Final Fantasy: Type 0 in the Works?

Hey there.  When G4 announced that the name and logo for Final Fantasy: Type 0 was trademarked, it immediately grabbed my attention.  Square Enix might be releasing a new Final Fantasy game!  It may be a spin off... it may be a continuation of an existing Final Fantasy title.  As of right now, it's way to early to tell.  G4 doesn't have info on the project but they're willing to spill what ever they do have.  Check out the brief announcement here.

Intrigued?  Yes.  Excited?  Not so much.  Not until we receive some more details.  For all we know, this is Square Enix trademarking POTENTIAL names.  And even if they are, I would assume that because they are trademarking anything Final Fantasy, some sort of product will become of it.  Until then, later!

Always Be In The Know With ESPN

Guest post written by my buddy Lavern Small

Almost everyday I manage to catch ESPN on my expert Satellite tv. Even though I'm a woman I do love my sports. ESPN provides me up-to-date segments on all the teams I love. The commentators are very personable and often very funny. There is a bit of analysis on different teams and also several opinions on many subjects as well. There is also the very helpful ticker on the bottom that will display the scores and highlights from the night before.

ESPN is great because they have fun with sports. It's not always a serious subject. For example, my favorite show is Pardon The Interruption of P.T.I. which airs in the late afternoon and early evening between segments of Sports Center. Mike Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser are perhaps some of the funniest sports commentators I have ever come across but yet they still provide the material that the people are interested in.

What I also enjoy about ESPN is not only it's sports analysis and breakdowns. They also broadcast wonderful programs that a truly enjoyable. These programs can showcase athletes giving back to their community, granting a child a wish, or even a program about the adversaries that an athletes has had to overcome to be where he is. This network allows people to see athletes as more than just a sports figure. It makes them human and we as an audience can connect deeper to the people who deliver our favorite sports.

Going Back to Blogging Roots

Hey there.  I've been reading some of my old posts and I've just realized that I've gone a bit much on the commercial side.  Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that I've been considered for sponsored posts as well as guest posts.  It allows me to add a new dimension to my site.  However, as I've gone through the past month or so, I've noticed that original content is less and less while 3rd party posts have increased.  The solution?  Increase the amount of original Metallman content.  Adding more of the essence that is me should bring the my identity back into my site.

I've gone away from the daily BS that saturates my life and have gone the way that many bloggers have gone.  They simply let their blogs/site fall into obscurity and do not update their site with their original work.  They simply become another site with the same stuff that is already on the internet.  There is nothing to make someone want to come check out your site when there are thousands of others with a similar post.  I admit, I falling down that path.  No more, my friends.

I've decided that I need to add myself back into this site.  My daily ramblings, my daily quirks, and my daily actions that bring smiles to those around me.  I feel that many things have gone on that were definitely blog worthy have been lost to laziness and a lack of dedication.  And the one that loses out on those experiences are you, my readers, and I apologize.  2011 will be a banner year for Metallman.com and I'm hoping that you guys will stick along for the ride.  Thanks.

Motivational Monday - Hope

One day... one day...

Going Christmas Shopping

Authored by Raymond Whitney

One of the best parts about the holiday season is getting to go shopping for people I care about. While I try to let them know how much they mean to me every day, the holiday season allows me an occasion to go out and buy them something I know they will like.

I usually go holiday shopping with my wife (except when buying gifts for her, of course). We've camped out for Black Friday before, but usually we wait for a couple of weeks after that to get our shopping done. Some of our favorite stores include Best Buy and Toys "R" Us for our sons, as well as Gap, Aeropostale and American Eagle for our daughter.

Unfortunately, the holiday season is also the time of year when many robberies and home invasions happen, due to people trying to take advantage of others and ruin their joyous time. Because of this, I make sure that I always set my security alarm () before I leave to go Christmas shopping. That way, I can focus on what's truly important, and not have to worry about the unfortunate parts of the holiday season.

How I Really Feel About Work

I hate wating...

Christmas Eve is 2 Days Away

Hey there.  Are you guys ready?  Have all the gifts been bought?  Have all the cards been sent?  Are you done with all the madness that is Christmas shopping?  I'm glad to say that for the most part, the shopping is done and done.  Only a few gifts need to wrapped and it is done and done.

Aaaaahhhhh!!!  the chaos!!!!

As opposed to other years, we took a different approach to X Mas shopping and it actually worked out pretty well.  Kids always get gifts, that is a given.  They get gifts from mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, and aunts and uncles.  You know who doesn't always get gifts?  The adults!  So this year it was changed up a bit with emphasis on getting the adults in the family gifts.  Don't get me wrong, the kids will still get theirs, but a gift for the couples were a good idea this time around.  It made shopping extremely easy, since you avoid those oh so popular toy heavy stores and the lines were more tolerable than those at toy stores.  I'm not saying that it is something that should be done every year, but after all the years the adults get all the kids in the family gifts, it will be nice for them to receive one that is not part of a secret Santa exchange.  Best of luck, for those procrastinators out there and to all, have a great holiday!  Later!

