Statement of Purpose Grinding and Compiling an Action Plan

Greetings and Lamentations,

Update: So far the Ninjas have been unsuccessful, or they have very slow acting Dim Mak. They might just have better things to do? Curses, foiled again.

One has been researching materials for the Statement of Purpose (Credo) and the Action Plan (Villain Bill of Rights). These endeavors led to the Heroes, and while researching them and the Villains that are already out there, it was found that these same questions being posed in this blog, are nothing new. They've all been posted already by various Villains and Heroes, seeking these same answers. Youtube and MySpace have been a revelation. To see some of this, go to the works of Lord Chain, Phantom Zero, Sword Kane, and Zetaman. With this in mind, we can move ahead in our plans, and join up with the unanswered questions already out there.

The research went further still, into literature, and culture. These quotes are some of the best of what there is in life: Beauty and Truth. Enjoy, and draw from them what inspiration you may;

"Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans; that the moment one definitely commits oneself, Providence moves, too. All sorts of things occur to help one, That would otherwise never have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, Raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and Meetings and material assistance, which no person could Have dreamt would have come his or her way. Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute! Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it! Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it." -D. L. Willis

"Men have called me mad, but the question is not yet settled weather madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence - whether all that is profound - does not spring from disease of thought, from moods of mind exalted at the expenses of the general intellect.".
-Edgar Allen Poe

"If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that. "

"The phrases that men hear or repeat continually, end by becoming convictions and ossify the organs of intelligence."

"Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now."

"You must either conquer and rule or lose and serve, suffer or triumph, and be the anvil or the hammer."

"Where there is much light, the shadow is deep."

"Correction does much, but encouragement does more. Encouragement after censure is as the sun after a shower."

"A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage. Every day sends to their graves obscure men whom timidity prevented from making a first effort."

"If you treat an individual as he is, he will stay as he is; but if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be."
-The previous 8 quotes from Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

"Great wits are sure to madness near allied, and thin partitions do their bounds divide." -John Dryden

"Thus I draw from the absurd three consequences, which are my revolt, my freedom, and my passion. By the mere activity of consciousness I transform into a rule of life what was an invitation to death, and I refuse suicide."
(From the Myth of Sisyphus) - Camus

"We are oft to blame in this. 'Tis too much proved that with devotion's visage and pious action we do sugar o'er the devil himself." Hamlet 3.1.46-49

"And thus I clothe my naked villainy/With old odd ends, stol'n forth of holy writ;/And seem a saint, when most I play the devil." Richard III (play) 1.3.336-38

"Conceal me what I am, and be my aid/For such disguise and haply shall become/The form of my intent." Twelfth Night
The previous three quotes from William Shakespeare, and found in the Movie "V for Vendetta". I hold, V as a patron of Villainy.

With Splendid Horror Unfolding,
-M

Ninjacide - a Brief Interlude

Greetings and Lamentations,

By now my minions (of which there are apparently none), it is time to begin making plans to engage the Heroic Scourge of Colorado – the Ninja. Of course, seeing as how the RLSH Ninjas may very well be reading this blog, and also hiding in my backyard at this very moment, a daring, bold strategy will be hatched. Villains are experts at hatching plans and schemes, and it is just this skill that one intends to employ now.

First Rule: Know your Enemy. As we know from the sources of information the Heroes glean their knowledge from (television cartoons and video games), Ninjas wear black and carry swords. Many of the Ninjas in the Heroes community are true to this form. One would then conclude that the Invisible Colorado Ninja Empire would employ such identity branding. Though one can never actually SEE the RLSH Ninjas that seemingly infest Colorado, that wouldn’t necessarily mean that they aren’t about, it instead might simply mean that they are experts at stealth. Tsun Tzu in his celebrated work `the Art of War’ tells us that “All warfare is based on deception. Hence when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him”. (Translated into RLSH: And as Shang Tsung once said “Let Mortal Kombat begin!”) This may tell us, that while the Ninjas may seem to be away, perhaps preparing for an assault on neighboring Wyoming’s Pirate population, they very well could be planning to engage in Ninja activities.

