Sunday, August 10, 2014

This Week In Baseball


Well, it's been a busy week, hasn't it? First the NY Times story highlighting the upcoming Krenwinkle documentary, all the 45th anniversary attention and then the anticipated decision by Gov. Brown on Bruce Davis.

There were other things too, like the tasteless timing of Manson's announcement of his intention to marry an emotionally and perhaps mentally unstable 20-something year old. This will be the last we should mention that. It is less than relevant and more than nauseating.

The stats have been through the roof and we've had a record number of sign-ups onto the email list. We've also had lots of emails form first-time readers. Welcome, all of you!

Regarding the Krenwinkle doc, I plan on getting a copy. It looks really well done and possibly informative. But on a personal note, I wanna punch Krenwinkel and the Doc maker in the nose. It kinda makes me nuts that there's any type of sympathy given to any of these killers.

The 45th anniversary was covered in the mainstream media which got people searching the subject in Google again. It shows that this whole story still fascinates more than just us TLB Junkies.

Then there's the down-to-the-wire veto by Gov. Brown of the parole board's decision to release Bruce Davis. BTW, kudos to Deb for being on top of things and getting the documentation first - even before the media! That Deb is bad ass!

I can't say I was shocked by Brown's veto - I more or less expected it - but it's sad that he got some of his facts wrong. There's also that crazy hunger for knowledge buried within me that thinks a prison release or two would help us get closer to the truth. Damn, could you imagine the swarm around here from a Bruce Davis book?

Now please don't get me wrong. Davis deserved what he got. He (at the very least) stood by as Gary Hinman was sliced across the face by Manson. He also was (again, at the very least) present at Shorty Shea's brutal murder. But I, just like my crazed cohorts on this blog and the rest of you, want to hear more. To be clear,  Davis should not be freed to get the truth from him - that's like rewarding someone for bad behavior. And, perhaps if he ever stopped lying, or changing his story every time he sneezed during his hearings the governors would have much less ammunition to overturn.

As Alisa Statman has said , "there is no restitution for murder, there is no making it right. Murder is final and there's no taking it back by saying 'I'm sorry' or 'I've changed'". And as Statman quoted Doris Tate in her comment to Watson: "Are these 7 victims and possibly more going to walk out of their grave when you get paroled?"  Or to quote Van Houten as Statman did in Restless Souls: "It's hard for me sometimes to accept the fact that people choose to believe that I absolutely cannot change. That I was something at nineteen and what I am at thirty-three is irrelevant because the life of the one they loved ended when I was nineteen. And though I understand it, it's very difficult because life goes on. And I go on." The glaring problem with her statement is, no matter how you break it down, the LaBianca's lives and their loved ones lives stopped going on that night.

One parting shot from this blogger: in my more than 3 decades of being allowed to vote, I have only sent money to ONE candidate. Ever. Want to know who it was? Jerry Brown...





15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Matt,

Yes indeed an eventful week as might have been expected.

Great news that you have got a record number of join-ups. I just wanted to say that I am leaving and wish the very best to those who I have 'met' here and wish you 'happy blogging'.

Suze said...

Yes, nice work DebS! I'm sure this Bruce Davis's parole woes are far from over. Too bad though that the victims' families have to continue to endure this.

Anonymous said...

TWIB Notes!!!!

Robert Hendrickson said...

Re-read the first paragraph to the "Statement of Facts." He WAS a MEMBER of the Manson Family.

AND then he spent his precious REHABILITATION time / opportunity becoming more involved in RELIGION. If it was a "conservative" governor, HE could have been pressured into playing the "JESUS saved Bruce card."

So Why Oh Why didn't Bruce SEE his only chance for release as coming from a KNOWLEDGE of the LAW ? If instead, HE got a degree in LAW. HE, would at lest, have a chance at FREEDOM.

