Just what kind of day is it?

It depends on who you are.

The Ford company announces layoffs today, leading workers to call it “black Monday.” But according to the Cox News Service, it’s actually “super blue Monday.”

If you’re having a bad day today, no wonder. According to one scientist, today — Monday, Jan. 23 — is the gloomiest day of 2006.

Cliff Arnall, a health psychologist at the University of Cardiff in Wales, has devised a formula that combines personal and seasonal factors to calculate the year’s emotional low point.

I’m not sure Dr. Arnall is from Wales; I think he might be a liberal living in Canada, where elections today are expected to hand a plurality to the new Conservative party.

Guess which story depresses Michael Moore. Is he more concerned about American jobs or Canadian politics?

Walk for Life

It’s hard to tell if the pro-life crowds around the country were downcast or upbeat yesterday, as they braved stormy weather (in Memphis, at least) to memorialize all the children lost since the Roe v. Wade ruling 33 years ago. Marching through the chill wind, there were signs that the political winds are turning their way. In addition to finding hope in the changes to the Supreme Court, they can also point to an upcoming South Dakota vote that could make abortion illegal in the state.

Take one look at the opposition and it’s pretty clear… well, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. Below are a few clips taken of those protesting a pro-life march in San Francisco.

Actually, that last one deserves comment.

Shouldn’t that read, “My Body is Pro-Choice”?

Or perhaps, “The Insignificant Clump of Tissues In My Body, Which By The Way You Should Keep Your Laws Off, Has No Feelings on the Matter, Given the Fact that I Don’t Even Consider it to be Alive, Or Even Human, and Therefore it Has No Brain With Which to Hold Opinions, and Should Not be Considered a Factor in This Debate, But Thanks for Asking.”

Too Old to Die

Speaking of life, did you hear about the Clarence Allen case? He was on death row for 23 years before California actually got around to executing his sentence (and, well, him). His lawyers asked Gov. Schwarzenegger for clemency because Allen, who was involved in the murder of four people, was “too old and sick” to be put to death. I’m somewhat ambivalent about capital punishment, but I’ve always thought we should put a deadline on deadlines. If we’ve got inmates who are too old for execution still sitting on death row, that’s a pretty good argument for reforming a system that allows them to make it that far.