A BYTE OF LIFE Tuesday, January 20, 2009

08 10
DEFENDING CHAMPION RAVEENA TANDON
sails through on her re-entry

FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 3 No. 11

ADIEU,
CHENNAI
CENTRAL
PRISON
Built in 1837, the
historic structure will
be bulldozed soon to
make room for the
Metro Rail Project and
PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN

an extension of the GH

» PAGE 03
02 NAMMA CHENNAI ERGO Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Diamonds for the lady

Tanishq is offering discount up to 25 per cent
on its diamond jewellery. The offer is on till
January 22 at all Tanishq outlets.

Join the club

T
he Chennai Trekking Club is organising
three parallel treks the coming weekend.
A three-day trek to Venkateswara Hills in
South Andhra, three-day trek to Bandajje
Arbi and two-day trek to Javadi Hills.
R-Day blues!
NO WAY!
Venkateswara Hills; January 24-26
Walk the talk across a mountain stream inside
the Venkateswara National Reserve. With
small trails, boulders and rocks, the trek
promises to be real fun for first-timers. The
group will start from Chennai on Saturday
morning and camp at the hill town for two
nights. The place is four hours north of
Chennai and the trek will cover around 30

I
kms. f you are planning to
take the Marina
Bandajje Arbi; January 24 – 26 Beach Road this
The trek would officially launch the CTC - week, be prepared to
Bangalore Chapter. A motley crowd of CTC take some diversions in
members would organise frequent treks to your regular route. Re-
enchanting locations all along Western Ghats public Day rehearsals
and North, North-West Karnataka. have started in the city.
Walk down the jungle trail and climb up the And, like every year, the
hills through rain forests to view the beach road stretch –
enchanting Bandajje waterfalls. from the Light House to
You need to be in good physical condition to Kannagi Statue – is cor-
take this trek. Be prepared to walk for around doned for a few hours in
15 kms. preparation for the D-
Day.
Javadhu Hills; January 24 and 25 The first sign of that
For those of you who thought armanis, was seen on Monday
bvlgaris and hermes were the symbol of morning, 8 a.m. to be 1
fragrances, it’s time to think again. Javadhu specific. The Army, Na-
hills will help you explore more. The hill is vy, Coast Guard, police
located in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu and is and NCC, among others,
home to hundreds of sandalwood trees. The conducted mock drills
club members will go to Kotai Malai (ruins of along the road. Adding
an old fort lie enroute to the peak), Bhima colour to the 45-minute
Falls and along the Kamandalam river through rehearsal was cultural
forests. shows by school and col-
Visit www.chennaitrekkers.org to know more about lege students, though it
the last date to register for each of these treks and was sans the colourful
other details. dresses.
If you are a regular
walker on the beach and
don’t mind catching
glimpses of all that goes
in preparation for Janu-
ary 26, this is your
chance and a perfect
treat. Especially the next
2
two rehearsals (no day
has so far been decided
upon) where the Navy
will show its might
through helicopters,
military tanks and other
artilleries. How many of
us are privileged to
watch Republic Day
from the VIP boxes? ■
Ergo Correspondent

1. Learning the right

moves
2. Chennai Traffic
Police go in sync
3. Officers, you are
not in harmony.
PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN
3
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
03

Former prison to be razed

The 172-year-old Chennai Central Prison will soon make way for the Metro Rail Project and GH extension

T
he historic Chennai Central Prison, in the
heart of the city opposite Chennai Central
Station, is awaiting the bulldozer. In a few
days’ time, the former jail will make way for
the upcoming Metro Rail Project and also an
extension of the Government General Hospital.
The British structure, constructed in 1837, is
built on a sprawling 13 acres, housing 257 cells
inside a total of 12 blocks. Then serving as a
penitentiary, the prison was also a transit jail for
prisoners taken to the Cellular Jail in Port Blair,
Andaman. Many famous names from history
books, including Veer Savarkar, were inmates
here.
Turned Central Prison in 1957 till it was shift-
ed to Puzhal in December 2006, the historic
prison has housed several leading state politic-
ians, including former Chief Ministers C.N. An-
nadurai and J. Jayalalithaa and present CM M.
Karunanidhi. Even LTTE supremo Vellupillai
Prabhakaran was lodged here between 1985 and
1986.
In November 1999, a prison riot broke out
following the death of an inmate and two jail
officials were killed brutally.
Additional Director General of Police (Pris-
ons) R. Natraj visited the complex of the former
prison on Monday afternoon. “The complex has
been formally handed over for the construction
of the Metro Rail Project and an extension of the
OP block of the Government General Hospital.
The structure will be razed down in a few days,”
he said. “The prison doesn’t have much histor-
ical significance except for some freedom fight-
ers who have been inmates here. The
dilapidated condition of the prison rules out any
preservation work. Moreover, the land will be
used for a good cause,” he added.
One of the primary reasons behind shifting
the prison was its proximity to the railway sta-
tion, bus stop and port, which could provide an
easy escape route for its inmates. The first pris-
oners to escape the jail post-Independence, in
the late ‘80s, were the notorious criminal Auto
Shankar, his brother and two of his accomplices. (From top) One last visit to
Later, a group of LTTE members also jumped the former prison complex
the prison wall and escaped on the train. ■ by ADGP (Prisons) R. Natraj
along with press and
prison staff on Monday
The historic prison has housed afternoon; a cell corridor;
several leading state politicians, an inside and outside view
of a prison cell. PHOTOS: R.
including former Chief Ministers RAVINDRAN
C.N. Annadurai and
J. Jayalalithaa and present
CM M. Karunanidhi. Even
LTTE supremo Vellupillai
Prabhakaran was lodged here.
04 ERGO Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Technorama
Eye Candy
The New-Era series of Hitachi LCD TVs ranging from 32-47 inch is out. Use of S-IPS
panels guarantees a super-wide viewing angle, brilliant colours and impeccable black
levels. Hitachi claims 178 degree of viewing angle and 5ms response time, which is
indeed good for a S-IPS panel. These new TVs are also equipped with three HMDI
ports and a swivel stand.
Rs 42,000 onwards, www.hitachi.co.in

