A BYTE OF LIFE Monday, February 23, 2009

RAZZIE HALL
11 05
OF SHAME WORKING WITH A START-UP
Winners of the world’s
The pros and cons
most dreaded awards
announced
FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 3 No. 34
PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN

am
hmaniac te
The Ra

Ahead of the Oscars,

Ergo met Rahmaniac,
A.R. Rahman’s unique fan club. Plus, old
buddies of ARR talk about the ‘kutty rowdy’.

RAHMANIA » Pages 02 & 03

02 NAMMA CHENNAI ERGO Monday, February 23, 2009

Dance like a ...

FitnessOne is organising ‘Dancercise’ – a contest for women
above 18 years to celebrate Women’s Day. Participants are
required to perform a combination of different elements of
fitness related dance steps. For details call 2647 8787/ 2467 1222.

The kutty rowdy

Axe for accomplice?
A woman inspector was recently
suspended on charges of taking bribe
from a woman complainant. Reliable
khakis suspect that it was a
planned operation to trap the
lady cop. Apparently, the
accused inspector is
known to have a close
ally in crime, a lady
constable, who had
been acting as liaison.
Police circles believe the
axe could next fall on
the constable.
On fire, literally
The Government Railway Police
(GRP) at the Chennai Central station
are an annoyed bunch as their
workplace on the first floor is just
above a hotel kitchen. The heat from
the oven is keeping the khakis
literally on fire day in and day out.
Desperate attempts by the policemen
to shift the police station to a
different spot on the railway station
premises have gone in vain.
‘Fire-proof’
The recent violence between
advocates and police on the High
Court premises resulted in the High
Court police station turning to ashes
and records saved inside destroyed.
Reliable police sources say that some
top cops had predicted the attack on
the station and had taken away
crucial records and FIRs to a safe
location.
The transformation of naughty Dileep Kumar
to international composer Allah Rakha Rahman
is as magical as his music
was a fun-loving kid during his
teens. He started with jingles and
it was during that time that he
joined Ilayaraja’s team. When it
comes to work he is very serious,
otherwise it is a lot of fun. No
wonder a hard worker like Rah-
man got such honours,” says Sel-
varaj, who has worked with
Rahman even in his movies.
“Brilliant musician is what I
can say about Rahman. He inno-
vates a lot, and never sticks to the
rulebook. In fact, his contribution
to Punnagai Mannan songs are
not known to the world. He tried
to create wonders even with “two
tracks” in his earlier days. He was
such a naughty boy, but now he is
unbelievably silent. He was even
the kutty rowdy of the team. We
feel proud of Rahman for his suc-
cess,” said another musician on
condition of anonymity. ■

A file photo of A.R. Rahman

V.HARIPRIYAharipriya@goergo.in started out? A couple of musi-

cians from maestro Ilayaraja’s

‘‘
team, where he began his career,
No won-

A
s prayers and wishes come
for the ‘Mozart of Chennai’
from across countries,
some of his fellow musi-
cians in Namma Chennai jog
their memory on the Rahman
they knew.
The success story of Rahman,
which started with Mani Rat-
nam’s Roja, is well-known, but
what about the days when he just
recall A.R. Rahman transform
from a keyboard player to an in- der a hard
ternationally-acclaimed music
composer. worker like
“The transformation of a tal- Rahman got such
ented, naughty boy Dileep Kumar honours.
into a suave Allah Rakha Rahman ‘Cello’ Selvaraj
is almost magical,” recalls Cello
Selvaraj, a musician and compos-
er at All India Radio. “No one
would believe if I say Rahman
 Monday, February 23, 2009
03
Showing ‘The Class’
The Alliance Francaise of Madras in collaboration with
NDTV Lumiere and ICAF will host the film that won the
Golden Palm of the Cannes Film Festival. The Class will be
screened at the AFM auditorium at 6.30 p.m. today. For
details call 2827 9803/ 2827 1477.

Fans, but no empty wind

Instead of garlanding their idol’s photograph or dedicating speeches to
him, a bunch of A.R. Rahman fans who met on Orkut are working
towards a better society. Here’s to Rahman mania and Rahmaniac
MONISHA MOHANDAS

