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Attention Enemy Nation!

To:  The Enemy Nation

From: Irene Adler, Senior Vice President

Date:  January 30, 2009

Re: What DOES it mean to Be The Enemy? (Part 1 of 2)

I met with our esteemed CEO the other day, the guy who calls himself “B the Enemy”, and he said to me – get this - “I just don’t feel like The Enemy anymore.  Not with Barack Obama in office.”  Initially, I thought, ‘uh – you kidding me?  How can you not feel like The Enemy?  Have you looked at your email address lately?’  However, being the good SVP that I am, what I SAID was “Leave this with me.  I suspect there’s just some confusion around roles and responsibilities with the arrival of the new administration.  I’ll sort it out.  Go back to playing Metal Gear Online.”

So, as usual, the SVP gets stuck with the work at Enemy Enterprises and I set out to answer: What DOES it mean to Be The Enemy?

I’ve thought a lot about this question over the past week, as it applies to The Enemy Nation as a whole and to the CEO specifically.   My answer?  Being the Enemy is about The Borg, Frodo and my grandfather.  Sounds strange, I know, but you’ll see that each represents a key pillar of Enemyism.

The Borg.  You’ll recall that in Star Trek, The Borg sought to assimilate all races, forcing them to conform physically and behaviorally to machine sameness and mindless, unquestioning obedience.  For me, the scariest part of the Borg-dom was the threat to the individual, having to be subsumed by the collective and blindly follow.  Remember their tagline, ‘Resistance is futile’?  Well, The Enemy is the antithesis of the Borg.  Being The Enemy is about questioning and examining; it is about critical thought, thinking for yourself, making up your own mind after a proper and thorough examination of the facts.  Additionally, an Enemy does NOT believe ‘Resistance is futile’.  Quite to the contrary, part of Being The Enemy is about resisting even when it may appear futile because the intent, the spirit of the fight is just as important.

Frodo in Lord of the Rings.  Frodo was just a regular Hobbit asked to take on a rather extraordinary task of returning The Ring to Mordor.  In this journey, he would have to fight monsters and overcome unimaginable obstacles in the face of a great and terrible evil.  How?  Frodo didn’t know what he was going to encounter or how he would solve those problems.  He just knew he had to do it.  He put his ‘what ifs’ aside, faced his demons and persisted.  Now, Frodo wasn’t alone, to paraphrase the Beatles, he definitely ‘got by with a little help from his friends’; he had his friends, his team, his version of The Enemy Nation. To me, Being The Enemy is like that – an Enemy’s brave and will rail against monsters in whatever form they take: Bush, Cheney, Greedy Wall Street Boys, the guy who thinks he has no responsibility or role in helping Obama solve the Big Mess Bush left.  An Enemy, however, is not in it alone.  There’s an entire Enemy Nation to call on when he/she doesn’t quite know how to solve for ‘x’ or isn’t feeling particularly enemy-ish.

My Grandfather.  If you had met my grandfather, you’d have thought he was a doctor of some sort; he had that refined air about him, spoke eloquently, and was well read and well informed.  In reality, he had only a 6th grade education and was a steel laborer.  By the early 1930s, the Steel Barons had perfected their economic model of making fortunes on the backs of a seemingly limitless supply of cheap, replaceable immigrant labor.  These immigrants had no voice.  Most didn’t speak English, were poor and uneducated and there wasn’t anyone advocating for their welfare or rights.   My grandfather, a first generation American, spoke English and German and understood most of the languages from the old Austrian Hungarian Empire (Why?  That’s a topic for a different blog).  He was in a position to be the voice for these workers, to speak against the greed, unfairness and dangerous working conditions.  Now back in the day, being a union organizer got you branded a communist, beat up and arrested.  Not exactly what I’d call a stellar benefits package.  My grandfather didn’t care, though.  He believed in what he was fighting for, the working guy.  After many years as a Union Leader, the Steel Barons wanted my grandfather to join management, but he would have none of it – he never trusted The Man.  

For me, Being The Enemy is giving voice to the little guy against unfairness or greed or injustice or evil or The Man (Although some might rightly argue, Mr. CEO, you ARE The Man).  It is about speaking the truth when it’s unpopular and inconvenient and awkward but necessary. 

Part 2:  Why Obama needs The Enemy Nation now more than ever.

