Security Testing Journal Entry | w/e Friday June 12, 2026 - “Chillin' & Grillin' ” Ed.

Highlights for the week

Another week has come and gone and not a lot of progress made, for reasons that have more to do with conflicting priorities than actual laziness. Simply put, personal errands and a trip to the doctor's cut into what I had scheduled for the day, and the rhythm for getting things done fell off.

The good news is I hit my weight loss goals (within 4 lbs.) and all vitals came back great.

The not-so-good news is there hasn't been much activity on the job hunt. A couple of rejections, but otherwise .. barely a whisper.

Critical issue is not knowing where the money for next month is going to come from.

MONDAY

Affirmation: DON'T LET EXCUSES STEAL YOUR POTENTIAL

Another gem from Jim Rohn. When you make excuses, you chip away at your potential to the point you have nothing left.

Small daily habits done consistently over time lead to success.

TUESDAY

Affirmation: DISCIPLINE IS THE BRIDGE BETWEEN GOALS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Build trust in yourself by keeping your word. Do the thing you set out to do. Wake up early, get sh** done, make sh** happen, reflect on what worked and where to improve, then repeat.

WEDNESDAY

Affirmation: GEN-X GETS IT DONE!!

Went to the doctor's so not much to write about to day. Focused on Pen Test afterwards.

UPDATE - Had a stellar visit the the Nurse Practitioner (not quite doctor) and she was cool. Nearly hit my weight goal and all vitals look good. Scheduled a follow-up for July and might need a dental visit soon.

THURSDAY

Affirmation: WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS .. REBUILD!!

For personal and professional reasons, this applies.

FRIDAY

Affirmation: THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS IS NOT IN SEEKING MORE, BUT IN DEVELOPING THE CAPACITY TO ENJOY LESS - Socrates

• Simplicity: Socrates emphasized that true happiness comes from appreciating what we have rather than constantly seeking more.
• Self-Control: Happiness is achievable through rational control over desires and focusing on the soul rather than material possessions.

What We’re Grateful For

1. Grateful for another solid week of learning, doing, and growing.
2. Grateful to be going to my doctor's (PCP) finally, after waiting for so long.
3. Grateful for an amazing health result. The months of consistent working out, eating clean, and sleeping well are paying off.

What We Loved

1. Wraith.sh is really fun

What We Learned

TO DO

1. Cloud Pen Testing - Google Cloud [Status: TO DO!] | Azure [Status: TO DO!]
2. INNER WORK [Status: TO DO!!] Rollover from last week. I keep sleeping on this.

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IN PROGRESS

3. Android PT - HexTree [Status: IN PROGRESS!!] Android Bindermodule .. working through it.
4. Web App PT - Started on Etsy [Status: TEMP BLOCKED!] Had to rebuild Kali .. In looking to make room on my machine, I may have indirectly deleted a dependency tied to the machine.
5. QA DAY - "SevereQA" business idea [Status: TO DO!!] Writing up the business plan and how to use agents.
6. Writing - "Husb" [Status: IN PROGRESS!!] Didn't get to it. Saving it for the weekend.
7. READ Finish reading "Zorro" [Status: IN PROGRESS!!] Almost finished with Part-III.

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DONE

9. Substack Account [Status: DONE!] Profile finished; Article Published; Posted to Linked In: weak engagement.
10. AI/LLM Pen Testing - Wraith.sh [Status: 90% DONE!] Module-2: Indirect Prompt Injection .. not finished. Can't get the flag, and I need to finish the questions.
11. QA DAY - Playwright CLI [Status: BLOCKED!] // Appium Practice - iOS & Android [Status: DONE!]
12. Web App PT - Pinterest [Status: BLOCKED!] Still no resolution.
13. Google Project Management [Status: NOT DOING!!] At $49 / mo. not worth the time .. for now.

What We Longed For

1. A security consulting job.
2. More time. This week was an absolute bust. I don't think I got anything done, and only filed 2 job applications.

What We Loathed

1. 2026 Job Market .. bad keeps getting worse!

Security Testing Journal Entry | w/e Friday June 5, 2026 - “Summer Lovin' ” Ed.

Highlights for the week

The idea of the "Golden Bhudda" rings ever true. Why work so hard to be someone ideal, when it was inside you all along. You just have to chip away at the bs, the trauma, the hurts, and all the behaviors that have got in your way.

June 6th makes 12 months since my last paycheck. It's been an instructive year. A necessary year. And a self-improving year. I don't miss the day-to-day commute to work, or the stress of dealing with management. I do miss pay and benefits. SI lost a couple of big fish this week so I don't feel too bad about losing my job. I do miss the work. Consulting is where I see myself. In the meantime, I keep applyin', and I keep tryin', but the man keeps denyin' me.

MONDAY

Affirmation: GET S** DONE, MAKE S** HAPPEN!

Completed my assessment for the year. Still so much to learn, but I've made great strides. The negative self-talk has improved. As has the areas where I failed at SI. By slowly building out the new microhabits, I'm overwriting the old ones. Consistency is key, and disciplined action is how I've been living. I will keep working hard at being 1% better ever .. single .. day.

I've reset my standards, and since BVI, have made every effort to live by them. Small daily decisions done consistency that move me towards my purpose.

TUESDAY

Affirmation: I CAN DO ALL THINGS IN HIM WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH

Philippians 4:15; Love this quote. The days are going by so fast, and I don't have much more positive news on the job front. Should I even bother starting my own business?

WEDNESDAY

Affirmation: THAT WHICH WAS MEANT FOR YOU SHALL NOT PASS YOU BY!

Not a lot got done today. Did finally get around to working with my son on his learning. Making great progress in Spanish. Started the AI Pen Test module #2.

THURSDAY

Affirmation: "MAKE THE DECISION AT YOUR STRONGEST, EXECUTE EVEN AT YOUR WEAKEST" - D. Goggins

Heard the great pod from Goggins. The one thing he said (of many things) was that the mind is your ally, and enemy. It will betray you when you are at your weakest by allowing you to slip in to comfort. Negotiating for rest over work. Doing what feels safe over what stretches you. And it will replay all your failings as a reminder of where the dragons are. That's when you have to override that voice with a stronger voice that says, "not today, bitch! ... QUIT? Not today, bitch! Skip the workout? Not today, bitch!"

