Success! She's a Youtube Star!

Hey there.  Awhile back, I wrote this post about my daughter doing a Dwight impersonation.  Well, I finally got around to getting it up and here it is!  It's a small bit and she was a little shy but damn does this little one know her stuff.  lol  I forgot that I had a Youtube account so I think I'll start uploading some videos there.  This is the very first one!  Later!

Uncollected Thoughts

Hey there.  I've been MIA as of late.  I try to keep this blog updated to the tune of about a post a day.  And even though we've had events go down recently, I just haven't had the time to collect my thoughts and put them down.  So instead of organizing them, I'm just going to write them down and leave a quick comment.

First off, what a game between the Vikings and Saints.  It was definitely one of the most entertaining playoff game that I have ever seen.  Even though I did catch it at a later date.  Why is that? Well, because we went and took pics of my little one.  He's been growing so fast that he's wearing outfits only once before they no longer fit.  My wife was able to obtain an outfit that her youngest brother wore and we went with that outfit and a sailor suit for our boy to wear.  Here's one of the many pics.  Does my baby look spiffy or what?  lol

On a darker note, my cousin went missing for a few days late last week.  Now, I don't know the complete details of what went down, but from what my aunt told me not too long ago, my cousin (19) lost his job and that it might have pushed him over the edge.  He was not heard of for 2 days and then when he called my aunt for her to pick him up, he was extremely emotional.  To the point where he cried all day.  Once the crying stopped, the "weirdness" happened.  All he could talk about was how he owned everything and everyone.  How he even owned god and the devil and that he has all the riches in the world.  Kinda delusional, no?  But it gets weirder.  According to my aunt, he was hell bent on getting to church.  He just had to go to church for some reason that he would not state.  My cousin would laugh hysterically and state that he's been talking to my father (who passed away almost 20 years ago) and his nina (who passed away approx. 5 years ago).  On top of that, he's been talking to god as well.

It seems to be all of a sudden but as I was talking to my aunt she remembered a time a few weeks ago when my cousin walked into his parents' room and just gave them a huge hug.  It was odd to them that he would do that without asking for something.  My aunt was sure that he was going to ask to borrow the car or ask for some money, but nothing was asked of.  Thinking back on it, my aunt believes that maybe that was the start of it all.  Then, his younger brothers and sister claim to have heard him talk to himself and laugh hysterically by himself.  We now believe that maybe him losing his job may have pushed him into having some sort of nervous breakdown.  He's currently in the mental ward of the hospital for observation.  We plan on visiting him tomorrow.  Hopefully, I'll have more news on what's going on then.

So yeah, I've have my posts that need to get done, but my mind has just been occupied with other things.  Maybe this is what I need to get my head on straight.  A means to write down what's going on and clear my head.  I mean, that is what a blog is for, right?  Until then... Later.

Baby Soup for the Soul

Hey there.  I'm sure you've heard about all those self help books out there.  One of the more popular ones are the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series.  I think that they're great in the sense that they may answer questions that many of us are thinking or feeling.  Honestly, I've never read any of those books and I think it's cause when I'm feeling down, I turn to my family.  They are my "soup for my soul".  Recently, work has been a drag on both my wife and I.  We're a few weeks into the year, but it's felt like an eternity.  Almost as if the week off threw our work schedule out of whack.  I'm still adjusting and I'm sure that my wife is too since she's been out of the office for close to 4 months.  After a day of damn near pulling our hair out at work, we get to come home to this.

Yup, that's our chicken soup for the soul, or better yet, baby soup for the soul. lol  It's funny how a young one can wash away many of the aches and pains that a working parent endures at work.I know that it does wonders for my wife.  Through all the financial reporting, balancing of the month, dilution report, meetings, and hold order reports, it's great to be able to have it all wash away by a smile.  Later!

I's Raining in Southern California!

Hey there.  Big whoop de doo, right?  Well, it's kinda a big deal where in the land of sunshine.  Every time we get a little bit of rain, the news reports jump on the "story" and all you hear is "storm watch (insert year here)".  It gets a little annoying, especially when the news reports are 30 mins long on a light drizzle.  Well, that's not the case this time around.  It really is pouring and since it's coupled with lightning and thunder, most of the "southland" is a little rattled.  I love me some rain.  Its great that it's pouring over here.  We don't get much rain and it's great to see that we're finally getting some substantial amount of rain.  The problem though is that we're getting high winds with this storm.  I live in the Long Beach area and I'm getting word from twitter friends and coworkers that a tornado warning has been issued for the city of Long Beach.  Tornadoes?  In California? I don't ever remember there being a tornado warning that would pertain to us.

