Motivational Monday - Ninjas

Not all ninjas wear black!

Looking for Great NBA Ticket Prices

Hey there.  I am looking for a great price on Los Angeles Lakers Tickets. I've been a fan of the Lakers for as long as I can remember. My brother and I would watch NBA basketball for long periods of time in our youth. Actually, we'll do that now. lol Especially after the All-Star break, since this is the time where teams get serious and start vying for playoff positioning.  Now, my son is getting sucked into the games.  He started watching the Laker games with me and, I believe, is now a fan for life.  This is why I'm looking for tickets to a game.  It'll be his first NBA game and I want it to be a good one.

The Staples Center is an awesome venue and I haven't been there in about a year now.  They recently unveiled a Jerry West statue outside the arena.  The NBA logo himself. I'm sure the boy wouldn't mind walking around seeing the statues and maybe even have a few seconds of air time on TV if we're lucky enough to pass by LA Live while they're filming.  You go in for a great NBA game and you come home with an experience.

If you're a fan and have not been to an NBA game, you need to definitely consider it.  Whether you're looking for Boston Celtics Tickets (to see the "Big 3"), Chicago Bulls Tickets, (to see Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and recently acquired Carlos Boozer.), Dallas Mavericks Tickets (To see Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd), or Houston Rockets Tickets (to see Kevin Martin and a cast of young talent), the NBA always delivers when it comes to a great game.  You should pick up tickets for when the Lakers are in town and witness Kobe Bryant, the Mamba himself, in all his awesomeness.  Man, am I looking forward to the game!  Later!

Street Fighters on Facebook

I'll believe it when I see it Guile! 

Video Game Reunion Premiers March 8th!

Hey there.  My boy and I were extras in this show and I've been dying to see the finished product.  When we were there, what we saw was pretty hilarious.  Check out the official trailer for the show.  Samus, Kid Icarus, Mega Man, Bowser, Peach, Link and Zelda, the Mario Bros.  They even have the "Kung Fu Guy".  lmao  It premiers March 8th and I simply can't wait!  The following has NSFW language and has a 30 sec. ad before the video starts.

Video Games | Video Game Reunion | Real People Real Problems Trailer

Xbox 360 | PlayStation 3 | Nintendo Wii | PC Games

Ancient Aliens: Zues is Odin and Odin is Zues?

Hey there.  I love the show Ancient Aliens on the History Channel.  I think it's thought provoking and I love that each show has a different center of focus to lend credibility (or discredit) the ancient alien theory.  For those of you not in the know, the ancient alien theory suggests that many of the wonders of the world were made by not only man, but with the assistance of aliens.  It suggest that mythologies and art across the globe have striking similarities and they could very well in fact be depicting the same "alien figure".  The episode that I caught last night mentioned the similarities of gods throughout the mythos of ancient civilizations. 

The episode I caught last night were trying to lend credibility to the ancient alien theory by saying that many of the gods in mythologies were in fact aliens and the fact that many mythological gods were striking similar, were more than likely the same alien god.  This is a stretch in my opinion.  The show argued that both, Zues and Odin, were sky gods, both were the rulers of "all gods", both had epic beards, and Odin is a shapeshifter where as Zues could be symbolized with an eagle, and both fathered many children with "mortals"  Now check out their appearance.

Now don't tell me that these two do not look like twin bothers.  Considering that cameras didn't exist back in the day, we can only go by descriptions written on ancient texts but they're both described in a similar manner.

Now, I believe in aliens.  I believe that it would be naive to think that we are alone in this vast universe.  Somewhere out there, other civilizations are present.  I'm sure that some are more advance than ours and I'm sure that some are more primitive than ours.  Nevertheless, the law of averages say that they exists SOMEWHERE out there.  This show, Ancient Aliens, can provide some pretty convincing evidence.  Especially when you bring in artifacts and art work believed to be depicting aliens and UFOs.  But sometimes I think that the show reaches out on a limb, as it has with the theory of mythological gods being aliens.  Then again, what do I know.  I'm not the expert here.  lol  Take a look.  If nothing else, it's an interesting show and I always watch it when it comes on.  What do you think?  Aliens:  BS or real deal?  Later!

