A BYTE OF LIFE Friday, October 24, 2008

Have a blast!
Ergo wishes all its readers a very Happy Diwali.
Plus, a Happy Extended Weekend.
Since Diwali without firecrackers is incomplete,
we bring to you the latest to hit the market (Pages 4 & 5).
Also, there will be no issue of Ergo on October 27 and 28
(Monday and Tuesday). We’ll be back on Wednesday.

FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 2 No. 204

02
Namma Chennai
Sale
Sweet surprise
What can be the best surprise for
your near and dear ones who are
away from home for the festival? A
box of sweets.
Gati Limited, an express distribution
and supply chain, has tied-up with
Halidrams to send mouth watering
delicacies. You can choose from an
array of products – assorted sweets,
hamper comprising soan papdi, aloo
bhujia, rosgullas. The gifts range
between Rs. 475 and Rs. 700.
Log on to www.gati.com to know
more or call 09860 354284. Hurry,
orders need to be placed before
October 24.
Concert
Music for a cause
Carnatic vocalist T.M. Krishna will be
performing in the city on October 24
as part of a fund-raiser for REACH.
The amount collected will be used to
provide food to needy patients and
meet their travel expenses to hospitals.
When: October 24
Where: For invitations to the concert
call 2861 0332/ 6521 1047
Television
Let the music flow
It’s a musical Diwali on SS Music. Singers S. P. Balasubramaniam and S.
P. Sailaja get together to pay tribute to the ‘Mellisai Mannar’ M.S.
Visvanathan. Tune in on
October 26 and October 27 at
9 p.m. and noon respectively.
Also, if you have been banking
on the new releases check this
show on October 27 at 3 p.m.
VJ Rajiv gives his predictions
for Vaaranam Aiyaram, Aegan
and others. There is lot more,
so don’t forget to tune.
When: October 25 to 27
Where: SS Music
ERGO Friday, October 24, 2008
Book release
Penguin Book India and Taj Connemera
will launch the book ‘In the country of
Deceit’ by Sashi Deshpande today at
Binny Room, Taj Connemara at 5.30 p.m.
Television
Sister act 4
It’s Diwali time on ‘Nach
Baliye 4’. And setting
the stage of fire will be
Karisma and Kareena
who will be adorning
outfits specially designed
by Manish Malhotra.
Both the sisters will be
seen exchanging their
places – Kareena will
pose as the judge while
Karisma will be the
special guest.
When: October 25
Where: Star Plus; 8 p.m.
Cinema
Book my ticket, please
Seventymm has introduced ‘Seventymm Ticket Counter’ -- a movie
ticket feature on its portal. With this movie enthusiasts can book
tickets through the platform as well as get latest updates about the
movies running in theatres. Seventymm ticket counter is powered by
www.bookmyshow.com
For details log on to www.seventymm.com
Sale
Crystal clear
Check-out some stunning
pieces of Bohemian crystals
from Czech Republic. Flower
vases, table lamps, cutlery...
each of the collection are a
pretty piece to be gifted.
When: Till November 12
Where: Hotel Ambassador
Pallava, 30th Montieth Road,
Egmore
 Friday, October 24, 2008
03
Awards alert
British Council India, in association with Oxford Bookstore is launching the Young
Publishing Entrepreneur Award 2009, where the winner of the Indian award will take part
in an all-expenses paid 10-day tour of the UK publishing industry in April next year.
For details, please check out http://www.britishcouncil.org/india-arts-iypey2007.htm

