Piss Off Mother Nature and She'll Freeze Your Ass Off!!

Well it looks like Florida is the odd state out.

http://www.thirdage.com/news/snow-49-states-snow-covers-all-states-florida_1-12-2011

And really...even Hawaii? Come on Mother Naure. I've seen the hot chicks that live in that place. Why would you do anything to make them want to cover up those hot babes!!!

Ted Williams...a story of faith, perserverance, and compassion

I saw this story while at my gym and I felt compelled to share it on my blog as well as post some links to it. Having done my charity outreach to the local homeless shelter I saw first hand the misery on the faces of the people seeking assistance. It's good to see that sometimes a person can hit rock bottom but with some faith, a little help, and simple human decency they can accomplish great things.

Ted Williams (born September 22, 1957) is an American voice-over artist based in Columbus, Ohio who became known when a brief interview with him while he was homeless was posted to YouTube, quickly becoming a viral video sensation in early January 2011.He has been called the "Homeless Man with the Golden Voice". The original video posting (first posted on the Columbus Dispatch website) has been removed as a result of copyright protection violation, though numerous copies of the video still exist on different user channels.The original video had over 13 million views in its first three days before it was taken down.

Williams was born and raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. According to his mother, his father named him after the all-star baseball player of the same name who was his favorite player at the time. He is a father to nine children: seven girls and two boys.Williams served three years in the United States Army, was honorably discharged, and attended school for voice acting.His inspiration to become a radio announcer came from a field trip at age 14, when he found that a radio announcer who he had heard looked nothing like he had imagined. Williams had experience as a radio disc jockey before. He worked some overnight shifts for WVKO (AM) in Columbus when the station played soul music.Williams stated that around 1993, cocaine, crackand alcohol abuse complicated his career and led to his then-current state of homelessness. He says he has been clean and sober since mid-2008.

A video was recorded in Columbus, Ohio at the Hudson Street off-ramp of Interstate 71 (40°00′54″N 82°59′42″W / 40.015063°N 82.994941°W / 40.015063; -82.994941), and posted at the Columbus Dispatch's website on January 3, 2011 by Doral Chenoweth, a videographer for the paper.^[11][12] It was reposted to YouTube, and within one day it had been viewed millions of times Williams' story also garnered a large following on the social news websites, with many users pledging donations of money, clothes, and job offers.On January 5, 2011, Williams appeared on the "Dave and Jimmy Show" on WNCI and was interviewed (since clean shaven and hair cut) by The Early Show on CBS. He was interviewed on Today, January 6, doing the lead-in voice over, revealing that he was to have an interview to do voice overs for Kraft Foods.


On January 5, 2011, Williams attempted to fly to New York to reunite with his 90-year old (92 year old according to other news sources) mother.However, TSA did not allow him to do so since Williams lacked the proper identification material required to enter an aircraft. Williams eventually did arrive at the airport in New York, but according to some reports, was escorted away from the media, whom his mother was among. Williams, through the intervention of Today and The Early Show, was able to reunite with his mother the following day.



Since his story hit news, he has been offered several jobs.
On January 5, the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA basketball team offered him a job and a house. The offer calls for Williams to do full-time voiceover work with the Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena. Williams responded, "That’s the best deal ever!"
Also on January 7, Williams was officially hired by MSNBC to provide voiceovers for the network.Williams was also hired to be the voice behind Kraft Foods' new TV campaign due to launch January 9 during the 2011 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl on ESPN.
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Alot of what RLSH and costumed activists do is provide assistance to the homeless. Thanatos is nothing short of an iconic figure in the ranks of the RLSH when it comes to this, serving as a prime example of those who lend a much needed hand to those in dire need of it. Reading the story of Ted Williams I am encouraged by the acts of charity, by those reaching out ot help him rebuild a life that was destroyed by the demons of alcoholism & drug use that sent him spiraling into despair. I can't imagine how many people passed him by with their cars on the day they filmed him but because of a chance encounter with him by someone in the broadcasting industry and a gut feeling that made that person want to film Mr. Williams, Ted now finds himself on the cusp of rebuilding his life one moment at a time. No one except Ted can really know where his life will take him from this point on - in many ways fate has just reached out and grabbed him, lifted him up off theground, dusted off his pants and said "Here's your shot my friend. Here's your second chance. Don't blow it." But this opportunity would never have happened if he would have been ignored, cast away into the sea of homeless that more often than not are silenced by the sometimes apathetic nature of human society. Instead SOMEONE took the time to care, to spotlight Teds situation and as fate would have it, the dominoes tumbled in his favor. RLSH/costumed activists help fill a niche like those of the guy who filmed Ted and got the whole ball rolling. Though the RLSH may never create the kind of publicity to help someone on the level that Ted Williams recieved assistance, the point is the assistance RLSH/costumed activists provide at the very least a small respite to the suffering of he homeless and much like the Ted Williams situation, a simple act of random kindness can lead to amazing things. Faith, perserverance, and compassion have turned the life of Ted Williams around. Let's hope he makes the most of this opportunity.

