The Newtown Pentacle

Thursday

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Looking back at the pathway I’d just scuttled, along Pittsburgh’s St. Nicholas Church trail, which is set into the landscape along Route 28. There’s a small monument with some historic signage recognizing the importance of the former church, no doubt a political nod to the Croatian community who used to populate this area and belonged to the church.

Route 28 is also called ‘East Ohio Street’ and the ‘Pittsburgh-Buffalo Highway,’ by the way. Onward and upwards.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Liminal spaces are spots which people move through but aren’t occupied full time by anyone. Airports, train stations, long corridors. That sort of thing.

There’s a devastating loneliness inherent to these transitory spaces which I just feed on in the manner of a vampire. Pictured above is the monument to the demolished church.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Historically minded morons promulgate stories of ‘elites’ hiding things away from history for ‘reasons,’ as it doesn’t fit their modern political narratives. If you want to indulge yourself in a bit of pure pseudo scientific fiction, that is most likely a Russian disinformation project, google the terms ‘mud floods’ and Tartaria. Graham Hancock’s face is hanging in my mind’s eye right now.

The Incels are really into this sort of thing at the moment, as it pulls the rug out from under a bunch of the things that they hate.

In reality, historic ruins often take the form of that cornerstone from the church in the shot above. In a a hundred years, when the signs and the people who remember the church are all gone, this corner stone will likely be hidden away and buried in the soil, waiting for someone in the future to dig it out and try to put a story together about it.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Nothing is true anymore, is it? The great unraveling is upon us, with institutional decay caused by tumult from the endless sea of politics.

Knowledge isn’t what it used to be, and people will state that they ‘do their own research.’ They don’t parse that not all sources are good, even if they agree with what the source says.

I do my own research, but never pass on juicy information that agrees with my particular world view unless I can confirm it by a secondary source that also bears some provenance but has no relationship with the first. A lot of historic stories end up getting warped by retelling, and it’s like the child’s game of ‘Telephone’ watching facts get mangled. I’ve always liked fire insurance maps and court testimony, for instance, since money and freedom are on the line respectively.

You can’t take anything for granted, except for greed and crime.

Has American civilization become a liminal space?

– photo by Mitch Waxman

The trail ended directly across the street from what is purported to be the oldest beer brewery in Pittsburgh, currently operated under the nomen ‘Penn Brewery.’ They weren’t open, as this was a Monday.

Shame, could have used a beer at this point, strictly in the name of replenishment of course. I got to quaff a pint or two at the end of this walk, but that’s several posts away from this one.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

My path still had a few wonders in store, and the plan was to scuttle at the Heinz Factory and then cross the Allegheny River, nearby the 16th street Bridge. The ankle was holding up just fine, in case you’re curious.

Back tomorrow.

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