Sunday Serendipity

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A Tiny Desk concert

Advisory: todays selection needs to be played on your good speakers.

At first I thought this didn’t fit into my vision of Sunday Serendipity and then I heard composer Viet Cuong’s composition, Water, Wine, Brandy, Brine, played on tuned wine glasses. I don’t have the words to describe it, if you don’t listen to any other part of this concert, at least go to 6:12. and listen. Truly remarkable.

Sandbox Percussion, a unique group playing some unique music composed just for them by Andy Akiho and Viet Cuong, two of the most important voices in contemporary classical music.

Enjoy, Jack

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83 thoughts on “Sunday Serendipity”

  1. jack, very serendipitous sounds this sunday with raindrops about to turn into snow later.
    what a discovery! thanks.


  2. President Trump (James Austin Johnson) addresses grocery prices skyrocketing, Zohran Mamdani winning the New York City mayoral election and more after someone collapses in the oval office


  3. Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week’s biggest news, like someone collapsing in the oval office during a press conference, Zohran Mamdani becoming the new mayor of New York City and Dick Cheney passing away.

  5. a ‘toon specially for trail friend BiD today

    Attribution: CBS, 60 Minutes, Guard Dog House, Big Beautiful by Milt Priggee, Oak Harbor, WA
    [Milt Priggee is a freelance editorial cartoonist from northwest Washington State. His work has been reprinted in Time, Newsweek, U.S. News & World report, The New York Times, Washington Post and USA Today.]

  6. a belated welcome to blueskyfan, ugh, and the emoji commenter to the trail.

    have a feeling though our new friend emoji might be an old friend incognito….

    BTW ugh and jack, for some of those you speak of “house” may only be a tarp or a shipping box (if your lucky) with a sterno cookstove.

  8. Flights are getting canceled in this shutdown ā€” but the real turbulence is financial.
    We built more sky than weā€™re willing to pay for.
    šŸŽ„ Watch: The Sky We Canā€™t Afford ā†’

  12. i have been testing various lines for plugging our comment section to social media, and find this one drives the most clicks (although still not exactly a deluge of new commenters).

    This is what makes us unique — we really do listen to each other.

    Go forth and plug this wherever you can. It’s road-tested click bait (include the emoji):

    šŸ’¬ Talk with people who actually listen ā†’ https://trailmix.cc/comment

  15. As I’ve gone deeper into this commercial air infrastructure stuff I see lots of unfair but still saleable attacks on Buttigieg coming if he runs. He was trying to fix things like radars older than disco but ran out of time, and the Biden White House didn’t make it a huge funding priority. He might be better off revisiting a bid for the open Senate seat in Michigan.

  16. Buttigieg would make a great president. The problem is getting him past the prejudices from both the GOP and Dems. The only way I can see it happening is having him in a major spot in the Cabinet or as Veep with lots of face and voice time to get folks used to the idea.

  17. The really bad news: COLA for Social Security expected to be 2.8%.
    The even worse news:

    The 2026 Medicare Part B premium is not yet officially announced, but it is projected to be $206.50 per month, an increase of $21.50 from the 2025 premium of $185. This projection is based on a projected 11.6% increase, but the final amount will be announced after the November CPI data is released. This increase could offset the 2026 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for some beneficiaries.

  18. Craig
    word press@ trailmix, is spamming me with notifications of comments to this post, how do I turn it off? this is something new.

    Jack

  20. Trumpā€™s ā€œCheaper Thanksgivingā€ Math: Itā€™s Actually Up 15%
    A Trail MIx ChatGPT Data Scrub

    President Trump touted Walmartā€™s ā€œunder $40ā€ Thanksgiving basket as proof that prices are coming down. But our Trail Mix ChatGPT Data Scrub shows that when you price the same 29-item basket Walmart sold last year, itā€™s actually 15% higher.

    Walmart cut corners ā€” dropping desserts, onions, and other staples ā€” then swapped in cheaper brands to hit that headline number. The turkey price hike alone was in double digits.

    The savings are imaginary, the spin is real.
    Full breakdown, chart and sources on Trail Mix Briefā†’
    https://trailmix.cc/home/walmart/

  22. Craig
    Turkeys at Walmart were the same price as last year, $.98, with all the hype I was surprised at the low cost. (just check as I have the turkey I bought last year in the freezer, it was $.98/lb) , sweet potatoes also under a dollar.
    Not that I’m buying anything, just glancing at the prices as I walked past.

