Driving Itos: Philip Miller, who is writing...

Driving Itos: Philip Miller, who is writing a book on personalized vehicle licenses (“Plates of the Vain”), faxed us a photo of one that initially seemed related to the Simpson trial.

It said: ITO AUTO.

Then we noticed it was on a tow truck.

Of course, this trial may well leave behind the wreckage of more than a few careers.

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WARNING TO VIEWERS: “How do you know when you’ve been watching too much Court TV?” a colleague’s note begins. “I saw a guy wearing a T-shirt the other day and couldn’t believe it. I thought it said, BLOODY GLOVE.”

What it turned out to say was: BODY GLOVE.

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DISORIENTING NEWS: Three communities are holding Octoberfests and October fairs this September weekend, we have learned from Royal Oakes (reporting from Pasadena), Isabel Storey (Santa Monica) and Lili Greenhut (Pacific Palisades).

While we’re at it, Fred Pechek of Vista noticed that a preseason calendar of USC football practices showed Sept. 25 following both Sept. 18 and Sept. 24 (its usual place). Then, again, perhaps the wacky USC calendar was merely a stratagem to confuse rival coaches.

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CHEAPSKATE RANKINGS (CONT.): A reader writes to scold us for saying that Southern California turns out more tightwad college graduates than other areas, based on the stats in a U.S. News & World Report survey. Only 12% of USC and UCLA alumni contributed to their schools’ fund-raising drives the last two years, for instance, compared with 56% of BYU’s grads.

But the reader points out we didn’t mention that among the Claremont colleges, Claremont McKenna has a 53% rate, Scripps is at 49% and Pomona College at 47%.

Let’s face it--in Claremont, the Harvey name is mud.

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LIFE IN THE PEDESTRIAN LANE: It’s difficult enough to be a walker in L.A., home of the bumper sticker that declares: “So many pedestrians, so little time.” But Scott Dewees snapped a couple of shots of a Downtown traffic signal that made the act of walking across the street even more of an adventure.

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COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS FACE THE MUSIC: This doesn’t quite compare to Punk Rock Patty, the 77-year-old band singer we discussed the other day. But a rock ‘n’ roll band performing at Pepperdine’s “Saturday in the Park” event this afternoon is made up of several university officials, including President David Davenport (saxophone, guitar, keyboard, vocals). The band’s name: Midlife Crisis. But, at 44, Davenport is just a kid compared to Mick Jagger.

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THE INCREDIBLE POWER OF TV: “As a favor to Japanese television, Sergio Alvarez will clean the famous Clock Tower at Farmers Market,” begins a press release from the 61-year-old Fairfax landmark. “The producers are doing a show on cleanliness and requested that someone from Farmers Market clean the clock tower for a segment. . . .”

When we told our wife about this item, she observed that it was too bad that the Japanese crew couldn’t include Mr. Only in L.A.’s car in the segment.

miscelLAny:

Before we forget--have a happy Septemberfest!