FRIDAY

Affirmation: BE MORE AWESOME!!

Your brain keeps showing you the fails. Use it as a learning tool. Study the pattern, fix yourself, and RISE!! Healing has been the major factor.

What We’re Grateful For

1. Grateful to have had these past 12 months to really truly explore what I want for myself and my professional career.
2. Grateful for the wisdom and guidance to have been able to mentor others. Met some great people and hope to land a mentor soon.
3. Grateful for the family. Always, it's about being stronger together.
4. Grateful to be living my truth and keeping to my standards: Staying focused; Keeping faithful; Honoring my family; And now to fix my finanances; So I might find fulfilment.

What We Loved

1. Chill week, so I'm always loving the discipline and dedication to get 1% better every single day.

What We Learned

TO DO

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

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IN PROGRESS

1. Web App PT - Pinterest [Status: BLOCKED!] Still no resolution
2. QA DAY - Playwright CLI [Status: BLOCKED!] Ran through my tokens and have to wait for June to reset.
3. AI/LLM Pen Testing - Wraith.sh [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Module-2: Indirect Prompt Injection .. not finished.
4. Cloud Pen Testing - AWS [Status: IN PROGRESS!!] Didn't get to it this week.
5. Android PT - HexTree [Status: IN PROGRESS!!] Android Bindermodule .. working through it.
6. READ Finish reading "Zorro" [Status: IN PROGRESS!!] Almost finished with Part-III.
7. Writing - "Husb" [Status: IN PROGRESS!!] Didn't get to it. Saving it for the weekend.
8. Side Hustle Substack Account [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Near-complete. Lots of distractions this week.

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DONE

1. Appium w. Python - Practice [Status: DONE!]. Resolved the blocker issue with iOS and finished some simple tests.




What We Longed For

1. A great job in consulting.



What We Loathed

1. The job market in 2026. As of this writing, well over 1 Million jobs lost, including 70,000 in IT. And the layoffs keep happening.

2025 - 2026 UNEMPLOYMENT YEAR IN REVIEW

THE CURRENT JOB SITUATION FOR 2026

To date:

• Number of jobs applied to: 371
• Number of interviews: 0
• Number of referrals used: 2
• Number of rejections: 86
• Number of non-responses: 132

CONCLUSION

So far, the job market in 2026 is a disaster. AI is just the excuse for executive mismanagement. It is all "right-sizing" to return employee headcount to a proper level.

Linked in, Indeed and most of the other job boards just don't work anymore.

Referrals only get you so far.

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THE GOALS FOR 2026 .. and beyond!!

1. Certification Path: eJPT → PNPT → OSCP → CISSP Total Cost: $3500 (as of this writing)
2. Employment Ideal: Security Consultant at Mandiant (or a similar company)
3. Employment Alternative: Purple Team - but I have to get fluid with Blue Team.
4. Employment Alternative 2: QA Consultant using AI to spearhead testing efficiencies in Fiverr.
5. Continued Writing - Get published by year's end, or come close to it

Best to remember that, a mistake repeated more than twice is a habit. And we need to replace bad habits with good ones.

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PERSONAL ASSESSMENT | JUNE 2025 - JUNE 2026

This time last year, we were handed our hat at Secure Ideas and shown the door. It has been 12 months since and this assessment will assess how much we've progressed since our "untimely departure". The question to answer: What kind of person must I become to achieve all that I want?

In 2025, You were terminated from employment due to performance issues and falling well-below expectations for the role.

QUESTION The problem was your company never properly assessed your current level and proper course. How have you corrected that?

ANSWER I have been consistent in addressing shortcomings. The list is as follows:

• AI SEC. Working through the modules on https://wraith.sh ... so much fun!!
• CLOUD SEC. Currently working through learning Cloud Security. An area that I have no interest in.
• MOBILE SEC. Also learning about mobile pen testing on Android .. a deep dive using a module I found online .. and it is free!
• NETWORK SEC. I was weak at Network Pen Testing, so I completed a course with TCM and learned more in three weeks than I had the entire time at SI. [TASK: Need more practice and will renew my HTB subscription when money gets right]
• API SEC.I was weak with API Pen Testing, so I completed a course with API Sec and gained far more insight to OWASP TOP 10 For API, learned new tools to use. I would love a Pro license to really improve. This was where I severly lacked.
• WEB APP SEC. I was improving with reporting, but I have since conducted several pen tests (really bug bounties) and leveraged AI to improve my writing skills. My reports have improved as well. Proud of their quality. You also recognized where you bombed from a component testing pov and have made great strides in improving.
• VOLUNTEERING Had the opportunity to work with BSidesNYC last year. Not a lot of opportunities have presented themselves. Still early in the year.
• BLOGGING Been steady with this. Might move to Substack.
• MENTORING Had mentees come and go. Such is the nature of work.

WINS

Overall, I feel I possess the personability to make consultancy a viable career path the rest is fixable. Failure has been the greatest teacher, but it does not define me.

OPPORTUNITIES

Still looking to maintain consistency and discipline with my day-to-day habits. Below are some areas where I still need to improve:

CONTINUED PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

I will endeavor to continue working on myself in the following manner:

1. Continue to exhibit extreme levels of integrity through consistent actions done daily.
2. Strive to be reliable; the person they can count on.
3. Strive for Excellence .. At all times, in all ways, with the people that matter most.
4. Be diligent, disciplined, and dedicated.
5. Be passionate and positive .. the anchor in the storm.
6. Continue to work on contributing and to learn from others.

CONTINUED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

1. I will continue my endeavors and practice more. Learn from where I failed and keep celebrating the wins.
2. I will work hard to stay faithful to my personal standards and be 1% better every single day.
3. On more than one occassion I failed to live up to the expectations put forth by my job. A mistake I will never make again now that I have a renewed set of standards to live up.
4. Did I produce excellent work? No. But I am working at making sure this never happens again. 100% maximum effort every day.
5. Next opportunity, I will work to ask better questions and be more vocal when needs are not met. This was a huge problem at SI .. the absolute lack of onboarding and no one training me.

