I get a lot of emails, asking me if I am now based out of North Carolina.
So, to set the record straight. No, I’m back home in Chicago (though at home sick today).
I was merely in North Carolina for work for a bit, and had some time to update.
So, I am alive, home, well (and well, sick)
Oh, and today is my birthday, so Happy Birthday to me! :)
I have some additional posts queued up, but those will wait until I’m not as sick.
Christopher Kusek
Let me start by saying, oh my god.
Amazon nearly delivered my package before I ordered it.
With the free shipping, an expectation of 9-14 days for delivery turned around to become a ~28 actual hour delivery time (not business hours)
So, what did I get?
This excellent bag!
This bag comes heralded by many, and will certainly become the bag for me for quite some time.
It has a nice handle which comes out and lets you push and pull respectively, not withstanding the sheer volume of stuff you can carry in it.
This will easily be the home of multiple laptops for me, and possibly even some spare clothes! (Or so I’ve heard people often carry 2 days worth of clothing for trips)
A lot of people have reported a problem with the handle on this, and I too experienced that almost initially.
However, after fully depressing the button for opening and closing, and being sure to fully extend it. Problem solved! Score one for me!
Second on the list, during a Frys 1-day Sale for Labor day, I came across this wondrous TV.
Only to find out later, you can order it online and get the same deal!
And what’s more, they’re still available!
The future may spell another one of these TV’s for me also.
As far as details for this little 32″ LCD HD TV go, it’s nice, excellent screen and display quality, it’s 720p and seems quite comparable for available TV and monitors on the market. Definitely worth its value in my household.
So, what else does the future hold for me? Oh who knows, perhaps a Mac Mini, or some other kind of random device to fill my home lab and production environment :)
Christopher Kusek, Professional Home Purchaser!
For years and years, I would hear people say “I want to be a CNA to which I would think to myself, “Wow, there sure are a lot of people who want to administer networks”, though to be more specific to that, Administering Novell.
However, with the rampant number of acronyms in the world, running into CNA being a Network/Novell admin, far more often than it has anything to do with Nursing, can you blame me?
How different are the two really? One requires you to pass a test, and another requires you pass a test, have confirmed a background check, completed various training programs, and any other number of things you can find on a site like this CNA Facts.
Taking things a step further, one is a stepping stone to becoming an engineer within a networking profession, whereas the other… Well, it is itself a doorway, which doesn’t lead elsewhere unless you choose to move on.
I’ve not met too many doctors who took the CNA stepping stone to progress their career, it was usually straight to doctor, few steps to start.
However, many an Admin, Engineer, Architect; started as a Network Administrator, Helpdesk “Technician”, ‘Consultant’, and any other amount of career choices.
So, while both are similar (in name) the similarities end there.
What does this mean for the casual certification geek? It means in “Technology”, no amount of schooling is required in order to get yourself a piece of paper which says you “know” something. Becoming the worlds youngest MCP or MCSE for example is a great accomplishment, if it means something to you, and you do something with those skills. And respectively, have the skills and knowledge to back up the “Test”.
Just like there are doctors and nurses who are completely incompetent, just because someone is an MD or CNA doesn’t mean they know what they’re doing or what they’re saying, it merely means they’ve passed a board and are recognized for being competent some of the time.
Be the best you can be, apply your skills, become the skilled person you are; don’t just go with the flow, assuming that because you got a “Passing” score, that the study and learning ends there.
Studies show, that if I am interrupted while writing something, it will get even more scattered than it originally was intended.
Recovering my thoughts…
Next time you have the intention to get a certification, degree, or some other piece of paper, ask yourself these few questions.
These are just some simple steps in the understanding and awareness of what is involved in arbitrary papers, and the value they have to a person and an organization. While some may be “Required”, by all means have those. However, fulfill the requirements with understanding, more than just obtaining a piece of paper.
It goes without saying, that the worst thing I could ask for, is someone with a Degree in Literary English, who has absolutely no grasp of the english language, both in written, spoken and especially the *spelling* that goes into it.
So, join me in embracing the future of “Certification”. Knowledge by understanding, and not by papering your way to success.
Christopher