“A
.R. Rahman
Rocks!”, “I am a
die-hard fan of
Rahman. I love all
his compositions”, “I never
miss collecting his songs.”
These are some common
quotes that A.R. Rahman elic-
its among fans and other ce-
lebrities. But here are fans
with a difference. Fans with a
new vision.
No doubt they too are die-
hard fans of ARR, but they
stand ahead of others in the
path they have chosen. They
are not a registered fan club.
And they call themselves
‘Rahmaniac’.
“We don’t have a fan club
as such. We are just followers
of ARR,” says Rakesh, a mem-
ber of Rahmaniac.
These Rahmaniacs came to
know each other through a
community on Orkut for A.R.
Rahman that has more than
five lakh members. Through
this community some of the
fans in Chennai decided to
meet, and their first meeting
was at Music World, Anna
Nagar, in 2007. “There were
only five to six members dur-
ing our first meeting. But,
The
Rahmaniac
team
celebrates
A.R.
Rahman’s
birthday at
his place
gradually, the team started
growing.” says Rakesh. “From
then on Music World became
a hub for us to meet.”
After they met each other
they were keen on doing so-
mething unique. At the same
time, being ARR fans they
wanted to keep themselves
involved in music. “Ap-
proaching many radio sta-
tions and doing a show were
some of the initial ideas that
struck our mind. But we ulti-
mately came up with the idea
of doing events at orphanages
and old-age homes,” says
Vithur, another Rahmaniac.
It was during their search
for an event to conduct that
they came across Nethro-
daya, a school and place for
the visually challenged. On
December 30, 2007, they con-
ducted their first charity
show. Rakesh formed a band
of Rahman’s musician fans
and a concert was held. “Al-
most 50 to 70 fans came for
the event. And the visually
challenged had a great time
listening to music. We also
conducted quizzes involving
their auditory senses. The
event was held on the Neth-
rodaya premises in Mogap-
pair. The proprietor, Mr.
Gopi, helped us a lot in this
regard. The event was a great
success and we had wishes
pouring in from various A.R.
Rahman fans worldwide,” re-
calls Rakesh.
“We got the inspiration for
these activities from ARR
himself. He, being the UN
Ambassador for the eradica-
tion of poverty, also started
an ARR Foundation with this
view. So with his inspiration
we wanted to help some de-
serving souls,” says Karthik,
another Rahmaniac.
And following the success
at Nethrodaya, their wheels
didn’t stop. They continued
to do regular services at or-
phanages and old-age homes.
We got the
inspiration for
these activities
from ARR
himself. He,
being the UN
Ambassador
for the
eradication of
poverty, also
started an ARR
Foundation
with this view
But a beggar’s approach for
alms made the Rahmaniacs
think differently. “When were
at the Anna Nagar Music
World thinking about how to
go about the services, a beg-
gar came asking for alms to
feed himself. We pooled in
our money and bought some
biryani packs. We set off on
our bikes and distributed
them among the needy we
found on roadsides,” says Ra-
kesh.
Since February last year,
they have been distributing
food among people on road-
sides every Sunday, targeting
one area a week.
The most unforgettable
moment of their lives, howev-
er, came the day they met A.R.
Rahman for the first time. On
January 6, 2008, these Rah-
maniacs celebrated his birth-
day at his place. ■
04 KALEIDOSCOPE
Ask your query
When I go to the bank they keep pestering me
to buy gold coins from them as an invest-
ment. Should I give in to their request? Is it
really a good investment?
Madhumita, Corporate Solutions
It is a very personal choice whether you
want to buy gold coins or not. The coins that
the banks sell are 24k and usually in 5 gms or
10 gms. As a tool to hedge against inflation it is
one of the best investments. Historically gold
has given compounded annual returns of over
12 per cent for the last 10-15 years, which
means that you would have earned equivalent
or more than the actual growth in prices. The
only problem with the coins from banks is that
not every jewellery shop buys them. Neither
do the banks buy them back, so liquidating
might be an issue.
(For any queries related to personal finance,
mail your queries to finergo@goergo.in with the
subject line ‘Doctor’.)
Mini Quiz
1. SEBI stands for
a. Stocks, Equity, Bonds and Investments
b. Savings and Earnings from Bank Interest
c. Securities and Exchange Board of India
d. Stocks and Equities Board of India
2. NBFC
a. National Banking and Futures
Corporation
b. New Banking Financial Company
c. Non Banking Finance Company
d. National Banking and Finance
Corporation
Send your answers to finergo@goergo.in or
SMS your answers to 92813 98889. Example, if
you choose A as the answer to question 1 and
B as the answer to question 2 type it as 1A2B
and send it. Winners get a free book on mu-
tual funds. Aswers for last week’s quiz:
1. Price – Earnings ratio
2. Certificate of Deposit
News you can use
No bills to be claimed for LTA
The Supreme Court has recently ruled that
companies are under no obligation to ask their
employees to furnish bills for claiming their
LTA.
Prior to this judgement companies were de-
manding bills from employees who were
claiming their LTA. In cases where employees
did not furnish the bills, they were taxed for
the amount on which bills were not produced.
The court ruling says “the beneficiary of ex-
emption under Section 10(5) (of the Income
Tax Act) is an individual employee. There is no
circular of Central Board of Direct Taxes
(CBDT) requiring the employer under Section
192 to collect and examine the supporting evi-
dence to the declaration to be submitted by an
employee(s).”
ERGO Monday, February 23, 2009
Beating recession
Income funds have shown positive returns even when equities
have shown negative returns
SNEHA BAJAJ
W
e have witnessed a steep fall
in the value of investments
in equity funds since Janu-
ary 2008 due to the down-
trend in the value of stocks where the
fund houses have invested. The Sen-
sex has come down from 21000
points to 9000 points during the last
12 months. As a result funds have de-
livered negative returns in the range
of (-40%) to (-71%) during this peri-
od.
Most investors, who opt for mutual
funds, make an entry primarily to
make a better return compared to in-
vestment in fixed deposits. When the
markets do not deliver, they are dis-
appointed and try to redeem the
units to prevent complete erosion of
capital.
During the same period some of
the income funds have delivered sig-
nificantly positive and higher return
of up to even 29.42 per cent. As
shown in the following table.
When the equity markets are not
smooth, diversification to debt is one
of the better options available to in-
vestors. Income funds invested in
debt securities vary with maturity
periods. With rapid fall in inflation
from 12.82 per cent in August 08 to
6.84 per cent in December 08, and
general slow down in the economy,
interest rates have come down.
Income funds primarily invest in
bonds, debentures, government se-
curities, and short-term instruments
like commercial paper and repos.
The regular income for these funds
comes from coupon payments and
trading gains accrue from interest
rate movements. Thus, when the in-
terest goes down the funds holding
securities of higher average maturity,
with the current high interest rates, When equity market is not smooth, diversification to debt is one of
can earn better returns than those the better options. THE HINDU FILE PHOTO
holding short-term paper, given the
softening of interest rates.
With the advantage of long-term Name of the Fund Return in the Return during
capital gains in debt schemes it
last 6 months last 1 year
might offer superior returns in com-
parison to pure fixed deposits if one Canara Robecco Income scheme (G) 19.53% 29.42%
is in the highest tax bracket.
A note of caution: The gain for in- ICICI Prudential Income Fund I P (G) 19.31% 16.16
come funds is highest when the in-
ICICI Prudential Income Fund –(G) 19.11% 15.64%
terest rates are on a downward trend.
Thus investors should come out of Reliance Income Fund-retail-G.P (G) 15.73% 12.71%
such investments when the interest
rates start showing signs of rising. ■ ING Short Term Income Fund –(G) 7.02% 10.98%
 Monday, February 23, 2009
05
SearchCamp - II
The Knowledge Foundation is organising the second edition of SearchCamp
2009 on February 28 and March 1 at Tidel Park. The forum is looking at
some serious discussion, offering solutions for the recession-hit retailers
across all sectors. For more details log on to http://searchcamp.in/register/

The rickety road to

entrepreneurship
Working with a start-up has its own pros and cons, but how many of you are ready to take the plunge?

Working with a start-up

can be dicey, provided
you know you are
getting the best of it

! s has
Alerotw that First Innineghope
You kn w
ear and
o m p le ted a y exciting. We
c re
e it mo oncept-
to mak rite more of c us
w nd
plan to ries, so do se hat
s e d s t o t o p ic st
ba ck on
e d b a ne of
your f e
r e s t y ou. In o
inte re
would es we a
e c o m ing issu t-ups who
th tar o
LIFFY THOMAS ment to start off. Working with a start- “You are working in a challenging about s pace. S
up in India is one of the least opted environment with a free hand, where writing m o n office s , do
liffythomas@goergo.in co m nd s
options, though there are some who there is plenty of creativity to ex- share a w of your frie
o u k n o il s t o
if y eta

