40 thoughts on “Sunday Serendipity”

  1. well i had best day ever despite the fascism and shit
    needed it
    oh and i joined a cult so that’s exciting

    followed by
    our raison d’être can’t be “fuck trump”, it has to be “live well”
    in spite of or despite or disregarding (at least an hour a day)

    anon, your comments from last thread hint to the Ichigo Ichie concept, an old way of thinking that could be a new way to help survive the current forebodings. here’s what BBC said about it yesterday:
    https://bbc.com/reel/video/p0m8l4lt/the-japanese-secret-to-being-calmer-and-happier

    The Japanese secret to being calmer and happier
    Ichigo Ichie has been translated as “for this time only”, “one time, one meeting” and “once in a lifetime”. This 16th century concept originated in tea ceremonies and martial arts and is still today engrained in Japanese life. In the beautifully preserved village of Magone, along the ancient Nakasendo trail between Tokyo and Kyoto, Nina Otsubo Cataldo leads us through the essential steps of this everyday discipline.

    and here’s another introduction to it

    Have you ever wished a moment could last forever? That’s the essence of Ichigo Ichie, a powerful Japanese philosophy that teaches us to cherish every encounter as if it were the last.
    In this video, you’ll discover:
    ✔️ The origins of Ichigo Ichie in the Japanese tea ceremony
    ✔️ How it connects with minimalism and mindfulness
    ✔️ Practical ways to apply it to modern life and live with more presence
    In a fast-paced world, it’s easy to let moments slip away unnoticed. But what if you could turn every experience into something truly meaningful? Watch now and start embracing the beauty of the present!

  2. Apparently, Mike Johnson has resigned. Maybe a Democrat should step up and declare themselves Speaker.

    Annie Karni
    By Annie Karni
    Reporting from Washington

    Oct. 25, 2025
    It has been over a month since there has been a policy debate or vote on the House floor. Spending legislation is not being considered. Oversight hearings are on hold until further notice.

    Speaker Mike Johnson’s decision to put the House on an indefinite hiatus that is now stretching into its second month while the government is shut down is the latest in a series of moves he has made that have diminished the role of Congress and shrunken the speakership at a critical moment.

    It’s an approach born of political expedience that could have far-reaching consequences for an institution that has already ceded much of its power to President Trump. And Mr. Johnson, who without the president’s backing wields little influence over his own members, has chosen to make himself subservient to Mr. Trump, a break with many speakers of the past who sought in their own ways to act more as a governing partner with the president than as his underling.

    “I’m the speaker and the president,” Mr. Trump has joked, according to two people who heard the remark and relayed it on the condition of anonymity because of concern about sharing private conversations with him.

  3. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/25/trump-hispanic-approval-rating

    […]
    Polling by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research suggests growing unease among a voting bloc that was crucial to his 2024 re-election victory. The October survey shows that 25% of Hispanic adults now hold a “somewhat” or “very” favorable view of Trump, down sharply from 44% in an AP-NORC poll conducted just before he began his second term.

    At the same time, the share of Hispanic respondents who believe the nation is headed in the wrong direction has risen from 63% in March to 73% in October.

    Hispanic adults also expressed less confidence in Trump’s management of the economy and immigration, two key issues that once bolstered his support during last year’s campaign. Overall approval of his job performance has also fallen, with 41% approving of Trump’s handling of the presidency in March, compared with just 27% this month.

    Hispanic voters played a crucial role in helping Trump win the presidency for the second time; nearly half of Hispanic voters backed him in 2024. His support among Hispanic voters was 12 points higher than in 2020 (48% in 2024, 36% in 2020). On the other hand, voting for the Democratic candidate fell from 61% to 51%.
    […]
    Trump’s plunge in popularity is even evident among Hispanic Republicans, a key coalition in his voter base. The poll shows that about 65% of Hispanic Republicans said they have a “very” or “somewhat” favorable view of the president, a notable drop from a September 2024 poll by AP-NORC that showed 83% viewed him at least “somewhat” favorably. [continues]

  4. Since i can’t find any overviews of this myriad of national guard cases in half a dozen states, working on it myself.

    So far, every lower court that actually ruled on the merits found Trump’s actions unlawful or unconstitutional. Then the appeals courts stepped in, said “hold up,” stayed those rulings and set hearing schedules.

    None of the appellate panels have issued a final merits opinion yet — just procedural pauses that keep the status quo while they decide.

    Trump’s team is winning delays, not decisions. And the Suprene Court has not taken a case yet.

    National Guard playlist ➜

  5. From AARP:

    On Friday, Social Security announced its annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), which helps older Americans keep up with inflation. Meanwhile, DC “experts” gathered this week with a ridiculous idea: capping the COLA for 1 out of 4 people who receive Social Security.

    These experts also want to base your Social Security check only on the number of years you work rather than your earnings over a lifetime. And they suggested giving a small, hand-picked, commission of lawmakers decision making power over our hard-earned Social Security, behind closed doors.

