Greg Mitchell's Blog, page 205

The Biggest 'Boner'

I've known about Keith Olbermann's obsession with "Merkle's Boner" for many years.  No, he's not (as far as I know) a porn fan.  It refers to one of the infamous moments in baseball history, and Keith marked its 105th anniversary last night on his new TV show.  He even produced, at the end, the very ball retrieved by Johnny Evers that day so he could touch second base and get an out call on Merkle.  Keith owns the ball.  I also know, from corresponding with Keith a few years back, that his personal email address then (maybe even now) starts with "Merkle."

The play involved the young Giants' first sacker failing to touch second base after a game-winning hit plated a runner at home.  All it did was cost the team the pennant.  Merkle was forever known as "Bonehead" and you'll learn some other amazing facts about his career in Keith's report below.  And following his new piece, see segment he did decade ago, which closes with him interviewing actor playing...Christy Mathewson!

Denby Hits Harvard on Hollywood-Nazi Book

My new piece at The Nation.  Below:  Chaplin's classic Hitler-kicking-the-globe and finale speech in The Great Dictator.

Here's Johnny...and Two More

NYT with tribute to Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" today with his famous take, and covers by Brandi Carlile and Keb Mo.  Amazingly, I had featured Brandi's version here a couple months ago after spotting it on Austin City Limits.    Love Dylan in his unreleased basement tape just as well.  Here is Brandi again: 

The 'New Normal'--Surrendering to Gun Violence

Joe Nocera at the NYT, one of the few writers who did "keep up the drumbeat" for gun control for months after Newtown with daily lists of gun deaths (which I've often cited in my frequent posts), is back with a column that hits the way most just shrug over another mass slaughter. 

What has been most stupefying about the reaction to the Navy Yard rampage is how muted it has been. After the horror of Newtown, people were galvanized. This time, the news seemed to be greeted with a resigned shrug. “Is this the new normal?” David Gregory asked Wayne LaPierre of the National Rifle Association on Sunday on “Meet the Press” on NBC. It’s sure starting to feel that way.

Dancing with...Beethoven?

Have never watched "Dancing With the Stars" or any of that stuff, but as a Beethoven guy (see book and film) and Bill Nye watcher (with my son long ago), it's probably my duty to post Bill donning a Ludwig wig and dancing to the disco version The Fifth tonight.

Will McAvoy Pens a Note

Twitter is still aflame over favorite homicidal-drug-dealing son Bryan Cranston losing to Jeff Daniels (!) for best actor in the Emmy sweepstakes.  Get over it, folks.  I have my own love/hate relationship with The Newsroom but Jeff is great.  Moving on:  The top Louisville newspaper ran a letter to the editor from a W. McAvoy which was word for word from a recent Newsroom.  They soon pulled it but check out the readers' comments for some fun reactions, such as:   "I found myself laughing hysterically this morning as I was glancing over the forum and 'GOP Requirements' caught my eye. I read the article, and found myself feeling as if I had heard it before. Then, when I saw 'W. McAvoy, 40222' I knew I had heard it the previous Sunday. I must say, shame on the C-J editorial staff for not catching it. But then again, not everybody watches HBO. On the other hand, I completely agree with [the fictional] Mr. McAvoy's statement."

Oscar and Walt

Forget about Oscar and Felix.  Of Bert and Ernie and Oscar.  What if Oscar Wilde actually had sex with Walt Whitman one afternoon on his famous visit to America?  Well, there's some evidence that they did.  True or not, it is told in a very funny manner here.

When He's 64 (Like, Now)

When I met Bruce Springsteen on MY birthday in 1972 he had just turned 23.  I remember thinking he seemed a bit younger than that.  Anyway, here we are 41 years later, and he turned 64 today.  Even the president sent him greetings.  So in tribute The Beatles original version of "When I'm 64"--in the proper key as recorded.  McCartney, they say, asked it to get cut in a higher key and/or sped up a bit to sound more "rooty tooty" to fit concerpt of the Sgt. Pepper album.   Much prefer this:

Neil's Tribute to Phil Ochs

Don't miss, from recent Farm Aid,  amazing opening Intro, Neil Young talks about Phil Ochs killing himself, hails him as one of our greatest poets, talks back to impatient guy in audience ("I work for me"), then sings Phil's "Changes."   I knew Phil a little in the 1970s, as he fell apart, sweet guy when not crazed.  Last saw him swinging a golf club over his head at a party at Bill Kunstler's.  Sad. 

The Whore Truth

Correction of the day from London daily paper.  The wonder is that it took more than six weeks to run:

"In our diary article 'Museum finally signs its deal to be fine and dandy' (August 7, 2013) we referred to the exhibition of the late Sebastian Horsley’s suits at the Museum of London and the Whoresley show, an exhibition of his pictures at the Outsiders Gallery. By unfortunate error we referred to Rachel Garley, the late Sebastian Horsley’s girlfriend, who arranged the exhibitions, as a prostitute. We accept that Ms Garley is not and has never been a prostitute. We offer our sincere apologies to Ms Garley for the damage to her reputation and the distress and embarrassment she has suffered as a result." (photo by Nick Cunard)