Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for January 23, 2025

Nice commentary there Luann.

Careful, Bern, your savior complex is showing.

Oh, for crying out loud – what, is Piro some kind of wunderkind? Have the writers any idea at all of what is required to edit technical manuals? Years and years of experience and knowledge in the subject. Even if he’s just proof reading them and Alan is egging up the role, it’s still unfeasible. And I thought a panel or two ago Piro was a medic too?

Well, being the navy did seem weird. Editing technical manuals…. I’m sure that’s done in-house.

Hmmm, interesting solution here. I’m not sure how realistic it is that some college-aged guy is doing technical manuals for the navy, but it certainly explains Piro’s haircut and why Alan didn’t know the correct term for Corpsman.

Bernice is actually sorry for Piro? You’d think (knowing her) she’d run away as fast as she could!

Actually, he could join the Navy (or another of the services) and prove he’s supporting the family, thus making them dependents.

The more they weave, the more RIDICULOUS the story gets. The Navy would NEVER have a scruffy college kid editing their manuals. It’s like the lie that keeps getting bigger and bigger as the person tries to wiggle our of their mess. Good luck with that Evans.

Luann should have known Piro isn’t currently IN the Navy, not if he has time to take classes at the community college, and take care of all his sibs. At most she should have thought that he had been in the Navy at some point in the past.

But of course she has to make a major mistake so as not to violate G&K’s hard and fast number one rule, which is: Luann must be made to appear a clueless idiot (or worse) at all times.

Piro is a government contractor editing technological manuals for the Navy??

Do these manuals have to do with the Navy’s Mark 46, 48, and 50 torpedoes?

Or the new Columbia Class Submarines?

Or something else the Navy has but ain’t talking about, and those manuals are only meant for high level eyes?

If so, could it be that “Walt” has a high level security clearance?

Makes sense. The guy is a loner and doesn’t do a whole lot of talking. So he’d be perfect for the job.

Or perhaps not, since sibling Alan seems to know EVERYTHING and is blabbing all to equally blabby total strangers.

Or maybe Alan is making ALL this stuff up and is preparing to have a Good LAUGH come Saturday.

Which if true, would make Alan the most creative guy in the group.

I NEED COFFEE…………, ;-)

Bernice has reduced the notion of full-time childcare for six pre-adolescent children to “babysitting”?! Obviously she has no appreciation for “mothering”. Now, it could be more demanding if Piro were also homeschooling them rather than getting them ready for public school, transporting them, picking them up afterward, and helping with their homework. But clearly he has a very demanding schedule of activities, given that he also has a demanding professional position as a technical editor. Bernice is also oblivious to the background knowledge Piro would have to have absorbed to accomplish that as well — even though one may expect that he is not editing for technical content but only for clarity of language, pacing, coherence, brevity, spelling, et al. She has likewise neglected entirely any of the likely demands of caring for an ailing mother, whose disability requires Piro to care for his siblings and pay the bills. And there has been no mention of who is responsible for meals and shopping, though these are also likely responsibilities that Piro must shoulder. Given all this, Bernice is not qualified to enact the “help” that she feels drawn to offer. Luann is quite correct to point out the “bad dynamic”.

But at least Alan has clarified the connection with medical knowledge and the Navy — which also clears up questions about Piro’s age. He also now demonstrates that he is a more reliable reporter than his younger siblings. But perhaps it could still be interesting to explore their tales about Piro’s toes and his musical and linguistic abilities.

Holy cats, Bernice! Haven’t you learned anything in your psych classes? (I assume you’ve had some?) Better get some guidance before you pursue your career.

So, his mom is going to die and now things will get even more interesting.

Mebbe it’s a makework job an he’s churning out new tech manuals on Fletcher class destroyers

Not everybody who works at or for a military base is actually a member of one of the military branches. I live fairly close to an Air Force base that has over 18,000 civilian employees.

A civilian employee or a government contractor employee. Editing Technical manuals for the Navy requires technical experience or knowledge unless piro is running a spelling check?

Uh-oh. Wasn’t everybody just ordered back to the office? Massive child care bills ahead…

Help him or get closer to him?

Not unlike many great science fiction writers who turned to non-fiction writing in order to make ends meet (L. Sprague De Camp among them). Piro’s in good company.

Babysitting and editing manuals… Not to mention taking care of his mother.… And her so-called “man” is nowhere around… It’s an all too common story..

A Charity Boink.

If he’s got a good civilian job for the Navy, what did he need to go to school for?

So long, Nil. We hardly knew you. And Bernice doesn’t want to know you…now.

