Superheroes and Angels Welcome New Citizen’s Arrest Laws

Changes unlikely to spark vigilantism, says justice minister

Originally posted: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/canada/superheroes-and-angels-welcome-new-citizens-arrest-laws-147695.html

By Matthew Little
Epoch Times Staff             Created: November 23, 2011 Last Updated: November 23, 2011

PARLIAMENT HILL—Caped crusaders can rest a little easier after Justice Minister Rob Nicholson tabled a bill to simplify and clarify citizen’s arrest laws on Tuesday.
Then again, Canada’s own real-life superheroes are more inclined to hand out blankets and teach school kids than take out drug dealers, so maybe it won’t matter much.
But store owners in Toronto’s Chinatown will be relieved. Long-standing grievances about shoplifters not getting serious police attention reached a breaking point for shopkeeper David Chen in May 2009 when he chased down and detained a thief who’d stolen plants from his Lucky Moose market earlier that day.
But because the crime was not in progress, Chen’s citizen’s arrest was illegal and his subsequent trial for assault and forcible confinement inspired NDP MP Olivia Chow to table a private member’s bill to overhaul citizen’s arrest legislation.
The Liberals tabled a similar bill, and the government eventually introduced its own version that died when the election was called. Now it’s back, and Chow said the new version is in line with what she wanted to see.
“I’m glad that my old private member’s bill, my Lucky Moose bill, has finally become the government bill,” Chow said Tuesday.
Chen, who was eventually acquitted, also welcomed the changes.
“If the law changes it will be good for so many people, any small business like me can have more power to protect our stuff,” said Chen. “We can do more.”
Nicholson seems to agree. He said Tuesday citizens trying to protect themselves or their property shouldn’t be afraid of becoming criminals themselves.
“Canadians want to know that they are able to protect themselves against criminal acts and that the justice system is behind them, not against them,” he said.

NDP MP Olivia Chow told reporters Tuesday that the new citizen’s arrest legislation is in line with what she had previously called for. (Matthew Little/The Epoch Times)


The re-introduced legislation will expand and simplify citizen’s arrest laws and widen the time period under which someone can make a citizen’s arrest. Current legislation limits citizen’s arrest to crimes in progress, which is why Chen faced charges.
But would-be superheroes still need to act responsibly lest they end up as Phoenix Jones in Seattle, the superhero persona of Benjamin Fodor who was denigrated by police as a vigilante and charged when he tried to break up a fight.
Canadians seem content to leave crime fighting to the police. The most well-known Canadian real-life superhero is Vancouver’s Thanatos, a 63-year-old former intelligence officer with the U.S. Army Special Forces.
Real Life Superhero
Thanatos began his crime-fighting career four years ago with plans to stop criminals in their tracks. Wearing a skeletal cloth mask and clad in black, the unidentified man quickly changed course after taking to the streets and realizing any drug dealer he did stop would be quickly replaced by another.
“You learn going head to head with these people is just not going to do anything,” he said in a Skype video chat, mask on.
Now he hands out blankets and food, and tries to comfort the afflicted. Over the years, he estimates he’s added a day to the lives of at least 600 people.

