Try restarting the app or recycling the applicaton pool after pointing to the new database. There may be some startup code that has to run.
Somewhere the Application object has to be loaded with an object with a key of "pageSecurity", and startup is the most likely place for that to happen. Since it's not happening, the code in Main.master.cs (the code file for the main ASP.NET master page, which is sort of like a layout template) is blowing up.
Wait, am I supposed to be the Playback Machine senior developer? If so, then yes, Kickstarter. Also, it should have all the features and do all the things. If not then, um, disregard this I guess. 
@scottalanmiller said:
Maybe part if it was that I came from the era of books.
This. We must have visited the bookstore hundreds of times, and usually walked away with a stack of reading material. I still maintain a fairly large bookshelf. My job as a software engineer requires that I be a master of Google-Fu, but whenever I want to learn a new technology for real, I almost have to get it from a book. There is little deep knowledge that can be imparted by reading a blog article or Wikipedia page.
I see what you mean. And also, if you're making the change in the web.config, that should trigger an application restart anyway.
Something is preventing the pageSecurity object from being set. You could do a global text search for "pageSecurity" and find the code that sets it. That may be where the failure is happening.
Normally I would expect this to be caused by a missing security-related table, like Roles or something. But you said it was a full copy. You might want to double check.
Try restarting the app or recycling the applicaton pool after pointing to the new database. There may be some startup code that has to run.
Somewhere the Application object has to be loaded with an object with a key of "pageSecurity", and startup is the most likely place for that to happen. Since it's not happening, the code in Main.master.cs (the code file for the main ASP.NET master page, which is sort of like a layout template) is blowing up.
@scottalanmiller said:
Maybe part if it was that I came from the era of books.
This. We must have visited the bookstore hundreds of times, and usually walked away with a stack of reading material. I still maintain a fairly large bookshelf. My job as a software engineer requires that I be a master of Google-Fu, but whenever I want to learn a new technology for real, I almost have to get it from a book. There is little deep knowledge that can be imparted by reading a blog article or Wikipedia page.
@scottalanmiller said:
Alright, let's get a kickstarter started then!!
Sounds good, but we should probably make a demo first. We're going to need a lot of data, so let me just download the Internet real quick. I'll let you know when that's done.
Wait, am I supposed to be the Playback Machine senior developer? If so, then yes, Kickstarter. Also, it should have all the features and do all the things. If not then, um, disregard this I guess.
@Dashrender said:
RUDY'S!! man I haven't thought of that place in years!
Yeah, Rudy's is the best. The thing about Texas BBQ is there's so much of it... you just have to find the right places. For example, PoK-e-Jo's is great. Smokey Mo's, however is not. The Salt Lick is way overrated in my opinion. I got ribs once there and they were terrible.
@scottalanmiller I don't actually mind the fish so much as the cornmeal batter. It's just very... meh. On the other hand, there's a place here called the Catfish Parlor that has insanely good hush puppies. With jalapeno tartar sauce.
@ajstringham said:
Yeah, Texans think they know BBQ. They ain't never been to the Dinosaur...which, by the way, was founded in my hometown! World-famous sauce, all from Syracuse, NY.
I couldn't disagree more. Nothing compares to Rudy's extra moist brisket. Sauce can only do so much to disguise a piece of dry meat. 
I do miss Nick Tahou's garbage plates, though. And I'll never like catfish as much as I like haddock.
For some reason this makes me think of lifelogging:
