The Falcon's View

Well, it's taken me many months, but it's done, once and for all! All those travel pictures from the last 2.5+ years are now processed and put into web form. Woohoo!! At the same time, I have also taken the steps of creating a small constellation of web sites:

This Blog: www.secureconsulting.net
My personal space: falcon.secureconsulting.net
My photos: photos.secureconsulting.net
My future consulting space: consulting.secureconsulting.net

The next major stage of web site revision (once I get my 2nd wind) will be to completely overall my personal and consulting pages to provide more useful information, leverage a more dynamic feel, and so on. The static front page of the photos site should be adequate for now, though I'll probably play with colors and formatting over time.

Received an email from a friend of mine this morning. He's currently serving in a civilian capacity in Afghanistan and was supposed to be flying "home" to Colorado this weekend for some R&R. Instead, he'll be going home to Montana for the funeral of his brother, killed by an IED in Iraq. I don't know that I ever had the chance to meet his brother, but I'm saddened by this nonetheless. How much more senseless killing must occur before this Administration wakes up and realizes that they've not, in fact, made anything better, but have actually made life worse -- especially for the families of those who have men and women serving abroad.

Please read this nice, detailed write-up on Spc. Michael Frank.

Just a quick note -- I'm back from the long holiday weekend (Memorial Day). The in-laws were in town, we went out to the beach (Ocean City, MD) for a couple days. All-in-all uneventful. I'm sure I'll have things to post later this week (such as on the recent flip in urban/rural population distribution). The next few weeks will be busy as I support the wife through her "hell month" juggling full-time teaching with a full-time grad class load over Summer session (4 nights/wk), plus the trip to India at the end of the month. Cheers!

Just wanted to jot off a quick note. The recent line silence is due to an up-tick in workload in preparation for heading East to Bangalore, India, the end of the week. I'll be meeting with dev and ops folks in our offices over there, as well as delivering security awareness training as needed. As a result, I've been cramming hard to get as much outstanding work cleared as possible.

In addition to the trip, my parents are flying in on 6/30 (literally scheduled to come in about 6 hours after I get back) in order to go enjoy the Capitol Fourth on the National Mall. Sooo.... don't be surprised if there are very few updates from me between now and then, with a possible exception of posting a couple quick pics from my ongoing trip.

Until then, be well, do good things, and think critically, questioning the tripe you hear in the mainstream! :)

I'll be returning to regular service after the weekend... until then, I don't plan on further posts. :) I'm still recovering from my India trip, plus my parents have been here for the July 4th holiday. We've just gotten back home from 2 nights in the city (DC) and are, quite frankly, exhausted. I know, my last post said I was exhausted. I'm not perhaps that tired now, but I'm still fairly tuckered out. In the meantime, I recommend pulling up a seat and watching some of the Wimbledon tennis tournament. :) cheers!

Instead of just blathering on about the last few weeks, I thought that I'd highlight some of the adventures since Labor Day in a more visual manner (don't worry - I did, of course, blather on at length). Read on for more...

Growing up in an extremely conservative household, I was never really one to have a lot of friends. Sure, there were a couple friends from church who I got to hang out with, and of course youth group trips (when they didn't conflict with sports or music), but beyond that, really, not a lot of friends. The group of people I was perhaps most close to (outside of church) was the orchestra, and particularly the Apollo Strings (an "elite" chamber orchestra that played gigs for fees/donations, that we then used to take a trip after school was out).

And so it is, as of late, that I've come to learn the value of friendship and how nice and fun it can be to actually hang out with folks in social settings, relax, chat, watch a game, or travel, or just get drinks. It's a concept that feels totally foreign to me, while at the same time fits like a perfectly sized pair of socks. Moreover, it's reminded me that I do, in fact, actually like people (well, some people, anyway;). I like being able to just hang out and chit-chat with not much pressure. And, I like going places and running into people I know and like, kind of like the theme song from Cheers describes:

Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.