Sugar Cookie Christmas Trees

Guest post written by Lauren Wiles

Right now I'm planning our family's annual Christmas party where a bunch of our neighbors, friends and our kids' friends come over for a dinner and some fun. We don't exchange gifts because we never know who's really going to show up. We just ask people to bring something with them if they come. But even thought we do that and don't have to make as much food as a result, I still put a lot of time into what I'm making and how I decorate our house for it.

I was online with our Clearinternet trying to find some new recipes to fix for this year. I found all kinds fo stuff, a lot of which I could actually fix the day before, which will make that a lot easier for me. On my e-mail invites, I'm making sure to add a list of things I'm making so that people won't bring the same thing with them.

I never like to repeat centerpieces from year to year, so I was really excited when I found the idea for a sugar cookie Christmas tree. You can eat the cookies afterward and I thought that it was the cutest thing ever.

Motivational Monday - 56K

Is there any other reason to ditch dial up???

What is Wrong with this Mirror?

Hilarious Prank - Watch more Funny Videos

TiVo Primier for Only $99 at Best Buy

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

Hey there friends.  Are you still trying to find the perfect gift for the TV/movie afficionado in your family?  Then you obviously have not heard of the new TiVo Premiere currently available at your local Best Buy.  It's definitely not your run of the mill DVR box.  No longer are you limited to just the shows that are currently showing on your cable TV.  The New TiVo Premiere can also be used to browse the web to stream videos from Youtube, Netflix, as well as Amazon Video on Demand downloads and it's also a Pandora music player where you can easily change from watching TV to music with a touch of a button.

 

So how much will this magic box cost?  Well, if you take advantage of Best Buy's holiday offer, you can snag a TiVo Premier for only $99 with a year's subscription.  With the ability to record up to 45 hours of glorious HD programming, the TV/movie buff can revisit their favorite shows time and time again.  This deal is well worth it and for this price, you might as well grab one for your home.

Don't confine yourself to what is "just" on your TV.  Enhance your TV watching experience with the new TiVo Premiere and explore the possibilities.

I need a Vacation

Hey there.  I didn't come in to work yesterday.  And no, friends, it wasn't a kick back, I'm not going to do anything, kind of day.  lol  Both of my daughters were going to perform in their school's annual Christmas Program and I wanted to be there.  And... the school was going to honor both of my daughters for making honor roll.  Yay for my girls!  So the schedule looked something like this... 

7:00   Take girls to school
8:30   Have breakfast
10:30 Christmas Performance
12:30 After school party
2:30   Get son from JR High
4:00   Honor Roll Assembly
5:30   Honor Roll Assembly
6:00   Go home

As you can see, school related activities were nothing but planned that day and you know how well things turn out when you plan out your day.  Here's what really went down.

7:00   Take girls to school
8:30   Have breakfast
10:00 Go to Target to get MiniDV recording tape
10:35 Run to school auditorium
10:40 Realize that stupid camcorder is not working
10:50 Said screw it and took video with my phone
12:30 Made it to after school party
2:15   Take my youngest to get her hair cut
3:05   Speed off to get my son from JR High
3:35   Experience LA traffic jam
4:10   Run to school auditrium
4:30   Get text invitation to my cuz's b day thing for that night
5:00   Have small "lunch"
5:30   Honor Roll Assembly
6:15   Go to my aunt's for b day thing
10:00 Go home

Yeah...  that' didn't go as originally planned.  lmao  Needless to say, I need a vacation...  But like a real one.  Where the day is not used for home projects, shopping expeditions, or school related activities.  But like, a real vacation.  Yeah... that would be nice.  lol 

I came into work and for being out for a single day, it seems as if hell on Earth rained down on me.  More than 250 Emails sitting in my inbox, more than 10 voice mails waiting to be answered, boss saying there were complaints because I wasn't there...  It's like... man, can't have a day to myself without my work world going down in chaos???  *sigh*

Mac or PC?

Hey there.  I've been a PC guy all my life.  PC's in school, PC's at home, and the laptop is a PC.  But you know what... I'm getting tired of the viruses and the updates and the pain in the ass methods that it takes to install drivers and what not just to get "easy" plug and play devices to work.  Because of this... I'm leaning on picking up a Mac laptop for business. 

I've gotten good feedback from friends about them and some people even swear by them.  I'll admit that I don't know much about them, since I've been surrounded by PCs.  The only thing I do know is that Mac's are more expensive than PCs.  Does the old adage, "you get what you pay for" apply to computers? 

My brother in law picked up a HP laptop for around $200 this black holiday and it's running Windows 7.  I was thinking of picking one up as well, but I'm tired of the slowness and the vulnerabilities of these Windows based machines.  Maybe I just need a change of scenery from the world of Windows.  Maybe it's simply time to jump ship and head on over to the world of Apple.  lol  I think I've already made my decision... but until I have an Apple machine in my hand, it won't be definite.  Until then, later!

