IT'S IN THE CARDS

Here's an interesting wrinkle in the Mad Cow lawsuit - the family is arguing that the store should have alerted them based on their purchase going through a "loyalty card." "QFC, through that card, has a databank which gives the addresses and phone numbers of all of their Advantage Saver customers and all they had to do is make one phone call and tell these people they had meat that might kill them," said Nick Steyant-Browne, the attorney for family. Sure, it sounds simple now, but would you want to make that call?

The funny part, though, is the comments of some of the loyalty-card customers on the prospect of using the card records for emergency contacts: "I think they should make their best attempt to post it conspicuously, but I don't really want them knowing what I bought," said David Chatt, an Advantage Card holder. And: "I just don't believe in giving the personal information out, that's all," said Lamar Beaber, another Advantage Card holder. Isn't this exactly the attitude of the meat-eating consumer? "As long as I don't quite understand what's going on in the back room there, it must be fine." Better than that, it's Grade-A!