text:
Using our engine you can create nice user-interface for your applications. The look and behavior of everything is very customizable, as you often want a special-looking UI in your games. Our user-interface is rendered inside a container like TCastleWindow or TCastleControl, and of course works without any modifications on all the platforms we support — desktop, mobile...
A complete program using the concepts shown here is in the engine
examples, in the
Our game window is covered by 2D user-interface controls. All of the classes representing a user-interface control descend from the TUIControl class. They can render, they can handle inputs, they can perform any time-dependent task, and much more.
All of the currently used controls are added to the list of TCastleWindowCustom.Controls (if you use TCastleWindow) or TCastleControlCustom.Controls (if you use Lazarus forms with TCastleControl). The controls on this list are ordered from the back to front. But usually you don't need to remember that, as you add them using the aptly-named methods InsertFront or InsertBack, indicating the visual "front" (in front of other controls) or "back". The TUIControl can be arranged in hierarchy: one instance of TUIControl can be a children of another, which makes it visually "contained" inside the parent, and moved along with parent.
Note that you can also render and handle inputs using the TCastleWindow or TCastleControl callbacks, like Window.OnRender, Window.OnPress and Window.OnUpdate. But this is usually only useful for simple cases. Most of your rendering and input handling should be done inside some TUIControl descendant. Note that a scene manager by default acts also as a viewport into the 3D world, and it's also a descendant of TUIControl. It makes sense, if you think about it: inside a 2D screen, you create a 2D viewport, that allows to view the 3D world inside. So, almost everything is "inside" some TUIControl in our engine.
While TUIControl is basically a way to render anything, in this chapter we will focus on the most traditional use of this class: to create simple 2D user interfaces. Our engine includes a large number of TUIControl descendants for this. The most often used controls are:
These are just the basic UI classes. Find the
TUIControl in our class hierarchy diagram and look at all it's descendants to discover more:)
You simply create an instance of any class you like, and add it as a children
of Window.Controls,
CastleControl.Controls or another (parent) TUIControl.
Note that TUIControl is a descendant
of the standard
TComponent property, so you can use the standard "ownership"
mechanism to take care of freeing the UI control. In simple cases, you can make the
Window a parent of your UI control.
An example below shows a simple button and a label:
Deprecated: Function create_function() is deprecated in /var/www/cge-www-preview/geshi/geshi.php on line 4751
uses CastleWindow, CastleUIControls, CastleControls; var Window: TCastleWindow; MyLabel: TCastleLabel; MyButton: TCastleButton; begin Window := TCastleWindow.Create(Application); Window.Open; MyButton := TCastleButton.Create(Application); MyButton.Caption := 'Click me!'; MyButton.Anchor(hpMiddle); MyButton.Anchor(vpBottom, 10); Window.Controls.InsertFront(MyButton); MyLabel := TCastleLabel.Create(Application); MyLabel.Caption := 'Click on the button!'; MyLabel.Anchor(hpMiddle); { position label such that it's over the button } MyLabel.Anchor(vpBottom, 10 + MyButton.CalculatedHeight + 10); Window.Controls.InsertFront(MyLabel); Application.Run; end.
Remember that at any time, you can add and remove the controls. You can also make a control temporarily "not existing" (not visible, not handling inputs and so on — just like it would not be present on the controls list at all) by flipping it's Exists property.
Here's the previous example expanded, showing how to handle button click, to toggle the visibility of a rectangle:
uses CastleWindow, CastleUIControls, CastleControls, CastleColors; var Window: TCastleWindow; MyRect: TCastleRectangleControl; MyButton: TCastleButton; type TEventHandler = class class procedure ButtonClick(Sender: TObject); end; class procedure TEventHandler.ButtonClick(Sender: TObject); begin MyRect.Exists := not MyRect.Exists; end; begin Window := TCastleWindow.Create(Application); Window.Open; MyButton := TCastleButton.Create(Application); MyButton.Caption := 'Toggle rectangle'; MyButton.Anchor(hpMiddle); MyButton.Anchor(vpBottom, 10); { use a trick to avoid creating a useless instance of the TEventHandler class. } MyButton.OnClick := @TEventHandler(nil).ButtonClick; Window.Controls.InsertFront(MyButton); MyRect := TCastleRectangleControl.Create(Application); MyRect.Color := Yellow; MyRect.Width := 200; MyRect.Height := 200; MyRect.Anchor(hpMiddle); MyRect.Anchor(vpMiddle); Window.Controls.InsertFront(MyRect); Application.Run; end.
Every UI control may have children, which are positioned relative to their parent. The children are always drawn on top of their parent. (Although the parent has an additional chance to draw over the children in it's RenderOverChildren method, but that's rarely used.)
The children receive input events (key and mouse presses) before their parent.
So the innermost children get the first chance to process an event
(like a click), and only if they do not handle it (their
Press method will return
then the event is passed to the parent. If no UI control processes a press event,
it is passed to the
TCastleWindowCustom.OnPress or
Note that the input events are only send to the controls under the pointer
(mouse or touch position). Although this is configurable using
the CapturesEventsAtPosition method, but usually it's saner to leave it at default.
A useful trick to capture the events from the whole window is to use a
TUIControlSizeable with
FullSize =
true, this will capture mouse clicks and key presses from everything.
Any control can be a parent. For example, you can insert arbitrary images and labels inside a TCastleButton, to make it's content look in any way you want. If you want to group a couple of controls, but don't have a natural "parent" control, it's often a good idea to use a new instance of an TUIControlSizeable as a parent.
Controls are positioned relative to the parent, using just the
Left and
Bottom properties
by default. Remember that our engine in 2D uses a coordinate system
where the Y grows from zero (bottom) to maximum height (at the top).
This is contrary to a convention of various GUI libraries that designate
Top as zero,
and make Y grow downward. We decided to follow the convention Y grows up
for a couple of reasons, mostly because it naturally matches the 3D situation too
(in 3D, our engine also follows the convention that Y grows up by default;
so in 3D you get one additional dimension, Z, going "outside" of the screen,
while X and Y axes are oriented the same in 2D and 3D).
Usually, instead of assigning the positions using the Left and Bottom properties, it's better to use anchors. Anchors specify the position of some border (or center) of the control, relative to some border (or center) of it's parent. When the parent control is resized (e.g. when user resizes the window), children are automatically repositioned correctly. This usually avoids the need to react to window size changes in callbacks like Window.OnResize or TUIControl.Resize implementations.
Note that the parent does not clip the visibility of the children. That is, we assume that you will set the size of children small enough to make them fit within the parent. If you don't, the result will be a little unintuitive: the overflowing contents of children will be drawn outside of the rectangle of the parent, but they will not receive input (like mouse clicks). For this reason, it's best to make children actually fit within the parent.
If you actually want to clip the children, use the TScissor. The TCastleScrollView implementation is a good example of how to use it properly.
With all this knowledge about parents and anchors, let's make a simple dialog box,
showing off what we learned, and something extra (note the use of
HexToColor below).
Below are the contents of the
ApplicationInitialize procedure,
you can just use this code to setup UI in the main program block
(like in the simple examples above on the same page),
or you can set it as the
Application.OnInitialize callback following the
chapter about developing cross-platform applications.
If in doubt, take a look at the examples/2d_standard_ui/zombie_fighter/
code that contains the final application we will make in this manual!
It uses the
ApplicationInitialize procedure.
uses SysUtils, CastleControls, CastleUtils, CastleFilesUtils, CastleColors, CastleUIControls; var Rect: TCastleRectangleControl; InsideRect: TCastleRectangleControl; Image: TCastleImageControl; LabelStats: TCastleLabel; ButtonRun, ButtonFight: TCastleButton; procedure ApplicationInitialize; begin Rect := TCastleRectangleControl.Create(Application); Rect.Width := 400; Rect.Height := 500; Rect.Color := HexToColor('5f3939'); // equivalent: Vector4(95/255, 57/255, 57/255, 1.0); Rect.Anchor(hpMiddle); Rect.Anchor(vpMiddle); Window.Controls.InsertFront(Rect); InsideRect := TCastleRectangleControl.Create(Application); InsideRect.Width := Rect.CalculatedWidth - 10; InsideRect.Height := Rect.CalculatedHeight - 10; InsideRect.Color := Silver; InsideRect.Anchor(hpMiddle); InsideRect.Anchor(vpMiddle); Rect.InsertFront(InsideRect); Image := TCastleImageControl.Create(Application); Image.URL := ApplicationData('Female-Zombie-300px.png'); Image.Anchor(hpMiddle); Image.Anchor(vpTop, -10); InsideRect.InsertFront(Image); LabelStats := TCastleLabel.Create(Application); LabelStats.Color := Black; LabelStats.Html := true; { anything, just to show off the HTML :) } LabelStats.Caption := 'Statistics:' + NL + 'Life: 12%' + NL + 'Stamina: 34%' + NL + 'Mana: 56%'; LabelStats.Anchor(hpMiddle); LabelStats.Anchor(vpBottom, 100); InsideRect.InsertFront(LabelStats); ButtonRun := TCastleButton.Create(Application); ButtonRun.Caption := 'Run'; ButtonRun.Anchor(hpLeft, 10); ButtonRun.Anchor(vpBottom, 10); ButtonRun.PaddingHorizontal := 40; InsideRect.InsertFront(ButtonRun); ButtonFight := TCastleButton.Create(Application); ButtonFight.Caption := 'Fight'; ButtonFight.Anchor(hpRight, -10); ButtonFight.Anchor(vpBottom, 10); ButtonFight.PaddingHorizontal := 40; InsideRect.InsertFront(ButtonFight); end;
As you probably noticed, we do not have a visual UI designer yet. It's on the roadmap to make a visual designer integrated with Lazarus, so you could design the inside of TCastleControl and even TCastleWindow in the same comfortable way as you design a Lazarus form with standard Lazarus LCL components. Support the engine development to make this happen sooner!
You can use the UIScaling to automatically adjust all the UI controls sizes. You activate it like this:
Window.Container.UIReferenceWidth := 1024; Window.Container.UIReferenceHeight := 768; Window.Container.UIScaling := usEncloseReferenceSize;
Using UI scaling is incredibly important if you want your game to work on various window sizes. Which is especially important on mobile devices, where the sizes of the screen (in pixels) vary wildly.
This means that the whole user interface will be scaled, by the
same ratio as if we would try to fit a
1024 x 768 area
inside the user's window. The proportions will not be distorted, but
things will get smaller or larger as necessary to accommodate to the
larger window size. If you use anchors correctly, things will
accommodate nicely to the various aspect ratios too.
The fact that things are scaled is largely hidden from you. You get and set the Left, Bottom, Anchor, CalculatedWidth, CalculatedHeight, CalculatedRect, FontSize and many other properties in the unscaled pixels. Which basically means that you can hardcode them, and they will still look right everywhere. Only a few properties uncover the final (real or scaled) control size. In particular the ScreenRect method (very useful for custom drawing) returns the control rectangle in the real device pixels (and with the anchors and parent transformations already applied). More about this in the chapter about custom-drawn UI controls.
Since Castle Game Engine 6.5, you can alternatively activate UI scaling
by creating a file called
CastleSettings.xml in the
data subdirectory of your project.
The sample
CastleSettings.xml contents look like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <castle_settings> <ui_scaling mode="EncloseReferenceSize" reference_width="1024" reference_height="768" /> </castle_settings>
Then in your
Application.OnInitialize callback just call
This will set
It can also set other global (for the whole container) properties, like the default font.
The advantage of using the
CastleSettings.xml file is that
the editor reads this file too,
and can apply the same scaling, default font and so on when you edit the UI.
Read more about the
CastleSettings.xml file.
You can check the resulting size of the control with CalculatedWidth and CalculatedHeight.
Beware: Many controls,
like TCastleButton, expose also properties
called Width and
Height, but they are only to set
an explicit size of the control (if you have disabled
auto-sizing using TCastleButton.AutoSize or TCastleButton.AutoSizeWidth or such). They will not be updated when the control auto-sizing mechanism calculates the actual
size. So do not use
Width or
Height properties to query the size of a button.
Always use the
CalculatedWidth or
CalculatedHeight properties instead.
You can also use the CalculatedRect property, it contains the control position and size. But note that it's
valid only after the control, and all it's parents, is part of a window that already
