THE CROSSFIRE ACADEMY FOR SUPERHEROES

CFA SITE OF THE WEEK: THE FREECYCLE NETWORK

2012-01-01T18:43:00.000-08:00

Since it was mentioned on the show today I wanted to present some information about Freecycle.org. If you are working with people who need furniture, clothing, or other items you cannot find a better resource than Freecycle. You can also pass on usable items that you no longer need or want through Freecycle to people who can use them.

http://www.freecycle.org/

(From their website)

The mission of Freecycle.org is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community.

On May 1st, 2003, Deron Beal sent out the first e-mail announcing The Freecycle Network™ to about 30 or 40 friends and a handful of nonprofits in Tucson, Arizona. At the time Deron founded The Freecycle Network, he worked with a small nonprofit organization, RISE, which provides recycling services to downtown businesses and transitional employment to Tucsonans in need.

As the team recycled, rather than watching perfectly good items being thrown away, they found themselves calling or driving around to see if various local nonprofits could use them. Thinking there had to be an easier way, Beal set up that first Freecycle e-mail group in a way that permitted everyone in Tucson to give and to get. Freecycle was off and running.

The Freecycle concept has since spread to over 85 countries, where there are thousands of local groups representing millions of of members -- people helping people and 'changing the world one gift at a time.' As a result, we are currently keeping over 500 tons a day out of landfills! This amounts to five times the height of Mt. Everest in the past year alone, when stacked in garbage trucks!

By giving freely with no strings attached, members of The Freecycle Network help instill a sense of generosity of spirit as they strengthen local community ties and promote environmental sustainability and reuse. People from all walks of life have joined together to turn trash into treasure.

RLSH ONE YEAR FITNESS CHALLENGE: PHASE TWO

2011-12-27T03:43:00.000-08:00

BASIC TRAINING

I realized today that its time to post an update on the RLSH ONE YEAR FITNESS CHALLENGE. I have heard great reports from one or two of the participants. I myself am not pleased with my progress, but thats mostly due to health concerns that have slowed me down. I am ready to move into the next phase of this challenge.

In other words its time for BASIC TRAINING! The Boot Camp phase of this challenge begins in just a few days!

The benchmarks for the second phase of the RLSH ONE YEAR FITNESS CHALLENGE are divided into two categories: Calisthenics and Roadwork.

Benchmarks in the first phase were designed to prepare us for this phase. Now the goals are more direct. Instead of a simple two minutes of a particular exercise we have a number of reps to complete. The numbers will start out small and increase each week. Its probably a good idea to try and do more than the maximum whenever possible to help build up to the next week’s goal.

Calisthenics: Push Ups, Set Ups, Jumping Jacks, Flutter Kicks, Crunches, and Chin Ups are assigned minimum acceptable and goal. (Example: 5/10 means a goal of 10 but 5 is acceptable.)

Roadwork: Walk, march, speed walk, jog, or run the assigned mileage within in the desired time. (Example: 1 Mile/20 Min means 1 mile in less than 20 minutes.)

Week 14: Dec 31-Jan 6

Calisthenics: 5/10

Roadwork: 1 Mile/Untimed

Week 15: Jan 7-Jan 13

Calisthenics: 7/15

Roadwork: 1 Mile/20 Minutes

Week 16: Jan 14- Jan 20

Calisthenics: 10/20

Roadwork: 1 Mile/19 Minutes

Week 17: Jan 21- Jan 27

Calisthenics: 12/25

Roadwork: 1 Mile/18 Minutes

Week 18: Jan 28 – 3 Feb

Calisthenics: 15/30

Roadwork: 1 Mile/14-18 Minutes

Week 19: Feb 4 – Feb 10

Calisthenics: 17/35

Roadwork: 1.25 Miles/20 Minutes

Week 20: Feb 11 – Feb 17

Calisthenics: 20/40

Roadwork: 1.25 Miles/18 Minutes

Week 21: Feb 18 – Feb 24

Calisthenics: 25/45

Roadwork: 1.5 Miles/20 Minutes

Week 22: Feb 25 – Mar 2

Calisthenics: 30/50

Roadwork: 1.5 Miles/18 Minutes

Week 23: Mar 3 – Mar 9

Calisthenics: 35/55

Roadwork: 1.75 Miles/20 Minutes

Week 24: Mar 10 – Mar 16

Calisthenics: 40/60

Roadwork: 1.75 Miles/18 Minutes

Week 25: Mar 17 – Mar 23

Calisthenics: 43-65

Roadwork: 1.75 Miles/14-18 Minutes

Week 26: Mar 24 – Mar 30

Calisthenics: 45/70

Roadwork: 2 Miles/20 Minutes

2011-11-13T17:23:00.001-08:00

I wanted to share the montage I played today on the show as a tribute to all the great people who have joined me on the show this past year.

In order of appearance...Amazonia, Anonyman, Artisteroi, Brandy Roseth (The mother of Power Boy), Myself (speaking about Dr martin Luther King Jr), Captain Australia, Captain Black, Civitron, Tonya Kay (aka Creature), Me again, Danger Man, Dangerwoman, Geist, Golden Valkyrie, Kitty Crafton Burton of Heart Heroes, Valerie Finnigan of Heroes Fallen Studios, Knight Owl, Lunar Veil, Midnite Detective, Phoenix Jones, The Patriot, Peter Tangen, Pheris, Razorhawk, Silver Sentinel, Stormbringer, Superhero, Tea Krulos, Thantos the Avenger, The Eye, The Fox of Albany, Treesong, UrbanAvenger, Zetaman, and Gene Wilder as Wille Wonka.

CLASS OF 2011 TEE SHIRT CONTEST

2011-11-02T01:02:00.000-07:00

The entries have been collected and the voting has begun to select the official "SUPERHERO ACADEMY CLASS OF 2011" tee shirts.

These shirts will be offered for sale in the next couple of weeks (barring any unforeseen delays) and the profits from the sale will be used to pay Blog Talk Radio the premium rate so that we can return our show to its one hour format. Any additional profits will be donated to HEART HEROES to purchase capes for children with congenital diseases of the heart.

So here are some of the designs we have...If you want to vote, simply go to the link below and "like" your favorite designs in the photo album. All the photos are there.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/groups/252501304777045/

I will be making a female version of this one also

This one is for the RLSH One Year Fitness Challenge

This is a work in progress...I hope to make it into a tee shirt eventually

I like this one, but we cant use it due to use of licensed characters

Heres a neat one...everyone loves that closing theme...LOL

This is pretty good too...needs finished up but definately a good design.

DROP ZONE UPDATE

2011-10-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

As of this morning I am down from 385 to 380...Thats just just a small amount of weight loss so far...BUT...I have reduced my waist from 64" to 58 1/2 " and that amounts to a reduction of 5 1/2 inches...AND...that brings me from 43% to 36% body fat!

And I have recieved reports of about five or six more people who have taken up the challenge...The ones who are doing are reporting that they HATE pushups but are generally feeling better AND that the small weekly goals are easy enough to achieve that nobody is feeling that dread or depression that comes with most exercise programs.

Small steps...small victories...thats the plan!

I say the first couple weeks of the RLSH ONE YEAR WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE is a success and Im looking forward to seeing more victories!

CFtC

SUPERHERO ACADEMY CLASS OF 2011 TEE SHIRT CONTEST!

2011-10-14T23:41:00.000-07:00

I am currently accepting design submissions for the official SUPERHERO ACADEMY CLASS OF 2011 tee shirt.

These tee shirts are going to be sold to raise money to take the radio show to premium level thereby regaining our ability to host the show for an hour (or more) instead of the half hour format we are locked into at this time.

Anything we make above and beyond that amount will be dedicated to HEART HEROES to buy capes for children with congenital disease of the heart. These capes help the kids find their inner superhero and that gives them strength to face the mighty challenges they have ahead of them.

I will also accept designs for an official RLSH ONE YEAR FITNESS CHALLENGE tee shirt.

I am planning to have the tee shirts made locally to keep costs down. I have a person who can make them as needed so we won't have to maintain a massive inventory of these and we can always guarantee they will be available.

Designs should be simple - preferably one color - to make it easier to adapt the design to different color shirts.

All submitted designs will be posted on our facebook group and voted on. After that I will set up a page to present the finished product and pricing.

Please email your designs to crossfire_the_crusader@live.com.

Thank You

CFtC

The Concentric Circles of Influence for the RLSH

2011-10-08T01:16:00.000-07:00

If you've never studied the concept of concentric circles of influence then you probably had to stop and scratch your head for a moment when you read the title of this blog. This concept has been used to teach everything from door-to-door sales to church ministry to college planning. And, aside from its overly extended name, its a pretty simple concept that we could all benefit from if we learned how to apply it.

Basically, the circles represent the areas in which we have influence, and place them in order based on the amount of influence we have in a given area. Understanding these areas in our lives allows us to focus our efforts in the areas most likely to have the greatest impact.

Thats right...I said IMPACT!

(I love that word)

I first learned of this when I was an insurance agent. We studied something called "target marketing" and the concentric circles was used to show how we could TARGET our marketing better.

Notice how it looks like a target?

Well, the idea - just like shooting a target - is to get as close to center as possible. The closer you are to center, the higher your score or the greater your impact will be.

As an RLSH, our concentric circles are not that different than anyone else. We may dress weird, do things that others consider crazy, and live in a world one step from complete fantasy, but we still seek to impact the world around. It doesnt matter if you choose to be a charity hero or a crimefighter, this is a way you can focus your efforts in the areas they will do the most good.

So lets talk about the circles.

CENTER CIRCLE

In the bullseye of our target is a mirror. The center of the concentric circles is always ME. Not me, as in Crossfire, but ME as in the person you see in the mirror everyday.

The one area you will have the most ability to affect is yourself...and thats one area you should never neglect. Before you can impact the world around you, you have to be sure that YOU are well taken care of.

You can't feed the homeless if you are unable to feed yourself.

You can't fight crime if you are unable to protect yourself.

You cant be effective at anything if you let your own self fall to pieces.

In other words...charity starts at home.

