Posting will be infrequent for the next (short) while again, unfortunately. When I come back the new layout should be right behind me, so watch for it!

I managed to hurt my knee again pretty badly (do a search for "knees" for more info) and have decided to come to Saskatoon for a week. Maybe two. I got in last night around 6:00 and the first thing I noticed is how much colder it is here than it was in Calgary. I mean, shit. It is f'ing cold out here! I'm pretty sure it is definitely not this cold at home, so I half regret actually coming out. I'm sure I'll get over it.

I will be working while I'm home, doing some light duty things, just to earn some cash while I'm lame. Nonetheless, being home should still offer me some time to actually update again, and I'm hoping I'll be able to finish up the redesign soon. There's not really much left to do, but I'm just not happy with it quite yet.

I took the above picture last time I was home. Click for full size.

Ryan and I have pretty much hit a brick wall in the rewrite of Guardian Angels, Inc. that has been ongoing for about five months now, so we've decided to take some time off of it and work on individual projects.

While Ryan decided to actually do something on his project (he's currently about 85 pages in with not much to go), I have gone another route.

I have written up a couple of treatments and actually started to write a few pages on two scripts, but I just couldn't get any steam. So I've decided to write a police drama called One Shot. I've got the story pretty well fleshed out and have a short, four page synopsis and a bunch of random notes and scenes to work off of. This should be enough to at least get me started with a decent head of steam.

Welcome to the new design of Stephen Glauser dot com. By now I've redesigned the site four times (in less than a year) and am hoping this one sticks for a while. A lot has changed so I've written a small guide to point out some of the new features. If you wish, feel free to just click around and see how you make out.

New Archives

The archives are probably the biggest change besides the visual ones. Check out the archives page (up top) and find what way will work best for you. I've started tagging my favorite entries, and you will be able to find them via the "favorites" part of the archives. You can also go back by date, by category or find out how I've tagged all the entries. Big changes were made here, so explore for yourself!

Web Standards

I've written the new design to be web standards compliant. It fully validates in XHTML 1.0 Transitional. As well, the CSS, RSS and Atom codes are also standards compliant. Unforunately Internet Explorer 6 is not. Parts of my site do not work correctly in IE, so get firefox.

Usability

I've made an honest push to make my site more usability-friendly. And with that honesty, I'll tell you I didn't push as hard as I possibly could, although a lot of strides were made.

Throughout the site you will find I have used larger text. This should make everything easier to read. I'm also using alternate colors for visited and unvisited links -- although this only applies to the bodies of entries, and the archives.

In an effort to lighten load times I've cut back on some of the graphics, and have started to use mainly lightweight PNG and small GIF images and am trying to do away with bloated JPG images, except when posting photographs. I've also minimized the number of entries that appear on the main page. This should drastically cut load times for (gasp) dial-up users.

Also, links no longer open in new windows. I was even starting to get annoyed. You may find the odd link (especially in the older entries) that isn't up to code on this one yet, but I'll try and get around to them all eventually.

For most of the pictures I will post in the future, clicking on them will allow you to see the full size, as opposed to just the small version I've posted in the past. This also will not open a new window, rather I'm using a "Thickbox," which uses AJAX to display the new image. I will try my hardest to go back and find full sizes of stuff I've posted and make it work for them too.

Refreshing old information

Some of the entries are starting to age, and some of these elder postings have old links. Links that don't work anymore. I've gone back in time and checked every entry for dead links and updated them where I could. You'll find editor's notes if links have been removed because they simply do not work any longer and I couldn't find the new URI.

In my time travels, I've begun adding tags to older entries for easier and more consistent browsing of the archives. I haven't gotten around to them all yet, but I will in due time.

Cleaned up sidebar

One of the things that really got to me about my last design was my cluttered sidebar. I've taken a few steps to lighten it up.

I have removed the SaskBlogs blogroll for a couple of reasons: it was quite long and doesn't go with the new light look; it is often "down" and really slows down the load time; even if it is not completely down, it sometimes loads terribly slow. I really think Lance is doing a great thing for us Saskatchewan bloggers, but I just can't carry the whole roll any longer. I will still link to the Aggregator. The Alberta Blogs blogroll has also got the kibosh.

Each individual page will feature a maximum of two sidebar cells. The main page may in the future, however, be expanded.

Feeds

Syndication feeds are available in both RSS and Atom formats. In the navigation bar, on the right side, you will find a link for the RSS feed. If you would the Atom version, check the bottom of any page.

Bug Fixing and Upgrades

I've finally found out what was wrong with saving your comment information, and it is has been fixed. So no more typing your name email and website. Also, I've upgraded Movable Type to version 3.33.

With the new design of my site I feel even more obliged to ask my readers to use Firefox over Internet Explorer. Saskboy gave me a reason to write this little plea.

While the arrival of IE7 is imminent, it still doesn't make sense as anyone's browser of choice. I've converted a few people from IE6 to Firefox 1.0 or 1.5 and not a single one of them has yet to look back. I do not allow people to use IE on my computers, and as a result some have been "forced" to switch. They use it on my computer, like it so much, and begin using it on their computer.

This website simply does not look correct in IE6. At all. It doesn't even have native support for transparent PNG images, which breaks almost every image on my website! Upgrading to Internet Explorer 7 fixes some of the issues, and the site actually appears almost as it should, but it still looks better in Firefox.

I've spent a little bit of time toying around with IE7 and just don't enjoy it. The interface is awkward, and very hard to get used to. I'll keep it installed on my machine, but only because there are some websites out there still that force you to use it (remember the Census fiasco?).

Firefox 2, which is at most a few weeks away from general release (Firefox 2.0 RC2 is available for download now) and beats IE7 in every category I can find. The interface is cleaner, simpler and easier to use; the tab functionality is more intuitive and much more user-friendly. It is faster and safer.

It just doesn't make sense for anyone to be using Internet Explorer any longer... unless you are a Microsoft employee. In which case, I still argue you should switch to Firefox.

Get Firefox and make the internet a better place.

The crime rate in Saskatoon is atrocious. All of you know that. Couple this with an incompetent, sometimes corrupt police force and bad things are bound to happen.

While stuck in the first instance of winter traffic of the year, John Gormley was telling the story of 81 year-old Jean Belcher. Before I get into it I want to preface my comments by saying this story made me sick to my stomach for even being in the same city that it took place in, let alone having lived here for many years.

Jean is an active senior citizen. She enjoys walking around her community, shopping with friends and all the other things the elderly enjoy doing. She likes Saskatoon. However, in the last thirty days she has been mugged three times.

Three times. One month!

I remember vaguely hearing about this while I was in Calgary and thought - giving the area of these crimes, near City Hospital - that it was some of the poor inner-city youth. I couldn't have been more wrong, which makes this story all that much worse.

A few weeks ago, Jean was mugged near the City Hospital and her purse was stolen by 45 year-old cocaine and crystal meth addict Betty Anne Gilles -- while her 21 year-old daughter stood by and watched. Nice example. She was chased and caught by a witness on a bicycle who then held her until the police could arrive. Gilles has since been sentenced to two years in prison for her crime.

Merely weeks later she was shopping with a friend and she had noticed a younger woman walking behind her as she was leaving the store. Being the fine citizen she is, she decided to hold the door open for her fellow customer. The young woman noticed that Jean's purse was accessible and decided to swipe it on her way out. So much for helping out thy fellow citizens.

And if all of the above was not enough she was again taken to the cleaners while shopping with a friend. This time she noticed she was being robbed and screamed at the top of her lungs. Three off-duty firemen happened to be in the store at the same time and noticed the would-be 32 year-old male mugger and took chase. According to Jean, these fine samaritans followed the man for numerous blocks before catching up and holding him for police.

Jean's story presents a number of problems. The most important of which is: this poor woman who once lovingly smiled at strangers during her walks, now watches over her shoulder in fear. She no longer carries a purse with her. These events have dramatically changed her life. All of this at a time when she should (well, really, everyone should) feel safe while in public. I was raised to respect my elders. I have a tremendous amount of respect for senior citizens and feel that we should do whatever we can to make them comfortable.

Unfortunately the good points of the story -- the fact that in two of the three situations witnesses entered good samaritan mode and saved the day -- will forever be overshadowed by the bad. The actions of these three criminals has added to Saskatoon's already tarnished image. And in the worst possible way. Victimizing the elderly.

It started snowing in Saskatoon earlier this week and the snow is still on the ground. I have distinct memories of first snowfalls melting after a day or two. What is going on here?

Not only that, but it's really not supposed to get all that much warmer over the weekend. Crap. Because Noel and Ken are coming up from Regina and Yorkton, respectively. Warm weather would have been much sweeter.

