modemgirl

I wanted to update the diagram of my internal network topology. What do you think?

ALSO:

I PASSED MY CCNA last week! :)

this is very exciting news! mainly, because i don’t have to stress about it anymore. my goal was to write it before my first anniversary with PEER 1, which came and went in the beginning of March, so it’s been looming on my conscience since then.  halfway though the exam i was positive there was no way in hell i’d pass – i messed up big time on a couple of the bigger “simulator” questions, and then drew a total blank on something very simple early on in the exam.

the test is quite structured and you’re only allowed 90 minutes to answer about 50 questions. once you click ‘done’ on a question there’s no going back, so you have to budget your time accordingly, without any idea of what you have left to do. thankfully i was able to jumpstart my brain, cut my losses and get on with it, but i lost valuable time and had to rush through the remainder of the exam,  running out of time halfway through the last question.

the exam questions take a variety of formats. the majority are multiple choice, with a few matching, which are fairly straightforward as long as you’ve done your studying. the hard questions are the simulations, which provide a situation and corresponding network diagram which functions as a simulated environment and allows you to log in to the necessary network devices, make configuration changes and solve the given problem. these questions can be quite long and complicated, and you are only given the bare minimum IOS to complete the given tasks. this can often throw the test taker for a loop, as you may not have access to certain commands that you might normally use in a given situation. like… SHOW RUN for example. no show run for you!

the test is written at a certified testing center and graded automatically. so after a small brain meltdown at the beginning, i rushed through the remainder of the exam, convinced the difficulty i had with my EIGRP configuration would be my downfall. despite all intention to stay optimistic, at that moment i was sure my career as a network analyst would soon be over. UR DOIN IT WRONG, SERRA! my brain screamed at me until suddenly the timer expired. my heart stopped, the screen went black and when i saw the word Congratulations! i was sure it was mocking me. considering that the passing grade is around 82% and i messed up bigtime on a couple of the big simulator questions…..wait… CONGRATULATIONS?!!!  i made some sort of squawking noise and then ran squealing with joy out of the test center. somehow i managed to pull off an 87% and i could start breathing again!

people keep asking me – so what is this certification, and what does it qualify you to do? well, the cert is cisco certified network associate, and it pretty much qualifies me to do the job i already have. it’s considered an ‘entry level’ networking certification, but for an entry level cert, it’s hella hard. the amount of material you need to know is huge, and very theoretical. also DRY AS HELL to study. i find networking interesting, but it’s not a very exciting thing to study unless you have a good teacher. i spent a lot of time watching chris bryant’s videos on youtube – he is a great teacher and explains things in a way that’s easy to follow and then reinforces the concepts with real world examples, which really helps with retention. sitting at home reading through one of the two 600+ page text books…. not so much.

so why write a cert when you already have the job? well, i don’t have a degree. i have a diploma from a technical college that no one has ever heard of,  so it’s nice to have something that officially recognizes that i might be a semi reputable human being who could warrant employment in the future. i’d equate this cert to having a BA or Bsc – it’s not really useful on it’s own, but in combination with experience and generalized awesomeness, it’s going to make me more employable and hopefully help me land jobs over my non-certified peers. not that i plan on leaving my current job any time soon, because i love PEER 1, but you never know.

another thing that rules is i actually learned a LOT while preparing for this exam. it really filled in a lot of the cracks and i feel a lot more confident in myself at work. the position i work in can sometimes be quite high pressure, and you will get a lot of clients on the phone who will throw terminology at you without always knowing what they are talking about. being able to understand what they want and explain to them the reality of the situation is key, and confidence is essential.

so now, what’s next? CCNP perhaps, but first i think it’s time to relax and enjoy the summer while it lasts :)

the bike rave was a great success! just taking a quick study break to post my mix from last night, as promised. i think it went over really well overall. 2 live crew was a big hit, and a good friend was incredulous that i mixed vengaboys with the horrorist, so i was happy :)

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you’ve likely heard me mention seaballing before, but for those of you who haven’t, it’s actually the best thing ever. a combination bike ride and mobile dance party with awesome people and beautiful scenery, it’s pretty much my religion. and then there’s Velopalooza – a 10 days of bike themed fun that takes place annually in vancouver in early june. over 70 events in under two weeks, it’s a celebration of bikes, bike culture, and everything else that goes along with the awesomeness that is being a cyclist! with events such as 80s bike ride,  super hero ride and this friday’s Bike Rave – what’s not to love? so when a good friend / avid seaballer / organizer of velopalooza (pictured below, at the superhero ride with his frankenbike bike aptly named ‘your face’) asked if i’d record a mix for the friday night BIKE RAVE, obviously i said yes!

