Greg Mitchell's Blog, page 91

Johnny, Too Bad

(AP ) The owner of the Cleveland Browns, Jimmy Haslam, said the team had told Johnny Manziel to start acting “like a backup quarterback.” The Browns selected Manziel in the first round of the draft. Haslam praised Manziel for being an “ultra-competitor” but reiterated that Brian Hoyer was the starting quarterback. Haslam said that the Browns told Manziel “this is not Hollywood” and that he would have to come to Cleveland ready to work hard. The Browns also released quarterback Vince Young.

The Bum, Rush

Jon Stewart screams at Rush Limbaugh over Nigeria.


The Daily Show
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Greenwald In Review

NYT's Charlie Savage just now with scoops (or semi-scoops) from new Glenn Greenwald book on NSA and related matters.  More to come.

In May 2010, when the United Nations Security Council was weighing sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, several members were undecided about how they would vote. The American ambassador to the United Nations, Susan E. Rice, asked the National Security Agency for help “so that she could develop a strategy,” a leaked agency document shows.

The N.S.A. swiftly went to work, developing the paperwork to obtain legal approval for spying on diplomats from four Security Council members — Bosnia, Gabon, Nigeria and Uganda — whose embassies and missions were not already under surveillance. The following month, 12 members of the 15-seat Security Council voted to approve new sanctions, with Lebanon abstaining and only Brazil and Turkey voting against.

Later that summer, Ms. Rice thanked the agency, saying its intelligence had helped her to know when diplomats from the other permanent representatives — China, England, France and Russia — “were telling the truth ... revealed their real position on sanctions ... gave us an upper hand in negotiations ... and provided information on various countries ‘red lines.’ ”

The two documents laying out that episode, both leaked by the former N.S.A. contractor Edward J. Snowden, are reproduced in a new book by Glenn Greenwald, “No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the N.S.A., and the U.S. Surveillance State.” The book is being published Tuesday.

No 'Really Big Shew' for Dylan

It was 51 years ago tonight that CBS banned young Mr. Bob Dylan from doing his "Talking John Birch Society Blues" during his big break on the Ed Sullivan Show.  Amazingly, Bob walked off and blew his big shot.  Did okay anyway.  Mr. Ed supposedly back him but CBS then pressured Columbia Record to also drop the song from Bob's 2nd album. Which it did.   Bob at nearby Town Hall almost exactly one month prior.   h/t Barbara Bedway

When Climate Change Is Nye

My new piece at The Nation on John Oliver finally hosting a fair and actually balanced climate change debate last night.

Marley and Me: Marking Bob's Passing

On this day in 1981.  Still the greatest double bill I (or maybe anyone)saw: In 1973, several nights of the Wailers and Springsteen at Max's in NYC.  Sadly, not on video.  So here's incredible video from  that period from TV,  below that tremendous raw number from historic Jamaica 'peace'  concert.

Enshrined in Cooperstown

Updates:   If you're anywhere near the area, don't miss benefit screening of our Beethoven Ninth film next Sunday, May 19, in Cooperstown, proceeds to the local food pantry.  I'll be speaking and there are musical events featuring the "Ode" around it--plus a party at a famous local beer distillery after.  I'll be signing our tie-in book.  And I'll be speaking at local school the next day.   Of course, you could send a donation without attending.  Please do.

Earlier: As you may know, the film I co-produced Following the Ninth (directed by Kerry Candaele) was released last November and has drawn wide acclaim--from The New York Times to featured segments on Bill Moyers' PBS show and NPR's "All Things Considered"--and has played in a couple of dozen cities already.  But a regular-length trailer for this unique exploration of the amazing influence of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was never produced.  Instead, a terrific seven-minute mini-film served that purpose and it was so terrific that Moyers showed the entire piece on his TV show.  But the film still has months to run around the USA and world, so Candaele has now produced a more traditional two-minute trailer and it was just posted tonight on YouTube.

Hats Off to Larry

The swell Larry Wilmore, a longtime "Daily Show" irregular, will take over Stephen Colbert's time slot when the great one exits for the mainstream, it emerged tonight.  Larry's show, naturally, will be called "The Minority Report." Since there are no top black hosts on Fox, I guess he will have to play himself instead of sending up a Fox guy.  Wilmore had just been named show runner for a new sit-com called "Black-ish" which he will probably now have to give up.

Friday Cat Blogging

Typical scene at home.  I was being interviewed very early this morning  about upcoming screening and party for our Beethoven film in Cooperstown, N.Y. on May 19.

Groundhog Day, Gun Nutty Version

A farmer in Ohio, 79,  has shot and killed a woman, 22, who worked for him, he mistook for...a groundhog.   Story and video.    She was in the grass and he shot her in the head from 165 feet away.  Reporter claims farmer is "very well loved and respected in the community."  Just an "accident." I've actually been through that rural area, it's near Amish country in Holmes County.