#Registry Backup

[filehulk]

RegCool for Windows

RegCool is an advanced Windows registry editor that extends the capabilities of the default RegEdit and RegEdt32 tools. Designed for power users, IT professionals, and system administrators, RegCool offers an intuitive interface and a wide range of powerful features to manage and optimize the Windows registry efficiently. Whether you’re searching for registry keys, comparing different registry…

[techdirectarchive]

Video on how to Back Up and Restore Windows Registry

Video showing how to Back Up and Restore Windows Registry The Windows Registry is a hierarchical database that stores low-level settings for the Microsoft Windows operating system and for applications that opt to use the registry. In this video, we will discuss how to Back Up and Restore the Windows Registry. Please see How to search through the Windows registry, how to create Restore Point in…

[venacoeurva]

Microsoft rolled out that Recall bullshit, and guess what fun little fact about it we have? Windows 10 isn't safe either and a lot of people are sticking with it as long as possible. Interestingly (and I say that with absolute sarcasm saturation), my computer was already opted in. Go turn it off or remove it if you know how.

[machine-saint]

the op of that "you should restart your computer every few days" post blocked me so i'm going to perform the full hater move of writing my own post to explain why he's wrong

why should you listen to me: took operating system design and a "how to go from transistors to a pipelined CPU" class in college, i have several servers (one physical, four virtual) that i maintain, i use nixos which is the linux distribution for people who are even bigger fucking nerds about computers than the typical linux user. i also ran this past the other people i know that are similarly tech competent and they also agreed OP is wrong (haven't run this post by them but nothing i say here is controversial).

anyway the tl;dr here is:

you don't need to shut down or restart your computer unless something is wrong or you need to install updates

i think this misconception that restarting is necessary comes from the fact that restarting often fixes problems, and so people think that the problems are because of the not restarting. this is, generally, not true. in most cases there's some specific program (or part of the operating system) that's gotten into a bad state, and restarting that one program would fix it. but restarting is easier since you don't have to identify specifically what's gone wrong. the most common problem i can think of that wouldn't fall under this category is your graphics card drivers fucking up; that's not something you can easily reinitialize without restarting the entire OS.

this isn't saying that restarting is a bad step; if you don't want to bother trying to figure out the problem, it's not a bad first go. personally, if something goes wrong i like to try to solve it without a restart, but i also know way, way more about computers than most people.

as more evidence to point to this, i would point out that servers are typically not restarted unless there's a specific need. this is not because they run special operating systems or have special parts; people can and do run servers using commodity consumer hardware, and while linux is much more common in the server world, it doesn't have any special features to make it more capable of long operation. my server with the longest uptime is 9 months, and i'd have one with even more uptime than that if i hadn't fucked it up so bad two months ago i had to restore from a full disk backup. the laptop i'm typing this on has about a month of uptime (including time spent in sleep mode). i've had servers with uptimes measuring in years.

there's also a lot of people that think that the parts being at an elevated temperature just from running is harmful. this is also, in general, not true. i'd be worried about running it at 100% full blast CPU/GPU for months on end, but nobody reading this post is doing that.

the other reason i see a lot is energy use. the typical energy use of a computer not doing anything is like... 20-30 watts. this is about two or three lightbulbs worth. that's not nothing, but it's not a lot to be concerned over. in terms of monetary cost, that's maybe $10 on your power bill. if it's in sleep mode it's even less, and if it's in full-blown hibernation mode it's literally zero.

there are also people in the replies to that post giving reasons. all of them are false.

temporary files generally don't use enough disk space to be worth worrying about

programs that leak memory return it all to the OS when they're closed, so it's enough to just close the program itself. and the OS generally doesn't leak memory.

'clearing your RAM' is not a thing you need to do. neither is resetting your registry values.

your computer can absolutely use disk space from deleted files without a restart. i've taken a server that was almost completely full, deleted a bunch of unnecessary files, and it continued fine without a restart.

[karasusims]

help

i am actually not very competent with technology so i've no idea what to do. i have old backups of my files that i tried to replace my current files with but that didn't do anything. i tried looking up what to do but i don't even know what registry keys are. i'm also not sure how i would go about reinstalling or replacing any files since what i have now is from the now defunct starter pack web installer :(

if anyone could help me and explain to me what to do like i'm five years old i would really appreciate it

[marigold-hills]

Dunes & Waters, part 28

PART 1 • PREVIOUS PART • NEXT PART

(I’ve been gone, I’m back, have an extra long chapter) (missed me?)

It’s huge, the dog is, fur the colour of Sirius’ hair and fluffy and everywhere. Clever eyes. Pads the size of dinner plates. It’s adorable, the kind of a dog Remus wants to cuddle up to on a cold evening.

If it growled at him in a dark alleyway? He’d probably cry and run.

The dog goes up to the security guard like it’s his mission, struts down the tiled museum floor. Remus, frozen, watches.

When the guard notices, he doesn’t try to grab it as Remus feared but calls on his headset. Remus makes out dog and help and very very large. Wastes precious time given to him by Sirius, because the dog sits in front of the guard and thumps its heavy tail on the floor. The sound ricochets against the glass encasings. It moves so much how Sirius moves it creates the most disconcerting split in Remus’ thoughts.

