HyacinthMacaw

Hey folks, just thought it would be fun to start a thread about our most-desired gifts this season. Even if you don't celebrate the holidays, let us know what you would most like to have! I know, this runs counter to every altruistic and anti-consumerist bone in my body, and probably in yours, but let's just forget all that temporarily and pretend that there are things we need, want, and deserve. So I'll start: Material stuff: A small pot with a cover so that I can cook those Knorr rice sides (cheap and filling). A warm hat that covers all parts of my head and neck except my face (I forget what it's called). Effective squirrel repellent so that those squirrels can stop bullying the birds by my bird feeders and stop stealing birdseed that wasn't meant for them. Cheesecake, fried shrimp, lasagna, seafood salad, nutmeg ice cream, any sushi with cream cheese and/or tempura in it. Other yummy stuff I can't think of. Abstract stuff: Sharing a meal with the kind and sweet student in my program who I am really quite fond of, though she doesn't know that (and I believe she has a boyfriend already). In other words, a date. Gosh, I'm going crazy just thinking about her! Quality time, laughs, etc. with my family (incl. my feathered friend Jerry). That's all for now. Happy holidays!

Thanks so much for your insight and advice, folks! Wishing you a happy holiday.

I use Evernote for these kinds of things. The phone app syncs with my laptop and vice versa. I find it is a good bookmarking tool on Google Chrome as well. Google Docs and Dropbox also allow me to store my papers and notes in the cloud and to view them on my phone. Between Evernote, Google Docs, and my Dropbox folder, I feel certain that even if I were to accidentally deep-fry my laptop, my documents would still be safe. Take care!

Hello folks, Happy holidays! I am just wondering if anyone has any experience with mentoring through Big Brothers Big Sisters or another organization. That is something I would like to pursue. I enjoy learning about people (in this case, children and adolescents), spending time with them, and lending support to promote their growth. Indeed, building relationships with students and colleagues, nurturing growth (of the intellectual and professional kind, usually) is one of the primary reasons I've sought a career in academia. Mentoring a child/teenager is simply consistent with this goal. I'm specifically concerned about the qualifications needed to be effective. I'd like to believe that I have skills/resources/etc. that could be an asset to another human being and to the community at large, but there are plenty of people who would say otherwise. As much as I'm motivated to forge bonds with other people and extend support, I was never the brightest in class or easy to look at, and I didn't come from a wealthy family or go to elite schools. I also have a history of a stigmatized illness, and I'm anxious this may show up on my application. But it's possible that my mentee just wouldn't care about that. I guess I have this impression that Big Brothers and Sisters are model citizens--effortlessly perfect. But that can't be true, or is it? What would qualify one to be a "role model" short of perfection, whatever that means? The website for BBBS says that mentors are regular people, and that the only real qualification is a desire to positively impact a young person. I would like to believe that! In any case, if any of you would like to share your thoughts or anecdotes, I would love to hear what you think. Thanks very much, and all the best!

Absolutely I'll take a break! I can't afford to lose sight of what matters to me--nurturing relationships with friends and family. I know some people work continuously and/or are hard on themselves about it, perhaps because that's what they value and that's how they derive their self-worth. That's fine, and I'm not judging. I just know that if I neglect my relationships with the people I care about, I would go insane. I'm now planning my career accordingly. (My value for building relationships, carving out such an appropriate existence given the constraints of academia, explains my topic on "How family-friendly is life as a professor". I thank you all for your thoughtful comments.) If we live to work, we'll work to death. Work to live instead. At least I subscribe to that maxim in my case.

Yeah, I can second that the Kroger's premium ice cream is sinfully good, even though it's got HFCS and is about as healthy as a sugar-coated, deep-fried stick of butter. B&J's was too expensive at Dillon's, so I tried Kroger's "Tropical Coconut" (actually a gelato)--got 3 pints for less than the cost of 1 pint of B&J's. Still, there's a purity (whatever that means) about B&J's that I like. As an aside, I would recommend staying away from Kroger's "Carbmaster" yogurts. Beware! Water is the first ingredient, so when you open these yogurts all you see is this sort of emulsion with little globs dissociating from one another and swimming in cold water. Not a pleasant experience when you've bought 10 of these! They are not worth the 44 cents or however little you pay for them. I would definitely advise spending a few more cents (or consuming a few more calories) on yogurt where milk is the first ingredient!

