Fortunately, this mixing up of medical terms was funny, not fatal
An L.A. County sheriff’s deputy who had made an arrest asked a jailer if the suspect’s prostate condition would be a problem. The jailer asked if the suspect took medication. The deputy checked and said the suspect took only Advil. The jailer said there would be no problem. The deputy went away but returned and asked the jailer if the suspect could keep his fake leg in the cell with him or if it had to be booked as property. As the Star News, a sheriff’s publication, explained -- and you may have guessed -- the suspect had a “prosthetic,” not a “prostate” condition.
Just watch the drooling: While in Maui, Deloris St. John of Laguna Niguel chanced upon a business that provides a pooch free of charge to join your picnic, as long as you buy your food there (see photo). You’ll notice the shop doesn’t bother to make the same offer to cat-lovers.
Unclear on the concept: This possible explanation for a never-say-die rodent in one ad came from C. Carlson of Palos Verdes Estates: “A miracle?” (see accompanying). But doesn’t it come in any larger sizes?
How much is an old fish head worth? Well, if it’s the one sold by local auctioneers Ira and Larry Goldberg, the answer is $750. Of course, it was said to be a 70 million-year-old fish head, found in the stomach of another ancient fish, an 18-foot-long carnivorous one. OK, it’s not so pretty, but at least it doesn’t smell any more (see photo).
Comeback of the year: In case you haven’t heard, Chicken Boy is back on his feet after more than two decades (see photo).
It was that long ago that CB was rescued by artist Amy Inouye from the roof of a fast-food eatery that was going out of business in downtown L.A. And it has taken nearly that long for Inouye to obtain the permits to display CB as an “art installation” on the roof of her design studio in Highland Park.
In the intervening years, she started a gift catalog of Chicken Boy items. CB was featured in a short movie and a comic strip. But he had no real home -- not a comfortable one, anyway. He was in storage for many years with his head at one location and his torso at another.
I’ve written about Inouye’s campaign to gain respectability for CB. “Feel free to refer to yourself as CB’s godfather,” she told me. I feel like I’ve won a Pulitzer.
Who am I? Don Barrett’s laradio.com website asked folks in the broadcasting biz if they’d had any embarrassing moments. Among those who fessed up was Joy Nuell, late of KFWB, who answered:
“Oh my gosh, YES!!! When management asked me to take over an on-air shift from Chuck Walsh on a few minutes’ notice. I was a reporter, not an anchor. Anyway, I went into the booth and calmly read from the filled-out format sheet, ‘Hello, I’m Chuck Walsh and I’ve got news for you.’ ”
Added Nuell: “I didn’t even know I’d done it.” But when she saw “everybody in the newsroom laughing hysterically,” she realized something had gone wrong.
miscelLAny: Nuell’s experience is not, of course, unique. The Lakers’ Chick Hearn once signed off this way after a game: “For Chick Hearn, I’m Stu Lantz.” There was a pause, then Hearn exclaimed, “No, I’m not!”
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Chick Hearn, I mean, 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.