Hoping for Public Relations Homer, Congressman Drops the Ball on Angels

If this were baseball, you would score it: Error -- congressman.

Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) sent out a news release informing his constituents that he had boldly gone out on a limb and supported a resolution to honor the World Series winners from Anaheim (see accompanying). But he had a little trouble (twice) spelling the team’s name. Get in the ballgame!

Now that summer has arrived: Michael Friedman of Valley Village noticed that Calabasas apparently has developed a new strategy to induce people to vote. In March’s election there, folks will able to cast their ballots while swimming (see accompanying).

Such a deal: Des Roberts of West L.A. came upon an ad for a car that has “CD, Leather & More” -- and it ought to, considering the monthly lease payment (see accompanying).

Hi, I’ll be your unemployed actor tonight: Sam De Silva told the show biz journal Back Stage West that when he moved to L.A. three years ago, “I would spend hours a day driving up and down streets looking for places to apply.”

Not for an acting job, but for a position as bartender or waiter. De Silva made the best of his situation by writing “The Bar and Restaurant Job Guide.”

Others haven’t been so fortunate. So many thespians are chasing jobs in the beverage biz that they have to summon all their dramatic skills to land one. Back Stage told the story of an actress who perfected an English accent and applied at a pub.

Alas, halfway through the interview, the manager asked what part of England she was from. Unable to ad lib, she dropped the accent and answered: “Orange County.”

He laughed and hired the Yank anyway.

Such a deal (part II): Sol Taylor of Sherman Oaks saw a garage sale that displayed this sign: “Our objective is to get rid of all this stuff. Prices are cheap, cheaper, and even cheaper yet.

“If you criticize any item, the price is doubled. If you break any item, you bought it. No extra charge for dust, dirt, grease, stains, spots or rust.”

miscelLAny: Not to make a federal crime out of it, but if you’re using a U.S. Postal Service plastic tub for storing files or something else, you’re harboring government property (see photo). The post office, which uses the tubs for the delivery of magazines, catalogs and books, estimates that it has just 65,000 in stock for the holiday season with millions of unreturned ones in private hands. They want you to leave yours out for collection by the letter carrier.

Let’s not have the department go postal, OK?

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Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LA-TIMES, ext. 77083, by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A. 90012 and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com.