I'm a dreamer and perhaps too much of an eternal optimist. I always try to look at the glass as half full. Defiant and ferocious towards those who would seek to unjustly harm others, I speak my mind...for better or worse. Where as some view compassion as a weakness I view it as a strength. I try not to live in the shadows of my regrets because doing so dims the light and the promise of a new day. I do not strive for perfection for this is the quest of fools and denies a man the blessings of humility. The bonds of true friendship and family are to be protected...sometimes by the cunning, stealth, and tenaciousness of a mouse but other times by the wrath and fury of the dragon. I am one and yet I am both. This is my truth.
So I went to see the latest Chronicles of Narnia movie last Sunday and I have to say I really enjoyed it. Perhaps my favorite character in the whole movie was the swashbuckling mouse Reepicheep who played a very prominent role in the the 2nd installation of the series but really hit it on all cylinders in the third part. For those who are unaware of the Chronicles of Narnia movies (an on screen adaptation of the C.S. Lewis books) these stories partly set in the real world but for the most part set in the fantasy world of Narnia are allegorical tales connected in large part to the Bible and prominent biblical figures. The lion Aslan himself is often considered to be the representation of Jesus Christ, a font of wisdom and courage to those that need it the most, especially when times are most difficult and hope is dwindling. The movies, much like the books themselves, teach several profound lessons such as the nature of sacrifice, compassion, hope, and the inherent strength of good. Above all things and on many levels however the movies teach the important of faith.
The character Reepicheep was actually in the first Narnia movie, albeit in a way not alot of people are aware of.In Prince Caspian, Lewis states that Reepicheep is descended from a group of common mice who gnawed through the ropes that bound Aslan to the Stone Table after the White Witch had killed him; as a result of their service, they became talking mice.Much like the many tales in the Bible where people are gifted with miracles and special abilities for a service to good, Reepicheep and his brethen benefit from their act of selflessness and compassion.
In Prince Caspian, Reepicheep is the leader of the twelve mice who help to fight against Caspian's Uncle Miraz in the Second Battle of Beruna, near Aslan's How. He and his followers run through the battle and plunge their rapiers into unsuspecting enemy's feet, causing them to fall, after which they are quickly dispatched. Reepicheep is badly wounded in the battle, and he loses his tail. He petitions Aslan afterward to have it restored, as the tail is "the honour and glory of a mouse." Aslan expresses concern about whether the mouse thinks too much of his honour. However, Peepiceek (the second in command of the mice) and the other mice prepare to cut off their own tails to avoid bearing an honour denied to their leader. This solidarity convinces Aslan to restore Reepicheep's tail, apparently not "for the sake of his dignity", as Aslan states, but for the love Reepicheep's people bear him.Again here we are taught an important lesson of loyalty and unity in the service of good and the reward for doing so.
In the 2008 film version, Reepicheep led two other mice into Miraz's castle during a mission that did not appear the book. The three bound and gagged a cat during the operation. Halfway through, they teamed up with Trumpkin the dwarf and opened the gate, allowing Narnian soldiers into the castle.
Reepicheep appears at the very end of The Last Battle to greet the last of the Narnians at the Emperor's Garden. He is exactly as the Pevensies remember him, not having died or even aged in the hundreds of Narnian years that have passed since their time. Because of this, he is sometimes compared to St. Peter, who, in CatholicChristian tradition, is thought to guard the gates of Heaven and welcome the saints. His living departure into a symbolic heaven, however, is more reminiscent of the Old Testament figures Enoch and Elijah. Since Lewis was not a strict allegorist, it is of course quite possible that all three associations (or none) were intended.
Reepicheep's fate is also reminiscent of that of the main character from C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. In That Hideous Strength, Dr. Elwin Ransom also ascends to heaven without dying.
In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Reepicheep accompanies Caspian on his voyage in the hope of finding Aslan's Country at the end of the world. He believes it is possible to sail to Aslan's Country because when he was a baby, a dryad prophesied:
Where sky and water meet,
Where the waves grow sweet,
Doubt not, Reepicheep,
To find all you seek,
There is the utter East.
During the journey, Reepicheep teaches Eustace Scrubb about honour, courage, and loyalty, even though at the start of their relationship Eustace treats Reepicheep with great disrespect. They eventually become fast companions, further accentuated in the 2010 film adaptation with the mouse continually riding Eustace in his dragon form in the air.
Near the Eastern edge of the world, Lucy, Edmund, Eustace and Reepicheep set forth from the Dawn Treader in a small row boat to the edge of the world. The three children are returned to our world through a door in the sky, while Reepicheep embarks in his own small coracle, paddles off in a different direction, and disappears. C.S. Lewis then implies, but does not explicitly state, that Reepicheep ultimately did reach Aslan's Country. (He appears in the final pages of the Last Battle ushering the children into Aslan's Country.)
Overall I found Reepicheeps character extremely enjoyable in the movie. Though small in stature his courage in the face of utter evil was awe-inspiring and larger than life (how else could you describe a swashbuckling anthropomorphic mouse charging fearlessly into combat against a malevolent kraken-like sea beast pulled from a nightmare and made real). I also found his relationship with Eustace to be very noble, taking the derisiveness of Eustace in stride and comforting him when Eustace was mired in despair. And how awesome was if to see Reepicheep riding a gold dragon into battle against great evil - rather ironic to me for some reason that escapes me right now. ;)
In other news it looks like my outline and adventure premise I am proposing for a Dungeons and Dragons company my buddy is part owner of has received strongly favorable reviews. I'm 75% finished with the outline edits and when I get the green light I am revving to get started on it. It's been a few years since I've been published in Dungeons and Dragons books and I'd like to add an adventure to the near dozen that I have already written and have been played around the world.
Lastly, my Project: Gallery of Superheroes that I have prepped for MegaCon is going well. I'm 90% done with all of the items and so far I've gotten solid support from those who have seen it. As part of the charity event aimed for kids attending the con I think it will go over well and make alot of them very happy. Closer to home I finished purchasing and gathering my supplies for my local homeless charity mission and I hope to get it going tomorrow in the latter part of the morning. I've got T-shirts, sandwiches, water bottles & sodas, and a few other items which I need to put together in bundles and get ready for the handout. I got some unexpected support from a friend of mine at work who found out about what I am doing - he's not really involved in the whole RLSH/costumed activist thing so I am encouraged by his offer of assistance. He sees what I what to accomplish and unlike my detractors, is not caught up in the hate mongering for the sake of just being chronic bile-spewers. Overall I hope this project gets off to a good start - I'm crossing my fingers...uhm...I mean paws.
I'd like to wish all my friends and family a very happy new year and as I've said before, if your doing the right thing and fighting the good fight then your detractors can't win. Do your part to help people in need who deserve it the most regardless of how big or small your act of charity might be. You won't always accomplish an enormous amount of good. You sometimes might accomplish a small amount of good. The point is to simply get out there and do some good, not sit on your butt in front of a computer screen and complain about those that do.
<<< End of the cheery part of my blog >>>
And what would my blog be without pointing out the chronic retardation that is the bulk of the RLSV community (mind you there are some rare exceptions to their overall mental malaise).
To the pudgy little Nosferatu that tried to post on my blog a few days ago... you should REALLY not harp on the subject of mental illness given your own admission of being a few bullets short of a full clip. And how's that promise you made to your wife to remove yourself from the whole RLSV-RLSH mayhem going? Not well apparently. Don't worry Jason, I genuinely hope that someday you'll get it right (though not likely).Lousy ex-soldier and lousy human being - you got it all covered!!!
To good old Lord M, the enigmatic Bronze Bedpan himself. The next time you decide to start giving people grief about them pointing fingers and making accusations of fellow RLSVs that may or may not be true and may come off as libelous/slanderous, clean up your own sordid affairs in this matter. Let's see... RLSVs accusing DC Guardian of being a pedophile...RLSVs accusing Captain Ozone of being a pedophile, child murderer, and animal killer....Poop Knife accusing Master Legend of manslaughter in one of his earlier blogs. There are more examples but I why bother. Oh and nice shout out to advocates of vandalism you made not long ago.
And Agent B, snide comments about physical appearance? Really...you making such comments..REALLY? But you keep toiling away at that hot dog place you work at. I mean, given your bulimic "I'm the victim of a serious beating" raccoon-eyed ROACH pic and your sparkling personality which engenders all the affection of gargling broken glass and razor blades their is little doubt that your current place of employment provides you with the closest experience you'll come to in your life to handling a sausage. I kinda understand why you hate so much on hot chicks on your blog - envy is one of the 7 deadly sins so have it Brunhilda!!!
And if you follow these instructions (and the MySpace RLSV grows enough of a pair to let you see it) you will find a few pictures from the MySpace page Free Information which serves as a cover for one of the more vocal RLSVs apparently promoting such things as pill popping, racism (the White Power kid), kids doing drugs and Nazi symbolism. I guess this is par for the course along with that happy happy joy joy email address, you know, the one chock full of Antisemitism.
