Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for November 10, 2011

Hooray! He’s not such a doofus after all! Now the difference in heights from yesterday is apparent. He’s finally standing up for himself.

Yay Brad!

“Actually, I just promoted myself.”

… coyuldn’t be more accurate :-)

You go, Brad! Indeed, you promoted yourself!

(plus I can’t type in the morning ;-) )

Based on my decision yesterday – to look for Greg’s humor, 1) Ann does not understand that she no longer has any control over Brad, 2) Furthermore, Ann does not realize that the carrot does not work with Brad when the stick fails, 3) Brad has gained a more mature understanding of “promotion”.

wait, wut?

Ah HEM.

This is me not telling you I told you so. ;D

Go, Brad!

Well, I’m curious if the implication is that Brad’s caught Ann doing something illegal and maybe he’ll get her in trouble… but just waving around “legal-schmegals” doesn’t really seem like something he can catch her on unless he took them with him and they were proven to be sinister. So maybe the implication is that Brad has just had a sudden brain promotion, in which case: Good for him! He needed one.

Now… next stop: Toni’s place. Actually, to the florist first, THEN on to Toni’s place. He can’t really afford a diamond ring or a marriage right now, but he can at least swing a nice bouquet of pretty flowers and a good bit of “make-up” (and not the kind Tiffamy uses, either…)

The upside is that since Brad quit, WW won’t have to pay him unemployment. Not that there is any in Pittsville….

Ann will now get a promotion to Regional Manager for efficiently clearing out the deadwood with minimal company expenditure.

Good boy, Brad!

Hmm since he didnt sign anything I think he can still get the unemployment for what its worth.

Notice the apparent smirk on Brad’s face in the last panel. He’ll probably start singing, “Take This Job And Shove It,” as he walks out the door! LOL /// NOW he is ready to have a chat with Toni.

YAY!! Brad’s got some cajones after all…kick her to the curb!

Too funny…she’s still trying to seduce him in the last panel! NO WAY!

Tomorrow, I’d like to see all the other employees walk out with Brad. Ms Awful would be hard pressed explaining that to the big wigs at corporate!

He just promoted himself to what and at where?

YES. Brad is BACK. I was curious about Anne’s backstory, so I read the other comic strips before. She’s a nightmare. I hope she stays in the story line, preferably tarred and feathered.

I think the epiphany occurred just before he said, “I’m not ready to talk to you, Toni.” It had finally dawned on him to what extent Anne had been using him, and that Toni had realized it before he had. He was kicking himself in the bootay because he realized that Toni had been more of a “man” than he had been in the handling of Ms Eiffel.

Welcome to the men’s club Greg. Yo just promoted Brad from gbeing a go-for into being a “man.” Nice move.

Let us look at this chronologically. On Monday, she insulted Toni by telling Brad he could do better than her. Then yesterday she topped that when she made the “Legal schmegal” remark. Brad took this, and rightfully so, that she considered him some kind of pliable moron. Today by quitting, he basically told her to take that paper and the job and shove it!

And the crowd, already on its feet, now cheers!

HA! I still think that outfit would look lovely, deep fried.

Welcome to the wonderful world of employee releases – legally speaking, a release waives your right to sue, but it only covers events that occured prior to the signing date, not ones that might occur in future. So techically, Ann would have had to gimmick the legal schmeagle up on her own, WW wouldn’t have a waiver like that.

But if you get fired, most companies make you sign a release stating the termination was mutual, that insurance will cease after a certain time, that you waive all future lawsuits and indemnification pertaining to employment from the date of signing, etc.

This also waives your right to sue over unknown claims, so if you work at WW and someone brings a big class action suit in future over something like unpaid overtime, you might not be able to benefit due to that release.

So while Ann might be able to make Brad sign a release that says he won’t sue WW if she harasses him or makes him carry out illegal orders in the next month, it wouldn’t be legal; the courts would set it aside.

Of course it could be a termination release from when she just fired him o cover those past weeks – ya never know!

No, seriously, that’s why you really will never know what that paper says. Greg doesn’t do legal schmeagle that well, and he sure doesn’t do Law & Order.

Atta boy Brad!!!! Way to go!!!! You finally sockled it to her!!

TJ had an unexplained piece of paper in his hand when Brad was fired. Dare I think it will play a part?

stands up and claps way to go brad!

