My partner recently ordered a part for his pc from this company, I had originally had a bad feeling about this site when he proposed saving a few quid using pc-doctore-store.co.uk and I had tried researching about the company at the time. It was odd, as there was no information online about them, which I found spurious from the get go.

Now, three weeks gone by and there has been no PC Component received in the post, nor is there a response from the email used to enquire where the said pc part is. TAKE YOUR MONEY AND RUN should be pc-doctore-store.co.uk motto.

My other half was reeled in, easily, I must admit. There is no contact email address or contact telephone number. But the internet is a very dangerous place. I too, am well aware of this.

They have also operated under several company names, of which more can be found on Moneysupermarket.com, I have added the link below.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1028969

I will do some more research on the owner of the company and look to name and shame them, as well as hindering their future attempts at scamming people out of their money.

Be warned, if you do order an item from pc-doctor-store.co.uk, you WILL NEVER RECEIVE THE ITEM. After research, I have found that there is one individual responsible for these rogue companies, that he sets up for a month or so, then all of a sudden they will disappear, along with a lot of people’s money who had thought they were making a legitimate purchase, only to find out the company is a fraud.

The company address details:

The By Post
PC Doctor Store
19-20 EBC
Chester Employment Park West
Minerva Avenue
Chester
CH1 4QL

http://www.carbonmanagers.com/ 

A great site dedicated to assisting businesses and companies in offsetting thier carbon footprint. The main elements being that of businesses cutting down their emissions and planting trees in order to try and achieve a counteract effect. If you happen to read this, please approach your employer or if you are an owner of a business, please consider looking into the benefits of carbonmanagers.com both environmentally and financially. Money can be saved in cutting your carbon emissions as well having a positive effect on the environment.

The other site I came across was the http://www.woodlandtrustshop.com essentially a site where you can go and purchase a tree at £2.75 a month. It sounds like a lot of money for a tree per month, but this tree has its future insured and will be nurtured, will be looked after and with its branches kempt with grooming. I think that £2.75 a month to maintain the number of trees and in making an effort to counteract the effect of pollution and provide a future of fresher, cleaner air, then this is worth it.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/ - Independent Charity Protecting Historic Houses, Gardens, Forests, Woods, Beaches, Farmlands and More

http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/ - Stop Global Warming Movemeent To Stop Global Warming

http://www.treesforcities.org/ – Charity involved in Planting Trees

http://www.foe.co.uk/ - Friends Of The Earth Combatting Climate Change, Ensuring Recycling, Protectign Countryside and More

http://www.redcross.org.uk/index.asp?id=39992 - Humanitarian Organisation Helping People Facing Crisis

http://www.dec.org.uk/ - Disasters Emergency Committee Offering Overseas Aid

http://www.who.int/en/ - World Health Organisation Leadership Of Global Health Matters

 http://www.oxfam.org.uk/ - Charity organising many campaigns, environmental and ethical

http://www.bhf.org.uk/ - Fighting Heart Disease

http://www.wwf.org.uk/ - Leading Conservation Body

http://www.amnesty.org.uk/ - Campaigning for Rights and Protecting People

http://www.gosh.org/ - Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity

http://www.fsc.org/ - Independent Organisation Promoting Responsible Management of The World’s Forests

http://www.carbonmanagers.com/tree-planting.aspx?gclid=CPbAuM7lj5sCFUEA4wodCEAvoA - Corporate Tree Planting For Carbon Off-Setting

http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/helping/pat_life.html -Plant A Tree

http://www.wateraid.org/uk/ - Organisation that Provides Safe Water

There is the Garden Ark, which is a neat little human ‘pen’ as it were for the end of a large garden, as an extra addition to inside space on the outside space if you have enough it. It is made from trees, soil and grass, and maybe some sheeps wool in the mix as insulation. They are made with 100% sustainable materals, and wood approved and conserved by the FSC - Forest Stewerdship Council.

