Spy Journal 3.0 Filtering the web for you

Apparently the www.microsoft.com website is completely run on Windows 2008 servers now - and they are still only in Beta 3. As a result there is a funny little video about the last Win 2003 server at Microsoft. There are some funny references including a huge dig at Win Me, and the last line by the bar tender is excellent.

Check it out at http://blogs.technet.com/windowsserver/pages/about-lone-server.aspx. Watch the long version.

I am working insane hours at the moment - just to coordinate 4 projects that have somehow managed to end up in my job queue with simultaneous deadlines and due dates.

The projects themselves are scattered across the world with 3 different time zones involved, I have developers involved in 2 different time zones. The good thing is that once these have completed I will be able to leave my desk for a half day break (at least that's the plan).

Good things have been happening though. A hard drive failed night before last. All it had on it was my entire music collection, so that was good - I had a backup and that was restored in about an hour, and the drive itself is under warranty. Jude has gone to collect the replacement today.

Its been a long time since I last updated my book list on here.

Since then I have read the next three books in the Serrano Series by Elizabeth Moon, Rules of Engagement, Change of Command and Against the Odds.  I have one left to read in this series. I also enjoyed her Vatta's War series having read the first 4 books. One more to read in this series also.

Currently I am reading Janny Wurts Light and Shadow series latest book Stormed Fortress.

I am also reading aloud to the kids a lot. I have finished reading Swallows and Amazons and Swallowdale, two of the awesome Arthur Ransome books to the two eldest girls. They really enjoyed the books. Now I am reading Winnie the Pooh to Erin, The Chronicles of Narnia to Jadeen, and The Lord of the Rings to Miranda. We have finished the Magicians nephew and are into the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with Jadeen Miranda pesters me every night to read the next chapter of the Lord of the Rings. Last night we entered Lothlorien. As we have been reading the series we are also watching the movies. So far she has seen the first disc from the first movie and can't wait to finish the Fellowship of the ring so we can watch the second half together. Its been interesting seeing what was left out of the movies or changed to make the movies work better.

I am sure there are some more I have read and forgotten as well. I have received a large number of books for birthday and Christmas since October, and they are all in my to be read book shelf.

Microsoft is investigating new public reports of a vulnerability in Microsoft
Office Excel 2003 Service Pack 2, Microsoft Office Excel Viewer 2003, Microsoft
Office Excel 2002, Microsoft Office Excel 2000, and Microsoft Excel 2004 for
Mac. At this time, our initial investigation indicates that customers who are
using Microsoft Office Excel 2007 or Microsoft Excel 2008 for Mac, or who have
installed Microsoft Office Excel 2003 Service Pack 3 are not affected by this
vulnerability.

This vulnerability cannot be exploited on Microsoft Office Excel 2003 Service
Pack 3, Microsoft Office Excel 2007, Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Service Pack 1,
or Microsoft Excel 2008 for Mac.

Full details Microsoft Security Advisory (947563)