My new site!

I'm working on a new blog project called News Pirates. We don't make the news - we plunder it!

I don't know how far it's going to go, but hey - I'm going to have some fun and see what happens.

Today I met a real live racist

I had two goals today - to buy an iMac for my children (been saving up forever), and watch tonight's debate between Obama and McCain.

I did all of the usual things - go to the store, point to the machine I wanted, told what warrantees I wanted (and which I didn't). The problem started when I ran my bank card through the machine, and was declined (even though I had more than enough money in my checking account).

Then came - the racism.

Me: I'm hoping to get out of here in time so I can go watch the debates. Especially with all of the nastiness Palin has been spreading around.

Salesguy: Oh, I like her. Besides, Obama kind of scares me.

Me: Really.

Usually when I hear "Obama scares me", I get an earful about "most liberal senator" or some other stuff.

Me: How so?

Salesguy: I've noticed he's been revealing more of his true Muslim nature.

I nearly froze. I had my phone to my ear while my bank tried to figure out why my purchase didn't go through.

Me: Oh, yeah. I mean - heaven forbid. We certainly wouldn't want a Muslim to have any government office. No - wait, that would be a horribly racist thing to say.

Salesguy: Oh, I don't think so - they're dangerous!

At that moment, the bank took me off of hold. Turns out I had to purchase the computer as an "debit" not "credit". Oh. Silly me.

I made my purchase, and the sales guy walked me out with my purchase to the car. And the whole time, I kept thinking - he looks so normal. I would never think the guy was a racist.

I 've never really met racism. I mean, I've heard a racist joke - the old Polish jokes when I was a kid, but I've never met someone who really thought bad things about a person because of their religion or ethnic background.

Actually, that's not entirely true. I remember as a teen being told by others that I didn't believe in Jesus because I was Mormon - even though the name "The Church of Jesus Christ" it put in big metal letters on the side of our buildings. But people never thought that I was a danger should I ever run for office, or that my "family history" should preclude me from ever doing anything in public.

I now regret not saying something more, making how offended I was clear. Or perhaps being more forceful. Or even canceling my purchase. I didn't - I just walked away.

Sometimes, it moves you

Saturday I was going door to door with a list of names to make sure they were registered to vote. The way it was suppose to work is I ask them who they want to vote for. If they say "Obama", I ask them to volunteer. If they say anyone else, I say "Ok - cool - but Obama's cool."

Then I make sure they're registered to vote, that they know about early voting, and they know when election day is. For the most part, everybody was registered. Lots of Obama supporters, a few "I don't know", but more than anything else, houses with people not home.

Probably the funniest house was the guy who came to the door saying "Heeeeeyyyy, man!"

"Hi, I'm John Hummel." I shook his hand - I made a point of shaking everyone's hands, so they knew I wasn't creepy. "I'm an Obama campaign volunteer making sure people in the area are registered."

"Woah. Dude - I am so drunk right now, I'll fill out anything you want me to." He was a very happy, friendly drunk guy as it turned out. I just left the voter registration form with him, and move on.

It was the last house that everything changed. Turns out I had the wrong house - I was looking for one that ended in a 1, and I stopped at the house that ended at 7 by mistake. Turns out that was the best thing.

I knocked on the door, gave my spiel, and was ready to go home when I heard "Oh my God - you're here to register us to vote!"

I had a Palin-caught-in-a-Katie-Couric look in my eyes. "Um - yes."

"Oh, come on in."

It turns out the house had nearly four generations - a little baby, the mother, the grandmother matriarch of the home, and three older people who had been born in the 1920's.

Three people who had waited 75 years of their life to vote in this election for the first time. The family was mainly African American, save for the youngest generation which was mixed. And those older people, who could barely walk, one was nearly blind, were so excited that I had come to register them to vote so they could vote for Senator Obama.

So I did. I filled out the information, and in slow, laborious hands, they signed their name so they could vote for the first time in their lives. And while I was there, the matriarch of the home was on the phone, calling her relatives, making sure they knew they had to get registered before Monday. And what else could they do - they wanted to volunteer because things were getting bad out there, and they wanted to help.

Just when I think that these little efforts don't matter, something like this happens. For you volunteers out there who try to find housing for the homeless, or services to the sick, serving in the PTA, or even just helping people vote - your work matters.

I ate too much pizza

Blehhhhhh.

Gah. I'm going to get a house

Seems like the seller liked out bid the most - so now I get to have a house again of my own.

First thing to do: talk to mortgage folks.

Second thing: talk to contractor who's putting in the floors, etc.

Third thing to do: Figure out how to string CAT-5 cable everywhere :).

So - T-minus 45 days before the house is "mine", and then another month - about June - before we move in.

Breath, John. Breath.

House update

We just put in the bid - $203,000 - that's $165,000 for the house, $25,000 for repairs, $15,000 for closing costs/etc - and we'll put $5,000 to pay the fees and such, the seller does the rest. All conditional on the house passing inspection, etc.

