Saturday, April 23, 2011

Characters of the James Ray Trial: Genaro the Perpetual Ranter

It appears as we follow this long post now that Genaro is done joking around about handcuffing attorneys, smacking around witnesses, and exposing the jealousies of the bald, and is ready to get serious about personal responsibility. We begin with Genaro’s own words and the innocent inquiries to the devious Mr. Hamilton:

When asked, by the defense, just what he meant by “being responsible for your own creations” Mr Hamilton gave the jury a round about explanation that led to more confusion rather than clarity. The defense should have asked: ‘When you state for people to be responsible for their own creations are your referring their actions while they are on your property?’ That may have cleared the matter up, if Mr Hamilton did not use this as another opportunity to give another one of his indirect, roundabout answers. From what I remember, the defense finally gave up trying to get Mr Hamilton to clarify just what he meant because I sure don’t remember the matter being cleared up. The defense should have continued to pressure Mr Hamilton until he finally gave a VERY CLEAR and precise understanding of just exactly what he meant.

This is a really funny aspect of Genaro’s approach, advice for the defense, or how I would do it approach. It makes you wonder what is the occupation or hobby of Genaro because giving legal advice to high-paid attorneys is pretty ballsy if you ask me. I’m glad we in internet-land have such vast resources from James Ray commenters telling us how our legal servants could improve their trial performance, once again truly brilliant stuff. Genaro goes into the waiver’s and uses it to compare Michael Hamilton to an idiot without actually going as far to call him an idiot himself, in Genaro’s eyes he is just jealous and dumb, but won’t go so far to say he is an idiot.

We get to the actual point further down the line, and if we dare miss it there is no worries because it is pointed out in ALL CAPS. Yes, I mean a prolific commenter must know the skilled usage of all caps. Did Genaro learn this technique from just posting on James Ray’s site or also from countless hours spent on Conspiracy Websites (I notice a similarity of technique. Okay so maybe it is just me that hangs around those websites, and Genaro’s stylistic flourishes are merely coincidence. Anything is possible, or at least that is what some want you to believe.)

So Genaro’s kicker is that Michael Hamilton is irresponsible for creating a death trap on his property. She wants to know what precautions he took after 2008 and on the fateful day of 2009 from James Ray inflicting the damage he eventually did. I lose Genaro’s point here but hopefully more will be elucidated so I read further. Unfortunately Genaro leaves it as an open question and moves on, where to you ask? Well to the Archangel Michael thing of course. This seems to be one of the most important things for Genaro right now and it just won’t stop rattling in her head alongside the persistently clear and loud voice of that hateful prosecutor Polk. The insanity of the Michael’s and their angelic relationship needs to be openly admitted by the judge and all the attorneys for the sake of decency everywhere, or else we will be run amok by these David Koresh types. Yes, that’s right Genaro brought up Koresh, and once again wants agreement. Genaro's rhetorical question technique that may have been honed watching her peeps the James Ray defense team, or did they learn it from her?

Here is the rest of the Genaro post to give y'all the lovely context...

Mr Hamilton didn’t want to openly admit it, but he made it quite clear that he didn’t understand the full extent of the legal implications of the liability waivers he had people sign before staying on his property and using his facilities. You know what that’s like? It’s like an idiot who doesn’t bother to ask the doctor what exactly the medication is the doctor is prescribing for him. It seems to me that it is Mr Hamilton’s VERY IMPORTANT responsibility to know and understand EVERYTHING that is in the liability waivers he has people sign before they conduct or participate in activities while on his property. Apparently, Mr Hamilton has people sign legal documents when he barely understands just what those legal documents actually mean and imply. How dumb it that for a businessman running a spiritual retreat?

Then if some guy says he is an expert in building sweat lodges Mr Hamilton will hire the guy without checking up on him to make absolutely certain the guy is indeed an expert in building sweat lodges. Mr Hamilton just blindly trusts the guy to be an expert and doesn’t even bother to oversee and fully understand just what the guy is doing on HIS PROPERTY. What does that tell you? That Mr Hamilton cares whether or not someone builds a death trap sweat lodge on HIS property? I don’t think so. Only a fool would blindly trust that some guy is an expert sweat lodge builder before allowing him to build a sweat lodge on his property. So far it seems that Mr Hamilton is indeed such a fool. He doesn’t check whether or not the guy is telling the truth before he hires the guy to build a sweat lodge on HIS property and he doesn’t even bother to check up on the guy to make certain he is doing a good job. That may sound normal to you, but considering what happened in the Sedona sweat lodge in 2009 it sound RECKLESS and IRRESPONSIBLE to me!

Mr Hamilton already had enough warning from the 2008 sweat lodge event that he should be personally involved in the James Arthur Ray 2009 workshop in order to protect himself and his Angel Valley retreat. Apparently, he had more important things to do for those two hours the sweat lodge was being used.

