> snip...a salary like the 'generous' $15,000 until I am a full professor. The >situation in public institutions is not much better. The grass is surely >greener stateside,... snip< $15,000 is not a living wage in Chicago and certainly not in the suburb I inhabit. My rent alone for a small house (4 rooms, 2 of them bedrooms) is $850 per month. Lets see... that means I pay $11,050 per year just to provide a roof over my head. I still have to pay to light and heat the structure, I need to eat, and I need to buy the occasional article of clothing. Let's not forget the "extras" like insurance on the contents of my house, a telephone, water bills, garbage pick-up, getting to & from work, a means of mowing the lawn, seeds for my garden, taxes... Damn good thing I earn more than $15,000 and I do not have to support a child. Oh, btw, I left archaeology to pursue a museum career. It pays better. Gutenkauf 74547,[log in to unmask] ****Standard Disclaimer****