Like a nerd, except klassier

I downloaded the free Time app for the iPad from the publishers of Time magazine. It is just an empty shell that you can download content into. I purchased a single issue for $4.99 (yikes!), and the download begins. Almost immediately:

“An error occured. [sic] Failed to retrieve information from the store, please try again”

It looks like this error is from the iTunes App Store. If true, it would be surprising that the error message was not even spell-checked. Google that error message and it shows up exactly no where one the web (except now, here, for this post). Some problems are far more irritating than they should be, and yet not important enough to hassle through the process of getting a Genius to tell you, “Gee, dunno. Probably the fault of the app author” which is likely similar to the answer I am likely to get from Time, “Gee, probably the app store.”

But since I can get an entire year subscription of 52 issues to my door for the cost of one month (4 issues) in the app store, well… I’m a sucker, but I wanted to test drive the future. But the now is just fine.

Perhaps there are already updates. “Unable to connect to update server.” Doh!

Maybe it is server load. Who could have known that there would be a large demand the first weekend for… er….. nevermind

Sweet new iPad. New ABC app. First time I use it, click “All Shows” and select “Better Off Ted” (no, really, its actually funny– seriously– on ABC!) watch the ad (paid my price) and ‘crash’ back at the home screen. Man, everybody was just champing at the bit to be out of the gate at day one. How’d that work out?

Written on my Macbook.

Memphis comes in second, as usual. Forbes released their “Most Dangerous Cities” list, and what do you know…

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/apr/26/citys-no-2-with-a-bullet/

John Cusack’s movie from 2008 about a hypothetical (hmm) war in the middle east waged entirely by a hypothetical US VP (hmm) and his company, the same one that tasks itself with rebuilding it. Cusak retains his “assassin” role. Aykroyd is reborn as the VP. Not much of the understated Gross Pointe Blank tone, rather almost over-the-top farce. Still a riot. Hillary Duff sort-of “acts” like a sexpot startlet that can’t sing (hmm) and Ben Kingsley mostly phones it in and still is great. Marisa Tomei does the same with the same results. Laughs all around. Nothing tickles the funnybone quite like ethnic cleansing.

Body of Lies is a meaty modern spy thriller with all the fixin’s. Grab the boys and dig in.

Russell Crowe managed to keep his performance from getting too “big.” Leo D’ was as commanding as usual, although he seemed to play several characters. But each were artfully composed. Not a very “personal” or “sympathetic” role. Or movie, for that matter. But spy films need not be.

The film avoided shoving too much down one’s throat, which is admirable in a setting where pontification would be an easy slip, especially since Leo agreed to the role (Blood Diamond, anyone?) There was a point, however: Intelligence in wartime treats people as disposable assets. Well, and also, the effort to contain terrorists is hard and fraught. Not excessive, there, methinks. There is a torture, mind you, but it is not a gratuitous torture film, thank goodness.

Easier to follow than Syriana, just in case you were reconsidering that beer before the flick (Thanks, Ridley.) Big booms. Visually VERY slick and polished. It is Ridley Scott, after all.

Across the country, the wives of early adopters drive sales of the iPhone 3G. Wonder why.