Conflicted Male - Part II

Microsoft 08-078 Out of Cycle Patch

2008-12-19T19:32:00.000-06:00

Dear readers:
It is once again time for an “out of cycle” patch from Microsoft.

Please, make sure you read the Microsoft Security Bulletin 08-078 and apply accordingly. It is located here: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms08-078.mspx

Follow the directions there for your specific patch level and browser type.

Moving back!

2008-12-08T01:28:00.001-06:00

Okay, so I have been over at WordPress and redirected my domain www.ConflictedMale.com there.

Ya, ya, some of you told me I'd be back. I really didn't think I would stick with CM for very long as you can see this blog suffered greatly. However, www.ConflictedMale.com ended up doing much better than I thought. More people flooding in weekly and all I'm doing is writing about my personal experiances. Be it work experiances that I think might help others or just a regular rant while having a good/bad day.

So now I'm hoping to work with Google AdSense and WordPress won't allow me that ability. Many people have been encouraging me to move back and setup AdSense but I've bucked the idea for awhile now. Let's see what it can we can accomplish by moving back.

lol ... now to see if there is an easy way to migrate my blog over (if I remember right there isn't) or I'll have long nights of copy/paste going on before I redirect the domain name once again.

Any thoughts on this, anyone identify with me here? Any comments or suggestions will be read with great interest on my part! :)

LOL

2008-02-03T10:36:00.000-06:00

Alrighty then!

It's been just over a year since I last posted on here. Honestly I totally forgot about this blog due to a couple new projects I had been involved in. Just so happened a friend of my reminded me I had left this blog behind.

Well I'm back with many new things to post here.

Nice, talk about a brain fart!

WMF Vulnerability update...

2006-01-09T10:17:00.000-06:00

Microsoft has made and "exception" to their rule and released the hotfix for this on January 5, 2005 in the afternoon. Some of you might have noticed your home PC was rebooted while you slept if you have automatic updates turned on. Those of us in the corporate world were busy with creating SMS packages to roll updates to our servers. Those without SMS...had a long night (or day ahead if they are just getting started on this).

SMS users: Don't you LOVE that they have finally standardized the switches for these packages? Getting there anyhow. What I did find funny last night was we had multiple servers that didn't have an old update they needed that used really old switches of -u, -z and such. Been quite some time since I've seen that as an option.

Here's a link to the security bulletin MS06-001 (first patch of '06) with links from there to the specific downloads you will need depending on the version(s) you are running.

Happy Patching!

Microsoft WMF vulnerability

2006-01-04T09:58:00.000-06:00

So let me ask you the reader here what you think.

I would love to see replies to this and share it with some of my friends that work at Microsoft.

Not to long ago Microsoft instituted the month patch schedule. This was so Administrators, like myself, could plan better instead of seeing fixes randomly appear that we needed to test and see how they interacted within the corporate environment. It's sometimes nice to work on a schedule.

However Microsoft has taken it to an extreme; in my opinion. Here we have a nasty vulnerability that actually affects ALL but one of their operating systems [NT4.0 is not listed as affected, anyone get the relevance there] and they will not release a fix until next Tuesday ... as is scheduled for the next release.

Now if we took that approach with virus protection vendors there would be several that most of us would not use. True, some will release every time they have a new virus definition set built and some other virus protection vendors will only release once a week. HOWEVER, if a virus protection vendor finds that a particularly nasty virus is out there and it is affecting many clients they release virus definitions ASAP! If the virus protection vendor finds that their "fix" breaks an operating system like making Microsoft's Windows system blue screen at you [you know who you are too...grr] they release a "fix" for the "fix" ASAP. Usually the same day in hours if not by early the next day.

Now you have security experts creating and distributing a fix [what, a few days ago now] that is to protect you from the WMF vulnerability. True, I agree with Microsoft that you should not use a third party software to patch their OS but in situations like this where Microsoft has clearly taken a stance that the consumer just has to wait ... well ... We the consumer drive the market. Those of us in the U.S. also have this thing with "we want it and we want it now" mentality. Again, though, when it comes to corporate systems worldwide [let alone your personal PC with all it's personal data such as emails, media, and cooking recipes] let's face it, waiting more than a few days for a fix is not going to go over well.

So here are the questions:
1. What are your thoughts on using a third party fix to patch this vulnerability?
2. Are we waiting to long for a fix from Microsoft?
3. What are you doing to protect yourself from this latest vulnerability, if anything?

Postage Increase

2006-01-03T15:26:00.000-06:00

This Sunday marks a much awaited event for the U.S.

Postal rate increases!

