*Last Sunday morning. Entrance to the Hurley Ridge Market in West Hurley. I'm going inside to buy the papers. A guy about my age is chatting loudly with friends. It's quickly clear he's not a fan of the president. He says the president is making a mess of the country. "Obama ought to be shot," the guy declares. I look his way thinking the guy's lucky no authorities were in earshot. Heck, I was tempted to pull a Gomer Pyle and yell, "Citizen's arrest! Citizen's arrest!" You don't like this or any president? That's your right. But overstating your displeasure with a hyperbolic (I hope) threat isn't cool, you know?

*Reminded myself last night why it's a good thing I don't do comedy for a living. As MC of the annual Rip Van Winkle Council Boy Scouts dinner, it was my pleasure to move along a program highlighting the many good things accomplished by the scouts and volunteer leaders. But, although several of my humorous asides generated the desired results, a couple of more than usual fell flat. I'm going to chalk it up to being rusty and tired, this being my first event in more than seven months, although it probably wasn't that. Anyway, I'll do better the next time.

*Didn't dawn on me until this morning that former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, who's on trial in Albany, has Abbe Lowell as his lead defense attorney. Lowell is a high-powered Washington lawyer with a great resume and reputation. In my mind, that makes Bruno's chances of survival greater than I'd have originally thought. On the other hand, Bruno ought to keep his mouth shut. He's giving too many media interviews (he's always loved the microphones) and yesterday the judge strongly admonished him for inappropriate in-court comments.

*Make sure you catch another excellent installment in ESPN's "30 for 30" series, this one on Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder. It's a wonderful and ultimately sad tale about the rise and fall of one of the great characters and, believe it or not, visionaries, of sports TV.

*Reminder to would-be registrants to the Freeman's Website: Full names are required to sign up. You know who we are; we want to know who you are.

*If you believe the argument of the lawyer for the alleged blackmailer of David Letterman that it was all a business deal, watch out for the ledge on the back of the turnip truck; you're about to fall off.

*Forget the "60 Minutes" interview with Andre Agassi - which somehow required at least three separate sessions to record judging from Katie Couric's outfits. The real eye-opener last night was the segment on cyber terrorism. If you missed it, find it here. It will get your attention.

*The Freeman 20-Year Club welcomed Sports Editor Ron Rosner last night at its annual dinner. Good to see many current and former colleagues in a social setting away from the office. Of the attendees whose names names have been in the paper and you're likely to recognize were Ed Palladino, Joan Saehloff, Hugh Reynolds, Edwina Henderson, Tony Adamis, Tom Wakeman, Don Treat and Bonnie Langston. Also on hand were several of our behind-the-scenes stalwarts from sales and production.

*Speaking of dinners, the Rip Van Winkle Council, Boy Scouts of America's, annual event is Thursday night at Wiltwyck Golf Club. I've been asked back as MC, proving once again that the scouts really are prepared. Local financier Bill Spearman will receive the top award.

*I know the program is wildly popular, but for my money, the lead character played by Hugh Laurie in "House" is the most unappealing on TV. Larry David on "Curb Your Enthusiasm", you say? At least he plays it for laughs.

*Maybe I missed him both times, but Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman seemed to be conspiculously absent for the trophy presentations after the ALCS and World Series. The platform was crowded with Steinbrenners and team officials Randy Levine and Lon Trost, as well as Manager Joe Girardi and a handful of players (and platform-crasher Mayor Mike Bloomberg), but no Cashman. Odd and unfortunate, if an on-purpose snub from above.

*I know this is after the fact, but I couldn't figure out the angst before Game 6 about starting Andy Pettitte on three days rest. Sure, he couldn't go deep into the game - like beyond six innings. But he was barely doing that on full rest. A solid four or five innings were sufficient, given the strength of the bullpen. And that's what he provided.

*Also thought it was crazy that some people - including the prominent midday radio talker - had Mariano Rivera slated for three innings of relief in Game 6. Again, not with the Yankees bullpen depth - and the possibility of needing him again had there been a Game 7. As it was, Mariano required over 40 pitches to get five outs and save the game.

*They say the Yankees will keep either Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui, both of whom have played out their contracts. The smart money is on Damon, since he plays the outfield and does more things. I'd prefer Matsui, even before last night's MVP performance. He's a full-time DH who fits the mold: aging slugger who handles lefties as well as righties. That said, if the Yankees let both go and started getting younger, it wouldn't make me mad. Damon, Matsui, Jorge Posada, Pettitte, Rivera are getting up there (so, too, is Derek Jeter, although he's showing no signs of slowing down). Better to start now, rather than wait until it's too late and too many expensive contracts have been doled out to senior citizens.