My wife and kids are a little rattled.  She's always been one to keep an eye out for lightning and thunder.  The last time we had a thunderstorm, the kids thought that there was a monster outside the house.  lol  Things can get pretty ugly pretty quickly.  Now, I'm a little concerned for our little one.  He's just getting over a sickness and now we're getting hit with this damn storm and it's making me feel a little uneasy.  We cover him up the best we can, but it's never a good idea to take a baby out during weather like this. 

I'm not much in the mood to work today, but I got a meeting in 30 mins...  I'm hoping the rest of the day will fly by so that we can get home.  Later!

Motivational Sunday -Know the Difference

Hey there. I just realized that I did not post a Motivational Poster for last Sunday. I should do two this Sunday, but I'm feeling a bit on the lazy side so consider last week a lost cause. lol This week, I went with a poster that demonstrates common mistakes that we make in the English language and it happens because we have too many words that sound similar, such as "brake" and "break". If you don't know the difference, you'll be in for a world of hurt. Just check out the one for "PDF File". Consider this a public service announcement. lol Later!

 

Heated Water No More

Hey there. Last week, I mentioned how our water heater went out. I went out and got the necessary parts to fix it and even vented my frustration via Twitter, since I had to travel to many stores just to get the parts. Well, now it turns out that I'm just going to have to get a new one. I managed to get it to work, for about a day or two. Then the pilot light went out again. I had the gas company come and check it out, since they'll do a courtesy check. The guy left me a note stating that it looks good but doesn't know why the pilot light won't stay lit. He suggested I get a plumber or private heating company to check it out. So I did. That happened tonight and the dude tells me that my water heater is 15+ years old. Daaaaaaaaaaaaamn! He was astounded that it was still working and after he checked it out, told me what I feared. I need a new water heater.

The guy was honest and told me that if he were to do it with his company, it would run me approx. $1400. That's a lot of money. He said I should shop around and I should be able to get that taken care of for less than half of their price. I thanked him and he sped away. Now, I'm on a mission to get a great deal on a water heater. He showed me how it should be connected and he said that it's a fairly easy job. The fact that it costs so much is mainly due to the fact that they need to get permits and sit around for a few days while the inspections and what not get approved. Ugh... I remember going to Home Depot and Lowes and seeing them for around $300 or so. I'm going to see if they have some kind of installation kit and maybe I'll be able to get it taken care of for a few hundred bucks instead of over a thousand. Man.... Looks like my weekend is determined. Later!

Mr. Computer Repair Man

Hey there. I've been one busy beaver these past couple of weeks. I did some fixings at home and as soon as those were done, computer repair came knocking. I started the New Year with 0 computers to fix. To date, I've fixed 2 laptops and a desktop. I have 2 more desktops at home and another 2 busted machines are on their way (another desktop and laptop). It's a hobby of mine, so I do not mind helping out friends and family. The prob is that is that I do take some family time away to get the machines done. My wife has pointed that out to me many times. Especially since I don't charge family to fix up their machines. Last night, I decided that I am. I've been fixing machines for years now, and it's usually family. I started getting requests from friends of family and I don't think I'll be doing those machines for free.

So far, I've been fortunate enough that I have not come across a machine that I was not able to get working. The only snag I came across was a computer that needed a new hard drive since the one it had crashed. The owner pretty much said, screw it, and it's sitting in my shed. lol I think I'll end up getting a hard drive for it and then selling it. I don't have a need for a desktop computer so it would be pointless to keep it and it would be a shame to throw it away. Maybe have a contest and give it to the winner??? I don't know. Still got think about that one. lol Either way, with a little extra income coming in, I'm hoping we;ll be able to save up for that dream vacation a lot sooner rather than later. Until then.... Later!

My Son is Feeling Better

A few nights ago, our baby got sick. He had this terrible dry cough that had us worried and up most of the night. We ended up taking him to see a doc but he assured us that we're doing everything right and that it's nothing serious. A few days of sickness and it'll pass. 2 weeks of a coarse voice though... I hate hearing my son like that. And it hurts even more that there really isn't much we can do to help soothe him. We've got the humidifier on, which we do clean regularly because it can get moldy. He's old enough for "baby rub" (I guess the baby version of Vapor-Rub) and that seems to have a helped a great deal. He doesn't have a fever, thank god, but he does have his hot moments. I think it's because we have him well wrapped up most of the time to avoid exposing him to more of the cold elements.

