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IE8 "enhanced" security

2010-07-28T00:16:52Z

I'm sure there's probably been a lot written about this, but here's what I went through today:

We have a new server running Windows 2003 Server, and I needed to install SQL Server 2008 on it via our MSDN subscription.

I first tried to do this via IE7 and was getting nothing but javascript errors every which way I turned (I couldn't even login to the site), so I decided to install IE8.

After installing IE8 and rebooting, I went to MSDN and after clicking about 20 security pop-ups, adding site exceptions (all for microsoft's own sites, I might add), and lowering my security settings as far as I could, I get to the download page. Keep in mind I've spent the better part of an hour, just to get to the download page first with IE7, and then the install of IE8 and all that.

MSDN uses a file transfer add-on to handle the downloading of files which never gave me any problems before, but the enhanced security blocks the add-on. The download page says to click the information bar and allow the add-on, but when I do all I get is the information bar help.

Well, after some Googling I never did find a specific fix to that problem, there may be a setting you can twiddle somewhere I don't know, but I did find out how to disable the enhanced security (remove it via the Add/Remove Windows Features app). So, with enhanced security banished from the system the information bar finally allowed me to allow the add-on. Worked great after that.

I don't know, it may be more secure out of the box, but it sure isn't very usable.

This makes me happy

2010-07-23T16:09:50Z

Some California residents tell their local leaders to GTFO.

Perhaps there is hope.

Funny

2010-07-14T20:48:04Z

How to keep a grown man busy

2010-07-12T03:19:31Z

Buy a used kegerator off Craigslist for $200.

Looking back on it, I should have just bought a new one. I can't even count the number of hours I've spent futzing with it, but here is what I have done.

I replaced the beer line, faucet, and gas line.

I added freon to it.

I patched the evaporator housing which had rusted through.

I made a fan shroud for the evaporator fan (which is not OEM) since the fan was just blowing air around the interior and not over the evaporator coils.

I made a tower cuzi.

And last not but, not least, we can't have analog thermostats in this day and age. I added a Love temperature controller.

Match 7/10/10

2010-07-11T17:25:17Z

I shot in ALSPPC's USPSA match yesterday.

I shot like crap for the most part. It probably wasn't a good idea to stay up till 2 AM the night before drinking beer. Oh well.

There were some positives though.

I crushed my previous El Presidente time/points. Unfortunately, it wasn't the qualifier the club is sending to USPSA.

I finally shot a Texas Star clean with a pistol! Karl Rehn has given me some tips on this blog and in email that helped a bunch. I had a perfect sight picture on every shot, I can still remember it actually, and a nice smooth trigger press, and the plates just fell one after the other.

Generally when I wasn't doing dumb shit the shots and hits were there.

One scary thing at the match, was when an older gentleman had a heat episode. He fell out of his chair and hit the concrete slab. Hard. I thought he was dead right there. His eyes were wide open staring straight up, didn't appear to be breathing. I've seen people fall out from heat exhaustion before and usually they are like, "I don't feel so good", and then they kind of crumple. This was like someone hit the off switch. Scary. He came around after a little bit, and sat in my car with the AC on until the EMS arrived and looked after him. Hope he's ok. This heat is not something to be taken lightly.

Update: Scores

On Fluffy's Revenge I shot a "C" level performance, according to classifier calc.

On El President I shot a "B" level performance says the calc, but that was not the classifier that day. Damn.

I came in 15th out 31 overall, I was the only one shooting in Single Stack.

Is this the best use of NASA's budget?

2010-07-07T21:38:58Z

"When I became the NASA administrator -- or before I became the NASA administrator -- [President Obama] charged me with three things. One was he wanted me to help re-inspire children to want to get into science and math, he wanted me to expand our international relationships, and third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science ... and math and engineering."

When I read that, I immediately thought of Kennedy's speech where he challenged us to go to the moon by the end of the decade, and then I laughed out loud at the sheer silliness of the new goals.

