Earlier this week, local news anchor said that an East Texas woman had died of a "brain disorder related to mad cow disease", only briefly explained what "mad cow" is and went on to next topic. Left me asking the obvious questions, where did she contract this "related" disease, has an autopsy been done, has she traveled abroad, etc. Haven't heard any other news on this story. Did anyone else catch it?

-- mary, texas (marylgarcia@aol.com), April 13, 2001

Answers

No, I have not heard anything. But don't you just love the way they deliver news? If my children (8,6,4) were telling me a story or relating an event, and they conveyed information (or the lack of it) they way most newscasters do----they would be in trouble!! I get soooo frustrated at the lack of info given...if they can't give enough relevent info to actually inform you of something, I would rather not even hear it!! Errrr, do you think most people actually believe they were given the news, after hearing it? Or are most people like us, waiting for the actual information?? I hope it is the later.

-- Wendy@GraceAcres (wjl7@hotmail.com), April 14, 2001.

Wendy, unfortunately I think most people don't want to be bothered with the "real" news. You honestly have to dig a lot to figure it out and that is too much work. I agree though that if someone told me such an abbreviated snippet of something and then said..."on to a happy puppy story" I'd feel inclined to throttle them.

Mary, I have been trying to find info out about supposed isolation of 8 or 9 cattle for FMD. A friend of mine told me her heard a report on this on a low power fm station in S. Texas, but thus far I can't find anything. I'm thinking he might have the MCD and FMD confused, although he tells me he doesn't.

I haven't heard of the story you are talking about either. Let us know if you find anything!

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), April 14, 2001.

Still can't find anything on the aforementioned story. Might be just that. I did find an amazing article regarding warrantless searches in North Carolina because of FMD, but nothing on mad cow here in Texas or FMD here either.

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), April 14, 2001.