June 2008 Archives

Leveling the Pendulum: Still No Country for Old Men

By David W. Boles on June 27, 2008 10:58 AM | 32 Comments

My first reaction to the movie -- "No Country for Old Men" -- was one of revulsion and remorse: I initially felt there was too much senseless bloodlust for my taste. Then I watched the movie again and began to appreciate its warning. Then I watched the movie again and again and again and found a depth of understanding that I find curious and vitally important for humankind.

Continue reading Leveling the Pendulum: Still No Country for Old Men.

Cancelling Verizon Voice and DSL

By David W. Boles on June 26, 2008 2:00 PM | 8 Comments

I've reached my end. I give in. I submit. I'm cancelling my Verizon Voice and DSL service effective immediately. I'm going with Comcast Cable's Triple Play special instead.

Continue reading Cancelling Verizon Voice and DSL.

LaCie Big Disk Extreme+ 301201U 2 TB USB 2.0/FireWire400/FireWire800 RAID System Review

By David W. Boles on June 25, 2008 8:28 AM | 16 Comments

Today it is time to meet the massive king of media storage: The LaCie Big Disk Extreme+ 301201U 2 TB USB 2.0/FireWire400/FireWire800 RAID System! That's a mouthful to say, a handful to type -- and an eyeful of two terabytes of spinning storage glory for all your music and video files.

Continue reading LaCie Big Disk Extreme+ 301201U 2 TB USB 2.0/FireWire400/FireWire800 RAID System Review.

Intellectual Elitism: The Fake Foreign Policy Genius List

By David W. Boles on June 24, 2008 9:28 AM | 10 Comments

How do you feel about a new "Genius List" of the "top 100 public intellectuals" that was decided by -- and then published by -- Foreign Policy in May? Yesterday we had a curious, and oddly strange, addition to that list as voted by their readership to create the "top 20 public intellectuals."

Continue reading Intellectual Elitism: The Fake Foreign Policy Genius List.

Knowing Your Work Wins Your Wants

By David W. Boles on June 23, 2008 9:27 AM | 15 Comments

Too often we are forced to do work that only sustains us and does not win out wants. How we combine the work into winning is the complex conundrum that fascinates few and frustrates many.

Continue reading Knowing Your Work Wins Your Wants.

My New Old MacBook Pro 17-inch LCD Review

By David W. Boles on June 20, 2008 8:10 AM | 18 Comments

I am a proud owner of one of the first MacBook Pro 17-inch machines that made their debut two years ago -- yes, I have a dreaded "A Revision" box -- but that machine still sits next to me today and it has served me well through the writing of five books and it has never given me a moment of discontent... except for a bulging battery... but I never lost use of the machine in the battery swap with Apple.

Today, I am the prouder owner of what will likely be the last revision of the current MacBook Pro line before all the new Apple machines begin to look and feel like the MacBook Air. I couldn't be happier with my new "old style" MacBook Pro.

Continue reading My New Old MacBook Pro 17-inch LCD Review.

Selling American Icons to Foreign Interests

By David W. Boles on June 19, 2008 8:29 AM | 10 Comments

Since the American dollar is so devalued the world over, there's a United States fire sale going on, and the world at large is buying up our most cherished American icons. Belgium's InBev -- bottlers of Beck's, Bass and Stella Artois -- offered $46 billion to purchase major United States bottler Anheuser-Busch (Budweiser, Michelob, Rolling Rock, Busch, Bacardi) and its American eagle branded business.

Continue reading Selling American Icons to Foreign Interests.

The Craft of an Indian Sesame Wood Chair

By Dananjay Anandan on June 18, 2008 6:37 PM | 10 Comments

Dananjay Anandan wrote this article.

Many years ago, I first saw one of these chairs at a relative's home where it served as a thoughtful convenience next to the shoe racks.

Continue reading The Craft of an Indian Sesame Wood Chair.

The Perils and Pleasures of HDTV

By David W. Boles on June 18, 2008 7:34 AM | 16 Comments

High Definition Television -- HDTV -- has been available for several years in the USA and in February 2009 all broadcast television stations will be required by federal law to broadcast their signal in HDTV. If you haven't yet tasted HDTV with your drooling eyes -- just wait! HDTV is coming soon to a television near you and the definition is superb and sparkling.

Continue reading The Perils and Pleasures of HDTV.

Buying the Byte: Going 3G Mobile

By David W. Boles on June 17, 2008 8:18 AM | 16 Comments

One of the greatest inventions for my new seventeen inch Mac Book Pro -- new Mac Book Pro 17-inch LCD review coming soon -- is my new Option GT Ultra Express modem from at&t that allows me to go "3G Wireless" and have fast internet connectivity the world over.

Continue reading Buying the Byte: Going 3G Mobile.

Indian Monsoon Memories

By Kathakali Chatterjee on June 16, 2008 5:30 PM | 12 Comments

Kathakali Chatterjee wrote this article.

I almost forgot how it felt to get completely drenched in a downpour after suffering in a scorching heat for three months. I remembered it yesterday as I got soaked in an early June thunderstorm last night - when you do you know much long waited monsoon has finally arrived. It feels divine.

Continue reading Indian Monsoon Memories.

