Ergo February 26

8/14/2019 Ergo February 26

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Thursday, February26, 2009A BYTE OF LIFE

FOUR LEGS GOODTwo professionals recall some timewell spent at an animal home

FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 3 No. 37

FIRST BLOODKiwis come up trumps in first T20 contest

0602

Oru clue tharaamoThe peppy, livelyand non-stophost of FTQfame completes10 years inthe televisionindustry.Rekha Menonon her journeyso far.

RX RESURRECTION

The Yamaha RX series ishot property in the second-hand market in the city

PAGE 08

PAGE 03


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ERGO Thursday, February 26, 2009NAMMA CHENNAI02

Do you love to play with children? Are yougood at art? Have you always wanted topaint a room? Do you want to have fun andget messy at the same time? Are you apeoples person? Heres an opportunity foryou.Involve, a monthly volunteering initiative byiVolunteer, a not-for-profit organisationworking in the social sector, is creatingawareness on community development atKannagi Nagar Community inThoraipakkam.

How you can play a role? You need tovolunteer for around three hours, whereyou will be required to clean up thekindergarten rooms, add some colour to theclassroom by putting up posters and paint aclassroom with creative art works.This will be followed by a general awarenesssession on the community by theprogramme coordinator of The HopeFoundation Nursery and Primary School forthe Kannagi Nagar Community. You cancome in as groups and be part of thiscommunity programme.

Though I love pets, the bache-lor accommodation I stay inisnt conducive for keeping one.

After reading about AWPT in Er-go last week, my friend Dhara-nikar Kona and I decided tovisit them. With some difficulty

we located the house and weregreeted by lots of cute cats that

were lazing around. Most of thecats we find on the street areafraid of strangers and wont let

you pet them, but these catswere extremely friendly.

Mr. Narasimhamoorthy

greeted us and showed usaround. The all white Mongo-lian cat, Bush, was the mostadorable one while another one

was called Laptop because it jumps up and sits on peopleslaps. Several dogs and cats livedin harmony with Mrs. Padma-vathi and Narasimhamoorthy

who have been treating theseabandoned pets as their ownchildren. The few hours wespent in the company of theseanimals were well worth it.

(The writer is a business

analyst with Satyam Computer

Services and blogs at enidhi.net)

Two business analysts took time off to visitan old couple and provide some much- needed

cheer to the four-legged residents at their shelter

SHRINIDHI [email protected]

Book launchGoethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan will play host to the lauof Inkheartby Cornelia Funke. The book will be released todaat 6 p.m. For details call 2833 1314/ 0645.

There are some new faces at AWPT this week. A few kittens and puppies including the ones inthese pictures are available for adoption. All of them are in good health and are ready to begiven to nice owners free of cost. Call 22781381 or 99629-68265 for details.

Time well spent

TAKE ME HOME

Do you care tospare some timeand thought?

What, when, whereWhat: Community work

When: February 28; 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: 5/8, Bharathiyar Street,Saravanbhava Nagar,Mootaikaranchavadi, Thoraipakkam,OMR, Chennai 97To confirm your participation call98414 87984 or [email protected]


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Thursday, February 26, 2009

Her colleagues tease her forgoing bak-bak through-out the day and againtalking non-stop on tele-

vision in the evenings. But quizenthusiasts loved her witty jab-ber in fact, the more the mer-rier as that would only take themcloser to the correct answers.The FabIndia kurtas, which shedotingly wore for every show(some borrowed), almost be-

came a fashion statement inKerala.

Like her, hate her, there is nodenying the fact that Rekha Me-non made quizzing more fun

with her inimitable style valu-nadaccent, clues (oru clue tha-raamo!) and the lively talk. Frommaking her debut as host for thepenultimate episode ofMafatlalTele Quiz(it was luck by chanceas the original host couldntmake it) in 1999, Rekha hascome a long way.

This year marks her 10th anni-

versary in the television indus-try. Quite an achievement forthis corporate communicationsmanager with UST Global inChennai, one of the many rolesshe juggles. She hops fromChennai to Kerala for her ongo-ing show on Amrita TV, shooting

for which she schedules on wee-kends and on a monthly basis.Plus, she translates books forchildren.

The communicator

It was during my three-month project in MavoorRayons, where I had to use mycharm to get work done, that Irecognised the communicatorin me, recalls Rekha, who is aPost Graduate in EnvironmentalScience.

Her first stint was with Asia-net, where she worked in theproduction unit. Seeing an-chors come and go I used to

wonder namakku yogam illalo,she laughs.

Destiny smiled during herstint as associate consultant

with Venture Management As-sociates, Trivandrum. FamilyTele Quiz made the quizzer-cum-researchers quick and wit-ty style a household name inKerala.

The show extended from 13 to26 to 52 to 1,000 episodes. Theresponse grew with QuestionTime, which replaced prime-time Malayalam soaps with alive quiz show the first in a Ma-layalam channel.

Showtime

Quizzing won me a lot offans. I had a caller who wantedto send me a packet of prawnsfor helping him get five answerscorrect, she laughs. Rekhasstreak continued with India Vi-sion, where she hosted 52 epi-sodes ofSancheri, a travel show.

In fact, this made me a pro-fessional anchor. I picked up allthe nuances of production, she

says, with due credit to her coporate exposure.

