New Feature added---SparkPeople
---Live Healthier and Longer

Leasing News has feature stories from this very popular web site, and has arranged to have it added to our “feature” section for those interested in living more healthy, eating more appropriately, and even losing weight.

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Classified Ads---Controller

(These ads are “free” to those seeking employment
or looking to improve their position)

Free Posting for those seeking employment in Leasing:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted-post.htm

All “free” categories “job wanted” ads:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted.htm

Comprehensive personal property tax outsourcing services We accept file exports and integrate personal property tax information with all lease management or accounting software. No other firm offers the combination of individual attention, software capabilities expertise, "full disclosure" and web port accessibility to information more than we do. Click here to learn what our clients say about our service Gary DiLillo, President 440.871.0555 or gary@avptc.com

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First Sound Bank Investor Pleads to Keep Bank Open
Bank Beat---Depping Sells Three Branches

Deadlines have passed for arguments from First Sound Bank, Seattle, Washington, regarding its suit about the purchase of Puget Sound Leasing from Larasco as well as Louis and Richard Secord as individuals---- now basically closed down arguments, regarding paying Wells Fargo attorneys and other attorney fees, as per agreements. A full transcript of the trial has been posted and is available by mail (and may be eventually available by the interest).

Technically the bank won $1,244,751 on the claim regarding "Asset Purchase Agreement,” but they lost in the "employment agreement," awarding $2,077,767, and the same with Richard Secord, awarding $1,484,767. As important, they jury also ruled against the "breach of fiduciary duty" and "breach of contract claims" in favor of Larasco and the Secords, the original claim which brought the lawsuit.

To sum it up, the First Sound Bank doesn't have the money to pay the fees, and perhaps not even the award to the Secords. The bank equity as of September 30, 2011, according to the FDIC is $3 million with $11.6 million in non-current loans, charge offs of $4.2 million ($1.5 nonfarm non residential, $1.1 commercial and industrial, $795,000 in lease financing receivables) with a $6.9 million loss. Tier 1 risk based capital is 2.95%

The bank raised $3 million in 2010, the goal was $6 million, obviously hoping to win the case against the Secords.

The court records show a handwritten letter written to Judge Thomas S. Zilly form Doug Donnelly, the Donnelly Group:

“I am a relatively new shareholder in First Sound Bank and run an independent investment advisory team within Wells Fargo Advisors (no connection or affiliation with the Wells Fargo Leasing division, who had the legal dispute with the Secords). I was part of a group of local investors who recently injected new capital into First Sound Bank to recapitalize the bank and hopefully prevent a forced regulator takeover/shutdown.

“While you may just categorize this letter into the ‘getting something off one's chest’ or ‘sour grapes’ categories, my real intent to cover the "real life" impact of this jury decision. As a result of this surprising jury award another little local bank will be forced to shut its doors, 30+ bank employees will lose their jobs (with little hope of securing another bank job given the current economic environment), many small businesses will lose access to the necessary capital to keep their enterprises alive, and all the investors who recently provided the bank the emergency capital infusion will be wiped out.

And who really wins here? Yes, the Secord brothers will receive some money, but the big winners are the two legal teams, each who reaped large fees. In short, this decision and its devastating impact on our community feels very wrong and unjust.

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts. “

Letter from Investor:
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/Letter_from_Investor.pdf

Announcement: Purchase of Puget Sound Leasing by First Sound Bank
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/March%202008/03-05-08.htm#fsb

Previous Stories:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/puget.html

Thomas Depping, Chief Executive Officer
(Photo: Ascentium Capital)

The Cleveland, Kingwood Drive, and Eagle Springs branches of Main Street Bank, Kingwood, Texas are now branches of Green Bank, according to the Main Street's Web site (www.msbanktx.com) and Green Bank Web Site (www.greenbank.com).

The web site notes "The Main Street Bank headquarters at 23970 Highway 59N remains available for questions and is expected to close soon. 281-348-2000."

In the press release from Ascentium Capital, August 10, 2011, it stated, "Ascentium Capital will acquire a $150 million portfolio of commercial loans and leases from Main Street Bank (“Main Street”), as well as a state of the art small business origination and servicing platform. Separately, Main Street Bank has reached an agreement to sell its branches and deposits to Green Bank, N.A. Following the completion of the sale of assets to Ascentium Capital and the branch/deposit sale, Main Street will liquidate and terminate its banking charter. Ascentium Capital does not intend to operate under a banking charter.

Ascentium Capital will be initially capitalized with $75 million of equity and a $250 million warehouse facility led by UBS Investment Bank. The company will also have access to an additional $35 million of equity capital to fund future growth..."

"Vulcan Capital was formed in 2003 and is headquartered in Seattle, WA. The firm serves as the investment arm of Vulcan Inc., the organization founded by Paul G. Allen in 1986 to manage his personal and professional endeavors."

Many former First Sierra officers and ex-employees jointed Ascentium Capital, not licensed at this time to do business in California, according to California Finance Lender's License information.

FDIC records show Green Bank was formed February 17, 1999 with 124 employees in 11 branches, as of September 30, 2011.

The bank made $1.7 million year-end 2010 and as of September 30, 2011 showed a $688,000 profit, net equity of $134.8 million with $13.8 million in noncurrent loans and leases, and $4.6 million in charges offs (over $4.6 million in commercial and industrial loans).

“Meet a Banker:” a photo on Green Bank's web site shows Dallas Commercial Banker Ray Kembel with former U.S. President George Bush: “When he's not biking, Ray Kembel is busily working to grow Green Bank's Commercial Banking operation in North Texas.”

Headline to story, "Leverages Real Estate Transactions to Grow Commercial Banking Arm in North Texas” with former president George Bush.

List of Bank Failures:
http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/banklist.html

Bank Beat:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Bank_Beat.htm

LeadFerret---completely free data on businesses
and contacts, including email addresses.

