Bryant Likes

I went to install Live Mesh on my Windows Server 2008 Laptop just now and got this lovely message:

I had run with UAC enabled for some time but finally got tired of all the flashing and waiting that goes on whenever I start Hyper-V manager, want to change a network setting, or even when I just want to switch power plans. So I was already quite annoyed at UAC and then I read this article.

"The reason we put UAC into the platform was to annoy users. I'm serious," said Cross.

After reading that I decided that I would turn UAC off, and wow what a difference. Everything was faster. I would click the Hyper-V manager and it would actually open instead of wait, wait, flash, hit ok, wait, flash, wait, wait, open. I could change my power plan just by clicking on the power icon in my tray. It was almost as if I was using Windows Server 2008 as it was designed.

So now I've been a happy non-UAC user for a few weeks and was excited to install Live Mesh but no. Microsoft has decided for me that I can't use it unless I turn on UAC. This is just as bad as when I try to install the Windows Live applications and get this message:

This message is a bunch of BS because if I extract out of actual MSI packages, every single one of the applications will run just fine on my Windows Server 2008 machine (or Windows Server 2003 for that matter), but someone has tried to decide for me where I can run it.

Hey Live Team, just tell me what you support and don't support, but don't make me hack your installers just because you don't like what or how I'm running my machine.

Back in January I posted my goals for the year of exercising, regular blogging, and better time management. I was doing pretty good on the first two until I was staffed on an out-of-town project which made exercising more difficult and took all my time for blogging.

For time management I started using ClearContext based on the recommendation of Lamont Harrington. Now my inbox is usually empty except for when I occasionally get behind. So that goal has been pretty much realized, but I'm sure I will learn more as the year goes on.

In order to get back on track for exercising I've signed up for two cycling events going on this year:

1. SoCal Tour de Cure - June 14th
2. Bike MS: Southern California Ride - Sept. 20-21

For the Tour de Cure I'm doing the 65 mile ride and for the Bike MS I'm doing the 175 mile ride. Should be a lot of fun plus it will help a worthy cause. Speaking of which, if you'd like to make a tax deductible contribution to either one on my behalf I'd really appreciate it.

For this ride I'm attempting to raise $1000. If you're interested in donating you can sponsor me here. During both of my wife's pregnancies she contracted gestational diabetes. The nice thing about gestational diabetes is that once you give birth it usually goes away. However, sometimes it can "stick" and then you will have the real thing. My wife had to modify her diet and check her blood sugars after each meal.

The other contact I've had with diabetes, which I'm sure most of my readers share, is through Scott Hanselman. Scott has been very vocal about his diabetes even to the point of twittering all his diabetic activity for a day. He usually participates in the diabetes walk (last year he raised over $20k through his team) which is one of the ways I came in contact with the ADA. 

So if you want to donate to a good cause, you can do so here.

For the MS ride I'm also attempting to raise $1000. For this ride you can sponsor me here. Thankfully this one hasn't really crossed my path nor anyone in my family. However, it is definitely a worthy cause as well.

I hope you will consider sponsoring me for one or both rides. I'll keep this post updated with my progress and will probably do another post for the MS ride when it gets closer.