A11North Padre Island MoonMay 29, 2009

Under the Padre Palms

Notes fromThe Island© 2009, Arlan Andrews, Sr.arlan@thingsto.com

Notes #164: Unforgettable Characters I Have Met … (and Wish I Hadn’t)

We recently celebrated “Earth Day,” so it can be interesting to look at some of the early supporters of that auspicious event. For example, once in New Jersey I met this guy…

Carolina and My MindBack in February 1972 I wrote a guest

editorial in the Bell Labs News, exhorting Ma Bell’s researchers and engineers (like me) to pay attention to the growing evidence for alternatives to conventional communication systems, lest we all be left out and displaced by new discoveries or new technologies. Entitled “ESP Should Be Studied Scientifically,” this article earned me some notoriety within the old Bell System, and resulted, among other things, in an unusual invitation. I was asked to come from North Carolina to the Olympus of AT&T, namely the Bell Telephone Laboratories HQ at Murray Hill, New Jersey, home of Nobel Prize winners in every science that existed, and a few new ones invented right there in The Labs.

The purpose of the visit was to get with some other Bell Labs types who were meeting with a rising and famous Israeli psychic, one Uri Geller, he of spoon-bending and mind-reading fame. Astonished that Bell Labs printed my editorial to begin with, I was further flabbergasted that such a meeting would ever take place in the hallowed halls where Shockley, Brattain and Bardeen (inventors of the transistor) yet walked – and that I would be invited. I expected great things to come of that auspicious gathering, (almost none of which have happened in the intervening thirty seven years).

Off to See the WizardI arrived at Murray Hill in due course, attended

the meeting, talked to some nice folks from HQ and other locations, and met with Uri Geller, of whom I will speak in greater detail in another column some day (not at all glowingly, I assure you. The man is a fraud).

When I first walked into the Bell Labs office for the Geller meeting, there atop a desk, sitting cross-legged, was a skinny, bearded, pony-tailed, blue-jeaned, sandal-clad hippie, making some kind of weird noises. (Given the non-conformist reputation of Bell Labs scientists, I didn’t know if he might be an executive.) He began spouting pseudo-intellectual observations about the wonderful powers of Geller, the incredible intellect of Geller’s co-author, Dr. Andrija Puharich who was present, and

of course, about his own incredible self. Turns out that in Philadelphia he was a locally-famous antiwar activist/leftist/flower child /futurist/mystic, and it had been he who had charmed a naïve and gullible Vice President of Pennsylvania Bell into bringing Mr. Geller to the Labs for the historic demonstration that ultimately came close to naught, or less.

P. T. Barnum… Months later, this chemically-altered “Child

of the 60s” was featured prominently in the Pennsylvania Bell company magazine, with an article called (if I remember correctly) “Clonus,” an exposition about the future of science and technology and management written in a style so utterly meaningless as to be incomprehensible. (Or was it vice-versa?) In answer, I wrote a parody poem, “Clonus Is Upon Us” that translated most of the gobbledygook into a semblance of English (though its message was still garbage), skewering this pretentious clown and his incredulous Pennsylvania Bell sponsor. My poem ended, “In English, it takes less than half a page.” Surely no one in power could be taken in by this guy!

But sadly, over the next few years this loud, smelly and abusive charlatan actually earned four-figure fees from real companies to lecture and write about his vision of New Age Management, his raving antics finally becoming outrageous enough to win him a scholarship to Harvard, at the Kennedy School of Government Einhorn had even started “Earth Day” locally, and is alleged by some to be a co-founder of the national event, so his liberal New Age credentials were spotless.

…Meets Jack the RipperThen in 1979, this great man’s activities

garnered national attention – the body of his girlfriend (from Tyler, Texas), missing for a year and a half, was found in his apartment, she having been murdered and stuffed into a small trunk. Once released on an incredibly low bail thanks to his attorney, the now-famous Senator Arlen Specter, this drug-dealing “Icon of the 60s” skipped to Europe, but was tried in absentia, found guilty of murder, and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1997.

In July of 2001 in France, facing extradition back to the US to face a new trial for this horrendous murder and his more than two decades as a fugitive from justice, Ira Einhorn cut his own throat, and, bleeding, talked about his persecution to French TV, claiming that the CIA had murdered his girl friend. He lived, was sent to the US for re-trial, and in October 2002, after only two hours of deliberation a Pennsylvania jury sentenced the famous mystical man to life in prison.

The moral here is: You just never know who you’ll meet, in New Jersey… I think I’d rather have met Tony Soprano.

Car Show Coming to The IslandFire up your Fliver and come join in

The first Friday Night Cruise-in is set for the Sonic Drive in on The Island on Friday, May 29 at 6 p.m. Drivers are invited to bring their classic car or truck – 1981 or older. The event is free. The event will be held on the 3rd Friday of each month. For more information call Trent at 567 224-2381 or e-mail him at trent@theyman.com. Trent recently moved to The Island from Ohio where he was part of a classic car club and wanted to start a similar group on The Island.

My latest trip took me to New Mexico where I attended an Optometric convention. When I’m not wearing my moon monkey hat I examine eyes for a living. I landed in Albuquerque and walking out of the airport I immediately noticed the dry air, which I learned, was due to the average 5% humidity there. On the cab ride to the hotel I viewed the pristine city with its mountain backdrop and sky filled with colorful hot air balloons.

