When will the recession end? Part 9 Humor will signal recession /depression bottom

As I've predicted in previous posts, North American retailers will get decimated in 2009. How did I know that in advance? Many signals but cartoons such as the ones below have been foreshadowing a  dismal 4Q 2008 earnings picture for many retailers- figures that will be released soon and futher dampen the mood of business buyers, consumers  and investors. Hat tip to Eric McLuhan, who  sent in these cartoons to one of the McLuhan listserves, that I belong to. I'm reposting them for the benefit of Smart Economy readers.

Politican cartoonist and humorists are usually on the cutting edge of these trends. Based on the humor below, the consequences are likely to be crippling, if not fatal.

Keep a close watch for signs and early warning indicators  of "recovery humor" (which I have not seen yet) to signal that we may be hitting rock bottom....and let me know if you run across anything interesting in the humor-sphere. 

The question is what kind of a bottom will it be? A V-shaped bottom? U-shaped bottom? W-shaped bottom? v-W-shaped bottom? J-shaped bottom? L-shaped bottom? extended L-shaped bottom? (I envision at least 7 possible scenarios)

To learn how to use humor and cartoons as a business foresight tool, see the Opportunity Clinic post here: Opportunity Recognition in Difficult Times &  Using New Yorker Cartoons for Opportunity Recognition /Sense-making & Pattern Recognition

Walter Derzko

Author of the soon-to-be-released book: Hard Times Golden Opportunities.. about opportunity recognition in a recession/ depression featuring 45 opportunity scenarios.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related Opportunity Posts over that past year:

• Opportunity Recognition in Difficult Times

• Recession - Proofing your Business - Spotting & Designing Opportunities in a Downturn

• Recession - Proofing your Business - Spotting & Designing Opportunities in a Downturn – June 25, 2008, Ontario College of Art Design, Toronto, ON

• Recession-Proofing your Business-Strategies and Tactics for smoother sailing in turbulent seas

• Master Class in Opportunity Recognition for entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs> May 30th 2008> University of Toronto

• Turning Misery into Opportunity

• Vacuum leaves pullout opportunities;

• How will baby boomers handle the recession? Zoomers, Doomers, Gloomers, Opportuneurs

• Recession, Depression and Shortages as Opportunities

• Restructuring of American Business-A New Business Model?

• Using New Yorker Cartoons for Opportunity Recognition /Sense-making & Pattern Recognition

• Text Mining for S&T Scouting, Foresight and Opportunity Recognition

• The Opportunity Clinic-swapping opportunity scenarios 08-002

Related Recession Posts

• 82 Signposts to the current Recession Depression Summary from 2008

• When will this recession end?

• When will this recession end ? Part 2 Do you listen to the Optimists or the Pessimists in 2009?

• When will the recession end? Part 3 The coming collapse of the American Middle Class into an Underclass

• When will the recession end? Part 4 The double dip housing crash in the USA 

• When will the recession end? Part 5 Stop Auto Industry Bailouts, start buying Electric

• When will this recession end? Part 6 The USA Paradox; Cheer vs Fear vs Transformation

• When will the recession end? Part 7 False signals of recovery

• When will the recession end? Part 8 Lessons Learned from the last Post 9/11 recession; designing brilliant winning business models

© 2005-2009

Walter Derzko -"Changing the world, one idea at a time"©

Expert, Consultant and Keynote Speaker on Emerging Smart Technologies, Innovation, Strategic Foresight, Business Development, Lateral Creative Thinking and author of an upcoming book on the Smart Economy "

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