Do you do sushi, like I don't? (spam on subject only!)

[Chimaera182]

Originally Posted by dragon wench

Well for something to feel fear it needs to be sentient...

A dog beaten by its owner learns to fear the owner, and a dog is not considered as sentient.

[Fiona]

Originally Posted by Chimaera182

A dog beaten by its owner learns to fear the owner, and a dog is not considered as sentient.

Are you sure?

[Athena]

I

LUV

SUSHI!!!

[fable]

Originally Posted by Athena

I

LUV

SUSHI!!!

Thank you, Athena, for that extremely thoughtful exposition on the virtues of eating marine life.

[dragon wench]

Originally Posted by Chimaera182

A dog beaten by its owner learns to fear the owner, and a dog is not considered as sentient.

sentient:

1. Having sense perception; conscious
2. Experiencing sensation or feeling.

Are you suggesting that dogs have no sense perception, or that they don't experience sensation, consciousness and feeling?

[Aramant]

Originally Posted by dragon wench

sentient:

1. Having sense perception; conscious
2. Experiencing sensation or feeling.

Are you suggesting that dogs have no sense perception, or that they don't experience sensation, consciousness and feeling?

Feeling a puppy?
Bestiality is wrong!
omg, pervert.

-- a haiku

[fable]

Please, guys--keep the spam on subject.

Speaking of which, although we keep seeing plenty of evidence that dolphins are not merely sentient but possess a sense of self, I understand dolphin and whale meat continue to be served in some seaboard cultures. What's your thought on that?

[dragon wench]

Originally Posted by fable

Please, guys--keep the spam on subject.

Speaking of which, although we keep seeing plenty of evidence that dolphins are not merely sentient but possess a sense of self, I understand dolphin and whale meat continue to be served in some seaboard cultures. What's your thought on that?

Sorry Fable

That's a thorny question I've wrestled with... Some of the Pacific Northwest native people hunt whales, it is a part of their culture, and a number of years ago there was a huge storm of controversy on the subject. I'm still not totally sure where I stand on the issue...
Here are some links if you are interested:
Whale Hunt
Whale Hunt


*sigh*

[VonDondu]

Originally Posted by fable

Speaking of which, although we keep seeing plenty of evidence that dolphins are not merely sentient but possess a sense of self, I understand dolphin and whale meat continue to be served in some seaboard cultures. What's your thought on that?

The sad fact of the matter is that animals don't really have rights under any system of laws. Some endangered species are protected by law for conservation purposes, and there are laws against cruelty, and animal owners have rights (for example, they can sue for damages if their pets or livestock are injured or killed), but no animal has been assigned a "right to life" by humans. Fighting to protect the lives of sentient non-human beings is an uphill battle.

Part of the problem is that humans eat a lot of meat, and in order to eat meat, they have to kill other living creatures. It's interesting that Luis said that oysters have no other purpose but to be eaten. He probably wasn't serious and I'm not trying to start an argument with him about it, but it brings up an interesting point: does any creature exist solely for the benefit of humans? I would argue that wild animals were not "put here" for the benefit of humans, although in many cases (such as fish) I don't see a strong reason for not killing and eating them. The harder decisions arise when you start talking about intelligent mammals, many of whom have feelings just like humans (although their thoughts, if they have any, are much more primitive). My personal feeling is that most animals should be left alone. But I am able to say that because much of my food is conveniently supplied by livestock, which brings up an entirely different category of animals: those that are bred and raised by humans with the sole specific purpose of providing us with a food supply. If we didn't eat them, they would not exist. So yes, indeed there are animals whose sole purpose is to be eaten.

(Domesticated cows could not produce their own herds in the wild. They simply would not be able to feed themselves; only humans are able to produce the massive quantities of food they require. Livestock is part of a very complex artificial food chain, and the resources and energy invested in livestock production are staggering.)

Is it wrong to raise animals for the purpose of eating them? Not likely. Is it wrong to kill innocent wildlife for the purpose of eating it? If it isn't sentient, I wouldn't necessarily be willing to kill it myself, but I say it is literally fair game. (There are also many issues concerning conservation and cruelty and so forth.) But when you start talking about killing dolphins and whales, the human bias in favor of human rights to the exclusion of the rights of any other species is clear. "It's not human so it doesn't have rights" is acccepted as a compelling "argument" by an unsurprisingly large number of humans, but it doesn't carry as much weight as you might think because it begs the question. ("Only humans have the right to life because only humans have rights." But why?)