Is Poker the New National Past Time?

Hey there. The last few years, there has been a poker boom on national TV. It's almost as if there's a tournament always going on and the tournaments are being televised. I've also noted a lot more commercials for poker sites, such as PokerStars.com, getting repeated air play. Card games have been around since forever but is it time to take this poker boon seriously?

I've been playing poker since I was child.  The family would gather around a table and play 5 card poker or Texas Hold 'Em.  I learned the game from family and have been playing ever since.  I've never played in a tournament though and since I remember seeing in the commercials that they have free tournaments online, I decided to use a PokerStars Bonus Code to see how the online poker world works.  Fist off, there are many players so you'll never be sitting at a table by yourself and there are many tournaments that go on all the time.  The best part about those is that you can win a seat in the World Series of Poker Tournament and try your luck against the best of the world.  I think that's pretty awesome for nothing.  Especially if you're using a PokerStars Bonus Code. 

Now, PokerStars is a free site.  You do not need any money to play.  But for those of you that are curious and are high stakes players, here is a PokerStars Marketing Code you can use for some bonus cash.  I try hard to find coupons and codes online before I sign up for anything so I can help you guys out with what I find, I will.  lol  Best of luck friends.  Hope to see you at the upcoming tournament!  Later!

Belle's Bake Shop

Hey there. Yesterday I found out that a classmate (and band mate) of mine has recently decided to go into the bakery business, specializing in cakes. She's been doing it for years and family has finally convinced her of becoming her own boss and selling her cakes. Just check out some of the masterpieces she's created!

Cake is a white cake with strawberries and whipped cream filling.
Car is all rice crispies and covered in fondant.
Perfect for birthday parties.

Monkey and base (not pedestal) are made from rice crispies and covered in fondant.
Cupcakes are banana nut with buttercream frosting with a flower on top (made out of fondant) as decoration.
Perfect for baby shower themed parties

Doll's skirt is vanilla cake (this one doesn't have a filling).
Doll's entire dress is fondant.
Perfect for Sweet 16 or Quinceañeras

Pretty awesome, no?  She's not nationwide (yet) but if you're anywhere in the Los Angeles/San Pedro area, feel free to check it out.  She makes all her cakes from scratch and she's flexible when it comes to decorations.  She's very artistic and seems to be a master with fondant.  lol  Here's a personal message from the owner:

I make sweet treats to satisfy that sweet tooth!  All of my cakes are made with lots of care and love.  Any character or idea you may have I try my very best to mold it into a beautiful cake, cookie, or cupcake.  All orders are taken only by email please or messaged here. Prices do range on size and quantity, but I guarantee that I have the lowest prices you will find!!  Email orders to:  cuteyummycakes@hotmail.com

If you want to check out more from Belle's Bake Shop check out her Facebook page here.  Tell her Metallman sent ya!  Later!

Where Can I Get Cheap Printer Ink?

Hey there.  You know what the problem with printers are?  The ink.  Yup, the ink.  You can get a pretty good printer for about $40 now a days but high ink cost can definitely make it a high priced investment.  I remember having a printer where the inkjet cartridges were more than the printer price itself.  And this was just the standard black ink!  And it sucks because I've been contemplating going back to school but knowing that there is heavy duty printing involved, I think twice about the costs.  There are definitely high quality printers out there, it's just a mission to find printer ink in the cheap.

And it's not so much school work that worries me when it comes to printing.  We have thousands of pictures that need to be printed.  Going to our local store can cost a pretty penny when printing pictures from SD cards.  So the printer I get will definitely be one that would have great picture quality printing.  And if I'm going to print thousands of pictures, I'm definitely going to need some cheap ink. 

So what do you guys recommend?  Is there a quality printer that you guys use and how much do you usually end up spending on ink cartridges?  Or what should I expect to pay in ink per year?  Having a family, I'm sure that video game cheats, coloring pages, recipes, guitar tabs, etc. etc. would be printed on a constant basis so I assume that my ink usage will be a little on the higher side.  You thoughts, my friends.  Later!

