I was recently thinking of the people I look up to:

-I'll get it out of the way first: the people that I play D&D with. Very nice and accepting people. Maybe I don't look up to them in the sense of a role model, but still, they're all very cool.

-Norman Borlaug. Geneticist. Bred strains of wheat to last longer, to be more productive, etc. Saved and fed a lot of people. A lot.

-Monte Cook. One of the main designers of 3E D&D, and author of several other D&D-related books. Although I don't appreciate a lot of his material, I really find his views on not just D&D and role-playing, but on many things in general. It's one of my dreams to play at his table someday.

-Abe Lincoln. You have a to respect a man who, at lowest point of popularity, gives a speech to only a few hundred people in the rain, honoring the soldiers and rule by the people.

-Martin Luther King Jr. "A man is not fit to live until he has found something to die for." The man's "I Have a Dream" practically makes me cry.

-David Bazan. I would say Johnny Cash but I'm not really familiar with his music. So I venture to suggest the next closest thing.

-Christ.

And last but not least:

-My parents. Okay, I fight with them, argue with them, and do other stuff. But I admit admire them. As immigrants, they came to America, with handful of money and almost no English. My dad used to be gardener, my mom nursing a newborn. Now I'd say we're pretty well off. I look up to them not because they're a pair of overachievers, but rather human and flawed people, which really makes you appreciate them more.

Hmmm...well, there are quite a few people that I look up to, so I'll just list a few.

Bob Hope - For those of you who do not know; Bob went to almost every war since he was born in 1903, to entertain the troops. He spent 60 years at NBC, and is one hell of an awsome guy! My friends Some of my family members All the people in the armed forces defending the U.S. And all those people who have came before me who have changed the world for the better.
That sums it up pretty well. :rolling:

Anyone taller than me :p

Sadly enough, I can't think of anyone at the moment who I look up to...
*goes off to think*

Anyone taller than me :p /me looks down on Sorvo :p

Seriously though, I cherish a great respect for this one mighty drinker :thumb:

Oaz, to answer the question as I feel you really meant it, no role model for me. Not a single being other than Jesus Christ and even here this doesn't essentially mean doubling (for example I'm not going to stay unmarried, I don't preach, I'm not a priest as He was etc).

But if we limit just to looking up to:

Pope John Paul II

...And that would be it about the living.

Mother Theresa - of the recently dead

There are also historic figures (not that Jesus isn't proven to have existed as a person and preached), but not so many. I mean, there are many whom I respect somehow, many whom I believe to have done right in a specific case, but there needs to be that special something... perhaps some affinity, or being a role model in a specific range of situations?

More or less chronologically:

Guillaume de Beaujeu (grand master of Knights Templar), St. Jeanne d'Arc, Charles I, several cavaliers and jacobytes, but one must be careful about the last Stuarts who were maybe right and tragic, but surely weren't role models.

OK, there was also that King of Jerusalem, Baudouin IV (b. 1161 r. 1174-85), the Leper. Quite a difficult childhood, he knew well how it was to be betrayed, abused etc. He hower, didn't let the bastards grind him down and was defending himself from the enemies surrounding him in the court, family and kingdom as well as from Saladin (and Richard Lionheart gets the whole glory) desperately, despite his progressing leprosy. He was actually powerful enough to remove Guy de Lusignan after he made him Regent (now imagine how easy it is to remove a regent once appointed, especially in Baudouin's circumstances) and even had his nephew, Baudouin V crowned when he himself was still alive. Of course, Guy de Lusignan eventually got the throne and screwed up :rolleyes:

On second though, an explanation on Guillaume de Beajeu might be needed, so:

Grand Master of the Chivalric (or Military, depends on however you translate 'militana', although the word 'equester' is also used, so I stick to Chivalric) Order of Temple of Jerusalem in the years 1273 - 1291. Closely related to the kings of France, IIRC nephew of St Louis IX and Charles of Anjou, magnificent warchief and diplomat, got elected and confirmed Grand Master in 1273, though he most probably was in charge from 1271. Respected and trusted by both sides for his nobility and honour, with all his talents in warfare politics, he was the de facto leader and pillar of it all, not those weak crusading kings or claimants to the crown of the Kingdom of Jerusalem (more interested in the crown itself than the kingdom, in fact). He was quite autoritarian but as he was truly authoritative too, he wasn't really accused of arrogance or pride. He fought to the end, probably died carried on a shield when he got an arrow in his armpit. One version of the story says that he kept fighting, but due to his state he was unable to fight really ably. Some soldiers accused him of cowardice (the wound wasn't apparent mainly because he kept fighting). He said 'My lords, I can do no more for I am dead. See the wound.'. There's a rumour that they carried him onto a ship and all the way he was claiming to be still able to fight. Not even the dogs of Phillippe le Bel (such as Guillaume de Nogaret) were able to scar his reputation and it wasn't for his family - another de Beajeu got burnt as a result of that mock trial.

in French: http://www.templiers.net/gm/php/beaujeu.php

And one in English: http://members.tripod.com/DeTyre/Articles/DBJ.html


There was also a guy called Jan Karol Chodkiewicz... 'hetman wielki' commander-in-chief (Great Constable counterpart or even translation)of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in union with the Kingdom of Poland. In the year 1605 his 3000 men were to meet a 14000 army of Charles IX of Sweden... eeer should I have said Princes Charles of Sudermanenland because he was a usurper from his nephew Sigmund Vasa of Sweden and Poland (he was overthrown in Sweden in 1598). So, odds being as they were and there being not even no hope of reinforcements (King couldn't, nobles wouldn't), he utterly spent whole night praying in the local church. Well, he won. Dust made into the air from heavy cavalry horses marching and charging served to disguise servants as soldiers, some small cavalry unit went around the forest and 300 riders sent by the Duke of Kurland appeared on the bridge (who would have supposed that 300 were all ;) ). In fact, it probably looked as though he had a real army and a big one. Surely it wasn't nice for his enemies to learn the truth, hehe.

And there was that ancestor who's believed to have defended Kiev from a siege around 1040. One version says he was the commander (but it's difficult to tell which siege it actually was) and when the people whined that he should surrender the town, he ordered them to dig pits in the ground, make some mock-bread from water and flour in there, and throw that at the enemies. Now, how is it possible to maintain your sanity when you're besieging someone, hoping to get him tired, sick and hungry, and he starts throwing bread at you? :lol: The other version makes it sure he was a knight, but isn't clear about his rank, but it's clear about the date of the siege, and claims that he paid a visit to the (overwhelming) besieging force and burnt their tents. Both versions may be true - about on person or two different persons, or one of them, or none. It's sure someone like this did something like this during that siege and that it allowed victory, but the legends saying what he actually did may or may not be true. No one knows, no one really cares. But they serve as a nice explanation as for why I'm such a *****y bastard like I am and why I don't let the other bastards let me down, no matter what. When I say "I'll get you", it will happen ;) They also explain some of my inclinations in tactics and diplomacy, hehe :evil:

The other people you most probably know, so let's put an end to this piece of rampant spam.

One guy that's a year older than me. He rocks at twin-tip skiing(actually one of the best in Europe), he got lots of friends, and chicks :D

Yeah, I know, I don't think so big.

The garbage men. They're so sexy.

:bigeyes: