Archives October 2011

Originally posted: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15301830
A self-styled superhero known as Phoenix Jones has been unmasked in a Seattle court as he waits to see if he is charged with a pepper spray attack.
Police say Phoenix Jones – real name Benjamin Fodor – attacked four people who had left a Seattle nightclub.
As the court hearing ended, he tore off a dress shirt to reveal his black and yellow superhero costume.
Prosecutors said they had not yet decided whether to file charges, but Mr Fodor vowed to continue crimefighting.
The 23-year-old, who leads the Rain City Superhero Movement, said he was trying to break up a fight. The clubgoers insisted to police they were not fighting.
“I will continue to patrol with my team, probably tonight,” he told the Seattle Times on Thursday. “I am just like everybody else. The only difference is that I try to stop crime in my neighbourhood.”
During the hearing, a court officer asked Jones to remove his mask. He did so, but then put it back on to speak to reporters.
Seattle Police are not likely to be calling on Mr Jones to help them keep Seattle safe.
“If people want to dress up and walk around, knock yourself out,” said police spokesman Mark Jamieson. “Our concern is when you insert yourself into these situations without knowing the facts, it’s just not a smart thing to do.”
According to the Associated Press news agency, a police report says there have been increased reports of citizens being pepper-sprayed by the would-be superhero and his group.
Although Phoenix Jones “has been advised to observe and report incidents to [police], he continues to try to resolve things on his own,” the report says.

Take a few hours one night to help Knight Hood refill shelter supplies.
Superheroes Night 10/30/2011
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42RIQZ8fVFA

Originally posted: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/HOLD-UNTIL-CONFIRMED-Superhero-Phoenix-Jones-2213166.php
By CASEY MCNERTHNEY AND SCOTT SUNDE, SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF
In the streets of Belltown, he is Phoenix Jones Guardian of Seattle.
But this self-proclaimed superhero, who may be charged this week for a pepper-spray incident over the weekend, goes by another name: Benjamin Fodor. Or, if you’re a fan of mixed-martial arts fighting, you know him as “Flatttop.”
Fodor, who patrols downtown in a costume and with sidekicks, was arrested early Sunday for investigation of assault, and the City Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case.
Police say Fodor, 23, used pepper spray on a group of men and women early Sunday near the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Video of the incident shows two women chasing after Fodor and a man with face paint, hitting them and telling the self-proclaimed superheroes to leave.
In his other life, Fodor competes in the local world of mixed-martial arts fighting and has won a local championship. According to mixedmartialarts.com, Fodor’s won his first official amateur fight in December 2006 and had his last win in July 2010. His record is 11-0, and his last fight ended in a two-round TKO.
A Seattle Twitter account, @FlattopFodor, describes him as the current two-time Ax Lightweight Champion and current welterweight champion in Washington. The last tweet from the account was Aug. 5, 2010.
As Phoenix Jones, Fodor “has a history of injecting himself in these incidents,” Officer Hosea Crumpton wrote in the Sunday incident report. “Recently there have been reports of citizens being pepper-sprayed by (him) and his group. Although (the man) has been advised to observe and report incidents to 911, he continues to try and resolve things on his own.
“There was a report earlier in the night in which several nightclub patrons had been reportedly been pepper-sprayed by (him) during some type of disturbance. Those people left the area before they could be contacted by police. Officers arriving on that call noted the odor of pepper spray was still in the air.”
Last November, Seattle police officers were alerted to Fodor as Phoenix Jones and other self-described superheroes after similar police were confused by their presence at crime scenes.
Officers had learned the identity of Jones before the bulletin was distributed. The “superheroes’ ” story – often compared to the movie “Kick Ass” – exploded in popularity after seattlepi.com first reported on an internal police bulletin, which said the characters drove a Kia registered to one superhero’s godmother.
Seattlepi.com did not initially name Fodor because he wasn’t the subject of a criminal investigation.
His story went viral last fall with publications across the globe weighing in.
Fodor as Phoenix Jones and others drew crowds for their patrols in Belltown earlier this year. At a Belltown community meeting late this summer, they distributed free canisters of pepper spray for self defense.
But patrol officers have long said these superheroes are putting themselves in danger by confronting people.
Seattle firefighters were called to treat those affected by pepper spray Sunday morning. Fodor, who calls himself Phoenix Jones in interviews, has said he is the victim.
A spokesman for Phoenix Jones, Peter Tangen, said it appears the officer who arrested Jones had an agenda, and that when Jones said he was assaulted the officer laughed at him. He also said police have refused to take statements two people who were following Jones.
“I think the biggest story here is that the SPD didn’t really follow protocol in any way, shape or form,” he told KOMO/4. Speaking as Jones, he told the station that police did not take statements from companions who were on the scene.
However, the incident report shows police spoke to two people who were with Fodor at the scene. Both said they were there to document his activities. At least one cameraman typically follows Fodor, who wore a black-and-gold-colored suit.
Police have since confiscated his costume.
“That video began in the area of 1 Av/Columbia St looking to the west,” the report from Officer Hosea Crumpton states. “On the video a group of people could be seen on Columbia St looking to the west. The group was gathered, but there did not appear to be a fight. A/Fodor could be seen running into the group and engaging the subjects. A/Fodor could be seen pepper spraying several individuals in the group. People in the group then turned on A/Fodor and chased him away.”
The cameraman who took that video, Ryan McNamee, initially told seattlepi.com in an e-mail that “police have not contacted me for a statement and has not shown any interest in my footage or what the other journalist and I saw.”
Asked about the police report in which police describe the video, McNamee said that “police glanced at my camera for a couple of seconds but didn’t examine the footage or ask to see it in any detail.”
However, the police report describes about a minute of the video based on the time-stamp on the footage, which McNamee posted online.
In previous interviews with seattlepi.com, the man known as Phoenix Jones has said that is his name and not discussed his background other than saying the people in his group have military training or a martial arts background.
The spokesman for Jones, Peter Tangen, did not discuss Phoenix Jones’ legal name and said the man has “absolutely has no comment” on his name.
“There’s nothing delusional” Tangen said when asked of Fodor. “He’s just a civic activist trying to make the streets a safer place.”
Tangen said the man known as Phoenix Jones has to be vigilant about his safety and the safety of his family, including a young child. But he was not aware with specific threats against him.
The spokesman said Phoenix Jones was unlikely to talk to news outlets that published his name. Tangen said the he didn’t know if Fodor had applied to be a police officer, but said he did not have a military background.
Fodor, speaking as Jones, told KOMO/4 there’s video evidence of his being assaulted, but an officer didn’t want to see the evidence.
“Pepper spray is a defensive weapon, and if you watch the video, I’m being attacked,” he said. “And I only deploy the pepper spray when I’m being attacked.
“At no point did I hit anyone. At no point do I pepper-spray anyone who’s not attacking me. I’m very confident in the video.”
Police say they’re confident in their report. They also say people should not interject themselves into scenes that should be handled by professionals.
When the man known as Phoenix Jones spoke to seattlepi.com for the Nov. 2010 story that started the media whirlwind, he said he didn’t condone people walking around on the street with masks.
“Everyone on my team either has a military background or a mixed martial arts background,” he said, “and we’re well aware of what its costs to do what we do.”

