Saturday, May 30, 2026

Security Testing Journal Entry | w/e Friday May 30, 2026 - “Memorial Week” Ed.

Highlights for the week

Gloomy start to the week. Cold, gray, and lots of rain which gave way to a gorgeous sunny day. The perfect metaphor for how things, including this unemployment, will turn around for the better.

This is another banger of a quote from Simon Sinek, "Leadership isn’t about being in charge; it’s about taking care of those in your charge." -- it might just reshape my approach to leadership. I've always been the person to take on the lead of a project. I was a Maitre D' at HTH, then later a personnel manager. I've been in lead roles more time than I care and all it taught me was that you have 2 bosses: the people you report to, and your subordinates. You have to keep both happy to keep your job. So annoying!!

MONDAY

Affirmation: INCOMPETENCE SHPULD NOT BE REWARDED WITH BLIND LOYALTY " - Lord Vary , GOT

Given the current state of the job market, and the toxicity of the workplace, one can only wonder what the new expectations are when the trust between employer and employee has been irrevocably severed.

TUESDAY

Affirmation: ONCE YOU KNOW YOUR WHY YOU BECOME UNSHAKEABLE - S. Sinek

One of the greatest pearls of wisdom from listening to the video this morning, during my workout, was this statement: "Failure is the raw material success is made from." My entire life, from high school sports, to college, and beyond, I've always felt like a failure. I drifted from job to job with no real sense of purpose. Now I'm learning, you have to fail 9 times to get to the 1 success. The key is to NOT repeat the same failures but rather learn from them. And if a new one presents itself, embrace it. Recognize it as your instructor. I should learn to ask myself: What is it teaching me? or What could I have done better?.

In the end, failure doesn't define you ... it refines you.

WEDNESDAY

Affirmation: POSITIVITY IS DISCIPLINED MOVING TOWARDS PURPOSE

Small, daily habits done consistently over time. Strength, optimism, and presence.

What you tell yourself daily. What you commit to. Stay rooted, even when it is hard.

THURSDAY

Affirmation: LIFE IS A MIRROR NOT A WINDOW

Your world is a reflection of who you are. You can choose accept it or you can change it.

There are times when thoughts of her enter my mind and I think - "what if" - but then I laugh because we just weren't going to make it. The fantasy of who she was is not the reality of who she is. She's a cat person, I love dogs. She's jewish, I'm far from it. Our cultures are way off. And for all I know, she would be a bad cook. Or not, who knows. I am just so grateful for God bringing her into my life and teaching me what love feels like. And I realize now that she was just one of many incidents that were a reflection of what I wanted.

Fast-forward to now, my unemployment situation is trash, my marriage is at an amicable stand-still in the romance deptartment, and the world doesn't make sense.

FRIDAY

Affirmation: THE PERSON YOU WANT TO STRIVE TO BECOME IS THE PERSON YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN!

As I was cleaning the apartment, I was listening to a brilliant podcast and there was a mention of the Golden Bhudda. The story was that to protect it from thieves, the citizens of the town where it sat covered the statue in dirt. When theievs and passers-by looked on, all they saw was a mound of dirt. Centuries passed and the dirt hardened. One day someone accidentally chipped a corner of the mound and found a bit of gold shining through.

The metaphor: There's a lot a good man (like me) has to chip away at to get to the gold that lies underneath. There is gold within me, just have to overcome the traumas, heal the hurts, and stay consistent and true to my values. So far, so good!

What We’re Grateful For

Grateful for another awesome week of working out, staying healthy, sleeping well, and eating clean.
Grateful for listening to a ton of motivational podcasts and videos. The lessons are the blessing.
Grateful for a loving family ... the only thing that really matters in this insane world.

What We Loved

Outside of not working, loved everything about staying faithful, staying focused, and remaining true to myself. Even when the temptations are everywhere.

What We Learned

TO DO

Google Project Management [Status: TO DO!!] Thinking about this a lot.
INNER WORK [Status: TO DO!!] Rollover from last week. I keep sleeping on this.
QA DAY - "SevereQA" business idea [Status: TO DO!!] Writing up the business plan and how to use agents.
Cloud Pen TestingGoogle Cloud [Status: TO DO!] | Azure [Status: TO DO!]