I can’t wait to see tomorrows first frame. Will we be going directly to Brads next location, or will we get to see Ann, when she realizes that she has lost? I haven’t seen Brad this satisfied with himself in a while. He knows he made the right choice.

Yahoo! That is all.

FINALLY!

Keep going and DON’T look Back No matter WHAT she says.

Next, make up with Toni Then go PUNCH TJ for STARTING all this.

its about time that Brad was given a distinct set of Cojones

Nice to see Brad finally wake up. Even nicer to see sexy-but-evil Annie squashed. Brad’s outfit goes a long way to making him look manlier than when he was in the WeenieWorld uniform. As it should be.

If you don’t get THIS, you just don’t get IT.

So does he want the job or not? :p

This “soap orera” (as a commenter on another strip called it) hasn’t ended yet. Will Toni welcome him back? Will Brad (finally) ask TJ to quit meddling in his life? Stay tuned in… and whether you admit it or not, enjoy the show!

Agreed. This is for a lowly crew worker at WW? Ann was up to no good, that much was clear.

Wonder what that certificate on the wall behind Ann is for. “Best Sexual Harasser”?

Congrats Brad! A big step toward maturity was reached in today’s strip. There’s hope for you yet.

I like that Brad.

HA! I told everyone this would happen yesterday! Didn’t I? Check my comment. I told you all and you didn’t listen. I AM THE GREATEST!

I can see it now…Toni is at the Fire Station.

Brads silhouette in the door frame, with his WW hat in hand.He walks over to her, hands her the hat and picks her up.

She’s takes his hat and tosses into the trash.He carries her out of the station

(They just ran Officer and a Gentleman on TV last week)

Or Toni is so going to get the biggest kiss she’s ever had while Brad apologies

Greg, you’re a great story teller.

Human 1, Corporate 0

I was hoping that’s what he’d do!

Yeah, WW was HIGH SCHOOL, and going nowhere. Brad worked hard to become what he wanted to be….a firefighter. Not work as a bun-stuffer. (innuendo intended)

With that brave move, the fire department should hire him back. [Sigh] Wishful thinking.

Todays strip is a “good thing / bad thing” ….Brad got his ‘manhood’ back (good thing, he’s gonna need it to apologize with Toni!)..Annie won’t get her “come-upence”! (BAD thing, because NOW she’ll feel she got away with it - AGAIN!).NOT “liking” this outcome!

It is great to see that Brad weighed all the facts and made a great decision for himself. Way to go Brad. I hope he plans on seeing Toni to patch up the misunderstandings between them. I can not wait until tomorrow to see the story-line.

you go Brad!

Brad may have stood up for himself here…way to go! Now how to handle Toni…remember when she confronted Efiel that she had Brad’s interest in mind….Brad still needs to let her know that.

Brad – Pick up the paperwork, your lawyer will want to see it.

In food service, hires and fires happen by the minute. He wouldn’t have a case.

But on emotional level, good for him. And hopefully good for Toni too.

..good work,Brad..now comes the making up with Toni…

Is that Dee Snider I hear in the background… We’re not gonna take it, no we ain’t gonna take it…. Go Brad!!

Yay for Brad!

Oh my gosh, he actually did it, he grew them overnight. So happy for you Brad. And isn’t walking much easier now that you have a spine?

yea. brad needs to take the paper and have a lawyer look at it to see just what she was up to.

YES!!!

YEAH BRAD!!!!!!!

yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YESSSSS!!!!!!!!! RUN AWAY BRAD!!!! STRAIT INTO THE ARMS OF TONI DAYTONA!!!!!!!!!

He just promoted himself to being .man instead of a boy ?toy?

ALL RIGHT, BRAD! Hoo-Ahh!

I think Ann ought to do a Playboy layout and be done with it.

@sarge112751: Dirk was one of the least likeable characters that has appeared in this strip, and he was pretty well reduced to dust by the end. I suspect (and hope) that even if Eiffel manages to create more mischief in her small, mean way, she’ll get what’s coming to her in the end.

Okay… now why would Brad need to apologize to toni?! Instead of saying something he would regret, he simply told her that he wasn’t ready to talk. Do all women really feel like it’s ALWAYS the males fault? Rekindle the relationship yes… but apologize… ? No.

