A BYTE OF LIFE Thursday, November 13, 2008

10
BOND TALK
Daniel Craig unplugged

FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 2 No. 216

Bayern
BOOST FOR INDIA
Legendary German footballer and Bayern Munich chairman Karl Heinz Rumme-
Master plan for the nigge on Wednesday officially unveiled the plan for the German side’s acade-
proposed academy my at the proposed S.P.D.A complex in Burdwan, West Bengal.
Initial talks about the project had taken place during Bayern’s match with
Mohun Bagan in May and after intense deliberations over the last few months
the plan for the academy at last got the green signal from the German
delegation.
Spread over 25 acres, the academy will boast of a full-size soccer stadium
with a retraceable roof and floodlights. It will have four training pitches, two of
them with artificial turf and floodlights. The complex will also have a youth
hostel, a convention centre, gymnasium and also facilities for other sports such
as volleyball, basketball and kabaddi.
Construction work is expected to start by the end of the year and, according
to sources, the organisers are expecting the academy to be up and running by
early 2010.
Bengal Peerless Housing Development Co Ltd (BPHDC) managing director K.S.
Bagchi, the man instrumental in getting the project, said: “Bayern will provide
training to aspiring footballers in Bengal and they will also take the best five
footballers from the academy to Germany every year for advanced training.”
Ergo Correspondent
02 NAMMA CHENNAI ERGO Thursday, November 13, 2008

Raghu Dixit live at Landmark

Raghu Dixit, the Indo-world-folk rock sensation from
Mysore is performing at the Landmark in Citi Centre
on November 15 at 6.30 p.m. Listen to a seamless
amalgamation of Indian ethnic music and sounds from
around the planet. For information call 28477777

DJ Festival
Home away
H igh Time, GRT Grand plays host to DJ
Festival from November 14 to
December 13. The festival will feature an
anthology of DJs from Germany, Chennai,
Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkotta for a
month long fiesta. The genre of music
will vary from retro, rock, jazz and blues,
hip hop, house, funky house, techno,
from home
electro, desi, world lounge and
alternative. DJ nights will take place on
all Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and
Sundays. The Ensemble of DJs also
include a lady DJ on every Wednesday.
There will be a guest DJ on every Sunday
- DJ Asen (Mumbai), Anshul (Kolkotta),
and Sash (Bangalore).

Nov 14- DJ- Elvin, Niel &Dean

15 - DJ- Wayne, Roughcut (Germany)
16 - DJ- Sash(Bangalore)
19 - DJ- Joe, Sameer & Madhan
21 - DJ- Hannan, Rabbeqa & Big Daddy
22 - DJ- DA Bling Thing, Walley& Ray-V,
(Rappers- Cha Cha & Justina)
23 - DJ- A-Sen (Mumbai)
26 - DJ- D-Nash, Anto & Prasanth
28 - DJ- Khalid, Sen& Sophia
29 - DJ- Blaise, Felix & The Live Martini

PHOTO: K.PICHUMANI
(Live Band)
30 - DJ- Anshul (Kolkotta)

Dec 3 - DJ- Joba, Ali, Robin

5 - DJ- Sean, Varun & Craig
6 - DJ- Mazzr & Sana
7 - DJ- Gavin, Sathish, Elvis, Siraj &
Deepak.
For reservation call GRT Grand 28150500.

Meet the folks who often open the doors

of their home and care for others’
pets as if they were their own

SRIYA NARAYANAN His mother Hema is quite the short time.

pets@goergo.in favourite among the four-legged “He doesn’t sit still even for a
kind. Having sheltered dogs since second. He plays all the time,”

B
ettina Mueller, an NGO
professional, was looking
for a safe and happy home
for her gorgeous dog, Die-
go temporarily until she settled
down in Bangalore. Mueller (who
rescued Diego as a homeless
puppy) got in touch with Anandh
Subramanian of Syntel, who im-
mediately agreed to host her pet
until they moved out of their ser-
viced apartment and into a
house. Anandh had written to Er-
go a few months ago, volunteer-
ing his home, and came through
as promised.
2003 after their own dogs passed
away at a young age, she believes
that dogs know dog-lovers when
they see them.
It was evident when Diego ran
to them and hugged them when
he was dropped off by the own-
ers. A couple of friendly neigh-
bourhood cats swing by their
house for milk every day but she
adds that Diego doesn’t mind
them. And when she goes for
walks without the dog, people de-
mand to know where he is for
he’s become rather popular with
everyone in their street in this
she says fondly. Plays with toys?
“No, with us. Running and catch-
ing, hide and seek”, she laughs. “I
don’t know how we are going to
let him go”.■
In ten days, Diego will return to
his owners after a happy vacation
with this generous family.
If you’d like to sign up to be a
foster owner for 2-4 weeks, email
pets@goergo.in. It really helps if
your landlord is supportive, so be
sure to get in his/her good books.
It’ll pay off when you bring
someone’s precious pooch or kitty
home.
 Thursday, November 13, 2008
03
The CAT is out of the bag Top 5 cities appearing for CAT
City
Delhi
Bangalore
No of candidates
41,308
26, 490
Mumbai 24, 988
Over two lakh candidates will bell the CAT Pune 18, 380

on Sunday. Are you one among them? Lucknow 16, 563

LIFFY THOMAS
liffythomas@goergo.in

H
as someone in your office been out of action
for the last two weeks? Have weekends sud-
denly become busy for that otherwise social
butterfly? Has the office gossip suddenly lost
interest? Rather, he/she is seen working out some
mathematics problems or reading a comprehen-
sion online during free hours. What’s happening?
No prizes for guessing. The mother of all Manage-
ment exams, Common Admission Test (CAT), is
here and you very well know the symptoms, just in
case your colleague hasn’t told you that he/she is
giving it a shot.
This Sunday (November 16), 2,68,202 candidates
will be appearing for CAT, which has become one of
the most competitive exams to test one’s aptitude.
Engineering graduates keen on a post graduate de-
gree, freshers looking out for new horizons and
working professionals yearning to take a break from
work, CAT only seems to be getting more compet-
itive.
Though we do not have exact figures on the num-
ber of working professionals taking up CAT, aca-
demicians say the trend is certainly increasing.
Eighty-five per cent of students in the current batch
of IIM-Lucknow come with some industry experi-
ence, ranging from one to 10 years. Ironically, a
majority of young IT professionals take up CAT or
other equivalent Management exams to explore a
new domain.