The stamp will be .39 and the postage card rate will be .24

Happy mailing!

[my .02, if you don't bill me electronically in some fashion don't ask me to use your product as I'm tired of the increases in postage and dead trees!]

Happy New Year!

2006-01-03T10:57:00.000-06:00

Hope you have a GREAT New Year and welcome to 2006!

*ugh* let us get moving along...nothing to see here...move along...

Out of Office Message...

2005-12-30T07:09:00.000-06:00

Well as those of you who visit the OTHER blog know I'm pretty darn consistant about my posting every couple of days.

This next several days will be an exception however. I'm sick and tired of life right now and need a vacation. Talk about last minute planning, I'm getting the ticket at the gate!

Here is something to make you laugh however; I live in Dallas where we are having 70 degree weather. I'm going to New England where it is 20 degrees.

Brr...

Didn't I like moving to Dallas not to long ago because of the warm weather? Actually, I'm going to visit family memebers, more than likely will drop in on my uncles/aunts/cousins who I have not seen in many years (something like 15 years doh). So off I go!

I know there are some out there that secretly hoping I am shoved out of the plane; however I hope to make it there!

Happy New Years to you and yours!

L.A. Times funny parrallel here...

2005-12-29T10:32:00.000-06:00

What ever do I mean by that?

Remember my post yesterday where I stated "Sorry folks they usually don't have much that interests me out that way right now."

Well it seems one of their reporters heard my cry for more interesting content for those of us not living in L.A. and posted a funny news story here.
[ya right! Like this blog is even read by anyone yet!]

True this is the followup on breitbart.com but, I'm sure the story more than likley no longer exists at the L.A. Times website. Let me know if you find a link to the retraction article.

Microsoft Alert!

2005-12-29T09:24:00.000-06:00

This is the kind of thing I deal with on a daily basis; alerting clients to potential issues that they might have on their network. Let's face it you have your job and I have mine for a reason. However there are some shady consultants out there and some IT folk who don't keep up on the latest news in our sectors.

Heck in the best interest of those you do employ and to help educate those that want to be up to date I will not post all the alerts I get but ones like this I feel the need to. So, here goes:

Microsoft Security Advisory 912840

In short they have found a bug in the new Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 Picture and Fax Viewer (Shimgvw.dll) that allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code on your PC without your approval/consent. All it takes is for you to open an email (with HTML turned on) or click a link that takes you to an attacker's site. Now I have said it many times before, yet not here, and honestly don't always practice it mysef; you should always read your email in plain text format. True you lose the pictures and "neat stuff" you might get in email but hey, if you don't know the originator of the email should you open it anyhow?

When they come up with a fix I will put up a new post with that fix. If you have Windows update turned on to automatically update you won't even have to come back to find out. Isn't that nice?

More to come today!

2005 Darwin Awards

2005-12-28T16:28:00.000-06:00

1. When his 38-caliber revolver failed to fire at his intended victim during a hold-up in Long Beach, California, would-be robber James Elliot did something that can only inspire wonder. He peered down the barrel and tried the trigger again. This time it worked.....

And now, the honorable mentions:

2. The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat-cutting machine and, after a little shopping around, submitted a claim to his insurance company. The company expecting negligence sent out one of its men to have a look for himself. He tried the machine and he also lost a finger. The chef's claim was approved.

3. A man who shoveled snow for an hour to clear a space for his car during a blizzard in Chicago returned with his vehicle to find a woman had taken the space. Understandably, he shot her.

4. After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver found that the 20 mental patients he was supposed to be transporting from Harare to Bulawayo had escaped. Not wanting to admit his incompetence, the driver went to a nearby bus stop and offered everyone waiting there a free ride. He then delivered the passengers to the mental hospital, telling the staff that the patients were very excitable and prone to bizarre fantasies The deception wasn't discovered for 3 days.

5. An American teenager was in the hospital recovering from serious head wounds received from an oncoming train. When asked how he received the injuries, the lad told police that he was simply trying to see how close he could get his head to a moving train before he was hit.

6. A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the counter, and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer, he man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which the clerk promptly provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he got from the drawer...$15. (If someone points a gun at you and gives you money, is a crime committed?)

7. Seems an Arkansas guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided that he'd just throw a cinderblock through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. So he lifted the cinderblock and heaved it over his head at the window. The cinderblock bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. The liquor store window was made of Plexiglas. The whole event was caught on videotape.

8. As a female shopper exited a New York convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, "Yes, officer, that's her. That's the lady I stole the purse from."

9. The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypsilanti, Michigan, at 5 a.m., flashed a gun, and demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn't open the cash register without a food order. When the man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they weren't available for breakfast. The man, frustrated, walked away.

