All that said, things could be worse in New Orleans.

ECONOMIST: New Orleans is recovering its energy, but not its people

And while investors who bought into the market before the financial crisis may not be as thrilled as Johnny-come-lately stock buyers of 2009 or 2010, we all know things could be worse.

WSJ: The Stocks the Dow Forgot

To be sure, things could be worse.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | Cover: Raging Inferno

Of course, things could be worse.

FORBES: Today's Lousy Economy May Be The Best Obama Can Do

Yet things could be worse.

ECONOMIST: Even flawed democracy serves better than no democracy

Six months from now, things could be much worse does the Fed really want to use up its bullets now?

FORBES: Why More QE Isn't Coming

Although the total number of workers going overseas increased slightly during the first half of this year, the overseas employment administration thinks things could be getting worse during the second half, especially for household workers.

ECONOMIST: A different kind of foreign policy

Things could certainly be worse.

ECONOMIST: New York��s economy

But things could be much, much worse.

FORBES: The GOP Answer To Obamacare Part II - Cross State Insurance Sales

If disputes bog the process down, later batches could be pushed back further, making things even worse.

ECONOMIST: Internet domain names

That could easily be just the right amount of time to make things worse rather than better.

ECONOMIST: IBM reinvents voluntary work

One could make the argument that without it, as Liquin said, things would be much worse.

FORBES: China Gov Investors Wondering When Is QE4 Coming?