Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check

The 411:

If you wanna get somewhere in L-A quickly, you might be better off jogging.
   That's the conclusion reached by LA Times reporter STEVE LOWERY, who set out to drive the Los Angeles marathon route during rush hour (The race was yesterday).
   At 7:35 am on a Thursday, and with a runner familiar with the race route as his navigator, Lowery left Dodger Stadium bound for the Santa Monica Pier. Twisting along the marathon route, the scenery was great; the speed, not so much.
   The 26.2 miles took Lowery two hours, two minutes, and 19 seconds. It's good news, he says, that he crossed the finish line "a good six minutes faster than the probable winner Sunday." But there's bad news: "[I]t took two hours and two minutes to go 26 miles in L-A."
   Editor's note: They might try driving the route for Super Bowl victory parades. There's no one on that road. (Maiman)

Reality Round-Up:

Tonight's the night as ABC rolls out a two-hour season premiere for "Dancing with the Stars." Latest odds for "Dancing with the Stars 10" (Bodog.com):
   --Evan Lysacek, 9/4 (favorite)
   --Nicole Scherzinger, 3/1
   --Chad Ochocinco, 3/1
   --Erin Andrews, 4/1
   --Jake Pavelka, 12/1
   --Kate Gosselin, 16/1
   --Aidan Turner, 18/1
   --Pamela Anderson, 18/1
   --Shannen Doherty, 20/1
   --Niecy Nash, 35/1
   --Buzz Aldrin, 40/1 (longshot)

Broadcast, cable and video news:

Congrats to the cast of NBC's long-running soap, "Days of our Lives," which has just been renewed for a 45th season, keeping the show on the air through 2011.
   "Days of Our Lives" is NBC's last remaining soap. CBS-TV's "Guiding Light" and "As the World Turns" recently were canceled last year after 57 and 54 years on the air. "ATWT's" last show will be Sep 17 of this year.
   So why keep "Days of our Lives"? NBC says key female demographics have increased year-to-year for the show.

The Reel Deal:

Out on DVD tomorrow for the first time: KATHRYN HEPBURN and HUMPHREY BOGART's classic, "The African Queen." Bogie won the Oscar for Best Actor for the role, beating MARLON BRANDO (in "A Streetcar Named Desire") and MONTGOMERY CLIFT (in "A Place in the Sun").
   The NY Post says the film took six years to restore, with computers digitally aligning the three negatives (which had each shrunk to different sizes).

Former Presidents at play:

Lost in all the health care mess over the weekend --former President BILL CLINTON's funny routine at the annual Gridiron Club dinner Saturday night in DC. He had some great lines:
   --"This feels like old times being here. Or maybe it's more like that movie 'Groundhog Day' ...nowadays, my favorite cocktail is Lipitor on the rocks."
   --(Health care reform) may not happen in my lifetime or in DICK CHENEY's, but hopefully by Easter."
   --Saying that he regretted having come to dinner without "either of the BUSHES," Clinton added, "I'm used to having them by my side when I walk into a disaster area."
   FYI: PRESIDENT OBAMA addressed the crowd via videotape. Due to the health care mess, Saturday marked the first time in 30 years that neither a president nor a vice president attended the dinner. (Pacelli)