Create a profile or befriend him. Then go to his Pics section. If he has not lost his spine (if ever really had one) and does not delete the pics then check out what I'm talking about. This is the same guy who once suggested in his blog that if you see an innocent person getting assaulted to stand by and watch but do nothing else.
Well today is the day.
Today is the day that Santa Claus has visited those who were both naughty and nice, gifting those who have been benign with pleasant things and those who have been naughty with lumps of coal (and as long as the RLSV exist the coal industry will no doubt thrive.)
Today is the day when the blessed birth of our savior Jesus Christ gave hope to the world and it is this very thing that I wanted to speak of today...hope. And if you're an atheist of just in the mood to be a schmuck and argue or belittle me for your perverse amusement then just letting you know ahead of time.. your responses will be deleted and you can go lick the scum off a sewer pipe for all I care. I have no inclinations to entertain your nonsense.
As I spent time with my family this morning after having them open the bounty of Christmas gifts that Santa left them I decided to give my wife a much needed chance to clean up the house. Toys scattered everywhere and empty boxes from where they came from made the place look like a hurricane and earthquake hit it simultaneously. So I gathered my kids and headed out to Burger King for them to play in their indoor amusement center. Along the way I saw a homeless man walking the streets with no shirt on. His skin, especially on his back, was testament to the harsh and unforgiving life that homeless live. His whole world was kept in a rusty beat up shopping cart and he did not have shoes which no doubt made walking on the hot streets asking for spare change hard to bear. My heart broke when I saw this, especially on a day as today when we are driven to give thanks for what we have.
So I called my wife and said "Honey, can you prepare a sandwich for someone who really needs it?" She knew ahead of time what I meant as I am planning a local homeless assistance mission so we have had most of the supplies for a while. She made the sandwich and we added a bag of chips, a water bottle, and brand new plain white t-shirt that I got from Walgreens. I drove back (leaving my kids at home to pick up after I was done) and came up to him to offer him the help. He looked up at me and close up one could see how badly his body and spirit has been ravaged by his condition. I did not hesitate...I knew what had to be done. I introduced in a friendly manner and said "Merry Christmas. Here is some food for you, something to drink, and a nice new white t-shirt for you." He was very thankful and somewhat amazed but when I showed him the white t-shirt, there was a glimmer of joy in his otherwise withdrawn and sullen eyes. He looked at me and said, "Oh thank you so much. God bless you. I really needed this. This shirt is nice." I reached out and shook his hand, a hand that was as rough and calloused as sand paper and said "Merry Christmas". As I drove away he looked at me and waved, screaming out "Merry Christmas and God bless you." I shouted back to him "Thank you. You are not forgotten."After wards I picked up my kids and took them to Burger King.
Perspective check here. When I gave him the shirt he acted as if I had put a pile of money at his feet. I find that incredibly telling that something so unremarkable could be seen as such an answered prayer.In the long run a sandwich, a water bottle, and a plain white t-shirt may not move mountains, it may not solve world hunger, or cure AIDS. But in that moment, to someone who lives a life of constant despair and desperation I gave him what he needed...a sense of hope and a spark of joy ultimately that is what I try to accomplish every time I do this.
So to those who care about me and I call friend, Merry Christmas and a hope for a good new year. To those who vilify me and take shots at me whenever you can I leave you with this. In trying to do so you have failed and you always will. You will never break me, you will never crumble my resolve. Your hate is a measure of your own weakness. No doubt you'll keep trying but in the end you will do what you always do...fail miserably and look bad doing so. And that's fine by me. :)
On the near eve of Christmas and being on the cusp of the new year it seems that the age of heroes is in fill swing now more than ever on both TV and movie screens. As tough times still abound in the real world and many of us feel a sense of uncertainty about so much around us, the spirit of the hero endures. It does not surprise me that now, perhaps when we need them most, the call to bring super heroes and the beliefs they stand for are clamored for. Thankfully, Hollywood and other folks have been listening.
Perhaps most curious of the new shows is one called The Cape, a show in the vein of characters such as the Batman, the Dark Knight, a watered down version of the Punisher, Moon Knight, and perhaps a bit of the Green Hornet in there as well. The series, set in the fictional metropolis of Palm City, follows an innocent cop who has been framed for a crime he did not commit and then left for dead after he is caught. He is eventually saved by a circus ringleader who prepares him with special abilities to defend himself against his foes. Separated from his wife and son, he tries to clear his name while protecting them from being killed if he was ever reported alive. He takes the law into his own hands by taking the guise of his son's favorite comic book hero, The Cape, after he is given a special suit that has unique capabilities. Vowing to get rid of the corruption that has taken over both the city and the police force, he goes after the person responsible for setting him up and causing his "demise." The series is set to premier in January of 2011 and I look forward to it with great anticipation.
Not new to the scene but nonetheless another interesting addition to the hero movement is the show "No Ordinary Family" by ABC. The show involves a regular family with real life issues such as a struggling marriage and kids disconnecting with their parents that suddenly and mysteriously become endowed with super powers. The father, a police sketch artist, gains superhuman strength and endurance, the wife gains super human speed, the son gains the ability to absorb knowledge and construct solutions to almost any problem he can perceive (albeit retain this knowledge is retained temporarily), and the daughter gains telepathy. The show is likable (at least for me) because it does not shy away from the hardships and consequences that come with the use of their new found abilities. The father even goes so far as to go out on patrols while in disguise. While this has not come without its fair share of issues he has done alot of good in the process. His responsible use of patroling as a crime deterrent is something that alot of RLSH practice but still others could use a lesson in. Along the way the show creators have added Allison Adler, one of the writers of the innovative show "Chuck" to the crew. While the reviews of the show have been mixed, they have been overall favorable.
Not new to the super hero movement but worth mentioning because it is in it's final season, the show Smallville moves forward with greater excitement and buildup than ever. It it's last season they have decided to up the ante, bringing incredibly powerful villains such as Darkseid (and can Desaad be too far behind him), Granny Goodness, and Slade to the show. Also showing up are the Suicide Squad to add some more turmoil. But perhaps the greatest surprise is the return of Lionel Luthor to the show, courtesy of his evil self being transported here from an alternate reality. Rumblings also give reason to believe that Lex Luthor, Superman/Clark Kents greatest nemesis will make a return in what promises to be a very powerful and memorable ending to the series. Let's hope they do better with these villains than they did with Doomsday, who would have plowed this version of Superman into the ground with ease. I enjoyed the fact that Clark revealed his true self to Lois - it was about time. As a long time fan of the show from its inception, I will be there when it ends, hoping that I will get a glimpse of the day that Clark Kent dons the red, blue, and yellow and makes his presence known to the world on the grand stage.
On the cartoon front we have the show Young Justice also starting in January of 2011. The pilot which aired in November of 2010 was well made and received many positive reviews. Much like in the vein of the cartoon DVD movies made by DC such as Superman:Doomsday, Superman/Batman: Public Enemy, and Batman: The Red Hood as well as the old show Justice League International, the cartoon is an excellent meld on subject matter, treating the characters as likable by kids but also adult enough to be watched and enjoyed by an older audience.The show is set in Earth-16, a DC Multiverse world, and corresponds to the present time of our world — a time period Vietti has called "a new age of heroes." The recently founded (three to four years in activity) Justice League is a powerful organization of superheroes who find themselves becoming "high-powered, high-wattage celebrities" tracked closely by the public. As it grows increasingly difficult for the Justice League to operate outside the spotlight, the supervillains take advantage of their opponents' prominence while becoming better at organizing and working under the radar. Meanwhile, the teenaged sidekicks of several Justice League members feel they are ready to graduate on to the next level and become more independent. Consequently, Batman organizes the teens to fill the need for a covert operations team while keeping their protégés under their authority. Interesting additions to the cast include Miss Martian which in real DC continuity is a White martian and not a Green one. Also, changes were made to Aqualad, making him appear as African-American and Arrowette was replaced by Artemis to fill the role of the Green Arrow sidekick.
Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Superheroes
he Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is an Americancartoon series by Marvel Animation based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. The show debuted on Disney XD in Fall 2010 starting with a 20 part micro-series.The series initially features a team based on the roster for the original Avengers, composed of Ant-Man, Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, and the Wasp. In terms of tone and style, the series will be based primarily on the original stories by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. However, it will also utilize material from all eras of the comic's run and other sources such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The plot beginsas the world's most dangerous supervillains break out of the Vault, the Cube, the Big House, and the Raft, six of Earth's mightiest heroes assemble a crime fighting alliance called the Avengers. The Avengers line-up initially includes Hank Pym (who assumes both his Ant-Man and Giant-Man alter-egos), Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, and the Wasp.[3]Captain America, Black Panther, and Hawkeye have joined the roster and will be regulars on the show. Interesting enough, while the show has had a large number of Marvel favorites in it both good and evil, a few tweaks have been made on some of the characters which were unexpected, including making the Black Widow a double agent who infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D and framed Hawkeye for a crime that lands him in jail. Worse, it seems that the Black Widow works for Hydra.