Blue
and Me
Wouldn’t it be great if your in-car entertainment device received
your incoming calls?
That’s exactly what the Blaupunkt’s Hamburg MP68 does. This car
audio receiver has a built-in Bluetooth module, which pairs with a
Bluetooth enabled cellphone and relays incoming as well as
outgoing calls.
With PABP support, this kit also show the name of the incoming
caller on its dinky screen. It can keep track of 500 phone book
entries and support for A2DP means you can even play music via
a cellphone or listen to it on a Bluetooth headset.
Rs 19,990, www.blaupunkt.co.in

The Snippets sourced from T3 magazine of Infomedia Group

Big Bang
NVIDIA’s Tesla PSC marks the dawn of a
true personal super computers era. Built Bright Star
around 960 cores and 4 TeraFlops on tap,
this supercomputer is small enough to
nestle beneath your desk. With 250x the
performance of a desktop PC, this is the
What The NP 600 from NEC is unique in the way that it can be directly
controlled over a network using the built-in RJ45 connector. Rated
at 3000 lumens, it can be used in a well-lit room without the colours
only
computer
you will ever
need. Are
is going pale. VirtualRemote feature banishes the need for a physical
remote control as the functions can be controlled from the
presentation laptop itself.
Auto- Input funtion selects and recognises the connected signal
you listening,
Mr Olson?
Rs 2,50,000
onwards,
PBAP?
It stands for Phone Book Access
source while, Auto Power On automatically wakes it from its
slumber. To keep the projector safe from prying eyes, it can be
password protected and Kensington lock is provided too. If you are
low on dough consider the other two NP400 and NP500 units.
www.nvidia.in Profile, which is a standard to TBC, www.necindia.in
exchange phone book objects
between a car kit and a cell
phone. This enables the car kit
to display the name of the
incoming caller.
Built-in Bluetooth module pairs
with a cellphone and lets you
make a call. You can also listen
to music from a Bluetooth
enabled phone
The alpha-numeric keypad makes
it easy to place a call. The LCD
displays incoming calls.
 Tuesday, January 20, 2009
05
Backpackers
Hello Backpackers,
We are back after a break, and we are sure you
too have lots of interesting travelogues to share with us.
Remember, this space is yours. Send us short articles with
plenty of photographs on some lesser-know travel
destinations that you have explored, either yourself
or with your team. Email: snapshot@goergo.in

Sunset and serenity

I
have travelled to a number of places in the South
like Kanyakumari, Rameshwaram, Trivandrum,
Tirumala, Madurai, Dhanushpatti and Padma-
nabhapuram, but my two-day to Kanyakumari re-
mains my favourite.
It was in February 2008 that we visited Kanyakuma-
ri, after stopping at Madurai. We reached in the after-
noon and after taking rest we set out to see the sunset.
To our bad luck the clouds played hide-and-seek and
we missed the view. We again set out the next morn-
ing to try our luck.
It was the most spectacular view I saw.
Our next stop was at some of the famous temples in
PHOTO: BINITA PAUL
l
the place. We also made a trip to Vivekananda rock by
boat – it was good to see the clear and shining cur-
rents of the sea.
Visiting the southernmost tip of the Indian sub-
continent and seeing the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal
and the Indian Ocean was just amazing. We thought
of visiting Thiruvallur Statue by boat but due to the
construction work they had closed the route. Besides
sightseeing, we also attended a small session on Vive-
kananda. On the whole, a trip to remember.
(Binita Paul came to Chennai from Kolkata and
currently works with IVTL Infoview Technologies Pvt.
Ltd, Navallur)

