A BYTE OF LIFE Thursday, March 5, 2009

FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 3 No. 42

08
LITTLE BIKE-
RIDING HOOD
Pocket bikes for tiny bikers
in namma Chennai

The Tata logo may get lost in the bulwark of the

Scuderia Ferrari F1 car but it’s undeniably a step
forward. Other world sporting powerhouses are
expected to follow suit and rope in Indian corporates
as sponsors to prevail over the economic meltdown
» PAGE 06
02 NAMMA CHENNAI ERGO Thursday, March 5, 2009

New hues
Amethyst presents an exhibition by
Inka Fashions at 14/30, Padmavathi
Road, Jeypore Colony, Gopalapuram.
The sale is on till March 15.

Insult and injury

Wheel along Stolen from their
Celebrating International Women’s Day
2009, The Hindu in Chennai has organised a families, these
line-up of events honouring her.
To begin the day, a car treasure hunt for glorious, wild
women, titled ‘Heels on Wheels’, will kick-start
from Chennai Citi Centre on the morning of animals are beaten
March 8. With a maximum of four women per
car, a total of 60 teams are expected to ride for and demeaned for
the fun-filled event that features fat cash prizes
and gift vouchers for the winners. the remainder of
Registrations are now open for ‘Heels on
Wheels’ for a fee of Rs. 500 per team, from their lives in the
which 50 per cent of the value can be redeemed
at the food court inside Citi Centre. Those in- name of
terested in participating can register as soon as
possible by calling 96000 85522 or 97911 90003 entertainment
as entries for the event are limited.
For the rest of the women folk, a galore of SRIYA NARAYANAN
events awaits them from the afternoon at the pets@goergo.in Polo event at Elephant Festival, Jaipur, Rajasthan in
venue. Spot contests, including singing, danc-
March 2007. PHOTO: ETI VYAS
ing, dare acts and more, will be hosted by a

O
n March 10, big brands,
celebrity RJ at Citi Centre. Even the non-partici- royalty from around the
pants will be pampered with nail-art, hair- world and celebrities from
braiding and mehendi sessions. Interestingly, India will get together to
every woman walking into the venue with her endorse an event deceptively ti-
grandmother will be instantly rewarded. tled ‘Elephant Polo’. It sounds
The Woman’s Day event is co-hosted by But- gentle enough but in truth, in-
terfly, Green Trends and Samsung. Three Roses volves torture and brutality of un-
Mind Sharp will be the beverage partner and imaginable proportions and is
Radio One is the radio partner. Chennai Citi
Centre will be the venue partner. The prizes for
nothing but calculated cruelty
under the pretence of fundrais-
the day will be given away by Pink, Jang Leath- ing. “Forcing elephants to ‘play
er, Raasi Silks, Uma Lockers, Cookspace and polo’ is totally unnatural and
Viba and the treasure hunt will be managed by contrary to their nature. The ele-
Events. ■ phants are trained using a bull-
hook or ankush, a sharp steel
hook that is used to prod the ani-
mals into obeying instructions.
These hooks can cause open
wounds, which can become in-
fected,” says a statement issued
by Advocates for Animals, U.K.
EXPERT SPEAK
In a recent Polo Event in Sri
Lanka, a traumatised elephant
went berserk and caused injuries
to people, making headlines the
world over.
Wildlife experts testify that
when large animals are expected
to manoeuvre small objects like
polo balls, it leads to injuring
them and suffering excruciating
pain in the process. Further, they
are imprisoned for life and de-
prived of the company of their
families and natural habitat.
Scorching concrete floors and
systematic abuse becomes their
new and permanent reality. Iron-
ically, this event is conducted for
fundraising for elephant welfare
when non-violent methods that
could do the job just as well are
bypassed.
The jumbos are powerless
against the greed and ignorance
of a select group of people and
have no choice but to suffer in
silence.
Speak up for them
It takes less than one minute.
Lend your voice to the campaign by
logging on to
www.stopelephantpolo.com.
Check out the link ‘Take Action’ for
contact info of the authorities.
Spare a moment to sign the guest
book and tell five friends. Time’s
running out and one click can make
all the difference.

‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘
Sending an
elephant out
to earn money to raise
awareness on the plight
of elephants is as
ridiculous as sending a
child out to work to
create awareness on child
labour.
Anuradha Sawhney, Chief
Functionary- People for
Ethical Treatment of Animals
(PETA) India
Elephant polo
is just another
way of deriving sadistic
pleasure by rich and
famous humans in
watching the captive
jumbos in excruciating
pain, for nothing but
entertainment of
mankind.
Azam Siddiqui, Master Trainer
in Animal Welfare for Animal
Welfare Board of India (AWBI)
Elephants are not
designed to play
polo and nor should they. All
who support this cruel activity
contribute to unnecessary
suffering of animals that have
already suffered enormously
from the brutal training
techniques they endure.
Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick,
UNEP 1992 Global Laureate
and recipient of the 2000 BBC
Lifetime Achievement Award
 Thursday, March 5, 2009

Barbie turns 50
03
On March 9 this year, Barbie turns 50. For many, Barbie has progressed from being a childhood
luxury to childhood-must. For many dreamy-eyed little girls, Barbie has been life’s first fashion
idol. Share with us your fondest recollection of the first Barbie you owned (or even one that you
wanted and never got). Write to us at feedback@goergo.in in less than 200 words with the
subject line BARBIE, before Thursday (March 5) noon. Also, send in your contact number in case of
any clarifications.