W
hen Kartik Dua decided to quit are ready to take the road less taken. plore,” says John, who works as an art
il u s their d o .i n .
his well-paying job at Directi Sankara Rameswaran had to make a director. m a goer g
in g s @
Internet Solutions, a web solu- choice between Microsoft and Amazon firstinn
tions company, after a two- when he landed two offers at REC, Ti- Challenging environment
year stint, his colleagues were aston- ruchy. He chose Amazon, where he did It is bad times for the economy and a start-ups are
ished. Particularly so because he was his internship, as it provided more a time when companies are giving out not an assured place. But if
leaving a big corporate where he was start-up like environment. Two years more pink slips than hiring new tal- entrepreneurship is your goal, start-up
occupying a good profile to join a one- since Rameswaran has again joined a ents. Bringing start-ups for campus could be a better choice but then it is
and-a-half-year-old firm. start-up, BankBazaar. placements is not a very viable option better that you start your own
“Dude! How come you are join- “The ownership is what excites for most institutions. company.”
ing a start-up?” they would me about start-up companies “Only two to three per cent of the Start-up also has its own harsh real-
ask. and with that comes re- students are willing to work with a ities. There is the danger of you being
Just three months into sponsibility,” says Rames- start-up,” says professor S. Muraleedh- out of job if the venture fails. You are
SutraHR, a people con- The ownership is waran, who works as aran, chief placement officer, Sri Ven- required to put in more hours of work,
sulting firm, and the 22- senior design engineer. kateswara College of Engineering. literally treating it as your baby, and
what excites me
year-old knows he is “You might have to “Their demands are also high. Especial- remuneration you might not get in-
headed in the right di- about start-up miss a cushy lifestyle as ly in case of product-based IT start-ups, stantly.
rection. companies and with there is an insecure they have a higher cut-off and want
“At Directi, I was not that comes feeling, at least in the energetic talents.” Entrepreneurial goal
a face of the company initial years, but if you The requirement, however, is less However, for those taking the en-
and nobody knew me. I
responsibility want to understand busi- from a manufacturing start-up, he says. trepreneurial route working with a
wasn’t enjoying my work af- ness and have an edge over According to Jayaram K. Iyer, profes- start-up has many advantages. You are
ter a point. Here, there is plen- other engineers then this is the sor of marketing, LIBA, there are three part of a small team where every deci-
ty for each of us to contribute place.” main parameters that decided the em- sion holds equal importance. You are
equally and the growth opportunity is For Tuney John, starting his career ployability of a company – the pay, building a company from scratch,
better than an MNC,” he adds. Not with WishBox, a start-up based in brand and profile. which means a lot of ownership. There
everybody would buy Dua’s views. At Chennai, came in as a hands-on experi- “Start-ups don’t score in these and is also skill-building opportunity. There
least not on the threshold of one’s ca- ence. He joined as a part-timer when do not figure in most campus place- are big risks to be taken but if you can
reer when one is wooed with huge pay he was in college to later enrol full- ments,” he says. “If employment is the cross the hurdles the rewards are also
packets and a metropolitan environ- time. ultimate aim of an individual then high. ■
06 VILLAGE ERGO Monday, February 23, 2009

Coke addict
A man in Croatia claims to be in perfect
health after drinking only Coca-Cola for
more than 40 years. The 71-year-old
promised his mother he would never drink
alcohol and turned to the soda instead.

Walt Disney introduces first black Wine expert

American princess goes digital
After Barack Obama claimed his place in history as An wine merchant
America’s first black president, Walt Disney has introduced (vintner) from the
its first black American Princess. Princess Tiana, of the Rhone valley is
animated film The Princess and the Frog, hails from New offering wine tastings
Orleans. Dreamgirls star Anika Noni Rose will lend her over the Internet.
voice for the character and talk show queen Oprah Although customers
Winfrey plays her mother. Rose says that she is thrilled cannot smell or taste
with the film. "Not only is she the first black princess, she’s wines through their
the first American princess,” she added. computers, Laurent
ANI Habrard has made his
products available at
the click of a mouse.
Customers interested
Man gets 44 months in in his wines - Crozes-
Hermitage, Hermitage,
jail for killing police dog Saint-Joseph and rose
A man who sent a police dog to its death as it was trying wines from the
to prevent him from committing suicide has been Ardeche, Drome and
sentenced to 44 months in jail, the San Diego Tribune has cotes du Rhone areas -
reported. Cory Byron, 27, was attempting to jump off the can order samples on his site, and the sample price is
Coronado Bridge in San Diego on December 31, 2007, after reimbursed if a bottle is bought. Habrard says, “It all
driving drunkenly through traffic. A police office trying to started because of my deep wish to change our
apprehend him saw production methods so that my profession has a better
Byron’s suicide bid and relationship with the natural elements.”
released police dog
Stryker to intercept. As
Byron got ready to
jump off the bridge,
Stryker locked his
teeth onto his arm James Bond’s Aston Martin
and both plunged
some 70 meters into voted Best Screen Car
the waters below. James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 has been named the
Byron survived the fall Best Screen Car in a new poll of film fans. The car that
and was rescued, but featured in the 1964 blockbuster Goldfinger received
the dog died. He more than one in four votes, reports the Scotsman.
pleaded guilty last Ford Mustang driven by Steve McQueen in the 1968
September to one hit Bullitt landed the second spot. Creators of the
count each of felony latest James Bond flick blew two million pounds after
evading and driving smashing 12 new Aston Martins during the filming of
under the influence. Quantum Of Solace.
DPA ANI

A ‘PCO’ without phones!

A concrete pulpit atop a hillock in a village has been christened as phone booth,
because it is the only place where they get mobile phone network

T
his is perhaps the only ‘PCO’
where there are no tele-
phones but is the lone spot
from where villagers can
connect with the world outside. A
small concrete pulpit atop a hil-
lock in this remote village of Non-
gnah, about 130 km west of
Shillong, has been christened as
‘phone booth’ by the locals.
For, this is the only place where
they get mobile phone network.
“We have to climb up this hill and
reach this ‘public booth’ to make
and receive calls.
Most of the villagers have to
walk for about 20 minutes to re-
ach here,” one of them said.
There are about 3,000 residents in
this nondescript village of Megh-
alaya’s West Khasi Hills district
and the nearest PCO is more than
15 km away.
More than 50 per cent of the
villagers have mobile connec-
tions, either Reliance or Bangla-
desh Grameen Phone.
The villagers said that though
the ‘public booth’ is the only
communication link for them to
the outside world, they some-
times fail to get network even
from there. Government officials,
who visit the place, are also
caught in this communication
trauma. While this village is yet to
enjoy the advent of new technol-
ogy where distances are cut short
through mobile or telephone
communication, sub divisional
officer of the area K. Nongbri
said, "I am aware of the prob-
lems. Development will take
place even if slowly.” ■
PTI
 Monday, February 23, 2009
07
Websites of the day Cab kills croc
Check out politicians ’unique claims’ on this satirical website:
http://lonelycandidate.com/ A taxi driver was stunned after running
Find out what your shoes says about you: over and killing a crocodile in the central
http://www.twentyonepictures.com/gallery/shoeproject/index.html business district in Mount Isa, Australia