This is one of the things I've personally had to face recently and one of the reasons for the current happenings in THE DROP ZONE. The ONE YEAR FITNESS CHALLENGE is one step in my own effort to IMPACT the center circle of my concentric circles.

You need to consider your physical fitness and health before you begin looking for ways to serve others. Make sure you are eating enough...Exercise daily...Get plenty of rest...take time to relax also...An hour or two every week devoted to a hobby can help you more than you will ever know.

And aside from just doing the things necessary to maintain your good health, you need to do things to improve yourself...read a book...take a college course...take martial arts classes...Invest some time in making YOU more prepared for the world around you.

It is very important to make sure YOU are taken care of...because if you neglect yourself, then eventually you will be unable to help anyone else.

And don't put your RLSH activities ahead of your job or career. You need that career to support your activities and your life. You don't have to set at your desk and ignore a crime going on outside your window - you aren't Bob Parr and this isn't The Incredibles - but you don't want to walk away from a good job just to patrol.

Remember - you can't help anyone else if you can't help yourself.

The next thing you need to consider in the center circle is being prepared.

Make sure you have the proper equipment for what you are planning to do when you step into that next circle. If you are going to be doing something dangerous, then have the appropriate body armor or equipment. Make sure your vehicle is running. Make sure your equipment is maintained properly.

And part of being prepared is planning things out.

If you are going into an area to patrol at night, walk that area in the daylight first. Ask yourself where criminals might hide to ambush their victims. Look for ways to escape if things get out of control. Make note of terrain features that might cause problems at night.
When you return that night, you will find it much easier to patrol if you know the area already.

Let me give an example of WHY this is a good idea.

Several years ago I was working security at a hospital. One of the posts I worked was a building that was under construction. The building had no lights and I would have to navigate through a maze of tools, supplies, and half finished projects every night using just my mini mag light to make sure the building was secure.

One night I was making my rounds with the flashlight on the ground watcing for trip hazards when I walked into a piece of duct work that was hanging low in the center of the room. The workers left it dangling about 5 feet off the ground at the end of the day which put it right at face level for me. I was moving at a pretty good pace when I smashed into this duct with my face. My feet kept going and my back met the hard concrete floor before I realized what had happened.

After regaining my senses, I finished my rounds and went back to the security office. My partner then informed me that I had blood on my face. They checked me out and found no major injury, just a minor scrape that bled a little. I did a report about the accident/injury and wrote it in the pass-down log.

Later that night my partner was making rounds in the same building and almost ran into the same duct. The only reason he missed was because he KNEW to watch for it. He knew what had happened to me and still almost ran into it.

Had I known to watch for it, I might not have crashed into it that night.

Now imagine if you were trying to run away from or after someone in the dark and you didnt know about a particular obstacle...You don't want to run face first into a low hanging duct during a life or death situation.

Research crime rates in the areas you are partolling. Know the bar schedules. Keep a list of emergency numbers in your cell phone.

And most of all...let someone know where you are. If something bad happens then someone needs to know where to start looking for you.

SECOND CIRCLE

The next circle is your FAMILY. This includes people you are related to by blood and those friends who are close enough to be blood. These are the people who if they were any closer you would have to share the same skin. Not all relatives are found in the second circle, nor are all friends.

These are the people who know all your deepest secrets.

When you are trying to save the world, these are the people you think of first: Your parents, your spouse, your children, your siblings, & your closest friends

The decision between helping your second circle and someone else should be simple. This might mean cancelling a patrol because your child is sick. It might mean taking a few weeks off from RLSh activities because a parent is in the hospital. I might mean postponing something for an hour so you can go help your best friend when his junky old car leaves him stranded somewhere.

When you put these people first in your priorities, they will return the favor...And that helps YOU to be better able to do what it is that you do.

THIRD CIRCLE

The third circle is two parts: 1) - your extended freinds and family & 2) Your neighborhood

These are people you have a bond with in some way. Distant relative, old friends, acquantances, former co-workers, and neighbors are people with whom you have a mild familiarity if not a strong relationship. However, this minor connection gives you an opening to be helpful to them.

Imagine an elderly person falls down in front of you. You rush to their aid, but they refuse and possibly become combattive because they don't know you. I've had it happen to me.

Now imagine that same person falls, but someone else rushes up to them and offers to help...only this time its someone they know. "You're Bob's son?" The elderly person says as they are helped back to their feet.

The connection here allows you a little more freedom than a complete stranger.

The neighborhood is included in this because the connection between you and where you live is just as important. You live there and as a result you become familiar with things there. You know which cars belong and which ones do not. You know the people who live there. Its the easiest area to learn because you are always there.

It was this familiarity that led to my stopping a murder attempt last year...Hows that for IMPACT.

FOURTH CIRCLE AND BEYOND

The fourth circle would be the city and county in which you live. This is where you reach random people, but still have a familiarity with the area.

The fifth circle would be the counties surrounding you. These are areas you are less familiar with, but still close enough to make a difference occasionally

The sixth circle is your state...or a states sized area around where you reside. For example - a RLSH in Texarkana Arkansas would count parts of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma in his sixth circle. When you start spreading out into these areas you are going to be in areas that are sometimes familiar but often times not. This is an area where you will face more problems and have less ability to make a difference.

the seventh circle would be your nation - You still have some freedom to operate in your own country...Your influence here is probably not that great...and your efforts here are not going to gather results nearly as fast.

And the final circle - is the rest of the world. Extending yourself beyond the borders of your nation will stretch you to amazing lengths. Your impact on these areas will most likely not be very great. It will take a great deal of difficulty to make a difference at this level.

And there you have it...my thoughts on the Concentric Circles of Influence for an RLSH

CFtC

DROP ZONE - here we go

2011-10-02T08:10:00.001-07:00

Crossfire's numbers for the week:

Weight 385
Bodyfat 43%

Range for best health at my age:

Weight 130-185
Bodyfat 11-22%

CFtC

DROP ZONE...READY...SET...GO!

2011-10-01T03:19:00.000-07:00

Today is the big day...DAY 1 of the ONE YEAR FITNESS CHALLENGE.

Our goal by next Saturday is to be able to do 30 seconds of push ups, 30 seconds of sit ups, 30 seconds of jumping jacks, and a five minute walk. This week is as easy as it gets...it gets tougher each week after
this.

This is a no fly zone...use of super powers is prohibited

Dont forget to weigh in today...how else will we know how much weight we lose...I'll post my weight as soon as I get home in the morning.

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Bonus pic today: Here is an example of what Im calling a "reverse flutter kick" The article I clipped it from calls it a "superman." I think that name is quite appropriate and its a very good exercise for strengthening the lower back.

UP...UP...AND AWAYYYY!

DROP ZONE: My suggestions

2011-09-28T03:24:00.000-07:00

I want to reccommend two training aids.

First I want to give two thumbs up to SKETCHER SHAPE UPS. If you have not tried these shoes, you really should...especially if you are going to be walking a lot. Without my Shape Ups I suffer from severe pain in my knees and ankles. With them I have found that my pain mostly goes away and I can do whatever I need to do without suffering. When I got mine I was working 12 hours a day 6 days a week standing on hard concrete. I shuffled in and out each day like I was an extra from the THRILLER video. The first day I was able to work the entire shift pain free. These shoes even helped me overcome my painful heel spurs. I strongly suggest everyone look into these.

(Dr. Scholls has a very similar style of shoe that is a little less expensive...its not quite as good, but the difference is barely noticeable.)

Secondly I want to offer something for anyone who may suffer from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I was diagnosed with that 15 years ago and have managed to continue working without having surgery by using these.

All you have to do is roll them in your hand. They are basically changing place with each other over and over when you do this. The motion of the exercise loosens up the damaged areas on the wrist and allows it to function properly again. When I first discovered these I was unable to support my weight to attempt a pushup. Within two weeks I was doing ten pushups a day with little or no wrist pain.

Also, they have a tiny chime inside them that is quite relaxing while meditating.

I actually have two sets - one for each hand.

Check em out...you wont be disapppointed.

DROP ZONE: Journal

2011-09-28T03:06:00.000-07:00

You will probably find it helpful to keep a journal. This will not only serve as a record of your progress, but will help you see what is and what is not working for you. It will also serve as a way to encourage yourself when you have a setback.

I would suggest recording the following things.

1) Weight (once per week)
2) Body Fat Percentage (once per week)
3) Your progress on the weekly benchmarks 4) A record of your food intake
5) Daily exercise and activity
6) Tips and ideas

Weight and Body Fat percentage are basically just recording the progress of our weight loss. The progress on the weekly benchmarks is recording our progress on physical fitness. These are the ruler to measuring our progress each week. We can look at these and see where we need to improve.

The food log is a powerful weight loss tool. When I started writing down everything I ate my weight dropped. When I stopped, I slipped back into old habits and the weight came back.

I dont reccommend "diets" as a rule. I have found that smaller portions is the best way to go. Also, try to watch how much junk foods and sodas you consume...those can put a real damper on your weight loss plans. Other than that, I personally eat whatever I want...just less of it.
Here is a chart from WebMD to help with portion control.

Keeping a record of your daily exercise and physical activity will help you identify the exercises that are working for you. This will help you overcome those plateaus that every person reaches in their fitness journey. When you know that exercise A helps you to do more pushups you can add more of that to your daily routine.

And of course you want to use your journal to record ideas and tips you get to help. If one of us learns that doing a certain exercise will help build up our shoulders for chin ups, then we can write that in the book for when we reach that plateau on our chin ups.

And please...share your successes and tips with the rest of us...we're all in this together!

DROP ZONE: Height and Weight

2011-09-28T02:49:00.000-07:00

(Due to issues with Blogger I am posting this in pieces. I attempted to put all of this into one blog and the result was a migraine and some insane drivel with formatting that I never inserted.)

The following charts are the U.S. Army Height and Weight standards.

For best results you should weigh yourself in the morning...or in the evening for those of us who are day sleepers...and should be wearing your exercise clothing without shoes.

