Lease Police Changes Web Address
http://www.leasepoliceplus.com/

Bernie Boettigheimer, CLFP, President and Founder urges you to call, email, or visit site for more information.

He states, "You will find that we are the only full credit source servicing the finance and credit industry with a vendor data base of over 100,000 and over 600 vendor 'alerts'."

LeasePolicePlus completed its original software development January 2, 2007. The site was launched April 29, 2007 with initiation of its revolutionary loss prevention system for lease funding companies and lease brokers.   The LeasePolicePlus.com online system identifies vendors and lessees who are associated with a high incidence of defaults.  In addition, users have the ability to report incidences of “unusual or high risk behavior” by vendors.  Any confirmed “unusual activity” warnings are then posted in the database for future reference by users.  By using the LeasePolicePlus.com database, users can drastically reduce their exposure to fraudulent transactions, vendors using high risk sales strategies, and lessees with risky histories.

LeasePolicePlus.com offers two types of user accounts – funder and broker.    Broker accounts are limited in the amount of pulls per month.  All funder users must provide default data on their portfolio.  To view an online demo of the LeasePolicePlus.com system, go to:

https://www.LeasePolicePlus.com/infosite/product.html

Bernie Boettigheimer CLFP
President
Lease Police, Inc.
24 Glenmeadow Pl.
Dallas, Texas 75225
www.leasepoliceplus.com
214-549-3426

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Money Anxiety Warning
By Dr. Dan Geller

The recession hype of the last few weeks could accelerate the economic slowdown and induce a premature recession caused by lower consumer consumption due to elevated level of money anxiety.

SAN FRANCISCO - An increase in money anxiety can cause a recession simply by reducing consumer consumption by only 5 percent according to the theory of money anxiety developed by Dr. Dan Geller. Since consumer consumption makes up about 70 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a 5 percent reduction in spending equals 3.5 percent of GDP, which is greater than the projected GDP for 2019.

As of July of 2019, the Money Anxiety Index was flat at 44.0, the same as June but slightly higher than May at 42.7 points. These figures are relatively low and they do not point to an immediate recession. The July Money Anxiety Index reading is consistent with the preliminary retail sales increase of 0.7 percent for the same month, indicating that consumer spending is still strong because of low money anxiety. However, constant hype about a recession could increase the level of money anxiety, which in return leads to reduction in spending.

The theory of money anxiety, which is published in the Journal of Applied Business and Economics, demonstrates how elevated level of money anxiety causes consumers to decrease their spending and shift more of their money to savings. This is an instinctive reaction to perceived or real financial danger. People are simply hoarding money in case they lose their employment as a result of the recession.

The Money Anxiety Index, which measures the level of financial anxiety based on what people do with their money, is highly predictive and very reliable. Prior to the Great Recession, the index showed how peoples' money anxiety was trending upwards starting in October of 2006; nearly 14 months before the official start of the Great Recession in December of 2007. 

The index went as high as 100.4 in the aftermath of the Great Recession, and has declined gradually to 42.7 in May of this year. Historically, the Money Anxiety Index fluctuated from a high of 135.3 during the recession of the early 1980s, to a low of 38.7 in the mid-1960s.

 

Help Wanted

 

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Effective Prospecting

Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

The primary responsibility of every originator is to drive new business and let prospective vendors and end-users know about the products and services that they provide. Most originators need to spend more time prospecting. More importantly, they must focus on the "right" prospects. In the words of Larry S., "It is easy to find a deal but it takes talent to find deals that can be won, approved, and funded."

The commercial equipment finance and leasing market is as strong as ever. Now is the perfect time to be effectively prospecting; there are plenty of potential transactions to be won by every originator who is engaged in the market, calling the "right" vendors and end-users. Recently, an originator prospecting in the small-ticket market asked what he should expect from a full day of calling efforts. My response was:

• A strong originator prospecting for a full day should find two to three solid leads in the morning and two to three solid leads in the afternoon, translating into five strong leads for the day. 

• Those leads should translate into two to four applications over the coming week (to four weeks) and one to three approvals over the same period resulting in one funded transaction. 

• In this example, the originator's average transaction is $65,000 and his weighted average commission is 2% of the equipment cost. 

• One full day of prospecting will create $1,300 of income for this originator. If an originator prospects three days a week, he would create $200,000 in annual income.  

What are you waiting for? Use your time wisely. Spend time every day touching more customers. 

Prospecting Creates Results

Order via Amazon: https://www.createspace.com/5355516  

Scott A. Wheeler, CLFP
Wheeler Business Consulting
1314 Marquis Ct.
Fallston, Maryland 21047
Phone: 410 877 0428
Fax: 410 877 8161
Email: scott@wheelerbusinessconsulting.com
Web: www.wheelerbusinessconsulting.com

Sales Makes it Happen articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Legacy/index.html

 

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Surprising - Maybe Even Shocking
- Findings on Decision-Making
That All Credit Execs Need to Understand

Here's a fascinating story, recounted in Daniel Kahneman's landmark book "Thinking, Fast and Slow." Kahneman, a Nobel Prize-winning psychologist, studies how we think, especially biases that are inherent to human nature.

According to Kahneman, a study chronicled in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences studied eight parole judges in Israel. The judges, Kahneman writes, "spend entire days reviewing applications for parole. The cases are presented in random order and the judges spend little time on each one, an average of 6 minutes. (The default decision is denial of parole; only 35% of requests are approved. The exact time of each decision is recorded, and the times of the judges three food breaks -- morning break, lunch, and afternoon break -- during the day are recorded as well.)"

"The authors of the study plotted the proportion of approved requests against the time since the last food break. The proportion spikes after each meal, when about 65% of requests are granted. During the two hours or so until the judges' next feeding, the approval rate drops steadily, to about zero just before the meal."

