Archives November 2011

First off, I have realized that most of the times when you write these things you think they are coming out great and when in fact you come off as an asshole, so I’m going to try to do this one better than the old ones.lol. I will start the last of my input on my friend Phoenix. I just heard that last night he chased a guy who stabbed another man 8 blocks and apprehended him until the police got there….Pretty fucking right on the button for what we are trying to achieve if you ask me. It seems though that if he had listened to everyone on this site, and the rest of the people who despise him, that that man might have in fact gotten away.
o The reason I must blog again is because I watched Batman year 1 last night and if anyone has seen it or read the Frank Miller Graphic novel you will know just what I’m talking about. In the movie Bruce Wayne is 25 and decides to go out for his first night of crime fighting he only puts on some make up to look different and heads out. The next scene he is walking down a street and sees a pimp slapping a 12 year old hooker. Bruce then tries to put himself in the situation and tells the pimp to knock it off. The hooker not wanting his help attacks Bruce, next thing you know there is a huge brawl with Bruce, Selina Kyle and a shit ton of Pimps and Hookers. The police then show up and shoot and arrest him. He then has to fuck up shop and make the cops crash the car so he can get away.
o What im trying to get at is he wanted to do the right thing and help but it doesn’t happen overnight, people fuck up, and you learn by doing. Now Phoenix’s situation was nowhere near as bad, but if Bruce Wayne did what Phoenix did and gave his identity to the police and went along with everything… You’d all be talking shit on Batman right now. Get IT? Yes I feel fuckin stupid comparing it to comics sometimes and I know that it’s not real life, but I think it does say something about who we are and what we are trying to do, which was inspired by comics. I mean this guy Phoenix is just trying to do what we all are, the right thing. After being unmasked he has people leaving comments like “DIE NIGGER” on his wall and he is trying to handle his family life, job bullshit, and etc .While being a man about it and lying in his own bed that he made. On top of all that his own kind Trashing him all over this site. Don’t give me that bullcrap like “He’s not one of us” if you think like that I feel sorry for ya. That is not the Hero way in my book. What do you want him to do…STOP? So you can all patrol the streets the way YOU feel is right. Fuck That.
o We all do things different and the only way to really accomplish all these good deeds is to stick together. You got a problem with Phoenix, FUCKING CONATCT HIM OR PETER TANGEN. Have a fucking Justice League meeting or something with all the Heavy Hitters and no one leaves until it’s all worked out. I wouldn’t even be writing this if I felt you all actually genuinely were concerned and not just complaining about his violent tendencies when he had one controversial night, it’s not going to be the last time, next it could be one of you, then you got everyone dissecting your every move and calling you a monster. All you have to do is make one wrong move and you’re branded for life as a fuck up?
o
o I joined The Real Life Superhero Movement because I wanted to make a difference, that’s why we all did, because the police wouldn’t or couldn’t handle it, now you say we must do it by your book, we might as well just join the fuckin force. Not saying that’s a bad thing.
o Also just to slip in there that the people Phoenix “sprayed” were Russian and if you hear them yelling and interpret it they say “NO one messes with the Russian Mob, get the gun”…. Just saying. It’s all just bullying to me and it’s what I used to see kids do to other kids to see if they can push them over the edge. It almost seems like you want him to do something fucked up so you can use it as an excuse to bash him, and yes I do feel hypocritical writing this long ass blog and getting involved with this, but fuck it, I like blogging
o You see, when my band first started, we were bad fuckin people. I aint going to lie we did drugs, stole, etc. and we’ve been playing for ten years and ,as the years passed we started kind of dressing like superheroes and decided 7 years ago that if we were going to dress the part we might as well become good people. Just claiming to be a superhero has made my life better, I think before I speak, and believe it or not I pick up trash and open doors for old ladies and shit. WHY? Why the fuck do I need to. Because it gives me purpose and makes me feel good, and yes its fun as fuck. Regardless on what you think a superhero is I think your all Fucking Awesome, and when we talk shit to no end on others it confuses me and puts a sour taste on the whole thing. Im not perfect in any sense and if you knew half the shit I have done in my life you probably wouldn’t even let me blog… lol But this is all about trying to do a better job than the last time and moving on to better things.
I want to be like the Hunter S. Thompson of this blogging shit, minus all the weird drugs. HE said once “when the going get weird, the weird turn professional.” and that is exactly what im going to do. -THE DEADBEAT
 

Originally posted:
By Douglas Stanglin, USA TODAY
Nov 25, 2011
Phoenix Jones, a self-proclaimed superhero who roams Seattle streets to fight crime will not be charged for pepper-spraying a group he said he thought was fighting, The Seattle Timesreports.
Jones, who calls himself the leader of the Rain City Superhero Movement, faced a possible misdemeanor assault charge after the people he sprayed said they were dancing, not fighting.
Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes said one factor in the decision not to prosecute is a state law allowing a person to use force if they reasonably believe another person is about to be injured, The Times reports.
In addition, two of the alleged victims fled the scene and have not been located and interviewed, Holmes said.
As for the mission of the 23-year-old masked crusader, whose real name is Benjamin Fodor, Holmes said he “is no hero, just a deeply misguided individual.”
Jones, whose comments appear on his Facebook page Phoenix Jones & the Rain City Superhero Movement, says, ?”I symbolize that the average person doesn’t have to walk around and see bad things and do nothing.”
Jones could still face civil charges, the newspaper notes.

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

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)

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.

Related Articles

Crime Mega-Bill Gets Hard Time from Critics

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

http://www.facebook.com/notes/mark-mason/a-public-statement-regarding-the-public-statement-made-by-phoenix-jones/280618685314589?ref=notif&notif_t=note_reply
A PUBLIC STATEMENT REGARDING THE PUBLIC STATEMENT MADE BY PHOENIX JONES
“The surest way for the wicked to prevail is for enough virtuous men to remain silent–lest they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.” –Unattributed
“The sleep of reason breeds monsters.” –Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes
PHOENIX JONES I’d like to make a public statement addressing the ‘news release’ posted earlier today by the district attorney Peter S. Holmes: first of all, no surprise that I was not charged with a crime as I did not commit one.
PHANTOM ZERO Ben Fodor was not charged with a crime because the individuals who he allegedly pepper sprayed did not step forward and left the area before they could be contacted by the police. Had those people stepped forward or statements had been taken, it is likely there would have been a criminal (and possibly civil) trail. Just because there was insufficient evidence to build a case does not mean that there was no wrong doing.
PHOENIX JONES Holmes claims I am a ‘deeply misguided individual.’ my concern about that statement is if I am ‘misguided’ while out on the streets of Seattle protecting people from violent assaults.
PHANTOM ZERO Holmes is free to think or say whatever he wishes. It’s his first Amendment right. His opinion might be informed by the fact that he is a District Attorney. Ben Fodor is also free to refute those claims, or if he is feeling particularily litigous, sue for slander or libel.
PHOENIX JONES ..would a ‘guided’ person just keep walking and allow someone to be kicked repeatedly in the head?
PHANTOM ZERO First, in the stabilized footage, there is evidence there is a fight. There is no evidence that someone is being kicked on the ground.
Second, a person might try to disperse a crowd without escalating the situation. Announce the police have been called. Stand, without weapons, as a witness. Perhaps by stating a camera is present, and also stating said individuals will turning the footage over to police, that those individuals are going to face police prosecution. Standard pratice for citizens should be: “observe and report.”
Third, a loud sound or a bright light, which is disconcerting and might evoke a fear response, might be a better stimulus to use than pepper spray, which is a pain response. Adrenalized (and possibly drunk) individuals tend to respond to pain stimulus by either fleeing or fighting–favoring fighting.
PHOENIX JONES He goes on to encourage legislature to pass a law about using large cans of pepper spray. Pepper spray is defined as a self defense tool and is very hard to use offensively,
PHANTOM ZERO If a person is actively seeking out trouble, or if they are purposely interposing themselves to escalate the situation to get police involved, that is an offensive, not defensive, undertaking.
A stiletto heel usually isn’t defined as a weapon, but can still be used offensively.
A shield is, by definition, defensive, but can be used offensively.
People have varied responses to pepper spray, and some people can have fatal reactions. In prisons some, whenever a guard uses pepper spray, it is mandatory report must be filed and that documentation reviewed to make sure that the use of force was not excessive, unwarranted, or an abuse of power, a medical professional must be present and that individual must immediately be tended to checked for an averse reaction and to make sure it is non-fatal, and the use of pepper spray is only warranted in situations where there is a threat of imminent and unavoidable harm.
There is no rational reason to carry a bulk of pepper spray unless you fear assault from an exceedingly large mob of people, and brandishing such weaponry can be considered threatening.
Self-defense is just that. Defending one’s self. Self-defense does not apply when attacking others. That’s called assault. That’s not defensive. That’s offensive.
PHOENIX JONES In the statement, they accuse me of having a vigilante alter ego. I have been very clear from the beginning that I am not a vigilante
PHANTOM ZERO I could be very clear that I am a Christmas elf, but that does not mean I am by my own subjective assessment.
PHOENIX JONES What I do is when I see someone in the offense of a violent crime and I detain them until the official police arrive, who have taken a public oath to serve and protect and follow the legal procedures that have been voted for by the citizens.
PHANTOM ZERO Any self-appointed person who undertakes law enforcement in their community without legal authority, as by avenging a crime, is a vigilante.
PHOENIX JONES Holmes was careful to point out that I am ‘not a hero’. I believe that the victims on the street I have saved from being car jacked, bus jacked, assaulted, the people who have needed medical attention, and the 39,827 other people here on this page alone support what I do on a daily basis
PHANTOM ZERO Public opinion, popularity, or a myriad of good deeds does not give you special status of exemption from the law. When you are in violation of the law, you suffer the consequences–and while Ben Fodor’s character and other good deeds may be taken into account–it does not automatically grant a free pass.
PHOENIX JONES A hero can be defined as a lot of different things
PHANTOM ZERO “Hero” is a word. Claiming it for one’s self does about as much as claiming one’s self a Christmas elf.
PHOENIX JONES the good part of this is that district attorney Holmes is familiar with the law and came to the proper conclusion that I did not break the law.
PHANTOM ZERO Holmes didn’t push forward because the people Ben Fodor allegedly pepper sprayed didn’t step forward and there was insufficient evidence.
PHOENIX JONES However, what troubles me is that he wants to change the good Samaritan law that currently protects the citizens rights to interject themselves into situations where other people are being harmed and they need to know that they will not receive legal retribution for doing what is morally right. This in also an important day for activists and superhero alike as our way of life was being challenged.
PHANTOM ZERO Broad laws must be altered to cater to specific circumstances because of the lowest common denominator–the actions of a few who are irresponsible, or worse, abuse, distort, and corrupt the letter of the law.
In this case, Ben Fodor is the lowest common denominator.
If Ben Fodor feared for how the changes in this law will effect the citizens, understand that the result of his own actions are solely to blame, and the result this has on incidental bystanders, concerned citizens in his local community doing legitimate community watches, and/or other Real Life Superheroes rests solely and squarely on his own shoulders.
I find the sudden and unexpected convergence a bit disquieting, considering that the majority of the real life superhero community has shunned and decried Ben Fodor from his start of being “Phoenix Jones,” and Ben Fodor has taken measures to seperate and distance “Phoenix Jones” from the real life superhero community and movement by giving himself the label and claiming to be a member of the “Rain City superhero movement”–an organization which he claimed was completely seperate from the real life superhero community–and now that Ben has gotten this exceedingly bad press, it seems he seeks to distribute this new negative attention, and impose both his fight to regain credibility and his stigmata off on real life superheroes, which he consequently constantly puts down and has nothing to do with. (Edit: And, also, consequently, censors any voices of dissent which would be negative publicity by erasing the wall posts of individuals who voice concearns, or criticize his actions or methods–such as most recently in the case Drago Hammer, but also in regard to any RLSH, or RLSV, or any private citizen…)
Ben using this as a kind of clarion call to try and rally others behind him, by trying to suddenly associate himselfself with the real life superhero movement, is insulting. Realize that by he acting in this manner and by stating such an association, Ben Fodor casts a negative light on the masses who would not judge us an individuals, but who would seek to crush us as a collective group. By stating such, Ben Fodor risks tearing the concept of real life superheroes down, including those who are perfectly peaceful, altruistic/charitable, law abiding sensible do-ers of good–as well as the entire spectrum of the completely indepenent individuals who fall under the umbrella of real life superheroes who came before you who have operated exercising discretion and sound judgement.You don’t champion a cause or an idea with bad behavior, and you certainly should claim you are doing it in the name of a pro-social movement.

