Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Cisco Live 2010 Las Vegas

*** This just came in from Eman Conde of CCIE Flyer


Cisco Live 2010

Viva Las Vegas BABY!


Deep in the catacombs of the CCIE Agent™ offices there is a cache of guitars owned and loved by me Uncle Eman. That’s right I love my guitars they all have stories too. My favorite is a twelve string Taylor acoustic similar to the model played by John Denver back in his Rocky Mountain High days. This beauty was sitting in a pawn shop window being beaten and ruined by the sun in the shop window. I drove by it for several weeks before I finally stopped in and asked the proprietor to take it out of the direct rays of the sun. I explained that it was being ruined by the heat and direct sunlight. To this he asked if I wanted to buy it. I said no and tried to explain again that he was ruining the guitar. He told me to pound sand and get out of his store. I drove by that shop window for a few more weeks before I finally had to save the guitar. I walked in and confronted the proprietor with what he was doing to the guitar, again. He asked if I was going to buy it, again. This time I said yes and convinced him that they had in fact damaged the wood and the neck was warped thus I talked him down on his price considerably. I picked it up for a song!


Then there’s the Charlie Daniels guitar I bought for my Christmas gift a couple of years ago. This beauty is one of two built and the twin is in Charlie’s office in a glass case. Mine was played by guitar players in 38 Special, Marshal Tucker, Little Texas and Charlie Daniel’s band. This gem was a fund raiser as part of a raffle to raise money for a children’s hospital in Florida. The winner disappeared with the guitar and for three years folks wondered where it went. I found it in the back of a small guitar store in Elkton, Maryland. No one knew the guitar’s origins and I bought it thinking it was a Japanese made knock off of a much more expensive guitar. When I was handed the case I found the passes issued to the winner of the raffle inside. I called Dave Fullerton of Fullerton guitars in Florida and learned what I had was a very unique guitar.


Well this year at Cisco Live I will bring with me, what could possibly be the most sought after prize of the event, the Elvis Presley model Epiphone guitar. You might ask,


“Uncle Eman, how many of my children will I have to give you for this wonderful instrument?” I would have to tell you to keep your children, (I have my own and they are over rated)!


Instead, all you have to do is find me on the exhibition floor and place a business card in the instrument. I will pull one lucky winners name from the sound whole of this unique and very classy guitar and that person will walk away from the show with a souvenir of Las Vegas to be proud of! Yup you don’t have to be a CCIE to win! I will announce as we get closer to the event date where the drawing will take place and where you can find me. Yes this fine instrument will come with a music lesson! You will learn to play and sing not one but two great Elvis Presley classics. I will teach you to play Blue Suede Shoes and (the house lights please) Elvis has left the building, “Viva Las Vegas”. Yes you will learn these two exciting songs before I release my grip on the guitar and before you walk away into the sunset!!!!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

CCIE Flyer Sponsored Training

Moving on from the simple reduced cost opportunities for our readers the CCIE Flyer is now co-hosting training venues. We have really decided to bring the prices down to ensure those regions of the world where boot camps are most needed, can afford them. We had not released the information about our work with Micronics and a sponsoring Cisco reseller in Nigeria before because Eman was traveling again. While he was in Cape Town we heard that a flurry of messages was flying back and forth on Group Study about the CCIE Flyer plans. So the cat’s out of the bag it seems but the details were not correct or complete.

Here are the details.

May 17 – 21 the CCIE Flyer is cosponsoring not one but three boot camps in Lagos, Nigeria. Victoria Island Lagos will play host to one of the most unique international CCIE training opportunities ever.

  • Narbik Kocharians will be teaching his special and very successful Routing and Switching Boot Camp
  • Paul Negron will be featured teaching his very well regarded Service Provider Boot Camp
  • Piotr Matusiak will be teaching his very highly touted Security Boot Camp
  • Eman Conde CCIE Agent™ known to many CCIEs around the world will play ring master to an historic and memorable week of training and networking

These three offerings will be running concurrently on May 17 – 21, 2010 and the CCIE Flyer will have severely reduced pricing for these boot camps for our readers. Because the classes will be held during the same week anyone attending will have the chance of a lifetime. You will be able to network with Eman, Narbik, Paul and Piotr all at the same time. What a great chance to take your career to the next plateau! Mentors and teachers like these are not found together in the same place very often and the CCIE Flyer is working on additional co-sponsored venues. So Nigeria should be in your plans and you should send an email to promotions@ccieflyer.com right now.

