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.

Good riddance

The Hump, a Santa Monica restaurant facing federal charges for allegedly serving whale meat, has closed.

"The Hump hopes that by closing its doors, it will help bring awareness to the detrimental effect that illegal whaling has on the preservation of our ocean ecosystems and species," reads the statement on the restaurant's website.

The restaurant served whale meat to the team from the Oscar-winning documentary “The Cove,” whose members visited with hidden cameras. Members collected specimens that were tested and confirmed as being the flesh of a sei (pronounced SAY) whale.

After the New York Times broke the story, the media and protesters swarmed the restaurant, which is located at the Santa Monica Airport.

On March 10, federal officials charged the owner and chef of the restaurant with the illegal sale of whale meat in violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a maximum fine of $200,000.

It is illegal to sell any kind of whale meat in the United States, and sei are listed as endangered. Sei whales are the third-largest baleen whale, behind the blue and fin whales.

The International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling in 1986 to give the endangered whale populations a chance to recover.

Only in California

I was buying a Diet Coke at my favorite Seal Beach carryout when a photo of Robert Downey Jr. caught my eye. Believe it or not, the photo wasn't on a tabloid. It was on a scratch-off lottery ticket. The California Lottery has a new game that promotes “Sherlock Holmes,” which opens on Christmas Day.

While I was in Pennsylvania in October, I saw scratch-off lottery tickets that promote the Pittsburgh Steelers (I wouldn’t buy one of those; the Steelers’ luck seems to have run out.) and the Philadelphia Eagles. My home state of Ohio has scratch-off tickets tied to almost every holiday. But I have never seen a ticket that pitches a movie.

According to calottery.com, this is a new kind of partnership between the California Lottery and Warner Bros. Pictures. “Sherlock Holmes,” directed by Guy Ritchie (the former Mr. Madonna), stars Downey as the detective and Jude Law as Dr. Watson.

“The Lottery is honored to partner with Warner Bros. Pictures on a game that combines the excitement of the Lottery with the glamour and glitz of a Hollywood blockbuster,” Lottery Director Joan Borucki said. “And by visiting our interactive Web site and entering non-winning tickets, players have the chance to win other great prizes.”

Sherlock Holmes Scratchers give players a crack at cash prizes of up to $15,000. Other prizes include tickets to the Warner Bros. VIP Studio Tour and all kinds of “Sherlock Holmes” swag, such as autographed movie posters and DVDs. The tickets are $2 each.

What did I win? Nothing.

Caption: Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law grace a new California Lottery scratch-off ticket. Who's next? I vote for George Clooney. Photo: California Lottery

It's that time of year

Well, it seems that summer is really over. The beach is empty, the lifeguard huts have been put away, and it's getting dark earlier every day. There's no snow, but the wind seems a bit chillier and people are starting to wear pants and, heaven forbid, coats.

Caption: Seal Beach is deserted at sunset, which is around 5 p.m. these days. That's downtown Long Beach in the distance.

Don't be scared!

It’s October, so it’s Halloween Time at Disneyland! The park is decked out in yellow and orange and there are pumpkins aplenty. There was no sign of Mickey Mouse when I was there on Monday, but I did see Captain Hook, Cruella De Vil, Ursula and the Evil Queen from Snow White. (She was probably promoting the latest release of “Snow White,” now available in a DVD and Blu-Ray combo pack. If you want a single format, you’ll have to wait until Nov. 24.)

Halloween is big business in SoCal, so Disneyland decided to get in on the action in 2006. From the looks of the park, you’d think they’d been doing this for years. As you can see from the photos, the Haunted Mansion was especially impressive. The decorations were inspired by Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and are also used for the park’s Christmas celebration. (By the way, the Christmas celebration leaves Halloween in the dust.) Call me Scrooge, but I think the Haunted Mansion’s original décor is much more appropriate for Halloween. Plus, there’s something special knowing that Walt Disney had a hand in the original.

Speaking of the original, it seems that Disneyland has tweaked It’s A Small World. Disney characters from several animated films are now sprinkled throughout the so-called multi-cultural experience, and I have to say that all stood out like sore thumbs. I wasn’t expecting to see Peter Pan and Wendy in London, and I was even more surprised to see Pinocchio in Italy. I was fuming by the time I saw Lilo and Stitch in Hawaii and Ariel and Flounder in another tropical location.

On one hand, this seems like an easy way for Disney to promote its stable of films. On the other, Disney is tinkering with a classic. When I step into one of the Small World boats, I like knowing that I will see the same attraction that I saw when I was 10. And again when I was 21. And again when I was 27. Enough things change at the Disney parks. (Where is the Country Bear Jamboree?!?!?! Bring back Captain Eo! NOW!!!!) Can’t they leave just one ride for us to experience the way Walt intended? I guess I am a Disney purist.

I seem to be ranting a bit here. The great thing is that Disney now has a forum for its park devotees. You can read up on events at the parks on a new Disney Parks Blog where you can post comments and learn about upcoming events. The Orange County Register an unofficial blog, which has a lot of great “unofficial” information. (Unofficial = better in newspaper jargon) Check out both blogs, especially if you are planning a trip!