it certification My IT Certification/Continuing Education Saga

[rolanaj 115]

Congratulations Eric!!! You know some people also find explaining things to other people helps them absorb information better too. Any victims er helpful bystanders around who would be willing sounding boards?

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,802]

Yes, indeed. I've always learned by teaching. My classmates and I are planning on getting together somewhere this week for some group study. I'll take that opportunity to drill them so that they can pass their retest.

 

And, of course, as I mentioned to Corrine elsewhere, my cats are pretty sick of me lecturing them about networking and Cisco devices.

[ross549 1,256]

This is how Tater Tot responds to me lecturing him about safe browsing practices.....

 

 

 

Adam

[amenditman 933]

And, of course, as I mentioned to Corrine elsewhere, my cats are pretty sick of me lecturing them about networking and Cisco devices.

Bet those cats could pass the test.

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,802]

Don't tell my classmates that. Then they're really feel bad.

[amenditman 933]

On no! Wouldn't want them to feel any worse than they already do.

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,802]

Yeah... they're all pretty down. My carpool pal seems to be perking up, though. He's cramming again and hopes to pass sometime this coming week. He just barely missed it the last time.

[Temmu 1,931]

congrats, eric! good job!

much success with the 800 page book and the test to follow!

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,802]

Yup. Running through Ch. 1 right now... VLANs, ISL, 802.1q, VTP, etc.

[ross549 1,256]

802.1q? I am going to have to look it up.....

 

Adam

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,802]

It's the IEEE standard for VLANs.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.1Q

 

Also known as "dot 1q" in engineer-speak.

[Cluttermagnet 923]

"Oh, Cisco!"

 

"Oh, Pancho..."

 

Way to go, Eric... you da man...

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,802]

Oh, Clutter!

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,802]

Well, got my testing voucher today via the young man from the college who handles that stuff. I can now use my voucher to schedule my ICND2/CCNA examination at my leisure... probably within the next three weeks or so. That's the goal, anyway. I found a virtual training course for this on Cisco's website. It starts on the 11. I may sign up for it. It's only 5 days long, but covers everything in ICND2. Should be interesting.

 

I also have my Pearson VUE (the testing company) accounts all set up, so once I purchase vouchers through the college (at 50% off), I can schedule my CompTIA cert exams (Network+, A+, Linux+). Gonna' have to brush up on RedHat, rpm-based package management, and sed/awk for the Linux one.

 

And, of course, the job hunt is back on full blast.

 

Oh, tomorrow we have our huggy/kissy followup session with the college folks. They're giving us a tour of the college's Ybor City campus network... and they're providing finger food. Oh, goody! Should be fun! My best pal's son who works at that college in their IT dept. says the Ybor City campus network is impressive.

[Temmu 1,931]

.. and they're providing finger food.

 

hmm, fingers as food, what a concept... kinda like "the zombies that ate the network engineers" movie

[abarbarian 3,520]

Ladies fingers are very tasty. Lightly sautéed with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

[zlim 1,283]

Actually, Ladyfingers are light and sweet sponge cakes.

Recipe http://www.joyofbaking.com/Ladyfingers.html

Goes good with Trifle or dipped in chocolate.

[Temmu 1,931]

i like the zombies theory, myself.

 

[temmu gazes about and wonders, "what thread am i in?"]

 

ps

nice one, abarbarian

Edited March 8, 2013 by Temmu

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,802]

Well, the network closet was very impressive; not so much that finger food.

 

We all said our good byes and made the usual keep-in-touch promises. It was kinda' sad, actually.

 

The folks who didn't pass the first exam are scheduled to retake it on the 21st. I'm going to show up for moral support.

[amenditman 933]

I'm going to show up for moral support.

I've always wondered about that idiom.

Shouldn't it be "morale" support?

Are peoples' morals always in such jeapardy of being compromised that they need questionable support from friends?

Edited March 8, 2013 by amenditman

[Temmu 1,931]

lol, amenditman!

at least he isn't showing up for immoral support...

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,802]

Good point again, Bob.

 

+0.732

 

And in reality, I'm definitely NOT the one to be providing support for anyone's morals.

[Temmu 1,931]

but you =were= caught consuming fingers... making you at least part zombie...

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,802]

They were pretty yummy finger (sandwiches), too. I had a turkey and a ham&cheese one, plus a 1/4 of a chocolate chip cookie. That shot my carb count for the week.

[Temmu 1,931]

well, good. and what good is food if u cannot enjoy it?

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,802]

I've given up enjoying good food in exchange for a longer life. That's the plan, anyway. My diet plan these days is as follows:

• if it tastes good, it ain't good for you
  
• if you like it, don't eat it
  
• if you eat it, don't like it
  
• find a hobby
  

[Temmu 1,931]

if it says "healthy" it is full of chemicals that will kill you!

a balanced natural diet is best!

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,802]

Balanced diets based on who's advice? The "food pyramid" that is loaded with carbohydrates has been shown to be the primary cause of the latest U.S. epidemic of type 2 diabetes. Balanced diet doesn't work for me. I'm diabetic, but I control it 100% with my diet (my A1C hovers around 4.7). The only way I can do this is to maintain a low carb lifestyle (less than 50g/day).

 

That balanced diet twaddle is a pet peeve of mine. You struck a nerve, temmu.

 

Further reading:

 

http://noctslackv2.w...diabetes-lurks/

 

http://noctslackv2.w...-bad-the-salty/

 

http://noctslackv2.w...-a-health-nazi/

 

[Temmu 1,931]

avoid anything that is labled "organic" "healthy" "vegan" "venusian" or "martian". "fat-free" assuredly means sugar-crammed. "sugar free" means full of poisonous chemicals.

[V.T. Eric Layton 6,802]

It's getting so a lot of the processed items that we eat should be labeled "food free".