The promised birthday self-indulgence will go on as planned, but I have to say something about this trend of my personal icons dying around the time of my birthday. Last year it was Johnny Unitas, this year it was Johnny Cash. There's not much I can add to the mountains of tribute and praise Johnny Cash has deservedly received, so I'll just link to this - an MP3 of his version of Will Oldham's great "I See a Darkness," from the 2000 album American III. Listen to this jawdropping vocal performance of one of the most unrelentingly bleak, morose songs of all time, and then marvel at the fact that Johnny Cash was 68 years old when he recorded it. He was a giant of American music, and he will sorely be missed.