Play old WinXP games on any Windows

I am somewhat older now, I look back at my childhood was full of MS-DOS and Windows 95 PC games.  My first computer was a IBM 386 that ran MS-DOS.  My second computer ran Windows 95.

Download VMware Player for Windows 8.1 and enjoy DirectX 7 - 9 PC games from ten to twenty years ago such as Diablo 2 Lord of Destruction.  The games obviously don't run correctly on newer Windows 8.1. It's a free download.

Old MS-DOS games now found off the "abandonware websites" or torrents for free run in the D-Fend Reloaded emulator.  I have Secret of Monkey Island, LeChuck's Revenge - Monkey Island, Kings Quest IV, Quake, Quake II, Doom II, Simcity 2000,
Command & Conqueror: Red Alert, Day of the Tentacle, Ultima VI: The False Prophet, X-Com: UFO Defense , Doom, Blood, Sid Meier's Civilization  to name a few.

Great way to play cheap. MS-DOS and Windows XP games are very cheap on Amazon now. Old Windows games are cool, because they do not need No-DVD cracks.

openSUSE 13.1 review

OMG! I have skipped openSUSE 12.3! But now I have openSUSE 13.1 so I haven't completely alienated openSUSE for Scientific Linux or Linux Mint. I might turn it into a Youtube video.  openSUSE 13.2 is out in November 2014!


openSUSE 13.1 has been released so it’s time for a review. I’ve always liked openSUSE, I started out with SUSE Linux years ago and it’s always had a special place in my heart. I’m glad it’s still around and doing so well these days. Whenever I install it, I’m reminded of where I got my start with Linux and I’m grateful that it was available back then.
This review covers the KDE version of openSUSE 13.1. However, you can also use GNOME as the default desktop environment. Both desktops are great, and work well in openSUSE. Ultimately it gets down to your personal preference, but I don’t think you can go wrong with either option.
If you aren’t familiar with what KDE has to offer, you can read an overview of KDE in openSUSE 13.1 that covers the advantages of the Plasma Desktop. Suffice to say that the combination of KDE 4.11 and openSUSE provides a powerful desktop operating system that is also elegant and pleasing in daily use.

openSUSE 13.1 Boot Menu

What’s New in openSUSE 13.1 KDE
Here’s a sample of the new features in this release:

KDE
KDE Plasma Desktop is the default in openSUSE, and the 4.11 version of this Free Desktop is a long term maintained release. This release brings speed improvements in Desktop Search, file and window management, improved multi-monitor handling, brand new delayed mail sending feature and scam detection for KDE PIM and much more. Also new is deeper Android integration in the desktop and in the Amarok music player. See this great introduction to Plasma Desktop on openSUSE 13.1.
Stabilized
Much effort was put in testing openSUSE 13.1, with improvements to our automated openQA testing tool, a global bug fixing hackathon and more. The btrfs file system has received a serious workout and while not default, is considered stable for everyday usage. This release has been selected for Evergreen maintenance extending its life cycle to 3 years.
Networked
This release introduces the latest OpenStack Havana with almost 400 new features. Web server admins will appreciate the latest Apache, MySQL and MariaDB updates. Web developers benefit from an updated Ruby 2.0 on Rails 4 with improvements from core classes to better caching in the Rails framework and the latest php 5.4.2 comes with a build-in testing server. End users can now mount Amazon s3 buckets as local file system and use much improved Samba 4.1 with better windows domains support.
Evolved
openSUSE moves forward with AArch64, making openSUSE ready for development on the upcoming generation of 64bit ARM devices. 32bit ARM support has been heavily improved and a special Raspberry Pi build for openSUSE is available. This release also delivers GCC 4.8 with new error reporting abilities, the latest glibc supporting AArch64, C11 and Intel TSX Lock Elision, the new SDL2 and Qt 5.1, bringing QML and C++11 features to developers..
Polished
openSUSE 13.1 comes with much improved font hinting thanks to the new font engine in Freetype 2.5. YaST has been ported to Ruby, opening contribution up to a large number of skilled developers. In this release, ActiveDoc replaces doc.opensuse.org and the majority of packaged documents in openSUSE, lowering the barrier to contribution.
Faster
New is accelerated video with VDPAU support in MESA and an optimized version of glibc for 32bit systems. Linux 3.11 includes work on ‘page reclaim’, maintaining performance during disk operations.
Feature-full
Desktop users will appreciate the Android devices integration in the KDE file manager, in the shell and in music player Amarok. Artists have to try out the new Krita improvements with textured painting, greyscale masks & selections and more. GNOME Shell introduces a redesign of the system status bar and Header Bars in many applications, making better use of screen space. Enlightenment now also has an openSUSE theme.
Innovative
This release comes with a number of experimental technologies to try out. This includes preliminary Wayland support with Weston compositor in GNOME Shell and KDE Plasma Desktop as well as improved support for Ultra high-resolution in applications and shells. New is also the LightDM KDE greeter and a plasma NetworkManagement applet for testing.

System Requirements for openSUSE 13.1 KDE
Here’s what you’ll need to run openSUSE 13.1:

• Pentium* III 500 MHz or higher processor (Pentium 4 2.4 GHz or higher or any AMD64 or Intel64 processor recommended)
• Main memory: 1 GB physical RAM (2 GB recommended)
• Hard disk: 3 GB available disk space for a minimal install, 5 GB available for a graphical desktop (more recommended)
• Sound and graphics cards: supports most modern sound and graphics cards, 800 x 600 display resolution (1024 x 768 or higher recommended)
• Booting from CD/DVD drive or USB-Stick for installation, or support for booting over network (you need to setup PXE by yourself, look also at Network install) or an existing installation of openSUSE, more information at Installation without CD

openSUSE 13.1 KDE Download
You can download openSUSE 13.1 KDE from the openSUSE download page. The file I downloaded weighed in at 4.57 GB. I also used the 64-bit version for this review, but you can download the 32-bit version if you prefer it.
While I opted for the DVD version that requires an install, you can also download the live versions of openSUSE 13.1 instead. That will let you run openSUSE 13.1 off the disc instead of having to do an install. I recommend doing this if you’ve never used openSUSE before, it will give you a taste of what it offers without having to do an actual install.
You can choose KDE or GNOME if you go for the live versions, see the links for each desktop environment on the downloads page for openSUSE 13.1.
If you’re a distrohopper then you might want to try it in a virtual machine via VirtualBox before running it on real hardware.
openSUSE 13.1 KDE Installation
Installing openSUSE 13.1 is not difficult though the installer is not quite as slick as the one in Ubuntu. My install took longer than an Ubuntu install but there was also more software included with it.
You can watch a slideshow once the install starts. I recommend checking out the slideshow if you are totally new to openSUSE, it’s a good way to start learning how to use it.

openSUSE 13.1 Install Mode

openSUSE 13.1 Install Partitioning

openSUSE 13.1 Install Desktop Selection

openSUSE 13.1 Install Repositories

openSUSE 13.1 Install Settings

openSUSE 13.1 Install Slideshow

The openSUSE 13.1 KDE Desktop
The openSUSE 13.1 KDE desktop is quite attractive. The first things you notice are the darker color and the openSUSE mascot in green. The desktop contains icons for Firefox, the KInfoCenter, LibreOffice, Online Help and openSUSE.
Click the chameleon button on the panel to access application categories, system tools, utilities, desktop configuration, favorites, and to shut down your system. openSUSE 13.1 defaults to the sliding menus in KDE, but I prefer the classic menus instead. To switch to the classic menus, just right click the chameleon button on the panel and choose classic style.

