Two Cities Touched by Angels, Not to Mention Grime, Gridlock

A new mystery novel is set in the City of Angels amid “illicit drugs, prostitution and infinite corruption,” not to mention hopelessly snarled traffic and polluted skies.

Shame on you if you thought I was talking about L.A.

This novel, “Bangkok 8” by John Burdett, is set in Krung Thep, as the Thais call their capital.

“Krung Thep means ‘City of Angels,’ ” a character explains, “but we are happy to call it Bangkok if it helps to separate a [Westerner] from his money.”

Oddly enough, with all they have in common, Bangkok and L.A. have never established ties as sister cities.

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Did she check garage sales? Vicki Bicket read in the Barstow Desert Dispatch that a resident had told police “her apartment in the 100 block of Otis Avenue was missing and she didn’t know who had taken it.”

The resident “was advised to return when sober.”

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Unusual Warnings Dept.: After purchasing an insecticide chalk made in China, Terri Lau of Toluca Lake says it works fine.

But she still can’t figure out which gent the manufacturer is talking about in the directions (see accompanying).

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Politics and strange bedfellows: I was surprised to read that former President Clinton has been advising Gov. Gray Davis, especially when an old snapshot by Joseph Roubal reminds us that Clinton has been close to another candidate in the recall election (see photo).

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Speaking of California: Alex Auerbach points out that even the DMV now openly admits this is a “po” state (see accompanying).

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Shifting to personal budgets...: An anonymous reader spotted a place in the San Fernando Valley where the prices should be dirt cheap (see accompanying).

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Rock ‘n’ roll: The police log of the Laguna News-Post reported that “a resident had called police after two fake boulders valued at $300 were stolen from the front yard.”

Look at the bright side. At least they didn’t steal any authentic boulders.

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Something to kick about: My son Jamie’s soccer season just began and it’s always interesting to see how the coaches bring out the best in their young troops. Last year, his coach declared before one big game, “If we win, I will hug and kiss each of you!” The kids groaned. At which time the assistant coach said, “No, if we win, we will not hug and kiss each of you.” The kids won.

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MiscelLAny: I’ll never complain about June gloom again.

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Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LA-TIMES, 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].