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Lost but Not Forgotten -- Philip Taylor Kramer
Exposé
Taylor Kramer made his mark in our world. His is a fascinating story.
He was a creative and artistic musician/song-writer, a brilliant computer entrepreneur, and accomplished electrical engineer. Loved by so many.
To his business partners, he was a visionary with powerful ideas. To the rest of us -- especially those of us who never knew him -- he was a bright and shining star. Riding the edge of brilliance and madness.
Despite the fact that it seemed that he had the World at his feet, he was as fragile as any other given his circumstances.
Philip "Taylor" Kramer was a creative genius whose star burned out far too soon.
Had he ever talked of suicide? His sister in one interview admitted that he had.
Was he looking for a way out? Why?
His friend Glen Navis -- a former engineer from Northrop Corp. -- stated that he just couldn't believe he would just leave. But he did.
He told his wife and good friends that he loved them more than Life itself. And they believed him. He would never leave his family and friends because he loved them so. Yet he also told them, "We need to get off this Planet".
As a child, Taylor was fascinated with Science and highly influenced by his electrical engineer father.
At age 22, he replaced his love for Science with his passion for music. He was artistic, creative, a bass guitarist and songwriter for the acid-rock band Iron Butterfly.
But Science was his central passion.
Ron Bushy, Iron Butterfly drummer:
"When we were writing songs, we would go and stay up all night at Denny's and write songs and would have these philosophical discussions. And he had these pretty wild theories that he would tell me about. In between writing songs and lyrics, the guy was always doing all these equations with all these different formulas."
Within 3 years, Iron Butterfly had recorded over 20 new songs. But record sales were weak and concerts poorly attended. The band broke up in 1977.
So he left Iron Butterfly and evolved past his childhood dreams of being a musician/rock star. It's interesting to note that after Iron Butterfly, Taylor had accomplished what seemed a total metamorphosis -- in just 5 years -- from his image of being a long-haired rock star to an accomplished, electrical engineer with a promising new career with one of America's largest defense contractors -- Northrop Corp.
1952 -- Born
1970 -- Graduated from High School???
1974 -- Iron Butterfly bass player (3 years).
1977 -- Iron Butterfly break up.
1977 -- College
1982 -- Graduated from College, Electrical Engineering degree
1982 -- Northrop Corp position
1986 -- Leaves Northrop Corp.
1989 -- Married and started a family.
1990 -- Started Total Multi Media, Inc. (TMMI); specialized in computer video and CD ROM material.
1994 -- CEO Peter Olson helps TMMI emerge from bankruptcy.
1995 -- Makes dramatic "suicide" call to 911. Vanishes just 10 miles from his home.
1999 -- Van and skeletal remains found at the bottom of Decker Canyon.
Behavioral Changes:
● Impending mental collapse, transfixed with Celestine Prophesy, Olson/shaman, people of wisdom, his father's work, TMM technology.
● Under Olson's influence attempt to find links between:
○ *the Celestine Prophesy book
○ *his work at TMMI
○ *his father's radical theories about harnessing gravity
● What was at first a mere preoccupation developed into obsession.
● Often he worked until dawn.
● Transfixed at his computer in the belief that he was on the verge of profound discoveries.
● Mood swings from euphoria to fear.
● Told his wife and father they needed a new house surrounded by walls.
● "People will want to get at me" comment to wife.
● "If I ever say 'I'm going to kill myself, don't you believe it, I'm gonna' be needing help'" comment to father.
● Spoke of approaching Apocalypse and the need for action.
● That he was speaking with God.
● He had channeled an additional 10th insight to the Celestine Prophesy.
Tom Simpson -- Taylor's business partner:
"He came up with the idea that for some reason, he knew there was a supernova that was going to destroy the Planet in 4 years. So therefore, the technology that he was working on and the technology his father was working on was imperative to us to get off the Planet to save the human race. And he believed that."
Kathy Kramer -- Taylor's sister:
"It was scary because it was so real to him. And Taylor was talking to me about the supernovas and the fact that the good people would be saved. And if you were "centered" … He would make this {hand medially motioned down the center of her face and body} when he talked to me -- he did it a half-a-dozen times -- if you're centered, we'll be taken care of, everyone will be fine, everyone that is centered."
Finally on Friday, Feb 10, 1995, Taylor's friend and business partner Dan Shields sat Taylor down and begged him to talk about what Dan feared was Taylor's impending mental collapse. Taylor offered a lucid explanation of his work and state of mind. "He convinced me that he would get some rest. We made a pack that he would call me on Saturday and Sunday morning and we would just talk."
Taylor kept his promise and called Dan. "He was much more grounded. No statements of spirituality or universe or extraterrestrial this&that. Very lucid, very clear, very calm."