“During the two hours or so until the judges' next feeding, the approval rate drops steadily, to about zero just before the meal.”

Kahneman notes: "as you might expect, this is an unwelcome result and the authors carefully checked many alternative explanations. The best possible account of the data provides bad news: tired and hungry judges tend to fall back on the easier default position of denying requests for parole. Both fatigue and hunger probably plays a role."

The message is clear: even the best, most trained and seemingly objective individuals will not be objective, even for routine tasks for which they are well-trained, if they are hungry or tired.

Gut Feelings: Can We Count On Them?

There are many lessons to take away from this study, including many that apply to decision-making in the credit and corporate world.

The first thing that jumps out at us is this: set up a credit scoring system. It's systematic and not subject to hunger or fatigue!

Secondly, don't let meetings go on too long, or you risk ever-declining decision-making.

Third, don't ask your boss for something important when she might be hungry or tired!

And finally, this clearly highlights that we ALL are subject to biases in our personal decision-making. If you've got something important you're considering (business or personal), make sure you're not hungry ("Depleted" is the technical term used by Kahneman to describe reduced ability to make clear and objective decisions, and it can refer to anything that reduces our ability to think clearly (being cold, hot, stressed, rushed, for example).

The Editors at Credit Today 
540-343-7500
Editor@CreditToday.net  

PS. If you're hiring, use our job board - www.CreditJobsToday.com - to find the very best candidates in the profession! 

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Why I Became a CLFP
Bernie Boettigheimer, CLFP, Lease Police

When Richard Benson, our Pioneer Capital consultant, took my son John and I to all the money sources in New York after I became a CLFP in 1996, it was my impression that the CLFP designation on my business card helped a long way toward our acceptance. At that time, the eastern finance establishment tended to be rather provincial regarding westerners. Having grown-up and educated in New York, I was well aware of this. Our consultant Richard Benson was a Harvard MBA “grad” so that helped, but I believe the Certified Leasing Professional impressed them almost as much.
The idea of becoming a CLFP came in 1993 from a friend of mine, who had just closed his first Securitization. He asked us to take over his marketing to brokers. Pioneer Capital, up to that time was strictly vendor-oriented and really we did not have the expertise in dealing with brokers or broker paper.

Later on Pioneer developed its own portfolio. Broker business became an important contributor of our entire portfolio. As our fundings increased, it was apparent that our existing local credit lines would soon approach exposure limits. While our portfolios were well-performing, we would have to combat negative perceptions of broker generated paper by prospective investors, who were initially unaware of our thorough investigation efforts and credit matrix.

It began to bother me at that time: Would these prospective investors view us as some “Wild-Eyed Texans” trying to sell them on an area of credit where they had long-held negative ideas? What would it take to dispel them of their perceptions? In our view, senior management would have to provide not only very precise and careful explanation of our credit models for vendor and broker business, but we also had to demonstrate that we possessed the intellectual ability and credentials to make future decisions.

The idea of proving ourselves as having the knowledge and getting certified would hopefully dispel those who did not know me. In those days, what the Western Association of Equipment Leasing had was a spiral booklet of information. There was good information in it, but not as much as today that is available in book form. Luckily, I had taught many of the subjects over a number of years at the conferences and had made outlines of the process to conduct the workshops. In addition, my previous employment positions in the finance, working for Dun and Bradstreet, then my manufacturing industries background allowed me to be very comfortable with all accounting and regulation matters. I read the "education booklet" over once and felt I could pass the test, but remembered from my college days not to get cocky: always re-read my answers after I finished a test.

As I remember the CLFP test was held in a suite at the Marriott Hotel in Addison, Texas. There were five of us: Jim Lahti and his then partner Rick Galtelli, Adrian Hebig, then of US Bank Manifest, and another, whose name escapes me at this time. Ray Williams was the executive director of the Western Association of Equipment Leasing (now National Equipment Finance Association), and he conducted the test. I arrived late because of a doctor’s appointment, and he knew that, but Ray said to get there as soon as I could. I was the last to finish, but not because I was late, but because I re-read all my answers to double-check myself.

Jim and Rick had their own business and I didn’t think they would have any trouble, but Adrian was an employee of Manifest and there was more pressure on him as he had never run a business in his past. He was a smart cookie and still is. All five of us passed!

In May, 1996, I received my CLFP certificate and we were successful in obtaining additional new credit facilities to handle our growing broker business as well as our more traditional vendor generated accounts. Having a CLFP designation provided additional assurance to these finance professionals that they were dealing with accomplished finance professionals.

I believe very strong in the program. When the Mentor program came along, I was one of the first to volunteer and still am active helping others to learn the material and pass the test.

 

Top 10 Best and Worst States to Start a Franchise
www.franchising.com

Labrador Retriever
Pacific Grove, California Adopt a Dog

Choco
7 year old neutered red fox male, 95 lbs

Choco is an easy going, confident and friendly boy.  He was brought to MBLRR by a caring couple who rescued him from a bad situation.  The original family kept Choco outside in a concrete run, and he was covered in fleas and had fly bites on his ears.  They posted him on Craigslist.  Even though he was larger than what they were looking for, this kind couple “adopted” him to get him out of there and brought him to MBLRR. 

Choco is a fox red lab with a gorgeous coat and big brown eyes.  He is overweight but on a diet and exercise program, and we think his perfect weight will be 80-85 lbs.  Choco is housebroken and has good house manners. He sleeps through the night on a dog bed in the foster’s bedroom.  He likes his walks and pulls initially on the leash, but then settles in and is quite good.  Apparently he learned commands in Spanish (and not many of them), so we’re working on “sit” and “come.”  He doesn’t really seem to know his name very well, so his new family is welcome to change it.  Choco is good with other dogs….friendly and generally easy going.  He lived with the couple who rescued him for 2 weeks before he came to MBLRR and they had a cocker spaniel, who he did well with.  They also had a cat, who Choco wanted to chase, but it was more playful than aggressive.  We think he might be fine with a dog savvy cat that would be firm with him.  Choco would be fine as an only dog or with another dog.  He loves to play with toys and often carries them around the house with him.  Choco particularly likes squeaky toys and squeaky balls.  He is not destructive with his toys at all. 