Transformers Prime had its debut on the Hub on a 5 part mini-series called Transformers: Prime. Making many hardcore Transformers fans (such as myself) giddy with glee was the announcement that the mini-series would be followed by a full season in February 2011.There are 26 episodes scheduled for the first season and another three seasons have been outlined by the screenwriters. The premise of the story is that Team Prime live on Earth as a pre-emptive measure against the return of the Decepticons, forming an alliance with three teens as Megatron returns having discovered a rare element that grants him rule of life itself. The show delves into what it is to be a Prime, and though in continuity with Exodus and War for Cybertron, its Earth-bound backstory is reminiscent of the live-action film series. While I look forward to the show with great anticipation, one thing that bothers me is the use of child characters in the show. There is now way that Optimus Prime would willingly allow young kids to be so close to the battle field. I can understand the Autobots working with the human military the way they have done in the previous 2 real life Transformer movies - the military hardware and firepower has proven to be capable of taking down some of the baddest Decepticons around (example: the rail gun blast that wipes out the Constructicon Devastator). Like the other shows the mini-series has proven enjoyable and a bit more adult than previous incarnations. I believe in the pilot series one of the Autobots was slain and you see Arcee struggling with the emotional trauma that follows. This also provides an excellent build up to the 3rd Transformers movie which will feature none other than UNICRON HIMSELF!!!!
Oh and God bless the Hub for making one special addition to the cast - using Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as the voice of the Autobot Cliffjumper. The Rock is my all time favorite pro wrestler and I find this REALLY cool.
I also look forward to the series "V" restarting in January. Based on a classic series from my youth, it depicts the struggle of humanity to overcome an alien invasion that has been in the works for quite some time it retains the "David versus Goliath" feel of the old show, humanity being the underdog that never quits despite the odds being almost impossible to overcome. The show has been tweaked a bit from its previous incarnation, giving more relevance to the resistance movement within the V that want to help humanity instead of conquer it.
On the movie front we have so many super hero movies coming out that it would make any comic book fan ecstatic. With movies like Thor, Green Lantern, Transformers 3, the Green Hornet, X-Men First Class, The First Avenger: Captain America, the 3rd Wolverine movie and Iron Man movie sometime I believe in 2012 there will be a plethora of comic book fun and mayhem for fans to enjoy. Also, word is that in another super hero (well kind of) movie with Ryan Reynolds as the merc wit ha mouth Deadpool, he will be "breaking the fourth wall" - meaning the movie will be shot with Deadpool actually stopping to make snappy comments to the viewing audience.
Now it can be argued that Hollywood and TV stations are only doing this to make cash (which is a big reason for this no doubt). However, Hollywood acts on the basis of demand and popularity when it comes to making the big bucks and right now, more than ever, super heroes are the cash cow. However, going beyond the almighty dollar, the popularity of the super hero movies speaks to the growing desire of people looking for inspiration even if it's not real, to provide some hope in tough times. People want to believe in heroes, in something larger than life that can stand against the darkness, against any villain or obstacle that threatens to crush them and says "I'm not moving and I'm going to win no matter what you throw at me." At the end of the day regardless of the babble of naysayers and bile-spewing malcontents, people love a hero and root for the good guys.
So here's to a great 2011 for super heroes in movies and cartoons. They inspire us and bring hope when we need it the most, awakening that sense of wonderment, awe, and determination that so many people too often allow to wither and die within them. Ignore the critics. Ignore haters and embrace what is to come.
THE AGE OF HEROES IS ALIVE AND WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In this holiday season it becomes very common for organizations dedicated to helping the poor, homeless, orphaned children, people stricken with incurable ailments, ect. to solicit donations to help their efforts. Although many organizations get donations that are not necessarily money, I'd like to focus on monetary donations and later on spin it within the realms of RLSH / costumed activists.
A very common question about donations to charity is "How much of it REALLY goes to help people and how much goes to overhead/running the organization?" Well the answer to this is rather surprising...and in many instances a bit depressing. Here's some information I picked up surfing the net in regards to this:
* The best charities are those that dedicate no more than 20% of their income to their overhead costs. Unfortunately, many prominent charities are at about 50%, something that reputable groups should be continually working on lowering. If your chosen charity has a 20% or below listed, then you know you're working with a good group that uses their funding
wisely. The fact that a particular organization uses a higher percentage of donations for operating expenses does not mean that you should not give. It is simply something that you should be aware of so that you can make an informed decision about where to direct your generosity.
* In 1999 Commercial fundraisers soliciting in Washington state reported raising more than $225 million in charitable donations during their most recent fiscal year. Of that amount, $131.5 million went for fundraising expenses and profit. The remaining $93.5 million was retained by client charities — an average of 41.5 percent. More than a third of the 80 fundraisers listed in the report provided their charity clients with 20 percent or less of their contributions they collected. Of those, seven provided their clients with ten percent or less, including one whose charity client received less than three percent of the total funds raised.
* In 2007, California commercial fundraisers collected a total of about $370.3 million in charitable contributions. The average distribution to charity from all campaigns conducted by commercial fundraisers in 2007 was 43.63 percent, an increase of 7.15% over the average reported in 2005. In New York, A total of $178.7 million was raised on behalf of 442 charities in 2007 in the 553 telemarketing campaigns covered in this report...Charities retained 39.46 percent, or $70.5 million, of the total funds raised in the campaigns. In Massachusetts in 2007, professional solicitors registered in Massachusetts raised nearly $285 million. Of this amount only $101 million or 35% of the amount raised ended up with the charity. This means that on average, of every dollar that a professional solicitor raised for charity in 2007, only 35 cents went to the charity.
* Regarding Christmas cards tied to charity organizations/donations, some retailers such as Next and House of Fraser are giving as little as 6 percent of the money made on these cards to the charity, with the remainder going to the retailer and the manufacturer. Many consumers assume that the majority of what they pay on these cards goes to the charitable cause, but the report shows that is clearly not the case, with charities in some cases receiving very little of the money that is paid for the cards.
Now giving this a RLSH / costumed activist perspective, the downside is that because charity organizations are usually large scale business, their ability to gather and distribute funds is more efficient than if done by a RLSH/costumed activist. Also, the charity organizations are generally able to reach more people / area. So it might seem at first that the RLSH / costumed activist role is minimized. However, considering the examples given about, the advantage that a RLSH / costumed activist has is that very little if any of the moneys collected for charitable endeavors goes to any kind of overhead. This allows the RLSH / costumed activist to apply the majority of the funds to the task at hand, in essence buying more needed materials such as food & blankets for the homeless or toys for needy kids than a standard charity organization would do with the same amount of funds.Having done this myself several times I can tell you from experience that even a small group of RLSH / costumed activists who pool their efforts and funds towards a common goal can achieve impressive results and help a fairly good number of people. The key here is also geography and numbers.Alot of RLSH / costumed activists, such notables as Razorhawk, Thanatos, and DC Guardian make the most out of very little and they have become local iconic figures because of their tireless efforts to support and run charity-driven events.
So in the long run maybe the RLSH / costumed activists may not raise as much or distribute it to as many people but by lacking the need to pay overhead charges they get a bigger bang for the buck and they work with a greater sense of freedom in terms of how they can operate, not needing to worry about being bogged down by bureaucratic red tape. Costumes and uniforms draw in peoples curiosity and get them to ask questions. It's at that moment that the RLSH / costumed activists have a chance to tell people what they are about and what kind of charity / assistance they are sponsoring. By appealing t a persons sense of compassion, sense of curiosity/wonder, and wit ha well thought out approach a RLSH/costumed activist can make an effective difference for people who need it the most and by being less bound than a business based charity organization they make the dollar stretch more, something that is vital during the holiday season when necessity becomes all the more obvious.
I came across this story this story a few weeks ago while I was surfing the net on Yahoo and it made me think about how screwed up the RLSV really are. I mean, so often they say sadistic things about the RLSH, so often they degrade them like trash and then run and hide behind the "oh it's just a parody" excuse or "hey, it's just satire". Well this article and the information provided with prove that you don't have to use parody as a weapon of verbal sadism. You don't have to use parody to inflict emotional harm on otherwise generally good people or a generally well intended movement like RLSH or costumed activism.Parody, as the Front for German Apples shows, can be used to take shots at organizations who deserve it... like those who support the Nazi and their crimes (Poop Knife, you might want to turn the computer off now). After reading this article all I have to say about the RLSV is your "satire and parody" excuse is garbage.
Choice pickings from the articles (pardon the pun)
"For six years now, the Front of German Apples has taken to the streets every time neo-Nazis make a public appearance, to take a sarcastic jab at them" - Amazing huh? People using creativity to actually DIMINISH the effectiveness of hatred.
"So one night in 2004, the evening before a huge rally in the city, the idea came up: why not make it fun to demonstrate against neo-Nazis?" Wow!! You mean to tell me that people can actually use parody to COUNTER negativity?
