‘Potter’ Movies Elicit Fear About Spell-Casting Ex-Roommates

The crime log of the Los Alamitos News-Enterprise reported that a resident told police “he was concerned about his ex-roommates using witchcraft on him after watching the ‘Harry Potter’ movies.” I saw one ‘Potter’ movie and it worked a spell over me -- the kind of spell that puts one to sleep in the theater.

You don’t say: John Rabe noticed that one L.A. lumber company seemed to be stocking chatty kitchen compartments (see photo).

Dept. of Strange Traffic Obstacles: The Laguna Niguel News’ crime log said several motorists complained about “female juveniles” at one intersection who “were reported carrying hockey sticks and asking drivers if they wanted self-defense lessons.”

Trucker and Trucker Jr.: Near San Clemente, John Johnson of El Segundo spotted a not-so-big rig that needed some assistance on the San Diego Freeway (see photo).

Horsing around: A while back I wrote that USC’s No. 1-ranked football team is on such a roll that one couple even donated money to the school’s horse -- $2 million, no less, which should keep Traveler in clover for many seasons.

That news got Doug Hays of Glendale to thinking about how there should be a fund honoring George Tirebiter, a mangy mutt that was the Trojans’ unofficial athletic mascot from 1941 until he was run over chasing a car in 1950 (see photo).

Tirebiter, whose origins were unknown, had become such a fixture around campus that he was allowed on the sidelines during Trojan football games.

He once was even dognapped before a game against USC’s cross-town rival; the fiends shaved the initials “UCLA” into his fur.

As for a Tirebiter fund, Hays wrote: “After a round of golf at Oakwood, several of we old Trojans established a committee and raised several dollars over drinks. This euphoria was short-lived, however, as the committee decided that they needed another round to contemplate their strategy, and the fund disappeared.”

I’m just sorry Tirebiter couldn’t have had the pleasure of nipping at their heels as they left the golf course.

Tirebiter eulogy: The dog received this farewell from the Daily Trojan: “Gone to heaven, where he will have cushion rides for breakfast, white sidewalls for lunch and cold rubber recaps for dinner.”

Alas, George Tirebiter didn’t live into the radial era.

miscelLAny: Judging from their titles, “Album of the Year” Grammy nominees cover a wide range of the intellectual scale, from “Genius Loves Company” (Ray Charles and various artists) to “American Idiot” (Green Day). Somewhere in the middle, I guess, would be a third nominee, “The College Dropout” (Kanye West).

Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LATimes, 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.