December 26, 2008

Post-Christmas.

I hope you got what you wanted for Christmas. Do you like the day after Christmas? You can play with your presents and do whatever you want. Or do you focus more on the tasks of cleaning up, exchanging the bad gifts, and thinking that you have to go a whole year before there is another Christmas?

The day after Christmas.
Nice!
Bah!
pollcode.com free polls


By the way, did you know that Wikipedia has an entry for "Is the glass half empty or half full?"?

It's a charming example of that the utterly flat, doggedly factual Wikipediprose:
Is the glass half empty or half full? is a common expression, used rhetorically to indicate that a particular situation could be a cause for optimism (half full) or pessimism (half empty); or as a general litmus test to simply determine if an individual is an optimist or a pessimist. The purpose of the question is to demonstrate that the situation may be seen in different ways depending on one's point of view and that there may be opportunity in the situation as well as trouble.

This idiom is used to explain how people perceive on events and objects. Perception is unique to every individual and is simply an interpretation of reality.
There are 8 links in that passage, which, in a concession to the shortness of life, I am not going to insert.

There's also a photograph of a half-full glass -- oh! I gave myself away! -- and then this, which I love:
See also
"Silver lining," it turns out, has a much richer history than the old 4 ounces of water in an 8 ounce glass, going back to 1634: "Was I deceiv'd, or did a sable cloud/Turn forth her silver lining on the night."

35 comments:

Tank said...

Bah.

I'm at work.

al said...

I love the day after Christmas. It's a day to play with the toys I get. It would be even better if I wasn't driving to Indiana today. Especially since there is a nice layer of ice on 290 and 294. Wheee!

As for presents - my wife surprised me with a Canon EOS 450 DSLR. Much more than I was expecting.

Meade said...

Behind every Silvio is a cloud of dust straight down the center line.

Lorelei Leigh said...

I think I'd like the day after Christmas a lot more if I didn't have to work.

George M. Spencer said...

Looks like tomorrow is comin' on fast....

I can snap my fingers and require the rain
From a clear blue sky and turn it off again
I can stroke your body and relieve your pain
And charm the whistle off an evening train.

LutherM said...

(1) QUESTION: "Is the glass half empty or half full?"

ANSWER: YES !

(2) Silver Lining

Look for the silver lining
When e'er a cloud appears in the blue.
Remember somewhere, the sun is shining
And so the right thing to do
is make it shine for you.

A heart, full of joy and gladness
Will always banish sadness and strife
So always look for the silver lining
And try to find the sunny side of life.

KCFleming said...

At work here, too.

Until 5-6 years ago, I was also very often working on Christmas day. And New Years. And July 4th.

Neither Nice nor Bah; because somebody has to do it. Might as well be me, or so I thought at the time.

Police, Fire, ER, hospital, water, sewer, electric. All these people warrant a thought and thanks for doing their jobs so we can be comfortable and safe.

No rest for the weary, as grandma used to say.

Spread Eagle said...

Police, Fire, ER, hospital, water, sewer, electric

Don't leave out the dude workin' the counter at the 7-11 store, who may not be Christian anyhows.

Meade said...

A very good friend emailed this to me only 5 minutes ago. Perhaps it will touch someone here.

Ann Althouse said...

There! I just cleaned up the entire Christmess.

raptros-v76 said...

I'm writing essays for college applications. I think I am more stressed right now then I have ever been before. But I do have a nokia internet tablet n810, which I plan to do some serious messing around with when I get a chance.

And I seem to have misplaced my container of water, so I can't judge its contents by percentage.

chickelit said...

@Pogo:

No rest for the wikied

Merry day after Christmas everyone!

Christopher in MA said...

I'm at work, too. As Pogo points out, somebody has to be at a hospital (though we're on a skeleton staff, so if any hangover-fuled injured stagger through the doors, they've got a wait ahead of them).

My wife and I gifted each other with a flatscreen TV a little over two months ago, so there wasn't much for the two of us to open yesterday save for some DVD sets - all the "Harry Potter" and "Starblazers" for her, "From the Earth To the Moon" and a set of Douglas Fairbanks films for me.

And now back to work. A happy Boxing Day to you all.

paul a'barge said...

On Christmas Eve while driving home from work my wife called me and told me that she wants a divorce.

Merry Christmas.

Darcy said...

I'm so sorry, Paul.

KCFleming said...

Criminey, paul, that's terrible.

chickelit said...

That's just awful Paul. I think you have a support group here, if you need one.

Ann Althouse said...

Oh, no, Paul, that's terrible!

Ann Althouse said...

Maybe a friendlier avatar would help!

Meade said...

Yes, Paul, we don't want to divorce you. Hang in there, man. A friendlier avatar - good advice. And call a good lawyer ASAP - more good advice.

heywoot said...

A divorce can be a liberating thing, once you make it through the pain, anguish and expense. The timing sucks, however...

I hired the best lawyer I could afford and it was worth every penny.

Christopher in MA said...

I am sorry, Paul. I have no advice - I leave that to smarter, more experienced commenters - but I'll say a prayer for you.

Lorelei Leigh said...

That's terrible, Paul.

I know a woman who is filing for divorce from her husband after 20 years of marriage. It's sad because I just saw her daughter in Wal-Mart as I was doing my last minute Christmas shopping and she was telling me about all the nice presents her dad had bought for her mom. And then two days later I hear they're splitting up. It's sad.

Anonymous said...

The glass is neither half full nor half empty; the container was engineered with twice the necessary glass.

Meade said...

Keep it as private as you can. If you need to vent and talk emotions, get professional help - therapist or clergyman. Never let your children hear you say one negative thing about their other parent. Hire the best lawyer you can and go, not for revenge, but for equalization of assets, debts, and custody.

You will be fine.

Anonymous said...

Paul a'barge: If you have any hope left for your marriage, I encourage you to fight for it.

Meade said...

HelenParr - good advice but only if his wife want to fight for it. If she doesn't, it's likely she already has a head start on the probable fight that needs to be won/lost equally by both parties.

Anonymous said...

divorce:

it can be the ending of a relationship that has served its purpose. to get the best lawyer can quite possibly deplete your faith in humanity.

I thought falling out of love was hell. I now know having a lawyer (and his other professional friends) oversee that process was quite possibly the worst decision i ever made in my life.

it changed my life radically. Many people think i am crazier than ever before. Jonny Depp would understand. He's a gemini, too.

I am happier and more full of life. I am still inconsistant, charming, and self interested. I have since returned to my tall, lankier physical attributes..so it must all be written in my darting electric eyes... or gemini stars: as wikipedia explains.

ricpic said...

A cute little girl played on my computer Christmas day and then when her parents took her home I tried to turn the computer on -- nothing. Frazzled nerves, 'cause I hate to deal with my local snotty computer whiz. Anyways, dealt with it and now it's back on. Too embarrassed to say what a tiny adjustment had to be made to turn it back on. Bah, humbug.

Meade said...

Aw ricpic, man, haven't you learned by now the trouble cute little big girls can get you into? Never ever ever ever take your eyes off a cute girl. That's the rule, man. Protect yourself.

blake said...

I read somewhere in the 'sphere someone saying "The glass is half full of urine."

Meade said...

Hey, when life deals you half a glass of pee, turn it into URINE THERAPY!!!

ricpic said...

Eyes on girl. Got it.

heywoot said...

You're in luck.

Anthony said...

The glasses here are somewhat more than half-full. But are they less than half-empty?