Thought for the Day

THOUGHT for the day:

According to Paul Watkins, Helter Skelter (the WAR) would begin by which two infamous "political" groups doing great physical battle?

Robert Hendrickson

Sharon Tate - "What a Feeling"

We've got your meat fix right here, Charlie!

A trendy San Francisco eatery and watering hole, BULLITT, features a Charles Manson burger on their menu.  While Charlie is an avowed vegetarian he's not ashamed to admit that he chomps down on a burger now and then.  We wonder if this namesake creation would meet his approval and would he want a kick back from its sale?

Someone was nice enough to post a picture of the burger at Yelp.  It's as greasy and sloppy looking as the day Charlie was arrested.

http://www.bullittsf.com/

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

So, I was looking around for something to post that had to do with Charles Manson or the Family and Halloween.  You'd think with all the talk of Satanism and Witches there would be a little something but I couldn't find anything worth while.  This pumpkin carved in Charlie's likeness will have to do.

How about you telling us some Halloween stories?  Spooky, funny, embarrassing, we're all ears!!!

Remember be safe and drive safe tonight, there's lots of little kids out, all jacked up on excitement and sugar.

Manson and Calley, to the death

This is another Manson related article published by the Los Angeles Free Press that did not make it into the pdf that they are offering with all (so they say) the Manson articles.  This piece is an obvious satire,  a complete 180 from the first articles published in the Freep about Manson.   So much for peace, love and understanding.



Volume 8, No. 14 (Issue No. 350) April 2-8, 1971

"An immodest proposal

Will Lt. Calley kill Charles Manson for charity?

Sam Eisenstein

A suggestion made in jest some months ago, then spread as a rumor, finally reached the ears of the people in a position to deal with it seriously.  That suggestion is about to bear fruit.  Naturally, until the "package" is ready for publication, all names involved and the exact details must remain confidential.  We can say at this time however, that the necessary changes in local and state laws and the governor's approval are almost certain.

The linking of Lieutenant Calley and Charles Manson in a public exhibition to raise money for extremely worthwhile causes is, all agree, a stroke of genius.  Nobody involved with the extremely sensitive negotiations can recall just who thought of it first.  But here it is: Sometime just after school begins again in the fall, Charles Manson will be publically executed by Lieutenant Calley in the Los Angeles Coliseum.  The event will be carried live by closed-circuit television and satellite to millions of homes across the planet.  In addition, there will be a lottery to determine who will get parts of Charles Manson's body.  Manson's co-defendants have agreed to burn themselves to death separately during the execution.  Calley is certain that he can prolong Manson's death throughout the immolation of the girls, and if there are any others of Charlie's "family" who wish to step forward, he is sure that the timing of Manson's death can be adjusted accordingly.

If the plan is approved, it will be the first public execution in California in over a century.  It will be the first time a legal lottery has been held in California.  And last but not least the first lottery and execution carried on closed circuit television.

These are the obvious "firsts" involved, but behind the scenes, the excitement is for very different reasons.  And you guessed it, all the reasons sift down to just one: money.

Even those who were horrified when first approached for their opinions, when they were told the very real financial gains possible, changed their position.  Even those firmly opposed to capital punishment, when presented with a signed testimony by Charles Manson (not available for direct quotation at this time) to the effect that he and his Family were glad to present and example of how bravely and calmly it was possible to die, to be an example against the cowardly hypocrisy of the society that condemned him to death, while in fact, the society itself was sick and dying.  And the fact that society was willing to pay enormous sums (that could have been spent on restoring medical, welfare, etc.) to see him butchered, proved to him and his Family, how morally bankrupt the society was.

The officials most closely involved with negotiations were happy to give Manson his propaganda "victory," as they believed, and so it turned out, that the benefits to the poor, elderly, the educational establishment, etc. were going to prove to be enormous.
 

Examples:  With the estimated $50,000,000 gross take for tickets, TV, lottery, etc. all budget cuts to the University of California, the State Colleges, Medi-Cal, Rural Assistance, and many others will be restored.  Many more students will be able to enter colleges in California. Many elderly will get the kind of care they deserve and are entitled to.  Stalled legislative programs for re-education of out-of-work aero-space engineers will be implemented.

"Wait a minute," the wary taxpayer protests.  "Fifty million dollars is a lot of money, but not THAT much."  True, the officials admit.  But Calley-Manson, or CM is just a start.  With the necessary laws enacted, and the expected carried to and tested by the Supreme Court, CM will be only the first of semiannual or even bimonthly exhibitions.

