“She called herself Bat-Girl! Gosh, I wonder who she is?”

- Robin, Batman #139, April 1961

Swooshing through an open window, Bat-Girl crashed the DC Comics clique in 1961. Resembling 1930s Norwegian, Olympic ice-skater Sonia Henie, she was more Madame Alexander doll than superhero. The first Bat-Girl, a.k.a. Betty Kane, was little more than a pretty, teenage nuisance and, according to Robin, “an inexperienced girl bound to get hurt pursuing crooks”.

On her Fiftieth, Batgirl, and we, might reflect on her personal transformations. Along her journey, she has refashioned not only her hair colour, costumes and careers, but her secret identities. Batgirl's personalities number so many, a PhD candidate might deconstruct her mythology as a dissertation on “Dissociative Identity Disorder in Pop-Culture”. However deconstructed, Batgirl's only constant is her utility belt.

Happy New Year to all! 2K15 portends to be as chock full of beachwalks, historical-scribblings, road trips, California wine, cosplay, comic conventions and all the general geeky goodness (at GoodToBeAGeek, of course!) as usual. What 2K15 does not hold, for Yours Truly anyhow, are resolutions. Setbacks and respites may occur, but forging ahead each day, approaching personal betterment and progress with the rise of every lapping tide is a lifestyle, not a temporary, guilt-driven, New year's Eve promise to oneself.

When I was wee, one of my first bookmarks was a homemade deal of Tiffany-blue construction paper, too much Elmer's glue and a Robert Crumb cartoon cut out of one of Mom and Dad's periodicals, probably MAD magazine: the iconic Keep on Truckin'. Five years old, maybe six, and I knew straight away that this was the way to live: mellow, groovy and carefree. Having a mellow, groovy, Norcal, psych-grad school father sporting corduroy, denim and suede desert boots certainly helped set a quiet, reflective and cheerful childhood. Sure later, after college, I would adopt the more Gothic and wary, Addams Family motto: Sic gorgiamos allos subjectactos nunc. Still, the mellow hippy chick is still deeply embedded under the Morticia guise. That would explain my penchant for VonZipper sunglasses and suede floppy hats mixed with Manson boots and jet beads.

For 2015, as for every year I can recall, French and German will always be my second- and third-languages; yet I will always strive to make them as obedient as my mother tongue, English. Writing and researching historical-fiction (Savannah of Williamsburg Series) will always be my metier; yet I will always endeavour to write more like Michener and Twain. Working out and keeping fit will always be second-nature for me; yet I will always fall short of my ideal and that will keep me, happily, working toward physical, and hopefully psychological, success.

As it pertains to conventions (not to mention fitness, so I can select any character to portray I like), cosplay will always be my sartorial love; yet I will always watch the other girls, along with my Con cohort and shutterbug Dr. Lucy, and together we will log new ideas in our noodles for better costumes, this year and beyond, at WonderCon, San Diego Comic-Con and on Hallowe'en: Mirana, the Mad Hatter, Maleficent, a steampunk Han Solo? Who knows?

The inimitable Benjamin Franklin pontificated, "Be at war with your voices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man."

Mom asserted, "There will always be someone prettier, taller, wealthier, more educated, more everything than you. That's true for everyone, even Princess Diana. Just be happy with yourself and do the best you can do."

Daddy advised, "Whether you're digging ditches or you're a hospital administrator, give it a hundred percent."

Miss Piggy claimed, "Moi's hair has natural curls. So does my tail."; but, more importantly, "Many people think money is something to be set aside for a rainy day. But honestly, how much money do you really need for a dozen or so hours of inclement weather?"

Well said, Piggy! Live large and keep on truckin', folks!