We're still not sure exactly how he got sick. I know that a general rule of having multiple kids is that when one is sick, they're all sick. They haven't been sick, but our youngest daughter has now developed a slight dry cough... I don't know if the baby gave it to her or she the baby. We anticipate a house full of sick kids soon... I just hope that one of us parental units do not. Later!

Get the Heineken Breathalyzer iPhone app and Enjoy Heineken Responsibly

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Heineken. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hey there friends.   The majority of us are old enough to go out, have a few drinks with friends and family, and have a great time.  However, many of us are not mature enough, or don't the means to advise a friend or family member they've had a little too much to drink.  You know who I'm talking about.  The crazy friend that always seems to go overboard, the uncle that never seems to know when to say no, or the the friend that seems to just want to drink the night away.  Well, having to remind them that they've had a little too much drink is now as easy as pulling out your phone.  Introducing the Heineken Breathalyzer iPhone app!

Due to the success of Heineken's Know The Signs campaign, Heineken has branched out and created an app to playfully remind our friends and family that they may be on the path to having a little too much.  Simply Download the Heineken Breathalyzer iPhone app (100% free) and have a friend or family member "blow" into the iPhone.  The iPhone will then select a "character" that your drinking buddy may be turning into.  The great thing about the app is that you have the option to choose which character to select before having your friend "blow" into the phone.  Say you're friend may show some signs of aggression.  Tap your iPhone and select "Fighter" and have your friend "blow" into the app.  Watch his or her face as this pops on the screen!

How can you not get a chuckle out of it?  But the best part is not the characters, but the fact that you have the option to see another "fighter" in action or read a story about a "fighter" type drinker.  Using humor as a catalyst, you can gently nudge friends and family to take it easy when you believe they may be on their way to a certain character type.  Or...  you can simply have fun with it.  Adjust the settings to random and the app will randomly select a character.  It's a great way to add a little more humor into an already fun night.

Heineken is doing things right by playing an active role in informing their customers to "Enjoy Heineken Responsibly".  I think it's great that they are thinking outside the box and using popular social media tools to convey this message.  This campaign has been running strong for over a year and hopefully they will continue to develop fun and creative ways to educate their customers.  If you are interested in reading up on the campaign, feel free to check out The Heineken Know The Signs website and read up on the campaign and any new developments.  Later!

My Baby is Sick

Hey there.  The baby got sick last night.  He had a dry cough and he started sneezing.  Then the phlegm started to make it's presence known.  It sucks because I know my baby is uncomfortable, but there really isn't anything that you can give them to alleviate anything.  My wife decided that she was going to stay up all night to keep an eye on him.  She did.  I went to bed around 2:30 am or so, but she went to bed at 7 am.  He wasn't too fussy, but we know that he's not too comfortable.  Luckily, we stumbled across a "baby emergency kit" while back and we bought it, just in case.  The kit has little noses, little tummies, some baby rub, among other stuffs.  Turns out that we are able to use the baby rub on babies over 3 months old.  Our boy just turned 3 months on the 6th.  We put some of the stuff on him and it seems to be working.  He's a lot more active, he's arguing with the animals on his swing and he doesn't seem to be fussy at all.  Hopefully, he'll get over the sickness.  I know it's still there and we're scheduled for a baby check up tomorrow.  Hopefully, all will be ok.  Later!

The NFL Playoffs are Here!

Hey there. I almost missed the Jets-Bengals game! Ive been so busy with housework today that the game's first 3 qtrs are over. Score now is Jets 21, Bengals 7. Im a little surprised at the score. I figure Carson Palmer and crew would edge out a close one but it looks like the Jets are taking it to em.

NFL Playoffs are what I live for. I have always tried to catch all the games since there are elimination games. I guess thats what I lovw about it. There's no tomorrow, there is no next time. Its now or never. You get one shot to show you're the superior team. There are no favorites. Just ask New England. On any given Sunday (or Saturday), and NFL team has the potential to come out on top.

Look at that... Cedric Benson just scored a TD. I gotta get to this game since the score is now 14 - 21. The Raiders arent playing so there is no one in particular that I am rooting for. I do, however, love a great and competitve game. 10 mins left in this one. Lets se how it will play out. Later!

