A BYTE OF LIFE Monday, March 9, 2009

FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 3 No. 44

‘I’I WAS
IN LOVE
LONG BACK’
Sonam Kapoor on past love,
media hook-ups, dad Anil
Kapoor and recent lessons
on sugar-coating her speech.
» PAGE 10

08 MASTER BLASTER 05 THESE START-UPS ARE HOT

LEADS INDIAN CHARGE WINNERS OF THE TATA NEN HOTTEST STARTUPS AWARDS
02 NAMMA CHENNAI ERGO Monday, March 9, 2009

Treat, treat!
Savera Hotel is treating all women till March 15 as part of
Women’s Day. Come as a group and avail a discount of
25 per cent at its restaurants – Piano, Malgudi and Minar.
For details call 2811 4700.

Of bad sons, honest

cops and Bus Day key wing under the Central Crime
Good dad, bad son Branch of the city police. Reliable
The son of a Deputy Superin- sources say that some corrupt
tendent of Police was recently ar- cops in the wing (one was sus-
rested in the city on charges of pended recently) received an ‘ori-
chain-snatching. Police were entation programme’ to keep
Shawn Bradley’s tryst shocked when they came to know
his identity after apprehending
aside ‘prior police practices’ and
work with integrity hereafter.

with Marriott Home him along with his partner in

crime. Police sources said they
contacted the dad before booking
Behind Bus Day
the son, only to hear the former Recently, a Bus Day celebration
C hildren of the Marriott Home recently had
a whale of a time. The children of the
school and home of the leprosy-affected
say, “I don’t care anymore. Just
do what you have to do.”
in the city culminated into a clash
between groups of two college
rehabilitated persons, a CSR initiative of students in the city. MTC buses
Courtyard by Marriott, spent time with
eminent basketball player Shawn Paul
Transfer trouble even gone on leave, while others
are on pursuit to regain the posts
and police vehicles were dam-
aged in the incident. Since there
Bradley. A sudden shuffle of police offi- with the help of a few ‘influential’ is a strong public ire against stu-
In fact it was a double treat as a Sports Day cers in the city who haven’t individuals. dents celebrating Bus Day, the
was organised to encourage and motivate moved from their posts in the last authorities had initially refused
the children. Games like relay, pyramid and
mass drills were followed by the prize
three years took place recently.
Many khakis who were clinging
Better change ways permission for students. But the
interference of a key ruling party
distribution. on to their lucrative posts are un- A new officer known for his figure forced the authorities to
The little ones competed with each other in happy after the move. Some have honest ways has taken charge of a say yes.
an encouraging and healthy environment to
win Shawn Bradley’s appreciation and
recognition.
Speaking on the occasion, Karan Berry,
General Manager, Courtyard by Marriott, Neighbour’s envy
said: “Marriott as a company believes in
servicing our guests, employees and
community. We strongly believe in the
philosophy of spirit to serve and in giving
back to the society that we live in.” ■

쒀 The Chennai team, comprising actors Bharath, Jeeva, Simbu, Arya and Srikanth,
among others, beat the Andhra Pradesh cine stars’ team at a cricket match held at
MAC Stadium on Saturday. PHOTO: M. KARUNAKARAN
 Monday, March 9, 2009
03
Discount Alert
Aavaranaa, the saree boutique in Alwarpet, has completed three
years. As part of its anniversary sale it is offering a discount of up
to 50 per cent on all its merchandise till March 15. The store is at
No. 15, Ashoka Street, Alwarpet.

Wine and whine… not really

“No, thanks” and came flashing back in a jiffy.”
“No, thanks” was my answer
Seventy-five-year-old P.S. San-
thanam, FRM Chairman of Indo-
widening one’s again as I didn’t want to turn off
my taste buds, which were ac-
American Chamber of Com-
merce, Tamil Nadu, asked, “Is it
horizons at a tually enjoying the ‘happy state’.
Well certain times, there is no
better to have this wine before or
after or during meals?” To which,
wine-tasting choice and this was one of them.
With the thought it will be a social
Monange said, “This wine is a ca-
sual drink which can be con-
session at Alliance gathering with hands full of wine
glass, to my surprise, the event
sumed anytime of the day while
celebrating an occasion. It’s not
Francaise turned out to be a formal pre-
sentation on enjoying wine in the
necessary to eat something while
consuming this wine, which is
spirit of Plato’s banquet relating generally served cold.”
DEEPA VENKATRAMAN to the historical meeting of a fa- My hunger pangs were satisfied
mous Greek Pythagorean Appoli- a bit after having bread that was
nius and an Indian Brahmin in served to neutralise the taste. I

“C
ome on Deepa, have a
glass of wine, please.
It’s a lady’s drink,” my
brother-in-law told me
on his birthday last December,
and out of sheer reluctance I had
it, not to disappoint him on his
D-day. It was a strong one that
burnt my throat and I decided
that was the first and last time I
am ever going to have a sip. With
a smile and ‘No, thanks’, I used to
refuse it and was really content-
ed. But one fine day, my editor
told me to go for a wine-tasting
event held at Alliance Francaise
of Madras, Nungambakam, and
all the bitterness and sourness
the 1st century AD.
My reason for not having wine
had nothing to do with my cultu-
ral or racial background but it
was for only the taste. Ironically,
when a question related to Brah-
min and wine was asked by so-
meone, I was served by
Chinmaya Arjun Raja, president
of Alliance Francaise , Madras,
the chilled rose or pink wine –
Reuilly of pinot gris grape variety
from Loire valley. After taking a
deep breadth of the wine, I had
one sip, and then twirled my taste
buds around the tingling wine
and, to my surprise, it was not so
strong but very light and dry.
That’s because Dr. Bruno Mo-
nange , the wine connoisseur and
wine maker from France, who
was presenting the wines, said it’s
a light pink wine with strong fla-
vours and aromas of fruits like
litchi and white peaches apart
from white grapes.
As I was celebrating within, my
first successful trial of wine-tast-
ing session; I could see
PHOTO: S.S. KUMAR
25-odd people, comprising for-
eigners and Indian wine connois-
seurs, admiring their glass with
pride and adulation. Wine is a la-
dy’s drink, is what I have been
told all the time, but ironically,
there were more of health-con-
scious old men who were enthu-
siastically asking questions on
the right proportion of intake of
wine.
guessed another wine was com-
ing my way. I asked for just for a
teaspoon as I remember having
this one earlier and the taste was
kind of turning off. Yes, my mem-
ory was not bad – it was the
Hautes-Cotes de Bourgogne red
wine made from Pinot Noir varie-
ty and the taste was strong, pun-
gent and made my throat
parched and dry. I had it again,
but it was not that bad after all,
but given a chance again, my an-
swer would be again “No,
thanks!” But, overall, thanks to
this event, my horizons were
opened about wines that now
suit my taste-buds. ■

