JW Library App Surprisingly Unimpressive

With short notice (48 hours), the Watchtower organization debuted two new apps for iOS and Android.  JW Library, and JW Library Sign Language.

Currently, the app is the 113th most popular free app in the App Store.  At one point on Monday, it was the third most popular iOS app, and in the top 20 for Android.  In the last three days, the app has seen over 100,000 downloads on Apple devices alone.  There have been over 100,000 downloads on Android, as well.

In the Google Play Store, the app currently has 19,809 reviews.  19,638 are five star reviews.  On iOS, it has a total of 14,059 reviews, 13,878 of which are five star.  That's 99.1% and 98.7% respectively.  Reading some of these reviews, it appears that most people believe that God himself programmed the code.

"All glory, honor, and praise to the only true and living God Jehovah who has provided."

"I love this app.  So simple.  So easy.  Jehovah always gives the greatest gifts."

"Yes and now there is an app for that - for our newly clarified nwt bible and references to the extreme.  Bible highlights here I come!  Thank you Jehovah.  You truly are so good..."

So, late last night, I downloaded the app on my phone.  And, I have to admit, I'm not really impressed.

First of all, the "library" has a total of 6 Bible translations - The New World Translation (2013 Revision), a "Reference Bible", the Kingdom Interlinear, the Byington translation, the American Standard Version, and the King James.

That's it.  With the dozens of books and brochures that Jehovah's Witnesses have published, and the hundreds of editions of The Watchtower and Awake! that have been produced, the only JW-published publication on the app is the Bible.

I would hardly consider this a "library".  If the only books I had on my shelf were the 'Twilight' series, I would be hard pressed to legitimately say that I had a "library".  I was shocked to discover that the app didn't even have an option to view the daily text, the weekly Bible reading, access the Witnesses website, or to contact them to schedule a bible study.

In all fairness, JW Library is quite pleasant to look at.  The user interface is simple and easy to use, with an appeasing array of grays and purples.  

That being said, the app is pretty much useless.  As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, when are you going to read the Bible without any "study aids"?  When do Jehovah's Witnesses EVER encourage people to read their Bible, without the help from any Watchtower published books or magazines? Sure, the Revised New World Translation may "read like a novel" (which is depressing in and of itself), but you don't see JWs going door to door, trying to put Bibles in people's hands.

There are a two appendixes included in the application, which have a number of charts and maps, diagrams of King Solomon's temple and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and assorted weights and measures.  They're interesting to look at, but provide nothing than trivial information.  They remind me of the maps that used to be in the binding of the old green Bibles.  It's something to look at when you're bored by the Sunday talk.

Like I said...interesting.  But, there's nothing here that will be useful in your day to day life.  Coincidentally, the biblical measurement for a span is the same method you use to accurately measure one's penis.

Even as someone that was no longer in the faith, I was looking forward to using the app to keep up with the rhetoric and "new light" coming from the bigwigs in New York.  Sadly, I was underwhelmed.  I've seen much better "JW" apps that were made by individuals trying to make a quick buck.

Photo Of The Day

HA!!!!

She licked her makeup off, from sticking her tongue out so much.  This is the greatest thing I've seen today.

Oh....one more.....

Headline Of The Day

Five reasons Americans already love ObamaCare — plus one reason why they’re gonna love it even more, soon

via Fox News

Yeah.  You heard me.  Fox. Fucking. News. (Which would explain the numerous mistakes in the byline.)

So, let me get this straight.  Fox spends most of this year spinning the Affordable Care Act, to make it look like President Obama is the Devil himself, delivering Hell on Earth.  Republicans in the House end up shutting down the federal government, because they were unable to repeal the law after 44 attempts.  Fox News commentators have spent the last two days, either cheering the shutdown, or insisting on calling it a "slimdown".  And now, there's this column on their website.

Fuck you, Fox News.

Hundreds of thousands of children weren't able to go to Head Start today. Most of those kids get their only two meals of the day while there.  If the federal shutdown isn't resolved within the next couple of days, WIC offices across the country will be forced to close, until funds become available again.  $45 in bread, milk, and cereal may not seem like much.  It is.  It's the difference between being able to live paycheck to paycheck, and not knowing how you're going to feed your daughter in the morning.  We have been in situations where the thought of actually living paycheck to paycheck was akin to winning the lottery.  When you're 23 days away from your next check, your checking account is overdrawn, and the only money you have is a handful of pennies and nickels.

