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Stobhach Gaelach and Soda Farls

Posted by on July 7, 2017 in The Dead Shall Live, What Pooks Is Writing, World of The Fury Triad | 1 comment

This stew ain’t right. [Well, historically.] Let me tell you why. [It’s pretty though.  © sumners via depositphotos]

It’s a rare writer who doesn’t get seduced down many a research black hole in an effort to bring the very best story to her readers. And by black hole I mean information so fascinating, alarming, and/or delicious she just might keep clicking and reading and reading and clicking a teensy bit longer than the need for information might justify.

And when food is involved? Yeah, count me guilty! Right now I’m doing final revisions on The Dead Shall Live which involves filling in all sorts of blanks. Oddly, it is taking me the exact amount of time to fill those blanks right now that it would have taken back when I was writing the first two or three drafts and didn’t have time.

But in fairness, at that time I was still spinning story, still searching for the big picture, not wanting to get diverted into details. Which by the way, I get divered by all the time whether I am writing first draft or final polish. I just couldn’t justify the time it would take to research seasonings for Irish stew when I was dealing with big scary magical stuff.

Your intrepid explorer/writer/Pooks doing dangerous research in the far reaches of Youghal, Ireland. [Where else would you expect a fifth-generation Texan to go other than a play pronounced “y’all?”

So here I was [figuratively] sitting with Persephone in a quayside inn in Youghal [pronounced Yawl] Ireland, and she is being served stew. So I tossed a description in there off the top of my head, knowing I’d come back to it later and make it right.

The slattern returned with two big bowls of something that smelled of lamb and rosemary, and also as smelled as if it might taste quite good, to Persephone’s reluctant astonishment. Cubes of potato and [swede*] and whatnot*, flavored with rosemary and a hearty shake of salt and pepper [*replace with something authentic].

First off, I suspected rosemary was an unlikely herb though I was just guessing. Again, just guessing, I thought thyme more likely. Not because of flavor but because I thought it more likely that Irish peasants [this is peasant food] were more likely to be growing thyme which grows from seed than rosemary which is a bush.

Mr Google seemed to agree about the thyme as an early or original seasoning. The other thing Mr Google told me was that originally it would have been the tough parts of lamb or mutton boiled/stewed with potatoes and onions. The potatoes breaking down would have made it a rich thick stew.

As more things became available, it was likely that other root veg* would have been added.  That’s where your carrots, turnips, etc. would come in. Whenever I had Irish stew in Ireland, though, it never had carrots in it. My husband’s beef stew did. So that’s why I looked at that stew at the top and felt it a bit unsatisfactory.

This is supposedly Irish stew, too. It does have the County Cork cabbage. I see dill, of course, although just a pretty sprig on  the side. But I am not sure, is that a stewed tomato? And what is the dark shriveled thing at 10:00? I am withholding my seal of approval in calling it official, traditional, historically accurate Irish Stew*, although it does look tasty.

But then I found something even more interesting. As I kept digging to see how it might be seasoned, to see if there were any herbs more likely to be used in southern Ireland than northern, for example, I discovered a variation of Irish stew–I mean, Stobhach Gaelach–that is particular to County Cark*.

Guess what. County Cark Irish Stew has cabbage in it. Usually cabbage, celery, maybe green peas and leeks, along with the lamb/mutton, potatoes, and onions. I think cabbage gets a bad rap. Cabbage added to soup is tasty. And this? Sounds delicious.

I found some recipes and oh I can’t wait to make some County Cark Irish Stew!

I mean, Stobhach Gaelach.

Here are two ways of pronouncing stobhach. I have no idea whether either or both are correct, or if it depends on which region of Ireland the speaker is from. One of the examples is from an American.

But my diversion into the culinary arts of Ireland didn’t stop there. No, I needed to know more about soda bread, too! Would they call it soda bread? Or would they just call it bread, and there at that time, that is how bread was made? An Irish writer [Catharine Sharp, if you’re keeping score] pointed me at a site that had an explanation that she says pretty much fits her experience:

It comes in two main colors, brown and white, and two main types: “cake” and “farl”. The latter are primarily regional differences. People in the south of Ireland tend to make cake: people up North seem to like farl better (though both kinds appear in both North and South, sometimes under wildly differing names).[…]You may hear either of these breads referred to locally as “brown cake”, “soda cake”, “soda farl”, “brown farl”, “wheaten bread”, and any combination of numerous other weird terms.

Farls, delicious and beautiful farls. Not dripping with butter. We ate those. But these will drop with butter soon, my pretties. Very soon.

So finally I am wallowing in the kind of detail that makes the world come alive for me. Even though I am a tad concerned that cabbage and such might not have been traditional in Irish stew two hundred years ago, I can’t find a reason to assume that. And since County Cark has its own special twist on stew–I mean, Stobhach Gaelach–I have decided that yes, Persephone’s wonderful bowl of fabulously fragrant stew will have cabbage and leeks and such along with the potatoes, onions and meat. And they will probably be served brown cake, as well.

This, I fear, is where any excuse at “in the name of research” goes out the window. I can’t call it research that I wanted to know how the soda bread was cooked on top of the range rather than in the oven, which is a northern Ireland thing, after all, and I’m researching County Cark, and oh by the way am not giving the recipe or explaining how it’s made so my need for info was satisfied an hour earlier, at least].

But–farls. Which means quarters. The loaf is rolled to half an inch thickness and cut in four roughly equivalent pieces. Quarters. Farls.

But this is what interested me–the top of the range bit. Who wants to heat up the house with the oven baking in the hot Texas summer? But stove top? I have the iron skillets. I have the ingredients [well I used the vinegar and milk thing instead of buttermilk] and–

I had the video!

Reader, I made them.

This is the grueling level of research I submit myself to, just to make sure my books are worthy of you, dear reader. I force myself to drive throughout Ireland and hike here and yon and scramble over rocks and turnstiles and dig into musty old bookstores to find research materials–

And I force myself to bake–

And eat–

Dripping with butter–

Soda farls.

And yes, I shall go even further.

I shall cook, and eat, Stobhach Gaelach* using the County Cark recipe.

All for you, dear readers.

All for you.

How delicious are my farls? A creature from a different planet is holding them hostage. [But only for butter. He’s demanding dripping butter.]

* I am the sole authority on the identification of true Stobhach Gaelach on this blog. Which doesn’t make me qualified. Just bossy.

1 Comment

  1. I think I want to try it. Definitely the soda farls dripping with butter and, perhaps, some honey.

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Shoulder replacement surgery illustration

3 Tips for Faster Recovery from Shoulder Replacement Surgery

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Shoulder replacement surgery illustrationEach year in the U.S. more than 50,000 patients undergo shoulder replacement surgery. If you’re one of the many Americans who is experiencing severe shoulder arthritis or who suffered a serious shoulder fracture, you may fall into this group. If an orthopaedic surgeon tells you that you are a candidate for shoulder replacement surgery, also known as shoulder arthroplasty, it is natural to have many questions. One of them will certainly be about recovery from the surgery – what it entails, how long it takes, when normal activities can resume and so on.

While recovery from a shoulder replacement cannot be rushed and it will take time for proper healing and rehabilitation, there are several tips that may accelerate the recovery process and help to manage pain and improve surgery outcomes.

Here are Dr. Mendoza’s three tips for faster recovery from shoulder replacement surgery:

  1. Ensure proper support & positioning Though you will be unable to make any sort of movements with the affected shoulder immediately following surgery, it is important to make sure that the arm and shoulder are properly positioned while they aren’t moving. The shoulder needs to be well supported in a relaxed position at all times and this can be achieved by using the sling provided by Dr. Mendoza. In addition, the shoulder should always be propped up when you’re in a reclined position, such as when lying on the couch or going to sleep at night. Rolling up a throw blanket or using a small pillow are two good options to place under your elbow.
  2. Apply gentle heat – Applying heat to the shoulder is a great way to relax and loosen the muscles and relieve pain. Heat will be a particularly helpful tool when the rehabilitation process begins, as it will allow you to warm up the shoulder joint and get it ready to perform exercises and stretches with less pain.
  3. Consistently perform recommended exercises – Once the immediate post-operative rest period is over, it is important to begin warming up the shoulder by performing daily stretches and small movements as recommended by Dr. Mendoza and your physical therapist. These movements, such as shoulder blade rolls, will help to relieve stiffness and pain and lay the foundation for a successful rehabilitation.

To read more about shoulder replacement surgery including the different types of arthroplasty procedures regularly performed by NYC orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Mendoza, visit our shoulder replacement page. Still have questions about the procedure or the recovery process? We’re here to help. Contact our office to get more information or to schedule a consultation at our Manhattan practice.