Go with the wild

A
long with my brothers, we
went to Parambikulam
Wildlife Sanctuary in Kera-
la. We were at the island for
one day and the next two days
camped at the tree-top wood
house that overlooked the wild. It
was fun to watch several animals
– elephants, deer, Indian wild
dog, Malabar squirrels, bison and
various species of birds at a very
close distance.
There were watch towers built
on the tree at a height of 40 ft - 50
ft, which made it easy to see a lot
of animals in the night. Especially
in summer season, a lot of ani-
mals come to the lake and the
sight is awesome.
The special attractions in Pa-
rambikulam are Kannimara Teak,
Dam View Point, Valley View be around 400 years old.
Point, Lake View Point, Param- Parambikulam is the place to
bikulam Dam and Thunakadavu stay. Tree-top houses, island,
Dam. We did get to see one of the watch towers and guest house are
largest teak trees in the world – the places they offer for tourists
Kannimara Teak has a breadth of to stay.
6.48 m and height of 48.75 m. (Arun Jayaraj R. works with
The Kannimara is believed to Sutherland Global Services)
How to get there by road: From Palakkad (Kerala) - 100
km; From Coimbatore - 84 km; From Pollachi – 38 km
Bus Timings (TNSTC): From Pollachi to Parambikulam; 6.15
a.m. and 3.15 p.m.;
Parambikulam to Pollachi 8.45 a.m. and 5.45 p.m.; Pollachi
to Topslip 11.20 a.m.
Place to see: Kannimara Teak, Dam View Point, Valley View
Point, Lake View Point, Parabikulam Dam, Thunakadavu Dam
Things to do: Animal spotting, boating and more
06 VILLAGE ERGO Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Package goes to pot

A man in Texas who was expecting a
shipment of tools instead received a
massive brick of marijuana that police
say is worth more than $10,000

Shoe thrower wants asylum Captain faces jail over

in Switzerland Indonesian ferry disaster
An Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes at US President George W. The captain of a ferry
Bush in Baghdad last month is to seek political asylum in Switzerland, that sank off Sulawesi
a Geneva lawyer told the daily La Tribune de Geneve on Monday. “At island last week leaving
the beginning of the month his family contacted me via the ICRC up to 335 people dead
(International Committee of the Red Cross) and I shall write this week is facing five years in
to the federal department (ministry) of foreign affairs to encourage jail for negligence,
Switzerland to grant him political asylum,” lawyer Mauro Poggia told Indonesian police said
the paper. Switzerland could give him asylum “without taking a on Monday.
position for or against the American intervention in Iraq,” he said. Only 35 people
AFP survived and nine Survivors being rescued off
bodies have been Teratai Prima. AFP FILE PHOTO
found since the 700-
tonne Teratai Prima sank on January 12 in heavy seas
Tibet to mark suppression of whipped up by a tropical storm in the Makassar Strait with
up to 370 passengers and crew on board.
Dalai Lama-led rebellion “The ferry captain, Sabir, faces a maximum jail sentence of
China announced on Monday that Tibet would each year five years,” South Sulawesi district police chief Ruslan
have a special day to celebrate the Chinese military’s Nicolas said. National police spokesman Abubakar
crushing of a Dalai Lama-led rebellion and the “freeing of Nataprawira said the captain would be charged with
slaves” 50 years ago. ignoring a storm warning when he set sail from Pare-Pare
The Himalayan region’s parliament unanimously approved on the afternoon of January 11 for the overnight journey
the motion to make every March 28 ‘Serf Emancipation to Samarinda, Borneo island. The disaster is the worst of
Day’, the official Xinhua news agency reported. its kind in Indonesia since December 2006 when a ferry
“On March 28, 1959, Tibetan serfs and slaves, who sank in a storm off the coast of Java, killing more than
accounted for more 500 people.
than 90 percent of the AFP
region’s population,
were freed after the
central government
foiled an armed ‘Lost in Space’ actor Bob May dies
rebellion staged by the Bob May, who won a cult following as The Robot in the hit 1960s television show Lost in
Dalai Lama and his Space, has died of congestive heart failure. He was 69. May died at a hospital in Lancaster, his
supporters,” Xinhua daughter, Deborah May said. His entertainment career spanned more than 65 years. He was a
said. veteran actor and stuntman who had appeared in movies, TV shows and on the vaudeville
It was not immediately stage when he was tapped by Lost in Space creator Irwin Allen to play the Robinson family’s
clear on Monday loyal metal sidekick in the hit series that debuted in 1965. Lost in Space was a space-age
whether ‘Serf retelling of The Swiss Family Robinson story in which Professor John Robinson, his wife and
Emancipation Day’ their children were on a space mission when their craft was knocked hopelessly off course by
would just be a the evil Dr. Zachary Smith, who became trapped in space with them.
commemorative day or a Although May didn’t provide the robot’s distinctive voice (that was done by announcer Dick
public holiday in Tibet. Tufeld), he developed a devoted following of fans who sought him out at memorabilia shows.
AFP PTI

Dumpster couture makes foray into Obamaworld

Nancy Judd salvaged discarded voting material from US Presidential election and turned it into clothes

