Phoenix Jones & The Rain City Superhero Movement

So the last 1-year or so of my blog basically entails me whinging about not being loved, how the world hates me, being hurt, etc, and so on, and so forth. Not that there hasn't been damn good reason for it, but I think it's about time I stop feeling bloody sorry for myself and bring back this blog to what I do best: whinging about less personal stuff.

Don't get me wrong, there've been plenty of things that I've wanted to write about over the past year, but due to time constraints and sometimes just me being lazy and unmotivated, it's gone unnoticed.

Never fear, I have a doozy to start with: Superheroes. No. Seriously. Introducing Phoenix Jones and the Rain City Superhero Movement (not to be confused with the dance crew).

Phoenix Jones is a civilian who dresses up as a superhero at night to patrol the streets and keep the citizens of Seattle safe. His costume has a bulletproof vest, knife plates, etc.. They carry non-lethal weapons, and are all trained in combat or mixed martial arts (which, as someone who has trained in kickboxing for several years, I can tell you is no joke).

The Rain City Superhero Movement is apparently 9 people including Phoenix Jones. The other members are Thorn, Buster Doe, Green Reaper, Gemini, No Name, Catastrophe, Thunder 88 and Penelope. There's less information around on these 8 guys, but then again, I'm not a Facebook user and can't fully access their Facebook page. I am, however, heartened by the inclusion of at least 1 female persona (I think).

If you thought they were the only people in the world crazy enough to do something, you'd be wrong. Well, you'd probably be right if you said Americans (to my knowledge). There's a website for a community of Real Life SuperHeroes (www.reallifesuperheroes.org), detailing the exploits of other masked/unmasked caped/uncaped crusaders who choose to fight crime/injustice/homelessness/etc. There's even tips on what to/what not to do.

For further reading, Suite 101 has an interesting and informative article here. And then there's always Phoenix Jones and the Rain City Superhero Movement's Facebook page. And yes, the Seattle police are well aware of their existence, and can tell who is or isn't in the group (really).

Not An Elephant

People have been telling me that to forgive and forget is a desirable trait since I can remember. Later on in life, it hasn't changed, but the "people" are inevitably the people that I'm supposed to forgive and what they did are what I'm supposed to forget about. Most things are easy to forgive and forget, but it's never about the easy ones, is it? It's always the big ones that matter and affect you more than you think it has.

For example, you can forgive someone for making a mistake and doing something that breaks your trust. The question then becomes, how do you forget that it happened? How is it so easy for everyone else to forget that the last time you depended on this person for something that mattered, it didn't happen?

What happens when the thing that's supposed to be forgotten is the complete breakdown of everything you've based your life on? There are some intangible things that you build your life on and around, take for granted, depend on, assume with an unshakable faith that it will be there when you need it. How do you forget the time that you reached for it and it wasn't?

I've learned to forgive the hurt, but how do you forget how much it hurt? How do you assume it wasn't just a lie?

The Myth of the High Standard

It being Valentine's Day, I think it's only natural for the mind to turn to coupling. And, of course, the eternal question, "Where's your boyfriend?". The assumption by most is that I have high standards. Do I really? Honestly, I don't think so. I may talk the talk, but I don't really expect my boyfriends to spend lavishly on me or to take me jetsetting. I don't really expect very much. Yet, here I sit, boyfriend-less. Do I really have high standards?

The Standards:

1. My boyfriend won't lie to me (at least when it counts), because I wouldn't lie to him.
2. The girlfriend isn't outranked by anyone except family. Don't forget, we're talking about a long-term relationship here.
3. My boyfriend will remember my birthday. It's not that hard.
4. When I'm angry or upset, my boyfriend will hold me and tell me that he loves me. Same goes with when I'm insecure, hormonal, depressed, etc. It's a failsafe that works for all occasions. You know why? Because not one ex-boyfriend has ever done this for me.
5. My boyfriend wants me around.

When I tried to list that down, it was pretty hard to come up with 5, but there it is and I think the list is complete. I can't speak for other women, but I personally don't need anything more than these 5 things from my partner.

I don't think the standards are very high. They're not high expectations for anyone other than a child or a family pet, but still the only person I've ever met who hit all 5 wasn't even a boyfriend. Maybe that was my mistake.

A Flurry of White

I'm so confused about growing up. It's as if growing up was always this secret mystical place far away, perfect in its ideals.

And then I arrive and find that the glow has dulled, the streets lay trodden and broken by those that had come before me, the wind is stale, and the sun doesn't shine quite as brightly as I'd thought. The stories I'd been told during the journey had been shined and polished more often than an army chief's boots.

What else is there to do, but to roll up my sleeves and try to make it better.

posted from Bloggeroid

What kind of people live in this world?

This postcard was posted on Postsecret on 16 January 2011. I don't usually diss people's secrets because who am I to judge? But this really got to me. I've always wondered what kind of people would intentionally seduce someone else's partner and feel no remorse. What kind of men or women would put someone else's significant other through the pain and heartbreak of having their partners cheat on them?

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. It's even worse when it's a community secret - where everyone else knows except the family, and the rest of the world just looks at them pityingly and knowingly. This is such a common occurrence in Malaysia it's ridiculous.

But the fact that this person would think it's "weird" that her alleged good friend confided in her on something that would have taken a lot to discuss with someone else. That just disgusts me.

I've been in a position where some bitch completely disregarded the fact that my boyfriend was going out with me and continued to try to pursue him. Nevermind the fact that he said no. What kind of people live in this world? Women (and men alike) who do these things need to be made to feel the pain that they've inflicted on others, and to permanently wear a sign on their forehead telling the world the kind of people they are.