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Two new videos have become available for Project CARS, featuring the always-amazing visual effects and eye-boggling graphics that helps define Slightly Mad Studios' upcoming racing simulator as one of the only few and true new-generation games.
As noted by DSO Gaming, both videos come courtesy of YouTube user Rauf Zero, The first video is first in a two part collage featuring the game's licensed vehicles. There is more than 10 minutes of footage showcasing the different cars, tracks and real-time day and night cycles.
The second video is a bit of an anomaly as far as video trailers go. A little context to the setup: Project CARS doesn't have a full-blown marketing team, instead players who bought into the early design builds provide all the assets, media and trailers. Because of this, it creates a unique problem where some of the stuff showcased could get the content creator in trouble for copyright infringement.
In the case of the video below, Rauf didn't have the rights to post the music "Alive" from artist Mind Vortex. So, to avoid being hammered in any sort of serious copyright kerfuffle, Rauf wisely disabled the music in the video but provided a rather obvious link to the music. Given that we're kind folks who know how to contextually waltz around copyright issues (yeah, we're that good) the original video trailer for Project CARS is below along with Mind Vortex's song "Alive". All you have to do is press play on both videos at the same time to listen to them in tandem.
While the car showcase trailer was nice, and I finally have an idea of what cars are going to be in the game, I do have to admit that the "Alive" trailer was a lot more... alive.
The biggest problem, however, is that YouTube doesn't really do Project CARS justice. The compression keeps the game from being showcased in more than 30 frames per second, and sadly there's a lot of lighting and quality-loss compared to how the game really looks.
The screenshots from the community definitely do the game a lot more justice, as you get to see a lot of the fine details that Slightly Mad Studios incorporated into the prime-time racer.
Those of you looking to step over the hill of the past-generation of mediocrity, and into the promise land of greatness, will be able to do so when Project CARS launches this fall for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Wii U and PC.
Need more info? Feel free to learn more about the development process of the crowd-funded Project CARS by paying a kind visit to the game's official website.


