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Like selling vendor programs and large transactions? CLICK HERE to find out how to have fun again. |
Friday, December 19, 2008
Cicely Tyson - TNT Black Movie Awards, Oct. 2006
courtesy Jesse Grant/WireImage.com
| Actress Cicely Tyson born December 19, 1933, Harlem, New York City, New York. American Emmy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated actress. Career Highlights: Fried Green Tomatoes, The Women of Brewster Place, The Marva Collins Story, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. http://www.answers.com/topic/cicely-tyson |
Headlines---
Kit’s Salvation Army Kettle
Classified Ads---LEAF/Santa Barbara Employees
Pentech Financial, Campbell, CA
Podium Financial Group, Costa Mesa, CA
Marlin Stock at $2.51
Operation Lease Fleece
Cartoon---Fluffy
Sales Make it Happen --- by Scott Wheeler
“Snap Into Your Marketing Process”
Commitment Letters
Classified Ads—Help Wanted
The Wrestler/Let the Right One in
Chungking Express/Bottle Rocket/The Wedding Director
Fernando’s View By Fernando F. Croce
The Regulator: In Madoff mayhem,
SEC problems go all the way to the top
By Zach Carter, SNLi Financial
Classified ads—Software
Alta, Kropschot SWC Credit Leasing
US capital equipment Nov financings fell sharply
Truck lease-finance sector hurt by economic crisis
Bank to take over former 49ers Co. $68.9MM owed
Dallas Fed chief: Economy will shrink more in 2009
Morgan Stanley Posts $2.36 Billion Loss
SF Bay Area home prices still in free fall
Farm Equipment Auction A Reflection Of Economy
Caterpillar to lay off more than 800 in Mossville
LeNature CEO Podlucky accused of $110M bait-and-switch
CIT sues Le-Nature Officers and equipment supplier
LeNature's case green diamond may fetch $1.2M
News Briefs---
You May have Missed---
Top Stories---
California Nuts Brief---
Sports Briefs---
"Gimme that Wine"
Today's Top Event in History
This Day in American History
SuDoku
Daily Puzzle
GasBuddy
Weather, USA or specific area
Traffic Live----
######## surrounding the article denotes it is a “press release”
 |
(This ad is a “trade” for the writing of this column. Opinions
contained in the column are those of Mr. Scott Wheeler)
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Kit’s Salvation Army Kettle
Thank you to those who have contributed. Perhaps you have given to a “local” Salvation Army Kettle. If you have any Christmas or Hanukah Cheer left, please click on the Kettle and donate.
Kit Menkin
Please click here to go to |
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Classified Ads---LEAF/Santa Barbara Employees
Former LEAF Third Party Funding, Southern California,
Santa Barbara Leasing Employees available
from Paul Menzel’s former operation
| Allen Moehle | Credit Director |
| 805/686-2880 | anamoehle7@msn.com |
| Lori Staggs | Documentation Manager/Funding |
| 805-968-5793 | loriastaggs@yahoo.com |
| Oscar Castro III | Marketing Coordinator |
| 805-200-7827 | ocastro245@gmail.com |
| Sherrill Nickerson | Operations Manager/Credit Analyst |
| 805-705-3567 | sherrill46@aol.com |
| Steve Mixsell | Senior Systems Analyst |
| 805-692-9358 | smxl@netzero.net |
| Tina Guerrero | Quality Assurance |
| 805-453-7481 | tinag1@cox.net |
| Steve Reid | Marketing |
| 714-788-6407 | oc49ersteve@sbcglobal.net |
|
For a full listing of all “job wanted” ads, please go to:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted.htm
To place a free “job wanted” Leasing News ad:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted-post.htm
ELFA Career Center: Job Seekers (free):
http://careers.elfaonline.org/search.cfm
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Pentech Financial, Campbell, CA
Readers called Leasing News that they were informed Pentech was closing down.
Looks like Ben Millerbis, CLP, President & CEO of Pentech Financial, did not return with good news from the East Coast. He met with the “powers that may be” at Wachovia and Wells Fargo. His problem,
his main bank Wachovia went under and was purchased by Wells Fargo, who looked at the what they acquired and evidently Pentech did not fit in, just as Ira Romoff experienced and others, too. Talk was the loss ratio was too high.
Millerbis did not return numerous telephone calls and Ron Wagner, CLP, head of the Navigator program wanted to defer all comments to Millerbis. Brad Brisbin, his high school friend and vice-president Brad Brisbin was on jury duty, the foreman. Cell telephone messages were made, which he always returned in the past can only mean it did not go together. They don’t know what to do.
Salesmen were automatically sent notices on their payday of December 16th with information if any changes, they certainly would be back. There has been no funding now for almost a month of leasing transactions.
It appears the company of 85 employees will be cut back to a winding down operation. Doesn’t look like a Merry Christmas. The Navigator program basically accepts the “rejects” of US Bank Manifest, so they could not get involved. Navigator status is unknown.
Wagner has personally been through many “close down” of leasing companies, the last being Commerce Security Bank Leasing in Sacramento, California. Millerbis who was been with Bob Jacobson, III, at Tri-Continental Financial, Mountain View, California (now selling time shares in Hawaii), in 1978 formed Pentek Financial, San Jose, California, which he sold in Alaska Pacific Bancorporation in 1982. He was also founding director of Silicon Valley Bank, Santa Clara, California. With the backing of John Otto of Heritage Leasing fame, he started Pentech Financial. Later Otto bowed out for Cambridge Partners backing (who reportedly are having their problems, too. Leasing News working on this story. editor)
1988 WAEL President-elect Ben Millerbis (right) of Pentech Financial Services receives the traditional letter of advice from 1987 President Joe Woodley, Westover Financial, during passing of the gavel at WAEL Elections & Awards Meeting at Hawaii Conference
The third set of Certified Lease Professionals was granted final approval and received plaques commemorating the designation at the Fall Conference in Hawaii. New CLPs recognized by WAEL President Joe Woodley (left) were from left: Michael Walsh, Atlantic Financial Savings Bank; Ron Wagner, Heritage Leasing Capital; Brian Pindell, Commercial Equipment Lease Corp.; Ben Millerbis, Pentech Financial Services; Peter Eaton, First National Leasing Corp.; Duane Russell, Atlantic Financial Savings Bank. Not shown was Robert Ackerly, Chase Manhattan Leasing.
Pictures from the Past---1985—Spaceman Millerbis
“Program Chairman Ben Millerbis ( Pentech Leasing, San Jose, CA)
leading ‘Spaceship WAEL’ on its mission of exploring the frontiers of leasing
Western Association of Equipment Lessors Newsline, October, 1985
“Ben, next time return the many telephone calls—not polite.”
