All this ruminating about the state of newspapers has left precious little time for less critical matters.

Such as:

*Did you believe most of what Alex Rodriguez said at his Tuesday press conference? Me neither. What is with this guy? If you're caught using an illegal substance and decide to admit it and enter into damage control, why create even more problems for yourself by evading questions and offerng improbable answers? Not only didn't Rodriguez control the damage, he spread it. That's not just sad, it's insulting.

*The Academy Awards are Sunday. Of the Best Picture nominees I've seen (Slumdog Millionaire, The Reader and Benjamin Button), I thought The Reader was most compelling. From what I've heard, Milk and Frost/Nixon are equally strong. I didn't think much of Benjamin Button. Slumdog Millionaire, which is the favorite, was nothing more than OK in my book.

*I've probably said this before, but just in case I haven't: If sports talk host Mike Francesa isn't going to let his callers speak, he shouldn't bother taking any calls.

*I no expert, but in the wake of that chimpanzee attack in Connecticut, isn't it worth wondering why anyone would think this kind of animal can be domesticated? From what I've heard, it's only a matter of time before a wild animal goes, well, wild.