Keeping Visitors in the Dark

At first, Jessica and Carol Reifer of Torrance were puzzled by a picture postcard titled “Los Angeles at Night” (see photo). They wondered if it was “a comment on L.A. culture or L.A.’s lack of night life?”

Of course not.

With the rolling blackouts, the Reifers are no longer in the dark about the card’s meaning.

ENERGETIC GROUP: By the way, isn’t it only a matter of time before a rock group calls itself the Rolling Blackouts?

SPEAKING OF DIM BULBS: Elvis photogs, take comfort.

Writer Tom Thomas was looking at the “frequently asked questions” section on the U.S. Copyright Office Internet site https://(www.loc.gov/copyright/faq.html#q58) when he was surprised to come across the following:

“58. How do I protect my sighting of Elvis?”

The answer, in part:

“Copyright law will protect your photo (or other depiction) of your sighting of Elvis. Just send it to us with a form VA application and the $30 filing fee. No one can lawfully use your photo of your sighting, although someone else may file his own photo of his sighting. . . .”

Asked Thomas: “Is this comforting or disturbing?”

ZERO HOUR: After receiving a threatening note from MCI (see accompanying), Richard Cohen of Altadena writes, “On principle, we have refused to take advantage of our ‘final’ opportunity. As with all acts of civil disobedience, we are prepared to accept the consequences.”

Penny for your thoughts, MCI.

WAITING TO BE GOBBLED UP: James Boren spotted an ad for a San Gabriel Valley business that was supposed to be described as “turnkey,” meaning it required no major overhaul (see accompanying). Well, the ad needed a bit of fine-tuning.

NOT TOTALLY EVIL, BUT . . . : T.R. Corazza of Laguna Hills noticed that a cruise line’s brochure issued a qualified warning about an Italian town (see accompanying).

CRAZY LOVE: Retired Judge Richard Amerian’s story here about an insanity plea in a parking ticket case reminded an Orange County lawyer of a divorce case.

“The only two grounds for a modern divorce are irreconcilable differences and incurable insanity,” the lawyer said. “Irreconcilable differences is always used because there is nothing to prove.

“I had a client tell me he wanted a divorce based on incurable insanity, and I started to explain that we wouldn’t want to undertake the difficult task of proving his wife’s insanity when we could just allege irreconcilable differences.

“He said to me, ‘She’s not insane, I was insane for marrying her!’ ”

The lawyer added: “We went with irreconcilable differences.”

miscelLAny:

Ray Coutchie of Woodland Hills couldn’t help wondering if a Ford Mustang he encountered was using an alternative fuel--it had a bale of hay sticking out of the trunk. What better way to increase your horsepower?

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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, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., 90012 and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com.