They will be how they'll be.

A interesting adventure you can have is the Person you bend over backwards to help, who basically tells you to go F*&^ yourself when you help them. It’s rare, I can think of Hearing about three times that it’s happened over the years (Once to me, And two other RLSH) but it does happen. How will you handle it? That’s up to you but if you’re in it for the right reasons you should be able to blow it off & be the bigger Superhero.
Not letting it hurt you is the biggest thing I’d imagine. They will be how they’ll be.

Supermobiles…Classic Coke is still better, and here's why.

Supermobiles…Classic Coke is better & here’s why.
I don’t usually go for “training Manuals” so to speak. I feel that everyone’s experience & talents are different & what applies to one RLSH doesn’t apply to another ones situation. But that being said I feel Supermobiles are a topic I’m qualified to speak on. THE Supermobile has been in the game for quite some time and is considered by many to be a Flagship of sorts for the RLSH community. She was a brief & fun focal point of the HBO Documentary “Superheroes” and is requested for appearances & events.
One thing about older cars is they have “quirks” or odd problems that you don’t get with a 2010 Nissan Sentra…like a 37 year old fuel line finally giving up the Ghost on you…and the car being in the shop for a month having the mufflers cut & the Tank dropped so the line can be reached.

This prolonged down time is what inspired me to actually consider “Updating” the Supermobile with a much newer model. I started looking at 2006 & 2007 Corvettes in parking lots with Ladyhero, and then finally started shopping for them online. Like This one

One gorgeous car and it’s a 2007 going for about $26,000, here is where I discovered that a Classic one…even with the unusual quirks & maintenance demands is still better.
Initial Price: The Supermobile cost initially a little less then HALF of what the 2007 does, saving me a tremendous sum of money to tweak the car with. The other half of the money I’d have spent on the new one is what put the 383 into the Supermobile.
Car Payment: Even if you put half down on the new one, after financing you’re looking at a $230 or $250 Dollar a month Car payment for five years. You could by a classic one outright…avoid the payment all together…and that brings us to the BIGGEST killer of a new Supermobile VS a Classic…
INSURANCE: Unless you can afford to buy the New Corvette outright, you are going to have to have full coverage on it until it’s paid off. Insurance of any kind on a new car that has a 6.0 400 HP Engine in it is not cheap. The Classic Supermobile has even MORE Horsepower…but since it’s a classic (Over 25 years old) I can have classic insurance on it…I pay just over $200 dollars a year for awesome coverage with Roadside, agreed value, windshield etc. on the Supermobile because she’s considered a classic.
So when you weigh it all it seems to me that your best bang for the buck is still a classic Supermobile as opposed to a new one. Sure, you’ll put up with the occasional pain in the rear from a older car, but even if you drop $3000 a year into repairs it still beats the payment on the new one. This will apply to any classic car as well not just Corvettes so when it’s time to slide down your bat poles & into the cave you keep your Super car,  I say make it  Classic Coke…it’s better anyway.

