Just caught a glimpse of the late night news. Seems the USA has just reported its first ever case of MAD COW disease... right here in WA. The animal came from Yakima and was processed in Centralia. Funny how they were suspicious enough to have the funny-acting beast tested for the disease, but regardless still had it slaughtered and butchered before the test results were even in.

Looks like a lot more salmon, steelhead, and/or clams gracing Christmas dinnertables this season.

Merry Christmas all!

Yeah ,we were talking about that subject at work today, gonna kill the steak business for a while. But then again, the high beef price are sure to drop.......but what good will that be when nobody eats it.

It will be interesting to say the least, better stock up on fish, that too is way too expensive these days. Really makes running a restaurant tough.

Steve Ng

Have already seen reports that Japan and S Korea will be placing a ban on US beef. Sure to be more countries. Early estimates run in the billions for beef industry loses.

Maybe they ought to check out us fishermen/women.

I suspect we all have "mad steelhead " disease

How else can you explain being outside in pouring down/sideways 40 degree rain, wading up to your butt in water that was snow/ice an hour ago trying to catch maybe one fish all day?

Makes me wonder what all these people who are on the Atkins Diet are going to turn to.
Razor clams?
"The OTHER other white meat"?

diana

Thank goodness i have a freezer full of "free range" venison. Funny how the officials are saying not to worry, the beef is safe, yet when England and Canada had it we placed a ban on thier beef. Hmmm.

It's all merely a conspiracy by the commercials to try and inflate the sorry prices of their gill-netted catch.

Don't buy into the hysteria; cook the bejesus out of the meat and enjoy.

got beef. :p

My Quarter Pounder I had for lunch today tasted just fine!

Let’s not forget that a lot of our fish is contaminated with mercury and other nasty stuff. In our region, Lake Roosevelt fish are on the list as are the fish in the Snake River impoundments such as Brownlee reservoir.

Albacore tuna is another fish of concern.

I do think it's interesting that our government was quick to outlaw English and Canadian beef. In Canada, like here so far, there was only one cow found to be infected. We immediately banned all Canadian beef. Now when the tables are turned Canada has said they will not ban our beef and our Government says its safe to eat the meat.

Gee I wonder if the cattle ranchers are serious campaign contributors or if they do a bit of lobbying. Why is a sick Canadian cow so much more of a concern than a sick American cow?

And . . Did you hear why they call it PMS?? Because the name Mad Cow Disease was already taken!!!!

Say what you want!

Tonight I am having a great American tradition dinner…it's called "Prime Rib"! Do not let FEAR control your life!

Life is way to short at best to worry about getting Mad Cow Disease!

Enjoy the time that each of us have. Merry Christmas; Happy Hanukkah; or Happy whatever!

Cowlitzfisherman

According to the news the cow in question was so sick it couldn’t stand up, but they still went ahead and butchered it for human consumption. I have to wonder why we allow meat processors to sell us meat from sick cows.

I also note this is caused by feeding cows ground up carcasses of other mammals. I'm feeling more like a vegetarian every day. Damn I wish I didn't like meat so much.

Man, I hope your significant other doesn't read this board! Too funny.

Good point about the cattle rancher lobbyists. No doubt it's right on, too.

I plan to keep right on with my meat consumption. The disease isn't carried in the muscle meat which is what all of your steak, chops, hamburger etc come from.
Dave, it's not uncommon for them to kill weak and barely standing cows, but I do know that if the cow can't walk off the truck at the packing plant then the meat isn't supposed to go for human consumption.
I think this whole thing is being blowed out of proportion just like the Canada deal last winter. The government was pissed at Canada over lumber and that's why they clobbered them with the closure of Canadian beef to this country.

Probably doesn't make much differance but the cow was from Mabton. 35miles from Yakima. All the reports say we have nothing to worry about unless we eat cow brain. The Duck

AuntyM : I knew you were a woman with a sense of humor. God, I hope you are. Did Caveman think it was fummy? If not tell him I got the joke from Herzog.

Want to read about a real case of MAD COW Disease go to the US Senate's Web Page and look for the Senator from New York's web Page and see how many people she's infected along with Patti Murray.

Just ate a nice steelie
a little bit of good quality Olive Oil and then salt and pepper with a little bit of thyme .

Eats well

I grow a few beef on my 80 acres. I feed them no supplements, no grain, steroids, or anything but the thigh-high subirrigated pasture they are raised on, they come out fat and healthy and sell pretty well to folks who don't want feedlot pot-luck. Over the years I have had a few get sick and croak for one reason or another. I let the coyotes eat them and have never even contemplated a hurry up butcher job - I mean, just the thought of it is pretty disgusting to me. I would have absolutely no problem with legislation prohibiting the slaughter for human consumption of "downer" cows.

By the way, that Mabton mad cow came from Alberta, Canada - yep, the place where the Canadian mad cow was identified that caused the import restriction on Canadian beef. Guess nobody bothered to stop importing Canadian beef on the hoof, eh? Government=Stupid once again

Spawnout:

I don't think our government is stupid. I do think it is for sale to the highest bidder. Last year there was legislation to stop the sale of "downer: cows for human consumption. It was defeated. Did our fine elected representatives believe it was in our best interest to let them feed us diseased cattle? Maybe, but the thirty-five congressmen who received money from the dairyman's association were far more likely to vote for continuing to let us eat diseased cattle.

Like you, I can’t imagine any one wanting to eat a cow that was too sick to stand up at slaughter time. Then, to add insult to possible injury they butcher the old sick dairy cow and ship the meat off to the suckers, er consumers BEFORE they get the results of the tests back. MMMM, Makes me want another quarter pounder!

Now our government tells us not to worry about the one sick cow, but when Canada had one sick cow we immediately slapped an embargo on Canadian beef. What changed our minds? Could it possibly be campaign contributions and lobbyists?

PLEASE lets not turn this into a republican/democrat thing. Truth is they both are for sale to the highest bidder.