During my research for an answer to a recent question about Foot and Mouth Disease, I found some interesting related information.

The new question is:

What does Bovine Scatology (BS) mean and when did Mad Cow Disease start?

Scatology: The scientific study and analysis of faeces, for physiologic and diagnostic purposes.

Bovine: The biological subfamily Bovinae (or bovines) includes a diverse group of about 24 species of medium-sized to large ungulates, including domestic cattle, Bison, the Water Buffalo, the Yak, and the four-horned and spiral-horned antelopes.

General Norman Schwarzkopf, Commander-in-Chief, Central Command - 1st Gulf War. When Norman uttered the phrase "Bovine Scatology" in relation to a rumour story, many press reporters were puzzled by the expression. Then one Brit reporter whispered, "Ho, he means Bull Shit".

Strictly speaking, Norman could have meant "Bison Shit" or "Yak Shit" but somehow; I doubt it would have had the same impact and derisen the original statement intended.

Bovine Scatology is the polite and public way of saying Bull Shit when referring to something said or information of dubious quality.

The expression can also be used to describe a person's attributes:

"He/She is full of BS". This would indicate the person is not entirely trustworthy. Gordie Brown and his crew of clowns are often referred to in this manner.

A very famous army expression that dates back many hundreds of years:

"Bull Shit baffles brains"

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease is a story rich in Bovine Scatology.

Short Answer: Foot and Mouth Disease is an Animal Infection that Usually Devastates UK Farming.

Friday 3 August 07

Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Environment Minister Hilary Benn cancelled their holidays to return to London to deal with a Foot and Mouth infection on a farm near Guildford, in Surrey.

A nationwide ban on the movement of all sheep, cattle and pigs has also been put in place. All the cattle on the infected farm are to be killed.

The outbreak raised the spectre of the foot-and-mouth epidemic of 2001, which brought chaos to Britain and left farming and tourist industries devastated. It led to the slaughter of between 6.5 and 10 million animals, ruined many rural businesses and is estimated to have cost the country up to £8.5 billion.

Some "experts" have questioned the way Blair's government handled the last crisis. Will Wee Gordie react in the same way by killing and burning his way through the livestock of England?

Wiki Research

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD, Latin name Aphtae epizooticae), sometimes called hoof-and-mouth disease, is a highly contagious and sometimes fatal viral disease of cattle and pigs. It can also infect deer, goats, sheep, and other bovids with cloven hooves, as well as elephants, rats, and hedgehogs. Humans are affected only very rarely.

Most animals eventually recover from FMD. Some infected animals remain asymptomatic, that is, they do not suffer from or show signs of the disease; but they are carriers of FMD and can transmit it to others.

Humans can be infected with foot-and-mouth disease through contact with infected animals, but this is extremely rare. Because the virus that causes FMD is sensitive to stomach acid, it cannot spread to humans via consumption of infected meat.

Well, that's a relief... throw the (infected) T-Bone on the Barbee and break out the beer!!

If you've ever taken part in online forum discussions, you will have probably found that discussion threads can often swirl out-of-control.

I recently posted this short poem in the Article Friendly technical support forum, where, I'm proud to be a Moderator ;) http://www.articlefriendly.com/forum/

What's wrong with the world?

A VERY short poem about CSS:

******

CSS Bollixs

There was a time when tables ruled...
But; along came Bushie, and he found it crude.
Time will tell;
CSS is really one step from HELL!
Bushie's not a prude
For sure; he knows
"Jack" is typing this in the "NUDE"

******

Bushie is my Australian "mate" and a "CSS Code Warrior"; we work on a web site development project at: http://www.ineedtoknowabout.info/ it's a Joomla based web and uses inline frames to display our various article directories. Seems to be working OK and the site has started to get popular.

Anyway, it seems my lame attempted at poetry has been taken literally and now people think I actually DO TYPE IN THE NUDE!! I even had a private message asking for my web cam address... strewth, I was trying to get the whole thing to rhyme.

