#Custom Sign Toronto

[signsexpress]

Navigating the Future: The Impact of Digital Signs in Toronto

In the bustling metropolis of Toronto, where innovation and technology converge, the cityscape is continuously evolving. One of the most prominent transformations is the integration of digital signs, revolutionizing the way businesses communicate, engage, and captivate their audience. From towering skyscrapers to quaint street corners, digital signs have become a ubiquitous presence, shaping the visual landscape of Toronto.

Digital signs Toronto serves as dynamic storytellers, conveying messages with unparalleled vibrancy and versatility. Traditional static signs are making way for their dynamic counterparts, capable of displaying a spectrum of content, from vivid advertisements to real-time information updates. This shift not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of the city but also ensures that information is delivered in a timely and engaging manner.

Businesses across various sectors are leveraging the power of digital signs to leave a lasting impression on both residents and visitors. The retail sector, in particular, has embraced this technology to create immersive shopping experiences. Large LED displays entice passersby with eye-catching visuals, promotions, and product highlights, turning window shopping into an interactive and engaging activity.

Moreover, digital signs play a crucial role in enhancing communication within corporate environments. In the heart of Toronto's financial district, digital displays in office lobbies provide real-time financial updates, news, and internal communications, fostering a dynamic and informed corporate culture. This seamless flow of information contributes to a more connected and responsive business ecosystem.

Public spaces in Toronto are also benefiting from the integration of digital signs. Transit stations, parks, and cultural hubs utilize these displays to share event information, public announcements, and emergency alerts. The ability to disseminate information instantly contributes to a safer and more informed community.

The environmental impact of digital signs cannot be overlooked. Unlike traditional print media, digital displays are reusable and can be updated remotely, reducing paper waste and promoting sustainability. This aligns with Toronto's commitment to environmental responsibility and a greener future.

As Toronto continues to embrace the digital age, the city's skyline becomes a canvas for innovation. The integration of digital signs not only transforms the way businesses connect with their audience but also contributes to the city's identity as a forward-thinking, technologically advanced hub. In this digital era, the streets of Toronto are not just pathways; they are dynamic channels of communication, weaving together the fabric of a modern and connected city.

[torontocustomsign]

Six Ways to Use Acrylic Signs in Your Toronto Business

Acrylic signs are attractive, affordable, durable, and portable. These signs can help give your business the visible “pop” it needs to draw potential customers’ eyes to your doorway instead of your competitor’s. We’ll show you how to make the best use of this type of sign for your Ontario business.

Ways to Use Acrylic Signs Effectively in Your Toronto Business

Versatility is one of the many benefits of acrylic signs:

1. To create an enticing window display

Acrylic signs make attractive and enticing window displays. Unlike permanent signage, you can change your acrylic signs for each season or to highlight annual sales. Frosted acrylic signs can also offer you and your customers a degree of privacy while still allowing light to enter your space.

2. To welcome customers to your business

A friendly welcome sign with your business logo helps solidify your branding and sets the tone for a friendly encounter with your customers.

3. To advertise your business

Clear glass acrylic signage is a great alternative to traditional billboard or print advertising. You can place them in your building lobby, in your office lobby, or in the office of a company that sells complementary products.

4. To announce new products or current specials

Acrylic signs are also a good way to educate your customers on what’s new in your store without the expense and hassle of a more permanent sign or the possibility of missing customers when you rely on your salespeople to inform customers.

5. To guide customers to specific departments or products

Acrylic wall signs can be used as directional signage and to guide your customers to popular products or to commonly-used departments.

6. To solidify your branding in off-site events

Signage is important at off-site events, such as convention product fairs, product marts, and vendor sales events. You are often limited in space and compete with scores of other vendors for attention. Acrylic signs are nice and portable, have professional air, and can be designed to support your company branding.

Acrylic signs come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Made from durable plastic sheeting with a high-gloss finish, this type of sign can be imprinted with virtually any design or color. These signs are portable and sturdy enough to be used inside or outside. They can be displayed on an easel, hung on the wall like a painting, or suspended from the ceiling with wires.

To learn more about how acrylic signs can improve your visibility, solidify your branding, and drive customers to your store, visit Toronto Custom Signs online.

Source: https://torontocustomsign.com/six-ways-to-use-acrylic-signs-in-your-toronto-business/

[brandedcanopytents1]

Portable Trade Show Displays | Display Solution | Canada

In Toronto, Canada, Display Solution is a top supplier of transportable trade show displays. Custom tents, canopy tents, pop-up tents, step-and-repeat banners, flag banners, and trade show signage are among the things we offer. Our portable displays are made to help your company stand out at events and trade exhibits. We provide customized canopy choices to enhance the appearance of your brand and foster a welcoming environment. Our portable trade show displays are ideal for roadshows and events since they are simple to set up, take down, and move. To discuss your needs for a personalized trade fair exhibit, contact us right now.

