A BYTE OF LIFE Thursday, June 25, 2009

02
FOUR LEGS GOOD
The Pied Piper of Rajakilpakkam

FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 3 No. 118

Golden gloves
Vijender Kumar and other boxers are sure to rake in the moolah with the
coming of World Series of Boxing in 2010 September. WSB’s Chief
Operating Officer Ivan Khodabakhsh confirms in an exclusive chat with
Ergo that India indeed is part of the 12-city cash-rich league.

» PAGE 06
02 NAMMA CHENNAI
Reaching out
Eighty Plus Two students of the
Government Higher Secondary School at
Thoraipakkam have scored good marks in
English and Computer Science at the last
Board exams. The credit goes to the
volunteers of Outreach, the novel social
participation programme of IT and BPO
major Cognizant.
By setting up a computer lab and doubling
up as teachers at this school with which
Cognizant partnered as part of their
Outreach in March 2008, the associates of
Cognizant helped these students make their
learning easier, more enjoyable and
practical.
The three-hour classes on Computer Science
and spoken English skills were conducted
twice a week. Although the medium of
learning is Tamil in the school, all the
students got through the exam, which is a
rare phenomenon.
Outreach, launched in 2007, partners with
orphanages and educational institutions
catering to underprivileged children and
helps them raise the required infrastructure
and meet their training needs.
Ergo Correspondent
ERGO Thursday, June 25, 2009
Meet Arzee the Dwarf
Odyssey in association with Harper Collins will play host to launch of
Chandrahas Choudhury’s book Arzee the Dwarf. The book will be
launched by Tulsi Badrinath today at Odyssey bookstore, Gandhi
Nagar, Adyar at 6.30 p.m.
He wastes
nothing
Meet the pied
piper of
Rajakilpakkam
who collects food
or bread loaves
from houses to
feed all the
community dogs
MAHALAKSHMI PARTHASARATHY
mahaaparthasarathy@gmail.com
H
ave you ever seen the dogs
on your street jump up,
wag their tails in excite-
ment and run to hug the
litter collector who works in your
area? I have. Dakshinamoorthy is
the Sembakkam Panchayat’s lit-
ter collector whose routine is to
feed all the community dogs ev-
ery morning when he is on duty.
He starts as early as 6.30 a.m.
We call him the pied piper of
Rajakilpakkam. What’s heart
warming about his story is not
just his popularity amongst the
four-legged ones but the means
he uses to do what he does. He
never wastes any of the food or
bread loaves collected from vari-
ous houses or bakeries in our ar-
ea. Instead, he makes an effort to meal a day.
divide them into equal quantities Even though I feed these dogs
and offer it to all the homeless on the way to work and on my
dogs. He is a true champion of way back home, the tiny tots
this cause and makes sure that he don’t even give me a second
at least guarantees them one glance if Dakshinamoorthy is
around. The ever-smiling man of-
ten tells me proudly that “they
have all eaten”. I can sense the
THANK YOU, ERGO READERS exuberance and satisfaction he
feels when he says those words.
Thank you for responding to my request for fans for AWPT’s We are told that charity begins
extended shelter. The animals now sleep more comfortably and
at home and Dakshinamoorthy is
peacefully than before. AWPT is also in need of a camera that
they use for taking pictures during rescue operations and also to our live example, doing whatever
send the pictures to various newspapers for their adoption he is capable of, his financial sta-
columns and appeals. AWPT is temporarily taking the help of tus notwithstanding. I draw inspi-
volunteers to take photographs. This is quite difficult to continue ration from his choices. Offering
as rescue requests are enormous. So if any of you have a old digi even a handful of food to a cat,
cam in working condition or willing to donate a new one, please dog or a crow is a process so re-
call AWPT at 22781381 / 9962968265 / 9941597790 and they will warding that it’s hard to describe.
collect it from you. After all, helping animals is a way
to stay close to God. ■
 Thursday, June 25, 2009
03
A tale from The Reader
Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan presents the launch of the book, The Reader. The
book is a tale about sex, love, reading, and shame in post-war Germany. Bernhard
Schlink’s book has been translated into 37 languages and was the first German novel to
top the New York bestseller list. Be at No 4, Rutland Gate, 5th Street at 6 p.m.

TRAIN
HIJACKER
identified, more clues awaited

Body of the accused Nagaraju after the collision.

Wife and mother of the deceased

accused in April’s train hijack incident
confirm identity after seeing post-
The remains of the hijacked EMU train that rammed into a goods train at Vyasarpadi Jiva railway mortem video
station in Chennai on April 29, 2009. Photo: V. Ganesan

ERGO CORRESPONDENT around 5 a.m. after the suspect, the photograph as that of her father to work during the early
feedback@goergo.in now identified as Nagaraju, a husband. According to well- days. It is also known that the
native of Karnataka, hijacked placed sources in the CB CID, accused and his family were liv-

