47 Comments »

Hippo said:
Oh, for fuck’s sake. This is ridiculous.
Thanks for taking one for the team, Mr. Salty. I could never sit through this.
  +2
[Reply]
# 22 April 2011 at 12:23 pm

Rubies said:
As a vegetarian at AVR what the heck is Michael Hamilton doing at In and Out Burger? hmmmmmmm……
  +2
[Reply]

Yakaru Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 2:03 pm
@Rubies,
You’re right! Do missed trick there. She could’ve gotten a couple of hours out of that. Maybe Mr Hamilton communicates with the burgers before he eats them.
  +2
[Reply]

Rubies Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 2:29 pm
@Yakaru,
Yes I think you can be certain he communicated with the burgers, just while they were still walking I suppose as the future cheezeburgers of America. He went to In and Out to have a reunion.
moo
  +1
[Reply]

2Tired2 Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 2:20 pm
@Rubies,
Recruiting?
With all due respect, Rubies, I don’t think that Mr. Hamilton ever said he was a vegetarian. Remember, they were going to eat steak & shrimp…oh, wait, was that the Mercers?
Anyhoo ~ Doesn’t really matter ~ seems to me like “a cost factor” ~ serve ‘em veggies at every meal & we’ll save the cost of serving any meat.
Oh, well ~ I won’t be staying there ~ I likes me some meat & taters :-)
  0
[Reply]

LaVaughn Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 1:11 pm
@Rubies, I used to go there just for the fries and I don’t eat red meat. Their fries are AWESOME!!!
And, no, I don’t think he ever said he was a vegetarian.
  0
[Reply]

renatae Reply:
April 28th, 2011 at 8:27 am
@LaVaughn, Yes, I believe that’s correct. In fact, I’m pretty sure one of the witnesses said that the vegetarian fare was one choice groups had, but they had the choice of non vegetarian as well. It was Ray’s choice to use the vegetarian, as he said, he thinks it keeps them “off balance” and he likes it that way. BTW, thanks for your oh, so, informative blog! It’s helping me keep things straight.
Waving to denizens of IS board!
  0
[Reply]

LaVaughn Reply:
April 28th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
@renatae, I think you’re right. I can’t remember off-hand if it was Debbie Mercer or Fawn Foster who said vegetarian meals were optional. At least that was my understanding. I just still can’t get over the defense drudging up that issue. For any juror with a memory, it makes Ray look bad. Glad you’re enjoying the blog.
  0
[Reply]

White Rabbit Reply:
April 28th, 2011 at 5:53 pm
@LaVaughn,
When I went there was no choice. Only veggie food to keep you in an altered state.
  0
[Reply]

LaVaughn Reply:
April 29th, 2011 at 2:05 am
@White Rabbit, Right. I mean there was a choice for those who set up contracts. In this case, JRI. But I believe that JRI could just as easily have requested non-vegetarian meals. Hamilton also testified that in previous years, Ray ordered vegetarian meals for everyone but himself. He had poultry and fish in his private menu.
  0
# 22 April 2011 at 12:48 pm

Suzy Q said:
Salty, thanks for not having me try to open some account to post a comment! I am becoming obsessed with this trial, and I am so angry. I followed the story casually when it happened, and now I am reading and watching everything I can get my hands on. There has to be justice in this case, JAR needs to do some serious time. This faux spiritual crap has to be stopped, he is the poster child for exploitation of people’s fears and vulnerabilities in an attempt to make money. Who does this? How can he sleep at night? I get the sociopathy angle and the narcissism (I am a therapist by trade) but I mean for the love of God, this is beyond reprehensible. Apparently I needed to vent. And I need some more wine.
  +3
[Reply]

Aly Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 7:41 pm
@Suzy Q,
I agree, I am so happy to have found SD. I heard very little about this until now. How in the hell has this idiot gotten by with all of this crap?
  +1
[Reply]
# 22 April 2011 at 3:54 pm

Dancing Bubba said:
Is that an ugly suit Mdm. Do is wearing today or what?
  +1
[Reply]

Suzy Q Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 4:13 pm
@Dancing Bubba, Why yes, it is. I think camo when I don’t have glasses on.
  +1
[Reply]

