Desperately Seeking Some Brewskis

This week’s Stupid Criminal Tricks award -- I know it’s early, but I think this one will hold up -- involves a thief who ran out of a Manhattan Beach market with a 24-pack of beer.

The heavy cargo evidently slowed him down, for he was caught by the clerk, who subdued him and escorted him back into the store, the Beach Reporter newspaper said.

The clerk phoned police and locked the front door to await their arrival. The suspect, proving himself to be determined if inattentive, then grabbed an 18-pack of beer and attempted to race outside. He crashed into the locked door, fell back and decided to start behaving.

Speaking of drinking: You’ve heard of wind-up clocks. Ronald Tremmel of Studio City found one that runs on something else (see accompanying).

But did it put a smile on George’s face? Bernard Peters of Placentia noticed that an unusual dessert was being served on Presidents Day at the Nixon Library & Birthplace in Yorba Linda (see accompanying).

Talk about playing it safe: Judging from a disclaimer on the Department of Motor Vehicles website, Gov. Schwarzenegger wants to distance himself not only from the state Legislature but from the state agencies run by his appointees (see accompanying).

I wonder what part of the “content” of the DMV site he is worried about? Controversial statements such as, “If you find that your transaction requires you to go to an office, you will save time by making an appointment”?

I guess what the disclaimer means is: If that doesn’t save you time -- don’t blame Arnold!

Right out of an I-hate-cats book: “Spin the cat -- a new way to help bring up fur balls?” asks Sara Oldberg of Tujunga. It turns out that what you -- or rather your cat -- spins is a musical cylinder (see accompanying).

Ringing denunciation: Mention of the sharp wit of the late Oscar Levant brought back memories for Mitch Waldow, who produced KCOP-TV Channel 13’s 50th anniversary special. Waldow recalled an incident that occurred when L.A. sportscaster Cleve Hermann was producing Levant’s talk show.

Hermann was at Levant’s home, discussing the show’s guest list, when the phone rang. Levant ignored it. After it had rung for what seemed like a minute, Hermann asked, “Do you want me to answer it?”

“Why?” replied Levant. “Who’d want to talk to you?”

Waldow added that the two soon agreed “that Oscar would be better served by another producer.”

miscelLAny: Nina Brice, a retired Orange County deputy district attorney, resumes our name game with the submission of the law firm of Reed and Wright.

“I also appeared in front of Judge Judge and knew Judge Law,” she said. “And Jack Early and Jim Eager went into private practice from the public defender’s office as Early and Eager. Later they took as a partner Jennifer Keller, who joked she was going to change her name to ‘Often.’ ”

Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) L.A. 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.