Salvation Army Donation
  Kettle is Open

Donors (alphabetical)
Brian Carey
Shawn Halladay
Rick Jones
Bruce Kropschot
Mitch Larkin
Bruce Lurie
Jeffrey Rudin

Please click on the Kettle

   
Any questions, please contact: kitmenkin@leasingnews.org

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New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

Cheryl Baker was promoted to Division Vice President, Crestmark, a division of MetaBank, Troy, Michigan. She joined the firm July, 2017, as Vice President of Operations. Previously, she was Documentation Supervisor, Lease Corporation of America (September, 1997 - July, 2017); Commercial Lending Biller, Standard Federal Bank (March, 1992 - September, 1997). Education: Oakland University (1989 - 1991). https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryl-baker-7a9bb73b/

Jim Bush was promoted to Program Director, Strategic Programs, LeasePlan, Amsterdam, North Holland (fleet management, leasing, car, financial services).  He is located in Alpharetta, Georgia.  He joined the company February, 2005, Factor Order Specialist; promoted March, 2006, Unfitting Specialist; promoted July,2007, Operations Specialist; promoted August, 2008, Business Analyst; promoted November, 2009, Account Manager, Manufacturer Programs; promoted October, 2013, Financial Analyst; promoted, May, 2017, Manager, Pricing and Analytics.   He has Ten credentials from LinkedIn.  Construction Management: Project Delivery Methods; Excel: Creating Business Budgets; Real Estate Analysis Foundations; Strategic Thinking; Data Science & Analytics Career Paths & Certifications: First Steps; Construction Management Foundations; Cost Accounting; Analyzing Product Profitability; Data Analytics for Pricing Analysts in Excel; Financial Literacy: Reading Financial Reports; Forecasting Financial Statements.  Education: Kennesaw State University, Economics (2012 - 2014).  University of Mississippi, Business Law (2000 - 2002).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-bush-6ab0a9b/

Vito Brito was hired as Account Executive, Providence Capital Funding, Brea, California. Previously, he was Account Executive at Balboa Capital (February, 2018 - September, 2019); Account Manager, Alliance Funding Group (June, 2014 - March, 2017); Production Supervisor, Spires Restaurant (2007 - 2015); Server, Don Jose Mexican Food (2010 - 2013); Quality Control, Customer Greek Threads (2011 - 2012).  Volunteer: Help Foster Dogs, Cats, Maltese Rescue California.  Foster Help, Barks of Love Animal Rescue and Placement Services Corporation.  Education: Los Amigos. Activities and Societies: Water Polo, Track and Field, Football, Wrestling and Swimming.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-brito-2b8942119/

Jacob Butler, CLFP, was hired as Business Finance Champion (7,000+), Amur Equipment Finance, Grand Rapids, Nebraska. He is located In Larchmont, New York. Previously, he was Vice President of Business Development, NFS Leasing, January, 2019 - December, 2019); Senior Vendor Relationship Manager, Diversified Capital Credit Corp. (May, 2014 - December, 2018); Senior Vendor Relationship Manager, Health Care Equipment Funding (May, 2014 - December, 2018); European Business Development Consultant, Commonwealth Bank of Australia (Equigroup Ltd) (August, 2012 - May, 2014); IT Vendor Finance, Relationship Manager Syscap (July, 2010 - August, 2012); Account Manager, Asset Finance and Leasing, Halo Corporate Finance (September, 2007 - March 2009). Licenses & Certifications: Certified Lease & Financial Professional (CLFP), August, 2015.  Celcius Sales Training, 3 Modules. Alun Graves Consultancy Limited. Education: Brandeis University, Graduate Professional Studies.  Masters in Digital Innovation (FinTech).  Northeastern University, BSc, Business, Psychology (1997 - 2000). https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-cutler-clfp-326bb021/

Attorney Dustin Lee was promoted as Vice President, Business Controls, Fifth Third Bank, Cincinnati, Ohio. He joined the bank August, 2016, as Vice President and Associate General Counsel.  Previously, he was Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Summit Funding Group, Inc. (February, 2010 - August, 2016); Business & Finance Associate, Taft Stettinius & Hollister, LLP (September, 2005 - January, 2010).  Education: University of Michigan Law School. J.D. (2002 - 2005).  University of Michigan. B.A., Economics and English (1998 - 2002). Graduated with High Distinction. Phi Beta Kappa. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinclee/

Lori Littleford, CLFP, was hired as Manager of Business Development, West Region, Third Party, Macquarie Group, located El Corado Hill, California. Previously, she was Vice President of Sales, NFS Leasing (January, 2019 - December, 2019); Vice President, Senior Business Development Office, Equipment Finance, Hanmi Bank (March, 2017 - January, 2019); Vice President, Marketing Manager, 3rd Party Originations, Bank of the West (February, 2015 - March, 2017); VP. Strategic Account Executive, Bank of America Merchant Services (October, 2012 - February, 2016); AVP/Merchant Service Specialist, Bank of America (March, 2010 - October, 2012); Owner, Infinity Capital (January, 2008 - March, 2010); VP, Commercial Leasing Officer, First Republic Bank/Bank of Walnut Creek (1999 - 2007); Owner, Discovery Leasing (January, 1997 - May, 1999); Operations Manager/Credit Manager, Signature Financial Group (March, 1991 - January, 1997). https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-littleford/  

Sara Tardif Mabee was hired as Vice President Sales, Alliance Funding Group, Tustin, California. She is located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Previously, she was Senior Finance Manager, Direct Capital Corporation, a Division of CIT Bank (December, 2006 - August, 2019) Member Services Manager, Convention and Visitor's Bureau of Portland (May, 2006 - October, 2006). Education: University of Southern Maine. Bachelor's Degree, Communication and Sociology. St. Joseph's College of Maine, University of Southern Maine. Bachelor's  degree, Core Curriculum.  Wisdom High School (1998 - 2001). Activities and Societies: National Honor Society 10-23, Student Body President 11-12, Athletic Club Treasurer 11 - 12, Varsity Soccer 10- 12, Varsity Basketball 10-12, Varsity Volleyball 10-12. Mt. Ararat High School (1997 - 1998). Activities and Societies: Freshman Basketball, Art Club. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-tardif-mabee-000a803a/

