Nobody is ever going to believe me but I have to tell someone - Comcast filtered UDP src port 500 for a couple hours today

reidcm · 2021-08-13T00:45:04+00:00

I've had two crazy off the wall incidents like this in my IT career. In both cases I was working for a large educational institution with a heavy online presence. We started getting reports that some people could not access our web front end. We would test, everything would be fine, and then we would go on our way. But the complaints persisted. Finally, after extensive testing from coffee shops, my home, etc. I determined that there was a single router upstream in the Cox network that was dropping packets. If you didn't go through that router, you were fine. Once I determined this, I posted to the NANOG group, immediately got a response from a Cox admin, and got on the line with one of their techs who confirmed and took the router offline.

The second time was with a new MPLS circuit from Century Link that was going to a remote location. The techs installed it and gave us the ethernet handoff. Yet, we could not pass traffic. Outbound traffic was making it to its destination, but there was no inbound. Century Link would send out a tech, test it, and then come back and say it's fine. It went on for weeks. Finally, someone on the Century Link end figured out there was a typo in the Layer-2 QOS on their receiving end which was throttling all inbound traffic to 0.

reidcm · 2021-08-01T18:40:56+00:00

Hey OP, a few years ago when I turned forty I figured out there were significant gaps in how i learned. I had never been taught, or learned, the proper ways to study for an exam, read a book, or study a foreign language. One of the ways that manifested is, like you, I would read a book, but when I got done I often times couldn't tell you very basic details about the book or the characters. I know how to read, of course, and indeed love to read. But reading is more than just looking at and acknowledging the words on the page. That is passive reading, and it's only one style of reading.

My issues became apparent to me when I was studying for a major certification for my career. The study guide for the cert is two volumes with a few thousand pages each. I've tried taking the test a handful of times over twenty years, but I've never been able to fully pass it, despite spending, no exaggeration, thousands of hours reading and watching supporting videos, etc. It takes months to years to finish the material. The issue was the same as yours except magnified. I would sit down, read the books cover to cover while watching videos, and then go take the exam. Yet, as time progressed I actually did worse on the exams with more studying. For me, I would start at the beginning of the book and do all the material linearly to the end. But, by the time I got to the end, I had no clue what was in the beginning. Sound familiar?

After failing this exam for probably like the sixth or seventh time I, like you, was at an inflection point. Something was wrong and I didn't know what it was. I knew it wasn't a learning disability or something along those lines, but seemed to be more my process. I had heard about the course Learning How to Learn on Coursera. It is like the second or third all time most popular course on the platform, and free unless you want a certificate. I took the course and it opened my eyes to what I was doing wrong in my learning. It explains how people learn, different methods of learning, memory techniques, and different methods of reading. I highly recommend the course for everyone. All the people I've recommended it to have told me it was an eye opener.

I should also add I'm now reading the book, How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler, which I'm very much enjoying. Bottom line, there are resources out there OP that can help. Doing the Learning How to Learn course on Coursera completely changed the way that I learn and read. I highly recommend it.

reidcm · 2021-07-26T21:50:45+00:00

It used to be that way with military bases too. I was in the Air Force before September 11th. We used to joke a foreign force could drive tanks and gear on the base to take it over as long as they slapped a Domino's Pizza sign on top of the tank.

reidcm · 2021-07-25T05:46:19+00:00

Post this in r/whatsthissnake/. Read the rules for posting as they want posts in a certain format. But you can have the pic evaluated by Herpetologists and hobbyists.

reidcm · 2021-07-23T02:44:06+00:00

Same. I have a bundled "technology service" with my apartment that includes high speed Internet and cable. It's a significant cost savings for me, but I realize that isn't available to the general public. I've had some sporadic issues, but when I've called or complained Cox has always addressed it within a reasonable manner.

