Disqus - Latest Comments for randy

Re: Was This Necessary?

randy — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 08:21:33 -0000

The tradition of giving the father's flag to the oldest son... yes.
The death of the father because of Bush's twisted policies... absolutely not.

Re: Mike Huckabee Supports Chuck Norris

randy — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:45:28 -0000

That's awesome. Someone on his political marketing team is a thinker. So much more refreshing than typical mudslinging ads.

Re: Back to Corporate Life

randy — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 08:55:31 -0000

Congrats and best of luck! Look forward to the content ;)

Re: Awesome New Infosec Class

randy — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:50:55 -0000

Maybe it's because I just graduated with a BS in Computer Engineering in 2006, but these topics are all thoroughly covered in an undergrad degree. Could it be that the audience the class is geared towards are fairly recent graduates that are looking to start a Masters?

I'm working on a Master's in Computer Security at DePaul University in Chicago and they never come right out and say that those skills are required, but if you look at the topics taught in the prerequisite phase they are identical.

I'd also argue that the people at the very TOP of InfoSec are no longer "in the trenches" so to speak. They are more business oriented now often overseeing the new generation of analysts; focusing on overall vision and planning for the department. When they first started out I'd venture they were more technical than business savvy. As their careers progressed they shifted towards more business than tech savvy. Don't think I'm saying they don't know their tech still, because they do, but as you said, if you don't use it everyday it slips away bit by bit. They are likely excellent today because of the strong technical base they built on over the years.

If the class is targeting young professionals in the InfoSec field I think the requirements are spot on. It'll help build a solid technical base of understanding that can then be built on as they progress.

Since when can your understanding of the systems you're tasked with protecting be too thorough?

Re: Charlie the Unicorn

randy — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:48:42 -0000

love the ending! Thanks for sharing.

Re: My Fellow Prisoners?

randy — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:52:22 -0000

dale - care to post a video of that? I'd love to see it.

Re: The Constitution Party is Scary: Why Did Ron Paul Support Them?

randy — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:31:43 -0000

“When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” - Sinclair Lewis

How fitting!

Re: Shit Really Might Go Sideways

randy — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:27:43 -0000

Buy a shotgun, some shells, a case of tuna, bars of gold, and head for the hills! :)

I don't think the 2-4 week idea is that crazy of an idea, in fact, my family is already prepared for it. Here's to hoping for the best and preparing for the worst!

Re: Home Network Upgrades

randy — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:24:14 -0000

You've got me curious as to the hardware you have available for this.... How many physical machines do you run?

Re: I Need a REAL Check Point Box

randy — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 08:20:51 -0000

Are you a Check Point customer at all? We were able to have our Check Point rep provide us with a "lab license" that is good for a year at no cost.

Re: The Ultimate Masculinity Test: A Laser Pointer

randy — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:53:27 -0000

If I ever come across an extra $739.99 I know what to get now :)

Re: 25 Questions to Ask During an Information Security Interview

randy — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:39:25 -0000

Nice list. I've weeded people out before with the ping, tracert, and http vs html questions before. Good stuff!

Re: Israel’s Prime Minister Tells Obama to Stop Supporting Israeli Militarism

randy — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:07:08 -0000

I hope you didn't purposefully misquote that article just to make a stronger point. You're better than that.

From the article:

"Imagine Ehud Olmert, the outgoing Israeli prime minister, saying this to Barack Obama:"

"Perhaps that seems unimaginable. But Olmert has already said something close to this."

So Olmert didn't say that, but something close to it. What you quoted was made up by the columnist for dramatic affect.

Re: Israel’s Prime Minister Tells Obama to Stop Supporting Israeli Militarism

randy — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:08:56 -0000

Note to self... Don't use test surrounded by angle brackets when posting comments.

The section you quoted lies in between the two quoted statements in my comment above.

Re: P90X Training System

randy — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 11:11:44 -0000

Seems the reviewers on Amazon agree with the Hoff!

http://www.amazon.com/P90X-Extreme-Fitness-Tony-Horton/dp/B000TG8D6I/ref=pdsimsgnjs1

Re: That’s a Cool Apartment

randy — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:31:01 -0000

@Mikkee: Very nice! It's too bad houses that look that great cost a ton.

Has anyone seen "normal" priced houses with clean modern architecture like that?

Re: How the Military Attracts the Feebleminded

randy — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 11:24:48 -0000

I'm kinda of surprised by the sudden surge of negative reactions I've seen online to this video in the last week or so. I can't put an exact time on it, but I'll say that I can't remember seeing a movie in the theater that didn't start with this video in probably the last 6 months or so.