received a
Resize event. So you may need to wait for the
Resize event
to actually use this value.
To adjust the look of some controls, you can adjust the theme. All of the standard 2D controls are drawn using theme images. This way the look of your game is defined by a set of images, that can be easily customized.
Use the
Theme global variable
(instance of TCastleTheme).
For example, image type
tiButtonNormal is the normal
(not pressed or disabled) button look.
You can change it to one of your own images. Like this:
Theme.Images[tiButtonNormal] := LoadImage(ApplicationData('custom_button_normal.png')); Theme.OwnsImages[tiButtonNormal] := true; Theme.Corners[tiButtonNormal] := Vector4Integer(1, 1, 1, 1);
Note that we also adjust the
The image will be drawn stretched, using the
Draw3x3 to intelligently stretch taking the corners into account.
You can see the default images used in the engine sources, in
subdirectory. Feel free to base your images on them.
If you prefer to embed the image inside your application
executable, you can do it using the
tool (compile it from the engine sources in
You can then assign new image like this:
Theme.Images[tiButtonNormal] := CustomButtonNormal; Theme.OwnsImages[tiButtonNormal] := false; Theme.Corners[tiButtonNormal] := Vector4Integer(1, 1, 1, 1);
Note that we set
OwnsImages to
in this case. The instance of
will be automatically freed in the
section of the unit generated by the
To adjust the initial "Loading" image (visible when you open
the application window) you want to adjust the
image. The process is described in detail here.
By default, the TCastleWindow and
TCastleControl already contain one item on their
Controls list: the default
SceneManager instance. For non-trivial games, you may prefer to start with a truly empty window (or control),
and create your scene managers and viewports yourself. To do this, simply use the
TCastleWindowCustom or
TCastleControlCustom instead.
The example below creates a scene manager, showing the world from the player perspective, and then adds a viewport that observes the same world from another perspective. The key to understand this is that the scene manager serves by default two purposes:
false, then the scene manager is used only to store the information about your
world, and you must use at least one
TCastleViewport to actually see anything 3D (or anything 2D rendered using
On the other hand, TCastleViewport always serves only one purpose: it's a viewport, and it always refers to some TCastleSceneManager instance to know what to show inside.
Often it makes sense to keep SceneManager.DefaultViewport as
true, if you have something
like a primary viewport of the user. And then use
TCastleViewport only for secondary
viewports. Sometimes, if's better to set SceneManager.DefaultViewport to
and use only a number of TCastleViewport instances to show it.
It really depends on what is easier for you conceptually, in a given game.
Note that, since the scene manager and viewports are 2D controls, you can place them as children of other UI controls. The example below demonstrates this technique, inserting TCastleViewport inside a TCastleRectangleControl.
uses SysUtils, CastleColors, CastleSceneCore, CastleScene, CastleFilesUtils, CastleWindow, CastleSceneManager, CastleControls, CastleUIControls, CastleCameras, CastleVectors; var Window: TCastleWindowCustom; SceneManager: TCastleSceneManager; Scene: TCastleScene; ViewportRect: TCastleRectangleControl; Viewport: TCastleViewport; begin Window := TCastleWindowCustom.Create(Application); Window.Container.UIReferenceWidth := 1024; Window.Container.UIReferenceHeight := 768; Window.Container.UIScaling := usEncloseReferenceSize; Window.Open; { Add a black background underneath. You must always draw on the whole window area, otherwise it's contents are undefined. In this program, we don't have a full-size viewport filling the whole screen, so we use TCastleSimpleBackground to clear the screen. } Window.Controls.InsertFront(TCastleSimpleBackground.Create(Application)); Scene := TCastleScene.Create(Application); Scene.Load(ApplicationData('level1.x3d')); Scene.Spatial := [ssRendering, ssDynamicCollisions]; Scene.ProcessEvents := true; SceneManager := TCastleSceneManager.Create(Application); SceneManager.FullSize := false; SceneManager.Left := 10; SceneManager.Bottom := 10; SceneManager.Width := 800; SceneManager.Height := 748; SceneManager.Items.Add(Scene); SceneManager.MainScene := Scene; SceneManager.NavigationType := ntWalk; SceneManager.WalkCamera.MoveSpeed := 10; // In Castle Game Engine <= 6.2 the above 2 lines should be written as: // (SceneManager.RequiredCamera as TUniversalCamera).NavigationType := ntWalk; // (SceneManager.RequiredCamera as TUniversalCamera).Walk.MoveSpeed := 10; Window.Controls.InsertFront(SceneManager); { otherwise, inputs are only passed when mouse cursor is over the SceneManager. } Window.Container.ForceCaptureInput := SceneManager; ViewportRect := TCastleRectangleControl.Create(Application); ViewportRect.FullSize := false; ViewportRect.Left := 820; ViewportRect.Bottom := 10; ViewportRect.Width := 256; ViewportRect.Height := 256; ViewportRect.Color := Silver; Window.Controls.InsertFront(ViewportRect); Viewport := TCastleViewport.Create(Application); Viewport.FullSize := false; Viewport.Left := 10; Viewport.Bottom := 10; Viewport.Width := 236; Viewport.Height := 236; Viewport.SceneManager := SceneManager; Viewport.Transparent := true; Viewport.NavigationType := ntNone; Viewport.RequiredCamera.SetView( Vector3(5, 92.00, 0.99), Vector3(0, -1, 0), Vector3(0, 0, 1)); // In Castle Game Engine <= 6.2 the above 2 lines should be written as: // (Viewport.RequiredCamera as TUniversalCamera).NavigationType := ntNone; // (Viewport.RequiredCamera as TUniversalCamera).SetView( // Vector3(5, 92.00, 0.99), // Vector3(0, -1, 0), // Vector3(0, 0, 1)); ViewportRect.InsertFront(Viewport); Application.Run; end.
As the viewport may contain a TCastleScene with animation, and any viewport (including a scene manager) is just a 2D user-interface control, you can mix user-interface with animations freely. For example, you can design an animation in Spine, load it to T2DScene, insert it to T2DSceneManager, which you can then insert inside a TCastleButton. Thus you can have a button with any crazy animation inside:)
uses SysUtils, CastleVectors, CastleCameras, CastleColors, CastleSceneCore, CastleScene, CastleFilesUtils, CastleUIControls, CastleWindow, Castle2DSceneManager, CastleControls; var Window: TCastleWindow; Button: TCastleButton; MyLabel: TCastleLabel; SceneManager: T2DSceneManager; Scene: T2DScene; begin Window := TCastleWindow.Create(Application); Window.Open; Button := TCastleButton.Create(Application); Button.Anchor(hpMiddle); Button.Anchor(vpMiddle); Button.AutoSize := false; Button.Width := 400; Button.Height := 400; Window.Controls.InsertFront(Button); MyLabel := TCastleLabel.Create(Application); MyLabel.Caption := 'Click here for more dragons!'; MyLabel.Anchor(hpMiddle); MyLabel.Anchor(vpTop, -10); MyLabel.Color := Black; Button.InsertFront(MyLabel); Scene := T2DScene.Create(Application); Scene.Load(ApplicationData('dragon/dragon.json')); Scene.Spatial := [ssRendering, ssDynamicCollisions]; Scene.ProcessEvents := true; Scene.PlayAnimation('flying', paForceLooping); SceneManager := T2DSceneManager.Create(Application); SceneManager.FullSize := false; SceneManager.Width := 390; SceneManager.Height := 350; SceneManager.Anchor(hpMiddle); SceneManager.Anchor(vpBottom, 10); SceneManager.Items.Add(Scene); SceneManager.MainScene := Scene; { below adjusted to the scene size and position } SceneManager.ProjectionAutoSize := false; SceneManager.ProjectionWidth := 3000; SceneManager.ProjectionOriginCenter := true; SceneManager.RequiredCamera.SetView( Vector3(0, 500, T2DSceneManager.DefaultCameraZ), Vector3(0, 0, -1), Vector3(0, 1, 0)); Button.InsertFront(SceneManager); Application.Run; end.
When you make a non-trivial composition of UI controls, it's a good idea to wrap them in a parent UI control class.
For this, you can derive a new descendant of your top-most UI class. The top-most UI class can be
In the constructor of your new class, you initialize and add all the child controls. You can even register private methods to handle the events of private controls inside, e.g. you can internally handle button clicks inside your new class.
This way you get a new class, like
TZombieDialog, that is a
full-featured UI control. It hides the complexity of the UI inside,
and it exposes only as much as necessary to the outside world. It has
a fully functional
Update method to react to time passing, it can
handle inputs and so on.
The new UI control can be inserted directly to the
Window.Controls, or it can be used as a child of other UI controls, to
create even more complex stuff. It can be aligned within parent using
the normal Anchor methods.
Example below implements the
TZombieDialog class, which is a reworked
version of the previous UI example, that now wraps the dialog UI inside
a neat reusable class.
uses SysUtils, Classes, CastleControls, CastleUtils, CastleFilesUtils, CastleColors, CastleUIControls; type TZombieDialog = class(TCastleRectangleControl) private InsideRect: TCastleRectangleControl; Image: TCastleImageControl; LabelStats: TCastleLabel; ButtonRun, ButtonFight: TCastleButton; public constructor Create(AOwner: TComponent); override; end; constructor TZombieDialog.Create(AOwner: TComponent); begin inherited; Width := 400; Height := 500; Color := HexToColor('5f3939'); InsideRect := TCastleRectangleControl.Create(Self); InsideRect.Width := CalculatedWidth - 10; InsideRect.Height := CalculatedHeight - 10; InsideRect.Color := Silver; InsideRect.Anchor(hpMiddle); InsideRect.Anchor(vpMiddle); InsertFront(InsideRect); Image := TCastleImageControl.Create(Self); // ... see previous example for the rest of Image initialization InsideRect.InsertFront(Image); LabelStats := TCastleLabel.Create(Self); // ... see previous example for the rest of LabelStats initialization InsideRect.InsertFront(LabelStats); ButtonRun := TCastleButton.Create(Self); // ... see previous example for the rest of ButtonRun initialization InsideRect.InsertFront(ButtonRun); ButtonFight := TCastleButton.Create(Self); // ... see previous example for the rest of ButtonFight initialization InsideRect.InsertFront(ButtonFight); end; var SimpleBackground: TCastleSimpleBackground; Dialog: TZombieDialog; procedure ApplicationInitialize; begin Window.Container.UIReferenceWidth := 1024; Window.Container.UIReferenceHeight := 768; Window.Container.UIScaling := usEncloseReferenceSize; SimpleBackground := TCastleSimpleBackground.Create(Application); SimpleBackground.Color := Black; Window.Controls.InsertFront(SimpleBackground); Dialog := TZombieDialog.Create(Application); Dialog.Anchor(hpMiddle); Dialog.Anchor(vpMiddle); Window.Controls.InsertFront(Dialog); end;
To go one step further, consider organizing larger games into "states". The idea is that the game is always within some state, and the state is also reflected by some user-interface. We have a ready class TIUState in our engine that helps you take care of that.
In the typical usecase, you create many descendants of the class
TIUState. Each descendant represents a different state,
TStatePause and so on. Usually you create a
single instance for each of these classes, at the beginning of your
game (e.g. in Application.OnInitialize handler).
Each such class contains the user-interface appropriate in the given state. As TIUState is itself a special TUIControl descendant, it can act as a parent (always filling the whole window) for other UI controls. You can add children controls:
In the state constructor.
Or you can add them in every Start call, overriding it. In this case, you should remove the controls in the Stop method. Or you can set the controls' owner to a special FreeAtStop component, to make them freed and removed automatically at the next Stop call.
For advanced uses, if you will use the state stack, you can also add / remove children in the Resume and Pause calls.
During the game you use TIUState class methods and properties to change the current state. Most importantly, you can simply change to a new state by setting "TUIState.Current := NewState;". This will call Stop on the old state, and Start on the new state (these are methods that you can override to do something useful).
For advanced uses, you can also have a "state stack". This is
perfectly useful when one user-interface is displayed on top of
another, for example when the
TStatePause shows a dimmed state of the
game underneath. Be sure to actually pause the game underneath; you
can make a "dimmed" look by adding a fullscreen
TCastleRectangleControl with a transparent color (that has alpha between 0 and 1,
like 0.5). If you don't want the underlying state to also receive the
inputs, be sure to set InterceptInput on the top state
TStatePause in this example).
To actually change the state using the "stack" mechanism, use the TUIState.Push and TUIState.Pop methods.
The example game
zombie_fighter shows a simple implementation of
TStateAskDialog. The
TStateAskDialog is activated when you
click the zombie sprite in the
TStatePlay, it then shows our
TZombieDialog created above.
Copyright Michalis Kamburelis and others.
Particular thanks go to Paweł Wojciechowicz from Cat-astrophe Games for various graphics.
Even this documentation is open-source and you can redistribute it on open-source terms,
in particular CC BY-SA.
We use cookies
for analytics.
Like every other frickin' website on the Internet.
See our privacy policy.
We use cookies for analytics. Like every other frickin' website on the Internet. See our privacy policy.