N
ancy Judd’s latest ven-
ture in the fashion world
began with a trip to the
dumpster. It was the day
after Barack Obama’s historic
November 4 election win, and
the environmental artist and
educator went dumpster diving
behind the Obama campaign
headquarters in Albuquerque,
New Mexico, desperate to col-
lect any salvageable materials.
“I made a mad dash around
town. In many cases, they had
already started throwing things
in dumpsters and I was pulling
decals and I was finding draw-
ings by children and all kinds of
amazing materials that I felt
like I just wanted to save... then
it was just an obvious next step:
since I make clothing out of
trash, I am going to make a col-
lection of garments and take it
to the inauguration.”
Judd unveiled her ‘Campaign
for Change Couture Collection’
Saturday at the Green Inaugu-
ral Ball.
The centrepiece was ‘Oba-
manos’, a 1950s vintage men’s
coat adorned with countless
hours to make. “I interpret it as
we are Obama, we are this
movement. It’s a tribute to the
millions of people who worked
for him,” she says.
Although the suit was tai-
lored to fit Obama, wearing it
would not be an easy affair.
“There’s a little bit of move-
ment back and forth, but he
can’t wave,” Judd explains.
Crafting a single one of her
handmade garments usually
takes about six months to
make, Judd says. But with the
help of some 20 people in her
AFP PHOTO

material out of dumpsters,” 1.5-inch (4-centimeter)-long studio, she wrapped up all

Judd says. strips of Obama campaign door three pieces in just two
“I started seeing posters and hangers that Judd said took 200 months. ■
 Tuesday, January 20, 2009
07
One look is all it takes
Snapshots from the ’We Are One’ concert,
one of the events of Barack Obama’s
inauguration celebrations, at the Lincoln
Memorial in Washington on Sunday

Barack and Michelle Obama

Barack Obama’s daughters Malia (L) and Sasha (R) walk past a group
of photographers as they arrive at the ‘We Are One’ concert

PHOTOS: AFP

Sheryl Crow (L) and will.i.am Bruce Springsteen Bono

08 SPORT ERGO Tuesday, January 20, 2009

No pay cheque
Two Indian orphans lost out on a much-needed payday at the Mumbai marathon as
they could not afford the Rs. 200 for timing chips in their shoes on Monday. The
18-year-olds, Sunita Kanna and Savita Kamble, members of a local sports trust for
orphans, came fourth and fifth in the women’s half-marathon. Kanna would have
won Rs 25,000 and Kamble Rs. 20,000 if they had the chips embedded in their shoes.

Sania back with a bang

J
elena Jankovic and Novak “It took me some time to adjust battled some injuries last year so
Indian starlet Sania Mirza made a successful return Djokovic led the charge into (to the conditions) in the begin- it was kind of tough getting
from a long-term wrist injury on Monday when she the Australian Open second ning, but I’m very happy that I back and being able to train.
downed Marta Domachowska of round on Monday, while took opportunities I had,” said (Winning Slams) is the ultimate
Poland in straight sets at the fellow Serb Ana Ivanovic sur- the 21-year-old, who went off goal and I’m excited to start
Australian Open. After missing vived early tournament wob- the boil in the second half of last here.”
the latter half of 2008 Mirza bles. Under blazing sun, world season after winning at Roland Spain’s David Ferrer, the 11th
showed she was now fully number one Jankovic brushed Garros. seed, joined him in the next
recovered with her emphatic aside Yvonne Meusburger 6-1, Seventh seed Vera Zvonareva round after surviving a mara-
victory over the world number 61. 6-3 in impressive fashion as she spearheaded Russia’s assault on thon five-setter with journey-
“It was a great way to begin after searches for a maiden Grand the first Grand Slam of the sea- man Denis Gremelmayr,
such a long break,” Mirza said Slam title to silence the critics son, hoping to capitalise on the outlasting the German in just
after her 6-1, 6-4 first round who question her ranking. absence of compatriot and de- over four hours. Argentinian
romp. fending champion Sharapova. hotshot Juan Martin Del Potro
“I’ve not played a match in almost six months now. Novak sails through She has an outside chance and routed Germany’s Mischa Zve-
I’m just happy to have come through. I feel like I’ve Defending champion Djokov- she made sure of living to fight rev 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 while former
been hitting the ball really well over the last few ic, the third seed, was equally another day by seeing off Mag- runner-up Marcos Baghdatis and
days but I was a bit nervous when I went on because formidable, seeing off a late re- dalena Rybarikova of Slovakia 16th seed Robin Soderling also
there’s a difference between being fit and being vival by Italian qualifier Andrea 7-6 (7/2), 6-0. Other women pro- progressed.
match-fit.” Stoppini to win 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. Sev- gressing included French 15th Mercurial Marat Safin also
Mirza, who was close to breaking the top 30 before enth seed Andy Roddick was al- seed Alize Cornet, who ended brushed off questions about
her injury, said she hadn’t given Domachowska a so firing as he crushed Swedish the dreams of Ukraine’s Mariya possible retirement after he de-
chance until she tightened up in the second set when qualifier Bjorn Rehnquist 6-0, Koryttseva, and French 15th stroyed Ivan Navarro of Spain
victory was in sight. And she said she was thrilled to 6-2, 6-2. But French Open cham- seed Marion Bartoli. 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. ■
be back competing after wondering at one stage pion Ivanovic, seeded five, AFP
whether she would ever play again. “My wrist is struggled before downing Ger- Roddick muscles his way
holding up fine, which is good because that was my many’s Julia Goerges 7-5, 6-3. Roddick, a three-time semi-fi-
greatest concern,” she said. Mirza suffered the injury Her Serbian compatriot Jankovic nalist here, raced through his
to her right wrist in March and had surgery in April. said her feet were burning as match and said adding another Jankovic, Djokovic
She returned in time for Wimbledon but was forced temperatures soared at Mel- Grand Slam title to his 2003 US
to withdraw from all tournaments after losing in the bourne Park, but managed to Open win remained his “ulti- lead charge into
first round of the Beijing Olympics. keep her cool as she benefited mate goal”. “I’m 26 so I’m not
AFP from a brutal off-season training quite over the hill,” he said. “I Open second
regime.
Djokovic, who won his maid- round
en Grand Slam in Melbourne last
Extreme heat hits players hard year, was relieved to get off to a
winning start after an indiffer-
The scorching Melbourne heat played havoc at the ent month, with two defeats al-
Australian Open on Monday with Marcos Baghdatis ready. He admitted he was
saying he felt physically sick and Jelena Jankovic feeling the pressure of being the
complaining her feet seemed to be on fire. Extreme champion. “Look, there is pres-
temperatures are a perennial problem at the sure. But it didn’t affect me to-
opening Grand Slam of the season and Baghdatis, a day,” he said. “I’m still trying to
runner-up here in 2006, was affected by the beating find the rhythm and slowly get-
sun more than most. ting there.”
“The conditions, the sun, the sun, it’s just very
strong,” said the Cypriot after outlasting Frenchman Anna scrapes through
Julien Benneteau 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 in temperatures Ivanovic, the fifth seed who
reaching 35 Celsius. “Just even being out there, you lost last year’s final to Maria
cannot breathe,” he added, saying it was some of Sharapova, failed to dominate
the toughest conditions he had ever experienced. against a player ranked 107, re-
World number one Jankovic, angling for her first inforcing fears that she may not
Grand Slam title, also suffered, complaining that he be ready for another Major title.
feet were on fire and resting them on ice at the
changeovers in an attempt to cool them down. “The
court gets so hot, it’s normal that the soles of the
shoes will get hot as well,” she said after beating
Austria’s Yvonne Meusburger 6-1, 6-3. “Especially
when you’re moving, from the friction, it gets
warmer and warmer. Really it’s like fire, my soles of
my shoes.”
AFP

