Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Top Blogs of the Month of May
Hey there. Looks like we have our top 5 for the month. A complete shake up with only one blog carrying over from last month. Lisgold takes the top spot this month, with another 4 with 31 drops to match her. Lisgold gets the top spot by default, since the blog is the only carry over from last month. 1000 credits to you and 500 for blogs 2-5.
I'm also making a change this month. I'm going to leave the top 5 in my blog roll for the whole month. They being the only blogs on my blogroll. I'm also trying to think of a way to not only reward my Entrecard readers, but readers from all over. I'm thinking of a cash but am not sure how to keep track. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, friends, for your continued support of Metallman's Reverie.
I'm also making a change this month. I'm going to leave the top 5 in my blog roll for the whole month. They being the only blogs on my blogroll. I'm also trying to think of a way to not only reward my Entrecard readers, but readers from all over. I'm thinking of a cash but am not sure how to keep track. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, friends, for your continued support of Metallman's Reverie.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Metal Crow Productions
Hey there. A guy can dream, no? Well, in this case, it's the dream of two guys. My compa (Crow) and I have finally decided jump on our ideas and make them into reality. Introducing, Metal Crow Productions. The logo on the left is something that he came up with. Not too bad, right? The logo may still change even though I think it looks pretty bad ass as it is. Anyways, though our ideas have been brewing since forever, we have absolutely nothing to show for it... yet. This will serve as a great portal for us to display some creativity from just about any means that we see fit. We've talked about filming a short movie, we've talked of creating a web show, we've even discussed the possibilities of creating a web comic. We've even gone as far as to discuss a whole story, from beginning to end over the course of an hour long instant message, but we've never got around to putting any of it in paper. Many people have lost ideas into obscurity because they either had no means of expressing them or they were seen simply as ideas and not something that can be actuality. No more excuses for us! I'm excited, I'm ready, and I'm curious as to how far we can get this to fly.
We have nothing but an extremely brief introduction on the site. I wanted to get it set up so that when ideas come a flutter, there's a place where we can store them. So, remember the name, Metal Crow Productions, so that one day, you too can be like, "Hey! I know that guy!" lol Later!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
A Bead in the Nose
Hey there. My goodness... Our little one had a bead up her nose. A BEAD!!! How did it get there? I'm still not sure. All I know is that she is strapped in her car seat and before you know it, our kids tell grandma that our little shoved a bead up her nose. Grandma freaked. But that's because she's gone through this before where her child (my brother in law) ended up in the ER. Thankfully, I'm a skilled makeshift surgeon. lol
I'm sitting at my desk when I get the call from my Mother in Law, she's in a panic and told her to calm down some. After a few breaths she explained that our little one shoved a bead in her nose and that she's worried because she doesn't see it in there and that she's going to have to take her to the ER. I asked her to check out the little one. First off, to assure that she can breathe fine and secondly, is she in pain. If she can breathe fine and there's no pain, and you can't see it, my guess would be that the bead went through her nose and into her mouth. She either spit it out or she swallowed it. She still seemed a little edgy so I spoke with our little one. I got her to stop crying and she explained to me that she put a bead in her nose. I spoke to grandma and I asked her to see if she can see the bead, if she can't the little one may have swallowed it, if she can see it, we may have to take her to the ER. I asked her to calm down, check again and then to call me back.
My son called me back. lol He was with grandma and he told me that they are going to stop by our work place to see if I can see it. I told them OK and to call me when they get here (no more than 8 mins away). Of course, at about the 7 min mark or so, I'm called into a meeting. My boss heard the conversation I had with my mother in law earlier so he asked if everything was OK and told him what happened. He told me that if I needed to go, I can go, but considering that we were late this morning, I didn't really want to leave unless I had to. So I walk into the meeting and luckily, it's real quick, as in 2 minutes and we're done quick. I walk over to my wife's desk and she's gone. I briskly walked toward the exit and started looking for the white car my mother in law drives. It's by the post office and my wife is there checking out the situation. I walk over and take a peek and yup, there it is... A pink bead waaaaaaay up in her nose. First thought, tweezers are too thick to go in there and pull out. My wife suggested that maybe we can use something small like a paperclip. I'm thinking, I can see it... A paperclip might just do the trick and we won't have to go to the ER.
DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME, or on the SIDEWALK for that matter. I was extremely confident that the bead was in the perfect position to allow me to pull it out. I do not recommend doing it yourself. My wife sterilized a paperclip and I reclined our daughter in her car seat. The light was awful and since it was a pinkish bead, it was damn near impossible to see, since it blended with the lining of her nose. My wife calmed our little down with talks of Chuck E Cheese and I showed her that the paperclip will not hurt, that it will tickle, and I inserted it in my nose so that she didn't freak out. At first, I didn't think we would be able to do it since her reaction to the paperclip caused her to sneeze or twitch her nose a little due to the tickling sensation. After a few failed attempts, I moved her to the front seat since it had better lighting and again, we reclined her. When I peeked in her nose, I saw that the bead shifted positions from being waaaaay up there, to being kinda up there. My wife had the brilliant idea of having our little close her eyes while I worked. After a few more attempts, I got it out. WHEW!!!!! Crises averted.
She seemed glad that it was out and had a huge smile across her face. The first thing my wife said was, "That's going in her baby box." lol We keep some of the kid's mementos and what not so here it is... The bead and the paperclip that made it happen.
I'm glad our little one is a trooper and didn't panic herself. Looks like we're on our way to Chuck E Cheese tonight. Later!
UPDATE: 5.27.09
We went to Chuck E Cheese last night, as promised, and our little one took this pic of herself for us. lol What a thoughtful child to kill a coin for a pic for us. Then the icing on the cake was when we got home. I sat on the couch and she comes up to me and says, "Daddy, thank you for taking the thing out of my nose." Awwwwwww.
I'm sitting at my desk when I get the call from my Mother in Law, she's in a panic and told her to calm down some. After a few breaths she explained that our little one shoved a bead in her nose and that she's worried because she doesn't see it in there and that she's going to have to take her to the ER. I asked her to check out the little one. First off, to assure that she can breathe fine and secondly, is she in pain. If she can breathe fine and there's no pain, and you can't see it, my guess would be that the bead went through her nose and into her mouth. She either spit it out or she swallowed it. She still seemed a little edgy so I spoke with our little one. I got her to stop crying and she explained to me that she put a bead in her nose. I spoke to grandma and I asked her to see if she can see the bead, if she can't the little one may have swallowed it, if she can see it, we may have to take her to the ER. I asked her to calm down, check again and then to call me back.
My son called me back. lol He was with grandma and he told me that they are going to stop by our work place to see if I can see it. I told them OK and to call me when they get here (no more than 8 mins away). Of course, at about the 7 min mark or so, I'm called into a meeting. My boss heard the conversation I had with my mother in law earlier so he asked if everything was OK and told him what happened. He told me that if I needed to go, I can go, but considering that we were late this morning, I didn't really want to leave unless I had to. So I walk into the meeting and luckily, it's real quick, as in 2 minutes and we're done quick. I walk over to my wife's desk and she's gone. I briskly walked toward the exit and started looking for the white car my mother in law drives. It's by the post office and my wife is there checking out the situation. I walk over and take a peek and yup, there it is... A pink bead waaaaaaay up in her nose. First thought, tweezers are too thick to go in there and pull out. My wife suggested that maybe we can use something small like a paperclip. I'm thinking, I can see it... A paperclip might just do the trick and we won't have to go to the ER.
DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME, or on the SIDEWALK for that matter. I was extremely confident that the bead was in the perfect position to allow me to pull it out. I do not recommend doing it yourself. My wife sterilized a paperclip and I reclined our daughter in her car seat. The light was awful and since it was a pinkish bead, it was damn near impossible to see, since it blended with the lining of her nose. My wife calmed our little down with talks of Chuck E Cheese and I showed her that the paperclip will not hurt, that it will tickle, and I inserted it in my nose so that she didn't freak out. At first, I didn't think we would be able to do it since her reaction to the paperclip caused her to sneeze or twitch her nose a little due to the tickling sensation. After a few failed attempts, I moved her to the front seat since it had better lighting and again, we reclined her. When I peeked in her nose, I saw that the bead shifted positions from being waaaaay up there, to being kinda up there. My wife had the brilliant idea of having our little close her eyes while I worked. After a few more attempts, I got it out. WHEW!!!!! Crises averted.
She seemed glad that it was out and had a huge smile across her face. The first thing my wife said was, "That's going in her baby box." lol We keep some of the kid's mementos and what not so here it is... The bead and the paperclip that made it happen.
I'm glad our little one is a trooper and didn't panic herself. Looks like we're on our way to Chuck E Cheese tonight. Later!UPDATE: 5.27.09
We went to Chuck E Cheese last night, as promised, and our little one took this pic of herself for us. lol What a thoughtful child to kill a coin for a pic for us. Then the icing on the cake was when we got home. I sat on the couch and she comes up to me and says, "Daddy, thank you for taking the thing out of my nose." Awwwwwww.
It's A Boy!
Hey there. We're having a boy! We went to our ultrasound appointment this morning and we were told that we're having a boy! We want a healthy baby but my wife and I were hoping to have a boy so that we can even out the family, as in have 2 boys and 2 girls.
Our morning started out a little rough, traffic wise at least. I thought that because it was kind of early, we can hop on the freeway and get there with time to spare. Once we were on, my wife reminded me how awful the 5 freeway is (bumper to bumper all day, everyday) and time was running out. I weaved in and out of traffic and got off the freeway and drove from East L.A. to downtown L.A and managed to get us there at exactly 8:15. We walk in, wait, fill out the paper work, and then we get our ultrasound. Baby is doing good. Everything looks normal and there were no abnormalities. I referred to the baby as him and the doctor said, "Did you just say him?". I said said yeah and he told me that I was right and showed us his "boyhood". lol I left the ultrasound pics in the car so I'll post one up when I get back from lunch. Catch you guys then. Later!
Our morning started out a little rough, traffic wise at least. I thought that because it was kind of early, we can hop on the freeway and get there with time to spare. Once we were on, my wife reminded me how awful the 5 freeway is (bumper to bumper all day, everyday) and time was running out. I weaved in and out of traffic and got off the freeway and drove from East L.A. to downtown L.A and managed to get us there at exactly 8:15. We walk in, wait, fill out the paper work, and then we get our ultrasound. Baby is doing good. Everything looks normal and there were no abnormalities. I referred to the baby as him and the doctor said, "Did you just say him?". I said said yeah and he told me that I was right and showed us his "boyhood". lol I left the ultrasound pics in the car so I'll post one up when I get back from lunch. Catch you guys then. Later!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Who the Hell is John Titor???
Hey there. I'm a curious person. The whole UFO debate fascinates me, the paranormal fascinates me, and among many other things, time travel fascinates me. So when I stumbled across the name, John Titor - time traveler, I raised an eyebrow and started to look into this time traveler. Now, not many people know the name, so here's an extremely quick run down of the guy.
He claims to be from 2036
He traveled back in time to 1975 for a IBM 5100 computer
He made a "pit stop" in 2001 for personal reasons
He posted in the Art Bell BBS Forums and identified himself as a time traveler
He traveled using a military time machine
He disappeared without a trace in early 2001
Check out some of his original posts here: http://www.anomalies.net/object/titororiginalpost.html
I'm no John Titor expert and I don't know all the facts but what I have read has sparked my interest. Now, right off the bat, I've lost some of you, since I am aware that this sort of thing is not everyone's cup of tea, but I find this person fascinating since this person seems to have just disappeared off the face of the Earth. During his posts, he laid the mechanics and physics concerning the time travel machine, going into the complex mathematics that was used to make it possible. He refused to give any predictions and did not want to disclose any information that would cause anyone to interfere with the current world line.
The world line... More than anything, I believe this is what fascinates me the most. The Everett-Wheeler-Graham Theory suggests that our universe is composed of many universes in which each one represents each and every possible scenario. For example, you are at the store deciding on whether or not you should buy something. In one universe, you bought an ice cream cone. In universe 2, you didn't and walked out the store and got hit by a bike, or whatever. At that moment, a separate universe was created and there are, in theory, 2 yous walking around, but will never cross paths because they are on different world lines. Crazy thought, no? Imagine all the decisions made in your life time. For each decision you made, there is another world line out there that exists based on a completely different decision that could have been made. It's a theory that completely blows my mind. If this theory is true, then it begs to ask the question on whether or not there is God. If I decide to be Mr. Peace on Earth, there is an alternate world line where I am Mr. Hell on Earth to balance it out. On one path I chose peace, in the other path I did not. If both good and evil sides exists within separate world lines, when I die, which one of "me" will be judged? Oh, here's another crazy idea... if there are alternate universes, as theorized, then is God and Satan one and the same? God being Mr. Peace on Earth and Satan being Mr. Hell of Earth? Food for thought, no? Later!
He claims to be from 2036
He traveled back in time to 1975 for a IBM 5100 computer
He made a "pit stop" in 2001 for personal reasons
He posted in the Art Bell BBS Forums and identified himself as a time traveler
He traveled using a military time machine
He disappeared without a trace in early 2001
Check out some of his original posts here: http://www.anomalies.net/object/titororiginalpost.html
I'm no John Titor expert and I don't know all the facts but what I have read has sparked my interest. Now, right off the bat, I've lost some of you, since I am aware that this sort of thing is not everyone's cup of tea, but I find this person fascinating since this person seems to have just disappeared off the face of the Earth. During his posts, he laid the mechanics and physics concerning the time travel machine, going into the complex mathematics that was used to make it possible. He refused to give any predictions and did not want to disclose any information that would cause anyone to interfere with the current world line.
The world line... More than anything, I believe this is what fascinates me the most. The Everett-Wheeler-Graham Theory suggests that our universe is composed of many universes in which each one represents each and every possible scenario. For example, you are at the store deciding on whether or not you should buy something. In one universe, you bought an ice cream cone. In universe 2, you didn't and walked out the store and got hit by a bike, or whatever. At that moment, a separate universe was created and there are, in theory, 2 yous walking around, but will never cross paths because they are on different world lines. Crazy thought, no? Imagine all the decisions made in your life time. For each decision you made, there is another world line out there that exists based on a completely different decision that could have been made. It's a theory that completely blows my mind. If this theory is true, then it begs to ask the question on whether or not there is God. If I decide to be Mr. Peace on Earth, there is an alternate world line where I am Mr. Hell on Earth to balance it out. On one path I chose peace, in the other path I did not. If both good and evil sides exists within separate world lines, when I die, which one of "me" will be judged? Oh, here's another crazy idea... if there are alternate universes, as theorized, then is God and Satan one and the same? God being Mr. Peace on Earth and Satan being Mr. Hell of Earth? Food for thought, no? Later!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Dr. Oetker: The Shake & Pour Master
Hey there friends. My wife loves to bake. She'll make us cakes, cupcakes, muffins, or cookies and when she does it, she makes it a family affair. Our kids will help with mixing the batter while another butters up the pan. Before we know it, there's a huge mess in the kitchen; the mixer goes off the bowl, egg yolk that didn't quite make it into the bowl, batter splatter across the counter. It's great family fun, not so great family cleaning. But with the new line of Dr. Oetker Shakers, we can continue the family time and drastically reduce the mess.What are Dr. Oetker Shakers? They are the extremely convenient shakers in which you only need to pour water or milk in and shake it up to create the perfect batter. Their shakers come in a wide variety and include favorites such as Chocolate Cupcakes, Chocolate Chip Pancakes, and Blueberry Muffins. Because the shakers are so convenient to use, I'm sure that you'll find yourself baking more often making family baking time more frequent.
