Ah, that brings back memories. When I used to work at Family Research Council -- a block away from Chinatown -- there was only one staffer there who refused to eat at any of the Chinese restaurants. She was convinced they were serving cats and dogs and Lord knows what else. I taped that first picture to her office door, and she loved it so much I don't think she ever took it down.

I'm reasonably serious, Dave, once the other carnivores are out of the house and it's just me and my veg-not-by-choice wife. Simpler to prepare one meal instead of two, and one of those sacrifices I believe a man should make for his spouse. Besides, she could make boiled shoe leather taste good, so I wouldn't miss out on much - and, there's this: http://www.funnyandjokes.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/chinese-fortune-cookie.jpg I'm told by missionary friends there's no reason to wonder why the Chinese named their unique dog breed the way they did... http://chowclub.org/ccci/

LeeQuod: 1) Vegetarian, eh? I'd go vegetarian too, given the choice between an eggplant and braised fresh Dave Shunde style. But seriously, why vegetarian? You serious? I toyed with the idea but found it too difficult to sustain. 2) About rights . . . Roberto and I were chatting about this today and will recommend a BreakPoint commentary for Chuck. At some point, a society simply won't be able to function when every individual preference becomes a right. 3) Gina knows where I am without Twitter. Chained to my desk or in a meeting. That's how I roll. 4) My Labrador doesn't have to steal food. He gives me those big-brown doe-eyes until I succumb.

DtS? DtS!! Good to see you posting again, man!!! I was very worried about you when I saw this: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/picturegalleries/6193716/Sign-Language-special-restaurant-menus.html?image=18 That, plus Gina boldly posting a "using Twitter to safely goof off" entry, made me fear for your safety. Must have been another Dave. // More seriously, I was doing some reading in philosophy and stumbled across John Stuart Mill defining what a "right" is: something that society should defend because it benefits the individual. Mill kinda got stuck over why society really needed to do that, though. So I think you're onto something very important with your last sentence; the vagueness of the concept of "rights" lets any self-centered individual yank society's chain at will, to the detriment of anyone else. Awaiting Steyn's testimony today with anticipation. // Jason, our Afghan hounds were remarkably good thieves, having apparently been repurposed from chasing down gazelles into instead stealing food from the other Bedouin's tent and making a swift getaway. My wife almost lost her sandwich while we were praying, to a dog who could keep his tags from jangling as he snuck his head under her arm, easing carefully toward her plate,...

Dogs have been tolerated by Muslims for ages and Muslim Nobles used to love hunting with Salukis (a counterpart to Greyhounds). Many Muslim cities have always had feral dogs, probably to many. Istanbul certainly did though admittedly Turks are more easy-natured. For instance they also are very heavy drinkers. One Turkish secret policeman during WWII managed to put under the table a Russian sent to outdrink him and plumb him for information-and as all know outdrinking a Russian is an achievement. But in any case Turks-and other Muslims, have long gotten along with dogs reasonably well. One suspects that this is kind of forced.