The volunteers take some field tips at Azhinjivakkam village

With flying colours

Rose for charity, green for environment and orange for organisational efficiency... . UST Global’s
associates choose either of the colours to volunteer for the initiative they like
V. HARIPRIYA they require is health and sanita- Besides health camps, saplings nesh Kalyanaraman, GM, Strate- With close to 1,000 associates
haripriya@goergo.in tion. We recently conducted (fruit-bearing) were also planted gy & Services, UST. working in the Chennai centre,
health camps and are also plan- as part of the long-term commu- “We are planning to provide the volunteers see that they

R
ebuilding a village is a
tough task, but not for
these techies. The asso-
ciates of UST Global, a pro-
vider of end-to-end IT services
and solutions, as part of their
Corporate Social Responsibility
activity are in the process of giv-
ing life to Azhinjivakkam, a vil-
lage near Red Hills, in namma
Chennai. The pilot programme,
launched this month, is named
Mitra (meaning friend) and in-
volves providing health care,
educational support and greener
environment to the village, which
is polluted due to industrialisa-
tion.
Ramakrishnan Narayanan,
head of UST, believes that enter-
prises have a responsibility to-
wards society.
“We are committed to improv-
ing the lives of our associates and
the communities in which they
live. Our adoption programme
aims at uplifting downtrodden
villages. As far as Azhinjivakkam
goes, the first and foremost thing
ning to construct public toilets,
for which talks are on with NGOs.
The funding is volunteered by
our associates.”
nity programme.
“The village, with a population
of 3,500 school-going children,
also has dropout cases,” says Ga-
them with uniforms and footwear
from the coming academic year.
Plus, the possibility of providing
scholarships.”
spend at least one weekend on
field work.
The colour scheme helps the
staff select the sector in which
they want to do “extra-curricular
work”.
“Colours programme is an in-
house volunteering initiative
seeking to achieve organisational
objectives by contributing to the
communities where the company
operates. We have around seven
colours and each one stands for a
different field. Example: rose for
charity, green for environment
and orange for organisational ef-
ficiency,” Ganesh Kalyanaraman
said, adding that no volunteer is
compelled to provide funding or
do the work.
Interestingly, Mitra has all the
seven colours. ■
(CSR Dossier showcases the
activities of companies that we
reach out to. If you want to feature
your organisation’s CSR activities in
Ergo, ping us at feedback@goergo.in
or haripriya@goergo.in. Phone:
28576692)
04 VILLAGE ERGO Thursday, March 5, 2009

Cruelty
A man from Nebraska is facing animal
cruelty charges after he stuffed his cat in
a homemade bong and smoked cannabis
in a bid to calm the creature down.

Obama taking ‘wrong’ path over Israel, says Iran leader Huge asteroid
Iran’s top authority said U.S. President Barack Obama was pursuing the same “wrong path” as
George W. Bush in supporting Israel and described the Jewish state as a “cancerous tumour”. flies past
The comments by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all policy in
Iran, are likely to disappoint the new U.S. administration which has been seeking to engage Iran Earth
but has called on Tehran to “unclench its fist”. “Even the new president of America, who has An asteroid as big as a
come to power with slogans about changing Bush’s policies, is defending state terrorism by 10-storeyed building
talking about unconditional commitment to Israel’s security,” Khamenei told a conference on flew past Earth on
the Palestinian issue in Tehran. Khamenei also said Obama was following the same “wrong Tuesday, the US space
path” of his predecessor in the White House. The United States has long called on Iran to end website has said. The
its opposition to peace-making in the Middle East and stop supporting organisations like space rock was perhaps
Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas group that Washington considers terrorist. a bit larger than one
Reuters thought to have
created a colossal
explosion in the air
above Siberia in 1908
Pakistan hunts for cricket attackers that flattened 500,000 acres (2,000 square km) of forest.
Police were hunting on Wednesday for the gunmen behind Asteroid 2009 DD45 was closest to Earth on Tuesday at
a deadly assault on Sri Lanka’s cricket team. Six Pakistani about 8.40 a.m. It was some 72,000 km away, which is
police and two civilians were killed in Tuesday’s brazen twice the height of a geostationary communications
daylight attack on the team, who were on their way to a satellite. Astronomers had known the asteroid was coming
Test match in Lahore. Seven Sri Lankan cricketers and a and said there was no risk of collision. Other asteroids
coach were among 19 wounded. Police said around two have been known to pass by closer to our planet.
dozen people were being questioned, but declined to Asteroids as big as the 1908 Tunguska object that
speculate about the identity of the attackers. Sri Lankan devastated the Siberian forest might strike Earth as often
players flew home to Colombo on a specially chartered jet. as once every two centuries, scientists speculate. As space
Batsman Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paranavithana, rocks enter Earth’s atmosphere, smaller ones can break
both wounded by apart or explode before hitting the surface.
gunshots, were placed in Xinhua
an ambulance and taken
to hospital.
Mahela Jayawardene
lauded their driver’s YouTube Symphony Orchestra selected
"remarkable bravery" in The YouTube Symphony Orchestra is tuning up and getting
the face of the attack. ready to play. YouTube has selected the winners of its contest to
"Had he not had the create the world’s first online orchestra, choosing more than 90
courage and presence of professional and amateur musicians from over 30 countries
mind to get the bus through audition on the video-sharing service. Google-owned
moving after the initial YouTube announced the winning musicians on Monday in a post
attack, then we’d have on the YouTube blog and the orchestra’s YouTube channel,
been a far easier target youtube.com/symphony. The winners will travel to New York to
for the terrorists," he take part in a three-day classical music summit culminating in a
said. performance at Carnegie Hall on April 15 directed by Michael
AFP Tilson Thomas, music director of the San Francisco Symphony.
AFP

