Bounty Hunter Could Have New Prey

Mystery novelist John Morgan Wilson believes it’s no coincidence that no sooner had bounty hunter Duane Lee “Dog” Chapman won his freedom from Mexico than the U.S. government announced a $25-million reward for the capture of Saddam Hussein.

Dog! Fetch!

To live and drive: “Making a left turn in L.A. is one of the harder things you’ll learn in life,” a character says in the 1991 movie “Grand Canyon.” But what about in Vancouver, B.C.? The maneuver seems to have positively poisoned the outlook of some there, Bill Bennett of L.A. found (see photo).

On another sour note: Fred Kern of Westlake Village pointed out that the spelling of a German composer’s name in West L.A. was a bit off-key (see photo).

Don’t spend it all in one place: I dunno whether it’s just me, but it seems as though the Lotto doesn’t pack the same excitement it once did.

A sighting from Paula Van Gelder didn’t change my mind (see photo). I can’t imagine Dog Chapman bothering to play that one.

Floating up the coast: Inflatable Church creator Michael Gill has switched the location for the U.S. debut of his 50-foot-tall blow-up structure.

It is now scheduled to pull up Monday at noon at the Calamigos Ranch on South Latigo Canyon Road in Malibu.

Unclear on the concept: A man who heard about Paramount’s graffiti-alert reward program called its Public Safety office to report some vandalism he had witnessed.

It turned out, however, that the incident occurred in Los Angeles.

The caller was informed that the rewards were only for graffiti observed in Paramount, related the city’s newsletter.

This was a disappointment to the caller, who had perhaps envisioned a statewide or countrywide search for graffiti that he could bill Paramount for.

When it was suggested that he notify the city of Los Angeles, he responded: “Why bother if I can’t get a reward?”

As if the Al Qaeda leader’s reputation wasn’t bad enough already

miscelLAny: The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department received an inmate from another agency whose papers said he had been booked for possession of a “dang weapon.” As well he should have been. Darned right.

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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.