Thinking to have a bit of fun, I researched "nude typeface" and to my astonishment found a wealth of information. It seems people have been using text and letter combinations to send sexy messages for many centuries. Indeed, prior to the Internet Emoticons these old snail mail written and printed Eroticons were all the rage, used by Kings, Queens and even Lord Byron. In the old days a simple combination was used to great effect (|) it seems Victorian's used this to signify a female body part... you'll have to use your imagination.

I found these examples of modern day keyboard eroticons:

Big nipple breasts (@)(@)
Lopsided breasts (o)(O)
Fake silicone breasts ($)($)

Use the link below to view a banner, typed IN THE NUDE...

Freelance Article Writer

Ann Coveney is a freelance writer and part time school teacher. She can be hired to write articles on a wide range of topics.

Introduction

My aim is to provide quality writing that inspires, informs and entertains my readers by working with passion, integrity and transparency.

I provide two levels of service, free & paid.

FREE Article Writing and Online Distribution

Can't (or Don't Want To) Write Articles Yourself?

No Problem.

Too busy? Don't consider yourself a writer? As a graduate of of the Article Marketer Online University, I will write free articles for you! Probably the easiest way to to promote your web sites, products and/or services.

You'll get a well-written, custom article (not articles that are "ripped off" other authors) on the topic of your choice. Creating an explosion of traffic and back links to your web site.

Quick, Responsive, Personalized Service

Before writing your free article I will need to review your information sources. These can be:

• web site
• sent by email
• email attachment

You will also have to provide a guide as to the main objective of the article and your preferred web site address (URL) to use in the author resource box.

Author Resource Format for FREE Articles

All my free articles use the following format for the final paragraph or what is more commonly know as the "resource box":

Ann Coveney is a freelance writer and part time school teacher. She can be hired to write articles on a wide range of topics. The web site she uses the most for [link to YOUR web site using the most appropriate text] is [YOUR web site address in plain text].

Real life example for FREE travel articles written for AskVicky THE Online Travel Agency!

Ann Coveney is a freelance writer and part time school teacher. She can be hired to write articles on a wide range of topics. The web site she uses the most for low cost travel and hotel booking is AskVicki.co.uk

Use the link below to read my destination articles.

Traditionally in the morning a breakfast was served, the ientaculum or iantaculum, at noon a small lunch, and in the evening the main meal of the day, the cena. Due to the influence of Greek habits and also the increased import of and consumption of foreign foods, the cena increased in size and diversity and was consumed in the afternoon, the vesperna was abandoned, and a second breakfast was introduced around noon, the prandium.

Starters: This part of the meal was called gustatio or promulsis. It generally consisted of light, appetising dishes. The usual drink was mulsum, a mixture of wine and honey. Eggs - mostly hens' eggs, but also duck. At large feasts several starter dishes were served one after another. The leaves of many shrubs and weeds were cooked to a mush and strongly spiced; examples are elder, mallow, orache, fenugreek, nettles and sorrel. Pickled fruit and vegetables such as olives, chicory, cardoons, mallows, broccoli, asparagus, artichokes, leeks, carrots, turnips, parsnips, beets, peas, green beans, radishes, cauliflower, lettuces and field greens, onions, squash, cucumbers, fennel, melons, capers and cress were called acetaria and were thought to be appetising.

The main dish usually consisted of meat. Common dishes were:

Beef, though not very popular as cattle were working animals, used for such tasks as ploughing or pulling carts, so that their meat was usually very tough and had to be cooked for a long time to make it edible. Even calf meat was not popular; only a few recipes for it are known.

Pork was the most usual and best liked meat. All parts of the pig were eaten, and more unusual parts like the breasts and uterus of young sows were considered delicacies.

Wild boar were also bred and fattened before slaughtering.
Geese were bred and sometimes fattened. The technique of force-feeding was already known, and the liver of force-fed geese was a special delicacy, as it is today.

Chicken was more expensive than duck. Other birds like peacocks and swans were eaten on special occasions. Capons and poulards (spayed hens) were considered special delicacies. In 161 BCE, the consul C. Fannius prohibited the consumption of poulards, though the ban was ignored.