Dr. Oetker is also having a daily sweepstakes for a chance to win $1200 Visa Card. You can register at their site and submit an entry a day for your chance to "Shake Up a Winner" with Dr. Oetker products.
So the next time the PTA announces that there will be a bake sale going on for your kid's school, don't hide in the back and hope to sneak in something small. Go grab some Dr. Oetker shakers and easily whip up some of the best home made cupcakes and muffins for the sale.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Olivia Munn is Bad Ass
Hey there. I'm a game freak and glad to see that there's G4 on TV. That station has it all to appease a geek like me. Bad ass shows like X-Play Unbeatable Banzuke, Ninja Warrior, Code Monkeys, etc. But Attack of the Show is edging out the flagship show, X-Play in my eyes. While X-Play does the "nerd guy with hot chick" thing quite well, Adam and Morgan may have to step aside to the new kids in town, Kevin and Olivia.
X-Play is great, when you want the latest news on video games for all platforms. Latest reviews and quirky conversations between Adam and Morgan was like a fresh of breath air for us viewers. It didn't seem that the conversations between the two were scripted so it felt like these are two people that us gamers could relate too. But, like most of you, gaming is not all I'm into. There's the anime, Comicon, and all things tech that I'm into and Kevin and Olivia is the team to go to. Not only do they have great chemistry together, but they look like they're having fun doing it. They not only give us the heads up on games, but on camcorders, TVs, cameras, PCs, the works. And I love the way those two put themselves right in the middle of the action.
When Street Fighter 4 came out, who was there to try the game out first hand? Olivia and Kevin. Olivia went as far as to dress up as Chun Li for the event! Not only that, but the woman went ahead and dove right into the Ninja Warrior obstacle course. You know how difficult that damn thing is? My son has been hooked on that show for a few years now and he swears that he and I will one day head off to Mt. Midoriyama to one day take on the course. lol
The above would warrant any woman to part of the bad ass club, but those feats of bad assery is not enough for Olivia Munn. A few nights ago, while watching Attack of the Show, I see Kevin declaring a MEGA DARE on Olivia. lol That's right, a MEGA DARE. None of this double or triple dare crap for them. lol Anyways, the dare turned into a contest between Olivia and Kevin. The contest being who can drink the most hot sauce shots. lol Olivia took Kevin on and after the first few shots, you knew the woman was in pain all the while, Kevin gloating. She hung in there though. They handled all the shots (10 each) while the last shot was to be the tie breaker. The two actually fought for the last one before Kevin downed it for the win. lmao Yes my friends, this is the kind of shit that I find entertaining. lol
Now, after watching that. I'm declaring Olivia the winner. Why? Because Kevin, that ass, still had a shot in his hand while he fought off Olivia for the tie breaking shot. Had he been a man, he'd down his shot before going for the next one. Therefore, disqualifying him. Well, in my book at least. So here's to you, Olivia, the bad ass chick that whipped Kevin in what I like to call, "The Hot Shots of Death" MEGA DARE. For what I saw you do, was one of the most bad ass things I've seen on TV. Later!
X-Play is great, when you want the latest news on video games for all platforms. Latest reviews and quirky conversations between Adam and Morgan was like a fresh of breath air for us viewers. It didn't seem that the conversations between the two were scripted so it felt like these are two people that us gamers could relate too. But, like most of you, gaming is not all I'm into. There's the anime, Comicon, and all things tech that I'm into and Kevin and Olivia is the team to go to. Not only do they have great chemistry together, but they look like they're having fun doing it. They not only give us the heads up on games, but on camcorders, TVs, cameras, PCs, the works. And I love the way those two put themselves right in the middle of the action.
When Street Fighter 4 came out, who was there to try the game out first hand? Olivia and Kevin. Olivia went as far as to dress up as Chun Li for the event! Not only that, but the woman went ahead and dove right into the Ninja Warrior obstacle course. You know how difficult that damn thing is? My son has been hooked on that show for a few years now and he swears that he and I will one day head off to Mt. Midoriyama to one day take on the course. lol
The above would warrant any woman to part of the bad ass club, but those feats of bad assery is not enough for Olivia Munn. A few nights ago, while watching Attack of the Show, I see Kevin declaring a MEGA DARE on Olivia. lol That's right, a MEGA DARE. None of this double or triple dare crap for them. lol Anyways, the dare turned into a contest between Olivia and Kevin. The contest being who can drink the most hot sauce shots. lol Olivia took Kevin on and after the first few shots, you knew the woman was in pain all the while, Kevin gloating. She hung in there though. They handled all the shots (10 each) while the last shot was to be the tie breaker. The two actually fought for the last one before Kevin downed it for the win. lmao Yes my friends, this is the kind of shit that I find entertaining. lol Now, after watching that. I'm declaring Olivia the winner. Why? Because Kevin, that ass, still had a shot in his hand while he fought off Olivia for the tie breaking shot. Had he been a man, he'd down his shot before going for the next one. Therefore, disqualifying him. Well, in my book at least. So here's to you, Olivia, the bad ass chick that whipped Kevin in what I like to call, "The Hot Shots of Death" MEGA DARE. For what I saw you do, was one of the most bad ass things I've seen on TV. Later!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Adgitize Advertiser Clicks
Hey there. This will be a quick post but wanted to express my pleasure with Adgitize. 24 hours have not passed since I've become an advertiser with them and already I have 130 clicks on 7538 views. That's close to 1.75% click rate but better yet, that's 130 extra page views (and potential readers) to this site. Hopefully, it's not beginner's luck but if this keeps up, they may have just earned an advertiser for life! Later.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
New Member of Adgitize
Hey there. As most of you know, I've been dropped by Project Wonderful a few weeks back and have been looking for a new ad type platform. I haven't really been looking around but I did stumble across a very convenient source of online income. I am now the latest member of the Adgitize network.
From what I've read and the way it works, I think it's great! I never really noticed it but it seems that many Entrecard members are already a part of the Adgitize network so it's extremely convenient to "drop and click". Similar to Entrecard, you gain points by clicking on the ads (that's a first!) of Adgitize members. Most Entrecard members, such as myself, have placed an ad right next to the Entrecard widget to make it easy to Drop and Click (I should trademark that sucker!). Each click gains you a point. Points are then converted to cash at the end of the month. No waiting for approvals, transferring to a cash out account or anything like that. And clicking on ads is not the only way to get points. Each page view that your web site generates is converted to points. Each time one of the Adgitize ads is displayed generates is converted to points. If you have more than one ad block displays, the ad and page view points multiply by the number of ad blocks you display. Being an advertiser generates an automatic 100 points a day (more on that in a bit). Posting articles generates a cool 100 points a day. And by articles, it means posting, period. So if you're an active blog writer, this is basically getting paid to do what you do anyways. So there are many ways that points can be generated.
So what is the conversion to cash? That depends on how active advertisers are and how many points are awarded but just to give you a general idea, here is the May 2009 conversion table.
Score less than 100 points in a day and you will earn 1 cent a day.
Score 100 to 199 points in a day and you will earn 2 or 3 cents a day.
Score 200 to 299 points in a day and you will earn 15 cents to 25 cents a day.
Score 300 or more points in a day and you will earn 76 cents to $1 dollar a day.
Again, those numbers are not written in stone so don't quote me on that but it gives you a general idea of how many points you will need to earn some cash. Looking at the table above, 200 points is very doable but you definitely want to score 300 points a day.
