An ominous sign

Dave and I arrived at work on Sunday to find a giant inflatable Titanic in front of the L.A. Times building. Given the state of the newspaper industry, it was ironic that a sinking ship be placed in front of what many consider to be a sinking business.

Coincidentally on Monday, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported that print circulation continues to drop at U.S. newspapers. According to the bureau, average weekday circulation fell 8.7% in the six months that ended March 31 compared with the same period a year earlier. Sunday circulation fell 6.5%.

Circulation at the Los Angeles Times fell 14.7% to 616,606 on weekdays and 7.6% to 941,914 on Sundays. Daily circulation at The Times was over a million 10 years ago.

At the Washington Post, average weekday circulation fell 13.1% to 578,482 and dropped 8.2% to 797,679 on Sundays.

While the declines are sobering, it’s important to note that more and more people are reading the news online. Newspapers remain the leading source of local news and continue to be a trusted information source. Those of us who are lucky enough to still be in the newspaper business remain committed to serving the public and doing quality work.

Caption: Two sinking ships? An inflatable slide shaped like the ill-fated Titanic sits on Spring Street outside the Los Angeles Times. The inflatables and other displays were part of Fiesta Broadway, a huge street party held annually in downtown L.A.

Be prepared

Sunday’s earthquake was the second that I’ve experienced in SoCal, and this one was stronger and longer than the first. I’m not a Boy Scout, but I want to be prepared for an emergency.

When the Red Cross isn’t calling me to ask for blood donations, it apparently does a lot of work educating people on how to prepare for disasters. The organization recommends having an earthquake preparedness pack for your home, office and vehicle. (Yes, that’s three. THREE!) I have a decent pack for our home and have stashed some food and toiletries in my desk at the office.

Today, I put together backpacks for our two vehicles. Are we ready? I don’t know. But here’s the breakdown of what I bought at Target and what it cost.

• Backpack $9.99
• LED flashlight w/ batteries $7.89
• Flashing glow stick $4.99
• Swiss army knife $9.99
• Emergency poncho $1.47
• First aid kit $4.79 (Contains bandages, pain meds, antibacterial spray, Cortaid)
• Germ guard kit $3.98 (Contains masks, gloves, sanitizing gel and spray)
• Wet Ones wipes $0.99
• Renu saline plus contact lenses case $1.47
• Kleenex $0.99
• Wisps toothbrushes $1.99 (Mini brushes made by Colgate. They include the toothpaste. I would have been all over these back when I was a camp counselor!)
• Planters nuts $4.00
• Slim Jims $2.89
• Peanut butter crackers $1.72
• Granola bars $2.50
• Raisins $1.89

Total: $61.54 plus tax

The Red Cross sells packs with three days’ worth of supplies. The packs cost $69.95 but are out of stock. I based my shopping list on the Red Cross list.

Now, I have to go clean out the pantry to make room for a two-week supply of non-perishable food items.

Earthquake!

An earthquake initially reported at a 6.9 magnitude struck at 3:40 p.m. today near Mexicali in Baja California.

Seismologists revised the quake to 7.2 magnitude, making it the largest quake in the region since 1992. It was felt in Santa Barbara, Las Vegas and Phoenix.

U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Lucy Jones said at least 20 million people across the Southwestern United States and Mexico felt the earthquake. She also said that any earthquake has a 5 percent chance of triggering something larger than itself and that people should prepare for aftershocks.

Sure enough, a magnitude 4.1 earthquake hit the Santa Monica Bay 6 miles south of Malibu about two hours later, and scientists say it is connected to the Mexicali temblor.

Information about damage in Mexicali remains sketchy, but photos posted on Twitter show significant damage to buildings and stores. There are no reports of structural damage in Greater Los Angeles.

In our home, pictures swayed on the walls and objects moved across our tables and countertops. The building swayed for about a minute, starting slow with the motion becoming stronger. The elevators in the building automatically shut off after an earthquake, so we’ll be using the stairs for the rest of the day.