‘Angels and Demons’

under Catholic attack
A fter attacking film Da Vinci Code as ‘an-
ti-christ’ the Catholic League has de-
clared their plans to battle the sequel
Angels and Demons claiming that is ‘demo-
nising’ their faith, the Aceshowbiz.com re-
ported.
Both the movies are adaptations of be-
stselling author Dan Brown’s books with
the same titles and directed by Academy
nominated director Ron Howard. The film
Angels and Demons has started generating
controversy even before it release later this
summer, with the President of the Catholic
League, Bill Donohue, announcing to start
an educational campaign informing public
about the film’s anti-Catholic agenda, re-
ported the website.
“The Da Vinci Code was replete with fal-
sehoods presented as fact, and now the tag
team is back again delivering a curious
blend of fact and fiction. All done at the
expense of the Catholic Church,” Donohue
said. “Brown-Howard are obsessed with
Catholicism. It is not enough to criticize it –
they are hell bent on demonising it. It is
not enough to drag out dirty laundry – they
invent it,” he said.
Catholic League is one of US’s largest
Catholic civil rights organisation and Do-
nohue was critical of Hollywood for its
negative attitude toward the faith. ■
PTI A still from Da Vinci Code
 Thursday, March 5, 2009
05
Websites of the day Landlord looter
Everything you need to know about the sleep disorder: A man in Wisconsin who left his apartment for just five hours
www.narcolepsy.org.uk returned to find that his home had been completely stripped of all
An alternative media blog for real women: www.jezebel.com his possessions - after his landlord cleared out the wrong flat.

Varsity offers Beatles degree

A
university in Liverpool has
launched a Master of Arts The Beatles (from L to R) Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon (1940
degree in The Beatles, the - 1980), and George Harrison (1943 - 2001), performing in front of a
city’s most famous sons, and camera-shaped drum kit on the Ken Dodd show.
called the qualification the first of FILE PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
its kind. Liverpool Hope University
says on its website that the course
entitled “The Beatles, Popular Mu-
sic and Society” consists of four
12-week taught modules and a dis-
sertation. “There have been over
8,000 books about The Beatles but
there has never been serious aca-
demic study and that is what we
are going to address,” said Mike
Brocken, senior lecturer in popular
music at Hope. “Forty years on
from their break-up, now is the
right time and Liverpool is the
right place to study The Beatles.
“This MA is expected to attract a
great deal of attention, not just lo-
cally but nationally and we have
already had enquiries from
abroad, particularly the United
States.” The university said it was
the first postgraduate taught
course on The Beatles in the Unit-
ed Kingdom, and possibly the
world. The Fab Four were born
and raised in Liverpool and went
on to become arguably the most
successful pop band of all time.■
Reuters

A panda called Pemba

Joy as last stranded
whale swims free

T
he last survivor of a pod of refloat the stricken pod. The
192 pilot whales that came whale was the last of 54 survivors
ashore on Tasmania’s King of the mass stranding that re-
Island at the weekend swam turned to the ocean.
back out to sea on Wednesday. A All are now safely back in deep
recalcitrant creature had beached water. The adult female was slung
twice in as many days to the dis- between two jet skis and towed
may of a volunteer army of Aus- out to sea, where delighted res-
tralian nature lovers trying to cuers saw it join a group of at
least 20 other
whales. Chris Ar-
thur, spokesman for
Tasmania’s Parks
and Wildlife Service,
said the world had
witnesses the most
successful whale
rescue in recorded
history. “It was in-
credibly pleasing, 쒀
because of the work Red Panda cub ’Pemba’ receives a treat as he explores his outdoor exhibit at
that the King Island Taronga Zoo in Sydney. The young male ’Pemba’ which means ’Saturday’ in
community have Nepalese was born to Taronga’s female ’ Wanmei’ on November 29, 2008 but has
put in,” he said. ■ just started to venture out of its warm nest box. AFP PHOTO / GREG WOOD
DPA
06 SPORT ERGO Thursday, March 5, 2009

Chelsea close on United

Didier Drogba scored for Chelsea as they won their fourth straight match under temporary manager
Guus Hiddink with a 1-0 victory away to Premier League strugglers Portsmouth. Drogba’s goal 11
minutes from time at a wet and windy Fratton Park on Tuesday saw Chelsea close the gap on
leaders Manchester United to four points.

Get-together
Lankan cricketers feel lucky
Those few minutes are still haunting the Sri
Lanka players, who got a close shave after
their team bus was ambushed by masked
terrorists near the Gaddafi Stadium in
Lahore. The cricketers

of unlikely friends
are considering
themselves simply
lucky as they could
safely return home
after the terrorist
attack. “Everyone is
safe. Nothing bad has
happened. A lot of
guys are really lucky With high-spending sponsors withdrawing support, Indian
as there were bullet
holes everywhere in our bus. I am very conglomerates are coming to the rescue of international
happy that I could see my family and came
back to Sri Lanka in one piece. None of the sporting giants
members believed that they could come
alive out of that situation,” Jayawardene AYON SENGUPTA
said. ayon@goergo.in
The 31-year-old cricketer wants to move

S
ahead with the game, leaving the incident porting powerhouses
behind. “The best thing we can do is go on around the world,
playing cricket,” he added. Batsman spending millions of
Tillakaratne Dilshan recalled those terrifying dollars to retain their
moments: “It was a sound like cracker set on pre-eminence, are in for
fire. I didn’t take it seriously. A shot landed some rough times as
very close to the driver. I then realised we the worldwide financial
were being fired at. I heard some of the crisis has robbed them
players shouting that they have been hit. of lucrative sponsorship
The firing continued for more than three deals. These high-spend-
minutes. The driver was in shock and the bus ing entities facing the
was stationary for over a minute. I asked the prospect of empty coffers
driver to drive fast and we left the site.” Ace have turned their attention
spinner Muttiah Muralitharan said: “We all to the relatively unaffect-
got scared. At that time all that I could ed Indian market to
think was who had been shot and who stem the deluge.
escaped. The driver of the bus saved us.” Over the last few
The Lankan cricketers also paid tribute to months, football
the police officials who laid their lives clubs like Man-
shielding the visitors and driver of the bus chester United
who held his nerve to drove away the and Formula
vehicle. “We pay tribute to them for One teams Fer-
sacrificing their lives only to save the lives of rari and Renault
our cricketers. And the driver was real hero have approached
here,” Jayaewardene said. or entered into
PTI partnerships with Indian busi-
ness conglomerates. While Ferra-
ri had acquired the services of
software giant TCS as an IT and
engineering service provider way
back in 2004, this year onwards
the TCS logo will also appear on
the world-famous red car. Speak-
ing of their association with Fer-
rari F1, Jayant V. Pendharkar,
Vice-President and head, Global
Marketing, Tata Consultancy Ser-
vices, says: “The F1 car is the
most complex and advanced car
platform in terms of packaging
research in aerodynamics, engine
technology, brakes, tyres and
modelling. It is a sport that relies
heavily on technology and suc-
cess is determined by split sec-
ond decision-making. We are the
first Indian company to partner
with the F1 stadium in the global
arena. And it’s a very proud
association.”

Fringe benefits
And the association has helped
them immensely, as Pendharkar
 Thursday, March 5, 2009
07

‘‘
The Twenty20 leagues in India have played a big part. We lost players that possibly should still be
playing. But it still highlighted the fact we need to be aware of how we use our resource and how we
introduce resource. The introduction of new talent has been exciting. But it has been a bit frustrating as well.
Former Kiwi skipper Stephen Fleming

explains. “Due to the great work expecting a positive outcome. However… out US$ 5 million. whole team. There are a few Indi-
done for Ferrari F1, team TCS “The economic meltdown has se- We have always seen it’s the an FMCG companies who are al-
bagged a multi-million dollar, verely hit North America and Eu- But Das Blah is sceptical about lead sponsor who hogs all the li- ready in talks with Ronaldo and
multi-year agreement with Duca- rope, which has led the sporting the recent developments and melight and the other sundries we can expect him to hit our tele-
ti, the leading manufacturer of bodies to see beyond. feels it is virtually impossible for are left virtually unnoticed,” he vision screens soon, maybe
motorbikes and superbikes based We have emerged as a strong Indian companies to associate says. “But the sheer value of the crooning some Hindi film track.”
out of Bologna, to deliver tech- economic power and one of the themselves as lead sponsors with deals will deter Indian compa- According to him, Indian com-
nology-based services to help im- least-hit countries by the reces- such high pedigreed and expen- nies. panies that are likely to get run-
prove customer responsiveness sion and for us it is the right time sive sports as F1 and football for I think what we are looking at ning in the international
and business efficiency,” he says. to foray into the global market the time being. “It is always better right now is Indian companies sponsorship highway soon are
“Association with Ferrari not only and make an impact,” says Ab- to be the lead sponsor paying signing sporting stars like Cristia- telecommunication giant Airtel
reinforces TCS’ high quality of hijet Sircar, head, Communica- US$ 50-60 million than being an no Ronaldo and Lewis Hamilton and consumer durable leaders
work, but also acts as a reference tions, Sahara. associate sponsor who is shelling for their niche brands and not the Videocon. ■
client in geography and indus-
try.”
Another F1 giant, Renault with
two-time world champion Fer-
nando Alonso in its ranks, is also
in talks with Indian houses for
strategic investment. Ashish Sin-
ha Roy, Vice-President, Commu-
nications and Corporate Affairs,
Renault India, says: “The shift in
the global scenario and, more im-
portantly, the stagnation of the
European and American market
is forcing every major player to
look eastward. And the emerging
Indian and Chinese economies
are the target. With India expect-
ed to be on the F1 calendar by
2011 with a circuit in Delhi, it’s
natural for teams to look for in-
vestors here.”