IN PROGRESS

Web App PT - Pinterest [Status: BLOCKED!] Both test accounts got suspended by Pinterest Admin. Submitted a ticket to BC Support team.
QA DAY - Playwright CLI [Status: BLOCKED!] Ran through my tokens and have to wait for June to reset.
AI/LLM Pen Testing - Wraith.sh [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Completed M1. On to M2
Cloud Pen Testing - AWS [Status: IN PROGRESS!!]
Android PT - HexTree [Status: IN PROGRESS!!] Working through Android Intent Module. Staring on Android Bindermodule.
READ Finish reading "Zorro" [Status: IN PROGRESS!!] Almost finished with Part-III ... need to make time to get this done.
Writing - "Husb" [Status: IN PROGRESS!!] On my list for Saturday (5/30).
Side Hustle Substack Account [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Near-complete. Will port over my Medium content soon enough.

DONE

Appium w. Python - Practice [Status: DONE!]. The app is straight forward on android; blocked on iOS.

What We Longed For

A good job, with great people, making decent money, doing something enjoyable .. QA Engineer or Security.
Lack of certifications are impacting my job prospects so we can declare certifications a lack.

What We Loathed

Six months into 2026 and there have already been 240k layoffs. More on the way.

Friday, May 22, 2026

Security Testing Journal Entry | w/e Friday May 22, 2026 - “Manifesting a Soggy Dollar” Ed.

Highlights for the week

Kicking off another great week to cherish and be grateful. The idea of starting a business is taking root. If not a Tiki Bar, Testing-as-a-service / Freelance. Anything to escape the idea of depending on an employer for a living. It's gross.

The theme of manifesting "Soggy Dollar" at BVI stems from my computer's wallpaper. But more importantly, it's about manifesting succcess, prosperity, financial stability, and both personal and professional growth.

MONDAY

Affirmation: YOU ARE NOT WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU. YOU ARE WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO BE - JIM ROHN

The grind continues. Got up early, welcomed the day, crushed at the gym, and celebrated wins.

TUESDAY

Affirmation: STAY FAITHFUL

Quiet day. The job I wanted didn't want me. Dedicated the day to closing out old jobs and finishing lingering work.

WEDNESDAY

Affirmation: LIFE DOESNT BREAK PEOPLE. WEAK THINKING DOES! - JIM ROHN

Find comfort in doing the hard things. If you fail, ask:

What did this teach me?
Where did I struggle?
What can I do better?

THURSDAY

Affirmation: NO DAYS OFF!!

Show up > Give it 100% > Get it Done! > Celebrate the Win.

FRIDAY

Affirmation: Nonce

Another blesssed week. Still no job to speak of, but learning a lot and making new connections.

What We’re Grateful For

Another brilliant week with good health and wellbeing.
Grateful to have the chance to learn new things and grow as a person.
Grateful for another solid workout. Feeling the progress .. t-shirts feel tighter!

What We Loved

As always ... happiness is a full fridge, warm meal, a comfy bed, and harmony in the home.

What We Learned

TO DO

Google Project Management [Status: TO DO!!] Thinking about this a lot.
INNER WORK [Status: TO DO!!] Rollover from last week. I keep sleeping on this.
IN PROGRESS
AI/LLM Pen Testing - Wraith.sh [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Completed the Intro. Module. Need to start on the prompt injection vuln module (M1)
Finish reading "Zorro" [Status: IN PROGRESS!!] Started on Part-III
Writing - "Husb" [Status: IN PROGRESS!!] I finished the scene where Diamondback was shot down and about to be tortured; need to expand on it a litt more.

DONE

WebApp Pen Test - MyFitnessPal [Status: DONE!] Since I don't know when I will get to the mobile apps, I figured to finish the web app pt report and write a follow up a.s.a.p.
[QA DAY] Demoblaze on mobile device w. Playwright [Status: DONE!!]
[QA DAY] Appium refresher w. Python [Status: DONE!] 4hr battle with android bringing the environment up to current; iOS is failing to launch at the moment.

What We Longed For

Employment .. of any kind. Preferably in

What We Loathed

The layoffs are not even at the end of the begininning. It's getting really bad in 2026. I'm beginning to question my career choices.

Thursday, May 14, 2026

Security Testing Journal Entry | w/e Friday May 15, 2026 - “Keeping The Faith & Winning The Race” Ed.