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MACTAN ISLAND, Cebu (PND) -- Contrary to the pessimistic forecast of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of a zero growth of the Philippines' gross domestic product (GDP), President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said her administration is looking forward to continued economic growth this year.
"As a result of dramatic reforms in revenue collection and generation, as a result of fiscal controls and banking and financial reform, we hope to continue our economic growth this year," she told the 28th General Assembly of the Asian and Oceanian Stock Exchanges Federation (AOSEF) at the Mactan Shangri-La Resort, Thursday.
The President made no mention of the zero GDP growth forecast but Malacanang had earlier stated that the IMF projection was negated by current realities, notably the continuing rise in the remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the increase in deployment of Filipino workers abroad and the adjustments in the budget deficit ceiling to pump prime the economy.
On Wednesday, the IMF lowered the Philippines growth forecast from 2.25 percent to zero, citing the twin problem of tighter credit conditions and lower global demand that have affected the economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Bangko Sentral Gov. Amando Tetangco shared Malacanang's optimism on the economy, saying the IMF forecast was "unlikely" to happen.
He was quoted as saying that "in the past seven years, the IMF has consistently underestimated Philippine GDP growth forecast by an average of about half a percentage point."
In her speech before 80 top leaders of the 17 stock exchanges that comprise the AOSEF, President Arroyo noted that "the Asian economies have been weathering the global crisis better than other regions…"
"But that doesn't mean that there are no challenges that we are facing. Indeed, today, the global challenges faced developed and developing nations alike. But, I am very glad that Asia is weathering it well."
She pointed out that "in spite of the global economic downturn, like many countries in Asia, the Philippines is not standing still."
"We have weathered the worst of the global crisis this far. That doesn't mean we have not been affected. But we are holding our own," she stressed.
The President said she remains "cautiously optimistic that our resources and plans will allow us to manage our way through this difficult time because we 'rebooted' our economy many years ago, and this has held us in good stead."
"As members of the stock exchange, you must also simultaneously invest in making your own organization and your own industry efficient and competitive," she urged the AOSEF.
"Investing to improve your methods of cooperation and synergy, investing to turn market challenges into market opportunities, investing to continue to play a role -- a leading role in the recovery of the economies of the region, investing in the renewed prosperity of the capital markets that you collectively represent," she added.
Calling for a "pan regional body" to be dubbed the Asian Economic Council (AEC), the President pointed out that "an Asian Community, including Oceania, will strengthen our regional economy, our security and our prosperity."
"During this time in the world -- as we all know, there are strains on alliances from the Middle East to the WTO, and we are facing, as you all know, one of the most powerful economic downturns in modern history so -- it is essential that new, vital alliances be forged to keep the world stable and strong.
"Some sort of Asian Community would certainly be a bold step in that direction. And your Federation uniting the bourses of Asia, East Asia and Oceania, is a very good start," the President said.
Saturday, 25 April 2009
Gov't remains hopeful Philippine economic growth will continue
Posted Saturday, April 25, 2009 0 comments
Labels: economic stimulus
Paging Madam President: please help these guys out of the SLEX traffic jam!
Peter Wallace
Manila Standard
I'm angry, very angry, and I can't understand why no one else is. It used to take me 30 minutes to go from Alabang to Makati in non-peak hours. Now it takes up to an hour and a half! I understand this situation will exist for the next 18 months or so. And all I get is a small sign that says: "Sorry for the longer travel time." Well I'm sorry but I can't accept it.
I've looked at the construction and it seems pretty clear to me that one lane can be given back to us on each side with more careful arrangement of the equipment and materials. It currently seems to be laid out for best efficiency for the contractor. Fine—if it doesn't inconvenience tens of thousands of people. But it does.
The three-foot-wide concrete barriers can be replaced with three-inch-thick steel barriers and everything can be located between the pylons with a minimal walking path on one side (southbound) past the pylons. Also, work can be done at night when traffic is light and stopped during peak hours with the barriers brought right in. The extra cost and inconvenience to the contractor is nothing compared to the huge cost of thousands of engines idling gas away and leading us even quicker into global warming, let alone the cost of lost business time of tens of thousands of workers.
There is no attempt to manage traffic flow. Although they now have a designated lane for cars, buses and trucks (what else is there?) and another for cars only—that crashes into the construction as you near the skyway. It was the same with the expansion of the viaduct and now also is with the upgrading of SLEX, traffic is disrupted. It costs money to do it properly and I suspect that was not budgeted for in the government proposals to do the work. The contractors, of course, aren't willing to use their own funds. It would be easy enough to amend the skyway and SLEX projects now to provide funds for traffic management. Something government should seriously, urgently consider.
The upgrading of NLEX shows it can be done. There the construction company did introduce traffic management as part of its mandate to do the project. As those of you who traveled at that time know, disruption to traffic flow was minimal and only for short periods in those instances where it couldn't be avoided.
The President is reputed to be a micro-manager, here's a good one for her to micro-manage. As an economist, she'd well understand the economic and social cost of this dislocation—and give us back another lane. Some traffic guidance officers also might help to speed traffic through if they're properly trained. You can be sure the "cars only" lane won't be obeyed unless there is policing of it.
If you too are angry, e-mail me (it's at the end of the column). Let's force an improvement. Or perhaps the contractor, if he reads this, will just make the changes anyway. Or show me why it really can't be done.
Posted Saturday, April 25, 2009 0 comments
Thursday, 23 April 2009
Philippines ready for recovery -- HSBC
Erik de la Cruz
Business Mirror
THE Philippines and the rest of Asia now appear to be on the road to recovery after seeing the worst impact of the global financial crisis on their economies in the first quarter of 2009, and the region will likely decouple itself from a possible second recessionary episode in the US and Europe.
Frederic Neumann, senior Asia economist at HSBC, said on Wednesday the Asian economy has entered a "transition" period after bottoming out in the first quarter, and looks set to stabilize in the second half of this year.
"We are probably already in the upswing," Neumann told reporters. HSBC expects to see "very strong" growth in Asia in the second half.
Economic indicators in the first quarter were still "fairly negative" but second-quarter numbers should be better than what was seen in the first three months, he said.
For the Philippines, he said the main concern was the impact on consumer spending of the expected slowdown in remittances of Filipinos abroad.
"But so far the number is remarkably resilient. We were surprised how strong the numbers really are," he said.
Remittances in the first two months of the year posted an annual 2.5-percent growth to $2.6 billion. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) attributed the increase to the rise in deployment of Filipinos abroad and the slowdown in layoffs.
In a worst-case scenario, Neumann said a 20-percent drop in remittances is possible this year. But a flat growth in remittances, which is what the BSP expects to see this year, cannot be ruled out, he said.
The Philippines is not expected to fall into recession but Neumann said HSBC has a "conservative" growth forecast of at least 1 percent for the country's gross domestic product this year. The government has scaled down its growth estimate this year to 3.1-4.1 percent from 3.4-4.1 percent previously, taking into account the weakening of exports.
HSBC is looking at growth of at least 3 percent for the Philippines next year.
Neumann said the worst may be over as far as the US and Europe are concerned, but a strong recovery for those regions is not expected anytime soon.
"In any financial crisis, there is always a risk of a second dip. Now we're seeing a sharp recession, which will be followed by a period or recovery, but then another episode of recession is possible," he said.
"Early next year, we may see a second, mini-recession."
It will take two to three years to nurse the financial system back to health, he said.
That's the bad news. But the good news, he said, is that a "fundamental decoupling" of Asia from the West is now possible.
Neumann said there are "underlying forces" which will "lead to a fundamental disengagement of emerging markets from the developed world."
"In our view, (Asia is) going to avoid the second dip that is expected in the US," he said, referring to the "mini-recession" expected early next year.
Asian economies, he said, will be supported by domestic demand, which will likely get a strong boost from the fiscal stimulus plans in the region.
"On average, the stimulus packages in Asia are twice as big as those in the West," he said. The Western economies, however, are the ones in deeper trouble.
Falling inflation in the region should also encourage consumers to spend, Neumann said.
"With inflation coming down, interest rates coming down, oil prices coming down, that should provide relief to domestic consumption," he said.
Neumann said Asia's strong financial sector should also help it decouple from the troubles in the West.
"Banks in Asia are fundamentally sound and we see excess liquidity in the banking system in the region," he said. Those funds will help stimulate economic activity.
Posted Thursday, April 23, 2009 0 comments
Labels: economy
Politics and the stock market
John Mangun
The other day, I was speaking to a new acquaintance, a man named Bobby. We started talking, as "old men" often do sometimes, about the past. Then we caught up to the present and finally got around wondering about the future.
It never fails, though. At some point in the conversation, any new Filipino friend will make a comment to the effect that there is too much politics in the Philippines, and that is a major problem creator. Perhaps because I am an adopted child of the Philippines, this talk about bad politics comes almost as a Filipino apology of some sort to me.
I have been around this planet and this country long enough to know that the political scene in the Philippines is not much worse than most countries and much, much better than many. At least the Philippines has never had to evacuate foreign heads of state out by helicopter to avoid being trampled by rampaging protestors like they just did in Thailand.
And then when I dare ask the specific question of how Filipino politics has had such a perceived negative effect on the country, the answer never seems to fit with my question. But Filipino politicians are so corrupt, I am told. They say that all I have to do is just look at the elections here.
I hate to be a killjoy about the electoral process, but the recent protests in Thailand were all about ousting the current prime minister who "stole" the last election with the help of the military. And there are people in the USA still whining and complaining about the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections long after the winner has left office. Even two USA Senate races, voted on in November 2008, are still undecided because of alleged vote-padding by the poll workers. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
When it comes to corrupt politicians, though, the best example I am told is the "pork barrel" spending of public money to win elections. I hesitate to mention that both the term and practice of the "pork barrel" was invented in the 1870s by the Americans.
Right before the election, the local mayor or congressman would bring the wagon up to the front of the local saloon or bar, and unload a big barrel of salted pork so the boys would have some pulutan to go with their beer and whiskey while deciding who to vote for come election day. I bet politicians can say "pork barrel" in a hundred different languages.
However, I figure that there must be some truth to the idea that politics must have some negative or positive effect on the economy. I am just not sure how to measure that effect. I am a stock-market person, so maybe where I should be looking is at the market-price action as it relates to politics.
In the Philippines, we are probably fortunate that our legislators do not get heavily involved in trying to micro-manage business through legislation like they do in the West. Of course, we do get some attempts at expensive and silly laws that cost everyone money, based on some human global-warming fantasy. And occasionally, politicians with too much spare time and access to the Internet pass laws like the one requiring cell phones to be turned off at gas stations. At least that unwarranted hysteria did not cost us much money and did make some profit for the sign painters.
Perhaps one significant difference between the Philippines and the USA is that politics seems to go on here 365 days a year even when the Congress and Senate are in recess. In the USA, the legislators cannot do any damage to business and the economy when they are out of session and not passing bad laws.
So I did some research on how the Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 stock index performed with the US Congress in session and when they were off the job.
Between January 1, 1965, and December 31, 2008, when the US Congress was hard at work, the S&P 500 Index went up at an annualized rate of +0.31 percent. During those times that they were not at "work," the annualized return was +16.15 percent. Between 2000 and 2008, the "Congress" effect was greater. Down 12.45 percent when in session; up 8.81 percent when they were on the road. The lesson: You won't make money when Washington DC is running things.
Next year we have a presidential election. What might we expect between now and then?
Ignore the economic news. Forget brilliant stock-market analysis. Just place a big investment on the political process no matter how "bad" you think Philippine politics is.
In 1991, prior to the 1992 Ramos election, the stock market rose nearly 50 percent. Even the 1997 crisis could not stop a good rally prior to the Estrada election. And before May 2004, the market increased by about 15 percent. So it looks like you should follow a variation of that old stock-market formula; buy on the rumor (of the election) and sell on the fact (of who wins).
So buying stocks this year knowing that there will be an election next year will probably be a safe, profitable bet. I am going to say that the next time Bobby tells me that politicians are good for nothing.
PSE stock-market information and technical analysis tools provided by CitisecOnline.com Inc. E-mail comments to email@example.com.
Posted Thursday, April 23, 2009 2 comments
Labels: John Mangun, politics
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Philippines closely monitoring emergency employment program
Manila (PND) - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has directed Cabinet officials to strictly monitor the implementation of the government's emergency employment program particularly in Region IV and Bicol to immediately provide employment to Filipino workers affected by the global economic slump.
In a media briefing this afternoon in Malacanang, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde and Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the job monitoring was focused particularly on Regions IV-A and IV-B, and the Bicol region which have been affected by a high rate of job displacements amid the
global economic crisis.
Economic zones in Laguna and Cavite employ thousands of Filipino workers.
"In two weeks time, the Cabinet officials will be monitoring the implementation of all pending projects especially the CLEEP or the Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program of government," Bello said.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has instructed all government departments to set aside 1.5 percent of their monthly operating expenses (MOE) to fund livelihood and employment projects under CLEEP.
Remonde said the 1.5 percent savings to be generated would reach a total of P7 billion a year, enough to finance 180,000 emergency employment for local workers.
Bello said National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) Secretary Domingo Panganiban has reported that the implementation of CLEEP has generated emergency employment for 75,000 workers.
Bello added that job prospects are getting brighter, citing a report of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) that more than 12,000 of the 30,000 workers displaced as a result of the global financial meltdown have already been rehired.
Bello said more workers will find employment as the Department of Public Worlks and Highways (DPWH) has been directed to create an additional 500,000 jobs to help the poor and spur the economy in light of the persisting global economic crisis.
Philippines' next international airport construction ahead of 2012 target
Passenger Terminal Today
Officials at Laguindingan Airport, the first international airport for Northern Mindanao, the Philippines, expect to see the construction reach 50 percent completion by the end of 2009. They predict construction will be complete by mid-2010. "We are even ahead of the accelerated target," Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno said. The new airport has an estimated cost of US$167 million.
Moreno's optimistic projection is matched by project manager Della Capicenio. She said that the first international airport in Northern Mindanao would be completed way ahead of schedule since it is now more than one-third complete. The airport is targeted to be fully completed on January 17, 2012.
Moreno said that based on the completion rate of the project, the case pending before the Court of Appeals regarding the remaining contested areas covered by the airport project has not really affected its construction. The threat of the tribal war by an indigenous people's group affected by the airport project has not deterred Korean contractor Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction from full-time construction.
The airport project is funded by a loan from the South Korean government under the Economic Development Cooperation Fund totalling US$106.73 million, with the remainder of funds coming from the Philippine government.
Posted Wednesday, April 22, 2009 1 comments
Labels: Laguindingan Airport
Philippines cranks up infrastructure spend
By Darwin G. Amojelar
Manila Times
THE Philippines cranked up spending on infrastructure projects to stimulate economic growth, data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) showed.
In the first two months of this year, agencies raised spending for capital outlays to P34.7 billion, 60 percent higher than the P21.7 billion spent for the same period last year.
"Higher spending for capital outlays due to frontloading of expenditures [is] consistent with the government's plan to fast track spending to stimulate the economy," the DBM said.
The Arroyo administration earlier unveiled a P330-billion stimulus package to pump-prime the economy by quickly disbursing the P1.4-trillion 2009 national budget amid the global economic crisis.
In the first half of the year, agencies have been ordered to spend 60 percent to 80 percent of the productive portion of their allocations amounting to between P84.6 billion and P112.3 billion, with particular focus on infrastructure.
Last year, the government spent only 30 percent of its budget.
Agencies that are supposed to frontload are the Departments of Education, of Social Welfare and Development, of Health, of Agriculture, of Agrarian Reform, of Public Works and Highways, of Transportation and Communications, and the National Irrigation Administration.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto earlier urged agencies to spend their budget to implement ready-to-go projects to help stimulate the economy.
'"It's either you use it or you lose it," he said.
In the first half of last year, the government, which accounted for 20 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), spent only 30 percent of its budget. The planned front loading and spending for the first half of this year is expected to boost private sector confidence in the economy.
The Development and Budget Coordinating Committee expects the economy, as measured by the country's GDP, to grow between 3.1 percent and 4.1 percent, lower than an earlier forecast of 3.7 percent to 4.4 percent.
Last year, Philippine GDP grew 4.6 percent, a marked slowdown from the 7.2 percent in 2007.
A proxy for economic output, GDP is the amount of goods and services produce in a country.
Posted Wednesday, April 22, 2009 0 comments
Labels: economic stimulus
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Philippines President: Poverty alleviation is over-arching goal of her administration
Naga City (PIA)-- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stressed anew yesterday that poverty alleviation is her administration's over-arching goal.
In a one-on-one interview with Ms. Sonia Osorio Leano of DWOS Naga, DWML Legaspi and DZSL Daet at the Nueva Caceres University here, the President also expressed her gratitude upon being informed that the Bicolanos in the barangays now feel that indeed the government is determined to uplift the people's lives through the various anti-poverty programs already in place.
"I am very thankful that the people are directly benefiting from these government programs," the President said.
"Poverty alleviation is the over-arching framework for all government initiatives; and, in fact, the key focus of my economic reform program in the last few years has been to translate the economic gains from our reforms into real benefits for the people, most especially the poor and this remains our focus until the day I leave office," she said.
These poverty-alleviation programs include better access to healthcare for the poor, more jobs, livelihood programs, and education.
The President also said that due to the global economic crisis, many Filipino overseas workers (OFWs) have lost their jobs, thus the government came up with the Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Program (CLEEP).
Likewise, she has directed all government agencies to allot 1.5 percent of their budget for programs that will cushion the impact of the global economic crisis, especially on the poor.
Other anti-poverty initiatives of the government include the Food for School Program, cheaper medicines through the Botika ng Barangay, microfinance, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), and the Tindahan ng Bayan programs/projects.
The President attributed the success of these programs to the availability of additional resources generated by the expanded value added tax (EVAT).
"Without revenue to invest in people, there is no progress. With this revenue, we have been able to invest in physical and human infrastructure - roads, bridges, ports. We have been able to expand access to healthcare, improve education and expand social services. And believe me, raising the EVAT taxes was no picnic. It cost me politically - no one likes to raise taxes. But it was worth every point I lost in popularity to see the nation finally get moving," the President said.
The President added that new revenue was only part of the equation in balancing the budget. Building up new industries such as the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector and expanding trade relations to diversify economic bridges were equally important.
These economic reforms shielded the country from the harsh impact of the present global crisis, she said, adding: "All of these actions were taken before there was a hint of a global crisis. And thanks to the bitter pill of fiscal reform under EVAT, we have been spared the harsher backlash of the current global financial crisis."
The President further said that the government has put in place a cushion to help the poor with the establishment of new industries like BPO that will continue to boom.
She pointed out that a P330-billion Economic Resiliency Plan was put in place to ensure sustainable growth, create and save jobs, and protect the most vulnerable sectors against the harsh effects of the global crisis.
The Plan includes accelerated spending for infrastructure, granting additional personal tax exemptions and reducing corporate taxes, expansion of social protection programs such as conditional transfers, National Health Insurance, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and Hunger Mitigation Program. It also includes the creation of new employment opportunities through the Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP) and through a range of other livelihood programs.
"We will continue on a path of fiscal discipline, targeted investment and targeted relief to our poor as we weather this global storm," the President said, even as she stressed the need for volunteerism for the Filipinos to weather the global economic crisis.
"Volunteerism is important, I hope all of us will join hands in facing this present global economic challenge and emerge a winner," she said. (PIA)
Posted Tuesday, April 21, 2009 0 comments
Labels: poverty alleviation
Selected Philippine Economic Indicators -- March 2009
March 2009 issue (released on 15 April 2009)
Note: The data series contained are updated as of the date of release of said report/publication. For more recent updates/revisions on selected indicators, please visit the SDDS page and the Key Statistical Indicators page.
Posted Tuesday, April 21, 2009 0 comments
Labels: economic indicators
Philippines fast tracks vital tourism and agri highway project in Cordillera
MANILA (PNA) -- Considered as one of the vital road networks in the Cordillera region, as it connects the major tourists spots and agricultural communities to the market areas, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) doubled its efforts to complete the remaining concreting works of the Banaue-Bontoc Road Project.
In his recent inspection, Public Works Secretary Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr. instructed the DPWH Cordillera Administrative Region to take advantage of the remaining summer weeks and accomplish much of the programmed works.
Included in President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's State of the Nation Address, the highway concreting project will cut travel time from Bontoc in Mt. Province to the famous rice terraces in Banaue, Ifugao from two or three hours to one hour.
Josefina Bangan, wife of a local farmer in Mt. Polis, said that although the project is yet to be completed, they have increased their profit from their vegetable business.
She said they are now able to sell their vegetable produce at much higher price which they could now deliver fresh from the farm to market centers.
DPWH Cordillera Administrative Region Director Roy Manao said that the project is already 35.89 percent complete and in coordination with the contractor, they are maximizing their efforts to complete the project on or before December this year.
This P864-million road project covers the construction of 94.12 kilometers of Portland cement concrete pavement from Brgy. View Point in Banaue to Sumani in Bontoc. It also includes the construction of a drainage system, slope protection works and installation of road safety devices such as guardrails and road signs. (PNA)
Manila-Bicol railway resumes before yearend
President Arroyo says economy and people of Bicol to benefit from this very positive development
By Angelo S. Samonte
Manila Times
The rail service of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) that connects Manila and the Bicol region is expected to resume before year-end, President Gloria Arroyo announced Monday.
The President said she is confident that the rehabilitation of the Manila-Bicol PNR line would be completed before the end of 2009, paving the way for the resumption of the train service after three-year cancellation.
The government is committed to modernizing the country's infrastructure to spur economic development in the countryside, Mrs Arroyo said, adding that the rehabilitation of the PNR's Manila-Bicol railway line is now being fast-tracked.
The restoration, rehabilitation and modernization of the existing lines of the PNR is envisioned to be the key to the development of Central and Southern Luzon as it is expected to provide effective and efficient means of transportation to and from Metro Manila and the provinces in Northern and Southern Luzon.
The PNR has said that the rehabilitation of the Manila-Bicol railway line would benefit some 20,000 passengers daily.
When completed, the railway rehabilitation project will lead to the resumption of the long-distance train services between Metro Manila and the Bicol Region up to Matnog in Sorsogon. The line will eventually link Luzon to the Strong Republic Nautical Highway System.
The President said PNR General Manager Manuel Andal informed her that repairs and upgrading works of train stations in the Bicol area started last March while the repair of the tracks will start in May.
"By the time of the Penafrancia fiesta next September, commuter train travel between Iriga City, Camarines Sur and Tagkawayan, Quezon will already be in place," she said.
"The movement of larger volumes of passengers and commodities by rail will serve to further strengthen the economic ties of Manila to the production centers of the South. The economy and people of Bicol will no doubt benefit from this very positive development," she added.
The rehabilitation program started in September 2007 includes building a new PNR station with ticketing booths, waiting areas and cyclone wire fencing. Blumentritt, Tayuman, Alabang and Muntinlupa stations are currently under construction. The railway lines are also being fixed for the use of new trains recently bought by the PNR.
The Philippine National Railways is a state-owned railway system established under the Department of Transportation and Communications as an attached agency. It currently operates around 479 kilometers of track in Luzon, where most railway infrastructure is located. The PNR through the decades has been synonymous with the Philippine rail system.
The PNR aims to link key cities within its scope of operation and serve as an instrument in national socio-economic development. It is among government agencies that recently received financial subsidy from the central government worth P74 million.
Posted Tuesday, April 21, 2009 0 comments
Labels: Bicol, Philippine National Railways (PNR)
The shift of global power
John Mangun
Business Mirror
On May 28, 1588, the Spanish Armada sailed from Lisbon with the intent of invading and conquering the British Isles. The Spanish had the decided advantage with over 200 ships to the 130 ships of the English, and in armament as well; its available firepower was 50 percent more than that of the English.
Three physical qualities and two psychological factors determined the outcome some three months later and forever changed the course of the world, as global economic power shifted from the Spanish to the British.
The British ships were smaller and more maneuverable, able to change course more quickly. British guns, although less powerful, were able to fire a longer distance, allowing British ships to attack outside of the range of the Spanish guns. The firepower of the British was more balanced. Much is made of the bad weather and strong winds that forced the Spanish Armada out of battle position. Yet the British ships also faced this severe weather. The difference was that the Spanish ships were designed and fitted to sail before the wind, not against the wind as the British vessels could do.
England possessed two particular strengths lacking in the globally dominant Spanish. The British were much more patriotic, united, and nationalistic. Further, their seamen and sailors had endured decades, if not centuries, of hardship and suffering, navigating the harsh and unforgiving northern oceans.
A similar shift of global power may be taking place 420 years later, and the outcome may be determined by similar differences between the "powerful" and the "second line" countries.
There are three power blocs in the world; the G-7 (the United States, the UK, Germany, Canada, Italy, France, Japan), the BRIC (Brazil, India, Russia and China), and everyone else. Forget the G-20. The G-20 is a joke and a fabrication of the G-7 to make the "G-13" feel important and think they have a voice and power on the world economic stage.
For the last 35 years, the G-7 has dominated the global economy and, in effect, the rest of the world. The G-7 dog wagged the global tail. It was not long ago that we, particularly in the Philippines, accepted as truth, "When the United States sneezes, the world catches cold."
Like the Spanish of four centuries ago, the G-7 would not accept and did everything to destroy any challenge to its economic power. Agricultural nations were never able to compete against Western government farm subsidies. Countries like Japan would impose unrealistic trade measures and standards to ensure that products from countries like the Philippines would never reach their markets. High Western tariffs stopped "Third World" countries from ever developing their manufacturing capability. The rise in the last 10 years of the BRIC countries was unplanned and a result of their geographic size, dominant geographic position in their region, and population size.
The economic power of the G-7 bloc led it to believe that it could also sway the politics of the rest of the world. The purpose of the Spanish invasion by its Armada was to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I in favor of a government more willing to allow Spanish global domination.
Like the Spanish, over the last decades the G-7 became fat and lazy, too used to the good times and its positions of power and dominance. Now its power is eroding due to its own policies and the resulting events of those policies. Had the Spanish not tried to invade England, British global power might have never been developed.
Similar to the British of 1588, nations like the Philippines have economies more nimble, more balanced, and more adaptable to changing global economic conditions. For all of the domestic in-fighting, countries like the Philippines have recognized for years that the G-7 nations are ultimately economic adversaries, if not outright economic enemies, who are interested in only their own interests.
And there is no comparison between the ability and strength of nations and people like the Philippines to endure and prosper through hardship.
But colonial mentality is a vice and a bad habit that is hard to break. Every stock-market comment that says our market must wait for the United States to go up is an example of an awful mentality. In 2009, the emerging markets are the dog wagging the Western stock-market tails.
As of last Friday, the US market was down 5 percent in 2009. The Philippine Stock Exchange is up more than 10 percent and we are lagging behind some of our peers. Look at other Philippine-like markets: Peru—up 45 percent, Argentina—up 14 percent, Sri Lanka—up 12 percent, Chile—up 12 percent, Ukraine—up 10 percent, and Greece—up 11 percent.
This year will mark the beginning of the end of G-7 global dominance and the shift of power to nations like the Philippines. No, it will not come at once any more than the defeat of the Armada marked an immediate change of global power. It was, though, the beginning of the end.
This realignment of economic strength is not without risk. Nations like the Philippines will be under immense pressure to stay within the fences established by the G-7. And the only way for the Philippines to be successful in establishing its global economic identity is to keep its money at home, its eyes on the world, and its heart and mind focused on this nation.
PSE stock-market information and technical-analysis tools were provided by CitisecOnline.com Inc. E-mail comments to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Posted Tuesday, April 21, 2009 0 comments
Labels: economy, John Mangun, Republic of the Philippines
Philippines deliberates on lifting foreign ownership cap
J. F. S. Valdez
THE HOUSE of Representatives yesterday started plenary discussions on a resolution that seeks to lift the 40% limit the Constitution imposes on foreign ownership of corporations and alienable lands.
Speaker Prospero C. Nograles of Davao City (1st district), principal author of House Resolution (HR) 737 — a "Resolution Proposing Amendments to Sections 2 and 3, Article XII of the Constitution to Allow the Acquisition by Foreign Corporations and Associations and the Transfer or Conveyance of Alienable Public and Private Lands" — reiterated to reporters in a press conference yesterday that the resolution will tackle only this economic provision and will not touch other areas of the Charter.
Business and opposition leaders have cautioned congressmen against using the move to amend economic provisions to sneak in initiatives to extend the terms of incumbent elected officials, starting with the President.
Mr. Nograles earlier said HR 737, which had been approved by the committee on constitutional amendments last Feb. 3, would be accompanied by a resolution still to be filed by Camarines Sur Rep. Luis R. Villafuerte (2nd district) that would convene Congress into a constituent assembly. Mr. Nograles said yesterday that this proposal still has 175 signatures — 22 signatures shy of the two-thirds vote (197) needed to be approved in plenary.
Mr. Villafuerte's resolution focuses on Article XVII Section 1 of the Constitution which states: "Any amendment to, or revision of, this Constitution may be proposed by: (1) The Congress, upon a vote of three-fourths of all its members."
The change could be achieved by converting Congress into a constituent assembly, through the holding of a constitutional convention or through a people's initiative that would require voting by legislative district.
Edgardo G. Lacson, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said in a phone interview yesterday that while his group supports the initiative to ease terms of the Constitution's economic provisions, even this has to be done carefully.
"We support the resolution, but it cannot be across the board, it should only be sectoral...This should not apply to all industries, because some may benefit and some might be harmed due to this proposal. Congress should first study up to what extent it can ease on the economic provisions," he said, citing ancestral land and media ownership as examples of areas where caution should be observed.
Alberto A. Lim, Makati Business Club executive-director, said that while moves to ease economic restrictions in the Constitution favor business, any initiative to change the Charter should be acted on after the elections next year, in order to make sure incumbent officials do not benefit. "We believe using a non-controversial provision [like the foreign ownership cap] is a ploy to garner 197 signatures to be able to fast-track amending the Constitution through a constituent assembly. Any change to the Charter should be done after 2010," he said in a phone interview.
Reps. Ana Theresia N. Hontiveros-Baraquel (Akbayan), Saturnino C. Ocampo and Teodoro A. Casiño (Bayan Muna), Liza L. Maza and Luzviminda C. Ilagan (Gabriela), and Rafael V. Mariano (Anakpawis) said in a press conference yesterday that they will file a motion to return HR 737 to the committee level, arguing that the proposal "was not deliberated upon enough in the committee and was railroaded."
Posted Tuesday, April 21, 2009 0 comments
Labels: foreign ownership
Philippines' Jollibee to open 3,000 overseas stores
By JAMES A. LOYOLA
Manila Bulletin
Jollibee Foods Corporation is aiming to open 3,000 stores overseas over the next 10 years, about 75 percent of the 4,000 stores it hopes to have operating by 2020.
"We envision that by the year 2020, Jollibee will already have 4,000 stores, 75 percent of which are outside the Philippines," said Jollibee vice president for international operations Dennis Flores.
He noted that "we know it will be tough to achieve but if you look back 30 years ago when this company started, would you have believed how it has grown this big from just an ice cream parlor."
Fresh from opening its store in Queens, New York last February 14 its first in the East Coast, USA Jollibee has already set its sights on other populous cities.|
Flores said 12 more stores are in the works for Jollibee's operations in Asia this year four each in Saudi Arabia and Vietnam, two in Dubai and one each in Qatar and Brunei. Macau is also another area that is currently being considered.
In the US, Jollibee hopes to open seven more stores in various locations Plaza Bonita in San Diego, Rosemead and New West Covina in South California, Village Square and Colonnade both in Las Vegas, Oceanside in San Diego, and Concorde Seafood City in North Carolina before the end of 2010.
"As of the fourth quarter of 2008, our foreign operations accounted already for 15.9 percent of our system wide sales. Our aim is to derive at least half of our revenues from outside of the Philippines at some point in the future, both from organic growth and acquisitions even as we expect our Philippine business to sustain a healthy growth rate in the years to come," said JFC chairman Tony Tan Caktiong.
Posted Tuesday, April 21, 2009 0 comments
Labels: business outlook, Jollibee
Monday, 20 April 2009
Philippine President reiterates belt-tightening directive
Manila (PND) - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has reiterated her directive to all government agencies and instrumentalities to adopt strict belt-tightening measures and stop all unnecessary and wasteful spending in these "challenging economic times."
In Administrative Order No. 261, the President pointed out that the government stands to generate P7-billion savings from a "government-wide, one-and-a-half (1.5 percent) reduction of maintenance, overhead and operating expenses."
She noted that an Independence Day Parade alone costs the government about P30 million. As part of the cost-saving measures, the Independence Day Parade this June 12 will be shelved.
"Instead, a mega-jobs fair shall be organized to enable the 40,000 workers displaced by the global crisis find employment or livelihood," the AO 261 said.
The government, the President said, "must pour all savings and revenue into programs that help the poor and the middle class."
AO 261, which the President signed on April 7, is a follow up to Executive Order (EO) No. 782 that she issued earlier this year.
Under EO 782, all government agencies and instrumentalities, including all departments, bureaus, attached agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations and government financial institutions, were directed to reduce their respective maintenance, overhead and operating expense (MOOE) budgets by 1.5 percent.
Savings generated by EO 782 was set aside for emergency employment for the next six months of 2009.
The President stressed that in early 2008, all government agencies and entities were directed to undertake electricity and fuel-saving measures, including but not limited to the consumption of fossil fuels, which was ordered cut down by 25 percent, and electric consumption by at least 10 percent.
Under the EO, air-conditioners should be turned off at 4:30 p.m. except those of offices with 24-hour work, while incandescent bulbs were ordered replaced with compact fluorescent lamp.
Similarly, 20 percent of vehicles owned by the national government were ordered converted to the use of natural gas.
In AO 261, the President directed that vehicles of the national government, including those of GOCCs, which are not "issued to an official and are not on official trip, shall be garaged in the agency office, and the keys shall be kept by guards, during weekends and holidays."
The President also enjoined all local government units (LGUs) to adopt the cost-saving measures mandated under both EO 782 and AO 261 and other relevant issuances.
Posted Monday, April 20, 2009 0 comments
Labels: economy, poverty alleviation


