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We have all the information you need about public and private beauty clinics that provide botox™ in Blackheath Park. Compare all the beauty clinics and contact the beautician in Blackheath Park who's right for you.
Botox™ is a cosmetic treatment which reduces the activity of certain muscles resulting in less wrinkles or frown lines on the face.
Botox treatment is one of the fastest cosmetic treatments available, and a normal treatment can be carried out in just 10 minutes. The length of time needed is however determined by how extensive the treatment you want is.
The treatment itself is relatively straight forward. A qualified doctor will inject the Botox&trade directly into the individual muscles that cause the frown lines on the face.
The is no recovery period for Botox™ treatment, and you shouldn't need any overnight stays or time off work. However, the effects are temporary, and usually last up to 4 months.
There can be side effects and allergic reactions to Botox treatment so you need to talk your doctor before being treated.
Botox™ mark owned by Allergan, Inc.
2 Blackheath Park Private Botox™ Clinics, 4 Reviews and Comments, 1 Price. Compare Botox™ clinics in Blackheath Park and contact them by email or by phone. Get fast quotes from Private Botox™ clinics in Blackheath Park and choose the best. Read and add reviews, check Botox™ prices and availability and save money on your treatment.
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Braun Silk Epil X'elle Body Epilation System
MandyBest Way To Remove HairIve tried a few methods: shaving (only lasted 3 days for me), waxing (messy & always painful), depilating (stinky! & paranoia about getting chemicals all over the bathroom), individual tweezing(who has the time?). Using this epilator has been the best by far. I read that waxing your hair before using it for the first time saves you some pain, but I was so excited to try it that I just went for it. The first time did hurt badly because I was using Veet before this, so my roots were pretty established and strong. Its definitely not the most painful thing youll ever experience in your life, and after the first few times it will barely bother you. The results are well worth it! Once you get used to the pulling/tweezing, the little massaging rollers really make it more comfortable and nice to use. Its also very noisy, but I dont think quiet epilators exist.posted Mar 29, 2008Link to this post
Darlene BetzLittlestown, PAWork Great But Ouch!I have always wanted one of these and maybe I just needed to be more patient so that the pain lessens. I have a quarter of my body tattooed and let me tell you...give me the tattoo pain anyday compared to this! OUCH! It works great but I wills tick to shaving:)posted Mar 13, 2008Link to this post
ShelbyNice Product, But Rough!this product works good and it gets all of the little baby hairs and impossibly short hairs that waxing misses. But, if you are going to use this, I definitely recommend waxing first. Then, when your hair starts growing back little by little, start using this product. then it wont be as painful. do not try to use this on a full amount of hair regrowth!My only complaint is I used it for the first time 3 weeks ago and now that those hairs are starting to grow back and they dont all break through the skin when they grow back now. its weird and it looks like stubble. What good is it to be hair free if you have something that looks like stubble all over your legs? lol. so Im trying to exfoliate to alleviate that problem. but its hard to do too much of that without making my legs look all red and irritated. I may go back to shaving for the summer and keep this around for the winter.posted Mar 5, 2008Link to this post
SarahMelbourneAwesomei love epilating! seriously! so much better than shaving or waxing! the Braun Silk Epil Xelle Body Epilation System did hurt the first time i used it, but i now im used to it and my hair has become softer and thinner and much less then there once was. im still not brave enough to use on bikini line because it does hurt, but epilating i would recommend to anyone for legs, definately! can be done in privacy of own home, easy, no mess, no waiting with hairy legs! fantastic!posted Feb 27, 2008Link to this post
PleasedTexasHair No MoreI wrote a review January 23, 2008 and I have a picture of the results of my new Braun. I love the way it leaves my skin so smooth. This is a great productposted Feb 4, 2008Link to this post
K MarinoThis Thing BitesDo yourself a favor ladies. Stay away from this thing.I wanted to use it to keep my bikini line smooth and clean.I would have been better off blasting..less pain I can assure you. It may be a bit more of a hassel to shaver but its a lot safer and a lot less painful.My God, what were they thinking when they come up with this thing. Would have been great for the Inquisition.KMposted Feb 4, 2008Link to this post
AnonymousPhiladelphiaExcellent First Time EpilatorI had been thinking about buying an epilator for a while, ever since my European boyfriend told me about them. Apparently they are very popular over there. I had never used one before, but Id become tired of shaving my legs all the time and having coarse stubble. I did some research and I waxed my legs before I tried the epilator. I really like the look and feel of this silk-epil. It is quite ergonomic and the light does come in handy. I think its a great value for the price, and it includes the other heads and a little bag to keep it all together. I did try my bikini area, but it really did hurt so Im thinking about buying some lidocaine spray. I get bikini waxes regularly, but since this isnt as quick as waxing, I hesitated. Also a bit scared to try on my underarms, but eventually I want to get to the point where I never shave again. I love this!posted Jan 25, 2008Link to this post
PleasedTexasHair Not There AnymoreI purchased this epilator a few days age through the internet. I am a guy who likes to have bare armpits and bare "down there" completely. I have been shaving for the past 2 years both areas. I was thinking of waxing but was not comfortable about someone in my groin area. I have plucked all of the hairs out at various time throughout the years. I used this in my entire groin except on my testies which I will continue to shave. There was some discomfort but no hair. I looked like a plucked chicken for a couple of days which is slowly going away. I did my arm pits and my groin was more uncomfortable I think. I love this product and I will say it is uncomfortable but very bearable.posted Jan 23, 2008Link to this post
MelissaGood But Don't Be FooledIve always preferred epilators to shaving or waxing and Braun is the best brand that Ive used. I would completely recommend this product.However, dont be fooled by the description - the kit does not include the narrow epilation head, facial set, or easy starter set as was originally listed. The Q&A is deceptive since there is a reply by "customer service" that says they are all included. The individual below that countered the response by customer service is correct.posted Jan 11, 2008Link to this post
JAustraliaAmazing For Certain Areas: Hell For Others.When using this on your legs, you hardly feel any pain at all.. FAR less than waxing. (This is if you have rather thin hair, if you have thick hair and a lot of it... I recommend waxing first, Then the hairs that grow in after waxing to use this on them). But I do use it on my entire leg effortlessly.I must admit, though, the noise is extremely intimidating at first, ITS SO LOUD! But you get used to it.Now I was under the impression that you would be able to use this on your bikini line and underarms without horrific pain, but that proved to be sooo wrong. I tried to use this carefully and slowly on my bikini line: Hell. I wouldnt even go near my underarms. So im sticking with waxing for those. But it is absolutely amazing for legs!posted Nov 30, 2007Link to this post
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Tend Skin
Tend Skin calms razor burn, bumps and ingrown hairs in 24 hours. Just apply the lotion to legs, face, underarms, bikini area, face or neck and say goodbye to those ingrown hairs and shaving bumps. Great for men, too. Use as needed or daily to calms bumps from occurring.
New Price: $20.00 - $50.00 -
Emjoi Dolphin Wet/Dry Epilator
Emjoi Dolphin Epilator is an innovative wet & dry epilator composed of 18 sets of tweezer discs to remove hair from the root as short as 0.4mm on the upper lip, chin, legs, bikini line, underarms and legs. It is designed with special technique for removing short hair under water. With the patented Skin Glide Technology and 3-disc Tweezer Pulling System, removing unwanted hair has never been more precise, accurate and comfortable. The added feature of Silver Ion Technology works remarkably well for antimicrobial protection against damaging bacteria.
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Emjoi eMagine Epilator
Emjoi, the leaders in hair removal, have incorporated everything they know about epilation to create the Emjoi eMagine Epilator featuring 72 tweezers, the most on the market!
Old Price: $119.99New Price: $89.95Free Shipping

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Kaleen Bimini Outdoor 3010 Blue Rug
Item #: 122301060-P
$47 - $621 + FREE SHIPPINGDescription: Bimini is a very special textured braided product designed to bring out the subtle blend of modern colorations in a traditional pioneer rug.
- Collection: Bimini
- Brand: Kaleen
- Material: 100% Polypropylene
- Weave: Braided
- Styles: Outdoor Rugs Casual Rugs
- Origin: China
- Available in the following sizes: 2' x 3', 3' x 5', 5' x 8', 8' x 11' and 9' x 12'
Kaleen is a world-class supplier of Indo-Persian and Transitional area rugs, predominantly from India. Founded in 1963, Kaleen offers over fifty years of experience in the manufacturing field of carpet yarns, textiles, clothing, and rug manufacturing. Their manufacturing facilities are situated in the heart of the commercial capital of the Indian sub-continent - Mumbai, formally known as Bombay. Kaleen is an international vertical manufacturer of beautiful handmade rugs. With over 3,500 skilled artisans, Kaleen is committed to product quality.
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Saugerties school board delays action on teacher review policy (video)
SAUGERTIES, N.Y. — The Board of Education plans to further discuss a proposed annual professional performance review plan before deciding whether to adopt it.
