Archives January 2011

Originally posted: http://www.wtsp.com/news/watercooler/story.aspx?storyid=168610
(USA Today) — Seattle’s self-proclaimed crime-fighting “superhero” got his nose broken over the weekend while trying to break up a fight while making his nightly rounds in mask and costume, KOMO-TV reports.
Phoenix Jones, the pseudonym of the caped crusader who leads the band of superheroes, tells KOMO that he had called 911 and was holding a man in a headlock when a second man pulled out a gun.
When Jones released the first bad guy, that man promptly kicked Jones in the face.
KOMO says some police officers are uneasy with the superhero gang and have confused some of them with real criminals. To avoid a mixup, Seattle police put out a bulletin in November to alert officers.
Police say they would prefer that the superheroes simply call 911 if they spot a crime in progress and not try to tackle it themselves.
“Does Superman get his ass kicked?” one detective said to KOMO. “These people should not be called superheroes.”
Jones, who claims that his team has either military or police training, started his crime-fighting ways after a friend of his was beaten up on the street.

On Friday December 8th, 2000 around midnight Johnny Walden and his Wife Ann Walden reported there son Joshua Lee Walden missing. Josh was last seen wearing a red shirt and black jeans while riding a 20 inch Magnum bicycle which he had painted with a dule red paint. Before he went missing Josh was seen several places around the neighbohood riding on his bicycle but was last seen on the 4500 block of Fourteenth Avenue near him home. Friends, neighbors, and police search or two day but the search came up empty. On sunday December the 10th day Josh’s bother Jonathan Walden and some other boys were play in a wooded area off the 3100 block od Sixteenth Avenue on the western slope of Missionary Ridge discovered the the body of young Walden about half mile form his home.
The body was found laying in a depression in the ground and was covered in leaves. An inspection of the body found some superfical abrasions on Josh’s nose aswell as on the right side of his face other then those abrasion there were no signs of trauma to the body nor where there any sign of a sexual assult. Also a chimecal was found on and an under the body aswell as on some near by leaves. The one odd thing that was noticed about the body is that the shoes and socks were missing.
Test later revealed that the chimecal was an acid that is Historically Muriatic acid. The acid is also known as Hydrochloric Acid or HCI. This is a strong inorganic acid which is  made by dissolving Hydroed chloride in water. This acid used for things such as cleaning metal, concrete, pickling steel, the production of organic compounds, the production of inorganic compounds, the controlling and neutralization of ph, the Regeneration of ion exchangers, leather processing, building construction , and in household cleaning. when one is handling this acid they need protective gear such as rubber or PVC gloves, eye googles. and chemical-resistant clothing and shoes.
It has been ten years now and this boys kill has yet to be broought to justice. the new media has made a number of reports in the years since the boys murder in one they report on how some years up till 2008 some kept a small memorial at the place were the body was found. The lastest news report was in August of 2010 where it was talking about a man by the name of Eral Teague whom is now looking into the cold case murder. In the report says Teague has look over the  police and autopsy reports, made and put up poster, and has talked to tipster. Teague says that he started out with a list of 19 suspect and he now has it down to one person. That person is a known sex offender that was living in East Lake at the time on the murder. Mr. Teague’s case is centerd around a house that once sat on the corner os 39th street and 14th Avenue that burnd down just days befor young Josh Walden was murderd. The people who live in the house said that they had given there sons smokey clothing to a man in the neighborhood.
Now this was not the first time that Mr. Earl Teague has been in the news. It was not to long ago the he tiped police of another sex offender a Pastor Edward Hughes was back in the pulpit which was in violation of his registry. The building which Hughs was preaching out of was an old run down one which did not even have any power. Teague also handed out flyers in East Lake park to families informing them about Pastor Edward Hughes  and his most resent arrest.
Someone out there Know what happend all those years. Someone has the answers to the mystery.  Some people out that have the missing peices the this puzzle of who killed this small boy and I ask any one with any info about this case no matter how small to please contat me and [email protected]