text:
Achievement gap shows up in day care
In Minnesota, parents are spending more on daycare than on college. According to the new Child Care Aware Report, average tuition and fees for a public college in Minnesota run about $10,000, while it takes nearly $14,000 to buy full-time care for an infant.
That makes Minnesota the third-most expensive state for child care in the country. And we're not alone. Infant day care costs more than college in 30 other states and the District of Columbia.
On Monday we talked about the issue with Ann McCully, head of Child Care Aware of Minnesota, and Katie Hamm, director of early childhood policy at the Center for American Progress. Some highlights of that conversation:
Hamm on the roots of the achievement gap:
We see differences in children in terms of where they are developmentally and cognitively extremely early. As early as the toddler years. And that gap widens when children enter kindergarten, and by middle school and high school it's very large. I think access to early childhood education is the first place to start; we call it the school-readiness gap that begins before children even set foot inside a classroom. We've talked about the importance of brain development; by the time you're three years old, your brain is 90 percent developed. Your language is really important in the first few years. There's a study that looked at the words that kids hear, and found that low-income children hear 30 million fewer words by the time they're 4 years old. What we really see in the first few years are the beginnings of the achievement gap.
McCully on the difference between child care and early ed:
Increasingly, we are trying to think about child care as equal to early education. If a good-quality child care program is doing it right, it shouldn't look different ... they are synonymous, in our world, at least in the work we're trying to do. We've come a long way from the days of what people would consider typical custodial care. ... We are trying to work with providers to recognize that what they're doing at that critical time, when they're with those young children, is really — in partnership with the parents, of course — focusing on that brain architecture of the child. They have so much influence on the children's development while they're in their care that we really want them to be thinking about ... the impact they're having. The kinds of toys, the kinds of curriculum, how they're assessing the progress of that child, all of that's really important.
Hamm on the costs of child care:
We know that high-quality infant care is expensive, and $12,000, $15,000 a year is approximately what it costs to do good-quality care. When you think about families, particularly low-income families, it's really more than they can afford. So parents are then in a position where they have to think about quitting their job or reducing their hours, or finding care with a relative or a friend or anyone who happens to be home that might not be providing the best quality care.
McCully on the need for more public funding:
We are at a breaking point between what parents can actually pay out of pocket and what the true costs are of child care and early education. And what we really need to do, if we believe as I think we increasingly do that that's an important investment in our earliest years, then we need to be putting state and federal dollars into that more heavily.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
LaserForm is located in Columbia, South Carolina. We do sheet metal fabrication, welding (including robotic welding), hardware insertion, machining, and in-house powdercoating. We are both a job shop and a production shop so we can handle your prototype/low volume quantities as well as production run items. We strive to turn around all pricing within 48 hours, so you will not waste your lead times waiting for us to price your projects.
Order quantities
We are a job shop and a production shop. We will take on your prototype projects as well as your annual blanket purchase orders with scheduled call-offs. Just let us know what your requirements are and we will quote them for you accordingly.


