind of software you wrote, now after sometime that is how this whole mechanism functions now. Once you write a certain type of software now this whole system functions only that way, isn’t it? It is not written by some other dimension or force, it is written by you but because you did most of it unconsciously, you can’t believe you did it. You went up a mountain, and as you were walking down you just dislodged one small pebble. This pebble rolled down and slowly became a huge avalanche and wiped out a whole village. Now you can’t believe you did it, isn’t it? You can’t believe you did it, because you just dislodged a single pebble, but it has picked up momentum. Similarly what happens to you now is only a consequence of your own past imprints. ■ To learn more about Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev and Isha Yoga, visit www.ishafoundation.org. Call Isha Yoga Centre in Chennai at 2433 3185.

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Friday, September 5, 2008

Fish and lemon

Avoid stress during pregnancy

It has been traditional to serve fish with a slice of lemon since the Middle Ages, when people believed that the fruit’s juice would dissolve any bones accidentally swallowed.

Women who undergo severe stress during or soon before pregnancy may be at increased risk of having an underweight baby.

I love you, Harry Potter If you had a crush on a fictional character, read on [email protected]

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essica Rabbit’s legs or Aladdin’s six-pack, there was a time when as kids we nursed secret crushes on cartoon characters. And now it is time to look at fiction, where the characters do not have faces but are packed with personality. I, for example, had a crush on Fitzwilliam Darcy from Pride and Prejudice and then, later on in college, Howard Roark of Fountainhead and Edward Rochester from Jane Eyre. Of course, their personality traits were somewhat similar – arrogant, aloof and sarcastic. And it is sarcasm that most women are attracted to in a man. A friend, Devika, said that she found the character Foaly the Centaur, from the Artemis Fowl series, attractive for this precise reason. “I liked Foaly for his smartness, cynicism and sarcasm. In our early years we look for men who can impress us. And when real life does not satisfy, our books are all we have!” she says. However, in the dating scenario for men, visual stimulation works. One of my male friends,

Dhruv, said that Jem Scout Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird and Phoebe Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye were particularly strong characters whom he would have liked to have met in real life. “They were almost 10 years old in the books, so it would be very wrong to date them. But Modesty Blaise, who was anything but modest, is top on my list.” And then he adds that men do not drool for ‘textual women’, unless they are Batgirl or Wonder Woman. And then some people like to imagine the darker side of attraction, thanks to books like Perfume and American Psycho. Preeti Jha, who watched Christian Bale in the movie adaptation of American Psycho, says that her attraction towards the self-destructive protagonist, Patrick Bateman, began with the book. “I could relate to his boredom and blunt manner of speech,” she says. For Geetanjali Dutta, the character Jean-Baptiste Grenouille in Perfume impressed her. “That drive to make a perfect perfume, to own the expertise to create a smell that can seduce is to have great power.”■

I liked Foaly for his smartness, cynicism and sarcasm. In our early years we look for men who can impress us

Getty Images

MITHRA SURESH

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hewing gum can reduce stress and anxiety, according to a new research. The study, to be presented at the 2008 10th International Congress of Behavioural Medicine, found that chewing gum helped relieve anxiety, improve alertness and reduce stress among individuals in a laboratory setting. The study examined whether chewing gum is capable of reducing induced anxiety and acute psychological stress while participants performed a battery of ‘multi-tasking’ activities. The use of chewing gum was associated with higher alertness, reduced anxiety and stress, and improvement in overall performance on multi-tasking activities. Andrew Scholey, Ph.D., professor of Behavioural and Brain Sciences, Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia led the research study. In the 40-person study of gum

chewers averaging an age of 22 years old, performed on the Defined Intensity Stressor Simulation (DISS), a multi-tasking platform which reliably induces stress and also includes performance measures, while chewing and not chewing gum. Anxiety, alertness and stress levels were measured before and after participants completed the DISS. Gum chewers showed a reduction in anxiety as compared to non-gum chewers by nearly 17 percent during mild stress and nearly 10 percent in moderate stress. Participants experienced greater levels of alertness when they chewed gum. Gum chewers showed improvement in alertness over nongum chewers by nearly 19 percent during mild stress and 8 percent in moderate stress. ■ ANI

The use of chewing gum was associated with higher alertness, reduced anxiety and stress, and improvement in overall performance on multi-tasking activities.

PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN

Wanna de-stress, chew gum: New study

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ERGO Friday, September 5, 2008

Sport

More T20 Renowned cricketers like Yusaf Pathan, Mohammed Kaif, Khalid Basir and Tafiq Omar will be seen in action at Sirsa in Haryana, during the first Jan Nayak Chaudhary Devi Lal National Cricket tournament, slated from September 5.

SPORT

Asafa Powell (Jamaica) Date of birth: 23/11/1982 Personal Best – Outdoor 100m; 9.72sec; Lausanne 200m; 19.90sec; Kingston National Stadium

Brussels showdown Usain Bolt (Jamaica) Date of birth: 21/08/1986 Personal Best – Outdoor 100m; 9.69sec; Beijing National Stadium 200m; 19.30sec, Beijing National Stadium 400m, 45.28sec, Kingston National Stadium

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lympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt takes on world champion Tyson Gay and Jamaican compatriot Asafa Powell in a mouth-watering, first-ever 100m clash in Brussels on Friday. Bolt, who stunned the Beijing Olympics with gold medals and world records in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, faces his two rivals who have plenty to prove at the Golden League meeting. America’s Gay, struggling with a hamstring injury, never made the 100m final in China while Powell, the former world record holder, was a disappointing fifth in Beijing. However, he illustrated he was still a sprinting force by running 9.72sec at Lausanne on Tuesday, just 0.03sec outside the world

Tyson Gay (USA) Date of birth: 09/08/1982 Personal Best – Outdoor 100m, 9.77sec; Eugene 200m; 19.62sec; Indianapolis

mark that Bolt set at the Games on August 16. “It’s not a problem for me; it will make the race more exciting. I can only say I will do my best on Friday,” said Bolt as he reflected on Powell’s blistering time in Switzerland. “After Brussels I want to go back home. I haven’t been back to Jamaica since the Games and I’m in a hurry.” Since Beijing, Bolt has shown no sign of slacking, running 9.83sec in Zurich and 19.63sec for the 200m in Lausanne.

Competitors ready for the fight Gay said he is “looking forward to it (Friday’s race)” but “I’m not at 100 percent yet”. The American, who picked up his injury in the 200m at the US Olympic trials in

June, had a victorious outing on Sunday at 200m winning in a rainy Gateshead in 20.26sec. Bolt has only ever once met Gay over 100m, the Jamaican beginning his current period of ascendancy with a 9.72sec world record in New York in May, ahead of Gay, who ran 9.85sec. At 200m, the balance remains in Gay’s favour, the world champion having headed the Beijing winner in six of their eight meetings at the longer sprint. Bolt, a newcomer to the 100m this season, has met the former world record holder Powell on just three occasions in their careers. He has a 2-1 record, with Powell having taken a narrow victory in Stockholm just prior to Beijing. Powell leads Gay over 100m by 5-1. ■

BOLT LEADS BATTLE OF THREE SPEEDSTERS

AFP

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Friday, September 5, 2008

‘‘

I still maintain that Laxman needs to be more aggressive on the field and push his players. In Twenty20 cricket the captain pushes and motivates the players it is such a short game. I just felt that Laxman should have played a bit more on the front foot instead of the back foot. Shahid Afridi

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erena Williams felt as if she had just won a grand slam title after scraping past her sister Venus 7-6, 7-6 in the U.S. Open quarter-finals on Wednesday. The American siblings enthralled a capacity crowd of 23,000 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium with the best match of the women’s tournament, a cut-and-thrust encounter which lasted two hours 25 minutes. “I feel like I should have a trophy now,” fourth seed Serena told reporters after setting up a meeting with sixth-seeded Russian Dinara Safina in the last four. “Unfortunately I don’t and I got to go to the next round. I think we played a great match today. It just boiled down to one point here and there. It could have gone anywhere. I just think we were definitely playing the best (match of the tournament) so far. I feel like it was at least a semi or the final,” she said about the quality of the match. “But it’s not, so I’m hoping to play two more matches.” Serena, who edged ahead of her older sister 9-8 in overall meetings, ranked Wednesday’s contest as the second best played between the siblings. “I still think my Australian Open final against Venus was an incredible match,” she said, referring to her 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 victory in 2003.

