950sq ft Basement Project

In the Spring of 2024 while waiting for a new job to begin, I finished the basement of a 4k sf single family home in Maryland.

This project has helped me learn immensely about the trades and the importance of experience across all fields from framing to plumbing to electrical to shower waterproofing. All aspects of this project involved complications that experienced general contractors get good at handling on a regular basis for their customers.

The right tool for the job, the right materials and equipment, from the right people, can make the difference to make a successful and lasting finished product. Logistics, storage, and procurement are all underrated aspects to what goes into making a full service construction project come together.

Initial layout and framing involved a bathroom to be built at the stairwell entrance to the basement of the home. An existing plumbing rough made this project ultimately layout as below.

I set some 2x4s down initially to visualize the space.

Due to the clearances of a 4″ PVC drain we opted to build a 2×6 wall to frame the bathroom and kitchenette adjacent wall.

The wall is built out and nailed to the concrete with fired fasteners. The closet for the plumbing begins to take shape.

The closet and adjacent shower alcove wall were framed around a vent pipe. The 2×6 made for an incredibly solid wall!

To cover the I-beam, we built a plywood overkill blocked out bulkhead and placed recess cans into drywall to frame the vanity wall.

Rough plumbing and electrical prior to insulation and drywall.

I personally cut and reset the box out for the shower plumbing drain using a cordless DeWalt SDS Plus with a few starter bits…

Let’s just say if I did that excavation again, I will do it much more precisely.

The box out for the drain to allow the schluter curb to set properly.

Bathroom walls beginning to take shape!

Figuring out the door frame. My friend Corbett of CRS Contracting suggested Lag bolts to either end of the door framing to prevent future shifting. It makes for a very solid structure.

The rest of the basement facing the future media wall were framed with 2x4s. We left a slight gap to the left to avoid building a bulkhead over plumbing.

Framing looking toward the west wall of the home, with door frames to the bedroom (left) and the utility closet (right). You can see the vanity I ordered in the utility closet.

The bedroom bulkhead and framing takes shape.

Many tools are needed to get all this work done! Keeping them organized around materials, keeping things clean, is a constant battle in contracting.

Plastics were setup so that the unfinished storage room (right of photo) would be able to be used to store contents through the remainder of the build process. The storage room encompasses HVAC and the bulkhead for the HVAC was built along the right side of the space.

The bathroom takes shap with durock shower walls and mold resistant drywall. We insulated the walls with fiberglass.

A friend, Mr Tony Parenti helping me with framing a bulkhead around a large portion of HVAC in the hallway of the space.

Drywall was hired out and took the crew only 4 days to hang and make paint ready. Materials delivery was performed by a building supply co to avoid any issue with materials being damaged.

The main basement and media walls the evening after hanging the drywall.

The bedroom and understair closet takes shape.

The media wall takes shape.

Schluter drain is set and waterproofing completed to the shower alcove.

The floor tile takes shape in the bathroom. Rough plumbing for the vanity to be placed on the right.

The entire basement was finished with LVP planks. This floating floor makes for an easy to clean and durable surface.

Taken just after tiling the bathroom, just prior to grout and sponge.

I chose a slab for the kitchenette, vanity top, and shower curb.

The kitchenette takes shape with white shaker cabinets.

The bathroom vanity looking fantastic as well.

The tile surround for the shower taking shape. This is a multiple day process to completion…

Enjoying the media wall with my dog.

Getting cleaned up and preparing the space for livability…

The final bathroom.

The final bedroom space is fantastic. The recessed lights can dim and make for a very cozy space.

Overall this was a complicated project that encompassed multiple trades. It took months to complete and cost about $25k in total. I truly enjoyed it and learned a lot from it! More construction project photos to come…

AI is Transforming Programming: Enabling Everyone to Have ‘Superpowers’

GitHub Copilot, VS Code, and WSL2 can provide any Windows user with the ability to be a developer, Novice and Pro

Pictured: VS Code Insiders, GitHub Copilot, and WSL2 Ubuntu

Building a web app can feel daunting, especially when you’re not a professional software engineer. But today, thanks to advancements in AI and modern tools, even someone like me—an OK sysadmin or mechanic or handyperson on my best days!—can take on ambitious projects with confidence…

Take my current project: I’m building a web app for a neighbor who runs a dog-sitting business. At first, the idea seemed simple—a functional application tailored to their businesses’ simple needs. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized this concept could apply to many other industry verticals and be the start of something to meet the broader market in the future!

