A BYTE OF LIFE Thursday, February 12, 2009

SPEED AND
SCENERY Vol. 3 No. 27
Ergo joins a bunch of Yamaha RD350 FREE CIRCULATION

riders as they go riding to Horsley

Hills, a hill-station in Andhra Pradesh,
about 290 kms from Chennai
03 Love in the
times of
Ram Sena
Campaigns to take
on moral brigades
» PAGE 08

10
LOVE LOST
What went wrong
between Rihanna and
Chris Brown?
02 NAMMA CHENNAI ERGO Thursday, February 12, 2009

A story on wine
‘Wine – a story between man and nature in Burgundy’ will be held on February 14 at the AFM Auditorium.
The session will talk about the influence of monks in the development of vineyards in Burgundy and the traditional
work in the vineyards around the year. A brief introduction to the wine making process will also be given. You
need to register before February 13. For details call Chinmaya Raja 9789059024.

Herzog Film Festival

Catch up with the movies of German
auteur Werner Herzog at a film festival to
be organised by the Goethe-Institut and
the Indo-Cine Appreciation Forum from S. Chinny
February 16 to 20 at the Film Chamber Krishna,
Theatre near Gemini Flyover. chairman,
In commemoration of the controversial Blue Cross
director’s 60th birthday, the Institut will of India,
screen three of his movies and also host a handing
photo exhibition ‘Film must be physical’. over a pup
For the uninitiated, Herzog is considered by to a school
many as perhaps Germany’s greatest ever boy for
director and his best works have been in adoption
collaboration with the highly eccentric
actor Klaus Kinski. Herzog is widely
acknowledged to be responsible for the
‘New German Cinema’ alongside the
rebellious Rainer Werner Fasbinder and
Wim Wenders. His love-hate relationship
with Klaus Kinski has been the subject of
several discussion forums. The documentary
The long and
winding road
“My Best Fiend” explores their relationship.
Visit www.goethe.de/chennai for more
details.
Schedule of films to be screened: Aguirre,
the wrath of god (February 16), Every man
for himself and god against all (February
17), Woyzeck (February 18), Heart of Glass
(February 19) and My best Fiend (February
20). All the movies will be screened at the
Film Chamber Theatre and will begin at
Working for the voiceless is Little known facts about
animal welfare
6.30 p.m. ■ often an uphill battle organisations:
■ Crucial tasks like
SRIYA NARAYANAN adoption coordination,
the first step would be to assess
fundraising efforts and
pets@goergo.in the seriousness of the injury. Mi- temporary fostering are
nor ones can be treated by pri- handled by unpaid

A
nimal welfare organisa-
tions have their eyes fixed
on a goal that often seems
out of reach.
It’s always the little gestures of
goodwill that come their way that
make it possible for them to keep
going.
If you’d like to be a part of the
solution, here are a few easy steps
recommended by people who’ve
been at it for a long time.
■ If you find an injured animal,
Animal Welfare and Protection
Trust
awptrust@yahoo.com (22781381)
Blue Cross
bluecrossofindia@gmail.com
(22300666/22300655/22354959)
Cattitude Trust
devika.khazvini@gmail.com
People for Animals
pfachen@gmail.com
vate vets and you or a friend
could take care of the animal for a
few days until recovery.
■ If the injury is serious, call an
NGO (numbers listed below) and
consider making a one-time do-
nation that will cover the cost of
rescue and rehabilitation.
■ If you find an abandoned or
homeless animal, think of all the
animal-loving friends you know
and try and find it a temporary or
permanent home, rather than
leaving the animal in an over-
crowded shelter. It helps to make
phone calls, send emails, put up
posters in your club, beauty par-
lour, office, church or any com-
munity board to spread the word
around.
There are a million other ways
to help depending on how much
time and energy you choose to
spend on it. If you feel like
spreading the joy, get in touch
with some of these people who
will welcome your help with open
arms. ■
volunteers who juggle these
roles and their full-time jobs
or studies.
■ Most of these NGOs are
run by individuals who have
spent their life savings on
the cause, foregoing
retirement and vacations.
■ If all pet-owners sterilised
their cats and dogs,
unplanned litters would be
prevented and could reduce
the enormous burden on
welfare organisations. Every
year, thousands of newborns
are dropped off by owners
who have not had their pets
neutered.
■ For every hundred rescue
calls made by the public,
only two or three make
token donations to the
organisation.
A large number of pedigree
dogs are dumped in shelters
by owners when their pets
get sick or old.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Moral cops,
representing
different
organisations, have
threatened to
vandalise
Valentine’s Day
celebrations in the
country.
Touchwood, so far,
Chennai is not in
the hit list. But,
many netizens have
formed different
groups to take on
the moral brigades.
Are you game to
join along?
03
Love in the times of
RAM SENA
Roshan raho Hug me, please
Twenty-eight-year-old Roshini’s ‘Send Pramod Mutha-
lik a Valentine’s Day card’ is the easiest way you could
Call it the ‘Munna Bhai’ influence, the love birds in
Bangalore are planning to go out in groups and offer
show your protest against all the moral hooligans. It’s
really simple, if you were anyway planning to buy a card
free hugs to the people as a way of expressing love. It is
called the Free Hug campaign. Equipped with placards
for your sweetheart, just buy an additional one and send
it to Muthalik. Roshini has already gathered the support
some of the wordings like ‘Happy Valentines Day’, ‘I
love you’, ‘Hug me’ and ‘Public Display of violence is not
of 900 members from across India, a good response con-
sidering that she came up with the plan last Friday.
part of Indian culture’ will dot these protest.
These dare devils have a special appeal to all girls,
“Many are even personalising the cards,” she adds. women, moms, grand moms, sisters, daughters, girlf-
riends and wives to join them. The campaign which
starts at 3 p.m. will be followed by a group visit to the
pubs. I am going to Bangalore this Saturday!
In the pink of
their protest
Bar-bar-dheko
At the face of it, the ‘Pink Chaddi Campaign’ might
sound ridiculous. But the organisers claim they have You needn’t be a boozer to go to pubs. Why not have a
been getting a tremendous response. So much so that
all those supporting the campaign have been asked to
juice there and raise a toast to the Indian women, say
these campaigners on the social networking site Face-
send their ‘gifts’ directly to Pramod Muthalik’s office in
Hubli, instead of dropping at the collection points in
book. The ‘Pub Bharo’ campaign invites all men and
women to fill the pubs which ever city they are in on
every city.
Now, for the uninitiated, the campaign was started
Valentine’s Day. Reportedly, the Pub Bharo campaign is
being endorsed by Tejaswini Chowdhury, and her moth-
on February 5 by some netizens to oppose the Sri Ram
Sena, who were responsible for the Mangalore pub at-
er Renuka Chowdhury, Union Minister for Women and
Child Development. With more than 1,000 members en-
tack. It wants you to get imaginative, have some fun
and fight back. How? Buy, collect or fish out a pink
dorsing the campaign, they have not yet received a
green signal from the cops so far.
underwear (why the colour discrimination, it could be
any colour of your choice) to the Sena’s. Many collection
Log on to http://blogaloreans.in/2009/02/
hug-karo-and-pub-bharo-andolan
points were introduced over the weeks to help donors
hand over their packets. In Chennai, we hear that no-
-in-bangalore-to-dare-the-ram-sene
(Compiled by V. Haripriya and Liffy Thomas)
body has come forward to be the representative for the
region. However, an organiser claimed that a couple of
parcels have come from the city.
Read more at http://thepinkchaddicampaign.blogspot.com
04 VILLAGE ERGO Thursday, February 12, 2009

