kitmenkin@leasingnews.org
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The migration to our new server is complete and I responded to all email sent. If your email to me was not answered or bounced back, please let me know.
kitmenkin@leasingnews.org

 

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Position Wanted – Credit
Work Remotely or Relocate for Right Opportunity

Each Week Leasing News is pleased, as a service to its readership, to offer completely free ads placed by candidates for jobs in the industry.  These ads also can be accessed directly on the website at:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted.htm

Each ad is limited to (100) words and ads repeat for up to 6 months unless the candidate tells us to stop. Your submissions should be received here by the end of each week.

Please encourage friends and colleagues to take advantage of this service, including recent graduates and others interested in leasing and related careers. 

Credit

Will relocate for the right opportunity and can work remotely. I have (25+) years in making credit decisions, as well as helping sales team and third party originators close more transactions via understanding their applicant's financial abilities. I can create alternative or additional opportunities (and income) by knowing which type of loan is best for the borrower aaacorrespondent@gmail.com

Chicago, Illinois Highly knowledgeable and analytical Equipment Leasing Executive; leveraging 25 years in Portfolio Management, Operations, Credit, and Collections within Banking environment and Commercial Equipment Leasing Industry; proven track record, developing/ implementing strategies, sound operational excellence and process improvement, while maximizing revenues and positioning organizations for greater success. wgriffith61@yahoo.com  Resume

Orlando, Florida As a Commercial Credit Analyst/Underwriter, I have evaluated transactions from sole proprietorships to listed companies, across a broad spectrum of industries, embracing a multitude of asset types. Sound understanding of balance sheet, income statement and cash flow dynamics which impact credit decisions. Strong appreciation for credit/asset risk.  rpsteiner21@aol.com  407 430-3917

Work Remotely from Portland, Oregon Experienced commercial banker and former commercial equipment leasing industry professional seeking full-time or part-time work out of my home in Portland, Oregon. Over twenty years’ experience in credit analysis, underwriting, sales and collections. Known for creative problem solving and strong quantitative & qualitative analytical skills.  Demonstrated ability to gather information, evaluate and make informed strategic business decisions to maximize profit and mitigate risk. Well known for ability to develop strong business relationships with Clients and large list of national equipment leasing Brokers. Please see attached resume and contact me below if interested.  Resume JFrank@BL-Solutions.com

 

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Top Stories: December 5 - December 8
(Opened Most by Readers)

(1) Jim & Chris Broom of Direct Capital
      Reportedly Resigned Today from CIT
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2016/12_08.htm#broom

(2) Equipment Purchases: Cash or Financing?
      by Edward P. Kay, Access Commercial Capital
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2016/12_05.htm#equip_puchases

(3) Pictures from the Past ---2000
            Bruce Lurie/Jack Ryan
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2016/12_05.htm#photos

(4) More Machines to be Leased or Financed
The Future Looks Good for Banks, Finance and Leasing Companies
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2016/12_08.htm#more

(5) Looks Like Some Alternate Finance Companies Changing
  to Special Banks, But Some May Not Want to be Regulated
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2016/12_08.htm#looks

(6) Allegiant Partners Close $57 Million Line
  Now Managing 3,000 Contracts
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2016/12_08.htm#allegiant

(Tie) (7) New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
       and Related Industries
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2016/12_08.htm#hires

(Tie) (7) Website Back on Line
 Email Not Working
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2016/12_08.htm#website

(9) Radius Bank Announces Acquisition
    of Equipment Finance Division
http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/radius-bank-announces-acquisition-of-equipment-finance-division-2180376.htm

(10) Alert: Ameritek Office Solutions, Lafayette, LA
   Alleged Vendor
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2016/12_08.htm#alert

(11) Blanket Liens
       Leasing #102 by Mr. Terry Winders, CLFP
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2016/12_05.htm#blanket

 

No Confirmation of Denial from Direct Capital or CIT
by Christopher Menkin

Chris Broom

Chris Broom has been chairman of Direct Capital, Portsmouth, New Hampshire since 1993, he states on LinkedIn. (1) He then described himself as "Chairman, Principal, Co-Founder and Director."

At one time, he returned calls and emails to Leasing News. He was instrumental in resolving Evergreen Clause complaints as well as other issues. He was really involved in protecting his company. He stopped returning calls after Leasing News ran the story of his purchasing Tyco Dennis Kozlowski’s 10,000 square foot mansion in North Hampton, New Hampshire. (2) 

In retrospect, I am sorry I wrote it, but at the time, couldn’t pass it up. It was newsworthy as the house was formerly owned by the ex-CEO of Tyco, who purchased CIT and later went to jail for receiving $81 million in unauthorized bonuses, purchase of $14.72 million in art without paying sales tax and unauthorized payment by Tyco of $20 million investment banking fee to Frank Walsh, a former Tyco director.

Kozlowski allegedly had Tyco pay for his $30 million New York City apartment which included $6,000 shower curtains and $15,000 "dog umbrella stands," plus other outlandish items. Yes, there is more, including a $2 million birthday party for his wife on the Italian island of Sardinia. He was flamboyant and outrageous, to say the least!

CIT purchased Direct Capital in May, 2014. I made the same mistake again, as Chris didn't appreciate the story of he and his wife buying a 13,533 square foot "home" in Casey Key, Florida. (3)

In early December, 2008, he told Leasing News in an interview, "Allied and the Broom family just put $10 million into Direct Capital to seek additional bank lines," Broom explained. "One half of our originations we hold ourselves, and syndicate the other half. We see the time to expand, not contract."

Brokers and many leasing companies complain about the aggressive marketing by Direct Capital, but the fact is they want more business and Broom says they approve applications very fast.

"We are one of the very few companies that seek direct business, calling end users, beating the competition in quotes, paying vendors fast, " Broom explains. "We have a very active repeat customer program that works.

"We offer wholesale rates compared to broker retail rates," he added. "This is a marketplace if you have the money in place, aggressive marketing, and go after the direct business that is now not being serviced with competitive rates, it is wide open."  (4)

The company was the brainchild of David and Mike Murray. David left to start Preferred Lease and went on to other Financial Technology fame. His brother retired, Chris Broom said in an interview in late 2007: "Mike took a month off, and during this time, decided it was time to retire," Broom told Leasing News. "I joined the company full-time in 1991, brought my brother Jim here in 1995, who is now CEO, and in March of this year, when Allied Capital committed $75 million to acquire a majority interest in Direct Capital, we all felt we had a "partner" with deep pockets, a lot of knowledge and experience, that has certainly made a difference.

"Dave took his vacation, and while on it, decided it was time to retire." (5)

After the sale to CIT in May, 2014, things began to change as CIT put in new rules, new plans, began to review the organization, and thus began the loss of customer, vendors, and employees, with several stories in Leasing News, most notably the one September 14, 2015. (6) How often in the leasing industry have we seen such sales changing the company that bought them? GE was notorious for that! The list is long.

The information about Chris Broom and his brother Jim "resigning" came from a long time very reliable source shortly after the story on December 2, 2016. (7)

Contacts through LinkedIn and Gmail were not returned to confirm or deny the report about their resignation, which may also be viewed as "retirement," but we really don't know.

With the current direction of CIT, it may be that Direct Capital will be absorbed more in their operation at CIT's other locations as GE did in the past. It is ironic, the reverse happened to GE in the sale of their many acquisitions. These are weird times when alternate finance companies may also become "banks."

Maybe the Brooms made the right move to get out of the leasing industry. Or maybe it was the right time to retire, as after all, he and his wife have a beautiful home in New Hampshire and one in Florida, too!

