Actually I never get annoyed by kashrut until someone starts putting soymilk in my coffee. Then I go from zero to cranky.

Why did you go to a kosher steakhouse? I asked the OJ about kosher restaurants this summer and he said there were a lot of him in his ‘hood but that he didn’t like to eat out because he didn’t like eating in public. That led to a rousing mental game of “Jewish law or OJ neurosis?” which was always fun to play.

lol jews

For example: the OJ brushed his teeth after he arrived at work and again in the afternoon. Jewish law or OJ neurosis?

lol @ lol jews

Because it was a business lunch and my boss is Ortho.

orthopedic jews

i don’t like earl or that scrubs show but will gladly sit through both to get to the office and/or 30 rock. i know it is exceptionally warm out for january in chicago but i still wish it were summer. i want to walk to thirsty thursday in my shirtsleeves and think how nice the breeze feels coming off the lake.

then go into that dank little bar and get liquored up.

Ah! Speaking of, the OJ came to the office yesterday for a printout of his time sheets so he could talk about everything he’d done over the summer during an upcoming interview (which is kind of INSANE given that once people figured out he was impossible to work with, they stopped giving him assignments, and most of his work consisted of pulling cases off Westlaw BUT ANYWAY) and I stopped in the lobby to chat because I’m fucking nice and three males came by and they all shook his hand and I wanted to be like “Are you doing that just to fuck with me???” because the whole not shaking hands with women thing was a well known affront to the females in the office.

Wait, so they were three non-OJs who happened to shake his hand and not yours?

Well, yes, but it would have been bizarre for them to shake my hand under those circumstances since I had seen them all five minutes before. Just the fact that they shook his hand at all instead of saying, “Oh, hello former clerk whom we asked not to come back because really you were a terrible employee” seemed weird. I mean, it’s not like they are peers or anything.

I’ve always wondered if the handshaking thing causes a problem for OJ men & women in secular, professional jobs.

If by problem you mean fostering resentment among the women in the office then yes, absolutely.

Yup. Does he not make direct eye contact as well?

Hey, my boss shakes hands with men. She also buys her own clothes from ladies’ department stores according to what SHE finds modest, and she doesn’t wear a wig or cover her head i her professional life. Of course, she also didn’t marry until late in life so I think she was more independent by necessity but I can’t imagine her having knuckled under regardless.

He will make direct eye contact and hand things directly to women. I’m guessing those are his concessions to operating in non-Orthodox society.

There are different levels of Orthodoxy, obv. The OJ talked about the teachings of a particular rabbi once that slotted him into a particular sect but I can’t remember which one it was.

i think his rabbi was e. bloom and he was slotted in the blue oyster cult.

whoo ooo ooo oooo..... GOD ZILLA!

STUCK IN MY HEAD!!!

Don’t fear the rabbi.

STICK IT IN THA FRIDGE JENNY!!!!-

My housemates watched about three seasons worth of Scrubs in November and December. I hadn’t seen it before. Not bad. Interesting that it looks more like a commercial than a TV show, with all the camerawork and the fantasy sequences.

Good God I hate Scrubs, mostly because of Barf.

Someone send me a link to the Braff-hating Salon article.

I used to think Scrubs was really funny until I saw 900,000 episodes of it, each with a life-changing lesson.

Now I watch it with a bored expression on my face. I don’t HATE hate it, though. Not like I HATE Garden State.

Yeh, I don’t really hate the show, but I do hate that guy. The show is just kind of boring.

I kind of loathe “Scrubs”, plus there is always “Grey’s Anatomy”! Which is awes except for the moralizing voice-overs at ends of eps but one can foward past/mute those.

It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out who “OJ” was.

Everyone I’ve met who likes Scrubs is weirdly proud that they like it. They’re always saying, “You know what’s a good show? Scrubs. I know, you might not realize it, but that shit’s funny.” Of course, I haven’t heard anyone say this since 2003, so I don’t know if there’d be any post-Garden State backpedaling these days.

Funny parts of Scrubs = pretty good.

Mawkish parts of Scrubs = unbearable.

i refuse to watch grey’s anatomy. i tried but i just can’t do it. before nbc juggled their line up i’d read or go to the bar early.

is there a tt going on this week?

O.J., original jewster.