A childrens show on AmriTV, Kelivadil, followed. Nowdays, it is Thirakkil Alpam Nram on Amrita which is takinher to a new high.

It is a very walk-the-talk fo

mat where I interview personaities from different walks of lifmaking them open up on quetions they generally wouldntsays Rekha, in her mid-30s, whis looking for a longer innings otelevision.

From Ranji Panikkar to Oommen Chandy to Prakash Raj, shsays it is the warmth she share

with the interviewee that makher show click.

This March, the show will bairing its 50th episode, which a must-watch.

Actor Thilakan is slated fothe 50th episode and I am tolhe generally doesnt smile duing interviews, which I manageto change, she says.

Malayalees will not forget RekhaMenon easily, at least for the non-

stop banter on Quiz Time. Thetelevision anchor celebrates 10 years

in the industry this year

LIFFY [email protected]

Quizzingwon me a

lot of fans. I hada caller whowanted to sendme a packet ofprawns forhelping him getfive answerscorrect

Oru clue tharaamo

Inviting business plansThe Chennai Fund, started by Charter members of TiE Chennai Chapter, invitesbusiness plans from early stage entrepreneurs. Applications must be sent beforeFebruary 27 to [email protected] and [email protected] details call Sharon at 98842 84578/ 65154900. Website:chennaifund.com


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Media tycoon Rupert Murdochon Tuesday apologised for apolitical cartoon of a chimpanzeeseen by critics as a racist depic-tion of President Barack Obama.

However, the apology was re-jected as too little, too late bythe National Association for theAdvancement of Colored People(NAACP), the biggest US advoca-cy group for blacks.

In a statement on the websiteof his tabloid The New York Post,which printed the cartoon, Mur-doch said: Last week, we made amistake. We ran a cartoon thatoffended many people. Today Iwant to personally apologize.

Murdoch said the cartoonpoked fun at the economic stim-ulus plan pushed by Obama,

Americas first black president.It was not meant to be racist,

but unfortunately it was inter-preted by many as such, Mur-doch said.

The cartoon featured Travis, areal-life chimpanzee shot last

week by police in Connecnear New York, after it hadtacked a woman. In the drawtwo policeman stand overchimps body. One says: Thhave to find someone els

write the next stimulus bill.The NAACP, a civil rights o

nization, dismissed the apoand said the cartoon was deoffensive.

Mr Murdochs apology coonly after almost a week of tenthousands of expressions of rage and disgust from peacross the country, said Bemin Todd Jealous, the NApresident and CEO.

It was not meant tobe racist, butunfortunately itwas interpreted bymany as such

Murdoch apologizes for racist chimp cartoon

ERGO Thursday, February 26, 2009VILLAGE04

Google backs EU antitrustcomplaint against MicrosoftGoogle threw its backing on Tuesday behind theEuropean Commissions antitrust complaint againstrival Microsoft for tying its Internet Explorer Webbrowser to its Windows operating system.We are applying to become a third party in theEuropean Commissions proceeding, SundarPichai, a Google vice president for productmanagement, said in a post on the company blog.

AFP

Holocaust-denying bishoparrives in LondonA British-born Roman Catholic bishop who has denied theHolocaust arrived back in Britain on Wednesday after beingasked to leave Argentina.Bishop Richard Williamson was surrounded by an armedpolice guard and a crowd of photographers as he emergedfrom the arrivals gate of the Heathrow airport after flyingin from Buenos Aires.The Argentine government last Thursday gave Williamson10 days to leave the country for having deeply shockedArgentine society, the Jewish people and all of humanity.The bishop had been living at a seminary 40 kilometers (25miles) west of Buenos Aires. He has been at the centre of a

ragingcontroversyafter saying onSwedish

television lastmonth: Therewas not oneJew killed bythe gaschambers. It wasall lies, lies,lies.

AFP

UN chiefurges releaseof jailedZimbabweactivistsUN chief Ban Ki-moonon Wednesday calledon ZimbabwePresident RobertMugabe to freearound 30 jailedactivists to help heal

the nation.While I support the launch of a unity government, it willbe appropriate for Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe toheal the nation and release the detained activists, Bantold reporters during a visit to South Africa.About 30 human rights activists and supporters of newPrime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai remain behind barsdespite the formation of a unity government earlier thismonth, meant to end nearly a year of political turmoil.Among them is Roy Bennett, a top aide to Tsvangirai, whowas arrested shortly before erstwhile opposition leaderTsvangirai was inaugurated.

AFP

Shooting mars Mardi GrasSix people were shot at the New Orleans MardiGras festival. Authorities said the shooting took

place on Fat Tuesday the most festive day ofthe 12-day Carnival season on the St. CharlesAvenue parade route shortly before 2 p.m. (2000GMT). The victims included a one-year-old boy.None of the injuries appeared fatal and policequickly arrested two men after a brief chase,recovering three guns.The shooting came immediately after the paradeof Rex the titular King of Carnival.

AFP

Crazy about piercingElaine Davidson, recognised by Guinness World Records as thmost pierced woman, has dramatically increased the amount decorative metal attached to her body from 462 in 2000 tomore than 6,000 in 2009.