Kit Menkin, editor
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Podium Financial Group, Costa Mesa, CA
The telephone says “disconnected,” web site is down, emails to Alster McNeil come back.
Third Column: YES - Year Company Started | YELB - Years in equipment Leasing Business
A - City Business License | B- State License | C - Certified Leasing Professional |
D - State(s) sales/use tax license |
E - Named as "lessor" on 50% or more of lease contract signed. |
|
Name
City, State Contact Website Leasing Association |
YCS YELB (see above for meaning) |
# of Empl.
|
Geographic Area
|
Minimum
Dollar Amount |
Service Organization
|
A
|
B
|
C
|
D |
E
|
Podium Financial Group, Inc. Costa Mesa, CA Allster McNeill Allster@podiumfinancial.com 949.650.9878 www.podiumfinancial.com NAELB |
1997 12 |
6 |
USA |
$50,000 to $1,000,00 |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
Y |
To view the complete list, please click here.
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Marlin Stock at $2.51
Many readers may have seen the stories regarding Marlin Business Services. Mount Laurel, New Jersey, so be ready for this opinion: this stock price is perhaps one of the best buys available.
A competing president of a leasing company told me he purchased
several thousand shares as he thinks it is a great “buy.”
The stock price does not match the company net worth, history, value, portfolio, and those that buy at this price will eventually make a killing in the market place.
The officers are buying up whatever stock they seem to be able to afford, realizing the value of their stock that it can only go up.
Kit Menkin, editor
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Operation Lease Fleece
Two more arrests and indictments on 12/04/2008 Chance Neil Weaver and Michael Scott Grayson, both out of bail and scheduled for Jury Trial to 6/16/2009 09:00 AM before Judge Cormac J. Carney. The indictment says they are related to Adam S. Zuckerman and seemed to have served as a vendor who provided invoices for Zuckerman’s operation.
Leasing News has observed that there was no direct leadership, meaning a gang, but a loose knit group of individuals who interacted with each other to their own interests. Pat Byrne of Balboa Capital
has reportedly been called as a witness, which may be involving his former employees who started their own company, Jim Raeder and Mark McQuitty as well as Adam Zuckerman. There are other witnesses
well-known to the leasing industry to be called.
In the stories written, it appears most met at Adam Zuckerman’s building that many of them shared office space and then traded business together. Citicapital informed the FBI of the fraud they
suspected and that lead to Operation Lease Fleece where the FBI set up an office and then one-by-one was able to turn the suspects into helping them with their investigation.
While there were 23 originally arrest for the fraud that may be in the amount of $20 million regarding equipment not deliver or inflated sale/leaseback loan transactions disguised as new equipment, there
are reportedly more arrests to be made.
Original list (all have pled guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced):
James T. Raeder II, 42, of Mission Viejo, who worked at Capitalwerks/Preferred Lease
Mark McQuitty, 46, of Trabuco Canyon, who worked at CapitalWerks/Preferred Lease
Richard Norris, 60, of Los Angeles, who worked at CapitalWerks/Preferred Lease
Anthony E. Watson, 61, of San Clemente, who worked at CapitalWerks/Preferred Lease
Douglas Cox, 37, of Rancho Santa Margarita, who worked at CapitalWerks/Preferred Lease
Adam Zuckerman, 37, of Laguna Beach, head of Brickbanc
Kirk McMahan, 31, of Newport Beach, who worked at Brickbanc
Paul Arnold, 56, of Laguna Hills, who worked at Brickbanc
Geoff Silver, 35, of Calabasas, who worked at Silver Industries
Brian Sime, 29, of Irvine, who worked at Brickbanc
John J. Callaghan, 38, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, who worked at Citicapital
Leo Najera, 28, of Mission Viejo, who worked at ECCI
John Budge, 38, of Sartell, Minnesota, who worked at Bach Business Credit
Leigh Dorand, 42, of Phoenix, who worked at Tech Capital
James Breedlove, 51, of Newport Beach, who worked at Santa Fe Equipment
Mark Castleman, 47, of Chino Hills, who worked at Industrial Information Systems
Les Spitzer, 60, of Grenada Hills, who worked at Pyramid Infinite
George Simon, 38, of Redondo Beach, who worked at Advantage IT Solutions
Jeff Greenough, 48, of Laguna Beach, who worked at Peniche
Troy Worrell, 47, of Newport Beach, who worked at Peniche;
Lourey McComber, 53, of Prescott Valley, Arizona, who worked at Peniche
Harold Gold, 75, of Falmouth, Massachusetts, who worked at Leasing Services
Nohad Mousa, 40, of Anaheim, who worked at Saut Wa Soora, Inc.
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(Leasing News provides this ad “gratis” as a means
to help support the growth of Lease Police )
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Sales Make it Happen --- by Scott Wheeler
With over twenty-six years of leasing experience and an Executive Masters in Business Administration, Scott is an accomplished senior leasing executive with leadership qualities in marketing and operations. His extensive experience will benefit organizations looking to reach a higher level of profitability and corporate development. “Snap Into Your Marketing Process” Is your sales team letting you down? Does the 20/80 rule seem to be more prevalent than ever before? Are you tired of the complaining and sad faces in your sales office? It may be time for you to become a turn around artist and tap into your leadership qualities and make some hard decisions regarding your sales team and motivating them for 2009. By nature, most sales people are short term thinkers and need assurance that their efforts will produce rewards in the near future. As a leader, your assistance is needed more now than ever. This article is designed to assist marketing managers, mentors and owners to step up and lead their sales team aggressively into the new economy of 2009. As managers, we are concerned about a down turn in leasing activity. We want to yell out to our sales staff, “SNAP OUT OF IT” and “Get busy finding more and better deals - NOW.” The proper actions are most likely just the opposite. As sales leaders, it is time to stand next to your staff, understand their frustrations, help to create a short term and long term business plan, set realistic daily, weekly, monthly goals; offer suggestions, training and encouragement; and most importantly engage yourself into the process. Good leaders need to become marketers themselves. As a leader, you need to dive into the trenches; make cold calls, go on more joint calls with your sales team, brainstorm with your team regularly, share your thoughts, solicit suggestions and become part of the TEAM. A new approach will be needed in the coming months to take advantage of new opportunities and new lessees. As leaders, the best means to determine the path your staff should forge is to explore new paths yourself. My suggestion is quite simple - step out of your office and take residence in one of the cubicles where your sales team resides. Lead by example: build a prospecting list of your own, start making calls first thing in the morning, dig deep with lots of questions and explore new industries and new lessees. Create a simple friendly competition: “Beat the Boss”. Can your subordinates make more calls, find more new potential lessees, generate more new proposals, more new application, or find a larger transaction than you as the leader. Be aware that your team will work harder and smarter if they are assured by your consistent actions that you are willing to do what you preach. I guarantee that after a very short period the words “snap out of it” will be erased from your vocabulary. You will be encouraged that your sales staff has many capabilities and different approaches which will lead you and your company into a very successful future. I recently had a conversation with a leasing professional who was generously optimistic about his fourth quarter of 2008 and more importantly his prospects for a great first quarter of 2009. He also mentioned that the owner of his company was more committed, more positive and more active in the sales process than he had seen in his eight years of employment with this lessor. He commented that there was no way he wasn't going to give 100% because he knew for sure his friend and colleague (his Boss) was giving 150% every day to make sure the company was always moving forward. Therefore, I suggest that leaders “Snap Into” the marketing process. It is everyone's responsibility to generate new paths, new products and new lessees. Your combined efforts will increase the production of the entire sales staff and your team will rediscover the joy of success. Please let me know your thoughts, suggestions or ideas. Sales Makes it Happen articles:
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(This ad is a “trade” for the writing of this column. Opinions
contained in the column are those of Mr. Scott Wheeler)
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Commitment Letters
Most of the “commitment letters” Leasing News receives are short, not poorly worded, and many companies add their own sentences that they think are legal, such as if the applicant doesn’t provide
all the information (never naming all the information) or even have a time frame ( as if going over 30 days or even six months is acceptable to both parties.) Many don’t even break out a fee or charge for processing or doing work, assuming they can keep anything…
This was “constructed” by Leasing News Advisory Board attorney Kenneth Greene, now at partner at Hamrick & Evans, LLP, Universal City, California, with offices also in Northern California.