*****5-STAR STUPIDITY AWARD WINNER*****

10. When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a Seattle street, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find a very sick man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline and plugged his siphon hose into the motor home's sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges, saying that it was the best laugh he'd ever had.

2006...No wait a second...

2005-12-28T12:42:00.000-06:00

I found an interesting article today; on the LA Times no less. Sorry folks they usually don't have much that interests me out that way right now. It was about the announcement from the US Naval Observatory in regards to the Atomic clock. Yes that neat little clock thing that tells you that you are in either a geek's house (mine) or a time obsessive persons presence (again me :P ).

You can read the actual article here.

Now here is a thought for you, if the earth's rotation is slowing...would that have an affect on the climate you think? Hmmm....

Stuck in between...

2005-12-27T14:37:00.000-06:00

This time of year has always felt a bit odd to me. It is after Christmas yet before the New Year; have always felt stuck in between.

This year (and a great local band American Zeros put it best in their song Misery) I feel stuck in a pool of misery. This year all total has sucked overall. I have found it especially hard to concentrate this year at the "In Between Time" than in any other year; you might notice as I have not posted in a week.

So off my little pitty party there and back to some BEEF!

Those of you that use SQL should have already guessed that the mainstream support for 7.0 was on it's way out. If not, well I'm here to tell you that is the case. Another little tip here, some reason many of you out there have not figured this out (pointed to the tech community for regualr readers), but in an IE address line or heck even in the MSN Desktop Search Engine (when using a web search) you can type in the following: kb "xxxxxx" where the X's are the corresponding artical numbers and the KB will be the first in your search list. In this case the article is kb 912251.

Now this one is a bit off color and for the weak stomached ones I'd suggest you don't look (as long as this link is still good there is an actual photo) as it is graphic. This article is one I read the other day on Matt Drudge's site. It seems to be coming up all over the place now. My big question for this poor little kid (forget the scout leader for the moment) is....do they have a badge for this? Then I thought of the scout leader...poor guy, trying to save one kid from injury and now ... well what will happen to the scout leader? Will we ever be told or does the story disappear here like so many others in the media do?

For now that is all I have for you. Hopefully as the new year (clean slate *wipes brow*) gets closer I will have some better posts for you again.

Stuck Home Sick! Ugh!

2005-12-21T13:30:00.000-06:00

However I have a little something to cheer You Up!

This is a great site but I figured some of you need to know what the elves think about us and Santa this year. Find it here.

You wanted more fun!

2005-12-15T10:12:00.000-06:00

So here I go...

Now I have to be careful as I can end up picking a whole lot of rauchy jokes (wonderful group of friends emailing me :P ). I'll try to ensure that it is clean fun so you can even enjoy my blog at your office!

So here are some links for you to have fun with today:

The Sysadmin Song for all of us IT people out there!
Happy Bunny! - 'nuff said.
Dano Osman - Greatest Climber ever, dumbest stunt ever ended his life too. sad. NOTE: If you are afraid of heights or easily get vertigo close this link if you feel ill. Not responsible for the puke on your desk/keyboard man!
The Windows XP ad that Microsoft wouldn't show in the States. Why not?
Mt. Butticus - The eruption!
JoeCartoon.com rocks...here is a Christmas funny for you. NOTE: If you are at work turn the sound down!

So there you have it, a day of fun!

What do you think about that? Huh, huh?!?

link

DreamWorks, Universal and Paramount

2005-12-13T10:29:00.000-06:00

What do all of you think of this sale?

After all the reading I have done on the web from news sites to the acutally companies involved this seemed more and more like a very sad situation.

Here you have three of the greatest men in their respective industires owning a company that only one of them really wants in the first place.

I really like how Matt Drudge related his headline "FIRESALE..." (the headline was a bit longer but you get the idea. The way this finally played out was just that. A fire sale. Everything must go and go now!

At the end of the day I think that the new owners at Paramount are going to do great things with this purchase. What do you think, is it best that Paramount got a hold of DreamWorks before Universal could or do you think the Monolithic G.E.'s abilities through Universal would have made better use?
--------------------------------
sources for my thoughts (and for you to form your own)
Matt Drudge's Updated Article [probably find the original there too] can be found here.
Sharon Waxman of New York Times [Lorne Manly contributed] here.
Some of the CNN coverage here, here, and here.
ABCNews coverage found here.

miscellaneous

2005-12-08T12:05:00.000-06:00

As this post suggests it is going to be full of miscellaneous items. So I’m just going to let some thoughts flow about recent events from yesterday and today. Hmm…almost sounds like a radio ad “Playing the songs you love from yesterday and today!”