text: The dream team is back with the most krautish music out there. The cologne legacy could have been a high burden but instead of just repeating the history they create something new, but with a hint of Liebzeit and Cukay! Listen,dream and drift away…Fantastic! Kristian 19,00 €BUY Vermont II Kompakt 10-02-2017 Format: Vinyl 19,00 € 01 Norderney02 Dschuna03 Gebirge04 Demut05 Ki-Bou06 Hallo von der anderen Seite07 Ufer08 Chanang09 Wenik10 Chemtrails


text:
The Riviera Hotel in Palm Springs is a photographic feast. There's so many beautiful details and design elements that butt up against each other. The moment I walked in I began snapping away.
The bellman carrying our luggage saw me shooting odd details and asked me what the heck I was doing. I showed him my photos, he scratched his head and commented, "You artists are so creative. You always see things so different." I guess that's the point.


text:
England vs Scotland: Ally Ross talks 30 years of chasing Tartan rainbows ahead of World Cup 2018 qualifier
All the highs and lows of following Scotland as Wembley's Battle of Britain looms nearer
IT'S one of the great frustrations of my life that I've never been able to invade the Wembley pitch, let alone snap one of its hallowed crossbars.
Active Tartan Army service, you see, didn't begin until 1986, which was about the same time Scotland's football team began its terminal decline, slowly transforming itself from plucky also-rans to just . . . also-rans.
As you can imagine then, I have borne witness to some horrendous indignities on my travels.
Keep up to date with ALL the football news, gossip, transfers and goals on our club page plus fixtures, results and live match commentary
Craig Levein's infamous 4-6-0 formation in Prague. Paul Ritchie playing in the same Keystone Cops defence as Steven Caldwell against Wales.
Our 1-0 defeat by Costa Rica, at Italia 90, where you can see my Lion Rampant flag sagging sadly away in the background as Juan Cayasso's winning goal hits the net.
Until last month, though, I never thought I'd experience anything as bad as November 19, 2003, in Amsterdam — when keeper Rab Douglas grasped at thin air all night and we lost 6-0.
That's SIX . . . and NIL.
Things didn't get any better after the game either when we ended up in an nightmarish Amsterdam bar that was filled with what looked like the retreat from Culloden.
There were barmaids as well, obviously, but these ones weren't just starkers — they were firing what I can describe only as "oblong missiles" across the joint, one of which was arcing its way into no-man's land when a Tartan-clad figure launched himself headlong for the catch.
And missed.
"Seven nil," muttered a friend and we turned on our heels and left. We possibly should have knocked the entire travelling circus on the head that night as well. Instead, I've been chasing tartan rainbows ever since.
Why? Well, it does owe something to an overwhelming love for the country, my friends and the team who provide just enough glimmers of hope — like the astonishing 1-
0 victory over France in 2007 at the Parc des Princes — to keep you going.
But the equally important part of this equation are the trips themselves, which are as much fun as it's possible to have in your life once you've passed the age of 40.
This is not to say the Tartan Army don't care about the football.
We do. We care far too much in fact. But as joyful as our victory celebrations were in Paris, I had just as good a time after a chaotic 2-2 with Switzerland back in 1991.
I ended up sleeping in a Berne railway station phone box because the Tartan Army had liberated every unlocked bicycle in the city and turned the concourse into a BMX Bannockburn.
Indeed, even the worst foreign trip ever (Macedonia 2008), when a group of us had to leg it down a mountain near Skopje to escape some seriously drunk locals, would appear in my top 30 nights out of all time.
There is, though, I'm afraid, an exception to this rule. And that is London, a city I love, but one that doesn't involve any great football adventure or pleasure. Wembley's a soulless sod of a place to get to as well and, when you do, it's generally to witness a dreadful game of football played in a pretty unpleasant atmosphere.
That's certainly my experience of the ground which began with a forgettable 2-1 defeat in 1986.
I was back, though, two years later and there's a picture of me in Trafalgar Square, before the 1-0 loss, wearing a hat that's almost as stupid as my optimistic expression.
Graham Garven, the other bloke in the picture, incidentally, emigrated to Indonesia rather than attend another Scotland game.
I, however, chose not to learn the lesson and have attended every subsequent Wembley meeting.
The one that sticks out was our 1-0 Euros play-off second-leg win in 1999. By this time I was a fully freeloading London media tosser and managed to get a corporate ticket, in the England end, from a drinks company whose other guest was Ulrika Jonsson.
Many complimentary pints later, things took an even more bizarre turn when Scotland scored. I totally lost my mind and had to be ejected from the stadium "for my own safety". My one chance of crossbar action, gone forever.
I'd have been back for more, though, if it wasn't for Scotland's 3-0 capitulation in Slovakia last month, which in its spineless, inept and inevitable way felt far worse than Amsterdam.
Something snapped in me that night, I actually left the ground after their third went in and headed for a bar full of fellow sufferers. While they screamed abuse at Gordon Strachan on the telly, I drunkenly totted up the cost of my three-decade addiction and decided something like £75,000 was enough, thanks.
Rather than take up my Wembley seat, I immediately and shamefully booked a non-refundable, 17-hour flight to one of the remotest dots on the planet.
A rash move I regretted almost instantly, of course.
Related Stories
Talking HeadsTalkSport's Alan Brazil and Ray Parlour join SunSport's Paul Jiggins ahead of England vs Scotland
KEEP CALM & HARRY ONHarry Kane tells England teammates to keep their heads as he braces himself for Friday's feisty clash with Auld Enemy
GREAT SCOTCharlie Mulgrew given shock Scotland call-up by Gordon Strachan ahead of home nations clash at Wembley
och aye the rooGareth Southgate puts England through their paces... and gives HUGE hint Wayne Rooney will start vs Scotland
The Scotland football team and the Tartan Army is not something you can just give up or run away from, it transpires. I'm in too deep now, have so many other countries I want to visit and a book I'd like to write.
In the meantime, instead of destroying myself with nerves and screaming myself hoarse in North-West London, I shall be destroying myself with nerves and screaming myself hoarse in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
Get intae them. Please.


text:
I hope your grandpa well love! I'm sorry to hear about his condition, I'll keep you all in my prayers. (: everything will be a-okay!
Just gotta say, love you profile picture.
Leafs <3
I did
My teammate (I2ANDOM) and I (T0eDRAG) are looking for 2 more members for our team, FLaTLiNe. We will be doing Gamebattles as well as MLG events in 2011. We have a full sponsorship so we are only looking for players who can dedicate time and want to compete. We are also looking for players who like the game for the fun of it and enjoy playing. Negative attitudes will not be tolerated. We want teammates who can come in and make friendships along with playing well as a team. Individual stats are put to the side for the better of the team. We are looking for guys who can both slay and run objectives. Would prefer a main slayer and someone who can be consistent and on point with the sniper. Also looking for an objective strategist. PM me or message me on XBL with the subject "flatline". Will run 4 day tryout sessions with different people to find the right fit.
Jean-Claude LAN Damme
LANce Armstrong
Super SaiyLAN
Sir LANs-a-lot


text:
Contact Us
Nirmal Overseas Ltd.
Plot No. 147, N.s.e.z., Noida, Uttar Pradesh - 201305, India
Mobile : +91-8826354666, +91-9810292199
Phone : +91-120-4279670
Fax : +91-120-4279673
Call Us : 08048043328
We offer a wide range of Hot & Cold Rolling Machine, manufactured as per the international standards. Using the advanced manufacturing process and facilities, we develop our Hot And Cold Rolling Machine, which also undergo metallurgical inspection for their accurate and precision working. Developed by experts, our Hot and Cold Rolling Machine reduces the scrap and ensure easy operation. The Hot Rolling Machine produces thinner cross sections and reduces the average grain size of a metal, while maintaining an equipped micro structure. With right blend of technology and experience, we successfully customize Hot and Cold Rolling Machine as per the client�s specifications at reasonable prices.