ADD VALUE TO THE MARKETPLACE

1. Articulate my value by continuing to learn and grow, personally and professionally.
2. I will strive to keep doing high-value work, and spend time on the work that moves me forward .. like reading more.

IMPROVE NETWORKING

1. I need to work on connecting with the right people, not just collecting Linked In invites.
2. I should reach out to my network on Ln more. Seems like everyone is heads-down doing their own thing.
3. As someone who has trust issues, and has been burned by 2 mentors, I don't see myself looking to land another one any time soon.

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

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

What We Loved

1. 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

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

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IN PROGRESS

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

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DONE

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



What We Longed For

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



What We Loathed

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

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

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

What We Loved

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

What We Learned

TO DO

1. Google Project Management [Status: TO DO!!] Thinking about this a lot.
2. INNER WORK [Status: TO DO!!] Rollover from last week. I keep sleeping on this.

3. ---

   IN PROGRESS

4. AI/LLM Pen Testing - Wraith.sh [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Completed the Intro. Module. Need to start on the prompt injection vuln module (M1)
5. Finish reading "Zorro" [Status: IN PROGRESS!!] Started on Part-III
6. 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.

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DONE

7. 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.
8. [QA DAY] Demoblaze on mobile device w. Playwright [Status: DONE!!]
9. [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

1. Employment .. of any kind. Preferably in

What We Loathed

1. 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.

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

1. Another wonderful week
2. Having the opportunity to see my mother on Mother's Day.
3. Enjoying the small wins, starting with sleeping well, getting up ahead of schedule, and crushing it.
4. Bonding with my son has been awesome.
5. 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

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

What We Learned

TO DO

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

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IN PROGRESS

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

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DONE

7. 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

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

What We Loathed

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

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

1. Grateful that I have another week of good health and good vibes.
2. Grateful to have the medical insurance that covered my blood work. The results came back favorable.
3. 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.
4. Grateful to be with a wonderful family.

What We Loved

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

What We Learned

TO DO

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

---

IN PROGRESS

6. Android PT (Hextree) App Module: Reverse Engineering 2 [Status: Done!] Learned how to read through the code with jadx and add a custom class.
7. "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

8. Web Pen Test - MFP [Status: DONE!] Report is late. Acceptable due to delay in installing app in emulator.
9. 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.
10. 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

1. 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.

1. 2026 Job Market
2. Late rejections for jobs I don't remember applying to.

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

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

What We Loved

1. Wife has been on the bread-making kick with fabulous results.
2. Loved that wife has joined me at the gym in the mornings. Hoping she stays consistent.
3. 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

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

---

IN PROGRESS

5. 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.
6. "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

7. 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
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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

1. 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

1. 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.
2. AI Companies are going to drive this economy into the ground for the sake of greed and ambition.
3. 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.

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

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

What We Loved

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

What We Learned

TO DO

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

---

IN PROGRESS

3. Web Pen Test [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Completed recon for MFP. Now onto mapping the application and playing around with stuff.
4. Cloud Security Fundamentals [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Found a couple of great pdfs to read. The Google course is expensive, but worth it.
5. 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

6. 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"
7. 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

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

What We Loathed

1. 2026 Job Market - Even more layoffs on the horizon.

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

1. Awesome weather this week. Always grateful for that!!
2. 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.
3. Forever grateful for the family. Keep calm, but forever hopeful for what the good Lord is going to bless us with.

What We Loved

1. Outside of weather, it was a quiet week. Loved the quality sleep these last few days.
2. 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

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

---

IN PROGRESS

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

---

DONE

6. 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

1. 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

1. 2026 Job Market

Security Testing Journal Entry | w/e Friday April 10, 2026 - “10 Months, No Job” Ed.

Highlights for the week

Another great start to the week, kicked off by an amazing Sunday Easter dinner. Made the lasagne and strawberry shortcake to perfection.

MONDAY

Affirmation: BUILD CHARACTER: HONESTY - INTEGRITY - RELIABILITY

Actively working on this. Sister tried to offer some unsoliticed advice but I had to ignore. She's not a parent, and the advice was not necessary. But instead of lashing out, I opted to state how it came off and just exit out of the conversation. Gotta protect my peace.

I'm thinking this week will be 10 months since my last paycheck. In a small way I miss the work. In a bigger way, I hate that I wasn't mentored the right way. Can't trust anyone!

The physical act of looking for work is becoming a sick joke. You're applying to a job that might not exist. You see the job paying less than market rate. You interview and have to go through a gauntlet of people just to hear, "thank you .. next!"

I just hate that I'm back here again .. 10 months in the mental gulag that is unemployment: the stress, the anxiety; the feelings of worthlessness, week after week.

TUESDAY

Affirmation: HEAL THE HURT BOY TO BECOME THE MAN YOU DESERVE TO BE!

Woke up "feeling" grateful for a lot. That hasn't happened in a long time, even with choppy sleep.

Listened to a YouTube video that blessed my feed and it was absolutely inspirational; will take those points and find time to write about it and reflect on where my deep hurts still lie.

Re-started Push/Pull/Leg workout with my son. Feeling amazing!!

Had a great day until dinner. Then a simple mistake uncorked a lot of disregulated energy that's been simmering for quite a while, directed at me. She didn't ask, and I didn't tell .. yet it is my fault. It is always my fault. I am sorry for that.

WEDNESDAY

Affirmation: RECLAIM YOUR MASCULINE ENERGY AND SHOW UP STRONG

Heard a great pod cast this morning about the 4 main masculine archtypes and how they manifest themselves in the actualized man. Going to focus on that.

Clearly, I'm not well. Going to do some deep soul searching and revisit old traumas to finally exorcise those demons. The body stores the energy of past traumas and those tend to resurface at inopportune times, in subconcious ways. Writing about to meditate on this.

Unemplyment is really starting to wear on me. Bad showing for jobs. I hate the profiles of people I know wearing titles that show advancement. It reminds me of where I'm slipping.

THURSDAY

Affirmation: WISDOM IS THE BYPRODUCT OF FAILURE!

