Official Web Site

Eric’s My_Space Page

Financial markets are hit by concerns over Dubai’s financial health, with banking shares particularly affected…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: during recession. The blog is also related to: 1990s recession.

The Soul Train Awards are back!!!

While many are still talking about how much better the American Music Awards were, I was checking out footage from the Soul Train Awards…
href=”http://www.bet.com/video/678487″>

The following are the nominees and BOLD are the winners I think will get it.

BEST NEW ARTIST

• DRAKE (I think he’ll get it)
• Jazmine Sullivan
• Keri Hilson
• Ryan Leslie (I’d like to see him get it)
• Solange

BEST R&B/SOUL ARTIST FEMALE

• BEYONCE (As usual, they’ll give it to her)
• Chrisette Michelle (I think she deserves it)
• Jennifer Hudson
• Ledisi
• Whitney Houston

BEST MALE R&B/SOUL MALE

• Charlie Wilson
• MAXWELL (I think he’ll get it AND deserves it!!!)
• Musiq Soulchild
• Raphael Saadiq
• Robin Thicke

SONG OF THE YEAR

• “God in Me” – MARY MARY (It was big and a close second!)
• “Pretty Wings” – Maxwell (I’d like to see this late entry win)
• “Single Ladies (Put a ring on it)” – BEYONCE (She’ll win but not by much!)
• “Spotlight” – Jennifer Hudson
• “Turnin Me On” – Keri Hilson/ ft Lil Wayne

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

• Beyonce – I am… Sasha Fierce (Platinum) Sony Music
• Jamie Foxx – Intuition (Platinum) J Records
• Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak (Platinum) Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
• MAXWELL – Blacksummer’s Night (Gold) Sony Music
(My choice to win although Kanye’s album minus his personal drama was superb if you are just talking about music!)
• Ne-Yo – Year of the Gentleman

RECORD OF THE YEAR (SONGWRITER AWARD)

• Beyonce – “Single Ladies (Put a ring on it)”
• Drake – “Best I ever had”
• Jamie Foxx Ft/T-Pain – “Blame it”
• Keri Hilson – “Knock You Down”
• MAXWELL – “Pretty Wings” (Hands DOWN if you are talking about the QUALITY of writing)

BEST REGGAE ARTIST AWARD
• Movado (He had a fairly good year but may not stand out compared to Sean)
• SEAN PAUL (because the people who choose them always go to the guy most popular they’ll probably choose him)
• Serani
• Taurus Riley
• Ziggy Marley

CENTRIC AWARD – SOUL APPROVED/UNDERGROUND

• Corneille
• Eric Roberson
• LAURA IZABOR (I think she’ll win as the most visible, held up and I have not stopped playing this album. Great work musically though I wouldn’t say “underground.” Atlantic just didn’t promoter her)
• Maysa
• The Knux

BEST GOSPEL PERFORMANCE MALE, FEMALE OR GROUP

• BeBe and CeCe Winans – “Close To You”
• Fred Hammond f/John P Kee – “They That Wait”
• Marvin Sapp – “Praise Him in Advance”
• MARY MARY – “God In Me” (As the biggest crossover they’ll win hands down…and I happen to think it’s a great song anyway with a greater message)
• Smokie Norful – “Justified”

BEST COLLABORATION

• Keri Hilson featuring Kanye West & Ne-Yo – “Knock you Down”
• Keyshia Cole featuring Monica – “Trust”
• MARIO featuring Gucci Mane and Sean Garrett – “Break up” (I choose this song although it may be too street for some tastes…but the combination of flows made for an engaging journey into downtempo Rhythm & Beats aka R&B)
• Mary Mary featuring Kierra (KiKi) Sheard – “God In Me”
• Trey Songz featuring Drake – “Successful” (People like this dude Drake right now and Trey finally got some hits out this year beyond New York and ATL…This was a good second place mention)

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

• Michael Jackson

Since there weren’t any choices, it goes to Michael. It goes to him not because he was the best this year but because he died this year, let’s keep it real. This music industry is so politically inclined they couldn’t just say we are giving MJ the accolades we haven’t given out of guilt…maybe if more of us were supportive and loving toward one of the greatest to ever do it then maybe the people closer to him would have done more to protect and take care of him.

