Archive for the ‘Scruff’ Category

The Sparkly Circle of Google +

Monday, July 11th, 2011

So I started the day like any other day, resisting the urge to put on pants and stumble out of bed. So, I decided to just stumble out of bed.  On my way to finding a little whiskey to add to my coffee (soda…whatever) I took a gander at the blog-to-the-osphere. I read yet another Google+ article, a good one at that, but one that left me feeling like I needed to explain how to use a wireless printer to my grandfather. NO, it’s not run by witches and you can’t scare off the problem with that garlic. Besides that only works on vampires, ya old putz. Where was I, oh yes the Googles. Let us begin.

Chuck has a good point, they kind of toss you right into circles without much explanation. I’m used to Google giving me intro videos and explaining things and these assholes decide to…wait a sec, let’s just skip this shit and see what happens. Oh there’s the welcome buttton, and videos. Sweet. So circles, and circle jerks (hehehehe), are a way for you to privately organize your friends.  Want to see what your friends are up to, but don’t want to listen to your psychotic family bullshit circle? (no your fellow Google+ers can’t see what circle you put them in)  Sweet just click cicrle jerks, I mean friends, and see what they’re up to. Want to share that sweet picture of you pissing off your friends balcony without being embarressed about your boss, mother, friend at the bottom of the goldern arc, seeing said picture? No problem, only share it within that circle. Whew, that was easy. Circles are a built-in way to exclusivity (Mark zuckerberg’s term not mine. Seriously watch the documentary Social Network sometime. YES IT IS a documentary Terrance, stop trying to correct me on this. I’ve edited Wikipedia, the source of all truth, to say so.) Exclusivity that you decide. When did facebook start to kind of suck? The moment your stomach dropped because you had parents requesting to be your friends on it and you can’t remember how to find all those shirtless/pantless photos of you and your circle jerk buddies at a party. You sick bastard.  That was an innocent feline you freak! How could you!?!?!

Circle jerks off…now to start some fires

Sparks…I’ll be honest, I’m not sure about these yet. They’re kind of like the news feed from Google I think. I haven’t tested this because, again, I just stumbled out of bed and haven’t masked the smell of whiskey with toothpaste yet, but hey, I don’t jump on the internet to judge you mister feline offender, do I?  Wait…nevermind. Where was I? Oh yes, SPARKS*!

Sparks are a way to catch articles and surf the web for your favorite topics all from within your social network.  Again, I’m not sure what’s up with this yet, but if you find a kewl way to use it, let me know.

So that’s the two big things that I’ve seen different with Google+ so far.  Let’s move on to some of the big complaints I’ve heard.

Nice party…so where is everyone?

So I’m constantly hearing, “Where is everyone?”  Or, “it’s a little slow and doesn’t work that great yet and seems buggy and”  SHUT UP!!! It’s a beta.  You weren’t supposed to get it yet.  This goes out to friends and family members of Google fans that praise Google’s shit because it stinks so good.  However, we’re on the internet and it spreads…like shit tends to.  How do you think I got it?  Not by praising Google’s shit, I’ll tell you that much.  I mean seriously…what did they eat?

So, yes it’s a little buggy.  My wife got on Google+ and we both were baffled that I had her in a circle yet she couldn’t see that I had her in a circle.  Even though friends can’t see which circle you’re in, they can tell if they’re in a circle or not.  So I chalked it up to that disclaimer I saw about this being a beta and moved on.

Second big thing, Facebook isn’t playing nice and right now there’s no built-in way to transfer those feline photos from your facebook account to Google+.  Why would you want to yet, it’s beta.  Still I know what you’re saying.  There’s a couple of options to watch the facebook feed in Google+, but they’re not that great yet and don’t have much interplay.  Also, it is possible to get everyone from facebook to your Google+ account, but it won’t matter if they’re all still using facebook.  Just wait, this is a beta, be patient, my geek friends out there will think of something.  We irritate easily and some of us tend to do things about it.  Others like to sit pantless in front of a computer screen, wreaking of whiskey early in the morning, trying to avoid work.  Don’t judge.

