Friday, September 23, 2005

More on the Saturday edition of the WSJ from William Powers: "In one of the more spectacular bellyflops of modern media history, The Journal published a newspaper without a single inspired or memorable moment -- a paper that felt like work to read, on the very day most of us are not working." "Spectacular bellyflop" seems a bit of an overstatement to me. Softer and duller and still too much work was more my reaction. And from Poynter's Bill Mitchell: "In the days leading up to its new Weekend Edition, The Journal had promised (across the top of Page One) that "Weekends will never be the same."   Alas, most accounts of what transpired in the world on September 17 and 18, 2005 suggested a weekend not so different than many before it." I am not quivering with anticipation for tomorrow's edition. 12:06:28 PM   permalink   comment []

Deloitte & Touche will pay an estimated $250 million to Japanese insurers involved with Fortress Re. The N&R's Margaret Banks continues her fine work on this complicated story. Here's some background on Fortress Re from Forbes. 9:08:25 AM   permalink   comment []

Atrios: the most unkindest cut of all. 8:54:28 AM   permalink   comment []

Hidden columns from NYT: Friedman is rooting for Netanyahu to defeat Sharon in next week's Likud vote, "Because the Likud under Bibi, and without Ariel Sharon, will be free to be itself -- to represent the lunatic right in Israel, become a fringe party and drive over a cliff. Mr. Sharon will then also be free to be himself, to form a new party with other center-right and center-left figures, a party that can give Israel a solid majority for making a final settlement with the Palestinians -- provided they ever get their act together and turn Gaza, their ministate, into something more like Dubai and less like Mogadishu." Krugman says the US has entered the slough of despond, what with the hurricanes and the gas prices and Iraq. "It's the kind of crisis that opens the door for dramatic political changes -- possibly, but not necessarily, in a good direction. But who will provide leadership, now that Mr. Bush is damaged goods?" 8:44:57 AM   permalink   comment []

Via Sally Greene, something I sorely need: A Not-to-Do List. 7:02:10 AM   permalink   comment []

Dave Winer provides a preview of the blogging tools session he'll lead at Converge. "Most technology conferences are about technology (duh) but the technologists tell us what we want, and that often leaves us feeling cold. This is a user's conference, so we start from the other end -- what do we like about the tools we have for writing and reading, and what dont't we like?" Dave pioneered a lot of blogging tools and practices, and he also pioneered this kind of user unconference. Kinda cool to have him coming to Greensboro. 6:57:07 AM   permalink   comment []