I cannot donate my blood because...

A man died after contracting the fatal brain illness vCJD(variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease) in Japan. This is the first person to die from that disease. But many Japanese have been shocked by this news, because his passport showed he stayed in Britain for only 24 days during the first half of 1990. Yes only a short 24 day trip might let him go death's way. I am so sorry for that. Then on March 8th, The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced Japan will ban people who spent even A SINGLE day in the UK or France from 1980 to 1996 from donating blood over fears of spreading this human version of mad cow disease.  Ah, that would include me. I stayed twice in the UK and France for over one month during those years. Fortunately I was poor and I ate tuna sandwiches in London and baguettes in Paris mainly, but still I feel uneasy about this news. 

By the way I really loved to eat sandwiches in London. Recently "the best sandwich bar of the year 2002" in the UK Benugo has come to Japan. Since Ebisu Garden place is very close to my work.  I will try it soon.

Anyway I will not be able to donate my blood for a while.  So don't ask me for any.

Comments

[theHtbrastenD]

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[robert]

hi Mari,
certainly I dont mean to downplay the seriousness of the mad cow problem. Rather I wish to dispell some of the hysteria being generated by this. People are not as efficient at action if they are panicked or frozen in fear. we could debate all day long about how the government should or shouldn't check more carefully to see if the animals are handled properly or the meat is being processed by a certain standard. And those making money will continue to do so on our corpses. My thinking is simply this. Let's stop all the bullsh*t of worrying about Mad Cow and start doing something. Put our money where our mouth is so to speak. STOP BUYING ANY PRODUCT PRODUCED BY OR RELATED TO THE CATTLE INDUSTRY..until they stop using us as their cattle and start taking responsibility for their product. Simple solution no? See if no one consumes the faulty beef, nobody contracts Mad Cow, and contrary to popular commercialism you wont suffer any horrible disfunction if you lay off the red meat for awhile...(forever if you are so inclined). The thing is, as long as we keep eating it, they will keep making it. Send them a message. Stop buying their crap. That's my message. This hysteria is another way to stall people from coming to the obvious conclusion and it serves to promote an overall state of agitation which makes it easy to suggest other horrible scenarios usually involving terrorists and decapitation, or the poisoning of our water supply. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself..." is a quote which while way overused has some validity. When we are afraid, we are vulnerable to influence. We stop thinking and go into "fight or flight" mode. It's pretty easy to manipulate a scenario then isnt it? Who's the enemy afterall? Why it's right their in our own skulls. Dont fear. Take action. Of course always do what you feel is best, that's the bottom line.

[Mari]

Hi Robert
well I am serious for Mad cow issue. Because this problem seems to show people's serious mistake of handling way of food.

Hi Claire
The U.S governmetn want to start sell again without enough checking. That is my and maybe Japanese impression. But if I can get cheap American beef soon, I would not buy them without my convincing it would be okay.

Hi Paul
Benugo. I want to try it as soon as possilbe, maybe next weekend? I will write if I can something special of Japan.

Hi David
Food is very serious issue, it can be leathal weapon :-(. I really hope governmet do not make easy compromise for short range economiy or relation with the U.S.

[robert]

I'm the one who made the cows mad. I'm sorry everyone, but they just look so silly, so pretnetious..standing around in those fields like all "oh look at me I'm a bovine. I'm like totally leather. aren't you jealous darling?" I feel it is my duty to bring them down a notch. I cant help it if they dont have a sense of humor. Personally I think it's all bullsh*t.

but then it is a good source of fuel.
®rz~$

[Claire （クレア）]

And then there is the controversy about US beef, that stemmed from one cow imported from Canada...

I believe each US beef cattle should be tested for 'mad cow' at the time it is killed before it is decided whether the meat will be used for food. But everyone says it is too expensive. What is more expensive--to test a cow, or for one or more people to die from vCJD?

As for me, I don't avoid beef in Japan; I just don't end up eating much there since there are far too many other tasty things to eat!

[Paul]

They will do all they can to prove that it wasn t contracted in JP. They know that spending 20 days in UK is not proof, but they also know that people will freak out on anything, which is why we got to learn about the UK connection... what a filthy trick.
Anyway. I LOVE Benugo!! pricey, but DELICIOUS! ;-)

And as far as giving blood, well.... let s see... Am French and also lived 4 years in London... What a great city. And in the UK we don t eat French beed cos it s dangerous, and in France we are told not to eat UK beef cos it s dangerous, and then in JP, I don t eat beef cos I can t trust those bastards clinging on to their position up there... argh.

[David Costa]

Hi Mari!

I can really relate to that feeling. Some months ago we had a ban over Portuguese cow meat, imposed by the EU, but still we would eat Portuguese meat... which is a bit scary.
The Portuguese government try to force producers to control the disease, so I just hope all our fears won't come true.
Still there was sometime were almost no one would eat cow meat over here. But I think it was more forced after what people heard in the news, than just for some real warning from the health organizations.