Dirty diapers
A man has been arrested after his
probation officers stopped by his house
for a routine check - and caught him
hiding cannabis in his child’s nappies.

Louvre sets stage for ‘Funeral GM cutting 10,000 jobs;

of Mona Lisa’ Nike another 1,400
A giant, grey version of Mona Lisa with tears in her Troubled automaker General Motors is cutting 10,000
eyes and streaks of paint running down her front workers or 14 percent of its salaried jobs worldwide, with
goes on display at the Louvre museum this week in a third of layoffs coming in the US. Nike Inc, the world’s
the room next to the original by Leonardo da largest athletic shoe and clothing maker, is also planning
Vinci. The new work by Franco-Chinese artist Yan to slash 1,400 jobs
Pei-Ming is the centrepiece of an exhibition out of about 35,000
entitled “The Funeral of Mona Lisa,” part of the globally. GM, which
Louvre’s efforts to bring contemporary art face to is preparing to
face with the masterpieces of old. present a long-term
Reuters viability plan to the
US Treasury
Department next
week, said Tuesday
Six suspected of cannibalism that the cutbacks
are part of the
in Brazil restructuring plan it
Six people are suspected of murdering a man and then submitted to
eating him in a cannibalism ritual, EFE, a Spanish news Congress Dec 2 when it first asked Washington for federal
agency reported. The victim was identified as Ocelio Alves assistance. The company had said at the time that it
de Carvalho, 21, and his remains were found near a village intended to cut its US staff by between 22 percent and 33
located some 1,200 km percent by 2012. It also plans to cut the pay of its
from Manaus, the remaining US salaried staff. Nike said Tuesday that it could
capital of Amazonas cut up to four percent of its workforce to reduce costs as
state, the agency it restructures its business. Up to 1,400 jobs out of about
reported, quoting the 35,000 globally could be cut.
news website G1. The IANS
body bore no fewer
than 60 knife wounds
and was cut into pieces,
according to a police Naked hikers face
official, who added that
the man’s heart, brain, spot fines
liver and several other Naked mountain hikers in the Swiss canton of
organs were not found. Appenzell-Innerrhoden will in future face on
According to the police, the spot fines of 200 Swiss francs ($170), Swiss
one witness said he had daily Tages-Anzeiger reported over the
seen six people eating weekend. A wave of naked hiking,
portions of the body, particularly popular with German visitors,
but the alleged killers outraged people last year in the traditionally
have not been identified minded canton, which gave women the vote
due to legal limitations. only in 1990.
IANS Reuters

