October 25, 2006 Archives

I called my folks on the way home from work tonight. I do most every night at 11:35. I wasn't a particularly easy kid. I've tried to be a better son as an adult.

Usually my dad is asleep and my mom and I will chat as I drive home. There's always something going on. Their social life is busier than ever. If that fails, someone's seen a doctor and there's medical news to be discussed.

Tonight, probably because of the World Series, my father was awake. He got on the phone.

He was very excited about his second day as a computer teacher. In the clubhouse of their Florida condo there is a computer lab with a dozen or so networked PC. It's a teaching facility, put together by some residents, with my father's assistance. That's where the computer club meets.

There are still plenty of people in the condos who've never used a PC, but want to. Their kids want to send them photos or email... or maybe they sense they should learn as an abstract concept. They just don't know how to get started.

One of the cooler things about being a resident of this 'adults only' condo complex is, my parents live in a non-judgmental world. Every new endeavor is encouraged. You want to dance or sing or make ceramics or learn computers? Go for it. Everyone is supportive.

My dad is their computer teacher. How cool is that?

He's not a pro. He has no training. When he last attended school, computers didn't exist.

He's just a nice guy - one of them. He's got a bit of knowledge and a lot of passion. Being passionate is a valuable trait no matter what you're doing.

My father's strength is his ability to unlock the little things for these seniors. They're simple things you might take for granted, like how to enter an address for a website or how to do a search. Even double clicking is a foreign concept when you've never double clicked!

He is opening a new world to these people.

Today he showed them a site where they could find newspapers from their hometowns. Then he popped over to Youtube.com for some videos. He found some video of a tornado and eighty year old jaws dropped. My dad's a god!

My mom, one of his students, told me his class applauded when he finished his lesson. It was one of the nicest, most genuinely sweet things I've heard in a long time.

My father's class will learn a lot from him about computing. But seriously, he's getting the better end of this deal. Having passion is one thing. Having your passion rewarded is something few of us ever experience.

A while ago, I wrote about London Lee, the iconic young Jewish comic of the mid and late 60s. I'm afraid for those just a few years younger than me, his name means nothing.

London Lee was huge. He was on Sullivan. He was on the Tonight Show. He was a comic on a meteoric rise... and then... you know... stuff happens.

There must not be a lot written about London Lee, because when people search his name, they often end up here. Most notes begin by acknowledging he was drop dead funny. I've heard from his friends, relatives, a few folks who despise him (London, trust me, stay clear of your cousin in Boca) and a woman who claims to have known him in Europe.

He's alive. I believe it's Broward County, just to the north of Miami Beach. By the way, isn't it more than a little unnerving to read her boyfriend/heroin reference of 45 years ago!

Today I got this:

So, obviously he is alive an well. There is quite a "Borscht Belt II" circuit playing for retirees in South Florida. He is in good company.

The real reason I'm posting this is this remarkable photo I got from Harry Watts. How lucky am I that Harry took it in August 1968, kept it safe all these years, digitized it and then sent it to me via email nearly 40 years after the fact?

The scene is the Boardwalk in pre-casino Atlantic City. This photo is looking north and the ocean is off camera to the right. Back then A.C. was a hopping resort town.

Steel Pier was, and is again, located at Virginia and Boardwalk. It was known for it's diving horse (whether it was actually a free will diving horse is another story) and it's big name acts.

Appearing along with London Lee was John Fred and his Playboy Band. Their hit, "Judy in Disguise" went to number one in January 1968. Also on the bill, somewhat incongruously, was Don Glasser's Orchestra, a "smooth as glass" dance band.¹

The photo is a one of a kind, and I'm deeply grateful to Harry for allowing me to post it.

Take a look at the people and what they're wearing. Atlantic City was where you went, even on this gray summer day, to get away from the heat, forget about the rest of the world, and have a little fun.

¹ - Amazingly, Don's band still performs, though without Don.

Because this page is so often searched and found, it has been reopened for comments.