What ever happened to the heroes?

The question is more than just the name of a cool old song by "The Stranglers". Every so often, I wonder where our heroes come from and where they go when their stewards pass on.

I think I have been a fan of fantasy and sci-fi almost since I was old enough to read. This is where my mythical heroes first tended to come from. Batman was the first Superhero comic book I remember reading back around 1972. As I grew up, Batman's simple toughness, lack of super powers, and driven humanity appealed to me more than some big-time invulnerable superhero. I felt gypped by Superman. I couldn't relate to him and I resented him a little, mostly because he was so all-powerful. However, as I got older and was exposed to more Superman through television and then through Action and Superman comics, I began to appreciate him more.

I also learned about other God-like beings from older mythic stories, or from other modern fiction. Everything comes from something else - there is no true originality - nothing is created in a vacuum. By the time I was 12, I began to understand the parallel between Superman and Jesus Christ. The famous 1978 Superman movie with Christopher Reeve made this theme apparent to me when Marlon Brando's Jor-El says "and that is why I have sent you, my only son." There is a resonance in this modern mythic superhero, kind of how the exploits of Hercules must have thrilled readers thousands of years ago.

A 1998 book called Superman: The Complete History does a wonderful job of illustrating the genesis of this character and his development over the past 60 years, but also brings the subject down to earth, describing the humans behind the character, and showing reincarnations in various commercial media.

Originally created by Toronto-born artist Joe Shuster and Cleveland-born writer Jerry Siegel, Superman is probably the most globally-recognized modern fictional hero around today. This fame and success did not come overnight however. "The Complete History" describes in detail how the teenage duo of Shuster and Siegel spent years unsuccessfully trying to get their favourite creation published as a newspaper strip and then as a comic book. During this time, Shuster and Siegel's original concept underwent continual refinement and rethinking. The idea evolved from a somewhat Nietzchean idea of "The Superman", a human adventurer with superior intellect and indomitable willpower (but who is still otherwise a human being), to a version based more in science fiction, where Superman is actually from another world - part of a race of highly advanced beings with great physical powers. In this version, the baby (originally unnamed and later called Kal-L) descended to Earth in a spaceship to become the world's greatest protector and hero.

(Over the years, the character Batman seemed to boast more Nietzchean qualities, being credited with an indomitable will, keen intellect, powers of deduction, and also being a perfect physical specimen, expert martial artist, etc.)

Humanity and Superhumanity

What I find the most interesting about the history of the Superman character are the stories of the humanity and frailties of the people connected to him. I don't want to short-change the incredible contributions of later Superman artists including Curt Swan, John Byrne, or Alex Ross, but I've decided to focus more on the TV and movie incarnations here, although "Superman: The Complete History" deals with representations of the Man of Steel equally well in almost all media.

With the death of actor Christopher Reeve in 2004, we were reminded of the tenuous connection between humanity and superhumanity. We watched while the actor replaced his physical strengths with what seemed like an invulnerable will to survive and rehabilitate, and were inspired as he created greater awareness and funding for spinal chord research. Robin Williams said of his friend that he went from being Superman to being Buddha.

A previous generation went through their own evaluation of the line between man and myth when Superman actor George Reeves died under mysterious circumstances in 1959. "The Complete History" describes Reeves' fame as Superman, his frustration at how the role had limited his acting career, and how he had devoted himself to living up to the part, for the sake of his young fans.

Once, when onstage as Superman, a young fan pointed a pistol at Reeves with the intention of seeing a bullet bounce off Superman's invulnerable chest. Reeves convinced the kid to put the gun down by calmly telling him that the ricocheting bullet might hurt someone. That's a heroic move in itself.

It disturbed me to see closeups of George Reeves tattered and slightly marked-up Superman costume. It underscored the travails of a normal man who had probably done his best to keep a fantasy alive. Closeups of Christopher Reeve's Superman costume look similarly down-to-earth.

Maybe the seemingly-super fabric looks so plain because we really want the cotton to stay pulled over our eyes, like how a child idolizes a parent, elevating them above all others, only to later discover their human weaknesses, like going through your Dad's closet and discovering his secret identity, but realizing too late that the costume had been the only thing stopping those bullets the whole time.

It's difficult to take the first time the fantasy breaks down in the face of real life. All the same, we try to believe that a man or woman can fly.

