Quote of the Week:
“How much good inside a day?/ Depends how good you live ’em./ How much love inside a friend?/ Depends how much you give ’em.” —Shel Silverstein, A Light in the Attic
Fact of the Week:
In 1958, Robert Lane fathered his sixth child. According to Mind Debris, he had become obsessed with the idea that a child’s name could influence his or her future. Hoping for an auspicious start in this world for his son, he named him Winner. Three years later, Robert's significant other became pregnant again. On the suggestion of his oldest daughter, Robert decided to name this son Loser.
Both sons were Black and grew up in a lower-income family living in the projects of Harlem. Despite the similar upbringing, they would go on to live drastically different lives.
Robert’s hope that his son Winner would turn out to be, well, a winner, never materialized. Winner was convicted of his first crime at the age of nineteen on charges of aggravated assault. Over the following years he would be charged with trespassing, auto theft, domestic violence, fare evasion, and resisting arrest. The last known interview with Winner Lane was in 2002 when Winner was being released from prison after his 30th offense. He was homeless on the streets of New York.
Loser Lane defied the early odds. He earned good grades and went to a prep school in Connecticut on full scholarship, according to Mind Debris. He then attended Lafayette College where he played football and wrestled while maintaining excellent grades. In 1984 he joined the NYPD, and by the time of his last interview in 2002, he had been promoted to sergeant. He did not see his brother often except to give him money. Despite Winner’s sad story, Loser (or Lou as he goes by) proved to his father that, despite the disadvantage of his name, he could still become someone—even a winner.
Mind Debris contributed to this article.
News Update:
Via Yahoo! News
If you need a cat or a puppy, you don’t belong in college. At least that’s according to Fox News contributor David Webb, who appeared on the network’s show, Outnumbered. Sitting around a semicircle, Webb and four colleagues claimed that students should not need to pet dogs and cats during finals period at college, and by doing so, they were “snowflakes.”
Prompted by a study that showed cats helped emotional students, the crew discussed implications. Anchor Julie Banderas said, “This is another example of how we are raising snowflakes. If you honestly can’t make it in college, then just drop out.”
Host Emily Compagno followed that up by claiming, “I don’t think these kids need cats—I think they need discipline. I think they need a slap in the face.”
“I remember on one of my campuses getting a note that there would be dogs and puppies for us to soothe us during exam time. I thought, is this real?” said former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany. She said the puppies were “insanity” and a “distraction.”
“I don’t need to be coddling a puppy. I need my organic chemistry book if I’m pre-med… Get me a cookie, a coffee, and a stack of books. I don’t need a puppy in my lap to study for exams.”
Host Tammy Bruce shared her harrowing story: “I was on Wall Street walking my dog… and there were students… that all ran at us, and [my dog] loved it, but they said, ‘we’re studying, we’re in the midst of finals.’ I said, ‘well instead of hugging my dog you should go back to studying.’ Because it’s training for the real world. No one is going to hand you a puppy in the real world! And I think that’s one of the most important lessons.”
Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Elon Musk founded something in a garage rather than petting a cat, argued Webb. “And,” he wondered, “why are you going to hurt the cats and the dogs by putting them with bad kids?”
He summed up the crew’s thoughts: “This is the idea of building a society of betas. These kids are the problem … If you need a cat or you need a puppy you don’t belong in college.”
To see the video of their chat, check out this link:
Rolling Stone contributed to this article.
Sports Update:
Via Knox News
The first College Football Playoff ranking is out, and the top spot goes to Tennessee. The Volunteers have impressive wins over Alabama and LSU, and this past weekend they absolutely destroyed a quality Kentucky side, 44-6.
Ohio State came in second in the ranking, followed by Georgia. Each of these teams are 8-0 but have just one win against a CFP-ranked team. Ohio State beat #16 Penn State 44-31 this past weekend thanks to a fourth quarter turnaround, and Georgia crushed #8 Oregon by 46 points in the first game of the season.
Clemson (8-0) was fourth, while just outside the CFP’s top four were Michigan (8-0), Alabama (7-1), and TCU (8-0). But while Tennessee came in first in the CFP ranking, they tied Ohio State for #2 in the AP Poll (which is used for the teams’ actual rankings). Georgia earned the #1 spot while Michigan finished fourth, Clemson fifth, and Alabama sixth.
This weekend #2 Tennessee plays at #1 Georgia. The winner will cement itself as the number one team in college football and will secure a spot in the College Football Playoff, barring anything crazy. Elsewhere, #6 Alabama plays at #15 LSU in a game the Crimson Tide must win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
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What has teeth but cannot eat?
Nice of the dad to value his little social experiment more than the happiness of his son. If I were "Loser" I'd be pissed at my dad for the rest of my life