#Registry values

[virtualizationhowto]

PowerShell Get Registry Value

PowerShell Get Registry Value @vexpert #vmwarecommunities #100daysofhomelab #homelab #PowerShellRegistry #WindowsRegistry #Get-ItemPropertyCmdlet #Get-ChildItemCommand #RegistryKeys #RegistryValues #PowerShellScript #RemoteComputerManagement

The Windows Registry and registry editor have long been tools Windows admins have used to resolve issues, apply settings, etc. However, PowerShell makes automating registry changes or programmatically getting registry keys and their values very easy. PowerShell can interact with registry keys and easily get registry values. Table of contentsWhat is PowerShell?What is the Windows…

[sburbian-sage]

hey what do i do if theres a bunch of machines i dont know how to use in the phernalia registry

the gristobber the agoglles the exalflense and the briner

never heard of any of this garbage and it wants fucktons of grist to deploy them

honestly they look fucked up like the images are really low rez so i cant tell what theyre even supposed to be and im worried theyre glitched or something

If it looks like someone flooded the Phernalia Registry with junk data, none of the new items seem like they do anything specifically (though to be fair "agoglles" sounds about as nonsensical as "Cruxtruder"), and you can't even afford to deploy them, do you have to do anything? As long as you can deploy a Cruxtruder, Punch Designix, Totem Lathe, and Alchemiter (as well as the Frog stuff later on), you can mostly ignore everything else.

Of course, if you can't deploy those game critical items, then you're already dead and I don't know how you're talking to me when you've been eradicated by meteors.

[literary-potato]

I’m a privacy engineer and this is a poster I printed out to hang on my wall because it was so perfect:

Source

I don't know who needs to hear this but please please please please please explore the settings. Of your phone, computer, of every app you use. Investigate the UI, toggle some things around and see what happens. You won't break anything irreperably without a confirmation box asking you if you really mean to do that thing. And you can just look up what a setting will do before touching it if you're really worried ok?

Worst case scenario you just have to change the settings back if you don't like what happened but it is so so so important to explore the tools available to you and gain a better understanding for how the stuff you use works.

Even if you already know. Even if you're comfortable with how you use it now. You don't just have to accept whtever experience has been handed to you by default and it's good for you to at least know what's available to you.

[rvcrash]

The Importance of Understanding RV Diminished Value After an Accident

The Diminished Value of an RV After an Accident

An RV purchase is usually only second to the purchase of a home in regards to major family expenses.  The memories made on the road are cherished for a lifetime. Most RV owners are not even aware of the repercussions of a single accident. The insurance company is not required to notify you about state case law that recognizes diminished value. Diminished value is the difference between what your RV or automobile was worth prior to the accident and its resale value after it has been repaired. An accident can negatively affect the actual cash value of your RV the same as it would to a car or truck. The widespread use of car history reports such as Carfax put a big spotlight on the dents and blemishes from every accident. The RV might look perfect after repairs are completed but the past problems are now front and center for any potential buyer to see. In some instances, a potential buyer may not purchase an RV simply because it has been involved in a prior crash, even though it has been repaired properly.

Several factors are involved when determining whether an RV has sustained any inherent diminished value. Just like any vehicle purchase, you would need to consider the year, make, model, condition, estimate of repairs and any previous damage. These factors and others are taken into consideration when evaluating whether an RV has inherent diminished value. The RV’s age and the severity of the damages are the primary concerns. Most vehicles experience depreciation regularly, and so does an RV. As an RV gets older, it experiences normal depreciation from everyday driving. The diminished value potential continues to decrease as the vehicle ages to the point where it is virtually nonexistent.

State law does not require an insurance company to tell you about your right to aggressively pursue a diminished value claim. However, they are required to make you whole again and that may involve their compensating you for the loss in value of your RV. Some nuances in state law regarding diminished value do present challenges and requirements that must be addressed. To qualify for diminished value several prerequisites must be established for a successful claim.

Diminished value is a subjective loss, and not every RV or automobile will qualify for a settlement. Each case is unique, just like each vehicle. Legal representation can make a serious impact on your chances of procuring the highest claim possible in the shortest period of time.  To establish diminished value a professional opinion must be obtained. The expert appraiser will verify that the accident negatively affected the value of your damaged vehicle. The question surrounds the calculation by the appraiser as to how much of the value decreased because of the at fault driver’s negligence.

