Thursday, January 24, 2008

A fine way to celebrate Cosmic Connie day

Today is my birthday. I realize that in some parts of the world, it's already technically tomorrow, and therefore yesterday was my birthday. But it's still the Big Day in my neck of the woods. I truly meant to get to my blog earlier, but I've been spending most of the day doing fun and important things, such as standing in line at the Texas Department of Public Safety office to renew my driver's license, since it expired today. Nothing like waiting till the last minute.


Amazingly, January 24 is not yet an international holiday, and, as Ron pointed out on Steve Salerno's blog, Tony Robbins has not yet organized a spam email campaign around it. January 24 is, however, Beer Can Appreciation Day, and even though I don't drink beer or collect beer cans, my city is home to the famous Beer Can House. So there is a marginal Cosmic Connie/Beer Can Appreciation Day connection.

Anyway, even though today is almost over, I still wanted to do something to celebrate it with all of y'all. And so, just to ensure that this day is as special for you as it has been for me, I have decided to share some glorious news that came to me early this morning (okay, yesterday morning, for some of you). One of the commenters on a recent post of mine alerted me to the fact that David Schirmer, the Aussie star of
The Secret, has finally made his way to the good old U.S. of A. It seems that Schirmer is currently in Orlando, Florida to get some face time with world-famous direct marketing wizard Dan Kennedy and renowned retail marketing expert Bill Glazer. Schirmer tells us all about it on his January 24 blog post.
At the end of 2006 I won the international "Information Marketer of The Year" for 2006 for "The Secret To Wealth: Mind & Money Strategies" event we put on.* Part of that award was to spend one-on-one time with Dan Kennedy and Bill Glazer in Orlando, Florida ... so here I am. I'll give you an update on how it goes after I return home.
Lucky Dan! Lucky Bill! There's no word yet from them on how they feel about getting to spend some quality time with Schirmer, but I'm sure they're tickled pink.

As for me, well... I can only paraphrase Chevy Chase's character in the 1989 movie, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, "If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more pleased than I am now."

Happy Cosmic Connie Day, and God** help us, everyone.

PS ~ Okay, I realize the picture is of a guy in a beer bottle costume, but I was in a hurry. No time even for bad Photoshopping today.

PPS added a bit later ~ One of my pals from Down Under pointed me to a November 2006 blog post by copywriter and marketing expert Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero, founder of the Red Hot Copy web site and blog. Lorrie had just returned from her second Info Marketing Summit with Dan Kennedy and Bill Glazer. At that time she was apparently starstruck by The Secret – and apparently also by David Schirmer as a result of his association with the movie. Here's what Lorrie wrote:
Have you seen the movie, "The Secret"? What?! You haven't?! Go to this site immediately and watch... www.thesecret.tv It's a viral message that will change the way you look at things forever. I've watched it 7 times in the past 5 months. I'm sure there are many others who have watched it more. Anyway, the man who inspired it (and is also in it), David Schirmer was at the event with his lovely wife, Lorna. He actually won Info-Marketer of the Year (shocking...NOT). I really enjoyed talking with both of them about their future plans. They are truly changing lives.
One wonders if she feels the same about Schirmer these days... In any case, someone was definitely telling stories to Lorrie. Word has it that noted quantum physics expert Bob Proctor was instrumental in getting Schirmer into The Secret. Which is not at all the same thing as Schirmer being "the man who inspired The Secret." Anyway, as soon as I get wind of what's really going on in Orlando, I'll let you know.

* Some would say that it wasn't the event that got put on; it was the attendees.
** If there is One (or more). (I'm an agnostic, remember.)

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU and thanks for the heads up on Schirmer!

There is no end to this guys misdeeds and one has to wonder where he got the money from to get over there in the first place because there are still a LOAD of people in Australia who remain UNPAID. He probably thinks he's having a field day on other peoples money but the day and time is coming when his smart arse attitude will be the very thing that will do him over.

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday Connie!

If I'd have known...well, you know the rest.

I hope you're not still in line at the DPS. That place is always brutal.

Anyway, I hope you and Ron had a chance to celebrate a bit and enjoy the day.

Anonymous said...

I hope you have a good day tomorrow! :-)

Cosmic Connie said...

Thanks for the birthday wishes, Anon. I'm sure many people are wondering the same thing you are. Schirmer said that he won the session with Dan Kennedy and Bill Glazer, but he didn't say if the prize package included air fare and accommodations. If these things were not part of the prize, maybe he "attracted" them by visualizing them, the way he visualized "checks in the mail," and a good parking space (as explained in "The Secret"). :-)

Cosmic Connie said...

Thanks for the b.d. wishes, Blair. Thankfully, the DPS experience is now behind me. Believe me, I would have renewed by mail or online if I could have, but since I did that the last couple of times, it was time to make a personal appearance.

Ron and I will be celebrating belatedly tomorrow.

Cosmic Connie said...

Thanks, Lana. I think tomorrow will be better. I hope so because frankly, today sucked.

