A BYTE OF LIFE Friday, August 22, 2008

18 11
ROCK ON Animal Spotting At
Farhan Akhtar on singing Mudumalai Sanctuary in the monsoon
FREE CIRCULATION and acting

Vol. 2 No. 164

WEAR YOUR
MUSIC

Rock, punk,
electric or jazz, let
your clothes show
what you like. Be
it The Rolling
Stones’ iconic
tongue and lip
design that adorns
t-shirts around the
world or
Converse’s new
Kurt Cobain shoes,
music-inspired

drink
wear is a cool way
to let your clothes
sing your taste.
Page 12

Worried about beer bellies and

vodka waists? Mithra Suresh
profiles some low calorie drinks
from the city’s pubs
» Page 04
PHOTO: R.RAVINDRAN
02 ERGO Friday, August 22, 2008

Madras Day Alert

Namma Chennai
Executive Chef G. Amsa Raju is organising a
food festival titled – ‘Cuisines of the
Madras Presidency – A journey into the
Past’. The festival is on at Hotel Green Park,
Vadapalani, from 10 a.m.

Top Ten Fiction

1. Brida – Paulo Coelho. Rs.
295
2. The 3 Mistakes of My Life
– Chetan Bhagat. Rs. 95
3. Sea of Poppies – Amitav
Ghosh. Rs. 599
Man held as a
result of outdated
4. A Prisoner of Birth –
Jeffrey Archer. Rs. 270
5. The Kite Runner – Khaled
Hosseini. Rs. 315
6. Six Suspects – Vikas Swarup. Rs. 495
7. Shantaram – Gregory Roberts. Rs. 475

data at airport
8. A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled
Hosseini. Rs. 395
9. Unaccustomed Earth – Jhumpa Lahiri. Rs.
450
10. The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho. Rs. 195

Top Ten Non-Fiction PETLEE PETER

petleepeter@goergo.in
1. The Secret – Rhonda
Byrne. Rs. 550

A
red corner notice issued by
2. The Last Lecture – Randy the Interpol on a Hungar-
Pausch. Rs. 295 ian national in 2004 was re-
3. Mario de Miranda – Rs. voked in 2008.
2700 Unfortunately, thanks to outdat-
4. Cold Steel: The Multi ed computer data with the immi-
billion Dollar Battle for a gration authorities here, he was
Global detained when he landed at the
Industry – Chennai airport on Thursday
Tim Bouquet morning.
& Bryon Ousey. Rs. 650 Police sources said the Hun-
5. Greatness Guide 2 – garian national was Peter Wil-
Robin Sharma. Rs. 195 liams (48), who had come from
6. Go Kiss The World: Life Frankfurt in Germany to meet his airports. Williams was detained was withdrawn in January 2008
Lessons For The Young son in Chennai by a Lufthansa and handed over to the CBI in following the Ukrainian govern-
Professional – Subroto flight in the early hours of Thurs- Chennai. ment’s intervention.
Bagchi. Rs. 399 day. After disembarking, Williams A CBI probe revealed that Wil- Early Thursday, Williams land-
7. Lonely Planet India – Rs. proceeded to the immigration liams, a businessman now resid- ed in Chennai, only to be de-
1095 counter at the Anna International ing in Sweden, was served with tained because of an invalid red
8. Execution – Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan. Terminus, where the immigra- an Interpol red corner notice in corner notice that was still valid
Rs. 650 tion authorities found that his 2004 for his alleged involvement on the Chennai immigration au-
9. We Are Like That Only – Rama passport number matched one in a fraudulent business deal with thorities’ computer data.
Bijapurkar. Rs. 495 on Interpol’s wanted persons list the Ukrainian government. Later He was released after the au-
10. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari – Robin issued to the world’s prominent it came to light that the notice thorities realised their blunder. ■
Sharma. Rs. 185
Courtesy: Crossword

Big plans for BIG TV

ERGO CORRESPONDENT
feedback@goergo.in

I magine getting
a multiplex-
like experience at
your home, where
you can choose from
32 movie channels! Or,
having a programme
guide with content of-
fered in multiple languages!
Reliance BIG TV’s launch
in Namma Chennai on
Wednesday marked the entry of
one more Direct to Home (DTH)
firm in the fast-growing market.
With over 200 channels, 32 ex-
clusive movie channels and a
bouquet of features and services,
BIG promises to give an all-new
experience for television viewers.
MPEG4 technology, round the
clock call centre with helpline of-
fered in 11 languages and a re-
minder alert about a must-watch
programme are just a few of its
services.
If BIG marks its presence with a
bang, then it has many more am-
bitious plans in the coming year,
too. “By next year, we are plan-
ning to add another 100 channels
and more movie channels,” said
Mahesh Prasad, president – Ap-
plication Services Group, Re-
liance Communications. It also
hopes to target five million cus-
tomers every year. ■
For further details log on to
www.BIGTV.co.in
Toll free number: 1-800-200-
9001/ SMS: BIGTV to 55454
 Friday, August 22, 2008
03
Q : Who is the Director of the film Wall E?
Options : A) Mark Osborne B) Brad Bird C) Andrew Stanton
Over the next five edition days, we will give away 50 tickets
for the ’quickest fingers’ with the correct answers.

Clockwise:
From Katyn
and Wild
Strawberries;
Director Ingmar
Bergman

Triple treat
A festival of Polish and Brazilian films is at
Film Chamber Theatre

Brazilian Film Polish Film Festival

Festival
The Embassy of Brazil, New Delhi
and the Madras Film Society is host-
ing a festival of Brazilian films. It will
be inaugurated by director Balu Ma-
hendra on August 23 at 6.30 p.m.
Films to be screened are: Cabra Sega
(Aug 23; 6.30 p.m.), Onde Anda Voce
(August 25; 61.15 p.m.), Estorvo (Au-
gust 25), O Invasor (August 26), Dois
Perdidos Numa Noite Suja (August
26), Aventura Continua (August 27),
Cidade Baixa (August 27).
Selected films will be shown till
August 30 at the Film Chamber The-
atre, Gemini Circle.
For details, call S. Mahadevan at
94449 45367
The Embassy of the Republic of
Poland, New Delhi, Indo Polish
Chamber of Commerce and Indus-
tries, Chennai and the Indo Cine Ap-
preciation Foundation are
organising a Polish Film Festival.
The two-day festival, starting from
today, will screen Oscar-nominated
Katyn (August 22; 6.30 p.m.), Time to
Die (August 23; 3.15 p.m.) and Tricks
(August 23; 5 p.m). Films will be
screened at the South Indian Film
Chamber Theatre. Katyn was the
first movie shot not only in Poland,
but in the entire Europe, in which
the 4K technology was used.
For details, call 98401 51956. Or
log on to www.chennaifilmfest.org

Ingmar Bergman’s films

The Chennai chapter of the free Ingmar Bergman Retrospective is hosting
some of the late Swedish director’s films today.
Films to be screened are: Wild Strawberries (Aug 22; 9:30 p.m.), Summer
Interlude (Aug 23; 9:30 p.m.), Through A Glass Darkly (Aug 24; 9:30 p.m.), Winter
Light (Aug 25; 9:30 p.m.), The Silence (August 26; 9:30 p.m.), Summer With
Monika (Aug 27; 9:30 p.m.), The Devil’s Eye (Aug 28; 9:30 p.m.)
Make sure you call 99679 70320 and book your passes.
04 ERGO Friday, August 22, 2008

Big Story
LOSE A KILO A COCKTAIL
Going drinking? Clubs introduce diet drinks for those with an eye on their waist
For all those weight-watchers
who have groaned at their
beer bellies or vodka waists,
clubs around the city are
introducing low calorie drinks.
Fruity change
Since alcohol such as vodka,
gin and rum are high in
calories, it is the cocktails that
are being targeted. And to
top it all, syrups are used in
drinks such as Blue Curacao
and Strawberry Crush, which
are quite popular. And this is
why bartenders around the
city are opting to mix syrup-
free drinks and use fresh fruits
which will considerably reduce
the calorie count.
Bartender Prakash of Le Royal
Meridien says, “A cocktail
normally contains 300 calories,
and by using fresh fruits in
drinks, I have brought them
down to 100-200 calories.”
However, seeds and pulp add
to the fat content. So, for a
drink like Masala Guava
Cocktail, the drink is filtered
three times to bring down the
calorie count to 200, while the
fat content stands at .9 grams.
Big deal
Does this make much of a
difference? Dietician Daphne
says, “Of course it brings the
calorie count down, but it
really depends on the fruits
that are used. If its
watermelon or apple which
are low calorie fruits, it will
help. But since it is the alcohol
that is calorie-rich, having a
low cal cocktail in pints will
not help.” And this is exactly
what bartender Sebastian of
Zara’s had to say. Since any
cocktail more or less contains
70 per cent of alcohol, the
thirty percent which normally
contains juice or syrup will not
make a difference to the
weight watcher. “And if
you’re a daiquiri or a
margarita drinker, a low
calorie cocktail is not possible.
However, using fresh fruits in
drinks is healthier, nutrition-
wise.”
Try, try again
Still, some clubs like Bike and
Barrel are going as far as
employing in-house
nutritionists to assess the
calorie content in an existing
menu of low-cal cocktails. Club
manager Charles Fabian says,
“We did have four such
cocktails which were not very
popular because of the fruits
we used. We did not use
cream-based liqueur like
Baileys or any chocolate, but
people still like that taste at
the end of the day. So come
September, we should have
developed drinks that combine
taste and nutrition.”

