Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for April 19, 2014

Not in this case, Rat — Shaggy there was begging for it.

“Normally yes, but this time I’ll have to agree with you.”

Okay, seriously, Rat’s kinda got the right idea this time… okay so maybe maceing them is a bit too far, but books are important. So I say, you go Rat!

Also, I think I know the book he’s reading, interesting book.

Would the dude prefer ebooks or nooks instead?

Hmm, Rat showed remarkable restraint.

Rat, did you bring enough to share with everyone here?

Not all books are boring! Has he not read Dan Brown, Tamora Pierce, Clive Cussler, Diane Duane, Suzanne Collins, or Rick Riordin?

No, he’s more like the type who would mace Goat for reading a boring book. But hey, I’ll take character development as it comes.

Took Goat over 10 years to get around to reading Devil in the White City? Surprising.

Never thought that I’d agree with anything Rat said or did, but in this strip, that jerk became my hero.

@seyleigh: Yeah, I thought this was out of character for Rat as well. Maybe a combination of Rat and Goat would do it, though.

No, Rat, it is a good thing; keep up the fine work.

Can’t possibly be as interesting as a book about the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo eight years later. That one ended with the assassination of President McKinley.

Never wrong.

Did Rat just defend reading?I think the end is near.

yes. but it’s fun

Rat likes books? That can’t be so, he was just using that as an excuse to abuse someone.

loved that book …Great Read!

No it’s not.

and less messy & noisy

Uh-oh. One of the e-books in my Kindle is one I downloaded off Project Gutenberg that was produced in 1894 and centered on photos of buildings and other structures of the Chicago World’s Fair. Time to break out the gas mask.

Is it wrong to mace stupid rats?!?

Fun fact: Dr. H.H. Holmes, the real life killer from Devil in the White City is buried right near me in southeast Pennsylvania (Holy Cross Cemetery) . For a fantastic bookend story about this same World’s Fair, read “Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth”.

Stupidity SHOULD hurt.

Now that he’s down, mace him again………empty the can!!!!

Can I get permission to reprint the rat writing his book? I am on my 3rd book like his..FF

Rat just stood up for Goat? Or did I miss something here? This is ground breaking! Inflict pain on suffering on throw away characters, for saying stupid things! What a great idea!

I’m so conflicted. I don’t usually agree with Rat, did not expect him to be an offensive defender. He is so often mean to Goat.

OK, gotta mention Darby Conley. Today’s “Get Fuzzy” seems to be summing up the week of lame parody of “Pearls.”

It shouldn’t be ;)

Shaggy has no use for a Kindle.

Devil in the White City is an excellent book

Rat, you forgot the red sticky note with a #1 on it, stuck to his forehead. :)

No, it’s not wrong. The more, the merrier. One thing I’ve learned is that many things can be fixed. Stupid can’t be.

So many of you think that stupidity should be punished by pain, and not a single person disagrees? Seems to me that there are lot of really DUMB comments being made here.

NO!

Whoa, Rat helping Goat? Weird.

There are few things more appalling then arrogant-ignorance.

Not this time, Rat. He was asking for it.

xxx

I don’t usually agree with Rat, but this time, yes..…and as legaleagle48 said, it is not because of stupidity, it is because of willful stupidity.

Sorry, but Rat was completely out of line. The other guy is right — THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY is a boring book.

No.

There’s not enough Mace in the world to handle the demand.

Devil In The White City was my grandfather’s favorite book. He gave me a copy for my birthday last year, and died a week later. Really want to read it, but still feel like it’s too soon.

I wish modern people would realize that “boring” topics are among the most interesting in today’s world.Besides, what would stupid people find “interesting” for themselves?

Hey, what’s this with double-underscored words that pop up an ad when you hover your mouse? Were they there before but now have sneakier protocals that get through my adblock?

Argh! I just noticed it’s happening on Dilbert at Scott Adams’ website, too. Must be Firefox sneaking in.

Wait, Rat agreeing with Goat about something rather than mocking him as usual? I could see Goat getting annoyed at that fool for making that comment about books. But Rat is more likely to agree with him about books being boring rather than agree with Goat about reading books at all.

Patis occasionally does strips that show Rat as a writer, mostly of children’s books for kids you don’t like.

To heck with the CN, I’d pull my OC and hit him with that. Besides you’d be doing the place of business a favor since it’s easier to decontaminate an area after OC usage than after CN chemical agents are used.

‘Wilfully stupid’? WTF is that? A smart person who ‘wilfully’ does something stupid isn’t a smart person. Another DUMB comment.

Pastis has used his right wing character, rat, to humorize someone being stupid. It’s not real, he didn’t intend for you to agree with him, let alone suggest going further. I found Pastis’ cartoon funny, but I think many of these comments reveal exactly the stupidity he is referring to. How many of you would be maced or tazered if the world was run the way you suggest? Be careful what you wish for.

On Rat defending Goat: The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend, but may rather be a worse enemy.

Rat’s philosophy apparently is, when in doubt, mace. You can always apologize later.

Who has time for strangers who address you as ‘Dude’ these days? Rather, why would you make time for strangers who address you as ‘Dude,’ let alone give credence to anything they say — in any era?

What I want to do to people who say that stuff.

No. No rat. It is not wrong.

Matt Myklusch. Rick Riordan. J. K. Rowling. Suzanne Collins. Garth Nix. Eoin Colfer. Their books are not boring, nor any others.

Never, Rat. Never.

Rick Riordan’s name was misspelled three different ways in the main thread. Just thought that was funny.

No, rat it is not.