AM2Con is This Weekend, July 1st - July 3rd

Hey there.  The Anime, Music, and Manga Convention is being hosted at the Anaheim Convention Center this weekend!  3 full days of nothing but put pre awesomeness.  If you guys are in the Los Angeles area this weekend, you should consider making the trip to Anaheim to check this out.  The convention is free to everyone but there are certain activities and shows that you will have to pay for.  Many of the exhibits, workshops, and events are free so there really isn't a reason why you wouldn't want to stop by.

JoyStick Division Sends Metallman an E3 Swag Box

Hey there.  I recently entered a contest at Joystickdivision.com and was randomly chosen as the winner!  Hell yes!  I've been reading Joystick Division for quite some time and I know that they started having weekly giveaways.  One of the more recent type of giveaway is their "Mystery Box" giveaways, which are pretty awesome.  They'll put all kinds of random stuff in a box and you leave a comment saying you want it and take a stab at what's inside.  Many of the commentors have gone off the deep end and will leave some pretty crazy and funny comments and it's always a good laugh to see what they say.  Well, I ended up winning the latest mystery box and low and behold, the great haul that I have won!

Women That Rock Weekend

Hey there.  We need a night out.  The wife and I have semi-survived the first week of summer vacation and we already need to reward ourselves with a night on the town.  Before we can start planning what we should do, the comadre sends us this:

David Levi - From Soccer Player to Poker Star

Hey there.  You know, poker has grown into a serious sport these last couple of years.  Is it fair it call it a sport?  I guess, right?  Anyways, I've been watching my fair share of poker on TV, especially the World Poker Tour Championship. It churns out some real intense moments at times and even though you'll find the poker greats all over the tables, you'll spot a celebrity or sports figure as well.  One that has started to make a move is David Levi.

Motivational Monday - Immortality

Whoa...  Is this why you're so sad, Keanu?

Attention All Geeks! Use Geek Alerts for All Your Geeky Needs

Hey there friends.  I'm a geek at heart.  I love all things tech, I'm the "computer guy" of the family, I play video games, and I love geeky movies like the Cube series.  So when I stumbled across Geek Alerts, I knew I found a new home to satisfy my taste for all things geek.

Hebrew is Read from Right to Left

A team of archeologist are excavating in Israel when they stumble across a cave with the symbols of a woman, a donkey, a shovel, a fish, and the Star of David on a wall.

The head archeologist looks hard at the drawings and proclaims that he has figured out the meaning. He points to the first drawing and says, "The woman indicates that these people were family oriented and held women in high esteem. The second drawing, the donkey, indicates that these people were smart enough to use animals to till the soil. The shovel indicates that they were able to forge tools. The fish indicates that they were great fisherman. The last symbol, the Star of David, indicates that it was the Hebrew that left us this message to decypher.

All the archeologists nodded their head in agreement, except for one. He raised his hand and said, "Sorry to correct you, sir. But Hebrew is read from right to left. This actually says, "Holy Mackerel! Dig the Ass on that Chick!"

That Sick Bastard

I sure hope I never have to endure such torture!

A Review of www.branders.com

Hey there. This year has been a banner year for www.metallman.com.  Income is up, promotional opportunities are up, readership is up, and pageviews are up.  Everything is pointing in the right direction!  So I've been thinking of small ways to keep the readers engaged and coming back and I think that a few promo items would be good.  I've expressed interest before in branching out and getting some promotional items for the site. Nothing too fancy and nothing too pricy. Just a little something that I can give away to my readers, friends and family. I decided to start off small and then see where that takes me.

The Local Baseball Team DTK (Down to Strikeout)

Hey there.  So it's happening...  I'm on a local baseball team.  I'm still not 100% how it happened but I'm glad it did.  I've been feeling a little slow lately since I really haven't been exercising much, but since I've committed to the team, I've picked it up a bit.  I've been hitting the batting cages with my son and bro, working on that eye hand coordination, and even tossed a ball a bit to work on glove mechanics (or whatever the baseball lingo is).

The Rise of American Soccer in the United States

Hey there. I love sports. I'm also Mexican American. So when both countries end up going against each other, who should I root for? It's a common dilemma for many Mexican Americans out there. My parents were born in Mexico and I in the US.  I'm a first gen American in our family.  You want to root for both countries. You want to go show pride and acknowledge your roots but you also want to show pride for the country of opportunity. Why the question? Soccer. Yup. Soccer. lol

Finding the Best Price for Your Old Cell Phone

Hey there.  What are your experiences with recycling your cell phones?  I've heard of the service before and even some big name chains are beginning to offer recycling service but I don't think I know anyone that has actually done.   Friends and family usually just hand down their cell phones to family. A cousin of mine makes a living selling cell phones and I'm not sure that he recycles them. Well, I decided to look into it, since I have a few old cell phones that are collecting dust in my closet.  The best that you can hope for is getting money back for your old phone.  Especially since they can be so expensive.

