Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Roger's journal entry: Another release of Gallery Server Pro out the door
Thought it was time to give everyone an update on what I do all day...
Yesterday I posted the latest version of my web gallery software Gallery Server Pro. This is software I wrote that lets you share your photos, video, audio, and other files on your own web site. It is kind of like Flickr and YouTube, except you run everything on your own web site instead of uploading to someone else's. It is aimed at businesses and organizations who need a web gallery.
Every time you visit our gallery at http://www.techinfosystems.com/marogeret/gallery.aspx, you are using GSP. They call this dog fooding when you actually use the same product you are promoting. Don't know why I said that - guess I am just showing off my techie lingo...
I have been working on this pretty much nonstop for the last five years, only taking occasional breaks to earn real money on contract programming assignments. GSP is free to everyone, but I gladly accept donations. Ever since I introduced a new feature last year that forces users back to my site after 30 days to get a product key (and view a request for a donation), donations have been averaging about $400 a month. It doesn't cover the bills, but it is immensely pleasing that there are so many who donate of their own free will. It is so much more satisfying than charging people.
Here is a link to a blogger named Dave Burk who uses GSP: http://dbvt.com/blog/post/DBVTCOM-Now-Serving-Up-Gallery-Server-Pro-v23.aspx He writes about the cool new features in 2.3.
I have a list of features a mile long I want to add, but our savings account is about to go red so I need to pick up another programming contract. If you need an experienced, highly professional .NET developer, let me know. You can find my resume on my Tech Info Systems web site (http://www.techinfosystems.com).
Cheers!
Roger
Monday, June 22, 2009
Margaret's journal entry: Quadruple Crowned
As some of you know, Skyler had four crowns put on his top front four
incisors on Friday morning under general anesthesia.
Background: Opinions differ but it seems that major contributing factors are
(a) he got my bad genes, (b) I infected him with the copious Streptococcus
Mutans in my mouth, (c) he was "still" nursing in the middle of
the night, (d) while brushing teeth had been ocurring for quite a few
months, we hadn't insisted on thorough brushings due to strong protests. The cariogenic
nature of breast milk is quite controversial. Some say it barely contributes to
cavities more than water while others say it is "worse than cow's
milk". I'm inclined to trust millennia of evolution and blame my modern
diet of brownies and ice cream. However, sufficient evidence to support such
blame remains to be uncovered. Nevertheless, we have since "night
weaned". By that I mean he nurses to sleep and I don't nurse
him again until the sun comes up (so he has a visual cue as to whether he needs
to go back to sleep without nursing or not). He's adjusted pretty well. But the
searching for answers continues to reveal reasons to continue night nursing, so
I'm not completely committed to sticking with it.
It all went fine.
I set the alarm for 2:45 am so I could offer a feed before 3:30, his cut off
for any clear fluids or breast milk. (It was nice to see that the medical folk
had a policy about breastfeeding for children up to 36 months, acknowledging
that (a) breast milk digests very fast and (b) breastfeeding isn't meant just
for infants. (Cow's milk certainly isn't meant for toddlers-- not that I don't
give it to mine.)) He nursed from only one side as I promptly fell back asleep.
But apparently that was sufficient because he didn’t seem particularly hungry
before the procedure. We left the house at 5:30 and stopped for gas and Dunkin
Donuts in Newville (we didn't let Skyler see us eat of course, that would have
been rude). He played with his clickety clackety John Deere tractor most of the
way to Madison.
Check in was pretty straight forward. They mentioned that they would be
putting a tube through his nose down into his throat/lungs? so that it wouldn't
be in the way of the dental work and I mentioned that he has had frequent nose
bleeds so they ended up putting the tube through his mouth. He had a very mild
rash on one cheek that I think was from the tape on the tube. We opted for some
mild oral sedation before the inhaled because: heck, why not? The
anesthesiologist suggested it in the context of "how is he being separated
from you?" (As if any toddler would be content being abandoned in a cold,
bright room full of strangers.) I said I had been told that we could stay with
him until he was knocked out by the gas and he said we could, but that some
parents find it a bit disturbing; going limp, eyes rolling back, etc. I thought
"not, me" that stuff is cool! But since Skyler still seemed a bit
anxious even after the administration of the Versed (didn't like the pulse
oximeter on his toe, nor thermometer or stethoscope earlier), and the
description on the waiver form that made the gas induction sound a little worse
than I had previously been told, prompted me to send Roger back with him
instead.
Roger and I got reacquainted with Sesame Street in the waiting room (Gordon
and Maria are STILL THERE and looking like they haven't aged a day!).
The procedure only took about 20 minutes. They drilled out the cavities and
glued on stainless steel crowns (painted white in front). They said they'd do a
"cleaning" and application of fluoride varnish too but I'm skeptical
how much the cleaning could have involved given the speed. X-rays were moot as
there were no pairs of molars to see between. The dentist said he didn't see
any other cavities and confirmed that all Skyler's "baby" teeth are
in except for the second set of molars. His canines are just nubbins. He said
he used the smallest crowns ever, size 1s on the outer 2 and size 2s on the
middle 2. They had to mush them up under his gums a bit because they aren't all
the way out.
They brought us back to the "step down" room as soon as he woke
up. He was crying and being held by a (presumably) nurse when we got there. She
handed him over and they got me a rocking chair and Skyler nursed right away.
They cut off his IV contraption and he nursed some more. We changed him out of
his hospital gown (space ship and alien themed) and changed his diaper too and
he proceeded to pee copiously on the floor. Nice. We gave him some pre-emptive
acetaminophen (new-to-us "meltaway" tablets- much easier than forcing
the drops in) His gums were a little purple and his lips looked fat but that
could have been partly due to the fluoride "varnish". They
"paint" it on and it is said to be sticky. He'll be getting that
every 90 days until he weans, per dentist's recommendation. We're glad he
doesn't have to do hold those trays of fluoride in his mouth like we had to
while fighting gag reflexes for minutes at a time.
We went for a stroll along the lake shore across from the hospital. Then on
to Dig & Save for some serious thrift shopping by-the-pound. Scored another
ride-on toy-- this one with a front loader (Californians: I think that's the
word for a tractor type thing with the ability to lift big stuff on the front
of the vehicle, this one having a wide bucket-like contraption that will work
well for moving sand when he gets a little more coordinated). Also an awesome
parking garage structure with a cool spiral ramp for cars and a service
station, also for toy cars. Among other things. (Anybody need a glue-on Mongolian
mustache?) Lunch at Taco Bell- he ate almost a whole order of beans. On the way
back through Newville Roger and I indulged in some Ice-cream from the Baskin
Robins that is paired up with that same Dunkin Donuts ("BR express" I
think it was called-- soft serve only-- tasty though.) Skyler took a 3 hour nap
when we got home and was back to normal ever since.
Skyler is not to use his front teeth much at all: no raw carrots or apples
until he gets his adult teeth. They must be cut up so he just chews them in the
back. The crowns could come off, in which case they'd just "pop" a
new one on in the office. It now looks like he's got white tic-tacs for teeth;
they are so bright. They are bigger than the teeth they are covering but they
still seem so small for needing to last him until 5 or 6. My mom said all my
teeth came in early though and Skyler has been on the same track.
We've ramped up the oral hygiene quite a bit. Xylitol is our new favorite
sweetener: kills those cursed Streptotoccus Mutans and tastes great! I'm
also learning about MI paste (active ingredient: Casein
phosphopeptide--amorphous calcium phosphate) to aid in remineralization. The
goal is: no more cavities before age 6. Roger thought we should try for no
cavities ever but after I gave him a reminder look at the disaster in my mouth
he agreed it was important to be realistic. I'm eyeing three children's books
about brushing and dentists on Amazon.
Wish us luck!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Roger's journal entry: GoJefferson to the rescue
I wanted to give a shout out to a local business that went above and beyond the call of duty to help me through a recent computer crises. I am talking about goJefferson.com, run by John Foust. He offers services that include fixing computers, removing viruses/spyware, setting up home and business networks, and even designing web sites.
A week ago I strolled into my home office after breakfast and pushed the power button on my PC. A couple seconds I heard a loud POW and the computer went dead. After a few minutes of troubleshooting I had a hunch - but wasn't sure - that my power supply had died. I called goJefferson and explained the situation to John. He had a special tool that could diagnose the power supply and he also had a replacement if needed, so he invited me to stop by.
I threw the PC in the back seat and drove to his store in downtown Jefferson. Within two minutes he had confirmed the power supply was dead. Within 5 minutes he had a new one installed and fired up my PC to prove it worked.
While I was there I asked him about installing another fan in the case, since I was noticing it was running pretty hot. He grabbed a box of fans and had one installed in another couple minutes.
The total bill? $0.00. He offered to loan me the power supply while I returned mine for a warranty replacement. And he wouldn't let me pay for his time, the "loan", or the fan. I was home and back to work by mid-morning.
Where else could I have gotten this kind of service? Geek Squad? Yeah, right.
I have known John for five years and he has repeatedly impressed me with his honesty, forthrightness, calm demeaner, and desire to please. His shop is anything but fancy - in fact, it looks like it has been in the middle of a construction project forever. But if I had wanted neon lights, plastered walls, and no cobwebs, I would have gone to Best Buy. I wanted my computer fixed, and he delivered.
If you are in the Fort Atkinson / Jefferson area, consider John Foust at goJefferson.com the next time you need some computer work. I wish there were more businesses like this one.