Serge the Concierge

Tea Tree Oil, Magic Potion for Warts, Acne and Dandruff?

I was trying to find out more about Grass Shoots, a plastic bag amnesty program in London, whatever that means and instead came back with a piece by Sarah Dryden on Natural Healing Head-To-Toe With Australian Tea Tree Oil (New Consumer, UK, December 3, 2008).

She starts by asking us "what do the aboriginal people of Australia, World War II soldiers stationed in the tropics and a modern-day Clinical Aromatherapist have in common? All know the incredible healing power of tea tree oil."

I pledge ignorance on the topic .

Cathy Wong in What is Tea Tree Oil? (on About.com) offers the following answer:

"Tea tree oil is an essential oil obtained by steam distillation of the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, a plant native to Australia.

Historically, the leaves were used as a substitute for tea, which is how tea tree oil got its name. The part used medicinally is the oil from the leaves."

Getting back to Sarah Dryden's article, she offers a very very long list of things that Tea Tree Oil is said to be a solution for from dandruff to acne to (hick) fungal nail infections and warts.

In my childhood I had a 'warts' problem, one of my aunt took me to a well and made me drop peas to the bottom of it as a supposed remedy.

Have you used Tea Tree Oil? Did it work wonders for you?

Just curious?

Related somehow: Slightly Greener House Cleaning Ideas courtesy of The Vinegar Institute

Divorce Widget, Assess Your Divorce Risk thanks to Divorce 360

Another day, another niche, well that niche is quite big actually, is it bigger than the boomers group, not sure.

If your marriage is on the rocks or already tanked, there is a home for you called Divorce 360.

They combine real life stories with community tools and also offer a Divorce Calculator, a streamlined version of the kind of tool you use to figure out potential car or mortgage payments.

In the advice column, they suggest that Two First Born is usually a bad match.

The site is clearly divided in sections like Deciding (Should I Stay or Should I Go?), Ongoing (Advice on Untangling the Mess), not to forget Community with about 15,000 members where you can pick your (support) group and also ask questions and get answers.

They do a great job at what they cover.

Thanks to Justin Wolfers piece (December 2) on Freakanomics Blog for bringing Divorce 360 to my attention.

Loosely related: Just Over 50 and Not Dead Yet

Art Space Tokyo, An Illustrated Guide to Neighborhoods, Places and People

More than a book, Art Space Tokyo is an illustrated guide to 12 must see spots on the Tokyo art scene, introducing galleries, museums such as the Watari Museum of Contemporary Art and other spaces, neighborhood by neighborhood, not to forget the people who made all this happen.

The book is brought to life by illustrations from Nobumasa Takahashi while its cover (above) is the work of US expat (?) Craig Mod (from Connecticut).

The neighborhood maps such as the one for Roppongi (below) are a great addition.

 

Since I have not read the Art Space Tokyo book, the review by Metropolis might help you get a more precise idea of what it stands for beyond what I pointed to.

You can purchase the book directly from them for $30.

Not ready to take the plunge, stay up to date on the Tokyo Art Scene thanks to their blog.

Exploring the city on Tokyo Thursdays # 67

Last week: Okonomiyaki, Pizza or Pancake Japanese Style?

Related: Fabrice Hyber plants Seeds and Thoughts at WATARI-UM in Tokyo

Bah, Humbug! Honey, My Boss Shrunk the Holiday Party?

Jenny Gold thinks that Scrooge is out to punish employees in our wobbly economy or so I felt after reading Companies Say 'Bah, Humbug!' To Holiday Parties (December 3rd, All Things Considered, NPR).

Is it wise?

Well taking the excesses out could make sense but canceling it outright might make you look like you are on a mission the last bit of positive spirit left into your staff?

I will let you make the call.

Buyer's Guide to Store Closings (via 'Color of Money')

As Michelle Singletary points to in An Informed Buyers Guide to Store Closings (BlackAmericaWeb, December 1st) "the Fair Credit Billing Act only applies to credit cards."

She advises that "this holiday season when you pick up your newspaper, don't look just at the sales circulars. You better be reading the business section to keep up on which retailers are doing well and which are going down."

A word to the wise...

Related: Gift Cards, the Next Toxic Asset?