links for 2008-08-01 [delicious.com]
By William M. Hartnett on Aug 1, 2008 in daily links
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"Voices in and around the newspaper industry would have us believe the industry is falling apart and taking its last gaps. Investors are fleeing newspaper companies, publishers are decrying the lack of newspaper advertising growth, debt challenges are plaguing many companies, and there are layoffs and buyouts everywhere. If one rationally looks at the industry, however, one sees that it is fundamentally sound, but that a unique, financially golden period in its history is ending. It is that change which is creating the bulk of the turmoil in the industry, but the biggest problem is that those working in the industry have short memories about the newspaper business and don't remember it any other way."
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"With the Pentagon perhaps just a week or so away from sending out a request for proposals on the Air Force tanker, the ongoing war of words between Boeing and Northrop backers has turned more ugly. The Boeing camp is upset at a hard-hitting radio ad from a group that calls itself "Alabamians to Build American Tankers.'' A sample from the ad: "The reason we are still trying to replace our aging refueling tankers is because Boeing executives were involved in a scandal of bribery and cheating in the last bid. Our Air Force is working hard to protect our country but it appears that Boeing's corporate policy is 'if Boeing can't win no one can' … and that means our troops lose." Woof.
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"The Chicago Fire just got a lot tougher Wednesday when the Major League Soccer team acquired striker Brian McBride in a deal with Toronto. … Despite his age (36) and some hard knocks sustained when he wore the captain’s arm band for Fulham, McBride appears as healthy and reliable a player now as he was for the U.S. national team." The man has titanium plates surgically implanted in his face.
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"With the best of intentions and concerns about ethics and standards, we've built walls between journalism and the people and places we write about. America's newspapers were founded by activists, boosters and community-builders. The institutions they built had hearts and souls that over the years have been lost, forgotten, or just thrown away."