PHOTO: AFP
Seeds have it easy
 Tuesday, January 20, 2009
09

‘‘
I was not happy and very disappointed with the turn out of events (in
2005). There were players like Harbhajan (Singh) and (Virender) Sehwag
who stood up and then had to face the brunt of getting dropped. I knew something
wrong was happening at the selection.
Sourav Ganguly on being dropped from the Indian side after his spat with coach Greg Chappel

r , a t l a s t
l - r o u n d e
An al
AYON SENGUPTA
ayon@goergo.in

R
avindra Jadeja’s stellar performance in the just-concluded Ranji Trophy has catapulted him to
national recognition and the Saurashtra all-rounder is ready to break into the big league as the
national side tours Sri Lanka.
“It’s a huge moment for me to be selected for the national side. Now I just need to go there, give
my best and prove that I belong there,” Jadeja says. “The onus is on me to make good of the chance. The
other factors that are so important for any sportsmen, like coaching and selection, have done their part.”
Jadeja, along with Cheteshwar Pujara, has been the mainstay of the Saurashtra team that had reached
the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy and had also captured the Ranji Trophy One-Dayers last year. Picking
up 42 wickets this season with his slow left-arm spin, he shouldered the bowling responsibility for his side
and also came good with the bat, scoring 739 runs that included a mammoth unbeaten 232 against Orissa
RAVINDRA
in the group stage. He shared a record-breaking 524-run partnership with Pujara in the same match.
“That innings gave me a lot of confidence. Previously, I was more of a bits-and-pieces player but that gave
me the belief to aim higher,” the 20-year-old says. “But I think the IPL also played a huge part, giving
JADEJA’S RANJI
youngsters like me an opportunity to play against and along a few of the biggest names.”
Jadeja’s state coach, Debu Mitra, has full faith in his ward and feels he can be the right player to fill in as
a genuine all-rounder in the Indian side. “He has the talent and also the resolve, so there is no question
that he will succeed. But that is not everything; a lot of domestic players have that. You also need the
TROPHY AND IPL
right guidance and also the right break,” the former Bengal batsman who was also Sourav Ganguly’s first
coach says. “As a coach I just had to instil the feeling that he can do it. He already had everything that is STINTS HAVE
PHOTO: PTI

required of a good player.”

It is after a gap of 23 years that a player from Saurashtra made it to the Indian side; the last player to
play an international from the side was spinner Dilip Doshi, who was part of the Indian Test side. ■ PAID OFF
10 FLICK ERGO Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Aniston wants own restaurant

The actress says she would have become a
restaurateur if she hadn’t found success on the hit
sitcom ‘Friends’. “I always thought it would be fun
to own a restaurant. My family is Greek, and many
of them own restaurants and coffee shops.”

‘I will only do roles

RAVEENA HAS
JOINED THE THAT
suit my age’
BANDWAGON OF
ACTRESSES LIKE
KAJOL, JUHI
CHAWLA AND
MADHURI DIXIT,
WHO ARE FULL-
TIME MOMS BUT
DON’T MIND
FACING THE
CAMERA IF THE fans, who want to see us back on
screen,” she added.
ROLE IS GOOD Raveena bid adieu to filmdom af-
ter tying the knot with film distrib-
ENOUGH AND utor Anil Thadani in 2004. She is a
SUITS THEIR AGE proud mother of three-year-old
Rasha and one-and-a-half-year-old
son Ranbir. She says the two take all
her time and running around them
keeps her fit and slim.

