Happy Sunday, everyone! Welcome to the Six.
We begin with a ‘this date in history’… On July 13, 1985, we as a global culture witnessed the rock event known as Live Aid.
Of course, unless you had cable TV in 1985, you couldn’t watch the event live. Music Television (MTV) carried Live Aid, but most of the world did not have access to cable television in the mid-80s. Somehow, organizers got Live Aid in front of over 1 billion people. I do remember the event dominating all forms of mass media—newspapers and magazines (and the three broadcast networks) all covered Live Aid extensively.
Never before and never again did so many rock greats share the stage—Paul McCartney, Black Sabbath, David Bowie, U2, Queen, a reunited Led Zeppelin, and dozens of others all performed in stadiums in Philadelphia and London. The concerts raised millions for famine relief in Africa and remain a landmark in charitable and humanitarian causes. Nowadays, there seems to be a music fundraiser almost every weekend. That was not the case in 1985. Live Aid, to a large degree, legitimized music and philanthropy.
If you can, take some time this weekend to watch old clips of the broadcast on YouTube. They are pretty wild.
Let’s proceed with the Six.
HEROISM AMIDST THE CAMP MYSTIC TRAGEDY
The horrendous flooding in Texas has been front and center in the news cycle since the 4th of July holiday. As of this weekend, the death toll is approaching 100. Dismiss the predictable politicization—when these events happen, it’s almost always the confluence of human error, rare weather occurrence, and terrible timing (in this case, happening in the wee morning hours of July 4). Amidst the tragedy, tales of heroism emerge. One of those is of Coast Guard swimmer Scott Ruskan, who, on his first mission, jumped into the disaster zone and rescued 165 people and brought them to safety. He, and many others who attempted to rescue the victims, deserve our praise.
RUSSIAGATE: CAN’T STOP BELIEVIN’
We learned this week that the FBI, under new director Kash Patel, has opened a criminal investigation into the Russiagate hoax. One man targeted is former CIA director John Brennan. Now a “senior national security and intelligence analyst” for MSNBC, Brennan gave his first comments on the investigation to his employer and, not surprisingly, lied about his involvement. This from Matt Taibbi’s Racket News: “If… audiences put even minimal effort into learning the basics of these cases, it’s possible mainstream public opinion will finally turn — not on Trump, but on the concocted Trump-Russia mania of those years, which deserves a place in history next to or even above the WMD scandal as the biggest intelligence fiasco of our time.”
THE MAN WHO DISAPPEARED ON PURPOSE
In the astonishing tale category… An American goes into the Australian desert alone, sparking an international rescue mission. In 1999, Robert Bogucki went on a quest to connect with God, without expecting to return. When local search efforts failed, his parents hired an American team, led by a cigar-smoking military maverick who compounded public intrigue. Bogucki was found 43 days later, alive and emaciated.
THEY ALMOST GOT AWAY WITH IT
On the true crime front… From Wired, we have a gripping story of investigators who used a reverse keyword search warrant to identify people who Googled the crime scene address. The digital breadcrumbs led to teenagers who’d set the house on fire as an act of revenge for a robbery by perpetrators who stole, among other things, an iPhone. But the “Find My” function led them to the wrong address—and they killed an innocent family in their own home. Both riveting and tragic.
TO CATCH A HOOLIGAN
An account of a journalist's ride-along with the Metropolitan Police's Central Football Unit of London. The Met uses a network of "spotters" assigned to each club to monitor extremists and hooligans. They aren't undercover; the "dangerous regulars" know their cops well. Instead, the force relies on a symbiotic relationship that can take years to build to know when an "uplifting brawl" is about to become something darker. When good reporters get access, we get terrific stories like this one.
WHEN R.E.M SANG THAT SUPERMAN SONG
And finally… The latest iteration of the “Superman” movie franchise hits theaters this weekend. I’m currently reading a biography of the great rock band R.E.M., the lone supergroup to come out of the ‘80s and ‘90s with all surviving members intact who have stayed retired (which is unfortunate… they would still be great). One song that still gets regular spin on my playlist is a tune titled “Superman,” a song that has nothing to do with the DC Comics hero other than a tale as old as time: a guy trying to win the affections of a girl. I am, I am, I am Superman…
Have a great rest of your weekend. Stay and be cool.
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