A BYTE OF LIFE Thursday, March 19, 2009

02 03
THE ANIMAL GUARDIAN G. ETHIRAJ
SOCIETY The veteran costumer of
Rescues homeless puppies and kittens black and white movies

FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 3 No. 52

Asin’s
ASSISTANT MISSING
ERGO CORRESPONDENT
feedback@goergo.in
Actor Asin’s assistant, who was employed
under her in Mumbai till the shooting of the
Hindi Ghajini, has reportedly gone missing.
Police sources said the missing person
was Nalamuthu Kumaraswamy alias
Muthu (23) of Karumari Amman Koil Street
in Gandhi Nagar, Redhills, who was Asin’s
assistant for over three years.
On Tuesday afternoon, Muthu’s mother
Sudalai Vadivu (46) met suburban Com-
missioner S.R. Jangid and lodged a com-
plaint regarding her missing son.
Sudalai Vadivu said Muthu relocated to
Mumbai in the beginning of 2008 after Asin
started acting in the Hindi version of Ghaji-
ni. “He met with a motorcycle accident in
July 2008.
I went to Mumbai and took care of him
and brought him back to Chennai as his
condition was bad,” she said.
Muthu later went back to Mumbai upon
Asin’s request in November 2008 and didn’t
return, she added.
As part of the investigation over Vadivu’s
complaint, Redhills police contacted Asin’s
father for an enquiry. He informed police
that Muthu had quit his job in January 2009
itself.
Further investigation is underway. ■

Biker
BOY
Meet 12-year-old Ajay,
the youngest aspiring
racer in the Chennai
circuit
» PAGE 08
02 NAMMA CHENNAI ERGO Thursday, March 19, 2009

Israeli films
Aviva My Love and Big Eyes will be screened today as
part of the Israeli Film Festival at South Indian Film
Chamber Theatre, Anna Salai. The fest is open to all
and the screening will start at 6.30 p.m. For details
call 98401 51956

Say cheers! Founders of a better society

I t’s time to raise the spirits in you. Bamboo
Bar at Savera Hotel is hosting the ‘Shooter
Fest’. Shotter, an alcoholic beverage,
Tomorrow’s leaders have already gotten a kick-start in public
consists of one type of alcohol or a cocktail
of different alcohols often mixed with other
service and are powered by nothing but the will to make an impact
beverages. These can be shaken, stirred, SRIYA NARAYANAN and there was no looking back. work through social networking
blended or simply poured. pets@goergo.in TAGS (The Animal Guardian sites, word-of-mouth and house
The fest will have shooter experts from Society) was founded in Decem- calls, one of which involved a 30
around the world shaking up exotic

varieties of shooters in exquisite style.
Kamikaze, Woo Woo, Ira, Lemon Drop,
Fourth of July, B-52...there are many more
to choose from. The fest is on till March 31.
For details call 9710947363/ 28114700 (extn
1937/1938)
A
year ago, Nithya Pari was a
typical student, dividing
her time between studies,
her department newsletter,
blogging and sketching. A grue-
some accident she witnessed one
day was a turning point. While on
her way to a printing press, she
noticed an orphaned puppy on
the road and walked over to pet
it. She was in for a rude shock as a
bike ran over the tiny dog, right in
front of her eyes the next second.
Nithya finds it difficult to tell this
story. “It died in my hands. There
was blood coming out of its ears.”
A few days later, she saw anoth-
er lost puppy and thought: “What
if it happens again?” Instead of
dismissing the thought, she rec-
ognised it as a real possibility and
took the pup home and began
calling her friends one by one in
search of an owner. Her friend
Shiyamili eventually adopted him
ber 2007 as a voluntary organisa-
tion. It has now grown to include
12 members and has changed
dozens of lives. The group has an
online presence and maintains
an adoption system which is on
par with international NGOs. The
members whom Nithya describes
as “the best team ever” rescue
homeless puppies and kittens,
foster them till takers are found
and then follow-up through
phone-calls, emails and personal
visits to ensure the pets’ well-be-
ing. Nithya reveals that it’s partic-
ularly tough to find homes for
female puppies. One such puppy
found no takers, at which point
she adopted it herself. Elsa, her
much-loved mongrel, is now two
years old.
With no income, experience or
funding, they pursue their volun-
teer work amidst hectic college
km bike ride in the blistering
heat. “One of our members is not
well-off but she does everything
she can,” says Nithya when asked
what keeps them going despite
no external support. “If you want
to do something, you can do it.”
Now in her final year at Anand
Institute of Higher Technology,
20-year-old Nithya has been
placed in Infosys. The future’s
looking bright for her, ditto for
those being watched over by this
team of 12.
To send them your wishes, log
onto tagsonline.co.in or search
for “TAGS” in Orkut Communi-
ties.■
Founder of TAGS Nithya Pari
(seated, third from left) and her
gang of guardians
PHOTO: M. KARUNAKARAN

BIG STORY ALE
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Dien
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Stitches in time
Actors A.V.M. Rajan and Sowcar Janaki
were among Ethiraj’s celebrity clients.
FILE PHOTO: THE HINDU
They have to come to us for
stitching the clothes.
Nowadays, most of them
buy readymade clothes from
shops and call themselves
costume designers
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Costumer G. Ethiraj at his tailoring shop.
Photo: S.S.Kumar
Costumer G. Ethiraj is a veteran of 50-odd
movies. A trip to the days when white clothes
were a no-no in black-and-white films
V. HARIPRIYA
haripriya@goergo.in
L
ife still revolves around the sew-
ing machine for this veteran cos-
tumer who entered Kollywood
almost four decades ago.
Septuagenarian G. Ethiraj was a
star costumer during his prime, the
list of cine stars for whom he has tai-
lored clothes being endless.
Making his debut in Kollywood as
assistant of costumer Janakiraman in
the late ’60s, he first stitched cos-
tumes for actors S.S.R., A.V.M. Rajan
and Sowcar Janaki for the film Than-
gadurai.
Down memory lane
“I worked under chief costumer Ja-
nakiraman in four to five movies.
Those days, it was the cameraman
who used to finalise the colours of
costumes. Pure white was not used
those days, though what was finally
seen on screen was only black and
white. So we used to dip white
clothes in yellow dye and use them
after that,” says Ethiraj, who has
h the subjec
t
done more than 50 films in several
languages as chief costumer.
The costumers’ union was started
in the early ’70s and to gain member-
ship one had to pay Rs.12 at that
time. But now the same membership
costs Rs. 1 lakh. “You have separate
membership cards for assistant cos-
tumer and chief costumer. In order
to get the designation of chief cos-
tumer, you should have at least done
five movies,” Ethiraj says.
Though Ethiraj has not gone out of
India for shoots, he has visited most
of the spots in India. Along with the
crew, the chief costumer and three
assistants are taken to the shooting
spot. “Though we would have
stitched the clothes and finished the
dress rehearsals earlier, we will be
needed there in case of emergencies
like alterations.”
Work is worship
“Once during the shooting of Ja-
nakaraj-starrer Pai Marakkappal, we
were all stationed in Mettupalayam.
The plan was to shoot some scenes in
Udhagamandalam. The director and
03
cameraman were in Ooty and we
were downhill. Suddenly, we got a
call at our hotel from the director,
informing that they were planning to
shoot a song there and they needed
costumes.
It was an unplanned shoot and it
was late night when we received the
call. We started searching for textile
shops and almost everything was
closed. We then went to the house of
a textile shop owner, made him open
the store and purchased the fabric.
We stitched the clothes overnight
and by morning everything was
ready,” Ethiraj recalls.
Asked whether the entry of actors’
wives as costume designers has af-
fected their work, Ethiraj says the star
wives are just designers who do not
know to stitch. “They have to come
to us for stitching the clothes. Nowa-
days, most of them buy readymade
clothes from shops and call them-
selves costume designers.”
Ethiraj has retired from Kollywood,
but he stills makes clothes for com-
moners. His son, E. Loganathan, is in
the field now.
Following the steps of his father,
Loganathan has also developed a
penchant for tailoring, the latest mo-
vie in which he worked as costumer
being Dhanush-starrer Padikkatha-
van. ■
04 VILLAGE ERGO Thursday, March 19, 2009