Getting into the Christmas Spirit

Guest post written by Sidney Owens

My family's favorite time of year is Christmas! We always put the Christmas tree and decorations up right after Thanksgiving. It's a tradition.

The first thing my husband, my kids, and I do is hang the stockings on the fireplace. My kids get so excited just putting their stockings up, knowing when they see them on Christmas day, they will be full of goodies.
Then, we put Christmas trinkets of Christmas characters and Christmas stuffed animals on the fireplace with lights all around them. It is beautiful.

Then, we put the tree up. First, we put all kinds of lights on it, especially multi-colored ones and blinking ones because my kids love those. Next, we put the ornaments on it, my favorite part! There are ornaments we decorated and made ourselves, ornaments the kids made in school, birthday ornaments, and a variety of colorful Christmas ornaments. We decorate the tree until there is no room for anymore ornaments left! Once all the ornaments are up, we put tinsel on the tree. This gives the tree a sparkle
.
Under the Christmas tree, we put a train. It reminds me of when I was a kid.

I love to just stand back and look at all the decorations. It puts me in the Christmas spirit! So, after we are all worn out from decorating, we watch Christmas shows on Satalite TV deals!

Motivational Monday - Miley Cyrus

What are the odds of "by the end of the year" ???

iPad Cases for the Family

Guest post written by Tina Simpson

It's kind of funny that so many of the members of my family have bought an ipad over the last couple of months. But from what I can tell, none of them have any ipad cases for them. I thought that would be a really great Christmas present that I knew would get used for sure.

I've received so many presents over the years that I haven't always used, so that's something that I really take into consideration when picking out a gift. So I had that in mind when I went onlne with my CLEAR INTERNET to start searching for all of these gifts.

One thing though that I made sure to get along with the ipad cases was a gift receipt for each one, just in case they got more than one ipad case for the holidays or knew of one that they would much rather have instead. I do have a pretty good feel for what each of my kids like, so I'm pretty sure that they'll love the cases that I've bought for each of them.

Watch Internet Videos on your HDTV with GlideTV Navigator

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

Hey there friends.  How often do you watch TV programming now a days?  If you're anything like me, you'll find yourself watching movies and shows online more than actually watching them on the TV.  In this digital world, we just don't have the time to wait for a show to start at it's designated time slot so when we have some free time to actually sit down and watch TV, we don't want to waste time watch "filler TV" while waiting for your show or movie to watch.  That is why having a GlideTV Navigator would be a godsend.

Imagine owning one these bad boys.  A wireless device that will allow you to enjoy internet videos on your HDTV.  Missed The Office the night before because of work?  No problem.  Just go through GlideTV and start The Office and get to watching!  It really is that simple and this would be a perfect gift for people like my brother and I.  We are always tied to our computers and we constantly watch video clips here and there on our 15 inch screens.  But why strain the eyes when we can be sitting back on the couch and watching videos in glorious HDTV on our 52 inch screen!  This is definitely a device that you will want to try for yourself.

Getting one will set you back about $50 but it is definitely worth it.  But if money is tight, you can enter to win a GlideTV Navigator by "liking" GlideTV on Facebook and submitting a short entry form. You can get the full details of the contest there.  I've already submitted my entry to win and the contest end on December 23!  Get to their Facebook page and enter to win before time runs out.  Later!

The Story of Angels on Christmas Trees

Ever wonder why it's an angel that sits atop Christmas trees? Well let me tell you the story.


One day, 4 of Santa's elves were sick and the trainee elves didn't produce as many toys as the regular ones and Santa began to feel the Christmas day pressure. That morning, Mrs. Claus tells Santa that her mother will be coming to visit, which stressed Santa. Then, when he went out to harness the reindeer, he found that 3 of them were about to give birth and 2 had jumped the fence and are nowhere to be found. Then, when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked and the toy bag fell, scattering toys everywhere.

Frustrated, Santa decided he needed a little drink so he went into the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of rum. When he opened the cupboard, he found that the elves had drunk all the cider and his secret stash of rum. Upset, that the jug of cider was empty, he smashed it on the ground. He then went to get the broom to sweep up the glass when he noticed that the mice had eaten the straw off the end of the broom.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Irritated, Santa stomped his way towards the door to answer it. He yanked the door open and there stood a little angel with a huge and beautiful Christmas tree. Upon seeing Santa, the angel merrily said, "Merry Christmas Santa! Isn't it the most beautiful day today? I brought this beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?"

And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree.

Take On Me: The Way It Should Be

Hey there. I stumbled across this gem on TV, actually. I loved and had to share. Enjoy.

Building a Gingerbread House

Hey there.  Last night, the family embarked in their first ever gingerbread house.  I know, I know.  How can it be the first one???  Well, quite frankly, they're hard to decorate so if we bought one, it most definitely had to be pre-decorated!  Well, last night we decorated it ourselves.  The wife went out and got 2 gingerbread kits.  One being the house and the other being the tree.  Since the women have better decorating prowess than the men, the girls decided they wanted to do the tree while my son and I did the tree.  We all agreed and we set off to our adventure.

The icing mix was easy to make but the mess... god, the mess...  There was white and green icing EVERYWHERE.  And to top it off, the instructions on the bag of icing were all wrong.  We used almost twice as much water to get that "toothpaste" feel and once it was poured in the decorating bag, it started to ooze out!  lol  Once that was done, I created a base of the gingerbread tree with cardboard and foil.  Nothing fancy, just a circle cut out wrapped in foil.  Then we started building the tree, which was simple enough... just place icing on a star shapped cookie and stack em up.  At this point, I look over to the girls to see how there were doing, since we were doing just awesomely.  lol  And I see the wife struggling to build the house.  I ask the girls how they're doing and this exchanged happened:

Wife:  Ugh!
Me: How you ladies doing?
Oldest Daughter: Ok, I guess.  I'm just watching.
Wife: You're not watching, baby.  You're supervising.
Oldest Daughter: No I'm not.  I'm just watching.

All the while, the youngest daughter is sitting there holding the decorating bag of icing and letting it drip into her hand.

Me:  What are you doing, baby?
Youngest Daughter:  Nothing, just holding the bag.

At this point, the wife figured that the girls were getting bored, watching her trying to keep together the gingerbread house.  She asked me to build it because "men are better at building things" which the girls gladly agreed.  lol  So I stepped in and put together the house and once the icing dried up, let the kids go at it.

Instructions? Who needs instructions when you have imagination!

After icing, candy, and everything else splattered all over the table, the finish product looks pretty damn good.  Check em out.

Too bad they need to be eaten!

All in all, it was a fun experience.  The clean up is a pain, but the kids enjoyed it.  Considering that it's our first one ever, not too bad, right?  Next time, we'll learn how to do the swirls, icicles, and all the other fancy stuff in the instruction booklet.  But until then, we have these delicious looking structures that we built.  Later!

The New Mike Tyson's Punch Out

I love the new and improved graphics on these old school games!

Motivational Monday - Frustration

Getting laughed at in Round 1 is troubling enough...

Blade Runner Never Fails To Impress

Thanks to Roman May

Blade Runner is a futuristic film based off the cult class sci-fi novel. This movie is one of the most well recognized cult-classics and is a favorite for many different movie watchers. Blade Runner is full of acrobatic action, guns, drama, and a multitude of emotional themes that make you appreciate the skill behind Harrison Fords acting.

The sci-fi aspect is what makes this film so interesting. Human clones roam in space freely, but their lifespans are set to end at a certain point. Deckard, the main character, is the one that is involved in ending the "life" of these clones. The main action comes into play when these "replicants" escape and come to the Earth with the wrong intentions.

"Deckard: [narrating] The report read "Routine retirement of a replicant." That didn't make me feel any better about shooting a woman in the back. " This quote is one of my favorites, and so powerful in meaning. Deckard is in a conflicting situation throughout the movie, but despite these non-human creatures needing to be "killed" he doesn't feel good about it.

Blade Runner is an excellent movie to watch on satellite television from www.bestchoicetv.com/, as most channels play it frequently. I am always happy to catch a showing of this film anytime, or anywhere.

Do Not Disturb

Now this is a hotel that knows it's clients!

How to Use a Doorstop

Instructions are overrated anyways.

Christmas Spike in our Electric Bill

Guest post written by Beth Klondike

Every year I try to convince my husband that he should lay off a little bit on all the Christmas lights that he puts up on the outside of my house and in our front yard. I really think that it's kind of getting out of control by now. But he honestly just won't stop, so I put up with it anyway.

I went online to try and find some new decorations that would take up less energy than the ones that we've been using for years. While I was doing that I came across the site ClearTVBundle.com and read through it and ended up showing it to my husband. Now this was one thing that we could agree upon, so we signed up for the internet service for our home.

Well, I found some Christmas lights that are supposedly more efficient than the typical ones. So my husband ordered some of them and is replacing some of our lights with them. Hopefully they'll cut down on our electricity bill some this year.

Artz Painting - War

Hey there.  I want to show off a few more pieces of my comadre's artwork.  Check out this bad boy and the Aztec poem that inspired it.

WAR

There is nothing like death in war,
nothing like the flowery death

so precious to Him who gives life:

far off I see it:
my heart yearns for it!
-NEZAHUALCOYOTL-

Thanksgiving, A Long Weekend, and Surgery

Hey there.  Hope everyone had a blast this Thanksgiving weekend.  Nothing quite compares to a 4 day weekend!  Especially after eating some turkey and stuffing your face with... well... stuffing.  lol  So let's go to the highlights!

Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving at my uncle Peter's place.  He's been the go to guy when it comes to holiday madness.  Most of the family gathers at his place and we all have a good time.  Thanksgiving was no different.  Most of the guys were ourside, hanging out, watching football and boxing, while most of the ladies were inside "cackling " (as Psycho Mike would say) and hanging out.  All in all, a very awesome experience.  Food and drinks were in abundance and you know damn well that I had myself more than a few plates of food.  And that's not counting desert!  lol  At the end of the night, the "secret santa" exchange was determined and we were on our way home, stuffed as a bird, a little after midnight.  Here are a few pics of the evening.

Serving salad from a cracked bowl cause that's how we do it.

The ladies enjoying a little bubbly

The young ladies enjoying a drink, like thier mothers.  It better be soda in them cups!

Daaaaaaaaaaam!  That bird looks delicious

So much food, they don't know where to turn!

Long Weekend

Once we semi-recovered from Thanksgiving, Black Friday reared it's ugly head.  Here my thoughts on Black Friday...  I'm not a big fan of it.  Every year, we hear about some people trampling and stomping over people because they just had to have whatever it is they're buying.  I'm more of an online guy.  If I can't find it online then I more than likely will not buy it.  I just hate hearing that a child was killed because a mob of people couldn't control themselves just to save a few bucks.

With that being said, we stated home most of Friday and didn't really do anything.  I avoided stores like the plague and just hung out with the family at home.  My son and I took advantage of the free XBOX Live Weekend (decided to let my membership end until I get my hands on the XBOX Live Family Pack) and played us some Bioshock 2 multiplayer matches.  I've always been a fan of the first person shooters and I like the way Bioshock 2 changes it up just a bit to differentiate it from all other first person shooters.  Anyways, we caught up on some gaming and decided to put up some holiday stuff.  I ended up getting a new tree, since our old tree is somewhere around 5 years old and needed to be replaced.  Also ended up getting some of that long green string type thing that people hang for Christmas, and started decorating the place.  Not bad, if I do say so myself.  I don't have any pics of that yet so I'll get on that as soon as I'm home and there's still daylight.  lol


Monday's Surgery

Monday morning, I'm up at 5:30 am.  My brother was scheduled to have surgery on his shoulder at or around 7 am so I drove to the hospital to meet my brother and mother.  I arrived shortly after 6 am and my brother had already checked in.  The nurse was supposed to let us know when we would be allowed to see my brother before his surgery was to begin and when it was 7 am and still no word from the nurses, I asked her what's going on.  She pretty much said to walk on in and look for him.  lol  We find my brother, in his "purple" mumu strapped into a bed, getting ready for his surgery.  The doc comes in and starts to give us the run down of what is going down.  He grabs a purple marker that surgeons use to mark their patients and notices that it's a little on the small side.  He then makes a comment about how "they" seem to be cutting corners everywhere.  lol  My bro and I chuckle and the doc then shows us where the incision will take place and lets us know that he will be shaving off some of his bone and remove scar tissue.  He seemed like a pretty cool guy.  Once they whisk him away, my mother and I have coffee in the cafeteria while we wait for an update.

Them magic drugs are in full effect. lol

My wife arrived soon after and the three of us waited a bit before the doc came in with some photos of the inside of my brother.  He explained the pictures to us and told us that the surgery was a success.  He also explained how the recovery process will be a long one.  6 months worth of recovery time.  My brother will also need to attend therapy sessions to strengthen his shoulder. 

Once we were allowed to go see him, I asked how he was doing and what not.  Before long, we're watching America's Funniest Home videos and cracking jokes.  I know that it probably wasn't the best of places to mess around in, considering that there were other patients close by that didn't look too happy, but there we were, goofing around.  While the nurse was giving my brother his home care instructions... I interrupt her and say to her, "To give to us straight doc, is he gonna make it?"  lol  My bro and I chuckle and the nurse seemed to find it amusing.  My brother then starts to reference The Office and says that even though he had shoulder surgery, he's probably going to be going home with a limp.  lol 

Once they dismiss him, my mother grabs his clothes to hand to him.  Since he's buck naked under the mumu, I closed the curtain before he started getting dressed.  I stayed with him, just in case he needed help.  He managed to put on his underwear and his sweat pants with what looked like slight discomfort.  That's when I said, "Bro, I love you, but I'm not getting you dressed."  lol  That's when we hear my mother and a few other people outside the curtain laughing.  It's good to know that we both can laugh during something like surgery.