"We chose the apple for several reasons. It is partly a pun on the name of Holger Apfel, an NPD leader who was elected to the state parliament in Saxony. But above all, the apple is a very German fruit and was a good satirical metaphor." - What was that last part? GOOD SATIRICAL METAPHOR?
"We think it’s sometimes easier to see the negative side of things when it’s been exaggerated, as facts can often be misleading. We want people to see what’s absurd about the rise of these neo-Nazi groups." This would work with the RLSV is 1) they were consistent and fair in their criticism of the RLSH and 2) if they were not so many members within their ranks that were not ill intended beyond the gimmick.
And here is a parody video. Classic and tastefully well done. They are not going after "good people". They are using satire to take jabs at Nazi and their venomous hatred.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gwS2Eoo1Yg&feature=player_embedded
Now I don't mind an RLSV taking a shot at Master Legend for the nasty dead cat/ketchup video. For that old ML deserves to take a bit of a beating. I've said it time and time again..take your shots when people screw up but that would be asking too much obviously. That would be asking you to use parody responsibly, like the Front for German Apples. That would be asking you to use your creativity in a positive manner and most of us know that believing you can do so is asking to much.
Saying that kids with cancer should be exterminated so as not to contaminate the gene pool? Not funny. Not parody.
Inspiring someone to slash Zetamans tires and then having one of your members put up picture on lessons of how to slash tires? Not funny. Not parody.
Making fun of a persons weight and using the deaths of 22 people in the Tennessee floodings within this context. Not funny. Not parody.
Posting a 16 year olds personal info on the net and placing him in danger because he made you mad at what he said ON THE INTERNET. Not funny. Not parody.
Posting a picture of a man at a con in costume with his child and accusing him of being a pedophile? Not funny. Not parody and a flagrant example of a mixture of libel/slander.
Advocating violence shown on a video of guys in gang attire, masks, shotguns, and machetes? Maybe the video was a poor attempt at parody but the stance to advocate that kind of violence is not funny.
There are alot of other examples I could site but why bother. The Front for German Apples shows what parody done right can achieve. It shows how to take satire and use it responsibly to fight evil and injustice, not encourage it and the hatred that often comes with it. Comedy need not be a weapon against those that do not deserve it. It can be a weapon against the ills of society that deserve to be banished.
Get a clue RLSV. And while you're at it have an apple why won't you?
Ah...the day AFTER Thanksgiving.
Having stuffed myself full of all sorts of cheese (the rare Persian cheese made from camel milk was quite delicious) I find myself with the urge to reflect on recent events in the community and out of it.
Phoenix Jones....
Well, I've always found folks like Silver Sentinel to be level headed and responsible folks and from what I have read even beyond his blog it seem Mr. Jones has possibly been painting the RLSH in a less than positive light or at the very least misrepresenting some of the fundamental things they stand for. I would hope that people who read about this take the time to look at the RLSH / costumed activist movement from various angles before they ready themselves to lay down harsh judgement. I'd recommend people like Silver Sentinel and a source like Peter Tangen who, while not a RLSH himself, has spent a great deal on time with people in the movement and seems to understand RLSH / costumed activist motivations beyond the gear, elaborate attire, and quirky personas. Enemies of the RLSH movement have gone out of their way lately to single out members and try to apply a negative blanket to the entire movement. I would suggest that they reconsider this or do all the RLSVs want to be labeled as vandalizing miscreants that run around slashing peoples tires in the dead of the night. Do all of the RLSVs want to be classified as racists given that some two of their most outspoken members are either former skinheads (or maybe even current) and run around with their contact email as king0Nazi@gmail.com. I doubt that the owner of this email ACCIDENTALLY chose this email and what person with even a shred of moral fiber would have their contact info connected to one of the worse atrocities in human history. Does this guy think the Holocaust was a joke? The knife cuts both ways whether they care to admit it or not.
Speaking of RLSVs it seems that good old meandering Malvado has "fallen off the wagon" of sorts. I remember months ago when the Zetaman tire slashing incident went down he mentioned on his old blog that the event had caused him to reflect on the mistakes he had made in his life and that he wanted to make amends for alot of it. He claimed he wanted to be a better person and even took steps to befriend Zetaman and offer his support. He joined the Real Life Superheroes forum and tried to keep a sense of civility even though most suspected that sooner or later he would crack or the charade he was pulling would be revealed. Malvado made statements like "hey guys let's squash the beef between both side" and "I've broken bread with these people and they are generally decent people." But let's fast forward to the here and now.
Malvado has returned to his sadistic putrid self and before I hear the "oh but he's a villain" excuse let me explain why that excuse holds no weight. Being a villain for the sake of the gimmick is understandable. Others in the past have done it well and some continue to do so now with a sense of respectability and credibility. Swordcane and Executrix come to mind. Malvado on the other hand, being an admitted ex convict and drug user projects himself as a villain to a fair degree BEYOND the gimmick. So while some of the things he says or does might be due to the gimmick it does not excuse that which goes beyond the gimmick. To be blunt, when Malvado says he is pretending to be a bad person I don't believe him because I think that gimmick aside he might genuinely be a bad person. He may not care about my opinion but I am not the only one who thinks this way based on several emails and comments I have gotten. The icing on the cake is that the guy who he befriended after the tire slashing incident and victim of the crime, namely Zetaman, now seems to be one of his primary targets of his venomous rants/tirades. But no worries as Malvado is not the only wanna be RLSV who has these little momentary lapses now and then. Here a excerpt from a post by Smeagol92055 / aka White Skull on 9/25 of this year..
<>
"To the capes and the masks and the vigilantes, I say bring it on; I'm waiting.
To the people behind the masks and the capes, I say you're human; I'm human. You may be a Man of Steel, but at the end of the day you still have a heart of flesh and a spirit that can be broken. It is never my intention to break either of them.
I may be mean, I may be nasty, but that's to your RLSH persona. I don't hate you personally. Some of you frighten me; some of you fill me with pride in my species. Regardless of how you impact my own life, whether for positive or negative, I don't hate you." << End of excerpt>>
And yet this is the guy who went thru his30 days of villainy where he did all sorts of ridiculous stuff including walking into a Taco Bell and trying to scam his way into getting free tacos by lying about having bought some and gotten sick by eating them. Really White Skull? REALLY WHITE SKULL? Very mature of you. You should be proud. This is the same guy who after making this melancholy reflective post has gone on to bash several RLSH and has IMHO returned to being the same pain in the ass he was before he went on his one of many sabbaticals from villainy. This is the same guy who wrote the following months and months ago, entitled "The White Skull Turning A New Leaf... (dear God what a friggin farce)
<> Greetings, everyone. This is... well, shit. I wish I could figure that one out for myself.
See, a few months ago, I was the badnik voice of ROACH, The White Skull. Everything was great; I was using my acidic wit to tear down everything I could possibly get my hands on in the RLSH community; I did petty, small-minded things, like tearing down people, harassing people I didn't even know, and forming vendettas against everyone and everything around me.
I was approached by numerous people within the ROACH community and from other, more shady people from outside of any organized group to do... unseemly things. Things that made me begin to wonder my place within this community. Was I really turning into the villainous persona I had taken on? Had I actually moved past the simple "satirical blogger" phase and into genuine villain territory? Enough people had thought so that I was being approached as a "guy who gets things done," something I wasn't sure I wanted to be labeled as.
About the time the FBI stopped by my house to inform me that they were going to be watching me, I decided that this had gone far enough.
...and so did Mrs. Skull.
She told me, in no uncertain terms, that if I continued with this course of action, that she would leave me. No one wanted that, so after much discussion, I agreed to attend counseling and, on the doctor's recommendation, I began a regimen of medication for my existing PTSD condition, a holdover from my time in the military.
Fast forward to five months later; here I am, unsure of what steps need to be taken next; I'm in a much healthier place, a much happier place, and I honestly wish to make amends for the wrongs I did. Since the White Skull was the face (if you'll forgive the pun,) of my villainy, I decided to keep it around, to begin the long process of turning it from a negative to a positive symbol.
If you all will have me, I'd love to try to prove myself worthy of your trust and a place in your community. The admins here have graciously agreed to allowing me a profile here, and I hope that this can be the first step towards changing The White Skull into a positive force.
Thank you.
-The White Skull
<>
Yeah, I kept a copy of this...and alot more. I kept it because as much as I want to believe that guys like White Skull, Malvado, and so many others on the RLSV side claim that they are not bad people that it is just a gimmick, that they want to try to be better people and change...at the end of the day it's all bullsh*t. At the end of the day, the villain gimmick aside, there is too much of them that likes to hurt people, to inflict emotional harm upon them. The ranks of the RLSV are full of these people..too many to mention. Some of them claim it's just business and not personal. Some, as seen above claim moments of clarity only to show that either they are not strong enough to do the right thing or have been dishonest from the start...villain gimmick aside. Some of the RLSH / costumed activists I speak to wonder why I take a bit of a hard line on the RLSV as I do. The reason is simple - for some of them being a bad person and making other human beings suffer in one form or another is not a gimmick. For too many of them the desire to do so is REAL and goes beyond the gimmick and that is what I have a problem with.
