Oh BB!

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know there's only one thing I'm talking about when I say BB.    No not Brazilian Butts or Big Black.   I'm referring to the stock symbol BB, better known as Blackberry.   Things have been changing for the better there.

With the bad news we've been dealing with regarding the default judgment, I've been getting wonderful news about my long-suffering Blackberry stock.    For years I've been saying how I was dreaming of a bright future with Blackberry.   It was always if Blackberry does something or when BB shoots to the moon before I decide to make an expensive purchase.

Things started differently after Blackberry released their Q4 2026 numbers, which were released on April 9, 2026.   Some of the highlights mentioned included:

• Total company revenue was $156 million, which was up 10% year over year.
• Their star product QNX's quarterly revenue made up $78.7 million of that $156 million and was up a whopping 20% year over year.
• QNX royalty backlog increased to $950 million.
• Adjusted basic earnings per share was $0.06 which was a beat.
• Operating cash flow was $45.6 million.

These are just some of the highlights.   Overall the quarter continued to improve from their previous quarter which improved from that previous quarter, and so on.

Their current CEO John Giamatteo was even quoted as saying "The turnaround is complete.  Blackberry is now a growth stock!"

That's a very strong statement to make.   Typically after the quarterly numbers are released, BB stock usually reverted back to low prices after making a slight temporary gain.   Prior to the Q4 numbers, the stock was borderline going down to $3 a share.   It pretty much was hovering between $3 and $4 for years.  A tease of $5 briefly came around the beginning of 2025 before it sunk back down.

But things started to act differently after April 9.   It started out with a tease of $4 before closing in the upper $3's.  The gains which normally would've been taken back started to be mostly retained.   The sentiment on the stock boards was that the price would likely head back lower which was business as usual.   But BB had other plans.  Starting from April 7 on, the BB closing price made an unprecedented rise, closing green ten days in a row   On the 7th, the price closed at $3.48.    On the 9th, after the Q4 2026 numbers were released, it closed up at $3.82.    It closed over $4 for the first time since December 23, 2025 at $4.11.   It then decisively closed at $5.50 on weed day, hitting above $5 for the first time since February 26, 2025.

The stock price would take a light breather for a day or two, sometimes closing red.   But then it would start rising again.   Excitement started growing on the boards again.   Even long-time cynics of the stock were starting to have fun again.   The stock price closed above $6 for the first time since February 18, 2025 on May 7th, almost a month after the Q4 report.    It closed above $7 today 05/22 after teasing a high of $8.03.    Needless to say it's exciting times over at Blackberry and my portfolio is up huge after accumulating BB stock since May 2020 and averaging around $4.77.

So what is causing the rise.   Speculation is that it is finally benefitting from the whole AI boom.  The company also renewed plans to continue their stock buyback program which would make remaining stock more valuable.   QNX is also becoming a critical part of the growing robotics movement.   The excitement on the future of that industry is also playing into the increase.   In fact the President of QNX John Wall will be one of the keynote speakers at the annual upcoming Robotics Summit & Expo being held in Boston, MA next weekend.   Also Wall along with CFO Tim Foote are doing a series of Investor Fireside Chats over the next few months.   This on top of the upcoming Annual Stockholder's meeting being held on June 25th.  Not to mention a few weeks after that they should have results for Q1 2027.    So the next month and a half promises to be exciting.

My dream is for BB to hit $20 again.   The last time it was over $20 was during its meme run in 2021 where it along with Gamestop and AMC rose to incredible highs due to influential Reddit investors.   BB unfortunately didn't get as high as Gamestop or AMC but it nonetheless bought excitement and later regret as the price crashed from the low 30's back to the teens and gradually into the single low digits.   

If things continue to go positive for Blackberry, it very well could see $20 again.  At that point I would likely cash in a lot of my chips, though I would definitely hold some of it for longer term in the hopes of seeing higher gains.   Yes the BB rise has bought a bit of good news in my life.   It'll be interesting to see where it goes.

It's A Default

 We received bad news in the mail this past weekend.   Remember I mentioned last month that we (technically Dom but it still affects me) got served last month from the local Sheriff's office for some past hospital debt.    Dom's court date was on May 11 but we opted not to attend.   I probably should've pushed Dom more to file a response but I ultimately didn't.   Dom surprisingly asked if we should go the weekend before.   Since we didn't file a response I didn't think it made any sense to go at that point.    

So the 11th came and went.   We received two pieces of mail declaring that a default judgment was made against Dom and that he owes over $5000.    I surmised that they would look to garnish Dom's wages.   From what I understand they could take up to 15% of his earnings to pay down the debt.   The rub is that Dom is not working so he's not collecting a paycheck.    The most they can do now is freeze his assets which are his personal bank account and our joint account (because his name is on it).    But he's not funding either of those currently.   I fund the joint account because the monthly mortgage is automatically getting withdrawn from it.   Plus sadly Dom is still buying doll crap that I have to cover because it may potentially affect our mortgage payments.

When we found out about the original court date, the first thing I had Dom do was go to his hospital portal to see if he could see anything about what was owed.    We saw there was debt for over $2500 but not the $5000+ that the collectors were claiming.   I paid $1500 of that debt so far (well charged my credit card).

I have to admit I'm extremely frustrated with Dom.   He seems to think that life is for buying dolls and accessories and everything else be damned.   He just has no sense of responsibility.   But this is nothing new.   

I went back to ChatGPT to see if there was anything that could be done.   It was suggested to file a Motion To Set Aside Default Judgment and file it with the court as well as mail a copy to the plaintiff's lawyer.   It came up with a motion that I was able to print out at my job this past Monday.    Then I drove to the court yesterday to drop off the motion and mail out the copy with return receipt.

Assuming the motion is honored, we'll likely get a new court date that we have to attend.   The plaintiff will have to explain how they came up with $5000 when the health portal only shows half of that.  I guess is the difference their finder's fee?   Ultimately whatever the settlement is, I'm going to have to pay it.   What a mess.   For better or worse, right?

The Case For Mackinac Island

 Dom and I spent a nice day hanging out in Mackinac Island last summer.   Dom enjoyed it so much that he has mentioned multiple times since how he would love to move there.    Since he first mentioned it, I knew that getting a home there would be a pipe dream.    Home prices in the island according to Zillow range from the upper 6 figures to several million dollars.   

The main case for choosing Mackinac Island for living is the weather.   But that would only be during the summer and maybe fall.   The island temps tend to be cooler due to being surrounded by Lake Huron.  I imagine that island living would be quite peaceful (if away from the touristy area).   But that's where the positives end.

There are several negatives.   Weather is the biggest one.   The winters can be especially harsh.  Heaven forbid your furnace decides to go out, like ours did a few months ago.    You'd have to hope that the HVAC guy lives nearby or has a horse and carriage that he can use to get to you and the roads aren't treacherous that traveling to your home may be delayed.   This brings up the next negative (though it's also a positive in other ways).

Cars are not allowed on the island.  That's a good thing for air quality.   It's one less thing polluting the air.   But with that it limits your mobility around the island if you're not able to walk, ride a bike, or have a horse.   Dom himself is not able to walk like he used to and it takes longer for him to get around.

Getting in and out of the island is another negative.   Being isolated means getting out of the island is only possible by boat.   If the weather is bad, that means you're pretty much stuck there.   Depending on the circumstances that may not be a bad thing but it could also be dire if you have an emergency.

They do have a hospital there but you have to hope the roads are passable that a horse carriage can pass through.    If you're of a certain age, getting to the hospital can be a challenge.

You can still get Amazon deliveries but it's by boat and horse ultimately.   That I imagine is an added cost and time.   Food of course would be more expensive on the island as well since a lot of that needs to be shipped by boat.

All of those reasons make a weak case for choosing to live in the island full time.    There are options to buy land on the island for cheaper but then that means having the added cost of a builder to prep the land for a new home assuming I chose to build.    Theoretically I could buy some land and just pay the taxes and not build but that doesn't make any sense either.  I don't have any kids I can leave the land to and even if I did, there's no guarantee that they would be interested.    Case in point, Mama was willed a piece of property in the island of Guadeloupe where our extended family is from.    But my sisters and I have no desire to move back there as our lives are in the United States (though with this Agent Orange regime...LOL).   I believe Tasha was trying to work out something with our Kiss and Tell cousin Chrissy to try and possibly sell it but that has stalled.

