Motivational Sunday - Nerds

Hey there.  I consider myself a nerd.  I'm into computer stuff, I love math, the channel I watch most on TV is probably the History Channel (aside from ESPN), and I like me a good mental challenge/puzzle.  With that being said, I was a nerd, not a "dweeb".  lol  When some asked me that we should practice safe surfing, I knew that they were talking in terms of anti-virus, firewalls, and what not.  Never once, did the below every occur to me.  lol  Later!

Denounce the Devil!

A priest was preparing a dying man for his long journey into the night. Whispering into the man's ear, the priest said, "Denounce the devil! Let him know how little you think of his evil!"

The dying man said nothing, so the priest repeated his order. Without any acknowledgment, the dying man continued to lie there in silence. The priest asked, "Why do you refuse to denounce the devil and his evil?"

To which the dying man responded, "Until I know where I'm heading, I don't think I ought to aggravate anybody."

Testicle Therapy

Two women were playing golf. One teed off and watched in horror as her ball headed directly toward a foursome of men playing the next hole. The ball hit one of the men. He immediately clasped his hands together at his groin, fell to the ground and proceeded to roll around in agony. The woman rushed down to the man, and immediately began to apologize.

"Please allow me to help. I'm a Physical Therapist and I know I could relieve your pain if you'd allow me," she told him.

Oh, no, I'll be all right. I'll be fine in a few minutes," the man replied.

He was in obvious agony, lying in the fetal position, still clasping his hands there at his groin. At her persistence, however, he finally allowed her to help. She gently took his hands away and laid them to the side, loosened his pants and put her hands inside. She administered a tender and artful massage for several long moments and asked, "How does that feel?"

"Feels great", he replied "but I still think my thumb's broken!"

My Little Guy Has Pneumonia

Hey there.  Our youngest is sick.  Last night, he started showing some signs of fussyness and a slight fever.  We chalked it up to him teething.  He's been drooling like a lil monster and can't keep his hand out of his mouth.  We expect some teeth to pop out soon.  Anyways, last night got tough.  He started getting a little flushed and started to feel warmer.  We gave him some Tylenol with hopes that the fever would diminish.  It did... but very slightly.  We ended up staying up most of the night to keep an eye on our little one.  We checked his temperature throughout the night and kept an eye on his breathing.  Come close to 3 am or so, we finally got a few hours of sleep in.

At about 6:15 am, I got up and checked his temperature.  100.6...  Not too bad, considering that at one point is sitting high at 102+.  We got ready and headed off to work.  My mother in law then called us to let us know that the baby seemed sick.  We asked her to take him to a doc to check him out and before long, we receive a voicemail that the doc said the baby has pneumonia.  Our hearts sank.  In my eyes, it's nothing but a glorified cold, but I know that that the elderly and the very young, can have some pretty serious complications from contracting it.

Luckily, we were able to get away from work and check on our son.  My mother in law lives minutes from where we work so we were able to get to our baby right away.  When we got there, our baby was asleep, but flushed.  He still had a temperature and after he got up and ate, he went back to sleep.

Poor little guy.  I want my baby to be happy, not sluggish and sickly.  It sucks because him being so young, there really isn't mcuh you can do in meds and because he can't speak, you can't really pinpoint where he's uncomfortable.  Does he feel too hot?  Does his head hurt?  Does his chest hurt?  Is he uncomfortable?  I don't know.  We do our best to make him as comfortable as possible but in the end, you're really just guessing that you took care of his needs.

Being a little one, I'm sure that the kids probably passed it on to him in some sort of way.  They're not sick or anything, but when you have a house of 3 school kids and a baby, it's bound to happen where one of the four will get sick.  My mother in law is beating herself up thinking that she may have not cared well for him.  She's the one that looks after the kids while we work.  We assured her that it's not her fault.  She can't wipe every kid in the school with germ killing wipes.  Germs are everywhere, it's just that the lil ones are more likely to get sick with older kids around.

Right now, the little guy is still sporting a fever, but we're sure it's because the doc gave him some antibiotics.  He didn't see the need to send our boy to the hospital.  We don't want to make a trip there, but we are eyeing our boy like a hawk to make sure he's not displaying any of those symptoms that would require emergency care. 