"Steamboy" by Katsuhiro Otomo

Steamboy almost doesn't run out of you-know-what...

I was a big fan of Japanese filmaker Katsuhiro Otomo's famous feature-length animation, Akira. Even almost 20 years later, that film's amazing visual style, interwoven story and massive-scale events still holds up against newer, long-form animated films, in my opinion. (Roger Ebert's review of Steamboy is much more critical than mine.)

Steamboy looks very different from Akira. Instead of Akira's futuristic post-World War III Japan, Steamboy is set in a modified version of Victorian England. It is a world and a time in which the Industrial Revolution is still in full swing, and steam power is still a major technology.

Ray Steam is a young Manchester boy whose father and grandfather have developed the steamball, a mysterious iron orb capable of generating vast amounts of pressure, thanks to a mysterious "heavy liquid" (an obvious metaphor for atomic energy). Steam drives the movie's symbolism as well as the mechanics of Ray's world. Everywhere, you see wisps of steam coming from underneath trains, or hissing out of various contraptions.

Ray's father has disappeared mysteriously (is there any other way?) A couple of strange and sinister-looking men show up at Ray's home, intent on collecting the steamball, saying they have been sent by Rays' father. Ray's grandfather appears suddenly (voiced unmistakably by Patrick Stewart) and warns everyone that these men are not to be trusted. Ray grabs the steamball and runs off. This is where we really start to see where the world of Steamboy differs from Victorian England. Ray hops into this contraption that looks like a motorized hula hoop and chugs off awkardly down the road. More bad guys show up, one of whom is driving a massive steam-powered automobile which looks more like a bulldozer than a car.

At this point, I went from "Wow" to "What the...?" Why does the bad guys' vehicle have to be so dang big - like the size of a small house - while Ray's steam-powered (albeit experimental) little escape vehicle is only the size of a large barrel hoop? Technologically, this and a few other things in Steamboy seemed inconsistent to me, but dramatically it worked very well, reinforcing Ray's smallness to remind us of his low odds of success. In this way, Otomo uses his technological symbols masterfully. It makes more sense symbolically than it would if you were looking at it purely from an engineer's perspective.

Anyway, Ray is pursued and captured, in spite of the best efforts of Robert Louis Stevenson (really), and his blonde-haired assistant, a young man whom I hoped and expected would provide some support for poor young Ray.

Ray finds himself in a fine dining hall, and this is where we meet the movie's most annoying and repetitive character, a snotty rich blonde girl named (get this) Scarlet O'Hara. I really disliked this character intensely at first. She had little to contribute to the movie other than to act as an opposite to Ray's background and values, and use the word "horrid" in almost every freakin' sentence. I suppose she was supposed to represent bourgeoise upper-class English society, but I really found her to be an annoying and useless character, with rare exceptions (read about this further down).

Ray's Dad walks into the room much to Ray's shock. This is handled actually very well, in an understated, almost comatose manner. Ray's Dad walks in, Ray's face is shocked, but instead of a confrontation, an attempt at a hug, or a long line of exposition, he just watches his father sit down and says nothing. I got the impression Ray was helpless or didn't know what to say, and that the differences in his Dad's appearance and manner had stopped Ray cold. This is a case of "less is more" in the movie's style and dialogue, and unfortunately, one of the few places where it happens.

Ray becomes essentially an employee in his father's creation, called "The Steam Castle", a massive architectural structure which sits adjacent to the London World's Fair. We see that his Dad has gone a bit bonkers as he raves about his plans to unveil his master creation to the world. Ray discovers his Grandfather limping around inside the guts of the castle, desperately trying to sabotage the machinery and undermine his son's plans. Grandfather convinces Ray that his father is now mad, and that nothing good will come of his plans. With his help, Ray steals the steamball back from the heart of the Steam Castle's engine, leaving his Dad with only two balls instead of three.

Ray is reunited with Robert Louis Stevenson, whom we had believed would be his protector, but is actually working in the interests of the British government, which sees the technology of the family Steam as a threat to British sovereignty and national security. Thus, a large battle ensues on the Thames between the British Navy and forces emerging from the Steam Castle.