Looking forward to seeing who actually wins! Maybe the industry can take notes from the AMAs by giving awards based on sales and not politics since sales mean PEOPLE chose the winners! *Pardon me Grammys* but the voters are not necessarily in tune with the music…I’ll get on their case in another blog coming soon!

*Freedom*
www.socialtravelers.net
www.facebook.com/freedom.us
djfreedomjustice@gmail.com

In life we draw many conclusions when we talk about success and failure.  We look at our peers and others around us and we judge these people by the results we see or the results we don’t see.  Just think about a celebrity that we admire or someone in your community that you look up too.  Perhaps there is someone in your life that has overcome circumstances and still achieved greatness. 

Now spin the wheel.  There are people who we know that have habits or perhaps we have habits.  Life has a way of knocking us down sometimes and it is really hard to get back up.  Maybe these habits have ripple effects like damaged relationships or financial shortfalls.  Some of us have seen people in hardship and wondered how that person got there.  Others are sitting in our chair reading this and wondering why we’re at that place.  All in all life has it’s ups and downs and sometimes we think it’s more down than up.  So, what can we do so spring up from our chair?  What can we do to stop sitting down in our problems and start walking through them? Where can we turn when life’s paths are hindering us?

I can relate to these feelings and emotions.  I confess that at times I get pushed back and feel like just complaining about life’s wrong turns and upsets.  I’ve sad in my misery at times and I’ve wallowed about my upsets.  I have also been discouraged at the actions of others.  A little story from my life may be very relatable to you.  I have for nearly 10 years been a landlord.  I’ve owned many properties and have rented to hundreds of different tenants.  Through this time I’ve experienced the heights of disrespect as people have left my houses in huge repair and damage.  I’ve had tenants take pellet guns and shoot holes in the walls, Tear up carpets, smash down doors, break windows and stain carpets beyond cleaning.  this week a tenant failed to pay rent and left my house with a broken window.  When this happens you do feel taken advantage of.  Later in this column I will use these set backs as an example of how to apply one amazing secret to success.

In these same ways you may have some situation in your life that’s left you deflated, disrespected or taken advantage of.  Identify with these feelings and emotions and taken a few moments to be real about them.  And now! Practise a “ONE VERY POWERFUL TOOL FOR SUCCESS!”

IT’S A VERY SIMPLE PRINCIPLE, YET VERY PROFOUND.  SO MUCH SO THAT IF YOU HARNESSED IT YOU WOULD BE LIVING WITH MORE ABUNDANCE AND SUCCESS IN YOUR LIFE. HERE IT IS, ARE YOU READY FOR IT?

ONE AMAZING SECRET TO SUCCESS IS WHEN YOU GET KNOCKED DOWN, GET BACK UP AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD!

In life we’re all going to be knocked to the ground.  We’re all going to get beat up by life sometimes.  We’re all going to get knocked down.  We’re all going to feel the hurt of other people’s choices as they come crashing down on us.  Some of these bombs will be dropped on us unexpectedly and knock us to the ground in an instant.  Marriage can be hard, career choices can be hard, knowing which way to turn can be hard, friendships can be hard, losing loved ones is hard, longing o be with someone and have it not happen is hard, getting out from under a desolate cloud of despair and defeat is hard, recovering from addictions is hard, finding out how to make ends meet is hard…  The ache of life may be more than you’re able.  Hold on, don’t give up.  Don’t close your eyes.  The light will break through the clouds.  When we step out from under defeat and bounce back from life’s hard blows we come back stronger than before.  Stronger than ever.  I petition you to hold on, don’t give up.  Get back up when you get knocked down.  Keep moving forward.  Move forward and steady yourself for your next hit because it will come.  The next hit may not  knock you to the ground because you’ll have a stronger fortitude from hits you’ve already taken.  Now if you get knocked down the next time.  Don’t despair.  Get back up, life is always worth fighting for.  There is always hope and there is always light.  After all our reward is not really here on earth.