Snake surprise
A Canadian woman was forced to call
emergency services after she woke up
to find a snake coiled next to her in
bed.

Cops ordered to forego Discovery docks with ISS

nightclub invites
China has banned police from accepting invitations to
nightclubs, bars and other entertainment venues in a
bid to thwart corruption, state media reported on
Wednesday.
Officers who accepted such invitations would be
suspended for even face criminal charges, the Xinhua
news agency said.
The ban is one of ‘five prohibitions’ along with taking
bribes and helping family members run a business.
Reuters
Leopard removed from German
The space shuttle Discovery docked with the International
Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday for a construction mission
that will allow the station to double its crew.
The Discovery will deliver the fourth and final solar panel
that will enable ISS to double the size of its crew to six
astronauts. Three spacewalks will install the solar panels
and conduct other construction projects. Two spacewalkers
will put the panels in place on Thursday with help from
the station’s robotic arm.
“Welcome to the Space Station, Discovery. We’re glad
you’re here,” the ISS crew said. The mission will also
deliver Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, who is to
officially join the permanent crew on the orbiting space
station later on Tuesday.
DPA

family’s home
A fully-grown female leopard that lived with a German
family for 18 months will be moved to a new home after
authorities said the owners held no licence to keep the
animal in their residential neighbourhood.
The family in the town of Weyhe, in northern Germany,
had built a 1,400-sq-metre leopard park without an official
permit, local authorities said.
“Keeping a leopard in a residential area is simply not
allowed in Germany,” said Heinz-Juergen Greszik,
spokesman for local authorities. Germany’s Tierschutzbund,
an animal rights organisation, said wild animals should not
be kept in private households.
Thai Air Force makes rain
The Royal Thai Air Force has launched an attack on
the weather this week, sending two German-made
Alpha Jet fighters and other aircraft into the clouds
to make rain, media reports said on Wednesday.
Air Force chief Itthaporn Subhawong said the two
Alpha Jets along with 13 other aircraft were deployed
as part of the annual rain-making mission for the
kingdom, the Bangkok Post reported.
The German-made fighters have been armed with
silver iodide bullets that release rain-making
substances when fired into clouds at 6,100 metres.
DPA

Reuters

Humpback whale spotted in HK

A
humpback whale has been itoring the condition of the
spotted in Hong Kong wa- whale, along with the Marine Po-
ters, a government spokes- lice and experts from Ocean Park,
man said on Wednesday, in a city theme park and conserva-
the first reported sighting of the tion centre.
giant mammal off the southern “From our observations so far,
Chinese city. its health condition is normal and
The Agriculture, Fisheries and it is active,” she said. The spo-
Conservation Department said it keswoman said it was unlikely
received a report on Monday that the whale would stay long in wa-
a 10 metre (33 feet) whale was ters near the city because of the
seen swimming in the East Lam- busy sea traffic that flows to and
ma Channel, a busy sea channel from the major port.
to the west of Hong Kong Island. Humpbacks are found in
“It is the first time we have seen oceans and seas around the
a humpback whale in Hong Kong world, but especially in the Pacif-
waters,” the spokeswoman said. ic and Atlantic Oceans. ■
The department has been mon- AFP
 Thursday, March 19, 2009
05
Website of the day Rip Van Winkle’s sleepless nights
Find out what films are coming out in the UK: A man named after the fictional character Rip Van Winkle who fell
http://www.launchingfilms.com/index.php asleep for 20 years is seeking medical attention for his insomnia.

Row over renaming

‘Little India’
in Malaysia
‘Little India’ is a famous shopping enclave with 100 pre-
World War II shops on either side of Jalan Tengku Kelana

A
controversy over renaming
‘Little India’ is brewing in this
Malaysian city where ethnic In-
dians are in large numbers and
have historic and sentimental ties.
A controversial move to change the
name of Klang’s famous ‘Little India’
to Medan Kelana has sparked a pub-
lic outcry, The Star newspaper said
on Wednesday.
Elected representatives, business-
men, tourists and even a state exec-
utive council member want the name
‘Little India’ to be retained.
Despite the controversy, the mu-
nicipal council is soon going to re-
move the name ‘Little India’ from two
signboards here, and put up new
ones declaring the place as Medan
Kelana.
The name was chosen as the main
road in ‘Little India’ is called Jalan
Tengku Kelana, the newspaper said.
Klang municipal councillor Ho San
Sang confirmed the name change,
saying it was part of a ‘rebranding
exercise’.
State exco member (minister) Xa-
vier Jeyakumar, told The Star that the
name change would defeat all the
hard work that had gone into build-
ing ‘Little India’ into a tourist icon,
and the move would also erase the
identity of the area.
Legislator Ng Suee Lim said he
would bring this matter to the State
Executive Council because it was
wrong to simply change the name of
a place that could affect tourism.
It draws shoppers by the thousands
and is an important income gener-
ator for Klang.
Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Indian
Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(Klang district) chairman N.P. Raman
said changing the name would also
erase the identity of Klang’s ‘Little In-
dia’, which had been built into a hou-
sehold brand known all over the
world after 50 years of hard work.
■
IANS