At a meeting Tuesday, the board removed from its agenda a resolution to adopt the evaluation plan, also called an APPR. Board members opted instead to meet Thursday to discuss the plan and address any remaining concerns the Saugerties Teachers' Association has with it.
Representatives of the teachers' union and the district said there is one outstanding issue concerning the process of appealing a performance review. The two sides agreed to try to work out the final "sticking points" to reach an agreement on the plan.
The APPR is designed to be a comprehensive performance evaluation system for classroom teachers and principals that supports their professional growth. Portions of the plan are subject to negotiation with the employees' unions.
District Superintendent Seth Turner said the district must have its plan approved by the state Education Department by Jan. 17. If not, the district could potentially lose $284,091 in state aid, he said.
Turner said there is still time to get the plan approved, but to address the possible loss of revenue, he sent pink slips to four teachers.
The teachers, under their employment contract, must receive 60 days notice their jobs could be lost, Turner said. He said he also had to be mindful of a provision in the contract that states any teacher employed as of Feb. 1 will keep their job through the remainder of the school year.
"I didn't anticipate doing that, but I felt as though it was a necessary action to safeguard the district in the event that the board does have to take action," Turner said of the pink slips.
Teachers' union President Patrick Reynolds said he thought an agreement would be reached on the APPR by Dec. 1, but that didn't happen. Continued...
Reynolds said he was given 20 minutes notice on Dec. 3 that Turner would be issuing pink slips to teachers, and was told if he signed off on the APPR, the pink slips would not need to be sent.
Later in the week, Reynolds said, union and district representatives were at the offices of the state Public Employment Relations Board discussing other issues and tried to reach an agreement on the APPR at the same time. He said he offered concessions if the district would call back those pink slips. Reynolds said he was told the pink slips could not be recalled because of the state aid issue. He said he questioned what changed during the week.
Additionally, Reynolds said the committee that had been drafting the APPR had been working well together and making progress until a meeting in early November when the union was informed that if an agreement was not reached, one would be imposed by the district. He said there is a doctrine that allows the district, in a time of crisis, to temporarily suspend negotiations and impose a deal. Afterwards, though, negotiations have to resume, Reynolds said.
Even if the district imposed the APPR, the state would not approve the plan without the union signing off on it, Reynolds said.
Prior to the board deciding to remove the resolution regarding approval of the APPR from its agenda, Trustee Teresa Bach-Tucker said she was not ready to vote on the document. She said she wanted to review the document paragraph by paragraph with the board. Additionally, Bach-Tucker said she had talked about the board reaching a Dec. 1 deadline to approve the plan so there would be time to receive state approval. She said that discussion fell on deaf ears.
Other board members took exception to Bach-Tucker's comment that she was ignored.
Board President George Heidcamp said he included the APPR on the meeting agenda because the district needed to move forward on the issue. He said he also told board members who had concern with the resolution to make a motion to table it until the group could discuss the plan.
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Brisbane Limo Service
Elite San Francisco Limousine and car service is proud to service Brisbane. Whether you are traveling for business or leisure, we are here to bring you to your destination. We provide airport transfers to the 3 servicing airports in the area, SFO, SJC and OAK from Brisbane, and also chartering you to your desired destination and getting you back home safe, so that you do not have to worry about your transportation needs.
We specialize in personalizing your journey, so do contact us to enquire more.
When you are ready, you can request your reservation online or just call and one of Elite San Francisco limo and car service representatives will be happy to assist. We look forward to serving you!


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Round One
Design by Dan Sheffield
Say somethin' nice
No account? Join us!
- Submit ideas for a chance at $$$ and loot
- Be a part of our creative community
- Earn points for participation and use them for purchases
MisssNorton on Nov 16, 2012 at 10:55:14
Amazing...I want some x
Monkey X on Nov 28, 2011 at 12:05:52
Very cool!
Crynos on Apr 29, 2011 at 02:17:20
It costs $14 to ship a set of plastic dishes? I was so excited, and then I saw that. Kills it for me.
Themilkman666 on Apr 28, 2011 at 17:40:31
Wouldn't buy a plate set that couldn't go in the microwave.
Alylou on Apr 7, 2011 at 11:25:23
This is so sweet
speakerine on Jan 18, 2011 at 13:21:33
koalctykid on Jan 18, 2011 at 13:20:58
micro-safe material would be perfect!
Ianworld on Jan 6, 2011 at 13:36:54
Actually threadless...
toyah.xavier on Dec 27, 2010 at 23:05:34
I know what I'm getting...
shiningmer on Dec 19, 2010 at 04:07:10
they look amazing! so bad you can't use them in the micro... :$
duffstar on Dec 17, 2010 at 15:25:17
awesome! Can't wait to get a full set.


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Dear visitor - Welcome to Corinthia Hotel Tripoli - May I take the opportunity to introduce myself . I am Tony Tabone, Director of Concierge Services and I am assisted by a young dynamic team at the Corinthia Tripoli. Our duty is to ensure that your stay in our hotel is enjoyable and comfortable. Guests often believe that the concierge is only there to confirm travel arrangements or book taxis. At the Corinthia Tripoli our team is ready to answer every need and is prepared for every eventuality. If it`s a walking archeological trail to the country`s past or a once in a lifetime desert experience including camel rides and desert Twareg, sand dunes, salt coloured lakes, coloured painting in Akakus, engraving valley 9 kilometers long, in Germa, camping and beyond, we are sure to have done it before! The concierge can provide a privileged look into the best attractions Libya has to offer and the best restaurants - The concierge has dined in them… and visited the most exclusive shops, archeological sites, white sandy beaches, different gold and carpet markets, the ancient tradition of whiling way of hours in a typical Shisha and Arabic coffee shops, a visit to Sriaa museum in the green square, a visit to 1st September avenue with a wide range of exclusive shops, restaurants and mosques. Our team is well connected and knows where they are to call to extend the warmest welcome.The concierge will find a personal stylist, baby sitter, doctors, dentists, private clinics or personal tour guide - and that`s the easy part! Do you need to change your flight destination? A bouquet of white roses or just a picnic hamper to take to the beach? Our concierge can provide it all with a single call! Whatever your need or request, we are happy to oblige.
Internal telephone calls are connected quickly, but expect a longer wait for international connections, as the number of lines are restricted. The international code for Libya is 218, and the main internal area codes are as follows: •Tripoli: 21,•Benghazi: 61,•Tobruk: 87,•Tripoli International Airport: 22
Electricity: 220-40V
The Libyan Dinar is the standard currency. Notes are issued in 50- 20 -10 - 5 - 1 - .5 and .25. Coins are .50, .25, .10 and .05.
The museum is only five minutes by taxi from our hotel. Its entrance is on Green Square, next to the castle.
All US travellers please refer to the Consular Information Sheet (CIS) for Libya, which contains information we have available on the Libyan visa process.The CIS can be accessed through the Embassy's website, or through the Department of State's site.
Travellers may also wish to contact the nearest Libyan People's Bureau – either in USA or Canada – since Libyan visa policies and practices are subject to change.
With effect 2010, tourist visas are now available on arrival at the Tripoli International Airport. The latter are to be sourced through a local travel agent.
Contact details of the offices in Italy.Rome - Ambasciata LibicaUfficio Popolare della Grande Giamahiria Araba Libica Popolare Socialista a Roma:Via Nomentana 365 , RomaTelephone: 39 06 86320951Fax: 39 06 86205473 MilanConsolato Libico a Milano: (9-12 Mon,Wed, Fri)Via Baracchini, 720123 MilanoTelephone: 39 02 86464285FAX 39 02 874504
PalermoConsolato Libico a Palermo:Via Libertà, 171, 90143 PalermoTelephone: 39 091343930 - 1
Contact details of the offices in The Brussels.The Libyan Embassy in BrusselsAvenue Victoria 281000 BrusselsBelgiumTelephone: 32 2 649 21 13Fax: 32 2 640 90 76
The Libyan Embassy in Den HaagParkweg 152585 JH Den HaagNetherlandsTelephone: 31 70 35 588 86Fax: 31 70 35 590 75
Contact details of the office in RussiaLibyan Embassy in Moscow:38 Mosfilmovskaya Street, 131940, Moscow, RussiaTelephone: 7 095 107 140Fax: 7 095 938 2162 To obtain a visa for Libya, Russian citizens must produce:
Contact details of the office in Paris.GRANDE JAMAHIRIYA ARABE LIBYENNE POPULAIRE ET SOCIALISTECONSULAT DE LIBYE18 RUE KEPPLER75016 PARISTelephone: 33 0147201970Fax: 33 0140701804
Contact details of the office in SpainLibyan Embassy in SpainAddress: Pisuerga, 1228071 Madrid SpainTelephone: 34 91563 57 53
Contact details of the offices in Germany:Embassy:Volksbüro der Sozialistischen Libysch-Arabischen Volks-Dschamahirija Ambassador:S.E. Herr Said Abdulaati, außerordentlicher und bevollmächtiger Botschafter in BERLIN Address:Volksbüro der Sozialistischen Libysch-Arabischen Volks-DschamahirijaPodbielskiallee 4214195 BERLIN – GERMANY Tel.: +49 3020 05960Fax.: +49 3020 059699 Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 10.00h – 12.00hrsE-mail: email@example.com Generalkonsulat Libysch Arabische Dschamahirija, Beethovenallee 12 a, 53173 BonnTel.: +49 228 82 00 90Fax.: +49 228 36 42 60
To obtain a visa in Norway you need to contact the Embassy in Denmark;
Libyan Embassy Rosenvaengets Hovedvej 4 2100 Copenhagen Tel.: + 45 35263611Fax: +45 35265606 Office Hrs: Monday - Thursday: 09.00 -14.00 Friday: 09.00 - 12.00 Office Hrs (visit Hours): 10.00 - 12.00 E-Visa - No online visa application form available Website: http://www.ambassade-info.dk/visum_udllibyen.php3
Contact details of the office in United Kingdon.Libyan People`s Bureau,61/62 Ennismore Gardens,LondonSW7 1NHContact person: Fatima BusefiTelephone: 44 02075896120
Contact details of the office in Sweden:Libyska Folksocialistiska Arab Jamahiriyas FolkkontorOpenings hrs: Monday - Friday 10.00-12.00Passport needs to include a translation in ArabicNo entrance to Libya if passport includes a stamp of entry to Israel or South Africa. Valhallavägen 74Box 10133, SE-100 55StockholmSwedenPhone: 46 8 - 14 34 35Fax: 46 8 - 10 43 80
To obtain a visa from Turkey.No visa is required for Turkish citizens to enter Libya
Visas: Everyone except visitors from most Arab and African countries must have a visa to visit Libya. Before applying for a visa, you must have your passport translated into Arabic.