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/
Greene_Lease_agreement.htm
Commitment letter for middle to large size leases:
This form is one of the most widely used in the leasing industry and covers most of the bases. Note: Last sentences about the signatures makes this more a “proposal,” than commitment. If required, these sentences may be removed.
http://two.leasingnews.org/loose_files/Generic%20commit%20Letter.DOC
This form charges a fee to process the application:
http://two.leasingnews.org/loose_files/Lease_app_agreement.rtf
Loans or “Working Capital” commitment letters are explicit and require the broker to often be licensed. This form is for use in California:
http://two.leasingnews.org/loose_files/Authorization_to_find_lender.rtf
To contact Ken Greene about “The Greene Commitment Letter:”
Kenneth C. Greene, Partner
Hamrick & Evans, LLP
10 Universal City Plaza, Suite 2200
Universal City California 91608
818-763-5292
Fax: 818-763-763-2309
kgreene@hamricklaw.com
Northern Office:
P.O. Box 751
Kentfield, CA 9 4914-0751
Tel: 415.806.2254
Fax: 415.924.0971
Email: kenlaw100@aol.com
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(This is a free “ad” for our good friends the Bateman’s,
proprietors of Thunder Mountain Kona coffee)
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Leasing Industry Help Wanted
sales
 |
Regional Sales Manager Are you a sales professional with proven track record in the small ticket market? |
|
Like selling vendor programs and large transactions? CLICK HERE to find out how to have fun again. |
Settlement Specialist
 |
|
Small ticket leasing company looking for someone to negotiate end lease settlements (renewals, FMV, etc.) and run the department. Report directly to the Director of Operations. Require 2+ yrs. experience minimum. Attractive Compensation $65k to $90k 1 st yr. + benefits. Please email resume to: |
Please see our Job Wanted section for possible new employees.
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The Wrestler/Let the Right One in
Chungking Express/Bottle Rocket/The Wedding Director
Fernando’s View
By Fernando F. Croce
In Theaters:
The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight Pictures): Mickey Rourke has always been one of Hollywood’s most puzzling cases, an actor with the potential to rival Marlon Brando or Robert De Niro but who wasted most of his chances. It’s fitting, then, that his best role in decades is as a comeback kid. Playing Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a washed-up wrestling champ looking for redemption after his bum heart keeps him out of the ring, Rourke displays the battered dignity of a wounded old lion. Directed by Darren Aronofsky with fewer gimmicks and more emotion than his other films (“Requiem for a Dream,” “The Fountain”), it’s a picture that can be enjoyed by art-house aficionados and “Rocky” fans alike.
Let the Right One in (Magnolia Pictures): “Twilight” may have reigned supreme at the box-office this year, but this affecting, delicate sleeper is by far the superior vampire movie. The story follows the strange friendship between 12-year-old Oscar (Kare Hedebrant), a bullied kid in the suburbs of Stockholm, and his neighbor Eli (Per Ragnar), a pale and mysterious girl. Although she insists that they shouldn’t be together, the two loners develop a close kinship that’s put to the test when some disturbing truths are revealed about Eli. Though not lacking in chills, director Tomas Alfredson’s film is closer to tone poem than to horror movie, striking a unique balance between poignancy and shivers.
New on DVD:
Chungking Express (Criterion): According to behind-the-scenes reports, acclaimed Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai (“In the Mood for Love”) was having such an arduous time finishing his martial-arts epic “Ashes of Time” that he took a break and came up with this breezy comedy-drama just to clear his mind. The irony is that this supposedly minor lark is not just more fun than his bigger project, but also a more accomplished artistic triumph. The two-part story follows a mysterious woman (Brigitte Lin) seeking revenge and the flirtation between a forlorn cop (Tony Leung) and a snack-bar waitress (Faye Wong). Set in a world of neon and ‘60s pop music, this is a gem of intoxicating movement and heady emotions.
Bottle Rocket (Criterion): Wes Anderson, one of his generation’s most distinctive young directors, got his start with this terrific shaggy comedy, first released in 1996 and now getting a deluxe DVD package courtesy of Criterion. The story focuses on a group of young men in Texas whose bumbling attempts at pulling off criminal heists reflect their own dreams and insecurities. Dignan (Owen Wilson) and Anthony (Luke Wilson) are the likable protagonists, who cross paths with such memorable characters as a sweet maid (Lumi Cavazos) and an eccentric crime boss (James Caan). A disarming charmer that displays the roots of Anderson’s style and humor, as well as the talents of the Wilson brothers before they became famous.
The Wedding Director (New Yorker Video): Marco Bellocchio, the acclaimed Italian director of the 1960s (best known for “Fists in the Pocket”), has been on an invigorating late-career rush in the past few years. This delightful tragicomedy, made in 2006 but only now getting a DVD release, is worth seeking out for its very engaging blend of social critique and humanistic humor. Franco (Sergio Castellitto) is a filmmaker who is torn between concerns about his daughter’s upcoming wedding and a behind-the-scenes scandal; while using the studio’s cameras to film the ceremony, the jaded director finds his emotions and creativity awakening once more. Worth seeking out.
