*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.