The earlier you sign up the better the discounts!

But Wait we are not finished yet!

Located in the Delaware Valley is a hot bed of CCIE focused energy. Yup Eman’s office and the editorial offices of the CCIE Flyer! What this means for you is that the CCIE Flyer will offer the same “Fantastic Four”, super stars of CCIE world in the same week right here in the shadow of the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia. Why here? It’ because the area is served by the best rail system in the region and the tax free environment of Delaware is conducive to lower pricing! Really, I don’t have to tell you that paying less for hotels (or not needing one at all) is a good thing and if you are living in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington DC, New York or even Virginia this might be the best chance you get to invest in your career. The added plus of having the chance to join and network with many other career focused professionals and the Fantastic Four of CCIE training is awesome. In June we will be together again to give you the best value and the most cost effective investment you can make in your future as a CCIE.

  • Narbik Kocharians will be teaching his special and very successful Routing and Switching Boot Camp
  • Paul Negron will be featured teaching his very well regarded Service Provider Boot Camp
  • Piotr Matusiak will be teaching his very highly touted Security Boot Camp
  • Eman Conde CCIE Agent™ known to many CCIEs around the world will play ring master to an historic and memorable week of training and networking

These three offerings will be running concurrently on June 21 – 25, 2010 and the CCIE Flyer will have severely reduced pricing for these boot camps for CCIE Flyer readers. Once again the classes will be held during the same week so anyone attending will have the chance of a lifetime. You will be able to network with Eman, Narbik, Paul and Piotr all at the same time.

Fast Track your career with the help of the Fantastic Four!

How? As teachers and mentors the Fantastic Four can provide you the essence of a professional support network. What a great chance to take your career to the next plateau! Mentors and teachers like these are not found together in the same place very often, but the CCIE Flyer is making it happen for you. So Wilmington, Delaware should be in your plans send an email to promotions@ccieflyer.com right now.

The earlier you sign up the bigger the discounts!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

CCIE Flyer Challenge is now LIVE!

Here we go!

The CCIE Flyer Challenge!

Racers Start Your Engines!

It’s time to get started you have until Sunday the 21st of March Midnight!
Yup we will pull the link down at Mid-night Sunday, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!

A CONTEST!

The first twenty (20) lucky people who do the best on these labs will be
awarded both workbooks, the Troubleshooting Workbook (written by Narbik and
Dan) and the Advanced Routing and Switching 2.0 Workbook written by Narbik.
All that plus a $1,000 discount to any one of Micronics’ SP, RS or
End-To-End classes, anywhere in the world.

ONLY 20 (TWENTY) LUCKY CONTESTANTS WILL BE AWARDED THESE FABULOUS PRIZES.
(I feel like a game show host!)

http://www.ccieflyer.com/2010-03-TOC.php


So what are you guys waiting for? Click on the link above and win yourselves some
prizes!


***************************************
Little more instructions about the TS Challenge can be found here:

Please use that link for the Tickets, Diagrams and .net files

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Open Letter to Network World’s John Dix

This just came in from Eman (CCIE Flyer). Looks like some people at NW has a lot of free time ...

In 2007 I was asked to join the SRS Program by the head of Worldwide Channels of Cisco Systems. I had been written several articles that were then rewritten by one of the writers for Network World’s Cisco Subnet. Some might call the type of rewrites done of my articles as plagiarism but I was not really thinking in those terms. I was getting the word out that I was a singly focused recruiter, looking to help CCIEs with their careers. I was at the first Cisco Second Life career fair and my antics there attracted the largest crowd of any of the other companies present that were recruiting Cisco Talent. My avatar owns several guitars and at the career fair I had him playing at my booth. There was dancing and other cool stuff from the crowd there. I was given a robot band by one attendee and several really odd looking avatars joined in and jammed with mine. It was all in great fun and soon the folks at Cisco were thanking me for being a part of this event. I participated in one of the first real career fairs hosted by Cisco in Boston and a part of the new initiative called the SRS (Strategic Recruitment Solutions) program. Because I had already given some of my time to the Cisco Network Academy, the folks in the talent initiative thought I would be a good addition to the effort. I was on the phone constantly with one of the Network World Cisco Subnet contributors and one day while we were talking I shared how I wanted to stay focused on recruiting CCIEs as a focus and he thought it was a great idea. I shared the thought of becoming a career agent instead of simply a recruiter and this also received a positive response and kudos as a great idea.