In a previous job I was required to make a lot of cold calls to businesses.  At times it was difficult to pick the phone back up and make another call after a series of hang ups or calls with little result.  A friend at this job (and Rocky when you read this you know who you are) and I would quote Rocky Balboa when we got knocked down.  We’d quote Rocky VI ”The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place It will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is going to hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit, it is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much can you take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!” Click the following link to view the expanded version of this inspirational speech.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z5OookwOoY

Relating this amazing secret to success with my disappointments with tenants I derive these new perspectives.  First I have accepted that the prize of having rental properties being paid off and the reward of income out weighs the negatives that do come from some tenants disrespect.  Second I like to think of these types of situations as riding a roller coaster.  I bought a ticket for a roller coaster ride when I purchased my first rental property.  I may be afraid of the spins and turns on that ride at times but I remind myself that I bought the ticket for the ride and I’ve got to ride it.  There’s no getting off half way.  I might as well enjoy the ride.  Thirdly, I can always learn from the challenges that knocked me down to minimize the change of another set back.  Fourthly I Will Get back up and move forward.  The faster I get back up and move forward the stronger I’ll be and the better I’ll feel about my situation.  Additionally I’ve learnt through all types of set backs that it’s best to get back up as fast as you can and move forward.  The people who have become the most successful at things in life have suffered many set backs.  Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Mozart and Mother Theresa all took hits but they never gave up.  The got back up and kept on moving forward.  The faster you get back up when you take a hit the more you’ll be able to take the next time and the more you move forward and learn from your past hits the more you’ll avoid future hits. “It ain’t about how hard you hit, it is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much can you take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”

This weeks Reflect and Apply

Reflect on the hits that life is giving you.  Now think of what it would be like if you stayed down for a minute longer… an hour longer… a day longer… a month longer…  What would you life be like if you stayed down that long?

Now Reflect on the hits that life is giving you again.  Now think of what it would be like if you got up from your current hit.  Then you got hit again, and again and again but each time you got stronger and you keeped on getting up and moving forward.  Then you relatized one day that that it didn’t really matter how many times life hit you, it only mattered that you got back up and kept moving forward.

Just another boring day in Cathair Croí village.. Hung around the shop for a while.. Yes that is what people do here for fun.. Oh I wish I lived somewhere else, in the city maybe! Then maybe my life wouldn’t be so uninteresting!

School trip is on monday! We’re going to Knock for the seventh time. That is all we seem to do for our outings! For some reason everyone is excited in my class.. There are seventeen people in my class, which shows how small my school is..

G2G,
Fallon
XxxxxxxxxX

There is a power so great within you that you need not worry about its manifestation
you need not worry about anything period
let go and release your inhibitions, your concerns and all that plagues you day in and day out
let it go by detaching yourself from these thoughts and recognizing they are not your true nature
they are simply conditioned patterns that you do not have to react to emotionally if you so choose
in fact you can easily release them and practice the detachment necessary to stop this pattern and not be affected whenever it arises
let love heal you from this pattern through the practice we spoke of yesterday
yes
the practice of focus on love and thoughts and feelings of love
passion
things that make you feel exuberant
exposing yourself to those things that open you up and move your soul in magnificent ways
art music whatever makes you feel alive and well

that is what you need in your life constantly to change the patterns of negative thoughts, negative emotion
and you can make the choices to do this
thus
you are erasing the old programing and replacing it with new input
replacing it with a new way of being
not just thinking
a new way of existing
that is what you should seek with all your heart and soul
that is living in the abundance that source has provide
there is no reason for you to settle for anything less
know that you are here to have that life
a life of freedom
a life full of love and bliss
a life full of possibility
and fulfillment
a life full of magic
that is why you are here
do not settle for emotions and thoughts that tell you otherwise
let them, go and find that which inspires you empowers you and reminds you of your true birthright
that is what you must do in order to change and heal your mind
focusing on those things will put you in the vibration of love
of empowerment
freedom
all of these are love
all of these are relief
all of these are your true nature and the true nature of source
expansion
bliss
possibility
you beyond your imagination
ever expanding
know this is who you really are
let go of that which contradicts this truth and yo will be free
use love to dissolve the bonds to this old ways of thinking
you can do this
you can use whatever tool puts you in touch with your inspiration, your soul, your connection to the whole
and allow that connection to inspire and guide you
ask within what is best to do to eliminate these blocks
these limiting thoughts
what is best for you to focus on to create the feelings of passion and love
what is best to help you reach that vibration that break through the conditioned thinking
and you will receive the answers
ask seek and knock
WITHIN

- Morning stream of consciousness writing from John Stringer

Sign up to get these messages delivered to your email at http://snipurl.com/myrn

Real Madrid are knocked out of the Copa del Rey after crashing to a 4-1 aggregate defeat at the hands of village side Alcorcon…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: scotland soccer. The blog is also related to: football club.

