Someone's got a case of the... oh nevermind
January 22, 2007 1:38 PM   Subscribe

 
Does this mean you're going to say those words that I can't say?
posted by pompomtom at 1:42 PM on January 22, 2007


So that's why I could barely drag my ass into work this morning?
posted by caddis at 1:43 PM on January 22, 2007


It's also the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which, in DC, means lots of self-riteous people getting in the way of commuters. Ever been behind a bus full of nuns? Apparently, they give up the ability to merge when they join the order.
posted by MrMoonPie at 1:46 PM on January 22, 2007


Does this mean you're going to say those words that I can't say?

I think that's Bizarre Love Triangle.

Tell me now how should I feel?
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 1:48 PM on January 22, 2007


Uh-oh. Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:54 PM on January 22, 2007


I think I'll just relax today. I'm newly self-employed and things are working out somewhat fine. I made no New Years resolutions, and didn't overspend this Christmas. It's rany and miserable, but what else do you expect in January in Vancouver?

I, with experience in deep depression many times in my life, am fairly content and happy. Blue Monday be damned!
posted by Kickstart70 at 1:56 PM on January 22, 2007


Yep.
posted by roll truck roll at 1:57 PM on January 22, 2007


This piece of "research" has been fairly throughly trashed by the excellent Ben Goldacre.
In fact it’s not surprising that these equations are so stupid, because they come from the PR companies almost fully-formed and ready to have your name attached to them. I know that because I have received an avalanche of insider stories - Watergate it isn’t - including one from an academic in psychology who was offered money by Porter Novelli PR agency to put his name to the very same Sky Travel equation story that Arnall sold his to. In amongst their aggressive pitch they described how the story would go.

“Blue Monday - January Blues Day is Officially Announced: The 26th January is the most depressing day in the calendar for the majority of Brits as measured by a simple mathematical formula developed on behalf of Sky Travel.

“By taking into account various factors such as avg temperature (C), days since last pay (P), days until next bank holiday (B), avg hours of daylight (D) and number of nights in during mth (N), we create a formula such as C(P+B) N+D. This formula allows us to work out the day with the highest ‘depression factor’ which you can then use as a focus for making things better, booking your holiday etc …” This is almost exactly as it was when Arnall revealed his important work to the world.

So these equations are scientifically uninformative, and driven by money. But is there more to it than that? Because in my more extremist puritanical moments, I am of the opinion that these equation stories - which appear with phenomenal frequency, and make up a significant proportion of the total science coverage in the UK - are corrosive, meaningless, empty, bogus nonsense that serve only to caricature and undermine science.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 1:57 PM on January 22, 2007 [1 favorite]


I was wondering why today was the day of unadulterated ass.

It's Raining Florence Henderson - That's just evil. If bitey, stingy things crawled into you and did bitey stingy things to you, it would not make me sad.

"Ever been behind a bus full of nuns?"
Been trying to break that habit.

posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 1:58 PM on January 22, 2007 [1 favorite]


Wow. What a depressing revelation, thatwhichfalls!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:59 PM on January 22, 2007


God bless you, Mr. Vonnegut.
posted by scallion at 2:01 PM on January 22, 2007


These bogus 'equations' made up by PR companies are such antiscientific nonsense. I just left a talk by Robert Winston (WP) who was speaking, amongst other things, about the need for more, and better, science education in schools — this sort of thing completely works against that, and it must drive real scientists to distraction.
posted by matthewr at 2:06 PM on January 22, 2007


I'm sure that this is bullshit, yet i cannot deny it -- today has been the pits. It's gray and shitty and I had the day off and chose to spend it here on the futon.
posted by Bookhouse at 2:10 PM on January 22, 2007


Is it the AT&T ad I see at upper right? Yes, sad. Very sad.
posted by hal9k at 2:10 PM on January 22, 2007


Well, some people handle it better than others.

I still kinda like the song though...
posted by miss lynnster at 2:12 PM on January 22, 2007 [1 favorite]


I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT I FEEL FUCKING GREAT MAYBE IT'S THE METH THOUGH.
posted by The Straightener at 2:14 PM on January 22, 2007 [1 favorite]


I don't do xmas or debt and I'm happy as hell. :) It was even sunny here for 13 minutes and I took a break and went out there and felt at peace.
posted by Listener at 2:22 PM on January 22, 2007


Today's my birthday. I got sushi and music and phone bill money! *glee*
posted by infinitewindow at 2:23 PM on January 22, 2007


Somewhere on the planet today, Bob Geldof smiled and farted.
posted by dbiedny at 2:28 PM on January 22, 2007


Here's the garbage this is based on:

It reads: [W+(D-d)]xTQ/MxNA and takes into account six factors likely to have an emotional impact at this time of year.