Jared Lougher, de facto ” Arizona Assassin ” is my latest pick for the super psycho list I compile.
He stands above regular criminals by dint of ruthlessness; victim status; casualties and possible motive.
This wasn’t a botched robbery nor a runaway domestic situation. It definitely wasn’t an upgrade of old school duels where each side at least had the equal chance fore knowledge and weapons accord participants.
He joins America’s bizarre battalion of super psychos. I won’t bore you my selections but feel free to mentally review your own while reading.
Fortunately super psychos aren’t numerous. Tragically their misdeeds severity overrides scarcity.
Police and psychologists unite to profile such personalities. Motives and actions tend to stretch the definition of reality but must be examined to avoid future episodes.
While comic book super villains don’t exist, real life super psychos are menaces whose death toll sadly isn’t fictional.
Concerned citizens must shoulder the burden of learning how to identify legitimate super psychos before they strike. Fingering people whose politics or other factors you dislike doesn’t automatically equal potential super psycho.
I can hear would-be inquisitors on the Imperial Left and Imperial Right saying, ” Darn! ” in frustration. That said, waiting for government or others to do so may literally be too late in some cases.
Paranoia won’t work nor draconian speech codes fueled by narrow partisan agendas.
Super psycho rampages are often stopped like this one: on scene by folks who ended the madness first hand! That’s how up close and personal this can become.
We outnumber super psychos and this should always be stressed in the reams of print; mega bytes of keyboard typing and oceans of sound bites this attack produces. No matter how horrible the headline, there are still millions more of us whose self-expression doesn’t sink to mass murder and intimidation.
Remember: we.outnumber.them.
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT BLACK promotes crime prevention and self-development. http://www.captblack.info
 

By Zero
The general consensus among the public at large is that Superheroes have Superpowers. Be it supernatural, science related or simply resulting in special training to become the pinnacle of human development. “They” (the same “they” that speaks so prolifically throughout the annals of time, debunking and dissolving and disproving) say that we’re not Superheroes if we don’t have Superpowers. They say that without Superpowers, we can’t really be effective.
I disagree. Wholly.
Before I tackle the semantics of this subject, I’d like to state simply that while we do seem to emulate the more current comic book Superhero meme, there is a much older and more substantive meme that is being overlooked.
Research the Scarlet Pimpernel. Tomo Gozen. Joan of Arc. The Sons of Liberty. The Bald Knobbers. Don’t recognize the names? Google is your friend. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
Compassion and True Justice are older than superheroes. They’re older than Superman, Batman, they’re older than Coca-Cola.
A lot older.
Superheroes are simply the modern manifestation of this recurring theme, and the fact that an entire group of people has been driven by discontent and injustice to emulate these fantastic and literally incredible characters is proof of a sad age, indeed. But instead of embracing or supporting this marvel of human spirit to fly in the face of apathy, the majority chooses to ridicule from the safety of their armchairs without a second thought. Understandable, to a point, but it’s a knee-jerk reaction.
Really, people. Your main criticism is based on aesthetics alone. I’ve seen some of you, out in public, wearing your snuggies and your Uggs. Your button-up, popped-collar Kmart specials. You’re no prize to fashion.
It’s time to stop making decisions based on image. Hasn’t American Beauty taught you anything?
I think the reason for this criticism overkill is that the public secretly wishes that Superheroes were real. They’ve been waiting for it, subconsciously on the edge of their seats, and now that it’s in the eye of the media they want nothing less than leaping tall buildings, laser vision and adamantium claws. They want a huge change, a quantum leap in evolution because all the old tricks aren’t working for this country anymore. It’s a product of desensitization, in my opinion.
Any president that took over for Bush was screwed for this exact same reason. People want too much, and when they don’t get what they expect, any and all efforts are discounted and criticized into the ground. But now we’re getting into the realm of politics, and at this point I’ll bring my ADD rantings back to the subject at hand.
A real hero doesn’t fool himself into thinking that he can cure all with one solid blow to the heart of some perceived “evil”. That’s grossly naïve. It’s a child’s solution, albeit one that is often used to satiate a pre-existing bloodlust.
Changing the world is something that is going to take patience, persistence in character, and above all the unspoken choice that the people of this community make every day of their lives. The choice to go beyond random acts of kindness, or simple decency. The choice to become the antithesis of apathy, simply by getting out there and doing anything. Sacrificing the need to be cool, in the old sense of fashionable aloofness, for a new unity.
You think we crave the spotlight? You’d be right in some cases. As with any loosely organized bunch of universal misfits, we have a few of those types. But ask yourself, has the typical celebrity done much beyond perform onscreen, or produce a hit album every few years?
If that’s the extent of their contributions to society, how does that put them above a person that braves the cold to feed the homeless, or risks their neck just because they’re tired of watching the world crumble around them? Is it simply the aesthetic, or the image, or the lifestyle that makes America worship them so?
What does that say about our country?
The world has lost perspective, we’ve given over to the things that should take up a very small percentage of our time, and the demand for these things have caused supplies to boom. This has resulted in the current lifestyle-obsessed society that is clogging the arteries of human progress.
The saddest consequence of all is that kindness and compassion are lost to mystique and drama. Conflict is more exciting than peace. It’s an overindulgence that has crippled us.
I’d say that the RLSH community is a direct consequence of this.
So how could we expect anything less, in our image obsessed world, than these strangely dressed people vying for your attention? How many good cops or charity workers do you see in the mainstream media, calling attention to simple acts of human decency?
Not many. Not enough. In the end, that choice is all it takes to be… something more.
Think about it.

