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)

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!

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.

A Word From Naturegirl, My Freschetta Bamboo Cutting Board Winner

Hey there friends. I received this Email earlier this week from our latest winner, Naturegirl, and I have decided to share it with you.

"My prize win arrived this afternoon. You were so efficient in getting it out and the US mail was also efficient in delivering it! The cutting board looks very nice. It's heavy and I've never seen one that had the tool storage inside. I may give it to a friend who has an upcoming birthday, but on the other hand, I'd really like to keep it and use it myself. So, I have the feeling that it will be staying with me. I'll be going to the store tomorrow to check out the pizzas. It will be great to get a free one."

Metallman's Reverie is Now Facebook Friendly

Hey there.  Notice anything different?  No, I didn't get a hair cut!  I have added a nifty Facebook Like button on the bottom of the posts!  It was a pain to get it done but I thought that I needed to get with the times and have a Facebook like button to connect more with my readers.  And not only that, but I've also created a Facebook Fan page for Metallman's Reverie!  How awesome is that?!

Blogger Still Not at 100% and Posts are Missing... Is Jason Behind this Firday the 13th Mayhem?

Hey there.  As many of you may have noticed... Blogger had been down for approx. 16 hours or so and it's still not 100% back up.  After checking the status of Blogger, I find out they had to "temporarily remove" posts that we posted after 7am Wednesday morning.  I noticed that something was wrong yesterday when I could not log in to leave comments on other blogs.  That's when I decided to log on my own to see if it was just select blogs that were having issues or if all blogs were having an issues.  When I couldn't log on because the "service was not available",  I was upset.

The first thing that came to mind was the whole PSN hack thing.  I wondered if there was an "unauthorized user" roaming the Blogger servers creating havoc.  I quickly dismissed that idea, though.  I don't think there would be anything to gain, other than being malicious and posting your own stuff.  Then I got a little upset.  I usually have scheduled posts lined up for Funny Fridays, but that's not gonna happen since I can't browse the internet today for Friday funnies.  Then it hit me...  IT'S FRIDAY THE 13TH!!!!  Is Jason behind all this Blogger mayhem???  Did he finally trade in that machete for an ultra fast Alienware laptop???  hahahaha!

"I'm done slashin' and started hackin'!" - Quote from Friday the 13th: Jason Infiltrates CampCrystalLake.com

Anyways, it looks like Blogger is back up and running but posts are still missing.  I guess it's better to be able to continue with the service but I really hope those missing posts come back soon.  I also began to wonder what happened to my give a way poll (PS3 game) and how many potential comments I may have lost.  Well...  as long I didn't lose ALL of my posts, I can't be too upset and it's not like it was down for almost a month before getting any material news on the service.  C'mon Blogger, get those posts back up!  Later!

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!

Helping to Find a Good Web Host Rating

Hey there.  I feel good today.  Why?  Because friends consider me a "online veteran."  lol  Not that I've dealt with wars or anything of that sort online, but because I'm in the blogging game and friends and family come in and ask questions about how to get started and how much work is involved to maintain a small following.  Just last weekend I was talking to a cousin that wanted to start their own business and came to me to ask about domains and web hosting. 

I made it pretty simple, I told her that she could start online for free with many free blogging and web design  platforms but I strongly recommend that she go out get her own domain and then look for a good web hosting site.  She needs something cheap and easy and after a quick search, she may end up going with Web Hosting Hub.  Looking their rating, it seems like the perfect fit for someone that's just starting out.  It's seems easy to navigate and it's cheap. 

I know that I'm not an online guru, but I like that people come for me for advice.  It tells me that at least some people think I know something about something.  lol  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!

The Green Latern Arrives in the Metallman Home

Hey there friends.  How awesome is it that I was chosen to participate in this great promotion!  I arrived one day from work only to find these 2 great toys waiting for me:

How awesome is that?! That is the Green Lantern Colossal Cannon and Kilowog!  The boys were definitely thrilled with receiving new toys.  They started playing with them immediately and that's when I knew that this is definitely a toy that they would bond over.

The Colossal Cannon definitely got more attention that the Kilowog action figure.  Even the though the action figure came with it's own Green Lantern Power Ring, it couldn't convince the kids to drop the cannon to play with it.  lol  The only problem that I had with Kilowog is that when you attach his green, glowing attachment to his arm, and raise it, there was no way for his to stand on his own.  That was a huge downer since it made him seem weak in the heat of "battle".  lol  My young one would use him to fight with his other action figures and by him standing without his power made him an easy target for defeat, or so he said.  

