child of 2

my laptop webcam has 0.1 megapixels. It's total crap

my laptop webcam has 0.1 megapixels. It's total crap

It's all bullshit if you ask me. The admin probably wants the professors not getting spammed by students, especially if it's inquiries about things they can find online. It's not like professors are told to not respond to emails. It can't hurt you. I saw the same thing on stanford's chem e website, but I emailed anyway, and the prof was direct and honest with me.
 
 
I don't see how contacting professors can compromise integrity. Networking is part of everyday life. If they're really worried about being objective to all their applicants, they should just eliminate anyone in the application pool who's had any affiliation with them in the first place.

you're ingesting smoothies for breakfast lunch and dinner?? good god man.
 
I understand the convenience of smoothies. I make one every morning using my cheapass and loud blender, with a banana and some berries and 1.5 scoops of whey protein. It keeps me energized until lunch. But I can't imagine donig that for all 3 meals. $10/day budget for food is $70/week. You should be able to get the food you need with that money, with some to spare for a subway every so often. Frozen veg/fruits are good, and actually healtier than most produce sections. Farmers market is the best though. Meat is more expensive, but not if you take advantage of discounts, buy in bulk and freeze. Just stay away from that $1.99 enhanced chicken breast - that shit's nasty.

meh
 
 
 
I'm not too keen on measuring dicks

I think there are some generalizations being made about life outside academia, and no one should be going to grad school smugly satisfied that they're escaping some cradle-to-grave careerist drudgery. 
 
If you want a secure career and being able to provide for your family, then you should weigh that against your degree, I'm a dreamer as much as anyone, but no one should end up as one of those poor PhDs earning nothing as an adjunct faculty somewhere. It seems like OP is mostly concerned with his current status relative to his peer group, but I'd wager that over time your degree will help you in ways you can't quantify at the moment. 
 
I agree with Takeruk that PhD students should be better compensated for the work they do, i.e. earn at least enough to put away a little for retirement, and it seems like some people stay in the poorly compensated post-doc limbo too long. At the same time, having no debt is nice, I mean compare with a student taking on $50k a year at a lowly-ranked law school (eeek!). 
 
At the moment I'm talking to any PhD I can find while applying to schools, trying to collate and distill all of their collective hindsight. So far this is what I've learned:
 
1. (from PhD guy running massively successful healthcare startup): during grad school try to develop yourself outside of your niche, (ex. management skills, technical, interpersonal, etc). It's difficult but by balancing this you can prepare for a move out of academia should your plans change. Along with this you should try to network throughout your degree, so you have something you can build on following graduation.
 
2. Don't work for a bastard PI: One of my chemistry professors did his PhD at Caltech, and he said there was one prof who refused to write LORs for any of his students for top 20 schools, in order to stop them competing with him for grants!
 
Anyone have any others?

meh
 
 
 
I'm not too keen on measuring dicks

Is it too late for me to start my application?
 
hahaha

ME-OW

Junior and Oreo. This was back when they were like 1 month old. They're now 3 months old. Toilet training is progressing, but has it's downfalls. Today, I saw Oreo brushing her paws inside the bathtub. Didn't realize that was her getting ready to take a shit. But when I realized it, I picked her up, literally as she was taking the shit, and put her on the toilet trainer bowl. I had two pieces of shit that didn't make it into the trainer bowl. But we'll get there...

blow down (it's not what it sounds like)

my new favorite video
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8eZuxjo3iY

here's why I don't care for facebook, flash games and all those fancy apps
 

 
I'm at phase 4 now, and i'd rather keep at that before I become one of those smartphone cyber witches.
 
Actually I think I might forgo the thought of getting a smartphone. the GPS kills the battery, and my old GPS is good enough to allow me to save locations and not get lost. My family pays $16 bucks/month for our plan...  also, I can afford to drop my phone, and not give a shit. Thanks for the help though

my new favorite video
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8eZuxjo3iY

my new favorite video
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8eZuxjo3iY

hey we have the MLS, is that so bad?
 
It's got Thierry Henry! He played for Barcelona, for like 2 seconds.

I'm getting ready to adopt a German Shorthaired Pointed named Benny from the local rescue society!

here's why I don't care for facebook, flash games and all those fancy apps
 

 
I'm at phase 4 now, and i'd rather keep at that before I become one of those smartphone cyber witches.
 
Actually I think I might forgo the thought of getting a smartphone. the GPS kills the battery, and my old GPS is good enough to allow me to save locations and not get lost. My family pays $16 bucks/month for our plan...  also, I can afford to drop my phone, and not give a shit. Thanks for the help though

I think because my area has a cat infestation, it's been pretty easy to find a cat. I got mine on craigslist, after a couple of weeks of searching. I got these two for free at 1 month old, from a couple who were giving them away. Vaccination and neutering are a 1 time deal. Personally, I'm only going to get Junior's balls snipped to level his aggression towards Oreo when they're playing. That can be done for ~$45 at my local budget clinic. Vaccination is $17 I believe. And if you have a cat that won't be going out at night, I personally don't see the need for vaccinations.

hey we have the MLS, is that so bad?
 
It's got Thierry Henry! He played for Barcelona, for like 2 seconds.

Junior and Oreo. This was back when they were like 1 month old. They're now 3 months old. Toilet training is progressing, but has it's downfalls. Today, I saw Oreo brushing her paws inside the bathtub. Didn't realize that was her getting ready to take a shit. But when I realized it, I picked her up, literally as she was taking the shit, and put her on the toilet trainer bowl. I had two pieces of shit that didn't make it into the trainer bowl. But we'll get there...

here's why I don't care for facebook, flash games and all those fancy apps
 

 
I'm at phase 4 now, and i'd rather keep at that before I become one of those smartphone cyber witches.
 
Actually I think I might forgo the thought of getting a smartphone. the GPS kills the battery, and my old GPS is good enough to allow me to save locations and not get lost. My family pays $16 bucks/month for our plan...  also, I can afford to drop my phone, and not give a shit. Thanks for the help though

Junior and Oreo. This was back when they were like 1 month old. They're now 3 months old. Toilet training is progressing, but has it's downfalls. Today, I saw Oreo brushing her paws inside the bathtub. Didn't realize that was her getting ready to take a shit. But when I realized it, I picked her up, literally as she was taking the shit, and put her on the toilet trainer bowl. I had two pieces of shit that didn't make it into the trainer bowl. But we'll get there...

here's why I don't care for facebook, flash games and all those fancy apps
 

 
I'm at phase 4 now, and i'd rather keep at that before I become one of those smartphone cyber witches.
 
Actually I think I might forgo the thought of getting a smartphone. the GPS kills the battery, and my old GPS is good enough to allow me to save locations and not get lost. My family pays $16 bucks/month for our plan...  also, I can afford to drop my phone, and not give a shit. Thanks for the help though

here's why I don't care for facebook, flash games and all those fancy apps
 

 
I'm at phase 4 now, and i'd rather keep at that before I become one of those smartphone cyber witches.
 
Actually I think I might forgo the thought of getting a smartphone. the GPS kills the battery, and my old GPS is good enough to allow me to save locations and not get lost. My family pays $16 bucks/month for our plan...  also, I can afford to drop my phone, and not give a shit. Thanks for the help though