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Now on to the "I told you.." section of my blog.

Regarding the TMZ article where the Potentate (or the Impotent One as I like to call him) talks about the
whole RLSV/RLSH thing, check out these quotes...

Potentate - "We would never cheer at the injury of an actor doing their job, but yes, we're thrilled any time the ventures of heroes and their overblown attention-seeking behavior blows up in their faces. It's a disaster, doing what heroes do best, failing spectacularly and looking ridiculous while doing so."

Update to the performers injuries:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110108/ap_on_en_ot/us_theater_spider_man_fall

"The 31-year-old suffered a fractured skull, a fractured shoulder blade, four broken ribs and three broken vertebrae during his Dec. 20 tumble.The fall that left Tierney in a back brace and with eight screws in his back happened only seven minutes before the end of the Dec. 20 performance."

And the Potentate was thirlled by this...












Now given that the actor playing Spiderman fell and got injured and the statements of the Potentate above, here's food for thought for RLSH/costumed activists - the Potentate & RLSV, by the quotes above, ENJOY the thought of knowing you might get seriously hurt in the quest to help people. Yes ladies and gentleman, the idea of each of you getting seriously maimed makes them happy. Something to think about perhaps.

And he calls RLSH/costumed activists actions "attention-seeking behavior" and yet he goes out of his way to interview himself on TMZ and plaster the article for the masses to see. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

New Years Eve Charity Mission a success

It started a couple of weeks ago really. I began saving money (hard to do during Christmas & paying your property taxes on a house you own) to buy some food and some clothing to help out the homeless at a local shelter. My assistance package consisted of assorted potato chips, sandwiches, small mini-cookie bags, water bottles, and a t-shirt. In total I prepared 12 of these and anything left over would be given to the shelter seperately. Here's how it went down.

December 30th: I went to my wifes job to pick up my paycheck from direct deposit. After doing the math as to what would go where I passed by a Winn Dixie which was about 2 minutes away. I bought what I needed and came home. The T-shirts were taken care of already so the only thing I needed to cover was the food.

December 31st: I woke up early and started putting together the charity packages. My wife jumped in to help out (I am blessed by God to have a wife who is supportive of what I do even if she thinks it's a bit odd sometimes) and even my kids, ages 6 and 3 put in a helping hand (hmmm...could this be the start of their costumed activist training?) All in all it took us about 45 minutes to put everything together. A word of advise to any parents reading this - if you have small children never let them sit at a computer and fiddle around it for too long. Apparently my son or daughter screwed up some of my computer settings so I had to take some time to try and correct this. I didn't get all of them taken care of but I've got more friends in IT than I have fingers on my hands so I'm not worried.

My drive to the homeless shelter took about 15 minutes. I was dressed in a toned down version of my uniform - I just felt it was more appropriate this way (and no, this does not mean I am against patrolling or doing charity work in uniform/costume). My personal choice is to do presentations and panels for kids in full garb but that's just me. When I arrived at the place where I thought it would be I was surprised to see that it was no longer there - apparently they had moved. I took out my cell phone and punched in the name of the shelter to get an address, which it did...except it gave me the old address. A few minutes later I saw a homeless person walking around and I stopped honked my horn at him. Slightly rolling down the windows I asked him if he knew where they had moved the homeless shelter to and he gave me the direction. He offered to take me there if I wanted but I respectfully declined - intentions of charity are no excuse for being naive or placing myself in unnecessary danger. Extreme need sometimes makes people do terrible things. However, I reached into my backseat and gave him one of my charity packs and thanks him for his assistance.