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Zach Potter
On His First NFL Memory:
2009 was a long rookie year. It started without getting drafted, being signed as a FA by the NY Jets, getting cut and then signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad and switching from DE to TE.
I worked my tail off to learn as much as I could during that position change and every practice. I was activated to the active roster with two weeks to go in the 2009 season but was inactive vs the Patriots Week 16. Our top TE, Marcedes Lewis, got hurt midway through the game, which cleared the way for me to be active for the first time in Week 17 vs the Browns. Week 17, January 3, 2010, Middle of winter in Cleveland, OH… 14 degrees. What a way to make a debut in the NFL!
All week long our tight ends coach Mike Tice and Marcedes Lewis told me about the matchup and who I would be blocking throughout the game. Matt Roth, a veteran DE from Iowa who later became a teammate of mine in Jacksonville. Matt was what they like to call a "headbutter". He used his head for everything. It posed a challenge for several people while going against him throughout his career. He definitely had my number once in my "welcome to the NFL moment", however overall I think I played pretty well. It was a challenge to get your hands inside to block him when he always led with his head. Coach Tice and the TE group that year liked to use a term, "got man", which referred to whether you blocked your guy he blocked you, as long as he didn't make the play you got your man and did your job.
After regaining feeling in my hands during halftime we came out and put a drive together which we needed to do being down 13-3. Toward the end of the drive I was tasked with running an Arrow route, a beeline toward the sideline gaining a little depth as you go. David Garrard, our QB, threw the ball my way, I adjusted and made the catch. My first NFL catch, a measly 3-yard gain, but one I will never forget!
It had been such a long year from starting with the Jets as a DE and ending the season with the Jaguars as a TE. I made sure to keep the gloves from that game as I wasn't sure if I'd stay a TE or make a switch to DE after the season. There were a lot of unknowns getting on that bus after losing to Cleveland 23-17. The one thing I did know though was I completed the childhood dream of playing in an NFL game, and the catch and having a good day blocking a veteran DE was just icing on the cake!