[brainddeadd]

Yn's Birthday

It's still just a crush in this - pre-kiss and getting together

It’s a big day for Y/N, the youngest player on the New Jersey Devils and beloved by her teammates, who treat her like a little sister. Today is her birthday, and the guys are going all out. The locker room had been buzzing with secrecy all week as they planned a surprise party to celebrate her. Despite being a fierce competitor on the ice, she always had a special place in their hearts, and they were determined to make this birthday one she’d never forget.

The day starts out as usual—practice and drills, where Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes are more protective than usual, cracking jokes and keeping a close eye on her. Dawson Mercer and Luke Hughes seem unusually upbeat too, exchanging grins and sly winks when she’s not looking. Y/N doesn't suspect a thing, but by the time practice wraps up, she feels like something is up.

After practice, Y/N is asked to join Nico and Jack for a "team meeting," but instead, they lead her to a beautifully decorated room, filled with streamers, balloons, and a massive "Happy Birthday" banner. The team yells, "Surprise!" and Y/N’s face lights up with shock and happiness. Everyone’s there—except for Trevor Zegras, Matthew Knies, and Quinn Hughes, who couldn’t make it to New Jersey.

But just when she thinks they couldn't possibly be involved, her phone buzzes, and it’s a group video call. Trevor’s grinning from ear to ear, sporting a silly birthday hat, Matthew is holding up a cake, and Quinn is casually waving from his apartment.

“Happy birthday, superstar!” Trevor says, his excitement bouncing through the screen. “We wish we could be there, but we couldn’t leave you hanging without saying something.”

“I’ve got a gift coming your way,” Quinn adds with a smile. “Something that might help your shot. Keep an eye out.”

Matthew jumps in next. “And I’ve sent something from Toronto—can’t spoil it, but it’s personalized. Hope you love it!”

Y/N’s heart is full as she thanks them. It means the world that they remembered her day, even from afar.

As she’s soaking in the love, there’s one more surprise in store. The door to the room opens, and to her absolute astonishment, Matt Rempe steps in. Jack smirks, giving a knowing glance to the rest of the team. “Surprise! Thought I’d bring in a special guest,” Jack says with a chuckle. “Hope you don’t mind, Y/N.”

She’s speechless as Matt walks over, towering over everyone. “Happy birthday,” he says softly, offering her a small box. Inside is a delicate necklace, engraved with something meaningful to the both of them.

The gifts from the team are all heartfelt and special. Nico gives her a hand-signed puck with a message in Swiss, something about being unstoppable on the ice. Luke hands over a new pair of skates that he custom-designed. Jack pulls out a scrapbook, filled with photos of the season, funny moments, and little notes from each of the guys. Dawson gets her a personalized Devils jersey, with her nickname on the back.

After the gifts, they dig into cake and pizza, the room filled with laughter and lighthearted teasing. The boys take turns roasting each other, and Y/N gets in a few good jabs herself. It’s a perfect night, full of warmth and family-like love.

Though the trio—Trevor, Matthew, and Quinn—aren’t physically there, their presence is felt in every laugh and every moment, making Y/N’s birthday one she’ll treasure forever.

[bisexual-horror-fan]

It happened. Let's talk about it under the fucking cut.

Hello! I am here to regale you with the tale of how my Saturday at Fan Expo went! So it started with how I could not fucking sleep the night before. Fitful, I kept waking up over and over and finally got out of bed before nine. I hung around for a while, did a face mask, painted my nails, showered, got ready and into my fit for the day. We departed slightly after noon and grabbed some food and made our way to Toronto. We get there and park in the usual place and make the couple block hike to the convention centre, the check in process went smoothly and then, it was time to shop around. 

We went from the North building to the South building, much more interested in checking out niche’ vendors and artists’ alley, I was in there for less than an hour before I had to break away to run to the photo op. Mr.Bex gives me a kiss on the cheek and told me, “Try not to cum in front of them.”

“Easier said than done!” I called as I run off. Now, last year it took me forever to get back to the North building, so I left with an hour before my time I had to be there. On the way, I see a Ghostface in a very cute almost magical girl outfit, short flouncy skirt and a bedazzled pink mask. I am looking at them, they see me looking, and they give me a pose and a peace sign, I grin and give one back, a super fun moment. I get to the North building and the photo op space in less than twenty minutes. So that means I get to toddle around the dealers floor. I do so, take in some cosplays, contemplate some purchases, they had an old full sized classic Scream one poster for twenty bucks, but I passed on it. 

Finally, it’s time to go get into the actual line. I’m in line 13, in the first group for the Matt and Skeet time slot, and I made like six friends while in line. Everyone was very into my outfit, one girl had a tattoo on her arm that said, “My mom and dad are gonna be so mad at me.” We were all losing it. Another girl was there with her partner and she was in a 600 dollar custom fitted movie accurate Ghostface costume, with the glitter fabric and all, it was shockingly impressive. She especially liked my shirt and was impressed by the fact I made it, and asked aloud, “Why don’t they make shirts like those and sell them?” I laughed and told her, “Well, I’ve considered it, I won’t lie.” 