Legal Assistance and RV Diminished Value Appraisal Reports

A professional appraiser will not reduce the calculations to a simple formula for determining the diminished value. First, they will determine the actual cash value of the vehicle prior to the accident to determine a base price. Secondly, the appraiser will conduct a forensic review of the estimate and any damage photos provided. Appropriate weighting will be given to the extent of the damages. For example, frame, structural and safety systems will carry heavy weighting, since potential buyers will often not consider buying an RV or automobile that has sustained these types of damages. The appraiser will then use their professional opinion to determine what, if any, is the actual diminished value.

Having legal representation and the right appraiser working on your claim is crucial for a successful outcome. Furthermore, we have set up a free RV Registry that assists our law firm in expediting any future diminished value claims. By registering your vehicle today, you lock in benefits that reduce the costs and expenses associated with diminished value claims. At RVCrash.com our lawyers and appraisal team have years of experience handling RV’s, cars, exotic cars, motorcycles, trucks and boats. You can visit our website or call us for a free consultation:  1-855-RVGUARD (784-8273)

Protecting your RV and ensuring your rights to any diminished value claim is our priority.

[afloweroutofstone]

It's simple, we build massive amounts of public housing, loosen zoning laws, replace property taxes with land value taxes, directly promote the creation of housing co-ops and community land trusts, end homelessness through housing first approaches, create a land registry to eliminate the need for title insurance, establish a national renters' bill of rights, replace the home interest deduction with a progressive tax credit on primary residences, and implement 20-30 other reforms. Housing fixed

[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.

[sunbentshadows]

Here's a Git repo with a Powershell script to remove superfluous Windows Store applications (it uses a Nuget package to install the PolicyFileEditor Powershell module)

RemoveApps.ps1

Additional script to reset default start menu layout and remove ads:

CleanStart.ps1

I got a laptop with Windows 11 for an IT course so I can get certified, and doing the first time device set-up for it made me want to commit unspeakable violence

Windows 11 should not exist, no one should use it for any reason, it puts ads in the file explorer and has made it so file searches are also web searches and this cannot be turned off except through registry editing. Whoever is responsible for those decisions should be killed, full stop.

Switch to linux, it's free and it's good.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

my health teacher said its illegal to have sex underage (even if your partner is also your age), is that true?

hi anon,

obligatory disclaimer that I'm assuming this pertains to the United States of America; if you're not from the US then disregard all of this and also accept my apologies for only being familiar with the laws of the country where I live.

the short answer is "yes, but if that's all that your teacher told you then they're being a real shithead about it."

so in America we have a specific designation called "statutory rape" that covers any instance of unforced sexual activity with someone who is under the age of legal majority. this does, unfortunately, extend to instances of teenagers having consensual sex with each other, in much the same way that teenagers who have consensually exchanged nudes might be found guilty of owning and distributing child pornography since they are both legally underage.

obviously even our deeply broken legal system usually has better things to do than try to convict teenagers having consensual sex with each other, so much like jaywalking or pirating movies this is rarely treated as a crime even though it is one according to the letter of the law. accordingly, many places in the United States have "Rome and Juliet laws," which serve to mitigate the penalty for what would otherwise be statutory rape as long as the minors involved were all consenting participants and are close in age.

this isn't a perfect measure, and it also fails to completely account for all instances of consensual teenage sex. there's a rather famous case of a man in California who had consensual sex with his 17 year old girlfriend in 1989 when he was 19; her parents objected and he ultimately wound up charged as a sex offender. this would be egregious regardless, but it's worth noting that as far as I know he and his then-girlfriend have now been married for something like three decades while he's still on the sex offender registry for going down on her in '89.

which I hope serves as a great reminder to everyone to a.) think critically about the value of branding people as sex offenders and b.) the American legal system is a joke.

the point being, yes it's technically illegal in many parts of the US, but that's definitely not all there is to it and the actual law varies state to state.

[sayruq]

On Thursday afternoon, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition was contacted by the Guinea Bissau International Ships Registry (GBISR), requesting an inspection of our lead ship – Akdenez. This was a highly unusual request as our ship had already passed all required inspections; nevertheless, we agreed. The inspector arrived on Thursday evening. On Friday afternoon, before the inspection was completed, the GBISR, in a blatantly political move, informed the Freedom Flotilla Coalition that it had withdrawn the Guinea Bissau flag from two of the Freedom Flotilla’s ships, one of which is our cargo ship, already loaded with over 5000 tons of life-saving aid for the Palestinians of Gaza.