Weight Standard for Men:

HEIGHT IN INCHES	MINIMUM WEIGHT	MAX WEIGHT AGE 17 - 20	MAX WEIGHT AGE 21 - 27	MAX WEIGHT AGE 28 - 39	MAX WEIGHT AGE 40 +
60	97	132	136	139	141
61	100	136	140	144	146
62	104	141	144	148	150
63	107	145	149	153	155
64	110	150	154	158	160
65	114	155	159	163	165
66	117	160	163	168	170
67	121	165	169	174	178
68	125	170	174	179	181
69	128	175	179	184	186
70	132	180	185	189	192
71	136	185	189	194	197
72	140	190	195	200	203
73	144	195	200	205	208
74	148	201	206	211	214
75	152	206	212	217	220
76	156	212	217	223	226
77	160	218	223	229	232
78	164	223	229	235	238
79	168	229	235	241	244
80	173	234	240	247	250

Weight Standard for Women:

HEIGHT IN INCHES	MINIMUM WEIGHT	MAX WEIGHT AGE 17 - 20	MAX WEIGHT AGE 21 - 27	MAX WEIGHT AGE 28 - 39	MAX WEIGHT AGE 40 +
58	91	119	121	122	123
59	94	124	125	126	128
60	97	128	129	131	133
61	100	132	134	135	137
62	104	136	138	140	142
63	107	141	143	144	146
64	110	145	147	149	151
65	114	150	152	154	156
66	117	155	156	158	161
67	121	159	161	163	166
68	125	164	166	168	171
69	128	169	171	173	176
70	132	174	176	178	181
71	136	179	181	183	186
72	140	184	186	188	191
73	144	189	191	194	197
74	148	194	197	199	202
75	152	200	202	204	208
76	156	205	207	210	213
77	160	210	213	215	219
78	164	216	218	221	225
79	168	221	224	227	230
80	173	227	230	233	236

DROP ZONE: Body Fat percentages

2011-09-28T02:40:00.000-07:00

Progress on our fitness journey can be measured two ways: Body fat percentage and weight loss.

The following body fat calculator uses the U.S.Navy Circumference Method where three or four body measurements are fed into a formula to estimate the percentage of your body that is made of fat.

The measurements need ot be accurate to within 0.5cm or 0.25 inches. (Centimeters tends to produce the most accurate results) and should be taken as follows:

Height: taken without shoes
Neck: taken below the larnyx sloping slightly downward at the front
Waist: for men at navel height, for women at the smallest point
Hips: (women only) at the largest point

Male Female

Body Fat Calculator
Centimetres Inches
Height:
Neck:
Waist:
Hips:
Body Fat:

These are the recommendations for body fat percentages based on World Health Organization and National Institutes of Health recommendations, and takes age into account. Please do not confuse these numbers with the BMI (Body Mass Index) scores, which are not the same thing.

Age-Adusted Body Fat Percentage recommendations for Men

Age	Underfat	Healthy Range	Overweight	Obese
20-40 yrs	Under 8%	8-19%	19-25%	Over 25%
41-60 yrs	Under 11%	11-22%	22-27%	Over 27%
61-79 yrs	Under 13%	13-25%	25-30%	Over 30%

Age-Adusted Body Fat Percentage recommendations for Women

Age	Underfat	Healthy Range	Overweight	Obese
20-40 yrs	Under 21%	21-33%	33-39%	Over 39%
41-60 yrs	Under 23%	23-35%	35-40%	Over 40%
61-79 yrs	Under 24%	24-36%	36-42%	Over 42%

DROP ZONE - 1 YEAR FITNESS PROJECT: WEEK ZERO

2011-09-26T04:21:00.000-07:00

By this time next week those of us participating in the one year fitness challenge will be starting our slow journey to health and fitness. Between now and then I will try to answer any questions we may have as to the plan.

This plan is set up using weekly benchmarks. Each week we have a set of goals that we are working toward beign able to achieve by the end of the week. For example if your Benchmark on Sunday is 10 push ups then you have to be able to do 10 push ups by Saturday of that week in order to pass the benchmark for that week. If you dont make it, you dont stop there...you just work toward the next week's goal. Everything progresses in small steps so it shouldn't be that difficult.

The reason for using this system instead of a daily "do this" kind of workout is because we are all different. We have different strengths and weaknesses and we will have different challenges to overcome as we go through this. I already know that chin ups are a problem for me, so I will have to tailor my training to compensate for that or I will not be able to make the grade in that area.

During this time we willl introduce new exercises & training tips, share success stories, and glean advice from our two online personal trainers to help us complete this journey together.

Everyone who has contacted me about the program already has the full 52 week list of benchmarks. I'm not going to share that here all at once. I will however, share the first 13 weeks of the program today. I call this the "pre-basic" training period. The purpose of this time is to train the mind so as to develop a habit of exercising and to prepare the body for more intense challenges as we move forward.

So here it is...the first quarter of our one year fitness challenge.

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ONE YEAR FITNESS CHALLENGE - PRE BASIC BENCHMARKS

Week 1: October 1-7

Push ups, Sit ups, & Jumping Jacks - as many as you can do for 30 seconds

Walk for 5 minutes

Week 2: October 8-14

Push ups, Sit ups, Jumping Jacks, & Crunches - as many as you can do for 30 seconds

Walk for 5 minutes, jog or run for 1 minute, walk for 1 minute

Week 3: October 15-21

Push ups, Sit ups, & Jumping Jacks - as many as you can do for 45 seconds

Crunches and Flutter Kicks (or Reverse Flutter Kicks) - as many as you can do for 30 seconds

Walk for 5 minutes, jog or run for 1 minute, walk for 1 minute

Week 4: October 22-28

Push ups, Sit ups, Jumping Jacks, & Crunches - as many as you can do for 45 seconds

Flutter Kicks (or Reverse Flutter Kicks), & Chin Ups - as many as you can do for 30 seconds

Walk for 5 minutes, jog or run for 1 minute 30 seconds, walk for 2 minutes

Week 5: October 29-November 4

Push ups, Sit ups, & Jumping Jacks - as many as you can do for 1 minute

Crunches and Flutter Kicks (or Reverse Flutter Kicks) - as many as you can do for 45 seconds

Chin Ups - as many as you can do for 30 seconds

Walk for 5 minutes, jog or run for 2 minutes, walk for 3 minutes

Week 6: November 5-11

Push ups, Sit ups, Jumping Jacks & Crunches - as many as you can do for 1 minute

Flutter Kicks (or Reverse Flutter Kicks) and Chin Ups- as many as you can do for 45 seconds

Walk for 5 minutes, jog or run for 2 minutes, walk for 4 minutes

Week 7: November 12-18

Push ups, Sit ups, & Jumping Jacks - as many as you can do for 1 minute 15 seconds

Crunches and Flutter Kicks (or Reverse Flutter Kicks) - as many as you can do for 1 minute

Chin Ups - as many as you can do for 45 seconds

Walk for 5 minutes, jog or run for 2 minutes, walk for 5 minutes

Week 8: November 19-25

Push ups, Sit ups, Jumping Jacks & Crunches - as many as you can do for 1 minute 15 seconds

Flutter Kicks (or Reverse Flutter Kicks) & Chin Ups - as many as you can do for 1 minute

Run 1/4 mile (walk before and after)

Week 9: November 26 - December 2

Push ups, Sit ups, &Jumping Jacks - as many as you can do for 1 minute 30 seconds

Crunches & Flutter Kicks (or Reverse Flutter Kicks) - as many as you can do for 1 minute 15 seconds

Chin Ups - as many as you can do for one minute

Run 1/4 mile (walk before and after)

Week 10: December 3-9

Push ups, Sit ups, Jumping Jacks, & Crunches - as many as you can do for 1 minute 30 seconds

Flutter Kicks (or Reverse Flutter Kicks) & Chin Ups - as many as you can do for 1 minute 15 seconds

Run 1/2 mile (walk before and after)

Week 11: December 10-16

Push ups, Sit ups, & Jumping Jacks - as many as you can do for 1 minute 45 seconds

Crunches & Flutter Kicks (or Reverse Flutter Kicks) & Chin Ups - as many as you can do for 1 minute 30 seconds

Run 1/2 mile (walk before and after)

Week 12: December 17-23

Push ups, Sit ups, Jumping Jacks, Crunches & Flutter Kicks (or Reverse Flutter Kicks) & Chin Ups - as many as you can do for 1 minute 45 seconds

Run 3/4 mile (walk before and after)

Week 13: December 24-30

Push ups, Sit ups, Jumping Jacks, Crunches & Flutter Kicks (or Reverse Flutter Kicks) & Chin Ups - as many as you can do for 2 minutes

Run 3/4 mile (walk before and after)

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Of course, the next thing I need to do is to define the exercises.

I did some research before setting down these defintions because I obviously am not a personal trainer and wanted to get it correctly.

Also, due to some discrepancy on what exactly a Flutter Kick is, I've added the option of Reverse Flutter Kick (which I prefer) to the list of exercises that was originally sent out.

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PUSH UP

Lie chest-down with your hands at shoulder level, palms flat on the floor and slightly more than shoulder-width apart, your feet together and parallel to each other.

Look forward rather than down at the floor. The first contact you make with the floor with any part of the face should be your chin, not your nose.

Keep your legs straight and your toes tucked under your feet.

Straighten your arms as you push your body up off the floor. Keep your palms fixed at the same position and keep your body straight. Try not to bend or arch your upper or lower back as you push up.

Exhale as your arms straighten out.

Pause for a moment.

Lower your body slowly towards the floor. Bend your arms and keep your palms in fixed position. Keep body straight and feet together.

Lower body until chest almost touches the floor. Try not to bend your back. Keep your knees off the floor, and inhale as you bend your arms.

Pause for a moment. Begin straightening your arms for a second push-up. Exhale as you raise your body.

SIT UP

Lie on the ground with your back to the floor.
Bend your knees into a 90 degree angle, but keep your feet on the floor.
Place your hands across your chest. Make sure to keep them there throughout the duration of the exercise.
Using your abdominal muscles, raise your upper body completely off the ground. At the peak height of the exercise, only your feet and buttocks should be touching the ground.
Lower your upper body back to the original position. Perform this movement in a slow and controlled manner.