O
ver 50 days after the sen-
sational train hijack inci-
dent in Chennai on April
29, the Crime Branch CID
police have discovered the iden-
tity of the man suspected to have
hijacked an EMU train from
Moore Market and rammed it
head-on into a goods train at Vy-
sarpadi Jiva railway station. Four
people were killed in the colli-
sion, including the suspect, and
11 injured.
The incident occurred at
the train from Moore Market.
The dead body of Nagaraju was
recovered from the wreckage
and police released a photo-
graph of a disfigured face and
announced a reward of Rs.
25,000 for anyone who provided
information on him. The ac-
cused’s name was determined by
a tattoo in Kannada script on his
hand.
Meanwhile, a few days ago
one Lakshmi, who is working in a
private firm in the city, identified
Lakshmi and the hijacker’s moth-
er were taken to an undisclosed
location and a video of the post
mortem and rare photographs
of the accused not revealed to
the media were shown to them.
The wife is known to have identi-
fied him by a scar on the left
thigh.
Nagaraju’s father was a
grade-4 Railway employee and it
is suspected that he acquired
knowledge of EMU train oper-
ations when he accompanied his
ing in Tada, Andhra Pradesh, a
few years ago. In March 2008 he
abandoned his family and left to
Bangalore after he started a re-
lationship with a Bangalore-
based woman, said police
sources.
DNA samples from Nagaraju’s
mother and eight-year-old
daughter have been collected to
check if they match his.
The results will be announced
soon to further confirm his iden-
tity. ■
04 VILLAGE ERGO Thursday, June 25, 2009

Strong man
A kung fu master has pierced four coconuts with his index
finger - in just over 30 seconds.

Microsoft unveils new security software Inmate kills

Hoping to dispel fears about the vulnerability of Windows to
viruses and other malware, Microsoft released a trial version of a wife during
new free security package called Microsoft Security Essentials.
The software is designed to replace the Windows Defender tool jail visit
that Microsoft released in 2007, but which was widely derided as A prisoner serving a
being inadequate to protect computers from the constant and 10-year sentence for
ever-evolving threats posed by hackers. drug trafficking
Microsoft has been widely criticised for failing to include free allegedly murdered
and effective security software in its Windows operating systems, his wife in a fit of
which are targeted far more intensely by malicious software jealousy while they
than the rival Linux and Apple systems. were alone in a room
DPA reserved for conjugal
visits at the prison,
Nicaraguan media
reported on Tuesday.
Man attacks hairdresser for not Prison guards found
the 19-year-old
giving his lover J-Lo cut woman dead after her
An Australian man is expected to stand trial next year for husband, Freddy
allegedly attacking a hairdresser who failed to make his Zacarias, 32, left the
girlfriend look like Jennifer Lopez after a haircut. room without her.
The incident took place three years back in 2006, when A medical examiner,
Jade Lacey’s then-girlfriend Aleena Shadbina had paid 1600 Maria Gonzalez, determined that the victim was
dollars to Broadbeach hairdresser Phillipe Hadchiti for hair smothered to death with a pillow.
extensions, reports the Daily Telegraph. Identified only as Andrea, the reports said the woman
Shadbina later returned for a hair dye, which would make visited her husband at the prison every week from the city
her look more like of Juigalpa, 139 kilometres east of the capital.
actress J-Lo, but Hadchiti AFP
said that he would not
do it and that another
salon would.
Lacey later returned to Iraq to mark US pullout with holiday
Hadchiti’s salon after his Iraq will mark the June 30 pullout of US troops from cities and
girlfriend complained major towns with a public holiday and ceremonies will be held
about the results of her on the preceding day, a government spokesman announced
J-Lo-inspired do, and an on Tuesday.
argument broke out, “The decision was taken by the Cabinet that ceremonies will
with the former be held on June 29, and June 30 will be a public holiday,” said
allegedly punching the a statement quoting spokesman Ali Al-Dabbagh. “But school
latter and demanding a exams will continue on these dates.”
refund, and then trying US forces must withdraw from Iraq’s urban centres by June 30
to take money out of as required by a security accord signed between Baghdad and
the till by himself. Washington in November last year.
ANI AFP