The universe graced my YouTube feed with another set of videos from the same person I mentioned yesterday. He spoke about five salient points that compared how the safe man versus the wounded boy shows up and my mind was blown. Saw another short that went into how the wounded boy gives up his power and shows up small, relinquishing his masculine energy to his partner; he's actively seeking his mother-figure. WOW!! I took lots of notes and felt a weight lift. Everything the wife had been saying wasn't just speaking from a place of anger, but there was a reason behind it. The host of the video laid it out plain as day as to why she felt how she felt. Double WOW!!

Had a great night's sleep last night and woke up refreshed. Solid leg workout followed by a great breakfast .. lfg!!!

FRIDAY

Affirmation: RECLAIM YOUR MASCULINE ENERGY!!

This is going to be the goal. Reclamation of who I need to be as a man by healing the boy. It explains .. EVERYTHING!! How the hell am I supposed to land a lead role, or senior anything if I can't even lead myself or my family. I cannot keep showing up as an old boy. The patterns, the "junior level" performance, the feelings of being small, passive, weak. It all makes so much sense. LET THE HEALING BEGIN!!

What We’re Grateful For

1. Grateful for YT for bestowing so much wisdom and inspiration this week. Found a reason to start healing the hurts.
2. Grateful for another great week of feeling the joy to be able to have good health and stamina to make it through another day.
3. Grateful for the learnings that come from even the simplest work on Bugcrowd. Every day is another day to keep getting better. Haven't found much, but we keep grindin'!!
4. Grateful for having our God watching over us. Nana is up there gracing us with her love.

What We Loved

1. The revelation that I don't have a learning disability or cognitive impairment but rather behavior patterns stemming from still unaddressed wounds from my childhood.

What We Learned

1. Trello Pen Test [Status: DONE!] Report draft in progress.
2. Claude + MCP [Status: DONE!] Will be starting on agent work next week.
3. Writing: Bug Bounty Pro Tips [Status: DONE!]

---

4. QA DAY: [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Temporarily paused for other, more extensive priorities. If time allows this weekend, will address it. Not a priority.
5. Writing: "Husb..." [Status: IN PROGRESS!! ] Had a strong section for the war. Mapped out where the main characters are; Jessica & sixOne hit the "Null"

---

6. Android Pen Testing Ed. [Status: TO DO!!] Created the account and have my login credentials set.
7. Cloud Security Fundamentals [Status: TO DO!!] Now that the Pen Test is complete, will be making this a priority.
8. AI Pen Testing [Status: TO DO!!] Leaving this here so I don't forget that I legit want to learn this.

What We Longed For

1. I keep praying for that ideal job. It's a breath of fresh air that I got a taste of the job I want (Secure Ideas), but the search continues.
2. Barely 5 jobs applied to this week. Even the restaurant jobs aren't calling back. But that's ok .. it's my vibe that is failing me, not anything else.

What We Loathed

1. Getting parental advice from non-parents. That bothers me a lot.
2. 2026 Job market .. I'll never not keep hating this timeline. More layoffs by the month.
3. Not being able to get to help Mom and sister more. It's getting more and more expensive to do so, and the opportunities are fading.

Security Testing Journal Entry | w/e Friday April 3, 2026 - "Easter Sunday" Ed.

Highlights for the week

Another week in the bag and it was a mix of getting some goals accomplished while still being blocked in other areas. Sleep quality has been trash lately. I go to bed fine, but wake up between 3am and 4am, then never really feel 100% rested at 6am. Yet the workouts have been good. Can't say my performance has been affected.

MONDAY

Affirmation: CELEBRATING THE WINS!!

statement

TUESDAY

Affirmation: WORK ON BEING PATIENT, PERSISTENT, AND POSITIVE

• Woke up at 3am .. felt fine, but crashing. My mood has been supremely low. Really need to get the testosterone checked.
• Went shopping but lost the list; reliability quotient minus 1.
• Have to accept mother's money; reliability quotient minue 4.

Wife and child see me as the low p.o.s .. yet contribute nothing but attitude; reliability quotient slipping down further. They have a right to be upset .. and this is all on me. UNEMPLOYMENT F**NG SUCKS WHEN YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE!!

WEDNESDAY

Affirmation: REFLECTION IS REDEMPTION

Love this quote. It hits really hard. Found this in an article about Yoda, jedi grandmaster who, despite his wisdom, failed a bunch.

It was a good day getting to try and unblock myself from the one project. Did not have much time to start the new project.

• A good win for home priorities: got to save money paying for lots of food; paid the bills on time.
• The cash advance I took out the other day came in super-handy. As did Mom's check.
• New workout happening next week. Back to the Push/Pull/Legs.
• Found a really good job ad working on a travel app. It's a "junior" role, but the pay is decent and the work seems chill. It's in NYC. 2 peole from Unqork are there.
• I wanted to start on Trello, but my Fireblocks support ticket required attention.
• Paused on Claude learning for the day.

THURSDAY

Affirmation: UNLESS YOU CHANGE WHO YOU ARE, YOU'LL ALWAYS HAVE WHAT YOU GOT !!

Another gem from Jim Rohn and the reason why I'm a work in progress. I have 20 years of partnership to make up for, and a lifetime of living to redeem.

Still working through finding my purpose, but the itch to get back into writing is growing. I'm paying more attention now to how good writers get it done.

Applied to a super-cool job working for a travel site that speaks to my love of travelling. Fingers-crossed. Decent pay and I know the Head of QA.

FRIDAY

Affirmation: MEASURE YOURSELF AGAINST YOU OLD SELF, NOT ANYONE ELSE

Love this a lot. I've been feeling like crap, but that's probably because the enemy wants me at a low vibration. Not gonna happen. My old self made a lot of mistakes that my current self is paying for. While I did love my time at Secure Ideas, it definitely had a lot to be desired. I should have done better, but I also should have had the proper mentoring to keep me from going off the rails and meeting my objectives. One thing is for sure, I'm a lot smarter for failing like I did.

I keep looking at all the "Staff ..", "Senior ..", and "Lead .." jobs for QA and keep thinking to myself that QA was never the goal of my life. What that true purpose is still eludes me, but I know I don't want to reach the end of my life having squandered my talents.