He then gets wheeled off to the street where we wait for my mother's car to be brought to us.  We then see a smart car pass by and my brother says to the nurse, "smart car...  there's nothing smart about that car.  Kitt from Knight Rider.... now that's a smart car."  The nurse laughed, I chuckled.  Damn you, The Office....  invading our lives like nothing else can.  lol 

I told them that we would go to my mother's place to make sure my brother was well situated.  I soon after get a text from my brother asking me to go get him FIFA 11 for PS3.  This guy... already trying to use the "woe is me, I'm hurt" thing against me.  When I said, no way, he turned his attention to food.  He asked if I'd bring him some brownies.  lmao!  My wife gets wind of my brother's brownie craving and decides to make the "baby" some brownies. lol  Oh man... good times.  We cap the night off with some Street Fighter IV.  I haven't played Street Fighter since Street Fighter II Turbo for the SNES!  I managed to kick some butt with Blanka (old school favorite) and then gave up the last game to my brother... just so that he can feel better about himself.  lmao!  Now, he's at home not knowing what to do with himself.  6 months is a looooooooooong time.  I'll try to stop by and kick his butt on Street Fighter more often.  lol  Until then, later!

Artwork by my Comadre, Artz

Hey there.   Last Saturday, we stopped by The House Lounge where my comadre was asked to showcase some of her artwork.  It was a neat experience, considering that other artists were there showcasing a similar style of artwork.  After touching base with her (and getting her permission to post her stuff) she told me that the paintings were actually inspired by Aztec poetry.  Interesting, no?  As she continues to produce artwork, I'll try to get her permission to post it here.  The below is my personal favorite so far.  Just below, is the poem that inspired it.  What do you guys think?  Later!

ALL THE EARTH IS A GRAVE

All the earth is a grave and nothing escapes it, 

nothing is so perfect 
that it does not descend to its tomb. 

Rivers, rivulets, fountains and 
waters flow, 

but never return to their joyful beginnings; 

anxiously 
they hasten on the vast realms of the rain god. 

As they widen their 
banks, they also fashion the sad urn of their burial.

Filled are the bowels of the earth with pestilential dust once flesh and bone, 

once animate bodies of man who sat upon thrones, 

decided cases, presided in council, commanded armies, 

conquered provinces, possessed treasure, destroyed temples, 

exulted in their pride, majesty, fortune, praise and power. 

Vanished are these glories, 

just as the fearful smoke vanishes that belches forth from the infernal fires of Popocatepetl. 

Nothing recalls them but the written page.
-NEZAHUALCOYOTL-

Great Jackets From Zappos.com

Hey there.  It's been a fairly cold autumn here in Los Angeles.  In my opinion, it's a welcome surprise.  We're usually sitting in high 70 degree weather and the sun is still shining down, warming up our city.  But recently, we've been in low 60 degree temperatures coupled with cloudy skies and low 40 degree temperatures at night.  That's pretty nippy, if you ask this home grown California guy, so I started to look around for a jacket to buy and that's when I stumbled upon these north face jackets from Zappos.

I don't own many jackets but I wouldn't mind owning something like this.  It's not bulky, it doesn't look heavy, and it seems like I would be able to wear it during some not so cold days.  Seems perfect for a guy like me.  And the price is not bad either.

I'll admit that I used to associate Zappos.com with shoes.  I'm not the shopper of the family so it's pretty obvious that I didn't know any better.  I can pretty much score some Zappos jackets for the wife and kids as well.  It just comes to show you that you need to live in extremely cold weather to find some pretty awesome and affordable jackets.  Just in time for the holidays too.  Later!

Motivational Monday - Thanksgiving

The pie... can't forget about the pie

Even Superman Has It

Daaaaaaamn...  You don't hold back from Superman.  You should know that Wonder Woman.

A Free Online Dating Site: Luvfree.com

This post brought to you by luvfree. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hey there friends.  I know that many of you guys are out and about looking for a partner or just someone to hang out with and see where it goes.  And even though there are many other online dating sites out there, they usual charge an arm and a leg just to be part of their database.  But using www.LuvFree.com, you'll get a chance to browse potential dates without paying a cent. 

You can browse by picture or you can browse by using the tags on the right hand side.  Another neat feature is the rating of pictures so if you're picture get's a positive enough rating, it may end up displayed on the site's main page.  And once you do become a member, you'll be able to meet other people through their internal chat messenger and you'll be able to write more about your self in the form of a blog.  Most definitely the most useful tools to express yourself freely in an online world.

Check it out, my friends.  You'll never who you will meet when browsing for a friendly smile to say hello to.  Best of luck, my friends.  Later!

L.A. Drummer Meets Manchester Guitarist

Guest post of the week by Brittany Booker

I'm a drummer in a local L.A. rock band and we were just getting started with gigs in the West Hollywood area. Rehearsals usually start about 4 PM and can last until we drop some twelve hours later. As usual, I'm out the door at quarter to four, set my Homealarmsystems home security alarm system and head out for the studio. One day, I stopped at Pink's Hot Dogs for my once a month chili dog splurge and ran into a great guy from the UK.

Alex was just visiting here, doing the usual tourist traps along Hollywood Blvd, but we got to talking about music and found we had a lot in common. He plays guitar with a band in Manchester, and who knows, might one day want to hook up with a U.S. band in Los Angeles. Alex and I talk almost everyday online and even set up a camera for face to face chats. We're two straight guys that really hit it off, and I believe there's an underlying reason for everything. Maybe one day we will play together in a band, but for now, our long distance friendship is a huge support system for each other in the music business from California to Lancashire. I've already been out to visit him once and had a great time checking out the Manchester music scene. Just goes to show you that your best friend does not have to live next door. With today's technology, he or she can be living anywhere.

