Walt Disney comes to life ... as an audio animatronic

Last year, the Walt Disney company announced at their fan expo that they were working on creating an animatronic version of the man, the myth, the legend, to give fans a first hand glimpse of what the man was actually like.

We didn't hear much for a while after, but now, we're getting additional details. "He" (is it right to use a pronoun here?) will be featured in a new show called "Walt Disney - a Magical Life" at Disneyland, beginning in July.

The LA Times article below pretty much covers the hype and reality of what this actually means.  I called him man, myth, legend in an earlier sentence.  He's achieved a larger than life "hero status." But... he was still a human and as I understand it, never wanted to be placed on a pedestal.  So striking the balance on a show will be quite the undertaking.

https://www.latimes.com/travel/story/2025-05-02/disneyland-walt-disney-a-magical-life-animatronic 

Disney's new theme park

The official press release reads:

The Walt Disney Company and Miral, Abu Dhabi's leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences, announced an agreement to create a landmark Disney theme park resort in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The waterfront resort will be located on Yas Island, a world-class destination for entertainment and leisure, connecting travelers from the Middle East and Africa, India, Asia, Europe, and beyond. This seventh Disney theme park resort will combine Disney's iconic stories, characters and attractions with Abu Dhabi's vibrant culture, stunning shorelines, and breathtaking architecture.

Which is certainly intriguing.  I didn't have a new theme park in the middle east on my bingo card.  Still, I'm intrigued by their growth and think its a good thing in the long run.

But as several market analysts warn: don't get too excited about Disney stock just yet, as it will take several years for the park to be built.

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-announces-abu-dhabi-theme-park/

The wisdom of the crowd as it applies to space

NASA and the ESA are working with something called the Zooniverse (see what they did there?) to help identify galaxies and other objects that the JWST has seen through its optics and recorded.

They say anyone can contribute, and no experience is necessary.  That's pretty cool and you, too, can help contribute to better understanding our universe.

Link to site:

https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/zookeeper/galaxy-zoo/

Short video overview:

https://youtu.be/F-B8gXJyMHc

On Walt Disney and Bob Iger

Recently, comedian Nate Bargatze was asked some questions about his idea to build a sort of a Disney-like themepark.

He said that "[Walt] Disney cared about his customers... Now Disney is run by a guy that's just a businessman. Well, that guy doesn't care about the audience."

That's an interesting perspective.

Zuckerberg on trial

Well, technically its his company, Meta.

The acquisitions to kill competition have drawn the attention of the feds, and there's an effort to dismantle his monopoly over parts of social media,

Stay tuned to see what happens in the coming months.  But as the article notes, its not about Facebook connecting people anymore

https://unionrayo.com/en/zuckerberg-facebook-meta-ftc/

Clemson president knocked down at graduation

Clemson University President Jim Clements witnessed the graduation of a lifetime when his youngest daughter gleefully (and accidentally) knocked him down while accepting her diploma.

On Thursday, May 8, the school saw students enrolled in the ClemsonLIFE program — a program for students with intellectual disabilities — walk the stage.  "It was pure joy" was what he said

Video here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJag7t4ubdu/

Austin Simmons should be a role model for all of us

Here's a kid who has some athletic prowess - playing basketball, football, and baseball.  He went to high school while being dual enrolled in a college program.  And graduated college at 17!

And now, he is going on to be the starting QB at the University of Mississippi at 19, and a college graduate.

That's pretty remarkable.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/the-19-year-old-graduating-college-before-starting-at-qb-for-ole-miss-meet-austin-simmons/#