Saturday snippets

On Friday, Whirled Musings turned three months old. That’s a whole quarter year and, considering my diminutive attention span, it’s quite an achievement. To celebrate, I am giving myself the weekend off, or most of it, anyway. I just wanted to throw out a few bits and pieces before I head out into the glorious fall weather with The Rev.

Neale and pray
The movie we’ve all been waiting for was officially released in theatres across the US on Friday. I’m speaking, of course, about Conversations With God, a film based on the cottage industry created by Neale Donald Walsch, to whom I paid tribute last month. Neale made his name by chatting with the Creator of All That Is, or at least with a voice he claims to be the Creator. Naturally, the critics have weighed in. (Rest assured, Walsch fans, it won’t hurt Neale’s bottom line.)

Please, I’ve had enough
Had you ever stopped to consider the possibility that if the words "absolutely" and "awesome" were outlawed, or at least added to the list of Words You Can’t Say On TV, all of the morning talk/news shows would simply have to shut down? Come to think of it, most of TV would have to shut down. Hmmm….let me get started on my campaign…Wanna join me?

Other words and phrases that are no longer cool, clever, cute or even remotely original:

• "At the end of the day" (the sooner the sun sets on this one, the better)
• "You do the math" (used even when there isn't anything remotely related to math involved)
• "[Fill in the blank] envy" (For example, there are all sorts of businesses with the word "envy" in their name, e.g., "Massage Envy." I am not even sure what the word "envy" means in this context; I just know it is way overused.)
• "Not so much" (used as a comically outrageous understatement. It's mandatory that every contemporary sitcom include this phrase at least once, followed by the laugh track)
• "That bad boy" (you know it’s egregiously overused when the bald middle-aged guy on CBS’ Early Show describes a friggin’ pumpkin pie as "that bad boy." It happened on Friday. BTW, the The Early Show is definitely one that would have to go off the air if "absolutely" and "awesome" were outlawed on TV.)

And that's just the short list (oops, another cliché). I'm sure you can add several to the list. While you're at it, will someone explain to me what uber really means, so I can use it a few times and sound more intelligent than I am before uber becomes a cliché too? Oops, too late.

Super Intendo
As you know if you’ve read previous posts on this blog, "intentions" are the must-have spiritual items du jour. But they have to be powerful intentions; all the edge-thinking hustledorks are powerfully intending these days, and you don't want to be left behind. I just received an email about yet another intention-happy web site, the The Intenders of the Highest Good, that will help you powerfully intend, or "step into your power." The folks at this site are now offering a free 44-day email message service called "The Intenders Bridge" to get you started on your journey. Also available are intention "passalong cards," such as the one pictured above, to help you hustle the Universe so it'll cough up all the stuff you want. Or all of the stuff the person you give the card to wants; I'm not entirely sure how these cards are supposed to work. I just know that they're a bargain at only $80.00 for 500 cards. And don’t miss the inspiring intenders' movie. Turn your speakers down, though; the inspiring music is a bit cacophonous.

Other places to hang out
I hope you’re still paying regular visits to Steve Salerno’s SHAMblog, which, unlike this blog, actually contains serious posts and discussions, with a healthy dose of humor.

And while schlepping through the blogosphere the other day, I came across yet another noteworthy blog, Christopher Locke’s Mystic Bourgeoisie, a work dedicated to "numinous lunacy and the sanctimonious narcissism of the New Age." Based in Boulder, Colorado, where New Age hooey abounds, Locke, aka "Rageboy," is the author of numerous books, articles and rants about the Internet, business, and contemporary culture. On Mystic B, he has devoted himself to documenting "the unlikely story of how America slipped the surly bonds of earth & came to believe in signs & portents that would make the middle ages blush." Chris has come up with a term that perfectly describes the New Age/pop spirituality business: "the spiritual-industrial complex." One caveat: this is another site geared to make you actually think. I’m easy on you, Chris won’t be. But to take the edge off the cerebral content, the site is chock-full of appealing graphics as well. Check it out.

One Noir thing, Zen I'll go
I've lampooned the new-ish movie genre called "Spiritual Cinema" here before, but then I came across some info on a new indie film, Zen Noir, from L.A. filmmaker Marc Rosenbush. This one just might be worth viewing. The trailer (for which I suggest you turn your speakers up, in case you muted them to watch that intender movie) leads me to believe that this project is a result of what happens when spirituality refuses to take itself too seriously. We need more of that.

That’s it…I’m off to romp with The Rev.