Facebook Messenger Is Moving

I don't know how this happened but July has turned into Facebook Month on my blog.  Weird.  But anyway....

Those of you who use Facebook mobile may have noticed a rather annoying message when you tap the Message section.

Who the F is Marissa?!

Yeah, if you're like me you probably just ignored that message and when on with your day.  Turns out they announced they would do this since way back in April.  Just so you know now, if you want to keep using Facebook Messenger prepare to get a separate app.  It just so happens that NOW they're rolling out the change.

Now you're probably thinking why would they even considering making a whole separate app just for messaging when it works so neatly with the main app.  The reason is that Facebook wants to branch out Messenger.  How much of an improvement is a standalone app going to be?  Take a look at the product description:

Instantly reach the people in your life—for free. Messenger is just like texting, but you don't have to pay for every message (it works with your data plan).
Not just for Facebook friends: Message people in your phone book and just enter a phone number to add a new contact.
Group chats: Create groups for the people you message most. Name them, set group photos and keep them all in one place.
Photos and videos: Shoot videos and snap selfies or other photos right from the app and send them with one tap.
Chat heads: Keep the conversation going while you use other apps.
Free calls: Talk as long as you want, even with people in other countries. (Calls are free over Wi-Fi. Otherwise, standard data charges apply.)
Even more ways to message:
Bring your conversations to life with stickers.
Preview your gallery photos and videos without leaving the conversation--then choose the perfect ones to send.
Record voice messages when you have more to say.

Extra features:
Know when people have seen your messages.
Forward messages or photos to people who weren't in the conversation.
Search for people and groups to quickly get back to them.
Turn on location to let people know when you're nearby.
See who's available on Messenger and who's active on Facebook.
Create shortcuts to get to any conversation right from your home screen.
Turn off notifications when you're working, sleeping or just need a break.
Stay logged in so you never miss a message.

Hmm, I see Facebook is looking to muscle in on a couple of other apps I already use like Text+ and Skype.  Also, don't forget Facebook recently acquired WhatsApp so expect that to be integrated as well.  

Blocking Facebook Game Requests: 2014 Edition

Would you believe it's been a whole year since I've tackled this?  Believe it or not this is the one post to my blog that I share and gets shared the most. Well, like I said the first time Facebook changes stuff all the time and the process has changed slightly.  So let's walk through how to do it these days.

****Disclaimer*****
As far as I know you can only block game requests on the browser version of Facebook (i.e. Internet Explore, Firefox, Chrome, etc.).  Meaning you have to do it on a PC, Mac or Linux computer.  Mobile versions, you probably won't see the request at all so no biggie.

Step 1:

On your main feed, look over to your left and look for this dialog:

Of course this is from my Profile.  The section you're looking for is Games Feed.  Click on it.

Step 2:

You'll be presented with all the most recent game posts that showed up on your wall.  It should look like this:

Now next to each instance there's a little arrow pointing down.  It's a little hard to see.  Click on it once and you'll get some options.  Most of them you don't want to use.  "I don't want to see this" simply removes those posts from your news feed (just THOSE posts).  "This is Spam" reports your friend and I'm pretty sure you don't want that either.  "Unfollow *friend name*" means you won't see any more posts from your friend at all.  The option you want is "Hide all from *game name*".  Not only does it  hide all the game requests from your one friend, should any more friends start playing you won't see their requests either.

So as you can see, Facebook made this process slightly easier but also kinda dangerous.  Here's an alternate method that might be a bit safer.

Step #1
On your main feed, look over to your left and look for this dialog:

Looks familiar eh?  This time choose Games instead.

Step #2
You'll end up here:

Look at the top for Activity and click on that.

Step #3:

 Here you'll get a list of all the requests that were personally sent to you as well as who sent them.  If you want to block the game just click on the X right next to the Accept button.  It automatically hides the request and gives you the option to block the game completely.

