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July 29, 2008

My First Laguna Beach Earthquake

"Wait for it!"

That's what my friends and neighbors here in Laguna Beach, California, tell me whenever I make some off-the-cuff remark about how I have yet to experience an earthquake.

Well, the wait is finally over!

Earlier today, a magnitude-5.8 earthquake hit Chino Hills (that's about 40 miles north of my home), and it was clearly felt here in Laguna Beach and as far south as San Diego, or so I'm told. At first, it felt as though a heavy truck had rumbled down the road, but with no truck in sight and a short stutter before a second rumble, I knew it was an earthquake.

In any event, since I've received a bunch of phone calls in the last hour-and-a-half or so from out-of-state friends, I thought I'd let everyone know that all's well here on my end. A few things got tossed around but nothing that's got me too worried or freaked out.

For now, earthquakes are pretty darn cool (and yes, I'm sure I'd feel different if I were severely impacted by one).

Posted by Mikal at 1:24 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

July 25, 2008

Four For Friday

Q1 - Popcorn and Candy: According to the author of "Why Popcorn Costs So Much at the Movies, And Other Pricing Puzzles" (University of California-Irvine Professor Richard McKenzie), buying your movie candy at a local drugstore or Costco can save you as much as 86% from what the theater charges on a price per ounce basis. When you go to the movies, what type of candy and refreshments do you usually buy, or do smuggle yours into the theatre?

Q2 - Then & Now: A recent special issue of People magazine focusing on child actors from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, profiled more than 100 former showbiz kids with an emphasis on where they are in their lives today. Are there any child actors you would like an update on? If so, which one(s)?

Q3 - Pollution: Recent reports indicate that as much as 46,000 pieces of floating plastic can be found per square mile of ocean. If you were enjoying time at the beach by wading in the water, and you noticed garbage floating nearby, would you collect it and throw it away once you were back on shore?

Q4 - Right Now: What is your most pressing concern right now?

Posted by Mikal at 12:32 PM | Comments (16) | TrackBack

July 18, 2008

Q1 - Television: In case you've missed the public service announcements in recent months, the federal government here in the United States has set February 17, 2009, as the date by which all television stations must discontinue broadcasting an analog signal. Are you prepared for the switchover? Are any of the televisions in your home currently unable to accept a digital signal?

Q2 - R.S.V.P.: According to The Emily Post Institute, your most important obligation as an invited wedding guest is to respond to the invitation immediately, especially if you are unable to attend. Generally speaking, how long does it take for you to R.S.V.P. to a wedding, dinner party, birthday party, etc? Do you R.S.V.P. right away or do you tend to wait till the last possible moment?

Q3 - Hug it Out: How do you feel about hugging? Do enjoy being hugged or does it make you feel uncomfortable?

Q4 - Stunt: Pick a celebrity, any celebrity. Got one? Good. Now, picture yourself in charge of their next publicity stunt. Do tell... who is your celebrity and what would you have them do?

July 11, 2008

Q1 - Can I See?: Almost everywhere I've lived, I've had neighbors close enough to my own home that I've often wondered what the inside of their house or apartment looked like. How well do you know your neighbors floor plans? If not at all, are you curious to see what the inside of their homes look like?

Q2 - Four-day Work Week: Many states now offer a four-day work week option for state employees, but according to published media reports, later this year, Utah will become the first state to switch over to a mandatory four-day work week for its state employees. Utah's Governor says he's making the change to reduce the state's carbon footprint, increase energy efficiency, improve customer service and provide workers more flexibility. How do you feel about state workers moving to a four-day work week (regardless of which state you work in)? Do you think it will help the core metrics Utah's Governor says it will (i.e., carbon footprint, energy efficiency, customer service, and worker flexibility)?

Q3 - Virtual Worlds: During the months of April, May, and June of this year, investors poured an astounding $160 million into 16 different companies that build, manage, and host virtual reality worlds online. Perhaps even more surprising is this: leading research firm Gartner predicts that 80% of all active Internet users will be members of virtual worlds by the year 2011. Have you ever visited or joined a online virtual world (i.e., Second Life, The Sims Online, Disney's Toontown, Habbo Hotel, IMVU, Barbie Girls, Gaia Online, World of Warcraft, Lively by Google, etc.)? If so, how often do you participate? If not, do you think you'll adapt and become part of the 80% of us predicted to be active by 2011?

Q4 - Music: What song or album are you hooked on right now?

July 3, 2008

Note From Mikal: Given that tomorrow is a holiday and today feels like Friday, I'm posting this week's Four For Friday meme today rather than tomorrow. Enjoy and have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

Q1 - Holiday Travel: Retail gas prices rose overnight to a record high for the fourth day in a row, ahead of the July 4 holiday weekend -- one of the nation's busiest weekends for travel. The national average price for a gallon of regular gas rose to an all-time high of $4.098 from $4.092 the day before, a daily survey by motorist group AAA showed. Here in Orange County, Calif., our average prices are $4.559 for a gallon of Regular, $4.853 for a gallon of Mid, $4.933 for a gallon of Premium, and $5.098 for a gallon of Diesel. Have you changed your July Fourth plans because of rising gas prices?

Q2 - Neighbors: On the afternoon of November 14, 2007, 61-year-old Joe Horn shot and killed two men burglarizing his Vietnamese-American neighbor's home in Pasadena, Texas. Published recordings of Horn's exchange with 911 emergency dispatch indicate that he was asked repeatedly not to interfere with the burglary, because the police would soon be on hand. Here's a brief snippet of Horn's 911 conversation:

• 911 Operator: Mr. Horn, do not go out the house.
• Joe Horn: I'm sorry. This ain't right, buddy.
• Operator: You're going to get yourself shot if you go outside that house with that gun. I don't care what you think. Stay in the house.
• Horn: You wanna make a bet? I'm gonna kill 'em.

On the 911 tape, Horn can be heard confronting the suspects, saying, "Move, and you're dead", immediately followed by the sound of a shotgun blast, followed by two more. Following the shootings, Horn told the 911 operator, "They came in the front yard with me, man, I had no choice." The two men Horn shot, Diego Ortiz and Hernando Riascos Torres, happened to be illegal aliens from Columbia, and autopsy results revealed both were fatally shot in the back.

To wrap this question up, after hearing two weeks of testimony from witnesses, earlier this week a Houston grand jury chose not to indict Horn for any wrongdoing. Despite how you feel about Horn's actions, would you choose to defend your neighbor's home in the same way? Would you exit your own home in broad-daylight brandishing a weapon in an attempt to stop burglars or suspected thieves?

Q3 - Gobble Up: Now that the European Large Hadron Collider is completed and ready to fire up in August, a slew of articles have popped up on the Internet and in newspapers around the world quoting doomsayers. An AP article from last weekend was the most recent example of critics warning that the 17-mile, $5.8 billion supercollider--which will slam protons together in an attempt to learn more about the building blocks of the universe--will inadvertently create a black hole that will gobble up planet Earth. Are you worried?

Q4 - You Choose: We all know that there only 12 months in a year. But what if I gave you the ability to add a 13th month to the calendar! What would you call this 13th month and where in the calendar would you place it?