Don't forget to tune in Jay, Torn Slatterns and Nugget Ranchers


Several NFL players have agreed to donate their brains to science for the study of the effects of concussions on the brain. Except for the Oakland players, they are going to study their brains to see why anyone in their right mind would play for the Raiders and Al Davis.

Remember that guy who shouted "You lie" to Obama, Joe Wilson? Since he yelled that his campaign donations for the 2010 congressional election have doubled at over $1 million. Upon hearing this, Wilson shouted; "And bite me, Obama!"

Since you asked:

Saw "History" channels special "Manson." Wow, what a disappointment. Got almost nothing out of it. But it did go a long way to answering my question as to why so many music and Hollywood types were protected in their close connections with Manson and their family.

The special featured the D.A., Vincent Bugloisi who was very impressive. Believe it or not, before the OJ trial and other high profile cases, D.A.'s weren't all shameless publicity whores. Don't get me wrong, Bugloisi had a huge ego and loved the camera, but he was a straight shooter and he didn't think dragging all the famous people that were connected to this case would do his argument any good. He wanted to nail Manson above all things.

The crazier and more blood thirsty he could make the Manson family seem, the better. If it came out that Neil Young had called Manson "a living poet" and compared him to Bob Dylan and Dennis Wilson thought he was a genius lyricist, and that Manson and his girls were a regular feature at the wild orgies in Laurel Canyon witnessed and participated by the who's who of the rock and roll Hall of Fame, it would have lent a huge whiff of credibility and status to Manson that Bugloisi did not want to give him credit for.

Facts like Manson had repeated orgy sex with Jane Fonda - which she happily admits - and many other famous movie stars would not help Bugliosi's case.

Plus there was the very real fact that, even with the participants of the Tate murderers in prison, it was well known that Manson had a celebrity death list that included all the celebrities who he thought owed him a career for the drugs and sex he provided. And, whether these celebrities actually participated or didn't, it included Steve McQueen, the Beatles* and just about everyone in that area that was world famous, which was seemingly everyone. And it was also known that Manson still had devout followers outside of jail, ala Squeeky Fromme, who could possibly carry out this death list. Bugloisi did not want to be responsible for another senseless celebrity killing.

Bugloisi got the exact impression of pivotal music exec and Manson fan, Terry Melcher, Doris Day's son, that I got from reading about him. Melcher was a lying weasel who brought a lot of this mess on because he had promised Manson the world and weaseled out when he got scared. Sure, Manson and his followers were murderers, but Melcher threw gas on the fire and ran away.

The running joke in Hollywood was that, if Manson had made it as a singer songwriter, he would not have been the craziest a-hole in the music business.

The other sense I got out of the documentary was just how pathetic the Manson family was near the end. They had been living pretty good with money coming in to the Spahn Ranch from the outskirts of the music business and things were wild and fun. But then that music connection died and Manson, now with speed and cocaine increasingly taking over, was desperate to keep his followers happy. There were many defections and Manson and his girls had to resort to petty crimes and even murders for pocket money.

These were dirt poor cult hippies who were now becoming continuously strung out and hungry.

The murders on Cielo showed just how desperate Manson was to keep his power over his people.


*The Beatles stopped touring right there and then. Coincidence? Who knows?