When your desktop gives you the finger, it’s not failure, it’s feedback. Every crash, every freeze, every fan screaming for mercy is your lab teaching you what the classroom never could: limits, patience, and the beauty of breaking things just to learn how to fix them. The Dream (The Impossible Dream) You start with ambition. You tell yourself this is
Category: Learning
The only badge worth earning is wisdom—because it never expires Confession Let me say it straight: I’ve given up chasing certificates. Those laminated proofs of “competence” people brag about on LinkedIn as if they were military decorations. I stopped paying hundreds of dollars just to sit through another exam that measures recall, not understanding. There was a time I was
As someone serious about becoming a network and cybersecurity engineer, I’ve explored countless YouTube channels and online courses. Some are entertaining, others are flashy, and a few — like David Bombal’s — are what I’d call “boring-awesome.” And I mean that with full respect. In a space dominated by influencers chasing views, Bombal stands out because he isn’t performing —
Let me take you back to the Before Times—specifically December 2019. I was at a Cityworks user conference, not expecting much beyond some coffee, vendor booths, and maybe a few maps. But then it hit me: We could be doing way more with GIS. Like, actually use it to improve operations—not just stare at dashboards. That moment changed everything. I
No, I don’t use a gaming laptop for school to play games. That would be idiotic. I use it because I actually do things that require power—real power—not the kind that dies after opening four Chrome tabs and a poorly coded school portal. And before anyone says, “But that’s expensive”—yes, it is. I saved up for it. Month after month.
In a world where everyone’s pretending to be an expert… I found myself whispering Denning’s words like a prayer. Not because I had just started in tech. Not because I was a student. But because I was—and still am—the solo IT Administrator at a public utility. The guy behind the firewall, under the server rack, resetting your password, hardening your
Fair warning: this post takes a bit of reading and includes a little language and a lot of honesty. There are people who journal. People who meditate. People who wake up at 5 a.m. and go for mindful walks. My wife is one of those people. She does yoga and drinks her tea hot. Me? I make the coffee, open
So here’s the deal. I’m currently working in IT. Solo. For a water district. I manage the entire infrastructure while answering questions like “Why is Outlook slow?” and “Is this phishing?” (Yes, it always is.) And in between moving servers and mentally moving to a beach somewhere, I started thinking: What’s next? I already have degrees. I’ve done the certs.
Let me start with the truth: I didn’t choose the self-study path because I thought I was some kind of untapped genius. I chose it because I checked the price of a cybersecurity bootcamp and nearly choked on my instant noodles. I want to become a network and cybersecurity engineer. Not because it sounds cool (okay, maybe a little), but
So you’ve decided to dive into the glorious chaos that is network and cybersecurity engineering. And now you’re asking yourself: “Should I get a new laptop?”“Do I need triple monitors?”“Would an RGB keyboard help me hack faster?” Let’s clear that up real quick. A New Computer Just Looks Cool — That’s It Listen, a shiny new computer, ultrawide monitors, and