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Rice Hull Reduces Fossil-based Fuels and Energy Cost

By Henrylito D. Tacio

Nueva Ecija, 19 Aug 2009. One of the milling by-products of rice is the rice hull. It constitutes about 20-22% by weight of the grain. It coats the seeds of the rice plant to protect the seed during the growing season. As such the rice hull is made of hard materials.

The hull is indigestible to humans and considered a waste dumped usually in open fields and waterways or burned in dumping grounds. However, rice hull should not be treated as useless. There are several uses of rice hull.

Rice hull is a good source of energy. A ton of rice hull is equivalent to 318 liters of fuel. Yes, you read it right. With a heating value of 13,900 kilojoules per kilogram, rice hull can sum up to this volume given ideal conditions.

Rice hull is used as burner fuel for drying activities and domestic stoves in raw form or briquettes. In Nueva Ecija, where rice hull is abundant, residents find it a good source of cooking fuel. In Davao del Sur and other parts of Mindanao, some farmers use rice hulls as bedding or litter for poultry operations. Others utilize it as feeding material for ruminant animals and poultry.

Some studies show that rice hull is a good energy source for hot water heaters and boilers to generate steam. Some rice mills originally dispose off the hulls in this way. In San Jose City, Nueva Ecija, Wideon Zacal has developed a rice hull-fueled steam engine for this purpose.

The rice hull can be used to produce mesoporous molecular sieves, which are applied as catalysts for various chemical reactions, as a support for drug delivery system and as absorbent in waster water treatment. As an absorbent, rice hulls can suck up liquid and provide an anti-skid surface, and an abrasive to keep surfaces from wear and tear due to friction.

In some parts of the world, rice hulls are also used as pillow stuffing. The pillows are loosely stuffed and considered therapeutic as they retain the shape of the head. In China, where these pillows have become popular, one pillow costs approximately US$6 and is considered a luxury item. The high price is testament to its being trendy, as one ton of rice hulls, even in the US, costs approximately US$5.

Rice hulls are organic material and as such they can be composted. However, their high lignin content can make this a slow process. In some instances, earthworms are used to accelerate the process. Using vermicomposting techniques, the hulls can be converted to fertilizer in about four months.

In some industries, rice hulls are also useful. In brewing beer, for instance, they are used to increase the lautering ability of a mash. In the United States, rice hulls are used as a “press aid” to improve extraction efficiency of apple pressing.

Rice hull is also used in the steel industry because of its remarkably high refractory capability and good insulation qualities. Likewise, rice hulls are a low-cost material from which silicon carbide “whiskers” can be manufactured. These whiskers are then used to reinforce ceramic cutting tools, increasing their strength tenfold.

As building material, rice hulls top. They are a class A insulating material because they are difficult to burn and less likely to allow moisture to propagate mold or fungi. It was found out that rice hull when burned produced amounts of silica. For these reasons it provides excellent thermal insulation.

Meanwhile, the ash produced after the husks have been burned is high in silica. A number of possible uses are being investigated for this, among them: aggregates and fillers for concrete and board production; absorbents for oils and chemicals; soil ameliorants; as a source of silicon; and as an insulation material for homes and refrigerants.

Some Filipino researchers have discovered rice hull ash (RHA) as a suitable cement binder in the manufacture of hollow blocks. Adding 10-20% ground gray or white ash to ordinary Portland cement does not affect the strength of the construction materials compared to 100% cement. This is because, researchers say, rice hull contains more than 87% silica. Adding 30% RHA by weight or 50% RHA by volume to ordinary cement in the manufacture of roof tiles makes the materials light, porous, and hard but brittle.

Another product that is becoming increasingly popular is the carbonized rice hull (CRH). To produce CRH, raw rice hull is burned without air so that it will not turn into ash. CRH is sterile and is free from disease organisms.

At the Philippine Rice Research Institute in Nueva Ecija, there’s a showcase of a pigpen where CRH, about one foot deep, serves as flooring instead of the usual cement floor. The pigpen does not have to be washed with water everyday. In fact, it does not get washed for the entire growing period of four months. The manure and urine of the pigs get buried in the carbonized rice hull. The usual foul smell is practically eliminated. And when the pigs attain market size and are sold, the litter is collected and used as organic fertilizer for vegetables, rice and other crops.

CRH is also very useful in rice farming. Twenty bags of CRH combined with organic fertilizer or compost may be applied in one hectare. It could be plowed in during land preparation. This will make the land not only more porous for better plant growth; it will also enable the soil to retain the moisture much longer. Thus, when there is a prolonged dry spell, the rice plants will be able to survive the rainless period longer.

“Intensifying rice hull use will have a great impact on the economy,” commented one researcher. “Tapping more of this ‘waste’ and less of fossil-based fuels will significantly reduce energy costs. In the rice processing industry, this usually represents 50-60% of the total drying cost.”


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Kelimutu: Sustaining Parks - and People

Indonesia is not exactly famous for its strong ecological stance, so any resort that claims it deliberately operates near National Parks to raise conservation awareness is unusual. But Kelimutu Crater Lakes Eco Lodge on Flores makes a point of employing local people to extend that awareness into the local community. By James Teo.

Flores, Indonesia, March 20, 2018. Kelimutu Crater Lakes Ecolodge (KCLE) sits in a valley just below the famous coloured crater lakes at Gunung Kelimutu, in the Taman Nasional Kelimutu Park. One of the most popular attractions on the Indonesian island of Flores, the three Kelimutu lakes have always attracted tourists to climb the mountain and look out over the craters at sunrise.

If you do visit, you should try to make the early morning trip up the mountain to see the lakes. They have the unique properties of each being a different colour – all of which change over time and season. Over the past few years they have changed from white, turquoise and red to black, greeny-blue and coca-cola, then bottle green, turquoise and khaki. Apparently they change colours continuously, and without any simple explanation.

Although the National Park is a gazetted area which brings in a lot of tourist money, local people still make use of its natural resources, and this can lead to reductions of, and pressure on, both flora and fauna. This, says Ecolodges Indonesia (ELI), the company that runs KCLE, is why it deliberately develops ecologically based lodges on the edge of national parks and creates ecotourism opportunities.

People conservation

ELI says it is the only company in Indonesia which tries to help conservation in Indonesia’s iconic national parks through offering and promoting ecotourism - and helping create sustainable jobs for locals, that nonetheless depend on the environment. Laudable stuff indeed. One good example is Patrise Tiba, the head guide at the Lodge.

Patrise Tiba now works helping visitors appreciate the National park. Courtesy KCLE.

Patrise Tiba now works helping visitors appreciate the National park. Courtesy KCLE.

A native of Flores who lives in a nearby village called Moni, Patrise joined the lodge after a short stint as a teacher. Although he had no guiding or hospitality experience, he learned on the job and now works directly in guest relations and guiding, with a special interest in the birdlife that fills the forest of the National Park.

According to Alan Wilson, the chairman and co-founder of ELI, helping local people to understand the value of National Parks is one of the great conservation challenges faced by Indonesia.

“One of the greatest weaknesses in Indonesia regarding conservation is the very poor management of the country’s magnificent national parks,” he said in an interview. “Currently the parks are staffed by poorly educated people who develop petty bureaucracies of power, restricting access and growth of the park.” Wilson went on to say that many common problems such as poor morale, underfunding, illegal activities, poor tourist experiences, and lack of understanding could be solved by better, more transparent management. “This issue needs to be urgently addressed,” he added.

Most people visit Kelimutu to see the coloured crater lakes. Courtesy KCLE.

Most people visit Kelimutu to see the coloured crater lakes. Courtesy KCLE.

Getting to KCLE isn’t too hard – regular flights run to various airports on Flores from Bali Denpasar, Jakarta and Surabaya. From Ende (the nearest airport) there it is a road ride to the lodge through Flores's amazing sub-tropical scenery; the lodge will arrange your transport.

The accomodation at KCLE includes 21 rooms. These are spread across 5 standalone bungalows, 4 duplex bungalows, a three-room lodge, and some extra rooms in the main building. All have terraces that look out over the tropical garden, the surrounding jungle or the nearby terraced rice fields. In the background, the horizon rises to those 1,400m high volcanic craters of Kelimutu with their amazing coloured waters.

Close to nature

The rooms are all traditionally comfortable without being overdone; the bungalows offer delightful outdoor showers so you can hear the birds as you cleanse. Operationally, the lodge itself is extremely sustainable. Almost all power comes from solar panels, recycling is a given, and locally grown food is offered as much as possible.

The bungalows offer delightful outdoor showers. Courtesy KCLE.

The bungalows offer delightful outdoor showers. Courtesy KCLE.

“We also use energy efficient appliances such as low flow consumption devices in most toilets, recycled paper products in-room, and we recycle paper, bottles and biodegradables,” says Wilson. Visitors can also opt out of daily cleaning services as well as choose not to have towels and sheets washed daily.