A neat little enclosure, that offers office space, a seating area as well as a toilet. You can stowe away all your secrets and treasures within this wonderful little compartment of escapism from the surroundings. Like a sweet little Hobbits house, I am quite certain that one could almost dwell within one quite happily as a Hobbit. I am sure it would bring much fun for children as a den at the end of a garden and a fantastic space to work in. You needn’t leave as it comes with its own lavatory, there’s no excuse or reason for this design not to satisfy your every need of having practical extra space or for use as a workplace.

Image / Conceptual Visualisation Provided By: http://www.chrisbeck.creators.co.uk

Coming complete with solar power panels and wind turbines, they really are an eco-friendly little box of  fun. I wish I could have one, as I am sure many do and will. Moving onto another of their designs;

The LandArk

The timber frame takes only 4 days with a team of 5 for this structure to be put together, the LandArk offers quick engineering and construction. For the frame, no metal fixings are required, as it is designed with jointing techniques, wedges and a machined frame to create a robust locked chain frame. The design is one that is thought out and is simple but technical. The nice thing about this one, is you really can inhabit it like it’s home, it really is the hobits house! Comes complete with its own bed, a balcony / terrace and shower. Offering 21st Century design, but offering one of the oldest of materials used for structures; wood. It is a great material and can be easily sourced and is renewable and sustainable when monitored and governed. The great thing abouth ZedFactory’s design, is the use of wood. It manages to camoflage its way into most landscapes without being aesthetically offensive, even when clad with a grey solar panel, they look like they are meant to be, like they mould into natural surroundings almost naked, the beauty of using wood, its simple, its natural, its not ugly.

Why not visit the ZedFactory Website: http://www.zedfactory.com/

                   DEVASTATION               STARVATION               RUBBISH             DROUGHT                                            

FLOODING                CRUELTY              SUPERMARKETS                              RAPE                     BEES

    MURDER                          FRAUD                   TOXINS

                    POVERTY                     WASTE                   HAPPINESS                       TRUST                            COMMUNITY

PRISONERS                 CAPTIVES                           CORN

ASSASINS                      HOSTAGES                  CONSUMERISM    

           STUPIDITY                      ANGER                                 FRUSTRATION                           BOREDOM                    

SELFISHNESS                       WHEAT                                                             AN EASY LIFE                           A HARD LIFE                        CONFUSION               CHAOS       

           CONTENT                     DISCONTENT              SOLAR PANELS          UNBALANCE                            EXTINCTION                 

RESOURCES                 SURPLUS                       VACUOUS                             EMPTY                          UNSATISFIED             

          SATISFACTION       WIND TURBINES              HUNGER            DRUGS             OVER FED                               CHOICE                       NO CHOICE 

HUMANITY                    SMILES                   FROWNS                      DESPAIR                          JOY                     PEACE              

           SOCIETY                     GOVERNEMENT                 ANIMALS                     TREES            

PLANTS               MARINELIFE                       OCEANS                              SUN                            SKY                      STARS   

          MOON                        PLANETS                            GALAXY                                  COMPUTERS                     TV             

 TECHNOLOGY                                     KITES                              LAWNMOWERS                                                         PLASTIC BAGS                 

                READING                    LEARNING                          WRITING                           SPEAKING                     ACTIONS

PLANS                 DETERMINATION                        DESTRUCTION                      CONSTRUCTION                CARS               

           BIKES        SKATEBOARDS                 SNOWBOARDS         SKIING                SKYDIVING            CANOOING             

BUNGEE JUMPING        PARASAILING                       DIVING                      RUNNING                  SWIMMING          

               FISHING                     GOLF            CINEMA                        WALKING                 PARKS                   RESTAURANTS

SHOPS                     CLOTHES                        FOOD                        SHOES                     TOOTH BRUSH               TOASTER     

              CRAMPED                         SQUASHED                       ENORMOUS                        MASSIVE             MASSES              

LAND                   AIR                    WATER                     RIVERS               BOATS             SHIPS                 AEROPLANES

              SUBMARINES                       GUNS                    WEAPONS               KNIVES                    BOMBS   

            HATE        

LOVE                        ATTACKS                      THREATS                          CORRUPTION                  DECEIT       HOLIDAYS      

           POWER                       RICH                          POOR                   DERELICT                DESERTED                     UNUSED 

