Monthly Archives: August 2022

As a cybersecurity professional, you understand the importance of anticipating threats, recognizing problems, and building a defense. You can analyze, plan, strategize, and manage programs. You have the skills, experience, and education needed to get the job done. But what happens when your job relies on the employees’ actions at businesses and organizations you help protect? You need to be able to relate well with them.

A cybersecurity team has to communicate the importance of identifying potential cyber threats to these employees. A strong team of IT professionals is especially essential in cybersecurity. Businesses that have not been investing in cybersecurity are in an extremely vulnerable position. Your skill, expertise, and intellectual quotient (IQ) all play a role in your ability to protect them from cyber threats.

However, the emotional quotient (EQ) is just as important as you work together to bring awareness to cyber-attacks and communicate necessary defenses to the businesses you serve. Your EQ measures how well you manage your own emotions and understand the emotions of others. Developing a better EQ will improve your team dynamic and help you perform better in the cyber fight. Here are five ways EQ development will serve you well.

Boost Team Motivation

Businesses and organizations don’t just need IT professionals for cybersecurity. They need a motivated team of IT professionals for cybersecurity. You know the importance of your job. You know that essential organizations like the University of Vermont Medical Center are left extremely vulnerable when attacked with ransomware. Patients were unable to receive treatment, employees couldn’t get paid, and the quality of patient care worsened.

These attacks are a constant reminder that you are highly valuable. You and your team keep the necessary systems running. You’re the defense and offense for every business you serve. You need to be motivated. Developing a high EQ can improve confidence and help you stay engaged in solving problems and avoiding issues.

When you’re engaged in your work, you’re motivated to see progress. When you’re motivated, you are more attentive so you’re ready for anything. When the whole team is motivated, it sets the tone for your buisnesses’ brand. Motivation is contagious, and people notice! 

Improve Morale

Your team’s morale builds self-motivation. One of the ways EQ development can help improve morale is its effect on your mindset. Low morale is related to low self-esteem. When you work on your emotional intelligence and become more self-aware, you also become more confident. The businesses you protect expect confidence from their defense team just as much as intellect.

You work with people all the time. People are affected by morale. You need good cybersecurity people skills to communicate things like why it’s important to create good passwords to employees. In most cases, employees are the first line of defense to combat cyber attacks. They need to have an awareness when managing passwords, be able to identify phishing e-mails, and be on alert for malware.

Your team’s work will help them do this well and they will feed off your morale. You’ve probably invested in obtaining certifications and education to help you do your job better. You will get an even greater return if you invest in building your EQ. You can sign up for coaching or study ways to improve your emotional intelligence by reading. Christian Espinoza literally wrote the book on how your IQ and EQ work together to help you better solve problems in cybersecurity. Solving problems is definitely a morale booster. 

Help Identify Weak Areas

Self-awareness is one of the fundamentals of emotional intelligence. If you can identify your weaknesses, those of your team, and the weak areas in a business’s defense, you will be an asset to any company and to your team. When you work on your EQ you are strengthening that emotional muscle personally, then you can use it professionally. 

Help With Conflict Resolution

Conflicts are bound to happen on any team, especially in high-stress areas like cybersecurity. Imagine the stress of the cybersecurity team at the University of Vermont Medical Center when cancer patients could not get chemotherapy treatments because of ransomware! Working on your emotional intelligence will help you work better under pressure both autonomously and with a team. 

Build Trust With Businesses & Organizations 

Businesses rely on you to teach and help build a defense that protects them so they can do what they do best. It’s true that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Empathy is another fundamental of a high EQ. People will trust you more when they can connect with you emotionally.

It may be hard to do this if you’ve always been taught to mask your emotions in professional settings. The key is learning to display the appropriate emotions at the appropriate time, without being led by them. Showing empathy demonstrates to the people you work with that you care about your work and their pain points. This is how you build trust and brand yourself as an essential professional in cybersecurity. 

Final Thoughts

Emotional intelligence is often underestimated among individuals with a high IQ. If you work on developing your EQ, you will work better with your team and serve businesses better. Some ways you can improve your EQ include reading or signing up for coaching. A high EQ will help boost motivation, improve morale, identify weak areas, resolve conflicts, and build trust. You should invest time in developing your EQ to improve as a cybersecurity professional and a leader. 

