Gomi no Sensei writes: The Edmund Burke quote on tradition has always seemed apropos to me: "Tradition means giving a vote to most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about. All democrats object to men being disqualified by the accident of birth; tradition objects to their being disqualified by the accident of death. Democracy tells us not to neglect a good man's opinion, even if he is our groom; tradition asks us not to neglect a good man's opinion, even if he is our father." Tradition is only useful if a) we understand its genesis, and b) the context in which it originated is still pertinent. Otherwise, it's just doing things "because we've always done it this way." rone -- "I don't even know you. What if you're a psycho?" "Would a psycho waste the last of his triple-sec?" -- RICHH