Disneyland playtests cute droid trio in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge

• October 13, 2023

A cute trio of little buddy droids who travel as Jedi companions to dangerous locations across the Star Wars universe made a surprise visit to the remote village of Batuu at Disneyland for a bit of exploration and research.

Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Research conducted playtests of three BD unit droids on Thursday, Oct. 12 in the Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge themed land at the Anaheim theme park.

New visitors were spotted in Batuu! Disney Imagineers hosted a 1-day playtest at @Disneyland with these droids in training, and we can’t wait to see where this exploration might go! #StarWarsGalaxysEdge #StarWars pic.twitter.com/BTVBfk0qAy

— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) October 13, 2023

The free-roaming droids walked in a single-file line like ducklings, greeted other static droids throughout Galaxy’s Edge and wowed visitors to Batuu, according to a WDW News Today video posted to YouTube.

A character meet-and-greet handler dressed in Batuuan attire asked the droids to conduct a “life form check” as the robots scanned Disneyland visitors with white lights attached to their heads and twitched their ear-like antennae. During the playtest, three operators holding touchscreen tablets controlled the droid trio from a few steps away.

The BD units were distinguished by their blue, green and orange trims and went by the names BlueBot, Greenie and Orange1.

The cute, little robots looked like the BD-1 droid from the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order video game.

The BD unit droid befriends and accompanies former Padawan Cal Kestis, the main protagonist of the game, who is on a quest to rebuild the fallen Jedi Order.

The Beedee droids, short for “buddy units,” were designed to function as companions that assist with research and exploration in remote and dangerous locations across the galaxy far, far away.

SEE ALSO: What’s the next Star Wars destination for Disneyland’s Star Tours?

Game designers created BD-1 as a cross between a twittering bird and a loyal dog, drawing inspiration from the personalities of Charles Schulz’s Woodstock and Snoopy, according to GameInformer.

The BD explorer droid has eyes for scanning and antennae that react to sounds and situations like a dog’s ears, according to GameInformer.

Beedee’s chirpy beeping voice was created by Star Wars sound designer Ben Burtt, who voiced R2-D2, according to GameInformer.

SEE ALSO: The biggest winners in the Disneyland Magic Key settlement aren’t annual passholders

The key to the life-like movements is the robots’ ability to imitate artist-animated keyframe motions, according to Disney Research Associate Lab Director Moritz Bacher.

“That’s the secret sauce,” Bacher said on a Disney Parks video.

The robots can do a happy dance, glare with red-eyed anger and replicate other human emotions, according to Bacher.

“They walk over uneven terrain,” Bacher said on a Disney Parks video. “They can still balance. They are really robust.”

SEE ALSO: Why Disneyland raised ticket prices while Disney World didn’t

The robotic character prototypes developed by Disney Research walk with unique gaits and traits that combine procedural animation, modular hardware and reinforcement learning, according to News Nation reporter Scott Gustin.

A Disney Research video shows the BD droids getting bumped without falling, having fabric pulled from underneath their feet and walking over uneven forested terrain.

Disney Research recently unveiled the new robotic character prototype “that combines procedural animation, modular hardware, and reinforcement learning to be able to design and program a walking character capable of these unique gaits and traits.” pic.twitter.com/w18U8R9oXP

— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) October 12, 2023

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The droid playtest adds a level of interactivity to Galaxy’s Edge that was promised by Imagineering when the Star Wars themed land first debuted in 2019.

When will visitors see the BD droids again in Batuu? Disneyland hasn’t said, but stay tuned.

“We’re really excited to see the guest reaction to these and where it might go in the future,” Executive R&D Imagineer Joel Perry said in the Disney Parks video.

​ Orange County Register 

After Israel’s ‘Pearl Harbor,’ nothing less than victory against Hamas is demanded

• October 13, 2023

Hamas’s massive surprise attack by land, sea and air has been likened to Israel’s “Pearl Harbor” moment. How could this have happened, anguished Israelis are asking, given the country’s outstanding military strength? 

The evident failures of military preparedness and intelligence are stunning. But there’s another, overlooked failure that runs deeper — the failure to acknowledge Hamas’s actual nature and goals, and to act accordingly. 

By its own statement, Hamas exists to end Israel’s existence. The Islamic totalitarian group rose to prominence and gained a loyal following precisely because of its uncompromising, brutal dedication to wiping Israel off the map. No “peace process” is possible with such an enemy — only a decisive victory that eliminates Hamas. 

Many have denounced Israel for its heavy-handed military responses to past Hamas attacks. But in fact Israel’s responses, reinforced by U.S. and international pressure, were insufficiently assertive. 

Israel failed to heed a crucial lesson of history, which I discuss in “What Justice Demands: America and the Israeli Palestinian Conflict.” The lesson is that wars end when one side is deterred, permanently, from taking up arms; when it is rendered non-threatening; when its morale is shattered. 

