Flails of the city: Prospective jurors for...

Flails of the city: Prospective jurors for a bar-brawling case in Hollywood Municipal Court were asked whether they’d ever witnessed a fistfight as adults. Some related real eye-openers, or, rather, eye-closers. Even a slightly built psychologist from Beverly Hills had a story. He began, “Well, I was at this homeowners association meeting. . . .”

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One title L.A. would be happy to give up: The FBI announced a while back that there were 37% fewer bank robberies in Southern California in 1993 than in 1992. And new figures show that the 1994 rate is down 17% from 1993.

FBI spokesman Ron Twersky attributes much of the decline to improved security measures by banks, including the installation of plastic partitions, known as “bandit barriers,” between the tellers and customers.

Paradoxically, the decline could cause a bit of extra paperwork for the FBI.

“We might have to change our title one of these days,” Twersky said.

He was referring to the logo on the faxes of the G-men’s L.A. office, which proclaims: “Bank Robbery Capital of the World.”

Tie a yellow ribbon ‘round the old City Hall. Or a blue one. Or . . . Mayoral aide Tom LaBonge has asked the city Bureau of Engineering if there isn’t some way to decorate (or replace) the black armband that City Hall has been wearing for almost three months.

“Some people feel that we’re in mourning,” LaBonge observed. Actually, the funereal covering is a backstop to keep debris from falling while City Hall is being retrofitted.

But the gloomy thing isn’t scheduled to come down for several months.

Engineering said it’s open to suggestions, and LaBonge plans to approach Al Nodal, the general manager of the Cultural Affairs Department, for ideas. After all, Southern California does have a reputation for creativity.

Why not have an artist design a mock bandage? Or, in honor of next week’s baseball opener, why not install a “Go Dodgers!” banner? Even if the city keeps the black strip, it could be converted into a Raiders’ banner by painting buccaneers on it. The pirate design, at least, could serve as a landmark to guide new lobbyists to City Council meetings.

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Actually, we don’t want to know: Jeff Bliss spotted an ad that was headlined, “Ear Coning Comes to Malibu!” in the Malibu Surfside News. The blurb, which was for an ear-cleaning process, was accompanied by an endorsement from a West L.A. teacher who enthused, “You won’t believe what came out of my ears!”

miscelLAny:

Is that big controversy in Washington, D.C., beginning to fade into the background? Allen Arata of Hawthorne points out that “White Water Summer,” a 1987 movie, was relegated to a 1:30 a.m. TV slot the other morning.