My boy:  "Dad, it sucks that Kilowog can't stand with his green power thing.  If he's the Green Lantern and can make anything with that ring, maybe he should have made a cane to keep him up."

Kids...  lol  Once we figured out that he can stand with the attachment if we keep his arms down, the kids started to line him and others up for target practice.  The Colossal Cannon is a great toy.  At first glance, I thought that it would be a projectile shooting gun with the potential to hurt people.  Thankfully, the discs that the cannon shoots seem to glide though the air as opposed to being blasted out.  That is a huge plus!  The gliding motion minimizes risk of injury and the cannon has enough power to send the discs a good 15 feet or so.  The discs are made of plastic but are not heavy at all.  As my oldest son practicing his shot, my youngest son would run around picking up the discs.  I even caught my youngest daughter taking aim at Kilowog!

Kilowog the action figure is just that, an action figure and would be a great addition to a child's army of heroes.  The Green Lantern Colossal Cannon is an awesome toy that will bring much fun and excitement to kids.  I greatly recommend you guys check them out!  To find out more about these and other great Mattel toys, head on over to Mattel.com For more information.  Thank you, Dad Central Consulting, for the opportunity!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of Mattel and received Green Lantern toys to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

I Think I'm Ready to Branch Out

Hey there.  I picked up the game for the monthly give a way last night (which will be posted shortly!) and my son was pretty excited about the game that I'm giving away.  He was hoping that it was for us to keep until I told him that it wasn't.  That's when he decided that he was going to enter the contest himself in order to win it for himself.  lol  After I explained to him that he can't win cause he lives in our house, he went on to say that he's going to get his friends to enter so that if they win, he can play the game there.  lol  Kids.  I told him to go for it, and that's when it hit me...  His friends love games and I like to give stuff away so I think I'm going to get some personalized pens to give out.  It would be awesome to have small tokens to give out that will have the Metallman name on it.  I think something like this would be awesome.  It matches my logo colors and it looks pretty cool.

It's been a long time coming.  I want to have t shirts made too, but I still need a logo.  Something a little more modern and something a little more catchy.  I'm still in the market for a good one so if you know anyone that can create one for me, send em my way.  Once I get that done, I was thinking of making some custom envelopes so especially made for the winners of the monthly give a ways.  It would be awesome to be able to send out prizes with style.  I was able to find good prices at Amsterdam Printing so I'm thinking of going with that.

What are your experiences in having your name out there in real world?  Did you provide pens, pencils, business cards, etc. etc.?  I would love to get the name out there but I know it would be foolish to do something grand without a grand following.  What do you think?  Suggestions are definitely welcomed.  Thanks!

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!

Do Your Hosting HW with Web Hosting Geeks

Hey there friends.  You know, when I was searching for a domain name, I also went on the hunt to find a good web host for my blog.  Most you know that I already have a difficult time with change but the domain one was an easy choice.  Metallmans-reverie.blogspot.com  Really?  That's too long and there's a hyphen in there.  I needed something quick and easy.  Metallman.com was available and I jumped on it.  Then it was time for the web host.

I went through many a web hosting directory and I couldn't find what I was looking for.  A great rating system, easy pricing guide, features, etc. etc.  Not until I found the Web Hosting Geeks site that I was satisfied with a directory that showed everything that I needed to make a wise decision.  Just take a look at this Fat Cow review.  It has everything you need in a very organized star rating system to assist in your web hosting decision.

As for me, I'm still being hosted by Blogger.  The domain change was an easy decision... the web hosting, not so much.  I've gotten used to the layout and how Blogger works that jumping ship may make it difficult for me to learn how to use and get accustomed to a new host and layout.  Then again, I might do something crazy one day and just do it.  If that day were to happen, at least I'd know where to look to make sure I don't make a dumb mistake and over pay for web hosting!  lol  Later!

Monthly Tech Stuff Giveaway is Here

Hey there.  So I mentioned in an earlier post that I was going to do a give a away for you guys since I am now venturing on my 4th year of blogging and I have just come up with an idea.  Believe it or not, the local Target has some awesome stuff on clearance ALL THE TIME in the electronic section.  I always snoop around the games and what not to see if there is something that catches my eye.  Just this weekend, I saw a stack of PS2 bundled with the game Toy Story 3 on clearance for like $80.  PS2 on clearance!  I couldn't believe it.

So I have decided.  I'm going to pick out an item from that clearance section every month (around the 15th or so) and give that item away to you, my readers!  Who knows what it'll be.  An iPod case?  CD?  DVD?  Headphones? A game?  Game console?  Blu-ray player?  Who knows.  I just know that I'll stop by and pick something up and display it here as the item of the month to win.  Rules?  Here goes:

Open to US and Canadian friends only.  Give-a-way will run from the 15th of the month until the end of the month.  The winner will be announced shortly after the give-a-way ends.