What special precautions did he take to make certain Mr Ray did not ‘do it again’? I’d like to know!

On that deadly day, what exactly was more important, during the two hours of the sweat lodge ceremony, than making certain Mr Ray did not ‘do it again’? I’d like to know!

Well, it seems that no one is going to follow up on Mr Hamilton’s claim that he had a vision of, apparently, Archangel Michael and that’s why he named the property Angel Valley. It seems to me that this is a matter both the defense, the prosecution and the judge can all agree upon: It is officially CRAZY to think that the Biblical Archangel Michael can appear to an individual and tell him or her what to do and then they go ahead and do it. That’s officially a David Koresh kind of minister, right? They will indeed all agree with this ON CAMERA. They had better or their credibility as sane individuals will be in very real danger!

Debbie Mercer said she exaggerated when she told investigators that 40 people had suffered extremely adverse reactions at prior James Arthur Ray sweat lodges? No she did not “exaggerate” SHE OUT AND OUT LIED!!! And get this: According to Mr Hamilton’s testimony today no one of his hired staff had told him that there was any problem with the James Arthur Ray sweat lodges before the 2009 event. At least that is what I remember. So, how dire could the circumstances at the 2007 and 2009 sweat lodges have been, eh?

Fawn Foster (that’s her name, right) obviously LIED when she said that Mr Ray claimed to be the Alpha Omega and God. I’m willing to bet my pet pink gorilla on this one. Why, because if this were true it would have been all over the Internet since the accident happened.

And we all know it was indeed an “accident”. People who didn’t have the faith to access the miraculous to protect themselves stayed in the sweat lodge when they should have been asking for help. It was THEIR decision and choice. NOT Mr Ray’s.


Characters of the James Ray Trial: The Return of Genaro the Apologist

So in the Genaro Comment Blog we have our next post which came in less than 6 hours, I guess Genaro couldn’t sleep with so much James Ray on her mind, or was it the annoying voice of Prosecutor Polk ringing in her head. I mean why can’t she move around more like the defense, so that her words will be drowned out more often, and thus less haunting. I’m happy because then I wouldn’t have the Genaro Comment Blog to get me a-writing.

Genaro turns out to be quite an advocate for courtroom auditory protocol even calling for handcuffing her beloved defense to the podium so she can hear them, nothing like handcuffed attorneys in a heartfelt Good Friday post.

One thing that pisses off Genaro more than the rampant jealousy of bald people is people who can’t answer a question directly. Genaro we see is an avid critic of what constitutes direct communication, and thank heavens. Genaro suggests we smack ‘em around in a slapstick fashion. It wreaks more of bad 50’s detective movies, or extraordinary rendition, or some other beat the truth out of people shtick. Genaro knows the best way to get to the bottom of things with people that try to HIDE SOMETHING (* Genaro’s All Caps, not mine) is crack their skulls but please make it funny. Well you can be the judge is it is funny, here is the Introduction Genaro blessed us with on James Ray's website yesterday...

Genaro says: April 22, 2011 at 5:34 pm

JAMES ARTHUR RAY TRIAL

GOOD FRIDAY APRIL 22, 2011

INTRODUCTION: Let me say that I find the voice of prosecuting attorney Polk very obnoxious and annoying. However, since she doesn’t walk around I can easily hear everything she says. The defense attorneys tend to walk around and their voices get louder and softer, louder and softer, louder and softer. Sometimes I can clearly hear what they are saying and sometimes I cannot. It can be very frustrating. It seems to me that the future of court trials will be that attorney’s who like to walk around will use cordless microphones attached to their clothing. THEY SHOULD BE USING THEM NOW!!!! How about the defense either use cordless microphones or handcuff themselves to the podium so that I can always clearly hear what they are saying. Thanks!

If there is one thing that really gets on my nerves it’s when people give indirect answers to direct questions. Keeping this in mind I was tempted over and over to give Mr Hamilton official ‘Three Stooges’ slaps and demand he answer direct questions put to him directly. It is my belief that people who don’t want to answer direct questions directly ARE HIDING SOMETHING! They are dishonest people who do their best to hide their dishonesty by giving indirect answers to direct questions. It’s their way of trying to change the subject in order to get themselves off the ‘hook’. Mr Hamilton is obviously an expert in the usage of this particular strategy.

*****

In this same post Genaro continues with some deep mental investigating that opens up lots more insight into how she sees this whole kaboodle of a trial... To Be Continued.

Characters of the James Ray Trial: Genaro the Apologist

Anyone that suffers through the postings on the James Ray site is familiar with the commenter Genaro who has been at it since right after the Sweat Lodge 2009. Genaro Flores is a dedicated poster and thus leaves a wide imprint on what makes her tick (I think it’s a woman but one can’t be sure of everything, can we.)