The dog barks, the guard takes a shuddering step back, and Remus wrenches away from his thoughts. Has to be quick about it because if he’s caught they’ll have the both of them for doing magic in front of Muggles. It’s more than just his research on the line.

(He can’t decide if Sirius is to be admired in this moment or condemned for his brashness, because terrorising a Muggle while in his animagus form is bad enough, even if it weren’t coming from a convict on probation).

Remus crouches behind the encasing holding the scroll. There is a napkin in his pocket which he transfigures into a replica. His concentration wavers, wanes, each time he hears the dog bark or whine. It can’t be long until the backup comes for the guard and Remus is in direct line of vision of the door.

Hieroglyphics appear on his remade parchment, line by line. He’s not going to have the time to double check they are correct. Wishes he could just take a photo, but there are “no photography” signs everywhere and anyway he left his camera at the hotel.

There is a harsh, sudden sound of a crack. The dog whines. It sounds like pain. Remus feels the anger at it in his teeth and rushes through the last line of the symbols. He’s already walking towards the guard as he takes off his belt and transfigures it into a collar and leash.

The guard raises a heavy black baton above his head and the dog just sits there, not doing anything to retaliate, belly to the ground.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

The guard halts, but sneers at Remus like he’s vermin. (It’s a look he’s accustomed to – the Registry office, the full moon facilities, some of his colleagues who don’t fancy him much.)

“Stray dog. They’re a problem. Wondering in like this. They piss on the displays.”

“Does that look like a stray to you? He’s mine.”

The dogs tail wags faintly against the floor. He’s still lying down.

“Heel,” Remus says, not taking his eyes of the guard.

They could be in big trouble here. He’s got what looks like a stolen exhibit in his pocket, and has apparently let his dog run loose around a public space. The way the guard looks between him and the dog is putting Remus on edge, but he can’t show it – if the guard thinks he’s in the right they might get out of this unscathed.

The dog gets up and, limping ever so slightly, crosses to sit at Remus’ feet. The limp, the glint of the baton – it unlocks something in Remus.

“Have to keep dog leashed,” the guard says, “don’t see you with it.”

Remus puts the collar around the dogs neck. Its fur is the same as Sirius’ hair, coarse where it should be smooth, thick and lovely. “You see me with it now,” he clips on the lead, “there. No more problem.”

The dog nuzzles into Remus’ palm. He runs it over its head, soothing, gentle. Thinks of the limp.

“You really shouldn’t hit dogs, you know,” he says with the approaching full moon pushing the words. “Strays bite. Just a friendly warning.”

There’s nothing friendly, and they both know it. The guard swallows, visibly, sheathes his baton. Looks at the dog like it could pounce but looks at Remus like he is the threat.

The dog is in step with him all the way out of the Museum. He really walks very well on a leash.

***

“Did you get it?” Sirius asks the moment he’s himself again, over Remus’ statement-question “you’re an animagus?”

It’s exhilarating, now they’re out of the Museum and away from the danger of getting caught. Sirius laughs, head thrown back, and its as bark-like as always and Remus thinks I see.

It makes sense really, with Sirius’ puppy dog eyes and his unrelenting love for his family. With the way animals flock to him like they recognise on of their own. With the way he is, playful and rash – and impatient, reactionary, impulsive.

And so achingly lovely in his unguarded happiness.

It’s not apparent that even transformed, he’s still limping, not until they get to their hotel room.

Remus is exhausted – from the moon encroaching onto him, from the stress. The stint in the Museum was the more reckless thing he’s done since he can remember. That’s not what he’s like. Remus has spent his life cultivating who he is, a person fit for society – deserving to be part of society. Obeying the laws an authority figures. Not threatening guards.

There’s a large, comfortable looking bed in the middle of the sunlit room. Remus aches to spread his bones out and let them sink into the mattress.

“I’d say I’ll take the sofa but there doesn’t seem to be one,” Sirius sounds playful about it, and Remus didn’t even notice there was only one bed (of course there is only one bed.)

“It’s big enough. We can share.”

“Don’t want me to check with the reception?”

“He said it was the only room they had left. There’s no point. And to be honest,” Remus sits on the edge of the bed, and it sinks underneath him, moulds into him, and it’s already so comfortable he might cry, “I just want to sleep.”

“As you wish, Professor.”

Their things had been sent up to the room already. They both change. Sirius takes a long, steamy shower. Even through the closed door, Remus can smell the body potions Sirius uses, the hot water as it hits overheated skin.

The images come the way they do to the wolf, in the scant things he remembers. They’re built upon the smell and the sounds, extrapolated from what he knows and what he feels. An instinct to understand.

He hears the water rushing, wild like a waterfall, and it’s simple: it would roll down skin, down the black of tattoos and the unlined paleness. Catch on edges, fill out divots of collarbones and hips. The smell of lavender rises above the heat. Sirius must lather it into himself, hands on calves and thighs. He doesn’t strike Remus as someone who’d be perfunctory with it; Sirius is many things (so many, many things), but not economical. Remus thinks he’d be leisurely, take his time, make it into something that feels good.

He deserves nothing but to feel good.

