09 March 2004

Yet more Martha Stewart news on the indirect effects of her convictions. Then there's the question of control of infectious diseases like the bucolic plague.

B. rusticus, also known as "bucolic plague," recently has been recognized as a serious public health risk. This bacterium secretes a psychoactive toxin that causes behavior-specific cognitive realm obsessive-compulsive disorder (axis I). Symptomology includes compulsive creation of ill-conceived craft projects from common household objects, obsessive thoughts of redecoration in a "country style" that bears little or no resemblance to historical or current rural and agricultural fixtures, obsessive claims of credit for the work (however dubious) of others, obsessive fascination with small wooden placques of marginally representational cows (often in a chaotic mixture of art nouveau and art deco styles, methods, and color schemes), and secondary intoxication from spray lacquer fumes. Incidence is gender-selective (Mf > 85%).

You'll just have to find the source of that quotation yourself.