I suppose it's easy to believe that a Utah lawmaker is trying to play nanny and take away your flavored nicotine-mist inhaler/ vaporizer/ atomizer e-cigarette thingies.

Not to worry. The panic that Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, has hijacked the smokeless cigarette regulation effort this session may be, well, just smoke.

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The City Weekly Music Awards/CWMA showcase events began last night at W Lounge with a wildly fun DJ battle that, I'm sure, earned its spot as an instant-classic annual event. I think turnout exceeded organizers' expectations--while I work at City Weekly, I have no hand in CWMA stuff--because around 11 p.m. I was running off to Kinko's to make 400 more copies of the ballots to choose the winner.

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Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch is saying today that his comments yesterday on MSNBC, which seemed to some to be very critical of the military's Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell ban on gays in the military, were misunderstood.

He didn't say explicitly that he would vote to remove the policy, but I'm shocked--SHOCKED--that Hatch is shocked--SHOCKED--that people got that idea from the following comments.

Hatch reminds me a lot of my father, so let me try to translate sentence by sentence for you all.

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Woods Cross's Silver Eagle Refinery's impressively devastating explosion in November--which damaged dozens if not hundreds of nearby homes--was featured in this week's City Weekly cover story, Utah's Unstable Oil Refineries, which I wrote. At one point during the investigation, I found myself running in circles with that refinery's new Vice President of Refining and Operations Michael Redd, as I asked him about the refinery's new efforts on safety. He wrote me today saying he's "been reminded by several people" that he wasn't able to provide me any names or even titles of--much less access to interview--the refinery employees who are experts on safety regulations. Redd had promised to get back to me on that, but did not by press time.

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A local activist identified the first legislator who is willing to speak openly about the medical benefits of the Earth's most controversial herbal remedy: marijuana.

"We're pro-neutraceutical here [in Utah]," says Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck, the Salt Lake City Democrat says. She represents the Avenues and part of downtown. "I'm kind of surprised I'm the only one [willing to speak publicly about it]. ... There are [14] other states that are doing it. We can learn from them. ... There are a lot of people who suffer very acute pain for whom this is a good option. I think it needs to be looked at."

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The highly-publicized no-knock warrant served on the Miramontes family in early January has gotten a lot of attention for the use of tear gas that tainted many of the family's possessions, including furniture. The evidence used to obtain that warrant has been called into question by a member of that family who police say told them that the suspect in the Dep. Josie Fox murder was in the Miramontes home. He denies saying that to them and has asked the Federal Bureau of Investigations to investigate the Salt Lake City Police Department.

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Governor Garry Herbert joined the "Clean Air Challenge" today--originally conceived in part by his Democratic rival for governor, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon. The effort challenges residents to make a commitment to cleaner travel (mass transit, bikes or walking vs. cars). All I can say is I AM TRYING, but dang it, "challenge" is the exactly the right word for it.

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I'm told that the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control board has given a liquor license to Jam, the little Marmalade bar that could.

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I'm not sure how to process this news that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has purchased another 3 acres of downtown property, this time at North Temple and 400 West. On the one hand, they are undeniably savvy businessmen so it's a good sign that they believe an investment in Salt Lake City is a good one. On the other hand, what are the consequences of one owner owning so much of our city?

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I've been doing my best to curate--and occasionally contribute to--a debate our readers are having over income disparity in the United State today. I'm really excited to see the topic generate so much interest, both from those who defend the wealthy, and those that want to take them down a notch.

Admittedly, I'm on the side of "take them down a notch," as I made clear two weeks ago in my regular Rant Control columnlette. In response to what I wrote then, I got a great e-mail from a guy who defends the wealthy. He wouldn't comply with out Letters to the Editor policy (he would not consent to having his name printed with the letter), so I'm publishing excerpts anonymously.

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