Greg Mitchell's Blog, page 121

King Me!

Truth behind "The Yellow King" in True Detective finally revealed by amateur through careful examination of subtle clues...or not.  Goof of the year so far for this series.  (h/t Grantland)

Putin: Him in the Picture?

This has been debated before, but now invaluable Bag News revisits in the wake of Putin-mania.  Photo by official White House photog captured Reagan and Gorbachev greeting "tourists" in Moscow in 1988.  But is that man on the far left the then-youngish secret agent Vlad Putin?  Photog insists it is.

CNN on Death Row

New original 8-part CNN series starting this Sunday on the death penalty in the USA, with ace doc maker Alex Gibney and some guy named Redford as producers and Susan Sarandon (let's not forget the great Dead Man Walking) as narrator.   Already a full web site up and details here.   It will "call into question various beliefs surrounding America's justice system andthe death penalty."  That sounds like a good thing, and echoes my two books on the subject, including this recent ebook, Dead Reckoning. 

A Barry Good Review of '50 Shades'

Dave Barry has read 50 Shades of Grey so you don't have to. Actually, he's read only the first book in the gazilion-selling trilogy by British author E. L. James, and does not plan to read the other two "unless the only alternative is crucifixion." He now offers salient excerpts and plot synopsis:

So the plot is: They have sex, she wants to smooch, he wants to flog, there’s a bunch of talking about this, they have sex again, she again wants to smooch, he again wants to flog, there’s a bunch more talking about this, and so on for several hundred word-filled pages.

and:

OK, here’s one tiny sample of the writing style:
“Did you give him our address?”
“No, but stalking is one of his specialties,” I muse matter-of-factly.
Kate’s brow knits further.

That’s right: This is the kind of a book where, instead of saying things, characters muse them, and they are somehow able to muse them matter-of-factly. And these matter-of-fact musings cause other characters’ brows—which of course were already knitted—to knit still further. The book is over five hundred pages long and the whole thing is written like that. If Jane Austen (another bestselling female British author) came back to life and read this book, she would kill herself.

Barry's  critique, excerpted in Time magazine, is  from his book, You Can Date Boys When You’re Forty, which is a directive I recall hearing from my own father, who I think was joking. -- Barbara Bedway

Bravery at RT, With Updates

I wrote a piece at The Nation on the completely one-sided pro-Putin  RT television (formerly Russia Today) and RT.com coverage of the current crisis in Crimea and Ukraine.  Of course, U.S. coverage has left much to be desired as well, to say the least. (See Glenn Greenwald commentary.)  Anyway, here's a top anchor, Abby Martin, at RT having the courage to buck the company line and offer criticism of the Russian military moves.  UPDATE:  RT announces that since Martin admitted in her statement that she knew little about Crimea, it is sending her there to learn more.   Nice idea or rather foreboding by highlighting her position as maybe naive?  UPDATE  #2  And now a good deal of reporting on Martin as a well-known 9/11 "truther."  First piece I saw today was at New York.  Now NYT is latest to compile the evidence.  UPDATE #3  Martin now says she will NOT be going to Crimea, thank you very much, because she doesn't want the usual "P.R." trip.  Stay tuned.

'Simpsons' Selfie

Take-off on the Oscar pic--now this one deserves to set that RT record....Though more "dough!" than "doh!"

Today in Gun Nutty USA

In our frequent reports--thinking of changing running headline to "This Hour in Gun Nutty USA"--we usually relate how some guy or gal accidentally shot and killed a brother or friend or stranger.  Today we get a two-fer--from the same gun.   This upstanding citizen in Orlando accidentally fired his gun while cleaning it in his garage, with the bullet journeying out to the street where it entered a moving car and the arm of a girl, 12, who will survive.  Excited, he then fired again--and hit himself in the thigh.  After surgery, he too will survive.  And will not be charged.  I guess he was standing his ground--against himself.

Maid in America

Watch Hattie McDaniel win first Oscar for an actor in 1939 for her role in Gone With the Wind and her "I promise to be a credit to my race" acceptance speech.  If you're wondering why there is an edit from the announcement of her win to her arrival at the stage--it's because she was seated far in the rear--in the still-segregated in Hollywood section.
 

"Time Is a Flat Circle"

As Rust Cohle puts it on "True Detective."  And as we've now seen, it can even be carved in the grass.   But I'd say sometimes the circle of life has a bit of a hump.   As they say, baseball game are timeless, there's no clock, they could literally go on in extra innings forever (left).

Bravery at RT

I wrote a piece at The Nation on the completely one-sided pro-Putin  RT television (formerly Russia Today) and RT.com coverage of the current crisis in Crimea and Ukraine.  Of course, U.S. coverage has left much to be desired as well, to say the least. (See Glenn Greenwald commentary.)  Anyway, here's a top anchor at RT having the courage to buck the company line and offer criticism of the Russian military moves.