John Lennon's To-Do List Up For Auction & The Next Batman Star Is...

John Lennon's To-Do List Up For Auction

Another day, another trivial Beatles artifact up for auction. We've had the tooth, the drummer letter and thecardboard sign. Now we add arguably the most revealing of items -- the to-do list, belonging to one John Lennon.

The list is up for auction on Gotta Have Rock and Roll, a site devoted to the sale of rock and roll memorabilia that previously sold Lennon's Talisman necklace for $528,000. The to-do list comes with a comparatively moderate price tag -- the minimum bid stands at $3,000, and it's estimated to go for $4,000 to $5,000 when the auction opens Wednesday.

So what did Lennon deem list-worthy? Number one on the list was letting the H.B.O. guy in between 3-5 -- this one has a star next to it so it must be important. Number two was getting his Thor Heyerdahl book back from Sam Green -- with an X next to it so it's safe to say Lennon and the book were reunited. It's also safe to say that Lennon was a diligent list-maker, considering he changed pens to write the X in a satisfying, bright red. He lists more books, presumably to buy, putting back Sean's mattress, marmalade, making sure both cars have full tanks of gas, and other wonderfully mundane items.

The Next Batman Star Is...

No, we haven't even seen "The Dark Knight Rises," this coming summer's epic finale of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, so we really should just be counting down to and getting excited over that film. But with Christian Bale's confirmation that the film will be his last as the Caped Crusader, we just can't help but start speculating as to who will be the next Bruce Wayne.

Bale's three film run -- the longest of the modern era -- brought a new darkness to the Dark Knight, teaming charm with intense brooding and rage. It was obviously a turn from George Clooney's regrettable one-time-only turn as Batman, in 1997, and a tougher version than Val Kilmer's "Batman Forever" from 1995. Most debates pit Bale's Batman against the version put forth by Michael Keaton, who kicked off the revamped franchise in 1989 in Tim Burton's "Batman" and then wore the cape again in the 1992 film, "Batman Returns."

Fans, then, seem to enjoy a darker Batman (with Adam West in his own campy category), and so when casting for a new star, the ability to go brooding and tough is an important attribute. As is the right age, fitness level and also ability to go debonaire in a tuxedo, Bruce Wayne's most frequent wardrobe choice.