December 23, 2003
Mad Cow Disease

The first case of Mad Cow Disease in the United States has been discovered in the state of Washington. No, really, and this time I'm not talking about the deranged ladies on the Seattle School Board:

The United States' first probable case of mad cow disease was detected in a cow from a farm in Mabton, near Yakima, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said today.
This is a little worrisome for someone like myself on the Atkins Diet who eats beef a dozen times a week. Nevertheless, Veneman reassures us that:
U.S. beef remains "absolutely safe to eat," adding that she plans to serve it at her Christmas dinner Thursday.
I can only hope she's right.

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at December 23, 2003 04:00 PM
Comments

Just stay away from eating brains and hamburger and those pesky prions will probably leave you alone. What is life without risk anyway? In the words of Rosanne Rosannadanna: "If it's not one thing, it's another!"

Posted by: Michael Gersh on December 23, 2003 11:10 PM

Well, "cornflux", maybe the Atkins Diet is junk science, I'm not qualified to pass judgment. But I've also lost 25 pounds in 3 months and never felt better, so make up your own mind.

Posted by: Stefan Sharkansky on December 24, 2003 01:14 PM

This is a serious problem, made worse by inadequate testing and allowing diseased animals to remain in the food chain. I a number of posts up about mad cow disease which can be accessed at http://cayankee.blogs.com/cayankee/public_health/index.html

Posted by: Dan Spencer on December 26, 2003 10:12 AM

I'm also on Atkins, and can only add that, in addition to the weight loss and feeling great, my cholesterol levels are better than perfect. Junk science exists where belief in a given outcome trumps observation. My observation, albeit an anecdotal observation, is that the common knowledge regarding the relationship between dietary fat and serum cholesterol, is wrong. So why should I believe the common knowledge regarding Mad Cow, when there are hundreds of millions of humans eating beef in the affected areas, and only a few dozen human cases of Mad Cow have been detected?

Junk science would have me continue to follow obsolete advice regarding dietary choices, rather than using the new empirical evidence, and change my diet in a way that will enhance my life, and my chances for greater longevity.


Overweight and high cholesterol will kill me, so I'll take my chances eating angry cattle. Maybe I'll eay a little less hamburger....

Posted by: Michael Gersh on December 26, 2003 04:54 PM

I live in Oklahoma and raise cattle myself and I am on the Atkins Diet February will be my one year mark and I have lost 70 lbs. However, Back on topic "Mad Cow" is the biggest bunch of crap released against the American Farmer in years, I want to see the proof, the pictures they show are 4 years old of a cow in England. I think we should look at how the beef price was going and how the Government couldn't control the price. I think it is idotic to punish the cattlemen and women thru out the US for a cow in Canada.

Posted by: Greg Graham on December 31, 2003 02:44 PM

We all better stop eating hotdogs!

"All beef" weiners can contain any part of the cow and usually do, including the brain!

Let's hope they have stopped the practice, but I am afraid food processors probably have the same attitude as Alberta's Premier, "shoot, shovel and shup up" when it comes to mad cow disease.

Posted by: Toronto Tenants on January 1, 2004 01:14 AM

you should really have some pictures

Posted by: kendra on May 27, 2004 03:23 PM

you should really have some pictures

Posted by: kendra on May 27, 2004 03:23 PM

you should really have some pictures

Posted by: kendra on May 27, 2004 03:23 PM
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