Anyhow…here are some of the things I was thinking/reading of/about late last night:

(lol…how’s the sentence structure and punctuation today?!)

Alright, let’s start off with some news from Microsoft®. It appears that they are having some issues with components many of you might find useful. For their internal newsgroups (those of us certified have certain other access non-certified persons have) they are experiencing difficulties and (Worldwide) their sites are unavailable.

Second new item for Microsoft®, and more than likely Prometric®is the culprit here, is having trouble with receiving exam results from Prometric®. If you have recently taken an exam with Prometric® I would suggest that you check on your results with Microsoft®. If you are open to the idea of switching testing companies (I had trouble like this many years ago with Prometrics®) I’d suggest taking a look at Vue.

Now onto some thoughts about Project Management (as this is what I do :P).

One of the most degrading management processes, or should I say most disruptive to the PM, is when a project team member makes a commitment to the project Sponsor (client) without the PM’s approval; the entire process can break down.

Why does this happen? Well growing in the industry the way I did I can say that a lot of it is miscommunication.

What happens is that the team member is hounded day in and day out about being “client focused” and “cater to the client” without being told what the process of this really is. So when a client (project Sponsor) asks a team member to do something they tend to do it. Hey, after all the team member is just trying to be “client focused” right? What happens in the mean time is that this team member could have just affected the delay of multiple other resources/team members or elongated the project to an unacceptable level for the PM.

In other instances you have high level resources doing tasks that a lower level resource could have been utilized in. So then you may see a degradation in the team as the lower level feels like it is hard to learn/come up in the organization. On the flip side of this you could also start hearing complaints from the high level team member about tasks being to mundane.

How do you address this:
Simple, the PM and team members need to be on the same page. Sounds like a novel communication ides eh? As the PM you need to ensure you outline what the accountability is and the scope of the management process and why it is important. Don’t stop there either. A lot of times this problem is fostered by the client (project sponsor for those of you in larger org’s) so ensure that all involved understand the proper procedures and the importance of adhering to these guidelines. Again, I can’t stress enough the importance of ensuring that the team and the sponsor are on the same page!

How to address these issues with team members:
Let them know the first time that they did not follow the proper procedures as outlined. Don’t stop there though, tell them HOW it affected the process or potential out come of the project and how it has affected the team as a whole. Keep in mind that if this happens 1 or 2 times it might just be an issue of the team member not understanding or being pressured by the client. A 3rd or 4th time is a performance problem. Again, ensure that if these situations do occur you bring them up with both the team member AND the sponsor so that the team as a whole can be back on the same page.

Have you ever been to the sight http://www.thinkgeek.com/ ? This is one of my favorite online shopping places! Check it out when you get a chance, especially if you are technically oriented!

Well, until next time I wish you good day!

miscellaneous

Weather in Texas Today...

2005-12-07T10:45:00.000-06:00

What a mess! Here I am figuring if I leave 30 minutes early to get in today, factoring in the odd weather here today, I would have enough time to get in to the office at a decent hour.

A drive that normally takes about 1.5 hours took 3.5 today! UGH!

It is definitely true, Texans don’t know what to do in cold weather, when it comes to driving. Will someone please explain to me why they think that they can drive nuts just because they have four wheel drive vehicles? Most of the wrecks I had to endure getting through were passenger 4x4 truck and SUVs!

SESH! I’m NOT looking forward to the drive back tonight!

Word add-in for Blogger

2005-12-06T16:14:00.000-06:00

Getting really geeky now I know.  I added the snap-in for word so I can always appear to be doing work! :P

Let’s see how it works out.  If it does as I think it will I would suggest that you try it out for your own blogging purposes.  :D

Now to get some good content up, get people linking and start a blogroll going.  Then I’ll add some other items here and see what types of interest we can generate right?

For those of you that are grammatically and punctuationally up tight, I’m sorry.  You see, from time to time, I will have sentences that ramble on a little to long.  Perhaps my mood will dictate that I turn the auto spell check feature off.  Then again mayhap I’m just trying to ruffle your feathers!

U2RCrazy

2005-12-05T19:10:00.000-06:00

So I want to ensure that those of you thinking that U2RCrazy or U 2 R Crazy, depending on how you look at it, could find this site.

Yes, some of the things you will see on here you might think my friends and I are a little crazy. However always remember that we all have a little "crazy" in us.

My dear reader, weither you like it ot not, you too are crazy from time to time!

Do you disagree?

Welcome

2005-12-05T13:48:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the new blog! Let's see where I go with this one!