Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for February 17, 2019

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XKGMyb6VRfE

This is creepy

Still better than anything Rat has written.

Years ago I was afraid of traveling. Now I am afraid of coming home.

BTW, Anthony Bourdain did NOT inspire me to travel. I was doing that long before I had heard of him. One of my first long period jobs was overseas in a non-English speaking country.

I just love street food in new places! Eating what the locals like, with them, opens your mind.

Nice tribute, Stephan.

I liked Bourdain, his books and tv shows. But I have a hard time showing respect for someone who offed themselves. Just my opinion.

Do it. Go somewhere, sit with local people and eat their food.

Iraq? I’m sure they love Americans for dropping bombs on them, but it is not my first choice of destinations. I visited Jordan 7 years ago.

Who was more the world traveler—Anthony Bourdain or Andrew Zimmern?

Let’s hope that Stephan chooses a different way to visit his final resting place. I’d miss him way too much.

I miss him after all this time, too.

Fact: Traveling is BAD for basketball.

Oh, and sorry to note this, but the timing of this strip seems kind of like the timing for the tune, “……Jerry Lewis”, by Mike Elliot and Bud LaTour.

It probably doesn’t help that poverty seriously cripples your ability to travel.

Yea that travel thing sure did work good for Bourdain :-(

I can’t afford to travel. But Anthony Bourdain inspired me to go find the treasures in my own city.

The good news is that you don’t have to travel as far to get killed anymore.

Having experienced severe clinical depression, try to understand that rational thought isn’t possible. Thank you, Stephan, for this loving and kind comment. My “inner Pig” is smiling.

And left his daughter behind.

My philosophy is DO NOT JUDGE OTHERS UNTIL YOU WALKED IN THEIR SHOES! When someone is SO deep in depression, they can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, but of course, those with no compassion can’t see past their noses!

That is such a sad comment. Have some heart! We don’t know what drives a person to suicide.

You dont REALLY want to know whats in that taco

Gee,sounds great,send me 100k and I’ll give it a shot,Pastis.

And if you are getting food from a food cart late at night make sure there is a good hospital close by.

I generally enjoyed Bourdain’s work, but he seemed to have made some poor life choices in recent years on who to be involved with and what sort of relationship to have that riled his demons up rather than calmed them down.

Been there, done that, ate the falafel. Excellent advice.

Heck, you don’t even have to go overseas to find some exotic and exciting places. I spent 35 years “Traveling” for a living as a truck driver, and there are AMAZING places right here in the U.S.! Living in Florida for years, seeing The Rockies, or the Deserts in Utah and Arizona was amazing, SUCH a change from what I was used to seeing! Monument Valley, The Meteor Crater, The Grand Canyon, it’s ALL here, and it’s relatively easy to get to!

A classic.

Many will tell us that suicide is an “unforgivable sin”. It is not. Rather, it is a mental illness… unfortunately a fatal one. It could be temporary; people bounce back from that edge every day and go on to pull out of that state and lead productive lives, grateful that they got through it. Unfortunately, some to not.

A suicide is a victim of their own confused mind, and we grieve for that victim. Those who believe God is any less sympathetic for such ones need to re-think what “love” means, how far it extends (yes even to suicides)… and not be so naive as to believe what is arrogantly pounded from some pulpit. Scripture does not teach that suicide is unforgivable. Suicide is a regrettable temporary state of mind that given time and opportunity, could have been overcome.

Please, if you’re considering suicide, call your local suicide hotline. They can help, significantly… and assist you in still being here tomorrow. 1-800-273-8255 24/7/365

And use some common sense (I know, right?) because there really are some dangerous places and people.

One of the best eats I have had were off a cart, late at night. Nothing beats an egg sandwhich from an old lay with a cart in a back alley of Pusan (Busan) Korea!

Assuming that we actually have money…

Some people shouldn’t travel abroad – especially if they will always be complaining about how much better it is at home. It spoils it for the rest of us.

I don’t watch much TV, so I had to google Bourdain. I appreciate that Pastis liked him, but I’d prefer he stick to making me laugh. This comic is rather ironic, considering Bourdain was apparently depressed.

He gets to go to far away places, he gets his burritos for free, I have to drive the interstate hi-way, I have to be at work before I’m late. I should have learned to draw cartoons.

I traveled a lot and learned much about modern antibiotics and small arms.

Because on my grandparents were born in Ireland I was able to gain Irish citizenship and a passport. This passport also makes me a citizen of the E When I’ve traveled recently, I sometimes wonder if I shouldn’t just stay in the EU.

our first trip offshore will be to a little pub in Co. Cork that bears my name, and then to Blarney.

Loved this.

Traveling to meet someone I’m afraid of in a country that scares me just isn’t my cup of tea.

In the vein of visiting people you’re uneasy about, check out W. Kamau Bell’s United Shades of America, especially the first season. For a food show that features something like the way Bourdain could connect with people, take a look at a short series that Marcus Samuelsson did on PBS, No Passport Required.

It is difficult to know what demons possess anothers thoughts

As the saying goes, “walk a mile in their shoes”

Meanwhile the president acts like a two year old over his stupid wall. He should read this strip.

Producers, itinerary, cameramen, security crew… that sort of travel has very in common with what you will experience, and the trouble you might encounter, as an individual.

Many comments here today remind me of talking with people years ago who wanted to emigrate to other parts of the world. I asked about the reasons behind it, not because of the places they wanted to go but why they wanted to leave. The vast majority responded that it was because this country reminded them far too much of where their grandparents grew up. Germany. In the 1930’s (and for those who would jump to the usual conclusions only a few were from Jewish families). It was disturbing that many years ago but “those who forget history” and all that seems to be bearing out pretty darned well from some of the comments today. The Ugly American ain’t dead or even sleeping.

Thank you Stephen. Love Pearls, love this strip, miss Tony.

Yeah, honor the guy who couldn’t cope with everyday life. I’ve traveled the world over and while it is wonderful, there’s just as much wonder in your own immediate area.

muy bueno

Anthony Bourdain actually lived the “Carpe Diem! Go For It! YOLO! Go Big Or Go Home!” kind of life that the world tells us we should live in order to be fulfilled. He also had a daughter to whom he was devoted. I assume he was a man of considerable financial means, and he was loved by so many people around the world. He had many influential friends. He must have been able to seek the best help for his illness. Does all this mean that clinical depression and chemical imbalances are hopeless conditions? If Anthony Bourdain couldn’t overcome it, what hope does the average person have? I’m not the least bit insensitive about this; I sincerely want to know.

Touching, but dated, installment.

in my digital newspaper (Spokane’s Spokesman-Review), they put a big gray square over the fourth panel, completely obscuring it. Anyone else seen anything like this?

Google Earth is friendly. City driving, airports, economy seating – not even close.

Pretty sure you could have the same experience going to your local quick stop and ordering one of those $1 dried sausage things…

Just my fathers’ two cents. He felt that when a person decided to kill themselves, it was the best plan of action they could see. It was not the only action, just the one from their perspective. It had nothing to do with family, money or position. It was about pain. Making the pain go away. My father wrote this to me, put it in the mail box, and blew his brains out in front of the post office. I was angry when I heard he killed himself, then so sad when I got his letter. I’m sure there are other theories, but I will always have my fathers action. I hate what he did, but cannot hate why he did it. I still miss him, over twenty years later.

most excellent

You can like Anthony Bourdain, but don’t be like him.

I suddenly need to go book my first-ever trip to Europe, and I am very grateful to you for that. Thank you, Mr. Pastis.

Excellent comic.

You rock, Past is!

Very lovely tribute to Anthony Bourdain. Yes, it is very disturbing when a person who seems to have it all, commits suicide but Anthony, by his own admission, struggled with depression and addiction issues most of his life. So take the good that he did and enjoy it and try to understand and forgive those that wound us deeply when they commit suicide. Also for those that can’t afford to travel, it’s easy to visit other cultures through television, trying different foods through recipes,etc. Peace to all you readers.

All well and good! —If you’ve got the money and time.

But what does Anthony Bourdain have to with Stephan’s Advice for Stick-in-the-Muds? Leave his name out and the strip is just as meaningful and even tighter….

I guess Stephan is just commemorating his buddy (not that there’s anything wrong with that)….

What brought this on, Steph?

This is a great sentiment, and way better than the stupid puns. It looks like Stephan Pastis is a lot cooler than I thought.

You’ve hit another home run. Tony touched us with an important message. Thanks for the reminder.

If you haven’t eaten Indian street food, you haven’t truly eaten

One of the reasons I joined the Navy and stayed in for a good while!

Great message. Thanks.

Pretty fantastic, sir, pretty fantastic!

I was worried about eating “parts unknown” from a food wagon in the dark…wow, the suicide opinions though, took away that fun.

Walk in his moccasins before you make remarks like that .

This is the absolute truth. Travel broadens the mind, and new experiences is the best way to learn, particularly as an adult where it is way too easy to get stuck in a routine. All the best to Pastis and if Bourdain taught him and others this, his life meant something.

fortunately, no one cares about your opinion