Being on the edge of what is essentially a dead sea, Salt Lake City is frequently subject to a phenomenon we locals call “lake stink.” It occurs when the wind blows across the Great Salt Lake from the northwest, churning up all the decaying gunk at the bottom of the lake and carrying the resulting odors straight into the city and its surrounding ‘burbs. I kind of like the smell myself, at least in small concentrations; it smells like home to me. But in higher concentrations, it can be rather… disconcerting.

I bring this up because last night, as a weather front moved through the area, there was an unusually powerful lake stink in the air, the strongest I’ve experienced in several years. As it so happens, President Bush was also in town last night, staying overnight in downtown SLC so he could speak to the American Legion convention this morning. I wonder if Dear Leader, safely ensconsed in the marble-floored penthouse of the fanciest hotel in town after his thrilling five-minute ride in from the airport, noticed the stench, and whether he thought someone was playing a prank on him…