"Given the economic climate, everyone is trying to get in line at the trough, " says Charles Cantor , a bioterrorism expert and chief scientific officer at San Diego biotech firm Sequenom (nasdaq: SQNM - news - people ).

FORBES: Biotechs See Dollar Signs In War

The old guard of hanger-ons and consultants once again line up at the trough.

FORBES: Move up http://i.forbesimg.com t Move down

Furthermore, we believe the DVD (and broader optical disk) category has already entered a long-term decline (analogous with peak-to-trough decline of VHS and CD categories), caused by rapid growth in on-line streaming and a la carte rentals (though we admit that UV has been a bit of a disappointment, so far).

FORBES: Coinstar: J.P. Morgan Upgrades; Shares Spike

Consumer spending, which makes up about 70% of the U.S. gross domestic product, is expected to be about in line with its activity last year, which had more pent-up demand and a larger trough to climb.

FORBES: Beat The Crowds Into These 6 Black Friday Retailers