NEWS FLASH: TIM RUSSERT STILL DEAD

By David W. Boles on June 16, 2008 7:33 AM | 14 Comments

NBC newsman Tim Russert died of a massive heart attack on Friday and, ever since his untimely death at age 58, MSNBC has been "All Tim's Death, All The Time." We all loved Tim, but enough is enough.

Continue reading NEWS FLASH: TIM RUSSERT STILL DEAD.

The Architecture of Belonging: Resurrecting Habeas Corpus

By David W. Boles on June 13, 2008 8:28 AM | 16 Comments

In a historic -- and Bush-shattering 5-4 vote -- the Supreme Court of the United States of America invoked its inherent authority to decide the law of the land.

Continue reading The Architecture of Belonging: Resurrecting Habeas Corpus.

From Seattle Slicker to New York Vagabond

By Gordon Davidescu on June 12, 2008 6:43 PM | 15 Comments

Gordon Davidescu wrote this article.

Sometime around the middle of last August, I realized that I had to move away from Seattle and get back to New York City. I could hear the words of none other than David W. Boles from a few years ago; this is more curious because I have never heard his voice. He wrote me then, when I was first moving out here, to tell me that it was just going to be a matter of time before I came back. Well I am certainly glad that we didn't make a money wager on that because it was only a couple of years later when those words began to come true.

Continue reading From Seattle Slicker to New York Vagabond.

Federal Punishment of Urban Needle Exchanges

By David W. Boles on June 12, 2008 7:07 AM | 6 Comments

Needle Exchange Programs in the Urban Core promote good health practices and are important mechanisms for predictably protecting the well being of the mainstream community while saving those who are the most incapable of making good decisions about their health.

Why does the USA Federal government punish those who most need a clean needle?

Continue reading Federal Punishment of Urban Needle Exchanges.

Loving Electricity as Jersey City Melts

By David W. Boles on June 11, 2008 7:55 AM | 18 Comments

Jersey City is melting!

Continue reading Loving Electricity as Jersey City Melts.

Is Steve Jobs Dying?

By David W. Boles on June 10, 2008 9:30 AM | 18 Comments

Is Apple's Original Boy Genius, Steve Jobs, dying? He looked purely awful and wan and bony during yesterday's WWDC conference as he presented the new, and rather bland, iPhone 2.0.

Continue reading Is Steve Jobs Dying?.

No Private Parts Privacy

By David W. Boles on June 9, 2008 6:22 AM | 6 Comments

With gasoline peaking at $4.00USD a gallon -- more than twice as much as a year ago -- it makes one wonder if that devastating blow to the commoner's pocket is a governmental feint to hide the insidious loss of more valuable and basic liberties.

Continue reading No Private Parts Privacy.

CPT and Working a White Man Job

By David W. Boles on June 6, 2008 6:24 AM | 38 Comments

Running on CPT is a Racist phrase originally used against Black people to generically describe their lack of time management -- but it can now also be effectively used on anyone who is perpetually late. "CPT" translates to "Colored People's Time."

Continue reading CPT and Working a White Man Job.

Does Assassination Art Hate or Heal?

By David W. Boles on June 5, 2008 8:01 AM | 20 Comments

Yesterday, in my WordPunk article -- Built for Beautiful Failing -- I wondered if Art hates or heals. Yesterday, in the New York Times, I received a reply to my query in a story concerning an Art display in a vacant Midtown store: "The Assassination of Hillary Clinton/The Assassination of Barack Obama."

Continue reading Does Assassination Art Hate or Heal?.

And We Shall Follow Him

By David W. Boles on June 4, 2008 7:43 AM | 22 Comments

Last night, Barack Obama became the nominee of the democrat party -- even though some on the Clinton side still feel he cannot win in November.

Continue reading And We Shall Follow Him.

Are USS Warships Serving as Prison Hulks?

By David W. Boles on June 3, 2008 8:10 AM | 10 Comments

I was alarmed to read yesterday that up to 17 United States Navy warships may have been used to detain terror suspects by hiding them from international scrutiny, and the legal system, on "black water" prison ships -- creating, in an alarming way -- terrorist detainment camps in military hulks. Are the USS Bataan and USS Peleliu the new Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo Bay?

Continue reading Are USS Warships Serving as Prison Hulks?.

Pill Popping Your Way to Better Health

By David W. Boles on June 2, 2008 7:18 AM | 19 Comments

If you are an American with health insurance, chances are greater than fifty percent that you are on a prescribed medication.

Continue reading Pill Popping Your Way to Better Health.

« May 2008 | Main Index | Archives | July 2008 »

David W. Boles: Let us know what the UK press is saying today, read more
David W. Boles: It was strange, Dananjay, to see McCain so full of read more
David W. Boles: Right, Katha! Now the really hard work begins. There's a read more
msdemmie: What a wonderful feeling to wake up to - 6there read more
Dananjay Anandan: !!! Now Obama can start with the real work! I read more
Kathakali Chatterjee: Yay!!! Heartiest Congratulations!!! I jusr reached the hotel and saw read more
David W. Boles: How can you sleep, Gordon? I have to hear Obama read more
Gordon Davidescu: Virginia helped finish it off too. :) Good night. Sweet read more
David W. Boles: MSNBC just called the race for Obama with the West read more
David W. Boles: Yeah! Obama is at 200. He needs 270 to win read more

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