Originally posted: http://www.newser.com/story/109534/thugs-beat-up-real-life-superhero.html
Life imitates Kick-Ass in Seattle

(Newser) – Self-proclaimed superhero Phoenix Jones could have used some superpowers, or at least some tools from Batman’s arsenal, over the weekend. The costumed vigilante, who patrols the streets of Seattle several times a week, had his nose broken and was threatened at gunpoint after he tried to break up a fight, the Telegraph reports.
Jones—leader of the real-life “Rain City Superheroes” group that also includes Buster Doe, Thorn, Green Reaper, Gemini, No Name, Catastrophe, Thunder 88 and Penelope—says the attack was no big deal, but police say that he and his fellow masked vigilantes should call 911 instead of taking on criminals. “They insert themselves into a potentially volatile situation and then they end up being victimized as well,” a police spokesman tells KOMO News.

First thing to remember when helping people, keep in mind that they are in fact entirely too human. People make simple mistakes that can be dangerous to their safety, and to your’s. So you have to assume the safety of everyone in a situation when you arrive on the scene. You just might save someone’s life.. including your own!
Make sure the vehicle is safely out of the lane of flowing traffic. Either push it out of the road, or use tow straps. Be careful, as most people strain their back muscles during this phase and often have no clue, until later, that they hurt themselves pretty badly.
Make sure that that everyone from the stranded vehicle is warm and protected from the elements. A lot of people jump into their cars without a jacket because they think they’ll just be out for a few minutes and don’t need a coat. Make sure to carry a few heavy blankets in your trunk, if you don’t have a few old coats Some motorists also get soaked through even if they have a winter jacket, so they need to get them off immediately. Remember to stock extra gloves, knit caps, and scarves! Dress in layers so you can remove them as you heat up from working and shoveling. Stay away from cotton under layers as these retain moisture and keep you cold.
Having people sit in the vehicle you are working on isn’t a good idea. People move unexpectedly, they also add weight to the vehicle, and both conditions add stress to the support jack which can cause it to collapse. Have them wait in your vehicle if they have to stay out of the elements. And yes, I know.. you’re concerned about someone stealing things from your car. Take reasonable precautions, but safety and preventing cold related injuries are also important.
Even if someone has their own jack, I never use it. I carry my own, heavy duty scissor jack. I am familiar with it. It’s heavy duty so that I can use it even under a pick-up truck. And all I need to do is make sure it is secured in place on the frame to lift and support the vehicle. Even if someone has already jacked up their vehicle, I slide my jack under and tighten it up. Most people have changed very few tires, and if they have they might not have done so on their current vehicle, or with the current style of equipped jack they have.. this means they might not have done it right. Always assume that unless you’ve secured the vehicle yourself, it is not secure.
While I’m on the subject, I also carry my own tire irons, two of them. One standard measurements, the other metric. Never trust someone’s dealer equipped tire iron.. these are often cheaply made and likely to strip lug nuts, bend, or break. Wear heavy work gloves, and keep your first aid kit near by. Cuts and bruised knuckles are common injuries. You might even break a finger or hand if you’re not careful. Mother Nature loves to strand motorists in snow, or freezing rain, and these conditions make tools slip in the blink of an eye. Go at a steady pace.. this isn’t a race.
Wear a reflective, brightly colored vest if you can. Even in daylight you can go unseen, especially if there is snow blowing about. Some accidents happen because a driver passing by will unconsciously turn toward you and the vehicle you are working on because they have a tendency to steer slightly toward the direction they are looking. Wearing emergency colors helps, but does not eliminate this danger Have someone use a flashlight, or road flares, for warning traffic around you if you’re in or beside the road working.
Buy a good ergonomic shovel to help you shovel out. They’re worth the price! You can lift snow easier without killing your back. Have salt (and sand if you can get it) available too. Motorists often don’t have either a shovel or grit for traction, so you’ll have to provide both.
Standard Emergency Aid Supplies For Your Vehicle
Towing straps (cold, or old, chains sometimes snap and become shrapnel!)
Tire chains
Heavy duty jack
First Aid Kit
Heavy work gloves, and safety glasses (stuff gets splashed off the road, or rust flecks off tires and lug nuts)
Good ergonomic shovel
Salt and sand (grit) for traction
Extra blankets, old jackets, gloves, hats, and scarves
Granola bars, or other emergency food (some folks may have been stranded for hours without anything to eat)
Bottled water (though be careful storing in your vehicle in winter)
Flashlights (more than one is best), extra batteries too
Road flares
Emergency repair / jump-starting kit
Addendums:
In some areas you are not allowed to use tire chains while driving. But they can be used to help a stranded vehicle get unstuck, then remove them. Do not use tire chains unless they are in good shape, you are familiar with their use, and that they are secured properly.
Emergency battery powered glow sticks–which include a flash light, solid color, or blinking mode–can be used in lieu of road flares. (Thank you, Phantom Zero and Nyx, for this contribution.)