Get them!

Masala Guava Politan
Contains gin, guava juice, pinch of
salt and pepper, Tabasco sauce
Calorie count: 200 calories, fat
0.9 gm 3% calorie from fat, 0 mg
cholestrol
Cranberry & Apple Cooler
Contains cranberry juice, apple juice and
vodka
Calorie count: 131 calories, fat 0.2 gm,
1.1% calorie from fat, 0 mg cholesterol
Casis
Contains blackcurrant syrup, fresh lime
juice, apple juice and sparkling wine
Calorie count: 103 calories, fat 0.1 gm,
1% calorie from fat, 0 mg cholesterol
Key Limi Vodkatini
Contains vanilla vodka, Malibu
rum, coconut syrup, fresh lime,
vanilla and dash of sprite
Calorie count: 89.3 calories, fat
0.1 gm, 3.1 % calorie from fat, 3
mg cholesterol

Fuzzy Splash Fizzy Orange Cool Classic

Contains vodka, rum, litchi juice, mango juice, Contains orange squash, bitter lemon, lime Contains rum, coconut milk, cream, banana syrup,
pinch of salt juice, apple and ginger flavouring strawberry crush and mint leaves
Calorie count: 75 calories, fat 0.4 gm, 4% Calorie count: 111 calories, fat 0.7 gm, 3.2% Calorie count: 183 calories, fat 0.3 gm, 2% calorie
calorie from fat, 0 mg cholesterol calorie from fat, 3 mg cholesterol from fat, 0 mg cholesterol

A cocktail normally contains 300 calories, and by using fresh fruits in drinks, I have brought them down to 100-200 calories
Cocktails courtesy The Dome, Le Royal Meridien; Photos: R.Ravindran
Friday, August 22, 2008

Glimpses of Chennai
05
A photo exhibition organized by Chandrachoodan Gopalakrishnan
and Chennai Photowalk is on till 24th August. Photos are of
Chennai, taken by all the photowalkers over the last 9 Chennai
Photowalk aimed at presenting a very different and very unique
view of Chennai and its heritage. Venue:Big Hall, Vanilla Children
Place, 8/57 1st Street, Luz Avenue, Mylapore

The poet-doctor’s
one-year stay with
Kutti Revathi the Irula tribe
culminated into a
and the snake people photo exhibition
MALATHI K. crets. Sadly, this community is “But some of Irulas have got li-
now dependent on the mercy of censes to catch snakes and help
the government. extract venom for medicinal pur-

A
lot of people know Kutti “They are struggling to get their poses. Moreover, they have their
Revathi as a feminist poet. community certificate to contin- own herbal remedies to protect
But few know her as a Sidd- ue their further studies. But the themselves from snake venom,
ha doctor. government is demanding proof which have been passed down
It was during her doctorate re- of their snake-catching abilities through the generations. This
search on curative herbs that she to provide them with the com- way, they are always dependent
met the Irula tribes with whom munity certificate,” says Revathi. on nature and co-exist in harmo-
she stayed for a year. Her first The government had banned ny with the natural world. This is
photo exhibition on the life of the snake-catching in 1972, but since something we can learn from
Irulas was recently held at Alli- the present generation of Irulas them. This is what I wanted to
ance Francaise. do not practise the skill they are portray through my exhibition. It
“I met the Irulas when I was unable to get their certificates, is up to the government to pro-
visiting Pandukarai (near Maha- ending up as bonded labourers vide them with a right to life. I
balipuram) for a research project for a mere Rs. 1,000 a month in have tried to bring to light their
to collect data on their indige- rice mills and brick kilns in the problems so that we can find so-
nous medical knowledge system southern districts. lutions,” she finishes. ■
for my thesis. Their lifestyle took
me by surprise as they seemed
to be satisfied even without the
basic necessities of life, like
electricity, water and shel-
ter. They add colour to
their life through song and
dance. I lived there for a
year and so I grew close to
them. That was how I got
an opportunity to capture
their two main festivals,
Kanniamman Thiruvizha
and Thiruli Kumbam, which
they celebrate with grandeur.
They do not believe in idol wor-
ship and pray only to the seven
‘virgin goddesses’,” says Kutti Re-
vathi. “Another striking fact is
that there is no male domination
in the tribe. Everybody is down-
to-earth,” she adds.
With a population of below one
PHOTO : R. RAVINDRAN

lakh, the Irulas depend a lot on

snakes for their revenue. The an-
cestors of the Irulas had mas-
tered the art of snake-catching.
Herpetologist Romulus Whitaker
had commented that the Irulas
are the only people in the world
who know all of the snakes’ se-
06 ERGO Friday, August 22, 2008

Village
Websites of the day
This quirky blog shows a skull made
out of different items every day. http://
skulladay.blogspot.com/ Create your
own galaxy http://www.galaxiki.org/

Bigger perks for more babies German men spend more time
In a desperate attempt to convince couples to have
more babies, Singapore’s government is offering a grooming
bonanza of tax benefits, leaves and other perks German men are
starting January. The 1.6-billion-Singapore-dollar surpassing women in
(US$ 1.1-billion) package outlined in the media on the amount of time
Thursday will benefit all parents. Encouraging more they take on personal
births has been a national priority since Prime care, according to a
Minister Lee Hsien Loong focused on the escalating study conducted by
problem of low birth rates in 2004. The current Germany’s cosmetic
fertility rate of 1.29 is far from the replacement association in Berlin.
level of 2.1. Every day men take an
DPA average of 17 minutes
for personal care - not
including facial care.
They need an
NY neighbourhood complains about additional 13 minutes
for that, and they
bad ‘Apple’ need time to shave
A lower Manhattan residents’ group has lodged a lengthy and shower or bathe.
complaint against a neighbour over screaming parties, Women take an
loitering crowds and late-night disturbances, said a letter average of 26 minutes,
published in US media on Wednesday. The offender is the cosmetic
none other than the Apple Store on the corner of Greene association said. Cleansers, moisturisers and fragrances
and Prince Streets in Soho, one Manhattan’s most posh have become part of the average man’s routine. The study
boutique streets. “Since the Apple SoHo store moved in six shows that four different fragrances now can be found in
years ago, it has become the worst neighbor in SoHo,” an average German man’s bathroom cabinet. Twelve per
wrote SoHo Alliance cent of German men use make-up.
director Sean Sweeney. DPA
“No bar, nightclub or
construction site comes
close to ruining
continually our quality Man shoots himself 5 times in
of life like Apple SoHo
has.” The final straw head and survives
was a Jonas Brothers An attempted suicide failed after an 84-year- old
concert at the trendy Argentine man who shot himself five times in the
store earlier this month, head miraculously survived. The man also shot
he said. “This concert himself once in the stomach, state news agency
attracted teenage girls Telam reported on Wednesday, in Punta Alta
who screamed town. “Despite the serious injuries he was even
incessantly on the street conscious when we found him. He could not speak,
for hours for their idols but he sat on a stool and made himself understood
and blocking traffic”. through gestures,” police officer said.
AFP DPA

‘Beatlemania’ contract on auction

The first fully-signed contract of the troupe with Brian Epstein is expected to fetch 2,50,000 pounds

T
he ‘life-changing contract’
which launched the ‘Fab
Four’ on the road to Beatle-
mania is set to go under the
hammer in Britain.
The Beatles’ first fully-signed
contract with manager Brian Ep-
stein is expected to fetch at least
2,50,000 pounds at an auction
next month.
They could never have
dreamed that the paper to which
John Lennon, Paul McCartney,
George Harrison and Ringo Starr
added their signatures would one
day be worth 250,000 pounds.
Epstein’s copy of the contract
will be up for grabs at The Fame
Bureau’s ‘It’s More than Rock ‘n’
Roll’ sale of rock and pop memor-
abilia at the Idea Generation Gal-
lery in London on September 4.
“It was a life-changing contract
for The Beatles,” Ted Owen, the
managing director of The Fame
bureau, was quoted as saying by
the Mail online.
According to the report, the
contract, which gave the manager
25 percent if they made more
than 200 pounds a week, was
signed on October 1 1962, shortly
after Epstein secure The Beatles’
first record deal with EMI.
Two additional signatures are
on the paper - Lennon and
McCartney’s fathers signed their
names, as their sons were under
21.
The contract has been put up
for sale by an anonymous busi-
nessman who collects pop mem-
orabilia.
It last came up for auction at
Christie’s in May 2004, when it
fetched 122,850 pounds, the re-
port said.
The Fame Bureau auction will
include the Bechstein piano that
The Beatles used in recording
’Hey Jude’, with an estimated val-
ue of 300,000 to 400,000 pounds.
■ The first fully signed contract between the Beatles and Brian
PTI Epstein. AFP PHOTO
 Friday, August 22, 2008
07
This day, that year
Killer baboon It was in August 22, 1932 that the
A male baboon can kill a British Broadcasting Corporation
leopard. (BBC) started its first experimental
television broadcast in England.