What We’re Grateful For

1. Grateful to have a mom, but holy hell is that woman stubborn. Jammed money down my throat that I had to swallow my pride and take.
2. Grateful for Youtube and the positive videos I keep getting piped into my feed every morning. It's been therapeutic.
3. Grateful to have a full fridge, happy home, and positive vibes.

What We Loved

1. Because it is holy week, getting to watch "Jesus of Nazareth" always makes my soul happy. The message is simple: Hope & Faith will carry you far.

What We Learned

1. Pentest for Zendesk [Status: STILL BlOCKED!] I've since moved on to Trello [Status: IN PROGRESS!]
2. Claude + MCP [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Following the tutorial is great, but I hit a limit. Seems like a paid subscription is required.
3. QA DAY: [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Didn't really make much automation progress; I did however, build out a Root Cause Analysis sheet and Dashboard .. so that counts!
4. Writing: "Husb..." [Status: IN PROGRESS!! ] Started on the chapter titled "Bedlam" .. need to really work on capturing the essence of war.
6. Writing: A new blog - the offspring of several posts on Reddit regarding bug bounty submissions.

What We Longed For

1. Mandiant. Going to keep this as a vision of my ideal job with great people, doing cool sh**, for great pay, at a decent location.

What We Loathed

1. Having to ask mom for money .. at 50yrs old. FFS! I MUST DO BETTER
2. 2026 Job Market .. the worst!!

Security Testing Journal Entry | w/e Friday March 29, 2026 - "Holy Week / Palm Sunday" Ed.

Highlights for the week

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MONDAY

Affirmation: WHAT STANDS IN THE WAY BECOMES THE WAY

I know I used this last week, but I'll never get tired of it. BBH is blocked so I may have to pivot. Adaptability, baby!!

TUESDAY

Affirmation: POSITIVE THOUGHTS + POSITIVE ACTIONS = BIG WINS!!

Grateful that I got to wake up and had a solid workout, despite not feeling 100% rested.

Mom was in the hospital real quick, but glad she's home safe.

Giving this week's BBH another day to unblock - getting a new error with postman. FML!!

Pivoted to QA Day - Added some FE Automation tests to finish the "Critical Path" test suite; Finally fixed the API tests failing in git

Job interview as "Server Assistant" for a swanky new place in West Village ($17/hr) .. but money is money!!

WEDNESDAY

Affirmation: EVERY DAY IS A NEW OPPORTUNITY

Today was an absolute wash. After the workout, I spent the morning getting ready for an interview that took a bit to get to. Hoping for the best, but the commute is hell for $17/hr. Nothing got done today. Grateful for even having this opportunity.

Mother is trying to give me money. But the amount raised concerns and questions I didn't feel like answering were asked. I'm an adult I don't need my mommy bailing me out for my problems. I refused the money. I don't want the drama that comes with it either.

THURSDAY

Affirmation: DON'T QUIT! See It Through!!

If Penetration Testing / Security Testing is going to be your future, see it through. Don't give up because of Secure Ideas. It was a great experience and one you'll cherish forever. But also, let's not forget there was a lot that could have been done different on both sides. You have to own where you went wrong and how you could have done better.

That being said, it's been a blissful, terrible, teachable nine months. I've learned a metric ton. Just keeping it one foot in front of the other.

FRIDAY

Affirmation: YOU ARE QUALIFIED! CAPABLE! & DESERVING

It was an odd way to end the week. Slept great, cleaned the apartment like we do every friday, and relaxed. The oddity was feeling like bad is going to get worse, yet hopeful.

It has to change!! I am not happy that I interviewed for the role of a glorified bus boy, but at the moment, options are very very limited.

What We’re Grateful For

1. Grateful to have a mother willing to lend me money despite me not wanting it.
2. Grateful that I had the interview. If nothing else, it felt good to step out and practice interviewing with someone.
3. Grateful that we (wife and I) have intellectual conversations. When it's not consipiracy theories it's religion.
4. Grateful that I have powerful voices like Jim Rohn and Napoleon Hill in my ear every morning. Bedros, to some degree. Andy S. is always a trip.
5. As always, grateful to have another week full of life, learnings, and self-love. Rebuilding that trust in myself and not feel like a constant failure is taking time.

What We Loved

1. Quiet week .. not a lot jumps out that was worth a "LOVE" shout out.
2. Loved that I woke up and beat back my inner bitch that wanted to stay in bed. Despite my sleepiness, I managed a decent workout.

What We Learned

1. Pentest for Zendesk [Status: BlOCKED!] Getting 404s when submitting requests in the sandbox environment. Filed a support ticket. Will be moving on to yet another program!
2. Claude + MCP [Status: TO DO!] The next chapter in the AI learning. This week was a mix of using Granite and Gemini.
3. QA DAY: [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Made the most of being blocked with Fireblocks to cover the critical path test scenarios. Next is automating the "Criticals". Appium .. tbd!
4. Writing: "Husb..." New Section - Septimal Convergence [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Completed outline. Will schedule this for the weekend.

What We Longed For

1. A great job in Security, doing cool things, with amazing people, for decent pay and benefits.

What We Loathed

1. 2026 Job Market. More layoffs due in the months to come. No longer by the hundreds. Now it's by the thousands.
2. Sister getting involved and being way too nosey for my liking.
3. Mother being stubborn beyond belief. I'm grown and don't need my mother to solve my problems, yet she insists and insists .. unrelenting! Not cute!!

Security Testing Journal Entry | w/e Friday March 20, 2026 - "Eating Humble P.I.E" Ed

Highlights for the week - Something completely different

This week was a mixed bag of lows and highs. Some wins, some not. Splitting this out by the day and will probably keep to this format.

MONDAY

Affirmation: SET YOUR STANDARD

Something I need to work on is building out a new standard. Be disciplined not just at the gym, but in everything else as well. Work in progress!!

Friend reached out to me about a few things and I learned about Mentorship and the P.I.E model.

TUESDAY

Affirmation: WHERE THE MIND GOES, ENERGY FLOWS

Woke up feeling weird; had a good night's sleep up to a point. 3am and I was in and out of my head. Probably something to do with my conversation on Monday, with my friend.

