In his defense, it seemed like he readily acknowledged the folly of his ways, but he didn't seem entirely convinced or convincing that he'd be changing his behavior.

Amazing that he's still married and has any friends at all.

KingoftheCheese: I have a co-worker who is almost the same but opposite. We will get paid and then 4 days later he will be out of money. With a week and a half away from next payday, I have to listen to him whine about how he can't afford lunch and when I actually don't bring my lunch from home and decide to go somewhere, he will ask me how my lunch was and cry about how he wishes he could afford to eat out.
Then, when we were just standing around bullshiatting one day, I mentioned to my boss that I had booked my honeymoon the night before, this same guy tells me that if I spent over 500 on it, I wasted my money and that I should be more conservative with my money. Can't stand people that feel the need to get in your buisiness about money or those that seem to try and make themselves look better than you.

/end rant

I kind of like it when you rant :)

I honestly don't think I've ever met anyone who actually plays squash. I always thought it was one of those games only people in movies play.

Another awful point to this story: not only did this guy mooch off of others for a week and make it seem like deprivation, he wrote an irritating essay about it, and sold it to Real Simple magazine.

GSD4Ever: Getting back to the FA. The bit about the haircut kills me. He is a bit self absorbed, isn't he?

No kidding. Go without a haircut for another week, or be a complete jackass and nullify the F*CKING POINT OF THE EXPERIMENT by saying, "I'll pay you next week."? Hmmmm. Tough choice.

If he's just going to pay everyone next week, why doesn't he just use a credit card? Wouldn't that be the same damn thing, you yuppie jackass? Hell, I could EASILY go a month without spending money by using his definition.

Self involved asshat decides to live tries to survive an entire week without spending any money. Fail: Does it by mooching off everyone he comes in contact with.

Unfortunately he succeeded.

I find myself in the same position as this guy. I can't spend any money until my paycheck comes next week, because my college education took the rest of my money.

d23: Drew?

Foul! Note the article says:

"We don't have a TV, so I end up at an Irish pub, where the bartender stares at me for 20 minutes, waiting for my drink order. I slink out at halftime."

Not

"Having no beer I ended up in an Irish pub. Not having any money I provided several other patrons with sexual favors in exchange for a frosty pint. "

You know what, guys? Roger Ebert is a Creationist.

/This article is meant to be humorous.
//I thought it was pretty funny.

I picture this jagoff looking and acting like Albert Brooks' character in Taxi Driver.

oh for FARK'S SAKE. I saw this earlier today and wanted to throttle the guy.

FTFA:
I watch the wrapping paper pile up. "Remember those diamond earrings I got you for your birthday last year?" I keep saying. "You know the ones I mean, with the diamonds?"


Were I her, I would have started a contest: who can be the most egregiously passive-aggressive jerk in the presence of polite company:

"Why yes, honey, I do remember those earrings -- the ones you got from "coreyzdiamonzzA++" on eBay? And your sister helped us fill out that online fraud form because, well, most diamonds don't come with a tube of white paint and clearcoat?"


Why was this douchebag given a Fark greenlight? His page views will only skyrocket, lending credence to his writing skills. We have a responsibility, or something!

To: Steve Almond

From: The Office of the President Elect:

Dear Steve,

I would like to thank you for your support of my campaign. The political messages involved in your work have encouraged Americans to believe they can help change the status quo. I am privileged and proud to have your support. I wish you and the many millions like you who voted for me continued success.

Barack Obama

I'm surprised some self-aggrandizing rugged individualist asshat hasn't tried making money for a week without using any public infrastructure or services.

Oh wait, no I'm not.

Le Grand Danois: Did he honestly think he was on to something? He just put off payments and had his wife pay for everything.

The best "living poor for a week" article I've ever read was in the newspaper of my university. It was becoming common knowledge that there were a lot of homeless students on campus (basically kids that come from not so well off families who could only get enough loans/scholarships to pay for tuition). So some arts student set out on a mission - this guy actually slept on benches around campus and even ate the "still good" pitas that the cafeteria was about to throw in the dumpster.

Um, broke college students? Were they hot? Or at least passable? There's no reason a decent-looking college student of either sex or persuasion has to sleep on benches; there's always an emotionally deprived TA or predatory fifth-year senior to "help out."

STOOPID

ck1938: To: Steve Almond

From: The Office of the President Elect:

Dear Steve,

I would like to thank you for your support of my campaign. The political messages involved in your work have encouraged Americans to believe they can help change the status quo. I am privileged and proud to have your support. I wish you and the many millions like you who voted for me continued success.

Barack Obama

is you ignant?

Is this where we beg for Total Fark sponsorship?

joshthewaster: 2006



Good read man, thanks for posting it

So this guy is basically a hippie? I'd like those 30 seconds of my life back for reading that crap.

That's like people who think quitting smoking means quit buying cigarettes and just bum them off of other people.

Pablo - I'm looking at YOU

APPROVES

This guy probably thinks he has a right to "free" health care; he gets the care, someone else pays the bill.

A week? My brother-in-law has been doing this for years.

Congratulations, you proved that beggars can survive.

Pocket Ninja:
The only real course of action is identification and utter avoidance.

No, you had pissed him off for some reason, and this was his method of eventually avoiding *you*.