It's that time of year again; time for holiday cards and letters. Actually, for me, it's a little early, actually, but we try to please. For those who may not receive a copy of the holiday letter (color printing is expensive), or who had their cards mailed before the letters were ready, here's a 2.8M PDF of it. I tried a few new things with text boxes and graphics, borrowed from a couple templates.

Enjoy! and Happy Holidays!

Here we come 2008! It's hard to believe that 2007 (or 2006, 2005, 2004, etc.) has already come to pass. We were able to get back to our traveling ways this past year, but do not foresee being able to continue these ways as we shift our plans to starting a family. It will, however, be anything but a dull year, as we buckle down financially, finally getting some old debt paid off, and beginning to put money into savings and investments. The predictions of a recession in 2008 actually play very well to our hand in this regard, providing an opportunity to reduce some of our interest load, while also reducing investment costs to below what may be their actual value.

If you're anything like me, you're probably exhausted here on the first day of the year. For me, there are a few reasons. The first reason was work-related. While AOL was very good to me, it was also extremely stressful. Since returning from vacation in August 2006, when I had a huge case dropped in my lap, things just went berserk from there, with a major restructuring, major layoffs, a complete change in executive management, and so on. That stress has been relieved by changing jobs, and I fully expect to recover.

I'm very happy to introduce you to the first spawn of Hanna and me. For now, we'll dub this wee one "Baby Tomhave" (ok, fetus is probably more accurate, but for the sake of consistency). This sonogram was taken on Friday, 11 January 2008. We don't have an official due date yet (too early), but we personally estimate it to be around the end of August. Yes, my poor, lovely wife will be enduring the third trimester through the core of the hot, muggy East Coast Summer. Ah, well. More updates will be posted as they're available. Suffice to say that Hanna is doing quite well thus far, if not a bit tired. Hopefully the first trimester will be smooth, and then we'll be good to go.

This post is an update of my "Happy New Year" post from New Years Day 2008. As a way to help hold myself to my goals for the year, I'm planning to post a retrospective at the end of each month, or beginning of the next. To that end, today I'll be looking back at my progress against my goals throughout January.

In general, January was a tough month for some areas because I was between consulting gigs. It's always hard to get into a routine and life-rhythm when I'm not getting up first thing in the morning. This situation will be changing in February, thanks in part to starting a new billing gig today (w00t).

Additional pressures are on the horizon. In addition to Hanna expecting, we're looking at needing to replace my 2-door car with something roomier in the next few months. Bigger vehicles are more expensive. We're trying to look at hybrids, but they're often out of stock, requiring payment of full invoice, which would be stupid. The one bright spot is that we'll be moving somewhere locally in June, and it looks like that may mean a reduction in rent, even with a move into a single-family home. That would be nice as every little bit helps.

With that, click through to see detailed comments...

This post is a continuation of my plan to provide a monthly reflection piece on progress against my 2008 Goals (previous report: January).

Overall, February was a decent month marked by a forward-looking obsession. With a baby on the way, I'm trying to plan appropriately for many of the changes coming. Financially, I'm continuing to work aggressively toward paying off the boat anchor of old debt that slows us down. I'm looking into a replacement for my 2-door car that will better facilitate access to a baby seat. And, I've begun thinking about our need to move to a new home come late-May (our lease is expiring, we'll need a bit more room, and Hanna is already tired of climbing the 4 stories up). March holds the promise of making additional progress against these financial goals.

More details after the jump...

I'm pleased to announce that Hanna is carrying a very healthy, active baby girl. Before I show you pictures from today's sonogram, I'd like direct your attention to the PayPal button at right, in case you'd like to make a donation to the cause. :)

Well, that was a quick month! :) It seems that as I get older, if I blink, then I might just miss something significant. For those keeping track, this is my monthly recap of my goals for the year (see Jan and Feb reports). I'm providing these reports as a way to publicly motivate (or flog) myself. Hopefully you find them interesting, and maybe some day one of you will even post a comment ridiculing my pathetic efforts. :)