Apple offers iPhone Saucy Start!

cut and paste
A pple unveiled its proposed
new software for its genre-de-
fining iPhone and gave acolytes
of the world’s most popular
smartphone the feature they
most wanted: the ability to cut
and paste text and pictures on the
device.
Lack of the cut and paste facil-
ity had been one of the main
drawbacks of the device, com-
pared to competitors like the
BlackBerry.
The new software also allows
iPhone users to send multimedia ware, which will be officially
messages to other phones, and released in the summer.
will enable users to receive turn- “The new iPhone OS 3.0 is a
by-turn instructions for driving major software release packed
similar to those in use on GPS with incredible new features and
navigation devices. innovations for iPhone custom-
iPhone users can also now link ers and developers alike. It will
to other phones via Bluetooth keep us years ahead of the com- 쒀 Brazilian samba dancers perform during the Soccerex Brasilia Forum 2009 opening
and automatically be connected petition,” said Philip Schiller, Ap- ceremony in Brasilia, Brazil. The Soccerex Brasilia Forum is part of the Soccerex
to Wi-Fi hotspots. Voice memos ple’s senior vice-president of Convention, which offers the football community worldwide business,
and other audio recording will al- Worldwide Product Marketing. ■ networking and conference forums. AFP PHOTO/JOEDSON ALVES
so be possible with the new soft- DPA
06 SPORT ERGO Thursday, March 19, 2009

Dharamshala ready for IPL

High on spirits after getting the nod to host this season’s Indian Premier League matches, the
Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) said the cricket stadium in the hill town of
Dharamshala would be ready for the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament by April 15. HPCA President
Anurag Thakur, who played a key role in bringing the IPL to the hill state, said the up-gradation
of the stadium will be done as per international guidelines and the installation of floodlights
would be completed within next 15 days.

India holds the edge petitive score on the board but

certainly below par,” he said.
“We created momentum through
our partnership, but if you erase
that and look at the scores you’d
say India’s on top.”
hed eight before he was stumped
by Dhoni off Harbhajan. His de-
parture, with New Zealand 275
for nine and Ryder on 98,
brought out Chris Martin, who is
recognised as one of the worst

A
defiant captain’s century
Ryder, Vettori by Daniel Vettori and a
maiden ton for Jesse Ryder
tons spare NZ the
rescued New Zealand on
opening day of the
blushes first Test in Hamil-
ton on Wednesday
but India finished on
top. The home side were dis-
missed for 279 on a batsman-
friendly wicket and at stumps
the tourists had reached 29
without loss off seven overs
with the explosive Virender
Sehwag not out 22 and fellow
opener Gautam Gambhir on
six.
Indian captain Mahendra
Singh Dhoni won the toss and
elected to bowl, gambling on his
bowlers capitalising on the over-
cast conditions and a green-
tinged wicket. His choice paid
off, with New Zealand in dire
straits at 60 for six just before
lunch when Vettori joined Ryder
in the middle to begin the fight-
back. The pair produced a rec-
ord-breaking 186-run
partnership to take the score to
246, and New Zealand added just
Jesse Ryder 33 more runs before they were all
celebrates his out.
maiden century
during the first Captain’s knock
day of the first The skipper’s 118 was his third
Test match century in 90 Tests, while Ryder’s
between India and 102 was his maiden ton in his
New Zealand at the seventh Test. But that partner-
Sedonn Park ship aside, the day belonged to
Stadium in India and Vettori was the first to
Hamilton on admit it. “Our first thoughts were
Wednesday. to get through to 150. It would
PHOTO: AFP give us something to play with.
Fortunately, Jesse and I batted
for a long time and put a com-
At times the match was a battle
of wits between the captains,
with Vettori looking for runs and
forcing Dhoni into frequent field
adjustments. Ryder, at the other
end, showed his versatility,
shelving his big-hitting one-day
role to play a watchful knock. Be-
tween them they blocked out the
spin of Harbhajan Singh at one
end while picking off the quicks
at the other as the afternoon sun
baked the wicket, the ball aged,
and conditions became more
batsman-friendly.
Crawling through
Vettori brought up the New
Zealand 100, hooking Zaheer
Khan for six, and in the first hour
after tea the home side raced
along at more than five an over
with the skipper belting Sehwag
over the ropes. Vettori’s im-
mense effort came to an end af-
ter 197 minutes at the crease
when Dhoni moved smartly to
take an inside edge off Munaf Pa-
tel. The 164-ball innings pro-
duced two sixes and 14 fours,
with his century arriving off a
single when he top-edged Harb-
hajan to fine leg. He survived two
close calls, diving to make his
ground when sent back by Ryder
two balls before tea and then on
77 he was dropped by Rahul Dra-
vid off Harbhajan. Vettori’s dis-
missal brought to an end the
record seventh-wicket partner-
ship in New Zealand-India Tests
and the Indian bowlers were
quickly back on top.
Kyle Mills was yorked by Patel
first ball, while Iain O’Brien
avoided the hat-trick and reac-
Test batsmen in the world. The
look of consternation on Ryder’s
face was evident as Martin prod-
ded at the five remaining balls in
Harbhajan’s over. Ryder then
made sure of his century, hitting
Ishant Sharma to the boundary
and was out caught by VVS Lax-
man off the next ball. It was an
innings delivered with class and
determination, something that
was missing from the relatively
inexperienced top order, who ap-
peared to lack the resolve to bide
their time in the middle.
Early damage
Zaheer Khan did the early
damage, removing Martin Guptill
(14) and Daniel Flynn (0) in the
space of three balls. Sharma add-
ed the scalps of Tim McIntosh
(12), Ross Taylor (18) and James
Franklin (0). Munaf Patel claimed
the sixth wicket when he sent
Brendon McCullum back to the
pavilion for three shortly before
lunch. In contrast, Indian at-
tacked from the start of their in-
nings, with Sehwag continuing
the form which saw him star in
the one-day series, in which In-
dia beat New Zealand 3-1. Seh-
wag hit five boundaries in his
unbeaten 22, while New Zealand
new ball bowler Mills conceded
18 runs off his two overs.
Brief scores
New Zealand 279 all out (D.
Vettori 118, J. Ryder 102, I. Shar-
ma 4/73, M. Patel 3/60) lead by
250 runs against India 29 for 0 (V.
Sehwag 22 not out, G, Gambhir 6
not out). ■
AFP

