These Guys Aren’t Getting Board With Life’s Cosmic Questions

“Is there surfing after death?” a reader asks in the latest edition of San Juan Capistrano-based Surfer magazine. The editors threw that one to Rabbi Nachum Shifren, the Valley boy turned “Surfin’ Rabbi” (he is ordained). Shifren spoke of “chochma” (wisdom), “ancient kabbalists” and “the blessed infinite light of the Creator.” And, in case anyone besides me had trouble riding his philosophical wave, he concluded:

“Pray for surf.”

SURF CITY LOOK-ALIKES DEPT.: As you probably heard, the Supreme Court ruled the other day that people who suddenly run from police can be stopped and questioned. It reminded me of a state Court of Appeal ruling in 1998 that held that Huntington Beach police had the right to question a man with an ax who was riding a bicycle at 3 a.m.

“Some things cannot be ignored,” the court said.

The bicyclist was found to be in possession of amphetamines. Police said they believed him to be intoxicated, in part because of his response when asked where he was. He was quoted as saying that he was reasonably sure he was “either in Long Beach or Bakersfield.”

BRING YOUR OWN FIRE AX: W.R. Hoyer snapped a couple of dueling signs that might give customers a bit of a start at one Southland bank (see photo).

AS IF THINGS WEREN’T SPACEY ENOUGH HERE: Isn’t it lovely to see Southern California scenes in “The X-Files” since the TV show relocated here? There was the brain-eating-extraterrestrial-chef episode set in Costa Mesa awhile back. And the other night there was . . . well, I’ll let agent Scully give you a hint with this line of dialogue:

“What does any of this have to do with your brother being found decapitated at the Santa Monica Pier?”

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Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LATIMES, Ext. 77083, by fax at (213) 237-4712, by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, Times Mirror Square, L.A. 90053 and by e-mail atsteve.harvey@latimes.com