Damn Saskatchewan early winters.

One year ago today at 2:00 pm I launched StephenGlauser.com with Welcome, sort of.... I made the comment that I will probably only make a couple of entries and abandon them shortly.

Since that time, this website has gone through two blogging platforms and four designs. This will be entry number 255, so I guess I was a little off. You fine folks have left me 378 comments on those entries, forcing me to forge ahead.

Since November 15, 2005 this site has had 5,680 visits comprising 13,142 page views. As those of you who have been around since the beginning will know, I didn't have a domain until this date and was unable to use Google Analytics as a tracking method until then... so I don't have stats for a full year, yet.

Some more navel gazing is in order, I suppose. So, here are some "top x" things:

Top Six Referrers

1. Daring to be Remarkable
2. Sask Blogs Aggregator
3. Abandoned Stuff
4. SaskBlogs.ca
5. Orli's Awakening
6. The Ford Focus Wagon

Top Ten Canadian Visitor Locations

1. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
2. Regina, Saskatchewan
3. Calgary, Alberta
4. Yorkton, Saskatchewan
5. Winnipeg, Manitoba
6. Edmonton, Alberta
7. Montreal, Quebec
8. Saltcoats, Saskatchewan
9. Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
10. Toronto, Ontario

Top Ten International Visitor Locations

1. Brookfield, Wisconsin
2. Buffalo, New York
3. Los Angeles, California
4. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
5. New York City, New York
6. Maceio, Brazil
7. Cary, North Carolina
   Mission Viejo, California
   Seattle, Washington
   Stockholm, Sweden

Browser Wars

1. Internet Explorer - 50.21%
   1. 6.0 - 93.16%
   2. 7.0 - 6.10%
   3. Others - 0.74%
2. Mozilla Firefox - 45.56%
   1. 1.5.X - 77.36%
   2. 1.0.X - 11.37%
   3. 2.0 - 11.17%
   4. Others - 0.12%
3. Safari - 2.32%
4. Opera - 0.92%
5. Other browsers - 0.99%

Anyone that talks to me on a semi-regular basis is more than likely aware that brother is now driving the Aveo, and has been for a while. Unfortunately, the vehicle is still registered to me, and he had somewhat of an accident. And, adding to the excitement, the payments for the vehicle are drawn from my father's bank account.

Apparently, the above causes a huge problem for the lady at SGI (who shall rename nameless) who decided to call me at 5:30. I have already dealt with SGI once this year and was very pleased with my adjuster and how thinks worked out in the end.

I foresee a far different outcome this time.

In my last outing with SGI I do not recall being asked whether or not I was in school or working at the time I purchased the vehicle. Imagine my surprise when I answer "no" to the question, only to be told it is necessary information and I have to know definitively whether or not I was a student or member of the workforce. I replied "no" to the question three more times before stating "I'm sorry, I have no idea what bearing this has on my car insurance. I do not remember my exact state as a citizen two plus years ago, I apologize. I am not receiving a student discount or anything, nor do I recall being asked if I was a student at the time I purchased my insurance. Are there any other personal questions you would like to throw my way?"

Apparently there were, and I won't get into them. Needless to say I was more than annoyed. Top that off with her being extremely rude to the point I had to hang up on her once, only to have her call back five minutes later, with notably more attitude. I put up with it and got off the phone in about ten minutes.

I'm not sure whether I should write a letter, or just call her superiors. What do you figure?

Well, this kind of sucks. As some of you may have noticed my website was unaccessible for the past two days. Apparently my host wasn't too happy when the comments script was "assraping" the server by being executed nonstop. Apparently there is a hole in MT that allows someone to use my comments script to comment other blogs, or something like that.

So I've had to turn commenting off for the time being, while I try to figure out what to do. The comment form will still be there, but won't work. :( I'm going to try porting the new design to WordPress. Hopefully it goes well.

As you know this site was down for most of Saturday and Sunday due to some jerk exploiting my comment script in one way shape or form. I've spent a few hours trying to port the design to WordPress, but it just isn't powerful enough for what I've got with MT. It probably just has to do with my not-so-great PHP skills more than WordPress' abilities, to tell you the truth, but I'm still having problems with it.

I'm going to try and put comments back up this evening with MT and see if I can not do something to plug the hole in the comment script. One of the main reasons I do this is to interact with my readers. Losing commenting would be like taking away half of the fun.

Also, thanks to James for the email.