A few late Sunday snippets

The polls are now closed for the 2009 Scammy Awards, and within the next few days all will be revealed. I can tell you that several of the usual suspects (i.e., some of the most frequent snark targets on this blog) made the finals, as did a couple of surprises. Re the latter, I personally wouldn't have thought to vote for Eileen and Peter Caddy, two of three founders of the Findhorn Community in Scotland. Maybe that's because Findhorn, or at least the idea of Findhorn (I've never actually been there), holds a fond place in my heart...but that's probably a topic for another blog post. (I will confess that years ago, there was a time I was almost convinced that I could sometimes see nature spirits and devas and such, but then again, that was back in my heavy drinking days. I have found that some ideas and belief systems are easier to accept when one is pretty well sloshed. Come to think of it, I was also in Eckankar during that time...but that's a topic for yet another blog post, one that I've had half-finished for nearly two years, as a matter of fact. (Meanwhile, here's something related.))

Anyway, stay tuned for the announcement of the winners during Guru-Free Week, April 1-8, 2009. Meanwhile, here are a few light snippets:

Mystic B-Man gets Biblical on Internet hustledorks
Yesterday I listened to my pal Christopher Locke, of the fabulous Mystic Bourgeoisie blog, in a conversation with Marcus Brown of Germany's Breitenbach und Brown. B& B have an elegant web site, and I would tell you what they do, but – my surname and heritage (on my dad's side) notwithstanding – my German pretty much sucks. Fortunately the interview was in English, and I have to say that for me, it was forty minutes well spent, and not just because Chris mentioned my name and my blog. (In fact, I was already well into listening to the interview, and thoroughly enjoying it, when Chris sent me an email telling me he'd mentioned me.)

Before he was Mr. Mystic B, Chris was one of those who had more than a clue, early on, of some of the profound ways in which the Internet would change our world, including and especially our way of doing business. Along with three other prognosticators, he wrote a well-received book called The Cluetrain Manifesto: The End of Business As Usual, which came out almost exactly ten years ago. Chris, whom Amazon Reviews described as "a smart, witty, broadly read cyberpundit," also penned Gonzo Marketing: Winning Through Worst Practices. Chris' work has once again come into vogue, and the impression I got from listening to the interview yesterday was that some of today's social media marketers are waving his books around and, as Marcus Brown expressed it when talking to Chris, taking them in vain.

Both Cluetrain and Gonzo Marketing, of course, were published years before Twitter and other time-wasters became so ragingly popular, and some of the stuff is a bit dated now. The good news, as Chris announced on the interview, is that a revised and updated tenth-anniversary edition of The Cluetrain Manifesto is coming out soon (June 29, to be exact). You can pre-order it now. (And no, I'm not getting any compensation for mentioning this.)

I found the conversation between Chris and Marcus very entertaining, particularly when Chris jokingly employed a few Biblical references while talking about those annoying Internet marketers who are constantly selling advice about how to sell advice about how to sell advice, but, of course, are really selling nothing. They're just taking your money and using it to buy expensive crap for themselves. Or, as Marcus put it, invoking the late Gertrude Stein, "There's no there there." Some of them, of course, are making boatloads of money selling nothing, and I think you know the type I'm talking about. When Chris, waxing Biblical, compared these folks to a plague of locusts that swarm in through doors and cracks and crevices, landing everywhere, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. I also couldn't help thinking of Aussie Secret star David Schirmer's ventures with his new b.f.f. Perry Belcher. Both were at the recent StomperNet Live gathering in Atlantis...oh, we can only wish. I mean Atlanta.

Anyoo, if you have forty minutes to spend, and don't mind the occasional use of the f-word (I don't mind it myself, though I am sort of prudish about using it on my blog), give this a listen. By the way, Chris and Marcus plan to make these conversations a regular event.

Software for suckers...er...seekers
Speaking of Chris, he sent me a link to an absolutely amazing piece of software, tailor-made for a new generation of seekers. I give you the Dream Manifestation Kit, which allows you to "use the quantum method to unleash your full potential and live the life you always dreamed about." With this kit, you simply "write your own success formula in less than 5 minutes. Set it on autopilot and watch your goals, desires and dreams manifest in the next 90 days."

Well, I thought that one good inspiration deserves another, so I sent Chris a link to yet another piece of astonishing software, the Attractor Genie. Here's what it says on the site:

Never before has ANYONE been able to deliver the kind of results that are available via this radical technology. Here is a partial list of what you can expect when using Attractor Genie as directed:

• ALL your limiting money beliefs will be erased - AUTOMATICALLY
• Your ability to be broke will vanish - AUTOMATICALLY
• Money will never again be a problem - AUTOMATICALLY
• You will end procrastination forever - AUTOMATICALLY
• You will live the life of your dreams - on your terms - starting today
• And so much more...

Who knew that being broke was an ability? Anyway, folks, this is gen-yoo-ine Law Of Attraction software, and I know it's got to be the real thing, because it is prominently advertised on this site, which features Joe Vitale's Law of Attraction videos. (Joe sells amazing software of his own, such as his Hypnotic Writing Wizard, which shows you how to write good without even thinking about it. Skeptico recently paid loving tribute to this masterful invention on his own blog.)

Isn't it gratifying to know that there are a few brilliant folks out there selling powerful tools for us to manifest the life of our dreams, with no more effort than a mouse click or two?

Say it ain't so, O(bama)
No, I'm not even remotely ready to give up on President Obama. But this article on the site of the above-mentioned Dream Manifestation Kit gave me a moment's pause.

Obama Administration Seeks Advice From Evolutionary Leaders

By Thomas Herold in Evolution on March 28th, 2009 / No Comments

The Obama Administration has asked the “Evolutionary Leaders” to communicate about what is transpiring on the planet, and how we can change the course of the unprecedented events that are challenging this planet. This is a window of opportunity for this information to be conveyed to the Obama Administration.

The Evolutionary Leaders like Deepak Chopra, Gregg Braden, Michael Beckwith and many, many others, gathered together to write up the information to present to the Obama Administration. They are also asking us to sign a petition to show the Administration how many people are in favor for these changes to occur. They need 10,000 signatures. We need your help to reach that number and beyond! Below is the information presented to the New Administration.

The petition link can be found here.

But wait...there's more! Visitors to the site get a chance to make a pledge to be SNAGs (Sensitive New Age Guys (or Gals)) themselves:

THE PLEDGE
I join with Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Jean Houston, and other evolutionary leaders to pledge to make my conscious evolution an important part of my life, and in so doing help make the world a better place.

Of course, Obama has said he wants to hear from everyone, and that, I suppose, includes New-Wage hustledorks and random SNAGs. Besides, "the Obama Administration" could just refer to some nameless SNAG-ish office assistant to an assistant to an assistant in the Obama Administration. But if this kind of stuff continues, I am going to have to seriously consider changing my party affiliation. The Silly Party is looking better all the time.

Well, that's it for now, Dear Ones. I'll be back soon with much more.