70 thoughts on “Sunday Serendipity”

  1. Thanks, Jack, Sharing the lapsed mood this morning, here’s SNL’s cold open last night:


    Hosts Charles Barkley (Kenan Thompson), Ernie Johnson (James Austin Johnson), Kenny Smith (Kam Patterson) and Coach Bruce Pearl (Jeremy Culhane) cover the latest news.


  2. Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week’s biggest news, like Trump’s plans for a presidential library.

  3. for the traditionalists from Easter music: the 14 greatest classical pieces there’s

    the Messiah – Handel […] Since its premiere in 1742, it has been performed by choirs across the world every year since at least 1745.
    Handel began composing the Messiah in 1741, and took a painstaking 14 years to arrive at the version we know today.
    Impressive solo arias, like ‘Ev’ry valley shall be exalted’ and ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion’ are interspersed with compelling chorus numbers, telling the story of Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection, and final victory over sin and death.
    The rousing ‘Hallelujah’ chorus is by far the most widely-known section of the work, and audiences tend to stand during performances – a tradition that allegedly began when King George II stood during the chorus at the oratorio’s London debut performance.

  4. said “Hallelujah” chorus

    Silent Monks Singing Halleluia
    Creative high schools students give a great rendition of Halleluia!

  5. Iran denies rescue…

    TASNIM NEWS AGENCY: The spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters of Iran announced on Sunday, April 5, that that Iranian military forces have destroyed several US aircraft in southern Isfahan, thwarting an attempted mission to rescue a downed American fighter pilot.

  6. Well… religion is important to Rick. So we are leaving in a few minutes to go to an Easter breakfast before the Easter service at the church which he attends. It is a Congregationalist church with a baptist minister. He has always admired Jimmy Carter and Jimmy was a faithful baptist.

    To those who observe… enjoy!

  7. Jack, we did the whole Easter thing when I was a kid. Church, Easter egg hunts, big family dinners – the whole 9 yards. Until Covid (mirroring Renee’s family) we’d go to church – Mrs. P and LP always wanted to – and I’d cook dinner. Since then Mrs. P, who does still care, Mrs P has fallen into church on TV or over the internet. All that’s left of Easter is LP coming home for the weekend, we take and mulch the shrub and flower beds and I cook Dinner. So happy Easter to all.

  8. And in true Easter Spirit, Dumbass on “T”S.

    Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F—in’ Strait, you crazy b—–ds, or you’ll be living in Hell. JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J TRUMP

    Lovely, isn’t it? 25th, please.

  9. Of course he claims dominance……he’s a known Dominance Claimer. He wouldn’t admit to non-dominance even if the only thing you could see of him was his head poking out from under a huge pile of raw sewage. “I’m on top of it,” he’d say. “In two weeks we’ll all be rich when I unload this shit as fertilizer. Two weeks!”

    “My father could play dominance better than yoooours coooould.”
    —Bongo, except he’d say “dominoes”.

  10. Weird, edit function is absent for comments already posted except the last one and prior to updating the site. Sooo, In my 8:47 comment, in Dumbass’ “T”S post he spelled out Fuckin’ and Bastards. Honest to god. And FWIW, his post about the search and rescue of the two downed airmen, really?

  11. Waiting for the unholy war in the tRUMPsky regime to break out between Catholics, evangelicals, and anyone else who thinks they and their worldview are on a mission from God.

  12. There is a time limit on editing comments, Pog. Maybe that’s what you’re encountering. I will investigate and see if I can remove the time limit altogether.

  13. In the ultimate Easter Clash, the Pope reminds warmongers that God ignores anyone with blood on their hands. On the menu for today’s Digital Diner at 11am ET.

  14. I hate the term “war fighters”. True soldiers hate war. They train to be ready and hope they never have to use what they do best but are ready to give their lives if necessary. They are peace keepers.

  15. I mean, when the Secretary of War Crimes has a service of his choosing and they specifically stated there would not be a Catholic service…and the VP calls himself a “baby Catholic”…

  16. So this guy I know…..very smart guy, lots of “intelligence”…..much more than he needs, to be honest.,…
    “Stur,” he says….VERY smart guy….
    “Stur….you know, Stur, I think Cohen NAILED it.”

