Harry Crane tolerance really does seem to be the true test of how far into Mad Men someone has watched.

I don't think any of us are lobbying for our office break room to turn into the finer things club, but it would be cool to be able to bring up a book you're reading and have people at work actually be interested.

Even before getting started on Holmes, I assumed the character was the achievement, not the stories.

I was very close to going down a biography rabbit hole after I finished that book.  Even beyond Arthur, and obviously Garfield, that whole story is littered with interesting historical figures I knew almost nothing about.  If anyone knows a good Bell or Roscoe Conkling biography, I'd definitely add it to my wishlist.

@avclub-146bc30c345d31f3468fec764a1970e1:disqus I always thought the best Luthors were the versions that combined both aspects.  Sort of a Tony Stark gone wrong.

I really should re-read it sometime as well.  Did you ever read the sequel, Closing Time?

I wouldn't have tried at my previous workplace, which was weirdly anti-intellectual for an office full of engineers.  I actually get along pretty well with most of my co-workers at my new job, which actually makes it easier to just do my thing and not be apologetic about it.

Hope you enjoy Catch-22, one of my all time favorites.

That sucks.  I suppose you could just bring a book/e-reader to lunch with you to read, but then you get labeled "anti-social reader guy" which isn't fun or fair.  That's why I went the laptop route, it was a little less conspicuous. 

I read that for the first time about a year ago and was just floored by the whole thing.  I haven't read very many Holmes stories, is that a common device for Conan Doyle?  In my head, it made a lot more sense to structure the story that way if he never intended Sherlock Holmes to continue on as a series.

I just finished Destiny of the Republic  by Candice Millard last week, which I really
enjoyed.  Since then at home I’ve been
reading the copy of A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn that’s
been sitting on our bookshelf for a couple years.  It was an impulse buy by my wife after one of
her grad school…

Totally agree with this.   One thing I've just started trying to do this week, which maybe will work for you too, was to download the kindle PC app on my work computer and read some actual literature at lunch instead of just mindlessly surfing the web.  I just started doing the math in my head on how much time I waste…

I've just assumed for years that everyone had adopted "second drink" as an everyday term.

I know it's sad, but Extreme Weight Loss Trainer Guy's excessive sincerity wins me over.

Yep, I think MasterChef is now the only weekly show I watch for the next couple months.  Time to start working through all the movies I've stockpiled on the DVR.  Finally missing a shit ton of movies in the theater because I don't want to pay a babysitter is paying off!!

@avclub-90d5fbaba9810f5536422ab00ce1889c:disqus I get where your coming from, but I don't think Jor-El is explicitly telling Kal-El he has to be Jesus with heat vision.  The point is that instead being restricted by a genetically engineered caste system, he'll have essentially limitless potential to be whatever he…

What did you think was stupid?  IMO, the movie's worst sin was just poor time management.  If they had just allotted a good chunk of the never-ending fight scenes time to fleshing out more of the character moments, I think there would have been more of an overall positive reaction.

My first exposure to Braniac was through TAS, so whenever I read about the various comics interpretations, they never really stack up for me.

No need for shame.  I would have been around 10 when the Dominion War got cooking and I watched DS9 regularly.  It wasn't the "boring space station" Trek anymore because LASER BATTLES!

@avclub-bc92e42632ffada4b747ec33b74edf6b:disqus  Can we just have Zack post that phrase once a week and still have Trek time on Thursday?