But 15 years ago in Toronto, he grabbed a machete from home and faced off with a group of kids, some armed with guns, who were terrorizing a shopkeeper. His efforts got him and the kids arrested, but it didn’t dampen his hope to make a difference.
“I have always believed in stepping in. … It was a little aggressive but I was afraid for my friends in the store.”
Like others, Thanatos, (named for a Greek demon of death) said Canada’s complicated citizen’s arrests laws left him uncertain about taking certain actions when he eventually donned a costume and took to the desperate streets of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
But he never considered being a vigilante, a position others interested in citizens’ arrests echoed.
“You don’t want vigilantes—you don’t want that. You have a justice system, maybe it is flawed and overcrowded, but it is working. People taking the law in their own hands doesn’t work well.”
He points to the case of three Chilliwack, B.C., teenagers who became entangled in controversy last week for their efforts to lure sexual predators into the open and YouTube the encounters.
The teens posed as underage girls online to lure predators, then filmed the face-to-face encounters while dressed as Batman and Flash.
Thanatos said the teens took incredible risks unwisely. “Sexual predators are probably one of the more dangerous breeds of criminals,” he said.
Predators can lose their jobs, families, and standing in the community if exposed. “That could be enough to drive someone to do something extremely violent.”
Canada’s other prominent real-life superhero (RLSH), Anonyman in Saskatchewan, also focuses on surveillance and public awareness.
According to Peter Tangen, a photographer who launched the Real Life Super Hero Project and helped arrange interviews with Thanatos and Anonyman, most RLSHs are best described as activists who use costumes as a way to brand good deeds and draw attention to their causes.
Guardian Angels
While Thanatos and Anonyman follow a non-confrontational path now, focusing on surveillance and aid to the needy, Canadian chapters of the Guardian Angels had hoped to start a more direct grassroots crime prevention movement. But there too, complicated citizen’s arrest laws were not the deciding factor that has kept the angels from taking off.
Greg Silver heads up the Calgary chapter of the group. Although the angels remain more active in the United States and other countries, their red berets are rarely seen on Canadian streets.
The group works on a variety of actions but is best known for its patrols and efforts to encourage citizens to confront crime where it happens, going so far as to stop criminal activity and make citizen’s arrests.
“Everybody likes the fact that we are out there, but nobody wants to put themselves in danger. Nobody wants to step in,” said Silver, explaining the limited presence of angels in Canada.
Currently, there are only a handful of active angels in Canada, he said. Calls to other Canadian chapters listed on GuardianAngels.org went unanswered, with some numbers now defunct.
GuardianAngelsCanada.org, the purported Canadian website for the group, is now a Japanese dating site, the domain name apparently having been repurchased.
Silver said the group has found it near impossible to recruit members willing to go on patrol.
“You kind of make a target out of yourselves,” he offered as explanation.
Dave Schroeder, the group’s Canadian coordinator, said there are a core group of angels active in Canada but patrols have declined due to a lack of people.
“While most people we encounter say ‘what a great idea’… it seems that very few people decide to really make that commitment and do what it takes to get out there.”
But citizens have a right to stop crime he said, welcoming improved citizen’s arrest legislation.
“Bottom line is, if more people understood that Canadian citizens are born with the right to assist someone in trouble, and use reasonable force to do so, [they can] make a citizen’s arrest.”
Silver said the group was warned by a lawyer that they could be liable for actions taken on private property, even in the case of a rape, under current laws.
But like Canada’s masked crusaders, the angels also discourage vigilante activity, saying their efforts focus on legal actions and supporting the police.
Victor Kwong, a media relations officer with the Toronto Police Service, said the group was not welcome in Toronto, in part because they were crossing a vague boundary between citizens and a quasi-policing group.

Citizen’s arrests are happening in Toronto regardless, he said, but mainly by security guards trained in relevant laws. Outside the high-profile case at the Lucky Moose, the average Joe rarely makes a citizen’s arrest, he said.
While citizen’s arrests are one way people can help police, it certainly isn’t the only way he said.
“You can call police, be a good witness,” he said.
That means not sharing your observations until you talk to police he said, noting that people’s memories get tainted when they discuss what they saw with others who add their own variations and embellishments.

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Shazam! Real-life superheroes to the rescue

Originally posted: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Shazam+Real+life+superheroes+rescue/5740438/story.html
By Douglas Quan, Postmedia News     November 20, 2011