Anime Endings

Hey there. This is more of a thought than a post. I was at Borders book store earlier this evening looking for interesting reads. I stumbled into the manga section and started looking. I recognized some of the characters. Two that made me think was Inuyasha and Case Closed (Detective Connan).

These can be considered kid shows. Inuyasha had some suggestive themes but nothing to bad. Connan had more themes involving death . Both have a special place in my heart. When my wife was preggers with our youngest daughter, we would watch them on Adult Swing on the Cartoon Network.

Anyways, I wondered what happened to the anime shows since they seemed to just cut off. Inuyasha never really defined the end of the story and Case Closed stopped after season two, yet there they were. Books showing the continuation of those shows. Why were they not illustrated for TV? Obviously there is a market for this stuff since I see racks and racks of manga books. Someone needs to step up and draw these episodes. I guess its gonna be me... Cause I want to know how these storylines end. Later!

Ever Heard of John's Incredible Pizza?

Hey there.  We like to take the kids out to eat to family friendly type places.  We go to Chuck E Cheese on a somewhat regular basis and we've gone to Boomer's a few times.  Today, my comadre and her hubby came over to pick up 2 comps that I fixed and to hang out with us.  They mentioned that we should get together and take the kids to John's Incredible Pizza.  I've never heard of the place so I looked it up.  Damn, this place looks like fun...

Check it out!  Bowling!  Mini Golf!  Go Karts!  Bumper Cars!  And the best part????  It's buffet only!  Oh man, Metallman sure does love himself a buffet.  All you can eat pizza, salad, and soup and the crazy thing is that this place seems to be well known for it's "spicy peanut butter pizza."  lol  They have a wide variety of odd flavored pizzas and I'm assuming that it's all you can eat so that you can feel free to try them without having to purchase a full pizza.  We've already made arrangements to go later on this month.  We would have gone this weekend, but our schedules are pretty busy.  I'm sure the kids will love this place.  I'm kinda loving it already.  lol  Later!

What's the Deal with 3 Kings?

Hey there. Today, we are at my mother in law's place. For some time, she has planned a get together for the family to come for dinner and have a thing. From my understanding, it has something to do with Jesus and the three kings, but I am not completely sure. My question is, what exactly is being celebrated here? I'm not a very religious person so I dont fully understand. What I do understand is that a baby will be inside some kind of cake and the person that gets the baby in their piece needs to throw a party about a month later.

I find it a little odd that a baby needs to be baked and the person that finds the baby all chewed up and in their mouth, throws a party. I know it's customary for families of Hispanic origin, but since my mother didn't really school us in the ways of god, my bro and I were left in the dark. Someone please shed some light on this for me. Later!

Attempting to Post via Email

Hey there. I attempted a mobile post via Email. I dont see it up yet... I wonder if I sent it to the wrong Email... Later.

Google Gods Have Blessed Metallman with a PR2

Hey there. A PR2! I've been staring a giant 0 since the birth of this site. I even stopped caring about Google Page Rank since I figured I would always be a 0 and should not even bother to check it anymore. But then, yesterday I read on another blog, that Google was planning on rolling out updated page ranks around the first of the month. Since I haven't checked in awhile, I decided to give it a go. To my surprise, I received a 2/10 ranking. That's pretty bad ass. Some pretty awesome news to start the new year. I haven't really been doing anything different so I wonder if it's the fact that I am now under my own domain. Either way, a PR2 is a low score, but it's better than a 0! Later!

Make Your Life Easier with a LG Chocolate Touch

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of LG Chocolate Touch. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hey there friends. Last night, my wife and I were having dinner with her parents. Halfway through the conversation, my mother in law started to rant about her phone. She has an older model phone that has what we consider "basic" features by today's standards. It's pretty much good for calls and text messages. My father in law then stepped in and said that he doesn't carry a cell phone because if he's going to spend money on one, it might as well do it all. It got me thinking if whether ot not there is a do all phone out there.  I'm not sure if there is, but the LG Chocolate Touch is pretty close.