Jackass Star, Ryan Dunn, Dead at 34

Hey there.  News broke out this morning that Jackass star, Ryan Dunn, was killed in an early morning car accident.  Many didn't believe it.  Especially in this digital world where anything said via Twitter or Facebook can spread like the plague.  False stories of celbrity deaths seem to be the norm nowadays.  Unfortunately, that was not the case with Ryan Dunn.  It's been confirmed and there are pictures floating around the web.

Motivational Monday - Father's Day

Vader takes "forcing" to whole new level

Lands End New Mesh Polo Shirt Winner

Hey there. It's time to announce a winner of my Lands' End new mesh polo shirt! It was a giveaway that ran for a few short days but we had 55 entries! Not bad, friends. Not bad at all. Now, I'll use random.org to decide the winning comment. And that number is...

The Best Pet Hair Remover: The CarPET

Hey there friends.  As most of you know, I'm a proud owner of 3 dogs.  My mini poodle Odin, my chihuahua terrier Lucy, and their young one Lacy.  Even though they spend most of their time outside, we like to let them in the house from time to time and they just LOVE to hang out on the couch.  Wait... did I say hang around???  It's more like, roll over, jump, drag, and pounce all over them.  lol  I swear, it's as if they see the couch as a doggie jumper!  I like seeing them play and be happy.  What I don't like is having to clean up all the hair that they leave on the couch.  And since they all have white hair, it's very noticeable on our dark couches.  The short hairs really get in the upholstery so even after I vacuum the cushions, I still find hair every now and then.  But guess what... my good friends at Wicked or What offered me a solution... the CarPET!

Great Father's Day Gift Ideas at Walmart

Hey there.  Father's Day is near!  What have you picked up for your pops?  Nothing?  Oh man... No worries, I'm about to show you some pretty awesome stuff that you can pick up at your local Walmart for your dad!  But before getting into that, let me tell you of a time before iPad 2's and Blackberry tablets.  I'm talking about the 80's where a VCR was the main tech attraction.  You see, I was born in 1982 and I only had my dad for 9 short years before it was time for him to move on from this life.  I didn't get the chance to shower him with some of the awesome technology we have today.  Most of my gifts for dad included hand drawn cards and pasta encrusted creations.  Sincere, loving, and always from the heart.  It would have been cool to grab my dad a GPS navigator (we got lost a few times... I know that for a fact) or an awesome big screen TV for the big fight or game.  Even though he's no longer here, this Father's Day, I will be getting my pops a gift, it just won't be of the tech variety.  And kids... I know you're reading this.  Use this post as the "Unofficial Daddy's Wishlist".  lol

June 2011 Giveaway: Epic Mickey (Wii)

Hey there friends. The fans of Metallman's Reverie have spoken! Here is the game that you guys chose for this month's giveaway:

So how do you win this awesome game for the Wii?  Here are the rules:

Metallman's Reverie: Blog Income for May 2011

Hey there.  May is in the the books and it's time to report on how well on (or off) pace we are in reaching my $1700 goal for the year. Let's take a look at the numbers:

Mylikes - $8.84
Sponsored Tweets - $25.75
Sponsored Reviews - $100.00
DragonBlogger - $23.67
Dad Central - $50.00
Blogsvertise - $71.00
Total for May - $279.76
YTD Total - $932.41 (+$224.08 ahead of pace)

My New Mesh Polo Shirt from Lands' End and Giveaway

Hey!  I look good in blue!

Hey there.  You know what's great about an awesome polo shirt?  Besides the colors...  lol  It's the fact that they have this boyish charm that also conveys class.  You can go to a formal and nonformal event in a polo shirt and no one will think twice about it.  They're nice enough to wear at an evening party and they're good enough to wear during your stroll through the park.  You really can't go wrong with wearing a polo shirt!  But you can't go around wearing any old crummy polo shirt.  You definitely need to try on one the new mesh polo shirts from Lands' End.

Look for Extreme Discounts with Penny Auctions from Bidrack.com

Hey there.  We all like great deals, no?  I'm not the best at scoring deals but I know that I simply no longer pay full price for anything.  I always seem to find an online discount, coupon, or sale for pretty much anything.  I figure that a small discount is better than no discount.  But I'm tired of saving just a few bucks.  I want to save big on big ticket items.  Or at least have a chance to score something big at an insane discount.  That's where bidrack comes into play.

Motivational Monday - LeBron James

What We See... What Kids See...

Shark Comic

They are a lot smarter than we think...

Taking Up a New Hobby

And it's gone!

Hey there.  I am in need of a hobby.  Not just something where I can lounge around at home and do, but something that will get me outdoors and move around some.  I am still on a mission to be more fit, but I'll be honest and my workouts have been sporadic.  There is no routine, no consistency, and quite frankly, little to no motivation.  But you wanna know something that does motivate me?  COMPETITION!