My kind of job

Vineeta D. (name changed) is keeping her fingers

crossed and hopes she will crack the CAT. Two
years as program analyst with a leading IT company
has widened her horizons in the industry, but she
does not want to spend the remaining years coding.
“In these two years I have realised that IT is not
my kind of job,” says Vineeta, who has been prepar-
ing for the CAT for the last eight months. “With an
IIM degree, I wish to get into marketing or HR.”
A thought echoed by many IT professionals. “In
fact, most working people take up CAT only to
move out of their current domain,” says Vidya
Lakshmi, director, Triumphant Institute of Man-
agement Education (T.I.M.E), Chennai.
Social or business entrepreneurship, research,
FMCG or finance … choices are plenty with an IIM
degree in hand.

Experience counts

But isn’t it unfortunate to see professionals with

two to three years’ experience taking a Manage-
ment degree only to switch domains? “I think it is a
very market-driven decision. Till now, consulting
and banking have been the biggest paymasters
when compared to IT,” says Prof Saji K.B. Nair,
Chairman Admissions, IIM-Lucknow.

Address them!

Is attrition caused by associates taking a break to

study a cause of concern to companies? “Not real-
ly,” says S. Samson, DGM, HR, HCL, Chennai, “As
long as you address their aspirations it is fine. They
are sure to return to the organisation.” ■
04 VILLAGE
Why Las Vegas
is the suicide
capital
L
as Vegas seems to bring out
people’ desire to kill them-
selves, according to a new
study.
Matt Wray from Temple Uni-
versity in Philadelphia and col-
leagues from Harvard University
in Boston analysed the patterns
of suicide in Las Vegas over a 30-
year period.
The study found that the Sin
City residents face a suicide risk
significantly higher than resi-
dents elsewhere in the United
States; people who visit Las Vegas
are twice likely to suicide than
people who visit elsewhere; and
visitors to Las Vegas face an even
higher suicide risk than residents
of Las Vegas. According to Wray,
one noteworthy finding is that if
People who visit Las
Vegas are twice likely
to suicide than people
who visit elsewhere;
and visitors to Las
Vegas face an even
higher suicide risk than
residents of Las Vegas
person lives in Las Vegas, but
travel away from home, the risk
for suicide decreases.
“So, one conclusion we might
draw from this fact is that so-
mething about the place is toxic
or ‘suicidogenic,’ and that there
is something about reduced ex-
posure to Las Vegas that is bene-
ficial,” said Wray.
Wray said that there are a cou-
ple of scenarios that may explain
the reasons for this geographical
suicide cluster, but these need
further research.
“One would be ‘gambler’s de-
spair’-someone visits Las Vegas,
bets his house away and decides
to end it all. Another would be
that those predisposed to suicide
disproportionately choose Las
Vegas to reside in or visit,” said
Wray.
“And, finally, there may be a
‘contagion’ effect where people
are emulating the suicides of oth-
ers, with Las Vegas acting as a su-
icide magnet, much like the
Golden Gate bridge. Some people
may be going there intent on self-
destruction,” he added.
The study is published in Social
Science and Medicine. ■
ANI
ERGO Thursday, November 13, 2008
Websites of the day
Play pranks on your friends with this
fake email generator: http://
deadfake.com
Check online weather forecasts so
you’re not caught out by summer
showers: http://www.metcheck.com
Australian public
hospitals unsafe
Australia’s public hospitals are unsafe, overcrowded
and underfunded, resulting in 1,500 unnecessary
deaths a year, a national doctors group said on
Wednesday in a report titled “Public Hospitals
Flatlining”. The Australian Medical Association (AMA)
report said not one public hospital was operating at a
safe international occupancy level and the hospital
network risked “systematic breakdown”. The AMA
called on the national government to inject US$ 1.9
billion into public hospital funding. Cuts in Australian
health funding have resulted in hospital bed capacity
slashed by 67 per cent in the past 20 years.
Reuters
UN report calls for greater gender
equality
The United Nations Population Fund called in an annual
report published on Wednesday for women’s rights to
be advanced and steps to be taken to eliminate gender
inequality around the world. Sixty per cent of the
world’s one billion poorest people are women and girls;
two-thirds of the 960 million adults around the world
who cannot read are women, and 70 per cent of
children who do not go to school are girls, the State of
World Population 2008 report says. Because cultures
help to mould the way people live with each other and
influence their understanding of development, building
women’s rights will be easier if agents of change remain
sensitive to the local culture, the report says.
AFP
Laura Bush looking
into book deal
First lady Laura Bush wants to write a memoir and will
be meeting with several publishers, according to three
publishing executives with knowledge of the
proceedings. They asked not to be identified, saying
discussions are in the early stages and highly
confidential. The sources said the wife of President
George W Bush is being represented by high-powered
Washington attorney Robert Barnett, whose clients
include President-elect Barack Obama and former
President Bill Clinton. She’s known as a passionate
reader, and a book contract could rival Hillary Rodham
Clinton’s US$ 8 million deal for 2003’s ‘Living History.’
PTI
Thais prepare for multi-million-
dollar funeral fit for a princess
Ten months after Princess Galyani’s death, an
elaborate crematorium has sprung up in central
Bangkok which, Thai tradition dictates, will allow the
royal to take her rightful place among the gods.
Preparations are almost complete for her funeral on
November 15, when a sombre procession will carry
Galyani’s remains to a gilded crematorium in the first
full royal funeral in Thailand since 1996. Galyani, the
beloved elder sister of King Bhumibol Adulaydej, was
a French professor who also worked in rural
development. She died of cancer on January 2 this
year at the age of 84.
AFP
 Thursday, November 13, 2008
This day, that year
It was on November 13, 1940 that tennis star Alice
Marble turned professional when she signed for
$25,000 plus a percentage of the gate receipts.
05
Cop arrests 48 relatives
A police chief in a remote county of south-western China has
arrested 48 of his relatives for various crimes including
brothers, cousins and a number of his wife’s family.