Highlights for the week

Not a lot of wins. The unemployment stats are lies. The job search process is fundamentally broken. When applicants do apply, there are AI pre-screeners that effectively knock out 90% of applicants before a human has even had the chance to look at it. When they do, another set of biases are employed to whittle down the number of candidates to single digits. Then, the games really begin. I have to believe countries on the other side of the globe are getting first dibs on all the postings. By the time I get to it, 200 applicants will have already beaten me to the punch. And if the screening process is to accept the first 50, I'm cooked!

I asked Google Gemini the following: To date, what has been the total number of tech layoffs? And given the number of people going through long-term unemployment, along with those who have given up, what is the most accurate figure that truly represents the current job market?. It answered with a verbose posting, but the short-version: The U-6 Unemployment Rate: 8.2% ... yay!

Looming is the threat of a Hanta Virus outbreak. Will we go on lockdown? Probably not. But that was the same circumstance in November of 2019, before we were forced in.

MONDAY

Affirmation: SUCCESS IS NOT ABOUT MEETING SOMEONE ELSE’S EXPECTATIONS. IT’S ABOUT LIVING UP TO YOURS

I hate when wife and I yell at each other. Worse still, I hate letting myself get to the point where I'm yelling. I'm just tired of being beaten up over and over for the same issues of the past.

Yes! I've stumbled and made a lot of mistakes but I am NOT a loser. I am just in a weird quandry. I have to heal from the hurts and retrain the brain for success. Work in progress for sure!

Sidebar: Didn't make much progress with Android .. the application used in the module is failing. Will probably have to go through the lessons as a spectator.

TUESDAY

Affirmation: WHEN LIFE CAN NO LONGER THREATEN YOU WITH DEATH, WHAT ELSE IS THERE?

Don't let fear keep you from your potential. Don't let failure compound to the point you sabotage your dreams and relationships. Move anyway! Take the risk! Apply for the job! Ask her out!

It pays to be patient. Took a second look at the module and had missed something I didn't see yesterday. After slowing the video down several times, I caught what I was doing wrong and made the adjustment.

WEDNESDAY

Affirmation: A SAFE MAN IS GOING TO MAKE MISTAKES, BUT ...

He is going to take accountability for his actions. What makes him safe is his willingness and commitment to repair and grow when challenged to be the best man he can be.

Big wins today as we learned more about android pen testing using Frida-Trace to understand how to hack button interactions on a native app.

More wins as teaching my son Spanish is progressing at a good pace.

Had a tremendous heart-to-heart with him at the gym. We dropped the ball on Mother's Day, but finances aren't there to have done more. We have got to fix this!!

The Pen Test for MFP has taken a back seat for the android learning. TBH, the website was ok, but it's the app that has me intrigued. Not a total waste, but I've let the report fall behind intended schedule. FML!!

THURSDAY

Affirmation: MAKE IT OK TO FAIL!

Anything worth doing is worth doing right, as we have been taught. But if you were never taugjt, keep doing it until you get it right. (Les Brown)

FRIDAY

Affirmation: WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE WILL YOUR HEART BE ALSO - [LUKE 12:34

And what a perfect way to close out the week.

What We’re Grateful For

Another wonderful week
Having the opportunity to see my mother on Mother's Day.
Enjoying the small wins, starting with sleeping well, getting up ahead of schedule, and crushing it.
Bonding with my son has been awesome.
Doing the inner work, even a little bit at a time, and healing the trauma. The inner dialog has been all positive.

What We Loved

Spending time with Mom, even for a little bit.
Hitting my goals for the week.
Feeling more at peace spiritually and mentally.

What We Learned

TO DO

Google Project Management [Status: TO DO!!] Thinking about this a lot.
AI Pen Testing [Status: TO DO!!] I created the account for https://wraith.sh/academy and it looks amazing!!
INNER WORK [Status: TO DO!!] Rollover from last week.
Finish reading "Zorro" [Status: TO DO!!] Rollover from last week.
Android Pen Test - MFP [Status: TO DO!!] Rollover from last week ... momentum was derailed.

IN PROGRESS

HexTree Android PT - Dynamic Intstrumentation [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Wrote scripts to call functions and record actions (trace).

DONE

Playwright CLI [Status: DONE!] Refactored my test framework and added chaos testing for web and APIs. +500 tests in 1 week.

What We Longed For

At this point, a consulting job, preferably in pen testing. Will accept QA Engineerign for the right salary.