Dancing Bubba Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 7:43 pm
@Suzy Q,
Maybe she’s planning to go out and gun down some critters to celebrate Easter weekend.
Seriously did anyone else notice how Li and Kelly distanced themselves physically from JAR during today’s session? It’s almost as if they were repulsed by his presence.
  0
[Reply]
# 22 April 2011 at 4:03 pm

Bethann said:
Mania does not equal validity. Congratulations to Do for a false assumption and her attempt to distract the jury to a point we would believe her.
It’s not working.
JAR must be sharing his steroids with her, or she is in serious need of professional help.
She cannot keep facts in order, and continually needs to re-group.
Do, you’ve lost.
  +2
[Reply]
# 22 April 2011 at 4:30 pm

scammed said:
omg–somebody shoot me. please. i can’t listen to these two go back and forth anymore. i don’t like to hate on our own witnesses, but this hamilton guy has to be the most frustrating witness to get an answer out of of i’ve ever seen. i can’t tell if that’s good for us or not. yes, it must drive miss do crazy, but it’s got to drive the jury crazy too, right? have to say, sometimes it’s really funny, but then i want to tear my hair out again.
  +4
[Reply]

2Tired2 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 12:33 pm
@scammed,
Yes, indeedy-do ….Or…Do
Geeze, I hope Mz Do had a bunch of cocktails at the round-up at the not-so-ok-corral on Friday afternoon
(don’t they have a beauty-shop in Sedona where she can get her hair trimmed? (the Kut-N-Curl?)
  0
[Reply]

Anonymous Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 12:49 pm
@scammed,
I’ve sat a couple times with Michael Hamilton at AV, so I can tell you he was definitely doing he best to push back and frustrate her.
Seems to me he did pretty well, though it was some ridiculously boring testimony. All she was trying to do was discredit him and Angel Valley.
Chalk one up for the home team!
  +3
[Reply]
# 22 April 2011 at 4:42 pm

Suzy Q said:
My guess is Easter recess after side bar…. and I swear the DT is reading tweets b/c they are now talking to JAR
  +1
[Reply]
# 22 April 2011 at 4:46 pm

Suzy Q said:
OK Easter recess guess was wrong… I am very impressed with Ms. Polk!
  +1
[Reply]
# 22 April 2011 at 4:51 pm

katiecoolady said:
I feel like the last hour of that cross poisoned me thru the screen and overdosed me on rat poison or something that caused me to pass out. And my a/c is ON. UGH!
  0
[Reply]

Suzy Q Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 6:31 pm
@katiecoolady, lol
  0
[Reply]

2Tired2 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 12:39 pm
@katiecoolady,
I haven’t been able to eat for a day & 1/2 now….serve my food on a “dinner plate” with “One-Bite-at-a-Time”
Not enough pepto to go around
Surprised the vision questors didn’t run down the mountain to eat some…at the direction of JR
…and the drinking water? Don’t even wanna think ’bout that.
  0
[Reply]
# 22 April 2011 at 6:04 pm

jamo said:
How would you like to have a job that consists wholly of lying, deceiving and tricking nice people? To be honest, what the defense team is doing makes what Johnnie Cochran did during OJ Simpson trial look wholesome. How do you like your new job, Truc?
It is much more honorable to be a prostitute as that line of work is completely honest.
That said, I give my gratitude for people like Sheila Polk whose job is in part to uncover and undo the lies put forth by people like Truc Do who is trying to frame an innocent man (Michael Hamilton) and allow the real killer (James Arthur Ray) get off scot free. That is just plain nasty and it causes a lot of suffering of innocent people, not the least of which are the victims’ families.
Now I can see why the defense team is so desperate to get Ray off on a technicality. It would spare them the need to do their nasty dirty work in public, which I suspect must be quite embarrassing. It certainly would be for me anyway.
  +5
[Reply]
# 23 April 2011 at 5:03 am

jamo said:
The following article, which seems biased to me, reports that Richard Haddow is set to take the stand next week. Has anyone else heard that?
http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=93047
  0
[Reply]
# 23 April 2011 at 5:42 am

kate said:
I don’t understand why Mr Hamilton is so big on everyone taking responsibility for everything ie..”if you slip on a mossy rock on his property and r injured – what in your life created your fall?”
My question then is…”If 3 people die on his property, what in his life created that entire scene?”
I was really impressed with his testimony at first, but as it continued…his answers were contradictory and evasive and not unlike JAR in that he is unable to take responsibility for any part of it. It’s obvious that it is all about money.
When a so-called spiritual mentor bases decisions on money — it is not about a loving life changing path toward spiritual enlightenment — it is about greed.
  +3
[Reply]