 

(1) LinkedIn Bio
   https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-broom-6010597

(2) Tyco Kozlowski Mansion Sold to Direct Capital CEO and his Wife
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2011/2_24.htm#mansion

(3) Direct Capital Chris Broom Buys $8 Million Home
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Nov2014/11_19.htm#broom

(4) Direct Capital sales up 23%
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/December%202008/12-03-08.htm#dc

(5) Direct Capital’s Mike Murray retires
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/November%202007/11-09-07.htm#dcc

(6) Employee Exodus at Direct Capital, Portsmouth, NH
         Customers and Vendors to Follow
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2015/9_14.htm#employee

(7) Inside Direct Capital and CIT Group
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2016/12_02.htm#inside

 

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NATIONWIDE SALES POSITIONS AVAILABLE Healthcare, Commercial and Industrial We are a premier small ticket and middle market full service equipment finance company. Our compensation programs are aggressive and include full insurance benefits, matching 401k, etc. Positions are available for well experienced industry professionals with an established book of business originating equipment finance transactions. Please email your resume to sschachtel@bankozarks.com or call directly at 973-768-7501 Bank of the Ozarks was recognized as the top performing bank in the United States, based on financial performance, five years in a row, 2011-2015. • Rated as “well capitalized” – the highest available regulatory rating • Publicly traded company on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, symbol OZRK • Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas • Chartered in March 1903, a 111-year heritage 256 Offices, 18.5 billion in assets, second quarter 2016 net income of over 54 million www.bankozarks.com/equipment Bank of the Ozarks We are an equal opportunity employer and give consideration for employment to qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, and local law. Member FDIC.

 

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.

 

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Maybe It's Time to Become a 'Consultant'?
Career Crossroad---By Emily Fitzpatrick/RII

 

Question: I am in my upper 50’s and thinking of going the Consulting route rather than corporate employment, what are your thoughts?

Answer: The idea of contract and consulting may come as a culture shock to an executive raised with decades of corporate identity and teamwork.

However, in our environment unending corporate employment is not the only option NOR is it the norm. Corporate jobs at the level a middle-aged professional may be used to are likely to become increasingly scarce.

Experience is more important than ever as many have left the industry or just plain retired.

My advice is the "grass always looks greener on the other side."
Put those hard-earned skills to other endeavors. My best advice: continue to pursue full-time job with benefits. Yes, consider contract employment as a viable alternative, but also be open to consulting roles as a freelance independent.

Create another version of your resume to position yourself as a consultant. I suggest use the same techniques as you would for job-hunting towards landing a consulting assignment (or contract role) or work with a recruiter. We do find short term assignments.

Being independent does have its negatives:
(1) Lack of insurance and employee benefits
(2) Vacation time
(3) Lack of security

On the other side, you are your own boss.

Perhaps as important, with Financial Technology programs, maybe, there is no job security anyway.

Good luck!

Emily Fitzpatrick
Sr. Recruiter
Recruiters International, Inc.
Phone:  954-885-9241
Cell:  954-612-0567
emily@riirecruit.com
www.riicareer.com
Invite me to Connect on LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/pub/emily-fitzpatrick/4/671/76
Also follow us on Twitter #RIIINFO
https://www.pinterest.com/recruitersinter/rii-career-services/

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

Free Webinar on Electronic Chattel Paper
Sign Up for December 14th

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, along with eOriginal, recently announced an initiative to expand the use of electronic chattel paper in the equipment finance space. All Leasing News readers are invited to join Stephen Bisbee, President and CEO of eOriginal; Dominic Liberatore, Deputy Chief Counsel, DLL; and Dave Schaefer, CEO of Mintaka, for a webinar on Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. EST./11:00 a.m. PT. Attendees will learn:

• What e-chattel is and its significance within the equipment space.
• Requirements lenders should consider before making the digital shift.
• How digital technology will ensure contract integrity and transparency for securitizing digital financial assets.

Register today to secure your spot!

http://info.eoriginal.com/WEDECEL16-ELFAREG.html 

(Leasing News provides this ad as a trade for appraisals
and equipment valuations provided by Ed Castagna)

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What is a True Lease?

Once we used the term “true lease” to identify a transaction that meets the Internal Revenue Service’s requirements so the Lessor will be viewed as the one that made the Capital investment and is therefore allowed to assume the Capital Recovery Benefits called MACRS Depreciation. Then in 1988 the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) created Article 2A to identify legal ownership and recognized three party leasing where if the Lessor was not the supplier of the equipment and if they passed the supply contract (performance guarantee’s) on to the Lessee then the lease could contain a “hell and high water clause” that requires the lessee to make payments regardless of the equipment’s performance. So now the term is used to identify both a tax and a legal lease.

However, a true lease is not a lease containing a bargain purchase option. A bargain purchase option is defined as an option that a prudent business person would be compelled to exercise because there would be a profit in doing so. A fixed price purchase option is acceptable “if” documentation is provided in your lease folder that the fixed price is the approximate future retail value of the equipment. Also you cannot have onerous return language so that it would appear that it was cheaper to purchase the equipment than to return it. This makes even a fair market value purchase option a bargain.

A true lease could be both a Capital and an Operating lease for accounting purposes. although usually, an operating lease will be a true lease. The accounting classification rules are very different than the true lease rules. The 90% test does not exist as a true lease test. 

In 1986, when the tax depreciation rules (MACRS) was introduced and IDC was eliminated, the emphasis for leasing changed from Tax leasing to the benefits of the accounting approach and true leasing seemed to take a back seat. Now that the economy is looking sluggish and problem leases are increasing, the emphasis is “How come we did not follow the legal rules so we are an Executory contract for Bankruptcy purposes.” Following the requirements for a legal (Article 2A) lease is very close to tax lease requirements. If your lessee goes into default, you will wish to have a legal lease instead of an Article 9 loan.

It is easier to sell a bargain option lease to customers today because the discussion does not require a lot of customer information other than financials. Salespersons who are order takers, instead of professional lease salespersons, do not know why a true lease is a better transaction for both Lessee and Lessor. A true lease requires you to understand income tax requirements, the definition of a legal lease to gain the protections of Article 2A, and the lease classification requirements for GAAP accounting.

A true lease allows the Lessee to expense the lease payments for income tax purposes. A money over money transaction (bargain option lease) requires the lessee to take MACRS depreciation and interest expense for income tax purposes. A true lease gives the Lessor lots of protections not found in Article 9 for money over money deals. Irregular or seasonal lease payments are easier to handle when they are a true lease and an operating lease for GAAP.

You lose most of the advantages of irregular payments that are created to match lessee’s revenue stream or budget restrictions when you have a capital lease or a money over money deal.

If this article is confusing to you, I suggest you get some training on the rules of the road for commercial equipment leasing or purchase one of the many books or CD’s on the subject and move to become a knowledgeable leasing expert. Once you are trained you can also apply to get a Certified Lease and Finance Professional (CLFP) rating by taking the test offered by the CLFP foundation.

http://www.clfpfoundation.org/toolbox/clfp_handbook.php.

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

 

Financial and Sales Training 
(For our "Lease School/Franchisors" list, please click here)

These individuals act as a consultant in 75% or more of their main business, actually training staff or individuals of a leasing company. These are not schools or franchisors, which can be viewed by clicking here.

Adrian Miller	Institute For Personal Developement
Open Advance	Teichman Financial Training
Commercial Capital Training Group	Wheeler Business Consulting, LLC

Several hold classes, and most will travel to their client's premise.

To qualify for this page, they must be an active member in an equipment leasing association.

Please fax our request form back to 408-317-2066 or you
may e-mail to: kitmenkin@leasingnews.org.

