AMERICA!!!! AAAAAMERICA!!!............................

Mad Dog

so sang that Amreican musical and cultural treasure, Ray Charles whom we lost yesterday. We are losing American greats at an alarming rate. I just don't see Eminem and Ice T being able to fill the shoes of the Jimmy Stewarts and the Ray Charles'. But, I will listen to President Reagan who said that "our best days are ahead." Mad Dog

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BillW@honeywell

A great talent, indeed!

A guy who rose from abject poverty, suffered from prejudice, had a devastating physical handicap, but managed to become one of the best musicians in history! A truly inspiring man. He's jammin' with his friends again..."if there's a rock & roll heaven, they sure have got a he&* of a band"!

JimGPE_10

I'll never forget

a public message TV spot Ray did. It was a slide show of beautiful forrests with Ray Charles doing a voice-over, and it was a forrest fire prevention message. The tag line was, "There's more to the forrest than meets the eye. I should know. My name is Ray Charles."

What a great guy and a fantastic musician. America, Georgia, such great memories.

What were your favorite Ray Charles pieces?

John Starcher_4

I had the distinct pleasure....

....of seeing Ray in concert, probably 20 years ago. He was led on to the stage by an assistant, and the crowd just went NUTS!!! Everyone was on their feet clapping and cheering. Ray stood in the center of the stage, huge grin on his face, literally bouncing up and down, feeding on the crowd's energy. He just stood there for several minutes, and it was almost the best part of the show! I'll never forget that moment.

Starch

Paul Rohrs_2

A great sign

of Mental Health is the ability to laugh at yourself and realise and accept when you make a mistake.

I am RESPECTFULLY submitting the attached picture only because later that evening when Mr.Charles was informed about what had happened, he laughed harder than anyone.

What a great American. He will be missed.

Regards,

PR

John R. Hall

Anybody remember...

"You got the right one baby -- Uh huh!"

Ken_8

Brother Ray,

> so sang that Amreican musical and cultural

> treasure, Ray Charles whom we lost yesterday. We

> are losing American greats at an alarming rate.

> I just don't see Eminem and Ice T being able to

> fill the shoes of the Jimmy Stewarts and the Ray

> Charles'. But, I will listen to President Reagan

> who said that "our best days are ahead." Mad

> Dog

>

> _A

> HREF="http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=

> 299&Step=30"_To Learn More About This

> Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in

> "Find A Professional"_/A_



Here's an article I wrote about Brother Ray when last I saw him, maybe a year and a half ago?

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Ken_8

Brother Ray,

Here's an article I wrote about Brother Ray when last I saw him, maybe a year and a half ago?

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jackchips_2

Ahhhh,

Ye,,,I mean-NO.

Ken_8

25 months ago I wrote the following article

I write a weekly column for a local rag.

Here's what I wrote about brother Ray

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PJO_5

A very poignant moment last night...

I never watch the national news, but turned it on to watch the Rotunda procession for Ronald Reagan...only to hear of Ray's death. They showed the procession and Nancy's visit to the president's flag-draped coffin...to the sound of Ray's version of "America the Beautiful".

As I was trying to clear the tears from my eyes, I thought I even saw Peter Jennings get emotional.

Two icons in one week...

Take Care, PJO

Murph'_5

Great Music



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Jeff Lawrence_24

Georgia

What else is there?

Signed,

Southern Man, but still a Georgia Boy.

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George_10

My favorite too

I remember my Georgia roots also. I first saw this world in the little town of Albany, 67 years ago next week. Man, I am fast reaching the end of middle age.

R. Kalia

So, how many black people do you guys have working for/with you? If not, why not?

DaveC

My co-worker in the lab...

is Mitch. He is from Haiti. We have worked together for 15 years. There is no one I trust better or enjoy being with more than him here. He has taught me more about heating equipment and moral values than anyone.

ScottMP

Why would you ask such a

question and why don't you go play somewhere else !

