Friday, December 31, 2010

Tchotchkes Piled Up Like the Musicians of Bremen Say, Si, Se Puede!



Laura Borealis gave me the porcelain fish planter from Japan, weirdly & wonderfully decorated like a jewelry box, for Christmas.

I have been writing about Cesar Chavez––not really related to communications, but I'm managing to wedge him in, at least in this rough draft––who, I was surprised to read, was NOT a good public speaker (like King George VI, not that he stuttered).

In 1974 Dorothy Rensenbrink said,
“I have heard César Chávez speak many times... this time, as always, I am puzzled by the power of such an uncommanding person to command so much loyalty from so many.
...I am finally caught by recognition. It is hard to describe why. It is not self-recognition, just a kind of kindred recognition;
as it is with thee, so it is with me.”

--The Words of César Chávez,
(links to Google Books edition, http://books.google.com/books?id=QSJF8JJLePUC&pg

One of favorite things in 2010 is Google Books. They've made available, right here on this screen, old books from the 1700s and 1800s I'd have had to wait days or weeks to get through Interlibrary Loan, *if* they even circulate.

And on we go, into 2011. We can do it!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2 comments:

Marz said...

"We can do it" is why I love New Year's.

The idea that
new year = new slate
is silly, and so human. But human in a good way. We know there's no clean slate, but the suggestion of it is enough to re-spark our best failed intentions. We mean to do everything we've meant to do and we mean it more than last year and we'll never do any of it, but we might, so let's.

Kirk likes New Year's, if he reflects on it, which he probably doesn't . . . because he's Kirk, and because he's too busy doing whatever he does with Spock.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Fresca said...

HAPPY NEW YEAR to you too!
Yes, the clean slate is an illusion, but illusions are real too.

I think Kirk doesn't reflect, he only faces forward.