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Novak Djokovic has already denied Andy Murray his first grand slam title once, and the world No. 2 will again stand in the Olympic gold medalist's way in Monday's U.S. Open final.
Djokovic kept his title defense alive with a commanding performance against David Ferrer on Sunday, rebounding after dropping his first set of the tournament to win their delayed semifinal 2-6 6-1 6-4 6-2.
The Serbian had struggled in Saturday's strong winds and trailed 5-2 when play was halted, but he was unstoppable in more benign conditions as he reached the final for the third year in a row.
"It's a huge relief to get through this match. David's a great competitor, he's one of the fittest guys on tour and he never gives up," Djokovic told reporters after a match lasting two and a half hours -- 90 minutes less than Murray's win over Tomas Berdych on Saturday.
"We were all praying for less wind today. He handled the wind much better than I did but I came in today as a different player and I'm just really happy to get to another grand slam final."
Djokovic lost his first grand slam final at the 2007 U.S. Open but was able to quickly bounce back with his breakthrough win in Australia just months later.
Murray, however, lost the 2008 New York final, in Melbourne in 2010 and 2011 -- the first of those against Djokovic -- and then at Wimbledon this year.
However, he beat Djokovic and Roger Federer on the way to victory at London 2012 and is now seeking to end a run that has seen that duo and Rafael Nadal win 29 of the past 30 majors.
"I don't think there is any clear favorite," said Djokovic, who has an 8-5 edge over Murray in their career meetings.
"He's looking for his first title, I'm sure he's going to be very motivated. I hope we can come up with the best tennis for this crowd."


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Customers of the former SmartBuy or Suzuki Buyer's Choice balloon program: get end-of-term information here.


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The Classic Cross Century design in refreshing new colors! Accented with polished chrome-plated appointments.
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All Red Giant Software plug-ins are now CS6 compatible. Use the code "motionworks10″ for a 10% discount on everything from Red Giant!
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NEU - Bayern-Park Kinder-Club - Jetzt anmelden.
Der neue Bayern-Park Kinder-Club. Aktuelle Infos, tolle Aktionen und viele Vergünstigungen warten auf dich!
Jetzt Freischütz-Club Mitglied werden!
Du bist Freischütz-Fan? Dann hol dir jetzt dein grünes Startband für nur 2,00 € und werde Mitglied des Freischütz-Clubs. Neben Ruhm und Ehre erwarten dich einzigartige Prämien für deine gesammelten Fahrten.
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You get free admission to the Bayern-Park if you visit us on your birthday!!
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Download your digital copy of your Freischütz photo here. Type in the 11-character photo number "BP.........", printed on your photo and press the "Bild anzeigen" button.
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It may take up to 24 hours for the photo to be transferred to our servers.
Bayern-Park newsletter
What's up in Bayern-Park? Missed the last event? In our newsletter, we present the latest information, events, attractions and actions.
Action and Thrills
Action is the order of the day here. Adventures that guarantee adrenalin rushes.
The Freischuetz
From 0 to 80 km/h in 2.3 seconds. Four inversions and three overhead elements. 40 seconds of pure adrenaline on 483 spectacular meters. This is the Freischuetz, our unique Launch-Coaster.
The Whitewater Ride
Attention: you will get soaked during this breathtaking adventurous ride! It is, however, worthwhile to join in the whitewater ride as all those who are not afraid of water will have a wet but yet a great time!
The Rollercoaster
The rollercoaster – a cute caterpillar – takes our guests for a very special ride. However, the appearances are deceptive: beware of getting too dizzy when going up and down through the loops and curves!
Whitewater Rafting
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Farming's Future Stories
Sustainable food supply
Extreme weather and insufficient production capacities make it harder for farmers to produce enough food. At the same time, the rising world population is boosting demand for more and better food. Experts therefore work on innovative solutions to sustainably secure global food supply. » more
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Seeds are highly valuable and vulnerable at the same time. But the new SeedGrowth-Concept offers all-round protection for seedlings. » more
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Rice is one of the world's most important cereals: around three billion people eat the white grain on a daily basis. Especially for the fast growing population in Asia, rice is a key dietary element. » more
The potato: a versatile crop for the pots of the world
Potatoes are diverse and they are becoming more and more popular: as French fries, dumplings or croquettes. With their all-round service, experts from Bayer contribute to making sure that the tubers keep their qualitiy and taste on their yourney from the fields into the kitchen. » more
Chili, the versatile fruit
Spices tickle our taste buds and turn our food into treats. One of the most popular condiments is chili. Farmers around the globe are growing the hot fruits. » more
A new era in crop protection
Air-borne attackers move in silence. Minute fungal spores cling to the young leaves of plants and start making themselves at home: the spores germinate and penetrate the defenseless plants – layer by layer. » more
Essay – Building global food security
Ken Ash is Director of Trade and Agriculture at the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This article draws on a wide range of OECD analysis, including that undertaken with other international organisations for the G20. The views expressed are those of the author alone. » more
Harry Strek – Farmer and Plant Researcher
Harry Strek helps farmers to control weeds. Together with his team, he develops new crop protection solutions. Pursuing his mission, Strek travels the world, meeting farmers and developing new ways of protecting their crops. » more
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Serhiy Hayday is tall and strong, with a powerful handshake and a winning smile. His eyes light up when he talks about the company he is heading – New Friendship, or "Druzhba Nova" as the Ukrainians call it. » more
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How can we attract more investment into agriculture? Liam Condon, CEO at Bayer CropScience discusses the need for capital in the food and agri business with Stephan Hackenberg, Managing Director at Rabobank International. » more
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AgroVida Initiative enables higher yields. » more
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Wheat harvests are under threat. Due to extreme weather. Are new varieties the answer? » more
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Fostering partnerships along the entire food chain. » more
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Protecting seeds with the Seedgrowth-Concept. » more
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Liam Condon talks with Stephan Hackenberg. » more
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Men among boys
19 Sep 2012
GARETH DUNCAN, writing in SA Rugby magazine, investigated the KZN over-age scandal that rocked the national schools scene.
There was just over a week to go before the annual derby between Glenwood and Durban High School (DHS) when reports emerged that two high-profile schoolboys had been found to be overage, with one being 22 years old.
Glenwood captain and wing Siyabonga Tom and DHS fullback Mbembe Payi were said to be the guilty parties, which was confirmed when they didn't feature in the Green Machine's 34-9 home victory over DHS on 26 May.
A provincial investigation ensued, headed by KZN High Schools Rugby Association boss Noel Ingle, and six more boys from the U16 and U18 provincial trial teams were found to be overage. They were withdrawn from their respective squads.
Noel extended the investigation to expose the adults who had also been involved.
'We wanted to find out who the guilty parties were,' he says. 'The schools are not the issue. The players are accountable to some extent, but it's the scouts and agents who have probably played a big role in organising fake identity documents. However, we couldn't find solid evidence to prove this.'
This scandal has shocked those involved in South African schools rugby. Payi and Tom were respected figures in KZN, having represented the U18 Craven Week team in Kimberley last year, while Tom was selected for the SA Schools squad and started in the 21-14 win over France U18 in Port Elizabeth.
