ser·en·dip·i·ty /ˌserənˈdipədē/
noun: serendipity; plural noun: serendipities
the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
“a fortunate stroke of serendipity”
synonyms: chance, happy chance, accident, happy accident,
I was tempted to use Jace’s title for this Sunday’s selection for serendipity played a big part in todays selections. I was reading a story on my local NPR station web site. The next story offered was about a local musician and his strange string instrument playing Celtic music. And here is the serendipity, the YouTube algo offered up a video by one of the musicians in the group. A young man, Amando Espinoza, from Bolivia, composing wonderful music. He is using music he had heard as a child in Bolivia and fusing it with world rhythms, all played by a collection of local musicians. Not in New York or LA but in this conservative cautious cow town called Kansas City
We truly live in a golden age and as evidenced by our President, are too stupid to realize it.
I could go on but lets just relax and listen to what the world offers on our door step, enjoy.
Jack
jack, thank you. absolutely wonderful.
Jack, damned pretty music and what an odd instrument. Regardless, great pieces of music. The charango he plays is an interesting instrument- In the lute family, like cross between a mandolin and a Ukelele. Traditionally the top, neck and tuning head were carved from a single piece of wood and the back made from a dried armadillo shell. These days all wood instruments are common.
In the TDF there is finally a challenge to the yellow jersey by potential contenders going into the first of 3 category 1 climbs of the day. Could be a shakeup day since Alaphilippe doesn’t have a strong team to try and control the breakaways or push the peloton to chase the breakaway down.
Pogo – Wonder when a split peloton became a breakaway and peloton? A few more clicks and we get to see who still has legs. It is possible Bora may take the podium.
Not a nice time to have to work outside. I do need to attack the weeds and I am not looking forward to going outside. Yesterday I did go out to make sure the yard turtle (Eastern Box Turtle) has not fallen in the pond tub again. At least the water is not too deep, the walls are too steep for it to climb up on to get back on land.
In recent years I have become a major fan of Sting as he explores world music from virtually every country on earth. Here he is with Cheb Mami from Algeria.
BB, semantics. To me a 2 plus minute gap (now at 5:10) between a large group without any serious challengers and the larger peloton with the GC contenders is a breakaway. I’m having a challenge trying to figure out whether any of the riders in the front group are within 7 or 8 minutes of Alaphilippe. Since Phil and Bobke haven’t said so I assume not.
Pogo
Interesting, glad to hear an armadillo is good for something.
Jack
Pogo – The lead group is not a threat to yellow as long as Alaphillipe stays close. Right now I see a 3’48” between him and the front. The one I dont like is Sagan hanging back 8’43”. Not a huge time problem, it does look like he is using his 90+ point difference to make it through the Alps instead of going for a more points and a stage. He is more than a sprinter (okay, I do like his panache).
I am watching the not NBC sports feed. I will switch over to NBC sometime soon just to hear what Phil has to say.
In front groups are Landa and Quintana who are threats to the yellow. But, in the peloton with Alaphillipe are several others who are with in striking distance of the yellow.
Jack…. very interesting… and very excellent!
can’t wait until this heat and humidity break tonight.
did I ever tell you all… I HATE this weather 🙂
The armadillians gave Tony and Solar a good bit to talk about one time. I learned a bit about them during that…..but most I learned was that they were in SC, when I saw one as roadkill.
Really enjoying the ride of Julian Alaphilippe. I’ve tracked his progress over the years. It always seemed to me that he was a rider who, with a little maturity, would eventually figure out how to use his talent in just the right way to challenge in a grand tour. I think he’s got the mental focus and tactical acumen to carry through the three weeks. The questions for me are – does he have enough team strength around him, and does he have the stamina in his legs to hold his lead in the three Alps stages next week? No one has forced Deceuninck-Quickstep to control tempo in the Pyrenees stages, so he’s been able to sit in the group and not work that hard.
Right now my answers are maybe and maybe. Jumbo Visma is strong with Steven Kruijswijk. Looks like Egan Bernal or Geraint Thomas may have to do it with mostly individual effort if they can with Ineos looking vulnerable. I don’t see anyone else close enough right now, or with strong enough teams to challenge Alaphilippe, unless he falters in a big way.
We could be seeing a French winner of le Tour for the first time since Bernard Hinault in 1985. But anything can happen in the last week. Gonna be fun to watch.
Sounds I’ve never heard before, and without computers! Thanks Jack.
Craig
you think those had different sounds listen to him in this one
by George, from newsweek:
Attorney George Conway — husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway — once again mocked President Donald Trump on Sunday morning, pointing out that the commander-in-chief had inadvertently encouraged a lot of people want to read a negative news story about the president by trying to criticize it on Twitter.