This is a cool, if completely unnecessary invention. I can only imagine how much trouble this would be if you came home drunk. Keys are tough, but a perfectly timed knock pattern – impossible.

“LAMBASTE” Photographic montage – Courtesy of the FANTOM FACTION

One of the staples of the Roman Catholic Church is their habit of installing special investigation panels to decide whether the various mystical apparitions of the Virgin Mary are  official, and thus deemed real, or discarded as hoaxes. For a town to score an official miraculous appearance is something of a jackpot, akin to winning an Olympic bid, except in this case the punters don’t just turn up for the summer but keep rolling in indefinitely.

Nothing says “God loves you” like a plastic Madonna™

Lourdes is obviously the number one VirginTown on the map and it is an indication of the value of the Papal nod that the town and its surrounds contain the second largest number of hotel beds in France (ranking just behind Paris). And most of the six million or so visitors aren’t just hoping to catch a glimpse of Jesus’ Mum, they are hoping for a miraculous cure to a fatal ailment. The church has sanctioned 67 official miracles ever since the Virgin’s first appearance in 1858 and each year the faithful dying queue up in the hope of winning what appears to be the fairly arbitrary, random and elusive chance of being number 68.

Knock, in County Mayo, Ireland hit the jackpot in 1879 when Mary, Joseph and St John the Baptist decided to put in an appearance to a number of parishioners with ages ranging from five to seventy-five. An Ecclesiastical Commission of Inquiry established the evidences of witnesses was “trustworthy and satisfactory” and the local Knock economy got a healthy, and seemingly everlasting, shot in the arm. Whilst not quite achieving the same phenomenal tourist figures as Lourdes (partly perhaps because the various mystical visitors thoughtlessly failed to unearth a spring with miraculous healing properties), Knock still enjoys the patronage of around one and a half million visitors a year all of whom carry hopes of a miracle and wallets that require emptying.

But strife has come to this once blessed corner of Ireland. Joe Coleman and Keith Henderson, who say they are “spiritual healers” and “Visionaries of Our Blessed Mother”, announced Mary would be putting in an appearance on October 31st and predicted a crowd of 50,000 would join them to welcome her return. Estimates only placed the crowd at 10,000 but the church, far from being pleased with the turnout and excited about a much needed boost to Roman Catholicism’s profile, doesn’t appear to be welcoming the publicity. The authorities had hoped to lock the doors to the shrine but the Bishop eventually bowed to public pressure.

However, Joe was still livid and his row with Pat Lavelle, manager of the shrine, was duly recorded by the Irish Times.

You should be ashamed of your life… I am a visionary for our Blessed Mother. How dare you.

Are you a clairvoyant?

I am what I am. What are you?

I’m the manager of the shrine.

You’re a liar . . . I invited people to see our Blessed Lady. Do you not understand the truth? Why are you denying the people, the Christian people of Ireland from all over the world?

He later insisted that the Virgin Mary had appeared and that she had said “Thank you for responding to my call. I am so happy. I smile on this day, 31st October 2009, at my beloved Knock”. Coleman also later criticized the Archbishop of Tuam, Michael Neary, and the parish priest of Knock, Monsignor Joseph Quinn, of discouraging pilgrims rather than “making Our Lady welcome and showing respect to her”. He then compared himself to Joan of Arc, and accused the clergy of switching off the microphone system in the basilica, of stripping the altars and not allowing flowers.

Joe Coleman also possesses "awesome healing powers"

The Archbishop later issued a statement, saying “It is not healthy, does not give glory to God and . . . is not good witness to the faith to be looking for extraordinary phenomena”.

So what is it the Church is worried about here? The fact that a couple of charlatans are taking their parishioners for a ride?

Or that Coleman and Henderson are muscling in on their territory?

The next date for your Apparition Calendar is December 5th when Mary has promised Mr Coleman a return visit. We’ll be keeping an eye on developments.

You can find more info here

Steve Hoefer has designed a great new lock where you don’t need a key anymore. All you have to do is just knock to your specific tune that you record. It will only open to that tune and even if someone else knocks on the door like normal it won’t open unless it is that special knock. Here is the vid enjoy!