What We Loathed

The Job Market in 2026. Beginning to think I may have made the wrong career choice.

Friday, May 8, 2026

Security Testing Journal Entry | w/e Friday May 8, 2026 - "The 4th Is With Us .. Always" Ed.

Highlights for the week

A great quote from Andy Stumph, former Navy Seal and author of "Drown Proof", "WHAT YOU ALLOW IN YOUR PRESENCE IS YOUR STANDARD"

MONDAY

Affirmation: PATIENCE, PERSISTENCE, AND POSITIVITY

Avoiding discomfort doesn't protect you; it hollows you out. As I keep hearing from so many motivational speakers, you need to go outside of your comfort zone. The land of familiarity belongs to the dead.

The 4th is here and gave myself a little chance to nerd out with "Maul: Shadow Lord" and holy jeebus was it a great episode.

Spent the better part of the day on continued learning for reverse engineering android apps. It's really about knowing how to read the code and where to look for the treasure. Brilliant program!!

TUESDAY

Affirmation: YOU HAVE COME BACK POWER

Another great quote I hear often, "a setback is a setup for a comeback." Lord knows I need this. The family needs me to prosper.

Nothing got done today on account of personal priorities. We had Cinco De Mayo to attend to, so pen test and HexTree are 1 day behind.

WEDNESDAY

Affirmation: COMMIT TO THE HOPE OF TOMORROW, NOT THE MISTAKES OF THE PAST

Don't wallow in yesterday's bad .. live hopeful and joyous for tomorrow. That's where the promise of your best self lives. So don't carry old baggage into new beginnings. Learn, don't repeat, and keep moving. Love this!

Spent the better part of the day with the Android modules. Some are pretty challenging. The videos move fast, but the learning is enjoyable.

THURSDAY

Affirmation: IN LIFE, YOU DONT GET WHAT YOU WANT, YOU GET WHAT YOU ARE

Ooof .. this one hits hard. Something I've been meaning to correct for the past 25 years is the idea of who I should be. But as I learned the previous day, dwelling on the mistakes is what's kept me down all these years; repeating the same patterns and never learning. So the larger question is, who will I become, and what will be the outcome?

FRIDAY

Affirmation: VIEW YOURSELF AS THE ARCHITECT OF YOUR LIFE

A perfect plan executed poorly is going to deliver garbage .. words to live by as I close out the week. Hit a lot of my goals ... yay!!

What We’re Grateful For

Grateful that I have another week of good health and good vibes.
Grateful to have the medical insurance that covered my blood work. The results came back favorable.
Grateful to be closer to my weight loss goal. Turns out the muscles gained might be adding weight, which is why I've not come close to my goal.
Grateful to be with a wonderful family.

What We Loved

Hitting my goals, especially with learning more about android reverse engineering.
Learning AI + QA. The skill to automate using AI reduced overall setup time from weeks down to hours.

What We Learned

TO DO

Google Project Management [Status: TO DO!!] Thinking about this a lot.
INNER WORK [Status: TO DO!!] Adding this entry to the list for future use.
Finish reading "Zorro" [Status: TO DO!!] Maybe this weekend we'll finish the section I'm on ... maybe
AI Pen Testing [Status: TO DO!!] Referred to an interesting framework to playwith ... courtesy of a connection on Linked In.
Android Pen Test - MFP [Status: TO DO!!] Need to find a AVD compatible with the app that can be rooted.

IN PROGRESS

Android PT (Hextree) App Module: Reverse Engineering 2 [Status: Done!] Learned how to read through the code with jadx and add a custom class.
"Husb" - Chapter "Time for Monsters, Pt. 1" - [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Working through a small section about Husb's wife and son in the natural. Six and Jessica need to find Diamondback.

DONE

Web Pen Test - MFP [Status: DONE!] Report is late. Acceptable due to delay in installing app in emulator.
QA DAY: [Status: DONE!] Learned how to use Playwright CLI to set up a fully fleshed out test harness. After the refactor, total was 4 hours.
Android PT (Hextree) App Module: Advanced Reverse Engineering [Status: DONE!] Was able to complete some labs (get flags), but others were not working to spec.

What We Longed For

A great job, working on cool things, with amazing people, for good pay and benefits. In other words, something like Google Mandiant Security Consultant.