Suzy Q Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 11:31 am
@kate, YIKES hit the neg button instead of + by mistake. I liked your comment!
  0
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2Tired2 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 1:28 pm
@kate,
I agree with you. His answers were rather vague ~ kept referring/deferring to his wife too much. (and, they’re not gonna talk about it? ~ duh…)
My Ah-Ha moment came when he (Hamilton) said on direct AND cross that they sued JRI because they needed the money. MONEY? You don’t say that on the witness stand. You say it because you were (felt) damaged in some way, You don’t say “I sued XXX company because I needed money…”
Wrong, wrong, wrong…
Well, Hamilton claims to be a minister, of some sort…& I do not put much faith in ministers.
  +1
[Reply]

White Rabbit Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:31 pm
@2Tired2,
Just add this to the list of things the defense bashes others about but it defines their client as well::
James is a minister. A few years ago he married one of his students.
  0
[Reply]
# 23 April 2011 at 7:11 am

Bethann said:
Hamilton’s, (and others), woo woo spirituality doesn’t appeal to me. It isn’t psychologically healthy. “I’ve attracted everything in my life.” Shame based belief system.
Hamilton’s a strong witness, who has been well coached by an attorney who represents the insurance company. He may be losing his life’s work, and this can’t be easy.
It’s unfortunate both of the Hamilton’s didn’t put a stop to Ray’s destructive behavior. JAR has a history of client abuse at AVR.
Do isn’t creating reasonable doubt, only duress for the jury. And what no suits with padding to attract and divert attention with male’s on the jury.
  +1
[Reply]

jamo Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 9:14 am
@Bethann, I agree with both you and kate. That spirituality is just more of “the secret” crap that is shame-based.
I don’t know how effective Do’s tactics have been with the jury. I am remaining open to the possibility that death ray may get off. I was just a kid when OJ Simpson got off and I was amazed how much it affected me — like there is no real justice in this world.
Like others have stated, Ray’s carcass will be picked clean of money by his lawyers in any case and his life will never be the same, like OJ’s wasn’t.
It is a fascinating case and I hope he gets convicted as much to land a body-blow to this whole corrupt self-help industry as anything else. Thanks to Salty for all he does in that vein.
  +4
[Reply]
# 23 April 2011 at 7:50 am

coldweathergal said:
I wish I could have liked Michael Hamilton, but I just didn’t. He was just too clever by half. What a contrast to the heartfelt, no b.s. testimony of Fawn Foster and Debbie Mercer. I worry that his performance will reflect badly on the prosecution. However, Do’s tactics were just as disturbing–in a mind numbing way–so perhaps it’s a wash. I hate to say MH reminded me of JAR but–there it is.
WINNER!! ::   +7
[Reply]

2Tired2 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:08 pm
@coldweathergal,
Partial quote: “I wish I could have liked Michael Hamilton”
re: Witness, Michael Hamilton
Me too. Sure, Mr. Hamilton came across as genuine at first…(well, they had to call him)
Yet…his demeanor became a problem. Sluffed too much off on his wife & Gary Palish (sp?). Everything became somebody’s else’s fault. That’s OK, yet, did that really happen?
I can understand why they kept letting JR & his flock back on the property. The H’s needed to make money. Who, in their right mind is gonna wander out in the desert, a bunch of miles from any town…except groups like JR?
(P.S. ~ I lived in the desert for many years & I wouldn’t spend any $ to hang out at a place like that)
  +2
[Reply]