Say it with tattoos

Lovebirds in Kolkata go for temporary tattoos this V-Day
T his Valentine’s Day many
young lovebirds in Kolkata
won’t say it just with a card but
also with a tattoo - even if it’s a
temporary one!
The queues outside the 10-15
tattoo parlours here have got
longer with February 14 around
the corner - a day when many
young hearts profess their love.
The youngsters though are most-
ly going for painted tattoos,
where the ink will fade in a few
months.
“The craze for getting a tattoo
this Valentine’s Day has shot up
like never before. Now every oth-
er boy or girl wants to make a tat-
too to impress his or her lover,”
Raja Pyne, one of the oldest tat-
too artists in Kolkata, told IANS.
“I have already tattooed over 90
youngsters since mid-January.
There are bookings for 40 more
till Feb 14. However, most of
these tattoos are not permanent
ones, they will last for about six
months,” Pyne said.
Another city-based tattoo art-
ist, Anil Sakarwal, has tattooed
over 70 youths.
Youths are getting tattoos done
in the weirdest of places.
“If it’s a permanent tattoo, they
are more sensible - mostly it’s a
rose, a cupid or small messages
like ‘You are my love’, ‘I love you’
or ‘Be my Valentine forever’. And
they are getting it either on their
arms, backs or necks,” said Pyne.
“But if it’s a temporary one,
then they act insane. I recently
tattooed a boy who was ditched
by a girl last Valentine. He tat-
tooed his ex-girlfriend’s name on
his leg and his present girlfriend’s
name on his chest,” Pyne said.
The list of temporary tattoos
done by Pyne includes the names
and faces of lovers and cheesy
one-liners made on palms, abdo-
men, hips and even the scalp.
A college student, Ronit Roy,
who got a temporary tattoo done
from Pyne, said: “I have scribbled
a cheesy line – ‘Smita, you are so
sweet that I got fat’ - on my ab-
domen for my girlfriend. It cost
me around Rs.2000, but then, it’s
Valentine’s Day and I am ready to
do anything to make her happy.”
When asked why he didn’t dare
to get a permanent one, Roy said:
“I have fallen in love with this tat-
too and wish to get a similar per-
manent one soon, but without
my present girlfriend’s name be-
cause who knows if this relation-
ship will last forever!”
Meanwhile, girls too are flaunt-
ing their love through tattoos.
“I chose to make two tattoos
this Valentine - a permanent
‘rose wrapped in a snake’ on my
back and a temporary one (my
boyfriend’s name) on my hip. But
I didn’t tell him it’s a temporary
one. He was so happy that he
promised to get me a diamond
pendant,” said Sahana Paul, a
call-centre employee.
IANS
 Thursday, February 12, 2009
Websites of the day
Send your entries into the Ugly Baby Contest:
http://www.uglybabycontest.com
Find your way with these eccentric and imaginative maps:
http://strangemaps.wordpress.com
Two’s company, technology’s crowd
Many complain of their partner’s pre-occupation
with mobiles, laptops, MP3 players, iPods,
videogame consoles and other hi-tech gizmos
J
ust when you are sitting
down for a quiet dinner with
your husband, the phone
rings and you say, “Not
again”! With laptops finding a
comfortable corner on beds and
mobile phones a constant com-
panion, many couples in Indian
cities virtually have to battle with
technology to keep the romance
alive.
“It’s so hard to find quality time
for ourselves nowadays. Even if
we go out for a quiet dinner, my
husband’s phone never stops
ringing. So we end up not having
a good time and eventually fight,”
said Maneka Singh, a 29-year-old
housewife. Many men and wom-
en complain of their partner’s
pre-occupation with mobiles,
laptops, MP3 players, iPods, vid-
eogame consoles and other hi-
tech gizmos.
Indore-based Roshni Wadhwa-
ni, who has been married for nine
years, says: “My husband checks
the talk time on my mobile. We
always fight when he questions
me on why the balance amount is
Michelle Obama
on Vogue cover
U S First Lady Mi-
chelle Obama has
long been hailed for
her style. But the an-
nouncement by
Vogue that she will
feature on the cover
of the magazine’s
March issue makes it
official: Michelle
Obama is now also
America’s first lady of
fashion.
The American
fashion bible said it dispatched
celebrity photographer Annie
Liebowitz to snap the first lady at
the Hay Adams Hotel, where the
Obama family stayed prior to the
inauguration. The cover photo
features Obama leaning on a
beige sofa wearing a magenta
sheath designed by Jason Wu, the
young designer who also created
the dress she wore for the inaug-
ural balls.
05
Love island
A tiny heart-shaped island in the
Adriatic has become a holiday hit
for St Valentine’s Day after being
discovered on Google Earth.
low because he has to refill it. It is
very irritating.”
Aditya Kumar, 22, says his girlf-
riend nags him about his exces-
sive use of the cell phone, laptop
and Playstation.
“My girlfriend forever fights on
these issues. ‘Who were you talk-
ing to?’ ‘Why couldn’t you call me
instead?’ ’Why are you on the lap-
top?’ ’Don’t work on it while talk-
ing to me’ - these are just some of
the statements I get to hear from
her almost every day.
According to leading psychia-
trist Sanjay Chugh, a lot of cou-
ples approach him with similar
problems. “Many a time partners
complain that the other person
loves his or her laptop or cell
phone more than him or her. Or
the technical equipment is his or explained Chugh. and cared for are essential ingre- other feel special through fre-
her first love!” Chugh said. Experts suggest that to resolve dients that can keep couples quent calls, personal greeting
“They would feel unattended such technology-related relation- strong enough to live through the cards and letters too.
and unimportant as the partner is ship issues, partners must be able rough phases of life - related or However, the trend is fast di-
spending most of his or her time and willing to spend quality time unrelated to technology,” said minishing thanks to e-cards, e-
using the gadget. This becomes a with each other, share thoughts Chugh. mails and SMS, giving partners
source of distress for the other and feelings and also take regular Earlier, when access to and use yet another reason to complain.
person leaving him or her to feel breaks together. of technology was not so ram- ■
discontented and dissatisfied,” “Making each other feel loved pant, couples used to make each IANS
Mama’s pet
Obama’s cover
portrait, said editor
Andre Leon Talley
“absolutely reflects
who she is without
any questions.
There’s such a
warmth that she
emanates. It’s the
warmest cover
you’ve seen in a long
time on Vogue.
Models pose, ac-
tresses pose. This is a
real woman”.
Inside the magazine, Obama
appears in an eight-page spread
that included clothes from her
own wardrobe, including a black
Narciso Rodriguez dress and a J.
Crew cardigan, top and skirt en-
semble. Photos of her with Presi- 쒀
dent Barack Obama from A newborn elephant stands amongst the other elephants in Zoo Bijdorp in
inauguration ceremonies are also Rotterdam on Tuesday. Elephant Douanita gave birth to a female calf named Tonya.
featured. AFP PHOTO KOEN SUYK
DPA
06 SPORT ERGO Thursday, February 12, 2009