These include the weather (W), debt (D) (minus the amount of money to be paid on your next pay day) and the time since Christmas (T). Then there is the time since a failed attempt to quit a bad habit (Q) along with general motivational levels (M) and the need to take action to have something to look forward to (NA). (source)


Try and do a dimensional analysis on that motherfucker! As far as I can tell, it has dimensions of weather x money x time^2 over levels x need.

How one gets a date from that will be a mystery for the ages.

And this guy is supposed to be a "Cardiff University psychologist"? Really? Strange he's not listed anywhere on that department's staff directory. I bet he's a fucking fraud.
posted by mr_roboto at 2:30 PM on January 22, 2007


I don't do xmas or debt and I'm happy as hell. :)

Infidel!

I don't really care if the science underlying this idea is crap, I don't need science to tell me that today was a motherfucking shitty day. Everything was in black-and-white outside my window. The least it could have done is snowed. Grumble, grumble.
posted by psmealey at 2:40 PM on January 22, 2007


On MetaFilter, every Monday is Blue Monday.
posted by Partial Law at 2:40 PM on January 22, 2007


I found $10 in the parking lot today!
posted by boo_radley at 2:41 PM on January 22, 2007


I'd swear I read this exact article last year. It sucked then, and it sucks even more now.

Journalism at its most craptastic.
posted by unwordy at 2:46 PM on January 22, 2007


Just because it's got an equation =/= SCIENCE!
posted by porpoise at 2:49 PM on January 22, 2007


It's snowing here now, but I got a lot done today at work, I'm home, showered, sitting in my office in a comfy robe, and contemplating what to eat. Not so bad. (Tomorrow is the first day of Grad classes, so I'm excited for that, too!)
posted by exlotuseater at 2:49 PM on January 22, 2007


I live in Camp Fantasyland and I sleep a sleep of delusion on a platform bed built right into the cabin (of lies). I needed this sleep to get through the day. Please, no debunking.

*high hat*
posted by taliaferro at 2:52 PM on January 22, 2007 [1 favorite]


Didn't go to work today. Slept until 4:30. Now I have a legitimate excuse.
posted by ereshkigal45 at 2:52 PM on January 22, 2007


The article's obviously bull. Today is only the second saddest.
posted by brundlefly at 2:56 PM on January 22, 2007


The British media did this story to death last year; I'm just astonished that they've wheeled it out 12 months later and everyone is taking even greater interest.
posted by rhodri at 3:00 PM on January 22, 2007


I, for one, absolutely love the fact that you guys are trashing on Blue Monday.



Only on the blue...
posted by craven_morhead at 3:11 PM on January 22, 2007


Well, tomorrow's looking up. :)
posted by nickyskye at 3:22 PM on January 22, 2007


So, I guess a fond Happy Birthday to my wife is in order, eh?

(she's 40 today. Blue Monday, indeed)
posted by thanotopsis at 3:28 PM on January 22, 2007


I don't know about you but I think everything's gone green.
posted by ClanvidHorse at 3:31 PM on January 22, 2007


I wonder if anti-depressant companies donate money to causes that they think will depress America further.

Scary thought.
posted by Citizen Premier at 3:49 PM on January 22, 2007


Dudes... you dont get it... like the belief in blue monday makes it a blue monday... the man is in our heads... totally... ill play a happy song on my sitar to fight the menace...
posted by damn dirty ape at 3:58 PM on January 22, 2007


my girlfriend whom I have been having an affair with behind my wife's back left me today for another man.

I'm blue bah bah de bah bah doo
posted by Hands of Manos at 3:59 PM on January 22, 2007


"Blue Monday" will always remind me of the scene in Road House where Patrick Swayze is watching the mansion across the pond, and all these partiers come dancing out to the pool.

And then there's naked boobs.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 4:05 PM on January 22, 2007


Get back to me in 2008 when the 22nd is on a Tuesday. Tuesdays fucking blow.
posted by Cyrano at 4:18 PM on January 22, 2007


One day two bold gentlemen found themselves hard-pressed to deal with the demands of a day. The beginning of a work week and school week, it was a day of blackness according to mainstream society. A certain uneasiness loomed over the village. This day was called Monday.