A rapper with his own cognac

H
ip Hop icon Chris “Luda-
cris” Bridges has launched
a new cognac, banking on
his success on the record
charts to shoot his latest project
to the top of an extremely com-
petitive business.
With the inevitable paparazzi
and chauffeur-driven Bentley,
the star created a buzz at the nor-
mally staid Vinexpo, the wine and
spirits trade show in Bordeaux
this week.
Even Melvin Dick, head hon-
cho at Southern Wine and Spirits
and ranked by Decanter as the
fourth most important man in
the wine business, could be seen
patiently waiting in line with his
family for a photo op and auto-
graph.
The three-time Grammy award
winner has sold 20 million al-
bums and given two memorable
performances in Oscar-winning
films.
His fan base spreads across
America, Asia, Europe and Africa.
Exactly the market Kim Hart-
mann, owner of Birkedal Hart-
mann cognac, hopes to capture
with Conjure, custom blend for
the hip, urban market.
Bridges is not new to entrepre-
neurial ventures.
“It’s not just me attaching my
name to it,” said the soft-spoken
Bridges.
“Whenever I involve myself in a
business, I submerge myself in
it.”
Bridges visited for the first time
last January and spent a week
working with Birkedal Hart-
mann’s master blender, Philippe
Braastad Tiffon.
“I wanted to learn as much as
possible,” said Bridges. “It was
great. It gave me a new apprecia-
tion for cognac.”
Bridges is clearly ready to do
his bit. As the photographers
snapped shots of the star, he po-
litely asked a photographer to
snap him on his phone. In sec-
onds, he tweeted’ the photo to
150,000 people who follow him
on Twitter.
The key to his success? “Hard
work pays off,” said the rap star as
he turned to politely sign another
autograph. ■ US rapper Chris "Ludacris" Bridges. PHOTO: AFP
AFP
 Thursday, June 25, 2009
Word’s worth
All you ever wanted to know about
snow http://nsidc.org/snow/
Things to do in the office if you’re
bored: http://www.tbs.com/officefun/
Li braced
for battle of
TATTOOS
Controversial body art sparks debate
C
hina’s Li Na is facing a bat-
tle of the tattoos in the sec-
ond-round at Wimbledon,
but said if she had her way,
her controversial body art would
be wiped off.
The number 19 seed has a de-
sign etched on her chest - so-
mething which was not
universally well received in her
homeland, where tattoos have
long been considered taboo.
She faces Belarussian world
number 82 Olga Govortsova,
who has three stars tattooed on
her inner left forearm, in her
quest for a third-round spot at
Wimbledon.
“So many people ask me
about my tattoo,” Li said.
“It’s a rose with a heart. I’ve
had it eight years now. Before, I
always wore tape; I didn’t want
to show the tattoo. In China, if
they see people have a tattoo,
they only think maybe she’s not
so good a person.”
But after her sportswear man-
ufacturer said they had no prob-
lem with her revealing it, she
decided to take the plunge and
be positive about showing it off.
“But the next day after I
showed it for the first time, in
China, they said I have a tattoo
of a snake!” the 27-year-old said.
“I want to take it off because
maybe after a long time seeing it
you get tired. But it’s not really
easy to take off.”
“She added: "Also, my hus-
05
band, he doesn’t like it. I said I
have tattoo and he said no, don’t
make a joke. For one day, he
didn’t talk to me.”
Li made the Wimbledon quar-
Italian job
ter-finals in 2006 and feels she is
running out of chances to top
her best-ever Grand Slam perfor-
mance.
The right-hander feels this
year could be her best shot at
going all the way in a major.
“I got to the quarter-final al-
ready so I want to get to the
semi-final or final. I want to do
better than before,” she said.
“I know I’m not like a young
girl who has more chance to play
many years. Right now if I lose
this time, I lose a chance.”
Li eased into the second-round
with a 7-6 (7/5), 6-0 victory over
Kazakhstan’s Galina Voskoboeva
on Tuesday.
She was taken to a tie break in
the first set but her opponent,
ranked 89 in the world, crum-
bled in the second to lose in an
hour and 14 minutes on Court 6.
Li beat her next opponent Go-
vortsova in the French Open
third-round this year, but will
not be looking any further in the
Wimbledon draw to see who
else stands in her way.
“I don’t want to see how the
draw is going, just play the first-
round, second-round and then
see how far I can go on,” she
said. ■
AFP
Olga Govortsova.
PHOTO: AFP
쒀 Italian BMX champion Vittorio Brunotti performs on the catwalk prior Emporio
Armani Spring-Summer 2010 menswear collection during the men’s fashion week
in Milan. PHOTO: AFP
06 SPORT ERGO Thursday, June 25, 2009

Spelling out the dangers

More and more players would dump Test cricket and succumb to the lure of Twenty20 if the
Indian Premier League does not get a window in the ICC calendar, warned former Australian
stumper Adam Gilchrist. “We’ve very much got to be prepared for that. I don’t think it should be
a shock when it does happen or if it does happen,” Gilchrist said.

Safin relieved to be out

Hand in glove
Marat Safin admits he is glad to see the back of
Wimbledon after the former world number one
suffered a surprise first round exit in his final
appearance on the grass courts he has grown to
loathe. Safin was making his farewell to the All
England Club before he
retires later this year, but
perhaps fittingly, the

with a lot of money

Russian’s valedictory tour
was brief and typically
bizarre as he was defeated
6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 by
American qualifier Jesse
Levine.
The former Australian and
US Open champion has
never hidden his dislike of a
surface that has left him red-faced on many of World Series of Boxing promises to bring IPL flavour to amateur boxing
his visits to south west London. Even last year’s
run to the semi-finals, where he was beaten by
Roger Federer, won’t make Wimbledon a more
pleasant memory for Safin when he gets
around to reflecting on the highs and lows of
his career. So, when asked how he felt about
playing at Wimbledon for the last time, perhaps
it was no surprise Safin said: “Relieved. Pretty
much relieved. It’s not the perfect way to finish
the Wimbledon story but that’s life. It was
tough for me to move on court here, especially
when I’m a tall guy, who has been struggling
for a couple of years with injuries. There
haven’t been many matches here that I played
well. So I think against (Goran) Ivanisevic in
2001 when I had a chance to win it, the year he
won. And last year against (Novak) Djokovic.
That’s it.”
AFP