Additionally, grey water is recycled on to the gardens, a worm farm recycles kitchen and garden waste or it is fed to animals, and at least 90% of staff are local. This helps educate and empower people with sustainable, environmentally sourced jobs. “All this activity is thoroughly reviewed every year,” adds Wilson.

Traditional villages on Flores haven't changed much over the years. Courtesy KCLE.

Traditional villages on Flores haven't changed much over the years. Courtesy KCLE.

It is an ideal place for nature lovers and hikers who want to visit the crater lakes, hike into the park or surrounding traditional villages, local waterfalls or hot springs. It’s not luxury, but you can bask in the feeling of being close to nature, helping local people, and also contributing US$10 to a dedicated conservation fund.

“We believe that protection of National Parks will only occur through providing sustainable jobs for people who live on the edge of parks - and our guests play a vital role in this process,” say the managers.


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Gali visits the 8th Gas Forum Exhibition in Saint Petersburg.

Gas Forum Exhibition

This October we have visited the beautiful Saint Petersburg on the occasion of GAS FORUM EXHIBITION.

New opportunities to develop new business where created there.  The event was the perfect platform to introduce the Genset PULSAR KAC-1000 from one of our Russians partners.

Several years of studies, tests and last technologies are the base to reach a very efficient engine in the range of 1000 Kva.

Congratulations to all the team and all the work done during last years.


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Ben & Jerry's produces a wide variety of super premium ice cream and ice cream novelties, using Vermont dairy products and high quality, all natural ingredients. The company is committed to using milk and cream that have not been treated with the synthetic hormone, rBGH.

Ben & Jerry's products are distributed nationwide and in selected foreign countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchise Ben & Jerry's scoop shops, restaurants and other venues.

Ben & Jerry's, a wholly-owned autonomous subsidiary of Unilever, operates its business on a three-part mission statement emphasizing product quality, economic reward and a commitment to the community. Ben & Jerry's contributes a minimum of $1.1 million annually through corporate philanthropy that is primarily employee led. Additionally, the company makes significant product donations to community groups and nonprofits both in Vermont and across the nation. The purpose of Ben & Jerry's philanthropy is to support the founding values of the company: economic and social justice, environmental restoration and peace through understanding, and to support our Vermont communities.

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Daily: 11am - 11pm

Note: Hours may be seasonal and subject to change.


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Tennis for Two
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from Tennis For Two)
Tennis for Two
Tennis For Two on a DuMont Lab Oscilloscope Type 304-A.jpg
Tennis for Two on a DuMont Lab Oscilloscope Type 304-A
Developer(s)     William Higinbotham
Platform(s)     Analog computer

    NA: October 18, 1958

Genre(s)     Sports
Mode(s)     Multiplayer

Tennis for Two is a sports video game developed in 1958, which simulates a game of tennis, and was one of the first games developed in the early history of video games. American physicist William Higinbotham designed the game for display at the Brookhaven National Laboratory's annual public exhibition after learning that the government research institution's Donner Model 30 analog computer could simulate trajectories with wind resistance. He designed the game, displayed on an oscilloscope and played with two custom aluminum controllers, in a few hours, after which he and technician Robert V. Dvorak built it over three weeks. The game's visuals show a representation of a tennis court viewed from the side, and players adjust the angle of their shots with a knob on their controller and try to hit the ball over the net by pressing a button.

The game was very popular during the three-day exhibition, with players lining up to see the game, especially high school students. It was shown again the following year with a larger oscilloscope screen and a more complicated design that could simulate different gravity levels. It was then dismantled and largely forgotten until the late 1970s when Higinbotham testified in court about the game during lawsuits between Magnavox and Ralph H. Baer over video game patents. Since then, it has been celebrated as one of the earliest video games, and Brookhaven has made recreations of the original device. Under some definitions Tennis for Two is considered the first video game, as while it did not include any technological innovations over prior games, it was the first computer game to be created purely as an entertainment product rather than for academic research or commercial technology promotion.

In 1958, American physicist William Higinbotham worked in the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York as the head of the instrumentation division. Higinbotham had a bachelor's degree in physics from Williams College, and had previously worked as a technician in the physics department at Cornell University while unsuccessfully pursuing a Ph.D. there. He served as the head of the electronics division of the Manhattan Project from 1943 to 1945, and began working at Brookhaven in 1947, which focused on researching peaceful uses of atomic power. Once a year, the government research facility held an exhibition for the public, with one day each for high school students, college students, and the general public. The exhibition largely consisted of tours and static displays, with some attempts at making displays with "action", so for the 1958 exhibition Higinbotham decided to make an interactive display to entertain the visitors. While reading the instruction manual for one of Brookhaven's computers, a Donner Model 30 analog computer, he learned that the computer could calculate ballistic missile trajectories or a bouncing ball with wind resistance, and he decided to use this ability to form the foundation of a game. He later recalled his intentions were that "it might liven up the place to have a game that people could play, and which could convey the message that our scientific endeavors have relevance for society."
Modern recreation of the controller

Higinbotham designed a game that used an oscilloscope to display the path of a simulated ball on a tennis court viewed from the side. The attached computer calculated the path of the ball and reversed its path when it hit the ground. The game also simulated the ball hitting the net if it did not achieve a high enough arc as well as changes in velocity due to drag from air resistance. Two aluminum controllers were attached to the computer, each consisting of a button and a knob. Pressing the button hit the ball, and turning a knob controlled the angle of the shot. Originally, Higinbotham considered having a second knob to control the velocity of the shot, but decided it would make the controller too complicated. The device was designed in a few hours with the help of colleague Dave Potter and was assembled over three weeks with the help of technician Robert V. Dvorak. While most of the circuitry was based on vacuum tubes and relays, the circuits to display the graphics on the oscilloscope used transistors, then beginning to replace vacuum tubes in the electronics industry. Excluding the oscilloscope and controller, the game's circuitry approximately took up the space of a microwave oven.
The setup for Tennis for Two as exhibited in 1959

Tennis for Two was first shown on October 18, 1958. The game was rendered as a horizontal line, representing the tennis court, and a short vertical line in the center, representing the tennis net. The first player would press the button on their controller to send the ball, a point of light, over the net, and it would either hit the net, reach the other side of the court, or fly out of bounds. The second player could then hit the ball back with their controller while it was on their side, either before or after it bounced on the ground. Hundreds of visitors lined up to play the new game during its debut. Higinbotham claimed later that "the high schoolers liked it best, you couldn't pull them away from it." Due to the game's popularity, an upgraded version was shown the following year, with enhancements including a larger screen and different levels of simulated gravity. Players could set the game to simulate the gravity levels of the Moon or Jupiter. Higinbotham referred to the game as Tennis for Two, though a placard attached to the 1959 version titled it "Computer Tennis". After the 1959 exhibition, the game was dismantled so its components could be put to other uses.

After being dismantled, Tennis for Two was largely forgotten. It remained virtually unknown until the late 1970s and early 1980s when Higinbotham was called on to testify in court cases for defendants sued by Magnavox over the video game patents of Ralph H. Baer. Having discovered the game, the lawyers for the defense unsuccessfully attempted to have the game declared prior art to invalidate Baer's patents on television video games, resulting in attention being given to the nearly 20-year-old game as possibly the first video game. It received further attention as the subject of articles in Creative Computing and Video Replay in 1982 and 1983 highlighting its possible status as the first video game; the editor of Creative Computing, David H. Ahl, had played Tennis for Two at Brookhaven in 1958, and dubbed Higinbotham the "Grandfather of Video Games". Higinbotham himself felt that the game was an obvious extension of the Donner Model 30's bouncing ball program and therefore not worthy of patenting or a large part of his legacy; he preferred to be remembered for his post-World War II nuclear non-proliferation work.
1997 recreation of the original Tennis for Two setup

In 1997, a team at Brookhaven recreated the game for Brookhaven's 50th anniversary. The reconstruction took about three months, partially because the parts were not readily available. This recreation was also displayed at the 2008 celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the original game. The replica implemented an analog computer using solid-state operational amplifier devices instead of vacuum tubes as the original Donner Model 30 did. In 2010, it was replaced with a restored Donner Model 3400 analog computer. In 2011, Stony Brook University founded the William A. Higinbotham Game Studies Collection, dedicated to "documenting the material culture of screen-based game media", and "collecting and preserving the texts, ephemera, and artifacts that document the history and work of early game innovator and Brookhaven National Laboratory scientist William A. Higinbotham, who in 1958 invented the first interactive analog computer game, Tennis for Two."