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Online marketing strategies have definitely evolved since I first started my internet marketing career. That does not mean there aren't some tactics that have stood the test of time. However, what internet strategy you choose will definitely depend on your ultimate goal and the business you're in. One thing I will not do is generalize and recommend a few as the best online marketing strategies. Neither will I recommend brand new internet marketing strategies that I have not tried and tested. The internet is organic and yes it is true if you figure out something or get in on a hot trend right away it can be VERY fruitful. Sometimes these trends last and sometimes they're gone so quick you are truly still lost after it's gone. Even if you experienced success for a short period of time.
What are some of the most used online marketing strategies at the writing of this?
Some of the most popular strategies for marketing online right now are:
- SEO (search engine optimization)
- Email marketing
- Web design, development, and promotion
- Niche marketing with affiliate, reseller, and associate programs
- Press releases
- Blogging
- Contests and giveaways via your website
- Social media marketing
- PPC (pay per click)
Now this is by no means all online marketing strategies available right now but some that I feel are the most common and most effective. Master any one of these and I believe you will have a very successful online career. Master multiple of them and you can literally write your own paychecks because of the amount of income you will be able to generate with the knowledge you have.
As long as you take ACTION. Always remember this favorite quote I've heard from many successful internet marketers, "MONEY LOVES SPEED!" Learn something, implement it!
One of the main things I focus on in my business online is helping others. I truly believe is I can help others succeed then I myself will succeed. There's something about being a leader and watching your students go from novice, to intermediate, to masters of this internet marketing game. I truly feel it's a game too. Since the internet is a system you can learn to work the system by using specific online marketing strategies well and make a great living doing it too. To get in on my coaching check out my Business Builder Academy.
Now I'll give you something for free, yes you read that right, FREE. If you want to learn from 6 and 7 figure earners weekly then you have to get in on these webinars. These Free Training Webinars cover topics such as: Social Networking (Facebook marketing, Twitter marketing, Linkedin marketing, Meet-Up groups); Content Marketing (keyword research, blogging, content/article marketing, video marketing); Paid Marketing (PayPerClick marketing, YouTube PayPerClick, Facebook PayPerClick, banner advertising, ezine/solo ads); Prospecting (get leads today, follow-up closing, prospecting strangers); and Additional Strategies (free classifieds, forum marketing, resume database advertising, listbuilders) to name a few. These webinars discuss online marketing strategies only from what the best in the industry are doing. They also commonly have special offers only to those on the webinar.