Same applies to LESLIE, SUSAN, "Tex" and even CHARLES MANSON. None of them have spent their VALUABLE prison time learning how to PLAY the game. It's like spending 40 years learning how to play CHECKERS so you can be a better CHESS player.

I know why Manson does HIS gig, BUT the others - it's like THEY are still FOLLOWING the beaten path to nowhere. Even the illegal aliens making the dangerous journey across the desert have to a better life have a mission. BUT becoming a PRIEST - you think "Jerry Brown can SEE himself "kneeling" before BRUCE or TEX.

Lastly - Bruce did NOT kill for Helter Skelter, BUT he helped make the book-ends to the whole "Crime of the Century." He was there "a member" for the whole "Real Deal." AND in the eyes of the LAW, that's a BIG deal.

Ajerseydevil said...

Matt email me have something good to share with the blog gmails acting up again last two messages weren't sent

Robert Hendrickson said...

Is the Anniversary Celebration over ?

EQ is leaving, the comments are diminishing, HE drifted in, had a cup of coffee and a few words (IE: "Manson Family BAD" ) then hit the information highway. So I was thinking and WaLa: He was a "drifter," probably traveling the world "internet" in search of the answer to life itself. Just like Paul Watkins, when HE stumbled upon the Manson Family in Topanga Canyon.

BUT are WE not ALL just drifting from one thing to another. Even a movie producer "drifts" from one movie to another. DRIFTING - "I'm just a "drifter" wondering the internet in search of ??????

How about YOU ?

Matt said...

Well Mr. H, EQ actually LEFT in a search for knowledge. He has exams to study for. :)

HellzBellz said...

the resignation of Richard Nixon, the President of the United States, on August 9, 1974 — the only resignation of a U.S. President to date. The scandal also resulted in the indictment, trial, conviction, and incarceration of 43 people, dozens of whom were Nixon's top administration officials.

ALSO an American-History milestone ,an Anniversary of an August 9. EXCACTLY 40 years ago today.... But in a strange kinda way not SO much attention. Although the Nixon periode was also in the Manson era, or vice/versa.

HellzBellz said...

Owhhh and BTW, I have asked myself this for few times,:What did Manson sayd or thought about ,,WaterGate,, and the whole Nixon resignation ? ? Nixon was not one of Mansons favourite US Presidents after all. Are there any documented words,pictures,interview, with Manson about this ???

Matt said...

Wow. Just... wow. Robin Williams. This one hurts...

DebS said...

I just heard the news about Robin Williams. What a shocker.

The Surf Bat said...

Yup. This epitomizes him for me: http://www.anyclip.com/movies/patch-adams/performing-for-the-kids/#!quotes/

starship said...

Excellent post, Matt

Robert Hendrickson said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Robert Hendrickson said...

EXACTLY Matt: And EQ set me to thinking "Drifter" You might be too young, but growing up at the Saturday matinee movies in the fifties, the COWBOY / Gunslinger movies almost always had the STAR being a "Drifter." Just think of the more recent Clint Eastwood in "High Plains Drifter." Of course, SHANE is the most famous of them all. "The "drifter" always stood-up for the littler guy and the females loved HIM. The question is: Why was the HERO always a "drifter" and in search of WHAT ?

I mention all this because WE of the fifties (including the Manson Family) grew up with this morality play pumped into our little brains by the likes of "bigger-than -life" movie Gods on a weekly basis.

THEN, the Vietnam War came and CHANGED everything WE were taught. The "Anti-hero" became the new God and OUR "programed" value system was tossed on it's head. The police, who we were taught would carefully walk us across the street, began to beat us with Billy-clubs - just for looking different.

In LA we NOW have video of a CHP officer, on top of, and beating a 51 year old homeless black woman in the FACE, with his big burly fists. AND hardly anyone can figure out what Death to Pigs was meant to mean.

I just heard on the radio "Leo the Teck Guy" say: "Learn to Learn and learn to THINK." That that is going to be the "education" necessary for survival in the new tech world. Amen