Japanese students recite

Obama’s speeches
A
part from steering the US economy
through difficult times, fine-tuning
strategy on two wars and resetting
geopolitical equations, US Presi-
dent Barack Obama is also helping many
Japanese students learn English.
In Japan, students practise reciting
Obama’s speeches, noted the Wall Street
Journal in a report from Tokyo, with the
headline: “Learning to Speak Better En-
glish: Yes, We Can!”
The report described a gray-haired Ja-
panese student struggling with a line
from Obama’s famous 2004 speech to the
Democratic National Convention that
catapulted him into the national spot-
light. The student read on: “They ... would
... give me an ... African name, Barack, ...
or ‘blessed. English teacher Makoto Ishi-
wata corrected the student, Not ‘blessed’,
“bless-ed’.”
The Obama speeches have become the
latest fad fuelling Japan’s long, and oft-
frustrated, passion for mastering English,
the Journal said.
Ishiwata, who heads an English lan-
guage school called Kaplan Japan, draws
almost 200 students a week to his “Oba-
The speeches have become
the latest fad fuelling
Japan’s long, and oft-
frustrated, passion for
mastering English
ma workshops”. Pupils recite Obama’s
speeches line by line, using a check sheet
to record progress.
Accel English, another Tokyo language
school, encourages students to emulate
Obama, memorising and repeating aloud
chunks of his speeches at least 50 times
before flipping to the text to see what he
really said.
The Speeches of Barack Obama a book
with a CD and a glossary, sold 480,000
copies in Japan in three months. Its pub-
lisher Asahi Press then hired four trans-
lators and published a book based on
Obama’s inauguration speech.
While instructors have used unconven-
tional English learning materials before,
such as cooking classes in English and
watching TV serial Friends with a trans-
lated Japanese script, Obama’s speeches
are particularly well-suited, teachers and
students say, because he speaks slowly,
with good pace and rhythm, and enun-
ciates well.
“Other speeches may be better for
learning vocabulary, but Obama’s
speeches make me excited about speak-
ing English,” Nobuhiro Murauchi, who
listens to the US president’s speeches
four times a week in the bath, was quoted
as saying.
For Ishiwata, 48, it is a full circle: he
first developed an interest in the lan-
guage by listening to the speeches of
Martin Luther King Jr., Obama’s role
model.
He admits there’s a bit of Obama fa-
tigue in his classes. “Many students are
getting tired of listening to his speech on-
ly, because they have been listening to
Obama every day for seven months,” he
said.
So now he is thinking of introducing
other famous speeches that he has me-
morised, including Abraham Lincoln’s
Gettysburg Address and John F. Kenne-
dy’s inaugural address. ■
IANS

The grand carnival

‘Size Zero’ row
reaches dog shows!
ature Dacshunds at a recent
championship in Bridgend,
Wales, were “far too thin for their
frames”. “I am well aware of the
strength of feeling of the Minia-
ture people about the need to
maintain the scales, but I believe
that this is not helping the breed
one bit,” he wrote in the Dog
World magazine. Agreed expert
Jemima Harrison, the producer of
a BBC documentary which in

W hat started as just an argu-

ment about skinny models on
the ramps of New York and Milan
has now spread to the world of
pedigree dogs. Yes, the ‘Size Zero’
row has reached canine shows.
Experts have claimed that many
dog owners are denying their pets
proper food and water in order to
win competitions - in fact, ca-
nines are “starved” to meet strict
weight limits at shows, The Sun-
day Telegraph reported. Accord-
ing to Andrew Brace, a dog show
judge, three quarters of the Mini-
2008 exposed breeding tech-
niques which led to genetic ill-
nesses that affect pedigree dogs:
“This is ‘Size Zero’ for dogs. I am
inundated with owners and judg-
es who say they are seeing de-
hydrated or malnourished dogs
on the scales, all for the sake of a
rosette. It sounds funny to think
of dogs having the same issues as 쒀
fashion models but it is a serious A reveller of Mocidade Alegre samba school parades at the Sambadrome, as part of
welfare issue. For these owners, it Carnival celebrations in Sao Paulo, Brazil, early on Sunday. Carnival is the biggest
is all about winning and nothing and most popular celebration in Brazil. AFP PHOTO/MAURICIO LIMA
else.”
PTI
08 SPORT ERGO Monday, February 23, 2009

Helicopter stops play

A helicopter stopped play in a domestic cricket game in India after the pilot mistook the pitch for
a landing pad, local media reported on Sunday. Players were forced to abort Saturday’s one-day
game and scurry for cover when the hapless pilot set the chopper down on the letter “H” painted
in the corner of the cricket ground. The “H” stands for the name of the Himachal Pradesh state
side.

India go one up
India took the lead in their field hockey
series against New Zealand in Wellington on
Sunday when Sandeep Singh sealed a 2-1
win in the second Test. New Zealand held an
early lead when striker Simon Child latched
on to a through ball from Brad Shaw in the
fourth minute and found the back of the
net from a difficult angle. They maintained
the advantage for half an hour before
Tushar Khandekar received a free hit from
the right, turned and nailed a reverse stick
shot from close range. The deciding goal
came 10 minutes later when Singh stepped
up for his third penalty corner and found
the net with a drag flick that flew into the
top left corner. The first Test in the four-
match series was drawn 1-1 with the
remaining two Tests to be played in
Auckland next weekend.
AFP

Bolt sprints faster

Olympic sprint sensation Usain Bolt
continued his early season preparation with
another comfortable 400m victory on
Saturday at Jamaica’s National Stadium.
Running out of lane five in the timed-final
400m at The University of West Indies
Invitational, Bolt won in 45.54sec, an
improvement on the 46.35sec he ran last
weekend. Bolt’s coach Glen Mills said the
improvement was expected, and showed
Bolt was on course in his training in the
world championship season. “It’s part of his
training, so we expect him to improve every
week,” Mills said. Bolt said a week earlier
that he was behind in his season
preparations compared to last year, in part
because of travel and
distractions as a result of
his Olympic heroics in
August. But Mills said

European M
anchester United are fac-
Saturday that he was ing mounting defensive
comfortable with Bolt’s concerns ahead of their
form heading into major last 16 Champions
competition, the first of League game against Inter Milan.
which will be the Jamaica United were already without Ser-
International Invitational, bian defender Nemanja Vidic due
an IAAF Area Permit to suspension for Tuesday’s first
meet, on May 2, also at