Finally, if you’re on Google+ and receiving emails and wondering, why dear god won’t they stop?  Simply follow the link to the Google+ settings in the email you received and turn them off.

That’s pretty much it though for right now.  Just chillax and be happy if you have a Google+ account.  If you don’t like something or are confused tell Google about it.  There’s a feedback link in the bottom right corner of every page of Google+.  Use it.  Scream at them if you must.  It’s what the internet is for…besides porn (also a fact, thanks Avenue Q.)

-Scruff

Oh and if you want a Google+ account, let me know. I may just hook you up.

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A Heroic Move…

Thursday, December 7th, 2006

As the NBC show Heroes sweeps the nation with excitement, I too can’t help but take part in the addiction.  It’s started to become a weekly gathering for my roommates and me.  Now, I’m not one to get addicted to shows too easily or get excited about a new episode of a TV show, but Heroes has me pumped.  I think this show is set apart from other shows because of its willingness to change our ideas about a TV show.  For instance, the characters in the show have blogs and myspace accounts.  Also, the show regularly puts out on-line comic book issues that correlate to the story taking place.  This gives the show a life outside of the one hour episode we see every week.  It allows viewers to delve into the psyche of these unsuspecting heroes. 

I think it’s an exciting and surprising revolution of the comic book. This isn’t a show based off an existing comic. It doesn’t have an established fan base to expect that the original text of the comic be held true. Instead, the show is the comic and the comic supplements the shows story. This helps to establish a fan base because it reaches out to the comic lover, the TV show addict, and the occasional fan of both these media like me. My only hope is they don’t sell out too early. This show is ripe for corporate whoring. Video games are an obvious next step but I hope they aren’t a tragedy like the first matrix game ultimately was.

Come along for a satirical side on an imaginary conversation about the first Matrix game.  A new matrix game?  Boy I hope it’s as new and cutting edge as the movie.  What’s that?  The only “kewl” thing is a Max Payne-ish slow-mo move.

Back to Heroes:
If Heroes does release a video game I hope they think it through and don’t rush for the quick buck.  This show and all its side stories on the web are definitely not a broke machine so I hope some corporate money hungry goon doesn’t decide to “fix” it.

If you like the show too, then ignore my pessimism and enjoy.  If you haven’t seen it, give it a shot.  And if you are a gambler, then place your bets for whether this show will sell out.

-Scruff
If it weren’t for that horse, I wouldn’t have spent that year in college¦

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Goooooje!

Thursday, November 30th, 2006

Well after roughly a decade of pondering a way to release our twisted thoughts into the world, my partner in crime and I have finally decided that with the dawn of the internets a blog would suffice. After thinking up such great games as Goooje, battered and bloody leap frog (which was really more of an accident), and townhouse baseball, we bring you Snow Day Cafe.  This site is the result of many years of crazy drunk and sober ideas that made us want to tell the world of what we thought and had done. Sure seeing some JELLO gelatin bloodied outlines of your friends was good bar talk, but who else would share in this joy besides the public safety officers of our campus who had to clean it up? And this is why we have made this site.

Granted our competition may seem quite large compared to these humble beginnings. I mean there are such sites as Penny Arcade out there that have been doing this for many years. I for one think of this not as a competitor with those sites, but simply another perspective to look at this techie geeky world we all are a part of. You may be saying, Whoa there scruffy, I’m no geek. First, put down the Darth Vader action figure you’re holding and don’t take it personally. Second, the fact that you got the internets joke earlier makes you qualified enough to be some form of geek. This blog won’t be all techie gamer stuff either; there will be controversial remarks on comics, music, cars, and the occasional board game of world domination.

For now I’ll leave you anxious for more. I’m a little tired after all the talk Bimmer and I have had over which color the border, sides, and footer should all be. As you can see we decided on several lovely shades and hues of the primary color blue. W’ll work on a comic for all to enjoy shortly and it just might be funny, but no promises. Check back and let us know what you think.

-Scruff
I can show you the world¦

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