His Idea of Horseplay? A Hendrix Guitar Serenade

Sheriff’s deputies never know what they’re going to encounter in the college town of Isla Vista, judging from the crime log of the Daily Nexus, UC Santa Barbara’s campus newspaper.

Consider the fellow who wouldn’t stop serenading a police horse.

When the 22-year-old street musician approached the animal, his raucous guitar-playing made it “jump sideways and dance around,” the Nexus said. He was warned by the rider that it is illegal to disturb a police mount.

The officer moved on but the serenader caught up with the horse again a few minutes later and gave his best imitation of Jimi Hendrix.

He was arrested for public intoxication and for “annoying a horse.”

Guitarist (cont.): Can you imagine the reaction of the other inmates in the jail when they ask the above guy, “What are you in for?” and he answers: “Annoying a horse”?

Galloping right along (cont.): Then there was the intoxicated 19-year-old man who was arrested in Isla Vista after a head-on collision.

With a police horse.

While he was walking down the street (the 19-year-old man, I mean).

The suspect then not only tried to “grab the horse,” the Daily Nexus said, but when he was placed under arrest, he fled.

Of course, having no horse of his own, he was quickly lassoed.

Word imperfect, to say the least: Mary Sue Owen sent along a notice she received from her office in New York -- a notice containing a very strange apology (see accompanying).

Such a deal: Today’s unusual offers (see accompanying) include:

* A house that evidently will make you suffer, even if Congress doesn’t remove the mortgage interest deduction (from Susan Anderson of San Gabriel).

* A pizza with an unusual topping (from Courtney Lockwood and Julie Davis).

* Some pups that are apparently very easy to get along with (from Phil Wickey of Long Beach).

* And, some baseball cards that are discounted so sharply that the company will pay YOU to take them (from Lance Vlach of Torrance).

miscelLAny: A few weeks ago, comic Jay Leno said of the NBA’s new dress code: “Players can’t wear anything embarrassing to the league, like a Clippers uniform.”

But the joke may be on him. The once-miserable Clippers have started to win games. Without this longtime source of material, he may have to shorten his monologue.

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.