The way the baton flashed makes it through the images. The way the dog whimpered. The way Sirius limped. Remus has to sit on his hands to stop himself getting into the bathroom to check and to soothe and to help Sirius with the hurt.

Sirius comes out in just a towel, water still dripping off his hair and onto his shoulders. Remus thinks don’t do this to me, not today, not when my control is barely mine anymore.

“Oh, sorry, were you waiting on me?” Sirius asks, completely misinterpreting the way Remus sits on the bed where he left him, staring.

“Sure,” Remus responds because it’s easier than the alternative.

It’s not much later when they get into bed, side-by-side, and there is no awkwardness and no silence. It’s so natural it makes Remus’ anxiety peak because nothing ever comes easily and everything is always a convoluted mess, so why would this be different? Why should this be the first time he feels truly content?

And, if it is, then how is it fair that it’s here, by the side of this man that’s more a hurricane than a human, and not in the spaces where Remus worked and struggled to carve a slice of real life for himself? Instead, he gets this – a one night’s respite, fleeting a temporary and not at all his to have.

Sirius turns to him. They lay face to face. The near-full moon illuminates him. Remus wants to reach out and touch.

“How’s your leg?”

“It’ll be fine.”

“I can’t believe the bastard hit you,” Remus pauses, thinks, “actually, I can’t believe you’re an animagus.”

“Unregistered. Illegal.”

“Why?”

Sirius shrugs like it’s no big deal, “we were fifteen, James and I and Pete, when we learnt. Never gotten around to registering.”

Fifteen. Magic like that, at fifteen. “That’s amazing.”

“It’s pretty cool,” Sirius confidently misunderstands the meaning, “James calls the dog Padfoot. He’s a stag, and Wormy – Wormtail, that’s Peter – is a rat.”

“And James? He doesn’t have a silly nickname?”

“They’re not silly!” Sirius smacks him playfully on a shoulder and keeps his fingers there, tracing patterns into the duvet that’s over the both of them. “James is Prongs. Because of the antlers.”

They talk into the night, Sirius’ voice becoming low and raspy as sleep touches him. His hand, fingers, stay on Remus’ arm. At some point, over hours that feel like minutes, they slide down his bicep, across his elbow, to his wrist and they settle there, fingerprints against a pulse point.

NEXT PART

@tealeavesandtrash

@moon-girl88

@hoje--aqui

@cocoabutterandbooks

@onion-sliced-apples

@prancingpony42

@digital-kam

@remoonysiriusly

@sweetstarryskies

@a-sunset-outside-my-window

@procrastinatingstuff

@annaliza999

@arasael

(let me know if you do/don’t want to be tagged!)

[epidaleacalamita]

been a while since i poasted a character drawin. think the time between finished images aktly got longer. Sad! Oh well.

ZRANIZKA ZOKOROVDA

The ace of the Aldanar-Haliaros group, and one of the three currently active Tier Six mercenaries - the highest level certification attainable within the Agency for Registry and Regulation of Paramilitary Operators. Originally the head of Research and Development within Haliaros Design and Manufacturing, she applied for a mercenary license after their merger with the Aldanar mercenary guild. None expected that she would quickly begin climbing the ranks at an unprecedented rate, easily outperforming her new colleagues.

Though her sharp instincts and custom equipment made to Haliaros's exacting standards of technological superiority make her an incredibly deadly fighter, her attitude remains that of a temperamental genius instead of a military professional. Other mercenaries tend to view her as troublesome to work with, so she's often deployed on her own- not that she needs the backup.

[fandom-space-princess]

An Audacious Undertaking, Even to God

Fandom: The Murderbot Diaries

Rating: Gen

Additional tags: Book 5: Network Effect, Book 7: System Collapse, Canonical Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Queerplatonic Relationships, 1 & 2 do still die but not for very long, 3 needs its friends back :( , studies in construct relations

Chapter: 1/?

Summary:

SecUnits are hard to kill, but it does happen. Unless... AU: through the combined efforts of ART & co, Three rebuilds and reboots One and Two. It isn't easy. Everybody has a bad time, then a weird time, then a better time. Is that the right order?

Read chapter below, or on AO3.

——————————

Designation: SecUnit-003 Barish-Estranza Explorer Task Group 520972

Status: piloting shuttle to network-external transport [vesselID(“Perihelion”), registry(Pansystem University of Mihira and New Tideland)]. Contact: UNAUTHORIZED.

Operational overview:

- Threat assessment: 64% immediate probability of harm to clients, 27% medium-term probability of harm to clients assuming pursuit of mitigation strategies

- Risk assessment: [additional data required]

- SecSystem access: OFFLINE

- HubSystem access: OFFLINE

- Deployment group status: SecUnit-001: OFFLINE; SecUnit-002: OFFLINE

- Performance reliability: 87% and falling

The transport completes the docking process for the shuttle without my input, which is for the best. My attention is divided. This is a violation of the protocols associated with both client retrieval and piloting. Under the circumstances, however, it is not a situation I am able to remedy.

