Greg Mitchell's Blog, page 119

The 'Beginning' of the Beginning

My new piece just posted at WhoWhatWhy on a subject I've long probed--how the White House and Pentagon basically re-wrote the first Hollywood epic on the atomic bomb, MGM's "The Beginning or the End," in 1946.    Subject of my e-book, "Hollywood Bomb." Also:  Ayn Rand wrote scripts for a rival film that also glorified The Bomb.  The wild tale here.

Garden of Lena

Filmed segment from SNL just now with Lena Dunham as Eve and, as usual, the man in her live is Adam.   She wants credit (or maybe a publishing deal) because her sin, at least, was original.

Dickens Revisited

Remarkable NYT offering tonight--a major piece by the great Dan Barry called "The Boys in the Bunkhouse" and a special "documentary" (well beyond a regular video) done with P.O.V.  Barry writes:

For more than 30 years, he and a few dozen other men with intellectual disabilities — affecting their reasoning and learning — lived in a dot of a place called Atalissa, about 100 miles south of here. Every morning before dawn, they were sent to eviscerate turkeys at a processing plant, in return for food, lodging, the occasional diversion and $65 a month. For more than 30 years.

Their supervisors never received specialized training; never tapped into Iowa’s social service system; never gave the men the choices in life granted by decades of advancement in disability civil rights. Increasingly neglected and abused, the men remained in heartland servitude for most of their adult lives.
This Dickensian story — told here through court records, internal documents and extensive first-time interviews with several of the men — is little known beyond Iowa

But five years after their rescue, it continues to resound in halls of power. Last year the case led to the largest jury verdict in the history of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: $240 million in damages — an award later drastically reduced, yet still regarded as a watershed moment for disability rights in the workplace. In both direct and subtle ways, it has also influenced government initiatives, advocates say, including President Obama’s recent executive order to increase the minimum wage for certain workers.

About That Leaked Phone Call and Those Snipers

Has anyone seen any walking back by the quasi-journalists (and not just RT and RT.com) who jumped on the "revelation" in that leaked phone call this week--which proved to them that it was the protestors in Kiev who hired snipers to shoot their own forces to gain sympathy and outrage?  The "evidence" was weak from the start, second hand, hearsay--one official telling another about a conversation he had with a leading doctor at the scene of the shootings who allegedly suggested the bullets might have come from snipers acting for the protestors.  Even though there was no way to judge the veracity and bias--and even if the official was trying to speak truthfully there was no way to know if he'd misinterpreted the doctor's remarks--these ideologue and faux journos swallowed it hook, line, and sinker.

Of course it turns out the doctor, who we learn is quite famous and important in the country--Olga Botomolets--denies suggesting any such thing.  Here's just one account of it, near the close of an excellent profile of her.  In another interview, with the Telegraph, she could have been referring to the 'journalists" when she said,  "I think you can only say something like this on the basis of fact. It's not correct and its not good to do this. It should be based on fact."  Could she be changing her story now?  It's always possible.  But obviously citing her as source for "evidence" that snipers back protestors is ludicrous.

Dr. Botomolets is so well-known she has been offered key positions in the new government there, which she has turned down because she is suspicious of whether the new regime will make good on promises to the protestors.

To Kingdom Come

Missed this three days but here now:  on 28th anniversary of tragic death (by hanging) of The Band's great Richard Manuel, Mojo carried this tribute.   We all know that Music from Big Pink changed the course of rock, and the life of Eric Clapton, and here's Eric:  "For me he [Richard] was the true light of The Band. The other guys were fantastic talents, of course, but there was something of the holy madman about Richard. He was raw. When he sang in that high falsetto the hair on my neck would stand on end. Not many people can do that.”  I've posted this before, but here's a true highlight (and guitar work not bad either, for you Robbie haters).  Famously shot in Sammy Davis Jr.'s pool house.

Stewed Detectives

Joel McHale takeoff.  And here the show's creator shoots down any theory that Rust or Marty is the killer.

'Mad' Crazy

Yikes, AMC just released first teaser for upcoming "Mad Men" final season, along with a groovy groovy period poster.   Beware of the brown acid or maybe just acidic dialogue.

Miles to Go

Email from PBS NewsHour publicity:

PBS NEWSHOUR Science Correspondent Miles O’Brien discusses the accident that resulted in the amputation of his left arm in an interview with Judy Woodruff, tonight, Friday, March 07, 2014. 

O’Brien’s accident happened during a reporting trip to Japan and the Philippines in mid-February.  He’ll discuss the nature of acute compartment syndrome, how he’s coping with “phantom limb” pain and adapting to his amputation, and the help and advice he’s been getting since the accident.

O'Brien previously wrote about the accident in a blog post: http://milesobrien.com/?p=3640

Townes at Seventy

One of America's greatest, if stil not very well known, songwriters ever was born  on this date back in 1944--Townes Van Zandt.  Here he is, voice failing in his hotel room, doing one of his best, "Nothin'."  And below that, perhaps his greatest (tied with another dozen), "High, Low and In-Between." And finally, my favorite cover, Lyle Lovett doing "Flying Shoes" (which he also did at Townes' funeral in 1997).  Had the pleasure of meeting Townes' two sons at a NYC tribute a few years back.  Oldest son recalled that, yes, when I was at Crawdaddy in the 1970s we were among the few to highlight his albums.

Bobfest

PBS "Great Performances" tonight air a major chunk of the long ago Dylan "30th anniversary in show biz" concert from MSG, which I viewed at the time on pay per view and just came out in full-plus-extras DVD form.  In case it gets axed tonight, here is George Harrison (dressed in Barney the Dinosaur jacket) doing a great "Absolutely Sweet Marie."