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Hidalee-Ho, neighbor! It is amazing how busy things get once all the students return to campus each Fall. They actually expect to, like, start using digital library services and stuff. OMG.

Anywho, I saw a funny and apt bumpersticker the other day and I had to quickly risk my life to capture a photo (while stuck in seemingly endless Carrboro gridlock). Beware the ides of September! Ageism… it will catch up to you!

The poor woman in front of me must have thought I was a Homeland Security Agent surreptitiously snapping photos of the back of her late-model Subaru wagon with Liberal bumperstickers and out-of-state plates. As soon as I got a good picture, she darted off the roadway into the safety zone of Weaver Street Market. That way all the hippies could protect her against my unilateral onslaught.

Today’s post serves two basic purposes. Firstly, I’d like to give a big shout-out to my main damie Ted Turner. That’s right. I never thought I would have something good to say about ‘Ol Hanoi Ted, but this time everything he says is right on the money. In short, going to Iraq was historically “dumb,” Iran should be able to nuke us if they get to a feelin’ that way, only women should be allowed to run the world, and that the United Nations are like the elite Aqua Teen Hunger Force of international crime fighting. Good on ya, Ted! Now maybe you should use some of those billions to support candidates for office who believe these sensible things.

The second purpose is a bit more sinister. My web sponsors have noticed a tiny dip in traffic to this site and are threatening to pull the plug on my air-breathing machine if I do not remedy the situation post haste. So, if you are a real human (not a spambot, spammer, or any automated type of spam delivery) and you are really reading this, then why don’t you do ‘Ol Dave a favor and leave a comment.

It could be anything. Suggestions for future write-ups. Lyrics to your favorite song. Reasons I should ask Ted Turner for $175 million to run for President in 2008. Anything that comes to mind. Me and my overlord sponsors thank you.

Call Me GSEC 5730

Woo-haa! I keep those packets all in check!
When you go to write some shell code, best not disrespect!
Woo-haa! I gots you all in check!

That’s right, people. My week of buckled down studying has paid off and on Monday I took the two big exams. As Mark phrased it, I “gave those tests the smack-down.” Somehow I was able to pull a 96 on the Networking and Internet Security Technologies exam and a 94 on the Secure Communications and Windows/Unix Security exam. Woo-haa!! (You can verify that by going to the GIAC website and searching for my name.)

By Tuesday my name and scores were posted to the website and I had to go back to check it every hour or so just so the gravity of this accomplishment would set in. I am still surprised that I did so well considering how much material is covered. As you can imagine, I am totally on Geek Cloud 9. Many thanks to my excellent local mentor Doug Brown and to all the friends and family who were so supportive of me all Summer while I had my nose in the books. Yay! I can be social again!!

(Please note that my use of the GSEC Silver logo in no way implies an endorsement from nor a partnership with SANS Institute or GIAC. The logo is used only to indicate that I have passed the GSEC exams and obtained GIAC Silver certification. Proper permission for logo use has been explicitly obtained.)