Stress on IPL performance SLC to review security situation

Performance in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) will be taken into consideration In the wake of the unprecedented terrorist attack on its team
for picking the Indian squad for this year’s ICC World Twenty20, chairman of selectors in Lahore, the Sri Lankan Cricket Board has made it clear that
Krishnamachari Srikkanth said in Cuttack on Wednesday. “We all will be it will review security situation in India
watching the IPL. The performance there will be the benchmark (to pick before its players head to play in the
the Indian squad for second edition of the T20 World Cup),” said the lucrative Indian Premier League. D S De
former India captain, who is here to watch the final of the Deodhar Silva, new chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket,
Trophy between West Zone and East Zone. on Wednesday said the board will talk to
India will defend its title in the second edition of the ICC World the India-bound cricketers to take stock
Twenty20 to be held in England in June this year and Srikkanth said the of the security situation during the
selectors job would be to improve the bench strength. “We are tournament.
watching the domestic matches closely. This (Deodhar Trophy) being the “We will be discussing all these matters.
season-ender, it’s a very important tournament. We have a very good We will be talking to our players to elicit
bench strength in batting. There’s good balance in bowling. The main idea is to watch their views on the security situation in India for the IPL
more domestic matches and create a pool of youngsters,” said Srikkanth, who was matches,” De Silva said. The Lankan cricketers who have been
accompanied by fellow selectors Yashpal Sharma from North Zone and East’s Raja Venkat. signed up by the different IPL franchises include skipper
Asked about Sachin Tendulkar’s recent comment, which described the present Indian team Mahela Jayawardene, left-arm pacer Chaminda Vass, spinners
as the best ever, Srikkanth, a member of Kapil’s Devils that won the World Cup in 1983 Ajantha Mendis, Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumar
said, “This team indeed has the best batting line-up. They are good in all departments.” Sangakkara.
PTI PTI
 Thursday, March 19, 2009
07

‘‘
The last I heard was yesterday morning they submitted a revised schedule. The revised schedule
has been sent to all the state governments concerned. We’ve asked them to give their comments
and views as early as possible. Once all the state governments concern gives their comments and views,
especially with regard to security then we will take a view.
Union Home Minster P Chidambaram

W Seeds sail
orld number one Rafael Na-
dal and defending cham-
pion Novak Djokovic
stayed on course for a semi-
final showdown with third-round
triumphs in the Indian Wells Mas-

through
ters series on Tuesday. Top-seeded
Nadal triumphed 6-3, 6-3 in a tricky
encounter with Russian Dmitry Tur-
sunov, while third-seeded Serbian
Djokovic beat German veteran
Tommy Haas 6-2, 7-6 (7-1).
“It wasn’t one of my best match-
es, true. It was tough to play against
him,” said Australian Open cham-
pion Nadal, who had to save a break Nadal, Djokovic stay on course for semi-final clash
point in the final game but won the
next three points to secure the win.
“He didn’t give me a lot of rhythm. rallied for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over ria Azarenka of Belarus, who downed
He played good shots, but at the unseeded Frenchman Jeremy Char- Israeli Shahar Peer 7-5, 6-4.
same time made mistakes. I had dy while del Potro will face Amer- Defending champion Ana Ivanovic
more mistakes than usual.” Nadal ican wildcard John Isner, a 6-4, 6-4 booked a quarter-final berth, the
had little time to savour the victory, winner over former world number fifth-seeded Serbian downing Italian
which earned him a fourth-round one Marat Safin of Russia. Flavia Pennetta 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. She’ll
match on Wednesday night against face Austrian Sybille Bammer, a 6-3,
Argentina’s David Nalbandian, who Women’s draw 6-2 winner over Slovakia’s Daniela
hasn’t dropped a set against Nadal Meanwhile Safin’s younger sister, Hantuchova. Rising Russian Anasta-
in two career meetings, both in 2007 top-seeded Dinara Safina, led the sia Pavlyuchenkova, 17, continued
before the Spaniard’s rise to num- way into the women’s quarter-finals the run of success that saw her oust
ber one. with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over US veter- second-seeded Jelena Jankovic in the
“The first thing is to play well,” an Jill Craybas. Safina, who can second round, advancing to the
Nadal said of what he’ll have to do seize the world number one ranking quarter-finals when opponent Nuria
against Nalbandian, who beat Ser- from the absent Serena Williams if Llagostera Vives retired in the sec-
bian Viktor Troicki 6-4, 6-2. “Sec- she reaches the final, lined up a ond round with a left hip strain. ■
ond, I have to play really aggressive, meeting with eighth-seeded Victo- AFP
because if he has control of the
point it is nearly impossible.”

Easy game
Djokovic, who beat Nadal in last
year’s semi-finals en route to the
title, started strong but would
have preferred to finish off
Haas more quickly. Overall,
however, the 21-year-old was
satisfied that he was moving
in the right direction. “Better
than the first match,” was his
assessment. “I played really
well in the opening set, and
then could have done the job
a bit earlier. I had some break
chances and didn’t make a
couple returns, and gave him a
chance to come back into the
match.”
Djokovic next plays Switzer-
land’s Stanislas Wawrinka,
who saved two match points
in the third-set tiebreaker to Novak Djokovic hits a shot
claim a 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10-8) vic- during the BNP Paribas Open
tory over American Sam Quer- at the Indian Wells Tennis
rey. Sixth-seeded Argentinian Garden on Tuesday. PHOTO: AFP
Juan Martin del Potro advanced,
beating Austrian Jurgen Melzer
6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7-2). Seventh-
seeded American Andy Rod-
dick edged Germany’s Nicolas
Kiefer 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).
Roddick will face 12th-seed-
ed Spaniard David Ferrer, who
08 ROADSTER ERGO Thursday, March 19, 2009

More power
Electric cars and laptops may soon benefit from a prototype
capacitor that can store power as densely as a supercapacitor,
and release it rapidly. The novel capacitor has been developed
by a team of scientists from the University of Maryland and the
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.

Kid on t

W
hen most 12-year-olds hit the play-
ground after long hours of classes at
school, this boy heads to the race
circuit.
Meet L. B. Ajay Kumar, a class VIII student of SBOA
School, Mogappair, who is the youngest motorcyclist on
the Irungattukottai race track in Sriperambudur.
Perhaps the youngster rider in the country, Ajay can be
spotted racing his customised Yamaha RX 135 alongside profes-
sional men on the circuit, while his friends ride pocket bikes in the
vicinity. “My dream is to become the national champion and I’m
practising really hard,” says Ajay, whose favourite is MotoGP champ
Valentino Rossi.
The boy biker’s inspiration has been his supportive dad, who hap-
pens to be a great fan of automobile racing. “Coincidentally, the day

"Ajay, who clocks

2.32 minutes on the
3.7 km race track
now, is attempting
to close in on the
2.14 minutes track
record timing."

