What's in a Watch?

Hey there.  You know, we recently had to pick up a few gifts for a birthday party for an adult.  Do you know how hard it is to get something that is practical for an adult?  We try to stay away from socks and shirts since I feel like that's something that is commonly given when the person giving the gift has no idea what to get. This is why I believe that a watch is the perfect gift.

Now, I know that everything is digital now a days and that time can be displayed on a cell phone, but having a watch on not only can be seen as an accessory, but also as a classy yet humble move. It can show that you don't rely on high tech devices and it can show that you respect the history of the watch.  It's a great gift for both women and men.  I started to check out a few watches to see which would best suit the receiver.  I would need a sporty, rugged watch and the Tritium seem to be perfect. 

The next time you're in the market for a gift, don't overlook timeless appeal of a watch.  You'd be surprise how much they would like it.  Later!

A Review of InkGrabber.com

Hey there.  You know, it's kind of tough to find quality printer ink without paying a lot of money for it.  This is one of the reasons why I've been out of a printer for so long.  I simply refused to pay so much money for ink.  But you know what... I have realized that I need a printer.  Especially now that my oldest son is in JR High and there will be a need to print out reports and essays.  So I'm on a mission to check out websites that sell printer ink to see where I can find the lowest price.  I'm not looking for cheap ink, I'm looking for ink that's cheap.  First stop:  InkGrabber.com

Right off the bat, I'm liking this site.  They have a listing of ink by brand on the left hand side while showcasing major brands right in the middle.  And to make it even better, they proudly display a coupon code on the right hand side to save me money on printer ink.  If a store is willing to give discounts right off the bat, I'm  definitely interested.  Upon clicking on a brand, a whole slew of printer models come up.  If they don't have what you're looking for, I'd be extremely surprised.  They seem to have a vast array of inkjet cartridges available for all kinds of printers.  That is a huge plus.  I distinctly remember having to buy ink cartridges at a store for my mother's printer and it was hit or miss on whether or not the store carried it. 

After browsing around, I like how the site is organized.  You can clearly point and click on what you need and most importantly, the prices are more than fair.  And again, they offer discounts, not only through their ongoing promotions, but through Facebook as well.  Ordering is fairly simple and I like that there's a toll free number to call if you need assistance or looking for an update on your order.  All in all, a very decent online store for ink.  I definitely recommend you guys check it out for all your printing needs.  Later!

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!

I Need a Vacation!

Hey there.  I need to get out of the office for a few days.  Recently, I've felt like a slave to the desk.  Files upon files are beginning to pile up and I swear that if I wanted to, I could build a fort with them.  lol  I'll only need to gut it out for a week or so more since I'll be getting my vacation (or time off) starting on April 18th!!!  Don't think I'll be heading anywhere, but it sure will be nice to not worry about the office politics and what not.  I've already told myself that come next vacation time, I'll be taking 2 weeks and we'll be heading off to some foreign country.  Maybe someplace in Europe, like Germany and feast my eyes on the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

I've never traveled to a place where I don't know the language so I've been advised that it would be wise to get some important documents, like your passport and birth certificate, translated to the countries language.  This way, if you're in a bind, you'll have documents that local officials and offices can easily read.  There are many translation services online and on mobile devices, but they won't provide you with a printed translation.  It's almost a necessity to have all your document translation in tow before heading out to new lands. 

I think I'm ready to venture to a foreign land and explore it's culture and beauty.  I've even gone on and tried to learn some German.  It's not as easy as I would have hoped but as long as I know some of the basics, I should be alright.  Guten Tag!  Guten Morgen! Übersetzungsdienst! (That's translation services in German  lol!!!)  You gotta be well prepared my friends.  Later!