Pokemon teens shock Chile

The band, which has little to do with ‘Pokemon’, desires to kiss as many as possible

A
band of kissing-crazy,
spiky-haired teenagers
known as the Pokemons,
who have a penchant for
alcohol-free afternoon raves, is
sending shockwaves through
conservative Chile.
But unlike earlier historical
youth movements, these disaf-
fected kids, aged between 12 and
18, are totally uninterested in pol-
itics and changing the world.
And they have little to do with
the popular Japanese animated
‘pocket monster’ creatures of the
same name.
Instead a kind of androgynous
fashion sense accompanied by
the latest gadgets and a desire to
kiss as many people as possible in
one of their afternoon gatherings
in the Chilean capital, Santiago,
seems to be the glue which holds
this urban tribe together.
“It’s great to dress like this, it
gives you the freedom to mix and Teenagers hang out outside a ‘Pokemon’ nightclub in Santiago. AFP PHOTO
match many things,”said 16-
year-old Maria Jose. All this in a seriously conserva- ognisable by their spiked hair, piercing are common. on the dance floor. A recent New-
At a typical gathering, hun- tive country where abortion re- tight jeans and body piercing. The kissing ‘is super-massive in sweek article suggested that they
dreds of boys and girls compete mains illegal and divorce was They straighten their hair with the discos,’ said Jorge, 17. “I have engaged in public oral sex with as
to see who can kiss the most approved only in 2004. gel or heating irons, and dye friends who love going to these many anonymous partners as
number of people on the lips. It is unclear when or how the strands green, violet or pink. parties just to kiss girls.” possible, but that caused a storm
They talk openly about sex, and ‘Pokemon’ phenomenon began, Plastic bracelets, necklaces, and Another Pokemon activity is of denials from Pokemon mem-
have no problem with gay or les- but sociologists have begun to oversized earrings are popular, fully clothed simulated sex, often bers. ■
bian relations. dub them as an ‘urban tribe’ rec- while belly, nose and tongue AFP

Engineer turns artist after stroke

Amidst marathon rain
A cerebral haemorrhage were the result of a ‘rewiring’ of
turned out to be a blessing in the brain encouraged Walters to
disguise for a British engineer, develop his new found hobby,
whose brain was ‘rewired’ to the report said.
turn him into an artist after the “My doctor told me following
stroke. a stroke your brain usually re-
Ken Walters, resident of Orm- wires itself to avoid the dam-
skirk, Lancashire, suffered mul- aged bits and often leads to
tiple spine fractures and discovering hidden talents,”
massive internal injuries when Walters said.
he was crushed against a wall by The former engineer soon be-
a fork lift truck when a driver come an expert in digital imag-
lost control. Two life-threaten- ery and created his own
ing heart attacks further dee- software. In October last year
pened his gloom. computer giant EA games was
The cerebral haemorrhage, so impressed with a gallery of
however, rewired part computerised crea-
of his brain and After the tures he had dreamed
spawned an artistic up they commis-
flair he never previous- ‘rewiring’ of sioned him to design
ly possessed. “Al- the brain, 100 digital dinosaurs
though I didn’t realise for a new educational
it at the time, having a Ken Walter game called Spore.
stroke was the biggest is now an According to the re-
blessing in disguise I expert in port, Walters has al-
ever could have wished ready netted 30,000
for,” Walters said. digital pounds from his back
Doctors convinced imagery bedroom creativity. ■ 쒀 Spectators watch the Men’s 10km Marathon at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games
the abstract musings PTI in Beijing on Thursday. AFP PHOTO
08
Technorama
I
ntel has made progress in a
technology that could lead
to the wireless recharging of
gadgets and the end of the
power-cord spaghetti behind
electronic devices.
It says it has increased the ef-
ficiency of a technique for wire-
lessly powering consumer
gadgets and computers, a devel-
opment that could allow a per-
son to simply place a device on
a desktop or countertop to pow-
er it. It could bring the consum-
er electronics industry a step
closer to a world without wires.
The chip maker plans to dem-
onstrate the use of a magnetic
field to broadcast up to 60 watts
of power two to three feet. It
says it can do that losing only 25
percent of the power in trans-
mission. `S̀omething like this
technology could be embedded
in tables and work surfaces,’’
said Justin Rattner, Intel’s chief
technology officer, “so as soon
as you put down an appro-
priately equipped device it
would immediately begin draw-
ing power.’’
The presentation is part of
the company’s Intel Developer
Forum, a series of events here
that the company uses to show-
case new technologies in perso-
T3 select
Robobike
As well as looking fantastic, the
Honda DN-01 features a new au-
tomatic gearbox that can be tai-
lored to suit your mood. Leave it
in ‘Drive’ and it’ll do it all for you.
Put it in ‘Sport’ mode and it’ll get
a move on. Or for complete
manual control choose, er,
“Manual”. Honda’s own Motor-
cycle Navigation kit GPS is built
in, with on-screen guidance,
voice prompts and Bluetooth so
you can hear the directions and
use your phone at the same time.
The ride, meanwhile, was de-
scribed by T3 UK’s resident ex-
pert as “snatch free”. High praise
indeed.Rs 7,62,000* www.suzuki-
gb.co.uk
Where’s the
wire?
Chip maker Intel has made progress in a
technology that could lead to the wireless
recharging of gadgets and the end of the
power-cord spaghetti behind electronic
devices.
nal computing and related it possible to transmit power
consumer technologies. several feet without wires.
The research project, which is Induction is already used to
being led by Joshua R. Smith, an recharge electric toothbrushes,
Intel researcher at a company but that approach is limited by
laboratory in Seattle, builds on the need for the toothbrush to
the work of the Massachusetts be placed in the base station.
Institute of Technology (MIT) The MIT group has demonstrat-
physicist Marin Soljacic, who ed efficiencies of 50 percent at
pioneered the idea of wirelessly ranges of several meters.
transmitting power using reso- Intel is in the midst of an in-
nant magnetic fields. The MIT ternal debate over whether the
group refers to the idea as Wi- technology may also permit the
Tricity, a play on wireless and shift to supercapacitors, which
electricity. Both the MIT group can be recharged far more
and the Intel researchers are ex- quickly than today’s batteries.
ploring a phenomenon known `Ìn the future, your kitchen
as r̀`esonant induction,’’ making counters might do it,’’ Rattner
Elite look Elitebook
Boardrooms may never be the
same again! Arm yourself appro-
priately for boardroom battles,
and get the ultra-chic, yet ultra-
secure EliteBook 6930p. Part of
the new business range of laptops
from HP, it’s packed to the gills
with features, including an air-
craft-inspired design, a brushed
aluminium combined with a
magnesium alloy chassis, shock
resistant hard drive and a spill-
resistant keyboard. The machine
conforms to military standards of
reliability and its protective coat-
ing comes unscathed even after this 14.1inch portable weighs a
acerbic encounters with steel little over 2 kg. Now that makes
wool and catty colleagues. De- perfect business sense, doesn’t
spite the heavyweight features,
ERGO Friday, August 22, 2008
Bouncing facts
A ball of glass will bounce higher than
a ball of rubber. A ball of solid steel
will bounce higher than one made
entirely of glass.
Wireless recharging could be
the new innovation in
consumer electronics
said. `Ỳou’d just drop your es- `F̀rom Intel’s position that
presso maker down on them seems like the thing to shoot for
and you would never have to right now,’’ Smith said. The re-
plug it in.’’ ceiving antenna is about the
The Intel team describes its size of something that could
system as a `ẁireless resonant easily fit against the bottom of a
energy link,’’ and is experiment- conventional laptop computer.
ing with antennas less than two `Ìt could be that cellphones and
feet in diameter to remotely PDAs are even more compell-
light a 60-watt light bulb. ing, but I think we are going to
In 2006, the MIT researchers start with the laptop. It’s easy to
demonstrated that by sending dial down from laptops,’’ he
electromagnetic waves around a said.
waveguide it was possible to The researchers said that In-
produce `èvanescent’’ waves tel could produce a prototype
that could permit electricity to design and that it might con-
wirelessly tunnel to another wa- tribute to products by develop-
veguide `t̀uned’’ to the transmit- ing chip sets for manufacturers.
ting loop. At Thursday’s research present-
Several start-up firms, includ- ation, Smith plans to demon-
ing WildCharge, based in Boul- strate an application using an
der, Colo., and WiPower, based electric field sensor _ a natural
in Altamonte Springs, Fla., have capability of some fish _ to give
already announced related added dexterity to robotic arms
wireless charging technologies. and hands. He has designed a
But these demonstrations have sensor system that makes it
required that the consumer possible for a robot hand to
gadgets touch the charging sta- gauge the size of an apple and
tion. then grasp it. The hand then
The Intel researchers said carries the apple to an out-
they were thinking about de- stretched human hand. When it
signing a system that would senses the hand, it drops the
make it possible to recharge a apple.
laptop computer without wires. NYT News Service
Sourced from T3 magazine of
Infomedia Group
Time for WiFi
The WiFi Detecting Watch
does what you’d expect, and de-
tects when you’re in a WiFi hot-
spot. Even better, it then
proceeds to show the strength
of any local wireless networks,
at the press of a button. All that
remains is for you to whip out
your laptop and purchase some
extra long-sleeved shirts online,
in order to hide its “distinctive”
it?TBC, www.hp.com/in looks.Rs 1,700*, www.iwoot.com
 Friday, August 22, 2008

Nikon Coolpix P6000

09
Meet Nikon’s Coolpix P6000 point-and-shoot camera. There’s a built-in GPS sensor for geo-tagging. While
most camera makers use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi for uploading images to websites, Nikon has added a full-
size Ethernet port that allows you to plug the camera right into the Internet. The P6000 uploads images
whenever it is connected. The GPS feature adds geographical data to every photo, but it can be turned
off to conserve battery life. The camera, at $500, will be available next month online and in stores.
NYT News Service

Nitrogen in the tyre

does on any other metal whereas
nitrogen does not harm the same.
5 good reasons
Why would we want to
fill Nitrogen gas in our
tyres? 1. Reduces heat to
build up during running
period; 2. Increases tyre
with the tire and rim materials.
If you are the kind who is not
interested in making
too many pit stops for
checking air pressure
at your petrol bunk,
then this could be a so-
lution. A word of cau-

