L.A. has paid its dues:Thom Prentice, a...

L.A. has paid its dues:

Thom Prentice, a teacher at L.A. High, notes that in ancient times the appearance of a comet “was often interpreted to be an omen of impending personal, political or natural disaster.”

But the arrival of the Comet Hyakutake is a different story.

In the case of L.A., Prentice points out, “the riots, floods, fires and earthquakes--not to mention the Simpson trial--predicted Comet Hyakutake, rather than the other way around.”

LIST OF THE DAY: Some stories you may have missed:

* Tammy Bruce, the lesbian talk-show radio personality, shocked her KFI audience by revealing that she was married to a man. Bruce admitted that she had used the lesbian label as a “hook” to get into radio. Some callers said they had guessed the truth from the way she dealt with men, the sound of her voice, etc.

* Reef Seeker, a scuba-diving magazine, advertised a “Dive Disneyland” event for participants interested in exploring the lagoons in the amusement park’s Submarine Ride area. Cost: $40. For an extra $10, Splash Mountain would be made available as well.

* Santana, a sailing magazine, reported a Bait’s Rights demonstration at Belmont Pier. The organizers said that just because sardines aren’t as attractive as dogs or cats, that’s no reason they should be killed.

* A company called Los Angeles River Cruises announced the maiden voyage of its flagship, the Yorty, on the L.A. River from the downtown Commercial Street Landing to the Lakeside Country Club in Toluca Lake.

* And, finally, KIIS-FM disc jockey Rick Dees warned Southern Californians that their toilets might explode because of a serious sewer blockage in the region. Listeners were advised to put at least 10 pounds of weight on their toilet seats to prevent overflows.

These stories all had one thing in common: They were all April Fool’s jokes in past years. We just wanted to put you on your guard for Monday.

L.A. LAWLESS: Six marked and unmarked Los Angeles police cars were ticketed for parking in a red tow-away zone outside the downtown Criminal Courts Building the other day. Wonder how many of the violators will try the old “honest I didn’t notice the curb was red” excuse.

THE SUPPORTING ACTOR AWARD CONTROVERSY: The Razzie Awards, the satirical creation of L.A. publicist John J.B. Wilson, must be getting big. Joe Morgenstern, the movie critic of the Wall Street Journal, actually took issue with the group, stating that he didn’t feel Dennis Hopper deserved the worst supporting actor award this year for his raving in “Waterworld.” Not that it matters, but we agree--on our Razzie ballot, we opted for Brad Pitt in “Twelve Monkeys.”

miscelLAny

Did you see the story in Friday’s Metro section on USC’s debate team, which is ranked No. 1 in the nation? Well, here’s some good news for Trojan debate fans. None of those orators are the subjects of the current investigation into academic improprieties involving members of other USC teams.