Luann can easily see what is completely wrong in Bernice’s attraction to Piro. Bernice is definitely someone who urgently needs to start seeing a therapist, but her pride will never allow her to do it. Luann wants to help him too, but that’s not the only reason she wants to be with him.

Bernice thinks to herself – “I know, I’ll con LuAnn into taking care of the kids so she thinks she’s helping him while I’ll use my psychology class training to help Piro edit the maunals for a low education level reader.”

Bernice is going to get carried away.

Bite your tongue for once, Bernice!

no longer!!! With the new administration, all remote workers have to now report to their worksite;Which is a crock of poo!My position requires me to be at work all the time, and Im okay with that but

if your role doesn’t require in office work AND your productivity isn’t down; who cares where you work!!! Remote work if possible is one of the greatest employee satisfiers and cost effective positions because of the savings from not having to travel and many other work related expenses!!!

Bernice, you can’t even help yourself. You’re living in Luann’s house with no means of income. Now, get a grip!

Enough already, where’s Toni?

Suddenly Bernice wakes up…………

Last time I looked, Piro was a cartoon character.

Hey Bernice! Don’t knock editing Technical Manuals. Paid the bills while I was in college. Bet the Navy pays well too. He must have some level of security clearance.

I’m not going to get in the the Piro wars here, except that it makes all kinds of sense, in terms of that aggravating thing in a daily comic, a continuing story, with dynamic arcs and developing, albeit slowly, characters, but with that story outline, Piro’s story not only makes perfect sense, but it offers insights into the two main characters, Lu and Bern, even their friendship. Let me say this from the start, neither are, as so far developed in the story, mature enough to deal with Piro’s reality from the git; but they both are fascinated with him, thus making him the MOST romantic character in 35 or more years of this strip, and they both, especially Bernice, have obvious strong feelings about him, thus raising conflict between them. Bern so wants to help (fix) him and Lu is trying to remind Bern about her comment that she learned in class, that fixing someone only reveals the fixer’s issues, not the fixee. Pot boiling.

Think of a way Bernice. Taking care of kids is not your forte.

“Mom”?

Even with THAT job he’d have to pass some sort of security clearance

Alan was left alone with the computer, which explains why all of our nuclear submarines are painted rainbow color

Poor, poor Piro. Doomed to the sandwich generation role of caring for children and an ill parent while simultaneously working at least part time. He sounds like half the adult women I know. How sad that his life got fast-forwarded to full on middle age (/s).

Get a clue, girls. Neither of you is ready for that kind of responsibility, but it’s a pretty common fact of adult life, except for the sheer number of kids.

The kids go to school, right? If these nimnuls are “home-schooling” them, they deserve what they get….

I can’t believe anybody would get much editing done with six kids and a very needy mother in the same house.

So what’s wrong with him using his writing talents to edit Technical manuals?

What is the point of this fake out, except making people talk about Piro’s dumb hair? I’ve never seen anything like it since Vanilla Ice, btw. Lol.

Seems like Piro’s got a direction and a plan. Again, what’s the problem? I feel the writers are once again jerking the chain of the folks who are constantly critical of these characters. I really like this storyline, of course the trap door is probably coming soon, but maybe not this time.

Right, Bern wants to help Piro, from the comfort and safety of her perch. Watch kids, do laundry, clean house weekly, organize bills? Heavens no! She’ll refer him to service providers rather than get her hands sullied.

Aww shucks, I thought he was going to be a navy seal

No more plots regarding Her and a grad student who fits with her perfectly! I Evans leave her to the guy at the night shift janitor at 7-11. Have fun.

“Bad dynamic” Luann? Not saying that Bernice butting in wouldn’t be, but what do you know about dynamics in relationships?

If Bernice really wanted to help Piro, she could start by giving him some free time away from the kids…but we know how that won’t happen

Bad dynamic, but interesting story line finally.

I edited technical manuals for 15+ years. And the subject matter was varied. Depends on if you are editing grammar/punctuation. Most likely that is what Piro is doing. Subject matter experts are consulted before the manual is presented for final edit, i.e. grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.

Yvan eht nioj…

Both of these girls should be able to see Piro comes with way too much baggage to be a romantic partner.

What’s wrong with editing technical manuals? It’s the bread and butter for many freelancers! Bernice is being a real literary SNOB here.

When did Bernice say there was anything wrong with editing manuals? The “poor Piro” was responding to his doing that AND caring for mom and kids. Even if he DIDN’T also show a talent for creative writing, it would still be stifling his potential.

Bernice just be quiet.