N
itrogen for my car tyres? life; 3. Maintains consis- tion though: You may
Aaaagh! What has the tent pressure; 4. Slows end up paying Rs.100
world come to? the rate of pressure loss; just to inflate the tyre
Now before you start and 5. Does not react every time. ■
cringing, let me tell you that air-
crafts, race cars and some trucks
commonly use Nitrogen gas to
inflate their tyres. There are very
few vendors here in Chennai who
have the Nitrogen vending ma-
chine, in case you want to try it
out on your car, write to us and
we shall help you with more
PHOTO: S.S. KUMAR information.
But why Nitrogen, you may
wonder? Nitrogen has larger mol-

PODCASTER’S ecules than oxygen. This makes it

difficult for it to leak through the
rubber as easily as oxygen does,

DREAM TOOL thus maintaining the pressure

At just Rs.100, cheap electronics does
not get any more exciting than the
telephone recording adapter
KARTHIK SUBRAMANIAN
karthik@goergo.in
longer than oxygen. This also
translates to better fuel
efficiency.
Nitrogen being more stable
and less corrosive than oxygen
helps preserve the tyres more
than its normal lifetime. Oxygen
being the root of oxidation that
eats through rubber just like it
conversations. I have to admit
though that the audio quality was
not exactly top-class. There was

R itchie Street never ceases to

amaze the true seekers (or
should we say geekers).
I have heard from one of my
friends Kiruba Shankar, who is al-
so one of namma Chennai’s
prominent bloggers, of a simple
yet effective tool to record tele-
phone conversations. Last
week, I set off in search
of the telephone rec-
ording adapter.
It gets a 10 on 10
for its sheer tacky
appeal: just your av-
erage plastic case
with a couple of wires
sticking. The one I got
was named ‘Hible’. For
that, I would give a 9 on 10
for innovative cheap product
naming. My all-time favourite
though are the Takai audio goods
and Tony headphones. The best
part though was its pricing: at
Rs.100 a piece, it does not get any
Ritchier. That deserves a 11 on 10.
The adapter connects your tel-
ephone or headset to the record-
ing device such as tape recorder
or your PC to record telephone
considerable hissing. If you are
using the recording adapter to do
Shutterbugs, alert!
a podcast interview, then it might
require considerable work on
Audacity.
The adapter has an audio out
pin that can be connected to your
PC’s audio in. Essentially it has be 쑸
placed in between your Managing Director,
P&T line and recording Nikon India,
device, to complete Hidehiko Tanka
the circuit. holds a Nikon D700
A quick primer digital SLR camera
on the ethics issue during the launch
though. This won- at New Delhi on
der tool is easy to Thursday. Nikon
misuse. So we would India launched five
recommend that you new cameras
inform your telephone including D3, D300
partner that the conversa- and D700 featuring
tion is being recorded. Though robust technologies
several shops stock the adapter, designed to make
the safest bet to find it is at Ome- photography easy
ga Electronics, which by the way and fun.
stocks several more odd electron- PHOTO: RAMESH SHARMA
ic goods. Happy hunting. ■
Ritchie Street Chronicles is a
weekly geek peek into the wonderful
world of electronic goods sold on
the Street also known as
Narasingapuram Street.
10 ERGO Friday, August 22, 2008

Backpackers
Hello Backpackers,
Send us pictures of your team or
family outing with a small write-
up on the place, mentioning why
the trip was special, how you got
there or any travel experience for
that matter. Anybody been to
the Beijing Olympics?
Email: snapshot@goergo.in

Made in China,
CAST IN KOCHI
China, this time not for Olympics but for their fishing nets
SINDHU VASANTHAKUMAR ed in mid-air all along the coast, ing nets are submerged into the
sindhu.vasanthakumar@wipro.com with the help of bamboo or teak sea, kept for a few minutes and
poles and are basically fixed land raised delicately by six fishermen.

T
he Chinese fishing nets at
Fort Kochi in Kerala make
up for a very popular tourist
attraction. Also known as
Cheenavala among the local peo-
ple, these fishing nets are be-
lieved to be introduced by the
Chinese explorer Zheng He. Od-
dly, these nets are found only in
Kochi, outside China.
In this simple, shore-based
fishing system nets are suspend-
installations. These nets are hori-
zontally suspended over the sea,
giving an appearance of a huge
hammock. For balance these nets
are counter-balanced by stones
tied to ropes. Each net spreads to
about 20 metres.
Mesmerising art
The technique of fishing by
Chinese nets differs from ordi-
nary nets. In the former the fish-
All of these fishermen must
maintain balance while picking
the net out of water. The whole
paraphernalia is such that the
weight of a man walking along
the main beam is sufficient to
cause the net to descend into the
sea.
The net is left for a short time,
possibly just a few minutes, be-
fore it is raised by pulling on
ropes. The catch is usually mod-
est and is sold to the passers-by
in a jiffy. Take a stroll along Vas-
co-Da-Gama Square, near Fort
Cochin and you are bound to
come across a number of Chinese
fishing nets, suspended in mid-
air, alongside the sea coast. Their
size and elegant construction is
very photogenic and the slow
rhythm of their operation is quite
mesmerising. However, this art is
slowly losing its charm due to the
mad rush among the city-bred
people. ■
(The writer works with Wipro
Technologies and her hobbies
include painting, photography and
reading fiction)

A spicy trail into the wild

Thiagarajan E writes about one of his most memorable trips to the ‘Land of Spicy Hills’

W
ayanad has been on my
wish list since long, so
much so that I was will-
ing to allocate a large
portion of my holiday to visit the
‘Land of Spicy Hills.’ This was my
second trip after my wedding and
it was a memorable one with my
colleagues and friends along.
Wayanad was exceptional as we
had friends from other firms join-
ing us on our trip. Special thanks
to Palaniappan, Raja, Danan-
jayan, Joe, Anand and Venkat
who joined us despite short no-
tice.
Road to Wayanad
We boarded Mangalore Mail
on Jan 6 at Chennai Central and
reached Palagat the next morn-
ing. The breakfast served at Hotel
Asma Towers was yum. From
here we headed to Hotel Haritagi-
ri, Kalpetta in Wayanad. The
weather was not as pleasant as
we had expected. Since I was the
one who suggested Wayanad,
“Manasukulla oru chinna bayam
kalandha uruthal ...enga ellorum
serndhu oorugaa panna poraan-
gannu..nalla velai evanum ud-
haikala..” After a cool splash on
the pool we were all set to leave
(Left to Right): Venkat, Raja, Dhananjay, Arun, Pandiya, for Wayanad.
Guru, Rajkumar, Sankar, Anand, Akilan, Joe, Durai, Our first stop was at Edakkal
Thiags, Rams and Karthik caves, where the cave walls have
carvings dating to 3000 BC.
Though it was a steep climb, it
was worth the effort. It was also a
great trekking experience as the
caves are at an altitude of 4000 ft
above sea level, currently being
maintained by the Archaeology
Department of Kerala.
On our way to the hotel we
stopped at a toddy shop to have
kallu and fried fish. Thanks to Joe,
our interpreter, some of us got a
taste of fresh nadan kallu.
We had cordial reception wait-
Must-see places: Edak-
kal Caves, Kuruwa Dweep,
Muthunga Wildlife Sanctu-
ary, Chembara Peak – the
highest Peak in Wayanad,
Soochipara waterfalls and
Pookot Lake
Best season to visit: Be-
tween August and April
Things to keep in mind:
The best time to visit the sanc-
tuary is around 5 p.m. where
the chances of seeing animals
are more. While entering the
Edakkal cave, wear use of
trekking shoes.
Places to shop: Uruvu
Eco Shop at Pookot lake, Har-
itagiri – Malabar food at
Kalpetta
ing at the hotel, too. Arun and
Akils played the CEO (Chief En-
tertainment Officers) for the eve-
ning, after and before dinner.
Arun, Raja and Rajkumar had a
good lesson to learn out of that
night.
Animal spotting
Kuruwa Dweep, which is 955
acres of green forest on the trib-
utaries of the east flowing river
Kabini, was our stop for the sec-
ond day. The dress code to visit
this place is T-shirt, shorts and
slippers as you need to cross the
river, which is usually two to
three feet deep. We swam
through the river, and again to go
into the island. I wished we had
hired a guide; we could have ex-
plored Kuruwa better. Muthunga
Wildlife Sanctuary was worth a
stop as we spotted bisons, spot-
ted deers, elephants and wild
boars.
As we were left with just half a
day before boarding the train to
Chennai, we had to make a
choice between Chembara Peak
and Soochipara Falls. As a major-
ity of the guys wanted to visit
Soochipara Falls, we headed to
see nature at its best. ■
(The author works as Project
Manager with Birla Soft.
thiagarajan.e@birlasoft.com)
Friday, August 22, 2008
JUNGLE
MEIN
MANGLE
The monsoon is a perfect time to visit
Ooty and its surroundings
LIFFY THOMAS
liffythomas@goergo.in
“G
rrr...,” our Sumo
screeched, throwing us
from our seats with a
jerk. “Whoa! That was a
close miss,” I screamed.
The panicked driver narrowly
averted a mishap from a herd of
elephants and lucky for us he was
alert enough. That was our closest
to getting an up-close view of a
group of elephants – four baby ele-
phants and an angry mother –
storming on to the main road, less
than a kilometre before reaching
Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary.
Our driver was almost shaken after
the narrow escape, and his vehicle
started behaving tizzy.
I was on a holiday to Ooty with
my family, and we were en route to
meet our ‘jungle friends’. But, after
the encounter we were arguing if
we need to go inside the sanctuary.
The argument did not go long as
the driver announced that the
tyres were shaky after the jolt and
he had to get them fixed.
It was 1.30 p.m. and the forest
vehicle would only be starting its
rounds to the thick jungles at 3
p.m. We decided to hang out with
other tourists, while our Sumo got
repaired.
With more than a dozen mon-
keys entertaining us we did not
know how time passed by. The
gates opened for the bus ride into
the lush wilderness of the sanctu-
ary at 3 p.m. and in 10 minutes
over 45 of us were seated in the
jazzy bus, painted in the colours of
animals.
Monsoon merry
The rain gods were playing hide
11
and seek the two days that we
camped in the hill town. The light
showers are a welcome if you don’t
mind taking a tour of the town in
the rain.
Also, unlike April to June, when
this hill station is thronged by
tourists from across India, plan-
ning a holiday in July was a mid-
summer’s dream. In fact, taking a
trip this time of the year is less of a
hassle as you don’t have to book
the hotel room in advance and you
will have all the peace you were
looking forward to.
Animal spotting
“Deer”, one of the tourists sitting
behind us screamed. And you had
the whole bus turn 90 degree to
capture them on their mobiles and
digital cameras. A little distance
away was a peacock in its full glory.
Bison, more elephants (the friend-
ly ones) and spotted deer were
some of the fauna we got a close
view of. What we saw that day was
probably nothing compared to
what the sanctuary had to offer.
Maybe, it was best to make anoth-
er trip in the night to say hello to
our nocturnal friends. ■
AT A GLANCE
How to get there: The place
is around 80 km from
Coimbatore. You could hire a
taxi and go around the place
Accommodation: Tourist
guesthouses are available
near the sanctuary
PHOTOS: LIFFY THOMAS
Best Time to visit: July –
September, if you like the
monsoon and a quite holiday
Other places to visit: Pykara
dam, Five Miles
12 ERGO Friday, August 22, 2008

