Breaking Bad: I only watched part of it because I just couldn't handle it. It's clearly good television, I just couldn't hack it.

And at one point, I realized, fuck. I've seen that smoke before. I've seen meth being cooked and didn't realize it. And sure enough, there were two suicides in a local house that was a meth lab. This was some years ago, in my little neighborhood, maybe fifty houses, tops? It's why I always get a little cranky when people complain about not being able to get their sudafed except behind the counter. I know it's not an entirely effective measure, but for me a little inconvenience is worth any hold we can get on this awful, hideous, life-stealing drug.

Sorry. Didn't mean to rant. Just that I probably should watch this show, but I just can't.

I don't know that you should watch it, really. It's a good show about this particular guy, but it's not Big Picture at all. What I like about it is he starts off very desperate and very abstract, but even just producing and not using he not only finds himself doing brutal things out of necessity, but also enjoys his new risk-taking, wrong side of the law life. He does have choices and he keeps choosing meth. And the one scene where his partner asks him how much money he'll need and he can only answer "More" - it'snot really a means to an end anymore.

It shows how easy it is to make the descent with just a few bad choices, but I doubt that is a lesson you particularly need, Liese.

I thought it was fun, but I'm sick like that.

I really thought they would go back and give that couple the money. "I think they'll be all right" doesn't really cover the bill collectors.

I though they would too. I'm kind of hoping this isn't the last we'll see of them.

Things going boom is good times. I don't mean to dismiss that.

Liese, BB is set in Phoenix Albuquerque & they start off cooking meth in an out in the red rock country. So, yeah, both to pinging you, and also the beautiful countryside that we don't usually see on teevee.

no, it's Albuquerque,NM. Could be Phoenix, though. We've got corners, too.

USA's schedule:

L&O:CI - new episodes starting June 8th.

Burn Notice - new season starts July 10th

Monk and Psych start July 18th.

(From The Futon Critic.)

And they really are making a series from "The Starter Wife."

Excellent. I was just thinking last night that some more Burn Notice would be nice.

Breaking Bad: Aha! Boho-chic chick in flashback! I'm glad to be catching these in order in repeat. I was pretty shocked about the dudes in the bathtub and basement. I guess I thought it would follow the path of Weeds more, where it really was pretty benign (assuming you think pot is pretty benign) for a long time.

Speaking of Weeds, I just finished watching Season 3. NANCY, whoa! That's quite the ending!

Dexter music:

Composer Daniel Licht has been making bone-tingling music for the series, but last night he was literally tingling bones -- using pre-Columbian instruments made from human and animal bones. Licht called upon musical-archaeologist Elisabeth Waldo, who allowed him to incorporate some of her prized instruments, made from a human femur bone. "Dexter Donuts" [link]