By day, they are regular folks with full-time jobs, bills to pay and mouths to feed.
By night, they are masked and sometimes-caped crusaders, who troll the streets looking to help the needy, stamp out crime and fulfil their comic-book inspired dreams.
But lately the mostly anonymous members of the so-called Real Life Superheroes movement (known as RLSH) in Canada and the U.S. have been feeling a bit of angst and more than a little misunderstood after a bout of bad publicity.
First, there was the arrest last month of Seattle’s high-profile crime fighter Phoenix Jones (whose real name is Ben Fodor) over an alleged assault. Jones, who wears a black-and-gold uniform complete with Batman-like fake abs, says he unleashed a canister of pepper spray to break up a fight.
Then last week, Canadians learned about a group of B.C. teens who posed as underaged girls online, lured men into encounters and then confronted them at designated meeting spots in Batman and Flash costumes while video cameras rolled. Police immediately rebuked the sting operations, saying the teens put themselves at risk.
“I’m sorry if I am being cautious, but you do understand … we are in a fragile state because a few of us have been seen as, well, vigilantes or worse,” said Ark, a Toronto-based superhero in an email.
“Media is a powerful thing, and I honestly don’t want you or any other kind of reporter dragging the Canadian RLSH down.”
Members of the movement, which was the subject of an HBO documentary earlier this year, insist their mission is simple: to do good deeds and inspire others to do the same. That includes participating in neighbourhood patrols, working with charities and helping the homeless.
Sure, their costumes are gimmicky, but the shtick sticks in people’s minds and draws attention to their causes, they say. Vigilantism, they insist, is not condoned.
“They’re not vigilantes. They’re not doing anything against the law. They may be using unusual methods, but they’re using symbolism to market good deeds,” said Peter Tangen, a Hollywood movie poster photographer who has done photo shoots with dozens of real life superheroes across the U.S.
There are more than 600 people worldwide listed as members on the website reallifesuperheroes.org. Most are based in the United States.
They include New York City’s Dark Guardian, who flushes out drug dealers in Washington Square Park; red-white-and-blue-uniformed DC Guardian, who patrols the nation’s capital while dispensing copies of the U.S. Constitution; Super Hero in Clearwater, Florida, who drives around in a Corvette Stingray and helps stranded motorists; and Urban Avenger, who breaks up fights outside bars in San Diego.
There are at least a handful of real-life superheroes scattered across Canada. In Vancouver, there’s Thanatos, a married 63 year-old ex-U.S. military officer and self-proclaimed “comic book geek,” who is named after the Greek god of death.
Thanatos, who works in the death industry – he declined to say what he does exactly – says he acts as an extra set of eyes and ears for the police in the Downtown Eastside and also hands out food, blankets and socks to the homeless every month.
He cuts a creepy look, dressed in a black trench coat, black and green skull mask and flattened Australian bush hat. The getup, he admits, can freak out some people.
But accompanying each care package is a slip of paper bearing the words “Thanatos – Real Life Superhero” on one side and “Friend” on the other.
“They know they have a friend out there, even if it’s a crazy guy with a mask,” he said.
Toronto’s Ark is a 26-year-old guitar-playing security guard, who says he feels compelled to jump in to help the “less fortunate, the troubled and the weak.”
“I, for some reason, care for the unfortunate, and I don’t tolerate people who take advantage of other people,” he said.
Though he has broken up fights over the years, Ark says he’s “not really a crime fighter. I don’t go out of my way to find trouble.” He prefers walking around handing out sandwiches and coffee to the needy.
His uniform is simple – “I don’t dress to impress,” he says – consisting of black tactical pants, black tactical jacket, black military hat and partial face mask.
He also wears a bulletand stab-proof vest and brings along his “tactical hard knuckles and soft padded gloves” – for “deterrent” purposes.
One of the newer members to the movement is exreservist Crimson Canuck, a married, 24-year-old father, in Windsor, Ont., who works as a telephone technician.
He says he was drawn to the movement out of a desire to make the city better. “I don’t want my daughter to be afraid to go downtown,” he says.
Crimson Canuck, whose outfit consists of a crimson shirt, red tie, black vest, grey slacks, combat boots, black fedora and partial face mask, recently blogged about his first-ever downtown street patrol.
Before he left the door, his wife “called me a fool and made sure I brought mace, in case things got hairy,” he wrote.
But things didn’t get hairy. In fact, it was a quiet night.
“No action,” he wrote. “Not even a car alarm.”
He ended the night instead by grabbing some food from McDonald’s and sharing some of it with a homeless man in a wheelchair.
“I’ve done my share of bad things,” he wrote. “But now might be a good time to make up for it all. I’m not a clean-cut good guy. I’m just a guy who wants to do good.”

© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist

Real life superhero takes to Vancouver's streets

Originally posted: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/real-life-superhero-takes-to-vancouvers-streets/article2098046/
SUNNY DHILLON
VANCOUVER— From Friday’s Globe and Mail
Published Thursday, Jul. 14, 2011 9:06PM EDT
Last updated Friday, Jul. 15, 2011 1:24PM EDT

Before he heads to the poverty-stricken Downtown Eastside to hand water, food and blankets to the city’s most vulnerable citizens, costume-wearing superhero Thanatos prepares one final item for those living on the streets –
white slips of paper with the word “friend” scrawled on them.