Tennis for Two is considered under some definitions to be the first video game. Other candidates with stronger candidacies from a technological standpoint include the 1947 cathode-ray tube amusement device, the earliest known interactive electronic game, though it did not run on a computing device; the 1950 Bertie the Brain, the earliest known game to run on a computer, though it used light bulbs for a display; and OXO and a draughts game by Christopher Strachey in 1952, the earliest digital computer games to display visuals on an electronic screen. Tennis for Two, though it contained no technological developments to separate it from earlier games, has the distinction of being the earliest known computer game with visuals created purely for entertainment purposes. Prior games were created primarily for academic research purposes or to demonstrate the computing power of the underlying machine, with the exception of the non-computer based cathode-ray tube amusement device. This, therefore, makes Tennis for Two the first video game under some definitions from a philosophical viewpoint rather than a technical one and a distinctive moment in the early history of video games.


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Call Of Duty: Black Ops Release Date Announced

Prepare for the follow-up to the biggest entertainment launch in history: on November 9th Call of Duty: Black Ops will introduce fans to the elite world of Black Ops. Activision Publishing, Inc. and award-winning developer Treyarch will take players behind enemy lines in an entirely new chapter in the groundbreaking and record-setting, No. 1 first-person action series of all-time.

"We can't wait for our community to experience Call of Duty: Black Ops," said Mark Lamia, Studio Head for Treyarch. "We have focused our entire studio on this game, with dedicated multiplayer, single-player and co-op teams creating the most intense, gripping and riveting experience possible for our fans on all fronts."

Call Of Duty: Black Ops cover image

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Comic Heroes Issue 5 Out Now!

In anticipation of Hal Jordan’s imminent big screen outing we’ve gone as green as a very green thing indeed in the latest issue of Comic Heroes ...

Free Stuff!

Once again we’ve gathered together a fine selection of freebies for you all, because, frankly, you’re worth it. Our regular Sidekick magazine – featuring previews of the best upcoming releases including Baby’s In Black , Hellraiser , The Homeland Directive and Witchfinder: Lost And Gone Forever – is joined by the entire first issue of Cinebook’s English translation of the fantastic XIII . Not bad, ey?

Going Green

We've got Green Lantern fever as excitement mounts ahead of Hal Jordan’s arrival on the big screen later in the year. Alongside a comprehensive history of DC’s finest intergalactic superhero, there’s a look at the ten essential Green Lantern stories, an interview with legendary Lantern artist Dave Gibbons, and ten reasons why the new Green Lantern movie is going to rock your world.

Dredd Heads

In anticipation of Judge Dredd ’s return to the silver screen, we’ve spoken to some of a selection of 2000AD ’s finest to find out what they think of the first image to be released from the shoot.

Girls, Girls, Girls

Brit comics legend Pat Mills discusses the past – and the future – of girls’ comics.

Comic Club

Bryan Talbot’s superb Adventures Of Luther Arkwright gets the full Comic Club treatment.

Bluffer’s Guide

Find out everything you need to know about Marvel’s working class hero, the mighty Daredevil .

Forever Young

America’s eternal teenager turns 70 this year – we celebrate Archie in suitable CH style.

Don't Miss:

  • A look at the art of Michael Wm Kaluta !
  • XII is staggeringly popular in France – we find out why!
  • Kevin O’Neil talking 2000AD and Batman!
  • How to colour comics !
  • Mark Millar interviewed!


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Capcom Responds To MaXplosion Incident

By Colin Tan on January 13, 2011, 6:18PM EDT

Capcom has responded to Twisted Pixel's Mike Henry's outrage about MaXplosion being "complete theft" of 'Splosion Man.

"MaXplosion gameplay video makes me sad. If you're going to outright steal a game, you should at least understand what makes it fun," tweeted Henry earlier yesterday, adding that, "Borrowing is great. Hell, we do it all the time. But that game is a complete theft."

MaXplosion shares an uncanny resemblance to Twisted Pixel's 'Splosion Man. Here is Capcom's response to the situation:

"While Twisted Pixel did have discussions with our console game team about publishing "˜Splosion Man' on game consoles, Capcom Mobile is a different division of Capcom with separate offices and as such, had no prior knowledge of any meetings between the console game team and Twisted Pixel. "˜MaXplosion' was developed independently by Capcom Mobile. Nonetheless, we are saddened by this situation and hope to rebuild the trust of our fans and friends in the gaming community."

According the Mike Henry, Twisted Pixel had formally pitched 'Splosion Man to Capcom, who turned down the offer.

Source: VG247

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Battlefield V Gets Gamescom 2018 Trailer

By Mike Sousa on August 18, 2018, 5:56AM EDT

Even though Gamescom 2018 only begins next week, Electronic Arts and DICE have released the Gamescom trailer for the highly-anticipated Battlefield V. The trailer showcases intense and explosive battles across several locations, from the shattered streets of Rotterdam to the burning sands of North Africa, while also giving us a glimpse at the game's Battle Royal mode.

Battlefield V releases on the 19th of October on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

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Sagittarius Yearly Money And Finances Horoscope

This Year

If we talk about wealth and prosperity for the Sagittarians, it could be said through the planets that the entire year will be beneficial. It is assumed that 7 months out of the whole year will be financially strong. Investments made in properties during this year will be profitable. However, you might get cheated if going for short-term profits or there is a possibility that your money will be trapped, so Ganesha advises you to be more alert and cautious regarding financial matters. No decisions should be made with impatience. From the first week of July till the second week of August will be a favourable time. There are strong possibilities of good financial benefits in the future against the investments made in moveable properties from July till the last week of August. However, don’t make any hasty decision.

Debts/Loan? Financial crisis? Investment in Real Estate? How to increase Earning? Losses in Business? We promise you won’t face all problems alone ,Our Experts will guide you only @ ₹ 299.00

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Check out how well will your wavelengths with others match

Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh and Hazel Keech make for a wonderful and cute pair and no one can deny this fact. In this article, we prod Ganesha to analyse the stars of the newlywed couple and predict how their life after marriage would be.

What kind of Aries are you?

Explore if you are dominated by your sunsign or moonsign

Sagittarius is the 9th Sign of the Zodiac. Truth seekers, adventurers, lovers of travel (and their own selves), Sagittarius individuals are fun loving and a good company. Given their quest for truth and ultimate wisdom, most Sagittarius do not take things at their face value. Sagittarius take their own sweet time to form their opinions, and would not hesitate in asking embarrassing questions. No wonder, many Sagittarius-born make good inventors or discovers. Sagittarius adore their freedom, and restrictions of any sort may irritate and frustrate them. And thus, in relationships, they require (and even demand) their own space. In love, they are cheerful and giving. In fact, the Sagittarius are their happiest in a new relationship.


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Houseplants in Keswick

Buy beautiful houseplants in Keswick

Houseplants bring the garden indoors, filling your house with colour, greenery and scent even through the coldest months of the year. You can grow all sorts of exotic beauties in the protection of your own home, too, from lush palms to tropical orchids, glamorous amaryllis and vibrantly colourful flowering cacti.

In-flower houseplants from Keswick

There's a constantly changing display of houseplants on sale in garden centres here in Keswick so drop by during normal opening hours to select in-flower beauties for each season of the year. You can have a year-round indoor garden without having to step outside your front door.

Summer houseplant highlights

Lush evergreen houseplants like weeping figs, spider plants and kentia palms provide a year-round backdrop for colourful summer flowers.

  • Phalaenopsis orchids
  • Streptocarpus
  • begonias
  • climbing stephanotis
  • jasmine polyanthum

Please contact your local garden centre near Keswick below for more information on their wide range of houseplants.


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Staff Spotlight: Nzayisenga Epiphanie

A conversation with Epiphanie, Farm Technician and Staff Spotlight for June 2018!

Epiphanie poses for a portrait on GHI's Ndera farm.

Epiphanie poses for a portrait on GHI's Ndera farm.

Where are you from originally?

I am from Gakenke district.

What’s your favorite vegetable?

I like nightshade.

What do you like outside of work?

I like a place with music where others are dancing. I don’t like to dance, but I like to see others dancing!

How did you begin working at GHI?

I heard that GHI was recruiting farm workers. I come to ask for a job and they asked me if I had experience - and I told them I had worked on two other farms. Then they recruited me for the job.

What’s your favorite part of working at GHI?

Epiphanie participating in GHI's Umuganda day in October, 2017.

Epiphanie participating in GHI's Umuganda day in October, 2017.

I really like agriculture, growing crops, harvesting and seeing that we collected lots of produce. It makes me feel happy when it rains and our crops become better.

What’s something your coworkers might not know about you?

Outside of work, even though I do not own a farm,  I like to cultivate beans and maniocs when I get an opportunity.

Anything to add?

What I can add is that GHI opened my eyes. I was like a blind person when it came to knowing about birth control. I joined GHI already having six children, but when I joined I was able to learn about birth control, and that opened my eyes. I've learned a lot at GHI, and it has helped me to achieve many things. Even with all those children I was only renting my house, but now I own my own house. My children don’t have any problem now. That is how GHI helped me in my life.

Translation by Jasmine Umubano

Epiphanie uturuka he?

Nturuka mu karere ka Gakenke.

