Another Chapter in the Annals of Blooperdom

Oops. Or: Pardon my blooper, legal variety.

At the urging of the city attorney, the San Diego City Council on Monday quietly adopted an emergency ordinance to amend Division 95 of Chapter 5 of the Municipal Code, effective immediately.

The amendment substitutes “division” for “chapter” in a section adopted in February, 1988, to ban housing and job discrimination against people with AIDS. The anti-discrimination ordinance allows victims to sue for damages.

However, the original language mistakenly said that no criminal penalties shall be attached to this “chapter”--not just the AIDS division as intended--thus seemingly extending the no-criminal-prosecution provision to a raft of miscreant behavior covered by all divisions of Chapter 5.

Such behavior includes nude dancing, shooting a gun within the city limits, public urination, liquor sales violations and failure to abate loud noises or weed-clogged property--in short, the tacky stuff that coarsens modern life.

When the division/chapter mix-up was spotted, the city attorney immediately asked the council to set the code straight, lest a sharp-eyed defense attorney spot a loophole.

Stu Swett, senior chief deputy city attorney, says prosecutors could probably have persuaded a judge that the council never meant to lift criminal penalties for all of Chapter 5.

“With the amount of legislation we adopt, the possibility of something like this (the mix-up) happening is always there,” he said.

Tony on Tour

Attention all cars: Be on the lookout for a furry adult male, with orange, black and white stripes, often heard to say “Grrrrrrrreat.”

The Kellogg Co., manufacturers of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, has deployed its

“famous spokes- character” Tony the Tiger on a national tour, giving away bicycles for those lucky enough to have a box of his favorite Cornflakes on hand when he comes knocking.

The tour comes to San Diego for a week starting Sunday. To ensure that Tony isn’t pinched by the police as he goes door to door, the corporate headquarters in Battle Creek, Mich., sent a letter of warning to Police Chief Bob Burgreen.

Enclosed was an autographed picture of the suspect.

Not a Prayer Meeting

Don’t look for the opening session to open with a prayer, but the 19th annual Convention of American Atheists commences Friday at the Marriott Hotel in Mission Valley. A record 500 conventioneers are expected.

Among the topics will be creeping creationism, introducing children to atheism, the use of “anti-blasphemy” laws to silence atheists in Austria and Germany, and a psychological look at “What Makes Religionists Tick.”

The opening-day highlight will be a “Bimbos for Satan” lecture by Arizona atheist leader Conrad Goeringer. He says that discovering satanic messages in rock music by playing Guns ‘N Roses records backward, etc., is a thinly disguised try at censorship.

Downey for the Count

The crowd for Monday night’s World Wrestling Federation show at the San Diego Sports Arena was even more excited than usual.

Not only was there a full card of favorites, but it was announced that WWF has added Morton Downey Jr., the razor-tongued talk show host, for WrestleMania V on April 2 at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, N. J. Downey will debate/accost a WWF character called Brother Love, with wrestler-turned-actor Rowdy Roddy Piper as referee.

“Three of the loudest loudmouths ever seen on television,” promised a WWF spokesman.

WrestleMania V can be seen locally on a pay-for-view basis through cable operators. In the wake of Monday’s tour stop, sign-ups (at $24.95) were brisk.

“WrestleMania is big,” said Sandy Cochran, director of public affairs for Southwestern Cable, which serves San Diego north of Interstate 8.