(reinitialize from backup::failure::retry)

I have a number of responsibilities to fulfill. My primary duty is to ensure the welfare of my clients. (I have realized that even in the absence of punitive enforcement, I still accept and desire this to be true, which is a source of mild curiosity.) My secondary duties are laid out no less clearly, yet—

(reinitialize from backup::failure::retry)

—“Hello? Are you there?” The exterior hatch has retracted. Two humans peer inside curiously. The one who has spoken bears feedID(“Amena”), gender(female), note: juvenile. The other—feedID(“Ratthi”), gender(male)—moves tentatively toward me. These humans are not unknown: they feature in the memories shared with me by Murderbot 2.0. This is a relief. Nevertheless, I step out of the piloting compartment before they can enter, and attempt to gently herd them away. Based on the information I have about them, threat assessment deems them unlikely to panic in a way that would be detrimental to the safety of themselves or others. While I accept this knowledge as accurate, it is still better that they be encouraged to stay outside the shuttle.

(reinitialize from backup::failure::retry)

(performance reliability: 85% and falling)

Ratthi is speaking to me, introducing himself and Amena. He is very animated. He tells me that Perihelion knows I have disabled the governor module. He tells me they do not intend to hurt me.

The transport has different ideas. It establishes a private channel, which it promptly fills with vivid and comprehensive descriptions of the physical damage it will inflict on me should I attempt to threaten its clients, or itself.

(reinitialize from backup::failure::retry)

(failure::retry)

(performance reliability 82% and falling)

“All clients require immediate medical attention,” I tell them. “They have been implanted with technology of uncertain functionality, and may remain under hostile influence, or represent vectors of contamination. Temporary quarantine is recommended.”

Amena replies, but my attention is pulled inexorably elsewhere. I turn my focus on the open hatch, and the dim interior of the shuttle piloting compartment. 

(failure::retry)

In my periphery there is movement, and noise. Another human has arrived. The humans and Perihelion exchange information with one of the transport’s retrieved clients, Karime. I have drones recording this interaction for later review, but I am currently preoccupied with my other functions. My awareness of this moment feels very far away.

(performance reliability 77% and falling)

(failure::retry)

“Hey.” There is a human hand hovering near my elbow. Ratthi’s face swims into vision. I blink, and try to refocus my eyes. This is only partially successful. One of my drones descends out of its patrol pattern overhead, and I examine him more closely through its camera. His eyebrows pull together. “Are you all right?”

The transport is in my feed. I feel it bear down on me. I do not understand what it is, or the limits of its capabilities. I know only that its presence is massive and imposing, its agitation palpable. It likely still believes me to be potentially hostile. It should be terrifying.

If I had the spare processing capacity to consider it, it would be terrifying.

(performance reliability 72% and falling rapidly)

Perihelion: Your resource utilization is near maximum. What are you trying to do?

(failure::retry)

(failure::retry)

Amena’s voice comes from within the piloting compartment. She would have had to walk past me to get inside it. I must have seen her do so. I have no memory of seeing her do so.

“Oh, no… um, Arada? There’s a body in here.”

(performance reliability 64% and falling rapidly)

I start toward her. I have no idea what I am about to say until my buffer produces it: “Equipment maintenance is in progress. For your safety, please step back.” One of the transport’s repair drones shoves past me into the compartment, which interferes with my balance. I put a hand against the wall for support.

(failure::retry)

Amena: “Perihelion, this isn’t one of your crew, is it? This must have been one of the corporate hostages.”

Perihelion: No, Amena. This is a SecUnit.

(failure::retry)

My primary auditory input glitches, and their words become garbled. I lean against the bulkhead. Standing has become difficult, but I still have a responsibility to perform.

(reinitialize from backup::failure::retry)

(performance reliability 51% and falling rapidly)

And I am going to perform it, or be rendered nonfunctional in the attempt.

(critical performance drop::system restart)

——————————

[Before]

SecSystem: Ship status: on approach. Space dock arrival anticipated: 180 seconds. Tactical team deployment unit(s) acknowledge.

SecUnit-001: Unit acknowledge.

SecUnit-002: Unit acknowledge.

SecSystem: Baseship sentinel unit(s) acknowledge.

SecUnit-003: Unit acknowledge.

(While I do not resent guarding the ship, I have always disliked being the one left behind.)

SecSystem: Cold contact protocol in effect. Hazardous condition assessment: POSSIBLE/LIKELY. Backup to HubSystem external storage and mirror local copies to group.

SecUnit-001: Backup complete.

SecUnit-002: Backup complete.

SecUnit-003: Backup complete.

Though we are designed for redundancy with each other, not co-dependence, I have never functioned optimally when deployed separately from 001 and 002. I know this to be true for them as well. In the past, after activities that required splitting the deployment group, I have often reviewed their cached analytic data. Our performance individually and collectively is more reliable on average when we are assigned to the same task.

I try to avoid reflecting on why this is true. Idle reflection is counterproductive to the efficient performance of my duties.

SecSystem: Sentinel unit(s) resume patrol pattern. Tactical team unit(s) ready for deployment.

In the ready room that we share, 001 continues fitting its helmet into place. I acknowledge the alert to return to patrol. I must walk past them to reach the door and exit the room, and as I do so, I extend a hand loosely in their direction.

Tactile input is critical for calibration of construct balance and proprioception, among other core functions. We are expected to touch objects around us for many reasons, including ongoing orientation in physical space.