In its communication informing us of this cancelation, the GBISR made specific reference to our planned mission to Gaza. It also made several extraordinary requests for information, including confirmation of the ships’ destination, any potential additional port calls, and the discharge port for humanitarian aid and estimated arrival dates and times. It further demanded a formal letter explicitly approving the transportation of humanitarian aid and a complete manifest of the cargo. Again, this is a highly unusual move from a flagging authority. Normally, national flagging authorities concern themselves only with safety and related standards on vessels bearing their flag, and are not concerned with the destination, route, cargo manifests or the nature of a specific voyage. Just like when you register your car, the authorities don’t require you to detail to them every place you are going to go with the car. Sadly, Guinea-Bissau has allowed itself to become complicit in Israel’s deliberate starvation, illegal siege and genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Israel is showing the world the extent to which it will go to deny Palestinians the aid they need to stay alive, in direct contravention of International Humanitarian Law, UN Security Council resolutions, and two orders of the International Court of Justice. Israel is only allowed to get away with this because we have an international order where law does not apply equally, where people are not valued the same, and where might equals right. The US has hijacked international law and is violating its own laws to protect Israel at every turn. A recently-leaked USAID memo states that “famine in Gaza is inevitable,” and that “changes could reduce but not stop widespread civilian deaths.” It also states that the government of Israel does not currently demonstrate necessary compliance with U.S. law required to receive U.S. military aid. Nevertheless, last week, the U.S. Congress passed and Biden signed a $26 billion aid package for Israel. It is this kind of naked impunity, over decades, that has brought us to this point where Israel can carry out a genocide, that includes a public declaration by Israel’s leaders that it is going to deliberately starve children, and not only face no consequences, but also involve a majority of world governments in its crimes. While our governments claim to care about Palestinian lives, they are complying, and indeed enforcing a situation where a state that has been found to be plausibly committing a genocide, is allowed to control what, if any life-saving aid gets to the people trying to stay alive.Yesterday, the UN Special Rapporteurs on the Right to Food, on the Right to Housing, and on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, issued a statement stating that civil society initiatives like the Freedom Flotilla are important precisely because governments are not complying with their obligations under international law and many of these governments are even complicit in Israel’s siege and genocide. The statement affirmed that ours was a legitimate challenge to Israel’s control over the delivery of aid to Gaza and it demanded safe passage for our flotilla. However, without a flag, we cannot sail. But, this is not the end. Israel cannot and will not crush our resolve to break its illegal siege and reach the people of Gaza. The people of Gaza and all of Palestine remain steadfast under the most horrific, unimaginable conditions. We take strength from their incredible, inexplicable ability to maintain their humanity, dignity and hope when the world has given them no reason to do so.It is our responsibility to keep that hope alive. WE WILL SAIL.

[furryprovocateur]

honestly however strongly you feel about the need for a sex offender list to be publicly available, there is just mountains upon mountains of evidence that they do not do what they were intended to do and instead just castigate and isolate members of society. not even taking into account how draconian sex offender registry laws are (you urinated in public? on the list for life! you pulled down a classmate's pants in school? expect to be on that list!). like even if you think there's inherent value of a public list of Bad People (dubious at best), they just literally do not work because the majority of csa is perpetrated by either trusted adults or fellow children, both of which slip through the cracks in this already imperfect system.

[megid0nt]

oh yeah. it's all coming together

finally got around to learning how to add additional folders to the This PC page lol if you can symlink to UNC paths I might finally be able to unmap the network drives stop taking 5ever to load explorer lol

[bfpnola]

Updated version! ID written by @swosheep (it won't let me tag you oof)

ID 1: All images are of an Instagram post by letstalkpalestine2. The first one is titled "Lets Talk. What is Hamas? Answering the basic questions".

ID 2: the second image is titled "What Are Its Origins?". the body text reads: "Hamas is a Palestinian political party and armed resistance movement based in the besieged Gaza Strip. It emerged in 1987, at the start of the First Intifada, as a reaction to intensifying israeli violence and as a religious alternative to the secular Palestinian parties that dominated the scene at the time. Hamas was originally a branch of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood but later cut ties with it and became an independent group. In 1992, Hamas formed a military wing called the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades to resist the israeli occupation. The Brigades carried out several significant operations against Israel during the Second Intifada, which established Hamas as a leading force in the Palestinian resistance."

ID 3: the third image is titled "Who Are Its Leaders?". The body text reads: "Hamas is composed of a political wing and a military wing. They each perform different functions but operate under the same leadership structure." There is a grid with four sections. The first section is titled "Political Bureau", and reads: "- Headed by Ismail Haniyeh from exile - Sets general policy". The second section is titled: "Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades" and reads: "- Commanded by Marwan Issa and Mohammed Deif - Conducts military operations". The third section is titled: "Shura Council" and reads: "- Led by Saleh al-Arouri in the West Bank and Yahya Sinwar in Gaza - Handles affairs in Gaza, the West Bank, diaspora, and israeli prisons". The fourth section is titled: "Gaza Government" and reads: "- Headed by Prime Minister Issam al-Da'alis - Enacts policies and provides social services to people in Gaza".