Bring the Magic This Thanksgiving

I wonder if this is what happened to Charlie...

I Hate This Game

Donkey Kong Pie

Guest post written by Valerie Sanderson

I really love to bake. I could bake all day, every day and I would be fine with it as long as I still got to eat what I made. I'm not that crazy about cooking though, so I try and do a whole lot of meals that include more baking than stove top cooking. But sometimes I just relaly put more of my energy into baking dessert and my son's favorite dessert is coconut cream pie. It's one of my favorites too, so we eat it a lot around my house.

It's so cute. He loves to call it Donky Kong pie because I tell him that Donky Kong would love it. I was talking to my brother about getting together for Thanksgiving this year and sent him an email with my CLEARWIRE saying that I would bring a pie.

I thought though that it would be fun to make something similar, but a little different to our favorite pie for the holiday, so I found a great coconut lemon pie recipe that I'm going to try out.

Reckless Driving

Hey there.  Last night as I was driving home from work, a reckless driver cut me off, nearly smashing into me, and hit the car to my left.  The speeding car then bounced back into my lane and I had to swerve to my right to avoid the collision.  Luckily, no cars in the lane to my right, which was surprising since it was an off ramp and cars are usually exiting the freeway during rush hour.  So I was forced to get off the freeway... 

I pulled in a parking lot right off the freeway and just sat there for a minute.  This jack ass was going somewhere closer to 60 mph when everyone else was closer to 20 mph.  He was definitely going fast enough where he bounced off another car...  I admit that I was a little shaken up so I made sure I composed myself before venturing back on the freeway.  I wonder if the passengers are ok.  Because I was forced off the freeway, I couldn't see the extent of the damage done and I don't know if everyone walked out of the wreck ok. 

You know, it's not the first time that I've avoided catastrophe on the freeways, or the streets of Los Angeles.  It seems like people are here just drive around so recklessly causing all sorts of accidents.  There is never a day where I don't hear something happening on a freeway causing major delays.  I understand that some maybe accidents but I'm sure that many could be avoided if nobody took to their inner road rage and drove around recklessly.  Be careful, people.  Even though you're following the rules of the road, all it takes is one jack ass to screw it up for a lot of people.  Stay safe.  Later.

BCBG Sale Nov. 20th

Hey there.  I'm spreading the word on the BCBG sale that is going to be going on this Saturday, November 20th.  I know that many are familiar with the BCBG Max Azria name and these kind of sales only happen once or twice a year.  So, if you're in the Los Angeles area and are looking to score some designer clothes, stop by and get yourself some high end stuff at dirt cheap prices.  Details are in the flyer below.  Later!

Kirk Hammet Kicks Ass... And Kids?!?!?!

Hey there friends. I love Metallica. I've seen them a few times when they're in the Los Angeles area and they put on one awesome live show. A staple of theirs during the Death Magnetic Tour is hundreds of beach balls falling from the ceiling and everyone in the stands punches them and the band members kick them off stage. Well... the below video shows what may happen when "unauthorized personnel" in on the stage. Hope the little guy is alright. Later!

Thanks for the link, Enigmageek!

Motivational Monday - Guitar Hero Solos

Genius, pure genius

Shuuuuuuuuuun the Non Believer

Classic John Grisham

Guest post written by Barry Blackburn

It had been a few years since I'd read any John Grisham books, even though I used to read all of this books all the time. I guess that my wife having twins not too long ago kept me busy even outside of work and completely cut out my extra time that I would use for reading for fun.

But, my wife bought me John Grisham's latest book The Confession when it came out not too long ago after I had spotted the news that a new one was coming out when we were shopping around for an internet company. When I did that I found the website www.clear-internet.com and changed our internet service over to the company because I liked the info for it better than the other ones that I had investigated.

Well, it didn't take me long to get through the book because I took it on the plane with me on a recent business trip and it reminded me of why I love reading his stuff. So I started rereading his A Time to Kill book, which I've had for years.

Delusions of Bourbon (via Berniebuttons.com)

So true on so many levels

Looking for Some Kick Ass Advertising

Hey there friends.  You know, maybe business have a hard time looking for publicity or advertising.  I think that I've been fortunate enough to be able to find a small audience that I engage in for this site.  I'm not a big company that needs all sorts of exposure, but if you are an up and coming business looking for a great advertising team, you definitely need to check out THAT! Advertising Agency. 

This is definitely an agency that thinks outside the box.  That is apparent by it's awesome tabs on their home screen.  When you see tabs labeled as "kick ass advertising" and "mad marketing", you know that you are not dealing with your typical advertising agency.  And when one of their slogans is "THAT! + Advertising Agency = Kick Ass Success" , you have to take a look and see if this is for you.