Wimbledon clash sparks

betting alert
A Wimbledon men’s first round match is under
investigation after unusual betting patterns
were reported. Although there is no suggestion
of wrongdoing, online bookmaker Betfair said
the flow of bets on Austrian number 26 seed
Jurgen Melzer’s 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win over America’s
Wayne Odesnik were “very visible”.
The Tennis Integrity Unit is expected to look
into the match. Betfair spokesman Mark Davies World Series of Boxing
told the BBC on Wednesday: “We have a COO Ivan
memorandum of understanding with the Tennis Khodabakhsh.
PHOTO: ANU PUSHKARNA
Integrity Unit which allows them to see patterns
of all the betting which takes place on our site
and we alerted them to this. It was extremely
visible to all our customers, the price moving in AYON SENGUPTA fused to divulge the name of the base price.”
as quickly as it did. There was a lot of chat ayon@goergo.in the Indian corporate house, The WSB draws heavily from
about it on our forums. So which must have shelled a min- professional boxing, with the

we would have liaised
with the Tennis Integrity
Unit and then they can
make a judgment whether
there is something more
sinister in this or whether
it is just a question of
people being aware of a
player who was already
significantly under-rated
carrying an injury that
meant that he was likely to lose.” Odesnik told
the Daily Telegraph: “I’d never do anything to
jeopardise my future.”
AFP
T
he cash-rich World Series
of Boxing will have an In-
dian franchisee too. Con-
firming India’s position
WSB’s Chief Operating Officer,
Ivan Khodabakhsh, said from
Lausanne: “We have a franchi-
see from India among the eight
selected so far. We are still iron-
ing out the terms of agreement
with the selected franchisees
and expect it to take some more
time before we can come with a
more formal announcement.”
Khodabakhsh, however, re-
imum of US$ 10 million to win
the bid (a lot less than Mukesh
Ambani’s US$ 111.9 million for
the most expensive IPL team,
Mumbai Indians). “The nego-
tiations are at a very sensitive
stage and so no further details
can be given as of now. We will
make a large-scale public an-
nouncement soon after the for-
malities are completed,” he
added. “But our initial re-
sponse has been good and we
expect the franchisees to be
sold at a much higher rate than
fighters taking it to the ring
without any protective gear,
and is expected to draw heavy
crowd and money. The 12
teams – four each from Asia,
America and Europe – will fight
it out in an inter-continental
series across various weight
categories.
All teams will have at least 10
boxers with a maximum of
three foreign imports along
with a pool of reserves to tide
over any eventualities. A boxer
is expected to earn anything
 Thursday, June 25, 2009
07

‘‘
I was a bit disappointed. It didn’t appear to me by the attitude of the Indian
players that they want to play against us. On the face, they said they would
like to see cricket between the two countries but I think in their hearts they thought
otherwise. Their attitude and behaviour while playing against us showed this.
Shahid Afridi

Boxers like Vijender will

greatly benefit from the cash-
rich league.

between US$ 30,000 to US$
300,000, an amount unthinkable
in today’s amateur boxing.
WSB will have three phases –
a regular season of league
matches between franchise
teams, a play-off series and fi-
nally individual championships
for each weight class. The
championships will feature box-
ers from only five weight cate-
gories – Bantam (54kg), Light
(60kg), Middle (75kg), Light
Heavy (81kg) and Heavy (91kg).
Indian Boxing Federation
Secretary General Col. P.K. Mu-
ralidharan Raja welcomed the
move and said it will promote
the game in the country. “The
last few weeks have been very
exciting as our meetings with all
the corporate houses have been
very fruitful. We were surprised
to see so much interest in box-
ing,” he said. “We had six to sev-
en offers but ultimately AIBA
and IMG zeroed in on the best. I
can assure you that the owner
will go all out to promote the
event across the country.”
Citing it as a red-letter day in
Indian boxing, Col. Raja added:
“This event will help the boxers
earn a living from their sport.
And it comes at an appropriate
time when Indian boxing is go-
ing through a great phase. I ex-
pect at least 10 of our boys to
make the cut for the initial 100
shortlisted pugilists who will be
drafted in by the teams after a
bidding process.”
Commenting about the bid-
ding process, to be held at the
end of the World Championship
in Milan in September, Khoda-
bakhsh said: “The first 100,
picked by the WSB selection
panel, also include Indians and
AIBA would soon make them
available to the Indian Boxing
Federation. The pool would be
increased to 200 shortly so that
franchisees have reserves to fall
back on.”
Olympic bronze medallist Vi-
jender Kumar too expressed
happiness and a desire to play
for the Indian club. “Ideally I
would like to play for the Indian
team but if there’s a better offer
from any of the foreign franchi-
sees I will surely give it a
thought,” he said.
Meanwhile, the home base for
the Indian team has not been
selected yet and Col. Raja said
the federation will try to span it
across the country for a wider
appeal.
“Although it is supposed to be
a city-based league and the final
authority lies with the franchi-
see, we will suggest that they
make it more widespread,” Col.
Raja said. With money and mus-
cle power making a heady mix,
WSG is sure to make an impact
in the country come September
2010. ■
08 ROADSTER ERGO Thursday, June 25, 2009

Safe Merc
Mercedes-Benz has revealed an Experimental Safety Vehicle
(ESF) fitted with a host of new safety components designed to
make the vehicle almost safe from accidents and leaving its
occupants with nothing more than light bruise marks if it
should come to the worst.