What does that look like? It’s the day when followers of the Palestinian cause give up on their desire to liquidate Israel, when they put down their knives and suicide belts and rocket launchers, when they accommodate themselves to Israel’s continued existence. That means not simply a destroying Hamas’s rocket launchers, not simply capturing or killing its top leadership, not simply uprooting its militant infrastructure, while leaving a remnant to nurse the hope of winning the next round. It means a profound mind-shift. It means forcing the enemy to give up on its militant goals. 

Despite being militarily superior, however, Israel chose not to defeat Hamas, but only to degrade its capabilities. Repeatedly. The October 7 war is in part a result of this tragic pattern. 

When Hamas seized control of the Gaza strip in 2005-6, it was well-positioned to pursue its jihad against Israel. Hamas trained fighters, many of them teens, and amassed weapons. Using tunnels to bypass Israeli border controls on the passage of goods in and out of Gaza, they smuggled in weapons and rockets. Adopting a well-practiced technique, pioneered by the so-called moderate Palestinian factions years before, the Islamists concealed their arsenal in densely populated neighborhoods, particularly inside mosques and schools. What began as sporadic rocket attacks from Gaza climaxed into a full-scale war. From 2007 to 2008, more than 5,700 rockets had been fired at Israeli neighborhoods and towns.  

To quell such attacks, Israel deployed air and ground forces in Operation Cast Lead, or what became known as the Gaza War of 2008–09. Israel’s retaliation sought to “mow the grass,” weakening the Islamists militarily, not uprooting them. 

By 2012, the Islamists rearmed and renewed their attacks, triggering another, briefer war. Israel again chose not to defeat them.

Then in 2014, amid continuing rocket and mortar attacks, Israel retaliated with air strikes and ground forces. During that 50-day war, Hamas and its allies fired more than 4,500 rockets and mortars — many of them longer-range missiles, putting most of the country within range. 

They had built a network of tunnels designed for smuggling weapons in — and for launching armed raids on Israeli neighborhoods. The aim of Israel’s Operation Protective Edge was to halt the rockets, impair the Islamists’ military infrastructure (launching sites, munitions factories, arms warehouses), and destroy the tunnel network. That’s it. 

In 2021, when Islamists fired rockets into Israel, what was the response? Another round of diminishing Hamas’s capabilities, leaving it and other Islamists to rebuild their arsenal. 

Witness the unprecedented attack launched on October 7. 

And all the while, Israel continued to provide electricity and water to the Hamas-controlled Gaza strip. It also occasionally relaxed the so-called blockade around that enclave, designed to prevent the Islamists from acquiring cash and weapons to fight on. Talk about empowering your own destroyers. 

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Why hasn’t Israel used its superior military power to defeat Hamas? A major factor is that Israel’s leaders themselves lack the moral confidence to act resolutely to protect the individual rights of their citizens. Evidence of this can be seen in Israel’s continual bowing to pressure from Washington and the UN to “de-escalate” and to show “restraint.” This is rooted in the moral idea that one must turn the other cheek, that it’s wrong to pursue one’s self-interest, that a powerful, wealthy victim must appease a less-powerful, have-not aggressor. 

Hamas’s savagery has ignited worldwide outrage, at least for the moment, and perhaps this time, the war will unfold differently. Israelis are resolved to fight back. 

Ending the pre-October 7 pattern requires a rethinking of the moral assumptions that have prevented Israel from fully defending the lives and freedom of its population.   What Israeli leaders need now is the independent, self-confident recognition that it’s morally right to seek the defeat of Hamas, regardless of the foreseeable criticism and calls for “restraint.” 

In its retaliation, Israel should seek nothing less than victory over its enemy. 

Elan Journo, a senior fellow and vice president at the Ayn Rand Institute, is the author of “What Justice Demands: America and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.”

​ Orange County Register 

How many people die from gun shots in Orange County? It’s a mystery

• October 13, 2023

Orange County health officials track and publicize almost all manner of death, counting up the number of people who perish every year of everything from heart disease and cancer to COVID-19 and Alzheimer’s.

A big exception is guns.

While most public health departments in Southern California treat firearm injuries like other causes of death – tabulating the numbers and telling the public how many people in their community die as a result of gunshots, intentional or otherwise – such data has not been listed on public websites run by the Orange County Health Care Agency since the middle of the last decade.

Even over the past three years, as gun purchases and gun homicide and suicide rates have spiked nationally, and at least three mass shootings have taken place in Orange County, the local health department has released no data that researchers or the general public might use to compare local gun death rates to the rest of the country.

The one mention of “firearms” on county public health websites is as a cause of suicide, and even in that case guns are listed only as part of a combined category, “firearms and explosives.” That makes it impossible to track the exact number of people, locally, who choose to use a gun to end their life.