That sounds great, Metallman, but what about the advertising that you mentioned? Glad you ask. lol Adgitize cannot pay it's members if it does not generate any revenue. So advertising is a cool $14 a month (other options are available) and your ad is guaranteed to be shown on all sites that have the widget installed on their web page to the tune of at least once every 100 page views. So if 'X' site has 100 views a day, your ad will appear at least once on their site. Considering that there are thousands of sites in the network, you will definitely get your money's worth. And if you hit the 300 point mark daily, the ad will pay for itself each month. All while bringing you traffic and readers. Sign up is free and you do not have to advertise. You can gain points by other means but being given 100 points a day for being an advertiser is not a bad deal at all.
I haven't seen any complaints from anyone in regards to this. Paying to display your ad seems to be one "nuisance" that surfaces, but considering that you can pay $10 for a month long ad on any given website, you might as well ad the $4 and display your ads to thousands more. I'm quite thrilled about trying this out. Hopefully, it will bring in quality traffic as well as some online income. I'll keep you posted with how much it brings in after the first or second month. Check it out, friends. Later!
Monday, May 18, 2009
A Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On
Hey there. If you follow me on Twitter, than I'm pretty sure you know that we had a shaker over here in Southern California. Nothing too serious, but it was a good jolt for about 10 seconds or so. First reports estimated it at a 4.7 magnitude quake, then it was a 5.0, then it went back to 4.7. lol I chuckled to myself at how the media blew the thing up. We live in Southern California, we have little quakes all the time so when the news makes it a big deal, I feel as if there's nothing better for them to report on. They had callers dial in to share their experiences and it was just funny how a lady said, "Nothing fell, except for my eye glasses". Then there was this other person who called in and stated that he lived in Southern California for 15+ years. The newswoman then asked him if he's ever experienced any quakes before. Oh man... Of course he has! Who hasn't that lives in this area! Sheesh.
My wife is terrified of quakes. She never got used to them so she was shaken up a bit. She was lying in bed with our little one, I was in the living room, and the kids were eating dinner at the table when it happened. The weird thing about this quake was that we were able to hear it before it started to shake. I don't think I've ever heard it before it actually happens so I stood up to react, but didn't really do anything until I knew for sure it was a quake. I told the kids to get under the dinner table and I ran towards the room to get my wife and little one. By the time I reached the room, she was already up holding our little one heading towards the door. Once we reached the living room, the shaking subdued. We all sat in the living room, including our dogs and cat, and we sat around waiting for the aftershocks. From what I read, we had a 2.something and 3.something aftershocks, but we didn't feel them. While watching the news, and twittering and sending messages, we talked to the kids about earthquake safety and what they should do in case we experience an aftershock in the middle of the night. I don't think our boy was too shaken up, though, if he was, he wasn't really showing it. Our girls were shaken up a bit. Our little one ended up sleeping in our bed last night, while the other was restless throughout the night. How do I know? Because my wife couldn't sleep either so she counted the times she saw our daughter pop her head out of her room. lol
It's funny how every time there is an earthquake in Southern California, talks of the "Big One" arise. I understand that we live near a pretty active fault line but when all you hear is "disaster is a coming! disaster is a coming", how can you expect the public to not panic? It's like saying that a meteor is going to hit Los Angeles. We have no idea when, but it's going to happen. So what? Am I supposed to live a life in fear keeping an eye out on sky for any ominous looking objects? If it happens, it happens. No matter how much I prepare for it, I'm either going to survive it, or not. Same deal with earthquakes. There's no amount of rations and water and what not that is going to prepare you for the "Earth opening up and swallowing half of the south land". There's is no way to be 100% earthquake proof. It's either you're going to be lucky enough to survive it or not. Can I increase my chances? Of course! I can pack our stuff and we can all move to where there are no earthquakes. But you know what? Natural disasters happen anywhere so no matter where we go, there's is always something that the media will force us to fear. Tornados, hurricanes, lightning storms, earthquakes, meteors, pink teddy bears, or maybe even the dreaded hefalumps. lmao I say, that as long as you're informed and have a plan of evacuation, there really isn't much more that can be done. With that being said, I'm planing on having another talk with the kids, just to make sure that they know what needs to be done if it happens again. Later.
My wife is terrified of quakes. She never got used to them so she was shaken up a bit. She was lying in bed with our little one, I was in the living room, and the kids were eating dinner at the table when it happened. The weird thing about this quake was that we were able to hear it before it started to shake. I don't think I've ever heard it before it actually happens so I stood up to react, but didn't really do anything until I knew for sure it was a quake. I told the kids to get under the dinner table and I ran towards the room to get my wife and little one. By the time I reached the room, she was already up holding our little one heading towards the door. Once we reached the living room, the shaking subdued. We all sat in the living room, including our dogs and cat, and we sat around waiting for the aftershocks. From what I read, we had a 2.something and 3.something aftershocks, but we didn't feel them. While watching the news, and twittering and sending messages, we talked to the kids about earthquake safety and what they should do in case we experience an aftershock in the middle of the night. I don't think our boy was too shaken up, though, if he was, he wasn't really showing it. Our girls were shaken up a bit. Our little one ended up sleeping in our bed last night, while the other was restless throughout the night. How do I know? Because my wife couldn't sleep either so she counted the times she saw our daughter pop her head out of her room. lol
It's funny how every time there is an earthquake in Southern California, talks of the "Big One" arise. I understand that we live near a pretty active fault line but when all you hear is "disaster is a coming! disaster is a coming", how can you expect the public to not panic? It's like saying that a meteor is going to hit Los Angeles. We have no idea when, but it's going to happen. So what? Am I supposed to live a life in fear keeping an eye out on sky for any ominous looking objects? If it happens, it happens. No matter how much I prepare for it, I'm either going to survive it, or not. Same deal with earthquakes. There's no amount of rations and water and what not that is going to prepare you for the "Earth opening up and swallowing half of the south land". There's is no way to be 100% earthquake proof. It's either you're going to be lucky enough to survive it or not. Can I increase my chances? Of course! I can pack our stuff and we can all move to where there are no earthquakes. But you know what? Natural disasters happen anywhere so no matter where we go, there's is always something that the media will force us to fear. Tornados, hurricanes, lightning storms, earthquakes, meteors, pink teddy bears, or maybe even the dreaded hefalumps. lmao I say, that as long as you're informed and have a plan of evacuation, there really isn't much more that can be done. With that being said, I'm planing on having another talk with the kids, just to make sure that they know what needs to be done if it happens again. Later.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Vatican Humor
Hey there. Just a little something that I found funny. Later.
Vatican Humor
After getting all of Pope Benedict's luggage loaded into the limo, (and he doesn't travel light), the driver notices the Pope is still standing on the curb.
'Excuse me, Your Holiness,' says the driver, 'Would you please take your seat so we can leave?'
'Well, to tell you the truth,' says the Pope, 'they never let me drive at the Vatican when I was a cardinal, and I'd really like to drive today.'
'I'm sorry, Your Holiness, but I cannot let you do that. I'd lose my job! What if something should happen?' protests the driver, wishing he'd never gone to work that morning.
'Who's going to tell?' says the Pope with a smile?
Reluctantly, the driver gets in the back as the Pope climbs in behind the wheel. The driver quickly regrets his decision when, after exiting the airport, the Pontiff floors it, accelerating the limo to 205 kph. (Remember, the Pope is German and loves the Autobahn.)
'Please slow down, Your Holiness!' pleads the worried driver, but the Pope keeps the pedal to the metal until they hear sirens.
'Oh, dear God, I'm going to lose my license -- and my job!' moans the driver.
The Pope pulls over and rolls down the window as the cop approaches, but the cop takes one look at him, goes back to his motorcycle, and gets on the radio.
'I need to talk to the Chief,' he says to the dispatcher.
The Chief gets on the radio and the cop tells him that he's stopped a limo going 205 kph.
'So bust him,' says the Chief.
'I don't think we want to do that, he's really important,' said the cop.
The Chief exclaimed,' All the more reason!'
