Fidel vs. L.A.: We recently mentioned that...

Fidel vs. L.A.: We recently mentioned that the tabloid, the Sun, ran a front-page exclusive that was headlined: “Castro Led Riots in L.A.”

Now we’ve come across a recent edition of the Havana newspaper, Gramma International, in which the riots also made Page 1 (“Not so quiet on the Western Front”). But the paper made no mention of Fidel’s part.

We might point out, however, that when Castro appeared afterward at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, he did appear to be wearing a new pair of tennis shoes.

Noose from Capitol Hill: Dick Rigali of Canoga Park found a billboard that seems to indicate that voters are at the end of their ropes with incumbents (see photo).

Saluting the Valley: Pianist Sandra Tsing Loh, who appeared in person to serenade the grunion on Malibu’s Surfrider Beach in 1989 and rush-hour traffic on the Harbor Freeway in 1987, has composed a “pianologue” titled “Call of the Not Very Wild.” She describes it as “an adventure about suburban pets who band together to escape the San Fernando Valley.”

Although Loh’s composition sounds promising, it’s too soon to tell whether it will achieve the lasting fame of other cultural works inspired by the Valley, such as this Dr. Seuss favorite:

And poor Mr. Potter,

T crosser, I dotter,

He has to cross t’s,

And he has to dot i’s

In an I and T factory,

Out in Van Nuys.

51st day of captivity: Ernie Tamminga of Goleta forwarded an article from a local newspaper that hints at a possible new home for Madonna’s bustier , which was stolen from the Bra Museum at Frederick’s of Hollywood during the riots.

The article announced that Wellington, New Zealand, has a new eatery--Brassiere Flipp. At least, that’s the way it was spelled.

Bosses from hell: After L.A.’s Downtown News held a write-in competition for workers to complain about their employers, a reader sarcastically challenged the newspaper to turn the spotlight on disastrous secretaries. The reader--a male--added that there might be “less response; most people who make it to the top have better things to do than trash their co-workers in public.”

Apparently, there’s no one more bitter than a trashed boss.

Secretaries from Hell: Anyway, it’s a heckuva idea. So Only in L.A. is asking bosses or co-workers to send along tales of Girl (or Boy) Fridays who had trouble crossing their t’s or dotting their i’s, or worse. Top entrant can choose either a LifeStyles condom key chain or a BriefRelief automobile potty bag from the Only in L.A. gift catalogue.

The run-down: Former Times sports columnist Scott Ostler of West L.A. overheard a woman in a restaurant say into her cellular phone: “I’d better go now--my battery’s running low.”

miscelLAny:

Seventy-six years ago, there was one car or truck for every 42 people in the nation. With 6,376,463 registered vehicles, L.A County now has one for every 1.4 people.