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Balayage or baliage. A colouring technique from the French word le balayage meaning "to sweep"
The hair is 'painted' meaning the end result is a very natural and effortless look. It's the sunkissed, beachy look that you'll spend hours in the salon trying to achieve. I've heard it called "childs hair" because it has that colouring you get as a kid playing out in the sun. Random highlights of different colours through the hair. Makes it multi dimensial and I think adds body and texture.
The balayage/baliage look is more for random highlights throughout the hair, with foils the look achieved will be more uniform and although these can be broken up in fine natural looking colours it still is slightly too structured.
You can concentrate the balayage technique on the ends of the hair creating what is commonly known as 'Ombre'. From the French meaning 'graduation'. Big celeb fans of this look are Alexa Chung, Whitney Port and Rachel Bilson, to name just a few. This is the gradual fade from dark to light. The 'I've got major roots but I'm too relaxed and cool too care' look.
You can vary the shades used as much as you want, and go as light as you like towards the ends. This suits a shaggy, rough look rather than sleek locks. But if you fancied a more dramatic look, straightening the hair will really show off the gradual fade. Ombre isn't for the short haired beautys, it suits mid lengths, to long locks.
I love this technique and would love to train in it, apparently takes years to master the skill properly. I am researching at the moment getting this done for Autumn/Winter with a combination of caramel and my natural Brown colouring. As you all know I am trying to get rid of the Red so this would be a fab technique for me as it would let my natural colour grow out and still look good.
I think this colouring technique is also less harsh on the hair, which means your hair will be healthier and happier. What more could you want. If you can't tell already I am totally sold on this technique. Love it.
But beware, if you fancy trying this look make sure your salon has someone who has experience in this colouring method, it's not as easy as it sounds. Ensure you have a full consult with your colourist before the service is carried out, and you are both on the same style page regarding what the look is.
Are you an Ombre girl? Or does Balayage work for you? Maybe you think both look too scruffy for you...


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On my acer aspire 5102, an indicator used to display the sound level by a series of bars, from none to (approx) 12 bars corresponding to the sound level. Since some recent Windows automatic updates, the indicator no longer appears. Can you tell me how to get the indicator back?
Any advice you can offer would be sincerely appreciated.
Bob Kunz
Just to clarify, you are pressing the volumne +/- button on your laptop and these bars will appear somewhere on your screen?
If that is the case, this is not a part of "Windows." You might want to check your sound card and see if the drivers are up to date. Or, more simply, it might be a setting in the sound card properties that needs to be checked or unchecked.
On my Acer laptop, I can change sound level by holding down the Function key and then clicking on the up or down cursor buttons. The function still works but the indicator no longer appears on the screen.
In my Device Manager, I checked all seven drivers associated with the Sound entry by asking Windows to find a better or newer driver. Each search responded with the message that they couldn't find any better driver than was already installed.
Thank you for your suggestions. Sorry they didn't solve my problem.
Bob Kunz
The display of the bars is probably produced by software installed along with the sound drivers. If you un-install the sound software in Add or Remove Programs, then install it again properly, the bars display should be there.
The proper sound software is in the downloads for your model on the Acer web site.
Sound and video "drivers" always have associated files that must be installed properly along with the actual drivers. If you install only the actual drivers, it's likely the device, and/or the other software associated with it, will NOT work properly.
Unless the instructions for installing a device tell you otherwise....
(this ALWAYS applies to video and sound adapters )
You DO NOT install drivers for a device while booting into Windows, if the software for the device has not been installed yet - when Windows detects a generic device or New Hardware while booting, you allow it to search for drivers, it doesn't find any, and it wants you to show it the location of the drivers - CANCEL that, continue on to the desktop, and install the software for the device using the proper installation from a CD or the proper installation file that you downloaded from the web.
The same applies no matter when Windows finds New Hardware !
If you DID install drivers that way,
(The following also applies if you want to un-install previous software, or re-install the same software)
- for video "drivers"....
- go to Control Panel - Classic View - Add/Remove Programs and Un-install the software you installed, reboot, DO NOT install drivers while booting, let the desktop screen fully load.
Install the video software properly by running the proper download you got from the web, or if you have the CD that came with the video card that's in a slot, or if you have the CD that came with the brand name computer that has the Drivers on it, run the video software installation from the installation program on that.
for sound adapter drivers...
- go to Control Panel - Classic View - Add/Remove Programs and Un-install the software you installed, reboot, DO NOT install drivers while booting.
- go to Device Manager.
(e.g. RIGHT click on My Computer - Properties - Hardware - Device Manager)
If the sound adapter is still listed, RIGHT click on it and Un-install it.
If that was there, and you un-installed it, Reboot at least once.
DO NOT install drivers while booting.
Install the sound software properly by running the proper download you got from the web, or if you have the CD that came with the sound card, or if you have the CD that came with the brand name computer that has the Drivers on it, run the sound software installation from the installation program on that.
Thank you for your very detailed instructions on how to reinstall the software and drivers for the sound system in my Acer Aspire. I won't be able to do that tonight, as I want to first back up all my files and then proceed carefully.
Most sincerely,
Robert Kunz


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Wing/Davis/Wilks Renovations - Completed Project
Schedule: Completed August 2006
Project Manager: Darina Mernicky
Project Architect: Smith Alvarez Sienkiewycz Architects
The renovation of the Wing/Davis/Wilks Residence Complex on the Redstone Campus included renovations to the three buildings and commons area totaling approximately 127,000 gsf that comprise this facility. Wing, Davis and Wilks halls house 470 students in 244 single, double and triple rooms (primarily doubles). Wilks is home to the live music floor which is an opportunity for students who share an interest in either playing or appreciating live music to live in the same community. The anticipated scope of work included roof, window, and door (interior and exterior) replacement, new plumbing, HVAC, electrical, sprinkler and fire alarm systems, reconfigured toilet rooms, new finishes throughout, replacement of elevators, rehabilitation of student room built-in closets and three (3) apartments, voice/data/CATV wiring review, and building accessibility/ADA requirements. All student rooms, offices, classrooms and commons area received new furniture.
The Wing/Davis/Wilks Complex has successfully achieved a SILVER Level of Certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) established by the U.S. Green Building Council.


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Stories teach the skills!
Sign up for a story to try out at home!
We all love a good story…and when it's used to teach a lesson, we remember the lesson as well! Just think about the story "The Tortoise and The Hare".
One of the things that makes Adventures in Wisdom™ so unique is that each skill is taught through a fun short story by a character mentor named "Wyatt the Wise Wizard"
Through the stories, your kids get to see the skills in action and how the skills are used to solve real-life problems!
If you haven't already signed up for a free story, just complete the form on this page and it will be sent to you immediately!
Also, you can check out more details about The Adventures In Wisdom Life Coaching Program for Kids™ "home study" program, or work with a Certified WISDOM Coach near you!
If you are interested in becoming a certified WISDOM Coach just click here!
Enjoy connecting with your kids!