text:
Bots High Trailer (2011)
Teaser trailer for Bots High.
Bots High is an exciting documentary following the adventures of three high school robotics teams battling for first place at a national robotics competition in Miami, Florida. It's a no-holds-barred fight to the death with robot carnage everywhere you look. Genius inventor Will builds robots so powerful they're unstoppable...if only they don't destroy themselves first. The Mechanical Misfits are an all girls team stumbling through their first foray into combat robotics and Elizabeth and Danielle are a formidable pair looking to reign supreme during their last year of high school. Bots High follows these students as they design, build and compete at Nationals - all while surviving high school, first love and teenager procrastination.
1 min 31 sec
Posted On
March 23, 2011
Joey Daoud
Unknown or Not Available
Unknown or Not Available
No Music Available


text:
Manila Bulletin
HONG KONG (AFP) – A Hong Kong court on Friday ruled a law banning foreign maids from settling permanently in the city was unconstitutional, in a landmark case for domestic helpers (DHs).
The legal action, brought by Evangeline Banao Vallejos, a Filipino domestic helper who has lived in Hong Kong since 1986, has cast a spotlight on the financial hub's treatment of its army of 292,000 maids.
The High Court ruled that immigration laws barring domestic workers – mostly from the Philippines and Indonesia – from applying for permanent residency violated Hong Kong's mini-constitution, known as the Basic Law.
"My conclusion is that on the common law interpretation approach the impugned provision is inconsistent with (Hong Kong's Basic Law)," Judge Johnson Lam wrote in a ruling issued Friday.
"The mere maintenance of (a) link with her country of origin does not mean that (a maid) is not ordinarily resident in Hong Kong."
Vallejos's lawyer Mark Daly hailed the decision as "a good win for the rule of law."
"We spoke to Vallejos – she said she thanks God and all the people who have helped her, including her employer and her lawyers," he said. "She is busy working so she has no time to be here today."
Activists said the legal challenge would entrench domestic workers' right to equality, but opponents fear it will open the floodgates to new immigrants in an already overcrowded city.
A pro-government political party has warned there would be an influx of as many as 500,000 people – including children and spouses of foreign maids – that would cost HK$25 billion ($3.2 billion) in social welfare spending.
The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong forecast unemployment could jump from the current 3.5 percent to 10 percent.
The government has declined to say how many maids would currently be eligible to apply for permanent residency.
Under Hong Kong law, foreigners can apply to settle in the city after seven years of uninterrupted residency, but maids were specifically excluded.
Vallejos challenged the restriction, saying it was unconstitutional and discriminatory, but the government argued in court it was "appropriate" and that it is empowered to define who is eligible for residency.
Another court hearing will be held on Oct. 26 on whether Vallejos can now be declared a permanent resident, but government lawyers have already said they would appeal any ruling in favor of the maids.
The case could also have implications beyond Hong Kong for other Asian economies that rely on cheap imported labor for cooking, cleaning, and care of the young and elderly.
Foreign maids in Hong Kong are entitled to better working conditions than in other parts of Asia – they are guaranteed one day off a week, paid sick leave, and a minimum wage of HK3,740 ($480) a month.
But rights groups say they still face general discrimination and a lack of legal protection. A maid's visa is tied to a specific employer, leaving her vulnerable to domestic abuse, the activists say.
Without the right to permanent residency, if dismissed by her employer, she must find another job in domestic service or leave Hong Kong within two weeks.
Vice President and Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers' Concerns Jejomar C. Binay said the Hong Kong court decision was "a step forward in recognizing the rights of migrants."
Saturday, 1 October 2011
Pinay DH wins HK residency case
Posted Saturday, October 01, 2011 0 comments
Labels: overseas Filipino workers (OFWs)
Friday, 30 September 2011
Govt to ditch PPP, resort to ODA
Darwin G Amojelar
Manila Times
THE Aquino administration may ditch its stalled public-private partnership (PPP) scheme and instead go it alone in pursuing key infrastructure projects, according to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).
On the sidelines of a forum on Thursday, DOTC Secretary Manuel Roxas said the government is tweaking the PPP policy in funding the agency's "unviable" infrastructure projects to avoid having to issue state guarantees and subsidies to the private sector.
"We are reconfiguring the financing of many projects so that we can avail of the long-term low-interest capital that is available to the government. As originally conceived, several of these projects could have been concession agreements with the private sector. We have reconfigured the projects so that the large basic hard infrastructure will be undertaken by the government availing of low-interest 30-year money that is in official development assistance," Roxas told reporters.
He said the government would still bid out the actual construction of the infrastructure, after which the operation and maintenance of these projects would be transferred to the private sector. "In short, the area where the private sector is good, which is in operations, maintenance, disciplines, timetables and so and so forth, we will avail of that by having them operate it through the concession agreements," the DOTC chief said.
President Benigno Aquino 3rd last year launched the PPP scheme, a revival of a program first implemented by his late mother, then President Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino. The PPP involves pursuing big infrastructure projects by tapping private-sector funds because of the government's fiscal straits.
Many of the projects lined up for PPP fall under the DOTC.
"We expect more reasonable user fees" if the government funds the construction using ODA, Roxas said, as this would no longer involve the private sector recovering its capital expenditure.
"We also expect not to be able to have to guarantee as previous governments did. In MRT 3, they had to guarantee ridership and returns regardless of what would actually happen," he said, referring to the Metro Rail Transit Line 3, which the government had to take over to trim its financial hemorrhage.
"So in this way, the government knows exactly what it will pay and what it is going to get for the
resource and the private sector then bears the market risks for undertaking the O&M," he said.
Roxas said ODA is a good complement to the PPP program in fast-tracking projects lined up by the government.
"The ODA loans would benefit the consumers as well since there is no rush in recovering costs. It is a cheaper yet effective option because of the sovereignty of the partnership since governments of foreign donors are involved," the DOTC chief said.
With ODA, the government would pay low interest rates spread over 30 years. In contrast, the private sector is subject to commercial rates of 7 percent to 8 percent for the same period. The existing Light Rail Transit Lines 1 and 2 were funded by ODA.
Roxas said the Japan International Cooperation Agency is keen on participating in the government's PPP scheme using such a hybrid model. With the hybrid model, foreign donors can come in and fund heavy infrastructure projects such as airport and railroad developments, he said, adding that counterpart funding will be provided by a private sector consortium once operations commence.
Among the infrastructure projects that will be funded using ODA are the 11.7-kilometer railway project that will expand the length of LRT 1 from Baclaran to Bacoor, Cavite, as well as the development of new airports in Misamis Oriental, Bohol and Puerto Princesa.
Besides JICA, the Korea International Cooperation Agency and the government of China are interested in the LRT Line 1 Extension, Roxas said.
Both JICA and Koica are also interested in the extension of LRT 2.
The terms of reference for the privatization of the O&M of LRT 1 will be issued next month, whereas the O&M of MRT 3 would remain in government hands, he said.
In a telephone interview, Cosette Canilao, deputy executive director of the PPP Center said the DOTC's hybrid model is still aligned with the government's PPP initiative.
Canilao said the ODA funding is meant to make mega-infrastructure projects financially viable.
Marubeni and Aboitiz to invest $600M in power project
Pagbilao expansion sealed
by Alena Mae S. Flores
Manila Standard
Aboitiz Power Corp. and Marubeni Corp. of Japan will jointly invest $600 million to $700 million to build a 400-megawatt power plant beside the existing 700-MW Pagbilao coal-fired station in Quezon province.
Aboitiz Power and Marubeni signed the agreement in Tokyo Tuesday after President Benigno Aquino III visited Japan.
Marubeni is part owner of TeaM Energy, which owns and operates the Pagbilao plant under a build-and-operate contract with National Power Corp.
TeaM Energy is composed of Marubeni and Tokyo Electric Power Co. Team Energy also owns and operates the 1,200-MW Sual coal plant in Pangasinan.
Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras confirmed the signing of the deal, adding that Marubeni was also looking at expanding the Sual coal-fired power plant.
"Discussions are going on... They are discussing the possibility of increasing the expansion, they might increase it up to 600 MW [for both Pagbilao and Sual]," he said.
Almendras said Ramon Ang, president of San Miguel Corp., which acts as administrator of the Sual plant, was also in Japan during the President's visit.
Therma Luzon Inc., a unit of Aboitiz Power, handles the fuel procurement and sale of the electricity output as administrator of the Pagbilao power plant.
The new power plant in Pagbilao will also run on clean coal generation technology using the circulating fluidized bed system to produce power with considerably less adverse effects to the environment.
Signatories of the memorandum of agreement were Aboitiz Power president and chief executive Erramon Aboitiz, and Marubeni executive managing director and board member Shigeru Yamazoe.
"We are very pleased to work with Marubeni at optimizing the capacity of the Pagbilao power station. This is part of our overall goal of providing power solutions that are competitively priced," Aboitiz said. "We expect to complete the power plant within 2015."
Posted Friday, September 30, 2011 0 comments
Labels: Aboitiz Power, Marubeni Corp
4 Pinoy students win math, science medals in int'l tilts
By FRANCIS T. WAKEFIELD
Manila Bulletin
MANILA, Philippines — The medal haul of the Philippines in the most prestigious mathematics and science competitions in the world continued as four high school students bagged gold, silver and bronze medals in the recently-concluded 5th International Earth Science Olympiad, the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DoST-SEI) disclosed Thursday.
Bringing honor and pride for the Philippines from Modena, Italy where the competition was held were gold medalist Williard Joshua Jose of Philippine Science High School (PSHS) Main Campus, silver medalists Christoper Jan Landicho of PSHS Bicol Region Campus and Charles Kevin Tiu of St Jude Catholic School in Manila and bronze medalist John Allan Olesco of Aquinas University Science High School. Jose earlier won a silver medal in last year's IESO held in Nigeria.
The winning team was mentored by Prof. Miguel Cano of Bicol University and Dr. Marietta de Leon with PSHS Main Campus Director Dr. Helen Caintic acting as an observer.
IESO, held September 5-14, 2011, is the premiere international earth science competition for secondary school students, 17 years old and below. It was the first time that the competition was held in Europe and in Italy. The Philippines hosted the IESO in Bicol in 2008.
The competition covers areas such as astronomy, geology and geophysics, atmospherics and meteorology.
DoST-SEI Director Dr. Filma G. Brawner extended her congratulations to the team, urging them to venture into science careers.
"The IESO is a good starting point for students to look at the earth from a different point of view and explore it. There is still so much more to be discovered and we are hopeful that the IESO winners will take the lead in looking for new information about the world we live in," Brawner said.
Brawner said contests, such as the IESO, is a good venue for students to be competitive and to excel in the fields they want to pursue.
"Competitions make pupils go beyond what they learn inside their classrooms. With time pressure incorporated in competitions, students are trained to work with grace under pressure. But, more importantly, exposure to international competitions should translate into entry into science careers," she said.
Brawner said that beyond the medals, math and science competitions also raise public awareness on how science affects lives and moves the country forward.
"The IESO is intended to raise student interest in and public awareness of earth science, to enhance earth science learning of students, and to identify talented and gifted students in earth science," she said.
Cano, meanwhile, expressed its gratitude to Philex Mining Corporation, Rapu Rapu Polymetallic Project, Geological Society of the Philippines, Hope Christian High School, Bureau of Mines and Geo-sciences, Department of Environment and Natural Resources; Vibal Publishing House; and APO Central Italy for making possible the trip of the team to the contest venue.
Posted Friday, September 30, 2011 0 comments
Labels: education
Yuan, rupiah, peso most resilient
The advantage of big populations
By LILIAN KARUNUNGAN (Bloomberg)
Manila Bulletin
MANILA, Philippines — The Chinese yuan, Indonesian rupiah and Philippine peso are likely to prove the most resilient of Asia's emerging-market currencies as large domestic economies help China, Indonesia, and the Philippines withstand a global slowdown, Western Asset Management Co. said.
"They are more domestic-demand driven," the fund manager, part of Baltimore-based Legg Mason Inc., said in a press release that didn't identify the authors. Policy makers in China and Indonesia favor appreciation to help contain inflation, while the Philippine peso will be supported by remittances from overseas workers, the statement said.
The Philippine peso strengthened 0.7 percent to 43.54 per dollar today in Manila, according to Tullett Prebon Plc.
Remittances sent home by Philippine citizens living abroad amounted to $1.7 billion in July, boosting this year's tally to $11.35 billion, the central bank said on Sept. 15. The funds account for about 10 percent of the Philippines' $200 billion economy and help fuel consumer spending.
The yuan has strengthened 1.1 percent against the dollar this quarter, making it the sole gainer among Asia's 10 most-used currencies excluding the yen. The rupiah fell 4.2 percent and the peso slid 0.5 percent, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. South Korea's won is the region's worst performer, having tumbled 9.2 percent.
Indonesia is the world's most-populous Muslim nation and has Southeast Asia's biggest economy. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said last month that economic growth may reach 6.5 percent this year, the fastest since the 1998 Asian financial crisis, even with recent shocks to the global economy. Domestic demand accounts for about 56 percent of gross domestic product.
The rupiah gained 0.4 percent to 8,870 per dollar today in Jakarta, following a 1.7 percent advance yesterday, according to prices from local banks compiled by Bloomberg. It fell 3.1 percent on Sept. 26 and retreated in each of the last three weeks. Bank Indonesia said as recently as last week it's been selling dollars this month to support the rupiah.
The nation's inflation rate rose to 4.79 percent in August from 4.61 percent the previous month, official figures show. Data next week are expected to show consumer-price gains accelerated to 4.9 percent this month, based on the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists.
Posted Friday, September 30, 2011 0 comments
Labels: peso, population
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Is Manila Asia's new concert capital?
by Nickie Wang
Manila Standard