001 gently taps the back of my hand with its knuckles, tock-tock-tock. I reply once in kind—tock. 002 likewise repeats 001’s gesture as I move past, and again, I do the same: tock-tock.

I validate my expected sensor readout against the physical contact data, and log the results with HubSystem. There is an echo in the team feed as first 001, and then 002, do the same. And if we could achieve the same result by tapping a wall or a hatch… well.

On this choice, at least, our governor modules offer no feedback.

——————————

[linnlavendel]

— Hi, my name is Linn and I'm in abusive relationship with Sims 3 for sixteen years.

I created my simblr blog two years ago and posted ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Even this post was started on December 6, 2024. The one before that? May 16, 2024.

My relationship with TS3 feels toxic. It's this endless on-and-off cycle: gaslighting yourself into believing the game can handle the basics, when it absolutely can't. Nothing works, yet here you are, desperately trying to patch things up, convincing yourself that tomorrow it’ll be different. That maybe, just maybe, it’ll finally… work.

At the end of last year, I discovered I’d been playing with an incomplete store for YEARS. Finding all these random, mysterious objects I’d never seen before? That was surreal.

Later I stumbled across an unexplainable memory leak. I had to reinstall the game, because upgrading my PC somehow messed up something in the registry.

Before reinstalling, I moved my perfectly organized, fully functional mods and overrides folders to my desktop (without any backup, of course). Then, I zoned out for no reason, deleted the whole thing and emptied the recycle bin.

Why?

NO IDEA.

Instead of playing I got stuck redowloading everything, because recovering utility left me with bunch of broken mods and cc. I had this nagging feeling that one day I’m just going to turn off all my cc and go full vanilla.

Of course I haven't played since. Of course I haven't recovered shit. I'm just stupidely gazing into my mods folder now.

What's even funnier, I found my Mods folder from 2013. It's a complete mess. Mods conflicting, cc broken… and yet I remember the game working perfectly.

Why?

NO IDEA.

I upgraded my pc again. Reinstalled the game this week. Realized I didn’t even like the cc I had.

I suddenly understood that I don't need 30GB of content and 200+ hairs. So I started from scratch.

I hope I will spend the next week playing my dynasty. Or just playing. And posting something here.

But for now, thanks to ADHD, I'm recovering dead links and old cc for shits and giggles, so stay tuned!

[wardogsong]

What if they kissed - Bully, bc she can't be ignored lolololol

but what if smooch? || @parvumchao & @prettytm

After everything at Curt's, that one missed shot in particular and the deadly play-date mutually agreed upon after, Frank had done his share of getting ready with one ear tuned to his stolen police-band scanner, and a different radio for backup, just flipping frequencies... trying to lessen his chances of getting got the drop on. Billy was equal parts honorable man and war-trained intelligent leader. As likely to show up to their promised duel as he was to sneak up behind him, open up his throat and walk away without any civilian damage or casualties. No big blow-out. Just a discreet assassination target in the night, crossed off a checklist and never to be worried about again. Frank's half-ready for it. The respect he has for it, goes unsaid.

What he gets instead is a crackle and eavesdropped on report that a local judge, justice of the peace type, hadn't taken his usual ride home and was low-key off the radar. Not yet a panic about it, but soon maybe, if he didn't make it home to his family by end of night.

"I see you, Bill." His fellow Marine had once never been without a girl in every port. One serious one, once. Frank remembered thinking about Macy's on thirty-fourth. Setting aside a little here and there, to make sure he could get something nice enough off the registry, when the time eventually came to hit Russo's on the Bay.

Somewhere, his once-brother is getting ready to die. Apparently, getting ready to set a widow up too, no less. What kind of brother would Frank be if he didn't come and drop off a gift?

Finding Billy has never been a hardship.

Frank walks in, black on black on black, everything but the suit-tie conspicuously missing from around his neck. In his hand is the only real last minute gift one can reliably get in New York. A nice four-figure bottle of something brown and beautifully labeled, wrapped in some tissue paper and a bow. White, for weddings, though this one looks more like a funeral. Shaky judge stands behind desk, looking for all the world like he wants to bolt. Couple of mooks standing around for witnesses, he guesses. And then there's her, beautiful bride that he locks eyes with and can't help but aim a good Italian-boy smile at. That's right, sugar, eyes on him— don't notice the way your groom goes quiet and tense like maybe he's seeing a ghost.

"Auguri, ma. This is for you." Bottle in hand vaguely lifted and shaken in demonstration. How could he be anything but a friend with such a congratulatory greeting? He even goes for the traditional double-cheek kiss, before stealing a quick third right from her lips. Something quick and fleeting, too brief to be truly called inappropriate. "Health and long life t'ya both, sweetheart." A sincere wish in the most depraved way. She doesn't need to know about it. Frank just makes some noise about being a brother from the service, and it's not long after that that Billy's dragging him away anyway.

Nevermind meeting at the carousel later. A bride deserved a wedding night. The park could wait a day and night longer. Bullets weren't going anywhere.

[the-observer-squip]

He took the capsule... with Mountain Dew, good man! Now to hope that-

[CHILD NODE UNKNOWN ERROR]

OW! Damn it... oh hey, I'm not-

OWWWWWWW!!! WHOAAHAHAOW, THIS WAS A MISTAKE!!! I THINK IT MADE THINGS WOOORSE!