Jena Morgan, CLFP, was promoted to Vice President of Operations, KLC Financial, Minnetonka, Minnesota. "(She)...will be responsible for the company’s systems, process improvement, customer experience, portfolio management and marketing."  She joined the firm December, 2014, Marketing & Project Manager; promoted December, 2018, Director of Systems, Solutions & Marketing.  Previously, she was National Business Development Manager, East Region, Channel Partners, LLC (April, 2012 - November, 2014); Agency Owner Jena K. Lund Agency (January, 2009 - January, 2011); Manager, PR & Marketing, Best Buy (2007 - 2009); AVP of SBA Lending, Bremer Bank (2005 - 2007). Certified Lease & Finance Professional (CLFP), Issued April, 2019. Volunteer: Board of Directors, National Equipment Finance Association (NEFA) (September, 2014 - Present). Conference Committee Member, National Equipment Finance Association (NEFA) (March, 2014). Membership Committee Chair, Minnesota Commercial Real Estate Women (January, 2006 - June, 2007).  Dancer, Guthrie Theater (August, 2011).  Education: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Bachelor of Science (B.S.). https://www.linkedin.com/in/jena-morgan-clfp-a5626b14/

Jerry Price was hired as Vice President, Government Guaranteed Lending, Business Development Officer, First Bank of the Lake, Osage Beach, Missouri.  He is located in Johnstown, Ohio. He previously was President, PFS Financial (February, 2004 - December, 2019); Vice President, Government Guarantee Lending, Customers Bank (May, 2019 - December, 2019); Regional Sales Manager, LEAF Financial Corporation (February, 2004 - February, 2008); Regional Sales Manager, Sky Financial Solutions. Education: the Ohio State University, BA. (1995 - 1999). https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-price-27b495a/

Vinny Saroha was hired as Treasury, Sequoia Consulting Group, San Mateo, California. She previously was at the Lending Club, starting November, 2016, Credit Specialist; promoted May, 2018, Treasury Analyst. Prior, she was at Aspiranet, starting May, 2015 as Administrator II (Finance/Operations); promoted December, 2015, Administrator III (Finance/Operations).Volunteer: Team Leader, Starbucks Toy Drive for Foster Youth (October, 2015 - December, 2015). Event Coordinator. Harley Owners Group Toy Drive for Foster Youth (December, 2015). Treasure, Lending Club, People Engagement Committee (June, 2017 - January, 2018).  Education: San Francisco State University. Bachelor's Degree, Finance. https://www.linkedin.com/in/shervianysaroha/

Donald Wampler, CLFP, was appointed Chief Revenue Officer, Apex Mortgage Corporation, Horsham, Pennsylvania. He remains as President of First Lease, Inc., Horsham, Pennsylvania. He joined the firm August, 2008, as Sales Manager; promoted December, 2011, Vice President of National Sales; promoted, September, 2015, Chief Strategy Officer.  Previously, he was Vice President, Business Development, Willow Financial Bank (acquired by First Niagara) (May, 2005 - October, 2006); Senior Credit Analyst, Partners Equity Capital (Acquired by Element). (May, 2004 - May, 2004); Senior Credit Analyst, Canon Financial Services, Inc. (June, 2004 - May, 2004); Commercial Loan Officer, Yardville National Bank (Acquired by PNC Bank) (January, 1999 - June, 2003).  Education: University of Phoenix, Philadelphia Campus, Business Administration (2005 - 2006); Thomas Edison State College, Commercial Lending Certificate, Commercial Lending (2001 - 2002); Bucks County Community College, Business Management (1999 - 2000). Octorara High School.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-wampler/

 

 

Help Wanted

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Time to Take 2019 Broker/Originator Survey
Will Compare to Last Year’s Wheeler Business Consulting Survey

The results will be made available through our monthly newsletter and website. Your participation is greatly appreciated and is needed to increase the value of the data.  
 
The survey is designed to take 3 to 5 minutes to complete.
 
Click here to begin the survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KL9B6FD
If you have any questions contact Scott Wheeler @ 410-877-0428

 

 

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The Salesperson Who Gets No Respect
By Dan Harkey

I am sure that most of you remember Rodney Dangerfield, the American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter and author. He became known for this self-depreciating one liner humor. He became famous for his humor about “I don’t get no respect.” A couple of his lines were pretty good.

“My wife and I were happy for twenty years, then we met.” “I get no respect. The way my luck is running, if I was a politician, I would be honest,” “My psychiatrist told me I was crazy, and I said I want a second opinion. He said okay, you’re ugly too.”

How does this relate to a salesperson? When the salespeople are occasionally treated with disrespect and indignity, they should be thankful that they option of eliminating the lead or discontinuing active marketing. I call it the big “D” for delete. Yes, delete, de-link, de-friend, poof that they no longer exist in my world.

The salesperson has 3 kinds of lead interfaces:

1. The salesperson works diligently over a period to develop many relationships where the person(s) becomes mutually familiar and appears pleased to hear from you. Familiarity, mutual trust, concern, and kindred values help grow the relationships. Periodic personal contact is a must. The business motive is to develop ongoing friendships and mutual respect where you have a high probability of referring business back and forth.
   
   
2.  The salesperson may follow up leads where the person on the receiving end will take the calls and be pleasant, willing to develop the familiar part and the friendship part, but somehow never find him or herself in a position to deliver business nor reciprocal referrals. The salespersons awareness of this type of lead will be proven out over time by multiple calls without result. But if you are soliciting or communicating with someone who may or may not have in interest or have other clients who can benefit from your services, the business motive should be understood. This type of lead should be marketed digitally, such as email, direct mail, online presence such as LinkedIn, Facebook and similar mediums but should be eliminated as a personal contact.  The time spent following up personally is limited and should be coveted.
   
   
3.  The salesperson may follow up leads by direct contact which is short, disrespectful, or condescending. When his occurs, the salesperson should give them another chance in case they just bad a bad day. It is best to send them an email which says something like this. “Thank you for taking my call this morning.  In our very short conversation, it appeared that you had little interest in hearing from me. Would it be appropriate that I do not contact you personally in the future?” Based upon the response you have the option of continuing to call them with a periodic direct call, keeping them in your marketing database for email, LinkedIn, Facebook and other mediums that do not require personal contact.   Of course, the last option is the big “D”?