Epic battle

BATTLE OF THE SIBLINGS FELT LIKE FINAL FOR SERENA

Staying positive “I definitely managed my emotions a lot better,” the 26-year-old said. “That was one thing I really wanted to focus on going into this match, was staying positive. I felt like I got really negative at Wimbledon, and lost any chance I might have had.” A high-quality battle between the Williams sisters seemed in the offing after their storming runs at this year’s Open. Venus, winner here in 2000 and 2001, lost just 15 games on her way into the last eight and Serena one fewer. “We have been playing really with well in this tournament,” Serena said. “I thought for sure we’d be in three sets. I thought, I’m going to go change my dress because I’m really sweaty and put a new one on,” said Serena, who did not have to swap her red dress after all as the match turned on some errors from Venus. “And then I was like: ‘Oh, maybe I won’t have to do that’.” ■ Reuters

AFP

Bhajji row behind Symonds’ diminishing commitment

Lee ready to return for India Test

A

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ndrew Symonds has not forgiven Cricket Australia (CA) for downgrading racism charges against Harbhajan Singh and his sagging commitment dates back to the infamous “Monkey-gate” scandal, according to reports. Symonds, whose commitment is being questioned after he preferred a fishing trip to a compulsory team meeting, and Harbhajan figured prominently in the Sydney row where the Australian all-rounder accused the equally volatile Indian off-spinner of racially abusing him. Eventually, the Australians were convinced by the CA to downgrade the charge, allowing Harbhajan to escape a ban and Symonds just could not digest that, reports “The Age”. “To this day Symonds has not forgiven Cricket Australia for what transpired in an Adelaide federal courtroom eight months ago,” the report said. “Harbhajan’s reprieve infuriated Symonds, who felt abandoned by administrators he believed were more interested in kow-towing to India than protecting their own,” it added. According to the report, Symonds subsequently refused all CA efforts to resolve the issue and his discontent started affecting his commitment to the side. CA chief executive James Sutherland hinted time was running out for Symonds to make the India tour even though he promised all help from the board. PTI

idelined Australian paceman Brett Lee has declared himself available for the upcoming Test tour of India. Lee withdrew from the current one-day series against Bangladesh following the collapse of his marriage, but caught up with his Australian team-mates on Thursday for a light training session and said he was ready to play again. The Australians are expected to name their squad for India next week and depart on September 21, with the first of their four Tests starting on October 9. The 31-year-old admitted he considered skipping the tour, but said he was refreshed and looking forward “to the tough Indian tour.” “India is a great place to tour; the culture, the food, the people, and the atmosphere (and) the crowds over there are just brilliant. Even though they may be cheering for the Indians, they’ve still got a love for Australians,” he said. “It’s a tough place to play cricket, but also very enjoyable.” Lee said it was only this week that he decided to make himself available for India, where he is a huge star but is yet to play Test cricket. AFP

18

ERGO Friday, September 5, 2008

Gangs of New York

Flick mistry between them is convincing though. But the interspersing of these scenes is so sudden that the gripping scenes are left hanging and the momentary effect fades. Kangana Ranaut, in her debut Tamil movie, has done an okay job but she may have to take more classes on lip syncing. Somehow, she does not fit the role of Shenba. On the other hand, Lakshmi Rai, as the Russian-speaking lawyer, plays her role well. She also looks pretty in formals. Jayaram has played a significant role as an Indian embassy officer. This is the movie’s only suspense element so watch to find out. Also, Srinath of Unnale Unnale fame has given a good comedy act. The songs are catchy and the cinematography is justified, especially the hip hop number. But, the BGM becomes quite annoying and repetitive and one of them is an ‘inspiration’ of the 1960s Psycho murder theme. Fantastic landscapes, wintry Russia, serene Pollachi, agile Ravi, a tomboyish Kangana and a chic Lakshmi Rai all caught amidst a conspiracy with a clichéd happy ending is Dhaam Dhoom in a nutshell. ■

Film: Dhaam Dhoom Director: Jeeva Cast: ‘Jayam’ Ravi, Kangana Ranaut, Lakshmi Rai, Jayaram

Indian Born Russian Spiderman

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f you think gun shots and foreign locales are what maketh an ‘english padam range’, Dhaam Dhoom fits the bill. The only catch being that the hero seems like a desi version of Spiderman, jumping off high roofs, getting shot midair in the chest and still ‘running’ to save himself diligently from the Russian police. Dhaam Dhoom, ‘Jayam’ Ravi’s latest flick, is about an Indian medical

student who goes to Russia to attend a conference and gets embroiled in the murder case of a Russian model, played by Kojevnikova Maria. How he proves his innocence forms the crux of the story. Jeeva, the director and script writer, has effectively brought about a ‘different’ movie but the film as such has an inconsistent pace. At one point of time you can see Ravi running around in the streets of Russia and the next instant the scene changes to a village background, where he is seen romancing fiancée Shenba (Kangana Ranaut). The che-

IBRS

ANUSHA PARTHASARATHY & NANDHINI RAMKUMAR

According to IMDB, while filming a fight scene, Leonardo DiCaprio broke Daniel Day-Lewis’ nose. Day-Lewis continued to film the scene despite the injury

19

Friday, September 5, 2008

Black Hawk Down

Titanic

The US Department of Defense gave the producer a platoon of Army Rangers who did the fast rope scenes for war film Black Hawk Down.