Current and former county officials insist that’s not intentional. They say there is no overt effort to hide or obscure public data about firearm deaths because such numbers might be politically sensitive.

“In my experience, none of the supervisors or anybody ever told me you’re not to report on (gun deaths),” said Dr. Clayton Chau, who led the Orange County Health Care Agency during most of the pandemic before stepping down earlier this year to take a job in the private sector.

“But, yes, it’s true that the public numbers on (gun deaths) aren’t easily available.”

Lack of local public data doesn’t mean the information doesn’t exist. State and federal health experts track gun deaths in every county in the country, and recent numbers suggest Orange County is below the California average of 7.9 gun deaths for every 100,000 people.

But the county’s exact gun death rate hasn’t been publicized, and it’s unclear if local gun deaths are more or less common. It’s also unknown if a recent national trend – a historic spike in childhood mortality in the three years since firearms supplanted auto accidents as the No. 1 killer of kids – is playing out locally.

Experts say not going public with health information is bad for public health.

“Understanding and tracking the data is important, and publicizing it is everything,” said Marizen Ramirez, a public health professor and epidemiologist at UC Irvine who studies the role that violence plays in public health.

Ramirez compared gun data to auto accident data. Just as it’s important to know how many people die each year in auto accidents – in part so the information can be used to calibrate everything from auto insurance rates to freeway speed limits – she said publicizing gun death numbers can help society weigh the broader costs, in lives and dollars, of gun ubiquity.

“It isn’t about demonizing guns,” Ramirez said. “I have friends who have guns, I know of epidemiologists who own guns.

“But understanding the cost those guns actually have for all of us can’t be measured unless we have public data about them. And death data is part of that.”

Though they haven’t made the information public, Chau and others said the county’s Health Agency routinely tracks gun-related fatalities. Officials use data from the county coroner to monitor gun-related homicides, suicides, accidents and officer-involved shootings.

And a new report looking at several years of local gun deaths – the first since 2014 – has been awaiting formal approval for publication from county County Executive Officer Frank Kim for several months.

“I don’t know why it hasn’t come out,” said Chau, who left the county in June and now works for National Healthcare & Housing Advisors, a company that works with public agencies and hospitals to provide health care and shelter options for people struggling with homelessness.

“I know (Kim’s office) needs to talk with different supervisors.”

When asked if it would take months to produce a report about Alzheimer’s disease deaths or cancer deaths, Chau said, “probably not.”

Kim, who didn’t offer detailed comment on the record, confirmed that the report exists and said the county won’t issue any report until it has been “thoroughly vetted” for accuracy.

In the past, Orange County health officials have researched gun deaths and publicized their findings.

In 2014, the county issued a report called “Firearm-Related Injuries and Death in Orange County (2009-2011).” In addition to tracking negative gun outcomes in the county, and in each city, over the three-year window, that report also highlighted at least some of the financial burden that gun violence – in the form of paying for shooting-related injuries – placed on local taxpayers.

“Charges associated with these 300 firearm-related hospitalizations averaged $158,541 per admission and a length of stay of eight days. During the three-year time period of 2009 to 2011, the sum total charges amounted to about $48 million or an average of about $16 million per year,” health officials wrote. An accompanying table showed that about half (51%) of those expenses were covered by Medi-Cal or other government insurance programs, while private insurers picked up about a quarter (23%).

Another report from the same era tracked deaths of people age 17 and younger during a five-year period starting in 2007, and it also included data about gun deaths. During those years  29 children in Orange County died in gun-related homicides and seven died in gun-related suicides.

Since then it’s likely – though, again, unknown because of a lack of information – that guns have killed more children in Orange County. A report from the American Academy of Pediatrics found that the national firearm death rate for children 17 and younger jumped 41.6% from 2018 through 2021, and that 6 in 10 of those deaths were homicides.

The report found that Black teenage boys living in southern states were more likely than any other demographic group to be victims of gun violence, with death rates roughly 11 times higher than children living in comparatively low gun death-rate states like California.

Over time, experts say, such detailed public health findings can be used to slow violence and save lives.

“Sometimes data shows us what we already know. But if we’re looking to prevent gun deaths, to keep our community safer, we have to identify basic data to be on the same page and tackle the same problem,” said Katherine Williamson, a pediatrician from south Orange County who is associated with Children’s Hospital of Orange County and a member of the local chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“The idea that data about gun deaths isn’t available to the public is disappointing,” she said. “Particularly when you’re talking about children.”

County Supervisor Katrina Foley agreed. She said she wasn’t aware that gun data wasn’t included on the Health Agency’s website, but will work to find out why and work with county officials to fix what she said is “a problem.”

“It’s not something we’ve discussed, to be honest.”

