It Might Already Be Too Late for the Accused Thief to Blow Over a New Leaf

The Seal Beach Sun reports that a man “was attempting to open a car door” when the owner arrived, at which point the intruder “threatened him with a leaf blower.” Luckily, police arrested the guy before he could blow away the victim. The suspect could face additional charges--it’s not clear whether he was in compliance with local noise ordinances.

Grin and bare it: Donna Kriesel read in the Los Alamitos News-Enterprise’s police log that “some 10 youths were seen naked, sitting in a red Taurus” on Pacific Coast Highway in Seal Beach. A sign of summer’s approach? Or could they have been leaf-blower victims?

Unclear on the concept: Doug Stokes of Duarte noticed an ad for a product that will give you more than one time of the day (see accompanying).

In Oregon, Mike Evans of La Mesa found an espresso joint that has some other hot offerings (see photo).

Creature comforts: For those looking for a place to keep their potbellied pig, Nancy LeBlanc of Laguna Niguel has a suggestion (see accompanying).

Deal’s off: I won’t be signing a wrestling crustacean to a contract after all. You may recall my mention of the menu that offered “shrimp grappling with beacon.” Little guy taking on a lighthouse? Actually, writes A. Trujillo Escareno, it should be “shrimp wrapped in bacon.”

Know your suburbs: San Fernando Valleyites complain that they’re overlooked by City Hall. But the area’s contributions aren’t neglected by Teri Davis Greenberg in her new book, “California Firsts: The Famous, Infamous and Quirky of the Golden State.”

For example, she relates that the creator of the Ant Farm kit came up with the idea in 1956 at a “Fourth of July backyard picnic at his sister’s San Fernando Valley home.”

As founder Milton Levine told the story, the children present “were more interested in lying around and watching ant hills than swimming in the pool.”

Crawling right along: Greenberg says that the Mojave Desert, northeast of L.A., has been a major source of ants for Levine’s business. “Some ant catchers use straws to blow air at ants and then catch them as they flee,” she wrote. Another technique: “Use a car vacuum connected to a Tupperware container.” Why am I thinking of leaf blowers again?

miscelLAny: Here’s one definition of absurdity: getting spam e-mail that offers to tell you how to avoid getting spam e-mail.

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Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LA-TIMES, 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.