Another reason Mackinac Island isn't possible is that Dom himself has zero savings to help offset the cost.  He literally has no cash to his name.  Some of his collection has value but that would require selling it and finding someone willing to pay for it.   So any costs on moving to Mackinac Island would fall on me and would likely wipe a lot of my current savings.   I just can't justify the associated costs of living there.   Dom of course has been preaching to other folks about wanting to move there as well.   But unless we win the lottery it just doesn't make financial sense.

I've told Dom if he really wants to live in the island, the next best option would be to live closer to the island like in Traverse City or Gaylord, MI.    But I'm not feeling those areas either.

For me I would love to retire near Las Vegas though that may not make much sense either.   I'd sooner move to London (which is another dream of his) than Mackinac Island.   I am gravitating towards warmer areas whereas Dom wants cooler areas.

I told Dom that the most logical place for us to move would probably be Fort Wayne, IN.   It would put him slightly closer to his Mom and much closer to my sisters in Detroit.    The cost of living there would be cheaper as well and there are plenty of hospitals if needed.

Ideally since I am close to paying off our current mortgage (currently only $4000 left...woo hoo!), I feel it would make sense for me to increase my savings and investments for the next 5 - 7 years so we have a decent cushion and hopefully still find a place that is smaller (he would need to sell off his dolls) and affordable so we can enjoy more trips, including ones to Mackinac Island.   I do worry about Dom since he is not as strong as he used to be and he would be close to 70 by the time the five years come.   I want to make him happy but it has to be realistic too.

I still would like to retire in January 2033, assuming I still have a job for all that time.   But what will life say to that?   We won't know but life goes on.

Blooming Gay

 Dom and I were discussing once again our experiences when we first explored being gay.    It was interesting how our experiences contrasted.   Dom always reported auditioning a cast of 1000's before we finally crossed paths.    My casting number was much lower.    If I think about it, I may have had a cast of 100's if I was lucky.   I did blog over the years about some of that cast.

Part of it of course has to do with physicality.   Dom was a taller, beefier guy at that time with an incredible body.    He has old pics of himself wearing tight leather clothes with his bare chest and abs open.    When he lived in San Francisco, he talked about walking down Castro and being picked up by other guys.

I was a "skinny-fat" gay guy when I was first exploring my attraction.   I rarely socialized and relied more on social sites like Adam4Adam, Bear411, SilverDaddy, and Craigslist to try and meet guys.   And because of my physicality, I had a more challenging time trying to find guys that were into me.

Race no doubt played a part in it as well.   Even though Dom disagrees with me (which when you never had any challenges with meeting guys, how would you know), his being white made it easier to find other guys when that itch hit.   Being black I feel made it harder for me to find connections.   There are a lot of discussions from other gay black men about their experiences in trying to hook up as well as the racism received from white gays.    

What didn't help me as well was when I started exploring my gay side way back in 2002, I found myself living in a townhouse in the Chicago suburbs.   I moved in the Chicago burb of Des Plaines, IL in 1997 and found myself working in another burb of Chicago.   My former work colleague Stan was very much into real estate.    He was always touting about the importance of home ownership in building equity.   He owned several small apartment buildings and homes that he was collecting rent from.   

He encouraged me to buy a home since I was planning to stay in the area for at least 5 years.   Of course I wanted to live somewhere that was near my job.    What I didn't consider was that Stan himself was married with a young child at the time and another on the way a few years later.     I was single and prior to 2002, never had sex with anyone, man or woman.    I was in my mid-20's when it probably made sense to live in the city proper and in an apartment so I could have the flexibility to move when better opportunities came along.

Instead I wound up buying a townhouse in 2000.  Ironically I wound up living in the same burb that Stan and his family lived at.   I found myself being the only black and later gay guy on the block.   My nearest neighbors were relatively nice but I couldn't help but feel out of place there.   I was never really happy.

