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Putting the Lightning up for sale

Written by Administrator Saturday, 16 May 2009 21:35

In a pretty dramatic move, I've decided to sell the Lightning. The first thing people ask is why. Here's why:

Another child on the way and a larger vehicle is needed (such as a minivan)
We really need to consolidate our cars down to just two. So, the Lightning and the Volvo are going up for sale to buy a single, newer, vehicle.
I don't get as much happiness out of the truck now. At most, I drive it an hour a month due to other obligations. I don't see that getting better in the near future.
Also, I find myself wanting a more plush ride. Mid-life crisis? I find myself considering taking the truck last, after all my other cars. I'm loving my Volvo right now, but it's getting up there in mileage (236K) and is almost a high-mileage ride.

To get this done, I've had the truck put through Maryland Safety Inspection, which is required in Maryland for all title transfers. It was about $600 in repairs for that: new windshield, some new wiring, new rear leaf hanger, and other minor things. I just had the rear end rebuilt, new rear brakes, and fixing up a ton of minor issues.

She's about to go back in this week for another small item: putting the factory transmission pan on. I've had tons of leak issues, and come to find out it was the new Derale cooling pan I bought from Summit. There's a kink in the corner that's leaking fluid out at a slight rate. But, on my inclined driveway, sometimes it comes out fast. That's getting fixed finally.

So, there it is. If you want to see more information, check out my other domain, which I've changed to be a selling site for her: www.mdsvt.com

DC / Maryland Security Conferences

Last Updated on Sunday, 15 March 2009 07:45 Written by Administrator Sunday, 15 March 2009 07:41

There have been many attempts by different groups to start up regular security chats here in the Balt/DC corrider. After all, THIS is the home of IT security and government compliance... at least I keep telling myself that to put up with the weather, people, and traffic. Ahh, cognitive dissonance.

However, I have to give a hand to my friend Marcus Carey for putting one together that has gained a lot of traction: DojoSec. The event started last fall as a monthly dinner party for security professionals and enthusiasts. Based in Columbia, it was hosted in a spare conference room at the Howard County Community College building on Gateway Drive. We all got together and Marcus treated us with food and three talks by experts in various fields. A single night can see talks range from network analysis, to policy compliance, to iPhone forensics.

This last event seemed to really seal the deal. It was near standing-room only in the room, and the dozens of pizzas went fast! It looks like the event outgrew the venue, so next month it looks like it's being moved to the auditorium at Capitol College in Laurel. How full was the event? Check out the images on Dustin Fritz's blog

Kudos to Marcus for putting this together. I think everyone should make an effort to schedule themselves in to attend, the first Thursday evening of every month.

Entry is only $1, but you're invited to donate as much as you think the talks are worth to cover the expenses of the event.

Rising tuition costs

Last Updated on Monday, 22 December 2008 18:46 Written by Administrator Monday, 22 December 2008 18:45

After over four years of attendance at Strayer University, I'm really sick of it. The school is not bad, and neither are the courses, but the tuition is getting out of control. Every semester there is a substantial increase. In those four years, tuition has risen 22% per semester. The overall effect of this is that my company's education reimbursement, which is a bit antiquated, isn't keeping up. At only $7500/yr ($5250 tax free), I used to be able to take six classes a year. At the new tuition rate of $1510/class, I just went below the 5 class/yr ratio. This extends my school time out an additional few semesters and guarantees that I'm paying over $800 out of pocket each year just for tuition.

And what happens when you extend your degree out too long? Strayer forgets about you, cancels required classes, and leaves you in limbo. It's been a year since I finished my Associates Degree, but they still can't figure out the paperwork to reward it to me.

Security field n00bs?

Last Updated on Monday, 27 October 2008 15:56 Written by Administrator Monday, 27 October 2008 15:56

At least month's DojoSec meeting, I talked a deal with some friends over a growing issue within our field. There are very few avenues for the beginners to follow. For someone who is wanting to get into the forensics and network intrusion world, there is no established career path. Many get into the world simply by talking to the right person at the right time. If you have good contacts and a good resume, this isn't much of a problem. But, how about those just starting out? You will never see an entry-level position in this capacity (and rightfully so). So where do these guys turn to for help? I have a friend that is currently attending classes to get into network intrusions work. He knows his weaknesses and is learning all that he can. But, how can people like him get that crucial break into the field? How can they even find interships to learn on-the-job skills? Johnny Long has made a great effort for this issue with Hackers for Charity. This is a organization that gets techies to volunteer their time and efforts into helping non-profit organizations, in exchange for referrals and recommendations. Knowing Johnny, though, the program (as well as he) is swamped so there's always a backlog. That's just a testament to how popular such an idea is in this current society.

First DojoSec meeting

Last Updated on Monday, 06 October 2008 05:02 Written by Administrator Saturday, 04 October 2008 19:13

I was able to attend Sun Tzu Data's first DojoSec meeting on Thursday night. This is a genius idea from Marcus Carey, the man in charge. The Balt-DC corridor is the hotbed for IT security, so get the big name speakers to come here, in their own backyard, to train other locals. And the event went off awesomely.

It was a three hour mini-conference, catered, with two talks given. Chris Daywalt and Eoghan Casey teamed up on a talk of altering Incident Response techniques to more effectively combat advanced hackers. Working with Chris, I know that he thinks and speaks on a level that is far beyond us mere mortals, but the information was great and really emphasized by the many mistakes that we have all made. This was my first time meeting Eoghan, who had a great speaking presence and mixed well with Chris's very up-beat, off-the-wall manner.

Following them was Johnny Long's No Tech Hacking talk (from whom I unabashedly stole the web design). Having seen this a few times already, you get used to it. But, there were a few good changes to keep it new over the months. Johnny and his family were there to also spread the Hackers for Charity movement, a noble cause that deserves much recognition.

This is geared to be a monthly meeting, and I hope to attend each one. Not only for the good talks, but also to meet with others in the field and catch up with some old friends that have moved onto other businesses in the area. A number of conversations arose from that night, one a topic that is really hitting deep with me that I will write about in a bit... how to get n00bs into forensics/intrusions.