openSUSE 13.1 Desktop

openSUSE 13.1 Applications Menu

openSUSE 13.1 YaST Control Center

Linux Software Included in openSUSE 13.1 KDE
Here’s a sample of the linux software included in openSUSE 13.1.
Games
KMahjongg
KReversi
KPatience
KMines
KSudoku
Graphics
GIMP
Hugin
digiKam
DNGConverter
Expoblending
Panorama
Photo Layouts
showFoto
AcquireImages
Skanite
Gwenview
Internet
Choqok
Konversation
Kopete
KMail
Firefox
Konqueror
Akregator
KTorrent
Multimedia
Amarok
AMZ Downloader
K3b
Kaffeine
KMix
KsCD
Office
KAddressBook
Kontact
KOrganizer
LibreOffice
Okular
Linux Software Management Tools in openSUSE 13.1 KDE
There are two ways to manage software in openSUSE 13.1, YaST2 and Apper. Unless you really need it, I recommend using Apper. The interface is a bit more intuitive and applications are broken down into category for easy browsing.
To install an application in Apper, just find it and click the Install button and then click Apply. To remove an application, just click the Remove button then click on Apply.

openSUSE 13.1 Apper Software Management

openSUSE 13.1 YaST 2 Software Management

Problems & Headaches Found in openSUSE 13.1 KDE
openSUSE 13.1 ran extremely well for me, I saw no stability or speed problems with it. It seems that the developer claims about improving stability and speed have been borne out by its performance. However, if you’ve seen any problems then please post them in the comments below for the benefit of other readers. Thanks in advance.
In terms of criticism, I think there are two weak points in openSUSE 13.1.
The first is the installer. It’s not hard to use but it isn’t as streamlined as it could be. The installer in Ubuntu and Linux Mint seems more intuitive and simpler to me. openSUSE 13.1′s installer could use a rework that makes it more appealing and easier for folks that are new to this distro.
The second weak point is in software management. Apper is okay, but it lags behind the Ubuntu Software Center and Linux Mint’s Software Manager. Using YaST 2 for software management is fine for very experienced users, but it’s not something well suited to casual desktop users.
So I’d like to see some improvements on these two points. Some sort of app store type software management tool would be very welcome in openSUSE, along with a revamped installer that simplifies the process for folks new to Linux and openSUSE.
Neither of these things is a deal breaker by any means. openSUSE is a great desktop distribution, but there’s always room for improvement and I think addressing these two issues would make openSUSE even better than it is right now.
Where To Get Help for openSUSE 13.1 KDE
If you’re having problems, please post your questions in the comments below or register for the DLR forum. Other readers might be able to assist you. You might also want to check out the openSUSE forums or mailing list.
If you’re new to Linux, you might want to check out some of the books available about it at Amazon. You can learn quite a bit that you will probably find useful later on. You can also on laptops and tablets, desktops and monitors, components, and computer accessories.
Final Thoughts About openSUSE 13.1 KDE
openSUSE 13.1 takes an already fine desktop distribution and makes it even better. Ubuntu, Linux Mint and others have gotten more attention in recent years than openSUSE, but this release may very well change that. openSUSE 13.1 deserves to be included in any discussion of the top tier of desktop distributions.
I found myself really enjoying openSUSE 13.1, it’s well worth a download if you are in the market for a new desktop distro. If KDE and GNOME don’t appeal to you then you can build your own version of openSUSE or try one of the various derivatives of it.
If you are using Windows or OS X right now, openSUSE 13.1 is definitely a viable alternative. If you aren’t sure about using it, download one of the live versions of it and then run it off the disc first to see how you like it. My guess is that you will probably enjoy it once you get your feet wet with it.
openSUSE 13.1 is suitable for beginner, intermediate and advanced Linux users.
What’s your take on openSUSE 13.1 KDE? Tell me in the comments below.
Summary Table:

Product:	openSUSE 13.1 KDE
Web Site:	http://www.opensuse.org
Price:	Free
Pros:	Stability and speed improvements. Excellent KDE 4.11 integration. Android device integration in KDE. Updated versions of many different software applications.
Cons:	Installer works well but is still not as elegant or streamlined as the one in Ubuntu and Linux Mint. Apper and YaST 2 are not as good in terms of intuitive software management as the Ubuntu Software Center or Linux Mint’s Software Manager.
Rating:	4/5

Free HEVC front-end

www.mediacoderhq.com/‎

 HEVC not yet supported by Youtube.

Agenda 21 social problems.

The social networks are becoming unpopular.  Not to mention real-life.  It could well be the project 21 causing all of this.

Agenda 21: Conspiracy Theory or Threat Part 1

The battle over Agenda 21 is raging across the nation. City and County Councils have become war zones as citizens question the origins of development plans and planners deny any international connections to the UN’s Agenda 21. What is the truth? Since I helped start this war, I believe it is up to me to help with the answers.

The standard points made by those who deny any Agenda 21 connection is that:

• Local planning is a local idea.
• Agenda 21 is a non-binding resolution not a treaty, carries no legal authority from which any nation is bound to act. It has no teeth.
• The UN has no enforcement capability.
• There are no “Blue-Helmeted” UN troops at City Hall.
• Planners are simply honest professionals trying to do their job, and all these protests are wasting their valuable time.
• The main concern of Agenda 21 is that man is fouling the environment and using up resources for future generations and we just need a sensible plan to preserve and protect the earth. What is so bad about that?
• There is no hidden agenda.
• “I’ve read Agenda 21 and I can find no threatening language that says it is a global plot. What are you so afraid of?”
• And of course, the most often heard response – “Agenda 21, what’s that?”

And after they have proudly stated these well thought out points, they arrogantly throw down the gauntlet and challenge us to “answer these facts.”
Well, first I have a few questions of my own that I wo
uld love to have answered.
Will one of these “innocent” promoters of the “Agenda 21 is meaningless” party line, please answer the following:

• If it all means nothing, why does the UN spend millions of dollars to hold massive international meetings in which hundreds of leaders, potentates and high priests attend, along with thousands of non-governmental organizations of every description, plus the international news media, which reports every action in breathless anticipation of its impact on the world?
• It if all means nothing, why do those same NGO representatives (which are all officially sanctioned by the UN in order to participate) spend months (sometimes years) debating, discussing, compiling, and drafting policy documents?
• If it all means nothing, why do leaders representing nearly every nation in the world attend and, with great fanfare, sign these policy documents?

Time after time we witness these massive international meetings, we read the documents that result from them, and when we question their meaning or possible impact on our nation, we are met with a dismissive shrug and a comment of “oh, probably not much…”

Really? Then why? Why the waste of money, time, and human energy? Could it be that the only purpose is to simply give diplomats, bureaucrats, and NGOs a feeling of purpose in their meaningless lives, or perhaps a chance to branch out of their lonely apartments? Or could it really be that these meetings and the documents they produce are exactly as we say they are – a blueprint for policy, rules, regulations, perhaps even global governance that will affect the lives, fortunes, property and futures of every person on earth? Which is it? You can’t have it both ways.