Choco does retrieve but only a few times.  He’s not avid about it. We don’t know if he’s ever lived with children but he likes them on his walks and is friendly and wags his tail, so we think he’d do well with kids age 7 and older (only because he’s a big dog). Choco is affectionate and comes over to be petted.  He also gives some really nice doggy kisses.  He’s a very confident boy and is quite playful.  His personality will continue to emerge as he gets to know his new family and realize that his life is now going to be good from now on.  He’s fine in the car.  Choco went to the beach with his foster and enjoyed it, but really wanted to play more with the kids playing ball, than go in the water.  We’re sure he’s never been to the ocean or a lake in his life, so may learn to love it, but for now, he’s not an avid water dog. 

Choco would love a family who will take him everywhere but he doesn’t need to run marathons.  A couple of nice walks every day and some playtime will be just fine for him.  As always, we want him to go to a home where someone is around most of the time.  Choco is a very good boy and will make a great addition to a lucky family.

For more information on Choco, please call Judy @ (831) 261-3409.  Choco is located in Pacific Grove.

Monterey Bay Retriever Rescue
(831) 261-3409
Contact:
https://www.mbaylabrescue.org/contact-us/

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2019 NEFA Funding Symposium
Over 250 people have already registered!

Conference Co-Chairs Shari Lipski, CLFP of ECS Financial Services, Inc.,  and Dale Kluga, of Providence Equipment Finance dba of Providence Bank & Trust, have assembled educational sessions you don’t want to miss!

Oct 2-4, 2019
JW Marriott Atlanta Buckhead
3300 Lenox Rd NE
Atlanta, Georgia  30326
United States

See who’s attending:
https://www.nefassociation.org/events/RSVPlist.aspx?id=1048791

Speakers:
https://eventmobi.com/19symposium/people/1a1da5dd-172e-4e29-8719-88262d765dd5

Exhibitors:
https://eventmobi.com/19symposium/companies/468c27f3-97a9-416d-9b60-b78f58405a29

Reservation:
https://www.nefassociation.org/page/19SymPricing

Hotel:
https://www.nefassociation.org/page/19FSympHotel

News Briefs----

A ‘recession dashboard’ from Credit Suisse indicates
   the economy is nowhere near a recession
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/20/a-recession-dashboard-from-credit-suisse-indicates-the-economy-is-nowhere-near-a-recession.html

California ABC Launches Amazon Investigation
  Complaint Not Following Rules of its License
https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2019/08/california-abc-launches-amazon-investigation

When Will the Boeing 737 MAX Fly Again?
   Not This Year
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesasquith/2019/08/19/when-will-the-boeing-737-max-fly-again-not-this-year/#30750ea358

Apple CEO Tim Cook warned Trump that China tariffs
   would boost its main rival Samsung
https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-ceo-warns-trump-about-china-tariffs-samsung-competition-2019-8

The latest casualty of Trump’s trade war with China?
    California wine
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2019-08-16/california-wine-in-china-trade-war

Facebook's New Tool Lets You See Which Apps
  and Websites Tracked You
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/technology/facebook-tool-privacy-apps-websites.html

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You May Have Missed---

22 towns in Texas were hit by possibly the largest-ever ransomware attack,  in what could be the first coordinated cyberattack of its kind
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/us/texas-ransomware.html

 

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First Time at Third

By Jacqueline Sweeney ©
Published: At the Crack of the Bat (1992)

First time at third
nothing but nerves.
He fist-whomps his glove,
tucks in his shirt,
kicks up the dirt
for the twenty-fifth time.

Gets in position
pumped up to win,
jump sweeps the plate.
Will it ever begin?

A quick-line drive!
He leaps for the sky.
His body's an arrow,
glove aimed high.

What's this?
He stumbles,
he tumbles to earth.
His glove is still empty,
face red as his shirt.

The game hasn't started?
"Play Ball!" can be heard
and he's tried to snag
a low flying bird;
fast flying, line driving
feathers and all.

How could he think
that a bird was a ball?!

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Sports Briefs---

Gruden: AB practiced in certified helmet, 'all-in'
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/27427599/gruden-ab-practiced-certified-helmet-all-in

St. Louis joins Major League Soccer.
  Meanwhile, Sacramento has its ‘eyes on the prize.’
https://www.sacbee.com/sports/mls/article234182077.html?

Cleveland Browns' Baker Mayfield on New York Giants'
      Daniel Jones pick: 'Blows my mind'
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2019/08/20/nfl-browns-qb-baker-mayfield-calls-out-giants-daniel-jones-pick/2059437001/

Jimmy Garoppolo Finishes With 0.0 QB Rating
     In Return from Knee Injury
https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/08/20/49ers-jimmy-garoppolo-passer-rating-preseason

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California Nuts Briefs---

Insurers dropped nearly 350,000 California homeowners
     with wildfire risk
https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/fires/article234161407.html?

