DIFFERENT DRUMMER! THE PERSONAL LIFESTLYE AND
BUSINESS OF RALPH THOMAS
By Pamala Fergison
What makes success? If he ask Ralph Thomas he will tell you you have to march to the tune of a differnt drummer. Boating, computers, reading, writing, Texas licensed private investigator,
marketing--bits-bytes- Email, web pages, mail order, cyberspace and books-books-
books- books- books. That's about the world of Ralph Thomas both from a
business and personal standpoint.
Thomas is known to disappear for days on end with his half-breed dog
(part chow and part Husky) and another little companion that talks back
to him, an Apple Notebook Computer. He's usually out on his 38 foot boat
named The Private-Eye anchored somewhere up the Colorado River in the Texas
Hill Country in a quite cove working on either a new book, a new PI Catalog,
a web page or studying and researching some new idea. He'll usually come
in when he runs out of food or fuel or his wife Barabara talks him in. He'd
likely forgo coming back without the fuel thing except he needs the generator
to keep his Notebook Computer batteries powered up for days on end. Last
summer he left dry land May 29th and was gone for six weeks. When he finally
hit dry land again (his wife talked him in that time) he had another book
done.
Thomas says he's addicted to Apple Computers and new computer programs.
He fails to see why anyone would want to use any computer other than an
Apple but that's likely because he knows so much about them. When so-called
computer consultants come into his place of business, it's usually him
who tells them what "they" are doing wrong. Thomas does do some
work on the Windows/Dos side of things but he's quick to point out that
he only does that these days on what he terms a Power Macintosh PC Compatible
Machine, a computer with the Apple logo on it that has both the Mac OS and Dos/Windows operating system
built right into it. Thomas says that, if he had his way, Apple, Unix,
Dos and Windows would all be trashed and the advantages of each system
would be designed into one so all computer systems would be the same.
Lee Laplin wrote in one of his books that Ralph Thomas belongs on the
TV program, The Lifestyle Of The Rich And Famous. Thomas states that he
doesn't belong to the catagory of the Rich when it comes to money and is
rarely known outside the private investigative profession so doesn't see
how he could qualify for that. But they say Thomas has always been modest
about things like that. "Every once in a while," says his wife,
"a complete stranger will walk up to him and ask if he's Ralph Thomas
and then usually want his autograph. He gives it to them, takes the time to talk with them but he's usually taken back by it and really
doesn't understand his own notoriety." Aside from private investigation,
which we will get to in a minute, personally talking with Thomas about
his personal life brings up a number of unusual interests.
One of Thomas's interests include Native American art. He's been collecting
it since the 1970's. "If I had it to do all over again, I'd likely
learn silversmithing from the better known artists," he's known to
remark from time to time. Thomas follows Native American Lapidary and Silversmith
work and knows all the established craftsman. He says that the Native American
art form has developed into a high art form since he started following
it. Thomas describes this passion for Native American art like this: "It's simply a
reflection of their customs and culture-there's just something about it--you
can feel it. The Native American Indian has been royally screwed by the
white man. Frankly, I don't understand why they all don't hate us but it's
just not in their nature. But the American Indian seems to be able to think
on a higher plane than we do. It's reflected in their art- and it's a spiritual
thing. The white man's world tends to gravitate towards material wealth
while the native American mind tends to gravitate towards spirtuality and
creativity. Some can see it while others can not."
Ralph Thomas On American Indians:
"But the American Indian seems to be able to think on a higher
plane than we do. It's reflected in their art- and it's a spiritual thing.
The white man's world tends to gravitate towards material wealth while
the Native American mind tends to gravitate towards spirtuality and creativity.
Some can see it while others can not."
Thomas is also a police and investigation badge collector. His badge
collections include actual badges used in TV programs and movies as well
as police badges and badges from famous private investigators. His badge
collection numbers in the hundreds. He also has an eye and appreciation
of art in general. "My brother David is the real artist in the family,
I just have to be content enjoying it." (His brother has designed
all the animation in Show Biz Pizza Parlors and Chucky Cheese) In his earlier
years, Thomas was a drummer and had a band that did Pop stuff. "I
purchased one of those electronic organs a few years ago and enjoy playing
the thing but it's more like a computer-you hit a few notes and the darn
thing plays the song for you-it's not talent," he says.
When you get to know him, you'll find that under that ruff-business
voice of his is a very private, conservative and informal person. At the
NAIS PI Convention in 1995, he broke down and wore a tie and coat, the
first time he had had one on in almost two years. "I hate those things-they
serve no useful purpose in modern times. When you trace the history of
the male tie back, you'll find it 's use was a bib! The only reason business
people wear the darn things is because they think they are supposed to." Rarely will you see
him in anything but golf shirts, blue jeans or shorts. Formal to him is
having to put a pair of socks on and long pants with a button down shirt.
Even on the few occasions when he does get what he calls formal, he'll
usually attempt to forego the socks unless it's winter time. Even when
it's cold, if he don't have cowboy boots on, you'll likely find him wearing
sandals such as Birkenstocks with socks. He's so sensitive about it, he's
compiled a list of IBM types and lawyers who wear Birkenstocks to work.