Leading music channels MTV Asia and Channel [V] are based in Singapore and Hong Kong, respectively, hence it is easy for them to claim that they are the Asia's music capitals. But why is that foreign artists are flocking to the concert venues of Manila to stage their performances instead?
According to a prominent publicist, around 200 concerts and performances are being staged in the country every year. That's enough to make Manila's music scene alive almost every day. So, will it be safe enough to say that Manila or the Philippines in general has become the music and concert capital of the region?
Last week the Idols Season 10 Top 11 staged a two-night concert at the Big Dome. It made a lot of buzz since the concert was the only live appearance of the Idols in Asia and of course that reinforces Manila's claim to be the preferred destination of foreign acts when staging shows and concerts.
Not a single month was a lean season for concert promoters as the first half of the year saw sold out concerts of big music acts like Taylor Swift, Justine Bieber, Kylie Minogue, Maroon 5, Super Junior, and Bruno Mars to name a few. Activity areas in the malls and concert venues (big and small) were all full of action with visiting artists that either promoted a CD or staged a live show.
To top that, the beginning of 2011's second half was even more explosive with returning acts like Incubus, David Archuleta, and Korn. And that's not the end of superlative treats to concertgoers in Manila because they need to brace themselves up with another lineup of forthcoming concerts by Westlife, Black Eyed Peas, and Foster and Friends.
Staging a concert that features foreign acts is a lucrative business. The country has enough people from the middle class and nouveau riche sector who can buy pricey tickets that are up for sale. One performance can rake in somewhere between 10 and 20 million pesos. That is if the show is staged in a venue like the Smart Araneta Coliseum, and that amount can double if the show is staged at the Concert Grounds of the SM Mall of Asia where 100,000 fans can squeeze in to see a live performance.
Last year, Justine Timberlake was warmly welcomed by 80,000 screaming fans while David Cook and David Archuleta were watched by around 100,000 people. With that size of attendees, who wouldn't be enticed to visit the country? No wonder even the oldies musicians from the past decades revive their glorious musical panache on the concert stage because Filipinos still watch them. Generally, Filipinos are nostalgic audience, meaning they prefer familiar songs rather than paying attention to new unfamiliar sounds. That is why retrospective concerts are very much in demand in Manila, just so you know.
While the bands and musicians from the '70s, the '80s, and the '90s are reviving their music career in the Philippines, virtually unknown independent music acts also find a home in the country. There are foreign bands that have not experienced performing before a huge audience right in their hometown, but in Manila, they are big music stars.
The influx of foreign acts, however, is not healthy for local musicians. Unfortunately, with the dominance of foreign music in the country local singers and musicians directly suffer, from the sales of their CDs to the number of people that attend their concerts. Thus, we are not surprised that most local acts play in the sidelights performing in smaller concert venues (as they can hardly fill big venues anyway).
For the country to claim such title, like what have been mentioned, The Concert or Music Capital of Asia, we should also consider the condition of local music industry. Unlike Japan and South Korea, or Singapore and Hong Kong for that matter, the Philippines, sad to say, does not have a thriving local music scene. The country does not have enough supply of commercially attractive performers that can lure music consumers to watch or listen to their music. In the aforementioned territories, foreign musicians have a stiff competition with local artists. Hence, naturally, they would opt to finding a place where they will experience massive reception.
Manila has become a favorite concert destination, and we would want to sustain that reputation as it also gives locals the privilege to see foreign acts performing live. But then again that does not maintain the balance. It is bizarre that we can't generate the same interest on local artists, it's the only missing link.
Posted Thursday, September 29, 2011 0 comments
Labels: entertainment business
Belgian firm files P4-B suit vs PH
By MARVYN N. BENANING
Manila Bulletin
MANILA, Philippines — A Belgian firm is seeking P4 billion in damages from the Philippine government after suing it for scrapping the P18.7-billion Laguna Lake Rehabilitation Project (LLRP).
The P4-billion damage suit filed by Baggerwerken Decloedt en Zoon (BDC) threw a monkey wrench at the P400-billion Laguna Lake Master Plan (LLMP) that Malacañang wants to implement over 20 years.
BDC executives said the company waited since April, 2011 for the Palace to respond to the offer for renegotiations by the Belgian government but said "Malacañang did not respond formally and neither did it explain why it was scrapping the project."
The complaint against the government was firmed up as early as May, 2011 but BDC waited for what had been dubbed as the "final study" on the project by Malacañang but nothing came out of it.
BDC officials reached for comment confirmed the filing of the suit before the International Center for the Settlement of Investments Disputes (ICSID) in Washington, D. C., the very same forum that decided against the Philippines in three of five suits lodged before it.
With the suit, it would be hard for the Aquino government to pursue the LLMP, which has 54 sub-projects that include the construction of 100-kilometer road dike from Taytay, Rizal to the last town of Laguna, eco-tourism ventures, the clearing of navigational channels, impounding dams for rivers and creeks that drain into the 94,900-hectare lake, reclamation of 5,000 hectares of foreshore areas for industrial and commercial centers, and even an international airport.
Much of the funding for the LLMP, as envisioned by the Palace, would come from the Public Private Partnership (PPP) program that has not attracted investments from the 27-member European Union (EU), whose envoys had urged an amicable settlement of the dispute.
Originally, BDC wanted to demand damages of P6 billion from the government but this was scaled down to P4 billion, aside from the P500 million due from the Pasig River Rehabilitation Project (PRRP) that BDC completed two months ahead of schedule.
Eleven days ago, a top BDC official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the company was open to reconfiguring the LLRP but said the government must communicate officially with the company.
As in the past, what BDC knew about the government position came by way of press briefings by Budget Secretary Florencio "Butch" Abad and presidential spokesmen.
There was nothing in black and white, the Belgian executive said, and the company cannot act on the basis of press statements and not official communication.
Strong confidence will save PHL
Business Mirror
THE world is entering the next phase of the global financial challenge. It sounds like a new reality show and it is. There is a new reality coming and we are already in the first episode of the third season.
The first season of the "Global debt death race" meltdown began in 2008 where economies and conditions deteriorated rapidly. That was followed by Season Two that saw some stabilization and the illusion of financial recovery that ended in the fourth quarter of 2010.
Since the beginning of 2011, the situation has gotten worse up to the present point of the strong likelihood of a sovereign default in one form or another by Greece and a systemic change in the way the European Union functions.
The first quarter or two of 2012 will either see a false hope of things becoming better or a sad realization that things are going to be very hard for a fairly long time to come.
The bottom line is that even after several years of worsening economic conditions, an increasingly more fragile global banking system, and a devastating debt picture for too many nations, nothing substantial has been done to solve the problems.
The economic/financial system in the West is like a patient with blood poisoning and gangrene. At some point, the illness becomes so severe that the doctor says amputate the leg or you die.
In this case, amputation means allowing some major banks and financial institutions to fail, causing wealth loss by shareholders as well as lenders. It means countries like Greece must stop living on borrowed money and spend a generation rebuilding the wealth of the nation that was abused. It means for lenders to countries like Greece not being paid back in full if at all.
The policy of continuing to create false wealth from money backed only by promises will not work. That is what got the West into the problems and you cannot solve a problem by doing the same things that created the problem in the first place.
There is general belief that all nations will be burned by this fire enflaming the West. I do not buy into that. While the economies of the world are more "globalized" and connected, there are more centers of economic power than perhaps in the history of the world. Further, the economies of smaller nations are more diversified and less dependent on the majors than before.
For example, the Asian financial crises created an environment that forced banks such as in the Philippines to grow much stronger while the Western banks grew much weaker. A nation's economy cannot be any stronger than its financial system.
However, the fear of contagion is growing and the fear itself may cause economic problems.
Business confidence in the Philippines is beginning to fall. Business confidence deteriorated to 31.8 in the second quarter of 2011 from 47.5 in the first quarter of 2011. Justified? Perhaps. Imports are growing at a much slower pace. As much of these are raw materials to be turned into exports down the road, we will see slower growth of exports in the months to come. There are a variety of other data that may signal a slower growth of economic activity.
Yet HSBC President Tony Cripps presented a forecast for the Philippines over the next two years that was optimistic despite bearish views for most of Asean and that Western conditions are going to get worse.
Perhaps the greatest danger to this country lies within each of us. A lack of confidence in the country's ability to weather the storm may create the very problems that we are worrying about.
President Aquino has a leadership problem in the sense that many are not confident in his abilities. The next three months will prove that correct or false. The administration's drive against corruption has been mostly all fanfare until now. The appointment of Rep. Ruffy Biazon to the customs bureau is the first tangible and concrete step to change the system. There are probably a few other Cabinet members who will be replaced by people of Biazon's character and integrity.
The greatest problem in the West is that the people do not have faith in their governments to be problem solvers and not problem makers. More important, the people are losing faith in themselves. We must not do that.
On a personal note, I invite you to visit mangunonmarkets.com. Did your stock-market investments lose value last week? Are you prepared for profit openings that will come along? Now is the time to protect capital and get ready for moneymaking opportunities.
E-mail to email@example.com and Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stock-market information and technical analysis tools provided by CitisecOnline.com Inc.
Posted Thursday, September 29, 2011 0 comments
Labels: John Mangun
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Are PSE investors shallow?
Business Mirror
PRICES on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) took another massive hit yesterday with the blue chip index down 164 points, or 4.24 percent. The All-Share Index fell 2.94 percent. Interestingly, we started this week as the worst-performing stock market (except for Thailand) in Asia yesterday.
The same thing happened on Wednesday when we were down much more than the rest. I wondered aloud on Twitter if we were overdoing the selling or if Philippine investors were more accurate in predicting a gloomy future than the rest of the markets. As it turned out, the PSE was right, as the rest of Asia caught up with the drop on Thursday and Friday.
This is a new week and our stock prices are still going down in a big way.
Are PSE investors unsophisticated about how bad things really are and should prices be going so far down?
Or are PSE investors ahead of the curve, not shallow at all?
The move that took the PSE index from below 2,000 to over 4,000 began in the fourth quarter of 2008. That was about the same as for the other regional exchanges. It took a few months longer from the stock markets in the West to bottom up. But through the bull market, both Asia and the West have pretty much tracked each other's performance.
However, in terms of economies, there is now a divergence that should be seen in the performance of stock-market prices. Asia's economies, particularly the smaller ones, are growing; the Western ones are not.
Of course, we are led to believe that all the world's economies, big and small, developed and underdeveloped, Western and Eastern, are on the same potentially sinking ship. That may be true in a general sense, but is it true for the Philippines?
When looking at how stock prices could move, we need to examine the broad national economic picture, look at the projected financial performance of the companies, and then figure what the stock prices should be.
I believe it is at this point, that the Philippines will move off the road that the others are passing on.
Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) released its latest monthly economic research on September 15. Normally I am hesitant to accept this type of analysis because there is often a disconnect with the total range of economic activity. Official numbers often do not show the full extent of what is going on in the economy.
However, BPI accurately forecasts lower-than-expected growth through the rest of 2011. But it also says the Philippines is in "a better position to withstand another global economic downturn and financial shock waves." Allow me to quote a portion of BPI's report:
"We could hardly conceive the Philippines falling into recession should the world's economy contract once more, given our relatively minimal exposure to global trade, while most overseas Filipinos are deployed in critical, recession-proof industries and still provide a historically reliable stream of foreign inflows. What was true in 2009 is still true to this day."
That last sentence is the key to the deal. If 2011 is a repeat of 2009 (and it looks like it will be), we came through that period well and we should do even better this time in relation to most of the world. The macro looks good.
Now if the macro is acceptable, then corporate revenues and profits will be even better than in 2009 as local companies are now leaner (less debt) and meaner (more adaptable to changing conditions) than before.
Now to stock prices. At this time, stock prices are historically low in comparison to corporate financial valuations and in comparison to other countries. That should be favorable for future price movements.
However, I see the potential for prices to fall even further. Not guaranteed but possible. But at some point in the near future, prices will begin to move significantly higher than they are today.
PSE investors, local Filipino investors, are very sophisticated because they are accustomed to moving quickly and they do recognize investment value when they see it.
The one missing piece that I did not mention above is government policy. This is one-note tune administration; corruption. That is not bad but it is not complete. Deteriorating global conditions may force policy-makers to address the government's direct role in the economy. Once that happens, you will see greater economic action and that will translate into higher stock prices.
On a personal note, I invite you to visit mangunonmarkets.com. Now is the time to protect capital and prepare for opportunities. You can gain access to the PSE Strategy Guide for stock-market investors, as well as other content.
E-mail to email@example.com and Twitter @mangunonmarkets.PSE stock-market information and technical analysis tools provided by CitisecOnline.com Inc.
Posted Wednesday, September 28, 2011 0 comments
Labels: John Mangun


