Scary thought...

I've lived in the greater Los Angeles area since I was 4 years old. I lived through the Northridge earthquake of '94, that was the biggest natural disaster to hit US soil until Hurricane Katrina. It's because of this memory that everytime we have a small tremor, I worry that it's just the prelude to something more. Seems like I'm not the only one who thinks this, and now there's a study to back it up.

Is the "Big One" coming?

Luckily, technology and architecture has greatly improved since 1994. These small tremors could serve as a good warning system, allowing evacuations to start early enough for people to get out of those areas most in danger. Also, all buildings have been brought up to a new code, so they can better handle the shaking of the earth.

We can all do our best to be prepared too, by knowing earthquake safety.
1. During an earthquake, the safest places to be are under a table or in a door frame. Make sure you stay away from windows or mirrors as they may shatter.
2. If you are inside, do not go outside of the building. The windows may blow out or tree branches could fall.
3. Have an earthquake emergency kit: flashlight, space blanket, water, and maybe even some dehydrated food. Actually, here's a complete list of what to put in your kit: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/earthquakes/archive/ready.dtl

in CA, earthquakes are really the only natural disaster we have to worry about. So be prepared! (That's the girl scout in me showing...)

UP flying high in the box office

Disney Pixar just tweeted that UP is now the 5th highest grossing animated film of all time. You can see the list here.

While this is a huge success, you have to take into account two major differences between UP and all other animated films on this list. UP was in the 3D, adding as much as $2/ticket to the admission price. This list also does not account for inflation. So while UP is #5, it is far more likely that Aladdin (one of my favorite disney movies) sold more tickets even though its at #12. These two facts show that while UP is a huge success, it is not THE Disney movie of all time. That title goes to The Lion King for traditional animation, and Finding Nemo for computer animation, which has become the norm.

Now, if you haven't seen UP, I highly recommend that you do. It's a surprisingly touching tale of an old man finally figuring out what a true adventure is. I've seen it twice already, once in 3D. While the animation is amazing, the 3D did not make a huge difference for me. If the $2 difference is an issue, which it can be during these economic times, feel free to skip it and just see it on a regular screen. But see it.

Welcome!

Hey everyone, welcome to my latest endeavor!

So at the moment, it's my job to search the internet all day. I'm looking for mentions of clients in blogs and news articles, but I usually end up finding a lot of other things that I find interesting. I usually post a link on twitter or share it on facebook, but that doesn't allow me to comment on the article myself, or say just why I found it so interesting. So here's my blog to fulfill that purpose!

Posts will probably cover anything from social media, entertainment, to health and anything in between. I'm not limiting this blog by trying to focus on too narrow a scope, plus I'm pretty sure I need to find my "voice" still.

So welcome! If you follow me on twitter (@kristal_bailey), you'll know when I update instantly. Hope you guys enjoy what's to come!