Global Warming’s Upside: Waiting for High Tide in Pomona

An online ad offered an apartment in Pomona with “fireplace, walk-in closets, walk to beach.... “ Yes, beach.

“I’m picturing someone in flip-flops and trunks,” commented columnist David Allen of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, “wandering the streets of Pomona with a beach umbrella under one arm, looking lost.”

“Duh!” Award Winner: Jerome Gordon of Reseda sent along a dietary warning that came with a digital camera card (see accompanying).

Moving on to driving warnings: Hal and Nancy Janzen noticed a street sign in Seattle that should be posted at every intersection in the Southland -- except without the lenient hours. In Santa Monica, meanwhile, David Katz spotted a cautionary theme on a truck whose cargo should be reminder enough for motorists to slow down (see photos).

Thinking ahead to Sunday: Ann Williamson of Glendale dispatched a shot of a midweek sermon on a marquee (see photo).

Salt Lake, Calif.: A discussion here about college nicknames brought this from Raul Blacksten: “I attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, in the early ‘70s, and there were so many students from California that it was not uncommon to hear it referred to as the ‘University of California at Provo.’ I think there were even bumper stickers to that effect.”

Cal State Whatevers: While we’re on the subject, here are some other college nicknames I’ve collected from readers:

* University of Severe Tire Damage (Cal State Northridge, in honor of the school’s many parking lots, which have many more exits than entrances).

* University of California Near Fedco (San Bernardino Valley College).

* University of Lincoln and Manchester or LMU (Loyola Marymount University).

* Under Construction Indefinitely or UCI (UC Irvine).

* University on Colorado between Lake and Allen, or UCLA (Pasadena City College).

Who’s your President? It’s the day after a closely fought presidential election and a newspaper declares the wrong man the winner.

Sure, it happened in 1948 when the Chicago Tribune ran the headline, “Dewey Wins!” -- much to the amusement of winner Harry Truman.

But historian Ralph Shaffer, who is writing a book about 19th century L.A., discovered that the Los Angeles Daily Star made a similar gaffe the day after the 1876 presidential election.

“Samuel J. Tilden Elected President of the United States,” its headline said.

Actually, noted Shaffer, “in an election with a count more convoluted than the Gore-Bush election of 2000,” Democrat Tilden lost to Republican Rutherford B. Hayes several weeks later.

I wonder if the Star’s gaffe explained why Hayes made the unusual decision to visit L.A. several months later -- perhaps he wanted to prove that he had won the election. Hayes, the 19th president, was the first to ever bother setting foot in L.A.

miscelLAny: The crime log of USC’s Daily Trojan said that “a perpetrator had become irate while waiting in a long line to purchase a prescription in the pharmacy. The perpetrator yelled a profanity at the staff member, grabbed three tubes of lip balm from a display and walked out.” A potty mouth needs more than lip balm.

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.