There are many things that are our weakness. One of them being that we are only human from the off. Its amazing how we as people have the ability to learn and to be pioneering and inquisitvie in all that we do. Yet we are still blind to our greatest downfall. Consumerism and wants. We want food to be accessible and readily packed and picked for our money. We take no thought in how many items reach our doorstep, let alone the people involved from production through to manufacturing. There is the transportation, costs and needs in getting the items and components to package the very item being produced. The intensity for sourcing products then transporting them to a factory to ultimately be used for packaging or to be created into something else is astronomical if you look at everything on a grand scale. Your tinned tuna for example; The fishermen catch the fish, often using powered boats to do so. As highlighted recently, the methods of catching tuna is a problem to the ocean’s marine life itself. (Please watch the end of the line Movie about the devastating effects of overfishing). Then once the tuna has been caught it then gets taken back to shore, sold off at auction and then transported again to a factory.

At the factory, in some cases in South East Asian food industries, people are standing in lines like battery chickens and are meeting hefty targets to earn the little money they do. Recently this had the spotlight put on it by the BBC’S Blood Sweat & Takeaways Documentary programme. Once the tuna has been processed by hand by hundreds of workers, it is then canned, labelled and boxed ready for transportation. All the many processes and resources required for the tiny little tin of tuna are massive in comparison to its individual existence. Once canned and boxed it then gets transported again to its delivery destination and the irony is, it may yet see another transportation from store to home by car. Transportation may include aeroplanes, trains and lorries as well as cars when the consumer finally purchases their can of tuna and drives it home, which is more than likely the least impact caused in terms of total transportation emissions. Then there is the manufacturing process for the tins that the tuna comes in, then the labels and ink used for printing the labels. There is also the boxes for transportation as well as the water and other additives that go into the can of tuna itself. All the processes involved for the boxes, cans, ingredients and labels in producing, manufacturing and delivering them also are enormous. There is also the manufacturing and transportation of uniforms that the workers may be wearing, as well as instruments and machinery needed, increasing the transportation emissions further within this whole manufacturing process of canning tuna.

The seas are threatened by us and we need our seas and oceans healthy for survival. We are seeing Tokyo fish markets selling frozen tuna, it has been said it is an attempt at meeting consumer demand and maintaining stock levels, however this maybe not the case and the reality is that we are now emptying our seas and oceans of all of its resources at a rapid level, endangering many species, for which it is possibly not too late to do something about it now, if we act fast. We cannot turn back time and bring back other species that have faced extinction, but we can reserve what we have and have measures in place globally in order to sustain our seas and oceans fish stocks.

 There are many things that we can do. Plastic bags are an unpleasant by-product of consumerism and they have been seeing many public awareness campaigns, with supermarkets finally looking to meet consumer demand, educate their customers as well as themselves as a company, they are making an effort in order to reduce the usage of plastic carrier bags. Plastic bags end up in poorer countries amassed in plastic carrier ‘graves’ of the 21st Century, along with being mistaken for food and suffocating many marine life species, once they end up in the oceans. Then there is the problem of computers, and technology, often the carcasses of these unwanted items reach their final destination within poorer, developing countries, causing pollution and waste sites. Waste of all kinds get illegally dumped on a daily basis. With wealthier nations off-loading their unwanted nasties in other developing countries. The EU prohibits exports of rubbish and dump materials, but there is a high percentage of illegal waste disposal that continues, not just from the EU, but world wide in developing countries.  

Following Pictures Are From The Guardian:

These images highlight the enormity of the problem of pollution, and this is only in 3 different areas in terms of pollution afected areas. There are many more waste dump sites and other people and countries affected by this. I find the image of the child in the water surrounded by rubbish rather impacting. The photo depicts all the rubbish and waste and how the water has become contaminated. This water is the drinking water and only supply of water that is accessible and available to the local people, they bathe in it, they drink it, they cook with it. They also swim in it amongst the numerous plastic bags, food packaging items and other discarded items that are destined for a life of being known as rubbish. The really devestating fact of this, is that the child never chose to live surrounded by all the waste and toxins. This child will probably consume a tiny proportion of the planets resources within their lifetime in comparison to someone from a developed country. Another persons choices are the consequences of this individuals life and surrounding habitat and environment, it too being our environment also. If we continue to consume at suh a rapid rate, eventually these ‘dumping areas’ will become baron and unihabitable and maybe too full of rusbbish for anything else, when the spaces run out for where we can dispose of our everyday items, what then? When you go to buy something, think of how it has been transported, where it has been transported from, how much packaging it has, is it necessary that I buy a bag of potatoes, rather than loose potatoes and so on. Please for the environment, for your fellow humans, for yourself.  

