I’d like to think you missed my weekly newsletter last week, but since neither you nor anybody else on my distribution list questioned its absence, maybe I’m expendable. In any case, the other Jim and I (and our wives) were in Arizona last week for the winter AM&AA (Alliance of Mergers & Acquisitons Advisors) conference, educating people on the importance of technology due diligence during a transaction. I had some content but not enough time to put it together for you.
I knew it was a good omen on our arrival in Scottsdale on Monday afternoon when the first street we crossed after leaving the airport grounds was Buckeye. Then the first billboard we saw was for an Asian place called Bosa. These were followed by a few more good omens until we got to the hotel, only to find that we were in room 216 (614 would’ve been better, but I’m not complaining). I skipped dinner with the group that night to watch the football game, and after the Buckeyes big win, the rest of the trip was just a bonus.
Once the conference wrapped up on Wednesday afternoon, Nancy and I drove up to the Grand Canyon where we spent two nights, and then a night in Sedona on our way back to Scottsdale. The Canyon was amazing, but now I can check that box off. I actually thought Sedona was prettier. And if you’re ever out that way, I’d highly recommend a Pink Jeep Tour. Now it’s back to the office… scroll down for GhostGPT, soup drops, Balto, and more!
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GhostGPT
Looking to become a hacker, but not sure where to start? Have some money to invest, but no knowledge of coding? For $50 you can get a week’s access to GhostGPT and use it to write your malicious code for you. It might not get you all the way into those target networks, but it’s a start!
Soup Drops
I’m a little late on this one, as it was supposed to be in last week’s edition. That didn’t happen so unless you can find some Progresso Soup Drops (“soup you can suck on”) on eBay, you might be out of luck. Anyhow, Progresso thought the world needed soup flavored cough drops… Personally, I’d rather have pizza flavored cough drops. Or maybe bourbon.
Balto
It was 100 years ago this weekend that sled dog Balto gained his fame as part of the team that transported much-needed diptheria vaccine to Nome, Alaska. You’ve probably heard the story, especially as it relates (to some extent) to the creation of the annual Iditarod sled dog race. But did you know that Balto ended up in Cleveland, and remains on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History?
Social Media
A small part of the reason that I didn’t post last week was due to our trip out west. We took Thursday and Friday off to see the sites, but had I really wanted to put something together, I could’ve made it happen. At the same time, I didn’t want to let the world know that we were out of town. Back in the office this week, Travis reminded me of one good reason to not post your vacations on social media until you’re returned home!
Super Bowl Security
I’m really sick of the Kansas City Chiefs, and don’t really care for the Philadelphia Eagles (too much time spent with a college buddy from Philly who won’t shut up about them), so I’ll be watching the game for the ads. That said, the Super Bowl is one of the biggest events of the year, which means that hackers and other bad actors will be trying to take as much advantage of people as possible- fans, vendors, and otherwise. We’re still more than a week away from the game, so plenty of time for more insights and information to be published, but here’s the first I’ve seen this year.
That’s all I have for this week. Short, sweet, and to the point. Spent too much time getting caught up from a week away, and following up with new connections we made in Arizona.
The Buckeyes are done for the season, and the golf cart driver has gone back to driving school (or so we hope). Looks like she should’ve been driving for the Browns, instead.
Have a great weekend.
Abbey