Our words and actions have power

I’ve been thinking about something and I figure that it’s a pretty good time to talk about it since there aren’t any recent incidents and it’s unlikely that anyone will think I’m singling them out and trying to lay blame when I’m truly not. I don’t like to blame. I like to overlook unfortunate choices and, at worst, forgive mistakes.
Okay, here’s what I wanted to say: We are more powerful than we often realize. I mean, what is power? It’s influence. And whether we like it or not, people often listen to us. Why? Because they look up to us and they sometimes think we know something that they don’t or mistakenly believe we’re better people than them. We call ourselves Real-Life Superheroes and while I’m not saying it’s a lie, it is a term with a bit of exaggeration at times.  But our optimistic civilian friends believe it. The media at times believes it. And I believe it of most of you.
So when we speak and act, it’s important that we do it well and wisely. When I represent myself as Geist,  I know that I’m no longer the schlep who drags his butt out of bed and goes into work with too little sleep and sweats under pressure and screws up royally sometimes.
No, when I’m Geist, whether online or on the streets, I need to be a whole lot better than that. I have to be kind, polite and at the top of my game. Because people look to me, for whatever reason and I no longer just represent me, but what I say or do could reflect on all of the other RLSHs and terribly damage their reputations as a group as their choices could terribly damage mine.
So when we assume the identity of our individual and unique heroic counterparts, consider that to a degree, we represent each other as well as ourselves. I’ve screwed up on the streets and made every effort not to repeat any incident that had poor results. I’ve said things online in both public and private forums that I later regretted and found to be less than worthy of the voice of a Real-Life Superhero.
But over the years, as I continue doing this, I think I’m also learning little by little what not to say, what comment to delete, what argument not to participate in, and when not to disappoint those who believe I’m a better person than maybe I really am without the mask.
I know the media is watching us, waiting for us to falter, our civilian fans are looking to us with hope and our RLSH brothers and sisters are expecting us to be as solid and worthy of respect as they are.
As a Real-Life Superhero, we don’t just represent ourselves. We represent each other.
And if it’s never crossed your mind before, a lot of RLSHs have wondered aloud if as a group, we might be a paragraph in a history book someday. How do you want to be remembered?

SUPER "FRIENDS"

 

How do you tell the heroes from  the trolls?

 
 
ATTENTION RLSH, RLSV, X-ALTS, and whatever else you call yourselves…I think I need to clarify something for the sake of the new people…In light of several conversations I’ve had the past few weeks.
I probably recieve an average of three to five friend requests every day from people claiming one of these titles.
I accept most of them because I am host of a Blog Talk radio program that is geared toward this community.
However…
I need to point out that just because I accept your friendship does not mean that I accept your stories, believe your claims, or accept your methods of doing things.
Among those friend requests I often find fake accounts which are being used to troll the community and stir up drama.
I also find people who are simply role playing and think this is an online game community or something.
And I find out right liars…charalatans…and decievers.
When you add me as a friend dont expect to be able to send me a message and expect to be the next guest on SUPERHERO ACADEMY. Its not going to happen.
The visiting professors on SHA are people I have taken the time to observe and get to know. I know what they do and how the do it because I have seen it.
When I recieve an email from Shadow-Ninja-Spider-Wolf-Xtreme-whatever and he is telling em that he’s performed amazing rescues, stopped massive amounts of crime, and has recieved commendations from the local government a red flag pops up.
I only know of a few people in the community who have received commendations from their local government and they had to WORK to get that…and I was privledged to be able to learn of their exploits as they happened and digitally be there when they recieved their reward.
Im also very concerned about those who think the choice to become a RLSH means they go out and act as judge, jury, and executioner. Thats not heroism…its called vigialntism and its against the law.
If you are planning ways to hurt people, kill people, and/or destroy property in a misguided attempt to enforce the law then you are yourself becoming a criminal…and you deserve to be punished if you choose to act in that manner.
Furthermore…if you have this extensive history and ongoing adventures but they are so secret that nobody can ever prove it happened you will set off my Bullcrap alarms and I WILL call you on it…If you are impacting the world the the world will know its being impacted.
If you are a troll…I will delete you.
If you are playing a fantasy online game with me…I will delete you.
If you are discussing things that are not legal or safe…I will delete you.
If you show your rear end every time you post….I will delete you
If you are spreading a load of ridiculous claims and fantasy stories…I will give you one chance to come clean…after that I will delete you.
The purpose of me accepting people as “friends”  is because of the radio show.
The purpose of SUPERHERO ACADEMY is to allow like minded people to share ways to impact the world for the better.
Im not doing this to help you find a spotlight to dance in and Im not here to legitimize your list of fantasy claims and other lies.
so…

You gotta walk before you can fly,  Ralph.
If you are serious about being a RLSH, then please realize that the first few weeks of your online life you will be screened…vetted…and scrutinized.
We have to do this to weed out the phonies and problem children.We will demand proof…pictures…news articles…video…and probably a few pizzas and cold sodas…LOL

Its not personal…its what we have to do.
In the meantime, go out and impact your world…We’ll be watching proudly as you do!