My 12
Barbies and I

M
y name is Aishwarya. I am 10 years old and study in
Class V in St. Britto’s Academy, Velachery. I love Bar-
bie since the time I joined school and started collect-
ing them. I got my first Barbie on my fifth birthday
and I have around 12 Barbies so far.
I would like to share my Barbies with all my friends
during my holidays. We play various themes of Barbie
and have watched all Barbie movies. I want to donate all
my Barbies to any child who wants them and cannot
afford them, as I grow up. A couple of my favourite
ones will be with me always.
Happy Birthday Barbie... I love you and you are a
beautiful part of my childhood. ■
Aishu
(Aishu has replied to Ergo’s Big Story Alert for last
Friday’s issue. Though the deadline for feedback was
Thursday, we decided to make an exception in little Aishu’s
case. Barbie turns 50 today.)
04 KALEIDOSCOPE ERGO Monday, March 9, 2009

Ask your query

I am Vaijanthi working for an advertising agency with
an income bracket of Rs. 4 lakhs. I make an investment
of Rs. 80,000 in “section 80C”, should I use my full
quota?
An investment of Rs.1 lakh is definitely beneficial in
the long run and this can be looked for a long-term
Dream home at 8%
saving and investment for different purposes. In a nor- SBI’s reduced
mal course of life with out this section we may not make
those savings or investments. interest rate on
However, utilisation of full amount depends on a
number of factors, including current life style, last year’s home loans should
expenses and expenses for the next year.
By utilising the maximum limit in ATC, the maximum reopen your plans
tax savings that we can get in your income slab would be
Rs. 21,000. As you have already invested Rs. 80,000, your to get a home
tax burden would be Rs. 21,000 and a further investment
would reduce this to Rs.12,000, which would be a reduc-
tion of Rs.9,000. SNEHA BAJAJ
The decision is in your hands, but do not borrow for sneha@finerva.com
investment in tax savings.

T
he State Bank of India now
offers its customers a
chance to avail a home loan

Mutual Funds offer by charging an interest of 8

Fortis Fixed Term Plan
Series 14 - Plan C is a close-ended income scheme.
The investment objective of the scheme would be to
achieve growth of capital through investments made in a
basket of fixed income securities maturing on or before
the maturity of the scheme.
DBS Chola Tax Advantage Fund
Series 1 is a 10-year close-ended Equity Linked Saving
Scheme (ELSS). The objective of the scheme is to gener-
ate long-term capital growth from a diversified portfolio
of predominantly equity and equity-related securities
and also to enable investors to get income tax rebate as
per the prevailing Tax Laws, which are subject to appli-
cable conditions.
Taurus Ethical Fund
Is an Open Ended Equity Oriented Scheme. Its ob-
jective is to seek growth of capital in accordance with
“Islamic” principles. The investment strategy aims to
diversify the portfolio by investing in various companies
across sectors and themes to maximise returns and con-
trol risk.
HDFC Fixed Maturity Plan
14M February 2009 Sr-10 (1) is a close-ended income
scheme. The investment objective of the plans under the
scheme is to generate regular income through invest-
ments in debt/ money market instruments and govern-
ment securities.
per cent. Many of us were seeing
this service to have some hidden
pitfalls. SBI, in fact, does provide
this facility, which functions as
shown in the box:
How others function
Compare this with a few other
banks. Bank of Maharashtra, for
example, offers a five-year fixed
rate of interest at 9.25 per cent,
for loans up to Rs. 20 lakhs. So is
the case even with Andhra Bank.
So a customer who takes a
home loan from either of the two
banks mentioned will have to pay
comparatively more when com-
pared to what one has to pay if
one avails the same facility from
SBI. As initially he/she will have
to pay just 8 per cent for the first
year and then 9.25 per cent for
the next 25 years, if he/she plans
to repay the loan of Rs. 20 lakhs in
25 years.
More recently Canara Bank
had entered this new selling
game by giving a housing loan at
8.25 per cent for the first year and
then froze it to 9.25% for the next
four years and a different rate for
the remaining years.
This facility provided by SBI or
Canara Bank looks similar to the
much hyped “Balloon loans” in
the United States.
An added advantage being that

