First Lines of Richard Powers "Bewilderment"

"But we might never find them? We'd set up the scope on the deck, on a clear autumn night, on the edge of one of the last patches of darkness in the eastern U.S. Darkness this good was hard to come by, and so much darkness in one place lit up the sky. We pointed the tube through a gap in the trees above our rented cabin. Robin pulled his eye from the eyepiece--my sad, singular, new turning nine-year-old, in trouble with this world." 

- Richard Powers, Bewilderment.

This book both inspired and scared me. It also broke my heart. Beautiful writing. 

Related: First Lines of Richard Powers "The Overstory"

Long Island Running: The Greenbelt Trail

The only good map I could find of the trail

Note: Reposting from Reading, Running and Red Sox, slightly edited for clarity.

I used to work for CA Technologies, an enterprise software company that was snapped up by Broadcom years ago. They were headquartered in Islandia, NY, in the middle of Long Island, and so a few times a year I would take the New London ferry to the western tip of the island and drive west past a surprising amount of wineries that fade away in favor of suburbian development (strip malls and box stores). Boring running. And since i'm always on the lookout for trails, I eventually stumbled across the Greenbelt Trail. It's extremely difficult to find any information on it so here's a rundown of my experiences for any of you looking for some Long Island Trail Running.

I stay at the Hyatt next to Hidden Pond Park in Hauppauge, NY. By looking carefully, I was able to find the entrance to the trail on the north side of Long Island Motor Parkway,a simple split in a chain-link fence overgrown with vines. Once inside, I slowly jogged the loose gravel up and down a few steep, rolly hills. This first portion of the trail system - just north of the Park - consists of interconnected trails, some single track, and some wider ones obviously designed for mountain bikes. Continuing north, I dropped down a steep hill into Hidden Pond Park itself, where the path flattens out near the swimming pool and baseball fields. There are a number of trails winding around this complex, but if you keep heading north, you'll find yourself in a narrow right-of-way between single-family homes and a golf course. Despite all of this proximity to buildings, all of my runs on the Greenbelt Trail were quiet and isolated - I think I've seen one other person in all of the times I've run there.

I should mention the strange blaze system in the HPP. White blazes mark the main trail, but when coming to a fork or change in direction, there are two white blazes - the second one to ostensibly indicate the change in direction, but it's somewhat confusing as these are interspersed with blazes of different colors. I haven't determined the reasoning behind these markings, nor have I seen a trail map anywhere. Regardless, once you hit the golf course, the trail is unmistakable.

After crossing Townline Road, the trail becomes more rural, following a stream and a few tranquil bodies of water. The local Boy Scouts have constructed a number of helpful wooden bridges over the more marshy portions. (Thanks!) The trail twists and turns, is overgrown with vines, and has a lot of exposed roots, making it difficult to keep up a fast pace, but you'll want to take it slow to enjoy the silence and to see all of the rabbits bouncing out of your path.

The most challenging part is traversing Route 347. It's essentially a highway, with no crosswalk or lights nearby, so you just have to sprint across when you find a break in the traffic. The effort is worth it because the next section goes through some sweet, quiet conifer forests where the pine needles just swallow up the sound of footfalls. The trail continues from here all of the way to the North Shore, but i've only gone as far as the shopping center in Smithtown. Click here to see my longest northbound run on Strava here.

The section southbound from Hauppauge is located directly across the road from the northbound trail on Long Island Motor Parkway. Here, the trail follows the power lines for a bit, weaves through some significant rolling hills with evergreen trees before dropping down to Old Nichols Road. On the other side of the road, the trail is pleasantly flat, meandering around some horse farms before meeting up with the power lines again. At this point, I lost the trail - the map indicates that the trail continues down to the Long Island Expressway, (somehow) crossing it en route to the southern edge of the island. Here's what this portion of the run looks like. I hoped to find my way further southbound - there are some nice looking Strava segments south of the interstate - but Broadcom quickly shut down the office and made my commute miserable so I haven't been back in years.
 

If you're in the area, be sure to look for the trail - it really is quite enjoyable. If you find yourself there and find this post useful, let me know - i'm curious to hear if the trails are still maintained. 

First Lines of Annalee Newitz's "The Future of Another Timeline"

"Drums beat in the distance like an amplified pulse. People streamed over the dirt road, leather boots laced to their knees, eyes ringed in kohl, ears and lips studded with precious metals. Some gathered in an open square below the steep path to the amphitheater, making a bonfire out of objects stolen from their enemies. The smoke reeked of something ancient and horrific; materials far older than humanity were burning. A rusty sunset painted everyone in blood, and shrieks around the flames mixed with faraway chanting."

