I had avoided using this particular clip for a long time, because it closely resembles the one that John used in one of the Cliptoons strips.  But eventually I threw it into the batch I was working with and it came out pretty well.  I wanted to give the guy something particular and personal to be depressed about, and the thing that is most certain to depress me is my birthday.  Especially if I am not where I want to be in life.