*Our justice system is a wonderful thing, but sometimes it makes you wonder. For instance, David Letterman is allegedly blackmailed. Now the lawyer for the man under arrest is trumpeting his desire to get Letterman on the stand to reveal more - as Letterman might call it - "creepy" things about him. Sounds like a warning to Letterman - legalized blackmail, if you will. The lawyer makes no bones about fighting for his client, even if Letterman, the victim of the alleged crime, suffers, too. See how it plays out in today's New York Times account.

*Nothing like settling in for an early night in front of the TV to watch the Yankees open the playoffs. Imagaine: A 6:07 p.m. first pitch. Nine innings before bedtime in this day and age of late starts and post-midnight conclusions. Sorry, Charlie. At 6:30 or so, the power went out in Woodstock. Maybe next time.

*Levon Helm's on Imus tomorrow morning. WABC-77 AM or Fox Business Network on TV. Starts at 6 a.m. Then at 2 p.m. Sunday it's a free concert by Levon and the band at Gill's Farm. Check our paper for details.

*Chatted with a local political type the other day about the relative quiet surrounding this year's local campaigns. Sure, it will pick up as Election Day nears, just as it always does. But it says here that with only a couple of countywide races, neither particularly contentious, and thoughts of most people focused on jobs, money, health care, terrorism and general brain overload from assorted other national issues, the local contests really do appear to be afterthoughts.