Re: James Arthur Ray - 2 die at Arizona retreat's sweat lodge
Posted by: JohnT ()
Date: November 16, 2009 02:13AM

I spent some time with Sunbear back around 1984 or so where sweatlodges were done. I remember him saying about sweat lodge that people shouldn't stay in too long, and that if anyone felt overtired or like they wanted to go out they should. He also shocked some folks who were heavy into being all-natural when he said to come to a place he had they had to bring penicillin. When asked why, he said that there was plague up there and that far away from civilization you needed penicillin.

Re: James Arthur Ray - 2 die at Arizona retreat's sweat lodge
Posted by: waterbottle ()
Date: November 17, 2009 09:18AM

Are you guys aware of these guys?

[sweatlodgeinvestigation.com]

They seem to be a group of lawyers available to provide legal counsel and representation to anyone affected by the James Ray empire.

If so, anyone here who has wants to voice a complaint or who has suffered because of James Rays seminars and work, can report to them.

(I don't know any thing about them but their website but they seem legit)

Re: James Arthur Ray - 2 die at Arizona retreat's sweat lodge
Posted by: corboy ()
Date: November 18, 2009 12:19AM

(Disclaimer--The following suggestions are mine and do not in any way represent the opinion of Ross Institute and are no substitute for legal advice from a professional in good standing. I am not a legal professional. The presence of the following URLs does not constitute RR.com or my personal endorsement of these websites or the firms mentioned. Corboy)

Before getting involved with any attorney, get second and third opinons. Unless procedures have changed, the first interview is usually free or very affordable.

Go in with what is known as a chronology--who, what happened, when it happened, where it happened. Dont add your interpretations. As they said on Dragnet, 'Just the facts'.

Here is an example of how this is done from a divorce law website

[www.divorceformspro.com]

[www.armstronglegal.com.au]


Two, go in with a steady minded friend. A big part of a lawsuit is who gets stuck paying attorneys fees and court costs. Lawsuits are wars of attrition, financial and emotion. They go on for years. Be prepared for that.

This breaks down to 1) how much $$ the settlement or fine consists of -- if the case goes to trial and the plaintiffs win or if the defendant decides to avoid public scrutiny and offers to settle out of court.

Which brings us to a very big question:

Suppose you, the plaintiffs, are offered a big fat sum of money as settlement and in return you have to sign an agreement to have the records sealed.

An offer like this is often made after litigation has dragged on for months or years and when the plaintiffs are getting heartbroken and exhausted. When you're exhausted and maybe your life is in crisis, and all of a sudden you're offered what seems an easy out--settle the case, get a big fat sum of money, but at the price of your silence---what are you going to do?

Suppose this happens right when you have a death in the family, or you're being evicted, or someone in the family gets sick and medical expenses are piling up?

Its very, very hard to resist this kind of offer--quite often proffered when people are exhausted by litigation.

So try to figure out ahead of time what your principles are. Is your silence for sale?

Two line up all the social support you can get and pace yourself, so you dont get demoralized and exhausted and vulnerable to this kind of temptation.

Next...you have to negotiation with your attorney how much of a settlement goes to you and how much to your attorney. For this you may need help from an accountant.

An additional reason to consult an accountant:

Depending on the state and the circumstances, what you win in a settlement, some of it goes to you, may be taxable.

So this the the additional thing suffering freaked out families need to do--find a CPA who is not connected in any way with their attorney and ask the CPA before things go any further, how much of any prospective settlement must be taxed--if it is taxable income.

Finally, folks, you are not being disloyal to your dead loved one to think in these strategic terms.

You can bet your sweet bippy that that the Other Side is thinking strategically. Youa re entitled to think strategically too.

After all, Mr Ray very quickly found a PR person to represent him very, very soon after the mess hit public news.

You have every right to protect your interests--and the memories of your dead family members or friends by thinking strategically, too.

So...right now, face that this is a long, long struggle and decide either as an individual or as a group, are you going to accept a settlement if it means avoiding a trial and having the records sealed?

One difficulty is if you are part of a group, you may all agree then later, there may be dissent as some members grow exhausted, demoralized and want to settle, keep mum and get on with their lives. Thats a potential hazard if you are part of a group. THink about this.

