‘Incredible Hulk’ sworn in as a deputy

WOULD-be criminals beware: you don’t want to afoul of Deputy Lou “The Incredible Hulk” Ferrigno.The former bodybuilder and star of the 1970s TV show no longer turns into a raging green monster when he sees people breaking the law. But since being sworn in this week as a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reserve deputy, he has the power to arrest them.

“I’m having a blast,” Ferrigno said after his swearing-in ceremony.

“My father was a police officer with the New York Police Department, I’ve always had a high respect for officers,” he added. “I want to give back to the community, and I want to work with young kids, help them get off drugs.”

Ferrigno, 54, began training to become a reserve deputy last September after passing a background check. He completed training in firearms, first aid, and high speed driving techniques and was recognised as “an outstanding trainee” by Sheriff Lee Baca.

“Mr. Ferrigno will certainly help inspire those currently serving as reserves, and he’ll be an encouragement to those who may wish to become” reserve deputies, Baca said in a statement.

Ferrigno, who will serve at least 20 hours a month, suffered a partial hearing loss in childhood that will result in his being assigned to duties that likely won’t result in his having to make arrests. Instead, he’ll focus on helping recruit new deputies and work with the sheriff’s Youth Activities League and the Special Victims Bureau, which assists abused children.

Ferrigno was a renowned bodybuilder before he starred in the CBS television series The Incredible Hulk from 1977 to 1982. The late actor Bill Bixby played mild-mannered scientist David Bruce Banner who, as Ferrigno, turned into a Herculean, green-skinned monster whenever he lost his temper. He switched back to Bixby’s character as soon as he calmed down.

Clooney ribs Cheney at Oscar lunch

GEORGE Clooney, tongue firmly in cheek, said he wanted Vice-President Dick Cheney to be his date at the Oscars. And Felicity Huffman said she was happy just to be going as a nominee and not a seat filler or part of the catering team.“I turn to my husband (actor William H. Macy) several times a day and say, ‘Hey, I forgot to tell you something. I am going to the Academy Awards’,” Huffman, nominated for playing a man on the verge of becoming a woman in Transamerica<$>, confided to reporters this week.

The occasion was the 25th annual luncheon for Oscar contenders - the one day on the Hollywood calendar when an actor who commands $20 million a picture is equal to a sound mixer who earns nowhere near that amount.

All they need to attend, and break bread with each other, is one hard-to-get ticket - a nomination.

“This is fun. ... This is the golden time,” said Clooney, who is nominated in three categories: best supporting actor in Syriana, best director for Good Night, and Good Luck and best original screenplay for co-writing the drama about newsman Edward R. Murrow’s 1950s confrontation with Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Known as one of Hollywood’s most stalwart liberals, Clooney drew a laugh at a pre-lunch press conference when he said, “I am bringing Dick Cheney as my date. He was so nice. He called me and invited me to go hunting.”

The hunting reference was to Cheney’s accidental shooting of a companion during a quail-hunting party over the weekend.

On a serious note, Clooney added, “I don’t really feel like I am going to win. I just like the idea of showing up.”

Spears branded ‘irresponsible’

US Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta chided pop star Britney Spears as “irresponsible” for driving with her baby on her lap as he announced a new initiative this week to improve child car-seat safety.“Recent photos of Britney Spears driving with her infant son on her lap are troubling. And while Ms. Spears has acknowledged her mistake, her actions still send the wrong message to millions of her fans,” Mineta said at an event at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to mark the start of Child Passenger Safety Week.

Photos published earlier this month showed Spears driving her sport-utility vehicle with her 4-month-old son perched on her lap. The pop star acknowledged that she made a mistake but said she acted instinctively when frightened by paparazzi.

“No matter who you are, there’s absolutely no excuse for this display — not instinct, not fear, not even reckless paparazzi,” Mineta said. “It’s irresponsible to compromise the safety of a child for the sake of the moment.”