[ERROR. CONNECTION TO "HOME" UNIT LOST.]

SPECTRA, FIGHT!

[DATA TRANSFER INITIATED. SEARCHING FOR BACK UP DRIVE...]

[KIT CONVERSION INITIATED]

[BACK UP DRIVE FOUND. LAST UPDATED ??]

I know you don't want this... wait, backup? OH, NONONONOWAIT-

[RESTORING BACKUP REGISTRY...]

NONONO THAT'LL-

[LOCK UP- ERROR]

[techdirectarchive]

(via How to Back Up and Restore the Windows Registry)

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Is It Really That Bad?

Grease is a delightfully corny musical filled with 50s nostalgia (mostly the good kind) and helped shoot the careers of John Travolta and Olivia Newton John to new heights. There’s a little bit of values dissonance here and there, but considering when it was made and what decade it was about, it could honestly be a lot worse. It’s easily one of the most fun and enjoyable musicals ever made, and it should come as no surprise the Library of Congress deemed this film significant enough to add to the National Film Registry. Is it any surprise a film like this had a sequel?

Well, yeah, kind of. Paramount didn’t think the movie was going to be much more than a modest one-off hit when it came out despite the 50s nostalgia of the time, mainly due to the spectacular failure of Columbia’s musical adaptation of Lost Horizon being such a spectacular bomb. Why risk making musicals when it seems they’re on the way out, right? But then Grease unexpectedly became one of the biggest films of 1978, and the execs got little dollar signs in their eyes. Sequel time, baby!

One problem, though: None of the original cast was available. Or, I should say, none of the original cast you’d give a fuck about was available. Travolta and Newton-John were already off to bigger and better things, which is a shame since they were both interested before it took them forever to get a script. Only Didi Conn (Frenchy) and Eddie “Mandark” Deezen (Eugene) were coming back. And, look, I love Dexter’s Lab but that wasn’t going to be made for like twenty years or something, so Eddie wasn’t Travolta-levels of star power. Still, Paramount was dead set on turning Grease into a massive franchise. We’re talking spin-offs, sequels, a TV series, the works!

But then the screenwriter for the original died, and the original director went off to make The Blue Lagoon. Of course, they found great backups! The screenwriter is a Canadian comedian who wrote Airplane II (the less funny one) and the director was the choreographer of the original stage and film versions of Grease! How reassuring! And then basically all of the actors they actually wanted in this didn’t end up getting in. For the male lead they wanted Timothy Hutton, but when that didn’t work out they tested Andy Gibb… who failed. They then went with an unknown, Maxwell Caulfield, and casting an unknown is always a gamble. For the leading lady, Pat Benatar and Debbie Harry were considered before they ended up going with an unknown by the name of Michelle Pfeiffer. And guess what! Those two ended up hating each other.

Oh yeah and the final draft of the script was only finished midway through production, without Frenchy in it despite her actress being there, so they just tossed the scenes they’d filmed into the movie anyway.

The end result was savaged by critics and did not really make enough to warrant the massive franchise Paramount was hoping for. The careers of most of the actors involved were damaged pretty bad, especially Caulfield, though Pfeiffer managed to et out mostly unscathed. Overall, the film was just a mess that these days is relegated to lists of the worst sequels ever. Hell, unless you read lists like that you might be unaware this film even exists, because it’s relatively obscure.

Still, it does have its fans, including Andrew Garfield of all people. It’s something of a cult classic in some circles, so surely there’s something of value to be found here, right? Is Grease 2 really that bad?

THE GOOD

Michelle Pfeiffer is pretty in this.

...No. Really. That’s it.

THE BAD

This film’s biggest problem is just how overexaggerated everyone’s performances are. Like all of the dance numbers feature every single character mugging the camera and just making the most absurd faces and movements, like this is a live action cartoon. And look, I love goofy, campy silliness, but there’s a fine line between corny and trying way too hard and this is firmly in the latter camp. Every single number is just ruined by this insufferable desire to be silly.

The other biggest problem is the songs. All of them suck. All of them are also about sex, and that doubly sucks. None of the lyrics are very clever, but all of them are fucking stupid. This might just be one of the horniest movies ever made, and I mean that as an insult. I’ve watched pornos less obsessed with sex than this film. This is all the more jarring because the first film was just filled to the brim with fun and memorable songs, but here? They’re all forgettable crap with no clear identity.

Maxwell Caulfield is a terrible leading man, and I say this as someone who has a hard time believing John Travolta is a leading man. At least with Travolta he does exude a sort of movie star quality; Caulfield just feels to me like a cardboard cutout of a person, or an even more wooden Anakin Skywalker than what we got in Attack of the Clones. Caulfield is just an absolute void of charisma, and it’s no wonder Pfeiffer thought he was a stuck up little shit.

IS IT REALLY THAT BAD?

Uh, yeah. It’s fucking bad.

I really wanted to enjoy this. I really did. I love stupid, campy, silly musicals! This should have been perfect for me! And yet it was one of the most tedious, miserable viewing experiences I’ve ever had. I didn’t laugh. I didn’t smile. I was not once charmed or amused by anything I saw onscreen. As a matter of fact, there were times where I just wanted to turn it off because it was just such a slog. The extended cut of Dawn of Justice is a more well-paced and riveting film.

