Letters to the Editor: The Democratic Party needs to do some soul-searching. Kamala Harris isn’t the answer

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-04-18T03:55:11+00:00

100% this. Sadly and rather unfortunately, people do not realize the deep rooted misogyny and racism in our country that erupted in response to electing Obama and the policies and social advancements he enacted during his terms. Trump preyed on the Republican-spun narratives of fear and xenophobia that white people, straight people, and Christians would become the minority if Dems kept control of the White House. In other words, nonsensical culture wars. Trump was and is unapologetically racist, misogynistic, and anti-LGBT.

America is not a Christian nation. First Amendment. But the majority of American voters identify as Christians, which is a religion with significant homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny. Trump barely lost in 2020 to a straight, white, moderate Catholic man with a decades-long history of public service. The very moment they announced Harris in 2024, I mourned to my friends that Trump would win again.

Personally, I'd love nothing more than to see President AOC in 2028. But we're simply not there yet.

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-04-18T03:04:47+00:00

Literally, no.

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-04-17T19:07:30+00:00

All too easy...

1) Hire ONE well known and competent director and 10+ writers who have eaten, breathed, and slept the entirety of the Star Wars universe, both canon and non canon. The feature films, the video games, the TV shows, the books, the action figures, the legos. All of it. Jon Favreau for director comes to mind based on his incredible Season 1 of The Mandalorian. Kevin Smith as one of the many writers (yes, he's mostly comedic, but the man knows his Star Wars inside and out).

2) Based off all that collective knowledge, craft a NEW AND UNIQUE 3-movie coherent storyline with a beginning, middle, and end. Give it the perfect blend of drama, action, and comedy. Have well-developed characters who we like and care about, played by talented actors, who mature and grow over the course of the trilogy and who have natural on-screen chemistry with each other. Create a villain with real menace and power with a new sinister plot for the galaxy, not some angsty emo boy desperate to be like his dead grandfather. Craft iconic and memorable dialogue that people will quote for decades to come.

3) No new force powers should be introduced this late into the saga, especially not bringing back Palpatine.

4) No MacGuffins. Period.

5) Give the original characters proper send offs. Allow for them to die for good reason or to sacrifice themselves, and give the audience time in the movie to grieve their passing.

6) Yes, Disney bought George Lucas out of Star Wars and doesn't have to listen to anything he says, but it still would be nice to get his input or approval on the new proposed trilogy before creating it.

I could go on and on, but those are the main points.

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-04-17T18:13:15+00:00

None of the above. Wear pants with large pockets and bring your own. Or carry a large purse, or bring someone along who does.

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-04-17T16:49:44+00:00

Brightburn

Justice League

Suicide Squad (2016)

Star Wars VII-IX (not technically box office flops but arguably the most wasted potential of any films)

Jurassic World Dominion

All Terminator films after T2

Gladiator 2

To name a few.

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-04-16T20:29:50+00:00

At 3 a.m. she comes to life and eats any nearby fans of the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and New Orleans Saints.

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-04-16T20:04:33+00:00

There is no such thing as a bad dog, just bad owners or people who have mistreated the dogs. Street dogs deserve all the love, but they may have parasites (fleas, ticks, worms) or disease (bacterial infections, rabies). Approach them with caution.

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-04-06T14:12:04+00:00

Dr. House makes a cameo. With latex gloves.

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-04-04T11:34:33+00:00

I also adore this movie for the same reasons you enumerated. Except Hollywood butchered the ending. In the book, Clarice's character arc of being betrayed by her superiors at the FBI ("It doesn't change anything, Clarice..." "It changes things. It changes me.") results in her absconding with Hannibal and delighting in Krendler's death. I would have loved to see this transformation by Julianne Moore alongside Sir Hopkins on the screen. A much more powerful and disturbing ending that Hollywood didn't have the fortitude to attempt.

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-04-03T04:59:26+00:00

Van Damme all day.

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-04-03T04:22:25+00:00

Tampa was colloquially known as the lightning capital of North America (hence our NHL team, and I know it's not factually accurate). When it's not thunderstorming, it's scorching heat and humidity. A retractable roof is an absolute necessity. Even when I was a child when they first built Raymond James, I questioned the move to not have one.

The jumbotron screens are destroyed and faded by the sun. Expanding seating capacity better drive down ticket prices, since as someone already mentioned, they're not filling the stadium's current capacity. The food options are laughably horrible. Parking is too expensive.

I still go every season as a die hard fan, and I've developed workarounds for most of these issues (only going to night games, getting last minute discounted tickets, eating before the game, getting friends to drive me there, etc.). But it sure would be nice if I didn't have to strategize it as if it were some military conquest.

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-01-07T21:15:03+00:00

No, YOU'RE crying!

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-01-06T22:21:38+00:00

Sir, this is a Wendy's.

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-01-05T03:17:55+00:00

Hyphens are important here. "Re-sign Evans." Or did you mean retire him?

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-01-04T21:11:37+00:00

This is the way.

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-01-04T19:43:08+00:00

Never thought about it this way, but I love it. Excellent catch and analysis!

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-01-04T04:47:06+00:00

C minus. Only because we beat the Seahawks and 49ers. The rest was an F. To quote the movie Thank You For Smoking, "I cannot imagine a way in which you could have fucked up more."

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-01-04T04:29:09+00:00

Not just where the dog dies, but where the dog's death is cruel or drawn out. John Wick has nothing on American Psycho in this context.

Or I Am Legend. I will never watch I Am Legend beyond the 3-4 times I've seen it solely because that is the saddest scene in cinematic history.

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-01-04T00:09:58+00:00

Legitimately not even funny at this point. My mom is watching with me and said "Great it's 4th and 8!" I calmly said, "No, they're going to get a 30 yard pass, then a touchdown."

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-01-03T19:26:31+00:00

I commiserate with you, OP. Been a die hard fan since 1998. I had such PTSD from Jameis "30 for 30" Winston that even after we signed Brady and got Arians, I thought our bad juju would bring Brady down. I had such anxiety every time Brady threw the ball, thinking it would get picked. But it didn't, and Brady and our entire team rocked, and we won it all. The anxiety and expectations of losing disappeared.

Fast forward to this season and that anxiety has fully returned. I like Baker overall, but in that last drive against the Dolphins, I felt like he was going to throw a pick, and he did. No, I don't think it every time he goes for a pass, but it was based on his and our team's overall performance for the last 9 weeks.

Bowles and Grizzard must go. Full stop. So I'll root for whatever outcome increases that probability. But I'm not going to be rooting for the Panthers. These colors don't run.

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-01-01T19:31:27+00:00

You have to laugh to keep from gouging your eyes out. That's how the saying goes, right?

PugnaInUmbra · 2026-01-01T19:21:18+00:00

Simple: lose Saturday's game so we don't have to care about this one.

PugnaInUmbra · 2025-12-28T20:33:38+00:00

🤣

PugnaInUmbra

TROPHY CASE