Looking for Scrubs with Friends

Hey there.  You know, I have a few friends in that are nurses and I recently asked them as to why the scrubs tend to be burgundy or light blue.  It's almost as if it's a uniform code that many of us don't know of.  The answer between my friends was pretty unanimous in that it's because it's the easiest to find.  I figured that if color and pattern was not mandatory and you had choices, I'd go and rock out something with skulls!  But then I realized that if I'm working with sick people, skulls would be the last thing they would want to see.  lol I don't think they'll be very good for morale.

Anyways, finding discounted scrubs is not very hard.  Especially once I directed my friends over to Blue Sky Scrubs.  I mentioned to them how they seem to have an awesome selection.  Whether you're looking for cotton scrubs or more fancier scrubs, they seem to have them in stock.  My friend seemed to enjoy the fact that they also have medical lab coats.  After reminding him that he's just a nurse, he says, "It's not for work.  It's for 'extra curricular activities."  lmao!  Whoa, whatever fantasies he has should stay in where they are.  lol 

So a day looking for scrubs turned into a fun time for us all.  Who knew that looking for work attire can be entertaining.  Later!

Where Can I Get Cheap Printer Ink?

Hey there.  You know what the problem with printers are?  The ink.  Yup, the ink.  You can get a pretty good printer for about $40 now a days but high ink cost can definitely make it a high priced investment.  I remember having a printer where the inkjet cartridges were more than the printer price itself.  And this was just the standard black ink!  And it sucks because I've been contemplating going back to school but knowing that there is heavy duty printing involved, I think twice about the costs.  There are definitely high quality printers out there, it's just a mission to find printer ink in the cheap.

And it's not so much school work that worries me when it comes to printing.  We have thousands of pictures that need to be printed.  Going to our local store can cost a pretty penny when printing pictures from SD cards.  So the printer I get will definitely be one that would have great picture quality printing.  And if I'm going to print thousands of pictures, I'm definitely going to need some cheap ink. 

So what do you guys recommend?  Is there a quality printer that you guys use and how much do you usually end up spending on ink cartridges?  Or what should I expect to pay in ink per year?  Having a family, I'm sure that video game cheats, coloring pages, recipes, guitar tabs, etc. etc. would be printed on a constant basis so I assume that my ink usage will be a little on the higher side.  You thoughts, my 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!

Finding the Perfect Location for Your Home

Hey there.  When we first started house hunting, we put some serious thought into whether or not we were going to stay in Los Angeles.  Not because we don't like it, but because the real estate here is so expensive.  We looked into some ocean side locations in San Diego, we looked into homes in the Orange County area, and we even went out of state and checked out the Sacramento area.  We ended up, in what is our home, in Long Beach, California but not after we did our home work and checked many places out.

When considering to buy a home, price is not the only thing you should account for.  Are you looking at a house as an investor?  Something that you plan on living in only for a short period of time before you are ready to sell.  Are you looking at a house as a permanent resident?  Someone that is not looking for a house but looking for a home.  A place where they can raise a family and live out their years.  It's something to definitely take your time to consider the options.

So, are you guys home owners? What did you guys take into consideration before saying, "this is the house for us."  I'm curious to hear if every one had that "this is it" moment.  It sure felt that way with us.  Let me know.  Later!

A Friend in Chicago Needing Car Care

Hey there.  I have a friend that lives over in Chicago and all I hear is that the weather can be brutal.  If it's not the wind, it's a tornado.  If it's not a tornado, it's snow.  Right now, it being winter, she's had a tough time finding a spot to get snow tires installed on her Honda.  So I jumped online to see if I could help her find a Honda dealer in Chicago that would be able to help her out.

So once I find one that specializes in Honda Accords, I check to see if they have service and maintenance at an affordable price.  When driving in the middle of a blizzard, you want to make sure that you have the proper tires on your car.  Just check out this pic that was just sent today.

Yeah...  I'd say you'd need to make sure you have the right kind of tires to be driving in those conditions.  Considering that there's a special going on right now, she's going to take it and take advantage of the Winterization special.  Best of luck friend.  Me, being from sunny California, wouldn't know how to deal with conditions such as those.  Later!