The engine room scenes were partially filmed aboard the WWII ship SS Jeremiah O’Brien. Smaller railings and catwalks were installed to make the engines appear bigger.

Epic animation:

Wall-E

Cine City

MITHRA SURESH [email protected]

T

he sci-fi animation Wall-E is visually stunning, and the story manages to grip you despite the lack of dialogues until well into the second half. The movie opens with a panoramic view of New York 700 years from now. The sight is not pretty. The skyscrapers are replaced by bales of crushed cans, the flyovers are deserted and dusty and the only life forms are a waste-collecting robot, Wall-E, and his pet cockroach. Life is routine for Wall-E, until an investigating robot, EVE, is sent to assess Earth’s life sustenance. What follows after is a journey of love, sacrifice, war, exodus and all those themes that epics are made of. And Wall-E is really made on epic levels. If the breathtaking beauty of water and the sea was encompassed in Finding Nemo, the same director, Andrew Stanton, has captured the infinity of space, the wasteland of Earth, the self-destructive existence of mankind in details that can only be appreciated with a second watch.

Little did you know Wall-E’s name is an acronym, standing for ‘Waste Allocation Load Lifter-Earth-class.’ EVE stands for ‘Extraterrestial Vegetation Evaluator’

Film: Wall-E Director: Andrew Stanton Voices: Ben Burrtt, Elissa Knight

Ameer likely to direct Ajith If the Internet buzz is to be believed, Ajith and Ameer are joining hands for a remake. Director Ameer, who gave us Paruthiveeran, has not done any remakes so far. He has apparently told close friends that he plans to remake yesteryear comic flick Bale Pandiya, with Ajith playing the lead. Ajith has shown great interest in doing the project. But nothing has been confirmed officially. www.cinesnacks.com

Jai, Lekha Washington pair up Lekha Washington’s performance in Jayam Kondaan has been fetching her rave reviews as well as good offers. Pushkar-Gayathri, the husband-wife duo, have now roped Lekha for playing the female lead in their next project, titled Raakkoli. Jai of Subramaniapuram fame plays the male lead.

20

ERGO Friday, September 5, 2008

Band Members

Scan

According to IMdb, Writers, Carter Bays and Craig Thomas of “How I Met your Mother” are members of the band "The Solids," which performs the show’s theme song "Hey Beautiful".

PICK OF THE DAY - Friday

HBO

NDTV Imagine

CNN IBN

Star World

The Peacemaker – 9 pm

The Unforgettable Tour Diaries – 10 pm

Late Night Edition – 11 pm

Seinfeld – 7-30 pm Elaine is humiliated when she accidentally shows a bit too much on her Christmas card photo, that she has sent out to everyone she knows

A pair of mismatched government operatives set out to recover stolen nuclear warheads from international terrorists. When missiles being transported on a Russian train are supposedly destroyed, a brash army specialist is teamed with an ambitious female executive.

The show brings together the greatest icons of Indian Cinema Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Ritiesh Deshmukh, on one common platform, the show travels to exotic destinations.

For those who are busy at work the whole day, this is an opportunity to catch up on all the major news stories. .

PICK OF THE DAY - Saturday

Channel V

The History Channel

Star Movies

Tony B Show – 8-50 pm

Bollywood Bosses – 10- 30

Casino Royale

Celeb interviews by an anchor who appears dumb about the guests achievements or expertise. Master of disaster and Prince of Faux pas, Tony B is constantly lost and makes his guests lose their temper.

pm This series dedicates stand-alone episodes each to one A-list filmmaker drawing out insights in their own words through introspection by themselves and their own colleagues

– 9 pm Superb spy action and a blistering return for the new Bond: Daniel Craig is the ruthless double 0 with orders to crush terrorist banker Le Chiffre in a high-stakes poker game

Zoom

The Rakhi Sawant Showz – 7-30 pm Watch all the spicy gossip about our colourful film industry via the bold, brutally honest and much talked about host, Rakhi Sawant

PICK OF THE DAY - Sunday

Star Vjay

AXN

SS Music

Animal Planet

Neeya Naana – 9 pm Polarized sections of the society debate on a topic that affects them the most and they share their views, opinions and counter-arguments. All of which will all be presented in a stylized format.