 

 

 

 

An Inauguration Day Special Presentation

The Playgrounds of America

 

    It was a common belief that Lord Wellington said that the “Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton.” The genesis of the quote has since been challenged but the principles of discipline and courage that shaped the British boys can be traced to their playgrounds. So too with America, our playgrounds are the melting pot where children learn their social values. Growing up as a young white girl in the fifties, there were white playgrounds and black grounds. You played among your own kind and were taught to stay with your own kind. It was simply explained to me that certain lines were not to be crossed. I also realized at an early age that I needed to have permission as to who was acceptable to bring home and who was not. My parents did not use the “n” word but clearly they were both prejudiced. Even in the Italian language I could recognize a negative remark.  I know I fought my parents and my siblings fought my parents on more than one occasion to be allowed to associate with whom we deemed a friend.

 

     The other crazy thing I could never understand was segregation as a teenager. So much was made of busing that now looking back I realize there was no other way. We would all still be separated if busing had not become law.  What seemed so major to my personal growth was blocked by the silliest of rules to me. A person of a different skin tone could not be invited home.

 

     Girls did not play sports with boys lest they be labeled “tom boys” and shunned socially by other girls and boys. Not that it stopped me from wearing my jeans to school under my uniform.  I was expected to look and act like a girl at all times. Giving a neighborhood boy a bloody nose because he teased my sister, got me a two week punishment. A small price to pay for the satisfaction I felt back then. Now of course I see I was wrong with my act of violence.

 

    Recently, I took my eight year old grandson to a playground, near his school. There was only one playground- a mixture of all races and both genders. The children laughed, hollered, teased and played TOGETHER. There was the usual rivalry but no open hostility due to race or gender bias. I watch him run to play with the black girls who live close by. He doesn’t think twice and neither do his parents. How far has our country come since the Sixties when JFK and later LBJ passed the Civil rights legislation and created educational opportunities for all of our citizens! Then the streets ran red with the blood of protestors. Civil Rights Activists were murdered. Black children were murdered when their Church was blown up. The Governor of one State stood in the doorway of the State University to block the entrance of black students.

 

    But JFK changed the social behavior through laws. He knew that education and equality of opportunity were the ultimate solution to raising the downtrodden to their rightful place in American Society. Segregation was banned and busing began. Martin Luther King stood at a podium in the nation’s capital and orated the “Dream” of a tolerant, and fair America where people would be judged by the “Content of their character and not the color of their skin.” Both JFK and Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy paid for their courage. The assassins killed the men but not their dreams. The Kennedy’s and Dr. King opened not only the door for great leaders of all race, genders and creeds; they also opened our minds.

 

     As a result, over the past forty years, more and more children have learned to play together, work together and live in peace together. There will always be hate but hate is a losing proposition in today’s America. The People want America to be a great country for all of the people. The election of Barack Obama is symbolic of that national search for greatness. I and my friends who grew up in a segregated America, a hate filled America, a non tolerant America worked for Obama’s election. We voted for the man –the content of the man. The old boy network was defeated by the PEOPLE. 

 

    But Obama’s election just begins to fulfill the dreams and sacrifices of Dr. King and the Kennedy’s. But it is still only a beginning. You can not legislate away prejudice and fear and hate. But you can choose to fight it and live free of the shackles of intolerance. Until we are free from prejudice- on all sides-we are all slaves to our prejudice.

 

    John Kennedy said. “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” He wanted Americans to join the Peace Corp and to volunteer to help others. Today Obama is asking all of us to volunteer in return for the stipend the government has provided us- a fair deal!.

 

     Perhaps my grandson and his generation will heed the message that began long before they were born.  Perhaps on his playground he and his playmates of all colors, sizes and gender will do the right thing for their country and live in tolerance and without fear. Perhaps they will move the Country to a new level so the elections of our Presidents and Leaders will yield true leaders and a better country.

 

    God bless Obama and those who helped him get elected. May his Presidency herald in a new era of American unity so we can all enjoy what our founding fathers called our “inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

 

    See you at the Playground.

 

By Deborah Schaffer, writing with Tony DePaul

 

Writing: The World's Worst Job?

    Imagine working eight hours per week for forty years and never getting paid. If your time is worth $40/hour, and you never sold a book, you have invested $640,000 of your time in your writing.

 

     And writing is hard work and hard on the writer’s psyche. Hemingway said to write- “All one has to do is sit down at the typewriter and bleed.”  In fact, Hemingway was so terrified of the writing experience he often sharpened thirty or more pencils to delay the writing process.

 

    So why did Papa Hemingway “bleed” at his desk? Why do so many unpublished authors strive against overwhelming odds to create books that may never gain public acceptance?  Is the creative urge so great, so compelling that we must go on writing in the face of adversity and rejection?