March was an interesting month. Hanna and the baby are continuing to do well. My application to the ATLAS PhD program at Colorado-Boulder was rejected (unsurprisingly - I didn't put my best effort into it, sadly). I was put in for a promotion at work (I should be officially a "senior security consultant" very soon). Work continued, as it's been known to do. Overall, it was an uneventful month, as best as I can tell. The only really big news was that Hanna's sister gave birth to a baby girl, while Hanna was visiting. Kind of cool. Babies seem to be en vogue, because a lot of people I know are having them this year. :)

Just a quick note... I'll be on travel a the first half of this week, so I may or may not have much to post. I'm still working on recovering from RSA and compiling notes for posting a full-on reflection piece. That may get done in transit tomorrow. Or not. We'll see. :) There are actually a few topics to bounce about when I get back. First, I need some sleep and energy. :)

As an fyi, I'm sure many of you have wondered "Hey, Ben, you advocate kettlebells for exercise, yet they don't seem like they'd travel well. What do you do?" The answer is in the below link for Pavel's book "The Naked Warrior." It teaches a couple key body-weight-only exercises that you can use to continue building strength while on the road, no kettlebells required. Coupled with all the hiking around San Fran last week, I actually lost a couple pounds while my legs got stronger. Not too shabby.

...DSL to the server, for a good chunk of the day...
...me... with a nasty cold, driven in by a few flights this week...

I should be back to normal in a few days. Try not to miss me too much. ;)

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like." (Lao Tzu)

Overall, April was not a very good example of how to achieve one's goals. It does show how one's life can get unbalanced, resulting in undesired consequences. Only now, at the beginning of May, do I feel like I'm slowly returning to a more "normal" rhythm. One good thing from last month is that I got promoted to Senior Consultant. I've also passed the 6 month mark in my new job, simultaneously realizing that volunteering and waiting for people to come to you for help does not work. Instead, it appears to be better to simply initiate projects to help the overall situation, getting buy-in at key points, and then worry about correcting course as necessary (call this a bridled version of "it's easier to seek forgiveness than permission").

There is still much to be done this year. We're moving to a new place in the area at the end of May, which means all the requisite change-of-address work. Our little miss is due the end of August. We'll have a bunch of company throughout the year as a result of our darling. Much needs to be purchased, we have birthing classes to attend in June, and so on. Hanna graduates from her Masters program later this month. And so on and so forth. I also need to read more, post a much-delayed RSA retrospective, and get back on track with writing. Oy...

Allow me loudly and proudly announce my admiration and congratulations to my lovely wife, Hanna, on becoming the regional 2008 Super Teacher Grand Prize winner in Virginia, as sponsored by the Virginia Lottery. For more information on the award, see the Virginia Lottery site. Also, watch their Drawings page for what will likely be a posting of the full essay submitted about her by a parent, along with a video clip of her receiving the award.

This award makes for a stellar month for Hanna, who also completed her Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, with a concentration in Literacy and Reading, just last week at George Mason University.

Three cheers for a well-deserved honor and an amazing accomplishment!

Just a quick note... we moved (locally) last weekend... quite the experience! Thank you a ton to Hanna's parents and friends Eddie, Yura, and Paul for lending a huge helping hand. Getting out of our 4th floor apartment (no elevators!) was quite the challenge. It left us wonder "where did all this stuff come from?!?".

As a result of the move, we will be without regular home internet service for a couple weeks. As such, don't expect too much from my in terms of publications. We're trying wireless broadband, but it's a bit expensive, so not something we're eager to use too much.

In other news, I'm also looking to be on travel a bit over the next few weeks. This helps alleviate some of my lack of broadband concerns, but also indicates that I'm entering a busy period that will also draw me away from writing.

And then there's all the unpacking at home... yeehaw! :)

Ok, holy cow, how did it get to be mid-June already?!?! I'm waaaaaay overdue on getting this progress report posted. In my own defense, we did move at the end of May, which took a lot of time and effort. Oh, and, we didn't have regular Internet service at home until just last week. So, it's not like we've not been doing anything at all. Quite the contrary, I've just been super-busy. D'oh!

