North Shore Leasing & Funding Corp. "FOR ALL OF YOUR FUNDING NEEDS"

Nationwide Account Manager 2 yrs. exp., self-motivated, team oriented, college degree preferred. We approve A to D credits, no equipment restrictions. Resume, salary history, requirements by fax: 631-231-3773 or Steve Kelly at steve@nslf.com North Shore Leasing & Funding Inc. (NSL&F Inc.) established in 1993, is a national small-ticket equipment leasing company located in Hauppauge, NY.

www.nslf.com

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Headlines---

Archives--February 7, 2001-Linc Capital/Tilden
    Classified ads-Document Manager/Finance/Legal
        Weather Closing Leasing Companies early
Mitsui backs out of purchase of Butler Capital
    Classified Ads---Help Wanted
        Cartoon----Farmers
Leasing News Banner Advertising
    Super Brokers’ List Up-dated
        Sales makes it Happen---by Linda P. Kester
        “Marketing Attitude”
Parker Trial Postponed until April 27, 2007
    El Camino Resources Mexico Year-end Leases
        Fitch: 5 Month now downgrade public leases
Russian Leasing market may triple by 2010
    News Briefs---
        You May have Missed---
California Nuts Brief---
    Sports Briefs---
        "Gimme that Wine"
Restaurant Review: ParAgon, San Jose, CA
    Calendar Events
        Snapple Real Facts
Today's Top Event in History
    This Day in American History
        Winter Poem
SuDoku
    Daily Puzzle

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Archives--February 7, 2001-Linc Capital/Tilden

Leasing News reported:

Linc Capital Files Chapter 7

Creditors have filed a Chapter 7 Voluntary Bankruptcy Claim. It appears there are reported "hidden assets," "transfers of assets," and other "remuneration" to executives. Specifically, David Duxbury of Comstock fame, seeks $1,311,850 from a settlement agreement, Catherine Ross seeks $455,000, and the landlord, Gateway Ridgecrest $33,380. You will notice in the List many bankruptcies that start out as Chapter 11, involuntary, move into this category as the wind down and payment to creditors is
not "amicable."

In 1997/1998 Linc Capital purchased the following companies:

Comstock Leasing - Minneapolis, MN (formerly San Mateo, CA. )
Monex Leasing - Houston, TX
Spectra Credit - Dayton, OH
Connor Capital - Chicago, IL
IF&E Leasing - Charlotte, NC

Former Tilden Operation Closed by GE/Colonial Pacific

“It certainly is a sad day for all of us who were associated with Tilden at one time or another. I spent 7 years there in the 1980's, arriving in 1982, preceding George Berenz by 1-2 years. We then hired Tony Fantauzzi because business was booming. We needed in-house counsel to help with leveraged deals and brought Walt Rabin in from Parker Chapin and Tony Perretine from Apple Bank Leasing. Whenever I see the guys we still reminisce about those days. We had a lot of great memories and I made many good industry friends through my Tilden years. We have chuckled about working for Milt Rudin and Bernie Gluck and their unique management styles.

We all survived and moved on to other venues, but I think we still share that camaraderie and we all still have a soft spot for the company. I would be happy if you published this, along with the many tributes you will probably be receiving.”

Steve Geller
(Today at:
sgeller@leasingsollutionsllc.com
www.leasingsolutionsllc.com/ )

[headlines]

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Classified ads
—Document Manager/Finance/Legal

Porsche Targa 4S 355hp 6,600rpm 0-60mph 4.7sec
Top Track Speed: 179mph 3rd best Porsche $95,500