 

    Perhaps the writer senses that if he stops writing, the voice within him will be muted but still calling out for expression. Not writing means that he will forever be haunted from an internal cemetery by the ghosts of characters who will not be allowed to come to life. Not writing is a living death-a much scarier proposition than a thousand rejection slips.

 

    All the while, the pleasure of writing a great scene, of creating memorable, lovable characters and stories that roll on like life in HD seduces the writer. Maybe it’s this “high” that excites the writer to press on, to stay up well past midnight bleeding at his PC. I don’t know any more. Like an addict needs a fix, I can’t stop writing.

 

    So write and share with all of us why you write. Please. We all need collective support!!

                                            

Author:     Tony DePaul

                 Glenside,PA

Enemy Note: Anthony DePaul is a published author who I specifically asked to contribute to the EB.  I'm honored by his appearance here.  You can check out Tony's books at the following links:

Anthony DePaul on Amazon.com

Anthony DePaul on Buy Books On The Web

Do you know someone who should contribute to The Enemy Blog?  Contact me at:

BtheEnemy@comcast.net

Please post your comments below. 

Executive Communications

To:  B The Enemy, CEO, The Enemy Blog

From: Irene Adler, Senior Vice President

Date:  January 11, 2009

Re: Update on Performance Evaluation Scandal

It is Performance Evaluation time here at The Enemy Blog; when our staff is asked to list their key achievements over the past year and detail the leadership qualities they exhibited while accomplishing those goals.  B., as you are well aware, a fair and accurate  Performance Evaluation process is vital to justly rewarding our top EB achievers with salary increases and bonuses.  Thus, it is distressing to discover that the self evaluations from many of the EB staff read like fiction.  Additionally, I have received solicitations from three high level EB executives to not have their performance evaluated at all; they are abdicating responsibility and accountability for disappointing results, poor leadership and some appalling lapses in judgement.

Since this behavior is uncharacteristic of our EB peeps, I immediately contacted Human Resources and charged them with uncovering the root cause of what I believed to be a scandal.  Today I received HR's findings and I fear we are facing something far more insidious than a simple corporate EB scandal: parts of our organization have been infected with the 'Tom Buchanan Virus', now known as the 'George W Bush Syndrome' in current day, common vernacular.  I know, how is that all connected?  Let me explain.

 'Tom Buchanan' refers to F. Scott Fitzgerald's character in The Great Gatsby; a reckless, lying Yalie, with a nauseating arrogance and sense of entitlement.  Fitzgerald describes Tom and his wife, Daisy as:  "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy -- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made."  Frank Rich first called the Tom Buchanan - George Bush parallel to my attention in his January 4, 2009 NY Times Op-Ed piece "A President Forgotten but Not Gone" (Article).  As I thought about the Bush administration, the similarities between the two 'characters' overwhelmed me.

 Bush, also a Yale graduate, from wealth and privilege, brought his 'no thought required' cowboy mentality to the White House.  He and his minions, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove, proceeded to spend 8 years lying, screwing up and having the spinmeisters, who were indeed brilliant, make it all better.  This is the crack team that gave us Iraq, Guantanamo, a deficit like we've never seen before, a 'Patriot Act' that made Big Brother a la Orwell's 1984 look like a Civil Libertarian, the most severe financial crisis since The Great Depression, destroyed our global reputation, and fiddled while Katrina decimated New Orleans.  The leadership qualities they exhibited?  Uh, what leadership?  You never hear Bush talk about reflection, or about having made a bad decision.  You never hear Bush take the hit, say the buck stops here, it is always someone else's fault or doing.  Now he's on his way out, leaving someone else to clean up the unprecedented damage he's done to our country.

 Recently, the Bush Administration Spin Meisters gave us a textbook example of a classic 'Tom Buchanan Virus' symptom: the White House posted their version of Bush's key accomplishments and leadership highlights on their website.  Apparently this propaganda piece is so full of spin and lacking a connection to reality, the reader begins to wonder if perhaps Bush and his crew are living in Bizarro USA, where he's actually doing a good job as President. (A link to this document can be found in the Frank Rich article sourced above).  

 Since George W has so clearly and broadly embodies the modern day version of Tom Buchanan, The EB has petitioned the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to officially re-christen the 'Tom Buchanan Virus' the 'George W Bush Syndrome'. 

Let me bottom line this for you, B. -- some of our EB peeps have been infected with the Bush Syndrome in which the patient exhibits: stupidity, recklessness, lying, arrogance, entitlement and complete lack of responsibility for their decisions and actions.   These behaviors, these attitudes are antithetical to who we ARE, to who we want to be, to who we need to be as we go out to clean up the mess George W Bush and his friends have left us with.  Human Resources is taking action to terminate our underperforming employees because at the Enemy Blog, we are all about responsibility, accountability, and moving forward in a positive direction.  

