Where in the world is Ward?

So for those that don't know it - I took a 5 month assignment in Germany. I got to Germany last Wendesday morning and managed to work almost a full day before turning into a zombie. It took a few days for me to recover from the flight. Who knew partying like a rock star in Vegas for 3 days before jumping on a plane to fly around the world was a bad idea. Who knew?

I spent my weekend in my new home...working... I spent almost the entire weekend writing up a report for a client in the US. Oh well, work seems to follow no matter where you are in the world. Late on Sunday morning I wrapped up and managed to get into town. I am currently in an apartment provided by Hotel HerzogsPark in Herzongenrauch

The town is cute. I know, people hate to hear that, according to something I read the first recorded mention of the town was in the year 1009. When town's are celebrating their 1000 year anniversary you have to be impressed. Yes I know that it is only 2007 - just pointing out that - oh forget it. The town's first recording was 1009, sure it was around before that.

So I am scrambling to learn enough German to be dangerous. If you have any recommendations let me know. I own RosettaStone, "Complete Idiot's Guide to LEARN GERMAN Your Own, and an english/german dictionary. I really need someone who wants to practice english while teaching the big bescheuert american boy german...

I'm coming back!

I have been gone for awhile, however that's all about to change. I am heading off to Europe for 5 months of work and fun and I will be updating and sharing my adventures once again. Stay tuned!

What position am I on the security hockey team?

I just got caught up again on some of my favorite blogs. Among those is the TaoSecurity run by Richard Bejtlich. If you ever get to speak with him, take one of his classes or generally hang out with him, take the time. You can sponge quite a bit listening to him and those that flock around him. Anyway on to the point..

Richard had a recent post comparing hockey to security work. He has a solid reference to a darn fine hockey player and how he changed the game by moving from being solely a defensemen to skating the ice and shooting the puck. I have always admired defensemen who can take solid shots - two of my favorites have played for the Av's: Blake and Bourque. There skill, as Bejtlich points out, is being well rounded, able to play as a forward and be back to help the goalie. He then asks what position you play on the security hockey team.

So it got me to thinking - what position do I play? Well I know I am not a goalie. You can never be a successful consultant and be a goalie. Getting and keeping contracts are based upon the individual being able to handle whatever situation is thrown at you, whether it is defensive and helping build a firewall, to being a forward and auditing the capabilities of the newest web application that is being deployed to being a bit of both and performing a PCI assessment.

So in the end I think I am a defensemen. I want to play as a forward, the rock stars - but I know my levels and that I can't skate that fast. So I will stay back at the blue line, let fly a slap shot every once in awhile that will rattle the goalie's teeth and be a good consultant. I will continue to learn as much as possible, question the forwards on what they are doing - asking Dan Kaminsky sometime to slow down and explain the DNS over DNS.

Thanks Richard - glad I stopped to get a better view of where I play on the team.