A BYTE OF LIFE Thursday, July 2, 2009

08
JAWA DAY
Chennai’s Jawa and Yezdi motorcycle
club to celebrate Jawa Day on July 12

FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 3 No. 123

LIPS DO LIE
Retired bank employee
Shantha Kumar is a performing
ventriloquist. What’s more
he even teaches the
quirky performing art,
Anusha Parthsarathy finds out.
» PAGE 03
PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN
02 NAMMA CHENNAI ERGO Thursday, July 2, 2009

Designs for you

Aavaranaa, the designer ethnic saree boutique, has
introduced designer choli blouses. These blouses come in
a variety of styles and cuts. The exhibition is on till July
10 at No 15, Ashoka Street, Alwarpet.

In memory of
a colleague Take home a
M KITTEN
phasis CSR Education Team
recently opened classrooms in
Panchayat Union Middle School,
Neelangarai. The team comprising
of around 25 employees provide all kinds
of educational support to help
underprivileged children in their
education.
The employees had already been
volunteering at the Panchayat Union
Middle School, taking classes in science,
moral science, mathematics and
computers over the weekend. A step
forward in that direction was to support
in the construction of classrooms on the
first floor of the school.
The classroom was inaugurated by
Ganesh Ayyar, CEO, Mphasis. Also, one of
the classrooms in the block was dedicated
to Terrin Jacob, who recently passed away
in a road accident and was part of the
education team.

Whiskers: With a soulful face, Whiskers Ginger: This male cat is three months
is a gorgeous three-month-old male cat old and has striking eyes that the
who likes watching television camera loves

Bubbly: This 3-
month-old female
feline loves playing
with crumpled
paper balls

Pepper: She’s a three-month-old female Trixie: This friendly male kitten is three
with a soft voice and loves human months old and loves playing with
company people

To adopt one or more of these beautiful kittens, get in

touch with Amala Raju at 9841519030 or 22447440
 Thursday, July 2, 2009
PHOTO : R. RAVINDRAN
ANUSHA PARTHASARATHY
anushaparthasarathy@hotmail.com
“J
ohnny, do you know
this girl,” asks the 60-
year-old to a small boy
puppet on his lap wear-
ing a pink t-shirt and a flowery
orange pull-over.
“Yes, she lives opposite my
house,” replies the puppet.
“And where do you live?”
“Opposite her house.”
The man wipes his forehead,
gives me a sheepish smile and
tries again. “Where do both of
you live?” “Opposite each other”,
the puppet cackles at the man’s
obvious displeasure. “That’s how
it’s done”, he suddenly smiles
lifting the puppet off his lap and
laying it out on the sofa with the
nine other he owns.
Shantha Kumar, a retired bank
manager, has a habit of throwing
his voice on inanimate things,
animating them. It was an art he
fell in love with when he watched
the city’s first professional ven-
triloquist, M.M. Roy, perform in
1975. Back then, ventriloquism
was unheard of and he wanted to
learn it but didn’t know where to
start.
“When I watched M.M Roy
perform, I was astounded. I
thought he had a tape running
inside the puppet but I realised
the jokes he cracked were so
spontaneous that they couldn’t
have been recorded beforehand.
I spent the entire show trying to
find the source of the voice but I
couldn’t. Later a friend explained
that it was called ventriloquism
and that it was a rare skill,”
Shantha Kumar remembers.
His work with a bank meant
that he had frequent transfers
and when he came to Chennai,
03
LIPS
DO
LIE
Retired bank
employee
Shantha Kumar
not only
performs as a
he became a member of the Hu- Johnny is still his favourite. and the kind of entertainment
ventriloquist but
mour Club. In 1998, he witnessed “I still use Johnny for most of needed. also teaches
another performance by M.M. my shows. But the kids prefer the “I’m a writer too,” he says at
Roy at the club and approached monkey,” he shrugs. the end, hastily adding, “I’ve those who are
interested in
him to learn the art. Eight Lately, he has begun to teach published two books but that
months later, Shantha Kumar ventriloquism to those interested was before I got into ventrilo-
was a performing ventriloquist. and also runs an even manage- quism. I hope to start writing learning the
“My guru told me that my lip ment company where he arrang- again sometime soon.” ■
movements will reduce with es variety entertainment for You can contact him at quirky
time, depending on the number
of shows I did. So I began to
corporates, weddings, anniver-
saries and other occasions. The
9444148832 or visit his blog at
http://
performing art
perform at anniversaries, mar- fee varies according to the hours ventshanthakumar.blogspot.com.
riages, birthdays and at
churches on weekends
and during my free time.
That really helped. I’ve
done over 1700 shows in
the last ten years”, he
exclaims.
When Shantha Kumar
retired last year, his hobby
came in handy and has
now become a full-time
profession. He even runs a
blog where he talks about
his shows and puts up
videos of them.
“There are two kinds of
ventriloquism; near and
distant. Near is the kind
most people do, with a
puppet on their lap or sit-
ting next to them. Distant
ventriloquism is someth-
ing like hearing someone
talk from the bottom of a
well.
In olden days, prank-
sters used this trick to fool
people into thinking that
wells or gods spoke to
them,” he laughs.
Shantha Kumar’s ven-
triloquism career began
with Johnny, a human
puppet that he bought
from his guru and has
now grown into ten in-
cluding two monkeys, a
girl puppet, a dog, a duck
and even a crow! But
04 VILLAGE ERGO Thursday, July 2, 2009