Still, we have the Enemy Nation.  How to eradicate this fecklessness from our national psyche?  As always, gotta take the anti-stupid pill; gotta question without blinders on; gotta Be The Enemy.

                                                                                Irene

 

All Right, I Was Wrong, or Why Life is Football

    I admit it.  I was wrong.  Really, really wrong. 

    As it turns out, this guy has bigger stones than I gave him credit for:

    This guy too:

    I was wrong when I said they should both be run out of town at point of flaming pitchfork.

    I was wrong when I said that both of them had left a tarnished legacy of almost-successful seasons, and nearly-won games. 

    Most importantly, I was wrong when I thought this season was finished before it was halfway over.  I was wrong to give up on The Birds.  I am a bad fan.

    Granted, I wasn't alone in my thoughts.  I had plenty of support.  I lost so much interest in the season that after they lost to Washington (Much to the delight of SVP Irene Adler), I completely gave up on them and did not bother tuning in for the season-ending game against Dallas.  Why?  Because I was under the impression that they could not possibly make the playoffs; also, that I was certain they would turn in performances of their lifetime, just to make certain we brought them back NEXT year, and went through all this mess again.

    To hell with it, I said.  Let them eat cake!

    After the first quarter, Agent Provacateur called me and told me how the Eagles were kicking the snot out of the Cowboys.  Whoop dee doo, I said. 

    They can still get in the playoffs, she said. 

    And they did, crushing the much-hated, much-egoed, much-overrated Cowboys, and moving onto the Playoffs.  They have subsequently smashed the Vikings, and taken out the defending Superbowl champion NY Giants. 

    I used to say that Terrell Owens had more heart in his little finger than Donovan McNabb had even after you tossed his Chunky Soup Lovin' mama into the equation.  I wrote about how T.O. showed up ready to compete in our Superbowl appearance, while Donnie Mac was punking on the sidelines. 

    And you know what?  I take that back too. 

    Donovan McNabb, from the tops of the vaunted towers of Enemy Blog International Headquarters, I salute you as a warrior, a competitor, and a leader.  You have shown more heart these past few weeks than I gave you credit for, sir, and I am proud to have you lead my beloved Birds.

    Andy...I submit that in the past thirty seconds you've forgotten more about football than I will ever know in my life.  Whoops, another thirty seconds just went past, there goes an equal amount of my knowledge of the pigskin.  That being said, even I, in my limited understanding, know that you make some crazy calls sometimes.  I didn't see any in this game, but that may be a result of me not knowing them when I saw them.  Just do me a favor, as we march forward to battle it out for the NFC Championship, cut all us a break and run the damn ball

    And to this guy.  I don't even have to say his name.  You know him:

   Here's a guy who gives it his all every game.  He just pulls the facemask down and sets to obliterating the competition. 

    I just had a long discussion with a few trusted co-workers about some people we know who EXPECT things to come to them, whether it's because of their seniority, their expectations of what they are entitled to, or that they can run around bad-mouthing other people better than anyone else. 

    Something tells me the Big Dog wouldn't understand that mentality.  Something tells me that the Big Dog just shows up to work each day looking for how he can contribute and give his all.  If you can't understand that, then I feel sorry for you. 

    Football teaches us about life. 

    It teaches us that sometimes you need to punt the ball away because it is the right thing to do, even when you desperately want to go for it.  You do it because it is the right thing to do, and as long as you stick to the system, it will all work out.  

    It teaches us that sometimes, you are at third and goal, and the other team is lined up to do everything everything in their power to keep you from breaking across the goal line.  It is in those moments in our lives that we have to dig deep down and race headlong into the fray.  

    It also teaches us that no matter how big a star we are, it is meaningless if the team is not successful.  You might not have as big a part as you'd like, but think how often a game is won by the Special Teams Unit?  You might not be an eligible receiver, but that doesn't mean you can't block and tackle and screen and strip and a million other things that help win the game.  

    I look at the people on my "team" and I think how much ass we'd kick if we all worked together.   

    This situation with the Eagles was so important to me that I actually broke my promise to abstain from making new EB entries while I am working on another project. 

    That being said, this might be the last one you see from me for a little bit.  But, that doesn't mean I'm going to let the site go dark.  Hell no.

    I'm excited to announce that we'll be having some very special guest authors in the upcoming future.  People I've personally selected to contribute to The Enemy Blog based on their unique life experiences or special knowledge. 