Bookworm’s Corner
Top 10 Bestsellers (Fiction)
1. The White Tiger - Aravinda Adiga. Rs. 395
2. Sea of Poppies - Amitav Ghosh. Rs. 599
3. One Night @ Call Centre - Chetan Bhagat. Rs.
95
4. The 3 Mistakes of my Life - Rupa & Co. Rs. 95
5. Brida - Paulo Coelho. Rs.295
6. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini.
Rs.395
7. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini. Rs. 315
8. The Final Reckoning – Sam Bourne. Rs. 295
9. A Prisoner of Birth - Jeffery Archer. Rs. 270
10. Shantaram - Gregory Roberts. Rs.475
Top 10 Bestsellers
(Non-fiction)
1. The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Busi-
ness of Life - Alice Schroeder. Rs. 995
2. The Secret - Rhonda Byrne. Rs.550
3. Stay Hungry Stay Foolish - Rashmi Bansal. Rs.
125
4. The New Paradigm for Financial - George So-
ros. Rs.595
5. Hot Flat & Crowded - Thomas Friedman. Rs.
595
6. The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch. Rs.295
7. Business Striped Bare – Richard Branson.
Rs.515
8. D k Eyewitness Travel: India. Rs.480
9. What the CEO Want You to Know - Ram Cha-
ran. Rs.480
10. Go Kiss The World - Subroto Bagchi. Rs. 399
Courtesy: Crossword
Little Babooshka’s Grind
Rock on!
This weekend, original live music
This weekend presenting at the
Alliance Francaise October
Dhamaka – a rock show featur-
ing two of Chennai’s best origi-
nal bands – Little Babooshka’s
Grind (LBG) and Touchwood.
LBG has been known in the
circuit since 1996, playing origi-
nal rock music. Having com-
pleted two full-length albums
and one professionally pro-
duced video, the band consists
of brothers Arjun (bass), Avnith
(lead guitar) and Aum Janaki-
ram (rhythm), Maynard Grant
(drums) and Praveen Heinrich
(lead vocalist).
Touchwood is another band,
hardly out of college, that be-
lieves in original music. What
makes them stand apart is that
this rock band has no electric
guitarist and is not looking out
for one. Comprising Arjun
(bass), Vishal (vocals, acoustic
guitar), Cherian (keyboard) and
Avinash (drums), the band pre-
fer to call themselves a ‘jam
band’.
What, when, where?
Event: Rock concert
Timings: 7 pm, October 25
Venue: Alliance Francaise
Contact: 28271477/
28251165
Touchwood PHOTO: S.R. RAGHUNATHAN
04
Big Story
Crack these crackers
C
ome Monday, it’s freedom
from all your business
meetings, client calls,
brain-storming sessions
and cab journeys to office. It’s
the festival of lights and time to
celebrate hard with a bang,
Kaleidoscope showers a display of 250 shots
What’s a Diwali without the firecrackers! Ergo brings to you
the new entrants to the market. Plus, some of the classics
literally.
The cracker fever is on, but
the sudden spell of rains has
dampened the firework sales to
an extent. With the sun beating
down once again from Thurs-
day morning, the fever is back.
Ergo visited the biggest fire-
work sales den of the city, Bun-
der Street in Parrys Corner, to
ERGO Friday, October 24, 2008
ket. The advanced rockets, ac-
cording to dealers, go higher
and burst with a bang of col-
ours. Not to miss is a glowing
check out a few new firework bow colours, the Kaleidoscope parachute that is visible in the
entries and the most sought-af- isn’t bad either. The cracker al- night sky for a few miles.
ter ones. so features one wick, which The extra-long rocket that
Over 80 per cent of the shops must be lit in a large, open area. comes with a colourful head
on Bunder Street have taken to Kaleidoscope is priced at Rs. (green, yellow and pink) is an
selling fireworks on Deepavali, 2,500. old but most sought-after one
like every year for more than in the cracker family every Di-
four decades. Parachute Rocket wali.
For rocket lovers, there are A pack of five Parachute
Panorama Parachute Rockets in the mar- Rockets costs Rs. 181. ■
This year, the big daddy of fi-
recrackers is the Panorama.
Coming in a big, fat box, the
piece is a guaranteed night sky
entertainer with a whopping
500 shots with just one strike of
a match to its single, thick thiri
(wick).
All one needs to do is take the
cracker to an open ground and
light the wick to enjoy an all-
colour view. The price of the
Panorama is Rs. 5,000.
Kaleidoscope
If you think the Panorama
could burn a big hole in your
pocket, opt for Kaleidoscope.
With 250 shots showering rain- Firecracker dealer S.K. Jaffer with the gift box
 Friday, October 24, 2008
For the
FAINT-HEARTED
Dolphin and Butterfly
Some of the innovative fire-
works for this season are the Dol-
phin Dive and Colour-Changing
Butterfly. These can be a cracker
lover’s delight as both erupt cre-
ating an image of dolphins and
butterflies in vibrant colours. The
Colour-Changing Butterfly
comes with 10 pieces in a pack
with a price tag of Rs. 180. Whe-
reas, the Dolphin Dive showers
12 shots displaying 12 shapes of
dolphins in different colours. It is
priced at Rs. 130.
Cartoons in cartons
For kids and those who are
scared of fireworks, the assorted
Cartoons could be a saving grace.
With less sound and more fun,
these come in boxes of 10 and 25.
There is also the Apple, which is a
bit on the louder side with a sho-
wy explosion in the sky.
Apart from these, there are the
conventional and well-known
Lakshmi and Krishna vedi. Com-
ing in bundles of 10 with a price
05
Dine and Dance
The Accord Metropolitan has a special Diwali
offer at Pergola on October 26, 27 and 28.
You can have a spectacular view of fireworks,
while enjoying your food with your family. For
reservations please call 2816 1000.
tag of Rs. 130, these are a few of
the most sought-after ones for
most sound-lovers after the dou-
ble-shot cracker.
All-in-one
If you want a piece of everyth-
ing, the gift box of firecrackers
can be the best pick. With 27 dif-
ferent items, including sparklers,
chakras and bombs, the gift box is
a good choice. The box is avail-
able in a price range of Rs. 525 to
An unforgetable Diwali
Rs. 1170. There is also a soundless This incident happened when I nearby. Ours also happened to be
gift box comprising only chakras, was in Class VI. On the day of Di- an old house with good dry wood.
sparklers, flowerpots and pencils wali, my mom was busy in the I was so scared that I didn’t know
for just Rs. 320. kitchen, my dad had gone out what to do.
Last, but definitely not the and my little sister was watching I called out in a low voice to my
least, is the Lar, locally called the TV. little sister that there is a fire here.
wala, which is always a show- I was so very impatient to start The moment she screamed and
stopper. This ubiquitous, red-col- bursting the crackers that I went ran out of the home, it left my
oured chain cracker is a combi- on to light a candle in the landing mother shocked.
nation of thousands of shells room of our home. The tenants who stayed down-
capable of silencing its compet- It had rained on the previous stairs rushed to put the fire out
itors for over 15 minutes. Starting day and we had the clothes hung and an accident was narrowly
from the ‘100 wala’ for Rs. 35, it in that room. To my carelessness, avoided. Though I was scolded
goes up to the ‘10,000 wala’ for the towel in the rope caught fire then, we have a good laugh talk-
Rs. 3,300. and started spreading rapidly to ing about the incident.
(Prices may differ from dealer to my uniform and to the window Indhumathi, TCS
dealer)
06
Village
Plastic clappers
a must-have for
Thai protesters
Y
ou can use it to cheer on a
rock band, take to the mall
or, why not, try to overthrow
a government – the latest
must-have among Thailand’s
protest set is a plastic, hand-
shaped clapper.
The clack-clack-clack of the
multi-coloured hands has reso-
nated throughout Bangkok dur-
ing the months-long campaign
by the People’s Alliance for De-
mocracy (PAD) to bring down the
nation’s elected government.
In fact, it’s spawned a little bit
of a minor industry: one vendor
outside Government House –
currently occupied by the protes-
ters – says she sells up to 100
clappers a day.
The average price is 25 baht
(nearly one dollar), depending on
the size. Or you can opt for the
flashing light version at 35 baht.
“I broke one clapper so now I
have a new one. When you get
very excited you wave it very
hard,” explained a middle-aged
woman at the grounds of the
prime minister’s offices at Go-
vernment House.
The area, seized in August, has
since taken on the air of an out-
ERGO Friday, October 24, 2008
Louis XIV
Louis XIV
owned 413
beds.
Britain’s advertising watchdog
raps Nepali TV
Britain’s advertising watchdog has rapped Nepali TV, a
satellite channel that asserts to broadcast to 58
countries, for violating the standards code for a recent
advertisement that made unsubstantiated health and
nutrition claims. Investigators of the Advertising
Standards Agency (ASA) spotted the recent
advertisement related to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), maker
door music festival as the protes- of the Horlicks drink. The advertisement asserted on
ters press their campaign against the channel that children who drank Horlicks were
government, which they say is a ‘taller, stronger, sharper’ than other children. However,
corrupt proxy for ousted and ex- ASA said that Nepali TV did not offer any comment
iled premier Thaksin Shinawatra. during investigations but eventually withdrew the
“It’s the fashion,” said the same advertisement.
woman, who did not want to give PTI
her name. “You don’t have to use
your hands – it’s easy and conve-
nient.” Kiat Chan, proud owner
of three clappers, says the pro- White-powder letters
testers started using them about a
week after their street demon- hit more banks
strations began in May. Four Chase bank branches in Phoenix and the New
The ‘mue tob’ – Thai for hand York Times headquarters in New York received
clap – has become an unlikely envelopes containing a suspicious white powder on
symbol of the anti-government Wednesday as a wave of threatening U.S. mailings
movement, and the clappers can spread. More than 45 threatening letters have been
now be seen at concerts, sports received since Monday at financial institutions in at
events and shopping malls across least 11 states, FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said.
the capital. “Most of the letters contain a powder substance with a
The Venetian-style Govern- threatening communication,” he said. No harmful
ment House is now the centre of substances have yet been identified but more tests are
an organised tent city that being conducted at regional laboratories, he said. U.S.
stretches across blocks of the authorities are always on the alert for such letters after
capital’s historic district. the anthrax threat in 2001.
“You can use it to say to Thai Reuters
ministers, ‘Get out and go to
hell!” said PAD supporter Sui,
holding an outsize clapper which
cost her 60 baht. “It’s very, very
fun and you use it very loud.” ■
Posh poses in sari
Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham will delight
AFP
Indian fans as cover girl for the Vogue India
November issue dressed as an Indian bride in a
sari. Commenting upon her new image, she said:
“I’ve never played safe with my image.”
Beckham has been living in Hollywood for the
last 18 months with her family and has been
working on her fashion ranges. The magazine
will hit the stands within a week, reports
thesun.co.uk. Meanwhile, David Beckham is set
to move from the Los Angeles Galaxy football
club to AC Milan in January.
IANS
Obama graces lottery
tickets in Colombia
Barack Obama stands to win not only the White House
– according to recent US opinion polls – but also the
lottery in Mesa, Colombia, where his face now graces
all the lottery tickets in the city. “We picked Obama’s
portrait for our lottery because we’re always looking
for somebody people are raving about. He’s ahead in
(US) opinion polls and right now he’s the most popular
guy around here,” Mesa Lottery manager Luis Enciso
told AFP. He said Democrat Obama’s picture helped sell
more lottery tickets. “We’d never think of using John
McCain,” Enciso said referring to Obama’s Republican
rival in the November 4 US presidential election.
AFP
 Friday, October 24, 2008
8 peas
On average,
there are
eight peas in
a pod.
The history of perfume
F
rom ancient Egyptian cere-
monial incense to pungent
Mesopotamian ointments
and lotions dating back to
medieval France, a newly re-
opened French museum traces
perfume’s lesser-known past.
“The history of perfume is not
only that of the industry linked to
fashion or luxury, in which
France has become the main
player,” said the curator of the In-
ternational Perfume Museum in
Grasse, near Cannes in the south
of France.
“Since antiquity, perfume has
also been at the crossroads of
therapeutics, cosmetics, cuisine,
even sacred uses,” said Marie-
Christine Grasse, according to
whom the museum offers a
unique collection in terms of size
and scope.
While the picturesque Pro-
From ancient Egyptian
ceremonial incense to
lotions dating back to
medieval France, a
newly re-opened
French museum traces
perfume’s lesser-
known past
Camel milk
chocolate debuts
T he world’s first camel milk
chocolate, Al Nassma, was offi-
cially launched in Dubai on
Wednesday.
Al Nassma the Arabic word for
a cool desert breeze is being
viewed as a significant develop-
ment for the UAE’s camel milk in-
dustry as demand from the
chocolate manufacturers is set to
create a need for more camel
milk.
“We want to create a brand
which has international impor-
tance. I believe this product has
the power to become
the sweet ambassa-
dor of Arabia born in
Dubai,” Johann Ge-
orge Hochleitner, the
man behind the idea,
was quoted as saying
by Abu Dhabi’s The
National.
The idea of creat-
07
This day, that year
Black Thursday got its name on October 24, 1929, when Wall Street
investors panicked and ordered their stock brokers to sell all their shares.
Nearly 13 million shares traded hands, sending stock prices plummeting. By
late afternoon, many stocks recovered, but the stage was set for the stock
market crash on October 29, which would start the Great Depression.
vence town that hosts the mu-
seum is no longer the heart of the
perfume industry, officials hope
it will now serve as a centre for
history on the fragrance industry.
After three years of renova-
tions, the museum has been
transformed from a dusty collec-
tion housed in an 18th century
mansion, to a modern exhibition
of artefacts spread across new in-
ter-connected buildings.
The chronological, interactive
and olfactory – sense-driven –
tour of perfumery is presented
along three themes: seduction,
healing and communication.
The collection’s centrepiece is
an 80-kilogramme ‘travel’ vanity
case once owned by Marie-Antoi-
nette, the French queen arguably
best remembered for her extrava-
gant tastes.
Fashioned out of mahogany
and leather, the case is riddled
with compartments and drawers
containing brushes and gadgets People look at perfume bottles at the International Perfume Museum. AFP PHOTOS
necessary for the young queen’s
elaborate beauty regime. novel by German writer Patrick The majority of extracts today half of France’s sales in these in-
The story of perfumery further Suskind and following a young come from outside France, but dustries.
unravels in rooms devoted to the perfumier’s search for the ulti- Grasse has maintained a foothold Perfume professionals in the
19th century advent of the indus- mate scent. in formulating perfumes and region – many of whom are part-
try, in which Grasse played a ma- Grasse was a global centre for food flavours. ners in the project – hope the mu-
jor role. producing natural extracts from Formulations from Grasse, seum will give them a chance to
The town’s name will be famil- the jasmine, rose and orange where specialists also come to exert a unique influence on the
iar to viewers of Perfume: The Sto- blossom plantations on its peri- use the museum’s large research industry’s past and present. ■
ry of a Murderer, a film based on a phery. library, account for more than AFP
Meeting of two stars
ing camel milk chocolate dawned
on Hochleitner, who is also a
member of the company’s board
of directors. Hochleitner, who
has already created chocolate
made out of sheep and goat milk,
spent two years, travelling as far
as Libya and Kazakhstan, to look
for a suitable camel milk produc-
er.
His search ended with Dubai’s
Camelicious and it took another
two years to develop the product
line. The chocolate is produced
from camel milk powder made
from Dubai-based
Camelicious, the
brand’s only camel
milk provider.
An Austrian firm,
HM Chocolate Hold-
ing, has a 50 per cent 쒀 Actor-turned director Nandita Das with actress Deepti Naval at the premier of the
ownership in Al Nass- movie ’Firaaq’ at the South Asian International Film Festival in New York on
ma. ■ Wednesday. PTI PHOTO
PTI
08 ERGO Friday, October 24, 2008

Scrabble for $20,000

Technorama
A Scrabble board made with more than
30,000 Swarovski crystals and valued at
20,000 dollars is being auctioned online
to mark 60 years of the popular word-
building game.