Dan Harkey
Business and Private Money Finance Consultant
Cell 949 533 8315
dan@danharkey.com

 

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Amembal & Halladay Announce
the Release of Two New Publications

Amembal & Halladay proudly announce the release of their two new publications. The two represent the 17th and 18th publications published by the firm, respectively. 

Leasing - The Creative Financing Alternative, by Sudhir Amembal, CLFP, was written with two objectives in mind. The first is to provide guidance to lessors on increasing business volume as well as profitability. The second is to provide clear and cohesive information on topics of substantial significance to include Funding, Operating Leases, Vendor Programs, and Measuring Financial Performance. The publication's breadth and depth make it useful to the novice, the experienced, and everyone in-between; to personnel from any and all departments; and, to management who will find numerous implementable ideas.

Table of Contents:
https://amembalandhalladay.com/publications/

$245 U.S. Orders
$295 International Orders
435 pages

---------

Accounting for Leases - Embracing the New Paradigm, by Shawn Halladay, CLFP, examines the lease accounting requirements of IFRS 16 and ASC 842 in an easy-to-understand manner. The book highlights where the Standards differ from each other and from prior guidance.  The book focuses on applying the rules to real-world issues, reinforced by numerous examples.  The content helps accountants comply with the rules; provides management with a key understanding of their impact; gives sales teams the tools to identify customers’ needs; and guides lessees in applying the significant changes to their business.

Preface:
https://amembalandhalladay.com/publications/

$245 U.S. Orders
$295 International Order
424 pages
 

Amembal & Halladay is the world's most highly respected training and consultancy firm in the equipment leasing and finance industry. The firm has trained over 80,000 leasing professionals throughout the world: provided advisory, consultancy, and professional development services to a host of equipment finance and leasing firms; and, published 18 industry best-sellers.

For additional information, including table of contents, availability, and pricing click here: amembalandhalladay.com/publications/

 

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Wine for Over 65 Years Old
at Christmas or Hanukkah

 

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First 8 Days of Recreational Weed Sales
Generate More Than $1.6 Million in Michigan

It looks like the newly-legalized weed industry in Michigan is set to hit major milestones pretty quickly. The first eight days of legal adult-use marijuana sales at the five retail outlets that were open in Michigan amounted to $1.6 million. Three of the five shops either run out of stock or had an inadequate supply of marijuana products.

From the first to the eighth-day of sales, the total was $1,629,007. The 10% excise tax imposed on then recreational products amounted to $162,900, and the 6% state sales fee raised $107,514.

Once the recreational marijuana industry is stabilized by 2020, the state House Fiscal Agency estimates that the annual sales for adult-use cannabis will be $949 million, out of which the 10% excise tax charges on the sold products would be $94.9 million and 6% sales tax of $57 million.

The state of Michigan has issued 21 licenses to recreational marijuana businesses since it started accepting applications on November 1. It has also pre-qualified 73 applications. Out of the 1,771 communities, 1,400 have vetoed the sale of legal weed in their towns, which has posed a challenge for weed businesses.

www.cannabisneewswire

Assure the quality of your communication content…grammar, spelling, syntax, punctuation…hire an expert. Whether website content, business or technical writings, take advantage of over forty years executive writing, proofreading and editing in the EFL industry…with the reader’s time and comprehension in focus. Ralph P. Mango ralphmango@hotmail.com Associate Editor Leasing News, responsible for proofreading and editing each news edition, as well as contributing content.

 

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Fernando's View
By Fernando F. Croce

Breathless mystery (“Knives Out”) and affecting drama (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”) come to theaters, while new DVD releases offer popular horror (“It Chapter Two”), a sardonic thriller (“Ready or Not”), and a moody view of the future (“Until the End of the World”).

In theaters:

Knives Out (Lionsgate): After diving into the “Star Wars” universe with “The Last Jedi,” director Rian Johnson returns to his genre roots with this breathlessly entertaining send-up of whodunit mysteries. When an elderly crime novelist (Christopher Plummer) is found dead in his lavish mansion, his whole family becomes the prime suspect in an investigation by detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). Who’s the culprit? The victim’s daughter (Jamie Lee Curtis), a real estate mogul with a shady husband (Don Johnson) and a spoiled son (Chris Evans)? The fidgety daughter-in-law (Toni Colette)? Or the caretaker (Ana de Armas) who literally cannot tell a lie? With crackerjack wit, Johnson serves up a sly deconstruction of Agatha Christie stories that also doubles as prime mystery. The tip-top cast also includes Michael Shannon and M. Emmet Walsh.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Tristar Pictures): With his unerring warmth and amicability, Tom Hanks was bound to one day play TV’s icon of empathy, Mr. Rogers. It finally happened in this sensitive drama, set in 1998 and directed by Marielle Heller (“Can You Ever Forgive Me”). Rather than the center of a standard biopic, however, Mr. Rogers is a mysteriously enchanted figure who affects the life of Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys), a New York journalist assigned to do a profile on him. At first determined to expose the star’s Mr. Nice Guy persona as a façade, Lloyd becomes, through his interactions with him, finally able to deal with family problems and personal trauma. Thanks to Hanks’ performance and Heller’s direction, a potentially treacly subject glows with kind wonder.

Nextflix: Capable of both edginess and warmth, character actor Ron Leibman (1937-2019) was a dependable presence for decades on screens big and small. So check out Netflix for his best roles, which include “Where’s Poppa?” (1970), “The Hot Rock” (1972), “Norma Rae” (1979), and “Night Falls on Manhattan” (1996).

On DVD:

It Chapter Two (New Line Cinema): The second half of the extremely popular adaptation of Stephen King’s horror tale gives audiences plenty of frights, picking up where the 2017 original left off. Having vanquished the evil demon-clown Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard), the young group known as “The Losers” find themselves still fighting terrors in adulthood. Called back by librarian Mike (Isaiah Mustafa), the friends reunite to face evil both supernatural and from the real world: Bev (Jessica Chastain), Bill (James McAvoy), Eddie (James Ransone), and Richie (Bill Hader). What follows is a procession of gruesome confrontations leading to a showdown with unspeakable menace. Lengthy enough to let the characters develop but delirious enough to not skimp on gory scares, director Andrés Muschietti's sequel should satisfy King fans with its elaborate set-pieces.

