Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for August 02, 2021

Thought the officers had a separate forum.

Being “at ease” means they still can’t type (their hands would be behind their backs). The command they’re waiting for is “As you were.”

Who uses CRT monitors anymore?

Yes, kids, that’s what computers used to look like.

If you have time to type Ten Hut before you do it, you have time for 50 pushups outside in the mud.

Boy, howdy, that’ll shut down the conversation.

Just who took “attention” (I assume that is it) and turned it into “ten hut”?

So if I understand correctly and frankly what are the odds of that, Alex initiated contact with the guy on the forum. The guy didn’t go looking for her, she went to the forum that B.D. mentioned and found the guy.

So the question becomes not why would an adult establish internet contact with a child but why a child would feel the need to establish internet contact not just with an adult but with a total stranger. Why she feels the need to find an adult to talk to.

Why do children go looking for anything? Because they can’t find it at home. :-|

IIRC Alex is supposed to be nine years old at this point. As a theoretically interesting contrast, Charlie Brown and his immediate peers are perpetually eight-and-a-half (although I think Linus, for instance, is meant to be at least one year younger). Imagine Alex as a “Peanuts” kid, or Charlie Brown as a “Doonesbury” kid. Interesting mental exercise, unless it isn’t. ;-)

I am wondering if Alex entering the room is bringing at least one part of each sailor to “attention.”

Reminds me of the Monty Python episode where the Queen is channel surfing and they have to be ready to play “God Save the Queen” at a moment’s notice.

Back in the early 2000’s, I used to go to a Harry Potter chat room. It was so addictive…I couldn’t wait to get back to it. If I had to say, make dinner, that was time I lost with my HP online friends.

I believe the joke here is that the people in the room are saying that Alex is an important person (hence an officer), and they are stopping the chat to greet her accordingly. That is why Mike has a little smile on his face in the last panel. He understands what they’re actually doing.