The question is not relevant and does not pertain to anything in the origianal post.

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Unknown

Ray Charles

an example of a man who overcame great obstacles in his life not the least of which was blindness. He in later years would strongly proclaim his love for Jesus. He had suffered through many hardships, snares and dangers in his life. He was once addicted to heroin, fathered many children and by his own tesitmony was a wild man. The end of his journey as he recently proclaimed at a concert was safe in the arms of Jesus. He is surely there now God Bless you Ray may you rest in peace. You are one of a kind.

Wayco Wayne_2

Hit the Road Jack!

and dontcha come back no mo no mo no mo no mo, hit the road Jack, and doncha come back no mo......what I say?? ... It dont get no better than that. I remember a bit by Bill Cosby about Ray Charles. They were playing a hotel in Vegas together and Bill stopped by his room to walk on down to the show with him. He knocked and Ray called out to say come on in. Bill Cosby said walked in and it was dark. He called Ray what you doing? Ray said I'm shaving. Bill Cosby then says before he can stop and think, "Ray what you doing shaving..... in the dark", instantly knowing he has just said something really dumb. Ray Charles just laughed & laughed, and said, Bill I been shaving in the dark a long time now. You gotta love Ray Charles. WW

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JimGPE_10

From the 'way back machine

I Can't Stop Lovin' You

I Can't remember a time when that song wasn't somewhere on the radio, anytime, day or night!

The man's phrasing was unbelieveable!

Okay, just one more - "I'm Busted."

http://www.thepeaches.com/music/raycharles/Busted.txt

S Ebels

Red and Yellow, Black and White.......

They are precious in His sight......

So went the childrens song I learned in Sunday School longer ago than I care to say. It doesn't matter what color you are with me. I'd hire a green guy with purple spots if he was a good mechanic. I don't have people of any "color" working for me let alone black or white. They are all just plain people.

You understand what I'm saying?

We are all just people. To bring up the subject of skin color alludes to the idea that you think there's a difference and that my friend is simply NOT the case.

Mark Hunt

You tell us first

pal!!!!!!!!

Why only "black"????????

How about women?????????

How about Asians???

Fact is, you don't really care about any of them.

We, listen closely, do not care about race. You, apparently do. So who is the segregationist?

Spout your venom elsewhere.

America includes everyone.

I am sure you do not believe that. You believe that all "white Americans" are racist.

You can go to hell. Hear that?@!?!?!?!??! GO TO HELL!

Been a few of you showing up here as of late, and if I get banned, so be it.

What a stupid question.


Go to hell idiot~!

Mark H

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kevin_5

There ARE NO different colors of people!

Ask any photo developer. There are only different SHADES of the SAME color. The pigment we have (some more, some less) is called Melanin. And the Bible declares that God made all the people on earth of "one blood", making us all equal in creation, rights, and responsibilities. Conversely, The theory tale of Evil-ution is degrading as its proponents claim some races are evolved further than others. What an absolute crock. Don't be surprised that your garden variety skinhead doesn't fear God and believes Charles Darwin. Kevin

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Mad Dog

I hope Neil Young Will remember........................

A Sothern Man don't need him around anyhow! MaD dOG

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Mad Dog

Scott said, go play someplace else

Our shop has a Columbian, and a Pollack - not born here. We have had a few black apprentices over the years. We are always looking for clean cut, respectful, and hardworking people, color is not an issue, only to a racial agitator like yourself. You took a nice tribute to an American (who happens to be black) whom we cherished and tried to ruin it. Get lost. Mad Dog

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Mad Dog

I'd love to help you toss them Mark

If they would just be man enough to use their real names. Did you see his email address - check it out - more pap. I agree, these anonymous bomb-throwers are trying to ruin the sense of community and camraderie we have here. Perhaps a control could be put in to place - like a registration. I know.....infringes on freedoms, but it might weed out the gutless ones who snipe, anonymously. I never saw the wisdom in using a pseudonym, although I can understand it may have a place occassionally. Although what I say and have said can and will be used against me by some, I STAND BY ANYTHING AND EVERTHING I HAVE EVER SAID _ I HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE - it feels better to me. Mad Dog