    Jack

  23. Looking at the different prices at Walmart for essentially the same product. Canned green beans run from $.50 for the house brand to $1,25 for libbys, up to over $2 for some others. It seems that Walmart will sell you anything at the price you think you deserve.
    Reminds me of this Jerry Clower skit.

  27. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-dr-oz-questions-legitimacy-of-aca-coverage-for-millions-of-americans

    Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz on Wednesday questioned the legitimacy of Affordable Care Act coverage for many Americans, saying that ā€œhalfā€ of the people enrolled in the subsidized health insurance plans ā€œfiled no claims last year.ā€

    *Because they are afraid to use it; the bills even with insurance can undo folks. If we had universal healthCARE so folks could go when they needed.

    ā€œThe concern that has been raised is that a large number of the 12 million people who had never used their insurance last year may not legitimately have the insurance, know they have the insurance, want to have the insurance.ā€

    ā€œI think we all agree that COVID has passed,ā€ Oz said. ā€œTherefore, COVID-era subsidies should also pass.ā€

    *Where is the ā€œconcept of a planā€? The problem is medical insurance companies and their predatory nature. CARE is unaffordable even with insurance, ACA or through an employer.

    Oz is a grifter and an unserious person when it comes to the financial aspects of medical CARE.

    Oz and his effing let-them-eat-cruditƩs

  28. Jack. we pulled their ad circulars for this project.

    Walmartā€™s promotion in 2024 for the holiday meal deal lists a whole frozen turkey at $0.88 per pound.
    —
    2025 promo rate: ~$0.97/lb

    But this year it’s a bit tricky because in the fine print of their circular to get that promo rate requires combining it with other items, which it did not last year.

  29. Well, Iā€™ve been shopping for temporary insurance since ACA is out of the question.

    For $546/month, I can get a UHC with benefits comparable to what I had 15 years ago; deductible $2,500 and $50 office co-payments. I think the co-pays were $40, and the premium was lower, but the deductible is the same. Family have had open enrollment at work and they called their options ā€œtheftā€ by the insurance company.

  30. Here is something that is a bit out of my comprehension – “new magazine GEEZER (a print magazine for Gen Xers). ” That is from a post on FB is saw. There was no link. I will need to find my shawl and slippers.

  32. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/deal-to-end-government-shutdown-in-reach/ar-

    Senate Democrats on Sunday indicated they are ready to advance a package of bills that could end the government shutdown, multiple sources told Axios.

    Why it matters: It is the most significant movement toward a bipartisan breakthrough in the talks to re-open the government in over a month.

    At least 10 Senate Democrats are expected to support a procedural motion to advance a package of spending bills and a short term funding measure, multiple sources from both parties told Axios.
    The deal would include a promised vote on extending Obamacare tax credits in December, the sources said.
    This is a developing news story. It will be updated.

  34. Isnā€™t the next funding bill due to run out before Thanksgiving if they did it? November 21st comes to mind.

  35. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5586805-johnson-funding-extension-date-nov-21/

    Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Republican leaders will meet to discuss whether to extend the stopgap bill to reopen the government past Nov. 21 as time grows short to hammer out funding for the rest of the year.

    House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) said on Bloomberg TV in October that heā€™s been hearing from senators and House members about a possible funding extension that goes until Dec. 1, 2026.

    But multiple sources told The Hill that GOP leaders are also discussing a funding extension lasting until late January.

    Democrats have said they wonā€™t support the CR until Republicans strike a deal with them on enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year.

    Meanwhile, Johnson said he hopes Tuesdayā€™s elections will mark a shift in Democratsā€™ shutdown strategy.

    ā€œI hope the election tomorrow is a change, a sea change, in all this. ā€¦ Maybe after tomorrow, theyā€™ll come to their common senses again and do the right thing. We certainly pray that is true,ā€ Johnson said at the press conference.

    *Howā€™d that work out for ya, MOSCOW Mike?

  36. Pats – I actually told Dems & Republicans (on some of my calls) to increase the tax subsidies to coincide with inflation and rename it tRUMPcare.

  39. https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-50-year-mortgage-backlash-11017505

    U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to introduce 50-year mortgage terms for homebuyers has sparked a backlash from online commentators.

    Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte said on Saturday that the Trump administration is working on a plan to introduce the measure.

    Writing on X, people criticized the idea, which they said could increase debt levels.