Anonymous said...

Oh for heavens sake "the man who inspired the secret" that could ONLY have come from God himself. I'm sure Rhonda Byrne will be delighted to hear about that little claim. It goes right along with the copy of the logo, the aussie domain name and various other things that this guy seems to like to claim as his own. Got to give it to him, he trying ..... very trying.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Cosmic Connie.
Having sid that, though, I feel I must point out that you are making one of the fundamental errors which we on the Galactic Council observe those in the world of matter making. I feel that it would be benevolently wise of me to remind you that the more accurate term to be used on such an (illusory) occasion would be something along the lines of blissfully-transcendant-unborn-undying eternal-consciousness-cloaked-in-the illusion-of-maya day.
Indeed, upon the occasion of my last (245,321,235th) blissfully-transcendant-unborn-undying eternal-consciousness-cloaked-in-the illusion-of-maya day, some of my fellow councilors did look a little blue in the face at the end of the song. Blissfully-transcendant-unborn-undying eternal-consciousness-cloaked-in-the illusion-of-maya day dear Ascended Galactic Radiance, 9th level Lord of the Photon Belt, Leader of the Council of the Wise Lamas, Bringer of Justice, Bearer of the Sacred Flame of Sirius and the Sacred Sceptre of Arcturus, Emissary of Healing Light, Sustainer of All that is Just and Good, Emanator of the Golden Harmonic Vibration of Zuzz is admittedly a bit of a marathon, but after centuries of meditation my fellow councilors really should know how to take a good deep breath.
I shall have to add a chapter to my new book
'Long Winded Leadership, the Seven Golden Rules of Being Wise and Just in the Modern Astral Organisation' (available at all good remote and inaccessible monasteries) on celebratory protocol.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday charming Cosmic Connie.

Anonymous said...

Cosmic Connie, Please ask Rhonda Byrne if David Schirmer was her inspiration for creating The Secret?

What a complete self absorbed sick fool for even agreeing to someone writing that about you. May he get what he deserves and may Rhonda Byrnes realise just who she is involved with.

Cosmic Connie said...

Ihavewindows etc., I have no idea what Rhonda Byrne knows or doesn't know about Schirmer's claims. Of course, he's far from the only one to exploit his "Secret" connection and even to exaggerate his influence on "The Secret." Joe "Mr. Fire" Vitale, for example, has claimed that "The Secret" was based more upon his book "The Attractor Factor" than upon the Wallace Wattles classic, "The Science of Getting Rich," or any other self-improvement classics.

It's also *possible* that in the giddy excitement of the Info Expo, Red Hot Copywriter Lorrie simply heard Schirmer incorrectly. Given his subsequent claims and games, though, I'd say it's far more likely that Lorrie heard it right but Schirmer, to put it charitably, told it wrong.

Cosmic Connie said...

Wow, His YeahYeahYeah... all these years we Earthly entities have been understanding birthdays incorrectly. I always suspected as much...

But there's a new New-Wage moviemercial coming out that will show us all how to Leap Beyond Illusion, so maybe that's a start towards a new era of understanding.

"Indeed, upon the occasion of my last (245,321,235th) blissfully-transcendant-unborn-undying eternal-consciousness-cloaked-in-the illusion-of-maya day, some of my fellow councilors did look a little blue in the face at the end of the song..."

Blue in the face doesn't sound too bad, though...

Anyhoo, thank you so much for your kind wishes.

Cosmic Connie said...

Thanks for the b.d. wishes, HHH!

Cosmic Connie said...

The most recent Anon wrote:
"Cosmic Connie, Please ask Rhonda Byrne if David Schirmer was her inspiration for creating The Secret?"

Anon, I hate to tell you this, but after all I've written on this blog, I am the *last* person Rhonda Byrne would want to talk to. She's lying kind of low right now anyway, perhaps hoping that all of the s--t storm will eventually blow over.

I have no doubt that if Schirmer really has claimed to be the one who inspired "The Secret," that claim was *not* made with Rhonda's blessing. She obviously can't control everything her stable of New-Wage talking heads say and do. (Consider last year's flap over the Three Amigos Science of Getting Us Richer program with Bob Proctor, Jack Canfield and Michael Beckwith. TS actually felt it necessary to announce on The Secret web site forum that the SGR program was not affiliated with TS.)

I'm sure that if David Schirmer keeps playing loose cannon where "The Secret" is concerned, TS Corporation's legal eagles will get wind of it.

Overall, it would seem that Schirmer is bad PR for "The Secret." In a very real sense, though, he's good PR for the point of view that "The Secret" always was mostly about greed and personal gain. So in a sense, he's performing a service for all of us. I'm just sorry that so many good people have apparently had to suffer as a result of his actions.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, Cosmic!

Just remember the REAL secret - there's a sucker born every minute,
and very few of them learn to read, so they really like Videos and Seminars.

(so when's Cosmic Connie Video Blog coming out?)

