#ltl tucking

[xpresscargo]

Professional LTL Trucking Companies in Indiana

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[lunapwrites]

Yesterday was an extremely long travel day lol. Both of my flights were delayed. HOWEVER by some stroke of luck they were both delayed by the same amount so they didn't actually affect my plans.

All in all between me showing up a little early to both my flights getting delayed (not by much, but enough to be annoying) to me wandering around the parking garage trying to play marco polo with my car, I spent 14 hours travelling yesterday, from the time I left the hotel to the time I parked in my own driveway.

Good news: I got a little writing done for LTL while I was waiting for the plane in TX, and I got to see my best friend in TN while I was waiting for my layover (we did dinner, it was nice.)

Bad news: I am fucking BEAT. I am reasonably certain today I am taking the entire day to recover.

However my dogs were both extremely excited to see me and they sang me the song of their people and then immediately attached themselves to me like fuzzy barnacles. Literally, they don't normally sleep touching me unless they're cold but I had one curled up on my legs and one tucked into my chest with her head on my shoulder and they were just !!!!!! I just love them so much guys.

(My partner was also happy to see me but he showed up probably 2 hours after I passed out so the effect was diminished lol. He was very sad about the fact that the dogs largely ignored him while I was gone. :( I don't know why they bonded to me so hard but it is what it is.)

This is a very Strange hotel I'm staying at currently.

The remotes don't work. One of the TVs is therefore stuck on some weather channel, which I don't actually have much of an issue with. The other was stuck on a Ministry channel and it took me about half an hour but I did at least get it changed to a local news station somehow. I was aiming for a cooking channel but hey, I'll take it.

The outlets, likewise, are haunted. I have identified One that works (it is in the bathroom) and so all the electronics I've brought with me have been taking turns charging on the sink lol. But like. When I tell you they don't work, it's like I plugged the little plug in the wall and I'm like "huh that feels really loose" and then the plug just. Fell out of the outlet. I have never seen that before. And they're pretty much all like that. There's one I can get a slow trickle of power out of but like. My phone was still losing power while it was connected to it, just more slowly.

The electronics all work. The AC works (I think one of them has either a French fry or a dessicated churro in it and I'm not about to poke it to check)

But I'm having a very nice morning regardless and just had little mini waffles and blueberries and they had Earl Grey tea so I'm doing alright. :)

[unwelcome-ozian]

Mind Control Mind Control In The 90's Police State Of Mind Source: Unknown

Everything you know could be wrong ­ little more than re-constructed memories planted by government mind-control programmes. David Guyatt traces the history of thought control experiments and the technology that might shape a future psycho-civilised society. The Pentagon's crew-cut communication commandos say that less-than-lethal (LTL) weapons won't kill you, but what they don't tell you is that their new-age, high-tech, armoury has been secretly honed to mind-boggling efficacy and it is your mind that's been scheduled for boggling. Your future shot of non-lethal Novocain might be an electromagnetic field that cocoons your every thought and inserts an inaudible 'command' message directly into your unconscious. The whole caboodle has been lovingly designed to re-programme the way you think ­ and even what you think. Alternatively, at the flip of a switch you might be turned off altogether.

Thought can be controlled ­ remotely. There's no need to attach wires or electrodes. Nowadays, the spooks of Langley, Fort George Meade and elsewhere, can hack straight into your brain. This might sound like the rabid fantasising of an X-Files fruitcake, but the technology is out there and so is the will to use it.

In 1996, the US Air Force Scientific Advisory Board published a 14-volume study of future developments in weapons called New World Vistas. Tucked away on page 89 of an ancillary 15th volume are some hair-raising insights into the future 'coupling' of man and machine in a section dealing with 'Biological Process Control'. The author refers to an 'explosion' of knowledge in the field of neuroscience, adding, ominously: "One can envision the development of electromagnetic energy sources, the output of which can be pulsed, shaped, and focused, that can couple with the human body in a fashion that will allow one to prevent voluntary muscular movements, control emotions (and thus actions), produce sleep, transmit suggestions, interfere with both short-term and long-term memory, produce an experience set, and delete an experience set."1 Translating the words 'experience set' from military jargon into plain English, this means, simply, that they envisage the ability to erase your life's memories and substitute a new, fictitious set.

There is some debate whether these mind-weapons are not already in 'low profile' service. By projecting such developments into the future, the authors of New Vistas might be camouflaging present day capabilities. A similar futuristic scenario with many references to mind manipulation is described in The Revolution in Military Affairs and Conflict Short of War(US Army War College, 1994). Authors Steven Metz and James Kievit declare: "Behaviour modification is a key component of peace enforcement" and "The advantage of [using] directed energy systems is deniability." Savvy individuals, the authors ask: "Against whom is such deniability aimed?" The direct answer is "the American people". So much for 'open government'.

Set in the year 2010, Metz and Kievit write of "perception moulding" and "advanced psycho-technologies" to avoid irksome public protest, but that is just the beginning. The major obstacle, they believe, is that "traditional American ethics [are] a major hindrance," and thus, sadly "old-fashioned notions of personal privacy and national sovereignty [are to be] changed."

Individuals unwilling to go along with the revolutionary changes are "identified using comprehensive inter-agency integrated databases." They will then be "catergorized" and "sophisticated computerized personality simulations" will be used "to develop, tailor and focus psychological campaigns for [ie. against] each."

Other techniques to be used in association with these new mind weapons, including 'morphing' ­ a present-day ability that controls the distortion of TV images.8 So, if you are lucky enough not to have your brains electronically scrambled ­ or erased ­ the electronic news media will be manipulated especially for you, presenting convincing near-real-life visual images through your combined TV set-cum-internet interface.

While these new-age Da Vinci's continue to create their speckled visions of our future, we should ask some hard question now; specifically: "Is this technology just a futuristic dream or is it here today?"

[canid-slashclaw]

The Outliers - A Guild Wars Love Story

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9,  Chapters 10 and 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16 , Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20,  Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Six months passed since Kaleb and Amalthia had first moved in together. Since that time, she transferred some of her most important possessions from her father's place - including the ubiquitous workbench and welding components, which she set up in Ulfgar's back storage room. Kaleb, on the other hand, could not quite bring himself to return to his old homestead, especially considering the circumstances of his departure.

His tour of duty with the Seraph was over, so now he had far more free time available to establish his career options. During this time, both he and Amalthia began searching for hotspots throughout Tyria, hoping to cash in on their respective combat skills. Helping to clean towns of troublesome undead became a particular specialty of theirs.

***

Kaleb clamored up a small hill while waving a brightly colored banner that was attached at the end of a long pole. As he held the colorful object aloft, the mournful groans of the undead became ever louder.

"Hey! Over here you maggot shitters!" In spite of their various states of decomposition, they moved with surprising bursts of speed. So much so that one of them nearly snagged Kaleb by the ankle just as he was trying to sprint away. When he reached the top of the precipice, he found that his only avenue of escape had been blocked. The undulating mass of festering corpses began surging directly towards him as he threw down the banner then pulled out his revolvers. His weapons blazed as scores of the rotten creatures began to fall in droves. Seconds later, he saw a row of their heads explode followed by a thunderous crack.

"Keep up the good work, love. You're doing great," came Amalthia's voice from another precipice three hundred yards away. She waved to him while lying in the prone position with her high-powered long rifle tucked firmly against her shoulder. Several shots from her longarm destroyed half a dozen of the putrid creatures as they tried converging on Kaleb's position.

"A little more off the side, if you don't mind Miss Steelblade," Kaleb shouted as he felled several more of the creatures with his revolvers.

"Be more specific, Mr. Grimwald. Left or right?"

Twelve more zombies surged upon Kaleb's position. He quickly turned, reloaded then emptied all but two rounds in each gun as the corpses fell all around him.

"Whichever side is closest to killing me first would be great. Please and thank you."

Amalthia reloaded as well then lined up more heads for a multi-shot takedown. As the high-velocity rounds ripped through the row of skulls, showers of rotten brain matter splattered across Kaleb's face and clothing.

"Ugh! Well, that's one jerkin that's going to become a work shirt," he quipped as he tried his best to prevent the rest of his designer outfit from getting soiled from the remnants of the undead.

"Serves you right for wearing your church clothes to a risen slaughter," Amalthia shouted with laughter.

Kaleb chuckled at the comment and responded in kind. "Well, then I am appropriately dressed, cause this sort of thing is my kind of preying!"

"Pray or prey? Homophones are a bitch, aren't they?"

"Oh. Now you're just being factious. Clear my back."

Amalthia unleashed two more rounds, as one of the risen's body started to convulse after it had been relieved of its head. Reloading, six more to your left."

"Got 'em!"

He fired the remaining four rounds then as he reached down to reload, he found that his ammo reserved had been completely exhausted.

"I'm out. Hit me up for some reloads," Kaleb shouted as he locked his eyes upon hers.

She grabbed four bundles of replacement speedload rounds then, then using an atl ltl-type throwing device, hurled them in Kaleb's direction. With reflexes rivaling that of a cat he caught the reloads then promptly attempted to chamber a full load of them into each revolver. However, the undead were almost upon him by the time he was trying to reload.

"Looks like Bob is gonna get a workout today." Kaleb drew his longsword and began hacking away at the risen masses.

"Did you hear that? Something's coming, love - something big!" Amalthia's lower ears began to twitch from picking up the low frequency sound.

"My hearing isn't a sensitive as yours. You have any clues as to what it might be?" Kaleb asked as he finally had a chance to reload his guns.

Amalthia replied. "Nada. Surely even you can hear it now, because it's really, really close."

Kaleb readied for the next onslaught when, suddenly, a cluster of trees in front of him began to part. Rising up from the parted treetops, stood a massive humanoid figure that looked to be at least thirty feet tall.

"I may not have heard it, but I sure as hell see it. Giant... RUUNN!"

With a measure of speed even he had not dreamed was possible, Kaleb darted towards a mass of undead all the while firing wildly, hoping to avoid the giant that was rapidly coming his way. The creature's enormous stride quickly closed the gap as he tried desperately to avoid its grasp. It was too late.

The hideous decomposing monstrosity grasped hold of the young man, lifting him up towards its massive head. He fired several rounds into its skull but with no effect. As the creature's lipless jaws yawned opened to devour its prey, drawing Kaleb ever closer towards its foul-smelling mouth, the abomination's entire body began to convulse. Suddenly, the creature began to buckle to the ground. Kaleb looked up at its face and saw standing atop its head; the backlit form of a slender horned feline. When the monstrosity finally crumpled to the ground, Amalthia was standing over the creature with her longsword planted deeply into the base of its skull.

"Base of the neck. It's the only way to kill those things, silly!" Amalthia said as she loped off the vanquished foe on all fours. She then ran over to Kaleb and gave him a brief but passionate kiss.

"Well, I knew that. I was just firing for effect."

"Yeah, right. Sure you were. You panicked. Admit it!" She playfully chided him.

"Did not!" He stuck his tongue out.

"Bullshit. Did too! Be a man and fess up!"

"Okay, okay. I'll admit, I was a little freaked when a thirty foot monster was going to turn me into two-hundred and ten pounds of poop," Kaleb retorted.

"Um. The undead don't poop."

"They do too. Or else how else would they be able to keep eating so much."

"Well, I've never seen one poop," Amalthia shook her head while grinning in amusement over the nature of the conversation.

Upon gaining his composure, Kaleb pointed to the fallen giant. "Poop or no poop, that's quite a haul, there. Whaddya think? A hundred gold just for the big guy?"

Amalthia shook her head. "Nah. Fifty tops. You know how cheap town mayors are in these places."

"Y'know. If neither of us had a conscience, we could have let them snack on a few of the townsfolk first. I'm sure the mayor would have paid us double for each head we turned in," Kaleb stated as he began the grim work collecting the heads (or at least what he could salvage) from the fallen undead.

"Blah! It's going to take me over a week to get this stench out of my fur. Well, it looks like I trashed yet another set of flashy clothes as well," Amalthia grumbled as she began hacking off the heads from the fallen corpses.

Kaleb gathered up a sack full of heads as well then hurled them into the back of the dolyak cart. Any skulls that were fragmented or too badly shattered to be reconstructed were placed in a separate wooden box.

"I hope they don't chince us on our kill count. I know I must have blown up at least thirty heads."

Amalthia began her own meticulous count. "Perhaps you should use Bob a bit more, then. He does give a much cleaner cut, after all."

"That's all fine and dandy from your point of view. You're not the one standing just inches away from hordes of gouls wanting to have you for their next meal." Kaleb sounded miffed.

Her ears drooped. "I didn't mean it that way, Kal. I was just trying to be funny, that's all."

Kaleb came up to give her a reassuring hug. "I'm sorry, honey. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

She looked into his eyes then gently licked him on the face. "It's alright, sweetie. I think the both of us are just tired, stressed and exhausted. Tell you what - once we show the town mayor our bounty and collect our pay, we can go to Lion's Arch and shop for some totally new wardrobes."

"Um. Did you just lick me after cleaning the undead gunk off your fur?"

Amalthia planted her muzzle on his lips then ran her tongue down his mouth for a moment before pulling away. "Would you expect anything else?"

She smiled and laughed. Kaleb, on the other hand, hunkered over and spat on the ground several times.

"I think I'm gonna be sick..."

***

The couple headed on over to Lion's Arch the following day. Flocks of seagulls soared low over the fishing docks as Amalthia and Kaleb enjoyed the seaside atmosphere. They were strolling along the boardwalk, hoping to find some unusual decor for their new place.

Kaleb held up a giant bronze starfish sculpture. "Like it?"

Amalthia placed her clawed finger to her lips then shook her head. "Nah. The nautical theme is just not our style."

"Bummer. It would have looked great hanging over our bed."

"Um. That's asking for a death wish, you know. One good bump and that thing will go falling off and wind up gouging through someone's eye socket. I'll pass, thank you very much," Amalthia said as she turned away giving a dismissive wave.

"Do your people perceive everything as being deadly? I thought they loved sharp, pointy objects." Kaleb quipped.

"Weapons, yes. Poorly made, tacky sculptures? No so much."

The artist merchant gave her an angry glare. Kaleb carefully placed the tacky object back on the display wall.

"Hey. Didn't we come here to buy new outfits?" He said.

"By Buntfur's tail... you're right love! Let's head on over to Ariyana's place."

Kaleb and Amalthia headed towards the main shopping district. Each wanting to hold the others' hand, but knowing that open displays of romantic affection between their races would only invite unwanted trouble.

They finally arrived at the boutique named Roses and Thorns Apparel. The menagerie of custom-made outfits overwhelmed Kaleb - everything from norn wedding gowns to sylvari casual wear was on display. He especially liked the charr-themed human-sized apparel.

The owner happened to see them walking in. "Darlings! Why come on in!"

"Hi Ari. I'm back, as promised," Amalthia said as she waved to the chicly dressed sylvari woman.

Ariyana immediately recognized her client and strode over with a grace befitting a feline. Her large green eyes looked Kaleb over carefully as the patterns in her barklike skin glowed a shimmering pale blue.

"Oh my. Who is this specimen of a man?"

"Kaleb's the name." He reached out to shake her hand. With the regalness of a courtier, she clasped his hand with both of her delicate fingers as she greeted him with a wide smile.

"Kaleb. Your name is no stranger to my ears. Amalthia, darling - tis good to see you!" She reached out to give the charr a hug.

Amalthia returned the favor. "Good to see you again as well, Ari. How are things going here? Is Jestin around?"

"Fine, fine. My dear. As a matter of fact, things are going quite splendidly. One of the noble families from Divinity's Reach commissioned us to design their wedding apparel. They wanted a norn theme with a bit of sylvari flare thrown in. Oh. I almost forgot... my fiancé is downstairs putting the finishing touches on a business suit for a client."

"I'm glad that things are working out so well for your business. So you and Jestin getting... what's the word, love?" Amalthia struggled with the word as she looked in Kaleb's direction.

"Married?" Kaleb helped her out.

"Yes. Married."

Ariyana's face lit up when she heard Amalthia call Kaleb 'love'. "Goodness me. So are you and this lovely lad together as well?"

Kaleb held Amalthia's pawed hand. "Yes we are. We've been through a lot together and I'm very happy to call her my significant other."

"Just a moment, dearie." Ariyana ran towards the basement stairway and shouted. "Jestin my dear. You must come up now. You'll want to see this."

"Be there in a minute, dear."

Unable to contain her jubilation, Ariyana gave both Kaleb and Amalthia a big hug. Her fiancé came up the stairs a short time later. He was a slender human of long blond hair and soft porcelain skin complexion. He appeared to be somewhat shy and introverted, but when he joined his mate his demeanor changed dramatically.

"Jestin. You remember Amalthia, don't you?"

"Yes I do. Nice to meet you Amalthia." He shook her hand and only gave Kaleb a friendly stare.

"He doesn't bite darling. This is Kaleb, Amalthia's mate."

"Mate? Oh wow! Nice to meet you Kaleb!" Jestin eagerly grabbed him by the hand and shook it vigorously.

Kaleb clapped him on the shoulder and smiled as he returned the handshake. "Nice to meet you too, Jestin. Even nicer to see that there are more couples like us around."

"So true, indeed," Ariyana said as she remembered something else. "Oh how rude of me. Would you two like to go out somewhere to dine or have you already eaten?"

"His stomach is a bottomless pit and so is mine. We are game," Amalthia replied as she gave Kaleb a quick kiss on the cheek.

The two couples headed out of the shop then down along the main thoroughfare as they perused the various eating establishments. Ariyana noticed that her friends were not holding hands in public and decided to provide some encouragement.

"It's okay, darlings. People here don't think twice about cross-racial couples displaying affection with each other."

Kaleb seemed skeptical. "But a human and a charr? I have yet to see a couple like Amalthia and I."

"Well, someone has to start somewhere. Might as well be now, right?" Ariyana said as she clasped hold of each of their hands and joined them together.

"Thanks, Ari. I just don't want our open display of affection to be a source of trouble for you and Jestin," Amalthia said as she held Kaleb's hand tightly.

As the quartet rounded the corner to the next alleyway that led to another row of shops, Kaleb noticed a group of around twelve scruffy men approaching their direction. When they got closer, he could see that they had a number of weapons sticking out from under their jackets.

"Well take a look at this sight, boys. Two humans holding hands with a fleabag and a walking cabbage," said a large bearded man with a scarred face and rotten teeth.

A smaller man with a patch over his left eye reached into his overcoat for something sinister. "We don't like their kind. Disgusting!"

"Disgusting is right. Get 'em, boys!" The twelve men rushed the quartet only to be stopped in their tracks when Kaleb drew his revolvers.

"I've got enough here for each of you. Now let's just call this a cultural misunderstanding and we'll all be on our merry way."

The big man laughed. "Oh. I'm scared of your big, bad guns. Go ahead, boy, and shoot. If you do, it'll bring the full force of the Brotherhood and the Lion Guard on top of yas."

"He's right, Kaleb. Let's do this up close and personal. Ready Bob?" Amalthia said as she reached to draw her longsword.

Ariyana stopped her before she could unsheathe her weapon. "It's okay, darling. No need to draw that long, nasty object."

"Ariyana, please... don't!" Jestin shouted as he tried to stop her.

Ariyana calmly moved towards the men as she began to monologue.

"I have invited my friends to brunch. And those who know me also know that I hate breaking promises. Now you all be good lads and run along," she smiled with a strangely wicked gleam in her eye.

"Well. If they are going to lunch then they'll need to have some appetizers first, starting with a salad," the big man said as he drew out his shortsword and lunged towards the sylvari.

When his blade swung down, all it met was air. But before he had time to react, a slender feminine form emerged from behind followed by unimaginable searing pain. Ariyana's dagger thrust deeply into the man's side, causing his eyes to roll back just seconds before he fell on the ground dead.

The remaining eleven men had no time to react before the sylvari's fleeting shadowy form began slashing away at their vital areas. One of the last things the skinny man saw as a dagger going into his eye socket. When it was all over, twelve bigots lay on the ground either dead or dying.

Amalthia looked at Kaleb and confessed. "You now, if I were into doing women, I would ask her to be my mate right now."

Kaleb laughed in agreement. "I would too."

"Aren't I enough for you, Kaleb?" Amalthia teased.

"Well, you made the statement. So I just had to respond in kind." He laughed.

Jestin just sat on the ground quivering in shock. "I... I had hoped she wouldn't slip back into her old ways. Damn those narrow-minded bigots for doing that to her!"

Ariyana wiped off her twin daggers using the cloth from one of the fallen goons then deftly slid them away under her pantaloons. "Aww. I'm so sorry, dear. I had a momentary relapse. People like them cause me to do that sometimes. Please forgive me."

"I do," Jestin said as he stood up and held his mate close.

"Glad to know he forgives you. But I can't say much for the Lion Guard. Lookout!" Kaleb said as he pointed towards some approaching soldiers. "If you will, dearie. Be so kind," Ariyana said to her mate who pulled out a small staff.

Within seconds, an invisibility bubble formed around them. Jestin then beckoned for everyone to head towards the alleyway at the far end of the street.

"Hurry! It will only hold for another ten seconds," he said while trying to maintain the illusion.

Mesmers. Gotta love 'em, Kaleb mused to himself as they successfully evaded capture.

The illusion fell away once they were safely on the other end of the row. Amalthia looked at her sylvari friend and said. "That was some mighty fine dagger play. Where'd you learn to do that anyway?"

Ariyana casually smiled acting as if nothing unusual had transpired. "Well. I wasn't always a fashion designer, you know. Before my beloved found me and saved me from those dreadful Nightmare Courtiers, I used to be one of their best assassins, although I am ashamed to admit it now."

"You were part of the Nightmare Court?" Kaleb queried.

The sylvari bowed and shook her head in shame. "It was a dreadful time for me. To even think I was part of that vile entity. Anyway, my beloved saved me from myself."

"How'd he do that?" Amalthia asked.

Jestin held his mate close. "I will explain the rest. She still gets very upset whenever this subject comes up."

The young man began to tell his tale of how he and some elementalists from the Pact forces came across a Nightmare Court patrol in the Brisbane Wilds. During the engagement, Ariyana managed to kill nearly every Pact member except for him.

"There I was scared out of my wits. She held those daggers just below each ear threatening to thrust them into the base of my skull. My death was only moments away when reinforcements arrived. While she was distracted, I managed to conjure an illusion to slip away. By the time she realized what happened, she was already surrounded."

He continued his tale.

"The Pact commander wanted to execute her on the spot. I, however, wanted to see her live to see her answer for her crimes. It was during our trek through the wilderness that she began to break down and confess that she really didn't want to be a part of the Court. She was chosen because of her natural ability with the blade. So by the time we reached base camp, my perception of her began to change. I no longer thought that she was an inherently evil person, err sylvari I mean. Anyway, she was just caught up in a situation where she had to adapt in order to survive."

Ariyana interjected. "Out of all my captors, he was the one who took the time to understand me for who I was. I suppose it was then that I began to fall in love with that human."

"So what about you? Did you fall in love with her?" Amalthia asked.

"It certainly wasn't love at first sight. But after talking to her awhile, my feelings for her began to grow. It was then that I decided to vouch for her character. Several weeks later, she was put on trial for her alleged crimes. Through a miracle of good fortune, I managed to convince the judiciary that she was a victim of circumstance. In the end, the court ruled in her favor. We've been together ever since," Jestin said with a smile as he held Ariyana's hand.

The sylvari smiled and asked. "Fair is fair. Please, tell us your story."

"Oh my. Where to begin," Amalthia said as she and Kaleb took turns discussing the origin of their love affair. After exchanging stories, the two couples headed on over to one of the local eateries. They arrived at a local seafood cafe and each ordered their own local dishes.

"I wonder if they will launch an investigation into that incident back there," Kaleb wondered as he dove into his plate of shrimp pasta.

"Murders happen here all the time. If I confessed, they might actually award me a medal for cleaning up the city of its filth. Sorry if the comment may come across as cruel and insensitive," Ariyana said with a sheepish look on her face. She and Jestin shared a crab legs delight with several sides of cornbread.

Amalthia laughed as she poured her mead over a fourteen-ounce bloody rare dolyak steak. "It's okay. I understand. The old ways never truly die out. Learn to embrace them, my sire always says, because you never know when they might come in handy."

Kaleb raised his glass to offer a toast. "No truer words spoken, m'dear! To the old ways... and new."

"Here, here," came the chorus.

Once they were finished with their meals, the four of them headed back to Ariyana's place of business. Kaleb looked at his outfit then at Amalthia's and realized they had lost track of their main reason for going to Lion's Arch in the first place.

"Ari. Can you possibly hit us up for some new outfits? We need ones that are durable and can survive the rigors of our profession," Kaleb commented as Amalthia nodded with a big smile in agreement.

"Why of course, darling. Once we are in the shop, I'll break out the sketchpad and we'll work out a design that is suited to you both! Oh. I have a wonderful vision in mind already."

Amalthia's ears fluttered. "Ohh. I can't wait to see your idea! Bite-resistant body armor is a must, though."

"But of course! You will never know it was even there," the sylvari said with a smile.

Kaleb interjected another idea. "Oh yeah. Our outfits must be matching, if possible. It would be nice for people to see that she and I work as a team."

"Consider it done, dearie."

Kaleb and Amalthia spent the next few hours getting their measurements taken by Ariyana and Jestin. Once the measurements were finished, Amalthia began perusing the rest of her friend's shop hoping to find some additional inspiration. She looked at a long, white dress that appeared to be made for a petite human.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Kaleb said as he wrapped his arms around Amalthia holding her close.

Even though she was a head and a half taller at full standing height than Kaleb, she lowered her heels enough so his head could comfortably rest on her shoulder. He stroked her mane and kissed the side of her neck as she purred in satisfaction.

"Um. I suppose so. What exactly is it?"

Stunned, Kaleb gave her a brief explanation of human marriage rituals and mentioned some of the traditions and customs that went along with them. Upon hearing the information, Amalthia began to smile and gave her mate an affectionate lick on the face.

"So I guess that's what I'll expect if you have to kiss me," Kaleb said with a laugh.

Ariayana overheard the conversation and chimed in. "Ohhh. Wouldn't that be special? To have the two of you join under the banner of such a sacred tradition? You keep giving me ideas, my furry horned friend."

Amalthia turned to the sylvari. "It was actually Kaleb's idea to see me in one of those."

"My dear. You would look splendid!"

"I agree with Ari. That would look really good on you, with a few alterations of course," Kaleb said as he held Amalthia's pawed hands.

In the background, Jestin looked at his new friends and smiled as he walked over and stood next to his mate.

"It is truly the dawn of a new era in Tyria when a human and a charr consider getting married to each other."

Kaleb thought to himself as he held Amalthia close, indeed it is my friend, indeed it is. (All chapters have been posted to AO3. Chapter 24 is posted here.)

[newsoundseattle-blog]

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What makes the shipping companies in Seattle so special? Why shouldn’t you ship from the east coast of the United States to Toronto instead of the west coast? If you live in the northwestern region of the United States what makes Seattle such a great place to work as an over the road or local driver?

Drivers

If you live in the Northwest and you either already have a CDL or you are planning to get one, Seattle is probably your best bet for a place to do this. There are many advantages for a driver in the Seattle area whether you have your CDL or not.

Lifestyle

As a place to live, single or raising a family, few modern cities have more to offer than Seattle. The business environment is top-notch. There are great schools and neighborhoods for your kids. The cost of living is a little high, but reasonable. Then there is so much to do in Seattle.

Some of the places to see and things to do for singles or families, for your kids while you are on the road include:

The Space Needle

Henry Art Gallery

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Green Lake Park

Seattle Monorail

Great restaurants

Sports team – NFL, MLB, NBA.

And much, much more.

Training

If you already have a CDL there are plenty of job opportunities either regional or international in the Seattle and Tacoma Port areas. However, if you are just considering a career in trucking and are looking for a place to get your CDL, you can’t beat the Seattle area.

There are at least 28 trucking schools in Washington state with availability to get training for class A and B CDLs, bus, tractor-trailer, tanker and endorsement courses. In addition, there are some of the top trade school CDL programs as well. Many of these programs will offer you job placement in the Seattle area. Although none of them have a total online package, many will let you take some of your classes online and the rest on site.

Career Opportunities

Once you have your credentials in place, the Seattle-Tacoma port area affords you a great degree of choice in where you might choose to work. If all you want is to hop in your truck every morning and drive to Oklahoma and back, that is available. If you are interested in the logistics, the technology of shipping these days, that is available as well.

Between international, national and local, every type of opportunity in shipping and tucking is available in Seattle. The companies pay well, some of them in the fifty to sixty thousand dollar range and there must be between thirty and fifty to choose from. In addition, some offer specific times at home and a great signing bonus. Many offer up to ten to fifteen thousand dollars in signing bonuses.

Customers

Seattle Shipping Advantages

If you are a customer looking to move your goods across the region or across the seas, you will find a company in Seattle to meet your needs. Competitive prices for convenient services is what the Seattle shipping market is all about. Start at the port where your goods arrive from oversees; move them to a warehouse in the area while you await the rest of the shipment or complete the required customs paperwork. Now you can load up – full or part loads – and get your products on the road to their final destination across town or across the continent.

What makes these Seattle shipping companies so good for their customers? Many of them offer:

International shipping including assistance with all the customs regulations and paperwork. Many offer both full container and part container loads. Should have the right maritime licenses and paperwork on file.

On-time guarantees and next day arrival guarantees.

National services from Seattle to New York City and everywhere in between. If one company doesn’t do where you would like to ship, there will be another Seattle choice that does.

Regional services around the Pacific Northwest with choices of air, rail, and truck. Seattle drivers certainly know their way around the region.

FTL and LTL are available from many companies so you can get what you need. If you have a short budget and a smaller shipment, then use the Less than a Load option. It cost less but takes longer to get your cargo delivered. If you have a full load that has to be at a certain place at a certain time, you can use an FTL company.

Conclusion So, if you have any business in the Seattle area, or you want to be a truck driver and live in the northwest, you can’t go wrong with a Seattle CDL training school or a Seattle shipping service.

[livingstonbusinessbuzzchatter]

Taking the Unknown Out of LTL Freight Shipping

LTL freight shipping or less-than-truckload shipping is a way of transportation used for carrying products from one place to another which do not fill the space of the container or tuck fully. LTL trucking is good for small and large businesses equally which do not require to load the truck fully. Through this system they can pool in money like a “carpool”, according to the number of products that they want transported without having to fill the truck space fully. It is cost effective and goods are moved efficiently by LTL carriers which optimized their load.

There are many companies who provide services as freight trucking specialists. These companies help you to find the right carrier for your goods transportation but also make sure that your goods have been reached safely to the destination.

Pricing of LTL Freight

The freight trucking specialists will make parcels packages of your products and will determine how much it will cost to transport the load from point A to point B according to the following five factors:

The total weight of your shipment

Total size of your shipment

The total distance the carrier is travelling

The type of service or type of speed of the delivery

Freight class; which is based on the goods transported or their shipment size

Benefits of LTL Shipment

LTL trucking has several benefits due to its efficient delivery and speedy service.

Cost Effectiveness

In LTL trucking, you can save unnecessary expenditure as you will only pay for space your load is occupying. In this way you will not have to pay the extra amount which is required in FTL trucking.

Beneficial For Small Business

Small businesses require the transportation services for moving fewer goods than large business and tend to spend less on the transportation charges. That is why they can avail services from freight trucking specialists to cut the cost of paying for spaces that they don’t require.

Environmentally Friendly

The trucks produce fewer emissions as the trucks are fully loaded in LTL trucking. Fewer trucks are required on the move rather than a lot of half or partially filled FTL trucks. Thus, it results in a positive impact on the environment.

Services Provided by Freight Trucking Specialists

There are several stages in the process of transporting the load from one place to another. The freight trucking specialists not only meet a single logistic need but can also improve the transportation program of your company. They provide services for:

Booking your shipments

Finding the most suitable carrier for your load

Making sure that you get the best rates

Speedy delivery of your goods

Providing tracking and tracing services

Providing delivery flexibility to any location

Assisting in customs clearance in case of cross country deliver

Providing trained drivers for safe transport and delivery of your goods

LTL trucking gives you a much faster and cost-effective solution for the transportation needs of your company. We hope this article gives you an understanding to LTL freight trucking. For any further information feel free to contact us.

Learn more about Matrix Transportation and the transportation services they offer including: dedicated truckloads, JIT truckloads, less than truckload (LTL), same day expedited FTL and LTL, full truckload, warehousing, cross-docking, and trailer rentals at www.matrixtransportation.com  To contact one of our trucking experts call toll free 888.896.2405 today.

[leepacestyle-blog]

Don't Plan A Trip Without Reading These Tips

Due to the poor economy, you might want to lower your expenses and skip vacations. In case you are a financial budget-minded traveler, this article is for you personally! Make sure to pre-plan your vacation if the airport is involved with your travels. Airports tend to be located near large cities, and reaching them during peak traffic times during the day may take considerably longer then you definitely might expect. You need to have all your luggage packed up and able to continue the evening before leaving for the trip. It is vital to get everything mapped out ahead of time. Missing your flight is really a horrible experience which you never want to undergo. Before packing, make a list. Start once you can before your vacation, that method for you to add your must-have things to this list as you consider them. This ltl freight shipping way, even though you wait to bring along until you're currently crunch, this list will help you avoid clutter and also to stay organized. Whenever you fly, don't expect the airline to focus on your every need, regardless of how long the flight is. Bring your personal pillow, blanket and headphones if you feel you will require them. Maybe you should bring some snacks if it is allowed. You should purchase a National Park season pass in the event you visit them often. These passes only need to be renewed annually and therefore are fifty dollars total. Keep in mind where your belongings are, whilst keeping your most significant products in a location you usually get access to. Maintain your purse tucked beneath your arm. Steer clear of the use bags with zippers which will provide quick access to nearby theives that may easily take your valuables. Be sure to think about this advice when buying a dependable travel bag. The markup on these small products is ridiculous. Search for innovative methods to fold your clothing in a way that saves space. This can provide you with the additional space you require for other activities. A tight funds are no reason to give up the concept of traveling for enjoyment. Make use of the advice contained in this post to organize budget-friendly travels.

[lunapwrites]

Me: I'm going to draw Remus so fucking normal.

Also me: [proceeds to draw him looking like he's channelling Sirius.]

Me [sobbing/laughing/losing my mind]: so fucking normal.

No but seriously I have no idea why I keep doing this. Part of my issue is that at least in the LTL verse I HC him as having a really awkward big-bones-no-meat build and having hair that is actually quite nice, if a little frizzy, but it's long enough and not-curly enough that he can make it work. like he's supposed to be vaguely cute when he actually lets his guard down around you but also vaguely intimidating when he tries with this RBF that does not quit and like. super heavy brows that take effort to not be like >:| But this??? THIS????

WHO ARE YOU. WHY ARE YOU HOT. STOP IT.

all that happened was I decided "you know what? let's have him not tuck his hair behind his ear on the one side, that can't possibly make that big a diff-- I HAVE MADE A MISTAKE."

in the immortal words of Gaius van Baelsar: sUcH dEvAsTaTiOn! ThIs WaS nOt My InTeNtIoN!

if you'll excuse me i'll be having an existential crisis and doubting every artistic decision i have ever made in my life.