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Epistulae Ciceronis
A Perfectly Squiffy Jag

Lost in the Fold

30.11.09 Monday
01:55 am - Microsoft AJAX CDN – Now with SSL Support [scottguthrie]

Back in September I blogged about the new Microsoft AJAX CDN (Content Delivery Network) service that the ASP.NET team is now providing.  The CDN provides edge caching support for AJAX libraries (including jQuery and ASP.NET AJAX).  The service is available for free, does not require any registration, and can be used for both commercial and non-commercial purposes.  It offers a great way to speed up your external facing web-sites.

SSL Support Now Provided

One of the features in September that we said was coming (but which was not available at the initial launch) was SSL support for scripts served off of the CDN.  This is necessary for scenarios where you have SSL enabled pages on your site, and you want to reference a script library from the Microsoft CDN and avoid a “This page contains both secure and non-secure items” warning message being displayed to end-users visiting your site.

SSL support is now enabled with the scripts hosted on the Microsoft AJAX CDN.  Simply use an “https” moniker with any script references on your site that point to the CDN, and they will now be served over SSL.  For example, below is how you can reference jQuery over SSL:

   <script src="https://ajax.microsoft.com/ajax/jquery/jquery-1.3.2.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>   

The Microsoft AJAX CDN documentation has recently been updated with more details about it.  You can visit it here to learn more. It lists all of the libraries currently offered via the CDN.  We are steadily adding more libraries to it and will update the page as new ones become available.

Hope this helps,

Scott

P.S. In addition to blogging, I’m also now using Twitter for quick updates and to share links. Follow me at: twitter.com/scottgu


{int i; 0; ++}

29.11.09 Sunday
06:31 pm - track-suit diplomacy [hydrozoa]
we were waiting for the bus by the zoo on 46th, right before it swoops down the hill and turns into market street. the bus shelter was crowned with metal cut-out silhouettes of animals. as we approached, we were unsure if one silhouette was a brontosaurus--there are no brontosaurses at the zoo!--or if its long curving neck were the long curving prehensile tail of a wallaby or some shit.

a man in his early 60s with a neat white beard and glasses came up to us and helped us guess. he wasn't really with it. "is it a brontosaurus or something?" we talked to him. he kinda looked like and had the same mannerisms as this one rabbi at the university, rabbi schechter. we all decided it was a tail and not a neck, but we never figured out which animal it was.

the bus came right away and the rabbi sat near us, in the open front quadrant behind the driver, and he asked us if we were doing anything fun tonight. we said not really, just going to a movie. we were also on our way to archie mcphee to get this old swiss air force cap that i wanted to cover up my shaved-too-short head, but we didn't tell him that.

he said he was on his way to a movie too, different theater, and that he wanted to see bad lieutenant when it comes out. we talked about werner herzog for a minute. salmon and i had heard an interview with him on CBC when we were driving home from portland; the rabbi said that's the only radio station he'll listen to. "i don't want to hear anything else. even NPR is depressing."

a guy across the aisle, who looked like a completely normal dude, a little tubby, late 30s, navy hoodie, baseball hat, interjected to ask if we--salmon and i--were jewish. "you two. YOU'RE jewish, aren't you, sir?"

as salmon put it, and as you well know, i look "about as jewish as eva braun's communion wafer." but salmon used to get asked that all the time by the mitzvah tank evangelists in front of kosher delight in midtown, so he was like whatever. he smiled and said, "whoooo wants to know?" that creepy cuckoobird lady who owns twice sold tales pulled the same thing back in may. it, apparently, happens.

the rabbi fucking lost his mind. "LEAVE US ALONE," he yelled at the mitzvah tank guy. then he turned to us and said, "don't talk to this guy. he's nuts. he'll suck you in if you talk to him." !!!

mitzvah tank was like, "hey, man, i'm not talking to you. don't tell people not to talk to me!" rabbi was visibly shaken and was like, "i know what you do. you molest people on the bus! you're a crazy person! leave these people alone! they don't want to talk to you!" i wondered if he meant molest as in "to annoy" or "to physically fondle."

mitzvah tank said, very evenly, "i just wanted to know if these folks are jewish." like it was a normal question that people ask, like he just wanted to know the time or if we had a stick of gum. salmon tried to lighten the mood and said, "i don't discuss religion on the bus, only movies!"

then a guy behind us who kinda looked like anderson cooper chimed in, super-aggressive right off the bat, yelling at the mitzvah tank to fuck off and leave us alone. the first F bomb had been dropped! the rabbi reiterated to us, sotto voce, that the mitzvah tank guy was dangerous. he was very defensive and worried.

mitzvah tank was not bothered at all and continued. "well, YOU'RE not jewish, miss, are you?" he smiled the smile of a normal person who was not about to kill me. i laughed and said no, i was not. anderson cooper rose to his feet and got in mitzvah's face. "DON'T. talk to them. do you understand?"

mitzvah was like, hey, what's everybody's problem, i didn't do anything to anyone. rabbi told him that he was dangerous and a menace. anderson cooper didn't address salmon and i at all, or even make eye contact with us. he was not taking any shit from this guy at all ever. fisticuffs-ready.

then suddenly it was our stop! would you look at the time! the bus driver, as he pulled over, said something sharp to the mitzvah tank that i didn't catch, as we were like, OK, well, good night, everyone! and got the fuck out. the rabbi exited too, and we said our goodbyes again on the corner. salmon and i crossed the street to archie mcphee.



we only found one swiss cap and it was on the mannequin and didn't have the little insignia on the front. looked like someone had ripped it off. so, it was just a stupid boring old blue woolen hat. they had olive east german DDR caps, though, with the little ear flaps that you fold up inside, so i got one of those. salmon tried to talk me out of the commie hat, but i needed something with the military emblem on it, and this had it. little red and gold button with the hammer and compass. that's the whole point. man.

we were on our way to the check-out when who should be meet but . . . our friend the rabbi. WHO HAD WAITED AND WATCHED US CROSS 45TH, THEN FOLLOWED US ACROSS THE STREET AND INTO THE STORE. he apologized for everything that had happened on the bus (?) but that guy was very dangerous! "he's a crazy person! i know him from the buses! he molested a woman! he's like a brute, a psychic brute!"

we loved that. the rabbi introduced himself as stephen, and we talked to him for a minute. he seemed like a sweet old man, just paranoid and fragile, like old people are. he was still really upset about the incident and said he needed to go have a cup of coffee or something and calm down. i said that was a good idea.

salmon wondered aloud why the mitzvah wanted to know if he was jewish, and the rabbi was like, "he doesn't! it's just an opener! it's how he gets inside your mind and manipulates you!"

"yeah, it's like a come-on line in a bar," i added. "'hey, baby, what's your sign?'" "EXACTLY," rabbi stephen said. "that's EXACTLY right." this dude was really worked up.

salmon mentioned that he'd just moved here from new york and it really wasn't a big deal, crazy people on the bus. makes him feel more at home. the rabbi had a pretty distinct east coast accent, so salmon was hoping he'd be like, oh, i'm from new york too, but it didn't work. he just kept repeating how dangerous the man on the bus was.

we said our movie was starting in a few minutes and the rabbi reluctantly said OK, and we parted ways. the rabbi left the store. (i made sure.) i bought my hat and we walked toward the guild 45th. a few minutes later, we stopped at an ATM and saw rabbi stephen going the other way and waved to him.



a. who's crazy and dangerous? the calm, normal-seeming guy who makes (perhaps-inappropriate) conversation on the bus? or the guy who comes totally fucking unglued and hollers at him, unprovoked, and then watches to see where we go and follows us? and is still all worked up about it 15 minutes later?

b. but seriously, fine, i'm sure this guy really was a fruitbasket, if two strangers had such violent knee-jerk reactions to him before he'd even done anything. but . . . what did they protect us from? antisemitism? literal and/or figurative molestation? what is psychic brutality? i want to know.

{int i; 1; ++}

11:59 pm - new track...loopcausaliti...(OR DIE> [paedimonic_lim]







loop causality..ordie...NEW TRQACXTK!(new audio..









\


http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=loop+causality+sound&start=20&sa=N&fp=6b22d27f49a5e7dd
model;ld ithbe erfect primes..(the orthoetishshtimsinst. (in sound...== ife /causalityi..outofpure..ime shipft or IDE>!~
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causality_loop
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TVM-3TXC7H0-Y&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1114563983&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=913ccd5d75d14cf2be5f4a94e424
ismohpjsaudcaultiys/ //// ////erfectprimes...( inverse relation or erfections and chaos./msmon sts. the 0ro9thoeheitst swthismns.ts!(alli8shstoreis race ack to the wqoethodedistishsthci9shL>!(except forthesonicor all the rabbitws.~!http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TVM-3TXC7H0-Y&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1114563983&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=913ccd5d75d14cf2be5f4a94e4244120
11:11 loopcausality OR DIE>~!

NEW AUDIO racjsonst!

http://www.myspace.com/tobeobuiousentomologie0o

ifeoutofthe psreusemoustns.~!

an ignroatnat epression or sounds!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strange_loop

s0omnostnst./ the inverse elation toh0owmeerfect othjsmonst...
is the amount to whichtheuniverse wants to killyoumnosts! now..ecause i )ONE#>
....ifeoutofpure..soundordie~!weall0onsts.

http://dora.cwru.edu/msb/246/fbsupp.pdf
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/causation-backwards/
http://lesswrong.com/lw/qr/timeless_causality/
chaosisomo-ioprhsic ime shiosos./http://lesswrong.com/lw/qr/timeless_causality/universeghset ADVERSITY FOR ITFTS> ( n imensionality inear trasvcformsn tr (i09 roland) ///to evan imensionality. ..the inverse elation to f0me erfect sismonst == how erfect the baby is...
ecause youj neesadversity for ifts.erfect 0thers when i am erfect ecause i contain s0omuch ..... ///// the rabbit in the center fo (really onli the atom an ibble and an evan. ///
(and the rabbit... the sonic. ecause i 0h 0sn smusch... let f0odn monsts p[-ices wl0sose entire pattern (SUCH IT!

{int i; 0; ++}

05:16 pm - eeep [suxdonut]
i had soo much fun at plzkthx last nite, it was a time when reality outshone any pink elephants ive had. just good friends, good food and side splitting laughs, along with self esteem and clear memories. score! and yay for this weird world with good people in it. thank you my friends <3

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suxdonut/sets/72157622777858567/

{int i; 0; ++}

11:59 pm - loiop causaloity...chaos and the inverser ratio..(the eniverseratio to how perfect your universe i9s [paedimonic_lim]
is inversely related top how perfect ist is is inversely related to howmuch the universe wants to kill youi....pone nillisecond off.monsts.!

/
when you are yust that good...(loop causalit ( ife out of pure sound or die..//// http://www.myspace.com/tobeobuiousentomologie0o

NEW Audiop PIECES..(BEST ever written!..(ONE NILLISECOND OFF..AND MY OPPOSITE SOUNDS EVERYWHERESIMONSTS.!
/////// THE ONE SHOPT OF ARLIC(AND BAM..EA!(LOPOP CUASALITY... /// THE ORTHOEDISTYIS THIS. AND... THE INVERSE CHAOS WHEN (WHICH GOES BACKWARDS IN IME AS YOUI GOR FORWARDS..(BECAUSE YOU NEED ADVERSITY FOR LIFT..EVERYNIMNOSTS THE UNIVERSE THREWAT O SWALLOW.
LOOP CAUSALIITY..(olife# out of pure sound>//

HTTP://WWW.MYSPACE.COM/TOBEOBUIOUSENTOMOLOGIE0O
(LOOP CAUSALITY OR DIE. (BOW2E KNEWIRT THERWQW IT ADAVICHG RADACHVI AN'
T IT A BITHC THE ORTPHOSTS THE PROBES.

{int i; 0; ++}

04:43 pm [langston]
I pooped all weekend.

{int i; 1; ++}

06:53 pm [fierceflawless]
I want my house back.

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03:17 pm - King5 [seattle; ninaf]


Oh Jim, you were a naught boy weren't you?

Did anyone catch the press briefing where the dude talking about bringing up charges against King5? It sounded like they might have caught the cop killer if King5 wasn't stupid.

{int i; 23; ++}

02:57 pm - rambles [gfrancie]
Well yesterday went pretty well. Senor Onion thoroughly enjoyed his presents. I think his favorite things are the lego truck my Mother gave him, the jigsaw puzzle we gave him and the tricycle his grandparents got him. He was quite pleased by everything. Mr. Jenner and my inlaws took Senor Onion to the children's museum where he was able to play with everything for as long as he liked. Then they had fish and chips and came home for tea and cake.
Ah yes. The cake.
The.cake.
I let my pride or something get out of hand. My Mother in law asked if I was going do a theme cake. I never thought to do a theme cake. We always just had a nice well-made cake growing up without the fuss of a circus cake or something with that atrocious fondant. (I find most fondant ruins perfectly nice cakes) I also tend to keep birthdays fairly low-key. It tends to make for less frantic birthday-folk if there isn't so much going on. I suppose this is odd to some. But maybe I am the meanest Mother on the block.
But back to the cake, I thought about what I might do (besides making it chocolate) and then I thought what the heck, maybe I could make a theme cake of some kind. Something mighty simple. I looked around at things and then decided to make a Mr. Happy cake from the Mr. Men series. It didn't require me to buy some fancy-shaped pan and I could probably wing it.
I was going to do a white chocolate ganache and I started to do that, but it went all tits up. I may have whipped it a bit long and then the damn thing began to curdle. It happens. So I just made a basic butter frosting, added some scary yellow dye and called it good. Then I lined things with some black gel frosting in a tube that I got at the store.
And ta-freaking-da. A cake. The cake is a chocolate yogurt gateau from Susan Loomis' Rue Tatin book. The frosting is your basic vanilla butter frosting that is too sweet for words and Senor Onion LOVED his yellow happy cake.
This was my first attempt at fancy cake decorating. I think I will leave that to the professionals who do mighty good work. One day when my son is in therapy, at least he can say his awful Mother made him a theme cake. Take that Joan Crawford.

Anyways... so I made his favorite thing for dinner. (meatloaf, potato mash with cheese and sliced carrots) Everyone enjoyed that. I also roasted squash with carrots with a bit of ginger and olive oil. Plus more pie for those that wanted pie.

The visit is going pretty well so far. (knock on wood) I am thinking about crippling my Father in law because he keeps putting things away in the WRONG PLACE and he won't ask me where I might put things. I should be given an award for not saying anything. I just quietly go through and put things where they ought to be. I need a sign that says, "GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!" Maybe I should make a guide of where things live. I am thinking too much about this aren't I?

Here we are today. Senor Onion went on a long ride on his tricycle and is now taking a nap. I made a lovely macaroni and cheese for lunch, a salad with pistachios and craisins, some rolls I baked and a bit of leftover squash puree. And fruit. At least one can say I feed my visitors.

Tonight: turkey pie and whatever I can find in the fridge for pudding.

Just don't touch my motherfeckin' spatulas yo.

{int i; 7; ++}

10:02 am - (rt) Illustration: Edgy ads, clean vectors, and more [jacknack]

{int i; 0; ++}

08:21 am - Christmas Tree Farms [seattle; khristle]
I swear I made this post last year, but I checked the memories and saw nothing.

I'm looking for a Christmas tree farm; I want to cut my own tree. I have located several via Google and the yellow pages, however what I'm unable to find is an AWESOME Christmas tree farm. I want there to be a fire pit and hot chocolate and Santa and lights and sleighs and a pony with antlers who thinks he's a reindeer! Damn it, why is this so hard to find?? I'm in Bothell, I don't want to have to drive more than 20 miles or so.

Any personal recommendations out there? Or shall I give up and just take the kid for hot chocolate before I head to Mclendons? Sark please.

edit:
Hey I found a list of farms!
http://www.nwtrees.com/washington.htm

{int i; 3; ++}

07:35 am - WTF? [seattle; genniferholland]
Clearly I have been living under a rock Seattle, [or in my own little world], can someone please tell me why it looks like everyone in spandex is invading the city?

[I'm in Belltown and its never too early for snark.]

{int i; 21; ++}

10:07 am [mistresszaddeh]
furry, angry, VERY angry mutated seals along the muddy road, had to run avoiding them of you'd be kill. We were running through them but eventually decided to turn around -pregnant?- and went the opposite way.
--
Giant store sale stuff, with a younger Romi, getting shoes, and shirts and shoes for $10, credit card $18.44

Alejandro Sequeira, Mauricio Galvan, WoW, old guild -bfore Lightning Strikes-
--
Underground civilization, clues left in nature would be 'erased' by nature and earth changes...
Costume dance underneath
was there and also some other duck guy with a funny a la Gomez-Adams mustache

{int i; 0; ++}

06:39 am - More Kawaii [girlpirate]
Aren't these amazing?


{int i; 6; ++}

04:40 am - black and white film development, not a million dollars [seattle; abigailbardwell]
i have gone through the memories and it seems like everything is closed, extremely expensive, or walgreens. drugstores/smaller venues and the like won't take my film because it's professional size and/or black and white, and so i have to go to a lab.

i live in ballard, and it looks like everything around here has shut its doors. again, the memories would be like, "oh this place is awesome unless you need black and whites done," or "yeah, go here -- just kidding, they closed." i'd prefer to not pay $40 for two rolls, but they have been sitting around for months due to rejection and poverty.

is ivey the only place?

{int i; 9; ++}

01:50 am - Kitty Love [cagekitten]
I am so in love with the way I can hear Vader racing down two flights of stairs to greet me as soon as I put my key in the front door to let myself in. The minute the key goes in I can hear his little *thud* *thud* *thud* down each step in rapid succession. And then he's all purrs and love as soon as I walk in the door. I don't think I could live without him.




{int i; 2; ++}

01:18 am - Steampunk Vampire Hunters [cagekitten]

{int i; 1; ++}

28.11.09 Saturday
11:41 pm - I am a material girl [darkfairy13]
I don't feel particularly knowledgeable when I vomit up some information in class or get whatever insight I'm supposed to get. But when I recognize an item of clothing from a brand or someone on ebay lying about a brand of something I know to be wrong, then I feel quite superior. At least my priorities are in check.

If only I had the concentration and ambition to be some big sell out designer, but alas, I do not. I just want to make implausibly unreasonable things that I wouldn't possibly be able to regain the cost of. And not so secretly yearn for Jeanine Payer & Vivienne Westwood. I have goals. Not exciting or altruistic ones, but I have them.

I wish I had the nerve and people skills to be a prostitute, but then I'd be one of those Aileen Wuornos kind only not out of mental instability or reason, just because I'd get annoyed by the people. I am not destined for the human relations sector, no. I've still got DMV clerk secretly saved in the back of my head though. I will eventually find a career after SAIC that I hope doesn't involve being a teacher forever.
Current Mood: [mood icon] calm
Current Music: Hey Arnold.

{int i; 0; ++}

06:10 pm - can't find my temporary folder [cagekitten]
I downloaded a song from a site that didn't give me the path it was downloading to. It only said it was going into my temporary folder. Now I can't find it. I already tried the Windows temp folder. It's not in there. I already tried doing a search for it as well as the song title, nothing came up. I even tried using the tools menu to unhide all folders. No luck. I know the song is there because it played once after it downloaded. Where the heck is this mystery "temporary folder"?

{int i; 4; ++}

09:00 pm - Just quickly [gracilejenn]
~Facebook was hacked and is now temporarily suspended. DON'T OPEN ANYTHING I SEND YOU! I promise I did not film "your sweet assss".

~To all the people who are mad that Shane went to see his family for Thanksgiving. I AM NOT MAD. It was my idea! I do not feel abandoned or betrayed or anything like that. Thanksgiving is totally not a big deal to me. I am glad he had fun, and glad his aunt cried when she saw him.

~ I went to Shannon's house, and IT WAS THE STABBIEST THANKSGIVING EVER. Everytime I turned around, someone was threatened with a stabbing.

~ BRAND NEW T-REX SHIRT! YAY!

Now I have seriously got to get off the computer and put away laundry. Shane's on his way home.


OH! [info]vandenboom, can I have the Castiel mood theme for Christmas?
Current Mood: [mood icon] awake

{int i; 0; ++}

03:37 pm - Quiet, cozy cabin suggestions? [seattle; emunctory]
I'm looking to rent a cabin for a cozy weekend with my girlfriend early next year. I'm open to different areas, (ie pacific coast, San Juan, Olympics, Cascades) but would like a nice cabin, hot tub, nearby hiking, etc. Anyone have any suggestions, or know where I can find good listings for such cabins, hotels, etc?

Thanks!

{int i; 19; ++}

02:10 pm - Happy Birthday Monkey [gfrancie]
Read more... )

{int i; 20; ++}

01:57 pm [push_the_limits]


To Boldly Go... )

Where no macro photography has gone before.

</geekery>

It's a macro focusing rail.  So I can get like a millimeter away from something (like the flower in this icon) and be able to move the camera backward, forward, and side to side ever so slightly without having to move the tripod.  That way I can get 1 good shot out of 5, instead of 1 out of 20, like I had to do with this flower icon.
Current Music: - DI - Chillout

{int i; 0; ++}

01:55 pm - C [mcfnord]
Chloe and I laid on the huge bean bag where she sleeps. It was dark and quiet. The last moments before sleep can feel like sleep, as big eyes make out the contours of the room. We looked in each other's eyes for a minute or more. That never happened before. I saw her trust and hope and joy for living. I hoped it never leaves.

Some people can't or won't look into your eyes. I started asking her to do it when I knew she wasn't listening to something important. Sometimes she'd wiggle for a long time before agreeing to look in my eyes. She knows there's no more screwing around when you're face-to-face and listening.

Through the gaze I saw a few of her usual twitches, leaping off toward some distraction, drama, obsession. This is a large part of being 2. Maybe lost adults are lost in the same ways. But she came back mid-twitch each time.

In the morning she blocked me from exit and demanded that I confirm I'm her daddy. I told her a few times that I'm 'like a daddy'. This time I said I'm a friend. I met her at a young age when words were dripping from her mouth and now they're pouring out. I doubt her daddy would teach her to read, or look in her eyes and see what I saw.

I kept thinking about the lame things that crush hearts and jade people to the world. I imagined her as a teen, and wondered about her gaze then, deep in the crucibles of life. I hope they never jade this graceful gaze of wonder and hope.

{int i; 3; ++}

11:30 am - SJ Suite User Group meets on Tuesday [jacknack]

If you're in the Bay Area on Tuesday, you might want to check out this gathering at Adobe HQ:

We will have a short but info-packed ColdFusion demo by Sid Maestre, manager of the Bay Area ColdFusion User Group. Then our panel experts will each show you some cool tricks for each of the Creative Suite Design Premium apps. We will take your questions and comments after the presentation.


So many of you have responded "yes" to attending, so we have moved to a larger meeting room - "Park". Remember: parking is free in the Adobe garage. Jot down Sarah Fiedor's name, as she is our Adobe contact. Let the Security Guard know you are there for the CS user group meeting.

More info is on the group meeting page.


{int i; 0; ++}

11:24 am - Save $129 on Lightroom [jacknack]

It's $169.99 on Amazon right now (US only) instead of $299; just thought you'd want to know. :-)

[Update: I'm told the deal may not last long, so I suggest pulling the trigger quickly if you're so inclined.]


{int i; 0; ++}

08:29 pm [lj_dev; tlamer]
I'm trying to add newpost to my journal using curl,

curl -d"mode=postevent&.....&event=
[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<img src&eq;http://img_url>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]

I'm trying to add newpost to my journal using curl,

curl -d"mode=postevent&.....&event=<img src&eq;http://img_url>" www.livejournal.com/interface/flat

result of this operation is "<img src" i'm understand that problem is in &eq; but show to fix it (?

{int i; 5; ++}

27.11.09 Friday
11:37 pm [stephanina513]
For the moment I'm relatively certain what I want to do with my life. I'm pretty sure it involves me applying to, and getting into a graduate program. For what? I think I want to be a PA. Certified Physician Assistant, for those of you who don't know. (Who am I kidding...no one is reading this.) Basically, the new version of a Nurse Practitioner - less than a doctor, but still able to see patients, order tests, diagnose problems, and prescribe medications.

Now, you see, there are only a few obstacles in my way. First, I need to somehow come up with the cash to take a minimum of one prerequisite class. That normally wouldn't be much of an issue, but that class will likely cost me around 400 dollars and that's before the cost of labs and books. Hell, the last time I bought text books it cost me around $500. That's kind of a lot for one class, especially considering that thought it would be a good idea to buy a spankin' new car in a down economy. Yes, I needed it, and was risking my life every time I got behind the wheel of my old car but the novelty has worn off and yet that damn monthly payment remains.

The next step, as you might imagine, is that I need to study my ass off and score ridiculously high on the GRE test. My gpa isn't exactly stellar, despite three years of being on the dean's list, and I'm pretty sure the only way to offset that fact in the eyes of admissions advisors is to show them that I actually am smart by scoring like a Harvard grad on the GRE. Is that even possible? I don't know, but if anyone wants to buy me test prep materials I won't turn you down.

From there I'll need to scout schools, find programs I want to attend, wouldn't mind attending, and then the ever needed "safety schools" and scrape up the funds to apply to each. Lucky me, my research thus far shows that most schools require an in-person interview for the program I'm looking at, which might mean plane tickets to each school just in case they want to grant me admissions.

Should I be accepted, I'll need to come up with 62K in tuition alone, plus around another 10K for books and supplies as well as another 75K in living expenses. Yes, that's over a three year period, but it's still a lot of money - do the math. And I haven't even mentioned the moving expenses, plane tickets home for the holidays, or the fact that I may be going it alone. oh, and every program I've found strictly prohibits working while you're going to school. How do they expect you to survive?

It's all starting to seem insurmountable. I've known many who have gone to grad school - how on earth do you guys do it? Where did you find your funding - where should I look to find scholarships? It's all so scary to think about, it's almost hard to get started on it. I'd hate to spend the money on that pre-req class only to realize there is absolutely no way I can make school happen. ugh...

{int i; 0; ++}

10:13 pm - netbook update [cagekitten]
The seller said they will refund me $55 so I can purchase 2GB of RAM for the netbook. Must remember to check my PayPal account on Monday to make sure they refunded it. Lucky for me there are plenty of online videos instructing me on how to change the RAM and it's easily accessible from the back.

{int i; 0; ++}

10:05 pm - Somone shot and killed near St. James [seattle; livecoder]
Returned our Zipcar to find a ton of police swarming the area, details showing up on the news sites now:

http://www.komonews.com/news/76870887.html

{int i; 12; ++}

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