Sausages, farcimen, were made of beef and pork according to an astonishing diversity of recipes and types. Particularly widespread was the botulus, a blood sausage which was sold on the streets. The most popular type of sausage was the lucanica, a short, fat, rustic pork sausage, the recipe for which is still used today in Italy and other parts of the world. Also the Portuguese and Brazilian linguiça is one of the heirs of this Roman sausage.

For special effects, whole pigs were stuffed with sausages and fruit, roasted and then served on their feet. When cut the sausages would spill from the animal like entrails (delightful idea, must it at the next poker night).

Deserts: Among fruits, grapes were the most preferred. The Romans distinguished between grapes for wine-making and grapes as food. Raisins were also produced. After grapes, figs and dates played a major part and pomegranates were eaten in many varieties. Quinces, various types of apples, apricots, peaches, cherries, pears, plums, currants, strawberries and melons were grown.

Alcohol: Wine was normally mixed with water immediately before drinking. Wine was sometimes adjusted and "improved" by its makers: instructions survive for making white wine from red and vice versa, as well as for rescuing wine that is turning to vinegar.

A legend (Latin, legenda, "things to be read") is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history.

Legends that exceed these boundaries of "realism" are called "fables". The AskJack web site IS a legend and most definately is NOT a fable.

According to Christian mythology and legend, the Holy Grail was the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers.

Robin Hood is an archetypal English folk tale which may be based on a true story. An outlaw of the medieval era who, in modern versions of the legend, is famous for robbing the rich to provide for the poor and fighting against injustice and tyranny.

Robb'n is a useful way to make money. However, the people robbed might take exception.

Sisyphean task" or "Sisyphean challenge"
As a punishment from the gods for askjack trickery, Sisyphus was compelled to roll a huge rock up a steep hill, but before he reached the top of the hill, the rock always escaped him and he had to begin again...

Askjack about rolling rocks!

Sometimes, while taking part in an online forum the discussion things and comments can spin out of context, or a post and comment might be made that's "Beyond the Pale".

In other words, totally unacceptable:

( Quote:

A pale is originally a stake of the kind which might make up a palisade, or enclosure. The uncontrolled territory outside was then “beyond the pale.” The expression “beyond the pale” came to mean “bizarre, beyond proper limits”; but people who don’t understand the phrase often alter the last word to “pail.”

The area of Ireland called “the Pale” inside the Dublin region formerly controlled by the British is often said to have been the inspiration for this expression, but many authorities challenge that explanation. Source: http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/pale.html

END QUOTE)

My search for a "friendly" icon to infer that things had got "out-of-control" drew a blank.

So, I made my own smilie icon of "The Straw that Broke the JACK'S Camel's Back"

The image pauses for 10 seconds and then loops. It took me ages to configure this and camel-wank it down to less than 3k.

ANNE, May, Shun... and she sure DOES! Shun, that is!

There is ABSOLUTELY NO COPYRIGHT restrictions if you want to use the ABOVE smilie on your web site, blog or email.

The same goes for this "clean" version, but it would be really good if you linked back to THIS page.

Clean Version of "The Straw that Broke the Camel's Back"

A full explanation of how this animation was built can be seen on to the next page of this post.

More About The Expression:

The straw that broke the camel's back is the last thing you are willing to accept after which you will not put up with any more.

Example (to the wife):

"You broke a lot of plates, never cleaned or did the ironing, burnt a LOT of meals, made love like a wild animal (on Friday nights, after a glass of stout); I tried to live with it.

But DEMANDING I increase my penis size by hanging Gordie Brown's Portrait on my Knob; this was the straw that broke the camel's back.

(NOTE: If you do HAVE a portrait of the new Prime Mini-ster (Wee Gordie)... PLEASE do NOT use it for penis enlargement. The statement above was a STATEMENT not a joke... awe... bollixs did I get that mixed up??

Anyway, just throw the dammed thing away.)

You are at the last straw when you are just about to lose your patience.

The straw that broke the camel's back is the last thing that that happened that finally made you upset.

Example (political):

"Wee Prime Minister Gordie Brown wants to be the next "Cromwell" and return to the age when "witch burning" was acceptable. During the recent floods, Wee Gordie forgot about the NORTH of England and made sure the money stayed in the SOUTH!"