The app would allow users to:

  • Schedule and store records for dog owners and their pets.
  • Provide real-time service booking via a front-end calendar.
  • Send pet owners SMS updates during their pets’ stay.
  • (Eventually) accept payments directly through the app.

I decided to start building it with a PHP backend, a Vue.js frontend, and a MySQL database, all running in a Dockerized environment. Ten years ago, this would have felt overwhelming. Today, however, tools like GitHub Copilot, VS Code Insiders, and WSL2 make it not just possible but achievable.

Here’s where the magic happens: AI-powered tools like GitHub Copilot provide what I jokingly call “programming superpowers.” They won’t make you a coding wizard overnight, but they can bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

For instance, Copilot can explain code snippets, suggest syntax, or even help scaffold out an entire feature. It’s like having a mentor on demand, drastically reducing the time it takes to figure things out. Is it perfect? No. Sometimes it stumbles or provides suboptimal recommendations. But the progress AI has made in the past year alone is staggering, and it’s only getting better.

That’s the real game-changer: there are fewer excuses now for not diving into programming projects. With the combination of modern tools and AI assistance, the barriers to entry have never been lower.

Sure, you still need foundational knowledge—how to configure environments, wire systems together, and debug when things go sideways. But AI tools don’t replace expertise; they amplify it. They let you stretch your capabilities and take on challenges that might have felt totally out of reach 10 years ago.

  • VS Code ( I enjoy using Insiders )
  • Windows subsystem for linux ( Ubuntu is good, other distros available! )
  • GitHub Copilot ( Now free for any user account! )

These three tools combine on Windows to create a development environment in a snap that you can use to perform AI-driven development in. For pros, it offers a way to accelerate their development. For novices, it can educate you and help you along your learning journey.

2011 F150 5.0 oil pan leak and transmission coolant line swap

Last year I did some work to my F-150. It was really fun and a little bit nerve-wracking given I had never done any work like this on my own before. It turned out well, I made mistakes and learned from them, and fixed up a very old truck to keep it going and help facilitate a move.

  • Front suspension shock / strut, sway, upper control arms
  • Transmission coolant lines and radiator
  • Transmission fluid and pan gasket
  • Oil pan gasket
  • Rocker panel covers black plastic molded
  • Interior work (water damaged)
The transmission coolant lines are prone to breaking at the forward plastic connectors, causing catastrophic failure for the 6r80 transmission.
Oil pan and rear main seal area after replacing the gasket with fresh RTV. The oil leak stopped.

The oil pan gasket was leaking which prompted me to investigate and found that there was oil dripping off the bottom of the rear main seal. The rear main seal is not leaking and I have changed out the gasket for the oil pan. The oil pan is tough to finagle out of the truck and it requires the front differential to be lowered. The oil pan gasket has held luckily for more than 6-months now despite a bolt shearing on the rear passenger side of the oil pan. A single bolt is not enough of a problem when you have fresh RTV.

The sway bar end links provided noticeable improvement for the ride quality.

Upper control arms and shocks. Not OEM so we’ll see how long they last…

I swapped the carpet out of the interior for some ebay vinyl. Removing the supercab seats is annoying but once you do it once, you’ll be able to do it the second time in no time. Ebay vinyl floor material came as one uncut sheet. I formed and cut it to the interior and mounted the seats back in. Steam cleaning the seats, replaced the door handles, and painted the speaker grilles black. Invisible glass to the windshield and a decent android auto head unit make it feel like a new truck again.

2011 Ford F150 XL 5.0 4×4

Stitched on a leather steering wheel cover. Oh yeahhh…

Runs great through the NC Mountains. Even with 130k+ miles, the 5.0 sings.

Maryland Business Information Systems Consultant

Hello, I’m Alexander Ramsey. I specialize in delivering smart, tailored business solutions to companies across Maryland and the DMV area. My expertise spans construction, general contracting, and real estate, particularly within the dynamic DC Metro region.

With a proven track record of helping businesses expand their operations, I integrate cutting-edge marketing strategies with backend technical solutions, ensuring that companies can thrive in their core markets along the Eastern United States.

