Robalini's Note: Out of respect for the family wishes, I had held off confirming this terrible news until today. I have been given the okay to announce it now. Needless to say, this will not be the last thing you'll hear about Jim Keith's death here. Mr. Keith is a giant of the information underground, and his loss will be sorely missed. Hello As some of you know James Keith broke his leg at Burning Man stepping off of a three foot stage. Thinking it was just a severe sprain he went home and tried to sleep it off. Realizing the next morning it was more he went to Washoe Medical and was to be treated for a broken knee. This was to involve surgery but was delayed to a problem with kidney function. I spoke with him during the afternoon on Tuesday and he was in good spirits but worried about the thought of being put under. His quote being "I have this feeling that if they put me under I'm not coming back" That night James went in for his surgery and around 8:10 PM a blood clot released from his leg and I believe went to his lung and he passed away. James leaves behind two daughters Aerika (13) and Verity (15). Plans are not finalized for services. But they will be sometime this weekend. I will be handling all affairs for his daughters so please direct all further email to me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Kenneth F. Thomas ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Thank you for the kind words about Jim. He was a dear friend of mine and an important person to the world. The loss is immeasurable. He was not just the co-author of The Octopus, but a dharma combatant who demonstrated time and again that the world is far more multi-dimenisonal, far more interesting, than the pablum that usually passes for news, information and normal discourse. Unfortunately, it is also far more dangerous. Rumor has it that Jim may have been killed because he mentioned the name of the physician who declared Diana was pregnant at the time of her death. I have long noted the connections between Diana's death and the Octopus. Diana was the subject of Jim's last column for Nitro News, which has been linked at Steamshovel's "Link Tank" for the past couple of weeks. As you know, Nitro News has not been accessible since Jim's death, although I reached it just before receiving word of his passing. This rumor may be nonsense. Casolaro may have committed suicide. It is the way of the Octopus. It exists but it doesn't exist. These are blood clots or suicides or non-suspicious homicides or real accidents. They just happen to cluster coincidentally around a certain set of facts or a certain perception of an organized conspiracy. And if Jim Keith did not die as a result of a conspiracy, then I'm sure he would want us to make it look that way! I hope you will remember Jim for his good humor and for his fearlessness. He wrote what he knew and he let the chips fall where they might. He lived on the edge, where I usually tried to catch up with him. I hope he taught me enough about the place to keep up the work to which we were both committed. If word comes of public services for him, I will pass it on. I have tentative plans to go to Reno and investigate what happened while the trails are still fresh. This will take money, though, and as with Jim and Danny Casolaro both, that's always in short supply, despite the romanticized view many people have of well-paid, world traveling writers and researchers. I urge anyone with information to contact me directly at [EMAIL PROTECTED] We'll do whatever research work we can from our desks and get as much field work done as possible. I have sent inquiries to Burning Man and know one source who took a great deal of video there. Also, several of Jim's friends have expressed an interest in putting together a memorial volume of essays with proceeds going to his daughters. As these things develop, I will keep the list up to speed. Thank you again. Remember Jim! kt Jim Keith 1949 - 1999 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Was the salesman clueless? Productopia has the answers. http://clickhere.egroups.com/click/555 eGroups.com home: http://www.egroups.com/group/konformist http://www.egroups.com - Simplifying group communications