Apple wheels and deals for big Cupertino
     office center in its home town
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/08/20/apple-wheels-and-deals-big-cupertino-office-center-home-town/

Beginning today, you won't be able to buy plastic bottles
    of water at San Francisco International Airport
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/sf-airport-water-bottle-ban-trnd/index.html

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“Gimme that Wine”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJnQoi8DSE8

Scheid Family Wines First in Monterey AVA to Kick Off Harvest 2019
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=218343

Williams Selyem, king of Sonoma County pinot noir
    winemakers, sticks to its business roots
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/9886595-181/williams-selyem-king-of-sonoma?sfns=mo

Ciatti California Report on Wine
https://www.ciatti.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/California-Report-August-2019.pdf

For the birds--Round Lake Vineyards & Winery employs
   laser tag tactics to scare birds off vines
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=218336

Free Wine App
https://www.nataliemaclean.com/mobileapp/

Wine Prices by vintage
http://www.winezap.com
http://www.wine-searcher.com/

US/International Wine Events
http://www.localwineevents.com/

Leasing News Wine & Spirits Page
http://two.leasingnews.org/Recommendations/wnensprts.htm

This Day in History

     1680 – In the Pueblo Revolt, Pueblo Indians took possession of Santa Fe, in what is now New Mexico, after driving out the Spanish. They destroyed almost all of the Spanish churches in Taos and Santa Fe.
    1781 - The jury in Great Barrington, MA granted Elizabeth Freeman (1742-1829), known as Mum (or “Marm”) Bett, her freedom, thus becoming the first slave to be emancipated in the so-called free world. The wife of her owner, Colonel John Ashely of Sheffield, MA, tried to hit her own sister with a hot iron and Elizabeth Freeman interfered and received the blow on her arm, where she was scarred for life. She ran away to the home of lawyer Theodore Sedwick, whom she had seen at the Ashley house discussing the rights of man with a group of Sheffield notables, and obtained his help in suing for her freedom. She died December 28, 1829, and was buried in the Sedgwick family plot.
    1831 - You probably read about this in history as there were many such rebellions but one of the first on this large scale took place in Southampton County, VA. It was led by Nat Turner (1800-31), an African-American slave and religious visionary who believed that he was divinely chosen to lead his fellow slaves to freedom. With seven accomplices, Turner killed his owner Joseph Travis, and the Travis family in their sleep, then led more than 70 followers in a two-day revolt in which 55 to 60 whites were killed. State militiamen and armed whites confronted the rebels near Jerusalem, VA, and killed as many as 100 slaves, a number of whom had not taken part in the rebellion. Turner escaped, but was caught six weeks later and hanged on November 11.
    1856 - America's first consul to Japan, Townsend Harris, arrived in Shimoda.
    1858 – The first of seven debates between Illinois Senate candidates, Republican Abraham Lincoln, and Democratic Senator Stephen Douglas, occurred in Ottawa, IL. At the time, U.S. senators were elected by state legislatures; thus Lincoln and Douglas were trying for their respective parties to win control of the Illinois legislature. Newspaper coverage of the debates was intense. Major papers from Chicago sent stenographers to create complete texts of each debate, which newspapers across the United States reprinted in full, with some partisan edits. Newspapers that supported Douglas edited his speeches to remove any errors made by the stenographers and to correct grammatical errors, while they left Lincoln's speeches in the rough form in which they had been transcribed. In the same way, pro-Lincoln papers edited Lincoln's speeches, but left the Douglas texts as reported. The debates previewed the issues that Lincoln would face in the aftermath of his victory in the 1860 Presidential election. The main issue discussed in all seven debates was slavery.  After losing the election for Senator in Illinois, Lincoln edited the texts of all the debates and had them published in a book.  The widespread coverage of the original debates and the subsequent popularity of the book led eventually to Lincoln's nomination for President by the 1860 Republican National Convention in Chicago.
    1863 - Confederate raider William Clarke Quantrill (1837-65) launched a predawn terrorist raid on Lawrence, Kansas, leaving 150 civilians dead and much of the town ruined. Quantrill had been denied a commission in the Southern army for his barbaric approach to war. Many say he was a “bandit,” and was in the war for what he and his men could steal and pilfer.
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/QQ/fqu3.html
http://jessejamesvirtualmuseum.com/quantrill.htm
    1863 - Paper money fractional currency was issued from this date to May 27, 1863, in denominations of 5 cents, 10 cents, 25 cents, and 50 cents. They are collection items today. The bills were originally issued with perforated edges, but later were cut plan. They were also known as “postage currency,” as they depicted postage stamps. They were receivable in payment for all dues to the United States less than $5 and were exchangeable for United States notes by any assistant treasurer or designed U.S. Depository in sums not less than $5.
    1866 - Birth of Civilla D. Martin (1866-1948), teacher and songwriter, in Nova Scotia. A pastor's wife, she penned, in 1904, the hymn, "Be Not Dismayed”, “Whate'er Betide" (a.k.a. "God Will Take Care of You").
    1874 - Popular 19th century preacher Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887) was accused by Theodore Tilton of committing adultery with his wife. The resulting trial ended in a 9-3 hung jury decision, in Beecher's favor.
    1878 - The American Bar Association was founded in Saratoga, New York to store all the attorney jokes. They ran out of room a few years later, giving birth to other state and local bar associations to store their records; now available on CD Rom. Also available at
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/att_jokes.htm
(These are mostly from attorneys, including the great, late stand-up comic, leasing law expert Jeff Wong, Esq.)
    1879 - The first telephone exchange opened for business, Galveston, Texas.
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/print/TT/egt2.html