battle
leg at the San Siro and they lost
the National Stadium. Jonny Evans to an ankle injury in
Despite the low-key the 2-1 Premier League win over
nature of Saturday’s meeting, more than Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford
3,000 fans gave a rousing welcome to Bolt, on Saturday.
who set world records at the Olympics in And with Gary Neville and Wes
winning the 100m gold in 9.69 seconds and Brown struggling with injury,
the 200m title in 19.30 and then helped manager Sir Alex Ferguson is now
Jamaica to 4x100m relay gold.
AFP
Injuries worry Man United ahead hoping John O’Shea can over-
come an ankle problem in order
of Inter Milan clash to partner Rio Ferdinand at cen-
 Monday, February 23, 2009
‘‘
The balance of our Test batting line-up is very good. It’s the best bal-
anced batting line-up in the whole world. The team is also very flexible
and adaptable and I’m confident they would do well in New Zealand.
tre-back against Jose Mourinho’s
team. “We’ve got some injury is-
sues of course and I just hope we
can get two centre-backs out
there on Tuesday,” Ferguson said.
“At this moment in time, it’s very
doubtful. Jonny Evans is unlikely
to be playing, he’s looking very
doubtful and I’m just hoping to
have John O’Shea available be-
cause we don’t have Gary Neville
and we don’t have Wes Brown.
We’re having a nightmare with
defenders this season. Hopefully
we can patch it up with Tuesday
because this does leave us very,
very short.”
In trouble
Christiano Ronaldo was at the
centre of controversy in the win
over Rovers. The Portugal winger
appeared to kick out at David
Dunn just minutes before he was
booked for diving on the edge of
the area. Ronaldo added insult to
Rovers injury with a superb free-
kick that sealed a 16th win in 17
matches in all competitions for
United and moved the reigning
English, European and world
champions eight points clear of
Liverpool at the top of the Premier
League.
Ferguson hit back at criticism of
Ronaldo, who took his tally for the
season to 16 goals after Rovers
forward Roque Santa Cruz had
cancelled out England striker
Wayne Rooney’s opener. “He
wasn’t fortunate to be on the
pitch,” said Ferguson. “The refer-
ee (Howard Webb) spoke to him
when he flicked out and Ronaldo
said that the boy kicked him so he
was given a warning. It was no
more than a flick and you see that
time and again in games but be-
cause it’s Ronaldo people will
make a meal of it,” the Scot added.
Tough road ahead
Despite United picking up a
tenth straight Premier League vic-
tory and moving well clear at the
top, Ferguson believes they way
they were made to work by Black-
burn shows they cannot grow
over-confident about their chanc-
es of securing an 18th league title.
“Sometimes when you don’t
play your very best and get a re-
sult, that goes a long way towards
winning the title.” Ferguson,
whose side were recently labelled
“untouchable” by Arsenal boss
Arsene Wenger, added: “I’ve said
all along that we can’t forecast
that we’re going to win the league.
A team like Blackburn will come
to Old Trafford and fight for their
lives. That’s what you can expect
from every team in the bottom 11.
It’s a difficult league so when peo-
ple are talking about us going to
win the league, we’re going to dis-
miss it.” ■
AFP
09
Sunil Gavaskar
B Espanyol stun
ottom club Espanyol stunned leaders
Barcelona with a 2-1 victory at the
Nou Camp while chasing Real Ma-
drid ran riot with a 6-1 home win
over Real Betis in the Primera Liga on Sat-
urday. Ten-man Barca slipped to only their
Barca
second defeat of the campaign and saw
their lead, which stood at 12 points just
over a week ago, reduced to seven. Espa-
nyol’s Ivan de la Pena, who once played for
Barca, made the most of Seydou Keita’s
first-half dismissal, scoring twice after the
break in the Catalan derby.
Yaya Toure pulled one back just past the
hour but it was not enough to prevent
champions Real edging even closer with
their ninth successive victory. Klaas Jan
Huntelaar and Raul helped themselves to
two goals each while Gonzalo Higuain and
Sergio Ramos weighed in with one apiece
as Real went in 6-1 up at halftime at the
Real hammer Betis 6-1 at the Bernabeu
Bernabeu.
Losing the plot
Real Madrid players celebrate after scoring during the Spanish
“No one said this would be easy,” Barca league match against Betis Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu
coach Pep Guardiola said. “But we are still
stadium in Madrid. PHOTO: AFP
in a good position and will pick ourselves
up and we’ll get everyone back on track.”
Barca are on 60 points and Real have 53
while third-placed Sevilla climbed on to 44
after Jesus Navas grabbed a late winner for
a 1-0 win at home to Atletico Madrid. Vil-
larreal are up to fourth with 41 points after
a 2-1 home win over Sporting Gijon.
Spanish media spent the week talking
about the possibility of Real staging a co-
meback to win the league after Barca
dropped two points against Betis last
week, and Guardiola’s team looked ner-
vous from the outset versus Espanyol. The
stop-start nature of the game, and an in-
creasingly heated atmosphere, led to Keita
getting a red card for a late challenge after
38 minutes. De la Pena was left unmarked
to head home at the back post after 50
minutes and four minutes later Victor
Valdes was put under pressure with the
ball at his feet and passed straight to De la
Pena, who lobbed into the open net.
Toure’s fine volley after a freekick in the
62nd was the best Barca could muster in
reply. It was Espanyol’s first win in 15 at-
tempts in the league.
Flying start
Some woeful Betis defending gifted
their hosts a flying start at the Bernabeu.
Higuain rounded goalkeeper Ricardo Pe-
reira for the opener after seven minutes,
and Huntelaar bagged the second soon af-
ter when Pereira weakly pushed a cross
straight to him. The Dutchman volleyed in
the third when Pereira could only palm his
header on to the woodwork. Ricardo Ol-
iveira pulled one back for the shell-shocked
visitors on the half-hour and then hit the
post after Iker Casillas miscued a pass to
him a couple of minutes later. Defensive
lapses could explain Real’s opening goals
but the next three were of the highest
quality. Raul swept in Marcelo’s pass with a
first-time shot from outside the area, and
bettered that with a sublime chip when
one-on-one with the keeper. ■
Reuters
10 FLICK ERGO Monday, February 23, 2009

Most nominated
Meryl Streep holds the record for most acting nominations, 15 including for
2008’s Doubt, and she has won twice. Katharine Hepburn earned 12
nominations but won four times. Ingrid Bergman is next with three Oscars.
Jack Nicholson is the most nominated male star with 12 nominations and
three wins. Walter Brennan also won three, but from only four nominations.

The Serial-gatecrasher hired to secure Oscars

A professional gatecrasher, who sneaked into last
year’s Oscars, has been hired to secure this year’s
ceremony to fill in any security cracks.
Scott Weiss will keep fellow offenders from getting
themselves to a shoulder-rubbing distance with the

statuette’s
celebrities at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.
The 48-year-old has also previously managed to
break into the gates at the Emmys, Grammys,
Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild awards –
and got himself snapped with the A-listers.
And now, event chiefs have hired the expert to
take care of the security breaches.

story
“If you dress the part and put on an air that you
belong there – and that you don’t really have time
to be stopped by anyone – people are generally
very polite,” the Telegraph quoted Weiss as telling
Los Angeles Times.
“People in security don’t want to offend big shots.
If you look like one, they won’t bother you. That’s
the whole flaw in the system: the human touch,”
he added.
The weight Rahman, Pookutty ANI

may lift on Oscars’ night!