Bear break-in
A couple in San Bernardino County were shocked to discover a break-in
at their home - by a bear with a sweet tooth. The peckish critter raided
their fridge and gobbled a box of chocolates. The bear also attempted
to open a bottle of champagne - but failed.

Drunk driver lands in swimming pool New Firefox

A drunken Australian who drove into a backyard swimming
pool in Perth was saved from drowning by householders browser released
awakened by the almighty splash, new reports said. A new version of the
“The car was submerged when we got to it and he had to Internet browser Firefox has
be pulled out by our neighbours and my son, who managed been released, offering
to open a door to get to him,” Don Robins told the West users more speed and
Australian newspaper. privacy and greater
Robins said the Toyota must have been travelling very fast compliance with new
because it smashed through two fences and was airborne Internet video standards.
before it hit the water. The release of Firefox 3.5
DPA came as the open source
browser is proving an
increasingly formidable
challenger to Microsoft’s
Internet Explorer 8, which once had over 90 per cent
Rejection may drive people to market share.
In June Firefox has a 22.5 percent market share according
cosmetic surgery to web metrics company Net Applications, behind Internet
Looks which evoke negative comments or rejection may Explorer’s 65.5 percent. Though Internet Explorer’s share
induce men and women to go in for cosmetic surgery, has been declining for some time, the slide has accelerated
according to a recent study. over the last year since Firefox released version 3.0.
The study examined the role of appearance-based rejection Mozilla said the new version is twice as fast as the
sensitivity, the tendency to anxiously expect rejection based previous version, and also includes a “private browsing”
on one’s appearance, among men and women’s interest in feature, also called “porn mode,” that allows users to hide
cosmetic surgery. their tracks when the option is turned on.
A total of 133 American college students were randomly Other privacy options allow users to easily and selectively
assigned to write an essay about either a negative or wipe their web history.
positive comment about DPA
their appearance that
they had received in the
past.
Compared to Hamilton buys Porsche
participants with lower
appearance-based for girlfriend
rejection sensitivity, Formula One racing champion Lewis Hamilton has
those with higher bought a Porsche for his girlfriend, singer Nicole
sensitivity felt more Scherzinger.
rejected and expressed Hamilton bought a new car for the Pussycat Dolls
greater interest in singer’s 31st birthday. The Porsche Cayman with PCD
getting cosmetic surgery plates cost 80,000 pounds, thesun.co.uk reports.
after recalling a A source said: “Nicole has always wanted a Porsche
negative versus positive and Lewis thought it was a fitting gift. She was over
appearance comment. the moon.”
IANS IANS