SNIPPETS
SOURCED FROM
’Ntertainment assured T3 MAGAZINE OF
Two new Nseries blowers crowd the multimedia
phone bazaar
INFOMEDIA 18
The Nseries portfolio of Nokia’s multimedia
phones welcomes two new members this month,
LIMITED
making life difficult for those like us who can’t
make up their minds on what they like. Both
justify inclusion in the family by flaunting
impressive features such as 3.5G HSDPA, WiFi,
5-meg snappers with Carl Zeiss optics, FM
transmitters, N-gage gaming, geotagging and GPS Cruise down avenue Q
navigation abilities. While the N79 can be Audi’s new Q5 aims for world domination
customised using Xpress-on covers, the N85 boasts Surely only the criminally insane would launch a new SUV
of a 2.6inch OLED display. Choices choices... TBC, these days. Audi appear perfectly lucid, though, and the new
www.nokia.com Q5 is their dastardly masterplan to take the game to BMW’s
ubiquitous X5. The Q5 might be an SUV but there’s more
emphasis on sport than utility. The prole-frightening front
grill sits in front of some serious planet-bothering muscle in
the form of either a diesel or petrol engine. Packed full of
tech, it’s superbly engineered. Just prepare to be pelted with
organic dairy products if you use one on the school run.
Top speed: 224kmph, 0-100 kmph in 6.5-seconds.
Wheels: 19 inch
A climate controlled drinks holder is available as an option,
Digit-al entertainment! so your beverage of choice remains chilled (or hot)
TBC, www.audi.com
Mini-keyboard, Max fun
All rise. The ultra-sleek Logitech
diNoVo Mini, a palm-sized keyboard
with media remote and ClickPad is
here. If you are the sorts who liaisons
with two hotties - in this case your PC
and TV - the highly compact keyboard
will make your life easy. It features
backlighting and an innovative
ClickPad, which can be used as a
touch pad to point, scroll and click -
or as a directional pad to navigate
menus and make selections. The mini-
keyboard uses Bluetooth 2.0 wireless
technology for unfettered use from
the sofa or anywhere in the living
room. Plus, it looks terribly cool.
Rs 9,495. www.logitech.co.in

