Greg Mitchell's Blog, page 69

In All Its 'Glory'

One of the greatest antiwar films ever--hell, one of the greatest of any film--airs tonight on Turner Classics (TCM) -- Kubrick's mid-1950s "Paths of Glory."  It's certainly in my all-time top ten.  Just look at the camerawork in the trailer. 

'This Land' Made for You and Me

Animated, bloody, three-minute history--going back to recorded time--of the people, tribes, nations that have tried to control the area that came to be known as Palestine.  Set, ironically, to the famous movie tune of "Exodus."  Plus Nina Paley's viewer's guide here.

The Bomb Comes to Off-Broadway and Cable

As I do every year at this time, I will be offering a nearly daily "countdown to Hiroshima" with historical facts and analysis that might surprise a few folks.  (And see my book "Atomic Cover-up.")  For example, on this date in 1945, the U.S. was mulling Japanese peace feelers (less than four weeks before we dropped the first bomb), including a possible offer to surrender if we let them keep their emperor.  Instead, we insisted on "unconditonal" surrender--and then let them keep their emperor.  I'll always be following a new musical (yes) "Atomic" about the Manhattan Project coming off-Broadway in New York--and a TV series on WGN Cable (if you can find it) also set at Los Alamos and titled "Manh(A)ttan."  Here's trailer for the latter:

Soccer To Me

As my wife notes, where else can you find a very fine piece that includes a smart look at modern day Germany, the role of the World Cup,  the U.S.  "hero" culture--and Hiroshima and Nagasaki?  Yes, I'm happy--except for rarely seeing them--that my daughter and grandson live in Berlin, and yes, I made same point about U.S. commentators foaming over the uniquely "American" way our team battled and our "heroic" fight to the end (I'm talking about the World Cup, not WWII).   And, of course, I've spent half my life trying to get us to face up to the atomic bombings.  But still: great Deadspin piece.

Too Much Wry, or Rye, for Bri?

You may have heard about it but here's full text of Brian Williams "sex" joke on NBC tonight:

Last year’s government shutdown in Washington had at least one positive development nine months after the fact. The folks at Sibley Hospital in Washington are reporting live births are up right now on average by about three per day. How long until someone on television points out that during the shutdown the folks in Washington are apparently doing at home what Washington has been accused of doing to the American people? We’re guessing someone will say that on television before long.

Diane Sawyer Is a Little Confused

Update:  BBC reports and updates on the mounting civilian toll in Gaza.   Meanwhile, NYT in coverage and headlines offers equal treatment, as per on home page now: "At least 67 Palestinians were said to have died in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, while rocket fire from the Palestinian coastal enclave reached ever-broader swaths of Israel."  Failing to note nearly all of the rockets land in the desert and destroy shrubs only.  But story does include this:  "According to the officials, one airstrike hit a car used by a local news agency bearing media signs, killing the driver, Hamed Shehab, 27."  This happened before, as recently as 2012. 

Earlier: Given the U.S. media's myopia and/or willful bias and false equivalency, is it little wonder that Diane Sawyer and ABC mistake scenes of destruction by air power in Gaza with it happening in Israel.  Or perhaps they are just unwilling to admit what's always been the truth--rockets fired by Palestinian militants, crude and with zero guidance systems,  may terrorize some Israelis but almost never kill them or even cause property damage, while Israeli raids with U.S. jets take dozens or hundreds of Gaza lives and wreck homes and entire neighborhoods.  See Juan Cole (NYT reviewed his new book just yesterday) round-up and Diane Sawyer video. Will ABC admit its gross (if revealing) error?

Several Kids Shot and Killed in Texas

Including kids and incident may not be over. "Six people were shot to death, including five children, and a seventh person was injured at a home in Spring, Texas, late Wednesday, police told ABC News. "A standoff between police and a suspect ensued after a brief car chase. Police brought in two trucks and wedged the suspect's vehicle between them on a cul-de-sac near the site of the shooting." This report has four of the dead as children. Near Houston. UPDATE: Killer creep has now surrendered.   He killed his four kids and two adults, plus one of his other kids in critical condition.  Texans in comments sections claims that if the kids had guns they'd still be alive.

Amazing...Mets vs. Yanks

Call me biased, as a Mets fans, but--I wouldn't trade the much-mocked Mets roster for the Yanks right now (factoring in looking ahead the next couple years as well).  And it's not that the Mets are that good--but the Yanks look so old and/orbad.

It may shock you to learn, for example,  that on the most important stat of all, on-base plus slugging (and yes, I know stats aren't everything), the much-maligned Lucas Duda and Ruben Tejada top the celebrated (and so much older and injury-plagued) Jeter and Teixera.  There's no contest at 2B and 3B (the Mets have current and recent all-stars, Yanks have absolutely nothing), and behind the dish McCann has been an aging flop while young D'Arnaud is now hot and outhitting him for past month.   In the OF, ex-Yank Granderson's OPS now tops Ellsbury, and Beltran has been another bust, and old and and injured while Mets youngster Lagares is 13 years younger and hitting .290 and among best fielders in league.   Yes, I'd take Brett Gardner over the final Mets OF.

And starting pitching?  Yanks starters are either ancient, or badly hurt, or younger-but-never-top- prospects.  Tanaka looked like gold--but just headed home for MRI today.  Mets have a slew of top young arms and Harvey coming back.  Yes, I'd take the Yanks bullpen.

So: absurd as it sounds--the Mets look far stronger going forward, when you consider the age and broken down status of the majority of Yanks.  Yes, the Yanks ability to spend probably more than balances that out.  And yes, the Mets' owner and GM will probably find a way to blow it. But I'll take my chances on the kids being all right.

The Wolfgang's All Here

As NYT notes today, biggest music news is that Wolfgang's Vault--and it's massive trove of classic live concerts and song videos--which has been a membership kind of thing has suddenly put seemingly all of its stuff up on YouTube at its own channel.   Yes, I suppose it's mainly for Boomers as the bulk stems from the '70s (partly due to obtaining Bill Graham's archives) but what a lineup:  full concerts by Van Morrison, the Band, the Who at Tanglewood 1970,  Springsteen 1977-1978,  the Allmans, the Dead, John Lee Hooker, Byrds, James Brown, all of the top West Coast bands, though no Beatles (since they weren't touring). But also much from later, e.g. R.E.M., Petty, Phish and so on.  Lot of Neil Young from the '90s.  Full Zevon concert 1980.  Go here to search.

 Just one sample below--full live Van Morrison concert in 1974 with rare "Streets of Arklow" up second after "Ballerina" (starts about 5:30), followed by "Just Like a Woman."   But thousands of other highlights--such as a whole different look at "The Last Waltz" via single black and white camera shots (including full "Don't Do It").

Greatest Summer Music

Of course, asked to choose, you will probably pick some year from your teenage or maybe college years.   I'm going with 1965, which I was 17, so that fits right in.  However, I'd like to think that I have a better case than most, since the two greatest singles of all-time, as selected by Rolling Stone a few years, both came out that summer!  This, of course, would be "Satisfaction" and "Like a Rolling Stone."  Others songs from that summer included the Four Tops' greatest, "I Can't Help Myself, " the Byrds "Mr. Tambourine Man,"  Otis's "I've Been Loving You Too Long," "Help Me Rhonda," and on and on.  Amazingly the most popular song for the entire year, according to Billboard, was not one of those, or one of several Beatles or Beach Boys classics, or mega-hit "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" but..."Wooly Bully"!