This is an excellent free site, easy to use, actually works, and was amazed at its capability. It can be used as a tool for names, emails, telephone numbers for existing types of industries, but most important, for local marketing, you can put in a zip code and decide how far you want the radius from the zip code and it brings up many names with their position, company, email, etc. You can go through it choosing the people and business you would like to call.

It has many other features, and is definitely worth a sales person's time to explore.

http://www.leadferret.com/

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Joins “Back Office” list

(Note: All 58 California Counties for Personal Property Tax)

Full Back Office List:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Ag_leasing/backoffice.htm

Career Crossroad— "Should I use Facebook to find a new position?"

Question: What do you think about using Facebook for finding a new position? I heard it’s a great resource …

Answer: NO – NO … And NO

Facebook is a Social Networking Site – used for sharing personal updates/pics, etc…; hence, a Social Site.

Though Social Media outlets will NEVER take the place of direct contact (phone / personal email), there are some sites that are MUCH better for Professional / Career networking such as LinkedIn.

If you are using your LinkedIn (or similar sites) Profile for Career networking, make sure it is appropriate and condensed / short and to the point. If you are going to include a picture on your Profile – MAKE sure it a professional one (pictures of your pet or your favorite vacation spot = Facebook aka a social networking site).

Again, if you are utilizing one of the Professional / Career sites, use it strictly for networking and gathering information. Sending a Hiring Manager a note that you are looking for a position – not the best option.

On the other hand if you are utilizing to: contact (1) Recruiters that specialize in your field (2) Gather company information of a potential employer, etc… – then these types of sites are a great resource.

Emily Fitzpatrick
Sr. Recruiter
Recruiters International, Inc.
Phone: 954-885-9241
Cell: 954-612-0567
emily@riirecruit.com
www.riirecruit.com

Previous Career Crossroad columns:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/crossroad.html

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Leasing Industry Help Wanted

Interviewing Leasing Professionals With Proven Track Record and Established Book of Business. Envision Provides: 1) Monthly Base Salary 2) Established Funding Sources 3) Fun Working Environment 4) Full Benefits (Health Insurance, 401k) 5) Aggressive Commission Structure. Resumes To: careers@envisioncapitalgroup.com Contact: Stephanie Cruz (949) 225-1740 Envision Capital Group is dedicated to providing the best in class products and service to our employees, customers, vendors and partners in the small and middle ticket commercial finance industry. With over 50 years of combined experience we have the knowledge, skills, abilities and relationships to help you reach your goals.

For information on placing a help wanted ad, please click here:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Hwanted/Hwanted-post.htm

Please see our Job Wanted section for possible new employees.

U.S.A.

At press time, $450

(Please click on kettle to donate)

CANADA

At press time, zero

(Please click on kettle to donate)

Note: URL that follows allows you to choose your Country of
residence and method of payment:
https://secure20.salvationarmy.org/

Leasing 102
by Mr. Terry Winders, CLP

“True leasing differences”

With the move to true leasing because of the proposed accounting changes, we will have to reacquaint ourselves will some of the old---but still used true leasing terms and language inserts.

Stipulated loss value:

When a tax-motivated lease terminates early through a casualty loss (the equipment has been damaged or destroyed) or results in an early termination allowed by the Lessor, the resulting lease payoff is a great deal different from the payoff on a loan. A loan payoff, whether it be “Rule of the 78ths” or simple interest, need only deal with the unearned interest, plus the interest added on since the date of the last payment. In a lease the termination is a sale of the leased asset from the Lessor to the Lessee. It requires tax, legal and accounting changes.

On equipment leases, due to the accelerated depreciation or the special depreciation allowances brought on by the stimulus packages of the past few years, the leased asset will have a different value on the lessor’s income tax books than their accounting balance to provide the amount needed from the lessee to return the total investment plus earnings.

If the amount received from the lessee exceeds the income tax balance (undepreciated value) of the asset, the difference is taxable. The difference between the payoff (stipulated loss value) and the value remaining on the tax books will be taxed at the ordinary tax rate (34%-35%). This additional tax must be included in the sale amount which increases the sale amount thereby increasing the tax. This requires a computer based lease pricing program like “Super Trump” to determine the correct stipulated loss value.

Any amount by which the sale exceeds the original cost is taxed at the capital gains rates. If this occurs, it is usually happens early in the lease when the booked fees and other costs cause the payoff to be higher than the original equipment costs.

In the last few years I have noticed that lessor’s that only deal with bargain option leases, known as “capital leases,” who have not dealt

with true leases, are more than likely do not have the lease language for stipulated loss values in their lease form. In addition new language has been inserted into the old language by requiring the higher of the assets current value or the stipulated value whichever is higher.

Fair Market Value:

We all think we know the definition of “fair market value,” most often abbreviated FMV. It is officially defined as “ A value obtained in an arm’s length transaction between an informed and willing retail Lessor or seller (under no compulsion to sell) and an informed and willing retail Lessee or buyer(under no compulsion to buy).” However, in today’s world it needs to be enhanced in the lease agreement to define what kind of FMV are we looking for such as:

– Fair market value installed (highest value)
– Fair market value in exchange (street value)
– Orderly liquidation value (sold in parts)
– Auction value (Commercially reasonable sale)

There is a requirement in the UCC that allows for a stated purchase option “if” the Lessor has documentation to show that the fixed purchase option is “the reasonably predictable future FMV.”

There is no such statement in the income tax requirements. The income tax requirements depend on proving “intent”. Therefore an early termination needs to be carefully handled so as to not upset the original tax assumptions. In addition, the lease should carry a tax indemnity clause that allows the Lessor to recover any tax losses due to an IRS challenge. The last tax indemnity should be for the corporate tax rate in case of any changes.

Mr. Terry Winders, CLP, has been a teacher, consultant, expert witness for the leasing industry for thirty-five years and can be reached at leaseconsulting@msn.com or 502-649-0448

He invites your questions and queries.