Twelve-year-old Ajay
Kumar with his racing
motorcycle. PHOTOS: K.
PICHUMANI
 Thursday, March 19, 2009
09
Born tough
Auto major Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) on Tuesday
inaugurated a defence-vehicle manufacturing plant in
Haryana. The factory will initially build armoured version of
Mahindra’s Scorpio and Bolero SUVs.

Swedish car maker to

build all-electric super
the race track sports car
The car, with an output of 512 hp, can clock a top speed
Ajay was born I bought my new car. He has a passion for bikes and cars
right from a very young age and he even started to drive my car when of 275 kilometres an hour
he was in class IV,” K.R. Balaji Rao says about his son.

S
Ajay is now undergoing rigorous training on the circuit under the wedish sports
supervision of John Elias Kennedy, a former racer from Teynampet. car maker Koe-
“The boy is very talented and picks up riding lessons quickly. He races nigsegg has
on par with senior racers and has clocked very good timings on his joined forces
bike on the track,” says Kennedy, who also tunes Ajay’s bike. with the Swiss NLV to
Kennedy feels Ajay, who clocks 2.32 minutes on the 3.7 km race track build an all-electric,
now, is attempting to close in on the 2.14 minutes track record timing. high performance su-
The trainer also says that unlike on city roads, there is no age limit to per car with an out-
racing on the circuit, but complete racing gear for safety and a racing put of 512 hp and a
licence is a must. top speed of 275 kilo-
Ajay rides with a full racing suit worth Rs. 45,000, boots worth Rs. metres an hour.
22,000, helmet costing 11,000 and gloves priced at Rs. 3,500. “We got At the heart of the
him the best gear in racing as his safety is our primary concern apart power package is the
from making him a professional,” Balaji adds. FAES battery system that can be three-zone air conditioning system
The boy wonder is all set to leave for Malaysia for a race track charged from any electric plug in just provides the necessary comfort while
training session during his vacations. And upon return, he plans to 20 minutes with a range of 500 kilo- three flat screen televisions offer
customise a Yamaha R 15 motorcycle to compete in the Group D metres. The battery pack is positioned entertainment.
(unmodified category) class. ■ in the centre of the carbon-fibre The safety system includes six air-
monotube chassis. Energy is supplied bags, ABS (anti-lock brakes) and ESP
additionally by a recuperative braking (electronic stability programme). The
system. An invisible, wafer-thin sheet car shown at the Geneva Motor Show
of solar cells covers the entire body- is not a roll-out model, but works on
work, providing additional solar ener- prototypes and current serial produc-
gy for the battery. tion. However, Koenigsegg has yet to
Despite its sporty character, the name a price saying it will be an-
Ajay along with his Quant provides space for four people nounced at a later date.
father K.R. Balaji Rao and includes room for luggage. A DPA
(left) and trainer
John Elias Kennedy
(right)
Netherlands to introduce
alcohol lock in cars
L.B. Ajay Kumar T he Dutch cabi-
net has ap-
To start the engine, Dutch
Transport
proved a plan to Drivers have to blow
is a regular have alcohol locks into a small apparatus
Minister Ca-
miel Eurlings
fitted in the cars of expects the
sight on the convicted drunk fitted to the dashboard lock to be in
drivers, Dutch pa- use in 2010 if
Irungattukottai per NRC Handelsblad reported at he gets parliamentary approval
the weekend. for the scheme.
race track. And To start the engine, Drivers Some 200 people are killed on
have to blow into a small appa- the Dutch roads every year in ac-
ratus fitted to the dashboard to cidents involving alcohol, ac-
he is 12 years old prove they have not been drink- cording to the reports. ■
ing, the report said. XINHUA
10 FLICK ERGO Thursday, March 19, 2009

h i s y e a r I w o u l d
‘T
like to a l l o c a t e
m e t o b i g fi l m s ’
t i s in g o n tw o ‘d ifficult films’
Katrina K aif focus
e past.
out and out aran in th intelli-
fter a slew of sh Jha is highly

A
ne r, ra ka
e Pa rt “P sted in his
comedies lik Singh Is gent and highly intere
an d jn eeti is not
Welcome
K ai f is no w project. A film like Ra just jump
Kinng, Katrina cult” films something where I can
two “diffi is done, my
wor ng on
ki dr am a an d sa y ‘Sir, my hair y’,
a’s polit ic al and I’m read
– Prakash Jh Ra jk um ar San- costume is done m os t fi lm s
d in
Rajneeti an m ed y A ja b something I can do e sa ys .
toshi’s roman Kahani.
tic co capers,” sh
b th at are comic s, on e ha s to
Prem Ki Gha
za e hi
ould like to al
lo- “For films lik can’t decide
“This year I w lms. The kind research clothes. I
bi g fi I w ant to wear
cate time to Ra jn ee ti on my own what to
doin g – prefer. I have
of films I am ... – are a little or what I would r I am pl ay-
em te
and Ajab Pr time follow the charac ed,
lt. They need very ground
more difficu e more thought ing. Rajneeti is a an d so I am
tl ,
and also a lit atrina. The films a very rooted film ting a little
K dedica
process,” says lease this year. going to be re-
e sl at ed fo r re
ar es ti m e as the project
ar K at ri na sh m or e
...
In Ajab Prem Ranbir Kapoor quires it.” a
with rina sports
sc re en sp ac e
hi le in Ra jn ee- In Rajneeti Kat ri se d lo ok
tel, w lamou
and Upen Pa vy of simple and de-g h
sh e st ar s al ongside a be y is p co tt on sari and wit
ti Ra nb ir , A ja in a cr a po ny ta il.
ing ed in
actors includ a Pa- her hair neatly ti -
Rampal, Nan bears a resem
Devgan, Arjun Ba jp ai . Th ou gh th e lo ok
ch ie f So ni a
anoj hi’s blance to Congre
ss
tekar and M that Santos has denied
Katrina says nack for mak- Gandhi, the director hing to do
d “k anyt
dedication an ional her role has
rs win Nat at that leader.
ing his acto th wit h th e se ni or
has mostly
something gh Katrina
Awards” is w or k ha rd Th ou ngh Is
makes her w
ant to medies like Si e in
starred in co W el co m
for his film. r, and
... is a ve ry differ- Kinng, Partne ea r- ol d career,
“Ajab Pr em -y
ter on r over five t be do-
i is a taskmas vis- he she “might no masti
ent film. Raj-j lt s ar e sh e sa ys
the sets and
the resu medy, fun,
de di ca te enough ing another co tedly any time
to ca
ible. I need is film film very dedi
tention to th
time and at is go - on .”
k the movie so Rajneeti
because I thin special and very Apart from
ve ry ... , Katrina
ing to be thing and Ajab Prem
rt an t fo r me. It’s no h Ra j Fi lm s’ New York,
im po re ,” sa ys ha s Y as d al-
like I have
done be fo za’s Blue an
d ac tr es s. A nthony D’Sou w it h pr od uc-
the 24-year-
ol
si m ila r se nti- so a two-film deal ki tt y. ■
Katrina shar
es in her
lmed on house UTV IANS
en ts fo r Jh a, who has he h- ti
m al an d A pa
gaaj
films like Gan

A film like Rajneeti is not something where I can just jump

and say ‘Sir, my hair is done, my costume is done and I’m
ready’, something I can do in most films that are comic capers
 Thursday, March 19, 2009
11
Actor enters wine business
Actor Antonio Banderas is making his debut in the
wine business by acquiring half the shares of Anta
Bodegas, which produces wines under the Ribera
del Duero label, as well as extra virgin olive oil.