Ni izihe mboga ukunda kurusha izindi?

Nkunda isogo.

Hari ibindi bintu waba ukunda bitari ibyo mu kazi?

Muri make nkunda ahantu haba hari umuziki mbese abandi babyina ariko njye sinkunda kubyina ariko nkunda kubona abandi babikora.

Ni gute watangiye gukorera mu murima w’ubuzima?

Ukuntu natangiye gukorera hano, numvise nyine bari gushaka abantu bo gukora mu buhinzi, ubwo nyine njya gusaba akazi bambaza niba hari ahandi nigeze gukorera ndahababwira habiri nigeze gukorera ubuhinzi, ndahabira habiri ubwo nyine banyinjiza mu kazi gutyo.

Nonese ni iki ukunda mu gukorana n’umurima w’ubuzima?

Gukorera hano cyane cyane nkunda ubuhinzi, guhinga, gusarura nkabona umusaruro ubashije, ari mwinshi nkumva birashimishije iyo imvura igwa ibyacu twahinze bigasa neza, biranshimisha.

Ni ikihe kintu kimwe abantu mukorana bashobora kuba batakuziho?

Ni uko mu buzima busanzwe hanze iyo mbonye aho mpinga kuko imirima ntikunda kuboneka nta sambu ngira nkunda nguhinga ibishyimbo n’imyumbati.

Hari icyo wumva wakongeraho?

Icyo nakongeraho nuko nyine muri GHI harampumuye, nahoze ndi umuntu umeze nk’usinziriye ntazi uko baboneza urubyaro nagiye muri GHI mfite abana batandatu, ariko narahageze mbasha kumenya kumenya uko baboneza urubyaro, niga kuboneza urubyaro, narahageze harampumura mbese ubundi muri make, nahigiye ibintu byinshi cyane hanangejeje no kuri byinshi nahabaye ndi umucumbitsi, imyaka yose nari mbyayemo abana batandatu, sinagiraga urugo nabagaho ncubitse ariko ubu mfite inzu yanjye n’abana banjye ubu nta kibazo bafite nicyo mbona GHI yamariye mu buzima.


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We provide constructions and reconstruction of high-pressure gas pipelines of all categories, and medium-pressure and low-pressure pipelines (Subgroup B2, B1, A3 and A2).

Our Company is also involved in the construction of industrial pipelines, product mains, heat systems, water mains and compression sewers. Our activities include building work related to construction.

We will prepare

  • budget
  • project documentation
  • gas pipelines and product mains
  • gas connections
  • pressure tests
  • revisions

High-pressure Pipeline Restoration

Restoration includes a thorough revision of the pipeline based on specific tests of the technical parameters of steel and the pipeline, namely:

  • separation of the pipeline from the system and provision of its passability by replacing any parts of the pipeline with inadmissible geometry; concurrently, executing a repair or replacement of non-functional valves and fittings, and replacement or removal of non-functional components
  • cleaning the pipeline and executing any potential internal inspection using a geometric and intelligent ‘cleaning pig’, repairs of defects found during the inspection
  • repair of defects in insulation in connection to the results of the corrosive survey using the Pearson method and results of the corrosive activity of the environment
  • division of the pipeline into individual working sections, filling the sections with water and executing two cycles of voltage reparation
  • repairs of supercritical defects that open during pressure reparation
  • performing a pressure test at the pressure level defined on the basis of the previous tests and conduct of the pipeline during pressure reparation (the new level of operating pressure may be the same, or even higher than the original pressure level, however, it may be lower exceptionally)
  • elimination of free standing water from the pipeline and drying the pipeline to the residual value of the temperature of condensation of water in air in the pipeline below −20 °C

We have to emphasize that in order to keep the requirements of the operation of the individual sections we use a special technology by T. D. Williamson, Inc., which our Company owns, to a large extent. An advantage of such an implemented repair of a high-pressure pipeline is the large financial savings when compared with standard reconstruction.

  • useless parts of the pipeline, such as drainage fittings
  • non-functional branches, including line closures
  • useless connections with other pipelines

  • sleeves and anti-corrosion protection equipment
  • insulation of the pipeline on the basis of readings taken
  • repairs of earthing and pipeline accessories
  • any potential defects of the pipeline after a pressure test

  • damaged parts of the pipeline
  • non-functional line closures
  • pipeline elbows to allow cleaning with a cleaning plunger

And more

  • pressure reparation
  • execution of pressure tests
  • drying pipelines
  • connecting a repaired pipeline back to the high-pressure systém
  • preparation and submission of documentation of the actual execution, and geodetic documentation

Do you want to ask us something? Write us. Our specialist will respond to your inquiry within 1 week.


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Find an event

Add your event. It's free »
  • When?

Soul Night with JD 'The Soul Machine'

  • Where:
    Estuary Views Canvey Island, 1-3 Eastern Esplanade, Canvey Island, SS8 7DN
  • When:
    5 October
    7:00pm to 12:00am
  • How much:
  • Contact:
  • Add to calendar: Google | Outlook | iCal | Yahoo!

Clubbing, Dining Out & Nightlife
Soul Night with JD 'The Soul Machine'
Back by popular demand, the amazingly talented JD 'The Soul Machine' Fitzgerald. With his smooth & soulful voice, JD will be singing some of Souls biggest hits purely for your entertainment.
The price includes a delicious 3 course meal & a full evenings entertainment, all this for just £29.95 per person.
To book your table call 01268 683026.
£10 deposit per person required upon booking.


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1 Miller & Carter – Basildon, Colchester and Leigh-on-Sea.

Why not treat dad to a well-cooked steak washed down with a nice glass of wine? There are plenty of places serving good quality meat dishes but Miller & Carter have carved themselves out quite a niche by making it their main focus.

2 Essex County Cricket Ground, Chelmsford.

If your dad is a sports fan, you could treat him dinner and a live event. The Cloud FM County Ground will host a raft of Vitality Blast matches featuring the Essex Eagles and a host of opponents from different counties throughout the summer. Prices start at £99.

3 The Royal Hotel – Southend.

Forget sandwiches, it’s all about the “manwiches” when you pull up an elegant chair at this historic hotel’s Gentlemen’s Afternoon Tea. The hotel started catering for more manly taste-buds a few years ago with its unique afternoon tea created especially for gents and since then it’s become a big a popular attraction. Women and children are welcome too of course. £22 each.

4 Chelmsford City Racecourse

Odds are dads will love a slap-up dinner at the venue’s Fairwood Restaurant and Lounge. The restaurant is on the ground floor along the final furlong of the race course’s home straight and and leads onto a private terrace where you’ll get unrivalled views of watching your winning horse come home (fingers crossed)!

5 L’Oliveta restaurant, Summerhill Garden Centre – A127 near Basildon.

This elegant restaurant is always buzzing with diners. Not only is it a laid-back place to take dad for brunch, lunch or an afternoon treat, it’s situated within an extensive garden centre which any outdoor lover will be overjoyed to explore. After ordering a hearty Italian dish, a British classic or a savoury snack in the L’Oliveta restaurant you can wander around the garden centre.A relaxed day out for the easy-going dad for sure.

www.summerhillgardencentre.co.uk lolivet


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8000ng GcMAF Cream Natural (w/ Frankincense) | GcMAFplus

You are here

GcMAFplus 8000ng GcMAF Natural Cream

Our medium strength natural option

This is an all-natural ingredient alternative to our other GcMAFplus skin creams. With 8,000ng of active GcMAF per jar, it may be used for less aggressive issues, general wellbeing, skincare, children and for those who personally prefer a natural solution.

GcMAFplus 8000ng natural range skin cream

* All prices are in USD

Transdermal skin cream containing 8000ng of bioidentical active GcMAF plus other natural ingredients for additional support.

Horizontal Tabs

Product description

A medium strength all-natural GcMAF cream (highest strength in our Natural range)

We created this Natural Blend as an alternative to our regular 8,000ng skin cream product. It is made entirely from natural ingredients (most of which are organic). Just like our regular 8,000ng cream, this all-natural product is also recommended for less aggressive issues, maintenance, skincare and children. We have also added other natural ingredients to this formula which deliver additional support for wellbeing and skincare. If you are new to GcMAF and prefer a natural formula - this is the product we recommend for you.

About The Natural Blend Cream

Like all our GcMAFplus products, the natural blend comes packaged in a hygienic airless pump. This ensures that no bacteria or any other unwanted substances enter the product during its lifetime. It also comes in a larger 30ml jar - not the standard 25ml that most other companies offer. At the 8,000ng of active ingredients contained in this natural blend, it delivers a more potent and effective solution than most other GcMAF products on the marketplace.

  • All our products are for external use only and can be used on any part of the body.
  • All our products are laboratory made to the highest standard and with the highest quality ingredients.
  • Made and manufactured in Australia & New Zealand
  • Paraben-free, Sulphate-free, Silicone-free, Artificial color-free.