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Only half the 30,000 extrahotel rooms needed fornext years New DelhiCommonwealth Games

will be ready in time, a parlia-mentary panel report hasclaimed in the latest gloomy as-sessment.

The report, unveiled late Tues-day, criticised delays in buildinginfrastructure and the lack of co-

ordination between the variousgovernment agencies charged

with the October 3-14, 2010Games.

The 2010 games are drawingnear and so many projects are yetto be initiated, let alone beingcompleted, said the report bythe panel on transport and tou-rism headed by federal lawmakerSitaram Yechury.

There are a large number ofcivic and other agencies, butthere is an absence of a co-ordi-nated mechanism.

Of the 39 hotel sites auctionedby the Delhi Development Au-thority (DDA) ahead of theGames, only 19 had begun con-

struction work, the report said.The committee has serious

doubts about the capability ofDDA for expediting the issue ofidentification and allotment of

hotel sites for constructionbudget hotels for the Gamesaid.

The panel predicted a shoof 14,000 hotel rooms, but fedtourism minister Ambika rubbished suggestions the Ga

will be affected.Our scheme to develop

and breakfast units throughNew Delhi is working very w

the minister told reportersWednesday.

The Delhi government urged residents to convert a of their property into bed breakfast units that will be ulated by the state authoritie

The Commonwealth GaFederation (CGF) has raised cern over the slow pace of w

which has already forcedworld badminton championsin August this year to be shifteHyderabad.

However, Indian Olympicsociation secretary-genRandhir Singh played down that the Games will be helhalf-complete stadia.

Most of the venues wilhanded to us by the end of

year and the rest by next MarSingh said.

Construction work begun in only 19 of 39 hotelsites allotted for the 2010 Commonwealth Games,

says parliamentary panel report

So much needed insuch little time


As Nepals last king Gyanendraheads for India to begin hisfirst visit abroad after beingstripped of his crown and throne,the ancestral palace he quit lastyear readies to throw its gateswide open to the public on Fri-day, when it is metamorphosedinto a national museum.

The Narayanhity royal palace,one of the best-known sights ofKathmandu where three kingshad lived and one gunned downin a surprise attack, becomes thenew Himalayan republics latest

tourist attraction from Friday.Now curious onlookers can saun-ter right up to the razed-downbuilding where the dark and mys-terious massacre occurred in2001, killing the then king, queen

and eight other family members.Prime Minister Pushpa KamalDahal Prachanda formally inaug-urates the royal palace as a mu-seum dedicated to the people.

Gyanendra and his wife, theformer queen Komal, left the Na-rayanhity last June after being or-dered by Nepals lawmakers.

In addition to the razed man-sion, 19 rooms of the palace

would be opened in the firstphase. Also on display would beornate sculptures, mirrors, pho-tographs and oil paintings. Thegovernment has planned an ad-mission fee of NRS 100 for Nepa-lis, NRS 250 for SAARC andChinese visitors and NRS 500 forother visitors.

IANS

Nepal ready with guidedtour of royal palace

South Korean children wear gas masks as they participate in a civil defenceexperience against a mock atomic, biological and chemical attack in Seoul onWednesday. AFP PHOTO/KIM JAE-HWAN

In mock defence

Website of the dayCatch up with your favourite TVtheme tunes of yesteryear:http://www.tvtunesonline.com/

Keep it simpleCivil servants in Zhengzhou, China, have beenbanned from sporting unnatural hair styles orbright clothes, thanks to new city regulations.


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ERGO Thursday, February 26, 2009SPORT06

Nehwal set for All EnglandIndias world number 10 Saina Nehwal hasrecovered from a shoulder injury and willreturn to action at next months All Englandsuper series, domestic media reported onWednesday. The 18-year-old, a quarter-finalist at last years Beijing Olympics,passed a fitness test on Tuesday after

undergoing a five-week rehabilitationprogramme, herphysiotherapist HeathMatthews said. Theworld junior championmissed this monthsnationalchampionship, dashingher hopes of claiminga hat-trick of singlestitles. She is a littlestiff now but is goingto be fine by the timewe leave for Englandon Saturday,Matthews said.

Reuters

Nishikori warned overbleeping cell phone

Japans numberone KeiNishikori hasbeen warnednot to let hismobile phonego off on courtduring nextweeks homeDavis Cup clashwith China. The19-year-old hasbeen told toleave his phonein the locker

room after itkept bleepingduring a first-

round defeat in Memphis last week,Japanese media reported on Wednesday.He will have to be very careful about hismobile phone, said Japans Davis Cup coachEiji Takeuchi. Ill be warning him aboutthat just to be on the safe side.Nishikori had left his phone in his jacketpocket while playing Cypriot MarcosBaghdatis and ended up a 5-7, 3-6 loser,later admitting the incoming call had puthim off. At the very least he will have tolearn to put it on vibration mode, addedTakeuchi, who also selected Go Soeda,Satoshi Iwabuchi and Takao Suzuki for thetie with China. Nishikoris popularity hassurged in Japan since he became his

countrys first winner on the mens ATP Tourat Delray Beach in February last year. TheFlorida-based Nishikori has slipped from acareer-high 56th in the world after hisbreakthrough victory to his current rankingof 93.