It is expected that many variations of the basic execution will be worked out and held in different localities.  The punishment will be designed to fit the crime.  Knife murderers, such as Manson, will have pieces of their bodies cut off, little by little.  "An eye for and eye, a tooth for a tooth."  Calley, in his turn, will after full military honors, band playing and a 21-gun salute, be torn apart by four-to six year old Vietnamese orphans.  The estates of the two men will be richly endowed.  And it will be in their own interests to speak to the press at length before the executions.  Other public enemies will die by drawing and quartering, being placed on the rack, poisoning.  Naturally, not all executions will lend themselves to large public gatherings.  For less famous criminals smaller facilities will be rented.

A few indirect comments by religious, political, and social leaders might be in order:

From a priest: "Our Lord was executed publicly.  Without the crucifixion there would be no Christianity."

From a rabbi: "If the social beliefs of an act are great, the individual serves society and himself well by lending himself to it."

From a retired deputy sheriff: "This will prove a deterrent to anybody thinking about committing a crime in cold blood, and it will provide more peace officers to keep the people in line."

From the governor's office: "We're quite hopeful this will go through.  The governor has pledged himself to keeping taxes down and providing relief for homeowners.  Now, homeowners will be able to sleep better at night, pay less, and justice will be served."

From a mortician: "We will have facilities for public viewing of the remains, in a tasteful way, and in a way the will increase the public fiscal benefits of the whole idea.  I'm for it."

From a Mother: "I say let children see the results of misbehaving.  It'll teach them a good lesson.  You just can't get away from that sort of thing, immorality, and sleeping around.  Good for them, I say."

From a pacifist: "I think the state is going to reap too much glory and loot from this, but a person has a right to dispose of his life the way he wants to.  I can't say he shouldn't go this way."

From someone against capital punishment: "Well, it isn't really capital punishment.  They could stay in jail, they could keep appealing for years.  I'm not against suicide."

From a war prisoner's wife: "Maybe this will get my husband home."

From a psychiatrist: "This is what Manson really wanted. The public convinced him he was the devil in the flesh.  He won't feel a thing as he's cut up. He knows he's supernatural and above all human laws."

From an English teacher: "All this is a poor take-off on  Jonathan Swift's 'A Modest Proposal.' "

So there it is.  The most daring break with the past ever suggested in California State history.  Who knows how far and wide the idea will spread, how much positive social good will come of it, how much legal revenue without new taxes will be generated, while at the same time Justice is served?

Now is the time for the public to be heard.  What do you think?"

Book Review: Charles Manson Behind Bars: The Crazy Antics and Amazing Revelations Of America's Icon of Evil

It’s worth mentioning before I begin that few things bother me more than spelling errors in a published book. This one had scores of them. There’s really no excuse when you (Guillermo Mendez) have an experienced co-author (Mark Hewitt). I lost my shit when the chapter devoted to Manson’s time at McNeil Island spelled it “McNeal Island”. No excuse, sorry. Aside from spelling errors it did other things to irritate me and make me sorry I spent my Sunday reading it - like referring to Richard Ramirez (The Night Stalker) in the present tense. The sonofabitch is dead!

Instead of writing a short, traditional review I’ve decided to let the book speak for itself mostly in its own words. If you have any plans to buy it, don’t. It sucked. Truly.

Willie Mendez met Manson in 2003 when he was transferred to Manson’s unit at Corcoran during the twenty-first year of his own incarceration for the near murder his cell-mate who was a convicted child rapist.

Charlie nicknamed him “Boxcar” after Boxcar Willie Nelson.

Shortly after Mendez’s arrival, Manson began conversing with him from the next cell.

“He was just over five feet tall, and no more than 140 pounds. His yellow, state-issue jumpsuit was creased with wrinkles. The old man reminded me of my own mortality. Is this how I will look when parole is granted to me? Will I look like that while I am still waiting to be released? With the exception of his pasty-white skin, he could easily have passed for my tiny grandfather.”

Mendez being a large, imposing figure was surprised by Manson’s diminutive stature:

“In appearance, he was more an affable grandfather than a physical threat. If he were intentionally blocking a doorway, he would not even slow me down. One swing and he would be stretched out on the floor. A knife probably wouldn’t give him any advantage over me, not even an exceedingly large knife.”

But, he said his size was deceiving:

“Rather than being impotent, he revealed himself to be a person of great inner constitution and determination. His eyes gleamed with a focus that was piercing. His stance always demanded respect and fear: he carried himself with a strong presence, yet remained coiled like a rattlesnake giving the impression that he could strike out at any moment.”