News you can use premature termination is possi-

ble at any point of time during
the term with no additional
charges. Amidst all the gloom
ICICI cuts home loan rates surrounding the recession and
ICICI Bank has announced a rate cut of up to 50 basis the economic downturn, this
points on its housing loans. The rate of interest for loans seems to be a silver lining in the
up to Rs. 20 lakh will be 9.75 per cent and 10 per cent for dark clouds for people who had
loan amount of Rs. 20 - 30 lakhs and above that it will be postponed their plans about buy-
11.5 per cent. ing their dream home. ■
 Monday, March 9, 2009
‘‘
THESE START-UPS ARE HOT
LIFFY THOMAS
liffythomas@goergo.in
A
round 600 nominations
covering nearly 20 industry
segments from over 40 ci-
ties. The recently-conclud-
ed TATA NEN Hottest Startups
Awards 2008 were billed as one of
India’s first people’s choice
awards for start-ups. And it no
doubt generated a lot of interest
among the community – for the
six months of heady competition
and extensive campaigns it saw.
Big dreams, small starts
Two among the five finalists –
Lakshya Institute and Star Agri-
Warehousing and Collateral
Management – were special for
more reasons than one, as they
come from tier-II cities, battling
many odds that came their way.
While the former is based in
Patiala, Punjab, started by four
IIT graduates (Bombay and Roor-
kee), the latter is Jaipur-based
and taps the agricultural sector.
For Lakshya, however, sowing
seeds for their entrepreneurial
venture in 2006 in the “education
city of Punjab” has been acciden-
tal; two of the members had a
small stint in Ludhiana. “We
05
Don’t make friends who are comfortable to be with. Make
friends who will force you to lever yourself up.
Thomas J. Watson
A good blend of cities and diverse sectors – the five winners ing and Collateral Management,
has a lot to say. “The financing
of TATA NEN Hottest Startups Awards show the growing options were limited in Jaipur
and we had to travel to Delhi or
dynamism among India’s entrepreneurs Mumbai to meet with officials.
Our project would be recom-
mended by the institution at the
wanted a place where we could through the use of interactive realise that teaching is fun and local level, but to get the final nod
profess our ideas through a digital content. Though no entre- that nothing beats the satisfac- we had to await approvals from
unique way. Our initial seminars preneurial journey is a cakewalk, tion of mentoring youth by mak- their headquarters situated in a
in the schools here got us good the growth stories of these ing them realise their dreams. tier-I city.”
response and inspired us to go emerging cities also go to show Many IITians have joined us in The start-up provides end-to-
ahead,” recalls Pulkit Jain, one of the increasing number of young- the last two years by leaving their end solutions in the procure-
the founding members of the sters who are looking beyond high-paying corporate jobs and ment, warehousing and collateral
start-up that focuses on test placements and corporate jobs. today act as ambassadors of our management of agricultural com-
preparation. As Lakshya members say: “We philosophy.” modities. The team has four
The education institute grooms remained in touch with our founding members coming from
Class X and XII students for en- alumnus. Many of our juniors Empowering rural India different backgrounds.
trance examinations and works and batch-mates visited us in the Talk about difficulties and Amit Besides family pressure (most
with schools to eliminate external process and we made them inter- Mundawala, one of the founding of them found it difficult to con-
coaching and differentiates itself act with students. We made them members of Star AgriWarehous- vince their families) and age act-
ing as deterrents (the team
members are in their mid-20s
and quit their respective jobs af-
WINNERS ALL ter six-seven months), Jain recalls
the effort they took to glamorise
~ New Delhi-based Takeovercide.com provides legal, financial and management consultancy. They the profession.
provide solutions to different corporates through IT “In India, we have teachers
who are generally not by choice
~ Bangalore-based Activecubes Solutions helps firms harness information to understand customers
better. They differentiate them by using the power of analytics to find solutions for clients. but by chance. Our major effort
has also been to make youngsters
~ The Loot, a branded apparel retail chain in Mumbai, sells branded clothing at discounted prices believe in their mission and take
throughout the year across its 45 stores. The company makes profits through a differentiated up teaching.” ■
business model, where it sources inventory at costs lower than original prices in stores (This column celebrates the spirit
of entrepreneurship)
Raring to go…Team Lakshya and StarAgri
06 VILLAGE ERGO Monday, March 9, 2009

Beer can sculpture

A property developer hit by the credit
crunch is in high spirits after creating
artwork worth $14,000 – out of beer cans.

Man caught with cocaine leg cast

A 66-year-old passenger who arrived at Barcelona airport in a
wheelchair and with a leg cast made entirely of cocaine was
arrested as he tried to get through customs.
The man, flying from Santiago, Chile, also had cocaine stashed in
six cans of beer and two folding stools in his luggage, the Interior
Ministry said. Police confiscated nearly 5 kilograms of the drug in
total.
Police believe the man, or his accomplices, may have broken the
leg on purpose so as not to arouse the suspicions of customs
officials. Spain is the primary entry point for cocaine into Europe
and is the largest consumer of the drug in the European Union.
Reuters

Fake alcohol turns drinkers Over 100 Lankan rebels killed

to homebrew More than 100 Tamil Tiger rebels have been killed in two
days of fighting in Sri Lanka as they tried to break a
A rash of discoveries of fake alcohol production rings
has driven Vietnamese drinkers to homemade vodka, military stranglehold, the Defence Ministry said on Sunday.
state-run ‘Voice of Vietnam’ radio reported. They died after the Army beat back a series of counter-
Vodka distilled at home, often made from sticky rice attacks by the Tiger rebels against advancing government
or corn, now accounts for nearly 80 percent of the forces in the district of Mullaittivu in the northeast.
total output of alcohol in Vietnam, while imported “As the Mullaittivu battle reached its last phase, the LTTE
brands make up just 4 percent, the radio quoted terrorists made several desperate attempts in vain to
Nguyen Van Hung, deputy head of the Vietnam Beer, infiltrate the military forward defences,” the Defence
Alcohol and Beverages Association, as saying. Ministry statement said.
Reuters AFP

Filmmaker plans ‘Eyeborg’ camera

A Canadian filmmaker plans to have a mini camera installed in his prosthetic eye to make
documentaries and raise awareness about surveillance in society. Rob Spence, 36, who lost an
eye in an accident as a teenager, said his so-called Project Eyeborg is to have the camera, a
battery and a wireless transmitter mounted on a tiny circuit board. “Originally the whole idea
was to do a documentary about surveillance. I thought I would become a sort of super hero ...
fighting for justice against surveillance,” Spence said.
“In Toronto there are 12,000 cameras. But the strange thing I discovered was that people don’t
care about the surveillance cameras, they were more concerned about me and my secret camera
eye because they feel that is a worse invasion of their privacy.”
“I don’t want to go into a locker room. I don’t want to show the world me going to the
bathroom either ... I’m not a life-caster and I don’t plan to be one,” he said.
Reuters

Now, run iPod

with a smile
The device could also serve as a remote control tongue out, like in the famous
Einstein picture. If he opens his
for appliances for physically challenged people eyes wide, the machine skips to
the next tune. A wink with the
right eye makes it go back.”