And dont let anyone run a guilt trip on you about calling a CPA and doing background checks on lawyers before selecting someone. Find out how well they've done in other litigation. See what their rap is at the state bar association.

Re: James Arthur Ray - 2 die at Arizona retreat's sweat lodge
Posted by: corboy ()
Date: November 18, 2009 12:29AM

Quote
JohnT
I spent some time with Sunbear back around 1984 or so where sweatlodges were done. I remember him saying about sweat lodge that people shouldn't stay in too long, and that if anyone felt overtired or like they wanted to go out they should. He also shocked some folks who were heavy into being all-natural when he said to come to a place he had they had to bring penicillin. When asked why, he said that there was plague up there and that far away from civilization you needed penicillin.

A map, from 1997/1998 displaying areas of plague activity

(Map)

[www.atsu.edu]

(These are areas where the animals are infected. Never, ever go near or handle a dead or sick wild animal--a healthy wild animal avoids human beings. One youngster in New Mexico contracted bubonic plague after handling a dead squirrel. Fortunately she was given the right combination of antibiotics in time and survived.)

Here is an update on what Sunbear reportedly advised 25 years ago concerning plague and treatment for plague from the CDC website:

[www.cdc.gov]

Plague in North America

Quote

In North America, plague is found from the Pacific Coast eastward to the western Great Plains and from British Columbia and Alberta, Canada southward to Mexico. Most of the human cases occur in two regions; one in northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, and southern Colorado, another in California, southern Oregon, and far western Nevada.

Downloadable document here--Adobe reader needed

[www.cdc.gov]

Quote

Treatment Information

As soon as a diagnosis of suspected plague is made, the patient should be isolated, and local and state health departments should be notified. Confirmatory laboratory work should be initiated, including blood cultures and examination of lymph node specimens if possible. Drug therapy should begin as soon as possible after the laboratory specimens are taken.

***The drugs of choice are streptomycin or gentamycin, but a number of other antibiotics are also effective.

Those individuals closely associated with the patient, particularly in cases with pneumonia, should be traced, identified, and evaluated. Contacts of pneumonic plague patients should be placed under observation or given preventive antibiotic therapy, depending on the degree and timing of contact.

It is a U.S. Public Health Service requirement that all suspected plague cases be reported to local and state health departments and the diagnosis confirmed by the CDC. As required by the International Health Regulations, CDC reports all U.S. plague cases to the World Health Organization.

An article from 2004. This earlier article stated that streptomycin was the drug of choice.

Quote

THERAPY
Without treatment, fatality rates: up to 90% for bubonic plague, 100% for septicemic or pneumonic plague.

Treatment, fatality rate= (5-20%). Rapid treatment is critical to improved survival.

Streptomycin is the drug of choice, ß-lactams are not useful.

Isolate patients in case pneumonia develops. By law, patients with pneumonic plague must be isolated. Patients who survive severe septic shock may show a marked necrosis or dry gangrene of the tissues on extremities, i.e., the black death.

[www.atsu.edu]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/2009 12:41AM by corboy.

Re: James Arthur Ray - Megan Fredrickson manic pose, NLP anchoring
Posted by: shakti ()
Date: November 18, 2009 12:35AM

"Lakota Nation files lawsuit against parties in sweat lodge incident "

-While I support Native attempts to reclaim their sweat lodges, beware of the Lakota! They are not representative of most Natives and are actively plotting to break apart the US. They are working with foreign powers through an organization called the UNPO. Strangely, Sarah Palin's pals in the Alaskan Independence Party share the same goal and appear to be alligned with the UNPO. The UNPO is run by Karl Von Habsburg (yes, THOSE Habsburgs) and is the heir to big Nazi money through his own family and his wife Francesca Thyssen-Boornemisa.

Also, why are the Lakota suing the GOVERNMENT over this? Sue the hell out of James Arthur Ray and the retreat owners, fine. But US taxpayers shouldn't have to foot the bill. Also note the weasel language: "we're not trying to hurt the Sedona retreat biz". Well, why the hell not? If you are truly interested in protecting Native American tradition, then you damn better want to "hurt the Sedona retreat biz" as it is ALL ABOUT stealing Native American tradition.