    The average age of first-time homebuyers had reached an all-time high of 40, according to a recent report by the National Association of Realtors and the U.S. housing market has slowed this year due to sky-high home prices, elevated borrowing costs and other factors.

    Trump posted an image on his social media platform Truth Social in which he placed an image of himself next to one of former President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who established the 30-year mortgage standard. He wrote “30-year mortgageā€ above Rooseveltā€™s image and ā€œ50-year mortgageā€ above his.

    In a separate post, Pulte wrote: ā€œTrump proposes 50-year mortgage to help affordability.ā€

    A longer fixed-rate mortgage would lower monthly payments, but would create a higher total cost because of interest.

    Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote, in part: “I donā€™t like 50-year mortgages as the solution to the housing affordability crisis. It will ultimately reward the banks, mortgage lenders and homebuilders while people pay far more in interest over time and die before they ever pay off their home. In debt forever, in debt for life!”

    *Don the Con!

  40. From Craigā€™s link:

    ā€œThat includes $203.5 million in new funding to enhance security measures and protection for members of Congress in addition to $852 million for US Capitol Police, per a summary provided by top Democratic appropriator Sen. Patty Murray of the bill to fund the legislative branch.ā€

    ā€œThe deal would not include an extension of the expiring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies ā€” a key Democratic demand ā€” but it would guarantee a vote in the Senate on the issue at a later date.

    There are no assurances that the extension of ACA subsidies would become law.ā€

    *Dems selling us out after all of the suffering caused by the REPUBLICAN SHUTDOWN TO PROTECT BILLIONAIRES & PEDOPHILES. It sounds like Dems are preparing for folks with pitchforks, too.

  41. Centrist Democrats such as Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) and Maggie Hassan (N.H.) wanted to put an end to the shutdown after funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits expired on Nov. 1 and traffic problems at airports around the country grew increasingly dire.

  44. https://www.rawstory.com/gop-accused-of-trying-to-slip-backdoor-abortion-ban-into-funding-bill/

    Congressional Republicans are reportedly trying to insert anti-abortion language into government funding legislation as the shutdown continues, with the GOP and President Donald Trump digging in against a clean extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits as insurance premiums surge.

    ā€œRepublicans said they might vote to lower Americansā€™ healthcare costs, but only if we agree to include a backdoor national abortion ban,ā€ Wyden said in remarks on the Senate floor.

    Wyden said Saturdayā€”which marked day 39 of the shutdownā€”that ā€œRepublicans are spinning a tale that the government is funding abortion.ā€

    ā€œWhat Republicans are talking about putting on the table amounts to nothing short of a backdoor national abortion ban. Under this plan, Republicans could weaponize federal funding for any organization that does anything related to womenā€™s reproductive healthcare. They could also weaponize the tax code by revoking non-profit status for these organizations.ā€

    ā€œThe possibilities are endless, but the results are the same: a complete and total restriction on abortion, courtesy of Republicans,ā€ the senator added. ā€œTrump said heā€™d leave abortion care up to the states. Well, this latest scheme makes it crystal clear: A de facto nationwide abortion ban has been his plan all along.ā€

  45. Whatā€™s to force Johnson to swear in Gravajla? Are there really 100 Dems ready to vote for the release of the files to ā€œget out ahead of whatā€™s comingā€?

    IDK. After the wins on Tuesday and SNAP showing up for some & tRUMPci being the ones trying to starve folks because they havenā€™t been able to permanently take away their healthcare, why cave now???

  46. Things are slow at work, Jack. The fire at that aluminum supplier plant in NY directly affected the department I work in since we make the underseat storage bin for the F-150. We were supposed to get some snow today, but it’s missed us so far. That doesn’t break my heart. I got groceries today. If Trump says that groceries prices have gone down, I wanna know where he shops. He supposed to be in the broadcast booth during the 3rd quarter of the Lions game. So, I shut the game off at halftime.

  48. Adolf is dangling $2k checks, againā€¦if they materialized they wouldnā€™t offset the COL increase/shrinkflation/unemployment & stagnant wages.

    ACA without the tax subsidy is over $13,000 per year for one person, for the lowest-tier planā€¦so that $2k is a drop in the ocean.

    FDT!

  49. When I was 20 and hubby 22, we bought a modest 4 BR 1 3/4 bath suburban home for $21,900 with $6000 down. Last checked that home 60 years later in Campbell, CA is now valued at 1 million + thanks to location near Silicon Valley businesses.

    There is no chance a young couple could buy that home now.