Also, what is even the point of job hunting when the jobs are either unresponsive, or rejecting.

I feel so broken .. useless .. worthless. I understand this is not who I am going to be, but man is it tough these days keeping positive.

WEDNESDAY

Affirmation: SET A DAILY INTENTION

Thank you, Napoleon Hill for the wise words. I love waking up and having a single intention to focus on. "To day I will focus on [goal] because it is aligned with who I want to become"

THURSDAY

Affirmation: FOCUS NOT ON WHO YOU WERE, BUT ON WHO YOU WANT TO BECOME!!

Only in this timeline can you be an absolute criminal and keep your job. You show up, you do the right thing, the right way, and still .. not enough when layoffs need to happen, and the investment is in AI.

FRIDAY

Affirmation: THAT WHICH GETS IN THE WAY BECOMES THE WAY

QA Day and test automation was my side quest when I got blocked from Hacking. Resilience .. baby!! When one door closes, another one opens.

Also, acquired the credentials I needed to get unblocked from pen testing the new program. Monday ---> Let's GO!!

TIL - perfect resumes score high on a fraud detection meter, and boring resumes never get looked at. WTF!!

House cleaning = soul cleaning; slept great, feel much lighter; achy from a week's gym effort.

What We’re Grateful For

1. Grateful to have friends that reach out consistently. I should do better about reciprocating and keeping my network "fresh".
2. Grateful that God talks to me through YouTube .. been getting my pep talks in the morning while I work out.
3. Grateful that I get to be up and around, physically and spiritually.

What We Loved

Had a long-time friend check in with me. After a lengthy discussion of all things, the subject of my employment history came up and when asked about it, I felt "embarrassed." Yes, my history sucks. Yes, I am ashamed. And yes, I owe the outcome of what happened to my ineptitude; a failure to eliminate old patterns and replace them with new ones. It felt like I was looking at an embarrassing photo and not liking what I saw. I suppose that's a good thing. It means the old me is dying. Like who was I even?

1. Was I the kid who never had a proper father or father-figure? YES! All examples of a role models and mentors have disappeared.
2. Was I the teen who felt called out by his step-mother as a fraud; a phony? YES! Still working on who I really am.
3. Was I the young adult who was blamed for things outside of his purview, then fired as a result? YES! The wound is healed, but the memory remains.
4. Was I the dude who fell in love, only set aside (like my father had done)? YES! But maybe I wasn't ready for her, despite how much I wanted her.
5. Was I the angry, bitter man who would work odd jobs, never hold a steady employ, and not give any attention to females? YES!
6. Was I the man who finds a good woman and just makes her pay for all his bad choices? YES!
7. Was I the guy who was an absolute spaz with his child? His household things? YES!
8. Was I the old person who couldn't hold a steady job, and f**s up the one job he loved? Eventually to become the dipshit broke, miserable, in failing marriage, and a poor example for his son. YES!

Truth is, I need to focus, not on who I was, but on who I want to become ... 1 percent better, every day.

What We Learned

1. Pentest for Zendesk [Blocked!] I pivoted to a new program: Fireblocks, a crypto wallet app
2. Finished HackTheBox "Cap" - time ran out and never could finish getting the root flag
3. AI Training - Claude [Status: DONE!] The best features of Claude (Claude Code) requires a paid subscription.
4. QA DAY: [Status: BACKLOGGED!] - Updated APPIUM to 3.0.; Used Claude to generate QA Test Strategy and Test Cases for a new website. Test Automation [IN PROGRESS!]
5. Writing: "Husb..." New Section - Septimal Convergence [Status: IN PROGRESS!] Completed outline. Will schedule this for the weekend.
6. Mentor/Mentee w. IMANI [Status: PAUSED!] .. still no word on when we'll resume
7. Learned about P.I.E as it relates to Mentor/Mentee and work performance evaluation. This was eye opening!!
• PERFORMANCE - 10% .. are you doing your job well (accomplishments)
• INTEGRITY - 30% .. what do people think of you (reputation)
• EXPOSURE - 60% .. who knows you and your work (relationships with mgr, sr. mgr, CEO)

The Exposure is about who knows you and what they know about you. Does your boss'boss know your name? Does the leadership team understand your value? To move up, you have to transition from focusing purely on tasks to focusing on relationships and reputation.

... and this right here is where I failed at Secure Ideas. Obviously, the technical work need improvement. But it was those last two reports and how I looked to Kevin that sealed it. And it wasn't just the reports (those didn't help). It was missing the assignment on the blog posts. It was not getting it right with Burp Suite. It was not doing enough to promote my self. The perfect shit PIE.

What We Longed For

1. A great job, doing cool things, with amazing people, for great pay and benefits!!

What We Loathed

1. 2026 Job Market ... nuff said!

Security Testing Journal Entry | w/e Friday March 13, 2026 -- "Countdown to insolvency" Ed.

Highlights for the week

Applied to an amazing job that sounds promising. And a friend submitted the referral, so that's clutch.

Finished a great bug bounty program and, with the help of AI, found a legit bug that deserves attention.

Lowlights for the week

Every day that passes is a day I go more and more broke. 9 months, +300 jobs, not even so much as a blip. Trying to stay positive but holy hell is it getting rough. My sleep has been trash. Workouts have been flat. Mood: absolutely sad. Low-T, but also the reality of the situation.

As of this writing Block laid off 4k people, Amazon is about to layoff 14k people, and Atlassian (the JIRA people) laid off 10% of their workforce. It will only get worse as the economy rebounds from the overhiriing of 2019. While the excuse is "AI Replacing human work," the truth is sandwiched between unnecessary layers, underperforming employees, and the valuation of stock prices dropping as labor costs continue to eat away at profit margins.

