Regular users shouldn't have to edit files in /var/ or /bin or anything other than /home/sixpackjoe. If you are savvy enough to know what you are doing editing

Regular users shouldn't have to edit files in /var/ or /bin or anything other than /home/sixpackjoe. If you are savvy enough to know what you are doing editing system files, then you should know about doing so from the command line using sudo, or use gksudo as pointed before.