Jackpot! Catch a criminal

with new Japanese game
A
Japanese firm said on Wednesday that it
would launch an Internet-based slot machine
game using mug shots of criminal suspects on
the country’s wanted list. Videogame industry prospering
Famista Inc. will start the free game as a way of
publicising the photographs of suspects, drawing on despite financial downturn

V
the popularity of “pachinko” pinball, company offi- ideogame sales dropped 21 per cent in Japan
cial Takashi Saito told AFP. in the third quarter of the year but
Players who hit the jackpot will be shown detailed continued to rocket in the United States and
information about the suspect and how to report Britain, according to a study released on
any leads in their cases. Tuesday.
“We thought this can be a new way to contribute to In a sign that the industry is prospering despite
the community,” he said. global financial woes, the NPD Group, GfK Chart-
“There are many Internet sites that display photos Track Ltd. and Enterbrain Inc. report said that
of those on the wanted list, but they are not neces- videogame sales grew by 15 per cent in Britain
sarily visited frequently. By mixing it with entertain- during the period and eight per cent in the United
ment, we thought we can make some contribution States.
to the efforts of the police.” Overall, sales of videogames in the three largest
Pachinko is a Japanese version of pinball played in markets rose by just one per cent during the three
thousands of noisy parlours across the country for months ending September 30 as compared with
prizes that can be exchanged for cash. the same period last year.
Saito said Internet users will be able to access the Analysts attributed the 21 percent decline in sales
online game via their computers or mobile phones in Japan to a lack of popular titles during the
from Friday. third quarter and other factors. “2007 was a
“If we could clear legal and logistical hurdles, we are banner year for the Japanese software market
considering bringing this concept to the real pachin- with the titles released in the third quarter of
ko and slot machines,” Saito said, adding that the 2008 not being as highly anticipated as those
company has applied for a patent on the idea. released during the same time period in 2007,”
Although the National Police Agency has not offi- said Ricky Tanimoto, a global marketing analyst at
cially endorsed the project, individual police officers Enterbrain.
have supported the initiative in the hope that it will ■
lead to arrests of some of the suspects, Saito said. ■ AFP
AFP

Beautiful Kashmir

Entering Bird’s Nest is pricey

T he company managing Beijing’s
‘Bird’s Nest’ National Stadium is
in hot water for allegedly charging
too much money for visits to the
iconic venue, state media said on
Wednesday.
The CITIC Group consortium,
which is in charge of the structure
under a 30-year contract with the
Beijing government, charges 50
yuan (7.3 dollars) per ticket with
very few discount options, the Xin-
hua news agency reported.
According to China’s National
Bureau of Statistics, the average
Tourists complain over
entry fees of Beijing’s
National Stadium
Beijing household has only 60
yuan of disposable income per
day.
“Even the Forbidden City has
half-priced tickets for students and
the seniors,” a visitor from Beijing
surnamed Xiang told Xinhua,
brandishing a certificate showing 쒀 A Kashmiri man walks past autumn foliage at a university campus in Srinagar
he is over 60 years old. ■ on Wednesday. AFP PHOTO
AFP
06 SPORT ERGO Thursday, November 13, 2008

Roddick pulls out

World number six Andy Roddick pulled out of the $4.45 million
Masters Cup on Wednesday because of a right ankle injury. The
26-year-old American lost his opening match in the season-ending
championship for the world’s top eight players to Andy Murray on
Monday and was due to play top seed Roger Federer in his second
group encounter.

Tempers
still run high
G
autam Gambhir had to sit out the
Nagpur Test against Australia in
the fourth Test in Nagpur for el-
bowing Shane Watson, but the In-
dia opener said he was provoked by the
all-rounder and had no regrets for what
he had done. “No gentleman can hear
things that Aussies were saying in Delhi.
If what I did was wrong, then even sledg-
ing should be stopped, it has no place in
the game,” said the left-hander.
“They were sledging from all corners,
they sledged at me in Bangalore, Mohali
and then in Delhi. I could have taken
(their sledging) only to a point but they
tend to get personal which is just not on,”
he added. “I agree that I shouldn’t have
crossed a certain line but people should
take the holistic view rather than blaming
just me for the episode. Frankly, I don’t
regret the Watson episode,” he said.
Gambhir, who scord Test in Delhi and
a hundred before that in Mohali, said
Australians never liked their opposition
giving a tough fight to them.
“They don’t like when the opposition
reacts the way we did. Australians were
never expecting that we will come hard at
them and that’s why they reacted the way
they did.”
Unhappy at missing MOS award
The Delhi batsman, who emerged the
highest run-getter in the four-match Test
series with 463 runs, said he was unhap-
py for being ignored for the Man of the
Series Award, which was bagged by Ish-
ant Sharma.
“I have never been that lucky, may be I
need to get 400. I’d be lying if I said it
didn’t hurt. I take comfort in the fact that
the team won the series and I am really
Unrepentant
Gambhir
slams
Aussies
happy for Ishant who bowled his heart
out in the series,” Gambhir said.
The opener though said he would
never shed his aggressive image despite
the recent tiff with the Australians.
“I like to be aggressive, I am a fighter
who plays for his team, his country and
will do everything to restore that pride
and never would you see me taking a
backward step.”
Look who is talking
And reacting, to Shahid Afridi’s
comment that the ban on playing
Nagpur Test would help the India
opener learn lessons, Gambhir
said: “It is a joke coming from Afri-
di, actually, he should concentrate
on his own game rather than tell-
ing me what to do. People who
live in glass houses shouldn’t
throw stones at others, I can’t
take Afridi seriously.”
On criticism against him for
getting out in the 60s and 70s,
Gambhir said: “Frankly, it
doesn’t really bother me
what critics say as long as I
help my team and my coun-
try win series after series and
tournaments after tourna-
ments. VVS Laxman told me
in Sri Lanka that my biggest
challenge will be playing against
Australia and I need to pass that
test. I met him in Nagpur and asked
him if did clear that test, he told me,
‘you have not only passed the test but
passed it with a distinction.’ I don’t
think I need any more approvals from
anyone,” said Gambhir. ■
PTI PHOTO: AFP

