Monday, January 25, 2010

Rejoice!

Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o' fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer
Gie her a haggis! 

~ Robert Burns





(Jan. 25) — American Scots will have an
added reason to send their kilts flying Monday
as they celebrate the birthday of poet
Robert Burns. After a 21-year ban, the U.S.
is planning to allow imports of haggis, a
traditional Scottish dish.
The ban was imposed in 1989,


The ban was imposed in 1989, at the
height of the mad cow disease outbreak in
Britain, because haggis contains sheep
heart, liver and lungs — organs that are
considered at risk for carrying scrapie, a
close variant of mad cow.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Department
of Agriculture was quoted by London’s Daily
Telegraph as saying that it was reviewing
its regulations in line with a ruling from the
World Organization for Animal Health that
sheep lung is safe.
Haggis, a traditional Scottish dish, was
banned for 21 years in the United States.
“At this time, there are regulations being
drafted,” the spokeswoman said.
Monday’s timing couldn’t be better for
Scots, because Burns, famous for such poems
and songs as “Auld Lang Syne” and “A
Man’s a Man for A’ That,” also penned “Address
to a Haggis” in 1787.
Since the ban was enforced, Americans of
Scottish descent — of whom there are estimated
to be more than 9 million — have
been forced to celebrate Burns Night without
real haggis.
“It was a silly ban, which meant that a lot
of people have never tasted the real thing,”
Margaret Frost, of the Scottish American
Society in Ohio, told the Guardian. “We
have had to put up with the U.S. version,
which is made from beef and is bloody awful.”
Scotland’s rural affairs secretary,
Richard Lochhead, said, “I am greatly encouraged
to hear that the U.S. authorities
are planning a review of the unfair ban on
haggis imports. We are in regular contact
with the industry on this issue and believe
that reversing the ban would deliver a vote
of confidence in Scottish producers and allow
American consumers to sample our
world-renowned national dish.”
He added, “It’s time for the U.S. authorities
to deliver a Burns Night boost and recognize
that Scottish haggis is outstanding
quality produce.”
Sales of haggis in the U.K. brought in the
equivalent of more than $14 million last
year, the 250th anniversary of Burns’ birth.
Jo Macsween, co-director of Macsween,
a leading producer of the product in Edinburgh,
said the U.S. Agriculture
Department’s action would come as good
news to both tourists in Scotland and Scots
in the U.S.
“I’m very excited by this news,” she told
the BBC. “In my experience, when I have
encountered American tourists in Scotland
they absolutely loved it. ... So they will be
delighted that next time they come to visit
they can not only take it back but hopefully
manufacturers like us will actually start
shipping it there too.”



I found it incredibly funny that one of the world's most disgusting foods was banned in the U.S. and that the unbanning would actually be newsworthy! 



Haggis might be totally gross but a man in a kilt is totally SEXY!
 



Thursday, January 21, 2010

YAY! My computer is fixed!

I'm as happy as a bunny with an ice cream cone!



Monday, January 18, 2010

AGHHHHHH!

sick computer Pictures, Images and Photos

My main computer, the one with ALL my documents, pictures, my fucking LIFE, on it has a virus.  It is a nasty one.  Luckily, my niece is a geek and will hopefully fix it soon. 

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year? Please ...