Posted by: Adam

A secret knock can get you into a lot of places. This is the first time that we have seen a knock which could actually open a lock automatically. Steve Hoefer came up with this ingenious way of unlocking his front door to anyone who knows the right code.

Read More…

The Kardashians took part of a great charity event last night. Kim, Khloe, Kourtney, Kriss, Bruce, Rob, and Scott all attended the event. The event benefited the “Dream Foundation,” the first and largest organization for adults with life threatening illnesses.  Rob, Bruce, and Kim took it into the ring in a boxing match against their opponents who won an online auction to box against them. Khloe and Scott did not fight in the ring even though they were scheduled to do so. Although there was a bit of drama in the event I think it was great. We enjoyed watching Kim getting up there and doing something we know she might have never done, she put everything aside all for a great cause. In the long run the event was worth while. Congrats Kim for giving it your all! A big congrats to Rob and Bruce  as well. Check out the exclusive pics!

]]> http://hackaday.com/2009/11/04/knock-detecting-lock/ Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:00:31 +0000 Caleb Kraft http://hackaday.com/2009/11/04/knock-detecting-lock/

[Steve] shows us his version of the knock detecting lock system. The idea is pretty simple, knock in a certain pattern and the door unlocks. We’ve seen it before several times. This solution is somewhat cleaner than the others, not only in physical design, but also in how you reprogram it. Simply push the reprogram button and enter your new knock. We’re a bit surprised that the suction cups actually hold it on the door. Maybe it’s just us, but we can never seem to get those things to hold very well. There are lots of great pictures as well as the source code available on his site.

[via HacknMod]

Yes there is healing
yes there is peace
yes there is all the good you desire waiting for you now
yes there is liberation
yes there is freedom
yes there is a power that is infinite and in love with your life
yes there is a magic that you can be a part of
yes there is a bigger life than what your limitations tell you
yes there is more possible more good plausible
more love incorrigible
yes there is so much more for you now
all you need do is let go of conditioned thinking
let go of the limits fears worriers and concerns
that you are so habitually used to
let them go
release them by deciding to do so now
and letting go
practicing a different way of being through every means available to you
and elevating your consciousness
to one of freedom
and limitlessness
versus limitation and fear
let the love of life fill your heart and soul
let it move through your body
feel the energy permeating every part of you
and allow that love to radiate
allow that love to elevate all you are and all around you
know that this power, though you may not see it with your naked eye
you have seen it through experiences
you have seen it through a spiritual eye
you can see it in your imagination
and you can see it in all of creation
if you so choose
let go of limits now
let go by giving in to the truth of life
let go by allowing the love of life to fill your mind versus your typical chatter
ask seek and knock diligently
and receive diligently
these tools, these practices
are to train your mind to allow and receive
for it is your resistance it is your limits
it is your mind’s habits that separate you from your good
not that source is keeping any good thing from you
let your mind rest on the truth of life
that life is for you
and source wants to lavish you with even more good than is currently manifest in your life
every desire every good thing you wish and more
is waiting for your consciousness
to catch up
and all you need do is allow
allow allow
in every way
willingly accept all that is
see the good and choose to know that source has blessed everything around you
choose to accept the good in your life right now
and allow more to come flooding in
you are free to choose your path of thinking acting and being
so choose liberation
freedom and joy
choose love and power
choose that which is best and highest for all
that is your birthright
yes

- Morning stream of consciousness writing from John Stringer

Sign up to get these messages delivered to your email athttp://snipurl.com/myrn

WOW!!…Powerful piece! Thanks to Pat Clark for the FWD;FWD;FWD….

In Ireland, there is an intriguing story unfolding at the established Marian shrine of Knock, where Mary is said to have appeared in a vision in… Since then, promoted by the Irish clergy, it has been a regular site of Catholic pilgrimage and devotion: as well as a useful source of income for the tourist trade. . Now, it is again a site of pilgrimage for some of the devout – but is encountering strong opposition from the clerical establishment. Early in October, a self-proclaimed visionary and spiritual healer announced that he had been seeing visions of the Virgin, who had told him she would be appearing at Knock on three distinct dates this year: October 5th, October 30th, and December 8th. With the news spread by internet, large crowds appeared on both the first two dates: many were disappointed, some claim to have seen the sun break through the clouds, “dancing” in the sky. Coleman himself, and a second visionary, claim to have seen theVirgin, just as she promised, and to have been given messages for the world.

