Before I begin getting back into the swing of bringing you tech news, reviews, and how-tos, I would like to take a moment to recognize an extremely special person in my life. This person has seen me in both the brightest and darkest days of my life and still lives to tell the tale. I’m, of course, referring to fiancee’, Andrea.

I’m not sure if she knows it or not, but she is the only woman I have, or ever will have, loved in my entire life. I have felt this way ever since we first met at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College back in 2003. I love her so much that I still remember, to this day, the very first words I ever said to her:  ”has anyone ever told you that you look like Natalie Portman?”

Not only is she the only women I have ever loved, but she is also the only woman I have ever truly wanted in my entire life. I’m constantly on edge to see what’s going to happen next, and I enjoy every single moment we spend together. Looking into her eyes, I not only see a bright future, but a world full of possibilities. Possibilities I long to explore with her by my side.

She is also the only person for me, and who will ever exist to me. Even when starlets like Angelina Jolie (whom my fiancée is compared to on a daily basis) and Megan Fox come onscreen during my favorite movies, all I can do is look at her, knowing that, in my eyes, she is the only beautiful woman on this planet.

I am, without a doubt, the luckiest man on Earth. I can only hope that she feels the same way toward me, and that we will be together forever.

What do you love about your significant other? Feel free to share your thoughts and insights in the comments below!

If you grew up in the mid to late 80s, like I did, then you have probably experienced the pleasure of playing classic MS-DOS games like Classic Concentration, Wheel of Fortune, and Bowling. As time has moved on, many of these games have become relics as operating systems, like Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS X, become more advanced. Thanks to emulation technology, however, I can relive my childhood and play these classic games on my Windows 7-based laptop computer. And today, I’m going to show you how to play classic MS-DOS games on your Windows or Mac computer (this also works on Linux, too!).

Step One: Download DOSBox for Your Operating System. This emulation software recreates the look and feel of the classic MS-DOS operating system, but runs on Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, and numerous distributions of the Linux operating system. It is currently free to download at www.dosbox.com and is 100% legal.

Step Two:  Find Games That You Loved (or Still Love). There are numerous Web sites available that have classic MS-DOS games available for free and paid download. Just a few of them are:

• The DOS Games Archive:  http://www.dosgamesarchive.com
• Classic DOS Games: http://www.classicdosgames.com/online.php
• Classic PC Games – Abandonware & Classic Games:  http://www.classic-pc-games.com
• Over 500 DOS Games:  http://www.dosgames.com

On these sites, you can find a wide variety of the classic MS-DOS you grew to know and love. Among these titles, you will find Crazy Cars 3, Lemmings, The Incredible Machine, The Price is Right, Family Feud, Classic Concentration, and a multitude of others. Personally, I recommend any of the games based off of television series. All the fun you can have without commercial interruption (not only that, but they support multiplayer, too)!

Step Three:  Download the Games to Your Hard Drive. Most of these games are available in the ZIP format, which is compatible with both WinZip and WinRAR software. Upon extracting these archives, however, make sure that you unzip each archive to the same directory. This will make step four much easier.

Step Four:  Run DOSBox and Mount Your Directory. This isn’t as difficult as it sounds. Let’s say that you download the archives to C:\Downloads. All you have to do is run DOSBox and, when prompted, type mount c c:\Downloads. All you have to do is browse to the directory that houses your game, run the appropriate file, and have fun playing!

What were some of your favorite DOS games growing up? Please leave your thoughts and insights in the comments below!

Let’s face it: superheroes have both entertained and inspired us from the time we were little kids. We have been left in shock whenever Spider-Man swung from rooftop to rooftop, and we have felt a sense of relief whenever Superman successfully rescued Lois Lane. We have felt their pain and shared their victories and they, in turn, have helped us tackle just some of the major social issues facing our society today.

Of all the superheroes that have come and gone, there have been a few who have managed to not only capture my imagination, but inspire major changes in my everyday life. Green Arrow (whose real name is Oliver Queen) has taught me that there was more to life than making the “big bucks” with his decision to throw away his riches and spend his life helping those less fortunate than himself. Batman (who some would argue is not a superhero) has taught me that you don’t need superpowers, but intelligence and determination, to do the right thing and be a hero. And Captain Planet (created for television by network mogul Ted Turner) has taught me the importance of conservation, and has inspired me to work on protecting our planet and its natural resources.

So, my question to you is this: who is your favorite superhero, and how have they impacted your life? Leave your thoughts and insights in the comments below.

I have a confession to make: I love movies. I love watching movies, talking about movies, seeing how movies are made, and poking holes in a movie’s logic. Namely, this is because of the way films appeal to my geeky side. Today, I’ve decided to compile a top-ten list of my favorite “geek” films. Please note that none of the Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, or Harry Potter films appear in the list; this is purely intentional. Enjoy!

1. Street Fighter: Legend of Chun Li – Aside from the fact that this film is based on the immensely popular Capcom video game series, this film changes the way you look (and think) about your favorite classic Street Fighter characters.

2. Clerks II – If you thought that this film wouldn’t make the cut, you would be grossly mistaken. The way writer/director Kevin Smith (with the help of actor Jeff Anderson) rips into the “Lord of the Rings” film series is befitting of any geek who is a Star Wars fan that loves to poke holes in Hollywood’s logic.

3. A Beautiful Mind – Not only does this film cover conspiracy theories, but it also prominently features mathematics and its usage. In this film, John Nash (historical mathematician, played by Russell Crowe) uses mathetmatics to explain every mundane occurences, like the moving patterns of a pack of squirrels, making it perfect for geeks who find numbers interesting.

4. Independence Day – What film could be better for geeks than a film that has a geek for a hero? In this film, David Levingston (played by Jeff Goldblum) uses an old hacker technique to disable a communication signal by the invading alien swarm. Not only that, but the numerous references to advanced technologies and the paranormal make this perfect for any technology geek.

5. The Triangle – This Sci-Fi Channel original film, starring Bruce Davison (who you may know as Senator Kelly from the “X-Men” films) and Eric Stoltz, tells the story of five people charged with explaining what I consider to be the “mother of all paranormal phenomena”: the Bermuda Triangle. This film is perfect for geeks due to its use of government conspiracies and new technologies, such as a machine that can cause catastophic electromagnetic fields.

6. Minority Report – This Tom Cruise film, based on the novel by Philip K. Dick, features futuristic societies and innovations in technology, such as a machine that can detect crimes before they even happen. This film also makes you wonder just how far technology could go before it would be too far. Not only that, but it’s from the guy whose novels brought us “Blade Runner” and how bad could that be?

7. The Nightmare Before Christmas – I had to include this in the list, since it was basically created with large action figures and, as everyone knows, action figures are geeky. During one critical sequence, Jack uses the Scientific Method and a chemistry set in an attempt to figure out the whole “Christmas thing”, making it the perfect film for science (or science fiction) fanatics. It’s also perfect for horror fans, since it makes you think twice about how you view the numerous icons of the Halloween holiday.

8. Super Mario Brothers – The original geek film! Not only is this film based on the classic characters of the Nintendo universe, but it is also one of the few “game to screen” adaptations to stay true to its original inspiration (even if the dynamics of the characters were changed for dramatic purposes). I’ll admit that I found Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo hard to swallow as brothers (one’s white and the other is Latino), but their comedic timing and presenation are impossible to resist. Above all, however, is the geek pride one feels when pointing out the various characters from the “Mario” universe like Yoshi and the Koopa brothers, Iggy and Spike (all from Super Mario Bros. World).

9. Coraline – Yes, another stop-motion animated feature! Again, action figures are geeky, and this film was made with glorified action figures. And who can forget the character of Whyborn who, without a doubt, is one of the geekiest characters to come out of Hollywood since the nerds of “Revenge of the Nerds”! All you have to do then is add the voice (which, sadly, doesn’t appear enough in this film) of John Hodgman, better known as PC from the Apple TV commercials, and you have a full-blown, five-alarm geek emergency here!

10. Phenomenon – You probably wouldn’t expect this movie to be listed on a geek’s list of favorite movies, but this one is an exception. What makes this film geeky is that it deals with extrasensory perception, better known as ESP. Not only that but, during a pivotal point in the film, John Travolta makes a list of animals in alphabetical order, though he pokes holes in his own logic by pointing out that several of the animals are either mythical (meaning they don’t exist) or extinct. How geeky is that?

What are you favorite geek films? What makes them geeky? Please leave your thoughts, insights, or even your own top-ten list in the comments below.