Archives May 2012

http://youtu.be/45kwPFyhH5A

Not a MMA Judge by any stretch but I work on the Pay-per-views at the network end. This fight is awesome & actually has a little more of a mix of Stand Up & ground then most of the Pro Fights I see which seem to go just one way or the other.  I didn’t understand why it was a split. It looks to me like the guy got one choke & the rest of the time Sym is either on top of him, choking him, or using his head as a speed bag. This is one of the reasons I love patrolling with him on the rare occasions we get to. I have no problem with him being able to hold his own & he’s actually more level headed than I am anyway 🙂 Way 2 Go kid.
http://youtu.be/jI2jNkB2x1E

Social media. Back when I started doing this…you know I’d come home from patrol & Dino the Dino would rush the door & tackle me, I got curious after a few years if there were other guys who were doing the RLSH thing. I looked online & found about 8 guys who were. Neat.
Then Myspace came along & we could all communicate with each other which was even better and over time the 8 became 17 then 22 & so on.
Then forums came along, then Facebook. Yesterday we had my mom over for early Mothers day, then went to lady-heroes Nephews house to watch them while her sister had a night out & periodically thru out the night I’m trying to check Facebook because my phone is going “Ding” telling me people are posting about it instead of enjoying my family time because of some squabble with some idiot who literally lives on the other side of the continent from me who I’m never gonna meet, and who wouldn’t run his mouth at all if he was face to face with me anyway. This nonsense never cut into my patrol/event/charity time…but it does make me wonder how many peoples time it does cut into.
I deleted the damn thing. In the grand scheme of things…do you really care if I’m having Tostadas for lunch? I don’t care if you are. If you are a active RLSH…be active.
Be aware that you can get sucked up in those things & that takes you out of the actual game.  I was fine before they existed…I’ll be fine now.

“Hey…” she said, “go give that guy a water bottle.”
The homeless man she was nodding toward was sitting on a bench with an overstuffed shopping cart.
“Man,” I chided myself as I made my way toward him with my water in tow, “I didn’t even see this guy. She’s better at this than I am!”
Later, I smiled as she beckoned a waitress in a conspiratorial tone. ?See that older couple at the table on the other side of the dining room?” she asked, “Do you think you can put their meal on our bill, please? Don’t tell them though, it might be seen as a bit creepy.”
The couple, previously invisible to me, was sharing a small meal and positively glowed as the waitress removed their bill.
She’s much better at this than me!
Using her Facebook account, my wife gathered donations of soap, shampoo, lotions, and other toiletry items to place in bags to distribute with the water bottles. As we sat at the table at home, she commented “I read your blog…I had no idea you talked about me so much.”
“Of course,” I affirmed, “All of my best ideas came from you.” In fact, it would be helpful if you would choose a name so I can stop referring to you constantly as “My Wife” when I write.
She thought for a second. She bounced around names of muses, mythological deities, and a few Shakespearean characters. Finally, she decided.
“Watson!” she exclaimed proudly. Soon, she had determined her logo. The silhouette of a Victorian gentleman with a bowler making an “At-Your-Service” bow. It was humble, and emphasized her service orientation.
While stuffing the bags, she thought of the Rook labels that I place on the water bottles.
“Perhaps we should label these bags with both of our logos.” She mused.
She had indeed done most of the work with these.
“True. However, many RLSHs, when they combine forces, often form a kind of team, with a new logo.”
“Yes, but just two of us, we hardly constitute a ‘team,’ and I really don’t want to form a team with a bunch of people I don’t know.” She confessed.
A new voice joined the conversation. Our daugther’s fiancee’, who sidled up to the table and began stuffing bags noted “I’ve already chosen my name…Sage.”
“Nice!” I nodded, “It’s a plant indigenous to this area, it is often used for cleansing, and has a double-meaning for wisdom.”
My daughter wasn’t too far behind. “My name’s always been ‘Ember.’ I’ll use that one.”
I grinned over at my wife and she nodded.
It looks like we have a team now.
Soon, our new RLSH group had chosen a name (Desert Sage), adopted a logo (a simple line drawing of a sage leaf) and made plans to create a Facebook page to generate awareness, contributions, and support. Alas, “Desert Sage” was taken in Facebook, so we had to create it under a different name. The RLSH team Desert Sage, consisting of Watson, Ember, Sage, and myself can be contacted at the “Arid Sage” Facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Desert-Sage/226532500791094
Rook