Second Column: YCS - Year Company Started | YELB - Years in equipment Leasing Business

Name City, State  Contact Website Leasing Association	YCS YELB (see above for meaning)	Geographic Area	Specialty
Adrian Miller  Port Washington, NY  Adrian Miller amiller@adrianmiller.com  516-767-9288  www.adrianmiller.com www.adrianmiller.com/blog/	1989	International	Highly results-driven, informative and enjoyable sales skills training programs  that will leave participants empowered for bottom-line success.  AMST guarantees a positive return on training time and investment.
Commercial Capital  Training Group Mike Geisler | Sr. Vice President of Enrollment mike@commercialcapitaltraining.com www.commercialcapitaltraining.com Office: (518) 244-8006	2003 23	USA	Primarily Alternate Financing Loans and Commercial Real Estate Loans. Two Packages: 7-Day in Albany, NY Hq., taught by founder Kris Roglieri, commercial finance training. Elite: plus real time exclusive leads monthly for 2 years by "world's only dedicated finance specific digital marketing agency."
Institute For Personal Development Palm Beach Gardens, Florida Linda P. Kester linda@lindakester.com 516-724-1922 www.lindakester.com NAELB	1996 18	United States	Motivating, Educating and empowering leasing sales reps to top performance. Practical ideas for success using the telephone and internet.
Open Advance San Ramon, California Steve Chriest www.openadvance.com/contact/ 925-263-2702 www.openadvance.com/	2000  20	International	Consultant. Training. Production. Your training can be branded, delivered in workshops, accessed via our OA Cloud app. or housed in your LMS. Our objective is to help people learn faster, retain knowledge longer and promote critical thinking skills.
Teichman Financial Training Sausalito, California Bob Teichman, CLP BoTei@aol.com 415.331.6445 NAELB	1998 51	International	"We specialize in the technical side of leasing, offering comprehensive training in packaging, credit, pricing, structuring, financial analysis and operations. Our clients include lessors, lessees, lenders, associations, and government agencies."
Wheeler Business Consulting, LLC Fallstow, Maryland Scott Wheeler, CLP Scott@wheelerbusinessconsulting.com 410-877-0428 www.wheelerbusinessconsulting.com ELFA, NAELB, NEFA	2008 26	USA	Provide multiple educational products to individuals and companies engaged in the leasing/financing industry. Encourage & facilitate personal and corporate strategy building to promote efficiencies, increase productivity & future success.

 

 

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Law in Effect re: 1099 Statements
 Person’s Tax ID Number of Mailed Copy

By Tom McCurnin
Leasing News Legal Editor

Prior Law Required a Person Supplying a Taxable Payment or Event to a Taxpayer to Place the Taxpayer’s Tax Identification Number on the Mailed Version of the 1099. Following California and Ten Other States, the IRS Now Allows the Use of Truncated Tax Identification Numbers. This is a Wise Move, Since 11 States Make Placing the Full TIN Illegal! 

Currently, under the IRS Regulations, § 1.6049-4(b)(1), a person generating a taxable event for another person/tax payer, must place the taxpayer’s full tax identification number on the 1099 form. 

However, California Civil Code § 1798.85 makes it illegal to place a full TIN on a 1099 which is mailed, and might end up in third party’s hands. Arizona and 10 other states have similar laws. Where a Federal TIN was required to be placed on a document, then the California Civil Code had a safe harbor provision which shielded entities from liability.

The issuer may use a truncated version of the TIN for the mailed version.
Since a full TIN is no longer required, the Civil Code safe harbor provision is inapplicable and in the 12 states which make publication of TIN numbers illegal for 1099s being mailed, issuers are at risk.

The bottom line is that if readers issue 1099s, be careful not to place the full TIN number on the mailed version. The original version to the IRS must still have the full TIN.

Tom McCurnin is a partner at Barton, Klugman & Oetting
in Los Angeles, California.

Tom McCurnin
Barton, Klugman & Oetting
350 South Grand Ave.
Suite 2200
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Direct Phone: (213) 617-6129
Cell (213) 268-8291
Email: tmccurnin@bkolaw.com
Visit our web site at www.bkolaw.com
Previous Tom McCurnin Articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org

Previous Tom McCurnin Articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/leasing_cases.html

 

(Leasing News provides this ad “gratis” as a means
to help support the growth of Lease Police)

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

OnDeck Announces New $200 Million Revolving
Credit Facility with Credit Suisse

NEW YORK,  — OnDeck® (NYSE:ONDK), the leader in online lending for small business, announced today the closing of a $200 million asset-backed revolving debt facility with Credit Suisse.

In addition to its other funding sources, OnDeck may now obtain funding under the new credit facility with Credit Suisse, subject to customary borrowing conditions, by accessing $125 million of committed capacity and an additional $75 million of capacity available at the discretion of the lenders.

Jon-Claude Zucconi
Managing Director at Credit Suisse

“OnDeck has emerged as a leading provider of growth capital to small businesses around the country,” said Jon-Claude Zucconi, Managing Director, Credit Suisse. “The team’s innovative vision and commitment to financing is vital to expansion and growth in the small business community.”

Under the facility, loans will be made to Prime OnDeck Receivable Trust II, LLC, or PORT II, a wholly-owned subsidiary of OnDeck, to finance PORT II’s purchase of small business loans from OnDeck. The revolving pool of small business loans purchased by PORT II serves as collateral under the facility. OnDeck is acting as the servicer for such small business loans. The Class A Loans under the facility were rated by DBRS, Inc.

OnDeck intends to initially use a portion of this facility, together with other available funds, to optionally prepay in full without penalty or premium, the existing $100 million Prime OnDeck Receivable Trust, LLC facility which was scheduled to expire in June 2017. As a result, OnDeck will benefit from obtaining additional funding capacity through December 2018.

Howard Katzenberg
Chief Financial Officer, OnDeck

“This transaction marks a continuation of our financing strategy to diversify funding sources, extend debt maturities, and create additional funding capacity to pave the way for future loan growth,” said Howard Katzenberg, Chief Financial Officer, OnDeck. “We are pleased to have Credit Suisse, a leading global financial institution, support OnDeck in our mission to power the growth of small business through lending technology and innovation.”

About OnDeck

OnDeck (NYSE: ONDK) is the leader in online small business lending. Since 2007, the company has powered Main Street’s growth through advanced lending technology and a constant dedication to customer service. OnDeck’s proprietary credit scoring system – the OnDeck Score® – leverages advanced analytics, enabling OnDeck to make real-time lending decisions and deliver capital to small businesses in as little as 24 hours. OnDeck offers business owners a complete financing solution, including the online lending industry’s widest range of term loans and lines of credit. To date, the company has deployed over $5 billion to more than 60,000 customers in 700 different industries across the United States, Canada, and Australia. OnDeck has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and operates the educational small business financing website BusinessLoans.com.

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

 

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

Money Anxiety Index Lowest in Last 10 Years
A very good holiday shopping season very likely

San Francisco, CA - The preliminary December Money Anxiety Index stands at 56.7, which is the same level it was 10 years ago. The decrease in the level of money anxiety prior to the holiday season indicates that consumer spending is likely to increase this holiday season because consumers feel more financially confident.

During the past 10-year, the Money Anxiety Index peaked at 100.8 on June 2011. The climb up was much faster for the Money Anxiety Index than the road back down to its current level of 56.7. It took the Money Anxiety Index 54 months to climb up to 100.8 compared to 66 months to decrease back to its current level of 56.7. 

Dan Geller, Ph.D.
Author, Behavioral Economist

 

"The one-year time difference between the increase and decrease in the level of money anxiety shows that it takes longer to build financial confidence than to destroy it."  The impact of the lost jobs, property and wealth during and in the aftermath of the Great Recession was much stronger than the impact of the job gains and economic improvement during the recovery period.

Dr. Dan Geller is a behavioral economist and the author of Money Anxiety. He pioneered the research on the link between money anxiety and financial behavior. Based on his research, Dr. Geller developed the Money Anxiety Index, which predicts economic trends. The Money Anxiety Index signaled the arrival of the Great Recession 14 months prior to the official start of the recession in December 2007.
 
Dr. Geller appeared on national TV and radio, such as CNBC and Fox, national and financial publications and delivered the keynote address in national conferences such as American Banker's Banking Analytics Symposium.  Dr. Geller earned his Doctoral degree from Touro University, and has published numerous peer-reviewed articles in scientific publications.

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

Bernese Mountain Dog/Shepherd Mix
Oakland, California  Adopt-a-Dog

Corn Bread

Female
12 Weeks Old
Will grow to 75lbs estimate
Location: Foster Home

"At approximately 12 weeks old, Corn Bread is still developing her personality. She is a very even-tempered puppy, warms up quickly to new people and other animals, is very playful, and also loves to cuddle. She is curious in new surroundings and is learning to be confident in unfamiliar situations. Corn Bread enjoys chasing tennis balls, chewing on stuffed animals and playing tug-of-war. She loves the dogs and cats in her foster home and will do well in a home with other dogs (big or small). She is very curious about cats and wants to play with them, so she will need positive redirecting (and a confident cat) to establish appropriate behavior around feline friends.

"Cord Bread attaches quickly to humans and is also capable of playing independently, so she would likely be fine as an only dog as long as her human gives her adequate attention and exercise. Corn Bread is smart, attentive, eager to learn, and has a sweet and gentle disposition. Unfortunately, she is currently recovering from her spay surgery and will need to engage in limited activity until she is fully healed (by approximately Dec. 16). She is crate-trained and is still working on potty-training."

Hopalong and Second Chance Animal Rescue
P.O. Box 27507
Oakland, CA 94602
(510) 267-1915 x 101
Email: info@hopalong.org
www.hopalong.org

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

 

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Please Donate to the Salvation Army
Click the Kettle

This year the Salvation Army is doing the Online Kettle different. Leasing News has selected "Alameda County" where the Salvation Army is helping those in the Oakland warehouse fire and others now being evicted. It is expensive to rent or purchase a residence in Silicon Valley, so many have taken shared housing, which was not being enforced, but now is due the Oakland warehouse fire.

Your donation will help. If you would like to send me your name, I will put it on line, and you do not need to put the amount down, as would like to give those who donate recognition for this cause.

kitmenkin@leasingnews.org

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Attorneys Who Specialize in
Banking, Finance, and Leasing

Birmingham, Alabama The lawyers of Marks & Associates, P.C. have over 30 years experience in dealing with virtually every type of equipment financing and are recognized throughout the industry for prompt, practical solutions and exemplary service. They offer cost-conscious, effective lease enforcement and good counsel.  Email: Barry@leaselawyer.com Website: www.leaselawyers.com	California, National: city: Riverside  Ellen Stern - get results, reasonable pricing; numerous industry contacts, nearly 30 yrs exp.in SoCal, 20 yrs equip.: CFL license specialist, documentation, work-outs, litigated collections, recoveries; deal-maker.  Email: leaselaw@msn.com
Kenneth C. Greene California Leasing and Financial consultant, active in several leasing associations, as well as involved in music and film production inLA.  Mention "Leasing News" for a free consultation. 818.575.9095 Skype: 424.235.1658 ken@kengreenelaw.com	Connecticut, Southern New England:  EVANS, FELDMAN & BOYER, LLC Collections, litigation, documentation, portfolio sales and financing, bankruptcy. We represent many of the national and local leasing companies doing business in this state. Past chairman EAEL legal committee. Competitive rates.  email: rcfeldman@snet.net
Los Angeles/Santa Monica Hemar & Associates, Attorneys at Law Specialists in legal assistance, including debt collection, equipment recovery, litigation for 35 years. Fluent in Spanish.  Tel: 310-829-1948  email: phemar@hemar.com
Los Angeles, Southern CA  Seasoned attorney representing secured creditors in auto finance and truck/equipment lease industry.  Bankruptcy and State Court litigation.   Vincent V. Frounjian (818) 990-0605 or email: vvf@pacbell.net.	Encino, California: Statewide “ELFA”  Hemar, Rousso & Heald, LLP 30 yr excellent reputation Lessor representation commercial litigation, debt collection, and bankruptcy. Call Stephen E. Jenkins Esq (818) 501-3800
Los Angeles, Statewide: CA.     "ELFA" Aggressive creditors rights law firm specializing in equipment leasing handling collection matters on a contingency, fixed fee or hourly cbasis. email:RGarwacki@prodigy.net	Los Angeles, Statewide: CA      "ELFA" Practice limited to collections, bankruptcy and problem accounts resolution. Decades of experience. 10-lawyer firm dedicated to serving you. Call Ronald Cohn, Esq. (818)591-2121 or email. Email: rrcohn@aol.com
Los Angeles- Statewide, CA Lawyer specializing in banking and leasing issues statewide. Documents and litigation.  Tom McCurnin, Barton, Klugman & Oetting. Voice: (213) 617-6129  Cell:(213) 268-8291 Email:  tmccurnin@bkolaw.com	California & National Paul Bent – More than 35 years experience in all forms of equipment leasing, secured lending, and asset based transactions. Financial analysis, deal structuring, contract negotiations, documentation, private dispute resolution, expert witness services.  (562) 426-1000 www.paulbentlaw.com pbent@paulbentlaw.com
Illinois   Kevin E. Trabaris: Concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial finance, corporate and business transactions. Extensive experience representing banks, financial companies, equipment lessors, insurers and other funding and intermediary entities and borrowers in connection with thousands of business financing matters. He has handled everything from small ticket transactions to billion dollar syndicated loans, real estate financing to asset-based facilities. Email: ktrabaris@llflegal.com Work: 312.667.1354 Cell: 847.840.4687 llflegal.com/attorneys/kevin-trabaris/	Law Firm - Service, Dallas, TX. "ELFA" Mayer regularly practices in leasing, secured financing, project development and finance and corporate finance.  email: dmayer@pattonboggs.com Website: www.pattonboggs.com
Massachusetts (collection/litigation coast to coast)  Modern Law Group focuses its practice on collections, lease enforcement and asset recovery. For the past five years, our attorneys have helped clients recover millions of dollars. We are able to cover your needs coast to coast. Email phone 617-855-9085www.modernlawgroup.com	Michael J. Witt, experienced bank, finance, and leasing attorney, also conducts Portfolio Audits. Previously he was Managing Counsel, Wells Fargo & Co. (May, 2003 – September, 2008); Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Advanta Business Services (May, 1988 – June, 1997) Tel: (515) 223-2352 Cell: (515) 868-1067  E-mail: MWitt@Witt-Legal.com Web: www.witt-legal.com
National:  The OMEGA Network Group-nationwide legal representation of small and mid ticket equipment lessors-flat fee bankruptcy & replevin, contingent collection,  billable litigation (704-969-3280) tong_92@yahoo.com	National: Coston & Rademacher: Business attorneys serving the lease-finance industry since 1980. Transactional, documentation, corporate/finance, workouts, litigation, bankruptcy, portfolio management. Chicago-based national practice. Jim Coston, CLP (Members: ELFA, NEFA).  email: Jcoston@costonlaw.com Website: www.costonlaw.com
St. Louis County , MO. - statewide:  Schultz & Associates LLP., collections, negotiation, and litigation. Also register and pursue recovery on foreign judgments. Contingency and reasonable hourly rates.  Ronald J. Eisenberg, Esq. (636) 537-4645 x108  reisenberg@sl-lawyers.com www.sl-lawyers.com	NJ, De, Pa: Specializing in leased equipment/secured transactions. Collections, replevins/workouts reasonable rates. Sergio Scuteri/Capehart & Scratchard, PAsscuteri@capehart.com / www.capehart.com
New York and New Jersey Frank Peretore Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi West Orange, New Jersey http://www.csglaw.com/ biographies/frank-peretore  Phone 973-530-2058 fperetore@csglaw.com  Documentation, portfolio purchase & sale, replevin, workouts, litigation, collection, bankruptcy. Aggressive. Over 30 years experience.	Thousand Oaks, California:  Statewide coverage Spiwak & Iezza, LLP 20+ years experience,Representing Lessors banks in both State/ Federal Courts/ all aspects of commercial leasing litigation. Nick Iezza 805-777-1175 niezza@spiwakandiezza.com

 

News Briefs----

Bank and credit card apps are starting to get pretty good
  No Longer Frustrated Using the Apps
http://www.theverge.com/2016/12/11/13911906/bank-apps-suck-less

3 Reasons Bank of Marin Is on the Rise
   SF Bay Area Growing Rapidly #1
http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/12/11/3-reasons-bank-marin-is-on-rise.html

Wage laws will prompt farmers to cut laborers’ hours,
   survey finds--Farmers to also obtain mechanization
http://www.capitalpress.com/California/20161208/wage-laws-will-prompt-farmers-to-cut-laborers-hours-survey-finds

Scotland Diverts Its Attention towards FinTech
  to Become Europe’s next Financial Hub
http://www.newsbtc.com/2016/12/11/scotland-diverts-its-attention-towards-fintech-to-become-europes-next-financial-hub/

Chefs Predict “What’s Hot” for Menu Trends in 2017
   Food and Concept Trends
http://www.restaurant.org/Pressroom/Press-Releases/What-s-Hot-2017

 

 

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

--You May Have Missed It

Take an inside look at the New York offices of Facebook, LinkedIn, and 7 more high-profile employers
http://www.businessinsider.com/inside-look-new-york-office-facebook-linkedin-2016-12

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

American Football Poem

Poems by

--Vince Lombardi

(1913-1970) US football coach

If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score?