Documentation Manager / Finance / Legal

Documentation Manager: New York, NY 10+ years in equipment leasing/secured lending. Skilled in management & training, documentation, policy and procedure development & implementation, portfolio reporting. Strong work ethic. Email: dln1031@nyc.rr.com	Documentation Manager: Phoenix, AZ Lease Administrator with exp. in lease administration, doc. & porfolio management for $200M in IT assets. Additional experience financial analysis process improvement/development. Email: jeg3894@cox.net
Finance: Austin, TX 20+ years all facets of lease/finance. Collection and credit management. Equipment & rolling stock structuring. $150k credit authority, $100 million portfolio management. Email: texmartin@juno.com	Finance: Chicago, IL Experienced in big ticket origination, syndication, valuation and workout. Twenty five years, MBA, CPA, JD, LLM (Tax), structuring specialist. Inbound and outbound transactions. Email: pal108381@comcast.net Transaction Summary | The Lechner Group Website: www.tlgattorneycpa.com
Finance: Sausalito, CA Sr. Corp. officer, presently serving as consultant, fin. service background, M&A, fund raising, great workout expertise, references Email: nywb@aol.com	Finance: Toronto Long diverse career financial services industry. Executed billions of dollars of leases over 20 years; structuring, executing and pricing US/Canadian transactions. Per Diem or full time. E-mail: eslavens@eol.ca
Legal: Los Angeles, CA Experienced in-house corporate and financial services attorney seeks position as managing or transactional counsel. Willing to relocate. Email: sandidq@msn.com

These job-wanted ads are free. We also recommend to both those seeking a position and those searching for a new hire to also go to other e-mail posting sites:
http://64.125.68.91/AL/LeasingNews/Classified.htm

In addition, those seeking employment should go to the human resource departments on company web sites for funders, captive lessors, and perhaps “broker-lessors.”

To place a free “job wanted” ad here, please go to:
http://64.125.68.91/AL/LeasingNews/PostingForm.asp

For a full listing of all “job wanted” ads, please go to:
http://64.125.68.91/AL/LeasingNews/JobPostings.htm

[headlines]

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Weather Closing Leasing Companies early

Several companies have reported to Leasing News that they closed early on Tuesday to allow employees time to go home; for instance, Paul Witte in Richmond, Indiana, at First Federal Leasing closed early for his staff to have extra time to get home. Others in Buffalo, Chicago, and other Northern cities report difficulty in transportation, schools closing, and limited staff due to the very poor weather, snow, and in some areas, electricity has been lost.

The upper-Midwest and Northeast seems to be getting the brunt of the weather, dumping snow and keeping temperatures under zero degrees.

The weather map shows the Ohio Valley wind stream to be hardest hit at this time:

http://www.weather.com/maps/news/severewinterforecast/
ohiovalleyclipper_large.html?from=wxcenter_maps

Looks like the weather is going to be cold and wet in many parts of the United States through the week end.

Wide area takes a wintry punch
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/stormcenter/2007-02-06-cold-snap_x.htm

[headlines]

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Mitsui backs out of purchase of Butler Capital

According to several inside sources, Mitsui injected $6-million in subordinated debt into Butler Capital, Hunt Valley, MD., and had twenty-four months to effectuate the purchase of the $250 million
asset firm.

Founder Larry Butler was not ready to retire when he made the deal with Mitsui and wanted the 2-3 year time frame, it was reported. Mitsui was apparently ready to buy the company at that time.

In the interim, Leasing News confirmed the executive at Mitsui that made the deal moved to another division. It appears the new executive did not have the same desire to buy a leasing company. Reportedly the agreement still has some time to expire, but Mitsui has made it clear that they are no longer interested in exercising their purchase option, Leasing News was told by several
reliable sources.

It appears Butler Capital is making arrangements to take-out the $6-million loan. Butler Capital is looking for another long-term partner, an insider told Leasing News, and/or a buyer, but evidently there is no urgency.

Leasing News attempted to contact Larry Butler, but was told he was still on his way back from the Super Bowl game in Florida.

Close to 4pm, EST, Leasing News received this e-mail:

“I’m sitting in for Fran (Minakowski, director of communication and marketing) while she’s on vacation. We can’t confirm or deny the question as stated because it does not accurately reflect the transaction. The following is a quick summary of the original transaction and its current status.

“The investor is Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc., hereafter referred to as Mitsui USA. Mitsui USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsui & Co., Ltd. of Japan – a Global 50 company with trading and ownership interests in numerous industries including metals, chemicals, and other commodities. In 2002, Mitsui USA’s Business Initiative and Transformation Department determined it would evaluate the commercial finance and leasing industry by making an investment in an existing finance company.