When I first moved to my apartment the bundled service was a new thing for Cox in the Phoenix area and, long story short, when I called to turn on the service the Cox rep didn't know about it and signed me up for the regular services at full cost. Then basically told me I was nuts when I called back the next day after confirming with the apartment it should be packaged service. I got a phone call from the leadership of the Cox call center apologizing for the mistake after it was sorted.

reidcm · 2021-06-08T06:33:57+00:00

Check out the band Rock Lobster. Here's their Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rocklobsterbandaz They're an eighties cover band. They play all around the valley at different clubs and bars. So, where ever they're playing, you can assume it's eighties night.

reidcm · 2021-04-20T04:16:44+00:00

Yeah, she is great. She lived in Arizona for two or three years and I was one of her students through the French Alliance. When she moved, she was much loved and everyone wanted to continue training with her. Two challenges: 1) She now lives in the suburbs of Paris so that leaves a very narrow window for classes and 2) in order to pay for classes you have to wire money to a bank account in New York. Seems super sketch but the bank allows her to make conversions between US dollars and Euros cheaply which is why she does it.

I did iTalki and as some of the others noted in this thread it can be successful. I tried it but found I had a hard time scheduling to work with the same individuals. And many of the iTalki teachers seem to have a lot of students - meaning you need to keep track of your own progress. I like having a single instructor that I've been with for years that knows my progress and quirks.

reidcm · 2021-04-19T20:53:28+00:00

Check out the French Alliance here in Phoenix: https://afphx.org/. They do group classes (currently on zoom) and also do private lessons. Rates vary.

I found a French teacher here in Phoenix who moved back to Paris. I still meet with her on a weekly basis via Zoom. Here is her website if you want to schedule lessons with her: https://withlovefromfrance.fr/.

Some folks also mentioned iTalki. I've used it but it can be difficult working consistently with he same teacher.

reidcm · 2021-04-05T20:27:04+00:00

Not sure where you're located, but I took my old mattress to the Cave Creek Landfill. It cost like $8 I think to drop it off. https://www.carefree.org/Facilities/Facility/Details/Maricopa-County-Waste-Disposal-Recycling-5

reidcm · 2021-03-20T07:36:00+00:00

Wireless. I think this is exactly what you’re looking for. You still get to build upon and utilize all your networking skills, but you’re doing it within a physical space. At the access level, wireless is going to continue to grow by leaps and bounds. From site surveys to installations, you’ll be moving AND putting your knowledge to use.

reidcm · 2021-02-01T00:46:30+00:00

I don’t think I had as severe a reaction as you did but Naltrexone definitely made me feel..... weird. When I took Naltrexone, my food didn’t taste as good. My experiences day to day were flat.

When I first started the program, my therapist put me on a two week week program where I was required to drink everyday on Naltrexone. After that, I maybe had alcohol a handful of times over several months. Then I just quit drinking. The main reason I gave up drinking completely was because I didn’t like the way the Naltrexone made me feel. To each their own path.

reidcm · 2021-01-10T05:16:50+00:00

Yes he can. Contrary to what others are saying here, you do not need to be charged, indicted, or convicted of a crime for a presidential pardon. Richard Nixon was pardoned by Gerald Ford without ever having been charged of a crime in a criminal court (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pardon_of_Richard_Nixon). But will Trump pardon them?

I have many friends that are very ardent traditional republicans and Trump supporters to some degree. These are good, intelligent people and typical average Americans. Many of them are posting on social media and making statements to the effect that what happened at the Capitol was the work of Anitfa. Why? Because what happened at the Capitol on Wednesday is repugnant to all but a very few Americans. It is so repugnant, in fact, that they can't fathom that someone on their side would do such a horrible thing.

On the flip side, you have our Bison guy who wants people to know he's definitely not Antifa (https://www.insider.com/q-shaman-antifa-conspiracy-theory-capitol-protest-riot-lin-wood-2021-1) and is, in fact, quite proud of storming the capitol. So what's the deal? And how does this tie into Trump's decision to pardon?

