That’s one small spiked heel for mankind:...
That’s one small spiked heel for mankind: Astronaut Barbie has landed in the toy stores--just in time for El Segundo-based Mattel Corp. to cash in on the 25th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon walk.
Her equipment includes an “authentic-looking NASA helmet” that somehow fits over her long blonde tresses, as well as a silver net bag to hold her “glow-in-the-dark moon rocks.”
Alas, Astronaut Barbie apparently doesn’t have the right stuff to take a stroll on the lunar surface.
Small print on the package discloses: “Doll cannot stand alone.”
Swallow your pride, Barbie! Next time, take along someone for support--Commander Ken, for instance.
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Feat of feet: Jesse Castaneda dribbled into town Tuesday, completing a two-month journey in which he kicked a soccer ball all the way from Albuquerque, N.M.
Or rather, six balls. “They really wore out in the spots where we hit hot weather,” explained Castaneda, who also went through three pairs of sneakers on his 1,114-mile marathon.
Castaneda, who was honored by the City Council Tuesday, reported no mishaps on his excursion, although “the ball got a way from me a couple of times in Arizona because the mountains are very steep there.”
Just for the record, there was some teamwork along the way.
“Outside of Yuma, a big van pulled up and all the people got out,” he said. “They were German travelers from Dusseldorf. They helped me kick the ball back and forth for half a mile.”
Castaneda, 54, the sports director of a youth program in Albuquerque, said he hopes his soccer exhibition showed children “you can reach your dreams and goals--even me, at my age.”
G-o-o-o-o-a-a-a-a-a-l!
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Air-conditioned suites available: Comedian and agent Marty Ingels was on his way to the dentist when he snapped the accompanying photo for Only in L.A.
He added that there was no need to thank him, explaining: “It was a case of stop and do anything to put off a root canal!”
Ooh L.A. L.A.: The cast at this weekend’s French Festival in Santa Barbara will include the curator of the self-styled Museum of the Modern Poodle. Festival spokesman Steve Hoegerman said that the Poodle’s Doren Garcia will set up his priceless exhibits--i.e., poodle shoe trees, poodle lamps, poodle golf club covers--”all over the hood of his big black Cadillac and put an inflatable poodle behind the steering wheel.”
He’ll be bringing them up from his Downtown Los Angeles loft apartment, where he holds private showings.
Garcia won’t be the only Angeleno appearing at the Oak Park fete . With the help of the Florida-based Napoleonic Society of America, Hoegerman recruited a look-alike of the emperor.
And what does he do?
“He walks around in a Napoleon outfit,” Hoegerman responded.
miscelLAny:
In the tradition of Alpine Deli, Kosher Burrito and Senor Sushi, Val Rodriguez of Signal Hill came upon this mixed culture offering: an El Pollo Grande that sells eclairs.
“Bavarian” eclairs.
MARTY INGELS / For The Times