A
wink, a smile or a raised
eyebrow could soon
change the music on your
iPod or start up the wash-
ing machine, thanks to a new Ja-
panese gadget.
The gizmo – called the “Mimi
Switch” or “Ear Switch” – is con-
nected to a micro-computer that
can control electronic devices,
essentially making it a hands-free
remote control for anything.
“You will be able to turn on
room lights or swing your wash-
ing machine into action with a
quick twitch of your mouth,” said
its inventor, Kazuhiro Taniguchi
of Osaka University.
“An iPod can start or stop mu-
sic when the wearer sticks his
The machine can be pro-
grammed to run with various
other facial expressions, such as a
wriggle of the nose or a smile.
“If the system is mounted on a
hearing aid for elderly people, it
could tell how often they sneeze
or whether they are eating reg-
ularly,” he said. ■
AFP
 Monday, March 9, 2009
Websites of the day
Fancy a holiday with a difference? Why not take a break in
Romania, one of Eastern Europe’s most stunning nations:
www.romaniatourism.com
How to win at poker: www.playwinningpoker.com
Credit crunch hits can-can cabarets
MANY CABARET VENUES ARE BEING CLOSED DUE TO LACK OF CUSTOMERS
22m pounds: Price
of an English village
I
magine settling down in your
own village after retirement,
spending time farming or
watching a cricket match in
your private stadium. Well, your
imagination could turn into real-
ity if you have some 22.5 million
pounds to spare, for an entire En-
glish village, complete with two
blacksmiths, a shop and a cricket
club, has been put up for sale for
that amount. Nestled in the roll-
ing countryside of North Wessex
Downs, the historic English vil-
lage of Linkenholt with its 22
houses and cottages is part of a
2,000-acre estate, which will go
on the market later this month.
Among the properties included
for sale are a cricket pitch and pa-
vilion, which doubles as the vil-
lage hall, a large three-storey
manor house, and a village shop,
The Daily Telegraph reported.
The only property in the
village not owned by the
estate is its church, St.Pe-
ters, which still holds ser-
vices, on the third Sunday
of each month. The estate
is currently owned by a
charitable trust, set up by
Herbert Blagrave, a keen
cricketer, racehorse own-
er and trainer, who died
more than 20 years ago.■
PTI
07
McDonald’s emergency
An irate Florida woman called the
police three times after McDonald’s
employees told her they were out of
Chicken McNuggets.
T
he world famous can-can caba-
rets could soon disappear from
Paris, as the global economic
meltdown is keeping the noc-
turnal clientele away from the pop-
ular late-evening shows, industry
experts have warned.
The Bobin’O in Montparnasse,
whose stage has been the launch
pad for many stars, including iconic
singers like Edith Piaf and Juliette
Gréco, will shut from late March for
five months. “The crisis is starting
and is beginning to be felt. Compa-
nies are spending less and hesitate
before booking,” The Daily Tele-
graph quoted show producer Gérard
Louvin as telling Le Parisien. Lido,
another cabaret venue famous for its
feathered beauties, is offering cut-
price admissions – two tickets for the
price of one – in an attempt to woo
back “cash-strapped” customers.
Paradis latin has decided to shut on
Mondays to keep costs down.
The only venue that remains in
the pink is the Moulin Rouge, still
buoyed by the publicity from Baz
Luhrmann’s film, which starred Ni-
cole Kidman. After a 97 per cent full
rate in 2008, however, business fell
by 10 per cent in February. ■
PTI
Shun fur
쒀 Animal rights activists cover themselves in blood-coloured paint in a protest in
Taipei. Fur is still considered a symbol of status here despite repeated appeals by
animal rights groups while some local celebrities have come under fire for setting
a bad example by wearing fur. AFP PHOTO/PATRICK LIN
08 SPORT ERGO Monday, March 9, 2009

Umpire recovering
Umpire Ahsan Raza was fast recovering Thursday after undergoing major surgery for
serious bullet injuries during an attack on Sri Lanka’s cricketers, a family member said.
Raza was hit in the back by a bullet that seriously injured his lungs and liver, and
underwent two major operations. He played 21 first class matches as a talented wicket
keeper who also used to bat lower in the order.

IIndia
ndia rromp
omp h ome
home
Tendulkar century gives India 2-0 series lead

(seven) in three balls to effectively end

the run chase in the 34th over. Kyle Mills
(54) Tim Southee (32) and Ian Butler (24)
extracted some revenge on the Indians
for their own treatment with some lusty
blows at the end of the innings, with Mills
and Southee combining for an 83-run

Sachin Tendulkar celebrates after
scoring a century against New
Zealand during the third One-Day
International in Christchurch on
Saturday. PHOTO: AFP
S
achin Tendulkar’s 43rd One-Day In-
ternational century hoisted India to
a 2-0 series lead over New Zealand
with a 58-run victory in Christchurch
on Sunday. Exploiting the short bounda-
ries at Lancaster Park, Tendulkar stroked
his way to 163 before he was forced to re-
tire hurt after apparently pulling a stom-
ach muscle, though he managed to guide
his side to an imposing 392 for four off 50
overs.
“It’s a pleasure to watch Sachin’s in-
nings in the way he paced it,” India cap-
tain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said in a
televised interview. “He took some time
up front then later on he knew what kind
of shots he could play. He’s an amazing
batsman.”
Spirited chase
New Zealand began their chase enthu-
siastically with openers Jesse Ryder and
Brendon McCullum putting on 166 for the
first wicket before Ryder called the stand-
in captain through for a suicidal single in
the 22nd over and McCullum was run out
for 71. Ryder moved to his first one day
century, which included 12 boundaries
and four sixes, before Ross Taylor absent-
mindedly left his ground and was run out
for seven and Martin Guptill was trapped
in front by Yuvraj Singh for one.
The home side slumped to 188 for four
when Ryder holed out in the deep for 105,
leaving the last recognised pairing of
Grant Elliott and Jacob Oram at the
crease. Oram, however, was bowled by
Harbhajan for seven and Zaheer Khan
bowled Elliott (18) and Peter McGlashan
ninth-wicket in seven overs.
The onslaught, however, was not
enough and the hosts were bowled out
for 334 on the first ball of the 46th over.
Hitting exercise
Earlier, Tendulkar smashed 16 bounda-
ries and five sixes and shared a brutal 138-
run partnership with Yuvraj (87) and a
135-run stand with Dhoni (68) to help In-
dia post the highest one day score in New
Zealand. “It was amazing batting,”
McCullum said. “The way Sachin played
was outstanding and he got a lot of sup-
port from the senior players as well. I
guess we just weren’t accurate enough
with our plans.”
New Zealand’s attack was hampered by
the absence of captain Daniel Vettori,
who missed the game to attend the birth
of his first child in Auckland, and a muscle
strain suffered by Butler after he had
bowled just five overs. “You take Dan’s 10
overs and lock them away and know you
have some pretty economical overs
there,” McCullum added. “I guess Ian But-
ler going down injured half way through
his spell and Jacob (Oram) not being able
to bowl the full 10 as well I guess it
showed we were a bit light. In the end we
didn’t bowl well enough.”
Brief scores
India 392/4 (S. Tendulkar 163 not out,
Yuvraj Singh 87, M.S. Dhoni 67) beat New
Zealand 334 (J. Ryder 101, B. McCullum
71, K. Mills 54, Harbhajan Singh 2/56) by
58 runs. ■
Reuters