it’s always challenging for me to organize a mix for a unknown audience – i’m pretty self conscious when it comes to my taste in music in relation to “normal” people. (obviously i use the term normal loosely here) - i know that most people didn’t grow up on a diet of tidy trax, neophyte and scott brown, so i’m well aware that my taste is pretty niche and definitely leans toward oldschool techno rave rave rather than the current wonky mashup bass housey dubstep stuff that’s usually found on the dancefloor these days. this is why i love late night college radio and don’t have much interest in playing clubs.

anyhoo! the point is, i worked pretty hard to make this mix awesome, and hopefully it will be enjoyable for consumption by bike nerds of all types, so you should come out tomorrow night and listen. vengaboys, squarepusher, flosstradamus, the horrorist, prozzak and madonna….. next to the ocean with a bunch of weirdos with glowsticks stuck to their bikes!? maybe i should bring some candy bracelets to hand out? anyone know where can i get UV bike shaped beads?

i’ll post the mix here on saturday for those of you who live out of vancouver and can’t make it!

if you want to troubleshoot your life you have to do it in the same way we troubleshoot anything else – from the ground up.

in networking, we use the 7 layer OSI model to divide an entire system into smaller sub-systems. various functions of network communication are isolated to specific layers, with each layer dependent on the ones it below it to function properly. layer seven is the ‘application layer’ which, as i’m sure you can deduce, is where your applications run. at the other end of the model is layer 1, which focuses on the physical – does your computer have power? are all the cables plugged in? layers 2-6 cover everything in between. the layered model gives us a logical and consistent way to approach problems, because there’s no point worrying about the upper layers until we are satisfied the lower layers are functioning properly. there’s no sense in adjusting web browser settings when the cable to your router is unplugged, right?

when i first was introduced to the OSI layer, it struck as having some remarkable parallels to maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a concept i first encountered during my time as a psychology undergrad. a similar layered approach, but in relation to human needs and motivation.

if your body isn’t happy then there’s no real point worrying about “upper layer” concepts such as relationships, career, spiritual enlightenment, etc – because any changes you make are going to be running on top of a suboptimal physical platform. this doesn’t mean that you’re doomed unless you’re going to the gym 15 times a week, only eating super healthy and going to bed early every day. it DOES mean that if you want to progress as a human YOU need to learn to listen to and learn to take care of your body, mind and soul.

fresh air. vegetables. exercise. WATER. endorphins will literally save your life. i don’t want to preach, but seriously – the difference in the quality of my life from when i was sendentary +  eating crap + inside all the time + no exercise compared to now where i make an effort to get outside + exercise at least once a day + drink a zillion glasses of water + no more smoking + healthier eating is extraordinary. plus i no longer feel guilty for NOT doing all those things – which in turn improves my overall sense of self esteem. the spiral works in both ways you know – up and down.

once you start getting layer 1 on track, you’ll start to find other things fall into place. when your body is functioning optimally you’ll find that your mind feels clearer and you’ll be able to approach relationships, work, every day life more rationally and efficiently. when your blood sugar isn’t constantly going up and down you will begin to have a sense of control over your life, and you’ll sleep better. when you’re well rested, you’ll make better decisions, and begin to deal with stress efficiently instead of relying on vices to distract you from aspects of your life you’re not happy with.

i think the society we exist within often inflicts a sense of lost control over our lives. as small cogs in a giant machine, we feel as though we are victims/products of society, and that nothing we do makes a difference. responsibility for our condition becomes externally focussed, and we don’t take ownership of our own lives. taking charge of ‘layer one’ is a huge step towards realizing that ultimately we ARE responsible – we don’t always have control over everything, but we ARE in charge of maintaining the hardware that we have to work with.

the more i learn about being a human, the more i realize that we are just extremely complicated machines. we all have our routines and behavioural patterns, and sometimes life could be so much more efficient with just a bit of fine tuning. sometimes unexplainable things happen, but it’s usually because there are forces at work that we just don’t understand. successful performance requires proper maintenance, service packs, QA and regular audits. call me a cyborg, but i like to think of it as being a sysadmin for my own life.

simon is home! minus a collar but safe and sound, and i am overwhelmed by relief and joy.

after freaking out for a few hours after i got home from work yesterday morning, i had a stroke of genius. i needed to invite some friends over to come hang out in my backyard during afternoon / evening, because if anything would lure a scared simon out of hiding it would be familiar, happy voices. i paged the troops just as i lay down for a couple hours of sleep, and later that afternoon they arrived with smiles, music, and hula hoops. just as i was getting ready to leave for work we spotted a timid little face peeking around the corner!! i squeal and scare him back into the neighbours yard, but some with some patience and cookies i soon had him back in my arms.