Originally posted: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/10/11/new-york-city-superheroes-react-to-arrest-of-crime-fighter-phoenix-jones/
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – New York’s burgeoning amateur “superhero” community take notice: Don’t try breaking up a fight in Seattle.
The Big Apple is home to countless comic book superheros – and a few self-styled “real” ones.
The New York Initiative is a group of folks who wear costumes and say their goals are patrolling for criminals, public security, humanitarian outreach and more.
Their mission statement, found on their Facebook page, says “We are individuals organized towards achieving peacekeeping objectives and humanitarian missions. This will translate into a variety of non-monetary services as unfolding events demand. Our primary goal will always be to help those in the most need to the highest ethical standard and to the maximum effect.”
News of the arrest of one of their costumed colleagues in Seattle – a man who guys by the name Phoenix Jones – has their Facebook page humming.
The arrest came after a confrontation that was caught on video and is embedded below.
Phoenix Jones Stops Assault from Ryan McNamee on Vimeo.
Jones, whose real name is Benjamin Fodor, allegedly used pepper spray on four people. They say they were dancing in the streets; Jones says they were fighting and tried to break it up.
His actions have prompted a response within New York’s superhero community.
“I believe he acted inappropriately in this instance,” Chris Pollak, aka Dark Guardian, told CBSNewYork.  The Dark Guardian was featured in a documentary on real life superheroes, and he was seen rousting alleged drug dealers in Washington Square Park.
“He rushed into a situation and reacted with very poor judgement. He maced a group of people who were not attacking him. He was not acting in self defense and the police have rightfully charged him with assault,” Pollak said.
He added that he hopes Phoenix Jones’ actions don’t reflect on the superhero movement.
“This is an example of what not to do as a community crime-fighter. It should be a priority to deescalate situations and work hand in hand with the police to garner the smartest and safest outcome. I stand with the police and want everyone to know he is not a true reflection on what others like myself do in our communities to help,” Pollak said.
Reaction on the Intiative’s Facebook page was also intense.
“That’s what happens when you react the way he did,” self-styled hero Short Cut wrote. “Despite popular belief, you do not fight fire with fire. You are supposed to cool things down.”
“I’m pretty sure he just screwed it up for everyone,” wrote Jack Cero, another self-styled hero. “They now have precedent if his conviction goes through, and what’s more is that his charges will be double due to his body armor and mask.”
However, fan response on Jones’ Facebook page has been pretty massive, with scores of folks leaving messages of support.