Sewer line problems are more common than you think. Although they may start as minor inconveniences, sewer line problems can quickly escalate if left untreated and lead to serious issues that threaten your health and home. From a plunger to a high-end sewer camera, there are a variety of tools designed for laypeople and experts to address sewage issues. Below are some of the common signs of a sewer line problem and what to do if you experience them.

Common Signs of a Sewer Line Problem

Drainage Issues

A problem with your sewer line can cause drainage problems on your property. This can include a slow drain, a clogged toilet, a wet area in your yard near the sewer line, or an overflow from the toilet tank. In some cases, these issues may be the result of a problem with the main sewer line leading from your property to the sewer mainline. In others, the problem may be an isolated blockage in one section of the pipe. If the issue is not addressed promptly, it can lead to serious problems including water damage and mold growth.

Foul Odors

If you have noticed a foul odor coming from your home, you may have a sewer line problem. This smell often indicates that there is a blockage in the pipe or the drain is starting to backup. Sometimes you may also have a bad odor rising from your shower drains. If you smell a strong chemical odor when you open your bathroom door, you may have a plumbing leak that is allowing sewer gas to enter your home. You should never enter a dark or poorly ventilated bathroom if you smell sewer gas as it can contain dangerous bacteria. Leave the bathroom immediately and shut the door.

Sewage Spills

If sewage is flooding out of pipes or seeping into your yard, there may be a serious problem in your sewer line. This can happen for several reasons including a clog in the line or breakage in one of the underground pipes. Sewage being diverted into your yard or your basement will cause significant damage to your home and can result in complaints from your neighbors. Not to mention that it will also create an unhealthy environment for your family. Never try to clean a sewage spill yourself as this can put you at risk of being exposed to harmful bacteria.

Lush Vegetation

This last sign is a little less obvious than the others. If you have verdant patches of grass in isolated areas of your yard, it could be due to sewage leaking from a faulty underground sewer line and inadvertently fertilizing the soil. Another contributor to sewer line issues is trees. If you have a tree or several large, established plants in your yard, their root structures may be gradually crushing or clogging your drainage pipes.

How to Fix a Sewer Line Problem

If you suspect that you have a sewer line problem, you can try to use food coloring drops in your sink or toilet to pinpoint the location of the leak. Pay attention to the color of any pooling water as this will make it easier for you to find the leak. You can also use a wet/dry vacuum to extract as much water as possible from the area so that you can determine the exact source of the leak. If the leak is in an accessible area or from an easily replaceable part, you may be able to repair it yourself.

That said, it is best to call a professional service to diagnose the problem. Hiring a professional will ensure that the job is done right the first time. They also have the expertise and tools required to do the job quickly and efficiently so that you can get back to your normal routine as soon as possible. Using the wrong tools or materials can lead to further damage to your sewer line and can end up costing you more money in the long run. You also do not want to risk exposure to harmful substances and bacteria.

A qualified sewer work contractor can perform a sewer scope inspection to thoroughly examine your property’s sewer lines. They will use a specialized sewer camera attached to a long cable to traverse the pipes on your property and search for signs of existing or potential damage. The scope can help the inspector locate hairline cracks and signs of buckling before they become serious. After the inspection, you will receive a report of the findings and recommendations on further steps to prevent or repair any damage.

Sewage line problems have the potential to damage your property and severely inconvenience your life. A serious sewage fault can even endanger your health. It is important to have routine maintenance performed on your sewer line to ensure that it is in good working order. It is recommend that you consult a professional once you suspect a problem. This will prevent the situation from worsening and ensure that your sewage system keeps running smoothly and efficiently.

Taos Pueblo

Sometime between 1000 and 1450 AD, the Tiwa Indians of northern-New Mexico constructed the sacred, hallucinogenic-looking Taos Pueblo. One of the oldest continuously-inhabited buildings in the United States, the Taos Pueblo is a hodgepodge of cubic adobe buildings, piled on top of each-other like terracotta dice. These are enforced with ancient spruce beams that stick-out of the walls. The doors of the higher stories are accessible via wooden ladders.