Previous #102 Columns:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Leasing_102/Index.htm

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25% Off CLP Handbook

Regularly $59.95, now until December 31st, now $44.96

Great Christmas gift for staff or favorite leasing colleague.

Give the Gift of Education

The book was created to help leasing personnel study to become a Certified Lease Professional but it contains what every leasing person should know about this industry and if you want to succeed you need to get educated.

Here is a list of the contents:

• The History of Equipment Leasing
• Classification and Terminology in Leasing
• Marketing
• Sales
• Lease vs. Buy Decision Making
• Lessor-Vendor Relationships
• Lease Pricing
  - Lease Calculations and Pricing
  - Advanced Structuring
• Credit Process & Financial Statements Leasing Law
• Lease Documentation
• Insurance for Leasing Companies
• Collections and Asset Management
• Lease Company Management
• Financial and Tax Accounting for Leases
• Sources of Financing for a Leasing Company
• Portfolio Management
• Government Leasing
• Agriculture Leasing
• Resources

Click here and use the discount code above where you log in:
http://www.clpfoundation.org/toolbox/clp_handbook.php

Top Stories---November 29--December 1

Here are the top ten sorties opened by readers:

(1) Radiance Capital, Tacoma, Washington
Bulletin Board Complaint
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2011/12_01.htm#complaint

(2) Copier Wars---It's more than the lease payment
by Christopher Menkin
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Nov2011/11_23.htm#copier

(3) Vehicle Lenders Group joins Funder List
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Nov2011/11_23.htm#vehicle

(4) New Hires--Promotions
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2011/12_01.htm#hires

(5) Bank of the West Sees
“Rise in Multi-Funder Finance Program Structures”
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Nov2011/11_23.htm#bow

(6) Vehicle Lenders Group joins
Companies who notify lessee in advance of lease expiration
and require their discounter to also notify lessee in advancehttp://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2011/12_01.htm#expiration

(7) Career Crossroad—"Why I left my previous employer..."
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Nov2011/11_23.htm#crossroad

(8) Leasing 102 by Mr. Terry Winders, CLP
"The Importance of Equipment Identification"
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Nov2011/11_23.htm#identification

(9) How Did Leasing Stock Do in Yesterday’s Surge?
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2011/12_01.htm#stock

(10) U.S.A--Canada Salvation Army Kettles
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2011/12_01.htm#kettles

(This ad is a “trade” for the writing of this column. Opinions
contained in the column are those of Mr. Terry Winders, CLP)

Top Ten Christmas Oldies Songs
from About.com

1. "Jingle Bell Rock," Bobby Helms
http://oldies.about.com/od/theculture/a/christmas1.htm

2. "Blue Christmas," Elvis Presley
http://oldies.about.com/od/theculture/a/christmas2.htm

3. "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree," Brenda Lee
http://oldies.about.com/od/theculture/a/christmas3.htm

4. "Please Come Home For Christmas," Charles Brown
http://oldies.about.com/od/theculture/a/christmas4.htm

5. "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," Darlene Love
http://oldies.about.com/od/theculture/a/christmas5.htm

6. "White Christmas," The Drifters
http://oldies.about.com/od/theculture/a/christmas6.htm

7. "Run Rudolph Run," Chuck Berry
http://oldies.about.com/od/theculture/a/christmas5.htm

8. "Santa Baby," Eartha Kitt
http://oldies.about.com/od/theculture/a/christmas8.htm

9. "The Christmas Song," Nat King Cole
http://oldies.about.com/od/theculture/a/christmas9.htm

10. "White Christmas," Bing Crosby
http://oldies.about.com/od/theculture/a/christmas10.htm

Full Top 40 Christmas Oldies:
http://oldies.about.com/od/theculture/a/christmasoldies.htm?nl=1

(Leasing News provides this ad as a trade for investigations
and background information provided by John Kenny)

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#### Press Release #############################

Consumers Are More Financially Confident

December Money Anxiety Index continues to improve showing a decline of 0.2 index points in the level of consumers’ financial anxiety.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The December preliminary Money Anxiety Index (www.moneyanxiety.com) decreased to 94.2, down 0.2 index points from November, and a continuation of a decrease in the level of consumer financial anxiety since July of this year. The Money Anxiety Index is still higher than its December 2010 level by 1.3 index points.

The improvement in the Money Anxiety index, which is based on real economic indicators, is impacted in part by the decrease of 0.4 percent in the unemployment rate to 8.6 in November. However, even though private-sector employment increased by 140,000 jobs, a large portion of the increase was in retail, which added 50,000 temporary jobs for the holiday season. Additionally, there was a drop of 315,000 people in the civilian labor force, which may reflect people leaving the workforce once their unemployment benefits are exhausted.

“As I projected earlier this year,” said Dan Geller, Ph.D. Trend Analyst at Money Anxiety Index, “consumers started feeling more confident about their finances in July of this year, which was reflected in the increase of 2.4 percent in consumer spending during the third quarter. I expect the fourth quarter to top the third quarter in terms of consumer spending and GDP growth.”

About Money Anxiety Index
The Money Anxiety Index (MAI) measures various economic indicators and factors associated with consumers’ level of financial worry and stress. MAI, which measured the level of financial anxiety for the past 50 years, fluctuated from a high of 136.0 during the early 1980s recession, and a low of 40.3 in the mid 1960s (January 1975 = 100). The Money Anxiety Index was developed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with a large sample size of monthly economic indicators ranging from 1959 to 2010.

The Money Anxiety Index (MAI) differs from other indices of consumer confidence mainly because its measurement is objective rather than subjective. MAI measures how economic indicators are impacting consumers’ behavior (objective) rather than how consumers say they feel about the economy (subjective), which is the methodology used by survey-based consumer confidence indices.

##### Press Release ############################

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Dwolla Announces No Fee under $10

Fees for doing transfer from your bank to the merchant using Dwolla is 25 cents above $10, and free under $10.