Tom was also picked for the SA U18 Sevens team to compete at the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Isle of Man. I was the media manager for Team SA and was told that Tom had to be withdrawn as he didn't possess a passport or an ID to qualify for a UK visa. The sevens coaches and management believed this was due to a lack of initiative from the player and his parents. It wasn't known that Tom's birth certificate – the only document he had to prove he was born in 1994 – was fake.
Glenwood 1st XV and KZN U18 Craven Week coach Sean Erasmus says the truth only emerged this year when the provincial players were being registered through Saru.
'The women who were in charge of our registering said something didn't match in Siyabonga's form, and that it had to do with his ID number,' explains Erasmus. 'But we sent the form through to Saru anyway, hoping that the issue could be sorted out. Their guys found the same problem and they said Siyabonga was overage.
'I was shocked,' Erasmus continues. 'This was a player I had grown so close to over the past couple of years. He was more than just a player, he was like family. He had lunch in my home on most Sundays.
'When the news broke, Siyabonga went missing. He sent me an SMS, saying: "Hi coach. Sorry I couldn't give you my side of the story and say goodbye. But everything will be revealed when the time is right. Send my love to everyone."
'I tried calling the number, but it didn't work. He's been missing ever since.'
At the time of writing, it was believed that Tom and Payi had returned home to the Eastern Cape, where they were once recruited as disadvantaged youngsters with raw talent.
This development plan has been used by many top South African schools for years, and Erasmus feels it shouldn't be frowned upon because of this episode.
'These boys from the Eastern Cape get an opportunity to obtain a good education and to play a game they love at higher levels. It was just unfortunate that this had to happen. The other schoolboys who have come from the Eastern Cape have been found to be the legal age.'
Noel believes the overage saga is a nationwide problem – 'It would be unfair to say this is only an issue in KZN' – and Saru registration officer Andrew Louwrens agrees.
Louwrens has been in charge of provincial age-group registrations for the past seven years and has come across many cases concerning overage players.
'You had to see some of the application forms when I first started this process,' says Louwrens. 'It was obvious that some of the ID documents had been tampered with. The worst case I've seen was a 22-year-old selected for an U16 Grant Khomo Week team! There were also boys trying to enter with ID numbers that were tracked back to females.
'The situation has improved over the years, but you get some players who try their luck. And they get quite ridiculous. One year, I rejected one player's application but he still showed up for the competition. I told him and his parents that he wasn't going to be allowed to play. After the argument, his father tried to bribe me.'
Louwrens says Saru has established a new application system to improve things.
'The main issue we have with registration is that a player only needs to attach a certified copy of his birth certificate or an ID. But this doesn't mean the application is legit … it could still be a certified copy of a fake document. It's so easy to buy a fake ID in cities like Bhisho.
'So now we are getting the schools and parents involved by including them in the process. The headmaster and parents need to sign that their student or son is the correct age and all his details are accurate. They can then be held accountable. It's not the ultimate solution, but this is one of the first steps to finding one.'
South African Schools Rugby Association (Sasra) acting chairman Thys Bezuidenhout hopes this matter will be sorted out effectively at the board's annual general meeting in October.
'This will definitely be at the top of our agenda,' he says. 'It's disappointing because legal players are being denied opportunities. You will always find a loophole in any registration system, but hopefully the new process will start stamping out the registration of overage players.'
Bezuidenhout adds there are currently no formal punishment protocols.
'We hope to have some drawn up soon. These issues are similar to corruption and have to be seen in the same serious light. Bans should be issued to players found guilty. And we will deal with those players who have gone missing when they re-emerge.'
Saru head of schools Nico Serfontein says agents will also be punished if they are found to be involved in overage cases: 'We have a list of all the South African agents who are allowed to represent our national players. If any of them have a hand in organising fake documents, their licences will be revoked.
'I doubt agents will put their careers on the line for schoolboys. Parents also need to come on board as agents are only allowed to represent players from the age of 18.'
This is positive news from the national unions, but action needs to be taken as soon as possible.
At the end of June, there was a registration issue with the Golden Lions U18 Academy Week squad.
'The player's ID says he was born in 1994, but his birth certificate says he was born in 1993,' explains Lions manager of community rugby Pieter Visser. 'We have decided not to follow this up at home affairs and have withdrawn him from the team instead.'
This could be a home affairs mistake, but it could also be another case of cheating. If it is the latter, hopefully it will be one of the last.
Follow Gareth on Twitter
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40 Comments
19 Sep 2012, 05:16 amDishonest dragons
19 Sep 2012, 05:27 amIn a country rife with corruption at all levels of society this comes as a surprise. Obviously.
19 Sep 2012, 07:11 amWhat I read in this article is that it is a fraudulent dishonesty issue amongst black players from the EC. Go figure
19 Sep 2012, 07:38 amMy favourite comment from the Glenwood coach : "We sent the form through to Sarfu anyway hoping it would be sorted out"
Kind of acknowledgement! Seems that it should read:"We sent the form through to Sarfu anyway hoping that they would not recognise the error?"Anyway – whole situation stinks. I will not sit and say poor people who just want a decent education…horse sh*t. I will say poor legitimate kids who missed their opportunity to make craven week ,and poor legitimate kids who got injured at the hands of the kids 5 years their senior.
I dont look at transformation at the issue, its fairly and squarely with the administrators, and the players & his families.
The fact that they are missing, and sent apologetic messages to the coach says they knew about it, and their character could not care less.Disgusting! Absolutely disgusting.
In SA, once you are 18, you are a man and responsible for your actions.
These men are 22…. Take responsibility for your own errors.
P*ss poor, and yet further ammunition against the flawed SARFU. -
19 Sep 2012, 08:10 amIt is funny, both these men cheats hail fron PE but Transformer was saying they are not PE
boysmen – what is going on here.Somebody do an expose on Odwa and Aikona for them it is oupa's among men.
19 Sep 2012, 08:23 am@RL-5: transkei and PE are not the same thing, but you knew that neh?
19 Sep 2012, 08:24 amPray tell me how this is ANY different to schoolboys doping themselves into hulk like creatures? Bodies of 25 year old men, crammed into the brains of 16/17/18 year old kids,most of who can't spell testosterone.
Cheating is cheating, and this is no better, no worse than the usual doping scandals that hit schoolboy rugby almost daily…..Bottom line is: kids of all races, from all over SA are desperate for success, which makes the kid taking roids no different from the kid lying about his age – except maybe their personal circumstances (often a reason for doing whatever it takes to get ahead).
@BULLET-4: Legitimate kids who got injured playing against men 5 years older than them? Ditto for the poor 'clean' kids who get injured playing against roid stuffed kids who are bigger, stronger and more aggro then them.
SARU to sort out all of the issues, and not just focus on one….
Moving on.
19 Sep 2012, 08:25 am"A provincial investigation ensued, headed by KZN High Schools Rugby Association boss Noel Ingle, and six more boys from the U16 and U18 provincial trial teams were found to be overage. They were withdrawn from their respective squads."
Gareth, can you do more investigation and get us the names of the other boys and where they're from?
19 Sep 2012, 08:26 am@Transformation-8: in fact, you KNOW noel ingle did the investigation, get the names from him and publish them.
19 Sep 2012, 08:42 amIsn't this an old story
19 Sep 2012, 08:44 amIt's no wonder al Qaeda love to get their documents in South Africa.
That said I don't blame the kids as much as I do the agents and schools who feign innocence.
When you come from nothing and somebody offers you a break it's hard to say no.
19 Sep 2012, 08:50 am@gunther-11: Not only Al Qaeda. Zim refugees like old HG, also manage to knock off a good few years on their NEW SA ID documents….i.e. real age 58. NEW age 42.
It's a BOOM for the middle aged 'daddies' amongst us. -
19 Sep 2012, 09:08 am@Gunther11,
I completely disagree with your post number 11. When you come from nothing, and somebody offers you a break to lie & cheat, it should be easy enough to say no if you have moral fibre.Its the same reason that many people who come from nothing dont resort to crime. I know that its a tough cycle to break, but at the end of the day, character says a lot about somebody.
19 Sep 2012, 09:10 am@7 Sharksrugby….
Totally in alignment with you.
All schoolboys playing 1st team rugby should be urine tested by the province every 2 months in rugby season. Should a player fail, ban him for 2 years. Pretty simple, and easy to administrate.Problem is that the provinces would rather have these players getting juiced up before they come into the provincial ranks. It suits them to have the players arriving at u19 weighing 110kg, instead of 90kg.
19 Sep 2012, 09:12 amZero toleranchould not be for just drinking & driving.
Also, the sharks should not carry on with this anti bullying campaign, rather change it to anti steriods, cheating & bullying!
Make it cleaner and all encompassing. -
19 Sep 2012, 09:17 amWhat's with the 50 shades of grey this morning??
19 Sep 2012, 09:18 am@stormersboy – Its the anti sharks campaign!
No black or white! -
19 Sep 2012, 09:18 amI assume these players are actually legit students studying to pass some high school grading who also happen to be rugby players, as distinct from fly by nighter's who registered a few weeks prior to the provincial championship comp.