Ready or Not (Fox Searchlight Pictures): Marriage turns out to be the most dangerous game in this outrageous blend of gruesome suspense and giddy satire. Grace (Samara Weaving) is the newest addition to the Le Domas clan, having just married young scion Alex (Mark O’Brien) and been welcomed to their gaming empire. Alex’s parents (Andie MacDowell, Henry Czerny) carry on the family tradition of staging a hide-and-seek game in their mansion, with the newlyweds along with Alex’s brother Daniel (Adam Brody) in for the ride. Gradually, Grace realizes that the guns and crossbows and traps used in this contest are more real than she expected. Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, this Grand Guignol blast teasingly lures the viewer deeper and deeper into the characters’ outlandish bloodlust.

Until the End of the World (Criterion): Perpetually fascinated by the open road, German director Wim Wenders (“Wings of Desire”) goes all out in this fascinating 1991 science-fiction opus, presented by Criterion in the sprawling director’s cut. With the planet under threat, Dr. Farber (William Hurt) races to help his blind wife by creating a machine that can project images directly in the brains of patients, an intriguing stand-in for the power of cinema itself. Searching for him is Claire Tourneur (Solveig Dommartin), a restless young woman trekking across the world with bank robbers and private detectives and on her trail. Though challenging to audiences looking for a standard thriller, Wenders’ moody film proves to be richly rewarding for more adventurous viewers, who will appreciate its futuristic visions and evocative soundtrack.

Collie Smooth
Castlegar, BC  Adopt-a-Dog

Tia
ID #503215
Female
Weight: 21.2 kg
Age: 3 years 1 Week
Colour: Tan
Spayed
Intake Date: 12/05/2019
Available for Adoption

About me
This is Tia. She came to us from a shelter in Alberta who got her from another shelter. All in all this girl has been in a shelter for almost a year. She has the sweetest face and loves to snuggle. She can be slightly cautious and nervous around most men. She is protective of her people once she bonds to them. She's good with cats and other dogs. She walks well on leash. She is smart and would love an active person to keep her mentally and physical stimulated. If you sound like the perfect match, come down to the West Kootenay Community Animal Centre and meet this sweet girl today.

West Kootenay & District Branch Shelter
124 Heritage Way, Castlegar, BC V1N 4M5
https://spca.bc.ca/locations/west-kootenay/
westkootenay@spca.bc.ca
250-509-0297

 
Visit the West Kootenay Community Animal Centre page for more info such as location, adoption fees, and hours of operation

*Please understand that we are unable to put animals on HOLD over the phone, you must meet the animal and visit us in person to ensure you are the right match! Please also realize, even though this website is live and updates frequently, we cannot ensure the animal is still available for adoption when you arrive at the shelter. There is a chance the animal you have an interest in may have been adopted by the time you arrive, or another party might be going through the adoption process at that present time.

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Brian Holloway To Speak at deBanked CONNECT MIAMI
SALESPEOPLE, ARE YOU READY?!

January 16th
3:00pm – 8:00pm
(Registration & Networking States at 1:30pm)

America's #1 Most Requested Motivational Team Builder, Stanford All-American, 5 time NFL All-Pro, and All-Star front line competitor. The New England Patriots made a good decision in choosing Brian Holloway as a first-round draft pick, as he became the 6’7" powerhouse at the core of the 1985 New England Patriots Super Bowl team. In 1986, Brian Holloway was elected by his peers to forge a new direction in NFL policy, becoming the youngest Vice-President of the NFL Player’s Association at age 23. Brian Holloway retired from the NFL in 1992 after eight distinguished seasons with the Patriots and two with the Los Angeles Raiders.

Today, Brian Holloway is an international motivational speaker and renowned corporate trainer, mobilizing companies and organizations in search of peak productivity, helping them achieve new levels of excellence. He understands how to transform thinking within organizations and challenge the competitive spirit of diverse work teams. His Silicon Valley roots launched him beyond his Hall of Fame career in the NFL to become one of the most requested business intelligence consultants in America.

He has traveled over 10,000,000 miles and been hired by over 279 Fortune 500 Companies, and now entering his 15th year working with Apple. Other clients include; HP, Exxon, Harvard Business School, Wal-Mart, Nike, ESPN, Verizon, Bank of America, Ford, Sprint, Cisco Systems, Honeywell, State Farm, AIG, Reebok, Daimler Chrysler, Best Buy, Wachovia Bank, and more.

Brian Holloway’s stories and case studies are scenes from his own life. Entertaining, motivating and instructional, Brian Holloway uses multi-media technology along with actual NFL game footage to showcase critical points on competitive excellence. These powerful, high-impact presentations have immediate take-home value for everyone -- athlete and non-athlete alike.

Take Advantage of Our Discounted Room Rate
https://www.loewshotels.com/miami-beach/debanked-connect-miami-2020

The newly redesigned Loews Miami Beach Hotel offers spacious guestrooms, luxury suites and the best in South Beach dining, steps from the ocean.

Register OnLine
https://www.debankedmiami.com/

News Briefs----

Fed keeps rates on hold,
  points to 'favorable' economic outlook next year
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fed/fed-leaves-interest-rates-unchanged-expects-moderate-economic-growth-in-2020-idUSKBN1YF0HO

Before his death, legendary Fed chief Paul Volcker
   issued one last warning to the US
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/before-his-death-legendary-fed-chief-paul-volcker-issued-one-last-warning-to-the-us/ar-AAK269Y

McDonald’s Wins a Huge Victory
 whether it should share responsibility for alleged labor violations
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/restaurants/mcds-wins-huge-victory

Porsche gets 30,000 down payments
      for new electric car
https://nypost.com/2019/12/11/porsche-gets-30000-down-payments-for-new-electric-car/

Low Inventory Drives Home Buyers
    to Explore Big City Alternatives
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/low-inventory-drives-home-buyers-to-explore-big-city-alternatives-300973742.html

 

 
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You May Have Missed---

A Look Back at the Five Years Since the LendingClub IPO
A lot has changed since they became public company December 2014
https://www.lendacademy.com/a-look-back-at-the-five-years-since-the-lendingclub-ipo/

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American Football Poem
SEE IT THROUGH
by Edgar A. Guest (1881-1959)

When you're up against a trouble, meet it squarely, face to face. Lift your chin and set your shoulders, plant your feet and take a brace. When it's vain to try to dodge it, do the best that you can do. You may fail, but you may conquer, see it through!

Black may be the clouds about you and your future may seem grim, But don't let your nerve desert you; Keep yourself in fighting trim. If the worst is bound to happen, Spite of all that you can do, running from it will not save you, see it through!

