A gift is a bribe.  All slaves know this.

Christmas is a holiday for the wealthy, to affirm purchasing power as the pinnacle of human expression.  The holiday creates a context for the rich to adorn themselves in heroism.

When a slave gives a gift, the delight we feel when we give it, see it opened and the happiness it creates in another slave, feeds the beast inside us that fears death.   It is a brief flash of power over the Need, the Hunger and the Deadening of Souls that is consuming us.

When an Overlord gives a gift to a slave, he is buying assurance that the slaves will not rise and overthrow him. Should we ever gain the tools to calculate the balance and correct the injustice, the Overlord hopes that his bribes will soften our judgement and that we will acknowledge the Overlord’s kindness and good will.

If an Overlord gives you a gift, you will accept and consume it if you Need it.  A slave rejects a gift only if willing to accept the repercussions, but usually the Need forces the slave to accept it.  However, if you do not Need the gift, it is best to re-gift it to another slave with less than you, rather than to rejct the Overlord’s gesture.

To deny an Overlord an opportunity at heroism is to feed the Justification for furthering our suppression.

The story of Theseus and the Minotaur (above) is, in my opinion, the classical storyline, the archetypal Ur-Story. I much prefer it to the story of Hercules as I described it recently. It has:

• unity
• direction and momentum, propelling us forward
• complexity, with characters male and female being fleshed out in a way that lets us empathize
• relevance, collectively and individually, to our own life stories.

It is, in short, far superior to the myth of Hercules as a story.

Part I: Identity

As I interpret the story, it has distinct parts, which we see re-used, like Lego blocks, in our stories today. (If any of the parts remind you of stories, let us know in the comments.)

First, there is the boy who needs to find a) his identity and b) his calling.

Theseus grows up with his mother at the court of Troezen, where his maternal grandfather is king. But he does not know who his father is (ie, he does not yet know his identity).

This he discovers when he lifts a huge boulder and finds under it a sword. The sword was hidden there for him by his father, who is, as Theseus’ mother now reveals, the King of Athens, Aegeus (as in: Aegean Sea). In fact, there will always be some uncertainty about even that, since Theseus mother was visited by both Aegeus and the god Poseidon on the night of Theseus’ conception.

Theseus now sets out to find his father (= his identity, in my reading), which is of course a difficult path. A bit as Hercules had to complete his twelve labors, Theseus has to overcome and kill a series of villains who have been making the road to Athens unsafe. Thereby he delivers a public good. I won’t dwell on each adventure, except one: I’ve already told you about Procrustes, who either stretched or amputated his guests so that they fit into his special bed. Well, Theseus forces him into his own bed, with deadly effect.

Having prevailed (and thus established himself as a promising hero), Theseus arrives in Athens, where nobody yet knows who he is. Only Medea (who will also feature in another hero story, Jason’s), who is the king’s wife, intuits that he is Aegeus’ natural and rightful heir, and thus a threat to her own son. Using her feminine weaponry–guile–she persuades Aegeus that Theseus is dangerous and must be poisoned.

Aegeus reclines at a banquet to see the stranger drink the poisoned wine. But just then Theseus draws his sword, the same sword that Aegeus had hidden long ago for his heir to find, to cut a slab of meat. It is a recognition scene: Aegeus knocks away the poisoned cup and they re-unite. Medea, knowing her game is up, flees.

Part II: Quest

The stage is now set for Theseus, having found his identity, to go on a quest, on the one big task that will define him (in contrast to Hercules, who had twelve tasks but none that was definitive). It so happens that Athens is suffering. Every nine years, the Athenians, having lost a war with Crete, have to send seven maidens and seven boys to Crete as human sacrifice for a monster, half man and half bull, the Minotaur. The Minotaur lives in a labyrinth built be the greatest architect of Greece, Daedalus, and nobody who enters finds his way out again.

Theseus volunteers to be one of the seven youths on the next ship, heeding his “call to action” in the language of the mono-myth theory. The ship sets off with a black sail, and Theseus tells his father that, if he succeeds in slaying the monster and survives, he will return with a white sail.

And how different he is from Hercules even now, as he approaches his biggest task. Hercules occasionally had helpers in his labors, but they were mere stage props in the background. Theseus, on the other hand, is capable of love. He meets Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos of Crete, and they fall for each other.

Without this woman and her love, Theseus would fail. He is vulnerable. He needs an other, a woman, to complete him. And so Ariadne gives him her clew, telling Theseus to unravel its thread as he descends into the labyrinth in order to be able to follow it back out if he should survive his encounter with the Minotaur.

Theseus descends, finds the Minotaur and a ferocious fight ensues. This is his best moment (depicted above), his great act of heroism. He kills the Minotaur, follows Ariadne’s thread back out, and is ready to return home with the news that Athens has been liberated.

Part III: Return

But returns are never easy. Theseus elopes with Ariadne and they sail for Athens. But Theseus, now that the danger is past, falls out of love with her. She has done so much for him, and they have been so close. But now he abandons her on an island (where, in some versions, she will become the wife of Dionysus).

Did the Greeks think he was right to do so? Did they think he was bad? This is beside the point. Theseus, unlike Hercules, is complex. He is human. He gets confused, distracted, unsure.  We can see ourselves in him. He makes mistakes.

He makes a big one, in fact. He promised his father to set a white sail if he succeeded in slaying the Minotaur but evidently forgets and appears on the horizon before Athens with the black sail. Aegeus sees it, assumes that his son has failed and died, and throws himself off a cliff to his death.

But this tragedy marks another rite of passage. Theseus is the heir to the throne, so, having liberated Athens, he now becomes its king.

The story as model

At some later point, we’ll have to take stock of how Theseus (and all subsequent heroes in this thread on Heroes) fits into our debate about heroism. But for now, let’s just think of his story as such: as a story.

It’s all there. A search (for identity), a recognition and reunion (with Aegeus), evil (the Minotaur), a quest and a journey, love and dependency (Ariadne), a peak moment (the slaying), a return, betrayal, tragedy, destiny.

Are these not the parts out of which we build all our stories?

Public/private. To see that public heroism is existentially superior to private heroics, simply compare the actions of Antigone to those of Mary Kay Letourneau.

vspace=”4″ hspace=”4″ border=”1″ align=”right” alt=”" src=”../../../../../www.blogcdn.com/www.wow.com/media/2009/05/wi-reddrakeflap.jpg” />Well, my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle. — Firefly, “Our Mrs. Reynolds.”