Luck by chance Cine City

Rubiana Ali and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail of ‘Slumdog
Millionaire’ fame will be seen in a Bollywood flick soon

We never
imagined facing
the camera once
again so soon

Vijay’s son to do cameo

If Internet buzz is to be believed, Vijay’s son
Sanjay will be making a special appearance in
his father’s upcoming flick Vettaikaran. The star
kid would be shaking legs with his father in a
song scored by music director Vijay Antony. The
song, for which the lyrics are written by
Kabilan, is reportedly Vijay’s introductory song
in the movie.

The lead actor of Kal Kissne Dekha, Jacky Bhagnani, and his father Vashu Bhagnani
with child actors Rubiana Ali and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail during the shooting
of the film in CSI Airport, Mumbai.

DEEPA VENKATRAMAN “They celebrated in pomp and than outside beauty. Their role
show when we came home is really interesting and there

A
t such tender age, with-
out any celebrity family
background, they have
walked the red carpet at
the Oscars this year. For Az-
haruddin Mohammed Ismail
and Rubiana Ali, who rose
from rags to riches overnight
due to Slumdog Millionaire’s
super success, Lady Luck has
knocked their door once more.
They have both bagged cameo
roles in producer Vashu Bhag-
nani’s upcoming Bollywood
flick, Kal Kissne Dekha.
Ali and Azharuddin, con-
fessing that their dream of act-
ing in Bollywood has turned
into reality, exclaim, “We nev-
er imagined facing the camera
once again so soon.”
Ask them what their friends
have to say about their sud-
den stardom, and they say,
after winning laurels and now
they are even more excited
about our new movie. They
are our strength and we will
be in touch with them
forever.”
The roles of the children in
this movie, which revolves
around a small town ambi-
tious boy who faces challenges
in Mumbai, are different from
their previous ones and here
they are shown in a scene
where they are returning from
the Oscars.
Bhagnani took the kids in
the movie as they did a re-
markable job in their earlier
one. Bhagnani, who feels that
they have good knowledge of
acting and dancing too, says,
“They are real masters in pre-
senting themselves with grace
and that’s more important
are also some surprise ele-
ments attached to their char-
acters for you all to wait and
watch.” He has also assured
them arrangements for their
shelter and education.
Debutant and son of Vashu,
Jacky Bhagnani, who plays the
lead role, enjoyed the compa-
ny of the children. He says,
“Every shot I had with them, I
relived my childhood. They
have gained a special place in
the heart of the entire unit.”
Ask the star kids who their
role model in Bollywood is
and they tell you, “The indus-
try is full of talented actors
Jayam Ravi to wed in June
and, hence, we don’t have Actor Jayam Ravi will tie the knot with his lady
any. But someday, we would love Aarthi on June 7. The marriage will take
definitely like to work with place at Ramanathan Hall. Aarthi is the daughter
Shah Rukh Khan as he is a of popular television producer, Sujatha
superb actor in the history of Vijayakumar who had also produced the film
Indian cinema.” ■ Veeraappu with Sundar C. in the lead. Aarthi
holds a management degree from Switzerland.
12 ERGO Thursday, March 19, 2009

Wednesday’s Query:
What filmy gyan would you give to
cool your short-tempered friend?
■ Inaiku sethaa naalaiku milk
Anukarthika (CSS)
■ "Sogangal enakkum nenjodu irukkum sirikkaadha
naalillayae...” in Kalyaana Maalai Kondaadum Pennae
song from Pudhu Pudhu Arththangal. Try refreshing
tuning in to this song. I at least have got positive
results
Oviya.Vijay RRD (Team: ACE-BCG)
■ Evvalavo Pannitom. Idha Panna Maattoma
Vijay, Deepa (RRD), Kuppusamy Nattudurai (CSS), Nirmal (TCS),
Jai (Perot Systems)
■ Bade bade desho mein, choti choti baatein hoti rehti
hai
Sana (Wipro)
■ Maapu vaalkaina sila adikal vila thaan seiyum Karthik from Sagitec Solutions, Tidel Park has nominated his friends as Partners in
Lexsminarayanan (TCS-eServe) Crime. The picture was clicked at their friend’s wedding and they title it ‘Stepping
■ You are really a dubagoor machi. Don’t get tensed into well’. That’s what this bachelor group of friends think about marriage.
for silly matters
Thara (Wipro)
■ Adhigama aasai padra aambalayum adhigama kova
padara pombalayum nalla vazhndadha sarithramae illa
Deepak Vasudevan (Verizon), Ahalya, Rajasekar (TCS),
Sivakumar (Allsec), Senthil (Wipro)
■ Thaniya kudi, thaniya kudi
Levi (Infoview Technologies)
■ Quarter’e dan venuma. Inda cutting kudutha othukka
maattengala. Kova padravangalukkellam quarter
kudukardille
Mukund (SCB Scope International)
■ Neenga Nallavara Kettavaraa
Rajeesh (Perot Systems)
■ Life la nee romba peria aala varuva da
Joshua (TCS)
■ In Vadivelu style: cool down, cool down, cool down.
Don’t cry. Be happy. Hey money comes today, goes
tomorrow ya. Yenga siri. Hmm, Yippa Yeppadi yirukku
moonji
Suresh (TCS)
■ Risk edukkirathu namakku rusk saapdra maathiri Govindaraj D of Wipro and his team had a whale of a time in Wayanad.
Hashim (Allsec)
■ Piyo thanda mathalab Coca Cola aur laghao Dermi
cool thake tum raho thanda thanda cool cool
Dhanavelan Jegadeesan (Verizon)
■ Santhosamo kobamo ethva irunthalum oru anchu
nimisam thalli podu, slightly modified kadalan dialogue
Revathi (lnautix)