Jeev to focus on US and European tour Indian youngsters set record

India’s most successful golfer Jeev Milkha Singh plans to cut the number
of tournaments he plays and put his main focus to the US and European
Tours next year, with the Majors his priority. Singh, Asia’s number one in
2006 and who is challenging for the crown again this year, said he
feared injuries could cut short his career unless he eased up on his
workload. “I normally play 39 to 40 tournaments a year but am cutting down to 33 next
year with my focus on Europe and the United States,” the 36-year-old said ahead of the
Barclays Singapore Open this week. “I need to cut down and slow down. The
physiotherapist has told me I will get injuries if I don’t slow down.” Since gaining his
European and US Tour cards, Singh has split his time between those tours and Asia, and
said he would play at least 12 times in America next year with the Majors his key goal.
“I love playing the Majors, you are up against the best players and it brings out the best
in me,” he said. Singh, who has enjoyed a stellar season with wins in Austria and Japan,
has qualified for all four Majors after ending in the top 15 of the European Tour and
the top 50 of the US Tour.
AFP
fifth-wicket stand
India’s Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja have
set a new world record for the highest fifth-wicket
partnership in first-class cricket. Junior internationals
Pujara and Jadeja amassed 520 runs in an undefeated stand for
Saurashtra, who declared their first innings closed at 620-4 against
Orissa in the Ranji Trophy domestic competition on Tuesday. The 20-
year-old Pujara hit 302 and 19-year-old Jadeja 232 to surpass the
previous record set by Australia’s Waugh twins, Steve and Mark, who
put on an unbroken 464 for New South Wales against Western Australia
in 1990. The stand was also the second highest partnership in Indian
cricket and the eighth for any wicket in first-class cricket. Last month,
Pujara enhanced his reputation as a future Test player by scoring two
triple centuries in the space of a week at under-22 level.
Reuters
 Thursday, November 13, 2008
‘‘
I’m going to be incredibly biased and say I want to have Symo back in the
side as soon as possible. I think as we’ve said all along, an Australian side
with Andrew Symonds in it is a better side. He’s a great team man and one I love,
and have missed, playing cricket with for the last eight weeks.
India could lose 2010
Commonwealth Games
I
ndia could miss out on hosting the
Commonwealth Games in 2010 if
a dispute over the construction of
the athletes’ village is not re-
solved, a senior Games official said on
Wednesday.
The four-yearly Games featuring 71
teams from the Commonwealth
countries are due to be held in the
Indian capital of New Delhi from Oc-
tober 3-14, 2010.
The athletes’ village being built on
the banks of the Yamuna River has
been embroiled in a legal tussle after
environmental groups protested the
construction would ruin the river
bed.
The Delhi High Court has asked an
environmental expert to probe if the
village that is to house 8,500 athletes
and officials should be built on the
site.
Genuine concerns
Austin Sealy, the chairman of the
07
Mathew Hayden
TWO
YEARS TO
GO, BUT
INDIAN
Commonwealth Games Federation Games organising committee, played
co-ordination committee, said after a
routine inspection of the venues that
down Sealy’s concerns and promised
that all venues would be completed in
EFFORTS
he was concerned by the ongoing
dispute.
time. “Work is going on at the ath-
letes’ village because the High Court TO GET
“Any change, at this late stage, to has not stopped the construction,”
the Games village arrangements
would seriously jeopardise India’s
Kalmadi said. “The tender for the cy-
cling velodrome will be issued next
DELHI
hosting of the Games,” Sealy said in a
statement. “The organising commit-
month and construction will start by
December 15 and a world-class facil- READY
tee has been urged to have the matter ity will be ready on time.”
resolved as a matter of urgency.”
Sealy said he was equally worried
Delays in construction have already
forced next year’s world badminton
FOR THE
by the delay in starting work on a new
velodrome. “Less than two years is
championships to be shifted from
New Delhi to the southern city of GAME
left for the Games, but construction Hyderabad. Sealy’s committee will
work on the velodrome has not yet
started,” he said. “It is a matter of
undertake another inspection of the
venues in March. ■
ARE
concern for us. We have urged the or-
ganising committee to do everything
AFP
FALLING
in their power to start the work.”
Assurance from Kalmadi
FLAT
Indian Olympic Association presi-
dent Suresh Kalmadi, who heads the
Construction
going on in full
swing at the
Jawaharlal
Nehru Stadium
for the 2010
Commonwealth
Games, in
New Delhi.
PHOTO: S. SUBRAMANIUM
 08 ROADSTER
Lap it up
A
good lap time in a car is
not just because of a tuned
engine to shed raw torque.
Handling at high-speed
corners also decides the time. A
good suspension setup can help
the car cover curves and corners,
making up time and giving you
the feeling that time is not fast
enough to keep up with your race
car.
The trick can be done by a
sport spec suspension upgrade. I
must have got many of you think-
ing if this suspension kit can go
into your cars? The answer is yes,
you can.
Popular suspension manufac-
turers like HotBits, Monroe and
Pedders come out with kits for
streets, comfort and track. A
friend here in Chennai recently
upgraded his Alto’s suspension
with the ‘Comfort Gas’ kit from
Pedders and has not stopped ap-
preciating the kit for its handling
and comfort. A detailed review of
GETTY IMAGES
SNIPPETS
Mesh Grill for CIVIC
This MUGEN type mesh grill for the CIVIC is a cool
upgrade. The grill gives the car a Civic Type R
look.
Do high-speed corners slow you
down? The answer lies in your
car’s suspension upgrade
this Alto will be out in an upcom-
ing issue of Ergo.
Why do race cars upgrade or
modify their suspension setup?
There are some factors of a
stock car that do not favour the
racing environment. A road car
taken on a race track would only
find the car and driver in a mud
hole. The body roll is too much to
handle high-speed cornering and
there are chances of the car slid-
ing out of control or flipping off
the track with no traction at all.
These issues are controlled by
stiffer springs and shocks with
strut braces to reinforce the body
frame, which holds the struts,
and a list of upgrades that would
make our heads spin.
Here are some of the basic is-
sues in handling a race car driver
would face on a track:
Understeer: A term used when
the front of the car slides before
the rear gives away. When a car
understeers, the driver regains
Price: Rs.7,000
ERGO Thursday, November 13, 2008
Will go ahead
India’s largest two-wheeler maker Hero
Honda today said it will go ahead with
new launches and continuous spending
on brand building and advertisements
despite an overall slump in the market.
control by easing off on the accel-
erator or gas pedal.
Oversteer: It’s when the rear
end of the car slides first. An over-
steer is sometimes difficult to
snap out of and could even throw
a car out of action, leading to an
uncontrollable spin. This takes a
lot of speed and momentum off
the car, hence dragging you back
on lap time.
The weight distribution of the
car is a very important factor. The
best way to improve our regular
road car’s handling is by upgrad-
ing the shocks and springs to a
different specification than that
of a stock type.
A ‘Street’ specification upgrade
is ideal for our regular cars; this
would reduce the body roll, pro-
viding the driver better control,
confidence and handling at high
speeds, especially on highways.
This upgrade would make your
ride go slightly stiffer than the
factory spec suspension. ■
Rainbow c
Rainbow launc
components sp
your mind with
 Thursday, November 13, 2008
09
Audi R8
Audi, the German luxury car manufacturer, on Saturday
launched its Audi R8, the exclusive, mid-engine super sports car
with a high degree of day-to-day drivability. The stylish and
progressive Audi R8 is priced at Rs. 1.17 crore (ex-showroom
Delhi excluding taxes, transportation and other charges).