Knock pilgrims:. (Picture: Independent)

The church establishment are not happy: they have denounced the claims, and stated that this expectation of Marian apparitions is “unhealthy”. Why this dismissive approach, when so many clergy actively encourage pilgrimage to Marian shrines, as they have done to this one in the past? Is it because the message this time is critical of the Church’s priests?

Mary, in her latest apparition, told him she is very angry: “She will rock the foundations of the church if the people do not listen, from Rome back down to where we are, down to Knock. -Coleman, after the first apparition on October 11th “I love all my children unconditionally with my immaculate heart, especially all my priests who are not listening to my call. I ask all my children to pray for my priests. Pray. Pray. Pray.” - the second visionary, Keith Henderson. after the second apparition on October 31st

Oh, and she also wants the unification of the church:

“I am the immaculate heart, Mother of all my children, Mother of all God’s children. I am the Immaculate Conception. I am Queen of the heavens. I am Queen of the Earth. “I will glorify my father’s name through prayer from the people who come to pray. I ask for conversion many times. I ask for peace. I ask for prayers every day for my son’s apostles. I pray that they will listen. I pray and I ask for unification of the faith across the globe. -Coleman

What is to be made of this? Are these genuine, is Coleman deluded, or even just an opportunist? Press reports from the ground give conflicting impressions, and I have no intention of passing any armchair judgment. If you want to make up your own mind, ahve a look at some of the many press reports. I would like to share though, some pertinent observations on alleged visionaries and church reactions in general. I’d like to begin by pointing to an obvious similarity to the situation at the much better known, well established site at Medjugorge, where the Church establishment has similarly washed its hands of the place. Jayden Cameron at Gay Mystic last month highlighted the contrast between the church’s dismissal of Medjugorge with its endorsement of the much lesser known Garabandal, pointing out that at the latter, the Church was benefitting financially.

The essential message of Garabandal, apart from the now familiar call to penance and conversion, is respect for the Eucharist, reverence for priests and the necessity of ‘obedience to the Church,’ making this Marian visitation more than palatable to the Vatican leadership of the Church. This is in stark contrast to the ecumenical message of Medjugorje, which originated in Communist Yugoslavia in the 80’s and witnessed to the necessity for respect and tolerance between religions, particularly Islam and Christianity, some years before the outbreak of the horrific religious/ethnic wars of the 90’s.

An observation in the comments that Mary at Medjugorge appeared to be specifically including Muslims in her prayers, led to a series of later posts at gay Mystic and at Enlightened Catholicism on parallel traditions of “White Lady” apparitions and assistance in other faiths, from native Americans to Eastern religions. Does the reference in the latest message from Knock to “all” her children include non-Christians? Not too favourable to the Vatican, then. No wonder they’re upset. Next, consider the timing, a few months after the publication of the Ryan report into clerical abuse of Irish children, and just ahead of a further report on the episcopal cover-up which protected the culprits for decades (this report is expected any time soon). her reproach of her priests did not single out the Irish clergy, but that is how an Irish audience will have interpreted it. Again, no wonder the clerical establishment are not impressed. All of this fits a pattern. There have been far more alleged Marian apparitions than most people realise. Many of these are patent nonsense, others are less easily dismissed. Very few are endorsed by the establishment – for them, the problem is simple. Claims of visionary experience suggest a direct approach to the divine which bypasses the clergy as necessary intermediaries. This is why those few examples that have achieved endorsement are either under some form of clerical control, or urge faithful obedience to the church authorities, or both. Many examples though, after first meeting fierce resistance, have later been embraced by the authorities.

The Vatican’s statement on the dangers of Halloween, the African Bishops statement on Traditional African Religions, the denouncement of Medjugorge and the latest Irish upheaval around the Marian Shrine at Knox all speak to the threat that these interactions are to institutional authority.

There is a legitimate issue concerning private revelation about discernment and certainly with the motivation of the visionary, but there is also this issue of these revelations as outside the control of the hierarchy.

-Colleeen Kochivar-Baker, Enlightened Catholicism, writing on All Saints Day

One famous example of great significance for the LGBT community, is Joan of Arc: visionary, military hero, alleged heretic, martyr and canonized saint. More on her later.