Originally posted: http://www.kirotv.com/news/26452560/detail.html
SEATTLE — “Superheroes” from Seattle’s Rain City Superhero Movement have struck again, this time helping a stranded motorist.
Walter Gray and his daughter were stuck on the side of Interstate 5 in Shoreline after running out of gas, when Phoenix Jones, who KIRO 7 recently interviewed, and some of his partners showed up to help.
“This guy runs up, and I roll down the window, and he says, ‘Phoenix Jones,’ as he introduces himself, ‘Rain City Superhero,'” Gray said. “And he’s dressed up in this molded rubber suit and seriously looks like a superhero.”
The group was able to get Gray’s car started and they sent Gray and his daughter on their way.

The Arizona political shootings offer an opportunity for the Administration to either defend free speech ( including that which it bitterly opposes) or criminalize it using this event as a pretext.
Any president would be sorely tempted to brand his foes enemies of the state and history tells at least several did.
I’m being intentionally vague because enough gasoline is hitting this particular fire without by brand of high octane propellant. Folks with impulse control problems on all sides of the issue don’t need more provocation to go postal.
Conservatives wonder when the speech codes will be unveiled? Conspiracy theorists on that side expect government surveillance and dirty tricks to exceed Nixon in the wake of this attempted assassination of a sitting Congress woman and murder of a Chief federal District judge among others.
As a security person and political observer I think we need to recognize the pressure cooker of the last few years is causing some to reach their boiling point. That doesn’t mean that prevailing conditions; talking heads or policy makers can automatically be blamed when these eruptions occur, but they are mitigating factors. Study and preemptive action may head off some of these tragedies.
Ballistic politics are occasions when we need to look closely at just how much we believe free speech is worth. In some instances the price can be life itself.
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT BLACK promotes crime prevention and self-development. http://www.captblack.info
 

Originally posted: http://auslandsjournal.zdf.de/ZDFde/inhalt/6/0,1872,8126150,00.html
Die Bewegung der Real Life Superheroes in den USA
Sie nennen sich Silver Dragon, Civitron oder Knight Owl. Sie sind Superhelden zum Anfassen. In bunten Kostümen kämpfen sie auf Amerikas Straßen für Gerechtigkeit, setzen sich für Arme und Hilfsbedürftige ein. Gerade in Krisenzeiten sehnen sich die Amerikaner nach solchen Helden des Alltags.
Civitron ist voller Tatendrang. Gemeinsam mit Knight Owl begibt er sich auf seine nächste Mission: Obdachlose mit Essen versorgen. Die sogenannten Real Life Superheroes kaufen Lebensmittel im Supermarkt und verteilen sie an die Obdachlosen im City Hall Park in Providence. Die Kosten tragen die beiden Helden im Latexanzug natürlich selbst. Sie wollen Vorbilder sein und die Welt verbessern. Wie Superhelden aus Hollywoodfilmen eben, nur als reale Helden des Alltags. Gerade jetzt scheint das Land solch selbstlose Helfer zu brauchen.
Superhelden ohne Superkräfte
Seit der letzten Wirtschaftskrise ist der Optimismus in den USA geschwunden. Die Zahl der Arbeitslosen liegt bei rund zehn Prozent, von der Wirtschaftskrise hat sich das Land noch nicht erholt, viele Menschen haben den Glauben an die Politiker verloren. Die Real Life Superheroes wollen den Menschen Mut machen, dass es trotz der schwierigen Zeiten weitergeht – ganz ohne Superkräfte. “Es hilft schon, wenn man einfach nur mit den Menschen über ihre Probleme redet. Wir wissen, dass wir nur einen kleinen Beitrag leisten können, um traurigen Menschen den Tag zu verschönern”, sagt Knight Owl.
Auch wenn viele Obdachlose bei der ersten Begegnung zumeist skeptisch sind, fassen sie schnell Vertrauen zu den maskierten Wohltätern. “Als ich eben hier saß und die beiden sah, dachte ich, die sind nicht ganz dicht”, sagt der Obdachlose Chris Tibedo. “Aber dann merkte ich, wie menschlich sie sind. Diese Jungs hier helfen uns, sind nett. Und vor allem behandeln sie uns mit Respekt.”