    1883 - Rochester, MN was hit with an F5 tornado killing 31, injuring 200, and wrecking 1351 dwellings.  This led to the creation of the Mayo Clinic.  One-third of the town was destroyed, but the Mayo family escaped serious harm. The relief efforts began immediately with a temporary hospital being established at the city dance hall, and the doctors Mayo (W.W. and Will) as well as other local doctors, were extensively involved in treating the injured who were brought there for help. Mother Alfred Moes and the Sisters of St. Francis (a teaching order) were called in to act as nurses despite having been trained as teachers and with little if any medical experience.  After the crisis subsided, Mother Alfred Moes approached W.W. Mayo about establishing a hospital in Rochester wherein Dr. Mayo agreed to work.  Soon others local doctors agreed to work in the hospital as well. On September 30, 1889, St. Mary’s Hospital was opened by the Sisters. Dr. W.W. Mayo, 70 years old, was one of the consulting physicians at the hospital.
    1887 - Mighty (Dan) Casey struck-out in a game with NY Giants.  Thayer’s poem, “Casey at the Bat” was published in 1888.
    1888 – William Burroughs (1857-98) patented the adding machine
    1896 - Author Roark Bradford (1896-1948) was born in Lauderdale County, Tennessee. He wrote fiction and folklore based on childhood contacts with African-American preachers, musicians, and storytellers on the plantations.
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/rbradf.htm
    1897 – Oldsmobile became part of GM.
    1904 - William (Count) Basie (1904-84), who led one of the top big bands in the world for more than 45 years, was born in Red Bank, New Jersey. His mother taught him to play the piano and he started performing in his teens. Dropping out of school, he learned to operate lights for vaudeville and to improvise accompaniment for silent films at a local movie theater in his home town.  By 16, he increasingly played jazz piano at parties, resorts and other venues. In 1924, he went to Harlem, where his performing career expanded; he toured with groups to the major jazz cities of Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City. Basie became stranded in Kansas City while touring with a vaudeville show in 1927. He was originally a drummer. When the pianist was sick, he sat in. He was known for playing short riffs, called in the trade, “composer piano,” and brought his drum, rhythm skills to the piano. He then joined the Blue Devils led by bassist Walter Page. (Page became part of the Basie famed rhythm section: Freddie Green on guitar and Jo Jones on drums. While the drummer changed during the years, Green and Page were with the band until they died. ) Kansas City was where jazz was “hot”. He then joined the best band at the time led by the famed Bennie Moten, a “riff band” of renown. When Moten died in 1935, Basie took over. By 1937, when the Count Basie Orchestra made its New York debut, its personnel included such jazz stars as tenor saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, trumpeter Buck Clayton, Basie's former employer Walter Page on bass, drummer Joe Jones and singer Jimmy Rushing. Originally there was no music written and the “riffs” were improvised per sections, very similar to Dixieland music, but in saxophone, trombone, trumpet sections. Most of it was “ad lib.” In the late 1940's, when big band jazz was over, Basie scaled down to seven men. In the early 1950's, with the help of new composers such as Quincy Jones, Frank Wes, and singer Joe Williams, the big band started up again. He was perhaps Frank Sinatra's favorite band and the new generation of musicians was the finest in the land. Lambert-Hendricks-Ross had many hit records with Basie tunes put to words. The Count from Red Bank, New Jersey led his band almost continuously until a few months before his death of cancer on April 26th, 1984. (Please see: “postscript”)
http://www.harlem.org/people/basie.html
http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_basie_count.htm
http://www.countbasietheatre.org/
    1908 - On the third try, Senator Gabby Street, the ballplayer, not the legislator, caught a ball thrown from the top of the Washington Monument. Scientists estimated the 555-foot drop the ball traveled had a force between 200 and 300 pounds.
    1912 - Arthur Rose Eldred (1895-1951) of the Oceanside, NY, troop became the first American Eagle Scout.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/aug21.html
    1918 - A tornado struck Tyler, MN, killing 36 persons and destroying most of the business section of the town resulting in a million dollars damage.
    1922 – Curly Lambeau (1898-1965) and the Green Bay Football Club were granted an NFL franchise.  
    1924 – Two of the early great television sportscasters were born on the same day:  Jack Buck (1924-2002) in Holyoke, MA and Chris Schenkel (1924-2005) in Bippus, IN.
    1928 – Birthday of Art Farmer (1928-99), musician: trumpet, flugelhorn: worked w/Horace Henderson, Johnny Otis, Lionel Hampton Band; recorded be-bop classic “Farmer's Market”; developed musical instrument called ‘flumpet'.
http://members.tripod.com/~hardbop/farmer.html
    1928 - Birthday of bassist Addison Farmer (1928-63), Council Bluffs, IA.
    1931 - Babe Ruth hits his 600th HR (Yanks beat Browns 11-7), becoming the first Major Leaguer to reach that plateau.  He finished with 714.
    1935 - Benny Goodman opens at Palomar Ballroom, Los Angeles: regarded as the birth of the Swing Era!!! The Goodman Orchestra played an ecstatically received concert. Until then, the band had been playing the commercial sweet music of the day. But for the Palomar date, Goodman decided to go for broke, playing hot numbers like "Just You, Just Me" and "Air Mail Special." By the end of the 1930's, Goodman was known as the "King of Swing."
    1936 - Birthday of Wilt Chamberlain (1936-99) at Philadelphia, PA. Basketball Hall of Fame center, NBA MVP Award: Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors [1959-65], Philadelphia 76ers [1966-68], Los Angeles Lakers [1968-73].  Chamberlain holds numerous NBS records in scoring, rebounding and durability categories. He is the only player to score 100 points or average more than 40 and 50 points in a season. He also won seven scoring, nine field goal percentage, and eleven rebounding titles, and led the league in assists once.  Chamberlain is the only player in NBA history to average at least 30 points and 20 rebounds per game in a season, a feat he accomplished nine times. He is also the only player to average at least 30 points and 20 rebounds per game over the entire course of his NBA career.  Chamberlain's impact on the game is also reflected in the fact that he was directly responsible for several rule changes in the NBA, including widening the lane to try to keep him farther away from the hoop, instituting offensive goaltending and revising rules governing inbounding the ball and shooting free throws (such as making it against the rules to inbound the ball over the backboard)   His #13 has been retired by all three teams for which he played.  He was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978.