 

A New Era

Greetings,
I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself to those who do not know me. I am The Watchman. I am a husband, father, brother, and son. I am a man who cares about humanity and the world around him. For years, I have been what is commonly called a Real Life Superhero (RLSH), and now, I have become the administrator of this website. With this change, there will be other changes made over time, though the spirit in which this site was created will remain.
The man formerly known as Zetaman, after retiring as a RLSH, passed this site on to me. More recently, he completely removed himself from this site. He believes there are too many bad feelings between him and others to remain, feeling that it would hinder the growth of this site and the RLSH sub-culture as a whole.
The RLSH sub-culture is fluid. It is always changing. It is always in motion, even when it seems to be standing still. There are many people who feel we have not gotten anywhere. However, in many ways, we are much different than we were just a few short years ago. Some of these changes have been for the better, while others have been for the worse. Still, we continue on, searching for a better world and a brighter tomorrow.
2011 was predicted by some to be “The Year of the Superheroes”. I do not believe that, and frankly, would have been disappointed had that been the case. The phrase implies the reaching of the peak, and typically,  peaks are followed by decline. I do not believe we have yet reached the peak. No, I believe we are still far from it. We have a great deal of potential yet to be uncovered. What we lack is unity.
There are many different kinds of RLSHs. There are crime-fighters, social activists, charity warriors, environmentalists, social commentators, and those who try it all. Some embrace the superhero terms and imagery, while others are less than pleased with them. Regardless of personal missions, opinions, methods, and motives, we are all a part of something BIG. Yet, too many of us cannot seem to get over ourselves as individuals or small groups.
I can remember a time when squabbles and differences between us were handled quietly, out of the public eye, in order to allow us a chance at the heroic and inspirational images we wished to project. Now, there is no secret that this “community” of ours is full of fighting and drama. Online comment sections and forums are bursting with ridicule, arguing, and flame wars from within. Many of us try to avoid this behavior, but it seems to follow us around. The feuding and hatred has driven too many of us away from what could become a great movement, and it has proven to onlookers that we are no better than much of what we claim to fight against. Even as some of us fight to prove to people we are serious when we are accused of being ridiculous, more of us seem to go out of their way to prove them right.
I realize a large number of people feel we cannot be organized or united, and there are too many differences between us to unite. I believed that for a time. However, I am no longer content to worry only about local matters. The world does not end at my back door. What affects the world affects me. What happens with one of us can affect us all. We are creative individuals who tend not to conform, but I’m not being unrealistic. We do not need to agree with everything everybody else says or does, and there are many more ways to get things done than what we do ourselves. We do not necessarily have to change our own missions and methods, and we do not need to lose ourselves to be a part of something bigger. We can still disagree, but it is time to turn to healthy debates that maintain respect rather than being hostile.  It’s not that we need to become some giant organization filled with rules and regulations, but we do need to put aside petty differences and focus on what we have in common. All this unity requires is that we lay down our egos, open our minds to new ideas, and have respect for each other, as well as for ourselves.
I don’t think this has been the year of superheroes at all, and I am not looking for that year to come. Instead, I am looking to the future; I am looking toward a new era. I believe that era can begin now. Therefore, I am using this opportunity to do what I can to bring RLSHs together to grow this sub-culture into the great movement it has the potential to be.
However we may each go about it, we are all trying to make this world a better place, and that will only happen together. I am extending a hand to each and every one of you. I hope that each of you can get past the egos and differences, and learn to work side by side, even if our own mission is not quite the same. I am asking that we try a new way, and hopefully each of you will extend your hands as well. Let’s look to the future and welcome a new era for Real Life Superheroes. If we want the world to be better, we must be better.  Let it begin now…