India Down Taipei

India claimed a decisive 3-1 win over Taiwan on Sunday to move into the third round of Davis Cup play in
Group I of the Asia-Oceania Zone. Somdev Dev Varman sealed India’s victory when he beat Taiwanese ace Lu
Yen-hsun 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 at the Yang Ming tennis centre in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan.
Dev Varman, ranked 150 in the world, also defeated Taiwan’s Ti Chen in their first meet on Friday. Lu, ranked
59, stormed past India’s Rohan Bopanna 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, 6-2 in the opening day singles but struggled
throughout Sunday’s clash. On Saturday, India’s veteran Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes scored a hard-
fought victory against Taiwan’s young duo Yang Tsung-hua and Yi Chu-huan 6-4, 7-6 (7/0), 6-7 (2/7), 6-2. Last
year India reached the World Group play-offs for the first time since 2005, but lost to Romania and began
2009 in the Asia-Oceania group one. Taiwan came back to defeat Kazakhstan and secure a group one place in
2009 after they lost to Australia in the first round.
AFP
 Monday, March 9, 2009
09

‘‘
I think anywhere in the world is a target, it is a question of degree and we will
do assessments of all our venues. I don’t think any particular country is spared.
We are all aware of how that is likely to change the landscape on security assessments
going forward and the kind of threat we might face not just in cricket but in all sports.
International Cricket Council chief executive Haroon Lorgat

B
arcelona ended a barren run

Barca stretches lead

with a 2-0 victory over Athlet-
ic Bilbao and extended its
lead in the Spanish league to
six points. With its first win in four
league games, Barcelona also took
advantage of second-place Real Ma-
drid’s 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid
at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on
Saturday, a result that ended the de-
fending champion’s 10-game win-
ning streak in the league.
Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Hunte-
Barcelona’s
Argentinean Atletico, Real
forward Lionel
laar equalised in the 57th minute af-
ter Diego Forlan scored in the 38th
Messi (right) fights
for the ball with
share spoils
for Atletico, which remains without
a victory over its cross-town rival in
the past 10 years. Later, Villarreal
Athletic Bilbao
Koikili Lertxundi Del in Madrid
beat lowly Espanyol 1-0. With 12
Campo during their
rounds remaining, Barcelona had
63 points from 26 games, while Ma-
La Liga match at the
New Camp Stadium
derby
drid, which had cut Barcelona’s lead
in Barcelona on
from 12 to 4 points in the previous
Saturday. PHOTO: AFP
three weeks, had 57. Gonzalo Higuain, who has 14 goals
this season, on the bench although
Early goal Atletico’s Abel Resino included all
Barcelona midfielder Sergio Bus- his top players in the starting li-
quets headed home from Xavi Her- neup. Madrid looked the more
nandez’s floated free kick in the threatening in the early stages, with
17th minute at Camp Nou in a dress Atletico goalkeeper Leo Franco
rehearsal for the Copa del Rey final keeping his team level with two
in May. Lionel Messi doubled Bar- saves from Madrid forward Arjen
celona’s lead 15 minutes later with a Robben in the 13th and 22nd and
penalty awarded after Bilbao mid- another from Marcelo in the 35th.
fielder Carlos Gurpegui was ad- Franco’s Real counterpart, Iker
judged to have tripped Andres Casillas, then came to his team’s
Iniesta. rescue with a parry from Atletico
The goal was the Argentine win- forward Sergio Aguero in the 36th.
ger’s 18th of the season. Iniesta’s However, Casillas could do nothing
shot hit the post in the 47th minute, to prevent Forlan from netting his
while Samuel Eto’o wasted a clear 18th goal of the season two minutes
chance in the 57th and then rattled later following a swift counterattack
the woodwork in the 65th and 88th in which Aguero’s incisive passes
as Barcelona overwhelmed Bilbao played a central role. Higuain ap-
after halftime. peared in place of Jose Maria Guti
However, Barcelona captain Car- Gutierrez in the 55th minute and
les Puyol was carried off the field on two minutes later found Huntelaar,
a stretcher with a sprained left ankle who fired a rising shot past Franco.
late in the game, sidelining him for Forlan hit the post with a shot two
three weeks, including Wednesday’s minutes later, and Atletico substi-
game at Camp Nou against Lyon in tute Florent Sinama-Pongolle and
the second leg of the Champions Aguero each spurned clear opportu-
League round of 16. nities as Atletico continued to trou-
ble the home team with its counter
Madrid derby attacks. ■
Madrid coach Juande Ramos left PTI

Injury worries for Sridhar

His ankle injury kept him out of the court for nearly five months and although Anup Sridhar made a comeback
early this year, the same injury and other fitness problems are still giving him sleepless nights. Sridhar twisted his
ankle in March last year and after playing in the Beijing Olympics he was left on the sidelines before making a
comeback early this year. He says he is learning how tough it is to return after an injury lay-off.
“I’m learning as I go along that it is really hard getting back after an injury. I mean, while physically I’m quite
close to being 100 per cent in my ankle, there are a lot of other issues that need attention,” Sridhar said. “The
five months that I was out of action took a lot out of me. I feel my general fitness needs to be at least two
levels higher than it is currently. The ankle also needs a lot of attention. Actually, I need to do a lot of work in
all areas, including technical and strategy, but the most important things now are the ankle and the fitness,” he
added.
PTI
10 FLICK
Anthony is a great dad: JLo
Jennifer Lopez has heaped praise on her husband
Marc Anthony because he’s always willing to get up in
the middle of the night to attend to their twins.
This Masakali is too sharp-
tongued for a star-kid and
a Bolly actor. An interview
with Sonam Kapoor:
SREYA BASU
Your characters in Saawariya and
Delhi 6 are poles apart. Which one
carries your real-life traits?
It’s the middle-class girl, Bittu, in Del-
hi 6 who is just like me – full of pranks,
down-to-earth and a rebel. I can’t be so
quiet, goody-goody and eternally wait-
ing for my uncertain lover like Safina in
Sawaariya.
What was your reaction after
Slumdog Millionaire won the
Oscars?
Great… I watched Slumdog Million-
aire even before it was released in the-
atres and was bowled over by the film
and my father’s (Anil Kapoor) perfor-
mance. Winning BAFTAs and Oscars
were like slaps on the faces of people
who made criticising SM their motto of
life. I just wish my father would have
won an Oscar, too.
Does having Anil Kapoor as a
father mean loads of restrictions
in your life?
Partly. But I think not just Anil Ka-
poor, any father who has a beautiful
daughter like me (laughs) will turn pos-
sessive. It’s a father’s right to be posses-
sive and protective about his daughter,
especially when she is into showbiz.
What are the restrictions?
Like, whenever I go out, I have to go
with a driver especially appointed for
me. And then, my mom keeps calling
me 20-40 times a day to track my
whereabouts.
Don’t you protest?
Not in this case, for I understand their
worries. But I am a born rebel. I even
joined Sanjay Leela Bhansali as his as-
sistant in Black despite my father’s ini-
tial objection.
Didn’t your father want you to join
films?
I was only 17 and he wanted me to
complete my studies first and then do
GETTY IIMAGES
whatever I want. But I was too stubborn
and approached Bhansali through Rani
(Mukherjee) and Ranbir (Kapoor). I
ERGO Monday, March 9, 2009
threw Bhansali in a puddle; on one
hand, he wanted to take me as an assis-
tant, on other hand he couldn’t do so
going against my father. So, finally, I
myself had to convince my father.
You were very plump in your
childhood. How did you shed
weight?
I was 84 kilos when at school. I had a
very middle-class upbringing. I was
not sent to posh schools like Mumbai
Scottish, where star-kids usually went.
My schooling was at Arya Vidya Man-
dir, and then I was sent to a boarding
school for classes XI and XII. While at
boarding, for the first time in life, there
were no restrictions… I was a free bird.
I am a complete foodie and at that time
I gorged on anything that came my way
– chocs, pastries, junk food, cold drink-
s…everything. And the result showed.
After rigorous sessions of dieting and
yoga, I became THE Sonam Kapoor. In
fact, I am too thin for my 5’’9’ inches-
tall body.
Unlike most Bolly ladies, you are
too sharp-tongued…
That’s good for you… you won’t
have to hunt hard for catchy phrases.
But, off late, I have been told (don’t ask
me by whom) to learn to sugar-coat my
speeches as no one here is ready to
hear the truth.
Have you ever been in love?
If your read-between-the-lines ques-
tion is ‘Have you been in love with
Ranbir?’, the answer is ‘NO’ because
even during Saawariya I think he was
seeing another girl, and after the film,
of course, he was all Deepika’s (Padu-
kone).
As for me falling in love, I won’t
name the person, but yes, I was in love
long back. Again, I don’t know if it was
love or infatuation… I was too young
to understand all that.
What type of man are you looking
for?
I don’t want the goody-goody hus-
band-material type. He should be a lit-
tle naughty, love me loads and, most
importantly, smell good. ■
Trans World Features
Monday, March 9, 2009
11
Sienna Miller was booted
by a horse in the face
Sienna Miller suffered a major blow after a horse kicked her in the face, leaving a
permanent scar. The actress revealed she almost lost her looks in the close shave,
but turned lucky when she was left with only a mark on the face.