Reuters Brendon McCullum made56 not out and shared anunbroken 60-run partner-ship with Jacob Oram to

lead New Zealand to a seven- wicket win over India on Wednesday in the first of twoTwenty20 cricket internationals.McCullum fashioned a restrainedhalf century from 48 balls withthree sixes and two fours to steerNew Zealand past Indias total of162 for eight with seven balls tospare.

New Zealand was 166 for threein the 19th over when Oram (29not out) struck the games 24thsix to clinch the win. Indias in-nings, highlighted by an unbea-ten 61 by Suresh Raina, included13 sixes, one fewer than the rec-ord for a single innings in aTwenty20 international. WhenNew Zealand peppered the shortboundaries at AMI Stadium with11 more sixes, delighting a crowdin excess of 16,000, it establisheda record for most sixes in an in-ternational Twenty20 match.

Regular wicketsIndia appeared to have posted

a competitive total after losingthe toss and being sent in on aslow pitch which occasionally

confounded batsmen with lowbounce. Raina played a steadyinghand in an innings which pro-gressed in fits and starts with al-ternate clutches of sixes and

wickets. Virender Sehwag openedthe innings explosively with threesixes from the first three balls hefaced before he was bowled byTim Southee for 26. Later, YusufPathan smashed three straightsixes from the first three ballsbowled by rookie off-spinnerNathan McCullum brother of

Brendon and was caught onthe boundary by Oram attempt-ing a fourth. Raina hit two suc-cessive sixes to raise his 50 from38 balls. His innings lasted 43balls and included five sixes andtwo fours. McCullum hit two six-es and a four from three balls toraise New Zealands hundred asthe home team carefully but re-lentlessly chased down the Indi-an total.

It was a really pleasing win,New Zealand captain Daniel Vet-tori said. In all aspects we played

well. India put us under real pres-sure and to still get up and win

was a good effort.

Steady startMcCullum cleverly guided the

New Zealand run chase, opethe innings and batting throall of its 18.5 overs.

He lost his opening partJesse Ryder, with the total atbut was helped by Martin Gu(41) to revive the innings witruns for the second wicket. Taylor made a valuable 31, ging New Zealand to 106 for ththen old heads McCullum Oram steered New Zeahome.

India skipper Mahendra S

Dhoni said the manner in wNew Zealand went about itsnings was educational. Weoff to a good start but we faileapproach it as a 20-over mathe said. There are 20 overs people fail to realize its a decelong game. Nobody took respsibility to stay there in the miand bat through because itsportant to have wickets in hat the end.

The second match is at lington on Friday.

Brief scoresIndia 162/8 (S. Raina 61

out, I. Butler 2/29) lose by sewickets to New Zealand 166/McCullum 56 not out, J. Gu41).

McCullum carries his bat to stifle Indian resistance

Brendon McCullum sweeps as Indian wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni looks on during thTwenty20 match in Christchurch on Wednesday. PHOTO: AFP

Kiwis gallop home

IPL tournament directorEx-army officer Dhiraj Malhotra has been appointed as the tournament director fthe second season of the Indian Premier League starting April 10 and concluding May 24.Catherine Simpson, of International Management Group, was appointed

joint tournament director of the T20 League and, along with Malhotra, would beoverall charge of cricket operations, programming and logistics during the 45-dayevent, a media release from IPL said.


7/16


There are around 560 days for the Commonwealth Games. If we have enough funds,these days are enough to make elaborate arrangements for the Games. As an

athlete, I wish to see a successful Commonwealth Games in India. It will energise our sports.So, the efforts must be made on war-footing for the smooth functioning of the games.

P.T. Usha

Barcelona had to scrap for a1-1 draw at Olympique Lyonand Manchester United werefrustrated in a goalless game

at Inter Milan as the ChampionsLeague returned with a lack of re-spect for reputation on Tuesday.

While Barcelona needed an un-tidy goal from Thierry Henry totake a slim advantage from the firstleg of their last-16 tie against Lyon,holders United failed to take ad-vantage of a series of early chancesin Milan.

United did extend their unbea-ten run to a record 20 ChampionsLeague matches but manager sirAlex Ferguson again failed to getthe better of Jose Mourinho andthey will have to tread carefully inthe second leg at Old Trafford.

The other two ties are also wellpoised after Porto twice came frombehind to draw 2-2 at Atletico Ma-drid and Arsenal produced the onlyvictory of the night, 1-0 at home toRoma thanks to a Robin van Persiepenalty.

Jittery startBarcelonas elegant passing

game, similar to the one that tookSpain to victory at Euro 2008, hasbeen the envy of Europe this sea-son but their form has desertedthem lately and they made another jittery start against Lyon. TheFrench side took the lead from asource familiar to anyone follow-ing the Champions League downthe years, as the games leadingset-piece specialist Juninho de-ceived Victor Valdes with a dippingfree kick from the left.

Barcelona were terrible in thefirst half and Karim Benzema camewithin a whisker of making it 2-0but they improved after the break

and got a deserved equaliser whenFrench striker Henry stooped tohead in a deflected corner. Theaway goal gave Barcelona, twiceformer champions, a slim advan-tage to take to the Nou Camp intwo weeks.

We missed our chance in thefirst half, when we should havebeen rewarded for our efforts butwe gave everything, said Lyoncoach Claude Puel.