19 Sep 2012, 09:24 amI have often heard the question (on this site and others); "what happens to the many talented black school "kids" when making the transition to senior ranks"
The people that pose this question often lament blame on the (mostly) white senior level coaches for discarding black players in favour of white players but I think this article might uncover a possible reason why these black players shone at school level and were very ordinary when moving onto the senior ranks and losing the age advantage that they had when at school?
How rife is this problem? these few names might just be the tip of the iceberg.
19 Sep 2012, 09:24 am@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-7: The difference is that you compare stupid actions of kids, with adults posing as kids. Major difference in my opinion.
19 Sep 2012, 09:33 am@brains_trust-19: hhmm before you make unfounded and spurious assumptions, find out the names of the SIX other boys who were found over age by this noel ingle's investigation. Mbembe Payi and Siya Tom were Itembelihle High School in New Brighton and got "bursaries" to go to the schools in Durban, now for you to make harebrained conclusions about boys who start Prep at Dale, Selborne, Queens, St Andrew's, Graeme, Kingswood. Stirling, Daniel Pienaar, Muir on the basis of this article is ridiculous.
bark up another tree
19 Sep 2012, 09:34 am@DG-20: what is a "stupid action", knowingly taking a banned substance? lol
19 Sep 2012, 09:45 am@Transformation-21: I am asking the top notch KEO investigative journalists to uncover the names and probe a little deeper, I don't have their awesome talent and skill set to uncover the full story.
KEO lads, use those contacts and give us more info !
19 Sep 2012, 09:45 am@Transformation-22: Eish we aren't going there again today are we??
19 Sep 2012, 09:54 amOn this issue, I think that the schools need to be a bit more circumspect here and do their compliance properly. If you do not have a proper SA ID document than this needs to be obtained before the youngster is chosen.
There needs to be a penalty for the schools (and province) for fielding an over age player, which will place more of the responsibility on them. They are just shrugging their shoulders and saying, "gosh, we didn't know"
I'm sure this happens in all the provinces, not just KZN.
19 Sep 2012, 09:58 amThis is all just an innocent misunderstanding. Some people mistakenly believe that when you repeat a year at school, the Department of Home Affairs also resets your ID.
19 Sep 2012, 10:17 am@stormersboy-24: going where, if you don't mind me asking?
19 Sep 2012, 10:49 amlol
19 Sep 2012, 11:13 amWhat we also need to realise that some of these boys who were born in the rural areas were only registered a year or to after they were actually born. It was a logistic nightmare for parents to get to a Home Affairs office soon after they were born.
My son turned 16 this year and is playing under 18 because his physically able to do so. Can't imagine him facing a 22 year old at such a young age would he be able to front up physically. This overage issue must be sorted out to give youngsters a fair opportunity to be selected provincially.
19 Sep 2012, 11:55 am@DG-20: No difference at all. Unfair physical advantage is unfair physical advantage…..
19 Sep 2012, 12:07 pmIs Mvovo actually OLDER than Habana?
19 Sep 2012, 14:49 pmI giggle with a lack of surprize in reading this story.
In Natal, the only way to win is to cheat.
19 Sep 2012, 15:13 pmI went to Glenwood High School and I can confirm that this has been happening for a very long time. The teachers and headmaster are well aware of it.
Glenwood has a system called Post-Matric which is really just a way of getting rugby stars to spend another year at school after matric so that they can still contribute to the 1st team. Being overage has never mattered and is hardly ever checked up on at this level.
Trevor Kershaw (Headmaster) and Tony Pinheiro (HOD) should be investigated.
Side issue: Kershaw has been buying players from other schools for ages now. It's the only reason Glenwood is a somehwat decent rugby school these days.
20 Sep 2012, 08:20 am@YoMama-32: Yep and even then, the player's still come from outside of the province! In the final of the Super 15, there were only two players in the starting 15 who went to school in KZN and only one that was born there.
20 Sep 2012, 08:22 am@Kaizan-33: Post matric has been happening forever. Bishops had it back in the 80′s when I was at school. During the same period, Waterkloof was paying the first team players, R50 a match.
20 Sep 2012, 08:26 amLike this hasn't been happening since the dawn of time. Only, 30 years ago, no one asked for any ID because rugby wasn't technically professional. There is no way that some of the schools I played against – Affies, Monument, VH etc. didn't have players that were in their 20′s.
21 Sep 2012, 23:32 pmShout Out To Mr. Ingle, The Main Man At George Campbell.
25 Sep 2012, 01:29 amOMG this is just typical of Saffer Rugby and to make it worse – at school boy level. Of course all of this 'cheating, lying, deceiving, etc etc' is symptomatic of SA rugby, it goes from the grassroots at school boy level to the top, what a bunch of CHEATS does SA know anything else but cheat. That is why SA will always be regarded in the darkest possible terms by all other rugby nations, can't be trusted, just a bunch of THUGS (Greyling et al) and so on….please do AUS and NZ and ARG a favour and go North to play your rugby – what LOSERS
22 Oct 2012, 05:55 am@JohnPierre-38: You recognise all the traits so well they must be something you are well used to in your neck of the woods.Believe me,nz and oz are no better.They just dont check theres properly.You dont think the players from the islands wouldnt cheat to get int top schools in nz amd oz.Dream on sunshine.Maybe there should be an investigation down there and see what is turned up.There would just be a cover up as we have seen how you lot like to take the moral high ground.At least we came out and admitted there was a problem and delved deeper into it and are trying to sort it out you loser.If we went up north you wouldnt have a comp you tool.You can bleat on that you would but money would be seriously short for you lot.I wish we would leave then maybe all you halfwits would leave this site.I suppose we can only dream.
22 Oct 2012, 07:04 am@snivelling little kiwi pricks-39:
Proof please or STFU
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A Philippine clan leader's bizarre attempt to revive the territorial claims of a defunct Islamic sultanate on the island of Borneo appears to be falling apart.
With his followers engaged in a deadly game of cat and mouse with Malaysian security forces in the villages and palm oil plantations of northeastern Borneo, the self-proclaimed Sultan of Sulu is calling for a cease-fire after the U.N. secretary-general urged an end to the violence.
But Malaysia promptly rejected the proposal and said its security forces had killed more than 30 of the Filipino fighters on Thursday.
Between 100 and 300 men from the southern Philippines came ashore in the area, in the Malaysian state of Sabah, about three weeks ago, claiming to be the Royal Army of the Sultanate of Sulu, a former kingdom in the region whose power has faded.
Jamalul Kiram III, one of the clan leaders claiming to be the rightful sultan, says he sent the men, some of whom are armed, to Sabah to reassert the sultanate's sovereignty over the area.
But their arrival in the coastal district of Lahad Datu caused alarm and embarrassment in Malaysia, which still pays a token fee each year to the sultanate for the lease of Sabah.
While scrambling to explain how so many armed intruders had managed to slip through the maritime border that separates Sabah from the nearby southern Philippine islands, Malaysian security forces tried to persuade the clansmen to return home peacefully.
But those efforts -- supported by the Philippine government, which is pursuing a peace initiative with Muslim rebels in its restive southern islands -- failed as clashes in Sabah late last week left about 28 people dead, including several Malaysian police officers.
A Malaysian offensive
Malaysian authorities responded by launching an offensive using fighter jets, mortar shells and ground troops on Tuesday. They followed that up with what they called a "mopping up" operation, going house to house in the area, searching for the Filipino fighters.


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Council's Arts and Cultural and Independent Artist Grants Programs 2013 are open until 29 May, 5pm. Please see the guidelines for each program below and the link to the respective application forms.
Arts and Cultural Grants Program
Marrickville Council's Arts and Cultural Grants Program provides financial support to artists working in any art form, community and cultural groups, and not-for-profit, non-government arts, community and cultural organisations that offer programs of benefit to residents in the Marrickville local government area (LGA).
The Program contributes to key goals in Council's Our Place, Our Vision - Community Strategic Plan, including:
- supporting a diverse community that values and celebrates their cultural diversity;
- supporting a creative community that participates in arts and cultural activities at all stages of life; and
- helping Marrickville to be recognised as a leading independent arts centre.
Grant applications typically open in April/May every year. Email firstname.lastname@example.com if you wish to be notified when applications open.
A list of funded projects for 2012 can be viewed here:
Independent Artist Grants
This grants program encourages local emerging artists to maintain an independent arts practice. These grants may be suitable for applicants staging a Sydney Fringe Festival performance.
Funding of $1,000–$5,000 per project is available for this program.
Grant applications typically open in April/May every year. Email firstname.lastname@example.com if you wish to be notified when applications open.
A list of funded projects for 2012 can be viewed here:
Open Marrickville Grants
Open Marrickville is a Council event which takes the form of a festival, 11 days celebrating culture and diversity in Marrickville through storytelling, music, dance, art, theatre, food and simply gathering together. Open Marrickville unlocks the talents and creativity of local communities and celebrates the many and varied cultures in Marrickville.
Open Marrickville cultural events must take place between Thursday 20 June to Sunday 30 June 2013 in a variety of locations across the Local Government Area.
