Sure, Both of Their Names Start With ‘O,’ But the Similarity Ends There

Ralph Shaffer spotted the error on the KCBS-TV Channel 2 news the other night.

Shaffer is a professor emeritus at Cal Poly Pomona, but this gaffe would have been apparent to almost everyone. When sportscaster Jim Hill referred to “boxer Oscar de la Hoya,” the closed captioning translated it as “boxer Osama bin Laden.”

“I’m hearing-impaired,” Shaffer said, “but evidently the closed-caption operator has poorer hearing than I have.”

The Official L.A. Trash Can Dance! John Hendry of Van Nuys thought that the diagram inside his recyclables bin resembled a dance of sorts, especially since it came with step-calling directions--a variation of do-si-do (see accompanying).

Laugh therapy, perhaps: In Ohio, Charlotte Nolte of Van Nuys found a clinic with a new method for treating bad backs (see photo).

Senior moment? An unusual commodity was being offered for sale on a sign snapped by George Snelling of Glendale (see photo).

Safe at home: When I saw the “Escape From New York” headline in Thursday’s L.A. Times, I thought at first that it referred to the hiring of ex-Gotham Police Commissioner William Bratton to head the LAPD.

But, of course, it referred to the Angels’ departure from Yankee Stadium with a playoff win. By coincidence, actor Kurt Russell, who starred in the movie “Escape From New York,” was once a promising infielder in the Angels organization before an injury ended his career.

Russell also made a sequel, “Escape From L.A.” which is what the Angels did when they moved south down the Santa Ana Freeway to Anaheim after the 1964 season.

Cheap hex? Until the Angels’ win over the Yankees on Wednesday, Carol Custer wondered if the 99 Cents Only chain had jinxed the Anaheimers against winning any post-season games.

Prior to the playoffs, the chain ran an ad congratulating the Angels on winning 99 games during the regular season. But the ad went on to say, somewhat ominously: “Remember, Nothing Over 99 Ever.”

No fashion risks: It was quite a scene at Edison Field when tickets for the Angels’ home playoff games went on sale Thursday. A colleague of mine spotted groups of young men flashing big wads of cash as they bought the tickets. The limit was eight per individual, but getting around that rule was no problem. Some of the youths stripped off their outer shirts and caps and got back in different lines to buy more. And you wonder how ticket agencies and scalpers obtain those outrageously priced tickets.

miscelLAny: Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was a guest on the Angels’ radio broadcast on KLAC-AM (570) and revealed that as a youth his baseball model was Yogi Berra.

Giuliani admitted that he not only didn’t have the baseball skills of Berra, he also wouldn’t want to run against him for political office.

Explained Giuliani: “Could you imagine debating him?”

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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.