Boy, we’re at the end of January already? This week I’ve been quite philosophical, not to be mistaken with Phil ‘Osophical  the  Irish guy that runs the local bookies. Basically, I’ve been wondering what the hell I’m doing here?…………………

Watford Observer:

I remember between the ages of 4-6 yrs old having some pretty deep curiosities for one so young. There were moments I was stopped in my tracks with thoughts about life, my  purpose, & what my mission here on earth was meant to be & whether I could achieve it?  My attempts at learning to try and “fit in” often failed & resulted in me getting into trouble.  Ten decades later nothing much has changed, I’m still as clueless, awkward & geeky as ever, so this week it was interesting to read a blog by Richard Branson where apart from a wonderful quote “There's no such thing as average, and if we continue to judge ourselves by our ability to fit in, we will never stand out”  he also spoke about a new book by author  Professor Todd Rose called  “The end of Average”

Watford Observer:

As an example of proving “Average” doesn’t exist he points to the investigation into why pilots from the US Air Force were struggling to control their planes in the 1950s, they discovered that it had nothing to do with pilot error, but the way the cockpits were designed with fixed seats. They had been designed to fit the 'average' pilot of the 1920s.

Watford Observer:

But as there is no such thing as  “Average” they were designing the cockpit for nobody,"  said Rose.  So The Air Force adopted an adjustable design  which led to the invention of the adjustable seat which we thankfully now have in all vehicles today.

https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/the-end-of-average

I never understood the one glove fits all mentality at school when it came to learning, I couldn’t relate to it, for me, learning is all about connecting with the individual student, I believe anyone has the ability to be great you just have to find that connection, but for that you need a great teacher and often they can be lacking, or not willing to think outside the “Average” box.  A Diamond teacher stays in your memory forever and thankfully I had a drama teacher at Leggatts school called Tim Phillips who I had huge respect for and who made a difference.

Often people that struggle to fit in and are deemed “Average” go on to be extremely successful, Simon Cowell admits he was useless at school,

Watford Observer:

Actor Johnny Depp dropped out to become a Rock Star, Cameron Diaz dropped out to take up a modelling contract, Elton John left at 16 to play piano in a pub, Alan Sugar dropped out without any qualifications. Famous Inventor Thomas Edison, couldn’t fit in at school and ended up dropping out and being taught at home by his mother. Oprah Winfrey  struggled in her early years and before the age of 14 had experienced more than some do in a lifetime.

Watford Observer:

Co-Founder of Microsoft Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard in his junior years and Walt Disney dropped out of school and ending up driving an ambulance for the red cross……If all this is anything to go by, I guess  it gives hope to those of us still struggling that there is still time to find our place in the world? I’ll keep you posted…..unless of course my place is joining the silent order of Nuns in which case I won’t be able to tell you. 

Watford Observer:

So, onto Gizmo/Gadget/Gift of the week….Guys & Girls, Valentines day isn’t that far away, so if you’re looking for something a little quirky and mega cute for the Girlfriend/Boyfriend how about the Pink Magic Music Bunny , or the Magic Music Monkey?  As a cuddly toy they would be adorable enough by themselves, But….  Simply plug in your music device, whether mp3 player, ipod or smartphone & watch them nod  their head to the groove and all for a respectable £19.99 from Red5,  http://www.red5.co.uk/gadgets/sound-gadgets/magic-music-bunny.aspx

Watford Observer:

Next up is the crème de la crème of lazy coffee making, You operate this baby with your smartphone from anywhere in the house, so lay in bed  and decide how strong you want your coffee, adjust the bean grind settings between coarse & smooth and if you don’t fancy fresh then you can switch to percolated mode and have pre-ground beans. There’s even a home-mode option so you can come home to freshly made coffee, unfortunately they haven’t devised a way of getting it to you without you having to get off your backside and go get it once its made, but hey I’m sure that feature won’t be too far off. Coming in a choice of colours & available for £179.99 at http://www.findmeagift.co.uk/gifts/smarter-coffee-machine.html

Watford Observer:

As we reach the end of the month I thought I’d hand over to the more than Average Invest In ME Charity to update us with what’s happening at the moment & this is what they had to say:

“Matchsticks! Not an item that many care about and which are normally simply discarded.

So what use could a matchstick have for highlighting the serious plight of those suffering from a poorly researched disease, such as ME?  The answer lies in the power of art.

Watford Observer:

Wolfgang Stiller, an award-winning German artist who currently lives and works in Berlin, kindly allowed Invest in ME to use his matchstick images for the Matchstick ME Awareness campaign. The campaign was launched in May 2015 after a supporter of the charity had asked for permission to use them alongside a slogan for raising awareness of the charity’s efforts to change perception about ME.

Watford Observer:

Invest in ME produced an informational brochure based on the images.

So far, over a thousand Matchstick brochures have been distributed across the UK to GPs, hospitals, universities, patients and carers and to a dozen countries around the world.

This was a great collaborative project involving an artist unrelated to the ME cause, ME patients and the charity.

As a charity made up of volunteers without any paid staff and with no financial support from government or big organisations we are always on the look-out for innovative projects to raise awareness and funds for research into ME. Art has the power to move and reach people in various ways and we hope these images catch the public’s attention and allow the charity to educate about ME.

Watford Observer:

Recently the Matchstick brochures were included in info packs that were distributed to all branches of Boots Pharmacies in Northern Ireland. It would be great to see these in the local stores near you!

So next time you throw away that matchstick – think of ME. Happy weekend”

Onto local news and on Friday 4th March 8-10pm the awesome Charity New Hope are holding a Frugal Supper event. Places are limited so you need to be quick. You will be invited to a three course dinner with entertainment from local band Luxford but….aha, you will just be served soup and bread and at the end of the night you will be asked to make a donation of what you’d expect to pay for a three course meal. The money raised will go towards helping people who are homeless in Watford. To read more and reserve your place head over to:  http://www.newhope.org.uk/events/frugal-supper 

Watford Observer:

                                       Til Next Week, Stay Blessed

                                            Back Before Elvis X

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http://ldifme.org/

http://www.investinme.org/