Missed chancesThe two English sides in action on

Tuesday may also have cause to ruemissed opportunities. United werelast beaten in a Champions Leaguematch when they lost 0-3 away to

AC Milan in 2007 but a similar re-sult from their latest trip to the SanSiro never looked on the cards. Cris-tiano Ronaldo forced a point-blanksave from Inter keeper Julio Cesarand the chances came thick andfast for United for the remainder ofthe first half.

Mourinho, whose Porto sideknocked out United on their way towinning the Champions League in2004, inspired a huge improvementin the second half but United camedesperately close to a winner when

Ronaldos last-gasp free kick wasbeaten away.

Arsenal were the only winnersbut it should have been a morecommanding victory. They had tobe content with the penalty fromVan Persie, which the Dutchmanwon himself when he was bundledover by French defender PhilippeMexes after 37 minutes.

Goals galoreGoals were plentiful in Madrid,

where Atletico and twice former

champions Porto fought out athriller. Atletico hit the groundrunning, Maxi Rodriguez givingthem the lead in the third minutebefore Lisandro Lopez burstthrough to put the Portuguese sidelevel.

A mistake from Porto keeper Hel-ton let Diego Forlans weak shotslither in at the end of the first halfbut back Porto came again with Lo-pez turning in Aly Cissokhos lowcross.

Reuters

European powerhouses fail to impress on the opening night of the Champions League knockout stage

Night of mediocrity

ArsenalsDutch

forwardRobin vanPersie (left)fights for thball with ASRomasFrenchdefenderPhilippeMexes durintheirChampionsLeague pre-quarterfinalmatch at thEmiratesstadium inLondon onTuesday.

PHOTO: AFP


8/16

ERGO Thursday, February 26, 2009ROADSTER08

RX 100 costs over Rs. 25,000 inChennai city (second-handprice).

Twenty-nine-year-old Ram Ku-mar from Ambattur recently soldhis 1991 model black RX 100 for afat price. The bike was my broth-ers and I started to use it after hemigrated to Canada. I decided tosell the bike as I am sufferingfrom severe back pain.

I was taken aback by the de-mand for the RX when I put it upfor sale, says Ram, who inciden-

tally had four bidders for his bikeas it was a first-hand one in goodcondition.

Shanmugam, who has beenrunning a mechanic shed for over20 years in Ashok Nagar, termsthe RX 100 irreplaceable. Thevehicles good speed, stunningpickup, riding comfort and low

maintenance requirement put iton top of the second-hand bikesin the market. I have seen someof my young customers, whohave hunted for long, buy the RX100 and get it serviced to show-

Born to lead was the tagline

with which it rolled ontothe Indian roads. Produc-tion terminated in 1996,

but it is still one of the best andfavourite two-stroke rides in thecountry. The famous Yamaha RX

100 motorcycle has now stormedback into the market (second-hand) and minds of young roa-dies hungry for speed.

With its 98cc air-cooled single-cylinder engine, the RX 100, con-sidered the little brother of thelegendary Rajdoot 350 (well-known as Yamaha RD 350), hit

Indian roads towards the end of1985. The sleek and stylish four-speed power-packed ride that

won roadsters hearts has beengradually resurrected. Believe itor not, a good condition Yamaha

room condition in sheer crazthe bike, he adds.

The Yamaha RX 100s suc

sors, the RXG, RX 135 and despite being out of producare still doing well in the sechand market in the city. Similthe first five-speed transmisrides from the Yamaha stabthe RXZ and RX 135 aremost sought-after these days

The five-speed Yamaha RXwhich witnessed a poor resp while being in production, i

terestingly a hit among spfreaks and racing aspirants nTwenty-year-old SaravananChoolaimedu recently resurted an RX 135 five-speed from its muddy grave. Giving eye-catching white paint jobmatching stickering, Saravangearing up for professional

ing.This bike on the race trabelieved to be very reliaadaptable and also more stthan any other five-speed chine, says the youngster.

The Yamaha RX 100s successors, the RXG, RX 135 andRXZ, despite being out of production, are still doing well inthe second-hand market in the city. Similarly, the first five-speed transmission rides from the Yamaha stables theRXZ and RX 135 are also the most sought-after

RX resurrectedThe Yamaha RX series two-strokemotorcycles, which are now out ofproduction, are interestingly the most

sought-after second-hand bikes in thecity. Ruling the pack is the RX 100


9/16


CastrolpresentsPower1 PassionHunt

Heres your chance toenter the secondedition of the CastrolPower1 Passion Hunt, anationwide search forIndias most passionate biker, and win a Superbike.To be held in eight cities (Pune, Mumbai,Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai andBangalore), winners from each city will competeagainst each other at the national finals to be heldin New Delhi on April 22. The Chennai leg will be

held on April 4.The challenge includes a test of biking skills, bikestyle quotient, biking knowledge and overall passionfor biking.The overall winner will be awarded a Yamaha R1Superbike, which will be handed over by actor JohnAbraham.In addition to the ground event, there is an onlinecomponent as well in the Castrol Power1 PassionHunt.Bikers can log on to power1hunt.com and createtheir own personal profiles as passionate bikers toshowcase to the world. On this site, bikers canupload pictures, videos and stories pertaining tobiking.Visitors to the site will be able to vote for the onlineCastrol Power1s Most Passionate Biker and thisonline winner will also have an opportunity toparticipate in the all-India final.