Originally posted: origin.avclub.com/milwaukee/articles/milwaukee-gets-involved-in-seattles-real-life-supe,63183/

By Matt Wild
Say what you will about so-called “real life superheroes”—that they’re faintly ridiculous; that they’re nothing more than deluded goofballs in lousy Halloween Express costumes—but they sure know how to get some press. They do that even when it’s not quite the press they hope to get.
Take Seattle’s RLSH, “Phoenix Jones.” Early Sunday morning, Jones was arrested after allegedly attacking several people with pepper spray. Jones claims he was only trying to break up a street brawl, and that he used the spray only after being attacked himself. Accompanying Jones on his ill-fated “patrol” was Milwaukee’s Tea Krulos, a proponent of the local RLSH movement, and the author of an upcoming book on the subject. Krulos was interviewed by msnbc.com about this incident, and claimed in that interview that Jones was only protecting his fellow citizens:

“Six or seven guys were beating up two other guys,” Krulos said, adding he heard “loud, aggressive noises.” One victim was thrown to the ground and kicked in the ribs. “Two other guys were wrestling with each other but not in a playful way—and people were screaming.”
“Nobody was dancing, it was not ambiguous, there was definitely fighting,” he said.

On his Heroes In The Night blog, Krulos had this to add:

Well, it’s been a crazy weekend in Seattle. The media is blowing up with the story of Phoenix Jones being detained after intervening in a brawl. I was there. I witnessed the whole thing. I even got punched a couple times myself.
I will be giving a full account on the blog tomorrow. For now I want to dispute one thing—the people Phoenix disrupted WERE NOT DANCING/ “FROLICKING,” or “having a good time.”
They were beating the crap out of two people.

UPDATE: Krulos had this to say to The A.V. Club:

I don’t really condone or condemn Phoenix Jones’ tactics. However, the reports circulating about him are completely untrue. The police report was based on the word of the people attacking two people who fled the scene. The media, in turn, began to report this as fact and began reporting that Jones had snuck up on a group of people “dancing.”
Trust me, Tea Krulos knows a dance party when he sees one, and that was not a dance party. As we were approaching the group we saw one guy slam another guy on the ground and begin to kick him and two other guys were grappling each other. Phoenix Jones ran into the group and told the guys to back up. When they didn’t, he sprayed them with a high octane pepper spray. Things got pretty chaotic from there. Someone hit another person with a car, one of the girlfriends of the attackers began to hit Jones with her high heel shoe—I even got punched in the face by a Russian dude while I was calling 911, Ryan also got thrown into a wall. The Russian dudes also got in their escalade and tried to run Jones down at one point.
When the cops showed up, one of them was pretty pissed off and not at all happy to see Mr. Jones. An officer read me, Phoenix and Ryan our Miranda rights, but after he found out me and Ryan were media he told us to get out of there—didn’t take statements. They detained Jones and kept him over night, released him but confiscated his “super suit” as he calls it. He will appear in court later in the week.

A video of the incident can be found here. Dancing/frolicking, or beating/assaulting? And has the RLSH thing finally gone too far?
Phoenix Jones Stops Assault from Ryan McNamee on Vimeo.