Earlier in the day, my wife told me that he was looking better and managed some smiles and laughs.  We have a check up with the doc tomorrow morning.  I'm hoping that after a good night's sleep, he'll be feeling a whole lot better.  Later.

I've Decided... I'm Going to Commnent!

Hey there. So, I've been on the fritz about commenting on my own blog. Not my own posts, since that would be kinda stupid. I mean commenting on my the comments you guys leave behind. I've seen some blogging friends that comment on each and every response, while others wait for a few before addressing them in their comments. I'm not sure which route I'll take just yet, but I figure that I need to be more involved with my readers. I've enjoyed reading the comments, but I don't see as much interaction as I would like. Maybe I'll add that "Email me" thing when an Email shoots out at you when you receive a response from your comment. But then again, I don't want to clutter you inbox with comment responses. Maybe I'll try it out for a bit and ask for feedback, but I'd would rather stay away from it since, let's be honest friends, we receive all kinds of stuff in our inboxes already. Especially if you're active in the "blogosphere". Pros and cons... Gotta weigh my options. Until then, later!

Southeast Warriors Fundraiser - Clippers Vs Suns

Hey there. I support the local kid's basketball team, The Southeast Warriors, and they are currently raising funds for equipment and tourney fees. As a means to entice some support, they are currently offering NBA basketball tickets for the game between the Los Angeles Clippers vs. The Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010.

So if you're in the LA area and are interested in checking out The Staples Center to catch Amare Stoudemire, Steve Nash, and crew go against Kris Kaman, Baron Davis and the rest of the Clippers, shoot me an Email to show some support. Tix are available on a first come first serve basis and they only have a limited amount so I'd jump on it since $15 is not bad at all. As far as seating goes, I'm being told that they have seats in the "300 section" but I'm sure that that will exclude the midcourt view. Here's the seating chart for The Staples Center so that you'll get an idea on where the 300s are located at. Many thanks, friends. Later!

Email: Metallman555@gmail.com

I Have an Issue with Spam Comments

Hey there.  One goal of writers everywhere is get feedback on their work.  Whether it be constructive criticism or a pat on the back.  As a blogger, I love to see comments.  It tells me that someone out there actually took the time to read the stuff I put up and was more than willing to throw their two cents in.  My problem?  Spam comments...  I HATE receiving Emails letting me know that I have received a comment but when I read it, it's completely unrelated to the post.  Case and point...  I started Funny Fridays here this past Friday.  I posted a video that I thought was pretty hilarious of people being punched (SNL skit).  Here's the gem of a comment that I received on that post:

"I was in college this was asked of my class, I said I would be "Legolas" from Lord of the Rings, another girl answered that she would be "Aweryn" from Lord of the Rings."

WTF?!?!?!  Someone please explain to me what people getting punched has to do with Lord of the Rings?  And that's not the only comment I received... If you browse through the comments of posts, you'll see some pretty long comments on unrelated crap.

The bad part is that Firefox will not allow me to delete the comments (for unknown reasons), but Internet Explorer will.  I refuse to use Internet Explorer...  I just can't go back to that atrocity of a web browser...  So my question to you, friends, is how can I eliminate, or at least minimize my spam comments?  Is there a widget?  Some kind of script that I should add?  Do I need to alter my blog template? I would rather get feedback from fellow bloggers to get a better understanding of how you guys get rid of or eliminate spam comments.  Suggestions?  Thanks.  Later!

Motivational Sunday - Caps Lock

Hey there.  If you're reading this, them I'm certain you are familiar with the online etiquette of using caps when typing.  If you see caps, then you assume the person is yelling.  As in, DON'T LOOK, or YOU MUST READ THIS but lets face it, sometimes people use them at the most inappropriate places or worse yet, disregard the rule all together.  Well, for those of you that disregard the rule, here's a visual so you can better understand.  You're welcome.  lol  Later.

Introducing Funny Fridays!