Kournikova
in nightclub
brawl
T
ennis player and model Anna Kourni-
kova has broken her subdued image
after being involved in a “huge” brawl
at a nightclub.
The Russian star was reportedly involved
in the brawl at a Las Vegas nightclub after a
woman threw a drink over her, reports con-
tactmusic.com.
Kournikova, who is dating Spanish singer
Enrique Iglesias, was partying with her
friends at the nightspot Lavo in Sin City
when a fellow reveller took offence at the
group’s behaviour and felt “Anna was in-
vading her space”.
The woman reacted by soaking Kourni-
kova in an alcoholic beverage that led to a
fight as the model-sportswoman “sprung
into action” and started to push and shout
at the woman before the reveller was kicked
out.
“It was a big fight,” said a source. ■
IANS
 Thursday, July 2, 2009
Websites of the day
Keep an eye on your finances:
www.moneysavingexpert.com
Feel all warm and fuzzy with these
cute critters:
www.worldscutestanimals.com
Start the music
A Sony employee displays the first model of Sony’s stereo cassette player "Walkman TPS-L2" (L) and the latest model of Sony’s digital music player
"Walkman W-series" at the company’s museum in Tokyo. PHOTO: AFP
Man had boss
killed to save job
S panish police have arrested a
man whom they suspect hired
a contract killer to murder his
boss in a desperate bid to avoid
being laid off, according to a new-
spaper report.
The head of audiovisual servic-
es at the Barcelona International
Convention Centre contracted a
Colombian man who shot and
killed the director of the conven-
tion centre on February 9, ac-
cording to police.
The director had planned to lay
off the arrested man as part of a
restructuring project, police said.
In fear of losing his job, the
head of services, through his sis-
ter, contracted a team of six Col-
ombians who planned and
carried out the killing, El Pais
reported.
Police have also detained the
sister and six Colombians.
The shooting marks one of the
most extreme actions by Spa-
Stolen snake found
A snake stolen from a laboratory in Perth, Australia has been
found - as the crafty reptile swallowed a tracking device shortly
before it was taken.
Happy 30th birthday, Walkman
T
hirty years ago Sony
launched the Walkman, a
gadget which revolutionised
the way people around the
world listened to music but has
since been overtaken by an icon
of the digital age - the iPod.
The July 1, 1979 rollout of the
portable cassette player helped
transform the Japanese company
into a global electronics power-
house. Sony sold 30,000 Walk-
mans in the first two months after
its launch, and 50 million within
a decade.
Times have changed since So-
ny engineer Nobutoshi Kihara
sketched out designs for the
Walkman by hand.
The initial reaction to the
Walkman was poor. Many retail-
ers thought that a cassette player
without a recording mechanism
had little chance of success.
That changed, and today total
sales of the Walkman have reac-
hed 385 million around the
world, including newer digital
models that use flash memory.
Sony says it chose the name
“Walkman” partly because of the
popularity of Superman at the
time and the fact it was based on
an existing audio recorder called
the “Pressman.”
Cool down buddy
niards who fear losing jobs,
homes and businesses during a
recession, in which unemploy-
ment is rising faster than in any
other developed country.
Other cases include an indebt-
ed Spanish builder who kid-
napped his bank manager at
gunpoint and the head of a con-
struction firm who threatened to
쒀 An elderly Belarussian woman holds a boy under the cooling waters of a
set himself on fire unless debts he
fountain in Minsk. PHOTO: AFP
was owed were paid. ■
Reuters
05
It initially planned to call the
machine “Soundabout” in the
United States and “Stowaway” in
Britain, but changed its mind af-
ter hearing that children in Eu-
rope were already asking their
parents for a “Walkman”.
The name stuck, and in 1986 it
was included in the Oxford En-
glish Dictionary.
For people who have grown up
with iPods, Sony’s original gadget
can leave something to be desir-
ed. They include 13-year-old
Scott Campbell who was asked by
the BBC to swap his Apple gadget
for a vintage Walkman for a week.
His friends, he said, “couldn’t
imagine their parents using this
monstrous box.”
It also took him three days “to
figure out that there was another
side to the tape.”
Sony has tried to repackage the
Walkman in recent years with
new versions, including one that
looked like a jelly bean, with
some success.
For many observers, the suc-
cess of the iPod illustrates the
way Sony has lost its golden
touch in recent years, failing fully
to exploit the opportunities of the
Internet and the digital age. ■
AFP
06 SPORT ERGO Thursday, July 2, 2009

Valencia joins Man United

Manchester United confirmed that they have completed the signing of Luis Antonio Valencia from Wigan
Athletic for a reported fee of 16 million pounds ($26.3 million). The 23-year-old is United’s first signing since
the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. Valencia, an Ecuador international, has signed a four-year deal.
“Antonio is a player we have admired for some time now, having spent the last two years in the Premier
League with Wigan,” Alex Ferguson told the club website.

Dhoni hails Rampaul

West Indian pace surprise Ravi Rampaul has found an
admirer in Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has
praised the right-armer for his ability to force mistakes
from batsmen by consistently bowling
in the right areas.
Rampaul returned career-best figures
of 4-37 against India as West Indies

SERENA
beat India by eight wickets in Kingston
to stay afloat in the four-match series
currently tied 1-1.
“Rampaul swings the ball really well,
bowls in the right area, he forces you
to play a big shot like the cover drive,”
Dhoni said.

GAME
Rampaul’s spell left India tottering at
82 for eight after they won the toss
and batted first, but Dhoni hit a responsible 95 to lift his
side to 188 all out.
Dhoni said lack of assistance from the pitch in Kingston
makes Rampual and fellow pacer Jerome Taylor’s
performance all the more creditable.

5
“I don’t think there was that much in (the pitch) for the

FOR
bowlers,” Dhoni said.
“They bowled really well, they were swinging the ball well
and, when it stopped swinging, they were able to get
reverse swing,” he added.
PTI

Gayle breezes in for Aussie T20

West Indies captain Chris Gayle has signed up for Western
Australia’s Retravision Warriors for this year’s domestic
Twenty20 competition, officials said on Wednesday,
hailing a major coup.
The left-hander, who is the world’s only
SETS
international Twenty20 centurion, will
play the ’Big Bash’ competition between
the Windies’ Test and ODI series here in
November and December.
“With Chris we have secured one of the
game’s best Twenty20 players,” said coach Double Wimbledon champion ready to fill
Tom Moody.
“Not only is he one of the most exciting
batsmen in the game, he adds entertainment gap
considerable experience as a Twenty20
player with international and Indian
Premier League experience.”
AFP

