Python has to be one of the easiest programming languages to learn. In fact it is one of the easiest programming languages I have ever seen. If you think that Perl is even in the same ballpark in difficulty more power to you. I have looked over Python several times in the past and I am sure I could write anything I wanted with it. I don't work The biggest problem with Perl is the fact that you can if you choose write code nobody can understand 6 months from now. Maybe the problems was to may people writing code that way for job security. Who knows.

I have no need to prepare for earthquakes. I do have a plan for Hurricanes. The good thing about Hurricanes is you can see them coming. So I just keep a Hurricane plan. In general I do not keep water bottles just water storage containers. I have found I do not drink the water bottles so that is wasteful.
The plan:
1) Keep staples such as rice, noodles, and beans in pantry and a supply of batteries. (that plus food in freezer is usually enough for 3/5 days.
2) Fill freezer with water jugs (old milk cartons or any thing else not for drinking)
3) Check all camping gear
4) board up House (or tape windows)
5) Pack go bag
6) stay/go decision
If cat 4/5 shut of gas/water and go
else stay fill bath tubs, drinking containers and all post/pans with water.

Water containers are for drinking, bath tubs and pots pans are for bathing or flushing toilet if water pressure is lost.

This comes from experience. Cell phones are completely useless after a Hurricane. First Emergency and Government take them over for emergency communications. So that only SMS text messages work. Second the backup powers only last around 3 days. Then there are no cell signals. POTS are required by regulation to be up so AT&T brought in generators to service the lines which were sensibly below ground and not damaged.

I have been thinking of getting an external number pad for this reason. For a while I shoved my keyboard all the way to the left side of my desk so that I could use it in game. Now I just use the letter keys because my desk does not have room to shove it all the way to the left.

Actual I think VB.Net is more of a VB, C# Frankenstein monster. Microsoft chopped up VB6 and sewed it into the C# Common run-time environment. If you knew Basic you could basically throw together some pseudo code and VB would work. No such luck with the VB.Net monster. I heard that many of the issues I had have been cleaned up, but I still wont touch it. Which is a shame because VB was good if you need a quick prototype of a windows application.

If you have to do .Net programming stick to C#.

The full Idea is to place the solar collectors solar orbit then create a network of satellites to transfer power.

For permanent power geosynchronous orbit to beam down to stations on the ground. This would also allow for transmission to remote locations via portable power receivers and possible to provide power to disaster areas.

Although low intensity microwaves are suggest the more viable is high intensity electromagnetic wave lasers (I CANNOT REMEMBER THE FREQUENCY) would allow for a smaller surface foot print. The technology should viable in 10 years to the point of prof of concept but full deployment is more like 20 to 30 years away.

The amount of energy that can be collected in space and transmitted is much grater than what can be produced on the ground using solar panels.

The laser technology is also proposed for transiting from one ground location to another remote ground location.

Asimov wrote about a very similar technology in his robot series and the technology is just now getting to the point were it seems outside of the realm of Science fiction.

Get the Certifications it shows you want to advance. Become familiar with the various Linux distributions and choose one.

Become familiar with many computer languages, but more important become familiar with there Uses. The programming paradigms and programming concepts. If you learn the basic and advance language concepts you will get the the point were you can program in any language.

This were Linux is really important. You can any computer language for free.

Learn C++ well this makes Learning C, C#, Java, easy.

But do not for get to learn scripting languages such as Perl.

And at least know some software engineering
concepts and AI concepts.

You do not need to add this to you resume but put the ones you know the best.

If you really feel that your skills are rusting get an advanced degree.

That is what got me a job. I received my CS degree in 2002 and could not even find an IT job. I went back and finished a EE degree I ended up in excellent programming position. In of all things C, C++, Perl and Lisp. Never thought I would need Lisp. But my current project is a support position in legacy code.

If you know VHDL or another HDL put it on the resume and shop it around with C++ to some of the embedded people.

Go to all open house Job searches that companies offer and talk to them. Ask for an interview and discuss what work they do. Look into the big engineering technology companies such as Jacobs Technology. Attend free conferences. And network. After all every job I have ever had has been found by accident.