SamUpstate
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sam.upstate.blog
SamUpstate
@sam.upstate.blog
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A suburban dad enjoying and celebrating life in New York's Capital District.

Working to improve the world by supporting public education and strong, walkable communities.

He/him

https://sam.upstate.blog

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sam.upstate.blog
It's stroopwafel season again ☺️
A white coffee mug with a reddish brown base sits on a coaster on a windowsill. The words "UPSTATE OF MIND" are emblazoned across it. Its top is covered by a tan colored disc with a waffle pattern, recognizable as a "stroopwafel."
October 4, 2025 at 12:28 PM
sam.upstate.blog
We see this even in our upstate NY suburb. Our neighborhood is far less shady than when we moved here a decade ago. It's particularly noticeable when walking the kids to and from school.

https://newrepublic.com/article/198364/america-shade-inequality-public-health-climate
Screenshot of text from an article: As Bloch explains it, there are two big trends here that would come to define postwar America: a retreat from the commons, and an embrace of manufactured, resource-intensive comfort at any cost. America on AC is an America suspicious of strangers and the outdoors, intolerant of discomfort, addicted to the lonely monotony of suburbia, and willing to sacrifice a great deal to avoid addressing these pathologies-more nightmare than dream. And artificial cooling, of course, only addresses a symptom; in doing so, it worsens the disease. Today, Bloch notes, Americans expend more energy on climate control than the entire continent of Africa uses on anything: "It's not an overstatement to say the pollution we generate for cooling is burning the planet."
August 6, 2025 at 12:49 PM
sam.upstate.blog
Rugosa roses on the Maine coast just before sunrise.
A scenic view in pre-sunrise light. A green shrub spreads across the foreground, dotted with fuchsia-colored blossoms. A gray ocean stretches off into the distance behind. The sky is cloudy, and there is a single patch of pink near the horizon.
July 31, 2025 at 11:44 AM
sam.upstate.blog
A pair of pileated woodpeckers in a tree outside my office window.
The trunk of a tree, partially peeled away from old damage, long since scarred over. Two large woodpeckers cling to it, one listening to the trunk. They are black with white necks and markings and both have bright red feathers on the tops of their heads.
July 23, 2025 at 1:39 PM
sam.upstate.blog
Sharing a few notes on vehicular law in New York State, after my bike ride today.

There's no "bicycle" exception for crossing a solid yellow to pass. The fact that everyone does it doesn't make it legal.

There _is_ an exception allowing bikes to move left to avoid hazards (like potholes).
Screenshot of text. Two portions are highlighted: the words "cannot pass" in the second sentence, and the first bullet point: "Your lane has a solid yellow center line." The full text reads: How to Pass on the Left The left lane is normally used to pass other vehicles. You cannot pass a vehicle on the left if: • Your lane has a solid yellow center line. • You cannot safely return to the right lane before you reach a solid yellow center line for the right lane. • You cannot safely return to the right lane before any oncoming vehicle comes within 200 feet (60 m) of you. • You approach a curve or the top of a hill on a two-way road and cannot see around or over it. • You are within 100 feet (30 m) of a railroad crossing on a two-way roadway. • You are within 100 feet (30 m) of a bridge, tunnel or viaduct on a two-way road and your view is obstructed. • If you try to pass, you will interfere with oncoming traffic. Screenshot of text from a webpage. A segment is highlighted (noted at the end). The full text reads: Bicyclists and in-line skaters must: • Ride in a bicycle lane, if available. Where there is none, they must remain near the right curb or edge of the road or on a right shoulder of the road, to prevent interference with other traffic. When they prepare for a left turn or must move left to avoid hazards, cyclists do not have to remain to the right. • Come to a full stop before they enter a roadway from a driveway, an alley or over a curb. • Never travel with more than two side-by- side in a single lane. • Never ride on a sidewalk if it is prohibited by local laws. The highlighted text is "…must move left to avoid hazards, cyclists do not have to remain to the right."
July 7, 2025 at 5:30 PM
sam.upstate.blog
Does anyone know what these flowers are? They seem to only bloom in the morning, and then they close up again by midday.
A few purple blossoms on a green stem. The blossoms appear to be made of three individual petals that open nearly flat, and a cluster of stamens protruding out from the center, intense yellow pollen visible at their tips. Behind, and sightly out of focus a metal fence post is visible. Sunlight backlights the leaves of a tree in the background. Two purple blossoms on a green stem. The blossoms appear to be made of three individual petals that open nearly flat, and a cluster of stamens protruding out from the center, intense yellow pollen visible at their tips. More greenery is visible in the background.
June 24, 2025 at 11:00 AM
sam.upstate.blog
It's been a while since he perched himself here ☺️
A gray and white cat relaxes in a second floor windowsill. He's looking at the camera, his front paws tucked underneath him. It's a bright but gray day outside, so the cats features are somewhat obscured in shadow. The second floor of an adjacent house is visible through the window.
June 18, 2025 at 3:23 PM
sam.upstate.blog
It was easy to carry groceries for dinner for my family of six on the back of my road bike (plus a little something for the grownups 🙄). Bicycles FTW!

