Happy Lego Lunar New Year!
February 10th, 2024 has arrived, and with it I have officially completed IRVING! Yes, Irving the Auspicious New Year Dragon. In truth, I had finished him several days before, but as a symbolic personal gesture, I did not affix the plaque (seen in lower third of photo) until today. I named the dragon Irving (Full name Irving Long), when a joke made by comedian Jon Stewart crossed my thoughts unbidden. Jon was making up the name of a law firm with two WASPy names and one stereotypically “Jewish” name. “Williams, Flagstone… and OOIIIIVIIINNNGG!” said Mr. Stewart. Irving, thought I. Yes, Irving. It’s a nice sanguine salt-of-the-earth name. Not a mighty name normally associated with a dragon, but I liked the juxtaposition. As mentioned above, his full name is Irving Long. The word “long” is Mandarin for the giant, divine serpent erroneously referred to by we Western folk as a “dragon,” since we had no other cultural analogue. In fa...