Have a blast
Mr Big screen Throw a tune
True to life Get Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Go! The
BenQ E2200HD, the world’s first USB device uses X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity
21.5inch full HD LCD monitor is audio tech to let you experience ultra
making some impressions! It realistic gaming with surround sound
delivers 100% dot-for-dot over headphones and on the go. You
rendering of full HD content don’t even have to tag along a CD as
and its Advanced Motion the 1GB memory stores the essential
Accelerator creates true-to-life software. An interesting aspect is the
images with reduced visual built-in VoiceFX technology that allows
noise. As for the ’Fun Friday’ in you to morph your voice! Go on, say
office, you can bank on its it... All Your Base Are Belong to Us!
’Senseye +photo’ tech that Rs 4,699 in.creative.com,
instantly optimises viewing and www.soundblaster.com
the integrated speakers. Fun?
Check.
Rs 13,500 www.benq.co.in
 Friday, October 24, 2008
How much can you store?
Holographic discs, the next generation of storage devices, make even Blu-ray seem like child’s play
H
olographic storage of-
fers a way to cram
hundreds of movies
onto a single DVD-size
disc, but the first commercial
offering, due out next year, is
a high-end archival system
that costs tens of thousands
of dollars and requires spe-
cial playback machines.
Now researchers at GE
Global Research, in Niskayu-
na, N.Y., say that they are
closing in on a mass-market
version that would be com-
patible with older DVDs and
CDs – technology that GE
says could reach the market
in 2012.
If the project pans out,
consumers could hold vast
video libraries on a few ho-
lographic discs alongside the
regular DVDs in their living
room.
GE expects an initial ver-
sion of the holographic disc
to hold 300 gigabytes of data,
and future versions will hold
as much as one terabyte –
enough for 40 high-definition
movies or 200 standard-defi-
nition movies. While the first
buyers might be companies
seeking simpler ways to ar-
Eye candy
chive their data, GE ultimately
wants to target the broader
market. “The average consumer
will be able to buy a drive in the
next three or four years that
would have this technology,
and they can play everything,”
says Brian Lawrence, manager
of GE’s Integrated Polymer Sys-
tems Lab. Information is stored
쑸
A student of
Japan’s Keio
University wears a
special see-through
coat made of
movie-screen-like
material which a
background scene
can be “seen”
through the coat
when a picture is
projected onto it.
Tokyo University’s
Professor Susumu
Tachi developed the
optical camouflage
technology in
which the scene
behind the coat is
captured by a video
camera and then
projects that scene
"virtually" onto the
special material
coat.
AFP PHOTO
Super car
A British team that already holds the world land speed record has planned
to build a 1,000-miles-an-hour (1,600 kilometres) car in the next three
years. The Bloodhound SSC (supersonic car) will be 13 metres long, six
metres wide and be powered by a jet engine and would be faster than a
bullet, covering the distance of four football fields in a second.
on a CD or DVD as a pattern on
the disc’s surfaces. Holographic
storage involves, instead, en-
coding data using patterns of
light interference within the
body of light-sensitive material.
This leads to a much higher
storage capacity, so holograph-
ic storage has the potential to
eclipse even today’s leading
Go with Poorvika
The multi-brand mobile phone store is going strong with 250
employees in 22 outlets across the city and is eager to expand
P oorvika Mobile World boasts
sales of 10 lakh mobile phones
within Chennai alone. And why
not, when the company is only
four years old?
The multi-brand mobile phone
store offers recharges, servicing,
every brand of MP3 and MP4
players, major mobile phone
brands such as Nokia, HTC, Sam-
sung, LG and many others while
also providing prepaid and post
paid mobile networks such as
Airtel and Vodafone.
So what is the difference be-
tween Poorvika and other multi-
brand sellers? N. Yuvraj, manag-
ing director of Poorvika says that
customer care is their strongest
point. “When a customer enters
the showroom, we take full care
of them. They just have to tell us
what they want, and we keep the
high-capacity optical storage
format, Blu-ray, which can be
used to store 50 gigabytes of da-
ta on a single disc.
And yet, although several
companies are working on ho-
lographic storage technology,
the only imminent commercial
offering is a high-end system
from InPhase, of Longmont,
promise.”
In fact, Poorvika’s website
(www.poorvika.com) is a testa-
ment to that, where a customer
only has to choose what kind of
phone he or she wants, for ex-
ample, a business phone, and the
comparative rates for each brand
are stated in a grid format.
“We will be launching a re-
vamped version of the existing
module, and this time introduc-
ing online billing where we
promise to give the best price for
a product.”
While Poorvika is going strong
with 250 employees in 22 outlets
across the city, they are eager to
expand. In another three months,
one can expect to see 35 outlets
and their aim is to make Poorvika
a multi-brand mobile phone
store to reckon with.■
09
CO, a spinoff of Alcatel and
Lucent Technology’s Bell
Labs.
GE is talking to several
electronics companies about
creating playback machines,
and it wants the technology
to fit well with existing disc-
manufacturing techniques.
While the InPhase version
sandwiches its special optical
recording media inside an-
other type of plastic, the GE
discs are made from a poly-
carbonate that can be proc-
essed with conventional
manufacturing methods. The
material can be melted, in-
jected into a mould, and
cooled to form a disc, the
same way that today’s optical
media are made.
InPhase claims to be un-
concerned about competi-
tion from GE, arguing that
each company is targeting a
different market segment. “I
think that’s a great design
goal for GE,” Rancis says.
“But for our particular cus-
tomer base, none of those
people have material on
DVDs. We are only doing
high-end customers.” ■
NYT News Service
N. Yuvraj, managing director,
Poorvika
10
BackPackers
On nature’s trail
GETTING LOST IN SHARAVATI BACKWATERS
RAMESHA JS
A
few days at the Nisarga Dhama
(nature cottage) on the bank of
the Sharavati River can be the
perfect getaway from the busy
city-life. Cottages, tents, neatly-cut logs
as dining tables transform you to a
whole new world and you are bound to
fall in love with the place.
A 360-km drive on NH206 from Ban-
galore takes you to Sagar, before you
have to board another bus for a 22 km
drive to your final destination, Nittur.
The road ends abruptly at Hikkana-
makki and River Sharavathi back water
welcomes you. (This is the Sharavati
River backwater which after some 25
km further crosses the Linganamakki
Reservoir and creates the world famous
Jog Falls). The state government runs a
barge service to cross the river and after
a 20 minute ride you are back on land
and the journey continues to Nittur.
After hours of tiring journey you at
last reach Nisarga Dhama in early eve-
ning. After a short nap we are back on
our feat and after aimlessly wondering
around, soaking in the beauty of the
place, we are at the dinner table, gorg-
ing on the jackfruit bhajji, sambhar and
rice. The temperature drops down a
few notches at nightfall and you are left
with no other option but to retreat be-
hind the safety of your quilts.
After an early breakfast we are ready
to hit the road and troop towards the
Hidlumane Falls. It is on the Kodacha-
dri hills on Hosanagara – Kollur main
road. Our hosts had arranged for a jeep
for six of us and after ranting through a
few treacherous miles we reach the rest
house at Hidlumane. From there you
have to walk to the falls which falls on
ERGO Friday, October 24, 2008
the trekking route to Kodachadri hills.
Passing through the green paddy
fields, sugar canes we entered a dense
forest, our guide warning us to keep an
eye for leeches. Armed with a handful
of salt we continued to trek forward, a
sense of adventure filling our mind. But
slowly our enthusiasm slackened as the
going got tough. The leeches came
from everywhere and the slippery and
muddy trail made it difficult to keep
your footing. But at last we succeeded
and it was worth all the trouble. The
waterfall cascades down the mountain
slope forming a pool 80 feet below. The
sprinklers hit you hard as if small
stones are being thrown at you.
After a while it was time to return and
the way back was even more horrible as
we slipped and rolled down. By noon
we were back at Nisarga Dhama for our
lunch. Evening came in quickly and it
was time for us to bid adieu to our gra-
cious hosts and grudgingly trudge back
to our very own “concrete jungle”. ■
The author is a network engineer with
Wipro Infotech
●Main Highlights
Beautiful Bamboo Hut, Trekkers
Tent varying according to your
need and number of people
● Activities
Bird Watching, Water Sports,
Camp Fire, Cultural programs
●Few places to see
Kukkana Gudda, Barkana Falls,
Dabbe Falls, Hulibai Halla, Jog
Falls, Hidlumane Falls
 Friday, October 24, 2008
Mystic T
KYLE JARRARD
he first sound in the morn-
ing is crows, right at five.
Then we hear waves off the
Bay of Bengal slapping the
PONDICHERRY
shore. In the garden, a man med-
itates while walking quickly over
the lawn of the ashram gues-
thouse in the dark. Along the
shore, other men pace the beach
in the silver jetty light. Fishing
boat lanterns like stars ride the
black sea south to north.
My wife and I have come to
Learning yoga at the Pondicherry in southeast India
mostly for the yoga. The classes
former French colony used to be held in one of the
many parcels of the Sri Aurobin-
do Ashram scattered across the
colonial city. But for this retreat,
there’s a new venue, and to get
there you have to be on Ajit Sar-
kar’s bus by 5:45 a.m. There are
20 or so of us, nearly all from
France.
Ajit, in his 70s now, grew up in
this famous ashram with his par-
ents, who went into the retreat
founded and inspired by the yogi
and guru Sri Aurobindo and his
vision of universal consciousness
and peace.
In this idyllic world, Ajit
learned everything from ballet to
track to gymnastics, but especial-
ly yoga, a skill he has taught with
acclaim for decades both in India
and in France. His official retire-
ment since 2003 is a fiction of
contentment.
It’s the school he’s building
that keeps him going, in addition
to being in top form himself. We,
the chosen students, by contrast,
can barely see straight in the sha-
dowy dawn as the bus heads off
through Pondicherry. For the first
few blocks the streets have
French names: Rue Dumas, Rue
Suffren, Rue Romain Rolland.
Then we leave town and head
south over fetid canals and
clogged streams, through trash-
heaped neighbourhoods thump-
ing with all-night Hindu festival
music while men in dhotis stand
around sipping tea out of plastic
goblets.
Imagine going to a school
named White Lotus. It’s not yet
entirely finished but is supposed
to be by January. Nearly every vil-
lager in Cinna Kattupalayam
lines the road to greet our bus
with cries of hello and bonjour.
On a Monday morning, the
children are beside themselves at
the prospect of going to school.
There are enough smiles for a
11
thousand mornings.
We take our yoga classes on the
roof of the new school, under a
tall, thatched structure with open
sides.
Most of the people in the as-
sembly know their hatha-style
yoga; others stumble a lot – but
soon everyone gets into the flow,
despite the great sensual distrac-
tions: banana groves to the north
wavering in the gold sunlight; rice
paddies to the east where a few
dozen women bend weeding at
daybreak; thick coconut trees to
the west that invite the eye to en-
ter and roam; and to the south,
the village, overlain with teak,
drumstick and casuarina trees,
where cooking-fire smoke rises
and every dog yaps at everything.
There’s a blessed break around
nine to boat a mile or so down a
green stream, which takes us to
the sea for an hour’s swim in view
of a towering blue Hindu temple.
By the time we return, school
classes are under way, and the air
rings with voices of children
shouting out their ABCs. The
young Tamil teachers in dazzling
saris instruct the little ones to
greet the visitors as we fill the
classroom doors and windows. ■
NYT News Service
PHOTO: SHAJU JOHN
12 ERGO Friday, October 24, 2008

Portfolio
Narendra Kumar

Shantanu &
Nikhil

Manish Arora
with models
at the end of
the ’Circus’
show

Tarun Tahiliani
for Levi’s Madhu
Sapre in a
Payal Jain,
creation

Falguni
& Shane
Peacock
 Friday, October 24, 2008
13

BULLETIN
‘Vest’ed interest
Kangana Ranaut,
Priyanka Chopra
and Madhu Godse S he might have been on several ‘Worst
Dressed Celebrity’ lists, but Britney Spears
seems to have sparked a new fashion trend
for Narendra
Kumar following the release of the latest
‘Womanizer’ video, reported to have
attracted over seven million hits within the
first 48 hours of its release. And basking in
the attention is Syren Latex Couture.
The cropped vest that Britney wears during
her role as a seductive waitress, along with
the Muir cap that she sports while playing a
chauffer, is an instant hit. The album Circus,
of which ‘Womanizer’ is the first single, will
release on December 2, Britney’s 27th
birthday.

Art in a handbag
A mobile art exhibition inspired by the
iconic quilted leather Chanel bag ‘2.55’
created in 1955 by Coco Chanel opens
today in New York’s Central Park.
Fifteen artists have been inspired to
Shatrughan
contribute to the exhibition set up in a
Sinha’s daughter,
glass fibre mobile gallery resembling a
Sonakshi, at the
spaceship and designed by Iraqi-born
Lakme Fashion
British architect Zaha Hadid.
Week

A
fter all the hullabaloo, chaos and
controversies, the Spring/ Summer
2009 editions of India’s fashion weeks
are done with. We bring to you some
snapshots – from Narendra Kumar’s
bandaged men at Lakme Fashion Week to
showstoppers from Madhur Bhandarkar’s
Fashion walking the ramp for Narendra
Verma, to Manish Arora’s ‘Circus’ at the
Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, it’s
all here. While Tarun Tahiliani for
Levi’s changed the way denims are
worn, ‘Shotgun’ Shatrughan
Sinha’s daughter, Sonakshi,
made her ramp debut. The
ramps, certainly, had
their festivities, too.■
Ergo Correspondent
Meandering through the pavilion, visitors
discover installations by artistes from
around the world, even though few share
much with the signature handbag with its
gold chain.
The inspiration for the exhibition is only obvious in one of the pieces – a
giant version of the open bag lying on its side. Coco Chanel, who died in
1971, “worked with artistes like (Jean) Cocteau or (Pablo) Picasso, and this
pavilion continues this tradition,” said a spokesman for Chanel and its
artistic director, Karl Lagerfeld.
Shaped like a large white snail, the structure ends with a giant Chanel bag
and a ‘wishtree’ by Yoko Ono, the widow of former Beatle John Lennon,
where a wish can be written and hung on a branch.
Central Park marks the third stop of a two-year global tour for Chanel
Mobile Art that began on February 27 in Hong Kong. It will head to London
and Moscow next year before ending in Paris in 2010. ■
AFP