“In February 2004, Butler Capital and Mitsui USA agreed to an alliance to explore possible synergies between Butler, Mitsui USA, and Mitsui USA’s various business units and customers. Under the agreement, Mitsui USA made an investment in Butler Capital in the form of a subordinated convertible note with an option to acquire a majority equity interest (for further consideration) after February 2008. While Mitsui USA has another year to exercise its option and has not formally notified Butler of its intentions, the hoped-for synergies have not developed. Under the terms of the agreement, Butler can prepay the subordinated debt and eliminate Mitsui’s stock acquisition option. Butler is currently evaluating whether to simply pay off Mitsui USA, entertain new subordinated debt or entertain a new partial-equity investment.

“I hope this answers your question and clarifies the information you have been getting.”

adam

Adam Minakowski
Associate, Communications & Marketing Department
Butler Capital Corporation
P.O. Box 677
Hunt Valley, MD 21030-0677
443-589-1509 (Voice) / 410-771-9611 (Fax)
aminakowski@butlercapital.com

It appears Butler Capital is in great financial shape. July 17, 2006, the company announced that it was moving to a 17,500-square foot facility in Hunt Valley, Maryland with new offices for its lessor/broker and sales finance units, as well as its car care, convenience store, franchise, and dry-cleaning finance division. The move was made in October, 2006.

Larry Butler

The web site states "Lawrence J. Butler, Founder, President & Chief Officer...in late 1978, with starting capital of $900...founded what was then named Butler and Company. Since that time, he has grown the formerly one-man operation into a national business lending organization with more than 50 staff members..."

Recent press releases Brian Coburn, former business development manger, was named managing director of the Franchise Finance Division, Steven Bradley and promoted to vice-president
and senior credit officers, and in June, 2006, Jason King was named controller. Brett Butler was appointed director of Porfolio Management and Armanda H. Butler, vice-president, sales &
operation division.

Competitors and other insiders told Leasing News Butler Capital is in great financial shape.

In a November interview with Don Blody, as readers may remember (ironically "...he was vice-president of syndications at Sovereign out of Long Island, New York,, and before that, senior risk manager at GE Tilden responsible for all operations but sales, for nine years.(see today's archives,)told Leasing News how well things were going.

Donald A. Blody

"We have had a record breaking ten months," he told Leasing News in the interview. "It seems every month we continue to be outdoing ourselves. This is a great operation here and we continue to grow. I made the right choice to join Butler."

In attempting to obtain a comment, he referred Leasing News to
Joseph P. Serio, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, who preferred us to speak with Larry Butler direct when he returned.

[headlines]

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Classified Ads---Help Wanted

Account Manager

North Shore Leasing & Funding Corp. "FOR ALL OF YOUR FUNDING NEEDS"

Nationwide Account Manager 2 yrs. exp., self-motivated, team oriented, college degree preferred. We approve A to D credits, no equipment restrictions. Resume, salary history, requirements by fax: 631-231-3773 or Steve Kelly at steve@nslf.com North Shore Leasing & Funding Inc. (NSL&F Inc.) established in 1993, is a national small-ticket equipment leasing company located in Hauppauge, NY.

www.nslf.com

Sales Professionals

Top commission (75%) plus health and retirement benefits. Full back office, large book funding sources meeting all your clients requirements. Robert Piot: 714-573-9804 or e-mail rpiot@socalleasing.com

To learn more or for more info, click here www.socalleasing.com

[headlines]

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[headlines]

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[headlines]

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Super "Broker/Lessor" List

( for funders specializing in “Story Credits, “ please click here
for Broker/Lessors List "A," please click here, for list "B," pleae click here,
for Captive Lessor list, click here.
for Funder List "A," please click here, for Funder List "B," please click here )

There is no advertising fee or charge for a listing. They are “free.” Leasing News makes no endorsement of any of the companies listed, except they have qualified to be on this specific list.

For those who want to be listed on this form, please fill out Super "Broker/Lessors" Form
and fax to 408-374-3843 or you may e-mail to: kitmenkin@leasingnews.org.

Leasing Associations: All non-profit leasing associations are abbreviated. To see the full name and learn more about the association, please click here.

Business Reports: Companies listed may make any netiquette comment about their company or reports or other information in the footnote section of their listing. Leasing News recommends readers also view the footnote as well as the section itself or searching reports on the business.