  50. Dan Patrick pledges $1 million in campaign funds to install Turning Point USA at every Texas college and high school

    Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Friday he is committing $1 million from his campaign coffers to put chapters of Turning Point USA, the group founded by the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, on every Texas college and high school campus.

    In a social media post, Patrick said that he spoke with Turning Point executives on Thursday about the idea. The state has more than 1,200 school systems that educate roughly 5.5 million schoolchildren and more than 200 colleges.

    Since Kirkā€™s death, momentum has surged through young Republicans across the state and nation. Patrick announced that he will also speak at a Turning Point event Tuesday night at the University of Houston alongside Attorney General Ken Paxton.

    ā€œTexas college campuses should be places of open debate, not indoctrination,ā€ Paxton said in a statement Friday. ā€œI applaud these young conservatives at the University of Houston who have the courage to speak truth boldly, defend freedom, and challenge the leftist echo chambers that try to silence them.ā€

    *Unless they are saying something about the starving folks in Gaza.

    Can he use campaign funds like that???

  53. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/11/07/texas-ken-paxton-sues-galveston-isd-ten-commandments/

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the Galveston Independent School District on Friday for not following a new state law requiring schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms while the legislation is challenged in federal court.

    State lawmakers earlier this year passed Senate Bill 10, which requires schools to accept posters or framed copies of the Ten Commandments and to display them ā€œin a conspicuous placeā€ in classrooms. Gov. Greg Abbott signed SB 10 in late June, a day after a federal appeals court in Louisiana found a similar law ā€œplainly unconstitutional.ā€

    After SB 10 took effect on Sept. 1, state Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, donated posters with the Ten Commandments to the Galveston district, according to the lawsuit. But Galveston ISDā€™s board of trustees voted in late October to delay hanging any donated posters, citing ongoing lawsuits over the constitutionality of the law. Galveston ISD is not part of the lawsuits.

    *ESAD

  54. Health premium vote in December, when folks have to get signed up by December 15th, and itā€™s a no from Repugz.

    Also, this is just the Senate, right?

  56. https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/09/politics/usda-pauses-snap-benefits

    In the Saturday directive, obtained by CNN, the USDA told states to instead proceed with issuing partial benefits that will provide recipients with 65% of their November allotments, as ordered by the same lower court judge earlier in the week.

    ā€œTo the extent States sent full SNAP payment files for November 2025, this was unauthorized,ā€ Patrick Penn, a top USDA official, wrote in the memo. ā€œAccordingly, States must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025.ā€

    *How will they claw back funds that have been issued and spent on FOOD?

  61. well i had freshly harvested sautƩed chard and white carrots with a protein for dinner, was very good, do recommend chard

  63. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/09/trump-obama-obamacare-royalties-claim

    Donald Trump promoted the false claim that Barack Obama has earned $40m in ā€œroyalties linked to Obamacareā€ in a post to his 11 million followers on Truth Social on Sunday.

    On Sunday morning, Trump posted a screenshot of an earlier post with an image of Obama and the text: ā€œBREAKING: DOGE halted a yearly payment of $2.5 million to Barack Obama for ā€˜royalties linked to Obamacare.ā€™ Heā€™s been collecting it since 2010, for a total of $40 million in taxpayer dollars.ā€

    *Orange Adolf is projecting what heā€™ll do if he ever has a concept of a plan, it comes to fruition, and itā€™s called tRUMPcare. The ~king- wants his royalty.

  64. `Out of curiosity I went to the U.S. Senate website and the floor webcast. A big surprise. The usual blah, blah, blah was replaced by the Senate is in recess until 8pm. Hmm. We will see.

  65. Republicans take responsibility? Pffft. They do not care. They are actively working to make sure they stay in power forever.

  70. https://www.pennlive.com/sports/2025/11/donald-trump-booed-heavily-at-washington-commanders-game.html

    Donald Trump was in the house for the Detroit Lions at Washington Commanders game Sunday, and ā€¦ well, it appears the president did not get a warm reception.

    Video showed Trump getting booed loudly as he spoke during the game.

    Video in link.

    This comes just a day after ESPNā€™s Adam Schefter reported that Trump wants the Commanders to name their planned $3.7 billion stadium after him.
    ***

    ā€œThis is the most disgraceful thing Iā€™ve ever seen,ā€ the Johnny Maga account on X wrote. ā€œCommanders fans booed President Trump while he was literally enlisting troops into the United States military. Pure trash.ā€

    ā€œYeah, I canā€™t stand Trump and I understand people being upset, but when our men and women in uniform are being sworn in is inappropriate,ā€ one person replied.