K
nown once as the Mast Mast
girl of Bollywood, Raveena
Tandon has been on a long
sabbatical from movies after
marriage and motherhood. She now
faces the arc lights for Revathy’s Just
Aap Ke Liye and says she will accept
films only if the roles suit her age.
“I am very realistic and I want to
do something that suits my age be-
cause now I cannot see myself do-
ing some silly stuff,” Raveena says.
“I do not want my kids to feel em-
barrassed. I have to make them
proud and that is why I want to do
only selected movies,” added the
National Award-winning actress.
She refused to divulge anything
about Just Aap Ke Liye.
Raveena, 34, has joined the band-
wagon of actresses like Kajol, Juhi
Chawla and Madhuri Dixit, who are
full-time moms but don’t mind fac-
ing the camera if the role is good
enough and suits their age.
“Thanks to the changing scene of
the film industry, there are no more
clichés attached to you being mar-
ried. Now characters are churned
out in such a way that if you fit the
bill, you can prove your mettle irre-
spective of your age and marital sta-
tus,” Raveena says.
“The media too deserves credit
for this because they do not allow us
to hide and are always interested in
knowing about our whereabouts.
This helps us in connecting with our
“I am a full-time mother and the
whole day is spent running after my
kids. This, in fact, has helped me get
rid of my pregnancy fat. They are so
active and full of energy that some-
times it gets very difficult to match
their energy levels,” says the actor.
“It is a pleasure watching them
grow and see their smiles and an-
swer their out-of-the box ques-
tions,” she adds.
Raveena also maintains that be-
ing a parent has taught her all those
things that her parents used to
preach.
“Being a responsible and a good
parent is a tough job, but I am sure
we will be able to teach them what
our parents taught us, and impart
all the values that can keep them
grounded.”
Last year, Raveena was the judge
of the TV reality show Chak De
Bachche on 9X, but right now she is
taking it easy.
Does she miss the fun-filled life of
Bollywood?
“Not at all... because most of the
time then I was juggling between
shoots and the studios, and dancing
in leather pants under the hot sun,”
she replies.
The actress has worked in movies
like Andaaz Apna Apna, Satta, Ziddi
and won the National Award for her
performance in Daman. ■
IANS
 Tuesday, January 20, 2009
11
Loser of the year
British singer Amy Winehouse has been crowned
‘Loser of the Year’ for the second time. The 25-year-
old singer won the accolade at the Virgin Media
Music Awards 2008, which were voted for by nearly
three million members of the public.

Kate Moss’ Cine City

b’day bash
menu puts
off veggie
GETTY IMAGES

pals

T
he menu at Kate Moss’ 35th birthday
bash reportedly left her vegetarian
friends with little appetite.
According to a source, servings of
roast suckling pig did enough to turn the
stomach of pal Stella McCartney, who was al-
so said to have spotted a stag antler hunting
trophy on a dining room wall.
The former Beatle’s daughter was appar-
ently taken aback when she further found
scattered fur rugs, squirrels and stuffed birds
at the Medieval-themed party at the super- Circus remake
model’s home. “Stella went up to Kate and Soundarya Rajinikanth is all gaga over Dayal’s
slapped her playfully on the arm,” the Mirror quoted Kannada blockbuster Circus starring Ganesh and
a source as saying. Archana Gupta. If grapevine is to be believed, Four
“Stella said, ‘Hey, missy, couldn’t you have got a Frames theatre had a special show of the movie for
fake deer’s head?’ Stella also told her she was un- Soundarya and she has decided to produce it in
impressed by the stuffed birds, squirrels and fur collaboration with Warner Brothers. We hear that
rugs,” the source added. ■ either Vijay or Dhanush could be signed for the
ANI remake. Let’s see who the lucky one is.

Downey Jr. upset with

Guy Ritchie
A ctor Robert Downey Jr. is
unhappy with British di-
rector Guy Ritchie for mak-
ing him wear four-inch
platforms in his shoes for the
Sherlock Holmes movie.
According to thesun.co.uk,
Ritchie made him wear the
heels for every scene with
co-star Jude Law because he
thought the duo of Watson
and Holmes would have
RJ on the block
Vedhika is doing her best to get as realistic in her
been the same height. new role as radio jockey in her upcoming movie
A source said: “Rob was Malai Malai opposite Arun Vijay. She had gone to
stumbling around a lot and Mumbai and taken training from some of her RJ
cursing Guy over the silly friends. The graceful actress who has acted in
shoes.” ■
GETTY IMAGES

Muni, Kaalai and Sakkarakatti says that acting is

IANS her priority and she would love to do roles that
offer scope to perform.
12 ERGO Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Balaji from RR
Monday’s Donnelley has
nominated his
Question: colleagues as
Partners in Crime.
Do you think This pic was clicked
at GRT Temple Bay
"Slumdog inMahabalipuram.

