HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD

I had originally planned to write about how land surrounding the iconic "HOLLYWOOD" sign had been saved from development. Hugh Hefner donated the final $900,000 needed to keep the land open and it will now become a part of Griffith Park (by the way, thanks, Hugh). But when I saw this picture that accompanied the story, I was thunderstruck at how clear the air looked and how you can so easily see the San Gabriel Mountains in the background.

I am a Los Angeles native and have been told that when I was a baby, the smog was so thick that sometimes you could not see the houses across the street. It was one of the many reasons my parents returned to Northern California.

Now I know that Los Angeles still has a serious smog issue, but this picture shows they've come a long way in that battle.

Hmm, L.A. is looking kind of good to me right now.