And to that Overlord chick who is running around claiming evil as a lifestyle choice let's cut to the chase. What you call evil as a lifestyle choice is nothing more than being a rebel, dancing to the beat of your own drum. It's not being evil, it's choosing to be different, to live your life beyond the standard mold that society tries to force us into sometimes. I got news for you sweet cheeks, there are alot of people in this world that are different. There are alot of people in this world that choose to live their lives thinking "outside the box". That is not evil. It does not make them evil and if you think that simply choosing to live your life by different standards out of the norm is evil then you are utterly clueless. Now if you choose to be "different" by going out and mugging old ladies, preying on children, ethnic cleansing, or robbing banks then yeah, I'd call that "evil". But simply choosing to be different and doing so in an innocuous manner? No, not evil. Not even close so do the world a favor and stop taking the ignorance pills you've been popping.
So it's been a while since this wee little mouse posted something on his blog. I've been chilling out, taking a break from the whole blog scene. Coming back to it I see that little has changed - the RLSH still press on with their good deeds in spite of being hounded and mocked by alot of the RLSV. Tothian is still wandering about with his philosophical musings and making outlandish statements, as is Master Legend. But I like Master Legend - he's probably a bit on the legitimate crazy side but he does good and ultimately I think that is what matters. The so called RLSV have not changed...and that's too bad. Like I've said before, spending so much time in front of a computer screen and dedicating your lives to making fun of the RLSH is rather sad. I'd like to be sympathetic to them but they do a poor job earning any.
Now on to recent events. Yesterday was my mothers birthday. Yes indeed, she turned a 78 but you would be hard pressed to find a woman as spry and wily as my mom at that age. So to celebrate the occasion we decided to take her out to Olive Garden to eat. Prior to this we had bought her a fruit basket, complete with flowers and balloons and also bought her some nice clothes and a pair of shoes. We took our two kids to Olive Garden, that alone was a test of patience by itself. My children tend to get a bit unruly at times and it's always a bit of an adventure when we go out - but hey, if kids did not misbehave once in a while then would they really be kids? The meal went well, the food was good, and as usual I stuffed myself so much with those mouth watering breadsticks and white sauce that I could not finish my chicken fettucini (but that just makes the leftovers to eat today all the better.) We bought my mother a dessert which was accompanied by the waiters singing "Happy Birthday". All in all it was a good time.
We left Olive Garden under a light rain. As we were getting home we passed a local music hall where an orchestra from Cuba was playing. Across the street from the music hall there was a protest going on of Cubans who had a sign that said "Salsa para Sangre" which translates to "Salsa for Blood". My mother sees this and demands that I lower the window. I do so and she starts shouting at the top of her lungs "Freedom for Cuba" and "Down with Tyranny". Jokingly me and my wife tell my mom "I'll be you would like to be with them protesting wouldn't you?".
Heres' where it gets a bit strange. My mother calmly says "Stop the car. You're right. I want to protest with
them." So I ask her "Are you serious?" to which she responds "Yes."
So I stop the car and let her out and tell her to call me when she is done protesting. Fortunately where it was being held is 5-10 minutes from my home and in a good neighborhood.
Now before anyone says "that lady is crazy" allow me to explain. The Cuban Orchestra group in question plays most of it's concerts in Cuba. It's members are very good musicians...who just happen to be very vocal in how much they love Fidel Castro.Yes, let me repeat this...they love Fidel Castro...the tyrant, the sick monster who is responsible for stifling oppression of his people and basic rights, found guilty of so many human rights violations, and who indirectly lead to the death of my uncle who died in a prison after protesting against Castros regime. In real life, Mister Jingles aside, I am named for my uncle and I carry that name proudly. He stood up to a monster and his evil machine and never backed down. He paid for it with his life but at least he had the courage to stand up for something right.
So around 9 PM I get a call from my mom that says "Come pick me up. We are done." I sighed a great relief to know that she did not call me from a police lock up/cell, my fears of her being arrested for civil disobedience subsided. When I picked her up I asked her "So how did it go?" She said "Oh, we had a good time. Every time some one would show up to he concert who displayed any form of support for Castro or the orchestra we would call the bastards or prostitutes. I've almost lost my voice from all that shouting. They deserve what they got. They support a monster who oppresses and abuses his own people and has been doing it for decade. Someone has to stand up to him and shout to the world that it's not right."
Ladies and gentleman, my little mouse heart, at that moment, swelled so much pride that I thought it would explode from my chest. Here was an 78 year old woman, on her birthday, still burning with the fires of justice which had in no way diminished over the years. I felt very proud of my mother, very proud to be her son and as I've said before, I think I understand why I am the way I am and why I am so ardent in my beliefs. She did what she has done her whole life - stand up for what is right and defend the people and their beliefs that needed it the most.
I've said this before and I'll say it again. I consider myself a good person. I love my family and I care a great deal about my friends. I hate bullies and I despise people who spend their time trashing folks who go out and fight the good fight or work hard to do good deeds for those who need it the most. I have zero tolerance for racism, be it spoken, portrayed in art or pictures, and for better or worse I will always root for the underdog if what they are trying to accomplish is noble and worthwhile. I don't write this blog for the sake of popularity or egomania. I'm not writing it to entice people to become my friend. I write it to express what I feel and whatever inspires me to take the time to do so. Otherwise I have a life beyond the computer screen, which today probably includes going to the beach with my family.
My mother inspired me yesterday. She did so because she showed me that if you believe in what is right then do not be afraid to express it and don't let age get in the way. She showed me, as she has so many times, that it's important to stand up for the people who need it the most and against those who would prey upon good people or who support those that do.
I may not blog as often as I did but I will still blog because sometimes you gotta tell it like it is.Now somebody pass me a slab of cheddar cheese and a Corona. The beach is calling and the sun is shining. I'm outta here!!! ;)
Since I'm accused all the time of being having unfounded reasons for being so anti-wanna be RLSV, ROACh,
and all manner of flavors in between I will allow Zetaman to do the talking for me. If you have a problem with anything he said, take it up with him or me if reposting what he said here pisses you off. Either way I haven't even an ounce of sympathy for you.
<< Start >>
Let me begin by stating that I have no intention of ever quitting what I currently do in this community, until I decide it’s time. I will not quit being Zetaman until I am ready to do so. No random acts of vandalism, threats or bullying will stop me. Any and all acts that negative people commit will only reinforce the determination that I share with my wife. We will continue doing what we do.
Sunday, my wife and I spent the day spring cleaning. Around 1 o’clock, Meow noticed a note on the windshield of our van. She didn’t think anything of it at first, as she figured it was a solicitation for a local business or nearby church service, as we occasionally get these. Meow walked over to take it off the van, and soon realized that it was a letter. It read: To: Zetaman With Regards, R.O.A.C.H. Ruthless Organization against Citizen Heroes
And the letter had the logo of R.O.A.C.H. on the top of the letter.
Meow brought the note in the house to show it to me, and we were amused and puzzled at the same time. So some guy or gal from R.O.A.C.H. dropped off a letter. So what? It wasn’t until I went out and check the van that I saw what the true damage was.
Whoever left the note also slashed two tires of our van. This immediately took a harmless note to something a much more serious. A self proclaimed R.O.A.C.H .member vandalized our property. Someone was bold enough to take it a step further through the cyber wall to do damage.
We called the police and had the information recorded. Honestly there was nothing that could be done. But a history will be established should this R.O.A.C.H. member decided to start committing more acts of vandalism, further property damage or an actual home invasion.
I do not believe this was planned by members of the R.O.A.C.H. parody group. But I do believe they should know that someone is using their logo to commit crimes. Tire slashing is a crime. It is not like teepeeing a house or throwing eggs. I have to pay for new tires. That is money out of our pocket. Not only that both Meow and I are uncertain what steps this individual will take. Will he or she go further or not? Will there be more letters and more damages? Are we going to come home one day and find our home or windows damaged? Will this individual attempt to break into our house? I find it quite unsettling that our neighbors may suddenly feel that the safety of their neighborhood is compromised. This has nothing to do with them, and not even with us, either. Not really. This is about gross disrespect and stupidity, about boundaries being crossed and crimes being committed.
Both my wife and I are not in fear of our lives, that is for sure. But this is extremely annoying and idiotic. Regardless of how much responsibility they choose to admit or accept, this attack was inspired by R.O.A.C.H. and their blogs. This is what R.O.A.C.H. has started, and weak people with soft minds have been seduced by their brainwash. People are taking things a step forward and are now looking to commit crimes in the name of R.O.A.C.H., despite the law and the common decency that we should all share.
I know that the members are going to say ‘We don’t condone violence against Citizen Heroes’ yet they continue to type out hateful messages about how someone needs to stop RLSH. Some members post mean and spiteful blogs claiming “Free Speech”. Free speech comes with a responsibility. People are responsible for the content they produce. Free Speech does not absolve a person from any responsibility for what they say or the impact it may have. And I think R.O.A.C.H. needs to be responsible and respond to this R.O.A.C.H. inspired act of vandalism.