Many merchants have a minimum credit card acceptance, so this opens up a new avenue.

www.dwolla.com

Kingwood, TX -- Adopt-a-Dog

Addie

Labrador/Shepherd Mix
Spayed Female
3 Years Old

Dog Adoption Form
http://www.nhspca.org/images/forms/adoption_application_dogs2005.pdf

New Hampshire SPCA
Phone: 603-772-2921
email: info@nhspca.org
Adoption Center

11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday
Closed Wednesdays
Stratham, New Hampshire
Directions:
http://www.nhspca.org/map.html

http://www.nhspca.org/index.html

Adopt-a-Pet by Leasing Co. State/City
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Adopt_Pet.htm

Adopt a Pet
http://www.adoptapet.com/

Classified ads—Internet Job Search

Leasing Industry Outsourcing
(Providing Services and Products)

All "Outsourcing" Classified ads (advertisers are both requested and responsible to keep their free ads up to date:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Outsourcing/Outsourcing.htm

How to Post a free "Outsourcing" classified ad:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Outsourcing/Outsourcing-post.htm

News Briefs----

Non-bank financing increases options for small business
http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/45053/non-bank-financing-increases-options-for-small-business/

Chinese bank in Saab rescue talks
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/05/us-sweden-saab-idUSTRE7B30R120111205

Patricia Dunn, 58, ex-HP chair, dies after cancer bout
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_19475136

----------------------------------------

You may have missed---

The Great Recession's toll: Tallying the impact in the Northwest
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/flatpages/local/recessionpackage.html

----------------------------------------

SparkPeople--Live Healthier and Longer

7 Hidden Ways to Get Better Sleep
Drift off to Dreamland easier than ever with these simple tips.
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=420

------------------------------------------

Sports Briefs----

NHL approves radical realignment plan
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/chi-nhl-approves-radical-realignment-plan-20111205,0,4405348.story

Frank Gore worthy of a statue, coach Jim Harbaugh says
http://www.contracostatimes.com/49ers/ci_19477053

Santa Clara, 49ers announce deal to pay for stadium
http://www.mercurynews.com/southbayfootball/ci_19460039

-----------------------------------------

Football Poems

The modern spelling of the word "football" is first recorded, when it was used disapprovingly by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare's play King Lear (which was first published in 1608) contains the line: "Nor tripped neither, you base football player" (Act I Scene 4). Shakespeare also mentions the game in “A Comedy of Errors” (Act II Scene 1):

Am I so round with you as you with me,
That like a football you do spurn me thus?

You spurn me hence, and he will spurn me hither:
If I last in this service, you must case me in leather.

("Spurn" literally means to kick away, thus implying that the game involved kicking a ball between players. )

(Of course, football in England is quite different than as played in the USA, but "football" by Shakespeare survives. Editor)

----------------------------------------

California Nuts Briefs---

Gov. Jerry Brown filing initiative to hike taxes on sales/wealthy
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/12/jerry-brown-california-initiative-hike-taxes-on-sales-wealthy.html

Santa Clara police captain named first woman to lead San Rafael Police dept., to move with her life partner to Sonoma
http://www.marinij.com/sanrafael/ci_19459765

San Jose foreclosure case is both tragic and complicated
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_19475752

--------------------------

“Gimme that Wine”

Robert Lawrence Balzer: 1912-2011
http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show?id=46126

Off-Premise Wine Sales Increase 3.2 Percent in November
http://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataid=94975

Robert Mondavi's Napa Valley estate sold
http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/robert-mondavi-s-napa-valley-estate-sold/article_81a312ba-1bc4-11e1-bc4e-001cc4c03286.html

Two prominent Napa restaurants fail food inspections in past month
http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/two-prominent-napa-restaurants-fail-food-inspections-in-past-month/article_8d78e798-1a45-11e1-9cf7-001cc4c03286.html

Free Mobile Wine Program
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_26.htm#mobile