I
f all goes right for A.R. Rahman and Resul
Pookutty, they might end up lifting a 13.5-
inch and 8.5-pound knight holding a crusad-
er’s sword and standing on a reel of film on
Academy night. The Oscar statue stands 13.5
inches tall and weighs in at a robust 8.5 pounds.
The film reel features five spokes, signifying the
five original branches of the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences: actors, directors, pro-
ducers, technicians and writers. Although the
statuette remains true to its original design, the
size of the base varied until 1945, when the cur-
rent standard was adopted. Since the initial
awards banquet on May 16, 1929, in the Holly-
wood Roosevelt Hotel’s Blossom Room, 2,701
statuettes have been presented. Every year in Ja-
nuary, additional new golden statuettes are cast,
moulded, polished and buffed by R.S. Owens &
Company, the Chicago-based awards manufac-
turer retained by the Academy since 1982. MGM
art director Cedric Gibbons designed a statuette
Unusual request
In 1928, Mexican film
director Emilio ‘El Indio’
Fernández was approached
by the art director of Metro
Goldwyn Mayer, Cedric
Gibbons, with a most
unusual request. Would
Señor Fernández be willing
to pose naked for Gibbons’
current project – a golden
statue of a knight holding a
crusader’s sword?
Fernández, not surprisingly,
was reluctant, but finally
relented. And thus came
into existence the Oscar
statuette.
IANS
of a knight standing on a reel of film gripping a
crusader’s sword. The Academy tapped Los An-
geles sculptor George Stanley to realise the de-
sign in three dimensions – and the
world-renowned statuette was born.
Officially named the Academy Award of Merit,
the statuette is better known by its nickname,
Oscar. According to the Academy, the statuettes
presented at the initial ceremonies were gold-
plated solid bronze. Within a few years the
bronze was abandoned in favour of Britannia
metal, a pewter-like alloy which is then plated in
copper, nickel silver, and finally, 24-karat gold.
Due to a metal shortage during World War II,
Oscars were made of painted plaster for three
years. Following the war, the Academy invited
recipients to redeem the plaster figures for gold-
plated metal ones.
Achievements in up to 25 regular categories
will be honoured on February 22 at the 81st Acad-
emy Awards presentation at the Kodak Theatre
at Hollywood and Highland Center.
However, the Academy won’t know how many
statuettes it will hand out until the envelopes are
opened on Oscar Night. Although the number of
categories and special awards are known in ad-
vance, the possibility of ties and of multiple reci-
pients sharing the prize in some categories makes
it impossible to predict the exact number of stat-
uettes to be awarded. As in previous years, any
surplus awards will be housed in the Academy’s
vault until next year’s event. ■
PTI
 Monday, February 23, 2009

America’s favourite Best Actors

11
Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts have come out triumphant in a poll by US magazine Parade and
Entertainment Tonight to find America’s favourite ever Academy Award winners. Hanks has
twice walked away with the Best Actor Oscar, for 1993’s Philadelphia and the following year’s
Forrest Gump. Roberts, who won an Oscar for her role in Erin Brockovich in 2000, was America’s
favourite Best Actress winner.
IANS

M
ike Myers’ comedy The era, which was condemned vari-
Love Guru and celebrity
socialite Paris Hilton ‘Love Guru’, Paris ously as “awful, disgusting and
insulting” – all in one review.
were top of the flops at
the 29th Razzie Awards, the an- Hilton are top of the Hilton also added to her Razzie
haul with the worst screen couple
nual eve-of-Oscars salute to the
very worst of Hollywood. flops at Razzies dishonour, again for her perfor-
mance in The Hottie and the Not-
Myers’ critically panned movie tie.
picked up three of the movie in- Meanwhile German filmmaker
dustry’s least coveted awards – a Uwe Boll – branded the “teutonic
gold spray-painted raspberry – twerp of world cinema” – picked
which organisers say are worth a up the worst director Razzie as
whopping four dollars and nine- well as a worst career achieve-
ty-seven cents. Paris Hilton in a ment award.
The alleged comedy, about an still from Repo: Boll’s fantasy film In the Name
ice hockey player who enlists the The Genetic of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
help of a mystic guru to help him Opera, for which was one of the most savagely re-
turn around his professional and she won worst viewed movies of last year.
personal fortunes, picked up supporting actress “A magnum dopus so utterly
worst picture, worst actor for inept that it somehow comes off
Myers and worst screenplay. as perversely admirable,” the
“At 88 minutes, The Love Guru Portland Mercury’s film critic
would have benefited from a trim commented. “The other two peo-
of roughly 80 minutes,” was how ple at Friday’s matinee seemed to
the New York Post described the enjoy it, too.”
film, which the New York Times Other notable winners on Sat-
described as “downright anti- urday included former James
funny”. Bond star Pierce Brosnan, who
Yet Myers was rivalled in the picked up the worst supporting
Razzie stakes by celebutante Hil- actor for his performance in
ton, who made good on her ABBA musical Mamma Mia.
pledge to seek a lower public pro- Meanwhile Steven
file following her 2007 prison dra- Spielberg’s revival of the
ma by appearing in two movies in Indiana Jones franchise
2008 that no-one watched. in Indiana Jones and
Hilton scooped up the worst the Kingdom of the Crys-
actress prize for The Hottie and tal Skull was crowned
the Nottie, a movie which Bri- worst prequel, remake, rip-
tain’s Daily Mirror decried as a off or sequel. ■
movie “of monumental dreadful- AFP
ness.”
The hotel heiress also scored a
rare double, winning the worst
supporting actress Razzie for her
cameo in Repo: The Genetic Op-

Mike Myers’ Love

Guru picked up 3
Razzies – worst
picture, worst actor
and worst
screenplay

Indiana
Jones:
Kingdom of
the Crystal
Skull was
crowned
worst
prequel,
remake,
rip-off or
sequel

At 88 minutes, The Love Guru would have benefited from a trim of roughly 80 minutes
12 ERGO Monday, February 23, 2009