It is a surreal experience listening to this assortment of hot gothy early twenty-something scream fans, many who came from whole provinces away just for this, just to be here for them, talking about how hot they are and how down bad they are while I stand next to them, having written a couple of hundred thousand words about the characters they love in question. I almost told em I wrote fic, almost. 

While waiting around, Matt ended up coming out into the line-up space?! There was a fan in a wheelchair, and he wheeled em back personally while chatting them up and giving high-fives, he was five feet from me. The photo op starts late, I don’t care, it’s fine. We scan tickets, drop bags and then are in the same curtained off space as them, they let in small groups at a time to keep it moving smoothly. My heart is fucking pounding. We make it back, there was a family in front of me, their middle kid was dressed as Ghostface and their baby was in a scooby doo onesie and Matt held him for the picture, so cute. 

Our especially extra Ghostface friend from the line was right in front of me, and then it’s my turn. I make sure my extra shirt is pulled to the side, Two Boys Are Better Than One proudly displayed, and I move. I greet them with a “Hi!” 

Skeet gave me a very cool sounding “Hey” and Matthew made eye contact with me and gave me a polite nod with a, “Hello.” That I can only say was said in a very him way. 

I asked, as I was moving in, “Can I be in the middle?”

And Matt had this expression with that sort of half smile he does, brows pinched together as he nods, telling me like it should be obvious, “Oh of course.” 

I get in between them, and Matt’s hand is on my shoulder, Skeet’s hand is on my lower back and my hand is on Matt’s lower back and my other hand holding onto Skeet’s side (and fucks sake he is firm.)

I got an extra second because the photographer directed me to lower my head, so I wouldn’t get glasses glare, I assume. I revel in the extra seconds and contact, the picture is snapped, and I break away, without thinking I sort of pat Skeet’s side, and he returns the gesture and tells me, “Good job.” 

Skeet fucking Ulrich told me good job. 

Bury me now. I am done for.

I get my bag, I get my picture, I get it framed, and I go find Mr.Bex. He and I leave the con, we get back to our car, and then go to a tattoo shop where my friend Mel gave me my You Might Be The Killer tattoo. We drove home, I slammed several slices of pizza, and now I am writing this for you! 

It was. Fucking amazing, I loved it so much, it was more than worth every penny. Now I can officially say, I am That Cunt that wore a shirt baring my super pornographic smut fic’s title on my tits while getting a picture with the two guys who inspired it all.

And speaking of inspiration, just you wait to see the fic I am going to write after this. 

[mariacallous]

A $2 million contract that United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement signed with Israeli commercial spyware vendor Paragon Solutions has been paused and placed under compliance review, WIRED has learned.

The White House’s scrutiny of the contract marks the first test of the Biden administration’s executive order restricting the government’s use of spyware.

The one-year contract between Paragon’s US subsidiary in Chantilly, Virginia, and ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Division 3 was signed on September 27 and first reported by WIRED on October 1. A few days later, on October 8, HSI issued a stop-work order for the award “to review and verify compliance with Executive Order 14093,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson tells WIRED.

The executive order signed by President Joe Biden in March 2023 aims to restrict the US government’s use of commercial spyware technology while promoting its “responsible use” that aligns with the protection of human rights.

DHS did not confirm whether the contract, which says it covers a “fully configured proprietary solution including license, hardware, warranty, maintenance, and training,” includes the deployment of Paragon’s flagship product, Graphite, a powerful spyware tool that reportedly extracts data primarily from cloud backups.

“We immediately engaged the leadership at DHS and worked very collaboratively together to understand exactly what was put in place, what the scope of this contract was, and whether or not it adhered to the procedures and requirements of the executive order,” a senior US administration official with first-hand knowledge of the workings of the executive order tells WIRED. The official requested anonymity to speak candidly about the White House’s review of the ICE contract.

Paragon Solutions did not respond to WIRED's request to comment on the contract's review.

The process laid out in the executive order requires a robust review of the due diligence regarding both the vendor and the tool, to see whether any concerns, such as counterintelligence, security, and improper use risks, arise. It also stipulates that an agency may not make operational use of the commercial spyware until at least seven days after providing this information to the White House or until the president's national security adviser consents.

“Ultimately, there will have to be a determination made by the leadership of the department. The outcome may be—based on the information and the facts that we have—that this particular vendor and tool does not spur a violation of the requirements in the executive order,” the senior official says.

While publicly available details of ICE’s contract with Paragon are relatively sparse, its existence alone raised alarms among civil liberties groups, with the nonprofit watchdog Human Rights Watch saying in a statement that “giving ICE access to spyware risks exacerbating” the department’s problematic practices. HRW also questioned what it calls the Biden administration’s “piecemeal approach” to spyware regulation.

The level of seriousness with which the US government approaches the compliance review of the Paragon contract will influence international trust in the executive order, experts say.