GcMAFplus (proprietary blend

Glycoprotein ( GcMAFplus proprietary blend), Coconut Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice  (Aloe Vera Leaf Juice), Glycerin (Glycerine), Cetearyl Olivate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter  (Shea Butter), Prunis Amygdalus Dulcis Oil  (Almond Sweet Oil), Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil  (Jojoba Oil), Sorbitan Olivate, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil  (Rosehip Oil), Persea Gratissima Oil  (Avocado Oil), Theobroma Cacao Seed butter  (Cocoa Butter), Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E), Undecylenic Glycerides (natural preservative), Aqua (Water)  Frankincense, (Carterii, Frereana, Sacra)

This product features a special concentrated combination of natural, gentle - yet effective - moisturizing ingredients, including Avocado oil.

Product instructions

Simply smooth our glycoprotein enriched cream into your skin with your fingertips using upward and outward movements. Start by using a small amount (the size of a pea) on your neck region (near your lymph nodes) once per day. You may work your way up to using the creams 2-3 times daily if you wish. This cream can also be used in the same way as an anti-aging facial skin cream applied to the facial area (avoiding the eyes).

Ongoing usage

You can use GcMAFplus for as long as you like. As well as helping your macrophages active to fight off and bacteria and viruses, the product has been shown to also assist anti-aging and promoting overall health.

Health and safety

  • For external use only.
  • Keep out of reach of children.
  • Do not ingest.
  • Do not apply to the eyes or other sensitive areas of the body.
  • Please use only according to the instructions.

Keep out of direct sunlight & store in the refrigerator or a cool place. Once opened, this product will last for 3 months when stored correctly.

Other recommended actions

  • Make sure you have a healthy diet and limit your sugar intake
  • Increase your intake of vitamin D3, K2 & omega oil 9 which boost the effects of GcMAF
  • Try to be physically active if possible
  • Drink lots of water (at least 2 liters of water a day) & green tea


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You are here

Muthoot Group Launches Platinum Investment Products

World Platinum Investment Council Director for Market Development
Marcus Grubb(left), Muthoot Precious Metals Division CEO Keyur Shah,
Emerald Jewel Industry India Ltd. Chairman & Managing Director K.
Sreenivasan at the product launch.

Muthoot Exim, the precious metals division of the 130-year-old Muthoot Pappachan Group, launched a range of platinum investment products, starting with a line of statuettes of the Hindu deity Ganesh. The statuettes are fabricated in 95-percent-pure platinum by Emerald Jewel Industry India Ltd. of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

Named the Anantavarsham Platinum Series, these products aim to give Indian customers access to affordable investment in platinum through easy-instalment purchases and savings schemes. The launch is part of a new partnership with the World Platinum Investment Council, intended to further stimulate and service the growing demand for physical platinum in India.

The products can be purchased through equated monthly instalments (EMIs) as well as one-month schemes.

The products will initially be available at 624 branches of Muthoot Fincorp Ltd, the group’s flagship company and one of the largest non-banking finance companies in India. The product will be available at Muthoot Fincorp branches in Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Vijayawada, Kolkata and Ludhiana.

The program also includes a spot buy-back option with assay, which will be available throughout the group’s countrywide network of Gold Point centres.

Muthoot Group Executive Director Thomas Muthoot commented, “In India platinum is often perceived as accessible to only the privileged few. We are proud to offer for the first time, a more affordable means to own this highly desirable metal. Supported by our buy-back option, our innovative savings program has been designed to satisfy the current unmet and growing demand for platinum ownership in India.”

Muthoot Precious Metals Division CEO Keyur Shah said, “Expanding into platinum is a natural step for us, and we are especially proud to be working with the WPIC to expand our product offering.”

World Platinum Investment Council Director of Market Development Marcus Grubb said, “India represents one of the most significant global opportunities for the development of platinum as an investment medium. We’ve already seen enormous growth in the market in recent years, especially with young consumers. Together with Muthoot Pappachan Group, we look forward to building even further momentum.”

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What is a TPAR (Taxable Payments Annual Report)?

By May 2, 2019 Tax

You may have recently received some cryptic correspondence from the ATO (or indeed, from your accountant) warning you about the need to lodge a TPAR in the near future. You may well be wondering what on earth a TPAR is, and rightly so, who needs another acronym in their busy lives? If this is you, read on.

In this modern age of sole traders, the gig economy, freelancing and other related shenanigans the ATO have become rather concerned about tracking who is earning what to ensure that everyone pays their fair amount of tax. For employees it’s an easy task, every year your employer tells the ATO what you earned and how much PAYG tax was withheld, but for contractors it’s a different story as there is no information being handed over. With no records kept it’s hard for the ATO to tell if contractors are being honest when it comes to reporting their income on their tax return. This is where TPAR (!) comes into play.

TPAR = Taxable Payments Annual Report

Once a year, all businesses within certain industries (more on this later) will need to report to the ATO detailing payments made to contractors. The details you’ll need to provide can be found on the contractor’s invoice and will include:

  • ABN
  • Name
  • Address
  • Gross amount paid including GST

In case you’re thinking this sounds like a whole lot of extra compliance work for your business, then you’d be right, it is! Best bet is to keep a running register during the year in a spreadsheet using the ATO suggested format which you can find here. The report is due by 28 August each year and can be lodged online via your AusKey or by sending in a paper form.

Does this affect your business?

The ‘good’ news is that only certain industries are affected by these rules and they are as follows:

  • Building and construction services
  • Cleaning services (from 1 July 2018)
  • Courier services (from 1 July 2018)
  • Road freight services (from 1 July 2019)
  • IT services (from 1 July 2019)
  • Security, investigation and surveillance services (from 1 July 2019)

I’ve highlighted IT services above because this is the one that will impact our client base the most. Here I’ve copied the ATO’s guidance on what constitutes an IT services business.

IT services may be performed on site, or remotely through the internet. They include services that support or modify the operation of hardware or software, such as planning and designing computer systems to integrate computer hardware, software and communication technologies.

Simply using IT hardware or software in your business to provide a service (other than an IT service) doesn’t make your business a provider of IT services. For example, you would not be ‘providing an IT service’ just because your business uses software to provide an accounting, project management, or word processing service as part of running your business.

Some examples of IT services include:

  • computer facilities management
  • computer hardware consulting
  • computer network systems design and integration
  • computer programming
  • computer software consulting
  • internet and web design consulting
  • IT consulting
  • software development
  • software installation
  • software simulation and testing
  • systems analysis
  • technical support.

Examples of activities that are not IT services include:

  • mass producing computer software (that is, the reproduction of recorded media)
  • leasing or hiring computers or other data processing equipment (we consider this to be ‘goods and equipment rental and hiring services’). However, if the seller or lessor of the hardware or software modifies the hardware or software for the purchaser or lessee, or develops specific software for them, then those services are an IT service.
  • providing data processing services or computer data storage and retrieval services (we consider this to be ‘data processing, web hosting and electronic information storage services’)
  • installing computer cables (we consider this to be ‘electrical services’).

Are there any exclusions from reporting?

Yes, but not many. There are exclusions from reporting payments to contractors if they fall under one of the following:

  • Payments for materials only
  • Payments for incidental labour (i.e. the labour is incidental to materials provided)
  • Unpaid invoices as at 30 June that year
  • PAYG withholding payments (these get reported via the PAYG Payment Annual Report)
  • Payments within consolidated groups
  • Payments for private and domestic services (e.g. paying someone to clean your home)

If you’re unsure about the obligations of your business to lodge a TPAR with the ATO, why not get in touch? We’ve helped countless businesses with their compliance woes and we’d love to help you too.


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Red Duster: As the owner has not responded to my previous log requesting that they check this cache I am archiving it.

If you wish to email me please send your email via my profile (click on my name) and quote the cache name and number.

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[url=] Knowledge Books[/url]

7th Hertford Guides "Morgan's Breather"

Hidden : 09/03/2010
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Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

Part of a small series of caches placed to introduce members of the 7th Hertford Guide Unit to Geocaching.
Standard 35mm film canister along the route called "Morgan's Walk"

No spoilers here as the clue should be in the name! Hang around long enough and you should find it.
Please replace the cache exactly as you find it once you have signed the log.
Not much space for swaps but the cache contains a log book and small pencil.

We will be letting the guides know how many people visit this series of caches so we would love to see logs with messages from any current or ex Guides who find them.

Congrats to elaine mander on First to Find!

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Moto Racing: More than a Fashion trend

The perennial motorcycle-inspired trend seen on the catwalks and the streets is now reflecting a social shift in gender equality in sports and lifestyle. This development impacts a large array of fields such as art, fashion, retail design, lifestyle and entertainment, magnified by the growing community of female influencers on social media keen to share their passion for a traditionally male dominated world.