and…….. i have to say thank you so much, to EVERYONE. you are all so amazing and i am so, so touched at the amount of support i received over the past couple days. old friends, new friends, far away friends, work friends, neighbours, strangers on the internet, and people i’ve only met a handful of times reaching out to offer their support, volunteering to help me look for him, or just offering a kind word and sympathy. as someone who has always moved around a lot and never really “fit in” to any of the communities i found myself in growing up, it absolutely astounds me to have such an overwhelming response from such a huge network of AMAZING people. words are not enough for me to express the gratitude i feel toward all of you.

i know i was likely overreacting, but the thought of no simon in my life absolutely destroys me. we have been through so much together – he is my best friend. to know that there are people all over the planet who recognized that and took even a moment out of their busy day to offer a few kind words of reassurance means the world to me. the socially awkward little girl from rural manitoba is extremely humbled and grateful for the opportunity to call so many fantastic beings my friends, and i hope that one day i will be able to return the favour.

simon has decided to go on an adventure tonight, and i am a bit upset.  i’m really hoping he is in one of my neighbours apartments (he loves to sneak in when he thinks no one is looking) because he is not an outdoor cat and hasn’t been outside since we moved to mount pleasant. otherwise he’s wandering around the dark, rainy night going MUM. MUM. MUM. I AM OUTSIDE. IT IS DARK. WHERE IS MY TUNNEL? MUM!!

i wandered around outside for an hour or so calling him, but gave up and decided to come to the coffee shop to try and get some work done.

fast forward to sitting in the window facing main street, drinking coffee and typing away on my macbook. totally not productive. worrying about my little boy. then a couple hip looking dudes walked by and gave me great smiles, which i quickly returned before going back to watching enthralling frame relay videos (fyi that video it will change your life, srsly.)

20 minutes later i notice the two dudes have returned. one walks up to the window with a notepad and presses it against the glass, with the words ‘you look wonderful when you smile’ written on it in big letters. HUGE GRIN. then they both smile and wander off into the night.

i’m trying to remember a theory i read once, something about not taking the gifts we have forgranted. there are certain things we could never imagine happening, the worst possible things that we assume will never happen to us, and these things will someday be the greatest challenges we will face. for example, i can’t imagine being blind, so every day i try to be conscious and grateful for the gift of working eyes. the same goes for being able bodied, free from disease, relatively sane, from a family who loves me, living in a country where i am free to do/be/say whatever i want (more or less) without persecution. or even things such as every day when i get home and my house is not a cloud of ash and smoke, i am thankful, because i know that could change in a second.

i just think it’s important to keep these types of things in mind and to be thankful for them, because our lives can change exponentially in the blink of an eye. one truck driver having a bad day could miss one stop sign and kill you, your best friend, your nemesis. a mugger could stab you in the eye, someone could fall asleep with a lit cigarette, or leave a ball of fat full of fish hooks out for your dog to find. or you could meet the love of your life, only to have him die of brain cancer two months later. or someone could carelessly let your cat-son out one rainy night… you just never know.

a life without simon is something i just can’t imagine, but reality is fleeting and we must be ready to face whatever randomness the chaos deals us. fingers crossed he’ll be waiting on the couch on the porch when i get home, and tonight is merely a reminder for me to not take his little face for granted. perhaps it’s also a reminder for him – to appreciate his cushy indoor life!

What should be part of a comprehensive network security plan?

A. Minimize network overhead by deactivating automatic antivirus client updates.
B. Encourage users to use personal information in their passwords to minimize the likelihood of passwords being forgotten.
C. Delay deployment of software patches and updates until their effect on end-user equipment is well known and widely reported.
D. Physically secure network equipment from potential access by unauthorized individuals.
E. Allow users to develop their own approach to network security.
F. Go for burgers

this study break was brought to you by the letters *headdesk* and *epic fail*. now back to work!

exciting news! modemgirl radio is getting ready to launch into the airwaves in real life! my good friend gene eric from sleizure has gone travelling and asked if i wanted to take over his radio slot on CJSF (simon fraser campus radio) and i said yes! right now i’m in the studio up on top of burnaby mountain, waiting to start my first on air training session. it’s funny because i’ve already spent so much time in this studio – i look around and see the the collage of meat products and women’s legs that i made for sleizure, the floor upon which i carved a pumpkin that said ‘worship meat’, the rotunda where we threw not one but TWO all night dance parties, the studio that’s been the epicentre of all sorts of madness and a couch that i’ve curled up on to be lulled to sleep at 4am by the soothing sounds of my partner mixing intergalactic space gabber… sooooo many memories. and now, it’s my turn to step up and take the reins. i’ve got quite the legacy to live up to, but i think i’m up for it!