Just as a recap, this is what we’ve covered so far in the OverAchiever: Glory of the Hero series:
Part I: Ahn�kahet
Part II: Azjol-Nerub and Culling of Stratholme
Part III: Drak�Tharon Keep
Having finished the first of the two “troll dungeons” in Wrath, let�s head to the second: Gun�drak! Gun�drak is interesting in that it houses both the easiest heroic achievement and (arguably) the most annoying all at once, What the Eck? and Less-rabi respectivey. If you�re planning on doing all of these achievements in one go (which may or may not be a good idea depending on group composition), I would recommend taking a group with a Bloodlust/Heroism (you may have seen me make mention of this point before) and several interrupts. A Shaman with Reverberation can be useful on Moorabi. You will also need an off-tank and off-healer for Share The Love.

Snakes, Why�d It Have to Be Snakes?

As a note, this achievement seems to be individually- rather than group-based; you can get it even if someone else gets wrapped. However, if you�re interested in getting multiple people the achievement all at once, there are ways to ensure it doesn�t happen at all.The easiest way to do it is to tank Slad�ran at the very top of the stairs (technically more of a ramp), right around where you first enter the instance. This is obviously easier with a Hunter using Misdirect or any player with a speed bonus/ability aggroing him then running off, but in a pinch any tank can manage it too.

Keep him there. Due to the distance from his spawn spot, you�ll have adequate time to kill Slad�ran before the adds reach you if you�re packing great DPS. With good to mediocre DPS, all of the adds will be confined to the narrow ramp and can be AoE�d down easily. If the adds are consistently killed, they�ll never get the chance to wrap a player, and bingo — enjoy your achievement.

Less-rabi

I�ll lay it out for you: either you�ll nail this achievement on the first try, or (more likely) you�ll spend the better part of an evening resetting the fight and trying over…and over…and over…

The directive of the achievement itself is simple; keep Moorabi from Transforming. The ability is a spell and can be interrupted by any standard player interrupt ability (although it can�t be silenced, so you can forget about trying to preempt a Transform cast by running in and casting something like Arcane Torrent). What makes Less-rabi difficult is that Moorabi�s attempts to Transform become faster and faster as his health drops, to the point of becoming functionally instant. However, as he attempts to cast Transform at a predictable rate — before 50% health, he casts it every 10 seconds, and after 50%, every 5 seconds — you can nail an interrupt without actually having to see the cast go off. Then again, if there�s any server- or client-side lag, what you think is a timely interrupt and what Moorabi thinks is a timely interrupt may be two different things. Don�t try this if the instance server�s not behaving itself.

Here�s the deal: any group with at least 3 interrupts on short cooldowns should be able to manage this, but if you want to stack the deck in your favor, take two or more of the following:
Protection Warrior
Shaman (one specced into Reverberation helps out a lot)
RogueEDIT: I had previously suggested a Mage with Improved Counterspell for this fight, as that was once one of the better ways to give your group uninterrupted DPS past 50% health. Although the ability was said to have been hotfixed in 3.0.9, two groups I took into heroic Gun�drak for achievements past that point successfully used Improved Counterspell, so I left the suggestion in, assuming that the Wowhead thread was inaccurate. Multiple commenters below have noted that more recently it has not worked, so I�m going to go ahead and say that it was finally fixed. Past 50% health, Moorabi will attempt to Transform every 5 seconds like clockwork no matter what you do. As of patch 3.1, count on a Shaman with Reverberation (or the Rogue technique described in the comments) being the most pain-free way to get this achievement done.

Plan on your DPS being able to manage something in the region of 2.5K-3K DPS each to pull this off successfully. Count on using consumables, Bloodlust/Heroism, and trinkets, especially if gear quality isn�t stellar.

Once you�ve got your group together, huddle up in Moorabi�s room and agree on a game plan concerning who�s interrupting when. If your DPS is very good, Moorabi will die within 30-35 seconds, giving you 3 to 4 Transform casts. The most crucial casts will be the third and — if it happens — the fourth. If you�ve tried this and you know your group should realistically expect to see a fourth Transform cast occur past 35% health, you may want more than one person trying to interrupt at that point to increase the odds that someone nails it.

Aggro Moorabi. if you have a Bloodlust/Heroism, pop it straight off the pull. The first Transform cast will occur shortly. It will be a fairly lengthy cast, and the first interrupter should wait until the last moment to do it to allow more damage in the interim.

The second Transform cast should also be relatively easy. At 50%, players should pop cooldowns and trinkets and go for broke.

The third Transform cast, assuming your DPS is good, will be tougher but still doable as long as the player concerned isn�t on the GCD at the time. Moorabi should be clocking in under 50% health at this point and will begin attempting to cast Transform every 5 seconds. Begin counting down (or, better yet, use the ingame stopwatch) to count off 5 seconds immediately following the last of your interrupts past 50%. This is where a Shaman with Reverberation helps, as they can simply try spamming Earth Shock as it comes off cooldown, and it should automatically interrupt Moorabi�s casts as they share the same cooldown.

Of course, Moorabi can also use his AoE stun ability in the interim, and you can watch your good work go down the drain as he casts Transform unimpeded. All you can do is try again. While this is an ability he�s only supposed to have in mammoth form, I�ve seen him use it all too often in troll form, which often ends any shot you�ve got at Less-rabi. Whether this is a bug or an intended consequence of attempting to keep him from Transforming, I don�t know, but it does throw an additional (and highly unwelcome) element of luck into the achievement.

You are most likely to lose this once he�s past 15% health. If he Transforms successfully, at that point you�ll have to pray that any DoT�s or bleeds on him don�t kill him as you run for the exit and try to reset the fight.

What the Eck?

In return for having to do Less-rabi, you�re rewarded with this extremely easy achievement. How easy is it? Stand in front of Eck the Ferocious while he�s casting Eck Spit, get the debuff, and then go kill Gal�darah.

The only catch here is that immunity effects like Divine Shield and Ice Block will remove the debuff, in addition to the more standard route of losing it if you die. Because this achievement is so easy, you may actually want to save this for another run where you�re not working on Share The Love, especially if you�re a healer without an off-healer in the group.

