los-angelenos

4,4 magnitude earthquake today within the city limits. It wasn't bad enough to injure anyone or damage property, but we take it as a reminder that we all need to be prepared for the Big One™.

We are heartened by the rain. And it is not the typical light sprinkles that puts the local networks on “Storm Watch.” It’s a bonafide winter storm from the Pacific. On Friday it dropped 2 1/4 inches on downtown Los Angeles and more in the foothills. The storm generated warnings of flash floods and mudslides and created 12 foot waves at some beaches. Last night some San Gabriel Valley residents were awakened by two reverse 911 calls; the first warning of a tornado (“…take shelter now…”) and the second warning of flash floods. Despite our elation over the rain experts say it will do little to relieve the drought. Nevertheless it’s better than nothing. And we love it.

There is no question that child abductions are tragic, and that Amber Alert phone notifications (part of the national Emergency Alerts System) are a great idea. But the implementation of this notification program is terrible! iPhone users were jolted awake several times last night by their phone's "Alarm" ringtone, which is designed to sound like a 1950s military base under threat of imminent attack. On iPhones, the Amber Alert system uses this specific ringtone at full volume, even when in Silent Mode or Do Not Disturb is activated. Unless a tsunami is about to wash Los Angeles into the ocean, common sense tells us that particular sound is not necessary or appropriate, especially since it can be triggered in the middle of the night while people are sleeping. It's an all-or-nothing design, where the only option one has is to opt-out entirely. Given the ringtone choice, it wouldn't be surprising if many people did opt out. The poor decision to use this particular ringtone is a lesson in the importance of getting the details right.