definition of poor

[Greg Nowell]

Picking up on s.o. else's comments about traveling in
the 3rd world defining one as rich.  Some years ago
when I was still under the crushing $45k of debt that I
earned in grad skool I was at a friend's house in
Syracuse (he's on the faculty).  I was envious of his
obvious well-being but I noted that because I had a car
and ate when I was hungry and was warm when it was cold
that I was doing very well by world historical
standards, even tho' I was living in a 1 bedroom kinda
crappy place in Albany and struggling to make ends
meet.

My friend's response: "Here we don't go by world
historical standards.  We go buy Syracuse faculty
standards.  By that standard, we get to own our own
house."

--
Gregory P. Nowell
Associate Professor
Department of Political Science, Milne 100
State University of New York
135 Western Ave.
Albany, New York 12222

Fax 518-442-5298