Flintoff’s folly frustrates Atherton

Michael Atherton said the fact England all-rounder
Andrew Flintoff was in the news for missing the team bus
during a squad weekend away was an unwanted
“distraction” ahead of the Ashes.
Ex-England captain Flintoff, 31, joining
up with the squad for the first time

S
after several months out with a knee erena Williams admitted
injury, missed the team bus for that she would be happy to
Saturday’s visit to the World War One play five sets at Grand Slams
trenches at Ypres in Belgium. as new questions arose over
“Andrew Flintoff is back and the talk, the credibility of the women’s
once again, is not of cricket but of game.
discipline, timekeeping and alcohol,” Williams, sister Venus, as well
former England captain Atherton, now cricket as Russian duo Dinara Safina and
correspondent of The Times, wrote of his fellow Elena Dementieva will contest
Lancastrian in Wednesday’s edition of the British daily. the Wimbledon semi-finals on
“It is a distraction that nobody needs right now, in the Thursday, all having virtually
week before the Ashes (which start in Cardiff on July 8).” coasted into the last four.
AFP Serena, a double Wimbledon
champion, five-time winner Ven-
us and fourth seed Dementieva
have reached the semi-finals
without dropping a set; world
number one Safina has dropped
two but still came through.
The total time it took the Wil-
liams sisters and Dementieva to
negotiate their quarter-finals was
half an hour less than it took Bri-
tain’s Andy Murray to get past
Stanislas Wawrinka in a cliff-
hanger men’s fourth round on
Monday.
“I’m ready for five-set matches.
On grass it would be fine. I can
definitely play five sets,” said Se-
 Thursday, July 2, 2009
07

‘‘
I thought Ricky was crap when he was first captain in 2004 and
nothing much has improved since then. I couldn’t believe it when
he’d been picked as captain. There was no-one else to pick but Ponting
still had no experience.
Pace legend Jeff Thomson

rena Williams who cruised past

Belarusian Victoria Azarenka 6-2,
6-3 in her quarter-final.
Serena insists that Wimbledon
fans are getting value for money
despite a raft of lob-sided match-
es.
“You get to see these female
players playing their best tennis
not losing a set. I think that’s tre-
mendous,” she said.
“The top four seeds are in the
semi-finals. Those top players are
really playing their top game so
definitely (fans are) getting their
money’s worth.”
There has been a Williams sis-
ter in the Wimbledon final in sev-
en of the last eight years; they
have played each other in three of
them.
Venus, who brushed aside Po-
land’s Agniezska Radwanska 6-1,
6-2 in her quarter-final, believes
she and her sister have simply
discovered the secret of playing
on grass.
“I think that the style of game
that Serena and I play, we play
better than the other women. If
you’re talking about another
style, maybe we don’t play that as
well,” she said.
Serena insists that despite a
decade of virtual dominance at
the All England Club, the sisters’
work ethic should not be under-
estimated.
“I definitely put most of it to
hard work and good training,”
she said.
“I feel like I do have talent but
also feel like I’m not sitting down
on my couch never training. I ac-
tually work pretty hard at what I
do to turn that talent into more
talent.”
Despite Serena’s willingness to
play five sets on grass from the
quarter-final stage, outgoing
WTA chief Larry Scott said that
women’s tennis is not yet moving
in that direction.
“It’s something I have dis-
cussed with players. We dis-
cussed it over the years during
the equal prize money debate,”
said Scott.
“We always said that if it’s de-
termined that the women should
play five sets or are asked to play
five sets, the players would sup-
port that.”
“I don’t personally believe
that’s the direction that the sport
is going in or that that’s the best
format for television or for fans. I
think it would present all kinds of
scheduling issues.” ■
AFP
PHOTO: AFP
08 ROADSTER
Jawa jiv
The city’s Jawa and Yezdi motorcycle club, Roaring Riders, is set to celebrate
International Jawa Day and the club’s sixth anniversary with a trip to Hogenakkal
PETLEE PETER
petleepeter@goergo.in
T
he second Sunday of July
every year is celebrated as
Jawa Day the world over in
commemoration of the leg-
endary Jawa brand of motor-
cycles from Czech Republic
(formerly Czechoslovakia).
Brought to India by Mysore-
based motorcycle company Ideal
Jawa in the early 1960s, the
motorcycles went out of produc-
tion after two decades. But even
to this day there is a cult follow-
ing for the two-stroke Czech
beauty.
The 7th International Jawa
Day on July 12 is twin reason to
Members of Roaring Riders with their motorcycles in a file photo.
celebrate for Roaring Riders,
Chennai’s Jawa and Yezdi mo-
torcycle club, as the club’s sixth
anniversary falls on the same
day. To commemorate the occa-
sion, the club members are all set
for a two-day ride to Hogenak-
kal in Dharmapuri district in Ta-
mil Nadu and back.
According to Sabyasachi Deb-
nath, moderator, Roaring Riders,
35 members on 31 vehicles, in-
cluding 12 Jawas, will participate
in the anniversary ride. “We start
from Porur at 5.30 a.m. on July
11 and should reach Hogenakkal
by afternoon. Next day we ride
back to Chennai,” he says.
The club members have
planned a party, recreational ac-
PHOTO: M. KARUNAKARAN
ERGO Thursday, July 2, 2009
Dutch dream
A Dutch team has fulfilled a dream by building its own super
sports car, the Savage Rivale Roadyacht GTS, fitted with a
supercharged Corvette ZR1 engine with an output of 679 hp
and a top speed of 330 km/h.
tivities and a lot of bike discus- kal are the two tentative routes,
sions during the course of their of which one will be chosen for
stay. the trip.
Chennai-Vellore-Krishnagiri- A poster for the motorcycle
Dharmapuri-Hogenakkal and ride by Roaring Riders is now out
Chennai-Vellore-Krishnagiri-Pa- and an exclusive t-shirt for riders
lacode-Pennagaram-Hogenak- will also be printed.
The anniversary ride is exclu-
sively for members of the club.
However, non-members who
own a Jawa or Yezdi motorcycle
could enrol with the club and
then ride along.
For more information on
Chennai’s Jawa and Yezdi mo-
torcycle club log on to Yahoo!
Groups and search for Roaring
Riders. The members of the club The poster ann
meet at Besant Nagar beach at 8 anniversary rid
a.m. every Sunday. ■ Hogenakkal
"We start from Porur at 5.30 a.m. on July 11 an
Hogenakkal by afternoon. Next day we ride back
 Thursday, July 2, 2009
09
Safer driving
A new seatbelt system has been designed in Germany to reduce injury in multiple collision accidents, pulling back the
occupants automatically after a first impact to allow better protection from airbags and seatbelts. The reversible pre-
pretensioner belt system is activated by a compressed air motor during the first impact, pulling the occupants of the vehicle
into an upright and safer position for a second more forceful impact.
DPA

