The media have for years swarmed to this annual event at Coney Island, Brooklyn. They still do. Somehow, it has become a New Yorker tradition, watching people scarf down ungodly amounts of hot dogs in 10 minutes. Of course, hot dogs are essentially made from the throw-away parts of tortured animals. And God knows what else is included in the recipe in terms of "additives." The whole business is rank and disgusting, but enthusiasts wouldn't have it any other way. Still, for vegan advocates such as we are, Nathan's Hot-Dog Eating Contest is an easy target; indeed, low-hanging fruit. So, Pamela and many volunteers over the years went to this event at least 7 times. We came with costumes and sign boards and literature and a hot-dog ingredient list that stopped a few people in their tracks. Lo and behold, we regularly got some downright excellent media coverage at times. In 1995, in particular, we got an amazing Jeanne Moos segment on CNN—the coverage of which probably nullified a fair amount of Nathan advertising dollars.