“I hope that they keep it because they remember that they have a friend out there, they have someone out there who cares,” he said. “Even if it’s a crazy guy in a costume, they know that they have somebody out there who’s trying to look out for them.”
For four years, Thanatos has patrolled the neighbourhood performing good deeds, handing out items he buys himself. He was once told by a policeman that the end of life is all some homeless people have to look forward to, so the former U.S. military man – who says he moved to Canada in 1973 – named his alter ego after the Greek god of death. “I thought if that’s the case, death better get out there and take care of these people,” he said.
During an interview at – where else? – a cemetery, he says the slips of paper were found on 16 people who died last year, a testament to the rough shape some of those he tries to help are in.
His dark costume is a mix of The Green Hornet, The Shadow, Doc Savage and even a little Batman. Along with the black and green mask, he sports a long trench-coat, skull-and-crossbones tie, and wide-brimmed hat. Around his waist is a utility belt equipped with, among other things, a Swiss Army knife and bag of marbles.
Thanatos twice taps himself on the chest while describing the costume. A dull knock confirms he’s wearing a bulletproof vest, because even though he doesn’t view himself as a vigilante, trouble sometimes finds him in the form of a knife or gun.
“I was doing a water handout and a fellow came running around the corner,” he said. “I thought he had a black automatic pistol and he put it right up against me here. I grabbed at the automatic because I’ve been trained to disarm someone and my intention was to jack the slide back so the gun couldn’t fire. As I tried to do that, it broke apart in my hand. It was a squirt gun that had been painted black.”
Thanatos is a member of The Real Life Super Hero Project, a league of caped crusaders that aims to feed the hungry, comfort the sick and better neighbourhoods. As a sexagenarian, Thanatos is the oldest member of the group. He’s quick to note the heroes don’t fight bad guys and leave them tied up for police – that only happens in the movies.
As he walks past rows of tombstones inside the cemetery, the interview is continually interrupted by curious onlookers. Thanatos disarms their concerns with a confident hello and tip of the cap.
He talks at length about the missions he makes to the Downtown Eastside several times a month, but is much less willing to discuss the man under the mask.
All he says about his day job is that it’s “in a corner of the death industry.” He won’t release his name because he fears that if his identity is revealed he’ll be drummed from his profession.
Thanatos mentions a wife and teenage daughter, both of whom support his cause, he says. His wife sometimes joins him on the streets to serve as a spotter, and his daughter has said she’d like to help some day as well. She knows she’s not yet ready for the intensity and heartbreak, he says.
Thanatos appears to choke up when talking about a man named Wayne. He says Wayne was “just a nice guy” who suffered from alcohol problems and couldn’t land a job. “They found him behind some dumpsters where he had tried to go and get warm,” he said.
The deaths take their toll but he has no plans to give up. “It weighs on me,” he said. “It hurts. But it just strengthens my resolve. It always reminds me of what I’m out there for.”
Thanatos was not on the streets during last month’s Stanley Cup riot but expresses disappointment that it occurred. For those unsure how to better their city, he has a rallying cry: “If you’re really upset about the riots and you want to make things better, everybody go out and help 10 people. If you can’t give them anything, give them something that’s really even more important – five minutes of your time.”
Vancouver police spokesman Constable Lindsey Houghton confirmed the department has heard of Thanatos, who says he’s been in touch with officers on several occasions. Thanatos says he even collects shell casings on the chance they might be of some assistance to police.
“We’re aware of his existence and that he’s anonymously doing good deeds and helping people out in his own way and phoning 9-1-1 at appropriate times, which is all we ask of people,” Constable Houghton said.
During a tour of the Downtown Eastside, Thanatos heads under a bridge to highlight a narrow crevice where people sleep. Inside lies a blanket. A message has been left for him in chalk, indicating when the owner of the blanket will return.
Thanatos leaves a bottle of water and dashes off, eager to find the next person who needs his assistance.

