Ok, so newspapers do essentially the same thing that websites do - only slower: deliver the bullet points on stories. Pages full of regurgitated or just straight-up AP reports accomplish nothing that can't be gotten faster (on TV) or with more context (online).

What newspapers should do, and don't, because they're short-sighted, is become the source for heavy-duty in-depth reporting. Big newspapers should be *the* place to go for investigative journalism. Instead, they've ceded that spot to the weeklies.

Here in Madison, the local paper (The Capitol Times) occassionally manages to squeeze out a relevant investigation. But mostly it's our weekly, The Isthmus, that really brings the bacon home with long-piece local stories.

It's simple: Printed media is best for stories that require exploration and lots of words. If the major papers focused on that instead of trying to cram in every 500-word story from around the country, they could re-capture an audience.

Just a quick note for folks with RLS who may get here: I have a mild form of RLS, and my 'cure' is to do squats just before bed until my thigh muscles are fatigued (i.e. I can't do anymore).

It's worth a try instead of meds. Especially if you're going to go have sex with random craps croupiers afterwards.