One of the many life mottos now tattooed on society's arm in the form of fashionable rubber bracelets.

With over 51 million of the bands sold, they have definitely made a considerable difference to charity awareness but there is a price we pay for this generous wave of compassion: Notably the lavish branding of them across the vista of everyday life. It is impossible to escape them in their many forms. From celebrities to sports stars, they are supposed to lead us to the belief that the branded are the strong, the believers, the driving force behind a push for greater autonomy. In truth I feel a sense of overpowering nausea when I see them on TV, in malls, or fashionably attired in a preciously coordinated statement styled in bars.

I was first presented with one of these hand collars at the beginning of last year by a friend who told me "everyone was wearing them". At first I thought they were novel and an interesting athletic appendage to be seen when running, a display of the athlete's will to be stronger and faster or as something to wear when you were meeting someone for the first time: "You'll see me. I'll be wearing a bright yellow bracelet!" With time however, they began popping up in the strangest of places. Hard to miss beneath even the heaviest set of pin stripe suits, the little candy coloured gems began appearing at every turn. The city dwellers had them in their thousands. The bankers, bar staff, lawyers, CEOs, barristers, waiters, advertisers (though not wholly surprising) had them stapled to their arms in an overwhelming display of pride. Was it a sign of society's changing mindset to charity, a halo of hope on the arm of moral enlightenment or was it just a way to form yet another cluster in the bidding war for social acceptance?

Time has not leveled their appearance. There is the new spring season (hot pink) with back orders into the millions. The sporting landscape is now littered with them. Every member of both sides currently battling for the Ashes is also, it seems, battling to raise awareness for breast or prostate cancer, or the many causes now superseded onto their rubber surfaces. But possibly the cricketers have their own design, a carefully crafted stamp reminding their owners to "watch the ball" or "play straight". Indeed, I could get a couple of tailored ones to get me through the day. "Wash the dishes", "Take dog for walk", "Buy milk". The list could be endless, each with its own significant message, and not s