Mendez stated that although he had made the acquaintance of many well-known prisoners, that Manson's stature was different:

“Apparently, Charlie was not a mere name to be dropped. He was a celebrity’s celebrity.”

Guns ’n Roses:

“… he was responsible for creating some of the music made famous by the rock band called, ‘Guns ‘n Roses.’ According to him, a prison guard in Vacaville named Sergeant Rose really enjoyed Manson’s music. The guard happened to be the father of Axil Rose who was at the time building his band in Sacramento. Some of the music and lyrics that Charlie composed were shared with Axil who used them to make millions of dollars…. 

“…Though he was the composer, Manson never received the proper credit due him, or any royalties, for his compositions. This infuriated him to no end.”

Mendez felt that unlike others in prison, Manson was actually honest in his words:

“He spoke from the heart, and I could tell that it was painful for him to describe his early years. He demanded the truth from me and was never satisfied with partial truths or manufactured facts. In time, I learned to accept as truth the things he told me, and to reciprocate an honest presentation of reality.”

As to the uncle forcing Charlie to waer a dress to school in response to Charlie being bullied by a bigger boy, he related:

“Once school had been let out, as his uncle had instructed him, he sought out the bully and punched him in the face. The bully was felled by the smallest kid in his grade. The fighting didn’t end, however. Charlie straddled the larger boy and began hitting him again and again. Another student ran to summon the teacher who promptly arrived to pull Charlie off of the bully… 

“…being forced to wear the dress, was now empowered to take matters into his own hands when necessary.”

On Manson’s views on the environment and ATWA:

“While he sojourned in Mexico [as a boy], he was warned to not consume any water. He was told stories about Montezuma’s revenge, the diarrhea that visitors incurred from microscopic microbes within the country’s water. This greatly troubled Manson and was one experience that led him to a deep concern for the environment.” 

“He cares about animals, plants and the entire natural realm. He loves nature: anything that is not human is important to him….

“…He couldn’t have cared less for human beings, however. He considered people to be no more than meatballs, or hunks of flesh that often did more harm than good. The human race, to him, was a bother, a nuisance, and a waste of space. He often criticized people for being brain dead or for belonging to a group of mindless followers. He pointed out that people did things that were so horrible that no animal would even consider them. Animals never caused a holocaust, never went to war over an insult, and never killed anything it didn’t intend to eat. His distain for people was palpable.” 

“Charlie viewed himself as a savior of plants and animals. Only he, the advocate for an environment that can’t verbalize its many ailments, could save nature. He alone cried out on behalf of the natural world, he believed. At times, he was at the edge of despair thinking that it was too late for us to help the world, that too much time had transpired, and too much damage had already been done.”

“I have heard the arguments against Charlie: that his philosophy is a convenient way to induce guilt and fear in others, that it is a way to excuse his own actions, and that it is a means to give him something to hold sacred in light of his loathing of all humans including himself. I don’t buy it, though. Despite his pessimism, Charlie has much to teach the world about the importance of nature, and the natural processes of our world.”

On his growing friendship with Charlie:

“Charlie would often say to me, “We are one. There is no you, me, him, they, or them. There is only one!” I heard it over and over until I was sick of hearing it. It became a kind of mantra for him. Whenever I would get angry at someone and vow revenge, whenever someone else’s actions irked me, whenever I spoke of an enemy, Charlie tried to get me to see things a different way, “We are one. There is no you, me, him, they, or them. There is only one!” Hearing that phrase impressed upon me the foolishness of all anger I harbored toward others. Over time, Charlie helped soften my rage. As the months went by, whether due to my maturing or the instruction I was receiving from my friend, I felt the urge to strike back and hurt others less and less.”

Manson's philosophy on friends:

“All of us need to help each other, or as Charles Manson would sing on the tier, “Love one another, help your brother.” One person at a time, we can make a difference. That is the revolutionary movement that is needed to correct our world’s problems.”

On Manson’e seemingly always changing appearance:

“Charlie changed his hair style from time to time. This may be a reason that others consider him crazy. He was not interested in current hair styles, fitting in with others, or appealing to anyone’s taste but his own. Once, he shaved half his head, leaving the hair on the other half long and flowing. He left his goatee intact. It looked truly bizarre. He explained to me that by attempting to be halfway between good and evil, he could control them both. Jesus had worn long hair, and the devil appears bald in most pictures. By representing them both in his body, he was praising them both. 

“I told Charlie that he had to choose one or the other. In my mind, you couldn’t be both the Satan and God. “There is no in between.” I explained to him. “It’s one or the other.” Charlie disagreed. He “wanted to be an abraxas in his own body, a perfect representation of both good and evil, possessing power over them both.”

