Could It Get ANY More "Monday"?







"Chef is Dead...You Bastards"!
Isaac Haynes, one of the most influential soul singers of the late 60s-early 70s has passed away at age 65.
Now way back in 1971, and not too long after the Academy Award winning soundtrack from the movie SHAFT came out, some co-workers dared me to go meet him in Center City Philly (he was doing a guest spot on the old Mike Douglas Show and signing autographs at a nearby Sam Goodys record store).
And even then, I loved a GOOD dare.
So they covered for me as I jogged a few blocks over.
And I wasn't disappointed one bit.
Here's his website:
http://www.isaachayes.com/
And here's a link to the article about his passing:
http://us.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/08/10/hayes.obit/
He showed up in a huge honking limo, got out wearing a grey LEATHER jumpsuit, complete with sunglasses, shaved head and gold everywhere.
He also had two of "his girls" with him, dressed similarly (except for the shaved head thing).
Ah, those were the days.
My only regret was that I didn't have either a camera to get a picture OR a "formal" photo of him or record on me for him to sign.
I only had a scrap of paper, and to this day, I don't know WHERE I put it for safe keeping (must be a pretty DAMN SAFE place).
Still, I look at his music as a force that brought all races TOGETHER, instead of today's acoustic pablum that "passes" for music, and forces racial divisiveness.
A few years back, my wife got me the CD of SHAFT (my 2 album record disappeared ages ago, and was very well worn I can tell you), and I still find the music on it pleasing and pertinent, especially the cut titled "Soulsville".
It IS worth a listen, trust me on this.
Another great man leaves us on our own, and it makes me wonder about much of soul music's future, specially if it even HAS a future.
Personally, I think it's been on hiatus for decades, with the only salvation being playing the oldies that hearkened back to a time when there WAS real "soul" in the music, and not the almighty dollar sign.
Gonna miss 'ya Ike, but thanks so much for stopping by and sharing YOUR SOUL with us.
And thanks for all the meatloaf days in the cafeteria at South Park Elementary!
* * * * *
Fort Wayne had another shooting yesterday, this time up near Snider High School on Reed Rd. A man was shot in the leg at the Regency Park Apartments. I can find NO other information as to time of day (late Sunday afternoon?), motive, suspects, etc. If anyone has any more information, feel free to post it here.
((Editor's Note: This was found at the News Sentinel website at 1300 Hrs:
A man who drove himself about 1:35 p.m. Sunday to Parkview Hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg told police he was shot on Lake Avenue and Reed Street at the Regency Park Apartments, according to police radio transmissions. Further details were unavailable. ))
Amazing how even THOSE apartments are not without problems these days. it seems that trouble follows certain classes of people, no matter WHAT part of town they live in.
Must be the Section 8'ers just flexing their "culturalism". Add that to all the domestics, repos, and assorted crimes they're starting to see at THAT complex. Never fear, soon it will be as "inviting" as Willow creek Crossing!
Call it a "mini-ghetto" in the making.
Curiously, this story (which was on the 6PM AND 11PM news on WPTA) is strangely MISSING from the paper this morning, as well as the websites for the TV media. And since the FWPD hasn't updated their blotter, no other news is available at the time of this posting.
* * * * *
There are some people that want to repeal the law that says alcohol sales are NOT allowed on Sunday here.
I've got my thoughts on that.
NO.
That's right, you heard me.
Plain old freaking NO!
It's bad enough we have people that are never working, soused all the time driving around MY area (probably with no insurance as well) every day and night, tossing their discarded booze bottles on MY lawn.
I say no sales on Sunday...period.
If you can't buy what you "need" on the OTHER SIX DAYS..tough $hit!
Hell, I see people driving around ON Sunday with cases of beer in their TRUNKS for those "drive-up parties on an impulse" (must be a black thang), as well as that liter of vodka in that tool bin in the bed of that pickup, Bubba!
We've got enough problems with enough problem PEOPLE that adding one day to alcohol sales will never cure.
Cripes, even GOD took ONE DAY OFF...can't these alcohol-addicted folks do likewise? Ben Franklin said: "Everything in moderation - nothing in excess".
Be nice is more people took the time to READ something other than the price tag on that cheap-ass brandy bottle.
Having no alcohol sales hasn't killed TOO many people so far (thanks to all those DUIs), so why invite even more issues to an already overcrowded and potentially-criminal party?
Well, it IS Fort Wayne, so that speaks VOLUMES as to the way things operate.
And it IS Monday.
Couldn't have a better recipe for a possible clusterf$ck if Betty Crocker created it, eh?