In the pipeline
Speaking about Renault’s
broader plans, Sinha Roy says:
“We are in talks with three Indian
companies and it has been very
fruitful.
It would take at least US$ 50
million to be a title sponsor for a
F1 team but in India we are look-
ing for smaller partners who can
easily shell US$ 5-10 million.” To
build a brand value in India, Re-
nault had organised a road show
at Rajpath in November 2008
with the 2007 Renault F1 car
whooshing down Indian roads.
“It was a first-of-its-kind experi-
ence in India and we again plan
to host it in other Indian cities,
with Alonso behind the wheels,”
Sinha Roy says.
Explaining the trend, Indranil
Das Blah, Vice-President, Sports,
Globosport, an ace sports and ce-
lebrity management company in
India, says: “Indian companies
are known for their deep pockets
and unlike their South-Asian
counterparts are not fly-by-night
operators looking to catch some
eyeballs.
This gives them respectability
and stability that attracts sports
bodies looking for long-term
association.”
Football giant Manchester
United is also believed to have
approached Tata and Sahara as
possible partners after AIG with-
drew its shirt sponsorship deal
with the team.
According to Sahara head Sub-
roto Roy, talks are on with the En-
glish club and both parties are
08 ROADSTER ERGO Thursday, March 5, 2009

Accord V6 to launch next week

Japanese car-maker Honda Siel will launch an advanced version of its premium
sedan Accord V6 in the Indian market next week and it is likely to be priced at
about Rs. 25 lakh. "We are ready with our new Accord V6 and it will be
launched by next week," Honda Siel Cars India President and CEO Masahiro
Takedahawa said. The new Accord V6 would come with a 3.5 litre engine,
generating 280 hp.

Little bike-ridin
PHOTOS: S.S. KUMAR

Pocket bikes are for kids who are grown-up

bikes but too young to actually ride them

W
hat if your kid brother or
son or daughter throws a
tantrum about not want-
ing a ride on a motorcy-
cle but to ride one? Well, you
don’t really have to stand puzzled
by your loved one’s request.
Ergo introduces to you the
‘Pocket Bike’, a 49-cc motorcycle
exclusively designed for children.
Exact replicas of big branded
bikes, these petite two-wheelers
are designed for 10 to 15-year-
olds.
Pocket bikes, which are usually
imported pieces, are available
only with a few dealers in Chen-
nai city. One among them is
Ubidhullah of Moto Designr in
Royapettah, who claims to be the

Earlier, vehicles like Bajaj Sunny and a few other mopeds used to be modified into pocket bikes, but
 Thursday, March 5, 2009
Easing stress
A rider puts a portable brain-machine interface with optical sensors to measure prefrontal cortex
activity, developed by Hitachi, for their research of the driver’s brain activity by riding motorbikes in
Japan. Riding motorbikes helps the driver invigorate his or her brain while easing stress, say scientists.
ng hood
enough to want
Prices
Scramblers and sports
models are available from
Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 24,000.
Scooters are priced Rs.
15,000.
ATVs cost Rs. 45,000.
(Prices may vary from
dealer to dealer)
Where to get them
● Moto Designr
New College complex,
Royapettah.
Phone: 94442 67830
● Champion Motors
G.P. Road, Mount Road.
Phone: 3022 2838.
There are also a few
individual dealers in the
city who deliver pocket
bikes on prior order.
in the last three years they are being imported
first one to deal in pocket
bikes in the city. “I started
selling pocket bikes two year
ago from my showroom here
and I can say that there is a good
demand for them in our city, es-
pecially during school vacations,”
he says.
Scramblers, sports bikes,
scooters and even all-terrain veh-
icles (ATV) are available at Moto
Designr, with prices starting from
Rs. 8,000 and going up to Rs.
45,000 (see box). “These bikes
with genset engines that can trav-
el only in low speeds could be an
apt pastime for bike-loving kids,”
adds Ubidhullah, who gives a
one-year warrantee and free ser-
vice for the bikes he sells.
These pocket bikes come in
various models and are colourful
and trendy to appeal to the youn-
ger lot. No licence or other on-
road documents are required as
the vehicles are strictly for chil-
dren and to be used off-road.
“Earlier, vehicles like Bajaj
Sunny and a few other mopeds
used to be modified into pocket
bikes, but in the last three years
they are being imported. These
small vehicles have a decent de-
mand in Chennai and also in oth-
er cities in the state, like
Coimbatore. Moreover the bikes
are easy to manoeuvre for chil-
dren and the speeds can also be
adjusted according to the rider,”
says Balachandran of Champion
Motors on G.P. Road, Mount
Road, another dealer for pocket
bikes in the city.
Some pocket bikes that are
miniature sports bikes come with
imported two-stroke and four-
stroke engines with kick-starter
and self-starter, double disk
brakes, bright fairings and an
overall chic outlook. ■
09
Audi brings out
‘family silver’ for
100th birthday
T he German premium car manufacturer Audi is bringing out the
family silver this year with more than 50 events and special shows
to mark the 100th birthday of a brand that got its name to avoid a
legal dispute linked to car pioneer and founder August Horch.
Horch, which means ‘hear’ in German, established a small car
company in Cologne in 1899, but then moved to the eastern German
town of Zwickau in 1904 where he established the Hochwerke AG
stock company. After a row with the board of management, Horch
left the company in 1909 to establish a second car company. But he
encountered problems because his surname was already protected by
a trademark. Legend has it that the son of a business partner who
was well-versed in Latin overheard the conversation and suggested
he choose the Latin translation of ‘horch’ – ‘audi’ – and thus the
Audi Automobile Works was born on July 16, 1909.
Audi became a household name within a few years, largely because
the Audi Type C 14/35 became known as the ‘Alpine Conqueror’ in
the Austrian Alpine Run between 1911 and 1914. On June 29, 1932,
the Audi logo of four interlinked rings was born when the
Audiwerke, Horchwerke and Zschopauer Motorenwerke/DKW
merged to form Auto Union AG with DKW, Horch, Audi and
Wanderer labels for different market segments.
The Audi brand took everyone by surprise with the development of
the Audi Front Type UW. Its main feature was front-wheel drive. At
the end of World War II, Soviet occupying forces seized the factory
and all its assets in Zwickau. But a group of senior managers
managed to escape to Bavaria. After initially establishing an Auto
Union spare parts depot in Ingolstadt, the Auto Union GmbH was
formed in 1949.
The first cars were the reliable DKW models with two-stroke engines,
typical of the austere, post-war years. In 1958, Daimler-Benz acquired
the majority share in the company. In 1964, it was taken over by
Volkswagen as sales of the two-stroke DKWs began to dwindle.
In 1968, the foundation was laid for the Audi 100 series. Audi is
celebrating the actual birthday on July 16, 2009 with a special
commemorative ceremony to be attended by German Chancellor
Angela Merkel in Ingolstadt. Another big event is the Goodwood
Festival of Speed in England, where Audi will be putting in a special
appearance as ‘featured marque’ on July 3 to 5. Every car built by
Audi that has played an important role on the world’s racetracks
during the past century will be on display including an authentic
replica of the car in which Bernd Rosemeyer attempted to break the
world speed record in 1937 – the Auto Union Type C Streamline. ■
DPA
10 FLICK ERGO Thursday, March 5, 2009