Lohan’s leggings
L indsay Lohan sure knows how to create a
scene. More than 300 fans recently packed
Henri Bendel in New York City during the launch
of the 22-year-old actress’s new line of leggings,
6126, and snapped up several hundred pairs of
the leggings in the process.
“This is crazy, I’m so happy so many people
came,” Lohan said, looking out the front
window at another 200 fans gathered on the
Malini sidewalk. “I hope they buy some leggings.” With
Ramani her little sister, Ali, and mom, Dina, in tow,
Lohan’s security guards stood by to keep
onlookers at a distance. Lohan said she hopes
eventually to launch a full sportswear collection, but most likely will start with
“amazing tops to wear with the leggings.” Decked out in a Rick Owens dress,
6126 leggings and Yves Saint Laurent heels, she said Alexander Wang is one of
her favourite young designers. “I wanted to go to his show so bad, but his
publicist said they weren’t allowing any celebrities to attend,” she said. “So I
said, ‘Consider me a normal person then!’ But they wouldn’t.” ■
NYT News Service
14 ERGO Friday, October 24, 2008

Aerobics good for brain

Wellness
Regular aerobic exercise can not only
stave off the decline in brain function
that often comes with age, it can also
help turn back the clock on brain aging.
Reuters

Intense yet relaxed

SADHGURU JAGGI VASUDEV relaxation together, all your po-

T
he most wonderful things in
the world have happened
when man is relaxed, not
when man is driving himself
to madness. The most wonderful
scientific discoveries also hap-
pened when man is relaxed.
Somebody like Isaac Newton
worked for 18 years in the lab-
oratory without producing any-
thing. One day, fed up with work,
he goes and sits under a tree; an
apple falls, there you have the
laws of gravity.
Somebody fed up with work
wants to have a bath, goes and
gets into his bath tub and the wa-
ter over flows; there you have the
laws of floatation. Somebody
once again fed up with work
wants to have a cup of coffee, the
coffee kettle is boiling, there, you
have the locomotives. The most
wonderful things have happened
when man is relaxed. Please see,
in moments of relaxation, you are
most intelligent.
Why we are talking about ef-
fortless living is just this – to bring
relaxation to every activity that
you perform. Right now if I ask
people to relax they will become
lax. You know the difference? Or
if I ask people to be intense they
become tense. You have to learn
to be intense and relaxed. If you
can maintain your intensity and
tential will be always used to its
fullest. Your physical and mental
potential can be used to this
highest possibility, if you know
how to be intense and relaxed at
the same time. But this tension
and laxity will not get us
anywhere.
Relaxation for certain people
especially means going and
sleeping. They don’t see that they
can go to the garden, have a walk
and relax themselves; they don’t
see they can have a swim and re-
lax themselves.
It need not be so, you can relax
in your study; you can relax in
your work; you can relax in your
walk . . . In everything that you
do, you can relax. If you have love
in your heart, life is relaxation. If
you love what you’re doing, it’s
relaxation. Yoga is to be in that
state where you are Intense and
relaxed at the same time and that
is when you are at your peak
performance.■
If you can maintain
your intensity and
relaxation together,
all your potential
will be always
used to its fullest.

Mobile phones can fry up men’s fertility Speedy eaters likelier to get fat
P eople who eat
quickly until full
are three times more
likely to be
overweight, a
problem exacerbated
by the availability of
fast food and the
decline of orderly
dining habits,
Japanese researchers
said on Wednesday.

M en should stay miles away from mobile phones if they don’t want to screw up
their plans of fathering a child, for a new research has shown that males who
talk for hours on cellphones may damage their sperm. An experiment on semen
The findings,
published in the
British Medical
revealed evidence of DNA damage after 16 hours of exposure to radiation similar Journal, highlight
to the output of a mobile phone. To reach the conclusion, researchers at the how eating styles, and
University of Newcastle built a device to irradiate sperm at the same radio fre- not just what or how
quency as mobile telephone calls. Professor John Aitken, director of the uni- much is eaten, can
versity’s Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Development, said they were contribute to an
able to accurately identify high levels of DNA fragmentation in the sperm. . DNA obesity epidemic
damage in spermatozoa has been associated with decreased fertility, increased fueled by the spread
risk of miscarriage and various kinds of disease in offspring, including childhood of Western-style
cancer, and a number of neurological disorders such as autism, bipolar disorder affluence in many
and spontaneous schizophrenia. parts of the world.
ANI Reuters
 Friday, October 24, 2008
Boy or girl
Overweight women are more likely to have
baby girls after IVF treatment, according to
a new research. The study also found that
mums with normal weight are more likely to
have boys after the treatment.
Shed those extra pounds
The miraculous anti-ageing-weight loss diet revealed
W
ant to shed those extra
pounds and look 10 years
younger? Well, guess what,
your desire has just been
fulfilled, all thanks to a British nutri-
tionist and his ultimate diet.
Brainchild of nutritionist Carina
Norris, the ultimate anti-ageing diet
will not only help you shift 10lbs but
will also take10 years off your face
without using any of those anti-age-
ing lotions. “Food is a great way to
ward off wrinkles and boost energy
levels. If you choose wisely, your
weekly shopping cart will be full of
effective anti-ageing components,
that help you boost your health and
keep you slim,” The Mirror quoted
Norris as saying.
The anti-ageing diet suggests:
Tuck into oily fish
New York skin doctor Dr Nicholas
Perricone, the diet guru of Holly-
wood stars including Kim Cattrall
and Heidi Klum, encourages his pa-
tients to eat plenty of oily fish be-
cause the essential fats found in
them provide skin-loving antioxi-
dants and mop up the free radicals
that can cause wrinkles and prema-
turely aged skin.
The best sources of this essential
fatty acid include salmon, mackerel,
fresh tuna steaks and sardines. The
high protein content of oily fish also
helps keep skin firm - and has the
added bonus of keeping you slim.
Drink up
Water has been named as the big-
gest anti-ageing component. Essen-
tial for good health and good looks,
water plumps up the skin and flush-
es out the toxins that cause a dull
complexion and wrinkles. And diet-
icians claim room temperature wa-
ter is best, but there are plenty of
other liquid-facelifts like soy milk
that is helpful in speeding up the
production of collagen - the build-
ing bricks of skin.
Get a fruity facelift
Gorge on fruits if you want to look
younger. The best anti-ageing fruit
is kiwi fruit - one of the richest
sources of vitamin C, which is fan-
tastic for skin because it helps build
collagen and mops up ageing tox-
ins.
Also recommended are Avocados,
as they are jam-packed with vita-
mins A and E, which are very effec-
tive at fighting wrinkles. One can
even add a portion of berries every
day, as they’re full of antioxidants
called phytochemicals. Lastly, try
some prunes and raisins.
Skin-loving carbs
Get your daily dose of Carbohy-
drates for getting that younger look-
ing skin. Porridge oats are a great
way to start the day and look youn-
ger.
Oats contain high levels of a min-
eral called silicic acid that plumps
up the cells in skin, creating a
youthful bounce. It also slows down
the appearance of fine lines and
wrinkles. Multigrain bread, full of
selenium, instead of white bread
may act as a saviour preserving the
elasticity in your skin.
Age-busting
superfoods
Almonds
They’re packed full of omega-3
fats and protein, which help skin re-
pair itself. Plus they’re a great
source of vitamin E, which studies
show can prevent wrinkles. Have a
15
Western diet may cause heart attack
The typical Western diet, which includes red meat, fried
foods, dairy products and salty snacks, is responsible for 30
per cent of the world’s heart attacks.
small handful every afternoon.
Olive oil
Scientists found that people living
in hot countries with fewer wrinkles
all had high intakes of olive oil.
Swap vegetable oil for olive oil, or
drizzle it cold on salads
Adzuki beans
These are a great source of zinc, a
mineral that helps your skin repair
itself. Studies show zinc can also
help with acne. Buy them canned
from the supermarket and add
them to salads and stir-fries.
Apricots
They’re full of lutein, an antioxi-
dant that helps fight off the ageing
effects of the sun. Snack on them
between meals, or slice them fresh
on your porridge.
Spinach
Like apricots, spinach is also a
fantastic source of lutein, which
wards off sun damage and ageing
sunspots. Add a handful to a stir-fry
or use in place of lettuce in salads.
Tomatoes
Their magic ingredient is lyco-
pene, a powerful antioxidant. As
well as reducing the risk of certain
cancers, lycopene also protects the
skin against sun damage and keeps
it looking younger. Slice them up in
your food or add them to salads.
Broccoli
It’s great for fighting free radicals
in the body. Free radicals are harm-
ful substances found in the environ-
ment, such as pollution, which age
us. Anything that mops up free rad-
icals, like broccoli, is great at keep-
ing skin young.
Chop them up and add to stir
fries and curries.
Red wine
It boosts circulation to the skin,
plus it’s full of antioxidants. Enjoy a
small glass of red wine a few nights
a week.
ANI
16
Sport
Maradona backed as new
Argentina coach
Diego Maradona has won crucial support in his bid to
become the next Argentina coach
when the man charged with
finding Alfio Basile’s successor
threw his weight behind the
World Cup winning skipper. “I’d
like Maradona to be the next
coach,” Noray Nakis, the president
of the Argentina Football
Association (AFA) selection
commission said on Wednesday.
Basile resigned last week after a World Cup qualifying
defeat to Chile. Maradona faces competition for the
job from Carlos Bianchi, the former coach of Boca
Juniors, whom he led to four national league titles,
San Lorenzo coach Miguel Angel Russo and Sergio
Batista who took the under-23 squad to Olympic gold
in Beijing in August. Despite his national popularity,
Maradona admitted on Tuesday that his chances of
taking over from Basile were slim “because Bianchi is
in the lead of all the surveys”.
AFP
Easy win for
Bopanna-Mirnyi
The combination of Rohan Bopanna and his new
partner Max Mirnyi proved lethal as they accounted
for the third seeded Mikhail Youzhny and Mischa
Zverev in the opening round of the USD 1,049,000 St
Petersburg Open. Indian Davis Cupper Bopanna and
Belarusian Mirnyi took exactly one hour to script the
ouster of Russian-German pair 6-3, 6-4 to move to the
quarterfinals of the hard court event. The un-seeded
Indo-Belarusian pair dropped their serve twice in the
first set but compensated by breaking their rivals as
many times to take lead. They then denied their
rivals the one and only conversion chance in the
second set and broke their rivals on the first
opportunity in hand to move to the next level. They
will fight it out with Russian pair of Igor Kunitsyn
and Marat Safin for a place in the semi-finals.
PTI
Paes-Dlouhy sneak into
quarterfinal
Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy survived a scare
before beating Jurgen Melzer and Todd Perry in the
first round of the Euro 891,000 Swiss Indoor ATP
tournament. The third seeded Indo-Czech pair
shrugged off the initial hiccups to beat the un-seeded
Autrian-Australian pair 2-6, 6-3, 10-6 in one hour and
nine minutes to advance to the quarterfinals of the
hard court event. The winners saved one breakpoint
in the first set but dropped their serve
twice to hand the first set to their
rivals. They had enough chances to
draw parity in the second set but could
convert just one of the five breakpoints.
However that was enough to claw their
way back into the match. The
experienced duo then had no trouble in
winning the decisive super tie-breaker
to seal the issue in their favour. They next face
German pair of Christopher Kas and Philipp
Kohlschreiber in the next round. The second-seeded
pair of Mahesh Bhupathi and Bahamian Mark
Knowles will open their campaign against Spanish
pair of Feliciano Lopezand Marcel Granollers.
PTI
ERGO Friday, October 24, 2008
Australian venue named after Rafter
Brisbane’s new 82 million Australian dollar tennis centre has been named after two-time
US Open champion Pat Rafter. The 5,500-seat Rafter Arena, officially named on Thursday,
will open in January, hosting the Brisbane International men’s and women’s hard-court
championships on January 4 in the lead up to the Australian Open in Melbourne.
n g w o r d s f r o m
r t i
Com f o
e
r n
a
W
ANIC
N O T T O P
N D T E L L S TEAM
E
AUSSIE LEG
L
egendary Australian spinner Shane Warne has challenged the
beleaguered Ricky Ponting-led team to standup and show
that they were made of champions’ stuff by tactically fighting
out the blues against India.
“When the chips are down and you are challenged as a group
and as individuals, the great players and the champions stand up.
This is how you separate and define the good teams and individu-
als from the great,” Warne said. “Mohali’s gone, deal with it. Say
well played and carry yourself well, hold your head high.
But deep down use it as motivation and keep that
hunger that’s inside alive,” he was quoted as say-
ing by the Daily Telegraph. Warne, however,
agreed it was difficult to beat India in
India “even with the best of
teams” besides the atmo-
sphere was suffocating
with fans and media
crowding from every
quarter.
“This is where expe-
rience and calm heads
rise to the top, and
Ponting and (Michael)
Clarke as leaders will become
crucial, sitting around over a glass
and chewing the fat with the team and
coming up with some new plans. Talking
tactics as a group is important,” he said.
“Be the man to drag the team along
and in the right direction, be prepared for
whatever the opposition throws at you,
fight and never give up, don’t be afraid and
start thinking negatives and what ifs,” he
added. Warne, who proved his captaincy
skills in the inaugural IPL season by leading a
bunch of dark horses to the title victory, said
there was no need to write off any youngsters.
“No need to sharpen the guillotine or write off any
players just yet. Sure, India have had the wood
on Australia in their last four Tests in Perth,
Adelaide, Bangalore and now Mohali. The
scoreline reads: India 2 wins, Australia
0, draws 2. Not great, but no need to
panic,” he said. ■
PTI
PHOTO: K. PICHUMANI
 Friday, October 24, 2008
17