That Sunday -- Feb 12th -- right after hanging up with Dan, Taylor kissed his wife Jennifer goodbye and headed off to the Los Angeles airport to pick up a business associate. At 9:15 am, along the way he made a brief planned stop at Los Robles Hospital to meet with his wife's ailing father.
After leaving Los Robles Hospital, he got back on the freeway and headed for the L.A. airport. He arrived on time. He drove his van to the airport parking garage at 10:07 am. He did not meet his business colleague at the gate. His whereabouts for the next hour are unknown.
Then at 11:15 am, he left the parking garage. He signed a promissory note for $3.00 at the airport parking toll booth. He got back on the San Diego freewa, and then the Ventura freeway, heading towards his home in Thousand Oaks. Along the way, he made the disturbing phone calls from his car phone to his family and friends, including a call to his wife telling her that he would "see her on the other side". At 11:59 am, he made that final call to 911.
Dispatcher: "911… can I help you?"
Kramer: "Yes this is Philip Taylor Kramer."
Dispatcher: "Uh-huh. This is 911, Can I help you, Sir?"
Kramer: "Yes you can. I'm going to kill myself. And I want everyone to know that O.J. Simpson is innocent. They did it."
re. Taylor's position with Northop Corp.
He was assigned to the MX missile project and worked on perfecting the missile's flawed guidance system.
Glen Navis - former engineer at Northrop Corp.:
"To this day, his work at Northrop is considered classified." He had 2 stars and a Top-Secret clearance, which meant that the Government believed that he needed to have access to Top-Secret material."
re Taylor's intriguing research
Driven to find connections between 3 things: (1) some unusual theories about gravity/his father's formula; (2) New Age spirituality/the Celestine Prophesy; and (3) the computer work at his company/TMM technology.
Business partner Dan Shields: "He had attempted to bridge these three things together."
His unconventional theories about gravity were an extension of work inspired by his father's research. Ray Kramer was a renowned electrical engineer and research scientist. Mr. Kramer believes that the "gravity wave" can solve the World's energy needs and propel spaceships across the Galaxy at speeds far greater than the speed-of-light.
"The thing about our present physics is that we're limited by the speed-of-light as the ultimate velocity. Now if we can get around this -- if there is something greater -- and if we can utilize this energy, we should be able to travel anywhere in the Universe."
Dan Shields: "He was a visionary. He was predicting things that would happen in the marketplace and-- for the most part-- was right about them."
This is a very important statement because later on, Taylor states that he can "channel" communications to aliens on other planets. "Channels" are usually mediums. Perhaps this was the true reason that Taylor was considered a visionary because he could predict the Future.
In terms of him staying up all night working and/or working endless hours.
Taylor's good friend and colleague Tom Simpson stated that Taylor could work 15 hours a day. That is, he was a "work-dynamo".
He spent long hours at work. Less and less time with the wife and kids. And without the financial rewards.
That morning when Dan found Taylor, he probably looked a bit disheveled and tired from being up all night. Taylor listened to Dan as he spoke calmly to him.
"We made a pack," Dan told the camera.
So an exhausted Taylor went home to rest and call in to Dan (that weekend) on Saturday and on Sunday.
But by Sunday at 11:59 am, Taylor was calling 911. He called all his loved ones to say goodbye and tell them that he loved them.
to Ron Bushy, his friend: "Bush, it's Tails. I love you more than Life itself."
Jennifer Kramer, Taylor's wife:
The narrator said that Kramer kissed his wife goodbye before heading out to the airport to pick up a business associate. he camera focuses on a beautiful couple smiling with Taylor's head angled towards his beautiful wife, smiling devilishly. The picture fades off and you see his green mini-van driving away. He was leaving her forever. And he knew it. But she didn't.
When he finally called Jennifer from his minivan at one point, some articles state that he told her:
"I have a surprise for you."
"I will always love you."
"I'll see you on the other side."
regarding Dan Shields:
"Just tell Dan this: I love you more than Life itself."
This recurrent statement -- "I love you more than Life itself" -- what was he really saying?
re: Hypnosis/Mind-Control
CEO Peter Olson brought his shaman to TMMI. The shaman was a hypnotist. Taylor had many discussions with Olson. Maybe they had become friends.
Dan Shields stated:
● Olson liked to discuss science fiction and Taylor liked to discuss science fact;
● that Taylor was intrigued with The Celestine Prophesy book, the questions and answers; and
● that Taylor placed great merit in "wise people" which included Olson and his shaman.
So it appears that Taylor became influenced by Olson's belief system. And it appears that Taylor trusted Olson, even though his partners questioned Olson's motives much later.
Olson encouraged Taylor to find connections between The Celestine Prophesy, his father's "gravity wave" research, and his work at TMMI.
Kramer's sister said it in a nutshell. "Was this [mind-control] enough to push him over the edge?"