ID 4: The fourth image is titled: "What Does Hamas Want?" The body text reads: "Its 2017 charter states that its current political program is to: - Implement the right of return for all Palestinian refugees; - Establish a temporary Palestinian state along the 1967 borders (the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip) and arrange a long-term truce with israel. Hamas considers the establishment of a Palestinian state on the '67 borders as a temporary step. It refuses to recognize israel's legitimacy and advocates for the 'full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea.' Hamas's 2017 charter states that its struggle is against the israeli state and the Zionist movement due to their occupation of Palestine, not Jewish people, and criticizes israel for associating its actions with Jewish values. Hamas's stated goals for its current operation are to - Free the thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by israel, - End the Gaza blockade, - End the status quo where Israel continues its occupation without cost".

ID 5: the fifth image is titled: "Does Hamas Control Gaza?". The body text reads: "Not really. Hamas administers local affairs, while israel controls much of Gaza from the outside through its blockade. israel forcibly controls: - Airspace, - Sea access, - Movement of all goods and people in and out, - Telecoms networks, - Electromagnetic sphere, - Tax distribution, - Population registry, - Water, - Electricity and fuel. Hamas began governing Gaza in 2007, and has since managed: - Healthcare, - Education, - Infrastructure, - Social welfare, - Law enforcement, - Public employment. Hamas is not a sovereign government. israel's blockade prevents Palestinians from independently exercising sovereignty over Gaza's population, development, and economy."

ID 6: The sixth image is titled "Does Hamas Represent Palestine?" The body text reads: "Hamas is one of many Palestinian political parties. On the one hand, Hamas was democratically elected by voters in 2006, garnering a plurality of West Bank and Gaza votes (44%) for its social services and resistance efforts. Today. Fatah and Hamas, the two largest parties, are roughly tied, each enjoying the support of a third of the public. On the other hand, many Palestinians strongly criticize Hamas's political wing due to its corruption and repressive policies, and the last elections were in 2006. 43% of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza believe that no party represents Palestine. The other polled Palestinians were split between parties, with no clear winner. We have no statistics for Palestinians in the heartland ("israel") or diaspora. However, Hamas is currently the only major group that pursues armed resistance, which is widely supported. So while most Palestinians might not support Hamas as a party, the overwhelming majority support acts of resistance in general, whether by Hamas or others."

ID 7: the seventh image is titled "Is Hamas a Proxy of Iran?". The body text reads: "No. Hamas is an independent group with a political program and military strategy distinct from Iran. Hamas and Iran are strategic allies, meaning that while Iran provides Hamas with significant financial, military, and political support, Hamas does not act or operate on behalf of Iran. It makes decisions based on its own interests, and independently manages relations with countries like Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt. For example: In 2012, Hamas cut ties with Syria because it opposed the Assad regime's violent crackdown on protesters. It took this decision despite angering Iran, a close ally of Assad. Regarding Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, even israeli officials admit there is no evidence that Iran was in any way involved. Iran was actually surprised by it. Hamas independently coordinated and launched the operation to achieve its own goals."

ID 8: The eighth image is titled "Does Hamas Negotiate with Israel?". The body text reads: "Hamas views armed struggle as only one of several tools to end apartheid & occupation, such as diplomacy. In 2006, in an op-ed for The Guardian, Hamas chairman Ismail Haniyeh revealed that israel refused Hamas's proposal for a truce. In 2008, former Hamas chief Khaled Meshal offered a 10-year truce in exchange for a sovereign Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital." israel rejected the proposal. In 2016, Hamas offered a long-term truce in exchange for simply ending the Gaza Blockade. israel rejected it. In 2018, Haniyeh revived this offer by sending a handwritten letter in Hebrew to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. But israel rejected it again. israel repeatedly rejected Hamas's diplomatic initiatives because israel saw no reason to end the oppressive status quo, which it believed gave it power & privileges over Palestinians with minimal downsides. israel's benefits outweighed the costs. Hamas is trying to change that."

