The Unbearable Banishment: Random NYC pix

Friday, October 8, 2010

Random NYC pix

This was taken in Times Square. I was walking through on my way to work. I thought the reflections made the windows look like tiny little paintings. It was a lot more impressive in person.


A stormy morning outside the Fox News studios during their breast cancer awareness promotion. Even the planters were wrapped in pink! [Fun fact: the "planters" are actually concrete barricades that prevent someone from driving a truck loaded with explosives into the studios. It's true!]


This beautiful bird bath is outside the church where my meditation classes are held. This is where I go to learn how not to suffer. Would that be an irony?


* * *
I spent the week designing and assembling the 2011 benefits book for the employees of a large investment bank. As a consultant, I don't have any benefits. Do you know what their health plan includes? Foot care. Foot care! I have to write a fat check each month for, what amounts to, catastrophic coverage for my family and they get fucking FOOT CARE!

Also, alternative medicine, vision, dental, prescription, life insurance, accident plan, disability plan, legal assistance plan, long-term and retirement medical coverage. And that's just the health plan. Don't get me started on profit sharing, 401(k) company matching contributions and deep discounts on shares of stock.

Sign me up.

22 Comments:

Anonymous daisyfae said...

the photos - especially the windows - are lovely. the irony? not so much...

October 8, 2010 at 9:50 PM  
Anonymous dinahmow said...

What Daisyfae said.
I could have done with some foot care last week!

October 8, 2010 at 10:04 PM  
Blogger savannah said...

i appreciate the fact that you always look UP and really see what's around you. and then share it! xoxox

October 8, 2010 at 10:29 PM  
Anonymous nursemyra said...

love the birdbath

October 8, 2010 at 10:42 PM  
Blogger Ponita in Real Life said...

The windows shot *is* quite impressive! Very artistic too. Love it!

Yeah, I get all those kinds of benefits too. Wish you could get something that wasn't just a consulting position so you could get them too. xoxo

I echo Savannah's comment about you looking up and sharing. Thanks!

October 8, 2010 at 10:59 PM  
Anonymous Rob said...

Well, I guess I'm the only one not diverted by the pretty pictures....

I can't believe those investment bankers. First, they pretty get away with fraud and theft of the collective wealth of Americans and others around the world, but then they get gold plated Cadillac benefits too? Where's my torch and pitchfork?

October 8, 2010 at 11:53 PM  
Blogger Eryl said...

The windows are pretty. The deification of investment bankers feels like an inevitable effect of money becoming an end rather than a means to an end. Now we actually anoint their feet maybe it will soon be time to crucify them.

October 9, 2010 at 5:51 AM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Daisy: Do you know what I should do today? Go onto dictionary.com and look up irony. I'm still not sure what it means. Do you know that Alanis Morrissette song, Isn't It Ironic? Those aren't ironies, are they!?

Dinah: I'd like a foot rub every night. While watching TV. What bliss.

Savannah: If you live in this town and don't ever look up, then all you're doing is putting up with traffic and dirt and noise, etc.

Nurse: The entire inscription if the "Suffer the little children" thing from the bible.

Ponita: The windows were much more vivid in person. Photography failed to convey that.

Rob: The company isn't ALL investment bankers. It's secretaries and guys in the mail room an middle managers, too.

Eryl: Holy cow! You're right! I didn't know the whole thing was a metaphor, but it is!

October 9, 2010 at 8:29 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Those reflections are incredible. I love seeing little things like that.

and why is your word verification for today 'bumbend'? *cackle*

October 9, 2010 at 11:20 AM  
Blogger JZ said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

October 9, 2010 at 12:10 PM  
Blogger JZ said...

I'm sure the company sucks the life out of the employees in other ways....the health care package is repair for the damage done.

I at least fancy investment bankers to be fairly uninteresting lifeless individuals, my brother, perhaps, excluded.......

I have a client who needs barrier to protect their smalltown USA police station that I designed. The stipulation was for the protective device to not look like barriers. However, planters were too obvious because they looked like they were trying too hard to pretend NOT to be protection. After several months and various suggestions, we ended up with little concrete cubes, like benches....but they look like barriers/bollards....go figure.

October 9, 2010 at 12:11 PM  
Blogger Kono said...

That first picture is why i take walks, to see the things i see everyday that i never notice until i look up, of course looking up in NYC could cost you your wallet...

and for the investment bankers what do yo say? soulless scum in search of nothing but more money, they are the new flim flam men, who got the silver?

October 9, 2010 at 1:03 PM  
Blogger Here In Franklin said...

grrrr...more pink.

October 9, 2010 at 3:39 PM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Dolce: Bumbend is my maiden name.

JZ: Investment bankers are thugs. They're the guys in junior high who use to surround me and steal my lunch money.

Kono: Again, I'll point out that these benefits aren't just for 8-digit earners. They go to secretaries, mail room clerks and cafeteria staff, too.

HIF: I actually thought of your last post when I uploaded that pic.

October 9, 2010 at 4:47 PM  
Blogger mapstew said...

First off, fab pics man! Fab!

I'm a self employed muso, my benefits?

1; I get to stay up late.
2; I get to sleep in late.
3; I get to sing, for a (meagre) living.
4; I get to sing.
5; I get most of the week off.
6; I gotta feeling, that tonight's gonna be a good night.....

:¬)

Happy weekend my friend, tomorrow is lookin' good already!

WV = persoma

October 9, 2010 at 10:34 PM  
Blogger Ellie said...

When I need footcare, I normally kind of nudge my toes into my husband's lap. ;-)

October 10, 2010 at 5:28 AM  
Blogger CiCi said...

You are right, the reflections are so awesome in each window. The planters at Fox News studios wouldn't keep someone out if they really wanted to damage the studios. I for one can't stand Fox News but I wouldn't want anyone hurt there either.

October 10, 2010 at 8:16 AM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Map: I'm too much of a paranoid tight-ass to really enjoy the freedom that is inherent in consulting. I need The Man's security blanket.

Ellie: Is that a metaphor for something else?

TB: Yeah, I agree. Fox is a horrible organization. They're pumping millions of $$$ into conservative campaign coffers and insisting it doesn't create a conflict of interest. But blowing them off the map isn't going to solve anything.

October 10, 2010 at 8:57 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks for informing me about the blockade. Whew - that would have been embarrassing!

Those pix are beautiful, but NYC is a beautiful city - one of my two favorits in all the world. I always root for the Yankees when the Red Sox aren't playing. Now that's irony! (Agreed, Alannis Morrisette doesn't get it - who would have though - it figgers).

And the Corp world sux big time for so many reasons but now that I'm in it, I couldn't bring myself to leave.

PS. I'm a first time visitor - nice site!

October 10, 2010 at 2:45 PM  
Blogger Madame DeFarge said...

The photos are great. But don't knock footcare. One day you might appreciate it when the bunions go bad.

October 10, 2010 at 4:09 PM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Girly: Well, welcome to you! How'd you stumble across this joint in the ocean of blogs? I always wonder that. So what's your other favorite city, pray tell? I don't throw the word "hate" around casually but I hate the Yankess. Hate, hate, hate. There, I said it.

Madame: Oh, I'm not knocking foot care. I'm JEALOUS! I want foot care. And medicinal massages, too.

October 10, 2010 at 5:18 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've been seeing you around the Trailer Park for quite awhile and thought I'd check ya out!!

My other favorite city? My adopted hometown of Boston. I'm not passionate about either sports team - I root for the cities. Of course, I'm not allowed to root for the Yankees outwardly, as you can imagine, even when the Sox are out of it but I do anyway because I do love NY!

October 10, 2010 at 8:06 PM  

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