A red-faced Cine City

Charlize Theron
O
scar-winning actress Charlize Theron’s
former dance teacher left her red-faced
on a British chat show by talking about
her embarrassing childhood habits over
the phone. It happened when broadcasters Ri-
chard Madeley and Judy Finnigan were inter-
viewing the Monster star on March 5.
According to reports, the talk show was go-
ing smoothly until the programme’s producers
made a surprise call to Theron’s former dance
teacher Bernice Lloyd in her native South Afri-
ca.
“Charlize was a wonderful child. She was al-
ways so beautiful and so disciplined and al-
ways, always showed entrepreneurial skills,”
the Daily Express quoted Bernice as saying.
“She always had these entrepreneurial skills
and she used to buy sweets from the school
tuck shop and sell them at night to hungry chil-
Trisha to pair up with Dileep
After Namitha, it is actor Trisha who is making
dren for a profit. We thought it was wonderful
her foray in Malayalam cinema. She would be
– we, her teachers, thought that showed gump-
playing the lady love of actor Dileep in a yet-
tion (initiative),” she added.
to-be-titled film to be directed by B.
Theron, who was mortified by the revelation,
Unnikrishnan. Trisha, one of the top actors in
then exclaimed: “Oh my god, Bernice! This is
Kollywood, has a big fan following in Kerala,
insane! I don’t remember selling candy at a
since the movies in which she is paired up with
profit! I did start drinking at a very
Vijay are super-hits there. So her entry into
early age, so my memory is
Malayalam filmdom is very special. The film, to
a bit dodgy.” ■
be produced by Vaishakha Movies, will
ANI
commence production by the end of
September.

Hallo, brother!
A ctor Zac Efron has revealed that he is
grateful to Leonardo DiCaprio for be-
coming his mentor, and is glad that he
has found an elder brother in him.
The High School Musical actor met Le-
onardo while attending a basketball
game in Los Angeles.
"(When we first met) I was all, ‘Oh,
hey!’ I was like, ‘I’m a big fan... I’d love to
sit down and talk with you sometime.’
And he goes, ‘Right on,’” contactmusic
quoted Efron as telling Elle magazine.
“A few nights later, I was at a Lakers
game and I texted him, and he said he
was coming. And this guy in a ball cap
and coat with the collar up sits next to
me. We talked the whole game, and he
was just everything I thought he would Geethu turns to direction
be: smart, level-headed, charming, hilari- Actress Geethu Mohandas, who acted with
ous. You know, the older-brother vibe,” Madhavan in Nala Damayanthi, will be directing
he added. her first movie with a bunch of new faces. The
Meanwhile, DiCaprio has also com- shooting of the movie, titled Kelkkunnundo, will
pared Efron’s current pin-up status to his kick-start next week at Aluva. Cinematographed by
own early career. ■ popular cameraman Rajeev Ravi, the movie will be
ANI a take on urbanisation and development. After
this Malayalam project, Geethu is planning to do a
Hindi film.
12 ERGO Monday, March 9, 2009

Friday’s Question: Kirthiga

Ramachandran
from
If you stand for the Accenture has
nominated her
upcoming election, what friends as
Partners in
would be your election Crime. This pic
was clicked in
promises? Wayanad.