Friday’s Query: Jhon. Cognizant, Vivek. Allsec

■ Saw. A tactical & strategical game

What is your favourite for death. An awesome & logically
well structured screenplay.
horror movie and why? R. Nagarajan,
■ 1973 original uncut "The Exorcist". InfoView Technologies,
Linda Blair’s acting haunts you for at Karthee, Cognizant,
least a week. Vijay ,Technip
Kannan S,
TCS ■ Grudge, total scary and no words
to tell.
■ 13-na number veedu, this is the Sailaja Golla, Infosys,
first horror movie I saw and really Divakar, Patni Computers,
scared. Deepan N, TCS
Arunshankar,
Perot Systems, ■ Naan Kadavul, really kids can’t see
that film.
■ ’Uruvam’ for that gorgeous and Priya,
terrific looking face. HCL Rema Varma from Accenture has nominated her friends
Mohan Senthil, Wipro as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked in Yelagiri.
■ Sixth Sense. Direction and music
■ ’The Ring’ for using simple visuals good.
and scaring to death. Divyalakshmi, Akil,
Senthil Kumar P, RR Donnelley, TCS
Christy, Allsec
■ Pet Cemetery because there is a
■ ’Evil Dead’, perfectly directed, with cemetery where you can bury your
horror and tense mood prevailing loved önes, and they can come back
throughout the movie. to life not like the same but with
Rekha, Sreenath, Accenture, evil.
Sabarish JM, Cognizant, Lexsminarayanan,
Sridhar R, STG, TCS-eserve
Logesh, Infosys,
Anand K, Infoview Technologies ■ Kuruvi, because of Vijay’s awesome
action and high jump.
■ "The omen" it’s a classic, Vivek Wipro,
technically sound, it scares me every Dee Jay, Rsystems,
time I watch it, the little satan is Asif, Ford,
simply awesome. Sonisha, Wipro
Aravindhan, Cognizant,
Arun, Sam, Thomas, ■ Jegan Mohini because it has a
Sadiq, Babu, Nadeem, Gary, Allsec. blend of both horror and comedy.
Siva Kumar, Sathyaraj, Devandiran from Caliber Point has nominated his
■ Villu. In all other horror movies Allsec friends as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked in
hero will kill the ghost. But in this Pondicherry.
movie hero is killing the audience. ■ Jeepers Creepers, really a
Muthuhari, Changepond, wonderful horror movie. In that
Lakshmi, Perot Systems, movie each and every scene leads to
Jack, Vinoj, Allsec, the corner of the chair.
Karthi, CSS, Prasanna,
Dev, TCS-eserve Wipro

■ Veerasami for the horrific action, ■ Jameenkottai. For the sheer way it
romance and sentimental role played defies all definitions of logic and
by the one and only horror star TR. throws science out of the window.
Shanthi Sundaresan, Ahalya, Art featured in this co-
Shiva, ARS, Perot Systems, TCS lumn will receive gift
Krishna, CSS, Ajay, TCS, coupons from Fruit
Sethu, Wipro , Karthik, Infosys, Praveen, ■ Bhoot, for Ajaydevgan and Shop on Greams
Zohocorp Urmila’s acting. Road. Send in your ad-
Mohanapriya, dresses so that we can
■ The haunting which released in TCS post the coupons.
1999, because it’s a real story, which
happened in 1529.
Prashanth.
Today’s Query:
Inautix Your favourite Ramya C from Citi Group Global
Services doodled this.
■ Shutter. The climax is shocking to ‘lecturer’ quotes from
all.
Saravanan, Raja. TCS, college days.
 Monday, February 23, 2009
■ Dear Suganthi,
Side by side, or miles apartA Girl like u, is always
close to the Heart. May u have all the joys ur heart can
hold, All the Smiles a day can bring, All the Blessings a
life can unfold. May u have God’s best in everything!!
Wishing that u have a lovely day and a great year
ahead! Happy Birthday
Lots of luv and Regards,
Your’s Loving ,
Ravi.
■ Dearest Krishna,
To succeed, we must first believe that we can. And
that is exactly what you did. Your love for your job,
your commitment, your confidence and persona has
lead to this recognition that you very well deserve. I am
sure your firm has made a very wise choice and that
you will excel in your new role or any role that you are
in.
I’m so proud of you. The additional $$ and the fan-
fare and glory these recognitions may bring is great,
but the personal accomplishment must be so much
greater. I really want to take this moment to let you
know how very, very proud I am of you, and your
accomplishments thus far. I have always looked up to
you and admired you for what you stand for. Knowing
exactly what you want in life and applying those goals
has gotten you in a well deserve place. I congratulate
you, and wish you all the best each and everyday. May
God watch over you where you are and place your feet
on solid ground. I am proud to be able to share these
wonderful successes with you that you so very well
deserve! Way to go honey!
Cheers,
Your proud wife, Archana
■ Hi Bhavna & Team,
I have no yesterdays, Time took them away, Tomor-
row may not be mine, But I have Today.So wish you
my cute friends a Very Good Day. All the Best.
Best Wishes from,
N.Deepan, TCS, Siruseri
■ Dear Mr.ExcelaCom,
Every moment being with you is specialHope this
chosen wish adds a spotlight to this special friendship!
So dear Bhavani, my frnd, the spotlight is on you! May
all your dreams come true and may God shower his
choicest blessings to you on every event!Let this birth-
day wipe of the hurdles and sprinkle your path with joy
and melody. Let this birthday also show the way to
make us wish for another special day every year - A
happy anniversary! Have an unforgettable Birthday! -
"Intha birthday kaavadu weight podu"
Wishes and prayers,
Friends @ ExcelaCom Reston, VA and
Chennai (Route 4, COMS team, lunch gang, et al)
■ Dear Super Singer Mukund ,
On your b’day, we wish for you the fulfillment of all
your fondest dreams. We hope that for every candle on
your cake you get a wonderful surprise. Many more
happy returns of the day singer. We wish for u that
whatever u want most in life, it comes to u, Just the
way u imagined it. Belated Happy Birthday Kizzzzz hi
With Tons & Tons of Luv,
Route No. 4 Friends,
Scope International.
■ Dear Suda,
Very belated Birthday wishes!! Let this birthday
make ur life brighter than ever and let all ur dreams
come true.Also Warm welcome from your Home
Town!!! Keep Smiling!!!!
Regards, Naraine, Infy
■ Dear Satya,
What a joy it is to send these Birthday greetings to
someone like you; May life shower on you special hap-
piness and grant you all the things you desire. You turn
not older with years but newer everyday :-) May You
Live All the Days of Your Life.
With Loads of Wishes,
Container Centralen
Tata Consultancy Services
■ Dear Lakshmi,
I wish u many more happy returns of the day. May
all your dreams come true. Have a rocking and a fun
filled birthday.
With love,
Nirmala devi,
Tata Consultancy Services
■ Dear Shanthi,
You think you are special because its your BIRTH-
DAY today. That’s complete nonsense... you’re special
everyday... In this world, where everything seems un-
certain, only one thing is definite, you will always be
our friend beyond words, beyond time and beyond
distance, May everyday be filled with sunshine, smiles,
laughter and love... many more happy returns of the
day
With Best wishes,
Waseem Akram Santhosh Bimosana
ALLSEC TECHNOLOGIES LTD
■ Hii Gopi,
I dont wanna wish u either an advance wish or an
belated wish, so I will call u at 0.00 Hrs to greet.
Karthik R
■ Hi Guys
Wish u a mhappy birthaday...Valliappan Ramasamy
Rathinakarthik Natarajan Archana Aravindaraman Sa-
ravanan Ramalingam Thomas Abraham Thiruselvam
Kasiligam Jeevith Sathiyaraj
from
Business Processing & Infrastructure Services
iNautix Technologies India Private Limited,
Belated Wishes
February 20
■ Hi Dinesh Peter,
Its your Birthday, your very own special day of the
year , and we just wanted to send you some b"day
cheer.Have a greta day, bcoz u deserve it . Happy
birthday to u, Amit . Dinesh peter name yaaru sonna
njabagam erukka..
From,
Treatku yengum kuzhathaigal, Thenu, Jemi, Ram,
Shiva, Sathya, Lav, Pravin. CSS Corp
■ Muthuvisalatchi & Meenakshi Sundaram,
Happy married life!! May the coming years bring lots
of happiness and success in your life.
Best Wishes,
Shobi, Arul, Udhaya, Indra, Aparna, Reva, HCL
February 21
■ Hi Sowmya,
13
Belated Happy Birthday Sowmya. Let this Birthday
bring you full of fun, happiness, joy and success in
your life. We wish that all your golden dreams come
true.
Hearty wishes from
Rajeev [Ur Best Friend], Arun, Shalini, Ramya, Ranjani,
Brindha, Deva, Batchu, Karthik [Team Lead], Vinoth,
Brinson [Ur Chris Mom] Sushil, Shameema, & BP4 team
members.
■ Dear Gomathy
Wish you many More Happy Returns of the Day!!!!!!
May God Bless you!!!!!!! Have A Wonderful Year Ahead.
May you be gifted with lots of Happiness, Health, Love,
and Joys to last all year through!!!!!! May your entire
wish come true!!!!! Nalam Vaazha en naalum engal
vaazhthukkal !!!!!!
With Tons & Tons of Love & Friendship
Nov-07 Testing Team (JBU)
HCL Technologies
■ My Dearest Sonali,
Wishing You Many Many Happy returns of the Day.
Wanting to stay beside you all ur life and Assuring the
Same . We Wish, Rather , I specially Wish You a won-
derful and the memorable Happy Birthday ( In My
Way .... colon P) Hoping that I’ll walk beside You Hold-
ing Your hand in mine for Your every BirthDay ........
Showering You the Happiness of all On the special day.
Your BirthDay . A Heartful Happy Birthday
Ur’s Tikkalodu
TCS
February 22
■ Dear Sangu,
Many More Happy returns of the day, May all your
dreams come true by this day.
Ur ever luvr,
Anitha
■ Hi Venki,
Wish u many more happy returns of the day. May
this day brings u happiness for ur whole future.
With Regards,
Ur team,
Infosys Technologies Limited.
■ Dear Lydia (Manager),
On your Birthday, special one, we wish that all ur
dreams come true. May your day be filled with joy,
wonderful gifts and goodies, too. We wish you fine and
simple pleasures. We wish you many years of laughter.
We wish you all of lifes’s best treasures. We wish you
happily ever after! "HAPPY BIRTHDAY"
Wishes from,
Gershome, Srini, Kevin, Praveen,
Vinoth, Arun, Raghu, Prakash, Sushma,
Rafia, Sai, Serena (ATG Rockers)-Allsec tech
■ Dhivya & Arunkumar,
Happy married life!! May the coming years bring lots
of happiness and success in your life.
Best Wishes,
Shobi, Anu
■ Dear Rajan and Pooja
Heartiest congratulations on your Wedding Anni-
versary. May your life be full of happiness and joy-
...Have a bright and Flourishing Future...God Bless...
With Regards,
Guravneet
Cognizant
14 TRAFFIC JAM ERGO Monday, February 23, 2009

