Using ‘Madonna’ to Describe Moody Athlete Could Worsen His Attitude

After the San Diego Chargers acquired moody receiver Keenan McCardell, James Fay chanced upon an Internet fan site where someone complained of “pre madonna” athletes. Material guys?

She’s b-a-a-a-ck: When the Southland’s storm of the century hit the other night -- well, it was also the Southland’s first storm of the century, wasn’t it? -- I felt in the mood to rent “The Day After Tomorrow.”

That’s the latest disaster film to leave L.A. in ruins, and I noticed what I hope will become a tradition in such epics: a cameo role for a billboard of Angelyne.

Angelyne is, of course, the mysterious character known chiefly for her voluptuous likenesses posted all over town; no one knows what else she does in life.

In the movie “Volcano,” a lava flow down Wilshire Boulevard beheaded her billboard.

In “The Day After Tomorrow,” her sign is ripped loose by some nasty tornadoes that have struck Hollywood and flies down a street. However, her image wasn’t in the original script, which initially called for a TV newsman to be sucked into a tornado in the scene.

But director Roland Emmerich and producer Mark Gordon wanted “something bigger,” co-writer Jeffrey Nachmanoff recalled on the movie’s DVD. “I said, ‘What? You want him [the TV newsman] to be, like, crushed by the Angelyne sign?’ And they said, ‘Yes.’ ” And the poor chap is run over by Angelyne.

For your L.A. dialogue file: Two workers in an L.A. weather monitoring station are making whoopee on a couch in “The Day After Tomorrow,” unaware that the skies are turning really unfriendly.

“Shouldn’t we be checking the weather or something?” the woman says.

Answers the man: “This is L.A. -- what weather?”

Hot time on the town: My favorite line in “Volcano” occurs when one character takes note of the lava flowing down the Miracle Mile and advises a colleague: “Better take the freeway. Wilshire looks pretty bad.”

It’s not even Halloween yet...: But, for those thinking of hunting for their Thanksgiving dinner, Bruce Wagner of Lake Arrowhead noticed a helpful sighting (see accompanying).

We get the point: Byron Myhre of Palos Verdes Estates concludes that the authorities are pretty serious about the sign they installed beside the lighthouse at Point Vicente (see photo).

Such a deal: John Kara wishes one computer monitor sale would hurry up and get over so he can buy one at the regular price (see accompanying).

miscelLAny: The invite for an event held by the YWCA of Greater Los Angeles and the Society of Benefactrix at the Millennium Biltmore specifies: “Black Tie/Personal Cultural Attire.”

Glad I’m not on the list, because I haven’t decided what my personal culture is.

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 steve.harvey@latimes.com.