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The Regulator: In Madoff mayhem, SEC problems go all the way to the top
By Zach Carter
(Reprinted with permission from SNLi Financial)
Bernard Madoff’s alleged investment fraud scheme is already wreaking havoc on balance sheets around the globe, but the scandal should also serve as the final humiliation for SEC Chairman Christopher Cox.
“It’s certainly going to embarrass and damage the SEC’s reputation; that’s inevitable,” Columbia University Law School Professor John Coffee told SNL.
It has not been a good year for the agency or for Cox in particular. Everyone from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to NAB Research LLC analyst Nancy Bush has called for his head thanks to shortfalls in everything from investment bank supervision to short-selling rules. In response to some of the criticism, Cox emphasized in testimony before Congress that he views the SEC’s primary mission as a law enforcement agency, arguing that cracking down on fraud supersedes the agency’s role in developing market regulations.
That perspective would be easier for Cox to justify were it not for so many high-profile examples of the SEC’s Enforcement Division completely botching an investigation, of which the Madoff case is only the most recent embarrassment.
According to a Dec. 12 statement from the SEC, the New York wing of its enforcement division closed an inquiry into Madoff’s affairs in 2007 without recommending any action. The investigation must have been remarkably shallow.
Cox released a written statement late Dec. 16 blasting career regulators at his agency, chalking the mistakes up to poor judgment and inept internal policies.
“Subpoena power was not used to obtain information, but rather the staff relied upon information voluntarily produced by Mr. Madoff and his firm,” Cox said.
He also cited “credible and specific allegations regarding Mr. Madoff’s financial wrongdoing, going back to at least 1999.”
The former NASDAQ OMX Group Inc. chairman’s own children turned him in to authorities last week after learning that his investment businesses were essentially a giant Ponzi scheme. In Ponzi schemes, an investment manager uses money from new clients to pay “returns” to older clients. If the SEC had simply looked at the accounts, the necessary funds would not have been there, and the fraud would have been obvious. Madoff had just 23 clients, according to the SEC complaint filed Dec. 11. The process would have taken a matter of hours.
“Any half-decent investigation would have uncovered the plain insufficiency of assets,” Coffee said in a recent interview.
The problems go beyond the Enforcement Division itself, however. The SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations is responsible for conducting examinations of investment advisers. That office did in fact look into Madoff’s broker/dealer wing, Bernard L.Madoff Investment Securities LLC, in 2005, according to the Dec. 12 SEC statement. But Madoff had a separate investment advisory business that did not register with the SEC until 2006, and the OCIE never made an inquiry into the firm.
The Wall Street Journal reported on the investment community’s skepticism concerning Madoff’s operations, noting that some of the options trading Madoff claimed to have executed were technically impossible. However, numerous obvious irregularities in the basic structure of Madoff’s enterprise should have immediately tagged him as a target for an OCIE examination when he registered in 2006.
To begin with, he scored 10% returns for his investors every year, regardless of market conditions, bull or bear, volatile or stable. That alone should have sparked further interest from the SEC.
Equally clear to even casual observers is Madoff alone being responsible for allocating $17 billion in assets under management — which absolutely dwarfs the vast majority of investment advisers out there — and Madoff working without an independent bank custodian. Mutual funds and hedge funds use bank custodians to ensure that investor money is only used for purchasing investments, and to block transfers of cash between investor accounts. An investment adviser handling $17 billion without a custodian should have sounded a screaming alarm.
Madoff also cleared all of his own trades through his own broker/ dealer, had a no-name accountant and employed his own brother as the chief compliance officer of Madoff Investment Securities.
“None of these things suggest you have an adequate gatekeeper anywhere in the process,” Coffee told SNL.
Typically, the OCIE examines a new investment adviser within a year after it registers with the SEC, Coffee said. By 2006, it would have been far too late for the regulator to prevent the fraud altogether, but the agency could have at least worked to limit the scope of the damage.
The SEC clearly dropped the ball here. It is hard to disagree with Cox on the need for a review of what went wrong in the Madoff affair and impossible to argue that simple incompetence was not a factor.
However, Cox’s response ignores the degree to which he and the SEC have covered their tracks on high-level management misconduct in recent years.
Both a Senate probe and the SEC Inspector General found that SEC Enforcement Division Director Linda Thomsen improperly interfered with a Pequot Capital Management Inc. insider-trading investigation when it got close to Morgan Stanley CEO John Mack, and then signed off on the firing of SEC attorney Gary Aguirre after he blew the whistle on the agency’s misconduct.
When the inspector general’s report was issued this fall, the SEC responded by having its own administrative law judge, Brenda Murray, rule that Thomsen should not be reprimanded. The inspector general is an independent investigator. The administrative law judge, on the other hand, is essentially a lawyer for Thomsen masquerading as an independent arbiter to excuse SEC management.
“It looks like the lawyers for the wrongdoers wrote the decisions,” Grassley said in a Nov. 7 statement, after Murray ruled in favor of Thomsen.
Beyond management misdeeds, the SEC is also sorely underfunded. The government has provided the Commission with about the same budget since 2004, despite a major expansion in the financial sector, dramatically hampering the agency’s ability to conduct meaningful oversight.
“Since 2005, the budget has been flat again, and without a doubt, there have been morale problems, and enforcement has not been rigorous enough,” former SEC Commissioner Harvey Goldschmid told SNL. Goldschmid served as a commissioner from 2002 to 2005.
The SEC provided SNL with this information on its budget going back to 1995:
Cox has played a central role in starving the SEC since he took up the chairmanship in 2005. It is not that Congress and the president have merely refused requests for more robust funding, but Cox has not even asked for it and has insisted before Congress that his budget requests are perfectly adequate.
“The SEC probably does need more resources,” Coffee told SNL.
The overall federal budget has exploded since 2001. With the SEC receiving less than $1 billion per year, there should have been room for more resources somewhere. Congress allocated $223 million for Alaska’s infamous “bridge to nowhere.” Rechanneling the funds from that project in 2006 would have expanded the SEC’s funding by more than 25%.
Budgeting alone will not solve the SEC’s problems. Madoff should have been a top priority for the agency regardless of its funding shortages. But however deep and pervasive the problems are in the SEC’s management, any housecleaning should extend to the chairman himself.
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Classified ads—Software
Leasing Industry Outsourcing
(Providing Services and Products)
| Software: Edmonds, WA Preferred Broker Solutions offers software support (also custom templates & reports) for the System 1 and CapitalStream Advantage products. Ask about our Web Application interface. E-mail:support@pbs4u.com |
How to Post a free "Outsourcing" classified ad:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Outsourcing/Outsourcing-post.htm
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### Press Release ###########################
Alta, Kropschot SWC Credit Leasing
Southwest Credit, San Antonio, TX
(Note: SWC Credit has two Leasing News Bulletin Board complaints:
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/February%202008/02-08-08.htm#bbc )
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, --Kropschot Financial Services, a unit of The Alta Group, announced the completion of several recent client assignments. Kropschot Financial Services represented SWC Credit Leasing LP, of San Antonio, Texas, in the sale of its equipment lease portfolio to Kapok Investment Group, LLC, in October. Kropschot Financial Services initiated this transaction and served as exclusive financial advisor to SWC Credit Leasing LP.
In another recent transaction, Kropschot Financial Services initiated the sale of a 50 percent ownership interest in a small-ticket equipment leasing company to a private investor in a transaction that has not yet been publicly announced. The firm also reported that is has secured new financing relationships for three of the firm’s clients.
Despite the current difficulties in the financial markets, Bruce Kropschot, managing principal of The Alta Group’s M&A Advisory Division, reports that there is continuing interest in acquisitions of equipment leasing and financing businesses.
“Acquirers that have financing availability believe that this is a good time to acquire leasing businesses that need additional funding sources,” he said. “Some owners of leasing businesses that are having difficulty servicing the needs of their lessees and vendors due to capital market disruptions have concluded that an affiliation with a capital source can enable them to not only satisfy the needs of their current relationships but also secure new relationships that are available because a number of competitors have exited certain segments of the market.”
The Alta Group has offices worldwide and is a leading provider of consulting and M&A advisory services to equipment leasing and financing companies. More information is available at
http://www.thealtagroup.com.
### Press Release ###########################
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News Briefs----
Storms Target Major Cities Coast to Coast
http://www.accuweather.com/news-top-headline.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=
0&date=2008-12-18_21:45
US capital equipment Nov financings fell sharply
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSN1817253920081218
Truck lease-finance sector hurt by economic crisis: report
http://www.todaystrucking.com/news.cfm?intDocID=20899
Bank may take over investment firm founded by former 49ers
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/18/BU5V14PVDV.DTL
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11258226?nclick_check=1
Dallas Fed chief: Economy will shrink more in 2009
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/
121808dnmeteconomy.7610b36e.html
Morgan Stanley Posts $2.36 Billion Loss
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/18/business/18morgan.html?em
SF Bay Area home prices still in free fall
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/18/BUFK14QN2S.DTL
Farm Equipment Auction A Reflection Of Economy
http://cbs4denver.com/local/farm.equipment.auction.2.887445.html
Caterpillar to lay off more than 800 in Mossville
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-biz-caterpillar-layoffs-dec18,0,2086080.story
LeNature CEO Podlucky accused of $110M bait-and-switch
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_603409.html
?source=rss&feed=4
CIT sues Le-Nature Officers and equipment supplier
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/October%202008/10-31-08.htm#cit
LeNature's case green diamond may fetch $1.2M
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_601737.html
?source=rss&feed=4
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You May have Missed---
Where have all the old cowboys gone
http://www.oldfortyfives.com/thoseoldwesterns.htm
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Top Stories
These are the ten top stories chosen by readers as being the most read:
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/December%202008/12-15-08.htm#top10
Top Stories Collection:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Ten_top_stories.htm
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Sports Briefs----
Starkey to quit 49ers' booth
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/18/SPU314QQDM.DTL
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California Nuts Briefs---
Governor rejects Democratic budget plan
http://www.sacbee.com/1095/story/1484791.html
State officials halt funds for public works projects
http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/1482339.html
More California Towns Face Bankruptcy
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122954346309915189.html
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“Gimme that Wine”
Ice Wine Plucked in Pacific Northwest
http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=60962
Copia CEO resigns amid bankruptcy
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2008/12/13/news/local/
doc494360be2bd28393255008.txt
Russian River Row Goes On
http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=60926
Wine Prices by vintage
http://www.winezap.com
http://www.wine-searcher.com/
US/International Wine Events
http://www.localwineevents.com/
Winery Atlas
http://www.carterhouse.com/atlas
Leasing News Wine & Spirits Page
http://two.leasingnews.org/Recommendations/wnensprts.htm
The London International Vintners Exchange (Liv-ex) is an electronic exchange for fine wine.
http://www.liv-ex.com/
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Today's Top Event in History
1974- The first personal computer was the Altair 8800, sold in kit form. Sales took off when it was featured on the cover of the January, 1975 issue of Popular Electronics magazine. It was developed by Edward Roberts at Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) of Albuquerque, NM. the kit cost $397. The first personal computer that was commercially successful was the Commodore PET, developed by Commodore Business Machines of Westchester, PA, and marketed to the consumers beginning early 1977. It sold for $595. Nolan Bushnell developed a small personal computer, but thought it would not take off and wanted to stay ahead of Japan and others in the game business, when Steven Jobs brought it to Steven Wozniack to copy and Apple Computer, Cupertino, CA, was born and by historians is considered the first successful PC, released the same year, aiming their market at schools and later opening up their own retail stores. Leading Edge, Osborne, Eagle and many other computers grew using the Windows operating system while IBM introduced their own proprietary operating system along with PIC, which was the most popular at the time for business use of personal computer systems.