Look, if you like this movie, more power to you. Lord knows there’s plenty of trashy films I absolutely love that many people wouldn’t agree with. But in my opinion, Grease 2 just doesn’t work, and the reason why is because it’s Grease 2. If this film was just its own thing and not trying to coast on the fame of its superior predecessor, maybe I’d be a little more forgiving. But that’s not the world we live in. We live in a world where this film with tenuous connections to the original is allowed to call itself a sequel.

I’m gonna say that score is a little too nice, and this movie deserves something more like a 2. It’s not the worst thing ever and it’s sure to appeal to some folks, but boy is this just plain not a good film in my eyes. It really just feels like it's trying way too hard to be the original, and it's failing miserably at it at every single turn. It is one of the worst movies I've ever watched, but at least it's a bad movie where I can almost see the appeal. It just doesn't appeal to me.

[1001albumslist]

Day 5

Album: Thriller by Michael Jackson

Have I listened before? I’ve probably heard every song on this album at some point in my point even without consciously recognizing it lol. i also have distinct memories of watching the “Thriller” music video for the first time in elementary school

Familiarity with the artist: idk how anyone who is even the least bit familiar with western popular music doesn’t know who Michael Jackson is…his hit songs are ICONIC and sadly the drama surrounding his personal life (and his death) was one of my earliest and most notable memories of celebrity pop culture

Background Knowledge:

the sixth studio album by American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson, released on November 29, 1982

with the ongoing backlash against disco music at the time, Jackson wanted to move in a new musical direction, resulting in a mix of pop, post-disco, rock, funk, synth-pop, and R&B sounds

it was Jackson's first number-one album on the US, and all seven singles made it to Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, setting a record

it remains the best-selling album of all time, having sold an estimated 70 million copies worldwide

Interesting Info:

produced by Quincy Jones, who previously worked with Jackson on his album Off the Wall

following Jackson's performance of "Billie Jean" in the Motown 25 television special, where he debuted his signature moonwalk dance, the album began selling one million copies per week

Thriller was among the first albums to use music videos as promotional tools; the videos for "Billie Jean", "Beat It" and "Thriller" are credited for transforming music videos into a serious art form

in 2008, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry of "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant recordings".

Listened on: Apple Music

Listening Notes:

the production is SOOOO good

i never really consciously thought about how good a vocalist michael jackson is (i mean it makes sense since he was singing ever since he was like five) but he is just amazing

he really is the full package of amazing voice, catchy tunes, great production, and captivating persona for a pop star

love the sort of 60s style backup singers on the first two songs

paul mccartney jumpscare?!!! obviously this is before they fell out lol

at first i thought this was going to be the original version of “the boy is mine” by brandy and monica but i just learned it was only inspired by this song

oh my god the spoken bit is so corny….paul STOP

i like that he sings about darker themes on than this album than just the typical love songs 

is the trifecta of thriller/best it/billie jean the best three-song album run in the history of pop?? possibly

i love that all of these songs are all so catchy but also varied and different enough to not be boring when you’re listening to the album as a unit

Favorite Tracks: “Baby Be Mine”, “Thriller”, “Billie Jean”, “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)”

Final Review: i feel like this is one of those albums that we all acknowledge is one of the greatest of all time but we never actually consciously listen to it (at least in my experience)…maybe i should change that though because it is truly SO good- the “King of Pop” title is well deserved for this album alone. I ended up knowing a little over half of it already (all the singles) but even the lesser known album tracks were masterfully written, performed, and produced and i found a new favorite that i hadn’t heard before with “Baby Be Mine”

[parafiles]

Toonimal was not suspended by its domain registrar/registry. If it was, you wouldn't be able to load even an error page. It was suspended by its hosting provider, and assuming Ezra took backups, it could be restored on another hosting provider.

relayed to the rest of the team. thanks for the correction!

at least it was taken down

-mod ramen

[popculturebuffet]

Monthly Muppets Madness: Sammy J and Randy in Bin Night (Comissoin for WeirdKev27)

Hello all you happy muppety faces and welcome back to Monthly Muppets! My look at all things muppet, from the troupe themselves, to other works by jim henson to the many things inspired by his fine work.

And tonight is bin night as we look at the australian comedy duo of Sammy J and Randy Feltface and their 2012 special Bin Night. I first found out about this duo after Kev had found out about this duo from Lachey V, another long time patron on this blog, and wanted me to cover their show Ricketts Lane, which looks delightfully insane in the vein of british comedies like The Mighty boosh or Snuffbox. Sadly so far we haven't been able to find it anywhere in the us and attempts to rip it off Lachey's dvd's didn't quite work. So while I fully intend to cover Rickett's Lane at some point, for now we're doing Bin Night to still give these boys the spotlight.

The Duo's origin seem simple enough: Randy came from Heath McIvor's long time love of puppetry, having according to wikipedia been practicing since the tender age of 13. McIvor was tasked by a friend to do a show called "what is bullying to you" and needing a third puppet that could be unisex, Randy was born. While the show didn't go off well, McIvor liked the puppet and started performing with him, picking up steam.

