Tuesday, December 12, 2023

The Telemark Productions Dog Breed Selector has a New Home


More than 25 years ago, Ellen Brodsky and I had the idea of developing a program that would help people find the best dog breeds for their preferences and lifestyle.  I had a background in Artificial Intelligence, and I was confident that I could write such a program.  Ellen took on the task of working with dogs breed associations, dog breeders, dog trainers, and other experts to gather the data we would need for the program.

We published the first dog breed selector on a CD-ROM called "Telemark's Guide to Dogs."  In addition to the breed selector, the CD contained many articles on dog training, interesting facts about dogs, information and photos of dog breeds, and even videos.

After the initial publication, the rights were sold to the Learning Company, which sold 45,000 copies.

When the Learning Company ceased publication, the rights to the breed selector (and the breed profiles and photos) were licensed to IAMS, which featured the product on their website for more than 15 years.

We continued to refine and update the program over the years.  Eventually, IAMS decided not to renew their contract, and the rights were sold to Sugar Sweet Georgia Puppies, which new features the dog breed selector on their website.  

We're very happy that the product has had such a long and successful life, and is still helping people and families find their "best breeds."


Saturday, May 05, 2018

Erectile Dysfunction: Not a Joking Matter

Approximately 30 million men in the United States have erectile dysfunction.  Contrary to TV ads, for most men, dealing with ED is not a simple matter of taking a pill.

ED is often caused by several factors, and men struggle to find an effective treatment, often with little help of support from the medical profession.

A recent survey by the ED Treatment Information Center (edtreatment.info) found that ED has a profound impact on men’s lives and relationships, including their confidence, self-esteem, and general happiness.

The survey also shows that, due embarrassment and shame, men are often uncomfortable talking about their condition...  even with their doctors and partners.

Men are unhappy with the care they get from their doctors, and with every treatment method tried.

Over 80% of men said that their condition had “Some Impact” or a “Major Impact” on their relationships.

To download the complete study, visit edtreatment.info/ed-impact-study




Thursday, August 24, 2017

I Remember: the California Condor

It was the summer of 1972.  I spent most of the summer backpacking in the Cleveland National Forest, near San Diego.

On one particular morning, I was crossing a broad meadow.  The meadow was covered with dried grass, about 2 feet tall, and I was concerned about rattlesnakes.  I was shuffling my feet, making as much noise as possible, to give the snakes warning so they could get out of my path.  My attention was mostly on the ground.

Partway across the meadow I stopped to take a break and have a drink from my canteen.  Looking up, I was amazed to see a California Condor soaring overhead.  At that time, the Condor was on the brink of extinction... there were very few left in the wild, so seeing one was a rare treat.

I watched him for a few minutes.  He was gliding in a wide circle, barely moving his wings, riding the thermals.  It was an awesome sight.

After a while, I decided I'd better get moving again, to get across the meadow before it got too hot.  As I walked, the Condor seemed to keep pace with me...  circling back again and again, never getting too far away. 

In those days, there were no smart phones, and my camera was packed away.  I wish now that I'd taken the time to unpack it and get a photo, but I did not. 

I've often wondered what he was doing.  Was he searching for prey?  Was he curious about me?  Maybe he was waiting for me to die!

It probably took me 45 minutes to cross the meadow, and he stayed with me the whole time.  When I reached the tree line on the other side of the meadow, I paused for another drink, and took one last look at the magnificent bird before continuing on my way.


Friday, April 29, 2016

This is How You Trash a House

I recently bought a new house in Elk Grove, California (just South of Sacramento).

The seller had been leasing the home to some extended family, and requested a short rent-back to give them time to move out.  Apparently the family felt they were being "forced out of their home" and decided to trash the place.  These are just a few photos of the damage.

The seller was close to foreclosure, and most of the price went straight to his bank.  Both the seller and the family are judgement proof - they have no assets worth going after.  My insurance company - Nationwide - seems to be fast an reasonable so far, but I am stuck living in a hotel while the damage is repaired.

On the plus side, as my realtor pointed out, I'm going to end up with a really nice house.

