I recently participated in a showing of the documentary Invisible Children, which left me in an indescribable and confused emotional state. Only one thing was clear – something has to be done. The movie was created in Spring 2003 by a group of three students from Southern California. They travelled to Uganda to document, learn, and share about the plight of the children who commute nightly from their village homes to bus stations or hospitals where they sleep in large communities. Why would anyone, let alone children, do this on a daily basis? In short, the rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army regularly raid villages and kidnap children between the ages of 5 and 12 (they are strong enough to carry the guns and machetes but still small enough to sneak into small spaces) in order to join the fight in the bloody civil war against the Uganda government. Anyone who tries to escape or refuse is shot or butchered, often at the hands of other children already indoctrinated in the ways of the LRA. The numbers are staggering and the stories are frustrating and depressing. Colin Powell is quoted as saying, “…America has leadership responsibilities around the world, and nowhere is more important than here in Africa.” Please visit the website and read about what you can do to help. This stuff is truly breathtaking, be sure to check out the trailer and spread the word!

Designer Sascha Akkerman created a pretty ingenious fold-up and roll away lounge chair for summer relaxtion. The Poissonmobile works as a mat or a chaise style lounge. Akkerman was inspired by the little bamboo sushi mats seen throughout Japanese restaurants worldwide. The designers goal was to “use a flexible surface to achieve a stable body–the tensile strength of the material and ergonomics of the human body created restrictions that made the shape of the chaise almost inevitable.” The folks over at Inhabitat are pushing the designer to produce these with recycled materials, nice job! Thanks for the tip Inhabitat.

Not a stranger to running successful fundraisers for worthy causes, the team at Threadless is at it again. This time, they’ve teamed up with the American Red Cross to celebrate the organization’s 125th anniversary. All the shirts in the Threadless Loves Red Cross competition must embody the theme “home, humanity, and compassion.” The contest has recently concluded and the judges have done the dirty work for you, looking over and evaluating over 230 entries. The top three have been chosen and are available for $15 each, which is pretty cool considering that’s the price of a standard shirt and Threadless is donating $5 from every shirt directly to the Red Cross. You can pick up your shirt (or all three!) from the Red Cross online store or directly from Threadless. My favorite is the St. George vs. The Dragon shirt.

If you're seeking an unusual and invigorating (notice I didn't necessarily say relaxing) spa experience, an authentic Turkish bath in Istanbul is sure to deliver. A little soap, a little submission and a little Islam make for an unlikely combination but a terrific cleanse as your rest on a grand marble slab, feel the sun slide through the ceiling holes to your soul and let a stranger loofah your skin till it sheds. Sound painful? It is. But when you rise to rinse it will be well worth it. Ask any hostel (I recommend the Orient) in Istanbul and they'll be glad to set it up for you. Women and men bathe separately, knickers are optional and if you forget the tip, don't worry, the bather will remind you.