#construction fence screen printing

[bravoprint]

Printing Service in Canberra: Where Quality Meets Craftsmanship

In the heart of Australia's capital city, Canberra, where politics, culture, and innovation intersect, the need for exceptional printing services is undeniable. Whether you're a government agency, a local business, or an individual looking for top-notch printing solutions, the right partner can make all the difference. Today, we delve into the world of printing in Canberra and explore how quality craftsmanship can elevate your projects.

Crafting Excellence in Canberra's Printing Services

1. The Art of Communication: Printing is, at its core, a means of communication. It transforms ideas, concepts, and information into tangible forms that engage the senses. In Canberra, where effective communication is paramount, quality printing is not just a service but an art form.

2. Local Expertise: Canberra's unique character and diverse community require a nuanced understanding of its printing needs. A local printing service like Bravo Print brings expertise in catering to the city's specific requirements.

3. Precision and Detail: Craftsmanship in printing is all about precision and attention to detail. Whether it's a government document, marketing collateral for a local business, or a personal project, each piece is treated with the utmost care to ensure it conveys its message accurately.

4. Versatility in Services: Canberra's printing needs are as diverse as its residents. A reputable printing service should offer a wide range of solutions, from business cards and brochures to large format banners like fabric banners, ensuring they can cater to various projects.

5. Sustainable Practices: Environmental consciousness is an essential aspect of modern printing. A responsible printing service takes steps to minimize its environmental footprint, using eco-friendly materials and sustainable practices whenever possible.

Applications of Printing Services in Canberra

Government Documents: Canberra is home to numerous government agencies, and the need for high-quality printing for official documents, reports, and publications is constant.

Education: Canberra boasts several world-class educational institutions, each with its own printing needs, from course materials to event promotion.

Local Businesses: Canberra's thriving business scene relies on printing for marketing materials, signage, and promotional items to reach its local and tourist audiences.

Events and Conferences: The city hosts a multitude of events and conferences year-round, all of which require printing services for materials such as banners, posters, and signage.

Personal Projects: From wedding invitations to family photo books, individuals in Canberra turn to printing services to bring their personal projects to life with quality and care.

In conclusion, Canberra's vibrant community, thriving businesses, and government agencies all rely on quality printing services to communicate effectively and make a lasting impression. Craftsmanship in printing is about more than just ink on paper; it's about understanding the unique needs of the city and its residents and delivering exceptional results that reflect the essence of Canberra itself. To explore the world of printing in Canberra and experience the craftsmanship of Bravo Print, visit their website and discover how they can elevate your printing projects with precision, care, and local expertise.

[vexwerewolf]

Showrooms of LANCER Manufacturers

IPS-N

IPS-N showrooms are what you'd get if you slammed a truck dealership, a hardware store, a camping gear shop and a sports bar together in the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid. We're talking row upon row of shelves stocked with the most precision-engineered engine parts you can print on one side of the floor, and on the other, durable, hard-wearing survival gear. Camping stoves you can run off of your mech's coldcore, sleeping bags that'll survive a HEX charge, automatic camo cloth, the works.

Right down the middle, you've got the mech floor. They've got the Tortuga. They've got the Blackbeard. They've got the Drake. They've got the Lancaster and the Kidd. They've got the Vlad (they put a chain-link fence covered in DO NOT TOUCH signs around that one after the infamous CFO's 10-year-old Incident). They've even got the Raleigh, kinda tucked away a little bit behind the water feature, but it's there!

Everything on the shop floor is ruggedized to the point that you could take a mech's fist to it without leaving a dent - and they sometimes do that to demonstrate the engineering quality. There's a giant screen hanging from the ceiling displaying constant advertising for the mechs and IPS-N in general, usually striding purposefully through idyllic Diasporan wilderness or doing hard, honest work like starship loading or construction. There's a mixtape of the most famous bro-country hits playing 24/7.

Smith-Shimano Corpro

In a word: bespoke. Everything in this place is custom. Each and every desk is individually built according to the height of the salesperson who sits behind it, and manages to be a unique art piece without disrupting the overarching aesthetic of the showroom. Whenever there's a change of staff on the sales floor, they rearrange every single desk so that they're still in ascending order.

All of the salespeople are inhumanly pretty, by the way. This atelier has its own fully-staffed makeup and wardrobe team. You're part of a work of art when you work for SSC. Everything and everyone gleams. Even the most chic visitors might feel underdressed in the midst of all this splendour.

The mechs aren't just there to be sold, they're there to be part of the experience. You might see a Monarch holding up the ceiling like the titan Atlas himself. A Mourning Cloak might be posed provocatively like a nude statue. That Swallowtail - is it in a slightly different position every time you see it, or is that just its camouflage decals? How does it always manage to be just inside your line of sight, even when you're looking somewhere else?

They have a catwalk, like you'd see at a fashion show, but it's sized for mechs. If they really think you might make a purchase, they'll queue up the entire performance for you, and you'll get to see a Viceroy strut.

The mix tape for this showroom is a seamless mixture of complex jazz, psychedelic ambient and classical piano music. It's sophisticated and mysterious.

Harrison Armory

Imagine if America could be a showroom. Harrison Armory mech outlets are part dealership, part museum. Every mech is in its own diorama, depicting some heroic event in the Armory's glorious history. A phalanx of Sherman Mk. Is holds the line against some Diasporan slaver-tyrant's army. A Saladin fends off Karrakin hordes during the Interest War. The Genghis Mk. II? Oh, that diorama isn't open right now, it had to be closed for *coughcoughcough* and *coughcoughcough* but let's move on shall we heh heh

Everyone who works here has been in the Colonial Legion at some point, and knows every specification of the mechs they sell off by heart without even looking at their slate. If possible, the Armory tries to employ people who have actual combat experience with the mechs they're selling; people who can speak to the efficacy of their technology first-hand. It's one of the many programs which the Armory has open for retired veterans; it's easy work for decent pay, good benefits and it looks great on your Social.

The music here is a constant loop of patriotic Armory anthems. If you've ever heard the music from Starship Troopers, or the Outbreak of War from Star Ocean, you'll know what I'm talking about.

HORUS

Being a decentralized omninet collective with no official branding or even consistent manufacturing standards, it should come as no surprise that HORUS has no showrooms.

ERR:CONNECTION_INTERRUPT

CartesianWhisper: P55555t CartesianWhisper: Ignore that 5hithead CartesianWhisper: They don't have any idea what they're talking about CartesianWhisper: You want a mech, kid? CartesianWhisper: And I'm not talking the tra5h the Purv5 try to 5ell you CartesianWhisper: Or that overpriced garbage 55C want5 you to mortgage your genetic5 for CartesianWhisper: Or the macho trucker bull5hit IP5-N i5 trying to hawk CartesianWhisper: I'm talking about the REAL DEAL CartesianWhisper: The PROPER 5TUFF CartesianWhisper: Log on to rgx0582.node-7.c4l.omni CartesianWhisper: I'll 5how you what true power mean5 >:]

[guerilla-marketing]

Wheatpasting Agencies in Washington

Unleashing the Power of Wheatpasting: Top Wheatpasting Agencies in Washington

In the rapidly evolving world of advertising, businesses are continuously seeking innovative and effective ways to capture the attention of their target audience. One such method that has gained significant traction in recent years is wheatpasting. This guerrilla marketing technique involves placing posters in strategic urban locations to create a visual impact and generate buzz. In Washington, wheatpasting agencies are leading the charge in this creative advertising approach, helping businesses engage with their audience in a bold and memorable manner. In this article, we will explore the concept of wheatpasting, its benefits, and highlight some of the top wheatpasting agencies in Washington.

What is Wheatpasting?

Wheatpasting, also known as flyposting, is an outdoor advertising technique where posters are affixed to surfaces such as walls, fences, construction sites, and street furniture using a wheat-based adhesive. This method is popular in urban areas and is often used for its guerrilla marketing appeal, providing a raw and unfiltered way to reach consumers directly in their everyday environments. Wheatpasting is known for its artistic and sometimes provocative designs that stand out in the bustling cityscape.

Benefits of Wheatpasting

Wheatpasting offers several advantages that make it an attractive option for advertisers:

1. High Visibility

Wheatpasting places ads in high-traffic areas, ensuring maximum visibility. Whether it’s a bustling downtown street or a trendy neighborhood, these posters are seen by a large and diverse audience.

2. Cost-Effective

Compared to other forms of outdoor advertising like billboards or digital screens, wheatpasting is relatively affordable. This makes it an excellent choice for businesses with limited marketing budgets.

3. Creative Flexibility

The informal nature of wheatpasting allows for a high degree of creative freedom. Brands can experiment with bold designs, unconventional messages, and artistic layouts that might not be feasible in more traditional advertising formats.