Early Sunday Morning, the president tweeted a denial about a new article on alleged tensions in the White House: “The Washington Post Story, about my speech in North Carolina and tweet, with its phony sources who do not exist, is Fake News. The only thing people were talking about is the record setting crowd and the tremendous enthusiasm, far greater than the Democrats. You’ll see in 2020!”
CNN’s Jake Tapper then retweeted the president, sharing a link to the article in question. “Here’s the Washington Post story: ‘He always doubles down’: Inside the Political Crisis Caused by Trump’s Racist Tweets,'” he wrote.
Tagging Trump and re-tweeting Tapper, Conway wrote: “Now everyone who didn’t know about it wants to read the story that you referred to. You’re such a stable genius!”
Journalists for The Post spoke with 26 White House aides, advisers, lawmakers and others involved in the response in the aftermath of Trump’s racist attack on four progressive Democratic congresswomen last week. “President Trump’s own top aides didn’t think he fully understood what he had done last Sunday, when he fired off a trio of racist tweets before a trip to his golf course,” the opening line of the article said. It then detailed how aides and lawmakers attempted to explain the controversy to the president and deal with the backlash.
Tweeting more about the article on Sunday, Conway suggested that those working closely with the president try to convince themselves that the president doesn’t understand what he is doing in order to avoid introspection. “Some avoid those ‘uncomfortable questions’ by convincing themselves that @realDonaldTrump is a not-too-bright, unfairly picked-on albeit bratty child who can’t help but soil himself, and that they perform a public service by constantly trying to change his political diapers,” he wrote.
[continues]
Quite the ride finish for Alaphillipe. He found enough to not lose the yellow. Will the day off recharge his legs? Maybe. I still think LdF is working too hard on making it a climbers race. Looks like the time cut is expanded a bit. Thirty minutes and still arriving, including Sagan. This is good to take my mind off the problems of the world, which are not easy to take without a roll of Tums.
more of that ethereal hang drum music plus haunting pictures to go with it
Hang Massive – The Secret Kissing of the Sun and Moon
So Thomas and Pinot pulled 27” back and Kruijswijk gained 1’16”. And Landa picked up 49”. Les Alpes Francais will be the deciders.
Interesting thing about the Hang, it sounds like it ought to be Tibetan but it was invented just a few years ago in Bern Switzerland.
From wiki
The Hang (German pronunciation: [haŋ];[1] plural form: Hanghang)[2] is a musical instrument in the idiophone class created by Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer in Bern, Switzerland. The name of their company is PANArt Hangbau AG.[3] The Hang is sometimes referred to as a hang drum, but the inventors consider this a misnomer and strongly discourage its use.
Jack
As to bicycles, if God had intended man to ride them he wouldn’t have created the pickup truck.
An obvious, cosmopolitan, communist plot!!
Grin duck and run
Jack
God created the pickup truck? Was that on the sixth day? I thought that was Henry Ford’s doing. Who knew?
Pogo,
Day 2, it took couple of more days for him to realize that a pickup just setting there wasn’t much fun so he created man for the entertainment. Speaking of which, this article about “Florida Man” is interesting, I think I’ve met those folks, at one time may have been one of them. But I survived and grew wiser, I think.
Jack
Well It looks like we are getting a break from the heat today, Time to take Brewster out from a road trip, find a field so he can run in circles following strange scents.
Jack
Another good Sunday read about Gender bias and sexism for the 2020 presidential race from 538
Jack
What a great ride for Thibaut Pinot. He looks to be the strongest of the GC men so far. If he can hold that form and mental focus through the Alps, then we could see some real fireworks for podium places.
Chapeau to Alaphillipe. He’s done the yellow jersey proud with his tenacity. He cracked late and gave up time, but never gave up. He just ended up isolated and couldn’t hold the wheels. We’ll see if his turbo engine can recharge and hang on against the big diesels of the main GC men.
Thomas and Kruijswijk held strong. It was good to see Wout Pouls there toward the end to help launch Thomas. Perhaps Pouls is riding himself into form to bring the power back to Ineos for the Alps.
Very enjoyable and entertaining Tour this year.
BB,
There’s a feature article in the Mansion section of yesterday’s Journal–“Retirement Homes That Float”. It’s more than a full page of extra small print to get it all to fit. I suspect it may be the type of content that you find important for people in the yachting community. If you can’t find it locally, I will save it for you and can mail it to you.
Yikes, Mr Jack, that music is wonderful !
Maybe I should change my moniker to Typo
Pinot does look very strong. He, Thomas and Alaphilippe should be a good show in the Alps.
NEW THREAD