Motivational Monday - Cosplay

She's no Amy Bloom, but she sure is up there!

The True Meaning of Deja Vu

Whoa!  This just blew my mind!

iPod... I'm Your Father

US Senator Dianne Feinstein on SOPA and PIPA

Advocate for the people???

Hey there.  It looks like the internet and it's users won the battle against PIPA and SOPA last week.  That doesn't mean that the war has been won.  We need to stay on top of our elected officials to speak up for us and fight for our right to free speech.  Because I participated in the great "internet black out" on Jan. 18th, I made sure that my senator heard from me when I signed the online petition.  US Senator Dianne Feinstein heard my voice and responded with the below Email:

Not All of Them About Zombies: A Book Review

Hey there. I need to read more. I haven't read a good book since my last attempt to read literary classics. I bought 2 books that I have read and love, Siddhartha and Cather in the Rye, and that was about it. Now that there's a Kindle Fire in the house, I'm going to try this reading business again.  I think it's great that you can borrow books to read if you're an Amazon Prime member and I'm hoping to get some reading done using the service.  The first book up for review? Not All of Them About Zombies by Matthew Rowe.

Not All of Them About Zombies is a collection of short stories. The short stories range from humorous to horror. At 196 pages, it is a pretty short book that can be finished in a single sit through. Even though the stories are short, they are thought provoking and the absolute best part of the book is the introduction. It gives a glimpse of Matthew Rowe's train of thought of how the story came to be. It gives you that insight that makes you want to read the stories to see how they panned out.  I found that after reading the short introduction, I wanted to skip ahead to check out the story.  What twist did he add?  How was his interpretation of a thought was a conveyed?  What spin on a classic tale did he use?  The only problem that I had with the introduction is that all of the stories introductions were grouped together.  It would have been better if the intro were to be placed right before the story.  This would avoid having to go back and re-read the intro before reading the short story, like I did for each one.

Motivational Monday - Giants vs. Patriots Superbowl

Is Eli the Manning that Brady just can't beat?

Name Your Game Giveaway

Hey there.  Dragonblogger Technology Blog and Metallman's Reverie have teamed up to provide you guys a chance to win a game of YOUR CHOICE!  That's right!  The winner of this giveaway will be able to choose a game of up to $59.99 in retail value.  How awesome is that!?!  Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC, Nintendo 3DS...  the platform and game is completely up to you!  And the best part about this giveaway???  EVERYONE can enter!  The only catch is that if you are entering from an international country outside of the US and Canada, we will wire you $59.99 via Paypal so that you can go and purchase the game.  Shipping costs vary widely and in some instances, they exceed the game value so this is a great alternative to allow everyone to enter.

Big Daddy

Bless the stars that it's not Big Sister sitting there, guy

Can of Whoop Ass

Earn Amazon Gift Cards with Swagbucks

Hey there.  I recently became a member of a new site in hopes of earning a few bucks to spend on Amazon.com.  I've been rewarded with a few Amazon gift cards and I love the fact that you can enter the gift cards at Amazon and it will keep a running balance of the gift cards that you redeem.  Once you're ready to check out, it automatically deducts what you have available BEFORE asking for alternate form of payment.  How awesome is that?!?!  Anyways, Swagbucks has been the answer that I looking for.  Earn swagbucks for searching the web, answering surveys, participating in daily polls, participating in Twitter Tuesday, etc. etc.  You redeem your swagbucks at their store for some pretty awesome stuff.  I'm not going to lie, I'm in it solely to redeem Amazon gift cards!  So.. why the need to let you know?  Because I recently was accepted into their blogging program so I can now let you know about their upcoming events!  If you haven't joined yet, you definitely should check it out.  Here's what's in store for next week!

SAY NO Releases 7 Tracks on Their Secret Page

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of SAY NO for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hey there.  I'm all for music.  I'm a fan of many genres, the heavy metal/rock & roll variety is my favorite, so when a musical act decides to try something a little different, I'm all for it.  The recent trend of big name artists has been releasing a track, or even a whole album, to the public for free downloading.  I think it's great.  Why not?  A small thank you to the fans that have made you millions.  Will it really hurt to provide us with free tunes?  On the contrary, I think that those gestures of gratitude will actually increase fan loyalty.  I'm more than willing to support a band that is willing to give us a taste of their music for free.  How else are we to determine whether or not we like it?  This is why I'm in support of the band SAY NO.

Colts Peyton Manning Calling It Quits?!