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Business Excellence
Sustainable improvements of structures and processes

Continuous further development of our business processes thanks to the Gerresheimer Management System (GMS)

The Gerresheimer Management System underpins our business excellence and lays the groundwork for continuously improving all our business processes. The GMS was devised at Gerresheimer in 2004 and has undergone constant development ever since. The GMS combines concepts for continuous improvement, streamlined production, and a focus on quality and customers within a standard, group-wide framework that is tailored to our business.

The GMS has been used to set Group-wide standards, as well as to define methods and tools, to sustainably implement continuous process improvement at every link in the value chain while establishing lean, resource-light production as well as rigorous quality and customer focus. The GMS methods and tools are applied by our staff, who receive systematic training to enable them to put GMS principles into practice. This is how we guarantee efficiency increases for our customers and achieve a consistently high level of product and service quality across the group.

The latest generation of the system – the GMS 3.0 – is taking the overall system’s emphasis off simply applying “streamlined tools” and toward implementing a program that influences and changes the behavior of our managers and staff, with the aim of fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Building on these measures, the new generation of the GMS evaluation system – GMS Performance Evaluation 3.0 – was finalized and launched in the financial year 2018. Fundamental changes to the system content were carried out by an international team of experts from across the entire Group. The evaluation system was also migrated to a new digital platform. In addition to performing evaluations, documenting any variance and recommendations as well as developing and tracking action plans, the platform also enables all locations to benchmark themselves against other plants. Overall, this leads to improved transparency regarding the respective status and to further progress of the system as a whole.

Targeted improvements at our sites

Targeted improvements at Gerresheimer sites

We develop and define plant-specific improvement schemes as part of the operational and strategic planning process. Using so-called operational excellence indicators and a standardized evaluation system, we regularly measure and assess whether we have achieved these objectives and complied with the standards defined by the GMS. Their assessments are used to devise site-specific recommendations and action plans to ensure the ongoing implementation of targeted continuous improvement measures. At our annual global GMS conference, we discuss the latest developments, share our experiences and honor outstanding achievements with GMS awards.

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Work for Get Found First

Here at Get Found First we believe in going to work at a place that makes a difference. We want employees to look forward to going to work each day! If you want to be part of a fast growing, fast paced business then you have come to the right place. We love the clients we work with and we know you will too.

Position Interested In

What is your passion? We are looking for invididuals who are as passionate about what they do as we are! Select your area of interest below to apply:

Account Management

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Get Found First has built the business around family and life. We can’t control what happens in life but we can offer a great workplace to help. We know that if there is an important event happening you need to be there!

Benefits Package

We are proud of the benefits we can offer our employees. Those benefits include, but are not limited to health insurance, vision insurance, dental insurance, 401k with employer match, short and long term disability, holiday and PTO, flex time and much more.

Career Opportunities

Our industry is always changing and there are always new opportunities to excel and advance in the business. We look for people eager for growth and in return they have the opportunity to grow their career with Get Found First.

Let’s Collaborate!

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Water Drop Birthstone Ring in Silver
$ 77.90 $ 38.95
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Water Drop Birthstone Ring in Silver

List Price: $ 77.90
Price: $ 38.95
You Save: $ 38.95 (50%)

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Item specifics:

Style Birthstone Ring
Width of Ring Band 1.3MM(0.052INCH)
Thickness of Ring --
Measurements Main Birthstone Size:7*5MM(0.28*0.2INCH)
Material Sterling Silver 925

At first sight, you may find this ring simple, with only a drop-shaped birthstone and some white small zircons around the ring. However, this drop-shaped stone not only gives the finger an elongated look but also has its meanings. Water drop has a meaning of eternity, and giving this ring to your loved one means you give her your permanent love while the birthstone on the ring means that you love her just for who she is, just the way she is!

1. If you need help in determining your exact ring size, please refer to the ring size.

2. Read about our Kids Safety policy.

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For every piece in our collection, the estimated processing time is listed on the product page. Add the processing time to the shipping time for an estimate as to when you will receive your order.

Processing time differs from product to product. All items are made-to-order and request 3-5 business days to handcraft.

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Should you not be totally satisfied with your items we offer 99 day returns and exchanges service to ensure you are left as happy as possible.

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The next time you well up with outrage at the sight of a Filipino pissing on a public sidewalk, think of this day, the 16th of June 2016.

The Philippines after all is not and never has been a nation of laws. This was proven yet again today when the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) en banc voted to accept the statement of contributions and expenditures (SOCE) of the Liberal Party (LP). The submission of the LP of their SOCE on June 14, way past the non-extendable June 8 deadline, was in violation of COMELEC rules applicable to the 2016 elections.

Section 2 of Rule 10 issued by the COMELEC states that there is absolutely no provision to allow an extension of the 8th of June deadline for filing of the SOCE…

The 08 June 2016 deadline shall be final and non-extendible. Submissions beyond this period shall not be accepted.

According to COMELEC mouthpiece James Jimenez, the decision to break this rule was “backed by laws and precedent.”

The trouble with this defense of the COMELEC’s bizarre decision is that the rule that makes the June 8 deadline non-extendable was implement precisely because of those very precedents Jimenez cites. Indeed, the rule statement goes further to support this (boldface added by author for emphasis)…

COMELEC Resolutions Nos. 9849 and 9873, Minute Resolutions Nos. 13-0775 and 13-0823 are hereby repealed, insofar as they allowed the belated submission, amendment and/or correction of campaign finance disclosure statements and reports and the imposition of late penalties for the 2013 National and Local Elections.

Filipinos are allowed to piss anywhere, because rules don't matter. (Source: Mobile Home Family)
Filipinos are allowed to piss anywhere, because rules don’t matter.
(Source: Mobile Home Family)
In short, the rule statement itself recognises these precedents and, in doing so, incorporates these as a key aspect of the whole point of the inclusion of the non-extendability clause.

The argument that cites “precedents” is therefore not valid.

Nonetheless (recognising too that few Filipinos are likely to posses the brains to grasp that point), the more important implications of these and other such en banc rulings we need to highlight is that Philippine society remains consistent to its character as a nation where the rules don’t matter.

In allowing every incident like this (whether big or small) to slide, Filipinos progressively lose any trace of righteous ascendancy to express outrage over the violation of any sort of applicable rule or law in whatever endeavour or issue they pursue. Next time we curse or flash the bird when we get cut off by a jeepney, we should remember this day — the day when the COMELEC utterly failed to live by its own rules — and resign ourselves to the reality that the Philippines is a society where crime pays.

For that matter, Filipinos have lost any right to criticise President-Elect Rodrigo Duterte by citing allegations that he violated “human rights” laws to effect the enviable peace and order his home city of Davao is world-renowned for today. They have lost the right to criticise Sal Panelo for violating parking rules. Filipinos will now look like absolute hypocrites when they call for the jailing of pork barrel thieves. Why? Because, guess what: In the Philippines, summary killing of criminals, parking in no-parking zones, and bribing senators with pork barrel funds all have precedent. To use the logic of the COMELEC en banc, these crimes are therefore all excusable.

Leni Robredo: Assumes 'Vice Presidency' by virtue of election fraud and broken public trust.
Leni Robredo: Assumes ‘Vice Presidency’ by virtue of election fraud and broken public trust.
It is therefore a safe bet that the Philippines will remain a Jeepney Nation over the foreseeable future. Jeepneys represent everything that is wrong with Philippine society — because they are an embodiment of a lack of an appreciation, regard, and respect of the benefits of rules-based systems. In that regard, all of the outrage over dysfunctional train systems go out the window as well. Trains are anathema to a nation where rules don’t matter. Filipinos deserve to be victims of the horrendous traffic that is the single biggest manifestation of their collective disregard and lack of appreciation for the rule of law and the essential disciplines required to make rules-based systems work.

Filipinos should therfore not be so precious over reports that drug traffickers and criminals are now being rounded up and shot by Philippine police. There are rules, after all, that recommend that these crooks are entitled to enjoy a presumption of innocence until proven otherwise. But, you know, that’s just another “rule” that is meant to be broken.

As the Dalai Lama say…

Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.

Presumably, the honourable officers of the COMELEC know their own rules all too well. Then again, President Rodrigo Duterte is a lawyer and a seasoned prosecutor. He also knows the law quite well.

And in regard to Leni Robredo’s promise to her fans to help keep her President honest? Good luck with that. That’s a tough expectation of a “vice president” who presumes to assume her office on the back of massive electoral fraud and by virtue of a bald violation of election rules.

20 Comments on “Nation of Laws? Hardly. COMELEC breaks its own rules by allowing LP to submit late SOCE!”

  1. Shamefull. Comelec is a stooge of the liberal party and they just proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt. Shame on them all.