    *Comments from idiots who donā€™t understand tRUMP was USING the military for the photo op and sort of like Elon used his kid as a human shield, except Adolf was trying to be shielded from the negativity he deserves.

  71. https://people.com/nick-offerman-gained-20-lbs-for-netflix-james-garfield-series-exclusive-11843393

    Based on the book Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard, the miniseries is led by Michael Shannon as the 20th president of the United States, James Garfield. The historical drama, which follows the true story of Garfield’s presidency and assassination, also stars Shea Whigham, Matthew MacFadyen, Bradley Whitford and Betty Gilpin.

    Nick Offerman gained 20 lbs. for his role as former Vice President Chester Arthur in Netflix’s Death by Lightning

    *Thatā€™s what Iā€™ve been asking for SFB for years. ā›³ļø āš”ļø šŸ˜µ

  73. let’s do a chat tomorrow morning or noonish to paw through this shutdown deal. The mention of military “construction” got my attention. Who got some of that for their vote?

  74. Jan. 6 rioter accused of firing gun at Capitol, said he had ‘nothing to worry about’ because he predicted pardon, is back behind bars for alleged kidnapping

    Jan. 6 rioter accused of firing gun at Capitol, said he had ‘nothing to worry about’ because he predicted pardon, is back behind bars

    An Illinois man accused of firing a gun into the air during the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol finds himself back behind bars after he was arrested for a felony warrant out of Utah.

    Marshals conducted a traffic stop and took Banuelos into custody. Details about the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault were not immediately available.

    Banuelos was charged last year with trespassing with a deadly or dangerous weapon, carrying and discharging a firearm and civil disorder.

  75. https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/11/09/congress/senate-rolls-out-veterans-military-construction-00644094

    The bipartisan fiscal 2026 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding bill is one of three full-year spending measures that would be attached to a stopgap that could see a vote as soon as Sunday evening. Lawmakers also released legislation to fund the Department of Agriculture and FDA, while lawmakers are still finalizing a third bill to fund Congress itself.

    The bill allocates $153.3 billion in discretionary funding for the VA and the defense programs. The bill provides another $263.7 billion in mandatory funding for veterans benefits. The combined total would put the annual VA budget on the precipice of a first-ever $400 billion-plus mark.

    That includes $133.2 billion for the VA, in line with the White Houseā€™s request for the department for fiscal 2026. That includes $115.1 billion for VA medical care. The billā€™s VA spending is augmented by an extra $52.6 billion for VAā€™s Toxic Exposures Fund to assist veterans exposed to burn pits and other hazards during their military service.

    An additional $19.7 billion would go to the sliver of the Pentagon budget that includes construction of modernization of facilities and family housing.

    The defense portion of the bill includes $7 billion for building and overhauling infrastructure Senate appropriators label essential to troopsā€™ readiness, including training ranges, maintenance and logistics facilities, ammunition magazines and airfield control towers.

    The bill also includes $1.5 billion to support the Navyā€™s Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program, designed to modernize the serviceā€™s four public shipyards in Virginia, Maine, Washington and Hawaii.

    A further $2 billion goes toward infrastructure that supports deploying new technology.

    And $482 million would take care of the U.S. share of NATO facilities projects.

    *The War Department realizing they canā€™t keep slapping veterans in the face if they want new recruitsā€¦except that Project 2025 calls for military testing in PUBLIC schools (any school that gets federal funding), so Iā€™d expect a draft in the next few years.

  76. Thanks, BiD — i see TIm Kaine got shipyard money. Keep looking for state=specific stuff. I know New Hampshire has been trying to get construction money for their national guard facilities. Both of their Democratic senators voting with GOP tonight.

  77. Well, Repugz are trying to get Dems to vote NO to reopen so they can try to blame the continued shutdown on them, or to vote yes & own them. JFC!

  80. Just left a message for Chuck Schumer, the effing disappointment, although it was clear heā€™d cave. He should not be the party leader. Republicans arenā€™t going to give a GD thing that they donā€™t want for themselves or to take credit for.

    FDT!
    FCS!

  81. Chuck Schumer announced he was voting against the cave in. Obviously, he will no longer be the leader of the minority since he couldn’t hold back the defections, but he voted no. Kaine, Durbin, Hassan, Shaheen and Rosen were the ones who flipped.

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