So I swing thru the Mickey D’s parking lot & there’s these two young guys, one tall & really thin the other really short but put together. Tall thin guy is trying to get away from the short one & short one is staying right on him telling him “Yeah you keep walking ” and other BS. So I put it in park & pop my seat belt & just wait for shorty to grab tall & skinny & start weighing my options:
1. grab shorty: I’ve got just as much Muscle & I’m well outside the 30 Lbs rule on him, I’m no miraculous Fighter but once I’ve got a hold of you you’re in trouble. Put a choke on him & toss him around like raggedy Andy while I’m doing it & tell tall guy to call 911.
2. Climb out with my 9mm.
Fortunately neither happened & tall skinny reached his car. I was surprised he didn’t pull out a gun & then I’d have to jump out to cover shorty in a complete flip of events. Shorty gets to his car & it has a out of state plate on it. You’d think these people would realize, especially in light of recent events that Florida isn’t a good state to threaten people in…Dumb-asses.
 

My name is Tea Krulos and I’m a freelance writer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I was introduced to the Real Life Super Hero(RLSH) story in late February, 2009. As a lifelong fan of comic books and unusual and unique people and subcultures, I was immediately hooked.
I was determined to find a local RLSH if there was one and found The Watchman, a man who dons a red rubber mask, suit, and trenchcoat and patrols the streets of Milwaukee. I had a long, fascinating interview with him in person one night and determined that the short magazine piece I had successfully pitched did not scratch the surface of the story and decided to write a book. After a few months I also established this blog- both the book and the blog are titled Heroes in the Night.
My book is based on extensive research, interviewing, and field work. I have traveled to meet RLSH in Minneapolis, Rochester (Minnesota), Brooklyn, Vancouver, Portland, Seattle, San Diego, New Bedford (Massachusetts) , and Washington DC, as well as meeting regularly with the Milwaukee crew.
I have been quoted as an expert on the subject in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, People magazine, Seattle Weekly, Scientific American, io9.com, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and dozens of other newspapers, magazines, websites around the world. I’ve also made appearances on a dozen radio shows and have been filmed for three different RLSH documentaries.
I have written articles on the subject for Milwaukee magazine, the Boston Phoenix, New York Press, Forces of Geek, Riverwest Currents, and Delayed Gratification.
Heroes in the Night will be available JUNE 2012!

So I’m washing the Supermobile at one of those do it yourself car washes today. And this guy walks up admiring the car & tells me he just walked all the way across the causeway (12 miles) and about how he was trying to stop this woman from killing horseshoe crabs so she tried to run him over in her car and when he got back here CPD has taken all his stuff from the Drain pipe he was living in…Screw it…I took him to Hess & bought him a case of Bud & two packs of Smokes. In a case like that I think it’s OK to promote Sloth….He’d had enough.  Creepy thing was at the end we found out we have the same first name. He said he’d pay me back somehow But I just told him to pay it forward.
Live the Gimmick
OSH

I always find it odd…that the people who criticize me for carrying a firearm, are the people that are the REASON I carry a firearm. I was AGAINST carrying when I started doing this. Look way back and you’ll see I liked Non lethal weapons (ARMA 100 etc.) and Muscle. then the threats started rolling in, my Job, my loved ones, my life, the list goes on. YOU people changed my mind & now YOU people criticize me….bizarre.
I’m just glad I live in a country where I CAN protect myself & loved ones FROM you. The hypocrisy is so thick…you know the rest. And who you are.
OSH