'No, I mean really important,' said the cop with a bit of persistence.
The Chief then asked, 'Who do you have there, the mayor?'
Cop: 'Bigger.'
Chief: ' A senator?'
Cop: 'Bigger.'
Chief: 'The Prime Minister?'
Cop: 'Bigger.'
Well,' said the Chief, 'Who is it?'
Cop: 'I think it's God!'
The Chief is even more puzzled and curious, 'What makes you think it's God?'
Cop: 'His chauffeur is the Pope!'
Vatican Humor
After getting all of Pope Benedict's luggage loaded into the limo, (and he doesn't travel light), the driver notices the Pope is still standing on the curb.
'Excuse me, Your Holiness,' says the driver, 'Would you please take your seat so we can leave?'
'Well, to tell you the truth,' says the Pope, 'they never let me drive at the Vatican when I was a cardinal, and I'd really like to drive today.'
'I'm sorry, Your Holiness, but I cannot let you do that. I'd lose my job! What if something should happen?' protests the driver, wishing he'd never gone to work that morning.
'Who's going to tell?' says the Pope with a smile?
Reluctantly, the driver gets in the back as the Pope climbs in behind the wheel. The driver quickly regrets his decision when, after exiting the airport, the Pontiff floors it, accelerating the limo to 205 kph. (Remember, the Pope is German and loves the Autobahn.)
'Please slow down, Your Holiness!' pleads the worried driver, but the Pope keeps the pedal to the metal until they hear sirens.
'Oh, dear God, I'm going to lose my license -- and my job!' moans the driver.
The Pope pulls over and rolls down the window as the cop approaches, but the cop takes one look at him, goes back to his motorcycle, and gets on the radio.
'I need to talk to the Chief,' he says to the dispatcher.
The Chief gets on the radio and the cop tells him that he's stopped a limo going 205 kph.
'So bust him,' says the Chief.
'I don't think we want to do that, he's really important,' said the cop.
The Chief exclaimed,' All the more reason!'
'No, I mean really important,' said the cop with a bit of persistence.
The Chief then asked, 'Who do you have there, the mayor?'
Cop: 'Bigger.'
Chief: ' A senator?'
Cop: 'Bigger.'
Chief: 'The Prime Minister?'
Cop: 'Bigger.'
Well,' said the Chief, 'Who is it?'
Cop: 'I think it's God!'
The Chief is even more puzzled and curious, 'What makes you think it's God?'
Cop: 'His chauffeur is the Pope!'
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
John C. Fremont!!!
Hey there. I ventured into our local Jamba Juice not to long ago and was quite pleased to see that the high school that I attended is sponsoring the Jamba Juice. They had a little corner full of Fremont stuff. Sweaters, banners, flags and what not, all bearing The Pathfinder mascot.
While in high school, I was pretty much anti-school activities. I didn't go to the dances, skipped out on prom, and didn't really participate in anything that the school paid for. I wasn't happy with the way the administration ran the school. Being that it is an "inner city school", it was severely under performing in many key areas. It sucks to be in school and then realize there's not enough books or whatever to go around. Not enough resources to help the students learn. Is it the admin's fault? Or is it California's? I don't know, but I keep an eye out on education because I don't want my kids to experience that crap in their schools. It's a huge let down knowing that you're not going to get work done cause there's a 40 minute wait for a computer at the library.
However, I was a band geek. I did participate in many of the band activities since we, the band members or PBO (Pathfinder Band Organization), paid for everything we did. Since we busted our asses off, other organizations took notice and invited us to perform at locales such as The Hollywood Parade. It also offered other opportunities to expand my musical horizons. I learned to play trumpet so that I can be a part of the All City Band. If you watch the Rose Parade, you'll see them marching on TV. And I also was offered a small scholarship from the LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) for my accomplishments as a flute player. YES! I said flute player. Metallman played flute in high school so get over it and stop laughing. lol Music in school was my escape from all the drugs and gang violence in school. A small tidbit on Fremont, it's the birth place of the Blood and Crips gangs, so that should give you an idea of the surrounding areas.
Despite all that, Fremont molded me into me. I was an alright student. I just didn't want to be in class. lol You'd expect someone like to just sneak by high school, but nah, I graduated with honors and took several AP courses in my senior year. Some highlights of that senior year include me calling my AP Spanish teacher bitch (in return she called me "Animal", in Spanish of course...), creating "Viculus" (my short cut version of AP Calculus) and having my Economics and Calculus teacher going at it. LMAO That was a great argument. They were arguing over my grade. My Economics teacher gave me a C, even though I aced the final, he graded me down since I was rarely in class. My Calculus teacher gave me an A since I aced the final, she argued that because I knew the material, I deserved the A. The heated argument then ensued. Classic, classic stuff.
As crappy a school it is, it's still my school. It's where I grew up and it's a part of who I am. So whenever someone gets to talking about high schools, I back up Fremont. Hell with the Lancers, the Roughriders, the Bulldogs, the Eagles, or the much respected Highlanders (Granada Hills). Fremont Pathfinders all the way, BABY!
While in high school, I was pretty much anti-school activities. I didn't go to the dances, skipped out on prom, and didn't really participate in anything that the school paid for. I wasn't happy with the way the administration ran the school. Being that it is an "inner city school", it was severely under performing in many key areas. It sucks to be in school and then realize there's not enough books or whatever to go around. Not enough resources to help the students learn. Is it the admin's fault? Or is it California's? I don't know, but I keep an eye out on education because I don't want my kids to experience that crap in their schools. It's a huge let down knowing that you're not going to get work done cause there's a 40 minute wait for a computer at the library.
However, I was a band geek. I did participate in many of the band activities since we, the band members or PBO (Pathfinder Band Organization), paid for everything we did. Since we busted our asses off, other organizations took notice and invited us to perform at locales such as The Hollywood Parade. It also offered other opportunities to expand my musical horizons. I learned to play trumpet so that I can be a part of the All City Band. If you watch the Rose Parade, you'll see them marching on TV. And I also was offered a small scholarship from the LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) for my accomplishments as a flute player. YES! I said flute player. Metallman played flute in high school so get over it and stop laughing. lol Music in school was my escape from all the drugs and gang violence in school. A small tidbit on Fremont, it's the birth place of the Blood and Crips gangs, so that should give you an idea of the surrounding areas.Despite all that, Fremont molded me into me. I was an alright student. I just didn't want to be in class. lol You'd expect someone like to just sneak by high school, but nah, I graduated with honors and took several AP courses in my senior year. Some highlights of that senior year include me calling my AP Spanish teacher bitch (in return she called me "Animal", in Spanish of course...), creating "Viculus" (my short cut version of AP Calculus) and having my Economics and Calculus teacher going at it. LMAO That was a great argument. They were arguing over my grade. My Economics teacher gave me a C, even though I aced the final, he graded me down since I was rarely in class. My Calculus teacher gave me an A since I aced the final, she argued that because I knew the material, I deserved the A. The heated argument then ensued. Classic, classic stuff.
As crappy a school it is, it's still my school. It's where I grew up and it's a part of who I am. So whenever someone gets to talking about high schools, I back up Fremont. Hell with the Lancers, the Roughriders, the Bulldogs, the Eagles, or the much respected Highlanders (Granada Hills). Fremont Pathfinders all the way, BABY!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Summer Vacation in Kissimmee, Florida
Hey there friends. As I was looking at the pictures of the kids and I in the pool, I got to thinking that maybe it's time to take a family vacation. But I mean, a REAL vacation. My wife and I try to take vacation time from work to coincide with the kids so that we can spend time with them during their vacation and they can sleep in. We've taken them to all the local theme parks but that's just the thing, it's local. I'm not sure if hanging around your local area can be considered a vacation. So I've decided to enter the Kissimmee Sweepstakes.
