NaMoGroMo

What? What the family-friendly-star is Dave on about?

Well, as well as NaNo taking place in November, it's also host to what I have christened NaMoGroMo - National Moustache Growing Month*.

It started out, either in 1999 or 2003 (depending on who you belive!) as a challenge to bring back the moustache. Personally I'm opting for 2003 so we can thank the Melbournites who kickstarted it then :-D The following year, it evolved into a fundraising event for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia before spreading worldwide with the UK (through The Prostate Cancer Charity), US, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland and Spain joining in (at last count).

To sum up what happens, I'm going to borrow from the website the following description:

Now, because my 'tasche is not the best and I'm lazy, I usually run on a variation of this during Movember. Because of NaNo I always grow 'the writer's beard', which is definitely not groomed and by the end of it all I do tend to resemble something related to swamp thing. This is not, of course, following the specific guidelines of Movember, but under the guidance of Cap'n Paul from my first year in Movember, we devised the following strategy:
1). Dave grows beard rather than 'tasche
2). If enough money is raised, Dave shaves beard/'tasche into something hilarious.

The very first year it involved shaving out just the goatee, creating a continuous line of face-fuzz that looked like I was wearing a cycle helmet strap permanently... held on by my nose.

The plan this year, devised by friend at work, is for the 'Braveheart' approach - if I can hit a target of donations (and probably 'in any case') the 'tasche will go on one side, the beard on the other. And if anyone can figure out a reasonably non-permanent way of dyeing that blue... well I wouldn't say 'never'**.

So now, to save myself embarassment, because it's not fun if it's only one person who gets all the fun/attention/mockery***, I call upon others to join the crusade. I've signed up to the Movember website and have created a profile here and also a NaMoGroMo Cambridge group. I plan on posting the details on both Twitter and Facebook (you can find me through the groups Loriba has set up) and cordially invite Mo Bros and Mo Sistas to sign up to the group. If you don't use Facebook or Twitter but would like to join, I can e-mail you an invite - please contact me by PM (or in person if you come to the meetings) and I'll get in touch.

Now, if you feel this is a worthy cause (i.e. the charity bit, although making me look stupid probably also appeals) then there are two ways that you can donate:
1). Go online through the profile page
2). Go offline through various pieces of paper I haven't got yet - but will have with me throughout November, and also at the kickoff party.

So, be ye a Bro or a Sista, please consider getting involved with the Mo, and let's add another good cause to the month.

As well as all of this blurb from me, you can get further info from the official websites:
http://uk.movember.com/ - the Movember website for the UK
http://uk.movemberfoundation.com/ - the Movember charity website

Well, that's my lot - better go plan this novel-thingy now.
Dave

*officially & unofficially known as Movember
**my mum will hunt you down and kill you though (on the other hand, my sister will probably give you money)
***excluding Slowbergine!
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2004: Merging of Worlds: The Rising Darkness (32K)
2005: 8-I (51K)
2006: Dreamweaver (53K)
2007: Timeshift (51K)
2008: 8-I: Second Iteration (53K)
2009: Emissaries (??)