Still, when pressed why an agency that can tabulate and publicize the number of local deaths from fentanyl (555 last year), or heart disease (5,114 in 2021), or COVID-19 (3,466 in 2021), can’t offer matching data for firearm injuries – which, based on other public trend lines is one of the 10 leading causes of death in the county – Foley demurred.

“I don’t know,” she said. “But I think it’s important to figure out why we’ve stopped and how to start again.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Bruce Rollinson among group selected for CIF Southern Section Hall of Fame

• October 13, 2023

Former Mater Dei football coach Bruce Rollinson is among the 13 people selected to the 39th class of inductees for the CIF Southern Section Hall of Fame.

The CIF-SS office announced Friday that Rollinson and Orange County high school sports figures Jim Brumm, Rocky Ciarelli, Tony Ciarelli, Dan Glenn, Jeff Gordon, Gary Meek and Bill Seckington are the Orange County high school sports figures who are among the latest inductees who will be honored at a luncheon at The Grand Convention Center in Long Beach on Oct. 18.

Rollinson coached Mater Dei football to eight CIF-SS championships, four state championships and five national titles. He coached two players, Matt Leinart (USC) and Bryce Young (Alabama), who went on to win the Heisman Trophy.

Foothill head coach Jim Brumm talks to his team during a non-league boys water polo game against Newport Harbor at Foothill High in Santa Ana on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019. Newport Harbor defeated Foothill 14-8. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Brumm coached water polo and swimming at Foothill and Huntington Beach. His teams won seven boys water polo CIF-SS championships and eight CIF-SS boys swimming championships. Brumm led his water polo teams to 600 wins in his 40 years of coaching.

Rocky Ciarelli’s 37 years coaching boys and girls volleyball at Edison, Huntington Beach and Newport Harbor produced more than 600 wins and 18 league championships, three CIF-SS boys championships and one girls CIF-SS title, one boys CIF Southern California Regional boys volleyball championship and one CIF State girls volleyball championship.

Tony Ciarelli coached six CIF State champions and 18 CIF-SS champions in the throwing events (shot put and discus) at Edison, Huntington Beach and Newport Harbor. He also was an outstanding assistant coach at Newport Harbor football.

Glenn coached boys and girls volleyball for 35 years at Edison, Newport Harbor and University. His Newport Harbor girls teams won seven CIF-SS championships and five CIF State titles. He also coached three CIF-SS boys volleyball championship teams at Newport Harbor.

Sunny Hills head coach Jeff Gordon during a Freeway League girls soccer game against La Habra at Sunny Hills High in Fullerton on Thursday, January 20, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Gordon coached soccer at Sunny Hills to 19 Freeway League championships and three CIF-SS championships. He was the National High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2007.

Meek coached Esperanza football to three CIF-SS champions during his 17 seasons there. His record with the Aztecs is 144-50-4.

Seckington coached Huntington Beach golf teams to 404 wins and 19 Sunset League championships in his 26 seasons. His teams won three CIF Southern California Regional titles.

Among the CIF-SS Distinguished Service honorees are Bill Prichard, who played water polo at Newport Harbor and wrote “The History of CIF-SS Water Polo 1912-2020,” former CIF-SS commissioner Rob Wigod who was the baseball coach and athletic director at Los Alamitos and former CIF-SS assistant commissioner Rainer Wulf, who coached the Trabuco Hill boys basketball team to a CIF-SS championship.

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​ Orange County Register 

What is a credit card hardship program?

• October 13, 2023

Erik J. Martin | Bankrate.com (TNS)

Finding it increasingly difficult to pay your credit card bills due to some bad luck? Have you overcharged beyond your ability to repay your debt? Worried that your credit rating may be severely damaged if you don’t do something soon?

Thankfully, there are options. One of them is to participate in a credit card hardship program, which is a structured offering designed to assist consumers facing personal and financial adversity and help them avoid defaulting on their credit cards.

Read on to learn about how credit card hardship programs work, their eligibility requirements, the advantages and disadvantages of participating, the steps involved in the process and alternative options to consider.

Credit card hardship programs explained

A credit card hardship program is a financial arrangement offered by credit card-issuing banks and lenders through which you negotiate to make smaller or more manageable payments on your outstanding debt.

Often, through these arrangements, lenders or banks agree to temporarily reduce or eliminate interest charges, lower your payments, waive late fees and extend payment due dates. You may even be allowed to temporarily suspend payments altogether under certain conditions. Any of these measures can make it easier to pay back what you owe during a difficult period.

Consider that the average credit card interest rate today is a record-high 20.71% and that many credit cards charge costly late fees. This double-whammy makes it tough for many financially challenged borrowers to get out of their cycle of increasing debt — especially if they’ve experienced a serious setback like an illness, divorce or job loss.

Modifications permitted under a credit card hardship program can lead to substantial savings, potentially amounting to thousands of dollars saved in interest and fees. However, credit card hardship programs won’t last forever; they often expire after three to 12 months.