The bottom line is that over the past year, R.O.A.C.H. members have spent their time typing out blogs that have slandered and ridiculed me and my associates. Now someone has taken it a step further and has come to my home, a place where my family should always feel safe. I have always been lenient and allowed RLSV to post on forums I work on and to even contact me. But now I can’t. From this point, if there is anyone that I don’t know, I must assume that they are there to collect personal information to potentially RLSH and/or those closest to me.
What has happened to me could happen to you. I will not be discouraged, and I urge you to continue pressing on, as I will. The good that is done is worth doing, and no negative actions should hinder it.
However, I call each and every one of you to stand with me against these cyber-terrorists, real-life villains and haters of good.
*If you or someone you know has any information about this case, please contact Officer Jeff Ridgeway of the Beaverton Police Department at 503-526-2261*
<< End >>
I urge anyone who knows anything about this to help Zetaman and Meow out. They don't deserve this kind of crap handed to them.
I do not know the full details but it was brought to my attention by a mutual friend (and not the blog of that self-proclaimed bad guy) that Zetaman was the victim of vandalism. It turns out that someone or some persons went onto his property and slashed his tires. This is pretty bad as it is but what makes things REALLY screwed up is that they left a calling card on his windshield that read something to the effect of "Courtesy of ROACH." I find this matter alarming on so many levels. First off, we are talking vandalism / property damage. Secondly, this is a crime and while talking shit and hate mongering on the web is unsavory and IMHO as often been taken way too far by those that loathe the RLSH, what happened has crossed alot of very delicate lines. This is no longer a matter of a crew of punks from Texas making videos with shotguns, gang style appearance, and machetes threatening to take out Master Legend. This is no longer a matter of some so called RLSVs getting together and deciding to Google-bomb Master Legend and Tothian on the eve of the movie "Kick Ass". This is not longer a matter of libelous and slanderous claims made to destroy the reputations on good people like DC Guardian. This is no longer a case of so-called RLSVs pushing former members to commit near criminal or criminal acts in the name of their cause. This has officially moved into the realm of true criminal conduct.
Now it's very possible and probable that ROACH members did not have a direct hand in this ( I think they are sick and twisted people but I have always been reluctant to believe that they would ever cross this line). However, even if they did this incident bears to some degree a bit of their imprint. Those that did this specifically claimed to do this in the name of ROACH or as ROACH members. This means that they have been inspired by the abusive, inflammatory, and vile rhetoric that continues to be spewed against the RLSH in the name of the RLSV / ROACH. We do not know if ROACH actually did this or not but regardless they continue to inspire hatred and in the wrong hands this can be devastating. I have always said that they have been somewhat irresponsible with the way they address their sentiments against the RLSH and now we are seeing the sickening consequences of their approach bear their dark fruits.
Let's not kid ourselves. We know that there are some "eccentric" characters in the RLSH. We know that some of them can say some outlandish things. We know that you can't take the words or actions of a select few RLSH who do not always act or speak appropriately and paint the whole movement as wrong. The same can be said about this recent attack on Zetaman... and yes, I'm calling it an attack because it was a voluntary targeting of his property and it's subsequent destruction along with a calling card left behind. It would be unfair to put push this incident to the front lines and say "this is why all RLSVs and ROACH are nothing more than hate-mongering, irresponsible fiends". AS much as I dislike them you can't slap that kind of a label on them across the board. However, one thing is becoming apparent - ROACH is inspiring people to do some very seriously messed up shit. They like to say it's just satire. There is nothing satirical about what happened to Zetaman.
ROACH counts amongst it's ranks and it's allies people who are ex-felons, have admitted to frequent use of illegal drugs, people with anti-Semetic email addresses, supposedly ex-skinheads, those that believe in solving problems thru violence, those who proclaim with pride their love of hate mongering, and people who think kids with cancer should be exterminated so as not to contaminate the gene pool. Some have even gone so far as to say "it's nothing personal. It's just business."
What was done to Zetaman was not business. It was VERY personal.
Lord Malignance once said something to the effect of "evil does not promote violence." Well apparently evil promotes and inspires veiled threats and vandalism. Agent Berylium once said that she would never agree to a cease fire between RLSH and ROACH / RLSVs, even referring to the RLSH as "pigs". Right now it seems to me that pigs are alot cleaner than the RLSVs, even if they were found wallowing in mud and their own feces.
Zetaman did not deserve what was done to him and the hand of encouragement by ROACH in this regard was made abundantly clear. Yeah, maybe they didn't pull the trigger on the act but as long as they continue to glorify their hate mongering and pad their egos with one insult against the RLSH after the other inspired acts of criminal behavior like this will only get worse. I wonder how long it will be before videos of people threatening the RLSH turn into actual physical harm against a RLSH. Alot of RLSVs are sitting back and waiting for one RLSH to screw up bad so they can slam the whole movement and say "I told you so".
Well maybe I should sit back with a slab of cheese and wait for the same thing to go down with the RLSVs because from the looks of things it may be sooner than we think.
You inspired people to vandalism in your name ROACH. What else will you inspire people with bad intentions to do?
It's been a while since this wee little mouse wrote on his blog and this has been gnawing at me as feverishly as I gnaw on a slab of sweet cheddar cheese. The other day as I was getting in my car to work I came across a man in a beat up pair of blue jeans, white t-shirt, and an equally beat up old white work van outside of my yard and on the narrow strip of land that runs parallel to the street that I live on. He was going about the business of plucking a sizable amount of mangos off the tree just out side of our fence which, while not growing from within our property does have part of it which extends inward into our property. With a long metallic pole that had a hook at the end and a large green plastic trashcan he was gathering a great deal of mangos. I saw him and said "Good morning" and he said the same and I went about my business of driving to work. Oh if life were just that simple.
To understand where this story is going it's important to put the historic value of this tree in perspective. As a wee young mouse I used to practice my mad skills of tree climbing with it all the time - even now I remain fairly nimble and quick when it comes to scaling the tree and navigating through it's labyrinth of branches. In my youth it also served as my clubhouse of sorts for myself and my friends & cousins. Yes, a few planks of wood and some nails CAN be a clubhouse with enough work and imagination. Lastly, this tree has been a true survivor. It has had chunks of it ripped off my numerous hurricanes and even survived a collision with a driver of an 18 wheeler truck who apparently was unaware that drinking excessively and driving into said tree was an unwise choice of action. Needless to say this tree has character.
I get to work and around 45 minutes after I am working I get a call from my mom whom lives with my family. Even in her extended age she is a firecracker of a woman and while this is her strength sometimes it is what lands her in the most trouble. She asks me if I saw a man plucking mangos off the tree when I got out and I say "Yes". Then she proceeds to chastise me for not telling her about it or telling him to go away. I tell her that the tree does not grow from our property so it is not ours regardless of whether part of it extends inward into our house. She says I am wrong and that it is our tree and that when the leaves fall from it that it is our responsibility to clean it up. Whether the tree is ours or not is still subject to debate - I don't think it is but if I tell her this she snaps at me with a defiance that is something special to behold. So she proceeds to tell me that she berrated the man for "stealing" the mangos to which apparently the man responded with a flurry of filthy languages as nasty and offensive and Malvado and Agent Beryllium put together (no small feat mind you). He resorts to threatening her, telling her that he is out of work and needs the mangos to sell and that he lives only a couple blocks away. He tell her "I know where you live and this is not the last you will see of me." So what does my elderly mother do? She laughs in his face and tells him "Get the hell out of here before I call the cops. I am not afraid of your threats." She did indeed call the cops who came, filled out a report, and told her if the guy shows up to call them and they will handle the situation for her.
Now I appreciate my moms courage and tenacity but I told her she should have thought this thru. She is along in the house for the better part of the day since she is retired and my father passed away about 2 years ago. When she is not alone she is with my two kids, both under 10 years of age or with my wife. So if this guy does show up it, as I explained to her, at the wrong time it could be disastrous. Then she came at me with something that I have not been able to get off my mind and needed to blog about. She tells me (and this very close to an exact quote) "Son, if you allow people to put one foot on you an step hard on you with it then they will take the second foot and step hard on you as well. Before you know it, you will have people trampling over you your whole life, trampling on what you believe in most and the people who you care for. You can't let people do this. You have to stand up to people like this."
When I think about my life and the way I've lived it, less so in my youth when I was getting my bearings but more so in my adult life when I had to carry more responsibility on my shoulders I understand where she is coming from. Whether the tree is ours or not is not the point but standing up to people who threaten you or try to walk all over you is the point. You have to protect your ideals and the people you love in life or else you're just going to become a human doormat to every loud-mouthed, violence loving asshole out there.If you lay down then every jackass who thinks that spouting off with some highbrow Merriam Websters dictionary vocabulary, every crass chick with a bride of Frankenstein complexion, anti-Semetic prick or morally mediocre assclown will think they get a free pass in life to trash those you love and that which you believe in without repercussions or some form of response. The trick though is knowing what to do and when - easier said than done.