During yesterday’s SUPERHERO ACADEMY (blog talk radio show) we discussed the possibility of organizing a mass gathering of HEART HEROES (the kids themselves) at the Superman Celebration in Metropolis as a way to bring attention the the cause of CDH (Congenital Disease of the Heart) which is the number one killer of children BTW.
If you don’t know about Heart Heroes, they are my favored charity, so let me tell you about them.
Heart Heroes is a charity that gives custom made superhero capes to children suffering from CDH.  These capes help the children to harness the power of their inner superhero to face the massive challenges they have just to live.  These children face incredible obstacles including multiple open heart surgeries and the capes give them the courage to face these challenges without fear.
Its so simple…and so powerful.
The capes cost $25 each.   The children are given a gift card and then they design and order their own cape online (from Powercapes).
You can learn more about them at the link below…and be sure to read some of the testimonials while you are there…but bring a box of kleenex because you will cry.
http://www.heartherocapes.com/index.html
I would like to gather together a group of people willing to assist with the planning of this event and coordinate it with Kitty Burton of Heart Heroes and the people from Powercapes (who actually make the capes for them) and make this happen.
I would love to see hundreds of little Heart Heroes standing at the base of the Superman statue surrounded by adult cosplayers and RLSH’s on that Sunday afternoon for an awesome group picture.  That is my goal for 2012.
Anyone who is willing to help with this project, PLEASE let me know so we can get things started. My email is crossfire_[email protected].comThank you
Crossfire the Crusader.
PS:  Anyone who has been planning to donate to the ongoing HEART HEROES CAPE DRIVE ….NOW IS THE TIME.  An anonymous donor has agreed to donate one cape for every two cape donations given between now and Thanksgiving.  At this time last year they had a waiting list of over 200 children.  As of yesterday the waiting list was down to 60 and they average 12 requests per day for capes.  The cape drive and other fundraising events have helped to shorten the waiting list, and we are looking at the very real possibility of seeing that waiting list go away.  100% of the donations go to the kids, and for the next few days your donations are worth even more thanks to this mysterious benefactor.  Thank you for all the help you have and are continuing to give to this amazing charity.

Sometimes I wonder if there’s an RLSH alive that doesn’t know the Kitty Genovese story by heart.  When I taught Social Psychology, this story was a centerpiece in my group behavior component, as was my own “Genovese Experience.”
Phoenix, Arizona has a tradition, it seems in welcoming new residents to its warm embrace.  It seems that everyone I know who has moved here found themselves in an auto collision within a few months of setting down roots.  Perhaps it’s a form of initiation, but my family and I were no exception.
My wife was driving our smallish Toyota Corolla though an intersection when a Bronco pulled out of a gas station on the corner and stopped directly in front of us.  She slammed on her brakes and cranked her steering wheel, but we didn’t stop in nearly enough time.   When a Corolla collides with a Bronco, it’s easy to determine the winner.  Our poor car became a large metal accordion with screaming children in the back seat.  Ever choleric, my wife immediately leapt from her side of the car to confront the other driver.
The children were screaming and, twisting about, I saw that they were each bleeding from the area of their eyes.  I tried the door on my side of the car, but it wouldn’t open.  I called out to my wife.
“Honey!  Call 911”
She kept screaming at the other driver instead.
“Honey!  The kids are bleeding from the eyes!  Call 911 now!”
My wife, ever relentless, began to scream at the other driver about how our children are now bleeding from the eyes.
It was then that I realized that we had drawn a crowd.  Accidents almost always draw quite a bit of attention.  This one was no exception.  There were approximately 10 or 12 people standing near the intersection, staring with intense interest and doing nothing to help.

***

It’s not that people don’t want to help,  I told my class, it’s just that the situation dictates that they do nothing!
People most often determine their behavior in groups by a few basic rules:  Social referencing, efficacy, and diffusion of responsibility. I remembered saying, Let’s take a look at a few of these.
I started writing up on the board…

• Diffusion of Responsibility:  People generally want to help.  They really do.  However, they don’t want to step on one another’s toes in the process.  If someone else is going to do it, who am I to get in the way?
• Efficacy: People like to feel competent.  Often, they won’t help if they don’t know what to do to help or if they feel that it’s not in their competence to do so.
• Social Referencing:  Probably the cornerstone of conformity, we tend to do what others around us are doing.  In doing so, we learn what behavior is appropriate in which situation.