Reply: "That will (probably/hopefully) be the straw that broke the camel's back."

There is a limit to how much stuff a camel can carry on its back. If you keep putting more stuff on top, it will finally break the camel's back.

When you are at the last straw you are finally angry and will not take any more.

Example (Brit to tight-fisted Aussie drinking partner):

"Mate, I've been buying the FIRST and LAST round of drinks for FORTY FIVE years.

I've had ENOUGH.

You've reached the last straw!

Wallet out, or the Camel GETS IT!"

The list of Aussie's failing to stand their "round" MIGHT be short and ONLY unique to JACK!

I have modified the original Straw that Broke the Camel's Back examples.

Full text can be found here:

http://www.goenglish.com/2009.asp
GoEnglish.com Pocket English Idioms

The second part of this article explains "How to animate a camels tits"

China is not so much another country as another world. Cut off from the rest of Eurasia by the Himalayas to the south and the Siberian steppe to the north, it has grown up alone and aloof. The only foreigners it saw were visiting merchants from far-flung shores or uncivilized nomads from the wild steppe: peripheral, unimportant and unreal. Apart from a few ruling elites of Mongol and Manchu origin, who quickly became assimilated, China did not experience a significant influx of foreigners until the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, something which still colours the experience of today's visitors to China.

Full AskVicki Destination Information: Destination Guides > Asia > China

To say that the Chinese are presently enjoying better government than at any time in their recent history may not be saying much, but it is surely true. There is little sign of the Communist Party relinquishing power, or its control over the media. However, the negative stories surrounding today's China, the oppression of dissidents, the harsh treatment of criminal suspects and the imperialist behaviour towards Tibet and other minority regions, are only one part of the picture. Away from politics, the country is undergoing a huge commercial and creative upheaval. A country the size of ten Japans has entered the world market: Hong Kong-style skylines are being constructed in cities all across China, and tens of millions of people are finding jobs that earn them a spending power they have never known.

However, it would be wrong to pretend that it is an entirely easy matter to penetrate modern China. Borders are open, visas are readily distributed and the airports are teeming with foreigners, but the standard tourist "sights" - the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army - are relatively few considering the size of the country.

When planning a journey through China, bear in mind that your trip is bound to involve an element of stress and hard work. If you have lots of cities on your itinerary, try to fit in some small towns as well, which tend to be cheaper as well as more relaxing. Don't stick exclusively to the famous places and sights; often your most interesting experiences will arise in places which least expect tourists.

The Chinese love to eat, and from market-stall buns and soup, right through to the intricate variations of regional cookery, China boasts one of the world's greatest cuisines. It's also far more complex than you might suspect from its manifestations overseas, and while food might not initially be a major reason for your trip, once here you may well find that eating becomes the highlight. However, the inability to order effectively sees many travellers missing out, and they leave desperate for a "proper meal", convinced that the bland stir-fries and dumplings served up in the cheapest canteens is all that's available.

Central China , around Shanghai and the Yangzi River, has brief, cold winters, with temperatures dipping below zero, and long, hot, humid summers. It is not without reason that China's three "furnaces" - Chongqing, Wuhan and Nanjing - are all in the Yangzi basin. Rainfall here is high all year round. Farther north, the Yellow River basin marks a rough boundary in Chinese heating habits, with central heating fitted as standard in buildings north of here, helping to make northern China's harsh winters a little more tolerable. Winter temperatures in Beijing rarely rise above zero from December to March, and freezing winds off the Mongolian plains add a vicious windchill factor. In summer, however, temperatures can be well over 30°C.

Inevitably, Beijing is on everyone's itinerary, and the Great Wall and the splendour of the Imperial City are certainly not to be missed. It's a city that's easy to be in, and enjoy, but with skyscrapers aplenty, a large foreign contingent and a wealthy and chic population, Beijing is hardly representative of the nation as a whole. You need to dig under the surface to find the more intimate, private city that exists in the dwindling number of twisted alleyways, the hutongs, to get the best out of the place which can otherwise seem vast, soulless and functional. While you're here, don't forget that Beijing offers the best food and nightlife in the country.

