Upright & Stowed

Greenbriar Goes Down

I've been too busy watching the world fall apart to post with any frequency lately.  Jobs lost.  Bailouts super-sized.  Broadway shows closed.  Philanthropies Madoff'ed.  When will the madness end?

I think I know.  We've reached the bottom.  Today.  The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia – gorgeous and storied resort, but also one enabled by lots of corporate and individual bloat – has filed for bankruptcy.  Sad, but true.

I visited the Greenbrier on my drive back to NYC after my three years in San Franciscos.  I have little doubt that, like Tara, she will rise again.   But the rebuilding of its finances, and America's, is gonna be a long and painful struggle.  Lordy be.

The Devil Gets His Due

Off to jail you go, Bernie Madoff.  Woo hoo!

Yes, his guilty plea will bring joy to Mudville.  But let's not be too quick to relieve ourselves of all complicity in the greed and selfishness that led America to its current mess. 

We've (hopefully) learned that there is no such thing as easy money, and that revering the wealthy above all else is folly.  Bernie Madoff will spend the end of his days in jail, paying in the smallest way for the crimes he committed.  Most painful is the thought of some portion of the billions he plundered would have made its way to charitable organizations. 

Today, one devil got his due.  If there's a devil-slayer in the world, let Cheney, Rumsfeld and Bush be next.  Watch out fellas!   (Thanks to the NY Times for this image ... I made the horns!)

Relief in Hard Times

Sure, times is tough.  And they're going to get tougher before they get easier.  But our President is making the pain so much more bearable by undoing one horrific Bush/Cheney decision after another.  This man is restoring our nation to one of fairness, sensitivity and reason.  As a nation, we can look ourselves in the mirror again.  I've thought it before and I'll say it again: God Bless Barack Obama. 

Photo of President Obama undoing Bush's stem cell regulations and restoring science to its proper place, from the NY Times.

Grounded

I've been moaning and groaning a lot lately about being grounded here in NYC, with no plane flights since last November, and nothing on the books.

I now realize that I'm not the only thing that's grounded.  Take a look at these shots of the US Airways plane as it was transferred out of the Hudson and through (egads!) East Rutherford, New Jersey.  Now that's some serious grounded.  Thanks to my blog bitch Bruce for this tip.

A Good Commute

I've been feeling cranky lately.  In part because I'm not traveling, for either work or play.  And in part  because I am so OVER winter.  Today, however, I was reminded that life ain't so bad.

I followed a link to an article in AM New York – a periodical I never read, even when I'm desperate for something to read – about a woman with the worst commute in New York.  She lives in Brooklyn and commutes to Dix Hills.  Both are on Long Island.  But somehow, the commute takes nearly four hours and costs $26 R/T. 

This urban horror story reminded me that my commute take 4-6 minutes by bike and it's free.  The MapQuest image above details my complex route. 

Okay.  I'm smiling again.

Pause

When is the right time to push onward, and when should we take a pause?  This is a dilemma we all face at various points in our lives.   I’ve decided to put Upright and Stowed on temporary pause, as I seek new inspiration for inking a compelling read.  I’ve got some ideas.  And I’m likely to post periodically.  But for now, I've pushed the Pause button.

Worry not: I’ll be back and better than ever.   As the marketing minds of Pepsi put it so well, it’s the pause that refreshes.    [photo]