Another Musical Border Crossing

Buenos dias, singer-san. A concert by Pepperdine University’s Hispanic Council in Thousand Oaks on Sunday will present Junko, billed as “the world’s first Japanese mariachi singer.”

Not to be confused with El Vez, the world’s first Mexican Elvis.

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ONE DRIVER’S LICENSE PHOTO THAT’S NOT BAD: Since there’s a controversy over people’s obtaining fraudulent drivers’ licenses from the DMV, I should disclose that the agency once sent me a license bearing someone else’s picture (see accompanying).

No fraud intended. The DMV dispatched the card to members of the press to show off its new hologram feature. (And I’ve never tried to use it--not even when I lost my wallet and real driver’s license a couple of years ago).

You’ll notice, by the way, that the name of Leonardo’s famous subject was altered. The DMV found there were 17 real drivers in California named Mona Lisa.

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HIGH-FLYING PERFORMANCE? Opera-goers Walter and Dagmar Rios of Newport Beach were amused by the “No Late Seating” warning on their tickets next to the name of a company associated with a poor on-time arrival record (see accompanying).

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BIPARTISAN BEFUDDLEMENT: Some quotes of local interest from “The 267 Stupidest Things Democrats Ever Said/The 267 Stupidest Things Republicans Ever Said,” by Ted Rueter, a visiting assistant professor in political science at UCLA:

Former Gov. Pat Brown, discussing a flood: “This is the worst disaster in California since I was elected.”

Former Rep. Michael Huffington, when asked what school his children attended: “Saint . . . Saint . . . ask my wife.”

Richard Nixon: “People said that my language was bad, but Jesus--you should have heard LBJ!”

Barbra Streisand, on why she wouldn’t run for political office: “I don’t want to go around shaking hands and having babies pee on me.”

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THIS WEEK’S “DUH!” AWARD WINNER: Bette Balliet of Mission Viejo read about this symptom of a leaking toilet in a flier from the Santa Margarita Water District:

“You see water running over the top and down the sides of the bowl.”

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SODDEN THOUGHT, AS HERB CAEN USED TO SAY: Somehow the word “margarita” doesn’t go with “water.”

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WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN: With all the celebrating over this state’s 150th anniversary (there has been celebrating, right?) Kent Bridwell of West L.A. recalled what could have been a real turning point in California history.

As a Superior Court commissioner, he presided over a divorce case in which one attorney was delegated to draw up the agreed-upon settlement.

Luckily, Bridwell noticed the awkward wording, which said that “custody is awarded to petitioner, with reasonable visitation, provided that the child is not removed from the State of California, which is hereby awarded to respondent.”

Wow! Beats being awarded with just a couple of counties.

miscelLAny:

The Los Alamitos News-Enterprise’s police log reported that a female resident alleged that “her boyfriend was spooking her while they were watching ‘The Exorcist.’ ”

He must have really made her head spin.