ICC dillydallying
The ICC on Wednesday confirmed that it had been notified of the Indian Premier League drugs
tribunal’s decision to impose a one-year ban on Pakistan pacer Mohammad Asif for failing a dope
test but refused comment, saying it still had to consider the “reasons” for the move. The 26-year-
old was banned for a year on Wednesday, months after testing positive for nandrolone during
the IPL semi-finals.

Good day for Indians

Indian Davis Cuppers Leander Paes and
Rohan Bopanna advanced to the
quarterfinals of different ATP events after
registering first round victories with their
respective partners. Paes
and his Czech partner
Luaks Dlouhy had to toil
hard to beat German
Dark Horse
pair of Christopher Kas

T
and Philipp Kohlschreiber ail-enders Force In-
7-6 (7-4), 5-7 10-3 in the dia could be For-
Euro 1445,000 World mula One’s surprise
Tennis Tournament in package this sea-
Rotterdam, Netherlands. son with the help of
The second seeded Indo- McLaren and Mercedes,
Czech pair dropped their former driver David
serve thrice and could Coulthard said.
convert just two of nine The Scot, who retired
breakpoints but last year and now serves
ultimately relied on their as a consultant for Red
experience to prevail in Bull and a pundit for
the super tie-breaker. They next face BBC television, said he
Russian-Polish pair of Igor Andreev and expected to see consid-
Marcin Matkowski. At the US$ 600,000 SAP erable improvement
Open in the United States, Bopanna and from the Silverstone-
Finland’s Jarko Nieminen beat American pair based team. “Force In-
of Rajeev Ram and Bobby Reynolds 6-2, 6-4 dia could be the shock
in the first round in 58 minutes. Bopanna- of the season,” the for-
Nieminen will lock horns with the winners of mer McLaren driver said
the first round match between top seed at the launch of Red
Americans Bob and Mike Bryan and Bull’s new RB5 car at the
Thailand’s wild card entrants Sanchai and Jerez circuit in southern
Sonchat Ratiwatana. Spain.
PTI
New beginning
Force India had Ferrari
engines last year, when
Jayawardene to step down they failed to score a
Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene point, but have since
announced on Wednesday that he would agreed a five-year deal
step down as captain after the forthcoming with McLaren and Mer-
Test series against Pakistan to give his cedes to use their en-
successor time to build a team for the next gines and gearbox as
World Cup in two years. “After much well as the new KERS
thought, I have concluded that the right energy recovery system.
time has now come for fresh leadership to They will also use
take over,” Jayawardene said in a McLaren’s network of
statement. “It was not an easy decision to suppliers while Simon
make because being Sri Lanka national Roberts has joined as
captain has been the source of enormous chief operations officer
pride. I am very grateful to have been from McLaren. On the
granted the honour of leading the team downside, Force India
during the last three have yet to reveal their
years.” 2009 car and drivers
Jayawardene informed Giancarlo Fisichella and
national selectors on Adrian Sutil will have lit-
Wednesday that he tle testing time before
would stand down after the season starts in Aus-
the Test series with tralia on March 29.
Pakistan starting
February 22, Sri Lanka Great future
Cricket said in a Coulthard expected McLaren’s world champion Lewis Ha-
statement. During the milton to go from strength to strength, despite likely in-
past three years, creased pressure on the 24-year-old Briton. “He is two years
Jayawardene led Sri
Lanka in 26 Tests and 97
in Formula One and an amazing first two seasons, just drip-
ping in world class performance,” he said. Coulthard
One-Day Internationals. “He had a win ratio
in Tests of 62.5 per cent, the highest of any
“With the benefit of hindsight it was great he didn’t win it
(the title) in the first year because it just made the second ready to put
Sri Lanka captain in history, and a win ratio
of 57 per cent in ODI’s,” the statement said.
year all that more special,” he said. “I think he’s just a class
act and he will handle it in his own way. I think he will always his money on
As captain, Jayawardene averaged more
than 64, scoring 11 centuries. He averaged
manage to be quite controlled and is the (Michael) Schu-
macher of the modern era, he is now the benchmark against Force India
34 per innings as ODI captain. which everyone has to be measured.” ■
PTI Reuters
 Thursday, February 12, 2009
‘‘
I’m disappointed because we have not been performing as well as we can
do and getting the results for the manager (Luis Scholari). It is a shame
because it falls on his head when we should be looking at ourselves. We should
have won a lot more games under the manager.
B
razil turned on the style to
beat world champions Italy 2-0
in a friendly on Tuesday and
end coach Marcello Lippi’s bid
for a record 32-match unbeaten run.
Elano and Robinho scored first-half
goals to help Brazil make light of Ka-
ka’s absence and put on a perfor-
mance at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium
which belied their coach Dunga’s
reputation as a dour tactician.
“We all know what Robinho can
do but we talked about putting pres-
sure on the Italians to recover the