My services are designed to propel your small business forward in the digital age:

  • Marketing and Sales Enablement: Amplify your brand’s reach and drive sales with data-driven strategies.
  • Branding and Digital Advertising: Build a strong brand presence and connect with your target audience through effective digital campaigns.
  • Customer Service and Project Management: Optimize customer interactions and streamline project workflows for enhanced efficiency.
  • Security Consulting and Disaster Recovery: Safeguard your business with robust security measures and contingency planning.
  • Information Technology Integration and Silo Reduction: Enhance operational efficiency by integrating IT systems and reducing data silos.
Contact Me


RTS Enviro – www.rtsenviro.com
Maryland Mold Inspection and Asbestos Inspection Services


CRS Builds – www.crsbuilds.com
North Carolina Home Builder and Developer


Skillset DC – www.skillsetdc.com
DMV General Contractor

Explore My Gaggiuino Project Photos: DIY Espresso Machine Mod

I’m excited to share my latest open-source project, Gaggiuino—a fun DIY mod for the Gaggia Classic espresso machine. I’m currently putting together the internal electronics, using Arduino to control temperature, pressure, and shot timing. The goal is to give coffee lovers more control over their brew while keeping the process hands-on. It’s all about blending old-school espresso making with modern tech, and I can’t wait to see where it goes!

Update August 2024: I’ve been running the machine successfully for about six months now and it is fantastic! It has become a very powerful entry-pro espresso machine worth much more $$$ than the original sticker price.

My completed machine with the 3d printed LCD display from Ali Express:


My complete setup with a custom built coffee bar cabinet:

https://gaggiuino.github.io/#/guides-stm32/lego-component-build-guide

Initial build of 3d printed enclosure. Was messy and difficult to get these wires so tightly packed into the case. Trick is to run some between the expansion board and the blackpill.

3d printed enclosure for the build. My friend Tony helped me with packing this thing tightly.

You do not have to disconnect as much as you think! Really just the brew switches. Leave the boiler wires attached!

After tidying the cables up a bit and realizing I only needed to move the boiler a small bit, not remove it, I proceeded:

Here it is booted!

Dealing with PATH, Bash Profiles, Git config in Windows

This post serves as a convenience for me and possibly others (probably not because nobody develops on windows) on how to manage working within Git Bash and Command Line in general within Windows 10. It can be a real pain in the neck to develop on Windows. (Updated for 11 in 2023!)

I primarily use Windows because my life is between software and business.

XKCD #763

Git Bash Notes

Windows PATH Tips/Instructions:

  • Control Panel > System > Advanced > Environment Variables
  • Edit Path to add a folder or System Variable
    • Add a folder: Point the resource you need by adding a folder path without the .exe
    • Add a System Variable: First point the directory and assign a variable name by adding to the System Variables. Next append the name of the variable to the Path ( ex. %JAVA%; ).
  • Windows Environment Variable added without restarting (ha): https://serverfault.com/questions/8855/how-do-you-add-a-windows-environment-variable-without-rebooting
    Or you know, just fucking reboot
  • Add things for convenience like c:/eclipse/ and then simply type eclipse to open the IDE

.bash_profile Examples:

https://www.tldp.org/LDP/abs/html/sample-bashrc.html

# If not running interactively, don't do anything
[ -z "$PS1" ] && return
# Suppress message about using zsh
export BASH_SILENCE_DEPRECATION_WARNING=1
# ————————————
# MOTD (Message of the Day)
# What you see when Terminal opens
# ————————————
echo "—————————-"
echo "Loaded ~/.bash_profile"
echo ""
echo "To edit run: configedit"
echo "To refresh run: configrefresh"
echo "All aliases: alias"
echo "—————————-"
# ————————————
# Configure prompt
# Includes special handling for git repos
# ————————————
# Regular Colors
Black='\[\033[0;30m\]'
Red='\[\033[0;31m\]'
Green='\[\033[0;32m\]'
Yellow='\[\033[0;33m\]'
Blue='\[\033[0;34m\]'
Purple='\[\033[0;35m\]'
Cyan='\[\033[0;36m\]'
White='\[\033[0;37m\]'
Light_Gray='\[\033[0;37m\]'
# Reset colors
NONE='\[\033[0;0m\]'
# When in a git repo, this method is used to determine the current branch
function parse_git_branch {
git branch 2>/dev/null | grep '^*' | sed 's_^..__' | sed 's_\(.*\)_(\1)_'
}
# When in a git repo, this method is used to determine if there are changes
# Changes will be indicated in the prompt by a *
function git_dirty {
if [[ -n $(git status -s –ignore-submodules=dirty 2> /dev/null) ]]; then
echo "*"
else
echo ""
fi
}
# Design the prompt
export PS1="$Purple\w$NONE \$(parse_git_branch)$Red \$(git_dirty) $NONE\$ "
# \w shows the current path
# List of other placeholders you can use:
# http://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/bash.html#Controlling-the-Prompt
# ————————————
# ALIASES
# ————————————
# Edit .bash_profile
alias configedit='code ~/.bash_profile'
# Force terminal to recognize changes to .bash_profile
alias configrefresh='source ~/.bash_profile'
# Ideal directory listing
alias ll="ls -laFG"
# Ask before removing files
alias rm='rm -i'
# Add your own aliases here…
view raw .bash_profile hosted with ❤ by GitHub