Scurbs reminds me of Office Space. I saw both of them for the first time in the company of a superfan. They both have the nice guy in the lead who’s having little crises of masculinity and conformity.

I kind of think Grey’s Anatomy is a bad show. But there’s a whole genre of prime-time soap opera that I totally avoid, so maybe it’s not meant for me, anyway.

I’m trying to think if there are any other “critically acclaimed” TV shows that I want to start watching on DVD after Arrested Development and Undeclared. I hope not, because I kind of want to get back to movies, but on the other hand, it’s pretty awesome to watch an episode or two of something before bed, without the commitment of a two-hour movie.

xpost Yeah, I don’t have any interest in Grey’s Anatomy or House or anything like that.

Do I really have to say that I love House? The show, the character, take your pick.

Is that the one Sandra Oh is on? I’ve never seen GA but she is great. I mostly think so because of Last Night.

“Why would I want to watch ‘The Sopranos’? It’s all ‘I’m gonna kill that guy.’ ‘No, f-k you, I’m gonna kill that guy’.”

-Jaymc, November 2006.

I like House a lot, too. But I get the feeling from Grey’s Anatomy that it’s kind of all about “oh look hott boyz/oh no boy problems”. House has a drug addiction. That’s the kind of problem I can get behind.

I don’t actually know anything about House except that it stars an asshole doctor named House. But I don’t have any interest in it. Also not interested in The Sopranos, The Wire, The Shield, Entourage (first ep was really bad, like Swingers the TV show), Weeds, Big Love, Nip/Tuck. Maybe interested in The OC and Six Feet Under.

Grey’s Anatomy was good for the first season, but after that I got tired of those people. I’ve seen House twice and it was nearly unbearable, the show, the guy, take your pick. No, actually, don’t take your pick, I will: the guy.

I’ve got the first discs of Freaks & Geeks and the Wire on my queue, but I’m almost loathe to get sucked in because I also have been enjoying movies, and the Wire especially seems like a big committment.

The Wire is pretty damn great. No, really.

Also interested in 30 Rock. Not interested in Desperate Housewives.

I also have been enjoying movies, and the Wire especially seems like a big committment.

Laurel said the exact same thing the other day.

: D The Sopranos, on the other hand, I have no interest in.

I dunno, I don’t find anyone on GA hott except Katherine Heigl, and I’m happy to admit that probably 2/3 of the characters are “types” (cf “the Nazi”, the beautiful smart girl, etc), but they’re well played and I like their interactions with each other.

I found the second season of Entourage used at Reckless and watched in all in two or three days. I had that same Swingers impression of the one season-one episode I’d seen, but I think it’s improving.

John, the OC? Really?

30 Rock is a treat. it is difficult to say whether I love Fey, Baldwin, or Morgan most.

x2

Not interested in Carnivale, Rome, Ugly Betty, Deadwood, or anything Law and Order- or CSI-related. Interested in The Office.

I should own some Curb on DVD. That might be my all-time favorite show. (Bold words.)

The OC is intolerable for me, although I have much-admired friends who rave about it. I don’t think I give a shit about beautiful teenagers. Ugly Betty, though, hmm. I’d at least try one or two eps if someone said I should bother.

John, the OC? Really?

Yeah, why not? I guess I’m hoping it’s like Dawson’s Creek.

xpost: beautiful teenagers: I could’ve just said this.

what the fuck is in maggie valley, north carolina and why does my phone have two missed phone calls from there?

crunkle? jenny? jeff? what’s out there?

Interested in Mr. Show. Not interested in Oz or Queer as Folk.

seriously, I can’t imagine anyone disliking The Office. it’s brilliant.

I love Ugly Betty, but watch it only semi-frequently. it’s on at the same time as The Office, which is kind of a bummer.

Interesting in Talking; Not interested in Action.

I have only seen the OC once, at a friend’s house. His younger sister was having a marathon. I’ve also never seen Dawson’s Creek, but it was a lot like what I always imagined DC to be like.

Maggie Valley is a place in the Blue Ridge mountains that is a big tourist draw. I’ve never been, but I think it’s just a really quaint, quiet, cute town with lots of jam and apple butter.

I’ve seen House twice and it was nearly unbearable, the show, the guy, take your pick. No, actually, don’t take your pick, I will: the guy.

