Illustration: Friendship, No Thank You

In a recent "Pickles" comic strip, a man comes up to a character named Earl, who is seated on a park bench, to introduce him to a new friend. Earl interrupts with a strong, "Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope." The man apologizes, saying, "I'm sorry. You'll have to forgive Earl. He feels he has already met more people than he can possibly remember, so he's not accepting any more acquaintances at this time."