Blog

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    I got a cat

    5.00 of 25 votes

    Please welcome my new feline companion, Mr Slevin. Slevin is a domestic semi-long hair tabby, born 3rd June 2021 alongside his brother and sister. He was always a bit slower than his siblings. Prone to bumping into things, falling over, and spectacularly failed escape attempts. I adopted Slevin at age 1, after he had seemingly grown enough to produce an abundance of fur that somehow sticks to all upholstery. It took him a while to adjust to the new environment, but I think he’s settled in well, and I’ve fortunately got the assistance of my Roomba to help keep his fluffy deposits under control.Just like most cats, he’s rather nocturnal, and prefers the cover of darkness to explore in all his feline curiosity. This works well for my insomnia, as I’m often awake in the early hours of the morning, incidentally curious about hacking all the things. It’s comforting to share his company. Whilst my exposure to cats has been somewhat limited, I’ve always enjoyed their company. Just like hackers, they seem to exhibit natural information seeking behaviours, a daring curiosity of their environment, and share an innate desire to understand and test boundaries. I have no doubt we'll enjoy each other's company for many years to come.

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    My limited edition print art collection

    4.94 of 84 votes

    Over the years I've collected a number of prints from a particular artist. This artist is David Ambarzumjan, an incredibly talented painter from Germany that aims to combine abstract and surrealistic elements to express his fascination for nature in all its diversity and unpredictability. His works can be found in private collections and exhibitions all around the world, some of which I've been lucky enough to acquire for decorative placements throughout my home. Here I've documented some of the limited edition prints I've acquired from his Brushstrokes in Time collection and any I'm still interested in buying. I'll endeavour to update this blog post whenever I'm successful in my efforts. THIS WAS WATER(1/100) ZEBRA CROSSING(15/50) SHARKS IN MONTMARTE(6/50) WATERSHED(6/100) STRAY(8/50) HUMAN NATUREOPEN EDITION RECOVEROPEN EDITION BREATHE**SEEKING** GEZEITENWELLE(97/100) If you have any of these limited edition prints which I've listed as **SEEKING** that you would be willing to sell, please feel free to reach out to me via my contact form with offers.

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    Why I choose to keep my employer information hidden

    4.99 of 106 votes

    The security community widely accepts that participating in social media within a white-hat capacity can naturally bring about undesirable interactions. This is why many security professionals opt to maintain a strict separation between their online activities and their personal lives. The reality is that one can no longer freely participate in social media whilst also remaining independent from the consequences of it. Over the years I’ve had my fair share of online run-ins with skids, anonymous trolls, and even suspect APTs to know that my employment relationship can risk falling into their scope of targeting. Participation in online spaces seems to require a growing degree of caution, which only serves to restrict our behavioural options and limit how freely we’re able to express ourselves. This reality is best evidenced by the often seen common-sense disclaimer “my views are my own”, a proclamation sadly made necessary by the prevalence of ‘woke’ snowflake communities and their associated cancel culture campaigns. Our elected career path is often a life-choice characteristic upon which we are judged, as is our choice of employer. For this reason I've opted to redact my current employer information from my CV and any other online channels.

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    In memory of my friend Craig Warden

    4.90 of 105 votes

    My colleague and friend unexpectedly passed away last year and I wanted to share a few lasting words which I hope might venerate our friendship and pay tribute to his memory. Craig Allen Warden 16 December 1970  —  13 April 2019 I’ve considered writing something for a long time, but my personal blog is hardly a podium for obituaries and mournful proclamations. Finding the right words has been difficult. I met Craig whilst working at the Guardian newspaper. He was the Head of HR at the time and we met during the natural course of our employment. Working with Craig was always entertaining due to his eloquence. He was quick-witted, had a jovial personality, and always knew how to bring out the best in those he worked with. He would always greet me with his signature “Hello matey!” in a skewed accent (which took me a while to place). Our social relationship was never linear. More often than not we would end up in protracted conversations. Even impromptu corridor banter would at times overrun and command a fleeting wave or a witty one-liner adieu. I like to think this was testament to our discussion value, but looking back I think we just got along well. We always had to rush back to work to avoid being late, but every chat was refreshing and worthwhile. I think about Craig a lot, and often find myself revisiting the moments we shared. This short blog post does the salient volume of his life little justice, but I find solace in knowing it might resonate with the people that were lucky enough to have known him, and maybe serve as insight to those that never had the chance. See you in another life, matey.