Hey there friends.  I've been meaning to do this for quite some time since I've seen many of my blogging friends do it.  I am dedicating Friday to the funny stuff.  That's right, this is the first Funny Friday post!  I've seen many other sites dedicate days to certain activities, such as Music Mondays and Follow Fridays and what not.   I don't think I've seen one with Funny Fridays so I'm starting that here.  I'm leaning towards posting jokes, pictures, Emails, videos, and anything else that is quite simply hilarious.  So, for the first ever Funny Friday at Metallman's Reverie, hope you guys enjoy... People Getting Punched! lol Later.

Tiger, Is That the Best You Can Do?

Hey there.  So today is the infamous "Apology Friday", known so because today is the day that Tiger Woods publicly apologized for his infidelity.  My first problem with this is why did it have to take 3 months to issue an apology?  If you screwed up, then fess up to it, admit your faults and do what you can to rectify the issue.  You speak from the heart and wear your emotions your sleeve.  This "apology" that Tiger spewed out this morning was nothing of that sort.

My first impression was that this "apology" was a definitely scripted and nothing more than a well rehearsed speech.  If you are there to apologize, you don't walk out with a stack full of papers in your hand.  Maybe an index card or two to remind you of names, time, dates or whatever, but this 15 min speech was all written on paper and Tiger didn't so much speak as he did read.  And slowly too.....  He spoke in a monotone voice, displaying very little emotions, and to be honest, could be compared to a robot.  Who wants to believe a robot that is apologizing?  You're more inclined to believe that the words were programmed to be spoken and I definitely got that vibe from Tiger.  He played the part of the robot, while his PR crew played the part of the programmer.

I'm very disappointed by this so called apology.  The man changed the game of golf, he brought it mainstream, there are video games with him on them and even some kids have started watching the game because of Tiger.  I believe that his family, his friends, his fans, and even to an extent, his mistresses, deserved a more heart felt apology than the craptastic speech that was on display this morning.  His family, for the hell that he's putting his wife and kids through.  His friends for his display of recklessness and lack of self control.  His fans for the damage that he has made to the millions of fans that admired and adored him.  His mistresses... even though they new what they were doing is wrong, I'm certain that Tiger may have strung a few along promising the world.

I'm disappointed in you, Tiger.  As I watched you speak, I was waiting for the moment where you would not look down and read your papers.  I looked for the moment where what you spoke of was genuine and true.  I looked for that emotion that would tell me that you are truly, deeply sorry.  That moment never came.  Even when you got up to hug your mother, I felt it was an awkward moment.  It didn't feel real.  I'm sorry Tiger, but I just don't believe that this "apology" of yours.  And to be honest, if you can't look at me, the fan, in the eye and speak the from the heart, how I can follow and support you?  How can I look at you and believe what is coming out of your mouth?  I just don't think I can.  Later.

For those of you that didn't get a chance to see it, you can view it here.  Courtesy of ESPN.com

The Fire is Gone

Hey there.  Not that long ago, I had a performance review at work.  Most people look forward to them since they get to see where they stand in their boss' eye.  Many of us got excited last month when after over a year, the paycut that was thrust upon us has been returned to us.  Following the increase, reviews were given out.  I'm pretty sure that no raises will be given since we just got the percentage back from over a year ago.

Anyways, I was fairly pleased with my review.  I seemed to have marked higher than the majority of my peers and performance wise, it was excellent, but the thorn on my saddle has to be the comment that my boss said to me.  He stated that when I first started, I got on things quickly and got them done quickly too, now, "the fire is gone".  Now, I don't see this a knock on my performance, I see this more as a wear and tear type comment.  I understand that when someone starts off a new anything, you're enthusiastic, you're energetic, you want to make a good impression, but after so many years on the job, it's tough to maintain that high level.  No wonder some people refer to working as going through their daily grind.

Now, I'm not saying that it's not possible to keep that level.  There are people out there that simply love what they're doing and can maintain that level throughout their careers.  Just take the great late Steve Irwin.  The man genuinely seemed happy each and every time he was out and about with the wild life of Earth.  The majority of us, however, are not as fortunate to land a gig where that fire burns and stays strong throughout our careers, the way Steve's did.