It also should be noted that if a BBB report listing is found by a reader, as there may not have been one when this was last up-dated, please send the link to maria@leasingnews.org so Leasing News may up-date this section.

BBB - Better Business Report | CBB - Leasing News Complaint Bulletin Board
| CNI - Current News Information

A -Requires Broker be Licensed | B -Sub-Broker Program | C -Warehouse Line | D -Also a Funder

N/R (not reported)
* (no response---these listing do not come from the company directly, but from our research from many sources. It is our policy not to put anything in this section without confirmation.)

N/R (not reported)
* (no response---these listing do not come from the company directly, but from our research from many sources. It is our policy not to put anything in this section without confirmation.)

(A) BSB Leasing, Inc has been providing syndication services for brokers nationwide since 1982 and have been funding business directly since 2002 through BSB Direct Finance, LLC. We offer Brokers a complete internet solution for credit submission and tracking and document preparation.

BSB will fund up to $75,000 App Only on our direct line under BSB Direct Finance, LLC and we now offer App Only up to $150,000 through BSB Syndication (our house syndication group

Broker Qualify - Please Call or see application on-line at bsbleasing.com

(B) Affiliated Investment Group, Inc. is the proud continuation of over 20 years of serving the broker community. We are a balance sheet, cash flow, credit lender. The primary question on every transaction is "what is the likelihood of being paid back". Our motto is "any equipment, for any Lessee, anywhere in the country". Also known as "The Flexible Funding Source" as we look at a deal with the philosophy of "what's right" about it "how can we make it work". We have significant sources of funds from A to C+ credits.
Broker Qualify - Yes

(C) Quail Capital specializes in large structured and complex transactions. Mohammed Ahsan began his days at Westinghouse Credit (then Atlantic Federal, Mitsubishi Bank, Bank of CA, First Sierra) funding transactions. He has been in the leasing industry for 25 + years. His partner Jeff Rudin has over 27 years. In addition to equipment leasing, Quail Capital is also involved in Asset Based Lending, Franchise Funding, International Finance, Acquisition Finance and Real Estate Secured transactions.
Broker Qualify - Please Call

(D) LPI-HC specializes in Working Capital Loans for new and established medical professionals with our target market being dentists, medical doctors, veterinarians and physical therapists. We also offer Dental Practice Refinancing for established dentists that want to consolidate all their practice debts and improve their cash flow position. "We have the financial solutions to help start and grow a practice with repayment programs designed for medical professionals to manage their money."
Broker Qualify - Please Call

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

These companies basically function as a "broker," meaning most of their transactions are sent to other leasing companies or funders. The great majority of their transactions are on a “non-recourse” basis. They may have a “warehouse” line for “housing” a lease transaction or making payments in advance, or building a portfolio to sell, and they also may “keep” leases for their own “in house” portfolio. They are classified as a “Super Broker” because the great majority do not directly “service” accounts, but “sell” the transaction to another. Their intention it not to act as a “funder,” although they may present themselves as one, but to “sell” to another.

An additional description: the majority of their business comes from others, who are acting as a “broker.” These “deals” may come from an independent, a “company,” or even a “lessor” or “funder.”

Most are very experienced in the leasing industry and well-known.

In relation to the rest of the industry categories, this is the smallest. You will only find the “elite” listed here. To date, Leasing News has turned down eight who have requested to be listed due to not having a “satisfactory” Better Business Bureau report (this does not include those listed on the Leasing News Bulletin Board Complaint who have not applied to date.)

It is Leasing News experience that most “advance rentals” or “deposits” have been kept primarily by those acting as “super brokers,” particularly with “tougher” credits or equipment situations.

Their source of business is varied, meaning both new and experienced brokers will come to them because they may not have the "volume" for the source the "super broker" may have; they may be have sufficent years in the leasing business to qualify for many sources: they may be looking for a better rate than their regular sources, or the transaction was originated by another broker and they need to acknowledge that the transaction comes from another broker, called "sub broker," in the trade (most funders will not accept business from that has been “re-brokered.” .” As important, the sender may not have a regular source for the specific transaction they want to place, such as a young privately held company wanted the lease as “corporate only.”  Both parties also realize the sender may “go direct” or grow to that point or utilize the “Super Broker” as a consultant for new sources.