 The thing is that the things that we are confronted with often change our perspective on a daily basis, dependent upon what we are actually experiencing at any given moment or period of time. The mechanism in a drill will eventually tire and break with enough use from being confronted with constant strain.

We face being being put under pressure from the moment we wake up. We have pressure upon us to get things done within a certain time, for example, breakfast is given its allotted time slot for the day, dependant upon your schedule this will mean waking up at 07.00am and to have breakfast by 07.15am, a further fifteen minutes to relax before you start your day then another 15 to do the necessaries like brushing your teeth and getting dressed, not forgetting your car keys and remembering to take dinner out of the freezer. A long day of further pressures lies ahead. Just getting through traffic is a pressure with it in mind that you are due to be somehwere within the hour and the suspense of will the road clear ahead or will I be late? takes hold whilst you sit in that traffic jam. 

You arrive at work either on time or late, you then proceed your day followed by a number of things that must be done, whilst also maybe organising a million and one other things that you as a  person need to do and then there’s the time after work that you spend seeing friends, family, paying the bills, arranging your diary, working on a hobby or going for a run, having dinner or relaxing etc.

We have such hurried lives and day to day there are issues that we are confronted with that maybe we don’t necessarily want, maybe didn’t realise that a sense of complacency had set in thats left you with the go with the flow approach without  even realising it. The current state of the world with all its misfortunes is a concern of mine and one that I seek to work on to maybe make a difference, (even if it is only a small difference). I have lately been too busy or distracted to actually write anything on my blog, a lack of inspiration and my mind being occupied with other things has held the posts at a halt for a while, however, the posts are coming back. 

Maybe, we are all under stress and all of us suffer from it, just with different ways and sometimes with displays of dealing with it. One persons threshold is different to that of anothers, likewise with opinions, favourite colours, foods and so on.   

Peoples concerns or what they are confronted with do differ from person to person. We are all different and sometimes people don’t understand or don’t want to change their opinions or attitudes, not necessarily because they don’t want to, as they are too busy in dealing with their own confrontations, whether it be that traffic jam, or the issues they are facing in their personal or professional lives, we are all capable of being oblivious to what surrounds us, myself included on many matters, but I do try to read and research and find out things just about life sometimes, I crave a need to know, a need to know why, a need to know how, a need to know because I am intrigued, I want to learn, I want to achieve just as much as anyone else does, maybe by my own standards, and lest we forget, we are all different, to achieve what you feel is right for you is important. Life has many facades, whether it be cruel, good, bad, happy, sad, beautiful, ugly, the environment, the economy, the wars, the violence, the love, the hate, the joy of family and friends….and so many more (you get the idea).

 The point being is that we all have different expectations and outlooks and we cannot all be the same, some are competitive and some are not. I think I fall in the latter category of non competitive. I try to avoid confrontation where possible as I like to consider myself a person who is neutral, neutral in the sense I just want to get along.

I write a blog on the confrontations of many things and I personally feel that it is an outlet for some of my frustrations, which I would hope reflects in my persona as to who I am and what I am about.

I am a creative person and often look to find creativity and inspiration in my every day life, it is a way to unwind from all that is the day and gives me something else to think about. Its also a way that I try to educate myself and hopefully others and make that difference that I always go on about. The difference here is, I have realised that sometimes people display their personas in different ways and we as people either adapt or don’t and sometimes there is just something that is really trivial in that. We can’t get along with everyone. But we can all co-exist, just maybe with abit more understanding?.

The problem here is that once again, it came down to money and it resulted in vandalism. There are people who are relentless and with no remorse or fear and with no intimidation from the police.

