TV Weather Forecaster Might Find He’s Eligible for Combat Pay
Don’t shoot the messenger -- yet!
As Ross King of KTLA-TV (Channel 5) was starting his weather forecast one night, a bang could be heard in the background.
The media website ronfineman.com noted that anchor Hal Fishman sought to reassure King by quipping: “We’re not going to shoot you until after the forecast.”
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Speaking of the wet stuff: Dave Constantine of West Hills commented that, with all the rain we’ve been having, perhaps one chicken restaurant meant for its sign to be taken literally (see photo).
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Tough town! Either someone altered a warning by the ocean, or the city of Goleta has some pretty strict laws, judging from a shot that Bill Stephen of Lakewood snapped (see photo).
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Old World Wide Web: Until now, there’s been controversy over who originated the Internet in the latter part of the 20th century. But Kevin McDaniels of Santa Barbara found evidence it dates back to the 1800s (see accompanying).
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Whatever happened to a shiny apple? A New Yorker article about the unusual holiday gifts received by teachers at private L.A. schools listed these:
* A box of 13 lime-green plastic shrimp forks.
* A sack of sample cosmetics from a department store.
* Second-row seats to a Prince concert at Staples Center.
* Six pairs of pantyhose in a shade called “nude.”
* A weighted vase from a Forest Lawn gift shop.
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Shiny apple substitutes (cont.): New Yorker writer Caitlin Flanagan pointed out that the increase in independent schools in L.A. is a recent phenomenon, unlike in East Coast cities, where “long - established private schools have educated the same families through successive generations, passing along norms and proprieties -- for example, the understanding that a plate of gingerbread cookies would make a fitting gift ... while a certificate for a facial at Elizabeth Arden would be vulgarity itself.”
One L.A. teacher received a tote bag containing $800, a cashmere sweatshirt, a watch and a Gucci cosmetic bag.
Another teacher wondered whether such goodies were out of generosity or “just step No. 43 in [the parents’] plan to get the kid into Yale.”
But she admitted that, at grading time, the gifts “came uncomfortably to mind.”
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miscelLAny: A man suspected of being under the influence of drugs was arrested on a public street while engaged in a spirited conversation with a candy machine, the Rancho Santa Margarita News said. The story was headlined: “Sweet talk.”
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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.