Bouncing away from high prices at the pumps
Could this be the answer to the country’s fuel problems? The latest volume of “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” reports that an L.A. company “developed a motorized pogo stick, powered by a single, two-cycle engine, that gets 30,000 hops to the gallon.”
Sounds like a big saving for commuters, but does the pogo stick have a cup-holder for coffee?
Gasoline and the undead: Greg Wong remembers it wasn’t long ago that prices were so high at the pumps in L.A., drivers were moving about like zombies (see photo).
Health issues (cont.): Ted Nittler of L.A. saw a blurb about a West L.A. hospital that evidently transports patients with all the tender care of pogo sticks (see accompanying).
Turning to financial health: Tom Budlong got a kick out of the name of the guy who was requesting confidential information from him online for an order Budlong never placed (see accompanying).
Things aren’t as bad as all that: The billboard that Phil Arnold of Westlake Village snapped was not making a comment on the world situation. The sign was on the outskirts of Hope, Ariz. (see photo).
Under a spell: More student gaffes collected by L.A.-area high school teacher Juel Goldstock:
* My cousin is very sell fish.
* She can fix TVs, speak two languages and sing oprah.
* Q. Why is the story titled “Prelude”? A. Because that’s the name of a car.
* We are still married and I want to remind you of the vowels we took.
* If you’re going to fool around, be sure to use a condemn.
(Vowels can be tough to keep.)
Jailhouse fashions: I couldn’t help but think of Paris Hilton’s recent stay in the pokey when I read in a collection of articles from the old New York World newspaper about the similar experience of actress Mae West. West, sentenced to 10 days in custody in 1927 for an allegedly obscene stage production, was shocked by the clothing she was issued.
“Warden, I can’t wear this cotton underwear,” she protested. “I never wore anything like it in my life. It scratches; just feel it.”
“Wait a minute,” responded the warden. “I’ll take a chance on almost anything, but I’ll not feel your underwear.”
miscelLAny: I read where the new upscale Landmark theater complex in West Los Angeles allows customers to bring a glass of wine to their seats.
Not to brag, but my college buddies and I thought of this type of innovation almost 40 years ago. We used to sneak beer into the skid row movies we attended, coughing as we popped open the cans.
One time I kicked over my brew during a quiet scene in the movie, and everyone could hear it roll under the seats toward the front. Well, almost everyone. The guy whose foot accidentally stopped the can did not wake up. Little did we know we were theater pioneers.
--
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.
