Over the past 3+ years I've been leaning on this forum for my own benefit, learning how to configure a sweet HTPC that passes all wife acceptance factor tests.  I thought that the knowledge I was acquiring here was improving my quality of life, to some extent.  Compared to what TGB has provided to Steve Buckley, however, any improvements made to my life via this forum are as insignificant as Dan Quayle. 

Steve has ALS.  (No, I’m not going to call it Lou Gehrig’s disease.  Many people of just as fine character have suffered and died from this hideous affliction.)  ALS is incureable and terminal in all cases.  This is the horrible reality that Steve and those close to him have to face every day of their lives. 

Steve lives in Australia and is a father of 3 boys and a husband to Sharon.  Like most of us, Steve was in the technology field, until, his life was altered permanently in November of 2004.  I’m not going to get into the details behind what this disease does to a person as it attacks their nervous system, suffice to say that one becomes completely reliant upon those around him, or upon some technological solution.  Steve has found the latter here on TGB.  Anyone who has read Steve’s post here and has not been touched on an emotional level really needs to drive a nail or 2 through their head to make sure they’re still alive.  Ryan wrote this really cool little app, surely because he got tired of losing his remote in his couch cushions or some other earth shattering reason, and this app has changed someone’s life. It’s brought Steve back into the MCE fold with us!  Thanks for sharing this with us Steve, and for permitting me to blog about it.  Developers, keep this in mind the next time you’re writing an app.  You could be having far greater impact than you are aware!