Mel Gibson making comeback

Actor Mel Gibson, who has been out of the scene since his 2006 scandal, is keen to
make a comeback with Edge of Darkness. Although Robert DeNiro was signed up
to act in the flick alongside Mel, he opted out and was replaced by Ray Winstone,
reports Fox News. The flick will be distributed by Warner Brothers.

Guess who’s back Keira Knightley a.k.a. agony aunt

K eira Knightley is not only Colin Farrell’s leading lady
in a new film, but she is also playing his agony aunt
in reality – the actress has been comforting the actor
Jackson in Britain for comeback tour after he was dumped by girlfriend Emma Forrest.
The Pirates of the Caribbean actress was initially in
touch with the Irishman to discuss their upcoming film

P
op megastar Michael Jackson is to make an announcement in London on Thursday London Boulevard, for which they begin shooting next
amid speculation that he is going to perform a series of comeback concerts in month.
Britain. But after novelist
A statement from concert promoter AEG Live called media on Tuesday to a news Emma dumped
conference on 1600 GMT Thursday at the giant O2 music venue in the British capital, Colin, the 23-year-
without giving further details. old actress has
Jackson flew in from Los Angeles on a private jet with his children. This is his first trip in become a close
Britain since 2006 and he was being guarded by a dozen security guards. He was then confidant for the
taken away in a white limo to a hotel in Knightsbridge, reports thesun.co.uk. actor.
Last month, sources close to the negotiations said that Jackson was in talks with concert “Keira thought it
organisers to perform up to 30 live shows in London’s O2 Arena this year. would be helpful
The source, who requested anonymity, confirmed British media reports that the 50- to speak to Colin
year-old ‘King of Pop’ could be set to play his first major concerts since his 2005 acquittal about their parts
on child molestation charges. but she has been
If the deal is confirmed, it would be a spectacular return to the limelight for Jackson, trying to support
who dominated the pop world with hit albums like Thriller and Bad in the 1980s but has him while he goes
virtually vanished from public view since his trial. ■ through girlfriend
Agencies troubles,” the
Daily Express
quoted a source
as saying.
The insider added:
“Keira says it has
helped her
understand the
man she is going
to be playing opposite and is delighted to have
connected so well with him.”
Emma reportedly walked out on the Phone Booth actor
because he didn’t mention her in his Golden Globes
acceptance speech in January. ■
ANI

The secret seamstress

K atie Holmes has been working on a highly secret
fashion line for over a year, it has emerged.
The line is titled Holmes-Yang and is a collaboration
between Holmes and her stylist pal, Jeanne Yang.
“We started about a year ago, sketching different
things, trying to find comfortable clothing for our
daughters that is also pretty
and cute,” the New York
Daily News quoted Holmes,
as telling Glamour
magazine.
Holmes has stepped out
twice in the line to rave
reviews. The first glimpse of
the line was last summer,
when Katie was seen in a
leather and silk piece. The
second peek came two
months later, when she
stepped out in an ivory silk
jumpsuit with black lace
sleeves.
Holmes was reported to
be planning a full-fledged
runway show at New York
Fashion Week in September,
but the rumours have been
dismissed.
Holmes has hinted at
public expansion of the line.
■
ANI
 Thursday, March 5, 2009
11
New cast for High School Musical 4
Walt Disney Co’s teen hit franchise High School Musical is coming back for a
fourth time – but with a new cast of characters, the company said on Tuesday.
High School Musical 4 will debut on the Disney Channel in 2010 – marking a
return to its original cable home after the third instalment danced into movie
theatres in 2008.

