It’s a strange word, and a strange time. I was put onto the idea by the wonderful Madame Weebles who heard of it through Le Clown, who … well, you get the idea.
It’s like an ordinary November, but with the addition of a bunch of brave men growing moustaches.
I say brave, because I hate facial hair. Some guys can carry off a moustache, me I just look like I’ve slept under a bridge. If I skip shaving for a day people starting giving me small change and telling me where to get some hot food.
But as much as I hate the hair growing bit, I’m all for Movember. You see, the idea is to raise awareness of men’s health issues. In particular, prostate cancer. As small as the prostate is, the rate of new cases almost equals the rate of female specific cancers, and in both cases the survival rates are too low, way too low. Cancer’s not just a bitch, it’s a bastard, too.
So, for the duration of Movember I’ll be sporting various moustaches online – all courtesy of photoshop, my daughter, several sheets of felt, and a pair of scissors.
If you’d like to join me, I’m going to start a page for Mo-bros and Mo-sisters. Yeah, really, Mo-sisters, it’s only fuzzy felt after all, so lets have some fun 🙂 If I get enough pictures maybe we can have a “who wears it best” competition at the end of the month. Send your pictures to nigel dot blackwell at sbcglobal dot net. If you want to add a comment, send that too.
Pictures are one thing. They show support, and that’s great, but what else can we do?
Early detection.
Detect a cancer early and your chances of survival are better. Talk to your doctor. If you’re a guy over fifty, a PSA test (blood sample) and a physical exam are typical. Get them done at the same time every year. If you’re not a guy, get your guy checked.
No excuses, see your doctor, get screened.
I mean, it’s not like you’re going to have to stand around with your finger up your butt 😉
Cheers
I’m LOVIN’ the mustache look on you, Nigel.
Just what I need. Another wonky, shiny bauble of an idea to chase. IF I stay current on my word count goals, I’ll find a mustache and send you a picture. Deal?
My husband had T1 stage prostate cancer nearly twenty years ago. They caught it early and were able to eradicate it without surgery.
There’s been a lot of press lately on whether early, contained stages (like my husband had) should be treated as aggressively as they were back-in-the-day. Same goes for small, contained cancers in mammary ducts.
I think they’ve made a lot of progress with treatment options that don’t involve surgery or radiation. Good news on that front if detected early.
LOVE you last line, btw.
Hi Gloria
All the best with the word count – because I’ll be looking forward to that picture!
Glad to hear your husband beat prostate cancer. Treatments have changed over the years, hopefully for the better. Glad you liked the last line, too. I was holding myself back from going further overboard!
Cheers!
Fabulous idea, Nigel. And I agree with Gloria. Looks cool on you! 😉 The fact that you detest facial hair makes your commitment particularly commendable. Putting Mo-Sister-hood on my mental to do list. Cheers!
Hi August
Glad you like the look! I’ll be experimenting with a few different styles before the end of the month 🙂 If you can see your way to felt/foam/black paper and some sticky tape, I’d be glad to put your picture up!
Thanks for the tweet – I appreciate it.
Cheers!
I’m convinced that eraly detection is worth the costs. The book keepers in health care are wanting to reduce mamograms and other tests for early cancer detection. In their estimate the testing costs are not worth the lives saved.
Hi Jay
I agree. Prevent (or as near as we can get) has got to be better, and cheaper, than dealing with the (significant) consequences. I was thinking of asking for a picture, then I realized it’d be easy … redacted.
Cheers!
Bravo, Nigel. Love the Hercule Poirot look! And for such a worthwhile cause.
I know what you mean about the facial hair (nod to that other bitch named MENopause….) Hark, have I shared too much?
Hmm. Wonder if I might use Movember as an excuse to braid my leg hair?
Hi Sherry
Poirot, there’s an interesting idea. If only the Orient Express were a little closer!
I’m not going to make any comment on braiding!
Cheers!
You look dashing with a ‘stache, Nigel! And well done, holding still for the picture like that. I couldn’t even tell you were shuddering.
