We've decided to try a new strategy for finding more interesting material. The current feature is "Epiphany, calling or chance" http://onlineopinion.com.au/feature.asp?year=2009&month=10. We're looking for accounts of why people are doing the extraordinary, or high profile, things that they are doing. First article was by Julia Gillard, but we're looking for more.

We don't want to just have a pollies tell-all, but something which looks at extraordinary people from all walks of life. I guess I'm slanted towards vocations. So someone who founds a welfare organisation would be interesting. But then, so would someone who climbs mountains.

I often wonder about ministers of religion, particularly Catholic Priests in this age of sexuality. The one Catholic priest I am very friendly with freely admits that he is a dinosaur.

I guess we're particularly interested in dramatic changes of career. Could be the housewife who founds a successful international business, or the career exec who becomes a housewife or househusband. Or the person who throws in their day job to write a book.

Any ideas for people we could approach? Brownie points if you have contact details. And can we put our positive hats on here and acknowledge people who are interesting even if we don't agree with their point of view?

i havnt checked the link..but you must listen to lady..darn forgot her name renouf..[i think]..cant recall what she was saying but at the time it seemed to have impact[overseas yet not here]...even if just about the dress incident it would be fun...so she is on my list

i would love for john howhard to explain more about a lead ballon he dropped in the usa...something about disarming his people[an interesting side story there apparently]

but as i havnt ventured the link yet im not sure if your after..elites stories or anyones[we all got a window apparently..of 5 minutes of fame...so my thought is we put a rough in at this topic...and see if it floats

so its eptitmies...or things that can be inverse to speculations or normal result[up to and including so called miracles...or delusions...like the time i traveled instantly through time and space[twice]..or the time i got speared..[in front of ol parliment house canbera..on good friday 2002..and delivered the finantial treaty on behalf of the elders to hrh at chogm[where i was the only arrestee

or like when...naw even i have trouble believing it and i hads to live it...aNYHOW I BEEN SEARCHING FOR JULIA'S WORDS FOR A WHILE...APPARENTLY WE KEEP MISSING EACH OTHER..damm cap locs...but thats another story

anyhow cheers

'I often wonder about ministers of religion, particularly Catholic Priests...'

As do I.

Graham you might try this couple (and they might know of others), http://www.thelifechangeexperiment.com/

I've been considering the topic and wondering what impact's existing beliefs have on how we intepret epiphanies. Are certain personality types more likely to see things as an epiphany rather than a key stage in a process?

I've had a couple of significant points in my life where something has clicked and old thinking has changed dramatically but I've seen those as the cumulation of a lot of learning that I'd not previously put together (part of a chain of learing rather than as an isolated point).

I get the impression that some others might have intepreted the same points as isolated epiphanies.

R0bert

GrahamY,

Why not approach Bob Katter to do a Personal Epiphany? He seems to be a fairly colourful character from a part of Australia most don't get to see, and there's not the slightest taint of any predilection for dating inappropriately young women about him.

OLO may be able to steal a march on other social and political media if he can be made to agree, as I have a feeling he is about to become more well known for other reasons. Come to think of it now, is there any significant social and political media in Australia, apart from OLO? Other than Twitter, that is.

Bob has already started to get a bit of publicity even here on OLO.

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=3050#73458

Bob's contact details can be found here:

http://www.bobkatter.com.au/emailbob.html

Alternatively, you could contact one of his staff, elise.stocker@aph.gov.au

PS

Don't worry about the brownie points.

Hi, thanks for the suggestions. Good to see a number of you here. I'd like to think we could run this more as a community combining our ideas to produce better and more challenging material. Keep the ideas coming. We'll see if we can get contributions from both Robert's and Forrest's suggestions.

GrahamY,

I know this might not be quite the right place to raise this question, but (as you would no doubt be aware, via Twitter), the question has effectively come up today as to copyright (or, as the case may be, copyleft) with respect to original works first published on OLO.

I am of course referring to my original work, 'Ode to McCrae', published on the 'Power with pride going Belly-up?' thread. See: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=3050#73526

As you would (or at least could) be aware, likewise through Twitter, I had posted a link to the OLO legals page in association with advice to Brian_Howes that he could use the poem that I had written, subject to whatever the OLO legals page required.

Could you please clarify how Brian Howes can use, or deal, with the content of my post?

For myself, I would like to know whether I am free to indicate to the British Legion, for example, that they are free, if they wish, to use 'Ode to McCrae' in any way they see fit to advance sales of poppy emblems and such like in the upcoming month(s). I don't want anything from it myself, but I don't want to rob OLO of anything that it rightly owns in the process.

Please advise.

is a quandry..subject to epiphamy..mine is..god is living/loving/grace/mercy...that's the..e-pity-me..hope..this brings an epiphanie..to some/one..feared..of god../love

quote
http://www.angelfire.com/ne/newviews/wsl26.html

...in your wanderings..in the sad sights..you have seen..all the unhappy beings....in this..stink..of their own iniquities,..there were yet..the germs of..human souls..inextinguishable and undestroyable,

..you have each learned,..I trust,.that long as may be..the probation of the soul..greatly..as it may retard..the hour of its release..by the perversion..of its powers...yet..to all..is given the inalienable birthright..of hope,

and to each..will come at last..the hour of awakening,..and those who have sunk..to the lowest depths..will arise..