In one scene, Otomo has Scarlet stupidly walking outside in the pitch of battle, vainly trying to find out what's going on, and looking for Ray. (This reminded me of the old Emporer from the movie "Ran", who had gone mad, walking along a beach in a daze.) For a moment I saw Scarlet knock-kneed with fear as her little red and white parasol was blown inside out from the shock wave of a big blast. This said to me that the aristocracy is ridiculous in the face of war. I had hated Scarlet because she was useless and incapable of taking care of herself (in spite of her arrogance and claims to the contrary), but for that moment, I actually began to feel sorry for her for that same reason.

While all this is happening, a slimy couterier/salesmen praises the efficiency of the Steam Castle military technology to a cadre of international arms buyers sitting on a balcony above the battle. We watch a scripted demonstration begin to go wrong, and the international arms buyers try to escape in a waiting drigible.

The realization that Stevenson is acting on behalf of the British government, and the cold and realistic emphasis on military purchasing and battlefield strategy turned Steamboy from a child's adventure movie into a more sophisticated drama. Ray is caught between opposing forces, and can hardly trust anyone.

At the height of the battle, Ray's Dad, sitting in his glass-enclosed control room (looking like a cross between a mad scientist and the Phantom of the Opera) unleashes his ultimate surprise of the Steam Castle. We watch something the size of ten city blocks and 20 stories high slowly propel itself into the air on massive jets of steam.

Briefly but strikingly, we observe the side effect of this: at the level of the London streets, massive billows of steam flow towards the camera, almost identical to the smoke and debris seen in the famous 9/11 news footage.

But, still missing it's critical third ball (which Ray is riding around on, trying to evade flying enemy soldiers), the Steam castle cannot stay aloft for long. Scarlet O'Hara says "horrid" a few more times, and we watch the Steam Castle crash into the ground.

This is where I expected the movie to end, with the bad (?) guys having been defeated, but I must say that Otomo's story kept the idea of good and bad ambiguous right up to the end. Even Ray's father and grandfather, whom I had seen as working against each other through most of the film, work together at the end, trying to get the Steam Castle aloft one more time. In a nice moment, Ray's Dad (whose delusions seem to have relaxed a bit by this point) tells his father that they can show off a bit of the GrandFather's original vision for the Steam Castle. GrandDad yanks on various levers and turns some large wheels (of which there are many in every scene), and we watch as carousels, flags and all kinds of mechanized entertainments fold out of the Castle. Pipey fairground music plays, delighting the Londoners as they watch from their apartment windows. The Grandfather's vision was one of benevolence and entertainment - fun - as opposed to the Father's seriousness and focus on military and economic power. We're shown a trail of air bubbles and a small periscope going down the Thames, telling us that Ray's father and grandfather have escaped together.

What's it all about, Otomo?

In this movie, Victorian England provides a metaphor for almost any first-world nation, but I immediately assumed it was aimed squarely at the United States. Steam power represents the atom of course. Similar to Otomo's movie Akira, the spectre of atomic weapons is present. Obviously, this still resonates for the Japanese people, most of all, as they have certainly paid the highest price of it.

Although the story seemed to run a little flat for me, with more emphasis on explosions and action than character or story development, I still liked this movie. Otomo apprently spent 10 years deveoping this movie, and I must respect the quality and beautiful style of his visuals. It has a cautious message to give about the applications of technology, and it helped me realize that on a moral and social level, we may not have yet evolved that far from the Victorian era after all.

Words from an Alberta RCMP...

This man's letter was send to me by a relative, and I wanted to share it with you.

(For further background, please read my previous post on the loss of four RCMP in Alberta)

"Things I feel that I must say in the light of the recent assassination of four of my brothers. First I must state that these are my personal views and are not necessarily the views of the RCMP or any governments I serve.

Before I start I would like to qualify myself, my back ground and training. I have been a very proud member of the RCMPolice for the past 15 years serving in rural Alberta. Prior to my full time engagement in the force I served as an Auxiliary member of the RCMPolice for 7 years in 2 detachments in B.C. I am an experienced and senior member of this force. My duties over and above general investigations and law enforcement include providing ongoing firearms and use of force options training to the members of this force.

We all deal with grief and loss differently and as such I suppose is the reason I feel I must write this. Throughout my career I have often wanted to write letters to the editor frustrated with our justice system or inaccurate details published by the media. On many occasions we as a police force have been unfairly criticized based on partial truths and limited facts presented by the media or persons of less desirable qualities. We as police officers quietly and professionally accept this as we are restricted (by civil and criminal liabilities, privacy laws, policies, and the potential of hampering good investigations) to reveal all the facts to the Canadian Public. If the citizens of this great country were provided with all the situational factors when officers were criticized I'm confident they would support decisions and actions taken.

