is there a way to choose a payout amount on this pool?  

Yes, it was ASIC resistance.  Even from the very beginning Evan said he was hoping for 2 years without ASICs and strangely enough, that just what he got.  This is because the network needed to be strong enough for the change over, which it is.  This was not unforeseen.  

ASICs do strengthen the security of the network.  They do this by making it so much harder to mess with transactions via someone having the ability to double the hash between blocks, changing transactions, and getting the longest chain.  This could actually happen with a massively successful botnet that is kept idle except when needed, reducing the chance of people discovering the infection, increasing the spread of the bot and being able to control a ton of hash power for short periods of time.

And this is because only a very few of the world's computers are hashing, most people don't even know about crypto currencies, but they all have graphics cards that can be hijacked.

ASICs are usually not kept idle and thus, their high hash power would be very difficult, thousands of times harder, to double or triple. This makes the network more secure.

Anyway, Evan Duffield, our lead developer has said he and the team have come up with a potential solution that he will reveal soon.  Hopefully it'll pan out and we'll hear from him soon.  

One thing you can say about Dash, is that change is not something Dash fears.  Dash rolls with the changes (thanks RUSH)

who ever is saying he have a mining farm in the Philippines is lying. Philippines is one if not have the highest cost of electricity in Asia..of course hobbyist are an exception.

http://www.philstar.com/business/2013/10/07/1242233/phl-power-rates-among-highest-asia

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2012/08/17/839090/meralco-rates-2nd-highest-asia

Hey Ice, I am a small miner that mines DASH and I would like to express a couple of thoughts to you.  First, why don't you take your communist loving moron self to one of the crappy backwater countries that are a complete mess and joke.  Go live under horrible conditions that only the communist countries have to endure.  Come on and tell us how great it is while you are poor as dirt and starve.

Also, I understand that you have code in your monero, that has backdoors and you said that everyone is so stupid and they won't know about it.  Seems you really screwed the pooch on that one, by the way anyone worth his salt in this world knows go get an expert if you are going to do any business with another, and you sir are the lowest of the low and I hope a few more people are aware of your horrible soul.  I hope you enjoy burning for eternity, you can repent, just ask.

DASH is way better than your monero, and you are a liar, an idiot communist, and a back stabbing piece of trash.