[headlines]
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This Day in American History
| 1675 -- Colonial forces escalate King Phillip's War by burning 300 old men, women & children alive in their village, & later attack the Naragansetts in the Great Swamp, killing over 1,000 Indians. It started on June 24 th with a massacre of colonists at Swansee,Plymouth, by a band of Indians. The war was started by King Philip after three of his people were executed by the English for murdering an Indian in English employ. 1686 -- Robinson Crusoe leaves his island after 28 years (so says Defoe). "& thus I left the Island, the Nineteenth of December as I found by the Ship's Account, in the Year 1686, after I had been upon it eight & twenty Years, two Months, & 19 Days; being deliver'd from this second Captivity, the same Day of the Month, that I first made my Escape in the Barco-Longo, from among the Moors of Sallee." 1733- “ Poor Richard's Alamanack” was first published by Benjamin Franklin at Philadelphia. In continuous publication for 25 years, Franklin's “Almanack” sold on average more than 10,000 copies yearly and thus was one of the most popular writings of colonial America. Franklin was born in Boston in 1706 and was apprenticed to his brother, a printer, at age 12. In 1729, Franklin became the official printer of currency for the colony of Pennsylvania. He began publishing Poor Richard's, as well as the Pennsylvania Gazette, one of the colonies' first and best newspapers. By 1748, Franklin had become more interested in inventions and science than publishing. He spent time in London representing Pennsylvania in its dispute with England and later spent time in France. He returned to America in March 1775, with war on the horizon. He served on the Second Continental Congress and helped draft the Declaration of Independence. He was also instrumental in persuading the French to lend military assistance to the colonies. He died in Philadelphia in 1790. http://www.fi.edu/franklin 1776-The first number of “the Crisis” by Thomas Paine, a series of pamphlets written to bolster the morale of the Continental Army, was issued. It was immortalized by its famous first sentence, “ These are the times that try men's souls.” 1777 - The Continental Army moved into encampment at Valley Forge amidst stormy winds and piercing cold. The particularly severe winter of 1777-1778 proved to be a great trial for the American army, and of the 11,000 soldiers stationed at Valley Forge, hundreds died from disease. However, the suffering troops were held together by loyalty to the Patriot cause and to General Washington, who stayed with his men. As the winter stretched on, Prussian military adviser Frederick von Steuben kept the soldiers busy with drills and training in modern military strategy. When Washington's army marched out of Valley Forge on June 19, 1778, the men were better disciplined and stronger in spirit than when they had entered. Nine days later, they won a victory against the British under Lord Cornwallis at the Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey. 1813-Fort Niagara taken by the British http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec19.html http://www.oldfortniagara.org/oldamericanhistory.htm http://www.oldfortniagara.org/ 1821-Birthday of Mary Ashton Livermore, American reformer and women's suffrage leader, born at Boston, MA. Died May 23,1905, at Melrose, MA. 1842 - The United States recognized the independence of Hawaii. 1854- Allen Benjamin Wilson of Watertown, CT., received a patent for a sewing machine that could sew curving seams. The machine operated with four-motion feed, which made it possible to sew a curved seam. This revolutionized the garment industry in New England. 19 Dec, 1885 King Oliver cornet 1885 Abend LA http://www.redhotjazz.com/kingo.html http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_oliver_joe_king.htm http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/5135/JOliver.html 1871- Albert L. Jones of New York City received a patent for an “improvement in paper for backing,” which he called “corrugated paper.” His patent covered corrugated sheets only and made no mention of backing or facing sheets. Later a facing sheet was applied to one side, and then to both sides, making single-face and double-face corrugated cardboard. Jones assigned his patent to the Thompson and Norris Company of Brooklyn, NY ( now part of New York City), which was the first manufacturer of corrugated paper in the United States. Corrugated paper boxes came into use about 1890. 1875-Birthday of Carter Godwin Woodson, historian who introduced black studies to colleges and universities, born at New Canton, VA. His scholarly works included “the Negro in Our History,” “ The Education of the Negro. http://www.system.missouri.edu/upress/fall1996/strickla.htm 1894-Birthday of Ford Christopher Frick, sportswriter and Baseball Hall of Fame executive born at Wawaka, IN. Frick was a newspaperman who became Babe Ruth's ghostwriter, president of the National League and Commissioner of Baseball. He ruled in 1961 that Roger Mari's home run record would have to be categorized separately from Ruth's because the American League had lengthened its schedule from 154 to 162 games. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1970. Died at Bronxville, NY, April 8, 1978. 1895-Bandleader Erskine Tate born Memphis, Tennessee. http://www.redhotjazz.com/etvo.html http://www.suba.com/~scottn/explore/sites/theaters/vendome.htm 1899- Paul D. “Tony” Hinkle, football coach and basketball Hall of Fame coach born at Logansport, IN. Hinkle was one of the giants of the coaching profession, spending all five decades of his career at Butler University. His team won over 600 games, and over 50 of his former players became coaches. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1965. Died at Indianapolis, IN, Sept. 21, 1992. 1903 - The first major suspension bridge in the United States -- the Williamsburg Bridge -- opened in New York City. (lower part of: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec19.html ) 1910-Rayon made from cellulose was commercially produced by the American Viscose Company in Marcus Hook, PA. Production in 1911 amounted to 362,000 pounds. The patents were acquired from the General Artificial Silk Company, Landsdown, PA, who started producing the product, calling it “artificial silk.” The term “rayon” was adopted in 1924 to replace “artificial silk” and similar names. 1911 Lu Watters Birthday http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist4/watters1.html http://www.jazzbymail.com/artists/lwybjb.html 1915- Phillip D. ( Phil” Woolpert, Basketball Hall of Fame coach born at Danville, KY. Still talked about this day in the Bay Area. Woolpert played at Loyola University of Los Angeles, graduating in 1940, and began coaching at St. Ignatius High School in San Francisco. In 1950, he moved to the University of San Francisco where he put together one of the greatest college teams ever. Led by Bill Russell and KC Jones, the Dons won their last 26 games in 1954-55 and all 29 games in 1955-56. The won consecutive NCAA titles, too. Woolpert resigned in 1958-59 but later coached in the American Basketball League and at the University of San Diego. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992. Died at Sequim, WA, May 5, 1`987. 1917-Singer Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson born Houston, Texas. Died July 2, 1988 http://www.john-meekings.co.uk/evinson.html http://www.nuraw.com/Pages/AlumniPages/EddieVinson.html 1917-The National Hockey League opened its first season of play with two games. The Montreal Canadians defeated the Ottawa Senators, 7-4, with Joe Malone scoring five goals, and the Montreal Wanderers beat the Toronto Arenas, 10-9, with Harry Hyland scoring five goals. Despite their victory, the Wandererers lasted only six games, withdrawing form the league when the Montreal Arena burned down. 1918-Birthday of pianist Professor Longhair, Bogalus, LA http://www.island.net/~blues/fess.html http://www.offbeat.com/fess/fess.html 1918 - Robert Ripley's newspaper cartoon of unusual, hard-to-believe facts from around the world was first published in the New York Globe. Ripley first planned to call the cartoon "Chumps and Champs" as it originally involved sport feats, but decided instead on "Believe It Or Not!". 