I'm in the mood for steak and eggs this morning.

Me too, as long as I know where the cow is from.

I do wish the USDA paid more attention to how animals are raised in this country-- factory-farmed stock are no good for anyone, and taste bland besides. Here in Massachusetts, I can buy my chickens from a place called, no shit, "Live Chickens Fresh Killed," and I usually do because they are farm-raised.

For me, at least, the somewhat unreasonable fear that you will get Mad Cow is bound up with a host of other problems in the meat-supply chain that this scare is an opportunity to address & hopefully fix.

But with a former beef lobbyist writing the USDA script, the chances of that seem as thin as carpaccio.

Johno, the number of cattle to be eliminated is still rising. Now, three dairy farms have been identified and will have cattle killed, but the names of two of them are being kept mum, thanks to Venemanish thinking. Most of this is happening in Oregon and Washington, so I've been following the story closely.

MD, thanks for the information.

Please note that I called fear of getting Mad Cow and "irrational" fear, yet I am actively planning on not eating beef for the next long while unless I've seen the animal die myself, or can find out who killed it with a single phone call.