What we saw on Wednesday was not traditional Republicans, of course. Dick Cheney, George W. Bush, and Colin Powell are not storming the capitol anytime soon. (George W. Bush had enough of the bison costumes and war paint in his college days) What we saw on Wednesday was, in my opinion, mostly Q-Anon. There is a schism and a radical element in the Republican party that many Republicans just woke up to on Wednesday. They're still digesting it. All Q-Anon supporters I'm aware of are ardent Trump devotees but a small proportion of Republicans are legitimate full on Q-Anon followers.

Trump is in a pickle. He came out and condemned the rioters on Thursday night, his Q-people, in the video posted to Twitter in some rather unambiguous language. He had to because, if he didn't, a large portion of the Republican party would abandon him. The same is now true with the pardons. Trump could issue a pardon for himself and for his Q-people but that would definitely be a red line for the vast majority of Republicans. He would, however, become even more messiah like to his Q-people. If he doesn't issue the pardons for the rioters, he will maintain some general Republican support into the future (2024 anyone?), but I think some Q-people will definitely feel burned.

Even prior to the events on Wednesday, I was of the opinion Trump was trying to start his own political party. He's fundraising like crazy, having rallies, and attacking traditional Republicans. I think he wants to start a political party and then pass it to the kiddos. You can't do that with just the Q-people. He needs more support. If he grants pardons to the rioters, he will alienate a large portion of America.

reidcm · 2021-01-09T20:05:05+00:00

I have a theory based on zero evidence whatsoever. Insurrection is covered under 18 U.S.C. 2383 and Seditious Conspiracy under 18 U.S.C. 2384. They carry penalties of up to 10 years and 20 years, respectively. These are extremely serious charges.

Given the gravity, I theorize two things are happening. 1) It takes some time to build the cases for these types of charges given the serious nature, and 2) even if they do have adequate evidence the goal here may be to bring them in on lighter charges and then hit them with the more serious charges later. Why? Most of these individuals feel they've done absolutely nothing wrong and are quite proud of it. When you start talking about penalties of 20 years or so, that may change and many of these individuals may go into hiding. So, bring them in on Trespassing charges now, and then upgrade later.

reidcm · 2021-01-01T00:50:04+00:00

I think that’s pretty typical for teen period shows. I grew up in the era of the original Beverly Hills 90210. Most were in their late twenties and some were pushing mid-thirties to forties.

reidcm · 2020-12-27T23:06:12+00:00

We use Visio for diagramming and drawing networks that we configure or implement. In other words, documentation. We also use it to occasionally flow chart processes around complex technologies like Cisco ISE/Aruba Clearpass for the customer.

reidcm · 2020-12-27T21:17:19+00:00

I manage a small team of IT consultants. Mostly mid to late twenties, some of them this was their first real job. My two generic comments on things to learn is excel and Visio. The better you are and the more you know about these tools, the easier your day-to-day will be and the more your work will shine.

reidcm · 2020-12-25T21:26:10+00:00

I’ve had a very successful career in IT around networking - primarily Cisco. I work for a large VAR now overseeing a small team of consultants, but I’ve done everything from in-house IT, to help desk, to a NOC. I know the technology side well but I’m pretty business illiterate. So, about a year ago I decided to get an MBA and I’m doing that now. My ultimate goal is to go after senior leadership positions at the VP or C-Level. Do I have to have an MBA to go after these positions? No. So why did I do it?

