Get a Life Podcast Ep. 1 - The One about Multiplayer and Arcades

Hey there! Who's excited? I'm excited! Welcome to the first ever Get a Life Podcast here at Metallman's Reverie! Brian and I had a blast recording the show and I really hope you guys love it.  We are working on getting a logo created for the podcast and we are also working on getting some intro music created.  Once we get all that together, we'll jazz up the podcast a bit.

Get a Life Podcast Coming Soon to Metallman's Reverie

Hey there.  It's time.  I'm ready to make an announce.  Trumpets please!  Brrrrr brrr BRRRRRRRRR!  We are starting a PODCAST!  Whoo hoo!  And the name of said podcast???  Get a Life!  lmao!  Who's excited?  I'm excited!  I say we because I will not be alone in this new project.  I've been thinking of changing things up here, at Metallman's Reverie, at first thought that maybe some video posts would be a welcomed change.  After doing my guest spot on the DragonCast on Dragonblogger.com, I decided that I wanted to start a podcast.  One day, while chatting it up with one of the cohosts of the DragonCast, Brian, we thought it would be a great idea to start a podcast where a couple of guys sit around and discuss video games.  Now... this is not going to be a straight forward, information only, type podcast.  There will be no scripts involved and the converstations to be had in regards to games, their impacts on our lives and the impact that they have on the gaming community, will completely be had on the fly.  In other words, this podcast will be about a group of friends, with different personalities, just chatting away and throwing their 2 cents on what's going on in their world of gaming.  The only thing that will be missing is the couch and few beers.  lol  What's not to like?

Wanderer Thoughts Vol. 1 Poetry Book Review

Hey there.  Do you know why poetry is so awesome?  I'm certain that the question may be answered with many different responses.  And that, my friends, is the reason why poetry is so awesome.  Poetry is art as words.  The same way a painting can have different meanings to different people, a poem can convey that same effect.  Words can be a powerful medium.  The author can use a set of words to not only create a meaningful composition but use those words in such a way that the meaning can be whatever you interpret it to be.  That's pretty awesome, if you ask me.  But what if the author is restricted by certain words?  Can you imagine an artist creating a beautiful visual using only a set amount of colors?  Justin Germino, the author of Wanderer Thoughts Vol. 1 did the equivalent of that.

Justin collects words given to him by his Twitter followers to create poetry.  Twitter users provide Justin with words during his daily Random Twitter Poetry Game and he creates a daily poem using those words.  He has amassed quite a few words and has created well over 600 poems.  Vol. 1 takes some of those poems and gives us a glimpse into some of the poetry that Justin has created.  Some of the poems may be whimsical while others are more dark.  Personally, I love the first poem in this volume, The Lust Queen.  It flows seamlessly and paints a clear picture.  It's exactly what I would expect from a well versed poet.  But don't take it from me, go and check it out!  If you have a buck to spend, go ahead and get the book and check it out.  If you are part of Amazon Prime, go ahead and borrow the book.  It's a great read and something that every poetry enthusiast will enjoy!  If you are interested in checking out some of Justin's this and other poetry, make sure to check out his site of poetry, Wanderer Thoughts.  Later!

I Think it's Time to Start a Podcast

Hmmm...  What should we do next?

Hey there. I think it's time to evolve. Like Pokemon, I am ready to grow and evolve as a blogger.  Yes, I used a Pokemon reference.  lol  Anyways, come March, Metallman's Reverie will be 5 years old.  5!  Last night, I took part in a podcast for the very first time.  And you know what... it was freakin' awesome! I have contemplated doing something like that before but now, having that first taste of being with a group and conversing over topics, I now know that I definitely want to do a podcast.  I have more than a few ideas that I have already come up with and I'm with talks with friends and family about which idea would be most likely come to fruition.

I want to change it up for you guys and I also would love your opinions.  Not only do I plan on getting a podcast going, I also plan on integrating video posts.  Maybe a retro game review?  A quick video on this week's game releases?  Maybe have some kind of Q&A?  Interviews perhaps?  I would like your input friends!  Comment below and let's see what we can come up with!  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.

Lenovo IdeaPad Z585 Laptop Giveaway

Hey there.  Who wants a new laptop?!  I have partnered with my good friend, Justin, over at Dragonblogger.com, to bring you this great Lenovo IdeaPad Z585 laptop giveaway.  It's a great budget gaming laptop.  Of course, you don't have to use it for gaming. The added firepower that this laptop has would make it a great laptop to have period!  This bad boy easily retails over $700 and you can score a free one right here!  Check out the specs!

