Recent posts

#1

Politics, Society and News. / Re: Simple Known Dangers with ...

Last post by buster - Yesterday at 06:23:27 PM

And most people have heard of the rogue AI that set out on it's own. The leaders of major AI creators wish to slow down the development and make sure it is safe.

The president is one of the few dead against slowing down development. He claims the fear is based on a hoax, and he added, 'a hoax just like global warming'.

It's like a Marx Brothers movie.

#2

Politics, Society and News. / Re: Simple Known Dangers with ...

Last post by buster - September 12, 2026, 10:33:08 PM

It's worth keeping in mind that 6 of Trump's companies went bankrupt, and about twenty in total ended up folding for one reason or other.

Maybe he wants to add the United States of America to that list of bankruptcies.

#3

Distributions / Re: Linux Miny 22.3 new bootup...

Last post by buster - September 12, 2026, 12:37:52 PM

Thanks Bill. The problem has not shown up on our computer. Yet.

#4

Distributions / Linux Mint 22.3 new bootup and...

Last post by ssfc72 - September 12, 2026, 09:16:21 AM

Has anyone using Mint found that just lately your computer is having trouble booting up and also noticeable lagging, when running programs?

This has been going on for about the last week, on my Dell Inspiron 14 notebook. I believe I bought this notebook around 2016.

I went into the Mint (Cinnamon ??) startup menu and there was the usual few startup programs listed but the last program listed was,  xapp-sn-watcher


I googled the program and the search results show  "it's part of the apparatus that provides support for application icons in the system tray area"

Some reports from the year 2020 show people are having problems with this program.
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=325557


I just turned the program off, in my Mint startup menu and rebooted the notebook and the computer now does seem to boot up smoothly and the computer browser does not seem to lag badly, anymore.

#5

Politics, Society and News. / Re: Is World War III coming?

Last post by Jason - September 07, 2026, 06:06:14 AM

1. I'm surprised you've shed your optimistic persona.

Nah, as I said, I think it's very unlikely, just not impossible.

3. You didn't suggest the USA would start a war. Oh, I'm sorry, they already did. I forgot.

Yeah, me too. Venezuela could have ended up in conflict, too, but I think their VP (now President) probably helped have her former president kidnapped, or she was just happy to be rid of him.

4. I doubt China will risk one. They are the world's second largest economy, and seem more clever than some as they continue prospering.

China is an odd duck. I agree that they probably aren't interested in war because it's bad for business. But China has threatened forces that protect Taiwan (and Japan), even having their fighter jets practically buzz allied fighter jets and bringing military ships in threatening, close quarters. If they attempt to capture Taiwan, it would cause a conflict with the US, except...

... the US has cancelled further military exercises in the Taiwan and Japan seas, basically suggesting they might not honour their commitment to defend South Korea. There are still US troops there, so it doesn't mean they've given up on defending South Korea, but it's a dangerous signal. If they do leave, North Korea, backed silently by China, could try to take all of Korea, or China could just sit back while they do.

5. Russia-Ukraine is the most touchy in my opinion, as I'd guess your opinion too.

Agreed. And the Russian economy is poised to face serious hardship. Russian banks are increasingly tired of providing financial backing to the government to continue the war. And since Russia can't get anyone to buy government bonds anymore (they've cancelled sales due to a lack of interest), they will have to drastically cut social spending. Russians are beginning to show opposition online in ways that were unthinkable a few years ago. They're sick of the war, the rampant inflation, and now the drone attacks from Ukraine. What happens when Putin is cornered, will he step down, flee, or fight? It's anyone's guess.

I occasionally watch war videos from analysts watching the war in Ukraine, and I was surprised to find out that Ukraine had sunk a cargo freighter from Iran bound for a Russian port in the Black Sea. Evidently, Ukraine has been using open-source intelligence and their own surveillance satellite to "tag" ships carrying supplies bound for Russia. Iran isn't going to do anything now, but it makes an already complicated situation more complicated.

#6

General Discussion / Re: A Peterborough Walking Tou...

Last post by ssfc72 - September 03, 2026, 08:20:32 AM

Very good. :-)

#7

General Discussion / Re: A Peterborough Walking Tou...

Last post by buster - September 02, 2026, 10:32:42 AM

If we do that Bill, I think the future of this thread is going to be totally downhill.

#8

General Discussion / Re: A Peterborough Walking Tou...

Last post by ssfc72 - September 01, 2026, 08:39:16 AM

Thanks Buster, for the narrative on your trail walk with Bill.

Maybe this winter you and Bill can take a toboggan to the various hills around Peterborough and write about that experience. :-)

#9

General Discussion / Re: A Peterborough Walking Tou...

Last post by buster - August 26, 2026, 05:23:44 PM

Good to see your name again Mike. Your trip sounds great. I'm assuming your daughter is still doing long hiking adventures.

You and I know that human powered long trips 'out there' are astonishing, especially when the environment lacks humans.

You are a youngster Mike. If I could miraculously live 13 more short years, I would have been on the planet for a century. And the aging is more pronounced each year.

Takes me forever now to get through a bottle of Irish Whisky.

#10

Politics, Society and News. / Re: Is World War III coming?

Last post by buster - August 26, 2026, 05:11:50 PM

1. I'm surprised you've shed your optimistic persona.

2. There are so many lunkhead bullies leading countries now that war is totally possible.

3. You didn't suggest the USA would start a war. Oh, I'm sorry, they already did. I forgot.

4. I doubt China will risk one. They are the world's second largest economy, and seem more clever than some as they continue prospering.

5. Russia-Ukraine is the most touchy in my opinion, as I'd guess your opinion too.

6. War seems so silly considering problems with water, heat, fires, fuel and debt in the world. As a group though, I'm not sure if humans are very smart. Almost anyone reading this can note mind-boggling examples of group stupidity taking place every day.