(And for any local followers no, Price Chopper doesn't carry New Scotland whisky—it's from the store next door)

cc @americanfietser.bsky.social
The back of a bicycle from behind, with two panniers on a rack, each full of groceries. The tip of a liquor bottle is visible peeking out of a bag on the top of the rack. A collection of groceries on a table: two bags of chips, a bag of hotdog buns, a bag of hamburger buns, a package of American cheese, two containers of French onion dip, a package of raw beef hamburger patties, and a bottle of bourbon in the middle.
June 13, 2025 at 9:17 PM
sam.upstate.blog
One of the great benefits of working from home is that you can use your lunch break to get started on dinner.

Prepping some sauce for chicken marsala with linguine tonight 😋
A pot on a stovetop. It's partially filled with a light brown colored liquid. Slices of lighter brown mushrooms, dark orangish red sundried tomatoes, and dark green scallions are visible in the liquid. On the countertop beside the stove is a black wine bottle labeled "PELLEGRINO -1880- MARSALA SUPERIORE"
June 10, 2025 at 3:26 PM
sam.upstate.blog
Fuchsia is such a bizarre plant 🙂
Bright red flowers of a fuchsia plant. They dangle from their stems, looking like elongated balloons that have opened up. The ones that are fully open trail long red filaments beneath them. Green leaves with bright red veins are visible from the plant above.
June 4, 2025 at 1:27 PM
sam.upstate.blog
Happy #Caturday
A gray and white cat sits in a windowsill, looking back over his shoulder at the person taking the picture. His expression is tired and annoyed. Some green trees are visible in the background out the window.
May 24, 2025 at 12:30 PM
sam.upstate.blog
One of my favorite ways to start a Saturday morning ☺️
A green coffee mug with blue glaze decorations around its bottom half rests on a wooden windowsill. A beige-colored waffle-patterned disc rests on top, recognizable as a stroopwafel. Outside the window, and out of focus, are green grass, some trees, and a small white building with windows and maroon shutters.
May 24, 2025 at 12:07 PM
sam.upstate.blog
Our feline elder statesman (our other cats are a decade younger).
A gray and white cat sits in a windowsill looking out to the right. His tail drapes down into the room behind. Tree branches are visible through the window.
May 14, 2025 at 12:23 PM
sam.upstate.blog
I was happy with how this photo came out.
A close-up of a white globe of dandelion fuzz on the stem, against a background of green grass. The thin stems of the individual seeds are visible, giving the globe a geometric appearance.
May 13, 2025 at 4:23 PM
sam.upstate.blog
Wallflower (we think) growing where my wife scattered a wildflower mix last year.

#BloomScrolling
A cluster of small yellow-orange blossoms on a green stem with long blade-shaped leaves.
May 13, 2025 at 3:38 PM
sam.upstate.blog
A segment of my lunchtime ride today on the Hudson Mohawk "Hike Bike" Trail. It's gorgeous out.