  6. Epstein victims sue Bank of America, Bank of NY Mellon, for allegedly funding sex trafficking

    Epstein victims sue Bank of America, Bank of NY Mellon, for allegedly funding sex trafficking

    ***

    https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/was-timothy-mellon-why-donald-trump-declassified-amelia-earhart-files-claims-arise-amid-130m-donor-saga-101761416162547.html

    Timothy Mellon has been identified as the reclusive billionaire who gave the Donald Trump administration $130 million for US troop payment, as per The New York Times. Mellon, a longtime Trump supporter, extended the aid amid the ongoing government shutdown.

    “Timothy Mellon is heir to the Mellon banking fortune and a true crank. He’s obsessed with conspiracy theories about Amelia Earhart, that’s why Trump publicized old files about her disappearance. He’s also a massive racist and calls social safety net programs the new slavery’,” a profile on X said.

    Search Assist AI: How much per person will the ~donation~ amount to?
    The $130 million donation amounts to approximately $100 per service member, given that there are about 1.32 million active-duty troops in the U.S. military.

    Search Assist AI: Where did Tim Mellon get his money?
    Matthew T. Mellon was known for his strong support of the Nazi Party during the 1930s, expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler and the German people. His financial contributions and support for Nazi ideology have been documented, highlighting his controversial legacy.

  7. teaches us to cherish every encounter as if it were the last.

    funny thing is patd, i said almost exactly that when someone remarked on how ebullient i was

    The political angle on it is that apolitical people are indeed that, and very political people are much more… political

    It’s like two different worlds and political messaging is not bridging that divide

  8. What is to prevent the refusal to swear in any/all elected Democrats & Independents after the midterms?

    Need to get this AZ Rep situation fixed now.

  9. What is to prevent

    well, I called him a King: Dipshit has faced effectively nil opposition to any upheaval he’s created

    so the answer to your question is certainly not Democrats

    The biggest opposition Trump has faced is a few judicial decisions they either ignored or had overturned by their crony judges

    that’s it

    oh and Booker and Jeffries made a couple speeches almost no one heard

  10. As I’ve told Dems & Republicans in my calls, a dictator does not need legislators.

    At this point, legislators are just window dressing.

  11. The Mamdani hype is real. He is as impressive as they say.

    The best ideological leader we have right now

    if Democrats can only elect straight white Christian males to the most prominent offices then their entire platform is a lie, and as I’ve said for the millionth time, the party needs to be dissolved

    or overhauled
    or rebranded

  12. Anon – Mamdani is doing so well that they want to denaturalize and deport him.
    Republicans are terrified that his message will take hold elsewhere.

  13. https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2025/10/23/former-west-side-teacher-james-talarico-says-san-antonio-classroom-shaped-his-path-to-politics/

    “Teaching middle school is the best preparation for politics,” Talarico said. “There’s no tougher job than being a public school teacher, particularly in a high-poverty, low-income school. That experience on the West Side is what set me on the course I’m on now.”

    “I think the best color for Texas is purple,” he said. “When you have competitive elections, all politicians have to stay on their toes and appeal to everyone, not just their base.”

    Talarico, who appeared earlier this year on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, has been traveling across the state, meeting voters and promoting what he calls a “non-cookie-cutter campaign.” He said that includes talking to audiences not typically courted by Democrats and appearing on outlets like Fox News and the Christian Broadcasting Network.

    “Jesus gave us two commandments — love God and love neighbor,” he said. “There is no love of God without love of neighbor. That’s what motivates me to serve.”

    *Can Talarico remind them out of their cruelty?

  14. https://www.npr.org/2025/10/22/nx-s1-5581418/mamdani-cuomo-nyc-mayor

    The latest poll by AARP and Gotham Polling shows over half of Mamdani’s support comes from young New Yorkers, under age 50. For Cuomo, meanwhile, 76% of his support is over age 50.

    “What I don’t have in experience, I make up for in integrity,” Mamdani said during the debate. “And what you don’t have in integrity, you could never make up for in experience.”

    That barb pointed to the downside of Cuomo’s long track record in office: It comes with some gritty political baggage, including a sexual misconduct scandal that led Cuomo to resign as governor in 2021.

    “Zohran Mamdani is right now the epitome of what you’re going to see every other candidate trying to do,” said J.C. Polanco, a political analyst and professor at the University of Mount St. Vincent in the Bronx.

    Polanco is critical of many of Mamdani’s left-leaning policy ideas. But he says Mamdani’s use of social media to reach young voters is a game changer, allowing him to overcome his relative lack of experience.

    “He has rewritten the book. I love his style; he’s a happy warrior,” he said.

    Cuomo has attacked Mamdani repeatedly for criticizing Israel, but that hasn’t appeared to slow Mamdani’s momentum. Mamdani has picked up some key endorsements from Jewish leaders in the city and a New York Times-Siena poll last month found most young voters in New York City sympathize more with the Palestinians than with Israel over the war in Gaza.