Re: James Arthur Ray - Megan Fredrickson manic pose, NLP anchoring
Posted by: The Anticult ()
Date: November 19, 2009 01:15PM

And of course James Arthur Ray has the standard LGAT seminar company businesses structure, he copied from others.
Byron Katie does the same thing.

In order to "work" for James Ray, you literally have to take every single course he offers, which costs a fortune. So he makes a fortune, and gets to completely indoctrinate/brainwash you at the same time.

Then after all of that, if you get "hired", then you do not get paid, commission only.
[jamesray.com]

This is how these LGAT companies operate.
Force people to take every single course, and "volunteer" to work for your private company.

Then, pick a few "sharks" out of the group who are skilled salespeople, and get them to "work" for you, totally on commission.
Its all free money for the Guru.

Ophrah news -Old show ending, new show, 'Own' projected for 2011
Posted by: corboy ()
Date: November 20, 2009 11:50PM

(Ophrah news -Old show ending, new show, 'Own' projected for 2011)

End of an era: Winfrey ending show after 25 years

[news.yahoo.com]-

Quote

By CARYN ROUSSEAU, Associated Press Writer Caryn Rousseau, Associated Press Writer – 7 mins ago

CHICAGO – Oprah Winfrey was set to announce Friday that her powerhouse daytime television show, the foundation of a multibillion-dollar media empire with legions of fans, will end its run in 2011 after 25 seasons on the air.

Winfrey planned to announce the final date for "The Oprah Winfrey Show" during a live broadcast, according to her production company, Harpo Productions Inc. She said at the beginning of the show that she had some news to share and that she would discuss it at the end of the show.

A Harpo spokeswoman declined to comment Thursday on Winfrey's plans except to say that "The Oprah Winfrey Show," which has seen ratings slip 7 percent from a year ago, will not move to cable television.

Winfrey, 55, is widely expected to start up a new talk show on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, a much-delayed joint venture with Discovery Communications Inc. that is projected to debut in 2011. OWN is to replace the Discovery Health Channel and will debut in some 74 million homes. An OWN spokeswoman declined comment Thursday.

CBS Television Distribution, which distributes "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to more than 200 U.S. markets, held out hope it could continue doing business with Winfrey, perhaps producing a new show out of its studios in Los Angeles.

"We know that anything she turns her hand to will be a great success," the CBS Corp. unit said in a statement. "We look forward to working with her for the next several years, and hopefully afterwards as well."

Many fans heading into Harpo Studios on Friday morning seemed to support Winfrey's decision to end the show.

"You always want to end a show when people want more — and not when people are sick of watching you," said Rebecca Switaj, 31, of Chicago.

Said Sandra Donaldson, 59, of Indianapolis: "It's time to elevate to something new. Whatever she does is going to be a blessing. It's going to be rewarding and eye-opening. Her name alone opens doors."

Once a local Chicago morning program, the production evolved into television's top-rated talk show for more than two decades, airing in 145 countries worldwide and watched by an estimated 42 million viewers a week in the U.S. alone.

"Oprah Winfrey is in a category of her own," said Robert Thompson, professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University. "This is a great American story and like any great American story it's supersized."

Fans expressed hope that Winfrey would announce another project on Friday.

"Oprah, she impacts everybody, her life, the way she gives," Shawana Fletcher, 29, of Chicago, said outside Harpo Studios. "I hope she's not totally done. That's what we're praying."

Winfrey's 24th season opened this year with a bang, as she drew more than 20,000 fans to Chicago's Magnificent Mile for a block party with the Black Eyed Peas. She followed with a series of blockbuster interviews — Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, singer Whitney Houston and ESPN's Erin Andrews, and just this week, former Alaska governor and GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

As a newcomer, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" chipped away at talk-show king Phil Donahue's dominance. Later, it turned to inspiration. The show's coverage ranged from interviews with the world's celebrities to an honest discussion about Winfrey's weight struggles.

"As the show evolved, it really kind of dressed up the neighborhood of the daytime talk show," Thompson said.

In 1986, pianist-showman Liberace gave his final TV interview to Winfrey, just six weeks before he died. In a 1993 prime-time special, Michael Jackson revealed he suffered from a skin condition that produces depigmentation. Tom Cruise enthusiastically declared his affection for the much-younger Katie Holmes on the program in 2005 — and jumped on the couch to prove it.

