Does Anyone Have a Good Google Adsense Story?

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I've heard lots of mixed commentary on the subject of Google Adsense. Some people seem to think that it's the best way to make money on the internet short of starting an adult content site, while others say that it's pretty much a scam. All of the "success" stories I've found involve outlandish amounts of money being made. So, my question is simply this: Does anyone have a real-life Google Adsense "success" story? How about "failure" stories?