Who would not want to spend 6 nights in beautiful Florida? Especially in one of the many luxury hotels there. Not only will 2 lucky winners of the sweepstakes have a 6 night stay, but they will also receive many freebies for themselves and their kids. I can so picture my wife and I enjoying a couple’s massage at the Omni ChampionsGate while the kids are off at Camp Omni Kids’ escape for two. Since the stay is for 6 nights, we'll have plenty of time to check out one of the many theme parks there, such as SeaWorld, Disney World (the kids really want to go there) and Universal Studios Orlando. Or simply just hang out at Cape Canaveral or Satellite Beach and soak up the summer sun. Hey, even if we don't end up the grand prize winners, we can still hope to land one of the other great prizes such as a 3 night stay at Kissimmee .
A man can dream, right. I've entered the sweepstakes in hope of being a winner. Considering the stress that many of us have encountered in the recent months, a nice family get a way is just what the doctor ordered to lift our spirits. So check out the details of the sweepstakes here and enter for a chance to win a dream vacation. Later.
Who would not want to spend 6 nights in beautiful Florida? Especially in one of the many luxury hotels there. Not only will 2 lucky winners of the sweepstakes have a 6 night stay, but they will also receive many freebies for themselves and their kids. I can so picture my wife and I enjoying a couple’s massage at the Omni ChampionsGate while the kids are off at Camp Omni Kids’ escape for two. Since the stay is for 6 nights, we'll have plenty of time to check out one of the many theme parks there, such as SeaWorld, Disney World (the kids really want to go there) and Universal Studios Orlando. Or simply just hang out at Cape Canaveral or Satellite Beach and soak up the summer sun. Hey, even if we don't end up the grand prize winners, we can still hope to land one of the other great prizes such as a 3 night stay at Kissimmee .
A man can dream, right. I've entered the sweepstakes in hope of being a winner. Considering the stress that many of us have encountered in the recent months, a nice family get a way is just what the doctor ordered to lift our spirits. So check out the details of the sweepstakes here and enter for a chance to win a dream vacation. Later.
Monday, May 11, 2009
A Very Metal Birthday
Hey there. My B day has come and gone. I want to say that I'm 27 now. I really don't want to do the math since I'm extremely tired from this weekend's activities. Let's get a run down, starting from Friday.
Friday
My wife had a get together planned at the house for my B day. It was mostly my cousin's that showed up with a few of their friends. There was way more food and drinks that we could consume and after once everyone was feeling a little buzzed, my bro suggested we all play rockband. I think the boy is hooked on singing. He had us laughing since he demonstrated the moon walk while singing Beat It. lol My wife was filming and I haven't gotten the chance to see the vid but if it's as hilarious as I remember, it's going on Youtube. lol My bro also seemed genuinely disappointed when it was time to go. He didn't want to cough up the mic. My mother and many of my cousins were going to take part in Revlon's Walk for Women, a walk to help fight women's cancer, so they called it a night pretty early. Our last guests went home a little after midnight which bring me to...
Saturday
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! My wife got me METALLICA TICKETS!!! That's right. A little after midnight, she reaches into her purse and pulls out 2 tickets to go see Metallica in Anaheim. HELL YES! Does my babe rock or what! We busted our asses off trying to get them off of KROQ when they were giving them away. You needed to be caller 20 to be a winner and the best I got to was caller 18. Concert is going to be in December... I want to see Metallica NOW! lol Once I calmed down, we went to bed. We then had breakfast the next morning at IHOP. We also had to handle some home loan business. We were able to get our home loan remodified (Thank you President Obama!) and got our mortgage reduced and a way better interest rate than when we first got the loan. So after breakfast, we went to the bank, got the certified check that we needed and then dropped off all the paperwork at FedEx. We then drove home to relax a few before heading out my cousin's baby's Baptism. They had horses for the kids to ride, which was pretty cool, but the story of the night actually came from their neighbor's house. When we first walked in, we noticed that the neighbor's where hanging out by the fence. We figured they were hanging out there to catch a glimpse of the horses and what not. Well, it turns out that the neighbors where there because their baby was trapped in the car. THEIR BABY WAS TRAPPED IN THE CAR! No one realized the severity of the situation until a AAA truck pulled in their drive way to open the door. And this was about an hour or so after we arrived! God knows how long the baby was in there. It upset me some that they left the baby in there for so long. If it was my child, I would not leave him/her in there for anything close to an hour. I would have busted a window or something. We hear in the news all the time how a parent would leave their kid in the car only to come back to a dead child because of the heat or suffocation. They were lucky that this happened during the evening so heat wasn't a factor but still...
Sunday
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! I surprised my wife with a set of flowers and her Mother's Day gift. She's been wanting a set of Doc Marten Boots so I got her a pair. 20 eye Docs with a zipper on the side since I know that lacing up could be a pain. We then went to have breakfast at Mimi's Cafe. I made reservations well in advance since I know it would suck to wait for a table. We showed up and waited no more than 10 mins before being seated. We were there first. My brother was to take my mother and grandma and we were expecting my mother in law as well. My wife got a little upset since her mother was running a little late. My mother was running late too so I told her not to let it get to her. We all sat down, had our breakfast, cracked some jokes and went on with our day. We went to my Aunt's house since she asked the night before for everyone to show up at her place to watch the Laker game (Damn Losers!). We were one of the first to get there and after awhile, the swarm of people that is my family started coming in. The kids ended up jumping in the pool. My wife and I felt a little uncomfortable with them in there since they're not the best of swimmers. One of my Aunt's piled on the floating devices on our little and once they all had their floating tubes, they were having some fun. We didn't feel at ease until I jumped in with them. I had too. Was the only way I really feel comfortable since the pool did not have a shallow end. So yeah, after killing hours in a pool and eating afterwards. We took off, tired as hell.
MONDAY
At work, tired as hell. Had to roll off the bed cause I didn't want to get up. I think the whole family is tired from this weekend. None of the kids seemed to be awake this morning. lol They all seemed sluggish and hesitant to get up and that includes us. So, that was my weekend. How was yours?
Friday
My wife had a get together planned at the house for my B day. It was mostly my cousin's that showed up with a few of their friends. There was way more food and drinks that we could consume and after once everyone was feeling a little buzzed, my bro suggested we all play rockband. I think the boy is hooked on singing. He had us laughing since he demonstrated the moon walk while singing Beat It. lol My wife was filming and I haven't gotten the chance to see the vid but if it's as hilarious as I remember, it's going on Youtube. lol My bro also seemed genuinely disappointed when it was time to go. He didn't want to cough up the mic. My mother and many of my cousins were going to take part in Revlon's Walk for Women, a walk to help fight women's cancer, so they called it a night pretty early. Our last guests went home a little after midnight which bring me to...