I'm in the blogging business.  I don't think that I would benefit much from this kind of advertising.  But you're in an industry that requires some publicity, some ad space, and some over all buzz, THAT! Advertising Agency may just be for you.  Plus,. they're giving a 1 hour free phone consultation so what is there to lose?  Call em up, see if they can get a kick ass package for you and if you don't like, you can simply say no thanks.  Check it out, my friends.  When a company this awesome comes about, you're almost inclined to check them out.  Later!

Knock Knock...

Rock Band 3 Review on Dragon Blogger

Hey there. My review of Rock Band 3 is now up on DragonBlogger.com. Check out the review here and let me what what you guys think. Thanks.

Los Angeles Lakes Are the Best Team in the NBA

Guest post written by my buddy Keith Kramer

I am so glad that I get to watch preseason NBA Basketball on Direct satellite tv. It gives me a chance to see a lot of different teams and gives me a good idea as to hat teams may be good this year. My favorite team is the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kobe Bryant is one of the best all-time basketball players in the entire history of the National basketball League. I am so glad that Kobe Bryant is on my favorite team. I really enjoy watching Kobe play and I like to cheer him on, but I may not feel the same way if he played for a different team.

Phil Jackson is the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and he is simply an amazing head coach. I expected a lot out of Kobe and Shaw when they were playing together but Shaq failed. Kobe is doing much better now that he does not have to deal with the dram that constantly surrounded him and Shaq when they did play together.

Phil Jackson is one of the best coaches of all time and he is coaching Kobe who is one of the best players of all time. The best coach combined with the best player is why I have high expectations for the Lakers to win a championship again this year. The Lakers are a strong team and they will prove it once again.

Dealing with "Funny Daddy"

Hey there.  You know, I like to mess around, I like to have a good time, and if I can bring somewhat of a smile to someone, I'll do try my best to make it happen.  Considering that I'm usually with my family, they're my audience.  Whether I'm in the kitchen slicing tomatoes with a samurai sword, doing the robot at the most inconvenient of places, or just making a funny comment about stuff, I'm always rewarded with smiles, a "you're funny, daddy", and some eye rolling from the wife.  lol  It's all in good nature and in good fun so I don't mind.  But recently, I've come to think if it's a little too much now that the kids are a little older.

This week, yesterday, actually, I walked my oldest daughter (9 yrs) across the street to her school.  In the middle of the street, I yell out, "Let's robot!" and I start doing the robot while crossing the street.  Mind you there were no cars around so it was safe... not like I stopped traffic or anything of that sort.  Anyways, my young one yelled out, "Daddy, NOOOOOOOO!", clearly embarrassed by the episode.  I stopped and once we crossed the street she scurried off with her friend.  lol

It's funny because a few years ago, I would get an "Oh my god, daddy... really?", and the kids would join in or just laugh but yesterday I got a "NOOOOOOOO".  lol  Just last month, she said, "Daddy, not at the store.  Do the robot at home."  lmao!!!  Maybe I'm embarrassing the young one a little too much.  My youngest daughter (5) loves it.  She's do the robot with me if I bust the moves.  I guess a little bit of the quirkiness in me was transferred to her.

*sigh*  The young ones are getting older and I'm not so sure that that quirkiness will keep em smiling.  My oldest boy (11) is hitting the moody stage.  He'll mess around and have fun but only when he feels like it.  My oldest daughter seems to be growing up a little too fast... (some JR High punk was trying to pick up on my baby.  Looks like I'll need make sure my sword is on full display in the living room), my youngest daughter is still loving the goofy side of me, and the baby, well...  he's still a baby and doesn't know how funny I am just yet.  lol  Damn you father time!  You best better not take away my funny dad title and make it into boring dad, or lame dad, or something of the like.  Until I figure out how to keep it forever, I'll just robot the night away.  Later!

The 1900 Ocean Apartments in Beautiful Long Beach, CA

Hey there friends.  I've been fortunate enough to live in southern California.  It's always sunny (even when it's not supposed to), there's always something to do, and the beaches are just a short drive away.  When we first moved out, we always searched for two things.  1) is it close by a freeway and 2) is it nice.  While browsing through rentals in Long Beach CA , we stumbled across these beautiful Long Beach apartment. 

It turns out that it was part a luxury apartment community in Long Beach buy boy was it nice.  They had an awesome scenic view of the beach or the city, walk in closets, marble counter tops, and balconies.  It turns out that the apartments that we were looking at were the 1900 Ocean Apartments.  I was really surprised that they I found them on regular Long Beach listings and not some paid for listings.  But alas, if wasn't for us.  Thought they are extremely nice, we are a family that needed a little more than an apartment.

If you are out and about looking for a place to stay, the 1900 Ocean Apartments are definitely one to check out.  Who wouldn't want to live in a place where "luxury meets the sand"? Later!