What's Your Website Worth?

Hey there.  Have you ever wondered how much your website is worth?  You hear big numbers from some of the more popular sites but for us small time blogging folk, how would we be able to determine how much our small piece of internet real estate is worth?  I went on a mission to find out how much metallman.com is worth and let's check out some of the numbers.


Website Outlook
Estimeted worth of metallman.com is USD 13074.3 according to websiteoutlook (Not so sure how much faith I can put in a site that misspells Estimated)

Urlappraisal.net

Your Estimated Site Worth Is: $8,020.21  (Not bad, I guess. Let's see what else we get)

Bizinformation.org 
Metallman.com Valuation $465,795.6  (Whoa! Check please! Wait... Paypal only!!!)

Webarbiter.com
Estimated value of the metallman.com is 73912,5 USD (And apparently that's the equivalent of 21 camels!  lmao!)

Well... as you can see, if you check the wrong the site you'll think that your site is worth a fortune!  It's tough to gauge how much the site is really worth.  Especially when it comes time to sell your domain.  I wouldn't sell my domain (unless bizinformation sends that half a million to my paypal account right away!).  Once you start blogging and have been doing it for several years, it's more of a way of life than a hobby. 

So, tell me friends.  What sites do you use to check up on your stats, worth, and visitors?  I'm curious to see what sites are accurate and which are not. As much as I would LOVE to believe that this site is worth half a mil, I know it's not.  I would love to be able to find that one site that would be able to accurately gauge where I stand.  Where I would know, just for the sake of knowing, how much I could potentially sell this site if push comes to shove.  Let me hear it friends.  Later!

Motivational Monday - Exercise

And here I thought that the "forklift" was some kind of strength training

How Buffalo Wings are Made (per Maxim)

Hey there.  My wife sent this to me via text. lol This was in the Maxim magazine that we received in the mail. I knew that there had to be a secret to the making of buffalo wings but who knew that dragons, wizards, and beautiful virgins were involved!  Damn is this hilarious. Just another reason why I love Maxim magazine. Enjoy!

Kids Today

And I thought I was the only kid with a dark room and a spotlight...

Never Getting Out

But I bet he wasn't cold!

Buy A Wife at Target

Target is moving into the Mail Order Bride business

Working Out for a Better Me - Week 2

Hey there.  So the first week is in the book and I must say that I didn't go to the gym, or exercise, as much as I wanted.  I must have gone once or twice during that first week.  Week 2 started yesterday and I made sure to hit the gym that night, no matter what time.  That time ended up being closer to 11 pm.  lol  Anyways, here are my stats so far:

Height: 5'8''
Weight: 169 lbs (-2 lbs)
Waist: 36 1/2 inches (-1 inch)
Chest: 41 1/2 inches (-1/2 inch)
Left Bicept: 13 1/4 inches (no change)
Right Bicept: 13 1/2 inches (no change)

Not too bad for one week's worth of working out.  Then again, you really can't give much thought into those 2 lbs that I've "lost".  For all we know, they were flushed down the toilet (literally).  lol  The one stat that really made my eyes wide is the 1 inch loss from my waist.  Really?  I lost an inch already?  I don't know about that one.  I measure myself across my belly button.  I know.  I know.  That's the wrong way to do it, but because I can't really find my waist, I settled for a "landmark" spot to go over and my belly button was designated so called spot.  lol  And I know that it's only been a week but I'm a little disappointed that there was no change in my biceps.  Yeah, I know... it's only a week, but still.  It's like I said in my previous post, I feel like I'm driven by numbers if I see the slightest of change, I may be more encouraged to get more done.  So far my routine is as follows:

20 minutes of cardio (alternating between elliptical, bike, treadmill)
Circuit strength training:
40 (or so) reps of bicep curls, triceps dips, shoulder press, chest press, butterflies, and rows.

Now... my so called circuit training is quick, but to the point.  One thing I noticed about people at the gym is they sit around a lot.  There's too much resting between reps.  I try to eliminate that by resting no more than a minute between reps.  So I'll start off  10 curls on each arm, then rest 1 minute, then do 10 butterflies, then rest a minute and so on and so on.  I think this method will confuse the muscles more than sitting on a single machine and doing 40 or so reps before moving on for an extended period of time on another machine.  My last set is always more than I can lift and will do only as much as my body will allow.  It pretty much means that when I leave the gym, I leave feeling pretty damn sore.  If there's flaws in this method, do tell.  I want efficiency and I want to do it right.  I also have some dumbbells at home that I'll start incorporating into my routine.  Maybe adding a few more reps before calling it a night.  Let me know what are your training methods, if any.  Or if you just wing it, how is that working for you?  Hope to hear from you soon.  Later!

I Need a New Computer. Maybe a Dell?

Hey there.  I'm in the market for a new computer.  Ever since I can remember, I've owned HP computers and each and every one has gone down in flames.  Well... not literally in flames but I've either had to repair it many times or get it replaced.  I think I'm ready to move on from HP and maybe try a Dell.  I've stumbled across a few Dell coupons and I'm thinking that it may be time to give one a try.

First off, I need both a laptop and a desktop.  Why both?  Well, I don't feel comfortable letting the kids use the laptop.  I just feel as if there are more fragile than a desktop and if they were to drop it while messing around, there's more chance of it being a goner as opposed to a desktop.  I figured that stepping into a store would be best to try the computers and have hands on experience but the best deals are definitely online.  Just check out these  Dell coupon codes that I've found.  20% off, $250 off, 25% off...  There are some great deals there.  It's just a matter of finding the computer that's best for me and the family.

But I wouldn't be savvy without checking out different sites.  I want the computers but I want them at the lowest possible prices and I think I found the Dell coupon codes that I'll be using.  Especially when I can get free shipping AND money off.  I don't need much, but I don't want a crappy machine either.  Maybe I should just build one from scratch.  Nah... I don't want to hassle with finding the parts.  Hopefully, I'll be able to start working from bed very soon.  Later!

Finding the Perfect Location for Your Home

Hey there.  When we first started house hunting, we put some serious thought into whether or not we were going to stay in Los Angeles.  Not because we don't like it, but because the real estate here is so expensive.  We looked into some ocean side locations in San Diego, we looked into homes in the Orange County area, and we even went out of state and checked out the Sacramento area.  We ended up, in what is our home, in Long Beach, California but not after we did our home work and checked many places out.

When considering to buy a home, price is not the only thing you should account for.  Are you looking at a house as an investor?  Something that you plan on living in only for a short period of time before you are ready to sell.  Are you looking at a house as a permanent resident?  Someone that is not looking for a house but looking for a home.  A place where they can raise a family and live out their years.  It's something to definitely take your time to consider the options.

So, are you guys home owners? What did you guys take into consideration before saying, "this is the house for us."  I'm curious to hear if every one had that "this is it" moment.  It sure felt that way with us.  Let me know.  Later!

Motivational Monday - Valentine's Day Flow Chart

Yup, that sounds about right

Link says, "You Complete Me"

Last I remember, Link had like 20 heart containers!  Play on, playa!  Play on!

Motivational Monday - Valentine

Nothing says it better than a public display of affection

Real Life Mario Kart

Hey there.  This guy, Remi, is showing us that you can live the dream of being in your very own video game!!!!  Check out this hilarious video of him going all Mario Kart in the streets (and stores) of France!  lmao!  Enjoy.

Welcome to Facebook

Yeah... that sounds about right.  WTF!!!!  lol

Egyptian President Steps Down

Hey there.  I try not post news type stuffs on this blog, since I figured that the same story is posted just about anywhere else on the web, but this one intrigues me.  As you may or may not know, things in Egypt have been bad.  Very bad.  There is so much turmoil between the people of Egypt and their leaders that the people have turned to violence due to the authoritarian ways of their president.  Today, the president finally steps down and the military has taken power.  Can you imagine something like that happening in the States?  Where the people of the US say, "Screw you prez!" and marches, and protests are rampant throughout the States because the people are standing up to what they believe in.  I think that the police force would start taking advantage and use their authority to have their way.  I can imagine that police harassment would be up, similar to the stuff that went down in Orlando, Fl .  Imagine the military coming in and taking control?  That's just an insane thought to me.

I'm glad that the people of Egypt are rejoicing over their president stepping down.  It's good to see that the voice of the people still has a purpose.  What's awful about the whole thing is that the voice used was not only that of reason, but that of violence.  Congrats and best of luck, Egypt.  Your people have spoken, changes are being made and democracy is on it's way.  I hope that all turns out well for you.  Later!

Metallman's Reverie: Blog Income for January 2011

Hey there.  Blogging has not only become a good hobby of mine, it's also become a source of extra income.  I'm a gamer, I'm a techie, and I feel a little on the guilty side when I use personal funds on my gaming and techie needs.  Blogging has provided that extra funding and I am extremely thankful for it.  This is why I'm going to post on my monthly earnings.  So you guys can see first hand where I'm making those few bucks on the side and if you want in on it, please feel free to use the links I provide.  So let's get to it!

MyLikes - $8.03
Blogsvertise - $50.00
SocialSpark - $62.78
Personal Ads - $115.02
Total Income - $235.83

Not too bad for the first month of the year and it's definitely above pace of my $1700 goal for the year.  I received a huge boost from personal ads this month, which includes links, blogrolls, and ad space.  I have other income opportunities that I'm involved in that I didn't mention above and that's simply because I haven't gotten paid on them.  I don't want to include pending stuff since that's money that I haven't seen.  For you bloggers that haven't signed up for SocialSpark, you definitely should.  I have nothing but good things to say about Izea, Inc. and now that's they've added a referral service to SocialSpark, it's just another way that you could earn a few more bucks by blogging.  Also, Blogsvertise makes it easy to write about whatever you want as long as the link required is in the post.  This gives you huge flexibility on the topic to write about to make it flow with your blog.  It's definitely something you guys should check out.  And as for MyLikes, I like how easy it is to use.  You chose your "Like" and send a Tweet.  That's it.  And since you can link up to Facebook, you can easy earn cash with each click you receive. 

I strongly recommend you guys sign up for the above services if you haven't already.  Don't miss out earnings because you don't think you can.  There's some serious cash to be made from blogging and it surprises many people on how easy it is.  Hope you guys sign up and tell em that Metallman sent you.  lol  Best of luck!  Later!

Thoughts on Weight Loss Pills

Hey there.  You know, a few years back, my wife was in the market for some diet pills and was quite surprised by the variety of stuff that is out there.  There were fat burners, metabolism boosters, stuff hoodia, stuff with ephedra, etc. etc. It's not wonder that she pretty much just said screw it and just picked one, tried it, finished it, then tried a different one.  With so many choices, I can see how one can be confused as to what is best.  That's where you guys come in.

What are your experiences with weight loss pills or diet pills?  Good?  Bad?  What did you try and did you have any side effects?  I'm curious to know which ones worked and which ones didn't and I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only one out there wanting to know.  I don't think I can trust many "reviews" of products if they are not coming from blogs.  I think that some reviews may be manufactured by the product to make their product favorable. 

Working Out for a Better Me

Hey there.  So last night was the first night that I have gone to the gym this year.  I'm not a super hard core gym rat, but I know that once I start going, I'll be somewhat of a regular.  I also started keeping track of my "stats".  I'm a geek at heart and love numbers so I figured that if I added some stats to keep track of, I'll be more inclined to continue to better those numbers.  So here we go, these are my beginning stats:

Height: 5'8''
Weight: 171 lbs
Waist: 37 1/2 inches
Chest: 42 inches
Left Bicept: 13 1/4 inches
Right Bicept: 13 1/2 inches

There you have it.  I don't think I'm a big guy, but I'm not small either.  Waaaaaaaaay bigger than my stick thin 118 lbs that used to plague me before getting married.  I was wondering what would be an ideal weight for me.  Some have said 150 lbs, others say 180 lbs so I'm not sure exactly where I should be.  I just don't want to be huffing and puffing after a short sprint.  And I know I'm out of shape when 22 minutes on a treadmill was damn near the end of me.  lol  Here are those stats:

Over 200 calories burned over 22 minutes of running.  Not too bad, right?  I didn't want to go fast but I didn't want to be all slow either so I'm debating whether or not that average 4.7 mph is a little on high side for someone just getting into the swing of things.  I felt like I was ready to collapse on that treadmill so I toned it down.  Maybe I should be going closer to 4 mph? 

Another stat that I'm a little worried about is the 171 lbs.  Is that too heavy for some one of my stature?  Do I need to go look for some weight loss pills and if so, which ones would be the best weight loss pills for some one like me?  You know, some one that doesn't want to lose a ton a weight but just enough to lose the fat while the muscle builds.  I'll have to take a look into that since I'm not sure I want to take that route, but it's definitely an option. 

So what do you guys think?  Too fat?  I'll be checking on my stats every 2 weeks, maybe once a month and we'll talk about my progress.  I guess I should take notes on what kind of exercise I did too, huh.  I'll see what works best for me.  Later!

Super Bowl XLV is in the Books

Hey there.  I know, I know.  I'm late to the party.  The Super Bowl is now 3 days removed and I am just getting the chance to add my 2 cents to the whole thing.  The game itself was awesome, the halftime show was eh, and the commercials were simply hit or miss.  First the game:

The game was great.  I think that the NFL has had a nice 4 or 5 game string of awesome Super Bowls.  I believe they all were close in the end, they all had some sort of theatrics going on, and they all were decided by a single score.  This was no different.  The Steelers, even with their 3 turnovers, were in position to win the game in the 4th qtr.  Down by six point and possession of the ball, the script was written for Steelers QB Big Ben to march down the field and take the win.  But it wasn't to be.  Not this time.  Packers QB Aaron Rodgers played the best game of his life and earned himself the MVP and the Lambardi Trophy.  He can finally emerge from that huge Brett Favre shadow that has followed him ever since Favre left Green Bay.  Congrat to all your cheeseheads.  You guys deserve it.  Now, on to the entertainment.

Christina Aguilera botched the national anthem and the Black Eyed Peas are so outdated I'm extremely surprised they were chosen to play the half time show.  You would expect that Christina would practice the national anthem a billion times considering that this is the biggest of stages in all of sports.  She completely missed a line and added words to the song.  As for the Black Eyed Peas, I'm not the biggest of fan of theirs, but at least their light show was good and it was cool to see Slash on stage.  I feel as if the NFL has gotten the jitters when it comes to their shows and are playing it extremely conservative.  Ever since the "wardrobe malfunction" incident, the half time shows have not stood out like they used to.

As for the commercials, some companies got it right while others completely bombed.  I'm looking at you, Coke.  Really now?  Drink a Coke and you're dragon will start spewing fireworks?  What are you trying to say?  That was one stupid commercial and there was no appeal what so ever.  And considering that it was CGI, I'm sure it was a pricey mistake on your end.  One commercial that definitely got it right was the Volkswagon commercial featuring a young Darth Vader.  That one was awesome.  It was funny, intuitive, and all around fun.  Awesome job WV.  Awesome job.  Check out the commercial below.

All in all a good experience.  Can't complain about the product that the NFL has given us.  The game is as popular as it ever has and it has continued to produce awe inspiring performances.  Great job NFL!

On a side note, I want to give some thoughts on the whole thing being in Dallas.  There is no doubt that the stadium is awesome.  Top of the line, state of the art type stuffs.  However, Jerry Jones greed was a complete embarrassment to the league.  Jones wanted to break the NFL attendance record for the Super Bowl.  That records sits somewhere around 105,000 people.  Jones added extra seats to the stadium in an attempt to break it.  Sold the tickets and everything and then on game day, the fire marshall explained that they were not safe and had to be removed.  You know what that means?  That some 500 people or so were turned away from the game.  TURNED AWAY!  Can you believe that?!  You've just managed to get a ticket to the Super Bowl and have made travel arrangements, got a week off from work and what not only to be turned away at the gate.  What a HUGE black mark on what was an awesome day.  There was a letter that was handed out to those who were turned away but don't you think that letter would have served a purpose a few days before the game?  And even if they knew that they couldn't seat all ticket holders, they should have created an area where those that could not be seated could have hung out, watched the game, and still say that they were there.  The NFL tried to make it right by offering some $2500 to each ticket holder.  I just don't think that's enough.  In my opinion, that's just soul crushing.  Later!