We will shift Tamil Nadu close to Delhi to get

all the rights first from Central government to
serve people, arasiyal la idhelam sadharanam.
Jacob, Antony Kannan(Sify), Arun Kumar, Jerome,
Babu (Allsec)
Free Dish TV to every home.
Chakry TCS-e-serve, Philip RRD
I’ll take necessary steps to promote happiness
and peace by stopping terrorism and
exploitation of poor people’s rights.
Anitha Kamesh, Infosys
I’ll convert all mens/womens colleges into co-ed
institutions, free Tasmac through ration cards.
Lexsminarayanan, TCS-eserve
One computer per house to educate people on Joslin Sujitha
latest trends. from
Senthil, Wipro & Logesh, Infosys Cognizant
No power cut has
Anand K., Infoview Technologies, Revathy, TCS-eserve nominated
I’ll reduce the rate of land, each family will be her frieds as
having independent house, increase and Partners in
motivate the agriculture field to reduce poverty Crime.
and export food to improve our economy
John Samuel, RRD
I’ll promise all girls that, they won’t be forced
to marry as per their parents wish. Will create a
separate ministry that regulates all love matters.
Sunil, TCS
I’ll reduce the prices and give a reasonable
salary to all the employees.
Richard Dhinakaran, TCS-eserve
I’ll get back moon to place it under Pacific
Ocean again.
Mukund S.C.B., Scope International
I will give 2 free tickets to every Namitha film
per ration card.
Pradeep, Mphasis
I’ll make Tasmac to be opened 24x7, introduce Priya from
buy one half get one quarter free offer. IBMhas
Dee Jay, Rsystems
nominated her
Free IPL tickets for all. friends as
Dhanavelan J., Verizon
Partners in
Free Ferrari cars for people of TN. Crime. This pic
Siva Kumar, Allsec
was clicked in
Eradicating corruption from our country. Mahabalipuram.
Sriram K.M., TCS
There will be no difference in local bus fares
(deluxe, M series, Green and Yellow boards).
A/C bus fares will be reduced to 50 percent.
Kumaran, TCS

Today’s Query
What is the best way to
celebrate Women’s Day?
 Monday, March 9, 2009
13

■ Dear D.Sarah Joyce, ■ Dear Rajesh, "madurai maaveeran", ■ Dear Prem,

Wish you a very happy birthday to
gem of Friend... May God Bless your
future with lots of surprises. May all
your dreams come true and have
the day filed with happy memories
& wonderful moments.
Cheers, S.Durgalakshmi, K.Senthil,
R.Gopinath, V.Gunasekar, R.Kalaivani,
N.Vanarani, J.Sudha, Manimala, Gomathi
PMC
Belated Wishes
■ Dear Sreenivasan P,
Wish you many more happy returns
of the same day. Let your wishes
comes true for forth-coming year
also. Have a pleasant and enjoyable
day/year ahead. Njoi… Keep
Smiling.. Treat
From, Performance Engg., Group, CSS.
■ Hi Archana,
We May Not Be By Your Side
Celebrating Your Birthday with You
Right Now, But I Want You To
Know That we can wish and pray
for You, All The Time. Many More
Happy returns Of the day…!!
May God Keep U In his care
Always…!! Wishing you a fantastic
birthday. May the year continue to
be good to you.
Your close frnds,
Shivu,Babu,Pavan,Raveesh,Shubha, HCL.
■ Dear Kiruthiga Kaanji kovil,
Let the God decorate each golden
ray of the sun reaching u with
wishes of success,
happiness and prosperity 4 u.. Wish
you a super duper birthday!!.
May u grow to be toothless!..May
all your dreams come true(planting
trees) this year..Have a Blast!!!
Angeline,Sankar,Ibrahim,Tamojit
ExcelaCom Technologies.
Belated Birthday Wishes. Behave
like a married person, don’t act as a
Bachelor. Remember you have a
Junior Rajesh. Best wishes for your
ONSITE opportunity. Be ready to
give following treats [KID, Birthday
and ONSITE]
Regards, Non-Tandem Testing Team,
FSS, Chennai.
■ Hi
Warm and Loving Birthday wishes
for Soumyakanta and Jagan !!!
TCS USAA Document Fulfillment team
■ Dear Shyamala,
Belated birthday wishes!!! Wish you
many more happy returns of the
day! May god bless you with
happiness, success and good health.
Have a fantastic future!
Best Wishes, Shobana Gowtham
■ Dear Raghav,
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!
We all join hands to wish you a
great year ahead! Happy Birthday!
Hearty Wishes from, UST Global, Chennai.
■ Hi Madhina (Gondu Baby)
Happy Birthday .
You are one of life’s PRECIOUS
Finds. You are all the things , i
could wish. And i think to myself ,
just how lucky i am to have u in my
life. You’ll always Be Special To Me.
Many More Happy Returns of the
Day.
Warm regards, Halidha Thaveer
Infosys Technologies Ltd, Mcity.
■ Inraya dindatanru
piranda naal vizha kaanum
Annan jagadheesh (www.atm.com)
avargaluku ennalu inaalai pol
ponaalaga amaya anda iraivanidam
prathikinrom. Tamil pol vaazhga.
Iniya piranda naal nal vaazthukkal
Ikkanam. Bench Nanbargal (TCS)
■ Dear Usha,
You’re thought about more often
than you probably can guess, and
thoughts of you just naturally bring
smiles of happiness. Now, that it’s
your birthday, may each and every
warm thought, bring a wish for all
the best in life, and all your
favourite things.... Wish u a
wonderful birthday ever!!! Have a
fantastic birthday!!! (P.S
:Kashtapattu poi ellam solli irukom,
treat vekkama yemathidadha...)
Unnai endrum kalaaikum
Sowdha, Vaishu, Anitha, Saranya, Devi
HCL
■ Dear Suvi,
Time is something hard to find
Yet we always try to make some.
So we are grateful for the time
we’ve had together. And we are
looking forward to even more of it.
Time apart is hard on the soul, but
it helps us become strong.
On this day, today the 06th of
March. We write this for you, to
show you. That we do care for you,
and you are special to us. We
decided to express these feelings as
best as we can. Through an ever
lasting feelings full of emotions.
Wish you Many more happy returns
of the day, God bless you dear.
RDS, SD.
■ Dear Senthil,
Wish you many more happy written
of the day. I wish you a successful
life ahead.
JAGGU, Sutherland
This is your loving friends wishing
you a great Birthday. May all the
success reach you and the sweetest
things happen right before your
eyes. Many More Happy Returns Of
The Day Dear.
With lots of love,
Ramya, Jayashree, Janani, Janaki, Sabari,
Priya, Bhagya, Benita, Pradeep, Raja,
Natpu, Anitha & Neelima.
■ Dear Vijayalakshmi,
May God shower his blessings on
you, today and for evermore!!!
Advanced birthday wishes to you!!
Have a great year ahead!!!
God bless!!
Friends, New Age Software and Solutions.
■ Dear SH
Wish you a very Happy Birthday !
Janma Dinam Ashamsagal !
With Love,Ishu
■ Dear Jayakumar & Chandrakala
(Inautix),
May your engagement be the
beginning of a lifetime filled with
special love and happiness.
As you start out together along
life’s busy road. Remember, bring
your dreams with you, They lighten
every load And then you will
discover As your journey starts
today That happiness walks with
you Hand-in-hand along the way.
As you adorn each other with the
‘Ring of Love’... Here’s my heartfelt
wish that your life be a sweet joy of
togetherness.
Loads Of Wishes, Senthil, Wipro.
■ Dear Thiru,
Wishing u a Very
Advance Happy Birthday!
Loving Wishes, COAF LS Team,
Wipro Technologies.

