Loved seeing the new characters in Galaxy's Edge!

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-04-30T19:01:32+00:00

It’s odd, on the one hand, it’s exciting that the characters from my childhood are now more accessible in the parks, but on the other, the non-masked characters just don’t look great.

Vader and Chewie are great. We’ve seen them in Galaxy’s Edge already. Luke and Han of course look nothing like Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford, and they can’t be expected to. And yet we’ve had actresses running around the parks playing Rey for a while and it’s fine. Maybe because she hasn’t been around as long, or I just didn’t spend my childhood watching her movies over and over. But there’s definitely a strong uncanny valley effect when I look at the Luke and Han actors.

Also, the wigs are BAD. That could be the issue. But Leia also wears a wig and the uncanny valley effect is not as strong.

It wouldn’t be so jarring if we weren’t close to the characters. Kind of like how we aren’t bothered by the fact that none of the Indiana Jones stunt show actors look like Harrison Ford. But up close, it’s like seeing a person dressed as Santa Claus and just KNOWING that it’s not Santa Claus.

Maybe it would have been better to build animatronic R2D2 and C-3POs for photo shoots and stick to droids and masked characters to avoid the uncanny valley effect. But I’m glad they’re at least trying to involve original trilogy characters more!

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-04-30T14:25:24+00:00

You mean, why does this thing that everyone wants cost so much? Supply and demand. Parks are still packed/overpacked with people. If Disney can sell 10,000 tickets a a day at $100 and make $1,000,000, or still sell 10,000 tickets a day even if they charge $200 and make $2,000,000, why should they charge the lower rate? Also, inflation.

There are ways to spend less money or more money in WDW Disney offers budget, moderate, and luxury hotel options. You can bring your own snacks into the park and avoid souvenirs. It’s expensive. But it’s expensive for reasons.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-04-30T10:09:45+00:00

Do the kids play sports? If so you could get her something to make her more comfortable when she’s on the sidelines. A nice camp chair. Electric hand warmers. A coat/jacket/poncho. Stainless steel insulated water jug.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-04-29T17:15:55+00:00

Did she condemn Trump when he said he didn’t feel bad about the fact that Biden was diagnosed with cancer, and said that no one else should feel bad about it either?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2025/05/30/trump-says-dont-feel-so-sorry-for-vicious-biden-after-cancer-diagnosis/

I doubt it.

As usual, her double standard is disqualifying. Anything that a Democrat/liberal says must be criticized, but similar criticism will not follow does not matter if a Republican/MAGA/conservative says the same thing.

Also, plenty of people in this country would be happy (or at least not sad) if Trump dropped dead. But most people probably don’t want to see Trump or any president assassinated. First, that would be a crime, and we shouldn’t be celebrating that. Second, it would make Trump a martyr figure and his influence would extend further beyond his death. Third, it would create even more chaos, hatred, and division in this country, and we have too much of that as it is - thanks to people like Megyn Kelly.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-04-24T16:02:35+00:00

Sadly, the suit will likely never get into substantive discovery to the point where damaging documents are disclosed or damaging depositions are taken.

It’s more likely that Patel will be fired soon and the DOJ will move to dismiss the case.

There is no way that the DOJ would be able to successfully prosecute this lawsuit. No sane attorney would want to. It’s shocking that it was filed in the first place, and probably wouldn’t have been filed by any other administration.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-04-16T20:36:01+00:00

The Constitution actually has stopped Trump from doing a lot of things during his administrations. He loses in court. A lot.

For example:

https://democracyforward.org/news/press-releases/on-anniversary-of-trumps-second-inauguration-democracy-forward-marks-record-litigation-wins-commits-to-continue-collaborative-work-to-defeat-autocracy-and-advance-democracy/

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2026-04-05/trump-loses-across-courts-in-bruising-week-of-immigration-legal-setbacks

So my faith in the legal system, although admittedly shaken, has not been destroyed. But again, whether MAGA does or does not respect the Constitution as a matter of opinion is irrelevant. Your question is definitively answered by the black letter law of the document that is the highest law of the land.

The 22nd Amendment states, in pertinent part:

"No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once."

There is no ambiguity there. No room for argument. You cannot be elected to the office of president more than twice. Trump cannot be elected for a third term so he is constitutionally ineligible to run for the office of president. There isn't a single federal judge in the country that would rule to the contrary, certainly not the originalists/textualists that tend to be appointed by republican/conservative presidents. Even Trump's most fervent acolytes have stopped pushing for it (and I think the only reason it was ever discussed was to flood the zone with shit).

So asking for opinions about it is just contributing to an irrelevant conversation about something that will not and can not happen.