Wow, two votes for Americone Dream already. I will definitely try it next! This isn't B&J's, but I had nutmeg ice cream in Grenada, and it was heavenly. I never would have imagined that nutmeg would go with ice cream, though then again I'm a fan of rum and raisin and other Caribbean flavors. Sweet, creamy, mildly spicy--nutmeg ice cream is delicious in every way.

Hi folks! I recently took the plunge and bravely ponied up $3 each for some pints of Ben and Jerry's ice cream (which I had never had before), and I have to say that I am delighted! So far I've had Boston Creme Pie, Strawberry Cheesecake, Blueberry Cheesecake, and Creme Brulee. I can't really identify a favorite--they are all delicious! Anyone care to share their love of B&J's or just of any ice cream flavors of any brand? Thanks, and all the best!

Sounds tough, but it's not uncommon. My sister had to stay overnight at a hotel before taking her bar exam. Lots of other people were doing the same thing since there were only a few exam sites in the state. Hope everything works out for you. Can I suggest you rent a car instead, BTW? Just a thought. I get the impression that Amtrak and Greyhound are vulnerable to delays, and personally I wouldn't want to worry about that sort of thing before my exams. Plus, you would still need transport from the bus or train station to the exam site.

Hi toypajme! It's quite possible that your homemade curry powder doesn't give you the desired potency. I rely on a combination of Madras and Trinidadian "duck/goat" curries, the latter of which has a darker and bolder flavor and may add the "kick" that you're looking for. I think your homemade curry powder is a good approximation of Madras curry, though I don't know the exact ratios of cumin, coriander, tumeric, etc. I think the duck/goat curry does contain roasted geera (cumin). You can find this curry, which is a product of my native Trinidad, here: http://www.amazon.com/Spicy-Duck-Goat-Curry-Powder/dp/B003UFH9BU Amchar masala is also added where I come from--it contains roasted fennel, peppercorns, and mustard, among other things. See info here: http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/vegetarian-forum/1219619-amchar-masala-trinidad-spice-mix.html and you can purchase it here: http://www.trinirotishop.com/caribbean-spices-amchar-masala-85g.html (unfortunately I can't find it on Amazon). The ratio that I use is 2 parts Madras curry to 1 part duck/goat curry to 1/2 part amchar masala. You could add even a little more roasted geera (cumin) and a little tumeric if you would like. Use more duck/goat curry if you would like a more piquant dish. Generally, with these guidelines I am seldom dissatisfied even if, like you, I demand a little extra flavor. I should caution that I'm coming from a West Indian milleu--I grew up on this sort of food, but East Indians would probably beg to differ with this recipe. For example, West Indians almost never add yogurt to their curries, but I imagine using yogurt in conjunction with Trinidadian curries and amchar masala would still work. I just haven't tried it. Also, different meats lend themselves to varying degrees of flavor, I think. So duck and goat are very bold, in-you-face curries. Chicken and fish are milder. Indeed, chicken is actually the most versatile (that is to say, a mild goat curry is more offensive to the senses than a dark chicken curry; I think you can experiment with chicken a lot more.) My personal favorite: go with curry green mango if you can find green mangoes in your grocery. Curry mango has exactly the dark flavor that you seem to be looking for, but it's also sweeter than duck and goat. Paneer (cheese) also works well for darker curries. Potatoes (aloo) not so much. Feel free to experiment, and please be sure to let us know how things go. I am by no means an authority on curry, so I hope it's clear that I don't really have much confidence in my suggestions! I am just drawing from my experience growing up and having curry almost every day. Wishing you all the best!

Don't worry, you are not alone! I feel the same way. And chances are people in your cohort do, too. Right now I'm just trying to take a breath, smile a little half-smile, and give things my best shot. I try to find company with people who make me feel happy and good about myself, i.e. mostly people in my program. That gives me the security of knowing that I've got support from my peers should I ever need comfort, humor, etc. as I settle down to the daily grind. Sure, things aren't easy right now, but I'm chasing my dreams and enriching my mind and my soul along the way, and I think I'll be a better human being for it. I hear you, I'm overwhelmed, too. This too shall pass, as they say. Give yourself credit that you've already come this far--why surrender now? You are capable of far more than you've achieved thus far, and you know it. That's why freaking out before every challenge, and grieving if we fall short, never really pays off in the long run. We're stronger than the vicissitudes of academic life would lead us to believe. Some stress is expected and fine and even beneficial. When we cope with it in a healthy way, we grow even stronger and more resilient. So I wish you and everyone all the best!

Hey there! From one (male) teetotaler to another, I should disclose first that like you I haven't frequented many bars. In fact, I've only entered a bar when I risked social sanctions if I didn't go. For example, twice during recruitment weekend I went to bar because I would have come off as asocial if I didn't accompany my hosts. That said, no one cared that I didn't drink, even though I was nervous that they would. They didn't coerce me into anything. And this is in a Midwestern town where beer flows like water. So I think our self-consciousness is unfounded (generally, it usually is). I don't believe people really judge us for choosing not to drink. And even if they do, so what? As human beings, we are worth way more than that, and we should know it, and maybe we should even be proud of it, of who we are. A judgment is just a judgment, justified or not, and a self-critical thought is just a thought. I do believe that one should take advantage of opportunities to build relationships. Choosing not to drink does not render anyone asocial, but not attending important social functions (e.g., celebrations after defending someone's dissertation) may. So even though I don't drink, I have made it a goal to reach out to people, and I think it's great that you seem to have the same resolve. The more social support we have during grad school, the more we buffer ourselves from all kinds of trouble. And when we are around people who treat us kindly and enjoy our company, we in turn feel better about ourselves, and we become happier and more productive. All the best!

Thanks, this looks yummy (as do the other recipes posted, but I am partial to souffles)!

Just wanted to revive this thread so that people can share their recipes to seasoned gastronomes and first-time cooks alike. I'm pretty much in the latter camp; I don't know the difference between chard and scallions. But cooking, or at least trying to, I think is a lot of fun and a good bonding activity with friends or significant others. Mark Bittman of the NYT used to be a great resource for simple dishes requiring very little preparation. His column was called The Minimalist, I think. Personally, I remember eating lots of the following when I lived alone: Sweet potatoes--just wash 'em, poke 'em, and stick 'em in the oven. They'll soften and secrete their natural sugars. Kale chips--remove the stems, drizzle with olive oil and salt, and bake. Eggplant parmesan--who could go wrong with this? Just remember to salt the eggplants to eliminate their astringency. I also like to cut the eggplants lengthwise--and thin, too. Add ricotta for a special treat. Smoothies: frozen bananas and blueberries render the addition of crushed ice unnecessary. Eggplant (bhaigan) chokha--I'm from Trinidad, so my folks and I at home eat this a lot. It's just eggplant that's been roasted through, peeled, and mixed with onion and garlic and some other spices. Curry potato (aloo): Curry powder sauteed with onion, then boiled potatoes and water are added. You can do this with other things: chickpeas, chicken, even green mangoes (my favorite). Grilled mushrooms and zucchini (if you have an indoor grill pan). Easy and tastes great. All it takes is some olive oil. Steamed: edamame (a delicious snack), green beans, snow peas, broccoli. All have a satisfying crunch if you don't overcook them. Tomato chokha--peeled tomatoes that have been fried and sauteed with onion and garlic. MIx spinach with chickpea flour dough, flatten into patties, and fry (I forget what this is called but it tastes great. Could also do this with eggplant and okra.) That's all I can remember for now; will report back later when my memory returns to me. Bon appetit!

I have been perfectly content with my HP Probook 4530s since purchasing it a few weeks ago for $450 (just under $600 with extended warranty) from TigerDirect. Has a 15.6" screen, 4 GB RAM, full size keyboard, 320 GB hard drive, i3 processor, and ~5 hours of battery life. You can check for more bargains at http://slickdeals.net/ The link to that specific item is here: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=19198&CatId=4938 The only downside is that it comes with a ton of bloatware. Reinstalling the OS took care of that, but I had to call HP for the reinstallation and driver discs. This machine has more computing power than I need for my work, but not much more. It's a steal at this price, to be honest. The large screen allows me to open two windows at once without squinting, and the number pad will make my life a lot easier when entering data in spreadsheets. These are all features that I think grad students can appreciate. I don't have a tablet, so I'm afraid I don't have any experience with note-taking on them. I can imagine a tablet allows you to read journal articles (usually PDFs) and can handle graphs/illustrations just like a laptop or desktop can. I'm not sure if the same can be said about eReaders, though I could be wrong. I second bhikaari's suggestion to test out tablets first to see whether you'll be comfortable with them, i.e. typing on them, for example. All the best!