Lets start with some of these recent postings that were the impetus for Genaro the Apologist to be my next Character piece for the James Ray Trial. I realize many may think this individual does not deserve such scrutiny, and if you feel that way feel free to move on, my feelings won’t be hurt. I beg to differ though. I think that the views of this individual are important, no matter how unsavory they may appear to you. So let us begin, here Genaro is real upset about Michael Hamilton’s relations with Archangel Michael.

Here is the entire post from April 22, 2011 at 12:33 am

DEFENSE: ‘We feel it is crazy to believe that the Biblical Archangel Michael can appear to you and tell you what to do. We officially request that when Mr Hamilton leaves the witness stand he immediately be subject to a thorough psychological examination focusing on these angel visions of his. The result of that thorough examination may indeed make all the difference in this case.

We could save the State of Arizona some time and money. We all agree it is crazy to believe that the Biblical Archangel Michael can appear to us and tell us what to do, right? We all agree on that, right?’

*I think you will find that Mr Hamilton didn’t want anyone to die, but he did indeed want to permanently ruin Mr Ray’s reputation. Never once thought he might be dragged into it headlong. There is a saying in the Bible: something about my enemies falling int the pit they dug for me. In this case, I would imagine, you can substitute ‘sweat lodge’ for ‘pit’. Oh yes, Mr Hamilton was jealous of Mr Ray alright. There was just much too much hair on his head!


In this post we have Genaro speaking as the Defense, and declaring the belief that Archangel Michael can appear to you makes you insane. It is obvious that Genaro gets a kick out of herself (I will use the female pronoun until I find out differently) She is quick to go on the offensive, in the comments of James Ray’s website that is. It appears that comments that are not seen positively by the admin are deleted, and then the mania that is Genaro is allowed to roam free and really show quite clear the disease of the apologist in black and white for anyone that has the constitution to deal with such mess.

After declaring the craziness of Archangel encounters she looks for support. The only problem she posts hundreds of words as if the James Ray is her personal blog with no call and response to come except a meager one punctuated at the end.

She stars her last paragraph I guess to tell us that she will now say something really important: “I think you will find that Mr. Hamilton didn’t want anyone to die” To be honest I'm not in a lets agree with Genaro kinda mood, I might as well jump on board with what Tallkat Conley wants to set sail with. Once Genaro has you agree to Michael Hamilton not wanting people to die, she lays down her reason for the star, that Mr. Hamilton is hell-bent on ruining the reputation of James Ray. I wonder if Genaro ever thinks about the damage her posts due to the causes of James Ray as viewed by members of a less sensational ilk. They are out to get her homey, and this calls for a Bible verse, except Genaro seems a bit hazy on what the bible says about the whole falling into a pit thing. All in all that only makes it that easier to switch up pit for sweat lodge (don’t you love convenience in the place of logic, perhaps knowledge, or a sense of respect?) And just when we thought we may actually get some substance out of the matter from Genaro Flores we get he is jealous all right, this Mr. Hamilton, because of the hair on Mr. Ray’s head.

Wow! So let me get my scorecard straight here, it is fair game to make fun of a man who talks to angels, especially since he doesn’t want to kill nobody, but don’t mess with the reputation of Ray, or you will get hazy biblical quotes, and be mocked because of your appearance, absolutely brilliant stuff. The next post can only get better I’m sure….

Friday, April 22, 2011

Characters of the James Ray Trial: Michael Hamilton Edition


In any well crafted drama the characters are what allow the story to play out, and it is no different with the characters of the James Ray Trial. One interesting thing about this trial is the people enmeshed in it. For the past 2 days Michael Hamilton the co-founder of Angel Valley is testifying.

On the Angel Valley website is Mr. Hamilton smiling on their services page as the first in a line-up followed by his wife Amayra, Fawn Foster, and a host of others. The Hamilton’s are non-denominational ministers that perform wedding ceremonies. Their practices are referred to as modalities and Michael’s also include Intuitive Coaching and Affirmations, his wife Amayra’s modality list runs quite longer and includes Channeled Writing, Crystal Skulls, and Angel Walks.

On another page Michael talks of his spiritual journey that started July 22, 1996 when the Archangel Michael came to him during a channeling session, and from there on Michael found himself on a mission.

Much more recently, in December 2010, that mission got curtailed by a land use permit denied by The Yavapai County Planning and Zoning Commission who had some questions about his plans to section off parts of his property for third party use. For one thing the County didn’t want to see unchecked expansion over at Angel Valley.

Now if you asked where did they meet James Ray? It started when a guy who was “in with an agent” according to what Michael Hamilton said to detectives on 10/26/09 where they made it clear to him that he wasn’t under criminal investigation for the sweat lodge. They got into the sweat lodges after being around some people with the “Native American Energy” as opposed to the white minister energy I presume. Two of these natives are David Singing Bear and Angel Valley’s former manager Gary Palisch who has some native blood, according to Hamilton.