Once shot, Cine City

twice shy
A
fter a blink and miss ap-
pearance in Fashion, film-
maker Madhur Bhandarkar
says he has no plans of do-
ing a cameo again as he knows he
is a “bad actor”.
“I did a cameo in my film Fash-
ion, which I believe was very bad
and that’s why I don’t want to re-
peat the same. I can make people
act but acting is not my forte,”
Bhandarkar said.
“A lot of people asked
me to act in
reality shows
as a participa-
nt and they
were offering
me a huge
amount of mon-
ey, but I couldn’t
accept it since
I’m a bad actor
and a worse danc- Bala’s gift to mentor
er,” he added. Director Bala is on cloud nine after the stupendous
The director is currently busy success of Naan Kadavul, a film that took three
making with his next film, which years in the making. Dedicating the success to his
stars Neil Nitin Mukesh and mentor Balu Mahendra, Bala has gifted Balu a car
Mugdha Godse. ■ recently. Similarly, actor Jeeva has presented a car
IANS to director Rajesh for the success of his latest
release, Siva Manasula Sakthi.

T here was a buzz in Bollywood

that a sequel was being made
to the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer
Bhoothnath, but director Vivek
Sharma has brushed aside all
rumours.
“I don’t think there’s any rea-
son for a sequel for Bhoothnath
as the culmination of the film has
been on a proper story. It has had
a proper ending,” said Sharma.
“Though I do have an idea and
a story, and if Mr. Bachchan
agrees, I can think of taking it for-
ward in terms of a film, maybe
early next year. But I’m not really
sure as I get bored very easily
with a project once it is done.
Anyway, I don’t find any reason
taking Bhoothnath forward as a
series,” he added. Sharma is at
present working on Vashu Bhag-
nani’s Kal Kissne Dekha. ■
IANS

No
Bhoothnath
sequel Jai Ho goes political
We hear that Congress party will be using the
Oscar-winning song ‘Jai Ho’ from the film Slumdog
Millionaire for its election campaign. Though other
parties were contemplating on acquiring the rights
of the song, Congress acted fast. The party has
acquired the rights of the lyrics and tune of the
song, which is a hot favourite among political
parties.
12 ERGO Thursday, March 5, 2009

Wednesday’s Query:
Your suggestions to curb
terrorist activities.
■ We will make many clones of captain
Vijaykanth and put them for patrol across
India.
Jacob, Antony, Kannan ,Sify,
Radhan Wipro,
Suresh, Allsec

■ We can use "sunniyam" and "beetle leaves

with black soot" technique to trace the
terrorists and spoil their activities. This would
also help us to make them ill and catch them
alive.
Padma Gopal, Cognizant

■ We should recapture PoK, the training

camp of all terrorist groups. Mohamedamanullah A. from TCS has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This pic was
Siva Kumar, Allsec clicked at a beach resort on ECR.

■ Security needs to be tightened.

Revathy, TCS-eserve,
Sabarish JM, Cognizant

■ Preaching moral principles right from the

childhood.
Lexsminarayanan, TCS-eserve

■ Make all the terrorists to see films like

Roja, Bombay and listen Rahman’s Vande
Maataram everyday.
Robz, Wipro

■ Lightning fast action on identified terrorist

and cruel punishment for ones in custody.
Vimprash, Patni Computers

■ Let not any kid have a bitter childhood. A

traumatic childhood is the root cause of all
evils.
Senthil Kumar P, RR Donnelley
Saranya SR from Sagitec has nominated her friends as Partners in Crime. This pic was
■ Form a separate ministry to curb terrorism. clicked at Chepauk stadium.
Senthil, Wipro

■ Educate & make them to understand

about the deep of psychological
development by solving the problems,
conflicts, worries, inconveniences & historical
issues in non-violent manner.
R.Nagarajan, InfoView Technologies

■ People must stop giving arms and help to

terrorist in return of huge money, we must
stand united against it, remember that even
the word ’terror’ ends with an ’error’.
Praveen, TCS-eserve

Today’s Query:
Wish J.K.Ritheesh of
Nayagan fame on his
birthday. Venkatesh from Trimble Navigation Limited has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime.
This pic was clicked in Manimutharu.
 Thursday, March 5, 2009
13

■ Dear Metilda,
Many more happy returns of the day. May God bless you in all your endeavors.
Entries are pouring in, so buck up before you miss the Regards,
Alex
train. Let your creative juices flow, and for all you know,
TCS
you might become a writer on the go! Ergo invites origi-
■ Dear Thanni Dhaya,
nal literary pieces in the form of short stories, flash
Neenga thaana “Thanni thoti thedi vanthe Ottaga kutti“
fiction and poems from its readers. Short stories and We wish u a very Happy Birthday…:)
Regards,
flash fiction must not exceed 700 words. So, pick up
12Bees
those pens and start writing! Send in your entries to
■ Dear Swetha,
my.ergo@goergo.in mentioning ‘Ergo Writer’s Club’ as
Sorry that we couldnt attend your program. Saw the pics and videos. You looked
the subject. And keep watching this space for updates. good. And your jazz performance was rocking. I deeply regret for not turning up.
Shall make it up to you. Sorry once again.. hey ivolo sorry than sollamudiyum..
collar romba thookade :p
With love,
Orion team
■ Dear Swati,
Take good care of yourself, friend.
We hope to see you up andrunning and back at garden again.
The place just isn”t the same without you.
With Loves,
Anush
■ Dear Dev,
I’m so blessed 2 have a friend like uThis comes with manyLoving thoughts & warm
wishesI send 2 u,May ur day be filled with laughterOn this ur special day & may the
finest thingsIn life always comeUr way happy birthday!
Sandeep Suresh of IBM Your friend,
Daksh has been nomi- Manoj
nated as Office Angel by
his team-mates.