Funding of up to $5,000 is available for cultural events and activities to be held as part of Open Marrickville 2013.
Community groups, schools, local artists, cultural groups and the general public are invited to submit an application for grant funding. Council is looking for a range of activities such as cooking classes, poetry readings, craft and traditional arts workshop, exhibitions and cultural events.
- Open Marrickville 2012–2013 Grant Guidelines (for reference only)
Applications for the 2012–13 Open Marrickville Grants round closed in November 2012.
For more information on Open Marrickville grants please contact Council's Community Cultural Development Officer on 9335 2293 or email firstname.lastname@example.com


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Right, Now
James Krohe Jr. -
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March 2009 -
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Corporate social responsibility used to be about good citizenship in one's hometown; today it entails being a good citizen of the world. But what does that mean? What are the standards for transnationals operating in different countries, each with its own guidelines and ideas about how a socially responsible corporation should behave? In a global community, should there be one standard of conduct regarding the environment, working conditions, human rights? Can there be? And who gets to decide?
Check out the current issue and more at www.tcbreview.com!


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The Green Divas Radio Show Podcast
Green Diva Meg takes a light-hearted approach to sustainable living. She hosts a weekly, one-hour radio show along with co-host Green Diva Mizar. Listen to great interviews with high-profile celebrities and leaders in the green living movement, hear practical and low-stress ways to be green in style, and laugh along with the Green Divas as they stumble along the big sustainable highway.
Other Popular Episodes | Date | |
PLAY | Green Divas Radio Show 4.7.12 - Practically Green | April 7, 2012 |
A slightly rowdy show with a full studio. We talked Easter and holiday fun, food, local food and had a great interview with Susan Hunt Stevens, CEO and founder of Practically Green. Listen up! | ||
PLAY | Green Divas Radio Show 3.24.12 - Fran Drescher on Why We Should Care | March 24, 2012 |
A full show complete with a wonderful Why We Should Care segment featuring an interview with Fran Drescher, the actress and founder of Cancer Schmancer. We had our Green Diva In Training, Zoe Marcus in the studio to give us an 11-year-old's perspective. We talked about saving energy at home, transitioning to a green career and had a wonderful interview with Jessica Arinella from the What You Can Do TV series! | ||
PLAY | Green Divas Radio Show 2.18.12 - Ed Begley, Jr. on Why We Should Care | February 18, 2012 |
A special show with too many headliners! For our Why Should We Care campaign, we talked to the beautiful Sarah Stavrou, and the ever-green wonderful Ed Begley, Jr. Both had such wonderful things to say. Then, as if that wasn't enough fun, we had a feature interview with the very busy EcoKaren about her work with EcoEtsy, GreenLivingIdeas.com her gig with Marth Stewart and some new fun for her team with Practically Green! | ||
PLAY | Green Divas Radio Show 2.25.12 - Jessica Alba on Why We Should Care | February 25, 2012 |
A very green diva episode with a short Why Should We Care piece that GD Meg recorded earlier in the week with Jessica Alba. the Sleeping Naked is Green segment was all about recycling our sneakers. Our feature interview was with Rachel Kaplan, author of Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living. GREAT information and lots of it! | ||
PLAY | Green Divas Radio Show 1.21.12 - Gettin Local, Wherever You Are1 | January 21, 2012 |
With our guest Green Dude, Paul Miller, Coordinator for the Morristown Office of Sustainability, we got caught up on all the wonderful things coming up for our region, including the upcoming Earth Day Experience. Our Sleeping Naked is Green segment was all about plastic and how and why we need to reduce, reuse and recycle it. We talked to Ben, architect/sustainable farmer/chef and all around amazing green guy and just had good green fun. |


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"Black is like the silence of the body after death, the close of life." - Wassily Kandinsky, 1911 Wassily Kandinsky (b. Dec. 4 [Dec. 16, New Style], 1866, Moscow, Russia--d. Dec. 13, 1944, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Fr.), Russian-born artist, one of the first creators of pure abstraction in modern painting. After successful avant-garde exhibitions, he founded the influential Munich group Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider; 1911-14) and began completely abstract painting.
29/12/2011 @ 12:25 ♥ 8
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This timely and practical resource contains hundreds of completed examples. Alerts and cautions highlight areas of the law and specific transactions that require special handling. More than a dozen forms facilitate estate freezing and wealth transmission techniques are included.
This treatise provides the assurance and confidence to act on every planning aspect of a client's needs with regard to Chapter 14, including:


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Yes, I'm a terrible person. I've been avoiding calls and emails from the Christian Socialist Movement for about a month now, and I'm still not sure if it is that that makes me the miserable worm that I am or whether it is just a symptom of my worminess. Either way, if I didn't believe in Grace, I'm pretty sure I'd be going to hell. I mean, it's one thing to avoid people who love Jesus (we've all been there), quite another to duck calls from people trying to promote justice for the poor. But rejecting calls from a combination? Not even Rob Bell thinks that's okay. CSM have been asking me to write about moving my money from a bank to a more ethical money-house. It's a worthy cause, too. Banks are, I think, almost fundamentally flawed institutions. We've all read about the ultra-complex world of 'casino banking' and we're all feeling the effects of what a model of business without conscience or sense of consequence (raised to the status of priestly caste by Mamom-worshipping politicians of all three main parties) has done to the global economy. But just listen to almost any episode of Moneybox on Radio 4 and you get another, equally grim picture at another level: banks fighting against legal decisions that will protect ordinary people. Banks ignoring the legal judgements of regulatory authorities. Banks behaving like Somali warlords who know they control something essential to a population too weak to oppose their decisions. But, then, that's hardly surprising. Organisations whose sole motivation is profit will do what it takes to make profit. Caring about human beings, doing the right thing, making the world a better place: these things do not please shareholders (and when we criticize banks we really must remember that while they are the priests sacrificing us all on the altar of a greedy death-cult, it is the shareholders who are their gods). Charities and public bodies are there to do good. The rest exist to make money, and damn the icebergs, as it were. This is one of the reasons why our current government's mania for disposing of public bodies in favour of privately-owned ones is so disgusting. And it is why if, as Christians, we want to avoid doing harm in our daily lives, we shop ethically. We try to favour small or local businesses, always choose the fair-trade option if it is available and do not shop in supermarkets. We recognise that if this makes things more expensive, then we should consume less, because ending slavery also made things more expensive, but it was the right thing to do. But there is an obvious limit to what this can do. My coffee may be fairtrade and my clothes sweatshop free. But is the paint on my walls? Is the ceramic in my bathroom? And what of the steel in my car, the coltan in my phone and the hundreds of chemicals in the tins that house my sustainably-fished tuna? And what, CSM ask, about banks? Should we really be lending our money to these megasharks of the economic world? This is where my guilt (followed by not wanting to write this article) comes in. I don't want to move my money. It's a hassle. Moving from a global megacorp to a smaller business may well result in less convenience. Reapplying for loans and accounts, learning new PINs and frankly talking to any financial institution, however ethical, sounds about as appealing as dinner with David Cameron, Rupert Murdoch and that awful blond kid from Game of Thrones. And, honestly, I don't know if I will do it. I want to. At least, I want to want to, if you know what I mean. But whether I do or not doesn't change the fact that it is the right thing to do. The fact that I am a terrible person (Exhibit A: I avoid writing about doing the right thing because I don't want to have to do it myself, Exhibit B: I avoid CSM calls like the man in the Poe story, trying to block out the sound of the tell-tale heart) doesn't change the fact that disinvesting in banks is a good idea. But neither does it change the fact that disinvesting is not enough. I hate to sound defeatist, but with the best will and witness in the world, we will not convince everybody to do it. If people find it tough to care enough to buy chocolate or jeggings that don't rely on slave labour, how in the name of Adam Smith and all his little wizards will we convince them to care about the stuff that's difficult to change? Like paint and steel and iPhones and banks. People often say of Socialism that it is naïve – that it believes the best of people and that this unrealistic vision of the world is its weakness. But I am a Socialist precisely because I do not believe the best of people. I love them. I understand why, but I know that they (we) rarely choose to do the right thing voluntarily. And hey, that's fine as long as nobody gets hurt. But people are getting hurt. Millions upon millions of them. And that's why legislation is needed, not just to reform banking, but to reform our sick, unrealistic, anti-human global economy. How I wish that absolved me of any responsibility to do something personally to help, to do the right thing even if it changes nothing. But I'm a Christian. We don't do right because it changes things. We do right because it is right, because it pleases God. It's really very inconvenient. So, yes, fine, CSM. Fine! I'll move my money. It may not be all at once, but I will. Are you happy now? Will you stop calling? Please?
Jonty also blogs for the Huffington Post and the Narnian Socialist Review
This article also appears on the Narnian Socialist review website... here
Jonathan Langley, 02/05/2012
See the original article as it appeared on the Premier Christian media's website here...
Trust lies at the heart of our transactions, you pay money and trust that you will gain something in return, from holidays to financial products, trust is key.