And you have the nerve to make jokes about potted meat and Tang, and then sit there and pretend as if the most horrific consequence of this pissing contest you're championing is that veterans can't get into the World War Two Memorial.

Fuck.  You.

Your Daily Affirmation

Don't Forget To Set Your Alarm

Was Heath Ledger's Joker Inspired By Tom Waits?

That's what a lot of folks are saying.  And, if you watch any interview with Tom Waits filmed between 1976 and 1981, you would understand why.

Here is just one clip from YouTube (there are dozens of them).  It's of Waits as a guest on the Don Lane Show in 1981.  It only takes a few seconds before your mind is blown.



It really bothers me how everyone was laughing at him.  I guess people tend to mock what they don't understand.

Bye Bye Bye, Bitch...

The series finale of 'Breaking Bad' aired last night.  I didn't see it.  I'm still in the middle of season 1 on Netflix.

Last week, Jimmy Fallon and crew put together the perfect send off for the show....in my opinion, at least.

Quote Of The Day

"I shall stomp on all those who oppose me.
The stomping shall be swift.
The stomping shall be painful.
And I shall show no mercy 
in all of my stomping.
AMEN."

In 1997, I bought a sticker at Hot Topic with this quote on it.  I've held onto it for nearly 14 years.  It finally lost all of its "sticky".  

Benedict Cumberbatch

Every single time I hear his name....

'In Utero' Turns 20

Nirvana's 'In Utero' was released September 13, 1993.  It's hard to believe that I've been listening to this album longer than I haven't.  I had purchased it for the first time shortly after my 18th birthday.

I've always enjoyed listening to 'In Utero' more than 'Nevermind'.  To me, it has always sounded more refined.  The band matured greatly in the short time between the two albums.  I wonder sometimes what would have been possible had they had a chance to continue recording.



DGC Records issued the 20th Anniversary version of the album, yesterday.  It includes three CDs and a DVD, featuring the original mix of the album, along with a remix, demos, and live tracks.  I've been listening to it for the last hour or so.  If you're a Nirvana fan, I recommend it.

Stuck

I have a lot of things on my mind.  For the last week, my brain has been running at the speed of light.  There hasn't been a single moment when I've been able to relax.

I just don't know how to spit it out.  The words aren't coming to me.

When they do, hold on to your fucking hat.  It's going to be a wild ride.

Huh? Wha... I Dont...

Here is a photo taken on the red carpet at last night's Emmy awards.

That is 'Mad Men's' Christina Hendricks, and her husband, Geoffrey Arend  the window licker from 'Super Troopers'.

I don't get it.

Let this be a lesson, kids.  Karma is real, and it's fucking amazing.

Headline Of The Day

More info here.

Overcome

Within 48 hours of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, documentarians Camera Planet pieced together footage taken from the site, which had already come to be known as "Ground Zero".  They submitted the video to VH1, with Live's 'Overcome' as a backing track.  The network aired it without hesitation, before receiving clearance from the band or its label.  The following message would scroll along the bottom of the screen:

"HOW TO HELP:  TO DONATE MONEY TO THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS OF TUESDAY'S ATTACKS:  UNITED WAY (THEN A PHONE NUMBER)...AMERICAN RED CROSS (THEN A PHONE NUMBER)...SALVATION ARMY (PHONE NUMBER)...CATHOLIC CHARITIES USA (PHONE NUMBER)"

When Ed Kowalczyk, Live's frontman and 'Overcome's songwriter, saw the video later in the week, he eagerly gave MTV Networks permission to use the song.  In fact, the footage was later re-edited and became part the track's "official" video.




It seemed as if the video played every ten minutes, like clockwork, on every single music video channel on cable television.  In the week immediately following September 11th, I must have seen it over a hundred times.  The video has become one of my strongest memories.

It has been 12 years, and I still can't wrap my head around it sometimes.  It's so surreal....

Tweet Of The Day

 

Hassan Rouhani was elected President of Iran in May.  Many people believed that his landslide win was a result of a cultural change in the nation; rejecting the ultra-conservative policies of Ahmadinejad.

Is Iran truly starting to become a more progressive nation in the Middle East?  Or, is this a preventative measure, essentially telling Israel that they don't want to be bombed?

Either way....this is nothing but a positive development in the region.