*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.