Just reading the news and found this report, 1000 people have been let go by E-bay.com...I wonder how that is going to effect, if at all, epinions or shopping.com in any kind of trickle down effect..

http://cbs4.com/national/ebay.cuts.jobs.2.833423.html

Boy, this economy is certainly scary..

They are cutting jobs, but also buying out another business. (EDIT: They are buying two other business, for a total of over 1 BILLION dollars. I don't think they are hurting.)

They will also be getting rid of 'several hundred' temp workers.

It sounds like they are just trying to tighten things down.

One thing with eBay is that it's system has become a lot more automated over the past couple of years. I just recently sold some stuff and it was much less hassle getting things listed than before.

When I go to lunch with my co-workers, we've noticed that the places that used to always be packed aren't nearly as busy.

Right now is kind of a slow time in the year, anyway. Summer is over and people are waiting for November and December to do the big spending for Christmas and such.

I feel for those people that have been laid off. I haven't seen any direct effects in my town just yet, but I'm sure other places within NY (and around the U.S.) are seeing effects. Hopefully none of those people let go at eBay are a part of epinions - but that doesn't seem to be the case since the positions at E are permanent (I believe).

On that note, it's interesting that someone mentioned that restaurants aren't as packed as they were before. I went to this restaurant about 20 minutes from my home the other day, and it's usually packed. However, this time, it was only about half full. As an aside, a restaurant also just opened next door, so maybe people were checking out that place as well? On that note, the malls continue to seem packed - parking is just as tight at the Bloomingdale's by me.

Let's wait and see. But I know that I'll continue spending. If you have credit, use it!

Anthony

I too, went to this china buffet that was always packed and there were 2 patrons only! I have been watching it and I know it's going to close up. They can't survive without customers. This decline has started a few months ago. Judging by many stores in my area there's hardly any new ones but I do notice fewer people shopping everywhere. The internet has some to do with it but also the economy I believe. I even received an email from an online survey I do that asked if I would accept $3 for each instead of the $5 they were paying me and since I declined to accept the raffles with the lower payment, they closed my account.

I stink store credit cards should be illegal with the interest rates they charge. Same goes for all those 'rent' places where you pay tons of money. I also think payday loans should be made illegal.

Another thing about restaurants - Have you noticed how prices have gone up on a lot of items in the past several months?

One odd thing is here on the MS Gulf Coast, casino revenues are UP. They are higher than what they were pre-Katrina. How weird is that?

You have now idea what is going to be happening six to nine months from now.

I get the distinct feeling reading your posts that most of us feel that we're watching a polo match, a hockey game, maybe a prize fight. But in reality, as one who can remember the Great Depression, and who has studied how it started (day after day, the wealthiest banks in America vainly pumping wealth into the economy), we're on that proverbial Titanic. This time, we have thirty years worth of junior chamber of commerce sludge and boosterism in the hold, and we can't be quite sure if the bottom has dropped out.

May we not be so disinterested, first of next month.

Alex