CCNA Certified ... again!!

I took the Cisco CCNA test (again) today and passed! Whew hoo! I was kind of sweating it. I think I would be really embarrassed if I failed it. Cisco is really making it harder and harder to get certified. This was a tough test. All questions were very detailed and complex. Lots of router simulations (yes you actually are sitting at a router prompt so you better know your stuff), fill in the blank (spelling counts), match up phrases, as well as your typical multiple guess and true or false. To prepare for this test I used ExSim for CCNA from Boson. One test down, only 5 to go! Now on to the CCNP ... again HAHA!

Live in a Hobbit home?

While I'm on the subject of cool things and green things. Here's a home idea I've fantasized about but someone has actually done it! How about having your very own Lord of the Rings style Hobbit home?!?! Thats right, Low impact Woodland Homes are available to build, be built, or volunteer for one of their construction projects and learn to build your very own Woodland Home.

Take the moral high ground while leaving everyone in the dust!

Okay, I think I have seen the coolest thing yet on the market. This is the new Tesla Roadster. It is 100% electric, goes 0 to 60 in less that 4 seconds, gets equivalent to 135mpg, gets 250 miles per charge, with fuel economy at about $.01 per mile. It goes faster than most cars except possibly the Ferrari Enzo and is more than twice as efficient at the Toyota Prius. Talking bout being green, lean and mean!

Rumors have it that the Tesla 2 will be a 4 door sedan available in late 2008 for about $49K and sometime after that the Tesla 3 will be out for about $30k.

Headed by PayPal founder Elon Musk, Tesla Motors is trying to help our nations dependency on oil, clean up the environment and have fun at the same time!

YOU FAIL!!!
CCNP/CCNA/CCDA Recertification

Yes you read it right, failed. You see in the I.T. or networking industry carreer certifications help to improve your knowledge of the technology as well as help potential employers get a good idea of your skill sets. Well, Cisco who makes routers, switches, firewalls and the like (basically the machines that power the Internets) has certifications for their equipment. There are levels of certifications, or tiers, if you will. The CCNA, or Cisco Certified Network Associate, is the entry level certification. This is just one test to gauge your knowledge of Cisco equipment. The CCNP, or Cisco Certified Network Professional, is the mid tier certification. These four tests along with the successful completion of the CCNA are required to achieve this certification. The certification lasts three years after which you take one test in the highest tier, in this case CCNP and all certifications are renewed for three years. If you fail and your certification expires.... well.... You get to start all over again. *SIGH*

Well, my certifications all expried on 12/31/06. On 12/30/06 (yes I know, procrastination) I went in to take my recertification test. Hey I work with this every day how hard could it be? UHHH.... yeah pretty hard. I failed.

Now to my credit, this has been one heck of a year. My wife left me and my son alone for a 17 year old kid she met online in World of Warcraft. Her vehicle was repossessed, numberous other credit issues, lawyers for the divorce, and we moved from Dallas to Austin to be closer to family (trust me, single parenthood is tough!!) On top on my own personal issues, Cisco has created a whole new set of tests and the old tests are to expire on 12/31/06. AND... the study material for the new tests arent out yet, at least no reliable study material.

So boy and girls... I get to do it all again. Its okay. I've already started studying and should take my CCNA test this week...

Wish me luck!