  2. Putang Ina niyo Comelec MGA animal kayo. Karma nalng sa inyo HAYOP.

    ANG galing niyo. Sobrang galing. KAYA hwag kayong maghahangad ng hustisya kung papatayin kayo sa kalye o kung saan DAHIL ang BATAS PILIPINAS ay walang KWENTANG hayop…..
    Kung duduraan KO ang pagkatao niyo WALA ng kaso Pwede Na KAHIT sasapukin KO kayo sa publiko OK lng din.BATAS PILIPINAS walang kwenta YAN.

  3. Ikinakahiya ko BATAS PILIPINAS…

    Darating ANG ARAW matutupad ANG BATAS DIGONG tignan NIYO LANG.

  4. No country would ever respect the RP, much more the office of the VP behind closed doors. Very few opportunities are provided in our lifetime to start anew. I was really hoping that this was it. Still hoping under the new regime despite this blatant f@&*-up.
    No cabinet post!!! Make the office of the VP a non-entity, a non-player.

  5. HAHAHA, pnoy make his moves again. if they don’t violate the law, bongbong will be the vice president. the next move is to disqualify leni on cheating so the senate president will be the vice president. and the last, attack duterte…. HAHAHA

  6. Leni Rob redo is a part of the 2016 Election Fraud. The COMELEC , lead by Bautista , is a tool of election fraud of : Aquino, Mar Roxas, Porky Drilon, Leni Rob redo, the Liberal Party, etc…

    In the Philippines, people who enforce the Law, are the violators of the law.

    This is why , I cited that most Filipinos , abroad, are law abiding. It is because, if they violate any law: they pay for it !

    The “en banc” session of the COMELEC is just a “pakitang tao”. The result is already decided, before, they did the voting. Aquino pressured COMELEC Bautista to , extend the SOCE deadline. Maybe, COMELEC Bautista and those who voted; received some “bribes” , in cash or in kind. So, this is the predetermined decision/result.

    Everything is possible in the Philippines !
    “Kung walang Kurap; walang mahirap”…sabi ni Aquino. E, paano kung ikaw mismo ay KURAP !

  7. There are no laws because the judicial system is a joke and criminal. The Court of Appeals is stacked with crooks who sell decisions to the highest bidder. The Supreme Crooks are also bought off. Try bringing a case against PNB. Good luck. Even if you get through the RTC, the CA pulls ruling from their ass that are nothing but crap. 2 and half years after submitting appeal to SC and still no final ruling. Bull Shit!! All owned by the oligarchy.

  8. Am I surprised? Not really. I’m disappointed and angry.

    I guess nothing will ever change until ordinary people hang those motherfuckers from the next lamp post.

    They blatantly broke the law and pissed in everyone’s face. Not to mention the massive fraud committed during the election. Those people have no morals what so ever. They are the scum of the earth.

    No consequences again?

    … and that cocksucker Aquino asking people to fight for their freedom? What freedom. The game is rigged!

  9. This country needs a Revolutionary Government to wipeout all korupts in all government agencies under the aquino-cojuanco oligarch’s administration by Pres. Duterte…. Supreme Court and below them included…. Justice and Law is a joke in the Philippines while these yellow oligarch’s who made the laws favorable to them are the ones breaking them.

  10. The 4 stupid moronic retards who voted to violate the law should be put in cages and shipped over to Basilan for “processing”.

  11. There is no such thing as the universally accepted Rule of Law in our hapless country, the Philippines. ONLY a Rule of Law dictated by the few who are in power.

  12. iyan ang mga yan ang dapat kidnapin ng abu sayaf at pugatan ng ulo…mga animal yan…mga law breaker ang mga iyan nasa comelec….pera-pera lang yan…..magkano kaya binayad ng mga kultong dilaw sa kanila…

    1. Kung may binayad yun si Aquino; hindi pera niya… yung taxes mo ang binayad niya. Ginigisa na tayo sa sariling mantika ! Dinaya na tayo, ninakawan pa !

  13. I was thinking of a more “legitimate” legal way out, like perhaps a petition for TRO with SC. Or maybe some legal loophole somewhere we missed that could be invoked. But…

    The ruling is unambiguous and straightforward, it is as clear as clear can be. You can’t set it aside without provoking hostility and losing face.

  14. Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws.

  15. We are angry about this ruling bcoz we know from the very beginning that this election is fraud. Panot is guilty of words coming from his mouth…will not let Marcos win, warning people about the coming back of Martial Law, blah…blah…blah. Smartmatic is doing some magic and would not let BBM have IT experts to audit the machine…then…the counting in congress…millions undervotes…halata talaga DAYA! Ngayon talagang ultimate BIAS…they allowed to break the SOCE deadline and said they are not siding on (L)ugaw (P)arty…they are making themselves FOOL! Kawawa ang Juan ng Bayan!

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Raspberry-Vanilla White chocolate Seed & Bean

Raspberry-Vanilla White chocolate Seed & Bean

Product no.: 140500

Currently unavailable

Delivery weight: 85 g

From €/per month.

Mash invoice 14 days.
Invoicing fee 0 €.

In any product, we value organic and fair trade certificates as much as the good taste, and this treat has it all. White chocolate with raspberries and vanilla are just perfect for your sweet tooth.

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In a sea of reunions, rebrands and everything in between, it’s getting harder and harder to stand out. We’ve seen every name under the sun pitch together for one last bash at the big time, with varying degrees of success and intentions. In the land of pop we’ve seen supremos such as Take That, the Spice Girls and even East 17 give it all a whirl – and in their hey-day all seemed to personify an element of manufactured pop that gripped a nation. Astride from the clear-cut sensibilities, All Saints were very much the “cool” pop group of the late 90s/early-00s, relating a string of acclaimed tracks that blended hip-hop freshness with a delicate and soulful restrain that made them chart saviours with the likes of ‘Pure Shores’ and ‘Never Ever’ filling a nation of cool kids with a sense of purpose over pop music. Through spectacular break-ups and failed reunions, they’ve been the group that remain as beloved as they are acclaimed, making this latest attempt at a comeback even more vital. Reforming after a brief live return last year, ‘Red Flag’ is the culmination of a decade away from the pop landscape, encapsulating fresh and modern production with their trademark vocal harmonies and slightly tinged tales of the darkest periods of love.

Lead single ‘One Strike’ is as emphatic as it comes, a defiant anthem on the puncturing damages split throughout a relationship, packed with enough context to write a novel around the recent exploits of Nicole Appleton’s previous muse. Unmistakably organic in nature, it sits effortlessly with the recent credible-pop revival of the decade, and a quick reminder as to how potent a force they can stand amidst today’s crop of melody-makers. The sentiment continues with ‘One Woman Man’ another bass-filled take on modern love, echoing the sounds of classic R&B with glitchy breaks and a penchant for almost 1975-esque reverbs and ditches, dripped in string-filled orchestral bliss. ‘Make U Love Me’ could easily sit on either of their classic late 90s records, with ‘Summer Rain’ drifting into a more melodic yet aggravating push that catches chopped up vocals with an ever-morphing electro-pump sound. What made All Saints such an exciting prospect and has enlivened so many with this latest come-back is their close knit reliability with the classic American soul group sound that only grows in reputation as the years pass, typified by En Vogue and TLC’s continued praise. In ‘This Means War’ All Saints come closest in matching that sound, the chorus breathing new life into a “girl-band” scene that has lacked such an emotional punch ever since their first iteration, whilst ‘Who Hurt Who’ is a masterclass in defining pop harmonies. It’s effortless in quality, drenched in the best from both past and present.

Yet what ultimately holds ‘Red Flag’ back from being such an affirming and untouchable comeback is the uncomfortable tendency to incorporate commercial sounds filling the charts of 2016. ‘Puppet On A String’ is an empty cocoon full of auto-tune and forgettable soul, with ‘Fear’ possessing a similar lack of conviction or emotion that hampers and contrasts directly with the record’s earlier highlights. It seems in pursuit of a greater connectivity with a new generation, the band forgo the essential reason why so many praise their sound, typified by the messy dancehall turn of ‘Ratchet Behaviour’. Such a direction only seems to pay off with the album’s title track, a percussive slant on their punchy soul, and ‘Tribal’ soaked in atmospheric electronic gazes and magnifying chants to form a captivating combination.

For a band so inherently associated with defining cool-pop in all it’s contexts and imagery, 2016 is a blessing and an unfortunate blight on All Saints. Attempting to mimic the sort of sounds encapsulated in a Rihanna or Rita Ora finds the Saints out at sea, yet when mirrored and blended well, they’re in a world of their own. ‘Red Flag’ may not be the coherent comeback album of the year, but it does serve as a reminder that there hasn’t been a female group like them since they separated, and their existence in the modern pop landscape remains a vital necessity.

‘Red Flag’ is out now via London Records.

This All Saints article was written by Jamie Muir, a GIGsoup contributor. Edited by Samantha Melrose.

All Saints 'Red Flag' - Album Review

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