Caren Explains "Mad Men"

I only watch four TV shows regularly:
- The Office
- LOST
- Gossip Girl (don't judge)
and...
- MAD MEN.

And it's been a long time since a TV show made me cry... last season during LOST, perhaps, when Desmond and Penny finally reconnect in the past-present-future?

But alas, the season finally of Mad Men was so powerful that I was tearing up. If you haven't seen it before, it's a dark, serious and phenomenal portrait of an advertising agency in the early 1960s, and the complicated lives of the employees. It rightfully won the Emmy for "Best Drama" this year.

The scene that moved me this week was when Penny makes a confession to her colleague (and one-time affair) Pete:

"One day you're there, and then all of a sudden, there's less of you. And you wonder where that part went -- if it's living somewhere outside of you? And you keep thinking maybe you'll get it back... and then you realize it's just gone."

Here's an insider video about Episode 1 of Season 2

And also, an SNL bit from when Mad Men's lead actor, Jon Hamm, hosted this week...

Caren Explains Songs to Study To

As Midterm 2 of 5 approaches, I'm finding myself increasingly reliant on my iPod and noise-canceling headphones to keep me in the zone. Turns out the iPod is good company and has even helped me with my coursework...

Take my recent review of LEAD class, for example... if I were evaluating my one-on-one working relationship with the iPod, I would observe that it is a relationship in which I am "managing down" most all of the time, telling the iPod what to play, when to play it, and for how long. I recognize this is a "power imbalance," though, and occasionally I give up my power in the relationship and let the iPod pick the songs on Shuffle. Of course, since I've pre-screened all the music on the iPod, it's a pretty stereotypical selection and there are not many "origins of difference."

I guess the conclusion of this case, though, is that I'm pretty controlling.

Here's some songs that are giving me solace. Good luck to everyone else who is studying for something this week.

(This is being imported from a blog; if the playlist doesn't show up on Facebook, go to the original note to stream the full length songs)

Caren Explains Jamie and Janelle

Tonight I get to see two of the fine performers featured on Paste Issue 46's cover: Janelle Monae and Jamie Lidell...



I talk about both artists a lot, and with good reason. Check out Janelle's new video here to see what all the buzz is about. One of the best shows I've ever seen, and I'm sure tonight's show will make me very homesick for Atlanta and everyone there.



And here is Jamie Lidell's video for "Another Day"



I wish I had less homework so I could see more shows... sad times.