True to IBMers value,

Sandeep Suresh is very
innovative in nature, at
least with his hairstyle….
Our man, the HR
manager has always been
a hot favourite. A cool
and fun loving person, he
encourages as well as
motivates people on and
off the work place… Sure
this calls for a big party.
Doesn’t it! To have
someone like him…
Art featured in
this column will
receive gift cou-
pons from Fruit
Shop on Greams
Road. Send in
your addresses
so that we can
post the cou-
pons.

1.Teacher :- Sooriyan marainthathu,

ithu nigal kaalama, irantha kaalama illa varungalama?
Student :- Athu saingalam sir
Arasu
2.TamilNadu’s Latest Punch Dialogue:
Varum aana varaadhu
Enna adhu??? Saravanan Vaithiyanathan from HCL has doodled this.
Ans: Current Bill Varum aana Current Varaadhu.:-)
D Madhan Mohan
HCL Technologies
14 TRAFFIC JAM ERGO Thursday, March 5, 2009

Deja vu De Feo
An Italian football team is a
referee’s nightmare - because
every single player has the
same surname, De Feo.

sudoku

The monkey
biker:
Gnanaskandan
K of Verizon
Data Services
shot this at
Point
Calimere.
Hobbies: bird
watching,
wildlife
photography

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

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(Editor responsible for selection of news under
the PRB Act). RNI No. TNENG/2007/24553
 Thursday, March 5, 2009
15
Desperate housewives Word’s worth
A divorcee from Germany landed in hot water with police - after "Testudineous" (tes-t(y)oo-din-
she rang 999 more than 100 times in a bid to land a new ee-us) an adjective meaning
boyfriend. Angela Stahl, 44, plagued the emergency line with ’as slow as a tortoise.’ From a
endless calls - insisting she couldn’t afford dating agencies. Latin word meaning ’tortoise.’

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

Today, you have scope of getting some good
financial rewards of your work. This doesn’t need to
be in the physical form but whatever you do may
add positive points for your future. You may
exchange sweet words with your life partner.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

Your basic qualities are highlighted today so
Ganesha would call it ’power day’ for you. At office,
you can be very systematic and finish off your work
as per the schedule. In personal life, if you are not
careful your relations with spouse may get sour.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

Hard work is on the cards but ensure that nothing
BORN LOSER goes in vain! Ganesha foresees you working in
wrong direction today. Some colleagues may try to
tarnish your image, for no reason. If you are single,
you may try to flatter or woo someone.
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
It’s a perfect day to organize regular group activities
like meetings or small lecture on ’team-work’. Your
diligence and commitment to work will prove
beneficial to you in the longer run. Love life or
married life may remain stress free.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
This is a perfect day to handle creative part of your
job. Slogging alone may not work but you may
need to use your imagination. Your relations with
bosses may need to be handled carefully. You may
not be able to pay much attention to love life.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
Ganesha foresees you in a very practical mood at
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT work. This will help you finish off your job in time.
You may plan for a trip with your family or beloved
one. Travelling is not on the cards but planning is
surely foreseen.
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
Whatever you have learnt from seniors and
superiors may be useful in your job. You can be
trying to solve complex issues at workplace. In love
life, you may enjoy very high-quality private time
with your beloved one.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
You may not be in a mood to put in more efforts
at office. Even if you wish, you may not be able to
stay back at work till late evening. Health requires
attention. In persona life, you may receive positive
response and moral support from beloved one.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
Complimentary day for you, predicts Ganesha. You
may not sit relaxed for a moment and utilize your
time at office in best possible manner. Ensure that
you take due rest in order to maintain good health.
Love life may require attention.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
Your professional life may offer you plethora of
opportunities today. If you work hard, you may get
good incentives and perks from your office. Love life
may blossom as you are likely to express your
emotions very creatively to woo your beloved one.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS It is high time you think about your own
shortcomings in routine office work. Ganesha finds
ISSUE’S you contemplating over some matters related to
work, very seriously. You may wish to reach home
SOLUTIONS early to spend more time with family members.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
Your creative talents may be boosted today. You
may change your modus operandi which will help
you handle every aspect of work very easily. In love
life, you will be unpredictable and may leave your
partner puzzled about what you actually expect.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
16 ! ERGO Thursday, March 5, 2009

Actor Charlize Theron (L) and Mexican film director

Guillermo Arriaga arrive for the screening of their
latest film, The Burning Plain, on Tuesday in
Hampstead, North London. AFP PHOTO/MAX NASH

Academy award-winning actor Sean Penn (L) looks on as California Sen. Mark Leno (R) speaks
during a press conference announcing legislation to create a Harvey Milk Day in California on
March 3, 2009 in San Francisco. AFP PHOTO