JUMPING JACK

Stand with your arms at your sides. Be sure your feet are straight and close together. Hold your head straight, but in a comfortable position to avoid strain.

Bend your knees. Jump up while spreading your arms and legs at the same time. Lift your arms to your ears and open your feet to a little wider than shoulder width. This should all be done in a fast fluid movement.

Clap or touch your hands above your head. As you return from jumping up bring your arms back down to your sides and at the same time bring your feet back together. Continue with as many jumping jack repetitions as you can do.

CHIN UP

Reach up and grip the bar with your palms facing toward you. The bar should sit close to your fingers, rather than in the center of the palm of your hand.

Lift your feet off the ground so you are hanging from the bar with your arms fully extended. Keep your legs bent and your feet crossed.

Take a deep breath and pull yourself up toward the bar by bending your arms. Lead with your chest and keep your shoulders back.

Drive your elbows toward the floor until your chin is just above the bar.

Lower your body slowly to the original hanging position in one controlled movement by straightening your arms and keeping your legs slightly bent.

CRUNCHES

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor in front of you. Lie on an exercise mat rather than a hard floor to prevent back strain.

Position your feet as wide as your hips.

Place your hands behind your head so that your thumbs are tucked behind your ears.

Hold your elbows slightly out to the sides and keep your chin pointing upward.

Curl up and forward so that your head, neck and shoulder blades lift off the floor. Make sure you're not pulling your head forward with your hands. If your chin is making contact with your chest, the abdominal muscles aren't being used in the exercise.

Pause for a moment. Lift your head up enough so that your middle and lower back stay on the floor. Squeeze your abdominals as you pause.

Slowly lower your head, neck and shoulder blades to starting position.

Keep your knees bent, your feet in the same position and your back straight throughout the entire exercise.

FLUTTER KICK

Lie flat on your back, with your arms resting palm-down by your sides.

Lift your heels about six inches off of the floor. Keep your legs fully extended, with a slight bend in your knees.

Now, quickly move your legs up and down, alternating in small, rapid and scissor-like motions - as one leg goes up, the other comes down. Use your arms to stabilize you, but keep your lower back flat against the ground as best as you can.

Continue these motions for 5-10 seconds per rep. Keep your abdominal muscles contracted throughout the exercise - they should be doing most of the work.

REVERSE FLUTTER KICK

Lie on your stomach with your arms extended in front of you palms down.

Lift your hands and feet approximately 4-6 inches from the ground supporting all your weight on your abdomen.

Move your hands and feet up and down, alternating in small, rapid and scissor-like motions - as one arm/leg goes up, the other comes down.

Continue these motions for 5-10 seconds per rep. Keep your abdominal muscles contracted throughout the exercise

WALK/RUN

This can be walking in place, treadmill, or on the track. Walking should be quick time (standard marching pace - 120 steps per minute) and running should be double time (180 steps per minute). Walk/run will be based on time for the first few weeks and will change to a distance goal as time progresses. The idea is to be ready for a one mile run by the time we start our "basic training" in January.

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Zero Week is upon us...training starts in six days.

Everybody go ahead and weigh in. Record your weight in your journal or wherever, and if youre brave enough, share it here with us.

I also advise measuring your waist, checst, neck, biceps, hips, and anything else you are hoping to grow or shring through this process. There will be times during this when the weight does not come off, but the inches will. Knowing how much you have lost will encourage you at those times.

I will also try and locate a body fat calculation chart to share here. You will need your height, weight, and measurements for that, I am sure.

Until next time..I'll see you on the high roads

CFtC

THE DROP ZONE!

2011-09-21T04:10:00.000-07:00

BEFORE - UNFORTUNATELY

AFTER...HOPEFULLY

When I first started the radio show we had a weekly feature called THE DROP ZONE in which each week I would share my weight loss (or gain) and thereby hold myself accountable to my listeners to actually keep on my diet.

Then life went a little crazy (mixed up schedules/moving/family issues) and we lost half our show time (forcing the streamlining of the program) and the DROP ZONE got...well...dropped.

That's all about to change.

Starting October 1st I am embarking on a one year fitness experiment designed to take me from couch potato to spud muffin (pun intended) and I wont be doing it alone.

Joining me on this adventure thus far are Midnight Detective, Skyman, and Silver Sentinel...and there are a few others still out there who have been invited but have not signed on yet...AND I am issuing an open invitation to anyone else who wants to join us.

COME ON SPIDEY...YOU CAN DO IT!

This program is based loosely on military basic training. We have a thirteen week pre-basic schedule, a thirteen week intense shape up, and a 26 week advanced training to reach our ultimate fitness goals. We will have a set of weekly benchmarks to achieve and we will each have to tailor our training to help us meet those goals...and each week gets a little harder or adds something new.

I'll be keeping a food and training log and sharing the highlights of it here...and encouraging the others to share their victories here as we progress.

And I will be keeping a group weight lost tally here as well...I might even do some sort of funky pie chart or bar graph to show our success.

DONT GIVE UP CLARK...WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER

I have even enlisted the aid of our resident personal trainer Flora V Arbor to assist us with any problem areas we may encounter along the way...and we couldn't ask for a better coach.

SO...if you are one of the RLSH communities "heavy hitters" and you want to give this a try then sign up fast...we launch October 1st and you'll need your list of weekly goals.

And then its 52 weeks (or less) until Crossfire can successfully see his toes again...oh yeah!

WOW...BABS...LOOKING GOOD!

3-13-11 - KITTY GENOVESE DAY

2011-03-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

There seems to be a lot of controversy in the world of Blogger concerning KITTY GENOVESE DAY. Some people feel it should be remembered. Others feel it should not. Still others seek to find the truth of the situation amidst a sea of urban legends and yellow journalism.

Let me state my position on this...I (and visiting professor AMAZONIA) chose to do a show on Kitty Genovese this past Sunday not because of any Watchman reference - in truth I was unaware of the reference until I read it a few days ago - but because I believe we can all learn from the past.

We've done shows on the real lives of Saint Nicholas, Saint Valentine, Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Kitty Genovese because in looking at how they lived - or in Ms. Genovese case how she died - we can see the proper ways to serve the world around us.

Hindsight, as the proverb says, is 20/20 and those who forget the lessons of the past are doomed to repeat the same mistakes...therefore I stand by my decision to honor the life of Kitty Genovese on the anniversary of her death by encouraging others to be aware of the world around them and to step up when someone else is in need.

It was not a person patrolling that failed to call the police, it was the neighbors who witnessed it. It doesnt matter if it was the 28 witnesses claimed by the papers or the real 10-12 that actually saw parts of the attack because it would only have taken ONE...COUNT IT - O N E...person to intervene and possibly have saved her life that night.

For her that help was too late and her tragedy now serves as a reminder to act and a shout out against apathy and indifference.

For those who feel that its unfair to single her case out when there are so many tragic stories that are just as worthy, Let me assure you that she is not the only one who will be remembered on my blogs and my show. Hers is just the one remembered on that day - the anniversary of her death.

The actual scene of the Kitty Genovese murder

There are other examples that can - and will - be presented on SUPERHERO ACADEMY in the weeks and months to come...precious lost lives like Adam Walsh...missing children like Morgan Nick...tragic happenings like 9-11 and Columbine...and historic or mythical figures like St Patrick and Robin Hood...Each will serve as a glimpse into the souls of mankind and point the way for those of us who wish to serve the world in a better way.

If that offends you I am sorry. You have my permission to go off and pout somewhere if thats what you want. Im not going to change the way I choose to honor her memory or the memory of so many others like her that have been lost to the evil of this world.

But you can be assured that I will do my best to present each of these cases as accurately as I can with the facts available to me. No urban legends. No modern mythology. No Hallmark poem in a folded paper sentiments to mark another big sales day. Just the facts!

Just the facts, maam.

In the meantime I encourace each and every one of you to be alert for your OWN Kitty Genoveses - those people around you who need your help - and to put aside the apathy, indifference, and complacency that allows you to justify not acting on their behalf.

Its not about doing something for nothing.

Its not about doing something to make you feel good about yourself.

Its not about being altruistic.

Its about doing the right thing...and thats what it requires to change this world for the better!

Lets have some fun!

2010-08-31T10:32:00.000-07:00

For the record...this will most likely be the last challenge I present here for a few weeks as I try to get things ready for the CFAFSH VLOG TV show. The list of challenges will be reworked and presented to the participants around Thanksgiving so that they can record their introductory videos and be ready to run with this on January 1st.

I recently challenged everyone to do a "coming out" video...That challenge still stands, but heres another way to do that. Allow me to present the Crossfire Academy “Hello World!” Scavenger Hunt

There is a saying in the RLSH community: “If you don’t have pictures, it didn’t happen.” So as we begin to introduce ourselves to the world lets set a small series of tasks for you to do. This will PROVE to everyone that you actually went out into the world in costume. Participants (myself included) need to present pictures of themselves in costume in the following situations.

1. In front of the welcome sign for their city

2. In front of a McDonalds or other fast food burger place

3. In front of a Wal Mart or similar shopping center

4. Talking to a Police Officer

5. Setting on a public bench or at a bus stop

6. Standing near a statue

7. Standing beside a gas pump

8. In front of a pizza restaurant

9. At a Mini-Mart

10. Beside a flag pole

11. Kneeling beside a fire plug

12. Beside a stop sign

13. Beside a newspaper box

14. Shaking hands with someone “normal”

15. At a car wash

16. Inside a shoe store

17. In front of a mexican restaurant

18. In front of a movie theatre or movie marquis

19. In front of one of those big arrow signs

20. In front of a bank

21. In front of a pawn shop

22. In the parking lot of a mall or shopping center

23. With a crowd of people around you

24. With some sort of animal beside you

25. Beside a pay phone

TAKING IT TO THE STREETS - Assignments 6, 7, & 8

2010-08-09T08:57:00.000-07:00

After a most invigorating discussion on the “Meow and Friends” A couple weeks ago, I began thinking about the reasons I am conducting this little experiment I have dubbed the Crossfire Academy for Super Heroes. There are some elements I hope to build into the process that will, in my opinion, affect the process and the eventual outcomes for each participant even more than the actual tasks. Allow me to expound on some of these elements.