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

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

Winery Atlas
http://www.carterhouse.com/atlas/\

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

     1492-- Christopher Columbus lands on the island of Santo Domingo in search of gold.
He finds a lot of natives that he makes slaves and brings back to Spain, reporting
that he has found a route to India.
    1628- Thomas Beard began manufacturing shoes. He came over on the Mayflower. Prior to that date, shoes were imported from England. The colonists also learned from the Native Americans how to make moccasins, which were so well liked that as early as 1650 they were exported to Eng­land.
    1776 -- Phi Beta Kappa, the first scholastic fraternity, is founded at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg.
    1787- Delaware became the first state to ratify the federal Constitution by unanimous vote. It was signed on December 7 by all 30 members of the Constitutional Convention. Thomas Collins, who was president of Delaware at that time, automatically became the first state governor.
    1790 - Congress moved from New York City to Philadelphia. 
    1820- James Monroe was re-elected president of the United Sates. Daniel D. Tompkins was re-elected vice-president. The electoral vote was Monroe, 231; John Quincy Adams, a Federalist and Monroe’s secretary of state, 1 electoral vote. The panic of 1819 had wrought great changes in people’s economic status. A period of wild speculation had ended with wholesale foreclosures by banks, and much property in the South and West reverted to the national bank. To add to this, at the end of 1818 the Union consisted of 11 free and 11 salve states. Ready to be a state, Maine, would be a free state, but it would be offset by creating the state of Missouri from Louisiana, otherwise known as the Missouri compromise. The fourth U.S. Census recorded a population of 9,638,453. The center of population was 16 miles east of Moorefiled, W.Va.
    1862 - President Lincoln ordered the hanging of 39 of the 303 convicted Indians who participated in the Sioux Uprising in Minnesota. They were to be hanged on Dec. 26. The Dakota Indians were going hungry when food and money from the federal government was not distributed as promised. They led a massacre that left over 400 white people dead. The uprising was put down and 300 Indians were sentenced to death. Pres. Lincoln reduced the number to 39, who were hanged. The government then nullified the 1851 treaty. 
    1864- Abraham Lincoln appointed Ohio Senator Salmon P. Chase chief justice of the United States, a strong advocate of African-American rights.
( lower half of: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec06.htm
http://www.abbess.demon.co.uk/brubeck/discog/ l )
    1865-The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, abolishing slavery in the US. "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, save as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." In 1860, the US Census recorded a population of 31,443,321. There were 448,070 free blacks and 3,953,760 slaves in the country, the overwhelming majority were black.
    1884-Washington Monument is “topped.”
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec06.html
    1865-Eight months after the end of the Civil War, Georgia became the last state to ratify the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, officially ending the institution of slavery in the United States. "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." With these words, the single greatest change wrought by the Civil War was officially noted in the U.S. Constitution.
    1876 –The presidential election held on November 7 had given Governor of New York Samuel J. Tilden, the Democratic candidate, a popular vote plurality of 250,000, but Republicans refused to concede on the grounds that returns from Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Oregon were in dispute and thus their 19 electoral votes. Hayes need the electoral votes of those states to win. On December 6 two different sets of electoral returns were reported from the four states. The electoral vote ultimately was to be determined by a special 15-members electoral commission with five members from each house of Congress and five members form the Supreme Court, made up of eight Republicans and seven Democrats. On March 2, Congress adopted the commissions decision, Rutherford B. Hayes received 185 electoral votes and Tilden 184. The Republicans were accused of offering southern Democrats economic favors for their region if they supported Hayes’s claim. In any event, the new president showed a conciliatory attitude toward the South: the last federal troops were withdrawn and there was no further effort to protect the rights of blacks. All government programs for equality were ended. Reconstruction was over.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/rh19.html
http://www.ipl.org/div/potus/rbhayes.html
http://gi.grolier.com/presidents/ea/side/tilden.html
http://gi.grolier.com/presidents/ea/side/elecollg.html
    1876-- Jack McCall is convicted for the murder of Wild Bill Hickok and sentenced to hang. He was acquitted at an “illegal” trial, but held again for trial in South Dakota, where he was convicted on this day in 1876 and then became the first person hanged in South Dakota. Wild Bill Hickok’s card hand held an ace of spades, ace of clubs, two black eights - clubs and spades - and the jack of diamonds. This became known as aces and eights - the dead man's hand.
http://www.adamsmuseumandhouse.org/answers/jackmccall.html
    1877- Washington Post publishes 1st edition 
    1877 -First sound recording made (Thomas Edison)
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/
Edison did not build the first sound recording machine, but made his first phonograph design and gave a sketch of the machine to his mechanic, former Swiss clock maker John Kruesi, to build. Thirty hours later the machine was finished, but Kruesi bet the inventor $2 that it would not work. Edison immediately tested the machine by speaking a nursery rhyme into the mouthpiece, "Mary had a little lamb." To his amazement, the machine played his words back to him. Kruesi would go on be involved in many of Edison's key inventions, including the quadruplex telegraph, the carbon microphone, the phonograph, and the incandescent light bulb and system of electric lighting.
    1886-Birthday of Joyce Kilmer, American poet most famous for his poem “Trees,
which was published in 1913, was born at New Brunswick, NJ. Kilmer was killed in action near Ourcy, France, in World War I, July 30, 1918. Camp Kilmer was named for him. 
    1886 - A great snowstorm hit the southern Appalachian Mountains. The three day storm produced 25 inches at Rome GA, 33 inches at Asheville NC, and 42 inches in the mountains. Montgomery AL received a record eleven inches of snow. Columbia SC received one to two inches of sleet. (4th-6th)
    1892-Birthday of Theodore Lawless, African-American medicine pioneer, born Thibodeaux, Louisiana . He was a dermatologist who became a millionaire form his studies, practice and development of medicines. He also contributed to the better understanding of syphilis, a venereal disease; and leprosy, a disease which wastes away the muscles of the body. Setting up his offices in the heart of Chicago's Black community, he established one of the largest and best known skin clinics in the city. For many years, men and women and children, both black and white, crowded his waiting room from morning until night. But he still found time to teach at Northwestern University, work with the staff of Chicago's Provident Hospital, and share his knowledge with other doctors. In 1954, he was awarded the NAACP's Springarn Medal. In 1970 at his seventy-eighth birthday celebration on Dillard University's campus, Lawless shared the philosophy that directed his life: 