This Little Guy…

This Little Guy…
He was in the check-in line when we arrived. He was on the other side of the Barrier and was with his mom & two little brothers. The infant brother was busy trying to stuff his foot in his mouth in his stroller & I was feeling a little better so I looked down at him & said “Hey brother, you gonna check that foot in or carry it on?” everyone laughed, I thought it was over. Suddenly this little guy in the picture tells his mom “That’s Superhero”. His mom says “No, he’s not Superman” & he says back “Not Superman, Superhero!” I couldn’t believe it so I climbed under the barrier & gave him a sticker & asked his mom “Did he just say I’m Superhero? Because he’s right! I AM Superhero…I’m the guy from HBO.” His mom had NO idea how he knew who I was either. I’m not exactly an “A List Celebrity” after all. So he was our little buddy in the terminal then on the plane I gave him the Superhero assignment of keeping his little brother happy & entertained for the flight. I guess we’ll never know how he knew who I was.
SH
 

Castle: “Heroes and Villains”

Originally posted: http://lawandthemultiverse.com/2011/10/03/castle-heroes-and-villains/
Last week’s episode of Castlefeatured a new twist for Rick and Kate: a real, live, caped crusader!
Or, well, someone dressed up as one, who goes around fighting crime. This is another instance of pop culture taking a more-or-less serious look at the real phenomenon (apparently with its own website) of people putting on costumes and patrolling the streets, basically looking for trouble in which they can get involved. We talked about the implications of real life superheroes when we reviewed Kick-Ass a while back.
It sounds like about as good an idea as it turns out to be. There really isn’t any way to talk about this one without some pretty major spoilers, so here goes.
More at http://lawandthemultiverse.com/2011/10/03/castle-heroes-and-villains/

LA Photog’s ‘Real Life Super Hero Project’ Garners Another Media Shout-Out

Originally posted: http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlla/real-life-super-hero-project-peter-tangen-hbo_b39626
By Richard Horgan on September 21, 2011 2:00 PM
If you have not yet acquainted yourself with the website “The Real Life Super Hero Project,” be sure to do so now or bookmark it for perusal later.
Thanks to the fact that site founder Peter Tangen, a local photographer, is also a consulting producer on the current in-kind HBO documentary Superheroes, his efforts are generating a lot of extra publicity these days. The latest outlet to catch up with Tangen, who has snapped and documented more than 200 citizen do-gooders, is Tampa Tribune reporter Ray Reyes. Per the article:

“There are millions of people who do good in this world but the media doesn’t pay attention to them. This is the marketing of good deeds,” said Tangen…
According to Tangen’s website, [San Diego’s] Mr. Xtreme was attacked by gang members and bullied as a boy. He donned a costume to “protest against indifference in society. People are being victimized and I feel that someone has to take a stand.”
Mr. Xtreme, who has not revealed his real name to anyone, has since formed his own group, the Xtreme Justice League, which gives food and supplies to the homeless.

At press time, Tangen’s latest blog post was about another equally fascinating character, LA “paranormal investigator and masked adventurer extraordinaire” Ragensi (pictured).

It's a bird, a plane …

Originally posted: http://www2.tbo.com/news/breaking-news/2011/sep/21/menewso1-its-a-bird-a-plane-ar-259350/
Photo by Peter Tangen

