And then, yes, pre y2k I bought his books on Strategic Relocation (too bad I didn't do it then)
Also his book on survival houses, etc.
For a time we carried on a lively back and forth email correspondence, but we all know what happens over time.
I drooled over those houses which he designed for folks, but the cost was as high as Clinton used to be in college.
Interesting how that plane "broke" like that. Composite built planes would be more likely to do that, I guess.
My friend of near lifetime...he was my first JBS Chapter Leader that I brought in WAY back when G.Edward Griffin (as he is called nowadays) and I were each Section Leaders in the JBS....anyway, Frank Varnum built quite a number of homebuilts, his last one completed when he was 95, another year to get full certification. His flight physical? The doc, age about 45 said: "Hell, Varnum, you're in better shape than me".
And he was. I have a pic of Captain Varnum exiting that last homebuilt after it's Virgin Flight at Roseburg, Oregon. Also the home of my SECOND JBS Chapter leader in '63 and in years later in the Network Marketing business with us. We traveled all over until Big Pharma destroyed our excellent Herbalife business overnight back in '85. But Bill went on to design radically improved fuel tanks for high wing (and later, low wing) aircraft. Lots of interference by big boys, but one night he and Helen got on their prayer knees and asked GOD to handle all of the snipers who were determined to keep this safety product off the market. They were going to abandon everything, the five years of intense work, the jigs to make them, everything.
Five days later, a call came from the big big guy in charge of such, for an employee way down the chain had purloined the general information and all of the stress tests, etc that had been done, and made sure the Decision Guy got the plans.
The Decision Man was astounded at how this had been pigeon holed, got on the phone to Bill and Helen, said he was flying to Oregon next week to see this operation and meet them. Heck, he wound up staying in their home and in a few months all approvals were completed, and Bill recovered financially for the losses from nutrition businesses, etc. They shipped those tanks to dozens of different countries, etc, all done at the 'factory " that joined to their home in Oregon. Sadly, decades of breathing those fumes from working composites.... I warned Bill so many times...anyway, that feisty Irishman (takes one to know one) ,who was one of the closest friends of my life (that's saying a lot) was lost to cancer...a shocking thing to those who knew that Bill and Helen followed a rigorous good diet, etc. But that cannot overcome decades of toxic fumes.
Here's the other thing...two things...about Bill..AND the quality of men and women who were the original John Birchers....before it became popular .
Bill was first hired by Howard Hughes himself to work on the famous Spruce Goose monster aircraft. Bill (a genius) was recognized for that AND his work ethic, so he spent the best part of a year right up in cockpit design, side by side with Howard.
As an aside, my second career after getting out of the old combat police action, was...Ta DA...working for Howard Hughes. Hired as an electronic technician to work on the Great Computer Race of the late fifties. Get this: There were six cabinets, about seven feet tall that were to be "The Computer". I was assigned to one, to work with the engineers on THAT phase. Heck, dip soldering circuit boards was the big advance!! I was hand wiring my cabinet, only to have the engineers bring another schematic in a few days, and then tear out my work.
One day, I was deep in the cabinet when a troop of Blue Suits came through. A guy paused at my cabinet and said: "Nice clean work" and moved on. He had on tennis shoes and a suit.
"Who was that?", I asked.
"Hell man, that was Howard Hughes that complimented you".
I walked a little taller for a week or so.
I quit that job because the workers were more like government workers. Lazy assed goof offs. Even clocked each other out at morning break, time carded the AWOL dude AND A DUDESS, same with lunch, and then clocked them out at three, meet them and give the cards to the somewhat messy reeking of you know what couple.
I knew if I stuck around there, I'd pick up habits that I had not grown up with.
Now the final. Bill then went to work for the early day Mattel company as chief pattern maker. One day they called him in and said: "Bill , design us a doll...the market is good but could be huge, then there's the clothes, etc follow up sales. So make it "sellable) (Yeah, I know it's not a word).
So Bill did. The made a trial run for a toy show. Sold out in moments. Called Bill in. Looks like a winner. We are going to pay you (some percentage) on this product. Hands were shaken.
Two weekends later, Bill went in to find that the company had been sold. So he inquired about the paper work on his royalty contract.
You guessed it: "What contract?" said the bastards. "We didn't sign THAT paper".
Bill (Irish, remember) told them what kind of bastards they were, and left that moment.
For decades, enterprising TV producers would do one of those "Where are they now" stories and find Bill.
Why? Because Bill Barton conceived and crafted Barbie. That cost him millions of dollars.
OH yes, I have had a colorful life myself, but also some amazing friends, the kind that some folks lament because they have not even one side by side with them no matter what kind of friend. I have had 8 of those, thanks to the character and bravery that the early day Birchers exemplified.
We were street warriors and never missed an opportunity to destroy commie meetings, etc
TODAY, I WISH I HAD NEVER HEARD THAT SPEECH BY EX CONGRESSMAN KITT CLARDY of Michigan." The Truth about the Big Boys of the Republican party and Eisenhower in particular. Finally went to a VFW meeting, after refusing them for a year or so. (I don't drink alcohol, don't smoke, hate dirty stories and respect women.) Not that everyone is that way, but I had enough of the get togethers until this high class man, who suffered grievously at the hands of Eisenhower and the Big Boys, because he would not "bury" some vital information which his committee had unearthed.
RIP , Kitt Clardy, ex Congressman from Michigan.
And that same bravery and zeal for truth was why and how I met you guys, Zoggie first. But for the failure of a guy to honor a handshake land deal in Kentucky, Zog and I would have been side by side neighbors all of these years, and I would not be in California. Oh well, YOU guys will survive. As you do, be certain to seal up those underground cities where the "elite" have taken up residence. GOD bless each of you , special friends. And Seamus, I can't find our famous poem. DANG. "Two Dudes and Two Beamers". Some truly great lines in that effort!
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