Why should we borrow even $1 (we will have to borrow it after all, we're running huge deficits) to make the Muslim nations feel good about their own contributions. If they don't feel good about their contributions, that's their problem. (If it is a problem.)

I'd be curious to see how NASA accomplishes this mission, but my head would probably explode if I found out. Maybe we'll send up a rocket named after some Muslim scholar loaded up with a bunch of school children from all over the world who excel in science and math? That would at least be something somewhat related to NASA's raison d'?tre.

McDonald Aftermath

2010-07-02T14:06:05Z

Reason's article on the subject.

"Does it have an app to bite my shiny metal ass?"

2010-07-02T13:22:37Z

"Yes! Several."

I love Futurama, and am so glad someone brought it back.

Ghost Town Burgers

2010-06-28T19:34:16Z

I've been driving by Ghost Town Burgers for years now going to and from Austin Rifle Club, but have never eaten there until this weekend.

The burgers are great, and the staff was friendly.

The only turn off was the big ol' 51% sign that you can't see until you go to order your food. It's a pretty big area, like an old west town, so I'm not sure if it would be legal to carry on the rest of the property or not.

So, good burgers, but I probably won't go back unless I'm in the mood to have a few beers. I don't blame the establishment at all, just our stupid laws. To me, it's not worth going around without my secondary self-defense tool (primary self-defense tool is between your ears) or opening myself up to some kind of legal troubles.

Shotgun Match 6/27/10

2010-06-28T19:05:42Z

I did another shotgun match last weekend. I used my Mossberg 590 again.

Things I noticed / happened to me:

My reloads are slower than everyone else's. I use a bandoleer which is a lot slower than some of the other methods. I'm guessing I could speed up at least 25% with a better reload solution.

When I go too fast, I miss. Duh. I was trying to go too fast not letting the gun get stable. You do have to aim a shotgun, contrary to popular belief.

Don't leave the shotgun in the sun. I burned the **** out of my thumb and middle finger on the second stage and was having trouble keeping a good grip on the fore end after that.

1 oz. #8 loads are too light, 1 1/8 oz loads are better, but not 100%. I had a bunch of crap value pack ammo that doesn't run in my hunting shotgun very well and wanted to shoot it up.

I got a C!

2010-06-22T23:34:45Z

ALSPPC had a classifier match back in May, and since I'm still pretty new to USPSA I hadn't been classified yet.

Before the match I was pretty sure I was going to get a D, but I managed to snag a C. I'm happy!

(I shoot in Single Stack, by the way.)

It's funnier if you close your eyes.

2010-06-17T21:36:34Z

Class Review: Beyond the Basics: Rifle @ KR Training

2010-06-06T13:46:50Z

The class consists of a brief safety lecture, review and introduction of such techniques as shooting from unorthodox positions and cover, and culminates in some courses of fire that invoke those techniques.

The class is light on theory and lecture and heavy on doing, which I really liked. You don't get to do these kind of things at the range, and you're not going to build these skills without having a chance to do them for real. So the focus on doing is good in my opinion.

The class is not a high level operator class. It's for average folks who want to learn how to use their rifles.

I used my CMMG M4 clone for the class with an Eotech 512 sight, Magpul PMAGs, and Monarch steel cased ammo.

I had never used that ammo before, but to my amazement it shot to almost the same POI as my Zombie Load within 50 yards. At 50 yards it was probably a little over an inch high, but for this kind of training, it was fine.

I've heard a lot of horror stories about steel cased ammo in AR rifles, but I had no failures of any kind. I retrieved a couple of empty cases and I couldn't find any signs of the lacquer coming off. I will say the ammo is dirty as heck. I don't think I could have fired 500 rounds of the stuff without a cleaning in there somewhere, but for training or plinking it works fine.