So what's my problem?  I don't want to be complacent.  I don't want my job to be a daily chore.  I don't want, several years down, to look back and say, damn... I'v been doing the same damn thing for X number of years.  How do I avoid that?  How do I get that fire burning bright again?  I'm happy with my job.  I'm a geek when it comes to numbers and that's all I stare at all day here.  I don't mind, I enjoy it.  Balance sheets, income statements, profit & losses, 10Ks, 10Qs, the occasional conference call, credit conferences...  This is my work life and I'm cool with it.  What I'm not cool with is that this fire is missing...  I need to get this fire burning brighter friends.  Until then, later.

Kim Kardashian's Quick Trim

Hey there.  A few weeks ago, my wife and I renewed our gym membership in an effort to better our health and our bodies.  For being a relatively small guy, I'm pretty out of shape.  My cardio has suffered and my endurance is at gutter levels.  I just haven't had the energy or the stamina to do much of the work that is required of me.  I'm hoping that stepping back into the gym will help out with that.  I already started feeling the affects of after my second week of working out.  I've found that I can breathe a little better.  The deal with my nose is that one nostril is ALWAYS clogged.  No friends, I'm not the boogerman or anything of that sort.  I strongly believe that I must have messed up my nose as a child during our marathon battles of wrestling and rough housing.  I'm about 95% sure that my nose is either broken, or there's scar tissue blocking a nasal passage.  Anyways, I've found that I can breath better during my work outs.  I don't know what to attribute it to but since I recently started working out, I'm going with that as the reason.

My wife has been getting up at 4:30 ish in the morning to get herself to the gym at 5 am.  She's been on a mission to lose the baby weight that is still lingering around.  Even though she has lost some of the weight, she's not where she wants to be and has pitched the idea that she needs Quick Trim.  I, being the ignorant guy that I am, had no idea what it was and she explained to me that it's the weight loss product that Kim Kardashian uses.  I adamantly refused.  I'm not a big fan of weight loss pills, shakes, diets, or anything else that will "burn calories a million times faster" or whatever.  I simply believe that a good diet and some exercise should be more than enough.

Now...  I kinda felt bad that I straight out shot my wife down without really hearing her out so I decided to look into this Quick Trim stuff.  It's typical of many other weight loss piss...  Some positive, some negative, nothing really definite.  I did find out, however, that Kim herself uses this product.  I've heard of celebrities endorsing products but I am not sure if I've seen any that actually use them.  In the end, I decided that I'll get the stuff for her if it'll help motivate her.  When my wife doesn't see results, she tends to lose some focus and doubts her efforts.  I don't want to see my wife give up, especially since she's doing pretty damn good at keeping up her diet and keeping her gym schedule.  Coupled with the fact that we have a young one at home, family life could very easily damper her spirits and if this would provide a lift, why not. 

If any of you guys have any personal experience with this stuff, please feel free to share.  I'd be interested in how it's worked for you.  Until then, later.

Stay Connected with Boost Mobile's SANYO Incognito

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

Hey there friends. I am still on the search for a respectable phone. Now, don't get me wrong, there are plenty of great phones out there, but the problem that I'm coming across is the internet/data plans. I don't mind shelling out a couple hundred bucks for a phone, but I don't want to spend an additional $30 on internet, $20 on unlimited texts, and an additional whatever on a contract for "x" amount of years. That "cool" phone will cost you a pretty penny before you know it. For those of you looking for a great phone while saving a few bucks, you definitely need to look into the SANYO Incognito by Boost Mobile.
 

Priced at $129.99 (excluding tax), the SANYO Incognito SCP6760 is priced moderately low priced and equipped with many essential features that any mobile phone should have. It's GPS enabled, full QWERTY keyboard, bluetooth capabilities, web browsing, a touchscreen, and camera and camcorder. And because it comes from Boost Mobile, there are no contracts involved. That's the best part. You don't need to be tied down for years at a time and with a Boost Mobile $50 Monthly Unlimited plan which offers unlimited talk, text & web, there really isn't a down side to getting a SANYO Incognito.

Check out the specs of the phone and it will not disappoint, but Boost Mobile doesn't want you to just check it out, they want one in your hands. If you purchase the SANYO Incognito through this link, they'll ship the phone to you free. There's nothing more that peeves an online shopper more than having to pay outrageous shipping and handling fees. So take a gander and check it out. With nationwide coverage from Boost Mobile, I'm sure that you'll see yourself ordering your SANYO Incognito today. Later!