Originally posted: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/phoenix-jones-real-life-seattle-superhero-arrested-for-pepper-spray-assault/2011/10/11/gIQAY1oTcL_blog.html
By Elizabeth Flock

Masked crusader Phoenix Jones, who says he often patrols the streets of Seattle in a superhero suit to stop crime, may have accidentally gotten involved in a crime.
In a situation almost straight out of the movie “Kick-Ass,” Jones is fighting an assault charge for allegedly spraying pepper spray on people, who he says were fighting. Seattle police say the people were dancing.
Jones is out of jail after being held Sunday night.
“Just because he’s dressed up in costume, it doesn’t mean he’s in special consideration or above the law,” Seattle police spokesman Det. Mark Jamieson said of the incident. “You can’t go around pepper spraying people because you think they are fighting.”
Jones, who has been unmasked by police as Benjamin Francis, insists he “witnessed a hit-and-run/attempted murder of a man and he responded to stop it,” according to a Facebook post.
Jones has posted this video as proof that a crime had taken place, though the video is shaky and unclear. In the video, it appears Jones and his sidekick, known as Ghost, run toward a group of people and try to break them up. A woman is then seen running after Jones and hitting him with her shoe. A BMW car appears, almost hits an unidentified man, and a person with Jones says to call 911 to report a hit-and-run.
In an interview with local station 97.3 FM, the woman who hits Jones with her shoe says she didn’t need the help.
Jones was wearing a black and gold superhero costume and a bullet-proof vest, and carrying two cans of pepper spray when police arrived at the scene.
Police took the suit, boots and mask from him, but Jones says he has a backup suit.
Jones is married to a woman he calls PurpleReign, another masked vigilante.
He is also the leader of the Rain City Superhero Movement, a group of self-proclaimed superheroes that has previously been credited with preventing a carjacking. Watch the report from that carjacking below:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AANmw2Oiyg

So I’m on my way to ST.Pete to meet Knight Hood with Artisteroi…
…and we pass a couple of Largo cop cars with their overheads on at the side of the road behind a van that has a rim but no tire what-so-ever on the rear passenger side. We decide to offer the cops the use of my Floor Jack, maybe we can pick it up enough to get the rim off. We do a U-turn & swing around behind them & I get out & walk up, it turns out it’s a Sergeant & a road Officer & the Sergeant looks at me & says “Out doing your good deed for the day?” and smiles. I offer him the use of the jack but they have a wrecker on the way. Odd thing is everybody on the scene is bald, even the van owner so I say OK I can’t help but I’ll tell you the bald guy joke” …
“What did the bald guy say when his daughter gave him a comb for his Birthday?”
“I’ll never part with it.”
We all had a good laugh & Artisteroi & I took off, some time you just bring Humor…but it helps.
 

You guys won’t BELIEVE this one….
So I got done at the gym today & I’m headed up East bay in a hurry to make it to work on time and at the intersection at Keene there’s a BLIND lady with one of those red canes (How I knew she was blind) trying to cross the intersection with cars flying everywhere! I pull into the Firehouse sub parking lot & bail out with the engine running & try to cross the inter…section to get to her. I’ve got the crosswalk & the light (And I’m not blind so I know I do) and this big girl in a beat up Buick turning right decides to go anyway. Fortunately I’m still pretty spry and slam my hand down on the hood & use it to launch myself backwards out of her way while she slams on her brakes & sits there with her hands over her mouth…I got other things to do. I run around behind her (I’m not giving her a second chance) & finally make it to the blind lady. She hears me coming even thru the traffic & I say “I’ll help you across the street.” She calmly tells me “Oh it’s ok, I just wait until I hear the oncoming traffic and then walk in its direction across.” I’m like “Wow…well the timer just changed & you got about 30 seconds I’ll walk with you anyway.” About halfway across I stopped & just watched & couldn’t believe it. There were cars flying everywhere & this blind lady was just unstoppable. She stayed calm, like she did it everyday (Which she probably did) & I nearly got creamed trying to reach her. Really lets you know who the Superheroes are.
SH
 