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.

Gentleman, this is a football.

We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time.

Fatigue makes cowards of us all.

The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.

If you can't accept losing, you can't win.

Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.

The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor. -

All right Mister, let me tell you what winning means you're willing to go longer, work harder, give more than anyone else.

The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.

Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work a company work, a society work, a civilization work.

Winning isn't everything it's the only thing.

--Vince Lombardi

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Sports Briefs----

Louisville Quarterback Lamar Jackson Wins the Heisman Trophy
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/10/sports/ncaafootball/heisman-trophy-lamar-jackson-louisville.html?_r=0

Deflate-gate redux? Giants reportedly suspected Steelers
   of underinflated balls in Week 13
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/news/deflate-gate-redux-giants-reportedly-suspected-steelers-of-underinflated-balls-in-week-13-173922481.html

49ers drop to 1-12 with overtime loss to Jets
http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/49ers-drop-to-1-12-with-overtime-loss-to-Jets-10789744.php

GM Trent Baalke likely done with 49ers;
   Chip Kelly's fate up to next GM
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/gm-trent-baalke-likely-done-with-49ers-chip-kellys-fate-up-to-next-gm/

Chargers lose stars, game vs. Panthers
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/chargers/sd-sp-chargers-panthers-20161211-story.html

After rout of Seattle, Packers re-emerge as team
    no one wants to see in January
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2016/12/11/aaron-rodgers-seahawks-green-bay-offense/95315604/

N.F.L. Scores
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/11/sports/nfl-scores-schedule.html?_r=0

Stanford men win in shootout for 2nd straight soccer title
http://www.sfgate.com/collegesports/article/Stanford-men-win-in-shootout-for-2nd-straight-10789644.php

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

California Nuts Briefs---

Ready for these California business law changes in 2017?
http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/industrynews/law/6367140-181/california-business-law-changes-2017?artslide=0

Restaurants and Bars Holding Oakland Fire Benefits
http://sf.eater.com/2016/12/8/13887162/oakland-ghost-ship-fire-benefits-donations

Will the wet start to the rainy season cure California’s drought?
http://www.sacbee.com/news/weather/article120270418.html

Why winter can be the best time to visit Yosemite National Park
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Why-winter-can-be-the-best-time-to-visit-Yosemite-10644813.php

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

“Gimme that Wine”

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

Gallo: Consumers don’t view wine as an elitist drink
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/6397950-181/gallo-consumers-dont-view-wine

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc widens its scope
http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-fo-new-zealand-sauvignon-blanc-20161128-story.html

After Three Months and Unexpected Conditions,
Goose Ridge Estate Vineyard & Winery Completes 2016 Harvest 
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataid=177604

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/

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

     1712 - The South Carolina colony passed a "Sunday Law" requiring "all...persons whatsoever" to attend church each Sunday, to refrain from skilled labor, and to do no traveling by horse or wagon beyond the necessary. Infractions of this law were met with a 10_shilling fine and/or a two_hour lock_up in the village stocks.”
    1745 - Birthday of John Jay, New York, NY. American statesman, diplomat and first chief justice of the US Supreme Court (1789-95).  Coauthor, with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, of the influential “Federalist Papers,” a series of 85 articles that promoted the ratification of the new US Constitution.  Jay died at Bedford, NY, May 17, 1829.
http://www.constitution.org/img/judge009.htm
http://www.pojonews.com/enjoy/stories/09239610.htm
(lower part of:  http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec12.html)
    1770 - The British soldiers responsible for the “Boston Massacre” were acquitted on murder charges.
    1787 - Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the US Constitution, by a vote of 46 to 23. One of the original 13 colonies, Pennsylvania is geographically located in the keystone position in relation to the other 12 colonies, earning the nickname, the Keystone State. The state capital is Harrisburg, a city almost midway between Pennsylvania’s two most well-known cites, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Philadelphia is also where the First Continental Congress met and where the Declaration of Independence was signed. Not so famous is the state bird, the ruffed grouse and the state flower, the mountain laurel.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec12.html
    1790 - The first Catholic Bible printed in English was a 900-page quarto printed by Carey, Stewart and Company, Philadelphia. It was issued in 49-page sections every Saturday. It was based on the New Testament published in 1582 in Reims, France, and the Old Testament published in Douai, Flanders, in 1609.
    1791 – The Bank of the United States opened.
    1799 - Two days before his death, George Washington composed his last letter, to Alexander Hamilton, his aide-de-camp during the Revolution and later his Secretary of the Treasury. In the letter he urged Hamilton to work for the establishment of a national military academy. Washington wrote that letter at the end of a long, cold day of snow, sleet and rain that he had spent out-of-doors. He remained outside for more than five hours, according to his secretary, Tobias Lear, and he did not change out of his wet clothes or dry his hair when he returned home. When he became ill, the doctors bled him five times while his condition became worse, as that was the best cure, they thought, in colonial days.
    1800 – Washington, DC was named as the capital of the United States. 
    1805 - Birthday of William Lloyd Garrison, American anti-slavery leader, poet, and journalist, at Newburyport, MA. Garrison died at New York, NY, May 24, 1879.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASgarrison.htm
    1805 - Birthday of Henry Wells (d. 1878), one of the fathers of speed-conscious delivery and banking services. Born in Thetford, Vermont, Wells cut his teeth working as an agent for Harden’s Express in upstate New York. Clearly taken with the express transport business, Wells set up his own shop, Livingston Wells and Pomeroy’s Express, which ferried "goods, valuables, and specie" between Buffalo and Albany. By 1844, Wells sensed that it was time to push his business west of Buffalo, and he joined forces with William Fargo and Daniel Dunning to start Wells and Company, which would service terrain beyond the upper reaches of New York. While this was all fairly ambitious maneuvering, the 1850s saw Wells make an even stronger move to conquer the express market. First, in 1850, ever ambitious, he merged his two concerns into the American Express Company, which initially covered California and the Eastern seaboard (it later stretched to serve Latin America). Then, in 1852, he linked up with Fargo again to form Wells, Fargo and Company, a joint-stock venture that served as a holding company for the Wells Fargo Bank. Along with bankrolling business ventures, Wells used his ever-swelling fortune to aid the plight of chronic stutterers, as well as to establish Wells Seminary (now Wells College) for women.
    1806 - Birthday of Stand Watie (d. 1871) at Oothcaloga, Cherokee Nation (now Calhoun), Georgia.  Cherokee chief who, by signing the treaty of New Echota, surrendered his people’s land in Georgia, forcing their relocation to Oklahoma. Though three other signers were murdered, Watie escaped and went onto initiate the first volunteer Cherokee regiment for the Confederates in the Civil War. Promoted to brigadier general, he was active in destroying property of other Native Americans who supported the Union. He never gave up. 
    1822 – The United States officially recognized Mexico as an independent nation.
    1835 - Sarah Brown Ingersoll Cooper was born in Cazenovia, NY.  She was director and superintendent of the Gold Gate Kindergarten Association, which incorporated nearly 4,000 pupils in the pioneer learning experience.   Her daughter, Harriett, had quit her teaching job to assist Sarah, but suffered from bouts of depression, especially following the death of her father. Harriet asphyxiated her mother and herself on December 11, 1896, the day after her mother’s 61st birthday.
    1862 - Naval Engagement at Yazoo River MS (USS CAIRO torpedoed)
http://www.nps.gov/vick/cairo/cairo.htm
    1862 - Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia (Marye's Heights) was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, between General Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside. The Union Army's futile frontal attacks on December 13 against entrenched Confederate defenders on the heights behind the city is remembered as one of the most one-sided battles of the Civil War, with Union casualties more than twice as heavy as those suffered by the Confederates.
http://search.eb.com/blackhistory/micro/492/61.html
    1870 - Rachel Crothers (d. 1958) birthday in Bloomington, IL.   She was an American playwright, director, and producer. She triumphed on Broadway with 34 of the 38 plays she wrote in her lifetime, usually doing everything from writing to casting to directing to producing on her way to becoming a legend.   She opened doors for women in the theater before World War II and was also known as a philanthropist and activist. http://dizzy.library.arizona.edu/users/btravers/sabbatical/crothers.htm
http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0189405/
    1870 - Joseph Hayne Rainey of Georgetown, SC, was sworn in as the first African-American to serve in the US House of Representatives. Rainey filled the seat of Benjamin Franklin Whittemore, which had been declared vacant by the House. He also was the first African American to preside over the House, and the longest–serving African American during the tumultuous Reconstruction period. While Rainey’s representation—like that of the other 21 black Representatives of the era—was symbolic, he also demonstrated the political nuance of a seasoned, substantive Representative, balancing his defense of southern blacks’ civil rights by extending amnesty to the defeated Confederates. “I tell you that the Negro will never rest until he gets his rights,” he said on the House Floor. “We ask [for civil rights] because we know it is proper,” Rainey added, “not because we want to deprive any other class of the rights and immunities they enjoy, but because they are granted to us by the law of the land.” He served until March 3, 1879.
http://search.eb.com/blackhistory/micro/492/61.html
http://history.house.gov/People/Listing/R/RAINEY,-Joseph-Hayne-%28R000016%29/
    1878 – Joseph Pulitzer began publishing the St. Louis Dispatch.
    1882 - Portland, OR, was drenched with 7.66 inches of rain, a record 24 hour total for that location. (12th-13th)
    1897 - Rudolph Dirks' first “Katzenjammer Kids” cartoon strip appears in the New York Journal.
    1899 - African-American George F. Grant of Boston, Massachusetts obtained a patent for his invention, the golf tee. It was a wooden tee with a tapering base portion and a flexible tubular concave shoulder to hold the golf ball. As a side note, Grant was the first African-American to graduate from Harvard University.
    1899 – Oahu reported its first case of the plague.
    1900 – Sammy Davis, Sr. (d. 1988) was born in Wilmington, NC.
    1901 – Marconi received the first transatlantic radio signal.  Using a 500-foot kite-supported antenna for reception, the message was received at St. John’s, Newfoundland as signals transmitted by the company's new high-power station at Poldhu, Cornwall. The distance between the two points was about 2,200 miles (3,500 km).
    1906 - Oscar Straus, the first Jewish cabinet member, was appointed Secretary of Commerce by Theodore Roosevelt. Straus was born in Rhenish, Bavaria in 1850, and graduated from Columbia (B.A., 1871; LL.B., 1873). He practiced law in New York City until 1881 and then went into business with his brothers. He was minister to Turkey (1887–89) under President Grover Cleveland and again (1898–1900) under William McKinley and was ambassador to Turkey (1909–10) under William H. Taft. He was appointed (1902) to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (the Hague Tribunal) and was (1906–9) Secretary of Commerce and Labor under Theodore Roosevelt. This position placed him in charge of the United States Bureau of Immigration. During his tenure, Straus ordered immigration inspectors to work closely with local police and the US Secret Service to locate, arrest and deport immigrants with Anarchist political beliefs under the terms of the Anarchist Exclusion Act….imagine that…enforcing existing immigration laws! He was candidate for governor of New York on the Progressive party ticket in 1912. He wrote several books, including “Roger Williams” (1894), “The American Spirit” (1913), and “Under Four Administrations” (1922).  He died in New York in 1926.
    1912 - Birthday of Henry Armstrong (d. 1988), boxing champion, born Henry Jackson, Jr., at Columbus, Mississippi. Armstrong was the first boxer to hold three world titles simultaneously. He won the featherweight title on October 29, 1937, the welterweight title on May 31, 1938, and the lightweight title three months later.
    1913 – The Mona Lisa was stolen from The Louvre in 1911 and was recovered this day.
    1915 - Frank Sinatra (d. 1998) born at Hoboken, NJ. While the websites give more history, briefly Frank Sinatra matured from a teen idol to the premiere singer of American popular music and an entertainment icon of the 20th century. Known as the “Chairman of the Board” to his fans, he made more than 200 albums. His signature songs included “All the Way,” “New York, New York,” and “My Way,” written expressly for him by Paul Anka.  His film career included musicals, “On the Town” and “Pal Joey,” and two gritty films for which he won Oscar nominations:  “From Here to Eternity” and “The Man with the Golden Arm.” One of his many movies is making a revival with stars of the day instead of his “Rat Pack”:  ”Oceans' Eleven” has been followed by “Oceans' Twelve” and Oceans Thirteen.” “Put Your Dreams Away for Another Day.”  It is told that he drank a bottle of Jack Daniel’s every day.
    1917 - Father Edward Flanagan opened Boys Town west of Omaha, Nebraska, as a farm village for wayward boys, and since 1979, for girls too. In 1938, Spencer Tracy played Father Flanagan in "Boys Town", winning an Oscar.
http://www.girlsandboystown.org/aboutus/history/index.asp
    1918 - Birthday of jazz great Joe Williams (d. 1999) at Cordele, GA. The album that turned me onto jazz in the early 1950’s when it came out, “Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings,” is still wonderful today.
http://worksology.com/jazz/blues/williams.htm
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000476B/
inktomi-musicasin-20/002-6663560-5946468
    1923 – Television game show host Bob Barker was born in Darrington, WA.
    1924 – The late former Mayor of New York City, Ed Koch, was born in The Bronx.  “How’m I doin’?”
    1925 - The first motel opened, called the Motel Inn, San Luis Obispo, California. Arthur S. Heineman was the architect. The building featured a sign with flashing lights that alternated the letters H and M preceding the letters otel to spell out “Hotel” and “Motel.”  It had accommodations for 160 guests individual chalets with garage, bathroom, and telephone. It was designed for motorists to be a “drive-up” hotel.
    1927 – Robert Noyce (d. 1990), co-inventor of the microchip and co-founder of Intel, was born in Burlington, IA.  A wonderful book, “The Idea Factory” chronicles his and the scientific careers of his famous colleagues including William Shockley, at AT&T’s Bell Labs.
    1929 - Jazz pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi born Darien, Manchuria.
    1930 – In one of the first ‘game-changing rules’, Major League Baseball voted that a ball that bounces over the fence is no longer a home run, but a grounds-rule double.
    1937 – Prelude to war?  Japanese aircraft sank a U.S. gunboat Panay on the Yangtze River in China. Japan apologized and eventually paid U.S. $2.2M in reparations. 
    1937 – The Washington Redskins, led by rookie QB-Safety-Punter Sammy Baugh, won the NFL championship, 28-21 over the Chicago Bears.  It was the Redskins’ first season in the nation’s capital after moving from Boston. 
    1937 – NBC and RCA sent the first mobile-TV vans onto the streets of NY
    1938 - Connie Francis birthday, born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero at Newark, NJ.  Francis remains the top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s and perhaps, rock ‘n’ roll’s first female solo star.  Her first big single in the 50s was "Who's Sorry Now."  On January 1, 1958, the song debuted on American Bandstand. By mid-year, over a million copies had been sold, and Francis was suddenly launched into worldwide stardom. In April 1958, "Who's Sorry Now" reached # 1 on the UK Charts and # 4 in the US. For the next four years, Francis was voted the "Best Female Vocalist" by American Bandstand viewers.  She continued with a dozen hit singles and albums including "Where the Boys Are" into the 1960s up to the British invasion. 
http://www.12mb.com/connie/intro.htm
http://www.swinginchicks.com/connie_francis.htm
    1940 – Singer Dionne Warwick was born Marie Dionne Warwick in East Orange, NJ.  Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest hit makers of the entire rock era, based on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Charts. Dionne Warwick is second only to Aretha as the most-charted female vocalist of all time with 69 of Dionne's singles making the Billboard Hot 100 between 1962 and 1998.  Her collaboration with producers Hal David and Bert Bacharach produced her first hit, “Don’t Make Me Over,” followed quickly by “Anyone Who Had a Heart,” “Walk on By,” and “Do You Know The Way To San Jose?,” weathering the British invasion better than most American artists.
    1941 - *ELROD, HENRY TALMAGE, Medal of Honor.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 27 September 1905, Rebecca, Ga. Entered service at: Ashburn, Ga. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while attached to Marine Fighting Squadron 211, during action against enemy Japanese land, surface and aerial units at Wake Island, 8 to 23 December 1941. Engaging vastly superior forces of enemy bombers and warships on 9 and 12 December, Capt. Elrod shot down 2 of a flight of 22 hostile planes and, executing repeated bombing and strafing runs at extremely low altitude and close range, succeeded in inflicting deadly damage upon a large Japanese vessel, thereby sinking the first major warship to be destroyed by small caliber bombs delivered from a fighter-type aircraft. When his plane was disabled by hostile fire and no other ships were operative, Capt. Elrod assumed command of 1 flank of the line set up in defiance of the enemy landing and, conducting a brilliant defense, enabled his men to hold their positions and repulse intense hostile fusillades to provide covering fire for unarmed ammunition carriers. Capturing an automatic weapon during 1 enemy rush in force, he gave his own firearm to 1 of his men and fought on vigorously against the Japanese. Responsible in a large measure for the strength of his sector's gallant resistance, on 23 December, Capt. Elrod led his men with bold aggressiveness until he fell, mortally wounded. His superb skill as a pilot, daring leadership and unswerving devotion to duty distinguished him among the defenders of Wake Island, and his valiant conduct reflects the highest credit upon himself and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
    1941 - The UK declared war on Bulgaria. Hungary and Romania declared war on the US.   India declares war on Japan.
    1946 – The United Nations accepts 6 blocks in midtown Manhattan as a gift from John D Rockefeller Jr
http://www.angelfire.com/dc/undersiege/therockefellers.html
    1946 – Tide detergent was introduced.
    1949 - Top Hits
“Mule Train” - Frankie Laine
“I Can Dream, Can’t I?” - The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (vocal: Jack Leonard)
“Don’t Cry, Joe” - The Gordon Jenkins Orchestra (vocal: Betty Brewer)
“Mule Train” - Tennessee Ernie Ford
    1950 - The first woman appointed to perform rabbinical functions in the US, Paula Ackerman, leads the congregation in her first services.    1952 - Peter J. McGovern becomes the president of the Little League replacing Charles Durban who resigned due to ill health. The league which started in 1939 with two leagues has now grown to 1,800 leagues in 48 states and international sites.
    1955 - The largest philanthropic act in the world was announced by the Ford Foundation which gave $500,000,000 to private hospitals, colleges and medical schools.
    1955 - Bill Haley and His Comets record "See You Later Alligator"
    1957 - Top Hits
“Jailhouse Rock” - Elvis Presley
“Raunchy” - Bill Justis
“Peggy Sue” - Buddy Holly
“My Special Angel” - Bobby Helms
    1957 - Willem J Kolff and his team at the Cleveland Clinic removed the heart from a dog and replaced it with a pneumatic pump which kept the dog alive for 90 minutes, proving the viability of the artificial heart.
    1959 - At 22 years and 104 days of age, Bruce McLaren became the youngest driver to win a Grand Prix race as he earned first place at Sebring, Florida.
    1959 - After being overtaken as the best-selling record in the US for a couple of weeks, Bobby Darin's "Mack The Knife" returned to the top spot on the Cashbox chart. It is a feat that is seldom duplicated.
    1961 - Former big band singer with Kay Kyser, Mike Douglas began a variety TV show from Cleveland. The show became most successful when he moved to KYW-TV in Philadelphia from Cleveland. Then, when the Douglas show left Philly for Hollywood, it folded. All things considered, it was a successful syndication effort, nationally, for Westinghouse Productions.
    1962 - Birthday of Tracey Ann Austin at Palos Verdes, CA.  US tennis player, who, at 16, became the youngest person to win the U.S. Open.   Won her second Open in 1981 just before an injury cut short her career.
    1962 – Former NFL defensive lineman and longtime co-host of ESPN’s “Mike and Mike”, Mike Golic was born in Willowick, OH.
    1963 - "John Fitzgerald Kennedy - A Memorial Album" became the fastest-selling record of all time when 4 million copies of the disk, each selling for 99 cents, were sold in six days -- between December 7-12. The memorial tribute was recorded November 22, the day President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.
    1963 - Frank Sinatra Jr returned after being kidnapped
http://www.geocities.com/surfinagain/arch08-1.html
http://www.thejukejoint.com/franksinatrajr.html
    1964 - Bobby Vinton scores his fourth Billboard chart topper with "Mr. Lonely." It was a song that Bobby co-wrote and had added to his Greatest Hits album as filler, but the track was quickly released as a single when it started to get airplay.
    1964 - The Righteous Brothers song "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" is released.
    1965 - Top Hits
“Turn! Turn! Turn!” - The Byrds
“Let’s Hang On!” - The 4 Seasons
“I Got You (I Feel Good)” - James Brown
“Make the World Go Away” - Eddy Arnold
    1965 - Gale Sayers of the Chicago Bears tied an NFL record by scoring six touchdowns in the Bears’ 61-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers. Sayers rushed for four scores, caught an 80-yard touchdown pass and returned a punt 85 yards.  One of the Niners’ defenders was said to have remarked after the game, “It was like trying to tackle fog.”
    1965 – The Beatles’ final concert in the UK was held at the Capitol Theatre in Cardiff, Wales.
    1965 - US Supreme Court votes 4-3 allowing Braves to move to Atlanta. Earlier, the Braves' move to Atlanta was halted by a court order, forcing a lame duck season in Milwaukee. The Braves led the league with 196 homers. In 1966, The Braves and Pirates debuted Major League Baseball's first season in Atlanta on April 12, with Pittsburgh winning, 3-2, in 13 innings. Atlanta was fifth in its initial season, but Aaron hit 44 homers and had 127 RBI to lead the league.
    1968 – Arthur Ashe became the first African-American to be ranked #1 in tennis.
    1969 - The worst tornado of record for western Washington State tracked south of Seattle, traveling five miles, from Des Moines to Kent. The tornado, 50 to 200 yards in width, began as a waterspout over Puget Sound. One person was injured and the tornado caused half a million dollars damage.