Prior to taking our furlough on Saturday we shared with you Agenda 21: Conspiracy Theory or Threat Part 1 (Agenda 21 (Part 1) and promised ensuing parts.   Today, we have Part 2, with more installments anticipated.  

Parenthetically, we might note that earlier in the day we received a notice courtesy of the local daily of an event sponsored by your Omaha Public Power District on October 16 on sustainable energy. 

With that said, here is installment 2 from joeforamerica.com courtesy of our friends at Cowboybyte.com.

Agenda 21: Conspiracy Theory or Threat Part 2

"Those who simply read or quickly scan Agenda 21 are puzzled by our opposition to what they see as a harmless, non-controversial document which they read as voluntary suggestions for preserving natural resources and protecting the environment. Why the fear? What exactly bothers us so much?

The problem is, we who oppose Agenda 21 have read and studied much more than this one document and we’ve connected the dots. Many of us have attended those international meetings, rubbed elbows with the authors and leaders of the advocated policies, and overheard their insider (not for public distribution) comments about their real purpose.

Here are a few examples of those comments made by major leaders of this movement as to the true purpose of the policies coming out of these UN meetings:

“No matter if the science of global warming is all phony…climate change provides the greatest opportunity to bring about justice and equality in the world.” Christine Stewart (former Canadian Minister of the Environment)

“The concept of national sovereignty has been immutable, indeed a sacred principle of international relations. It is a principle which will yield only slowly and reluctantly to the new imperatives of global environmental cooperation.” Report from the UN Commission on Global Governance.

“Regionalism must precede globalism. We foresee a seamless system of governance from local communities, individual states, regional unions and up through to the United Nations itself.” Report from the UN Commission on Global Governance.

All three of these quotes (and we have many) indicate using lies and rhetoric to achieve their goals, and that those goals include the elimination of national sovereignty and the creation of a “seamless system” for global governance. Again, do these quotes have meaning and purpose – do they reveal the true thoughts of the promoters of these policies, or were they just joking?

For the past three decades through the United Nations infrastructure, there have been a series of meetings, each producing another document or lynchpin to lay the groundwork for a centralized global economy, judicial system, military, and communications system, leading to what can only be described as a global government. From our study of these events, we have come to the conclusion that Agenda 21 represents the culmination of all of those efforts, indeed representing the step by step blueprint for the full imposition of those goals. Here’s just a sample of these meetings and the documents they produced:

• In 1980, West German Chancellor Willy Brandt chaired the Commission on International Development. The document, or report coming out of this effort, entitled “North-South: A program for Survival,” stated “World development is not merely an economic process, [it] involves a profound transformation of the entire economic and social structure…not only the idea of economic betterment, but also of greater human dignity, security, justice and equality…The Commission realizes that mankind has to develop a concept of a ‘single community’ to develop global order.”
• 
  
• That same year Sean MacBride, a recipient of the Lenin Peace Prize, headed up a commission on international communications which issued a report entitled “Many Voices, One World: Towards a New, More Just and More Efficient World Information and Communication Order.” The Commission, which included the head of the Soviet news Agency, TASS, believed that a “New World Information Order” was prerequisite to a new world economic order. The report was a blueprint for controlling the media, even to the point of suggesting that international journalists be licensed.
• 
  
• In 1982, Olof Palme, the man who single-handedly returned Socialism to Sweden, served as chairman of the Independent Commission on Disarmament and Security Issues. His report, entitled “Common Security: A Blueprint for Survival,” said: “All States have the duty to promote the achievement of general and complete disarmament under effective international control…” The report went on to call for money that is saved from disarmament to be used to pay for social programs. The Commission also proposed a strategic shift from “collective security” such as the alliances like NATO, to one of “common security” through the United Nations.     
•   
• Finally, in 1987, came the granddaddy commission of them all, The Brundtland Commission on Environment and Development. Headed by Gro Harlem Brundtland, Vice President of the World Socialist Party, the commission introduced the concept of “Sustainable Development.” For the first time the environment was tied to the tried and true Socialist goals of international redistribution of wealth. Said the report, “Poverty is a major cause and effect of global environmental problems. It is therefore futile to attempt to deal with environmental problems without a broader perspective that encompasses the factors underlying world poverty and international inequality.”

These four commissions laid the groundwork for an agenda of global control; A controlled media would dictate the flow of information and ideas and prevent dissent; control of international development manages and redistributes wealth; full disarmament would put the power structure into the hands of those with armaments; and tying environmentalism to poverty and economic development would bring the entire agenda to the level of an international emergency.

One world, one media, one authority for development, one source of wealth, one international army. The construction of a “just society” with political and social equality rather than a free society with the individual as the sole possessor of rights. The next step was to pull it altogether into a simple blueprint for implementation.      

During the 1990s, the UN sponsored a series of summits and conferences dealing with such issues as human rights, the rights of the child, forced abortion and sterilization as solutions for population control, and plans for global taxation through the UN.

Throughout each of these summits, hundreds of Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) worked behind the scenes to write policy documents pertaining to each of these issues, detailing goals and a process to achieve them. These NGO’s are specifically sanctioned by the United Nations in order to participate in the process. The UN views them as “civil society, the non governmental representatives of the people. In short, in the eyes of the UN, the NGOs are the “people.”

Who are they? They include activist groups with private political agendas including the Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation, Zero Population Growth, Planned Parenthood, the Sierra Club, the National Education Association, an d hundreds more. These groups all have specific political agendas which they desire to become law of the land. Through work in these international summits and conferences, their political wish lists become official government policy.

In fact, through the UN infrastructure the NGOs sit in equality to government officials from member nations including the United States. One of the most powerful UN operations is the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP). Created in 1973 by the UN General Assembly, the UNEP is the catalyst through which the global environmental agenda is implemented. Virtually all international environmental programs and policy changes that have occurred globally in the past three decades are a result of UNEP efforts. Sitting in on UNEP meetings, helping to write and implement policy, along with these powerful NGOs are government representatives, including U.S, federal agencies such as the Department of State, Department of Interior, Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Service.

This, then, is a glimpse of the power structure behind the force that gathered in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 for the UN-sponsored Earth Summit. Here, five major documents, written primarily by NGOs with the guidance and assistance of government agencies, were introduced to the world. In fact, these final documents had been first drafted and honed though the long, arduous series of international conferences previously mentioned. Now, at Rio, they were ready for adoption as a blueprint for what could only be described as the transformation of human society.

The five documents were: the “Convention on Climate Change,” the precursor to the coming Kyoto Climate Change Protocol, later adopted in 1997; the “Biodiversity Treaty,” which would declare that massive amounts of land should be off limits to human development; the third document was called the “Rio Declaration,” which called for the eradication of poverty throughout the world  through the redistribution of wealth; the fourth document was the “Convention on Forest Principles,” calling for international management of the world’s forests, essentially shutting down or severely regulating the timber industry; and the fifth document was Agenda 21, which contained the full agenda for implementing worldwide Sustainable Development. The 300 page document contains 40 chapters that address virtually every facet of human life and contains great detail as to how the concept of Sustainable Development should be implemented through every level of government.

What did the United Nations believe that process entailed? In 1993, to help explain the far-reaching aspects of the plan, the UN published “Agenda 21: The Earth Summit Strategy to Save Our Planet.” Here’s how the UN described Agenda 21 in that document: “Agenda 21 proposes an array of actions which are intended to be implemented by every person on earth…it calls for specific changes in the activities of all people…Effective execution of Agenda 21 will require a profound reorientation of all humans, unlike anything the world has ever experienced.”  I have never read a stronger, more powerful description of the use of government power.   

However, critics of our efforts against Agenda 21 rush to point out that Agenda 21 is a “soft law” policy – not a treaty that must be ratified by the U.S. Senate to become law. So it is just a suggestion, nothing to be afraid of. To make such an argument means that these critics have failed to follow the bouncing ball of implementation."

"It started when, at the Earth Summit, President George H.W. Bush, along with 179 other heads of state signed agreement to Agenda 21. One year later, newly elected President Bill Clinton signed Executive Order # 12852 to create the President’s Council on Sustainable Development (PCSD). The Council consisted of 12 cabinet secretaries, top executives from business, and executives from six major environmental organizations, including the Nature Conservancy, The Sierra Club, the World Resources Institute, and the National Wildlife Federation. These were all players in the creation of Agenda 21 at the international level – now openly serving on the PCSD with the specific mission to implement Agenda 21 into American policy.

It is interesting to note that in the pages of the PCSD report entitled “Sustainable America: A new Consensus for the Future, it directly quotes the Brundtland Commission’s report “Our Common Future” for a definition of Sustainable Development. That is about as direct a tie to the UN as one can get. The PCSD brought the concept of Sustainable Development into the policy process of every agencies of the US federal government.A major tool for implementation was the enormous grant-making power of the federal government. Grant programs were created through literally every agency to entice states and local communities to accept Sustainable Development policy in local programs. In fact, the green groups serving on the PCSD, which also wrote Agenda 21 in the first place, knew full well what programs needed to be implemented to enforce Sustainable Development policy, and they helped create the grant programs, complete with specific actions that must be taken by communities to assure the money is properly spent to implement Sustainable Development policy. Those are the “strings” to which we opponents refer. Such tactics make the grants effective weapons to insure the policy is moving forward.

From that point, these same NGOs sent their members into the state legislatures to lobby for and encourage policy and additional state grant programs. They have lobbied for states to produce legislation requiring local communities to implement comprehensive development plans. Once that legislation was in place, the same NGOs (authors of Agenda 21) quickly moved into the local communities to “help” local governments comply with the state mandates. And they pledged to help by showing communities how to acquire the grant money to pay for it – with the above mentioned strings attached.

We’re told over and over again that such policies are local, state and national, with no conspiracy of ties to the UN. Really? Then how are we to explain this message, taken from the Federal Register, August 24, 1998, (Volume 63, Number 163) from a discussion on the EPA Sustainable Development Challenge Grant Program? It says, “The Sustainable Development Challenge Grant Program is also a step in Implementing ‘Agenda 21, the Global Plan of Action on Sustainable Development,’ signed by the United Stats at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. All of these programs require broad community participation to identify and address environmental issues.”    
  
Or consider this quote from a report by Phil Janik, Chief Operating Officer of the USDA – Forest Service, entitled “The USDA-Forest Service Commitment and Approach to Forest Sustainability” “In Our Common Future published in 1987, the Brundtland Commission explains that ‘the environment is where we all live; and development is what we all do in attempting to improve our lot within that abode.”  In short, Janik was explaining to his audience (the Society of American Foresters) just where the Forest Service was getting its definition of Sustainable Development – the report from the UN Commission on Global Governance.

Meanwhile, the NGOs began to “partner” with other governmental organizations like the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Governors Association, the National League of Cities, the National Association of County Administrators and more organizations to which elected representatives belong to, assuring  a near that a near universal message of Sustainable Development comes from every level of government.

Another NGO group which helped write Agenda 21 for the UN Earth Summit was a group originally called the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI).  It now calls itself ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. After the Earth Summit in 1992, ICLEI set its mission to move into the policy process of local governments around the world to impose Sustainable Development policy. It now operates in more than 1200 cities globally, including 600 American cities, all of which pay dues for the privilege of working with ICLEI. Like a cancer, ICLEI begins to infest the local government policy, training city employees to think only in terms of Sustainable Development, and replacing local guidelines with international codes, rules and regulations.

So it’s true, there are no UN blue helmeted troops occupying city halls in America, and yes, the UN itself does not have enforcement capability for this “:non-binding” document called Agenda 21. However, it does have its own storm troopers in the person of the Non-governmental Organizations which the UN officially sanctions to carry on its work. And that is how Agenda 21, a UN policy, has become a direct threat to local American communities."

Roms

I'm certain Obama administration is causing this unpopular PS4 and Wii U generation. If Mitt Romney was elected, PS4 and Wii U would be popular.

I saw this coming in 2002 when I collected SNES roms for SNES9x and Sega Genesis roms for Gens, but console sales are back-firing on all the second hand games from all the previous games sold. People owning quite a few games  on Xbox 360 and PS3.   I own 600 videogame rom images I also own 99% of my purchases since MS-DOS.  When I needed new acquaintances, I gave them a IGN collection xls file on CDRs. Dark ages isn't true, because the dark ages were Atari 2600 era. United States has 600 million videogames being bought, sold, or in collections.

Kids and adults a like are sharing old videogames with other people they know. Gamers are finally re-playing old games they've shelved.

Nutty Chuck Hagel grounds A-10?

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel must be some psychopathic Republican to grounding the A-10 Thunderbolt II for mediocre F-35 Lightning II. Military just upgraded A-10 to version C two years ago. Secretary Hagel has it backwards, he should ground the F-35 Lightning II squadron and keep A-10C Thunderbolt II squadrons in service. His position as secretary of defense should be terminated ASAP.

Install LAMP on Linux Mint

Through this tutorial, you’ll learn how to Install Apache, MySQL and PHP.

If you’re a webpage designer or developer and use PHP, mySQL and Apache, you’ll be needing these applications to be installed. When I istalled Mint, I was looking for a way to install LAMP and found a tutorial on a website by somebody named “Cargoship”. That tutorial was for ubuntu. But I installed it on my Linux mint, and it is working.



In this guide I will show you how to install a LAMP system. LAMP stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP. The guide is intended to help those who have very little knowlegde of using Linux.

We will not cover how to install Linux the L of LAMP, because Linux Mint is already installed in your computer.
Install Apache

To start off we will install Apache.

1. Open up the Terminal (Applications > Accessories > Terminal).

2. Copy/Paste or type the following line of code into Terminal and then press enter:

sudo apt-get install apache2

3. The Terminal will then ask you for you’re password, type it and then press enter.
Testing Apache

To make sure everything installed correctly we will now test Apache to ensure it is working properly.

1. Open up any web browser and then enter the following into the web address:

http://localhost/

You should see a folder entitled apache2-default/. Open it and you will see a message saying “It works!” , congrats to you! or something like that!
Install PHP

In this part we will install PHP 5.

Step 1. Again open up the Terminal (Applications > Accessories > Terminal).