Over the years, the Taos Pueblo has hosted countless Native American totemic ceremonies, as well as battles with Coronado’s conquistadors. Approximately 150 Tiwa Indians still reside inside the Methuselah-like structure. It serves as a vein between the Tiwa’s ancient traditions a millennia ago and their modern population. Nearby lies the town of Taos, which boasts a colorful history of artists and Bohemians, from Georgia O’Keefe to Dennis Hopper.

Oak Alley Plantation

Situated on the banks of the Mississippi River, in the heart of Louisiana’s Creole country, Oak Alley is a queenly, Romanesque antebellum mansion, centered within a former sugar plantation. Built by French plutocrats in 1839, Oak Alley’s checkered history of slavery is reflected in Quentin Tarantino’s film Django Unchained, which makes use of the estate’s slave cabins. In the film, the mansion doubles as the residence of ‘Big Daddy,’ played by Don Johnson.

What makes Oak Alley vital to visit is not only its superlative architecture, African-American and Creole heritage and lavish, excellently-preserved 1800s interior, but its unforgettable ‘alley’ of silver, elephantine live oak trees. These were planted in neat lines in the 1840s, with the intention of inspiring awe in future generations. A long, straight path is enclosed by the tunnel of the oaks’ draping, gothic canopy; echoing the literature of Truman Capote. This leads all the way from the mansion’s front door to the estate’s gates, opposite the Mississippi. 

This otherworldly setting is the perfect photo opportunity. What is more, friendly, knowledgeable tour guides in period costumes are there to guide you around the house, teaching you about its fascinating story.

Grotto of the Redemption

Isolated in the flat farmland and grain elevators of rural Iowa stands an eccentric, one-of-a-kind Catholic shrine. Built over a period of forty years, its pebbled steeples, archways and meandering apses of Madonna statues look as though they were sculpted by dripping turrets of wet sand. The grotto’s walls are mosaicked with prismatic gemstones, including topaz and quartz; in a similar style to the structural collaging of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. 

All manner of adornments and meandering extensions have been added over time, making the shrine feel like an organic, evolving organism. Moreover, being used in David Lynch’s film, The Straight Story, the Grotto of the Redemption maintains its status as one of the midwest’s most unusual, intriguing and popular destinations.

Arlington Green Covered Bridge

Covered bridges are as inosculated with Vermont as maple syrup. Inspired by those pre-existing in Germany, these mythical functional structures are a fixture of the state’s quaint, autumnal landscape; mainstays in movies like Baby Boom and Beetlejuice. In folklore, they’re known as ‘kissing bridges.’ Teenagers would sneak into them at night to kiss, hidden from prying eyes.

One of Vermont’s oldest-surviving covered bridges is the Arlington Green Covered Bridge. Precariously straddling the banks of a brook, it is the most classic example of Vermont’s architecture. It has barn-red paint, peekaboo windows and a gabled roof. In addition to being longer than typical covered bridges, this one has not been structurally-reinforced in modern times. The result of this is a charming dip to its floor’s gradient, enriching it with as an old-fashioned, homely atmosphere as Vermont at-large.

If you desire to replicate a covered bridge look at home (for a garden shed, for instance), you should select a suitably-colored New England-crimson paint, before constructing a gabled roof. Furthermore, when prepping your wooden planks to build the walls, the use of a hand planer is preferred, in order to precisely trim your boards to a consistently uniform thickness. 

Olvera Street

With its sand-colored, Mediterranean-tiled Spanish Colonial buildings, this tree-shaded Mexican market is one of the most historic portions of Los Angeles, dating back to the 1820s. It’s located in a district called El Pueblo. This was the seed of LA during the colony of New Spain, from which all the city’s other districts blossomed. It includes La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles, the oldest church in the city. Families of Californios (Spaniards and mestizos who lived in California long-before it became a US state in 1850) continue to reside in the market’s time capsule villas, hundreds of years on.

On Olvera street, You’ll also find innumerable stores selling Mexican crafts and gifts, along with mariachi bands, street food and dancers in traditional Mayan headdresses and body paint. As exciting as it is interesting, Olvera Street is an optimal destination to spend a family day out in LA. 