• Lenovo IdeaPad Z585
• AMD A8-4500M 1.9GHz
•  6GB Memory
• 750GB HDD AMD
• Radeon HD 7640G DVD±R/RW

Additional Features

Stylish design in premium brushed gray metal
Integrated AMD Radeon HD graphics
OneKey® Theatre, with touch-sensitive hotkeys, for one-touch audiovisual optimization
Dolby® Home Theater v4, with specialized stereo speakers for crisp, clear surround sound
Intelligent TouchPad, supporting multiple-finger gestures
Integrated 720p HD webcam, HDMI
Two USB 3.0 ports, 5-in-1 card reader
AccuType keyboard
15.6” HD LED backlit display
DVD Drive
OneKey® Rescue for system backup and restoration
Lenovo Energy Management

So how do you enter?  This giveaway and all future giveaways here on Metallman's Reverie will now be powered by PunchTab.  Rafflecopter was great but it was too high maintenance.  Too many bogus entries and I spent a lot of time removing bad entries.  The great thing about using PunchTab?   Aside from them verifying entries for me, if you share the contest, the more entries YOU earn.  That's right!  Sharing on Facebook, Twitter, and anywhere else will benefit you and earn you extra entries each time someone clicks on your unique url code!  How awesome is that!!!  So share away, friends.  The more entries you score, the more chances that the giveaway gods will pick you!  Good luck!
The Lenovo Laptop Giveaway Contest is being held by Dragon Blogger Technology in coordination with the following sponsors:
Metallman's Reverie
Blog Engage

Kingston Tech Hyper X 64GB USB 3.0 Flashdrive Giveaway at Dragonblogger

Hey there.  My good friend, Justin, over at Dragonblogger.com is giving away one awesomely fast and powerful Kingston Hyper X 64 Gig 3.0 Flashdrive!  Just how awesome are they?  Well...  a standard flash drive can transfer data at max speeds at around 1-3 MBs a second.  During a test run, this bad boy had a max transfer speed of 139 MBs a second.  That's incredible.  Transfer videos from your laptop or computer to a flash drive in mere seconds!  How can you NOT want one!  I want one!  lol  So make sure you check out his official test run and post here and don't foget to enter the giveaway using the form below!

So let's hear it, friends.  Pictures?  Projects?  Videos?  Movies?  I know I have plenty of videos that I transfer from laptop to laptop so this would be perfect for the movie affictionado such as myself!  Why do you need a lightning fast flash drive?  Later!
Need an extra flash drive?  The Kingston Hyper X 64 GB Flashdrive retails close to $200 but is currently on sale at Amazon for the below price!

Enter to Win a PS3 or an Xbox 360

Hey there.  Who here needs a new Xbox 360 or a PS3?  Maybe you already have one but want one for the living room or you have one or the other and have been on the fence about getting the other gaming system.  Well, I have joined a group on tech bloggers to give you guys the opportunity to win a brand new Xbox 360 (250 GB) or PS3 (160)!  How awesome is that?!?!  If you are regular here, at Metallman's Reverie, than you should be familiar with the game and movie giveaways that I run monthly.  By joining up with some friends, I am now able to get a more valuable prize available for you!  The giveaway will run from now until August 31st and the winner will be announced shortly after that.

This giveaway is brought you by these awesome sites:
http://www.dragonblogger.com
http://www.joetech.com
http://www.techetron.com
http://metallman.com

Make sure to stop by and give them some love.  Good luck friends!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

May Video Game Giveaway by Dragonblogger

Hey there friends. My good friend at Dragonblogger has just launched the May video game giveaway!  Score a free video game for any system, retailed $59.99 or less! New releases, old releases, if you haven't played it, it's new to you! You can finally get that game that you've wanted but didn't want to pay for. And the best part is that if the games released in May are eligible (Diablo 3 is going to be huge!) as well as select pre-order games.  Again, as long as the game is $59.99 or less, it's up for grabs.  Hurry, enter using the widget below and get in on this action. Last day to enter is May 31st and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter! Click on the image to the left for all the terms, conditions, and details!  Good luck friends!