Getting the Girls Some Clothes

Hey there.  You know what's great about being an adult?  Besides doing all the great things adults can do legally as opposed to the younger generation.  lol  It's the fact that once I buy clothes, it's almost guaranteed to stay in my closet until 1) I manage to destroy it with paint, cement, holes, etc. etc. or 2) I gain/lose too much weight.  It's a given that clothes will last you when you're an adult.  The same cannot be said for kids.  Especially young girls, who want to follow in their mom's footsteps and have a variety of clothes as their wardrobe.

With that being said, we have always been on a mission to find stylish and affordable girls clothing.  With 2 growing young ladies, what they own is quickly donated when it no longer fits and all that clothes needs to be replaced.  A new favorite of the girls happens to be Tea Collection's latest collection, Viva La Artista.  Especially since my oldest is looking to be an artist. It's definitely worth a look if you're into stylish and affordable clothes for your young ones.  I'm certain that you will find something that caters to your taste.  Later!

Find Your Dream Car with TheCarConnection.com

Hey there.  You know... I've never really been a car guy.  I always figured that as long as I had a vehicle that can get me from point A to point B, I would be happy.  I don't need a big, flashy car to show off.  But boy, wouldn't it be nice to have one.  lol  I stumbled across this site that will not only show you pictures of the cars, but will give an estimated market value and a little history behind the car.  That's pretty impressive.

I checked out the Mitsubishi Eclipse Gt, to get a glimpse of something with speed. My brother in law has an Evo and he's constantly raving about how awesome it is, so I had to check out the Mitsubishi family to see what the fuss was about. Then I checked out something that screams American, the Chevrolet Corvette.  I can definitely see myself in one of these bad boys but I don't see myself coming with a $50K windfall anytime soon.  lol  After clicking a few links, the Gmc Sierra Sle came up. I don't see myself in a truck... It's simply not my style. And that's when I realized that a Mercedes-Benz Cls550 would be luxury sedan for me.  Stylish and classy, a car that looks sleek, but not over flashy.  Kind of like me.  lol 

ll in all, it was cool to read up on today's cars and their history.  It's new and definitely informative.  Once I'm at the age (and have the cash) I know I'll be able to compare cars and make a wise decision the one that will take me to destinations in my wonder years.  *sigh*  A guy can dream, no?  Later.

Looking for Some Kick Ass Advertising

Hey there friends.  You know, maybe business have a hard time looking for publicity or advertising.  I think that I've been fortunate enough to be able to find a small audience that I engage in for this site.  I'm not a big company that needs all sorts of exposure, but if you are an up and coming business looking for a great advertising team, you definitely need to check out THAT! Advertising Agency. 

This is definitely an agency that thinks outside the box.  That is apparent by it's awesome tabs on their home screen.  When you see tabs labeled as "kick ass advertising" and "mad marketing", you know that you are not dealing with your typical advertising agency.  And when one of their slogans is "THAT! + Advertising Agency = Kick Ass Success" , you have to take a look and see if this is for you.

I'm in the blogging business.  I don't think that I would benefit much from this kind of advertising.  But you're in an industry that requires some publicity, some ad space, and some over all buzz, THAT! Advertising Agency may just be for you.  Plus,. they're giving a 1 hour free phone consultation so what is there to lose?  Call em up, see if they can get a kick ass package for you and if you don't like, you can simply say no thanks.  Check it out, my friends.  When a company this awesome comes about, you're almost inclined to check them out.  Later!

Rock Band 3 Review on Dragon Blogger

Hey there. My review of Rock Band 3 is now up on DragonBlogger.com. Check out the review here and let me what what you guys think. Thanks.

