Homeless: Can you build a life from $25?

pretty good video too...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58vkmQklbdU

 

What kind of Ferrari?

 

IIRC in his book he said a 308 and then a Testarossa that had belonged to Michael Jordan.

 

I volunteer weekly at the local homeless shelter. I recommend you do the same.

MOST (not all) of these guys have serious mental illnesses that severely hamper their abilities to work their way up the chain.

 

Pshaw, hard work makes up a very small percentage of what gets you ahead. It's having 'moxie" and vision that does it! And yeah, a lot of luck!

 

So, we should applaud this man who took valuable shelter space & food stamps for 70 days from the needy for an 'experiment'?

Did he reimburse the shelters & state?

 

I remember seeing him in an interview with his black Testarossa a few years ago. He had personalized plates that said NOT MJ on the car because he wanted to send a message to kids that they didn't have to become athletes to drive cars like that. I had no idea that he actually bought the car from MJ. That's a cool back story.

 

This quote from the article seems to tell me the most:
"The question isn't whether I would have been able to succeed. I think it's the attitude that I take in: "I've got child care. I've got a probation officer. I've got all these bills. Now what am I going to do? Am I going to continue to go out to eat and put rims on my Cadillac? Or am I going to make some things happen in my life...?" One guy, who arrived [at the shelter] on a Tuesday had been hit by a car on [the previous] Friday by a drunk driver. He was in a wheelchair. He was totally out of it. He was at the shelter. And I said, "Dude, your life is completely changed." And he said, "Yeah, you're right, but I'm getting the heck out of here." Then there was this other guy who could walk and everything was good in his life, but he was just kind of bumming around, begging on the street corner. To see the attitudes along the way, that is what my story is about. "
Seems like a great idea for an experiment and basis for a thesis paper or something. I'm way too lazy to do something like that.
BT

 

He also like a Lambo.

http://www.lamborghinioc.com/index.cfm?pg=news_events_detail&nid=33

 

Why would he? He was 'starting a life', and was testing to see if a person could make a go of it with $25 only. If everyone in need used a shelter and food stamps for 70 days and then became a productive member of society, we would all be much better off. Sorry that this kid offends you.
BT

 

I wouldn't say he offends me, but he's no hero in my opinion. More like 'so what?' & why waste valuable resources?

There are ton's of ascents from homelessness stories out there. What did this experiment really prove other than he could write a book? Maybe if he spent 70 days on the streets it might be more interesting. Or donating his truck, $5000, and all book earning to a homeless shelter.........

I see way too much homeless people here, and not enough resources for the truly needy.

 

My father had a 10th grade education and built a trucking company up from nothing. Not a small trucking company mind you he had 150 trucks and 500 trailers and over a million square feet of warehouse space when he sold out and retired. Which by the way wasn't for him so he got himself a hobby raising and training thorughbreds. He was not afraid of working. I see people that have degrees every day that haven't acheived the level of success he did. Having that piece of paper from some college doesn't give you half the skills needed to survive in the the real world those are learned from experience.

I remember Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School the Business professor was trying to teach the class what it takes to start a company. After he finished he asked the class if he forgotten anything. Rodney piped up and said you forgot a whole bunch of stuff and started naming things that sounded funny but in reality I had seen my father deal with bankers, lawyers, and others just like the manner Rodney was talking about. All the time these college educated professionals were bending over backwards kissing my fathers ass to get his business.

My father busted his ass to make sure us kids had the education he never had. I got to tell you I learned a lot in college but I learned a hell of a lot more from my father on how to cope in the real world.

 

I am not disagreeing with that.

 

It's the same story with my father too. He started from scratch with no education and dyslexia (and bad health because of smoking since he was 11). He has always said "You can get where I am too, but if I had some solid educational ground I'd be there much faster". Anyways, what is succesful or not depends on what you want from the degree you're taking:
a) You just want a safe job and leader position in a already successfull business (you work for others)
b) You want to get yourself some knowledge before starting for yourself.

Bottom line is: It depends on what you consider to be succsessfull and it depends on if you have that passion to make it or not... The last line is why I don't think every homeless can start a life with 25 $. Either you have it in you or you don't. Or you go out in real life with a safety net like this kid.


Edit: Btw, did you ever think about why your dad worked his ass off to give his kids an education?