weird facts
In 1958, a New York man named Robert Lane decided to call his baby son Winner. The Lanes, who lived in a housing project in Harlem, already had several children, each with a fairly typical name. But this boy – well, Robert Lane apparently had a special feeling about this one. Winner Lane: how could he fail with a name like that?
Three years later, the Lanes had another baby boy, their seventh and last child. For reasons that no one can quite pin today, Robert decided to name this boy Loser. It doesn’t appear that Robert was unhappy about the new baby; he just seemed to get a kick out of the name’s bookend effect. First a Winner, now a Loser. But if Winner Lane could hardly be expected to fail, how could Looser Lane possibly succeed?
Loser Lane did in fact succeed. He went to prep school on a scholarship, graduated from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, and joined NYPD (it was his mother’s longtime wish). Although he never hid his name, people were uncomfortable using it. “So I have a bunch of names,” he says today, “from Jimmy to James to whatever they want to call you. But they rarely call you Loser.” Once in a while, he said, “they throw a French twist on it: ‘Losier.’” To his cop friends he is known as Lou.
And what of his brother with the can’t-miss name? The most noteworthy achievement of Winner Lane, how in his mid forties, is the length of his criminal record: almost three dozen arrests for burglary, domestic violence, trespassing, resisting arrest, and other mayhem.
These days Loser and Winner barely speak. The father who named them is no longer alive. Clearly, he had the right idea – that naming is destiny – but he must have gotten the boys mixed up.
[Via - BadCyclopedia]
So That's How $100m Looks Like
Vista Install in 2 Minutes !
Stupid Things People REALLY Put On Their Resumes
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Weird Facts: Winner, Loser And Their Amazing Story
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Weird Facts: It Ain't No Texas - Denver Is The 'Drunkest City' In US
weird facts
Colorado and Texas residents may like their drink a little too much.
That's at least according to a study conducted by Men's Health magazine to determine the nation's most dangerously drunk cities.
Topping the list as the nation's "Drunkest City," according to the study, was Denver. Fellow Colorado communities Colorado Springs and Aurora rated third and 19th respectively. Denver was rated the most dangerously drunk city in 2006 as well.
Meanwhile, Texas joined Colorado as the only state with more than one city falling in the "top" 10 on the list, with San Antonio ranking sixth, Austin coming in seventh and Lubbock in the ninth spot.
Other communities making the top 10 list included second-ranked Anchorage, Alaska, fourth-ranked Omaha, Neb., fifth-ranked Fargo, N.D., eighth-ranked Fresno, Calif., and 10th-ranked Milwaukee, Wis.
The magazine says it looked at factors such as annual death rates due to alcoholic liver disease, drunk-driving arrests and the percentage of fatal accidents involving intoxicated motorists. Also factored in is the report card from Mothers Against Drunk Driving on state efforts to cut down on excessive drinking.
On the other end of the scale, Durham, N.C., was named the least dangerously drunk city, earning an A-plus from MADD.
Because self-destructive drivers tend to buy alcohol impulsively and at late hours, the magazine recommended readers visit the Alcohol Policy Information System's Web site to review which states put strict limits on where and when alcohol can be sold.
[Via - The Weird World Of Economics]
Man Returns Mistaken $2M Check
Who else wants our free internet business in a box ?
Cliff-Diving Cow Hits Minivan
Monday, December 17, 2007
Weird Facts: $90 Game Sells For Over $9000 On EBay
weird facts
MONTREAL (AFP) - After catching his 15-year-old smoking pot, a father sold the hard-to-get “Guitar Hero III” video game he bought his son for 90 dollars for Christmas at an online auction, fetching 9,000 dollars.
The sale took place after the father spent two weeks searching for the video game for the Nintendo Wii gameboard.
“So I was so relieved in that I had finally got the Holy Grail of Christmas presents pretty much just in the nick of time. I couldn’t wait to spread the jubilance to my son,” the father wrote on the eBay website.
“Then, yesterday, I came home from work early and what do I find? My innocent little boy smoking pot in the back yard with two of his delinquent friends.”
The man, a school teacher, who kept his identity private, said he sold the coveted video game to punish his son and discourage him from smoking dope.
The sale was a boon for the family’s bank account, since the game the father purchased for 90 dollars (US) was finally sold to an Australian who plunked down 9,100 dollars for it.
The naughty son, however, will not go without a present on Christmas.
“I am still considering getting him a game for his Nintendo. Maybe something like Barbie as the Island Princess or Dancing with the Stars … I know he will just love them,” the father said, tongue-in-cheek.
Who is Shawn Casey ? Is he for Real ?
What everybody ought to know about Christmas
Hitler's Globe Sold For For $100,000