Saturday
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! My wife got me METALLICA TICKETS!!! That's right. A little after midnight, she reaches into her purse and pulls out 2 tickets to go see Metallica in Anaheim. HELL YES! Does my babe rock or what! We busted our asses off trying to get them off of KROQ when they were giving them away. You needed to be caller 20 to be a winner and the best I got to was caller 18. Concert is going to be in December... I want to see Metallica NOW! lol Once I calmed down, we went to bed. We then had breakfast the next morning at IHOP. We also had to handle some home loan business. We were able to get our home loan remodified (Thank you President Obama!) and got our mortgage reduced and a way better interest rate than when we first got the loan. So after breakfast, we went to the bank, got the certified check that we needed and then dropped off all the paperwork at FedEx. We then drove home to relax a few before heading out my cousin's baby's Baptism. They had horses for the kids to ride, which was pretty cool, but the story of the night actually came from their neighbor's house. When we first walked in, we noticed that the neighbor's where hanging out by the fence. We figured they were hanging out there to catch a glimpse of the horses and what not. Well, it turns out that the neighbors where there because their baby was trapped in the car. THEIR BABY WAS TRAPPED IN THE CAR! No one realized the severity of the situation until a AAA truck pulled in their drive way to open the door. And this was about an hour or so after we arrived! God knows how long the baby was in there. It upset me some that they left the baby in there for so long. If it was my child, I would not leave him/her in there for anything close to an hour. I would have busted a window or something. We hear in the news all the time how a parent would leave their kid in the car only to come back to a dead child because of the heat or suffocation. They were lucky that this happened during the evening so heat wasn't a factor but still...Sunday
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! I surprised my wife with a set of flowers and her Mother's Day gift. She's been wanting a set of Doc Marten Boots so I got her a pair. 20 eye Docs with a zipper on the side since I know that lacing up could be a pain. We then went to have breakfast at Mimi's Cafe. I made reservations well in advance since I know it would suck to wait for a table. We showed up and waited no more than 10 mins before being seated. We were there first. My brother was to take my mother and grandma and we were expecting my mother in law as well. My wife got a little upset since her mother was running a little late. My mother was running late too so I told her not to let it get to her. We all sat down, had our breakfast, cracked some jokes and went on with our day. We went to my Aunt's house since she asked the night before for everyone to show up at her place to watch the Laker game (Damn Losers!). We were one of the first to get there and after awhile, the swarm of people that is my family started coming in. The kids ended up jumping in the pool. My wife and I felt a little uncomfortable with them in there since they're not the best of swimmers. One of my Aunt's piled on the floating devices on our little and once they all had their floating tubes, they were having some fun. We didn't feel at ease until I jumped in with them. I had too. Was the only way I really feel comfortable since the pool did not have a shallow end. So yeah, after killing hours in a pool and eating afterwards. We took off, tired as hell.
MONDAYAt work, tired as hell. Had to roll off the bed cause I didn't want to get up. I think the whole family is tired from this weekend. None of the kids seemed to be awake this morning. lol They all seemed sluggish and hesitant to get up and that includes us. So, that was my weekend. How was yours?
Friday, May 8, 2009
Shopping For Mega Brands Toys
Hey there friends. Toys are a staple to every person's childhood. I'm sure that we fondly remember which toys were our favorites and now, as a parent, I try to provide some of those memories by getting my kids some pretty awesome toys. For example, as a child, I played with Voltron toys. You know, the metal toys that hardly had any plastic and would not be deemed safe by today's standards. lol There's not much in form of Voltron now but we do have MEGA Brands Neo Shifters. My boy loves anything that you can build and these are perfect for him. He already owns quite a few but because the pieces can be combined with other Neo Shifters, his imagination takes over and he'll create his own monster. He doesn't have a blue one so this one would go great with his collection.
Then we have all sorts of great products by MEGA Brands Rose Art to bring out the inner artist. My daughter's godmother is an aspiring artist and when it comes to birthday gift's, my daughter usually receives art stuff from her god mother. She already has colored pencils, chalks, some small canvases, and pastels, but she doesn't have an easel. This would be perfect for her since it will house all of her art supplies.
Not to forget our little one. She loves blocks. Her first set of blocks were MEGA Brands Mega Bloks, which she still builds with today. She already owns the Wild West Dora set and a Cinderella set to expand her building blocks. She's been in Sleeping Beauty mode so I think this set would make her happy.
Nostalgia is hitting me now. lol I think I'll need to go get myself some toys as well. =oD We're getting older, friends, but doesn't mean we can't stay young at heart! Later!
Then we have all sorts of great products by MEGA Brands Rose Art to bring out the inner artist. My daughter's godmother is an aspiring artist and when it comes to birthday gift's, my daughter usually receives art stuff from her god mother. She already has colored pencils, chalks, some small canvases, and pastels, but she doesn't have an easel. This would be perfect for her since it will house all of her art supplies.
Not to forget our little one. She loves blocks. Her first set of blocks were MEGA Brands Mega Bloks, which she still builds with today. She already owns the Wild West Dora set and a Cinderella set to expand her building blocks. She's been in Sleeping Beauty mode so I think this set would make her happy.
Nostalgia is hitting me now. lol I think I'll need to go get myself some toys as well. =oD We're getting older, friends, but doesn't mean we can't stay young at heart! Later!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
What if...
Hey there. My wife and I were watching TV the other day and my wife brought up the idea of "what if...". She was telling me how she does that often in her head. She'll wonder about the decisions she made and how exactly they have affected her life. It's a fair thought. I'm sure many of us have wondered how our lives would have been have we not got married, gone to college, or took that other job instead of the one you have now. I told her that I don't think like that. I don't see any good in thinking about "what if". She asked me if I thought it was normal that she seems to think that way a lot. I told her that I think it is. If it wasn't normal, we wouldn't see that idea in TV, movies, and books. I think that our minds are naturally curious and a thought like that is bound to get in your head from time to time. But as for me, I don't think I'm the normal one.
I have not had a thought of "what if" since I was a kid. My dad passed away when I was 9 and I remember the day that changed my life forever. My pops loved soccer and played in an adult league. That day, he went to his game and asked me to go. I refused. I decided to stay home that day. He ended up going to the game and afterwards, hung out at his friend's place for a few brews, which was the norm. What took place soon after was not. From what I was told, an argument broke out between a friend and his wife. I am not sure if the friend struck his wife or what, but my pops intervened and when his friend stuck him to free himself, my pops struck back, but struck the wife by accident. Before we know it, my pops is in jail and that was his last taste of freedom. While in the L.A. County Jail, I'm pretty sure he was murdered. Cops said it was suicide, but from seeing graphic pics of his body (which I should not have at such a young age), the bruising and cuts did not fit in to a suicide attempt.
I drove myself crazy during that point in my life, wondering, "what if I went with him that day?" Would we have gone home earlier? Would the argument between husband and wife even occur if I was there? It's a terrible way to think. What if, what if, what if... To be 9 and have this burden on you, it's just not healthy. It was a daily struggle to not think "what if". Once I came to grips that no matter how much wondering and playing different scenarios in my head and my pops wasn't coming back, I refused to allow myself think like that. I do not wonder or think in the form of "what if" anymore. No point in it. I've dealt with those demons and I don't need to step into that realm again. What's done is done and what happened is in the past and unless someone has that DeLorean from Back to the Future, there really isn't anything you can do about it.
All that has occurred in my life, the decisions made and not made, the good times and the bad, have made me the Metallman that I am today. There really isn't anything that can be done to change that. Later!
I have not had a thought of "what if" since I was a kid. My dad passed away when I was 9 and I remember the day that changed my life forever. My pops loved soccer and played in an adult league. That day, he went to his game and asked me to go. I refused. I decided to stay home that day. He ended up going to the game and afterwards, hung out at his friend's place for a few brews, which was the norm. What took place soon after was not. From what I was told, an argument broke out between a friend and his wife. I am not sure if the friend struck his wife or what, but my pops intervened and when his friend stuck him to free himself, my pops struck back, but struck the wife by accident. Before we know it, my pops is in jail and that was his last taste of freedom. While in the L.A. County Jail, I'm pretty sure he was murdered. Cops said it was suicide, but from seeing graphic pics of his body (which I should not have at such a young age), the bruising and cuts did not fit in to a suicide attempt.I drove myself crazy during that point in my life, wondering, "what if I went with him that day?" Would we have gone home earlier? Would the argument between husband and wife even occur if I was there? It's a terrible way to think. What if, what if, what if... To be 9 and have this burden on you, it's just not healthy. It was a daily struggle to not think "what if". Once I came to grips that no matter how much wondering and playing different scenarios in my head and my pops wasn't coming back, I refused to allow myself think like that. I do not wonder or think in the form of "what if" anymore. No point in it. I've dealt with those demons and I don't need to step into that realm again. What's done is done and what happened is in the past and unless someone has that DeLorean from Back to the Future, there really isn't anything you can do about it.