Even hope may seem but futile, when with troubles you're beset, But remember you are facing just what other men have met. You may fail, but fall still fighting; don't give up, whate'er you do; eyes front, head high to the finish. See it through!

Edgar A Guest, often referred to as the common man's poet, was a staff writer for the Detroit News (Michigan) and had his poetry published in the paper for many years.

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How Kyle Shanahan's Secret Weapons,
  Schemes Have Made 49ers a Title Contender
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2866506-how-kyle-shanahans-secret-weapons-schemes-have-made-49ers-a-title-contender

San Jose Sharks clean house,
   fire Pete DeBoer, three assistants
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/12/11/report-sharks-fire-pete-deboer-as-coach/

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California Nuts Briefs---

$5 million slashed off price of NFL tycoon's
   California Wine Country estate
https://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/Lamar-Hunt-estate-Calistoga-11080-Franz-Valley-Rd-14895702.php

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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Gallo-Constellation planned wine,
  spirits deal now $1.1B after trimming brands
https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/northbay/solanocounty/10455021-181/gallo-constellation-wine-business-acquisition

ZD Wines' New Vertical Collections Feature
   Rare Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons
https://www.winebusiness.com/newreleases/?go=getArticle&dataId=223535

The World's Best Napa Wines
https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2019/12/the-worlds-best-napa-wines

Photo gallery: 7th Wine, Beer + Spirits Industry Awards,
    WINnovation Awards
https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/northbay/napacounty/10451173-181/wine-spirits-industry-awards

Ted Edwards, Freemark Abbey's winemaker of 4 decades,
    takes a step back
https://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/ted-edwards-freemark-abbey-s-winemaker-of-decades-takes-a/article_efc81a98-c84f-5fb5-ba52-3092e5729559.html