Homeless in Seattle: a struggle on the streets

Originally posted: http://www.thejibsheet.com/?p=4652
By Jeremy Graber

(SOURCE: Anonymous) From the left: Skyman, Thanatos, Red Dragon, and White Baron

(SOURCE: Anonymous) From the left: Skyman, Thanatos, Red Dragon, and White Baron


Locals call the restaurant and shop area on Alaskan Way “the aqueduct.” The street is lined with businesses such as Red Robin, Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, and ferry services which shuttle tourists to and from Bainbridge Island.
To the less fortunate, this area is called home along with other spots across Seattle that provide shelter from the cold and wet weather after the sun sets and the strip closes for the night. These are the people who were unable to get into the many homeless shelters that are found throughout the city.
Many shelters have entrance requirements such as passing drug and alcohol screenings, background checks, and sex offender checks. Those who do not fit the bill find themselves put back onto the streets to fend for themselves.
The Union Gospel Mission Men’s Shelter has room for 209 people per night, which includes 104 homeless people that are part of their residential recovery program, a program created to help those suffering from substance abuse find long-term solutions to attaining a better life.
Among other services, this specific shelter offers occupation counseling, spiritual guidance, and programs specifically designed for women and children. They have staff on duty 24-hours a day to receive donations and to aid in emergency intakes when they have the room.
Late at night a “Search & Rescue” van patrols the streets handing out blankets, food, and clothing to those that are camping in doorways. There are anywhere between 10 and 20 people standing outside of the Mission’s doors on 2nd Avenue, hoping they will be let in or wandering with no place else to go.
If you come back to Alaskan Way after the businesses close, it is painfully obvious that it is not enough to take care of those in need. On Saturday night, two brothers were huddled together with their dog hiding in the bushes under the overpass below the Pike Place market.
“We’ve been homeless for about two and a half years now – only in Seattle for about a year,” the oldest said. His youngest brother claimed to be 18, but it he was obviously far younger. The two had been hiding from the police that force them out of the area during the day.
A coalition of approximately 10 superheroes from Seattle, Portland and Vancouver (Canada) spent close to 18 hours on Saturday handing out food, hygiene supplies, and provisions to the needy which included the two brothers. They pointed out various encampments throughout Seattle where people had been taking shelter.
(SOURCE: JEREMY GRABER) Knight Owl renders aid to a homeless man who defended his possessions

(SOURCE: JEREMY GRABER) Knight Owl renders aid to a homeless man who defended his possessions


One such place was under the 6th and Cherry street overpass where at least 30 people were under blankets, sleeping bags, and ponchos. Their possessions were cluttered together in piles of various sizes which indicated how long they had been there.
The encampment was inhabited by those who were sober and those who were obviously not. There was a married couple who found themselves homeless within the past few weeks after they had been evicted. Underneath an American flag, two veterans shared a spot where they racked out for the night.
For two hours, the group of super volunteers unloaded supplies from a minivan and conversed with the inhabitants. Skyman, a native of Seattle, had prepared almost 100 bundles that he called “Sky packs” which contained 2 puddings, a granola bar, two pairs of socks, and hygiene items.
Knight Owl, a superhero from Portland, gave medical attention to a man whose hands were badly injured while defending his possessions from a gang that frequently raids their shelters.
“They come in the night as we’re going to sleep to steal our things,” one of the homeless said. He describes a group of 8 or 9 men that rob and attack them on nearly a nightly basis. He added that “many of the people here can’t get into a shelter because they don’t pass the drug tests.”
The people under the overpass pointed out that it is hard for many of them to stay clean because of a white van that comes by selling drugs. “Those who are struggling with their sobriety find themselves unable to say ‘no,’” commented Thanatos, one of the superheros from Vancouver, Canada.
A spokesperson from the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness said stories like this are all too common. People are assaulted and what little they have is taken from them, sometimes by the people that they share the same space with. “More needs to be done to help them, we just need the resources to get the job done,” the volunteer said.
As federal and state resources shrink, many of these shelters are relying heavily on the donations from their local communities. With a shrinking economy, outreach programs are finding themselves with less and less to work with.

Drake: Non Thug Hip Hop

Drake is the front runner for my unofficial ” Rapper Least Likely To be Arrested ” award as a Hood conservative and real life superhero ( RLSH ) listener.
While sometimes listening to ( paradoxically ) Rick Ross and others waxing poetic about poison sold to their own people, Drake stands out and apart from this genocidal lyric crowd.
It not that he’s clean cut or speaks Standard English without considerable effort. TI, another personal favorite since ” Rubberband Man “, is also clean cut but addicted to incarceration- like too many Hip Hop artists. Some young fans misuse risque content as blueprints for life instead of edgy entertainment.
Drake offers hope to older listenership and community stakeholders who want much more for today’s artists than incarceration; parole/probation and sudden death. I won’t call the roll of dead rappers but fans know the attrition rate is too high, just like on inner city streets.
LL Cool J; Will Smith ( formerly The Fresh Prince )** and conscious rappers from my era like Rakim; Public Enemy; Lakim Shabazz, etc. show you could avoid popularizing genocide and still make money.
I don’t want boring Hip Hop. It must be the eternal voice of the Hood, speaking whatever ” negro ” dialect is vogue at that time. I also don’t want it becoming boring and producing rap versions of Wayne Newton or Lawrence Welk ( lol ).
As someone who’s Old School I want these artists to enjoy their fame- without self-destructing! Hip Hop isn’t just spitting death lyrics. Hip Hop is also about life… and even something rarely seen in the Hood- hope.
If being locked inside the ” belly of the beast ” ( translation: jail or prison ) is bad while poor, does being rich improve the experience? Sitting behind bars has long become the thing to do for wealthy urbanites.
Drake hopefully is the first of many non thug rappers to come.
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT BLACK promotes Black bipartisanship; crime prevention and self-development. http://www.captblack.info
** Eight Ball & MJG and Bun B are far from forgotten!
 