Millionaire"
romanticises
poverty or just
holds a mirror to
our society?
■ It romanticises poverty but
it was done nicely.
Unfortunately that’s also a
reflection of the society at
large
Sridhar R Prakash from Infosys
STG has nominated his
friends as Partners in
■ Slumdog Millionaire Crime. This pic was
definitely shows pure clicked at Dhaba
reflection about our society. Express, Chennai.
Such movies have to be
welcomed.
ARS
Perot Systems

■ Slumdog does have a

masala flavour to it.
But it has the guts to show
the ugly side of Mumbai,
which is the reality.
Senthil Kumar P
RR Donnelley

■ Slumdog is a combination
of poverty as well as mirror
of our society,
because money can change
any person from poor to rich. M. Raghavendar
That’s the real message of from Sify
the film. Technologies
Jagan Limited has
Capgemini nominated his
friends as Partners in
Today’s Query: Crime. This photo
was clicked at
Cascade Restaurant,
Which song would Besant Nagar,
Chennai.
you nominate as
the song of the
year and why?
Send in your mobile query
suggestions to
feedback@goergo.in with the
subject line:
Mobile Query
 Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Ms Preetha Ganesan (CDC
3) from Wipro has been
Today’s Wishes
■ Dear Saravanakumar,
nominated as Office Angel
Its a nice feeling when u know that
by Satheesh Krishnamoor-
someone likes u, sum 1 thinks about
thy (CDC 3).
u, sum 1 needs u; but it feels much
She is such a sweet, soft
better when you know that some1
spoken person. She has
never ever forgets your birthday.
amazing stretch factor and
Önskar er många fler lyckliga
patience. Though we approach
återvänder i dag Grattis på
her with the most troublesome
födelsedagen
situations we always get all
"XSARNAT" (HAPPY BIRTHDAY )
her positive replies of “No
With Wishes,
Problem yaar, sure da, Okies
HUTCH - SWEDEN
etc.” She is nicknamed as
Testing Team, Tata Consultancy Services
"NODDY" coz she nods her
head giving positive gestures. ■ Dear L Hariharan,
Happy birthday my dear friend!!!
I am dedicating all the flowers that
have blossomed on this earth today
Art featured in this column will re- to you!!! Let this bring all the joy
ceive gift coupons from Fruit and happiness to you!!! Let this day
Shop on Greams Road. Phone: brings all the things that you want in
23450871. Send in your addresses
so that we can post the coupons.
your life!!
Prakash
Cognizant Technology Solutions
■ Dear Renil,
Hope it adds some special pleasure
To the hours of your day To know
Prakash of Cognizant you’re being thought of In the very
doodled this. warmest way... And when your
birthday’s over, Hope that you’ll
remember, too, The same warm
thoughts as always Will keep going
out to you! Happy Birthday
With lots of love ,
CODC Mallus
HCL
■ Dear Friends,
Wish You Advance Marriage. Life to
Race Course Chankra Sekar &
underground (Boss) Sankara
Pavansam
By
Thala Shiva, Kottar Gandhi,
Black Pandi, Simran Prassana,
Jude Syed, Panch Paramaswari,
Pannar Lingesh
& Non-Prod Team.
Antha Bus conductor kku punishment a electric shock koduthan- ■ Dear Pradeep,
gale....enna aachu? Sila aandugaluku munbu alagum
Onnum aagala.... ean na avar Bad conductor. arivum neeraintha, oru aan magan
Sivananadm piranthan. Indru avanuku
Wipro. piranthanal. Avan magudhathil
innum oru muthu pathika
1. Man-1: Yenga veettukku yedhir veettula ullavar yedhayum patirukiradhu. Wish u many more
aadharam illama seiyya maattaru. happy returns of the day.
Man-2: Yedha vachu solrae? Hope all that u do turns out happy
Man-1: Avar lover-ku love letter-i register post-la anuppunad- for u and all ur wishes come true this
ha vachudhan.... year.
Un uyir thozhi,
2. Girl : yennai paarkaama yedhirla ulla ponnai yen romba Sindhu.
neramaa parkureenga? Cognizant Technology Solutions
Boy : Andha ponnai unnoda compare panni parthen. Aana
andha pon un alavukku illai..
■ Dear Sandhiya,
Girl : Really? How do you expect us to remember
Boy : Yes. Andha pon konjam azhagu... your birthday,
Mohamed Yusufdeen J when you never look any older?
HCL Technologies Ltd. Wishing you a belated birthday.We
13
didn’t forget your birthday,
We were just fashionably late..
Best Regards,
Sakthipriya
Cognizant Technology Solutions
Nithi, HSBC
■ Dear Rekha,
Your Birthday makes this day all the
more special and beautiful!
Wishing you another year of good
health, happiness and prosperity!
Wish you a many more happy returns
of the day.
May God bless your future with lots
of surprises.
Keep Rocking!!
From your ever loving team.
Albert, Charu, Karthika, Krithika, Lawrence,
Luxmi, Manik, ManiV, Merlin, Rajesh,
Rohini, Samu, SathisK, Sathis, Shankar,
Sudha, Suganthi, Tamil, Vidya, VijayB,
VijayC, Vimal.
Tata Consultancy Services
Belated Wishes
■ Dear Dalu,
Happy Birthday Dalu!!!!!!!!!!
I wish you lots and lots of happiness.
I love you very much.
You are very special, and you deserve
the best.
I wish you a wonderful life filled with
love and happiness good health.
If there’s something that you’re
dreaming of then may it all come
true, because you deserve it.
Many Many more Happy returns of
the day.
With Luv,
RK Kanagarani Ayyappan
Satyam
■ Hi Vijaya
Hey! It’s your Birthday & I’ve pecked
up a little message just for ya!
Wishing u a day packed with loads of
gifts sunny smiles and lots of love
hope u have a very happy birthday
By Wipro Ltd
■ Dear Rachu (Rachana Menon)
Wishing you a very Happy Birthday
that leaves behind a lot of Nice and
Memorable moments. :)
God Bless You..
With Love…
Amal, Midhun J Olickal and John
■ Dear Jagadeesh,
Maturity has more to do with what
types of experiences you’ve had,
and what you’ve learned from them,
and less to do with how many
birthdays you’ve celebrated.
And in the end, it’s not the years in
your life that count.
It’s the life in your years.
Happy Birthday To You
Heartly Wishes,
Anusha, Kavitha, Raja,
Shanthi, Cathy, Bhavesh
14 TRAFFIC JAM ERGO Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Survivor Poodle
A poodle mistakenly left inside a van in a
Vermont airport parking garage managed to
survive for nearly three weeks. The 12-year-
old pup lost half its body weight and
endured subzero temperatures.

