Bowel Cancer Screening Program

Every couple of years I take a bowel cancer screening test.

I have just received a letter thanking me for taking part and saying my result showed that no further tests are needed at this time, I take this to mean that I do not have bowel cancer.

However the letter continues on to say that no screening test is 100% effective so my result does not guarantee that I do not have bowel cancer, or that it will not develop in the future.

Being aware of the symptoms of bowel cancer is still very important, these symptoms include.

- blood in your poo.

- an ongoing change in bowel habit such as looser poo, pooing more often and/or constipation.

- a pain or lump in your tummy.

- feeling more tired than usual for some time.

- losing weight for no obvious reason.

The letter finishes by saying that these symptoms do not necessarily mean you have bowel cancer but you should ask your GP.

I call this covering your back and is on a par with the every side effect known to man that they put on prescription medicines.

The Bully Analogy

Those of you that were bullied at school will know that in the entire history of education no one has ever come up with a way to stop it, in fact I believe that racial, religious or sexual abuse require schools to make a report to the appropriate government department, but not bullying which some schools and councils do not even admit exists.

You may have been physically or verbally harassed on a daily basis for months or even years with reports to teachers having no lasting effect.

However when you  finally retaliate, which usually involves a smack in the mouth, you will find that there is a whole system in place to deal with your unacceptable behaviour.

If you manage to avoid being expelled, which appears to be the only recourse they have, and get to finish your full time education, you can step out into the world in the full knowledge that bullying is a thing of the past.

Guess again.

Free Speech

As an adult member of a democratic country I feel that I am entitled to opine on anything that takes my fancy.

It is the classification of opinions currently being used that I am having difficulty coming to terms with.

It seems that it is permissible to have an alternative view, however

,

If you express it, you are probably going to be called a bigot.

If you express it online you are probably going to be called a troll.

Unless you have personally experienced 'whatever the subject is' then you are not in a position to understand,

Shouting really loudly is the ideal way to get your point across.

Repeat the question as many times as it takes to get the correct answer.

My figures are right, yours are wrong.

After long and thoughtful consideration I have changed my mind.

 You on the other hand have done a 'u' turn.

It used to be that if you resorted to the Nazi analogy in your argument, you have lost, and people would walk away from the discussion.

I would suggest that although this is probably still the case, the ever changing 'racist' taunt is having a similar effect.

It is getting difficult to actually discuss a topic these days without one or more of the above creeping in.