Happy Birthday!
I am one-third of a century old. Were I to die tonight, what would I have to show for so long a life? I must hustle to make my mark, any mark, upon this world of woe & wonder. Thirty-three down, twenty-seven to go; there are fewer days ahead than there are behind.

The Loot
As a birthday present to myself, I saw The Dark Knight Rises in IMAX this afternoon, using a coupon that allowed me to see the film for free. (The four-dollar IMAX surcharge as akin to highway robbery.) 'Twas the second time I'd seen The Dark Knight Rises, & again I loved it to pieces. My kin were very generous this year, & for that I thank them most sincerely. There were a couple of screw-ups that will be discussed toward the end, though with gift-giving it is truly the thought that counts. The loot is by category, with the giver(s) following in parentheses:

{Literature}
Charles Brooks, editor, Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year: 2012 Edition (Mom)
Sir Richard F. Burton, translater, The Arabian Nights (Dad)
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Complete Sherlock Holmes (Dad)
Steve Matchett, The Chariot Makers: Assembling the Perfect Formula 1 Car (Dad)

{The Silver Screen}
The Incredible Hulk (Where's Teddy? & The Cupcake)
Thor (Where's Teddy? & The Cupcake)
Captain America: The First Avenger (Where's Teddy? & The Cupcake)

{The Idiot Box}
Burn Notice Season Five (Mom)
Sherlock Season Two (The L.A.W. & Brother-in-L.A.W.)

{Miscellany}
Hot Wheels Porsche 917 in Gulf Oil livery (Dad)
"Yes M!ch!gan" T-shirt (Mom)
vintage Michigan Wolverines T-shirt (Where's Teddy? & The Cupcake)
white collared shirt (Where's Teddy? & The Cupcake)

I have received the Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year every year dating back to the 1991 Edition, covering 1990. It is a much-beloved family tradition. The only problem is that already I received the 2012 Edition for Christmas 2011; the book is published in December, reflecting back on the year that was. Somehow, the idea was propagated that Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year is a birthday tradition, instead of a Christmas tradition, leading to much confusion. I shall have to begin including a few explanatory lines in my birthday gift wish list, explaining that the book should be given me as a Christmas present instead. Would anyone like a copy of Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year: 2012 Edition? I have a spare. The only other issue is that I was given Sherlock on Blu-Ray disc, not D.V.D. I do not own a Blu-Ray player, you see, though I do have ready access to my parents'.

Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year & The Complete Sherlock Holmes were off-list gifts, sincerely appreciated all the same, though I am persnickety enough to point out that I did not receive two books that were on the list, meaning a one-for-one substitution would have been entirely feasible. My guess is I was given The Complete Sherlock Holmes because Sherlock was on my wish list & the complete tales is a leatherbound hardcover much like the requested The Arabian Nights, & it caught my father's eye when he was looking for the tales of Scheherazade. I've read many of the Holmes short stories, but by no means all, & I've not yet read any of the novels. Having them all in one convenient volume, with the table of contents as a checklist, should be quite a boon. The vintage Wolverines T-shirt & the 917 toy car were also off-list, though the 917 proves that my dad does indeed listen from time to time, as I once rued to him that I had a Hot Wheels Ferrari 512, but not a Porsche 917, meaning I could only reenact half of the dramatic finish of Le Mans. It's Gulf-liveried & everything!

I do wish I'd received a few more clothes, though, as I a woefully short of dress trousers & non-ugly neckties.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
John Williams, "Prologue and Main Theme" (from Superman) via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Brilliant music from a wretched, worthless film. Johnny Williams does it again! This choice of the R.B.D.S.O.T.D. was in no way influenced by the fact that I've now seen twice on the silver screen the teaser trailer for Man of Steel. There are three reasons to dread that upcoming film & one cause for hope, however forlorn. The three: {a} The unmitigated disaster that was Sucker Punch (an indictment against the director), {b} the unmitigated disaster that was Green Lantern (an indictment against the studio), & {c} the iconic costume has already been severely botched (an indictment against this specific production). The one: There have been five terrible Superman motion pictures since 1978; surely we're due for a good one, right? The film gods can be cruel, sure, but surely not that cruel.