The phone has so many features, that it's tough to really pin point what is the best feature on this phone. Just to name the highlights, here are some of the specs of the phone:

DOLBY® MOBILE
-Rich sound quality
-Customizable EQ

MUSIC
-FM Tuner
-1 GB of internal memory dedicated for music
-"Join the Band" feature lets you play to your favorite tracks
-Have you phone vibrate with the music with the "Rhythmical Beat" feature
- USB Mass storage using Micro SD card (Up to 16 GB)

SOCIAL NETWORKING
-One key access to Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace
-Mobile Blogging

CAMERA/VIDEO
-3.2 Megapixel Camera and Camcorder
-Panorama Picture option
-Video Player for WMV, MP4, 3GP, and 3G2 Formats

MOBILE MEDIA
-Text, picture, and Email messages
-HTML Web browsing
-Mobile instant messaging

BLUETOOTH®
-Up to 20 Bluetooth Pairings
-Listen to Music with Optional Stereo BluetoothHeadset

VOICE/AUDIO
-One touch speaker phone
-Text to speech
-TTY/TDD Support

You really need to check out the website to get the full specs of this phone.  If only it could drive my car and pick up my dry cleaning and it's definitely a do all phone.  Especially for some one like myself that is a member of several social media networks and loves music.  I'm in need of a new phone.  Have been for quite some time now.  If I can find this phone at a better than awesome price, I'd definitely pick one up.  Later!

Donating to Charity

Hey there.  At the request of a recent cash prize winner of this site, I donated the cash prize to a charity of my choice.  Considering that it's a noble alternative to receiving the cash, I happily obliged.  My problem???  Many of the well known charities do not accept PayPal donations.  That's just plain crazy.  Millions of online transactions are done securely through PayPal.  It's a great alternative to providing a credit card or debit card when making purchases online.  I think it's great that PayPal will never provide your personal info when making purchases or payments.  With that being said, I am greatly disappointed that many charities have not added PayPal as a viable option to receive donations.  Breast cancer research... Nope.  Feed the hungry....  Nope. Lupus research...  Nope.  Cancer research... Nada...  It was upsetting that I couldn't find one... but then I did and I feel that I need to let everyone know that this charity gets it.

That's right.  Toys for Tots was the only reputable charity that I was able to come across that accepted PayPal as an option to give donations.  Now... their mission may be to accept toys for underprivileged children during the months of October, November, and December, but they accept cash donations year round.  The funds come in throughout the year in order to purchase gifts for the holiday season to combine with those that were accepted via toy drop off locations nationwide.  They get it.  They know that in today's world, you need to be a little more tech savvy and I'm extremely surprised that many of the other charities have not followed suit. Who knows how much charities are missing out on donations because they do not offer PayPal as a means to donate.  PayPal, having millions of verified users, should be offered as safe and secure way to donate.  If you are interested in donating to one of the rare charities that accepts PayPal, check out the Toys for Tots site and make your contribution.  Who better to receive help than the children and future of our nation.  Later!

Blogs of the Month and Top Commentators of December

Hey there.   I know I'm a little late on announcing winners this month.  Things have been needing some fixing at home and I've been busy with that. Nevertheless, we have winners that need to be recognized!  3 blogs have dropped off this month allowing 3 new blogs to enter the blogroll.

Art Shout
Buy-Tees.net T Shirts
All Stace, All the Time
Laane on the World
The Way I See It

Thank you friends to continually check out my site and drop your card.  500 ECs have already been sent to you and you site is now on the blogroll.

Now, for our first set of Top Commentator winners.  It's been a great run and hope to continue this trend.  I planned on disclosing the number of comments that determined the winners but have decided that it would be a little more suspenseful if they were not disclosed.  So, without any more delay, here are our winners.

$5.00 Prize - Ann
$2.50 Prize - Silvergirl
$2.50 Prize - ZXT

Winners have 5 days to contact me with their PayPal address so that they can be paid.  If a winner does not contact me with a PayPal address, the prize will be forfeited. 

Thank you for all the support.  Keep visiting, keep dropping, and keep the comments coming.  Who knows, maybe you'll come out with a cash prize just for speaking your mind.  Later!

Motivational Sunday - Determination

Hey there.  I have 3 computers to fix and a busted water heater.  I've been running around town looking for the parts that I need to get them fixed and I am getting tired of working on them.  But considering that I worked hard in obtaining the parts, I'm determined to get them fixed.  With that, I present the below as the motivational poster for the day.  Regardless of what went down, you got to finish the job.  lol  Later!

Welcome 2010!

Hey there.  Happy New Year, friends!  I took a small break from anything online to recover from the holiday festivities.  That coupled with the fact that our laptop and our water heater were out of commission so I spent a few days working on those.  I  haven't posted in a few days so I'll more than likely do a few today.  Especially the one announcing our first set of commentators of the month.  With that being said, I wish you all nothing but the best in this coming year.  Hope that good health and prosperity follow you thorough 2010!  Later!