Enter to Win a Brand New 16 Gig iPad 3

Hey there. Who here wants to score a brand new iPad 3!?!?! Dragonblogger and a group of online buddies (Craving Tech, Trending Poetry, and myself) got together to give you readers and fans the opportunity to nab one of the top new tech items of 2012! Apple recently released the 3 gen iPad and it is one beautifully crafted machine.  With a A5x quad core processor, retina display 2048×1536 resolution, and a 5 MP camera, this is a huge improvement over the iPad 2... and you can enter to win here, on Metallman's Reverie!

March Video Game Giveaway by Dragonblogger

Hey there friends.  My good friend at Dragonblogger is only a few days away from announcing his March video game winner.  Score a free video game for any system, retailed $59.99 or less!  New releases, old releases, if you haven't played it, it's new to you!  You can finally get that game that you've wanted but didn't want to pay for.  Hurry, enter using the widget below and get in on this action.  Last day to enter is March 31st and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter!  Click on the image to the left for all the terms, conditions, and details!

Kingston SSDNow V+200 SSD Drive Giveaway

Hey there.  Who here needs an affordable computer upgrade?  Our good friend at Dragonblogger has just what you need!  A Kingston SSDNow V+200 SSD Drive!  Our good friends at Kingston have provided Justin  the drive for review and to giveaway!  You can read up on all the specs and his in depth review in this post...  but you can enter the giveaway right here on Metallman's Reverie!!!  

Hauppauge HD PVR Gaming Edition Giveaway

Hey there.  Who here is ready for yet another giveaway!  Here is another great giveaway brought to you by Dragonblogger.com.  What is up for grabs?  This awesome Hauppauge HD PVR Gaming Edition video recorder for gaming consoles and PC!  Who freakin' awesome is that?!?!  You can finally show the world how awesome you are on CoD: MW3, or you can showcase your custom made character on Skyrim.  I can go on and on, but a fellow Dragonblogger author has an awesome video for us.  Take it away, Persian Poetess!

Pretty damn awesome, no? So... who wants one of these awesome devices?!?!?  Enter below!

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.

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!

Metallman is Looking Forward to 2012 and Giving Thanks

Hey there.  With the year almost over, I wanted to touch base on where I am headed and where this site is headed.  I've had my share of personal posts, which I wanted to do more of, and I've lagged it in the poetry department (sorry poetry enthusiasts!).  I've added my brother as a writer, which I hope he continues to produce content and I've passed through the gates of giveaway land.  That's really where I have made some decent traffic this year.  My giveaway posts have landed me thousands of pageviews and I'm grateful for it.  That's why I've decided to keep that going for as long as the site is up.  I've also added a game each month so instead of just one game being given away, I'm giving away 2 games.  I'm hoping that the increased pageviews will bring attention to other posts.  I lack comments on this site and I blame myself for it.  Maybe I need to change from using Disqus and try a different comment system.  I don't know just yet, but considering the size of Metallman's Reverie, I need to have a decent layout and a great comment system working.  All of that is looking to be changed in the coming year.

Metallman is Now a Part of the Joystick Division Team

Hey there.  I want to expand.  I want to have my name across all sorts of sites.  The problem that I came across was I was unorganized.  I didn't know how to cut up my time to be able to write for more than one site. Now, I'm come across a system that is working for me.  And because this system is now in place, I should be more active across all the sites that I currently write for.  And with that, I am glad to announce that I am now a part of the Joystick Division team!  Here's the story.

Kindle Fire Giveaway at Dragonblogger.com Ends on Dec 15th

Hey there.  Who wants to score a Kindle Fire?!?!?!  My good friend, Justin, at Dragonblogger.com is giving away a Kindle Fire to 2 lucky winners!  Why can't that winner be you?  Here's a small snippet from his giveaway details:

The Kindle Fire which just released less than 2 weeks ago is one of the hottest holiday items and at a price point of $199 makes it the best bang for the buck tablet in existence.  With over 16,000 apps including over 6k free apps plus combining with Amazon Prime for video on demand and eBook rentals you have a versatile tablet that will change your daily life.

How awesome is that?!  Just click on the image to get to the contest page and enter to win.  Contest ends on Dec15th and the winners will be announced on the 16th.  What a way to start Cyber Monday, no?  Later!

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)

Rise of Nightmares for the Xbox 360 Kinect

Hey there. Why am I excited about a game for the Kinect? Don't I already know that Kinect games fall into one of 2 categories. They are either dance games or they are "mini game" games. There hasn't been that Kinect game that has a story centered around it. Well, that ends today! Rise of Nightmares is here to shake up the Kinect lineup and hopes to add a new dimension to the kid friendly titles that currently stock store shelves.