JayGridley's NetNotes

8:57pm: November Patch Tuesday
It's again the time of the month when Microsoft attempts to fix what is wrong with their products.
Security updates were released today for the following MS products: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel. Those with automatic updates turned on (which should be everyone reading this..) should be seeing the downloading updates icon over the next couple days.

1:17am: Apple Fail Again.
So apparently, not learning from their mistake the first time, Apple has been pushing out unnecessary software to users via their Software Updater.

http://apple.slashdot.org/story/09/09/28/2330229/Apple-Pushes-Unwanted-Software-To-PCs-Again?art_pos=5

6:07am: Don't visit the Cash for Clunkers site.. (cars.gov)
This is why I'm kind of glad the only government computer systems I connect to are all weather.gov/noaa.gov.

5:53am: Almost forgot
Friday marked the 10th Annual System Administrator Appreciation Day. http://www.sysadminday.com

5:43am: Wish List Update #2 (& very short life update)
There's not really anything new with me other than heading back to Sioux City in a couple weeks to finish my friggin Bachelors degree. However there have been some changes to my wish list..

- Checked off Weather Message as I bought a copy earlier in the summer and have been using it quite a bit as evidenced by the maps on www.tornadochaos.net and www.iowa-skywarn.org.

- Checked off new router, thanks to the parents buying one for me to use (I plan to get one that works with cellular instead of Cable/xDSL for them later..)

- New (RF) Scanner is on hold for a year or two due to all the shifting going on in the near future.

-GPS Unit would be nice, one that interfaces with SpotterNetwork would be good too.

-New Item: New Server box, partly due to running up against the memory capacity limits of the machines i use to learn stuff on as well as the lack of 64 bit hardware in the house to learn other software (read Exchange 2007). That and the power supply died in my main server box the night before last. I had replaced it in March after the one that was in it then died (presumably due to overload.. i think it was about a 400-450W trying to power 5 IDE hard drives,1 IDE CD-ROM, and the rest of the system.

Thats all for now..

3:30am: Reboot Wednesday - July 2009
Microsoft released a number of patches yesterday (July 14th) including 3 critical (2 of which have a rating of "PATCH NOW" from Internet Storm Center) so if you use Windows & Office its time to visit http://update.microsoft.com again (unless you have automatic updates on of course..in which case just run them)

1:41pm: Wish List Update
So apparently I can get a new computer for this fall after all however with only a year left I decided to opt for the year old machine instead, and have the option to buy out my current (two going on three year old) notebook for $300.

So here is the list as it stands..
- New (bigger) UPS unit to keep the computers from getting zapped during Iowa's severe weather..
- A copy of Weather Message to both keep me updated (either at my desk or on my cell) on the previously mentioned severe weather as well as to semi automate some of my work with updating Midwest Skywarn and/or Iowa-Skywarn.org
- New Router (Possibly PC using RRAS/ISA Server on Windows or Linux + IPtables)
- Perhaps a GPS Unit
- New (RF) Scanner

5:39am: Wish List
Just sitting here trying to come up with stuff I'd like to get if I had the money..

- New (bigger) UPS unit to keep the computers from getting zapped during Iowa's severe weather..
- A copy of Weather Message to both keep me updated (either at my desk or on my cell) on the previously mentioned severe weather as well as to semi automate some of my work with updating Midwest Skywarn and/or Iowa-Skywarn.org
- RAM Upgrade for my laptop computer (I'm assuming its not getting replaced as I'm only in school for at most another year)
-Replace my aging desktop computer
- New Router
- Perhaps a GPS Unit

Starting around Easter break I'll probably start moving things to Madrid and putting the network back together in the house, havent figured out the summer job but I'd like to avoid Wal-Mart if at all possible..

Thats all for now..

1:43pm: SG-1 you have a go.....
So it's official, StangLAN 2009 will be on Saturday April 4th in Science Center 002. For details go here.

12:09am: StangLAN 2009??
So a friend and I who were part of a group that ran a LAN party on campus a few years ago were contemplating the idea of having one on campus again. However, neither of us are real sure if there would even be interest in such an event. If anyone in the Mside/Siouxland area happens to read this and is interested drop an email to stanglan (at) gmail (dot) com.

11:17pm: iTunes is Malware?? Didn't see that coming.
So I was trying to clean up my college (Gateway E265 w/WinXP Pro SP3) laptop to free some space on the hard drive. I mean who needs 3-4 programs for playing MP3 files? Windows Media Player..iTunes.. VLC Media Player.. I'm not trying to be a M$ fanboy or anything but I don't need several programs that do the same thing. That said I proceeded to uninstall several programs including iTunes as i a) dont own an iPod and b) dont use it. I rebooted once I had finished and found that my DVD+-RW was gone and that the only explanation was that the drivers were missing. Odd since I didn't uninstall any software dealing with the DVD drive. I promptly did a system restore which brought everything back to the state it was about 30 minutes prior. I proceeded to uninstall some software one of which being iTunes with the exact same results. I rolled back through System Restore to prior to the most recent uninstall program (MS ActiveSync i think) but the drive was still missing. Started System Restore and selected the restore point prior to the iTunes uninstallation and after the reboots the drive is back. Guess I shouldn't install iTunes on my desktop unless I plan on using it permanently. The iTunes uninstaller has no authority to be removing device drivers for hardware especially NON-APPLE hardware.