“We know the dangers mercenary spyware poses when sold to dictatorships, but there is also plenty of evidence of harms in democracies,” says John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab who has been instrumental in exposing spyware-related abuses. “This is why oversight, transparency, and accountability around any US agency attempt to acquire these tools is essential.”

International efforts to rein in commercial spyware are gathering pace. On October 11, during the 57th session of the Human Rights Council, United Nation member states reached a consensus to adopt language acknowledging the threat that the misuse of commercial spyware poses to democratic values, as well as the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. “This is an important norm setting, especially for countries who claim to be democracies,” says Natalia Krapiva, senior tech-legal counsel at international nonprofit Access Now.

Although the US is leading global efforts to combat spyware through its executive order, trade and visa restrictions, and sanctions, the European Union has been more lenient. Only 11 of the 27 EU member states have joined the US-led initiative stipulated in the “Joint Statement on Efforts to Counter the Proliferation and Misuse of Commercial Spyware,” which now counts 21 signatories, including Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Japan, and South Korea.

“An unregulated market is both a threat to the citizens of those countries, but also to those governments, and I think that increasingly our hope is that there is a recognition [in the EU] of that as well,” the senior US administration official tells WIRED.

The European Commission published on October 16 new guidelines on the export of cyber-surveillance items, including spyware; however, it has yet to respond to the EU Parliament's call to draft a legislative proposal or admonish countries for their misuse of the technology.

While Poland launched an inquiry into the previous government’s spyware use earlier this year, a probe in Spain over the use of spyware against Spanish politicians has so far led to no accusations against those involved, and one in Greece has cleared government agencies of any wrongdoing.

“Europe is in the midst of a mercenary spyware crisis,” says Scott-Railton. “I have looked on with puzzled wonderment as European institutions and governments fail to address this issue at scale, even though there are domestic and export-related international issues.”

With the executive order, the US focuses on its national security and foreign policy interests in the deployment of the technology in accordance with human rights and the rule of law, as well as mitigating counterintelligence risks (e.g. the targeting of US officials). Europe—though it acknowledges the foreign policy dimension—has so far primarily concentrated on human rights considerations rather than counterintelligence and national security threats.

Such a threat became apparent in August, when Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) found that Russian government hackers were using exploits made by spyware companies NSO Group and Intellexa.

Meanwhile, Access Now and Citizen Lab speculated in May that Estonia may have been behind the hacking of exiled Russian journalists, dissidents, and others with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware.

“In an attempt to protect themselves from Russia, some European countries are using the same tools against the same people that Russia is targeting,” says Access Now’s Krapiva. “By having easier access to this kind of vulnerabilities, because they are then sold on the black market, Russia is able to purchase them in the end.”

“It’s a huge mess,” she adds. “By attempting to protect national security, they actually undermine it in many ways.”

Citizen Lab’s Scott-Railton believes these developments should raise concern among European decisionmakers just as they have for their US counterparts, who emphasized the national security aspect in the executive order.

“What is it going to take for European heads of state to recognize they have a national security threat from this technology?” Scott-Railton says. “Until they recognize the twin human rights and national security threats, the way the US has, they are going to be at a tremendous security disadvantage.”

[bobbinacrossafricatake2]

Jo’burg

May 16, 2024

There’s really nothing like the feeling of someplace that is home away from home. Last night we got through immigration in record time, despite the fact that there is an immigration/customs go-slow (worker strike) going on, resulting in minimal service lanes. While we got through quickly, the downside for us is that we missed our one opportunity to meet Mike, our Toronto-based Africa guy and the mastermind of this adventure.

Zem met us at the gate (gotta love seeing our names on a sign!), escorted us through immigration and customs where we met our driver. The two of them led us to a money exchange counter and then off we went to The Residence. In 2018, on our first trip to Africa, we overnighted in this lovely, gracious, wonderful, small hotel in the Houghton neighborhood of Johannesburg. We loved it so much that we wanted to come back and what a wonderful place to spend our first two nights in Africa, recovering from jet lag and settling into vacation mode. The staff is so so welcoming and we were upgraded to an amazing suite with jacuzzi, overlooking one of multiple swimming pools. Mike had a bottle of wine and cheese platter waiting in the room for us – wonderful. We did not indulge on arrival but rather took showers and settled into the wonderful beds after our very long journey.

In the morning, an excellent night’s sleep for Seb and a decent night’s sleep for Jill, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast in the restaurant, sitting at the same table where we enjoyed a dinner six years ago! Cappuccino and coffee with soy milk, respectively, such as civilized start to the day. We decided to have a low-key get-over-jet lag day, and headed out to an arts district. It wasn’t a total bust, but not as interesting or extensive as we expected. That said, at a gallery down the street (with a wonderful exhibit), they recommended another arts area called Victoria Yards. So with a little bit of electronic finagling, we caught an Uber there. (So crazy to go half way around the world and use the Uber app we can use from our front doors!) From our hotel to guards at the galleries, we were given some level of security cautions. Even knowing that there must be safety issues in town, it was lovely knowing that people were watching out for us and giving us tips on how to make sure we stay safe. Victoria Yards was a compound of old warehouse type buildings with working artists. It turned out to be nice to be there on a low-key weekday, when various artists were quite happy to chat and explain their techniques. A jewelry maker, book binder and silkscreen artist were some of the highlights.