A Hero in All of Us

supersuperdaraOriginally posted: http://volumeone.org/magazine/articles/1695/A_Hero_in_All_of_Us.html/page/1
international group the Real Life SuperHeroes
by Eric Larson
Marco Rascón Córdova has always felt a calling to stand out. And for the past 20 years, he’s answered it in a most peculiar fashion: by patrolling the working class neighborhoods of Mexico City in cranberry-red tights and responding only to the name, “Superbarrio.”
One glance at him – overweight, middle-aged, and by all means slower than a speeding bullet – and it’s clear that, by traditional standards, he’s far from super. But to Córdova, “traditional” isn’t the kind of hero he’s going for. In fact, he’s not looking to beat criminals to a pulp at all. He’s striving to protect the rights of the working class through organized protests and petitions, all the while donning his brightly colored get-up. And the best part? He’s not alone.
Over the past several years, dozens of inspired people across the globe – representing both the early-twenty-something and near-senior segment – have tied capes to their necks and set out to do good for the public. Look up to the sky: here come the Real Life Super Heroes. (Holy new phenomenon, Batman!)
Before I continue, I think it’s important to note how widespread this occurrence actually is. In September of last year, an official Real Life Super Hero project was established serving as a meeting ground/alliance for emerging heroes across the globe. According to the website, more than 150 individuals are currently in action, serving both publicly and privately. Meetings and conferences are continually held across the country to share ideas and teach strategies to old members and newbies alike. In short: this is the closest thing to the Justice League this world will ever see.
Within it, the personalities and “powers” are unique to each hero involved. Take Angle Grinder Man from England: lanky with shoulder length hair and a baby blue onesie, he works pro bono on the streets of London by cutting the wheel clamps off paralyzed vehicles. Then there’s Terrifica from New York City, who prowls the downtown bars to keep inebriated women from getting taken advantage of. Polar Man from Canada shovels driveways for the elderly, and Recycle Boy teaches children the importance of being resourceful … and the list goes on.
A particularly intriguing hero is SuperSuperDara, hailing from Brazil. Similar to most RLSHs, she deems public service one of her greatest contributions. To SuperSuperDara storytelling is the best weapon to teach children about the dangers of sexual abuse.
“(It’s) a serious problem, which leads to psychological scars that will last forever,” she told me. “I try to warn children and make parents, educators, and community members aware of this paradigm shift they need to do.”
A day in the life of our Brazilian hero involves visiting schools and reading aloud her favorite story, Segredo Segredîssimo, which, according to her, strongly reiterates the importance of sexual abuse awareness. Her contributions are well-received by her community, and her tweets are regularly followed by congressmen and popular Brazil-based magazines, she said. Her ultimate goal is to make a radical shift and teach protection techniques to the younger generation.
“Changing paradigm is necessary in Brazil, and in order to do so a superhero is required,” she said. “Mere mortals couldn’t do such a thing.”
Now with all these people across the globe standing up to serve their communities, I’m forced to ask: why not Eau Claire? Sure, the city’s been named one of the safest places to live in the country, and the biggest crimes I’ve seen in my four years of residency have been petty at worst. (To the thief of my patio chair: the hunt continues.) But as these RLSHs have proven you don’t need invisibility, inhuman strength, or even web-shooting wrists to be considered super. Volunteering and displaying pro social values in any atmosphere are steps in the right direction. The project stems much deeper than a group of adults who spent too much time with comic books as kids; although, as some have stated, the reading material was definitely an inspiration.
INTERVIEW: Rochester Superhero Geist
Of the more well-known heroes from the RLSH alliance is Geist from Rochester, Minnesota. Although relatively new to the league, Geist has managed to make his name quite well-known. His costume, which he describes as “green Space Cowboy-chic,” is as bizarre as it is badass. I was able to get in contact with him via e-mail a few weeks back. Here’s a snippet of my ventures into his mind:
Volume One: So, Geist – how long have you been doing this?
Geist: I became active as Geist, doing charitable missions and crime patrols, in April of
2007.
V1: That’s cool. What was it that inspired you to pursue something like this?
INTERVIEW: Rochester Superhero Geist
Of the more well-known heroes from the RLSH alliance is Geist from Rochester, Minnesota. Although relatively new to the league, Geist has managed to make his name quite well-known. His costume, which he describes as “green Space Cowboy-chic,” is as bizarre as it is badass. I was able to get in contact with him via e-mail a few weeks back. Here’s a snippet of my ventures into his mind:
Volume One: So, Geist – how long have you been doing this?
Geist: I became active as Geist, doing charitable missions and crime patrols, in April of
2007.
V1: That’s cool. What was it that inspired you to pursue something like this?

