The bone specialist who examined my daughter's x-rays and bloodwork came up with the following conclusions:

The lump under her arm is an aneurismic bone tumor - 95% certainty that it is benign.  These types of bone tumors are more common in boys around the ages of 10 to 15, but it is not unheard of for a girl of 6 years to develop one.  The fact that the tumor has grown over the past 2 years is also pretty normal.  These tumors tend to grow as the bone grows. 

Her blood work shows that she is, indeed, slightly anemic.  This is actually promising, as if the tumor was malignant, her numbers would be severely out of whack, rather than slightly off.  The slightly low white blood count is very likely due to her eating habits, as she is pretty picky, because of her geographic tongue.

To ensure 100% certainty that the tumor is benign, she will be referred to the children's hospital in a city not too far from where we live.  There, they will likely biopsy the tumor.  Well worth it to ease our minds.

Thanks to all of you who have been keeping her in your thoughts and prayers.  As always, it is appreciated.

+ruined

Tomorrow morning, I have to take my 6 year old to a bone specialist.  This, because of a growing lump that we noticed under her arm 2 years ago.

Two years ago, when my wife picked our then 4 year old up, she felt a very small, pea-sized lump under her arm.  Obviously concerned, we had the lump x-rayed and examined.  The doctor said that it was a bone cyst which is common and of no concern.  It should go away on its own.

Over time, the pea-sized lump eventually turned into a golfball-sized lump.  And the lump had turned painful.  Again, the doctor assured us that it is merely a bone cyst and of no concern.

By now, we heard a story about the same doctor diagnosing a young child of having a stubborn cold - nothing to be concerned of, when really the young child was suffering from cystic fibrosis.  This doctor is certainly a quack.  Of course, hearing this, we had a second opinion performed.

The second opinion came back as the lump being a bone tumor.  A rather large one, at that.  The doctor that performed the second opinion assured as that 90-95% of bone tumors are benign, but should be checked to make completely sure.

I am worried about this, of course.  My little girl has been very easily worn out by everyday play and always seems to have a pale color about her.  I'm hoping that that is just her... not a sign of a serious illness. 

+ruined

Growing increasingly tired of how Microsoft screws the little guy (you and me), I have decided to launch a new web site.  The site is called ScrewTheGiant.com.  ScrewTheGiant will be a community-driven site where the general public can enter complaints about their favorite piece of Microsoft software, licensing screw-over, or other Microsoft mischief.  The site will also offer links to Microsoft alternatives to operating systems, office packages, and security software.  Most of the software will be open source and free, but there will be a few commercial options, as well.

Help stick it to the software giant by posting your frustrations, soon.  I will let everybody know when the site is in production.

+ruined

Just as my excitement was mounting for the new UbuntuStudio software to really take my computer-based studio to the next level, I now have to turn my brand new computer back to the repair depot.  Not even a month after getting it, it's already broken.

Yesterday (Saturday, March 17), I was going to check out the Ubuntu web site, when, as I was typing the address, the "B" key literally followed my finger up and right off the keypad.  The cheap plastic bracket that holds the keys to the keypad snapped, causing the "B" key to fall loose.  On top of that, the "L" key, the "S" key and the SPACE bar are a little flaky, each key requiring two or more strokes to actually work (in fact, I had to press the "L" key three times to echo back what key doesn't work!).  In order to use the "B" key, I have to actually press the white rubber nub that triggers the letter.  It would be much easier if there was a key there to press! 

Brand new computer - brand new piece of crap.  Here is a picture of my awesome purchase...

Take special notice of the "B" key (between the "V" and the "N").  Nice touch, huh?

+ruined

Yesterday, I posted about my $1000 paperweight and how I thought I would have to just bend over and take it up the tailpipe like all customers of the major tech companies have had to do at one point or another.

Maybe, just maybe, I have found a way around my problem.

Enter Ubuntu Linux.  Yeah, I know... Linux is nothing new.  In fact, in some cases Linux can be a bit of a pain to install/configure/use.  This is different.  A committee is working on a release of Ubuntu that is specifically for creation and recording of audio.  Perfect for what I use my computer for... a PC-based recording studio.  And the best part is it's completely, 100% free.

This distro of Ubuntu is slated for an April 2007 release.  My birthday happens to fall in April.  Happy birthday to me!!! 

+ruined

Just a short drive from where I live, is a city that has a public bus system.  Nothing as elaborate as Chicago, or New York, but it gets the citizens of the city to their destinations.

Much like any city, there are some a-holes that ruin a good thing by not behaving themselves.  Students on their way home from school would gather at the bus station and hang out, sometimes starting fights.  It got out of hand, so the city had no choice but to shut down the bus service during the afternoon hours.  How typical.  Everybody has to suffer because some people don't know how to handle themselves.

The bus station has opened, again, with increased security being the short term fix.  As of this writing, there are no long term fixes being proposed, publically.

That is why I would like to propose a solution that I think would be received with great popularity.  I propose that citizens of this city volunteer an hour or two of their time to patrol the bus station, breaking up fights as they occur.  If things get out of hand, arrest the butt-nugget that is out of control under a citizen's arrest rule. 

I think many people would give their time for this service.  I, for one, would be more than happy to give mine.

+ruined

It's a proven fact.  Stress slows the healing process.  It's for that very reason that I am getting very annoyed with my co-workers.

After my surgery, I have been given a 2-4 week recovery period, by my doctor.  This is only day 2 of the week and I have already received 2 phone calls and countless e-mails from my co-workers.  The e-mails range from things that another co-worker who is healthy and present at work can handle.  The other questions are things that are out of my control until I return. 

I am getting very pissed off - and thus very stressed - at their inability to operate without me being there.  Do I really carry the company that much?  What are they going to do when I leave for good, in June?

Let me tell you... if they keep this crap up, they can screw the idea of me staying until June.  It's obvious that I am not in a healthy work relationship when they can't understand the importance of healing after a surgery.

Screw 'em, I say.

+ruined

I only have the first minute-and-a-half recorded, but here is a preview of the new song I'm working on.  Be warned - since it's still in the recording phase, it's still very raw and unpolished, but you'll get the idea of what it's going to sound like.

Click Here.  And let me know what you think.  By the way, what you are about to hear is a direct result of what pain medication can do to you... ;)

+ruined

While meandering throught he extensive catalogues of Rhapsody, I stumbled across an album that I once owned, but have since misplaced.  The name of the album is Circle Slide, by The Choir. 

Circle Slide is a ride through the beauty and strangeness of love, as well as a bookmark in the life of the artist's daughter, who was 3 years old at the time of the recording.  It's a wonderful, happy-sad CD. 

 Listening to it literally reduced me to tears.  I was just about to finish high school when the album came out.  Listening to it made me remember my goals, at the time.  My dreams... who i wanted to be.  It made me think back over the past 15 years and the roads I took and the decisions I made.  My goals didn't come out the way I imagined they would 15 years ago, but I have to say that the roads I did take led me to a good place.  And I wouldn't trade that place for anything.

If anything, listening to this album made me remember, at least for 58 minutes at 23 seconds, who I am.

+ruined