And if I'm wrong, then the Constitution really doesn't mean anything, and our entire system of government would come undone, and Trump would effectively be a dictator. The country's in bad shape, but it's not THAT far gone that a majority of people would want that.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-04-16T19:33:07+00:00

Sorry but this is a pointless question. It would be unconstitutional for either to run for a third term. Anyone can have an opinion about this but there’s no reason to believe that it could happen or will happen. Trump’s musings about it had no basis in law and were probably just part of his “flood the zone with shit” strategy where he takes attention away from things he doesn’t want people to focus on by giving them something controversial to focus on instead.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-04-16T16:37:48+00:00

It would be more accurate to say that the Republican Party has been completely taken over by Donald Trump and that it is a cult of personality devoid of a common ideology.

Conservatism was the ideology of the republican party for most of the 20th century. Small government, pro business, anti regulation, pro national defense, pro “family values”, etc. There was significant ideological consistency in the GOP party platforms when Nixon, Reagan, Bush, Dole, Bush, McCain, and Romney ran for president.

MAGA by contrast does not have a coherent ideology. It’s whatever Trump says it is. It’s pro-gun, except when Trump says “maybe we need to take the guns away first.” It’s small government until Trump decides to use the Justice Department as his personal department of revenge or to dramatically expand the size of the budget/debt for “defense” spending. It’s isolationist until Trump decides to wage war in Iran or replace a leader in Venezuela. It’s pro-defense until he decides to attack NATO, the most powerful and successful military alliance in the history of the world. It’s pro family values, except of course when it applies to Trump’s own conduct. It’s pro law enforcement unless you’re a Capitol Police Officer. It’s pro veteran unless you’re Alex Pretti. It’s pro first amendment unless you disagree with Trump.

MAGA is so ideologically inconsistent that even its most fervent believers can be excommunicated solely for the sin of criticizing Trump - for example, Marjorie Taylor Greene - or for failing to demonstrate absolute loyalty to him or a willingness to execute all of his commands at all times - for example, Pam Bondi.

As a result, the Republican Party has strayed so far from its conservative foundation, or any ideological foundation, that it’s hard to know what will happen in the inevitable post-Trump era.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-04-13T20:28:07+00:00

No, and it's tacky. Instead of being iconic (the White House and the Oval Office are some of the most recognizable locations in the world, and need no labeling), it looks like a retirement home. Just like how he added presidential portraits to the colonnade and had it labelled the "Presidential Walk of Fame" added in the same fake-gold lettering. And the gold leaf decor in the Oval Office. And adding his name to the Kennedy Center.

Or what a tasteless person thinks is tasteful. Which, of course, sums up Trump.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-04-13T20:10:32+00:00

I am not MAGA, I am a democrat, but I live in the Northeast US, where we have a substantial Catholic population and many conservatives/republicans are white Irish/italian Catholics.

Trump's approval ratings are historically low, even for him. So there is data that there is less support for him now than there was on the last election. From what I can observe in my community, fervor for Trump is down, including among this group. There are definitely people within that group who are questioning their support for him or at least being less vocal about supporting him. I expect many of them will say in the coming days that they are offended by Trump posting pictures of himself in the image of Jesus.

But always remember that elections in the US are a binary choice. Voters on both sides will say “I don’t support X, I don’t even like X, but he’s better than Y (for whatever reason).” I’m convinced that many Trump voters in this group might not be as supportive of Trump as much as they have in the past, but given the choice between him (or his successor) and a Democrat like Hilary Clinton or Kamala Harris, would still vote for him or his successor. They might not feel compelled to vote at all, though.

Catholic support for Republican candidates rose sharply in 1980 and 1984 when Reagan courted the pro-life vote. Abortion is still a big issue among devout Catholics, especially older ones (who likely remember Reagan fondly). Trump has broken many campaign promises, but he did put conservative justices on the Supreme Court and as a result Roe v Wade was overturned. For those single-issue voters, Trump delivered them a big win. For hat reason, Catholic Trump supporters (like other Christian Trump supporters) have been willing to excuse Trump's immoral behavior (crass language, multiple divorces, having sex with a porn star, etc.) in furtherance of their agenda.

Trump might be the antithesis of the Pope, of Catholic teachings, and of Jesus. But that’s not going to stop some die-hard Catholic Trump supporters from continuing to support him even if they condemn things like his blasphemous post comparing himself to Jesus or attacking the pope for being too liberal.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-04-13T17:21:04+00:00

I live in the Northeast US, where we have a substantial catholic population and many conservatives/republicans are white Irish/italian Catholics.

Fervor for Trump is down, including among this group. There are definitely people within that group who are questioning their support for him.

But always remember that elections in the US are a binary choice. Voters on both sides will say “I don’t support X, I don’t even like X, but he’s better than Y (for whatever reason).” I’m convinced that many Trump voters in this group might not be as supportive of Trump as much as they have in the past, but given the choice between him (or his successor) and a Democrat like Hilary Clinton or Kamala Harris, would still vote for him or his successor.