Originally posted: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Seattle-police-arrest-superhero-Phoenix-Jones-2210657.php
By CASEY McNERTHNEY, SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF
The man known as Phoenix Jones Guardian of Seattle, the self-proclaimed Seattle “superhero” who has received international media attention, was arrested and booked into King County Jail early Sunday morning for investigation of assault.
Shortly after 2:30 a.m., police were called to First Avenue and Columbia Street after an alleged assault with pepper spray. A group of men and women had left a club, were walking to their car and were “dancing and having a good time,” Seattle Police Det. Jeff Kappel said in a statement.
“An unknown adult male suspect came up from behind and pepper sprayed the group,” Kappel’s statement said. “Two men in the group chased after the suspect. Responding officers arrived on scene and separated the involved parties.”
The 23-year-old man arrested is the man previously identified by police as Phoenix Jones Guardian of Seattle. He was booked into jail shortly after 5 a.m. and released on bond about 12:45 p.m. Sunday, jail records show.
Jones is not the man’s real name. Seattlepi.com does not normally identify suspects in criminal cases until they’ve been formally charged by a prosecuting attorney’s office.
He’s expected to have a Thursday morning arraignment, where a plea would be entered. Police say the case involves four victims.
Other than the Sunday incident, the man known as Phoenix Jones doesn’t have a criminal history in Seattle Municipal Court. However, court records show he previously was arrested outside Seattle after being stopped for driving with a suspended license.
A spokesman for Phoenix Jones, Peter Tangen, told Publicola that a video of the incident tells a different story and that the self-proclaimed superhero was trying to break up a fight. He did not provide Publicola with a copy of the video.
“It’ll be interesting what [police] have to say when the video comes out,” Tangen told the site. “I’m very sure it’s going to show a different story than what police are saying.”
Police spokespersons on Sunday didn’t comment specifically on Jones’ behavior, other than Kappel’s statement which didn’t name him, though previously they’ve said self-proclaimed superheroes interjecting themselves into disputes could create problems.
Last

 
If you’ve never studied the concept of concentric circles of influence then you probably had to stop and scratch your head for a moment when you read the title of this blog.  This concept has been used to teach everything from door-to-door sales to church ministry to college planning.  And, aside from its overly extended name, its a pretty simple concept that we could all benefit from if we learned how to apply it.
 
Basically, the circles represent the areas in which we have influence, and place them in order based on the amount of influence we have in a given area.  Understanding these areas in our lives allows us to focus our efforts in the areas most likely to have the greatest impact.
 
Thats right…I said IMPACT! 
 
(I love that word)
 

 
I first learned of this when I was an insurance agent.  We studied something called “target marketing” and the concentric circles was used to show how we could TARGET our marketing better.
 
Notice how it looks like a target? 
 
Well, the idea – just like shooting a target – is to get as close to center as possible.  The closer you are to center, the higher your score or the greater your impact will be.
 
As an RLSH, our concentric circles are not that different than anyone else.  We may dress weird, do things that others consider crazy, and live in a world one step from complete fantasy, but we still seek to impact the world around.  It doesnt matter if you choose to be a charity hero or a crimefighter, this is a way you can focus your efforts in the areas they will do the most good.
 
So lets talk about the circles.
 
CENTER CIRCLE
 
In the bullseye of our target is a mirror.  The center of the concentric circles is always ME.  Not me, as in Crossfire, but ME as in the person you see in the mirror everyday.
 
The one area you will have the most ability to affect is yourself…and thats one area you should never neglect.  Before you can impact the world around you, you have to be sure that YOU are well taken care of. 
 
You can’t feed the homeless if you are unable to feed yourself.
 
You can’t fight crime if you are unable to protect yourself.
 
You cant be effective at anything if you let your own self fall to pieces.
 
In other words…charity starts at home.
 
This is one of the things I’ve personally had to face recently and one of the reasons for the current happenings in THE DROP ZONE.  The ONE YEAR FITNESS CHALLENGE is one step in my own effort to IMPACT the center circle of my concentric circles. 
 
You need to consider your physical fitness and health before you begin looking for ways to serve others.  Make sure you are eating enough…Exercise daily…Get plenty of rest…take time to relax also…An hour or two every week devoted to a hobby can help you more than you will ever know.
 
And aside from just doing the things necessary to maintain your good health, you need to do things to improve yourself…read a book…take a college course…take martial arts classes…Invest some time in making YOU more prepared for the world around you.
 
It is very important to make sure YOU are taken care of…because if you neglect yourself, then eventually you will be unable to help anyone else.
 
And don’t put your RLSH activities ahead of your job or career.  You need that career to support your activities and your life.  You don’t have to set at your desk and ignore a crime going on outside your window – you aren’t Bob Parr and this isn’t The Incredibles – but you don’t want to walk away from a good job just to patrol. 
 
Remember – you can’t help anyone else if you can’t help yourself.
 
The next thing you need to consider in the center circle is being prepared.
 
Make sure you have the proper equipment for what you are planning to do when you step into that next circle.  If you are going to be doing something dangerous, then have the appropriate body armor or equipment.  Make sure your vehicle is running.  Make sure your equipment is maintained properly.
 
And part of being prepared is planning things out. 
 
If you are going into an area to patrol at night, walk that area in the daylight first.  Ask yourself where criminals might hide to ambush their victims.  Look for ways to escape if things get out of control.  Make note of terrain features that might cause problems at night.
When you return that night, you will find it much easier to patrol if you know the area already.
 