Positive Pessimism (Hope D.O.A. II)

The death of optimism seems more the result of a thousand cuts than one decisive blow! My crusade is to still promote being upbeat despite how downcast life experiences disproportionately become.
As mobile triage, I either stem the flow of motivation from aforementioned cuts or am busily walking wounded, succumbing to a stubborn refusal to succumb.
” Positive pessimism ” just popped in my head, a recurrent admission that rosy glasses aren’t needed to keep on keeping on while all around you is, stated undiplomatically, crap.
My real life superhero ( RLSH ) effort is a daily attempt expressing this notion to others as much as regular self-innoculation. Recession; family loss; shoving inert minds and associations out of ones personal orbit and more are pieces I maneuver ( as do you I suspect ) on this game board recently labeled positive pessimism while typing.
Whether our arc of life aims down hill or is on the upswing in a manner beyond immediate comprehension, as advocates of heroism the lions share of our effort has to be spent moving toward better days that even telescopic vision would be hard pressed to currently see.
Like many I wrestle with disgust; despair and more with a tenacity that would do Hulk Hogan proud. The villains in this real life plot are those manipulating prices; butchering opportunities and gleefully counting lives made miserable.
Whether we can ever contest them personally remains undetermined.
Our duty is to champion each other by first dragging champions from inside ourselves. Every past good deed and kind word was dress rehearsal for today’s bottomless bleakness. You’ve noticed that pessimism is carried along like uncomfortable luggage. I don’t deny its depressing presence, I’ve simply chosen to soldier on regardless- just like you!
Positive pessimism avoids the self-hypnosis of declaring the awful somehow appealing and reinterpreting bad things as magically good. Once called PMA or positive mental attitude, this method isn’t the one I’m currently promoting. As always, choose what works best for you.
I embrace current unpleasantness and carry it toward future joy. This is a work done by automatic pilot and delibate intention because when we, the heroism advocates, give up- who’s left?
Positive pessimism is the second stanza of my Hope D.O.A. theme because I strongly suggest we place despair in a chokehold and drag it along as we motivate others and ourselves. In this way, present pessimism and their origin eventually gives way to positivity needed to survive long odds.
That’s my theory for what it’s worth. Keep dreaming and making them real!
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK is a super rights activist promoting crime presentation and SELFdevelopment. http://www.captblack.info
 

Superhero Captain Ozone Leads Green Power Rally

Originally posted: http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=12381294
BELLINGHAM, Wash., April 27 /PRNewswire/ — Captain Ozone allegedly started the modern-day “real-life superhero” movement when he made his debut in 1989. He’s considered by many to be the most phenomenal environmental activist of all time.
Captain Ozone is saving endangered species, promoting renewable energy and ecological art, and also teaching school kids how to become environmental activists on television.
The masked man claims to be from the year 2039 and he time-traveled to 1989 on a mission to save us from an ill-fated future.
To view a video documentary about Captain Ozone’s deeds, go to: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8597011024457745958#
Captain Ozone and Environmental Media Northwest are also leading the BIGGEST peaceful demonstration for renewable energy ever! It’s called “Green Power Rally” and it’s going to take place in many cities throughout the United States and Canada on July 31st, 2010. All are invited to participate!
Green Power Rally is not a cynical “up in arms” protest against the fossil fuel or nuclear power corporations. It’s an optimistic, peaceful demonstration to raise public awareness and support for zero-emissions energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal and hydro power.
Captain Ozone wants America to be the vanguard of the Green Power revolution and he’s all for Obama’s New Energy for America plan. To become a peaceful demonstrator for Green Power Rally, go to http://GreenPowerRally.org and follow the easy step-by-step instructions.
News coverage for Green Power Rally will help us gather many demonstrators and we appreciate any news about this event!
Listed below are nine other famous real-life superheroes who are leading their own Green Power Rallies in major cities throughout the United States and Canada.
Real-life Superhero Contacts:
Captain Ozone
http://MySpace.com/CaptainOzone
Seattle, Washington
Amazonia
http://MySpace.com/Amazonia_RLSH
Ocala, Florida
Kiki the Eco Elf
http://MySpace.com/KikiTheEcoElf
The Okanagan, Canada
Mr. Jack
http://MySpace.com/UbiquityInMotion
Portland, Oregon
The Conundrum
http://MySpace.com/521216373
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Geist
http://MySpace.com/Superhero_Geist
Minneapolis, Minnesota
RazorHawk
http://MySpace.com/RazorHawk_GLHG
Minneapolis, Minnesota
The High Peacestess
http://MySpace.com/FunkyEcoFashion
Hawaii, USA
Scavenger
http://MySpace.com/ScavengerRLSH
Waterbury, Connecticut
Runebringer
http://MySpace.com/Runebringer
Waterbury, Connecticut
Non-profit Organization Contact:
Mr. Michael L. Schutte
President
Environmental Media Northwest
http://emnw.org
[email protected]
(360) 676-7626
Green Power Rally
http://GreenPowerRally.org
This press release was issued through eReleases(R).  For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.
 

