It's Rum Time! Celebrate Life's Good Times with Puerto Rican Rum

This post brought to you by Rums of Puerto Rico . The content and opinions expressed below are that of Metallman's Reverie.

Hey there.  Did you know that Puerto Rico is known as the Rum Capital of the World?  I sure didn't.  I also didn't know that Puerto Rico has been distilling the spirit for over 450 years.  I wouldn't doubt it if the rum was there during some of history's most celebrated moments.  Maybe Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla toasted after bringing electricity to the homes of millions.  Maybe it happened, maybe it didn't.  But what if it did?  Well, now we'll know! Well... sort of. History.com and Rums of Puerto Rico have teamed up to bring you an original series: RUM TIME!  Rum Time imagines behind the scenes celebrations and after parties of historical achievements.  It will provide insight about the rums of Puerto Rico while giving interesting facts of the achievement.  Let's take the invention of the light bulb for instance.  Check out the first episode of Rum Time to get a better understanding of series.

Taking on the AeroLife Energy Challenge

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

Hey there.  Every year, many of us make resolutions for the New Year.  "I'll eat better, I'll cut off eating fatty foods, I'll exercise more."  Those are just some of my resolutions that I've had in years past and I'm proud to say that I've stuck with them... mostly.  =oP  Anyways, this year, I told myself that I need to take an even closer look at my overall health.  I like to think I'm relatively healthy, I exercise and I eat well, but I know I could make better health choices.  One of those changes that I'm looking to make involves coffee.  For those of you that know me, I LOVE coffee.  But you know what... I drink too much of it.  That afternoon cup is not necessary.  Plus, coffee stains my teeth.  What about energy drinks or shots?  Forget it.  I don't want to have energy shots or drinks.  They have just as much caffeine as coffee and may come with adverse side effects.  No thanks.  I need something that is quick, easy, and effective without any negative side effects.  Enter AeroLife Energy.  Never heard of it?  I'm going to let you in on a little secret...  I haven't either.  That is, until I received a product sample!  Now trust me when I say this, I will never forget the AeroLife Energy system now that I have tried it.  Let me tell you why.

Online Writing Jobs You Can do at Home

Hey there.  You know, with Halloween and the holidays coming up, I found myself going online and getting stuffs more frequently.  You want to know how much of that I paid out of pocket?  Practically none of it.  Why is that?  Well, because I have an online job that is pretty damn awesome. I've been in the blogging game for well over 5 years now and throughout those 5 years, I have tried many things to find a way to provide my kids with what they deserve.  I've been fortunate enough that I have been in the blogging game for over 5 years so I've been able to provide extras for them AND spend time with them.  I know that there are many of you out there that do not have that luxury.  Whether it be because you are a traveling salesman or you simply want to add a little extra income without having to get a 9 to 5 job.  For those of you that are in those fields and want to stay home and spend more time with your families, you may want to think of finding extra ways of making some money.  Accepting some online writing jobs may be just what you need.  The best part about it is that there are countless possibilities for you make your fair share of money online and allow you to stay at home.  Just look at what I was able to do with my website.  Humor, parenting, technology, reviews, video games, movies, giveaways...  you name it, it's probably in here somewhere.  And because I have such a wide range of topics, I am free to write about practically anything.  That freedom has provided me with opportunities... money making opportunities...  money making opportunities that I will share with you guys looking to stay at home.  So, if you are looking stay at home and are looking for ways to make some money on the side, then you need to check out these top online writing jobs that you can do at home.

#FellowesInc 73Ci Paper Shredder is Awesome

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

Hey there.  I work in an office where we do a lot of paper documentation.  Whether it be sensitive financial information or a conversation that was had with a bank or customer.  Practically everything gets documented, printed, and placed in a file.  When you think about it... that's a lot of paper.  In our office, there is a paper shredder and let me tell you... it simply cannot handle all the shredding that we do.  It's constantly out of commission.  Whether it be overheating, "something" got jammed in there, or the most dreaded of all, a paper jam occurred and we all have to wait until a technician shows up to fix it.  It's a pain in the butt when the shredder no longer works.  How I wish we had a Fellowes 73Ci Paper Shredder!  This is thing is simply amazing!  Here's why!

Google Adsense Account Disabled

Hey there.  When I first started this blog many moons ago, I looked around for ways to earn a few extra bucks from it.  I remember getting my feet wet in programs like ProjectWonderful and CMF ads.  When I learned that it could all be so easy if I just signed up with Google AdSense, I did and it was great.  I remember earning close to $30 my first month and I was pretty excited about that.  I told myself that my blog is still a nobody site and if I were to have better than decent traffic, my Google AdSense earnings would multiply!  Then... just like that, my account was disabled.  WHAT!?!?!?!  I was extremely disappointed.  I appealed but I got nowhere.  And the worst part is that they do not offer you an explanation.  They simply state that they cannot provide any details at this moment.  I do not like that answer.  If there is something wrong, whether it's my fault or not, I would like to know!  How else am I going to fix the problem?  Do I have offensive material on my site?  Did an inappropriate ad display on my site?  Were there invalid clicks?  Tell me what was/is the problem?!?!  I never found out.  Fast forward close to 5 years later and I reapplied for Google AdSense.  After another site review, I was accepted!  Oh happy days are upon us!!!  Then... 2 days later, my account was suspended...  AGAIN!  WHAT!?!  And again, for reasons unknown.  What really upset me this time around, though, was that my site was reviewed and got the OK from Google Adsense a mere 2 days BEFORE being disabled!  If there was something wrong with my site, why would they OK it only to disable it a mere 2 days later???

Malware Warning! IZEA Media Ads Cause 1,000s of Websites to be Flagged by Google

Hey there.  If you have stopped by my website anytime within the past 24 hours, you may have gotten a message saying that my website may contain malware and it may be dangerous to view my website.  Rest assured that if you proceeded to my site, you were NOT infected with malware.  There was no malware hosted on this site.  The problem?  The IZEA Media Ad block that I was running in the right column.  Turns out that an advertiser purchased a spot in the ad block from IZEA and somehow, someway, that advertiser managed to get through the IZEA screening with some kind of malicious code on their ad.  In effect, Google flagged THOUSANDS of webpages running the IZEA Media Ad block as hosting  malware, causing that red warning screen.

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)

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

Hey there.  November 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 - $52.00
Dad Central - $30.00
Blogsvertise - $15.00
Mylikes - $1.06
Total for November - $98.06
YTD Total - $2,415.45 (+$123.78 ahead of pace)

Metallman's Reverie: Blog Income and Traffic October 2011

Hey there.  October 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 - $50.00
SponsoredTweets - $30.02
Dad Central - $100.00
Blogsvertise - $10.00
Dragonblogger - $10.00
Mylikes - $1.99
Total for October - $202.01
YTD Total - $2317.39 (+$234.06 ahead of pace)

Metallman's Reverie: Blog Income September 2011

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


SocialSpark - $76.35
SponsoredTweets - $26.01
Dad Central - $75.00
Blogsvertise - $41.50
Total for September - $218.86
YTD Total - $2115.38 ( +$240.38 ahead of pace)

Metallman's Reverie: Blog Income August 2011

Hey there.  August 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:


SocialSpark - $62.85
SponsoredTweets - $26.65
PayPerPost - $43.00
Dad Central - $250.00
Blogsvertise - $40.00
MyLikes - $2.11
Total for August- $424.61
YTD Total - $1896.52 (GOAL EXCEEDED!!! New Goal - $2500)

Metallman's Reverie: Blog Income for June 2011

Hey there.  June 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 - $1.44
CMFAds - $1.88
Sponsored Tweets - $30.01
DragonBlogger - $19.12
Dad Central - $100.00
Blogsvertise - $89.00
SocialSpark - $66.50
PayPerPost - $31.00
Total for June - $338.95
YTD Total - $1271.36 (+$421.36 ahead of pace)

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)

Metallman's Reverie: Blog Income for April 2011

Hey there.  April 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 - $9.74
DragonBlogger - $9.41
CMFads - $1.88
Blogsvertise - $132.00
Total for April - $153.03
YTD Total - $652.65 (+$85.98 ahead of pace)

Not too shabby, my friends.  I'm glad that I'm still exceeding my monthly goal of $141.66, even though it's just barely.  I'm still disappointed in my lack of participation in dragonblogger.com.  It's an awesome and I've been given an awesome opportunity to be an author there but I just can't seem to capitalize on it just yet.  I have been dealing with some personal issues and it has eaten up my time to write articles.  I have been fortunate enough to be offered what I like to call "insta-post" and that's what's keeping my name on DB.com at the moment.

I am a little disappointed that I didn't cash anything out for Izea for April, but those funds will be cashed out in May which will make May a pretty good month.  I also received a huge offer from an unexpected source so I'm hoping that May will be the best month of the year so far.

The giveaways have been going great.  Because I'm made my fair share of money from this site, I've been giving a monthly prize away to my readers.  I'm hoping that you guys are enjoying that and take as a big thank you for stopping by and reading. 

So there you have it.  My online source of income revealed!  It's not much to toot about but hey, it's better than nothing.  Was thinking of using some of that money for some Lakers finals tickets.... but that rant is for another time. lol  Feel free to check out my affiliates at the links above and hope that you'll be able to make some spare change online the way I did.  Later!

Are Pro Accounts on Sponsored Tweets a Red Flag for Izea, Inc.?

Hey there.  I'm a big fan of Izea, Inc.  They have opened the doors for me to make some money while blogging and sending out tweets.  I have nothing but sincere thankfulness for them.  With that being said, the fact that they are now offering "pro accounts" on Sponsored Tweets is alarming.  If a monthly fee, you're twitter account will get this neat "pro account" symbol attached to it and will be pushed up the queue, ahead of basic accounts, when advertisers are looking for potential tweeters.  I understand that it's an optional service and it's not necessary, but the fact that they are offering it raises some red flags for me.

First off, I don't see the need for pro accounts.  At least on the outside, Izea is doing wonderfully.  Their many platforms are alive and active within the online community.  It's hard to find an online entity that is not associated with one of the many services that Izea offers.  So the fact that they are trying to squeeze out money for pro accounts tell me that 1) Izea is not doing as well as we think they are or 2) they've turned into a bunch of greedy bastards.  lol  I doubt it's the second one since they've all been more than awesome when I've spoken to them, so I'm more inclined to say it's number 1. Then again, it could be that the company is expanding and is looking for extra income to fund upcoming projects.  I don't know, but I'm not so sure if the pro account thing is the way to go.

I've always looked for Izea to come up with fun and innovative ways to make it easy for average Joes, like myself, to make some money online.  I really don't want to hear that Izea may be having some funding issues.  I'm hoping that my observation is wrong and that they're doing it only as a means to further fund their expansion not because they are strapped for cash.  Especially when you consider the amount of online companies that did not make it.  I hope you guys know what you're doing and the same fate doesn't come down on you.  Later!

Metallman's Reverie: Blog Income for March 2011

Hey there.  March 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 - $13.14
DragonBlogger - $13.96
Sponsored Tweets - $23.00
Blogsvertise - $97.50
Total for March - $147.60
YTD Total - $499.62 (+$74.62 ahead of pace)

Not too bad, right?  I managed to make a little more than my estimated monthly average of $141.66.  That increased my YTD total to stay on course to exceed my $1700 goal for the year.  Blogsvertise continues to be my bread and butter and it may finally take Izea's spot as my top sponsor.  I am still getting offers from Izea, but I haven't hit the cashout mark just yet.  Also, I am happy that I have earned a few bucks from my articles on DragonBlogger.com but am disappointed that I missed the 4 article quota (yet again) for the month to earn a percentage of the income that is earned from the site. 

Overall, another solid month for Metallman's Reverie.  YES!  It is possible to make money online!  It's not easy, but it's definitely possible.  And because I've been able to be semi-successful at blogging, I started a monthly give a way.  I just shipped out the first prize today and stay tuned for April's prize.  Also, I'm thinking of revamping my logo/avatar.  Maybe modernize it a bit.  If you guys know anyone that is willing to make a new Metallman logo for me, send them my way.  I'm willing to pay cash or free advertising (maybe both?) depending on the quality of the design.  Thanks friends for all your support!  If you are blogger and looking to make a few bucks, check out my links above and check it out for yourselves.  Tell them that Metallman sent ya!  Later!

Metallman's Reverie: Blog Income for February 2011

Hey there.  February 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:


Yahoo Contributor Network - $1.85
CMFAds - $2.25
MyLikes - $5.84
DragonBlogger.com - $17.00
Sponsored Tweets - $25.25
Blogsvertise - $64.00 
Total for Feb- $116.19
YTD Total - $352.02 (+$68.69 ahead of pace)

Not too bad.  I failed to meet the minimum of $141.66 this month but my good January definitely carried me into the plus side this month.  I am trying some new things to see if they'll increase traffic and income and I was pleasantly surprised that I received a payment from YCN.  They'll pay based on impressions so for every 1000 page veiws, you'll get paid $1.50.  I have not been as active as I would like but it's nice to know that someone out there is still reading some of the articles I published there.  I also received payment for my work on Dragon Blogger.  My first payment there and I'm hoping that more will follow.

Overall, a solid month.  I fell short by only $25 so that's not too bad.  I'm trying things out and doing well in the online community.  If you believe that you're ready to try out some of online services that I use, check out the links above.  Tell them that Metallman sent you.  lol  Best of luck!  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!

Metallman's Reverie: Blog Income for 2010

Hey there.  2010 is gone and we are kick starting 2011 with last year's income report.  A common question that I get asked is, "How do I make money online?"  The answer I usually provide is, "With a lot of work!" but to be honest, that hard work is not to make money, but to build an audience that will actually visit your site, providing you with that opportunity to make money through ads, page views, and sponsored posts.  Once you've managed to have a small following, then you can turn your focus on earnings.  Here's some of the highlights (and lowlights) of my year:

• October was my best month.  Total income that month was $161.37
• May was my worst month.  Total income that month was $2.80
• IZEA, Inc. (Sponsored Tweets, SocialSpark, Payperpost) was my my biggest money maker.  Total income for the year was $563.76.
• Mylikes was an up and coming earner for my Twitter account.  I started using it in June and made $110.01 for the year.
• Blogsvertise was an up and coming earner for my blog.  I started using it in October and made $187.00 for the year.
• Total income totaled $1,074.95.  Well short of my goal of $1,500.00

All in all, I want to deem 2010 a disappointing year.  I made approx. $1,200.00 in 2009 and was hoping to increase that by a modest $300.  I believe that I would have exceeded my goal if I didn't have a few months where I was out of sync with my blog and didn't post or work as much as I should have (I'm looking at you, MAY!!!!).   However, I am excited about a few opportunities that have opened up to me.  Especially, the spot I have earned as a writer on DragonBlogger.com.  I have three articles written there and my quota is 4 a month.  It's tough to get it done when you don't have a working computer at home!!!  But I'm excited about it and I need to get the ball rolling on that. 

So there you have it.  A total of $1,074.95 made from my modest, little blog.  Not bad, no?  Short of my $1,500 goal for the year, but that's not stopping me from increasing my goal yet again.  $1,700.00 for 2011!!!  Whoo hoo!  Let's do this!  Thanks, friends, for making it happen.  Later!

IZEA, Inc. Introduces WeReward

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

Hey there friends.  IZEA has done it again!  From the guys that brought you SponsoredTweets and SocialSpark, they bring to you WeReward.com
The innovative way to earn rewards to do the things that we love to do best, go out and enjoy the town!

You simply Download the App via iTunes or your iPhone and browse for tasks.  WeReward will display tasks that can be done within your neighborhood.  If you're in the mood for sushi, you can browse the tasks on the application for participating sushi locations.  You take on the task and then you eat at the location.  Snap a pic of yourself enjoying it and rate the establishment.  That's it!  This particular task could be worth, let's lay, 500 points.  Where 1 point is equal to 1 cent. So technically, you just made $5 eating lunch.  Sweet!  And you can cash out once you have accumulated 1000 pts ($10.00)  After hanging out and accepting tasks, you'll have enough points to convert them into cash (paid via PayPal) in no time.  It's really that easy.  Going to the movies?  Look for a task.  Amusement park?  Look for a task.  Shopping at your local retail chain?  Look for a task.  And since you can't take a pic of you eating a movie ticket (unless you're that kinda person, lol) you can snap a pic of your receipt as proof of your visit.  This would also be considered as "checking in".  This is one of the only user generated communities where people, just like you, are rating the same establishments that you're about to check out and you know that the reviews are legit since they will be verified by the iPhone's GPS record and the photo that you take.  There is no hearsay, these users actually went there to check it out!

So, what would you need to cash in?  Well, first and foremost... the application is only available for the iPhone so you must have one of those.  The account will also need to link to Twitter or Facebook so an account there will also be necessary.  Lastly, since we are in a tech savvy world, you will need a PayPal account to get paid.  That's it!  It's free to check out so why not Download the App and check it out.  With over 15 Million businesses involved, you're definitely going to find a task available in your area or a retail store where you can check in too!  Now go and get those rewards!  Later!