I have bouced between being a web developer, mainframe programmer, and occasionally a DBA since roughly Netscape 1.0.  I spent 7+ years consulting for various fortune 500 companies.  As a consultant I learned not only how to program in many different languages but also in many different environments (MVS, AS400, UNIX, LINUX, as well as Windows environments) against various databases .  In my opinion, the most important apsect of programming is in the design and methodologies you use.  If you know how the basics of solving a problem figuring out the syntax based on the language you use should be a piece of cake.  If you design something inefficiently it's harder to code against and recover from.  In other words, I feel its worth the spending the time it takes to plan your app.

I have recently taken a job that requires less travel (kids will do that to you) coding in primarily .Net (Windows and Web) so that in conjunction with DHTML,XHTML,CSS, JavaScript, etc are what is freshest in my mind and what I can probably provide the most assistance with (I am know to relapses into speaking COBOL, JCL, PERL, Korn Shell, FOCUS, etc from time to time but I try to get over it as soon as possible).  I also have extensive knowledge of WebFOCUS, but am not currently using it fgor my primary job (just side work).

As I have the time I will do my best to answer any of your questions to the best of my ability.....or at least point you in the right direction.