One of the things I learned is that I need to change my setup. I use an Eotech and I like to get the front sight post out of the way when I am using the optic. One of the things that causes me to do is lift my head off the stock which really takes away a lot of the stability you need to shoot well. I think I am going to get a new barrel with a mid-length or rifle-length gas system, without a front sight post. I will have backup sights, but they will be of the flip up variety so that nothing is in the way of the Eotech retical.

Now I need to go clean my rifle.

Gear Review: Maxpedition Kodiak

2010-06-04T03:19:49Z

Every tacticool wannabe on the planet has a bug-out-bag, so why not me?

Actually, mine is more of a combo range/hunting bag, but I'll keep it semi-stocked just in case.

I couldn't make up my mind between the Kodiak and the Sitka for the longest time. I didn't think the Sitka would be big enough, but I thought the Kodiak would be too big.

The Kodiak is probably just about the right size for me, maybe a little small if anything. Once I get some doodads and a change of clothes in it, it's pretty full, but the idea is to carry light, just the bare essentials.

Before I get too far into it, there are some pretty decent videos that do a good job of reviewing the bag. You can watch them here.

The number one feature of this bag, and other Maxpedition gearslinger bags, is that you can swing it around to the front and access your stuff without taking the pack off. Pretty cool. One of the reasons this appeals to a lot gun folk is that it has a pouch and velcro lining for sticking a holster to. This lets you pack a concealed handgun in there, and swing it around in case you need it. It's faster than taking off your backpack and digging through it for your handgun, but still pretty slow to compared to holster on your hip. On the other hand, if you grabbed the bag on your way out the door before something went down, and maybe didn't have time to get all your gear on, you'd at least have someway to carry. It's a good option to have.

The bag has tons of pockets for keeping stuff sorted. The bad thing about the bag is that it has tons of pockets and it's easy to forget which pocket stuff is in if you aren't in and out of it all the time, but at least you aren't having to dump everything out of it to find what where that gizmo you are looking for is.

Also it has a pocket for a hydration bladder, and also a Nalgene bottle. Two features I really like after last weekend. You can't have too much water here in summer.

Some people think the bag is not great for hiking long distances with anything heavy in it, and that might be true. I didn't find it to be uncomfortable, but I only have about 10 lbs in it and haven't carried it very far. I carried a backpack all through college with only one arm through a strap (only nerds use both straps) and I never had any problems, I can't see why this would be any different, but if you are packing for days out in the bush you'd probably want something bigger with two straps.

Pics:

Hydration bladder goes here, or you can put a CCW there.

CCW goes here.

I tried to blur out the whiskers and it left me without a face.

Whiskers, but I have a face ... half a face anyway.

For size reference, I am 6'1" and 250 lbs, ok 255 dammit.

Cheap Electronic Hearing Protection

2010-06-04T02:37:14Z

I've been looking for some decent electronic muffs for a while, but the prices on Pro Ears and MSA Sordin muffs are a little steep for me.

For most trips to the range, the Peltor Bullseye 9 muffs I have are hard to beat for the price, but when you are taking a class or shooting a match with lots of talking, I sometimes have to strain a bit to hear people.

I was at Academy the other day and they had some Remington electronic muffs marked down to $20. I figured what the heck, I'll take a chance on them for only $20.

Pros
More comfortable than I expected
Excellent volume
Easy to understand people
Acceptable level of noise reduction
Not too big

Cons
The sound spectrum is skewed to high frequencies, higher pitched noises are louder than low pitches
Difficult to wear with safety glasses
Noise reduction is acceptable, but not as good as most non-electric muffs
Clipping

I think for $20 the list of cons is worth putting up with. I won't use these as my "everyday" muffs, but I think they will be very handy for classes.

Did some googling and I think I have the Remington R1500, which I think are the Radians Pro-Amp 23 repackaged by Remington. (I have some other Remington safety stuff that is made by Radians also.) Looks like the Radians retail for around $70, so not a bad deal. I think Remington has stopped selling the R1500.

Anyways, obligatory pics: