Sure is.   It seems you can now choose your own gender, your own sexual orientation and I read yesterday that there`s a man (maybe he`s something else) in Holland who has won a court battle to reduce his age by 20 years.   Instead of being 60 he`s now officially 40.

So, in keeping with my determination to keep up with the modern world, I would like it to be known that I now wish to be recognised as a 12-year old female lesbian giraffe called Veronica living a carefree life gambolling on the Serengeti Plains fending off the attentions from male giraffes who are in for a big surprise as I munch away at high rise branches.

Well, it`s a strange world we live in so why not?   It`s the same with these so called `hate crimes,` of which there are a number of recent examples, the latest being someone complaining about a TV advert which shows a carrot being chopped up , thus falling in to the definition of `carrotist.`  

Now I`m not sure I actually hate anyone or anything - the BBC comes close, as do Manchester United and Portsmouth but I don`t think I`ve quite crossed the line just yet. I think the trouble is that most people are now frightened to say or do almost anything for fear of offending someone or something, especially as it seems the whole world is so easily offended these days.

Surely our much maligned and overworked police have more pressing matters to deal with than chasing after invented `hate crimes` - chasing the odd burglar or knife-wielding thug might be more useful, on which subject I agree with the notion that the penalties for even carrying any form of offensive weapon should be vastly increased as a more meaningful deterrent.

Sorry if that`s offended you but there are charities and agencies who can offer counselling and advice should you feel the need to get help in getting over my comments above.   I apologise unreservedly for any offence they may have caused.