Only back one week and already causing mayhem? There was a technical problem  that meant I was unable to publish the last Column on May 6th , While I was able to alert readers via Facebook and Twitter, I couldn’t alert you, which begs the question, why aren’t you on my Facebook and Twitter Huh? Huh? Huh? …….

When it became evident I wasn’t going to be able to publish the Column I posted It on my blog site instead, and you can catch up by clicking here “Shall We Dance” .

http://runninonemptee.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/runnin-on-empty-shall-we-dance.html

So on the 24th May BBC1 are airing a documentary called “Last Whites Of The East End” and I can’t help but question the motives behind programmes with titles like this because just like Tv shows such as “Benefit Street” and such forth they are often unbalanced, dramatized and seem aimed at doing nothing other than pressing viewers buttons and provoking anger & hatred towards other human beings. Brick lane has always been a haven for immigrants, in the 17th century   it was predominantly French Protestants, 19th and 20th century was Jewish and Irish and now it’s Bangladeshi, but I’ll reserve further judgement until I’ve seen the programme. 

Watford Observer:

And that  brings me onto the EU Referendum, whatever your camp, in, out or shake it all about? I don’t think it’s going to be   okey cokey at the end of the day  because regardless of what way the vote goes I don’t trust  the government to be honest and there’s no way they’ll  allow us to leave the EU if that were to be the case. 

And while Immigration seems to be the focus, I think it’s a case of who’s coming  into the country and not how many. We have a government that are happy to  welcome  murderers, paedophiles, rapists, terrorists and people that quite openly hate our guts, house them, give them benefit, use of our NHS and Education system,  and yet a child smuggled in from Africa and used as part of the sex slave trade manages to escape and raise the alarm, goes to college, ends up  fluent in English, qualified in their chosen career, gets a job,  pays tax, rents their own property, and the government do everything in their power to deport them?

Watford Observer:

One thing’s for certain, we can’t go on as we are. My personal opinion is the EU could work with a massive shake up. We certainly shouldn’t  be governed by Brussels, or be paying over three hundred million a week, and  people shouldn’t be able to travel freely without having a criminal check first, which once passed could be stamped on their passport or ID card. We have enough criminals of our own without taking the rest of Europes.

Everyone has their own views of course, such as our problems are  down to people living longer?…maybe the  75 and overs should be made to publicly apologise for  causing such inconvenience and then shackled together and sent out to work on the roads?……I think you’ll agree  there’s  an awful lot of pot holes need filling? …... So, have you decided yet? 

Watford Observer:

Moving on to this weeks Gizmo/Gadget/Gift and  you’re going to need five hundred smackeroonies or  £475.95 to be precise, but even if  your pockets are empty,  it’s worth checking out the “Simtoo Follow Me Drone”  for the technology alone.

This is your very own flying photographer/videographer that follows you while capturing your movements……er, so you’re buying your very own stalker?  But seriously, this piece of kit has a 30 min flight time  and you use the included smart watch and GPS tracker…….look mum, no hands. This means skateboarders, skiers, runners, musicians and just about anyone can capture those spontaneous awesome moments. It’s available from Genie Gadget https://www.geniegadgets.com/follow-me-drone.html

Watford Observer:

I also spotted some kitchen bargains this week, for anyone that loves Tassen products, and if you don’t know what I’m talking about?  They’re bowls & cups with the cutest faces ever and   “Love the sign” are selling them at discount prices so for a set of two medium size bowls it’s £16 instead of £20 but you’ll need to hurry as they only have a few left.

http://www.lovethesign.com/uk/products/kitchen-tabletop/tea-coffee/tassen/medium-bowl-set-happyoh-please%E2%80%9C-200ml?nosto=nosto-page-product2

Watford Observer:

Watford Observer:

Let’s Be Seen was one of the slogans created by Invest in ME supporters in 2015.

ME patients, and especially those who are severely ill and bed-bound are often invisible and isolated as they cannot get out of their homes and join normal social activities.

A charity objective is never to exclude severely ill ME patients from its research where there is potential to include them and benefit for the research.

In Norwich Research Park the charity is funding world-class research at Institute of Food Research/University of East Anglia into the gut microbiota of ME patients to see whether a “leaky gut” plays a role in the disease.