The loss of the 4 members last week is gut wrenching sad and a gigantic loss that has produced unbearable grief. This loss meant many things to many people but it definitely was not a surprise. The citizens of this great country have no idea what police deal with every day and night, no idea at all. On an average day we receive at least two e-mails warning of people who are dangerous to police for various reasons. Many are know to carry knives or guns and are eager to use them if confronted by police.

Unfortunately with what the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms has turned into limits police in proactively addressing the risk. In most of these cases we are unable to act until something bad happens leaving the public and police officers vulnerable. Police officers deal with violence more often than most people realize and are in fact put in very dangerous situations several times a day. Considering this, injury and death of our members is an expected occurrence. Unlike a soldier we often don't know who the enemy is.

In the near future we will see the media questioning and criticizing police action and policy over this situation. It is very easy when one looks back on a situation to provide a course of action to alter an outcome. Before the bashing starts I would like to state these facts in expectation of the areas of criticism that I foresee.

First of all unlike large municipal police forces we have very limited manpower to police vast areas. In most cases we work alone and are forced into situations with little or no back up. The limited resources we have are based on our Provincial contract. Despite our efforts to increase our numbers the Province has not provided more members and money requiring us to work with numbers allocated in the late 1980's. Despite population growth and crime rates I think we continue to provide an excellent service and have done a damn fine job. It would have been nice to have placed 10 or more members on that farm to watch over things however those resources and costs are not available to us. The fact that they had two members there shows due diligence to the situation as many times I have guarded crime scenes by myself.

I suspect that the fact of the members service level, experience and training will come under attack. I would like to say right now that if someone has the intention and planning to kill a police officer they will most certainly succeed. These 4 members were assassinated and provided with no warning or opportunity to react. Why would we place a junior member at a crime scene? How else does someone learning any trade or occupation gain experience and develop skills with out exposure. As far as training goes I am proud to advise that the Mounted Police has one of finest training facilities and curriculum in the world. Our training produces police officers of the highest caliber. If this was not the case we would not be in such high demand by the United Nations. We are continually called upon for peace keeping efforts and to rebuild and train police forces around the world. As for national pride it should be known the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is the only police force in the world that polices at the municipal, provincial, national and international levels.

That has to say something about our training and capabilities. Police officer safety is paramount in our training and recertification.

I further suspect that our justice system and Charter of Rights and freedoms will come under attack (or at least debate) as it most certainly should. I would like to state that I am (as are my colleagues) a strong supporter of our Charter as it guarantees our freedom within this wonderful nation. I further believe that the intent of this charter was based on solid Canadian beliefs and wholesome values. Having said that I further believe that legal defense sector has created a billion dollar business around cutting it up and making loop holes. I do not feel the present days accepted legal interpretations were intended when it was drafted. It is ironic that the very law that was created to protect freedoms as citizens has chained and handcuffed us. It has forced us without recourse to be victims of criminals and non productive members of our society. I would suggest that common sense, fairness, reasonable and probable are traits God has granted to most Canadians however
withheld from some of our political leaders and our law interpreters.

Allowing the Supreme Court of Canada the power to veto proposed laws based on charter/constitution interpretation, limits our elected officials power for change. This in turn makes our democratic elections very superficial which is a frightening consideration.

I heard the father of one of the deceased Mounties say "something good will come of this loss" I have been able to see two good things. I have seen the Canadian people rally around their police forces with heart felt condolences, warm acknowledgements and appreciation for the work we do. For this we thank you, your thoughts, prayers and kind gestures touched the hearts of everyone in our extended family. The second is that Canadians are looking at our justice system and I believe wanting change. If positive change is made and lives are saved because of it then these deaths have not
been completely without cause.

In closing I wish to say, despite what the media or any appointed committees disclose about this occurrence please remember what I have written. There was no fault with the members, policy or the RCMP. The only thing that may have changed this outcome would have been empowerment of police officers to effectively and proactively address this type of risk. The badly needed increased money and manpower may have influenced this but likely not as the killer was focused and determined on his actions.