Share The Love

Speaking of which, this is the final achievement in Gun�Drak and another relatively easy one overall as long as you�ve got an off-healer and off-tank with you. The only real trick to this
is to have the off-tank taunt after they�ve been Impaled, because Gal�darah never targets the player at the top of his hate list for this ability, so the use of an off-tank is the only way to get the main tank Impaled. An off-healer is helpful, not only for the increased damage an off-tank is likely to take, but also for the time in which the main healer or a clothy is Impaled.

There�s some luck involved — people can get Impaled multiple times before you cycle through 5 unique Impales, and that�s frustrating — but otherwise this achievement is really just a waiting game and a test of your healer�s reflexes. It�s gear dependent to the extent that if your tank/s and healer/s aren�t well-geared, it�s going to be difficult to keep everyone up if you get unlucky with Impale continually hitting the same player, but otherwise it�s not overly tough.

If you have yet to take a stance on health care reform, it’s probably because you’ve been waiting until Chuck Norris weighed in on the issue.  Your wait is over.  Norris, the pundit most likely to end a policy debate with a roundhouse kick to his adversary’s throat, has made his position known.

What would have happened if Mother Mary had been covered by Obamacare? What if that young, poor and uninsured teenage woman had been provided the federal funds (via Obamacare) and facilities (via Planned Parenthood, etc.) to avoid the ridicule, ostracizing, persecution and possible stoning because of her out-of-wedlock pregnancy? Imagine all the great souls who could have been erased from history and the influence of mankind if their parents had been as progressive as Washington’s wise men and women! Will Obamacare morph into Herodcare for the unborn?

I’ve had this bookmarked to be blogged for weeks now and I can’t believe it has taken me this long to get around to it! check it out:

*snip*

As crazy as it sounds, there may be a closer link than than most people would think between the extreme-altruistic personality and sociopathic personality. Would it shock you to know that two people, one with the traits of extreme-altruism X-altruism and the other the traits of a sociopath, could be related? Even siblings? And that their personality traits are very similar, with only a few features to distinguish them? Research by Watson, Clark, and Chmielewki from the University of Iowa, “Structures of Personality and Their Relevance to Psychopathology” [pdf], present a convincing argument in which they support the growing push for a trait dimensional scheme in the new DSM-V to replace the current categorical system.

Addicted To Being Good? The Psychopathology of Heroism.

update: turns out i had already posted it so i just deleted the old post. ^_^

via boingboing i believe.

I ain’t got no soul, but I got more than Don Henley.

Our stories and fairytales have, of course, changed through the ages: infinitely varied in detail, twists, characters and settings. Yet, taking a closer look at the bigger picture, the hero story that was wound through these tales since the beginning of time remains consistent. No distinguishably new changes in this archetypal hero figure or his renowned stories have been made – whether it is the typical ‘knight in shining armor’ type, or the more tragic likes of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

However; we are facing a new dawn. People are losing the hegemonic naivety that has been forced upon us since the beginning of civilization. It is obvious that we all are beginning to realise that there cannot always be a knight in shining armour there to save us, and we cannot all die tragic martyrs like Romeo and his beloved Juliet. Not to say all heroism has left the world – the qualities of the hero still exist around us every day. But to believe that all of us can realistically aspire to each and every one of the qualities ascribed to the shining beacons of goodness in our classic stories is ridiculous. It is a thing of the past. The present-day is the day of the Anti-Hero, and our stories reflect this.

Although, of course, anti-heroism has been touched upon in lesser known fairytales, it has never extended to the revolutionary lengths that it has in our films, music, politics and stories today. These ‘Anti-heroic’ people have faults, like all of us, but for the first time they do not see these faults as a thing to be corrected; it is a part of who they are – who we are. The moral complexity of the anti-hero causes us to question the limits of our own moral integrity. We can now question our willingness to extend ourselves beyond the old ‘comfortable’ boundaries to see life from a point of view that is so much more similar to our own. Anti-heroes can make mistakes and not be sorry, unlike the classic hero who would be crucified for any slight (or realistic) fault in character. By delving into the anti-hero we delve into our own insecurities and hopes; that with all of our personal flaws and shortcomings we too will be able to rise above our challenges and end victoriously – and bring our problems with us. Our new stories show us that we can all be anti-heroes. These stories are changing society and the world as we know it as I am writing this post.

In fiction, an anti-hero is a semi-protagonist archetype whose character or goals are almost completely opposite to traditional heroism. Anti-heroes differ from tragic heroes for the reason that a tragic hero is still primarily heroic but with a major tragic flaw, while an anti-hero’s flaws are more prominent than their heroic qualities. Hamlet danced on the fine line between tragic heroism and anti-heroism, but this intriguingly complex young man can easily be coined as the first prominent anti-hero to ever truly succeed in a famous piece literature. Of course, as a tragic hero must, Hamlet died. BUT: He succeeded in his endeavours, while fiercely holding true to his own flawed anti-heroic character until he breathed his last breath. Since the glorious tale of Hamlet was written by William Shakespeare, modern anti-heroes have been in the making.

Today, our modern anti-heroes encapsulate the rejection of traditional values symptomatic of modern literature and film in general. The disillusion felt after the Second World War and all conflict since saw our anti-heroes – who lacked the glorious but typical appeal of previous heroic figures like soldiers and comic book characters – become popular. The continuing popularity of the anti-hero in modern literature and popular culture is based on the recognition we now have as a result of these historical moments; that a person is fraught with human weaknesses AND strengths. These people – these anti-heroes – are so much more accessible to readers and viewers like us.

We’re sick of the knight in shining armour.

We see the nasty qualities that normally belong to the villainous bad guys… to us, they just add to their appeal!

Look at the Joker, for example. Played magnificently by the late actor Heath Ledger, the Joker jumped off the screen and became an object of admiration and wonder for one and all. And this was not despite his flaws in character. We LOVE that he tried to kill half the people in boring old Gotham City. We love his twisted face paint and kinky television station hijack stunts. He is the ultimate villain. By taking the interesting flaws from villains like the Joker, and toning them down to become the kind of flaws that the masses can relate to (sticking them on a relatively normal, possibly sane, intelligent person: we create our anti-hero.

A common hero that is often mistaken as an anti-hero is Sir Robin of Locksley, otherwise known as Robin Hood. He was the defender of downtrodden Saxons, and ran afoul of Norman authority and was forced to turn outlaw. With his band of Merry Men, he robbed from the rich, gave to the poor and still had time to woo the lovely Maid Marian as well as foil the cruel Sir Guy of Gisbourne, and keep the Prince John off the throne of beloved King Richard the Lionheart. Songs have been written about this man, as the rebellious leader of the lower class and defeater of corruption. He fit in perfectly with social, political and authority values at the time. No anti-hero here.