I've told my mom that we should cut the tree down in order to avoid any further problems. We would need consent from the city to do so but I don't think it's worth any continued trouble. I admire her for standing up to the situation the way she did even if I do not necessarily agree with her on all points. I can tell she does not lik the idea of chopping the tree down and while I think it would avoid alot of future problems deep down inside I don't like it either. The tree has character and history and it would be a shame to see it removed. It'sa tough choice but one I think I will have to make in the near future.
People often wonder where I get my fiery disposition, my defiant personality that refuses to stand by and allow people to treat others like victims within my presence. I hate bullies, always have and always will. I hate cowards who hide behind their fake words when going after people unjustly. Thinking about it I realize that there is alot of my mom and dad in me beyond just genetic code - they gave me the blueprint to stare people who would do wrong in the face and tell them "You are wrong. When you victimize people you are wrong. When you harass and unjustly vilify people you are wrong." So in this respect I am very proud to be their son. My mom is right. The moment you allow people to step on you once they will eventually try to trample you and I'm just not the kind of person to let that happen.
Local boy with cancer turns into a superhero for a day
Erik Martin, who is living with liver cancer, has always wanted to be a superhero. On Thursday, the regional chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted him that wish with an elaborate event that involved hundreds of volunteers in Bellevue and Seattle.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation made 13-year-old Erik Martin's dream of becoming a superhero come true.
DEAN RUTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Electron Boy lances Blackout Boy (Jake Anderson) before turning on Dr. Dark (Edgar Hansen) in the battle between good and evil at the Space Needle. Erik Martin's dream of becoming a superhero came true Thursday. At left is Lightning Lad, played by actor Rob Burgess.
DEAN RUTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES
A crowd of better than 200 gather outside Puget Sound Energy in Bellevue to cheer on Electron Boy as he saves a stranded worker in a bucket truck on Thursday.
DEAN RUTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES
The Seattle Sounders are grateful as they meet Electron Boy, aka Erik Martin, who has freed them from their Qwest Field locker room Thursday. The Make-A-Wish Foundation arranged the adventure.
Thursday was shaping up to be just another school day for 13-year-old Erik Martin, but then something extraordinary happened: Spider-Man called.
Spider-Man happens to be one of the few people who knows that Erik, too, has a secret identity — he's Electron Boy, a superhero who fights the powers of evil with light.
And Spider-Man needed Erik's help.
Erik, who is living with liver cancer, has always wanted to be a superhero. On Thursday, the regional chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted him that wish with an elaborate event that involved hundreds of volunteers in Bellevue and Seattle.
The local chapter, which serves four states, grants more than 300 wishes every year to children with life-threatening medical conditions, but only a few of them involve so many participants.
Pulling off a wish like this one required a big story, and a lot of heart. And so, with a note of panic in his voice, Spider-Man explained the dilemma: "Dr. Dark" and "Blackout Boy" had imprisoned the Seattle Sounders in a locker room at Qwest Field. Only Electron Boy could free them.
Erik got into his red-and-blue superhero costume, and called on the powers of Moonshine Maid, who owns a DeLorean sports car. For good measure, more than 20 motorcycle officers from the Bellevue Police Department and King County and Snohomish sheriff's offices escorted Electron Boy to Seattle.
"They shut down 405 — they shut down I-90," marveled Moonshine Maid, aka Misty Peterson. "I thought it would just be me, in the car."
At Qwest Field, Electron Boy was directed by frantic fans to the Sounders locker room, where the entire team was shouting for help behind jammed doors. With a little help from Lightning Lad, the alter ego of local actor Rob Burgess, Erik opened the door with his lightning rod. The Sounders cheered.
"Thank you, Electron Boy," said defender Taylor Graham.
"You saved us!" exclaimed forward Nate Jaqua.
"Good job, big man," said defender Tyrone Marshall. And forward Steve Zakuani mutely bowed his thanks.
Electron Boy seemed a little dazed by his powers. Out on Qwest Field, the Sounders gave Erik a hero's congratulations, posed for pictures and gave him a jersey and autographed ball.
Everyone was startled when, overhead, the Jumbotron crackled to life.
"Electron Boy, I am Dr. Dark and this is Blackout Boy," sneered an evil voice, as the villain — Edgar Hansen, and his sidekick Jake Anderson, both of Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" — taunted the young superhero. "We are here to take over Seattle and make it dark!"
On the Jumbotron, a video showed a Puget Sound Electric employee Jim Hutchinson trapped in the top of his bucket truck in front of PSE's Bellevue headquarters. Only Electron Boy could save him.
As Electron Boy's motorcade — the DeLorean, the 25 motorcycle officers and a white limo — rolled through downtown Bellevue, pedestrians stopped in their tracks and pulled out their cameras to take pictures. Clearly, somebody famous was in town. But who could it be?
"It's Electron Boy," Erik's older sister, Charlotte Foote, shouted out the window of the limousine.
More than 250 PSE employees gathered outside the company's headquarters and cheered as Electron Boy freed the trapped worker. "It was so loud, people in office buildings were looking out the window," said Make-A-Wish communications director Jeannette Tarcha.
But Dr. Dark and Blackout Boy were still at large. Electron Boy got a tip that the evil duo were at the Space Needle, where they had disabled the elevator and trapped people on the observation deck. Racing back to Seattle, Electron Boy stepped out of the DeLorean to a cheering crowd of dozens of admirers, and confronted his nemesis.
"How did you find us, Electron Boy?" Dr. Dark demanded.
Erik wordlessly leapt at Dr. Dark with his lightning rod, freezing the villain. Then he unlocked the elevator and freed the people trapped upstairs.
Bellevue police Officer Curtis McIvor snapped handcuffs on Dr. Dark and Blackout Boy, who couldn't resist some last words: "How can we thank you for saving our souls?"
A tiny smile played around Electron Boy's mouth. Just for good measure, he held his lightning sword to Blackout Boy's throat again. The crowd went wild. "Hip-hip, hooray!"
Seattle City Councilwoman Sally Bagshaw stepped forward with a key to the city and a proclamation that Thursday was Electron Boy Day. Afterward, Erik posed for the TV cameras, flexed his muscles and spent some time astride a Bellevue police motorcycle.
"He's over the moon," said Foote. "This is definitely beyond anything we thought it would be."
Watching her son run across the plaza in front of the Space Needle, mom Judy Martin said Erik goes to school when he's able, but is often too tired. "He hasn't had this much energy in a long time," she said. "They called it the power of the wish, and they're right."
Like any good superhero, Electron Boy kept his innermost thoughts to himself. But he did have one important thing to say:
"This is the best day of my life."
Erik Martin was born with only half a working heart, and recently was diagnosed with cancer. So when the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted his wish, the 13-year-old Bellevue boy wanted the things he has never been able to do: to run fast and be powerful and help people.
Erik Martin, 13, has been riding high ever since his Make-A-Wish adventure as Electron Boy last month, which has drawn international attention. Judy Martin and her husband, Jeremy, have fostered Erik, who has a variety of health issues, since he was 6 weeks old.
He was born with only half a working heart and a host of other health problems that leave him exhausted most days. Last year, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
So when the Make-A-Wish Foundation offered to grant his wish, Erik Martin didn't ask to go to Disney World, or meet somebody famous. The 13-year-old Bellevue boy wanted the things he has never been able to do: to run fast, be powerful and help people.
"I wish I was a superhero," he told them.
Two weeks ago, the foundation granted that wish with an elaborately choreographed event that involved hundreds of volunteers in Bellevue and Seattle.
In the days that followed, Electron Boy's story flew around the world faster than, well, a speeding bullet on the Internet. The foundation has been swamped by people pledging money and offering to volunteer.
"The response has been absolutely unbelievable," said Jeannette Tarcha, communications director for Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Erik has admirers across the United States, from Hawaii to New York, and around the globe, including England, the Czech Republic and The Netherlands. Comic-book artists have made covers for an Electron Boy comic and are planning to draft a series just for him. He's been on several local TV shows, and his story has run in newspapers in Australia and Canada.
By week's end, his story had been viewed more than half a million times on The Seattle Times website and was the most-read story for nine days in a row. The Fans of Electron Boy" page on Facebook had more than 8,000 members.
"Hey, Electron Boy, way to go!!" one Facebook fan wrote. "My son is fighting cancer too and stories like yours are just what we need for a little extra fighting power every day!!!!"
People said the tale of Electron Boy's big wish brought tears to their eyes. But the story of Erik's life is more poignant, and more heartbreaking, than almost anyone knew. Severe health problems
Erik Martin was born in December 1996 with a constellation of severe health problems, including a malformed heart that was missing its right atrium and ventricle and required several surgeries to fix. He had no spleen, and sensory problems made him extremely sensitive to touch. His mother was not able to care for him.