If you feel change is needed (real change) to our Justice System I urge you do something about it. Flex your democratic muscle and force democratic change. As police officers we know who the drug dealers, rapists and psychopaths are but we need the tools to deal with them. The same law that defines their actions as illegal also prevents their actions from being stopped or them being punished. We must put proper deterrents in our court system ensuring the message of poor behavior is not acceptable. This is our country and I feel we must provide our police with the power to protect people again. We as citizens must also have the confidence that our police officers will not abuse this power.

If you feel change is not necessary don't feel obligated to do anything. Your police officers will continue to proudly serve Canadians in the professional way we always have but please understand the limitations restricting us. Most of all, please when the next police officer dies don't say it was a surprise.

For those of you who read this whole letter thank you for letting me vent and grieve in this way. Please feel free to pass this on if you feel it has any merit, if not hit delete.

Cst. S. (Steve) Smith
Cold Lake Det."

Row after row of bright red jackets...

It was quite a moving sight to see row after row of bright red jackets joining in memorial services for the four young RCMP officers who lost their lives.

To quote the CBC web site:

"Thousands of police officers, mourners and dignitaries gathered inside an Edmonton pavilion to honour Constables Peter Schiemann, Leo Johnston, Anthony Gordon and Brock Myrol in the largest memorial service in the Mounties' history.

The officers were shot and killed while investigating stolen property and a marijuana grow operation last Thursday near Mayerthorpe, Alta. Their killer, James Roszko, also shot himself."

Memorial honours Mounties
Profiles of four fallen RCMP officers

The number four doesn't seem large, but apparently Canada has not lost that many law enforcement officers in maybe a century. Plus, the RCMP is an international symbol of Canada, so it seems that this story of loss is also resonating outside my country's borders.

I found it gratifying to see police and military from the US showing up to pay their respects. Cops from places like New York and Boston came to Alberta to attend the funeral and show solidarity. I was struck by an older man - I guess he was an officer in the US Marine Corp. - who said that he felt like the young RCMP officers were like his kids - "they're all my kids" or words to that effect. Logically, it doesn't make sense, but emotionally, he's expressing a feeling of shared loss.

As I mentioned here recently, my Grandfather was a Mountie between 1918 and 1948. He served in detachments all across western Canada. At his funeral in 1978, even though he had retired from the service over 30 years prior, two tall RCMPs in bright red blazers and wide Stetson hats, stood at attention at the front door throughout our quiet little family ceremony. There weren't many people there at "Poppy's" funeral in fact, but the memory of the two Mounties standing at the front door made a hell of a strong impression on me when I was 12, and it still affects me today. I can't even explain it.

I guess it's a shame that it takes a funeral to get people to come together, but in it's own right, the coming-together is still a blessing.

Anniversary of March 8th, 1995.

My PDA reminded me to remember my mother on March 8th. March 8th is the date that she died in 1995.

A few years ago, much to my shock, I realized that I was forgetting my parents' birth and death dates. I'm just geeky and forgetful enough that plugging information like that into my PDA gave me a warm sense of reliability. Now I'll never forget them on those days.

For me, the ritual of March 8th is simple: I just try to spend a few moments picturing my mother's face. Once I start remembering that, other things begin creeping back in as well:

The softness of her hands.
The anticipation of eye contact. The stare of her eyes, and wondering if she knows me.
The stale and slightly funky hospital odour of her ward at Riverview.
The feel of her pale blue smock, smooth and homogenous, with a softness that seems to come with all well-worn, freshly-laundered hospital clothes.

See also: http://truelife.ejohnlove.com/treehouse/bios/angela_story.php3

* * * * * *

The hospital smock spends it's anonymous life in endless travel: from a shoulder blade to a caregiver's hands, to a laundry cart, and then off for a swim and a tumble in the dryer. Then, it's back out into the ward for another day across the shoulders of someone else's temporarily forgotten grandmother, sister or mother.

Wearing the blue rag hides frail nakedness, providing a small measure of preserved dignity, which disappears as soon as one spits up their chocolate bar all down the front. But there's always another shirt ready to take it's place, and someone else's hands are working their shift, ready to help put on the new one.

How much force is enough? Is a Taser too much?

(This is a cross-post of my first article on http://transcendentalfloss.blogspot.com)

The issue in my mind currently is the use of Tasers by law enforcement in the US and Canada. My opinion (both as a gut feeling and after a little bit of reading and research) is that Tasers are an overkill measure - pun unintentional. Their use seems rarely justifiable to me, and they are probably in danger of becoming law enforcement's societal and public relations equivalent to a certain controversial missile defence technology. (Yes, my name is John, and I am Canadian.)