AN

SNIPPET

GRAPHIC NEWSource: Mercedes-Benz

BlueEFFICIENCY:New E250 CDI

diesel cuts fuel consumptionto 5.3 lit res/100 km andCO2 to 159-164g/km

Transmission : Manual gearbox featur

start-stopto soff engine w

station

Worlds most aerodynamicallyefficient production car,with drag co-efficientof 0.24 less thana Toyota Prius

Speedometer features fuelefficiency and gearshiftadvice indicators

New tyres have 17% lessrolling resistance

Headlights dim automaticallyto avoid blinding oncoming drivers

Mercedes-Benzs new E-class luxury sedan consumes 20-23% less futhan current models while packing in advanced safety technologyto monitor driver fatigue and offer automatic emergency braking

Wheelbase: 2,874mman with his Yamaha RX 135 five-speed

35 five-speed motorcycle being customised for the racing circuit


10/16

ERGO Thursday, February 26, 2009FLICK10

No nose job, or so she says

Diane Kruger has slammed reports claiming shehad gone under the knife to get her nose fixed.The National Treasure star had raised eyebrows

after being spotted with bruises under both eyes asshe recently attended Tommy Hilfigers runwayshow in Manhattan at New York Fashion Week.

The actresssparked rumours ofhaving undergonerhinoplasty aftershe was seentrying to cover upher eyes with darksunglasses.

However, her repinsisted that Dianehad only had hereyesight corrected.

The truth is shehad laser eyesurgery the daybefore, the DailyExpress quoted herspokesperson assaying.

ANI

S

ean Penn, days after receiving hissecond best-actor Oscar for his workin the movieMilk, is in talks to star

in a film about ex-CIA spy ValeriePlame, Hollywood media reported onTuesday.

Fair Game will feature directorDoug Liman (Mr. & Ms. Smith) and isto star Naomi Watts as the real-lifeundercover agent whose identity wasillegally revealed in 2003, sparking acrisis for the administration of presi-dent George W. Bush.

Varietymagazine reported that Penn isin negotiations to portray Plames hus-band, Ambassador Joseph Wilson, whosaw his wifes CIA identity uncovered afterhe wrote columns criticising Bushs han-dling of the invasion of Iraq.

The former envoy to Iraq, in anopinion piece in The New YorkTimes, had accused the admin-

istration of distorting intelli-gence about Iraq, particularlyabout weapons of mass de-struction.

The film is based on Plames2007 memoir, Fair Game: My Lifeas a Spy, My Betrayal by theWhite House, according to Varie-ty.

Should Penn commit to theproject it would be his secondfilm co-starring opposite

Watts. The two paired up inthe 2003 drama 21 Grams.

AFP

Sean Pennin talks forfilm onousted CIA spy ValeriePlame

Penns nextcontroversy

Fair Game willfeature directorDoug Liman (Mr. &Ms. Smith) and is tostar Naomi Wattsas the real-lifeundercover agentwhose identity wasillegally revealed in2003, sparking acrisis for theadministration ofpresident GeorgeW. Bush

GETTY IMAGESCANNES, FRANCE - MAY25: Jury President SeanPenn during the PalmedOr Closing Ceremonyat the Palais desFestivals during the 61stInternational CannesFilm Festival on May 25,2008 in Cannes, France.(Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Alls well that mends well?It looks like American singer/songwriter ChrisBrown is trying to get back into his ex-girlfriendRihannas good graces by presenting her withlavish gifts on her 21st birthday.As per Hollyscoop.com, Rihanna celebrated herbirthday this past weekend, throwing a low-keyparty at a home in Hollywood Hills.Brown is said to have bought her an expensivediamond necklace and bracelet, along with aniPod Touch, and his mother is said to have sentover a bouquet of flowers.Chris called Rihanna to wish her a happybirthday. Hes absolutely trying to get back intoher good graces. He knows hes very much in thedoghouse right now, and is doing everything hecan to show her how sorry he is," the DailyTelegraph quoted a source as telling the NewYork Daily News.

Rihanna so wanted Chris with her on her bigday, but obviously realises why they cant betogether right now. But its becoming more andmore clear that she cant be without him, thesource added.

ANI


11/16

Spanish actress Penelope Cruz has revealed that thedress she wore during the Oscars had been picked outeight years ago.

Cruz (34) said that the vintage Balmain gown shewore on February 22 had never been worn, and that she hadkept it for a special occasion.

When Cruz arrived at the event, where she picked up herBest Supporting Actress award, she was seen wearing the60-year-old dress.

I found this dress eight years ago and I was saving it forsomething very special, Contactmusic quoted her as saying.

ANI

Cruz picked out Balmain Oscar gown eight years ago


The TamilWestern isback!Director ChimbuDevans laughterfactory is back. Thedirector who wowedthe Tamil audienceswith his brand ofclean, familyentertainment inImsai Arasan 23amPulikesiandArai en305thil Kadavulis

soon launching histhird film, IrumbuKottai MurattuSingam. His penchantfor experimentingseems to continue;his debut was athrowback to the eraof the golden oldies

and his second a refreshing fantasy, and IKMS is aWestern adventure comedy. The lead actorsfinalised for the movie are Raghava Lawrence,Padmapriya, Lakshmi Rai and Nasser, among others.The Western is said to be set in the 17th century.The movie is said to be the first Tamil Western after38 years the last one was Ganga featuring JaiShankar in utterly garish costumes and tacky toyguns. The movie would be shot in Madhya Pradeshand other spots in North India. All the artistes havereportedly spent the last month training in horse-racing and gun-shooting. The project is estimated tocross Rs. 15 crore and will be produced by KalpathiS.Agoram under the banner of AGS filmEntertainment.

The hunting startsActor Vijay has recently launched his next flick forAVM, Vettaikarran. The pooja was conducted atthe famous AVM Film Studios Vinayakar temple.Vijay was there with his wife Sangeetha and dadddearest S.A.Chandrasekar. The film is beingproduced by AVM.

Obsessed with her OscarKate Winslet is so obsessed with her first Oscar that she cannotstop looking at it. The 33-year old star accompanied it on to TheOprah Winfrey Showthe following day. Clutching her Oscarthroughout her conversation with Oprah, she said, I keep lookingat him and going, Oooh wow.


12/16

ERGO Thursday, February 26, 200912

Wednesdays Question:

Two things you wouldlike to do before youdie. I would like to hear from my

friends mouth that Im his friend.Bcoz I like him so much but he neverused to recognise, if the 1st one didnot happen, I would like to kill him

Vijay, TCS

World tour-I want to enjoy thebeauty of world, reduce my weight-huge task

Mohan Kumar, TCS

Want to meet Bill Gates, want tobecome rich

Saga, CSS

Buy new house for my mom. Tospend my last minute with my bestfriends

Sindu, Ford

Live at least a day with my love.Get answers for d questions which Ihave in my mind, but havent yet

asked d concerned peopleAnu Jackson, Cognizant I want to have a life journeytowards my people. I want to pourall my love to my beloved one

Manash, TCS

Feel satisfied for a complete lifewith my dear ones minding theirown work as normal and notregretting my death. Sing a song thatwould keep me normal but neitherhappy nor sad

Mukund SCB, Scope International

To be a good human, to be anexample to others

Haribabu.R, Changepond

I want to make my family live inan own house which is their dreamfor years. I will struggle hard ifrequired to make their dream cometrue

Arunkumar, TCS

Want to see my ex-girl friend andsay still waiting for u

S.Poorvi, HCL

Swim with a dolphin and skydivebcoz I love to be adventurous

Senthil, Wipro

Oru software company kattanumadula ellarukum nalla salarykodukanum

Anand.K, Infoview Technologies

Ill build a nice house and a nicecar for my parents. I will make mysweet little brother do higher studiesof his wish

Priyang.A, TCS

To visit the Niagara falls once andalso go to mount Alps

Rakshita, Wipro

To meet Thala Ajith and build abeautiful house in my own moneythat is my dream

Lingam, TCS

I would like to donate eyes andblood to save other lives

John RRD, Lexsminarayanan TCS-eserve

Ill spend whole day watching Dr.

Vijays movies in theatre as emmanwont come inside the theatre. Noother options

Sebanto, Cognizant

Ill destroy everything in the worldand Ill live alone at least for one daybefore I die

Pandiyan, CSS

I like to see Abdul Kalam and BillGates as both of them are good rolemodels for youngsters

Deepak.S, Infoview Technologies

I have to go to office on time atleast once and I have to leave theoffice on time at least once before Idie

Arivananthan, Arun, Suree TCS

To find my lost girl friend and thenext one is to marry her

Lakshman, Perot Systems I want to kiss my mom and thenext is Ill donate all my organs ofmy body to poor patients

Pravin.S, TCS

I want to direct a movie withRajnikant because Im deadly fan ofhim n want to become an excellentmodel as fashion is my passion

Renzith, Sutherland

I would like to have dinner withVijay

Siva Kumar, Allsec

To become CEO of RBS and to go aworld tour with my lover

Senthil, RBS

I want to reduce water scarcity npollution in Chennai as weresuffering from these

Manjari, ArjunSingh, TCS-e-Serve

I want my daughter n my hubby tobe safe n secure n want to spendeach n every second happily withthem

Ramya, Allsec

Todays Query: Your biggest goof upon stage at a culturalevent.

Amala Jain from Hexaware has nominated her friendsas Partners in Crime. They have clicked this pic atMahabalipuram

Nishanth from Allsec has nominated his friends asPartners in Crime. They clicked this pic atPondicherry.

Sunandan from HCL has nominated his team membersas Partners in Crime. They clicked this pic at KothaiyurDam.


13/16


Sardar to Doctor: All over my body where ever i press with my finger Ive pain.Doctor : Take a whole body scanResult : "Finger Fractured !!! "

Arunprabhu Barathi, TCS

Man-1 : Avara poli traffic police-nu yeppadi kandupidicha? Man-2 : Screw Driver-ku poi Driving Licensekaekkuraru.

Mohamed Yusufdeen J, HCL

Hi Bhavya {Bow Bow},

Iniya Piranthanal valthukkal... Indru polendrum punnagaiyodu iruppayaga... Have agreat Life ahead... Wish you many morereturns of the day.... Kannadathula wishpannalamnu nenachen but unakkumtheriyathu enakkum theriyathu...

