A burning indifference to the news

Some paparazzi in Pacific Palisades were outside a house that was being visited by actress Jennifer Aniston when a hillside caught fire about a block away. A handful of the bored photogs immediately hopped in their cars and went over to check out the fire, the Palisadian-Post reported. After taking a few shots, they drove back to the house where Aniston was. Firefighters then put out the blaze, no thanks to the paparazzi.

“None of them called 911,” the newspaper said.

Guide to Adventurous Dining

At a restaurant in Siberia, Lois Lyons of Malibu found some dishes that didn’t translate into English very well (see accompanying). She added that she wasn’t able to find out which Bavarian contributed his liver.

No fun at all

In another tourist report, Deloris St. John of Laguna Niguel saw a no-drinking sign (see photo) in Kauai that prompted her to lament: “Just when I was looking forward to a nice mai tai on the rocks.”

A car for a road-rage type?

That’s who the seller seemed to be targeting in an ad noticed by Ed Van den Bossche of Newport Beach (see accompanying).

Summer’s almost here

So maybe the folks in El Segundo can start to forget what was the coldest winter in the city’s history, judging from the temperature gauge spotted by Dave Hamilton in February (see photo). Hamilton’s camera only recently thawed out so he could transmit me the image.

Ooh L.A. L.A.!

Lanette Baumann chanced upon an ad for some “naughty” pine paneling that concluded, “Free, you pick up.” Said Baumann: “What kind of ‘pick up’ are we talking?”

Oldest escapee ever

The Laguna Beach’s Coastline Pilot said that “a 100-year-old turtle named Riggy was found . . . after being missing since the previous day at 10:26 a.m.” Exactly 10:26 a.m.? Sounds like Riggy’s guards turned their head for just a moment, and he scooted out of there.

miscelLAny

Randall Gellens of San Diego heard a local telecast about the tainted tomatoes case in which “the male anchor apparently had trouble reading the teleprompter. He closed with ‘California tomatoes have been cleared,’ trailed off, then added, ‘of any wrongdoing.’ ” Observed Gellens: “I hadn’t realized any of the implicated tomatoes were deliberately sickening people.”

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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 [email protected].