When you talk about the right to life, you have to think about what the right to life really means. This invariably leads to a consideration of the rights of various entities: sentient beings, non-sentient beings, adults, women, children, and unborn children, to name a few. Invariably, we end up talking about things like abortion. (On a related note, some of you have sick minds.) On the basis of the "sentience" argument, an adult dolphin has the right to life and a human fetus does not. But if you say that, it seems to surprise a lot of people, and a bunch of people will jump on you with the argument that a human fetus has the right to life because it's human and a dolphin does not have the right to life because it isn't human, and we are back to where we started. What is it about being human that gives us rights? Is it simply the case that humans have rights because they say they do, and other species lack the ability to say they have rights? Maybe animals don't have rights because they can't understand what it means to have rights. On the other hand, if we grant that assumption, then maybe a lot of humans don't deserve to have the right to life, either.

[fable]

It's colorful. It's varied. It's highly nutritious. We've been trying it repeatedly lately, and despite my best efforts, sushi still tastes as appetizing as Bush administration speeches.

SUSHI UPDATE: Whenever I've visited my wife while she's working in the Boston area over the last few months, we've gone to a fine Japanese buffet that serves both sushi and oriental broiled/grilled produtcts. And I have to admit, I've begun to develop a taste for some sushi. Mainly the spicier ones, like the spicy scallops, the spicy or smoked salmon, etc.

So it looks like I'm turning into one of the sushi pod people. Which brings up an image more disturbing than most I can imagine.

On the other hand, my wife remains a dedicated anti-sushi-ite. She can't stand most seafood to begin with, either for smell or taste. While she likes shrimp or butterfish, just about anything else really gets to her. The fact that she willingly nibbled upon my encouragement at one piece of spicy sushi the last time we were eating Japanese says much for love.

[dragon wench]

lol Fable, welcome to The Dark Side!

More on topic though, some of my favourite types of sushi tend, in fact, to be the spicier varieties... Like Spicy Tuna Roll or Spicy Salmon roll.... Yum!

Of course.... though not really spicy.. the soft shell crab rolls are pretty amazing too....

*sigh* I would *have* to read this on the approach to dinner time. Oh well.. off to make some spiced black beans

[Aqua-chan]

There is an uncreatively named China Buffet down the main road from here, and while I usually browse the vegetarian section, I always get pulled over to the sushi bar. I think I've tried them all (including one that I think made its grand debut that night, for I had never seen it before nor have I seen it since: seaweed wrap with a raw shrimp draped over the top) but there is one kind that I just adore. I get a dozen every time I go there.

I have no idea what is in it aside from the rice, but it is amazing.

The outside is orange, and I can't quite identity what the wrap itself is made of. Then there is the essential layer of rice, and within that is something green and something white. I imaging the green thing is a veggie of some nature - no idea - and I suppose the white stuff must be meat. Probably is some sort of fish, given that is what sushi is, but whatever is in that center it is remarkable. If I could, I would give everybody one to try.

I tried to ask the sushi guy about it when he came out, but unfortunately he spoke no English. *sigh*

[fable]

The outside is orange, and I can't quite identity what the wrap itself is made of.

If it comes from a ubiquitous but anonymous Chinese Buffet, I would be inclined to worry at anything whose outside was orange. And if started to move, I would immediately slap it with a proper Chinese paper exorcism.

The Japanese buffet was go to is called Minado, and they're a small chain. They use fresh ingredients, at least in the sushi side of things, and you can take what they prepare or order as you like. It's quite educational watching them chop away and some poor filleted fish, then drop it on your plate, raw.

[VonDondu]

Originally Posted by Aqua-chan

I have no idea what is in it aside from the rice, but it is amazing.

The outside is orange...

If you're talking about small, crunchy orange things, then it's probably some type of roe, i.e., fish eggs.

Originally Posted by Aqua-chan

I can't quite identity what the wrap itself is made of.

Lots of possibilities there.

Originally Posted by Aqua-chan

Then there is the essential layer of rice, and within that is something green and something white. I imaging the green thing is a veggie of some nature - no idea - and I suppose the white stuff must be meat. Probably is some sort of fish...

My guess would be avocado and crab meat (or imitation crab meat).

If it also has strips of cucumber, then it's probably some sort of variation on a California roll (which are quite common at Chinese buffets). Very tasty, indeed.

[Aqua-chan]

I'll take a picture next time I go.

In the mean time we have an Ariake Steakhouse, which is an upscale Japanese resturaunt. When I can scroung up enough to actually breathe the air there, maybe I will try some of the kinds recommended here.