ELEMENT #1: IMPACT

Impact is a word you will hear me use often It should be the goal of anyone in the RLSH community to impact the world around them in the most powerful way possible. To do this you have to ask what affect your actions will result in and how that will change things for better or worse. When I worked in sales we had a strategy we employed after every sales meeting that consisted of asking three questions:

What worked?

What didn’t work?

What will you do different next time?

We can apply this same strategy to our work as RLSH’s very easily. When you finish a patrol or mission take a moment to write down what happened and ask yourself those three questions. As you identify what works and doesn’t work you can adjust your methods to maximize the effectiveness of your efforts.

In other words…you will have a greater IMPACT on the world.

I mentioned one of the earliest figures in the RLSH culture Sunday night. His name was Richard Pesto, but he was known more popularly as CAPTAIN STICKY. The good Captain had a tricked out Cadillac called his “sticky-mobile” and carried a T-shirt cannon that he used as a “Twinkie Bazooka.” He would don his super suit and drive the Sticky-mobile to the place he wanted to bring attention to and wait for the press to arrive…and they always came to see what this mountain of a man had to say.

The results of his actions had long reaching effects on the world. He brought attention to causes ranging from abuse in nursing homes and poor conditions in animal shelters, to children’s cereal having too much sugar. The attention he brought to those causes resulted in laws being put in place to correct the problems. He was only one man, but he cast a huge shadow and left a lot of positive change in his wake.

In other words…He IMPACTED the world around him in an amazingly powerful way.

In the comics and movies you see heroes like Batman and Superman who are feared by the criminal element. They impact their cities by waging their one man wars on crime, but are they truly impacting the world for the better? Sure they put criminals behind bars, but those criminals are replaced by a more infamous breed of criminal. Killer clowns, Kryptonite powered androids, and other super criminals step up to take a crack at the local hero and create even greater dangers for the citizens of their cities. On top of that, the heroes have to worry about the normal criminals learning their secret identities for fear that their loved ones will be killed in retaliation.

Is that the kind of impact we want? I hope not!

We should look for ways we can build bridges, mend fences, and offer solutions to the problems in the world around us. One person delivered from the curse of drugs abuse will impact the world far more than one purse snatcher who gets roughed up and left for the police to find. One young lady who finds her way off the street corner and back to a loving home and an honest job is far better than a drug dealer who gets his ribs broken by a vigilante.

IMPACT is the reason we have to get to know the people around us…and the reason for the tasks I will be giving out at the end of this lesson. These missions will seem silly, but they are training for even greater missions to come. (Remember even Superman stops to rescue kittens from trees.)

ELEMENT #2: ACCOUNTABILITY

One of the reasons I have asked all the participants to record their mission is to offer proof that the mission was done. For the most part I simply want something out there for the world to see what we are doing and hopefully be inspired by. However, the secondary function is accountability. In other words, we your fellow participants are demanding that you be on the level and that you hold us to the same standard and the only way to do that is to offer hard evidence of all our actions.

It is very easy to go on a forum and spread wild tales of daring deeds, but without photograph or video evidence, we have only your word. The burden of proof is on you and your hero support team, but the benefit of that proof is that your reputation grows stronger with each mission. After you have proven yourself sufficiently, your reputation will often be enough to justify the tales you tell because we will know that you are telling the truth. THEN we will still demand proof because we learn how to perform better as RLSH’s by studying what YOU have done.

Over the past three years I have watched the RLSH careers of some amazing men. I studied closely the work of Zetaman, Thanatos, Superhero, Master Legend, Razorhawk, Gheist, and a few others as I began outlining which direction my own missions would take. These five heroes operate in vastly different ways, but all have succeeded in impacting their communities in positive ways. They have also been very willing to share their adventures with the rest of us in ways that allow teaching moments to occur.

I’ve watched Zetaman giving food to the homeless and doing charity events. I’ve listened to Thanatos amazing tales of encounters with street people. Superhero and Master Legend (aka Team Justice) are like Superman and Batman using vastly different methods yet working in unison to do great things. Gheist and Razorhawk also team together to accomplish so much that I could blog for years about their awesomeness.

These adventures shared by my fellow masked adventurers have served to teach me things I never would have learned any other way. As I move forward at my snail’s pace, I can stop and share my ideas with these amazing people (and others like them) and benefit from their experience. They model the act of holding one’s self accountable through the records of their adventures that they present. I want each of us to continue that trend to show everyone concerned that we are serious about what we are doing, proud of what we are doing, and that we want to share the IMPACT of what we are doing.

Another thing about accountability…I’ve seen several in the RLSH movement that demand proof of others but offer none themselves. At the Crossfire Academy we hold each other accountable and anyone who refuses to submit their own proof has no right to demand said proof of other CFAFSH members. The rule of thumb is “it did not happen unless you have proof” and that works for each and every one of us. If you are too proud to have your integrity questioned by the need to offer proof, then you by no means have the right to question the integrity of others. Furthermore, the act of humbly submitting your evidence of missions completed can only strengthen your integrity in the eyes of those around you. Let’s keep it real!

ELEMENT #3: ENVIRONMENT

We as RLSH need to understand the environment we are working in at all times. The type of environment we are in at any given time will affect our ability to serve effectively in our mission. I am going to focus on three types of environments that we will find ourselves in…pay close attention please. This could get confusing.

CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTS:

Many of us in the RLSH culture tend to frequent comic conventions and similar events. These events are safe zones for people who want to release their inner geek for a bit of cosplay. A RLSH can walk through an event like this without people blinking an eye. You can still accomplish good deeds in controlled environments, but the event itself serves as a safety net for the costumed activist by making their uniqueness stand out a bit less. These controlled environments are great places for a beginning RLSH to take their first steps into the world.

Outside of the convention doors you will find other opportunities to serve in controlled environments in the form of charity events. As a RLSH in full costume, you can add to the magic of a charity function by meeting and greeting the patrons of the event or by participating in the event yourself. I have personally been part of the MDA Lock Up event twice: Once as Gizmoe the Clown, and once as Crossfire. Even something as simple as participating in a blood drive by donating while in costume can impact the effectiveness of the event.

Basically, a controlled environment is any situation you may be in where your presence is not unexpected. Schools, daycares, hospitals, nursing homes, parades, libraries and similar places provide opportunity for you to serve in controlled environments.

Controlled environments are the easiest opportunities for a RLSH to serve the community, but limit your ability to impact the world if that’s all you focus on. After all, there are only so many conventions and charity functions a year. Therefore, to improve our impact we need to move into uncontrolled environments.

UNCONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTS:

An uncontrolled environment is one in which a costumed character is not expected. Imagine what you would think if you were setting in a McDonalds and ten Imperial Stormtroopers walked through the door. What would you do if you pulled into the mall parking lot and saw Big Bird and Mr. Snuffleuffagus? How cool would it be to be setting on a park bench and Mickey Mouse walks up to shake your hand. That’s the kind of effect a RLSH can have in an uncontrolled environment.

An uncontrolled environment is when you are someplace that you are not expected but not unwanted. Places like mall parking lots, city parks, busy sidewalks, and such are places where you can operate safely and have greater opportunity for impact on the community than in controlled environments. The randomness of the general area you are working allows you some amazing opportunities if you are open to them.

Over the past few years I have set up a mobile photo studio at a local grocery store and provided free holiday photos for families who could not afford the high prices charged at the mall. We allowed them to take as many pictures as they wanted and burned them all to a CD for them to print out later. Sometimes we took as many as thirty pictures for a single family, but never charged a penny. Our cost was only a little effort, our time and the price of the CD’s, CD envelopes, some stickers, and some candy.

The impact however, was amazing. The people who came to get their photos taken opened their hearts to us and allowed us the chance to help them with problems they were facing. We were able to point unemployed people toward jobs. We were able to connect needy people with services to help them. We were able to make new friends and brought smiles to sad faces.

As a RLSH, those moments when you meet people in uncontrolled environments are the times ripest to impact the world. It’s at those moments that the crackhead becomes Joe who has a meth addiction. The prostitute becomes Mary, the runaway teenage mother who has dreams of going to college and living a normal life. The drunkard becomes Ralph whose wife left him for another man and broke his heart. And the homeless guy becomes Charles who was laid off from the aviation plant and has been unable to find work for eighteen months.

In other words, they stop being stereotypes and become people who need help…And as a RLSH, our job is to help people in need…How convenient is that?

The uncontrolled environment is the environment that we at the CFAFSH will be seeking to operate in at most times. It gets us out of the comfort zone of the controlled environment and keeps us safely out of the out-of-control environment.

OUT-OF-CONTROL ENVIRONMENT:

An out-of-control environment is the preferred setting of an action film or a comic book. These are those places where life is cheap and filled with danger. A RLSH can find action in places like this, but the danger is very real. The out-of-control environment is that place where a RLSH is unexpected and unwanted. Using our examples above, imagine what would happen if Big Bird walked into a biker bar or Mickey Mouse interrupted a violent protest. The results would not be pretty. Now imagine if they were trying to stop a crime in progress…that’s what happens when a RLSH tries to operate in an out-of-control environment.

I know many members of the RLSH community do neighborhood patrols. They walk a fine line between the uncontrolled and out-of-controlled when they do so, and can easily find themselves in a position where their lives are in danger. To some of us, the risk is worth the reward of keeping others safe, but the impact you can have in this environment is not as great as one might think.

Ask any patrolling RLSH, security guard or neighborhood watch how often they actually have something happen when they are patrolling and you will likely hear “not very often.” Most patrols are boring walks in the darkness without any human contact. That’s how things work in the out-of-control environment.

Some RLSH’s combine uncontrolled and out-of-control work with night patrols to feed the homeless. They focus on the needs in the uncontrolled environment while keeping one eye peeled for the out-of-control environmental elements around them. With their focus on the needs of the people around them they are able to impact the environment while still being ready to spring into action should danger rear its ugly head. As I said, it’s a fine line, and not for everyone.