ve
Railways develop
new freight wagons
to transport cars
Modified rail wagons can tranport upto 270 cars

R
ailways have developed
new freight wagons
which can transport cars
efficiently and is plan-
ning to run them in routes
with a good business
potential.
At present, bulk of cars roll-
ing out of factories for city out-
lets are transported by road.
The trial run for these spe-
cial purpose wagons is over
and they have been already in-
ducted into regular service in
Gurgaon-Mundra Port and
Gurgaon-Chennai circuits,
sources in the Railway Minis-
try said.
Transporting by rails would
be far more efficient than
trucks, they said. Each rake
comprising the modified wag-
ons can transport up to 270
cars of various types with 100
kmph speed potential.
The technological break-
through of modifying such
wagons was achieved by Luck-
now-based Research Designs
and Standards Organisation
(RDSO) recently which con-
verted a particular type of BCL
wagon to transport cars.
The wagons are bi-lever and
modified in such a fashion
that they can transport cars of
varied shapes and more effi-
ciently than trucks on roads,
the sources said.
Recently, Railways had an-
nounced a slash in tariff rates
for transportation of iron ore
for export purpose to consoli-
date its market share. ■
PTI

nouncing the

Electric vehicle
de to

maker Kabirdas
Motor planning IPO
S
outh-based Kabirdas Mo-
tor Company, makers of
electric two wheelers, has
chalked out mega plans
for expansion with the firm tar-
getting to manufacture two
lakh electric scooters from its
new plant near Chennai.
The total project cost is little
over Rs 100 crore and the com-
pany would soon come out
with an IPO for about Rs 60
crore, Managing Director Mu-
rali Kabirdas said here.
At present there are three to
four organised players manu-
facturing electric scooters,
while quite a few are in the un-
organised sector, he said.
The current market is esti-
es on the rise, industry is ex-
pecting rapid growth in the
segment.
"Over the next few years, you
will see the market flooded
with electric scooters," he said.
The company currently sells
its scooters, though in small
numbers, at a price range of Rs
26,500 to Rs 32,500 a unit. The
cost of running a scooter works
out to only 10 paise per km
against more than Rs 1 per km
for a conventional petrol-dri-
ven scooters.
The battery of the scooter
needs charging and each
charge could take 6 to 8 hours
and offers mileage of about 75
km. Electric scooters can

d should reach mated to be small with total

sales pegged at only about Rs
450 crore, but with petrol pric-
achieve a speed of 25 km per
hour. ■
PTI
to Chennai"
10 FLICK ERGO Thursday, July 2, 2009

’Jacko used to cry a lot before his death’

Michael Jackson increased his drug use after the child sex allegations piled
up and he used to cry often, says the late pop star’s former manager Dieter
Wiesner who also said that Jackson was in a "pathetic condition" before he
died, battling drinks and weakness.

