Which Final Would You Choose: Lakers or Molecular Biology?

Facing a Wednesday night final in Life Sciences 3 (Introduction to Molecular Biology), one UCLA student had his mind on some biological phenomena in the Midwest. He e-mailed his professor beforehand:

“Since the LS3 final coincides with the fourth game in the NBA playoffs with the Lakers, do you think that a T.A., perhaps, could, every so often, post the score of the Laker / Pacer game on the board? This I’m sure would be much appreciated by many people.”

The Lakers, of course, passed their test.

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THIS JUST IN: The eBay Web site is offering a “7” lapel pin said to have been worn by former KABC reporter Larry Carroll.

The seller claims to have come into possession of the pin several years ago when Carroll’s news crew was in the field “looking for someone to go on the air for a news story that was the buzz that week.

“Larry, after repeated attempts, could not find anyone. . . . And they were minutes away from needing to send something to the studio. . . . I was his last hope. I said, ‘Only if I get your Channel 7 lapel pin after we’re through talking.’ Five minutes later I had the pin.”

The pin may not be changing hands again for a while. After a week, the highest bid has been $6.49. Maybe there is more to life than news, weather and sports.

More on this story as it develops . . .

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DINING GUIDE: Today’s food-for-thought items (see accompanying) include an eye-catching restaurant sign (photographed by Carol Sullivan, among others), a notice at a church yard sale that seemed to warn visitors they were stuck with any hot dog they bought (Valerie Adams), and a combo offer that didn’t sound like a combo (photo by Diane Bever).

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ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY: Nine years ago, President George Bush, preoccupied with a tennis date in Brentwood, rushed out of the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills--leaving behind the military aide who had the top-secret codes needed to launch a nuclear attack. He also left behind his personal physician.

The incident occurred after the president returned from church services, made a five-minute clothes change, grabbed his tennis gear and jumped into a limousine, the Associated Press reported. The Secret Service dispatched another car and caught up with him at the house where he was playing tennis.

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ASSAULTS ON THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE (CONT.): “Your mention of the ‘wealth architect’ in your column [a euphemism used by a financial broker] reminded me that in Britain, bookies are sometimes referred to as ‘turf accountants,’ ” wrote Ralph Merrill.

And Judi Birnberg saw “an undertaker with a name badge identifying him as a ‘life transition consultant.’ ”

miscelLAny:

Phil Proctor of Beverly Hills notes that in the new book “The Sinatra Files: The Secret FBI Dossier,” the agency helped the singer in addition to spying on him. One instance: a four-month investigation of a crank who had threatened to blind Sinatra by hitting him in the eye with a poisoned pickle.

Wonder if that was the same crank who was going to have Castro killed with a poisoned cigar? Oops. That was the CIA.

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Steve Harvey can be reached at Metro, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., 90012 and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com.