I will not be scheduling any missions that take us into the out-of-control environments for CFAFSH participants. This is for safety and liability reasons, but also its because I cannot predict the situations you might encounter in your locale due to my unfamiliarity with where you are. If you venture into the out-of-control environment, you do so at your own discretion and at your own risk.

Now let us move from the ramblings of my tortured mind to the missions for this lesson.

ASSIGNMENT #6: THE SIDEWALK

This is your coming out as part of the CFAFSH. All you have to do is take a walk down a busy street or sidewalk and talk to the people you encounter. This seems pretty easy but your inner demons will rear their ugly heads to try and make you shy away from people. Plan to be out and about for at least an hour. Remember, this isn’t a race, it’s a marathon.

It’s probably a good idea to carry something to hand out to the people you encounter. Business cards with your superhero name and your MySpace/Facebook/Blogger page on them would be great for adults. Kids prefer stickers or buttons. I use a badge-a-minute kit to make miniature versions of my shield to give to kids.

Write down your synopsis of what happened immediately afterwards and ask yourself the three questions from the article above. You should come away with some insight into your ability to communicate with people. Post a report on your blog and on the message board at RLSH.org and include as many pictures as possible.

ASSIGNMENT #7: THE PARKING LOT

First, contact the manager of your local mall, grocery store, or Wal Mart and ask permission to spend a couple hours in their parking lot in costume. Explain that you are participating in a project designed to study ways we can impact our communities. (I will draft a letter you can use if you like and attach it to this blog to help with this.) If they refuse, then try another location until you find someplace that will allow you to do this.

Your mission will be to spend two to three hours walking the parking lot looking for ways to serve people. You can gather shopping carts and bring them in, pick up trash, carry groceries, help lift heavy items or whatever you find, but you have to stay busy serving others. Be ready to talk to people and of course have your handouts ready just like in the first challenge.

Write down your synopsis of what happened immediately afterwards and ask yourself the three questions from the article above. You should come away with some insight into your ability to communicate with people. Post a report on your blog and on the message board at RLSH.org and include as many pictures as possible.

ASSIGNMENT #8: THE FOOD PANTRY

This challenge comes from an article published about the RLSH we know as Gheist. Suit up and go buy a few bags of canned goods to donate to the local food pantry or homeless shelter. Deliver them in your super suit and introduce yourself. THEN, offer your services for the next one or two hours todo whatever is needed. This may include serving meals, sweeping floors, carrying out the trash, or any other menial task, but it is a powerful act of service. Thank them for allowing you to serve as you leave and ask permission to return at another time to serve them again.

Write down your synopsis of what happened immediately afterwards and ask yourself the three questions from the article above. You should come away with some insight into your ability to communicate with people. Post a report on your blog and on the message board at RLSH.org and include as many pictures as possible.

JUMP KITS - ASSIGNMENTS #4 AND #5

2010-07-19T08:21:00.000-07:00

Today I want to talk to you about JUMP KITS? Some of you know what I am talking about, and others may not, so let me try and explain. A JUMP KIT is a bag of supplies that you keep nearby – usually in your vehicle – for those times when the fertilizer hits the fan. It should contain items that you might need in an emergency situation that are not practical to carry with you on a routine mission.

The first thing you will need is a large bag. You can buy a professional jump kit bag online, but I suggest going to yard sales, flea markets, or the goodwill and see what out there. I picked up a huge carry bag at a yard sale for just one dollar that I’ve been using for about two years to carry clown supplies that I have decided to dedicate for this purpose. I also have a nice catalogue case (open top briefcase) that I have set aside for this.

You can use a tackle box, tool bag, milk crate, backpack or briefcase depending on what you want to keep in your jump kit and what is most convenient for you. There is no hard and fast rule on what you need to use for storing/carrying your jump kit.

Now, let me remind everyone that a jump kit is not something you want to carry with you on a standard mission. If you are patrolling, working a charity event, or whatever, you won’t want to be lugging around a heavy – and its often VERY heavy – bag of supplies that you usually will not need.

For the sake of simplicity I am suggesting three parts of this kit. You can have three separate bags or you can try and cram it into one large bag. The choice is yours. I am offering four suggested sections to the jump kit: A First aid kit, a tool kit, a roadside emergency kit, and what I call my “hero” kit.

The following supply lists are my suggestions and should by no means be considered the standard that must be met. Each person must decide what they feel will best serve them and build their jump kits accordingly. Only you (point your finger at yourself so you now I’m not talking to anyone else) can decide what you may or may not need in an emergency situation, because only you know what training and experience you have and how that will affect what you do in the field.

And before I go into details of what to put in a jump kit allow me to state that the Crossfire Academy For Super Heroes does not encourage its members to undertake dangerous missions such as crime fighting patrols or rescue operations. If you choose to do so, you do so at your own risk and by your own authority. The Crossfire Academy DOES advise that anyone who chooses to take part in the RLSH movement and the CFASH in particular seek out training in CPR and Basic First Aid from the local Red Cross as soon as possible to prepare them for any medical emergencies they may encounter.

And now the lists…and a few explanations of the items on the lists.

FIRST AID KIT

Items for use in a medical emergency

STETHOSCOPE – This may be needed for checking Blood Pressure and/or pulse rates.

BLOOD PRESSURE CUFF– aka a Sphygmomanometer. This is also for checking blood pressure. I actually have a little machine for this that I got from the VA, but you can purchase one like it at most drug stores or Wal mart.

THERMOMETER – also thermometer covers. I suggest getting a digital thermometer and the best one would be one that reads from the ear or across the forehead. Glass thermometers are too fragile to risk when there are better options.

TRAUMA SHEARS – These are flat sided round tipped scissors used for cutting gauze, tape, and even clothing. It’s not a bad idea to carry two sets in case one gets lost or damaged.

CPR MASK – You can get a small face shield at most drug stores, but I prefer to have a re-breather mask to prevent then spitting up in your mouth. You can get one of these at a medical supply store and it comes in a protective plastic case. These are usually equipped to use with an Ambu Bag.

AMBU BAG – This is a device that allows you to gently pump air into a person’s lungs. One of these will allow you to perform rescue breathing for extended periods of time. It looks similar to a football and works by simply attaching it to the re-breather mask and squeezing it.

TWEEZERS – For removing splinters or glass pieces. You can get disposable tweezers that are sealed in plastic or paper for sterility or you can use a standard metal set like you get at Wal Mart. Be advised though, if you use a metal set, you will need to sterilize them with alcohol before use and clean them after use or you risk spreading infection with every use.

PENLIGHT – This is used for checking a patient’s eye for dilation and can come in handy for other purposes. Its not a bad idea to have a spare one of these in the bag.

STOPWATCH – You need a watch when checking a patient’s pulse.

NOTEBOOK AND PEN – To write down important data like blood pressure, pulse, signs, symptoms, and personal/medical information of the patient.

HAZMAT BAGS – Red plastic bags to put bloody gauze, rubber gloves, or other biohazards in until they can be disposed of.

SHARPS CONTAINER – You can use a plastic coffee can, a wide mouth soda bottle, or a professional sharps container. You can put any sharp object like knives, needles, or glass shards in this until they can be disposed of. If you use this for needles, it will need to be taken to a hazmat disposal center because it is a biohazard. Also use some sort of tool like a set of tongs to pick up the needles whenever possible to prevent getting poked.

MAXI/MINI PADS – These make great pressure dressings in an emergency situation. They are already sealed in a sterile package and absorb blood well.

GREASE PENCIL/SHARPIE MARKER – You can actually use these to write important information on the patient or the patient’s clothes. This is important if the patient has informed you of certain allergies or medications they are taking. It ensures that the EMS team has the info in their face when they take the patient from you.

SPLINTS – If you can find them. There are inflatable splints and moldable metal splints. You will most often NOT have to use these, because you should have an ambulance on the way, but if the patient HAS to be moved for safety reasons, it may be necessary to splint a broken limb.

SMALL MIRROR

SAFETY PINS

BOX KNIFE

RUBBER BANDS

GAUZE PADS – Several 2X2 & 4X4

GAUZE – 2-4 Rolls of 2” width

MEDICAL TAPE 2-4 rolls

BAND-AIDS

COTTON BALLS – Keep them sealed in a plastic bag until needed

Q-TIPS – Keep them sealed in a plastic bag until needed

ACE BANDAGES – 2-3 small rolls

ALCOHOL PREP PADS

COLD PACKS

SPACE BLANKETS

LATEX GLOVES – Keep them sealed in a plastic bag until needed

TONGUE DEPRESSORS

KLING WRAP – Similar to an ace bandage, but sticks to itself.

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE – You can get this in small travel sizes with a spray top.

RUBBING ALCOHOL - You can get this in small travel sizes with a spray top.

SALINE SOLUTION – You can get big bottles of this at the drug store

SUNBURN GEL – I prefer the green slimy stuff with Aloe Vera. It can be used for sunburns or mild regular burns

SUNSCREEN – To help protect patients from exposure when there is no shade

IBUPROFIN – You can get a large bottle or individually wrapped doses

TYLENOL - You can get a large bottle or individually wrapped doses

BENADRYL - You can get a large bottle or individually wrapped doses

ASPIRIN - You can get a large bottle or individually wrapped doses

ANTACID - You can get a large bottle or individually wrapped doses

ANTIBIOTIC OINTMENT

ANTISEPTIC HAND GEL

HARD CANDY/SUGAR PACKETS – For diabetic emergencies

COUGH DROPS – Try to get the ones sealed in plastic and change them out periodically as they tend to melt.

TOOL KIT

Items used for on the spot repairs for safety or to help a person in need.