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represents a Pascal distribution with parameters n and p.
- The probability for value in a Pascal distribution is for , and is zero otherwise.
- PascalDistribution[n,p] gives the distribution of the number of trials with nonzero success probability p before n successes occur.
- PascalDistribution allows n to be any positive integer and p any positive real number less than or equal to 1.
- PascalDistribution allows n and p to be dimensionless quantities. »
- PascalDistribution can be used with such functions as Mean, CDF, and RandomVariate.
Background & Context
- PascalDistribution[n,p] represents a discrete statistical distribution defined for integer values and determined by an integer parameter n () and a real parameter p () that represent the number of successes of an experiment and its probability of success, respectively. The Pascal distribution has a probability density function (PDF) that is discrete and unimodal. The Pascal distribution is one of a number of distributions that fit under the heading of "negative binomial distributions," though it should not be confused with "the" negative binomial distribution (NegativeBinomialDistribution).
- The Pascal distribution is one of the earliest studied probability distributions, with its roots dating back to the work of Blaise Pascal in the 1670s. Classically, the Pascal distribution (when viewed as a specific case of the family of negative binomial distributions) can be realized as an urn model illustrating the number of draws of a marble from an urn required to procure n marbles of a certain color, given that the draws are mutually independent with p probability of success. Since its inception, the distribution has been realized as an integer-n case of NegativeBinomialDistribution[n,p], and so many of its applications (e.g. in accident statistics and telecommunications) arise because of its inclusion in the family of negative binomial distributions. Other applications of the distribution include the modeling of population statistics, psychological data, quality control, and queueing theory.
- RandomVariate can be used to give one or more machine- or arbitrary-precision (the latter via the WorkingPrecision option) pseudorandom variates from a Pascal distribution. Distributed[x,PascalDistribution[n,p]], written more concisely as xPascalDistribution[n,p], can be used to assert that a random variable x is distributed according to a Pascal distribution. Such an assertion can then be used in functions such as Probability, NProbability, Expectation, and NExpectation.
- The probability density and cumulative distribution functions may be given using PDF[PascalDistribution[n,p],x] and CDF[PascalDistribution[n,p],x], though one should note that there is no closed-form expression for its PDF. The mean, median, variance, raw moments, and central moments may be computed using Mean, Median, Variance, Moment, and CentralMoment, respectively. These quantities can be visualized using DiscretePlot.
- DistributionFitTest can be used to test if a given dataset is consistent with a Pascal distribution, EstimatedDistribution to estimate a Pascal parametric distribution from given data, and FindDistributionParameters to fit data to a Pascal distribution. ProbabilityPlot can be used to generate a plot of the CDF of given data against the CDF of a symbolic Pascal distribution and QuantilePlot to generate a plot of the quantiles of given data against the quantiles of a symbolic Pascal distribution.
- TransformedDistribution can be used to represent a transformed Pascal distribution, CensoredDistribution to represent the distribution of values censored between upper and lower values, and TruncatedDistribution to represent the distribution of values truncated between upper and lower values. CopulaDistribution can be used to build higher-dimensional distributions that contain a Pascal distribution, and ProductDistribution can be used to compute a joint distribution with independent component distributions involving Pascal distributions.
- PascalDistribution is related to a number of other statistical distributions. As mentioned above, it is a member of the family of negative binomial distributions and hence is qualitatively related to NegativeBinomialDistribution (also known as Pólya distribution for noninteger n). GeometricDistribution is a transformation (TransformedDistribution) of PascalDistribution in that the CDF of the variate u-1 is precisely that of GeometricDistribution[p] whenever uPascalDistribution[1,p]. PascalDistribution is also a transformation of NegativeBinomialDistribution, while the PDF of PascalDistribution[n,p] converges to that of NormalDistribution[μ,σ] as n→∞ for μ and σ the mean (Mean) and standard deviation (StandardDeviation), respectively, of PascalDistribution[n,p]. PascalDistribution is also related to PoissonDistribution, PoissonConsulDistribution, BinomialDistribution, NegativeBinomialDistribution, MultinomialDistribution, and NegativeMultinomialDistribution.
Examplesopen all close all
Introduced in 2010Updated in 2016


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Watch a preview video of KC Rep's 'Cabaret'
This is a preview video of "Cabaret" at Kansas City Repertory Theatre.
The show runs through April 10 at the Rep's Spencer Theatre. The production is directed by Eric Rosen. The cast includes KC Comeaux, Jerry Jay Cranford, Claybourne Elder, Jenny Florowski, Charles Fugate, Colleen Grate, Gary Neal Johnson, Bryan LaFave, Kara Lindsay, Mandy Morris, Kym Chambers Otto, Hollis Resnik, Vanessa Severo, Emily Shackelford and Brian Sills.


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Gwen Stefani ëEscapesí on the Road Next Spring
Published: 2006-12-04
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Gwen Stefani has announced the North American dates to her upcoming Sweet Escape world tour.
Stefani is touring behind her second solo album
The Sweet Escape
, which hits stores on December 5. The tour kicks off next April in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Harajuku Girls will once again join the singer on the road. The ladies can also be seen in the video for the first single off of the album "Wind it Up" and in the concert DVD, also out December 5,
Harajuku Lovers Live
. The DVD captures a show performed in Stefani's hometown of Anaheim, California.
The pop star will hit these Canadian spots:
May 29, Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
May 30, Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
June 10, Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre
June 12, Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
June 13, Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
June 15, Vancouver, BC - General Motors Place
Writer: Meghan Wubs
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For Abarth servicing, MOTs and repairs, you can rely on us at Simonstone Motor Group in Bristol & Somerset to keep your car in excellent condition.
With our Abarth training, we're well-equipped to take care of your car. We're able to detect problems quickly and correct them properly, because we know how the models are built and we've been taught the best way of carrying out each repair. Our workshop is fitted out with the latest diagnostic tools and there's always a master technician on site who oversees all of our work. So you can rest assured that every repair, service and MOT will be seen by more than one pair of eyes.
Regularly servicing your Abarth is important for its health and to keep it running efficiently for years. During our service, we'll repair a number of items that typically start to wear down. We will also give your car a full health check to point out any potential issues, giving you the opportunity to arrange for replacements or repairs before they escalate.
Any repairs can be taken care of at our workshop, no matter how minor or major the work is. We can carry out bodywork and mechanical repairs using our state-of-the-art tools to ensure that your Abarth is returned to you in first-rate condition. We will only repair parts using official parts from Abarth, to ensure a high-quality repair which will help your car retain its value.
On this page, you can find a series of deals including long-lasting offers and one-off deals – so keep checking back to find the latest ones.
To book your Abarth in for a service, repair or MOT with our experts in Bristol & Somerset, call the showroom, drop in for a personal visit, or make an enquiry.