Valentine's Day

Hey there.  Valentine's Day was this weekend and many of us were off buying our significant other stuff or celebrating in our own special way.  My wife decided to go to the gym that morning and I surprised her with a bouquet of purple roses and heart shaped french toast.  I know, I know...  I try.  lol  Later that day, we went off to see our godson.  We haven't seen him for a few years.  There's some issues between his parents and at the time he's living with his mother up north so it's a rare occurrence when he's in town.  So we spent most of the afternoon at Chuck E Cheese to spend some time with him.  Afterward, we dropped off our kids at my mother in laws and I took my wife out to dinner. 

I've been wanting to take my wife out to someplace fancy, but I fear that she may not like the cuisine.  I just don't see us hanging out having caviar and escargot with some wine.  lol  I just don't see us as that type of couple.  However, I would like to find a place that is considered "fancy" AND meet our culinary needs.  lol  Anyways, so I asked her where she would like to go and without hesitation she says Red Lobster.  Now...  I know that my wife cannot stand seafood so I know for a fact that it's not really a place she wants to go and it's more of a place that I would like to eat at.  I love me some seafood but it just doesn't seem fitting for Valentine's Day.  To appease her, we checked it out.  We walk in and I see a crowd.  Wow....  I ask the woman what the wait time is for two and lets me have it straight.  2 hours to 2 and half hours.  Oh man... Hell with that... we're not going to wait that long.  I guess I was wrong about it not being the spot for Valentine's Day, huh.  lol

So we hopped in the car and we decided to check out the Elephant Bar.  A restaurant that offers "exotic" cuisine.  Stuff from the orient, seafood, steaks, burgers ( I think) among other choices.  We've been to the Elephant Bar a handful of times and I can't quite remember what I've had there.  So I walk in and ask for the wait time for two.  An hour to and hour and 30 mins...  Not bad, I guess.  So I she takes my name and my wife and I decide to walk to the mall and get us some frozen yogurt.  I kid you not, the moment we stepped out, getting ready to return to the restaurant, that pager thingy that they hand out to you started lit up and started buzzing.  Oh crap!  We had to hurry to the restaurant to make sure they didn't give our table away cause we didn't answer the call.  What a way to spend part of your Valentine evening... running through a parking lot getting to the restaurant!

Once we were seated, we ordered our drinks and glanced at the menu.  I'll admit that I can be pretty blah when it comes to ordering food from a place that I'm not that familiar with but recently, I've been a bit bold and tried something new wherever we go.  My wife knew exactly what she wanted while I had to skim through the menu several times to find something that seemed enticing.  I was settled on some chicken something covered in mushroom sauce.  Look good, but never had it, so I decided to try it out.  At the last second, I changed it to a Philly cheese steak sandwich.  lol

After having a few laughs, enjoying our meal, and feeling slightly tipsy, we headed off to pick up our kids and head home.  Not too bad for a day where we told ourselves "no gifts".  =o)  My wife enjoyed her gifts of roses and two white bears sitting on a love seat and I love her gift to me, her 10 reasons why she loves me.  Check it out:

In honor of Valentine's day here are the top ten reasons I love my husband: 

1) His sense of humor-never fails to make me laugh my ass of. Even when I'm mad at him. 

2) His intelligence- it's so sexy. 

3) How he'll ask me to dance even if there's no music, he'll hum a tune.

4) That goofy voice he does when I'm upset or had a rough day all to make me laugh. 

5) How he tells me im beautiful when i wake up in the morning 

6) How he knows just what to say- baby you look tired, go take a nap I'll take care of dinner.

7) How he loves me even when I'm unlovable 

8) The origami flowers he leaves on my desk for me when i come out of a meeting. 

9) "Skittles" 

10) His butt lol 

I'm a VERY lucky girl =) 

I love you too babe.  Later!