WHAT BETTER WAY TO

MUSICAL LEANINGS TH

M
usic and fashion have always
been interlinked. Besides
the very obvious influence of
celebrity musicians on street
wear, the effect has a more graphic,
more direct form. Yes, wearing your
music isn’t just about wearing iPod-
fitted Nike trainers.
Music-inspired designs can find a
way to your wardrobe, and what bet-
ter way than the most expressive
form of clothing – the t-shirt.
Coming to music-inspired prints,
nothing can be more iconic than the
Rolling Stones tongue and lip design.
When it first appeared on the cover
of the band’s 1971 album, Sticky Fin-
gers, it created a sensation of sorts. It
still does. Many still wonder what it
actually symbolises – rebellion, lust,
or the band’s literal big-mouth, Mick
Jagger. Graphic designer John
Pasche was the man behind the de-
sign.
The UK and US have a host of
brands specialising in music-in-
spired clothing. EBTM (for Everyth-
ing But The Music) has clothing on
bands like AC/DC, Blink 182, Green
Day, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Iron Maiden,
Led Zeppelin, Linkin Park, Nirvana
and The Rolling Stones, to name a
few. Besides, there are chains like
Hot Topic, MIC (Music Integrated
Clothing) and Amplified (worn by
Kate Moss, David Beckham and
Sugababes).
Fingerless gloves, popularised by
bands like My Chemical Romance,
are another example of music-in-
spired clothing.
The Converse Limited Edition Kurt
Cobain shoe was released this May

GETTY IMAGES
 Friday, August 22, 2008
O SHOW OFF YOUR
HAN WEARING THEM!
Portfolio
as part of the company’s year-long 100th
anniversary ‘Welcome to the Converse
Century’ celebration. The Nirvana front-
man’s drawings and writings from Jour-
nals, the book he released in 2002, will
feature on the shoes. (P.S. Did you know
that Kurt Cobain wore a pair of black
suede Converse when he died?)
In India, locally manufactured Kurt Co-
bain tees are perhaps one of the bestsell-
ing music-inspired clothing items.
Coming to brands that specifically cite
music as their inspiration, there’s UMM
(Underground Music Movement) that re-
tails from Pantaloons. While music-in-
spired brands aren’t a very common
phenomenon here, keep your eyes open
for those one-off pieces. ■
13
BULLETIN
Diddy’s new
scent
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs knows
he might raise a few
eyebrows by calling his
latest scent I Am King, but
he doesn’t care. “I Am King
is a statement about all
men,” said Combs, during
an interview at his Bad Boy
Entertainment offices in
Manhattan. “We are all
descendents of royalty. And
if we carry ourselves and
respect ourselves in that
manner and believe in
ourselves, then we are all
kings.” It’s a matter of
mind-set, he opines. “I
believe in positive affirmations. If I say, ‘I am not going to
succeed, I’m a loser,’ then that’s what I am going to be. If
we say we’re kings and we say we’re queens, that’s what
we’re going to be. It has nothing to do with being
arrogant. I Am King is not a statement about myself. I Am
King is about every man who is going to go and buy the
fragrance.” (As for empowering the female sex, there will
be an I Am Queen women’s scent in fall 2009.)
Stella McCartney
in India
Stella McCartney recently
opened her first store in
India, in Bangalore. The
1,600-square-foot space is
located at No. 1, Vittal
Mallya Road, at the centre
of the city. The store carries
McCartney’s ready-to-wear,
accessories and lingerie
collections along with her
fragrances and skin care line,
Care by Stella McCartney.
Next up, Stella McCartney
will open a store in New
Delhi.
Jean in a bottle
Jean Paul Gaultier, who has
dressed bottles of Piper-
Heidsieck Champagne in
snug red corsets, is now
turning his
subversive
sensibility to
mineral water.
Word has it the
couturier has
been tapped
to design a
limited-edition
bottle for
Evian.
NYT News
Service
Gaultier’s previous design
for Piper-Heidsieck
14 ERGO Friday, August 22, 2008

Facts about noodles

Wellness
Of about 350 million cans of chicken
noodle soup of all commercial brands
sold annually in the United States, 60
percent is purchased during the cold
and flu season. January is the top-
selling month of the year.

You name it and exercise helps it

R
andi considers the YMCA her lifeline, es-
pecially the pool. Randi weighs more
than 135 kilos and has borderline dia-
betes, but she controls her blood sugar
and keeps her bright outlook on life by swim-
ming every day for about 45 minutes. Randi
overcame any self-consciousness about her
weight for the sake of her health, and those
who swim with her and share the open locker
room are proud of her. If only the millions of
others beset with chronic health problems rec-
ognised the inestimable value to their physical
and emotional well-being of regular physical
exercise.
“The single thing that comes close to a magic
bullet, in terms of its strong and universal ben-
efits, is exercise,” Frank Hu, epidemiologist at
the Harvard School of Public Health, said in the
Harvard Magazine. Exercise has many protec-
tive roles. It can lower the risk of heart attack,
stroke, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depres-
sion, dementia, osteoporosis, gallstones, falls,
erectile dysfunction, peripheral vascular dis-
ease and 12 kinds of cancer.
Exercising right
But what if you already have one of these
conditions? Or, an ailment like rheumatoid ar-
thritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease,
congestive heart failure or osteoarthritis? How
can you exercise if you’re always tired or in
pain or have trouble breathing? Can exercise
really help?
You bet it can. In years past, doctors were
afraid to let heart patients exercise. When my
Exercise can lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, hypertension,
diabetes, obesity, depression, dementia, osteoporosis, gallstones,
falls, erectile dysfunction, peripheral vascular disease and 12
kinds of cancer.
Choose an exercise that suits
your daily needs, medication
schedule, side effects and
response to treatment
father had a heart attack in 1968, he
was kept sedentary for six weeks.
Now, heart attack patients are in
bed barely half a day before they
are up and moving, Moffat said.
The core of cardiac rehabilita-
tion is a progressive exercise pro-
gramme to increase the ability of
the heart to pump oxygen and to
pump nutrient-rich blood more effec-
tively throughout the body. The outcome
is better endurance, greater ability to en-
joy life and decreased mortality. The
same goes for patients with congestive
heart failure.
Yes to aerobics
Aerobic exercise lowers blood pressure
in people with hypertension, and it im-
proves peripheral circulation in people
who develop cramping leg pains when
they walk – a condition called intermit-
tent claudication. The treatment for it, in
fact, is to walk a little farther each day.
In people who have had transient is-
chemic attacks, or ministrokes, “gradually
increasing exercise improves blood flow to
the brain and may diminish the risk of a full-
blown stroke,” Moffat said. And aerobic and
strength exercises have been shown to im-
prove endurance, walking speed and the
ability to perform tasks of daily living up to
six years after a stroke. As Randi knows,
moderate exercise cuts the risk of de-
veloping diabetes. And for those
with diabetes, exercise im-
proves glucose tolerance – less
medication is needed to con-
trol blood sugar – and reduces
the risk of life-threatening
complications.
Water exercise
Exercise that builds gradu-
ally and protects inflamed
joints can diminish pain, fa-
tigue, morning stiffness, depres-
sion and anxiety, she said, and
improve strength, walking
speed and activity. Exercise is
crucial to improving function of total
hip or knee replacements. Water exer-
cises are particularly helpful for peo-
ple with multiple sclerosis, who must
avoid overheating. And for those with
Parkinson’s, resistance training and
aerobic exercise can increase their
ability to function independently and
improve their balance, stride length,
walking speed and mood. Resis-
tance training, along with aerobic
exercise, is especially helpful for
people with chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease; it helps coun-
ter the loss of muscle mass and
strength from lack of oxygen.
New York Times Syndicate
PHOTO: N. SRIDHARAN

Why seek liberation?

