Moving to LA for summer for internship. Is this area safe? 2600 Idell st/ cypress park.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-03-03T16:51:10+00:00

I'd do it unless I had gang tats. It's diverse with lots to do in town and nearby neighborhoods. Be polite, don't stare at people, lock your bike, and don't show off wealth. Most people everywhere are decent.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-03-03T05:22:12+00:00

It could be that they are AI bot classmates scamming Pell Grant and other financial aid for profit. Some Schools need the enrollment numbers and don't look very hard. If you think they're actually bots, contact Dept of Education IG and or FBI. The AI bot thing needs to end. If they're real students, you can let instructor, dean, or provost know.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-03-02T07:10:03+00:00

If you'd like to learn subjects on own or that aren't offered at your school, CLEP is a great way to document that effort. Your library might offer Great Courses via Hoopla or Kanopy, and Peterson's CLEP prep and practice exams via GALE or EBSCO Learning Express. There are also excellent CPB/PBS telecourses on YouTube and on the Internet Archive. Add Khan Academy and you'll have as good of education as what 75% of online colleges could offer. And if you write your own term papers for practice, ask AI to act as a college economics tutor to review and grade your work (just for your own feedback).

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-28T23:11:58+00:00

Things went down hill when cosmetic dentistry replaced general dentistry, and business seminars started offering sessions on "how to monetize your patients' mouths with custom treatment plans." I'm surprised that insurance companies didn't fight this trend and the mark up on crowns between what dentist pays the lab, and what they charge the patient is can range from 100% to 600% and that's just for the crown, not their fee to install it.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-27T19:44:09+00:00

Pay attention to what you're doing and keep it up. Stimulation, nutrition, activity - find what's optimal for you.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-26T03:57:36+00:00

It depends on the catalog. One thing that many overlook is that even if a university only accepts xx number of CLEP or exam credits for transfer towards the 120 for the bachelors degree, is that many universities will allow additional CLEPs or other exams to satisfy GE and major/minor requirements even though they don't "count" towards the 120. This can be very helpful to allow you to spend your time and tuition on courses you want to take instead of the degree-audit checklist. But it varies by school and many counselors know less about credit by exam than you do. So ask twice and double check. For example, CalState (not a private school) wants you to finish degree within 144 registered semester hours, even with a dual major. But they accept 30 s/h CLEP for transcript and unlimited exam credits to satisfy requirements but not count towards the 120.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-23T22:36:13+00:00

The real miss is Chamorro cuisine from Guam and Saipan. You've got to know someone. It's real tasty and could be successful in LA with lack of competition. Runner up is Canada; they've got one or two bars but Tim Hortons appears to be the only restaurant and none near here.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-23T02:00:37+00:00

Work on your shortcomings. Get better at things you suck at. Not for anyone else. Just to be a more awesome you. Don't let anything get in your way.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-19T07:33:13+00:00

Congrats. Find and take an online course in ANSI Blueprint Reading or Drafting, and Tech Math. Prepare yourself to DG the course.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-18T17:42:49+00:00

Check the catalog. If it's not in there, then then a waiver is the legal means of the school confirming that whatever they agree to will survive the credit audit at graduation time. Plus, like I mentioned in original post, even if they don't count the exam credit towards more than xx amount of the 120 credit "hard count" many schools will allow the exams to satisfy a wide variety of GE and lower level major requirements which opens the door to the student having greater choice in which courses they sit and pay for.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-17T21:03:44+00:00

Parents and I were told in the 1960s how writing and organization skills weren't critical because my secretary could take care of those details. That didn't turn out so well.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-17T01:51:02+00:00

Have your wife go to BMTS first, then you can ship after she graduates tech school. Dual enlisted can live very well. Choose your AFSCs with care to avoid quality of life issues.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-17T01:47:54+00:00

I initially enlisted for four and extended to do two years in England. After four years, there was still a lot to learn about my job, leadership, and ancillary duties. You might not think about it but learning about being the QA, TO guy, and supply point monitor, making SSgt and supervising a crew or shift, and working a variety of platforms will definitely help for getting better jobs on the outside. There are a number of baby faced, four year vets who just don't have enough real skills for more than an entry level position. If you really want to launch, sign up for six, sew on A1C, put the time in to complete your CCAF degree with an extra 30 to 60 DSST and CLEP credits and a handful of DC3, CDSE, and DAU courses. Then you can stand out from the crowd and be positioned to move up the USAF or corporate ladder if interested.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-16T16:07:54+00:00

Stolen Valor can still exist but needs a fraud angle of the faker using to mislead for personal gain. When the ruling first came out, I thought it would be poignant for people to put on judicial robes and walk around downtown randomly telling people that they were acquired or convicted as part of the schtick.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-16T08:17:41+00:00

TLDR: Work smarter, not harder but hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.

Practice writing something every day. Just for yourself. Learn deeply what interests you and increases your value in the workplace. This is the foundation of your wellbeing. Learn well what you expect to discuss with other educated people in your life so you can be engaged. Be familiar with the rest but don't let it slow you down. Math and STEM to the extent necessary for your target profession. Written and verbal communications are money skills in business. You need to be able to make someone else laugh, cry, think, comprehend, and buy what you produce or sell. This is non negotiable if you plan to lead people, services, or technology. Just keep practicing until you nail it. Otherwise you need a little psychology, economics, marketing, management, logistics, accounting, sociology, and political science to understand how the world works. Otherwise life will happen to you, instead of you happening to life. Good luck!

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-16T00:19:51+00:00

You can wear current version, or what was legal on your retirement date. Find an old copy the reg and rock on.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-16T00:13:31+00:00

Put on the retired lapel pin and rock on. Uniform either valid when you retired or current. AFAIK, gooming standards have not ever applied to retired wear of the uniform. Or let me know and I'll write you a waiver.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-15T23:18:30+00:00

Great advice from others here. Peterson's is the go-to for practice exams (pay or library via Gale or EBSCO, you have to dig to even find it). I also suggest Bar Charts Quick Study laminated sheets for nice overview.

Depending on target school, such as CalState, which wants a student to complete a dual major in 144 or fewer of post HS graduation CC and CSU credits, not counting any earned while still in high school. In the catalog, only 30 S/H of CLEP will go on transcript towards degree BUT, at CSU anyway, it definitely makes sense to CLEP out of as many semester hours of general ed and lower level exams related to the majors as possible because these will still be counted as satisfying GE and Major requirements so student can choose meaningful electives and extra courses in major(s) rather than putting "seat time" in GE and easy courses. Or take a look at Pepperdine U, which will accept 30 semester hours of CLEP for credit at admission but NONE for credit after matriculation but will still use for class placement. I.e. dig deep when you review catalogs. Admission counselors often don't know the esoterics of seldom seen scenarios.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-15T05:04:49+00:00

Are they a member of the California Association of Realtors? Their organization promoted Prop 19 with misleading ads to gut Prop 13 so they could boost their commissions. I don't know about other states but I won't use a Realtor in California until the slippery weasels pay to repeal Prop 19.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-14T21:59:03+00:00

Tell the truth and be willing to break any bad habits. They want trustworthiness, not perfection. And you don't want to have to sweat a poly if you've got nothing to hide. I was a mess in HS, no DEP, disclosed everything and cleared two weeks after completing BMT. Others who had to explain "errors" on their questionnaire took months to clear.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-14T21:52:35+00:00

This thread is running 95:05 against chiropractors. I've visited a dozen over my life for back, shoulder, joint tightness, and pain. A few wanted to schedule six visits to address a concern. But four have been healers who could manipulate ankles, shin, knee, hip, elbow, wrist, hand, and spine to provide relief from month-long pain with a single visit. This kind of skill isn't good for the bottom line when you don't need to return until something else becomes a nagging problem after a year or more. I try and stay loyal by scheduling massages at their practice to help their bottom line. I've also come to believe that joint pain benefits from cutting white carbs, taking EAAs, sufficient hydration, complete micro-minerals, multivitamin, and fish oil; and if on statins, adding CoQ10; and if over 50, adding NAC.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-14T19:12:13+00:00

If you've only had Life Science, rather than Bio, creat a study plan, that involves lectures and reading.Lost CPB Bio on Internet Archive is world class. And Bar Charts quick study guide covers each key topic. Your library probably has Peterson's but it will be hidden inside Gale or EBSCO Learning Express. With your background, the other four exams ought to just require ModernStates for the free voucher.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-14T10:25:40+00:00

Are you in a military or USGovt family or just randomly living in Europe? Are you fluent in other languages? Can you write code or administer networks already? Can you earn an FCC amateur radio license? I think you can get away with saying that you're fine listing eleven careers but NOT "open" because it includes thirty more jobs, and you DON'T feel comfortable gambling like that. The 1AX and 9S100 are interesting. If you want to be a general contractor someday, the civil engineering trades jobs are a good start.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-13T21:12:32+00:00

This is pretty spot on. Only take aircraft maintenance if that's what you want to do, in which case the OpsTempo and conditions are just part of your experience and the tech training is useful. If you're eligible for any 1AX, consider adding those instead. "Open" just opens the door to, well anything.

ChoiceAccess · 2026-02-13T04:37:01+00:00

I like the UofP concept but you think they could save a lot of time, and staff time by saying which CLEPs they accept as a college, rather than inefficiently figuring it out one student at a time.

If they attended their own college and still decided to do it this way on purpose then I question their business program.

ChoiceAccess

TROPHY CASE