Greg Mitchell's Blog, page 131

Demons and Rust

Rep. Frank Underwood just hired Rust Cohle as chief aide, "to brain-fuck what's left of Washington...My work is done here."

Speaking Frankly

Kevin Spacey on ABC this morning talked about his Rep. Frank Underwood on "House of Cards" but also noted that President Obama (who is binge-watching this weekend) only wishes he could be that ruthless.

Kitty's Back

I'm old enough to recall the initial uproar but you've probably heard of it:  the 1964 slaying of Kitty Geneovese on a street in Queens when 38 people nearby failed to help or call police as they "did not want to get involved." Now there's a new book on the case which seeks to debunk the claims of inaction,  the "myth" of that.  This is not the first time someone has shot down the original claims but this seems like a complete look, right down to how  the story got told, wrongly, in the NYT and Abe Rosenthal's role.  However, the books does find two eyewitnesses who really did act shamefully, and probably more.  Amazingly, the killer is still alive and in prison--and has been  there for longest stretch of anyone in the state.

Sunday Morning in the Church of Beethoven

Continuing our weekly feature, Just launched five days ago: cool video of wonderful flash mob that I helped organize in Nyack, N.Y.--in a former church--following a sold-out screening of our Following the Ninth film (which I co-produced). The hosts for the screening, Rivertown Film Society, shot it from the balcony and with three roving cameras on the floor, then edited the video. The musicians hail from local orchestras, arranged by Arlene Keiser,  with singers from Nyack High. They had exactly one rehearsal just before the screening, at another site. Yes, the audience was surprised. Of course, the message is: universal brotherhood/sisterhood.

This is in keeping with the theme of the film (featured in recent segments on Bill Moyers' PBS show and NPR's "All Things Considered"), which explores the amazing influence of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony around the world, and our book, Journeys With Beethoven .  In fact, there is now a global phenomenon of "Ode to Joy" flash mobs around the world and I've posted some of them over the past few months.   Maybe you'd like to try it your home town?  BTW, we're doing a second screening of the film in Nyack on Feb. 19.

Dunn Guilty on 4 Charges But Mistrial on the Big One

The wacko who shot and killed Florida teen over "loud music" and claimed it was in self-defense (no weapon was found in the other car) was finally found guilty on four charges but the jury somehow failed to reach a verdict on the murder charge.  He does face decades and in prison and could be re-tried on murder.  Moms Demand Action responded in an email:

We are saddened and disappointed that the jury in the trial of Jordan Davis’s killer was unable to reach a full verdict. Our hearts are with Jordan’s family as they learn that they will have to bear another trial and more waiting for justice. But we are confident that there will be justice for Jordan, and we will continue to shine a spotlight on our country’s broken Stand Your Ground laws.
 Stand Your Ground laws put our children, families, and communities at risk because they give everyday, untrained citizens more leeway to shoot than the United States military gives soldiers in war zones. Children – like Jordan Davis – who may simply be in the wrong place at the wrong time are now more likely to die at the hands of the armed and angry. This is unacceptable. Jordan’s fate is not an isolated one: He is one of at least 26 children and teens killed in Florida Stand Your Ground cases since 2005. Stand Your Ground laws – also called “shoot first” laws because they empower armed vigilantism – are associated with a clear increase in homicides, resulting in up to 700 more homicides nationwide each year, according to a 2012 study by Texas A&M researchers.

Angela's Apples

A few years ago I sampled Angela Morgan's luscious apple cake at the Palisades (NY) Farmers Market and heard her story of the side business she developed, Mortgage Apple Cakes, that helped save her Teaneck home from foreclosure in 2009. Now her story is a TV movie, Apple Mortgage Cake--congratulations, Angela! Details here. --Barbara Bedway

Vintage Cohen

This late 1980s doc on Leonard Cohen in Oslo has been posted and pulled at YouTube before so catch it now while it's up again.  Great interview and songs, with high quality sound.   Props to Julie and Perla.  Includes "Hallelujah" before hardly anyone had heard it. And an epic "Joan of Arc."

New Vintage Pete Seeger Footage

Ten minutes unearthed from 1961 documentary with some great moments with Pete driving, talking, singing, on road and at home in Beacon. 


Pete Seeger in "Wasn't That A Time" from Appalshop CMI on Vimeo.

Ellen Page Comes Out--at Human Right Conference

A brave, moving speech, and even as an actress she can't hide the nerves. I love it when she gets applause and says, "Whew."   Adds she's tired of lies and lies of omission.

WNET, Exposed, to Return Tainted Money for Pension Series

Big news and congrats to David Sirota.   PBS says it stands by the WNET reporting but good idea to drop because of possible "perception" of bias.  Here's Sirota's story.   NYT tonight:

WNET, the New York City public television broadcaster, said Friday that it will return a $3.5 million grant it received to sponsor an ambitious project on public pensions amid charges that it solicited inappropriate underwriting for the series.

In the absence of the funding from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, the project, called “Pension Peril,” will go on hiatus, although WNET will continue to report on the topic. The series, which began in September and was announced in mid-December, was examining the economic sustainability of public pensions.

Earlier, following a critical report on Wednesday by David Sirota on the website PandoDaily, WNET officials said they were comfortable with the foundation’s funding. Mr. Sirota sharply criticized WNET for accepting the Arnold Foundation money because John Arnold, a former hedge fund manager, has financially backed efforts to convince municipalities to cut public employee pension benefits.