Danen Rants and Raves

See The Light

gdanen@gmail.com — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:33:03 GMT

Apparently Microsoft only sees the light if you are running the Windows operating system. Silverlight, their way to deliver feature-rich web content, will at first glance only run on a "Silverlight-compatible" Windows operating system and browser. After doing some digging (and non-working links), I could find that Mac OS 10 is supported for Firefox and Safari, and Linux users are referred to Novell for Firefox support.

I was looking into "Expression Web" that a friend is using, and as I found www.microsoft.com/expression I was told to install the latest version of Silverlight. Otherwise I could not view all the features on that page.

I am disappointed but not really surprised that Microsoft locks people out of their web content due to their web design. I have similar concerns when web designers choose to use Flash menus and leave no alternatives to navigate the site.

If as a web developer you truly want as many people visiting the site, then don't make your visitors jump hoops. Many people will just click away and not come back.

New Blog

gdanen@gmail.com — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:16:01 GMT

Just to let everyone know that there is a new blog ...

That means there will likely be not much more activity here.

Plans Change

gdanen@gmail.com — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:58:17 GMT

For personal reasons, Joy's coming here has been postponed by a few months.

Happy Easter

gdanen@gmail.com — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 09:38:05 GMT

On this beautiful Easter morning, I can now share our wedding plans. Joy will join me from Malaysia in July and we will become husband and wife. We have known each other for 1 year and 4 and a half months, and even though it did not start out with marriage in mind, God has been revealing His plan to us gradually.

Thank you, Father, for Resurrection Power. Happy Easter!

Good Friday

gdanen@gmail.com — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 22:13:14 GMT

The first thunderstorm and spring rains are here.

Like Good Friday and Easter promise a new beginning, I see a new beginning not just in nature, but also in my life. Resurrection power!

Good Friday

gdanen@gmail.com — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 22:06:50 GMT

Today truly is Good Friday. Not only do we celebrate the sacrifice made by God to set us free forever, but I personally celebrate another sacrifice. My dear friend Joy has resigned her job to come to Edmonton to be with me. Her marriage over, her job finished, I look forward to us making a new life for ourselves.

Now it's time to tell the family.

Earth Hour

gdanen@gmail.com — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 21:53:45 GMT

This Earth Hour I turned off all my non-essential electric stuff. Sad to see I was the only one in my apartment complex...

Next year I hope to promote everybody make love to their partner for an hour!

Cancer Diary

gdanen@gmail.com — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:15:46 GMT

I was encouraged to post my cancer posts from this blog as a pdf that can be read in chronological order.

"This is the personal diary of myself, Gerry Danen, and how I dealt with colon cancer, treatment, and recovery.
If you are a cancer patient, or have family or friends with cancer, this candid diary may give you some insights into what happens not just to the body, but also to the mind of someone faced with this challenge. Most of all, I pray these words will give you hope.
The account runs from December 2003 to March 2008, from diagnosis to final test."

Download the 600KB pdf file from medical.gerrydanen.com.

Another Server Move

gdanen@gmail.com — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 20:13:10 GMT

Preparing to move all my domains to a new server, which will cost me more, but will be much faster. Especially danen.org has been really bogged down lately.

So... if you cannot get to one of my sites in the next few weeks, we're working on it!

Happy 2009

gdanen@gmail.com — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 02:42:39 GMT

A very happy new year to all of my friends and family!!!

Happy Holidays

gdanen@gmail.com — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 21:39:25 GMT

To all my friends, a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, prosperous 2009.

The Ikea Challenge

gdanen@gmail.com — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 20:48:38 GMT

There is one thing to be said for lower prices at Ikea, but has one ever counted (and priced out) the hours involved in collecting your own product in the warehouse and then assembling anything from a bed to a frying pan?

I wonder who is making the money... :)

Killer Freeze

gdanen@gmail.com — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:26:20 GMT

All my annuals froze last night/this morning.

October 10th was officially the last day of my growing season.

Open Letter To Webshots

gdanen@gmail.com — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:59:27 GMT

I have been a loyal Webshots user for several years, but the arbitrary changes made lately (even though I provided input via surveys) have left me with the feeling that it's all about business, not the user community that I have come to enjoy.

Several things bug me with the new developments. As a paying customer, I was to be free of advertising, yet the Webshots promos are so in your face. If I say NO once to buying prints etc, why can't my opinion be respected? Sure send me info in an email, but don't slow down my online experience.

Speaking of email, I signed up to receive my stats weekly, but have not seen them for a while.

I was told one of my albums was featured, but I could not find it. One of my photos was "photo of the day" and it too could not be found.

I have my settings so people I invite to view private albums can comment, yet they are not able to do so.

Prayer Works For You

gdanen@gmail.com — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 18:42:08 GMT

Today I presented Prayer Works For You at my church. I consider this the official launch!

Prayer Works For You

gdanen@gmail.com — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:27:17 GMT

A new website, Prayer Works For You has been created. The purpose of this website is to encourage Christians to pray or ask for prayer. There are many people hurting and in need of prayer. This is one way to connect praying people with those in need.

Check it out!

New Beginnings

gdanen@gmail.com — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 20:54:16 GMT

Yesterday all the final signatures were put on paper.

It is now official.

New Beginnings

gdanen@gmail.com — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:42:01 GMT

Today Cecile and I started a new life. Some of you were already aware of our divorce plans, and today Cecile signed the separation agreement. My turn in a few days.

New beginnings for both of us.

Nikon D700

gdanen@gmail.com — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 23:16:40 GMT

Bought a new camera, a Nikon D700. A little over a year ago I got the D200 and 3 weeks later the D300 was announced. I determined to skip the D300 and wait for the next model, and this is it.

Went to Elk Island national Park and you can judge the results for yourself.

Long Time

gdanen@gmail.com — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:31:25 GMT

Haven't posted for some time... Not much to say. Had a nice time is the Canadian Rockies in May, spring is almost done...

For the rest, not much news!

Spring Is Here

gdanen@gmail.com — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:49:34 GMT

20+ degrees compared to heavy snow a week ago. Washed the van, did some yard cleaning, hosed down some remaining snow in the shade... All in all, a great day to be alive!

Got a replacement pump for my aero garden so I planted some petunias, cosmos, and bush morning glories. Let's see how long before they bloom...

Did You Turn Off Your Lights?

gdanen@gmail.com — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 21:32:47 GMT

Did you observe Earth Hour and turn off your lights for an hour?

I am a bit disappointed that of the Canadian cities that observed the power out, Edmonton was not among them.

From the website:

On March 29, 2008 at 8 p.m., join millions of people around the world in making a statement about climate change by turning off your lights for Earth Hour, an event created by the World Wildlife Fund.

Earth Hour was created by WWF in Sydney, Australia in 2007, and in one year has grown from an event in one city to a global movement. In 2008, millions of people, businesses, governments and civic organizations in nearly 200 cities around the globe will turn out for Earth Hour. More than 100 cities across North America will participate, including the US flagships–Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix and San Francisco and Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. View cities involved around the world.

It Must Be Spring

gdanen@gmail.com — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:35:43 GMT

Even though we still get frost at night, the daylilies and tulips are poking their noses above ground. Soon summer will be here and I will enjoy the warm weather again.

Sights like these are a good reminder!

FOBT

gdanen@gmail.com — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:11:16 GMT

Test results were negative, which means GOOD!

On with the rest of my life!

FOBT

gdanen@gmail.com — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 22:39:46 GMT

Just finished a Fecal Occult Blood Test as part of a new checkup regimen. Being on a diet for over a week, and taking poop samples is so much fun.

I just hope the results are good... My first for such a test...