“I sought my soul,
But my soul I could not see,
I sought my God, but my God eluded me,
I sought my neighbor, and I found all there.”
Died May 1, 1971 
http://www.africanpubs.com/Apps/bios/1057LawlessT.asp?pic=none
    1896-Birthday of Ira Gershwin, Pulitzer Prize—winning American lyricist and author who collab­orated with his brother, George, and with many other composers.
Among his Broadway successes: Lady Be Good, Funny Face, Strike
Up the Band and such songs as “The Man I Love,” “Someone to Watch Over Me.”
    1898-Birthday of American photojournalist Alfred Eisenstaedt, born Dirschau, Prussia. One of the greatest photojournalists in US history he is best known for his 86 photos that were used on covers of Life magazine, including the photo of the sailor kissing a nurse in New York’s Times Square at the end of World War II. He died August 23, 1995, at Martha’s Vineyard, MA.
    1920—Pianist/composer Dave Brubeck birthday
http://www.schirmer.com/composers/brubeck_bio.html
http://www.brubeckmusic.com/dave.html
http://www.downbeat.com/artists/window.asp?aid=143&aname=Dave+Brubeck
    1921 -- Otto Graham, the Hall of Fame quarterback who ran and passed the Cleveland Browns to seven league championships in 10 seasons (1946-55), was born.
http://images.nfl.com/history/images/1206.jpg
    1922 -- William P. McGivern lives. American novelist, screenplay writer, who published over 20 novels covering the wide genre of thrillers — homicide detection, espionage, political corruption, the world of psychopath, & the crooked cop.
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/mcgivern.htm
    1922-The first electric commercial power line was placed in operation by Utica Gas and Electric Company, Utica, NY. The plant was build by the General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY, and consisted of the transmitters, the power lines, and the associated receives. The transmission lines carried both voices and power. A single power line could carry several different carrier frequencies simultaneously, making possible distant supervisory control of various types of electric equipment. This opened the United States, and the world to cheap electrical power, transmission, and changed lifestyles. The first hydrogen-cooled turbine generator for cities was built by GE, who lead the field in innovation and relatively low cost for consumers
    1925-Tenor sax and flute player Bob Cooper born, Pittsburgh, PA, 1925, died August 5, 1993.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/x.dll?p=amg&sql=B6335
http://shopping.yahoo.com/shop?d=product&id=1927005436&clink=dmmu.artist&a=b
    1928-Birthday of drummer Frank Dunlop, Buffalo, NY
http://www.audiophilia.com/software/ac2.htm
    1937-Birthday of drummer Eddie Gladden, Newark, NJ 
http://shopping.yahoo.com/shop?d=product&id=1927063655
    1940-Birthday of bass player Jay Leonhard, Baltimore, MD
    1940- Nat King Cole Trio cuts first Decca recordings.
    1941-President Roosevelt-convinced on the basis of intelligence reports that the Japanese fleet is headed for Thailand, not the United States-telegrams Emperor Hirohito with the request that "for the sake of humanity," the emperor intervene "to prevent further death and destruction in the world." The Royal Australian Air Force had sighted Japanese escorts, cruisers, and destroyers on patrol near the Malayan coast, south of Cape Cambodia. An Aussie pilot managed to radio that it looked as if the Japanese warships were headed for Thailand-just before he was shot down by the Japanese. Back in England, Prime Minister Churchill called a meeting of his chiefs of staff to discuss the crisis. While reports were coming in describing Thailand as the Japanese destination, they began to question whether it could have been a diversion. British intelligence had intercepted the Japanese code "Raffles," a warning to the Japanese fleet to be on alert-but for what? Britain was already preparing Operation Matador, the launching of their 11th Indian Division into Thailand to meet the presumed Japanese invasion force. But at the last minute, Air Marshall Brooke-Popham received word not to cross the Thai border for fear that it would provoke a Japanese attack if, in fact, the warship movement was merely a bluff. Meanwhile, 600 miles northwest of Hawaii, Admiral Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese fleet, announced to his men: "The rise or fall of the empire depends upon this battle. Everyone will do his duty with utmost efforts." Thailand was, in fact, a bluff. Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii was confirmed for Yamamoto as the Japanese target, after the Japanese consul in Hawaii had reported to Tokyo that a significant portion of the U.S. Pacific fleet would be anchored in the harbor-sitting ducks. 
    1944-- The Count Basie Orchestra records "Red Bank Boogie" 
    1947- Stan Kenton cuts “ Peanut Vendor.” 
http://www.mamajazz.org/pages/biokenton.html
http://business.baylor.edu/Phil_VanAuken/kenton.html
http://music.bizrate.com/marketplace/product_info/overview/index__cat_id--5209,
prod_id--1007232,name--The%20Best%20Of%20Stan%20Kenton%20%28
Blue%20Note%29.html
    1947- Everglades national Park was established.. Part of vast marshland area
on southern Florida peninsula, originally authorized May 30,1934.
    1950 -Duluth, MN had their greatest 24 hour snowfall when 25.4 inches fell
    1951---Top Hits
Sin (It’s No) - Eddy Howard
Because of You - Tony Bennett
Down Yonder - Del Wood
Slow Poke - Pee Wee King
    1952-- The Mills Brothers' "The Glow-Worm" hits #1 
    1954 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Mr. Sandman," The Chordettes.
    1957-Mercury Records releases the Diamonds' cover of the Chuck Willis dance tune "The Stroll." It peaks at #8 on the pop chart and sparks a fad for the dance of the same name.
    1957-- Elvis visits radio station WDIA in Memphis and meets two of his idols, Little Junior Parker and Bobby Bland. 
    1959---Top Hits
Mack the Knife - Bobby Darin
Don’t You Know - Della Reese
In the Mood - Ernie Field’s Orch.
Country Girl - Faron Young
    1960 - Gene Autry was attending the 1960 baseball winter meetings hoping to secure a broadcasting contract for KMPC, his Los Angeles radio station. The ‘Singing Cowboy’ wound up as the owner of the expansion Los Angeles Angels (when no one came forward to bid for the team, Autry made a bid of his own). The team became the showpiece for KMPC. The Angels played their first season in Wrigley Field (capacity 22,000), then rented Dodger Stadium and later moved to Anaheim. 
In 2002, they won the World Series, beating the San Francisco Giants.
    1960-500 store owners in Tucson, Arizona sign pledges of non-discrimination.
In 1994 a black chamber of commerce was formed in Tucson, the 33rd largest city
in the United States. One of the “hold out” states, it was not until 1993 that Arizona observed its first statewide Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. June 7, 1993, Governor Jean Shaheen of New Hampshire signed the King Holiday legislation into law, completing enactment of holiday in all states.