Most important, the transactions may come from a lessor that wants to satisfy their client, and they have a "minimum" that the transaction does not meet; or perhaps their client is to the maximum amount of exposure for them.

For whatever reason, they come to a "super broker" to place the deal on their behalf.

In the question of sub-broker business, we take for granted that the “super broker” not only has a written agreement with the sub-broker but informs the lessor when submitting an application it has come from a sub-broker. A violation of this will have the company removed from the list.

In addition to the above qualifications, the "Super Broker" must have a "clean" Better Business Bureau rating, no Leasing News Bulletin Board complaints or a poor record, and must belong to a national leasing association, as we view this that they are professional and abide by their association standards and code of ethics.

We also will be verifying warehouse lines or "lessor" lines with their bankers (as done with those on the Story Credit List.)

Leasing News reserves the right not to list any company it believes does not meet the qualifications as stated above.

[headlines]

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[headlines]

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Parker Trial Postponed until April 27, 2007

The trial regarding forty-six (46) count Indictment, charging defendants Robert Parker, a/k/a Bob Parker, of Broward County, Gary Parker, of Greeneville, Tennessee, Hope Rocillo, a/k/a Hope Wiseman and Edward J. Annis, a/k/a Jason Annis, both of Forks, Washington, with various fraud and money laundering counts, as been postponed to April 27, 2007.

Reportedly the government's objection the postponement based on the difficulty and time involved in bring witnesses from all over the world to testify.

“According to the Indictment, the Parkers, Wiseman and Annis worked at Parker Leasing and Finance Service (Parker Leasing), in Broward County, Florida. The Indictment alleges that Parker Leasing purported to be in the business of financing and leasing commercial equipment, with financing available. According to the Indictment, the defendants made material misrepresentations to loan applicants to induce them to apply for commercial lease funding. As part of the loan process, the defendants required loan applicants to send advanced lease payments. The defendants, however, failed to deliver the promised funding, and then refused to return the victims' advanced lease payments.

“If convicted of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, the defendants face a statutory maximum sentence of five (5) years imprisonment. If convicted of the substantive mail and wire fraud and money laundering counts, the defendants face a maximum of twenty (20) years in prison per count. The defendants face a fine of up to $250,000 on each count of conviction and up to twice the amount of the money laundered on the money laundering charges."
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls/PressReleases/060518-02.html

Leasing News had many "run ins" with the late founder of the company, Paul Parker. He started out advertising in USA Today perhaps since the paper started in 1982, offering to train those in his office for $5,000. Former students have said today it is a one person office with an answering service and the manual was a mimeograph. There were never any claims against his company in the Better Business Bureau. He had so many addresses, he avoided BBB reporting.

After many run ins in the continental United States with Leasing News complaints, he evidently started an international thrust. One of the most famous was the deposit from the Austrian Soccer Club FC Tirol in 2001:

http://www.leasingnews.org/Complaints-Bulletin_Board/Year2001.htm#parker

There is still time to assist if you have any information regarding the Parkers and their leasing operation:
Tom.Lanigan@usdoj.gov
954-520-2353

Indictment:
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/Indictment.pdf

Latest document in the case, showing the difficulty and time involved in bring witnesses from all over the world to testify.
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/show_case_doc.pdf

[headlines]

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News Briefs----

El Camino Resources Announces End of Year Public Funding of Leases in Mexico
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070205/20070205005374.html?.v=1

Fitch: No Downgrade Streak Hits 5 Months for U.S. Term ABS
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070205/20070205005803.html?.v=1

Russian Leasing services market may triple by 2010
http://www.rbcnews.com/free/20070206194117.shtml

State Street buys rival for $4.5 billion
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2007/02/05/
state_street_to_buy_rival_for_45_bln_in_stock/

Cisco's Solid Quarter
http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3658341

Bernanke: education – not protectionism – would help deal with income inequality
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070206-1106-bernanke.html

Tucson: 2006 'definitely a time of adjustment'
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2007-02-06-close-tucson_x.htm

Apple warns iPod users against Vista
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/06/napple106.xml

Huge Layoffs at Alcatel-Lucent? 15,000 - 20,000 workers
http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3658376

Reilly joins Boston office of 7th-largest US law firm
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2007/02/06/reilly_joins_bos
ton_office_of_7th_largest_us_law_firm/

1950s singer Frankie Laine dies at 93
http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-02-06-frankie-laine-obit_x.htm

[headlines]

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You May have Missed---

Maybe Prince wasn't so 'non-controversial' after all
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/02/maybe_prince_wa.html

[headlines]

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Sports Briefs----

All-class Dungy may heed greater calling
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/zillgitt/2007-02-06-zillgitt-dungy_x.htm

Cowboys coach will need skilled sidekicks
http://www.cowboysplus.com/columnists/tcowlishaw/stories/
020707cpcowlishaw.10359a0.html

[headlines]

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California Nuts Briefs---

How S.F. Mayor Newsom decided to seek help
Talk with mentor: Mayor accepted John Burton's offer to discuss his problem
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/02/07/MANDR.TMP

California short $1 billion in tax revenue, controller says
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/16636888.htm

[headlines]

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“Gimme that Wine”

Correct answers for men who want to stay out of trouble
http://www.leasingnews.org/Pages/Wine.htm

The US to Become the World's Leading Wine Consumer by 2010
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=211506

Four execs leave Kendall-Jackson
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070206/
NEWS/702060382/1036/BUSINESS01

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/

[headlines]

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ParaAgon Restaurant
211 South First Street
San Jose, Ca. 95113
Valet Parking ($8.00)
Free parking with validation next door

Lunch
Monday-Friday 11:30am to 2:30pm
Dinner
Monday-Thursday 5:30pm to 10pm
Friday-Saturday 5:30pm 5 to 11pm
Sunday 5:30pm to 9pm

Located in the Hotel Montgomery, not far from the San Jose Convention Center, actually almost across the street from the famous Original Joe's restaurant, is a casual restaurant for business or social dinner.
The room is very warm and food very simple and very good. Live jazz on the weekends. Great business bar.

The chef is Philippe Breneman. They call the fare "American Brasserie." The hotel also looks very attractive and a good business location for those in what locals call "the downtown."

The web site of the San Jose location has a lot of useful information

http://www.paragonrestaurant.com/

(for other reviews: please go here:
http://two.leasingnews.org/Recommendations/rstrnt.htm )

[headlines]

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Calendar Events This Day

Grenada: Independence Day
National Day. Commemorates independence from Great Britain in 1974.

Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbors Day
www.wellcat.com

February 7
· St. Richard
· St. Adaucus
· St. Amulwinus
· St. Anatolius
· St. Augulus
· Bl. William Richardson
· St. Theodore Stratelates
· St. Tressan
· St. Chrysolius
· St. Fidelis
· St. Julian of Bologna
· St. Lawrence of Siponto
· St. Luke the Younger
· Bl. Rizzerio
· St. Meldon
· St. Moses
http://www.catholic.org/saints/f_day/feb.php

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China has only one time zone

China has one time zone, although the country spans a slightly greater longitude than the continental U.S. China has tried Daylight Saving Time, but has discontinued the practice.

During Daylight Saving Time, the time difference between
China and the U.S. Eastern time zone is an easy 12 hours.

http://www.chinaconnectiononline.com/time.html

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Today's Top Event in History

1978 - The worst winter storm of record struck coastal New England. The storm produced 27.5 inches of snow at Boston, and nearly 50 inches in northeastern Rhode Island. The fourteen foot tide at Portland ME was probably the highest of the century. Winds gusted to 79 mph at Boston, and reached 92 mph at Chatham MA. A hurricane size surf caused 75 deaths and 500 million dollars damage.

