Lee.org

View notable entries only

Making your Microsoft Exchange password different from your Windows logon password

July 12th, 2006 4:18pm. General, Product Reviews

Another reason Microsoft Exchange sucks:

I asked my company’s IT guy…
>> Do you know how I can allow my Windows and Exchange passwords can be different?
(backstory: when I set the differently, I would get my email only like once a week… the stars would have to align or something. Maybe the data had to flow just right over the VPN or something)

He found an email from a Microsoft Tech saying, in essence that no, your Exchange password can’t be different from your Windows login password.

From: Eriq Neale [MSFT] - view profile
Date: Sat, May 15 2004 10:46 am
Email: a-er…@online.microsoft.com (Eriq Neale [MSFT])
Groups: microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs
Not yet ratedRating:
show options

Reply | Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show original | Report Abuse | Find messages by this author

| Hi,
|
| We just created several new users and want to have the users change their
email - not Windows logon - password from either OWA or from Outlook.
|
| Can someone explain how that can be done.
|
| Thanks!
| alex

Hey Alex.

Unfortunately, you cannot have a separate e-mail password that is different
from the Windows password. Exchange 2000/2003 relies on Active Directory
for user authentication for e-mail clients. This is the same place where
Windows logon authentication is performed as well. This is different than
the behavior in Exchange 5.5, when Exchange maintained its own
username/password database.

Eriq Neale
Microsoft Corporation

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

I find his .sig to be particularly funny. Now, my work Exchange password (which is difficult for me to change) is tied to my Windows logon password on my laptop. My laptop logon password is loosely tied to my home computer because it is a nice convenience when the passwords are the same, then I don’t have to type my username/login when I want to view shared files. Arg!

And what if I wanted to be on 2 Exchange servers at once? I would have to tell one of them, “Could you please change my Exchange password to xxxxx? I want it to be the same as the password on the other system. Thanks.”

Places to go in England

June 10th, 2006 2:10am. General, Product Reviews

Charlotte and I were thinking of going to England on a trip. Instead she’s moving to San Francisco. I was starting to make a to-go list for our trip. Instead of archiving it on my computer, I’ll archive it on my web host… IE: you get to see it

(more…)

Kel Tec SU-16 tight takedown pin fix

May 27th, 2006 9:07pm. Product Reviews

If you have a Kel Tec SU-16, you might love it except for one little detail… The takedown pin in the handle is so tight that you need a tool to insert or remove it. I found a great hack on what to do about this.

You can replace the takedown pin with a 1/4″ hitch pin from a hardware store. It works peachy keen. The pin stays in perfectly and is easy to remove by pulling on the attached ring. (Source)

I Replaced My Headlights

April 11th, 2006 12:10pm. General, Product Reviews

One of my headlights went out last week. I went to Kragen Auto Parts and got new bulbs. I paid a little extra and got Sylvania XtraVision headlamps. I had bought Silverstar headlamps but I found out that they only have an average life of 1 year in a car. $60 a year on automotive lighting… blah.

The XtraVision are marketed as having “up to 20% more illumination” (source). After pulling out my 8 year old bulbs and installing them, I came to realize that “up to 20%” includes “5%”. :-(

Oh well. At least I had fun figuring out how to change the headlamps in a 1998 Chrysler Sebring LX Convertible. The first one took half an hour of fiddling. The second took 3 minutes. :-)

I was unfortunately unable to change the direction they point. I found the controls but I think they had aged and wouldn’t move properly.

Does it bug anyone else that Sylvania is using shortened life span as a sort of “planned obsolescence” money maker? They can easily make them last 3,000 hours for almost no extra cost but they choose to make them last 850 hours. Halogens last that long as a matter of course; that’s what the halogen is for. I think they need some healthy competition in the marketplace. Anyone want to start an automotive lighting company?