SADHGURU JAGGI VASUDEV
Is there something within you which does not like

W
hy should one seek moksha or liberation?
Firstly, there is no choice, so one must seek.
But, what one needs to keep in mind is to
seek it consciously, whatever be the limita-
tion. Seeking moksha in instalments is a foolish
thing, because it’s not going to work. If you do so-
mething that definitely will not work, that is stupid-
ity.
limitations? Life in general wants to break and go.
Now, out of your fear to break it, you may hang on to
it, but given the choice you would like to break it.
An individual choice!
This is the way life is being pushed all the time.
The very life in you is longing for this. Human life has
become more conscious about it. There is nobody
who doesn’t want to break his limitations. They may
be afraid to break it; they may be calculating the pros
and cons So, if you are seeking moksha, seek it con-
sciously or it doesn’t work. ■
To learn more about Isha Yoga and Jaggi Vasudev,
log on to www.ishafoundation.org. Call them at their
Chennai Centre in T.Nagar at 2433 3185.
 Friday, August 22, 2008
WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD!
Were you caught red-handed sleeping at work? Read on… some of our tried and tested tips
VENISHA SHETTY
Time: 11.30 a.m.
A
n important client present-
ation is in progress and half
way through it your
thoughts go tizzy. You
mumble to yourself, ‘must not
fall asleep’… . This awkward
scene could just be a nightmare
or an embarrassing reality if you
have been skimping fastidiously
on precious sleep.
Sleep is a ‘complicated’ natural
process and it varies according to
the person’s age, health and ac-
tivity levels. Those with sleep
problems complain or even boast
of insomnia caused by work dea-
dlines, graveyard shifts or sweet
eternal nothings on the phone.
These become either the inevita-
ble intruders or imperative ritu-
als, depending on whether they
sneak into your hours of sleep
uninvited or willingly.
Sleeping beauties
Your body and skin protests to
inadequate sleep with pale skin,
aggravated acne, rashes, the in-
famous ‘panda eyed’ look, altered
appetite, nausea and indigestion,
Love across longitudes
MITHRA SURESH
mithra@goergo.in
T here are certain road tests to
pass when it comes to relation-
ships. When everything is right –
the looks don’t matter, the teeth-
ing problems are done with, the
parents love you and space is not
an issue, what can possibly mar
the perfection that both of you
have achieved? Distance.
For Janaka, an eight-year-old
relationship with her childhood
friend Vedant broke off after he
shifted to New York on a job post-
ing. “After that long, I was sure we
were going to get married. But the
shift made it difficult for us to
continue because I could not af-
ford to call him often enough, he
would find it difficult to spend
enough time with me when he
did come down to India once in a
year,” she says pensively.
Expensive affair
For some others like Rachana,
Forty Winks: Napping at work is not always welcomed.
FILE PHOTO: A. ROY CHOWDHURY
to name a few.
At the workplace, chronically
sleep deprived employees’ show
a gradual decrease in output, ha-
zy memory, lethargy and fatigue,
which eventually slacken perfor-
it all began with a long-distance
call. “We were anyway phone
buddies who met once and hit it
off immediately. In fact during
that one weekend visit we be-
came an official couple and noth-
ing has changed.” Rachana, a
student, loves the fact that her
boyfriend Pranoy wakes her up in
time for college or even makes an
effort to talk to all her friends. “I
think the geographical distance
between two people is a true test
of commitment for another per-
son. You have to work that much
harder,” she says. Of course it is
more expensive and according to
Pranoy, “The amount I spend on
my calls to her can be used to buy
a 2 BHK flat.”
Physically handicapped
The hardest obstacle to cross in
a long distance relationship is the
lack of sex. George Thomas, who
was studying cyber security solu-
tions in the U.S, says that he had
Eye packs
15
Cucumbers are the most wonderful and
natural eye pads you can find for yourself.
The puffiness and the tiredness in your eyes
may just leave you, if you do this in a
relaxed fashion. Use slices of colf cucumber
after a long day at work
Battling sleep
■ Fix and stick to a bedtime. Go to bed with a positive idea
that you need your rest. A warm glass of milk or a relaxing
shower or a soak in the tub are said to soothe frayed nerves.
Avoid caffeinated beverages, fad diets or very heavy dinner
close to bedtime.
■ Reading is a good idea, but keep it light and strictly leave
all stressful work-related matters outside your bedroom.
■ Get some form of mild to moderate physical activity like
swimming, aerobics, walking in the morning or evening but
not close to bedtime. - Yoga and meditation offer holistic and
effective ways to calm you and ensure restful sleep.
■ Let the music play – Soft string, melodies, nature and
spiritual chants are common favourites.
■ Avoid barbiturates and excess alcohol. They prevent the
natural dream sleep cycle and pose as potential dangers in
the long run. Chronic insomnia could in fact, be the result of
extended drug usage and sedatives.
■ If you really got to think of a problem, do so in a calm and
composed manner. Make up your mind to sleep over it and
mance. wake afresh with renewed hope and energy.
Those folks who have success-
fully won the battle of the elusive ■ Finally, if you’re among those who have tried everything,
nod have suggested some tried then don’t hesitate to consult your physician. Chronic insom-
and tested ways to snag some nia is no badge of honour to flaunt.
restful time. ■
a hard time being faithful. “I had
to keep reminding myself that I
would lose the love of my life for
one night’s folly. And after a few
mugs of beer, I would find myself
flirting with other women.” Ge-
orge’s girlfriend, Sneha said that
she was often insecure during
George’s time abroad. She says
that she would often hear female
friends in the background during
their phone calls. “I was certain I
could trust him, but where the
other women were concerned I
was insecure. One of them even
invited him home despite know-
ing that he was seeing me,” she
says.
There is no sure-fire way to
work a long-distance relation-
ship. As Rachana says, “It took a
number of phone fights, misun-
derstandings and break-ups for
us to end up together. But long
distance or not, I guess every cou-
ple has gone through their bad
phase.” ■
16 ERGO Friday, August 22, 2008

Lee confirms marital troubles

Sport
Australian pace spearhead Brett Lee on Thursday confirmed that the breakdown of his two-
year-old marriage was behind his decision to skip the three-match one-day series against
Bangladesh starting August 30. The 31-year-old speedster in a brief statement released
through CA said that the break-up with Liz was the reason behind his decision of skipping
the Bangladesh series.

Spain, Italy want Danes’

gold annulled
CREATING
HISTORY
Spain and Italy have asked the Court of
Arbitration for Sport to rule on a
controversial Olympic final in which
Denmark took the gold medal despite
sailing the deciding race in a boat borrowed
from a Croatian crew. The Danish crew of
Jonas Warrer and Martin
Kirketerp Ibsen were
awarded the gold medal
on Monday in the 49er
skiff class. The Spanish
crew took silver and
Germany the bronze.
Italy finished fourth. The
Danish crew’s mast had
broken during practice
ahead of the start in the
gold-medal final. They
two got back into port
and borrowed a boat
from a Croatian crew —
with nationality markings CRO — and

A
managed to get across the start line just n Olympic
before the deadline. They finished seventh bronze
in the race, good enough to top the overall medal may
point’s standings. Race juries rejected have dif-
protests by Spain and Italy, so the second ferent meanings
and fourth place finishers took the case to to different ath-
CAS, which has the final word in such letes, an achieve-
disputes. A statement from CAS said the ment or a match with 4-1.
Italian and Spanish committees want the disappointment.
decisions reversed, and want the court “to For Afghan taek-
declare that the Danish team was not wondo player Ro-
entitled to take part in the gold medal race, hullah Nikpai, it
to disqualify the Danish team and to has more signifi-
reallocate the Olympic medals to the Spanish cant meaning.
team (gold medal), to the German team “After more than
(silver medal) and to the Italian team 30 years of war in Af-
(bronze medal).” CAS said a closed hearing ghanistan, I think this
is set for Friday in Beijing. medal is a very great
AFP message for peace and
the future of Afghanistan,”
said the 21-year-old.
The bronze after tough
competition against world
IAAF decides to act tough champion Juan Antonio Ramos
of Spain ended a half-century
Track and field’s world governing body is medal drought of the country
exploring the option of banning athletes since it joined the Olympic family
who test positive for doping from in 1936. It missed the Sydney
competing in the next possible world
championship. IAAF president Lamine Diack
Games as the International
Olympic Committee (IOC)
of Senegal said that his group should follow
the International Olympic Committee and
banned Afghanistan from the
Olympic Games in 1999 for the
keep dope cheats who serve a two-year ban
out for the next global championship
Taliban ruling.
Afghanistan’s best Olympic re-
showdown. “It may well be that we will sult was Mohammed Ebrahimi’s
have to act,” Diack fifth place in wrestling at the To-
said. “The IOC said kyo Games in 1964.
that whoever tests Nikpai, bronze medallist of this
positive will not year’s Asian championships,
compete at the next seized the chance of repechage,
Olympics. Maybe we after losing to Mexican player
will do that for the Guillermo Perez, who later
next world claimed the title in men’s 58kg
championships.” category, and made all-out efforts
While the Olympics to fight for the medal.
come only every
four years, the Great start
worlds come every two, so a two year ban He launched aggressive attacks
will ensure at least one missed IAAF world
event already.
PTI
Afghanistan’s
first-ever Olympic
medallist sends
message for
peace
to Ramos in the history-making
match, taking a two-points lead
in the first round. It was evened
when the Spanish scored one
point in round 2 and another
point at the beginning of round 3.
Nikpai continued his offensive
attacks, forcing the pre-game fa-
vourite to fall down at least twice
with obvious bitter expression in
his face, and managed to get two
Rohullah Nikpai of Afghanistan.
more points,
while the oppo-
nent received a
reduction penal-
ty before the
match ended.
He won the
Nikpai, one of
the four athletes
from Afghanistan,
drew almost the
same attention as
the gold medallist
did at the press
conference.
He said following
his brother, he started
learning taekwondo 11
years ago. Compared with
his two compatriots, 100-
meter sprinters, who have
never trained on a proper run-
ning track in their home country,
Nikpai is more fortunate.
“My training situation is like
my country’s situation. It’s good
for me, not bad,” he said. He has
a coach from South Korea and
the team also has a training camp
in South Korea.
His teammate Nesar Ahmad
Behave, 23, a world silver med-
allist, will compete in the men’s
68kg category on Thursday, seek-
ing another medal for the coun-
try. He will get a bonus of 50,000
U.S. dollars offered by a mobile
company.
“I’m not sure how to deal with
it,” he said in the mixed zone.
However, it’s for sure that he will
continue the training for next
Olympics.
“I’ll strive to achieve a better
result in my next Olympic
Games,” he said. ■
Xinhua
AFP
 Friday, August 22, 2008
17

