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Keep your nose to the grindstone, that’s how you win.
I’m Jason Firth. Sometimes you have problems that seem insurmountable, and all it takes to solve them is keeping your nose to the grindstone long enough. I recently decided I wanted to have Network Attached Storage. Lately cloud services like Google have been getting sort of strange, and I just felt more comfortable having my…
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A small practical print I wanted to share
I’m Jason Firth. 3d printing is an amazing tool for a variety of reasons, but one of the big reasons is that you can create something you needed much more quickly than if you couldn’t just 3d print a thing. I’ve had this YI Home PTZ camera for some time, but the problem is where…
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Tiny download, hugely important tool
I’m Jason Firth. Industrial systems are unbelievably static compared to other systems. While the rest of the world struggles upgrading to Windows 10 from Windows 7, some industrial process control systems are still on Windows XP. In fact, there are even some still plugging away on Windows 98. These devices often aren’t treated as computers,…
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What is bitcoin?
I’m Jason Firth. One of the biggest questions out there, and one that I’ve been asked may times is “What is bitcoin?”. I think it’s an interesting thing to talk about for a bit. Before I start, I’m going to talk a bit about the money most people use. After that, We can talk about…
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Two kinds of manager
I’m Jason Firth. Lately my work has been closer to management than front line work. As a supervisor, my first duty is a safe workplace, but my second is enabling my workers to succeed, and that often requires management of one form or another. I previously had a theory of management that I now fully…
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And we’re back!
I’m Jason Firth. For the past most of a year, this site sat in limbo. The question was, “What do I do with this place?” After several years, my web hosting was about to expire, and I didn’t know if I wanted to pay to keep things running. Bottom line is, yes I am, but…
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Happy new year, and some thoughts on AI
I’m Jason Firth. A lot has been said about AI of late, the idea that AI could “evolve” and become a true intelligence. With respect to any system I’ve seen so far, that sounds plausible, except that it isn’t. Much like a stuffed doll will never evolve into a human because the fundamental stuff that…
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The government’s response to my letter
Dear Mr. Firth: I am responding to your email of April 26, 2018, concerning the Government of Canada’s approach to supporting apprenticeship and the skilled trades. I appreciate your sharing your experiences and views on the Government’s measures aimed at increasing entry into apprenticeship. I especially noted your view that making more apprenticeship…
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Open Letter to Patty Hadju regarding apprenticeships
Hi, I’m a skilled trades supervisor covering instrumentation, fire systems/sprinkler systems, gas fitters, and liquid petroleum distribution systems for a senior gold producer. I live a few blocks away from your Red River Road office in Thunder Bay. I’m writing concerning the approach the government seems to be taking regarding apprenticeships and skilled trades. A…
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New software
I’m Jason Firth. I’ve migrated to newer blog software, and as a result some of my posts have been removed or scrambled. I’m manually uploading the old posts, the photos might be lost. Update: The old posts are back online, but 99% of the photos are still missing. Thanks for reading!