Talking car technology S

mart car-to-car communication
will one day make traffic jams ob-
solete and significantly improve
road safety. That is the vision of
several major car makers who recently

making progress
presented the technology under real-
istic driving conditions at a test track in
Germany. Several cars, motorcycles
and a truck could be seen communicat-
ing with each other at the Opel test
track in Dudenhofen Germany based
on wireless WLAN technology. In prin-
ciple, the technology works as follows:
Car A is driving several kilometres
The car-to-car communication technology could be especially ahead and sends information about an
upcoming obstacle to car B allowing
effective when it comes to upcoming vehicle congestion, the driver to choose an alternative
route or to slow down.
accidents or tough roads. An important milestone was taken
earlier this year when the European
Commission made available an EU-
wide frequency band. Some 30 major
car makers and other partners are
grouped in the Car2 Car Communica-
Hi, how are tion Consortium aimed at defining a
you doing uniform standard for the communica-
today? tion technology between vehicles and
road infrastructure. The technology
I’m doing good. could be especially effective when it
comes to upcoming vehicle congestion,
accidents or tough roads. Traffic man-
agement centres can also inform driv-
ers about a sudden road closure, the
alternative route to take or speed lim-
its. The information is sent to a trans-
mitter detector along the respective
road, which then passes it on to the
driver. “Getting critical messages
through quickly and accurately is a
must for road safety,” says European
Car A is driving Union Telecommunications Commis-
several sioner Viviane Reding, pointing out
that the time Europeans spend in traf-
kilometres ahead
fic jams could cost some 80 billion eu-
and sends ros (102 billion euros) by 2010 in lost
information working hours.The EU-wide frequency
about an in the 30 MHz spectrum in the 5.9 Giga-
upcoming hertz (GHz) band will be allocated in
early 2009 by national authorities
obstacle to car
across Europe. This is in line with steps
B allowing the already taken in the United States and
driver to choose Japan, opening up an important mil-
an alternative estone for the technology.
route or to slow DPA
down