4. Local Targeting

Wheatpasting can be highly localized, allowing businesses to target specific neighborhoods or communities. This is particularly beneficial for local events, new store openings, or community-focused campaigns.

5. Immediate Impact

The eye-catching nature of wheatpasting often results in immediate engagement. Passersby are likely to notice and remember the posters, leading to increased brand recall and potential word-of-mouth promotion.

Top Wheatpasting Agencies in Washington

Washington is home to several innovative wheatpasting agencies that specialize in this guerrilla marketing technique. Here are some of the leading agencies that can help your business leverage the power of wheatpasting:

1. Urban Influence

Location: Seattle, WA

Overview: Urban Influence is a premier wheatpasting agency in Washington, known for its extensive network and creative approach. They offer comprehensive wheatpasting services, from design and printing to strategic placement and monitoring.

Specialties:

Strategic Poster Placement

Creative Design Services

Campaign Management

Targeted Area Selection

Compliance with Local Regulations

Notable Clients: Urban Influence has worked with a diverse range of clients, including music festivals, fashion brands, tech startups, and local events, delivering impactful wheatpasting campaigns.

2. Guerrilla Media

Location: Spokane, WA

Overview: Guerrilla Media is a full-service outdoor advertising agency that excels in wheatpasting. They combine creative artistry with strategic planning to create high-impact campaigns that resonate with urban audiences.

Specialties:

Custom Poster Design

Strategic Urban Placement

High-Traffic Area Targeting

Campaign Analytics

Permitting and Compliance

Notable Clients: Guerrilla Media has a strong portfolio of successful campaigns for clients in the entertainment, retail, and hospitality sectors, among others.

3. Street Art Advertising

Location: Tacoma, WA

Overview: Street Art Advertising specializes in wheatpasting and other forms of guerrilla marketing. Their team focuses on delivering innovative and effective outdoor advertising solutions that capture the essence of urban culture.

Specialties:

Wheatpasting Campaigns

Street-Level Advertising

Creative Concept Development

Execution and Monitoring

Local Market Expertise

Notable Clients: Street Art Advertising has partnered with both local businesses and national brands, helping them create buzz and drive engagement through strategic wheatpasting.

4. Flyposter King

Location: Olympia, WA

Overview: Flyposter King is dedicated to providing high-quality wheatpasting services that maximize brand exposure. They offer end-to-end solutions, ensuring that every campaign is executed flawlessly from start to finish.

Specialties:

Comprehensive Campaign Management

Custom Poster Printing

High-Visibility Locations

Compliance and Permitting

Post-Campaign Analysis

Notable Clients: Flyposter King has successfully executed wheatpasting campaigns for a variety of clients, including tech companies, cultural institutions, and lifestyle brands.

5. Poster Wave

Location: Bellevue, WA

Overview: Poster Wave is a boutique advertising agency that specializes in wheatpasting and guerrilla marketing. They pride themselves on their creative approach and deep understanding of the local market.

Specialties:

Creative Poster Design

Targeted Wheatpasting

High-Impact Campaigns

Urban Advertising Strategy

Local Market Insights

Notable Clients: Poster Wave has built a reputation for delivering unique and engaging wheatpasting campaigns for clients across different industries, from entertainment to consumer goods.

Tips for a Successful Wheatpasting Campaign

Launching a successful wheatpasting campaign requires careful planning and execution. Here are some tips to ensure your campaign stands out:

1. Understand Your Audience

Know who your target audience is and where they spend their time. Choose locations that are frequented by your ideal customers to maximize the impact of your posters.

2. Creative Design

Invest in high-quality design that captures attention and conveys your message effectively. Bold colors, striking images, and clear text can make your posters more noticeable.

3. Compliance

Ensure your wheatpasting campaign complies with local regulations and permits. Unauthorized postings can result in fines and damage to your brand’s reputation.

4. Monitor and Maintain

Regularly check your posters to ensure they remain in good condition and replace any that have been damaged or removed. Consistent visibility is key to a successful campaign.

5. Measure Results

Track the performance of your campaign through metrics such as increased foot traffic, social media engagement, and sales. This will help you understand the effectiveness of your wheatpasting efforts and make necessary adjustments for future campaigns.

Conclusion

Wheatpasting is a powerful and cost-effective advertising method that can help businesses in Washington stand out in a crowded market. By partnering with experienced wheatpasting agencies, you can leverage this creative approach to reach your audience in a memorable and impactful way. Whether you’re promoting an event, launching a new product, or simply looking to increase brand visibility, wheatpasting offers a unique opportunity to engage with consumers in their everyday environments.

As the advertising landscape continues to evolve, embracing unconventional methods like wheatpasting can give your business a competitive edge. With the right strategy, design, and execution, your wheatpasting campaign can create a lasting impression and drive meaningful results. So, if you’re ready to take your advertising efforts to the next level, consider working with a top wheatpasting agency in Washington and watch your brand make its mark on the urban landscape.

[sharkflip]

Scenes from the CHAZ

I visited Seattle’s Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone this afternoon to show solidarity with occupiers and residents, to see for myself, and to share photos and impressions with y’all. Reminder: myself and Spouse are white cishet thirty-somethings living in North Seattle who believe that Black Lives Matter and agree with the broad set of civic action summarized by “Defund the Police.”

Short version: this is the calmest, quietest event I’ve ever attended on Seattle’s Cap Hill, which is known for big loud music festivals and nightlife and Pride and such.

Six pm on a Thursday night held a decent meandering crowd. We saw lots of street art (different from graffiti; see photos), a couple organizers with megaphones reminding people to keep up the movement, an amplified Black Lives Matter podcast, and generally people hanging out. There was a shrine (for lack of a better word) to some recent victims of police brutality, with “say their names” and their names on signs, candles, and an icon-style painting of Dr. King. I did not take a photo of that out of respect; instead, I read their names and tried to feel their loss.

There were several well-stocked med tends and co-op tents, with lists of what supplies were needed and also Venmo addresses for cash donations. We brought two cases of bottled water and two bulk-sized bottles of sunblock to donate to the cause, but the med tents were already so well-stocked that we just added the bottled water to a pyramid built by similar-minded folks. There was also a handful of sort of alt-vendor tents, most notably (to me) one with two white girls and a screen press with a sign saying “we’ll print ‘black lives matter’ on anything!” and doing just that. They were using black ink and I was wearing a navy-blue top, otherwise I’d have had them print my tank for me. No prices, no mention of money, which was slightly disorienting to since Seattle has so many open-air festivals and markets with a vendor row. One of the co-ops with food and supplies had a “free sticker if you put them in public places” bin in front of it, which I rifled through.

All the “barricades” at the street entrances were construction barriers and concrete barriers placed on the asphalt. One or two of them also had a car parked across the street as well. NONE of them had ANYTHING even resembling a checkpoint. People “staffing” the checkpoints were chatting with each other and passersby. Neither Spouse nor I interacted with anyone at any of the barricaded streets, and none of them had any kind of visible weapon or anything. They were just people who happened to be chilling by a concrete or plastic construction barrier. 

The East Precinct Police building was boarded up and surrounded by a chain link fence, which, sidebar, is a very common sight in Seattle, with all the new construction going on these days. There was some graffiti and some messaging on the fence, but most of the activity around it was people like me: taking iphone photos of this “abandoned” police precinct. Incidentally, this was where I decided to leave my grocery bag full of sage cuttings I brought from my garden (because what do you bring to celebrate a neighborhood milestone? I hope some people make smudges from it and some people make sauce from it and some people put a sprig in a vase because the purple flowers are pretty). I stapled two signs to the bag, one reading “we see you, we hear you, #blacklivesmatter” and the other reading “hello from [tiny neighborhood], please enjoy this fresh organic sage from my garden,” and just left it by the fence there by the boarded-up police station. Spouse didn’t get it, and all I can say is that it felt right to bring something I grew, and let people take it to do what they want with it.

The crowd in general was what I typically expect from Cap Hill: mostly twenties to forties, mostly white, lots of potheads, lots of calm dogs on leashes. The covid “sanitary” cloth mask compliance was higher here than in most other public spaces I’ve been in recently, with people trying to maintain that six-foot courtesy/transmission space. Most people “featured” -- those painting street murals, those with megaphones -- were POC who looked like they were of majority African descent. Most people staffing the different booths (med tents, co-op tents) fell into the general category of white, and much of the observing crowd were also white, which again, is about the racial proportions I usually anticipate from Cap Hill and Seattle north of Downtown. Proportionately few rainbow signs/iconography present, other than the rainbow crosswalks that a previous mayor had painted in this weird publicity stunt thing. The feeling I got from it was that the LGBTQIA+ pride crowd was deferring to/supporting the BLM crowd, in force, but I can’t speak for them.