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In its Judgment of 6 October 2016 in Tecnoedi Construzioni, C-318/15, EU:C:2016:747, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) declared inadmissible a request for a preliminary reference sent by the Piedmont Regional Administrative Court, Italy. The case concerned the (in)compatibility with Arts 49 and 56 TFEU of an Italian public procurement rule applicable to (well) below-threshold contracts (ie tenders for works of a value below €1M), which allowed for the automatic rejection of tenders that exceeded an 'anomaly threshold' set by the contracting authority, without inter partes procedure.
The case offered the ECJ an opportunity to revisit very close issues to those decided in SECAP and Santorso, C-147/06 and C-148/06, EU:C:2008:277 -- which could also, conversely, have given it the opportunity of determining that the question was unnecessary and that the first principles of that decision stood. However, the ECJ decided to reject the receivability of the case for other reasons. By rejecting the request for a preliminary ruling, the ECJ did not take the opportunity to clarify (or rather, develop) the law in this area. So far, so good.
Given that it does not advance our understanding of the constraints that general EU free movement rules (or possibly general principles of EU public procurement law) impose on the treatment of apparently abnormally low tenders, the Tecnoedi case may easily fall under the radar of both practitioners (with some exceptions, see here and here) and academics (save for readers of the PPLR, which featured a comment by A Brown, 'The requirement for "certain cross-border interest" before EU Treaty obligations apply to below-threshold contacts: the EU Court of Justice ruling in case C-318/15 Tecnoedi', 2017 (1) PPLR NA14) —or, at least, that is the excuse I have given myself to seek justification for having overlooked this case for almost six months... However, not paying attention to Tecnoedi may lead us to miss a potential distortion in the ECJ's approach to the assessment of the existence of cross-border interest for public (works) contracts.
This is an area where the ECJ's approach is far from consistent, to say the least. The proper way of determining the (in)existence of cross-border interest for a contract remains elusive and the ECJ has not hammered down an unequivocal or clear test. In one of its most flexible and functional approximations (which I favour), the ECJ accepted that a (concession) contract of very limited financial value (due to the inclusion of a prohibition on profit-making activity) could still be of cross-border interest for business strategy reasons, such as an undertaking's goal to 'establish itself on the market of that State and to make itself known there with a view to preparing its future expansion' [see Comune di Ancona, C-388/12, EU:C:2013:734, para [51] ,discussed here].
Even if that is seen as a relative outlier, or contextualised in the line of case law aimed at establishing basic principles for the tender of services concessions prior to their subjection to the 2014 Concessions Directive, the ECJ's more general approximation to the existence of cross-border interest for a public contract can be understood, as the referring court put it in Tecnoedi, as establishing that:
In accordance with the Court's case-law, a contract (sic, tender) may have a certain cross-border interest not only as a result of the financial value of the contract to which it relates, but also as a result of the technical characteristics of the work and the place where the work is to be carried out (para 15).
Furthermore, in accordance with the Court's case-law, there may be certain cross-border interest, without its (sic) being necessary that an economic operator has actually manifested its interest (judgment of 14 November 2013, Belgacom, C-221/12, EU:C:2013:736, paragraph 31 and case-law cited) (para 16).
This (seemingly) creates the need to carry out a case by case analysis based on rather open-ended indicators and aimed at demonstrating (or excluding) the scope for potential (ex ante) rather than evidenced or actual (ex post) cross border interest for the tendered contract [for discussion, see C Risvig Hansen, Contracts Not Covered or Not Fully Covered by the Public Sector Directive (DJØF, 2012) 121-160].
In the case at hand, the referring court understood that there was potential for cross-border interest for the contract because
… notwithstanding the fact that the works contract at issue … is for an estimated value of EUR 1,158,899.97, it cannot be ruled out that the contract does not have certain cross-border interest as Fossano [the place of execution of the works] is located within 200 km of the border between France and Italy and several of the tenderers admitted to the tender procedure are Italian companies which are established in regions which are not neighbouring, such as … at a distance of approximately [between 600 and 800 km] from Fossano (para 16, emphasis added).
In my view, a reasonable application of the ECJ's previous approach/test would have waved through the case as (potentially) having cross-border interest. However, in Tecnoedi, this would have required the ECJ to deal with a very complex question and, more importantly, to keep developing non-statutory EU public procurement law on the basis of general internal market freedoms (or possibly general principles of EU public procurement law). Thus, in my view in order to avoid this difficult issue and (likely) criticisms for its judicial activism, the ECJ took a very strict approach to the assessment of potential cross-border interest in this case.
The ECJ first proceeded to recast its test for the assessment of potential cross-border interest as follows:
As regards the objective criteria which may indicate certain cross-border interest, the Court has previously held that such criteria may be, in particular, the fact that the contract in question is for a significant amount, in conjunction with the place where the work is to be carried out or the technical characteristics of the contract and the specific characteristics of the products concerned (para 20, emphasis added).
This can in itself be seen as a significant deviation -- if not an outright partial reading -- of previous case law and, in particular of SECAP and Santorso, C-147/06 and C-148/06, EU:C:2008:277, paragraph 31, on which the ECJ relies expressly in Tecnoedi. In fact, in that very paragraph, the ECJ indicated that
It is permissible ... for legislation to lay down objective criteria ... indicating that there is certain cross-border interest. Such criteria could be, inter alia, the fact that the contract in question is for a significant amount, in conjunction with the place where the work is to be carried out. The possibility of such an interest may also be excluded in a case, for example, where the economic interest at stake in the contract in question is very modest (see, to that effect, Case C‑231/03 Coname [2005] ECR I‑7287, paragraph 20). However, in certain cases, account must be taken of the fact that the borders straddle conurbations which are situated in the territory of different Member States and that, in those circumstances, even low-value contracts may be of certain cross-border interest (SECAP, para 31, emphasis added).
Thus, the ECJ seemed in Tecnoedi rather open to a certain conflation of value and cross-border interest (a move that can ow be traced back to Enterprise Focused Solutions, C-278/14, EU:C:2015:228, para 20, on which the ECJ also relies in Tecnoedi), which did not seem to follow from the previous case on which it relied. On this basis, and taking into account the arguments of the referring court on Fossano's proximity to France and the evidence that domestic tenderers located further away decided to participate, the ECJ then established that
… a conclusion that there is certain cross-border interest cannot be inferred hypothetically from certain factors which, considered in the abstract, could constitute evidence to that effect, but must be the positive outcome of a specific assessment of the circumstances of the contract at issue. More particularly, the referring court may not merely submit to the Court of Justice evidence showing that certain cross-border interest cannot be ruled out but must, on the contrary[,] provide information capable of proving that it exists. …
… it may not be argued that a works contract … for an amount which does not equate even to a quarter of the threshold laid down by EU law and whose place of performance is located 200 km away from the border with another Member State can be of certain cross-border interest solely because a certain number of tenders were submitted by undertakings established in the Member State in question, which are located at a considerable distance from the place where the work at issue is to be carried out.
That evidence is clearly insufficient having regard to the circumstances of the case …, and, in any event, cannot be the only evidence which must be taken into account, in so far as potential tenderers from other Member States may face additional constraints and burdens relating, inter alia, to the obligation to adapt to the legal and administrative framework of the Member State where the work is to be carried out, as well as to language requirements [Tecnoedi, paras 22-25, emphases added].
This assessment by the ECJ is bound to create perplexity, not least because it adopts an anti-integrative logic that comes to say: "since there are clear regulatory and language barriers to the functioning of the internal market for public contracts, let's not even bother to consider the extent to which fundamental market freedoms have a role in bringing them down".
It also seems to encapsulate an approach that could limit the relevance of its case law on the application of general principles of EU public procurement law to contracts that are sufficiently close to the thresholds triggering the application of the substantive directives. This triggers questions such as how close must the value be to the directive's thresholds for cross-border interest to be likely? If very close, then what is the purpose of this line of case law anyway, and would it not have been better to stick (strictly) to the value thresholds as redlines for EU competence (including that of the ECJ)? If not very close, then how many shades of grey do we have in this area, and how can a contracting authority (or review tribunal or court) reasonably establish the (likelihood of) applicability of general principles and fundamental internal market freedoms?
To me, these defects alone are sufficient to consider Tecnoedi a troubling distortion of the ECJ's approach to the assessment of cross-border interest for public contract—fundamentally because it creates a crack in (if not smashes) the normative and functional logic of previous case law and, on the whole, creates a risk of significant restriction of application of the general principles of EU public procurement law going forward.
Moreover, and at a lower level of generality, I also harbour the strong suspicion that the ECJ sees this as a relatively safe or unobjectionable assessment because it concerns a rule on the treatment of (automatically identified) abnormally low tenders that may be (improperly) considered not to create a barrier to free movement because it applies at evaluation rather than selection stage—and also because the request for the preliminary ruling was clearly defective in its lack of clarity of both the content of the Italian rule and its application to the specific case (which seems not to be possible on the basis of the limited information provided in the ECJ's judgment). Thus, the ECJ probably may have seen this approach to the assessment of cross-border interest as an easy way to return the hot potato to the referring court without burning its hands.
However, in my opinion, this approach is clearly unsafe and objectionable when put in a different (broader perspective). Let's imagine that the challenge had been directed at a rule on selection or exclusion (eg a rule restricting participation in tenders for this type of works contracts to undertakings located in the relevant Italian region, in this case Piedmont). In that case, the ECJ may (would) have been more willing to accept that the (same) test of (potential) cross-border interest based on the exact same indicia of economic irrelevance of a 200 km distance lent itself the opposite conclusion, and thus resulted in jurisdiction of the ECJ to interpret the relevant Italian (regional) rule against Arts 49 and 56 TFEU – or, even further, in its jurisdiction to (uphold) an Art 258 TFEU decision of the European Commission finding Italy in breach of EU law for such blatantly discriminatory rule, ultimately based on the tenderers' nationality (which could easily dwarf the ECJ's qualms about accepting the existence of potential cross-border interest in cases such as this).
Overall, for these reasons, I consider the Tecnoedi judgment very troubling. I can only hope that it will not go unnoticed and that the ECJ will backtrack from this rigid approach to the existence of (potential) cross-border interest in a tender for a public (works) contract.


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Archives - January 2010
Opening Ceremony ticket raffle ..
kduncan | January 31, 2010
We will be doing the draw in morning ,Monday, Feb 1.
The winner will be notified and we will post the info on this blog. Thank you all for helping by purchasing tickets and good luck!
Last Day For Raffle Tix!
dsheldon | January 30, 2010
Today is your last chance to purchase Raffle Tickets for 2 seats at the Olympic Opening Ceremonies!
Go to our previous blog for instructions on purchasing tickets (or just scroll down this page). All proceeds go to our care for the kittens and cats. They're grateful for your support!
Purchase Tickets
VOKRA's new Feral Cat short video
dsheldon | January 21, 2010
Please watch our latest video about feral cats and trap-neuter-release programs.
And please circulate this link, put it on your Facebook profile, Tweet about it. More people need to understand the plight of these innocent creatures.
Olympic Ticket Raffle!
dsheldon | January 20, 2010
kduncan | January 1, 2010
Wow look at that ... 2010 ...
Hope you all have had a good start to this year.
We here at VOKRA are optimistic after all the great media coverage and generous donor reponse we have had over the holidays...A number of our cats and kittens have found wonderful homes. Fosters, past adopters and kind people from all over Canada and into the States have stepped up and helped us. We are paying off our bills at vets and the stress level is lowering at this end. It has been such a departure for us to have to ask for help...in ten years of operation we had not been in this position. I guess as we have grown so have the calls for help. Once we have a couple of more board meetings we will be able to post on how things are and what our new "written in stone" mandate will be. Meanwhile we are still here and i am so overwhelmed by all the notes and messages we have been sent. Thank you all so much...
Here are some pictures of kittens that are still coming in during the last two weeks...they would have had very little chance if left on the street.
All are coming around with gentle care and
lots of patience in our foster homes.
Thank you everyone for your help and support.
This is who it is for.