Mini-Me toys
A toy company in Japan is offering to make tailor-
made Mini-Me robots that mimic their owner’s voice.
The toy costs a whopping $2,200 (GBP1,500).

sudoku

K. Deepa of
Sify
Technologies
cliked this
picture in Ooty
with her
Canon SX100.
Hobbies:
Singing and
listening to
songs

KAKURO
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: clickpick@goergo.in

TEAM
Editor: Karthik Subramanian
karthik@goergo.in

Sr Dy Chief Designer: J.A. Prem Kumar

Dy Chief Designer: R. Ravi Kannan
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(Editor responsible for selection of news under
the PRB Act). RNI No. TNENG/2007/24553
 Monday, February 23, 2009
Shot in the dark
A man survived a suicide attempt after
buying a coffin, climbing in and trying
to shoot himself. The bullet grazed his
chin and nose but missed his brain.
15
Word’s worth
“Nanism” (nay-niz-um) the condition of being dwarfed, or the tendency to
become stunted or dwarfed. Usually used about animals and plants. Nanity is
the condition of having any abnormal deficiency. Both words come from a
Greek word meaning ’dwarf.’

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

You might choose to focus more on professional
matters. Ganesha feels you will be very practical
and will be able to meet your deadlines today.
Since you are working so hard today, you may also
expect to do the same.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

Today will be your lucky day. You will show a
considerable improvement in your communication
skills, especially in meetings and conferences. These
improvements might get you a new project to work
on. There will be moral support from family.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

Ganesha thinks you will be able to meet your
BORN LOSER deadlines today. Nevertheless, mood swings might
make your day seem longer. The day, including your
love life, will be average for you.

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20

You might have to agree on everything your
superiors say today. Ganesha thinks you might have
to take a back seat at work. However, this is a
temporary phase. Unmarried couples may start
planning for the ‘big event’ called Marriage.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
You may feel like pouring your soul in your work
today. However, this might make it a hard day at
office. Ganesha advises you not to indulge in any
arguments with superiors. On the love front, you
will be more romantic than sensitive.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
Ganesha thinks it is a favourable day for work and
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT romance. While you engross yourself in development
and research, your love for your organization will
strengthen. You may express affection and
passionate love towards your beloved.
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
Work at office might seem dull and boring today.
Ganesha feels it would be best if you stick to your
daily routine and avoid burdensome work. Even for
your love life, you will have to save the day from
being dry or boring.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
You will be able to get rid of the pending work
today. Ganesha things you will be able to manage
routine tasks very effectively today. In matters of the
heart it will be better if you don’t dominate today.
Try to woo your beloved in a creative way instead.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
Think twice before you speak anything today. Be
careful with word, especially with superiors and your
sweetheart. Office work might seem demanding but
anyway, it would be best if you remain calm and
soft in your approach.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
You will exhibit tremendous energy and power
today. This energy will not only boost your career
but will also help you in your domestic life. This
energetic mood will lead to a dynamic and cheerful
day ahead, not to forget your charming love life.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS Ganesha wants you to be extra cautious at work
today. Also, it would be advisable for you to
ISSUE’S maintain a low profile at work. This would be
applicable even on your personal and love life,
SOLUTIONS Ganesha suggets.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
Fate will be in your favour today. Ganesha feels
that hard work always pays off. Hence today your
hard work will get a lot of appreciation from your
colleagues. Love life as well as personal life will be
calm and peaceful.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
16 ! ERGO Monday, February 23, 2009

The 150th show

of Crazy
Mohan’s
Chocolate
Krishna saw
actor Kamal
Hassan playing
the guest of
honour this
Sunday at
Narada Gana
Sabha. The
proceeds from
the show went
towards
charity. The
show also saw
the unveiling of
a painting
titled
’Chocolate
Krishna’ done
by artist Shri
Keshav.
PHOTOS: S.S. KUMAR