The Hire Knowledge Project ... Find the right one.

My name is Ralph Pichie. I am a technical writer and participant in an self-employment program. In the next month or two, I will be launching a consulting business offering documentation and other support to engineering, information technology, and education-oriented organizations, or others with similar requirements. This market survey will help match the products and services to your needs and resources.

A few years ago, I had a technology-oriented web site that focused on instruction, documentation and new gadgets. I have gathered some of the more interesting or informative stories, updated some of the content and shrunk the file size to about one quarter of what it had been.

The archive contains information on:

• Hardware faults with certain laptops and how to avoid them
• Fake jobs used to steal info and send spam
• Electronic waste recycling

if you have followed my posts on this site, you'll know that I am a Linux user. While that is so, I regularly use Windows when employed in government or corporate environments where that is the norm. With most of my personal computer time being spent with a different operating system, the standard paid anti-virus and malware solutions for Windows are not very cost effective for me to use.

In honour of the recent research into the effects of long term space travel on worms, I thought I'd review some of the popular culture references to space worms that you may not have noticed.

The science: Worms reveal effects of long space voyages
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2011/11/30/science-worms-c-elega...

Not-so-famous worm-related quotes from scifi movies, music and television:

"In space, no one can hear you wriggle."

"He's fish food, Jim."

"Thar be worms here!"

"Dammit, Jim, I'm a Doctor, not a bait farmer!"

"Ground control to Major Worm"

Thursday was a very windy day in Edmonton, Alberta, the kind of day that makes some of us wish it was calm -- or that we could tap into some of that energy flow.

This is a barely-edited video showing my first ‘windmill’ prototype in two locations. I'll add some finesse to the presentation when I get a chance.

When I first got a Huawei Internet stick to have a mobile broadband connection from my laptop, I was told it would not run under Linux. A little research and a lot of experience told me that this was probably not the case, or would not be for long.

I never had the opportunity to use the satirical material that I'd been preparing for the non-governing parties in the last federal election. With the Liberals so reduced in seats and Ignatieff gone, with Layton's illness and recent passing, much of it no longer fits and it just isn't good timing.

Fortunately, the NDP leadership race is already generating news with the entry of Brian Topp into the race, so I'm not entirely out of luck.

Sept. 29, 2011 update: another load of computer equipment is on the way to Slave Lake. The shipment will likely arrive some time next week. An additional shipment of technology treasures from outside the region is pending. My involvement with the project is now on hold.

When shocking events harm our communities, the generosity of the response can be both heart-warming and sometimes overwhelming. The fire that damaged much of the town of Slave Lake and surrounding areas is no exception. Nearly a week later, the donations of material goods and money continue to pour in. In such circumstances, it is important that the contributions be as helpful as possible while causing the least interference or unintended consequences.