Good candidates and qualification requirements

Anyone unable to pay their credit card bills as a result of hardship may qualify for a credit card hardship program.

“These programs are designed to provide relief to individuals facing genuine hardships, such as a sudden job loss or serious loss of income, medical emergency or other unforeseen event that’s caused a significant drop in income or an increase in expenses,” said Venture Smarter CEO Jon Morgan.

Other hardships that qualify for this type of program include suffering a serious and costly illness or injury, a divorce, a family emergency or a natural disaster.

“The requirements for qualifying for a credit card hardship program will vary from issuer to issuer,” personal finance expert Andrew Lokenauth with TheFinanceNewsletter.com, notes. “Some common eligibility requirements include being current on your payments for at least six months, having a good credit history and being able to prove you are experiencing financial hardship.”

“Many institutions also require that the consumer meet with a credit counselor or complete a debt management program to qualify,” says Laura Sterling, vice president of Marketing for Georgia’s Own Credit Union.

Pros of a credit card hardship program

A credit card hardship arrangement has its benefits and drawbacks, each of which is worth exploring carefully.

“On the plus side, you may be allowed to pause or lower your payments. Your interest rate may be temporarily reduced. You’ll likely be allowed to make lower monthly payments without being charged late fees. And you could avoid seriously damaging your credit,” says Lokenauth. “Most importantly, it will provide extra time to help you get back on your feet financially.”

Other advantages include the opportunity to avoid default or bankruptcy and reduced financial stress.

To illustrate the benefits of a credit card hardship program, imagine you have a credit card with a $5,000 balance and an interest rate of 20%. You’ve lost your job and can no longer afford the minimum monthly payment of $200.

“With a hardship program, let’s say the bank agrees to reduce your interest rate to 5% and lower your monthly payment to $100. Over the next 12 months, you pay a total of $1,200 instead of $2,400, making it more manageable while you search for a new job,” says Morgan.

As another example, assume you face unexpected medical expenses of $3,000, which you charge to your credit card. The card assesses an interest rate of 18%, but after entering into a hardship program with the card issuer, your interest rate is lowered to 8%.

“Here, you can potentially save $300 in interest charges over the course of the year,” Morgan adds.

Disadvantages of a credit card hardship program

On the other hand, being in a credit card hardship program may have a temporary negative impact on your credit scores, as participation in these types of programs — as well as any missed payments —can still be reported to the three credit bureaus.

Additional disadvantages include the following:

•Your credit card account may be frozen while you’re enrolled, which means you won’t be able to use the card. While this may be helpful from a financial perspective, it can make life more difficult if you’re still relying on access to the card’s credit.

•Card issuers can continue charging interest during your program participation. As a result, the balance on your card may keep rising.

•The plan may extend your borrowing terms and increase the total interest you’ll pay.

•You may be obligated to set up automatic payments from your bank account to ensure the credit card gets paid. Doing so could create additional hardship if you’re already juggling making payments as funds become available.

Where you can find a credit card hardship program

To inquire about and enroll in a credit card hardship program, contact your credit card and ask if they offer one.

“Many major credit card issuers — including Chase, Citibank, Bank of America and American Express — offer these programs,” Morgan continues.

Just be aware that you’ll have to initiate the conversation.

“Credit card issuers do not advertise credit card hardship programs, even if they do provide them. So if you have a hardship, it’s best to reach out to your issuer directly to see what assistance they offer,” advises Sterling.

Once you’ve reached out to your lender, prepare to take the following steps:

•Document your hardship. Prepare, gather and submit documentation that proves your financial difficulties. This may include items such as a job termination letter, costly bills triggered by a natural disaster, medical bills or other income statements.

•Negotiate and agree to the terms. “Discuss the available options with your bank, including reduced interest rates, waived fees, lower monthly payments or a temporary suspension of payments,” says Morgan. Note that you may be required to sign a program contract to enroll.

•Complete the program according to the rules. Make your new monthly payments on time, stick to the agreed-upon terms and comply with any program requirements. Be aware of when the program expires, too.

Alternatives to a credit card hardship program

Entering into a credit card hardship program isn’t your only choice. Instead, check out these additional options:

•Apply for a balance transfer credit card. This type of card may be able to help you pay off your debt by enabling you to transfer your existing card balances to a new credit card with a 0% intro APR period for a set period of time (typically 12-21 months). This can save big money you’d otherwise spend on interest alone.

•Explore a debt consolidation loan. “Here, the payments may be more manageable if you can consolidate multiple high-rate loans into one lower-rate loan,” suggests Sterling.

•Pursue credit counseling. “Seek advice from a certified credit counselor with a nonprofit organization that can help you create a budget and explore debt management options,” Morgan says.

•Investigate debt settlement. “With this option, you negotiate with your creditors to settle your debt for less than you owe, but it can be a risky option because it may damage your credit,” Lokenauth says.