Step 2. Copy/Paste or type the following line into Terminal and press enter:

sudo apt-get install php5 libapache2-mod-php5

Step 3. In order for PHP to work and be compatible with Apache we must restart Apache. Type the following code in Terminal to do this:

sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart
Test PHP

To ensure there are no issues with PHP let’s give it a quick test run.

Step 1. In the terminal copy/paste or type the following line:

sudo gedit /var/www/testphp.php

This will open up a file called testphp.php.

Step 2. Copy/Paste this line into the phptest file:



Step 3. Save and close the file.

Step 4. Now open you’re web browser and type the following into the web address:

http://localhost/testphp.php


(It will show you the page that has all information about your php. If you have prior experience of installing php in some other OS, you must have seen this page.)

Congrats you have now installed both Apache and PHP!
Install MySQL

To finish this guide up we will install MySQL.

Step 1. Once again open up the amazing Terminal and then copy/paste or type this line:

sudo apt-get install mysql-server

Step 2 (optional). In order for other computers on your network to view the server you have created, you must first edit the “Bind Address”. Begin by opening up Terminal to edit the my.cnf file.

gksudo gedit /etc/mysql/my.cnf

Change the line

bind-address = 127.0.0.1

And change the 127.0.0.1 to your IP address.

(In Linux Mint 11, terminal itself asked to the set password, But if it doesn’t follow the step 3.)

Step 3. This is where things may start to get tricky. Begin by typing the following into Terminal:

mysql -u root

Following that copy/paste or type this line:

mysql> SET PASSWORD FOR ‘root’@’localhost’ = PASSWORD(‘yourpassword’);

(Make sure to change yourpassword to a password of your choice.)

Step 4. We are now going to install a program called phpMyAdmin which is an easy tool to edit your databases. Copy/paste or type the following line into Terminal:

sudo apt-get install libapache2-mod-auth-mysql php5-mysql phpmyadmin

After that is installed our next task is to get PHP to work with MySQL. To do this we will need to open a file entitled php.ini. To open it type the following:

gksudo gedit /etc/php5/apache2/php.ini

Now we are going to have to uncomment the following line by taking out the semicolon (;).

Change this line:

;extension=mysql.so

To look like this:

extension=mysql.so

Now just restart Apache and you are all set!

sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart

If you get a 404 error upon visiting http://localhost/phpmyadmin: You will need to configure apache2.conf to work with Phpmyadmin.

sudo gedit /etc/apache2/apache2.conf

Include the following line at the bottom of the file, save and quit.

Include /etc/phpmyadmin/apache.conf

Then just restart Apache

sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart


Now make wonderful website and have fun!wink


And as Linux is very secure OS, it’ll ask you the password again and again, on every administrative command. You’ll have to type in your password many times, whenever terminal asks for it.

Pencil: Open Source Visio

I use Visio 2013 Pro which costs $500, but there is Pencil  where you can search for free clip art and it does Visio templates for free.
 
There is also Dia for Windows.  I have all three.

100 best Power Ranger episodes

100. A Father's Footsteps (Wild Force)

99. Down and Dirty (Ninja Storm)

98. Stranger Within Part 1 & 2 (Mystic Force)

97. A Gem of a day (Ninja Storm)

96. Out of Luck (Operation Overdrive)

95. Light Source (Mystic Force)

94. Things Not Said (Operation Overdrive)

93. Forest for the Trees (Samurai)

92. Sticks and Stones (Samurai)

91. To Earn Your Stripes (Jungle Fury)

90. Welcome to the Jungle (Jungle Fury)

89. Legendary Catastros (Mystic Force)

88. Lionheart (PRWF)

87. The Strange Case of the Munchies (Super Samurai)

86. Curse of the Wolf (PRWF)

85. Gate Keeper (Mystic Force)

84. Fight Fire with Fire (Super Samurai)

83. Clash of the Red Rangers (Samurai)

82. Return of Thunder Part 1, 2, 3 & 4 (Ninja Storm)

81. Clash of the Megazords (Turbo)

80. Double-Edged Blake (Ninja Storm)

 

79. Burning at Both Ends (PRDT)

78. A Matter of Trust (PRLR)

77. Pizza Slice of Life (Jungle Fury)

76. Party Monsters (Samurai)

75. Bad to the Bone (Jungle Fury)

74. The Lone Wolf (PRWF)

73. Shift into Turbo Parts 1, 2 & 3

72. The Thunder Strangers Part 1, 2 & 3 (Ninja Storm)

71. Prelude to a Storm (Ninja Storm)

70. Ryan's Destiny (PRLR)

69. Destined for Greatness (PRLR)

68. Robo Knight (Megaforce)

67. Mega Mission (Megaforce)

66. A-Bridged (SPD)

65. Trial By Fire (PRLR)

64. Perception (SPD)

63. Facing the Past (PRLR)

62. From Deep in the Shadows (PRLR)

61. The Mighty Mega Battles (PRLR)

60. Katastrophe (SPD)

59. Beginnings Part 1 & 2 (SPD)

58. Wormhole (SPD)

57. History (SPD)

56. Passing the Torch (Turbo)

55. Endings Part 1 & 2 (SPD)

54. Legacy of Power (PRDT)

53. Back in Black (PRDT)

52. Reinforcements from the Future Part 1 & 2 (PRWF)

51. Chase into Space Part 1 & 2 (Turbo)

50. Ranger Yellow Part 1 and 2 (RPM)

49. Something to Fight for (Time Force)

48. Season to Remember (Zeo)

47. Frax's Fury (Time Force)
46. Dawn of Destiny (Time Force)

45. Dark Specter's Revenge (In Space)

44. Force from the Future (Time Force)

43. The Power of Gold (Zeo)

42. Good as Gold (Zeo)

41. Danger and Destiny (RPM)

40. Quantum's Secrets (Time Force)

39. Rescue Mission (Lost Galaxy)

38. A Zeo Beginning Parts 1 & 2 (Zeo)

37. Journey's End Part 1, 2 & 3 (Lost Galaxy)

36. Escape the Lost Galaxy

35. From Out of Nowhere Part 1 & 2 (In Space)

34. Fowl Play in the Sky (MMPR)

33. In or Out (RPM)

32. Not So Simple (RPM)

31. A Date with Danger (In Space)

30. When is a Ranger not a Ranger? (MMPR)

29. Shell Shocked (In Space)

28. Doomsday Part 1 & 2 (MMPR)

27. Alien Rangers of Aquitar (MMPR)

26. Road to Cornith Part 1 & 2 (RPM)

25. Different Shade of Pink (MMPR)

24. Always A Chance (In Space)

23. Fighting Spirit (PRDT)

22. Ninja Quest Parts 1, 2 & 3 (MMPR)

21. Return of the Green Ranger Part 1 & 2(MMPR)

20. Hogday Afternoon Part 1 & 2 (MMPR)

19. Wild West Rangers Part 1 & 2 (MMPR)

18. Belly of the Beast (RPM)

17. The Power Transfer Part 1 & 2 (MMPR)

16. Lost and Found in Translation (PRDT)

15. Green Candle Parts 1 & 2 (MMPR)

14. Green No More Part 1 & 2 (MMPR)

13. Changing of the zords (MMPR)

12. Return of an Old Friend Parts 1 & 2 (MMPR)

11. Rangers Gone Psycho (In Space)

Here we go, the top ten...