Arriving at the homeless shelter was a sight that I had seen before but anyone who tells you they can get used to seeing human suffering without flinching needs a reality check. I drove slowly so that I could get a good look at the place - I had never been here before since they had moved the location. There were alot of people sitting on the side walk against a fence, small bundles of essentially everything they owned at their sides or on their backs. Some of them roamed the sidewalks listlessly and one of them was sprawled asleep on the sidewalk with only a bundle of old newspapers as a pillow. I surveyed my surroundings and then walked up to one of the homeless and asked him where I had to go to do the drop offs or the handouts. He directed me to metal grate door which was surrounded by homeless. I knocked on the door and they asked me what I wanted to which I responded "I have some supplies to drop off." The guy opened the door and asked me if I needed a cart or something to help carry it in and I told him I did. I walked with one of the employees at the shelter, himself apparently also a homeless person who was assisting the shelter, to my car and began explaining what I had for them. Another man came out with some paper work for me to fill out (since charitable donations are tax deductible) and we got to talking about the homeless shelter situation, how it had moved, why it moved, and about volunteer work. It seems the shelter moved because it needed more space, a sad reality in these hard times when so many people are struggling on a daily basis. I also asked him it I could hand out the stuff I had left over that were not individually bundled in charity packages and he told me that while I could do that that it was not the wisest thing to do. He was very clear that if I did that they could not gaurantee my safety and that I would probably get mobbed upon. Hearing him say this merely reinforced the harsh reality that these poor people had to deal with and putting myself in a position where I could potentially get hurt by the power of desperation would not do me or the people I was trying to help any good. I signed the paperwork, shook their hands and thanked them for helping me out andf they thanked me for the donations. I also gave them consent to go on their news letter so that I could get updates on the status of the shelter and anything they needed or were planning.


Overall the experience was enlightening, albeit with a sense of sadness about it. I had hoped to hand out the charity packages first hand but now I understand how foolhardy that would have been. Walking around by myself with two bags of stuff in a bad part of downtown might have gone terribly awry. Seeing so many people with so little makes me feel very silly when I lament on my own misfortunes - the old saying holds true, as bad as things may be going for us at times for alot of people out there who have it alot worse. Seeing so many people with such desperate need also makes me understand that what I am doing is important and that my detractors or those that ridicule me are pathetic at best. With so many problems in the world they choose to waste valuable time and creative energy by targetting and harrassing a miniscule percentage of the population like RLSH and costumed activists because we choose to think outside the box when it comes to helping people. These misguided actions add nothing to the world but rather take from it - every person they discourage to quit helping people or turn away from starting to is a wound upon the hopes of a better future. One would think that sooner or later they would figure out that they're wasting their time but I don't think they ever will and I don't think they fully understand thge harm they inflict with their actions.

Looking towards the future I hope to do more things like this again and probably even volunteer within the shelter itself. I am encouraged by the support I have gotten from my friends and family about this and unfazed by the ridicule of the hopelessly unenlightened.

We love you Reepicheep!!! - charity work, and other odds & ends

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 Catholic Christian 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.

Go to the following link: 

http://www.myspace.com/313265359?actp=n%2b0prKAebczfG13CmB%2fL170xxzjSK8k%2f19igSi%2f1c3udjracZft8Ck8ofUlmAvALe4mijbaXsyXXguY3aFJEzKyhoxYT%2fj%2b1RzpTu3DazNoTx%2bJx19Wu4mIyieqOncT1AxMzZ5totil2JOpIeyKnElm4GsUOkvJrB94PtWcqDfrQrkyshmaKFcT9CpCDhGRv1V37vB4fee8LOt1VyCPz0En1q8uErYLV2CzQDV8HNazLYdpSWfUsymf%2fM8DPsW87nk1nLx0uM7LOkcXGFi7O4g%3d%3d

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. 

Merry Christmas to my peeps

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. :)

The Age of Heroes keeps on truckin!!!!

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 American cartoon 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 begins as 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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Scoop of Charity Funds & A RLSH/Costumed Activist Perspective

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.