•Consider bankruptcy as a last resort. “While it has significant long-term consequences, bankruptcy may be necessary for those with overwhelming debt and no other viable options,” adds Morgan.

The bottom line

Mounting credit card debt can leave you feeling overwhelmed and anxious. But if you can demonstrate a true financial hardship, you can lift the weight of worry to some degree by working with your credit card issuer to repay what you owe on more preferred terms and with fewer penalties and charges.

“Just be sure to do your research and explore all your available options before you enter into a credit card hardship program,” Lokenauth recommends. “Also, read the fine print carefully and make sure you understand all the terms before signing or committing to anything.”

Key takeaways

•A credit card hardship program may allow you to pause or make smaller payments on your credit card debt with more preferred terms and waived fees.

•Many credit card issuers offer credit card hardship programs you may qualify for.

•Other options to consider include balance transfer cards, debt consolidation loans, credit counseling, debt settlements or — as a last resort — bankruptcy.

___

(Visit Bankrate online at bankrate.com.)

©2023 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

​ Orange County Register 

‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ is one of the greatest concert films of all time

• October 13, 2023

Taylor Swift has triumphed yet again.

Yet, she’s done so in a way that is different than ever before, delivering fans a career-spanning major theatrical release that ranks as nothing less than one of the greatest concert films ever made.

The Sam Wrench-directed offering — which hit theaters this week and is expected to quickly set box office records as the top-grossing concert movie of all time — succeeds in numerous ways, magnifying the strengths of the blockbuster tour of the same name as it nicely translates the experience from cavernous football stadiums to movie houses.

That’s not easy to do, but it certainly helps when the film crew is drawing from stellar source material — and “The Eras Tour” is indeed nothing short of brilliant. Yet, there’s more to do it than just that, given that the tour is designed in a way that makes sense for filming. The footage was shot during her first of three out of six total evenings at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood back in August.

As the tour’s name implies, the production is organized by different eras (or, more specifically, albums) in Swift’s career, with the singer performing a batch of material from one album before moving onto the next disc. Each of these segments unfold onstage like individual chapters, with the star embracing different thematic stage settings/wardrobes/special effects that correspond to the specific albums. There are nine chapters in all — well, 10, if you count the “surprise songs” segment.

On film, even more so than during the actual live show, these different chapters really break up the action into easily digestible bitesize pieces. You never have time to get tired of what you’re watching, because the next adventure awaits just around the corner.

That’s incredibly important for a film that runs right around 2 hours and 50 minutes.

But it’s an enormous amount for pretty much any concert film not named “Woodstock” and is roughly twice the length of the Talking Heads’ “Stop Making Sense,” the highly acclaimed rock doc from 1984 that recently found its way back to theaters.

Yet, amazingly, “The Eras Tour” doesn’t feel overly long at all. Indeed, there will certainly be some Swifties who will complain about what was edited out of the show in order get it under the 3-hour mark. And I can’t be the only one who wishes Swift would have included one more Era in the mix and spotlighted her self-titled debut. (The movie does, however, include the first album’s “Our Song” in the “Surprise” song segment.)

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Swift’s greatest strength — of many — is her ability to connect with the crowd. In 30 years of writing about concerts, I’ve never seen anybody do it better. She does it with big pop production numbers, which get everybody dancing and singing along at top volume to the music, and she does it even more convincingly with the most basic of body language, captivating crowds of 50,000-plus with the wink of an eye or a sideways glance.

Wrench focuses the film on capturing that amazing trait, never letting the special effects, dance routines or other big production elements crowd out Swift’s sheer charisma. He’s always directing us back to her megawatt smile, overwhelming sense of joy onstage and connection with fans.

That’s a very wise and, one assumes, deliberate decision, since it must have been very tempting to go the other direction and really let the magnitude of the occasion — multiple sold-out nights at the massive SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles — really dictate the direction. Yet, this film manages to feel very intimate, even in the midst of tens of thousands of people gathered together in the second largest city in the United States to witness one of the biggest pop stars of all time.

Swift’s performances are simply magnetic, as she waltzes back through her 17-year recording career, stopping here and there to perform some of the very greatest songs of the 21st century. It’s simply can’t-miss viewing for all Swifties.

Of course, the hallmark of any great concert film is its ability to appeal to non-fans. And I think the movie definitely checks that box as well.

“Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” is really for anybody who wants to not only experience but also more fully understand and appreciate an incredible artist who is accomplishing things that so few have ever done before.

“Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” concert film setlist:

From the “Lover” Era: “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince,” “Cruel Summer,” “The Man,” You Need to Calm Down” and “Lover.”

From the “Fearless” Era: “Fearless,” ‘You Belong With Me” and “Love Story.”

From the “Evermore” Era: “Willow,” “Marjorie,” “Champagne Problems” and “Tolerate It.”