‘‘
It’s (Brazilian GP) the last one, and I’m looking forward to the end of the
season, as it’s been a long year. Interlagos is a good circuit, I really like it.
Hopefully, we’ll have a better end to the season than last year, when I had a
problem and had to retire. I really want to finish the race without any problems.
Force India driver Adrian Sutil PHOTO: AFP

Basel’s Ivan Ergic (right) vies for the ball with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi,
during their Group C Champions League football match at St. Jakob-
Park Stadiu in Basel . PHOTO: AFP

CHELSEA, INTER WIN,

BUT LIVERPOOL HELD BARCA
C
helsea, Inter Milan and Barcelona won to stay on
course for the knockout stages though 2005 win-
ners Liverpool only drew at Atletico Madrid in a
subdued night of Champions League action.
Following Tuesday’s 36-goal spree, Wednesday’s
eight matches offered less in that area with only
MAUL
Barcelona’s 5-0 thrashing of Basel in Switzer-
land of note in the goal-scoring stakes. Chel-
sea’s 1-0 home victory over AS Roma kept
them well on course at the top of Group A,
Inter Milan thanked Brazilian Adriano for
their 1-0 win over Cypriots Anorthosis leav-
ing them as pacesetters in Group B, while
BASEL
Barcelona topped Group C.
Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari believed
his side were in good form before the re-
turn match against AS Roma in Novem-
ber. “Roma need to pressure us to try to
win more than they did on Wednesday,
maybe there we will have more space to
play,” Scolari said. “We only have one
more Champions League game at
home so this was a very important
victory.” England skipper John
Terry, who got the 77th minute
goal, added, “They made it very
difficult for us the whole game
but thankfully we got the goal
and picked up three points.
They are a very good side; they
have got some great players in
their team and made it difficult
for us.
They worked very hard all night and
maybe they deserved something but thank-
fully we got three points. I think in the first
half we got a little bit frustrated and were
maybe too keen to get a goal. We had to be
patient and wait for a chance because
sooner or later it will come.”
Terry said of his goal, “I think it was my
first goal at the Bridge for a couple of years
now, so I’m delighted to get off the mark. I
got a bit of cramp so I couldn’t celebrate
but I am pleased we get the three points.”

Great start
Teen sensation Bojan Krkic scored twice
as Barcelona cruised past Basel to keep
their 100-percent record. Goals from star
Argentinian striker Lionel Messi, Sergi Bus-
quets, two from Krkic and a fifth from Xavi
Hernandez brought Barcelona up to an im-
pressive 10 goals from their three victories.
Italian champions Inter Milan were made
to battle all the way by a spirited Anorthosis
Famagusta at the San Siro.
Adriano scored the winner late on in
the first half to put Inter in control of
the group with seven points from
three games. Adriano had suffered
from depression and a loss of form
last season and was eventually
loaned out to Sao Paulo but he has
come back to form this season,
looking leaner and more focused. ■
AFP
18 ERGO Friday, October 24, 2008

Big B unplugged

Flick
Catch all about the Shahensha-Badshah
of Bollywood this Diwali; October 27-28
at 8.30 p.m. on Zoom. Amitabh
Bachchan talks about his rise, decline
and rise on ‘Bollywood Case Files’.

We do not have any clash of the titans

like we witnessed last Diwali
(Remember Om Shanti Om and
Saawariya battling it out in Hindi,
beside a number of Tamil releases).
But we never know what some of
these mid-budget movies have in store

Now showing

Barking dogs
never bite
Film: Roadside Romeo
Director: Jugal Hansraj
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Ka-
poor, Jaaved Jaaferi
Genre: Animation
So, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Ka-
poor are made for each other. Af-
ter Tashan, which failed at the
box-office, the pair is back, though
you won’t see them. Saif gives voi-
ceover for a dog (Romeo). But
there is lot more to expect of the
film. Jugal Hansraj (the child artiste
who later came to fame with Mo-
habbatein) makes his debut as di-
rector. Also, it is the first animated
film that is an Indo-US co-produc-
tion of Yash Raj Films and Walt Dis-
ney Pictures.
This is the story of Romeo, a dude
who was living the life. Until one
day, when the family he was the
favourite pet of decides to move
and leave him behind – abandoned
on the mean streets of Mumbai.
We are a family
Film: Heroes
Director: Samir Karnik
Cast: Salman Khan, Sunny
Deol, Bobby Deol, Preity Zin-
ta, Sohail Khan, Amrita Aro-
ra, Dino Morea, Riya Sen
Genre: Patriotic
Too many cooks spoil the
broth. Hope this proverb
does not holds true for He-
roes, as the film is an attempt
to bring out the new-age
definition of patriotism.
The film revolves around two
men who travel a thousand
miles on a journey that re-
veals to them a new meaning
of life. Hope this proves lucky
for Salman, this time at least.
Bold and
beautiful
Film: Seval
Director: Hari
Cast: Bharath, Poonam, Simran
Realistic, bold, yet violent films
have become the latest fad in
Tamil cinema, especially after
the success of Paruthiveeran
and Subramaniapuram. From
the trailers it looks like Seval is
another film in the same
genre. Watch out for G.V. Pra-
kash’s music and Simran’s co-
meback (as heroine?).
Thirakkatha
(Malayalam)
If you have been longing to
catch a Malayalam film, Ran-
jith’s Thirakkatha is among the
better of the films playing in
theatres. The Prithviraj and Pri-
yamani-starrer is a romantic
film, which has celebrity mar-
riage, divorce and other mys-
teries.