 

10. White Light Part 1 & 2 (MMPR) 

There were bets in the playground to who was going to be the White Ranger. Fans wanted it to be Tommy very badly. There was sighs of relief when the White Ranger took off his helmet in the Command Center. Originally Brad Hawkins (Ryan of VR Troopers) was set to be the White Ranger and Jason David Frank was to have his own show but because of Tommy's popularity, they switched places. JDF (at the Florida Supercon last week--July 5, 2013) thinks everything turned out fine. A moderator at Florida Supercon joked, "Maybe Brad Hawkins doesn't." As much as I love Hawkins, I think so too.

 9. The End of Time Part 1 & 2 (Time Force)

At first these two episodes were at 19 but quickly went up, it was at 6 for a while until getting comfortable at nine. The finale of Time Force follows its counterpart of Timeranger with the opening of vortexes but similarities end there with Eric not dying, Nadira helping with the birth of a child and Ransik's battle with the Rangers. We also see Ransik's Toxie-like face. Time Force was a dark but delightful season. One gripe is that we never saw Jen and Wes kiss but that is what made the relationship powerful, leaving it to our imaginations. Also Wes makes up with his dad and joins the Silver Guardians.

 8. Green with Evil Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 (MMPR)

The first sixteen episodes established the world of the Power Rangers and day in and day out routine. The first part of Green With Evil shook all that and Green Ranger rocked our whole world. Let's admit that Tommy was way better when he was evil, why else would they bring back the 'evil' Tommy back so often? Dragonzord came in the last episode but still pretty memorable. Best multi-parter ever. These episodes fluctuated from top 5 to the teens and then rested at 8.

 7. Day of the Dumpster (MMPR)

The episode that started it all. We all know about the pilot with Audry Dubois but there were other scenes shot for this episode and some shots were still used from the pilot. There is a reason why “When Is A Ranger Not A Ranger?” and “Mega Mission” mirrored some dialogue from this episode because, they are well remembered by us. The episode established the rules of the majority filler episodes such as the civilian battle against grunts, the morphing sequence, fighting grunts in suits, fighting the monster of the day, the said monster growing, it being defeated by zords and the wrap-up. The episode was in the top 10, then stayed in the teens for a while and I had to pull it editorially into the top ten. 

6. Once A Ranger Parts 1 & 2 (Operation Overdrive)

While Operation Overdrive was a disliked and was disappointing in writing, acting and overall tone. This episode was a delight to see many former rangers return, especially the now adult Johnny Yong Bosch as Adam.  Like I said before, teamups rank pretty high for fans. Lord Zedd and Rita's son Thrax (who we have no idea how came to being) allies the four villain organizations and take away the Overdrive Ranger powers. Sentinel Knight puts together a team of five veteran Rangers: basically the last four Disney Seasons and one ranger from the MMPR. This two-parter started out in the middle of the countdown but you guys voted it up all the way to the top ten.

 5. Forever Red (Wild Force)

Considered one of the best episodes but it is one of the most debated because the powers, in how they got them back. I don't really care. What I do care about is the Beetleborg suits used as part of the Machine Empire but it doesn't seem to bug many people. Also bothering people is the CGI Serperntera and its size, also it being destroyed by Cole on a motorcycle. So basically Cole is recruited by past Red Rangers to fight the Machine Empire on the Moon who plan to use Lord Zedd's Serpentera to take over the Earth.

 

4. Power of Pink (Lost Galaxy)

 The second part of the In Space/Lost Galaxy teamup, it has what is considered the first death in Power Rangers but technically Mike was thought to be dead in the first two-parter of Lost Galaxy and Magna Defender dying eariler on. But unlike Mike and Kendrix, Magna Defender stayed dead. The death of the Kendrix did rock our world. Cassie was meant to take Kendrix's place hence her dancing on the Wildcat Galactabeast. But ultimately Karone took her place and an ending had to be reshot with the Space Rangers in suits.

3. To the Tenth Power (Lost Galaxy)

In the polls, this was number one. Considered the first teamup ever but "Ranger from Two Worlds" was technically the first teamup, with between the Zeo and Aquitar Rangers. But this was the first one that became a yearly tradition, to be interrupted here and there either because of money or guild problems. The Space Rangers return to help fight the Psycho Rangers who cause a lot of trouble.

 2. The Mutiny Parts 1, 2, & 3 (MMPR)

I don't think it is right to not have at least ONE Mighty Morphin episode in the top five at least. Our whole world view was shook when Lord Zedd arrived and rocked it. Parents complained that Lord Zedd was too scary for kids but all he did was have a snake on him, shake around his staff and used his red vision to see the Earth. Also cool in this episode was seeing the Tyrannosaurus and Dragonzord turning against the Rangers, those easy to defeat putties, the Rangers without helmets in the Command Center, the Rangers on ATVs, Bulk and Skull's new mission to discover the Rangers' identities and of course, the Thunderzords.

1. Countdown to Destruction Part 1 & 2 (In Space)

The number one quoted multi-parter ever, I believe that fans hold these two episodes up to anything that comes after it. It also causes controversy among fans over Zordon's energy wave that annihilated all past villains but did not wipe out any future space aliens we after this episode. Not only the Space Rangers fight the forces of Dark Specter but the Alien Rangers, Phantom Ranger, Blue Senturion and Gold Ranger fight on other planets. It is like everything that happened in the past six seasons accumulated at this end. And when people criticize Jonathan Tzachor, I remind them that he directed this two-parter.

Dogmatics

A very nice Christian dogmatics book by John Theodore Mueller.

https://archive.org/details/Mueller

The book is public domain. This book is great to argue against Crypto-Calvinists, Crypto-Mormons, Crypto-Catholics, Crypto-Methodists, and those awful Jehovah's Witness who come to your door.

Ten Greatest consoles

10. Nintendo (1983) – 61.91 Million

SONY DSCA true classic, the Nintendo Entertainment System was one of the best selling consoles of its time with its 8-bit system. After a video game crash, the Nintendo brought the popularity of gaming back to the world as well as setting the standard for gaming consoles. In 2009, it was named as the single greatest video game console in history. Who can disagree with classics such as Mario, Super Mario, Ninja Turtles, Duck Hunt, and many more of our favorite video games that came from that system?


9. PlayStation Portable (2004) – 80 Million

1280px-PlayStation_Portable_-_auf_KaroThe PlayStation Portable is a handheld console that uses a disc format as its primary storage medium. It also has the ability to connect to the Internet as well as other PSP’s, PlayStation 2’s and PlayStation 3’s. The disc format for the storage is known as the Universal Media Disc (UMD). Other features of the PSP are the large viewing screen as well as the extensive multi-media capabilities. With so much technological capabilities at the palm of the gamers’ hand, the PSP became a hot-selling item after its release.


8. PlayStation 3 (2006) – 80 Million

Black-PS3-playstation-3-3148236-1280-1024The PlayStation 3 was released in 2006 and part of the seventh generation video game consoles and what made the PS 3 stand out from the rest of the competition was the fact that it used Blu-ray discs as its primary storage medium. Sony developed the PS3 and the hyper surrounding the console made it one of the most anticipated releases of the year. The PS3 was first released in Japan with North American and European releases following soon after.