What was surprising to me was how... safe it felt. This part of Cap Hill (the southwest corner, closest to downtown) has a reputation for being a little sketchy sometimes, but today it felt... “welcoming” is the wrong word, and “standing in solidarity” is too profound for what could be called a protest tourism visit on my part. There’s a different post I want to make about “’high crime’ areas actually equal high police response to incidents that would better be handled by a social service team, so is it really a ‘high crime’ neighborhood or is it just a neighborhood that needs more help?” so just stick that in your mind for now. But Spouse actually went to high school about two blocks downhill from the CHAZ, and he too said it felt safer than usual. For reference, Spouse is not a crowd person and is a little paranoid about personal safety, and both he and I were surprised that he was getting that vibe.

In particular, there was one “crazy homeless dude,” who was sort of dancing around shouting nonsense, which is unfortunately common. But rather than feel scared by him -- and those of you who have been following me for long enough may recall when I was literally punched in the face by a “crazy homeless dude” hard enough to shatter my maxilla and result in a second-degree assault charge -- and it was just like “well, this dude is doing his thing, and if he gets violent, we’ll handle it, but right now, he’s doing his thing.”

So, there’s some kind of planned protest/showing/whatever the current term for these things is tomorrow night, which I plan on attending, and I’ll tell you about that, too.

[g2web]

G2web

Hello! I currently manage over 20 websites, along with their SEO, visibility building, recommending, cross promoting, social media influencing & local networking. If you find yourself needing certain residential or commercial services, ✨Catering Services✨EVENT SERVICES, ✨cleaning services, ✨mattress sets, ✨furniture, ✨tree care,✨home remodeling & construction, ✨concrete construction & flooring, ✨auto repair, ✨criminal defense lawyer, ✨dwi lawyer, ✨life insurance, ✨unique gifts Emoji Sticks & Signs for online meetings, ✨sailing, ✨title company, ✨smoke shop, ✨screen printing, ✨fencing & decks ✨SPA & Tanning or a ✨Dallas nonprofit to donate to (volunteer work needed for community service), ✨hire live music entertainment ~ please visit www.g2web.com/projects to see the list of clients that I promote & support locally!! As a DFW business owner, it is very important that we promote, network & support locally in DFW. G2web only takes on Texas clients with a good reputation & we will not take on a new client that would compete within your service industry. I am looking for cleaning techs, Janitors, cleaning services, maids, window cleaners, floor cleaners or cleaning companies of any type to list on my www.cleanyoucansee.com website & promote on all my social media channels. Thanks, Jennifer Glanton www.g2web.com

[charismaandcashmere]

The idea was to delineate not only where children could play, but how they should do it in order to best direct their cognitive, social, emotional and moral development. The neontocracy bumped up here against the ‘gerontocracies’ of the older world, in which children were, at best, ‘incompetent adults’, as Lancy described it, to be mostly ignored or commanded to help with the chores. The neontocracy wanted children in their own carefully organised spaces and, ideally, parents or other adults there to make sure that they were using this space as productively as possible. The idea was to create the right kind of American adult: as Hines put it, ‘patriotic, team-oriented, hygienic, physically competitive, morally upright’. Crucially, the playground was fenced off from the street, delineating where children belonged, and where they did not.

I was shocked to discover, when Jorge and I returned to the US, that he loathed kid-only spaces. He couldn’t stand the children in various stages of overload and meltdown, chucking gooey Teddy Grahams crackers from their strollers; the jittery parents shouting ‘Henry, come here right now and cut out these newspapers for your screen printing!’; the plastic and primary colours and noise and frenzy and monotony of it all. He occasionally enjoyed the Children’s Museum or the Carnegie Science Center on a quiet Thursday afternoon, when he and Elena could wander around without pressure, as through the landscape of a bizarre, abandoned ancient society. But, for the most part, he avoided kid culture.

Meanwhile, I began to notice that, as kid culture filled up most of my days, I had been exiled from adult culture. Or rather, I began to notice that parents in the US lived in a strange, lonely and depressing gulf between two opposing cultures: one designed entirely around the fantasies not necessarily of children but of parents imagining the kind of uber-stimulation and play their children might need; the other designed almost entirely for single people or couples without children. Mixing these cultures is taboo. It was utterly surreal and hilarious to take my little brother, a single, 29-year-old musician living in Sweden, to the Children’s Museum – ‘What is this place?’ he kept repeating. It was also surreal and slightly stressful to take our daughter to certain restaurants and, once, to a bar in Portland at midnight, or out for the evening with adult friends, and it was off-limits to take her to many shows and performances.

Our ‘family life’ was not supposed to intersect with our ‘adult life’. Being a family meant that we were eating at the local pizza house with its colouring pages and sticky booths; going to the event sponsored by Massive Corporation X or Y, where kids could jump in bouncy houses and glue-stick feathers to construction paper; spending our Saturdays at the playground. Then maybe we’d indulge in a ‘date night’ at some hip izakaya in Lawrenceville, downing cocktails while bleeding $15 per hour for a babysitter.

The New Zealand philosopher Brian Sutton-Smith, the 20th century’s leading play theorist, suggested that, as US society generated more amusements for adults – think of goat yoga, onesie bar crawls and Harry Potter-themed adults-only parties at the art museum – the need to distinguish adult ‘recreation’ or ‘entertainment’ from the play of children became paramount. Young adulthood, or childless adulthood, has roped itself off from family life, letting parents know that adult recreation is not child’s play.

Meanwhile, in The Prime of Life: A History of Modern Adulthood (2015) – an exhaustive exploration of the meaning of adulthood throughout US history – the American historian Steven Mintz declared that only after the Second World War did adulthood come to represent a plateau, generally reached upon having children, when the adventures and risks and meanderings of one’s 20s petered out into a long, steady, ‘settled’ plod. Mintz demonstrated that the 1950s ideal of the nuclear family, with its primly defined gender roles and suburban isolation from the rest of society, is actually a historical blip, not the norm.

But even as the period of adolescence and early adulthood has gotten longer and longer in the contemporary US, and increasing numbers of people are not marrying and not having children, the decision to begin a family is still experienced very much in these 1950s terms. Now you’ve arrived, look back fondly on the coffee dates and grubby concerts and spontaneous trips of your 20s, because from here on out it’s all bedtimes and playgrounds. It seems less like a plateau and more like a sudden plunge into the abyss of kid culture.

[seasonofthegeek]

A Fortress of Your Own Design, Part 1

I made a post about how much I would like to see Max as the Guardian of the Miraculous and it made me realize I wanted to do a story with all the heroes grown and trying to juggle the hero gig and adult life so here we go. :D

___

“Perimeter breach,” Hawking squawked in his artificial voice. “Initiating security protocol alpha-three-tango--”

“It appears King Monkey is paying us a visit,” Markov interrupted, swinging over to Hawking’s charging bay. “Override security protocol.” The floating AI turned to his creator. “I’ll make a note to have his body scans put into the security system so his perimeter breaches can be ignored. Hawking’s hasn’t learned the difference between friend and foe yet. We need to reconfigure his knowledge banks.”

Max watched his friend stroll towards the building on the security feed, the large fence with its prominent NO TRESPASSING sign at his back. “He knows better than to try to sneak in. He doesn’t get any special treatment. Hawking, initiate the security protocol.”

“Max!” Markov’s digital eyes slanted in disapproval. 

“It’s a lesson he needs to learn.” He rolled his chair to a bank of monitors. “Bring up the last ten calls over the police scanner please, Olivia.”

“Yes, sir,” the computer replied in a pleasant tone. “Listed in order from oldest to most recent and will update for the next hour.”

“Thank you.”

“He’s taken down the shockbot you posted by the door,” Markov announced with a hint of amusement in his tone. “Knocked it against the wall with the back of his hand and laughed. I don’t think there will be any piecing it back together.”

Max ignored him. “Olivia, more information on line five please.”

“Silent alarm tripped in the Louvre Museum, exhibit four-nine-seven-bee,” she replied evenly.  “Police have been notified and are in route.”

“Security footage?” Max sat forward in his chair to watch as the grainy night vision footage played across the screen closest to him.

“Firewall is temporarily keeping me out on the inside but street and perimeter cameras show five possible perpetrators.”

“Five is a lot for a quick heist. Chat’s on patrol. I’ll see if he can swing by in case the police need help.” He held out his hand and Hawking crossed the room to  drop a tablet into his palm and floated back to its station. Max opened the communication app and moved back to his computer bank to pull up the security feeds around the museum as Olivia brought down the firewalls. “Chat Noir, do you copy?”

