Sunday, September 5, 2010

09/04/10 Center Street patrol (and other RLSH world news)


Night patrol- photo by Paul Kjelland

-Tea Krulos reporting

Last night, I again hit the streets of my neighborhood with my local RLSHs, The Watchman and Blackbird. We were also joined by Mike, who shot pictures and video for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and infamous Team Cthulhu leader Groschopf, a concerned citizen who likes to keep an eye open for danger.

The Watchman and Mike met up in my kitchen and then headed out to Locust Street, where Mike did an on camera interview with the red cowled crusader. I stayed behind and waited for the Blackbird to fly up from the South side.

When we got the call they were done, we headed out and met up with them, and started doing a loop around the Center Street area. I called Groschopf and we all met up at our second most frequent rendezvous point (after my kitchen)- the basketball courts on Center and Pierce. Mike followed us around and also got some react quotes from people we encountered. I'm pretty confident that this went well- a couple dudes hanging outside the Riverhorse tavern recognized The Watchman and cheered him on. Later, Mike got a positive reaction from a group of people partying Riverwest style. They were having beers in the garage with the door open, enjoying the first of the cool autumn weather and thought the RLSHs were admirable for patrolling the neighborhood.

As I've said before, I believe the RLSHs have had a very positive reception here in Riverwest.

Around 11:30PM, Groschopf and I decided we were going to split and talk about some exciting, as yet unannounced details (see previous post) about my forthcoming book, Heroes in the Night, at the Foundation Tiki Lounge, just off Center Street. Blackbird also decided to head to his own neighborhood where he wanted to do some late night surveillance of an area that had several non functioning street lamps. We parted with Mike and Watchman, but when we reached the corner of Booth and Center, we noticed a man sprawled out on the sidewalk, not too far from Club Timbuktu. We decided to see if the guy was alright. As we approached, we saw that the man was semi-conscious, reeked of liquor, and had managed to get his penis out of the fly of his pants and was urinating while laying down on the sidewalk, mumbling and flopping around on the sidewalk.

Groschopf and I looked at each other with a what the hell?! expression.

"Hey dude,dude,are you ok?" I asked. He looked up at us and said something incoherent and angry. I saw the doorman at Club Timbuktu staring at the situation and dialing his phone. A couple walked around us, frowning.

"(expletive), man, what do we do?" I asked Groschopf. We didn't know. We reasoned that trying to get him to stand or even sit would be useless- he was astoundingly drunk. I then realized that there was a superhero patrolling the streets just blocks away, so I called Watchman and told him the situation. He said he was on it, so we carried on.

When he got there, he reports, the police, an ambulance, and a firetruck were already at the scene so he stayed out of their way. He did have an opportunity to meet our neighborhood's bicycle cops who were monitoring the scene. That is a good connection for him to make as they are the ones he'll run into most frequently in this neighborhood if he's on foot. The bike cops are well loved by many in Riverwest. When I attended a neighborhood safety meeting a couple of months ago, most of the panel (aldermen, the chief of police, department of neighborhood services) received polite applause, but the bike cops got loud cheering and a standing ovation.

Mike split and Watchman was on his own on Center Street. He ran into some of the guys who recognized him earlier at Riverhorse and he says he had a good talk with them. Later he was talking with some college kids visiting from Madison(,WI)when a squad car slowed down and shined a spotlight on him. Then they announced through the squad's speakers "NICE COSTUME." The Watchman went over and had a short talk with them. They told him they were having a busy night in the area with drunk and disorderlies. He explained he was just walking around keeping an eye on things, and they seemed to take it at face value, told him to "be safe" and continued on.

So, it sounds like Watchman is continuing to make some good connections and potential allies here on the street. We're all eager to see what Mike comes up with for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and of course I'll post it here as soon as it's available.

AMAZONIA ENCOURAGES RLSH BLOOD DONATIONS FOR OCTOBER 2

Amazonia
is planning a blood drive with RLSH for October 2 at Florida's Blood Center in Ocala, Florida and is encouraging other RLSH worldwide to donate locally on the same day. Amazonia posted this on therlsh.net forum:

"I am thinking that we should all get together and host blood drives in our own communities on the same day all across the U.S and other countries. We can all make a difference and I suggest that if your interested in doing this contact your local blood center and make arrangements to give blood that day and let them know that you want to help with organizing a blood drive that same day to help bring in more donors...Let's make this something we all can be proud of and stand behind."

