Rod wrote: >also, planning on trip this summer to london and outer areas and the big media scare is all of the hoof and mouth, mad cow, etc. going around. yes, there'll be less tourists like me, but some locations (parks and "play" areas), i understand are ^completely^ off limits? [understand that i may get my shoes "washed" with bleach? - hahaha!] is "it" or the hype more frightening?< I think people outside the UK are getting the wrong idea about foot and mouth. A couple of facts: 1) Humans rarely catch it. 2) Animals (or humans) will recover from it in about 2-3 weeks. The reason for the fuss is primarily economic. UK is normally foot and mouth free and certified so. This means we can export meat for a much higher price. If we lose our foot and mouth free status then the farming industry loses a lot of money. Thus we try to stop the spread of the disease by slaughtering/burning large numbers of animals..it's the usual political/economic farce that Britain does so well. Oh and the source of the outbreak is thought to be some cheap pig swill made of leftover airline food imported from Argentina/or another South American country where foot and mouth is endemic, I forget which. This info comes via my partner's mother's neighbour who is a vet for the ministry of agriculture. The truth about what's off limits is that all public footpaths that cross farmland are closed. If you enter a farm or farming village (as we did at the weekend, we live very near the Peak District which is some of the most beautiful countryside in England) you have to drive through a pit of straw soaked in disinfectant and also you have to dip your shoes in a small bowl of disinfectant. This is in farms or farming related locations only...it does not affect any urban areas. Don't even think about cancelling a trip to England...if this scare keeps up you'll be able to get your holiday that much cheaper as the current scare seems to be killing tourism. Normally many little country pubs etc are packed at weekends and loads of people go walking but at the moment it's really quiet, just local people. Anyhow, if you are coming to London or anywhere in England Rod, let me know when in advance as it would be nice to meet, I don't mind travelling to do it. We could try and organise a Fluxlist get together, there's probably enough UK people on the list to do that now. Maybe a psychogeographical walk and picnic or something like that. cheers, Sol.