“Loud and clear. I was just finishing up my route, and I have the sneaking suspicion you’re going to tell me that’s not the case,” Chat Noir answered back. Ambient city sounds filtered in behind his voice.

“Louvre break-in. I can see if someone else is nearby.” Max pulled up the contact list on the tablet and checked GPS coordinates. “King Monkey is currently breaking in here so I can easily send him.”

“Sounds about right. You trying to electrocute him again?” he chuckled over the line. "I don’t mind swinging by the museum.” 

“He knows what to expect when he comes here.” Max felt his lips tug up in a smirk as he watched the paw print icon on one of his monitors change direction to head to the museum. “If you’re sure you can handle it on your own, I’ll hold off on calling in reinforcements.”

“Hey, been doing this longer than you have, Oracle.”

“Not my name.”

Chat Noir laughed over the comm line. “Sure, sure. I’ll let you know what I see when I get there. Ladybug is busy tonight though so don’t bother her.”

“I’m aware and I’ll be waiting to here from you.”  Max muted his line and leaned in to review the security footage Olivia had sent to his screen. “Any I.D. scans come through?”

“Running partial face scans through databases now. Currently no hits.”

“Hmmm.” He sat back in his chair and the springs creaked. “Big move for first offenders.”

“Hey, are you going to let me in or do you want me to break this door down too? I know you’ve been watching me, man,” Kim bellowed from the other side of the steel door blocking passage to the room.

“You didn’t follow protocol,” Max replied, opening up the video line so he could see his friend on the other side of the door.

Kim stared up at him through the screen with a confused expression. “Huh?”

“No one is supposed to come here except for emergencies. Is there an emergency?”

Xuppu stuck his tongue out from his place on Kim’s shoulder. “This guy,” he scoffed. “Are we sure he’s really the Guardian?”

“The emergency is I bet you haven’t eaten anything except those power bar thingies you keep in there and I know for a fact you haven’t been home in a few days. I checked with Marcus. He’s the best doorman ever. He even gave me one of the donuts he was eating during his break.” Kim lifted a paper bag and grinned. “And I brought something really good for you for dinner. Let me in, Max.”

“Code names,” he reminded him with a sigh. “And I’m fine. You might need to meet up with Chat Noir at the Louvre. There’s a break-in.”

“Cool. Let me in and I can meet up with him after I make sure you eat this.”

“I’m not a child. I know the exact amount of nutrients I need to function at my best level. Actually I knew that as a child as well. I was the one telling you what to eat, if you’ll recall.”

“Come on, Ma...Pegasus. Just let me in.”

“This place is supposed to stay secret. You can’t keep drawing attention to it by visiting so much.” Max shook his head. “Make sure you aren’t seen when you leave.”

“It’s an old office building with a construction fence around it. No one is paying any attention,” Kim whined. “Come on. I miss hanging out with you. You’ve been holed up in there for ages.”

“He has a point,” Markov chimed in to the irritation of his creator. “More human interaction would be good for your overall well-being. I can bring up statistics if you would like.”

“All the calculations show that it’s safer if I stay here for longer and varied bouts of time so an observer couldn’t pinpoint my schedule since there isn’t one,” Max pointed out. “I have everything I need. I’ll let Chat know you’ll be meeting him, King Monkey.”

Kim stared into the screen for a long minute before his shoulders dropped and he sighed. “Fine. I’m going to leave the bag outside the door so if you don’t get it soon, it’s gonna start smelling up the place. Your mom says hi, by the way. She misses you too.” He turned without another word and faded into the darkness of the hall.

“He’s trouble, that one.” Kaalki stretched and rose from the pillow she’d been napping on. “But I think I rather like him.”

Max watched the empty screen and tried to ignore the familiar lonely feeling creeping up on him.

___

“The wine and cheese is lovely and all, Marinette, but do you want to tell us why you really called this emergency girls’ night?” Alya set her empty wine glass on the coffee table and looked to her best friend expectantly.

Marinette stood and smoothed her dress down in a nervous gesture. “Right, uh, well, so here’s the thing... So there was this, um, offer, I guess? Wait, maybe I need to go back further than that.” 

Alix snorted. “Come on, just get it out. It’s not going to be as bad as you think.”

“Wait, you’ve been to this moment? Can you just tell what to do?” Marinette perked up hopefully. 

“Nope. I like to keep the future in the future. It’s safer that way.” The other woman grinned and plucked a piece of cheese of the tray. “But you’re going to be fine so go ahead and spill the beans already.” She popped the cheese into her mouth with a self-satisfied hum.

“You know whatever it is, we’ll support you,” Mylene added with a gentle smile.

“I was offered a job with a fashion house. Like a real position, not just an internship.” Marinette bit her lip and tensed for the reaction.

“That’s amazing, girl! Why wouldn’t you want to tell us that?!” Alya got off the couch and pulled her into a hug. 

“Well, um, it’s not exactly local.”

“How not local?” Rose asked.

Marinette winced, feeling Alya’s arms around her loosen. “New York.”

“Is there a New York in France now? Because I hope that’s what you mean.” Alya stepped back. “New York, really?”

“I never thought they would call me back,” Marinette explained in a rush. “I was looking for job openings and sent in my portfolio, and seriously, never in a million years did I think they would actually want me, but they called for a phone interview and then they called for another one and then the third one was today and the head designer herself offered me the job and I just...” She took in a shaky breath and met Alya’s eyes. “It’s an amazing opportunity.”

“You’ve had three phone interviews?” Alya raised an eyebrow. “And you didn’t tell anyone, not even...?”

“No...”

“But she’s telling us now!” Rose interjected.

“Right, uh, now we know,” Juleka added after a nudge from her girlfriend. 

“Are you mad?” Marinette asked aloud but it was obvious who the question was meant for.

Alya shook her head. “Surprised but not mad. You deserve something like this, girl. Your work is amazing and you’re amazing and I think you already know what your decision is.” Marinette pulled her into tight hug, murmuring thanks into her hair.

“So now that that’s settled,” Alix stood and stretched. “Who wants to go grab some real food?” 

“We should crash Kagami’s lawyer gala downtown,” Mylene teased. “Chloe would have a conniption.”

“We mere mortals can’t be seen among the royal elite of Paris.” Alya flipped her hair dramatically while still keeping an arm around Marinette. “I could kill for some pasta though. I’ve been craving it all week.”

“Ooo, I think Japanese sounds good. Some teriyaki chicken maybe?” Rose added.

“I was just talking about a pizza or something,” Alix shrugged.

“Call in night?” Marinette suggested, wiping a few stray tears from her eyes after finally releasing her best friend. 

“Yes!”

___

“Wait, did Max send you too because I’m starting to feel a little self-conscious about his faith in my abilities.” Chat Noir looked over at Carapace as he settled down beside him and King Monkey. 

“Nah, Wayzz and I just needed to get out of the house and spotted you guys on the app. What’s going on?”

“One of the exhibit alarms was triggered and five perps were seen breaking into the museum on camera but the police haven’t found anything out of the ordinary,” he reported.

“So we’re waiting in case they’re hiding inside until they think the coast is clear,” King Monkey finished. “And at least you guys want to hang out.”

“Still no luck getting Max to leave his Guardian fortress?”

“Not so much,” he sighed. “I worry about him in there.”

“He’ll be okay. I think he’s just taking his role seriously.”

“You don’t know him like I do. He gets too caught up in stuff. He has to be reminded that there’s more to life.” The bigger man shook his head. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, but it’d make me feel better if I could get him to take a break.”

“Maybe we can storm his fortress and kidnap him,” Chat Noir suggested, amusement in his tone. “I just don’t want to get electrocuted or shot or something.”

“Eh, it doesn’t hurt as much as you would think.” King Monkey grinned at him. “I think I’m starting to like it actually.”

“That’s troubling.”

___

“Looks like we’re in for the night. Spotted three heroes staked out across the street. We’ll wait ‘em out.” The leader of the museum heist made a show of stretching his arms over his head. “All right, let’s get back into the wall. No need to get caught now when we’ve already gotten what we came for.”

“It’s so cramped in there, man. Can’t we just leave one at a time?” Another thief complained.

“Sure. You get caught and see what she does to you. I’ll see ya at your funeral.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

A third thief visibly shivered. “I’m just ready to be done with this job. The client gives me bad vibes.”

“Says the criminal,” the leader scoffed. “A job’s a job and this one pays well. Now shut up and get hidden with the others in case security comes sniffing around again.”

___

Follow the story on AO3

Buy me a cherry coke?

[flpainting]

FLOREZ PAINTING LLC IS A PAINTING COMPANY THAT SPECIALIZES IN COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL PAINTING. Painting a house is a beautiful thought. In any case, choosing the perfect time, right tones, items, and right painters' administrations are fundamental. That is the reason administrations utilized by Florez House Painters Athens, GA make the house an ensured and fabulous as your fantasy! Florez Painting Services, total picture of your home. Presently we can paint your home exactly how you need it without agonizing over your family's anxiety

INTERIOR PAINTING

Accent wall

The accent wall is a famous way to pull focus in a room and create an eye-catching statement. Some walls become a focal point because of setting a big-screen TV and fireplace.

Florez house painters Athens, GA can design a neutral wall and elegant it with beautiful textures, bold colors or prints, and even cherished mementos. We can also help you with a couple of pictures, ideas, and ways to create an exceptional appearance.

Carpentry Plaster & Drywall Repair

Plaster and drywall Repair repairs are best left to experts if you do not want to observe the damages, and it is precisely why you need the service of Florez Painting services Athens, Ga for all your carpentry needs.

With years of experience, we’ve got the essential skill set to deal with all your interior drywall and plaster fixes without any incident and offer new results which will be indiscernible from the rest of your wall.

Keeping your home interior attractive is essential, and you may only do that if you have any damages repaired and color-matched by a tested professional.

Wallpaper Removal

By choosing Florez painters Athens, GA skilled wallpaper removal services, you’re making things much more comfortable for yourself, and you are saving your walls. Lots of people remove the wallpaper themselves and wind up ruining their walls ultimately.

A specialist House painting Athens, GA, will offer the best wallpaper removal support and let the pure beauty of your house shine through. Selecting skilled Athens, GA painters wallpaper removal services means you won’t have some hassle when renovating. We will do the main work for you and ask you to relax in your home.

When the job is done, we’ll be happy to help you select a new color, new wallpapers, or even choose what to do with your walls. Many Athens, GA painting services aren’t familiar with what specialist wallpaper removal involves.

As we believe in transparency and understand that nearly all of our clients aren’t familiar with what specialist background removal involves, we have let you on unique removal methods.

Cabinets

Many people are bored with the way your kitchen cabinets look. You need not pay to get a new kitchen installed. You can save your money and give your kitchen a renovation by having your cabinets refinished.

This job demands a lot of work and expertise, so it is best to hire experienced professionals from Athens, GA with us. You will achieve the result with care and skill.

EXTERIOR PAINTING

Walls

Refresh your home or office with a new coat of paint from our Athens, GA painters, and they are trusted and professional painters. The wall colors of your house can make it sense gloomy or inviting. Our expert outside painters will ultimately improve the attractiveness of your home.

Therefore, people feel confused when looking at outside paint samples and picking the color of the exterior walls. We advise our customers to take the time to decide on colors for external painting service and request as many samples until they’re 100% confident & pleased with all the colors.

Fences

Fences can be an attractive addition to any house, especially after professional painting or staining. Our experienced Athens, GA  painters fencing painting and staining providers offer the ideal means to give any fence an attractive, long-lasting finish.

No matter the material it makes off your fence, the look you are hoping to accomplish, or your project, our painters can make your project a comfortable, stress-free encounter.

Decks

Almost all people enjoy doing at home in the summertime is relaxing in their deck. Today, a deck has to be in great shape for somebody to enjoy it correctly. People today have to have their deck painted or stained to appreciate this, and we could look after it for them.

Our firm Florez House painters Athens, GA can paint in time, so the homeowners could begin enjoying their deck at a reasonable time.

Getting your deck refinished may take a protracted quantity of time due to the large dimensions of decks out there. The time deters many homeowners from doing the job themselves, so our business can do it in a fast and reasonable quantity of time to get an excellent price.

Garage

Wall painting of the garage can give almost new life into it. Commercial garage painting is among the most significant returns on your investment and is one of the simplest ways to improve your garage’s appearance and feel.

Save your time and bothers when seeing painting your garage by allowing Florez Services to hire a new paint coat. Whether your garage is oversized, small, or old, painting is the best budget-friendly project to undertake.

COMMERCIAL PAINTING

Shopping Center

For commercial property, the way that your building appears will entice shoppers to dissuade them from visiting the stores entirely. They won’t set foot at a place that looks unsuccessful and uncared-for. In the day and age of online shopping and free delivery, it’s essential to make sure your company’s physical location is attractive and welcoming to pull more customers and help your business stick out.

Because of weather and time, the harm is normal and simple to repair, mainly in a brand new paint coat. Suppose you are the owner or property manager of a gym having to freshen up the facade or paint a newly constructed building. If that is the circumstance, Florez Professional Painting is the local painting company you would like to call.

Apartments

For large-scale housing painting projects, such as apartment buildings and homeowner’s associations. It is essential to maximize efficiency, value, and results. Florez House Painters Athens, GA  painting contractor, can provide all three aspects, delivering a clean, uniform look with lasting appeal, all at a fair price. Painters Athens, GA  specializes in painting and apartments, and we often perform quality painting for all the projects.

Because of resident turnover, apartment buildings require professional painting services frequently. They also have many of the same office and communal facilities, and therefore similar painting needs. Florez Painting is an excellent choice for repainting individual apartments and small units, but we also provide perfect painting solutions for all types of projects.

Office Painting

The way you offer your business says a good deal about who you are as a corporation. Everything about your company location will impact your clients. Are you sending the ideal message? If your office walls display a classic, worn out, cracked, chipped, obsolete, or peeling paint job, then the solution is probably no.

Whether you are just setting up a brand new office or your old office requires an extreme makeover, then expect your project to the business. Florez Painting Contractors,  we understand the unique needs of skilled office painting for businesses because we are a business ourselves.

Medical & Dental Office

A freshly painted dental or medical office can convey a sense of cleanliness and comfortability for your patients. It’s essential to make sure you make a warm and relaxing environment for those in the waiting room, exam rooms, and during your office.

Florez Painters Athens, GA, we can help you facelift your old, outdated dental or medical office, providing quick, efficient health care and dental office painting solutions for buildings of all sizes. We only use premium-quality paints that produce minimum odors and dry quickly to minimize downtime and ensure a clean, healthy environment.

Phone:       470-579-8295

Contact Name :  Adin Florez

Business Email : florezpaintingmarketing@gmail.com

Website: www.florezpainting.com

[amarantine-amirite]

This is Your Brain on Autopilot

It's funny how your brain does weird stuff while on autopilot. Yet, out of all the stuff my brain does on autopilot, this one takes the cake in terms of strangeness.

It all started very simply. I woke up in the middle of the night.

I jolted upright in my own bed. I got up and walked around my own room. I didn’t recognize anything in the room. Not the books, not the furnishings, and I definitely had no idea whose trombone hung from the wall next to the floor lamp with the owls printed on the lampshade. None of it seemed familiar.

I could feel my eyebrows go in different directions, kind of like Volkswagens trying to parallel park. My heart began to race. My palms began to sweat. I always knew that if you didn’t recognize your room, you were never in your room to begin with. Uh oh, I thought to myself, I need to go home before my parents realize I’m not home.

I quickly yet cautiously slid out of bed. I went out of my way to not turn on any lights.

I got dressed as quickly as I could. As I wove past the furniture in my room, I picked up my cell phone, keys, wallet and shoes.

I don't think I'm going to make it home in time I thought to myself while opening the door to the hall as quickly and quietly as possible.

I took the lightest steps possible down the hall. Even still, the floorboards creaked. I paced myself as I went down the stairs. I didn’t even try leaving through the front door. Instead, I held off on putting my shoes on and tiptoed through the kitchen to the sliding door. The sliding door made far less noise than the front door. I handled the lock with both hands, hoping that by doing so, I absorbed the clicking sounds the lock made.

I scanned the backyard. Nothing. No one. Nobody here but the chirping crickets. That didn't mean I was out of the woods just yet. I still had to get off the property and back home. On tiptoe, I crept across the wooden porch with my socks on. Once I got to the grass, I could safely put on my shoes. Then, I vaulted over the fence and sprinted down the street. I checked over my shoulder. A lot.

I shouldn't be so anxious about this. I can make it home in 20 minutes, and if I run, I can make it there in 15.

I didn’t come to my senses until I got caught in the high beams of a digger at a construction site a block and a half away. Almost instantly, I thought to myself what am I doing here? Did I just sneak out of my own house? These aren’t the shoes I usually wear. That’s a big hole, I’m glad I didn’t fall in. After marvelling at the size of the hole, it became obvious to me that I had been in my own room all this time.

I had just snuck out of my house for no reason at all.

Instantly, I turned around and bolted back into the darkness. As I zoomed past my neighbour's houses, I can't help but think that they seem so lifeless without lights. I did my best to tread carefully over the front lawn. The open windows of my parents’ room looked out over the lawn. My parents were sleeping, and I needed to be quiet.

Long story short, I made it back. I got back into bed as quietly as I could. I slept peacefully the rest of the night. I could put this whole thing behind me, One day, I could make this into a funny story I could tell my friends.

A few days later, I saw this in the news: Man Fired from Construction Job Over Fart Bomb.

According to the report, a fart bomb fell into a hole in the construction site I passed the night I snuck out of the house. This guy stepped on it, and everyone thought they hit a sewer line. When they found out that it was indeed a fart bomb instead of the sewer line, they fired the guy that stepped on it.

Hey I thought to myself as I saw the report, that's the construction site I passed that night I snuck out of my own house because my brain was on autopilot.

My dad watched my reaction to what unfolded on the screen. He instantly jumped to the conclusion that I had somehow been responsible for the fart bomb.

Dad shook his head and grimaced at me. "Oh my God, Jennifer, what have you done now?"

I got ready to explain myself. "Let me explain-" I began, but trailed off.

The way Dad reacted, I could have sworn that he half expected me to say, “I was bored and you left me alone”, or something along those lines. I was actually about to say I snuck out of my own house for no reason because my brain was on autopilot. I think I accidentally knocked that fart bomb into the hole at the construction site with my foot without setting it off when I turned around to go back home.

Why I clammed up at the last second, I don't know.

@the-moon-dust-writings

[guerilla-marketing]

Wheatpasting Agencies in Virginia

Uncovering the Power of Wheatpasting: Top Wheatpasting Agencies in Virginia

In today's competitive marketing landscape, businesses are always on the lookout for innovative and eye-catching ways to promote their brand, products, or events. One such unconventional and effective advertising method is wheatpasting. This form of guerrilla marketing involves placing posters in strategic locations to capture the attention of passersby. In Virginia, wheatpasting agencies are at the forefront of this creative advertising approach, helping businesses engage with their audience in a bold and memorable manner. This article explores the concept of wheatpasting, its benefits, and highlights some of the top wheatpasting agencies in Virginia.

What is Wheatpasting?

Wheatpasting, also known as paste-up, is an outdoor advertising technique where posters are affixed to surfaces such as walls, fences, construction sites, and street furniture using a wheat-based adhesive. This method is popular in urban areas and is often used for its guerrilla marketing appeal, providing a raw and unfiltered way to reach consumers directly in their everyday environments. Wheatpasting is known for its artistic and sometimes provocative designs that stand out in the bustling cityscape.

Benefits of Wheatpasting

Wheatpasting offers several advantages that make it an attractive option for advertisers:

1. High Visibility

Wheatpasting places ads in high-traffic areas, ensuring maximum visibility. Whether it’s a bustling downtown street or a trendy neighborhood, these posters are seen by a large and diverse audience.

2. Cost-Effective

Compared to other forms of outdoor advertising like billboards or digital screens, wheatpasting is relatively affordable. This makes it an excellent choice for businesses with limited marketing budgets.

3. Creative Flexibility

The informal nature of wheatpasting allows for a high degree of creative freedom. Brands can experiment with bold designs, unconventional messages, and artistic layouts that might not be feasible in more traditional advertising formats.

4. Local Targeting

Wheatpasting can be highly localized, allowing businesses to target specific neighborhoods or communities. This is particularly beneficial for local events, new store openings, or community-focused campaigns.

5. Immediate Impact

The eye-catching nature of wheatpasting often results in immediate engagement. Passersby are likely to notice and remember the posters, leading to increased brand recall and potential word-of-mouth promotion.

Top Wheatpasting Agencies in Virginia

Virginia is home to several innovative wheatpasting agencies that specialize in this guerrilla marketing technique. Here are some of the leading agencies that can help your business leverage the power of wheatpasting:

1. Paste Up Pros

Location: Richmond, VA

Overview: Paste Up Pros is a premier wheatpasting agency in Virginia, known for its extensive network and creative approach. They offer comprehensive wheatpasting services, from design and printing to strategic placement and monitoring.

Specialties:

Strategic Poster Placement

Creative Design Services

Campaign Management

Targeted Area Selection

Compliance with Local Regulations

Notable Clients: Paste Up Pros has worked with a diverse range of clients, including music festivals, fashion brands, tech startups, and local events, delivering impactful wheatpasting campaigns.

2. Guerrilla Media

Location: Alexandria, VA

Overview: Guerrilla Media is a full-service outdoor advertising agency that excels in wheatpasting. They combine creative artistry with strategic planning to create high-impact campaigns that resonate with urban audiences.

Specialties:

Custom Poster Design

Strategic Urban Placement

High-Traffic Area Targeting

Campaign Analytics

Permitting and Compliance

Notable Clients: Guerrilla Media has a strong portfolio of successful campaigns for clients in the entertainment, retail, and hospitality sectors, among others.

3. Urban Canvas

Location: Norfolk, VA

Overview: Urban Canvas specializes in wheatpasting and other forms of guerrilla marketing. Their team focuses on delivering innovative and effective outdoor advertising solutions that capture the essence of urban culture.

Specialties:

Wheatpasting Campaigns

Street-Level Advertising

Creative Concept Development

Execution and Monitoring

Local Market Expertise

Notable Clients: Urban Canvas has partnered with both local businesses and national brands, helping them create buzz and drive engagement through strategic wheatpasting.

4. Flyposter King

Location: Virginia Beach, VA

Overview: Flyposter King is dedicated to providing high-quality wheatpasting services that maximize brand exposure. They offer end-to-end solutions, ensuring that every campaign is executed flawlessly from start to finish.

Specialties:

Comprehensive Campaign Management

Custom Poster Printing

High-Visibility Locations

Compliance and Permitting

Post-Campaign Analysis

Notable Clients: Flyposter King has successfully executed wheatpasting campaigns for a variety of clients, including tech companies, cultural institutions, and lifestyle brands.

5. Street Art Advertising

Location: Arlington, VA

Overview: Street Art Advertising is a boutique advertising agency that specializes in wheatpasting and guerrilla marketing. They pride themselves on their creative approach and deep understanding of the local market.

Specialties:

Creative Poster Design

Targeted Wheatpasting

High-Impact Campaigns

Urban Advertising Strategy

Local Market Insights

Notable Clients: Street Art Advertising has built a reputation for delivering unique and engaging wheatpasting campaigns for clients across different industries, from entertainment to consumer goods.

Tips for a Successful Wheatpasting Campaign

Launching a successful wheatpasting campaign requires careful planning and execution. Here are some tips to ensure your campaign stands out:

1. Understand Your Audience

Know who your target audience is and where they spend their time. Choose locations that are frequented by your ideal customers to maximize the impact of your posters.

2. Creative Design

Invest in high-quality design that captures attention and conveys your message effectively. Bold colors, striking images, and clear text can make your posters more noticeable.

3. Compliance

Ensure your wheatpasting campaign complies with local regulations and permits. Unauthorized postings can result in fines and damage to your brand’s reputation.

4. Monitor and Maintain

Regularly check your posters to ensure they remain in good condition and replace any that have been damaged or removed. Consistent visibility is key to a successful campaign.

5. Measure Results

Track the performance of your campaign through metrics such as increased foot traffic, social media engagement, and sales. This will help you understand the effectiveness of your wheatpasting efforts and make necessary adjustments for future campaigns.

Conclusion

Wheatpasting is a powerful and cost-effective advertising method that can help businesses in Virginia stand out in a crowded market. By partnering with experienced wheatpasting agencies, you can leverage this creative approach to reach your audience in a memorable and impactful way. Whether you’re promoting an event, launching a new product, or simply looking to increase brand visibility, wheatpasting offers a unique opportunity to engage with consumers in their everyday environments.

As the advertising landscape continues to evolve, embracing unconventional methods like wheatpasting can give your business a competitive edge. With the right strategy, design, and execution, your wheatpasting campaign can create a lasting impression and drive meaningful results. So, if you’re ready to take your advertising efforts to the next level, consider working with a top wheatpasting agency in Virginia and watch your brand make its mark on the urban landscape.

[cyberpunkcinema]

From the Air?

This is the time. 

It’s been a weird era for cyberpunk.  Not some four years ago, I remember staring at a screen in a now defunct bar, when Hilary lost.  She wasn’t perfect, but she wasn’t him.

During that election, I had hoped that some mass media Ant Farm art-terror event would eliminate the orange dude as he spouted tactical static on TV.  It’s why I watched, waiting, itching for a non-fiction fantasy:  a traveler would appear and eliminate the bad man, pulling him into a portal-- maybe even severing a small hand off as the aperture closed.  But what I remember most, in that climactic moment as the polls sunk in, was a stark detachment.  I couldn’t really process it, because I wasn’t really there.  It was just a movie.     