He follows unusual casual shoe companies like Birkenstock, Joseph Seibel
and Teva like he owned half the stock in them. He's always telling the
story about how this Colorado raft-rider invented the Teva Sandal and changed
the history of shoe styles for men. "When I do wear conventional shoes
with socks, I usually find I have to change both socks and shoes two or
three times a day." According to Thomas, the new men's style in shoes
for the end of 1996 is clogs which will boom into 1997.
Ralph Thomas On Business Mans's Ties:
"I hate those things-they serve no useful purpose in modern
times. When you trace the history of the male tie back, you'll find it
's use was a bib! The only reason business people wear the darn things
is because they think they are supposed too."
No one really knows where in the world this weird custom of shoes and
sandals came from except that Thomas has always had trouble with shoes
and always complained that his feet hurt. It wasn't until he discovered
that he could get away with wearing things like Tevas and Birckenstocks
that he quite complaining. In his teenage years, he was in a very bad car
accident which has caused bone spurs on the bottom of his feet that developed
in his late 20's he's very careful about shoes. He says that if he doesn't
have the right kind of shoes on, he feels like he's walking on small rocks
barefoot all day but you kinda get the idea that he's only a little better
off with the shoes he has. When he explains this to you, you'll wonder
how in the heck he walks in the first place. He has foot massagers all
over the house to help the pain and goes to a reflexologist. The same car
accident that caused the bone spurs in his feet also gave him a bad back
that he complains about anytime he's required to stand for any length of
time. The correct shoe support seem to also help his back. "For people
who have foot problems and back problems, shoes become very important and
I'm gald to see more shoes for health and comfort in style instead of just
style. "There was a time when a male who had sandals was usually considered
some kind of weirdo-I wear them for health reasons-If I wouldn't have started
that, I might be on crutches most of the time today. I don't think God
means for man to stuff his feet in wool socks and then stuff those in an
incasement of leather so they can be cramed and soaked in sweat all day!"
Thomas remarked about it.
Thomas On Shoes
"There was a time when a male who had sandals was usually
considered some kind of weirdo-I wear them for health reasons-If I wouldn't
have started that, I might be on crutches most of the time today. I don't
think God means for man to stuff his feet in wool socks and then stuff
those in an incasement of leather so they can be cramed and soaked in sweat
all day!"
That's a strange statement from a man who wears cowboy boots on occassion
in the winter time. His remark on the conflict is that cowboy boots provide
the support you need as long as it's not too hot. His wife says he will
usually only wear them for half a day. In fact, Thomas rarely wears the
same pair of shoes all day anyway.
The special person in Ralph's life is his wife Barbara. "She's
my lifelong companion I choose to spend my life with and I think I'd rather
be with her than anyone on earth," he says. Despite his workaholic
personality and long hideaways on his boat, he spends a great deal of time
with Barbara. Barbara is much different and more down to earth than Ralph
but she's a bookish person and he likely likes that. Thomas himself devours
books like a fat man devours dinner. Half the time, when the two go somewhere
together, it's usually out to dinner and then to the book store.
Thomas and his wife Barbara are avid History buffs. With his wife by
his side, his idea of fun is traveling the backroads of Texas in search
of hundred year old houses, buildings and hotels and studying the history
behind them. They are bed and breakfast old house type people who enjoy
the rural country life through the backroads of Texas.
"I love living in Austin, Texas," Thomas says. That is likely
because Austin is almost a city built right around the needs and wants
of Thomas. He tends to be a computer nerd and Austin is becoming the new
computer capitol of the nation if not the world. He loves books. Austin
in the most bookish city in the country with more per capita books being
sold there than any other place in the United States. The book stores are
huge there. Thomas loves the hill country, the wilderness and the Colorado
River. He's a boater and the Colorado River (locally known as Lake Austin) is sandwiched between two dams about 120 miles apart with cliffs
and rolling hills and wilderness in between. Thomas can run his cabin cruiser
up and down the Colodaro river for days on end. Thomas loves hot weather
and if you like it hot, you'll love Austin in the summer time. Austin is
a college town, home of The University Of Texas, so Thomas' otherwise strange
custom of showing up at the office in a golf shirt, walking shorts and
sandals doesn't look so strange in this town as it might in someplace like
Cleveland or Washington DC. Austin itself and the areas around it are just full of old buildings
and houses that Thomas can study.
"My second favorite "person" is my dog," Thomas
says. "No matter what you do, dogs will always greet you-they don't
want anything from you-they are just happy to see you. That's loyalty.
You can always trust them and always depend on them emotionally-they don't
want anything back." Thomas says that Dogs are sensitive creatures
that have feelings just like humans do. Thomas treats his dogs as if they
where human-more like most people treat their children. Thomas says, "I know they can think-I can watch them
doing it." In a lot of ways, they are smarter than us but to see that,
you have to see the soul," Thomas remarked. If you spend time with
Thomas personally, you'll usually end up spending time with his dogs. There
are two of them. Inspector Gadget is a black over-stuffed half chow and
half husky who is constantly at Thomas's side. He remarked that Gadget
even has to be in the bathroom with him when he's taking a shower or using
the room for other conventional reasons. The other dog is a small
Scotish Terrier named Skyler. Both dogs have their own police badges
they wear on their dog collars.Thomas is the first to admit they both are
the most spoiled dogs in the world.