Richie,
Just for once I will bother to reply to you since your latest posts contain so many distortions and mis-representations. Typical for you!
Firstly, where do you get the idea that I have a 6-figure salary? Either you are deliberately lying or you have not bothered to read this thread and are just inventing numbers just to suit yourself. Look back in the thread and you will see that I told Jim that my salary was around $60,000. Hardly a 6-figure amount as you claimed. Nor does that put me in the "upper 10% of wage earners".
Secondly, your posts clearly show that you have no idea of the role of a university professor. Not surprising considering your limited education, but let me educate you. Teaching is only one part of a professor's work responsibilities. We also have to sit on governance committees and department committees, curriculum committees, and we required to conduct research and publish the results. Much of my research I undertake during non-teaching weeks. So no, university professors are not "paid to teach", the job involves far more than that.
Regarding summer, I do not have time off during summer. When I am not doing research, I am teaching summer classes. And I most certainly do not "teach less than 150 days per year" and you so erroneously claimed. I teach far more than that.
Paid to go to conferences? How I wish!!! Most conferences are not held "in plush resorts" but basic hotels, we go in our own time (unless it is a major one like AAS or LPS) and unless the university decides to cover the cost, we pay for it ourselves. Most times the university only covers part of the cost. Yet attendance at such conferences and presenting papers is a requirement of our position. Also, I do not attend conferences alone. I have students who conduct research with me and attend to present their results. So yes, in that sense I am teaching when attending a conference.
As for "being lucky I can itemize on schedule A", you clearly do not have any idea. As I said earlier, I am far from being in the top of wage earners. Itemising simple means I have a lot of expenses that others do not have.
Jealous because I can go to professional observatories and use good equipment? That is not the result of luck. Rather it is the result of many years of very hard work, study and research. Anyone could do the same and have the same job. just study hard, do research and gain a PhD in Astronomy or Physics. Then such positions are open to you. Oh, I forgot, such study is far beyond your capabilities!
A couple of other points; 8 to 5!?! How I wish!!! The only time I leave my office before 8 pm is Friday when for religious reasons I have to leave before sundown. And I am almost always in my office on Sunday working on research papers, or grading. And this does not include when I am conducting night labs. Also, despite your snide comment, I am at work today. We do not get president's day off. In fact, my classes today do not finish until 9pm! So I will be here until about10pm. Then I will go home, try to cook something for dinner adn work while I am eating.
One last point. Where do you get the idea that I am a liberal? For your information, although I have voted in almost every election since 1970, I have never voted liberal once. And never will.
Maurice