ID 9: the ninth image is titled "Is Hamas Risking Palestinian Lives?". The body text reads: "Westerners often accuse Hamas of risking Palestinian lives by fighting apartheid and thus inviting a deadly israeli crackdown. But the reality is that israel's blockade is slowly killing everyone in Gaza. [quote] 'We have paid a high cost in lives in this conflict. But if that's the price for long-term changes - breaking the siege and obtaining freedom - it's one many of us feel we have no choice but to swallow.' [unquote] -Haytham Besalso, civil engineer from Gaza, 2014. [quote] 'We are bleeding here, anyway [..] The Gaza Blockade crushes any opportunity for peace.' [unquote] -Ismail, anonymous journalist from Gaza, 2021. The argument that Hamas is responsible for israel's killing of Palestinians is malicious. It blames the victims for resisting apartheid and absolves the oppressors of responsibility, treating the mass killing of children as a 'normal' israeli response."

ID 10: the tenth image says: "You don't need to support Hamas as a political party to support Palestine. Most Palestinians don't support it as a party. But Hamas is an effective political player in the struggle against apartheid, oppression, and colonization. It has achieved remarkable success in preventing israeli violence in Jerusalem and freeing Palestinian hostages abducted by israel. Hamas has institutions, ministries, student movements, and women's movements, and employs thousands of doctors, teachers, judges, and aid workers. It is part of the fabric of Palestinian society. So while you don't need to support Hamas to support Palestine, you cannot oppose oppression without supporting the resistance to it. You cannot support freedom while supporting israeli efforts to wipe out those who fight for that freedom, including Hamas, to leave Palestinians defenc Pales". End ID.

the original caption states that @/LetsTalkPalestine2 does not endorse any specific party, including Hamas, and that the last word on the last slide should be *defenseless.

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Do you all have any proof that Invictus wants nothing to do with Harry or is it just a hunch based on narratives you’ve made up yourselves? Or maybe it is just wishful thinking on your part?

First off, reading and context is fundamental. No one has said Invictus wants nothing to do with Harry. We’re saying that it doesn’t make sense why Invictus keeps Harry around when he doesn’t appear to provide them any value. From a liability and risk management perspective, they have to be doing something to protect themselves from his lack of engagement.

And it is actually data-driven speculation. I don’t make stuff up here; I am always researching, I am always reading, I am always learning, and that is what informs my theories. There is very little I take at face-value.

But since your insult was polite, I’ll let you look at my homework instead of telling you to go figure it out yourself. Just this one time.

So this is the financial report from the UK charity registry:

Expenses (money going out) and income (money coming in, i.e. the donations) are virtually the same. In other words: as of 2022, Invictus is barely breaking even. This is not good; it means, more or less, they're one crisis away from some serious problems.

It also means that their actual Games - which, in 2022 would have been The Hague/Dutch IG - are expensed entirely by the host city. So basically, the charity itself is nothing more than a glorified events planner spending someone else's money. That's...not exactly the mission we're told that Invictus Games is.

Now, that orange line there on the bottom is what the UK calls "governance." (In the US, we call it "administrative.") This is what it means, from IG's 2022 financial report:

Note that this doesn't include salaries for the 12 (as of 12/31/2022) employees at IG. According to Giving is Great, a UK charity watchdog, senior staff costs (i.e. salaries and benefits) is 26%, or approximately £500,000. Add the governance/admin costs, and we're looking at £750,000 a year just to keep the charity's lights on. When your total budget is £2 million, that's a big chunk of change. 40%, in fact.

Second let's look at their income. The UK charity registry breaks the "gross income" down into several subcategories. For Invictus Games:

(The column headers were cut off but from left to right it's 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.)

Meaning that in 2022, their income came from donations, trading, and charitable activities.

(Remember that in 2020, the Royal Foundation made a £1 million donation to Invictus Games, which I believe makes up the majority of that £1.4m donation. If that assumption is correct, then that means in 2020, Harry was only able to fundraise an additional £400,000 in donations. Now, 2020 was a very difficult year for a lot of charities and nonprofits so that steep dropoff isn't unusual to see in the financial reports.)

Now from the 2022 financial report, here's what these categories mean:

So just really quick. Unrestricted means that the recipient chooses where/how to spend the money. Restricted means that the donor directs where/how the charity spends the money. So Invictus could spend £381K of the donations (Category #2) anywhere they wanted to, but for the remaining £700K of donations they received, they had to follow specific directions on how to use it.

What this is saying is that of the total income earned by Invictus Games in 2022, only £1.08 million came from donations.

Now, in my (volunteer) experience working in nonprofit fundraising most lay people (i.e. members of the general public who donate to charities) don't usually direct or designate their donation. So most of the regular donations are going into the unrestricted pot. Corporate donors, sponsors, or partners are more likely to give restricted gifts, where they direct how the money will be spent. So based on my experience, I feel comfortable assuming, or suggesting, that £231,447 received in unrestricted donations is people like, you, me, and Sussex Squad donating to Invictus out of pocket.