component speakers Racetech performance gauge

hed its deluxe version of the Dreamline series Racetech introduce performance gauges for cars.
peakers. The SLX 265 Deluxe is here to blow There are Oil pressure, Volt meter, Vacuum
h precision music reproduction. gauges and whole list of products from them.
Price: Rs.12,200 Price: Rs.2,500
10 FLICK
’There’s not a skin-care product in the world
that would have made that happen for me’
I
t took two years of high-level
negotiations to arrange a
meeting with Daniel Craig. In
an era when MI6 – the agency
that employs his best-known
character, James Bond – blithely
advertises for agents on the In-
ternet, Craig may well be the
world’s most elusive pretend spy.
The long wait allowed plenty
of time for disturbing rumours
to marinate. For instance: He is
surly and defensive, a reporter-
averse utterer of combative
monosyllables. Or this, from two
women working on his publicity:
He has more sexual magnetism
than anyone we have ever met.
Perhaps nothing short of
Craig’s materializing in his snug
powder-blue bathing trunks
from Casino Royale and offering
to shake the martinis himself
could have realistically lived up
to all that anticipation.
But there he was in jeans, his
arm in a sling from recent shoul-
der surgery. He was, of course,
unfairly attractive anyway, in his
craggy, lived-in, blue-eyed way,
but not so much as to render
anyone speechless or unable to
operate a notebook.
Unlike many movie stars who
come to believe the myth of
their superiority, Craig (40) tends
to mock his own celebrity.
Passing beneath two celebra-
tory posters of himself as James
Bond in his publicist’s office, he
grimaced and muttered, “That’s
my Dorian Gray portrait.” Asked
whether he saw himself as a nat-
ural leading man, he said, “Fat
chance.” And then, “There’s not
a skin-care product in the world
that would have made that hap-
pen for me.”
When he was cast as Bond, fill-
ing the position most recently
vacated by Pierce Brosnan, Craig
did not seem like an obvious
choice. He has played, among
other things, a pornography bar-
on from Manchester in the BBC
miniseries Our Friends in the
North; a college professor pur-
sued by a male stalker in Endur-
ing Love; a builder sleeping with
his girlfriend’s sexagenarian
mother in The Mother; a drug-
dealing businessman in Layer
Cake; a killer full of murderous
rage and heartbreaking tender-
ness in Infamous; and the poet
Ted Hughes in Sylvia.
“Everybody said, ‘Oh, aren’t
you afraid you’ll be typecast?’ ”
he recalled of taking the Bond
role. “And I said, ‘Of course I am,’
but if it has to be this – well,
that’s not too bad.”
From the first scene in Casino
Royale (2006), in which Bond
brutally kills a man with his bare
hands and then coolly shoots
and kills his own corrupt boss,
Craig proved to be a rare combi-
nation of plausibility, physicality
and charisma. He got rave re-
views, and not just from Bond’s
traditional fan base.
While he bulked up for Casino
– he wanted to “look as if he
could kill people just by looking
at them,” his personal trainer, a
former Royal Navy commando,
said recently – in this film he fo-
cused on building up his stami-
na, going for lean and mean
over brawn.
“They’re two separate movies,
but if you were to punish your-
self by watching them back to
back, you’d see a through line,”
Craig said. He particularly want-
ed Bond to have to contend with
the emotional repercussions of
Vesper’s death.
“It was very important that
we deal with that,” he said.
“I just felt that you can’t
have a character fall in
love so madly as they
did in the last movie
and not finish it off,
understand it, get
some closure.
That’s why the movie
is called Quantum of Sol-
ace – that’s exactly what
he’s looking for.”
Along with Quantum, Craig is
appearing this fall in Defiance,
based on the true story of the
Bielskis, a trio of freedom-fight-
ing Jewish brothers in World
War II.
Craig grew up in Liverpool. He
left home as a teenager to seek
his fortune as an actor in Lon-
don. He worked with the Nation-
al Youth Theater, went to drama
school and began being cast as
romantic leads, a designation he
brushes aside.
ERGO Thursday, November 13, 2008
Brangelina to adopt again
Hollywood couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have
revealed that they are keen to adopt a child from
South America, but are being held back by the
complicated adoption laws there.
With each part, he explained,
“I said to myself: ‘Romantic lead
– what is he? Is he an alcoholic?
What’s his deal? What’s his prob-
Daniel Craig, the blue- lem?’ For me, that has always
been the way. That’s what I did
for Bond and what I try and do
eyed blond Bond, on with everything.”
He is determined to continue
Quantum of Solace, pursuing extra-Bond roles.
Craig, who has a teenage
daughter from an early mar-
Satsuki Mitchell and riage, genuinely seems more in-
terested in talking about other
‘taking your heart topics – the books of Philip Pull-
man; American politics; movies
wherever you go’ he likes – than he does in talking
about himself.
But he mentioned his long-
time American girlfriend, Satsuki
Mitchell, with whom he lives in
Los Angeles and London. He
wears a silver necklace inscribed
with a quotation “about taking
your heart wherever you go,” he
said when asked, sounding sud-
denly shy.
Recently, he said, the two
drove up the American West
Coast, through to the Pacific
Northwest. They ducked into a
small-town movie theatre to see
the Guillermo del Toro movie
Hellboy II: The Golden Army.
Someone approached Craig.
“Has anyone ever told you you
look like Daniel Craig?” the man
asked.
“No,” Craig answered, and
walked on. ■
NYT News Service
I said to myself:
‘Romantic lead –
what is he? Is he
an alcoholic?
What’s his deal?
What’s his
problem?’ For
me, that has
always been the
way. That’s what
I did for Bond
and what I try
and do with
everything.
 Thursday, November 13, 2008
Ditch Kate to date Cine City
me: Paris to Wills
P
aris Hilton has said that
she would love to date
Prince Williams - provid-
ed he ditched his girlf-
riend. The prominent socialite,
who has been dating ‘Good
Charlotte’ rocker Benji Madden,
admitted that she wouldn’t miss
out on the chance to go out with
Orlando Bloom to wed
H ollywood actor Orlando
Bloom is engaged to super-
model Miranda Kerr, and “bliss-
fully happy”, according to
reports.
The pair is reportedly making
plans to tie the knot. “They are
talking about settling down and
getting married in a year,” OK!
magazine quoted a source, as
saying.
“They have had a bit of a crazy
year, but they do love each other
and she wants to be his wife,” the
source added.
ANI
Karate Kid
Jaden Smith, son of actor-rapper Will
Smith and actress-singer Jada Pinkett
Smith, will star in a Karate Kid
remake.
the royal minus his long-term
girlfriend, Kate Middleton.
“I’d be more than happy to
date William - so long as he
ditches the mousy girlfriend,”
OK! Magazine quoted her as
saying. “I couldn’t believe it
when I met him. He was awe-
some and really hot,” the
11
Vaaranam
Aayiram
expects big
opening
in US
Vaaranam Aayiram, the
most expected film
of this year, in
which Suriya teams
up with Gautham
Menon after the
blockbuster Kaakka
Kaaka, is expecting
a big opening in
United States. We
hear that the film
would be
screened in
almost 20
theatres in U.S.
Though film was
supposed to hit the
screens on the occasion
of Diwali, it couldn’t, due
to certain issues in
distribution. But now the
film has been sold out
with more number of
prints throughout the
world.
blonde hotel heiress added.
Paris, who has been in touch
with Wills after they met at a
London nightclub, had recently
trashed the claims that the sec-
ond in line to the throne had
flirted with her adding he was
an ‘absolute gentleman’.
ANI
Bhavana’s
glamorous act
Bhavana, the actress with
the looks of girl-next-door,
has finally decided to go for
a makeover. Spot the song
of Malayalam film 20-20,
where she dances with actor
Dileep on the beaches of
Mauritius wearing mini-
skirts and tops. Though
Bhavana had thought of
stealing the hearts of
young lads, we hear that
the audience in Kerala
were disappointed to see
the star in such costumes.
www.cinesnacks.com
12 ERGO Thursday, November 13, 2008