After we were through, we contacted our hotel driver (through WhatsApp, as you do); he collected us and we headed “home.” There, the hot tub beckoned. Neither of us typically frequents hot tubs, but WOW - it was ever so relaxing, with a glass of wine from Mike’s gift. After turning into prunes, we set to work, blogging and preparing (tip) money in local currency (Rands) for our next stop, Namibia. As we know from our last trip to Africa, tipping (and tipping well, but not extravagantly) is simply part of the planned cost of the trip, and very much a part of how the African hospitality economy works. It’s certainly a way to show our appreciation for the wonderful service we experience and anticipate.

Dinner was in the hotel. We were intercepted on the way through the bar and ended up ordering a bottle of wine to share in front of a roaring fire. Wonderful! Piano music in the background, attentive staff and just chilling. They even brought over the menus so we could order. When our meals were just about ready, we were escorted to our table and seated. We each put our small bag on the table, at which point, small side tables appeared next to each of us for our bags. LOL. Holy moly, the service. Dinner of ostrich (yes, the bird) and kingklip (a fish) was fabulous. We ordered two things to share and they arrived already split and plated. Did we mention that we love this place? The restaurant was near empty so we enjoyed all the attention and graciousness. At the end of the meal, four chocolate truffles arrived with over a dish of smoking, overflowing coldness of the dry ice. Presentation is, after all, so important. Indeed, The Residence was everything we hoped for and more than what we expected. We asked for more water for the room, and (of course) it had already been delivered to by the time we asked for it. We did some pre-departure packing and settled again into our cushy beds for a wonderful - if too short - night’s sleep. 0430 pick-up by our driver will come, oh, too soon. Our only wish - to someday have the opportunity to again experience this hospitality.

P.S. Now that kingklip has been identified as eel (not fish), it’s a shock to the system, and we may not admit to it having been so tasty.

[charlesandmiranda]

Arrival!

Writing to you this morning from our hotel breakfast! Just wanted to fill in everyone about the rest of our trip before we start our first full day. I doubt we'll be able to post EVERY SINGLE DAY WE'RE HERE but we're definitely gonna try and keep it frequent enough to be interesting!

From our last post, we were heading from Baltimore to Toronto, which was a very quick hour and a half-ish flight. From Toronto, we headed straight to our gate to which started boarding shortly thereafter, so it was a pretty quick turn around. It was almost kind of a shame because airport was actually kinda pretty, and I wouldn't have hated a few extra minutes to look around at all the really lavishly decorated restaurants and stuff.

Then came the 14 hour flight. It IS a very long time, don't get me wrong, and by the end my back was VERY achy and my legs definitely craved stretching but also they keep the windows closed and the lights low for most of the trip so you honestly kind of lose track of how long you've been on there.

Charles and I both watched some movies on the flight; we started the first two episodes of Severance (which was also provided on the flight and I've been curious about for a while anyway -- anyone else here seen it?) and played games on our Switches. I also read a lot; I loaded my e-reader up before we left. In a weird way it was kind of nice to have such a long, uninterrupted time where there was nothing to do but leisure activities even if you're doing them in a mostly uncomfortable way --I think Charles and I (Charles especially) struggle with justifying how we spend our free time, always feeling like there has to be something else we can be working on or doing, but it's kind of a bad habit and terrible mental state to always be in, so we're working on it. Unfortunately, neither of us managed to get much sleep on the flight despite our best efforts, I think I managed maybe 20 minutes total?? So it wasn't super restful for sure.

Thankfully, our flight was kinda ahead of schedule, and we ended up landing around 5:00 PM / 17:00 which is like....3:00 AM for those of you in the Eastern US timezone! We're 12 hours ahead of y'all, so when I'm writing this, I'm writing to you from the future!!!

After getting through customs and immigration, baggage, etc. we were stopped by a news crew from a show called Why Did You Come To Japan? They seem to stop tourists at the airport pretty regularly, and we ended up talking to them for a while. Charles said that as someone who used to be a camera guy himself, he always tries to stop for folks filming stuff like that, because he knows how hard it can be to get people to talk to you and work with you. They were very interested in the fact it was our honeymoon, and that we got engaged here, and even more interested that we were really into Oishinbo, which is a food manga from the 80s/90s. It's not super popular in the US although personally I love & recommend it, and I kinda get the impression from the crew we spoke to that it's a classic but kinda old fashioned here. They said in all their years of doing these interviews, it was their first time having a foreigner mention it. They gave us a card and a slip of paper and asked us to contact them again, because they may be interested in meeting up with us again later in our trip to film more for the show (!?) so we'll see how that pans out I guess!

Speaking of, after we finally left the airport, we took the Skyliner train to Nippori, and then transferred to a JR Line train to get us to Shinjuku station. We've stayed in Shinjuku for at least part or all of our trips in the past, and it kind of feels like a home base for us now. We usually stay in or around the Kabukicho area, which is known as an entertainment district with lots of nightlife. If you want brilliantly lit signs and that crowded cyberpunk-y look, Kabukicho is a great place to be!

NOT THAT IT SUPER MATTERS, BUT the card in the photo, with Hello kitty and other Sanrio characters on it, is a Pasmo card, we each got one. Basically it's a little card that you can add money to, and you can use it to pay fare on most trains and buses, as well as lots of vending machines and stuff like that. You can top it off as you go as well.

We checked in to our hotel, the Shinjuku Gracery, and IMMEDIATELY needed to stretch out on the bed and shower the sweaty airport off of us, haha. The Gracery is built on top of a Toho Cinema movie theater, and the whole hotel has a very classy Godzilla theme to it. There's a to-scale Godzilla head built on top of part of the building, looking like he's about to demolish it, and he roars and blows steam out of his mouth, haha. To be honest, a night in the Gracery is one of our "we're on our honeymoon, we deserve this!" splurges -- it's one of the more expensive parts of our trip, given the rest of the time we'll be staying in smaller hotels and airbnbs and the like. We dished out a little extra cash to stay in what they call a Godzilla view room, where you can see the head of Godzilla that is mounted to the roof of the hotel from your room! Totally cool. I had to include specifically a picture of the shower, because I loooove these big hotel showers!

(sadly the filter for this exhibit not only doesn't fit my phone screen but also insanely reduced the image quality LOL)

We took a rest, then headed out to get a bite to eat. We hit up a ramen shop we'd been to in the past, and spent a while walking around the Kabukicho area, including the micro-bar district, Golden Gai. It was interesting to see what's changed and what hasn't since we were here last; for example, they were in the process of demolishing a VR arcade when we were last here, and now there's an ENORMOUS, lux-looking hotel in its place!

We ended up in the unfortunate position of feeling physically very tired but mentally pretty awake, and even though we spent time in our hotel room soaking in the bath, it was probably 1 AM our time before we actually fell asleep, meaning we were up for like....32 hours straight, I think?

Today, our plan is to check out a few shops in the area around Kabukicho, and a little later we'll be checking out and moving on to Akihabara, where our next hotel is. It's well known for being crammed with electronics and used and new like....nerd stuff, and is pretty close to a district jam packed with guitar shops, so we'll have a pretty full day! Stay tuned I suppose!!

Til next time!

[diogopinheiroart]

Commission of Brampton Go station, the client purchased my Brampton Go Study # 1 and wanted it to be turned into a larger painting with a few additions and changes. It’s a custom made wood panel size 20” x 26” and slightly larger after framing. 🥳☺️

If interested in commissions email to diogopinheiro.art@gmail.com with commission as the title.

Commissions can be anything revolving around architecture and recently if you subscribe to my free email newsletter I did a call for commissions of homes (houses, apartments etc). Those commissions have been finished and I will post them soon, quite fun and a nice change of scenery that’s not related to public transit.

Clients provide the photos unless it's a Toronto local station or one that I've done in the past. Also if you want a painting study turned into a larger more in depth painting then that is possible too. 

Sign up for my email newsletter here!

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[alicenpai]

I love your art! any chance you'll be tabling at anime north or other cons this year? :0

hi! yes I'll be at anime north next month! I might be at fan expo toronto, we'll see what happens. depending on how much artwork i have, i plan to start posting all of my prints and merch like 2 weeks before the con. also AN is always a week before my birthday, ive never done this before but i thought i should start doing it! - i plan to have a guestbook that you can sign/doodle in, and i'll have a few OC stickers to give to customers 🥳💸❤

[brandedcanopytents1]

Shop New Canopy Custom Tents | Display Solution | Canada

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[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

Tonight (November 27), I'm appearing at the Toronto Metro Reference Library with Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen.

On November 29, I'm at NYC's Strand Books with my novel The Lost Cause, a solarpunk tale of hope and danger that Rebecca Solnit called "completely delightful."

#15yrsago Canada’s Internet is crap https://web.archive.org/web/20081207154815/https://www.cbc.ca/searchengine/blog/2008/11/is_canada_becoming_a_digital_g.html

#10yrsago Brainwashed: Neuroscience vs neurobollocks https://memex.craphound.com/2013/11/28/brainwashed-neuroscience-vs-neurobollocks/

#10yrsago Florida sheriff arrests mayor on drug charges: “This isn’t Toronto” https://www.onlineathens.com/story/news/state/2013/11/26/florida-mayor-arrested-drug-charges/15549584007/

#10yrsago Pope blasts capitalism https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/11/26/pope-francis-has-a-few-thoughts-about-the-global-economy-we-added-these-13-charts/