Jeez. What is it you have against arrogant assholes? :)

Speaking of Dawson’s Creek and Undeclared: man, Monica Keena is so hot.

It’s an apple butter marketer calling you.

My grandparents used to take trips to Maggie Valley. They would go to the Stomping Ground, a dance place, predominately clogging/bluegrass related.

i checked a map and it’s close enough where it could conceivably be some people i know in asheville but if it was them they would’ve left me a message.

My relatively good day was just totally ruined. The news a couple of months ago was that the CIO was leaving, and his stranglehold on the IT department and all things web would finally end and I’d have more responsibility. He hired a replacement for himself, and I had meetings with the replacement, and really liked the guy. It looked like something would actually happen that would be really good for me.

Well, I just got an email from the President saying that he’s “happy to announce” that the new head of IT would be his sister (!) and that the CIO isn’t leaving after all. I’m crushed. Things won’t just be the same, they’ll be more the same than ever before. I’m seriously depressed about this. I don’t want to have to look for another job. But this little development means no new position, no raises, nothing but more and more being squeezed out. This fucking sucks.

WHO TH’ FUCK DECIDES TO RETIRE, HIRES A REPLACEMENT, AND THEN CHANGES HIS MIND JUST BECAUSE HE’S A CONTROL FREAK?

CRAZY ASSHOLES,THAT’S WHO.

I’M SO DEPRESSED I’M LISTENING TO PET SOUNDS. THIS IS NOT GOOD.

I WANT TO GO HOME.

YOU CAN NEVER GO BACK. Oh, you didn’t mean that home.

That sucks, dude.

I really like Six Feet Under.

I have some interest in TT. I would like to take a yoga class at 4 pm but could probably be convinced to rearrange that.

If the CIO should ever leave you,

Your life would still go on, believe you.

I am not drinking for a while. I could still go out I guess, but I shouldn’t be out in public lest I spend money.

Dammit, I want to go to yoga at 4 AND go to TT but that’s just not practical.

how long does yoga take and where is it?

hey, could someone go to theponys.com and snag the tour dates? it’s blocked here today. i blame dan martin.

FRIDAY 1/12/2007 SCHUBAS CHICAGO 9PM 18+

Yoga takes an hour and a half and is four blocks from my abode.

Oh man, the four blocks thing is deadly.

What about TT at Friar Tucks or Monsignor Murphy’s or one of those near your abode?

Yoga takes an hour and a half and is four blocks from my abode.

Maybe you could just meditate/relax/center/whatever really quickly?

xpost Or Brother Booze or Monks and Drunks?

If those bars existed I would totally go.

four blocks from jenny’s abode = another timezone from tt’s. :(

that was the only date listed? i can’t remember when jered said they were playing boston, it’s either the 27th or 29th.

Bars in the Jesuit District.

That was the only date listed.

The Jesuits can drink, no doubt.

goddamn it, i will say the new web filters are VERY good at what they do, i can’t get to anything good. can’t find shit about dick in this motherfuck.

xpost- i was raised by jesuits! it’s true!

Jesuits raise wild men.

I’ve been curious about this Irish pub that I’ve seen a bunch of times right at Belmont and Sheridan, on the ground floor of some high-rise. It seems so other-worldly over there, and, even though I’m sure it’s generic inside, I’d like to check it out sometime.

So can the Christian Brothers:

(Fun fact: my dad was in the Christian Bros. seminary for a year in the mid-1960s.)

Monks and Drunks

This is a great name for a bar. Really.

Eric, are you talking about Bridget McNeill’s? I went there with Renee once.

(I just noticed that the first comment on that Chicagoist article is from M. C@lv3rt.)

is monks on lake street still open? i used to see it from the green line, i think it’s west of clark & lake and either just before or just after the rive?

Yes, yes, Bridget McNeill’s is it.

I think Monk’s is still around. That would be a good TTs as well. It seems like the Loop version of Moody’s to me.

I want to go to Bridget McNeill’s. And Monk’s. And Old Timer’s. I like bars.

If my dumb yoga studio had some early morning classes, this wouldn’t be a problem.

i want to go to a different neighborhood for the next tt’s so if we have it up by jenny & jeff’s that’s cool. i just need to allot some extra travel time.