A partial list of the damage includes kitchen appliances ripped out, kitchen cabinets smashed, interior lighting fixtures removed, interior doors smashed, holes punched in walls, window screens destroyed, a couple of windows broken, the back patio awning completely removed, broken furniture and trash thrown in the pool, liquids poured on carpets,  garage door kicked in, stair railing broken, and garbage and debris left everywhere.  It's going to cost over $2,000 just to have the trash hauled away.

On the plus side, Elk Grove is a beautiful community, the neighbors are really nice, and I think it's going to be a great investment.















Friday, October 09, 2015

On a Serious Note

I have just undergone treatment for prostate cancer.

After reviewing the options - surgical or radiation treatment - I found a fairly new treatment called Cyberknife (a brand name for robotic Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy, or SBRT).

The treatment replaces ten weeks of radiation therapy with five days!   It's much less expensive, and the total radiation exposure over the full course of treatment is about half the exposure from conventional therapy.  Yet the clinical results are essentially the same as conventional radiation treatment.

They are able to do this by using a precisely focussed beam of radiation, which allows them to administer a much higher dosage to the tumor with little damage to surrounding tissues.

Before the week of treatment, they implanted 4 gold seeds in my prostate, and then, using MRI and CT scans, created a computer model of my prostate and the cancer.

During the radiation treatment (which lasted about 45 minutes each day), the computer used real-time CT scans to precisely position the beam of radiation on the places they wanted.  I simply had to lie reasonably still on the bed.  

Click the link to see a Cyberknife promotional video.
A sequence showing the robot arm in action starts at 1:08.
The bed itself was mounted on a robotic arm so they could position it in the general area they wanted; they could also tilt and swivel it in any direction.

The radiation emitter was mounted on the end of another robotic arm.  The arm itself was repurposed from the automotive industry, where it’s used in assembly plants.  It was BIG, and had a number of complex joints that could pivot in several directions, so it was able to move the emitter all around the bed.  The radiologist told me that the system has 1 mm accuracy. 

The only hard part was an extremely restrictive diet.  Anything that causes gas or bloating can cause organs to shift and make it harder for the software to follow the treatment plan developed by the oncologist.  And I was only allowed to have clear liquids after lunch, until the following days treatment.

The treatment sessions themselves were actually restful.  My radiologist dimmed the lights in the room, and I let my mind wander, or slept a bit.  The robot went through the same sequence every day, so after a couple of days I knew what to expect.  As it neared the end of the sequence on Friday, my final day of treatment, I actually felt a bit sad that I wouldn’t be seeing my “buddy” again.

SBRT can be used for different types of cancers, not just prostate, and major medical centers across the country now offer the treatment.  Despite that, many doctors don't seem be be aware of the option. The urologist who initially diagnosed my cancer did not even present this as an option.

I wanted to share this so that others know about this amazing treatment option (if your condition meets the criteria for SBRT).


Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Spanish Missions in Arizona

Building on the success of my California Missions and Texas Missions websites, I've just launched a new site, arizonamissionguide.com.

There were only five missions built in Arizona, between 1691 and 1768. (Apparently even the Spanish missionaries found 115 degree temperatures a bit extreme.)

The first three were founded by Jesuit missionary Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, who was responsible for more than 20 missions.  Most of the missions founded by Kino lie within the Mexican state of Sonora.

The mission church at Mission San Xavier del Bac was constructed between 1783 and 1797.  It is the oldest "European" structure still in use in Arizona.

I've certainly enjoyed learning about the Arizona missions, and in particular the work of Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, who has been likened to Saint Junipero Serra, founder of the missions in California.

For my technically inclined readers, the Arizona Missions site is built on Amazon Web Services (AWS).


Saturday, September 26, 2015

Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting

The Hall of Flame is a surprising cool museum located in Phoenix, Arizona. They have a collection of over 80 vehicles used to fight fires, including wagons from the 1700's up through fire engines from the 40s and 50s... plus a lot of other equipment, like helmets and axes.

At 70,000 square feet, this is the largest firefighting collection and museum in the world. It's well worth a couple of hours to explore.

You'll even learn some things.  For example, cities once had lookout towers with bells to keep watch for fires and sound an alarm.

And in more modern times, a "3 alarm fire" means that three different calls were put in for different fire companies to fight a blaze.