Hey there.  The NFL has been good to me.  It has brought me many great times with my brother and I'm happy to see that those great times are now including my son.  His love for the game is increasing with each year and I'm thankful that we all got to experience our first NFL game together.  Throughout the years, I have seen great players come and go.  Barry Sanders, Joe Montana, John Elway.  At the same time, I've seen perennial busts.  Ryan Leaf, JaMarcus Russell, Akili Smith.  But you know what?  That's why I love the game.  You just never know who will emerge a star and which ones will fall like no other.  So when word gets out that one of the greats is thinking retirement, the sports world listens.  Peyton Manning has been plagued by neck injuries.  He's had like 3 or so neck surgeries in a little over a year.  It doesn't take a doctor to say that playing in the NFL after so many surgeries on the neck may not be the best of ideas.  Recently, the Indianapolis Colts have cleaned house.  They have fired couches and executives and there is speculation that Manning might be next to go.  With the Colts holding that #1 pick, Andrew Luck could very well be on his way to Indy.  And if that's the case, what's to happen to Manning?  If we are to believe Rob Lowe, yes... that Rob Lowe, Peyton is planning on retiring.

Strike Against PIPA/SOPA. The Day the Internet Went on Strike.

Hey there.  Users of the internet are one of the most diverse groups to be ever found.  Angry users, funny users, serious users, working users.  Bloggers, journalists, game addcits, shopoholics... the list goes on and on. It would be amazing if something where to be able to bring this vast group to stand as one.  It's a task that would seem to be impossible.  Well... today... it happened.  Internet users and websites everywhere are taking a stand and striking against the proposed SOPA/PIPA bills that will soon be voted on by Congress.

Metallman's Reverie Has a New Look

Hey there.  Notice anything different?  No!  I didn't get new glasses!  It's my blog design!  You like?  My good friend at The Amazon Addiction made it for me.  I was in dire need of a new look and though I'm a fan of black and white, the site just needed an overhaul... and it needed it badly.  So now I have buttons, share buttons, some color, and nice scheme that works well for me.  I'm pretty damn happy with it.  I may be tech savvy and what not, but I just don't have much of the know how to mess around with the html code and get something like this done.  I feel that if I tried and spent the time on it, I would be able to do it... but I can't even find the time to play Modern Warfare 3, let alone screw around with some html code.  lol

Catherine Game Giveaway

Who wants to win Catherine for the Xbox 360 or PS3?!?!?! Enter below using the rafflecopter widget for you chance to score one of the best games of 2011. Also, before I get to the description, a special thanks to The Amazon Addiction for making the new Metallman's Reverie blog template. To show some thanks, you can gain some additional entries by following The Amazon Addiction on Twitter, FB, and Google +. Now... back to the game!

Dead Island Game Winner

Hey there!  It's time to announce the winner of Dead Island!  This giveaway has been the best turnout ever for this site and I am extremely grateful to all that have entered.  There were many tweets, likes, and blog posts and I must say that it was pretty cool to see such heavy activity.  Now... before I announce the winner, just a quick reminder.  If you leave a blog post, you must include the blog post link in the extra info field.  If it's not there, I can't verify and that's 10 entries that were stricken from Rafflecopter.  Sucks to say, but I had to remove a few entries because a url was not present.  Now... on to the winner!

Motivational Monday - Payback

Sometimes... you need to watch who you step on to reach your goals

Does Tebowing Work?

I used this one because it has the Raider logo in the back

Hey there. We've all heard it.  We've all seen it.  If you have a pulse and know anything about sports, then you're now familiar with who Tim Tebow is and the craze that he has started.  Yup.  I am talking about Tebowing.  It's a very simple gesture.  You get down on one knee, bow your head, and place your forearm across your forehead as if you are in player.  Of course, Tebow actually is in prayer when he does it since he's made it clear to everyone what a devout Christian he is, but every one has been Tebowing in the same fashion as planking.

Kat Dennings and 2 Broke Girls

This, my friends, is Kat Dennings

Hey there. Who is this Kat Dennings character? I recently started watching the TV show 2 Broke Girls with the wife and she seems to be fascinated by Kat Dennings.  When word got out that she was to be in a new sitcom, the wife was intrigued and needed to watch it. Me, finding ways to spend more time with my wife, decided that it would be a good idea to watch it with her. I know Kat Dennings from the film Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist and that was pretty much it. Until recently, I haven't given much thought to her. But now that I'm watching 2 Broke Girls on NBC, I find myself intrigued by her and the show.

Reducing the Glare From Your Glasses

Great picture of my son and I...  but it would
 have been better if that glare was gone!

Hey there.  I wear my glasses all the time.   And I mean, ALL THE TIME.  lol  I only take them off when I shower and sleep.  I just can't see without them and when I can't see, it frustrates me.  So I simply will keep them on to avoid that.  But because I keep them on all the time, especially during sports activities, they end up breaking more often than not.  At one point in my life, I must have been going at a rate of 2 pairs of glasses a year.  Anyways, because I always have em them on, I tend to have plenty of pictures with glares on them.  Annoying, right?  I know that there have been more than a few pictures where everything was perfect except for those bright lights where my eyes should be.  It can be quite annoying to take several pictures to avoid that dreaded "glasses glare" in pictures.  What I need to look into are these new oleophobic lenses that will reduce glares on lenses!

Mini Moo Cards are Awesome

Hey there.  Look what I got in the mail!!!  My moo cards!!! How awesome are these!  Because I'm considered to be influential by Klout, I was selected to receive a free set of 100 mini Moo cards.  And you know what... I couldn't be happier with them!

I've been wanting to start the new year with a new outlook and a new direction for my site and you can't start off any better than with a new set of business cards.  There will be some changes in Metallman's Reverie in the coming weeks, which will include a blog overhaul.  But right now, let's take it one step at a time.  Check out my brand new Moo cards!

Express Scripts No Longer a Part of the Walgreens Family

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

Hey there.  You know, when you have kids, it's almost a given that sometime during the year, you will be off in the middle of the night looking for an open pharmacy to get some medication for your your little ones.  It's inevitable.  I remember this particular time, a few years ago, when my young one had a nasty cough and we couldn't get it to calm down.  I was on the phone, calling pharmacies at 1 am in the morning trying to find one that was open.  Even though there were many 24 hour stores open, the pharmacies would be closed.  When I found out that my local Walgreens had a 24 hour pharmacy, I was off to consult the pharmacist.  Thankfully, the pharmacist pointed me to right medicine and I was able to help our young one get better.  Coincidentally, my prescription meds were covered by Express Scripts at the time.  If needed, I would have been able to get any prescribed medicine at the same Walgreens if I were to need it.  Why bring up Express Scripts?  Because Walgreens and Express Scripts could not agree on a contract and because of it, as of Jan. 1st, 2012, Walgreens will no longer be a part of the Express Scripts pharmacy provider network.

Disney Universe Game Winner - Tiffany

Hey there.  One of my recent winners provided this awesome pic of their new game!

Congrats once again, Tiffany!  Thank you for the picture and thank you for entering my monthly game giveaways and I hope that you'll continue to be a part of the growing group of friends that enter monthly!  Feel free to stop by her Google Plus page to say congrats!  Later!

The 2012 NFL Wildcard Playoffs

Hey there.  Wow.  Did you see that?!  If you don't know what I am talking about, you must not have caught the NFL Playoffs this weekend.  We had some miraculous throws, hard hitting tackles, blow out wins, and some close games.  The game of the weekend was definitely the Denver Broncos vs the Pittsburgh Steelers.  The heavily favored Steelers were looking to roll past Tim Tebow and the Broncos.  Other games included the Lions were looking to stop the NFL record setter, Drew Brees and the Saints, there was a battle of rookie quarter backs going on between the Bengals and Texans, and the Giants were looking to show they belong in the playoffs in their game against the Falcons.  Let's get to the action!

Win a Kindle Fire and More at Dragonblogger.com

Hey there.  Who wants a brand spanking new Kindle Fire?  My good friend, Justin, gave away Amazon's Kindle Fire Tablets to 2 lucky winners in last month's contest.  Because everyone seems to want one, he decided to host another one!  But he's teamed up with New Trent and a New Trent IMP78B Imperial leather Case Cover and a New Trent Fimir Anti-Glare Screen Protector are being thrown in!  And just because Justin is a nice guy, he's also going to include the uRex DVD Ripper Platinum software so that you can convert your DVDs into MP4 files.  The Kindle plays MP4 files so this is a great complimentary software to get movies loaded up on your new device.  Contest ends at the end of the month!  I strongly suggest you go over to Dragonblogger.com and check it out.  OR...  You can enter the contest right here on Metallman's Reverie!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Kindle Fire Giveaway contest hosted by Dragon Blogger technology blog is made possible in part by these awesome sponsors and you should pay them a visit and thank them!

Sponsors:

Can't wait until the end of the giveaway to get your hands on this awesome device?  For under $200, the Kindle Fire is an affordable answer to the expensive iPad series!  Check it out!

Final Fantasy XIII-2 Collectors Edition

Hey there.  There are few games that I pay full price for.  There are even fewer franchises that I am willing to shell out extra for the limited edition or collectors edition.  Final Fantasy, however, is one franchise that I would definitely spend the money on a collectors edition. When I ventured into Gamestop a few weeks ago and saw that I could reserve my copy of Final Fantasy XIII-2, I just had to do it.  Recently, I learned that you can upgrade your reservation to the collectors edition!  I NEED THE COLLECTOR'S EDITION!!!

Metallman's Reverie: Blog Income and Traffic Report December 2011

Hey there.  December is in the the books and it's time to report on how well on (or off) pace we are in reaching my $2500 goal for the year. Let's take a look at the numbers:


SocialSpark - $38.95
Dad Central - $105.00
Blogsvertise - $10.00
Sponsored Tweets - $26.05
Payperpost - $34.50
Total for December - $214.50
YTD Total - $2,629.95 (+$129.95 ahead of pace)

Renew Your Energy with Zipfizz Healthy Energy Drinks

Hey there.  Like millions across the world, I have started the new year with some goals in mind (I refuse to call them resolutions).  The one that I'm primarily focused on is my goal to be more fit.  I'm not fat, well, I at least I don't think so, but I know that I get a little on the tired side when I shouldn't.  For example, walking up stairs.  lol  I'm been working out on and off throughout last year.  I even did the Insanity workout for a few weeks.  Yup... weeks.  lol  Anyways, I find myself needing some energy during the day.  If you don't have the proper fuel for your body, you will drag during your workouts.  Trust me, I should know this.  I've tried quite a few energy drinks and my current favorite are the Rockstar drinks.  But that doesn't mean I'm not willing to try a new one.  The latest energy drink that's on my radar?  Zipfizz!

Starting the New Year with Fitness

We're doing what now?!

Hey there. 2012 is upon us and while many people have decided to start some new resolutions, I've decided to continue one that I've been working on for a few years now. I know that many new year's resolutions die by the end of the month so you need to see them as what they are, goals. I plan on kick starting my exercise routine and the wife actually provided the jump start tonight. As of last night, 5 mile walks will be taken nightly.

My wife has been taking walks while I'm at work but I need to get off my butt and get as active as she is. Last night's 5 mile walk kicked my ass. Lol. I haven't been to the gym in months but I've managed to do some push ups here and there but it's simply not enough. I think I was at about 180 lbs for a short time but thinking back, I don't think it was a healthy 180 lbs.  While walking (and really it's more like a slow run), I began to feel the burn in my legs after 15 mins! Wow! That's some real bad cardio on my part. I'm really looking forward to these walks. Aside from the health benefits, I'm looking forward to spending some alone time with the wife. It's tough to find time to ourselves with a full house. Yeah, you parents out there know what I'm talking about.

So what are you guys planning to do differently this year? What resolutions have you tried? Did you succeed or fail? Let's hear it, friends. Later!

Help Patients Across the US by Becoming a Traveling Nurse

Hey there. You know, I used to make fun of a friend of mine for wanting to become a nurse. It may not sound like a big deal, but he's a guy wanting to become a nurse and I had the mentality that females should be nurses. I know, I know. I'm horrible.  I was young and ignorant.  After meeting up with him after several years, he opened up to me about why he wanted to become a nurse.  He felt that it was his calling after seeing a nurse take such great care of a loved one.  It's a great story and it made me realize how much nurses are needed.  The doctors may get all the glory but the nurses are the ones doing the ins and outs of taking care of a patient.  That's why I suggested he become one of those traveling nurses.  Not familiar with the term?  Let me explain.

Dead Island Game Giveaway

Who's ready to kick off 2012 with another game giveaway!!!  I know you're ready!  Let's do this!  The next game up for grabs is Dead Island for the Xbox 360, PS3, or PC!  Here's some info on the game:

The island of Banoi is a lush, tropical paradise in the South Pacific where its flagship Royal Palms Resort serves as the ultimate getaway for vacationers with money to burn. However, all good things must soon come to an end - and the picturesque resort falls into madness, carnage and chaos after a mysterious and contagious zombie outbreak claims its once peaceful atmosphere. Cut off from the rest of the world, only four individuals who strangely find themselves immune to zombification have the power to protect the remaining survivors from the horrors of the island, discover what's really going on and find a way to escape before their own fatal ends.

Disney Universe Game Winner

Hey there.  It's time to announce a winner!!!  The great thing about the Rafflecopter widget is that will announce the winner for me on the widget.  I think it's great!  It makes it very easy for me to contact, Email, and announce the winner.  So the winner of the Disney Universe Game is...

a Rafflecopter giveaway TIFFANY!!!  You are my winner.  You have until January 6th to respond or I will be forced to pick another winner.  Thank you all for entering! For the first time we registered over 1000 entries making this game giveaway the most successful to date!  Let's start off 2012 with another giveaway!  Stay tuned.  Dead Island is next up!  Post will be up shortly!!!  Later!

Welcome 2012

Here's to a great 2012

Hey there. Happy new year, friends! I hope every one had a great time last night and everyone was able ring in the new year safely. Today is going to be an eventful day. I have a winner to announce and a new giveaway should be going live real soon. I am also testing out the blogging ability Amazon's Kindle Fire. It's not great, but it'll do. I have been able to do most of the functions that I can do with a computer so I can't complain. I do needless to type using two fingers but I think I found a good rhythm and able to type with respectable speed.

Not bad friends, not bad at all. Later!