On controlling others:

“It isn’t knowledge or wisdom that allows someone to gain control over another. It’s the character and confidence an individual displays that makes the difference. Even the dimmest of people can attract a following, he had concluded.”

“To control other people,” he told me, “you have to let them do what they want to do.” He acknowledged the contradiction, but said it was true: “If you want people to follow you, you have to let them do what they want to do. If you let others be free, they’ll follow you wherever you fly. You just gotta let them be free.” 

On Manson being treated as a tourist attraction:

“Every week, there were people who came to Corcoran to tour the prison facility. They came from junior colleges, universities, and different law enforcement agencies. All these groups visited to learn how the system works, and possibly find employment among the ranks of the Department of Corrections. In addition to these educational visits, some juvenile probation officers brought their charges to participate in a “Scared Straight” program, designed to scare the living hell out of youngsters to steer them away from a life of crime. Part of many visits included a walk past Charles Manson’s cell, as a zoo tour would include a trip to the tiger cage. Most participants never approached his cell directly, staying some 30 feet or more away from it as though they could sense danger. They hoped he was not asleep, but if he was, a guard would tap on his window. “Charlie, you’ve got some visitors,” they would say, or “Girl’s, Charlie, girls!” 

He usually got up to the window and put on a show for the guests. Sometimes, he would wave his arms around mimicking an octopus or he would jump around his cell like a monkey. The visitors usually went away laughing. Once, he put on a fierce expression, and appeared to growl at the spectators. He may have been trying to look like a grizzly bear. Even in his seventies, it was apparent to me that Charlie could still move quickly and be entertaining.”

On the beginnings of The Family:

“He looked for girls that bought into the free love atmosphere of the 1960s, ones he could continue to shape and mold. It was a numbers game, he confided in me. Sure, he had difficulty finding a girl and grooming her to trust him in everything. However, the more women he talked to (and he talked to hundreds, if not thousands), the better chance he had of finding one receptive to his teachings and willing to follow him. As his harem grew, so started the Manson family.”

On the TLB murders:

“Charlie told me that he heard nothing about the Tate murders until after the events had occurred. He suspected that it was a robbery gone wrong. “I think the girls were there to find food and cash,” Charlie speculated. “They were pretty deep into drugs at that time. I tried to get them to cool it with the hard stuff.” 

He also postulated another theory. “They may have been trying to cover up a previous murder,” Charlie added. “Our friend Bobby Beausoleil had killed a guy named Gary Hinman. Some words were written in blood on the walls of Gary’s apartment. The girls may have figured that if they committed a crime and wrote things on the walls, the police might have concluded that the murderer was still on the loose, and Bobby may have been released from prison. I think the girls went to steal, but somehow things got out of hand.” 

“I went with the group the next night.” Charlie told me. “We were looking for food and cash. That’s all we ever took. It’s not like we meant to hurt anyone. We just wanted the rich people to share what they had, just as we shared with each other in northern California. When I was done tying the couple up, and taking the food we needed, I returned to the car. 

“I have no idea why the girls killed those two,” Charlie claimed. “They never did anything to us. We didn’t even know them. I think the girls were just plain crazy. They were intending to write on the walls. That’s it. There was no plan for murder. I got blamed because they were younger than me.” Charlie sounded like an accused older sibling who was wrongly implicated in the disobedient act of a younger brother or sister.”

“I asked Charlie, one day when we were having a heart-to-heart conversation, whether he in fact ordered the killings that were committed by the Manson Family. He replied, “I didn’t have to.” When I asked him to clarify, he explained to me that leaders are able to insulate themselves from blame for what their underlings do. He pointed out that American presidents regularly claim that they didn’t order this or that illegal activity, even though they had full knowledge of what was going to take place. A president’s advisors will take the fall, if criminal activity is ever discovered. Charlie claimed similar executive privilege for himself.

“So you knew about the killings and let them happen even if you didn’t order them?” I asked.

“All I’m saying is that I didn’t have to order nothing.” Charlie changed the topic and would not answer any more of my questions on the topic.”

And oh yeh, every book about Manson needs a revelation - something new we didn't already know, right? Ok... here it is. Ready????? Charles Manson is homosexual. <yawn>

Austin Ann's Recommended Reading!