text:
Sources close to Bacelona are suggesting that the club's new chairman Sandro Rosell has decided to put Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic on sale for 35 million Euros.
Rosell will meet with Manchester City executive Gary Cook in a few days to discuss a potential deal. However, the Citizens' main target is Wolfsburg's Edin Dzeko.
In the meantime, AC Milan are interested in Ibrahimovic and plan to approach Barca with an offer of 25 million Euros or will try to sign him on loan.
Thierry Henry has signed a 4 yr deal with MLS side New York Red Bulls.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)


text:
SMASA Observes Eye Care Awareness Month
- September 29th, 2016
- SMASAself247
- News
- 0 Comments
Taking place from 23 September to 18 October each year, Eye Care Awareness Month focuses on reducing blindness due to injury or illness and improving general eye health.
"With 80 out of every 100 cases of blindness being avoidable, the Self-Medication Manufacturers Association of South Africa (SMASA) is encouraging all South Africans to start taking proper care of their eyes during Eye Care Awareness Month", says SMASA Executive Director Nicola Brink.
Here are a few statistics to bring this important month into perspective:
- One in three people are near-sighted.
- More than 10 million people in South Africa struggle with farsightedness.
- Three people out of every 10 have some form of astigmatism.
- At least five percent of South Africans will get glaucoma in their lifetime.
These self-care tips will help you – and your family – keep your eyes healthy:
Schedule an eye test annually. Optometrists are trained to pick up eye problems before they become an insurmountable problem. If you have children, take them for an eye test before they start primary school and again before they enter high school. If you suspect eye problems, take them for a check-up immediately.
Keep an eye out for any symptoms. Headaches, fuzziness, floating objects, dark spots, grey areas in your vision, night blindness and light flashes in your eyes are all a good reason to head to your optometrist immediately. Remember, most illnesses are treatable if addressed early.
Know your status. Diabetes is known to be the leading cause of blindness in adults, so don't forget to include a blood sugar test when you go for your annual health check-up.
Practice eye health.
- Give your eyes a break every 15 minutes when you're working on a computer by looking out of a window. Or, try the 20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, focus on something 20 feet (6+ metres) away.
- If you wear contact lenses, make sure you wash them properly with contact lens fluid – never water. And each day, give your eyes time to breathe without the lenses in
- Always wash your hands before touching your eyes and as a general rule, try to avoid touching your eyes at all.
- You are what you eat, especially when it comes to your eyes. Zinc, vitamins C and E, omega-3s and lutein all help to strengthen your eyes. Think green leafy veg, oily fish, eggs, beans, nuts, citrus fruit, oysters and pork.
- Stay safe.If you're working with power tools or doing hard manual labour, wear safety glasses or appropriate eyewear to keep dust and foreign objects away from your eyes.
Cover up. Those sunglasses aren't just for show. They protect your eyes from the harsh light of the sun, something that is particularly important for blue eyes. Choose lenses that block both UVA and UVB rays. Polarised lenses also reduce glare, especially when on the road.


