Greg Mitchell's Blog, page 192

New Details on Sandy Hook Shooting

Hartford Courant just now with sad, haunting details, from what was found in Lanza's room to what happened when one pupil shouted for his friends to escape.  Six did, but he was shot down.

When the shooting started, school janitor Rick Thorne ran through the school warning teachers to close their doors and then used a master key to lock many of the doors for them. The state police SWAT team that was clearing the school after the shooting had to get the key from Thorne to open some of the rooms. The key was so worn from use that morning it snapped in one of the doors.

A source with knowledge of the probe said that when Lanza drove to the Sandy Hook Elementary School he parked his car in a way that could have set him up to ambush responding police officers. He parked with the passenger's side facing a small brick wall near the front entrance. His shotgun was left leaning against the passenger's side door.

The spot gave him potentially a perfect line of sight to shoot at unsuspecting police driving down the long driveway, around a curve and into his line of fire. It also provided him cover since the school and woods were behind him.

Roll Over, Beethoven: Movie Coming to NYC!

Tickets went on sale today for Kerry Candaele's new film Following the Ninth (I am associate producer) which will screen in NYC at the wonderful Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center in Lincoln Center on October 29, after playing in several  cities on the West Coast, where it has drawn raves.   Seating is limited so order tickets today.  It will then have a regular run for a week (or longer) at the Quad in the Village starting November 1.  I'll be appearing with director Kerry Candaele for one or more of those nights, and there will be other guests.   See great trailer below.

A reminder that I have written a book with Kerry, now in print and e-book editions:   Journeys With Beethoven: Following the Ninth, and Beyond , published by Sinclair Books.   It's just $3.99 for the e-book and $11.99 for print. 

Both the book and the film follow the Ninth Symphony and its enormous cultural and political influence around the world today.  So they take us from Chile during the Pinochet years, to China's Tiananman Square uprising,  to Japan (for their annual mass singing of the "Ode to Joy") and to Germany (with Leonard Bernstein for the fall of the Wall), plus Billy Bragg and his re-writing the "Ode to Joy"--and playing it for the Queen.

In the "Beyond" section of the book I explore my own obsessive "travels" with Ludwig, as a longtime rock 'n roller, in recent years, via concerts and movies and CDs -- but also through new "Beethoven delivery systems" (YouTube, web forums, Twitter, etc.)  I also interview at length pianist Jeremy Denk, who recently won a MacArthur genius award. 

In any case, it's a totally unique book on Beethoven--a Beethoven for our time, at last.  Again, e-book here and print here.  And here's Kerry's trailer:

Colbert, Zinging Again

One of the (few) comic highlights of the U.S. war in Iraq was Stephen Colbert's infamous demolition of President Bush, to his face, at that White House Correspondents Dinner.   Stephen is still in form at such events, as he proved last night at NY's annual Al Smith Dinner, which brings together top politicos, Catholics and media.  Some juicy barbs directed at everyone from his friend the Cardinal to Andrew Cuomo.  Examples:  On Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg: “Tiny, tiny man. The real reason he doesn’t want drink cups larger than 16 ounces is because he’s afraid he might drown in one.”  On Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker who lost the Democratic primary for mayor: “New York City is the only place in the world where the lesbian candidate is too conservative.”

The Truthiness of Mr. Paul

Jill Lawrence of The National Journal on how Rand Paul doesn't let the facts get in his way. 

Rand Paul was talking with University of Louisville medical students when one of them tossed him a softball. "The majority of med students here today have a comprehensive exam tomorrow. I'm just wondering if you have any last-minute advice."

"Actually, I do," said the ophthalmologist-turned-senator, who stays sharp (and keeps his license) by doing pro bono eye surgeries during congressional breaks. "I never, ever cheated. I don't condone cheating. But I would sometimes spread misinformation. This is a great tactic. Misinformation can be very important."

He went on to describe studying for a pathology test with friends in the library. "We spread the rumor that we knew what was on the test and it was definitely going to be all about the liver," he said. "We tried to trick all of our competing students into over-studying for the liver" and not studying much else.

"So, that's my advice," he concluded. "Misinformation works."

But that's just for starters.

'NYT' Review Hits WikiLeaks Flick

A.O. Scott's review just posted and it's not exactly a rave, not a good sign for a movie that may be  box office (not to mention factually) challenged to begin with.  UPDATE: As more reviews pour in, Rotten Tomatoes has it with very poor 31% favorable rating.

This version of the WikiLeaks story, directed by Bill Condon from a script by Josh Singer, is a moderate snoozefest, undone by its timid, muddled efforts at fair-mindedness....

As we zoom from squatter apartments to newsrooms to government offices (where Laura Linney, Stanley Tucci and Anthony Mackie worry about their jobs and their diplomatic contacts), the picture grows fuzzier, and the vital questions it wants to raise about privacy, transparency and security grow muddier. 

Of course, the Times is part of the story--but that's an old, and long, story.    See my two books on WikiLeaks and Manning over on the right rail of this blog.

'Experts' Wrong Again?

We heard so much blather for weeks from national security "experts," pundits and GOPers and Dems alike that "surely" Edward Snowden had either turned over NSA files to the Russkies or had them seized off laptops from him.   Tonight James Risen at NYT reports:  Snowden says there weren't even any files to seize when he arrived in Moscow.

Mr. Snowden said he gave all of the classified documents he had obtained to journalists he met in Hong Kong, before flying to Moscow, and did not keep any copies for himself. He did not take the files to Russia “because it wouldn’t serve the public interest,” he said. “What would be the unique value of personally carrying another copy of the materials onward?” he added.

And there's much more in the interview on his stop in Hong Kong and feelings about the Chinese. 

Scahill on Joining New Greenwald Venture

His first in-depth interview about it, from Germany.  UPDATE  And an interesting piece at Reuters by reporter who worked for, and its turns out, with, Pierre Omidyar on his Honolulu news project.  Revealing.

Deeper Into the Mystic

I've written twice previously about the upcoming (now here) five-disc package related to the classic 1970 Van Morrison album, Moondance.  Yes, it's overblown, with so many alt takes, but can there really be too much Van the Man?  (He says, yes, as he has disassociated himself from this project.) Anyway, what's new and exciting is that Rolling Stone today gives you one of the disc, with 11 cuts, and you can listen here now, along with the latest rundown.  There's even "take 22" of "Moondance." And don't miss one of my faves, "I've Been Working," with extra funk, different lyrics, a vocal that sounds like Van from "T.B. Sheets" era.

Beyond Panda Cam

Yes, everyone's happy that it's back at National Zoo, post-shutdown, but there are plenty of other unusual cams out there not at the mercy of GOP crazies.   So, first, from California (in contrast to the cute pandas)--a Shark lagoon.  Then, from Germany--inside a honey bee hive, black and white but still sweet.

Live streaming video by Ustream
Live streaming video by Ustream

Cats Sleeping in Doggie Beds

There's a metaphor here somewhere, or just laugh:

Cats Stealing Dog Beds