Makiko Itoh : Not a nameless cat.

I do have a Facebook account, because apparently it's the thing to do, but I only access it rarely and I totally do not "get it". But that's for another day. Anyway, even though I am rarely on Facebook and only have a smattering of Facebook Friends™ (of whom less than a handful are actual friends) I have already gotten 3 mass notices - none from my real friends - about Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

I am all for being aware of the dangers of breast cancer, or any cancer. But I really do not know how, or if, these Awareness months or weeks or days do much of anything. During October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, do cancer research institutions raise more funds? Do more women get breast examinations, as a result of these Awareness campaigns?

Or is it just an exercise in prancing around chanting "be aware, be aware"? In terms of blogs and Facebook accounts and such, it just seems like an excuse to get more Friends and Like This thumbs up and linkbacks.

And what about other cancers? The women in my family have been prone to cervical cancer more than breast cancer. But the cervix is not nearly as picturesque as boobs. You can't go around giggling about your pink tampons (or whatever the equivalent is of the Pink Bra movement and such).

Surprisingly few of these online Awareness calls even have a donation link to a cancer related organization, or links to sites where people can get educated. This should be a minimum requirement, no? Unless it's just another excuse to say Look At Me.