‘We’ve now decided not to talk

about our friendship’
Deepika Padukone wishes relationship with Ranbir Kapoor was secret

SUBHASH K. JHA Akshay Kumar. In her next, Love

Aaj Kal, she teams up with anoth-

D
eepika Padukone has eve- er senior actor, Saif Ali Khan. But
rything going for her in she is not complaining.
Bollywood. She has “Ranbir and I work like pals.
worked with top stars and But I wouldn’t say I had more fun
big banners. But she does have working with him. You are not on
one regret – making her relation- the sets to have fun. But yes, defi-
ship with Ranbir Kapoor public. nitely the comfort level with him
“When we got into a relation- was much higher even when we
ship, we decided to be open weren’t seeing each other. My
about it. Otherwise there would other co-stars were a lot more
be reports about us being spotted mature and I was a lot more re-
holding hands, kissing, hugging, served with them. But I’ve to tell
etc. Since we were so clear about you, Shah Rukh completely pam-
our relationship, we had nothing pered me,” she says.
to hide. I thought people would Talking about her Love Aaj Kal
respect that. But it didn’t work co-star Saif, she says: “Saif is re-
out that way,” says Deepika. served. I’ve heard he wasn’t like
Deepika was especially upset this earlier. I believe he has
about paparazzi pictures of her calmed down a lot because of Ka-
and Ranbir. reena or whatever. Saif and I just
“We both have families – very did our work on Imtiaz Ali’s sets
respectable families. People who and went our separate ways.
take pictures of us secretly must That’s the way I like it. I’m a very
have families and boyfriends and reserved person. I’m not here to
girlfriends. We’ve now decided make friends. But yes, Bipasha
not to talk about our friendship. Basu and Minissha Lamba are
At the end of the day no one is now friends.”
going to see our films because Deepika has signed Sajid
we’re a couple,” says the actress Khan’s full-fledged comedy,
who teamed up with Ranbir in Houseful.
Bachna Ae Haseeno. “It’s not just a few comic
Any other film with Ranbir af- scenes here and there. It’s a hard-
ter Bachna Ae Haseeno? core comic role. And I wonder
“We get offers every day to act how I’ll manage it. I’ll try. Sajid
together, but we’re waiting for has a great sense of humour and
the right opportunity. The script I’d go by his vision. Sajid just told
has to be special. But we’re very me to follow him. If my director
clear about not mixing business has so much confidence in me, I
with our relationship,” she adds. can’t let him down,” says
Tell her there was no upward Deepika.
movement in Ranbir’s graph as “But that doesn’t mean I don’t
an actor from Saawariya to Bach- have a sense of fun. I plan to have
na… and she protests: “His graph a ball doing Houseful. I’m a re-
was already so high in Saawariya, served person in real life, but that
where could he go? Bachna Ae doesn’t mean I can’t be funny for
Haseeno gave him a chance to do the camera.”
something totally different. I too After working with Farah Khan,
want to get away from the glam now it’s brother Sajid.
sham. Of course, I want to wear “I’m very fond of both of them.
good clothes and sing good At a time when the entertainment
songs. But I’d be uncomfortable industry wasn’t too confident
doing just songs and dances. Be- about me, Farah trusted me com-
yond Sajid Khan’s film I haven’t pletely.
signed any movie. Imtiaz Ali’s She didn’t even audition me.
films are very real and relevant to Farah was the one who spotted
today,” she says. talent in me and cast me opposite
Deepika has mainly worked Shah Rukh,” she recalls. ■
with older actors – Shah Rukh, IANS
 Thursday, July 2, 2009
11
Monroe bathrobe auctioned
for $120,000
A Marilyn Monroe bathrobe, which was sold at an auction for
$6,000 a decade ago, has gone under the hammer again in Las
Vegas for a staggering $120,000. A private collector snapped up
the robe Saturday during a two-day Julien’s Auctions
memorabilia sale, which also featured items which once
belonged to Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson, reported
femalefirst.co.uk.

Mariah Carey
appears on set

Cine City
during filming for
her new music
video, ‘Obsessed’, at
The Plaza Hotel on
Monday in New
York City. PHOTO:
BRYAN BEDDER/GETTY
IMAGES/AFP

Mammootty the magnanimous

The film fraternity in Kerala is mourning the untimely
death of Malayalam writer-director Lohithadas,
famous for giving many hit films.
Good friend Mammootty has come forward to fund
the education of the late director’s two children,
Harikrishnan (an undergraduate student) and
Vijayshankar (a school student). Mamookka,
apparently, has promised to fulfil the wish of
Lohithadas to see his children educated and settled.