When I got to the hotel I met up with the two brothers with whom I went to Optometry school in Chicago who have a practice in Roswell. I told them I would like to take a balloon ride and was surprised to find out they own one. A standard hot air balloon costs about $30,000 and the basket holds up to four people. Seems that getting riders is the easy part but getting friends to help with the two hour set up and two-hour break down is another story. On top of that you need someone in a chase vehicle because you never know where you are going to land. The day I set aside for my ride was too windy but I will write about the experience when I visit them in Roswell.

As a parent I have an interesting aside to all this. My son, a college student, was very concerned about me going on a balloon trip. This is the kid that has gone skydiving and mountain climbing. Nice worry reversal for a change.

Day two I spent in Santa Fe which is about an hour’s drive. You drive along a highway surrounded by rocky terrain until you get to a town like no other. There were strict building codes put forth in the 50s which allowed only one story adobe style homes in colors of the landscape. These homes on the perimeter truly blend in because there is no vegetation.

Downtown Santa Fe is beautiful and meant for walking. At the center is a beautiful tree filled park and gothic styled St. Francis Cathedral. Along one end of the center court is a long covered porch where local Indians spread out their wares. The plaza surrounding is a shopping haven with each shop displaying its own unique jewelry, artwork, household items or clothing. They actually seem more like art galleries than stores. There are many cafes and restaurants sprinkled between for rest stops. I spoke to shopkeepers who told me business, this past year is one third of the previous and rents continue to rise, currently $5000-$7000. There are many museums and art galleries including Georgia O’Keefe’s. within walking distance A must see place to visit in the town square is Evangelo’s which is a corner saloon built in 1938 by a Greek man whose son Nick still runs it today. Nick said “There were only 8,000 people here then and 800 were from Greece. They worked and ran the restaurants and bars here.” Nick’s

father was in the army during WWII and his face with helmet and cigarette dangling was featured on the cover of Life and Time magazine. Two of the Rolling Stones have jammed here and Nick has pictures of them as well as other famous visitors lining the walls.

The next day back in Albuquerque I went to Old Town, which similarly has a central park and church but is a much smaller area. The shopping of course could not compare but there were some interesting restaurants in unique old buildings. The one I ate at was an adobe building with 18-inch walls that was once a nunnery.

The highlight of my trip was the cable car ride on the longest tramway in the world. It goes up the Sandia Mountains which is what this part of the Rockies is called. It starts at 4000 feet and makes the climb up at 15mph to 10,000 feet. This was easily the longest 15 minutes of my life. Where the cable car starts out is misleading because you see it rise close to the slope. What you don’t see until you are aboard is that this changes rather quickly to a deep gorge. There are mountains on either side

There are more than just mountains in New Mexico by Mary Craft

with rock formations and the occasional deer or bear but you are crossing between them suspended on a small cable. The guide would announce the heights as we reached them 7000, 8000,...

There were about 25 of us standing in the car but I was the only one clutching the center pole double fisted while the others were against the window enjoying the view. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse it was announced that one of the two cable towers was coming up and we were going to sway as we went past. Finally just after my ears popped we arrived at our destination.

As the door opened they announced where the restrooms were located which is information I did not need since I relieved myself on the way up. There was a restaurant, large viewing deck and a wall map showing the walking trails. With shaky knees I shuffle walked so as to not accidentally trip and fall over the fencing.

Amazingly going down was not scary at all. Maybe because it seemed more natural or maybe just relief but I was able to enjoy the view and even saw some deer on

cliffs.I did plenty in the 72 hours in New Mexico

but one of the most unexpected events happened on the evening I arrived on my way to visit the convention exhibit hall located in one of the banquet rooms of the Embassy Suites where I stayed, I noticed many large ornately dressed “women” walking around. It turns out they were there for a coronation of drag queens. I peeked inside the door and saw a stage with a runway set up and tables surrounding filled with people in formal wear. I put on my moon cap and recruited one of the participants to get me inside.

The show had not started yet so I was able to meet and talk to those attending. Each large round table had a group from a different state including Nebraska and Iowa (who woulda thunk). I asked to get a picture with some of the bigger girls since I am six feet tall and wanted to show how much taller than me they were especially with the high heels and bouffant hair. One of them was Diva Amber who is 6’4” without her heels and owns a CPA firm in Ft. Worth. Apparently, none of her staff are aware of her other life. Her petite male partner proudly told me she was not participating in the coronation but was the main attraction. She was to perform just before the crowning at midnight and needless to say I returned for the show. She did a medley of Elvis songs and between ballads the hefty star would do cartwheels and for her finale she did a split.

I learned that this group prefers to be called drag queens and not cross dressers or transvestites. The key difference is this group performs which is easy since they lip sync so no singing voice is required which is a good thing since they would mostly be baritones. So, it turns out there’s way more than mountains and hot air balloons in New Mexico.

Photos by Mary Craft

Construction is underway on showers and restrooms at the Windward parking lot along the seawall. They were part of the vote that approved the building of Packery Channel in 2000. There have, however, been some complaints from residents in Portofino next door who say the original plan called for the restrooms to be on the opposite side of the parking lot, further from the condos.

Photo by Mike Pisula

Photo by Dale Rankin

Great day to take the kids fishing.

Photo by Mary Craft