The man who sold hot dogs

[Bill Cooke]

There was a man who lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs.
He was hard of hearing so he had no radio.
He had trouble with his eyes so he read no newspapers.
But he sold good hot dogs.
He put up signs on the highway telling how good they were.
He stood by the side of the road and cried:"Buy a hot dog, Mister.
And people bought.
He increased meat and bun orders.
He bought a bigger stove to take care of his trade.
He finally got his son home from college to help him out.
But then something happened.
His son said, "Father, haven't you been listening to the radio?
Haven't you been reading the newspapers?
There's a big depression.
The European situation is terrible.
The domestic situation is worse."
Whereupon the farther thought, "Well, my son's been to college, he reads the papers and he listens to the radio, and he ought to know"
So the farther cut down on his meat and bun orders, took down his advertising signs, and no longer bothered to stand out by the highway to sell his hot dogs.
And his hot dog sales fell almost overnight.
"You're right, son," the farther said to his son.
"We certainly are in the middle of a great depression."

Who do you listen to?

 

[Mesa]

I'm not much on typing so I can say this ....

I listen to the "FARTher" of course

 

[Dalton Veitch]

I think the moral of the story is correct. While there are certainly real financial issues and losses involved, the economic situation is very influenced by perception. And the increasing speed of dissemination of news, particularly bad news, has made the last economic downturn a global event simultaneous to all countries as corporations and entities hear the news and stop doing what they were successfully doing (as per the hot dog salesman). We used to have a slow spread occurring at staggered times in various countries with a lessened effect on each country.