‘‘
I got out good. I ran the corner as hard as possible and
once I entered the straight I told myself to keep it up -
’Don’t die on me now.
Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, who set a world record of 19.30sec in winning
the Olympic 200m gold, days after winning the 100m in a world record.

Knockout
PUNCH

AFP

I
ndian middleweight Vijender Kumar was
mobbed by dozens of excited journalists after
sealing the country’s first ever Olympic boxing
medal on Wednesday.
Kumar was vigorously hugged and kissed by Indi-
an media as he left the Workers Stadium after his
historic 9-4 victory over Carlos Gongora of Ecuador.
The Indian boxer fought a great tactical bout,
playing the “defend and wait” game to perfection
against his opponent.
The 23-year-old bus-driver’s son, and part-time
model, said he fought the bout of his life to reach the
semi-finals. “This is a great day for Indian boxing.
We’ve been under a lot of pressure recently so one of
us had to do it,” Vijender said. “This was the best
fight of my life because I’ve achieved something for
the country. I want to thank all the Indian people for
praying for me.”
Vijender, who has recently joined Haryana Police
as an inspector, was not willing to give up even after
two of his compatriots were shown the door in the
quarter-finals stage and had his sights on a medal.
He had planned it out well, not leaving anything to
chance. “I could not sleep the whole night. We had
discussed every small point, and I kept repeating it
to myself. Yes, I was very tense but this morning I
was relaxed. I knew I could do it.”
Vijender boxed with his arms close to his face,
jabbing with the left to keep his opponent away. In
the first minute of the first round, Gongora decided
to move in, trying to open Vijender up and he was
rocked by a right, straight into his face. That set the
trend for the bout.
Boxing in his blood
Vijender comes from India’s “Village of Boxers” –
Kalwash in the northern state of Haryana. His father,
who worked overtime on the buses to pay for his
career, and his mother, went on a pilgrimage to the
river Ganga before the Olympics.
He will now take on Cuba’s Emilio Correa for a
place in the final and a crack at the gold. “He is a
tough boxer and I will have to plan well,” Vijender
said. ■
AFP

Vijender mobbed after historic medal

18 I LEARNT TO PLAY THE
ERGO Friday, August 22, 2008

GUITAR AND WAS A GREAT

Flick
ROCK FAN BUT I SHOULD
ALSO CREDIT SHANKAR-
EHSAAN-LOY WHO SHOWED
FAITH IN ME... IN FACT, IT
WAS SHANKAR WHO
HONED MY SINGING SKILLS
AND A LOT OF CREDIT
GOES TO HIM Do you plan to act and sing in

T
here are few things Farhan Akhtar the future?
hasn’t tasted success with. From
making his directorial debut with a Why not, if I enjoy the script? I am,
landmark film like Dil Chahta Hai in fact, acting in my sister Zoya Akhtar’s
to a hit remake like Don, Farhan has Luck By Chance. As of singing, I haven’t
come a long way. And now his fans thought much. I am right now im-
await him in yet another avatar, as an mersed in Rock On.
actor and singer in the forthcoming re-
lease Rock On. The director-actor-singer How did Rock On happen?
on his new roles: Abhishek came up to me with the
script. He wanted me to act. I too liked it
So from a director you are now an and it just happened. But he was very
actor and singer… clear from the beginning that whoever
It’s nothing like that. I am doing this plays the lead vocalist has to sing. He
film because I liked the story and the knew me for a long time and he trapped
role. That’s why when director Abhish- me. (Laughs)
ek Kapoor came to me I did not hesitate
much. But you did justice to the songs.
I learnt to play the guitar and was a
But we never knew there were an great rock fan but I should also credit
actor and singer in you. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy who showed faith
I was never averse to acting. I always in me. I have worked with them earlier
liked acting, only that I never thought in Dil Chahta Hai, Lakshya and Don so I
of giving it a serious try. But I was al- know how talented they are. In fact, it
ways open to it. I was waiting for a was Shankar who honed my singing
right time because I don’t think I could skills and a lot of credit goes to him.
do so many things at a time. I started as
a director and wanted to focus on my Won’t you say another reason
work. people are waiting for Rock On is
that rock music hasn’t found much
But you are a brilliant singer, too. place in Bollywood?
Didn’t you think of singing That’s because Indians have heard in-
someday? ternational rock music and sound. But
Oh…is it so? I was also interested a there are so many good musicians here
lot in music but, again, I never gave it a who haven’t been tried out. Had they
serious thought. It just happened but I been utilised, we would have got rock
really enjoyed the whole experience. music in Hindi films long ago.

So you’ll be the person to look out

for once the film releases?
Don’t say that. It’s a film about four
friends and the story doesn’t move if
one is missing out. It is a film of four
people, Arjun Rampal, Luke Kenny, Pu-
rab and myself. But at the end of the
day it’s Abhishek’s film. I must say he
has done a brilliant job.

What next after Rock On? Acting or

back to direction?
In fact, both because I am gearing up
for my next directorial, Voice From The
Sky, and at the same time I will be acting
in Luck By Chance. I take my job serious-
ly so once I start these two things my
focus will shift there completely.

Farhan
What’s your next film about?
I won’t say much but what I can prom-
ise is something interesting… ■
Trans World Features

and further
Instead of directing, Farhan Akhtar
sings and acts in his next film, Rock On
 Friday, August 22, 2008
Ricky Martin becomes father of twins
Singer Ricky Martin has become the father of two twin
boys who were born via a surrogate mother. The children,
delivered via gestational surrogacy, are healthy and already
under Ricky’s full- time care, a spokesperson said.
Straight from Christian
Bale says he
the horse’s toned his
acting
techniques
mouth by watching
horses
W elsh-born actor Christian
Bale, who has won acclaim
for playing Batman and other
Japan Times.
Bale, a vegetarian since
childhood who takes in
roles, says he honed his acting stray cats and dogs as pets,
techniques by watching horses. told the newspaper that riding
“I love horses. I’ve learned horses has “a rhythm that’s rath-
from them,” said the 34-year-old er Zen-like.”
star of the latest Batman block- “When you can mount it and
buster The Dark Knight. move it and move along with
“Once you master a horse – but it, that is a hard-won and ve-
it also masters you – you gain ry real accomplishment,”
more confidence in yourself,” he he said. ■
told Thursday’s issue of The AFP
Kuwait bans Salman-Amitabh starrer
God Tussi Great Ho
THE MOVIE
REPORTEDLY
VIOLATES
TEACHINGS
OF ISLAM,
SAYS
MINISTRY
UNESCO City of Music
19
Glasgow was named a UNESCO City of Music on Wednesday in
recognition of its musical past and role in present-day music-
making and enjoyment. It becomes only the third such recipient of
the honour, after Bologna in Italy and Seville in Spain, and joins
the UN cultural agency’s Creative Cities Network, which aims to
promote the development of the arts in cities worldwide
Britney saddled with
hefty legal fees
T roubled popstar Britney
Spears has been burdened
with huge legal fees, following
her custody battle with ex-hus-
band Kevin Federline.
Court documents obtained
by CNN clearly indicate that
Spears’ legal bills from two law
firms who represented her in
trying to gain custody of the
couple’s two sons Sean Pres-
ton, 2, and Jayden James, 1, to-
tal more than 4,66,000 dollars.
The pop princess also has to
shell out 250,000 dollars for Fe-
derline’s legal fees, reports The
New York Daily News.
Lawyer Stacy D. Phillips has
billed the singer nearly 407,000
dollars for four months of
work.
Attorney Laura Wasser took
over the case after Phillips and
negotiated the custody agree-
ment between Federline and
Spears’ that gives Federline full
custody but allows Spears fre- time’ popstar is also suppose
quent visitation of the two to pay ex-husband Kevin Fe-
boys. derline 20,000 dollars a month
Wasser’s bill came to around under an agreement finalised
60,000 dollars. last month. ■
The ‘Hit me baby one more ANI
F ollowing UAE banning Salman-Amitabh star-
rer Bollywood movie God Tussi Great Ho, Ku-
wait has decided to stop its screening as well.
The country’s ministry of information decided
to impose a ban on the movie as it ‘reportedly
violates teachings of Islam,’ a Kuwait National
Cinema Company (KNCC) official told Arab
Times.
Interestingly, Bruce Almighty, the Jim Carrey-
Morgan Freeman movie of which God Tussi
Great Ho is a remake, ran in Dubai with cuts but
was banned in Kuwait.
Bruce Almighty has been repeatedly telecast
on Western movie channels that are aired in the
region. Pirated copies of the movie are already
available in these countries and hundreds of co-
pies are believed to have been sold already.
Kuwait banned the movie Kingdom last year
as it reportedly portrays Saudi authorities in a
negative light. ■
PTI
20 ERGO Friday, August 22, 2008

Scan One More Feather to His Cap

According to TV.com, Jackie Chan became the
only male singer to release an Official 2008
Beijing Olympics album in August 2008.