P&G Family Movie Night! Field of Vision on NBC This Saturday, June 11

Hey there.  One the best things that you can do is sit and watch a movie with your family.  I've done it many times.  Where it be a feel good, heart warming movie or a history based flick.  It's a great way to start up a conversation with your kids and take in their thoughts on the situations in the film.  Don't pass up the next opportunity to talk to your kids.  P&G Family movie night is this Saturday, June 11th on NBC at 8pmET/7pmCT!  The film is Field of Vision and I've been fortunate enough to get a sneak peak!  Trust me, it's one that you definitely want to watch and discuss with your kids, especially since it confronts the problem of bullying.  There's been enough press on bullying that this movie is premiering at the right time to make an impact on our youth.

Kristen: Our Assassin's Creed 2 Winner

Hey there.  I received this from my recent winner, Kristen!  She was the lucky one who won the Assassin's Creed 2 PS3 game.

Thank you for the awesome pic, Kristen!  Kristen also runs a blog with many awesome giveaways.  Make sure to check out her blog, Wishful Thinking 247.  Her blog also has a fan site, make to fan Wishful Thinking 247 at Facebook and tell her Metallman sent ya!  lol  

Thanks again, Kristen!  Hope you enjoy!  The next game giveaway will be posted on June 15th.  Become a fan of Metallman's Reverie on Facebook and have a chance to vote for which game you want!  Later!

Nintendo Drops the Ball with Their New Console: Wii U

Hey there. I just wanted to get my initial reaction down before going in depth.  Nintendo really dropped the ball here.  Their new console, the Wii U, is meant for the more hard core gamers while retaining their youthful fans.  Most third party devolpers will provide games that are already available on PS3 and Xbox 360 for the Wii U but I cannot see how it will appeal to hardcore gamers.  Nintendo has the reputation of "child's play" and it will be difficult to shed that and if this was their asnwer for the hard core gamers, it is an epic fail.

Experience Buying a Home

Hey there guys.  You know, we've been in our home for about 4 years now and a question that we get asked a lot is how difficult is it to get a home?  I usually answer that it's a different expereince for everyone.  People with an awful credit score and no money will have a more difficult time securing a home than those with an awesome score and lots of cash on hand.  Our experience wasn't a bad one, but it wasn't so smooth either.  I didn't have the best of credit and becuase of that, it took awhile to get pre-approved.  We needed to show that we were more than able to pay for the mortgage.  And on top of that, we had money in the bank to show that we had some cash saved for a rainy day.  All in all, I'm sure that if I were to have had a better credit score, the process would have been easier and we would have saved a lot more money in interest.

Motivational Monday - Male Vs. Female Brain

When we dance, Batman NEVER comes to mind!  It's usually a Ninja Turtle.

Thinking of Promotional Items for Metallman

Hey there.  So I've been on a mission to overhaul this blog.  I spent some time thinking about my layout and I've decided that I really need an expert to come in here and change things up.  I need a new logo and I need something to pass out to friends and family.  I realized this weekend that a business card would be cool.  My comadre and a friend both had business cards that they were passing out at a party and I figured that it would have been cool if I had something to pass out as well.  Well... for one thing, I'm considering getting custom printed envelopes since I've been mailing out games to my winners.  Custom pens also have been considered.  I told myself that everyone needs things to write with so I can just throw a pen in the envelope as a thank you.  Just a few ideas that I have been toying around with.

PSN Attacked Again! (05.18.11 Post Update)

Hey there. The Playstation network has been attacked again!  This morning, once everyone was beginning to feel all warm and cozy over the mass Emailing that Sony sent out to their customers, the hackers got to work and infiltrated the "new and secure" PSN.  Now, the service is down while Sony works on fixing it.

Excess Baggage

If only it were that easy

Family Trip to SeaWorld

Hey there.  I haven't had a chance to catch up with you guys over what went down this Memorial Day weekend.  I decided long ago that we were not going to stay home this weekend and we were going to have ourselves a good time.  I toyed with the idea of taking the family to Las Vegas, Disneyland, and LegoLand, among many other places but due to high entry prices and/or road trip time, I crossed many of those places out.  In the end, I managed to grab a great deal (buy 1 get 1 free) on SeaWorld admission.  BAM!  We were soooo there.

What Are You Getting Your Dad this Father's Day?

Hey there.  Father's day is less than 3 weeks away!  Have you managed to snag that awesome grill he's been eyeballing?  How about that brand new set of golf clubs?  Silk ties?  Great looking slacks?  Nothing?  Anything? Oh man...  You better hurry.  Before you know it, the big day will be here and you'll be caught empty handed.  Fear not!  For we have something awesome called the internet!  You don't need to go into a brick and mortar store to get dad something great.  You can browse online through hundreds of shops and save money on gas.  And... as an added bonus, you can use online discounts and coupons.  With all the "coupon craze" going on right now, everyone is looking to find a great deal no matter where they shop and shopping online is no different.

May 2011 Give-a-way: Assassins Creed 2 (PS3) Winner

Hey there friends.  We have 31 friends that all want this game and they registered 124 entries.  Thank you contest gods!  lol  I  created a spread sheet to keep tabs of everyone who entered and how many entries they received.  Here's a small snippet of that:

I  then jumbled the names of the entrants to randomize the selection  process.  I will use random.org to select a number for me and that  number will represent the winner.  So here goes! And our winning number is...