"Bitter and awful..is the reckoning..the sinful soul..must pay for its wild indulgence's..in evil,..but once paid..there is not again that reckoning to be met,

..there is..no inexorable creditor..whose ears are deaf to the voice of prayer..or who will say..to the repentant prodigal,.."Begone,.for your doom is sealed/.the hour of your redemption past.

Oh,..Brethren of Hope!..Can man in his littleness..measure the power of the Almighty..Can man..put a limit to his mercy..and say it shall be denied..to any..sorrowful sinner..however deep has been his sin?..God alone can condemn,..and he alone can pardon..

..and his voice..cries out to us..in everything,..in..every blade of grass that grows,..in..every ray of light..that shines:..'how great is the goodness/mercy..of our God..how long-suffering..and how slow to anger.'

And his voice calls..to all who repent..and seek for mercy..that mercy is ever given..pardon,/..full and free,..is granted unto all..who earnestly seek it..and would truly labor..that they may win it.

Even beyond the grave,..even..within the gates of Hell..itself,..there is yet mercy..and pardon,..yet hope..and love/..held out to all.

Not one atom..of the immortal soul essence..which has been breathed into man..and become a living conscious/individuality..is ever again truly lost,.wholly doomed..either to annihilation..or eternal misery.

They err,..I had almost said they sin,..who teach man otherwise..Far easier were it..for man..in his earth life..to undo his misdeeds..than if he wait..till Death..has placed his barrier between him..and those..to whom he would atone...atonement[at-one-meant]

"In those Hells..which you have seen..all has been the outcome of men's own..lives....the works..of their own past..either upon earth or in its spheres...

There is nothing..but what has been..the creation of the soul...lives/life itself,..however horrible..to you..may appear its surroundings...

In the context of Senator Conroy's proposed filtration of 'unwanted content' from the internet, I suggest it would be appropriate to solicit an article from Brian Howes, a person who is currently facing extradition from the UK to the US without trial or hearing.

It turns out that Brian Howes is a computer engineer. Its beginning to look like the crystal meth precursor chemical supply charge he faces is little more than a smear, a set-up, and a smokescreen for the real reason he may be wanted by the US. I'm beginning to think that he may have developed some software, or displayed some technical expertise, that in some way is seen as threatening US use of the internet, or vested US interests in the IT industry. And he may not have even yet realized that he has done so!

It must be borne in mind that Hew Griffiths, who was extradited from Australia without having been tried here for what was an offence under Australian law, was claimed to be a computer hacker. The dots are starting to be joined up.

Brian Howes has been illegally detained in the UK since 2007, and is currently under house arrest while an appeal is determined. He and his wife face up to 98 year sentences if 'found' guilty. They have five young children.

He can be contacted via Twitter '@Brian_Howes'. He responds to @ mentions.

I don't think he yet realizes the monstrosity of the story he may be able to tell.

The online stoush about attempts at censorship and site blocking that is now occurring on the 'Power with pride going Belly-up' thread should provide both background and interest for OLO users concerned about internet censorship and civil rights.

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=3050#73668

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=9518#152583

It happened to him. It could happen to you.

Doing as you suggested GrahamY, and will be submitting a new discussion topic shortly about this fracas. OLO should come up smelling of roses.

Oh what phun!

Graham Y wrote: “We've decided to try a new strategy for finding more interesting material. The current feature is "Epiphany, calling or chance" http://onlineopinion.com.au/feature.asp?year=2009&month=10. We're looking for accounts of why people are doing the extraordinary, or high profile, things that they are doing. First article was by Julia Gillard, but we're looking for more.

We don't want to just have a pollies tell-all, but something which looks at extraordinary people from all walks of life. I guess I'm slanted towards vocations. So someone who founds a welfare organisation would be interesting. But then, so would someone who climbs mountains.”

Dear Graham,

“Extraordinary” is not that same thing as “high profile.” A person can be in a prominent position and not have done or been anything extraordinary. Julia Gillard is a prominent politician but, as far as I know, has done nothing extraordinary except climb the greasy political pole (poll?).

Someone with a new insight is, to my mind, extraordinary. Such a person may live a life in obscurity and not be high profile. One example is Gregor Johann Mendel (1822–1884), an Augustinian priest. Mendel showed that inheritance follows particular laws, which were later named after him. The significance of Mendel's work was not recognized until the turn of the 20th century after Mendel was dead.

We may try to see something extraordinary where nothing is yet evident. Although I am an admirer of Barack Obama I think giving him the Nobel Peace prize was a mistake. He made a wonderful conciliatory speech in Cairo appealing to both sides in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. He has spoken against nuclear proliferation and is interested in restoring the instruments of international cooperation that Bush opposed. However, he really hasn’t accomplished much for peace although he may in the future.

I don’t think any honours were awarded to Mendel during his life.

If I were doing anything extraordinary I would probably not have time to write this comment.