That's a pretty poor showing. And in my opinion, it's a direct reflection of Harry's leadership; he isn't inspiring people to donate to Invictus. Instead, the bulk of Invictus's income/donations is coming from corporate sponsorships.

Most charities cannot survive on corporate sponsorships and partnerships. It does not guarantee long-term survival. Long-term survival is predicated on investments, endowments, and contracts...which Invictus doesn't have, which means their patron isn't doing his share.

Third let's look at the actual Games themselves. The Hague/Dutch IG was given a budget of €15 million (~$16 million). According to this leaked letter from the Dusseldorf IG Committee, the Hague IG Games actually ended up costing €25 million (~$27 million). That's a 60% increase, and it's impossible for all of that to be due to COVID-related inflation.

Going backed to the leaked Dusseldorf IG letter, their budget was about €27 million (~$29 million). It's being reported that the Dusseldorf IG actually ended up costing closer to €37 million (~$40 million). This is a 37% increase; they were also very over budget.

And in March 2023, Invictus Games 2025 signed and published, to their website, a Contribution Agreement outlining that Canada's budget for the Vancouver IG is $30 million CAD (~$22 million USD); $15 million CAD (~$11 million USD) from the province of British Columbia and $15 million CAD from the government of Canada.

So if I split the baby for budget overrun [(60% + 37%)/2=48.5%], we're looking at Vancouver IG to probably end up costing around $44.5 million CAD.

In other words...they're in trouble. Meaning that Invictus and its board should be working together with the local corporation(s) to cut costs and increase savings/get new sponsors and partners. Meaning that the patron should be out there campaigning and fundraising for money or figuring out how and where to cut costs...but he isn't.

Or those efforts aren't visible. Not when the competing PR is about Harry's attacks on the BRF, Spare, Meghan's merching, and stories like this one of key leaders being abruptly fired and whistleblowers leaking to the press.

Now why would someone be abruptly fired without notice? It's not for shock and awe. It's either for incredible malfeasance (like fraud and embezzlement) or because someone much higher up wanted it. Since there's no paper trail or proof of wrongdoing - which Vancouver IG would have leaked in some way, shape or form - all the evidence strongly suggests the two men were fired because someone else demanded it. Maybe, say, someone who costs so much more than he's actually worth, who causes more problems than solves, who has alienated a lot of public goodwill. Of course, that's just pure speculation. But it is strange. One person getting fired without notice, sure, not really worth paying attention. But two people? And two people who purportedly know a whole lot about what's happening behind closed doors? That's hinky.

Have I forgotten anything?

Oh, right. This: growing criticism and dissatisfaction from local host-nation communities, Invictus's competitors and their families, and social media over the Sussexes' inability (and disinterest) to promote anyone but themselves whilst attending events.

The last thing any brand wants (or needs) is an ambassador that alienates their core customer base and prospective supporters and dominates the news with controversy. Brands, including nonprofit organizations, rely pretty heavily on:

The goodwill and positive attention their ambassadors generate

The users, fans, supporters, customers, and consumers that follow their ambassadors and

The networks their ambassadors move in.

Harry doesn't do any of that either:

He loses public goodwill every time he opens his mouth and invites only criticism.

The customers (the veterans and their families) aren't happy that their efforts are overshadowed. The consumers (people at home following along) are unhappy and dissatisfied that they can't find information about the competitors or the Games themselves because the only press coverage is about Harry and Meghan.

Harry is completely excluded from the royal, military, international, and aristo networks that propped him up 10 years ago to launch this thing. Invictus can't tap into that anymore, so why should they keep him around?

Let's review.

Invictus's expenses and income barely break even. Further, their reserves allow them to operate for less than one whole year. That's a really uncomfortable place to be in. Where is their patron to help seek out income streams that would build up their reserves?

Based on donation data, they're wheezing along on spit and prayer. They rely almost exclusively on corporate sponsors/partners. There's no investments, no endowments, no contracts. Actual "from the people" donations is just paltry. Where is their patron to lead fundraising campaigns, recruit new sponsors, develop investment opportunities?

The costs to host the Games keeps ballooning. Some cost overrun is normal, expected, and even budgeted for, but not the amounts that Invictus keeps turning out. Where is their patron to help look for new partners or charm everyone over with budget cuts?

There was a personnel shakeup in the Vancouver 2025 leadership that caused a lot of questions and concerns about their readiness to host their events and revealed a lot of morale issues. Where was their patron to calm the chaos?

There's growing criticism over the patron's behavior that is reflecting badly on Invictus Games and their brand. Where is the patron changing his behavior, changing his attitude, changing his priority?

