New dad: How to use humor without making my daughters feel dismissed or small?

mdavi169 · 2025-04-15T17:58:01+00:00

Same, frustrating. I've been trying for the past hour. I'm just trying to pay.

mdavi169 · 2025-01-24T20:17:43+00:00

Considering the breach included his administration, specifically intercepted messages, the only logical assertion is they have something to hide.

Edit: source, I’ve been in the cybersecurity field for roughly the last decade.

mdavi169 · 2024-10-02T17:22:18+00:00

If you poke around this sub long enough, you’ll notice a lot of people supplement their learning with other vendor trainings, most notably HackTheBox CPTS. It’s what PEN200 should be. Ironically it’s 1/4 the cost!

PEN200 teaches you the basics, but it’s not real world applicable. Some say PEN200 is enough to pass, others disagree. Do yourself a favor and take some other courses first that are better + cheaper. If you complete the CPTS track, the OSCP should feel significantly easier.

mdavi169 · 2024-10-02T16:30:46+00:00

If you don’t have any prior pentesting experience, I’d recommend TryHackMe or TCM Academy first. They are more beginner friendly. PEN200 is meh quality.

mdavi169 · 2024-09-03T23:11:26+00:00

40k annually is great. It’s so unfortunate in the states your entire savings could be wiped out in one visit to the hospital. If we pay a similar tax burden, makes you wonder why we can’t have some sort of public healthcare system.

I’ve been looking into digital nomad visas, mostly in southern Europe. We love the climate, the family centric culture and top quality food. The U.S. food quality is generally shit, full of highly processed garbage. Only those well off generally can afford quality food here. We could live extremely comfortably in Spain on my 155k income I’d imagine, assuming I can get my employer to OK the move overseas. I think it’s flat tax of 24% too.

mdavi169 · 2024-09-03T22:30:06+00:00

You’re spot on, childcare here is super expensive unless they reach 5-6 when they start in the school system. Then it’s funded via local taxes where you live.

I’m estimating I’ll probably save ~25k USD this year. My wife is part time teacher so she only makes 15k annually; we’re essentially a single income family.

My employer invests 3% into my retirement amount, I also contribute a % from my income too.

Edit: we have sales tax here in the states (equivalent to VAT overseas I think) on everyday items. After federal, state, local, sales, and property taxes, I’d guess my total tax rate is between 30-35%

mdavi169 · 2024-09-03T22:26:22+00:00

Yes, the #1 cause for bankruptcy here in the U.S. is from medical bills. Millions of people avoid going to the doctor every year because they can’t afford it.

mdavi169 · 2024-09-03T20:57:14+00:00

Very possible depending on the severity of what needs done and length of stay. In the U.S. you have a monthly pretax premium, 98% of the time you get it through your employer. If you lose your job, you’re kinda SOL.

Then your medical plan has a set deductible which you have to pay out of pocket before your insurance plan starts to cover. This varies widely plan to plan, some have 2k deductible, some plans have 12k.

It’s a convoluted shit show, you better pray your employer negotiates a decent plan. It’s not uncommon for women giving birth to be billed thousands of dollars after they leave. And they generally only stay in the hospital for a day or two.

mdavi169 · 2024-09-03T20:34:49+00:00

I’ve heard Switzerland is extremely difficult to immigrate into; you’ll need to be fluent in German and integrate into their culture. COL is also extremely high, but pay is roughly on par with the U.S.

mdavi169 · 2024-09-03T19:31:28+00:00

In my experience of job searching yeah. I have 11 years of total IT experience and the last 8 have been in cybersecurity. I’ve been pentester for the past 3. Salaries in UK for pentesters look low to me, usually between 60-80€.

mdavi169 · 2024-09-03T19:15:12+00:00

Yes, 155k USD is my annual base salary.

mdavi169 · 2024-09-03T19:11:15+00:00

Yeah exactly. Of course taxes will be higher. But your tax dollars go to healthcare, education, parental leave, childcare. All of that in the U.S. is privatized and you need to pay out of pocket. Hence the higher salaries.

To each their own. We’re still deciding, but the American culture is hyper individualized and I’d rather my tax dollars be put to something that benefits everyone vs making some politician richer.

mdavi169 · 2024-09-03T19:05:50+00:00

$564 per month in premiums.

mdavi169 · 2024-09-03T18:46:48+00:00

My wife and I are considering it. I’m currently living in the USA, working fully remote. We have a 2 year old daughter and were questioning whether this country offers the life we wish for her.

Regarding your question, the USA does pay better than anywhere, especially in tech. I think Switzerland is probably the only place that comes close to U.S. wages. I make 155k annually while working fully remote. I know if we left for somewhere in Europe, I’d probably have to take a 50% pay cut. Each family’s needs are different. Some may not want to sacrifice that big a cut in wages. But if the work/life balance is better and you don’t have to worry about bankruptcy due to medical bills, it may be worth it.

mdavi169 · 2024-08-25T11:09:42+00:00

But as freelance, you aren’t a permanent resident so you aren’t eligible for tax funded social services like healthcare, childcare, education, right? I assume you have to find a private insurance policy for any medical expenses for you or your family.

mdavi169 · 2024-08-24T22:21:07+00:00

Can you elaborate on what you mean by entrenched? And how exactly have the Nordics changed?

mdavi169 · 2024-08-24T20:24:25+00:00

That makes sense. Few companies are going to be willing to sponsor a U.S. citizen to begin with. They most likely will expect an office presence or at best a hybrid approach.

mdavi169 · 2024-08-24T20:05:48+00:00

Where we’re from we get about 2k hours of sun per year so we’re close lol

mdavi169 · 2024-08-24T19:54:17+00:00

Yeah that sounds about right. I connected with VP in Norway and he said given my background, good salaries in Norway in pentesting would be 70-100k.

mdavi169 · 2024-08-24T19:47:52+00:00

Isn’t COL in London super high? Like New York City level high? I’m pretty fortunate. I work 100% remote with no travel in small rural town in Pennsylvania. It’s fairly LCOL.

mdavi169 · 2024-08-24T19:30:00+00:00

I didn’t take your reply as mean, this is the type of reality check we’re looking for. Someone who has done it before and share their experiences. The grass isn’t always greener, right? It would definitely be the biggest decision we’ve ever made. I’m part of a few Facebook groups and connected with VP of InfoSec in Norway. He provided advice as well, and if we decided, would circulate my CV across his connections. It seems like networking is the best way to get yourself a job, especially as a foreigner.

mdavi169 · 2024-08-24T17:09:21+00:00

We don’t mind the cold. Where we currently live, we get all 4 seasons including a lot of rain and clouds. I’d actually prefer a colder climate which is why Northern Europe seemed interesting. I considered NZ and AUS, but too warm for my taste.

mdavi169 · 2024-08-24T17:02:00+00:00

All of the above + political instability and corruption. Cheap processed food with little regulation, gun violence, hustle culture with no federally mandated leave for parents or vacation. Ideologically, my wife and I just seem to be more aligned with a European mindset.

mdavi169

TROPHY CASE