1924-Birthday of Edward Barney, baseball public address announcer and former baseball player, born at Omaha, NE. A fastball pitcher who had persistent trouble with his control, Barney nevertheless won 15 games in 1948 for the Brooklyn Dodgers and pitched a no-hitter against the New York Giants. After retiring, he was much beloved as the public address announcer for the Baltimore Orioles. He rewarded spectators who caught foul balls by saying, “ Give that fan a contract,” and he concluded every announcement with a dramatic “ Thaaaaaak youuuuuu>'Died a Baltimore, MD, August 12, 1997 1924 - The Riverside Ranger Station in Yellowstone Park, WY, reported a low of 59 degrees below zero, a December record for the U.S. 1926-Birthday of Robert Lawrence “Bobby” Layne, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback born at Santa Ana, Texas. Layne starred at the University of Texas before and after serving the Merchant Marines during World War II. As a pro, he led the Detroit Lions to the NFL title in 1952, 1953, and 1957. His flamboyant leadership on the field was matched by a boisterous off-the-field lifestyle. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1967,. died at Lubbock, Texas December 1,1986 1935-Birthday of piano player Bobby Timmons, Philadelphia, PA http://members.tripod.com/~hardbop/timmons.html 1936- Barney Bigard records “Caravan” in Los Angeles ( Variety 515 ) 1940-Birthday of guitarist/song writer Phil Ochs,El Paso Texas http://www.greenmanreview.com/theearlyyears.html 1941-Birthday of Maurice White ( of Radiants/Earth-Wind-Fire) Memphis, TN http://www.radio101.it/soul/amwht.html http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005B17U/avsearch-df1-9-20/ 104-3547695-1517507 http://www.earthwindandfire.com/ewf/default.asp 1944 - At a meeting of senior Allied commanders, Eisenhower decides to appoint Field Marshal Montgomery, commanding British 21st Army Group, to lead all Allied forces to the north of " the Bulge" in the line created by the German attack. General Bradley, commanding US 12th Army Group, is responsible for all Allied forces to the south. The arrangement is not made public at this time. 1944-FLUCKEY, EUGENE BENNETT Medal of Honor Rank and organization: Commander, U.S. Navy, Commanding U.S.S. Barb. Place and date: Along coast of China, 19 December 1944 to 15 February 1945. Entered service at: Illinois. Born: S October 1913, Washington, D.C. Other Navy award: Navy Cross with 3 Gold Stars. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Barb during her 11th war patrol along the east coast of China from 19 December 1944 to 15 February 1945. After sinking a large enemy ammunition ship and damaging additional tonnage during a running 2-hour night battle on 8 January, Comdr. Fluckey, in an exceptional feat of brilliant deduction and bold tracking on 25 January, located a concentration of more than 30 enemy ships in the lower reaches of Nankuan Chiang (Mamkwan Harbor). Fully aware that a safe retirement would necessitate an hour's run at full speed through the uncharted, mined, and rock-obstructed waters, he bravely ordered, "Battle station--torpedoes!" In a daring penetration of the heavy enemy screen, and riding in 5 fathoms of water, he launched the Barb's last forward torpedoes at 3,000-yard range. Quickly bringing the ship's stern tubes to bear, he turned loose 4 more torpedoes into the enemy, obtaining 8 direct hits on 6 of the main targets to explode a large ammunition ship and cause inestimable damage by the resultant flying shells and other pyrotechnics. Clearing the treacherous area at high speed, he brought the Barb through to safety and 4 days later sank a large Japanese freighter to complete a record of heroic combat achievement, reflecting the highest credit upon Comdr. Fluckey, his gallant officers and men, and the U.S. Naval Service. 1944--GERSTUNG, ROBERT E. Medal of Honor Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company H, 313th Infantry, 79th Infantry Division. Place and date: Siegfried Line near Berg, Germany, 19 December 1944. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Born: 6 August 1915, Chicago, Ill. G.O. No.: 75, 5 September 1945. Citation: On 19 December 1944 he was ordered with his heavy machinegun squad to the support of an infantry company attacking the outer defense of the Siegfried Line near Berg, Germany. For 8 hours he maintained a position made almost untenable by the density of artillery and mortar fire concentrated upon it and the proximity of enemy troops who threw hand grenades into the emplacement. While all other members of his squad became casualties, he remained at his gun. When he ran out of ammunition, he fearlessly dashed across bullet-swept, open terrain to secure a new supply from a disabled friendly tank. A fierce barrage pierced the water jacket of his gun, but he continued to fire until the weapon overheated and jammed. Instead of withdrawing, he crawled 50 yards across coverless ground to another of his company's machineguns which had been silenced when its entire crew was killed. He continued to man this gun, giving support vitally needed by the infantry. At one time he came under direct fire from a hostile tank, which shot the glove from his hand with an armor-piercing shell but could not drive him from his position or stop his shooting. W hen the American forces were ordered to retire to their original positions, he remained at his gun, giving the only covering fire. Finally withdrawing, he cradled the heavy weapon in his left arm, slung a belt of ammunition over his shoulder, and walked to the rear, loosing small bursts at the enemy as he went. One hundred yards from safety, he was struck in the leg by a mortar shell; but, with a supreme effort, he crawled the remaining distance, dragging along the gun which had served him and his comrades so well. By his remarkable perseverance, indomitable courage, and heroic devotion to his task in the face of devastating fire, T/Sgt. Gerstung gave his fellow soldiers powerful support in their encounter with formidable enemy forces. 1946 - War broke out in Indochina as Ho Chi Minh attacked the French in Hanoi. 1948—Top Hits Buttons and Bows - Dinah Shore On a Slow Boat to China - The Kay Kaiser Orchestra (vocal: Harry Babbitt & Gloria Wood White Christmas - Bing Crosby One Has My Name (The Other Has My Heart) - Jimmy Wakely 1949-Birthday of trombone player Bob Brookmeyer, Kansas City Mo. http://www.bobbrookmeyer.com/biography.html 1949-Birthday of drummer Lenny White, Jamaica, NY http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Lenny%20White.html 1955-Carl Perkins records "Blue Suede Shoes", a song that he wrote after seeing a young man get angry at his date for scuffing his shoes. Even though we often remember the Elvis Presley version the most, it only made it to number 20 on the US chart, while was Perkins' original went to number 2. 1956-Elvis Presley made US chart history by having 10 songs on Billboard's Top 100. 1956—Top Hits Singing the Blues - Guy Mitchell Blueberry Hill - Fats Domino Since I Met You Baby - Ivory Joe Hunter Singing the Blues - Marty Robbins 1957 - A tornado, 200 yards in width, killed two persons along its 15-mile path from near Waldo to near Bueana Vista in southwestern Arkansas. People from one house were carried 250 yards, and cars were said to have been carried 600 yards. 1957 - Meredith Wilson's musical, "The Music Man", opened at New York City's Majestic Theatre. The show starred Robert Preston and enjoyed a 1,375 show run. the band included 76 trombones and 101 cornets. 1960 - RCA Victor Records released Neil Sedaka's "Calendar Girl". The song would be Sedaka's fourth record to make the charts. Other hits include: "The Diary", "Stairway to Heaven", "Bad Girl", "Next Door to an Angel", "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen", "Laughter in the Rain" and "Breaking Up is Hard to Do". 