#10yrsago Venn menu https://memex.craphound.com/2013/11/28/venn-menu/

#5yrsago Probing a mysterious network of dropshippers, evangelicals, crapgadgets, and semi-vacant Manhattan department stores https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/11/27/style/what-is-inside-this-internet-rabbit-hole.html

#5yrsago Houston’s “inchworm bandits” create performance art while robbing restaurants on their bellies https://www.loweringthebar.net/2018/11/inchworm-bandits-are-either-idiots-or-comedy-geniuses.html

#5yrsago Dutch church holds 27 days of round-the-clock services to protect immigrant family from deportation https://qz.com/1470153/a-dutch-church-is-holding-non-stop-services-for-a-refugee-family

#5yrsago Comcast cranks up extra charges on cable bills, again, even for people who signed contracts promising a lower rate https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/11/comcasts-controversial-tv-and-sports-fees-rise-again-hit-18-25-a-month/

#5yrsago Prince’s entire catalog of obscure, hard-to-find music videos, collected and annotated https://www.anildash.com/2018/11/28/every-single-video-prince-ever-made/

#5yrsago Before Youtube nukes annotations, take one last look at these amazing, creative projects that showed how much annotations could do https://waxy.org/2018/11/a-tribute-to-youtube-annotations/

#5yrsago Labour report on executive pay proposes giving customers a vote on compensation, ending share-based compensation for execs https://web.archive.org/web/20181129113350/visar.csustan.edu/aaba/LabourExecutiveRemunerationReview2018.pdf

#5yrsago Toronto 2033: science fiction writers imagine the city of the future https://web.archive.org/web/20190306140656/https://toronto2033.com/

#1yrago How monopoly enshittified Amazon https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/28/enshittification/#relentless-payola

[atlanticcanada]

Technology could be key to future wildfire prevention, fighting: companies

When wildfires hit Alberta earlier this month, leaving more than 10,000 square kilometres of land scorched so far this year, Joao Lopes was worried about how much more devastation could be on its way.

"Unfortunately, the statistics are showing that maybe next year will be worse than this year," said the entrepreneur, who founded crop monitoring and fire risk assessment technology company SensaioTech.

Wildfires flaring up around Halifax in recent days are yet another reminder of the increasing risks that many are warning of.

Read more headlines related to science and technology here

Climate Barometer newsletter: Sign up to keep your finger on the climate pulse

 A United Nations report from 2022 found wildfires are becoming "more intense and more frequent" and said with temperatures on the rise as global warming worsens, "the need to reduce wildfire risk is more critical than ever."

 Canada alone sees about 7,500 wildfires burn more than 2.5 million hectares of forest -- about half the size of Nova Scotia -- every year and that amount is projected to double by 2050, the Canadian Space Agency has said.

 We need to do something to help them," said Lopes, whose company is split between Toronto and Brazil, where wildfires have threatened the Amazon rainforest and sugar cane fields.

Help could come in the form of technology aimed at making wildfire prevention, containment and fighting easier, more accurate and less costly, he and others believe.

SensaioTech's offering is centred on artificial intelligence-equipped sensors it places in forests and farm environments. The sensors monitor 14 different variables including soil temperature, humidity, luminosity, salinity, PH levels, pests and diseases.

They take readings every minute, sending them to a dashboard clients can review, and issuing alerts to the customer's electronic devices when any variables reach dangerous levels.

SensaioTech's approach is a departure from the historical data and satellites Lopes said are frequently used to predict and thwart the spread of wildfires. While both can be helpful, he said sensor data tends to be more current and precise.

"When you have satellites, normally the images are collected three or four days ago, so basically, you cannot see the real time," he said.

"Also, it doesn't have the precision about these small areas or spots where the fire can start."

The Union of Concerned Scientists has counted 971 satellites that can track smoke and other wildfire factors, up from 192 in 2014. However, few fly over northern latitudes such as Canada's and many only capture times when fires aren't burning at their peak.

WildfireSat, the world's first purpose-built satellite for monitoring wildfires, will aim to change that.

The initiative from the Canadian Space Agency, Canadian Forest Service, Canadian Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation and Environment and Climate Change Canada is scheduled to launch in 2029.

The satellite will fly over Canada in the late afternoon, when fire activity is at its peak, giving firefighters even better ability to predict wildfire behaviour.

At work on the satellite are California analytics company Spire Global and OroraTech, a German space-based thermal intelligence with a Vancouver outpost.

OroraTech pulls data from more than 20 satellites and algorithms that can estimate a fire's size and location, map the burn area and estimate its severity, sending alerts to devices as soon as a problem or change in conditions is detected.

The company's philosophy is that wildfires "aren't going to go away," said Liene Lapševska, a communications lead at the company.

"We can't stop it, unfortunately, but we can try to manage it with the right technology."

Cheryl Evans, director of flood and wildfire resilience at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaption at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, agrees.

While the world is seeing a smaller number of wildfires than in the past, she said "the wildfires that get out of hand and become big monsters are becoming prevalent.