All that has occurred in my life, the decisions made and not made, the good times and the bad, have made me the Metallman that I am today. There really isn't anything that can be done to change that. Later!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Dropped By Project Wonderful
Hey there. I received an Email about an hour or so ago from Project Wonderful stating that I am in violation of their terms of service (TOS). I've been a member of the Project Wonderful family for about a year and have never come across any issues. Nothing has changed (content wise, at least) from since I submitted this blog for their approval. I must say that I was fairly pleased with the service. I met some cool people there and now, it's all gone. Their apparent reason is that I accept sponsored posts and now that violates their TOS. It's extremely upsetting that the terms were changed without notice. Maybe they've always been that way and I merely fell through the cracks. Nevertheless, I am no longer part of the Project Wonderful family and I'm disappointed that I'm no longer there. Quite frankly, I probably make more on one sponsored post than I do in a month using their service. That's not a knock on Project Wonderful, it's just that I did not really think out the layout to provide the best real estate for advertising. Thus, minimizing my earning potential. I'll rethink that idea some other time and maybe sell spots on here on a private basis. Even though it was a small portion of my "online income", it still was online income and it sucks to see it go.
I will say that their Customer Service is excellent. I received the decline notice about an hour or so ago, and I've been sending Emails to them asking for specific and answers as to why I was dropped and actually got them. So different from the mega-giant Google that will drop your ass like a hot potato and not give you the light of day as to why. Project Wonderful is even going to cash out my account even though I'm not at the $10 minimum. So even though I will no longer be with the service, they are still treating me rather well. I'd say that pretty damn efficient. Well, let me put some thought into this advertising business and see where it goes. Suggestions are more than welcomed. Later.
I will say that their Customer Service is excellent. I received the decline notice about an hour or so ago, and I've been sending Emails to them asking for specific and answers as to why I was dropped and actually got them. So different from the mega-giant Google that will drop your ass like a hot potato and not give you the light of day as to why. Project Wonderful is even going to cash out my account even though I'm not at the $10 minimum. So even though I will no longer be with the service, they are still treating me rather well. I'd say that pretty damn efficient. Well, let me put some thought into this advertising business and see where it goes. Suggestions are more than welcomed. Later.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Is Ethical Hacking Right for You?
Hey there friends. Our economy is beginning to look stronger and some job fields are on the rise. One such field is online security. Think about it for a second. When times are tough, crime goes up. People that feel that they have nothing to lose will go to great lengths to get what they want, and that includes resorting to crime. Online security is just as important as mall security and that's where you come in.
Big name companies are paying big bucks for those that are willing to hack into their infrastructure and report the weaknesses so that they can better secure their consumers. Ethical Hacking is a form of Internet security. As an ethical hacker, you may use all the malicious tools that a criminal hacker uses to compromise a web site's network infrastructure. It works similar to a crash test for cars. You want to be assured for safety, right? So you smash a few cars, take notice of the areas that are not performing well, and you make adjustments. This is no different. IT Security plays a vital role in assuring that personal information will be safe, the same way a car manufacturer will conduct crash tests to assure that our bodies will be safe.
So where can you get certified? EC-Council offers courses that you can take online at the comfort of your home. We all dream of being able to work at home and being a Certified Ethical Hacker gives us that luxury. What if you're not ready to dive into the online technicalities of a hacker? EC-Council offers other courses that will build your knowledge of IT Security. Other courses offered include:
Big name companies are paying big bucks for those that are willing to hack into their infrastructure and report the weaknesses so that they can better secure their consumers. Ethical Hacking is a form of Internet security. As an ethical hacker, you may use all the malicious tools that a criminal hacker uses to compromise a web site's network infrastructure. It works similar to a crash test for cars. You want to be assured for safety, right? So you smash a few cars, take notice of the areas that are not performing well, and you make adjustments. This is no different. IT Security plays a vital role in assuring that personal information will be safe, the same way a car manufacturer will conduct crash tests to assure that our bodies will be safe.
So where can you get certified? EC-Council offers courses that you can take online at the comfort of your home. We all dream of being able to work at home and being a Certified Ethical Hacker gives us that luxury. What if you're not ready to dive into the online technicalities of a hacker? EC-Council offers other courses that will build your knowledge of IT Security. Other courses offered include:
- Security Fundamentals
- Computer Forensics
- Disaster Recovery
- Secure Programming
- Penetration Testing
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Please Welcome Shadow the Rabbit
Hey there. I week or so ago, Southern California was under a killer heat wave. Temperatures reached into the high 90s and topped 100 degrees in some areas. Well, that heat took our rabbit with it. We've had "Fluffly" for close to a year and we were not really educated in rabbit care during high temperatures. We left Fluffly outside and I covered his cage with some brush and grass to create a roof and when we got home that evening, he was no longer hopping. I did a quick makeshift burial for him and the kids were crying. The youngest one was still wondering why we didn't take Fluffly to the hospital, since there was no blood. lol She didn't understand. My wife and I were devastated and upset. We wondered if we should get another rabbit. We read up on how to take care of it during high heat and we found out that it's a tough job. You need to make sure it's cool. Rabbits do not handle heat very well.
Well, after some consideration, we decided to get another rabbit. We picked it up on Friday and we must say, we're a little surprised by it. First, it's a black rabbit, so Shadow is a perfect name for it. I was naming it "Grass Guzzler" and "Pellet Chomper" to see if any of those names would please the kids. lol They laughed them off, of course, and then my wife suggested Shadow and everyone was in agreement.
Shadow is getting used to it's new home. Jack, our cat, seems to be afraid of him so there's no in house animal fighting. lol Another thing that's tripping us out is that Shadow seems to be potty trained. Weird, no? We keep him in the bathroom during the night and he used the dog mat that I left out for him and it did it's business on the mat. We were like, "whoa..." I've never seen a rabbit do that. They're known for crapping all over the place and we're fortunate and Shadow is not like that. So far, he's only done his business in the bathroom. If Shadow keeps it up, he may be a in house bunny. So far so good. I just need to make it more of a home for Shadow instead of just taping the water bottle to the wall. lol You gotta give me points for creativity. lol Until then, later!
Well, after some consideration, we decided to get another rabbit. We picked it up on Friday and we must say, we're a little surprised by it. First, it's a black rabbit, so Shadow is a perfect name for it. I was naming it "Grass Guzzler" and "Pellet Chomper" to see if any of those names would please the kids. lol They laughed them off, of course, and then my wife suggested Shadow and everyone was in agreement. 
Shadow is getting used to it's new home. Jack, our cat, seems to be afraid of him so there's no in house animal fighting. lol Another thing that's tripping us out is that Shadow seems to be potty trained. Weird, no? We keep him in the bathroom during the night and he used the dog mat that I left out for him and it did it's business on the mat. We were like, "whoa..." I've never seen a rabbit do that. They're known for crapping all over the place and we're fortunate and Shadow is not like that. So far, he's only done his business in the bathroom. If Shadow keeps it up, he may be a in house bunny. So far so good. I just need to make it more of a home for Shadow instead of just taping the water bottle to the wall. lol You gotta give me points for creativity. lol Until then, later!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Blogs of the Month of April
Hey there. Major shake up in the top five this month. None of the blogs from last month carried over to this month so there's 5 new blogs to check out. Top spot when to my friends over at Septagon Studios, earning them the top prize. ECs were given out as follows:
Top Spot = 1000 Ecs
Other 4 spots = 500 Ecs
Thanks to all that stopped by, read, and dropped. I greatly appreciate the time you took to stop by and see what's going on here. Until next month, later!
Top Spot = 1000 Ecs
Other 4 spots = 500 Ecs
Thanks to all that stopped by, read, and dropped. I greatly appreciate the time you took to stop by and see what's going on here. Until next month, later!
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