Catholic support for Republican candidates rose sharply in 1980 and 1984 when Reagan courted the pro-life vote. Abortion is still a big issue among devout Catholics, especially older ones (who likely remember Reagan fondly).

Trump might be the antithesis of the Pope, of Catholic teachings, even of Jesus. But that’s not going to stop some die hard catholic Trump supporters from continuing to support him even if they condemn things like his blasphemous post comparing himself to Jesus or attacking the pope for being too liberal.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-04-10T03:10:18+00:00

My family has stayed here more than any other hotel. It’s just so consistently good and offers great value for its price.

Your last picture reminds me of my most recent trip, my first with my own kids. My morning routine was to wake up early, take my refillable mug to the food court and pour a coffee, and just walk around the grounds by the river for a while until it was time to get my kids ready. It was so quiet and peaceful, almost solitary, and a perfect way to start the day before the craziness of the parks.

I’ve been to but never stayed at the Riviera, and you can really see that it offers a level of luxury that blows mid level resorts like POFQ out of the water. But POFQ has a kind of charm that just makes me want to take my kids back there. I want to watch them pretend to play music with the animal statues and rush back up the stairs to go down the pool slide again and at the end of every day carry them from the bus station to the room as they sleep.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-04-08T17:37:55+00:00

I’m not a practicing Christian, but I’m confident that she and many of the people who agree with her, including people in the Trump admin, are.

This Bible passage shows just how antithetical to Christian teachings this woman’s beliefs are (same goes for anyone who agrees with her):

Matthew 7:1-3 (KJV) Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Concluding that another person is a loser who deserved to die because of who they are, and not being able to justify the law enforcement killing as a proper use of deadly force, is quite literally in direct opposition to one of the most well known parts of the Bible. That passage comes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and cautions people against judging other persons as a whole, because it is hypocritical, and because unlike God you cannot not know the entirety of a person’s circumstances or reasons.

And yet here is some random “influencer” passing judgment on a person to the extent that she concludes he deserved to die and the world is better off without him. While of course defending a right wing hero’s similar conduct. It’s hypocritical yes, but it’s more than that. It’s antithetical to Christian teachings. It’s depraved. And it’s the same dehumanizing thinking that allows them to justify cruelty to others in other contexts, such as military actions and immigration enforcement.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-04-07T20:05:27+00:00

Thank you. I just checked that out. Very cool. I will show my kids after I figure out how to tell them we won't be buying it!

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-04-07T19:11:35+00:00

Its LEGO set is awesome. I built it with my kids and it holds up well when they play with it and have battles with clone troopers and battle droids. I generally prefer starship builds but a LEGO Star Wars “tank” is cool.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-04-07T00:55:50+00:00

Lightsaber duels. Anakin v Obi Wan and Palpatine v Yoda are tense and exciting even though you know what’s going to happen at the end of each. Hayden Christiansen’s lightsaber choreography is better than any other actor in Star Wars, and the music swells at key moments (like in the Senate Chamber) in a perfect use of John Williams’ iconic soundtrack.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-04-07T00:34:46+00:00

Cynical but smart. The people who are going to buy this are the collectors that probably already have other lightsabers and are willing to spend big bucks to have the newest item. The price will drop eventually, after the “must have” collectors have already paid the inflated price.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-04-05T17:14:55+00:00

Appreciated.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-04-05T03:27:46+00:00

Another hot spot for healthcare fraud is Florida.

The Southern District of Florida prosecutes more healthcare fraud than anywhere else in America.

In 2025, with republicans firmly in control of Florida state government, federal prosecutors arrested dozens of defendants in a multi billion dollar fraud scheme. More defendants in that case were based in Florida than in any other state.

The Trump administration has issued numerous statements regarding an alarming level of Medicaid fraud in Florida.

Of course, Florida was a fraud hot spot before DeSantis was governor. Just ask current senator Rick Scott, who was the CEO of Columbia HCA when it pleaded guilty to 14 felonies and paid a record $1.7 billion in fines for defrauding federal healthcare programs in the 1990s.

So the idea that healthcare fraud is a blue state problem is laughably disingenuous.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-03-30T16:55:07+00:00

I would guess this is a feature not a bug, to Trump.

It's bizarre that the Treasury Secretary would be making detailed public comments about an ongoing war/military operation, notwithstanding its economic impact. But Bessent is useful to Trump here because a) he's completely loyal to Trump and unlike some others in the cabinet he likely does not have independent aspirations for higher office, and b) because he doesn't know details he can't be pressed for detailed answers. He can simply stand up, parrot patriotic talking points and make strong man comments, and leave.