  15. https://www.newsweek.com/carney-warns-of-trade-shift-after-trumps-canada-tariff-hike-10940713

    Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned Sunday that trade flows are likely to shift away from the United States “for a period of time” following President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a new 10 percent tariff on Canadian goods, saying the hike will make it “more expensive to trade with the United States.”

    The announcement means the general tariff on Canada is now up to 45 percent, but it is not yet certain when the increase will go into effect.

    Trump’s announcement came after he abruptly canceled scheduled trade talks with Canada after the Ontario government began running an ad featuring 1987 footage of former President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs and warning of their dangers.

    *Orange Adolf tRUMPsky is a weak-minded, fragile, little snowflake.

  16. Need one of our legal beagles to explain if there is a fast way to get a Writ of Mandamus to force the Speaker to swear in Grijalva.

  17. 👑 250 years ago today, King George III declared the colonies “in rebellion.”
    Tonight he gets the mic back — word for word from the royal decree that tried to end America before it began.

    📜 Watch →

  18. https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/thousands-of-anguished-south-koreans-hold-no-trump-protest-in-seoul-ahead-of-apec-summit/vi-AA1PaHVV

    Seoul (South Korea), October 25, 2025(ANI): Thousands of South Koreans protested in capital city Seoul over US Prez Trump’s visit on October 25. Protestors with “No Trump!” placard voiced their opposition against POTUS ahead of his APEC summit visit. South Koreans expressed anguish over Trump’s reported demand to S. Korea to pay 350B dollar upfront for investment in US as part of trade deal.

    *The Orange sh/t-gibbon is trying to extort money from around the globe. (Did Soros pay for those matching signs?)

  19. Did my shopping yesterday, Eggs under $2,
    The local Hy-vee had whole pork loins $1.88 / lb. no limit so I bought 2, keep my freezer full. One will be cut up into loinchops and the other roasts to make sandwich meat. Saved so much money on the pork that I splurged and bought some fancy mustard and over priced cheese. and a bottle of fancy booze. So they still came out ahead. But then so did I, as the cheese is excellent spread on a saltine, as is the rum that I’m sipping with it. Also given that the cheese was cheaper that the burger combo I bought yesterday, maybe it isn’t so over priced.

    Jack

  20. One of the little things you do when you have severe PTSD is work with therapists (shrinks with psycho phds) is do little steps to reach something you were a long time ago. Some of my work is trying to do things I used to do, things that were fun or made me feel good. Everything is a little step, so this is just a little step.

    Today for the first time since, maybe the nineties, is to watch NFL on television, full games, of teams I would like to invest time in. First game was the Baltimore Ravens v Chicago Bears. Baltimore is my new closest big city. Ravens used to be the Colts, but the cowardly basitd left town in the middle of the night. The Ravens are good, just a bit of problem this year. Yay, Ravens won. Second game, Denver Broncos v Dallas Cowboys. I bleed Orange. My hometown is Denver (my first hometown is Detroit Lions). So far Denver is winning and showing strength.

    I share this part of my life because it is important to let others with PTSD know that no matter the reason, that there are others around. Others working on things and it is not something to keep inside. Need help? I will help. Others will help. Just reach out. The VA has great PTSD information on the VA PTSD website.

  21. Craig has been going to all those protests and showing up on Youtube and tiktok. He must be getting some of that George Soros money. You would think he would share with his friends.

    Jack

  22. https://apnews.com/article/adelita-grijalva-swearin-congress-epstein-files-adeb9e704220b65c9ae139e557c72381

    The Democratic attorney general filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Washington on behalf of Grijalva. It asks a judge to let other people, such as federal judges, who are authorized to administer the oath swear in Grijalva if Johnson has not done so.

    Mayes has said previously that the delay in giving Grijalva, the first Latina to represent Arizona in Congress, the oath of office leaves over 800,000 people in the southern Arizona district without representation.

    *Honestly, it doesn’t feel like most Americans have had any representation since January 20th. N&zis and billionaires are the only groups being represented, and there is some overlap.

  23. BB – Keep on keeping on. I salted the earth as best I could way before I left Dallas, due to a strong aversion to Jerry Jones. Can’t promise the outcome of each game, but they are never to win another Superbowl as long as Jones owns the team.

  24. My son reminded me that the company responsible for the Stryker tank as well as a machine gun used by US forces is General Dynamics, a Canadian company. They could close their plants here in the US if Trump messes with their contracts and just sell them worldwide to other countries that currently buy them from us.

  25. They could close their plants here

    they italicized could

    it’s all unnecessary brinksmanship

    impeach, 25th, something, for the Love of Your God

  26. well, this new Kathryn Bigelow movie that dramatizes a nuclear strike on the United States in the era of trump is fucking terrifying

    …speaking of “brinksmanship”. A horror flick without the horror, well done.

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