The sudo utility is one of the workhorses of Linux, but it's often not used as skillfully as it could be. If you're just using sudo to provide full root access to regular users, it's time to take a step back and fine-tune sudo to be a bit more picky.
If you're looking for a simple way to manage your database effectively, you might want to have a look at Adminer. It's simple to install, supports multiple databases, and has a number of features you don't find in phpMyAdmin.
There's a new Linux Mint in town, and something new has been added. Specifically, Mint's Cinnamon desktop is now part of Linux Mint's Debian Edition (LMDE). Mint giveth, and Mint taketh away. The 201204 LMDE release also says goodbye to GNOME 2.x, though users do have a transition plan one way or another.