Obsessed
with revenge
M
ariah Carey gave glamour a day off as she dressed in a baggy track suit and donned a
beard for her latest video.
The diva transformed into a hairy man, modelled on Eminem, for the video of A movie on kite flyers
‘Obsessed’, which reportedly is an answer to the rude comments made by the rapper After movies based on cricket and kabbadi, here comes
about Carey in his song ‘Bagpipes From Baghdad’, reported Daily Mail. a movie on kite flyers. Titled Baana Kaathadi, the
The ‘Hero’ singer switched between playing her usual glamorous self and a man for the movie has actor Murali’s son, Adharva, playing the
video which was shot in the streets of New York. lead. Directed by Badri Venkatesh and produced by
The video shows the man trailing Carey as she shops in Manhattan and then he doubles up Sathya Jyothi Films, it has Samantha of Moscowin
as her chauffeur as she steps out of her limousine onto a red carpet wearing a snake skin print Kaveri fame playing the heroine. The director is
mini and high heels. planning to shoot the movie in Chennai, Gujarat and
‘Obsessed’ is the first track from her new album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, and takes a Thailand. An importance sequence of the film will be
dig at Eminem with whom she had been romantically linked in the past. ■ shot in Gujarat, where the International Kite Festival is
PTI
held every year.
12 ERGO Thursday, July 2, 2009

Wednesday’s Query:
One tax sop your sector
needs and which you are
waiting to listen from
the Finance Minister on
Budget day

■ Taxes should be completely Bharath Narayanan from Wipro Technologies, Sholinganallur has nominated his
removed on liquors and make colleagues as Partners in Crime. He wants to wish them all a great career ahead with all
up items that they want in life. This picture was clicked in at Barista counter inside their office
Priyanka Cognizant after they successfully completed their assessment ending their training period.
■ IT exemption limit to be
raised to 3.0L per annum
from current 1.5 L
Aravindkumar Cognizant

■ No income tax deduction

till 40
Suresh TCS

■ No tax for IT professionals

for year 09-10
Prabhu.C Mphasis

■ Benefits to usage of
mobiles
Lexsminarayanan TCS-eserve

■ 0 % customs tax for

importing foreign goods
Hashim Allsec
Vijey from TCS eServe has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This pic was
clicked in a boat house at Alapuzha.

Today’s Query:
Baby Shamili of Anjali
fame is making her
debut as heroine in
Telugu with ’Oye’. Do you
think she can reach the
No.1 position in South
Indian Film Industry?
Suganthan from Royal Bank of Scotland Group has nominated his friends as Partners in
Crime. This pic was clicked in Bengaluru at Lalbagh park.
 Thursday, July 2, 2009
Shalini, Team Member of
TCS e-Serve has been nomi-
nated as Office Angel by her
team.
Shalini is a reserved person,
but if she joins her favourite
set of people, she is the centre
of attraction. She is extremely
talented in ragging others. She
is well known as Ms.Green
because of her liking for green
outfits. She is a talented
dancer, her snake moves are
the highlight behind her
stupendous performance.
Sijo Cyriac
from
Cognizant
Technology
Solutions
doodled this.
1. Q: Why did a man open his lunch box in the middle of the road???
A: Just to confirm whether he is going to or coming back from the
office!!
2.Mr X: I think that girl is deaf...
Friend: How do u know?
Mr X: I told I Love her, but she said her chappals are new
Ishan Bhaduri
TCS
■ Dear Lakshmi Shenoy
Wish u a very Happy
Birthday!!!
Ensoy your day :-)
Note: You’re not 40,
you’re eighteen with 22
years experience... :-)
Lakshmi Pr
Tata Consultancy Services
■ To my loving brother
"Gerard",
From day one, without
knowing it,
I loved you with all my
heart.
As I grew older I looked
up to you and to no
other.
Yes, we fought many of
times but you supported,
and encouraged me in
everything
I did. You were my best
friend
and my hero.
I miss you climbing
through the window
when you were late.
I miss your comfort and
the way you made me
feel safe.
I miss our nonsense
arguments and all our
wrestling matches
just to pass time.
I like to remember our
times together good times
and the bad.
I wanted to do everything
you did, because I wanted
to JUST like you!
I miss your smile,
I wish I could go back and
tell you how I felt,
tell you that I really need
you no matter what I said.
I will always love you no
matter how long its been,
since the day your life
came to an end.
I miss my brother.
Yours Loving Sister,
M.Gowri Santhia.
■ Dear Madhumathi. K
Wish you a Happy
Birthday
May God give you a
Healthy
and Prosperous Year
ahead
Ever loving friend
J. Prince Sundaram
Business Services
■ DEAR MEENA,
WE WISH U A HAPPY
13
BIRTHDAY.... HAVE A
SUCCESSFUL YEAR.........
"Count your life by smiles,
not tears.
Count your age by
friends, not years."
"May the years continue
to be good to you. Happy
Birthday Friend!"
BY MTSD&MTMD Team..
CALIBER POINT BUSINESS
SOLUTIONS LTD.,
Taramani.
■ Dear Deeps,
"The journey is the
reward."
May the journey of your
life be filled with
adventures to thrill you,
new roads to explore,
new horizons to reach
and
may you achieve SUCCESS
in whatever you do!
With Cheers, Mahesh,
HCL Technologies.
■ Dear Swetha,
Along with and on behalf
of Bala, Deeps, Siva, Arul,
Vaish, Mula, MB, Arun,
Suja, Vicky, Raj, Srivatsa,
Pooja, Vishnu, Sid, Devi,
Jithu and Many Others in
our Steria, Its me Karthik,
Your Dear friends,
wishing you all the
happiness in the world on
the 8th Anniversary of
16th Birthday. Thanks and
Regards,
Karthik M, Steria
■ Dear PMT Krishna
(Bala),
Wish you many more
Happy Returns of the day.
May all your hopes and
desires be fulfilled.
Hope you earn more
sisters
each day making your
life colorful & exciting as
ever and may you find
more
bugs day by day making
our
lives as bleak & miserable
as ever. You are a
wonderful person and
wish you continue the
same for years to come.
Have a great day.
Regards, 5620 Team,
Wipro Technologies.
14 TRAFFIC JAM ERGO Thursday, July 2, 2009