The amount of trust we put in our banks is up there with the trust we put in our education system to teach our children well and our health service to keep our well being in check. We put our money in banks because we believe that it will be safer than it would be under the mattress at home, it's one of the most important trust relationships we enter into. Yet what do we actually trust our banks to do?
The banks most of us use do a great job of helping us to feel secure in our banking, they aim to provide excellent customer service , a range of financial products and appealing interest rates, 24-7 customer help-lines, flexible ways to deposit and access money and the rest of it. A great deal of effort is put into attracting you into the bank with the promise of security for your money and more often, to journey with you through life's challenges, helping you along the way with a range of products designed to put you first.
At face value, this is great! Just as we expect our schools to put our children first and our NHS to put patients first, so our banks put customers first. Or so the advertising claims. It only takes seconds to realise that, of course this isn't the case. We may put more trust in our banks than in any other business, but we know that at the end of the day, they are still businesses that share the common bottom line of all businesses, they exist to make money. This is what comes first; of course treating customers well is key to turning a profit, but I'm afraid that yes, you are a means to an end.
If we think about it, all the things we trust our banks to do focus on our side of the bank vault. Take a peek through the other side however, and a different story emerges. It can prove incredibly difficult to find out what your bank does with your money, but there are some who have taken it upon themselves to do just that: investigate and publicise the nature of the investments made by our most popular (and most trusted) high street banks and whose money they choose to invest. The findings open a number of ethical cans of worms, that as followers of Christ, I believe we should be concerned about.
From investments in the arms trade and propping up corrupt regimes to exploitation of the environment, excessive bonuses for directors to blatant tax avoidance, the picture painted is not a pretty one.
The independent monitoring body 'ethical consumer' rates all of the 'big 5' banks (Barclays, Lloyds group, Santander, RBS and HSBC) no higher than 4.5 out of 20 on their ethical rating system, with some scoring as low as 0.5 overall. Sites like these give a very useful break down of where you are inadvertently investing your money.
So what does this have to do with you? In trusting the banks to keep your money safe and give you a decent rate of interest you are, in quite a direct way, financing a range of investments that you yourself would perhaps wish to steer clear of, even things that you might condemn and campaign against in other ways.
Banks can very subtly straddle that divide between the way we think about trusted institutions that provide important services and the way we perceive big business (in often less positive terms). This is a call to rethink what we trust our institutions and businesses to do.
There are alternative banks, building societies and credit unions whose purpose is to invest ethically and locally, to be trusted by customers to work for the common good as well as to offer competitive services. You can find out more through CSM's 'Put your money where your mouth is' campaign at www.thecsm.org.uk
Why entrust your money to businesses you cannot trust to hold the same values as you hold? Why settle for giving a proportionally small sum to good causes whilst the bulk of your money runs the risk of finding its way into dodgy investments that have damaging impacts on people and the planet?
Let's bank on something worth while, in something we can trust.
Sam Buck is a member of the Christian Socialist Movement.
Sam Buck, 24/04/2012
The combination of a push of activists occupying streets across the globe, and the pull of an ever worsening economy, is brewing up the perfect storm for banking. With liquidity pricing at its highest since the fall of Lehman Brothers, it could well get a lot worse. But despite this, the fundamental role of banks in society still isn't receiving the attention it deserves. Perhaps as a society we've become so blind to banking's potential for good, that while we express frustration at the unacceptable behaviour of banks, we can't actually imagine them doing anything else. But it doesn't have to be this way. The role of banks is no longer an academic exercise, but a timely and fundamental question. Picture society as a human body. If money is its lifeblood, then banks should act as society's heart – determining where that blood is required and pumping it across. If the heart is healthy, the body will be able to access the resources it needs to remain healthy. But without a conscious approach to the flow of money, the malaise in the society will feedback to the banks and infect them. The financial crisis has proven that when the banks fail, the whole of society suffers. And as the very organisations that brought the economy to its knees, it's morally and practically right that banks take an active role in helping to build it back up again. So what should the future of banking look like? We believe that banks and money should act as enablers of positive change, but it feels as if the financial sector has lost its way in terms of purpose and potential. We need to see the industry focusing more on the real economy and supporting its future, rather than operating with a primary mission of delivering short-term shareholder returns. Research commissioned by Triodos shows that five in six people believe their bank should play a role in helping society. Two thirds (64%) wanted to see more investment in communities. Just 3% of savers feel banks are transparent about what happens to their savings once deposited. We can guess why. At present, only a fraction of the money lent and invested by the main banks is used to bring about positive change. Clearly the banks' customers do not think this is good enough. It's a call to action for policymakers, shareholders, and bank executives: they have to ensure the banking sector gives more back to society, rather than just taking. A compelling alternative to banking as we know it is a shift towards smaller banks, and more of them. It's a model that could help banks to deliver benefits to society while limiting the financial sector's potential to harm it. These smaller banks could operate on a human scale. They could specialise, and pass expertise onto their customers. The more focused they can remain on the direct impacts of the finance they provide, the more emphasis they can place on its environmental and social advantages. The Global Alliance for Banking on Values is an independent network of banks which aims to use finance to deliver sustainable development for people, communities and the environment. It demonstrates how a new model made up of smaller, interconnected banks can work. While they serve very different communities, from urban San Francisco to rural Mongolia, they learn from each other, sharing ideas on long-term sustainable thinking, new forms of ownership and economic cooperation. Crucially, scaled-down banks would be small enough to fail. One of the cruellest ironies of the financial crisis has been that banks – which often act as judge, jury and executioner for struggling businesses – have not been forced to play by their own rules. Arguably, smaller banks would not benefit from the economies of scale enjoyed by today's banking behemoths. But, while it's questionable whether these savings are passed on to the consumer, there's no doubt that the cost of their failure has been. The banking industry owes an awful lot to society. A little open heart surgery is exactly what it needs to start making repayments.
Bevis Watts (Head of Business Banking, Triodos Bank). This article was first published in Green Futures magazine, January 2012.
Bevis Watts (Head of Business Banking, Triodos), 28/03/2012
There are plenty of reasons to be angry with the big 5 UK high street banks right now. Recklessness, risky spending, tax avoidance, abusing government support, continuing to award obscene bonuses to senior management to name but a few. But here's one that might not seem immediately apparent: climate change. The connection between your high street banks and climate change may not appear immediately obvious. When you pop into your local bank to deposit some cash you are greeted by a friendly cashier in a shiny clean enterprise, not a dirty building with a massive chimney spewing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. But who do you think finances the factories? Factories require large amounts of capital, and without some serious help from a bank most would not get built. Banks provide direct corporate loans as well as investment banking services (such as helping companies sell bonds and shares.) And this damning recent study shows that UK high street banks are among the biggest culprits. The study put Barclays, RBS and HSBC in the top 20 world banks financing coal-fired electricity and coal mining since 2005. Barclays (in fifth place) has spent a phenomenal €11,514 million. This includes providing more than €35 million in finance to Indian Mining company Vedanta Resources which has resulted in widespread illegal tree felling, intruded on local tribes and caused water scarcity and pollution. It has also provided Dynegy-LS Power with credit as they have built 12 new coal power plants in the USA – these plants will put out more than 65 million tonnes of CO2 per year! RBS, HSBC and Barclays all participated in financing €70 billion for energy giant E-ON which, in 2008, proposed to build the first coal-fired power station in the UK for 30 years in Kingsworth, Kent, as well as announcing plans to build a further seventeen coal and gas-fired power station in Russia. The report also points out the hypocrisy in these banks' statements: RBS states it ensures that "As a financial services group our direct impact on the environment in terms of climate change … is limited". Not that limited, since it spent €10,694 million financing coal since 2005, and is the UK's biggest tar sands funder. In fact, there has been such anger about RBS' alleged greenwashing that it has been forced to pull out as a sponsor of Climate Week. In contrast, some banks' ethical investment policy prohibits it from financing any oil, coal or gas projects. But remember, banks use your money. You give a bank your money to keep it safe, the bank loans it to someone else to make money from interest. The more people who use a bank, the more money the bank has to turn into profit. If we stop giving money to these banks, if we show them that we do not support dirty coal factories and tar sands, if we trust our money instead to banks that invest in clean, ethical, sustainable projects then these banks will not be able to turn a profit. So move your money – and give the coal-financing banks something to be angry about. To find out more about banks' dodgy dealings go to www.banktrack.org Sarah Arnold is Co-Director (International Programmes) of UKYCC, and is currently an economics student at the University of Edinburgh.
