After Grueling Campaign Season, Voters Get a Chance to Bounce Back

Dan Fink of L.A. noticed that the folks at the 99 Cents Only Stores were offering a free beach ball to any customer who brought in a voting stub. “Aren’t they encouraging political hot air?” Fink asked.

Saks and the city: William Halladay sent along a shot of a banner that was spotted Wednesday within minutes of the jury verdict in the shoplifting trial of a well-known actress (see photo).

Food for thought: Mary Ellen Miranda of West Covina and Kevin Akin of Riverside were puzzled by a notation on a packet of cashews (see accompanying).

Akin marveled how the producer had narrowed down the place of origin “to two huge countries and a whole continent.”

And he speculated whether such descriptions might catch on “in other areas of life. How about stainless steel precision tools labeled, ‘Made in Sweden or Romania or Southeast Asia,’ or a car ‘Made in Germany or Serbia or South America?’ ”

Made in Pomona: “The glitz, the glamour, the glory -- it’s all right here in Pomona,” say the organizers of the city’s Smogdance Film Festival. And who can dispute them?

Some of the entries in the Nov. 15-17 extravaganza:

* “The Provider” (by Sarah Shute, 20 minutes), the story of a “desperate dad of the future (who) haggles over brain goulash” (a popular meal).

* “Father’s Day” (Jeff Burton, 21 minutes), some “evocative unedited ‘found footage’ ” of a belly dancer at a family celebration.

* “Downsizing” (J Brad Wilke, 16 minutes), in which “little Johnnie gets ‘downsized’ out of his own family.”

* “Convoy” (David Estis, 3 minutes), an “ode to the I-5 Freeway.” This one, by the way, is set at a truck stop north of the San Fernando Valley’s new secessionist city -- oh, that’s right, L.A. wasn’t downsized after all.

There are limits: One of the entries that was rejected for Smogdance was “Toilet Bowl Confessions.” (Don’t ask.)

Old business: Al Dominguez sent along a shot with a sort of Halloween theme (see photo).

Anybody out there? The radio talk show host who calls himself Mr. KABC had pushed KABC newsman Rob Marinko for the governorship on his program as an alternative to Gray and Bill.

Marinko didn’t win -- which isn’t surprising, since even some people at the radio station were unaware of his campaign.

Last weekend, a caller to Ira Fistell, another yak show host on KABC-AM (790), brought up the Marinko candidacy and it became evident that Fistell had no idea what the caller was talking about.

Finally, the caller said he was referring to a campaign being pushed on Mr. KABC’s show, to which Fistell said, “I don’t listen.”

Hey, I’m no talk show fan, myself.

MiscelLAny: I see where my favorite tennis name has been entered in the Home Depot WTA Championships at Staples Center: Israel’s Anna Smashnova.

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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.