Smoking is bad for everyone's health. That is pretty much a foregone conclusion in today's society. But not everyone cares to pay attention to that fact. Since I was born my dad smoked. He continued to smoke around me after I was born and through many ear infections I endured.

The United States Senate voted on a resolution June 27 that could have changed our Constitution forever. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) introduced S.J.RES.12 April 14. Had this resolution received a two-thirds vote, it would have amended the Constitution to allow Congress to "prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States.

In his State of the City speech in April, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa mentioned the San Fernando Valley a total of three times. The Valley deserves more than just a few casual mentions from our mayor. Villaraigosa won the run off mayoral election in May 2005 by a substantial margin with the help of the San Fernando Valley.