What We’re Grateful For

1. God isn't done with me yet.
2. Daily pep talks via YouTube have helped me get my mind right. Need to establish a new set of personal standards.
3. Grateful that I still have food in the fridge and some money in the bank, who knows for how long?!
4. Grateful that have my health and well being, even though I feel like low-t is the root cause of a lot of issues, especially with sleep, mood, and libido.
5. Personal pep talk:I AM NOT A FAILURE; I AM BECOMING; I AM

What We Loved

1. Not a lot to love this week, but the wins are part of what I learned.

What We Learned

TO DO

1. QA DAY: [Status: BACKLOGGED!] - Updated APPIUM to 3.0.
2. AI Training - Claude [Status: TO DO]
3. New Pentest: BitPanda [Status: TO DO]
4. Writing: "Husb..." New Section - Septimal Convergence [Status: TODO]
5. Mentor/Mentee w. IMANI [Status: PAUSED!] .. no word on when we'll resume
6. Mentor/Mentee w. LUNA [Status: ON HOLD!] .. another one, radio silent
7. Mentor/Mentee w. SHREE [Status: DONE!] .. radio silent

IN PROGRESS

1. Tried my luck at CTF - looking through a windows machine. Blocked due to inability to load software that would help complete.

DONE

1. Pen Test - TheFork[Status: DONE] Report is 100%; Completed theFork Pen Test Report. Mimic'd the SI Report QA process.
2. Writing: "Husb..." Chapter "War Cry" [Status: DONE]
3. Instead of QA Day, spent the afternoon migrating old Security tests written in python to the new repo. Keeping it active until the API are moved over.

What We Longed For

1. As always, a great job doing cool things with amazing people, for great pay.

What We Loathed

1. 92,000 jobs lost since the start of 2026.
2. Having to rely on my child's income to get through the following months.
3. Just now hearing back from a job I applied in January, after following up with them after a few weeks. WTF to that!!
4. Having applied to a job from a job board, only to find out that the job is not hiring and that the job lead was old.
5. Finding I have to re-apply for SNAP BENEFITS/CASH ASSISTANCE ... again!!!@#$%

Security Testing Journal Entry | w/e Friday March 6, 2026 - "Blood Moon" Ed.

Highlights for the week

This week has been a mixed bag of lows and highs. The low being zero jobs responded to and money running out. The highs being several wins to celebrate!

The Blood Moon happened March 3rd. No doubt, a harbringer of bad things. A war was started in IRAN, more Epstein files keep getting leaked, and several tech companies dumped more employees. One such company - Block - cut 4k employees. Oracle, is set to cut several more. Overall, the economy lost 96,000 jobs and there doesn't seem to be signs of hiring.

NINE MONTHS! since my last paycheck. And there doesn't seem to be signs of improvement. FML! What is even the point anymore?! Monday, I just perused 50+ job descriptions, all very specific to a niche set of skills. None that I have, nor any that I may actively pursue.

What We’re Grateful For

1. God isn't through with me yet! I have the energy to wake up, lift, and keep learning.
2. This week, got a few pep talks in my ear to help with the sadness. Definitely anxiety! Could also be low-T!!
3. Grateful that my son has income to help keep us afloat.

What We Loved - BIG WINS!!

1. Used LOVEABLE to build a quick app that displays the weather forcast on Caribbean Islands
2. Pen Testing on a client and I managed to find a particular GraphQL implementation flaw at a couple of file upload features of the app. Submitted for review. The feedback I got was that it was "INFORMATIONAL." I submitted a RAR. It is definitely higher than a P5.
3. As always, grateful for food, family, and faith. We will get through this!!

What We Learned

1. AI Security [Status: Done!] - Finished the modules; need to practice. Leveraged IBM Granite to help test vulnerabilities in GraphQL
2. AI Training [Status: Done!] - Built an MCP that pulls in weather data; built an app with Loveable.
3. New Pen Test: TheFork [Status: IN PROGRESS!] - Nearly complete with the B2C section. Need to test some other aspects.
4. Writing: Chapter "War Cry" [Status: IN PROGRESS!] The Convergence is happening!
5. QA DAY: [Status: BACKLOGGED!] - Updated APPIUM to 3.0. The app loads in Appium Inspector. Will revisit where my scripts lie with python.
6. Mentor/Mentee w. IMANI [Status: PAUSED!] - Postponed until .. who knows?

What We Longed For

1. As always, a job -- trying to keep up the happy vibes when the money is running out!!

What We Loathed

1. The 2026 JOB MARKET - to date, there doesn't seem to be any signs of hiring, but I'm trying to stay optimisitic.
2. On a silghtly relevent note, borrowing from my son to ensure we have the rent paid is the lowest point. I've hit some low points, but this one takes the cake. All the affirmations in the world can't help me from this. I am working on self-improvement, but there is a debt to pay and the sins of all my past mistakes are long overdue.FML!!
3. Got into a bit of a "tiff" with the wife. The past week's shouting match segued to grievances she's been holding onto for quite some time. I would fight back, but given the current economic situation I'm facing, I can't say she's wrong. Also, the idea that I need to know my place is laughable. As if she were the "alpha" when she spends literally 8 hours a day on god-knows-what. It certainly isn't education and trying to move this family out from the hell we're in. And heaven forbid I should stand up for myself. No one yells at me, mistakes or otherwise. She tolerates me!! Feeling is mutual, but I keep that close to the chest. Haven't been happy for quite some time. Sex is a relic. Truly a bad state of things. And it's all on me. YOUR FORGET YOUR PLACE, she said after declaring I should apologize for yelling at her. As if!! She yelled, I yelled back.

Security Testing Journal Entry | February AAR

Below is a write up of goals & intentions that were set and either met or not met & why

FOCUS ON WHAT IS MOVING YOU FORWARD! STAY FOCUSED! ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS!

GOAL CONTINUOUS

Self Improvement

STATUS

MET

REASON

The morning pep talks have helped with the negative self-talk and mild depression. It could be the winter, or low-T. Sleep has improved a significant amount since coming back from the trip.

ACTION REQUIRED

Keep at it .. Stay consistent. Remember: YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE! YOU ARE NOT DEFINED BY YOUR PAST. YOUR ARE REFINED BY IT!!

--- * --- * --- * --- * ---

GOAL No. 1

Android / iOS Mobil Application Penetration Test

STATUS

UNMET

REASON

Priorities shifted and this was descoped. Will revisit in the future.

