VIDEO JAM: Malls aren’t the only places...

VIDEO JAM: Malls aren’t the only places likely to be mobbed today. Expect big crowds at video stores. . . . “Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are the busiest days of the year,” said Steve Mabry at Videotyme in Ventura. “Our shelves will be pretty empty by closing time.”. . . Hot tickets: “The Firm,” “Sleepless in Seattle” and “Cliffhanger.” Renters are also picking up holiday favorites like “Miracle on 34th Street” and anything with that ubiquitous purple reptile, Barney. . . . The usually ubiquitous “It’s a Wonderful Life” hasn’t been shown much on TV this year. But it’s on tonight (F32).

EASY STREETS: It’s not quite a miracle on Simi Valley streets. But traffic has declined so much since the opening of that new freeway connector that the city is no longer suing Thousand Oaks over road improvements (B4). . . . “The connector is definitely being used,” Caltrans spokesman Russell Snyder said. . . . High Street in Moorpark--heavily congested before the connector opened in October--”is dead now,” said Jo Torner of the Whistle Stoppe restaurant. She’s pleased. “It’s helped our business. People can get in and out now.”

EARLY START: When Steve Aylsworth was 4, his father tied his right hand behind his back when he played with a basketball. Now Aylsworth can dribble as well with his left hand as his right. . . . Such preparation has helped make the Westlake High backcourter one of the top-rated sophomores in the state (C8).

POSTER SHOCK: In “Wayne’s World II,” Wayne visits an aging rock promoter whose home is festooned with posters featuring Jimi Hendrix and the Yardbirds. Watching the scene, Ventura video and record mogul Jim Salzer was surprised to see they were his posters--left over from concerts Salzer promoted in the 1960s. . . . “If you look close you can see the ‘Jim Salzer Presents,’ ” he said. . . . Salzer says he produced more Doors concerts than any other promoter, and his posters were featured in Oliver Stone’s biographical movie. But unlike “Wayne’s” makers, Stone got permission. “I’ve got a call in to Paramount,” Salzer said.