Hey, I don’t know about you guys, but how do you feel when it’s been way too long since you were active, on the streets and in full gear and helping others? It’s been like months for me and I’ve had various reasons, including concentrating on getting arrangements for HOPE 2012 / Comic-Con taken care of (which they are). And then being conservative with my funds to save up for that trip to San Diego. So I haven’t been especially eager to travel to either Minneapolis or La Crosse to meet up with other RLSHs. That stuff requires cash that I’ll need later.
So I’ve been an online RLSH for awhile and that’s been pretty much the extent of it. And it’s not like it hasn’t been sort of interesting and somewhat useful. I guess I can say it has been productive in a way. I mean, a small group of us were trying to do damage control on some of the interesting and volatile events that have taken place. Included in that, there were a few good friends who really needed to talk about the situations. And I was glad to be there for them.
But I still wasn’t suited up and on the streets… And I was feeling guilty. I mean, here we were being featured in Nadia’s awesome Metro articles. Other people have been asking for interviews. And I was feeling like a paper lion. A fraud. A myth. Because it had been so long since I had actually put on the suit and stepped out the door.
Well, Saturday I finally had no choice because it was one of my annual rituals: “Free Comic Book Day.” It’s a national event, sponsored by the comic companies and years ago, I figured it was a good way to make a lot of kids very happy. Thanks to my local comic book shop owner, we’ve worked out an arrangement where he orders extra free books and saves me a stack. I come into his shop on that morning and pick them up to take to kids who aren’t able to visit his store. I take them to family shelters and to Ronald McDonald House.
Craig, the owner, really loaded me up this time and every place I visit got plenty of books. The Book Review was plenty busy, but people barely took notice of me. Weird, huh? Craig even called me Geist instead of my real name, which he knows. Thanks to him, I’ll have lots of comics to give to various places throughout the year. Craig does so much good on that one day that he doesn’t realize. 🙂
So yeah, I took the comics around to the usual places and each time, everyone was so greatful. Heck, I’m just the gaudy “delivery boy,” but I get to hear their gratitude, while making significant mention of Craig’s shop, The Book Review, and his generosity.
It was awesome to have the costume on again and making people happy. It’s something that I really needed. Until then, I had started to get cynical, whiney and depressed. Doing good creates good in yourself. No doubt about it.
And yeah, I did have a couple of side-trips. I looked for a recent sexual assailant without success. I took four awesome loaves of Great Harvest bread to a homeless shelter.
But then, I saw a homeless man in a median with the traditional cardboard sign. I didn’t already know this guy. He was young. 20s. I had some cash and went to a nearby Subway and got a value meal and circled back to him. He was still there at the busy intersection with his sign. I always enjoy the looks of people when I step out of my vehicle and wait for the light to turn to “walk.” I wait patiently while the person I’m headed toward is wondering who the heck I am, holding food to give them. It’s that little moment of amazement and mystery where the world just seemed to get a little bit more incredible for anyone who’s witnessing the event.
I reached him in the median and handed him the food while introducing myself. This is one of the busiest intersections in town. He thanked me profusely, saying that was exactly what he needed and we began to talk. He had just used up his two weeks at the homeless shelter that I had donated bread to. He didn’t know where he was going to spend the night next and was going to have to ask friends if they could put him up.
He seemed clean, well-mannered and completely honest and sober. He explained that he has skills and experience, but just can’t get hired. He’s been up and been down. He applies for jobs and doesn’t get called. I suggested we go to the corner instead of the median. Cars were passing us constantly. I apologized for taking time away from his potential opportunities and he again thanked me for the foot-long.
He told me that when he does get some cash, he has to buy diapers instead of food. He has a baby and a fiancee. I didn’t get into the details, but it sounded like a tough situation that I can’t begin to understand and have no business being nosy about.
As I made my excuses to leave, I looked at his face again. It was an honest face with a clear determination to earn his own keep. I could tell that he was shamed by what he was doing, begging in that median. It wasn’t what he wanted to do at all, but a last resort. He had pride, but this seemed to be the last option for him. I pulled out my money clip and put what was in it in his hands. He tried to refuse, saying that I had done enough, but I made him take the small sum that it was.
I wished him luck and realized I never caught the guy’s name. Stupid me…
It was a good patrol. And it was about time that I was able to help someone who needed it. I guess more than one, but it was definitely nice to have a face and personality on the last part of the patrol.