Saturday, December 29, 2007

Greetings!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone. I'll be spending the holiday season at my hometown. Wish us all the best!

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Charice Pempengco On Ellen DeGeneres Show

I am so proud of Charice Pempengco. She made us all proud Filipinos. She performed in Korea now on the Ellen DeGeneres show. She sang "I am  telling you" and she got a standing ovation from the audience. Ellen even said, "It is one of the most incredible performances I've ever seen." So I want to share to you guys the said performance by clicking on the links below. Hope you like it.


Charice Penpengco on Ellen DeGeneres Show


I am telling you


I will always love you

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

A Lesson In Arithmetic By Gov. Ed Panillio

Dislclaimer: I just got this e-mail from a friend and I just would like to share this here. Just feel free to react.


Fr. Ed Panlilio - Gov.of Pampanga


I'm 100% sure this income disparity is replicated in all the provinces of the Philippines .If we had more Ed Panlilios in our government, we would be just like Singapore in a short time. Read on.....


We hope we are witnessing what will be a sustained revolution in good governance in the Province of Pampanga , under its newly elected governor, Fr. Ed Panlilio.


According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer of August 26, only one month after Fr. Panlilio assumed his gubernatorial duties, the province's income from the quarrying of volcanic ash from Mount Pinatubo had reached P29.4 million. (Haulers pay a fee of P300 per truck of volcanic ash that they haul from the quarry.)


By contrast, during his predecessor Mark Lapid's term as governor, the province's income from the same quarrying operations amounted to only P29 million a year.


This gaping variation in official incomes from the same activity should inspire a new set of textbooks in Arithmetic, especially for the school children of Pampanga.


There is nothing like local color and local situations to cultivate comprehension in young minds.


Sample problems: If Fr. Ed's provincial government can collect P29.4 million in 26 days (we assume no quarrying on Sundays), how much does it collect in one day?


Answer: An average of P1.130 million.


If Fr. Ed's provincial government collects an average of P1.130 million a day from quarrying operations, how much can it collect in one year of 313 days (365 days less 52 Sundays)?


Answer: P353, 690,000, or P354 million.


If Fr. Ed's provincial government can collect P354 million a year, and Mark Lapid's provincial government collected only P29 million a year, what is the difference in their official yearly collections?


Answer: P325 million a year.


If Mark Lapid was governor for four years and his provincial government's annual collections from quarrying amounted to an average of P29 million, how much did his provincial govt. officially collect in four years?


Answer: P116 million.


If Fr. Ed manages to remain as provincial governor for four years, and his provincial government's annual collection from quarrying were to average P354 million, how much will his provincial government collect in four years?


Answer: P1.416 billion.


What is the difference between P1.416 billion and P116 million?


Answer: P1.3 billion.


Where did this P1.3 billion go?


Answer: Only God and the Lapids know. ('Lapids' is in plural because Mark, as a second generation political dynasty, succeeded his own father, now Sen. Lito Lapid.We don't know how much Lito's provincial government officially collected from quarrying operations during his watch. Should be a good investigative project for media.)


If Gawad Kalinga spends an average of P75,000 per low cost house, how many low-cost houses can P1.3 billion build?


Answer: 17,333 low-cost houses.


If the average Pampanga family were to consist of five persons (father, mother, three children), how many people would be benefited by 17,333 low-cost houses?


Answer: 86,665 persons.


End of Arithmetic lesson.


Fr. Ed is to be congratulated for setting a high benchmark for collection from quarrying operations against which his predecessors have a moral obligation to explain why their collections were so low, and against which future governors will be judged by the people of Pampanga.Volcanic ash, by the way, is a superior building material. Many of the buildings, aqueducts & monuments of the Roman Empire that have survived for almost 2,000 years are known to have been built w/ volcanic ash, quarried from the environs of Mount Vesuvius after it erupted in 79 AD.


We don't expect Fr.Ed's moral victory in Pampanga to be remembered for the next 2,000yrs. We would be happy with five, ten or 20 years, enough, we hope, to spawn a moral-revolution- by- example to save the Filipinos from their worst enemies - themselves.


GOOD LUCK Philippines !


"Therefore, the primary cause of poverty is not overpopulation of the Philippines !


It's because our country is overpopulated with corrupt officials"


Keep the Faith. Peace.

Watching A Lot Of Movies Means No Life?

Came across this one from Erron's blog...

If you've seen over 85 movies, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are about 170 movies on this list. Put your score in title and re-post:

( ) Sukob
( ) Oh my ghost!
( ) White lady
( ) Wag kang lilingon
(x) Feng shui
( ) KKK (kasal, kasali, kasalo)
( ) Enteng Kabisote
( ) Enteng Kabisote 2
( ) Enteng Kabisote 3
( ) Super Noypi
( ) Karma
( ) Shake, Rattle and Roll (Yung sinauna)
( ) D Anothers
( ) First Day High

Total: 1

(x) Bring it On 1
( ) Bring it On 2
( ) Bring it On 3
(x) Fun With Dick and Jane
( ) Cake
(x) Zathura
(x) Borat
( ) Dead or Alive
(x) 8 mile
(x) 50 First Dates
( ) The Princess Diaries
(x) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal
(x) Legally Blonde
(x) Legally Blonde 2

Total: 10

(x) Charlie's Angels
(x) Charlie's Angels 2
(x) Dude, where's my car?
(x) Scary Movie
(x) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(x) American Pie
(x) American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp

Total: 17

(x) Harry Potter
(x) Harry Potter 2
(x) Harry Potter 3
(x) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
( ) Cinderella Man
( ) The Village
(x) Coyote Ugly

Total: 23

(x)Space Jam
( )Finding Neverland
(x)Signs
(x)The Grinch
( )Texas Chainsaw Massacre
(x)White Chicks
(x)Little Manhattan
(x) 13 Going on 30
(x) Click
(x) Devil Wears Prada

Total: 31

(x) Mighty Ducks 1
( ) Mighty Ducks 2
( ) Mighty Ducks 3
( ) Mighty Ducks 4
(x) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
(x) Meet The Parents
(x) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
( ) Joe Dirt
(x) Anaconda

