Mayor-in-the-Air:Tom Bradley took to the skies in...

Mayor-in-the-Air:

Tom Bradley took to the skies in a police helicopter Monday to remind commuters via six radio stations to car pool.

“I am up here today to urge all of you--and I can see you riding into work all by yourself--to take advantage of ride-sharing programs,” he intoned.

Bradley, of course, already ride-shares.

With his chauffeur.

Figuring that about one out of three people in L.A. claim to be authors--or at least writing screenplays--the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is soliciting snappy prose for a forthcoming book.

The theme: How to save water. OK, so it’s not exactly on a par with the meaning of life.

But, points out MWD spokesman Jay Malinowski: “We’re in the fourth year of a drought period and water availability is going to be real tight this summer, so we want people thinking about water conservation.”

Authors whose work is included in the tome, “The Book on Water Conservation,” will receive credit but not pay (neither salary, nor a percentage of the gross if it becomes a movie).

The water district has received some not-so-productive suggestions over the years.

“We had a woman who said she washed her personal things with her hands then used the same water to wash her floor,” said Malinowski. “We’ve had people suggest that swimming pool owners be required to put up signs that say, ‘Do not splash in pool.’ One we hear quite a lot is, ‘Shower with a friend.’ ”

The most unusual suggestion was a variation on the cozy shower.

“I heard from a guy who showered with his dog,” Malinowski said.

Pass the flea shampoo, Rover.

“Would like to borrow $2,500 for our honeymoon,” says the ad in this week’s Downtown News. “Restitution 24-month period at 7% interest.”

Not only is the approach unique, but the parties involved turn out to live in Michigan.

“My girlfriend lives out in California,” said the bride-to-be over the telephone. “She suggested I try there and maybe I’d find someone in Beverly Hills who wanted to help someone out. We both come from broken homes and we’re really scraping to come up with money for the wedding. As it is now, we’re only having six people at the wedding.”

She said that she and her fiance have both been hit hard by the recession in Michigan. But she pointed out their hometown of Bay City, Mich., has one distinction.

“Madonna was born here,” she said.

What is it about A’s-Giants baseball games?

First, there was the Oct. 17 San Francisco quake just before the start of the third World Series game.

Now, it turns out the A’s and Giants were warming up to play in Monrovia last Wednesday when the Upland temblor struck.

Well, not those A’s and Giants. These were teams from the local youth baseball league.

One other difference too. “There was no way these kids would have the game postponed,” said league President David Bower. “The quake even pumped ‘em up more.”

The A’s won again, by the way.