ALT There's an Onion story from the Great Recession about whether T.J. Maxx was in a downward spiral or conducting business as usual, which I've thought about the last couple of days. “The state of this store does not in any way correspond to our standard criteria for judging long-term viability,” said economist Graham Stinson, referring to Chicago’s Fullerton Avenue branch, where more than half of the fluorescent lights are burnt out. “For instance, the canvas bins heaped with broken stemware in aisle six may be a sign that T.J. Maxx is on the verge of complete bankruptcy. Either that, or it’s doing perfectly fine. It’s impossible to say which.” When the Phillies call upon their closer in the seventh inning, desperation hangs in the air. When Houston has to play its two most battle-tested veterans at defensive positions, it's the sign of an impending identity crisis. When the Red Sox cut short Wild Card Series starts out of deference to the Times Through the Order Penalty even though th