Climate change is partly to blame because it's creating more hot, dry and windy days that are ideal fire conditions. Increased lightning activity, which causes about half of wildfires by Evan's estimates, exacerbates matters.

"The other piece that if you're getting a lot of heat in forests that are not used to that, it stresses them out and can make them more vulnerable to disease.

"Then you get these big dead stands of trees that are just ready to light on fire."

Any technological advances toward solving such issues or preventing wildfires are "critically important," she said, because about 90 per cent of public spending is dedicated to fire suppression with only 10 per cent allocated toward prevention.

"It's very lopsided."

While communities can use more wildfire- and ignition-resistant materials for building and keep firewood and tanks away from structures, she expects fires will continue to be a force Canada has to reckon with for years to come, even if it adopts more technology.

"We need to learn to live with Mother Nature," she said. "This is the reality."

------

With files from Bob Weber in Edmonton

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2023.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/EOQxoYL

[simplycarline]

Mastering the Art of Lead Generation: Techniques as well as Strategies for Business Development

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Comprehending the Value of List Building

In today's affordable service landscape, lead generation plays a critical role in driving growth and also success. It describes the procedure of drawing in as well as capturing potential consumers' passion in your items or services. By carrying out effective list building methods, organizations can construct a lasting pipeline of qualified leads, nurture them, and also ultimately convert them right into devoted customers.Lead generation

is not almost getting a large number of leads, yet rather concentrating on high quality leads that have a greater probability of conversion. By targeting the right audience as well as customizing your advertising efforts as necessary, you can draw in individuals who are really curious about what you supply. This targeted approach not only makes the most of the chances of transforming introduces consumers however likewise helps in enhancing advertising budget plans and also resources.Strategies and also Strategies for Successful Lead Generation To attain effective lead generation

, businesses require to use a selection of methods and strategies

. Among the most effective methods is material advertising, which involves creating as well as sharing important as well as relevant content to attract as well as involve prospective customers. By supplying insightful blog posts, electronic books, webinars, and other sources, businesses can place themselves as market professionals as well as build count on with their target audience.Another effective approach is leveraging social media platforms to get to and involve with potential leads. By using social networks advertising, companies can target certain demographics as well as interests, increasing the probability of bring in appropriate leads. In addition, enhancing touchdown pages, producing compelling call-to-action switches, and also executing lead capture types are important methods for transforming internet site site visitors into leads.Furthermore, using email advertising and marketing campaigns as well as marketing automation devices can aid services nurture leads gradually, supplying them with individualized as well as beneficial web content that resolves their pain points and needs.

By recognizing the customer's journey and implementing lead racking up methods, companies can focus on as well as focus on leads that are more than likely to convert.In conclusion, lead generation is a vital element of organization development. By executing effective approaches as well as techniques, businesses can draw in, capture, and also convert qualified introduces faithful customers. Understanding the value of lead generation as well as using different techniques such as material marketing, social media sites advertising, and e-mail advertising and marketing can substantially enhance the success of any type of service's list building initiatives.

Read more here Digital Display Signs Toronto

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"OSHAWA WOMAN IS CLEARED OF SUGAR-HOARDING CHARGE," Toronto Star. January 14, 1943. Page 8. --- "You Are Respectable Woman" - "Explanation Reasonable," Magistrate Says --- CUSTOM OF 40 YEARS ---- Oshawa. Jan. 14-Magistrate F. S. Ebbs yesterday dismissed two charges laid under the war-time prices and trade board regulations against Mrs. Ella Houlden, Colborne St. E., charged with sugar hoarding, and also with making a false statement with regard to the amount of sugar in her home.

The evidence was heard in November but judgment deferred until the supreme court ruling on the act under which the charges were laid.

Evidence at an earlier hearing was to the effect that Mrs. Houlden on visiting the Oshawa office of the W.P.T.B. on July 14, 1942, to declare her sugar and surrender her ration coupons for the quantity, had told R. F. Aitchison, investigator, that she had only 20 pounds of sugar on hand on July 1, 1942. Later G. A. Edmondstone, a second investigator, visited the Houlden home and found a full bag of sugar as well as some bulk sugar in the house.

Mrs. Houlden testified that she had advised Aitchison of the fact that she had a bag of sugar also but that the inspector had been momentarily interrupted and had not marked down the bag of sugar on his report sheet.

"The statement was not read back to me before I signed it and I did not have an opportunity of looking at it," Mrs. Houlden testified. She explained that she had just visited a physician prior to the visit to the office and that she was dizzy at the time.

On the sugar hoarding charge, Mrs. Houlden told the court that she had been in the habit of purchasing sugar by the 100-pound bag for the past 40 years. She said she had purchased the bag of sugar in the autumn but had not used it in 1942 because of an illness that did not allow her to do her regular canning last fall as in previous years.

"Your explanation for having the sugar in your possession is quite reasonable and as you are a respectable woman with an excellent reputation, I am forced to give you the benefit of the doubt," Magistrate Ebbs told accused.

[tituszppk155]

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