Well, Lance Armstrong is wearing the yellow jersey again. He may not keep it through the next several stages. That's alright with him; he wants to be wearing it when it's all over. I want him to wear it. I hope he wins.

But, this entry isn't about him or the Tour de France. Well, about him indirectly, I suppose.

This entry is about the latest fad...something Lance Armstrong had a hand in starting. It's about the "new black" (a term which basically means the "latest fad").

I'm talking about the wristbands.

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't hate showing support for a cause in which you believe. And, if you're a cancer survivor or wish to support and show your support for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, that is completely your prerogative.

But it doesn't stop there. There are not only yellow bands available. You can get them in many different colors to support different things. There are pink ones in support of breast cancer awareness and research. There are purple ones to inspire awareness for cystic fibrosis. There are even multi-colored bands, like this tye dyed variety in support of FMS (fibromyalgia syndrome) Awareness. Or you can get a red one to show your love for Pope John Paul II (I guess the more you buy of these, the fewer years you'll spend in purgatory...hey indulgences all over again!). In case you had forgotten all about the media coverage of the "great tsunami" on 12-26-2004, and the media coverage of Clinton and Bush-41's visit there, there's even a band in support of its awareness. There are even more humorous ones, like this one supporting geek awareness. Of course, there are only so many colors and combinations of colors, while there are many million more things for the rest of us to be aware of, so someone has been gracious enough to explain the meanings of the different colors, though I'm sure the list isn't exhaustive. And, because it isn't, in case you wanted to create your own custom cause, that option is available to you, too.

Like I said, though, it's not the support for causes that concerns me. It's just that these silicone jelly bands are the latest fad. Kids in my church have 5 to 10 of them going up their arms. Ask them what they all mean and they can tell you a few, but they have to look at the encouraging words written on them to get them all.

What I'm getting at is that we have seen this all before. This fad is just the newest way of saying the same old thing. Do I need to remind you of the ribbons? There were pink ribbons, red ribbons, blue ribbons, yellow ribbons, silver ribbons, this and that ribbons, and they adorned many-a lapel, shirt, collar, what have you. And it still seems fashionable to show your support for our troops by plastering yellow ribbons on every bare spot on your car.

So, this leads me to ask, what's next? Oh, I've got an idea! How about a necklace to which you can add beads of different colors and designs to show your support for your cause. There'll be a yellow bead for Livestrong, a pink bead for breast cancer awareness, a teal bead for tsunami awareness...

I better hurry and patent my idea before someone else brings it to fruition.