ball. He showed good personality
and fitted well into the team,” Dun-
ga told a news conference. Elano
added to the two goals he scored for
Brazil against Argentina at the same
stadium in 2006 with a fine opener in
the 13th minute. He laid the ball
back to Manchester City team mate
Robinho and picked up the return
Chelsea captain John Terry
pass before slotting it past Gianluigi
Buffon.
Great skills
Robinho then had the Brazilian
section of the crowd at the Emirates
in raptures with a brilliant solo goal.
Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro’s at-
tempted overhead shot was cleared
and his opposite number Lucio broke
fast downfield before laying the ball
off to the right. Ronaldinho, who
mixed silky skills with wayward pass-
ing all night, crossed poorly and Ita-
ly’s Andrea Pirlo appeared to have
control of the situation. But Robinho
robbed him of possession and tricked
his way past two other defenders be-
fore shooting clinically into the far
corner off the post.
Extraordinary commitment
The defending was poor on both
07
Samba
magic
Brazil end Lippi’s
long unbeaten run
sides but Brazil built their victory on
the commitment of their players to
win back the ball whenever they lost
it, as epitomised by Robinho when
he scored his goal. Italy twice had the
ball in the net but were denied first
when a high Pirlo ball into the Brazil
box was brilliantly volleyed past Julio
Cesar by left back Fabio Grosso from
an offside position.
Substitute striker Luca Toni had a
second-half effort ruled out after he
controlled the ball with his arm un-
der pressure from Lucio and Juan be-
fore steering it into the net. Toni
might have pulled one back near the
end but Julio Cesar blocked his neat
close-range flick from a low cross.
Lippi said his team had not ap-
proached the match positively
enough. “We played with some
fear,” he said. “We had too much
respect for Brazil.” ■
Reuters
08 ROADSTER
To Horsley on RDs
Joining a small group of Yamaha RD 350 riders, Ergo rode to Horsley Hills in
Andhra Pradesh, a small hill-station about 290 kms from Chennai
T
he Rajdoot RD 350 (well-known as Yama-
ha RD 350), India’s best performance mo-
torcycle produced till date, is witnessing
a big resurrection among Chennai speed
enthusiasts these days. With a whooping 31
bhp (high torque model) or 27 bhp (low
torque model), the Japanese cycle is often cel-
ebrated as the ‘on-road speed demon’.
Ergo decided to experience what it takes to
ride the fastest Indian motorcycle on a differ-
ent terrain. Tagging along with a small group
of RD riders, we decided to hit Horsley Hills in
Andhra Pradesh on three RD 350s.
Perhaps the smallest hill-station in the coun-
try, Horsley Hills is an approximate 290 kms
ride from Chennai city. A scenic getaway
standing 1,265 metres above sea level, the
hills could be traversed in five hours’ time. A
journey that is a rider’s delight could also be a
nightmare if you climb after night falls.
Filling our respective 16-litre tanks with pet-
rol mixed with adequate 2T oil, our group hit
the highway on a Wednesday afternoon.
Throttling the 350-cc, two-stroke machine on
the open road was an altogether different rid-
ing experience. Our joy ride was temporarily
cut short at Ranipet after one of the RDs suf-
fered a mechanical snag. The 1984-model
high-torque induction vehicle had a gear
problem that culminated into a chain slip.
Some in my group who were well-prepared
to handle the problems got it action. “It’s a
25-year-old motorcycle; these things are com-
mon,” they chuckled.
After two hours of work on the bike, we
rolled again towards our hilltop destination.
The sun started to set behind the faraway
mountains and the weather was nippy. Riding
was a pleasure (except for the darkness) as
ERGO Thursday, February 12, 2009
Musical Chevy
General Motors launched a new variant
of its Chevrolet Spark called Spark
Muzic. The car comes equipped with a
new music system and a six-CD changer.
The car is priced at Rs. 3.27 lakh.
good roads led our contingent into Andhra
Pradesh and to Chittoor district there.
Notorious for their poor mileage, the RDs
had to be halted as many as six times for fuel.
Clear road signs on the way helped us cross
Chittoor and reach Madanapalle, which is 91
kms from the former.
Having reached the penultimate point of
our ride, an uphill 30-km ride to Horsley Hills
put the RDs to test through the hair-pin bends
on the way. Finally, after hours of riding we
reached the hilltop. The sight of the wind car-
rying the fog around made for an unforget-
table experience. Plus, with the bird’s eye
view of surrounding areas, we felt like kings
of all we surveyed. The power motors proved
to the best as we clocked top speeds through
the difficult, narrow and uphill roads of A.P.
One can easily try this route, as this is a rider’s
delight that offers riding pleasure and good
scenic view mixed with nippy weather. ■
Thursday, February 12, 2009
09
Powerful Porsche
Porsche will show off a more powerful 911 GT3 with the six-cylinder
engine boosted and exterior details such as wider fenders and a
pronounced rear wing at this year’s Geneva Motor Show from March
5- 15. The power-packed car can accelerate from zero to 100 km in
4.1 seconds and has a top speed of 313 km/h.

Our joy ride was temporarily

cut short at Ranipet after
one of the RDs suffered a
mechanical snag. The 1984-
model high-torque induction
vehicle had a gear problem
that culminated into a
chain slip.
10 FLICK ERGO Thursday, February 12, 2009

A Where’s the
s among the brightest and most success-
ful young stars in the US music industry,
Chris Brown and Rihanna were a match What went wrong
made in publicists’ heaven. But just as
they were set to send their relationship into between Rihanna and
hyperdrive with a joint appearance at the Gram-
Chris Brown on
umbrella?
my Awards on Sunday night, the fairytale ro-
mance turned sour and very ugly.
Brown, just 19, stands accused of making Grammys’ eve?
criminal threats against Rihanna, 20, and police
say that prosecutors could charge him with
more – or less – depending on their
investigation.
Though initial reports about what happened
were murky, the facts are beginning to emerge.
The couple had been staying the weekend at a
luxury suite in the trendy London Hotel. Brown
had rented a silver Lamborghini for the wee-
kend’s celebrations and the two were seen ca-
noodling at the pre-Grammy gala held Saturday
night at the Beverley Hilton.
But on the way home something went awful-
ly wrong. The pair were seen engaged in a fu-
rious argument inside the vehicle in the ritzy
Hancock Park neighbourhood. Rihanna got out
of the car, and Brown followed. Rihanna appar-
ently called the police, but by the time they
arrived Brown was gone.
A police report said that the victim showed
obvious signs of injury and identified her at-
tacker as Brown. Celebrity website TMZ report-
ed that Rihanna, whose real name is Robin
Fenty, had bite marks and contusions. Fox News
said she was treated at a hospital and later
released.
After the incident, they checked out of their
hotel together early Sunday morning and later
both cancelled their appearances at the
Grammys.
The music industry’s biggest night of the year
continued without them, but talk of their
emerging scandal overshadowed the actual cer-
emony. Many in the audience were checking
celebrity websites throughout the evening to
find out what was going on. Ironically, as the
record of the year prize was being presented
Brown was giving himself up to police, in the
company of celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos, and
he was released on $50,000 bail.
According to thesun.co.uk, Rihanna may need
plastic surgery. Police sources labelled the in-
juries as “horrific” after Brown hit her.
Meanwhile, new reports have emerged that
Rihanna and Brown started fighting after the
latter received a text message from another
woman. Rihanna got annoyed after seeing the
text message and dashed out of the car, after
which Brown tried to pull her back in, eventu-
ally becoming annoyed and ended up bruising
her.
“He got a booty call. He got a text. Rihanna
saw it and she got upset. They started to argue.
She got out of the car. He wanted her to get
back in, so he grabbed her. She pulled away.
That’s when she’s told people he hit her,” The
New York Daily News quoted a source, as say-
ing.
The couple were first rumoured to be in a
relationship at the end of 2007. Though they
consistently refused to talk about their ro-
mance, they were first photographed together Rihanna and Chris
at the 2008 Grammys and offered many signs of Brown perform at the
their bond, from matching star tattoos on their Z100 Jingle Ball 2008
necks to getting affectionate in public and en- at Madison Square
joying romantic vacations in Europe and the Ca- Garden on December
ribbean. ■ 12, 2008, in New York.
Agencies
 Thursday, February 12, 2009
11
Coldplay’s ‘giant notepad’ studio
Coldplay love to scribble notes on their studio while recording
their albums and have the entire place repainted at the end of
every new release. “When we finish something, we repaint,”
Contactmusic quoted the band’s frontman Chris Martin as
telling U.S. show 60 Minutes.

‘I gifted him a Cine City

strawberry
cheese cake’
Singer Anuradha Sriram on an early Valentine’s Day
memory with composer Sriram. Plus, singer Srinivas tells
why February 14 doesn’t matter
MONISHA MOHANDAS & with strawberries arranged in the Sangeetham on, one thing Srini-
NANDHINI RAMKUMAR shape of a heart. I can never for- vas keeps in mind while judging
get that day.” is not to mislead the participants.

V
alentine’s Day brings nos-
talgia for the happily mar-
ried. Anuradha Sriram is no
different. As we caught up
with playback singers Anuradha
Sriram and Srinivas at the Big FM
studio during the on-air live show
Kalakkal Kaalai, they talk about
fond memories and upcoming
projects.
We can see the blissful glow on
Anuradha’s face as she recalls her
Valentine’s Day during her Mas-
ters in the U.S. “Though we don’t
celebrate Valentine’s Day
here, when Sriram
and I were stu-
dents in the U.S. I
gifted him a
strawberry
cheese cake
Anuradha and Sriram debuted
as music directors with the movie
Five Stars and are also famous for
their jugalbandis. Recalling their
first concert together, she says,
“The spring break concert, ‘Natya
Sangeeth’, was our first concert
together. We did a rendition of
Marathi theatre music. Even from
the very beginning I was amazed
at his ability to grasp music.”
Though most of Srinivas’ songs
are romantic, contradictorily he
says, “I don’t believe in Valen-
tine’s Day as such; it’s a
western concept, but
we have to be roman-
tic always.”
With the current
seasons of Airtel Su-
per Singers and
Ghandharva
“But I feel bad when people crit-
icise me and call me partial.”
Both these artistes have grown
from singers to creating their own
music. Srinivas is currently work- Bala’s new decision
ing on a Malayalam film named Director Bala, who is thrilled with all the rave
10 Commandments for which he reviews of Naan Kadavul, has taken a new decision
is directing the music. On the -- not to take more than a year to release a movie.
other side, Anuradha Sriram is Bala, who is going on a sabbatical for the next six
working on her music album on months, has been booked by Soundarya
Mahakavi Bharathiar’s songs, Rajinikanth for her next production. Sources say
which is due for release in a cou- that the young producer is even ready to pay Rs.5
ple of months. crore as Bala’s remuneration.
They sign off with a note of
welcome for their concert ‘Retro
Night’ in collaboration with Ro-
tary Club on February 14, the
proceeds of which will go for the
empowerment of the girl child.
(Tickets available at Gangotree
and Landmark. Venue: Kamarajar
Arangam, 7 p.m. onwards.) ■