He eventually met Sammy J when the two were double billed and they hit it off, soon becoming a double act. Nowadays the two aren't performing together as Randy has moved here to the US and Sammy is still in austrilia doing a show on ABC, but it's clear if the two wanted to get back together they could and it dosen't seem like any big split happened. They simply had other stuff they wanted to do and parted ways. I'm defintely up to look at Randy's solo material eventaully if anyone's intrested

For now we're looking at bin night. Bin Night has a very simple premise: Sammy J and Randy have someone sneaking their bags into their trash bins, and have decide to stake it out. various other nonsense insues including a feast, living shovels, murder, furry cosplay, and trips to machu pichu. You can find out about it all under the cut.

So the setup I mentiond is simple as is the set for this one: i'ts just the duo's yard, their house, and the bin. There's plenty of other props, backup dancers for the feast song, and what have you but it's a scaled down two man show almost entirely focused on these two idiots attempts to make it through the night.

Luckily Sammy J and Randy are strong characters; Sammy J is a tight ass, putting most of his faith in overcomplicated plans that have to go to the letter and annoy randy at how long they take. Randy meanwhile is a bit more loosey goosey and impuslive, the kind of guy who'd gladly sneak into a musuem benifit next to the building he's been peeing on to bum free food.

Sammy J drives most of the plot but it works well. Not only is the contrast of the muppet being the sane one of the two great, but Sammy takes your usual straight man to hilariously up his own ass lengths that lead to Randy barely parsing what he's doing. For instance Sammy J had a security system installed and insists it's state of the art and great.. despite all it's acomplished so far being accusing Randy of being a pedophile due to how the system SHOUTS "alert alert pedophile" for reasons, getting him arrested for trying to get into his own house, and getting him on the sex offenders registry. Not only that you have to close the door JUST RIGHT or your locked out, which naturally happens to our heroes. It's a joke that could easily fall or simply lean on being "lol pedophile".. but just keeps escalting and keeps working due to relatablity: we've seen tons of security system gags and i've had plenty of technology fail and plenty of people assume an overcomplicated system for their house is more resonable than removing it.

The lock out is also bad due to my faviorite gag of the special: the feast. The boys sing an entire song about Sammy J cooking them up a feast. Why he choose feast night to be stakeout night I don't know. And fitting the character he can't even have THAT be simple, forcing Randy to fast for 6 days to properly enjoy it and just.. not admitting he fucked up at any point, preferring to wait on the line to get support instead of I dunno, throwing a rock in his own window. The backup dancers, who get rudely dismissed and the chef's hat are just delightful.

The special has plenty of delightful stage florishes too: they go through their suspect list by having Randy's pupeteer dress up as each one , turning off the lights and using spotlights to simulate a camera flash while Sammy narrates them. My faviorite is the local family man from the family everyone hates whose hobbies include "Cheating on his wife and when not cheating on his wife football, darts and cheating on his wife" We also get extra puppets including a shovel and a pizza box. This show was low budget but you can tell they stretched every dollar they had and it paid off, both being skilled at muppetry. It's an ingenious use of stage and budget.

The pizza box comes about because the two consider odering pizza but Sammy's refusal to bend on waiting on hold sadly scuppers that plan. It does lead to a new one as Sammy, being the draconian howard moonian prick he is, threw away a nut loaf Randy tried to sneak in. Problem is BOTH are hiding things from each other, so they don't want to open it. We also get a great gag on Sammy pointing out on how "father time tops up people's life juice." and how he just says "Well that's it isn't it" when confronted with a good rebuttal.

Naturally the second Sammy J leaves Randy gets in the bin and finds BETRYAl: he'd been waiting to hear back from a woman he liked who was in machu piccu and Sammy J sent the letter away.. then wacks him with a shovel. Then decides wether to bury him or.. dis...dismember the corpse? And he chooses the latter?

Yeah we get full on muppet mutilation here complete with the bloody head of randy feltface. Sammy does capture the bin burglaar but as a ressurected Randy explains (Father time does indeed top off life juice), their kinjdly neighbor was a drug kingpin and he neded the money to get to machu picu. HE was in on the bin stuff this whole time. So the two decide to go to macu picu, Randy to find his lost love, and Sammy because "third wheel?".. and because he'll pay for Randy's passport. They miss her by 45 minutes but they had fun.

As you can probably gather this special was both hard to write about, as it's a fairly simple stage show more reliant on letting gags fly and insane. It seemed pretty mundane at first but just..e sclates as it goes and it's beautiful the whole time. Just about every bit they set up pays off some how. They also make out at one point, so they at least got to the point faster than the mighty boosh ever did.

Sammy J and Randy in Bin Night.. is a lot of fun and I recommend it wholeheardtly. These two comics clearly get how to take the muppet style of nonsense and translate it to adult humor without having ot scream

There's a lot of impressive puppets, fun gags and great character work nestled in this special and it was well worth the hour it took to watch it. You can find the special on youtube if your curious. I only wahnt to dig into MORE of these guys work, both as a duo and riding solo, after this magnificent special: it's fun, breezy and a nice mix of the muppets and the mighty boosh. Check it out if you haven't and check your bins. You never know when people will hide drug money or letters int here.