PHOTO: S. S. KUMAR

KARTHIK SUBRAMANIAN
karthik@goergo.in

T
he jaws dropped finally
when Fiat unveiled the Pun-
to Grande last week. Not just
for its looks – a bit of retro
that makes it look maybe just a
tad sophisticated than sporty –
but more so for the pricing.
At the unveiling at the VST Mo-
tors showroom on Anna Salai in
namma Chennai last week, the
showroom prices for the petrol
versions were announced rang-
ing from Rs.4.03 lakh for the basic
Punto ‘Active’ version to Rs. 5.65
lakh for the fully-decked Punto
‘Emotion Pack’ that includes the
‘Blue and Me’ technology.
It enables the drivers to convert
the dashboard into a mobile
phone device where one could
take the calls as well as read text
messages using Bluetooth
technology.
The prices for the diesel edition
is also fiercely competition and
proof that Fiat wants to crack
open the
hatchback
segment
that has seen
a flurry of
launches over
the past year.
The diesel editions
prices for
Grande Punto range
the
from Rs. 4.89 lakh to Rs.
6.15 lakh. This should go into di-
rect competition with the Swift
diesel. Remember, Hyundai’s i20
still has not launched its diesel
edition and speculation is rife
that it could well be launched be-
fore this year-end.
The Punto has had a good run
in Europe and other western
markets where it was launched in
2005. It should be a matter of in-
terest for motor enthusiasts that
the 1.3 litre multijet diesel engin-
er in the Punto is the exact same
thing that drives
the Suzuki Swift, Tata
Indica, Fiat Palio, Fiat 500
and Linea. Suzuki Swift seems to
have tuned the engine to perfec-
tion. It remains to be seen how
Grande Punto exploits the same.
On basis of sheer looks, the car
scores. However it must be said
that the Indian version is still a bit
of a poor cousin to its European
edition that comes styled by
Abarth.
Check out the Internet to sim-
ply drool over what Abarth has
done to Fiat Grande Punto.
From the feel of the car at the
show-
room, I can vouch for
just a couple of things – it is ex-
Fiat’s onslaught on
tremely spacious, especially the
passenger seats; and the dash-
the hatchback mark
board with its silvery finish sits
cool right next to that ultra-sexy
is worth considering
steering wheel. Incidentally it’s
the same steering wheel that for those looking fo
adorns the Linea.
VST Motors has been organis- a car that is both
ing test drives of the car.
The Fiat Linea comes in six col- easy on the wallet
ours and with a two-years unlim-
ited mileage warranty. ■ and high on the
For more details, contact VST
Motors at 2860 2485/ 86/ 87. Email: features.
fiat.chennai@vstmotors.com

Punto comes to Town

Inspired by the Maserati school of design, Punto packs style and appeals to the wallet as well. Could it finally be Fiat’s big ticket in In
 Thursday, June 25, 2009
09
Eco Maruti
The country’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki has stopped working on LPG models
as it will roll out CNG variants of the entire range of its cars from early 2010. The
first of which could be its highest selling model Alto.

EXCELLENT New Pulsar 220

launched
CAR BUT Claimed to the fastest two-wheeler in
the country, the new Pulsar comes
PRICEY sans fuel injection-based system

I
ndia’s second largest
two-wheeler manufactur-
AYON SENGUPTA er Bajaj Motors on Tues-
ayon@goergo.in day launched a new
variant of its popular bike
Pulsar in New Delhi. The

T
he Jazz looks all jazzy from the outside and does indeed pack a few cool features deep in its
depth but still there is something lacking in there. Mind it this is no opinion from an auto vehicle is priced at Rs.70,000
expert but just another opinion. (ex-showroom Delhi).
Very stylish and innovative like most Honda products, the Jazz though comes without We have been contin-
the necessary alloy wheels or mud flaps and the duo have to be bought separately as accesso- uously evolving our Pulsar
ries. But huge head lights and the regular Honda break lights makes this hatchback an eye range to provide our cus-
candy. tomers state-of-the-art prod-
The interior is like a spaceship with all the controls on the steering wheel (even audio uct with unmatched
consoles) and a neat dashboard makes it a trendy drive. A huge windshield also adds to the performance and technolo-
advantage specially making it easier for the “shorter ones” to have a better view of the road. The gy,” Bajaj Auto chief exec-
most interesting feature, though, is the unbelievable amount space made available to the utive (two-wheelers) S.
passenger. One can even fold the seats, giving ample storage room for all your long distance Sridhar told reporters.
travel. There are lots of cubby-holes all over, which may be useful when on a long drive but in “The new edition of Pul-
narrow city confinements it can be tad waste of space. sar-220 has further raised
Engine performance promises to be good and responsive and even the 16mpl but one should the bar in the performance
rather wait and see the actual numbers. Now to the economics of the buying at 7.18 lakh ex segment by becoming In-
showroom in Chennai, it is a bit expensive for any hatchback even if it packs a series of features. dia’s fastest bike,” he added.
It generally looks like a car with a snob value as also stated by the Honda management but one The premium segment
remains sceptic whether the city snobs would rather go for the sedan variety City or civic just for bike was first launched in
a few lakhs more. ■ 2001 with a 150cc engine.
The bike, which the com-
pany claims is the fastest
two-wheeler in the Indian
market, comes without a
fuel injection-based system
earlier equipped in a 220cc
variant of the same model.
Bajaj currently sells 150cc,
180cc and 200cc variants in
the Pulsar line-up.
The company expects to
boost its market share with
new launches this fiscal.
Managing director Rajiv
Bajaj said the auto-major
was eying to sell 175,000-
200,000 units every month
beginning the second half of
the current fiscal. ■
IANS

ket
g
or

PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN

n
ndia?
10 FLICK ERGO Thursday, June 25, 2009

Stay away from my partner

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has warned Jennifer Aniston to
stay away from her partner Brad Pitt and has asked her to stop
sending text messages to him. According to dailymail.co.uk, Jolie
is apparently not very happy with Aniston still being close to
Pitt. Reports claim that Jolie sent the messages from Pitt’s
mobile and signed off with the initials AJ.