Hitting the Gym

Hey there.  I started working out again.  As evidence by my belt, I've put on a few pounds since I've gotten with my wife.  I used to be a stick figure thin 118 lbs and I wasn't too happy about it.  Now, I'm sitting at 178 lbs which isn't so bad, considering that I'm 5'8.  But you know what... like I told my brother yesterday, I noticed my "guns" getting smaller and my gut getting bigger.  lol  I kid you not, friends.  There have been a few times where I'm sitting on the couch or whatever and the button on my pants snaps and flies across the room.  Yeah, you read that right... "a few" as in, more than once.  =o)  Now, I don't mind being bigger.  In fact, I like it.  I don't look sickly and the fact that I struggled to gain weight sucked.  I love all kinds of foods and I've always been one to eat until you're full.  This is mainly why I love buffets.  You need to put a lot of food in me to feel full. 

Well, a few weeks ago, when my wife and I started talking about renewing our gym membership, it got me thinking...  I'm a lot slower than I once was.  A LOT SLOWER.  I realized that my cardio fitness is nowhere near where a young man at 27 years should be.  There are times where I can't walk long distances, stairs suck to climb, and if I push myself a little too hard, I get shortness of breath.  I needed to get my endurance and stamina back.

So last night it happened.  I finally went to the gym on a mission to get fit.  I'm hoping that I won't lose weight, but that I'll be able to increase my physical fitness, focusing on endurance and strength.  I ran for a little over 2 miles yesterday on a "hill setting" on a treadmill and since I haven't done any kind of running since forever, I felt like I was ready to fall over dead.  So much for easing into it, huh.  I like the hill setting since it fluctuates the incline level.  Running at a constant 4 mph may not seem too tough but once you start hitting the inclines, it raises the difficulty.  I made it victorious.  I wasn't carried away in a stretcher and no one called for a wheelchair so I would call that a pretty successful run. 

I then did some butterflies, bench pressed, and curls to work on my arms and chest, but trust me, there wasn't much weight on those.  I was still feeling pretty tired from that run.  Before long, I headed home.  So my question now is what kind of "program" should I set for myself?  30 min cardio followed by 45 of strength training?  15 min cardio, 45 min strength, 15 min cardio?  As of today, I plan on going daily (except Sundays), is that considered too much?  I mean, it's only been one day, but I do want to be able to stick to a schedule to make sure that I build up those key stats. 

So now, I'm feeling a little sore in the legs.  I can't run the way I used to when I was in track and field (back in JR high!!!!) so I'm feeling the pain right now.  I guess as long as I don't topple over, I'll be alright.  Until then, later!

Motivational Sunday - Karma

Hey there. Today is Super Bowl Sunday, the unofficial holiday of football fans everywhere. The majority of Americans will be sitting in front of their TVs rooting for the feel good story of the New Orleans Saints or the no nonsense, get the job done Indy Colts. You really can't have a better Super Bowl. Two high flying offenses, 2 marquee QBs in Brees and Manning, the Manning family being torn between rooting for Peyton, or rooting for the city that Peyton's father, Archie Manning is known as a local legend.

This brings me to today's poster, Karma... Will the Colts be punished for not going for the perfect season? Will New Orleans finally be rewarded a championship on the team's first Super Bowl appearance ever? Well, have to wait and see what the football gods decide. Until then, later!

 

Where Did Metallman Go???

Hey there. I'm so so sorry that I haven't had a post in about 2 weeks. I'll be honest, I've gotten to the point where I opened up a new post, but no words were written. Canceled the post and figured that I would do it later. It just never happened. I still owe my readers cash and credits to the top blogs of the month and top commentators of the month. I just haven't gotten around to it. I also have some pizza coupons that I will be giving away soon so make sure that you stay tuned for that.

Work has been hectic, my cousin was in and out of the hospital due to a mental condition, which I have checked in on, I have now become a Lost addict (I know I'm about 6 years late to the party) and our son's birthday was this week. So there have been topics available for posting, it's just that for whatever reason, my fingers refused to write them down. Well, I guess that funk is over. We got the Motivational Sunday coming back tomorrow, as well as the Super Bowl! Valentines Day is on it's way and today, we're off to John's Incredible Pizza for our son's B Day celebration. Nothing big, but a place where I know he'll have fun. I'll make sure to keep you guys more filled in than I have in the last few weeks.

My son just got up. I'm helping around the house so it's my time to feed the baby. I'll catch you guys later!