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Hernias are a common ailment among Americans; more than 4 million people develop the painful condition. And although both men and women develop hernias, female patients may be harder to diagnose. Doctors and patients may not realize the abdominal pain a woman is feeling is because of a hernia. Dr. Hien Nguyen, assistant professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said the pain can be mistaken for other conditions with similar symptoms, such as adhesions from prior surgery, endometriosis, fibroids and ovarian cysts.

One of the first things that an incoming Boy Scout must learn is the Scout Law. It's become so famous that many people outside the organization likely recognize it. "A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. " There is no line about Boy Scouts being exclusionary, nor one suggestion that the organization discriminate. There isn't even a mention of sexuality. To be kind is to be kind. To think of Boy Scouts as some narrow-minded, anti-gay organization is anathema to how many of us have experienced scouting in our lives.

This year's Extreme Rules pay-per-view event left us with some unanswered questions but also some new beginnings. In the main event (a rare moment in WWE history where all wrestlers in a final match on PPV weren't on a full-time WWE schedule), Brock Lesnar defeated Triple H in a cage match. Lesnar went up 2-1 on "The Game" and is likely poised for another future match in WWE (not against Triple H), perhaps at Summerslam or Wrestlemania 30. Questions coming out of this match are: will Triple H wrestle again?

Just when Washington looked like it was completely preoccupied with the scandals, real and imaginary, swirling around the White House, a group of Democrats and Republicans in the Senate managed the unexpected (and, these days, extraordinary): They agreed on something. The vote Tuesday night in the Senate Judiciary Committee to forward to the floor a massive overhaul of the nation's immigration system was, to be sure, a small step and doesn't guarantee success in the full Senate, much less the House of Representatives.

Inside Westminster Abbey, eight 20-foot-tall live trees lined the center aisle during the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William. The trees transformed the space, doing what even the most elaborate floral arrangement could not — providing a natural, living sense of permanence and an air of drama. The move was unexpected, unpretentious and bold. A potted tree on your patio or deck can have the same effect. While not every tree is well-suited for a container, there are a surprising number of options, ranging from crape myrtles to hollies.

The Towson Chamber of Commerce is conducting a contest to find a slogan of eight or fewer words to promote the community. The winning entry in this haiku of civic advertising receives a $250 cash prize. As often happens with writers, that last bit really caught our eye. Alas, accepting a stipend, even from our friends at the chamber, might be perceived as a conflict of interest. But you, dear reader, are welcome to be inspired by our suggestions. Keep in mind, of course, that we avoided the predictable cliché (Best place in Central Baltimore County)

I knew I was not politically correct, but now I am a minority in my views on gun control too ("Tyranny of the minority," April 19). President Obama said "this [gun control] law would probably not have prevented Newtown. " He was right. I am not an NRA member and I don't own a gun. I do believe in the Constitution, however. The Democrats' insistence that they know better than Jefferson, Washington, Hamilton, etc., is unbelievable. Fortunately, since I am old, I hopefully will not live to witness the final change of this country from the USA to the USSR.

I was born in Baltimore County, raised in Prince George's County, attended public schools in Prince George's, matriculated from the University of Maryland College Park, and received an MBA from Mount Saint Mary's College. I have worked my entire career, approaching 30 years, within the state, dutifully paying my share of state income and personal property taxes. And while some would tell me I am in the "1 percent," I know that I am only in that rarefied air as long as I am working.

Chris and Jamie Swann's Baltimore townhouse off Key Highway features what many would consider a million-dollar view of the city's busy waterfront and beyond. That was reason enough for them to purchase the four-story brick home with rooftop deck in June 2011. "Chris and I fell in love with the views from our house," Jamie Swann said. "We looked at many units, and although the interior initially wasn't exactly what we wanted, we couldn't pass up our view of the harbor from every level.

Letter writer Ron Wiring seeks to minimize the fallout from Rep. Todd Akin's "legitimate rape" comment by equating it with former Rep. Anthony Weiner sending pictures to admirers of his more-than-adequate abs swathed in a towel ("Neither party is defined by its lunatic fringe," Aug 25). I've run to work shirtless for years. I get the occasional shout and smile and have never had to resign from anything because there's nothing wrong with it. Mr. Akin, on the other hand, reveals the typical Republican thinking that you just can't trust a woman, even if she's claiming to be raped.