    I will still be overseeing the entries, and probably weighing in on them at length, but for now, I live solely in the gaslit streets of 19th Century London, and it's hard for me to break out of that mind set.  Trust me, though, when everything comes to light that I've been up to, you are going to bug out. 

    Stay tuned, True Believers. 

    And Go Eagles!!!!!

Men In Masks: He F***ING Destroys Evil!

 

    Maybe it's because I only know a few Real Life Super Hero's that I tend to assign them archetypes.  The archetypes I give them are basically based on whomever I meet first. 

    Super Hero is definitely an archetype.  He's an unmasked community servant who spends as much time smiling and making people feel good as he does patrolling in his Corvette, listening to his scanner.

    On the othe side of the equation is Master Legend.  ML is quite different from SH, in that nothing seems to make him happier than "busting up crack heads," but he still has a large focus on community projects, such as: cutting trees up that block roadways during hurricanes, etc.  Of course, ML wears a mask, and will gladly tell you about his experiences with the supernatural that gifted him with special abilities.  Magic, if you will.

    And then, there is Tothian. 

    I admit, when I first came across him, I thought he was just a punk ass kid.  He'd say nutty things, like, "I fu**ing DESTROY evil."  A lot.  I didn't quite know how to take him. 

    Over time, though, the kid grew on me.  At the tender age of 23, he has firmly established himself as one of the senior RLSH members, standing at the forefront of the entire cultural movement.  Since last year, Tothian has founded and has since spent a year as President of the Heroes Network.

    As I interview him, the RLSH community is in a place I never expected to see it.  The front page.  There have been numerous articles and news pieces on the RLSH's as of late, and not all of it has been kind.  In particular, my old friends at Fox News used their typical smarmy, scummy, pandering, elitist, inflammatory style of "broadcasting" to really kick these guys (and girls) in the nuts (or ladyparts.). 

    So as I sit down with Tothian to talk about his role in the community, remember, I'm talking about the future of Real Life Super Heroing for a good long while.  At 23, the kid's going to be around awhile.

    THE ENEMY BLOG: Who is Tothian?  Can you give me a little background?  

    TOTHIAN: I am currently 23 years old. When I was 16, I graduated from a military school, and at 17, joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves as a Grunt/Infantry Machine Gunner. Where I served for 5 years.     

    I also have studied different forms of martial arts for some years now, my 3 main styles consisting of (but not limited to) Aikido, Muay Thai, and Stickfighting. As for my primary location, that must remain a secret. I do travel around a lot though, and meet up with other real life superheroes in the community.

    THE ENEMY BLOG: Your Myspace profile has a New York/New Jersey feel to it.  Would it be safe to say that you protect the 5 Boroughs, and Jersey?  My Senior Vice President would certainly feel more comfortable having a superhero to call on in times of emergency.

    TOTHIAN: I prefer not to give too many details on the exact locations I patrol, especially since I travel around out of state a lot, to meet up with other real life superheroes. My focus is not on protecting on only one general area, but rather on doing my part to protect people everywhere.

    THE ENEMY BLOG: All right, then, who is Tothian as a hero?  What does he do, what is his target audience, so to speak?  Crime buster, or helper of little old ladies crossing the street?  

    TOTHIAN: I do not consider myself a crimefighter, since I am not a cop and it is not my job to enforce the law. I can't call myself a hero. I can only do what I can to try to be heroic. It's up to others if they consider me a hero. I am a Warrior and a Protector.

    I fight the evildoers who harm the innocent and defenseless. I'm out to save lives. Even if it means giving up my own life in the process. If I die doing this, I'll die with no regrets. I just want everyone to know that.

 

       THE ENEMY BLOG: What do you mean by dying?

 

    TOTHIAN: I mean exactly what you think I mean.

       THE ENEMY BLOG: Have you ever been in any situations where you think that might be a possibility? What is your closest call in terms of being Tothian?

 

    TOTHIAN: Yes. My entire life, since I was no older than 5 years old, I thought I would die shortly after my 23rd birthday, in 2008. So about a year ago, Zimmer did a past life hypnosis with me, half of which was done over the phone, and the other half of it done online. He was trying to help me see why my entire life, I thought I would die then. Not only did I see how I was killed in a past life (another story all together), but I also saw clear as day how I was going to die in this life. May 22nd, 2008.

    I was gonna save a kid from getting hit by a car, thus getting hit in the process, and bleeding to death minutes later. So, being absolutely sure I was going to die that night, I went out on patrol that night anyway. I knew I had to save this kid's life. I didn't care that I was going to die. That night, I did stop a kid from getting hit by a car. I don't think he had any idea what would've happened if I wasn't there though, because it all happened so quickly.

