Why so much negativity on PR lately? A few reasons:

We are all aware of how modern economies have developed from those based on agriculture, to those based on industry, and then on information. But where do we stand now? Is the information economy dead? If so, what's replaced it?

ICanHasCheezburger is a photoblog where users can submit funny cat pictures with captions. Users are encouraged to “Lolspeak” which has evolved into common buzzwords like “oh hai,” “ur doing it wrong,” “srsly” and “kthxbai.” A lot of people surf ICHC while they’re supposed to be working.

It’s not that some “personal branding” advice isn’t useful or beneficial; it’s that much of the “personal branding” concept is little more than common sense put into a trite “package” for the sole purpose of commercialization.

The signs of an imminent recession are all around us. The spillover from the subprime mortgage crisis is weakening both consumer confidence and the consumer spending--much of it on credit--that has been buoying the US economy.