Yesterday was the Winter Solstice, making it the shortest day of the year (though my stopwatch must be off, 'cause I still timed the whole affair at 24 hours). That makes this the beginning of Winter in these parts, which can be a bummer, and made all the more painful by the knowledge that this also marks the beginning of summer in some areas. My buddy Thom made an observation about this that makes it all a trifle less depressing though, as the first day of winter seems like the beginning of a bleak period... he points out that a better perspective is to view the fall as the beginning of the bleakness, and then the first day of winter becomes the encouraging half-way point between fall at the debut of spring. Maybe this all qualifies as too obvious to be a new perspective, but putting it that way gave me some comfort, so I thought I'd share in case it proves weather optimism for any of you as well.

Link of the Day:	Fun with FedEx. Thanks Dysasha.
Stories of the Day:	An ailment for international soccer goalkeepers: Scrabble. Thanks Frottage. Critics Weigh In on Copyright Act. Thanks Mike Martinez.