My latest library find was a helluva selection! "Life After Murder: Five Men In Search Of Redemption" by Nancy Mullane is a MUST READ for anyone interested in reading about crime & punishment in the state of California, and Tate/LaBianca case researchers everywhere. Why, you ask? Well, let me put it this way: After reading this book, you will understand why Pat, Leslie, Bobby, Bruce, Tex & Charlie aint ever gonna see the outside of a prison! While the book doesn't mention anything about the Tate/LaBianca/Hinman/Shea murderers, it does explain in great detail the California parole system, and how, if you are unlucky enough to be convicted of murder in California, the small chance you will ever have of returning to free society. In other words, after reading this book, I have no doubt Manson, and his ex-disciples will ever get out. The author also writes a lot about how unfair it is that the governor can make an inmate wait up to 150 days, and then take his/her parole date away, which happens most of the time, and how the inmates suffer horribly from the torture of not knowing their fate. It will definitely make you think! Of course, I am for victims rights too, but in some cases, I think change, and redemption can happen. Anyway, here is the "official" description of the book:

Life After Murder is an intimately reported, utterly compelling story of five convicted murderers sentenced to life with the possibility of parole, who discover after decades in prison that their second chance, if it comes at all, is also the challenge of a lifetime. It follows their struggle for redemption, their legal battles to make good on the state’s promise of parole, and the lives they found after so many years inside.

Charles Mutherfuckin' Manson, Who the Hell is He?

Happy Birthday, Liz!!!!

Burned by Susanna Lo!

A  reader recently wrote in to let us know how his experience bidding on eBay for a walk on
role in Susanna Lo's Manson Girls:

Hi, I came across your blog entry on Susanna Lo and the Manson Girls movie. She scammed me out of 2,000 dollars by selling a walk on role in the film. She is still refusing to refund me the money. The financing of the film fell apart almost two years ago and she is still maintaining an IMDB.com page and listing all these famous actors as being in the movie even though they aren’t involved. I have screen captures of the auction I bought and I have emails from the guy who ran the auction detailing all the issues with Susanna Lo. I also have an email from the manager of  (an actress) where he says (she) was no longer involved with the film because financing fell apart. But Susanna still keeps her listed as one of the people starring in the film. 

Here are some of the emails: 

To: "Eviliz Reader"
Subject: Manso (sic) Girls film Walk On Role 
Date: Mon, 5 Aug 2013 14:47:38 -0400 
From: "MSA"

Hi, I got a message from T that you were trying to get a hold of me. I actually tried calling you last year and even left a message and emailed you c (sic) few times but never heard back so I assumed you had already worked out something with Susanna Lo. Did you change your email and number since you won the auction? 

Unfortunately she will not pay you a dime as well as the other guy who won the walk on role. We advanced her a lot of money as a deposit and she refuses to give us anything and hasn't even offered to try and work it out somehow. Basically she defrauded all of us and now we are forced to sue her and her company. I really wish it didn't have to be that way but I guarantee that no one will ever invest a dime with her for the rest of her life when we are done. This is my personal email address so if you need to reach me. We may want to include you in the law suite (sic) if that's ok with you. We just want to get everyone's money back including ours. She has repeatedly told anyone who has money tied up with her that she is filming or will start up again, saying that over and over. In the meantime can you put together all of her email correspondences with you and forward me that? that would help a great deal. Thanks. "MSA"

From: "Eviliz Reader"
Sent: Sunday, October 13, 2013 6:46 AM 
To: "J"
Subject: Manson Girls 

Hi, About two years ago I paid for a walk-on role in the movie "Manson Girls". I never received what I paid for as the movie has not gone into production. The auction I bought on Ebay stated that I would be entitled to a full refund if the movie did not go into production within 18 months. I have not been able to get my money from Susanna Lo or SloMo Productions. I know that your client (the actress) was one of the producers on the film. I would like to see if you could help me get my money back since Susanna Lo refuses to cooperate. Thank you, "Eviliz Reader"

From: "J"
To: "Eviliz Reader"
Subject: RE: Manson Girls 
Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2013 17:58:05 +0000 

Hi– I’m sorry to hear about your situation with the production. That is truly unfortunate, but Susanna is certainly the right person to contact. (The actress) was not a producer with producing responsibilities. The production was not able to meet her financial quote. So instead, they offered her an additional “producing credit” as a way to entice her onto the project. From what I understand, the film fell apart due to lack of financing. (The actress) never worked on the project and was never paid. She has since moved on to other projects. I asked (the actress) if she had any contact information for Susanna and she informed me that all of her contact information was out of date and she did not know how to reach her. Sorry about that. I wish I could be of more help. All the best, "J"

Well! How rude, huh? Patty confirmed that "the Actress" is no longer listed on the IMDb record accessed on 10/23 (above) . Susanna is making friends all over, it seems. Perhaps she earned some bad karma by not sending Liz the T-shirt she promised? ooEEoo