From the Archdiocese to Zombies, We Cover the Twists in Southland Events

After reading about the L.A. archdiocese’s financial problems, I wonder if it wouldn’t help to remove the sign at the baptismal font inside the new $189-million cathedral. The sign says: “Holy Water/No Coins.”

Twisting in the wind: The fliers asked USC students to gather for an attempt to set a world record for the number of people playing Twister.

An estimated 500 showed up for the game, in which participants try to place their hands and feet on various colored circles on a mat.

While orders were barked out for the students to assume different positions, more knowing upperclassmen stood by and laughed. They knew it was all a practical joke played on freshmen and newcomers by the school’s Skull & Dagger honor society.

This is a tradition at USC. Last year S&D; duped some gullible students into gulping goldfish for an audition for the nonexistent reality TV show, “College Fear Factor.”

On another occasion, a funeral service was held for Traveler IV, the school’s equine mascot. When his supposed successor was introduced, it turned out to be a donkey carrying a sign that said, “Traveler IV is alive. Don’t you feel like an ass?”

As for the Twister game, one of the players may have had the last laugh. Zulie Gallo, a freshman majoring in psychology, told the Daily Trojan: “We were just looking for cute guys to stand next to. But we couldn’t find any.”

Hey, where’s its leash? Amy Mahony of Granada Hills is intrigued by the pooch (see photo) that has been standing “at the corner of Hayvenhurst and Plummer [in North Hills] for as long as I can remember. When I was younger, I used to ask my folks to drive by it.”

Asked Mahony: “Who takes care of it and puts the red bow around its neck at Christmas time and how long has it been there?”

Incidentally, as if the spot isn’t famous enough, Mahony said this is the same corner from which Arnold S. set out on his motorcycle for a dive into a river in one of the interminable “Terminator” movies.

Attention, road-ragers: Virginia Hambro of Camarillo found just the shop for you in Oxnard (see photo).

Write on the blackboard 100 times ... : Robert Hays noticed that a sign painter for an Orange County school district seemed to have food on his mind when he attempted to spell “unified” (see photo).

The fan’s fan: During the post-game show of a Lakers game, several fans waved posters praising the team at the TV cameras. All except one guy who apparently figured he had the most appropriate related item: a poster for the new Jack Nicholson movie.

miscelLAny: Richard Showstack of Newport Beach points out that the director of the movie, “House of 1000 Corpses,” is identified as Rob Zombie. Why is it that I suspect that he wasn’t born a Zombie?

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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].