#Factoring for truckers

[artisticdivasworld]

What Is Factoring and Why It Matters

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com Factoring is a game-changer for many new truckers, especially when cash flow gets tight. Starting a trucking business is exciting, but the financial side can be daunting. Expenses like fuel, repairs, and insurance never wait, but payments from customers often do. Sometimes you’re stuck waiting 30, 60, or even 90 days to get paid for a load. That’s where…

[buff-electra-truther]

having the terrible realization that Caboose should be Canadian to be extra unassuming… and because some Canadian railroads used old boxcars and cabooses for radio controlling engines well into the 2010s, I was shocked to learn the Lac Megantic disaster train had one.

Pretends to be an innocuous old caboose but HE’s the one actually capable of mind control and is secretly truck—aligned.

[artisticdivasworld]

Streamlining Trucking Finances with Digital Invoice Management

Let’s talk invoices. I know, it might not be the most exciting topic when you’re out on the road, but stick with me for a minute—it’s actually smart for your business. Tired of handling stacks of paper invoices? It’s like trying to navigate rush hour traffic with a broken GPS. Papers get lost, numbers get messed up, and chasing down payments can feel like an endless loop. But here’s some good…

[avaaltechnologysolutions]

Fuel Card Integration-AVAAL Freight Management Suite

Fuel Purchase Management: Allows you to download fuel purchases and cash advances from your fuel card provider.

Driver Settlements: These transactions show up as advances, to be deducted from driver pay or reimbursed to your owner-operator settlements.

Fuel Tax Reporting: Exports the fuel purchases into the TMS Digital Mileage and Fuel Tax program for fuel tax reporting.

Compatibility: Interfaces with most popular Fuel Cards

Cost Savings: Using fuel cards can reduce the cost of filling up your vehicles, as most of them are only valid at discounted or partnered fuel stations.

Simplified Administration: Simplifies the administration and accounting process for Driver and owner/operator settlements.

Digital Records: Provides digital fuel purchase details in case the driver loses the fuel receipts.

To Know more visit -https://avaal.com/avaal-freight-management.php

[democratthatlovesguns]

How greed is the main factor driving inflation.

And why didn't the Biden administration rollback the tariffs that the Trump administration set in place, if it would have reduced inflation?

Okay so, unlike MAGA republicans, the Biden administration knows that it's important to listen to expert economists on topics in which they recognize they have a great deal of bias. And the Biden administration knows how to weigh the options available and determine what is best for everyone regardless of political party.

The truth is, removal of the Trump tariffs would only have improved inflation slightly and temporarily, but the cost of removal would possibly come at great risk to the American people. That is what the experts said, and their expertise was what Biden trusted in keeping the tariffs; it was not because they were the magic potion solution to a recovering economy that Trump would have you believe.

Biden's actions, of course, are in great contrast to Trump and let's state just one example, Obamacare. Trump was shown and told many times that repealing Obamacare would result in very negative outcomes for a lot of Americans. Did he give one fuck about that? NO. He tried multiple times to repeal the law completely, and replace it with "a concept of a plan."

Back to inflation.

In the last three years, late 2021 to present, many people saw themselves rethinking their careers and their choices in life - without taking money too much into consideration. Great news for opportunist assholes like Kevin O'Leary.

What happens when a large portion of the population decides to "reinvent" themselves? Usually it means they're willing to take a pay cut to obtain an entry level position in a career they always wanted or wanted to at least try OR it means that they take a leap and try to run their own business.

That's great news to owners and shareholders of large corporations: A large wave of entry level applicants to non-union jobs. Greed dictates, as Kevin O'Leary does, that you should fire the guy working forty-hour weeks and earning his living wage after twenty years of consistent quality work; greed says "fire that guy and hire two new guys at minimum wage and if you can, no overtime pay."

And the greed does not end there.

Using "inflation" as a pretext large corporations were able to drive down the price of labor across the supply chain. Look at how many owner operators in the trucking business went out of business ... Look at why Yellow Logistics went bankrupt - they could not pay the living wage "rate" that the union needed for it's workers. A surplus of available labor in the industry resulted in starvation wages, literally. Read some of the stories out there, there were truckers literally paying to take loads instead of earning from taking loads.

And it wasn't just the truckers, people in the background like freight brokers also took big hits "because ... inflation."

So what did assholes like Kevin O'Leary do to help consumers and small businesses?

Owners and shareholders were enjoying substantial savings in manufacturing labor, transport, retail workers, all granted because "inflation" and people became scared of losing their jobs. Did they pass on the savings to consumers? Sure, in the MAGA world with alternative facts (fiction) that's presumably what they did. In the real world, they jacked up prices ... "because ... inflation."

Small retail business didn't stand a chance either. Large retailers could always negotiate massive discounts on wholesale purchases that mom and pop shops could never leverage to compete with. Anybody starting a small retail business soon found it was better to go out out business than continue to lose money.

So corporate leaders enjoyed substantial savings across the board and continued to raise prices for consumers ...

AND THEN THEY REPORTED RECORD PROFITS! IN SOME INSTANCES, MANY TIMES THEIR WILDEST PROJECTIONS.

Look at the collusion in the meat industry and companies like Pepsi and Coca Cola if you need more details.

Yet, Elon is able to convince half of the American people that "big cuts" are necessary to reduce America's debt. He's certainly not going to cut money that gets funneled to his pockets, for sure. He is going to cut social security and Medicare because we all know how frivolously old people spend their money. I mean, I understand.

It's like Senator Ron Johnson said, "Senior citizens have misused social security and that's why I want it to sunset."

TBH, many a time, I have had to drive to the club ... the strip club ... to drag grandma out of there. She's in there all like "make it rain bitches" while tossing fitties and hundeds in the air and buying everyone round after round of cognac. Grandma is all like, "fitties for them titties"! And I'm all like, "Grandma you incorrigible lesbo! What about your insulin and your rent?!" [I can use the word lesbo because I have zero lesbian friends ... That's not my preference, I just have a "military look" and people make assumptions (not unfounded).]

Anyway, so what do they do when Kamala Harris states that safeguards against price gouging should be rolled out to help the American people, and that corporations should be taxed more to pay for social benefits like health care and education (that will never be paid through bullshit trickle down economics)? They send a complete dumbass anti-Semitic asshole like Mel Gibson to call Kamala Harris low IQ and stupid when it comes to economics.

To clarify, Kamala Harris understands economics much better than Mel Gibson ever will. She also understands greed and what it can drive innocent sounding people to do.

Yes, ideally, corporations would pay zero tax ... But in such an ideal world, everyone employed by the corporation from the janitor to the CEO would earn enough from a forty hour work week (not a one hundred hour work week as proposed by Elon) to afford housing, food, health care, transportation, and everyone would still have a little left over for a Sunday steak dinner with the family and a little entertainment. This ideal world will never come to be, not because it's impossible, but because greedy assholes like Elon don't believe workers "deserve" such an existence as lowly employees.

WE DON'T TAX CORPORATIONS TO BE ASSHOLES, WE TAX THEM BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES THEIR WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE EARNED.

The people that will suffer the most under Elon's rule on government spending will be the children, the elderly, the mentally or physically disabled. When you cast your vote, have them in mind, and ask yourself how much should they suffer so that Trump, Elon, and their billionaire friends can grow their "ego" wealth.

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

s1 episode 17 thoughts

i enjoyed this episode and was deeply excited for my nightly scully and mulder time. these two factors led to me taking a lot of notes tonight, even by my standards!

the first thing i wrote was "okay i read the synopsis... are they going to get CANCELLED" (thankfully this did not happen!)

the title screen reading "present day" did not predict me watching this in 2024 but i love to prove ppl wrong!!

the trucker pulled his shotgun out and fired at a spaceship which was a bold move. we need to praise him for his courage if nothing else.

then our intrepid heroes jump to tennessee!! and mulder unpacks all his little gadgets to check for aliens... aww it's endearing to me

in the interrogation room they were talking to the trucker and this man really WAS lounging about in a whorish manner like that famous post said!!!!! i was shocked!!! no decorum, not even at an interrogation!!

okay they're talking about "gulf war syndrome". i need to look something up real quick -> good lord i thought they made that up for the show but it's real and that is horrific. wow. that will be the next research rabbit hole i dive down.

(she opens her mouth to say something) (he holds his finger up) "not-not here" argument SUCCESSFULLY POSTPONED!

some background character asked scully for a pen and she gave it to her and i KNEW it was a sneaky trick... my guess was that she was going to use her fingerprints for something but in actuality it had a tracking device in there!!!!

THEY TOOK A BUS!!! new mode of transportation unlocked for our duo!!!!!!! you can tell this is fiction because it involves the US having functional public transport!!!!

mulder takes scully to his latest collection of freaks and conspirators. he says that barney is the world's most evil agent which once again raises the question: what did barney do to deserve all this?

one of the ufo nerds says "she's hot" right in front of scully which she graciously ignores. but then she says the us government is incompetent and the guy says "she IS hot" louder this time and mulder tells him to SETTLE DOWN!!!! he said that is my FRIEND and you will be RESPECTFUL!!!

(scully gives her $20 bill to a strange man) (he rips it up) she says, in the most indignant scully voice you have ever heard, heyyyy >:(

she says those guys were the weirdest people with the most outlandish theories she had ever met and mulder responds with "you think it's remotely plausible that someone might think you're hot?"

(A STUNNED SILENCE FILLS THE ROOM. MANY WANT TO KNOW WHY HE SAID THIS AND NO ANSWERS HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED. HELLO???? WHAT WAS THE LOGIC HERE???? is he flirting. is this is twisted humor. scully, once again, GRACIOUSLY says nothing)

she's all mad at how self important those guys were being- "they probably think they're being tracked wherever they go!" (cut to tracking device in pen reveal) oh these silly geese!!!!!!!

mulder at home reveal!!! we haven't gotten much of this before. he promptly fell asleep on his couch lmao what a guy.

a deep throat return!!! he hands mulder a package from under his coat like they do in all the good spy media!!! shoutout to that weird old man!!

scully thinks it's weird that mulder is trusting some guy and says a line that will certainly haunt me forever: "mulder, you're the only one i trust" "then you're gonna have to trust me" (immediately proceeds to get betrayed by trusting that guy. lol. lmao, even)

he says they'll meet up at her place and reassures her with a shoulder grab and lean in that was entirely unnecessary but it brought me great pleasure

scully uses her sleuthing skills (eyeballs) to realize the alien photo deep throat gave them is very fake. she is a detective!!! but he is very angry that she won't go with him to chase this new lead!

(wait i wrote all of this next part down i loved it so much)

"i have never met anyone so passionate and dedicated to a belief as you. it's so intense, sometimes it's blinding. but there are others who are watching you, who know what i know, and whereas i can respect and admire your passion, they will use it against you. mulder, the truth is out there, but so are lies." <- banger monologue that really pissed off the man it was directed towards (even though she said she admires him!!!!!!)

when he realizes the photo is indeed a fake, he menacingly leans in towards scully and says "we're alone on this one. there's no one we can trust" and yeah it was scary but i was looking at scully's freckles. sorry (it WILL happen again)

mulder meets deep throat in an aquarium!!!! need to see him in an aquarium for recreational purposes. get him a little shark keychain in the gift shop.

but now he's MAD at deep throat for lying to him and denying the world the truth: that aliens exist! shh keep your voice down you might scare the sharks!!

deep throat says "a lie is most convincingly hidden between two truths" to which i wrote, "ooo good line"

deep throat knows mulder is being listened to electronically which made me think that if i knew i was being wiretapped, i would blast the most insufferable hyperpop i know over and over again. hello welcome to the 10 hour 100 gecs livestream in my living room, feds. i give you 20 minutes tops before you give up.

(cutscene to mulder ripping apart all of his furniture in his apartment) <- me when i get that Cleaning Urge at 3 am

ohhh the little finger hand signal means someone is listening to us !!! the intimacy of being able to communicate with someone with just a motion!

scully hails a cab which is so nostalgic for me, because i have never hailed a cab in my life and only see it happen in tv shows or movies. now we just call an uber which is like kinda the same thing but taxis popped off with the bright yellow design. sad i've never experienced that.

sometimes while i'm watching the show it will randomly go to like vhs level quality and it did that here while scully was buying a plane ticket lol

next thing i wrote was "there are only 15 minutes left they are NOT gonna solve this one boys"

mulder fell asleep in the car with his mouth wide open... that is my cringefail loser princess

the alien got away! (jk it was a trap... but i was momentarily happy for the alien)

scully was scared by this turn of events! "god mulder, i can't stop shaking"... oh, an episode 1 parallel?? (she still gets scared by these things!!! just not often!!! which makes it more impactful when it happens!!)

then they crashed a random party in the woods which i can only imagine is very good for your health, especially if its a ufo welcoming party

they very briefly got aliases to break into the government facility and i LOVE a good alias but it didn't really go anywhere. sad!

a guard is stalking them breaking into a place they Should Not Be and scully gives up and turns herself in, but mulder makes a break for it!!! "oh this isn't gonna end well," i wrote, "why does he keep doing this?"

but we meet DEEP THROAT at the scene!!! who reveals that post ww2 there was an ULTRA SECRET WORLD POWER conference during which they agreed to kill any aliens that landed on earth and that HE was one of the 3 people on earth to kill an alien!! which he did when one crashed in vietnam...

and that the innocence on the alien's face still haunts him, which is why he helps mulder out, to give him a chance to atone for his sins... a LOT to unpack there

mulder says he is trying to figure out which of these things he said is a lie and my money is on the super-secret conference. you think people had nukes but drew the lines at aliens being a safety threat to bring them all together? bffr.

but there is no resolution as to if mulder is mad at scully for throwing them under the bus as the episode ends! they just watch deep throat fade into the distance together which hopefully means it's water under the bridge.

overall i really liked this episode! it was fast-paced, involved a roadtrip, had the leads both fighting and comforting each other, confessions of admiration, secret hand signals, an aquarium, a peek into mulder's living space, him calling up some weird guys he knows... what more could you really want?

[celticcrossanon]

Hello Celta, you have had to be living under a rock not to have heard about Catherine and Charles. What’s curious to me is why did Charles release his prostate thingy almost the same time as KP talking about Catherine’s hospital stay? His is not until next week. Did he want to have some of her glory and sympathetic publicity? Is he still waiting to the most important royal like he was in the Diana days?

My second point is that an American psychic Linda The Comanche Psychic had a livestream yesterday, and many were frantic asking her about Catherine’s health. Linda is a retired ICU nurse and she said her guides were saying it was an intestinal diverticulitis/diverticulosis. She had a nurse friend with this condition and she had the exact operation with the same hospital stay and recovery time. Another person in the chat, a trucker also had the same operation. It’s where the surgeon removes a part of the infected intestine, and the stitches it back together. Because of the location of the surgery, they have to take special care to make sure it heals properly. I can imagine it takes some time because your gut is not a sterile area, and she can’t lift anything heavy, eg Louis. The origin of the disease is not clear, but it could be some are genetically inclined to get it. I imagine stress is definitely an added factor., as Catherine has taken good care of her health and diet for years This is all allegedly of course, as I doubt KP will ever clarify her medical issue.

This is just to shut down those who are saying it’s a hysterectomy. Nowadays hysterectomies are done in one day, overnight stay and you’re home. As a matter of fact most procedures are one or two overnight stay. For example, Charles upcoming prostate procedure is a same day job.

I’m wishing Catherine good healing vibes. Post operation the two people in the live stream had better health, and it solved their issue. Catherine will be ok.

Hi AnonymousRetired,

I saw the news about Princess Catherine yesterday and then about King Charles today. I think both of them will be fine, but I am going to read on both of them to make sure.

I think the double announcement wasn't done out of malice or attention seeking (for once) but was either a) both palaces wanting to get all the bad news over and done with b) using the King's announcement to divert attention from the announcement about Catherine, to try and shield her from the speculation, or c) the palaces not talking to each other about the timing of the announcements. I'm not getting any malicious vibes from the King's announcement nor any attention seeking vibes from it, just "the people need to be informed about this because of my position as King, even though I would rather they did not know" vibes. If anything, I think the King is rather embarrassed about his health issue and trying to put a good face on it.

With that healing time, I think the health issue is something that involves muscles or other bits being cut and sewn back together, like what the psychic you mentioned said, and not e.g. anything done using keyhole surgery, which has a shorter stay in hospital as far as I remember.

As you said, the main thing is to send them both healing energy and positive energy, or remember them in your prayers, or whatever you do to support their healing process. I wish them both a good recovery and better health after their procedures.

[bubblesandgutz]

Every Record I Own - Day 835: Minutemen Double Nickels on the Dime

If I were to lose my entire record collection in a fire, the first albums I would replace would be Miles Davis' In A Silent Way, Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St, Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks, and Minutemen's Double Nickels on the Dime. Of all those albums, Double Nickels has been in my life the longest.

It wasn't the first Minutemen album I owned (that would be the Post Mersh Vol 1 compilation) nor would it be the first Minutemen album that I really fell in love with (that would be Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat), but it's the album that best encapsulates and captures all that I love about Minutemen.

With 45 songs at a runtime of over 80 minutes, it's a very dense album. As the San Pedro trio was fond of explaining, this was their "art album," which presumably means they were straying even further from the punk formula of their SoCal peers. Bassist Mike Watt ditched the pick and started playing with his fingers, nudging the band into funkier territories. Guitarist D. Boon revealed an aptitude with his instrument only hinted at on previous recordings and established his place as one of the greatest players in the punk scene. Drummer George Hurley slowed the tempos and leaned into the groove. There is very little on Double Nickels that sounds traditionally punk, unless you look back to the guitar dexterity of Television's Marquee Moon or the stabby rhythms of Gang of Four's Entertainment! To further confuse things, there were covers of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Van Halen, and Steely Dan on the album, and they blended in seamlessly with the original material.

It was a lot to process as a 15-year-old punk back in 1992. Minutemen had been big with my peer group in Hawaii, but I'd moved to Washington over the summer, and none of the punks or skaters I knew on the mainland gave two shits about the band. The "cool" factor for the band had disappeared in the move. But there was still something fascinating about Double Nickels, even if the music felt a bit unapproachable.

There was almost a kind of separate culture that surrounded Minutemen. Their vernacular was strange... a combination of SoCal surfer-speak, trucker slang, working class drawl, and literary sophistication. Their lyrics were both topical and cryptic. The incorporation of Raymond Pettibon illustrations in their album art added another layer of tension, mystery, and irreverence. They had a blue-collar aesthetic with a political bent and an art-minded approach. There simply wasn't another band that looked, sounded, or exuded the same aura as Minutemen.

There were Easter eggs hidden all over the album. Watt had just read Ulysses and seemed intent on mirroring the book's layers of meaning and sly humor (there's even a song called "June 16th" in homage to Bloomsday). The album title was a poke at Sammy Hagar's "I Can't Drive 55," with "double nickels" referring to the 55 mph speed limit and "the dime" referring to Highway 10, which leads into their hometown of San Pedro. The album cover, an homage to Kraftwerk's original Autobahn album art, captures Watt in his car with the speedometer at a steady 55 while the highway sign for the 10 is seen through the windshield. The sequencing of the album was an homage to Pink Floyd's Ummagumma with each member getting a side of the record to curate at their will and with all the remaining songs allocated to side D.

The music was a riddle in and of itself. Songs like "#1 Hit Song" and "Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing" seemed to reinforce the album title's criticism of pop music's banality while basking in contradictions, such as the puzzling decision for Boon to drop a blazing guitar solo in the latter after singing "if we heard mortar shells, we'd cuss more in our songs and cut down on guitar solos." There's the intensely autobiographical "History Lesson pt 2" but also the self-referencing diss track "One Reporter's Opinion." The ominous and odd-timed "God Bows to Math" segues into the country two-step of "Corona." Hurley prioritized the clatter-and-scat of "You Need the Glory" as the opening to his side of the 2xLP over the power anthem of "Themselves."

And there were the lyrics to parse out. What's a punk kid supposed to make of lines like "me naked with textbook poems / spout fountain against the Nazis / a weird kind of sex symbol?" Or "the world was wrong and I was forced to march in line / but it felt like handcuffs / machines disregard my pronouns?" One moment it's "no hope / see, that's what gives me guts / big fucking shit / right now, man," but then it's "let the products sell themselves / fuck advertising / commercial psychology / psychological methods to sell should be destroyed."

I eventually made a commitment in November '92 to listen to Double Nickels in its entirety every day of the month. It was partially an endurance test. Could I do it? But it was also an attempt at deciphering what I was hearing. Surely this must all make sense somehow. And here I am 34 years later, still intrigued, mystified, and engaged by the album. I still hear something new every time I listen to it. There are still more in-jokes, references, and nuggets of wisdom to glean from it. It's a work of art that requires patience and attention, but it's also just a straight-up piece of celebratory joy and working class angst.

There's an entire world embedded in Double Nickels. It has its own language. It's own philosophy. It's own musical logic. It's own humor. It's own cultural reference-points. And it continues to be a world I want to visit on the regular.

[self-indulgent-paw-patrol]

Zuma Appreciation Week - Day 5 (Skipping day 4 because it'll be posted later some other day), Favorite Outfit

Okay, THIS ONE I won't make art for it because I need to focus my still very limited time of using my laptop for other urgent commissions (got another tattoo to draw for and a whole wedding card to design!). Too bad I couldn't buy my second laptop earlier, it won't be here until the 18th and that's just the ETA, it might be delivered later (or sooner, hopefully).

I also don't have a favorite Zuma outfit. I swear I went through the entire list like seven times since when I first came up with the prompts ideas and I still can't pick...

So I'll make a top 5. No specific order.

Ready Race Rescue racing suit is of course one of my favorites. I always loved racing sports, I'm not an expert but I enjoy it and have fun watching. I still need to get the chance that Brazilian Paramount FINALLY put this special up in their list, to finally watch it in the Brazilian Portuguese dub - and have my dad watch it too, I got my love for racing sports from him XD

The First Movie outfit is really cool in my eyes too. It doesn't go too far from the classic one, but still has that cool factor, y'know? Plus I love glowy/neon lines, it totally won me over instantly.

With that mentioned, I can't go about glowy lines without including the Mighty Movie powered up suit! FOR ME, THIS IS LIKE GIVING ME A WHOLE SEASONED SALAD BOWL, I'll eat it up like it's the most delicious thing in the world-- This glowy suit feeds my glowy-lover soul, excellent feast 😂👌🏽

And they managed to work ORANGE glow, it's so easy to go a tiny bit overboard and it suddenly becomes red or yellow... Trust me, it's hard to get a good orange glow on things!

Can't leave the Aqua Pups diving suit out of this top 5 ever either, for the same reason!! It has the absolute glow-in-the-dark vibe I love so much, I really wish we'd get to see more of Aqua Pups. It felt like a step further from Sea Patrol, now going fully underwater deep ocean, AND GLOWY SUITS LIKE THEY'RE SOME KIND OF BIOLUMINESCENT CREATURES, I LOVE IT--

And finally, Big Truck Pups! I love their trucker uniforms SO MUCH. They're simple, yet with a nice cool factor, the jackets look awesome, all their colors going really well with the black shirts and gloves, plus the trucker caps! When I get to work on my Zuma looks, one of them will totally be inspired on his trucker outfit and I'll make sure to get a cap and customize it like his trucker one (I want the Sea Patrol cap too). Nickelodeon is totally missing on offering these caps as official products, I'd make sure to buy originals no matter HOW if they would just do that.

AND LAST AS AN HONORABLE MENTION: First movie re-imagined classic outfit!

Not gonna lie, I like it better than the show's classic one XD It's technically the same, but a little bit more worked/detailed, which I like it a lot. I like getting to see details on things!

[laboulaie]

Soap Opera Digest: Soaps’ 50 Greatest Couples

9. Todd & Blair: two “tricksters” who found love

“What would happen if two truckers set out to trick each other?” posited Michael Malone, the late One Life To Live writer who put Todd Manning and Blair Cramer together in 1994. More importantly, “What if the ultimate trick was on them and they fell in love?”

Calling Todd and Blair “tricksters” was being kind. By the time they met at Rodi’s Bar, he had been sent to prison for participating in the gang rape of Marty Saybrooke, and she had married the much-older Asa Buchanan for his money and faked a pregnancy to keep him. As they drowned their sorrows, the two compared notes on who was “most pathetic,” and their mutual attraction led to the bedroom.

Blair soon learned that, unbeknownst to Todd, he was the heir to the Lord family fortune. So she claimed she was pregnant, he proposed and they wed in Key West. Todd soon learned the truth and forced the lying Blair to take a pregnancy test, which - surprise! - was positive. She lost the baby, got pregnant again (with Starr) and they remarried in the famous “gold balloon” wedding just before Todd was presumed dead (he wasn’t).

Years of drama followed as Blair married Max and Todd wed Téa. But they always remained on each other’s orbit - until Todd seemingly died for real in 2003. A convoluted story followed as a man claiming to be Todd (with plastic surgery) turned out to be Todd’s unknown twin, Victor Lord Jr. The real Todd returned in 2011, having been held captive by Irene Manning. He was upset that Blair had stopped looking for him, but the tempestuous twosome reconciled.

“There is such a rooting factor for these two broken people, because when they are together they are whole,” Kassie DePaiva told Soap Opera Digest in 2012. When Todd and Blair had sex, it was a love song.”

***article is word for word but pictures are different because SOD (for whatever reason) chose to include pictures of TnB when TSJ was in the role

[pisboy]

as a fellow alopecia haver would you mind if i asked a few questions about how you cope with it? like, do you wear hats or wigs or do clever hairstyles to hide it or do you just let it show? ive tried pills and scalp shots and nothing is reversing mine. im only 26 and i feel like this is the worst thing to ever happen to me and i dont know what to do about it. nobody even thinks balding women exist. nobody considers how it is to actually be one. im so scared no one will ever like me or find me cute again. i used to think i was so cute. this sucks so bad.

For me the back of my head around the nape and up to nearly the top of my scalp has never grown hair, not even when I was born. My father also has alopecia areata and he has a few golfball-to-coin sized patches he loses and regrows at a random basis. So I've had my entire life to contend with hair loss and family that was familiar with it, so I sympathize so incredibly hard to women who develop it later in life. It is probably mortifying.

So yeah, shots and pills and balms and oils and etc have never worked for me. I also lose hair at random basis around the rest of my scalp, mainly around the margins of my crown (losing my bangs) and the sides of the back where I already do not grow hair. I also lose half my left eyebrow on a regular basis. If you go far back enough in my #me tag I've posted what it looks like. I also preface some of my advice might not be helpful if you have afro-textured hair, but I will recommend someone who will be extremely helpful in that respect.

Also I hope you don't mind me doing a shotgun blast of advice but maybe my experience will help someone

Things that worked for me:

I've always been flipping my part as my hair cycles in a growth/loss state for my bangs. Low pony tails tend to hold better than high ones in what is essentially a clever combover. Uhhh and always keep a hair tie around in case there is wind lol I always get self conscious when there's a breeze.

This is kind of vague and probably shitty advice but I've noticed over the years I lose hair when I am stressed, so I've had to make the call (in addition to other factors) to quit jobs that really strain me and I've noticed improvement in hair growth. So depending on your circumstances I say make some effort to reduce your other stress factors while you go through figuring it out. This shit is literally traumatizing.

This thing here is basically a pepper shaker for keratin bits that can color-fill in patches of missing (or really tiny short baby) hair. I can only speak as a brunette but it works pretty damn good as some camouflage for your skin poking out where you can't cover it. Do note it kind of has an ashy texture so it's something to wash out at night like makeup. Scalp makeup lol.

Hats are good. I wore trucker hats for most of my teen years, but I don't wear them much anymore, especially being out of the stress of school. However - a piece of advice from a mentor of mine, Jamie Elmore, is to call hats, bands, scarves, wigs, anything under an umbrella term "accessory." It's kind of corny but sometimes conceptualizing these things that way helps coping with the impulse of a world that demands you hide your hair loss and another where you can freely express yourself without fear of judgement. Anyway, I recommend looking her up, she has a magazine and works hard for the alopecia community, particularly for black alopecians.

Oh yeah if you can find those hippy chick silk hair bands that have the elastic around the back, I love those. Regular bandanas are also good.

Uhhh shorter hair also tends to weigh and pull less, which I think everyone has varying sensitivity to, but to anyone considering a bob, why not might help lol. I also lose my hair in the largest amounts in the shower, so like, if you develop a weird complex about showering I know allllllll about it.

I have tried partial wigs, which are custom cut out and adhered to your head, and it's nice if you want to do hairstyles you otherwise could not, but it's high maintenance, very itchy, and gets gummy after about a week.

But yeah it's been a very slow and steady process to get used to going out in public without putting effort in camouflaging my alopecia, and that mostly has to do with tuning people out. The existential stuff gets personal so I save those conversations for a 1-to-1. *Holds you by the shoulder* we are all coping out here.

I look at that sword of Damocles hanging over my head and if my scalp gets wiped out beyond all sidepart repair, I'll go full wig-wearing. I once had a hair stylist who was giddy at the idea of shaving my head when I explained it to her, which was comforting in a silly way.

Anyway, it's been years since I've dipped my toes into the greater Alopecia Community, the ones with all the acronyms, but there are NAAF chapter groups that you can meet and hopefully find people to connect with. I think you need to join an email group though. Anyway. For the longest time the only people I knew with it was just my dad and a cousin who had it for 1 year and never again and seeing a group of people with patchy/full baldness in person for the first time made me cry.

To end on a good note, there have been trials for JAK inhibitors (a treatment for many autoimmune disorders) having really breakthrough success rates at hair regrowth, but I haven't looked into it lately. Seems very promising. A lot better than cortisone shots in the scalp I figure, maybe worth the pain lmao

EDIT: i misremembered it being lupus medication, but it was actually Janus kinase inhibitor trials with success.

[artisticdivasworld]

Why Factoring can be a Lifeline for Truckers During Economic Downturns

A lot of truckers are familiar with factoring, but maybe you haven’t thought about how it could be a life saver during economy uncertainty. Everyone’s feeling the pinch with fewer loads, longer wait times, and the unpredictability of when payments are coming in. Right now, cash flow is more important than ever, and factoring could be the thing that keeps your business steady while you ride out…

[renkenako]

✦ KENTO YAMAZAKI, CISMALE, HE/HIM ✦ REN KANEKO the TWENTY-SEVEN year old has been in willow’s edge for THEIR ENTIRE LIFE and was an EX-BOYFRIEND to JUNE, from the deceased family. whispers on the streets are that the MECHANIC AT ONE-STOP AUTO who lives in WILLOUGHBY COMPLEX are said to be CANDID and SELF-WILLED but i guess we’ll find out for ourselves.

tw: family issues, alcohol mention

full name: kenako ren

date of birth: january 30th

star sign: aquarius

place of birth: willow's edge south carolina

family: kaneko osamu (father), nakamura miu (mother)

sexual orientation: bisexual

religion: atheist

tattoos: dueling rabbits on either thigh, flames above his left ankle, broken glass around his left elbow, a very meta tattoo with question marks above his right elbow, skull / mechanic piece on his right calf, a fat bird above the crook of his left elbow, ladder above his right ankle, "whatever forever" on his left shin, a double-headed rat on his left bicep, and a broken bone on his left forearm.

style: linen button-ups, vans and converse, vintage beer t-shirts, light-washed dad jeans, carhartt jackets, miscellaneous trucker hats, short-sleeved button-ups or bowling shirts, grey jeans, white basic tees, well-worn nike sneakers, five inch inseam gym shorts, distressed jean jackets, a canvas messenger bag, headphones as a necklace, silver rings, dark brown cargo/utility pants, and doc martens.

[ aesthetics coming later because i am tired ]

ren grew up in winslow as an only child in an upper middle class family. his mother, miu, was a stay at home mom and an artist in her free time— though most of her paid work tended to be painting storefront windows in town. his father, osamu, now works as an office administrator but back in his heyday, he was the manager of willow suite's.

while both of ren's parents are more reserved, he broke tradition and even from a young age was the kid constantly being asked to change desks at school or earn a sideways glance. make no mistake, he's not the loudmouth demanding the spotlight but he's undoubtedly the loudest in the kenako bunch, standing out just enough to stress out his father.

his father expected ren to grow out of his tendencies and mature. but the more ren got told to quiet down or to grow up or 'stay in line', the less he wanted to. at a certain point, it wasn't so much his natural instinct but a choice made of spite.

maybe that was a factor in how things went with june. having grown up around the suites given his father's job, he'd gotten to know the willows well enough. it wasn't really until that one summer— ren was twenty and working at the hotel as a bellhop, having opted not to do the whole college thing (another decision made to spite the status quo). at some point, june and him had just gotten closer. it felt a bit forbidden. boss's daughter. father's boss's daughter. they hadn't taken it public when his father had found out in a moment of wrong place, wrong time. immediately, he didn't approve, calling it inappropriate. worrying about his job, how mr. willow would see him, what he'd think. june and ren hadn't lasted too much longer after that. even though ren refused to listen to his father's demands to end it, staying in a relationship where you're not feeling very welcomed... it made sense. ren never faulted her for that. — [ together for four months, mostly private but became more public knowledge after it ended ]

after not going to college, the initial plan (from dad) was for him to follow in osamu's footsteps and work at the suites, eventually making his way up the ladder. that dream never really took off and officially died after that summer with june. it was then that ren went to trade school to become a mechanic. he'd preferred the idea of a hands on type job and, to be honest, the grim of it seemed appealing. can't be all prim and proper with oil stains. it helped too that ren had always liked cars; hot wheels were his toy of choice as a kid. now he mostly collects speeding tickets.

owns a black 1967 chevy impala that he restored himself. it's his pride and joy.

moved into willoughby complex when he was twenty-two. he had a roommate for two years before moving into his own one bedroom.

loves a capri sun. he's a fan on most flavors but his favorite is obviously pacific cooler and he cannot and will not touch the grape. at a bar, he'll either grab a simple beer or a classic rum and coke.

loves music and doesn't go anywhere without at least some type of ear buds, though he prefers headphones. — [ greta van fleet, mother mother, the black keys, ren, rainbow kitten surprise, noah kahan, creedence clearwater revival, maneskin, k.flay, tamino, etc... ]

big fan of sitting anywhere but a chair: the hood of his car, the roof of willoughby, a tall stack of tires, counters, also the floor.

general connection ideas: best friends, friends, ex-friends, pseudo siblings, ex-roommate of two years, childhood/family friends, coworkers (now or once-upon-a-time), exes [ 1. non-serious childhood "girlfriend", 2. high school girlfriend, 3. june, 4. ex from early twenties, 5. recent ex. ], fwb, one night stand, dating app match, one-sided crush, old crush?, enemy, annoyance, drinking buddy, bad/good influence, extended fam… others that i cannot think of

[ PINTEREST ]

[evil-alex]

more yapping

I LOVE TRUCKS. SO MUCH. i talked abt it a littke bit w/ the airy hfjone stuff and the want to be a trucker but like. i need to talk abt it more the PROSPECT of being out on the road for hours with no one else, music blasting, pepsi in the cup holder, elbow out the window, beef jerky on the dashboard, yelling along to the lyrics. DUDE!!! THIS IS PERFECT!!!!! im gonna go over it all

solitude: interacting w/ people is hard!!! i dont like it!! not at al!! so i get to stay in my comfy little area for hours w/out interuption ?? PERFECT!! a desk job or smth is too many people everywhere!! ahh!!! overload!! eek!!! but TRUCK.. the only other people are 10+ ft away!!! yay!! they cant go "eugh why is that critter doin allat..." they go "do the honk!!" and then ill do the honk!! n theyre HAPPY!!!! YAY!!

trucking noises: THE NOISES. theres no loud people talking or shouting or footsteps just WHEELS N ENGINES!!!! ive always like the sounds of cars, mostly js the general constant rumbling cuz it reminds me of like a cat purring n its super comforting!!! i grew up w/ cats n still have some so theyre a big comfort. + no one judges you for blasting music!!!!! i can scream along to femtanyl!!! or stummy book!!!! or rlly whatever!!!! its perfect!!!

the good eats: FOOD... i can go wherever 4 food cuz my JOB is driving!!! those diners w/ the pancake n bacon meals,,, BEEF JERKY N SODA... GIGGLING!! its like not a big driving factor but its so nice cuz im not limited to like a cafeteria or js somewhere nearby

uniform: there ISNT!! a uniform!!!! i can wear my flannel!!! and sweatpants!!! i could wear a croptop and shorts!!!! i can wear winter gear!!!! anything!!! i dont have to wear a suit or dress professionally!!! or wear layered stuff1!! o itchy uniforms!! i love it YAY!!!!

scenery: I LOVE THE OUTDOORS. bro. send me into a forest and im SET. when ur trucking ur EVERYWHERE!!! theres CITIES and FORESTS and FIELDS and SWAMPS and TOWNS!! mountains!! highways!!! i love it!!!!! i can see so much w/out having to move around so much!!!!

erm anyways1!! enjoy my trucking talk!!! i lov e trucks bro!!! theyre so awesome I WILL MAKE YOU PROUD AIRY..

[healthxmatter]

Modafinil is not typically included in standard drug tests, but specific tests can detect its presence. Here's what you need to know:

🔍 Detection Methods: Modafinil can be detected in blood and urine samples using GC-MS or LC-MS. The detection threshold is around 2 ng/mL.

⏳ Duration in System: Modafinil has a half-life of 12-15 hours and can remain detectable for up to 105 hours after ingestion. Factors like age, metabolism, and genetics can influence its clearance.

❌ False Positives: Modafinil's unique chemical structure makes false positives unlikely in drug tests.

🚫 False Negatives: False negatives occur when a substance is present but not detected. Proper testing methods minimize the risk of false negatives.

👨‍⚕️ Testing Scenarios:

Corporate World: Some employers conduct drug tests, especially if they suspect substance abuse or productivity issues.

Military Personnel: Modafinil use among military personnel is monitored due to its cognitive-enhancing effects.

Athletes: International sports organizations may test for Modafinil as it's considered a performance-enhancing drug.

Truckers and Drivers: Commercial drivers may undergo drug testing, including Modafinil, due to safety concerns.

⚠️ Legal and Medical Considerations: Using Modafinil without a prescription is illegal in many places. Prolonged use can lead to dependency and withdrawal symptoms. Users should be aware of legal implications and potential health risks.

Before using Modafinil, consider its impact on drug tests and consult with healthcare professionals for proper guidance.

[diseaseincontext]

The Complex Web of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Multidimensional Perspective

Sub-Saharan Africa has long been at the forefront of the global battle against HIV/AIDS. The region carries a significant burden of the virus, with a complex web of social, cultural, and geographical factors impacting the epidemic. The multifaceted nature of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa will be explored in this blog post, drawing insights from recent research articles that provide valuable perspectives on various aspects of the issue.

Tackling AIDS-Related Stigma: The Role of Church Groups

In the quest to address HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa, a critical aspect is the reduction of AIDS-related stigma. Campbell, Skovdal, and Gibbs (2011) examine the role of church groups in creating social spaces to combat stigma. These groups play an essential role in providing support, raising awareness, and fostering acceptance, illustrating the power of community-driven efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Nonetheless, more research is needed to understand why some churches are more effective than others in responding to HIV/AIDS.

The Geographical Understanding of HIV/AIDS

Mayer (2005) delves into the geographical aspect of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding the spatial distribution of the virus is crucial for effective resource allocation, intervention planning, and targeted healthcare delivery. Research has shown that migrant labourers, truckers, and the Ugandan military have played a role in spreading the disease. Gender inequalities and the epidemic's impact on orphans are also significant issues. This research emphasizes the importance of a location-specific approach to combat the epidemic.

Stigma of People with HIV/AIDS: A Literature Review

Stigmatization of individuals with HIV/AIDS is a persistent issue in Sub-Saharan Africa. Mbonu, van den Borne, and De Vries (2009) conducted a comprehensive literature review to shed light on the stigma faced by those affected by the virus and the current research on the topic of stigma related to HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. This research highlights the urgency of reducing stigma to enhance care and support for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

Gender and HIV/AIDS Impact Mitigation

Seeley, Grellier, and Barnett (2004) explore the gender dimension of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. The research recognizes the unique challenges faced by women in the context of the epidemic and emphasizes the need for gender-sensitive interventions. It highlights gender-specific constraints such as access to resources, services, markets, and the incidence of gendered violence. The differential involvement of men and women in development programs also affects access to resources. Addressing these constraints is vital for reducing the impact of HIV/AIDS on women in the region.

HIV/AIDS and the Construction of Sub-Saharan Africa

Yeboah (2007) offers heuristic lessons from the social sciences for policy formulation in Sub-Saharan Africa. The article emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary approaches in understanding the complex dynamics of the epidemic and in developing effective policies to combat HIV/AIDS. The article presents an argument that the Eurocentric construction of the region has hindered a comprehensive understanding of the virus and its impact.

--

HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa is a complex issue with multiple dimensions. To combat the epidemic effectively, a multidisciplinary approach is essential, drawing upon research in social sciences, geography, and public health. Addressing AIDS-related stigma, understanding the geographical distribution of the virus, recognizing gender-specific constraints, and involving local communities and religious groups are all critical aspects of the battle against HIV/AIDS.

While progress has been made, much work remains to be done in the region. The fight against HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa requires a multifaceted strategy, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to reducing the impact of the virus on individuals and communities. By taking a holistic approach, we can work towards a future where HIV/AIDS is no longer a devastating burden in Sub-Saharan Africa.

References!

Campbell, C., Skovdal, M., & Gibbs, A. (2011). Creating Social Spaces to Tackle AIDS-Related Stigma: Reviewing the Role of Church Groups in Sub-Saharan Africa. AIDS and Behavior, 15(6), 1204–1219. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-010-9766-0

Mayer, J. D. (2005). The geographical understanding of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift - Norwegian Journal of Geography, 59(1), 6–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/00291950510020493

Mbonu, N. C., van den Borne, B., & De Vries, N. K. (2009). Stigma of People with HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Literature Review. Journal of Tropical Medicine, 2009, e145891. https://doi.org/10.1155/2009/145891

Seeley, J., Grellier, R., & Barnett, T. (2004). Gender and HIV/AIDS impact mitigation in sub-Saharan Africa—Recognising the constraints. SAHARA-J: Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS, 1(2), 87–98. https://doi.org/10.1080/17290376.2004.9724831

Yeboah, I. E. A. (2007). HIV/AIDS and the construction of Sub-Saharan Africa: Heuristic lessons from the social sciences for policy. Social Science & Medicine, 64(5), 1128–1150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.10.003