Baltimore City's schools are Maryland's oldest, and Baltimore County's are the second-oldest. The problems posed by the aging facilities in the two jurisdictions are different — the city has an overabundance of underused buildings, while the county has for years been dealing with overcrowding in one region or another — but the first step toward a solution, county schools officials hope, may be the same: developing a comprehensive modernization plan....

There is an old adage, often heard in the local marinas, that a boat is nothing more than a hole in the water into which you pour money. Turns out the same could be said about Baltimore's water and sewer system - it is a money-soaking hole that puts the Queen Mary to shame. That the city's water system is old and deteriorating is nothing new. No doubt there are pipes still in the ground that would have served Edgar Allan Poe in his day - if the notorious drinker ever had a taste for non-alcoholic beverages, that is. But that problem was apparent last year, and the year before, and the year before that, and on and on. For more than a decade, Baltimore has been raising water rates annually by 9 percent or more.

Baltimore Gas & Electric certainly isn't likely to win any popularity contests. It secured a rate increase from the Public Service Commission in February - its second in the last three years - and turned around and filed a request for another one on Friday. And at the same time, the utility is asking the PSC for what may be unprecedented in Maryland: a surcharge on customers' monthly bills to pay for improvements to the electrical grid in advance. But as little as we may like it, the truth is that failing to make investments in maintaining the grid and improving its reliability is costing us dearly, too. It's just a harder cost to figure than the one that shows up at the bottom of our electric bills every month.

Last week presented the sort of opportunity that elected officials crave. As Gov. Martin O'Malley signed the gas tax increase into law, he announced a slew of new Maryland transportation projects - $1.2 billion in all - that can now move forward to relieve congestion, make roads safer and stimulate economic development. And while all of them, from widening U.S. 29 in Howard County to designing several new light rail lines in the Washington and Baltimore areas, have their constituencies and benefits, none is likely to reap more immediate rewards than expanding MARC commuter rail operations, including allowing Penn Line trains to run on weekends.

Republicans accuse Thomas E. Perez, President Barack Obama's nominee for labor secretary, of twisting the legal process in three cases in St. Paul, Minn., to suit his political purposes. But it is they who are twisting the Senate's role to "advise and consent" on presidential nominees for their own political ends, and in so doing they have smeared the reputation of a talented public servant and damaged the institution in which they serve. Mr. Perez made it out of committee on a party-line vote Thursday, but Republicans are still suggesting they may try to block his nomination on the Senate floor.

Well, that didn't take long. Just as several genuine scandals cast the Obama administration in an unfavorable light, Republicans in Congress are already overreaching - with hyperbolic comparisons to Watergate, calls for special prosecutors, outrageous claims about President Barack Obama's involvement, possible impeachment and assorted hyper-partisan rhetoric. Just this weekend, there was Sen. Rand Paul on TV claiming there was a "written policy" at the Internal Revenue Service to target people opposed to President Obama.

If there's a great view of Fourth of July fireworks from your restaurant, why not make a party out of it? And if you've got an absolutely amazing view and can get away with charging a premium, I say go for it. It's the American Way. These restaurants really do have a view worth the trouble: •The Rusty Scupper (402 Key Highway, 410-727-3678, selectrestaurants.com/rusty) hosts its annual Fourth of July celebration from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. in its Topside Lounge and upper-deck areas.

Op-ed writer John Clayton Young suggests that school should be optional for some students ("Why force a kid to go to school?" March 12). He claims a child shouldn't have to attend school if he or she doesn't want to and that forcing people to be there is a violation of their freedom. I couldn't disagree more. There are certainly other ways a child can get an education, acquire knowledge and learn to find his or her way in the world. But a general education opens a child's mind.

Coppin State University is a mess, and the problems go well beyond its abysmal six-year graduation rate of 15 percent. A report to the University System of Maryland Board of Regents by a committee assigned to study the school in the wake of former President Reginald Avery's departure found massive mismanagement, inefficiency and indifference. The state puts more resources per student into Coppin than any other institution in the university system, and it gets the least return. That's bad for the taxpayers, but it's worse for the students whose dreams of advancement go unfulfilled.

The Kentucky Derby winner and oddsmakers' favorite for the Preakness Stakes isn't exactly a Maryland horse, but he's close - Orb is partially owned by a Baltimore County businessman, and his sire spent some time in Harford County. Attendance at Saturday's races might or might not set an all-time record, but it's bound to be close - top-flight music acts, it seems, are a bigger draw than BYOB debauchery. The weather may not be perfect, but it will be close - the latest forecast is for a high of 72 but with a slight chance of showers.