    1938 - Birthday of singer Kenny Rogers, Houston, TX.  He was considered one of the highest-paid entertainers in the world in his “hey day.” A 1980's tour with Dolly Parton netted him more than $200,000 a night and two of his palatial homes were once valued at nearly $15 million. After singing folk with the New Christy Minstrels and rock with the First Edition, Rogers began his solo career in 1975. His breakthrough came two years later with "Lucille," which sold millions to both pop and country music fans. Rogers has continued to score million-sellers with his middle-of-the-road country style. Grammy and CMA Award-winning singer: “She Believes in Me”, “Lady”, “Lucille”, “Islands in the Stream” [w/Dolly Parton], “What are We Doin' in Love” [w/Dottie West], “Through the Years”, “We've Got Tonight” [w/Sheena Easton], “You Decorated My Life”, “Coward of the County”, “The Gambler”; groups: The Kirby Stone Four, The New Christy Minstrels, The First Edition; actor: “The Gambler” series.
http://www.delafont.com/music_acts/Kenny-Rogers.htm
    1938 – One of rock ‘n’ roll’s early hit songwriters, Ernie Maresca (1938-2015) was born in The Bronx.  He began singing and writing doo-wop.   In 1957, his demo of his song “No One Knows" came to the attention of Dion, who recorded it with The Belmonts, reaching #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 record chart in 1958. Maresca then began songwriting full-time, and recording his own demos.  He wrote "Runaround Sue" with Dion (the singer's only US number one hit), and then other big hits with and for him. These included "The Wanderer", originally a B-side which became a US million seller and a UK hit twice over, in 1962 and 1976 on reissue; the song was also a hit for others in the US and UK with Eddie Rabbitt reaching #1 on the country charts in 1988.  Maresca also wrote Dion's follow-up hits "Lovers Who Wander" and "Donna the Prima donna”. 
    1942 - SMITH, JOHN LUCIAN, Medal of Honor.
Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Marine Corps, Marine Fighter Squadron 223, Place and date: In the Solomon Islands area, August-September 1942. Entered service at: Oklahoma. Born: 26 December 1914, Lexington, Okla. Other Navy award: Legion of Merit. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and heroic achievement in aerial combat above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of Marine Fighting Squadron 223 during operations against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands area, August-September 1942. Repeatedly risking his life in aggressive and daring attacks, Maj. Smith led his squadron against a determined force, greatly superior in numbers, personally shooting down 16 Japanese planes between 21 August and 15 September 1942. In spite of the limited combat experience of many of the pilots of this squadron, they achieved the notable record of a total of 83 enemy aircraft destroyed in this period, mainly attributable to the thorough training under Maj. Smith and to his intrepid and inspiring leadership. His bold tactics and indomitable fighting spirit, and the valiant and zealous fortitude of the men of his command not only rendered the enemy's attacks ineffective and costly to Japan, but contributed to the security of our advance base. His loyal and courageous devotion to duty sustains and enhances the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
    1944 - Birthday of Jackie DeShannon, singer, songwriter, born Shannon Lee Myers in Hazel, KY. Her 1965 recording of Burt Bacharach's "What the World Needs Now Is Love" earned four Grammy nominations. And in 1969, "Put a Little Love in Your Heart," a song which DeShannon co-wrote, sold two-million copies. “What the World Needs Now is Love” was another of her big hits. Although her recording career was not successful after the early '70s, DeShannon continued to score as a songwriter. She is co-author of Kim Carnes's 1981 hit, "Bette Davis Eyes."
http://www.swinginchicks.com/jackie_deshannon.htm
    1944 – Dunbarton Oaks Conference, prelude to the UN, began in Washington, DC.  The first important step was taken to carry out paragraph 4 of the Moscow Declaration of 1943, which recognized the need for a postwar international organization to succeed the League of Nations. At the conference, delegations from Republic of China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States deliberated over proposals for the establishment of an organization to maintain peace and security in the world.
    1947 - The first Little League World Series tourney is held at Williamsport, Pennsylvania. With a .625 team batting average, the hometown Maynard Midgets easily win the tournament, 16-7.
    1949 - A barrage of bottles from the Philadelphia protested a decision by umpire George Barr over a trapped fly ball, resulting in the first forfeiture in the Majors in seven years.
    1951 - Major General Emmett O’Donnell was selected by the owners to be the new commissioner of baseball, but President Truman overruled the decision, stating the officer is needed in Korea in his post as commander of bombers.
    1953 - Major league player representatives Ralph Kiner (NL) and Allie Reynolds (AL) hired labor leader John Norman Lewis at $15,000 per annum to give legal advice to players in their negotiations with the owners.
    1956 - Top Hits
“My Prayer” - The Platters
“Hound Dog/Don't Be Cruel” - Elvis Presley
“Canadian Sunset” - Hugo Winterhalter & Eddie Haywood
“I Walk the Line” - Johnny Cash
    1956 - Comics Bill Buchanan and Dickie Goodman have the number three song in America with a novelty tune called "Flying Saucer". The premise of the record was two radio news reporters who ask questions which are then humorously answered with snippets from mid-'50s hits. Buchanan and Goodman were sued by 17 different record companies for copyright infringement, but all were dismissed by a ruling that said the parodies did not infringe on the sales of the original hits.
    1957 - In 1953, Congress adopted a proposal to terminate assistance to non-recognized Indian tribes. Seminole leaders and tribal members began to fight the proposal by drafting a constitution and charter for the Seminole Tribe. These were later approved by the Secretary of the Interior. On this date, a majority of tribal members voted to establish the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Today, 2,200 Seminoles live on five reservations in Florida.