Today’s Query:
Freida Pinto of ‘Slumdog
Millionaire’ fame is being
considered for the next Bond girl.
Who would have been your pick
for the role? Come up with some
lesser-known names (no Asins and
Aishwaryas, please) with a witty
Arun from Infosys has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. Location: Singapore
reason to support your choice. River, near the Flyer
 Thursday, March 19, 2009
Diwakaran from Cognizant
Technology Solutions has
been nominated as office an-
gel by Anand S. and team
members.
He is a jovial person and
never gets tensed.A great lead-
er to follow!
Art featured in this column will
receive gift coupons from Fruit
Shop on Greams Road. Send in
your addresses so that we can
post the coupons.
Mili Krishnan from RR
Donnelley doodled this.
■ Anbu thozhli Sindhu Ratha...
Indru unn pirantha naal. Aam
naangal makizhnthu kondada indru
oru nannaal.Yengal Anbu thozhiku
Iniya piranthanaal vazhthukal.
Best Wishes from iRonicz Spiders Team,
TCS, iNautix, Fidelity(Chennai), Musigma,
NSN, Tata Elexi, EMC(Bangalore), Juno,
Deshaw, Commvault- Hyderabad)
■ Dear Preetha,
Just a simple acrostic for you my
friend, one that comes straight from
my heart. Hope your birthday was
filled with joy, nothing but happy
wishes do I impart. Reach for the
stars that shine tonight, dream of
your love who warms your arms.
Always know you are special to
many, very endearing with all of
your charms. I’ve been blessed to
have come to know you.
Exceptional is your talent that you
share. So glad to know your
friendship is there. Although these
birthday wishes will arrive a little
late You’re always wished much
happiness no matter what the date.
Loads of Wishes,
Senthil,Wipro
■ Dearest Anila,
Here’s a Birthday greeting,
especially to show how much you
mean to us. Although you surely
must know
that without a doubt there’s no-one
nicer than you or anyone dearer, to
wish Happy Birthday to…
May God be with you always. With Loads
of love, prayers and wishes
Ramz & Shees, Wipro
■ Dear Friend RG ji,
Wish you a many more happy
returns of the day. Time and again
I’ve been ever so grateful for having
a good friend like you. A friend for
all times, to confide in, to count on,
and treasure a whole lifetime
through. Because today’s your
birthday, and because you’re extra
nice, one wish is not enough for
you. And so here’s wishing twice.
Hoping your Birthday’s wonderful.
In every single way and next year
brings happiness for you day after
day. Happy Birthday!!!
Best Regards,
Archana J, Cognizant
■ Dear Amarnath Sainath,
Wishing you a day soft as Silk,
white as milk, sweet as honey and
full of money. May all Your dreams
come true.
Wishing you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
Gourisankar T S, Hexaware Technologies
■ Dear Sweety Pradeepa & Terror
Gangs,
I have no yesterdays, time took
them away.T omorrow may not be
mine, but I have today. So wish you
all my cute friends a Very Good
Day. All the very best for your
project too.
Best Wishes from,
N.Deepan(LTSB), TCS
■ Dear Sister Sindhu Radha
Mantharachalam (TCS) ,
Wish You Very Very Happy Birthday
Sister. May God Bless Your Future
With everlasting happiness and
success in your life. Enjoy Ur
Birthday.Take Care.
From your Brother ,
Purushothaman Balasubramniam ( TCS-
eServe)
■ Dear Mokkai (Ismail, Kone
Elevators)
Wish you a Happy Birthday.
Regards,
Muhammad Ashik S, Abdul Raheem .K.A,
Nasirudeen. K, HCL
■ Dear Dhinesh Pandian,
Wishing you a many more happy
returns of the day. May this year
bring with it all the success &
fulfilment your heart desires. Hope
our little B’day wishes will make u
smile.. Have a great year ahead.
With luv,
Hashini, Bhavani, Venki, Saravana,
Sasthan..
R Systems international
■ Hi Santhosh Kumar &
Dhuvarakesh
May each and every passing year
bring you wisdom, peace and
cheers. May this day bring to you all
things that make you smile!
With Cheers, Coastal Training
Technologies India (P) Ltd, Chennai
■ Dear Arun Babu,
Wish u many more happy returns of
the day, let all ur dreams come
true. Have a great year ahead.
HAPPY BIRTH DAY. Keep rocking.
With Luv,
Gershom, Srini, Kevin, Praveen, Vinoth,
Sushma, Serena, Sai & Rafia ,
(ATG-ROKERZ)-ALLSEC TECH
Belated wishes
■ Hi Priti,
Iniya pirantha naal vazhthukal…
Many many more happy returns of
the day….
Hearty wishes from,
Infosys Gang(June 26,2006)
■ Dear Yaseen Taj,
Wish u a many more happy returns
of the day. Sing a song of Birthdays,
full of fun and cheer.
And may you keep on having them
for many a happy year.
Best Regards,
Umamaheshwari, Archana, Swathi,
Dhana, Chithra, Divya, Vijayanthi,
Jayram, Hari, Jude, Sujesh
Vasudhara, Aswini
■ Hi Kiran,
Wish you a many more happy
returns of the day. Each year of
your birthday reminds us that we
really want to say we are very much
glad we know you. We think of you
13
each day. We hope you enjoy your
birthday. All the pleasures it has in
store. And because we appreciate
you we hope you have many more!
ORAYIRAM
JANMADHINASAMSAKAL....
With lots of love,
Mathew John & Sheeba, Infosys
Technologies Ltd
■ Hi My dear Sister(Bujji),
Wishes you many more happy
returns of the day da....
You are my most precious wealth i
have earned.I wish you a peaceful
and happy life.
I thank god for blessing me with
such a loving and caring girl like
you da.....
Many more happy returns of the
day da. Always keep smiling.....
Yours only loving Brother......
Vignesh, Wipro
■ Dear Balaji V Thesma,
We wish you a wonderful
Birthday!!!
ITS & RDS Testing Practice, MindTree Ltd
■ Dear Sandy,
Have a Happy Birthday. Because
you’ll never be this young again.
But be careful because you’ve
Never been this old before..!!
Huttida Habba Subashayagalu! J
Cheers,
Rajendra, Sunil, Chethan, Rohini, Aruna,
Habeeba, Monisha, Sakthi
Cognizant
■ Dear Vicky( Don of Mokka),
We have enjoyed a lot from the
time when we joined our iRonicz
Team.
Every minute and every moment we
spent together will be memorable
in our hearts.
We are glad to celebrate ur
birthday and wish u Many More
Happy Returns of the Day.
Happy Birthday to u da Machi..
Enjoy.
Best Wishes fromiRonicz Spiders Team,
TCS, iNautix, Fidelity (Chennai),
Musigma, NSN, Tata Elexi, EMC
(Bangalore), Juno, Deshaw, Commvault
(Hyderabad)
■ Hi Karthi (Uyarntha Manithar),
Belated Birthday Wishes. Thappa
Nenachukathinga Makkale, avan
BDay koncham munna pinna agi
poiduchu. Karthi Koncham complan
sapidratha korachuko, erkanve light
house light fit panravan madhiri
irukka. Netru Pol Endrum
Punnagaiyodu Iruppayaga. Have a
wonderful year ahead…
Ippadiku,Muthu, Laavanyaaaaaaaa,
Saravanan, Madhu,
Sindil, Siva, RJPal,
Laks, Gopi, Anne,
Patti, JP, Jasmine, Padma Prasad,
Target, Ramya, Lavnaya,
Varalakshmi, Deepti,
Anbil, Vinoth, Venki, Beulah...
Wipro Technologies
14 TRAFFIC JAM ERGO Thursday, March 19, 2009