    1965-Motown Records releases Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' "Going to a Go-Go." The song is later covered by the Rolling Stones. The Miracles' version will reach #11 on the pop chart.
    1966--The Beatles record "When I'm Sixty-Four" 
    1967---Top Hits
Daydream Believer - The Monkees
The Rain, the Park & Other Things - The Cowsills
I Say a Little Prayer - Dionne Warwick
It’s the Little Things - Sonny James
    1967- the first heart transplant in the Untied States was performed at Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn, New York City. Dr. Adrian Kantrowitz was the surgeon and the patient was a two-week-old baby boy, who lived for 6.5 hours after the operation. The transplant took place three days after Dr. Christian Barnard performed the first heart transplant in history in Cape Town, South Africa. The first heart transplant performed on an adult in the United States took place on January 6, 1968, at the Stanford Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA. The patient was Mike Kasperak and the surgeon was Dr. Norman Shumway.
    1967--LITEKY, ANGELO J. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Chaplain (Capt.), U.S. Army, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 199th Infantry Brigade. place and date: Near Phuoc-Lac, Bien Hoa province, Republic of Vietnam, 6 December 1967. Entered service at: Fort Hamilton, N.Y. Born: 14 February 1931, Washington, D.C. Citation: Chaplain Liteky distinguished himself by exceptional heroism while serving with Company A, 4th Battalion, 12th Infantry, 199th Light Infantry Brigade. He was participating in a search and destroy operation when Company A came under intense fire from a battalion size enemy force. Momentarily stunned from the immediate encounter that ensued, the men hugged the ground for cover. Observing 2 wounded men, Chaplain Liteky moved to within 15 meters of an enemy machine gun position to reach them, placing himself between the enemy and the wounded men. When there was a brief respite in the fighting, he managed to drag them to the relative safety of the landing zone. Inspired by his courageous actions, the company rallied and began placing a heavy volume of fire upon the enemy's positions. In a magnificent display of courage and leadership, Chaplain Liteky began moving upright through the enemy fire, administering last rites to the dying and evacuating the wounded. Noticing another trapped and seriously wounded man, Chaplain Liteky crawled to his aid. Realizing that the wounded man was too heavy to carry, he rolled on his back, placed the man on his chest and through sheer determination and fortitude crawled back to the landing zone using his elbows and heels to push himself along. pausing for breath momentarily, he returned to the action and came upon a man entangled in the dense, thorny underbrush. Once more intense enemy fire was directed at him, but Chaplain Liteky stood his ground and calmly broke the vines and carried the man to the landing zone for evacuation. On several occasions when the landing zone was under small arms and rocket fire, Chaplain Liteky stood up in the face of hostile fire and personally directed the medivac helicopters into and out of the area. With the wounded safely evacuated, Chaplain Liteky returned to the perimeter, constantly encouraging and inspiring the men. Upon the unit's relief on the morning of 7 December 1967, it was discovered that despite painful wounds in the neck and foot, Chaplain Liteky had personally carried over 20 men to the landing zone for evacuation during the savage fighting. Through his indomitable inspiration and heroic actions, Chaplain Liteky saved the lives of a number of his comrades and enabled the company to repulse the enemy. Chaplain Liteky's actions reflect great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
    1969- Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, in Livermore, a free concert featuring performance by the Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplanes, Santana, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and the Flying Burrito Brothers turned into tragedy. The "thank you" concert for 300,000 fans was marred by overcrowding, drug overdoses and the fatal stabbing of a spectator by a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, who had been hired as security guards for the event. The murder is filmed and included in the film "Gimme Shelter" which premiers exactly one year later.
http://www.echoes.com/rememberaday/altamont.html
    1969 - Musician Cab Calloway turned actor as he was seen in the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" presentation of "The Littlest Angel" on NBC. The big band singer, known for such classics as "Minnie the Moocher", became a movie star in "The Blues Brothers" (1980) with John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd. 
    1969 - "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye", by Steam, reached the #1 spot on the top 40. It stayed at the top for two weeks and was the only major hit for the group that later ran out of ... steam. 
    1970-"Gimme Shelter," the documentary film about the Rolling Stones' 1969 tour of the U.S. debuts on the anniversary of the Altamont concert.
    1970 - A windstorm toppled the National Christmas Tree at the White House. 
    1971 - It was payday for Jack Nicklaus. He received $30,000 for capturing the first Disney World golf tournament. His earnings for the season totaled $244,490. 
    1971- Ryan Wayne White born with hemophilia, later to contract AIDS from blood-clotting products.
http://teenink.com/Past/1999/10658.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0451173228/inktomi-bkasin-20/
103-8044451-6791041
    1973- Gerald Ford was sworn in as vice-president under Richard Nixon, following the resignation of Spiro Agnew who pled no contest to a charge of income tax evasion. 1973 Gerald Rudolph Ford became the first vice president chosen under the 25th amendment when he was sworn into office as President Richard Milhous Nixon’s vice president. The 25th amend, ratified on February 10, 1967, enables the president to appoint a vice president in the event that the office becomes vacant. On October 10, 1973, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew resigned to face charges of income tax evasion, leaving the vice presidency open for the first time since the passage of the amendment. When President Nixon resigned Gerald Ford became the first president of the United States never elected to the office He later pardoned Nixon after his resignation as president. Some say it was this act that elected Jimmy Carter president of the United States in 1976. The electoral vote was Carter, 297; Pres. Ford, 240. the popular vote was Carter, 40,828,929; Ford 38,148,940. In congressional elections, the Democrats kept a 2-Senate majority, 61-38, with one seat going to an impendent, and a House Majority o4 2192-143. Yet Carter was considered by historians as a very ineffectual president and leader.. Some say it was the challenging of his chief campaign manager who became director of the Officer of Management and budget, Bert Lance. Never the less, in the first months of Pres. Jimmy Carter’s administration, most Vietnam-era draft resisters were pardoned, the planned pullout of U.S. forces from South Korea was announced, and administration officials spoke out against human rights violations worldwide. Vernon Jordon of the National Urban League charged the administration with not doing enough to reduce unemployment among blacks. In his second year, national unemployment reached 7% and the Dow Jones declined, while the U.S. faced a high trade deficit, primarily because of oil imports and the falling value of the dollar. 
