It's a Dog's Life Year

Happy Chinese New Year from the country who eats Spot & wears its fur ... yes, it's the Year of the Dog, or year 4703 for those who are counting. Hopefully that doesn't mean that our four-footed friends will appear on menus around the country. People born under the sign of the dog are considered great humanitarians - perhaps under the influence of their eponymous Canine gamma-rays, they'll rise to the challenge in the People's Republic and do something about China's egregious human rights and animal welfare abuses (see "Bear Milking" below 21/01/06) and make it a happy new year for some lucky dog.