Brilliant, of course. I was glad (though hardly surprised) to see that Stephan Pastis shares my feelings about tradition. I see tradition as something that's done a lot of harm and doesn't bring much good with it. Tradition is a magnifying glass. After all, if a custom is something people enjoy doing, they keep doing it because it's fun. The fact that it's "traditional" just gives it a little extra fillip. If a custom is harmful, though, the idea that "this is our tradition" can give it a longer life than it ought to have. Yes, I listen to BBC Global News every day and hear wonderful stories about women being denied basic rights of inheritance, possession, and participating in certain lines of work -- all in the name of "tradition."

So, yes, I was amused to see the following dialogue in one of this collection's comics:

Goat: Well, guys, I'm off. Today is my family's annual potato sack race. It's sort of a tradition.
Pig: What's "tradition"?
Rat: Tradition is the reason for doing something you can no longer think of a reason for doing.
Goat: I hate it when I agree with you.
Pig: So that's why we still see our annoying family!

If this isn't your idea of a good time, don't read *any* of the "Pearls" collections, and certainly don't read this one. ( )