Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for May 03, 2016

You really don’t want to do this, do you, Les?

Well, on the bright side, he’s not currently bullying anyone (that we know of).

Not a good start…

It is his uncle who wants to give him a chance – you do it for the great manager you got. Then you tell him it didn´t work and fire him.

You get stuck with a name like Leslie you might as well be named Sue.

Now WAIT Just One DARN Minute.

LET Me Get This STRAIGHT, Pru.

You DON’T want to work with a “Bully” but You’re Okay with Working with a “Con-Artist???”

They will want to fire Les – but Mr. Gray will want them to keep a positive spin… Between a rock & a hard place…

Well, let’s see what the Evans’ team can do with a story line that promises conflict. I hope its not a lead balloon.

Something tells me that Ox is going to have to teach Les a lesson at some point.

What, exactly, are Frank and Nancy’s positions here? They’re the principal investors, with TJ, and have been on hand for all major events so far. Mr. Grey asked them to hire Les as the favor he was owed for his support in getting things started (I have the idea he knew going in that it was going to turn out to be a large favor in return for a large favor).

Why aren’t they in the room? Are they sitting this meeting out? Or are they having a pre-meeting confron — excuse me, conversation with Les out in the parking lot?

Or is Les just blowing off the job entirely? Maybe he thinks he can count on his uncle’s “influence” to keep him from being fired, no matter what sort of shenanigans he pulls?

I’ve worked with people like that – briefly.

Gasp—! He’s bullying them by being late! That’s a sin!

I have met people like Knox. Their problem can’t be fixed. However the idea here is everything has a happy ending unlike the real world.

People can change, but usually not that quickly.

Local story, a woman showed up late for work at school. The boss chastised her. The woman proceeded to beat the snot out of her boss, who was a woman also. Put her in the hospital.

Les Knox? Send him to “Hard” Knox for some straight-up DI training.I hope Oxford doesn’t get into trouble with Mr. Gray by preventing Leslie from bullying Pru, or anyone else….

Leslie only picked on Gunther. He will be fine with the normal kids.

A sterling start to your career. Les must think his job is wrapped in asbestos.

Bullies tend to be either psychopaths or sociopaths, neither are usually curable so no, some folks will never change. Sadly they became that way as emotional defense mechanisms as children. They are to be pitied, not feared.

Hard not to see this coming, but I think his no-show is a good thing. It’s a chance to share information and feelings about being “forced” to work with someone so emotionally immature. I particularly like Pru’s comment. Pru is emerging as a one of the more interesting characters, like Piro.

Great start, Les/Leslie/Mr Knox or whatever you’re being called next. Bet he hates his name. Here come the excuses.

Saw an interesting discussion of bullying in Psychology Today:https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-time-cure/201601/bulliesNo easy answers, but bullies are often raised by bullies and model that behavior. Despite the TV cliche, standing up to a bully and thrashing him is actually not as effective as changing the whole group dynamic at schools or workplaces.

I know some people here have age related macular degeneration. Years back i signed up for some NIH mailings since some are useful for types for volunteer work i have done. Today there was this report with the actual rates and levels of success with the current treatment approach, a big improvement in sight retention for very many over the state of treatment a decade ago. Here is the press release on the recent study:

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/age-related-macular-degeneration-before-after-era-anti-vegf-drugs

GoComics comments is crashing a lot right now so i am pasting this from mail.

That’s the best thing Les could do – not show up. “I’m not taking some crappy job just because my uncle arranged it.”

First step: call Les, or give a helf hour more and then call Les, depending on anticipated work load.

If there is a reasonable answer like a flat, give him time this time. Then have him observe a little while mostly doing unskilled tasks since there was no training time.

The next part depends on if they report at all to Mr. Grey in relation to the cafe or to the DeGroots.

If there is no answer call Mr. Grey and ask if Les is with him since you can not reach Les and are concerned about him.