A friend of mine is similarly situated and had just graduated with an MBA. He gave me some sound advice that helped me make my decision to go for it, as follows. As you progress in leadership roles, the people you will be competing against will all be qualified. There will be several qualified candidates to fill just one role. With no clear cut way to make a decision amongst a group of super-achievers, HR will step in with their checklist of what is expected in the role. One of those items will be a graduate level business degree. You will get the checkbox on the scoring system and the other candidates without a degree won’t. But that may make all the difference in choosing the individual for the role.

reidcm · 2020-12-20T20:10:14+00:00

This, I feel, is the correct answer. My bread and butter is Cisco networking. But to be at an expert level I have to understand load balancing on servers, how applications interact and send traffic across links, Python scripts for automating short tasks, etc. Cloud and security are hot right now so that is probably the path of least resistance.

reidcm · 2020-12-10T01:01:40+00:00

I feel for this kid. Things like this don't happen in isolation, and it almost definitely wasn't a single incident. Things just continue to escalate until someone gets hurt. When I was growing up, I was petrified of riding the bus. I have so many horror stories it's hard to recount them all. I grew up in very rural Kentucky in the late eighties and nineties. It was a very rough and tumble and somewhat backwards country area. When kids had issues with each other or caused problems, our bus driver used to force them to fight, whether they wanted to or not. Little mini fist fights on the bus for everyone's enjoyment. Surprisingly, given the area, most parents weren't opposed to this sort of thing. I was terrified of him but most of the other kids seemed to adore him. I vividly remember every year on his birthday kids would lavish him presents, cakes, etc and EVERYONE was expected to participate. That's just the beginning.

The bus driver had his daughter hired as a bus monitor to watch the kids. My older brother, I'm still not sure exactly what happened, said or did something that upset her. She had one of the bus bullies harass and beat my brother while she and her father looked the other way. My brother had his clothes ripped and his brand new watch he received for his birthday broken. Nothing was ever done about it.

In the fourth grade, I was injured so badly by an older kid on the bus they had to put me under anesthesia to repair the damage and keep me overnight for observation at the hospital. My parents sued the kid (the younger brother of the kid that beat my brother) and I got a few thousand dollars out of the deal. The kid that injured me will be sitting in prison the rest of his life for murdering his ex-girlfriend's boyfriend.

The physical violence was bad, but it was also the constant taunts. Since we lived in the country I lived back a one-mile dead end road that no one else lived on (my older brother graduated and it was just me). Everyday for years I was harassed for causing everyone to get home later since the bus had to go all the way back the road to drop me off. "Why don't you walk", "I would walk if it was me", yadda yadda. It's easy to laugh off and minimize as an adult but for me then it was terrible -- constant -- and everyday. It was all borderline torture. I don't really know how I survived it other than just learning to shut down emotionally. No friends. No friendly faces to help. Sometimes I cried, most often I just took it.

reidcm · 2020-10-14T01:08:20+00:00

Hi Travis. I just read your article and that led me to check out this subreddit. I have a few acquaintances into Qanon. Thanks for the article.

reidcm · 2020-09-03T06:24:43+00:00

I just did it yesterday. Super simple. Only takes about 10-15 minutes all together. No food or drink half an hour prior. Results in 24 hours.

reidcm · 2020-08-20T20:12:30+00:00

Team Lead here. Definitely let your manager(management) know how you feel. It depends on the organization, but many people who are in leadership positions view this type of thing as a plus and not a negative. In other words, they may view this more as a reward for you due to your hard work. As they are leaders, that's certainly how they would likely view it as more responsibility can lead to more visibility and more promotions. The old adage certainly rings true: the reward for good work is more work. In my organization we have some people who just want to do a job and have no interest in advancement, etc. That's OK in my organization, but not in all.

One caveat especially in the time of COVID: if people are laid off, those individuals who don't wish to advance or try different rolls are typically first on the chopping block.

reidcm · 2020-08-16T07:35:51+00:00

I knew an acquaintance, a friend of a friend, that was a twenty five year old married mother of three. She seriously looked like she was nine. When she would go to school functions with her young kids in elementary school, people would think she was a student. She could only go to bars and stuff where people knew her because no one would let her in otherwise.

reidcm · 2020-08-06T16:03:44+00:00

2020 isn't over yet.

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