I'll tell you where the patron is. He and his wife are flying around the world to party at Soho Houses, whine about being cut off from his family after he spent 3 years attacking them, spending other people's money in ridiculous ways, and getting wastedly high after his wife and kids go to bed.

The longer Invictus Games is associated with that, the more it reflects on them and their brand. They can't afford that. Not when they're promoting themselves as "family friendly" or "family supporting" (which is how they've justified Meghan's involvement).

It doesn't make any sense for them to keep Harry on. He's not fundraising for them. He's not schmoozing. He costs more money than he brings in. The people they serve don't like him. He isn't bringing big donors in. He isn't speaking to or supporting his family.

And allllllllll this together is why I say "I wouldn't be surprised if Invictus is trying to phase Harry out." It's why I say "depending on how well Germany Invictys 2024 goes, that may be the proof they can survive without him."

It's data-driven speculation. Not something I've made up. The only thing that's made up is the speculation about why two senior leaders were so abruptly fired. But that isn't even part of the analysis or the calculation.

Next time, anon, you're doing your own fucking research.

[deadanarchist6669]

I'm not scared of you, motherfucker. I unplug my computer during BIOS updates. I have never ejected a drive safely, not even once. I edit random values in Windows Registry just to see what happens. All my passwords are just the word "password." I collect viruses the way old men collect stamps. Fuck you.

[deathbypixelz]

Alright. I'm making this post because I was unpleasantly surprised to find Microsoft had forcibly downloaded an """"ai assistant"""" onto my computer (called Copilot), and because finding a site that actually told me how to kill it for good -- in clear, truly step-by-step terms -- was way harder than it needed to be.

Preface: this is only relevant if you're running Windows 11.

Here is your target:

If you see this logo on your taskbar -- or... have Edge installed on Windows 11 -- you've got Copilot. You can't delete it on its own, Microsoft has integrated it into the OS as best they can. The most you can do is disable it (instructions for which are at the very end of this post).

So... to REALLY get rid of it you need to uninstall Microsoft Edge, because it's a part of/reliant on Edge. A lot of bells and whistles of Windows are also reliant on Edge, like widgets, but I never use those. I use my PC almost exclusively for gaming, and I don't want this slimy "ai" shit on my computer. I use Firefox anyway. Edge can go die as far as I'm concerned.

Here's the actual steps, copy-pasted from a website that took me way too long to find. It also really makes my browser chug for some reason, which is why I'm copy-pasting the whole thing. If you still want to look at the site itself, put it in reader view as fast as you can (link to site).

1.) Open Microsoft Edge, type "edge://settings/help" in the address bar, and then press Enter.

2.) Click "About Microsoft Edge" at the bottom of the left-hand pane. Copy the version number at the top of the screen, under Microsoft Edge.

3.) Press Windows Key + S to open Windows Search.

4.) Type "Command Prompt", right-click the result, and then select "Run as Administrator".

5.) The User Account Control (UAC) prompt will appear. Click "Yes".

6.) Navigate to Edge’s “Installer” directory by using the cd command. Depending on which directory your Command Prompt opens in by default, you may need to use the "cd .." command to go back a level or two.

Once ready, run this command:

cd “Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\Version Number\Installer”

Replace "Version Number" with your actual version number copied earlier.

7.) Next, run this command to uninstall Microsoft Edge:

setup –uninstall –force-uninstall –system-level

((It will look like nothing happened! Don't worry!))

8.) Restart your PC for the changes to take place.

((HOWEVER, Windows will try to reinstall it the next time your PC updates (or whenever it feels like it lol) so there's a second half to this))

1.) Press Windows Key + R to open Run.

2.) Type "regedit" in the text box and click OK to open the Registry Editor.

3.) The User Account Control (UAC) prompt will appear. Click "Yes".

4.) In the Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINES\SOFTWARE\Microsoft.

5.) Right-click the "Microsoft" folder, hover your cursor over "New", and then select "Key".

6.) Rename the new Key to "EdgeUpdate".

7.) Right-click EdgeUpdate, hover your cursor over "New", and then select "DWORD (32-bit) Value".

8.) Right-click the new value, which is currently named "New Value #1".

9.) Select "Rename" from the context menu.

10.) Rename the value to "DoNotUpdateToEdgeWithChromium".

11.) Right-click the newly-named DoNotUpdateToEdgeWithChromium value and select "Modify" from the context menu.

12.) The Edit DWORD (32-bit) Value window will appear. Change the Value data to "1" and then click OK.

((You are now free. If you ever run into a really serious, unavoidable issue with your OS that's clearly a result of Edge being gone, you can redownload it like a regular app. But you should be fine.))