If there is an unreasonable answer, call Mr. Grey and say you are concerned about Les because he did not show up at work but when you called the signal was lost during the call. It sounded like he was saying such and such but that woukd not make sense for an employee to say, so with a poor signal…

Alternatively, if there is not enough unskilled work or if he refuses the unskilled work then send him home and say he will instead start on a day when he can first have training, and that will be scheduled later.

There are certainly concerns at this point.

Is this the first time that a character in this strip has made a reference to attending a church?

5The way today’s comic reads to me, is that it is simply a filler day. But, hypothesizing about POTENTIAL paths this may lead (IMO) include:1) Les feels “privileged” and feels he can saunter into work anytime he darn well pleases because his “mafioso” Uncle “Mr. Gray” really runs the joint for all intents and purposes.2) Les somehow was unaware of when he was supposed to show up. This seems unlikely, though. But, as it seems perhaps at least a few Luanniverse weeks have passed since Mr. Gray announced Les as being on board, he could have forgotten if this was his start date.3) Les is deciding to employ “passive-aggressive” behaviors in showing up late because he does not want to work at The Fuse. He perhaps is hoping to immediately get fired.4) Les had some sort of accident on his way in and is either dealing with the accident or is hurt.5) Les is sincerely interested in the job, has reformed his personality, and had an unfortunate alarm clock malfunction.6) Les is lurking in the shadows somewhere at The Fuse and is listening to what the “crew” is saying about him.

So far i can not resolves Mr. Grey into a cohesive whole. Mrs. Berger is likely to have some strong standards, but he also behaves at times like a human bulldozer trying to adjust a halo, then there is the side of him which ignored his family and now wants inclusion. More than one thing might be needed to stitch him together.

There have been some crime connections suggested by some and then tongue in cheek joked about by others for Mr. Grey, but if you will pardon the pun on some of the early and more extreme suggestions: i think that possibility is probably overkill.

Im worrid les will try to bully pru

I think the denoument to that would be ox protecting her if les verbally bullies her

7. Les is still a jerk and just doesn’t care.

Don’t assume the worst about Les because he is late. He could be dead or injured.

In my mind, five minutes early is ten minutes late.

Or Les could be late because he stopped to do a good deed and help someone. Maybe rescue a tiny kitten out of a storm drain.

And the ‘great guy’ is already off to a great start…

Just because you forgive someone does not change who they are. They could still be a jerk.

I share many of the same worries, but also wonder what additional troubles at home for Les Mr. Grey’s earlier comment might indicate.

Punctuality is surely optional.Showing up even more so.

Yeah, in the form of sexual harassment. My earlier prediction was les would steal from the fuse. But with he way the story line is starting to track i am changing my guess… Whatever happens, the evans’s will keep it entertaining as always

We know very little about Mr. Gray other than that he managed a “club” (what kind? for whom?) in Las Vegas, he is very well connected in the construction industry (and thus likely the unions), and he is a “fixer” who solves people’s problems very effectively and efficiently. In movies and crime fiction, someone like that supplies the “muscle” for the Mob family they serve. Maybe Les is being groomed to be the next “enforcer”?

I hope Mr. Gray will always remain mysterious, yet be seen as basically a good person.

@Roberta Pinn: Lester Moore, aka. Les Moore is in Funky Winkerbean. For some reason. I couldn’t reply under the comment section.

So either way, he’s a goner?

Here are the strips I remember showing Les as being a bully to others besides Gunther:

Congratulations, Ox, I think you’re the first person ever to mention the word church in this strip.

Spoiler: Les takes charge — in reverse.

Come on now…let’s give Les the beneift of the doubt. (I almost choked on that one.) Maybe he had car trouble. Maybe he got into a car accident. Maybe somebody beat the snot out of him and he’s at death’s door in the hospital. Maybe he did some amazing act of heroism and he’s being feted by the fire department, or the police. Maybe he saved a child from drowning. Maybe I’m reaching…

Tj, I know how you’re feeling right now!