    1959 - President Dwight Eisenhower signed a proclamation admitting Hawaii to the United States. The statehood bill had passed the previous March with a stipulation that statehood should be approved by a vote of Hawaiian residents. The referendum passed by a huge margin in June and Eisenhower proclaimed Hawaii the 50th state. The President also issued the order for a new flag of 50 stars arranged in staggered rows: five 6-star rows and four 5-star rows, the flag to become as it is today Although the Aloha State is made up of a chain of 122 volcanic islands spread out over 1,600 miles, only seven, at the southeastern end of the chain, are inhabited: Hawaii (the Big Island), Maui (the Valley Isle), Lanai (the Pineapple Isle), Molokai (the Friendly Isle), Kauai (the Garden Isle), Niihau (the Forbidden Island), and Oahu (the Gathering Place). Oahu is the home of the state capital, Honolulu, and about 75% of the state's population ... a population that is truly a melting pot of all races and religions. The yellow hibiscus is the Hawaii state flower. The nene or Hawaiian goose is the state bird and the humuhumunukunukuapua'a is the state fish. The state motto of Hawaii is: Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono = The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
    1961 – Motown’s first hit was released:  “Please, Mr. Postman” by The Marvelettes.
    1964 - Top Hits
“Everybody Loves Somebody” - Dean Martin
“Where Did Our Love Go” - The Supremes
“Rag Doll” - The 4 Seasons
“Dang Me” - Roger Miller
    1965 - The Rolling Stones album, "Out of Our Heads," is number one on the U.S. album chart. Songs off the LP include, "Satisfaction," "Play With Fire" and "The Last Time."
    1965 - A “trick answer:” Lieutenant Colonel Leroy Gordon Cooper, who's first trip was on Faith 7, made his second flight on August 21-29, when he and Lt. Commander Charles Conrad, Jr. made the two-man space flight of 120 orbits in 190 hours 55 minutes 14 seconds in Gemini 5. The first to do this. It was not John Glenn. Cooper was the first astronaut to make two trips into outer space.
   1965 - Barry McGuire's rendition of P.F. Sloane’s "Eve of Destruction" and The Lovin' Spoonful's "Do You Believe in Magic" are released.
    1968 - YOUNG, MARVIN R., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion, (Mechanized), 5th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Ben Cui, Republic of Vietnam, 21 August 1968. Entered service at: Odessa, Tex. Born: 11 May 1947, Alpine, Tex. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Young distinguished himself at the cost of his life while serving as a squad leader with Company C. While conducting a reconnaissance mission in the vicinity of Ben Cui, Company C was suddenly engaged by an estimated regimental-size force of the North Vietnamese Army. During the initial volley of fire the point element of the 1st Platoon was pinned down, sustaining several casualties, and the acting platoon leader was killed. S/Sgt. Young unhesitatingly assumed command of the platoon and immediately began to organize and deploy his men into a defensive position in order to repel the attacking force. As a human wave attack advanced on S/Sgt. Young's platoon, he moved from position to position, encouraging and directing fire on the hostile insurgents while exposing himself to the hail of enemy bullets. After receiving orders to withdraw to a better defensive position, he remained behind to provide covering fire for the withdrawal. Observing that a small element of the point squad was unable to extract itself from its position, and completely disregarding his personal safety, S/Sgt. Young began moving toward their position, firing as he maneuvered. When halfway to their position he sustained a critical head injury, yet he continued his mission and ordered the element to withdraw. Remaining with the squad as it fought its way to the rear, he was twice seriously wounded in the arm and leg. Although his leg was badly shattered, S/Sgt. Young refused assistance that would have slowed the retreat of his comrades, and he ordered them to continue their withdrawal while he provided protective covering fire. With indomitable courage and heroic self-sacrifice, he continued his self-assigned mission until the enemy force engulfed his position. By his gallantry at the cost of his life are in the highest traditions of the military service, S/Sgt. Young has reflected great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
    1968 – James Anderson, Jr. (1947-67) was posthumously awarded the first Medal of Honor to be awarded to an African-American US Marine.
    1968 – Mickey Mantle hit his 534th career HR to tie Jimmie Foxx for 3d all-time.
    1969 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Honky Tonk Women," The Rolling Stones.
    1971 – Laura Baugh, age 16, won the United States Women's Amateur Golf tournament. She was the youngest winner in the history of the tournament.
    1972 - Top Hits
“Alone Again (Naturally)” - Gilbert O'Sullivan
“Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)” - Looking Glass
“Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)” - The Hollies
“Bless Your Heart” - Freddie Hart & The Heartbeats
    1973 - Although it attracted 41% of the time share, the re-run of the episode which had 47-year-old Maude, played by Bea Arthur in the TV sit-com “Maude”, opting for an abortion, did not have one single commercial sponsor. Several organized religious groups protested the episode and convinced almost 40 TV stations not to carry the show.
    1977 – Hall of Fame 3B Brooks Robinson retired, ending his 23-year career, all with the Orioles.
    1979 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "My Sharona," The Knack. Billboard ranks the song the No. 1 single of the year.
    1980 - Top Hits
“Magic” - Olivia Newton-John
“Sailing” - Christopher Cross
“Take Your Time (Do It Right)” - The S.O.S. Band
“Tennessee River” – Alabama
    1980 - Linda Ronstadt debuted on Broadway in the production of Gilbert and Sullivan's, “The Pirates of Penzance”.    1982 - Relief pitcher Rollie Fingers of the Milwaukee Brewers became the first pitcher to record 300 saves in his career as the Brewers beat the Seattle Mariners, 3-2.
    1983 - Record high for the state of North Carolina was set when temperatures reached 110 at Fayetteville.
    1984 - Clint Eastwood contributed a hand print and the words, “You made my day,” to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of Mann's Chinese Theatre.