Let me give an example of WHY this is a good idea.
 
Several years ago I was working security at a hospital.  One of the posts I worked was a building that was under construction.  The building had no lights and I would have to navigate through a maze of tools, supplies, and half finished projects every night using just my mini mag light to make sure the building was secure. 
 
One night I was making my rounds with the flashlight on the ground watcing for trip hazards when I walked into a piece of duct work that was hanging low in the center of the room.  The workers left it dangling about 5 feet off the ground at the end of the day which put it right at face level for me.  I was moving at a pretty good pace when I smashed into this duct with my face.  My feet kept going and my back met the hard concrete floor before I realized what had happened. 
 
After regaining my senses, I finished my rounds and went back to the security office.  My partner then informed me that I had blood on my face.  They checked me out and found no major injury, just a minor scrape that bled a little.  I did a report about the accident/injury and wrote it in the pass-down log. 
 
Later that night my partner was making rounds in the same building and almost ran into the same duct.  The only reason he missed was because he KNEW to watch for it.  He knew what had happened to me and still almost ran into it. 
 
Had I known to watch for it, I might not have crashed into it that night.
 
Now imagine if you were trying to run away from or after someone in the dark and you didnt know about a particular obstacle…You don’t want to run face first into a low hanging duct during a life or death situation.
 
Research crime rates in the areas you are partolling.  Know the bar schedules.  Keep a list of emergency numbers in your cell phone.
 
And most of all…let someone know where you are.  If something bad happens then someone needs to know where to start looking for you.
 
SECOND CIRCLE
 
The next circle is your FAMILY.  This includes people you are related to by blood and those friends who are close enough to be blood.  These are the people who if they were any closer you would have to share the same skin.  Not all relatives are found in the second circle, nor are all friends. 
 
These are the people who know all your deepest secrets.
 
When you are trying to save the world, these are the people you think of first:  Your parents, your spouse, your children, your siblings, & your closest friends
 
The decision between helping your second circle and someone else should be simple.  This might mean cancelling a patrol because your child is sick.  It might mean taking a few weeks off from RLSh activities because a parent is in the hospital.  I might mean postponing something for an hour so you can go help your best friend when his junky old car leaves him stranded somewhere.
 
When you put these people first in your priorities, they will return the favor…And that helps YOU to be better able to do what it is that you do.
 
THIRD CIRCLE
 
The third circle is two parts:  1) – your extended freinds and family & 2) Your neighborhood
 
These are people you have a bond with in some way.  Distant relative, old friends, acquantances, former co-workers, and neighbors are people with whom you have a mild familiarity if not a strong relationship.  However, this minor connection gives you an opening to be helpful to them. 
 
Imagine an elderly person falls down in front of you.  You rush to their aid, but they refuse and possibly become combattive because they don’t know you.  I’ve had it happen to me.
 
Now imagine that same person falls, but someone else rushes up to them and offers to help…only this time its someone they know.  “You’re Bob’s son?”  The elderly person says as they are helped back to their feet.
 
The connection here allows you a little more freedom than a complete stranger.
 
The neighborhood is included in this because the connection between you and where you live is just as important.  You live there and as a result you become familiar with things there.  You know which cars belong and which ones do not.  You know the people who live there.  Its the easiest area to learn because you are always there.
 
It was this familiarity that led to my stopping a murder attempt last year…Hows that for IMPACT.
 
FOURTH CIRCLE AND BEYOND
 
The fourth circle would be the city and county in which you live.  This is where you reach random people, but still have a familiarity with the area.
 
The fifth circle would be the counties surrounding you.  These are areas you are less familiar with, but still close enough to make a difference occasionally
 
The sixth circle is your state…or a states sized area around where you reside.  For example – a RLSH in Texarkana Arkansas  would count parts of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma in his sixth circle.  When you start spreading out into these areas you are going to be in areas that are sometimes familiar but often times not.  This is an area where you will face more problems and have less ability to make a difference.
 
the seventh circle would be your nation – You still have some freedom to operate in your own country…Your influence here is probably not that great…and your efforts here are not going to gather results nearly as fast. 
 
And the final circle – is the rest of the world.  Extending yourself beyond the borders of your nation will stretch you to amazing lengths.  Your impact on these areas will most likely not be very great.  It will take a great deal of difficulty to make a difference at this level.
 
And there you have it…my thoughts on the Concentric Circles of Influence for an RLSH
 

CFtC