Welcome back to the Scinary Information Nexus! It's a breakfast stout kind of morning as Richard, Brazos, Mario, and Joseph sit down to tackle the latest news coming out of the Texas Governor's office and a heavy topic that plagues our industry.

First up, we discuss the expanded list of prohibited technologies for Texas state agencies. From TP-Link routers to shopping apps like Temu and Shein, the state is cracking down on Chinese-affiliated tech. But is this actually securing our data, or is it just "privacy theater" while data brokers still sell our info to the highest bidder?

Then, we get real about Burnout. The team shares personal, unfiltered stories about the toll this industry takes-including the infamous "Air Conditioner Incident," the feeling of "Hot Brain," and why so many IT professionals fantasize about quitting to become restaurant managers. We discuss the difference between "Burnout of Love" (obsession) vs. emotional exhaustion, and how to survive through rest, delegation, and disconnecting.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Texas Executive Order: Banning TP-Link, Temu, and Chinese AI.
• Why banning TikTok doesn't necessarily solve the data privacy problem.
• The financial burden of "Rip and Replace" for underfunded schools and local governments.
• Defining Burnout: When you'd rather end up in the hospital than go to work.
• The "Air Conditioner Incident": A lesson in leadership and stress.
• "Hot Brain" and Data Fatigue during internal assessments.
• How to survive: The importance of hobbies that have nothing to do with screens.
• Why Richard believes what we do truly matters.

Are you feeling the IT burnout? Let us know in the comments how you cope.

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cybersecurity #burnout #mentalhealth #privacy #infosec #podcast