A bold contrast to this misconception of an anti-hero, however, is the book/movie ‘Fight Club’ – about a white-collar insomniac who happens to meet a mysterious anarchist named Tyler Durden after his high rise apartment is blown apart in an inexplicable gas explosion. As the movie goes on, they establish an underground fight club which, through the actions of Tyler Durden and the loyalty of the fight club members, eventually evolves into a national terrorist organisation hell bent on attacking consumerism and greed. This story is about rebellion and righteousness of the intelligent minority at its finest, and Tyler Durden is the fiercely attractive Anti-Hero that makes it all happen. But don’t get me wrong here. I bet many of you who haven’t seen this movie or read the book have assumed that the members who chose to be in this ‘Fight Club’ organisation are the homeless, job-less, fight-hungry dregs of society, right? Wrong. Most of the people in Tyler Durden’s revolutionary underground army of space monkeys are white collar workers with cars, apartments and families. Tyler Durden gives us the picture:

‘Man, I see in fight club the strongest and smartest men who’ve ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don’t need. We’re the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War’s a spiritual war… our Great Depression is our lives. We’ve all been raised on television to believe that one day we’d all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won’t. We are slowly learning that fact. And we’re very, very pissed off.’

That is why these antiheroes and their leader relate to us. We can sometimes feel helpless in this world over which we have no control. The only thing we can control now is our own minds. We have stopped paying attention to ‘the man’. This naïve hero worship our parents and their parents have been tricked into has given way to the gritty truth of life. Authority in general is being questioned. Society is taking an intelligent turn, away from the politicians and heroes that tell us to be good, and towards the revolutionary anti-heroes that tell us we can be extraordinary, by being normal and nurturing our faults as well as our character assets.

On the other hand, it is so easy to say ’society does this, society does that’… But who the hell is ‘society’? I am talking about US, here! How do anti-heroes change us? Where are they?

They are EVERYWHERE, people. You have seen The Lord of the Rings: Smeagol/Gollum. Hannibal Lecter, from Silence of the Lambs. Scarlett O’Hara, the infuriatingly spoilt rich brat that was the dramatic centre point for Gone with the Wind. Danny Archer, Jack Sparrow, Snape… Jay and Silent Bob!

These are the characters from the books and movies that we know and love. And they are all fierce, interesting ANTI-HEROES.

Back in the day, people lived in fairytales. They worshipped the knight in shining armour, and thought King Richard’s servant Robin Hood was the most rebellious person who ever walked this earth. Could they all see the difference between their childhood stories and the harsh world around them?

Our stories are of our lives.

Like Tyler Durden says: ‘I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say lets… evolve, let the chips fall where they may.’ This is what our new stories will – and do – look like. We see movies that don’t have happy endings. We read books where the ‘bad guy’ wins… and for once, it is a good thing! Anti-heroes and their new stories reflect this ideology of realism to represent realistic lives.

We are breeding a new generation of anti-hero stories.

We are breeding a new generation of REALISTS.

Is this a good thing? I think so.

Thankyou for reading my first post

As if Penaflorida isn’t enough, Magallanes is now an international hero too:

‘A Filipino who sacrificed his life during the onslaught of tropical storm Ondoy (Ketsana) in September was named among TIME Magazine’s Top 10 heroes this year.

‘The international publication recognized the selflessness of 18-year-old Muelmar Magallanes, who braved raging currents, helping bring neighbors and relatives to safer ground when record rainfall submerged three-fourths of the Philippine capital. “By the time the storm had unleashed its full fury, bringing the worst rains the region had seen in more than 40 years, Magallanes had changed the lives of dozens of family members and neighbors – and lost his own,” TIME said on its Web site.

‘TIME Magazine listed Filipino Muelmar Magallanes among the ten people who made a difference in 2009. Magallanes was swept by floods while trying to save about 30 people from drowning. TIME.com screen grab -Yahoo.com.ph

Now that patch 3.3 is live on the WoW servers, all heroic instances reward badges of triumph. If you use the random LFG tool, you will get two extra badges for each heroic you complete.

And as you will also notice, there are vendors in the game for not only the triumph badges but also all the previous tiers of badge given out in Wrath. Since you can also swap your badges of triumph for any of these other badges on a 1:1 basis, badges of conquest, valour, heroism, and triumph are now equal. But the gear which you can buy with them is not.

Not only that, but different vendors charge different amounts of badges for items that fill similar slots. So how to get the best use of those badges? Is it really worth spending 60 badges on Tier 7 (heroism) shoulders when you could have yourself a set of shiny T9 shoulders for half the price? (That’s a rhetorical question by the way – with tier gear, the tier level reflects the item level of the gear. Or in other words, Tier 9 is better than Tier 7.)

The amount of badges charged for an item now bears little resemblance to how powerful it is. Sometimes you want to go all out for the best in slot items, and others you just want to replace something green with a nice shiny epic that people won’t laugh at. So to help out, I’m listing how much the different vendors charge for different pieces.

Generally speaking, triumph gear is better than conquest gear, which is better than valor gear, which is better than heroism gear.  But this isn’t a universal truth, some specs or classes work better with lower tier trinkets for example. You’ll want to use this in conjunction with one of the gear guides below to figure out what’s the best value to get from your badges.

Note: The tier 9 (triumph badge) shoulders and gloves are a fantastic bargain at only 30 badges each. In fact, all of T9 is particularly good value – the vendors are located at the entrance to the Argent Coliseum.

Head:

• Emblem of Triumph Vendor (Tier 9): 50 badges
• Emblem of Triumph Vendor (non-set piece): 75 badges
• Emblem of Conquest Vendor (Tier 8): 58 badges

Shoulders:

• Emblem of Triumph Vendor (Tier 9): 30 badges
• Emblem of Triumph Vendor: 45 badges
• Emblem of Valor Vendor (Tier 7): 60 badges

Chest:

• Emblem of Triumph Vendor (Tier 9): 50 badges
• Emblem of Conquest Vendor (Tier 8): 58 badges
• Emblem of Heroism Vendor (Tier 7): 80 badges

Legs:

• Emblem of Triumph Vendor (Tier 9): 50 badges
• Emblem of Conquest Vendor: 39 badges
• Emblem of Valor Vendor (Tier 7): 75 badges

Hands:

• Emblem of Triumph Vendor (Tier 9): 30 badges
• Emblem of Conquest Vendor: 28 badges
• Emblem of Heroism (Tier 7): 60 badges

Back/ Cloak:

• Emblem of Valor Vendor: 25 badges

Wrist:

• Emblem of Valor Vendor: 60 badges (bind on equip)

Belt:

• Emblem of Conquest Vendor: 28 badges
• Emblem of Heroism Vendor: 40 badges

Boots:

• Emblem of Valor Vendor: 40 badges

Trinket:

• Emblem of Triumph Vendor: 50 badges
• Emblem of Heroism Vendor: 40 badges

Neck:

• Emblem of Conquest Vendor: 19 badges
• Emblem of Heroism Vendor: 25 badges

Ring:

• Emblem of Triumph Vendor: 35 badges
• Emblem of Valor Vendor: 25 badges

Relic/ Totem/ etc:

• Emblem of Triumph Vendor: 25 badges
• Emblem of Conquest Vendor: 19 badges
• Emblem of Valor Vendor: 25 badges
• Emblem of Heroism Vendor: 15 badges

Weapons etc:

• Emblem of Triumph: throwing weapon/ wand 25 badges
• Emblem of Heroism Vendor: various weapons and shields 15-50 badges. No tanking weapons, no 2 handers.

Other:

• Emblem of Heroism Vendor: heirloom bind on account items for your alts 40-65 badges (can also be bought with argent tournament tokens)
• Emblem of Heroism Vendor: Epic gem (uncut) 10 badges

Finding the best upgrade for you

There are tools available to help you decide what the best upgrades are for your class and spec. The WoW armoury can also make suggestions to upgrades. You can also use the armoury to see what well geared friends on your server are using.

maxdps.com is handy because it includes green and blue quest items and drops, which is great if you are a new 80 and want to focus on getting your nose inside the door of heroics.

Kaliban’s Loot Lists includes tactics for all the various instance bosses that drop the loot he recommends for each class.

Rawr is a fantastic tool for tweaking the gear of the classes and specs that it supports. It does take a bit more effort to set up than the websites though.

Lots of good class blogs and websites also include gear guides and advice, googling should help to find them.

TFP volunteers were honored to meet 2nd Lt. Peter Sprenger at the National Infantry Museum

by: Michael Gorre

Thirteen TFP volunteers traveled fourteen hours from Pennsylvania to Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, to show their support and gratitude to our brave troops on November 19 through 22, 2009. They also made the trip to counter-protest leftist pacifists at the gates of the military base. The thirteen young men were treated to some glaring contrasts that made the long trip a memorable one.

Rally for the Troops

Gathered at the intersection of 13th Street and Broadway, the volunteers unfurled two large banners reading: “The American soldier guarantees the peace, not socialist protesters,” and “We are proud of our military heroes. May God bless and protect them!” The banners were accompanied by hand-held signs calling for passersby to “Honk for our brave troops!” The result was a cheerful chorus of honks from the majority of vehicles, from large trucks, police cars and even ambulances crossing the busy intersection.

“Knowing pacifist protestors were in town, the locals were extremely happy to voice their gratitude to the troops by honks, waves and thumbs up,” said the group’s organizer John Ritchie. TFP volunteers also passed out copies of their statement published in the local newspaper, the Ledger-Enquirer, titled “A Call to Gratitude: Who Will Thank Our Heroes?”

TFP Members Thomas Schneider and St. Louis de Montfort Academy Student Thomas Pinelli encouraged passing motorist to support "Our Brave Troops."

A few of the pacifist protesters passed by and briefly argued with the volunteers, but were visibly disconcerted by the overwhelming support from Columbus residents who would not stop honking. Then a lady in a mechanized wheelchair came along with a gentleman wearing an Uncle Sam costume. They held their own “Support the Troops!” signs and happily joined the campaign. “It was impressive to see a lady in a wheelchair join us able-bodied men at the street corner. I’m sure people also honked to congratulate her,” said TFP volunteer Thomas Schneider. “She showed us that if you love an ideal enough, you can redefine the word ‘disabled.’”

Meeting with a Hero

While in town, the TFP volunteers toured the newly opened National Infantry Museum, described by Major General Jerry White as a “multi-million dollar love letter to the American soldier.” The museum is simply awe-inspiring. Dedicated to the courageous infantry soldiers that have defended our country, the museum brings to life many historic wars and battles with sophisticated sound and visual effects, cast figures of real infantry soldiers and numerous historic items from actual battles, such as a Bradley Fighting Vehicle that was damaged by terrorists in Iraq. The museum also sports a shooting range with M-4 and M-16 rifles modified for electronic target practice but still kick like the lethal versions. The glass encased Hall of Valor honors the nearly 1,500 infantry recipients of the Medal of Honor.

War Hero Peter Sprenger (right) took time to speak with TFP members at the newly opened National Infantry Museum.

To make their tour of military history even more vivid, the TFP volunteers chanced to meet a newly commissioned 2nd lieutenant with an eye-patch over his right eye. His name is 2nd Lt. Peter Sprenger, the young soldier who sustained serious injuries including the loss of one eye to a suicide car bomb attack while serving in Iraq in 2003. This brave wounded soldier defied all odds and skeptics by passing U.S. Army Ranger training and going back to combat. Then, because of his exceptional dedication, the Army decided to grant him entrance into Officer Candidate School which he recently completed, receiving his 2nd lieutenant’s insignia from General David Petraeus himself. The TFP volunteers chatted with the unassuming soldier who, when told why the TFP volunteers were in town, thanked them for their support and gratitude. When he stated he was from California, the volunteers told him about the TFP campaign there in defense of traditional marriage. Lighting up, 2nd Lt. Sprenger said, “I voted for Prop. 8!” referring to the bill that protected marriage as between a man and a woman. As each volunteer bade him farewell, they could not but think they shook the hand of a true hero, one willing to lay down his life for his country.

Liberal Nuns who saw no problem being associated with those who openly promote Communism.