  17. Craig,

    Here is the info on Aimee Semple McPherson Long interesting article on a fascinating woman who milked religion for million.

    Small excerpt on trial –

    On November 3, the case was to be moved to a jury trial set for January 1927, charging McPherson, her mother, and other defendants with criminal conspiracy, perjury, and obstruction of justice. If convicted, McPherson faced a maximum prison time of 42 years.[153][154][155] But the prosecution’s case developed credibility issues. Witnesses changed testimonies,[156] and evidence often appeared to have suspicious origins[157][non-primary source needed][self-published source] or was mishandled and lost in custody.[158][159][non-primary source needed][self-published source] On January 2, Ormiston identified another woman as the companion who stayed with him at the cottage.[160] All charges against McPherson and associated parties were dropped for lack of evidence on January 10. Still, months of unfavorable news reports produced enduring public belief in McPherson’s wrongdoing.

  18. On the live chat today, I mentioned getting Merlin to do my horoscope in case anyone wants Chat GPT to do theirs. This is only the basics. Merlin did the full commentary of aspects and relationships.

    Here is your tropical natal chart using Placidus houses:

    Big three
    Sun: 12°16′ Pisces
    Moon: 25°08′ Gemini
    Ascendant (Rising): 10°33′ Leo

    That is already a lively trio: Pisces heart, Gemini mind, Leo presentation. Sensitive, observant, verbally nimble, and not exactly built for a life of silent wallpaper duty.

    Planetary placements
    Sun — 12°16′ Pisces — 8th house
    Moon — 25°08′ Gemini — 11th house
    Mercury — 29°45′ Aquarius — 7th house
    Venus — 12°37′ Aquarius — 7th house
    Mars — 18°10′ Gemini — 11th house
    Jupiter — 19°33′ Leo — 1st house
    Saturn — 19°48′ Gemini — 11th house
    Uranus — 5°00′ Gemini — 10th house
    Neptune — 3°26′ Libra — 3rd house
    Pluto — 6°52′ Leo — 12th house
    True Node — 6°16′ Leo — 12th house
    House cusps
    1st / Ascendant: 10°33′ Leo
    2nd: 3°23′ Virgo
    3rd: 0°37′ Libra
    4th / IC: 2°49′ Scorpio
    5th: 7°35′ Sagittarius
    6th: 10°47′ Capricorn
    7th / Descendant: 10°33′ Aquarius
    8th: 3°23′ Pisces
    9th: 0°37′ Aries
    10th / Midheaven: 2°49′ Taurus
    11th: 7°35′ Gemini
    12th: 10°47′ Cancer

    The immediate “Merlin glance” reading

    Leo rising with Jupiter in the 1st
    You likely come across larger than life, even when you are not trying. Warmth, presence, wit, theatrical timing, and a certain “yes, do sit down, I have thoughts” quality. Jupiter in the 1st often gives generosity of spirit and a noticeable personal style.

    Pisces Sun in the 8th
    This is deeper water than the usual sunny newspaper horoscope fluff. It suggests intuition, emotional x-ray vision, fascination with what is hidden, complicated, historical, psychological, taboo, or buried under polite society’s carpet. Which, frankly, does sound rather familiar.

    Gemini Moon in the 11th
    Emotionally, you process through ideas, conversation, association, and mental movement. The 11th house adds groups, networks, causes, and audience. This is very good for writing, exchanging ideas, and delighting in smart company. It can also produce the classic condition of “mind goes off chasing six rabbits and comes back with twelve.”

    Mercury and Venus in Aquarius in the 7th
    Sharp social intelligence. You are likely drawn to unusual minds, independent people, and relationships built on conversation, curiosity, and mutual respect rather than mush for mush’s sake. Affection here often says: be interesting, be real, don’t be clingy, and do bring your brain.