The 1900 Ocean Apartments in Beautiful Long Beach, CA

Hey there friends.  I've been fortunate enough to live in southern California.  It's always sunny (even when it's not supposed to), there's always something to do, and the beaches are just a short drive away.  When we first moved out, we always searched for two things.  1) is it close by a freeway and 2) is it nice.  While browsing through rentals in Long Beach CA , we stumbled across these beautiful Long Beach apartment. 

It turns out that it was part a luxury apartment community in Long Beach buy boy was it nice.  They had an awesome scenic view of the beach or the city, walk in closets, marble counter tops, and balconies.  It turns out that the apartments that we were looking at were the 1900 Ocean Apartments.  I was really surprised that they I found them on regular Long Beach listings and not some paid for listings.  But alas, if wasn't for us.  Thought they are extremely nice, we are a family that needed a little more than an apartment.

If you are out and about looking for a place to stay, the 1900 Ocean Apartments are definitely one to check out.  Who wouldn't want to live in a place where "luxury meets the sand"? Later!

A Part of the Dragon Blogger Team

Hey there.  Not too long ago, I wrote about a gig that I got writing video game reviews.  Well, yesterday, my first review was published and now that I know for sure that I am on the team, I would like to happily announce that I am now part of the Dragon Blogger team!  I've watched Justin, the owner at www.Dragonblogger.com, since I started my site and have seen him grow his site and have used his site as my personal benchmark.  Now, I'm nowhere near as successful as he is but he does provide some awesome tips on all things tech, blogging, and SEO.  When he sent out an open invitation for writers to help expand his site, I had to jump on the opportunity.  Now, my very first article on Dragon Blogger has been published. And the best part?  It's gotten some pretty positive comments.  So check out my review of Bioshock 2 here, friends and let me know what you think.  Later!

Getting the Creative Juices Flowing

Hey there.  You know... it's been awhile since I wrote any poetry or composed a short story.  I remember a time, back during my elementary and JR high school days, where I would spend most of my free time writing.  Whether it be some pretty half assed poem or a quickly written story.  It was something that I liked to do during my free time and it's a skill that has definitely been placed on the back burner, along with writing music, drawing, and other things.  Well, I saw a pic of a friend today and captioned that she was handling her very first short story.  She commented on how she has these ideas but never had a chance to get them on paper.  That seems to be my story as well.

Well... actually... I do start some of them, but never had the time to finish them.  I've gotten to the point where I had the story planned out, I've had the characters mapped out, and I've actually had a chapter or two finished, but I never got over the hump of actually finishing the damn thing.  Well... this time I'm determined to get it done.  There are no excuses as to why it can't be accomplished.  No more are writers bound to pencil and paper.  There are laptops, computers, and mobile software that allows the potential poets and authors of the future to get those ideas written before they are lost to obscurity.  It's happened to me many times before where an idea comes to me but is gone before I've had a chance to write it down.

Today, I feel inspired.  I'll be posting a poem later today and hopefully, get started on a new story.  Starting from scratch.  We'll see how this goes.  Thanks D!  Later!

Don't Miss Out on Tee Times

Hey there.  A couple of buddies of mine are avid golfers.  I've never really gotten into playing the sport myself, but I have gone with them to hit a few balls and I must say, it's not as easy as it looks.  It really is a sport where the focus is squarely on the individual.  There are no team members to pick them up.  Every move is crucial and every decision made is magnified in golf.  Me, being a rookie, used whatever club was given to me and just swung.  My friends, however, took their time and discussed on hitting the fairways on some well known golf courses in the US.  They even talked about getting their act together and going to Myrtle Beach and take on their golf course.

At this point I chuckled.  I didn't think they'd be able to get tee times in a golf course such as Myrtle Beach.  Not so much because it's in South Carolina, but because it's a well known golf course and there's no way they would be able to get a time slot there.  That's when they told me that they use www.48hourteetimes.com which allows them to get 48 hour tee times.  They pretty much just log on, check out the available courses and tee times.  You are more than likely to find tee times within 48 hours and the best part about it is that it also gives you prices.

