1985
Some new Carson wannabes have recently arrived on the scene. No, we're not talking about Conan or Arsenio or Jay. We're talking babies named Carson. Both girls, both seven pounds-plus. One East Coast, one West. Are you ready for details? Carson Number One is Anna Paden Carson, born last November to Dave Carson and his wife. Per their birth announcement, they reside in Roanoke, Va., far, far away from Carson Number Two: Carson Molly Stern, born in March in Los Angeles to our own Mark Stern alumni columnist and movie producer (the birth of your first kid gives a whole new meaning to the word "producer," Mark). To our two new Carsons, and their four new parents, bravo, congratulations, mazeltov, snaps (pick your own accolade).
Tidings of the new Carsons was a good omen for this columnist, ending a threemonth drought in correspondence. The next day, a tidy packet of press clippings arrived from the College, containing a plethora of material a Jeopardy! winner, a traveling tailgate party in a hearse, dog leashes, and more!
Jeopardy! Winner: Who among us has not watched Jeopardy! and said to themselves, "I should be on that show"? Clearly DavidHillinick did more than just think about it-he did it and won more than $47,000. Way to go, Dave! I'm sure you're going to get a call from the Alumni Fund soon. (Frankly, you owe the alma mater for its contribution to your store of arcane knowledge.) By the way, I swear I've seen other Big Green winners on Jeopardy!, like Ted Cooperstein a few years back. Write me if you know of any other Dartmouth Daily Doublers.
Hearse Tailgate: Phil Silverman likes sports, particularly college football. Sometimes after a particularly tough day as a bankruptcy lawyer in Boston, Phil would head for a local bar and talk about the great college rivalries with his buddy Bob. On one such day last summer it occurred to them, "Wouldn't it be great to write a book about the great college football rivalries?" For a lot of people this would have stayed in the bottom of a glass, but not Phil and Bob. They got a book contract, quit their jobs, and the Saturday Afternoon Madness Tour began. Twelve football games in 13 weeks, covering 14,000 miles, in a hearse. Why a hearse? We don't know, but it sure attracted attention they were covered in USA Today and filmed by ESPN. My favorite quote: "We're just two Yankee Jewish kids traveling cross-country in a six-door, 79,000-mile funeral limousine that breaks down constantly. And we're having the time of our lives." Phil: we would love to excerpt your book in this space before it hits the stands send us a page.
Dog Leashes: David Jensen and J. ScottBadger have been entrepreneurs almost since graduation. In '87 they started one video store, and later opened a second. David's pet wolf (!), Blaze, used to lie around their stores sporting a colorful collar that David's wife, Valerie, made out of the strong webbing that mountaineers use. Customers frequently asked where they could buy one, and light bulb! they realized they had a good idea on their hands. Thus, the Lupine Dog Accessories Company was born. Today Lupine sells to more than 500 different pet stores around the country. Says Jensen: "We plan to do for dog collars what Ben & Jerry did for ice cream, what Kleenex did for tissue, what Frank Perdue did for chicken." Good luck, guys! Here's a deal for you: keep us up-to-date on how the business is going, and we'll refrain from making a lot of dumb jokes about how your business is going to the dogs, or how starting your own company is such a bitch, etc. Okay?
More! coming in August from new dad Mark.
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