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It's the Olympic torch. The procession begins at Venice Beach at 9 a.m. with Mayor Hahn passing to either Sylvester Stallone or Jay Leno [it was Sly] and ends at Dodger Stadium at 5:30 p.m. In between, runners will carry the torch through Santa Monica, Westwood, Century City, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Hollywood, Koreatown, South L.A., Downtown, Boyle Heights, Little Tokyo, the Civic Center and Chinatown. Might as well enjoy it or stay on the freeway, because traffic will suck. Route map at LATimes.com
* Among the non-celebrity "torchbearers and escort runners" are the Times Olympics writer Alan Abrahamson and his boss, LAT Sports Editor Bill Dwyre.