i’m SUPER excited about the show. initially i was worried because it’s quite a significant commitment, but ever since i agreed to take over the slot i’ve been mixing a ton and realizing that i have soooo much music that needs to be shared, and i can ramble on about why it’s awesome for hours on end. the show is going to give me an amazing outlet because radio is totally my favourite venue, for multiple reasons!

low pressure
without a bunch of people standing on a dancefloor expecting you to “rock the house”, i find there’s a lot more room for creativity. the mixes i “release” (for lack of a better word) are usually somewhat planned ahead of time, with a specific emotion or audience in mind, which is the same way i approach dj-ing a party. the reason i do this, and don’t just go buck wild and play whatever i want, is because if i did that i might end up playing anabolic frolic pitched down to 125 bpm and mixed into funky baseline breaks. or i might just do a search and only play songs with the word ’satan’ in the title for an hour. who knows, stranger things have happened. not so good if you end up clearing a dancefloor and making people cry. but, if you’re hosting a late night college radio show focussing on hard / weird / experimental / random electronic music, these mixes are not only acceptable, but encouraged and awesome!

potential exposure to a wider audience
i am in LOVE with the concept of random people driving around late at night and stumbling across a gabber remix of brooklyn bounce on the radio. i just think about how happy that would make me to find, and to know that i will be giving that experience to random weirdos who happen to be scanning the radio at 4am – awesome! thats about as trolsk as you can get.

creative outlet
i used to get a lot of enjoyment out of throwing and promoting parties, but i find i just don’t have the time / energy / drive / interest to do event planning right now. it takes a lot of money, time and dedication, as well as a solid team that you can rely on to help you out. all of that just requires more energy than i have to give right now. the radio show, i think, is going to give me an outlet to do a lot of the things i love about promoting, but without a lot of the stressful parts. theme shows, promoting, collaborating with other artists, bringing on guests, organizing, planning, and best of all – getting to play dance music REALLY LOUD – without having to worry about impressing because i don’t have to worry about the zillions of dollars i’ve invested in renting a venue / sound / security / lighting / staff etc. ALSO, i kinda like to be in charge! so with the show i will have total creative control, as long as i don’t piss off the CRTC… which is even easier when your show starts at midnight!

not sure when i will be going live, but i’m hoping within the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

hey i have a photoshop challenge for anyone who’s up for it! i’d like a mashup of these two images, however you see fit. i’d do it myself but with work + studying + mixing+ sun = can only handle so many hours in front of a computer before my eyes fall out of my head.  plus i realized i have a lot of designer friends who are far more excellent at photoshop than i, and it will probably take you like four seconds to spit out something that will take me all afternoon.

there’s another image here that might help, and one here that might make your head explode.

also… i am offering like +5453453 awesome points to anyone who understands why this combination of concepts is hilarious. because it is! and so is the mix. crystal distortion, trollybus circus, biroshima, britney spears and REM finally together at last. freetek!!!

<3serra

ok, i’m going to write my CCNA exam in a couple weeks, for serious it’s true this time. so before i started studying yesterday i took a moment and did some mixing, and this is what happened. the back story is that i went to co-lab for some bass the night before, and ran into my friend leon. (yes leon, i’m blaming this on you.) i’ve only met this dude a couple times before, but i’ve decided he’s cool based purely on the fact that he likes spiral tribe and unit mobius. call me techno-prejudice!

i’ve been listening to a lot of fifth era style doom techno lately. i can’t explain it, but for some ungodly reason this is sort of what it sounds like inside my head a lot of the time. perhaps i am just fully embracing the fact that i am soon going to be officially “late night college radio techno lady” and don’t have to pretend to play normal music at all anymore? but really i’ve had an insatiable love for this kind of techno since i was a teenager and it doesn’t appear to be dissipating as i grow up despite the fact i admit it’s almost completely devoid of any technical musical merit.

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M0D3MGIRL-NETWERKKOMANDAH

this is a 40 minute livemix, no edits, far from perfect and and very much NOT for the techno lightweight. recorded in the midst of a circadian transition from day to nightwalker while studying a million hours a day, i’m not going to pretend this is accessible or nice to listen to, but still i will post it for .00000001% of the population who vibrate at the same wavelength as i do….  the first song is one of many ‘relics’ from the aqua zara vaults – a mecca of MP3s downloaded from “napster” in 28.8k glory back in 1999-2000 – and features a sample from “hello my future girlfriend, this is what i sound like” along with an assortment of hard techno, booty house, and “deathno” (but not the nice kind like you want).