    It was exactly the same scenery like how I foresaw it happening. But I believe that in knowing that, that I was able to subconsciously prevent it.

    

    THE ENEMY BLOG: What would you consider an evil doer to be?

 

  TOTHIAN: People who look to cause harm upon others, with little or no regard to how it will affect their lives. Those who steal from others are evil. Those who rape or molest innocent women and children.

 

    THE ENEMY BLOG: How do you find them?

 

    TOTHIAN: I patrol various locations, paying attention to everything and everyone around me. Doing my duty to make sure that those around me are safe. Sometimes, they can be found anywhere. You never know exactly when and where they will be, or what they will do.

    I believe that RLSH's should be ready for anything and everything that comes their way. That's what I do.

 

    THE ENEMY BLOG: How do you fight them?

 

    TOTHIAN: My primary focus is on protecting others. I only fight if it's absolutely necessary to protect or defend myself or other people. I have martial arts training, too. So I can handle myself pretty well.

 

    THE ENEMY BLOG: Give me a couple examples of being a warrior, and being a protector.

    TOTHIAN: Being a Warrior is something that many people will compare to being a Fighter. But a Fighter is someone who is judged by how well he or she can fight. A Warrior is judged by what he fights for, and how honorably he fights for it. It doesn't matter how well you can fight, as long as you can stick to what you believe in, and not be tempted by greed, power, fame, money, or glory.

    However, training one's self as much as they can, should be a huge focus for Heroes. Being a Protector means dedicating our lives to keeping others safe from harm or danger, regardless of the consequences. Stepping outside our own bubbles of safety to keep others in their's.

    THE ENEMY BLOG: How long have you been hero-ing?

    TOTHIAN: My entire life. It was something I always just knew I had to do, from as early on as I could possibly remember. It became second nature, to the point where it's not even a job, it's just a way of life for me. But to give you a more specified answer, I started patrolling when I was 5 years old. I used to carry around a stick and that was my weapon back then.

    THE ENEMY BLOG: How long have you been in the Tothian uniform?

    TOTHIAN: I can't give you an exact time. Since in one way or another, I've had a uniform for years. But I improve it more over time, where I see necessary.

 

    THE ENEMY BLOG: I understand always being on alert and always being a force for good, but how long have you actually been going on standard patrols.  

    TOTHIAN: Age 5.

 

    THE ENEMY BLOG: All right.  Can you at least tell me what are your patrols like?  How long do they last?  How many neighborhoods do you go to?  Do you go by foot, by car, by bus?  Plane, train or bobsled?

 

    TOTHIAN: I consider myself on patrol the second I leave my house, in uniform or not. My phone is usually on, and I'm ready to help out where I am needed. But when I go out for the primary purpose of patrolling, that can last anywhere from a few hours, to all night. I try to make it my point to never set patterns in times, routes, or locations, or methods of travelling. Be it by walking, bike, car, or public transportation. I do it all.

    THE ENEMY BLOG: What influenced you to get started?

    TOTHIAN: I was abused at a very early age. What that did, was give me this urge to dedicate my life to protecting others from danger or harm, so others don't have to live through the kind of crap that I lived through. That is why I am so f**king passionate about destroying evil. I did find out about fictional superheroes at a very early age. I always had this theory that it could be done in real life. So that's what I did.

    THE ENEMY BLOG: How exactly does one destroy evil? Please be specific.

 

    TOTHIAN: Many ways. You can fight off an attacker from a victim, kick their ass, scare them to not ever want to do it again, or send them to jail. If it's a Terrorist who is killing people and there is no other way to save them other than to kill that Terrorist, then I'm all about killing that Terrorist. The punishment must fit the crime.

    But at the same time, if you can destroy the evil 'within' someone, instead of destroying that person who 'is' evil, than you accomplished a great act of heroism. Make others not want to be evil. But when that fails, I feel that one of the greatest evils in this world is to sit idly by and let other's do evil. So a Hero must take the courage and initiative to stand up and do the right thing. Always.

 

    THE ENEMY BLOG: In your years as an RLSH, what advances have you seen the movement make? 

     TOTHIAN: I've been doing this years before there was an RLSH Community. There've been a few of us who have been operating at a time before the internet became big and popular, many of us thinking we were the only ones doing this. But when we all started coming together online, after making ourselves known, networking, getting to know each other, updating each other with what's went on in our training and on our patrols, showing pictures of us in our uniforms out on patrol, our weapons, our gear, all of that.     

