I wish they would just rename cable channels when they decide to diverge from their intended programming.

I mean, it's tenuous at best when you see shows like "19 Kids & Counting" on the "Learning" channel. I suppose someone might learn something from watching that show.

But what really bugs me is channels like MTV. Where's the MUSIC on your music television? Seems to me it's all either shows about teenaged moms or orange people dancing at the beach anymore.

Or, most recently, AMC - American Movie Classics. This channel used to be laughable because of their loose use of the word "classic" - showing such classics as xXx, Jurassic Park III and Old Dogs. I will note that I was willing to overlook them showing serials because they were producing some high quality programming like Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead. But now Facebook has just informed me that every weeknight I can catch 3 back to back to back hours of CSI:Miami on AMC. Really? Isn't that just lazy? You've got a track records of having a pretty broad definition of "classic", so you could literally show almost any movie ever made. And instead you're going with 3 hours of reruns of a show that's a spinoff to begin with, not to mention the fact that it's still in production?

Oh well. I guess this is one of the reasons I got rid of cable. I can search for what I'd like to watch by name on Netflix. It's just one big channel of "whatever the heck you feel like watching."

My life is easy. I have friends who are sad... very sad. Friends who are broken... very broken. Friends who are in pain... a lot of pain. And yet I call it a bad day if I have to do too much "work" during a twelve hour shift. What a silly, silly man I can be.

Everything about this is good.

You can call it a "hipster pack" and charge $25.00 for it, North Face. But I grew up in the 80's and I know a fanny pack when I see one. There's nothing hip about fanny packs.

And now a list of television programs that I've watched on Netflix in the past several months and have enjoyed immensely. (Note: I am not recommending you watch them or don't watch them, as there is no accounting for some peoples' taste or ethics when it comes to such things.)

Doctor Who (Most recent incarnation) - Really loved the first doctor (Christopher Eccleston). Second doctor (David Tennant), I wasn't sure about at first but I really came to enjoy him. Now I'm up to one season with the third doctor and I'm pretty sure I can do without him. Taking a much more teenaged/twenty-something spin. Only time will tell, though.

Torchwood - Actually watched this before I watched the Doctor, but I recommend doing so in the other order because it will make so much more sense this way. (Torchwood is a spinoff of Doctor Who.) Netflix has the regular seasons, the "Children of Earth" mini series and the "Miracle Day" series that aired just this past year on Starz. It loses a bit when you add in a bunch of American actors and sensibilities, but still is enjoyable.

Breaking Bad - After seeing it lavished with awards for several years, I finally decided to give this show a shot. It truly deserves all of the fanfare it receives. Superb acting, if not the most redeeming plot line. I keep wanting Walter to be a better man.

Mad Men - Same thoughts as Breaking Bad, really. It truly deserves all the hype. The characters are so rich and provocative. And also much like Breaking Bad, I want Don to be a better man. Glimpses of hope at the end of the most recently available season. But I'm not holding my breath or anything.

Sons of Anarachy - Okay, there is most certainly a theme here. Horrible values, deep character development and a lead character that you just want to be better than he is or continues to be. Jax has the most hope of the past three, I'd say. But if you have a show about a motorcycle gang that really just rides motorcycles and doesn't run guns or beat people up - isn't that just American Chopper?

White Collar - Two episodes into this series, currently. I feel like I'm going to enjoy it. Maybe not quite the gritty drama that the previous few have been, but I guess I'm due to a little bit of levity at this point!

As it usually goes with me, I have been a huge blogslacker. To be fair to the interwebs, I'm equally horrible at keeping a paper and pen journal. But instead of repeating my usual pattern with that medium - ripping out the pages of past editions so I can start "fresh" - I feel free to just pick up with the blog where I left off. In this case, it was a somewhat misdirected rant about a local news story. Hmm. At least we're going to start things off on a strong note here in 2012 - my mouth tastes weird.

Yes, that's the foremost thing on my mind this brave morning. I was driving home from work when I became aware of a gross taste in my nose & mouth. I can't place the exact nature of this taste, because I find myself unfamiliar with it. I'm assuming it can be partially attributed to the fact that I just got done working 16 hours in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania - a clean air center if there ever was one. Lord knows what kind of industrial cleaning agents they're atomizing through the oil refineries as they prepare to shut them down. But the part about my brain that really made me laugh as I was contemplating this gross taste was: "I wonder if this means I'm about to have a seizure?" Right. Good news, though - it's been almost an hour and still not seizure activity. So I think I may be in the clear. The bad news - a big glass of milk and some fudge Pop Tarts haven't managed to cleanse my chemically palate. Next up: antiseptic mouth wash and a couple more hours of sleep. Hopefully when I return to society at 11am, I taste minty and fresh. Or at least neutral.

You don't have to tell me. I know you're all (both) happy that I'm back to sharing my wisdom with the world wide web.