*When did Tim McCarver stop making sense? The veteran broadcaster used to set the standard for incisive comments in his early network days, as well as when he was behind the mike for the Mets and Yankees. In this postseason, he often sounded contradictory and off the wall. Sad, because Joe Buck has never been better.

*Watching the Phillies this week, I have to wonder how the Mets, even without their major injuries this season, figured to beat them out. That's quite a lineup in Philadelphia. A little more pitching, particularly in the bullpen, and that's a team without peer in the National League.

*Know how you could predict Mike Bloomberg wasn't going to win a laugher yesterday? When you saw the video of the dour New York City mayor showing up to cast his own vote. He was hardly a picture of a confident front-runner

*I know I wrote that the Ulster County Legislature campaign wasn't drumming up a lot of interest on a macro level. But it sure did within each district, witness the Republicans' stunning takeback of the majority from Democrats. So much for the Ulster County Democratic demographic balance of power. Add to that the landslide countywide wins for Judge-elect Don Williams and Clerk Nina Postupack of the GOP, and throw in huge victories by Republicans Jim Quigley in the town of Ulster supervisor race and (new Republican) Jeff Moran in Woodstock, among others. How to you spell momentum-breaker?

*So which Republican will be the Ulster County Legislature's new chairman? And what about the majority and minority leaders? (The GOP's current minority leader was ousted in a primary. And the Democrats' majority leader lost in the general election.) If you're into politics, the jockeying for position will be fun to watch.

*Speaking of a roadblocker of a result, voters in the 23rd Congressional District in Upstate apparently wanted no part of the Palin-Armey-Beck push to get an out-of-district Conservative into the House. Once the moderate Republican had been bullied out of the race, she endorsed the Democrat and, lo and behold, the latter won. (And Democrats never win in that district ... until last night.)

*New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine's negative advertising doomed him. Given Corzine's record, voters didn't much care of Republican challenger Chris Christie is overweight. What did that have to do with the real issues?

*Yes, I'm not a candidate, so I haven't had to knock on doors, raise money and participate in forums and media interviews. And tonight I won't have to sweat out election returns. So the following has to be put in that context. But I can't remember a more uneventful, quiet politcal campaign season. Maybe it's been contentious in some of the town races about which I'm less familiar. And I understand that as publisher I'm a bit removed from the day-to-day give and take our editors and reporters experience. It's just that from what I read in news stories and paid ads in print, and commercials I hear on the air, it's untypically calm. If you accept that analysis, you may agree that a big part of it can be attributed to the county executive form of government in Ulster County, which has rendered the Legislature election, shall we say, less pivotal in the grand scheme. Legislators are still important and the party power split is crucial. But with a county executive at the helm, the buck really stops at his desk. Then again, as comic Dennis Miller might say after a rant (the Dennis Miller of pre-Bill O'Reilly days), "I could be wrong."

*Speaking of the right-leaning Miller, I see left-leaning comic Bill Maher is coming to UPAC in a couple of months. Not to discourage ticket sales, but I'm guessing conservatives won't find him humorous.

*Long before George Steinbrenner became a beloved figure in New York and his fading health made the Yankees' quest for another title a rallying cry, winning the World Series was little more than the icing on the cake. Getting there was the prize. But in the Steinbrenner era, not capturing the World Series is considered a failure. Sad. The Yankees were by far the best team in baseball in this marathon season. Being eliminated in the postseason is easy, especially if you face hot pitchers in a short series, or if one or more of your best hitters encounters an inevitable slump. If the Yankees somehow lose the last two games against the Phillies - unlikely, but possible - it should be considered a disappointment, given how close the team is to winning it all. But a failure? Nonsense.

Save the cover story on sex for later, and make sure you read the fascinating behind-the-scenes piece on David Letterman. But first go to New York Magazine's feature on the new Hamlet on the Hudson, Rudy Giuliani.

The story will have local appeal since its scene-setter is Giuliani's recent appearance in Kingston (and quotes Ulster County GOP Chairman Mario Catalano). Even better, it tries to get into Giuliani's head in the wake of his poor showing in last year's presidential campaign and how it has impacted his political future and business ventures.

I came away from it believing Giuliani won't run for governor, given the quicksand atmosphere at the state Capitol.

One of the classic lines in the story involves Giuliani's favorable assessment of Albany because of its golf courses.