If you smeeellllllllll la la la la .....

There are two aromas I know I can sniff out better than any bloodhound alive: sweets and summer vacation. Right now the sweet smell of summer is filling my nostrils like helium (without the accompaniment of a Mickey Mouse voice) and I'm hot on summer's trail!! Memorial Day is the traditional kick off for some, but it's only an hors d'oeuvres on my summer menu. As my French friends say, "A quoi bon le plat principal sans un plat bon côté?" At least I think they were talking about food ... and while we're on the subject of food, is anybody headed down to the Taste of Cincinnati this weekend? A tsumani of drool just crested under my tongue at the thought of all the tasty morsels I can enjoy!! Never fear ... I will weather the heat and humidity for my loyal followers to bring back a full report. You will find me posted midway between the Montogomery Inn and Graeter's booths, summer shandy in hand. Stop by and say hello. And drive safely ... our public safety officials will be out in force all weekend!

Don't look now but Major General Dusty Custer has his Redlegs on a roll .... six on the trot .... against a tough band of redskins Native Americans - even if they were missing Sitting Bull Jones and Crazy Horse McCann. The GASP was welcoming all small fly hitters again last night with eight of the nine totals runs scored courtesy of the launching pad. Michael Bourne of the Braves, he of two HRs all of last season, hit his third homer of the series off Homer. Despite the poor nickname assignment for a kid destined to flame ninety-five MPH spheres of twine and leather from an elevated mound, David Dewitt Bailey, Jr., put together another strong outing surrendering only two runs in six innings of hurling. Juan "Too Fat for Cincinnati" "Chubb Rock" Francisco did ding Sudden Sammy LeCure for another round trip, but the big blast came from one Reds prospect who still plays in Cincinnati: Devin Mesoraco. The Reds rookie catcher cleared the loaded bases when he got funky in the sixth inning and his teammates didn't look back. Although despised by His Dustiness, the Committee of Closers continues to get the job done when the Missile is undergoing routine maintenance. The Redlegs get twelve games against the Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Lastros now and they need to make some Nirvana-like noise against these stragglers. 9-3 may be too much to ask, but 8-4 is the drop dead goal for this team as the calendar turns to June.

I'm not going to put a damper on this weekend's festivities, instead choosing to focus on some food for thought. As you play Kobayashi at the family cookout this weekend, try not to choke on thoughts of the economy as the summer heats up. Our Grecian friends (quote stolen directly from George W!) and Spanish conquista-nothings are having serious economic issues which threaten the entire European Union. Facebook's IPO couldn't fill up its training bra. Reports out of China paint a dim picture of economic growth there in the first quarter of 2012. What's all of that mean??? There are going to be a lot of economy watchers (including both Presidential candidates) sweating this summer and it's got nothing to do with the temperature.

I was transfixed this morning watching the International Space Station capture Space X's Dragon capsule while orbiting at a pedestrian 17500 MPH (5 miles per second!). Dragon moved to within 10 meters of the I.S.S. before the it was grabbed by the stations robotic arm and dragged into docking position. Just another example of why America ingenuity and technical know-how is unrivaled .. a corporation did what only four nations on earth have done before today. Congrats to Elon Musk, the entrepreneur not the fragrance, and his entire Space X team!!!

Several porn stars adult performers were in the news today. Jenna Jameson got picked up for DUI. She couldn't 'talk' her way out of that one??? She didn't have enough to 'offer'??? Tip of the cap to that cop for resisting temptation. Enough of that ... she's washed up anyway. Slick Willy Clinton on the other hand is showing more staying power than a dose of Viagra!!! At a benefit in Monaco for the William J. Clinton Foundation, he posed for an 'impromptu' picture with three female porn stars adult performers who were in attendance. Now I have a couple questions. How do female porn stars adult performers get invited to a benefit ball (no pun intended!) in Monaco? Was it a Make a Wish Foundation experience for some wealthy, terminally ill head (no pun intended!) of state? Who put Silvio Berlusconi in charge of the invitations? How did the ginger in the picture get Monica Lewinsky's dress? And more importantly has it finally been laundered?? Those stains are tough to get out!!! No cigars in the pictures ... maybe Slick Willy behaved himself.

Big racing weekend .. Indy 500 ... Southern 600 ... but foremost in my mind is the World of Outlaws at Lawrenceburg Speedway on Monday. Considering a trip over.

Enjoy the picnics and barbeques this weekend!!! Talk on Tuesday!!!