I Love Leptoprin

April 2nd, 2006 10:34pm. General, Product Reviews

I was always enamored of those Leptoprin commercials… I’ve talked about them to friends… talking about the announcer’s piercing blue eyes looking right into my chubby heart. Her intensity driving me to say, “I -am- strong enough to buy such a powerful weight loss compound! I am! When is a diet pill worth $153 a bottle? Now! Dammit! Where’s my check book?” But it’s like other people didn’t stay up as late as I did or something. None of my friends believe Leptoprin Lady exists! Here’s a little prove (and a bit of a homage) that the stuff really exists.

The Federal Trade Commission loves Leptoprin so much, they got someone to make a transcript of the whole commercial. I just wish they had more photos
(more…)

NonyX Nail Gel

April 1st, 2006 10:20pm. General, Product Reviews

I was in a Walgreens today in the footcare aisle. I’ve had yucky toes from a nail fungus for a long while so I was checking out the latest products to rid myself of the yuck. I found NonyX Nail Gel. It claims to get rid of built-up nail keratin, which has been a yucky side effect of the yucky fungus. I was interested.

I noticed that NonyX was by far the most expensive product on the shelf at $25. “Hmm, “I thought,” it must be powerful stuff if it costs that much.” I almost walked out with a bottle. But since I’m such a comparison shopper, I decided to do a little homework first…

Ingredients: Water, ethanoic acid, xanthan gum, fragrance.

Hmm.. What is “ethanoic acid”? A google search says it’s just another name for acetic acid… the main active ingredient in vinegar!

They are selling 4 oz bottles of vinegar for $25. What a country!

I’ve started my toes on $2/gallon vinegar treatments. I’ll tell you in a month how it went.

Rainbow Grocery Happiness

March 20th, 2006 9:48pm. General, Product Reviews

I saw mention of Rainbow Grocery on Yelp. I thought, “oh that’s nice, another snazzy grocery store.” Boy was I wrong.

Their cheese shop is quite formidable. I think I counted 4 wild-picked mushroom varieties and at least another 5 varieties present! Their spices and bulk food sections are exceptional. It is crunchy-granola heaven. And, they have a huge variety of exciting specialty foods.

But most important of all, they have a tap stuck out of a 55 gallon drum of Vermont Grade B Maple Syrup! And while Charlotte gave me a tremendous gift by finding and bringing Trader Joes Maple Syrup all the way from Boston, this…. THIS is the stuff! I just compared them head to head and all it takes is a glance to tell the difference. The Coomb’s syrup is darker, thicker and has a richer smell. And the taste… now I’ll say that Trader Joe’s makes a fine syrup. It really is. In fact, it’s probably what more people would prefer. But this is maple syrup that tastes like driving past a sugar house in early spring with the billowing steam that you’d say looks dangerous until you roll your window down and then the smell encompasses you like a jet plane diving into a cloudbank. It’s like living in another, infinitely more delicate world for a million years in a second. It brings to mind the colors of the ground during mud season when the melting snow, recently uncovered grass and previously frozen dirt turn into a slippery, boot-sucking menace with deep scars where vehicles foolishly tried to cross from the driveway to the relative safety of black-top.

Good maple syrup makes me so happy. Thank you Charlotte. Thank you Rainbow Grocery. Thank you Coomb’s Family of Brattleboro Vermont!

Red Poppy Art House is good, Dance with me

March 17th, 2006 11:52am. General, Product Reviews

I went to “TANGO CEVICHE I” at the Red Poppy Art House this past weekend. What great fun!

There’s going to be a “SUSHI-SOUKOUS: A delicacy of fish, and a dance from the heart of Africa” Saturday, April 15th, 1pm-4pm. You should go with me.

And another Tango Ceviche sometime in May

Here’s the blurb from the Tango Ceviche class:

(more…)

Don’t Use Google Desktop Search Across Computers

March 15th, 2006 11:41am. Product Reviews

The latest Google Desktop has a feature that lets you search the contents of one of your computers from another computer. That sounds peachy except that it does it by putting the contents of both of your computers on the Google servers.

That’s right, they get to look at everything on your hard drive… free access. Google says they’ll only use it for Good. But there is no way for you to know if your data is used for Evil until it’s too late.

Do not use Google Desktop Search Across Computers.