“OK, OK, I get it…” NOT! (snicker)

@mojitobaby Much better, thanks. And thanks to everyone who chimed in with encouragement, prayers, advice, etc. I’ve got enough schoolwork to keep me busy, and I’m beginning to realize that this new-found possibility is exciting. I’m still young, and I’m beginning to realize that among my friends there are several lovely single ladies that I never really noticed in that way before. Hopefully this time I can avoid the mistakes of the past.

Brad just told Ann Effiel to ‘Take This Job and Shove It.’ Maybe what just happen will convince her bosses at Weenie World to fire her on the spot. <— That reminds me, how come when WW hired Ann, they failed to look into her previous job (I forgot which) and how her being a wicked witch was VERY overlooked.

Brad shows some t********r fortitude, to both Toni and Ann. Though I had hoped the rift between Toni & Brad would lead to Nancy realizing Toni has Brad’s best interest at heart and imploring her son to forgive his gf. Meh, I can dream.

Didn’t he just walk away from unemployment compensation?

good for you Brad!

Go Brad! Go Brad! Go Brad! Go Brad!

YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!

He could have at least waited until he tasted the forbidden fruit she was offering, Tomorrow is still a good day to quit.

All is right with the world. (And he has family, ie, parents, who will cover him until he works things out). Speaking from experience…

YESSS! Go Brad! Now go tell Toni the good news! (and give her a kiss and bouquet of flowers, while you’re at it)

Brad is all growns up.

Oh, YEAH! And without attitude, at that – just the facts, ma’am. And Brad didn’t browbeat or dump Toni over this issue, either, so patching things up shouldn’t take the next week. I foresee Brad and Toni shortly giving new meaning to the phrase “kiss and make up”.

Like a boss, Brad.

YEA now lets get Kydex29 idea going I am all for it.

That’s funny! I can say that since the divorce.

A good question here is; Is Brad better off at this moment than he was before his friends started meddeling in his affairs? Brad explaind to TJ that he could handle Ann and then TJ went behind his back and used Toni to get Brad fired.

Was the promotion statement Anns last push, or does she have any more Aces up her sleave?

way to go Brad!

A couple days ago, I said that you have to humble yourself to keep a job in this bad economy. But this morning, I said: “Kudos to Brad!”

As far as we know, TJ has not confessed that he started this whole thing. Naturally, Brad will go to see Toni before seeing TJ because he realizes that he needs to patch things up there. I just have this nagging sensation that Greg has something unexpected for us when he gets there. It’s not going to be a sweet and simple patch up. He had Toni pretty upset. I realize Greg tries to avoid the dark side of reality, and I hope I’m wrong, but I feel like we are about to experience a real heartbreak here.

What are the dates of the earlier Ann Eiffel episodes?

QUICK ANNE…. offer him “something else”…!!!!!

Watch out world, the Brad man is BACK!!!! finally!

nice going Brad…

What’s the old song by the Spencer Davis Group? Oh, that’s right I"m a Man. Way to go Brad. Now go see Toni and work things out.

How far back did Ann show up originally?

@ chicken33

Brad just promoted himself from a wiener in Anne’s world to a man in his world… and it’s about time.

ARE YOU SERIOUS???

Often, sometimes and never. Depends on my mood. About what, employee releases, or the fact that I called it there would be no wiretap recordings? Please be specific.

I was kidding about Ann being appointed Regional Manager but OTOH companies just look at the bottom line. And it’s actually true that because Brad quit, WW wouldn’t be on the hook for unemployment – that’s if it even exists in Pitts; if he was there long enough to accrue unemployment benefit, and of course that’s if all hirings & firings in Pitts are always done through verbal contract.

How about the FD calling him back? And, for that matter, maybe its time for a wedding in the strip.

ATTABOY, BRAD!!! The weenie has become a man!

His first smile in a couple of weeks. This is great.

He better be on his way to see Toni.

There goes the unemployment check.

I know it’s “too much info” but if I don’t explain it thoroughly I get posts asking me if I’m kidding from people straining at gnats, trying to “make it work” for them. This way it actually cuts down on traffic.

Thank goodness!

Way to go Brad. She is probably too dense to realize he just told her to “Stuff It Where the sun doesn’t shine”.

Brad just had a growth spurt today. Way to go, man!

