How long more are we going to obey the cable companies raising rates?Did you notice that cable companies will do anything to get you to sign up with them.  They offer you the cheapest plans giving you free HBO and Sports packages.  But, once you sign up and try these offers, you find out that the rates are going up so fast.One of the problems is that a company like Comcast would control an area completely where the consumer at this location will not have any other option but to use Comcast.  The same example goes for Cox or other companies.  So the company can set their prices with out a fear of competition.  The only other choice for a consumer is to get a dish network or some kind of satellite TV, and this is not an option sometimes if you can not mount a dish on the top of your home.

What is the alternative to cable TV?  is the internet going to be a complete replacement for a consumer?

Very funny, an optional package that will lower my cable bill, Economy package.  they cut down on the TV channels, the phone line, and the itnernet speed from 16-MB to 1-MB  so this way they know I will not be able to use the internet for streaming and web tv!

Internet links:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/06/21/net.cable.companies/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn

what am I going to talk about here is how to create a program in Linux using C programming language. step by step so there is no more secret stuff or mysteries.

For now I would like to mention what you will need to start programming in Linux using C programming language:

1. Install CodeBlocks
2. Install Gtk+
3. Install Glade3

I am using Ubuntu 9.10 on my computer and you should be using it too, if you have any older release you should consider updating because of a simple reason, the newer releases have a better interface, functionality, and most important, fixes to bugs that you really do not need to deal with at this point…

As of 12/01/2010, I have been using Ubuntu 10.10 and updated my Knol on Google to contain three parts so far.  Please follow link below to find the full material.

See My full article on Google/knol

First of all, there is no desktop switcher utility provided in 9.10, so you can not just click on switch between these two modes that easy.

Now, the change is easy, but you would not want to do this twice, there are few steps and things you will do and memorize in order to do the switch.  just follow this step by step process and you will be able to get the old classic desktop back on your 9.10 Netbook Karmic Koala.

1. Remove the existing Netbook Menu, right click on startup icon, at the top left part of the Main Panel and select remove
   

   Netbook icon on main Panel

2. Remove the Netbook Menu it self, go to System, preferences, Startup Applications and Find “Netbook Launcher” and un-check it. then find “Maximus Window Management” and un-check it.  This is the program that maximizes the window for any program you open, which gets annoying at some point.
3. Do not worry, if you say, now that the desktop will be empty, how am I going to start of find any application, your other option to start any application is to use Alt+F1 and this will show you the main menu at any time.
4. go to the main panel and right click.  this is the hardest part as you need to make sure you click on the correct are, all the way to the left of this panel, the menu should be as shown below.
5. Select Add to Panel
6. look for “Menu Bar, A custom menu bar” and Add it, wallah, you got it back

I will be working on adding more Snap shots later to this so it makes it easier to follow

‘/etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup’

as root. Users of Ubuntu, Fedora or Mandriva should install the DKMS package first. This package keeps track of Linux kernel changes and recompiles the vboxdrv kernel module if necessary.

Here is what I need to do to fix this problem.
sudo aptitude update
sudo aptitude install dkms
sudo /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup
Try it and let me know.

Now I want to move all my programming development to Linux.  I also been using and playing with Linux for quite long time.  I have moved everything to Ubuntu, my laptop and desktops.  so I am all set using Lynx.  I also started to develop some programs using Mono that is the C# IDE on Linux.  I started writing some programs in C and C++ too.  I used GNU gcc, g++, and I edit with emacs.  then I found the other IDEs like:  Eclipse, Netbeans, Geany, Qt 4 Designer, Anjuta, and finally KDevelop4.

these are great tools for developing C or C++ programs, but, when I wanted to find a good IDE that I can use to develop GUI interfaces, I could not find any yet.  I either found a good IDE that I can design my GUI very well, but it fails to program side,  OR, I found a good IDE that I can connect between the GUI and the Code and it fails in compiling or does not have good tutorials.  I will talk about each in more details…