PICK OF THE DAY - Friday

Zee Café HBO Animal Planet Zoom

The Wonder Years – 6 pm
American TV series set in the early
seventies that tackles issues and
events of that time through the
eyes of main character Kevin
Arnold. The story is narrated by an
older, wiser Kevin in an alternately
nostalgic and ironic tone.
The persuit of Happyness
– 9 pm
Struggling salesman Chris Gardner
leaves his dead-end job to train as a
stockbroker. The problem is, he
won’t get paid until he passes and,
with no money, times get tight for
him and young son Christopher.
The Crocodile Hunter III
– 7 pm
America’s Deadliest Snakes. Steve
and Terri travel across the United
States in search of some of the most
remarkable Rattle Snake species this
country has to offer.
The Rakhi Sawant Show
– 7-30 pm
Vidya Balan. Watch all the spicy
gossip about our colourful film
industry via the bold, brutally
honest and much talked about host,
Rakhi Sawant.

PICK OF THE DAY - Saturday

Sony 9x Discovery Filmy

King Uncle - 2 pm
Multi-millionaire Industrialist Ashok
Bansal presides over the rest of his
family like a dictator. A run-away
orphan who ends up with him must
either live up to his rules or try to
change him.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa – 9 pm
Bhool Bhulaiyaa is a thriller-comedy
revealing undiscovered dimensions
of human psychology which many
of us could never even have
imagined.
Man Vs. Wild - 11 am
Bear Grylls shows viewers how to
survive the toughest and most
remote environments on the planet
by putting himself in the position of
a stranded tourist.
Sarkar - 7 am
Subhash Nagre has been found
guilty for acting as a power unto
himself. Watch how circumstances
force Subhash to come to terms
that he no longer is influential.

PICK OF THE DAY - Sunday

Animal Planet HBO Star Gold Sony Pix

Young and wild – 10.30 pm
The Dating Game: From an animal’s
first breath to his first steps to
when he finally leaves the maternal
bonds he is moving with one
purpose, to find a mate.
Final Destination 3 – 5 pm
A high school senior has a
premonition of death and manages
to save her friends and herself, but
death is out to take back their lives.
Conan The Destroyer – 8 pm
Princess Jehnna has been captured
by a sorcerer, so the evil queen
Taramis asks from Conan to find her
and bring her back to the castle.
Conan accepts, because Taramis has
magical powers.
Strange days - 10.30 pm
The movie tells the story of Lenny
Nero, an ex-cop who now deals
with data-discs containing recorded
memories and emotions. One day
he receives a disc which contains
the memories of a murderer killing
a prostitute. Lenny investigates the
case.
 Friday, August 22, 2008
21
Laundry bag
In Air Force slang, a ’laundry bag’ is a
parachute.

Greetings
The festival of flowers DakshinaChitra is all geared up for Onam this
Hi Rajkiran you a Very Happy
Today is your birthday. birthday. year. At DakshinaChitra, the 9 days festivities
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Muthu,Annie, Sarat,Siva and Srikanth.
Lavanya,Deepthi, NZX Team,TCS.
Pradeep,JP and TEAM Hi Sudha
Wipro Many More Happy
Dear Shanthi Returns of the day
Wishing u all many pa.Enjoy life, no
more happy returns of matter how hard it
this day(in advance) may seem!When life
May God bless u with gives you a thousand
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May all the Happiness Happy returns of DAY
in the world form a in advance. May all
cloud and shower on your dreams come
you in the year ahead. true. Don’t forget to
Wishes from your best Pals get chocolates n
COIN Team (TCS) cakes.Cheers
Hi Lenin Sirisha,Pavithra,Jahnavi,k
“Wish you Many More Namrata TCS
happy returns of the Hi IreneYou are
day. May god bless someone so Sweet &
you with health, True. One in a million
happiness and let all & that’s only you.
your dreams come true Wishing you a happy
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day.Happy Birthday bless you... With Love
Lenin.” Recruitment Team,
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Dear Kshu May god bless you and by P. Rajagopal and Hanne M. de Bruin. Enjoy your weekend
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happy returns of this Team - Billing
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day(in advance) May Cable & Wireless.
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God bless you with Wipro
Nungambakkam
everything you wished Hi Balasubramanian When: ColorPlus Woman has just intro-
in your life.Hearty Venkadachalam August 23, 6.30 p.m. duced a new line of apparels for
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22 ERGO Friday, August 22, 2008

Football flops

Traffic Jam The UK Football fans have picked a team

of the worst 11 players ever to grace the
Premier League, which includes more
players from Manchester Utd than any
other team.

sudoku

Bhagath
Kumar
Bhagavathi
of HCL
Technologies
clicked the
picture with
his Nikon D40
at Oregon in
Lawrence
Beach.

KAKURO
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Mail us your best work and we’ll publish it in this space, with credit.
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 Friday, August 22, 2008
23
Naked ambition Word’s worth
A hiker jailed for walking across Germany "Yemeles" (yeem-lis) an obsolete word
naked has been allowed to go nude meaning ’careless, negligent.’ To take yeme is
because prison clothes depress him. to observe or be careful.

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

You may be very much dedicated to your work in
the first half of the day. In the second part, you
may focus on fiscal gains. You will work with better
concentration in the second half. You will appease
your beloved very much to receive love in return.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

At the beginning of the day, you may be wasting
energy behind fruitless pursuits. Post lunch time,
you will achieve your targets. You can impress
others in meetings post lunch. Lovers and married
couple will be deeply involved in the relationship.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

You may start the day with a very positive note.
BORN LOSER You will be able to work at double speed. In
second part, you may be put off by someone, hence
you will need to control your emotions. In the
evening you will receive love from your beloved.
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
Ganesha’s foresight says that you may be struggling
a lot to resolve a technical problem. In the second
part you will be able to fix the problem successfully.
Married life or love life may be smooth provided
you avoid heated arguments and inflexibility.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
You should try to remain low profile at workplace
as others may be jealous of your progress. After
lunch time, avoid confrontation with superiors. You
will spend wonderful time with family. In love life
you may have compromising attitude, feels Ganesha.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
You will be rewarded well for the hard work that
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT you have been putting in at office. Take care of
your health. You may plan to take your beloved to
a nice restaurant for the dinner. Alternatively, you
can also go for a movie, suggests Ganesha.
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
It is slightly unfavourable day for you. You must not
confront with anyone, else you may not be able to
prove your points. Your personal life may undergo
some stress. You may get angry at your beloved for
no reason! Handle personal life with due care.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
At the beginning of the day you may list out
pending tasks and in the second half, you may
finish them off successfully. The day is favourable
for technical works. Your evening may be full of
delight in the company of someone you love most.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
At the beginning of the day you will be very
restless. If you take up more than one activity, you
will not be able to finish. Instead, you must go with
proper planning. In love life, your approach may
change and you will become more responsible.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
First part of the day is average for you, but in the
second half you have stars in favour. Do not plan
important meeting before lunch time. Love life may
seem more charming as you will express your love
very nicely in front of your partner.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS Others may demand your attention so you may not
be able to focus on your work. In the second half,
ISSUE’S you will handle work easily. There may be demands
on the domestic front. You may be in a romantic
SOLUTIONS mood but cold response from lover may put you off.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
In first half of the day, you may take initiative and
try to handle your work with best of your abilityYou
may get irritated due to noise at office. Ganesha
suggests you to maintain focus. It is favourable day
to express your love through email or SMS.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
24 ERGO Friday, August 22, 2008

Big nose

!
A life-size model of an 18th century
Yorkshire man with the longest nose in
history is among the attractions at
London’s newest tourist attraction.

Chinese children play in the

fountains outside the National
Aquatic Centre in Beijing.
Coke bottles feature Chinese
hurdler Liu Xiang at the
Olympic Shuang Zone as the
company makes a limited
edition to honour the injured
Olympian. According to
Xinhua agency, Liu Xiang has
said he will run even faster
after he fully recovers from a
tendon injury that forced the
Olympic champion out of the
Beijing Games.

Iain Percy
and Andrew
Simpson of
Great Britain
compete on
their way to
finishing first
overall in the
A local fan displays his Star class
painted head outside the event held at
National Stadium in Beijing. the Qingdao
Olympic
Sailing Centre
during day 13
of the Beijing
Olympic
Games. GETTY
IMAGES

Agnes Valkai of
Hungary takes a shot at
goal during the water
polo bronze medal
match against Australia
held at the Yingdong
Natatorium of National
Olympic Sports Centre
during Day 13 of the
Beijing Olympic Games.
GETTY IMAGES