Sarah Arnold, 28/03/2012
It is easy, now that "banker" has become a dirty word, to dismiss the entire industry as a complete waste of time. The resignation declaration from a Goldman Sachs' executive director, published in the New York Times on Wednesday and referring to a bank whose environment is "as toxic and destructive as I have ever seen it", has swept round Twitter like a cyclone, further confirming the public's view of the shocking state of the industry. But it needn't be like that. The reputation of the high street and of investment banks has been tarnished by years of careless investment, disregard for customer service and a display of arrogance only slightly less extreme than Mr Banks's institution in Mary Poppins. At the same time, smaller, less flashy banks and building societies have been continuing to lend responsibly, safeguarding depositors' money and investing in projects that have people, the environment and local communities at the heart of their decision making. We need banks. We want to be able to put our money away safely, to have access to it when we want to spend it, and we want our savings to be growing. Charities and social enterprises frequently need access to loan finance as much as their profit-making counterparts. But it's not true that ethical banking is eccentric, risky or low-yield. Ethical banks offer mainstream, regulated products. An ethical ISA will offer you the same return as many of its high street counterparts, but the money invested will be doing good while it waits for you. Indeed, returns on ethical ISAs are likely to be sustained rather than enter a downward spiral the moment you've signed up. Charity Bank's policy is to lend only to charities and social enterprises, while being fair and transparent and offering customers a competitive return. Our message to Greg Smith, the disillusioned executive would be: come and talk to us; banks can be different. Mark Howland, Charity Bank
Matt Howland, Charity Bank, 26/03/2012
I am excited that today CSM is launching its "Put your money where your mouth is" campaign. I have become more and more convinced that transformation in countries only happens through movements, and that movements only happen when folks with a passion for certain policies flesh them out in their lifestyle. Our nation has seen too much of those who espouse certain policies but whose lifestyles look no different to anyone else. There are also plenty of us who studiously model a different way of living, that springs from a different set of values, yet step back from arguing to see those values fleshed out in public policy. Both are required, and to be a movement, you need both. As the Christian Socialist Movement, we are in a unique and potentially prophetic position, to make good the word "movement" in our title, speaking and acting in a way that goes against the consumerist, individualist grain of our society. Never has this more been needed, as society's ability to even imagine a different way is shrinking fast. People need to see what community based on co-operation rather than competition could look like. THE CONTEXT Over the last year, it has been great to see that there has been a lot of discussion and debate about the ethics of capitalism. However our new campaign is not just about speaking, it is about action, and so we are issuing a challenge to members to 'put your money where your mouth is'... We are stepping into this new campaigning season with confidence, based on the successes of our campaigns for a Financial Transaction Tax and the separation of retail and casino banking. What were once considered fringe interests are now mainstream thinking, and this would not have happened without the many letters and emails written by CSM members over the years. So over the coming months, CSM will be putting forward ideas for action and campaigning, building on the important work of groups such as the Living Wage Campaign and those who are calling for a cap on interest rates and curbs on doorstep lending. But our first priority is to encourage CSM members and their churches to join in with the 'Move Your Money' campaign, and at a national level, to call for a regulatory shift that enables greater shareholder responsibility and participation. In short, we want people to see that how and where they invest says as much about their values as possibly any other area of life. After all Jesus said in Luke 12:34 that "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Where we put our money reveals our true priorities. The other aspect of "where our mouths are" is that financial transactions are meant to be built on relationships. The very word credit after all is derived from credo, implying a belief and trust between lender and borrower, buyer and seller, shareholder and corporate impact. Sadly however the relational aspect has been slowly but surely driven out of financial transactions. We will be campaigning to see this change. Check out the info on the campaign page. http://www.thecsm.org.uk/Groups/191967/Christian_Socialist_Movement/About_CSM/Put_Your_Money/Put_Your_Money.aspx Think of the snowball effect of thousands of people moving their money to places where profit isn't the only bottom line. It has happened with fairly traded coffee, bananas and chocolate, so why not with money? We are working with the "move your money" campaign – www.moveyourmoney.org.uk. It contains very useful information about moving your or your church's money to better places, especially exploring the vital role of credit unions. Find out what your money is doing while you're not looking! Where are banks and other bodies investing and using your money? Reports are available from Ethical Consumer magazine - http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/home/bankingspecialreport.aspx They provide excellent resources and explanations as to how different banks, mortgage firms and investment companies use your money when you're not looking. Why do we believe that when we give money to charity it is OUR money feeding the poor in say, Rwanda, but when we invest in stocks and shares, it is not OUR money that may be exploiting natural resources in the developing world, or causing environmental pollution? Being separated by a few links in the chain does not remove us from responsibility. The same must obviously apply to how we invest our finances together, and for many Christians this happens actively through their churches. Could you find out how your church is investing its money and with whom (both at a local and a national level). It may be time to encourage your church to also put its money where its mouth is. Think of the impact of hundreds of churches moving their money to places where it will be invested locally and invested for the common good rather than for fast profit. There have already been large ripples in the United States from many churches re-investing in a thoughtful way. "Before Thanksgiving, churches moved $55 million away from Wall Street banks and pledged to move at least $100 million more. In late February, a San Francisco coalition moved $10 million from Wells Fargo." http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/03/12/442286/churches-lent-mortgage-crisis/ We are partners in the Move Your Money campaign. Find out more about the campaign at www.moveyourmoney.org.uk
Andy Flannagan, CSM Director, 26/03/2012


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Fiatech is an international community
of passionate stakeholders working
together to lead global development
and adoption of innovative practices
and technologies to realize the highest
business value throughout the life
cycle of capital assets.
Presented by: Man-Woo Park, Graduate Research Assistant, Georgia Institute of Technology
Reserve for this live webinar and earn 1.0 PDH
In this presentation, a novel method of tracking construction entities will be introduced. 3D object tracking on construction sites has a wide variety of applications. It allows identification and tracking of personnel, equipment, and materials to support effective progress monitoring, activity sequence analysis, productivity measurements, and safety management. In addition, tracking instantly enables the identification of critical activities and problems, which allows for on-site project control and decision making capabilities. Available tracking solutions are mainly based on Radio Frequency technologies including GPS and RFID, etc. They all work under the same principle of having a sensor attached on each entity to be tracked. These technologies have been applied, and proved to work excellent for most scenarios involved in construction management such as proactive work zone safety and material registration and installation. However, when it comes to large-scale and congested construction sites, the installation of the sensor system can be costly and time-consuming due to the large amount of items involved. Also, privacy issues can arise out of tagging workers. For these specific scenarios, vision-based tracking may have potential for use as an efficient alternative. This session presents a framework that promises to determine the spatial location of project related entities in a large-scale congested construction site, such as construction equipment, personnel, and materials without installation of sensors. Under this framework, video streams are initially collected from a set of fixed video cameras that are placed at a project site. The views of the cameras should have large overlapping areas so that the entities appear at least in two views. In each view, project related entities are automatically identified and localized when they first appear. The identified entities are tracked in the subsequent frames. This process provides 2D pixel coordinates across frames for each view. In order to obtain 3D coordinates of the entities with two 2D pixel coordinates at each frame, the geometric relation between the camera views is discovered. Once the distance between camera positions and the angle between the camera views are revealed, the 3D coordinates are calculated by triangulating two cameras and the entity. This technology is tested on videos collected at real construction sites. The accuracy is measured by comparing with total station data, which demonstrates its competitive and promising performance for on-site tracking purposes.


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Sister Shakila Shaikh works round the clock. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
She says she only takes one day off each year during the Muslim festival of Ramzan. "I have to be here," she says, showing us her modest two-room health clinic in India. "The women of this village need me."
Nurse Shaikh is part of a community of health workers leading the battle against malnutrition in Ahmednagar, a poor district in the western state of Maharashtra.
Back in 2006, Maharashtra fared poorly in the Indian government's National Family Health Survey. The India-wide report showed that 40% of Maharashtra's children were underweight, an indication of general malnutrition.
"Data speaks," says Rajalakshmi Nair, Health and Nutrition specialist at UNICEF. She says it's a shame that a country that has grown economically has made very little progress when it comes to looking after its children.
Despite two decades of robust economic growth, levels of malnutrition in India remain alarmingly high. According to the 2011 Hunger and Malnutrition survey conducted by the Nandi foundation, 42% of Indian children under the age of five are underweight. That's more than Sub-Saharan Africa. The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says it is a "matter of national shame."
Vandana Krishna heads the Nutrition Mission of Maharashtra. She agrees that levels of malnutrition across India are very worrying but firmly believes the small steps being taken in the region will make a big difference.
Following the 2006 report, the Maharashtra state government teamed up with UNICEF to launch a new initiative that focuses on the first 1,000 days of a child's life -- starting in the womb. Krishna says this is the period when children are most vulnerable. But she adds, "It's also the window of opportunity. If you catch them at that age and address malnutrition and give them the right nutrition, the right childcare, some love and attention, then we can tackle this issue."
That's exactly what a team of health workers is trying to do across Maharashtra. Nurses like Sister Shaikh handle the early days. At her clinic, Sister Shaikh regularly holds counseling sessions during which she tells pregnant women what to eat and how to experience a healthy pregnancy.
Many of the women who come to her clinic are poor and illiterate. They used to have lots of misconceptions about pregnancy, says Sister Shaikh. For example, they would not take any vitamins because they would worry that pills would make the baby too big, leading to a difficult childbirth. "I started telling them, take your vitamins and folic acid tablets. Don't worry. Your body knows its limit. The baby will grow accordingly."