I have somehow managed to strike gold with my Feng Shui search, all I was looking for was plants for balconies and outdoor furniture configurations.

What I found however, was this brilliant gem of what I would assume/hope are erroneous machine translations:

"Feng Shui to help you see how to become Warren"

Good.  That's something I've always been wondering about.


"Do not tank, and the home clash fortuna"

Ok, I promise.  I won't tank.  It sounds kinda dangerous.


"...The toilet, as fierce caused the most scary."

I may just never go in there again.


"...investors are ecstatic, including many never fried anyone"

I know this one, its a Doobie Brothers lyric...


"Non-home Feng Shui is Not Never Trap"

...and hippocampus sends its regards to your kumquat hamster flap.


Following the site's advice to 'fix' a balcony, all you need do is:

"cut the so-called days of evil...just like a knife cut in half the roof..."

Sounds like a lot of work. I think I'll just put in a jade money plant and be done with it.

All text in bold quotations credited to "fengshui-lab.com"

technorati tags: feng, shui, feng shui, balcony, jade plant, chinglish, machine translations

After watching a TV show about sweat shops and hideous working conditions for skilled sewers/tailors/seamstresses, I realised that its easy to forget where our clothing comes from while being caught up in the excitement of shopping online.

I don't want to wear a shirt that took some poor worker 2 hours to make in a stinking horrible room.  I don't want to be responsible for someone sleeping on the floor under their sewing machine and getting paid 2 rupees for something sold at an obscene profit.  

So what is the solution?  How do you avoid the sweat shops and give your money to the companies that profit share with their workers?  How do you ensure that your clothes were not made using child labour?

The answer?  Make the switch to support Fair Trade clothing.

Your purchase can make a huge difference in creating supportive, ethical working environments that empower the workers and fight against poverty, mistreatment and exploitation.



How to check to find out if your latest online purchase is Fair Trade:

1.  Look for the Fair Trade logo







2.  Go to the company website and check in the "about us" section.   If it mentions supporting workers co-ops or profit sharing with the workers, you are on the right track.

3.  Check YouTube for videos of the company's profile and working conditions.

4.  If in doubt, call the company and ask the questions.

Fair Trade Alpargatas (Slippers)
Supports a worker-owned Buenos Aires Co-operative.

Fair Trade "Wear No Evil" T-Shirt

100% Organic Fair Trade cotton.  Made by accredited Fair Trade producers.

You can take this ethos to your everyday shopping as well:

The Ethical Consumer Guide
At a glance, Australian consumers can now check the track record of the companies behind their favourite brands.  Your weekly supermarket shop can make a difference.

technorati tags: fair trade, sweat shop, workers co-operative, profit share, ethical shopping, organic, eco-friendly

This arrived in my inbox this afternoon after a long session of house hunting and going a bit mad.  So you can imagine my delight when I received this little gem in my humble hotmail account...



"Chat on Messenger and you could meet Justin Bieber!"


OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Or...

....I could embrace a moving chainsaw.


It's really up to me I suppose.


Leaning towards the chainsaw actually...  metaphorically of course!!