Photo by Peter Tangen


By RAY REYES | The Tampa Tribune
Published: September 21, 2011A car was engulfed in flames on the highway, so he extinguished it.
Another vehicle veered off the road and into a lake, so he dove into the water to make sure no one was trapped inside.
He gives food to the homeless, toys to needy children and patrols the streets searching for criminal acts to foil.
He does it all in a cape and bright red-and-blue tights. He calls himself Super Hero and, yes, he’s for real.
His actual, not-so-secret identity is Dale Pople. He wasn’t bitten by a radioactive spider, accidently bathed in gamma rays or launched from a dying alien world toward Earth.
He’s a just a normal guy who aspires to make a positive impact on the world. And he’s not going at it alone.
Pople, 42, is a participant in the Real Life Superhero Movement, a group of about 200 across the nation who commit good deeds in costumed personas inspired by comic books.
While the masked Master Legend dons body armor to patrol parts of Orlando, a martial artist named Dark Guardian confronts drug dealers in New York City and others in major cities organize drives for charities, Pople’s base of operations is Clearwater.
He’s gotten odd looks from passersby, he said, and people have asked him why he wears a costume to perform charitable acts when so many ordinary volunteers or crime watch members don’t.
“You know, back in the day I used to justify it,” said Pople, 42, who invented his Super Hero identity 13 years ago after a knee injury derailed his plans of becoming a pro wrestler. “Nowadays I just admit to myself it’s a hell of a lot of fun. It’s rewarding.”
Peter Tangen, a professional photographer from Los Angeles, has taken portraits and produced profiles of dozens of caped crusaders for his website, The Real Life Super Hero Project. He said the real-world crime fighters he’s met use the modern mythos of comic books to be remembered for making positive contributions to society.
“There are millions of people who do good in this world, but the media doesn’t pay attention to them. This is the marketing of good deeds,” said Tangen, who also is the consulting producer of the documentary “Superheroes.”
The film premiered on HBO in August and featured Super Hero, Master Legend, Life from New York, Mr. Xtreme from San Diego and others.
“Really, who decides, ‘I’m going to put on spandex and save the world?’ ” Tangen said. “In a world somewhat apathetic, these people are a model for making a different choice.”
Ben Goldman, the co-founder of Superheroes Anonymous, a website that advocates the acts and community outreach of real-life heroes, said to think of the costumes as colorful spandex versions of police or firefighter uniforms.
“When you put on a superhero costume, you’re expected to live up to an ideal,” Goldman said. “You’re following in the footsteps of fictional predecessors. If a person sees somebody hand food to a homeless person dressed normally, it’s ordinary. In a costume, it’s extraordinary.”
Goldman’s website features blogs and other resources to help fledgling heroes join the movement. Superheroes Anonymous offers tips on creating costumes and posts notices of real-life superhero meetings and conferences.
Tangen said his website showcases the idea that one person can make a difference, that the morals of iconic characters such as Superman and Captain America can be upheld in the real world by those dedicated enough to do so.
“It’s a reflection of our times,” he said. “It’s a rejection of apathy.”
The real-life superheroes and those who’ve documented them say they’re not sure when or how the phenomenon started. No one knows for sure who made the first public appearance.
One thing that’s agreed on is this: about 10 years ago, a few people in cities separated miles apart felt compelled to avenge injustice in their communities. Turning to comic books and movies for a code to live by, they seemingly donned masks and costumes around the same time.
“At the time, we knew these superheroes existed,” Goldman said. “But they were widely scattered. They communicated only through the Internet.”
Pople said that’s how he discovered and contacted other heroes — and how they found out about him.
“The first time I did this, I was like, ‘Am I the only guy who thinks this is worth doing?’ ” he said. He created a profile on social networking site MySpace, which he and Goldman credit with spreading the movement, and found out about other heroes across the country.
“They come from different backgrounds,” Goldman said. “The Real Life Super Hero Movement proves that they could’ve either wallowed in suffering or become inspiring.”
Some toe the line of vigilantism, preferring to thwart violent crimes themselves instead of calling police to the scene.
“We don’t endorse the crime-fighting element because it’s dangerous,” Goldman said. “Being an engaged citizen is fine. Safety patrols are fine. But don’t engage in vigilantism.”
Elizabeth Watts, spokeswoman for the Clearwater Police Department, said the officers in her agency are familiar with Pople and his alter-ego, Super Hero. He’s never caused them problems and has obeyed the laws.
“We have cautioned him to not go into certain areas, for safety reasons,” Watts said.
Goldman said these days the movement targets “more concrete, realistic goals,” such as holiday drives and annual summits where real-life superheroes can meet one another and their fans.
“Almost universally, they’re all comic book fans or have an appreciation for the superhero persona,” Goldman said.
Pople said he was a “sickly, nerdy kid” who grew up on a “steady diet of action movies and comic books.” When his pro wrestling career ended prematurely, he decided to keep the Super Hero persona to “see what would happen if I did this for real.”
He’s a member of Team Justice, Inc., an Orlando-based nonprofit group of real-life superheroes who donate items and volunteer for central Florida charities.
According to Tangen’s website, Mr. Xtreme was attacked by gang members and bullied as a boy. He donned a costume to “protest against indifference in society. People are being victimized, and I feel that someone has to take a stand.”
With more widespread attention, the heroes have found themselves in unfamiliar territory: becoming celebrities and influencing the mediums that influenced them.
The comic book “Kick Ass,” about a normal teenager who decided to become the titular, costumed hero, was inspired by the Real Life Superhero Movement, Goldman said. The comic was later adapted into a movie starring Nicholas Cage.
Real-life heroes are now fixtures at Comic-Con International, the world’s biggest comic book, science fiction and movie convention, held every year in California. They have been featured not only in HBO’s “Superheroes,” but also other documentaries, news programs and numerous YouTube clips.
The movement continues to gain momentum, Goldman said, because the core group of 200 believes that the battle for truth, justice and the Real Life Superhero Movement never ends.
“A superhero’s biggest enemy is apathy,” Pople said. “I don’t expect to change the world, but I think I’m making a dent.”