CLAW HAMMER

2 ADJUSTABLE WRENCHES

PLIERS, STANDARD

PLIERS, NEEDLE NOSED

2 SETS OF STANDARD WRENCHES

2 SETS OF METRIC WRENCHES

2 SCREWDRIVERS WITH CHANGEABLE TIPS

SOCKET WRENCH

SOCKETS, STANDARD

SOCKETS, METRIC

BOX KNIFE

VISE GRIPS

JEWELERS SCREWDRIVERS

STAPLE GUN

DUCT TAPE

ELECTRICAL TAPE

SUPER GLUE

JB WELD

PLASTIC ELECTRICAL TIES

ROADSIDE EMERGENCY KIT

Items for use when a person has vehicle trouble

JUMPER CABLES

HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK

FOUR-WAY LUG WRENCH

WHEEL CHOCKS – Wooden Blocks to keep car from rolling

FIX-A-FLAT

ANTI FREEZE/WATER – Refill empty Anti Freeze jugs with water for roadside emergencies

PLASTIC GAS CAN – Only fill this when needed and do not keep it inside your vehicle with fuel in it as the fumes are dangerous. Always keep it somewhere well ventilated.

HERO KIT

Items used for security or safety

ROPE – I suggest soft clothesline or parachute cord, both of which can be bought at Wal Mart. You should keep two 50’ lengths.

BUNGEE CORDS/TIE DOWNS – You can buy these at the dollar store in several lengths.

DUCT TAPE – Always have 2 rolls available

TWINE OR STRING –

PLASTIC MARKING TAPE – Similar to the yellow “police” tape. This is great for roping off areas. You can even get tape that says "Caution." NEVER USE POLICE TAPE UNLESS YOU ARE A POLICE OFFICER!

FIRST AID MANUAL

HAZMAT MANUAL

STUFFED ANIMALS – Keep a few small stuffed toys in your hero kit to give to scared children. You can buy these at the dollar store and keep them in a plastic bag for cleanliness and sterility.

LOLIPOPS – These are for the same purpose as the stuffed toys. I suggest getting ones that are sealed in plastic (stem and all) for sanitary reasons.

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ASSIGNMENT #4: THE JUMP KIT

Begin gathering your own jump kit and share any items you choose to add that are not already listed. Explain the reasons you added those items and possible uses for them. Share how you structured your kit. Is it in one bag, two bags, or four bags? As we do this together we can all grow and learn to be better at our chosen mission in life

ASSIGNMENT #5: CPR & BASIC FIRST AID

Contact your local Red Cross and get training in basic first aid and CPR. In some areas you may also have to opportunity to train as an EMS first responder and get your basic EMT certification.

MEET THE STAFF AND ASSIGNMENTS #1 & #2

2010-06-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

Having begun the journey that we call the CROSSFIRE ACADEMY FOR SUPERHEROES, I want to take a moment to introduce you to the teaching staff and the curriculuum.

First of all, the teaching staff will consist of seasoned members of the RLSH community who have proven their dedication and focus over time. These individuals will be helping with constructive criticism and advice on how to best accomplish the missions. They will also be there to share their experience in similar situations and ideas for future assignments.

They will NOT however be teachers in a traditional sense. Because this is a journey of discovery, not a hardline series of tests.

You see the real teaching staff members here are YOU, the participants.

We are embarking on a mission to explore the use of they symbology of the superhero to impact the world around us. This will be a unique adventure in which we move forward in baby steps at times and leap ahead like antelopes at others.

The goal of this project will remain the same no matter what: To use the symbology of the superhero to impact the world around us and to inspire others to do the same

In Assignment #0 you were asked to take the time to look at who you want to be as a RLSH, and what some of your goals are.

Today we are going to dig a bit deeper and look at Why you want to be a hero and what you need to do in order to accomplish that goal.

ASSIGNMENT #1: THE SELF EVALUATION

Take a few minutes and ask yourself a few questions.

1) Why do I want to be a RLSH
2) What are my weaknesses...Where do I fall short of what I need to accomlish my mission
3) What can I do to overcome those weaknesses
4) What can I do to make myself better suited to the mission I have chosen
5) How much time can I commit to this process on a daily/weekly basis.

Basically, I am asking you to take a deep look at where you are and where you want to be and set a plan to reach your goals. Do you need to lose weight? Do you need martial arts training? Do you want to learn gymnastics? Do you want to learn a second language? and most importantly, what am I going to do about all this.

In my case, I determined that first of all I need to lose weight. At the start of 2010, I weighed in at 365. Over the past few weeks I have brought my weight down to 335. My goal is to get down to 200 or lower. I have chosen to not do any crash diets, but let the weight come off gradually through working out and careful dieting. The results are already showing in that people are noticing the weight loss and i feel much better.

Secondly I determined that I need to improve my fitness. Aside from losing weight, I desire to get back into fighting shape. I need to find myself a suitable martial arts school to re-start my training. One of my goals is to achieve my black belt in Taiho Ryue or Tae Kwon Do. Until I can pursue that I will be looiking for ways to build my fitness through weight lifting, aerobic exercise, and endurance training.

Another goal personal to me is to maintain a daily prayer vigil for each of my RLSH friends (and especially the participants in this project) and the causes near and dear to my heart.

And I want to set aside a time each week to add to this project. I want to make an effort to do something each week to participate in this project by doing something tangible in the real world. I also want to add to this blog by presenting more challenges and helping to assess the progress of those who join me on this road.

So to do my part of Assignment #1 I am setting the following goals

1) To reduce my weight from 365 down to 200 or lower.
2) To increase my fitness
3) To earn my black belt
4) To pray daily for each of my RLSH friends and companions on this journey
5) To update my blog on a weekly basis
6) To get out and actually perform one good deed, or complete one assigment per week

ASSIGNMENT #2: DISCOVERY

This is a very simple but ongoing assignment. You will need to identify areas where you can reach out to serve those around you. What you need to do is make a list of charities, people, and organizations that you can assist. You might even add a list of places you might consider patrolling if that is something you wish to do.

You can use the phone book, the internet, or whatever resource you have available, but take the time to actually write out the names, addresses, phone numbers, names of contact persons, and their particular needs.

Some suggestions:

The Ronald McDonald House
A homeless shelter
A soup kitchen
A women's shelter
The Salvation Army

You will add to and take away from this list as time goes by and use it to find areas you can serve the world around you. Keep it somewhere that you can reference it whenever you need it. Scan the local papers and add items to it as you feel led. Watch the world around you, and you'll see many more opportunities to add to the list.

So there you have two more assignments...If you choose to accept them.

I'll meet you on the high road.

CFtC

THE CROSSFIRE ACADEMY FOR SUPERHEROES: ASSIGNMENT #0

2010-06-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

I know a few of you are ready to roll with this. If you are coming in late, please feel free to jump in, but realize that assignment #0 is the foundation for everything else you do. You can accomplish the other tasks without doing this, but to maximize the effect of this course you will need to do this before leaping ahead to more exciting challenges.

Of course I do want to make this fun, so we are going to play a little game for assignment #0…and here it is…

THE CROSSFIRE ACADEMY FOR SUPERHEROES: ASSIGNMENT #0 - THE RLSH SCAVENGER HUNT

To get started there are a few things you will need and to make sure these things are in place your first challenge is a simple RLSH scavenger hunt. You will need to find all the items on this list and document them with pictures or video and share them with everyone. I will link to where you share them from here and if need be we can start a special message board just for the competition

Item 1: Your Superhero Personna – As I stated in the rules you need an original
superhero personna. You cannot go out in public as an exisiting character (Superman, Spiderman, Green lantern) or even a parody of an existing character (Superguy, Spiderperson, Plaid Lantern). So the challenge here is to look inside you and find the hero that you want to be. Think about your goals. If you are wanting to help protect the environment then perhaps you could be “Recyclotron” or “Captain Green.” If you are leaning toward animal rights, then perhaps you could be “The Hound” or “Calico Cat.” Whatever you choose, take a few minutes to google the name and see what comes up. You don’t want to go to all the trouble of brainstorming a character to find out that a character with the same name already exists. Once you’ve chosen your character, you can begin to create tools around your theme (The Hound Cycle, the Green Mobile, etc.) Write down all your ideas and then pick through and choose the most workable ones to pursue. Keep your list for later and add to it as you come up with new ideas.

Item #2: Your Super Suit - Now that you have everything mapped out for your new personna, you will need an iconic costume. What that means is you need an outfit that can be spotted across the room. A trenchcoat and sunglasses are fine if you are hunting vampires, but a superhero needs to be seen. You don’t have to wear spandex, but create something bright enough that when you are across the parking lot from a person, that they will notice. Look at the classic superheroes like Captain America, Spiderman, Green Lantern, Superman, and Shazam and let that be your example. And if you prefer black to the other more flashy colors, then look at Batman or Zorro. Even more classic pulp fiction heroes like the Lone Ranger, Tarzan, or the Phantom would work. You want an iconic image that draws attention and burns a place into people’s memory so that when they see you a year later, they will remember who you are.

For help designing your super suit, I recommend using a hero generator. My favorite is at the following link: http://fabricadeherois.blogspot.com/ You will need to click the icon at the top of the page that looks like an American flag button for english, but its pretty self explanatory after that. You can also google the Hero Machine or just break out the pencil and paper and start sketching.

Your super suit can be tossed together using bright colored clothing like sweat suits, shorts, and t-shirts, or it can be professionally sewn together. It can also be a work in progress as you will probably go through upgrade after upgrade or complete redesigns as you travel this road.

Item #3: Hero Support team - You will need people who are willing to work with you if you hope to complete this challenge. Your task here is to gather together your initial team in preperation for your public unveiling. Here are a few people you should consider for your team:

1. A photographer – Someone to take pics of you and the events you are taking part of

2. A videographer – Someone to record your steps, comments, etc during these events

3. A blogger/biographer – Someone to keep up your Facebook, Blogger, MySpace and other pages by posting daily status updates, maintaining a calendar, and reporting your exploits. They can also be responsible for sending out press releases when you want to publicise an event you are taking part in.

4. A costumer – you will need someone who can sew. Trust me on this. Costumes get ripped. Buttons come loose. And you never now when a better idea for your look may be ready for creation. Keep your costumer on call.

5. A manager or assistant – this is a person who can do research for you. They can help locate worthy charities, public events, and places where you can help serve your fellow man.

6. A publicist – This is the person responsible for contacting the businesses and other locations where you are going to be operating. They will also be the one setting at the information table while you are out shaking hands or dong super-stuff.