This - is doable with my income. The question is: will the seller go for it? Evidently, they got a bid, and since the house is unlivable right now (without that kitchen), they're probably bidding low - but an outright buy, so its easier.

It boils down to the seller either just taking the money and running with it, or waiting 45 days to make quite more. Now we just wait and see.

I might get house lucky

We may have found a place about 10 miles down the road that's going into foreclosure. It's on about 3 acres, 4 bedroom 2200 square foot place. Only downside: No high speed internet access *yet*, but it's coming later in the year. It already has a pool - I'd have to see about AC and such, but - hmmmmmm.

We were planning on a house next year, but at a possible deal like this - might be worth it to get in now. We have about $10K in cash, plus another $5K in stock, and by the time we'd actually sign papers and move in, we'd have another $5K saved up.

I love my mechanic

Let me say I love my mechanic - South Shore Auto Repair. I thought I'd have a $500 bill. Nope - just $150. They don't screw you on labor, they do good work and actually take the time to say "OK, here's the part that's bad, here's why it went bad, here's what you need to look out for."

Love these guys. Love 'em.

These folks made good salsa

I found Meadow Croft Farm in a fair not to long ago - and while the "XXX Hot Chunky Salsa" isn't as hot as I'd like, it had some *flavor* to it.

I just ordered a case, plus a jar of blackberry jam (for my lovely wife) and a jar of strawberry peach jam.

I already told my lovely wife that I'd was planning on jamming this summer. That should be an adventure.

No Google IMAP for me

Google hasn't turned on my IMAP yet. I'm getting bummed out. I really wanted to use that with my iPhone.

Prices

Walk to the local store from the hotel: Free
Withdrawing $20 from an atm: Free if scary at night
Milk, Corn Pops, bowl, spoon: $12

Not paying hotel price for breakfast so I get to keep $15 a day extra to put into my pocket: pricess

I have....

A 5 year old son who's ready to move into the 1st grade, according to his teacher. I don't know if we will.

A copy of Phoenix Wright, with a Phoenix Wright plushie key chain.

Dracula X: Rondo of Blood for the PSP, with the "8 bit Simon Belmont action figure".

The question is, which one do I crack open first?

Well, other than the boy.

Run, John, Run!

This is one of those days where I say:

I am *so* awesome.

I have Jury Duty today. And, today is also payday. And - it's also the day that my old stock options run out.

So I'm sitting in Jury Duty, waiting for my name, using the internet access to start the stock trade. Problem: they need a wire transfer *today* and a fax confirmation to complete.

I call My Lovely Wife (MLW) and email her the documents she needs to hit the bank and do the wire transfer. I run upstairs and find a fax machine - but I have to print out the documents I need. Which means I need a flash drive.

Problem: my work put on some security software to "protect us" that disables flash drives.

Except - it doesn't disable the flash drive if you're in Safe Mode on Windows XP. And, because I had hacked the Administrator password earlier in the month and replaced it with my own, I was able to get into to Safe Mode, get the document onto my thumb drive, hand it over to the printer, get my print and fax it out for $1.18 (including tax).

Call MLW, gave her confirmation, she's wire transferring now, and if I am correct, after the stock swap and buying $1000 in stock, I should make about $1000 (after taxes).

Yay, me. Now I'm all tired out from running up and down stairs and chasing after my own tail. But - at least I'll have used those options. And made a little money.

Proflowers - wah?

Proflowers keeps sending me emails about buying flowers for someone named "Louann" because it's her birthday or something.

I don't know a Louann. I've never sent her flowers. It doesn't show that I've ever bought flowers from them (so it's not identity fraud or something weird) - they just think that someone named Louann should get flowers from me.

Odd.

I'm on the treadmill, on my iphone

I am sweaty and my typing is slow. And I'm being a wuss and only going 2 mph.

I used - options

For the first time in my life, I exercised my stock options - since they expire on the 22nd (after leaving my old company).

Here's the deal: I actually have 300 shares of stock in the old company, but I can only use 64 until 12/2007, then I get another 159, and by June 2008 I get all of the rest. But I also have 300 shares of *options*.

Today, I have become a man of the financial world. I used my old stock to swap for the value of the options. I am now - after taxes - $500 richer.

On paper.

Next week with my paycheck, I'll probably buy another $1000 of options - that should net me another $500 after taxes, so my stock "current worth that I can use" will go form $1200 to $2200 in a week. And, everything else holding steady, means that by this time next year my stock value should be worth $10000, and with the savings my wife and I are putting together we'll have another $10000.

And then we'll spend it all on a down payment on a house.

And - maybe a big screen.

But the house first.

Yay! My day off!

Every other Friday I get a day off. Which means I get to do the lawn, fix the car, build a table, do my homework -

Yup. A day off.