Sweet good-bye
An American man announced he
was quitting his job by writing a
resignation letter in icing on a cake.

sudoku

For good tidings: A

fisherman mending his
boat before venturing out
in to the sea
Clicked by Vasantha
Jagadish of Wipro Infotech
Hobbies: Collecting
inspirational quotes,
travelling and photography

Preference this month is being

given to photographs that talk
about ‘happiness’, which you
need to tell us in a line or two.
Please do not repeat any of
your previous pictures and also
make sure that the photograph is
people-oriented. Happiness is not
always a smile, so put on your
thinking caps and keep clicking!
Winners can collect their gift
vouchers on Sundays, between 3
p.m. and 5 p.m. at Ergo office
KAKURO
So you think you would make a terrific photographer but never really had the
platform? Mail us your best work and we’ll publish it in this space, with credit.
E-mail: clickpick@goergo.in

TEAM
Editor: Karthik Subramanian
karthik@goergo.in

Sr Dy Chief Designer: J.A. Prem Kumar

Dy Chief Designer: R. Ravi Kannan
Illustrator: R. Venugopal

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

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

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copies@goergo.in

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Printed and Published by S. Karthik on behalf of

KASTURI & SONS LTD., at Plot B-6 & B-7,
CMDA Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar,
Chengleput Taluk, Kancheepuram Dist., Pin:
603209 & at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860,
Anna Salai, Chennai-600002. Editor: S. Karthik
(Editor responsible for selection of news under
the PRB Act). RNI No. TNENG/2007/24553
 Thursday, March 19, 2009
Struck by an arrow
A woman was rushed to the hospital
to undergo emergency surgery after
she was wounded by an arrow while
walking along a New York City street.
15
Word’s worth
“Fistiana” (fis-tee-ann-uh) a humorous word
meaning ‘of or relating to the fists or boxing.’
Synonyms are fistic and fistical; the OED haughtily
remarks that these words ‘are not in dignified use.’

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

This is a good time to travel, especially to places
you have never experienced before, where you will
be exposed to new ideas and different ways of
looking at the world. Studying new concepts is also
favoured.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

At this time it easy for you to express yourself
boldly and confidently. You seem to care less about
outside approval and this frees you to act on your
own behalf. Your health and vitality are quite good,
and you need physical outlets for your energies.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

There is much activity; you move rapidly from one
BORN LOSER thing to another and a hectic, somewhat stressful
pace is likely. Many errands, phone calls, letters
which require a response, and other busywork is on
the agenda.
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
This is an excellent time to be out and about. There
are significant opportunities to make connections,
exchange information, and to learn something
through a meeting. Letters, phone calls, and
conversations that you initiate are productive.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
You feel temporarily blocked now. Resistance and
challenges from others or from outside situations
suggest this is not a good time to try to force your
will and desires onto the world, as friction is the
only likely result.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
Fast pace, with many letters, phone calls, errands,
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT meetings, or discussions, is on the agenda. You may
feel mentally restless, impatient, and overly eager to
get your own ideas across. A situation may arise
which requires you to say what is on your mind.
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
Doors open and new opportunities for personal and
professional growth present themselves. Any
initiative or action you feel inclined to take at this
time is likely to lead to a positive outcome for you.
Your energy level is high today.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
You are very impulsive and restless now and you
are likely to act or speak too quickly without
sufficient forethought for the consequences. You
tend to be verbally aggressive, starting fights with
people who do not agree with you.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
You have a very realistic and no-nonsense attitude
at this time, and are rather critical, sceptical, or at
the very least, cautious about new ideas. Deep,
quite study and solitary reflection is favoured.
Frivolity holds no appeal for you now.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
Your usual routine is likely to be disrupted now,
either by "freak" accidents beyond your control or
by your own impatience with the status quo.
Sudden unexpected events, and breaking free of
confining situations and relationships are very likely.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
Flexibility, thinking on your feet, and the ability to
accommodate the unexpected will be called for
PREVIOUS now. The pace is very quick. You will be pulled in
many directions at once, and tend to scatter your
ISSUE’S forces, jumping from one thing to the next.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
SOLUTIONS At this time you really enjoy art, theatre, music, and
your own inner world of fantasy. Your imagination
is vivid. If you have an interest in spiritual matters,
these interests come to the fore now. Also you can
be quite lazy now.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
16 ! ERGO Thursday, March 19, 2009

Competitive eaters (L to R) Pat Bertoletti, Joey Chestnut and

Juliet Lee face off in the first-ever Stroehmann Sandwich
Slamm, an eating contest featuring corned beef and rye
sandwiches ahead of St. Patrick’s Day, on Monday in New
York City. Winner Pat Bertoletti consumed 16 3/4 sandwiches
in 10 minutes to win the contest at Gallagher’s Steakhouse.
GETTY IMAGES/AFP PHOTO

Discovery crewmembers are welcomed aboard the

International Space Station on Tuesday. AFP PHOTO

The largest helicopter carrier, the Huga of Japan

Maritime Self-Defence Force, is seen at a pier in
Yokohama, suburban Tokyo, on Wednesday. The
Japanese navy commissioned the ship, which is 197
metres, as the defence ministry argued it is only for
defence purposes and does not violate the pacifist
constitution. AFP PHOTO/TORU YAMANAKA

Actor Jack Black arrives with his wife, actress Tanya Haden,
at the premiere of I Love You, Man held at Mann’s Village
Theater on Tuesday, in Westwood, California. AFP PHOTO /
GABRIEL BOUYS