Earlier this week I asked you to send me some "signs of the times", proof that things are different.

One update from me—Girl Scout cookie shrinkage. I opened a box this week only to discover the cookies look about a third smaller.

A lot of things are shrinking, not just your 401k.

Funny Business Comments:

Here are some of your observations:

Heather H. sent me this photo she took of a Virgin Megastore closing in Times Square.

Photo By: Heather

She also noticed "shrinkage": "There is a restaurant I've been a loyal customer of for years. I have a photographic memory and always notice when something changes in regards to price and/or quantity. Their dishes have been shrinking for the past 9 months...One dish used to have half of a whole squash. Now it is half of a half, and the huge pancakes I always get were somewhat normal sized. What's the world coming to when you go to drown your sorrows in with your favorite meal, and it's disappearing before you even start to eat?"

From Michael T. first: "Went to McDonalds this weekend because my kids asked for a Big Mac. My kids opened the burger, and the two beef patties shrunk. My 7-year-old son, not knowing the old Wendy's commercials, said to me, 'Dad where's the beef?' I took a look at it and the beef patty was no bigger than a silver dollar. Things must be real bad at the Old McDonald's farm."

From James: "How sad it is that a family in my neighborhood purchased their home 10 months ago and recently put up a "for sale" sign. My next door neighbor said that the gentleman had lost his job and the wife was a stay-home parent raising children. How sad...but ask anyone 'did you see it coming?'"

Jerry S. "It's easy to see that the bottom has been reached by the way the auto dealerships have only the most expensive models left to advertise in the newspaper. I mean, doesn't everyone want to buy a new pickup that costs $50,000.00 ...when all they want is one that cost $7,000.00 new?"

Ed L. sent me the following photo, adding, "I guess times are getting BAD".

Photo By: Ed L.

More shrinkage from Elizabeth H. in Florida: "My local sandwich shop is cutting back on the meat. A $9 premium sandwich now has about as much meat as one costing $7.50. I can tell the financial health of a restaurant by how they slice the bread--shops that are cutting costs tend to slice the bread thinly, thereby getting more slices out of a single loaf...I know of three businesses -- two tearooms and an antique store -- that have stopped accepting credit and debit cards (They don't want to deal with the charges.)"

HOWEVER! WAG says things are looking up in Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, NC: "This past weekend, there were no vacant parking spots at the mall, it took an hour to get a table at The Cheesecake Factory (or anyplace else). The stores are full of shoppers, although the merchandise is 30-50 percent all of the time, and the carwashes have cars waiting in line overflowing into the streets. I think everyone skinnied down in December and the pent-up demand is showing now that the nice weather has rolled in."

James G.: "I've got one—I call it my haircut theory of unemployment. Much like a fluctuating demand curve, the quality of the barbers at the local clip shop varies with economic conditions. As the economy improves, the competence and attentiveness of the barbers invariably declines. However in lean times, the barbers seem to be far more interested in doing a good job. I'm sad to report that my recent trips to the barber have been the best in recent memory."

Source: comedy.com

Christine S. sent me some new logos for the new economy, including this one for Apple

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Christopher P.: "I saw my neighbors on Friday afternoon. They asked me if I was going to be at home on Saturday at around noon. I said, 'Yes. What's up?' They said they were refinancing, and their lawyer was going to their home to do the closing, and they needed someone to be a witness. I said fine I'd be happy to do it. I guess times are tough when lawyers are making house calls on Saturdays."

Robert S. in the Silicon Valley: "Talked with the business garbage man a couple weeks ago at work...They've laid off four drivers and pickups are down to two per week vs. three per week. Less business = Less garbage. On the positive side…I guess we'll meet our environmental trash reduction goals sooner."

Connie N. is still reeling from the holidays: "I was in my local Wal-Mart the last Sunday before Christmas…the place should have been a ZOO. I dreaded going, like stomach-cramping dread, for the crowds and looooong lines…but I HAD to pick up a couple of things. It was a ghost town. NOBODY was in there doing any last minute shopping, and it was well after church. That's when I KNEW things were getting really bad for a large majority of the population."

Let me leave you with a laugh, because we need one.

Here's a sign of the times. Mattel's

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[MAT  Loading...      ()   ] Barbie is 50, qualifying for "Cougar" status:

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