I'm not sure why this bit of conventional wisdom even makes the news, but I heard it mentioned twice today: it's supposedly the most depressing day of the year.

So, from here on (at least until Blue Monday 2009), things will just get better, right?

Granted, the major reasons cited for this designation don't really apply to me. Holiday debt? I didn't really spend money on the holidays this year, since I was already in debt and it didn't make sense to borrow more money from my family so that I could buy presents for my family members who don't need presents. (Works when you're five, notsomuch a couple of decades later.) Broken New Years Resolutions? I didn't make any! Dreary weather? I live in southern California. It was a chilly 51 degrees today. I don't think I have much to complain about there.

Still, I'm happy to embrace the idea that there are only five hours left (two, if you're on the east coast; it's already history if you're in Dakar) of the worst day of 2008. It's not really all that bad here at rock bottom, and there's nowhere to go but up.