In 2004, Winfrey unveiled her most famous giveaway, when nearly 300 members of the studio audience opened a gift box to find the keys to a new car inside. The stunt became a classic show moment as much for Winfrey's reaction — "You get a car! You get a car! You get a car! Everybody gets a car!" — as its $7 million price tag.

The show also became a launching pad for Oprah's Book Club, which then launched best-sellers. The titles ranged from "Song of Solomon" and "Paradise" by Toni Morrison to Wally Lamb's "She's Come Undone" and Elie Wiesel's "Night."

For others, the selection backfired. "A Million Little Pieces" exploded in sales after Winfrey chose the James Frey memoir in fall 2005. Soon after, it was revealed as a fabricated tale of addiction and recovery, and Winfrey later chewed out Frey on her show.

"I call her `Queen of the New Consciousness' because she did so many things to change lives, the books that she promoted," said hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons.

The loss of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" would be a blow to CBS Corp., which earns a percentage of hefty licensing fees from TV stations that use it — largely ABC affiliates. CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves told analysts two weeks ago that the contract with the show runs through most of 2011 and "if there's a negative impact, it wouldn't hit us until '12."

"Oprah's been a force of media and there's really no person you can look to out there who you could say, `That's the heir apparent,'" said Larry Gerbrandt, an analyst for Media Valuation Partners in Los Angeles. Gerbrandt noted many stations build their schedules around Winfrey's show.

"It's a big loss, but not as huge as it would have been 10 years ago," he said. "However, it still commands the biggest audience and ABC station competitors are licking their chops."

Talk of the show's end often has accompanied Winfrey's contract negotiations. Before signing her current contract in 2004, she talked about quitting after the 2005-2006 season. As far back as 1995, she called continuing "a difficult and important decision."

Winfrey started her broadcasting career in Nashville, Tenn., and Baltimore, Md., before relocating to Chicago in 1984 to host WLS-TV's morning talk show "A.M. Chicago" — which became "The Oprah Winfrey Show" one year later. She set up Harpo the following year and her talk show went into syndication.

Powered by the show's staggering success, Winfrey built a media empire. Harpo Studios produces shows hosted by Dr. Phil McGraw and celebrity chef Rachael Ray. O, The Oprah Magazine was the nation's 7th most popular magazine in the first half of 2009.

"I came from nothing," Winfrey wrote in the 1998 book "Journey to Beloved." "No power. No money. Not even my thoughts were my own. I had no free will. No voice. Now, I have the freedom, power, and will to speak to millions every day — having come from nowhere."

Earlier this year, Forbes scored Winfrey's net worth at $2.7 billion.

___

AP Business Writer Ryan Nakashima in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

___

On the Net:

The Oprah Winfrey Show: [www.oprah.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/2009 11:52PM by corboy.

Re: James Arthur Ray - 2 die at Arizona retreat's sweat lodge
Posted by: corboy ()
Date: November 20, 2009 11:57PM

(quote from article above)

"Oprah Winfrey was set to announce Friday that her powerhouse daytime television show, the foundation of a multibillion-dollar media empire with legions of fans, will end its run in 2011 after 25 seasons on the air.

Winfrey planned to announce the final date for "The Oprah Winfrey Show" during a live broadcast, according to her production company, Harpo Productions Inc. She said at the beginning of the show that she had some news to share and that she would discuss it at the end of the show. "

Re: James Arthur Ray - 2 die at Arizona retreat's sweat lodge
Posted by: Eddystone ()
Date: November 25, 2009 10:48PM

Sorry, am I missing something? I don't understand what the last two posts about Oprah Winfrey have to do with this thread. Are they here by mistake when they should be on a different thread?

Re: James Arthur Ray - 2 die at Arizona retreat's sweat lodge
Posted by: corboy ()
Date: November 25, 2009 11:25PM

Read this.

[www.google.com]

[forum.culteducation.com]

and, further discussion at the NDM (Native American) discussion forum
between November 21st and the 23rd or so. Educational information on the legal issues, too.

[www.newagefraud.org]

and, thanks to the website above is THIS specimen of....I am struggling to stay polite
here....apologetics.

[blog.beliefnet.com]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/2009 11:45PM by corboy.

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