Hooray for chiliwood:Party-pooper that we are, we...

Hooray for chiliwood:

Party-pooper that we are, we had to pass up the most prestigious post-Oscars bash Monday night--we mean the one that Pink’s Hot Dogs held from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Chili dogs at the La Brea Avenue stand were reduced from $2.10 to 68 cents to celebrate the 68th Academy Awards. Special guests? Why, parked outside was none other than the 1959 Pink Cadillac from the Clint Eastwood movie, “Pink Cadillac.” So what if there weren’t so many Rolls? We bet there were plenty of rolls.

BACK TO THE TRADITIONAL: “My wife and I had dinner at Raphael’s in Palm Springs,” writes Alex Litrov of Encino. “Our waitress sported a nameplate that said, ‘Oh, Miss.’ ”

RADIO K-SCAM: Have you heard that Barry Minkow has a talk show? Yup--the carpet-cleaning con artist turned evangelist will host an educational show called Fraud Biz on weekday mornings on KWNK, a San Fernando Valley station.

Minkow, of course, was the founder of ZZZZ Best and a self-professed millionaire who was really running a scam based on embezzling and forged paperwork. He served 7 1/2 years in federal custody.

“I may not know any formulas for how to succeed in business,” said Minkow, whose show starts April 1. “But I sure can tell you a few things not to do.”

Minkow says he wants to repay his victims $26 million. He won’t be paid--probation authorities require him to live a modest lifestyle with extra earnings going to those victims. But he said he’d like to syndicate the show if it becomes a hit.

Which reminds us of his girls softball team back in the ZZZZ Best era. The team drew huge crowds. Later it was revealed that Minkow had spent more than $26,000 from a slush fund to hire spectators to attend the games.

DEAR ANN: Culver City Mayor Steven Gourley says the phone call / fax reaction to his letter in Sunday’s Ann Landers column has been “very positive.”

Gourley wrote to her after reading an article in a Florida newspaper about a disabled father of seven whose family was in need of Christmas toys.

What rankled Gourley was that the man, who has a bad back, was able to father five of the children over the last five years.

Gourley pledged $1,000 “of my personal funds” to pay “for Mr. X’s vasectomy,” assuming the latter would consent.

“There is nothing wrong with Mr. X’s back,” concluded Gourley. “Rather, it is Mr X’s front that seems to be the problem.”

DEAR STEVE: After receiving Gourley’s letter, Landers’ staff contacted the mayor to make sure he really wanted his name printed with the letter. “I told them sure,” Gourley said, “I’m not planning to run again.”

SUNSET BOULEVARD SOUTH: Supervisorial candidate Doug Drummond referred to Gordana Swanson, an opponent in today’s election, as “Gloria Swanson” in a mock advice column in a campaign mailer.

SERIOUS VOYEURS ONLY: John Stein of Pacific Palisades saw it in the erotic-works section of an art book store in Santa Monica--a sign that said: “No Aimless Browsing.”

miscelLAny:

The inside walls of Dive!--the submarine-themed eatery in Century City--are covered with authentic-looking instrument panels that carry such labels as “Ship to Shore,” “Ship to Ship,” and one we hadn’t heard of before--”Incoming Surfer Alert.”