Mario Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:03 pm
@coldweathergal,
I agree with you, Hamilton came off less likable than the others…but he definitely countered and frustrated Fuck Do very well. I thought he was intentionally wasting her “cross” time by slowing her pace down and stringing everything out…even though he came off like a woo woo jackass himself.
She was never going to ask him any real questions; like why did you allow Mr. Ray to return again in 2009? Isn’t it true Mr. Hamilton that you totally hate Mr Ray’s guts? Isn’t it true Mr. Hamilton that you have known for years that Mr. Ray is a dangerously arrogant and angry sociopath? When all is said and done Mr. Hamilton, isn’t it true the only reason you allowed my “dickhead” client to return to Angel Valley was purely for the money? Correct?
So, Mr. Hamilton wouldn’t you agree at the end of day that you and you alone have (in the big picture) created your own experience?
You have slipped on the your own “grassy knoll” and turned Angel Valley into Death Valley, isn’t that correct Mr. Hamilton?
  +4
[Reply]
# 23 April 2011 at 10:58 am

Bethann said:
These losers, (defense team and JAR), are certainly attracted to each other. Do is completely ineffective, bouncing off walls like someone sharing JAR’s roids.
I’m going to assume there is a semester course on courtroom demeanor, and I can only guess at who got the A yet did not understand the syllabus.
I’m ready for Amyra. She’ll have the same forceful testimony as Debbie and Fawn.
(From my favorite orator Robert G Ingersoll, “A lie does not fit a fact.”)
  +3
[Reply]

Mario Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 10:55 pm
@Bethann,
I sure hope Amrya is allowed to bring it the way Debbie & Fawn did. It’s too bad Judge Darrow is not allowing details from 2007 or 2008. We’ve heard she was read the riot act from Death Ray for calling 911 previously. Probably in 2005. As a result she was cowed by Jackass Jimmy to never do that again. Wouldn’t that be valuable for the jury to know? I think so.
So far the women have delivered the best testimony by far! Let’s hope Amyra can continue that trend…
  +2
[Reply]

jamo Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 3:26 am
@Mario, Someone correct me if I am wrong but it seemed to me that Fuck Do’s last questions of Hamilton opened up past events for Sheila to explore.
Do: did Debbie or Ted come to you to complain about what happened in Ray’s 2007 sweat lodge?
MR: no
Do: did they complain about 2008 ceremony?
MR: no
Do: no further questions your honor.
This clearly opens the door to past sweat lodge questions in my opinion during re-direct.
It could have been big mistake by Do — we’ll see.
  +3
[Reply]
# 23 April 2011 at 1:04 pm

2Tired2 said:
? Who assigns the points here? Just curious. :-)
  0
[Reply]

White Rabbit Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:33 pm
@2Tired2,
No one “assigns” points. If someone likes your post they can click on the thumbs up and if not they can click on the thumbs down. Very democratic.
  +3
[Reply]

2Tired2 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 4:40 pm
@White Rabbit,
Oh, sorry…I thought it was the SD…Well, heck, I’m new here, so just thought I’d ask ~ thanx :-)
Just curious…:-)
  +2
[Reply]

wondering why Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 4:20 pm
@2Tired2,
We do..
  +2
[Reply]
# 23 April 2011 at 2:32 pm

2Tired2 said:
Thanx, White Rabbit & Wondering ~ I just didn’t know…
***
I am soooo much in the minus category, I was running for a spot in the :Who Gets The Most Minus” points…
Ah~whoo…slips into the darkness…
***
before I do that ~ this is a quote from one of the other JR threads:
“The wood was from Maine :: cedar logs too old for construction. Was used to build the pump house. #JamesRay #”
The wood was NOT TOO OLD ~ the wood was not up to snuff, i.e., cracks, damaged, etc. Cedar? Old? it’s all old. Just wasn’t suited for building purposes.
Have a great weekend, y’all :-)
  +3
[Reply]

White Rabbit Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:33 pm
@2Tired2,
Here’s one for you to turn your streak around.
  +1
[Reply]

wondering why Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 8:37 pm
@2Tired2,
I haven’t noticed you getting a lot of minus points really..Sometimes JAR apologists come around and give minus points..
  +1
[Reply]

jamo Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 3:32 am
@wondering why, yes that is another one of lee kuan’s hobbies
  +2
[Reply]

Dancing Bubba Reply:
April 26th, 2011 at 9:00 am
@2Tired2,
Lee Kuan probably had the most negative points before SD gave him the boot. You would have to work very hard to get more negative points than him/her/it.
  0
[Reply]
# 23 April 2011 at 4:34 pm

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