#Bicycles #BikePath
May 12, 2025 at 6:59 PM
sam.upstate.blog
Our young serviceberry is in flower ☺️
A cluster of small white flowers at the end of a twig on a tree. A few pale green leaves sprout from the twig beneath the flowers. Branches of larger trees are visible out of focus in the background, against a pure blue sky.
April 28, 2025 at 1:10 PM
sam.upstate.blog
Movie you've watched more than six times using gifs.
Movie gif showing a kitchen with an open refrigerator. A person appears from behind the refrigerator door with whipped cream all over their face.
April 28, 2025 at 1:27 AM
sam.upstate.blog
I found a couple of interesting books today at @goldenleafbooks.bsky.social (my new favorite local bookstore). It was good to be able to observe #IndependentBookstoreDay
A leather armchair with two books on the seat. The top book is black and white. The title and author are legible and show that the book is Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. The bottom book is more colorful, though only its spine is visible. It's blue at the top and fades through pale yellow to dark orange at the bottom. The title and author appear to be The Inner Work of Racial Justice by Rhonda V. Magee.
April 26, 2025 at 8:54 PM
sam.upstate.blog
Reading about the wifi and the Ring camera reminds of that scene in The Matrix where Cypher explains why they have to view it in code—the translators work for the machines.

It's important for us in infosec to remind laypeople that "smart" devices work for Capitalism, not their "owners."
Screenshot of the movie The Matrix. It shows Cypher (Joe Pantoliano) sitting in front of a bank of computer screens with green characters on them. He's looking over his shoulder and talking to Neo (Keanu Reeves).
April 25, 2025 at 3:06 PM
sam.upstate.blog
We have a single blossom on our baby peach tree. Hopefully there will be more, but it had a very rough first season in the ground last year, so who knows.
A twig with a green shoot at the end, and a single blossom about halfway up, set against a gray-blue sky. The blossom is a light pink color, round in shape with curved petals semi-enclosing the center, where a cluster of thin stamens with red tips are visible.
April 25, 2025 at 2:48 PM
sam.upstate.blog
I've been reading _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_, and a chapter I read last night really stuck out. I'm continually surprised by how current this book is, despite being written more than a half century ago.
Text from a paperback book. The full text is below. The following sentences are highlighted: "To him it had revealed an incredible ignorance of what a church really was…Here, posing as piety was an example of the very materialism the church opposed." "…those who couldn't tell the difference were simply revealing something about themselves." Full text: "It began with reference to a newspaper article about a country church building with an electric beer sign hanging right over the front entrance. The building had been sold and was being used as a bar. One can guess that some classroom laughter started at this point. The college was well-known for drunken partying and the image vaguely fit. The article said a number of people had complained to the church officials about it. It had been a Catholic church, and the priest who had been delegated to respond to the criticism had sounded quite irritated about the whole thing. To him it had revealed an incredible ignorance of what a church really was. Did they think that bricks and boards and glass constituted a church? Or the shape of the roof? Here, posing as piety was an example of the very materialism the church opposed. The building in question was not holy ground. It had been desanctified. That was the end of it. The beer sign resided over a bar, not a church, and those who couldn't tell the difference were simply revealing something about themselves. "Phaedrus said the same confusion existed about the University and that was why loss of accreditation was hard to understand. The real University is not a material object. It is not a group of buildings that can be defended by police. He explained that when a college lost its accreditation, nobody came and shut down the school. There were no legal penalties, no fines, no jail sentences. Classes did not stop. Everything went on just as before. Students got the same education they would if the school didn't lose its accreditation. All that would happen, Phaedrus said, would simply be an…" Text from a paperback book. Full text below, but the following passages are highlighted: "The real University is a state of mind. It is that great heritage of rational thought that has been brought down to us through the centuries and which does not exist at any specific location." "The real University is nothing less than the continuing body of reason itself." Full text: "…official recognition of a condition that already existed. It would be similar to excommunication. What would happen is that the real University, which no legislature can dictate to and which can never be identified by any location of bricks or boards or glass, would simply declare that this place was no longer "holy ground." The real University would vanish from it, and all that would be left was the bricks and the books and the material manifestation. "It must have been a strange concept to all of the stu-dents, and I can imagine him waiting for a long time for it to sink in, and perhaps then waiting for the ques-tion, What do you think the real University is? His notes, in response to this question, state the fol-lowing: "The real University, he said, has no specific location. It