Ironic because Taylor's van and remains were found over the edge, hidden away in Decker Canyon 4 years later.
Why was Olson so intent on pushing Taylor? Did he agree with and encourage Taylor when Taylor started proclaiming, "We need to get off the Planet?"
The O.J. trials were being aired daily on television. So many were speculating his innocence versus guilt. Olson and his Shaman told everyone that O.J. was innocent. So this was the background of Taylor's mindset regarding O.J. being innocent. But I still can't figure out what Taylor meant when he stated at the end of his 911 call: "they did it".
Taylor told some that he channelled communications to other planets and aliens and "talked to God". Mediums channel. Many talk to God. But talking to other planets and aliens -- this I question. Were they talking back to him? It would've been interesting to hear their comments. [StealthSkater note: actually, none other than the great Nikola Tesla claimed communications with Mars =>doc pdf URL. And former ELINT Sgt. Dan Sherman said that he was specially chosen for an NSA-sponsored "Project Preserve Destiny" which involved computer-based "intuitive communications" with an off-planet (or extra dimensional) race of aliens =>doc pdf URL]
Dan Shields worried that Taylor was nearing "mental collapse" and begged him to go home and get some rest.
Taylor's life was marked by achievement but also compulsion and paranoia.
He was achievement-oriented and driven. He wanted to do great things for the human race. He strove to be accomplished like his father. He believed that he had found the answer to his father's "gravity wave" research.
He was influenced by a controversial belief system. Taylor thought he was talking to God and had channelled an additional 10th Celestine insight. What did this mean?
He told people that he channelled communications to aliens. That there was an impending Nova coming. That all the good people who were "centered" would survive.
He was influenced by those he considered to be "wise people". Yet his partners and friends suspected these "wise people" with foul play and questionable motives
He was destined to be great from the time he was born. He had huge shoes to fill with his father being a renowned electrical engineer and researcher. I'm guessing that he graduated from high school in 1970. Moving from Ohio to California was a big step. Maybe it was the adventure of a lifetime for Taylor and his sister Kathy. She wanted to be a singer/musician.
Taylor initially worked as a laborer. A "ditch digger" and "bouncer" at "The Whiskey A Go-Go".
By 1977, he was the bass guitarist for Iron Butterfly.
When he quit Iron Butterfly, he went back to college, attained his engineering degree, and took a job with Northrop, Corp.
Eventually he married and started a family.
Later, he became a co-founder for TMMI.
Taylor was one of the original co-founders of Total Multi Media, Inc. TMMI was his "baby" along with 3 other partners.
One article stated that he didn't have the business skills to run the financial end of his company. The company needed money and was on the verge of bankruptcy. But Peter Olson was hired as TMMI's CEO with a huge financial incentive.
Simpson and Shields stated that Olson had claimed that he was the son of an alien. It was known that Olson had made The Celestine Prophesy required reading for TMMI employees. I find this highly bizarre -- that is, your place of work attempting to influence your spiritual belief system.
Questionable ethics and foul play on the part of Peter Olson, III, CEO of TMMI.
Olson tries to disregard Taylor's disappearance. He told Simpson and Shields that Taylor was on a mountain praying, getting his life together and would be back.
With Taylor not there to stop him, Olson dispersed millions of dollars in stock and increased salaries. And in addition to finding out that Olson thought that he was the son of an alien, Taylor's partners learned that Olson also believed that he could talk to alien planets when he meditated.
A&Es video --who you hear from and who you don't hear from
You don't hear from:
● CEO Peter Olson, III
● Olson's shaman
● Taylor's wife
● His mother
You do hear from:
● Ron Bushy (Iron Butterfly drummer/friend)
● Ray Kramer (father)
● Kathy Kramer (sister)
● Glen Navis (former Northrop associate/friend)
● Dan Shields (business partner/friend)
● Tom Simpson (business partner/friend)
● Tom Bennett (Ventura County detective)
Kathy Kramer asks the camera: "Did Olson and his shaman have some kind of mind-control over Taylor? And was this what pushed him over the edge?"
re: Taylor using his full name on 911 call
Taylor's father thought he would never use his full name when referring to himself and this was the first clue. He also said that Taylor told him the following: "If I ever tell you I'm going to kill myself, don't you believe it! I'm in trouble and I'm gonna' be needing help!"
Taylor's dad said that he didn't use his first name "Philip" because "He felt threatened by it."
Tom Simpson: "There were millions and millions of dollars that went out of TMM. And they are still not truly accounted for."
Shortly after Kramer's disappearance millions of dollars of high stock and high salaries were awarded to the members of the management team at TMMI. Simpson believed that these transactions -- which Kramer had aggressively resisted -- as being highly suspect. "When you add all these things up, I think that someone's pulled off the perfectcrime."