I saw Russell Simmons on Bill Mahr and he's plugging his new book.

Who knew he was so articulate and enlightened? I'd like to read his book.

Anybody read it?

This may be the same book he was plugging on a talk show last week. If so, it's pretty much like "The Secret", only using his life experiences as the backset. It basically tells you if you KNOW you will do it, you will and you have to continue to perservere to attain your goals. It's a new spin on an old idea:

"Think you can or think you can't; either way, you'll be right".

Yeah, he did mention "the secret" and that turned me off.

There's a fact that people don't discuss: Money and success BRING MORE money and success. Work begets work.

So you get these successful people who become even more successful and then they claim they got there because of "the secret" or whatever. they got there because they worked at something and got lucky.

i'm not diminishing their success either. but oprah and others need to understand that working hard and being faithful and believing does NOT necessarily (in most cases not even likely) translate into big success.

if it were true, then entire underclasses of religious, hard working, faithful and good people would be billionaires.

also, you know how we talk on these boards about scammers and how they support each other's schools like John Powers? well russell simmons and oprah work the same way!

oprah told simmons to name his book "do you." he listened to her cause he knows the financial rewards of having his book plugged on oprah.

these are money makers, good business people. they are NOT where they are because of "the secret."

russell simmons is NOT where he is because of Yoga.

it's a high profile "scam." i put it in quotes because i do believe there's some validity to the secret, good benefits to Yoga.

But to claim these as the reason for their success? no, that is bull shiite.

Glad I was able to save you the $24.95!!!

ahahah

Yes, thanks!

You're surprised that Russell Simmons is articulate and enlightened?

People like Russell and Oprah and just successful people that would be successful in a multitude of situations. It's kinda like someone that could win 10 million dollars in the lottery and be completely broke in 3 years - they are the opposite.

Don't hate; congratulate.

The book might be full of crap, but I don't think I can call a $20 book a scam. A waste of money maybe, but not a scam.

quote:

Originally posted by PeterBrady1:
i'm not diminishing their success either. but oprah and others need to understand that working hard and being faithful and believing does NOT necessarily (in most cases not even likely) translate into big success.

if it were true, then entire underclasses of religious, hard working, faithful and good people would be billionaires....
...it's a high profile "scam." i put it in quotes because i do believe there's some validity to the secret, good benefits to Yoga.

But to claim these as the reason for their success? no, that is bull shiite.

Exactly, PB. I was just thinking the same thing.

What about this: Some actors get a callback for the same role. What if all of them have been using the secret and practicing yoga. Who gets the part then? Ha ha ha.

When somebody writes a book on how to change things we can't already control, I'll spend the $24.95.

LOL, I guess the one who practices yoga, practices the secret AND who practices kabbalah?

Yes, Allah has it deemd that those folk get the parts!

Winfrey is a run of the mill talk show host who lucked out. She was a fat black woman who was beaten with an ugly stick. This appealed to out of work, at home housewives.

She dished and commiserated along with her white contemporary losers and in the process produced her own show so that all money went to her not the network.

This made her very, very rich. Once she got rich, she then decided to morph into a glamor girl and pose as that which she never was.

She's a gabber. She's a wash woman hanging her clothes and dishing. That's her shtick, nothing more, nothing less.

But money brings power. With all that money she has branched out and creates the illusion that she is "great" and has "achieved."

She stepped in shitt is what she did. And that's fine, but to pretend that she got where she is because of "the secret" or "faith" or anything other than being a lucky fat bittch, well, that's just crazy.

I for one am sickened by her gluttony, her greed, her narcissism. A MAGAZINE of HER? HER photo every month on the cover???

Calling fancy parties together and showing up in a bright red gown, ensuring herself the center of everybody? Makes me barf.

ARROGANCE beyond belief. Beyond belief.

However Oprah got there, I do admire her for her charity, and the fact that she DOES enjoy her money! Rah for her! I also happen to think she is a beautiful woman, with great taste in clothes and hair. I do have a problem with her recent talk about "white folk" because is anyone white said the same about "black folk," you can be sure there would be Hll or at least, Rev. Al, to pay!

And the world could do far worse than to read a magazine put out by her, and with her on the cover (disclaimer: I did participate in a print shoot for her magazine, although I didn't make the final cut). Her magazine espouses in general wholesome values and living.

Ah, well if complaining paid as well as talk show hosting did, some people on this board would be billionaires!

quote:

Originally posted by Camille:
Ah, well if complaining paid as well as talk show hosting did, some people on this board would be billionaires!

Billionaires? How about trillionaires.

It's fascinating to me when people who have accomplished tremendous things are torn down and picked apart by others. Not good or bad; just fascinating.

It makes me quite curious about the person doing the tearing down ask what they have done to compare. It's funny because they seem to have all the answers as to how and why this person is so successful, but they don't seem to be able to just apply the same things and have a fraction of the success.

If it's so easy I say "just do it".

Success is so easy even an ugly person can do it! LOL!

quote:

Originally posted by Camille:
Ah, well if complaining paid as well as talk show hosting did, some people on this board would be billionaires!

Heh isn't that how Seinfeld started out!

quote:

Originally posted by CSilvera:
However Oprah got there, I do admire her for her charity, and the fact that she DOES enjoy her money! Rah for her! I also happen to think she is a beautiful woman, with great taste in clothes and hair. I do have a problem with her recent talk about "white folk" because is anyone white said the same about "black folk," you can be sure there would be Hll or at least, Rev. Al, to pay!

And the world could do far worse than to read a magazine put out by her, and with her on the cover (disclaimer: I did participate in a print shoot for her magazine, although I didn't make the final cut). Her magazine espouses in general wholesome values and living.

Yes, she is charitable. Too bad she has to let everybody know it though. Some humility is in order but she is Ego Winfrey, after all.

Her comments about "white folk" were tacky. She was trying to make a point that she far exceeded her Grandmother's hopes for her. In making the point she was awkward and offensive. But I don't think she was intentionally offensive.