1960 - Frank Sinatra recorded his first session with his own record company, Reprise Records. Recorded that day were "Ring-A-Ding-Ding" and "Let's Fall in Love". 1961 - In New York City, "Judgment At Nuremberg" opened with a star-studded cast including Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Montgomery Clift, Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, and Maximillian Schell who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film. The film would also receive an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay as well as nine other nominations. 1961- Green Bay Packer Great Reginald Howard “Reggie” White birthday, Chattanooga, TN. 1961-After reaching #15 with "Tonight I Fell In Love" earlier in the year, a Brooklyn, New York group called The Tokens scored the top tune in the US with "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". 1964-"Come See About Me", the third release from The Supremes album "Where Did Our Love Go", becomes their third straight US number one single. 1964—Top Hits Come See About Me - The Supremes I Feel Fine - The Beatles Goin' Out of My Head - Little Anthony & The Imperials Once a Day - Connie Smith 1966-Nancy Sinatra's "Sugar Town" entered the Billboard chart, where it would reach #5. 1967 - A record 83 inches of snow covered the ground at Flagstaff, AZ. The heavy snows inflicted great hardships on reservations. 1968--My son Dashiell Leslie Menkin born San Francisco, California. The middle name comes from the name of his mother's father, known as "Red," for his red hair. Dashiell comes from my favorite mystery writer. I wanted his middle name to be "Jazz," but guess I was lucky to get my first choice in. I am very proud of my son serving in the US Navy!!! He is a real patriot. 1970-Elton John's first US hit, "Your Song" enters the Billboard Hot 100, where it will reach number eight. An excellent version of the tune had already been recorded by Three Dog Night for their "It Ain't Easy" album, but they didn't issue it as a single. 1971 — Houston safety Ken Houston returns two interceptions for touchdowns in the Oilers' 49-33 victory over San Diego to set the NFL career record with nine touchdowns on interception returns. He also sets the single-season record with four interception return touchdowns. 1972 - The Apollo lunar-landing program ends on December 19, 1972, when the last three astronauts to travel to the moon splash down safely in the Pacific Ocean.During the Apollo 17 mission, astronauts Eugene A. Cernan and Harrison H. Schmitt stayed for a record 75 hours on the surface of the moon, conducting three separate surface excursions in the Lunar Rover vehicle and collecting 243 pounds of rock and soil samples. Although Apollo 17 was the last lunar landing, the last official Apollo mission was conducted in July 1975, when an Apollo spacecraft successfully rendezvoused and docked with the Soviet Soyuz 19 spacecraft in orbit around the Earth. It was fitting that the Apollo program, which first visited the moon under the banner of "We came in peace for all mankind," should end on a note of peace and international cooperation. 1972—Top Hits Me and Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul You Ought to Be with Me - Al Green It Never Rains in Southern California - Albert Hammond Got the All Overs for You (All Over Me) - Freddie Hart & The Heartbeats 1973 - Johnny Carson pulled a prank in front a nationwide, late-night NBC audience. Carson started a false toilet-paper scare when in his "Tonight Show" monologue, he said a Wisconsin congressman warned toilet paper would disappear from supermarket shelves. In many parts of the United States, toilet paper soon became a scarce after the gag. 1974- Nelson A Rockefeller sworn-in as the 41st Vice-President. On August 9, President Nixon resigned and Gerald R. Ford was sworn in as the 38 th president of the United States. August 20, Nelson A. Rockefeller, former governor of New York, was nominated for the vice-presidency by President Ford.Presidents who served, but were never elected: Chester A. Arthur Millard Fillmore Gerald R. Ford Andrew Johnson John Tyler Presidents who never had a vice-president Chester A. Arthur Millard Fillmore Andrew Johnson John Tyler * The 25th Amendment now requires Presidents to nominate a new Vice President 1974- The first personal computer was the Altair 8800, sold in kit form. Sales took off when it was featured on the cover of the January, 1975 issue of Popular Electronics magazine. It was developed by Edward Roberts at Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) of Albuquerque, NM. the kit cost $397. The first personal computer that was commercially successful was the Commodore PET, developed by Commodore Business Machines of Westchester, PA, and marketed to the consumers beginning early 1977. It sold for $595. Nolan Bushnell developed a small personal computer, but thought it would not take off and wanted to stay ahead of Japan and others in the game business, when Steven Jobs brought it to Steven Wozniack to copy and Apple Computer, Cupertino, CA, was born and by historians is considered the first successful PC, released the same year, aiming their market at schools and later opening up their own retail stores. Leading Edge, Osborne, Eagle and many other computers grew using the Windows operating system while IBM introduced their own proprietary operating system along with PIC, which was the most popular at the time for business use of personal computer systems. 1976-As if Disco wasn't bad enough, the US Pop chart reaches a new all time low when "Convoy" by C.W. McCall earns a Gold record. The novelty tune tells the story of interstate truck drivers and their run-ins with the law. 1979 - Elvis Presley's personal physician, George Nichopoulos, was charged with "illegally and indiscriminately" prescribing over 12,000 tablets of uppers, downers, and painkillers for the rock and roll star during the 20 months preceding his untimely death. 1979-Chrysler gets first bail out. In July, company chairman John J. Ricardo announced that Chrysler had posted second-quarter losses in the neighborhood of $200 million. However, the struggling auto giant received a generous Christmas present on December 19, as the Senate green lighted a $1.5 billion loan to help put the company back on its feet. In the short term, though, the loan did little to staunch the bleeding: 1980 saw Chrysler rack-up record losses of well over $1.7 billion. 1980—Top Hits Lady - Kenny Rogers More Than I Can Say - Leo Sayer (Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon Why Lady Why - Alabama 1984- Twenty-three year old Wayne Gretsky, of the Edmonton Oilers, led his hockey team to beat Los Angeles Kings 7-3. He scored two goals and racked up four assists, becoming the 18th player in the National Hockey League to score over than 1,000 points. 1988—Top Hits Look Away - Chicago Every Rose Has Its Thorn - Poison Giving You the Best That I Got - Anita Baker A Tender Lie - Restless Heart 1997 - Titanic, James Cameron's movie epic, was released across the United States. At more than three hours long, and a $200 million production price, critics anticipated that it would fail miserably. However, the "most expensive film ever", made with state-of-the-art technology, wowed audiences of all ages, and quickly became the top box-office champ for a film longer than 3 hours. 1998- Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott is named "Man of the Year" by the Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC), alleged to be a “racist” organization, made up of many Klu Klux Klan members. |
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SuDoku
The object is to insert the numbers in the boxes to satisfy only one condition: each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 exactly once. What could be simpler?
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