RooTube is a wallaby
A live broadcast of kangaroos in Australia, designed to lure British
tourists to the country, has been labelled a failure - as the time
difference means U.K. surfers can only see the creatures at night -
with RooTube showing nothing but a pitch-black screen.

sudoku

Ravi Kailasam
from Hewitt
Associates has
shot this
picture at
Kodivery falls
using Nikon
6 MP camera

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

TEAM
Editor: Karthik Subramanian
karthik@goergo.in

Sr Dy Chief Designer: J.A. Prem Kumar

Dy Chief Designer: R. Ravi Kannan
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V.R. Vasudevan, K.G. Gurumurthy
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KASTURI & SONS LTD., at Plot B-6 & B-7,
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
 Thursday, July 2, 2009
School bans goggles
A school in Devon, England has banned pupils
from wearing goggles in the swimming pool -
insisting they are "dangerous."
15
Word’s worth
Hemianopsia (he-mee-uhn-ahp-see-uh) half-blindness, or loss of perception of one-half
of the field of vision. Only used in the specialist sense to date, but crying out for a
figurative use: “Whenever his parents fight his hemianopsia kicks in, and he’s only
able to see his father’s side of the argument.”

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

Today at work, your mind will be on an overdrive
and you will show prodigious efficiency while
performing your routine tasks. Taking up additional
responsibilities should not be a problem for you
today. You will take this enthusiasm at home.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

Giving a prior consideration to whatever you are
doing will help you handle things smoothly. You are
likely to perform an unexpected act of courage,
which will soar your popularity among your loved
ones. In love, you will tend to be a little corny.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

Today you need to focus on your domestic life,
BORN LOSER though professional life will continue being
demanding. You may struggle to strike a balance,
but everything will eventually fall into place.
Avoid no-win discussions with your superiors.
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
A day bustling with a lot of activities. But this
won’t take your concentration off your work. The
R&D activities will be high on your agenda.
Courtesy your busy schedule, you may tend neglect
your beloved’s calls today.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
It will not be easy for you to keep a check on your
emotions. You will be shelling out advices to all and
sundry. You may want to familiarise yourself to a
virtue called humility. Give suggestions only when
asked for them.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
Don’t be upset if you are unable to meet deadlines.
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT It’s time that you allocate some time to sitting with
your planner and noting down your schedule. Being
judgemental will only keep you away from facts.
You will be in perfect harmony with your beloved.
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
Librans are natural troubleshooters and staunch
advocates of justice. But it’s time you realise that
not every problem needs solving. Not by you at
least. So, avoid getting frustrated over things that
are beyond your control.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
Today, you will get plenty of time and space at
work. Even the most difficult tasks will be
accomplished effortlessly. Your efficiency will be well
appreciated by your superiors. This will encourage
you to work harder.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
You will begin the day feeling good about life. The
feeling will soon fade. By afternoon, problems will
have started piling up and will refuse to leave you
alone. Avoid inviting any more trouble and try to
extend an olive branch to those who don’t like you.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
Today, you will remain busy addressing meetings.
These meetings will throw up a lot of new
opportunities for you. At work, you will set
deadlines for the tasks to be accomplished. Giving
time and attention to your beloved.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS Taking care of social engagements will be as vital
for you as finishing the pending tasks. For meeting
ISSUE’S the targets, you may have to coordinate with your
colleagues. The efficiency with which you will be
SOLUTIONS working will turn other’s eyes green with envy.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
You will be wading through a deluge of emotions
today. A dedicated effort towards keeping your
emotions in check may help you sail through the
day easily. If someone points out your mistakes,
take it easy and constructively.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
16 ! ERGO Thursday, July 2, 2009

A microphone next to a chair with a hat, sunglasses

and a white glove on stage prior to a public
memorial for pop star Michael Jackson at the Apollo
Theatre in the Harlem section of New York. PHOTO: AFP

A Russian Proton-M rocket blasts off from the Baikonur Model Jacqui Buchanan parades a 19th century neck-to-knee
cosmodrome carrying a US Sirius FM-5 radio satellite. swimsuit outside the National Maritime Museum in Sydney.
PHOTO: AFP PHOTO: AFP