May was a so-so month for me. It was generally busy, particularly with move-related activities. Looking back, nothing really stands out for me in terms of accomplishments. My back was sore the entire month (and still through to today, in fact), so exercise has been limited. I don't really recall reading or writing much last month, either. Oh, sigh...

Just wanted to let those interested know that I've uploaded a few more pics of my lovely, pregnant wife (Hanna), to the Hanna Grows a Baby page. :)

This post has nothing to do with information security, and everything to do with being a proud father-to-be! :) We went to InfantSee4D yesterday and had a special ultrasound of our bundle of joy - in 3D and in 4D (3D+motion). We saw her yawn at the beginning, which was just the cutest thing. And then she slept, so not much motion. :) She has cute little arms and cute little legs, and apparently loves to suck on the umbilical cord, up near the placenta. It's all very cool!

Anyway, after the jump are pictures of her in 3D. I think she looks like Hanna - which is a very good thing! :)

In a follow-up to the previous 3D/4D post... a short video of her yawning. :)

June has come and gone faster than we would have imagined. It's the funny thing about being busy - time tends to disappear! We did a lot of things, and didn't do a lot of other things that we probably should have done. Overall, it seems to have been a decent month, though not across the board.

The biggest news is our continued preparation for the baby's arrival in August. The 3D/4D ultrasound was a very cool experience - highly recommended for all expecting families! We also continued to get settled into the new rental home, finding it to be far more relaxing than the old apartment. We've had to buy some things here or there, such as shelving for storage, but overall it's been good.

Career wise there's not really been too much excitement. I've been actively working with a couple clients, have not gotten nearly as much writing or reading done as I would have liked, but am still moving in a generally forward direction. Personally, I've made huge strides in the meditation front. I've not really blogged about it, but a couple months ago I started trying the Holosync meditation program (audio tracks that cause brain patterns to reach a meditative state without having to spend years and years learning how to get there). I had a breakthrough a week or so ago, finally reaching a point where I could release a bunch of emotional baggage, left over from when I was a teenager. I highly recommend using this program.

Anyway, on to my full progress report...

Well, goodness, July sure got away from my quickly, and here it is already the 10th of August. Where does the time go? Here on baby watch, Hanna sits 3cm dilated for going on a couple weeks, and we're just wonder WHEN will the little girl emerge? *sigh* It's all about timing! In all honesty, though, the past month went fairly well, and we're now in pretty good position this month for the pending delivery and all the fun that will ensue in the aftermath.

Overall, I think July was a good month, though frankly it went so quickly I can't remember all the details. July 4th was a lot of fun out at Jill's and a good way to start the month. I had a couple work-related trips that were productive, and things have in generally been bopping right along. Perhaps the biggest accomplishment of the month was getting the baby's room all setup, despite that going against our "no new debt" pledge. Oh, well. More below...

Just a brief note... I was on travel a good chunk of last week, combined with having a newborn in the house and several deliverables due last week, leaving me no time to blog. I have a couple topics lined up, just need an hour to research and write. I realized last week that I never posted an August goals summary. At this point, I think I'll just wait until October first to post a joint August/September retrospective. There's just something about having a newborn in the house that seems to absorb all of one's time. More to come!

This is a personal note. You've undoubtedly heard about the flooding in Fargo, ND. We're talking water levels of unprecedented proportions, blowing through the previous record (from 1997) last night. They've raised the crest estimate numerous times, with it now in the 42-43' range. If you live anywhere near ND or MN and can get away, I urge you to do so - folks need help.

If you can't make the trip, but would like to help another way, please visit the web site for the Minn-Kota Red Cross

My parents were under mandatory evacuation last night. If the river reaches 42' (previously thought nearly impossible), the water will reach the main level of their house. With the evacuation, they're not able to monitor their basement, so if the power goes out, they're sunk (water table will rise and flood the basement), or if their sump pump dies, their sunk. Not good.