Wednesday’s query:
“Remember shipwrecked from
your college culturals? Give us
one good reason why you
must never get the pink slip?” Jebaraj Samuel. S of TCS has
nominated his friends as Part-
Guess most of our readers did not ners in Crime. This photo was
get the spirit of the query and clicked at Kovalam Beach.
we are blame for that. We
promise to keep it simple from
now on.
■ I love my company. I don want my
team n my company to miss a capable
person. And to add to it I have a girl
friend too...
Aravinth Raj, TCS

■ We would loudly chant (shout) our

mantra "Gumthalakadi gala gala
gala..ooh..ha..ooh..ha" until we attain
salvation (thrown out of the auditorium)
Praveen,CGSL

■ Who else is there to work with a high NandaKumar Raghavan of

energy and spirit?????? HCL has nominated his friends
Satish Ramco systems
as Partners in Crime. This pic
was clicked at Pulicat Lake.
■ Because then you will be seen as a
’pink eyed’ boy by all your future
employers.
Sridhar R STG

■ Because we cant sign on pink slip !

Oopz I don’t know.
Priyaa. JS Sutherland

■ A gold coin is incomplete without its

sheen, so is my team,it will be
incomplete without a dedicated,
enthusiastic and entertaining resource Manonmani Kesav of HCL has
like me. Trust me on that. nominated her friends as
Rakshita Sreenivasan,Wipro Technologies Partners in Crime. The picture
was clicked at Mayajaal.
Today’s query:
“If you were a referee at your
office, for what workplace
offences would you give
yellow or even red cards?”

You are invited for some coffee, biscuits and freewheeling chatter
W e are soon launching our discussion forum - Chatterbox - through
which we want to discuss with you the issues that affect you the most.
It will be a forum where you can voice your opinion - quite literally
through the Chatterbox podcast that would be hosted on our website
www.goergo.in. Also we will feature the Chatterboxers in our tabloid.
The first Chatterbox forum will be on the topic ’Marriage’. The chat
will be on issues ranging from marriage vs career debate to the arranged
marriage vs love marriage argument.
If you want to be among the first to participate in Chatterbox, send in
your requests to feedback@goergo.in, with a brief profile of yourself
and your views on the topic. You can also call us to register on phone at
2857 6688 between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
We are working out where the Chatterbox discussion will happen -
most probably in a cafe. The discussions will happen on Saturday eve-
nings and will not last beyond an hour. We will mail you back on the
specifics.
 Thursday, November 13, 2008
■ Dear Ramesh Khanna,
Belated Birthday Wishes. Wishing you Good
Health and Happiness.
From SNR IDM Team
■ Dear Sabari ( IBM )
Wish you Many More Happy returns of the
Day. This day is very special to us as you are
someone really special to everyone of us.
May God bless you with all love and
affection. Have a fun filled Birthday and let
all your dreams come true.
Best wishes from,
Balaji (Perot Systems), Shankar (Secude), Vijay
(IGT), S.K.Yoges, Sathish,Senthil and all IBM
Premanand of Calsoft has nominated his Project Leader Ara- friends.
vindha Dhamodharan as the "Office Angel".
He is the most energetic and Optimistic person in our project. ■ Dai Anto,
’Best’ in Team leading and highly Motivating.We like his Many more happy returns of the day. Wish
surusuruppu, kindal and a big laugh. According to him nothing is u a very very Happy Birthday. May u b
impossible. blessed with good health n happiness. Wish
AkilaRajaram of HCL u all success da…
with regards
Kalaivani, Mathangi, Ambika(TCS)
■ Dear Nimmi,
Wish u many more happy returns of that
day. When god made u he was having a
good day! Because u r so special, so kind-
hearted, that its difficult to tell in words.
Happy Birthday Nimmi…
Hearty Wishes,
From Yours OOSR Team, UST-Global
■ Dear Manjus..
Wish you a happy and prosperous Birthday
that leaves behind a lot of Nice and
Memorable moments. May God Bless You...
With Love
Amal and ASP Team Members, Wipro
Akila Rajaram of
HCL doodled this ■ Dear Nirmalraj,
Wish you a many more happy returns of
that day. We wish u a day brings the best
in life for u. May life lead u to great
happiness and success. Hope lovely
surprises, are coming your way, to make
your Birthday a Wonderful day… Have a
lovely birth day…
Hearty Wishes,
From Your Dear Colleagues, UST-Global,
■ Dear Ovi Kutti,
Wish you a very Happy Birthday…
Wishes from:
Dad, Mom and Family Members.
Srinivasan J, HCL Technologies
■ Hi Karthik Prasad,
Wish you many many happy returns of the
day. Wish you all success in your future
1. Q: Yen, desert-la irukkara post-office-la ellarum letter endeavors. Don’t forget us.
ezhudhittu, Regards,
stamp vangittu, veliya pora? Kalpana K N, Neetu shukla R, Gowrilatha P,
A: Enna, veliya dhan otta-gum irukku. Rohini Mathew, YuvaKishore, Akila R, Sajeesh S,
2. Q: Japanese, Leaning Tower of Pisa kattina adhukku enna per Infosys Technologies Ltd, Mcity
veppa?
A: Nikumo-Nikado ■ Dear Subbha (kk),
Manomani Kesav of HCL Today, be aware of how u are spending
Father: Yenda UJALA bottela kezha pottu thaandikittu irukka? your 1,440 beautiful moments, and spend
Son: Naalaiku enga schoola “NEELAM” thaandura potti iruku them wisely and since today is just the first
adhaan practice panrenppa. day of another 365-day journey around the
Lakshmi of Sathyam sun, enjoy the trip. Wish u happy birthday
13
dear.
With Love,
Akhilla, Anbarasi, Revathy, Sangamithirai,
Krupalalitha, Software Engineer (BCMD)
Infosys Technologies Limited
■ Dear Kedy,
Wishing you many more happy returns of
this day. May this year bring you lots of
happiness & prosperity.
Wishes from your loving LOGISAIR friends,
Wipro Technologies.
■ Dear Ethe,
Wish u many more happy returns of the
day. May god bless u abundantly with all
that you wish (project).
Hearty wishes from
Hema, selvam, Meena, TCS.
■ Dear Naresh,
You are the sweet bud in the blossom of
garden. So we, wish you a very Happy
Birthday. On this special day we wish that
you get all success and reach the pinnacle
glory, with a spark remains with you
forever.
Hearty Wishes from,
UST Global,
■ Dear sathya,
On this special occasion we all r delighted
to wish u a very happy birthday. May all ur
wishes come true. Enjoy the day with lots
of fun. Dont forget to include us. Always
remember the name which we gave you. U
exactly look like that.keep smiling pa.
With lots of care
Balamurugan, Debanjana, Mangai, Parthiban,
Rakhi, Ranjoy, Ruban, Rishabh, Siva, Excelacom
Technologies Private Ltd.
■ Dear Suhasini,
Birthday wishes to you. You get sweeter as
you get older. May you have all the joy.
Your heart can hold, all the smiles a day
can bring, all the blessing a life can unfold,
may you have gods best in everything.
Wishing you a happy birthday
Dasu…Busu…!!!
With loads of love from your friends,
Koki, arun, naga, sateesu, deep, Sham, Standard
Chartered Bank
■ Dear Subi,
You are my best companion so far. I m so
glad to have your friendship. On Ur Special
Day, I take a small Opportunity in Wishing
you Many More Happy Returns of the Day
through this!!! Praying to God as the days
passes let our relationship grow sweeter
and stronger. I wish the cute smile in your
face, to stay forever bringing you happiness
each and every second. May you succeed in
what ever you do and Iniya Piranthanaal
Nalvazhuthukal!!!
With Love,
Janu (On behalf of Astathara), TCS
■ Dear Sureka
Happy Birthday! Have a Blast :)
Best Wishes,
Noc Team , Ford Satyam
14 TRAFFIC JAM ERGO Thursday, November 13, 2008