Genelia to pair up with Aarya

Genelia D’Souza, who made her Kollywood debut
in Shankar’s Boys, will be pairing up with Aarya in
a yet-to-be titled film. Aarya decided to do this
movie before he commences work of Madras
Pattinam, to be directed by Poi Solla Porom’s Vijay.
We hear that the movie will be directed by
Manikandan, a former associate of
cinematographer-director Jeeva.
Genelia and Preethi Rao, the younger sister of
Amritha Rao, will be the female leads.

Anuradha Sriram Srinivas

12
Wenesday’s
Query:
Express your
’feelings’ for
Ram Sena for
Valentines Day
in two lines
■ Ram Sena should start
loving lovers. Pradeep.S
Mphasis
■ "Right" reformation
but, expressing "wrong"
way.
Prabahar Raj,
Perot Systems
■ We have the Love
Sena against the Ram
Sena.
Raj,
CSS
■ This Ram Sena is a
vanara sena with a
diabolical intent.
Karthik
Ramco Systems
■ They are not Ram
Sena they are Ravan
Sena for their barbaric
act. Public nuisance
Shanthi Sundaresan,
Perot Systems
■ The thing what Ram
Sena did is absolutely
right. I will be in praise
for Ram Sena always
Vinu,
TCS
■ No need to propose
these days, find a Ram
Sena representative,
bring the girl in front of
him. He will get you
married
Senthil Wipro,
Mukund SCB
Scope International
■ Ram Sena, neenga
nallavara? Kettavara?
T.A.Krishnakumar,
HCL
■ Pongadaa pongadaa
poi pulaigala padika
ERGO Thursday, February 12, 2009
veyinga, kappithanamaa
paesikitu irukeenga
Vinesh Kumar Damodaran,
Accenture
■ Parents ku nallavanga,
lovers kukettavanga.
Idhu yeppadi irukku?
Sudharsan, Krishnakumar,
Jaganraj, Kathar Basha,
Karthikeyan, HCL
■ Love is sweet poison
every one should test it
including Ram Sena
Asif,
Ford
■ Live let people live
Nivedhan Infoview
Technologies Every Prem Kumar from HCL has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This
citizen have their own pic was clicked at Dolphin Nose, Kodaikanal.
rights in every way.
Why can’t girls? At the
same time, everyone
should take care of their
own safety
R.Nagarajan,
InfoView Technologies
■ Be love, let live
Prasanna Chakravarthi,
Wipro
■ India needs your
attention on something
else which is serious than
this.
Yacub,
Patni Computers
■ You cannot destroy
love you idiot.
Saravanan,
TCS Rajasaranya from TCS has nominated her team as Partners in Crime. This pic
was clicked at Ahmedabad.
■ Ram Sena can conduct
free marriages to poor
people instead of lovers
who anyways would not
have any value for it.
Praven,
CGSL
Today’s Query:
Which is your
all time
favourite movie
dialogue and
why? Swaminathan of Verizon has nominated his team as Partners in Crime.
 Thursday, February 12, 2009
13

■ Hi Mr. & Mrs. Ramanan,

Mohamed Anvar of Kumaran Systems has been nominated as Office
Best wishes to you both on your
Angel by his colleagues.
anniversary, May the love that you share
Anvar is a friendly, down to earth person who is always energetic. He
last your lifetime through, as you make a
always mingles with his subordinates and is ready to lend a helping hand
wonderful pair. Happy Wedding
whatever the problem maybe, regardless of the complexity.
anniversary!!!
With Warm Wishes,
Datamark Prodaptians

■ Hi Vidhya,
Nights are Dark but Days are Light, Wish
your life will always be Bright. Wish you a
many more happy returns of the day. May
all ur dreams come true with delightful
memories forever. May god continue to
give u abundant happiness, success and
good health in your life. HAPPY BIRTHDAY
VIDHYA
Hearty wishes
Ram, Sushil, Shameema, Shalini & BP4 team
members.

■ Dear Saravanan,
We wish you many more happy returns of
the day Happy Birthday to you Dear friend
you are very special And you deserve the
best. We wish you a wonderful life filled
with love and happiness
With lots of love
Sandhiya, Manimozhi, Rajeswari, Sunitha,
Parameswari, Jayasudha, Maria, Nagarajan
Sify Technologies

■ Dear Yuvaraj,
Art featured in this You are one person who works non stop
column will re- with a cheerful smiling face. We
ceive gift coupons acknowledge that you are a great asset to
from Fruit Shop our company and an awesome human
on Greams Road. being!! Wishing you a great yr ahead.
Send in your ad- Have a wonderful birthday Yuvaraj.
dresses so that we Friends,
can post the cou- New Age Software and Solutions.
pons.
■ Dear Arul/Ammu,
Wish you many more happy returns of the
day! May the coming years bring lots of
happiness and cherish in your life.
Best Wishes,
Shobi, Reva, Udhaya, Aparna,
Fanny J. from Ramco Systems doodled this. Indra, Krithi, Deepa, Aarthi

■ Dear Vidhya,
Let the god decorate each golden ray of
the sun reaching u with wishes of success,
happiness and prosperity 4 u, wish you a
super duper happy birthday.
With Loads of Luv,
Vaish, Susil and all lovely friends of
BP4 track ETA1
■ Dear Pradeep,
Wish you many more happy returns of the
day. Don’t ever you think that you are
becoming older still you are young,
energetic and stylish and remember you
are the youngest among all in our team
We wish all your dreams come true forever
Man1 : Yaen, yen paiyana adicheenga?
and enjoy each n every moment of your
Teacher : Avan home work pannala…
life…
Man1 : Niyayamaa paartha, school work pannalaenna thaanae neenga avana adikkanum...
Cheers,
Mohamed Yusufdeen,
QA/Test Dept
HCL Technologies Ltd.
Sella Synergy India (P) Ltd
14 TRAFFIC JAM ERGO Thursday, February 12, 2009

What a Twit
The Dalai Lama’s Twitter account has been closed
down - after it was discovered to be a fake. The
spiritual leader’s profile attracted over 20,000
followers in its first two days online.

sudoku

Thamilventhan K.
of CSS captured
this spider web
hiding in the grass
in the morning dew
at his farmhouse in
Dindigul.
Hobbies:
Photography,
painting, music
Thanks to the stupendu-
ous response to its pro-
motion, Kantilal
Diamonds has decided
to extend its gift vouch-
ers for the column for
two more weeks. From
now, winners are re-
quested to collect their
gift vouchers directly
from Ergo office on Sun-
day afternoons between
2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

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

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(Editor responsible for selection of news under
the PRB Act). RNI No. TNENG/2007/24553
 Thursday, February 12, 2009
Pub panic
A pub landlord down to his last two customers
has put up signs outside his pub begging for
more after he failed to attract boozers with a
string of meal deals and flyers.
15
Word’s worth
“Capilotade” (kap-i-loh-tahd) a hashed-
together story. From the name of a dish
made of minced veal, chicken, capon, or
partridge, separated by beds of cheese.

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

In first half of the day you may be enthusiastic at
workplace but in second half, you may start
behaving more practically. You may not be in a
good mood while dealing with your life partner in
second part of the day.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

At the beginning of the day you may feel stressed
due to workload but as the day progresses, you
may feel relaxed and things will be in control.
Towards end of the day, you may wish to go out
with your partner or beloved, for a change.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

You may remain totally focussed while at workplace
BORN LOSER and may not be interested in anything else like
’side-talks’ while at office. As the day progresses,
you may work on new softwares or try to collect
some data through internet.
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
You will be working on various money generating
tools or ideas in the first part of the day and in the
second half, you may remain busy with
implementation of old and new ideas. At the end of
the day you may feel so tired.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
At the beginning you will have lot of energy so you
may focus on work only but as the day goes ahead,
you may spend more time behind communication
related to work. Ganesha finds you enjoying nice
lunch or dinner with someone special today.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
At the beginning of the day, you may not be in a
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT very good mood but post lunch time, you would be
in a good humour. At the end of the day, Ganesha
foresees you spending time with younger generation
or life partner in order to rejoice.
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
In first part of the day, you will be dealing with
authorities for some important activities. However,
in the second half of the day, you may just be
waiting for the day to get over and wish to see
your sweetheart or life partner.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
It may be a hard day at workplace. In the second
half, you may remain busy interacting with
colleagues for some important issues. Ganesha finds
you sharing your views and ideas with life partner
or beloved one in a very friendly manner.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
You may set targets on some projects to finish them
off today. As the day progresses, you will find ways
and means to ease out the workload. You may be
in a mood to advise your life partner or beloved
one but ensure that preaching is in not overdone.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
You could be trying to handle important issues at
the beginning of the day. Technical difficulties may
also bother you a bit. In second half of the day,
most of the problems will be sorted out which will
leave you in ease.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS The day may begin with some stress however, at
office, you may remain focussed and completely
ISSUE’S devoted to work.Towards evening you may do some
research on some electronic gadget or some
SOLUTIONS particular software, out of curiosity.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
In first half of the day you might have to slog quite
a bit at office. As the time goes, the burden may
increase but towards evening you may find some
solution to matters bothering you. You will be in a
mood to spend good times with life partner.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
16 ! ERGO Thursday, February 12, 2009

British actress
Keira
Knightley
poses prior to
the screening
of the film
Cheri by
British director
Stephen Frears
and presented
in competition
of the 59th
Berlinale Film
Festival in
Berlin on
February 10.
AFP PHOTO

Chinese actress
Zhang Ziyi poses
on the red carpet
as she arrives for
the screening for
the film Forever
Enthralled by
Chinese director
Chen Kaige and
presented in
competition at the
59th Berlinale Film
Festival in Berlin
on February 10.
AFP PHOTO

US actress
Michelle Pfeiffer
poses on the red
carpet as she
arrives for the
premiere of the
film Cheri by
British director
Stephen Frears
and presented in
competition of
the 59th
Berlinale Film
Festival in Berlin
on February 10.
AFP PHOTO