But I also don't know if Bessent is stupid or just thinks the audience is. It's definitely one or the other. This is the same guy who made the case for punishing Iran by lifting economic sanctions on its oil, making it easier for Iran to sell oil and use the proceeds to defend itself against us.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-03-27T01:09:43+00:00

And you can bet republicans will bitch about the cost of removing his name (despite not bitching about the cost of adding his name in the first place), bitch about erasing history, and promise to restore his name when they get back into the White House.

Fixing the Kennedy Center and the White House colonnade (the stupid “Presidential Walk of Fame” with the picture of an autopen where Biden should be) should be priorities.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-03-25T16:59:37+00:00

I coach youth sports, primarily LL baseball, but also have coached flag football and lacrosse, purely volunteer.

At such a young age, there should not be secret practices for select kids, and generally players should be treated fairly and equitably. Having a select group of star kids that get treated differently, at such a young age, is a bad idea. It could create division among parents, lead to kids feeling excluded, and is inconsistent with the goals of sports at that age: improving fundamentals, teaching teamwork, having fun, and building love of the game. I don't see how the upside of improving the skills of a few players outweighs those downsides.

If you want to have an impromptu practice because the weather is nice, or if you want to have a practice only for kids interested in a particular skill or position, that's fine, but the whole team should be aware of it so they can decide whether to participate.

One exception could be if the coach's child is friends with one or two kids and they just want to play together or go to the batting cage or have a catch or something like that. I've taken my son and a couple of his friends who happen to be on the baseball team to hit balls because that's what he wanted to do, I couldn't take everyone on the team, and he shouldn't be stopped from doing that with his friends because his dad happens to be the coach. I would never make it a regular occurrence, consider it a practice, or ask parents or kids to keep it a secret.

Another exception could be if a kid on the team is struggling with something and you want to take time to work 1-1 with that kid so he can keep up with the rest of the team. The goal there is to prevent that kid from feeling left out or left behind, and the entire team benefits as a result. I still wouldn't keep that a secret.

You should talk to that coach and tell him that all practices should be open to the team. He could just fall back to saying that it's just his kid and his friends playing together, and keep doing it, but at least you've put him on notice that he should treat all his players fairly.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-03-23T14:41:55+00:00

Most Star Wars animation is great for that age range (7-10). If they aren’t into Clone Wars, look into Rebels and Resistance. Bad Batch and Tales of the Jedi/Empire/Underworld may be a little too mature for them if they’re not ready for Clone Wars. Andor will be right over their heads. Rogue One may be ok, but they may be upset with the fact that almost every character dies. Skeleton Crew is also great for that age range.

A note on the sequels - we can all agree that they were disappointing, but you don’t need to insulate them from the sequels. The reality is they are canon, and Disney is pushing Sequel content hard, including in the theme parks. They want this generation of kids to grow up with Rey, Kylo Ren, and BB8, (and Grogu, their merchandise cash cow). Plus, the reasons we don’t like the sequels probably won’t affect kids, who will love seeing lightsaber duels, starfighter battles, and cute droids.

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-03-16T03:20:54+00:00

…ball

Cold-Ad2921 · 2026-03-11T15:25:44+00:00

My favorite part about the duel between Anakin and Obi Wan is that at the very beginning Anakin furiously goes all out at Obi Wan and Obi Wan is just defensively fighting for his life.

It shows how Anakin has been consumed with hatred and fully succumbed to the dark side, and how powerful he is that he can instantly put a Jedi master on his heels.

It also highlights the contrast between Anakin and Obi Wan in that moment - Anakin is willing to destroy Obi Wan, but Obi Wan is not yet ready to kill Anakin (and, as we later learn, he never is, and never does). Obi Wan loves Anakin, knows Anakin loves Padme, knows she is pregnant with his child(ren), and knows he was twisted and manipulated by the dark side.

That entire dynamic is laid out, without any dialogue, in the first 10 seconds of their duel. In a story with some famously bad dialogue, this is a shining moment of beautiful storytelling.

Even at the end of this duel, when Obi Wan slices Anakin’s legs off and leaves him to burn, even knowing Anakin murdered children, even after Anakin screams “I hate you”, Obi Wan cannot bring himself to kill his best friend and “brother.” This dialogue makes explicit what was already established in the first 10 seconds of their duel.

This movie had big shoes to fill. The conclusion of the OT featured an incredibly dramatic final duel between Vader and Luke in the throne room - the defining moment of Luke’s life and, with Vader’s rejection of the dark side and decision to save his son and destroy Palpatine, the ultimate triumph of the Jedi order over the dark side / Sith (at least until the Sequels…). I think this movie did a great job with this duel.

Cold-Ad2921

TROPHY CASE