My year wasn’t the greatest with several significant exceptions, my marriage to Sarah, adopting new dog Ethel, teaching a couple of really good classes.  The short stories did okay for me as well, but there was the cancer, the surgery…  But since Barack got elected, I don’t care.  I thought Dark Knight wasn’t nearly as good as Batman Begins.  I liked Ledger too, but the story was not nearly as interesting as the earlier film.  Iron Man too was totally predictable, and I love Robert Downey Jr., but I think I’ll just rent Chaplin again.  I loved Vicky Christina Barcelona, and I haven’t liked a Woody Allen movie in years.  We’re seeing old friends for New Year’s, so things are already looking up for 2009.  Who knows maybe I’ll even sell another novel.