What We Loathed. The layoffs are not stopping anytime soon.

2026 Job Market
Late rejections for jobs I don't remember applying to.

Friday, May 1, 2026

Security Testing Journal Entry | w/e Friday May 1, 2026 - “If we can look up, we can get up!!” Ed.

Highlights for the week

Let's kick off the week with the following acknowledgement: GOD IS GOOD! & CHRIST IS KING!

I expect to reach my goals. This week, this month, and certainly this year.

It's time to make the next 25 years count. Been doing it the hard way for far too long.

I hate that I wasn't able to go see Mom for her birthday, but after running the numbers, it will cost roughly $200 (USD) and a full day to see her for a pair of hours. That being said, there are far less tomorrows than yesterdays. Need to stop with the excuse "we don't have the money" and start making moves.

MONDAY

Affirmation: IF WE CAN LOOK UP, WE CAN GET UP!

Happiness is a full refrigerator.

Love this statement. Yes, life has handed us a crap sandwich. And yes, we are to blame. But God isn't through with us yet. I will find my purpose.

Have I mentioned that Mondays are notoriously bad for job hunting. 2 applications submitted, both IDGAF about. They seem ok, but wouldn't flinch if I get rejected.

TIL - read the code, don't overthink the solution. This is for the Android Hextree App solve, where I got tasked with looking for the flag by reading the code to understand how it works.

TUESDAY

Affirmation: GET READY! LOOK THE PART! STAY HUNGRY!

Had a tremendous day: solid workout followed by productive day with pen testing and the Hex Tree learning modules.

Wrote a bit for "Husb.: Time For Monsters" chapter. Things are getting good.

WEDNESDAY

Affirmation: IMPACT DRIVES INCOME!

Kicked off the morning with amazing pancakes and sausage. Thick, fluffy, and so delish!!

TIL - how to pull the android .apk file installed on a device. So .. friggin' .. cool!

THURSDAY

Affirmation: BUILD RELATIONSHIPS!

Need to work on getting out more, volunteer, and network.

FRIDAY

Affirmation: YOU DON'T JUST GO THROUGH IT, YOU GROW THROUGH IT!

Working on getting myself better and healing the boy within.

What We’re Grateful For

God is not through with me yet.
The wisdom I've been praying for has been in all the lessons learned from failing so much. God IS Good!!
Said earlier .. happiness is a full 'fridge.
Grateful for the love of the family and finally finding the YT channel to help heal the wounded boy within.

What We Loved

Wife has been on the bread-making kick with fabulous results.
Loved that wife has joined me at the gym in the mornings. Hoping she stays consistent.
Loved that the wisdom I've been praying for has been there the whole time, sadly in the form of failing so damn much.

What We Learned

TO DO

INNER WORK [Status: TO DO!!] Adding this entry to the list for future use.
Finish reading "Zorro" [Status: TO DO!!] Maybe this weekend we'll finish the section I'm on ... maybe
AI Pen Testing [Status: TO DO!!] Referred to an interesting framework to playwith ... courtesy of a connection on Linked In.
Android Pen Test - MFP [Status: TO DO!!] Need to find a AVD compatible with the app that can be rooted.

IN PROGRESS

Android PT (Hextree) App Module: Advanced Reverse Engineering [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Working through the module. The demo app isn't side-loading onto the device.
"Husb" - Chapter "Time for Monsters, Pt. 1" - [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Lady Hecate/Cetus are gone. Amayra is now on earth. Six and Jessica need to find Diamondback.

DONE

Web Pen Test - MFP [Status: DONE!] Completed a full sweep. Found some goodies but reported, and fixed, by another person (drats!). Mobile is the focus anyway
Cloud Security Fundamentals [Status: DONE!] Read the one .pdf. It was high-level and not complicated, but it didn't answer the "how" probably because AWS, GCP, and AZURE all require different approaches. As stated last week, the CCSP is expensive.
Android PT (Hextree) App Module: Reverse Engineering [Status: Done!] Learned how to reverse Engineer an app, pull it down from a device and decompile it with apk tools.
QA DAY: [Status: DONE!] Learned how to set up and use Playwright CLI. Need to watch the videos and get more info. Also managed to fix the failing login tests due to the DOM elements not being found. The AI "healed" the test in seconds. AMAZING!! It would have taken me half-a-day to troubleshoot and fix.