Now get over to Toni’s and plant a big kiss on your favorite fire fighter!

Way to go Brad !!! Rock On !!!

Pretty much sardonic about Ann’s promotion, but hiring/firing in Pitts is apparently done verbally, so Brad was fired, rehired, then he did quit – panel 2. So no UI, which Piits doesn’t seem to have anyway, and I’m not sure he’s even been ther long enough to collect anyway. So it’s sorta a technical tease.

As for the rest:

Tell me you’re kidding @ “improper dismissal” and “nice little out of court settlement”.

Even in the “real” world, you can’t sue for “wrongful termination” if you’re an “at will” employee. Not unless you have a thundering great discrimination case (and even then some states won’t hear it).

Ann gave Brad a valid reason for termination- his work wasn’t up to par. She gave him a second chance, tho – how is that gonna get him a settlement? Even if Ann’s legal schmegal release is her own, he didn’t sign it, and can’t prove it wasn’t a joke on her part.

What Brad should have done was refuse to follow Ann’s illegal order to ban Toni, but he went along with it even tho he knew it was wrong, so WW would have no reason to pay him squat out of court since he complied with an act he knew to be illegal. Toni could sue, but it would mean Brad would be involved, and not in a good way.

“And, unemployment in Pittsville is bad enough that they’re laying off firefighters…”

Unemployment compensation isn’t tied to muncipal budgets – the money comes from Federal and state UC taxes, and can only be used to pay unemployment compensation. It was a budget cut that got Brad laid off, not too many people claiming unemployment.

ya think Eiffel is warped enough to scream “NO! STOP! RAPE” and rip her blouse open as revenge for the embarrassing loss of face? There are type like that. I doubt if the cartoonist would go there, but I imagine it is likely in a real life situation.

Yay Brad! I thought Mrs. DeGroot was going to have a say in this before this was over. But i Like this ending so that we can move on. Although I’m going to miss my eyeful of Ann.

I like assertive women like Ann Eiffel, especially if they look like that.

Nah, he went from being laid off to almost immediately working at WW, with a side stop to freak out Nancy that he might not be able to pay his rent. TJ offered him $3K to tide him over, Brad refused and fretted about finding a job to pay the bills…

…and everyone here was going “Dummy! Unemployment benefit!”

Sadly, he never heard us. So it’s assumed Pitts doesn’t have any.

Huh Rah! Brad!

yay

Is it possible that Brad was right all along that he could handle Eiffel? Cluelessness isn’t the only explanation for him going along with her in the past. Maybe he was wise to her at the start and felt that the situation wasn’t intolerable yet. play it cool, take time to scope out the situation before doing anything about it.

The legal threat was always a red herring. The story is about Brad and Toni, the she-witch is of no importance, and Brad has realized that.

Happy Ending I’d Like: Brad goes to see Toni, proposes, when he gets back to the house to tell TJ that TJ has to move out he gets the news that the Fire Department wants him back.

… and on the news, we find out Ms. Eiffel’s house caught fire. Fade to black with TJ grinning mysterious.

Now that Brad took care of the problem on his own, he better get his butt over to Toni’s , explain what he did, and forgive her for trying to defend their love affair. I bet she will make up in a BIG way !

ROTFLMAO! Dave, that’s the best laugh I’ve had all day!

Wait, though….are you sure Ann wasn’t sent to this strip to spy on Universal Comics, because she’s secretly working for an eeevil Japanese manga empire? Remember, she was sent to Toyko by Borderline, so isn’t it suspicious that she’s back here now…?

Just remember that Brad has nothing to apologize to Toni for – Toni went to Ms Awful behind his back and got him fired. On top of that – had Ms Awful a mind to, she could file suit (but this ain’t that sort of strip). Wondering how this will sort out.

Take it easy, Dave. We were just playing “Armchair Quarterback”. We know that Brad is not the type to think ahead to a lawsuit. He’s just happy to strut out of there with his head held high. TJ is the skeemer. Likes to think a few moves ahead. But never far enough to see where his plan will implode.

Going back to yesterday, it seemed like Brad was actually going to take his job back. Even in the first panel of todays strip. It seemed as if he wasn’t ready to dump the job until she pulled the legal-schmegal manuver. Sorry Dave53, but I want to know what was in that paper. Brad didn’t even read it, not that he would have understood it. Luckily, he had learned how to read Ann. At least the parts that didn’t require any horomones. I still don’t know if he realizes that she was trying to seduce him.

Sigh Reminds me of when I finally had the pleasure of quitting my first (crappy) job. Good times, good times.

Nice burn, Bradley.

…Suck it, Not-nice-lady.

dam, greg. have ;you (or someone you know) ever worked for auto zone???this weekś strips are right on the money!

There’s gotta be better places to work than Weinie World, how about Burger Barn or the Shake Shack?

I LOVE THIS COMIC STRIP! You GO, Brad ! This story line is great…keep it up.

smokin?

He shoulda done that a month ago…sheesh!

my nickname should be molasses, just figured out that what he was doing in the last panel yesterday was standing up to leave… Brad the Man!

The strip I hope we see tomorrow or Saturday:

Panel one: Brad at Toni’s door, with a huge bouquet. Toni looks wide-eyed; Brad says “Toni, will you please—”

Panel two: Toni lunges and embraces Brad, saying, “Yes, Yes, YES, I WILL!!!!” Brad looks totally stunned.

Panel three: Both embracing, Toni’s face buried in his shoulder, apparently sobbing with relief. Brad still shocked: “….forgive me?”

You can’t waive liability for future acts, only past ones, and termination agreements waiving future indemnity are standard these days. Since Brad’s an at-will employee and Ann gave a good cause for firing him, and he already willingly broke the law for her, WW wouldn’t waste any sleep over a damage suit.

Dave, I know in my heart you’re better looking than that!

Psych, right? Dave…? Dave…?

I like Brad and Greg is progressing Brads persona gradually (like life really does). That said I am proud of Brad making this “his” decision instead of hiding behind Toni. Toni did what she thought was right “protect the one she loves”. Brads epifany was that he had to do this on his on terms. Whatever is thrown a Brad, he will endure and learn with Toni. And TJ did what any good friend would do however warped and that is to watch your buddies back. Brad should be lucky he has a loving. supporting family/friend base to guide him through life.I love this strip!

Not just a troll but a Halloween troll. Your mask is slipping, buttmunch.

How does Brad get the hot women?

Brad should suggest to Ann that they go somewhere private to discuss the paperwork and see what she really has in mind…a fatal attraction?

GO BRAD!!!

Ann was leering at him up until the last second. I wonder if she will let him out of the room quietly or make a last ditch effort to seduce him. I would really like to see Elwood save the day, say he owns the place, make Brad GM and give Ann the boot.

Doesn’t make a difference what Brad told TJor what Ann told Brad – as an “at will” employee he can actually be fired without cause.

Besides, he just quit, so it’s kinda moot.

Most companies give an evaluation to prove they’ve warned you, but as for how many steps they give you, that’s up to them. Not all of them do that since it’s not a legal requirement, altho it is prudent. But this isn’t the “real” world. Everything’s verbal in in the Luanniverse.

“Mighty unlikely” Brad has no employment contract? Uh, guess again.

Most minimum wage, fast food job are “at will” – they’re hourly employees, not salaried, and since they have no union, they definitely have no contract. Most companies even have their employees sign an agreement acknowleding they’re “at will” so there’s no confusion.

" At will" workers can be fired “without cause”, just as they can quit any time they want, and except for a few illegal reasons, you have to accept it. You have limited rights to fight termination.

Smart move, Brad! Now go apologize to Toni and spend time with her.

P.S. Toni wasn’t “disruptive” in the past, and even if she had been, the time to escort her out and ask her not to retuirn was then, not the next time she showed up, which would open WW up to a discrimination suit.

Brad is one who would be subject to discipline for talking to a customer “on company time”, not Toni. You have the option to discipline your staff if you don’t like their actions, you don’t have the right to refuse service to various patrons they might speak to – not unless you want a lawsuit.

Feels good, don’t it, Brad?

Why the repeated focus on a certain part of a man’s anatomy in so many comments???

Houston, we have a spine!

Oh, where to start….Just because you signed an agreement that you received and read the employee handbook doesn’t make that agreement a formal employment contract.

Far from it – it’s actually standard boilerplate in an “at-will” agreement, in which you also acknowledge that you can be terminated w/o cause.