Cosmic Connie said...

Thanks, Thom! (There wouldn't be a subliminal message in here somewhere, would there? ;-))

A video blog...hmmm. Good Goddess, it seems like only yesterday that I learned to do a regular blog. One thing at a time! Although a video blog isn't a half-bad idea...

Pat OBryan said...

Happy Birthday!

Cosmic Connie said...

Thanks, Pat! :-)

Mary Anne said...

Happy Birthday Connie! Hey, with Schirmer coming to shore, maybe his rumored sex tape will leak out onto YouPorn. Then he can deny it on YouTube.

Did you get a copy of Tom Cruise's unauthorized bio by Andrew Morton? I hope you got a copy for your bday. It might be yanked off the shelves soon. I know it's not as exciting as David Schirmer's or Rhonda Byrne's, but Scientology's L.Ron Hubbard was the first inter-galatic huckster.

Happy Birthday!

Cosmic Connie said...

Thanks for the birthday wishes, Mary Anne! No, I haven't gotten hold of the unauthorized Tom Cruise bio, but no worries; even if it gets "yanked off the shelves," copies will still manage to surface.

I have a half-written blog post about L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology; just haven't taken time to finish it yet. Hubbard was indeed one of the original intergalactic hucksters.

Anonymous said...

Who is David Schirmer?

Cosmic Connie said...

Seth, I imagine that David Schirmer would be a little disappointed that you don't know who he is. Actually, though, I have a feeling that many people don't know who he is. Schirmer is the lone Australian "teacher" in "The Secret." He's been embroiled in a bit of a scandal, which I have reported on a few times here on this blog. Click on the "David Schirmer" link in the tags at the end of this post, and you'll see links to some more posts about him.

Anonymous said...

Did my research and the guy is a jerk. Noone has that much written about them and it not be true. Come on Schirmer, aren't you a little bit scared?

He looks like he's surfing the globe spending everyones money as quickly as he can so there's nothing left for anyone. In the end there'll be nothing left for him either which might cause a bit of a downgrade to the lifestyle.

Who the hell would want to get involved with the guy right now. More suckers no doubt.

Anonymous said...

Seth speaks!

Seth, how should we live? What is truth? Answer, we beseech thee!

Cosmic Connie said...

I think you hit it on the head, Seth. And I think Mr. Schirmer might be a bit apprehensive by now.

Cosmic Connie said...

HHH, I don't think our Seth here is Jane Roberts' Seth. :-)

Anonymous said...

No! It is He! I feel it in my lightbodies!

Cosmic Connie said...

I've never known you to be wrong, HHH. Then again, I've never known you to be right. But then again, what is "right" and "what" is "wrong"? And what do "I" mean by "I", or by "you"? Or by "and"?

Deep questions. Maybe Seth can answer them? :-)

Anonymous said...

It is good that you are confused, it shows that your conscious mind is divesting itself of it's old habit patterns, which are blocking your innate transformational energies. Do not worry, it is just a prelude to a subtle yet damaging brainwashing, erm ...I mean, breakthrough in consciousness.

Cosmic Connie said...

But just what do you mean by "mind", HHH? Or "conscious"? I'm beginning to like being confused. Good thing, too, since it's my default mode.

Anonymous said...

errrrm.....ummmm.
Umm... mind...erm...wot you fink forts wiv. Like when you fink dat you don't want to eat a doughnut cos' it makes you ass fat, but do it anyway and den feel bad. Den when you stop doin' dat you will not fink of nothin' and den der will be no you doin' no finkin' and den you will be not be you but you will still be you at der same time like you will be part of something bigger and you will see dat you are not just eatin' der doughnut but you are der doughnut at the same time as bein' you, except dat der will be no doughnut 'cause you just scoffed it, so you will have to be something else instead. Den you will have had a breakthrough in consiousness and you can go round tellin' people der is no death and we is all immortal and dey will say, 'why don't you get a job and stop talking crap'.
And I will spell doughnut any way I want.
(the letters of blog security say are 'wltttzp'. That's three t's in a row, three letters in a row that are the first letter of the word three. This means that I am a total geek who notices patterns everywhere)

Cosmic Connie said...

Dat's bery pwofound, HHH.

Anonymous said...

I think your mortal blog contributer was trying to say, in his rather crazed and unfortunate way, that there are those on your material plane who may teach the great wisdom of knowledge of mind and spirit, get everyone in a blissfull non-dual state, and yet still talk a load of old sheeps droppings. But I feel I may have said enough about sheep, if not too much, for this stage in your kali yuga. Why he feels he has to say these things, we at the council have yet to ascertain, but we are watching him.

Anonymous said...

So gwad you agwee.

Cosmic Connie said...

Your Galactic Radiance, as far as some of my readers are concerned, you can never say too much about sheep. Sheep are relevant anyway because so many of the New-Wage leaders have reached their lofty position in life by pulling the wool over their followers' eyes. In any case, it is good to know that The Council is always watching.