‘New York
begins where
Khuda Kay
Liye ends’
John Abraham on his Friday release
RADHIKA BHIRANI after the terrorist attacks.
John, who has teamed up with Khan for the

J
ohn Abraham, who plays an
NRI Muslim in Kabir Khan’s
second directorial venture
New York, says the film be-
gins where the critically ac-
claimed Pakistani movie Khuda
Kay Liye ends.
“In its own strange way, New
York begins where Khuda Ke
Liye ended. That’s the interest-
ing part of the film,” says John.
Both films deal with the issue
of how legal detainees were
treated after the 9/11 attacks in
the US.
Some sequences in the pro-
mos of New York, which will
be released Friday, are remi-
niscent of scenes in Khuda
Kay Liye.
“Each director has his own
way of interpreting and re-
searching the plight of legal
detainees... that’s why Kabir
and the Khuda Kay Liye director
have different interpretations of
it in their films,” John says.
“But if the legal detainees were
put up in a particular way and in-
terrogated in a certain way in real-
ity – then that can’t change. So
there are certain things that are
bound to look similar in both the
films. But obviously stories, people
and characters are completely dif-
ferent in New York,” he adds.
Set in New York, the film’s narra-
tive is spread over nine years and re-
volves around three young friends
whose lives take an unexpected turn
second time after Kabul Express, predicts that
New York will pick up “every popular award in
the book”.
“When we were shooting in Afghanistan for
Kabul Express and bullets were flying off our
heads, I had told Kabir that you would get a
National Award for this film. And he did get
one (for best debut director). After watching
New York, which is a very commercial film, I told
Kabir that he will walk away with every popular
award that exists,” says John.
After having spent over half a decade in the
film industry, the 36-year-old supermodel-
turned-actor, who was seen in a completely dif-
ferent avatar in Oscar-nominated Water, says
he is yet to achieve what he had set out for
through his work. John’s source of inspiration is
late Hollywood actor Heath Ledger who got a
posthumous Oscar for playing the Joker in The
Dark Knight.
“When Heath Ledger’s parents came up to
collect the Oscar on his behalf after his death,
they said that Heath would be really happy be-
cause there was always this silent determina-
tion to be accepted by all of you as a fraternity.
For me, there is a silent determination to be
accepted by everyone in the audience as a com-
plete person and also a complete actor. I believe
with the kind of roles and films that I have
done, I have probably reached 70-80 per cent of
what I had to. But the rest of crucial 30 perc ent
is very important.”
Now John hopes to do something “radically
different that it affects and alters people’s mind
positively”.
After New York, which is produced by Yash
Raj Films, John will be seen in David Dhawan’s
comic affair Hook Ya Crook, Nagesh Kukunoor’s
Aashayein and Abbas Tyrewala’s 1-800-Love. ■
IANS
 Thursday, June 25, 2009
11
Miley Cyrus lands in picture controversy
Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus has landed in another picture

Everybody loves controversy after photos showing her in a provocative pose

were posted by her latest movie producer on Twitter. In one of
the photos, 16-year-old Cyrus can be seen sitting backwards on
a chair. Another picture shows her posing with 44-year-old
filmmaker Adam Shankman directly behind her, reports the Sun.

ICE AGE Cine City

Ray Romano relates to ‘Ice Age 3’ character

A
merican stand-up comedian Ray Romano, who has voiced the grouchy and moody
mammoth Manny in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, says his character in the movie
follows his own real-life path.
The 51-year-old star, who shot to fame with sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, re-
vealed that in the new film, Manny is facing up to the prospect of impending fatherhood and
struggling to cope with the panic just like he did when his daughter Alexandra was born in
1990.
“When you see the movie and the panic it brings to Manny, I reacted the same way with my
first kid because it becomes a reality all of a sudden. I did everything wrong in the beginning so
my wife was just telling me to get out of the way,” Romano said in a statement released on
Tuesday.
“I went to pick up my wife and baby from the hospital and I parked
in a towaway zone so we came out and the car was gone. We had to
take a cab home with a very annoyed wife and a 4-pound human in
my arms... I relate a lot to him (Manny),” he added.
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is releasing July 3 in India. Also
dubbed in Hindi, it will hit the screens in a 3D-version. ■
IANS

Poda Podi shelved?

The much hyped film, Poda Podi, which was supposed
to be the launch pad for actor Sarath Kumar’s daughter
Varalaxmi in Kollywood, is apparently shelved. It is said
that the star kid has refused to act with actor
Silmabarasan. Earlier it was rumoured that the movie
would be canned in Canada and Silambarasan was out
hunting for locations there. But now there is no news
of the film. Since Varalaxmi has declined to act, it is not
clear whether there are plans to revive the project with
a new heroine.

Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew

Broderick welcome twins
S arah Jessica Parker and actor husband Matthew Broderick
have welcomed twin baby girls born to a surrogate at a Voice matters
hospital in Ohio, a representative for the couple said on While Priyamani managed to win the National Award
Tuesday. Local CBS television affiliate WTRF-TV reported that for Ameer’s Paruthiveeran, she missed the Kerala State
Parker and Broderick were on hand for the birth of the twins Award despite her stupendous performance in
at East Ohio Regional Hospital in Martins Ferry on Monday. Thirakatha. The award was bagged by actor Priyanka
The couple’s representatives later confirmed the birth of for her role in T.V. Chandran’s offbeat film,
daughters Marion Loretta Elwell Broderick and Tabitha Vilapangalkappuram. Though Priyanka and Priyamani
Hodge Broderick. Elwell and Hodge are names from Parker’s were placed equally till the last leg, the former finally
side of the family, a statement said. bagged the award as she had dubbed for the film
“The babies are doing beautifully and the entire family is herself. We hear that Priyamani has decided to dub for
over the moon,” the statement added. herself in all her future films. Thirakatha was based on
Sex and the City star Parker (44) and Broderick (47) already the life of late actress Srividya. Actor Priyanka made her
have a six-year-old son together, James Wilkie. The couple debut in Tamil as the ladylove of actor Pasupathi in
married in 1997. ■ Veyyil.
AFP
12 ERGO Thursday, June 25, 2009

Wednesday’s Query:
If you were to direct a movie who
would be the lead actors and why?
■ Ajith, thala irundhathan padathuku uyirae
Sudha, Saranya.M Cognizant, Rajesh Mathew, Jay, Muni, Tamil,
Justin Ganesh, Gopi Vetri Software, Venkatesh.S, Selvakumar,
S.Francis Raj Perotsystems

■ Vijay bcoz he’s the Darling of the Masses

Aravind Pandian Sutherland, TSJ.Praveen Cognizant, Balaji.CD CSS

■ Ajith and Vijay because it would be helpful for Vijay to

give at least one super hit movie after Gilli
Rajesh Kumar.T Infosys

■ T.Rajendar because I’m gonna take a scary movie

Fiaz TCSe-serve

■ Surya and Simran, both are matured in acting Anitha from Magickwoods Exports Pvt Ltd has nominated her team as Partners in
Shiva PSBPS, Thyagu Allsec Crime. This photo was clicked in their office campus.
■ Vijayakanth with Aishwarya Rai because he is man of
power and she is a woman of beauty
Renuka Pride Technologies

■ Shahid Kapoor, good dancer n actor

Aakash CSS

■ Owen Wilson and Drew Barrymore because both possess

picturesque faces of innocence, romance and humour
Roopa Simon Wipro

■ Nakulan he is too smart and naughty

Pinky IBM

■ Myself and Tamanna. Tamanna is a good looking actress

with good performance skills. And I’ll be the best fit for my
story
Vasanth Softeon

■ A Love Story starring Edward Norton and Reese

Witherspoon
Dev TCS-eserve Chitra from HCL Technologies has nominated her team as Partners in Crime. This
photo was taken during their outing to MGM Resort.
■ Aamir Khan, Kamal Haasan and Tom Hanks because they
were giving 100 percent justice for the role offered to
them and they were perfectionist
Ramesh Thevar Allsec

■ Kamal and Mohan Lal in main role, because of their

flexibility and inborn talent to do any role whether it is a
comedy or superhero
Sujith Accenture

■ Kamal and Surya as father and son with Jo as the female

lead
Raghav TCS

■ A.R.Rahman because I would like to direct music based

movie
K.R.Roshin Perotsystems

Today’s Query:
Your favourite time pass at office
when server goes off Kalidhasan S.K. from Tata Consultancy Services has nominated his friends as
Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked during their trip to Kishkintha theme park.
 Thursday, June 25, 2009
Ashok P. from HCL Technologies has been
nominated as Office Angel by Krishna Kumar.
Ashok is the most composed person in our team.
In spite of vast knowledge in his respective role, he
has always had the attitude to learn at any point
in time from even the junior most team member.
His readymade smile, patience and the ease with
which he resolves things are his most admirable
strengths
Kamalavannan
Govindarajan
of Patni
Computer
Systems,
Chennai
doodled this.
One Ant knocked the door. The owner opened. Ant asked for a place to stay. The owner showed a vacant
room n tells the ant that he doesn’t want rent. The next day it brought another ant to the house, the
owner allowed that ant also to stay without rent. Each following day it brought another ant until 10th day.
On 10th day, the owner asks rent..
WHY…..????!!!??
Coz they are ‘TEN’ANTS now…. ;-)
V G Manikanden
Infosys
13
■ Dear Rahul,
A very Happy Birthday to you.
We hope all your wishes come true this year.
Inda varshamachu namba Saif Ali Khan ku
Kareena Kapoor kadakanumnu vendikirom.
From Suresh, Vasu, Ragav, Prabha, Prabhu, Infosys
■ Dear Keerthi,
Wish you a happy Married life..Pavam andha
paiyan, nalla pathukoma. Miss u so much
Chandrika, HOV services
■ Dear Baby Vidhya,
Many more happy returns of the day Pappa.
Wishing u my best wishes on this special
occasion. Keep up the cute smile.
With lots of love, Srikanth @ J.Jayakanth, TCS E-serve.
■ Hi Kavitha,
It’s another Gr8 day 4 u.
I dedicate all the flowers that blossomed today
to you. May the good lord bless you with
excellent health, success and defend your life
from the evil one forever!!
Smile until u becomes toothless because no
one in this world has courage to see your
smile without teeth’ Lol !!!
U was born in d zoo! U was born in d zoo!!!
With d monkeys ’n donkeys woo woo!!!
Happy b’day 2 u, Happy b’day 2 u !!!!
Best Wishes, Arun Kumar.S, Infosys Technologies Ltd.
■ Hi Annammal
May this special day be filled with sweet
memories and happy hours.
Wishing you all the fun and excitement that
only birthdays can bring!
With Cheers, Human Resources,
Coastal Training Technologies
India (P) Ltd, Chennai
■ Hi Bhasker,
Many More happy returns of the day. May this
day bring you joy and happiness forever in
your life. Let’s celebrate this day with a big
treat (ithukagavathu treat pls)
Regards, CTS Macrovision Team
■ Dear Alex
Many Happy returns of the Day to the Master
of (Kodumaiyana) Jokes – Alex .. J Regards,
All those who suffered from his Jokes..
Belated Wishes
■ Dear Suganya,
May this birthday be just the begining of a
year filled with joy and wonderful moments.
Let All Your Wishes Come True!!!
With love,
Aswini & Vinoth.
HCL Technologies Ltd.
■ Hi...Rjsh
Each year your birthday reminds me
That I really want to say I’m very glad I know
you; I think of you each day.
I hope you enjoy your birthday, All the
pleasures it has in store, And because I
appreciate you, I hope you have many more!
By Ushh...
14 TRAFFIC JAM ERGO Thursday, June 25, 2009