7. GameBoy Advance (2001) – 81.51 Million

1280px-Game-Boy-Advance-1stGenImagine having a 32-bit gaming console in the palm of your hands, chances are you were probably imagining the GameBoy Advance, which was the successor to the GameBoy Color. What made this particular handheld device exceptionally popular was that it marked the return of the old school Nintendo games like Super Mario, Bros. but this time with color quality even better than the original. Even with many competitors around the industry at the time, the GameBoy Advance still maintained consistent sales as well as Nintendo’s market share.

6. Xbox 360 (2005) – 82.9 Million

xbox-360-2_wallpapers_3946_1280x1024The Xbox 360 was released in 2005 and developed by the Microsoft Corporation and was the successor of the original Xbox, which was released in 2001. The 360 was first unveiled on MTV in May of 2005 with details of the upcoming release. The console was a direct competitor with the Nintendo Wii and the PlayStation 3, with the idea of the newly innovated console first conceived in 2003. What made the Xbox stand out was the “Xbox Live”, an online service that allows to purchase subscriptions, stream music and movies, online gaming, and more.


5. Wii (2006) – 100.9 Million

Nintendo-Wii-1024x1280The Wii system was released right before the Thanksgiving holiday in 2006 and was a direct competitor with Microsoft’s Xbox and the PlayStation 3. But what made the Wii different from any console that had existed before was the controller, which is a battery operated pointing device that can detect movement in three dimensions. The Wii was actually inspired by the Nintendo GameCube and the idea was first conceived in 2001 and went through several years of development until its release.


4. PlayStation (1994) – 102.49 Million

1280px-Playstation-console-no-contThe PlayStation (known as PS) was first introduced in 1994 and was the first console to surpass 100 million units sold (of its time). It was known as a computer entertainment platform due to its extensive 32-bit technology and utilizing CD-ROM to read the game software. The PS was eventually discontinued in 2006, but remained as one of Sony’s more successful consoles until the PS2 was released. In an industry that was dominated by Nintendo and Sega, Sony really set a new standard for consoles that made it the success that it was.

3. GameBoy (1989) – 118.69 Million

Nintendo_Game_Boy,_Game_Boy_Pocket,_Game_Boy_Light_and_Game_Boy_Color_TietokonemuseoNintendo’s second handheld device was introduced in 1989 and was an 8-bit console known as Game Boy, and then a color version known as the GameBoy Color, which was released in 1998. Between the two versions of the device, GameBoy has sold over 118 million units until the devices were discontinued in 2003. The device was able to interchange different games with game cartridges so users weren’t stuck with just one game. GameBoy would set a standard for handhelds in the industry and inspired technology for future devices made by Nintendo.


 2. Nintendo DS (2004) – 153.98 MillionThe Nintendo DS is a handheld console that has not one, but two screens that work together in tandem. It became a huge hit in the gaming world since its release in 2004. The bottom screen is a touch screen, as well as features microphone and wireless connectivity, giving gamers the capability to play together in the same game as long as they’re close together and on the same Wi-Fi connection. The handheld console was meant to compliment the GameCube and GameBoy advance, but sales quickly proved that Nintendo created something special with the DS. A follow up to DS was developed called the Nintendo DS Lite, which was a smaller version of the original, but still didn’t sell as well as the original.

1.1. PlayStation 2 (2000) – 155 Million The PlayStation 2 (or PS2) is the best-selling gaming console in history with over 155 million sold since its release in 2000. It was first released in Japan in March and then the PS2 had a North American and European release that followed soon after. Over 3800 games have been developed for the system with over a billion games sold in total. As one of the ‘sixth generation’ of consoles, this console was released with competition from notably less successful units like the Dreamcast Sega and Nintendo’s Gamecube, and the more successful Microsoft Xbox. It has since, of course, trumped all of these. Sony announced that in 2013, the PS2 had ceased production – after a hugely successful 12 year run. So if you haven’t yet got your hands on a PS2, do so before functional units become truly rare and correspondingly expensive!

Mighty Morphin Power Ranger Green with Evil

 Mighty Morphin Power Ranger videos (1993)  was censored on Youtube and they kept episode 2. They got 11,600 and 4350 hits on there.  This is some of the top 10 episodes of the series.  It was one of the only ways to go viral on Youtube.



The Green with Evil


 The Return of the Green Ranger

Digital Cameras came too late

You know how 35mm film you bought at the store wasn't that expensive, but you constantly ran out of it? That was my parents situation in the 1980s and 1990s. I was born, but I have only 200 pictures of myself in a 14 year period. My pictures were taken by a 1985 SLR and 1998 pocket camera.  Unlike today's children, I didn't treat it like a fashion show.  I didn't do anything out the ordinary on most pictures.  By 2005, there was very little to take pictures of, and I could steal all the scenery pictures off Flickr.  I had a scanner in the 1990s.

Remember those Generation Z articles I wrote a year ago.  Nothing has changed.  Generation Z is just about to conqueror Generation Y through Youtube, Blogspot, Wordpress, Vemeo, Facebook, Google+ and real life.   I can see Generation Z can run me over with a Hitcounter bus on Youtube and outnumber my friends on Goodreads.  You're seeing this scenario taking effect.  Generation Y and Z share the same anime, Japanese videogames.  For example, I watched Dragon Ball Z and Neon Genesis Eva while GenZ watches Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood and Death Note. I even saw most of  the Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network episodes of the 1990s.  As far as videogames, I played Final Fantasy VII on Playstation  and GenZ played Final Fantasy XIII.

I grew up in the 1990s so I didn't hear a peep of Critical Theory at all.  It was a entire unfair mute point!  There was no way I could figure out, because I had 56K Internet.  I have them now when everybody knows about them. I growing up years after the cold war,  and knew all the presidential quotes.

My Solitaire stats

Battlefield 3 - Sergeant major

https://battlelog.battlefield.com/bf3/soldier/Renegade%20Viking/stats/175726393/xbox360/

 

Cable TV screws us gamers

That evil cable TV is even more evil now. The ISPs see cable TV as a total disaster so they need bandwidth caps on the Internet so you cannot view a lot of streaming video. That means I am stuck with buying $20-$40 Blurays and DVDs that I only watch twice and glorious DirecTV.


^ The only way to get whats on cable 24/7/365 at low price anymore

If you're a gamer, internet service provider data caps are an important topic of conversation. Actually, if you're a fan of broadband-reliant entertainment at all, you need to think about limits on bandwidth. But as the games industry marches forward into digital distribution with no sign of stopping, heightened regulations on internet usage are an increasing problem. The providers have long-stated data caps are a plan to make internet access fair for everyone, but the limits are in direct opposition to the interests of gamers.
Who is Capping and Why?


Unfortunately, ISPs are actually doing very little to distribute those costs fairly. While it's completely reasonable to charge more to users with higher bandwidth usage, such “tiered” plans rarely offer lower-cost plans for those using less data. Instead, ISPs yank up the baseline price for heavier users, increasing their total revenue. And little of the money brought in by ISPs is reinvested into infrastructure to curb bandwidth problems. According to Wired, Time Warner Cable made $1.13 billion in revenue from broadband in the first quarter of 2011, but only reinvested 3-percent on improving its networks.
Gaming Data on the Rise

Downloadable game distribution is more prevalent year-over-year, driving down sales at traditional brick-and-mortar retailers. While bigger triple-A titles still make a significant dent on the market in the form of physical copies, we're also on the cusp of the next generation of home consoles. Will Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo continue to push for digital via their own marketplaces? Absolutely.