Employment contracts are part of union agreements for represented workers, and outside of that, they’re usually written for high level jobs, or for senior employees who have a lot to lose if the job doesn’t work out.

So it doesn’t actually matter WHY Ann fired Brad – for the “real” reason or the one she gave him – because she’s allowed to do so, just as he’s allowed to quit (see panel 2) without giving her a reason, or notice.

That’s what “at will” means. Very few fast food employees at minium wage level are salaried, or have to negotiate stock options, bonuses, company cars, bonus pay, profit sharing or any of the other issues that are dealt with in an employment contract.

Yes, you can say “No shirt, No shoes, No Service” as long as you apply it equally and fairly to everyone who enters.

I think you need to look up “arbitrary” because you’re the one who’s looking silly now.

The thing is Brad told Toni to let him handle it. By going to Ann behind his back she effectively emasculated him. By going back and facing Ann and her asking him back, he regained his confidence and regained his “manhood” by standing up to her and quitting. So now he can go to Toni grab her and kiss her senseless to make up with her! She was out of line to go to Ann and TJ needs to mind his own business!!!

Way too many comments (just caught up) and Ashburn- most of us have had arbitrary and nasty bosses, but I feel your pain. I had to answer an exit interview that was at least 5 pages long from one recent job, and I did not mind, as I admitted that all my co-workers were good, as was our equipment and software etc and the only reason I quit was the main principal (his VP had “retired” the previous week and was employed by another firm as just an engineer within the month). Some friends have asked how he managed to do that, but I figure the jerk “president” did not have the (nerve) to do anything to prevent it.

At least sh is better than my boss. She doen’t steal time (take time of people’s time cards), she is only in it for Brad. Tony and Brad NEED TO REPAIR THIER RELATIONSHIP ASAP. Ann needs to be fired, sued, and jailed for her misconduct torwards Brad.

Way to go, Brad!

So Brad has some stones after all! Way to go Brad, Now maybe he can act more like a man again and less like a 17 year old boy.

and the crowd goes wild!

@joeG3; You are misusing the word “assertive”. It means to stand up for your own rights. It has a positive connotation.

Being aggressive is completely different.

I think he did show up to get an explanation – he was also pretty indignant about Ann “messing up” his relationship, but primarily he byGod wanted a reason why he was fired, since he knew he hadn’t anything wrong. Brad sees everything on a surface level – aside from being POd at Toni, the reason for his firing was his greatest concern – it was the first thing he said to TJ, and he still didn’t get it a day later.

We all want to know why we’re kicked to the curb – it’s understandable.

What isn’t so clear is that “gap” between “I told you I needed that job * clik *” and “Yeah, I just quit.” For someone who that job was so all-fired crucial to, Brad allofasudden jettisoned it PDQ when he figured Ann was pulling a fast one. Everyone in his life has been telling him he’s being abused, Toni even has to eat her share of crap so he can placate his boss, and it’s been “nonono I need this job please don’t make a fuss” . Then – whoops! – when it comes to reading and signing something – no I don’t, I quit, I’m promoting myself! (whatever the hell that means…)

Brad needs to prioritize sh!t in his life, big time.

Now, apologize to Toni and get your life in gear to make something happen. Brad qualifies for unemployment insurance and Hot Dog Heaven will not dispute his claim, even though he quit. Upgrade skills and move on.

Hey Guys!! Long time reader first time poster.And I’ll get right to my question. Why is so many people ragging on Brad for the situation with Toni? He’s what twenty years old? He’s acting like a twenty year old does. Most of the people here are talking about maturity come off it. How many here at age twenty acted so mature? I know I didn’t. I was laughing it up with my friends and making mistakes just like any other young adult. Also for the people comparing Brad to Zane that’s like comparing apples to oranges Brad was a sheltered kid(Which I’m sure Toni knows) and if memory serves me right Zane had to grow up a little faster than normal kids his age. So of course Brad is going to handle the situation different than Zane did. Brad’s going to grow up whether Toni’s there or not and If he loses her… well that’s something you have to chalk up to as a lesson of life and growing up.

yeah, you’ll be singing a different tune trying to find another job in today’s economy…

I love the Brad & Toni storyline. So great to see him becoming such a terrific man.

Whoop There It Is…..! Brady’s The Man!

Well, this renders the last two days completely pointless and random.

Brad, My hero!