RLSH CHARACTER APPEARS ON ABC's ROOKIE BLUE

A RLSH character was part of the storyline of a recent episode of the ABC police drama Rookie Blue, described as "the Grey's Anatomy of police drama" by hopeful critics. The parkour trained RLSH calls himself The Guardian, and was played by actor Mpho Koaho in an episode titled "Serve or Protect" which you can watch in it's entirety HERE. The Guardian's gimmick* is pretty spot on- paintball/motorcross type body armor.
Photobucket
Actor Mpho Koaho

"There's a whole underground of real life superheroes." One of the officer's notes, looking at The Guardian's MySpace page.

It seems obvious that inspiration for this character might have come from New York City's own Dark Guardian. Besides the similarity in name, Guardian is interested in investigating and disrupting drug dealers, and a focus for Dark Guardian has been challenging drug dealers in New York. Dark Guardian was picked up and taken to a police precinct (although he went along voluntarily just to talk)and TV's Guardian also visits the precinct, but is escorted in metal bracelets.

Despite being arrested, the show has a very positive spin on the RLSH character. He is well trained in parkour and although his introduction to the police is rough, he actually helps them solve their case with pictures he's taken of a drug dealer. The rookie cops even decide to take him out to play darts with them and their cop friends.

It will be interesting to see if the character returns to become the first reoccurring RLSH prime time character.


*gimmick: what many RLSHs prefer to call their attire.

7 comments:

  1. I highly doubt Dark Guardian was thought of when mirroring someone in the community as to bring the creation of this character for as it is common knowledge, white guys with acute megalomania and grindingly irritating Staten Island accents strutting around like hot shit at night in motorcycle gear aren't usually that very useful in the halting of drug trades.

    Canadian Brutha 'Guardian', RLSH president 2012.

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  2. Malvado-
    I thought you had "reformed" or "squashed beef"...What has inspired your return to villainy?

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  3. Tea Krulos,

    One liked this post. The first part was full of rich detail, and a unique insight into the activities. Many locations do not have the value of bicycle cops (at night?), and "beat cops" are something neighborhoods really could use again.

    Second part, Blood drives? Yes, never a bad idea - though one had heard that Amazonia had retired?

    Third part, RLSH on TV? Parkour is quite aerobic and requires a high degree of ability.
    (Shill for the holdfast: http://www.coloradoparkour.com/ )
    One is not sure there are any superheroes (and likewise Villainy) who could convincingly demonstrate this ability. Oh, in our MINDS of course, but in reality? Most likely not. You realize, the more interesting storyline for the character, will be unfortunate? He might inspire others, but heroes in TV/movies often times meet their fates in excrutiatingly uncomfortable ways.

    Thank you for the excellent post (once again),
    -Lord Malignance

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  4. Indeed, I was reformed until I had gotten a chance to up close see the hidden hypocrisy that is spared only those in the know of the RLSH community, or as the technical types would put it, have access to their forums. After seeing with my own unflinching eyes how they are so quick to judge those outside of their quite paranoid little circle, the astounding egos, the putting-ones-self-before-otherness, and most of all defending the socially and morally incorrect behavior of their own in the sole name of 'not stepping on each others toes'.

    The RLSH, not as a whole, but as a greater disproportionate percentage of their members have given me the reasons I need to bring myself back into my natural environment of Evil. Ahhhh, it does feel good to be back.

    Scumbag & Hater PHD,
    -MSV

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  5. Lord Malignance-
    Thanks!
    1. Yes, they assigned the bike cops here a year or two ago and they patrol evening- bar close or so. I think it's been a highly successful effort especially since the cops have been friendly and put an effort into getting to know the neighborhood. They give out a number so people can call them direct for non-emergency.

    2. I think she did "retire" for awhile, but it was short lived.

    3. I think there are a couple RLSH with parkour moves. I know Zimmer has had some practice with parkour. I think you're right that a RLSH would ultimately be written into a show to be killed off. I wonder if this is just the beginning of a long line of RLSH characters. I'm imagining there eventually being a sitcom with a Kramer style RLSH that lives next door.

    Malvado-
    Man, it's kind of depressing to know that's how your experience went down. I know you put an effort into trying to hang with them.

    But since I got both of you on the line, you guys get along with some RLSH, it seems, right? So you think some of them are stand up guys?

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  6. Of course, but right now my view on them are the same as I feel about police. I realistically don't think all cops are bad, but the ones that remain silent and/or non-confrontational towards their peers negative behavior are just as bad in my opinion. If someone is aware of said negative behavior and says nothing then to me that says they agree with it, or at the very least don't have the courage to speak up.

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  7. Tea Krulos,

    For the record, officially one hates all superheroes with a burning passion. That said however, there are some hereoes who are less unworthy. One has posted a ranking on ones blog. One has not known of Watchman before your posts, but is finding him to be less unworthy. Most especially about being seen and known by police and citizens (Superheroes + Fear = Failure).

    -Lord Malignance

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