When he was 6 weeks old, Erik was placed with Judy and Jeremy Martin, a Bellevue couple who started caring for medically fragile foster children 15 years ago, after their own two children, Charlotte and Brian, grew up and left home. They have had 27 foster children over the years; most have gone back to family members or relatives, except for Erik, Kenny, 7, and Juan, 15.
The Martins fell in love with the tiny child, and often worried that someone in his extended family would come to claim him.
"He's very caring," Judy Martin said. "If he sees another person who's sad — he has so much empathy for everyone."
Because of his medical conditions, Erik is developmentally disabled. He goes to school infrequently and is often in the hospital. He can never be out of sight of an adult caregiver.
It takes Judy Martin 20 minutes each morning to mix his medications. Erik is unable to eat through his mouth, and is hooked up to a feeding tube attached to a portable machine that delivers his nutrition. (On his Make-A-Wish day, he carried the machine in a special "Electron Boy" backpack.)
Two years ago, doctors at Seattle Children's found a tumor the size of a lemon on Erik's spine. After 13 hours of delicate surgery — made more complicated because all of Erik's organs are on the wrong side of his body — they removed the cancerous tumor.
The Martins brought Erik back for regular checkups at Children's. One day last year, a test came back flagged with unusual results. Erik returned to the hospital for more tests.
A few days later, Judy Martin got a call from Children's. The cancer had returned.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," the doctor kept saying over the phone. But Judy Martin was confused. The last surgery had been successful; couldn't they do it again?
It is not that easy this time.
The cancer, a rare type called paraganglioma, has spread to at least eight different places in his body, and neither surgery nor conventional chemotherapy can stop it. (A Make-A-Wish news release incorrectly identified the type of cancer as liver cancer; one of the tumors is located in his liver.)
The tumors secrete proteins that play havoc with Erik's blood pressure and heart rate. The only way to treat them is to keep Erik alone in an isolation chamber for four or five days while a radioactive isotope is delivered to the tumor sites. But because he suffers from severe separation anxiety, doctors told the Martins that treatment would be emotionally cruel. And because of his weak heart, Erik might not survive the care.
The Martins take hope that the tumors are very slow growing. In the meantime, perhaps medical science will catch up and find another way to cure the disease. Creating a wish
Not long after they got the cancer diagnosis, one of Erik's former nurses called the family and told them about the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Erik's doctors determined that he was strong enough to qualify for a wish, and the foundation went to work.
At the Make-A-Wish Foundation's Seattle office, Jessie Elenbaas' title is Wish Manager — "almost as good as a fairy godmother," she said. Right away, Elenbaas was captivated by Erik's wish. She spent hours collecting the little details that would make his wish come out just right.
"He wanted to be able to fly, to have big muscles, to be able to run really fast," Elenbaas said. He wanted a sidekick, and he wanted to ride in a DeLorean.
But he was also afraid of heights, and he tired easily. How could she give him all of those experiences in simple ways that would not exhaust him?
Elenbaas and volunteers Heidi Hardy and Lisa MacKay put their heads together and invented Electron Boy, a superhero who loves to help people and has lots of energy.
They called on local comic-book stores to design a logo. They asked the Seattle Children's Theatre to find a sidekick and make a costume. They went looking for other characters and got commitments from Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and the Seattle Sounders to play roles. "Everyone wanted to participate," Elenbaas said.
Rigmor Vohra, the head draper at Seattle Children's Theatre, visited Erik in the hospital. "It was totally his design," she said of his superhero outfit. "It was very specific — we had crayons, and we colored in this and that. He was just so enthusiastic and sweet."
Edgar Hansen and Jake Anderson, who star on the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch," agreed to be the villains. Lightning Lad, aka local actor Rob Burgess, answered the call to be Erik's sidekick. ("I just want to make it clear — Lightning Lad is 51 years old," the good-humored Burgess warned the foundation.)
At PSE's Bellevue headquarters, employees held sign-painting parties and came up with dozens of slogans, including Erik's favorite: "Marry Me, Electron Boy!"
A squad of motorcycle officers from the Bellevue police and King and Snohomish county sheriff's departments agreed to escort Erik and his motorcade. The squad escorts visiting dignitaries, and already had plans to do a training run that day. "I told them how big I wanted it to be, and they made it even bigger," Elenbaas said.
Then, the big day came. Erik, who had no idea what awaited him, got a phone call from Spider-Man. A DeLorean pulled up in front of his house. The motorcycle squad escorted them to Qwest Field.
At first, Erik seemed stunned by the hoopla and the crowds that were involved in his wish. Lightning Lad tried to help Erik understand what was going on.
"Here's this little guy who was totally overwhelmed," Burgess said. "He got into it more as the day went on. I said, 'I'm right here, Electron Boy, just stay with me, buddy.' "
Erik's wish was one of the biggest the Seattle chapter has ever done. And it was also one of the least expensive, because nearly everything was donated.
Days later, some of the 250 PSE employees who cheered Electron Boy's heroics were talking about how Erik's wish had affected them — as if, by turning Erik into a superhero, they had all been touched by some of that same magic.
"Some things just have a magical connection ... bigger than the parts you put in," said "Energy Jim" Hutchinson, who played the part of a trapped PSE worker.
Said Elenbaas: "It's a great wish — I knew it would be." No cape needed
A week after his big wish came true, Erik is back in his Electron Boy costume again, bouncing around his Bellevue home with foster brother Kenny. The boys wrestle, gently, for a moment and then Erik rests next to his mom, leaning his head against her. The next minute, he jumps up to show visitors a Spider-Man clock he got from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
He's shy, but also goofy and spontaneous. He likes to color and play with action figures, and he loves superhero movies, especially "Spider-Man." He points out that his costume does not have a cape because, as anyone who saw "The Incredibles" knows, capes are nothing but trouble for supers.
He shows off a sign made by PSE employees that says "You rock, Electron Boy," and then turns it over, where he has added his own words: "Yes, I do."
He confesses that he's got a girlfriend — maybe two — but then grows coy about who they are. "Them who shall not be named," he finally says.
The Martins know harder days will come. But right now, these days are all about Electron Boy.
After his big wish day had ended, Make-A-Wish coordinator Elenbaas said to Erik: "You do realize you're a superhero."
"Yes."
Elenbaas continued: "You do realize another superhero power you have — you're making a lot of people smile."
And that made Erik smile, too.
Sounders FC went through the usual drills at Qwest Field on Thursday. Some passing work, then some full-field 11v11 scrimmages, followed by some corner kick practice and finishing.
But toward the end of training, the team got to help fulfill the Make-A-Wish of Bellevue 13-year-old Erik Martin, who has kidney cancer.
Martin, who wished of being a superhero for a day, "saved" the Sounders FC players and coaches who were trapped in the dark locker-room. In exchange for the "rescue," Martin (the alter ego of Electron Boy) got some memorabilia.
After taking some pictures, a video message played on the Qwest Field screens from his nemesis Dr. Dark and henchman Blackout Boy. The villains had trapped a Puget Sound Energy worker and off went Electron Boy to the rescue.
You can see the Electron Boy stickers on the players jerseys (and, yes, I am still wearing mine).
* * * 1. Here is Electron Boy himself with Sounders FC players and coaches.
<< End >>
What's that about costumes being unnecessary?
I guess if RLSV and ROACH boot-licker Black Sun has seen this he is probably cursing in rage because
here is is young boy WITH CANCER living the dream of being a superhero and having an entire community behind him to help and support him. You do remember what Black Sun said don't you guys? He's the same idiot who said young people with cancer should not be allowed to breed or live too long because they will eventually contaminate and weaken the gene pool? The only thing that contaminates anything is filth like that that comes out of the stank moths of RLSVs and their brown nosing lackeys.
I especially like t his part...
After his big wish day had ended, Make-A-Wish coordinator Elenbaas said to Erik: "You do realize you're a superhero." "Yes." Elenbaas continued: "You do realize another superhero power you have — you're making a lot of people smile." And that made Erik smile, too.
Special thank to the Make a Wish Foundation and everyone who put their time and effort together to make this possible. I have always said to never underestimate the power of the costume and the mystique of the superhero. It can have a profound effect on the lives of people around them in a very positive manner. Alot of haters out there spend their time trying to tear down the RLSH or people who believe in the RLSH cause. It's pretty sad that some people choose to spend their time seeking ways to degrade, humiliate, and bring ruin and animosity down upon people who are choosing, as my friend Captain Black has often said, creative ways to help their community. Furthermore, as Peter Tangen himself said recently, the costume wearing RLSH are indeed in the business of self-promotion... they are promoting good deeds and the tremendous effect be it inspiration of actual change for the better that it can have on the lives of people that they help. Electrons Boys story is a microcosm of one of the fundamental aspects of the RLSH community/movement...flaws and all- the ability to inspire hope. So while the foes of the RLSH movement are busy trying to tear them down the RLSH will continue try and build people up and lift them from despair. And then you wonder why people consider the majority of RLSVs/ villians/ "obnoxious antagonist to the RLSH bloggers" to be an after thought at best... a nuisance at worst.
PREV