    We all got to know each other well, and became good friends and comrades. Over time, it started to be that more of us would teach and learn from each other. There are RLSH's who have served in many jobs that while not defining them as real life superheroes, they do contribute to their skills. Such as Police, Military, Homeland Security, First Aid, Red Cross, Firefighters, and other useful job skills. So when you now got so many skills all put together in one community, and we all work together, we all become more advanced and smarter as a whole.

    Those of us who have been doing this a while are better trained mentally and physically, and also with more useful gadgets and stuff. We're able to offer our advice to the newer RLSH's out there. And there've been some RLSH meet ups already, and there will continue to be more.

    THE ENEMY BLOG: Let’s say I’m interested in getting into the RLSH world.  What do I need to do, what do I need to know, where do I need to go, what do I need to get?

 

    TOTHIAN: While many of us create a superheroic identity, with a name and uniform, that is not what defines us as real life superheroes. It's what we do that matters most. The Heroes Network is where most of the real life superhero community goes to communicate with each other. Heroes Network On there, you'll find a listing of the entire real life superhero community, a forum for RLSH's, RLSH's-in-training, and some RLSH Support. A public myspace group, a frappr map, and a few other useful links. But it's up to the individual to decide why they want to do this. What they hope to accomplish. What drives them toward wanting to do good. What they consider the worst type of evil in this world.

    Questions like that, are what potential future RLSH's should ask themselves first, before living this lifestyle, and operating in this line of work.

    THE ENEMY BLOG: What RLSH organizations are you involved with?  

    TOTHIAN: The Heroes Network. It's not so much a team or organization, but rather the primary network of communication within the real life superhero community. I do like to network with everyone in the RLSH Community though. (Thus, the name 'Heroes Network', ha) I have met up and patrolled with Team Justice, which is located in Florida and includes Master Legend, Superhero, Amazonia, The Symbiote, and The Disabler.

    THE ENEMY BLOG: How many people belong to the Heroes Network? Is this the Superhero Registry I keep hearing about on the news?

 

    TOTHIAN: No. The World Superhero Registry is a disgustingly inaccurate, outdated website. I spoke to Kevlex, the guy who runs it, since he doesn't communicate with the RLSH Community that much, but I do on pretty much a daily basis. So I know them well.     

    I gave him some advice to help him fix it up a bit. He didn't respond to me for nearly 5 months, and when he did, he refused to make the accurate changes to give it the credibility it needed. He also admitted to me that he lies to the media, because it helps keep his identity secret. If you want proof, look at the media he's gotten in the past 4 years. It lists him anywhere as young as 36, or as old as 48. It's fine that some RLSH's may want to be more (or less) secretive than others, but lying is a no-no. The more preferable method would be to not give out information we don't want known.

    There is no reason for any of us to 'lie'. I found pretty much every single RLSH in our community, and made a listing with all of them. When I was the HN President for 2 years, I kept it updated on a semi-daily basis. New RLSH's, some who might change their name, email address, or myspace url. He copied all the names about a year and a half ago, minus the email addresses and myspace URL's, and has not updated that since.

    I don't like bashing others, but I hate ignorant people, and liars. And I feel it's my duty to expose that.

    THE ENEMY BLOG: You recently gave up the position of President of Hero's Network.  Who set up the rules?  Is it a voted position?  

    TOTHIAN: I created it 2 years ago. My Vice President (I decided to let the HN elect our VP) and I discussed the option of letting the community select who would get to run the HN. We knew that such a decision is what the RLSH Community lacked in the past. We wanted to give it such an option. I called for an election in late 2007, but nobody wanted to run for that position, and everyone wanted me to stay. So I waited another year. And then I decided not to run.

    I already accomplished my part. I created it, and gathered everyone there. I felt it was time for a new leader with new ideas. Zimmer was elected our new President, and Nyx as the Vice President. I, however, remain the Founder, which is not a leadership position or anything, just a title.

    THE ENEMY BLOG: What does the President do? 

    TOTHIAN: The President of the Heroes Network has various duties. Representing the HN as a symbol of Leadership, both within our community, and to the public. Accepting or denying new registrations into the Heroes Network. Appointing Moderators and Leaders of Departments within the HN, such as the Oracle Team, Public Affairs, Creative Fundraising, and DOGS(Department of Global Security). Setting up chatroom meetings, conference calls, and hopefully soon to be more meetups.

    There's also the Vice President, who acts as an assistant to the President, and helps out where-ever the President needs them to. And obviously, assumes the Presidency in death or resignation of the President, or as Acting President in their absence. But then again, this is a new administration we have now. Which means new ideas. 