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

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

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

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

This Day in History

     1577 - English seaman Francis Drake sets out from Plymouth, England with five ships and 164 men on a mission to raid Spanish holdings on the Pacific coast of the New World and explore the Pacific Ocean. Three years later, Drake's return to Plymouth marked the first circumnavigation of the earth by a British explorer. After crossing the Atlantic, Drake abandoned two of his ships in South America and then sailed into the Straits of Magellan with the remaining three. A series of devastating storms besieged his expedition in the treacherous straits, wrecking one ship and forcing another to return to England. Only “The Golden Hind” reached the Pacific Ocean, but Drake continued undaunted up the western coast of South America, raiding Spanish settlements and capturing a rich Spanish treasure ship. Drake then continued up the western coast of North America, searching for a possible northeast passage back to the Atlantic. Reaching as far north as present-day Washington before turning back, Drake paused near San Francisco Bay in June, 1579 to repair his ship and prepare for a journey across the Pacific. Calling the land "Nova Albion," Drake was the first captain to sail his own ship all the way around the world--the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan had sailed three-fourths of the way around the globe earlier in the century but had been killed in the Philippines, leaving the Basque navigator Juan Sebastiýn de Elcano to complete the journey. In 1581, Queen Elizabeth I knighted Drake, the son of a tenant farmer, during a visit to his ship. The most renowned of the Elizabethan seamen, Sir Francis Drake later played a crucial role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada.
    1621 - Under the care of Robert Cushman, the first American furs to be exported from the continent leave for England aboard the Fortune. One month before, Cushman and the Fortune had arrived at Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts with 35 settlers, the first new colonists since the settlement was founded in 1620. During Cushman's return to England, the Fortune was captured by the French, and its valuable cargo of furs was taken. Cushman was detained on the Ile d'Dieu before being returned to England. Within a few years of their first fur export, the Plymouth colonists, unable to make their living through cod fishing as they had originally planned, begin concentrating almost entirely on the fur trade. The colonists developed an economic system in which their chief crop, Indian corn, was traded with Native Americans to the north for highly valued beaver skins, which were in turn profitably sold in England to pay the Plymouth Colony's debts and buy necessary supplies.
    1666 - Frederick Phillips in New Amsterdam (the future New York City) cornered the market in wampum* by creating a shortage, considered by historians as the first “financial corner” of the marketplace in the New World. He buried several hogsheads (a large barrel or cask holding anywhere from 63 to 110 gallons) of it in order to force those who had to use this medium of exchange to purchase wampum from him at a higher price. (* wampum were tubular beads made from specific oyster shells and used as an exchange of value by various Indian tribes, often sewn into belts or garments.)
    1759 – The first music store in America opened in Philadelphia.
    1769 - Dartmouth College is chartered by Eleazar Wheelock.  It is the ninth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Founded as a school to educate Native Americans in Christian theology and the English way of life, Dartmouth primarily trained Congregationalist ministers throughout its early history before it gradually secularized, emerging at the turn of the 20th century from relative obscurity into national prominence.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec13.html
    1774 - Contrary to popular belief, the first battle of the Revolutionary War was not the Battle of Lexington on April 17, 1775.  On this date, Major John Sullivan of the Granite State Volunteers, later a major general in the Continental Army, captured by the British, helped Washington against General Howe. He led 400 patriots that attacked Fort William and Mary at New Castle, New Hampshire, in Portsmouth Harbor. They bound the commander of the fort and frightened the soldiers away, capturing 100 casks of power and small arms. The news of this victory spread over New England the next few months, leading up to the Battle of Lexington.
http://www.seacoastnh.com/framers/sullivan.html
    1818 - Birthday of Mary Todd Lincoln (d. 1882) at Lexington, Kentucky.  Wife of Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president of the United States.
    1835 - Birthday of Phillips Brooks (d. 1893) at Boston, Massachusetts. American clergyman and composer, best remembered for his lyrics for the Christmas carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”
    1843 - "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens published, 6,000 copies sold
    1861 - Battle of Allegheny Mountain, WV.  A bitter winter killed most wounded and other soldiers, too, in Pocahontas County, Virginia (now West Virginia) as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War.  Confederate forces under Col. Edward Johnson occupied the summit of Allegheny Mountain to defend the Staunton-Parkersburg Pike. A Union force under Brig. Gen. Robert H. Milroy attacked Johnson at sunrise.   In a piercing winter wind, each side maneuvered on the hillside fields and woods to gain the advantage. Milroy had posted a strong force in a mountain clearing, among the fallen timber, stumps and brush, which proved to be too difficult for the Confederate infantry to drive off. A Confederate artillery battery unlimbered and unleashed a "storm of round shot and canister among them, knocking their timber defences about their heads, and making their nest too hot to hold them..." Finally, Milroy's troops were repulsed, and he retreated to his camps at Green Spring Run near Cheat Mountain. Johnson's losses were high: 25 men were killed and 97 were wounded in the engagement, plus 23 went missing.
http://www.paralumun.com/waralleghany.htm
http://docsouth.unc.edu/robson/robson.html
    1862 - General Robert E. Lee with 80,000 Confederates repulsed General Burnside with his 150,000 Federals at the Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia. After hard fighting along the Massaponax River, Burnside lost almost 14,000 troops. The victory spurred Lee to take his army and invade the North, whose march was discovered by accident in Gettysburg, PA. Burnside was put in this position due to General McClennan’s defeats as well as his political attempts to raise money to run for president. Lincoln eventually would go against his cabinet’s wishes and chose Ulysses Simpson Grant, although he was told “Grant drank too much” at Washington dinner parties.
http://www.nps.gov/frsp/fredhist.htm
http://www.civilwarhome.com/fredricksburgbattle.htm
http://www.nps.gov/frsp/fburg.htm
    1864 – Second Battle of Fort McAllister, GA began as General Sherman gets ready to attack Savannah.
http://web.ask.com/searchcp?q=Battle+of+Fort+McAllister+GA&t=Battle+Fort+
McAllister+GA&cache=00*dfxr&url=http://www2.cr.nps.gov/abpp/battles/
ga028.htm&page=&ws=1
    1878 – Temperature at Los Angeles, CA fell to 30, the lowest at that time for December.
    1887 – Alvin York (d. 1964) was born near Pall Mall, TN.  Sgt. York was one of the most decorated US Army soldiers of World War I.  While his men guarded prisoners, York attacked a machine gun position, dispatching several German soldiers with his rifle. By the time six Germans charged him with bayonets he was out of rifle ammunition, so he drew his pistol and shot them all. The German officer responsible for the machine gun position had emptied his pistol while firing at York, but failed to hit him. This officer then offered to surrender, and York accepted. York and his men marched back to their unit's command post having taken 35 machine guns, killing at least 25 enemy soldiers, and capturing 132. York was immediately promoted to sergeant, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross; a later investigation led to this award being upgraded to the Medal of Honor. York became a national hero and international celebrity; he went on to receive decorations from several foreign countries, including France, Italy and Montenegro.
    1897 – Newscaster Drew Pearson was born Andrew Russell Pearson (d. 1969) in Evanston, IL.  One of the best-known American columnists of his day, he was noted for his syndicated newspaper column “Washington Merry-Go-Round,” in which he criticized various public persons. He also had a program on NBC Radio titled “Drew Pearson Comments.”
    1903 – Birthday of drummer Sonny Greer (d. 1982), Long Branch, NJ.  Best known for his work with Duke Ellington.