((And, if for some reason you want still want Edge around but just want the copilot thing gone, here's what you do:

The command, for ease of copy-pasting: reg add HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot /v TurnOffWindowsCopilot /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

You can't actually truly delete Copilot (without deleting Edge), only disable it. And as the reply says, you do have to do this every time you turn the computer on. I haven't tested that myself, but I believe it. I assume/hope that excludes just waking the computer up after it goes to sleep, but I don't know for sure.))

[trofysisters]

Вера

Упорство Влада в выполнении под светом луны после полуночи домашнего задания окупилось: его успеваемость повысилась. Но сегодня Вероника не собиралась с ним соревноваться, (Vlad's persistence in completing his homework under the moonlight after midnight paid off: his grades improved. But today Veronica was not going to compete with him,)

поскольку вечером из университета возвращался их любимый старший брат - Виктор. На душе у всей семьи было радостно и светло. Как же долго они этого ждали. (because in the evening their beloved older brother, Victor, was returning from the university. The whole family's soul was joyful and light. How long have they waited for this)

Увидев, каким красивым и стройным он стал, Вероника решила тоже заняться своей физической формой. (Seeing how handsome and slender he had become, Veronica decided to also take care of her physical fitness)

А у Виктора возникла идея создать и продать шедевр, за рисование которого он и взялся. (And Victor had an idea to create and sell a masterpiece, which he began painting)

Виктор еще не знал, что в эту ночь он последний раз спит в своей постели, что позвавшая его на прогулку Илона привезет его в ЗАГС, и он больше не вернется в родительский дом. (Victor did not yet know that that night he would sleep in his bed for the last time, that Ilona, who had called him for a walk, would bring him to the registry office, and he would never return to his parents’ house)

Пока некоторые члены семьи начали вести активный образ жизни, Вера настолько увлеклась кулинарией и стремлением развить к этому максимальный интерес и навык, что последствия отразились на ее фигуре. (While some family members began to lead an active lifestyle, Vera became so passionate about cooking and the desire to develop maximum interest and skill in it that the consequences were reflected in her figure)

Но какая разница, сколько она весит, если она любимая жена и мать чудесных детей. К тому же, у близнецов сегодня день рождения. (But who cares how much she weighs if she is a beloved wife and mother of wonderful children. Plus, it's the twins' birthday today)

Первым повзрослел Влад. От родителей он перенял ценность семьи, а стать хотел полицейским-супергероем. Поскольку вокруг множество опасностей, его избранница должна быть критически мыслящей, не близорукой и сидеть дома для собственной безопасности. (Vlad was the first to grow up. He adopted the value of family from his parents, and wanted to become a superhero policeman. Since there are many dangers around, his chosen one should be a critical thinker, should not be short-sighted and should stay at home for her own safety)

После брата пришла пора взрослеть Веронике. Она была более амбициозной и прагматичной, поэтому стать решила судьей, а для успешной карьеры нужны хорошие связи. Ее избранник должен быть логичным, молодым и скрывать лицо за гримом (мим?). Балов счастья у нее оказалось больше, чем у брата. (After her brother, it was time for Veronica to grow up. She was more ambitious and pragmatic, so she decided to become a judge, and for a successful career you need good connections. Her chosen one should be logical, young and hide his face behind makeup (mime?). She had more happiness points than her brother)

Чтобы порадовать детей, родители повели их в парк аттракционов, хоть и был уже поздний вечер. (To please the children, the parents took them to an amusement park, even though it was already late in the evening)

Автомат с предсказаниями сообщил Васе, что будущее ему улыбается пока что. Только тогда Вася вспомнил, что прогулял работу, в то время как у жены были отгулы. (The fortune machine told Vasya that the future was smiling at him for now. Only then did Vasya remember that he had skipped work while his wife had time off)

Настроение отлично повышают карусели и мороженое. Жаль, что Виктор так и не научил младшего брата хорошим манерам за столом. (Carousels and ice cream are great mood boosters. It's a pity that Victor never taught his younger brother good table manners)

Зато близнецов пустили на взрослые американские горки. Весело! (But the twins were allowed on an adult roller coaster. Fun!)

Но, как оказалось, Владу они совершенно не понравились - страшные и слишком крутые. Еще и брата не было, т.к. в этот же день он женился на Илоне. Зато теперь понятно, почему Вера и Вася отказались идти с Илоной "на прогулку". (But, as it turned out, Vlad didn’t like them at all - scary and too cool. There was also no brother, since on the same day he married Ilona. But now it’s clear why Vera and Vasya refused to go “for a walk” with Ilona)