From the “Reputation” Era: “…Ready for It?,” “Delicate,” “Don’t Blame Me” and “Look What You Made Me Do.”

From the “Speak Now” Era: “Enchanted.”

From the “Red” Era: “22,” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).”

From the “Folklore” Era: “The 1,” “Betty,” “the Last Great American Dynasty,” “August,” “Illicit Affairs” and “My Tears Ricochet.”

From the “1989” Era: “Style,” “Blank Space,” Shake It Off,” “Wildest Dreams” and “Bad Blood.”

Surprise songs from the tour: “Our Song” and “You’re on Your Own Kid.

From the “Midnights” Era: “Lavender Haze,” “Anti-Hero,” “Midnight Rain,” “Vigilante (Stuff),” “Bejeweled,” “Mastermind” and “Karma.”

​ Orange County Register 

Galaxy inducting legendary coach Sigi Schmid into Ring of Honor

• October 13, 2023

Greg Vanney remembers his first time meeting Sigi Schmid.

“I was a little nervous around him,” Vanney said. “He had the aura and the name of a guy who had already been around the national team level, who had been coaching at UCLA for years, won championships and put out guys who were playing at the national team and pro level.

“I was a little in awe of the stature of Sigi and all that he had accomplished. He could be very serious, no nonsense when he’s around the game, until you get to really know him and get into storytelling, then you get to know the heart of Sigi.”

Vanney would eventually play under Schmid at UCLA (1993-95) and with the Galaxy (1999-2001).

“He was a workhorse, who was passionate and loved the game,” Vanney said. “I know he left a huge imprint on all of us and those who came through his tutelage.”

On Saturday, Schmid, who died in 2018, will officially be inducted into the Galaxy’s Ring of Honor at halftime of Saturday’s game against Real Salt Lake (7:30 p.m., Apple TV+). The ceremony will arguably be the highlight for a game in which the Galaxy will be playing for pride, having been eliminated from MLS playoff contention Saturday.

Schmid coached the Galaxy in two stints (1999-2004 and 2017-2018). He was the 1999 MLS Coach of the Year and led the Galaxy to the 2000 CONCACAF Champions Cup, 2001 U.S. Open Cup and the 2002 MLS Cup and Supporters Shield.

Current Galaxy goalkeeping coach Kevin Hartman played under Schmid at UCLA and with the Galaxy, starting in 1994 until 20004.

“I think players always like having systems and standards and being able to operate in something that allows them to grow as a player and person,” Hartman said. “I felt like players in the environment were always challenged, because everybody was super competitive.”

Before taking over UCLA or the Galaxy, Schmid started his coaching career at Bishop Montgomery High in Torrance. To best describe his impact on the sport, Schmid is a member of the Bishop Montgomery, AYSO, UCLA and National Soccer halls of fame.

“I know he was a big part of getting this place built,” Hartman said. “He was somebody that always stayed true to his roots and somebody that wanted to be a part of this community and really somebody that shared the ideals of what we felt like Southern California soccer was all about.”

After leaving the Galaxy in 2004, Schmid coached the Columbus Crew (2006-2008) and the Seattle Sounders (2009-2016) before returning to the Galaxy in 2017.

“It is nice to be back and nice to be able to coach where I don’t have to buy a house or rent something,” Schmid said on his first day back in 2017.

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“It is sort of full circle. I remember my first interview with Phil Anschutz, watching a Kings game, talking about the possibility of leaving UCLA to come here. I’ve always been grateful and thankful to Phil and Tim Leiweke, who were the ones who brought me here. To be able to come back and work for the organization is really exciting.

“I wanted to coach again. I haven’t had many losing seasons and I didn’t want to end on one. It means a lot to come back and to come back and coach in Los Angeles.”

Real Salt Lake (13-12-7, 46 pts) at Galaxy (8-13-11, 35 pts)

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Dignity Health Sports Park

How to watch: Apple TV (free)

​ Orange County Register 

Finance nerds share tips for managing holiday budgets and stress

• October 13, 2023

By Elizabeth Ayoola | NerdWallet

Holidays are meant to be full of love, but sometimes they’re full of stress and anxiety. One of the culprits can be the unspoken financial commitment of family dinners, travel and chaotic gift-buying. Sometimes the stress is beyond your control, but there are some things you can champion like planning and budgeting.

We asked a few of our Nerds to write down their best strategies for managing holiday stress and spending. Here are their responses.

Set a gift budget

If money wasn’t a thing, we could buy our loved ones anything they want or need. But money is a factor, so it’s ideal to work within a budget, which means having a limit for how much you spend on gifts. You can also take it a step further by agreeing on a spending cap with your loved ones, something senior copy editor Jim McNett does.

“The small circle of people I exchange gifts with have a quiet understanding to keep gifts under about $100,” he said.