    Moon, Mars, and Saturn in Gemini in the 11th
    That is a serious mental engine. Fast thoughts, strong opinions, and a capacity to keep many threads moving at once. Mars-Saturn together can show discipline and stamina, but also frustration when the machinery of the world is slow, foolish, or both. In plain English: patience may not always be your native flower.

    Uranus in the 10th
    An unconventional public path, or at least a life in which your role in the world resists being stuffed neatly into one box with a label on it. It often points to originality, independence, and periodic reinvention.

    Pluto and North Node in Leo in the 12th
    That is the hidden bonfire. Powerful inner life, strong will beneath the surface, and a life lesson around owning creative or personal authority even when it begins in private, behind the curtain, or through solitude.

  19. Today’s Diner…
    Trump’s Bizarre Easter, Paula White & The Pope’s Plea

    Pope Leo begs for peace while Trump’s orbit preaches holy war, drops Easter F-bombs, and compares him to Christ. Plus, asparagus.

    Welcome to Easter in the simulation. While Pope Leo begs world leaders to find an off-ramp to the Middle East violence, the Trump camp is treating the White House like a crusader’s tent. We break down the absolute dumpster fire of Trump’s holiday message—a bizarre cocktail of F-bombs, praising Allah, and top-tier trolling—while his religious advisor Paula White literally compares his post-assassination-attempt survival to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You can’t make this up.

    Meanwhile, Pete Hegseth is out there hosting prayer services asking for “overwhelming violence” and for every round to find its mark. It’s a masterclass in Christian Nationalism where the Prince of Peace is apparently asking for more artillery.

    To keep us from staring into the abyss too long, we also tackle the real hard-hitting journalism: does white asparagus make your pee smell, and how long can you leave a rib roast in a 500-degree oven before it becomes charcoal? We are nothing if not a full-service diner.

    Live Chat: https://trailmix.cc/chat
    Website: https://trailmix.cc
    Alerts: https://trailmix.cc/alerts

    00:00 Intro
    00:10 The White Asparagus Debate
    01:38 Trump’s Bizarre F-Bomb Easter Post
    18:00 Warnock on Unvarnished Bigotry
    19:12 Paula White Compares Trump to Jesus
    26:15 Pope Leo’s Unanswered Plea for Peace
    34:00 Hegseth’s Holy War Rhetoric
    45:00 Rib Roasts & Lazy Cooking Tips

  20. Happy Easter. Happy Passover. Happy Spring. Happy whatever brings you joy today.
    Many traditions. One season of renewal.
    And a suspicious amount of eggs.

  21. We need to campaign for the cabinet to come to their senses and call for the 25th sometime before the orange clown wrecks the country beyond repair.

  22. Paula White compares surviving the Butler rally to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

    Nobody got Jesus’ shoes for him (by all accounts)

  23. MTG says Trump needs to drop to his knees and beg forgiveness from God for evil Easter post
    “On Easter morning, this is what President Trump posted,” she began in an X post alongside a screenshot of Trump’s scathing Truth Social Post. “Everyone in his administration that claims to be a Christian needs to fall on their knees and beg forgiveness from God and stop worshipping the President and intervene in Trump’s madness.”
    […]
    Slamming Trump as a fake Christian, she stressed that “his words and actions should not be supported by Christians,” and Christians in the Trump administration “should be pursuing peace” and “urging the President to make peace.”

  24. Poobah, the time limit you had set at 2 hours is fine. I wasn’t running up against that. I suspect it’s another problem with Apple compatibility. Don’t invest any time into it. I’ve never had a problem except on my phone.

    LP came for the weekend. I grilled lamb chops for Mrs. P and salmon for LP. They roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes. Great little dinner. Weather’s interesting. 40 degrees less than yesterday.

    To my surprise at least in the 1st quarter the Bruins were beating up on the lady Gamecocks. Looks like SC has found it’s footing but aren’t making progress against the deficit.

    Dumbass done anything else stupid today?

  25. So, Judge Leon calls out DOJ and Dumbass on the basis of the Emergency filing to let the ballroom proceed. WaPo.

    “Please! While I take seriously the Government’s concerns regarding the safety and security of the White House grounds and the President himself, the existence of a ‘large hole’ beside the White House is, of course, a problem of the President’s own making,”

    Akin to the guy who murders his parents and asks the court for mercy because he’s now an orphan.