K.M. Dhivya Priya of sudoku

HCL Technologies
clicked this picture at
Bhavanisagar, where the
village was celebrating
Samathuva Pongal.

The harvest season is

round the corner and
it’s time we made the
Click Pick column a
little more
interesting.
Photographs of the
harvest festival, rural
India and little-
known rituals will be
given preference this
month. Please send
us fresh photographs,
preferably those
clicked by you on a
recent trip, to
clickpick@goergo.in

All photos selected for clickpick this month KAKURO

will receive a gift voucher worth Rs.1,000, cour-
tesy Kantilal Diamonds (Ph: 2828 1700). Read-
ers are requested to send their addresses with
their entries.

TEAM
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karthik@goergo.in

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Anna Salai, Chennai-600002. Editor: S. Karthik
(Editor responsible for selection of news under
the PRB Act). RNI No. TNENG/2007/24553
 Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Miraculous Mary
An Australian man is convinced his life has been
blessed since an image of the Virgin Mary and baby
Jesus appeared in his lava lamp. He has now built a
shrine to the lamp in his home.
15
Word’s worth
“Oggannition” (ah-guh-ni-shuhn), an
obsolete and rare word meaning
‘snarling, growling.’ From a Latin word
meaning ‘yelp or growl at.’

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

You may be in a mood to do something unusual at
workplace. This may inspire you to invent a new
method of working. Your beloved one may remain
in good humour which will keep you in a jolly
mood too.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

At office, you might be handling the work that
involves others as well. You may not be able to
relax as work will be demanding keeping you busy
the whole day. In personal life, you may not be
able to enjoy desired privacy with your partner.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

This is the best day to purchase a new software
BORN LOSER and if you have already bought a new software
lately, you may start using it’s applications today. In
personal life, you will remain cool and easygoing.
You will not be apprehensive.
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
This may be little tough day at work. To achieve a
little, you might have to put in more efforts. It’s just
because of today’s planetary positions. You may
remain aloof and not in a very good mood so your
partner may pay more attention to charm you up.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
You may feel that despite your skill and efforts that
you are putting in, you are not being reciprocated
with due financial reward. This is a temporary
phase. Your partner or beloved one may give you
due attention which will make you feel much better.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
Your work may speak volumes for you. You may
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT wish to part your knowledge and experience with
others. In personal life, you may not have any major
issue with partner or beloved. However, you are
advised to take good care of your health today.
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
Ganesha feels that you will be willing to hone your
professional skills today. You may be keen to prove
your capabilities too. You may enjoy a nice movie or
other entertainment programme with your beloved
one. The day favours get-together with friends.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
Your energy levels may be little low today. You will
have lots of ideas shimmering on the back of your
mind but you will hardly be able to implement them
at work. At home, you will enjoy very nice food
with your family members and have leisure time.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
You may be in a mood to explore whatever is
within the reach of your work area. You may desire
to accumulate vast knowledge about your work
area. You may wish to have intellectual discussion
with your life partner or beloved one.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
You may remain busy lining up meetings and other
schedules. This may be a busy day involving lot of
research work along with communication with
others. You might also have to socialise with your
family members.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS It is best day for planning strategies. Your energy
level may be very high because of which you may
ISSUE’S feel free and light as air. You will handle your work
in time, despite work pressure. If you wish to woo
SOLUTIONS someone or propose, this is most favourable day.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
Ganesha finds you a bit confused about how to
handle work. You need to learn how to handle
pressure else you may become over-emotional and
feel depressed too. You may not feel like sharing
your feelings with your life partner or beloved one.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
16 ERGO Tuesday, January 20, 2009