January 16, 2002

6:29 AM

"Thank you James Earl Ray for keeping the dream alive"
posted by stbalbach (25 comments total)

Oh man.. sorry quirked! Great minds think alike.
posted by stbalbach at 6:31 AM on January 16, 2002

Keep in mind that the MLK family

does not believe James Earl Ray is the killer. In fact his son, Dexter Scott King, had a CNN interview with James Earl Ray before he died and said that he believed that he was not the killer.
posted by brucec at 6:41 AM on January 16, 2002

The whole thing was a conspiracy among James Earl Joyce, James Earl Scheib, Early Wynn, James Earl ("Dixie") Ray, Ray Walston, Ray Conniff, El Rayo-X, and James Earl Carter, Jr., former president of the United States. The misengraved plaque is the first slip-up by this band of formidable thugs, and if our law enforcement officers on the ball, they'll follow up on it.
posted by Faze at 6:53 AM on January 16, 2002

I forget to mention Henry "Earl" James, who reportedly met with the conspirators at the now-famous conclave at the Golden Bowl tavern, August 5, 1961, where he can be spotted in a grainy photograph, seated between Ray Eberle and the notoriously dissipated Duke of Earl (in the crooked silk hat).
posted by Faze at 6:59 AM on January 16, 2002

i understand the duke duke duke of earl played no small part in the conspiracy.
posted by quonsar at 7:04 AM on January 16, 2002

Of course the second paragraph is equally stupid.

"Thank you James Earl Ray for keeping the dream alive," reads the plague, which has prompted outrage among civil leaders.
posted by FullFrontalNerdity at 7:21 AM on January 16, 2002

You conspiracists are neglecting to mention the involvement of former "Family Feud" host Ray Combs, who was in so deep that he APPARENTLY committed suicide.
posted by Harry Hopkins' Hat at 7:36 AM on January 16, 2002

Let us not forget Raymond Chandler, who, along with Mann Ray and the cast of Everybond Loves Raymond, was drinking Earl Grey with James Earl Stewart. Wheels within wheels, my friend!
posted by Hildago at 7:45 AM on January 16, 2002

Oh my god! We have become what we beheld.

...A little line I like to dust off whenever I'm apprised of a conspiracy situation. Can you identify it?
posted by luser at 8:01 AM on January 16, 2002

fwiw, i happen to work in the small town in upstate new york where james earl jones makes his home. and i saw him walking down the street recently, mumbling to himself about something. i wonder if i was witnessing the conspiracy in action.
posted by mlang at 8:14 AM on January 16, 2002

<james.earl.jones.mumbling>LUKE...i am your father; luke...I am your father; luke...i AM your father; luke...i am YOUR father; luke...i am your FATHER</james.earl.jones.mumbling>
posted by mlang at 8:21 AM on January 16, 2002

Of course the second paragraph is equally stupid.

"Thank you James Earl Ray for keeping the dream alive," reads the plague, which has prompted outrage among civil leaders.

"Plague" isn't even the only error there -- it should be civic leaders. (Civil leaders would simply be polite, y'know?) Made me laugh out loud....
posted by mattpfeff at 8:39 AM on January 16, 2002

What about Dixy Lee Ray?
posted by rodii at 8:45 AM on January 16, 2002

Can you imagine JEJ's thundering voice protesting from up above?
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:55 AM on January 16, 2002

Remember: "Associated Press" means no spell check, no grammar check, and no proofreading.
posted by benjh at 9:23 AM on January 16, 2002

And how bout that Ray Parker Jr?
posted by schlaager at 9:31 AM on January 16, 2002

Rudy Ray Moore?
posted by Ty Webb at 9:40 AM on January 16, 2002

mattpfeff, I totally missed that one. Looks like the Washington Post needs better copy editors.
posted by FullFrontalNerdity at 10:19 AM on January 16, 2002

Actually it was Earl "the Pearl" Monroe, James Woods, and Metafilters own raysmj behind it all.
posted by jonmc at 10:30 AM on January 16, 2002

We need to send in Sugar Ray Leonard to straighten things out.
posted by ratbastard at 10:35 AM on January 16, 2002

Ray ... a drop of golden sun
posted by nagchampa at 10:57 AM on January 16, 2002

We need to send in Sugar Ray Leonard to straighten things out.

Not anytime soon. But eventually.
posted by internook at 12:59 PM on January 16, 2002

"We have a lot of people who don't speak English. Accidentally, one of the girls who doesn't know James Earl Jones from a man on the moon accidentally typed James Earl Ray," said Miller

So what you're telling me is that you don't proofread anything that your non-English speaking employees happen to type before sending it to your well-paying clients.
posted by dissonance at 1:35 PM on January 16, 2002

Man Ray
posted by BGM at 10:36 PM on January 16, 2002

The plaque makers said it was an innocent case of a typo?! Yeah, I can imagine that.

"Hey, Bob, how do you spell 'Jones'?"
"Uh, I think it's spelled R-A-Y."
posted by timyang at 7:44 AM on January 17, 2002