By now the manner of writing about a Pope in decline is as ritualized as a Holy Thursday mass at Saint Peter's.
The pinyons died mainly because of an Ips epidemic I am not a big fan of the term decline as it is usually used for trees.
This is the first time, I think I had ever use the term decline in reporting EPR's financial results.
I would argue, however, that to some degree this decline is a product of SF being too successful (see also my prior post on the death of the sf short story).
Transit ridership fell by 3.8% in the first three quarters of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008, and a further decline is almost certain given all the service cuts and fare increases that are being made.
This decline is the result of long-term trends — increasing foreign competition and, especially, the relentless replacement of people with machines — that look unlikely to abate.