Give secondhand gifts

It can feel taboo to give loved ones used gifts, but giving secondhand gifts is a cost-effective option. Copy chief Erica Harrington sometimes buys gifts for her loved ones secondhand.

“I shop on Etsy and eBay. For instance, my mom liked one of my purses I bought several years ago, so I searched for the brand on eBay and found her something similar from the same brand,” Harrington said.

To give it a new feel, get nice packaging for the gift. If you’re not sold on the idea of secondhand gifts, start with small, slightly used items like books. It’s also possible to find new items for less in charity shops and on online platforms like eBay, although you may have to bid for them.

Aside from buying gifts secondhand, you could also get holiday decorations from charity thrift shops.

Take a break from spending in the new year

It’s possible to spend more during the holidays than you do the rest of the year. Gifts aside, you could end up going out to dinner with friends more often or doing holiday activities with family. Spending more during the holidays isn’t a terrible thing if you financially plan for it. Spending big chunks of money can feel stressful, however, especially if you don’t have a surplus of funds. To help you recover from large holiday expenses, consider minimizing spending a few months after the holidays.

“If I know I’m going to be traveling or spending a lot over the holidays, I also plan to have a lot of downtime in January and February and even March, when I know I won’t be planning any big purchases,” said editor Chris Davis. He explained that taking time to financially recover post-holidays requires discipline, but it can help you get back on track for the rest of the year.

Try wish list apps

Not being sure what to buy a loved one can be stressful and lead to last-minute shopping. Last-minute purchases can sometimes be more expensive, especially if retailers mark prices up. To save yourself time and eliminate worry around whether your loved one will like the gift, consider using a platform like Giftster to share gift ideas. You can create a wish list, add items to it and share it with loved ones. There’s even an option to create a group wish list, which can be helpful for families or friend groups. Other apps you can use for wish lists include Giftbuster and WishSlate.

If you aren’t into apps, there are other ways to go about sharing wish lists with your loved ones like creating a spreadsheet to exchange gift ideas. iPhone users can also use the Notes app to collaborate on gift ideas.

Don’t feel pressure to buy gifts

While it is nice to give people gifts, it’s not a necessity, especially if it’s overwhelming or you can’t afford it. Editor Pamela de la Fuente experiences anxiety around the holidays, but “takes it in stride.” The mom of two has a busy life, so she doesn’t get around to doing meticulous financial planning for the holidays.

“I just try to limit the amount of toys I buy, I don’t exchange gifts with my husband or in-laws anymore, and I ask my sister what she wants and try to keep that gift-buying budget in check,” said de la Fuente. “I also try to do some experiences. Maybe instead of a gift, here’s money to go on a trip together or something like that.”

Use apps to budget

Holidays are a great time to blow the dust off your budgeting apps if they’ve been inactive. Creative producer Amanda Deisler uses an app to help her stay organized and plan spending.

“I actually use YNAB and set aside a specific amount for all holiday spending,” Deisler said. She also tracks her holiday expenses in the app.

Consider using apps to create a holiday budget, then throw funds in there weekly or monthly, using the apps to keep track of your savings. For instance, if you’ll be spending Hanukkah out of town with loved ones, you may want to create a budget for food and travel.

Repurpose or DIY decor

Buying new holiday decor every year can be expensive, especially if you go all out on ornaments and lights. Think about reusing or repurposing existing decorations. You may also add a festive touch by creating something new using items you have at home. For instance, you can make ornaments out of copper, foil and paper mache.

“I save money on the Christmas tree by having some fun using substitutes sometimes,” McNett said. He once decorated a ladder with lights and that served as his Christmas tree.

Track spending

When you’re spending with multiple credit and debit cards during the holidays, it’s easy to lose track of how much you’re charging. Consider taking a page out of writer Tommy Tindall’s book.

“I use just one credit card for all purchases and pay closer attention to my bank app during the spending season,” Tindall said.

Using a credit or debit card that gives you cash-back rewards or points may also be a clever way to get money back during the holidays.

Plan travel and gifts early

You don’t have to wait until the holidays to start shopping. Consider buying gifts throughout the year like content management specialist Sabrina Parys does.

“If I know I’m going to be spending money on presents, I try to remember this throughout the year and purchase things for later to relieve the pressure of purchasing something that’s probably marked up around the holidays,” she said. Major sales on days like the Fourth of July and Black Friday are great times to buy gifts at a discount.

The same applies to travel — think about deciding who is spending the holidays where early in the year so you can buy tickets while they’re cheap. It’s also OK to skip traveling during pricey periods such as Thanksgiving or New Year’s if you can’t afford it.

Bottom line — focusing on the things you can control like your budget and spending can hopefully make the season less stressful.

The article Finance Nerds Share Tips for Managing Holiday Budgets and Stress originally appeared on NerdWallet.

​ Orange County Register