Before Saturday night's first game of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets, former Dodgers and the son of Gil Hodges came down to the floor and exchanged jerseys with the players. Nice touch.

He has the complex algorithm to back up saying that President Obama is the favorite to win on Tuesday. But all he needs, he says, is this: Obama is ahead in Ohio.

The Lakers record fell to 0-3 after they lost to the Clippers, 105-95, on Friday night. Jamal Crawford led the Clippers with 21 points off the bench.

Bill Dees was a Nashville songwriter working with Roy Orbison in 1964 when they wrote 'Oh, Pretty Woman," inspired by Orbison's wife Claudette. The song changed both of their lives forever.

Saturday morning on one of Los Angeles' longest-running radio programs, the hosts will announce the death of John Retsek, who created "The Car Show" on KPFK in 1973. They will talk about John and possibly take calls from the legions of listeners who have listened to the show or been guests in its nearly four decades on the air — the odd duck among the politically charged news, talk and revolutionary rhetoric at the Pacifica-owned radio station.

Next season's roster of Dodger Stadium bobblehead giveaways includes a bit of a surprise. Here's the list.

As of Thursday afternoon, about 549,000 mail ballots have already been returned to the LA County Registrar-Recorder. Just over a majority, 50.59 percent of the ballots, have come back from Democrats. Some 29.65 percent have come in from Republicans.

Voting by mail to delay count, shady AZ group appeals, how Brown might be able to save Prop. 30, city wants hotel developer at Pico and Fig, Metro fares after Measure J, Bean to donate a kidney to co-worker and USC continues to reel from campus shooting.

The newspaper recently owned by the New York Times announced it was bought by a group that includes Darius Anderson, a Sonoma-based developer and top Sacramento lobbyist, and former Democratic congressman Doug Bosco.

Chris Little takes to his blog at AM talk station KFI to explain to listeners why he says "driver license" when referring to the card issued by the California DMV — and won't say "Democrat Party."

Just a mild heart attack, the Daily News columnist reports on Facebook.

Four people were wounded in a shooting outside a Halloween party near the center of the USC campus. None were students. Plus politics, media and books notes.

How KPCC's quest for Latino listeners doomed the "Madeleine Brand Show," plus the first choice of a co-host — and the complications of A Martinez's advocacy for steroids in sports.

Tax hikes at the City Council, Gov. Brown at Town Hall, Riordan's pension reform plan, DA candidates on WWLA, defending Patt Morrison and a Twitter troll apologizes for sending out false reports about scary storm damage in New York — without explaining why. Plus the Lakers bomb on opening night and the Dodgers sign a pitcher.

Well, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa certainly seemed to be enjoying himself at Tuesday's opening of the Endeavour exhibit at the California Science Center. But now the video has been taken down.

Signs are posted on Sunset Boulevard and elsewhere in Hollywood reminding Halloween revelers that even the possession of silly string is illegal in Los Angeles — but only on Halloween and only in Hollywood.

The City Council's deal several years ago to introduce digital billboards to Los Angeles is likely to be invalidated by the 2nd District Court of Appeal, a panel of the court's judges told lawyers on Tuesday.

Measures to raise the California sales tax (Proposition 30) and to extend the already-higher sales tax in Los Angeles County (Measure J) are up for a vote on the November 5 ballot. Now City Council President Herb Wesson is floating the idea of an additional half-cent sales tax increase within the city of Los Angeles to be voted on next March.

The venerable Magic Castle private club above Franklin Avenue in Hollywood is the basis of a feature film being developed by producer Ted Field and his company, Radar Pictures.

Assemblyman hit with protective order, more City Attorney wrangling, 10,000 cops an illusion, Space X agrees to stay in Hawthorne, a media person's fortune cookie business and the Lakers season finally opens. PLus much more.

Have you seen this car? Veteran LA journalist Steve Devol was out early Sunday morning to shoot some dawn photos around Walt Disney Hall. So were a film crew and a guard who tried to stop Devol from taking pictures. Didn't work.

Six-minute clip from Harry Pallenberg looks at the rise of Googie coffee shop architecture around Los Angeles. Included are old clips of Astro Burger, the old Carnation building on Wilshire Boulevard, a Van de Kamps drive-in, Ship's, Norm's, Pann's and an interview Googie architect Eldon Davis.

Could the Press Club's plan to honor Janice Min for revamping the Hollywood Reporter be a factor? Finke says the club "seems more interested in collecting entry fees and selling gala tables...than in rewarding high standards of journalism or conducting a competition with integrity."

KPCC's website has posted a nice gallery of photos from the maintenance work on the iconic Hollywood sign. Nothing like a new coat of paint to freshen up a place.

Mona Shadia got some media coverage here and elsewhere last December when she was assigned to write a regular column about living as a Muslim in Orange County for the three local newspapers run by the LAT's Times Community News unit.

Katzenberg's work for Obama, Skelton and Newton give their opinions, what political cartoonists have against Brad Sherman, NYT suspends paywall for Hurricane Sandy, downtown's ghost hotel, Santa Monica Mountains lion tracker and more for a Monday.

I went over to KCET's new studios in Burbank last week to catch the first day of run throughs for the made-over "So Cal Connected." Here's what to expect from the nightly show and some pictures of KCET's digs.

San Francisco swept the Detroit Tigers four games to none to win the series — again. They beat the Texas Rangers in 2010.

NASA posted this image of Hurricane Sandy taken at noon Eastern time on Sunday.

Mary Jane's Place, North Main Street, Lincoln Heights.