Earn entries by:

Comment on the post of the giveaway (+1 entry)
Share on Facebook (+3 entries)
Share on Twitter (+3 entries)
Share on Google Buzz (+3 entries)
Subscribe to my feed (+5 entries)

I think that should do it, no?  If sharing on FB, Twitter or Google Buzz, please advise via comment so that I can verify.  Info will be displayed via sticky post linking to the original post until the end of the give-a-way.  Once all entries are in, I'll select a random winner using random.org and contact them for shipping instructions. 

Thanks for hanging around for 3 years!  Now, you shall be rewarded with random stuff on a monthly basis!  lmao  Stay tuned for the first item up for grabs!  Later!

Happy Blogaversary - 3 Years Completed. Year 4... COMMENCE

Hey there friends.  3 years are in the books.  3 full years as a blogger.  Wow!  Actually, the anniversary was yesterday, March 13th, but I didn't have time to post something then. I do want to let you know that I am planning a give a way this month.  I'm leaning towards shipping out a video game to one my readers in the states.  I'm not sure which one, but stay tuned and find out which one.  Also, I wanted to "come out" on that day.  No, not like that.  But come out in the way were I can no longer stay "anonymous".  It's kind of pointless now.  For those that are new to the site, you simply know me as "Metallman", a moniker that has been with me for well over a decade now.  For those of you know that have come to know me beyond the site, know me as Victor, or Vic. 

You know, when I first started this blog, I figured that I would be another random voice in a sea of tech.  I've learned the names of friends while others stayed in their online persona.  Now, with Twitter, Facebook, and what not... it's more and more difficult to keep that online persona a secret so instead of keeping that charade going, I'd figure I'd just come out and say it.  My name is Victor Salazar and I live in Southern California. 

I'll admit that I was pushed to come out by another blog that I frequently visit.  When I stopped at the "About me" section of it, I noticed that this "Cheap and Geeky" friend used an online moniker but then decided against it.  I told myself that it would be harder to stay anonymous than to get personal with your readers and that was when I decided that I should just lay it out there. 

I am not only Metallman online and I am not only Victor everywhere else.  I am both so I don't mind either one.  So how do you feel about the whole "coming out" thing?  Is it something that you would feel comfortable doing or something that you would still like to keep to yourself?  I'm curious to know if you've come out already, plan to come out any time soon, or stay anonymous.  I'd love to know if there were any changes that you've made over if you did come out.  Share your experiences, friends.  Later!

I swear I had this conversation with a blogging buddy once

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!

What's Going On

Hey there.  March 1st, that's today.  It is exactly 12 days away from finishing my 3rd year of blogging.  I can't believe that it's been close to 3 full years already!  I  was thinking of maybe doing some kind of give a away.  Maybe a game?  Maybe some cash?  Maybe some kind of prize?  I don't know just yet.  I've been thinking about it, I've just haven't decided what it will be.  Any suggestions?

Best workstation ever!

On a side note, I just wanted to fill you guys in and what's been going down on my side of computer.  My geek side has been pretty busy.  I unlocked my cousin's iPhone last night, I am working on fixing 2 more PS3s, and I have an XBOX 360 coming my way later tonight for me to take a look at.  I'm sure my wife is not thrilled about it.  I'm one those people that gets a little geeked out by this kinda stuff and will spend hours non stop working on all things tech. My wife made a comment to my cousin and his wife how she should dress up as some broken tech device so that I would pay attention to her.  lol 

Things on the blogging side have been going well.  Just not as well as I would like.  I managed to get the computer at home working but I haven't been working much at home.  My time online has been tight and I manage to churn out a post or two.  I need to get on the ball with that and spend some more leisure time on improving my online stats.  I've also made a conscience effort to provide more comments on blogs.  I've been horrible at letting know that I've stopped by so that's being improved upon.

Midnight snacks are the best!

Working out has been good to me, I guess.  I missed my exercise check in last week (damn time restrictions) so I'll make sure that I have one in this week.  Most likely be done tomorrow or Thursday.  I don't feel as winded as I have before and the wife says that there is some subtle differences in my body.  But, I don't know if I'm helping the cause by having ice cream at midnight.  lol

I also had a so called "man date" this Saturday with the compadre and a friend.  That adventure will be detailed in an upcoming post.  lol 

I know I'm forgetting some stuff but I'm sure that'll just come to me later.  So what's going on with you, friends?  What's new in the life of you?  Hope to hear from you soon.  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!

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!

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!