Before removing the feature, find and click the “Clear my files from Google” button in the Search Across Computers Preferences menu. I don’t know if it actually does what it says, but it might.

And if you’re thinking, “Yeah but Google isn’t evil.”… Do you remember when an AOL employee stole 92 million email addresses from AOL? Do you know what a subpoena is? Have you read the PATRIOT act?

Poor Product Reviews

February 20th, 2006 11:50pm. Product Reviews

In keeping with Laura’s claim that my site is just one big product review, here are some product reviews.

I got the worst haircut of my life at Willie’s barbershop on Saturday. When you see me next, please don’t think I -wanted- a buzz cut with a tuft on top. My review on Yelp.com reads

2 stars of 5. If your a guy and want a buzz cut, this is your place for a fine $12 cut. If you ask for anything else… well, you’re getting fine $12 buzz cut. Don’t be fooled by the men’s classic hair style charts on the wall to the left. Instead look at the photos to the right of the guys that have gotten crew cuts, cue balls, peach fuzz and their favorite sports team logos scrawled onto their heads.

I put a dollar in the dryer at the laundromat. 30 minutes later, I realized that the heat was broken on the machine. :-(

Paid $22 for “The Works” car wash at Auto City Car Wash. I posted to Yelp.com

3 stars out of 5. I got the $22 “Works” package. I wasn’t totally happy with it. They missed a few spots… corners of the mirrors, the bugs on the grill and hood, some spots around the rear bumper. They advertise that they are “brushless”. That’s because they don’t do much besides run a power washer over it, then a few seconds of hand sponging, then mechanically spray soap, then a rinse. After washing and mechanical Works package waxing, all of the body panels feel very slightly rough; a washed and waxed car should feel smooth. That roughness is sure to catch dust and dirt faster than a smooth surface.

After washing, I noticed a couple several scratches that I don’t recall the car having before. Though to be fair, washing may have just uncovered some scratches that had been there for a while.

If you buy 10 washes up front ($220), you get what amounts to about a 15% discount.

Last Weekend

February 13th, 2006 4:41pm. General, Product Reviews

My weekend product review:

Marrakesh in Sacramento: Food-excellent. Atmosphere-fantastic. Baklava-so intoxicating I lost my balance. Belly Dancing-the best I’ve ever seen. Her technical belly dancing skills were remarkable with total, very tight control over rapid movements and isolating body parts perfectly.

Gallery Horse Cow, Pink Party in Sacramento- Amazingly fun, Awsome place. They went all out. The cops broke up the party at 12:45 am because uumm because there is no fun allowed of any kind! (I’ll give 5 points to whoever knows where that quote is from. Hint: B. M. M. B.)

Laura in Sacramento: Better than cats. I’ll see her again and again ;-)

The Horse and Goat in Sacramento: (what’s it called again? That’s not the name) Great ambiance, ok omlette.

Holly’s shindig, art and hospitality: wonderful terrific!

My new bed back in SF: great

New shelving in SF: not installed yet but finally in the house

:-)

Pandora.com

February 4th, 2006 9:47pm. Distractions, Product Reviews

I heard about Pandora on Inside the Net with Amber MacArthur (and Leo Laporte. It’s an internet radio player with a powerful recomendation engine behind it. All I know is that it plays a really good music fer free. And it runs inside Flash so even Trav can use it if he’s got speakers.

Bad Reynolds Aluminum Foil Box

January 10th, 2006 1:14pm. Product Reviews

I sent this complaint to the Reynolds aluminum foil people on 12-13-05. They mailed me back a coupon for free Reynolds foil last week. No word on modifying their boxes.
(more…)

Electric razors going downhill a bit

January 9th, 2006 10:35am. Product Reviews

I wrote the letter below to Norelco / Philips about an electric razor I got for my dad for Christmas.

I got a note back a few days later saying, “I am forwarding your comments to our product developement team.” :-)

(more…)

The Do Not Call Registry works

January 6th, 2006 1:30pm. Do Not Call, Product Reviews

I’m working at home today. My new landline phone has been ringing off the hook all day with telemarketer calls. In the last 4 hours, I’ve gotten Comcast, MCI, the California Professional Firefighters Association (a scam if I ever heard one) and innumerable automated-dialer hangups.

