Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. and Canada

As much a I would prefer that we stay on standard time, this is the weekend in the U.S. and Canada to Spring ahead.

Officially, at 2:00 AM on Sunday, March 8, 2009, is when the time will be moved forward by one hour. Not to worry, you will have an opportunity to catch up on that lost hour's sleep in the fall when the process is reversed and we return to Standard Time.

What do you need to do to prepare?

• If you are a regular Security Garden reader, your computer is up to date, with all patches applied, right? In that case, the time in your computer will be automatically adjusted. If not, see the December 2008 cumulative time zone update for Microsoft Windows operating systems.

• In order to be on time for Church on Sunday and work on Monday, it would be a good idea to at least set your alarm clock ahead before going to bed Saturday evening.

• If you have cell phone or cable service, the cell phone and cable box time will be reset by the service. However, don't forget to adjust any VCR or DVD player connected to the television, particularly if you have programs scheduled for recording.
  

• A setting frequently forgotten, at least in the northeast, is the programmable thermostat.
  
  
• If you spend a fair amount of time on the road, don't forget to set your car clock ahead before you start off for the first appointment of the day.
  

As we add electronics to our life, this business of adjusting the clocks twice a year becomes tedious. Between the timer on the coffee maker, the microwave, stove, grandfather clock, mantle clock, company award clock, den clock, watch . . . I am ready to leave the time at standard time or at least compromise with half-time, move the clocks forward one-half hour and then leave them alone!




Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

I'm an MVP and I'm a PC (#mvp09 #mvp)

As evidenced by the "I'm a PC" graphic I created for Security Garden and the MVP Logo, both displayed in the right-hand sidebar, I'm an MVP and I'm a PC. In the video below, MVPs from around the globe join me in proclaiming the same.

(Note: Microsoft Silverlight needed to view the video.)



MVP "I'm a PC" Video

Update: The 2009 MVP Global Summit - Windows 7 Team Blog - The Windows Blog

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

On March 10, 2009 Microsoft is planning to release three new security bulletins, one of which is rated Critical, the other two as Important.

Microsoft will release an updated version of the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool on Windows Update, Microsoft Update, Windows Server Update Services, and the Download Center.

A summary of the updates is as follows:

• Bulletin ID: Windows 1

Maximum Severity Rating: Critical
Security Impact: Remote Code Execution
Restart Requirement: Requires restart
Affected Software: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008

• Bulletin ID: Windows 2

Maximum Severity Rating: Important
Security Impact: Spoofing
Restart Requirement: Requires restart
Affected Software: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008

• Bulletin ID: Windows 3

Maximum Severity Rating: Important
Security Impact: Spoofing
Restart Requirement: Requires restart
Affected Software: Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008

References:

• TechNet: Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification for March 2009
• MSRC Blog: March 2009 Advanced Notification

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...