owns no property, pays no salaries and receives no material dues. The real University is a state of mind. It is that great heritage of rational thought that has been brought down to us through the centuries and which does not exist at any specific location. It's a state of mind which is regenerated throughout the centuries by a body of people who traditionally carry the title of professor, but even that title is not part of the real Uni-versity. The real University is nothing less than the continuing body of reason itself. "In addition to this state of mind, "reason," there's a legal entity which is unfortunately called by the same name but which is quite another thing. This is a nonprofit corporation, a branch of the state with a specific address. It owns property, is capable of paying salaries, of receiving money and of responding to legislative pressures in the process." Text from a paperback book. The full text is below, but the following passage is highlighted: "Confusion continually occurs in people who fail to see this difference, he said, and think that control of the church buildings implies control of the church. They see professors as employees of the second university who should abandon reason when told to and take orders with no backtalk, the same way employees do in other corporations." Full text: "But this second university, the legal corporation, cannot teach, does not generate new knowledge or evaluate ideas. It is not the real University at all. It is just a church building, the setting, the location at which conditions have been made favorable for the real church to exist. "Confusion continually occurs in people who fail to see this difference, he said, and think that control of the church buildings implies control of the church. They see professors as employees of the second university who should abandon reason when told to and take orders with no backtalk, the same way employees do in other corporations. "They see the second university, but fail to see the first. "I remember reading this for the first time and remarking about the analytic craftsmanship displayed. He avoided splitting the University into fields or departments and dealing with the results of that analysis. He also avoided the traditional split into students, faculty and administration. When you split it either of those ways you get a lot of dull stuff that doesn't really tell you much you can't get out of the official school bulletin. But Phaedrus split it between "the church" and "the location," and once this cleavage is made the same rather dull and imponderable institution seen in the bulletin suddenly is seen with a degree of clarity that wasn't previously available. On the basis of this cleavage he provided explanations for a number of puzzling but normal aspects of University life. "After these explanations he returned to the analogy of the religious church. The citizens who build such a church and pay for it probably have in mind that…"
April 25, 2025 at 12:08 PM
sam.upstate.blog
It's a great afternoon to sit in an Adirondack chair and enjoy a beer after work.
A scene from a suburban front yard. A small table surface has a pint glass full of a deep-yellow liquid with a bit of foam on top sitting next to a pint beer can. The can is blue with a drawing that might be the front of a car. In the background, a garden banner with a tree in it displays the text "Read Books." Houses and a residential street are visible behind.
April 24, 2025 at 8:37 PM
sam.upstate.blog
Our young serviceberry tree is budding ☺️
A closeup of buds at the end of twigs on a tree. They're clustered, almost like wheat but aren't quite as long. The buds are a light green with barely visible white fuzz on the outside with dark red stems. More tree branches are visible out of focus in the background against a clear blue sky.
April 22, 2025 at 10:34 PM
sam.upstate.blog
From _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_ by Robert M. Persig.

It was written fifty years ago.
Text from the page of a book. The full text is below, but most of the middle paragraph is highlighted. The highlighted words read: "It's a problem of our time. The range of human knowledge today is so great that we're all specialists and the distance between specializations has become so great that anyone who seeks to wander freely among them almost has to forego closeness with the people around him." The full visible text reads: "…really on my mind about, say, the a priori presumption of the continuity of a motorcycle from second to second and do this without benefit of the entire edifice of the Chautauqua, they'd just be startled and wonder what's wrong. I really am interested in this continuity and the way we talk and think about it and so tend to get removed from the usual lunchtime situation and this gives an appearance of remoteness. It's a problem. "It's a problem of our time. The range of human knowledge today is so great that we're all specialists and the distance between specializations has become so great that anyone who seeks to wander freely among them almost has to forego closeness with the people around him. The lunchtime here-and-now stuff is a specialty too. "Chris seems to understand my remoteness better than they do, perhaps because he's more used to it and his relationship to me is such that he has to be more concerned. In his face I sometimes see a look of worry, or at least anxiety, and wonder why, and then discover that I'm angry. If I hadn't seen his expression, I might not have known it. Other times he's running and jumping all over the place and I wonder why and discover…"
April 20, 2025 at 11:58 AM