What We Longed For

A great job, working on cool things, with amazing people, for good pay and benefits. In other words, something like Google Mandiant Security Consultant.

What We Loathed

2026 Job Market. Unemployed for 11 months without so much as a blip on the recruiter radar. 1 rejection note in the last two. It's all so awful.
AI Companies are going to drive this economy into the ground for the sake of greed and ambition.
Politicians on both sides are going to severe their own interests and drive this country into the dirt. And that's when the monsters will show up.

Friday, April 24, 2026

Security Testing Journal Entry | w/e Friday April 24, 2026 - “Second Verse, Same as the Worst!” Ed.

Highlights for the week

The layoffs have not subsided. Meta plans a couple of more rounds of layoffs starting May 20th. About 8,000 good people are going to be shown the door for no real reason except "AI Research" -- which is beginning to smell of grade-A bs. The lie is meaningful gains from using LLMs. The truth is corporate america is saturated with workers they didn't need in roles that will no longer matter, costing the company way more than necessary.

Gross still is the incentivized evil perpetuated by the stock market. Companies are "rewarded" for showing PROFIT/GROWTH. And this occurs by way increased revenue or decreased cost. The math is simple: If you aren't generating revenue, you have to eliminate cost. Human resources tends to be the easiest exendable line item in the ledger. So when Zuck has to reduce headcount to show profitability, he's really reallocating 1.16 billion in capital to fund projects to become more competitive in the AI space.

And Meta is far from the only perpetrator of this evil. IT companies are dumping US workers for foreign H1-Bs, because the work needs to get done, just for cheap. And when the AI takes off, those roles will be eliminated too. The decimation will be complete. That's if we're not in the apocolypse.

In other news, here's hoping I get to launch a book before judgement day.

MONDAY

Affirmation: WORK HARDER ON YOURSELF THAN YOU DO AT YOUR JOB!

As the statement goes, if you're a hard worker, you can make a living. If you work harder on yourself, you can make a fortune. And in 2026, there really is no incentive to work hard and play by the rules when the system is rigged against you. It's all upside down.

TUESDAY

Affirmation: BELIEVE TO ACHIEVE

Quiet day. Had a strong workout and kicked off the PT for MFP. Also took another step forward in the Android PT learning. Built the a janky app and learned about intents, layouts and what-not. I'm baffled by the fact I never got into Android mobile dev sooner. It's surprisingly fun. Closed the day with reading about Cloud security. Going to chip away at the books.

WEDNESDAY

Affirmation: HEAL THE BOY TO BECOME THE MAN!!

Need to make time for the inner work this weekend.

Another week where the jobs are there, but the responses are not. The family is feeling the slow loss of income. I can't keep taking out cash advances. +200 applicants for 1 chair is bad math.

Non-sequitor: I might have a teeny-tiny addiction to reddit.

THURSDAY

Affirmation: CELEBRATE THE WINS, EVEN THE SMALLEST ONES

Another good day. Got to finish learning about Claude AGENTS then put the knowledge to use with Playwright. I installed the MCP Server and ran through some tests. Absolutely blown away. In a matter of a few prompts and refactoring, I managed to get a suite of tests composed with a test plan and a report.

FRIDAY

Affirmation: A CLEAN HOUSE IS A HAPPY HOUSE

Second try at getting my bloodwork done. Not much else to get done as I've been keep on top of things throughout the week. still need to finish "Zorro"

What We’re Grateful For

The gratitude things will always be for family and loved ones.
Grateful that I have medical benefits that covered my bloodwork. Getting concerned about my t-levels and PSA that needs to be addressed.
Grateful for another great week of learning and living.

What We Loved

Loved to have started a new pen test.
Loved learning a new skill with both android and Playwright MCP.
Loved that I got to finish learning about agents with Claude. It was a great week!!

What We Learned

TO DO

Finish reading "Zorro"
AI Pen Testing [Status: TO DO!!] Leaving this here so I don't forget that I legit want to learn this.

IN PROGRESS

Web Pen Test [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Completed recon for MFP. Now onto mapping the application and playing around with stuff.
Cloud Security Fundamentals [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Found a couple of great pdfs to read. The Google course is expensive, but worth it.
Android PT / Hex Tree - Network Interception Module [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Built out a quick app and learned about intents. A few more modules to go.