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Now jump to today and he is the wood expert. Defense attorney Do asks Mr. Hamilton as someone who has worked in construction for 30+ years and knows a lot about pressure treated wood. Then she drops the new organophosphate defense, which is CCA, with the key word here in the A which stands for arsenic. It is arsenic, the new smoking gun, well not exactly.

And one final word, last night when looking at the Angel Valley website to get a feel for how the Hamiltons choose to present themselves online, I thought to myself crystal skulls would be an easy target for the defense and sure enough here they are. Now we are in recess and I wanted to get a few words out on the trial. Then I will go ahead dig in to the Michael Hamilton story a little more, and later expand further into looking at Amayra.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

First Tweets on the James Ray Trial

Welcome to the spanking new Eyes On Now twitter stream...

(Apr 4th) Without a doubt Salty needs to be your James Ray Trial homepage


Entryway to LaVaughn's (aka Celestial Reflections) blog covering the blow by blows of the Sweat Lodge Trial

Tom McFeeley's Opening Salvo regarding the Trial

Sweat Lodge Trial: Eyes On Now Intro (video)

Baby's First Words regarding the trial

Follow the James Ray Trial Tweets via our handy-grandly lovely lil' list ...

Connie Joy's heap of resources and insider perspective

Seeding the Multimedia Lawn ... James Ray On Trial Edition:

Science instead of Self Help - Sam Snyder

Freshness RT @twinkiewrangler: The #JamesRay Daily is out! Top stories today via @eyesonnow @anticult

RT @katiecoolady: ... fyi will attend the JAR trial next Wed and will do my best to tweet.

RT @anticult: Cult susceptibility: Why Did They Join A Cult? #cults

My Latest Blog Entry ... Highlights from the LaVaughn Blog

Archived from 4/4 to 4/5 via the Eyes On Now twitter stream.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

James Ray Trial Mid Week Update



Tuesday gave us a "snow day" as Tom McFeeley put it. Juror #4 got sick and Salty Droid cheered because he had to catch up.

Wednesday brought the past James Ray sweat lodges into focus and the defense appeared shook, calling for a mistrial which Judge Darrow quickly shot down. Defense Attorney Li said he will take the judge's decision to a higher court. Kelly also of the defense played the sorry and confused card. He claimed he can't give his client adequate representation in light of the new developments and needs more time to prepare.

Hughes from the prosecution made it clear that this is not news and the defense had plenty of time to prepare. Kelly is going to change his witness list. The judge firmly stated the 15 prosecution witnesses are not going to cause a cumulative demonstration of the facts circulating around the prior sweat lodges (2007/2008)

Ted Mercer struggled keeping his responses brief. In his role of firekeeper he said James Ray called for an inordinate amount of rocks, about a 100. All the other sweat lodges that Mercer participated in the number of rocks was about a quarter of that. During the 2009 when Ted Mercer told James Ray that the rocks were really hot this time, Ray simply replied, "good."

At the end of James Ray's Sweat Lodges things always got ugly. Distressed and sick people turned the events into what looked like a MASH unit, not quite the smiles and joy Li works so hard to get the photos to portray. For the first time the jury gets to hear about prior year sweat lodges and this means a circus is sure to follow.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Highlights from the LaVaughn James Ray Trial Blog

Since I got so late to the game I wanted to start covering some of the earlier discussions that were launched at the outset of this trial. I begin with some highlights from LaVaughn who as I keep mentioning is doing an extensive blow by blow of the entire trial, as she puts it - front and center with the popcorn.

The idea that the prosecutor Ms. Polk is using James Ray's own words to incriminate him seemed to be a good strategy for LaVaughn, and she pointed out several aspects of cult programming that she felt jumped out at her from some of the statements of James Ray leading up to the sweat lodge.

Here is a quick list for you to contemplate:

1. Building Urgency "Time is short"
2. Raising Fear "if you're not going to die"
3. Sleep Deprivation "some of you went to bed last night"
4. Food and Water Deprivation
5. Watermelon Fast Breaking (Sugar-Shock)

Then there is the topic of Holotropic Breath Work developed by Stan Grof, who claims James Ray was not certified to teach, LaVaughn provides the link.

Another activity of note during the 5 days of Spiritual Warrior 09 is The Samurai Game which caused some participants to lay "dead" for an extended period of time before the Vision Quest which entailed 36 hours without food and water.

And finally the opening remarks for the defense that came from Luis Li centered around the fact that adults have the right to choose, and thus must be held responsible for any actions they take.

Here you have some albeit disjointed points in their presently concocted form but important touchstones of the trial nonetheless. So when you get a chance go over to LaVaughn and thank her for all her insights, I'm sure she'd really appreciate it.