11:13pm: Certifications
Here's what I have yet to take* for certification exams now that I'm finished at DMACC.

Cisco:
640-802 Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

Microsoft:
70-290: Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment
70-291: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
70-293: Planning and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
70-294: Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure
70-270: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Windows XP Professional (alt 70-620: TS Windows Vista, Configuring)
70-297: Designing a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure (alt 70-298: Designing Security for a Windows Server 2003 Network)
Elective: 70-284: Implementing and Managing Microsoft Exchange Server 2003

I'm scheduled to take the CCNA (640-802) tomorrow in Fort Dodge so hopefully that will be one down. I have yet to decide if I'll go after CCNP or not but regardless I have to have the CCNA first.

12:03am: Last night's weather...
Here's a rough rundown of last night's severe weather in the area, times estimated..

1953 DMX issues Tornado Warning for Story [IA] till 8:30 PM CDT ...

2029 Boone [Boone Co, IA] emergency mngr reports HAIL of quarter size (E1.00 INCH) at 8:29 PM CDT

2032 DMX issues Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Boone, Story [IA] till 9:15 PM CDT

2214 Boone [Boone Co, IA] emergency mngr reports FLASH FLOOD at 09:14 PM CDT -- 6 inches to one foot of running water has closed a number of roads in boone.

2218 DMX issues Flash Flood Warning for Boone [IA] till 12:15 AM CDT

1:28am: Windows Vista Update Causing Loss of Audio on some Systems
For those of you who have computers running Windows Vista (especially Dell laptops since those are explicitly mentioned) you may want to check out this article over at Internet Storm Center regarding a Vista update thats causing loss of audio on some systems.

Vista Update Causes Sound Lost [isc.sans.org]

4:10pm: 30 Error Messages You Never Want to See
Thanks Noah...

click here

1:18am: Pop Culture References Anyone?
Anybody hear anything familiar in this clip?

7:10pm: State Government Stupidity... (Part II)
Part two takes us to North Dakota.....

A judge ruled that DNS Zone Transfers, a common task performed by system administrators, are now illegal in North Dakota.

CircleID: North Dakota Judge Gets It Wrong

6:38pm: State Government Stupidity... (Part I)
First, on the local (as in Iowa) level....

Governor Culver is under fire for shortchanging schools in his budget proposal. The proposal would grant community colleges only about $177.5 million or about 2% over last years budget. The requested amount was almost $188.9 million. Culver says that partisan rhetoric is behind the outcry from legislators.

Well maybe the Governor needs to go learn the definition of partisan seeing as how legislators from both parties are upset over it, not just Republicans. Second, the legislature is likely actually listening to the people for a change rather than simply playing politics as he is alleging.

Nearly 50% of the funding for the states community colleges came from tuition and fees in 2005, dropping slightly in 2006.. up from only about 25% in 1980. And yet they wonder why younger people are leaving the state.

(Source: DesMoinesRegister.com , Iowa Dept of Education)

1:06am: CA: Sears.com: Join the Community - Get The Spyware
So apparently if you join the "My SHC Community" on Sears.com it installs spyware on your computer that sends everything you do on the net (including other sites) to some other company.

http://community.ca.com/blogs/securityadvisor/archive/2007/12/20/sears-com-join-the-community-get-spyware.aspx

12:10am: Oh, the irony...
I was checking the spam folder on my email account and I found this.

Note the sender: "Barracuda Spam Firewall

 

 

8:29pm: Fake Microsoft Security Bulletin Circulating
Of course with yesterday being "Patch Tuesday" somebody is circulating a fake Microsoft security update that looks real. It even comes customized with the recipient's full name. The emails also link to malicious EXE files proclaiming to be the patch installer. Microsoft does not distribute security patches by email.

3:29pm: Extremely Critical Patch for Windows XP Users

Yesterday was "Patch Tuesday" in the Microsoft world with one extremely critical patch coming out for Windows XP as it is in the Windows shell and exploitable under just about any application including IE7, Skype, Acrobat,.... this flaw is also found in Windows Server 2003. It does not affect Windows Vista users. 

12:10am: "Don't look now, here comes Madrid.."
After missing the playoffs for the first time in over a decade last season not only is Madrid back but they're headed to the dome. Madrid defeated Waco, Wayland 34-6 tonight at North Mahaska High School in playoff action. Madrid will take on Wapsie Valley of Fairbank on Friday morning at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls.

Elsewhere in Class A:
at Avoca: Lawton-Bronson 34, AHST of Avoca 21
at Lisbon: Wapsie Valley of Fairbank 21, Lisbon 14
at West Hancock, Britt: West Hancock of Britt 20, Bishop Garrigan of Algona 6.
West Hancock and Lawton-Bronson play their match at 1:30 PM on Friday in Cedar Falls.

9:39am: Update: Pumpkin Tax killed..

The state decided to do away with the tax on pumpkins after either outrage from residents or the media coverage including CNN's Glenn Beck, ABC News, and reportedly even the front page of The Drudge Report. Who's next, Leno? Somebody even launched www.squashthepumpkintax.com

Nice going..way to make us all look stupid.

3:26am: They're baaaack......

Halloween also marked the start of the high school football post-season Madrid taking on H-L-V of Victor in Madrid for the second time this year. Madrid defeated H-L-V 49-13 and advances to play WACO of Wayland after they defeated North Mahaska of New Sharon. Full scores are in the cut