So my journey began as the CCIE Agent™

I filed for the Trademark rights for the term CCIE Agent™ and threw myself into this completely, like no other decision in my IT Career I decided to apply all my energies into this completely new and original endeavor. Then I left a channel partner to join Bridge Resourcing in London, a big leap for a simple boy from West Dallas, Texas. The folks at Cisco, who manage the SRS initiative, made me a part of the agendas for various Talent Forums around the world doing presentations about CCIEs. My journey took me places I had never even dreamed of going as a recruiter. Athens, Cairo, Zurich, San Jose, London, Brussels, Atlanta, Johannesburg, and Dubai have been locations where we have spread the word about CCIEs.

This activity has blessed me with the chance to present to Cisco Network Academy students giving them the opportunity to ask questions about their career choices and me the opportunity to tell them about the world. This has consistently been the most gratifying part of my journey, helping kids. Then I was called by a network engineer refugee from Iraq. The article I had written about him in the CCIE Flyer had saved his family from slaughter in Lebanon and he wanted to tell me how it had come about. I was blindsided by this news. I had no idea that what I was doing could have that kind of result. Then in January I started CCIEs without Borders/Network Engineers for peace. A concept I had to give free network engineer support to the poorest organizations such as schools and hospitals in troubled or destitute areas. Three dozen CCIEs and Network Engineers from around the world joined and made themselves available to help.

I am not Mother Teresa

No I am not likely to be canonized but the chance to help is magnetic and I have been polarized by the network I am a part of. Yet I do conduct myself positively during these times of turmoil I am an optimist after all. So I have always tried to make sure that those who are in the most need get the most attention. I am limited in my exposure and influence to a community of Network Engineers and Cisco Channel Partners. I cannot fix the problems of our world.
I have become vulnerable in a space on the ether where many people with their own agendas and designs will say and do as they will. Network World Magazine has seen fit to attack my character, my initiatives and my reputation in articles in their Cisco Subnet an area managed by you Mr. John Dix and one of your co-workers Mr. Jeff Caruso. Since you have seen fit to attack me and my work I would like to know why.

Why?

Why do you allow content slanderous to my reputation and then leave it up long enough to draw readers only to pull it down as if it had never been posted? Why without an acknowledgement of its negative and insidious nature without an apology? Why when the lies were proven did you then not respond to my emails about this activity and conduct yourself as if no wrong had ever been perpetrated? Why did Mr. Jeff Caruso email me in 2008 several times telling me he would investigate and get back to me only to stop communicating with me? Why did you yourself Mr. John Dix also promise a response and then also disappear? Is this because Network World and your representatives’ stated goal of causing my business injury is also your goal?
It is my opinion that you are shameless professionals Mr. Dix and Mr. Caruso, with no honor if you can make commitments without keeping them. When others have been slandered on your forum you gauge your response to the harm it has done by readership, rather than social right or wrong.
I await your response to the questions above about why you are allowing attacks on me to ever have been allowed on your forum.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

March Madness at CCIE Flyer!

The CCIE Flyer Challenge!


What if you had a chance to get a couple of workbooks that would help you stay sharp or prepare for the CCIE R&S lab? Yup if you could get both Narbik’s Troubleshooting Workbook and the Advanced Routing and Switching 2.0 Workbook would that be a good deal?


FREE?

Oh that would be better, because free is always good. If I also threw in an additional $1,000 discount to any of Micronics’ SP, RS or End-To-End classes that would be even better, right? Well I try to stay on top of what future CCIEs and current CCIEs might want so here’s a great deal for you.


A CONTEST!

You bet, a contest to see who can complete 10 – 15 troubleshooting mock labs is afoot. The window of opportunity for you is a short five (5) days to complete. The first twenty (20) lucky people who do the best on these labs will be awarded both workbooks, Troubleshooting Workbook (written by Narbik and Dan) and the Advanced Routing and Switching 2.0 Workbook written by Narbik. All that plus a $1,000 discount to any one of Micronics’ SP, RS or End-To-End classes, anywhere in the world.


ONLY 20 (TWENTY) LUCKY CONTESTANTS WILL BE AWARDED THESE FABULOUS PRIZES. (I feel like a game show host!)


WHEN?

Next week I will roll out the announcement and the link to the mock labs and you are invited to, “Start your engines” race fans.


The fine print: If you have attended classes from Micronics you only have to pay $1,500 for future training, so don’t be greedy you will not be allowed to use the $1,000 discount offered in this competition against that price.