Then one of the men had an idea. "Hey Man, let's not let Monday fuck us," he said. "From this day forward we will fuck Monday." And in an instant, Monday had been transformed from a day of dread to a day of great excitement. In the early hours of the evening, the men gathered around the apartment for an evening of wine, women and song. And "Fuck You Monday" became a weekly tradition.

Waking up Monday isn't that bad when you know you're getting fucked up. Then Tuesday comes, you're hungover, whatever it goes by. Next thing you know, its Wednesday! The weeks have purpose. Life is good.

We invite you all to join us in this rich, biblical tradition! Those of us who want others to fuck Mondays are encouraged to announce the place to be each week, and live our lives to the fullest!

Next time someone says "It's Monday", just say "Fuck you!"


Quoted from the gospel of the "Fuck you Monday" society.
posted by Count at 4:51 PM on January 22, 2007


Eh, on Saturday night I was puking my guts out from food poisoning. Today, on the other hand, is going great. Happy less pukey day of the year!
posted by davejay at 5:18 PM on January 22, 2007


and my poor Saints lost...

*sigh*
posted by Pacheco at 6:19 PM on January 22, 2007


that was a hell of a game on a crappy field

Saints played very well, they just had to fight an insane Bears team.
posted by tsarfan at 6:26 PM on January 22, 2007


"This piece of "research" has been fairly throughly trashed by the excellent Ben Goldacre."
But gosh I'm glad somebody posted this important PR turd on metafilter like a good viral foot soldier!
I can't wait for all the posts about Superbowl commercials; they are very funny.
posted by 2sheets at 6:34 PM on January 22, 2007


confirmation bias, anyone?
posted by Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson at 6:54 PM on January 22, 2007


So tomorrow's going to be fucking great then?
posted by ob at 7:52 PM on January 22, 2007


I wanna shoo-hoooo-hoooo-hooo-hoooot the whole day down.
posted by psmealey at 8:02 PM on January 22, 2007


Burnt Orange Thursday is way worse than Blue Monday.
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 8:17 PM on January 22, 2007


today is my birthday too. got up at 4:30 am for work, got in a huge fight with my husband, ate applebee's, got a new goldfish and freshwater crab, had some awesome birthday loving, all in all... not to shabby. i know gyobfw. happy birthday to me.
posted by sadie01221975 at 8:38 PM on January 22, 2007


In 23 minutes, I can make like Vonnegut and say, "Goodbye, Blue Monday!"
posted by Afroblanco at 8:38 PM on January 22, 2007


Let's face it, though - it's a safe bet to predict that any day in January will suck. Even the word January is depressing. It makes me think of hungry birds and damp, cold feet.
posted by Afroblanco at 8:42 PM on January 22, 2007


It's my birthday too. My depressive streak is now explained, as well as my love of Vonnegut.
posted by the_bone at 9:43 PM on January 22, 2007


c'mon, there is nothing like 5th Ave., along the park with the snow falling, and the sun as well. If you are lucky you might run into a chestnut vendor with an end of day generosity. That, or the bright, brisk dawn, the air smells so fresh, just don't take in too much, it's cold. That cold that goes down into your bones, you know, the zero degrees, but no wind cold, that let's you know that you are alive. Summer is fun, fun like the model on the right in yesterday's deleted post, but winter, winter is life. Wear a coat.
posted by caddis at 9:49 PM on January 22, 2007


OWN that Blue Monday feeling.
posted by bink at 10:04 PM on January 22, 2007


It's my birthday today.
posted by tehloki at 10:50 PM on January 22, 2007


In Soviet Union, Monday blue you!

Strange name for a Russian chick, but what the hell.
posted by Kickstart70 at 11:06 PM on January 22, 2007


Oh yay. Blue Monday's almost over.

On to chartreuse Tuesday! Wooo hooooooo!
posted by miss lynnster at 11:17 PM on January 22, 2007


Tuesdays fucking blow.

I agree. Tuesday is my Monday. Monday, on the other hand, is awesome. Monday is my Sunday, except that nothing is operating on Sunday hours, so I can still go out at 8PM without everything being closed. Monday is awesome.

Wednesdays are the worst. It's so slow at work on Wednesdays that we have taken to posting the directions to "Dick in A Box" around the café after we have sanitized the living bejesus out of everything. I hate Wednesdays.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 11:49 PM on January 22, 2007


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