Take a look at this chart, showing my own recent internet usage from Time Warner Cable. You've probably noticed a steady increase from October through January, and there's a very simple explanation: I downloaded a bunch of games and watched a lot of streaming movies in those months. The holidays are a time of increased media releases, and so my bandwidth increased. Now imagine how that same chart will look, year-over-year, as videogame downloads bulge. Games, for the most part, are not getting any smaller.

The Call of Duty series is undoubtedly one of the most popular game franchises in the world, and we can learn a lot by looking at the history of each iteration's size. On Xbox Live, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is a 6.5GB download. Modern Warfare 2 is an almost 7GB download. Modern Warfare 3 is a 7.5GB download. Are you sensing a pattern? Half-a-gigabyte may not seem like a huge step, but a 15-percent increase in size is substantial when you're facing big charges from your ISP.

The issue is even greater on the PC side of the games market, where file sizes tend to be larger and physical distribution is already all but dead, thanks to Steam. In short, most gamers will see an increased need for bandwidth as we download more – and larger – titles. And that's not even mentioning the bandwidth required from playing online games.

The games industry, for its part, has taken some contention with data caps, but the message has primarily focused on cable companies prohibitively limiting data to compete with console-based streaming video services. While those arguments are important, developers and publishers also need to recognize the very real consequences of a digital-only future for games. After all, if we can't afford those giant downloads, the industry hurts, as well.

Unless we see more internet service providers separated from the television-side of the business, or the government taking a harder stance on data caps, or the games industry acting more vocally, the problem will persist. But as gamers and consumers, you can also make your voices heard. Late last year, U.S. Senator from Oregon Ron Wyden introduced the Data Cap Integrity Act, largely aimed at keeping the FCC focused on monitoring how caps are being applied. You can write or call your Senator to show support for the bill (it currently has zero cosponsors), and get involved in groups like Video Game Voters Network, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the Entertainment Consumers Association.

How we use the internet to access our games, and if we can actually continue to afford it, is sure to remain a hot point of contention. Don't get stuck in the middle.

Linux Mint 16 review

I uploaded Scientific Linux 6.5 on Youtube. There is absolutely nothing that SL 6.5 can do that SL 6.4 cannot. I just had the opportunity and took it. I downloaded Linux Mint 16 and nothing changed. Mint 16 upgraded MATE 1.6.0 to MATE 1.6.2. Linux Mint 16 is less stable then Linux Mint 15 for the shutdown sequence. The log says that INIT completes all but turning it off.

2.2 Trillion to repair US Intrastructure

ou can tell a lot about a nation by the condition of the infrastructure.  So what does our infrastructure say about us?  It says that we are in a very advanced state of decay.  At this point, much of America is being held together with spit, duct tape and prayers.  Our roads are crumbling and thousands of our bridges look like they could collapse at any moment.  Our power grid is ancient and over a trillion gallons of untreated sewage is leaking from our aging sewer systems each year.  Our airports and our seaports are clogged with far more traffic than they were ever designed to carry.  Approximately a third of all of the dam failures that have taken place in the United States since 1874 have happened during the past decade.  Our national parks and recreation areas have been terribly neglected and our railroads are a bad joke.  Hurricane Katrina showed how vulnerable our levees are, and drinking water systems all over the country are badly outdated.  Sadly, at a time when we could use significant new investment in infrastructure, our spending on infrastructure is actually way down.  Back during the 50s and the 60s, the U.S. was spending between 3 and 4 percent of GDP on infrastructure.  Today, that figure is down to about 2.4 percent.  But of course we don't have any extra money to spend on infrastructure because of our reckless spending and because of the massive amount of debt that we have accumulated.  While the Obama administration is spending more than half a million dollars to figure out why chimpanzees throw poop, our national infrastructure is literally falling apart all around us.  Once upon a time nobody else on the planet could match our infrastructure, and now we are in the process of becoming a joke to the rest of the world.

The following are 21 facts about America's failing infrastructure that will blow your mind....

#1 The American Society of Civil Engineers has given America's crumbling infrastructure an overall grade of D.

#2 There are simply not enough roads in the United States today.  Each year, traffic jams cost the commuters of America 4.2 billion hours and about 2.8 million gallons of gasoline.

#3 It is being projected that Americans will spend an average of 160 hours stuck in traffic annually by the year 2035.

#4 Approximately one-third of all roads in the United States are in substandard condition.

#5 Close to a third of all highway fatalities are due "to substandard road conditions, obsolete road designs, or roadside hazards."

#6 One out of every four bridges in America either carries more traffic than originally intended or is in need of repair.

#7 Repairing all of the bridges in the United States that need repair would take approximately 140 billion dollars.

#8 According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, our decaying transportation system costs the U.S. economy about 78 billion dollars annually in lost time and fuel.

#9 All over America, asphalt roads are being ground up and are being replaced with gravel roads because they are cheaper to maintain.  The state of South Dakota has transformed over 100 miles of asphalt roads into gravel roads, and 38 out of the 83 counties in the state of Michigan have transformed at least some of their asphalt roads into gravel roads.

#10 There are 4,095 dams in the United States that are at risk of failure.  That number has risen by more than 100 percent since 1999.

#11 Of all the dam failures that have happened in the United States since 1874, a third of them have happened during the past decade.

#12 Close to half of all U.S. households do not have access to bus or rail transit.

#13 Our aging sewer systems spill more than a trillion gallons of untreated sewage every single year.  The cost of cleaning up that sewage each year is estimated to be greater than 50 billion dollars.

#14 It is estimated that rolling blackouts and inefficiencies in the U.S. electrical grid cost the U.S. economy approximately 80 billion dollars a year.

#15 It is being projected that by the year 2020 every single major container port in the United States will be handling at least double the volume that it was originally designed to handle.

#16 All across the United States, conditions at many of our state parks, recreation areas and historic sites are deplorable at best.  Some states have backlogs of repair projects that are now over a billion dollars long....

    More than a dozen states estimate that their backlogs are at least $100 million. Massachusetts and New York's are at least $1 billion. Hawaii officials called park conditions "deplorable" in a December report asking for $50 million per year for five years to tackle a $240 million backlog that covers parks, trails and harbors.

#17 Today, the U.S. spends about 2.4 percent of GDP on infrastructure.  Meanwhile, China spends about 9 percent of GDP on infrastructure.

#18 In the United States today, approximately 16 percent of our construction workers are unemployed.

#19 China has plans to build 55,000 miles of highways by the year 2020.  If all of those roads were put end to end, it would be longer than the total length of the entire U.S. interstate system.

#20 The World Economic Forum ranks U.S. infrastructure 23rd in the world, and we fall a little bit farther behind the rest of the developed world every single day.

#21 It has been projected that it would take 2.2 trillion dollars over the next 5 years just to repair our existing infrastructure.  That does not even include a single penny for badly needed new infrastructure.

So where did we go wrong?

Well, one of the big problems is that we have become a very materialistic society that is obsessed with short-term thinking.  Investing in infrastructure is something that has long-term benefits, but these days Americans tend to only be focused on what is happening right now and most politicians are only focused on the next election cycle.