Love the idea of your page – this sista’s gonna get her mo’ on and get back to you. 🙂
Hi Diane
It was a bit of a scary moment, but I’m a guy, I can take these sort of things. At least when spiders aren’t involved.
Looking forward to your picture!
Cheers 🙂
This is great! I lost a dear grandpa to prostate cancer, and I’m happy to see someone bringing attention to this big killer. One thing that troubles me and my daughter about all the hype over breast cancer all throughout October is that it ignores all the other cancers, some of which are much more deadly. So thank you for this!
Hi Jennette
Sorry to hear about your grandpa. Sometimes things are given a disproportionate coverage, but the plus side is that it generally raises awareness on other fronts as well. I’m going to be doing a post on some of the data surrounding cancer and risk in general to try and put this in some perspective.
Any chance of a photo?
Cheers!
I like it!
It makes you look sort of interesting and dashing and insane.
Wonderful that you’re highlighting such an important issue, Nigel. And early detection is crucial, otherwise I wouldn’t be typing this 🙂
Do you know where the prostate is situated? Just asking.
Great post. And I shall consider how to use the fuzzy felt for your page!
LOL Christine! If that moustache makes me look “sort of interesting” I’ll have to work on another style! Insane, on the other hand, I have covered.
Early detection is the best weapon we as individuals have. Treatment is out of our control, but the detection is entirely ours, and I (like a lot of others) are VERY happy that you are still typing 🙂
The prostate? Well, I’ve had a sheltered upbringing, a quiet life, stayed solidly on the straight and narrow – so if you could point me to the page in your books that would educate me, I’d be most grateful! 😉 Mind you, my doctor does her best to point it out to me. At least I think that’s what she’s doing …
I’m looking forward to that picture 🙂
Cheers
I do get all the tests, but I hate it when the doctor starts to put on the rubber glove and says, “Bwa-ha-ha!”
LOL. Yes, when I left the doctors this time she wished be “good luck.” Kind of had me worried …
Cheers!
A terrific cause, Nigel! What are you going to do for Colonoscopy Month? LOL! Here’s my clipart version of Movember. I look like the Frito Bandito. Not sure it’s really flattering, but all for a good cause, right? 😀
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kbowenwriter/8149306105/in/photostream
Awesome Kathy! KB “Frito” Owen. A hat and a bullet belt and you all set for a hold-up 🙂
LOL, colonoscopy month is certainly going to be more of a challenge!
Thanks for joining in.
Cheers!
Hi Nigel. You could try a combination with a goatee too 😉
Interesting idea for a great cause.
I don’t want to imagine though, whatever will it be for colonoscopy month…
Weeeeee, my comment was posted. Very happy. LOL.
Yep! I had to revert to the themes comment system and disable the Jetpack/Wordpress ones. One day I’m going to get a new updated theme and get modern … one day!
Glad things are working again 🙂
Cheers!
Hi Irene
Yeah, there are lots of other “months” that probably push the limits 🙂 I must just try a goatee. I’ll have to see if my daughter has enough felt left!
Cheers!
Nigel!! Love it!! I have another friend participating in Movember. At first when I saw him tweet about it, I thought he and his wife were moving. LOL. Now, I’m on board. I told my guy about it to see if he’d join you, but his job doesn’t really like facial hair on men… at least not the “growing out” stage. 🙂
Hi Tiff
If you and your guy want to join in you could always go the fake route – then I’ll put you among good company on on my Mo-sters page https://www.nigelblackwell.com/mo-sters/
Or, I could just doctor your wine glass picture and let you know afterwards 😉
Cheers!
HUZZAH!! I’m looking forward to the Gallerie de Moustaches!
Hi Madame. Glad to see you back and at least on the road to recovering from your ordeal (esp with warming the sex toys…).
If you’d like to star in said Gallerie just send me a pic (even without a mustache – I cant fix that!)
Cheers!
Love the ‘stache! What a great idea to raise awareness. I may need to sport one during the month of Movember. 🙂