Captain Ozone leads Green Power Rally

Orignally posted: http://blogs.epmag.com/judy/2010/04/27/captain-ozone-leads-green-power-rally/
April 27th, 2010 judy
Now THIS is interesting news.
Apparently, for the past 21 years, the superhero world has had a member I knew nothing about. His name is Captain Ozone, and he has been saving endangered species, promoting renewable energy and ecological art, and teaching school kids how to become environmental activists on television.
I received a press release today that informed me Captain Ozone (“considered by many to be the most phenomenal environmental activist of all time.”) allegedly started the modern-day “real-life superhero” movement when he made his debut in 1989.
The masked superhero apparently claims to be from the year 2039 from whence he time-traveled to 1989 on a mission to save the world from an ill-fated future.
Unfamiliar with Captain Ozone, I decided to view a video documentary about his superhero achievements so as to be better informed. If you want to follow suit, click here.  I think it is worth the visit.
If you check out the video, you’ll notice that Captain Ozone isn’t as svelte as some other superheroes you’ve seen. And his high-tech equipment is reminiscent of stuff you probably watched Maxwell Smart use in the “Get Smart” TV series in the mid-1960s.
While Captain Ozone is similar in some ways to other costumed crime fighters, he is unique in others. Those interviewed in the video describe him as “an artist, a scientist, a sly jokester, and a noble defender of natural resources.” He also is oddly described as a “bean eating flatulating superhero.”
Make of this what you will.
According to the press release, Captain Ozone wants America to be the vanguard of the Green Power revolution, and he is “all for Obama’s New Energy for America plan.”
So with that said, I inform you that Captain Ozone and Environmental Media Northwest are leading what they claim will be the biggest peaceful demonstration for renewable energy ever! It is called “Green Power Rally,” and it is going to take place in many cities throughout the US and Canada on July 31, 2010.
By definition, Green Power Rally is to be an optimistic peaceful demonstration to raise public awareness and support for zero-emissions energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and hydro power.
Hung up a bit on getting to know Captain Ozone, I didn’t look into the actual rally, but you can if you like. And if you want to become a peaceful demonstrator for Green Power Rally, you can sign up here.
Oh, and if you want to contact Captain Ozone directly, you can find him on Myspace listed under CaptainOzone.
 

Vancouver Olympic meetup in February 2010

Message from Thanatos:
-I am inviting all RLSH here to my city, Vancouver British Columbia in February of 2010 to co-incide with the winter olympics here. the cityis planning on making the downtown areas ‘safe’ by simply removing all the people on the street for the duration of the games. this means that close to 600 people will be forced into the downtown eastside of the city. this area is known as “Canada’s poorest postal code area”. this is the area where I do most of my work.
I am contacting the downtown residents association about us doing patrols and neighborhood watch kind of things for them. there will also be handouts done for the homeless.
a lot of this is in the planning stages yet and we shall see where it goes. I will have a hall or place for us to meet and plan and work from.
the meetup will last about four days as that is about all the time I will be able to take off work at that time.
I will post info as it becomes available, I have started with a listing of the downtown hotels in the area.
these are scans of the hotel listing provided by the downtown eastside resisdents association.
please keep in mind these are the hotels located in the downtown eastside and are NOT by any means 5 star hotels. this is right in the thick of things with stuff happening all around.
Vancouver is a strange beast and while many would like to jump in and ‘engage’ some of those you will see around you here, the best method is watching and calling in the actions to the police.
there is just too much going on to try to stop it my ‘traditional’ means of operation.
More details can be found at
http://www.therlsh.net/upcoming-events-f10/vancouver-olympic-meetup-in-2010-t1116.htm