    1970 - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' "Tears of a Clown" hits #1
    1970 - Stephen Stills releases "Love The One You're With"
    1971 - Left wing Bobby Hull of the Chicago Blackhawks got the 1,000th point of his NHL career, an assist in the first period of a 5-3 victory over the Minnesota North Stars. Hull finished his career with 1,170 points and entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.
    1973 - Top Hits
“Top of the World” - Carpenters
“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” - Elton John
“The Love I Lost” - Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes
“The Most Beautiful Girl” - Charlie Rich
    1975 – Sara Jane Moore pled guilty to trying to kill President Gerald Ford.
    1976 – “Broadway” Joe Namath played his final game as QB of the Jets and was traded to the LA Rams.
    1980 - Oil tycoon Armand Hammer bought a notebook of writings by Leonardo da Vinci for $5.28 million at auction in London. It was the highest price ever paid for a manuscript. It was 36 pages long and dated back to 1508.
    1980 - The U.S. Congress amended the Copyright Act in 1980 to explicitly recognize that computer programs were protected as literary works.
    1980 - Marie Osmond's solo variety series, “Marie,” premieres on NBC.
    1981 - Top Hits
“Physical” - Olivia Newton-John
“Waiting for a Girl like You” - Foreigner
“Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” - The Police
“Still Doin’ Time” - George Jones
    1982 - Known as the “Great Snowplow Play,” the New England Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins, 3-0, in a driving snowstorm at Foxboro Stadium. The winning points came on a late field goal by John Smith, kicked after a snowplow came onto the field and cleared a spot for Smith and his holder. According to Kimberlee R. Coleman’s husband, the person who cleared the field was a state prisoner out on a work furlough. The Miami Dolphins believe they are robbed in the snowplow game by a 24-year-old man who is serving a 15-year sentence for robbing a house and is now on a work release program from the prison. Late in the fourth quarter, the New England Patriots are preparing to break a scoreless tie with a field goal when coach Ron Meyer waves Mark Henderson onto the field at Foxboro Stadium. Henderson fires up his yellow John Deere (Model 314) and heads for the Miami 23-yard line. Despite screams of protest from the Dolphins, Henderson runs a terrific sweep with his tractor-driven snowplow and clears the area for kicker John Smith. Smith kicks a 33-yard field goal with 4:40 left. After the Patriots' 3-0 victory, livid Dolphins coach Don Shula says, "The officials shouldn't have let it happen." Henderson says, "I figured, 'What's the most they could do? Put me in jail?' "
    1983 - Football’s Jim Brown showed up in "Sports Illustrated" again. This time, he was not on the cover as in September, 1960, but inside the magazine -- a record span of more than 23 years between spreads, as they say in the publishing biz.
    1983 – A truck bomb exploded at the US Embassy in Kuwait.
    1984 - The group known as Band Aid -- 38 of Britain’s top rock musicians -- recorded "Do They Know This is Christmas?" for Ethiopian famine victims. Despite the best of intentions, much of the food raised never got to the starving Ethiopians. In fact, much of it was found rotting on docks, not fit for human consumption. More than a Band-Aid was needed to fix that political mess.
    1985 - On her 45th birthday, Dionne Warwick is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
    1985 – A McDonnell Douglas DC-8 crashed after takeoff in Gander, Newfoundland, killing all 256 people on board, including 236 members of the US Army’s 101st Airborne Division.
    1986 - James ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith became the first college graduate to win the world heavyweight boxing crown. “If I only had a bwain...,” he said, as he beat the brains out of Tim Witherspoon so badly, poor Tim couldn’t count to ten. “One, duh. Eight. Six. Duh. I’m out.”
    1986 - The LA Lakers beat the Boston Celtics, 117-110, to become the first visiting team to win at the old Boston Garden since December, 1985, a streak of 48 straight wins for the Celtics.
    1988 - Cold arctic air spread from the Great Lakes Region to the Appalachian Region. Twenty-five cities, mostly in the northeastern U.S., reported record low temperatures for the date. The low of 12 degrees below zero at Albany, NY was their coldest reading of record for so early in the season. Saranac Lake, NY was the cold spot in the nation with a low of 28 degrees below zero.
    1989 - Top Hits
“We Didn’t Start the Fire” - Billy Joel
“Another Day in Paradise” - Phil Collins
“Don’t Know Much” - Linda Ronstadt (featuring Aaron Neville)
“If Tomorrow Never Comes” - Garth Brooks
   1989 - A winter storm produced snow from northern Mississippi to the Middle Atlantic Coast, with 10.5 inches reported at Powhatan, VA. Heavy snow whitened the Black Hills of South Dakota, with 36 inches reported at Deer Mountain. Thirteen cities in the north central U.S., from Minnesota to Texas, reported record low temperatures for the date, including Duluth, MN and Yankton, SD with morning lows of 22 degrees below zero.
    1992 - The soundtrack from the movie "The Bodyguard" was the #1 album in the U.S. A smash, as they say, it was number one for twenty weeks. The track listing: "I Will Always Love You", "I Have Nothing", "I’m Every Woman", "Run to You", "Queen of the Night", "Jesus Loves Me", all by Whitney Houston; "Even If My Heart Would Break", by Kenny G & Aaron Neville; "Someday (I’m Coming Back)", by Lisa Stansfield; "It’s Gonna Be a Lovely Day", by The S.O.U.L S.Y.S.T.E.M.; "Peace, Love And Understanding (What's So Funny ’Bout)", by Curtis Stigers; "Theme from The Bodyguard", by Alan Silvestri; and "Trust in Me", by Joe Cocker featuring Sass Jordan.
    1994 - IBM said it would halt shipments of Pentium computers because of a flaw in the Pentium chip. The November 7 issue of Electrical Engineering Times announced the "floating point" bug in the Pentium chip, which could produce mathematical errors. Intel officials admitted they had known about the flaw for some time but thought it so unlikely to cause problems that they did not disclose the problem, creating an uproar among computer users. Intel said it would replace flawed chips only if users showed they engaged in computer work that might be affected by the error. Consumers attacked Intel for its position, and later, the company agreed to replace any chips that were returned. Ironically, six months later, only about three percent of customers had requested a replacement chip.
    1995 - The International Olympic Committee announced that NBC had successfully bid a record $2.3 billion for the exclusive U.S. TV (broadcast and cable) rights to the 2004 and 2008 Summer Games and the 2006 Winter Games. $894 million is for the 2008 games alone. And the deal calls for a 50-50 revenue sharing program with the IOC.
    1995 - A severe coastal storm is blamed for five deaths and loss of power to over one million people in Oregon and Washington. Winds at Sea Lion Caves near Florence topped out at 119 mph before problems developed with the anemometer. In Newport, a gust of 107 mph occurred downtown, while Astoria and Cape Blanco also had gusts of over 100 mph. Astoria's air pressure dropped as low as 28.53 inches, an all-time record (and comparable to the central pressure of a Category 2 hurricane!). Gusts in the Willamette Valley exceeded 60 mph.
    1995 – An amendment declaring the burning of the American flag to be illegal failed the 2/3 majority vote in the Senate, 63-36.
    1997 – Boston Red Sox sign Pedro Martinez to record 6 year, $69 million contract.
    1997 – A Federal judge sentenced Autumn Jackson, who claimed to be Bill Cosby's daughter, to 26 months for trying to extort $40 million from him.
    2000 – The US Supreme Court made it official:  Bush defeated Gore.
    2001 - The state of Nevada declares today Frank Sinatra Day
    2003 - Mick Jagger was knighted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace. Jagger's 92-year-old father was in attendance to see his son receive the award.
    2008 - A significant ice storm wreaked havoc across New York and New England on December 12, disrupting electricity and leaving over 1 million homes and businesses without power. New Hampshire alone had as many as 320,000 residents without power, which according to reports it was described as the worst outages in 30 years (Reuters). Four fatalities were reported and parts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Maine declared a state of emergency.
    2011 - President Barack Obama asks Iran to return the RQ-170 Sentinel drone that was captured near Kashmar December 4, 2011.  On December 13, 2011, the Defence Minister of Iran dismissed the request and said, "Instead of apologising to the Iranian nation, it is brazenly asking for the drone back." And the ministry spokesman stated that "it seems he [Obama] has forgotten that Iran’s airspace was violated, spying operations were undertaken, international laws were violated and that Iran’s internal affairs were interfered with. ... Instead of an official apology and admitting to this violation, they are making this request."  Former U.S. Vice President Cheney criticised Obama's decisions on the drone, saying that, after the aircraft went down, the president should have ordered an air strike within Iran: "The right response to that would have been to go in immediately after it had gone down and destroy it. You can do that from the air ... and, in effect, make it impossible for them to benefit from having captured that drone." Instead, "he asked nicely for them to return it, and they aren't going to."  On January 17, 2012, an Iranian company said it would send miniature, pink, toy versions of the captured drone to President Obama as a response to the request for sending the drone back.  
    2013 - The International Space Station suspends some of its non-critical systems after an ammonia cooling pump fails; the station and six crew members aboard were not in danger.
    2013 - Over two dozen companies will have U.S. sanctions imposed upon them as a result of their involvement in aiding Iran with its nuclear program.
    2013 - A spokeswoman for Apple records confirmed the release of 59 rare and unheard Beatles recordings in a bid to stop their copyright protection expiring. EU law protects recordings for 70 years, but only if they get an official release. Otherwise, the copyright period lasts 50 years. In the case of The Beatles, that means the master tape for their 1963 debut album "Please Please Me" is protected until 2033, but the unreleased session tapes for that album are not.