TextBox autoscroll

textBox1.SelectionStart = textBox1.Text.Length;
textBox1.ScrollToCaret();

ListBox autoscroll

listBox1.SelectedIndex = listBox1.Items.Count - 1;
listBox1.SelectedIndex = -1;

ListView autoscroll

listView1.EnsureVisible(listView1.Items.Count - 1);TreeView autoscroll

treeView1.Nodes[treeView1.Nodes.Count - 1].EnsureVisible();

DataGridView autoscroll

dataGridView1.FirstDisplayedCell =
dataGridView1.Rows[dataGridView1.Rows.Count - 1].Cells[0];

It is a great place to spend some good time with your kids and let them play and have fun.  At the same time it is usually safe and secure so you do not have to worry about your kids getting lost or hurt.

The problem is when you find out that their customer service sucks and is run by some untrained young hosts that they have no experience or raining on how to work with the customer.

I been going to Chuck E Cheese for ever, going on the weekends, on weeknights, but this weekend, I took my wife and two years old twins to Chuck E Cheese in “Manchester, CT.” and I was shocked by the very cold and nasty service I received from the so called “on site Manager”.

After we walked-in and find a table in the very crowded place, one of the hosts that work there came and told us that we have to buy the food and get the order number before we can have a table. But when my wife explained to her that I am standing in line already trying to order, the hosts said that it is OK then and when I get the number I need to bring it to the “Reception desk” to register the table in my name.

But while I am standing in line to order my food, another hosts that standing in the “Reception desk” calls me and tells me that I can not have the table and I have to buy the food first. So I told her that that is what I am doing and I have to have a table to set my wife and little twins before I can leave them to order the food. So she said “I do not care and if someone else come with an order number I will set them and remove you from the table”! I told her that this is not going to work for me as I will not order my food and pay them money if my wife is holding the coats, kids stuff and my two little kids and standing in the middle of this crowd. So she told me OK, go and order the food quick and bring the order number to me.

Few minutes while I am standing in line I look and see my wife holding everything in her hands and my kids are crying and she is standing in the middle of the crowd does not know what to do. I immediately knew what happened, so I called her and asked her to stand in line to reserve my place and went looking for the manager.

When I found the manager, very politely asked her what happened, she goes the rule here is that you order your food first then we will set you. So I told her about the discussion I had with the hosts and that I am already in line ordering the food. She goes, I do not care, I told her that this is not a good customer service and this is not how it works, when we go to any place we should be seated then I can peacefully order the food, not looking at my wife chasing my little kids with our coats and kids bags in her hand. The attitude I got from her that she is the manager and that is how she will manage the place.

I told her that as a customer I will not stand in line to order food and pay them my money while my wife and kids are standing in the middle of the crowd like this and with a nasty customer service like this. Again the answer was she is not interested to hear my argument and that she will do what she think is right for her. I expressed my disappointment and told her that I am not happy with this attitude, I am taking my wife and twins and leaving, I called my friends that I was suppose to meet there, three families with their kids, and told them to change the plan and go to the mall instead. She did have an expression on her face like “Whatever!”

Here is the real issue, some places forgot that their main goal is to serve the customer well and that they need to train their employees and prepare them to be able to interact and respect the customers, provide the best service so the customer would be happy and comeback. But instead, they are just money making machines, all they want is to make sure you go and pay your money and does not matter if they need to respect or make the customer happy.

When we left and I was talking to my wife, she told me that the manager come and set some other people in the table where she was setting and told her that she need to remove our belongs from the table and leave the table. She did not care if that behavior has no respect or made my wife uncomfortable.

By the way, in my friends email I found a YouTube video showing the Former Finland health minister AND Polish Prime Minister speak out against Vaccinations!  Rauni Kilde watch it and let me know what you think, this is serious stuff…

I will add more to this later, but you can tell me what you think if you would like to.