Caravan catastrophe
Dozy thieves fled empty handed after stealing a
caravan in Sweden - while the owner was fast
asleep inside.

sudoku

Muthu
Karthick
from CSS
Corp has
shot the
picture of
his sister
and niece
inside an
airplane
using
Canon
Powershot.

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

TEAM
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karthik@goergo.in

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Dy Chief Designer: R. Ravi Kannan
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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
 Thursday, June 25, 2009
15
Star girl was lying Word’s worth
A Belgian teenager who had threatened to sue a Finnimbrun (fin-nim-brun) a
tattoo artist who left her with 56 stars on her face knickknack, a trinket.
has admitted she was lying.

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

It’s your lucky day. Your boss’s approval for a job
done perfectly will inspire you to take up more
responsibilities. But don’t blow your own trumpet.
With the amount of files you’ll have to wade
through, you will have no time for your beloved.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

As the day begins and you head for office, you may
not feel like working. But you need to try and focus
if you want to move ahead on the career path.
However, when you reach home, you’ll be craving
for your beloved’s touch.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

Today’s planetary alignment may keep you occupied
BORN LOSER in routine activities. Be focused and you will be able
to do work faster. But it’s only after lunch that you
will feel driven to take initiatives. In the evening,
you will have a great time with your beloved.
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
You will follow a take-it-easy policy today. As dusk
approaches, your enthusiasm will reach a peak. You
are emotional by nature and those around you will
be touched by your ability to feel things deeply,
says Ganesha.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
You’ll be raring to go, and because of this
enthusiasm, you will complete all pending tasks.
This vigour shall help you conduct meetings without
getting nervous. you will be eager to rush in the
arms of your beloved in the evening.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
Today’s astral alignment makes you unusually
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT inventive but you need to wait until you can
implement your creative ideas. Meanwhile, jot them
down in your diary. Honing your professional skills
will be on your mind as the day ends
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
With today’s busy schedule, you should not find a
minute to yourself. Don’t worry, this will only help
you in doing the right things at the right time. Your
expert communication skills will surely help you
succeed in whatever you do.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
A tricky day ahead, says Ganesha. With today’s
astral configuration, you will be provoked to say
things which may leave lasting scars, so mind you
words! At the workplace, being ingenuous may not
help you in any way.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
A fantastic day! Your career graph will just escalate
today. But don’t be too overconfident! Today’s
astral aspects may play tricks with you, letting slip
some very important tasks off your memory’s graph.
No great developments in love life.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
As soon as the sun rises, you shall set your sights
on completing pending tasks. If you concentrate
only on your work, it will be possible for you to
meet all the targets before EOD. Focusing on your
career will be more rewarding than being quixotic.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS As the day starts, something very positive is sure to
bring a smile on your face. You are really good with
ISSUE’S conducting meetings, so call one today should you
so wish. You may neglect your beloved’s calls
SOLUTIONS today, courtesy your busy schedule.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
You will not let workload get to you. Ganesha
appreciates your sincerity and industrious nature.
You have your eyes set on new targets and this is
the right day to start working on them. Even love
life takes a new level of understanding.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
16 ! ERGO Thursday, June 25, 2009

Japanese major brewers campaign girls display a 2-m tall beer tower, which is
made of 1,400 cocktail glasses filled with beer for the promotion of Drink
Expo in Tokyo. PHOTO: AFP

Sri Lankan cricketer Thillakeratne Dilshan holds his

son upon his return at Katunayaka airport after
the team emerged runners up in the recently-
concluded T20 World Cup in London. PHOTO: AFP

Two girls watch the sun set behind the Wadden

Sea near the northern German town of Dangast. A child uses a bucket to push his sibling across the flooded courtyard of their
PHOTO: AFP house in the Adjouffou shanty area of Abidjan. PHOTO: AFP