The bad news, folks, is that when Kitty was being stabbed, each person was thinking that the next person would do something, everyone silently watched—which established a norm via social referencing, and no one seemed to feel as if they could safely intervene.  One person who did consider calling the police felt that she would get in trouble, as she was an undocumented immigrant.
The good news is that this can be remedied.  All that needs to be done is for someone in the observing crowd to be assigned the responsibility of some simple, helpful task that should be well within his or her competency.  As soon as he or she does this, in theory, social referencing dictates that others will follow suit and help on their own.

***

I looked back out at the crowd of bystanders.  Ignoring my wife, I pointed at the most salient person in the group.
“You!”  I shouted.  “Call 911!”
The young man’s glazed stare changed quickly as he blinked away his socially induced apathy.  A light seemed to come on in his eyes and he nodded quickly and sprinted off.
I never saw him again.
I set my sights on another person.
“You!” I pointed at a young woman in the crowd. “Do you have a cell phone?”
She nodded, already digging in her purse.
“Please! Call 911 now!”
She nodded again and began dialing.  Everyone else fell into roles like well-placed pieces in a puzzle.  One man ran into the gas station and bought water bottles for my children and a young lady used handkerchiefs and bottled water to wash the blood from my children’s faces to reveal very small cuts above their eyes.
One thoughtful gentleman suggested that I climb out of the car on my wife’s side.  I felt a little silly then.
Soon, the ambulances arrived and my children were in much more calm spirits thanks to the aid of the not-quite-apathetic bystanders.
Bystander apathy is indeed endemic to the human condition.  However, it can be countered with some very simple techniques.
-Rook
 

Jolie Lassen
Do you think superheroes exist? No?
But in America a real subculture of so called heroes do exist. There are men and women wearing costumes, adopting pseudonyms and doing good deeds. The Real Life Superheroes. They act anonymous and selfless and try to make Americas streets a bit more secure and the world a bit better.
They bridge the gap between the fantastic and the practical.
They combat crime, hand out supplies to the homeless, comforting the sick or just cleaning up their neighborhood.
Of course The Real Life Superheroes have no supernatural power. They have tear gas, taser, a bit of self-defense and the will to change something.
But who are these modern heroes? Everyone could be one of them. They are every kind of people – clerical assistants, doctors, streetworker, politicians or ex-junkies. It is irrespective of the sex, the profession, the status or what ever.
Their actions serve as reminders. People have blinded themselves to simple principles and goodwill. They lost their readiness to help others.
The different Superheroes focus on different actions and locations.
Terrifica for example is roaming the streets, clubs and bars of New York. She got her tear gas, mobile phone and camera with her and. The thirty year old woman with blond hair and red battle dress wants to defend young woman against violation of men. In case of doubt she uses her camera to be able to proof the criminal act.
Geist acts in Minnesota. He is there where the police just no longer get. He appears out of the blue, doing good deeds and disappears again. He helps the homeless, victims of violence and homeless animals.
Thantos is a sixty two years old Superhero helping drug addicted people in the streets of Vancouver. He shares out blankets, clothes and food wearing a green mask, a black trench coat and a tie with skulls.
The Real Life Superhero Project first should make people recognize this new breed of activism and altruism. But more and more people get interested and the scope and purpose expanded very fast.
Due to the financial crisis many people lost a lot of money, their jobs and even their homes. Their desire for security increases.
In the middle of instability and political uncertainty those heroes offer a bit stability to the people. There are those benefactors in disguise who dispread optimism and confidence through their brave. That is – as it seems – what America needs right now.
It started as a gallery exhibit but it became the base of something much greater. The Real Life Superhero Project is a living community which inspires the general public to be part of the positive flow to change something in the world we all have to live in.
Thereby they could become more active, more involved, stronger and a little bit more “super”.
Their gain is to help the poor and underdogs and to make other people help too.
The Real Life Superheroes have a website where they explain the world who they are, what they do and what they want. At the end there is that one sentence we all should keep in mind. “And hopefully, you will come to realize that it doesn’t take a cape to go out and help someone, just the desire to become an active force in your own life, and see how that can affect others.”
So, do you think superheroes really exist? It doesn’t matter how we call them it’s about what they do. We all are able to be a kind of superhero. So why don’t we start?
Today there are twenty nine of those Real Life Superheroes in America. Maybe even tomorrow there will be more.
Let’s find the hero in all of us.

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!

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…