It is time for many investors to look beyond stocks, bonds, and other traditional investments. Real estate has always been one of the best long-term investment strategies, but alternative investment news shows that more and more people are looking for nonconventional ways to get into the growing real estate market. Alternatives to traditional stock investments include providing mortgages, leasing to farmers, and starting syndications.

Private Mortgages or Hard Money Loans

When investors cannot obtain funding from traditional or conventional sources, they turn to private funding such as hard money loans. The lenders that fund private mortgages and hard money loans are themselves investors who are earning interest on those funds. By providing investors with hard money loans or by providing private mortgages to homeowners, your money will be filling a valuable niche market.

Private mortgages often have much higher interest rates than conventional mortgages and the lender can set whatever terms they want to help mitigate risk. The property becomes collateral for the loan.

Hard money loans are usually provided to investors for short-term projects like renovations or flips. The loans have high interest rates and provide funding for properties that otherwise would not be fundable, such as dilapidated or unlivable homes. Loans are based on ARV, or after repair value, rather than current appraisals. They sometimes offer interest-only payments in exchange for short-term loans, sometimes called bridge loans.

Raw Land

Investing in land can be profitable as long as the investor is knowledgeable in his market and area. There are several different ways that land investments can bring a profit. Land can be developed, used for agricultural uses, recreational uses, or it can be purchased as a buy-and-hold strategy.

Buying land as a buy-and-hold strategy can be a good method depending on the location and type of land. Holding land until it appreciates can be a long process, and in some cases, it may never appreciate enough to make it a good investment. In other cases, land appreciates quickly and may become very valuable. This strategy can be risky.

Agricultural land can be purchased and leased to farming operations for row crops, grazing, or timberland. While this is a good long-term strategy that may provide a little cash flow while you are building appreciation, don’t expect your leases to bring huge cash flow. Farming is expensive and volatile, and there’s no guarantee that the land will appreciate significantly. While this strategy can be a good one, and it’s much needed, it should be undertaken by those who understand the market and agriculture.

Land can also be purchased for development. This is a way to quickly add value to a piece of land. Developments can include preparing the land to be developed into housing and then selling lots, installing infrastructure for commercial buildings, or it can go so far as building and installing a strip mall and leasing to businesses. When done in the right market and location, these properties can be very valuable but they do require a lot of funding to start.

Tax Liens

When a land owner fails to pay property tax to a government, that entity can place a tax lien on the property. This limits what the owner can do with the property. When you purchase a tax lien you are buying a lien on someone’s property, not the property itself. The owner now owes you for the debt, plus interest and other fees. If the owner pays you, your interest earned on the loan was the profit from the investment. If the owner fails to pay after a set amount of time, the property can become yours.

Real Estate Syndications or Partnerships

Real estate syndications or partnerships allow investors to take part in owning properties they otherwise wouldn’t have the capital for. They are partnerships where funds, skills, and other assets are pooled to purchase expensive real estate such as portfolios or multi-family housing. There are many ways to structure these partnerships and they can have as few as two investors or many more. When creating a syndication or partnership, it is important to know what you are doing and have everything written and approved by a lawyer.

Renting Things You Already Own

Renting out space or vehicles you already own is becoming more popular as an investment. While you are unlikely to pay for your kid’s college from renting out your garage, it can help earn you some side money. 

Renting out your garage for storage is a great way to add a bit of income to your life from an asset you already own. People are renting garage space for personal storage, boat and vehicle storage, and for storing equipment and tools.

Homeowners are converting their garages, sheds, and basements into small apartments for people to rent as either long-term or short-term rentals. If you have a space that you aren’t using, consider what it would cost to convert it into an area that you could rent out. Be sure to evaluate your ability to tolerate living with guests nearby, especially if you are planning on a long-term roommate situation.

You can also rent out a recreational vehicle. Most people do this through programs that provide insurance and guidance, and bring renters and owners together through online apps. You will want to make sure your RV is well-maintained and in excellent condition. This is a great option if you aren’t ready to dive head-on into being a landlord. Some RV owners rent out 2 or 3 units and provide a second income for their families.