>
> Here's something from the Dept. of Horatio Alger:
>
> ...But Shepard's descent into poverty in the summer of
> 2006 was no accident. Shortly after graduating from
> Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass., he
> intentionally left his parents' home to test the
> vivacity of the American Dream. His goal: to have a
> furnished apartment, a car, and $2,500 in savings
> within a year.
>
> To make his quest even more challenging, he decided
> not to use any of his previous contacts or mention his
> education.
>
> During his first 70 days in Charleston, Shepard lived
> in a shelter and received food stamps. He also made
> new friends, finding work as a day laborer, which led
> to a steady job with a moving company.
>
> Ten months into the experiment, he decided to quit
> after learning of an illness in his family. But by
> then he had moved into an apartment, bought a pickup
> truck, and had saved close to $5,000.
He put aside $500 a month while working low-end, no-education, no-experience jobs? On top of paying for an apartment? On top of coming up with deposits for first-month's rent and getting electric power turned on? On top of paying at the very least another $200 a month for car payments and insurance and registration? Unless he landed one of those incredible $50/hour farm harvesting jobs that jackass McCain was maundering about the other day, I don't see how this can be possible at all, no matter how much Top Ramen he ate or how many 22" Enkei rims he didn't buy to decorate his Cadillac.
There are professional economists reading this; do the arithmetic. Until I see paycheck stubs, a checking account register and a complete list of itemized expenses, I say he's outright lying.
Yours WDK - WKiernan at ij.net