You could Tweet all the highlights of 2009 and still have time for dithering. But to catalog the lingo? It would be like one long torture memo. We need to impose a timetable. Let’s get right to our full plate.

The list of buzzwords for 2009 from the Times. Not working any more has made me miss more of these than I could otherwise imagine. Strange to feel so far out of touch.

This video leaves me grasping for words, which is not exactly the desired effect. Remarkable for the knowledge, the thought, and the presentation (both the writing and the delivery. How do you suppose he works with that laptop at his feet?) Where was James Geary when I was in grad school.

Referred on Twitter by Denise Graveline, @dontgetcaught

You may not like to speak in public. You may fret over your delivery, voice, outfit, the lighting. Or perhaps you're a happy speaker, ever willing and comfortable. But when your topic or subject creates the difficulty, you're facing the great equalizer, the challenge that might thwart both the confident and the shy speaker.

And the definition of "tough topic" rests with you, the speaker. It may be tough for you personally--the eulogy of a parent who's died, or the toast to a child on her wedding day. It may be tough for you as a speaker, if you face a contentious topic or audience that might explode, or if you're especially nervous. Tough can be a momentary but pointed political debate, an argument impossible to win, your nerves about the topic, the circumstances of the day and more. So how to plan and prepare? Here are five ways to take the plunge:

Here's some valuable advice for speakers with a tough topic to deal with. (I remember hearing a few Toastmasters presentations in which the speakers had precisely this challenge.) Click through for five suggestions from Denise Graveline.

You must engage in periodic strategic reflection. It is the only way to consistently increase your effectiveness. After all, you are the only one who lives your life, knows your experience, and is capable of truly changing yourself for the better. The end-of-the-year is the perfect time for strategic reflection. The calendar's conclusion is a natural time to look back. Here are five simple and effective ways to make the most of the December's end to improve your life and business:

More end-of-year advice, this time from Seth Kahan and Fast Company. Click through for five tips.