DONE

QA DAY: [Status: DONE!] Learned how to set up and use Playwright MCP Server. Next on the list will be to employ it for "Space Advisor POC"
Writing: "Husb..." [Status: DONE! ] The Lady Hecate/Cetus successfully rewritten; Added the scene where Dark Queen goes through the void. Next up "Time for monsters".

What We Longed For

As always: A great job, with cool people, doing amazing things for decent pay and benefits; Simply put: Mandiant Security consulting.

What We Loathed

2026 Job Market - Even more layoffs on the horizon.

Friday, April 17, 2026

Security Testing Journal Entry | w/e Friday April 17, 2026 - “New Energy” Ed.

Highlights for the week

The week came and went super-fast. The front-half of the week was successful with getting the mobile emulator set up for proxy. Now I can extend my pen testing to mobile.

The back-half of the week was dedicated to personal medical stuff, both for myself and wife. Wednesday was an all-day outing and yesterday was spent recuperating. Friday was supposed to have some bloodwwork done, but the appointment got rescheduled due to some missing information.

Job hunt still going strong. Well below my 10 job quota, but I did submit some new applications for decent jobs. Saddened about not landing Fora. But like the saying goes, that which was meant for you will not pass you by.

MONDAY

Affirmation: RECLAIM YOUR MASCULINE ENERGY

Not a lot happeing on the job front. Mondays tends to be super-quiet.

Sadly, I did not get the nod for Fora, the travel app. Sucks because it looked like a cool gig. It's ok, the title of "Junior" sucked.

Since the weekend, I've been on another wave length. Even had a great convo with wife yesterday.

TUESDAY

Affirmation: GOD IS GOOD!!

Woke up feeling amazing. Literally floating on air. In the best mood I've been in I don't know how long. It has to do with the "wounded boy" videos I've been listening to over the weekend .. so eye opening.

Grateful for the setback. It was necessary to have this time to really truly heal and become self-actualized. Now the next bit is the inner work and deciding WTF I want to do with the rest of my life. Pen Testing is great, but the market is saturated. I keep looking for QA roles, but that is getting shipped overseas. I want to publish books, but are people still reading and do I have anything worth telling. The search continues, but I will not go to my grave not having used my talents. That would be the ultimate sin. Nevermind all the dumb s!@#$ I've done.

Android learning continues.

WEDNESDAY

Affirmation: LUCK IS THE UNION OF PREPARATION AND CONSISTENCY

Quiet day .. not a lot got done. The good win was getting the device to proxy to burp. Let the Android PT games begin.

THURSDAY

Affirmation: KEEP GRINDING

Lots of learning with Hex Tree. Not much else

FRIDAY

Affirmation: DAILY INTENT - WHAT WILL I DO TODAY THAT MOVES ME FORWARD!

The morning started with the intent to get some blood work done as part of the program to get my Testosterone levels checked. Had to reschedule.

Setting weekend goals as these past two days went quiet in terms of personal projects, job hunting, etc.

What We’re Grateful For

Awesome weather this week. Always grateful for that!!
Grateful that I have some money in the back that will get me through the next few months. Not comfortable by any stretch, but hoping to land a job soon.
Forever grateful for the family. Keep calm, but forever hopeful for what the good Lord is going to bless us with.

What We Loved

Outside of weather, it was a quiet week. Loved the quality sleep these last few days.
Loved that I found the "healing the inner boy" videos. I need to get started on the inner work.

What We Learned

Reversed the order of this list so it gives me a better prioritization of tasks.

TO DO

QA DAY: [Status: TO DO!] Need to bump this to next week. Personal priorities impacted completion of this.
Cloud Security Fundamentals [Status: TO DO!!] Need to bump this to next week.
AI Pen Testing [Status: TO DO!!] Leaving this here so I don't forget that I legit want to learn this.

IN PROGRESS

Hex Tree - Network Interception Module [Status: IN PROGRESS!]
Writing: "Husb..." [Status: IN PROGRESS!! ] The Lady Hecate/Cetus scene needs a rewrite. They should die together.

DONE

Hex Tree - Start / ADB Proxy Module [Status: DONE!] So happy that I got the emulator to work with the burp proxy.

What We Longed For

Great job with great people, making great money doing amazing work. Will happily welcome a good QAE role, but I really want Security Consulting.

What We Loathed

2026 Job Market