Lastories/14″/mike1st/mark2nd

Courthouse Pitch

Retailers love a captive audience, especially during the holidays.

And one Los Angeles author found just that while serving on jury duty last week.

During a break in the jury room, the author launched into a sales pitch to his fellow jurors, hawking his newly published gourmet wine and food cookbook.

“Everyone was in awe,” said Joel Bellman, deputy press secretary to Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who was on jury duty at the time. “It was an odd way to make a pitch. One thing is for sure, it is definitely an untapped market and we weren’t going anywhere.”

The author even offered to autograph the books and give a $5 discount off the retail price being charged at Barnes & Noble.

Holiday Exploitations

Desperation for Furbies reached a crescendo last week, with frantic parents shelling out hundreds of dollars for this year’s hottest toy, which normally retails for $30.

At least one enterprising entrepreneur drove a van around town sporting a hand-lettered sign proclaiming “Furbies here!” And at a Montrose crafts store, thieves smashed a window to snatch two of the toys, which bore price tags of $500 and $200, respectively.

Hef’s Prerogative

Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner is still the boss, when he wants to be.

As his editors were selecting the 100 sexiest women of the 20th century for the magazine’s 45th anniversary issue, Hefner stepped into the editing process. Into the No. 75 slot (just ahead of supermodel Kathy Ireland) Hef added Diana Rigg, whose black-leather catsuit sizzled through “The Avengers” TV series.

Hef’s choice for the sexiest woman of the century: Marilyn Monroe. “No one ever came close,” he said. “Even Jayne Mansfield (No. 2) was a put-on of Marilyn.”

Birth of an Anarchist

When it came time to take a sabbatical, USC professor James E. Moore II decided to head to Sacramento. After studying public policy and transportation planning issues in the ivory tower for years, Moore thought it might be interesting to see how policy is made in the trenches of the Legislature.

So about six months ago, he set up shop in the California State Library and made himself available to any legislator or aide who wanted to pick his brain.

So how has Moore found life in the state capital? The experience, he says, has changed him forever. “Let me put it this way,” he said. “I came to Sacramento a libertarian, but I’ll be leaving as an anarchist.”

Unwelcome Arrival

It’s enough to needle some Westwood residents into action.

Last week’s opening of Illusion, a henna tattoo and body-piercing shop, has rankled members of the Friends of Westwood homeowners association.

Laura Lake, the association’s president, said she is appealing to L.A.’s zoning administrator to add body-piercing to the list of already banned “amusement enterprises” in the city’s commercial zones.

Yet, the consternation baffles Illusion owner Allen Sarkis.

“I don’t know why they’re upset. They think I’m going to attract gangs and bikers. That’s not what I’m about. This is for the students of UCLA,” said the 32-year-old.