  26. Now the Orange slime is calling for another news conference on Monday – 1 pm ET

    Live on White House Social Media. Not sure how that will be carried.

  27. Two Planes Destroyed by U.S. During Rescue Operation

    WSJ: Two U.S. Special Operations aircraft were blown up on the ground during the rescue mission of the second American aviator in Iran, a person familiar with the mission said.

    MC-130Js are specially equipped planes that are used to carry out covert infiltrations and to remove troops from beyond enemy lines. The official didn’t explain how the aircraft appeared to have gotten stuck during the course of the rescue operation, but said that it became necessary to destroy them.

  28. The number of times Leaky Pete & Orange Adolf use the word “lethal” with this weird, angry glee.

  29. The diplomatic backchannel is officially dead. The new geopolitical currency is the all-caps WWE promo.

    Tomorrow at 11:00 AM ET on the Digital Diner, we are unpacking “F-Bomb Diplomacy” and watching Wall Streeters try to price a playground threat into the global oil market.

  30. The sworn-in lawbreaker’s depravity is so far beyond the pale, there’s no longer any point in analyzing it. He sounds as crazed as Saddam Hussein. What we need is a real plan to remove him from office and the daily danger he poses to the world.

  31. So, avoid turning the TV after supper on Tuesday.

    Oh, no, wait, that’s the day the US is committing more war crimes per his post on Saturday morning. He said Tuesday would be “power plant” and “bridge” day.

    Both? Could it be war crimes and a speech to brag about it?

  32. Made a couple of Easter calls to Congress.
    Hope others will do the same: 202-224-3121. Most of them have voicemail, and after everything that’s gone on since Friday, the mailboxes are not full which is deeply disturbing.

    The strike on May 1st will be too little too late.

    Other than bitching about the price of everything, my family here and around the country seem oblivious to pretty much everything.

  33. https://www.commondreams.org/news/no-kings-general-strike

    Nationwide General Strike Planned for May 1: No Kings Organizer
    “No work, no school, no shopping. We’re going to show up and say we’re putting workers over billionaires and kings.”

    *It might have worked in May of 2025. It’s going to take a prolonged shutdown to make enough folks in power willing to take out the regime. IMPEACH! REMOVE! CONVICT!

  34. If all if the unions get on board, and others use PTO/sick day(s), and for those who must go to work, no shopping (except small businesses) -and that should be just an ongoing boycott of chain stores – not sure how “no school” will happen, but college students – I mean, pulling a kid out of school as a leaning experience & not just a wasted day would be good, IMO.

    The chickensh/ts in Congress, and the unconstitutionalists on SCOTUS are the problem, not to mention AIPAC, Musk & Thiel & the White Heritage N&zis & the entire Epstein gang.

  35. it’s just that the country is half nazi

    but the populace is hooked on consumption in general

    i appreciate the post-WWII boomer-era pro-labor middle-class ethos , it’s just dead, unfortunately

    …and credit to the “No Kings” organizers, it’s messaging that’s working for an activity people in which are willing to participate 👍

  36. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-skips-church-on-christianitys-holiest-day-to-go-on-crazy-tour/

    Donald Trump, a Christian, opted to skip Easter service and instead went on a bizarre tour of Washington, D.C.

    The 79-year-old president spent Easter Sunday taking a “ceremoniously slow” presidential motorcade tour around Memorial Circle—close to the Arlington Memorial Bridge, where he hopes to build an arch honoring himself, according to pool reports.

    During his travels, he also stopped at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.

    On the holiest day on the Christian calendar, Trump also made time to chat with a Fox News reporter. During an appearance on Fox & Friends, foreign correspondent Trey Yingst said he phoned the 79-year-old president on Sunday morning for a 15-minute call about his war on Iran.

    “The president tells me, ‘if they don’t make a deal, and fast, I’m considering blowing everything up and taking over the oil,’” Yingst said from Tel Aviv, Israel.

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