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Unknown

Hey guys the best

things to do with prejudice of any kind is ignore it. Oh I know it will not go away but those who have such limited perspective on human kind just want us to react. They feed on our reaction. I know it is a difficult thing to do but Love them, pray for them and move on and make sure that no bigotry or prejudice is hidden away in our own hearts. If we hate them then we have given in to the very thing that causes them to be the way they are. The man who holds malice in his heart will die from the bitterness of it. Prejudice is an infections disease that will eventaully consume the one who bears it about.

Constantin

Sending the Troll back to his Cave...

The "question" that started this tangent was almost certainly thinly-disguised case of race-baiting. Judging from the replies garnered thus far, it is pretty clear that (thankfully) regular Wallies have no appetite for this sort of nonsense.

As best as I can tell, this board is a meritocracy, where knowledge, experience, and friendly assistance is valued above all. Other factors such as race, heritage, etc. fade into obscurity and/or irrelevance and only rarely crop up in off-topic discussions, such as politics. After all, technical excellence knows no skin color.

Lastly, I am not sure that going into a diatribe of Marks sort is necessary either. Gowing down to the level of the race-baiter is somewhat akin to an observation someone here made recently, "Never wrestle with a pig, you both get dirty... and the pig likes it". Send the Troll back to his cave firmly but politely instead.

Mad Dog

Thinly-disguised? I think not! An In-your- face affront

is more like it, Constantine. I agree with Mark, The Wall is beginning to get hijacked by interlopers who are here to disrupt the nice rapport that has evolved. Like any group of friends or any family unit, we have all had our share of differences and squabbles that we always seem to work out. We are all relatively-like-minded tradespeople of one sort or another. These interlopers are of another ilk and are here to stir ---- and pit us against eachother. I must respectfully disagree, Timmie, prejudice must be confronted, discussed, and if that doesn't work - destroyed! I can't think of any problem that was ever solved by ignoring it. I share Mark's outrage. Let's not let the Wall become a forum for trouble makers. Mad Dog

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Constantin

Couldn't agree more...

...as someone who is married to a person of color, I am quite sensitive to the whole issue of race, prejudice, and all that since it has affected me directly. And it doesn't just have to be an issue of color. One long-term user of the Wall recently (and completely off-topic) asked about my "ethnic persuasion", something that I may find offensive, others may not.

So when you speak of interlopers hijacking the Wall, I feel that responses like Marks may be on target message-wise but are out of line with the polite discourse that makes the Wall the special place it is. In other words, I don't think much is to be gained by going thermonuclear in response to stupid race-baiting. Show the Troll to the door and be done with it.

In closing, the life and career of Ray Charles continue to amaze me. One story I read about him stated he only stayed at Howard Johnsons, as they were 100% identical across the country and hence easier for him to navigate... When I look at the difficulties in his life that he overcame, it puts my daily struggles in a rather larger perspective... Like any of the great people that passed before us, he will continue to influence our lives in a positive manner.

Steve Minnich_1

Yo Guys!

The more you let this thing run, the more your playing his game.

You haven't ignored it. You've addressed it. Now let it go!

He doesn't deserve your time nor the energy your spending getting bent out of shape over his ignorant remark.

