Category Archives: Artsy-Fartsy Culture Stuff

Somebody help me, I’m going nowhere…

Posted on October 9, 2010 by Sabina Becker

…all in all, I’m just another brick in the wall. I’m glad someone besides me noticed how similar these two songs are…and how seamlessly they mash together. Pink Floyd, meet…The Bee Gees:Who knew that marching neofascist hammers could be so…funky?

Posted in Artsy-Fartsy Culture Stuff, The WTF? Files | Comments Off

Festive Left Friday Blogging: Happy Birthday, John Lennon!

Posted on October 8, 2010 by Sabina Becker

This weekend, John Lennon turns 70. (“I never died,” says he.) Here’s a roundup of all the best bits…Salon reviews the film “Nowhere Boy”, which sounds like it deserves a much wider distribution than it’s currently getting. (Shall I spring … Continue reading →

A few random thoughts on Mario Vargas Llosa

Posted on October 8, 2010 by Sabina Becker

Understand that writers are not necessarily good teachers, or even good people. – T. C. Boyle Hearing that Mario Vargas Llosa won the Nobel prize for literature this year was like hearing that a ghost had won it. That’s because … Continue reading →

Posted in Artsy-Fartsy Culture Stuff, Fascism Without Swastikas, Huguito Chavecito, Inca Dink-a-Doo, Isn't It Ironic? | 3 Comments

Quotable: Anne Sexton on the composition of poetry

Posted on October 6, 2010 by Sabina Becker

“Those moments before a poem comes, when the heightened awareness comes over you, and you realize a poem is buried there somewhere, you prepare yourself. I run around, you know, kind of skipping around the house, marvelous elation. It’s as … Continue reading →

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Festive Left Friday Blogging: Chavecito waxes poetic

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Sabina Becker

Did you know that Chavecito’s not just a president, he’s also a slam poet? Okay, that’s not his own poem he’s reciting there (with guitar accompaniment by the great Cuban folk singer, Silvio Rodríguez). It’s a poem by Alberto Arvelo … Continue reading →

Posted in Artsy-Fartsy Culture Stuff, Festive Left Friday Blogging, Huguito Chavecito | Comments Off

Quotable: Iain McGilchrist on poetry

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Sabina Becker

“Poetry engraves itself in the brain: it doesn’t just slip smoothly over the cortex as language normally does. It has all the graininess of life, as it rips into being from deep within the limbic system, the ancient seat of … Continue reading →

Posted in Artsy-Fartsy Culture Stuff, Quotable Notables, She Blinded Me With Science | Comments Off

Music for a Sunday: Two from Dame pa’ Matala

Posted on August 8, 2010 by Sabina Becker

Two more consciousness-elevating songs from Venezuela’s finest folkies:First, “Roba Caminos”:Best line: “Shuddup muddafucka!”Sounds like he’s tired of something. Hmmm, I wonder what?

Posted in Artsy-Fartsy Culture Stuff, Huguito Chavecito, Music for a Sunday | Comments Off

Music for a Sunday: On the hill where he went when he ran from a raging storm

Posted on July 18, 2010 by Sabina Becker

When this Payola$ song first came out in ’83, it was considered unusual and a bit shocking for telling what life is like for children of abusive, alcoholic parents. It was inspired by an actual story, told to one of … Continue reading →

Posted in Artsy-Fartsy Culture Stuff, Canadian Counterpunch, Music for a Sunday | Comments Off

Festive Left Friday Blogging: A fresh can of whup-ass from Calle 13

Posted on July 16, 2010 by Sabina Becker

Grab a can opener! Here comes some cool tunage from some VERY cool Puerto Ricans:And here are the lyrics, translated (very roughly by me):I was born looking up on the 23rd of FebruaryAfter I finished school, I became a rapperMy … Continue reading →

Posted in Artsy-Fartsy Culture Stuff, Festive Left Friday Blogging, Puerto Rico, Gente Pobre | 1 Comment

South of Teh Stoopid: or, who reviews the reviewers?

Posted on July 4, 2010 by Sabina Becker

Okay. I have a confession to make: I haven’t seen Oliver Stone’s latest film yet. Or at least, not the whole thing. I’ve only seen a few clips, presumably representative of the tone of the whole. What I have seen … Continue reading →

Posted in Artsy-Fartsy Culture Stuff, Crapagandarati, Huguito Chavecito | 3 Comments