Comeback pair
Film: Aegan Body of Lies
Director: Raju Sundaram
Cast: Ajith, Nayantara, Suhasini Mani Ratnam, Nasser (English)
Less than a year after Ajith and Nayantara sizzled in the This American thriller is
song ‘My Name is Billa’ from Billa, the pair will hope based on Washington Post co-
luck once again smiles upon them. And with Raju Sun- lumnist David Ignatius’s 2007
daram making his debut as director, we sure can expect novel about a CIA operative
some great choreography at least. We also hear that who uncovers a lead on a ma-
Aegan is a remake of Main Hoon Na. jor terrorist leader suspected
to be operating out of Jordan.
With Leonardo DiCaprio and
Russell Crowe the film is worth
a watch, we hear.
 Friday, October 24, 2008
Aishwarya Rai – Miss Sexiest Eyes
Scarlett Johansson – Miss
Best Breasts
‘‘
To refuse awards is another
way of accepting them with
more noise than is normal.
A ishwarya Rai, known as the
world’s most beautiful woman,
has now walked away with an-
other coveted title of having the
‘sexiest eyes’ in US TV E!’s Sex-
iest Body Parts List.
Aishwarya’s dazzling eyes
have been voted the sultriest,
beating the likes of Hollywood
superstars Angelina Jolie,
Megan Fox, Scarlett Johansson.
Brazilian supermodel Gisele
Bundchen walked away with
the sexiest legs award.
Monster star Charlize Theron
took away E!’s decolletage
award with her sultry shoulders.
Eva Mendes lovely locks were
voted the sexiest, reports New-
s.com.au
Taiwanese actress Shu Qi
trounced Angelina Jolie for hav-
ing the sexiest lips.
19
Peter Ustinov
Charlize Theron wins the
Decolletage Award for her
sultry shoulders
Pearl Harbour star Jennifer
Garner’s sweet smile emerged
victorious among Rachel McA-
dams and Sienna Miller.
Scarlett Johansson has been
Eva Mendes – Miss
Lovely Locks
voted the female celebrity with
the best breasts.
Among males, Mario Lopez
won for best male dimples
while, rapper LL Cool J walked
away with the sexiest lips.
Atonement star James McA-
voy beat Johnny Depp with the
sexiest male hair.
Irish actor Jonathan Rhys-
Myers won best male eyes
award.
Matthew McConaughey
topped the list of the sexist
chest, while Usher was named
as having the best male wash-
board abs in E!’s Sexiest List.
ANI
Shu Qi beat Angelina Jolie to
bag the Sexiest Lips award
20
Thursday’s Question:
What are the two things
that you hate about rainy
days?
■ First thing is the damn filthy roads
without proper drainage where its too
hard to pass by and the second thing is
going to office while its announced as a
holiday for all schools and colleges
Manivannan P :-) CGSL
■ Wearing a rain coat and not dancing
in the rain
Suresh Kumar CGSL
■ 1. News which we hear often, during
rainy season people fell into dig
unknowingly. Sometimes it leads 2 fatal
deaths. 2. some of the car drivers make
harsh drive in the water stagnated areas
which splash rainy water over the ppl
who walks aside of the road
Senthil Nathan, CGSL
■ In rainy days not announcing holiday
to office, like schools and college. I
manage to wear socks for a month
without washing, but when it get smells
bad after getting wet due to rain
Praveen, CGSL
■ The two things that I hate most is
those drivers who get jealous on my
personality at rainy days & those girls
who don’t accept to come under my
umbrella even at heavy rainy days.
S.Karu (CGSL)
■ The most hated are power cuts and
travelling by auto as for bargaining for a
best fare on a rainy day.
Noor, Wipro
■ Expecting to be on time to office when
u have to almost swim all the way. Get
locked up at home on weekends-
watching rain drops and TV alternatively.
Dominic Xavier. CGSL
■Chennai roadways and Office AC
Machines
Jagan ALLSEC
■ Valuable things like mobile, money will
get wet when I drench in rain
Krish, Wipro
■ I hate umbrellas & the persons who
hate rains.
Senthil Kumaran Sankaran, CGSL
■ Mosquitoes, hot sun in winter, Traffic
and Transportation, Flood
Priya, Mani, Vijay. CGSL
■ The first thing I hate is that the
vehicles splashing out the water on us
when we are neatly dressed up and next
is I hate long hour power cuts
Satish Ramco Systems
■ Work, and Getting up early in the
morning
Bhargavi, Perot Systems
■Office during rainy days, while school
goers get leave
Shiva
■ Getting up early in the Morning and
Returning from company when its
raining.
Rajasekar, TCS, Siruseri
ERGO Friday, October 24, 2008
■ Two things I hate are Water stagnation
and water entering into slum areas which
affects people life badly
Sundar Narayan, Polaris
■ In Rainy Days, There will be "No power
supply" and if power is available "Dish
TV with No Signal" & Plan for Internet
Browsing "Unable to connect" & Plan to
call customer care "Phone not Working"
due cable cut because of Rain... Etc…
Magesh, Polaris
■ Getting up early in the morning.
Walking in rain water
Divya Moorthy, TCS
■ Going to work by public transport,
inspite of holding an umbrella and
getting wet
Praveen Kumar, Allsec Tech
■ I dont like morning shift (6am), formal
wear
Maheswar, TCS
■ Damaged roads and improper
drainpipe or outlet system co-operates Vinubalachandar of Infosys has nominated his friends as Partners
with each other causing accidents risking in Crime. This photo was taken at Munnar.
precious life
Duraisamy
■ While in the rainy days we can’t wet
our clothes and we cant roam with
friends
Vasanth Kumar.K , Wipro Solinganalur.
■
■ Coming to office. Carrying extra
gadgets like umbrella and rain
coats......where ever we go
Joe, TCS
■ Slushy roads. And of course going to
work
Divya, HCL Technologies
■ To get up from bed in the morning.
Going to office
Sangeetha – CSS
■ Water logged roads and cancel of local
train
Sundeep, HCL Tech
■ Messy puddles. Wet newspaper
delivered to the house. Other than this I
love everything about rainy days Harini of Zylog systems has nominated her team mates as
Shruthi, TCS Partners in Crime. They clicked this pic on their office trip to
■ I hate poor drainage system which we Kodaikanal.
have in our town and waste model MTC
buses which will get stuck even for little
rain
Dhananjayan, Scope International
■ One is going to office. The second one
is also going to office
Sridher, miva, Perot Systems
■Flooded roads and cold lunch (packed)
Rajan K S, Andhra Bank-DRC
Today’s Question:
What would you say if
you are caught sleeping
at your desk?
Henceforth, only SMSes with names of senders
will be accepted, for the purpose of cross-
verification. Moreover, readers are requested to Saravanan S. of HCL Comnet, Chennai, has nominated his friends
refrain from sending obscene and objectionable as Partners in Crime. This Picture was taken in Mayajal.
messages.
 Friday, October 24, 2008
Hi Ergo.... Thank you for publishing our article in the
office angel and greetings column. We wanted to give
a surprise to our friendly TL for his bday and ERGO
came in as our first choice.... we sent our article very
late and weren’t sure if it would be published. Thanks
a lot. And yeah, our TL had wishes and mails flowing
in from his other IT company friends after they read
ERGO. THANK YOU ERGO .. KEEP IT GOING
Lakshmi n Sharmila
Ramco systems.
Ramkumar K of
Changepond
Technologies Ltd.
doodled this.
1. Rendu balli sevuthula irunthathu oru balli keela vilun-
thiruchi konja nerathula rendavathu balliyum vilunthi-
ruchi Why??? Why???? Yena antha balli keela vilantha
balliya paarthu kai thattichi athanala keela vilundhiru-
chi, a a a!!!! 2. Yendha paravai mutta podathu??????? Yos-
inga... Simple, athu Aan paravai a, a, a.......
M. Devendiran and TrTc 2 shift
Caliber Point Business Solutions Ltd.
■ Dear Manjusha,
“Our Heartfelt Birthday wishes to You . May this
Birthday be just the beginning of a year filled
with Happy memories, Wonderful Moments and
Shining Dreams” With loads of love and best
wishes,
Your Team Mates,
Satyam Computer Services Limited.
■ Dear Kitcha-The Scorpian,
May god give you for every storm a rainbow, for
every tear a smile, for every care a promise, and
a blessing in each trial for every problem life
sends,
A faithful friend to share, for every sigh,a sweet
song and an answer for each prayer. May your
day be blessed as special as "YOU"!!!
Hearty Birthday wishes from:
Sabari,Arafat,Prabha,Ramesh & Hari.
■ Dear Karpagam and Vijay (ABN Amro),
Wishing you both a very very HAPPY WEDDING
ANNIVERSARY. May the Almighty shower his
choicest blessing on you on this special day and
forever.
Best wishes,
Rohini, Sandhya, Ramji, Pushparaj and BCOE Team
(Hexaware Technologies)
■ Liebe Indhu,
Wish you many more happy returns of the day.
May this year bring you a lot of happiness and
joy. God Bless You dear. :-)
Love, Sudha A, Tata Consultancy Services
■ Dear Gomathi...Chellam
Every Little Smile Can touch Sombody’s Heart.
May U Find Hundreds of resons to Smile today
and May U be the reason for someone else to
smile always!!!! have a Fun filled birthday and let
all Your Dreams Come true on This Day
24.10.2008.
Birthday Wishes From
Your husband Kalainathan.P
Sundaram Business Services Ltd.
■ Dear Mercy (a) Thoongamunji,
Let today at least be a wake up day for you!! Be
awake and enjoy ur bday!! Happy birthday
mercy!! No fighting for the cake!! On your
birthday we wish you much pleasure and joy; We
hope all of your wishes come true. May each
hour and minute be filled with delight, And your
birthday be perfect for you!
Regards, PLAN TEAM, SATYAM COMPUTERS!!
■ Hi Sat & Sway,
Happy Anniversary!!! May God bless you both &
your kid with Health, Wealth and Happiness. May
your Anniversary grow happier by every minute
and give you reasons to smile all year through.
Best wishes from,
Suresh & Sudha. MphasiS
■ Dear Duddy Dumpy Kanth,
Finally Yo’ Day Arrived. Its Time 2 Cherish. Its Yo’
Time 2 take "Bath". It’s Time 2 Party. Wish u a
Many More Happy Returns of the Day Kanth,
Happy Birthday...
Luv, Marieswari, Infy & Ramkumar, Changepond (PS:
Requesting the Accenture Guys to Give him Birthday
Bumps... )
■ Hi Navin (Engal Surya)! ;)
Wish you the best birthday you’ve ever had in
ages (ALL the ages you’ve been on earth! Lol! )
together Advance Yappy Burthday!
With loadsa runs, wickets and stumpings J
The Soooper 8’s Cricket Team ;)HCL
■ Hi Smriti Subramanian,
My Advanced Birthday wishes for the special
21
person (Birthday is on 26th October), its true that
I have never seen such a traditional girl in my
life. May you have all the joy your heart can
hold, All the smiles a day can bring, All the
blessings a life can unfold. You must get all the
God’s best in everything. Special Thanks to
Articulation skill contact program and our Food
Court.
Wishes, Ganesh Prabhu, Infosys MCity
■ Dear Suji and Prakash/JP,
Wish u a very Happy Birthday.. Have a splendid
year ahead and have loads of fun.
Best wishes, Rohini, Raffie, Griffi, Satyam Computers
■ Hi Radha Krishnan,
Advance "HAPPY BIRHTDAY". Wish you many
more happy returns of the day. Wish your all
dreams come true on your birthday.
Birthday wishes from
Kannan.U, Perot systems. Shankar Ganesh, HP, Tamil
selvi, Bhargavi, Wipro.
■ Dear Chander (Regulatory Affairs ),
Advanced Birthday wishes (26th OCT). We are
wishing you another year of joy, love and
happiness on this special day.
Friends from ACTAVIS PHARMA, Thiruporur.
■ Dear Rambabu,
We wish you a many more happy returns of the
day. We hope all of your wishes come true. May
God bless you and your family with Happiness
,Wealth and Health.
Best Wishes From,
Container Centrallen team, TCS
■ Happy Diwali to all Wiproites,
Lukeson D, Wipro Ltd
■ Dear Fathima
Sorry for the belated wishes!!!! A very happy
birthday to you don’t think that we forgot u..we
are always there for u da! Have a delightful year
ahead! Happy diwali too… Always caring from
heart Jaya,Raj,Dhanda, Thirdware
■ Dear Ganesh (MAMA),
Wish you a happy birthday. May the year ahead
bring more success and laurels to you. God bless
you.
Best wishes from
SANGAM, HCL-Chennai
■ Hi Sangeetha,
Wish you a Very Happy B day. May have a
colourful and cheerful day. Also try doing some
work for our team atleast today :)
With warm regards, Collections MIS Team.
■ Dear Deepan,
Wine refines with age. We wish this applies to
you too :-) So, don’t get worried that your age is
raised by 1. May you be showered with blessings
and god’s good creations in this world. Happppy
Birthday.
Cheers,CAT Mfgpro Team
Satyam Computer Services Ltd.
■ Hi everyone,
HAPPY DIWALI Regards, Testing Services, MASTEK Ltd
■ Dear Nasty Jollu Mannan Naveen,
Wish You Many More Happy Returns Of The Day!
You are speical to us and you always deserve the
best... We wish you a wonderful life filled with
love and happiness always... On this day, may
God shower His blessings on you to lead a
happier, healthier and peaceful life forever... A
Warm Birthday Wish from all of us...
Your S4 frens,(Last 5 row terrors) Kotteeswaran B,
Vijaybaskar, Prasanna N, Prasanna S,Venkat S, Dilip,
Svettha, T.Vijay, Anand, Seshu, Karthik ,Devaraj, Sridhar,
Mubina, Suganthi.
22 ERGO Friday, October 24, 2008

