‘Mission Control, This Is Moondoggie: Where’s the Beach?’

Surfers have been complaining of the increasingly crowded waters off Southern California for years. Perhaps that explains why a Palmdale resident wrote to Dana Point-based Surfer magazine, asking, “What is the probability of there being ridable surf on planets outside our galaxy?”

(Possibly the reader also realized that Palmdale is almost as close to the next planet as it is to the Pacific Ocean.)

Surfer magazine responded that “it seems likely that there will be planets found that have oceans, and undoubtedly, some of them will have good waves. The hard part will be getting to them.”

And getting permission to use those distant waters. You know how resentful the locals can be.

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PLANETARY SURF REPORT: Surfer magazine quoted a scientist as giving the sad news that “in our own solar system, we have two places with liquid water right now: Earth and Jupiter’s moon, Europa. Unfortunately, Europa’s ocean is under a thick cap of ice, so it lacks weather, and more importantly, beaches.”

Kind of a bummer.

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A 911 CALL FOR 911: The discussion here of Southland companies with names that grab your attention (Rentokil, Armed Plumbing Contractors, Radio Active Auto Body & Paint, etc.) prompted Jim Glass to recall one of his favorites. It was Sushi 911 in Chatsworth (see photo), which was featured in this column a few years ago, then went out of business afterward.

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LACKING THAT BIG ENDING: John Lyons of L.A. noticed an item in the police blotter of the L.A. Independent that told of a resident pulling into her driveway and noticing a young woman standing across the street. “The victim went inside her apartment and looked out her window,” the item concluded. “The woman was still there.”

Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LATIMES, Ext. 77083 and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com.