So I first decided to explore my gay side in 2002.   I had broken up with the one and only girlfriend I had.   I was getting used to the social sites.   I decided for some reason that my first time would need to be with an escort.   I found a muscular Hungarian guy living in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago.   I believe we agreed on $150 for our sexual liaison.   The plan was to meet on Halloween 2002.

So I found myself leaving my suburban townhome sometime at 11pm and making the 40 minute or so trek to Lakeview.   Along the way I drove down Irving Park street and couldn't help but notice random folks parading the street in various costumes.

I remember having a hard time finding parking (that's anytime driving in Chicago).   I ended up parking in a small lot around Lake Shore Drive and walking the few blocks to HG's apartment.   To say I was nervous was an understatement.   I was also excited as I anticipated finally losing my virginity.

I vaguely remember HG and I conversing and him expressing disbelief that I was using him as my first experience.   I remember he offered me orange juice.   That may not have been wise but thankfully I wasn't drugged...LOL.   Then he led me to his lair.   I remember us making out and him later using his body to pin me on the bed as he inserted his manhood and fucked me proper.   After we got off, he made it a point to say that we weren't done.    We briefly rested before he started fucking me again.

I remember being very satisfied.   We talked for a bit but I could tell that the time to leave was getting near.    But nonetheless that was my introduction to the gay experience.    I knew then and there, I would not be going back to women.   Not that I really was with any women.   

I remember I had a few other escorts over the years that came to my home.    But aside from escorts, trying to meet guys to date was especially challenging.   If they lived in Chicago, you could forget about it.   One thing about being in Chicago, there are a lot more options out there.   The majority of the guys in the burbs I found were married or partnered which given the cookie cutter homes that were designed for families, made sense.

It wouldn't be until 2006 when I would finally have my first boyfriend in Rock.   I've blogged about him a lot in my old blogger.    He lived in Rockford, IL (hence his nickname Rock) and we managed to last almost two years before I called it quits.   It wasn't the perfect relationship (what is) but it was nice to experience having an actual boyfriend.   I definitely appreciate that time in my life looking back.

So I was completely out of place in my suburban townhome.   I can say I was never really comfortable or happy there.   I was happy when I finally moved out of there after living there 16 years.   I barely broke even when I sold the house.   I had refinanced in the mid 2000's and took out about $20000 in cash that I was hoping to make a good investment on.   I wasted it on stupid penny stocks which wound up going south.    Thankfully my selling price was $37000 higher than my purchase price and covered the loan as well as the cost of fixing the home to put on the market.   I will say I felt like I left there just in the nick of time before Orange started his first term in 2017.

But yeah life is so interesting.   There were some crazy as well as good times.   Everything I went through led me to where I am today so I wouldn't trade a thing.

An Orange You Just Can't Peel

 Apparently the White House is saying there was yet another assassination attempt on Agent Orange.   This time the alleged incident took place Saturday evening at the White House's annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner.    It's interesting to learn the history of the dinner.   It was originated by former president Woodrow Wilson in 1914.   The purpose at the time was to protect press access to the president after rumors that politicians may limit which specific press members could attend briefings.

The irony in that is the current Orange administration has threatened to control which press members are allowed and what they can report on.   So the fact that they were even having the dinner in the climate they have created is shocking in itself.   

In the last few decades of the WHCA, it is tradition to have a comedian roast the president and the press.  As thin-skinned as Orange is, he would definitely would not be able to take any ribbing.  Just look at how he tried to get comedian Jimmy Kimmel fired a few months back.   In fact, Orange did away with that tradition by not inviting any comedians for this year's event.

Kimmel, not happy with Orange doing away with the tradition, decided to have a mock roast.   Orange and Melania were not having this, though.   Orange went so far as to accuse Kimmel of playing a part in the assassination attempt.

Let's back to the attempt.   The WH is saying that a lone gunmen somehow was able to breach security and the president's life was in danger.    There are various videos showing the VP being escorted out first and later the president tripping on the floor as secret service went to take him out of imminent danger.   Other pictures show various Orange advisors like Stephen Miller hiding behind a pregnant spouse.  Incidentally some astute observers couldn't help but notice Orange watching backstage.  If he was in any real danger, wouldn't the secret service have him out of sight in some barricaded room?

Other hilarious videos showed an old man sitting at the table that was unbothered by the commotion and continuing to eat dinner.   Yet another showed a lady grabbing all the alcohol for a post-drink party in a nearby hotel.  

The only thing is later reports say that the gunman was on a different floor.    So Trump was not in any immediate danger.    The lone gunman himself was not shot but a service member was shot though protected by his vest.   Later reports say that he wasn't shot by the gunman but rather another secret service member in friendly fire.    What a shitshow!

So needless to say a lot of folks are calling the attempt a hoax that was staged (like the other Orange attempts).   Adding fuel to that fire is that less than an hour after the alleged attempt happened, Orange was holding a press conference and everyone was all smiles like nothing ever happened.   In the press conference, Orange was demanding his ballroom plans resume as the incident would not have happened if it was in his ballroom.   And this is the current state of the United States!    You can't make this stuff up.   It will be interesting to see what happens with the lone gunman.

Ready For The Kink

 

Nothing much major is happening.   I told Dom about his being served.   It ended up he had received other notices as well so it wasn't much of a surprise.    We went to his health portal billing section and saw that he had some bills that were listed as being sent to the debt collectors.   The total amount was less than half of what the debt collector said he owed and traced back to 2024.   A part of me was wondering if the debt collection is older debt maybe from 2023 and earlier.   Who knows?

We decided to pay (well I used my charge card) a portion of the debt.  I will pay another portion next month.   My card debt is depressing me again but I am remaining a cycle ahead for now so as long as I pay the statement balance at least I will avoid paying interest.

We're also deciding to chance not going to court.   As I alluded to before Dom is not working anymore and doesn't plan to.   So odds are they won't be able to garnish any wages since there are none.   Also Indiana is not a community property state so they can't sue me for it.   The worse they can do is freeze our joint account and his personal account.  But he barely has any money in that account and I only keep it afloat to avoid overdraft on the mortgage. Since our mortgage is tied to the same bank, I will go with the plan to open a separate savings account in my name only so I can continue to pay the mortgage easily.

On the bright side, my long suffering stock Blackberry has finally started making some strides.   The price started rising from $3.50 to well over $5 starting on April 9th.   I sold 10% of my retirement shares at $5.68.   The price has cooled back for a bit and is hovering in the $5.20 - $5.40 range but I'm hoping it'll reach another leg up by the time Q1 2027 closes which should be by end of May.   I'm holding my non-retirement shares for a higher price, ideally $10 or higher.  I've been in BB stock since May 2020 so it's gonna be six years.   So may that'll help me pay off some more of the debt.

As if I need more debt but I purchased theatre tickets for us to see the show Kinky Boots during their Saturday matinee show on June 20th.   Dom's birthday is on the 23rd.   So the show is sort of his birthday present.   We recently watched the movie again and it looks like it'll be a fun show.   So that'll be our first summer activity.    I still want to get him a popcorn maker that he'll hopefully use instead of cooking it in my steel pot.   

We were also talking about going to Dollywood this summer but I feel like that may have to wait since we're also wanting to remodeling our bedroom and get a new bed this year.    The bed will be between one to two thousand and the remodel may cost just as much.    The bedroom has ceiling panels that are falling off so it definitely needs the remodel.   I've started removing some of the panels but Dom and I need to clear out the million or so dolls that are stationed all over the room.

I'm grateful our cars are hanging on even though Tasha was hinting on wanting my car last Christmas.    But I really don't want or need another car note and I don't have enough saved for a down payment just yet.   Of course Blackberry may surprise me in 2026 which would help me greatly.    We shall see.

We've Been Served

I was working from home this past Wednesday.   It was a normal day dealing with crazy customer cases and Dom was slowly waking up to get his quiet day at home started.   He had some doll orders that he was expecting from the Disneystore that was set to arrive that day.    Those arrived mid-morning just when he was downstairs in the basement taking pictures of more of his dolls.    His latest craze he was photographing were characters from Netflix K-Pop Demon Hunters.   These days any cartoon can quickly become Dom's next latest obsession.   Hemingway UPS rang the doorbell and since he was occupied downstairs, I went to pick up his packages.   