Diamond phones sell out

A cellular phone company in Japan sold
out its eight limited edition phones -
each studded with 537 diamonds from
Tiffany and Co - in just three days. The
gadgets cost a whopping US$ 134,000.

sudoku

"One cannot think well,

love well, and sleep well, if
one has not dined well."
True!
Charles Godwin of Polarsis
clicked this picture in
Erode.
Hobbies: Playing keyboard
and drums

What strikes you the most

when we talk about
‘poverty’? Tell us through
one of your best
photographs that has
moved you, with details
of the place, person, etc.
Theme ‘Poverty’ will be
featured in the Click Pick
section till November 15.

So you think you would make a

terrific photographer but never
really had the platform? Mail us KAKURO
your best work and we’ll publish
it in this space, with credit.
E-mail: clickpick@goergo.in

TEAM
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 Thursday, November 13, 2008
Barrier reef in shed
A British man has created his own
version of the Great Barrier Reef in his
garden shed. Clayton Smith has grown
corals for ten years and nurtures more
than 120 species in his tanks.
15
Word’s worth
"Zedonk" (zee-donk) the offspring of a male zebra and a
female donkey, if such a pair is allowed to express their
forbidden love. It is also known as a zonkey or zeedonk,
and citations suggest one was born in the (obviously open-
minded) Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn, New York, in 1973.

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

You may feel that it’s time to be practical and think
about money matters concerning your career. Ensure
that your focus doesn’t shift from work. You may
wish to spend money on beloved one but you may
end up holding the strings of your purse tight!

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

You may be very firm in your views at office. This
inflexibility may be taken as your stubbornness by
others. Make sure that your image doesn’t stain
because of such attitude. You may nurture your love
life. You may be passionate and demanding too.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

Ganesha finds you working very hard in altogether
BORN LOSER wrong direction at office. Due to some technical
issue, you could be misguided but if you use logic it
will help you fix the problem. In personal life, you
may feel that you are sacrificing far way too much!
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
It’s a lucky day at office and also in personal life.
You may be given due credit for your hard work.
You can be more creative and innovative today.
Ganesha finds you sentimental in front of your
beloved. It’s a favourable day to propose someone.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
You will be performing with best of your abilities
and your energy levels too would be very high.
Personal relations may also remain in perfect
rhythm, which will make your love life smoother.
However, your priority may be ’career progress’.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
Your systematic way of working will help you finish
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT off all the tasks assigned to you. It’s favourable day
for re-arranging database. In domestic and love life,
you may have practical attitude but ensure that you
display required concern to your lover.
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
It is an average day for you at office. You may feel
unenthusiastic as you may believe that it’s better to
clear pending work first before starting new one. In
personal and love life, misunderstandings must be
avoided and clarity over certain issues is a must.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
Today you may not be in a mood to put in much
effort at workplace – for reason unknown! The day
doesn’t favour you so be more attentive.Love life
may be easygoing if you don’t try to be too strict to
partner. It’s a day to think about ’self-rectification’.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
You will appreciate work done by others and others
will give you due credit but still there are chances
of criticism. Learn from remarks given by others.
Your love life may require more effort from your
end, as your partner may be in a sentimental mood.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
Your focus will remain on creative part of the job.
You may make the best use of technology. You may
learn many new things which will be useful in your
career. You will enjoy love and compassion both
once you are in the company of your beloved one.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS Even if you try to focus all your energies and
strength towards work, you may find it hard to
ISSUE’S concentrate. Ganesha feels that your mind is
swinging between personal and professional life. Try
SOLUTIONS to focus on work while you are at office.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
Ganesha finds you handling regular communications
and routine work with ease. Don’t get carried away
by suggestions given by others. You are flexible but
today you may be bit inflexible. Make sure that your
near ones and dear ones are not hurt.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
16 ERGO Thursday, November 13, 2008