Total : 36

( ) Alice in Wonderland
( ) The Terminal
(x) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
(x) Deep Blue Sea
(x) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
(x) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
(x) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Ring Zero
(x) Flubber
( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(x) Practical Magic
( ) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
(x) Hellboy
(x) Secret Window
(x) I Am Sam

Total : 46

(x) The Day After Tomorrow
(x) Child's Play
(x) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
(x) 10 Things I Hate About You
(x) Just Married
(x) Gothika
( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
( ) Sixteen Candles
(x) Remembering the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
(x) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask

Total: 55

(x) My Super Ex-Girlfriend
( ) Joy Ride
(x) She's the Man
(x) Ocean's Eleven
(x) Ocean's Twelve
(x) Mean Girls
(x) Step Up
(x) Pearl Harbor
( ) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) Superstar
(x) Happy Feet
(x) Ice Age
(x) Ice age 2 The Meltdown

Total: 65

(x) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
(x) Idle Hands
(x) Darkness Falls
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Boss' Daughter
(x) Maid in Manhattan
(x) Monsters Inc.
(x) Rush Hour
( ) Rush Hour 2
( ) Best Bet
(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(x) She's All That
( ) Poseidon
(x) Titanic
( ) Mars Attacks
(x) Event Horizon
(x) Ever After
(x) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
(x) The Terminator
( ) The Terminator 2
(x) The Terminator 3

Total : 79

(x) X-Men
(x) X-Men 2
(x) X-Men 3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
( ) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(x) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Others
( ) The Eye
( ) Dark Water
(x) Cruel Intentions
(x) Cruel Intentions 2
(x) The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2

Total : 91

( ) Swimfan
( ) Miracle
(x) School of Rock
( ) K-Paxx
(x) Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship
of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings: The Return of
the King
(x) A Walk To Remember
(x) Hollow Man
( ) The 40-year-old-virgin
( ) The Exorcist
( ) Exorcism of Emily Rose



Total : 97


I don't agree with this poll because watching a movie helps me relax and unwind. It's a good way of spending a "bonding moment" with your love ones and friends too. I remember during college days whenever we have 3 hours gap between each class me and my gf then or my barkada would watch a movie to let the time fly by while waiting for our next class. The theatre (Gaisano Mall) is only 10-minute walk from our campus (Ateneo de Davao University) so it's very accessible and very convenient for us.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Hady Mirza Of Singapore Wins Asian Idol

I was so disappointed with the result… But with all the exposure of all 6 of them I think the other 5 will definitely make it because of the contest… Other countries aside from their own respective countries don’t know who they are before Asian Idol… I’ve voted for Mau and Mike because I can feel the emotions they are trying to tell the audiences with their songs… They are so good… But one person can’t really do anything if the rest of Asia is thingking otherwise… Sigh…

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Blogthings

The following are the tests I took upon visiting Blogthings. I find the site (Blogthings) through one of Andy's post. You may also take the quizzes by just clicking on the links after each results of my quizzes.







Your Deadly Sins

Lust: 40%

Sloth: 40%

Gluttony: 20%

Envy: 0%

Greed: 0%

Pride: 0%

Wrath: 0%

Chance You'll Go to Hell: 14%

You'll die of a yet to be discovered STD.


 






Your Brain is 47% Female, 53% Male

Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female
You are both sensitive and savvy
Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed
But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve


 






You Are 4% Abnormal

You are at low risk for being a psychopath. It is unlikely that you have no soul.

You are at low risk for having a borderline personality. It is unlikely that you are a chaotic mess.

You are at low risk for having a narcissistic personality. It is unlikely that you are in love with your own reflection.

You are at low risk for having a social phobia. It is unlikely that you feel most comfortable in your mom's basement.

You are at low risk for obsessive compulsive disorder. It is unlikely that you are addicted to hand sanitizer.


 






Your Love Style is Agape

You are a caring, kind, and selfless partner.
Unsurprisingly, your love style is the most rare.
You are willing to sacrifice your world for your sweetie.
Except it doesn't really feel like sacrifice to you.
For you, nothing feels better than giving to the one you love.


 






You Are a Brownie

Decadent and intense, you aren't for the weak-hearted.
Those who can deal with your strong flavor find out how sweet you really are.


 






Your Personality Profile

You are dependable, popular, and observant.
Deep and thoughtful, you are prone to moodiness.
In fact, your emotions tend to influence everything you do.

You are unique, creative, and expressive.
You don't mind waving your freak flag every once and a while.
And lucky for you, most people find your weird ways charming!


 






You Are 80% Happy

You are a very happy person. Generally, you feel content and that all is right with the world.
Occasionally, you have a down day - but you have the ability to pick yourself right back up.


 






Your Blogging Type is Confident and Insightful

You've got a ton of brain power, and you leverage it into brilliant blog.
Both creative and logical, you come up with amazing ideas and insights.
A total perfectionist, you find yourself revising and rewriting posts a lot of the time.
You blog for yourself - and you don't care how popular (or unpopular) your blog is!


 






You Are 77% Pure

You're pretty pure, and you have no plans on changing that.
You do have a devilish side though... and it will probably get the better of you.


 






You Communicate Like a Man

When you communicate, you like to get to the point.
You're not afraid to say what's on your mind - and leave it at that.
Talking about your emotions drains you. You rather keep them to yourself.
You prefer solving problems to wallowing in your sorrows.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Operation Trim Down (12/09/2007)

Below is the result I got from that measuring instrument you find at Mercury Drug:

Weight: 181 lb 4 oz / 82.3 kg
Height: 5 ft 9.7 in / 177cm

Blood Pressure:
Max Systolic 129 mmHg
Max Diastolic 77 mmHg
Pulse/minute 84

Body Fat Estimation:
Fat Index 20.2%
Fat Mass 36 lb 9 oz / 16.6 kg
Free F. Mass 144 lb 11 oz / 65.2 kg

Age and Gender: 27 male

I only lose about 3 oz on my weight. My fat index was reduced and so does my fat mass but I gained about 1 lb and 2 oz of my free f. mass. Maybe I was not able to burn all the calories from all those carbs I ate the whole week. I must do something about this. By the way, it's been 2 weeks since I am not able to attend hiphop, cardio boxing, ballroom, and body attack classes and more than 2 months already since I skipped yoga classes. My schedule nowadays limits me to attend those classes. I will try to fit those classes come January next year.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Life Is Like A Pack Of Yucky Gum

When I was little we were really poor and my parents, specially my dad, have to work really hard to have food served in our table. We stayed in my grandparents’ house while my parents are saving a lot to buy our own. Though we were poor it never occurred to me that we were because I never felt that we need what our neighbors have. They have cars, we commute (oh how I love to walk in the streets of Kidapawan holding my parents hands one more time). They have many colored TV while our whole family shares the old black and white TV in my grandparents’ living room and it’s ok. I am happy and contented with what I have and that makes me feel wealthy.

I never really felt we were poor until my parents are earning a little more than what they used to earn. My mom got promoted and my dad started a small business. Then they can afford to buy delicious food and finally have our own house. They bought nice clothes and gave me and my siblings a lot of things. The problem is I also started noticing what my classmates and friends have that I don’t and I must also have those. Then I started asking my parents to have them buy those things that my classmates and friends have. Of course, they always can’t afford to buy me those so I thought we were really poor. My classmates and friends told me so. Gone are the days when I used to be satisfied with what we have. Gone are the times when I am very happy just to see my parents and my sibling happy. I felt dissatisfied. I wanted more than what my parents can afford because my classmates and friends told me so. They told me that we are poor and I don’t want to be poor.

My dad and mom started to notice my attitude and one day they tour me in some of the remote areas of Kidapawan and in my mind I am wondering why we were there. Those areas were so filthy and lots of dirty children playing some have slippers most of them don’t. Torn shirts and rugged pants they laugh and were having the time of their lives. Without hearing a word or two from my parents I realized how rich we truly are. I am rich because I have nice clean clothes that these children don’t have. I have both my parents while some of the children were abandoned by their parents. I have nice shoes and will not walk the street bare foot. Then I realized that like those children I used to be satisfied with what I have and now what have become of me. I felt so ashamed that I asked my parents that we should go home already because I’m tired. I know that day my parents saved me from becoming someone that I don’t ever wanted to be and I am truly thankful for that. The tour opened my eyes that there’s more to life and the word does not revolve on a single person only.

It’s hard but I am really trying my best to be satisfied with what I have and being truly thankful of having them. I don’t think that life is like a box of chocolates but life is more like a pack of Yucky gum - it’s so sour but you’ll it anyway just have a taste of it’s rewarding sweet gum in the middle.

Monday, December 03, 2007

Operation Trim Down (12/03/2007)

Below is the result I got from that measuring instrument you find at Mercury Drug:

Weight: 181 lb 7 oz / 82.4 kg
Height: 5 ft 9.7 in / 177cm

Blood Pressure:
Max Systolic 124 mmHg
Max Diastolic 75 mmHg
Pulse/minute 98

Body Fat Estimation:
Fat Index 20.9%
Fat Mass 37 lb 14 oz / 17.2 kg
Free F. Mass 143 lb 9 oz / 65.2 kg

Age and Gender: 27 male

I lose 2 lbs in a week by not eating Chips Ahoy! Wow this is great and truly amazing considering I ate 2 big bowls of salad, 4 chicken breasts with pasta, 16 pieces boiled prawns in ice, a chop of lamb, 2 slices of pizza, 4 slices of pork tocino, 1 slice of mocha cake, 1 slice of white choco cake, 1 slice of moist choco cake and drink lots of water before weighing. I hope I'll lose some more.

Operation Trim Down (11/26/2007)

Below is the result I got from that measuring instrument you find at Mercury Drug:

Weight: 183 lb 7 oz / 83.3 kg
Height: 5 ft 9.7 in / 177cm

Blood Pressure:
Max Systolic 103 mmHg
Max Diastolic 70 mmHg
Pulse/minute 88

Body Fat Estimation:
Fat Index 21.4%
Fat Mass 39 lb 3 oz / 17.8 kg
Free F. Mass 144 lb 4 oz / 65.5 kg

Age and Gender: 27 male

I gained 4 oz and I think it's all because of Chips Ahoy. I've been eating it for a week. I guess I will try not to eat Chips Ahoy for a while.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Operation Trim Down (Two Months After)

Below is the result I got from that measuring instrument you find at Mercury Drug after two months of working it out on the gym:

Weight: 183 lb 0 oz / 83.1 kg
Height: 5 ft 9.7 in / 177cm

Blood Pressure:
Max Systolic 110 mmHg
Max Diastolic 74 mmHg
Pulse/minute 100

Body Fat Estimation:
Fat Index 21.7%
Fat Mass 39 lb 0 oz / 18.0 kg
Free F. Mass 143 lb 6 oz / 65.1 kg

Age and Gender: 27 male

I may not get a very good results but I lost more than 11 lbs. so I am already happy with the outcome of my efforts. My waistline measurement is down by 4 inches and I can already wear my old pants and shirts once again. I will still do my best to lose some more weight and gain more muscles in the process. I hope by April 2008 I can already achieve the body I always wanted to have again.

Compare with my measurements during my first week on the gym here: First Week Result.

P.S. I am having a hard time dieting so I still eat my usual meals but try hard not to add some because I tend to eat some more after working out. But soon I will try to discipline myself and go on a diet. This I will do after the end of this year.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Spock That!

Have you heard the word spock before? Well I just find out recently what spock is all about and how great it is. If you are looking for people and would want to communicate with them then Spock.com is the right place to be. Not only that and in fact if you already added a person in your address book then if there are updates on that person or that person changes information about himself or herself your address book will automatically be updated too. It will also automatically organize your network, allowing you to easily search and contact them whenever you might want to get in touch with them in the future. This is great, right? So why not try it yourself now. It is fun, informative and most of all very helpful.

Below is an example of what you’re going to see in Spock.com:

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Komikon 2007 Reminder


Don't forget to attend Komikon 2007 on November 17, 2007 (this coming Saturday) at UP Campus, Bahay ng Alumni, UP, Diliman. I do hope you will support us. Below are the covers of the comics that we will be selling on the event.

Paper Clip Komics Issue 2:


 Paper Clip Komics Issue 1:


 Paper Clip Komics Specials 1: Children of the Dam



Chicago Cubs Spring Training Once Again

If given the chance I’d love to attend the Chicago Cubs Spring Training because as far as my aunt Even’s boyfriend Dwaine have told me that fans of the team from all over the world attend this event to get a chance to see and be with their heroes. The fans got to see how their favorite team players warmed up for action like bat swinging, ball catching and so much more. The good thing here is that the venue is much smaller so you got to enjoy seeing them up-close in action on the field. Isn’t that exciting? I’m sure right now fans all over are saving and buying their Spring Training tickets to the Chicago Cubs and can’t wait to see their heroes in action. And I’m sure to some people out there like me are praying hard that their aunt’s boyfriend will get to buy us tickets too.

Disclosure: This blog entry is made possible by teamonetickets.com

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

House Of Congress Blast

Last night I was shocked upon watching ABS-CBN News Update, while burning calories on the treadmill, that the House of Congress here in the Philippines has been blasted, hurting many people and killing two. Apparently, the initial investigation said that the blast came from a parked tricycle not far away from the Congress south wing. This is crazy, just recently there was also an explosion on one of the malls (Glorietta 2) killing and injuring a lot of people and now another blast! This is not right, there is “something” must be done – fast.

Worry Free Tour

Right now my aunt Even is currently on tour with her beau and they are having a very good time. No hassle on hotel reservations and they just pack and go. The secret behind this worry-free-all-fun tour is reserving the place to stay on what country you want to visit online. Hotel reservations nowadays has become very easy, convenient, and worry-free because it was made possible by the internet. In fact, if you reserve your place to stay over the internet like www.hotelreservations.com is that you can actually save not only on your time but also on your money because hotel reservations online is much cheaper as compared to reservation done on your local travel agencies. Hotels, motels, and vacation rentals, you name it, they have it. Aside from that you can choose a wide range of accommodations to choose from that’s fit your budget on the country you want to go to. Plus you can have yourself pick-up by a car from the airport because you can easily book online on these kinds of services too, very convenient indeed. Now that my aunt secret to worry-free-all-fun tour is out, I’m sure you’ll experience this kind of tour as well if you follow her secret. After all, we want to go to a vacation or a tour to relieve us from stress and worry, right?



Disclosure: This entry is brought to you by www.hotelreservations.com

Monday, November 12, 2007

Sevens Tag From Pao

I’ve been tagged by Pao about my sevens.

Here are the rules:

1. Mention the person who tagged you and create a link back to them.
2. Pick 10 others you would like to get to know better.
3. Let them know you’ve tagged them by leaving a comment on their blog.
4. And don’t forget to give them the rules.

Seven truths about me:

1. I love comics and I am a comic artist.
2. I create silly poems.
3. I am a license engineer (ECE).
4. I am a clean-up/in-between artist for 2D animation.
5. I love blogging.
6. I am currently working as a programmer.
7. I am the eldest son among 5 siblings.

7x7 (which by the way is much harder):

1. My jersey number is always 7 from elementary to college.
2. There are 7 of us in the family.
3. I go to church on the 7th day of the week.
4. I have 7 sets of friends.
5. 7 is one of my favorite numbers.
6. I’ve been with 7 companies already (including on-the-job-training and apprenticeship program).
7. My current age ends in 7.

I want to tag: Jonas, Ardee, Andy, TL, Aethen, Gibbs and Wilson.

Loans

Have you ever experience a situation when you need cash fast and yet your bank account has no funds? Or need to buy house, car, and supplies for your family yet you are short on money? I’m sure in one way or another you have experienced this and it’s frustrating. Luckily, nowadays when you don’t have instant cash in your pocket you can easily apply for loans whether it could be homeowner loans to pay for your family’s shelter or personal loans during an emergency that you need to respond to. But before applying for one we need necessary precaution because like unsecured loans or loans that are actually too heavy for you to pay later on will only help you at a certain moment but might actually bring you loads of debt issues later on. Just a reminder, loans are everywhere and you can even apply online like http://www.nationsfinance.co.uk, but you must also think twice before deciding to apply and if you think you are sure to have your personal loans, homeowner loans, or even unsecured loan then go ahead it will be a great help in times you need it the most.

Disclosure: This blog entry is brought to you by http://www.nationsfinance.co.uk.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Copyright And ISBN or ISSN Application

I'd like to share Ruel Sarmiento's entry on our blog, Paperclipkomics, to help those who want to get their work copyrighted and get ISBN or ISSN at the same time.

Original Title: Paperclip Komics gets Copyright and ISSN

Here it goes:

Yup! Its the National Library in Ermita at the back ! Henry and I are sure exhausted after trekking the whole floors back and forth just to enforce the RIGHT the constitution gives us for our intellectual and creative toil. But don't worry, to those who wants their stuff copyrighted, it'll only takes less than half a day to do it. BOTH COPYRIGHT AND ISBN/ISSN. If you know what to expect...

What to bring:

-1,000 bucks. That'll cover the whole fees for ISBN/ISSN, Copyright, Documentary Stamp, Notary Public, and for the Gatorade/s you'll gulp at 7-11 infront of the Nat'l Lib.

-An I.D. or the National Lib. Reader's Card

-Copyright Application with TYPEWRITTEN ENTRIES and fully NOTARIZED!

-4 copies of work. 2 for Copyright and 2 for ISBN/ISSN

Getting the Copyright

First thing to do is to log-in at the front desk. You'll be given a visitor's badge in exhange for your I.D. Then proceed to the copyright division at the second floor(right wing facing the building). If you already have a notarized and typwritten entry form, then a staff of the copyright division will check the application and gets 2 copies of your work. NOTE: Inside your work should have this printed-Philippine Copyright 2006 by fill name of author/s. Or if you don't have a form, get a copy at the copyright division and fill-up the entries(typewritten only) and have it notarized.

We have a painful experience looking for a notary public and a typwriter! Now there is a street at the other side of 7-11 just perpendicular to Kalaw. Walk straight ahead 'till you cross U.N. Ave. and you won't miss it. They'll charge 170 pesos for typing the entries, notarization, and cedula(20 pesoses)...if you don't have any.

After all the requirements are checked, go to the cashier at the 4th floor and pay 200 pesos. Then proceed to the 6th floor to pay for the documentary stamp. And you're done! Go back to the copyright division to give the application form and receipts. After that we're told to come back after a month to get the certificate.

Getting the ISBN/ISSN

This was much easier but the climb (left wing) going to the ISBN/ISSN office made me wish that they should have a public elevator inside this building. We are kind of expecting a little debate if the officer won't give us the ISSN because of our format, which is comics. She just said, "Ano to? Ah...komiks". Flipping the whole pages one by one, gave us a form to be filled up and followed by an almost murmored "Haay Lord!" after leaving the table and consulting the other officer which we believe was just surfing the net at 10:30 am. After that we paid again 200 pesos at the cashier(4th floor-right wing) then went back again to the ISBN/ISSN division. We showed the receipt then we're finished. We've been told to place the ISSN number at the upper right front cover of our komiks and that we should give two copies to them everytime we publish.

Paperclip Komics issue 2 will be another separate copyright since we will be introducing 4 new stories from 4 new artists.

So that's it. Hope this guide will be handy to those who wants a Copyright and ISBN/ISSN on their work!

Monday, November 05, 2007

Bid To Win

There is a very exciting site that I find out over the internet. The site is called Bid4prizes.com. You can actually play bid over the internet. You can bid for different items over the internet like computers, laptops, Apple i-phone and even tour packages. What’s funny in this game is that the lowest unique bid will win the prize. Go on and try to check the site.

I actually browsed through the site and it is so user-friendly and very easy to understand. It’s so easy to follow the rules and understand its concept that anyone who has an internet access and has a mobile phone can play it. You can play over the internet or via mobile phone. Playing can get you
free gifts, free stuffs, sweepstake and so much more. Everyday there’s a winner so you got all the chance in the world. And there’s a chance for your picture to be features on their site if you won a bid. That would really be nice.

If you’re not lucky enough to win any prize you can collect your points and exchange it with items available on Bid4prizes.com depending on the points you earned while playing so it’s as if you are playing on your local arcade stops. They have
cash prize, tv’s, bags, and so much more at stake. Check it out guys and I think you’ll enjoy and going to love the game.

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Gloomy Monday Morning

When I woke up this morning I suddenly felt sad. I don’t know why or what was the cause of this sadness but I can’t seem to pin point what. I don’t want to get up and head for shower nor close my eyes again to get back to sleep. I just lie down and stare at the ceiling for a while and trying to think what might have caused this strange sadness. It’s sad not knowing why I felt so sad so suddenly.

I don’t know if this experience ever occur to other people and I’d like to know how they cope up with it. It is already 23 minutes past 1 in the afternoon and yet I still can’t shake this feeling off me. This feeling tends to slow time and somehow makes me think back of what I’ve done in my life so far and if I already made a difference in this world. I don’t know really but what I know is that I still have a lot of things to do and learn in life. If other people felt like this too then they probably know how to deal with it.

Then I remember a poem that I read when I was little. It was on a page of my dad’s book of poems. I really can’t remember the whole poem or the title not even the author who wrote it but it goes something like this: “No one loves me that’s why I go to the garden and eat some worms.” Then somehow makes me think that there is no reason for me to be sad at all because unlike the person who wrote that poem I have people who love me. Accept me for who I am, accept my shortcomings, accept my faults, and even if I get hot-headed at times these people are still there for me. A lot of times I am not able to say hi or ask them if they are doing ok but when I do they are still there for me. How come I still have this feeling of sadness over me? I am on a strange situation and I’d like to take this off my back. Like the author of the poem, maybe letting out this feeling through sharing this experience by blogging would somehow help me overcome this feeling.

Come to think of it, maybe the reason why I feel what I feel right now is some events shake me that I choose to ignore that slowly building up until I need to release it but I did not. I really don’t know or felt ashamed to share something to someone somehow this build up of emotions try to find its own way and it just came out this morning when I woke up. This is just plain hypothesis and still can’t find enough evidence to prove my case but that’s the closest reason I could think of as to why I am carrying such sadness. Do you think that somehow, deep down in me, I know why I am sad but so afraid to know it that my mind chooses to shut it down? Oh weird. I am feeling weird right now. Well, what ever the reason is I’d like to know what it is.

Hey guys, if you ever felt like this too and can’t seem to know why and was able to handle it, it would really be nice of you to share it with me. Who knows, someone might read this entry who would want to know more about it too or someone who also has this feeling and want to get rid of it too. The thing is, like most people I don’t want to feel sad because I am a happy person and I want to stay that way.

Need More Cartridge?

I am an independent (indie) comic artist and in order published my indies I have to print a lot of copies. Most of the time I ran out of ink and ink can be very expensive (depending of course of the brand and model of your printer) especially for a small time publisher like me. It is very hard to look for a cheap ink and cartridge as a replacement for the used one. It is very heavy on my budget to buy right from the shops and stalls in the mall. Luckily for us Pinoys, people like us who have accounts in paypal can no receive and send money through them so we can shop over the internet more conveniently now. This great news makes me more confident to shop and look for items online and I found Cartridge Finder as a very good alternative in looking for cheaper and reliable cartridge online.

Cartridge Finder is the site to beat when it comes to cartridges and printers. Imagine you can easily find in CartridgeFinder.com about 10,000 different models of printer, copier, and fax machines as well as link you through to potential suppliers. Super-convenient, isn’t it?

Whenever I ran out of stuff that I need for my indie comics, I’ll check
Cartridge Finder first because I know I can rely on them. Why don’t you try and check Cartridge Finder too.

Disclosure: This blog entry is brought to you by CartridgeFinder.com.

Verify Your Paypal Through E-ON

I decided to post here information for you people who would want to have their Paypal account verified. We all know that Paypal Philippines allows its members to send and receive funds but for members (like me) who don’t have or don’t want to have a credit card which you’ll be using for verification and for the expansion program there’s another option and it’s through UninonBank’s E-ON Cyber Account. The E-ON card is a debit card which you can use either as an ATM or as a debit card whether you transact through an ATM or through the internet depending on the situation you are in.

You may apply online or go to your nearest
UnionBank branch and present 2 valid ID’s, it would be a better idea to apply directly because applying online still requires you to go to the nearest UnionBank the following day. Upon applying you will have to wait a week or so (well in my case the card arrived on the 8th day) before you’ll be able to get your E-ON card and be sure to call the bank before going there just to be sure that your card is ready to be picked up.

When you finally get your card, here are the things to do:
• You have to pay Php 350.00 (on the spot) for the annual fee and try to deposit about Php 150.00 to Php 200.00 that you’ll need later on when you apply for the Paypal expansion program.
• Then logon to
http://www.unionbankph.com and click on the E-ON cyber account button. Another window pops out and there you’ll register your E-ON card online for you to be able to transact online. Get your card ready because you are going to enter information when you register like your card number, CVV (the last 3 digits located at the back of your card), PIN, and etc. After filling out all those information you’ll have to wait 2 to 3 days before your E-ON card to be activated.
• After your card is activated log on to your
Paypal account and click on the “verify a card” link or “add credit card” link or something like that to encode your card. Then you will wait for another 5 days to contact the UnionBank’s call center (0284186) to get your “4 digit number” that you are going to use to activate and verify your E-ON card.
• If you got the “4 digit number” encode it on your
Paypal account by clicking on the “Expanded Use” something link and if the codes are correct then your Paypal account is now verified. Well Paypal charges you $1.95 automatically for the transaction (automatically deducted from your E-ON cyber account that’s why you have to deposit Php 150.00 to Php 200.00 upon getting your card aside from the Php 350.00 annual fee for this purposes) which will be refunded to you upon your first transaction.
• Now if you already have funds on your
Paypal account and want to get it just transfer your funds from your Paypal account to your E-ON cyber account online and withdraw the money at your nearest ATM.

The steps are easy, right? Probably the most difficult part is the waiting part but overall it’s really so easy to apply for E-ON card and have your
Paypal account verified. I was able to do it without any problem at all so I think you’ll be able to do it yourself too. I do hope that this information is a great help for you guys.

Enjoy shopping and selling online!

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Millau Viaduct In Paris, France

Another e-mail coming from my officemate Charlene I believe worth sharing is her e-mail about Millau Viaduct - a large cable-stayed road-bridge that spans the valley of the River Tarn near Millau in southern France. The bridge connects Paris and Barcelona and is known to be the highest bridge piers in the world. It is 240 meters high (and overall 336 meters high). Below is the photo of the bridge:


Speaking of France, if I’d be able to visit that part of the planet I’ll definitely would want to check Millau Viaduct and have a closer look of it. France, specially Paris is also famous for its architectures and landmarks like Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde, Église de la Madeleine, Basilique du Sacré-Coeur, Opéra Garnier, Notre Dame de Paris, Musée du Louvre, and Luxembourg Palace.


Aside from Paris’ architectures and landmarks, the city is also famous not only because of French Open (one of the world’s most famous tennis tournament) and Artists Quarter but most of all because of Moulin Rouge. Remember the film starred by Nicolde Kidman and Ewan McGregor? Well, Moulin Rouge is actually a traditional cabaret which offers musical adult entertainment for adukt visitors from all over the world. But now, courtesans no longer exist in Moulin Rouge as it became a legitimate nightclub with amazing dancers with exceptional skills.


Paris is also known to be a very romantic city or so I’ve heard (French people are known to be the most romantic on the planet). Most people go there to celebrate their feelings toward their love ones. Just imagine roaming around the city and seeing people spending most of their visit touring the city’s landmarks side-by-side with the people they love, what a sight to behold. Now that most of us are so busy with work, I think it would be best to visit a place like Paris to spend more time with your partner or with your family and remember the good old times.

France in general is well known for it's literature and it has influenced the world so much. Among France's famous writers are Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas and Jules Verne. They produced books like The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte-Cristo, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and probably my favorite The Hunchback of Notre-Dame which is also adapted into an animation movie by Walt Disney Pictures. This reason alone is enough for me to visit France.

Whether traveling with your partner or with your family,
hotels in Paris are not hard to look for. In fact you can book at a much cheaper price over the internet that booking right from a travel agency. Hotels in France are available all year round and there are a lot to choose from which varies from apartments to hotels. How I wish to visit Paris someday with my love one and stroll around its famous landmarks and stay at France's nice hotels.

Mac Poker Update

This is to inform you guys that if you a poker online fan and you are using a MAC computer there is one site in the internet that you must visit. It's safe, it's reliable and it's trustworthy. The webiste is called Mac Poker and it has a list of poker online games that you would love to play. Since internet is a very powerful tool, you can enjoy playing your favorite poker at the convenience of your own home. Mac Poker is realy the site to be to play online poker with Mac.


Mac Poker offers a lot of information about online poker - about its legality, security, and software that you could use to play the game. This is really great news for those who love the game. This is really a brilliant idea. I must commend the creator of this great innovation. Some types of online poker games you would love to try and play are Pacific Poker, FullTilt Poker, and the PokerStars. You could even have Poker Bonus if you register. Upon browsing through the website and try some of its links you’ll definitely find what you’re looking for and you could even discuss and exchange information or ideas through the forums. The site also offers recommendations, blogs and news all about Mac Poker online. I say this again, if you want to look for an online poker game that you can trusts and has a very outstanding reputation then Mac Poker is the place for you.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Jonas Tag

I usually do not respond to tags but since I started responding to some so here’s another tag from my friend and fellow Komikero Jonas.

Instructions

Each player starts with 7 random habits/facts about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

Seven Random Things

I am an engineer. I am a blogger. I am an artist. I am a programmer. I am a businessman. I am a choir member. I am a leader.

Age: 27 years old
Band you’re listening to right now: Maroon 5
Career: Engineer, Programmer. Artist, Writer, Businessman, Blogger
Drink or smoke: Drink but don’t smoke
Easiest friends to talk to: Pao and Butch
Favorite food: Fried Chicken
Gummy bears or gummy worms: Gummy worms
Have a girlfriend: None
In love: Yup, still can't let go after the break-up
Junk food you like: Choko-choko
Kids: Not sure
Longest ride ever: Davao to Manila
My nicknames: Henry, Butsoy, Butch, Tsoy, Baki
Name for your next kid: No plans yet
One wish you have now: Strength from God
Phobias: Afraid of roaches
Quote: Therefore I am
Reason to smile: Smile from a love one
Sleeping time: Anytime from 12 MN to 3 AM
Time you wake up: Anytime from 5 to 6 AM
Unknown fact about you: I collect powders
Vegetable you hate: Ampalaya
Worst habit: Staring at people’s faces
X-rays you’ve had: Chest x-rays
Yummy food: Any type of chicken food
Zodiac sign: Taurus

I tag the following people: Gerry, Ymon, Aryo, Ham, Ayel, Icka and Edwin.

AquaDom in Berlin

I’d like to share to you an e-mail I received from my officemate Charlene. This is about an aquarium, a very special aquarium that can only be seen in Berlin, Germany. Hotels in Berlin are aplenty but it doesn’t stop them in creating another one and place a gigantic aquarium right in the heart of Radisson SAS Hotel. The aquarium is called the AquaDom.

Here are the pictures that accompany the e-mail:

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

AquaDom is the largest cylindrical aquarium ever built and it is about 25 meters high, has a diameter over 11 meters, built on 9 meters high foundation and filled with about 900,000 liters of seawater and it contains some 2,600 fishes of 56 species. If you are a hotel guest you can see through the aquarium because of its sandblasted glass which gives you a transparent like feeling. There’s more, you can travel through the middle of the aquarium because of its glass-enclosed elevator. Beneath is a restaurant under the aquarium’s glass floor and some rooms look over the atrium to have an ocean feel kind of look at the aquarium. The aquarium has two full-time divers that clean the aquarium interior and feed the fishes. This sight is really breathtaking even in the pictures, how much more if you are really there.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

The AquaDom costs about 12.8 million euros and Reynolds Polymer Technology built it. It was open last December 2003.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

If given the chance I’d like to visit Berlin, even if you won’t stay at this particular hotel you can still drop by and see the AquaDom. Hotels in Berlin are abundant and you can even have a much cheaper hotel that fits your budget over the net than getting one direct from your local travel agent. You may also visit Vienna if you have extra time and hotels in Vienna are also easy to find over the internet. And mind you, you can save more if you book online and there are a lot of different kinds of hotels in Vienna. Happy trip everyone.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Constant Traveling

I can say that somehow am very fortunate to be able to travel a lot of places here in my own country. I came from Kidapawan and was able to work all the way up to Baguio City. Though we don’t have enough (financially) I am privilege to be able to travel to different locations in the Philippines because I was a school varsity. When ever there are games and inter-school sports competition the school sends me to wherever the event is because I am an athlete and I bring honor to the school every time we won in a competition. I graduated in Davao, took my ECE licensure exam in Cebu, and took my oath as an engineer in Manila. I was able to visit the pineapple plantation in Polomoloc, travel the beaches of Bohol and spend months as an apprentice in Baguio. No matter how many places I already visited there are still more place that I have to visit, more places to explore and more treasure to find.


Traveling here and abroad can be a very good experience but can also turn out to be your worst nightmare if you are not ready. When I was about 6 years old, it was my first trip to Mt. Apo and I was so excited. I didn’t plan that much because my dad took care of (almost) everything. Everything went smoothly until the day we must go back from the trip. My dad didn’t expect it to rain that hard and it’s already getting dark. It is impossible to cross the river because the rocks that we are supposed to use as a bridge are already under the water. Then we decided to stay at the riverbanks because it is much difficult to go climb back to the nearest camp site. The area that we are in is so small that we all decided to stay really close to each other and hugged each other and place the tent all over our head. It was a very cold night but it was ok because that moment I felt how much my mom and dad love and care for me. They hugged me and place me in the middle so I’ll get most of the heat even though part of their bodies are still soaking wet. Then at first light we continued our journey back home. It was both a very hard experience for me but also one of the best memories that I shared with my parents.


When we travel, especially to a place that we are not familiar it really pays to have a travel guide. Just to make sure that you have someone who knows the place well. Travel guides help you lessen your worries and just focus on enjoying your trip. The reason, in the first place, why you travel is to enjoy and relax and if you are lost in an unfamiliar place then how can you enjoy your vacation right? Aside from a travel guide you must also have enough and extra money in case a need arises, after all, you are not really sure what going to expect when you are there. You must also inform someone about your trip and how to contact you, again if something wrong happens different from your plans. Bring medicines and extra clothing and also try to search information about the place to visit just to be sure. Traveling really is one thing that I love to do and I’m sure most if you too.


If given the chance (and more resources at hand), I’d love to explore more places here in my country and of course places abroad that I’d love to go to and share my experience. Traveling can be fun, exciting but most important educating. By traveling you’ll be able to learn and understand why people do what they do and be able to understand cultural differences. Someday, I’ll know I’ll add another place on my list of places that I’ve been and I’ll share it with you guys here in my blog.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Credit Cards

I am currently looking for the best available credit cards today. I’d like to have one because I’m definitely going to use it in times that I don’t have enough cash in case I am in need of it like emergencies. You’ll never know what’s going to happen so it would be better to be prepared even if you don’t need it at time that you have none when the need arises. There are a lot of banks offering credit cards out there and what I’ll have to do is to pick one which I think would suit me the best.

My friends often told me that there are a lot of cases wherein they face a lot of problems because they are not able to pay their credit card debts. I ask them how come they aren’t able to pay it on time. There are a lot of reasons. Some used their credit cards on things that they don’t really need and (often times) ending up on regretting of using it to purchase those items. I have this one friend who had to go to abroad to earn a much greater income to pay for his credit card debt. He sacrifices a lot and he even ended breaking up with his girlfriend because both of them can’t stand the long distance relationship thing. Imagine, he has to go through all that just to pay for his debts. Well, good move for him because he was able to pay all his debts and was able to go back here in the Philippines but the bad news is that he was not able to win back his ex-girlfriend’s heart. Well, I think one should use their credit card wisely to avoid these kinds of problems, right?

In US alone there a number of bad credit consumers, how much more in the rest of the world. Now BadCreditOffers.com are opening their doors to help people who are in this kind of situation to get back on their feet again, financially. These people don’t need to follow my friend’s footsteps in working abroad anymore. This site can be a great help to people with bad credit because instead of grabbing the first opportunity of having a credit card again they can still look for a better one because BadCreditOffers.com offers them a wide range of credit cards to choose from. Then you can compare which you think the type of card that suites you. Aside from helping bad credit consumers in choosing the right credit card, they also have home loans, auto loans, and personal loans in case you need any one of them. Probably the best this site can offer is the credit repair - list of other sites which can help you depending on your needs like improving your credit score or consolidating your debt or online debt counseling. Now that the list of bad credit consumers are on the rise, BadCreditOffers.com is the right place to go to when you need help on your debt.

As for me, I’ll have to set my mind that I must only use my credit card (if I get one) on things that I need the most and not spend it on all the things that I want. Maybe, this will help me to avoid ending up having a huge debt and not able to pay for it. But for now, I will concentrate first on getting my own credit card.

Dreaming Of London

Dreaming of London, yes, I am dreaming of London and I really want to visit the place. I think it is the one of the best places in the world. The mix of ancient and modern eras is very visible in the streets and architecture around the area. The people can express themselves in any way they want (as long as they’re not hurting themselves and others) and are not bounded by undeclared rules and critical eyes of very suspicious people like in most places here in my country. London also homes some of the great people in the world (some are locals and some migrated to the place). I really want to have it check by my own eyes if the place really is what I envisioned it to be.


If you want to visit London,
London accommodation is not a problem as it is available all year round. If you are too busy and always on the go, and find no time to book yourself you can always log online to search for the best London accommodation available. You could even get a much better and cheaper price over the internet as to go to travel agencies. London accommodation is plenty, so it is not a worry.


If I’ll be in London, the places that I wouldn’t want to miss are the following: National Portrait Gallery, St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Tower of London on Thames River, Science Museum, London Eye, National Gallery, British Museum, Tate Modern, Westminster Abbey and of course I’d like to take a peek at the famous London Bridge. If that day will come that I’ll be in London, I’ll definitely makes the most of my stay there.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Desktop Tagged By Gerry

Here's my desktop.


Yup, shown are my drawings and covers of our indie komics. I am going to tag Cheryl, Meryl, Reigh, Andy and Pao as the tag requires to tag other 5 people. Here are the rules:

1.Upon receiving this tag, immediately perform a screen capture of your desktop. It is best that no icons be deleted before the screen capture so as to add to the element of fun.

2.Post the picture in your blog. You can also give a short explanation on the look of your desktop just below it if you want. You can explain why you preferred such look or why is it full of Icons, things like that.

3.Tag five of your friends and ask them to give you a Free View of their desktop as well.

Dream Tour

If given the chance I’d like to travel around the world and European trip would be the highlight of that dream tour. There is something about Europe that excites me – its culture, tradition and history. Places like London, Dublin, Rome, Barcelona, Prague and some other places in Europe that seems so old and full of mystery. Ancient Europe really intrigues me. When you are there you can day dream all day of being a prince or a chevalier on a mission and you’ll search the whole of Europe just to rescue your princess in distress. Isn’t that exciting?

My aunt Even before moving to the US is fortunate enough to tour some parts of Europe. She said she did have a lot of fun and most people she meet (whether tourists or locals) are really nice to her.
Accommodation was not an issue for they are plenty and so easy to book especially online. She even met another Filipina who now live in Poland and stayed there for a couple of days. It is true that most of Europe is able to preserve their architectures, cultures and traditions but it is now very modern. People there love to party, shop and stroll. Whatever you might need could be found there easily. You name it they got it. She told me that her European tour was a “dream come” true.

Lucky for her she was able to fulfill one of her dreams, as for me I have to be patient. Who knows this dream of mine might come true too.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Hide And Seek

One of my major problem (actually all of us housemates) with renting and living in a boarding house is not having our very own mailboxes. Imagine I have to ask everyone every time if there’s a mail for me and sometimes I got tired of asking and assume that there’ll be no letter for me when actually there’s one. You follow me? It is really hard for all of us not to have our very own residential mailboxes.

There was one time when I am applying for a certain job and they told me that they’ll let me know if I am able to get the job or not through letter or a phone call. Weeks went by and I still haven’t heard anything from them yet so I assume that they’re not interested to hire me. Only to find out after two months that I actually got a letter from that company and apparently my new board mate didn’t know what my real name was and assume that no one in our boarding house with that name lives there. Isn’t that frustrating?

There was also an incident with one of my housemate, he was expecting to receive a letter from one of his clients and weeks also went by and no letter came from his client. Then after a month or so he saw the letter in the rubbish bin outside the boarding house. No one in the house bothered to check the letter if who it was addressed to.

These incidents lead all of us staying in the boarding house to look for commercial mailboxes that we could purchase to resolve our current issue. This is a serious problem for us and we must address it accordingly the soonest. Actually even in the internet you could find high quality mailboxes that fit you. Some even offers affiliate programs which pays you $20.00 just by signing up so how come mailboxes are everywhere except in our boarding house?