It’s a good year to be alive. People born in the year of the ox are patient and inspire confidence in others.

They’re also stubborn and easy to anger. We’ll hope that only the good qualities apply to the newest member of the Fast Horse family.

Elliott Alexander Pierach was born on Jan. 2. Mom and baby are fine — we believe dad is probably doing all right, too.

It’s likely to require some ox-like persistence to soldier on as 2009 unfolds. The economy hasn’t been this bad since the Great Depression; families and companies alike are tightening their belts.

We remain optimistic, however. As I said when the government announced recently that the U.S. has been in a recession since December 2007: “Great! We’re that much closer to being done with it!”