Art featured in this co-

lumn will receive gift
coupons from Fruit
Shop on Greams Sridevi Murali
Road. Send in your Krishnan
1) Thanga nagaiku bankla kadan kuduppanga. Aa- addresses so that we from Infosys
naa punnagaiku bankla kadan kuduppangala. can post the coupons. doodled this.
2) Ennathan kastapattu ulaichalum Maaduku
theeni punnakuthaan.
Balaji Sivakumar, Tata Consultancy Services
Yennadhaan Koteeswaran paiyanaa irundhalum
Maths-la subtraction pannum-bodhu kadan vaan-
githaan aaganum...
Mohamed Yusufdeen J, HCL Technologies Ltd
14 TRAFFIC JAM ERGO Monday, March 9, 2009

Bad burglars
A gang have been branded Britain’s
worst burglars after drilling their way
into an empty office next door to a bank.

sudoku

Krishna Kumar of Wipro is

our first winner on the
theme ‘Happiness’. He
describes the sight of the
mother protecting her little
ones as an endearing
expression of love, which
brings a smile.
There are more prizes
awaiting all you shutterbugs
from the coming issue.
Preference will be given to
photographs that talk about
‘happiness’. Please do not
repeat any of your previous
pictures and also make sure
that the photograph is
people-oriented. Happiness is
not always a smile, so put on
your thinking caps and keep
clicking!
Winners can collect their gift KAKURO
vouchers on Sundays,
So you think you would make a terrific photographer but never really had the between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. at
platform? Mail us your best work and we’ll publish it in this space, with credit. Ergo office
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
Illustrator: R. Venugopal

Technical Support:
V.R. Vasudevan, K.G. Gurumurthy
N. Ravichandran, E. Baskar

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES:
Contact: 2857 5757
E-mail: ads@goergo.in
Website: www.goergo.in

Head of Circulation:
M.G.M. Sharief
copies@goergo.in

SNAIL MAIL
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mail your feedback to
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Printed and Published by S. Karthik on behalf of

KASTURI & SONS LTD., at Plot B-6 & B-7,
CMDA Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar,
Chengleput Taluk, Kancheepuram Dist., Pin:
603209 & at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860,
Anna Salai, Chennai-600002. Editor: S. Karthik
(Editor responsible for selection of news under
the PRB Act). RNI No. TNENG/2007/24553
 Monday, March 9, 2009
Robot teacher
Pupils in Japan have been
given lessons by the world’s
first robot teacher.
15
Word’s worth
"Vapulatory" (Vap-yoo-luh-tor-ee) an adjective
meaning ’relating to flogging.’ Unsurprisingly, it
comes from a Latin word meaning ’to be beaten.’

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

Newton’s law states “Every actions has an equal
and opposite reaction”, and that will reflect in your
life today. Your mood could be affected by various
colours today. But you will overcome everything and
perform well both in professional and personal life.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

Get going as a raving day awaits you. This fun-filled
day will add a lot of zest to your mundane life and
will prove to be quite a breather. Soon as new
ideas start hitting you, don’t forget to use your
creativity on your sweetheart.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

Ganesha suggests you should set your goals well in
BORN LOSER advance. For lovers, marriage or a serious
commitment is on the way. Ganesha feels this is an
important phase in your life and you should be
careful with actions and words.
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
Ganesha strongly feels that you need to gain deep
understanding of the requirements of your
colleagues. There may not be any immediate
troubles in your love life, but things might not be
smooth for a while, warns Ganesha.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
So here is the deal, pick any one – personal life or
professional life? You will face this dilemma
throughout the day. Important meetings will keep
you very busy today. For people who have lent
money, this will be time for recollection.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
Relatives and friends may feel you are arrogant and
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT inaccessible today. Ganesha feels this is the right
time to prove them wrong. SThrow a party for the
folks and a private dinner for someone special,
smiles Ganesha.
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
A relative could approach you to share your
thoughts on an issue. Consider yourself lucky, says
Ganesha, for not many considered wise enough to
help. While helping others is good, be careful that it
doesn’t encourage snobbery.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
You may end up doing new partnership deeds or
deals could be inked today. This may be the
beginning of an exciting future. There may not be
any exciting events in your love life but family life
will need discreet attention.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
You could be in a stubborn or determined mood
today. Ganesha feels either of the two, if stretched
beyond a limit, can be harmful. However, friends
may advice you to be cautious and selective in your
approach.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
Honesty is the best policy. You will display an
independent and open-minded approach in your
professional and personal life, which will be
appreciated by one and all. The evening calls for a
celebration, especially with your loved one.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS Today, the famous Tom and Jerry scenes may come
alive between you and your boss. On a serious
ISSUE’S note, Ganesha warns you against some hard times
at your workplace. Do not let your work pressure
SOLUTIONS affect your personal life, concludes Ganesha.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
Today, you could be at your charming best and
attract people around you to your magnetic
personality. You may have to handle some HR
affairs that could require your urgent and undivided
attention. End the day with a happy dinner.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
16 ! ERGO Monday, March 9, 2009

Kevin Cross (L) helps Ileana Garcia cook several of her credit cards over a hot
plate as she tries to dig herself out of credit card debt during a sermon about
faith-based financial management at the Miami Vineyard Community Church
on Saturday in Kendall, Florida. Cross preaches to people about the biblical
principles of money management with his idea of steps that should be taken
for handling finances. AFP PHOTO

View of a mural painting of seven-time Tour de France winner,

Lance Armstrong, by Shepard Fairey (famed Obama ’HOPE’
posterist) on Saturday, on the side of the historic Montalban
Theatre in Hollywood, California, to celebrate Armstrong’s return
to the bike and to unveil a new collection of his sponsor, Nike.
AFP PHOTO GABRIEL BOUYS

This handout picture released on Saturday by Guatemala’s

Presidency shows US archaeologist Richard Hansen explaining
details of a frieze found in El Mirador archaeological site, in
Peten, some 650 km north of Guatemala City. A group of
archaeologists, led by Hansen, announced the discovery of a
limestone frieze chiselled some 300 years before Jesus Christ
bowing the evidence that the apogee of the Mayan civilization
was much older than the experts thought. AFP PHOTO