That's it for the updated version of this.  Keep in mind that most people who play games on Facebook really have very little control of what is shared from the game.  When they sign up to play, those games get access to their friend list.  So if you get a request, don't flip out.  Just block 'em and move along.

The 10 Things I'm Tired of Seeing on Facebook

Yes folks, that is my actual "Joined Facebook" placard.  Hard to believe it's already been 5 years since I jumped on this crazy train.  It seems like only yesterday I asked someone what Facebook is and if I should join.

I'm not gonna lie, being a Facebook member has been a rewarding experience.  I get to keep up with my friends and family and they get to bear witness to my awesome adventures.  But there are days I log in and you can hear the sound I make when my face hits my palm from clear across the room.

All of you in Facebook-land who are probably reading this because my blog updates on my wall, I want you to know in advance (as sort of a disclaimer) that I love you guys.  I like to think we're friends for a reason.  But some of the stuff you guys post just has me like...ENOUGH!

So yeah, you didn't come here for this rant.  You came here for the OTHER rant.  So let us commence the list of the 10 things I'm tired of seeing on Facebook.

1.  People bitching about game requests

I think we've all see someone posting about game requests at some point.  There used to be a time when Facebook was a huge social hub for online games.  You don't see it as much now but there are people who still love them some Facebook games.  The reason this bugs me is if you're complaining about getting requests for games there's a 75% chance it's because at some point you actually opened the game.  That's all it takes for you to be added to your friend's list of people who also play the game.  So they innocently assume you're into what they're into and they'll fire away requests at you.  The other 25%, that's people actually being annoying and inviting you to play.  Still, the BIGGEST reason this bugs me is that it's sooo easy to just block a game one time and you'll never see any feedback from it EVER AGAIN.  It's like 2 or 3 mouseclicks!  My point: stop whining and take action.

2.  Wrongheaded partisan blog posts passed off as real news

I've learned a long time ago that people can get really heated on Facebook when it comes to politics.  I actually used to write a lot about politics until I got tired of dealing with knuckleheads who can't disagree without being disagreeable.  These days I read over political posts, I might chime in for a sec and maybe I might like a couple comments but on my own wall nuh-uh.  Hey, this is America.  If you hate Obama and love posting all the negative news stories about him go right ahead.  But for the sake of sweet baby Jesus could you at least share REAL NEWS.  Blog posts are opinion...and everybody has one.  There's no fact-checking on blog posts.  Blog posts are immune from actual journalistic standards.  Try this as a test:  You really like that blog post?  Do a Google search for whatever the post is about.  If you can't find at least one credible news source with the same topic, it's probably BS.

3.  Satire passed off as real news

This one has taken on a life of its own recently.  I think at least once a day I see a post where someone is all distressed of complete works of fiction (and I'm not talking about Twilight fans).  The Onion, The Daily Currant, World News Daily, they're all satire sites but they do a really good job of fooling people into thinking their stories are real.  So much so that even real news outlets get fooled.

4.  Hoaxes (especially really old hoaxes)

Here's a brief list of things that you might of saw or read that actually didn't happen:  Nobody can pop popcorn using just their cell phones, Bill Gates will not give you money for sharing a photo and neither will Southwest Airlines give you tickets for sharing theirs, the minimum drinking age is not being moved to 25, you cannot summon the police by entering your ATM PIN backwards and your friends are not stranded in a foreign country where they need you to wire them money.  Do some research before you share something that seems too outlandish to be true.

5.  The obligatory "Share This If..." posts

WE DO NOT NEGOTIATE WITH TERRORISTS!

6. TV/Movie Spoilers

If you watch a show and at miss it, if at least 10 of your friends watch the same show just don't log on to Facebook until you seen the show.  There will be spoilers.  People WILL live blog what their watching.  This is why I got a Hulu account.  If only they could get Walking Dead on Hulu.  Then my life would be perfect. :)

7. My friends in flame wars over stupid shit

Really, you're better than that.