Time to Hit the Gym

Hey there.  Yeah, yeah, I know... I sound like a broken record.  I'm going to gym, I'm going to work out, I'm going to be fit... blah blah blah.  This time I mean it!  lol  The only thing that I'm debating on whether or not I should go in the morning, or at night, and whether or not I should look into getting some kind of weight loss pills, not that I need them or anything, just as a little added boost. I've had my eye on those Slim 9 pills but I'm beginning to think that maybe they're for the ladies.  I'll have to check that out further.  A little added boost never hurt anyone.  Especially since the name "fat ass" has been lingering around me for quite some time now. lol

You know, I've never really been a gym rat, but there was a time a few years ago when I took the exercising thing seriously.  I've found myself to be a little out of breath and all so I'm looking to regain that composure.  I'm 28, I'm not old (I don't think) and I don't think that climbing up some stairs should warrant some deep breaths.  I'll take care of it though.  I'll post my results here.  I'll get started tonight or tomorrow morning.  I'm leaning more towards tonight because let's be honest, friends, I don't think tomorrow at 5 am is gonna happen.  lol  Wish me luck!  Later!

Busted Computer

Hey there.  Computer at work is busted and the IT people have no clue what's wrong with it.  From what I know, there's no viruses or malware, but someway, somehow, all my document's extensions were changed to ".Encrypted".  And the crazy part is that it's baffling the IT dept.  From what I'm being told, no one there has experienced anything like it and their best "guess" as to what may have happened is that I was a victim of a "drive by encrypting".  lol  As in, something invaded the computer, encrypted my files, and then deleted itself.  If that's really what happened, it sounds like it's just some plain old malicious stuff.  I don't see any gain whatsoever for the created of said malware.  All my files are encrypted and I cannot access anything.  Not even my archived Emails which is going to be a pain in the ass for me to recover from since, believe it or not, I still go back and look for Emails that were sent back in 2007 or so.  If it comes down that all the files are lost, the boss will definitely not be happy.

I'm going to get a "new" computer and start from scratch while IT find out if they can recover any of my stuff.  Best of luck with that, friends.  Have you guys heard of anything that seems to encrypt your files without warning???  Later!

Gold Box Deal on HBO's Hit Series Deadwood

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

Hey there.  HBO's hit series, Deadwood has their own Gold Box deal going on at Amazon.com  Can you believe it!  You can get the whole Deadwood series at such a steep discount.  It's only a one day deal so you'll have to move fast to snag your copy of the series before they run out.

Have you had a chance to catch Deadwood?  It's an awesome series that takes us back to the times of Jesse James and Billy the Kid.  The show lasted only 3 seasons but man did those seasons pack a punch.  There is definitely some strong language in the show and it always stayed true to the gritty ways that makes that time period so fascinating.

With all the sci-fi stuff on TV now a days, it was a great to see that a wild west themed show was as popular as the Deadwood series.  The show did an awesome job in drawing you in with the characters.  And it wasn't just about the cowboys.  The women of Deadwood added to the complexity of the show.  I, for one, loved how Calamity Jane seemed to steal the show with how great the character was portrayed.  In a time where males dominated, it was great to see a woman that could be as tough as the men.

The story lines were intriguing and if you haven' had a chance to catch the show, Amazon's gold box deal on the series is the perfect way to catch it non stop.  The show did end abruptly, but there's hope that the 2 movies that will tie up the show's loose ends will finally be made.  Catch this awesome show, friends.  You'll definitely love it.  Later!