Pacifist Protesters Promote Communism

In light of the above, imagine the contrast when the TFP volunteers campaigned close to the area where socialist pacifists picketed the entrance of Fort Benning. The demonstration against Fort Benning and the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC) — formerly called the School of the Americas — was a conglomeration of confused leftist Catholic nuns — only a few wore a habit but most wore marked sweaters identifying them as nuns — communist agitators, rainbow-flag waving

Fidel Castro Calendar

pro-homosexual activists and many students from Jesuit high schools and universities. Right next to tables manned by leftist Catholic nuns was a well-frequented tent of a radical communist bookstore called Revolution Books that sold Che Guevara and Fidel Castro wall calendars and atheist communist literature calling for open Marxist revolution.

Wait. Didn’t the Berlin Wall fall twenty years ago? Apparently, liberation theology and the subversive communist ideas that built the wall are still alive.

Distributing the “A Call to Gratitude: Who Will Thank Our Heroes?” fliers among the pacifists.

After campaigning a block away from the pacifist demonstration, the TFP volunteers distributed copies of their statement: “A Call to Gratitude: Who Will Thank Our Heroes?” among the pacifists themselves. The look of consternation did not take long to form on most of the pacifists’ faces as they read the flier lauding our soldiers’ service and the training they offer South American nations to combat Marxist guerrillas. Ironically, many of the pacifists took a belligerent attitude towards the TFP volunteers, including one long-haired male organizer who shouted, “keep your propaganda away” and told other organizers to make sure the TFP volunteers stayed away from them. In the background, the loud speakers repeatedly blared a song with the lyrics, “the power of love…the power of love…” So much for peace, love and tolerance…

It is experiences like these that help one to better appreciate the heroism and sacrifice of soldiers like 2nd Lt. Peter Sprenger. Oftentimes, we need stark contrasts to awaken in us the admiration due to men of honor and to help us loath the harmful ideologies of pacifism and Marxism that seek to disarm and dishonor hallowed institutions like our military. May God bless and protect our heroes as they defend us from our enemies!

Heroes and Stars show up only in darkness…But they’re there all the time…all through the day…you just don’t see them…

Even in the darkest patch of night sky, if you had a telescope sharp enough, you’d see stars which you normally couldn’t with the naked eye..

We all watch, experience, participate in, awards functions…We’ve all experienced reward and recognition kind of events and activities….and somehow, they’re like this too…Only the visible stars get all the focus…

There are heroes all around us. While we’re busy making a big noise about the CEO who turned a company around, we forget to notice, even mention the large number of people, without whose support it would have never happened.

The woman who works in the cubicle next to you, who comes to work with a heavy heart every day, because her mother’s dying of cancer…but who goes about her work efficiently and with a smile…she’s a hero..

The woman who’s in a bad marriage, has no love, but continues to stay because of her children…she’s a hero…

The old man down the street…lost his wife 2 years ago…still faces life with a smile every day…he’s a hero..

While all the sales folks, the hefty ops guys get all the attention, most of us forget the 70% of employees on whose shoulders the organization runs..they’re the real heroes..

The civil services run this country…but the heroes you see, are the politicians…

So take a moment today, to look for the heroes you don’t see…the heroes who’re all around you..  And take a moment to acknowledge them…your wife, your children…your boss…your secretary…the doorman…they’re all heroes…everyday…

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… exists between heroes (of all shapes and sizes) and the rest of humanity. I have been pondering it’s substance as of late. And though I’ve not found it’s exact ingredients, I have a few thoughts. I do not believe that it is talent, luck, or ability that distinguishes the world-changers. I think it is simply this: they jumped. The promise of tomorrow outweighed the safety of today. And so whether it was with eyes tightly shut or with arms flung wide, the not-so-super crossed that intangible line and became superheroes.

I am scared beyond words to jump. But I think the last year and a half has made me even more terrified not to. Hero, will I be? In all honesty, I do not think so. But this much I know … it will not be said of me that I did not jump.

“life goes on and on anon” stephin merritt.

if a person spends enough time in their own company, they soon realise that their life is made up of a tremendously long and impossibly boring list of activities. lives are not primarily composed of “great” events. believe it or not, that day when you married your high school sweetheart came and went in a heartbeat and your first child will not be born again (expect, perhaps, though some vague religious gesture).

the large part of a person’s existence is spent anonymously. if it could be boiled down to a single moment, it would be that instant in which you stare blankly into space, bored to the point of perversion by another conversation with your great aunt june. am i being too frank? well i’m not your father so i’ve no reason to lie to you.

it is all so perfectly encompased in the word ‘etcetera’, meaning ‘and the rest’. ‘i was born…and the rest.’

i re-familiarise you with this truth not only to make you miserable but also to debunk the myths surrounding heroes. it is perfectly easy to become a hero. save a baby from a burning pram and your heroism is solidified, even if it took you less than a minute and only cost you the hem of your trousers. it is so much harder to live day to day. i find myself constantly amazed by people’s willingness to get up in the morning and watch a batman omnibus again and again and again ad nauseum. that is to say, i am impressed by the way in which people face the etcetera-ness of their lives each day and only rarely consider the joys of self-immolation.

i hope you’re taking notes. this will be in the june exam.

Hercules

I’m announcing a new “thread” on The Hannibal Blog: Heroes.

I’ve already written lots about heroes, of course:

• mythological and ancient (such as Odysseus, Achilles or Arjuna),
• mythological and modern (such as Heidi, Hänsel and Gretel, or Little Red Riding Hood),
• real and ancient (such as Hannibal, Scipio or Alexander),
• real and modern (such as Hans and Sophie Scholl), and so forth.

And I’ve discussed how the hero or heroine is an archetype at the heart of almost any story, and thus crucial to storytelling. (This is why the new thread will overlap a lot with that on storytelling.)

Why a new thread on heroes?

Because I think there is a lot to say about them. As always with my threads, I have no idea where we will end up, but I’m quite curious to find out. I have a vague sense that I will discover quite a bit, from you more than from myself, as we get deeper into the thread.

A very tentative outline of future posts in this thread might run as follows:

Perseus

First, the classical heroes of antiquity:

• Hercules
• Theseus
• Perseus
• Jason
• Achilles
• Odysseus
• Aeneas

Then, some non-Western heroes, including my favorite:

• Arjuna

(For the yogis among you, did you know that the Sanskrit word for hero is vira, as in the yoga poses virasana and virabhadrasana? It is related to Latin vir, man, and thus virile, virtue…)

Then some fictional heroes and heroines from our folk-tales, our movies, modern literature. Then some real-life heroes. And eventually, some anti-heroes, who are really modern heroes. (Albert Camus’ Meursault in The Stranger jumps to mind.)