My .bash_profile:

# go to the root directory of my development environment on startup
cd 'C:\dev'

# set aliases for commonly used applications
alias np='start notepad++'
alias c='code .'
alias dock='docker-compose up'
alias dockb='docker-compose.exe run app --entrypoint run build:dev'
alias histg='history | grep'
alias g='git'

# save history and persist across multiple bash windows
export HISTCONTROL=ignoredups:erasedups
shopt -s histappend
export PROMPT_COMMAND="${PROMPT_COMMAND:+$PROMPT_COMMAND$'\n'}history -a; history -c; history -r"

SSH – I no longer use this (2023) as I now run the service via Windows:


# ssh things
env=~/.ssh/agent.env

agent_load_env () { test -f "$env" && . "$env" >| /dev/null ; }

agent_start () {
(umask 077; ssh-agent >| "$env")
. "$env" >| /dev/null ; }

agent_load_env

# optional SSH key handling
# agent_run_state: 0=agent running w/ key; 1=agent w/o key; 2= agent not running
# agent_run_state=$(ssh-add -l >| /dev/null 2>&1; echo $?)

if [ ! "$SSH_AUTH_SOCK" ] || [ $agent_run_state = 2 ]; then
agent_start
ssh-add
elif [ "$SSH_AUTH_SOCK" ] && [ $agent_run_state = 1 ]; then
ssh-add
fi

unset env

My .gitconfig

[color "diff"]
meta = yellow bold
[alias]
st = status
ch = checkout
co = commit
s = status
p = pull
d = diff

Plan, Develop, & Deploy Applications using Azure DevOps

I am not affiliated with Microsoft, with any of their offerings, or employees. This post is my perspective.

Developing an application is more than just code. It involves organizational process, division of labor, and the careful implementation of requirements. To manage this, some teams use multiple suites of tools, frameworks, rules, methodologies, the list goes on…

Azure DevOps gives you a suite of tools, they call “dev services”. Let’s go through them:

  1. Dashboards – View metrics about your developed applications
  2. Boards / Items / Backlog / Sprints – A place for you and your team to plan and assign work
  3. Repos – Store your application code repositories (Git driven)
  4. Pipelines – Automated build and deployments from your repositories to cloud platforms / infrastructure
  5. Test Plans – Paid test manager extension…
  6. Artifacts – Fully integrated package management (private libraries of software)

Assign work items to others on your team, track State (Started) and Reason (Work started), Assign priority, effort/actual hours, assign a Work Branch from a Repo, and Relate it to other issues. Using BitBucket daily for work, I found it to be a relatively painless switch to the overall UI.

I cannot seem to find a way to view all issues. You also cannot update issues in a large table grid view. You can batch update, which requires you to enter a separate view (BitBucket is no better!).

Users can take their issue branches and make pull requests, offering teams with the ability to peer review code before merging to the baseline (master branch). One can manage version of the software via Tags.

To deploy your applications, you can use a suite of ready made templates. There are a wealth of choices. Docker, Node, Yaml, .Net, Android, and so many more. You can even create your own pipeline by following these instructions.

Let’s hope their feature request system is improved and receives backing from Microsoft. Because, I think this could be an awesome extension to Azure.

Featured image: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/devops/

Intel Kernel Row Hammer Exposure


A massive vulnerability in Intel CPU memory architecture is being addressed by operating system platforms including Windows. Primarily, virtualization performance will be affected by up to 30%, according to an article published by Extreme Tech. More information on Row Hammer vulnerability can be found here. I predict that this will have implications on cloud performance and affordability. In addition, we may see some reduction in investor confidence in Intel stock in coming months.

Mount Agung Volcano Eruption Soon?

I saw that the Mt. Agung Volcano was active and under an evacuation warning earlier today. Out of curiosity, I googled around to find out more about how I could know up to the minute what was going on with it. To weed out the nonsense from the real information I used the following query: Mount Agung seismic activity -news -guardian -express -cnn and went to page 3 or 4 to find the following:

Huge Map with Live updates on all Earthquakes in the same region of Indonesia:
https://magma.vsi.esdm.go.id/

Jakarta Post news article from Sept 25 (6 days from today!):
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/09/25/mt-agung-eruption-could-be-imminent-agency.html

Some serious details about the type of monitoring performed by an org. called WOVO:
http://www.wovo.org/1601_1607.html