ACTION REQUIRED

Will need to set a task to set up the mobile environment for proper mobile pen testing. MOBSF can only get you so far!!

--- * --- * --- * --- * ---

GOAL No. 2

Network Penetration Test

STATUS

UNMET

REASON

Attempted to do this, but found "TheFork" and moved into testing Web App.

ACTION REQUIRED

Visit HackTheBox (HTB) and find a cool box.

--- * --- * --- * --- * ---

GOAL No. 3

Active Directory Penetration Test

STATUS

MET .. sort of!

REASON

Sat through a presentation where the host performed ADPT on a few targets.

ACTION REQUIRED

Visit HackTheBox (HTB) and find a cool box like "Blue" that is meant for AD.

--- * --- * --- * --- * ---

GOAL No. 4

Web / API Penetration Test

STATUS

MET .. sort of!

REASON

• Started on "TheFork" and I'm 50% of the way done.
• Remember where you failed at Secure Ideas and the areas you need to get better. Keep moving!

ACTION REQUIRED

Make this the priority of the week and finish.

--- * --- * --- * --- * ---

GOAL No. 5

LLM Penetration Test

STATUS

MET .. sort of!

REASON

While I am working through the learning modules, the models to make this work are not working.

ACTION REQUIRED

Finish the modules and see why the environment isn't working.

--- * --- * --- * --- * ---

GOAL No. 6

"AntiSyphon - Hacking LLMs" Meeting

STATUS

MET

REASON

Sat through the presentation and learned the theory. Not much was done as far as "hands-on" work.

ACTION REQUIRED

Keep researching this. Love it.

--- * --- * --- * --- * ---

GOAL No. 7

Python Practice

STATUS

MET

REASON

Revisited my old framework and updated some scripts.

ACTION REQUIRED

Currently working to script mobile tests. Will revisit security scripts as necessary.

--- * --- * --- * --- * ---

GOAL No. 8

New Workout

STATUS

MET

REASON

Seeing progress, but it is a grind.

ACTION REQUIRED

Keep at it .. Stay consistent.

--- * --- * --- * --- * ---

GOAL No. 9

"Husb." .. writing for fun

STATUS

MET .. sort of!

REASON

Started on the chapter but paused it for other priorities. Will return to it in March.

ACTION REQUIRED

Keep at it .. Stay consistent.

--- * --- * --- * --- * ---

GOAL No. 10

Read A Book

STATUS

MET

REASON

Started on "Zorro", Finished Part 1

ACTION REQUIRED

You are on to Part-2. Don't stop!

--- * --- * --- * --- * ---

GOAL No. 11

Learn about Cloud Security

STATUS

UNMET

REASON

Been busy with other areas and honestly Cloud Pen Testing isn't my jam.

ACTION REQUIRED

Need to learn how to do this soon.

Security Testing Journal Entry | w/e Friday February 27, 2026 - "And Now For Something Completely Different" Ed.

Highlights for the week

These are some interesting times we're living in.

This week was no exception. It started with a classic snow storm that occupied most of my Monday. Then there was a media frenzy on files from a child predator about to be released. And it ended with the US & Israel launching a missle strike against Iran. WILD!!!

On a personal front, it was my son's birthday and we celebrated as best we could, with what money allows. We planned to take him out on vacation when $$ gets right. Universal Hollywood - Epic Universe is the way.

Also regarding my son, we nearly avoided a potential scam. He had applied to a job that looked promising, only for it to be a scam. They wanted him to purchase equipment prior to starting and that it would be re-imbursed later. He hadn't spoken to a single individual. Everything was done through chat; tons of red flags. When I looked them up, the person whom he was talking to didn't even exist on Linked In. Worse still, another job description let it be known that at no point were interviews to be conducted via chat, text messages, or whatever. And furthermore, any correspondence was only to come their explicit domain. Cut ties with them and switched banking information to a new account.

Blood moon is happening on March 3rd which symbolizes a bad omen.

What We’re Grateful For

1. Grateful for having the wisdom and guidance in helping my son avert a scam.
2. Grateful for being healthy and in good spirits for sledding, working out, and staying mentally sharp.
3. I firmly believe God speaks to me through YouTube. Been listening to a lot of motivational videos and working on getting mentally and spiritually right.>

What We Loved

1. I have a new niece. Addison - born 2/21/26 at 9:57pm. So happy for my lil step-bro!

What We Learned

1. Need to work on being more reliable. Got a simple chore and managed to muck that up. I wanted to save money but bought the wrong thing and caused some friction with the wife. Feeling somewhat stupid, but also frustrated. DO BETTER!!
2. Learned about "Active Directory Attack" (again!) .. new approach. There are HTB boxes worth checking out for practice.
3. AI stuff + Red Teaming AI - OWASP LLM Top 10 (meeting)
4. Continued learnings with LLM-SEC, which covers OWASP Top 10 for LLMs
5. Portswigger + AI ... will need to postpone to next week. It has been a bad week for personal projects.
6. "Husb" writing (did i?) .. still paused.
7. QA Day Appium + Python.. will I ever get around to this?
8. "TheFork" - PT ... moved to next week.
9. Spanish Lesson-3 for the child.

What We Longed For

1. As always, a good job doing cool things with AI + Automation; perhaps AI Red teaming or Pen Testing.
2. Being a Mandian Consultant is something I plan to work on. Their stuff is really good. Them, or google zero.

What We Loathed

1. Scammers! It's bad enough to be desperate for a job and a paycheck. It's another thing to fall victim to scammers preying on the weak. They need to die!!
2. The 47th President of the United States felt it was within his purview to circumvent the Legislative branch of government and,in concordance with another foreign government, launched a missle strike against an enemy of the state. The pre-cursor was the perception of "imminent threat to National Security." With the release of some damaging files pertaining to a pedophile and child sex trafficking info peddler, the majority of Americans see this act for what it is: a distraction.
3. The constant forward progress of AI is disrupting the job market. Another 4,000 employees were summarily dismissed due to AI restructuring. The result was a 24% bump in the stock price. The rich made more money as good hard-working people were shown the door. Absolutely disgusting!!
4. Still hating the 2026 Job Market. I WILL LAND A JOB!!