Track current river levels on the NDSU Fargo Flood page.

For news, road closures, and general coverage of the event, see the Valley Flood Watch site, or visit the local newspaper, the Fargo Forum.

A live web cam is available from the Forum at http://www.inforum.com/pages/floodcam - be advised, however, that it has been up and down a lot.

I wish that I could be there to help out. Unfortunately, I'm on the verge of a cross-country move, with the movers coming Mon/Tues next week. It's very frustrating not being able to do anything to help my own parents!

In case you blinked and missed it, I've not been super-active lately. This is because I've just moved from the DC metro area (NoVA) to Phoenix, AZ. This was a lengthy process in order to coordinate with my wife and her job, as well as our kiddo. So, suffice to say, I'm exhausted AND surrounded by boxes. :)

In related news, now that I'm settling into AZ, it's time to leave! :) Yep, Friday night I fly out to San Fran to start pre-RSA meetings, followed by RSA itself (of course). Hope to see you there!

Based on Anton's recommendation, I picked up a copy of Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath. That Anton found it interesting and useful told me that I would probably also appreciate it. My assumption has been proved correct.

Knowing one's strengths and weaknesses is very important, whether it be in competition or personal life or professional life. For me, I know that one of my weaknesses is tending to be somewhat negative, cynical, and sarcastic. This trait, when combined with my tendency toward incessant questioning, can be terribly off-putting. It also, however, can make it difficult for me to see my own strengths. As a good friend of mine has pointed out on numerous equations, life is generally pretty good, if only I'd look at it that way.

Through various conversations and interactions it's come to my attention that I've never really properly introduced myself. By now, if you've read this blog at all, you've probably come to realize that I'm rarely challenged for words. So, forgive this indulgence while I delve into a little bit about who am I, where I've come from, what I've been doing, and so on. In so doing, I hope to give you a glimpse of who I am without providing detailed enough answers that would allow you to bypass passwords on all of my various accounts. :)

I'm extremely ticked off tonight, partly at myself, partly at my school, and just overall in general. I've been training in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (Brazilian JJ, generically) since October 2008 - so, less than a year, not a whole long time. I'm a white belt. Some day I would like to earn a belt of color, but for now I'm the level I should be.

So why am I upset? Well, a few reasons. First, I got hurt tonight, doing a move the wrong way, but because I didn't know any better. Second, I'm tired of guys from other martial arts coming in and not training or playing "nicely." Third, I don't feel like I'm progressing at all after a night like tonight, which makes me question why I bother. And, fourth, as per usual, I just can't keep my mouth shut sometimes and it just embarrasses the heck out of me.

We just spent a bit over 24 hours in the hospital, the kiddo having come down with a bad case of the croup (complete with stridor). The last time I was overnight in the hospital was also for this kiddo, though for slightly more joyous reasons (aka "birth"), but I digress. When one spends a night in the hospital - particularly one for which you've not planned - it puts you in a position to rely on the hospital staff and facility much more to ensure that your needs are adequately met. Here are some random thoughts from the fray of this latest experience...

btw, the care we received was very good, and so this shouldn't be seen as negative or griping, just observations of various things... the contrast between quality of care and quality of environment were, perhaps, what I found so interesting here...

I was cleaning out some old boxes of "stuff" from days gone by and ran into a hard copy of a presentation that I delivered as part of the interview process at CERT/SEI in Pittsburgh back in 1998. At the time, I had been very hopeful to get a job at CERT as they were doing security work that I simply wasn't seeing in the private sector (at least, not in the Midwest). Alas, it didn't work out, but I digress...

What jumped out at me about this presentation is that, in 12+ years, nothing has changed! The same arguments I made back then about needing to be proactive with security, working to integrate it into all aspects of the business in order to make it implicit and inherent are still true today. Perhaps the most interesting bullet in those slides for me was one where I asked "why aren't we teaching calculus and computer science in elementary schools?" I don't think my audience grokked the question back then, and I'd be surprised if people would even get it today.