We're Number 1 ... or ... 2 ... or ...

When I left the employ of the Albany Times Union, I was executive Sunday editor which, in reality, meant I was the guy who had to work weekends -- one of the reasons I left.

Still, the TU remains a personal favorite for me and I especially -- of course -- enjoy the Sunday Times Union. And yesterday's edition was particularly entertaining and informative. Yesterday's TU featured the newspaper's "Capital Quarterly" special section, looking at business and other trends in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area.

Yesterday's "CQ" was filled with numbers, rankings and "Q & A" interviews -- more and more the approach newspapers are taking to woo television viewers away from the 24-hour news channels on television. As a reader who appreciates good writing and something of significance, I have to admit that I was drawn to the simplicity. Some of my favorites, for no particular reason:

• 23 -- number of homes priced at $1 million or more for sale in Saratoga Springs last month
• $2.67/$3.32 -- average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas in the Capital District on March 1 2007 and March 1, 2008
• 89 -- warmest temperature recorded in Albany during the month of March, reached on March 31, 1998
• 2,636/248 -- number of active physicians per 100,000 Capital District residents
• "I love my job" -- Paul Tonko, a foreshadowing of his intentions regarding the race for the 21st congressional seat?