Denise - High Calibre Māori

Oh sheeeeeet, I haven’t been on Bluesky enough to see I missed Secret Santa this year :-( darn it.

I finally got to meet @alicetps.bsky.social in Vancouver - we have been following each other on social media for years. I gifted her a copy of the poetry anthology that my work is featured in.

I’m currently in Canada on a research trip for my Masters programme.

One of my research essays I did for my Masters was a preliminary look at the colonisation of infosec and how it impacts Māori (also for a 94% for it as well). Main crux of Masters research is looking at how to decolonise infosec for my iwi Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.

Just did! Got my tickets!!! Yay!!!!! Woot.

P.S. if you want me to talk about decolonising infosec from a te ao Māori perspective, lemme know. My ADHD butt forgot about the deadline for CFPs, as have been focusing on my Masters research - which is about decolonising infosec.

It is throwing up an error message :-(

@kawaiicon.bsky.social - trying to buy tickets on the 3pm mark and it is showing this error message :-(

Just my 3-6 monthly check in. I am still alive. Working. Doing my Masters (still).

I have to LOL at the racist a-hole who called me a 'black c**t,' 'ni***r,' ‘Māori scum' & that I 'should get a job & stop bludging off the government' on my way to my early morning Hyrox class.

He got the Māori part right, but I ain’t scum. Also I have a job & probably earn way more than he does.

Did I just hallucinate seeing a video of Elon doing the n*zi salute at Trump’s inauguration? If so, both of my dead grandfathers - one who was in the Māori Battalion and the other in the air force during WW2 - would like a word with him…

In saying that, there still A LOT of businesses and people out there that are easy af to hack - lots of businesses still using Windows 2000 servers and 💩 AV. Not using MFA, etc.

I started pentesting - as an actual paid job - back in 2003. Security back then was, um, lacking. I mainly did OT/ICS environments back then & they were E A S Y. Security now? Well hackers have to use basically witchcraft and a vulnerable human. Mainly the vulnerable human, as they are easy to trick

Also LOL at the entire academic board being all dudes. In saying that, I am pretty sure the highly experienced women I know in cybersecurity (including myself) wouldn’t want to be on that board.

Sorry, total amount is $16,500 - absolute daylight robbery for 12 weeks of BS.

Should also point out people I have interviewed with this bootcamp cert don’t pass muster.

Also disappointed to see Declan from CERT NZ on the academic board.

I decided to check and see how much these cybersecurity bootcamps done by the Institute of Data - in collaboration with either AUT or the University of Canterbury - charge.

$15,000 for a 12 week programme which lies about its success rate with graduates getting jobs.

Daylight robbery.

Anyone using pimecrolimus for their facial psoriasis? Back on it after a 11 year hiatus, as a viral infection over Xmas ignited a massive psoriasis flare up on my face, especially on my eyelids and neck. My skin has gone from oily to dry as a the Sahara desert in one week.

Wanting to show how CareHQ prioritise online GP consults - going through Southern Cross? Longer wait & next appointment is next Wednesday.

If I book through my registered GP portal - which I will have to pay for compared to free w/ Southern Cross - there is an appointment available for today at 1pm

All of the work stuff that I said was a January problem in December is now a January problem 😂😂😂

That is blasphemous! 😂

Arghhhh, I didn’t see them at all :-(

But it’s the cheap ones from the warehouse that I wanted. You know the ones which are like $1 a bag?

Also I didn’t see any at the Countdowns in the Auckland central area.

I just realised I didn’t see any bags of chocolate coins at The Warehouse this year. I usually buy a heap for my son. They only had singular giant chocolate coins instead.

Y NO CHOCCY COINS!?

I reviewed the 1 year goals I set in July 2023 & the top goal was to get a role as a Security Architect with my desired salary.

I achieved that goal in Feb 2024

I’m now setting my goals for 2025 & 3-5 year goals - the main is graduating with my Masters, fingers crossed, will happen the end of 2026

Xmas lunch: strawbs, Xmas mince pie, blueberries, cherries, crackers, chorizo, goat cheese, epicure cheddar cheese, brie and some stinky blue cheese.

Just another way of saying Covid

Forgot to mention I got into the Masters programme I applied for. I start the programme in February.

I can see why Hans Zimmer wins all of the Oscars and Grammys for his work on movie soundtracks.

Photo of a silver tabby cat, sitting on the lap of Denise, looking like a loaf of bread. Denise is wearing Tweety Bird PJs.

My work buddy for today - Lucy loves it when I work from home. She is actibg as quality assurance on the third party risk assessment questionnaires I am currently updating + reviewing before they are sent out to vendors.

I work/write to them. I’m currently playing the Dune and Dune 2 soundtracks while I work on third party risk assessments for work!

I set up a Mastodon, but didn’t like it, so I hang out on here and on Threads.

P.S. I am on Threads under the same username. I’m even verified over there so you know it is me.