Spider Man 2 – 8 pm

Just In – 10 pm

When the scientist transformed into super villian after a failed experiment threatens the well being of his city, spider man is forced to battle him. But can he battle his inner demons first?.

The show features music that’s just in from all over the world, in between your favourite shows. So, if you want to be the first to hum the latest tunes of your favourite artists and from the latest movies, don’t miss `JUST IN’.

Way of the Warrior - 11 pm From the monstrous Great White Shark to the tiny army ant to the lethal pit viper these animals are built to kill.

21

Friday, September 5, 2008

Religious tatoo sold A Swiss man has sold an elaborate Virgin Mary tattoo on his back to a German collector.

Greetings

[email protected]

A GLIMPSE INTO REALITY

Dear Renuka & Sathish, To the beautiful couple, Happy wedding anniversary. May the coming year be filled with happiness, love. May god blessings shower on your family. Best wishes, Subba Reddy, Patni

Hi Charlie Many more happy returns of the day. May God bless you with happiness and success in your life. Have a wonderful and beautiful birthday. Best wishes from Subasis Das, Sify Technology

Hi Neeraja, Wish you many more happy returns of the day. May god bless you with health, happiness and let all your dreams come true on this wonderful day. Happy Birthday Neeraja. Annie C. Melinda, New Age Software & Solutions (I) Pvt Ltd

Dear Nandhini, Many more happy returns of the day. Mercury COE wishes you all the very best on your future endeavours. May god bless you and may your dreams come true.

‘Satva’ is a two day event to bring about awareness amongst the general public on differently abled children. It is an outlet for children to express themselves, for parents to work closely and see through the eyes of the children - A glimpse into reality. Where: 21/30, Corporation Community hall C.P.Ramaswamy Road, Opp. To Kirtilal Kalidas, Alwarpet When: Sep 06, 4.00 p.m. – 7.00 p.m.

FULL MOON OVER LIANGZHOU

Colonial India – a look back

Regards, Mercury COE – HITS, Hexaware Technologies Ltd.

Dear Malo, In soft gleaming night of stars, may all your dreams come true. May every star of every night bring love and joy to you. Happy birthday. A Lot of Wishes from Team GIT – Cognizant

Hi M.G.Ram, Many more Happy Returns of the day. May god give all success in your life. Have a dazzling and Flourishing Future. Yours ever-loving Roommates, Ahmed (FSS), Vasanth (IJL), KanagaRaj, Seenu (Softcell)

Dear Tirzah, Wish you a very Happy Birthday. May the coming year be filled with happiness, peace and love. May all your dreams come true. Have a great year ahead. With Luv, Sudha, Emphasis

Dear Nasreen, On this special day, I wish you a very Happy Birthday!! Which will bring you success without delay, loads of joy, and sufficient time to pray. Have a great year ahead! All the very best for your future endeavours! With Best and Hearty Wishes I.Ismail ,Thirdware Solutions Pvt Ltd

Dear Krishna, We wish you many more happy returns of the day. May God bless you with happiness and success in your life. Wishes from Your Eternals, Tata Consultancy Services

Hello Gang, Send your greetings to [email protected], with the word ‘greeting’ and the preferred date of publication in the subject line. Example: “greeting: July4”. This will help us organise the column. Also, those who want to dedicate greetings, please send your full name, company name and contact number for verification. Cheers, Team Ergo

Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation are organizing a Chinese Film Festival. On the fifth, the movie ‘Full Moon Over Liangzhou’ will be screened. Where: South Indian Film Chamber Theatre, Anna Salai When: Sep 05, 6.15 p.m.

The Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Chennai is organising a photo exhibition by Wiele & Klein on Colonial India at Dakshinchitra. The photos exhibited are printed from glass plate negatives from the years 1885 until approx. 1920 which have survived almost one century and today form the Vintage Vignette collection, kept in Chennai. Where: DakshinaChitra, East Coast Road, Muttukadu. When: Sep 07

TOP 5 WAYS TO SPOT A MANIAC 1. Get rid of the obvious. In addition to waving a butcher knife, obvious maniacs will generally stick out because they are weaving through the crowd, sporting a sign that says “The sky is falling at 2 o’clock” or scaling the side of a building in a Spiderman mask. 2. Look for the subtleties. The less-obvious maniacs will have downtrodden or highly excited demeanors, sport a manic glare that gazes only upwards or at

their feet, have clenched teeth or twitching cheeks, or be dressed totally inappropriately for the weather. They are the ones who wear shorts in the snow. 3. Once obvious and less obvious maniacs are spotted, it’s now time to find the hidden maniacs. These will often disguise themselves as a benign lady walking her shih-tzu who starts to freak out if a larger dog comes within 200 feet, a couple

who are wonderfully in bliss then suddenly start screaming at each other for no apparent reason. 4. Listen. People that scream at the top of their lungs about elves in the pantry, talk gibberish or are having a very loud conversation even though they have no cell phone can be safely categorized as maniacs. 5. If you have done any of the above, then stay away from yourself!

22

ERGO Friday, September 5, 2008

Traffic Jam

No flush for Swiss goldfish Swiss goldfish owners are not allowed to flush them down the toilet alive since strict, new animal protection laws have come into effect.

sudoku

John Thomas C.X. of Accenture spotted this rare fish on the ECR Beach. Any guess, folks? Hobbies: Photography and swimming. Email: [email protected]

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

TEAM Editor: Karthik Subramanian [email protected]

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

Head of Circulation: RA. Babu Vijay [email protected]

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Friday, September 5, 2008

Condom lube for acne cure?

Word’s worth

A condom lubricant designed for sex workers and gay men has become a popular acne cure among female Cambodians

"Galimatias" (gal-uh-mat-ee-us) nonsense, meaningless talk. Of unknown origin, first found in the sixteenth century.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 You may be little conscious and alert at office today and see to it that others respect you. If you don’t take care of the schedule or routine, chances of falling sick are very high. You may be very passionate in case of love relationship.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Your energies are concentrated on others at work, specifically if you are a ’team leader’. Ensure that you are not taken on a ride by someone from your team. If your beloved one tries to influence your likes and dislikes, you may not like it.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 You may dedicate lot of time to work and try hard to match frequency with others at work, however, it may be little difficult to strike perfect balance. Your love life seems uneventful but you may be seriously thinking about certain issues related to personal life.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 You will have lot of food for thought even while you are busy doing routine work at office. This is due to your increased desire to progress and reach to a better level on the career front. Love life may be full of emotional expressions.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 You may remain inflexible today. In important meetings at office, you may have very firm views but express them with right words, else people may consider it as your ego. Ensure that you try to be as flexible as you can in love life.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

You may be in a mood to prove others wrong. You may end up criticising your colleagues for no reason. Ensure that others don’t think you are acting too smart. Love life may remain demanding and you may end up confronting with life partner.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Although you believe in complete balance in each and every area of life, today you may imbalance your relations by foul speech at office. You will be very straightforward yet sentimental while dealing with your beloved.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 You may be very assertive and demanding today, says Ganesha. At work, no one will come to you with any weird request or proposal as you seem to be serious in your behaviour. It is perfect time to solve burning issues of love life and start afresh.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 If you have determined to complete a project today, the process of completion may be stretched beyond expectations. In love relationship, you may not be interested in superficial expressions but may expect passionate reaction from your mate.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 Ganesha finds you addressing issues related to group of people or a team today. You should try to deal as nicely as possible with others in order to sort out problems. Today you may be very much concerned about what your beloved thinks of you.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 You will try your level best to achieve success on the career front. There will be a realisation that there is no substitute to the hard work. Ganesha feels that your love life may be sidelined today, for your focus on vocation is much stronger.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Instead of wasting time behind fruitless pursuits, you may be working in right direction without getting confused. Bond between your lover and you may become stronger with help of some gift or sweet conversation. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

24

!

ERGO Friday, September 5, 2008

Flavours of Ganesha

An idol of Ganesha held by another of Shirdi Saibaba installed in Kandulavari Street in Vijayawada. Photo: CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR.

This 43-ft Ganesha, the tallest idol in Visakhapatnam, was installed by Vizag Defence Academy PHOTO: K.R. DEEPAK

Devotees offer darshan at the ‘Instantâ Vinayaka Temple’ (a make-shift Vinayaka assembled on the spot) at Vallalar Street in Purasaiwalkam. A 3-tonne Vinayaka, decorated with 1008 kg of 27 different vegetables, standing tall at 15-ft, at Venkatnarayana Road in T. Nagar. PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN.

PHOTO: S.S.KUMAR