going down like ninepins - - -

Another close friend lost to cancer this week, I'm starting to wonder what on earth is happening here - - - we do lots of fund-raising for cancer research over the year, mostly live music evenings/concerts - - - but our ranks are being thinned a bit by the grim reaper as time goes by - - -

SO WHY, OH WHY IS OUR GOVT GIVING OVER 1 BILLION IN AID TO NIGERIA, NOT TO MENTION ALL THE OTHER COUNTRIES WHO BENEFIT FROM OUR LARGESS  - - - what happened to charity begins at home?

It would be great if the money was kept "in house" and given to our fantastic research establishments instead, we should get some results for a billion - - -

An old doctor friend said years ago, " wait till 25 years after Chernobyl - - - that's when the problems will start" and boy, was he ever right.

Andy. 

Hm - cant say I disagree, as there are a few of us on here affected
(have sent you a pm Andy came via a recent round robin email !)

While I'm willing to concede that Chernobyl has probably played it's part (that amount of radiation released into the atmosphere can't be ignored), I also think that increased knowledge has to be considered too.
How many of us in our youth heard of an older family member 'just wasting away' or 'couldn't keep food down' and the more common 'died of unknown causes'. All of which are now known to be some kind of cancer.
Also, while I am sure we all think 'there is more of it about these days', I still believe that the reason is because we hear a lot more about it due to the media and the ease of communication these days.

Not sure about the increased media reporting, the funeral director for our friend was telling us yesterday he has never known as many cancer deaths in all his years working - - - he said his company is now handling at least six deaths a week from cancer, and the other local funeral directors are having the same, it is getting to the point where they are struggling to cope, and the Crems are also having difficulty handling the extra numbers.

His own neice has terminal Leukimea, and she is only 16 - - - something is not stacking up here for sure, maybe more information will become available as time goes on.

Andy.

Hi there,

I have the deepest sympathy for anyone who has cancer or who has a friend or relative with cancer; however, I'm sorry to say that with regard to cancer research I am a total cynic.

It is a multi-national, multi-million pound BUSINESS so imagine a situation where someone walked into the Cancer Research Offices with a cure for cancer; and then imagine the global impact of his or her discovery!

"Yes!" a few hundred thousand lives would be saved; but how many hundreds of thousands of jobs would be lost all over the world overnight in research, research management, research equipment manufacture, fund raising, nursing, medical supplies etc etc etc.

I don't think the person who discovered the cure would get out of the building alive!!  

Best regards,

Hi there,

In a similar cynical vein, the NHS has today announced that there has been a 50% rise in the use of drugs to control Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the last six years; from 420,000 to 657,000!!

IF our children have suddenly developed ADHD then the powers that be SHOULD be working out WHY this is happening, not just drugging kids to keep them calm.

IF our children have NOT suddenly developed ADHD and the parents are just unable to control the children then the powers that be SHOULD be working out WHY this is happening and introduce change rather than drugging the kids!

IF the drugs are being abused by students using them to enable them to concentrate (apparently a distinct possibility) then the powers that be SHOULD be working out HOW this is happening; and stop it.

So what are they actually doing? Well, the NHS Care Quality Commission has recommended that health workers "carefully monitor" the use of these drugs. In other words "nothing" and this old cynic thinks the use of the drugs will continue to increase as long as they keep turning a profit for the drug companies that make them.

Personally, I am not surprised at much of today's anti-social behaviour.  We have allowed a culture of "no blame" and "no accountability" to flourish over the last forty to fifty years; and we are now reaping the results.

I think I started to appreciate that the world was changing with regard to parenting when some thirty years ago I witnessed the five-year old son of a work colleague attempt to stab his seven-year old sister in the eye with a sharpened pencil.

Thank God he only (?) scratched the girl's eye-ball but my world turned upside down when, instead of administering any form of corporal punishment, my colleague told his son "We must put that on our list of things not to do!"

Incredible as it may sound, my children NEVER had a "List of things not to do."  They seemed to figure out for themselves what actions would result in a slapped bottom and which actions wouldn't! 

Rant over!! 

Best regards,