Greg Mitchell's Blog, page 36
October 4, 2014
It's All Over Now, Brown Sugar
Imagine Dylan singing "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue," with The Man who has done the greatest cover, Van Morrison, with hot guitar throughout reminiscent of his work on "Brown Sugar" by Mick Taylor. Well, now you can listen to it, from a 1984 gig in London...
The Nobel Leonard
Once again, as selection nears, I will promote Leonard Cohen for the Nobel Prize in Literature today (a legit pick, since he's written a several novels or books of poetry, besides, ahem, lyrics). Such as below.
The Real 'Shock and Awe'
I see from Facebook post last night from my friend Joe Galloway that Rob Reiner and his Castle Rock unit is preparing new film focusing on the four Knight Ridder (now McClatchy) reporters/editors, including Joe plus Landay, Strobel and Walcott, now recognized as the outliers in 2002-2003 in raising serious questions about Saddam's WMDs in Iraq. Of course, I covered them all closely--also a rarity at the time--and published several of Joe's columns when I edited Editor & Publisher (where we won several national awards for this) and then in my book, where they are heroes,
So Wrong for So Long
. Here's a clip of me with Landay and Walcott on Moyers show a little later. Landay and Strobel above.
Hey, Hey, It's Jimi & The Monkees
As new movie opens: Yes, few today may know, that Jimi Hendrix's first big tour, before he went giant in 1968, was a 1967 tour with...The Monkees, as opener. My sister, as I recall, even attended concert in Buffalo as he first rock show. A new photo has emerged of Jimi with a couple of the boys.
October 2, 2014
Walk Off Win: 1924
Love this. As some know, I am a huge fan of old time--that is, pre-1930, baseball (see here)--and this is amazing: The recent discovery in a garage of almost pristine quality newsreel of final game of 1924 World Series between the Washington Nats and the NY Giants. And dig this: It was won in walk off fashion, which would not be repeated for 67 years. You also get to see President "Do Nothing" Coolidge in the stands and the great Walter Johnson on the mound in four innings of relief. Note his sidearm delivery and, yes, he probably threw 98 mph.
Ebola Hits NBC
NBC freelance cameraman contracts Ebola--and so the network's chief medical reporter, and others, while showing no symptoms, will be quarantined for 21 days. "The cameraman, who also is a writer, is the fourth American to have contracted Ebola in Liberia. He has been working in Liberia on various projects for the past three years. NBC News is withholding the cameraman’s name at the request of his family." Text of NBC note to staff:
As you know, Dr. Nancy Snyderman and our news team are in Liberia covering the Ebola outbreak. One of the members of their crew is an American freelance cameraman who has worked in Liberia for the past three years and has recently been covering the epidemic for US media outlets. On Tuesday he began working with our team. Today, he tested positive for Ebola.
We are doing everything we can to get him the best care possible. He will be flown back to the United States for treatment at a medical center that is equipped to handle Ebola patients. We are consulting with the CDC, Medicins Sans Frontieres and others. And we are working with Dr. Nancy on the ground in Liberia.
We are also taking all possible measures to protect our employees and the general public. The rest of the crew, including Dr. Nancy, are being closely monitored and show no symptoms or warning signs. However, in an abundance of caution, we will fly them back on a private charter flight and then they will place themselves under quarantine in the United States for 21 days – which is at the most conservative end of the spectrum of medical guidance.
My Back Pages
I've been reminded, in speaking to St. Bona journalism or communications majors these past two weeks, of my first national magazine piece--a review for Rolling Stone in the spring of 1970 written when I was still in college. It led, in its way, to my eight years at Crawdaddy during the rest of the decade. I'm proud to say that it has made someone's well-known list and commentary of Rolling Stone's "500 Worst Reviews" ever--not only that, it clocks in at #33. I'd swear it was in the forties just last year so maybe it has "a bullet" as we used to say, referring to the Billboard charts. The criteria seems to be that you thought an album kind of sucked and it went on to sell millions or even be considered a "classic." Which still doesn't mean it didn't kind of suck. P.S. They spelled my name wrong in the original byline! I did get my $15, however.
October 1, 2014
The 'Vice' Report
We knew that Vice News had put in for Ferguson, MO. police conduct guidelines and now they've obtained them--and posted all 770 pages as a pdf online. Here's their full report with links. As they go through various rules they often pause to comment on what their reporters and others observed during the protests and how police there often did not comply with their own regulations. And TPM with report tonight on split between Brown family and prosecutor over the slowwwww grand jury probe.