So, now that I've pissed off the cops and soldiers out there (not to mention anyone right-of-centre), allow me to back-peddle a little. My grandfather was a Mountie (Corporal Clarke of the RCMP) from 1918 to 1948. My Dad was a Military Policeman in the Canadian Armed Forces during WWII, as well as an Air Force officer in later years. Me, I may be a peace-lovin' left-wing techie-artist kind of person and generally useless where defending the security of my neighbourhood or country are concerned, but I do have a lot of respect for the difficult jobs expected of professional peacekeepers at the municipal, federal and international levels, and how hard it is (at least in Canada) to keep them adequately funded and supplied so that they can do their job effectively. In a nutshell, I like cops, and I try to respect soldiers to the extent that I believe in their causes and agree with their tactics.

Okay, so we're back full circle... Let's think about tactics...

The other day, I found this article describing 90 cases of deaths related to the use of Tasers in the US and Canada: http://www.saveourcivilliberties.org/en/2005/02/943.shtml

90 cases is in itself amazing, but I also knew the man listed at Number 54:

"54. Robert Bagnell, 44, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
June 23, 2004
Police responding to a disturbance at a rooming house found Bagnell frenzied and destroying a washroom. Police shot him with a Taser and he stopped breathing and died at the scene. Police did not disclose the details surrounding Bagnell's death for more than a month while waiting for toxicology reports. A preliminary autopsy could not determine the cause of death. A coroner said Bagnell might have had a lethal level of cocaine in his system."

Bob Bagnell was a long-time drug user and used to do a little panhandling and sell his artwork outside my local 7-11 store. We got to talking and trading stories about artists or musicians or where we were born or whatever, just out of friendliness. Over the years, I gradually watched him kick his hardcore vices, get cleaner and in the months before he died, he even attended church and made some new friends.

So, it's hard to describe on a personal level, the realization that someone I'd spoken to and gotten to know over a few years had died in such a violent circumstance. Bob died in a altercation with Police, apparently in a coke fueled rage. This is the gist of the official police reports about it. There will undoubtedly be people who will say that it was more likely to happen due to Mr. Bagnell's long history of drug abuse or lifestyle. My issue is not that Bob was going to die - we're all headed that way in our own time - but my gut says that the 22,000 volt Taser shock must have had some effect on Bob's heart failure. Cops and soldiers have been restraining aggressive people hand-to-hand, or with batons or other non-electrical tools. So why now is the human equivalent of an electric cattle prod coming into such vogue for human defense?

I'm not saying that I know anything about Bob Bagnell's actions or state of mind during his fatal altercation with the Vancouver Police. That will be for the official coroner's inquest to determine.

My point is just this: I want to find out if Bob Bagnell might not have died that particular day if a Taser had not been used by the officers in trying to restrain him. It makes me feel cynical that the preliminary coroner's results took 30 days before being made public, toxicology reports notwithstanding, and it makes me feel cynical when I read of numerous other Taser-related deaths, and really suspicious of the Taser's manufacturer and sales agents. It is not a coincidence that Tasers are being used in so many police forces. There must be a plan for some logistical-financial benefit on the part of under-funded and over-worked police forces to bring this particular tool into the trade; more bang per buck, literally. So, here we are dealing with fallout - an unexpected cost that the bean counters and Taser marketing execs didn't expect. When I say "Taser-related deaths", I can only say that I have read that a Taser was used on the victim in during events directly preceding their death. Like I said, the rest will be up to the coroners to determine.

In the meantime, I'll pay some tribute to the man whom I knew who died, and hope for some clarity and facts to put some of my cynicism and suspicions to rest.

More investigation into Vancouver-area deaths related to Taser use:
http://www.thetyee.ca/Views/current/TaserFollowup.htm

And, finally, the beginning's of my little web tribute to Robert Wayne Bagnell:
http://robertbagnell.ejohnlove.com

Quotations from dead people born on March 1

birthday march_1 - ThinkExist quotations

Happy Birthday to me!
Happy Birthday to me!
Happy birthday dear meeee-eeeee...
(large breath inward...)
Happy Birthday to me!
(...and many more!)