They went on about 48 hour tee times and how they're going to start saving money to "handle it".  lol  I wished them the best of luck with it.  Golf may not be for me, but it sure as hell is for my friends and they are definitely planning on tackling Myrtle Beach sometime soon.  Later!

Fashionable Scrubs

Hey there.  You know, I've always wondered why nurses in medical facilities always wore blah type scrubs.  It always baffled me.  I have a few friends who work as medical assistants or nurses and the women work in this field are into fashion, so why would they choose to wear scrubs that our less fashion and more stale.  I would figure that they would want scrubs in fashion that will make them stand out and look great.  Some that would make them seem more serious about their position.


After helping a friend look for scrubs, I was surprised to find some pretty fashionable scrubs.  I was even surprised to find a few low rise scrub pants.  It made me feel as if the scrubs could also be worn outside of the medical facility.  Especially when some when they are Dickies medical uniforms out there.  I didn't even know that they made scrubs! 

Considering that they are some pretty cool scrubs out there, I'm surprised that many choose to wear that funky looking ones that look like they were designed by a child.  I understand that you might want to switch it up a bit but to be honest with you, I think it looks unprofessional.  I would say that those scrubs would be acceptable only in pediatric facilities.  Other than that, a good looking scrub could help you look more professional by showing the patient that you take your job, and appearance, seriously.  Later!

A Double Shower Head and a Stool

Hey there. It's been so hot here in Southern California that I find taking two showers a day. On the car ride home for lunch, I sweat up a storm and that's with the AC on!!! Today, I was tempted to jump in the shower and then head back... but you know what? The process starts over when I drive back to work, it's that hot. The sweat starts to drip off of me. Yuck!

Today, during lunch, my wife suggested that we take a shower together. Now, I believe that taking a shower with your significant other is a great way to spend some quality time together. We've done it many times before but we end up finding the need for a double shower head. It's better when one of us doesn't have to be out in the cold while the other basks in the warm water.  Having a double shower head would definitely be better than one in this case.  There would no more complaining of being cold while the other bathes.  Now... if only we can tackle the "it's too hot, it's too cold" issue.  Then we'd be all set.

And while we're in the topic of showers, have you ever jumped in the shower, dead tired, and wanted to just stand there?  It's happened to me many times and I just realized that I don't need to stand.  If I had an awesome shower stool I would be able to sit in the shower and take it easy.  Now, I'm just being lazy.  I could stand and take it easy but if I had a seat made for a shower, imagine how much more sweat it would be!  lol  All kidding aside, I'm sure that these were made for the elderly.  They would be the ones to truly benefit from a shower stool.  I would just use it to be a little more lazy than usual.

Now I'm thinking of the bathroom...  The wife wants to change our floral bath towels for some Hello Kitty stuff.  I am not a fan of Hello Kitty.  She claims that she's going to change the theme of our bathroom one of these days, now that's she's at home while I'm at work.  A few weeks ago, I thought she did it too, when she sent me a pic of Hello Kitty bathroom stuffs.  I thought she was showing me things that she bought.  Luckily for me... it was just stuff she saw.  Whew...  Avoided catastrophe there.  Now... to wipe this sweat off of me...  Until it gets cooler.  Later!

I Submitted a Short Story

Hey there. I haven't logged on to Associated Content in awhile, so I decided to check it out and see if there are any topics that would interest me to write about. Right there, on the front page, I see the task to write a short story. A flash-fiction, actually. Hmmm... Interesting, so I went ahead and checked it out and AC provided 3 sentences for you to start your story with. The sentences seem a little dark, implying some kind of bad news of sorts. I went with, "She still couldn't shake the previous night's dream." and ran with the "horror" thing but with a twist at the end. Check it out. I called it, "The Devil's Pawn". Click the link below and let me know what you think of it. Thanks!

The Devil's Pawn