text:
Being the primary caregiver for a senior can be both physically and mentally draining. It requires a special type of person, someone willing to devote a lot of time and energy to making sure the senior in their life gets the the physical and emotional care they need. If you are solely responsible for an aging loved one, hiring a professional home companion for short-term or respite care goes a long way toward easing that burden.
However, caring for someone can be an extremely rewarding job. It can not only be satisfying as a career, but it can also enhance your well-being, bringing psychological and emotional rewards such as personal satisfaction or increased family closeness.
Physically, caring for seniors can improve endurance and strength. In a study that tested the strength of caregivers versus non-caregivers, those who cared for seniors had stronger physical attributes. It requires a lot of walking and carrying things as well as other activities that involve constant motion.
Aside from being in shape, providing in-home care also improves your own brain function. Rapidly switching back and forth between schedules and tracking medicines keeps your brain sharp and active.
Yes, it's true that caring for elderly parents or other seniors in your life is a challenging job, but there is also the reward of knowing you are ensuring that the senior in your life is getting the proper attention, companionship and care they need. And don't forget, help is available in many forms. Ask a ComForcare representative for more information on respite care and community programs.


text:
Safari Adventures and Active Experiences
Walking Safaris
Village Walk
|This leisurely two-hour walk around our neighboring village of Tloma provides a personal look at Tanzanian village life. You will discover the true essence and traditions of rural East African village life.
Cycling Safaris
|Explore the back roads of the village by bicycle or for the more adventurous, take a mountain bike day trip to Rotia, an unforgettable way to experience rural Tanzania.


text:
At this Christmas season, we would like to rejoice with you in some wonderful news. After three years of much hard work on behalf of little Neeha, we are thrilled to be able to report that One Free World International has finally succeeded in bringing her and her family to safety in Canada.
As we have reported several times before, Neeha was only two and a half years old when the son of her father's employer brutally raped her and left her at the side of the road to die. These horrific events took place simply because her father, who was Christian, refused to give in to pressure from his Muslim employer to convert to Islam. Since then the family has lived for several years in hiding and in the constant fear of being discovered by the employer's family or Islamic extremists.
On his latest visit to Pakistan, Rev. El Shafie succeeded in the extremely dangerous mission of bringing the family to Canada and Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney has granted them a special ministerial permit. Immigration lawyer and OFWI partner Chantal Desloges worked tirelessly on this case and was instrumental in ensuring that all the paperwork was properly completed and Pastor Steven Long and Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship provided invaluable support and assistance in this matter. As a result, for the first time ever, Neeha and her family are finally able to freely celebrate Christmas in peace and without fear.
As you celebrate Christmas this year, we hope that you will rejoice with Neeha and her family and in the part that you played in this wonderful Christmas blessing. Rev. El Shafie put his life on the line to rescue the family, but without your continued prayers and support for him and for our ministry this miracle would not have been possible.
Finally, we hope that at this season of celebration and reflection you would remember all the Christians in Pakistan and in so many other countries around the world who have no alternative but to celebrate Christmas in the midst of persecution and fear. Pray for them and thank God that as long as people have the courage to stand up for their beliefs, regardless of the consequences, hope and faith will endure and keep alive the dream that one day there will be peace on earth and goodwill to men.
Please pray:
• that Neeha and her family will be able to adjust to their new surroundings in Canada and that their new circumstances will allow them to heal and lead to a new beginning for the entire family; and,
• that all Pakistanis, regardless of their religion or beliefs, would be able to live and worship in freedom and equality and that the people of Pakistan would experience true peace and harmony that can only come from the Prince of Peace.
The Bible teaches that faith without action is dead, so please take action and write (contact details are included below):
• to Minister Kenney, thanking him for his invaluable gift to Neeha and her family and wishing him a special Christmas blessing.
Please remember to send us a copy of your correspondence at: email@example.com
Remember that the persecuted Christians are dying every day, but they are still smiling. They are in a very deep dark night, but they have the candle of the Lord. The enemy can have a very strong weapon and a very strong army, but we have the Lord Almighty.
"They can kill the dreamer, but they cannot kill the dream" in the Lord's name.
Be with God and may God be with you.
One Free World International
El Shafie Ministries
CTV Covered the story: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/WFive/20100311/w5_saving_neha_100311/
The Honourable Jason Kenney Minister for Citizenship and Immigration Citizenship and Immigration Canada Ottawa, ON K1A 1L1 Tel: (613) 992-2235; Fax: (613) 992-1920 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Langholm Harriers
Many thanks To Barry O'Donaghue for this update
'Nothing new or startling to report in terms of the movements of the young Hen Harriers being tracked across Britain and Ireland – all are at their usual locations in Cork, Mayo and Langholm. The tags on all four birds - Heather, Miranda, Hattie and Gráinne are transmitting data as I write and are showing the birds to move around in their usual haunts. The weather today is crisp and bright, wonderful for powering up the solar panels. With the longer days and hopefully improving weather, we should get data in consistently, all going well.
These weeks are exciting! Any time now they could move to breeding mode. In Ireland we can generally expect to see Sky Dancing from as early as Saint Patrick's Day if we get the weather. In fact I've had sky dancing at roosts in January and February but Saint Patrick's Day normally marks the start of a new breeding season in Ireland at least. Birds may continue to remain at normal time roosts for as long as they want, but generally these roosts are exited by the early parts of April (unless the roost is also a breeding site)'.
|Miranda, Grainne and Hattie 12th March 2014
|Male Hen Harrier (John Wright)
No signs of skydancing yet but we are waiting eagerly..


text:
Toni Federici Trunk Show | November 3rd - 12th
Still looking for a veil? We are excited to have a huge selection of veils from Toni Federici at our West Hollywood location for two weekends! There will be a variety of veils from clean and classic to elaborate veils adorned with sparkle, lace, and trim. "Toni Federici is the only company in America where skilled artisans cut, sew and embellish couture veils by hand".Don't miss out on snagging a gorgeous headpiece to complete your look and make you feel like a BRIDE!
Appointments will book up quickly as we will be offering special pricing.
Or call 323-337-4305 or email email@example.com to setup your appointment!


text:
ESL Gaming app for Xbox One
Join a great community of over 5 million players from all over the word now, and choose from a range of supported eSports titles. Play for prizes and prize money, or simply for fun. Collect experience, improve your abilities and rise to the top of the rankings. The best of the best are waiting for you to join them! ESL is the world's largest, independent eSports brand, leading the industry across various games with numerous online and offline competitions. This includes high profile international and national leagues and tournaments such as the Intel Extreme Masters, ESL One and ESL Pro Series, as well as grass roots cups, leagues and matchmaking systems.
Get new games, movies, and apps through Xbox One
Shop via Xbox One for movies, TV shows, games, apps, and more.Troubleshooting 4K and HDR on Xbox One X and Xbox One S
Learn how to troubleshoot 4K and HDR on the Xbox One X and Xbox One S consoles.Manage privacy and online safety for Xbox One
Do you want to block your children from seeing explicit or offensive content on your Xbox One console without your permission, and ensure that your console is safe for them to use when you're not around? Find out how to use the Privacy and Online Safety settings for Xbox One to control which movies and TV shows can be watched through Xbox Live.Content limits when an adult and a child are both signed in on Xbox One
Find out about content limits behavior when both an adult and a child are signed in to an Xbox One console.Video on Xbox One is fuzzy
Learn how to get the best video quality possible from your Xbox One console.
All the information in this section is supplied by ESL Gaming app for Xbox One. You can also access this information on your console by saying "Xbox, help" from within the app.
ContactSupport Ticket
To provide better support, did this solution solve your problem?
Thank you for your feedback
Thanks for your feedback!
We're sorry this article didn't solve your problem. We won't give up and neither should you. Try this community option, below.
Get help from the community
Ambassador chat
Chat one on one with a fellow Xbox User who wants to help.
Provide feedback for this topic
Get help from the community
Ambassador chat
Chat one on one with a fellow Xbox User who wants to help.
Contact Us
Would you like to contact Support regarding the "ESL Gaming app for Xbox One" issue you were reading about or a different issue?