TV has made a comeback in my life, via the Internet.

I have 2 new favorite shows that, since I don’t have pay channels, I’m watching online for free. AMC/FX’s Breaking Bad features Malcolm’s dad, Bryan Cranston, and HBO’s HUNG features Thomas Jane, both actors I haven’t paid a huge amount of attention to til right now. That has far more to do with the acting and just WHAT those two actors are portraying. Let me explain.

Both shows are centered around teachers whose lives are falling apart for different reasons. In HUNG, Thomas Jane is a high school history teacher whose real function at the school is basketball coach. He used to be their star athlete back in the 80s, but now is a divorced father, whose house has burned down, and due to a lapse in insurance payments, he’s got no cash to rebuild. In Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston is a nebbish high school chemistry teacher, who has a son with cerebral palsy, and if that weren’t hard enough, Cranston’s character also apparently has inoperable lung cancer. These two guys’ lives are falling apart, and they need to find ways to make ends meet, so they can hold their heads up high, if only to their families.

I can relate to the life falling apart, and in a few years, I’ll be able to relate to the teaching. But it’s not the misery I’m attracted to, it’s the thing both of these guys are doing to make ends meet for their families.

Bryan Cranston’s Walt White turns to engineering and selling drugs, and Thomas Jane’s Ray Drecker turns to man-whoring, with Jane Adams (a female version of nebbish, to be sure) as his pimp. I’ve watched more HUNG as of this writing, and it’s laugh out loud funny in places, and somewhat touching, seeing a dumb jock like Ray Drecker try to interact with his kids, his ex-wife, and his small but dedicated list of “clients”. Makes me wonder if the teaching thing doesn’t work out, maybe I should investigate being a “happiness consultant”. I don’t have the purported fleshy wherewithal of Ray Drecker, but hey, a guy can dream, can’t he?

Breaking Bad feels like it’s going to be a winner, once I get on the stick with watching all the previous episodes. I’ve had it recommended to me by a few friends in the acting/Comedysportz world, and they know good acting when they see it. The pilot hasn’t disappointed, so I’m sure the rest will be just as quality. I mean, come on, a meth lab set up in a Winnebago? Can’t go wrong with THAT!

Last but not least, you might be wondering how I’m watching these shows, as I don’t have FX or HBO. I won’t help in the delinquency of you upstanding internet citizens. You’ll just have to find the sites (like Hulu, or others) on your own. Unless, of course, you’ve got FX and HBO. Lucky you.

TV has made a comeback in my life, via the Internet. Thank you, Al Gore, for inventing the Internet.

For those that don’t know me that well, I’m an improvisational actor, among other things. I had an audition on Sunday that didn’t actually materialize, due an unforseen automobile accident with the directors. They’re okay, but I had driven in to the city, and parked in a place I need to pay 10 bucks to get out of, so I stepped round to the Wawa on 2nd street and South to get monies aforesaid. While strolling toward the Wawa, I stopped in front of the TLA, whose marquee indicated that VNV Nation was playing that night. I called my wife, asked if she was interested, and we got tickets.

Now, I never considered myself a huge techno or electro fan, but VNV Nation is good music. Nary a guitar, just drum machines, synths and keyboards, and the voice of Ronin Harris. Like I told PTB, it’s like early Ministry, sans the yelling, as Ronin’s voice is comprised of more dulcet tones than we typically hear from Alain Jourgensen. I don’t know the lyrics to any of the songs, but VNV puts on such a great show, I’m too busy dancing and shouting along with choruses I learn in the moment to care that I don’t know the words.

This from a guy who never quite gets comfortable with music lacking guitars.

But maybe life is changing. My real latest distraction right now? Autotune the News. Ever heard of T-Pain? Has the Vocoder and the Antares Auto-tuner burrowed its way into your brain through your ear in the last few years? The Brothers Gregory understand. They also understand that CNN and current events need some tarting up before the hoi polloi take notice. Thus, Autotune the News.

There are only 6 tunes at last count, but I frequently return to their YouTube account and play them all. Combine comedy with sterling beat production that Timbaland is embarassed he didn’t come up with, and gold is produced.

I can not do AtN justice by myself, so without further ado, check it.

My latest distraction has been caused by My Latest Distraction and other blogs as well.  All you bloggers out there will understand where I am coming from.  I know for me, blogging isn’t just about typing for the sake of typing.  I thought it was a great way to share my opinion on things and start a conversation.  A blog is a great way to start that conversation since it has a section for comments.  If I didn’t want to hear people’s thoughts on the topic, I would just make a website.

To alert people to our lovely page, we have it set up to broadcast to other areas on the web.  One in particularly, I find extremely frustrating….Facebook.  It is great, don’t get me wrong.  I love that people come and read what we have to say based on a link posted in a status update.  But if you have something to say about what was written here…share it with all the MLD readers.  Don’t just comment on the Facebook update, or the Tweet, or whatever various method you used to find us.

Comment here on MLD.  Let us know we are loved and appreciated.  I think most bloggers out there would agree….we thrive on comments  🙂

Thanks.

This week (and part of last week) MLD’s web expert and I have been adjusting, tweaking and remodeling a lot of the site. To say this has been a distraction would be a gross understatement. We’ve changed the navigation, added more information about who we are, and tried to make the overall experience of visiting the site more pleasant.

None of this could have been done without Cory’s help, and we both learned a lot in the process.  Let us know how we did.  Look for more revisions as the months go by, and of course come back for our regular updates and postings.

I promise I have no personal interest in either of the above bands.

And mostly I’m just interested in hijacking Pete’s Facebook status and Twitter account.

For music samples check out:

The Silence Kit – www.myspace.com/thesilencekit

Bleed Radio Bleed – www.myspace.com/bleedradiobleed