There is a theory that says that we are all linked via six people to each other. I have found some people that I am linked to by five degrees of separation. As a result, if you know me, then you are linked to them by six degrees. So, by all means, get to know me.

I owe the greatest debt to three people: my former student Jon Jennings, my brother Wayne Pacelle, and Peter Wilhoit, the former drummer for the Cutters and now the drummer for Fiction Plane. Their ties to the famous and near famous allow me the connection to greatness.
 
 

Me------------Fenton-----------Big Papa----------Franklin D. Roosevelt--------------Joseph Stalin
                                     Fenton's Great                                                                 Ruthless Soviet Dictator
                                                   Grandfather

Me-------------Wayne-------------Charlotte Ross--------------Mark-Paul Gosselaar------------Dustin Diamond
                                          Actress and Animal                                                                                        TV's Screech
                                                      Rights Advocate who
                                                    has worked with Wayne

Me-------My Dad------------Coach Nick Nicolau----------Lyle Alzado-----------Jerry Mathers as the Beaver
                          Former college teammates                             Both appeared in The Girl, the Gold Watch & Dynamite (1981)
                          and coaching colleages

Me------------Burke Marshall-----------Archibald Cox--------------Bobby or--------------Marilyn Monroe
                     Former Asst. AG            Former Solicitor                          John Kennedy
                            for Civil Rights                 General                                    (take your pick)

Me----------Peter Wilhoit-----------------Kenny Aranoff----------------David Letterman---------Marilyn Manson
                                                                         Peter's Drum Teacher

Me------Jon Jennings----------------Sen.Ted Kennedy---------------------------Marilyn Monroe-------------------------Joltin' Joe DiMaggio
             Former Student of Mine

Me----------------Peter Wilhoit-----------------------Shawn Pelton-----------------------------Neil Young
                                                                      Peter's Teacher
                                                                                       and SNL Drummer

Me--------------------Wayne-----------------Sen. Maria Cantwell----------Sen. Hillary Clinton--------------David Letterman
                      My Little Brother                      Wayne's friend

We can also link David Letterman and Neil Young through Steve Jordan, the original drummer for the NBC Late Night with David Letterman show and later a drummer for Neil Young.

Me-------Jon Jennings----------Ted Kennedy----------Richard Nixon----------Elvis Presley

Fortunately, it takes me two more linkages (and that is one too many) from Elvis to Lisa Marie to Michael Jackson
 

Me------Jon Jennings-----------Thurgood Marshall, Jr.----------------Thurgood Marshall, Sr.---------------------Linda Brown
                                           Jon's Boss in the                                                                                                          from Brown v. Board
                                                           White House                                                                                                                  of Education

Me---------------------Walter Dellinger--------------------------Kenneth Starr---------------------------Monica Lewinsky
                                            I interviewed both Dellinger and Starr for my book

Me---------------Candace Marshall-----------------------Gus Otto-------------------------Al Davis----------------------Lance Alworth
         My colleague Bryan's wife worked for Gus         Former LB for the Raiders                  Coach of Chargers             My All-time Favorite Football Player 

I have struggled mightily to find some way to connect myself to my favorite artist Raphael. This is a difficult task because he died 434 years before I was born. This is the best I can come up with. It takes the full number of linkages, but I think it works.

Me-----------------Joanne-------------------Eunice Shriver-----------------Peter Lawford---------------Shirley MacLaine-------------Raphael
                My cousin who worked for the Shriver Center

And of course, there is the mandatory connection to Kevin Bacon:

Me---------------------Wayne---------------Charlotte Ross---------------Kelsey Grammer--------------------Kevin Bacon
                                                                                           Charlotte Ross guest starred on Frazier as did Kevin Bacon

Jackson and Hugo are political animals. let's see how they are connected to some of the great political animals of our time.

Jackson and Hugo----------------Fenton---------------Big Papa----------------FDR------------------------Fala

Jackson and Hugo---------Me-----------Jon Jennings----------------Ted Kennedy---------------Richard Nixon-------------Checkers
 
 

Jackson and Hugo-------Wayne--------Matthew Scully----------------George Bush--------------------Ronald Reagan----------------Bonzo
                                                       Speech writer for
                                                          George Bush

Jackson and-----------Me-----------------Jon Jennings----------------Hillary Clinton-------------------Buddy and Socks
   Hugo

Jackson----------Wayne----------Matthew Scully--------------George Bush------------------Spot and Barney
and Hugo