Had a good friend that was very similar to this guy. Counting cents on the restaurant bill, forgetting a wallet, never offering to pick up so much as a single beer ever, if it wasn't one thing it was another. He was also a trust fund kid, and had more money than anyone else.

Had a good friend. Fark him.

There are a ton of those guys like, 2 blocks down the street from my apartment.

I was invited out to lunch by a couple of friends. They invited a couple of other people, and one person who did not show. The couple had drinks, a meal, dessert, and coffee. I had a meal. One guy gave me $20 for him and his dining companion; the couple gave me $20. The bill was $60. I also ended up paying the tip. I spent $35 for a $6 meal.

The female half of the couple ended up saying "Do you think I should give you more than $20? Just say so" as she dandled her infant on her knee.

/gee, did you bother looking at the menu?
//did you even bother ASKING how much the bill was, despite being the ones to invite ME out to dinner?
///I'm sure the no-show guest would have ended up being my responsibility, too, had he made it
////buy a clue

Article should be "He didn't spend any of HIS money"

Ignominiousbob: Pocket Ninja:
The only real course of action is identification and utter avoidance.

No, you had pissed him off for some reason, and this was his method of eventually avoiding *you*.

Everybody wins!

Can we get a "Douchebag" tag?

I'd wager a new shekel this guy's from Brookline....

subaudio: I'd wager a new shekel this guy's from Brookline....

I'd take that wager and double or nothin' on Cambridge.

Cronbach: subaudio: I'd wager a new shekel this guy's from Brookline....

I'd take that wager and double or nothin' on Cambridge.

Checked Wiki... Arlington, borders Cambridge, use to live there. They don't sell booze in that city... nuf said.

Question: Does the wife work?
If not, then isn't she spending his money anyway?

The author is a chump at any rate.

Generally speaking there are a lot of people in the world who can't---or maybe won't---pull their own weight, and if you can find out who they are for a few bucks, it is well worth the expense.

So if you lend a guy a few bucks and he never repays, you have an excuse to never give to him again, because he's a deadbeat.

Saves money in the long run.

Hat Madder: This guy probably thinks he has a right to "free" health care; he gets the care, someone else pays the bill.

he has insurance? no no, he was injured in iraq? he's the spouse of someone who "fought" in the cold war and takes 1000s of dollars a month worth of rx meds paid by tax payers?
which one of the current systems of "everyone pays, some people use it" is he using?

A future stylist for Howard Stern!

I have an acquaintance kinda like this. He would be a friend, but with this bullshiat going on it kinda limits how much I want to hang with him.

Frickin mooch.

Why do I get the distinct impression he is one of those "let's just split the bill" types at restaurants where he is the one ordering lobster and steak when you ordered the chef's salad?

/hates these people

towatchoverme: Jesus stayed with his friends and mooched bread, fish and wine.

Not saying this guy's like Jesus.

Just saying, is all.

I think you've got that backwards. And who wouldn't want to hang out with a guy who could turn water into wine?

Russian: Ok here it is. that guy is like all of you because you are not working for your money you are on fark, taking money from the Company you are with and NOT contribution apart from a Stupid article. Guys please self depreciation!!!

2/10

I get paid to sit here until someone in IT decides that he doesn't want to do something by himself, i.e. place asset tags on equipment, take stuff to the mailroom, communicate with other employees on behalf of the IT department, etc. Besides, four hours of school three nights a week is draining.

eddyatwork: Why do I get the distinct impression he is one of those "let's just split the bill" types at restaurants where he is the one ordering lobster and steak when you ordered the chef's salad?

/hates these people

I don't understand this. It's like those letters to Dear Abby or whoever complaining about how they went to dinner with friends and ordered a glass of water but then everyone just wanted to split the check evenly, so they forked over their mortgage payment so as not to complain and seem cheap.

In my group of friends, it's understood that we get separate checks, and if that's not possible, we quickly figure out who owes what. No hard feelings, no biatching later behind people's backs.

Is that not the norm?

And finally some other people understand why I did not like 'On Walden Pond'.

Here is his website:

Steve Almond

Read only the headline.....What's the big deal? Democrat Politicians do this all the time.

K/H D

squadron499: Read only the headline.....What's the big deal? Democrat Politicians do this all the time.

K/H D

Funny, I thought it was the rabid right-wingers, who rail against socialists while driving on public roads and being protected by the military.

ndapants
I was invited out to lunch by a couple of friends. They invited a couple of other people, and one person who did not show. The couple had drinks, a meal, dessert, and coffee. I had a meal. One guy gave me $20 for him and his dining companion; the couple gave me $20. The bill was $60. I also ended up paying the tip. I spent $35 for a $6 meal.

The female half of the couple ended up saying "Do you think I should give you more than $20? Just say so" as she dandled her infant on her knee.

/gee, did you bother looking at the menu?
//did you even bother ASKING how much the bill was, despite being the ones to invite ME out to dinner?
///I'm sure the no-show guest would have ended up being my responsibility, too, had he made it
////buy a clue

Maybe you should buy a backbone. Why would you let yourself be given the check and not say anything. Simply put in what you owe and let it end there. Stop complaining that you get treated like a doormat when you simply lay there and let yourself be walked all over.