I do fear these types of people as they are quite predictably unwholesome characters with no respect, care or concern for anyone else and often only for want what they see fit, sometimes as revenge in the form of threats, violence or vandalism.  

As much as I would like for these people to conduct their affairs in a different manner, they won’t and they do still exist within our society. It is necessary and important that we as people look after oursleves and keep ourselves out of trouble. There are some who choose to keep themselves within menacing societies and they sometimes cause headlines within the news, it is not so glamourous for the victims concerned and I am thankful that I am only surrounded by caring and loving people with only good intentions. I chose my friends carefully in this life, even if with reason of selectiveness, I am not ashamed to say so, as, this is only one life, not a rehearsal and I can effectively change things within my life through my own choices.

As mentioned in one of my other posts, we all are capable of making the right choices, it would be a much better world if people could think a little more and make decisions on more important things rather than being bad natured or concerned with only money and greed.

 Greed is a terrible thing, along with the remainder of the ugly seven sins. We are capable of change, I only hope we all change things enough sooner rather than later. I mean in terms of the grand scheme of things, for instance, choices made, ways of thinking, attitudes towards our environment and planet, consideration towards our fellow humans, love instead of hatred anger, the list could be endless….

You get the idea….  

Well, I visited my mum over the easter weekend and I was surprised to see that in her spring clean she had purchased an environmentally friendly cleaner. I read the label, it was biodegradable and proudly displaying in bright letters, it did not contain the nasties that can be found in bleach. My mum had already implemented small changes like recycling food packaging and re-using plastic bags or purchasing a more durable carrier bag that can be used time and time again. 

I never really thought that change could be so contagious. Some peoples attitudes or habits you can’t change but the good news is there are many that look for a positive effect of our lives on the planet and for future generations to come. Someone else I know also began to use a more durable re-usable carrier bag. I am yet to convince my mum of using Ecover for washing up liquid, but we are seeing progress. This progress also applies to myself and from this changing of habits I am by no means excluded, I too, learn all the time. I learn things about the environment, every day products we use, their effects and our effect on climate and the environment that surrounds us. My own personal effect is one that I am happy to announce and share with you all, as I hope you too will start a happy chain, with what you learn, you pass it on and so it becomes a mass operation of co-ordination towards seeing things differently as well as doing things differently.

Please have a read of my other posts in relation to water saving, energy saving, environmentally friendly products and so on. I would also like for those of you with experiences of your happy chain to leave a post or comment about how it went, is going or is not so going. I try to influence people but never really try to oppose their views or habits if it something they really do not want to change, I try and respect their decisions if they are of opposing attitudes and move to those who are willing and work with those who do want to change. Sometimes you can have an almost subliminal effect and it is interesting just how much some people do actually listen.

I have an extremely bad habit I am afraid to say and that is swearing too much. I like to think that I am a nice and good person only with good intentions, the swearing, I am sure sometimes gives the wrong impression of me, but I do get frustrated with life, with the minotiny, with the ignorance, with the bad, with wars, with humanities priorities, with materialism, with my own and others ignorance, with all the things that maybe my mind just won’t let rest and something tells me that I need to express these matters of my own concern and worries. I worry about the world, I worry about the future, I worry that we as people won’t do enough. If you have read this far, I hope you will visit the site again checking for new posts and may browse my other posts.

With regards to influence, if I have influenced you enough for you to make changes or show your support, whether it be for my blog, for envirnmental products, for a charity or other good cause, deed, to raise awareness on any topic or an act of human kindness, then try doing the influencing yourself, people do and will listen.

Try it, and I am going to try to cut out my swearing, which is something I tend to do in every day life and as of yet have not published a single profanity on my blog. As I said, sometimes this existence brings a lot of thought and a lot of responsibilty as well as all the previous mentioned niggles that I have with the basics of our every day life and existence.

No Wars, No enemies, No hate, Love those you don’t know a little, Love those you do know a lot and never forget to help when you can and maybe the same will be done for you one day. When it comes to war, its either kill or be killed, no killing thanks only happy people and more hugging!