- The Future of Another Timeline, Annalee Newitz

Love the idea that time travel is an accepted and regular part of life. Also accept the premise that people are inevitably going to want to change it, and that some people will always want to take away the rights of others. Interested to see where this one goes!

The White Mountains in Fall

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts." - Rachel Carson

A few pictures from recent adventures in the White Mountains. Specifically, two hikes:

1. North, Middle and South Carter
2. Mt. Whiteface and Passaconaway

South view from Middle Carter

Mt. Washington and the Presidentials from North Carter

South view from Mt. Whiteface

The Bowl Natural Research Area from Rollins Trail

Wonalancet Ridge from the Walden Trail

Creative Play

“In play, there are no stakes. No boundaries. No right or wrong. No quotas for productivity. It’s an uninhabited state where your spirit can run free.” - Rick Rubin

I've been leaning into this lately as posting little blurbs about the books I read here was starting to feel like work. 

Not sure what will come next but for right now I'm having fun playing with my writing and drawing - but not necessarily sharing. Stay tuned!

First Lines of Leo Tolystoi's "War & Peace"

 "Well, Prince, so Genoa and Lucca are now just family estates of the Buonapartes. But I warn you, if you don't tell me that this means war, if you still try to defend the infamies and horrors perpetrated by that Antichrist--I really believe he is Antichrist--I will have nothing more to do with you and you are no longer my friend, no longer my 'faithful slave,' as you call yourself! But how do you do? I see I have frightened you--sit down and tell me all the news." 

It was in July 1805, and the speaker was the well-known Anna Pávlovna Schérer, maid of honor and favorite of the Empress Márya Fëdrovna. With these words she greeted Prince Vasili, a man of high rank and importance, who was the first to arrive at her reception." 

War and Peace is famous for many things, probably mostly for its bloated length. So why did I read it again? It's a good question, given that (especially at the beginning), so much of the book details mind-numbing details of high Russian society. But Tolystoi's prose has an incredible power, his scenes - especially the battle scenes - are powerfully cinematic, and his dense plot is highly captivating. (I should mention that I skipped over the sections where he pontificates about military strategy.)

And you just don't see powerful extended analogies anymore, like the one about bees that Tolystoi used to explain Moscow after the Tsar has left it:

In a queenless hive no life is left though to a superficial glance it seems as much alive as other hives.

The bees circle round a queenless hive in the hot beams of the midday sun as gaily as around the living hives; from a distance is smells of honey like the others, and bees fly in and out in the same way.  But one has only to observe that hive to realize that there is no longer any life in it.  The bees do not fly in the same way, the smell and the sound that meet the bee-keeper are not the same.  To the bee-keeper’s tap on the wall of the sick hive, instead of the former instant unanimous humming of tens of thousands of bees with their abdomens threateningly compressed, and producing by the rapid vibration of their wings an aerial living sound, the only reply is a disconnected buzzing from different parts of the deserted hive.  From the alighting-board, instead of the former spirituous fragrant smell of honey and venom, and the warm whiffs of crowded life, comes an odor of emptiness and decay mingling with the smell of honey.  There are no longer sentinels there sounding the alarm with their abdomens raised, and ready to die in defense of the hive.  There is no longer the measured quiet sound of throbbing activity, like the sound of boiling water, but diverse discordant sounds of disorder.

Tolystoi goes on but you get the point: without the queen/Tsar, the vitality is gone from the hive/Moscow, and thus Napoleon's victory is a hollow one. And these scenes are some of the most moving of the entire book; the chaos of the retreat, the disorder of those who are left behind, and the lethargy of the French army as they try to take pleasure in sacking a city whose life force has fled beyond their reach.

First Lines of Jeffrey Kripal's "The Flip"

 "Two impossible true tales.

Scene 1. Twain's Mental Telegraphy. Dressed in his famous white "dontaredam suit," Mark Twain was famous for mocking every orthodoxy and convention, including, it turns out, the conventions of space and time. As he related the events in his diaries, Twain and his brother Henry were working on the riverboat Pennsylvania in June 1858. While they were lying in port in St. Louis, the writer had a most remarkable dream."

Jeffrey J. Kripal, The Flip.

Kripal's book shines a light on a fascinating pattern that doesn't get much attention: individuals who explore inexplicable phenomena (such as the origins of the Big Bang and the implications of quantum theory) often experience sudden and profound shifts in perception. These "flips" lead them to expand their understanding of reality and consciousness, integrating elements of spirituality into their previously scientific worldview.

Kripal argues that this isn't just about materialists turning into spiritualists or scientists finding faith. Instead, he suggests a third way that combines the best of both approaches. His book, supported by deep readings of leading thinkers, philosophers, and scientists, shows how this integration creates a richer, more comprehensive understanding of the universe. Really interesting read!