    1973-Steve Miller who'd been laying low for most of last year and this year, gets a gold record for "The Joker," his most successful LP to date. The title track becomes Miller's first chart-topping hit and gives cameo roles to some of his previous in-song personas, like "Maurice" and "The Gangster of Love."
    1975 - Paul Simon’s album, "Still Crazy After All These Years", was number one in the U.S. It was Simon’s first #1 solo album and it contained his first recording with Art Garfunkel since their 1969 breakup ("My Little Town", which was also included on Garfunkel’s "Breakaway" album). 
    1975- Senator Robert Dole & Elizabeth Hanford marry.
http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/candidates/republican/dole/timeline/index.shtml
    1975---Top Hits
Fly, Robin, Fly - Silver Convention
Sky High - Jigsaw
Let’s Do It Again - The Staple Singers
Secret Love - Freddy Fender
    1975-Soul singer Tyrone Davis enters the R&B chart with "Turning Point," which -- though it will never enter the pop chart -- will hit Number One early next year.
    1979-AC/DC's big breakthrough comes with his fifth U.S. album, "Highway to Hell." It turns gold and happens to be the last album recorded with original vocalist Bon Scott, who dies two months later.
    1983---Top Hits
All Night Long (All Night) - Lionel Richie
Say Say Say - Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson
Uptown Girl - Billy Joel
A Little Good News - Anne Murray
    1984- The longest winning streak in the history of women’s tennis came to an end when Helena Kuova defeated Martina Navatilove, who had won 74 matches in a row, starting January 15, 1974.
    1986 - University of Miami quarterback Vinny Testaverde won the Heisman Trophy on this day. 
    1987 - Another in a series of storms brought high winds and heavy rain to the northwestern U.S., with heavy snow in some of the higher elevations. In northern California, Crescent City was drenched with 2.58 inches of rain, and winds gusted to 90 mph. Up to fourteen inches of snow blanketed the mountains of northern California, and snow and high winds created blizzard conditions around Lake Tahoe NV.
    1989 - Heavy snow blanketed the Central Rocky Mountain Region. Totals in the southern foothills of Colorado ranged up to 17 inches at Rye. Arctic air invaded the north central U.S. Lincoln NE, which reported a record high of 69 degrees the previous afternoon, was 35 degrees colder. International Falls MN was the cold spot in the nation with a morning low of 9 degrees below zero, and temperatures in northern Minnesota hovered near zero through the daylight hours.
    1991---Top Hits
Set Adrift on Memory Bliss - PM Dawn
Black or White - Michael Jackson
Blowing Kisses in the Wind - Paula Abdul
Forever Together - Randy Travis
    1994-Financial disaster hit Orange County on December 6, 1994, as a dalliance with high-risk investing forced the affluent California community to file for bankruptcy. The move, which marked the single biggest bankruptcy filing by a municipality, capped off a disastrous run for Orange County and its multi-billion-dollar investment fund.
    1998 - Astronauts on the U.S. space shuttle "Endeavour" completed the most difficult task of their 12-day mission, mating modules from Russia and the United States to create the first two building blocks of International Space Station. “We have capture of Zarya,” Commander Robert Cabana announced when the two pieces came together at approximately 9:07 p.m. EST. “Congratulations to the crew of the good ship Endeavour,” replied Mission Control. “That's terrific.” 
    1999 - The U.S. airline maintenance company SabreTech was cleared of conspiracy charges in the crash of a plane belonging to cut-rate carrier ValuJet, which killed 110 people. The company was convicted on a series of less serious charges, including the improper packaging of the oxygen canisters thought to be responsible for the crash. The case involved 144 oxygen generators removed by SabreTech from other ValuJet planes and delivered to the ill-fated flight without the required safety caps or any markings indicating the canisters were hazardous. Investigators blamed the generators for starting a 2,200-degree cargo fire that brought down the DC-9 on May 11, 1996. 
    1998-Comedian and actor Bill Cosby receives the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors. Cosby was born in Philadelphia in 1937. He dropped out of high school and joined the navy in 1956, later getting his high school degree by correspondence. In 1960, he entered Temple University on a football scholarship, but by the following year he had become more interested in comedy and began performing regularly in a Greenwich Village nightclub. He went on to pursue a career in show business and was cast in 1965 as the partner of a white undercover agent in I Spy, which ran until 1968. The first network TV show to portray a natural working relationship between white and black colleagues, I Spy co-starred Robert Culp. (The first black-white TV show was “Harlem Detective” written-produced-directed by my father in the early 1950’s in New York.) Cosby starred in numerous other TV shows throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including The Bill Cosby Show, from 1969 to 1971, a situation comedy in which Cosby played a high school coach, and The New Bill Cosby Show, a variety show that lasted only one season (1972-73). Meanwhile, Cosby released a series of hit comedy recordings, winning eight Grammies, and earned a doctorate in education. In 1972, he launched an animated cartoon series called Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, which ran until 1984. In the 1970s and '80s, he made many appearances on children's TV shows, including The Electric Company and Sesame Street.In 1984, The Cosby Show debuted, a series featuring obstetrician Cliff Huxtable, his attorney wife, and their houseful of children. Rejected by ABC and NBC when Cosby pitched a similar concept based on a blue-collar family, NBC agreed to try the show once Cosby made the main characters an affluent family. The show, which ran until 1992, became one of the most popular programs on television. From 1994 to 1995, Cosby starred in The Cosby Mysteries, playing a forensic expert, and launched Cosby, about downsized airline worker Clinton Lucas, in 1996. Cosby also starred in several movies, including Leonard, Part 6 (1987), which he produced, and Ghost Dad (1990), but his movies generally failed to make a splash at the box office. 
http://www.delafont.com/comedians/Bill-Cosby.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Cosby
http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-649/
http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-14611/
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/C/htmlC/cosbyshowt/cosbyshowt.htm
    2005 At the Winter Meetings, the Blue Jays continue to keep their wallets open as the team agrees to a five-year, $55 million deal with A.J. Burnett ( 12-12, 3.44 ). The signing of the Marlin free agent who many consider the best starter available on the market, comes on the heels of Toronto giving B.J. Ryan $47 million over five-years making it the richest contract in baseball history.
    2007-Billy Joel released a new Pop single called "Christmas in Fallujah", which featured the vocals of 21-year-old singer Cass Dillon. At 58, Joel said he felt he was too old to sing the song, which was inspired by letters he received from soldiers in Iraq.