Don't panic... put the tea on; milk AND two sugars please Vicar!

Some UK regions are experiencing problems with poor maintenance of drainage systems that were exposed during the recent flash rainstorms. Swollen river levels caused riverbanks to overflow into natural floodplains that have been developed into housing estates.

The North of England was hit first around the Hull and Sheffield areas. The response from the Gordie's Government was less than helpful and the media generally played down the whole event.

During the last few days the SOUTH of England has suffered from flooding, which has bought the whole thing closer to London and the seat of power. The response from rescue services has been rapid, home owners have taken steps to protect their properties. Gordie's Government has FINALLY open the purse strings (well, maybe; time will tell [April, 2001 and Gordie engages in creative accountancy. The current Prime Minister [July, 2007] has a track record of deception.]) and the media has woken up. The flood is now BIG news.

Extreme weather events happen.

Earlier this year the WHOLE of England ground to a halt, because the country was hit by a giant snow storm. In some areas there were extreme cases of snow drifts up to THREE INCHES.

Clearly, the latest rain storms in England have been heavy and have caused devastation, but put against other flooding events around the world even in the recent past; it's a minor event.

AskJack has researched flood protection advice and various ways to protect property.

During the research AJ found MANY spoof web sites registered under "flood" related URLs.

The best advice AJ can give at this time :::::::DON'T SEND MONEY TO ANY WEB SITE APPEALING FOR DISASTER RELIEF DONATIONS :::::::::

No-Lemon Moroccan Chicken (a Maroque recipe) Easy to Cook a Delight to Eat

This originated from an observation that all Moroccan chicken dishes seem to contain lemon and tend to have very storng sweet spice tastes, unusual to the western palate. This is a dumbed down version of the famous Moroccan Chicken recipe. Great to use as an introduction to a new style of cooking.

1 tbsp of olive oil
2 chicken breasts chopped into bite-sized bits
1 large onion chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 red pepper diced
a large pinch of saffron strands
a large shake of cumin seeds
1 tsp of ground coriander
1/2 tsp of chilli powder
1 pint of chicken stock
salt and a generous amount of black pepper

1. Add the oil to a large saucepan or deep-sided frying pan and fry the onions and garlic until brown. Set aside.

2. Fry off the chicken until coloured, return the onions and garlic to the pan.

3. Add saffron, cumin seeds, coriander, chilli, salt and pepper, and stir well to coat everything.

4. Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a strong simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until you have a nice consistency to the sauce. Serve with rice.

Serves 2, easily doubled

reprinted from www.maroque.co.uk republished by Recipe JackC

More About Moroccan Food and History

Moroccan cuisine has long been considered as one of the most diversified cuisines in the world. The reason is because of the interaction of Morocco with the outside world for centuries. The cuisine of Morocco is a mix of Arab, Berber, Moorish, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean African and Jewish influences. The cooks in the royal kitchens of Fez, Meknes, Marrakech, Rabat and Tetouan refined Moroccan cuisine over the centuries and created the basis for what is known as Moroccan cuisine today.

The most popular drink is green tea with mint. Traditionally, making good mint tea in Morocco is considered an art form and the drinking of it with friends and family members is one of the important rituals of the day.

Morocco Travel

For Westerners, Morocco holds an immediate and enduring fascination. Though just an hour's ride on the ferry from Spain, it seems at once very far from Europe, with a culture - Islamic and deeply traditional - that is almost wholly unfamiliar. Throughout the country, despite the years of French and Spanish colonial rule and the presence of modern and cosmopolitan cities like Rabat and Casablanca, a more distant past constantly makes its presence felt. Fes , perhaps the most beautiful of all Arab cities, maintains a life still rooted in medieval times, when a Moroccan empire stretched from Senegal to northern Spain, while in the mountains of the Atlas and the Rif , it's still possible to draw up tribal maps of the Berber population. As a backdrop to all this, the country's physical make-up is also extraordinary: from a Mediterranean coast, through four maintain ranges, to the empty sand and scrub of the Sahara.