Feel free to nominate heroes in the comments that you’d like to have discussed.

I’m interested in what makes these various heroes and heroines heroic, what makes them timeless. Why did some heroes enter our collective unconscious, and others not?

About threads

For those of you who are new to The Hannibal Blog, a thread is simply a mini-series of blog posts, not necessarily sequential or coherent, united by a common tag or category on the right. By clicking on the tag of a thread you get a list of all the posts in it, in reverse order.

And threads never really end. So all the previous threads–such as those on the great thinkers, storytelling, Socrates, Hellenism, Carthage, stuff, America, freedom, et cetera–will go on.

I thought I was going to enjoy the Iliad. I was wrong.

I don’t read football reports and I don’t play Gears of War, but I now feel that I’ve had the experience. What is the Iliad if not a long catalogue of who is where when, what kit they’ve got on and unflinching descriptions of people’s brains getting smeared across the inside of their helmets? There is the merest spattering of a bromance in there too. Achilles and Agamemnon (both arrogant unlikeable bullies) fall out with one another, one goes and strops while another carries on leading his men to a brutal death in a miserably vainglourious seige on behalf of his brother. Things go from bad to worse to worser for them until Achilles and Agamemnon realise they love each other after all and join forces once more, only for Achilles to be killed. Even this is alright, though, because it’s brave, bloody and frankly rather schmaltzy.

I really thought there would be more depth to this book, but the characters and plot could have come straight out of a Vin Diesel movie. That’s not to say that there aren’t hints of a much more interesting book altogether, and a remarkable one in many ways. Homer never forgets the victims of war, particularly the women and children left behind, and the speech the old retainer Pheonix makes to Odysseus, Ajax and Achilles about the latter’s childhood and the aching wonder and love adults have for the children in their lives is painfully touching.

But there’s hardly any of this, and an awful lot of desciptions of who is most muscly, has the biggest sword, wears the shinyest armour and so on. And boy are these repetitive. Some passages are repeated word for word three times in quick succession, and the vocabulary used to describe the world of the Argives, the Trojans and their gods is pretty limited.

You have to imagine that this is deliberate, as the Iliad was never created for sitting down and reading in long sittings. It’s an oral epic poem, made for telling over days, weeks or maybe even months. With that in mind I ordered an audio version of the unabridged text. This improved its digestibility, but didn’t help the feeling that you had been here before…

There is no getting round it, this is literature for people who are mesmerised by violence, macho posturing, long technical lists of equipment and probably the size of other men’s willies. Which only makes the inevitable pathos of Achilles’ death more disturbing. It’s clear where the Western narrative arc comes from, and it’s from the mind of an adolescent boy. It’s brutal but it’s beatiful, it’s nakedly sentimental but it’s neat.

At least the Odyssey has monsters… Plus Odysseus, Hector and Patroclus are the only characters who come across as characters in the true sense of the word.

I don’t read ancient Greek, so I can’t really comment on the actual language used in any depth. But this I guess is the verdict on the story itself. However the theme of the book and its homosocial world is the nature and substance of heroism, and that continues to be surprisingly all-consuming in our own air-conditioned, ready-meal, ipod world.

Fear and hesitation go hand in hand. The trick is to separate the two, to recognize that you needn’t wait until you are free of fear in order to act. Indeed, if that were the case, most of the people whom we consider brave would still be waiting for the moment of bold action that earned them the appellation “hero.”

Years ago I heard a panel discussion on the subject of Wagner’s opera cycle The Ring of the Nibelung that actually touched on the issue of courage and decisive action. The experts focused on the character Siegfried, who is described as someone who has never known an instant of fear in his life. Should we therefore consider Siegfried’s fearless behavior to be indicative of heroism and bravery? The panel in question concluded it did not. After all, they reasoned, how can one be a hero without fear to overcome? Only a fool would rush to action without being aware of the attendant dangers. But a brave and courageous man would know the perils facing him and choose to act in any case.

Most of us won’t face dragons or fire, of course, but we still will all have numerous chances to act decisively or to hold back. Here is a trivial, but instructive example from my own life. In college, I was fulfilling a PE requirement by taking fencing. Now, I wasn’t a very good fencer, despite being a reasonably good athlete. And, my heavy academic course load didn’t permit me the luxury of spending time outside of class to practice fencing. Thus, in the first seven matches I had against my classmates, I won only three, a pretty mediocre showing.

Nonetheless, I was competitive enough to want to win more often, so I reasoned that there just might be a way that wouldn’t take time away from my other studies. I realized that I was a relatively tentative fencer, and so I decided to become more aggressive. I set myself the task of getting in the first “touch” as soon as each new match began. The strategy worked. Of the next 17 matches, I won 14. I was almost always able to get a 1 to 0 lead within a few seconds of the start of the competition by catching my adversaries off-guard. Yet, despite my new found success, I was really no better at fencing than I’d been when my record was three wins and four losses. I was simply less hesitant, more aggressive.

I once had a biology professor named Hudson who conducted the “Quiz” portion of his classes in a way to encourage behavior similar to my fencing experience. You were graded on the number of questions you answered correctly and lost points if you answered the interrogatories wrong. Hudson asked the questions aloud and it was a race to get your hand up first and have him call on you to answer. Naturally, you had to make a quick decision as to whether you had the right answer. Very fast indeed. Those who hesitated were, as the saying goes, “lost.”

But how does this all apply to daily life, the life outside of the university. You might say that “normal” life is less competitive than my examples suggest, but is it? To answer that question, ask yourself how often you hesitate to do things, take chances, give public voice to concerns that might engender disapproval, avoid tasks that are difficult or challenging? Do you ask out the beautiful woman, or do you wait until you feel “ready,” only to watch someone else beat your time in getting her attention? Do you, at least sometimes, see a crisis as an opportunity? Or do you hold back, put things off, wait and hope that another or better time for action will come? Sometimes it will, but sometimes it won’t.

If your “default” strategy, your habitual tendency, is to wait, you have a similar problem to those whose standard operating procedure is to act impulsively, without thinking. It may be the case that “fools rush in where angels fear to tread,” but it is also true that you are an equal fool if you forever hold back, hesitate, and watch the moment pass or see someone else “seize the day (carpe diem).”