I’m signing up for the National Do Not Call Registry today but it takes 3 months for that thing to kick in. Hurumph.

Let’s see how a running tally goes
4:15pm California Organization of Police and Sheriffs
1-11-05 8:30am neighborhood by mci

Kiji Sushi Bar

January 3rd, 2006 11:16pm. General, Product Reviews

(attn. doubters) I went for a walk tonight and found my local sushi restaurant. Kiji on Guerrero and 22nd. Super high quality. Authentic. Comfortable. Friendly. Fairly expensive.

The place has been there only barely longer than I have been in my new place.

At the prompting of my neighbor at the bar Jeremy and the guy at the end of the bar, I had saba (mackerel), uni (sea urchin) and sake. It was as excellent sashimi should be, a symphony to the senses.

I’ll be back.

PS. -This- is why SF is an expensive city. Sanctuaries like this command your attendance.

Don’t use All Temp Service of Hackettstown NJ

December 31st, 2005 3:38pm. Product Reviews

I would dissuade you from using All Temp Service of Hackettstown NJ for your plumbing and HVAC needs. I wrote the letter below to All Temp and called several times for a followup. I received no response whatsoever, though their answering service knows me well now.

(more…)

Online Gambling or Vital Financial Tool?

December 13th, 2005 1:55pm. General, Product Reviews

I’m a member of Tradesports.com. Last fall, I had a good time trading Central Park weather futures. IE, the number of inches of snow in Central Park at the end of each month. I liked excercising my statistics skills.

Most people think of Tradesports as a sports book. But wait, there’s more. Insurance companies have a lot in common with gambling houses.

Read this Annoucement I just got from them
(more…)

A great time waster

December 11th, 2005 2:29am. Other Sources, Product Reviews

http://www.gkko.com/

World Marketplace Shopping

December 9th, 2005 9:59pm. Notable, Product Reviews

My cutting board came with instructions in 18 languages. I’m almost surprised that English was at the top. It cost me $10, 75% less than similar ones I found at Bed Bath and Beyond. And by appearances, it is one of the better and more attractive cutting boards I have owned. The instructions it came with are clear, concise and useful. All hail the Swedes!

My new kitchen table is just about exactly the size I needed, 47″x30″. It’s stylish in it’s simple lines and real wood construction. It’s rather small but it’s a small eat-in kitchen. I’ve been shopping around and I nearly bought a set at Macy’s that wasn’t quite the right size for $750. I found some that were close to right at “Furniture 2000″ near my office. But no.

I’d like to find something that totally grabs me but I’m getting tired of shopping, and tired of eating dinner on the edge of my bed. I’m not sure the table I got is exactly what I want, but the Swedes took 85% off the price and sold me a quality eat-in-kitchen table and chair set for $100.

Purchases like this are blowing my budget for shopping for my apartment. I had set aside $6000 (great thanks to my folks) to furnish the place and so far my expenses, top down have been:
$900 bed (that I might get rid of, it’s giving me a back ache)
$400 tableware for 4 (they make me happy :-)
$120 office desk off craigslist (It’s the right size, I can’t think of what more expensive things would replace it)
$100 table and chair set (see above)
$90 overpriced but fabulous santoku kitchen knife (satisfying my kitchen nesting instinct)
.. umm..
$18 cookie sheet
$15 shower hanging thing
You can see where I’m going with this…

My budget is being blown in the other direction. I can’t think of what to spend this money on. Though I still have 2 rugs, a desk chair, some kind of comfy chair and wall art to buy. Four grand for all that stuff? I’m going to have to get like… real art or something. Now I’m seriously thinking about that Sharper Image massage chair too.

Oh and I need a bike (motorized?) but that comes out of the transportation budget and not the housing budget. Maybe Housing will float a bond ;-)

I’m getting a lot of my stuff out of storage tomorrow. We’ll see what that spurns.