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Don't leave any money on the table when doing your taxes this season. Paying attention to tax deductions that you qualify for is an easy way to maximize your refund. According to the IRS, the average refund was about $2,700 in 2015. We want you to get the most out of doing your taxes and get that big refund, too.
Itemizing tax deductions on your return can potentially add more dollars in your bank account come spring or whenever you receive your refund. There are some deductions that you may be unaware of or others that you simply forget about each year. We don't want that to happen again. Here's our list of the top 5 tax deductions that are commonly overlooked:
- The Doctor Will See You Now. Going to the doctor can be expensive with copays, cost of transportation, prescriptions and premiums adding up to large amounts. However, most people don't know—or take the time to find out—that medical expenses can be a major deduction item. So, if you got an annual exam, contact lenses, glasses, visited a chiropractor, purchased birth control pills, used a service animal, or even got braces in 2015, make your deductions and get back some of that money you spent taking care of yourself. Remember, medical expenses are deductible if they are not reimbursed by your health insurance provider and the expenses exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income if you're 65 or over or 10 percent of your AGI if you're under 65 years old. To report medical expenses, please use Schedule A Form 1040.
- Oh Baby! Millennials are waiting longer to start families, with some deciding to forgo children all together. For couples with baby fever, the reward outweighs the cost hands down. The deductions a baby can produce might surprise you. For those of us that need a little extra help, infertility treatments has proven to be very successful—and deductible. Treatments like artificial insemination, tubal ligation reversal and vasectomy reversal surgeries, as well as In Vitro Fertilization are all tax deductible. Infertility costs can reach into the tens of thousands, so take advantage of these deductions at the end of the year for a greater return.
- Working From Home Just Got Easier. Working from home can be great, but keeping track of all your expenses can oftentimes be a hindrance. The IRS did us a solid a couple of years ago by developing the Simplified Business Use of Home, which is a deduction designed for self-employed individuals that work from home (or a remote agent style employee). It allows the self-employed a deduction using up to 300-square feet of their home at an automatic $5 per square foot, which takes the place of all other expenses. The maximum deduction amount is $1,500.
- Breaking Up Is Hard To Do. We've all heard the overused truism that 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. Since people are tying the knot at a more mature age, marriages are beginning to stand the test of time. However, if you are not a part of the "lifers" club, and you have to pay alimony, you're in luck! Alimony is deductible as long as you follow the requirements put in place by the IRS, such as payments must be made in cash, alimony must be court ordered, the former couple cannot live together or file a joint tax return, just to name a few. There are seven requirements in all, for a complete list visit the IRS website.
- Still Getting Help From Mom And Dad? Congratulations on graduating (six months ago)! Finding that "dream" job is taking longer than expected, so your parents have agreed to help you out with student loan payments. This is great in more ways than one. First, your parents are footing the bill, which is one less thing you have to worry about while you are trying to find your place in the workforce. Secondly, you can deduct the interest paid by your parents! This is what we in the tax biz call a "win-win." As long as the previous student is not still being claimed as a dependent they can qualify to deduct up to $2,500 of interest. We hear you thinking out loud, and no, your parents have no claim to the student-loan interest because they are not responsible for paying back the loan, you are. Like we said, "win-win."
Now, you can't say we never told you. See if you qualify for these tax deductions to get the most out of doing your taxes.


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Practice Areas
Alert: U.S. Supreme Court Affirms Vitality of Field Preemption as a Defense to Common Law Tort ClaimsPrint PDFShare
Today, the United States Supreme Court affirmed the vitality of field preemption as a defense to common law tort claims. Kurns v. Railroad Friction Products, Inc., No. 10–879, slip op. (U.S. Feb. 29, 2012). The high court's holding is in accord with arguments presented by Briggs and Morgan attorneys Diane Bratvold, Kevin Decker and Jonathan Schmidt on behalf of DRI – The Voice of the Defense Bar (DRI) as an amicus curiae.
Kurns involved a lawsuit by a railroad employee seeking to recover damages for alleged exposure to asbestos in locomotives and locomotive parts. The District Court granted, and the Court of Appeals affirmed, summary judgment for the defendants on the ground that the state-law claims were preempted by the federal Locomotive Inspection Act (LIA), 49 U. S. C. §20701 et seq.
At the Supreme Court, the plaintiffs urged the justices to narrow the high court's field preemption jurisprudence, which supplies a defense to common law claims. See Napier v. Atlantic Coast Line R. Co., 272 U. S. 605 (1926). Plaintiffs argued that the tort claims at issue fell outside the preempted field contemplated by Napier, but the high court held that Napier's "categorical conclusion admits of no exception for state common-law duties and standards of care."
Briggs argued on behalf of DRI that the broad scope of field preemption was both well-founded in the law and well-intended in defending the supremacy of federal authority. Field preemption has been long recognized in some of the country's oldest and most important industries, e.g., railroads, shipping, and banking. Precluding the reasonable reliance of such businesses upon the uniformity and consistency of federal regulation could expose these vital and inherently interstate enterprises to a myriad of different common law standards, the threat of potentially-debilitating tort liability and, perhaps more importantly, tremendous market uncertainty.
Kurns preserves the legal framework by which so many businesses operate and defend themselves in the courts. There is no doubt that challenges in the same vein as those pursued by the Kurns plaintiffs will continue to be a fixture in the judicial and legislative halls for years to come.


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Upside Learning, a recognized leader in training outsourcing, custom eLearning development & LMS solutions, has developed India's first Layar (augmented reality application) for Pune city, giving users a whole new way to explore the city with their mobile phones.
Online PR News – 27-April-2010 – – Upside Learning is thrilled to launch Pune Layar - an augmented reality application for mobile phones that will let users find significant landmarks in and around Pune city. Currently available for mobile devices that run Android version 1.5 and above or the Apple iPhone 3GS, this is the first layer made specifically for any Indian city.
Layar is an augmented reality browser that helps users interact with their location using their phones and receive value added information. Upside Learning has constantly strived to address the multifarious platforms in the technology domain, mobile being one of the most important ones. It is this very commitment, backed by support of its Innovation team that has lead to the development of the Pune Layar.
The Pune Layar allows users to experience an innovative way to explore the city using their mobile phones by helping them find significant landmarks like museums, forts, monuments; buildings & landmarks; restaurants; places of worship and much more. Users can learn about the Point of Interest's rating (popularity among users), its distance from the user's current location, time of opening/closing (if applicable) and entry fee (if applicable). These Points of Interests (POIs) are nothing but various landmarks that hold some significance for tourists and the general public alike. Pune Layar connects the various POIs to their respective Wikipedia pages and websites (if available), allowing users to access more information. It also provides users directions to the POI from their current location using Google Maps, just at the click of a button.
Besides this, to help this application evolve and include more POIs over a period of time, Upside Learning has also created a facility for users to add their favorite landmark through a webpage (http://www.upsidelayar.com/process/addpoi.php ), using a smart-phone or a desktop computer. Users can also give their feedback through a Feedback page (http://www.upsidelayar.com/process/feedback.php). This will help the company to further enhance the performance of the application as per users' suggestions.
One of the important aspects of this application is that it is free .*using the Layar application may incur data charges, please check with your provider*. By no means will the company charge users for searching and locating places, reading information, adding POIs etc.
The use of Layar or other Augmented Reality application in the field of eLearning could be profound. Upside Learning's focus is to use Layar in learning solutions and fully explore its application in performance support solutions.
"We are quite excited to share this application with the world. Developed first time for an Indian city it provides an opportunity to experience Pune city just like a local.", said Amit Garg, Director of Content Solutions at Upside Learning.
"This is our first tryst with Layar and although, initially, the application seems high-ended demanding a lot of programming efforts, its development has actually been made a lot simpler by the Layar community. We hope that the Pune Layar helps people get timely and accurate information thereby making the exploration experience more enjoyable and convenient.", said Amar Jadhav, Member - Innovation Team at Upside Learning.
About Upside Learning
Upside Learning is a globally recognized leader in training outsourcing, custom e-learning development & LMS solutions. With a collective experience of 600+ person-years, it has successfully completed more than 300 corporate and academic projects for over 150 clients worldwide, some of which have won international awards for design and quality.
The company's product & services portfolio ranges from Custom eLearning to Catalog Courses, Mobile Learning to Blended Learning, Learning Management Systems to Technical support services tailor-made to an organization be it an Enterprise, SMB or Training Company.
Besides this, it is its constant endeavor to explore new technological avenues and develop advanced & innovative learning solutions to provide cutting-edge solutions to its clients.
Contact Upside Learning to know how it can help you better.


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Even the liberal media say Mary Landrieu is toast
The Liberal Landslide Away From Mary Landrieu
Landrieu throws Hail Mary, GOP may score
House approves Keystone XL pipeline, Senate up next
Mary Landrieu sure does love that crazy Keystone XL pipeline
This is why Mary Landrieu is in serious trouble
Mary Landrieu Is Not Pleased. Can You Blame Her?
'Stepped right into that propeller': Sen. Mary Landrieu's #WhereWasBill tweet backfires
Harry Reid shakes down Democrats to help Mary Landrieu
Landrieu: Obama And I Aren't Popular In The South Because It's Racist And Sexist
Mary Landrieu Suggests Southern US Racist Against Obama; Opponent Responds 'We're Not Racist, We Just Have Common Sense'
Mary Landrieu did not look like a politician on the brink of extinction as she arrived at the National World War II Museum's crowded Veterans Day get-together in her hometown of New Orleans on Tuesday. With the hulks of retired warplanes suspended overhead, the senior Senator from Louisiana made her way toward the stage through a sea of smiles, handshakes and hugs from old friends. She stopped for a chat with the New Orleans Maritime Marine Academy Band before taking a seat on stage next to the mayor, who is also her little brother.
But as the Senate Democrats' final flag-bearer in the Deep South, Landrieu is every bit the last of an endangered political species. In a three-way contest on Election Day earlier this month, she finished first with 42% compared to 40% for Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy and 14% for Tea Party favorite Rob Maness. Landrieu and Cassidy…
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