What I am talking about is fear and the uncertainty that fuels it. When we are fearful and decide not to take action, most of us feel an immediate sense of relief. That relief reinforces our hesitation, while simultaneously depriving us of the opportunity to succeed in the endeavor. Soon enough, the relief will pass, but not the self-doubt and lack of personal esteem and confidence that might have been won by an effective action.

The danger in allowing too many chances to pass by is a life of “quiet desperation,” a life on the sidelines, watching others play the game, but not playing it ourselves. And, at the end of life, regret for the opportunities passed and the chances not taken is more likely to be troubling than the failed efforts made. Beware the heartache of the words “what if?” True, acting boldly often fails; but, it also sometimes succeeds.

No wonder, then, that musicians spend relatively little time passively listening to music. They are too busy making it.

Make music of your life, then. Let the trumpet announce (or remind) the world of your presence. Sing your song. And if you cannot, find a therapist who will give you the tools to beat back your fear and help encourage you.

“The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try. Once you find something you love to do, be the best at doing it.”

– Debbi Fields, Founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies

To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.
- Elbert Hubbard

You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.
- Winston Churchill

To go against the dominant thinking of your friends, of most of the people you see every day, is perhaps the most difficult act of heroism you can perform.
- Theodore H. White

If you enjoy these quotes, check out Bob Proctor’s Insight of the Day http://www.insightoftheday.com/quote.asp

and Jonathan Lockwood Huie at http://www.dreamthisday.com/

Make it a great day!

Karin

i think tis s der pre-perf stage:

credits: 33okilove33 @ YT (*special acknowledgement goes 2 spazzes@wordpress)

i jaz cant help it but agree wif spazzes@WP… tis one is S-A-D… way below expectation… & really wat’s wif da “grouping” ne… like in tis corner u YH & CM & @ tis corner JJ, YC & JS… & really wats wif dat obvious distance bet jae & CM?? wers ol da brotherly love gone?? & jae’s facial expression..its jaz oddly depressing… their “TOHOSHINKI desu” its jaz sounded so messy!

i tink i shud jaz stop blabbing…coz..i truckloads of nonsensical tings mite jaz come out off my mind….

STAND by YOU Perf

credits:  hakujunsui @ YT

i wont post da interview part..anymore… coz its unsubbed anyweis…& i jaz hate da “distance” the “gap” the “tension” the “awkwardness” … aishhhhh watever…

dey say we shud T-R-U-S-T, B-E-L-I-E-V-E, & K-E-E-P the F-A-I-T-H… den i shud do jaz dat…. but its quite hard…its jaz a sad ting, really…jaz it’s a big letdown, but atleast tey performed…the fans were supportive…& in fairness… i beliv Chunnie oppa did exert efforts, i tink he’s da only one singing wif emotions… & wazzup wif da distance, i jaz dun get it…. watever… jaejoong wer r ur smiles gone… aisshhhhhhhhhh watever…i guess tis better to see the way u really feel, instead of showing me, us a “painful” smile…coz 4 sure dat wud put a dagger in my heart… dem… tis is jaz plain gloomy, & i dun even wanna tink about it…. i guess i’ll jaz focused my eyes to da pixes @ my sidebar…dats da jae dat i want! …. but dang dang dang…i guess no matter wat, come wat may..i’ll jaz hev to accept watever is coming…good or bad…no its gotta be good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

its a long weekend…i shud enjoy it…i’ll put tis one aside…let it pass wif a heavy sigh…coz wat else der s 4 me 2 do…

happy weekend…happy thanksgiving… i wanna be happy… i will be happy… happy happy happy happy…. let’s be happy…. SMILE fangirls thou ur heart is aching…smile…smile…..

To every1 hu spend time read tis post…sowee 4 da lame teenish dramatiques of tis post… im jaz cranky & tired i guess…& overthinking tings…& over reacting…perhaps  tis happens to a fangirl hu wants to get back her old fangirl form, but find it hard to reclaim it….

hate, like, disagree, agree  or watever da words i jaz typed… i really wont care…dis is da way i feel, tink…& i wont force u to feel & think da same way…

 & P.s Lou unnie…. i’ll jaz reply back…wen i got back from long weekend vacay…wen im feelin’ alrite… so yeah…i’ll let GDragon oppa be ur special shing star 4 da meantime…coz wen i get back my tease groove…he’s gonna be my SUN, da center of my universe!!!! *trying hard to laff @ my lame tease*

The praises heaped upon and honor being bestowed on Efren Peñaflorida, CNN’s Hero of the Year, by government reflects of a nation wanting so badly of a true public servant.

That government will be conferring upon an authentic Pinoy hero the Order of Lakandula, one of the country’s highest honors given to an individual, for an achievement that has marked the worthiness of the Filipino race, only shows how much we appreciate people of deeds.

But, do we have to wait all the time that an individual’s feat has to be commended by others, and most especially by the global audiences, before we acknowledge the valuable contribution that that individual is doing to our own people and country?

The truth is that even if Peñaflorida was just a nominee among the many worldwide in the giant cable network’s search for a hero, he should have been given already due recognition and applauded.

Government never did, and only came forward to pay the highest tribute on Peñaflorida when CNN finally declared him Hero of the Year for his extraordinary work and ways of promoting education among poor children.

Indeed, what an irony!

Efren Peñaflorida is not only a symbol of hope for the many poor Filipinos, but more than anything, he is a lesson to be learned by many of our politicians who claims to be public servants only in words, but lacks Peñaflorida’s sincerity, determination and desire to help uplift the lives of the poor.

Our Pinoy hero does not have a pork barrel allocation like the politicians have in congress, yet he was able to make a difference in the lives of people, that even citizens of other countries got touched and moved by his indomitable spirit and heroic example as an ordinary person.

Peñaflorida didn’t need to have big printed signboards advertizing that a certain project under construction is made possible by a certain politician.

What Peñaflorida had to show was simply his trademark pushcart full of books, teaching impoverished kids to read and write at the most unlikely places.

This is the kind of public servant the nation needs. Public servants, not in words, like most politicians are, but in deeds.

Filipinos have been showing their exploits here and abroad, proving greatness and heroism that have made this country proud many times over.

Perhaps it is time for the public, nay, the electorate, to say this to the politicians and government officials, supposedly the nation’s public servants: It is now your turn to make the Filipino race proud.