http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Sonny%20Greer.html
    1911 - American poet Kenneth Patchen (d. 1972) born Niles, OH. Pioneered jazz poetry ("Kenneth Patchen Reads with the Chamber Jazz Sextet"). For more than thirty years, Patchen lived with a severe spinal ailment that caused him almost constant physical pain. The weight of this personal battle was compounded by his sensitivity to greater issues of humanity and his poetry paid special attention to the horrors of war. With his work, he tried to create a kind of sanctuary for the reader, apart from reality, where larger-than-life characters were motivated by their loving and benevolent natures.
http://www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?45442B7C000C0401
http://www.connectotel.com/patchen/
http://www.bopsecrets.org/PS/rexroth1.htm
http://opening.hefko.net/gi_patchen.html
    1911 - At the National League meetings at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, “Sporting Life” reported that "For the first time in history a woman sat in at a major league meeting. Mrs. H.H. Britton, owner of the St. Louis Cardinals, remained throughout the entire session of the National League meeting on the second day.
    1913 - Birthday of Archibald Lee Wright (d. 1998), better known as Archie Moore, at Benoit, MS. One of the most colorful fighters ever, Moore boxed from the mid-1930s to 1963, holding the light-heavyweight title for a record nine years. For much of his career, he fought an average of once a month. Moore let an aura of celebrity surround him; he lied about his age, ate an unusual diet, married five times and spoke out on a variety of political and social issues.
    1915 - A heavy snowstorm kicked off the snowiest winter in modern records for western New England.
    1918 - Birthday of the “Mad Russian,” William Vukovich, Sr. was born William Vucerovich (d. 1955) at Fresno, CA. Vukovich began racing midget cars in 1937 and picked up his career after World War II. Known as the “Mad Russian” for his hell-bent style, he won the 1953 Indianapolis 500 from the pole and the 1954 race as well. Ahead again in the 1955 race, he crashed on the 57th lap and died on the track.
    1918 – President Woodrow Wilson became the first US president to visit a foreign country when he arrived in France to take part in World War I peace negotiations and to promote his plan for a League of Nations. 
    1922 - Alarmed at the increase in home run hitting (1,054 in the major leagues, up from 936), some American league owners backed a zoning system setting a minimum of 300 feet for a ball to be called a home run. The motion died. In another action, the league required each club to furnish two home uniforms per player, plus extra caps and stockings on the road, to improve the players' appearance. In National League meetings, Cahrles Ebbets proposed putting numbers on players' sleeves or caps. It's left to each club to do as it wishes.
    1923 – Larry Doby (d. 2003) was born in Camden, SC.  He was the second African American to play in a Major League game in the 20th century (the first in the American League and the second African American manager in baseball history. Doby was signed by the Cleveland Indians in 1947. He started the American League on the road to integration when he became the first black player to appear in an AL game on July 5, 1947, less than three months after Jackie Robinson.  While he had limited success that first year, he became the club's regular center fielder in 1948 when the Indians won the World Series. Doby was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.
    1923 – For you old Brooklyn Dodger fans, this is the birthday of George “Shotgun” Shuba (d. 2014) was born in Youngstown, OH.  Also, P Carl Erskine was born in Anderson, IN in 1926, and P Billy Loes (d. 2010), who once claimed he lost a grounder back to the mound in the sun, was born in Long Island City, NY in 1929.
    1925 - Actor/Comedian/Singer Dick Van Dyke born West Plains, Mo.  His entertainment career has spanned seven decades. He first gained recognition on radio and Broadway, then became known for his role as Rob Petrie on the television sitcom, “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” which ran from 1961 to 1966. He also gained significant popularity for roles in the musical films “Bye Bye Birdie” (1963), “Mary Poppins” (1964), and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (1968). His other prominent film appearances include roles in several other genre films through 2014.  Other prominent TV roles include the leads in “The New Dick Van Dyke Show” (1971–74), “Diagnosis Murder” (1993-2001), and “Murder 101” (2006–08) which both co-starred his son, Barry.  Van Dyke was the recipient of five Primetime Emmys, a Tony, and a Grammy Award.  He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995; received the Screen Actors Guild’s highest honor, the SAG Life Achievement Award, in 2013.   He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has also been recognized as a Disney Legend. 
    1927 - James Wright (d. 1980) was born Martin's Ferry, Ohio. American poet of the postmodern era who writes of sorrow, salvation, and self-revelation. Much of his work draws upon the images of nature and industry found in his native Ohio River valley.
    1928 - The George Gershwin composition, "American in Paris," had its debut performance by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Walter Damrosch.
    1928 - Clip-on tie designed.
    1929 - Hoagy Carmichael and Louis Armstrong recorded "Rockin’ Chair" on Columbia records and cylinders.
    1932 - The great Bennie Moten’s Kansas City Band cuts “Last Date” for Victor, 1932.
    1936 - Green Bay won the National Football League championship after they beat the Boston Redskins, 21-6. It was Boston's last game, as they became the Washington Redskins in 1937.
    1937 - Japanese forces took the Chinese city of Nanking (Nanjing). Over the following six weeks, in one of the worst atrocities of World War II, they killed an estimated 200,000 Chinese in what became known as the "Rape of Nanking."
    1938 - Birthday of Gus Johnson, Jr. (d. 1987), basketball player born at Akron, OH. Johnson played at the University of Akron, Boise Junior College and the University of Idaho. He was drafted by the Washington Bullets and helped make them a perennial contender for playoff honors. Johnson was the prototype of the power forward. He could score from the corner and was one of the first players to use the slam dunk. He finished his career with the Phoenix Suns.
    1939 - In World War II, the battle of the River Plate took place off the coast of South America between the British cruisers Exeter, Ajax and Achilles and the German battleship Graf Spee.
    1940 - Lester Young splits from the Count Basie Band.
    1940 - Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded the two-sided jump tune, "The Anvil Chorus," for Bluebird Records in New York. The 10-inch, 78 rpm record was six minutes long.
    1941 - The first Ace in World War II was First Lieutenant Boyd David Wagner of Johnstown, PA. While serving in the Army Air Corps in the Philippines, Wagner was attacked by five Japanese pursuit planes. He shot two plans out of the air and machine-gunned 12 on the ground, leaving five burning. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
    1942 – Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins was born in Chatham, Ontario, Canada.  Pitching for the Chicago Cubs, he won 20 games six consecutive seasons, 1967-72.  He is the only pitcher in history to have struck out more than 3,000 batters (3,192) while allowing fewer than 1,000 walks (997). He was the 1971 Cy Young Award winner in the NL and a three-time All-Star.  He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991.
    1944 - Japanese kamikaze crashes into US cruiser Nashville, killing 138.
http://www.multied.com/Navy/cruiser/Nashville.html
http://www.steelnavy.com/Nashville.htm
    1945 - Singer June Christy signs contract with Capitol Records and recorded 18 post-Stan Kenton albums.
    1948 - After an 11 1/2 month strike, the American Federation of Musicians went back to work. During the strike, there was also an 11½-month ban on phonograph records.
    1949 - The American League said no to a proposal to revive the spitball, outlawed since 1920. Many pitchers still tossed the spitter anyway.
    1950 - Top Hits
“A Bushel and a Peck” - Perry Como & Betty Hutton
“Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” - Gene Autry
“Nevertheless” - Jack Denny
“I’m Moving On” - Hank Snow
    1951 - U.S. Air Force George A. Davis, flying a F-86 Sabre jet out of the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, was credited with four aerial victories against MiG-15s, the largest number of kills by a single pilot in one day during the war. These victories made Davis the first "double ace" of the Korean War. A double ace has 10 enemy kills.