JMO

Steve Minnich

Unknown

Mad Dog & others

I simply said ignore the prejudice of the individual. A great man Martin Luther King found ways to deal with it in a peaceful way. Even then it cost him his life. It has been my experience with narrow minded people that an attack on them does not work. The way we defeat stuff like this is to not participate ourselves in prejudice and bigotry and work to overcome the areas in our society that still practice it even if somewhat covertly. It still exist and anger and violent reaction only add fuel to their fire. When you step out to do something positive to erase it get ready to be spit on, have a gun pushed in your face and threats made on your life. I have experienced those things in my life all the way back to high school when I stuck my hand up in a class room in southwestern Pennsylvania and asked this question, "Why are there no stories in the history book about colored people," (that was before they were addressed as black) I was suspended from school for asking that question in 1956.

When I joined the military and was stationed in Norfolk, VA I had a black friend that I played football with on the Navy football team. We wanted to go into town and took a bus,I proceeded to the back of the bus to sit with my black friend and was escoted off the bus by shore patrol and sent back to the base and restricted to the base for a week.

I have made many a stand against prejudice of all kinds. I have found you cannot legislate love, but you sure can practice it. There are often posts here on the wall about many subjects and the true nature of us all comes forth in our posts. I sometimes find that certain of us have a lot of pent up anger that comes forth when our buttons are pushed. Maybe we need some training on anger management. We all at times are intolerant and reactive, we need to pause and think what posting when we are upset will do to others. Walk away and go sit down and think about what you want to say before you say it. When you hit that post button it is there for all the world to see. Now I will hit that button and hope you all still love me.

Unknown

ok

I really didn't want to get involved, but I need to correct a bit of misinformation here.

Most sects of skinheads are fundamentalist christian sects. The KKK believes itself to be a christian organization. The World Church of the Creator was a big one there for awhile as well.

They have severely warped what I take to be basic christian ideology, but if you ask them most of them would tell you they are good christians. Better than most, probably, since they see "the truth".

Constantin

Tim, I have little time right now,

... but wanted to quickly note my appreciation for your courage standing up against bigotry. As you noted, it is not an easy thing to do!

Mad Dog

You don't need to explain, Timmie

I have a very high regard for you and your faith. You are a man of God. You are generally right about ignoring it, but it just goes against my philosophy. I believe that bad things and people need to be kept in check and should have a fear of crossing that line. Respect is a higher value to me than being liked. Dictators and bullies are not defeated being being ignored and appeased. Very respectfully, your student and friend, Mad Dog

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Mad Dog

True enough, but just remember that racism and bigotry

is not a one way street. Lets not leave out Al Sharpton, Loius Farrakhans Nation of Islam, and many Arab groups that hate White Christians and Jews. It goes both ways. Mad Dog

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John R. Hall

A quick story

When I was growing up in Detroit I experienced the terrible race riots of the summer of '67, started by a handful of angry young men. It divided the city and put neighborhoods on alert. For one brief moment it was the anger of the black community lashing out against the established whites.

Fast forward to the fall of '68. A neat thing happened -- the Detroit Tigers won the World Series in dramatic fashion. I was playing high school football at the time and our team was a mix of blacks and whites, playing for one cause. After practice I hopped in a friend's car and headed down Grand River to downtown Detroit, to join in my first ever championship party. Here we were, two white guys and two black guys driving down the same streets that one year earlier had been the scene of one of the worst riots in U.S. history. On this day, blacks and whites were hugging each other and high-fiving each other -- acting like giddy little kids -- friends for the moment.

And it was all because of a group of young men, baseball players, black and white, who for one moment showed the world what harmony meant. I am thankful for the boys of the summer '68 for showing the true human spirit.

Mad Dog

Nice story John

The racial divide is closing - slowly but surely. There will be some that will not be happy with that. They make their living off of it and some just gets their kicks...like Mr Just Askin. They need to "straightened out." Mad Dog

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Jeff Lawrence_24

Middle Age?

> I remember my Georgia roots also. I first saw

> this world in the little town of Albany, 67 years

> ago next week. Man, I am fast reaching the end

> of middle age.





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Jeff Lawrence_24

Middle Age?

My Dad told me years ago that middle age is 20 years older than you are now.

J

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Unknown

Agreed