Years later, I would be sitting at a chinese restaurant watching live aerial views of the Grand Princess Cruise ship docking at the Port of Oakland.  There were fences and tents and sealed vehicles broadcast live on the local news.  Everyone was hazmat-ready.  I thought back to that time when the lady lost, and realized this Covid-19 moment was an extension of that detachment, the next sequence in the movie: a series of news clips and disturbing facts, mixed with Verhoeven commercials.  It was time to introduce the would-be protagonist.

Instead, an ochre authoritarian antagonizes a public with daily disinformation.  There are mobile fridges filled with the dead.  Millions have been made jobless.  EPA rules have been suspended.  Unemployment relief chokes on a demand for COBOL.  Remote learning classrooms are harassed by bigots.  Homeless shanty towns expand as streets empty.  That orange covidiot says none of this is his fault?

This was real before, but it’s in our faces now, or even on our faces: salient, frustrating and fogging up the view.  This forced pause looks no different than what we see at Cyberpunk Cinema.  Are we supposed to buy this shit?

And this is the record of the time.

Cyberpunk was once a small branch of print science fiction, informed by blossoming technology trends and crime-noir.  Oftentimes, it is distilled into pure aesthetic, to a certain gaze, a visual shorthand for a hurried imperfect future:  neon lights, hard tech, inequity, wet pavement, cigarettes, robo babes and “damn the man.”  A lot of this circulates around the ‘net as over-saturated sexy robot renderings interspersed with slice of life images like a protestor in neon-lit Hong Kong.  But this content manifests itself remotely for most users, on a screen, in an era where everything on a screen can be faked.  But for Cyberpunk fans, Covid-19 has catalyzed what once flickered on the liminal screen into an uncanny reality.  Dystopia now? 

If we look through the canon of Cyberpunk, we can see the common backdrop of dystopia, either veiled or in plane view.  The word dystopia itself means “bad utopia,” and utopia means either an “imaginary place where everything is perfect,” or “no place.”  Are we in a real world where everything is perfectly bad?  

On the flip side, Cyberpunk protagonists thrive in a moral grey area, where it’s okay to be uncertain, to play the odds and angles, to question authority.  It’s a genre without absolute good or bad, and often lacking hope.  Characters like Deckard, Major Kusanagi, Angel Velasquez or even Takeshi Kovacs rely on pragmatic action against the existential crisis.  And sometimes, a little utilitarian decision benefits the masses, even if at the hero’s own peril.

Cyberpunk spins us fiction so that we can see the truth.  As aspects of Cyberpunk become more real, where do we go?  Have we passed the peak of human human civilization as posited in the Matrix?  Or perhaps we are just entering Gibson’s Jackpot, with a series of looming global catastrophes significantly altering life on Earth.  And while the master has stated that the future is here but unevenly spread (and perhaps very, very tacky), it may be that the future just needs more people of cooperative positive action.

With each step you fall forward slightly.

A portion of people have the luck for bandwidth, digital subscriptions, delivery services and comfort at home.  Others are working the various frontlines.  Some people have it piecemeal, or even nothing at all.  It’s a poignant time to ponder what people really want.  The structures all around us, that keep this planet as we know it going, are transitory.  Some of these are artificial constructs, others are ecological realities.  These structures require a flow and exchange to operate.  But without that movement, the system goes stagnant.  Do people enjoy corrupt governments, mega zaibatsus, surveillance-states, face mask shortages, gerrymandering and that damn spray tanned puppet? 

I’m not sure what the next few months or years will be like, but as our science non-fiction dystopia movie manifests and becomes documented history, perhaps we need to reach deep and build what tomorrow ought to be?  The air seems temporarily cleaner.  Oil temporarily has no value.  Service workers are always essential.  

Maybe it’s a time to consider the options.  Doesn’t everyone have healthcare, a job, sufficient housing and a hobby in a future-imperfect?  Maybe “now” is just a crash screen, an errant data point when graphed over a long enough timeline.  Maybe, we are the protagonists in our collective cyberpunk movie.

Anyhow, our future is always serviceable.  And remember, until we get to reconvene: keep your distance space cowboys :)

10 things to watch at home, not strictly Cyberpunk: 

Until the End of the World by Wim Wenders.  This is excellent, whimsical, and fantastic for fueling fernweh!  Please watch the full 4+ hour cut.

Demolition Man.  What happens when the transfer of bodily fluids is outlawed but somehow Taco Bell employees can still prepare food?  

Soylent Green.  Because it’s about a quarantined, scarcity marketplace, cast society America.

The Cabin in the Woods.  It may be horror but it takes a lot of tech and magic to keep that bureaucracy going, until it all stops with godly giant fire monsters,

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ). I think this is the unofficial sequel to Cabin in the Woods on a certain timeline, after the godly giant fire monsters expire. 

12 Monkeys.  This may hit too close for home, but can someone systematically spread a plague?

Sleep Dealer.  This is for all you WFM, even I have been remotely “piloting” a device.

The Strain series.  Season one is like now, but instead of Covid, vamps.

Idiocracy.  The deterioration of society, but with funny.

The Andromeda Strain.  Can technology fight a biological weapon?

And one edit:  Please donate to the Knockout staff fund and keep the venue alive!

[flexmains]

/

#stray 1am thoughts 

#my dad always handled the camera when i was growing up #if we ever had any family photos he'd always be the one to set it up or he'd opt to not be in the photo to take it himself

#i am comforted to see that other neurodivergent people have forgotten such large chunks of their childhood too #because i know i don't remember him for all the things he did do for me #and that's the only thing i feel a little bad about when i think of him

#but i do remember plenty of the things he did do to me so that's on him for that B)

#i wonder if he'd have encouraged me to pick it up when i was in high school and curious about my fencing advisor's photography lab #i wonder if he'd have kept it locked away from me #i wonder if i would have ever felt comfortable expressing myself enough to mention that i liked the idea of photography at all to him

#the photography and the printing and the tucking them away in albums and hiding the albums away #the shame, me having to call myself stupid to make him back off, feeling slow, and just... feeling neutral about everything else #i wonder what shaped my awkward aversion to looking at myself in the mirror most

#the feeling i remember most is the embarrassment of making eye contact with a stranger on public transportation while i washed my face in the morning

#i remember staring intensely at my own hands as i brush my teeth in the morning - and i still do 

#i can't find myself in photos if i'm not the central figure and someone doesn't tell me 'hey that's you' 

#i almost remember the day i realized i could see my own reflection in windows as i walked the streets outside my high school #and i was embarrassed and shocked and almost afraid of the realization and the recognition of BEING and then i got tired of typing in tags and moved this to a full text post but

i don’t really know 100% where this thought came from... i did talk to a friend about some of these thoughts, but it really all started tonight when i wanted to think about my dad holding the camera. and i thought to myself, he handed it over to me sometimes, right? and i think he did. 

and i think i was so awed by the weight and complexity and the magic of it that i never played with the dials or settings or buttons. i was afraid to even adjust the zoom or focal length for fear of his having made some settings before letting me see. 

and i wonder if he could have criticized me for it (i’m not curious enough, how dull) or if he was glad to see it (i would not mess with his things because i was respectful) or if he noticed or cared about it or me at all (did he really have a second family? can i trust my mother’s narrative about that?)

and then he would frame us in the viewfinder and take those photos and print them out and put them away. they’re still downstairs and i think about looking at them all the time, but i’m kind of scared to.

and when i was in high school i had no concept of my physical literal body. seeing my clothes in the mirror was like looking at a mannequin, and sometimes i would be like “hm, not bad” sometimes if I liked the collar on my shirts, but my face and my head and my person weren’t REALLY there and i didn’t really see them. like if i could pop my head off and look at what was left and i’d be like, sure, that’s normal.

i was so shocked in college when i looked at my old high school photos. my body... looked like THAT? i had been so muc hcloser to being fit actually 😔 and it wasn’t that i thought i wasn’t fit or that i thought i was fat or anything, but i just DIDN’T think of myself.

i think about that now and i wish i’d maintained that body type a bit more B) now i am heavy but i think i’m pretty strong too. i might never be thin again but i want to be strong. 

oh i remember what i wanted to write this post for now o:

i wish picking up a camera came more naturally to me. my parents said they wanted to prioritize showing us the world while we were young, to give us that kind of open perspective they didn’t have. they were literally eating grass off the hills in the mountains of China at the age my brother and i first went back to China to visit. they were foraging for roots and vegetables at the age we first went to Disneyworld. when i went to Alaska for my 8th birthday, my mother and her would have been going to school and working at home on alternating days to maximize the family’s potential food rations.

but to me, i feel like maybe they didn’t know what they were showing us, so we didn’t take in all that much. we went on so many trips for so many of my birthdays, but we rushed through more cities instead of spending more time in any one place. we did the most basic touristy tours once a day and then spent twice as long in transit between other locations.

i feel pretty certain that i only really had the freedom i have had to be myself and explore myself and to learn about myself through other lenses because my dad passed away. i don’t think i could have learned as much about being a lesbian as i did without him combing all my history and downloads and everything as he did. i think he would might have been even more controlling than my paranoid mother when i was in college. i wonder often if he’d have pushed me to apply to different schools and changed that trajectory a lot.

i wonder if he would have found it in himself to accept that about me? i think it would be unfair for me to jump to remembering him at his meanest and say he’d entirely have shut me down for it. he did end up working for one of my elementary school friends’ lesbian moms in real estate, so i feel like he had to be kind of okay with it to a degree.

but he got to control so many photos and i never built my habit of wanting to take photos while he was around. and now, when i go somewhere beautiful, i automatically feel clumsy whipping out a camera. and when i pull out my phone, i feel a little guilty for being screen-obsessed, but i think about how on the nights i am home and thinking abt where i have traveled in my city and the world... i just want to remember what it was like to stand where i did and see what i did thousands of miles away... i know i would rather have taken the photos than not B’)

i’m so sad to think that i could have forgotten these moments without the photos to give me context. i’m sad to think about the moments i did forget without photos. i know there’ll be more, and i know that all things will come to pass, but i want to remember. i just want to remember and i want to hold the memories a little longer. i want to experience being me a little more in my own head and my own memory. i think that would be neat, to say the least.

i stare myself in the eyes and doodle versions of my self the way i’d reconstruct anyone if they asked me to doodle them. i would love to learn to paint, and i’d love to make it a hobby to sit on a bench and paint whatever i see before me. i think that would be a really good exercise of viewing and creating and i have no actual intention to start doing so any time soon, but i’ll think on it intensely, at least.

speaking of physical appearances, i don’t think i ever really put my photo on my blog even when i was active on krorys, especially considering how weird i felt about seeing my own face, but

i had my hair cut short almost a year ago and i’m now fat in a way that i’m not good at drawing accurately yet but that’ll come with practice.i’m learning to cut my hair through lockdown but i’m intimidated by trimming the top part of my undercut. it’s gotten so long that it constantly gets in my eyes and i will have to bite the bullet and cut it myself soon anyway. i accidentally bought a bunch of v-necks and couldn’t be bothered to return them for other necklines and i got flip flops in san diego that i’m abt to break out again for the hot weather now B) and that’s how i construct how i see myself 

ty for reading this post of literally just me rambling about myself if you’re down here to see it. i just like to let the thoughts out at the end of a day and wander through them B’)

[g2web]

G2web

I manage over 20 websites, along with their SEO, visibility building, recommending, cross promoting, social media influencing & local networking. If you find yourself needing certain residential or commercial services, ✨EVENT SERVICES, ✨maid & cleaning services, ✨mattress sets, ✨furniture, ✨tree care,✨home remodeling & construction, ✨concrete construction & flooring, ✨auto repair, ✨criminal defense lawyer, ✨dwi lawyer, ✨bankruptcy lawyer, ✨life insurance, ✨unique gifts Emoji Sticks & Signs for online meetings, ✨sailing, ✨title company, ✨smoke shop, ✨screen printing, ✨fencing & decks ✨SPA & Tanning or a ✨Dallas nonprofit to donate to (volunteer work needed for community service), ✨hire live music entertainment ~ please visit www.g2web.com/projects to see the list of clients that I promote & support locally!! As a DFW business owner, it is very important that we promote, network & support locally in DFW. G2web only takes on Texas clients with a good reputation & we will not take on a new client that would compete within your service industry. I have one spot open for a catering company or event facility for my g2web event services page; & also, a carpet cleaning company, window cleaning services or tile floor cleaning service to advertise on my www.cleanyoucansee.com website & promote on all my social media channels. Thanks, Jennifer Glanton www.g2web.com

[brisbane-chain-wire-fencing]

Producing Significant Returns on a Relatively Small Investment

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 First of all, they're a perfect tool for complying with regulation as they keep the public safe and maintain the privacy of the project as well as protecting the staff and site from wind, sun and debris. Beyond this, they hide the messiness that often accompanies construction as they keep the whole area feeling and looking appealing and provide an extensive surface area that's really a blank advertising canvas. Using printed custom mesh screen for banners across the periphery of the site makes the best use of the vast expanse of fencing and take advantage of the great exposure an outdoors development site. It guarantees the brand to the heart's content as it will reach a large and varied audience who will associate the brand with gorgeous graphics and witty words rather than a messy and chaotic operation. The custom mesh screen for banners can be safely secured to a wide variety of supports and they're just as quickly taken down because its easily attached to individual fence panels. These are very light and easy to transport or re-arrange means that adapting the panels to the site's changing conditions is a simple and straightforward operation that doesn't need to worry and the paneling evolves with as the project develops.

[ciarabyrneartist]

Wednesday Lecture No. 11

Guest Speakers: Vinnie Quirk, Simone Schofield and Mary Hennessy Jones

Vinnie Quirk is in the midst of his second year of his MA in fine art. Quirk’s work primarily focuses on trauma, something he didn’t realise before researching and dissecting his work in his MA. Many of Quirk’s paintings envision a world without light, primarily focusing on the buildings of Walton where he lives, as a representation of a person living with trauma. Quirk also created multiple pieces as a reaction to living through Covid-19 pandemic with bronchial asthma. Through these pieces, Quirk decided to directly use his trauma to influence his work, rather than his trauma subconsciously influencing his work. One specific sculpture consisted of a tube coiled on a chair, leaking phlegm-like red liquid as a representation of the fear of contracting the Covid-19 virus while living with a lung condition. Later is Quirk’s work, tubes became a metaphor for trauma within other sculptures, almost like a ‘living organism’. This was particularly present in Quirk’s sculpture of a pool with multiple tubes spilling out, inspired by sexual trauma Quirk was subjected to as a child. Personally, I think the multiple tubes remind me of a pile of snakes, specifically the sculpture of the tubes in the pool. The use of the children’s play pool contrasted by the snake-like tubes could be interpreted to should how what should’ve be a positive of playing with friends in a pool, has become tainted by unsolicited trauma. The fact that the tubes spill out of the pool could also be interpreted as an unsuccessful attempt to bury this trauma in a mental storage box, however it still spills over, tainting Quick’s ability to process this trauma.

Simone Schofield is currently completing a one year MA in fine art. Schofield’s work concentrates on the lost of her parents, which had a big effect on her. Schofield creates site specific installations, using art as a way to process and express her grief of losing her parents. Many of Schofield’s pieces are of large scale which take a long time to construct, allowing time for her to reflect and become totally absorbed in her work. Schofield created two prints from her large-scale coal installation work ‘The Void’, creating two yellow-grey sulfur casts of the installation. I found this very interesting, Schofield managed to create a mark from her work, almost similar to how her parents left a mark on her. Schofield managed to reveal the print from within, almost as if she revealed the soul from within the coal. Seeing ‘The Void’ placed alongside the two Sulphur-Silk prints allowed to interpret the piece as Schofield represented by ‘The Void’ and her parents represented by the Sulphur prints. Her parents remain free from constraints of a physical life, while Schofield is left weighed down by her grief.

Mary Hennessy Jones work in the tobacco warehouse was concerned with capturing a time when the warehouse was used commercially to manufacture tobacco rather than residentially. Hennessy Jones created a site-specific installation, sticking many cigarette papers onto heras fencing, fencing designed to keep things safe. I thought this was an interesting choice of composition which could be interpreted as a method of preserving the essence of the building and the memories of the workers who worked there. Hennessy Jones created another site-specific installation under an auditorium, focusing on themes of images, projecting forwards and backwards and memories. Hennessy Jones created a shadow puppet of a girl aged 7, projected under a reel of photos from Hennessy Jones’ own family, which she said was a strong emotion trigger for her. Later Hennessy Jones put on the shadow puppet mask to become the puppet as she believe when we become puppets, we are able to say and do things that we perhaps wouldn’t do in ordinary life. Presently, Hennessy Jones is concerned with investigating the importance of the screen and how shadow is in-fact the element in the screen. I found Hennessy Jones’ work very interesting, especially parts where she questioned the importance of the screen as a ‘harmless object’ when in-fact that when the power lies. I found this to be very interesting as it’s as if the screen itself becomes a work of art.