Second Rule: Do not try and actually fight the Ninjas, because you will lose. Some of those Ninjas look like they work out, in secret Ninja training camps. Best to leave actual combat to the Minions, and Henchmen. Tsun Tzu again advises “The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy’s will to be imposed on him.” (Translated into RLSH: Or, as Scorpion opined; “Get over here!”) One imagines this must then be a battle of psychic Armageddon. It will be a battle of epic proportions. RLSH Ninjas applying their Eastern Mind Control Techniques and videogame mysticism against sheer villainous Will Power.

Third Rule: The Ninjas definitely WILL fight dirty, so beat them to the first strike, and ambush them with audacious crazy badness. Destroy their sense of supremacy, and shake their confidence in their stealthy prowess. Break them, (or to translate for our RLSH readers: as Shao Kahn said, “Finish him!”) see – there’s still time counting down on my Survey for an Arch Nemesis, so in striking early, I’ve just terribly cheated. I know, you think, “Bad Form”, but not as a Villain. I’ll bet you just hate having someone get the drop on YOU for a change.

And so, let battle be enjoined: RLSH NINJAS! I can’t help wondering why there have been three, THREE “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, and not a single Ninja movie. What, no one cares about Ninjas? Too bad your Ninja suit leaves your eyes exposed, because when you silently cry, one can see your sweet, sweet, tears of Ninja sorrow. When you decide to give up Ninja work, you can always pan-handle for change at the park. At least you can transfer your silent skills into miming. After all, aren’t ALL mimes, what Ninjas want to be when they grow up? Take that Ninjas.

Super Villains, Villains, Henchmen, Minions, and Minion-wannabes, if this is my last post, a Ninja got me.


-M

You doubt we have a Ninja problem in Colorado? http://www.ninpiden.com/ It’s a breeding ground for RLSH Ninjas!

Building and Maintaining your Malevolent Organization

Greetings,

If you have found your Villainous voice, and have acknowledged that indeed you do wish to pursue your opportunities in the underworld, congratulations! You’ve taken your first step on the road towards Metavillainy.

As we all know (because you’re here), blogging can be a crucial first step in the Villain finding his voice, his identity, and with the help of his audience and their feedback, refining the quality of his or her Evil presentation. Consider blogging, your resume. With that in mind, and following the examples of so many more qualified Villains than myself, I’ve compiled a partial list of resources, to assist your development in this endeavor.

Hotmail Email Accounts. If you can type and agree to the terms, you can have an email account. This should be your starting point, as many other systems ask you for this account. It will also assist you in your malevolent correspondence. Expect the Heroes to find this, and add your address to every porn mailing list in Thailand.

Google Blogger. It’s free, and requires only that you have an email address. Garnering an audience requires work and patience.

Youtube. Wants an email address, and offers blogs and an opportunity to be both informative and entertaining. You must have charisma, talent, and a gift for performance. It does reach a large audience though, and can be interlinked to your other offerings. You will also want a costume, mask, background, special effects, etc.

Facebook. Villainous networking? Free again.

Website. Domain Registration can be as little as ~$ 20/yr, w/hosting being a few dollars every couple months. They have site builder tools which will allow you to modify templates. If you have web authoring skills, you can excel.

An avatar – artwork that you have created. To own your identity, you should have crafted an original name, persona (voice) and appearance. Myself, I haven’t done this, but in my defense, it’s on the to-do list.

The Holy Grail might just be Wikipedia.

When the time is right, and you’ve established yourself in the Villain community, you’ll want to find an Arch Nemesis, before you begin hatching plots to bring your vision to fruition. Some resources to consider;

http://reallifesuperheroes.org/wordpress/?p=51

http://www.freewebs.com/heroesnetwork/

and of course;

http://www.reallifesuperheroes.org/

Youtube also has many Superheroes to choose from. May I suggest Phantom Zero? He appears to have a refreshing go-getter attitude about who he can “Arch”, and how to arrange that. It’s so matter-of-fact, it’s inspired. The rest of his work will have you laughing. Sometimes at him, but more often, with him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real-life_superhero

There will be more (Iphone app – Minions, get on that), but this should help as a basis. In future we will want to develop strategies to apply your particular brand of Villainy to the problems of the world, as you see them.

With Splendid Horror Unfolding,
-M

What can Villains do?

Greetings and Lamentations,

Continuing the developing theme, it is now time to ask, "What's next? What can a Super Villain do?" To that end, I've compiled a list to consider as this movement moves forward. So here they are, in no particular order;

1) Supervillains need a better name. I believe both "Super Hero and Super Villain (Supervillain)" are both copyrighted by Marvel Comics and DC Comics. While the Heroes don't seem to mind infringing this copyright, we must do better. So I'm proposing the name "Meta Villain (Metavillain)". It has the advantage of having the meaning "beyond (and also behind)", has been associated with the Internet , and also has the meaning "something which refers to itself, esp. in a self-parodying manner". It's just a suggestion, and there may be better answers which I welcome.

2) There should be a creed, a declaration of intent. Something that Villains may hold as a purpose. It should be short and to the point. It can never be referred to as a "manifesto" because of the negative connotations. I think 3-6 sentences of meaning should suffice.

3) Outside of the Creed, but in support of it, we should have a set of rules. Like a Villainous Bill of Rights, or Standards. My suggestion for a rule; Spelling and Manners. Any brief contact with the works of Ian Fleming will show that the Villain is a cultured creature. We can make mistakes, but we must strive to do better. Don't want to spell correctly, or enjoy rudeness? The ranks of Henchmen await you. We should be civil and courteous even when our passions would want to enflame our conversations. Cool thinking is the cornerstone of any Villainous endeavor.

4) Communication. While we all may have our Malevolent Empires to build and maintain, as Gentlemen and Ladies, we must come together as peers to leverage our individual creative energies into a cohesive, focused direction. Each member should give the same respect to another, as would be expected in return. If the Villainous personage "Man-what-has-a-banana-in-his-ear" comports himself as a proper villain, and respect is shown, he should expect that same respect returned to him.

5) Schemes, Plots, Plans, naturally. For example, but not limited to; Every year or so, there is a disaster, somewhere in the country. Perhaps we can setup a charity fund at the Red Cross, and donate to it, keeping track of the total, and challenge the Heroes to do better at an equal charity fund setup at the Red Cross? Food donation, measured in pounds? We will of course leverage our special skills, while the Heroes will leverage theirs (it must be easier to donate to a hero, after all - we all look like we've been raiding the Halloween counter). Hours of service donated to elder care? I'm terrible with people, so it would be hard to do this, but it's an idea.

So, there are some ideas to consider. They're kernals of ideas, from which one hopes better ideas will grow from. Of course as Villains, we all have our own ideas, and perceptions of what must be done.

I await your participation in this great experiment,
-M

Origins of Web Supervillainy: Part 2

Greetings and Lamentations,

Continuing the thesis from last time, I was endeavoring to apply Hobbes and Locke to the Super Hero movement. Locke informs us that people are generally good, and can self manage themselves, choosing to defer to an impartial justice, instead of taking justice into their own hands.

On the other hand, we have Hobbes, who tells us that because people are generally wicked, punishment must be applied liberally, to ensure everyone learns from example that justice is swift and harsh.

Superman and Spider-man? Lockesian. Wolverine, the Punisher, and Batman? Hobbesian. With overwhelming power, we see the Lockesian heroes prevail, and "save the Earth", and inspire the common man - but only because they have superhuman powers. The Hobbesian heroes do not inspire. Without superhuman powers, they can only punish (Wolverine does have powers - but relatively minor).

Apply these thoughts to the RLSH (Real Life Super Heroes). Without powers, you to believe that they must follow a Hobbesian course. That they must, within the limits of the law, punish and make example of, wicked men. But that's not the case we see. We see these heroes, in their gaudy costumes, performing acts of charity. Helping the homeless, these people most in need of a helping hand. I want to say, leading by example (but my information gathering is incomplete). Certainly inspiring the very young, and the young at heart.

RLSH is a new movement, and is still gestating. What will it become, will it survive? What standards should our heroes meet? Having a sterling character? An extreme fitness regimen to keep them in top fighting form? Perhaps a Private Investigator's license? Minimum first aid/CPR training? Perhaps some legal briefing, and some bounty-hunter training? Will we even hold our heroes to standards? Certification - or will we have vigilantism?

What will be the evolution of the Real Life Super Hero? Will they self manage themselves, and aspire to be better, or will they NEED their Villains to push them? And this could be the seed of Supervillainy.

This counter movement is not, and should not be understood to be strictly adversarial to the Super Heroes. In fact, you may believe that if the Super Villains were ever to completely facilitate the elimination ("liquidation" - sorry, a relish there. Hello - Villain) of the Super Heroes, there would be little reason for villains to exist. Certainly, true villainy could not hope to exist in this post 9/11 world, what with so many interesting ways to monitor any and all aberrant behavior. Any such activity would be wrong, and foolish. And does the world really need any more problems? I think not.

With the history of the Super Villains just beginning, the future is a blank canvass, but it cannot be a canvass without the garish colors of the Super Heroe upon it. But where there is brightness and light, can there not also be, must there not also be, shades of darkness? Every movement must improve, develop, adapt, and evolve. Our culture with it's celebration of diversity, and freedom of thought, tells us this. We celebrate this, and rise to the challenge of new opportunities. As Villains, we must help the Heroes do good, for if left to their own devices, the Heroes may aspire only to find adequacy, or worse, find danger in their unpreparedness. The thrust of Supervillainy, must be to advocate for a better class of Superhero, which will allow the movement to continue into the next generation and find legitamacy in this country, and in others. Superhero Arms Race! - Evil, I know, but what a incentive to improve.

These then, ARE the first chapters of the history of the Real Life Super Villains. First thing - we need a better name. Minions! To work, with you. Second. I need the super power of Evil Spell checking. Minions! You know the routine by now. Will the history be self defeating, or can this be useful? Will the Superheroes take the softball criticism's thrown at them in jest, and crumble, amidst paranoid fantasies of "the world out to get them", or will they adapt, and overcome? Dicipline heroes. Aspiration! The Villains have thrown down the gauntlet. Will you pick it up and accept the challenge?

To see this same dynamic playing out, please check the Myspace blog of Zetaman, a hero who generally seems to have his act, pretty well put together. Try as I might, I can't fault him, and would not try to. He's adapted. He's surviving, and I may argue, thriving. His move away from the more dangerous activities of crime fighting, to assisting the downtrodden are worthy. (Who am I to judge? Only a hypocrite, and a fraud. Hello - Villain).

Rambling mode is switching off, and the theme continues next time,
-M

Origins of Web Supervillainy: Part 1

Greetings and Lamentations,

Side note: If you haven't checked out http://www.joinroach.com/ - please do. Very fun, and well worth your time.

Today, developing the blog theme, and to advance the subject, I would like to discuss the Archetypes in play in the RLSH (Real Life Super Heroes) and RLSV (Real Life Super Villains) environments. I want to say communities, but I think it's still too early for the RLSV, as they are in genesis, and still finding their voice. You can see where this wants to go, to the Noble shining heroes, and the Malevolent villains. And you would be right of course, but there is more.

The Heroes are a response and reaction to the world they see around them, and the Villains are a response to the Heroes. To look at this issue. we need to examine the motivations of the Hero. Currently in the comic books from which our RLSH characters derive so much of their impetus, we have two basic models. The Bright Shiny Hero, as evidenced by generally happier, better adjusted heroes like Spider-man, Superman, etc, and the darker, morally more ambigous tormented loner characters like Batman and Wolverine. Both Batman and Wolverine belong to multiple groups actually (they're so COOL), but you understand that they're "outsiders".

Where the bright heroes depend on superhuman powers to enable them to inspire the world, the darker heroes must rely on their wits, and determination. Not that being a billionaire adn having claws and a healing ability are drawbacks mind you. The bright heroes save the Earth, the dark heroes fight crime.

I'm positing that without these extraordinary abilities, the RLSH would tend towards the darker hero achetype.

Reality Check: Heroes - are you the Dark Archetype, tor the Bright? Happy/Group saving the world, or Morally Ambiguous Loner?

The (simplified for my purpose and ability) philisophical modeling of Locke and Hobbes go deeper still.

If we adhere to Locke's view of humanity, we understand that people are born in a undetermined state (tabula rasa) and that environment shapes their personalities. That society tends towards cooperation and peace. One analysis (http://jim.com/hobbes.htm) concludes that Locke's social contract is; "We give up our right to ourselves exact retribution for crimes in return for impartial justice backed by overwhelming force. We retain the right to life liberty, and gain the right to just, impartial protection of our property".

If however, we adhere instead to Hobbe's view of humanity, we understand that people are brutal, and must be punished and forced to obey laws and social contracts, because if left to their own devices, they will want for a tyrant to subjugate them to ensure peace.

RLSH, Vigillante. What is the evolution? Where will this go next? Social activism has frequently been the germ of an idea that has developed into both benign and malevolent expressions. Often time being the one, and claiming the other.

-M

You say Psi-Ops, I say *Magic*

Greetings and Lamentations,

Magic, conjuration, the creation of a desired result from other than scientific means. The spoken word appears here, as the focus of our intent and belief. Most clearly we see this in religions, and this application, this Evocation, can be heard in chants, professions of faith, vows, and in song. We demonstrate the molding power of neural realignment by repeating things over and over.

We are led like children by our political leaders, our celebrity spokespeople, our peers, and our so-called News Analysts, as they weild the media like the blunt instrument it is. The words may vary from day to day, but their meaning remains consistent, day after day, every day of our lives: OBEY, COMPLY, SUBMIT. We uncounciously chant them to ourselves, unaware of their intrinsic magic to enslave us.

Magic and Science are like oil and water. Where one holds sway, the other must wither. Heisenberg's scientific principle of uncertainty tells us that we subtly influence that which we observe. If we can SEE the magic of our enslavement, we can influence it, we can change it, and perhaps even wield it. Where logic the foundation of science cannot see our enslavement, and belief the foundation of Magic cannot shrug off the chains that bind us, Madness, the delightful wimsy of randomness soars free. The fires of creativity are volcanic, and cannot be restrained. We yearn to be FREE.

Dream these dreams of freedom. Dare to do that which has never been done before. Create the conditions of your emancipation. What will you do? Who will you be?

Create an Identity, and Find Yourself.
Abra Kadabra.

-M

Memes - Mind Viruses

Greetings and Lamentations,

"Meme" (pronounced meem) - a noun, described as a cultural item that is transmitted by repetition in a manner analogous to the biological transmission of genes. Coined by Richard Dawkins, it is an idea considered as a replicator, especially with the connotation that memes parasitize people into propogating them, much as viruses do. Memes can be considered a unit of cultural evolution. Some ideas can evolve in a way analogous to biological evolution, and while some ideas survive better than some, others can mutate through cultural filters, and can combine with other ideas to form new ideas. (poorly paraphrased from dictionary.com)

With the cultural phenomenon of so called "Real Life Super Heroes" combined with the current cult of celebrity, and the opportunities the Internet provides, I believe an opportunity exists that has never been before. The theory of "Emergence" finds an emergent behavior can appear when a number of simple agents operate in an environment, forming more complex behaviors as a collective. (Wikipedia)

With Real Life Super Heroes (RLSH) as an emergent cultural phenomenon, and no end of movies celebrating their comic book source material in near sight, a chance to influence the collective subconcious of Internet savvy, culturally aware flexible minds is present.

If there are RLSH, and their complimentary Villians (if only to challenge them intellectually), then perhaps there is an opening for the archtype "Mad Scientist". A rich cultural laboratory of thoughts exist to be influenced, and learned from.

I believe in this future of avatars, heroic, or not so heroic, the meme is;

Create an Identity, and Find Yourself.

Where did you hear that before? This blog? Is it working yet? Digest the meme, propogate the meme. Evolve the meme. Bear witness to the emergence as thousands of minds come together in thought, and then in real world actions.

With Splendid Horror Unfolding,
-M