Traffic Jam
Sail in wooden boat
A British adventurer has set sail from
the U.K. for Australia in a wooden boat
he built himself. His crew consists of his
14-year-old son and his two brothers.

sudoku

Prasath Kannan
of TCS clicked
this picture at
Niagara Falls,
Ontario, Canada.
Hobbies: Music,
photography,
computers

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

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Dy Chief Designer: R. Ravi Kannan
Illustrator: R. Venugopal

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N. Ravichandran, E. Baskar

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CMDA Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar,
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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
 Friday, October 24, 2008
Mobile home
A group of Danish artists have joined up
with U.S. scientists to create a walking
house built on six hydraulic legs.
23
Word’s worth
"Oligosyllable" (ah-li-guh-si-luh-buhl) a word of
fewer than four syllables. Oligo - comes from a
Greek root meaning ’small, little, few.’

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

In first half of the day you may be enthusiastic at
workplace but in second half, you may be practical.
You will be more careful about health in second
part. You may not be in a good mood while dealing
with your life partner in second part of the day.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

At the beginning of the day you may feel stressed
due to workload but as the day progresses, you
may feel relaxed. You will be developing new ideas
in second half of the day. Towards end of the day,
you may wish to go out with your partner.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

You may remain focussed while at workplace and
BORN LOSER may not be interested in anything else. As the day
progresses, you may work on new softwares. At the
end of the day, you may feel like relaxing at home
with your life partner or chat with your beloved.
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
You will be working on various money generating
tools or ideas in the first part of the day and in the
second half, you may be busy with implementation
of ideas. At the end of the day you may be tired
that you hardly want to interact with life partner.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
You may remain optimistic. At the beginning you
will have lot of energy so you may focus on work
only but as the day goes ahead, you may spend
time behind communication related to work. You
may enjoy nice lunch or dinner with your beloved.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
At the beginning of the day, you may not be in a
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT very good mood but post lunch, you would be in a
good humour. You will regain focus at workplace.
At the end of the day, you may spend time with
younger generation or life partner.
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
In first part of the day, you will be dealing with
authorities for some important activities. Later you
may just be waiting for the day to get over and
wish to see your sweetheart. You will have great
time in privacy with your beloved one.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
It may be a hard day at workplace. You may put in
lot of effort behind meetings. In the second half,
you may remain busy interacting with colleagues.
Ganesha finds you sharing your views with life
partner in a very friendly manner.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
You may set targets on some projects to finish them
off today. Your abilities to motivate others will be
at it’s peak today. At the end of the day, you may
be in a mood to advise your life partner but ensure
that preaching is in control and not overdone.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
You could be trying to handle important issues but
you may find the process very stressful. Technical
difficulties may also bother you a bit. In second
half, most of the problems will be sorted out. You
may wish to spend some time with beloved one.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS The day may begin with some stress however, at
office, you may remain focussed. Outside world will
ISSUE’S not upset you. Towards evening you may do some
research on some electronic gadget. Ganesha finds
SOLUTIONS you being physically attracted to life partner.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
In first half of the day you might have to slog quite
a bit at office. As the time goes, the burden may
increase but towards evening you may find some
solution. Ganesha finds you in a mood to spend
good times with life partner or beloved one.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
24 ERGO Friday, October 24, 2008

Violinist travels with gun

!
A concert violinist has been granted a gun
permit so he can protect his US$ 11.1
million Stradivarius violin. Matteo Fedeli,
36, travels with the handgun and a team of
bodyguards to protect his rare instrument.

Diwali
snapshots

An artisan giving finishing touches to

designer Ganesha clay lamps for Diwali
in New Delhi. PHOTO: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

A girl busy giving final touches to Laxmi

and Ganesha idols ahead of Diwali in
Patna. PHOTO: RANJEET KUMAR

A boy shows off his crackers in

Guwahati. PHOTO: RITU RAJ KONWAR