I don't know how people get so much TNT. I'm like bamccaig, I hardly ever have more than one block at a time.

I just don't use it. This is an instinct that I've learned from most games. Anytime you give me a rare "nuclear" device I just sit on it, never sure if I'll need or want it later. In shooters, this usually means that the best weapons are never used, unless I have the ability to save/load on a whim. If I'm having trouble with a particular spot, I'll try the "nuclear" device to get through, knowing I can always backtrack to a previous savegame if that backfires. By "nuclear" I just mean the best, rare or expensive weapons in the game. For example, the rocket launcher in GTA IV, though that's a relatively poor example because it's actually pretty cheap once you start to amass a lot of money.

With Minecraft, I don't know. I've got 1 TNT block so far, quite a ways back, IIRC. I might have enough powder for one more, but I think it's distributed among various treasure chests at unknown locations, so the work involved in tracking it down isn't really worthwhile. I think the gun powder should be a mine-able resource too.

Trying to set permissions recursively in Vista invariably resulted in several errors that were mangling it enough that nothing could be done to correct them. Administrator mode is also too limited to do much. I wound up moving files I wanted to be protected onto another hard disk and enabling/disabling the entire drive via BIOS.

[EDIT]

http://www.allegro.cc/forums/thread/600030/807755#target

I'm referring to the treasure tests that you make yourself. I don't know if they're really treasure chests. Just storage chests. What are you referring to?

That is the only way I get it. I see a few of them. Not lots. It helps if you roam around outside at night, or if you discover deep dark caves and venture into them quickly, dropping fewer torches than you would perhaps like. I've discovered that you can actually survive outside at night relatively easily with a little preparation and awareness. However, if you get surprised in a cave, that can mean the end pretty fast. I particularly hate those skeletons with bow and arrow because they're hard to escape, especially with unlevel ground all around you.

I would hope it's useful for mining. The only question is would it destroy ore or would the ore eventually be destroyed if not collected in time?

In my big cave that I've been lost in exploring, I found a ton of red-colored ore. I guess that must be what you're referring to. I managed to dig my self out and get oriented again. I can't, however, find the entrace to that cave. I did leave a trail of torches to the exit, fortunately.

I was experimenting the other day still getting used to playing again. I remember that months ago I would smelt ore by starting a fire and dropping the ore into it. I tried that same thing this time and it disappeared. I was pissed. It's reasons like this that I make routine backups every 10 or 15 minutes.

Yeah, smelting only works in furnaces now.

Also, with the Redstone dust I think it's possible to set up logic gates. I'm waiting for someone to make a programmable computer with it.

ssssssssssssSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What does it say about me that the monster noises fill me with delight? They are merely signals indicating nearby caves for exploration, plus mobs that will drop nice supplies!

A tree barrier sounds like a good idea. Each tree I cut down leaves me with a good handful of saplings, so even replanting everything I cut down leads to increase inventory usage. A fire-line at night is a great way to waste some trees.

And again, I need an evil smiley.

I zero in on them an commit atrocities against their various species.

Seriously, if there are baby skeleton archers out there, they're being scared into behaving via threats of me lurking under their bed.

Hey, they attacked me with arrows long before I killed any of them! It was self defense, I say!

I think getting a bow and arrows is my next goal. I fell into a cavern full of mobs! Mostly it was the skeletons that cut me down from afar while I tried to fend off a zombie. I had no chance. IIRC, I started with near full health and armor too.

Yeah, that didn't used to be a problem, but I've learned that it is now. Still, in this particular instance that isn't what happened. This was a surface facing cavern. I had climbed down to one level and explored and mined its walls. Then I noticed a waterfall from my level that dropped deeper. I decided to see what was down there, but missed my step and fell the whole way into darkness. It was then that I was ambushed.

Waterfalls can make handy elevators until you get a chance to add stairs / ladders

They can also be quite handy for moving/disposing large amounts of materials. Got a metric crap ton of dirt? Drop the stacks in a waterfall and watch it carry them beneath your base to oblivion! Out of sight, out of mind

Of course I don't destroy anything. I keep it in chests in a store room. You never know when you might need it...