    THE ENEMY BLOG: What, exactly, does the Oracle Team do?  What are the DOGS and what do they do?   Are these just conceptual ideas?

    TOTHIAN: The Oracle Team is a team I founded to be sanctioned by the Heroes Network as it's own department that deals with those interested in the paranormal. They train in psychic abilities for the primary purpose of saving lives. DOGS (The HN Department of Global Security) is a new position created by the new HN President, Zimmer. If you have any further questions about them, ask Zimmer. It's all in his hands now.

 

    THE ENEMY BLOG: Tell me about your gear.  How much of it did you build?  How do you find materials?  Did you buy any? 

    TOTHIAN: As of New Years, 2009, I have an updated version of my suit, which consists of:

-Black slip-resistant combat boots
-Black cargo pants
-Knee & shin pads
-Black underarmor shirt, with symbol painted on it
-Elbow pads & arm bracers
-Sap Gloves
-Utility belt, consisting of extendable baton, handcuffs, hearing amplification device, cigarettes & lighter, and cellphone with headset. Occasionally my extendable nunchucks, too.

    THE ENEMY BLOG:  ….cigarettes and lighter?  Cigarettes and lighter!  For real?  Smoking is a part of your uniform??  That is hysterical.  Do a lot of RLSH’s smoke?  I never even thought of that. 

    

    TOTHIAN: I wouldn't say it was a part of my uniform, but I do like to smoke cigarettes. A lot. And yes, some RLSH's do smoke.

    THE ENEMY BLOG: But seriously…about the hearing amplification device.  If you were caught using that in certain parts of the country it could result in some pretty serious legal ramifications for violating the wiretap act.  Further, sap gloves, batons, nunchaku, all qualify as prohibited offensive weapons in a lot of states.  How do you get around that? 

 

    TOTHIAN: I usually don't carry weapons on me very much, especially in states where they are not legal. It's not needed, since from my training, I myself am a weapon. And I don't use the hearing amplification device to spy on people. I only use them on patrols if it's a situation where I feel it's necessary to save someone's life.

 

    THE ENEMY BLOG: Ever had any negative run-ins with the police?

 

    TOTHIAN: I'm not a criminal or bad guy, so no. I have ran in to some good cops, and bad cops, but when they saw that I was once a Marine, and just out to help, they didn't bother me. I even gave the police some information on where drugs were being sold, after some drug dealers were trying to sell to me one night on patrol, in a very dangerous town in New Jersey.

    From the time I spent being a Marine, I have grown a lot of respect for Cops - especially the good ones. I feel like I can understand them, the stresses of their job, and what they have to go through. So I treat them with respect, and they usually are very respectful in return.

 

    THE ENEMY BLOG: What do you see the RLSH's place in society as in the new year?  The next decade? 

    TOTHIAN: We're only going to grow larger and larger, as we already are. I won't even try to guess what will happen from there though.


    THE ENEMY BLOG: Has all the recent publicity helped or hurt the RLSH movement?

    TOTHIAN: In my personal opinion, I think since we receive media, it let's the world know that people like us exist. And that it is possible to do this in real life. So they can come to us and we all work with them. It's good for networking.

    The more people that 'do' know about us, the more that 'will' know about us. The only problem with the media is that they misinterpret things about us, a lot. It's one thing to hate us, but please understand that we would rather be hated for what we are, than loved for what we are not. And it's even worse to be hated for what you are not. But either way, we will continue doing what we do regardless.

    I do believe that people are becoming so much more understanding and accepting of real life superheroes, because they're starting to see that we're doing this because we actually give a damn.

 

    His name is Tothian.  He destroys evil. 

 

Serial Killer Contest

    Attention, everyone who knows anything about serial killers.  I mean ANYTHING.  I don't care if you read a book in tenth grade.  Any body, that knows any thing.

    The contest is this:

    The first person who can find me information about a modern serial killer who exhibited the following behaviour wins: One who removed specific (to him, not to me) internal organs from his victim's, and why he did it. 

    In a pinch, I will accept informaiton on external body parts, but I really need info on the internal ones. 

    The information has to be of the following nature: An interview with the killer; a psychological profile; a forensic profile; a case study compiling all of the above.  Fictional serial killers do not count.  Websites that simply talk about a killer who did this does not count.  I need accurate, scientific, documented info. 

    If you win, the prize will be...something completely awesome once I think of it.  Promise.  For now, I am throwing this out there in hopes that somebody comes charging in on a white knight to save your Friendly Neighborhood Enemy. 

    I need this info, like, yesterday. 

    Either leave your entry as a comment, or email me at: BtheEnemy@comcast.net

    Thanks!!!!