Are you your office?

Some say that their office is a reflection of themselves.

By this time in the semester, my office looks pretty rough.  Piles of papers precipitously rest on top of the filing cabinet.  My shelf of flair (random gifts from undergrads) needs to be reorganized.  Various textbooks rest on the floor rather than the bookshelf.  Candy wrappers are a common sight.


If I am my office, I'm a slightly disheveled teenager.


What does your office say about you?

Nook it or book it?

While I take a moment to ponder the on-going comments on summer salaries, I thought I'd bring up another pressing issue in my life: to book it or nook it?

I've been actively pursing my research and life new year's resolutions.  While my research resolutions aren't going so well, I am happy to report that I am kicking ass at life.... or at least my life-related resolution of reading X books in 2011.

Is it time to bite the bullet and get a Kindle?  Or a nook?  Or some other reader?


Anyone have strong feelings about Kindles, Nooks, or books?

I want something that lets me download books cheaply and re-read them.  Go.

How do you get a summer salary?

As I've written previously, I do not get a summer salary.


Would I like more money?  Obviously.

I have two options to get a summer salary:

1.  teach

2.  Write and receive a grant that can include my summer salary.



Many of my colleagues do not seek out summer funding.  They then refuse to work in the summer because they aren't being paid.  I don't have that luxury.  I need to work in the summer to get enough research done.


It is challenging finding funding for a PUI's summer salary.  Sure, I can write and hope to get (after two or three re-submits?) a giant grant to Big Funding Agency.  But are there other sources of summer money for PUI profs?

Do your parents "get" you?

I have a lot of friends in various stages of the tenure process at PUIs around the country.  In contrast, only a handful of my friends/acquaintances are at research institutions.

One friend in particular has had quite the productive academic career already (and I mean pro-duc-tive!).  I have no doubt that many accolades and awesomeness are in store for him.

The other day, we were chatting about some of his academic successes.  A thought popped into my head, forcing me to interrupt our conversation.  "Do your parents understand what you do?"  I asked.  "Do they fully appreciate your achievements?"

I often wonder about the relationship of such research rock stars with their parents.  Do their parents understand the rock star nature of their kids' careers?  I have to wonder, as I don't have that problem.

This is a result of:

1.  My parents are in academia.

2.  I'm not a research rock star.  Duh.


But seriously, what is up?  For those of you with non-academic parents, do you have to constantly explain your work?  Or do you just not discuss it?  And isn't that weird?

What will we lock up next?

Today, driving around Conference City, I saw a car with a padlocked gas tank.

Wuh-what?

Is this normal?



I've considered padlocking the -80 freezer in the lab, but I've never thought to padlock my vehicle.


What needs to be padlocked the most in your life?