When I opened the main door, I saw there were some folded papers that were stapled and wrapped in a rubber band that was wedged between the screen door.    I first bought in his packages (two big boxes) since it was slightly drizzling outside and didn't want them to get wet further.   I then went back and grabbed the papers.

The first thing I saw was "Notice Of Claim" written in big capital letters on the very top of the page.  As I looked further I saw that Dom was served from the local Sheriff's office regarding a claim from his hospital that was sent to collections saying that the collector filed a motion with the Sheriff's office and Dom's court date is scheduled for 05/11 at 1pm.   

As I looked through the pages I was wondering if this was something we needed to worry about.  I saw what looked like a docket number and then a mention of interest owed for the debt in the amount of over $1100 dollars which along with the $115 filing fee and the principal balance of $4300 totaled approximately $5600.   I verified on the court website using the docket number that it was indeed filed with the court.

I haven't told Dom about it yet but he has received plenty of letters in the past from debt collectors which he's brushed aside.   I'm not sure he can ignore this one though.   I used ChatGPT to get some advice on what should be done.

The suggestion was to send a reply to "deny what debt that is uncertain" which they say forces the plaintiff to present proof.   The reply should include such phrases as “I lack sufficient knowledge to admit the amount” and/or “Plaintiff must prove the debt and amount”.    Doing this they say prevents a default judgment from occurring though that assumes that a court appearance is still made.

According to the advice, it is suggested that the defendant appear in court on that day where things may lead to payment discussions, future court dates, and the burden of the plaintiff to prove that the amount owed is correct.

It's also suggested to try and negotiate a lower payment amount.   It's also advised when filing to send it in person and have it stamped.

The scary thing is that I didn't even hear the person when they left the papers.   I had to check my security doorbell and it showed clearly a black sheriff's car parked in front of our house with a female police officer walking and placing the papers.

I've spoken about it before but I find myself frustrated with Dom's priorities.   His focus always is on what next doll he has to own.   When he was working his small paycheck was usually always spent on doll related things.   The only other thing he would think about getting is groceries.    It left me responsible for covering all the household expenses and other miscellaneous expenses like car insurance, car repair, our entertainment like dinners, plays, concerts, road trips, and other random life expenses that come along.

Now that he's not working, I'm responsible for paying for all of his orders.   You would think not having a job would stop him but I guess as long as I'm around he doesn't care.   He's had several visits and procedures over the years so the total amount could be for everything over that time period.    It never occurred to him to maybe set aside some of his doll money to pay his medical bills.   I've tried to pay for some stuff here and there but I can't be responsible for it all.  It's very upsetting to say the least and his expenses have been slowing down my progress on trying to be more financially independent.

He still hasn't completed filing for disability which he was supposed to do in January.  I wish I could strike from paying his bills but unfortunately he's using my credit cards so I'm stuck having to cover.   I mentioned not being able to pay off the full balance every month.   The upside is right now I am a cycle ahead but if some emergency comes where I have to pay extra, it won't take long before I find myself owing interest again.

I wish there was a way I can hammer home to him the importance of being financially responsible.   But he's about to be 64 and if he hasn't gotten that lesson in his younger years, he won't get it now.  I implore single people to choose their future partner wisely.   I suppose better yet don't get married...LOL.  Your spouse can either be an ally or adversary in your financial goals.    Dom is definitely in the latter category.   I am doing okay but I know I could be doing much better.   

I am trying to brace myself for telling Dom the news and trying to convince him to take it seriously.   But Dom is so lackadaisical about anything that isn't doll related.   He will probably brush this aside too.

The one upside is Dom is not working anymore so if they try to garnish his wages, there won't be able to get anything there.    Also they can't garnish social security or disability (if he ever gets it).   They can freeze his accounts and our joint account which is why I am looking to open an account in my name with Centier so I can continue to use that to pay the mortgage.    Speaking of the mortgage, the lien is in my name only so they won't be able to add a judgment to the house.

Another bright side, he actually sold one of his dolls and got over $300 for it.    If he could sell a dozen more, maybe he can pay some of this debt.

So maybe he should ignore it?   Lord know he's ignored everything else.   I don't know.   What a mess to be in.