Die Gesellschaft wachrütteln
Die Real Life Superheroes wollen auch andere pflichtbewusste Amerikaner dazu bewegen, Bedürftigen zu helfen. “Wir sind so etwas wie bunte Hinweise darauf, dass man sich um sein Umfeld kümmern sollte. Durch unsere Kostüme schreien wir quasi ‘sieh dich um, sieh dir an, was los ist.’ Wir rütteln die Leute wach. Raus aus ihrer Selbstgefälligkeit”, sagt Civitron.
Gerade in Zeiten wirtschaftlicher Krisen und politischer Instabilität sehnen sich die Amerikaner nach Helden wie Civitron und Knight Owl. In den 30ern – zu Zeiten wirtschaftlicher Depression und Krieg – wurde der erste Superhelden-Comic verlegt. Die Botschaft der Comicstrips: Mit Tugendhaftigkeit und Eigeninitiative lässt sich Amerika neu erfinden. In den 80ern zu Beginn der Automobilkrise tauchten vermehrt selbsternannte Superhelden in den USA auf. Und auch jetzt scheint Amerika Helden zu brauchen.
Civitron ist sich sicher: “Das ist nur der Anfang dieser Superhelden-Bewegung. Umso mehr wir auf die Straße gehen und umso härter wir arbeiten, desto mehr Einfluss bekommen wir und desto mehr Menschen werden wir inspirieren.”
Mit Material von ZDF
English Version
Loosely translated by Artisteroi
The movement of the Real Life Super Heroes in the U.S.
They call themselves the Silver Dragon, Civitron or Knight Owl. They are super heroes to be touched. In colorful costumes, they are fighting for justice on America’s streets set, supports the poor and needy. Just crave in times of crisis, Americans for such everyday heroes.
Civitron is full of energy. Together with Knight Owl, he embarks on his next mission: to provide the homeless with food. The so-called Real Life Super Heroes in the supermarket to buy food and distribute it to the homeless at City Hall Park in Providence. The costs are the two heroes in the latex suit itself, of course you want to be role models and improve the world. As superhero movies in Hollywood just as only real heroes of everyday life. Right now the country seems to need such selfless helper.
Superhero without super powers
Since the last economic crisis of the optimism has waned in the United States. The number of unemployed is approximately ten percent of the economic crisis the country has still not recovered, many people have lost faith in politicians. The Real Life Superheroes want to encourage people that it continues despite the difficult times – with no superpowers. “It helps if you are just with the people talking about their problems. We know we can only make a small contribution to sad people to beautify the day,” says Knight Owl.
Although many homeless people are often skeptical at first encounter, they hold fast to trust the masked benefactors. “When I was sitting here and saw them, I thought that were not very close,” says Chris Tibedo homeless. “But then I realized how human they are. These guys are helping us are nice. And above all, they treat us with respect.”
The company shake
The Real Life Super Heroes will also move other conscientious Americans to help those in need. “We are like colorful signs that you should take care of their environment. Our costumes we cry quasi ‘to look up, look up to you what’s going on.” We the people shake awake. Get out of their complacency, “says Civitron.
In times of economic crisis and political instability, the Americans long for heroes like Civitron and Knight Owl. In the 30’s – at times of economic depression and war – the first superhero comic was published. The message of the comic strip: With virtue and initiative can invent new America. In the 80s at the beginning of the automotive crisis appeared to increase self-proclaimed superheroes in the United States. And now America seems to need heroes.
Civitron is certain. “This is just the beginning of this superhero movement all the more we take to the streets and the harder we work, the more influence we have and the more we will inspire people.”
With material from ZDF And photos courtesy of Perter Tangen