Watford Observer:

The gut holds about 70% of the body’s immune system so it is an area worthy of research for ME – and part of our strategy for a Centre of Excellence for ME.

Recently PhD student Daniel Vipond and newly-graduated Dr Navena Navaneetharaja have been busy collecting samples by visiting severely ill house bound patients - sometimes getting up at 2am to set out on their journeys.

They have sampled 11 severely ill patients so far which is an admirable result as these patients are not easy to access and they have only been collecting these samples for a relatively short time.

Another IiME-funded student, Fane Mensah, is dedicating long hours for the B-cell research being undertaken – all integrating into the collaborative strategy of biomedical research. And ME patients are becoming visible again.

Watford Observer:

For far too long those responsible for ME in establishment organisations have been allowed to promote and fund the wrong research into this awful disease and fail patients.

Being isolated from, and invisible to society is not an option for IiME. It is unacceptable.

Invest in ME is overturning that with the help of great supporters and we continue to make progress as we fund more research.

Two new PhD students will start in September/October in Norwich Research Park. Another one is currently being advertised. We continue our research at UCL and will fund another student later in the year. And our researchers are discussing the plans for a clinical trial of rituximab.

Invest in ME aim to keep MedRes studentships going as these have turned out to be very successful in many ways.

Highly motivated medical students contributing to research – and making severely ill patients visible.

Professor Tom Wileman will discuss the work at UEA/IFR at our forthcoming IIMEC11 International ME Conference on 3rd June in Westminster - http://www.investinme.eu/IIMEC11.shtml#agenda  

Watford Observer:

Todays word is rather aptly  “Union Jack”  and although not commonly known it’s a word that over the centuries has caused the same division as Devon and Cornwall have over their scones…er… scons?  There are two camps; one believing it should be “Union Jack” and the other “Union Flag”

Originally the flag itself was introduced to symbolize the union of crowns between England and Scotland & later in 1801 the cross of St Patrick was added following the Parliamentary Union of Great Britain and Ireland.

It’s true that at the start of the 19th century the word “Union Jack” was only a nautical term and our flag was generally referred to as the “Union flag”

A  “ Jack” is a small flag flown at the bow of a ship, therefore it was deemed that “Union Flag” seemed more appropriate, but after 200 years of  horn locking the objectors eventually lost the battle.

I have to say  just like the EU referendum I’m torn on this one, while I believe the correct name should be  “Union Flag” I can’t help feeling that “Union Jack” just rolls off the tongue better? 

Watford Observer: So what’s poppin locally?  Sunday 29th May  2-6pm  I recommend you get yourself down to Watfords LP Café https://www.facebook.com/TheLPCafe/   where Papermouth present another awesome (Un) Plugged Gig with  acoustic live performances from Tom Craven https://www.facebook.com/tomcravenmusic/     

Minnie Birch  https://www.facebook.com/minniebirch/   

Claire Boswell https://www.facebook.com/claireboswellfolk/   

& No King, No Crown https://www.facebook.com/nokingnocrown/    all the way from Dresden Germany, It’s Free entry, and If you’ve never been to a Papermouth event then your ears are in for a real feast, these events are always popular so  I’d rock up early. 

Watford Observer:

If you’ve not heard of local band April Blue then you must’ve been living on another planet? The band are launching their long awaited debut album “Pop Girls Etc” at the Jungle Bar  in Hertford on 4th June, but  pre-order it now and  you get to download one track “Cowboys & Indians” straight away .  https://aprilblue.bandcamp.com/album/pop-girls-etc-2   More details on the launch at their website.  http://www.aprilblue.co.uk/

Watford Observer:

Another regular is solo artist Daria Kulesh whose also been busy recording an album “Some Other Shores” with her band Kara and it’s released on 3rd June along with a UK tour including some local dates which you can check out on their site. http://www.karafolkband.com/

Watford Observer:

                             Well that's it for another fortnight

                          til then stay Blessed, Back Before Elvis x

https://www.facebook.com/RunninOnEmptee1/ 

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http://www.investinme.org/ 

http://ldifme.org/