Is Wrestling Real or Fake? You Decide

Hey there.  My brother led me to the below clip of some "professional wrestling".  If you ever wondered whether or not professional wrestling is real, this video will answer that question once and for all.

Note:  It's a slow loading video but man, is it worth it.  HAHAHAHA!

Bohemian Rhapsody: Muppets Style

Hey there.  The kids really have been enjoying Bohemian Rhapsody from Queen.  I would sing it at home all the time because that's just what I do.  lol  But since the song is featured in Rock Band 3, the kids have been exposed to it more so than usual and they've started singing it out of the blue now as well.  They are definitely Queen fans.  Especially my youngest daughter since she requests Bicycle Race all the time.  lol  Well, this one is for them.  I heard about this awesome rendition featuring the muppets and I had to add it.  Enjoy!

What Will You be Eating While Watching the Big Game

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

Hey there.  The Super Bowl is this weekend!  The unofficial American holiday of football fans everywhere.  Aside from the big game, fans everywhere will be hanging out with friends and enjoying their Super Bowl parties.  But what are you going to serve at the game?  This is not just any game where the standard chips and dip is going to cut it.  That's why I strongly suggest that you take a look at some of these Super Bowl Recipes to spice up your Super Bowl party.
Imagine that.  A Youtube channel specifically made to share some awesome recipes for the Super Bowl.  If you really want to impress your guests, I would strongly suggest to try out some of the dishes with the Green Bay or Pittsburg name attached to it.  After viewing some of the videos, I stumbled across Pittsburg Popcorn.  Check that out on the video below.

Another great dish that I stumbled upon is the Green Bay Mojo Shrimp Skewers.  These look so good.  Check that out.

You can't go wrong with any of the Super Bowl recipes that are shared.  It's all a matter of what theme you're going for and what tickles your fancy.  Be safe and have an awesome Super Bowl weekend.  Later!

A Friend in Chicago Needing Car Care

Hey there.  I have a friend that lives over in Chicago and all I hear is that the weather can be brutal.  If it's not the wind, it's a tornado.  If it's not a tornado, it's snow.  Right now, it being winter, she's had a tough time finding a spot to get snow tires installed on her Honda.  So I jumped online to see if I could help her find a Honda dealer in Chicago that would be able to help her out.

So once I find one that specializes in Honda Accords, I check to see if they have service and maintenance at an affordable price.  When driving in the middle of a blizzard, you want to make sure that you have the proper tires on your car.  Just check out this pic that was just sent today.

Yeah...  I'd say you'd need to make sure you have the right kind of tires to be driving in those conditions.  Considering that there's a special going on right now, she's going to take it and take advantage of the Winterization special.  Best of luck friend.  Me, being from sunny California, wouldn't know how to deal with conditions such as those.  Later!

The NFL is Coming Back to Los Angeles

Hey there.  It's been too long.  Way way too long.  The NFL announced this morning that a deal is in place for a new football stadium to be built in Los Angeles.  That can only mean one thing... THE NEFL IS BACK IN LA, BABY!  Here is a glimpse of what the stadium may look like:

The proposed deal is estimated to be worth approx. $700 Million over 30 years and AEG us at the helm of backing this thing up.  AEG is proving to be one of the powerhouses for Los Angeles.  They were involved in building the Staples Center and now they are involved in building what would be known as Farmers Field. 

Now this begs the question:  Are we getting a new franchise?  Or is an existing team coming in?  The Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers are extremely popular in the Los Angeles area.  I would even say that the fan base in Los Angeles is split 50/50 between those 2 teams.  Considering that those two franchises are close by, it wouldn't surprise me if one or both come to Los Angeles.  The Minnesota Vikings and the Jacksonville Jaguars have also been in the running to come to Los Angeles so those are two more teams that would be considered.

I would love for the Raiders to come back to Los Angeles.  Being a fan, I would love to not be have to drive for hours to catch them in San Diego or fly to Oakland.  It's exciting that the NFL is coming back to Los Angeles.  Now, we're in suspense as to which team will have the label, Los Angeles, in front of it.  Later!