"Never again," cried the man, "never again will we wake up in the morning and think Who am I? What is my purpose in life? Does it really, cosmically speaking, matter if I don't get up and go to work? For today we will finally learn once and for all the plain and simple answer to all these nagging little problems of Life, the Universe and Everything!"

The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything is coming soon to a theater near you! Heck yeah!

“Exactly!”   - Deep Thought

Thanks to Travis for the link :)

For now let's call it a pound of “ouch” with an ounce of “anticipation-of-relief...”

This was a first time for me, seeing as how I've never had any kind of surgery or anything similar to what you might call a surgical procedure. This was minor, though: Today I had epidural injections of a corticosteroid and a nerve blocker put into my lower back. I've had pain for years now, constantly, that ranges from annoying at times to completely unbearable at others. Having done nothing up to this point to try to fix the problem other than taking anti-inflamatories, I decided at the doc's recommendation to try these shots and see what happens. If they don't work, he and I will see what's next. I just know I can't live comfortably with the pain any more, it's just become worse as time goes on.

So, anyhow, went to the hospital, they gave me some stuff that made me slightly loopy, and I was awake the whole time. Lots of needles in the back, stuff injected into the epidural space in my spine, kinda hurts, and now I am fluctuating between feeling pretty okay and having shooting pain, especially as the blocker wears off and the numbness subsides.

I am told by the doc that the pain may get somewhat worse before I start to feel better, and so far, he's right. But hey, this is I guy I am highly confident in as far as his medical abilities, and since this is what he said would likely happen, I guess I am not really surprised. I'll ride it out and see how it goes over the next day or two.

Anyhow, there are people out there who have been asking about this, and although it's completely non-tech, I thought I'd just post an update. I'm okay, the pain is there, expect it to get better.

I've suggested a new team building event idea to the boss. Now we just have to work out the budget. I hope that happens soon, since I'm holding my breath here and all... ;)

Give Us ‘The Green Light’ And We Will Push Your Physical, Mental and Cultural Limits To The Ultimate Edge In Your Own Adrenalin-Pumping And Off-the-Rails... "9 ½ Day Adventure of a Lifetime"

Woah dude - sweet.

Thanks to Rory for the heads-up post that led me there.

Microsoft is making it possible for people to get their hands on Windows Server 2003 and learn more about it, without having to install the OS or dedicate one or more computers to the task. They provide it to you and allow you to connect with a remote terminal session.

From the site: “Ever wanted to test Microsoft's newest software in a totally secure sandbox environment? Wouldn't it be great to be able to test new servers immediately, without formatting hard drives or dedicating one or more computers to the project? Now you can, with the TechNet Virtual Lab.

“As part of the TechNet Virtual Lab, you will have full access to Windows Server 2003 through five modules: Active Directory - New User Interface, Active Directory - New Functionality, Group Policy Management Console, IIS 6.0, and Security. You get a downloadable manual and a 75-minute block of time for each module. You can sign up for additional 75-minute blocks anytime.”

And better yet, it's free. So sign up here and start learning.

Finally, someone has the right answer to how to clean a compromised system. So, you didn’t patch the system and it got hacked. What to do?

Click here to find out.

Is it the one correct answer - If you have already been compromised? Three cheers for Jesper M. Johansson, Ph.D., CISSP, MCSE, MCP+I, Security Program Manager at Microsoft for pointing this out. Maybe.

However, it should be noted (as was done to me by a security professional whom I respect greatly) that there are many options other than and in addition to patching available to prevent system compromise. Here's what my colleague said in email:

“I can't believe they actually published that!  While instilling fear and hopelessness it has no redeeming value and makes MS look bad (by implying a 'justification' for the pain of the patch process).  There are other alternatives to cleaning systems and validating what has been altered besides reformatting.  Things like Tripwire, regular audits, etc. etc. etc.  The real decision is what is it worth to not have to reformat?  Also you don't need any of the MS patches to prevent a system from being compromised.”

All valid points. I agree on one level or another with everyone here: Prevention and planning are worth a ton of cure. But when you have been compromised at the system level (i.e. did not plan and prevent), you're assuming a fairly large risk if you continue to use the compromised system.