8.  Those games where you have to post something stupid if you comment or like a friend's post

These games are stupid and disingenuous to your friends. Any of these look familiar: 1) Damn diarrhea 2)Just used my boobs to get out of a speeding ticket. 3)Anyone have a tampon. I'm out. 4) How do you get rid of foot fungus. 5)Why is nobody around when l am horny? 6) No toilet paper, goodbye socks. 7)Someone offered me a job as a prostitute but l' m hesitant. 8)l think l'm in love with someone what should l do? 9)l've decided to stop wearing underwear. 10)l still love my ex. 11) l really don't know how to tell anyone and l'm sick of hiding it l'm gay. 12) Guess it was 2 good 2 be true l'm pregnant. 13)Just won $7000 on a scratchy. 14)l've just found out l've been cheated on for the past 5 months.

Stop.  Just stop.  I tried to play along one, but it was just too stupid to keep the charade up.  Oh and you're not doing a damn thing for Breast Cancer Awareness by playing this game.  Don't delude yourself.

9. Babies

I don't know if I'm just noticing it more or we're in the middle of the next baby boom but I swear I see a new baby in my timeline every day.  I'm very happy for you and your family though.  I'm just being crotchety at this point.

10.  People who post long lists about things they're tired of seeing on Facebook

.....I'm pretty sure I must be the first.  Right? :D

Everybody Was Karaoke Ranting

Hah!  See what I did there?  Meh, probably not.  This'll help:




But look at that I've managed to burn this much space and I haven't even gotten into what this entry is about.  Obviously, it's my karaoke rant.  It's actually been quite a while since I posted anything karaoke related in my blog, so let me just jump right into the ranting.

1. I've had a rash of people in related fields (including other karaoke hosts) visit my show.  Most of them are ok.  I do like meeting other KJs and even DJs.  A lot of them though don't know their boundaries.  Last night for instance I had this one older fellow who decided he wanted to designate himself as the Official Intro/Hypeman for everybody.  I have another friend.  I love him to death but when he gets drunk he palms a mic and does pretty much the same thing.  All of them swear they're helping me.  They're all wrong.  What they ARE doing is burning valuable time where I could be getting someone on stage to sing.

2.  Guy #2 in #1 up there insists my show is "boring".  Which I guess is his nice way of saying I'M boring.  Honestly, I already knew this.  I'm not a showman and I don't pretend to be.  I'm a host and I know what my job is: a) Call people to the stage, b) Do my best to get them to sound good, and c) Encourage the audience to applaud them when they're finish.  Repeat steps a-c for each person.  Meanwhile manage a fair rotation that gives everyone a turn.  I know hosts who get chatty and don't seem to realize they have a long list of people who want to sing and not a whole lot of time to get them on stage.  Likewise I know hosts who insert themselves way too many times in the rotation.  The goal should be getting as many people on stage during the course of the night as possible.  I just came to the realization a long time ago that the show isn't about me, it's about YOU.

3.  Dancing on the bar.  Ain't nothing wrong with that.  Just don't do it around my equipment mmkay. :)

4.  Drinks near my equipment.  If you leave them there I WILL move them.  The only drinks I trust around my equipment are my own and even those are in peril.

5.  Freestylers, people who play instruments and people who want to sing their own songs.  Occasionally I'll allow it as long as the rotation is slow.  If I'm running the same 3 people over and over again, I don't mind.  If I'm managing a large rotation, forget about it.  I can't bump people who haven't even gotten on stage yet for karaoke for someone who's NOT SINGING KARAOKE.

6.  That doesn't mean I can't be bribed into it though.  This brings me to my tip jar.  I think my tip jar is the only tip jar where "tip jar" is just one of the functions it serves.  Let me elaborate:

• In tip jar mode, it's just a tip jar.  Thanks for your appreciation. :)
• In bribe jar mode, tips have the potential to get you on stage faster.  The bigger the tip, the quicker your turn comes.  Heck one guy tipped my my hourly rate once and I gave him and friends the VIP treatment.
• Extra hour mode!  This mode is hidden.  I only tell very select people what this entails.  It's very simple.  If I make enough in tips to cover my hourly rate, I will (provided there's a crowd still there) stay an extra hour.  If the bribes add up then it's worth an extra hour too.

7.  Don't use the tip you left earlier to guilt me into doing stuff for you later.  If it was a really big tip, yeah I might allow it.  But $5 is only going to get you so far.  Also, tips you left at my last show count for nothing for this one.  Still love ya though. :)

8.  Don't tell me "I'm gonna take care of you".  When people are drunk they'll promise you the moon and back for their time to shine on stage.  Anytime I hear this I feel like the guy who let the hostages go before I actually got anything for them.

9.  I really pride myself on how I run a rotation.  I even have a few rules on how I work the rotation in the song books (which obviously nobody ever reads).  It's ok if you don't read them, I enforce them anyway.  Kind of how a cop will enforce rules you've probably never heard of.  That said, my rotation IS fallible.  Some of that things that buck my rules are bribes, people from St. John who need to catch the ferry, friends who know that you should only ask this favor of me if you really REALLY need it, sexual favors (hasn't happened yet but a boy can dream) and bribes.  Occasionally I'll do it for alcohol but I already have a free bar tab.  Some of the things that WON'T win my sympathy: a) I have to leave, b) My friends are leaving and I wanted them to hear my sing, c) I was outside when you called me.

10.  Don't ask me how you were.  My job is to encourage EVERYBODY. Even if you were bad I'll tell you you did good.  You get points for trying in this game.  Likewise, don't try to make me call anybody out for bad singing (because honestly bad singing is what karaoke is all about).  I do express some degree of excitement for really good singers when calling for their applause but I'd never comment on poor performance.  You tried.  I respect you for that.

11.  Occasionally, I will sing a song.  But on a busy night it's not unusual if I don't sing at all.  Like I said, this show is about YOU.  There's another reason I don't sing very often.  I'm trying to encourage people and it doesn't help if I show them I'm good at it.  Really good singers make it hard to get other people to sing.  I'm not saying I'M really good.  I don't suck, but I'm not great.  The going rule though is if you as the host rank in the top 10% of singers you shouldn't be singing.  Sometimes I'll sabotage myself with a bad song.  People are much more willing to sing after a bad song.

12.  Please treat my microphones as though they're little babies wrapped in swaddling clothes.  All that equipment you're using, it's mine.  I pay for it and if you drop and break it I sincerely doubt you'll contribute to its replacement.  Heck, some people aren't coherent enough to remember singing!  I know I don't make this easy seeing as I don't really have a safe place to rest microphones but at the very least put them back where you got them.  Also, DON'T keep the mics.  I need them for guests.  You ain't slick.  I know you want to jump in on somebody else's song and that's a no-no.

13.  I try to be as attentive as I can to everyone, but keep in mind that I don't have time for extended conversations while I'm working.  If you want to talk to me while I'm working, expect for me to break conversation frequently.

14.  No, I can't just pull the song off your phone and make it into karaoke.  It doesn't work that way.  No I can't plug your phone into my sound system.  If I'm feeling nice and we have WiFi I might find you the song on YouTube but you're going to be singing with all the vocals in it.

15.  I don't have any fricking room on my powerstrip to charge your phone!  I'll point you to where the free outlets are around the building so you can babysit it yourself.

16.  See where the speaker is?  Good.  Don't sing directly into it.  Speaker + microphone + your singing = FEEDBACK!  Also, kindly sing into the top of the microphone.  If you hold the mic to your chest nobody is going to hear you and no amount of my futzing with the volume is going to help.

17.  What's with all this screaming into the mic?!  Don't cop an attitude with me because I had to turn you down.

18. Don't name drop.  I don't care who you know.  Who you know doesn't affect what I'm doing.  And don't even tell me you're going to get me fired.  I didn't luck into this job.  There's a reason I'm the one doing it.

19.  Don't assume karaoke is what I do for a living.  I would like to.  Really I would.  However I like the security of my well paying 8-5 job (don't ask me how I like the actual job though).  Yes, I have a real job and I have to get to it right after karaoke.  Just one of the small sacrifices I make to show you guys a good time.  That said...

20.  Last one, I promise.  It's appropriate too.  It's something I like to call The One More Game.  When I decide the show is over (and you're not giving me a reasonable incentive to keep it going) it's over.  Opening it back up for one more song has DIRE consequences.  Right off the bat if I give you one more song, it plants the seed in everyone else's mind that I'm amenable to keeping the party going when I'm not.  Also keep in mind that if I make an exception for you there was a whole list of people I told no to and they'll be back to ask me why I let you sing but not them.  Ultimately my own sense of fair play gets into the mix and next thing you know I'm working for a free hour.  Nobody likes to work for free.  Nobody.

Aaaaaand that's my rant folks.  I'm sure I'll be back for another one in a year or so.  Got any karaoke rants?  Feel free to share.

The Tech In My Car

I don't know if I ever shared this bit of information with you but my vehicle of 10 years, a 2003 Suzuki Grand Vitara, was in an accident last December.

You should see the other gu...oh wait, you can...nevermind.

It's a really long story how this all went down so I'm not going to get into it here (the folks closest to me know the details).  Point is as a result of this I've been between walking, safari rides and borrowing mom's car.  That is until about a week ago when I finally got a "new" car.

I put the new in quotes because it's actually used...but only for 2 years!  It's a 2012 Ford Escape XLS.  After 10 years of driving my Suzuki and 5 months driving a Toyota Corolla, acclimating to the Ford Escape has been challenging.  I'm getting there though.

Ok, now that I've gone though the back story let's get to the actual point of this blog.  Turns out that this car comes equipped with Ford Sync by Microsoft.  Here's something I learned real fast about it: in the beginning I didn't even really care.  Honestly, this weekend was the first time I really took some time to mess with it.  So far there's only one feature that I've come to use on a regular basis.  That's using my cellular phone as a Bluetooth audio source.  Originally I had a Monster FM Transmitter that I could plug my audio sources into and tune into it using the onboard radio.  Sync makes that obsolete.  It's a welcome change for me as sometimes there's too much interference in the radio signal.  I also managed to sync my phonebook with the car.  Not really sure how that's going to pan out.

What I'm noticing though is I STILL really don't care.  I get in the car so I can get from A to B.  Sync is going to take time and fiddling and I don't really fancy sitting in the car for extended periods of time just to mess with Sync.  So I'll be learning all this system can do in bits and pieces.  For now, the music is enough.

I'm Ready To Tell You My Secret Now

*whispers* I see drunk people.

LOL!  Just playing.  So I've mentioned this a while back all obscure-like on my Facebook page.

There's no way in hell I'm going to search my entire timeline for that post so enjoy this picture of a giant rubber duckie.  Rarrr! Duckie SMASH!

Well, the Daily News is taking way too long to announce all this so everyone's slowly dropping the secrets anyway.  So here ya go:

Yes folks, I did it!  Er, I mean Caribbean Saloon did it! (Tee hee).  This year's winner for Best Karaoke on St. Thomas is my spot at Caribbean Saloon!  Thanks to all the fans that voted.  It's truly an honor and it feels good to finally be able to brag about it. :D

It's Zero Day

Don't dream, it's over folks.  Today is the last day of Windows XP support.  Today (provided you're using Automatic Updates) you will receive your very last XP patch.  Forever.

I've written a few blog entries on this so I'm not going to bore you with the details you've probably already read.  I'll simply wish XP goodbye and you good luck.  If you're stuck with XP, trust me when I say you're not alone.  Even yours truly is stuck with XP...at work.  As are many of my coworkers.  Don't ask.

Fare thee well, XP users.  See you on the other side.