I live in an "upper-class" town in the north west subarbs of Chicago, so I doubt that they're marketing to "feeble minded" individuals. I took away from it what Eric mentioned: "It demonstrates that soldiers are from all walks of life". They also should peace time disaster response, something I know several people that joined for because they wanted to help those at home who were hit by hurricanes, tornadoes, forest fires, etc.

I did think that many of the military cut scenes are overly dramatic and unrealistic, but it is an advertisement after all. The one that makes me laugh is when they stop the convoy for the soccer ball kid. That doesn't happen. I've been told that they keep driving no matter what in case it was a setup for an ambush against our troops. Sucks for the kid that gets ran over but it is war, and war sucks.

Re: Why Some Businesses Require You to Sign Your Credit Card Receipt and Others Don’t

randy — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:29:39 -0000

@carl: It's been going on in the Chicago area for at least 3 years. I remember not having to sign for fast food during my senior year of college.

Re: Are Creativity and Materialism Opposites?

randy — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:26:53 -0000

I've also noticed this in myself. My method of combating it is this: if the item I want to buy is "expensive", say $50 or more, I mark it down on the calendar and wait a month. If I still want it in a month, I'll get it. Probably 95% of the time I'll be like "what the hell did I want that for?" and not get it. So far so good.

Re: There’s Only One Way to Pronounce Linux

randy — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 08:58:04 -0000

Maybe I haven't been in the industry long enough (only 6 years) but can't recall having heard it pronounced any way other than the way Linus did. Do you commonly hear it being mispronounced?

Re: Information Security Thought Leaders

randy — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 08:10:26 -0000

+1 Ed Skoudis

Re: Man Holds Someone Up at Knifepoint. Person Takes the Knife Away and Stabs Him. He Dies. The Dead Attacker’s Father Says, “I want somebody to pay for this.”

randy — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 08:53:02 -0000

I suppose then that my friends and I who consider ourselves "liberals" must not be typical. We strongly believe in a person's right to defend themselves and fully condone the actions of the would be victim in the related article.

I would think that committing a criminal act is essentially an exercise in risk management. Until the risk of committing a crime outweighs the benefits there isn't an actual reason for the criminals to stop. In the case above the attackers judged the risk incorrectly and ended up losing one of their lives. Hopefully the cohort will remember this next time he considers robbing another person.

Re: Republican Stimulus Opposition Explained via Game Theory [Image]

randy — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 10:39:30 -0000

"If they support him and he succeeds, they fail."

Can you expand on that thought? I just don't get how if a plan they support succeeds they'll end up failing overall. Wouldn't it be good for their careers to say "Hey look, I'm such a good decision maker that I backed the stimulus package despite my party saying not to and it was a raving success. I do what's best for you my voters, not just tow the line."

Re: Matasano Does Not Care About iPhone Security

randy — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 08:38:28 -0000

"The person that spends 500$ on their phone will protect it more than the laptop you issued them"

Isn't that the truth!

Re: Was This Necessary?

randy — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 08:21:33 -0000

The tradition of giving the father's flag to the oldest son... yes.
The death of the father because of Bush's twisted policies... absolutely not.

Re: Mike Huckabee Supports Chuck Norris

randy — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:45:28 -0000

That's awesome. Someone on his political marketing team is a thinker. So much more refreshing than typical mudslinging ads.

Re: Back to Corporate Life

randy — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 08:55:31 -0000

Congrats and best of luck! Look forward to the content ;)

Re: Awesome New Infosec Class

randy — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:50:55 -0000

Since when can your understanding of the systems you're tasked with protecting be too thorough?

Re: Charlie the Unicorn

randy — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:48:42 -0000

love the ending! Thanks for sharing.

Re: My Fellow Prisoners?

randy — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:52:22 -0000

dale - care to post a video of that? I'd love to see it.

Re: The Constitution Party is Scary: Why Did Ron Paul Support Them?

randy — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:31:43 -0000

“When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” - Sinclair Lewis

How fitting!

Re: Shit Really Might Go Sideways

randy — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:27:43 -0000

Buy a shotgun, some shells, a case of tuna, bars of gold, and head for the hills! :)

I don't think the 2-4 week idea is that crazy of an idea, in fact, my family is already prepared for it. Here's to hoping for the best and preparing for the worst!

Re: Home Network Upgrades

randy — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:24:14 -0000

You've got me curious as to the hardware you have available for this.... How many physical machines do you run?

Re: I Need a REAL Check Point Box

randy — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 08:20:51 -0000

Are you a Check Point customer at all? We were able to have our Check Point rep provide us with a "lab license" that is good for a year at no cost.

Re: The Ultimate Masculinity Test: A Laser Pointer

randy — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:53:27 -0000

If I ever come across an extra $739.99 I know what to get now :)

Re: 25 Questions to Ask During an Information Security Interview

randy — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:39:25 -0000

Nice list. I've weeded people out before with the ping, tracert, and http vs html questions before. Good stuff!

Re: Israel’s Prime Minister Tells Obama to Stop Supporting Israeli Militarism

randy — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:07:08 -0000

I hope you didn't purposefully misquote that article just to make a stronger point. You're better than that.

From the article:

"Imagine Ehud Olmert, the outgoing Israeli prime minister, saying this to Barack Obama:"

"Perhaps that seems unimaginable. But Olmert has already said something close to this."

So Olmert didn't say that, but something close to it. What you quoted was made up by the columnist for dramatic affect.

Re: Israel’s Prime Minister Tells Obama to Stop Supporting Israeli Militarism

randy — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:08:56 -0000

Note to self... Don't use test surrounded by angle brackets when posting comments.

The section you quoted lies in between the two quoted statements in my comment above.

Re: P90X Training System

randy — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 11:11:44 -0000

Seems the reviewers on Amazon agree with the Hoff!

http://www.amazon.com/P90X-Extreme-Fitness-Tony-Horton/dp/B000TG8D6I/ref=pdsimsgnjs1

Re: That’s a Cool Apartment

randy — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:31:01 -0000

@Mikkee: Very nice! It's too bad houses that look that great cost a ton.

Has anyone seen "normal" priced houses with clean modern architecture like that?

Re: How the Military Attracts the Feebleminded

randy — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 11:24:48 -0000

Re: Why Some Businesses Require You to Sign Your Credit Card Receipt and Others Don’t

randy — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:29:39 -0000

@carl: It's been going on in the Chicago area for at least 3 years. I remember not having to sign for fast food during my senior year of college.

Re: The Worst Sickness of All

randy — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:44:57 -0000

Interesting view to be sure, but I'm really not sure I agree with you. Maybe that’s because I identify with your definition a little too closely?

-claiming to have many interests, but constantly complaining of boredom

I have a vast array of interests, a whole slew of which are constantly changing. Yet I never complain of boredom, only of two few hours in a day to do everything I want.

-moving constantly between new obsessions, and burning out on them within days/weeks

I do this. Though I think sometimes it’s due to feeling I’ve “conquered” a topic after those days/weeks. A simple example is Sudoku. I was obsessed with playing the games during my travels and developing new strategies to do better. One night I sat down, looked up various algorithms to solve Sudoku, wrote a solver in C++, tested it on many puzzles, and considered it “conquered”. I haven’t played Sudoku since, and don’t care to. Is this what is meant by burning out?

-being somewhat negative towards others and/or anti-social

I’m far from anti-social. So maybe this disqualifies me  I routinely chat it up with strangers at the local bar. Many interesting folks to meet and life stories to be heard at 2am on a Friday night!

-constantly telling others about how many interesting projects they’re working on

I do constantly tell people about what I’m working on, but not to brag, and not to make myself feel better, but to try to instill passion in others. I love to see people’s eyes light up and then listen as they share their ideas of how to make it even better. Often they’ll share what they’re working on and solicit feedback. I view sharing what you’re working on as an integral part of an intellectual community. Without rapid and constant sharing of knowledge, what benefit is there?

“All these projects, all the accomplishments (degrees, promotions, home projects, etc.)–they’re all hollow experiments designed to hopefully light a spark of identity.”

Actually, maybe the person is just rabid for knowledge, for new challenge? Maybe their identity is that of someone who craves the unknown? Once it’s understood, what fun is it?

“Anyway, I would really like to hear thoughts on the topic. I desperately want to help those who are grappling with this.”

I feel that I can identify with many of the “misfortunate” traits that you listed, yet can assure you I grew up in the “ideal” culture you mention. My father is rarely seen without a book nearby and taught me to enjoy them just the same. My parents helped me run a science club while I was a youth and took the club to many fairs and museums. I played many RPG games and was grouped in school with the “honors” children. You asked for thoughts, so I shared mine. Essentially, my view is an alternate interpretation that spins the “negative” traits in a “positive” light.