    1984 - Victoria Roche, an ex-patriate reserve outfielder for the team from Belgium, became the first girl to ever compete in a Little League World Series game.
    1986 - The Boston Red Sox made history against the Cleveland Indians. The Red Sox whipped the Indians 24-5 in the worst loss in the Tribe's 85-year history. Greg Swindell made his major-league debut on the mound for the Indians. Dennis ‘Oil Can' Boyd got a 17-run lead for Boston and, luckily, held on for the win.
    1987 - Early morning thunderstorms produced severe weather in eastern Iowa and west central Illinois. Thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 82 mph at Moline, IL and tennis ball size hail at Independence, IA. Rock Island, IL was drenched with 3.70 inches of rain. Total damage for the seven county areas of west central Illinois was estimated at twelve million dollars.
    1987 - Clayton Lonetree, 1st US marine court-martialed for spying, convicted.  Lonetree, who was stationed in Moscow as a guard at the U.S. Embassy in the early 1980s, confessed in 1987 to selling documents to the Soviet Union. Lonetree was seduced by a 25-year-old female KGB officer named "Violetta Seina" in that year. He was then blackmailed into handing over documents when he was assigned to Vienna, Austria. These documents included the blueprints of the U.S. Embassy buildings in Moscow and Vienna and the names and identities of U.S. undercover intelligence agents in the Soviet Union.  He was tried in a military court and convicted of espionage.  His sentence was reduced to 15 years, but he was released in 1996 after serving only nine years.
    1988 - Top Hits
“Roll with It” - Steve Winwood
“Monkey” - George Michael
“1-2-3” - Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
“Bluest Eyes in Texas” - Restless Heart
    1989 - Afternoon and evening thunderstorms produced severe weather from Kansas to Minnesota and North Dakota. Thunderstorms in Minnesota produced baseball size hail from Correll to north of Appleton. Thunderstorms in north central Kansas produced wind gusts higher than 100 mph at Wilson Dam. A thunderstorm around Lincoln, NE produced baseball size hail and up to five inches of rain, and Boone, NE was deluged with five inches of rain in an hour and a half.
    1992 - Sacramento, CA hits 90 for the 40th straight days, a record for that city.
    1992 - Ruby Ridge was the site of a deadly confrontation and siege in Idaho between Randy Weaver, his family and his friend Kevin Harris, and agents of the US Marshals Service and the FBI. It resulted in the death of Weaver's son Sammy, his wife Vicki, and Deputy U.S. Marshal William Francis Degan.  Weaver resisted the Marshals’ peaceful attempts to execute a fugitive arrest warrant, and the gunfight erupted after several years of negotiations.
    1993 - The soundtrack from "Sleepless in Seattle" hit number one on the "Billboard" LP chart. Other hit albums: #2 "Black Sunday" (Cypress Hill), #3 "Janet." (Janet Jackson), #4 "Zooropa" (U2), #5 "Core" (Stone Temple Pilots).
    1994 - Bruce Springsteen was a surprise participant in a jam session at Marz Bars 'n' Guitars, a 400 seat club in Long Branch, New Jersey. Dion showed up later in the evening to sing his hit "The Wanderer." Springsteen got his start in the early '70s by playing in bars along the Jersey shore. Thus began a new tradition of Springsteen appearing at his old haunts, and today with much citizenship, trying to revive commerce in Asbury Park, New Jersey which is still trying today.
    1995 - Seal's single "Kiss from a Rose" tops the Billboard’s Hot 100. The "Batman Forever" tune is the second Batman movie single to top the charts. Prince went all the way with "Batdance" from the film "Batman" in 1989.
    1996 - The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 was signed by President Clinton, making it easier to obtain and keep health insurance.
    1997 - Hudson Foods Inc. closed a plant in Nebraska after it had recalled 25 million pounds of ground beef that was potentially contaminated with E. coli 01557:H7. It was the largest food recall in US history.
    1999 - Hua Mei, the giant panda cub, was born at the San Diego Zoo weighing a not-so-giant 4.5 ounces. Her parents are Bai Yun and Shi Shi (they arrived at the zoo on Sep 10, 1996 on a 12-year conservation study). Hua Mei was the first panda born in the U.S. in ten years.
    2000 – Tiger Woods won the PGA Championship to become the first golfer since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win 3 majors in a calendar year. He tied the to-par record for the PGA (-18) with Bob May, and won in a playoff.  That record was broken in the 2015 PGA when Australian Jason Day won at -20.
    2002 - In longest game ever played in Little League World Series history, Louisville, Kentucky beats Fort Worth, Texas in the US semifinal in 11 innings, 2-1. A record-setting with 49 strikeouts is recorded as Fort Worth's Walker Kelly strikes out 21 in nine two-hit innings and Louisville's Aaron Alvey fans 19 batter over nine no-hit innings.
    2013 – Ichiro got his 4,000 hit between Japan (1,278) and the United States (2,722). He is only the third player to reach the milestone at such a high level, following Ty Cobb and Pete Rose, who both collected all their hits in the Majors.

* Post Script:  The Count Basie Band was my favorite since discovering jazz in 1955 with "Joe Williams Sings, Count Basie Swings." I took my kids to all his concerts, and when younger, waited outside restaurant kitchens to hear him play. Often they would let us "white boys" in and we got to know some of the players. My kids and I shook his hand at his last performance here at the Circle Star, San Carlos, California. I will never forget it. My son, who was the oldest, talks about it to this day. He became a rock ‘n' roll drummer, had great hands and rhythm, although he has all Buddy Rich's CD's and also listened to big band music, such as Basie. My oldest daughter is a big jazz fan with pictures of Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, and others in her living room. My youngest daughter, who was too young to go to the concerts, lives in Nevada and is a big country and western fan. Sue's oldest and middle daughter likes Billy Joel, Paul Simon, and others we played the most, and the youngest “rap,” although she likes Barry Manilow and Harry Connick that we play all the time. I think kids later enjoy the music they heard when young, one of the reasons to expose them early to classical music (in fact, they have records to play for babies they say the harmonies not only relax them, but later in life, they appreciate Bach and Brahms).
 Kit Menkin