private byte [] marshallThingy(DataObject thingy ) throws IOException {
ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
ObjectOutputStream stream = new ObjectOutputStream(baos);
stream.writeChar(thingy.type);
stream.writeLong(thingy.time);
if( thingy.intCount != null ) {
stream.writeInt(thingy.intCount);
}
else if( thingy.strCount != null ) {