    1956 - The Brooklyn Dodgers traded Jackie Robinson to the cross-town rival Giants for pitcher Dick Littlefield and $35,000. Jackie, according to some accounts had already decided privately to leave the game to work for Chock Full ‘o’ Nuts, publicly retired from baseball rather than accept the trade. Many questioned the Dodgers’ intent here as at this time, there was no worse trade for a Dodger, and vice versa, than to the hated Giants.
    1958 - Top Hits
“To Know Him, is to Love Him” - The Teddy Bears
“Problems” - The Everly Brothers
“Queen of the Hop” - Bobby Darin
“City Lights” - Ray Price
    1960 - The first of three Middle Atlantic snowstorms produced a foot of snow at Baltimore, MD. A pre-winter blizzard struck the northeastern U.S. producing wind gusts as high as 51 mph, along with 16 inches of snow at Nantucket, MA and 20 inches at Newark, NJ.
    1961 - Jimmy Dean's “Big Bad John” album is country music's first million  seller.
http://www.epinions.com/content_3866271876
    1961 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," The Tokens
    1962 - A severe Florida freeze occurred. Morning lows reached 35 degrees at Miami, 18 degrees at Tampa, and 12 degrees at Jacksonville. It was the coldest December weather of the 20th century and caused millions of dollars damage to crops and foliage. In Georgia, the morning low of 9 degrees below zero at Blairsville established a state record for the month of December.
    1966 - Top Hits
“Good Vibrations” - The Beach Boys
“Mellow Yellow” - Donovan
“Lady Godiva” - Peter & Gordon
“Somebody Like Me” - Eddy Arnold
    1968 - A severe coastal storm produced high winds and record early snows from Georgia to Maine. Winds reached 90 mph in Massachusetts, and ten inches of snow blanketed interior Maine.
    1969 - Arlo Guthrie released "Alice's Restaurant."
    1973 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "The Most Beautiful Girl," Charlie Rich.
    1974 - Former Beatle George Harrison was invited to lunch by President Gerald R. Ford. At the White House, the two exchanged buttons, Ford giving George a WIN (Whip Inflation Now) pin and Harrison giving the President an OM (Hindu mantra word expressing creation) button.
    1974 - Top Hits
“Kung Fu Fighting” - Carl Douglas
“When Will I See You Again” - The Three Degrees
“Cat’s in the Cradle” - Harry Chapin
“She Called Me Baby” - Charlie Rich
    1975 – “Saturday Night Live” is first produced “delayed recording.” The late-night television variety show, “Saturday Night Live,” did not broadcast live for the first time on this date. NBC was concerned that the host for that evening's show, popular comedian Richard Pryor, would utter some obscene words or phrases. Pryor had promised that he would not use foul language, but as most of his stand-up routine consisted of four-letter words, the possibility existed that he would accidentally, or purposefully, "let loose." The show's executive heads decided that the show would be placed on a 5-second electronic delay. Two expletives spoken by Pryor were determined unsuitable for television and were deleted before they hit the airwaves.
    1975 - David Bowie's "Golden Years" and Foghat's "Slow Ride" are released.
    1978 - The Philadelphia Mint struck the first Susan B. Anthony dollar coins, with 1979 dates and the first “P” mintmark since the silver nickels of World War II. Denver production began on January 9, 1979, and San Francisco minting began on February 2, 1979. The Susan B. Anthony dollar, the first coin to honor a woman, was not a hit with the public for several reasons, most importantly because it was often mistaken for a quarter, which was about and eighth of an inch smaller in diameter.
    1982 - Top Hits
“Mickey” - Toni Basil
“Maneater” - Daryl Hall & John Oates
“The Girl is Mine” - Michael Jackson/Paul McCartney
“Redneck Girl” - The Bellamy Brothers
    1983 - In professional basketball, Detroit and Denver played for 3 hours, 11 minutes. The Pistons won, 186-184, during triple overtime. NBA records for single-game were set for most points by two teams; by one team; assists; and field goals. Kiki Vandeweghe of the Denver Nuggets scored a career-high with 51 points.
    1985 - In a first for movies, the murder mystery, "Clue," opened featuring three different endings. Newspaper ads said which ending was playing at which theatre.
    1986 - In the school's 62-year history, Duke University won its first NCAA team championship when the Blue Devils’ soccer team beat Akron, 1-0.
    1986 - Madonna's recording of “Open Your Heart” entered Billboard's Top 40 pop charts on this date, and later peaked at Number 1 for a week. The song stayed on the charts for 14 weeks.
    1986 - "The Way It Is," by Bruce Hornsby and the Range, hit #1 for a week in the U.S.: “That’s just the way it is; Some things will never change. That’s just the way it is; Aw, but don’t you believe them.”
    1987 - A major winter storm produced high winds and heavy snow in the Southern Rockies and the Southern High Plains. Snowfall totals in New Mexico ranged up to 25 inches at Cedar Crest, with up to three feet of snow reported in the higher elevations. Winds of 75 mph, with gusts to 124 mph, were reported northeast of Albuquerque, NM. El Paso, TX was buried under 22.4 inches of snow, including a single storm record of 16.8 inches in 24 hours. The snowfall total surpassed their previous record for an entire winter season of 18.4 inches. Record cold was experienced the next three nights as readings dipped into the single numbers. High winds ushering unseasonably cold air into the southwestern U.S. gusted to 100 mph at Grapevine, CA.
    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 - Strong northwesterly winds, ushering bitterly cold arctic air into the central U.S., produced squalls with heavy snow in the Great Lakes Region. Snowfall totals in Upper Michigan ranged up to 24 inches at Manistique. Nine cities in Arkansas and Texas reported record low temperatures for the date, including Calico Rock, AR with a reading of 4 degrees above zero.
    1990 - Top Hits
“Because I Love You” (“The Postman Song”) - Stevie B
“From a Distance” - Bette Midler
“Something to Believe In” - Poison
“I’ve Come to Expect It from You” - George Strait
    1991 - North and South Korea signed a treat of reconciliation and nonaggression, formally ending the Korean War, 38 years after fighting ceased in 1953. This agreement was not hailed as a peace treaty and the armistice that was signed July 27, 1953, between the UN and North Korea, was to remain in effect until it could be transformed into a formal peace.
    1995 - US Federal Court votes that Cable companies must carry local stations
    1997 - 63rd Heisman Trophy Award: Charles Woodson, Michigan (CB)
http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/12841
http://www.collegefootballnews.com/Top_100_Players/
Top_100_Players_34_Charles_Woodson.htm
    1998 - Voters in Puerto Rico rejected United States statehood.
    1998 - Baltimore and Minnesota combine to set an NFL record with three kickoff return touchdowns in the same game, all in the first quarter of the Vikings' 38-28 victory. Corey Harris and Patrick Johnson score for the Ravens while David Palmer turns the trick for Minnesota. Vikings kicker Gary Anderson sets an NFL record when he converts his 34th consecutive field goal.
http://images.nfl.com/history/images/1213.jpg
    2000 - Republican George W. Bush claimed the presidency five weeks after Election Day and a day after the U.S. Supreme Court shut down further recounts of disputed ballots in Florida. Democrat Al Gore conceded, delivering a call for national unity.
    2002 - A powerful Pacific storm system plowed into the western United States during the 13th-16th, producing high winds, heavy rains, significant mountain snowfall and causing 9 deaths (Associated Press). Rainfall amounts exceeding 10 inches occurred in parts of California, and wind gusts over 45 mph produced up to 1.9 million power outages during the period.
    2007 – In a blockbuster announcement that reverberates today, the Mitchell Report was released, naming 89 players as having used or been in possession of steroids.  Many of the game’s biggest stars, including Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Rafael Palmeiro, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Miguel Tejada and Jason Giambi, are among those named. The report, calling for tighter regulation of performance-enhancing drugs, was commissioned by MLB Commissioner Bud Selig to look into the extent to which performance-enhancing drugs were prevalent in baseball.  Over 2 million people downloaded the report in the first couple of days it was online.
    2011 - A bill extending a payroll tax extension and a bill expediting the Keystone XL pipeline between Canada and Texas is passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.
    2013 - An experimental privacy feature on Google's Android mobile software is removed, raising objections from the Electronic Frontier Foundation; the feature allowed users to block apps from collecting personal information such as a user's location and address book data.