Some of these positions can be combined. Your photographer can also be your videographer, and your assistant can also be your publicist. You may even choose to do some of this work yourself and limit your team to as few members as possible. But, you will need at least one or two other people to help record your exploits.

Item #4: Your Mission statement - You will need to create a short statement of what you are doing and why you are doing it. It should be short and sweet, but fully explain your mission as a real life superhero. You are going to memorize this mission statement so that you can recite it any and every time you are asked about what you are doing. For examples of what a mission statement should look like, you can google “Mission statement.”

Item #5: Your Network - This is probably the easiest task, but can also be the easiest to overlook. Your mission is to establish your communications network for the challenge. You will need to set up pages on MySpace, Facebook, Blogger and other social networking sites so that you can use them to share what you are doing and openly discuss the ups and downs of the challenges.
You will need to set up a dedicated emaill account for your heroic personna for these sites. (Hotmail, Yahoo, and Gmail are all free accounts that will work fine for your needs)

Your hero-support team and personal nemesis may also want to setup pages on My Space/Facebook/etc so they can share their thoughts as the challenge progresses.

Bonus item: Your Nemesis - Every superhero needs an arch villain. In the comics this is the person who has to be stopped because they want to harm the hero or destroy the world or something equally sinsiter. In the world of real life superheroes the arch foe is the one who keeps a hero honest. The nemesis is the person who points out that the hero failed to gather all fifteen of the items needed to complete his task or that he didn’t reach his goal of collecting $500 dollars for charity X. It is his job to make the hero work harder to reach those elusive goals by being the voice of constructive criticism.

Your nemesis should not be a person who is out to destroy you. There will be enough people who try and tear you down when you do creative things like this. Your nemesis should WANT you to succeed but should not allow you to do things half heartedly. The nemesis should demand that you never settle for second best.

Hopefully the nemesis will be a person who – like you – has created an alternate personna that they intend to use for this. You can even have more than one nemesis if you like. After all any good superhero has more than one villain. You could find yourself facing the Dog Catcher while you work to support the local animal shelter and the Garbage man while working to promote recycling. It keeps you honest about your accomplishments while making things fun along the way.

Your nemesis can be one or more of your hero support team members or someone else. Its all your choice. You may even stumble across your nemesis AFTER you start this process. The main thing is to make sure SOMEONE is demanding that you give 110% on every task.

And there you have it. The first step on the journey we will be calling THE CROSSFIRE ACADEMY FOR SUPERHEROES. I will be joining you on this road as soon as I have completed my move and I look forward to traveling the high roads together.

CFtC

THE CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CROSSFIRE ACADEMY

2010-06-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

A warning to those who accept this challenge to become part of THE CROSSFIRE ACADEMY FOR SUPERHEROES...This is going to be a slow process.

My challenge is not for those who lack patience. If you are up to this task, then learning patience is the first challenge you will face...and maybe the most difficult.

Before we go too much further, however, we need to establish the ground rules of this challenge.

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THE RULES OF THE CROSSFIRE ACADEMY FOR SUPERHEROES

1. AGE REQUIREMENTS: You must be at least eighteen years old or have parental permission to participate. Minors should never EVER do anything publically without adult supervision.

2. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT: You must create an original superhero character. You cannot use any character that is already being used by Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, or any other company. Those characters are the property of their respective publishers and cannot be used without permission.

3. PROPER DRESS CODE: You must have an iconic superhero costume. It does not have to be expensive, but needs to capture the essence of a golden age hero. Black trenchcoats and blue jeans are fine if you are Blade the Vampire Hunter, but this challenge is about being iconic/classic/golden age, types of heroes. (examples: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain America, Spiderman, El Zorro, The Lone Ranger, The Phantom, and even Tarzan)

4. SIDEKICKS & SUPPORT CREW ARE MANDATORY: You must have some sort of hero support. For one, you should NEVER go out alone to do this for safety reasons. And secondly, you will need assistance to complete your missions fully (See rule #5)

5. MISSION REPORTS: You must post some sort of report for everyone to see when you are performing these missions. You should write a short blog, and record your actions on video or through photos. This will be your proof that you met every requirement of the assigned tasks. You should also have a dedicated email address for your superhero personna to be contacted through.

6. ONLY DO WHAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE DOING. You are not required to do any of these tasks that you do not feel comfortable with and you can do some of the tasks more than once if you like. The purpose of this challenge is to help you focus on doing positive things not to fulfill the dictates of a superhero scavenger hunt.

7. OBEY THE LAW. We are not in the business of punishing evildoers. A real life superhero’s greatest power is the power to inspire and his greatest mission is to overcome the negative by strengthening the positive. If you observe a crime, then report it to the police. Do not take the law into your own hands.

8. GET PERMISSION: Before doing something at a business or other public place, you must get permission from the property managers. This is just a common courtesy. (I will share ideas on how to approach business owners as we move along.)

9. FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY: When doing charity work, always have someone else to assist you with any collected funds or items for security and to prevent any appearance of wrong doing on your part. Too many people have taken advantage of those around them in the name of charity, therefore you must be above reproach when doing charity work. Having an official treasurer – either someone you know and trust or someone who represents the charity you are working with - is always the best idea.

10. CODE OF CONDUCT: You should always hold yourself to a high standard while in costume. You become a symbol when you don the spandex and cape and the simplest of negative actions can tarnish that symbol. (Below I will list the Code of Conduct for the RLSH Challenge.)

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CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE CROSSFIRE ACADEMY FOR SUPERHEROES

1. Be polite and courteous. Say “please” and “Thank You” and use “Sir” and Ma’am” when talking to people. Hold the door for ladies. Help carry heavy loads. Allow other people to go first in line. And most of all, smile and say "Hello."

2. Make eye contact with the people you speak with. It lets them know that they have your undivided attention.

3. Do not use tobacco or alcohol while in your super suit.

4. Avoid arguments, and control your temper while in your super suit. Once you suit up you have to be the voice of reason at all times.

5. Respect the rights of those you encounter. If a person does not want to speak with you then let them be. If they are afraid, then give them their space. Some people suffer from very real phobias of clowns and costumed characters and others simply do not want the attention. Respect their wishes.

6. You must be willing to talk to people while you are completing these tasks. They will want to know what you are doing and why. This is your chance to plant seeds of hope in people’s hearts. You can share your vision for a better world and hopefully inspire others to join you in your mission. They may laugh at you, but that just means that you gave them something to laugh about and have made their day a little lighter in the process.

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There you have the basic rules of THE CROSSFIRE ACADEMY FOR SUPERHEROES. If you think you are up to the task, then prepare yourself to recieve your first few assignments (you will only get a few at a time) and lets show the world that one person can make a difference.

CFtC

THE CROSSFIRE ACADEMY FOR SUPER HEROES

2010-06-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

Are you faster than a speeding bullet?

Not likely.

Are you more powerful than a locomotive?

I don’t think so.

Can you leap tall buildings in a single bound?

Yeah…right.

Odds are you do not have what it takes to be a bird, a plane, or a Superman…but you CAN be a real life superhero.

“How?” you ask as you rub that throbbing bump that you earned the last time you tried to leap skyward and landed on the sidewalk on your head.

Well, first you need to understand what a superhero actually IS.

According to Merriam/Websters online dictionary a hero is: (1)a mythological figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability. (2) an illustrious warrior (3) a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities (4)one that shows great courage (5) The prinicpal male character in a literary or dramatic work or (6) The central figure in an event, period, or movement.

Merriam/Websters defines Super as: (1) of high grade or quality. (2) Very Large or powerful or (3) Exhibiting characteristics of its type to an extreme or excessive degree.

When you add the “super” to the word “hero” you may find the standard a little hard to live up to. It’s a pretty big task to be a super-hero.

But let me add one more thing. You see Merriam/Websters also defines the word “superhero” as a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers or an exceptionally skillful or successful person

Wikipedia tells us that a superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a type of stock character with "extraordinary or superhuman powers" that is dedicated to protecting the public. Further more, the Wikipedia tells us that a real life superhero is a term applied to people who dress and/or act like comic book superheroes.

“Why would someone dress and act like a comic book superhero?” You ask.

Reasons vary from one person to the next, but in general it could probably be said that they do so because they want to do something creative to change the world around them. This can take the form of charity work, social activism, or even neighborhood watches.

One of the best answers to why comes from the movie Spider-man 2.

Aunt May tells Peter “He (Henry) knows a hero when he sees one. Too few characters out there, flying around like that, saving old girls like me. And Lord knows, kids like Henry need a hero. Courageous, self-sacrificing people. Setting examples for all of us. Everybody loves a hero. People line up for them, cheer them, scream their names. And years later, they'll tell how they stood in the rain for hours just to get a glimpse of the one who taught them how to hold on a second longer. I believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams.”

“So how do I become one of these real life superheroes?” You ask.

I’m glad you asked. The answer is simply that only you can decide HOW you become a real life superhero. It’s a very personal decision to don the spandex and try to change your world.

What I can offer is a few suggestions, and these suggestions will take the form of a challenge. I call it THE REAL LIFE SUPERHERO CHALLENGE. (I know – not very creative)

What I will do here is set out a few rules for my challenge and set out a list of tasks for you to complete. You arent required to do things my way, that is completely your choice, but if you want to be an part of this challenge you’ll have to follow these guidelines.

“So what do I get if I win your challenge?”

There ARE no winners or losers in this challenge. The purpose of the CROSSFIRE ACADEMY FOR SUPERHEROES is to help you overcome the obstacles in your own life and find ways to serve the world around you. If anything, the people you meet will be the winners because you choose to put yourself in second place and give them the priority of being first place in your work.

Still not sure about doing this? Well, think about it and ask yourself what you want from the real life superhero experience. In a few days I will post the rules of the challenge and the code of conduct. Then we will get into the meat of this and post the list of challenges.

If you are new to the RLSH movement, then this can be a great opportunity for you to get started in a positive way and avoid the mistakes that so many of us have made when we first started. If you are a more seasoned RLSH, then this can be a way to focus your efforts a little better. And if you are just a cospplayer or a poser, this may be the way you can get off your backside and get real…because, face it, the world needs more heroes

CFtC