“For just a few hours…”Jungle cat Bitches”.

Today was not my day.
I have a REAL elderly parent and she sees the yellow tape at the end of the race so she’s trying to tie up loose ends.
This would not be fun in the first place, but my Mom never won any contests for Miss Congeniality so it was a day of hauling her around in the sun & listening to her chew out Bank staff, Nurses, basically anybody who got in the way of her wrath while sitting there with my face buried in my hand. Finally after a full day of this I get home to Lady Hero & dinner at a Hawaiian restaurant that just opened in Ozona when it hits me…
“Man, I got to patrol.”
I’m wiped out & on my last leg you think I’d just want to watch the Hula dancers, get home & hit the rack after the Simpson’s or something but no…
“Man I got to patrol.”
So I suit up & head for St. Pete, I get a coffee & head for the Highway when the light in front of me turns yellow. “Yellow light? No F*&^king problem…I put my foot down on the gas & nothing happens… that’s when it dawns on me…
“Oh my GOD! I’m not in the Supermobile! I’m going to F^%$ing DIE!”
So I’m literally standing on the Brake Horizontally and I think the Sentra is doing that “Bunching up” thing that the car the Pink Panther had that had a Mind of it’s own would do when it was trying to keep from sailing over a cliff or something when I manage to come to a stop right before the intersection.
I’m sitting there shaking & I look down & realize “Wow I didn’t spill a drop of coffee.”
Now that IS a superpower. You think that would be the end of it but…
“Man I got to patrol.”
So I get down there and things finally start to take a swing up. I’m on foot and there’s some kind of huge block party going on, 5 people stopped me that had seen me on HBO & supported what we were doing, another bunch just wanted photos with me or to talk about what I was doing there, but even this wasn’t quenching my desire to be out there.
“Man I got to patrol.”
So I walk away from all that & get back into the quiet, Darker, Spookier part of the city. And that’s when it finally dawns on me.
“I’m patrolling.”
“This has to be the bottom line draw to this for a lot of guys.” I think to myself.
Throughout the day they’re everyday yutzes but for just a few hours a night…
They get to be a F&*^king Jungle Cat. It’s dark, their tights are compressing against their muscles, they’re looking for prey, for just a few hours they get to be on top of the food chain in some form or another.
Everything is right in their world.
I don’t know why it’s on patrol that I always have moments of clarity, I wonder if other guys are the same way.
Because when it’s done, it’s back home to do the F*&^king dishes.
Live the Gimmick
SH