Ippadiku

Muthu, Ravi, Prasad,LavanyaaaaaaWipro Technologie

Dear Vasu and Family,

Our hearty wishes and blessings to yournew born kid. Let him get all the happinesand success in life. We know he will starttoondooing very soon!! Btw,congratulations to you too! You justmanaged to populate India with one morewonderful child :)

Best wishesThyiagaraja

My dearest Srinu...Happy birthday big friend, I wish you willhave all happiness in your life.Keep as you are ... keep as cool and great!Dont say that you are getting old, you arenot 80: D: D: D: DI am happy to have such a friend like youHappy Birthday SOLY!!!

Hi Nithiya & Ramesh R.G,Wish u many more happy returns of theday!May all your dreams come true.Have a rocking and fun filled birthdaydears.

With tons & tons of love & friendship

Rajan.HCL Technologie

Dear Sharafath ( iyer),We have enjoyed a lot from the time whenwe joined our iRonicz Team.Every minute and every moment We spenttogether will be memorable in our hearts.We are glad to celebrate ur birthday andwish u a "Many More Happy Returns of the

Day".Happy Birthday to u da Machi..Enjoy.

Best Wishes from

iRonicz Spiders Team

TCS-Chennai , Hydrabad & Mumbai iNautix,Fidelity - Chenna

Musigma,NSN,Tata Elexi,EMC-Bangalor

Juno,Deshaw,Commvault-Hydrabad

Hi Arthy Maadu,Wish you a many more happy returns ofthe day and All the very best for yourexams. Keep smiling always!

wishes from the heart by

Periya maadu - Karthikrajesh & Divy

Mrs Vasanthi Ponnuchamy, Mr. Ponnucham

Kavyaa R ofHCL has been nominated as Office Angel byXafinity Paymaster team.

She is very cheerful and filled with fun. A very dedicated

person and a good friend to have.

Banu Rekha.K of HCL hasdoodled this

Art featured in this

column will receivegift coupons fromFruit Shop onGreams Road. Sendin your addresses sothat we can post thecoupons.


14/16

ERGO Thursday, February 26, 2009TRAFFIC JAM14

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sudoku

KAKURO

Prison nostalgiaA Chinese man who was released fromprison two years ago has beggedofficials to allow him to return to jail,so he gets food to eat.

So you think you would make a terrific photographer but never really had theplatform? Mail us your best work and well publish it in this space, with credit.E-mail: [email protected]

M. MohamedSafeer of TCScaptured thisscenic view inCochin.Hobbies:Photographyand music


15/16


B.C

BORN LOSER

FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT

PREVIOUS

ISSUES

SOLUTIONS

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20

Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pa

The first half of the day is favourable for importmeetings and video conferences. However, thesecond half might seem boring and long. Take iteasy with your beloved or you might end up insome disagreement.

Important discussions with superiors may go weEnergy invested in hard work during the first halthe day will yield good returns by evening. On tlove front the first half of the day seems prone targuments. Evening will compensate for that.

You will spend most of your time in important

meetings at office. On the personal front, it woube wonderful if you take out time for your familOn the romantic front, do not think twice aboutclarifying issues with your beloved.

The pessimism which you might show in themorning will slowly disappear as the day progresYou will be able to balance your emotions. In yoromantic life, you will be expressive and sensitiveThat might make you touchy on petty issues.

Avoid any differences with colleagues in the firstpart of the day. Avoid negative thinking. Tomaintain a harmonious professional and personalife, you must avoid negativities and misgivings.Handle the day with care!

You will adopt a more systematic approach towaeverything related to work. The second half of th

day might make you feel weary. You will remainvery much attached to family members. In matterelated to the heart, you will be submissive.

The day might seem heavy mentally andphysically. However, your intelligence and dedicato work will be key factors on your career front.Your beloved might find you unromantic or dull.more attention to your romantic life.

Your administrative abilities will be very usefultoday. However, technical work may not get donproperly. Do not let such failures disappoint you,the second half of the day is in your favour. Youwill be in a romantic mood.

You will be communicating with important peopwithin or outside the organisation. Similarly, yoube active on social and professional networks. Y

might take up a social cause with your beloved.You might spend precious time with your family.

You will be exercising your grey cells for technicadministrative problems. It might not be the righday to take important decisions. Love birds willenjoy romance with the technological support. Agood day to articulate your feelings.

Your physical charm will impress others easily toYou will be impressive and eloquent in speech,hence it is a perfect day to attend or arrangemeetings. In the evening you might be in a moofor a romantic dinner.

You might feel as if youve woken up on the wrside of the bed, but post-lunch you will feelenergised. At office, you will take more initiativeOn the romantic front, there will be display ofsensitivity and intensity.

Hairy situationA Croatian man is desperate to get rid of his persistent ex-wife, after she frequently postsletters with her hair attached to them. Ivo Mikesic has demanded a restraining order behanded to his ex in a bid to stop the hair-raising correspondence.


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ERGO Thursday, February 26, 2009!16

Fascinating factThe koala eats nothing buteucalyptus leaves.

Ergo February 26

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