[headlines]
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This Day in American History

    1820- the first American to set foot on Antarctica was John Davis, a seal hunter, who went ashore at Hughes Bay. Antarctica had already been seen from a distance by the English explorer James Cook and the crew of his ship, the Endeavor, which circumnavigated the continent between 1773 and 1775.
    1827- ballet was introduced to the United States by renowned French danseuse Mme Francisquy Hutin with a performance of The Deserter, staged at the Bowery Theater, New York, NY. A minor scandal erupted when the ladies in the lower boxes left the theater upon viewing the light and scanty attire of Mme Hutin and her troupe.
    1861- a dramatic drop in temperature took place. The temperature at Gouverneur, New York plunged 70 degrees in one day, from 30 degrees above zero to 40 degrees below zero. Hanover, New Hampshire plummeted 69 degrees in 18 hours, from 37 degrees at 1 PM on the 7th to 32 degrees below zero at 7 am on the 8th. West Cummingham, Massachusetts dropped 80 degrees, from 48 degrees to 32 degrees below zero, and Boston, Massachusetts plunged 60 degrees, from 46 degrees to 14 degrees below zero.
    1867- birthday of author Laura Elizabeth Ingalls, Dakota Territory, now Wisconsin. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/feb07.html
    1882-John L. Sullivan won the bare-knuckle heavyweight championship of the world by defeating Paddy Ryan in a nine-round fight in Mississippi City, MS. Sullivan was the last bare-knuckles champion. He held the title until 1892 when he lost to James J. Corbett in a fight conducted under the Marquees of Queensbury Rules.
    1883--- Song writer/composer/pianist/organist Eubie Blake birthday
http://www.jass.com/sissle.html
http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/magic/saloon/blake.html
    1885-Birthday of Sinclair Lewis, American novelist and social critic. Recipient of Nobel Prize for Literature (1930). Among his novels: Main Street, Babbitt and It Can't Happen Here. Born Harry Sinclair Lewis at Sauk Center, MN. Died at Rome, Italy, Jan 10, 1951.
    1893 - Elisha Gray, of Highland Park, Illinois, patented the telautograph which automatically signed autographs on documents, freeing up the autographer to do other things.
    1904 - The biggest fire in the United States since the great Chicago blaze of 1871 broke out in Baltimore, destroying more than 2,600 buildings.
    1920 - a great 4 day snow and sleet storm came to an end over New England and southeastern New York. Accumulations of 15 to 20 inches of ice, sleet, and snow were common, stalling traffic for weeks.
    1922 - For the first time, DeWitt and Lila Acheson Wallace offered 5,000 copies of their magazine for sale. Today, "Reader’s Digest" continues to be widely read all over the world. In fact, it is the most-read periodical in history with an over 16 million circulation.
    1926 -- Negro History Week, originated by Carter G. Woodson, is observed for the first time.
    1931 - In New York City, the American opera, "Peter Ibbetson", by Deems Taylor premiered at the Metropolitan Opera House.
    1934 - A deep freeze made it possible to drive from Bay Shore to Fire Island NY.
    1936 - An executive order established the United States Vice President’s flag.
    1940 - Walt Disney's animation, "Pinocchio", premiered at the Center Theatre in Manhattan, New York. The showing was the second feature-length film for Disney, following "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". One critic called the show, "The happiest event since the war."
    1941 - UCLA forward, Jackie Robinson, scored 20 points in a losing cause, as the USC Trojans beat the Bruins 43-41, marking the 34th straight loss UCLA had suffered to USC since 1932. In the 1970s, the Bruins made up for those losses when coach John Wooden arrived.
    1941 - On Victor Records, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and Frank Sinatra teamed up to record "Everything Happens to Me". The session was held in the New York City studios of Victor.
    1944-- The Nazi's launch a second attack against the Allied beachead at Anzio, Italy. They hoped to push the Allies back into the sea.
    1949 - The New York Yankees rewarded Joe DiMaggio by making him the first baseball player to earn $100,000 a year.
    1949 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: ``A Little Bird Told Me,'' Evelyn Knight & the Stardusters.
    1950 --The United States recognizes Vietnam under the leadership of Emperor Bao Dai, not Ho Chi Minh who is recognized by the Soviets.
    1950—Top Hits
Dear Hearts and Gentle People - Dinah Shore
A Dreamer’s Holiday - Perry Como
The Old Master Painter - Snooky Lanson
Chatanoogie Shoe Shine Boy - Red Foley
    1956-- Ella Fitzgerald cuts first session of “Cole Porter Songbook.”
    1958—Top Hits
Don’t/I Beg of You - Elvis Presley
Get a Job - The Silhouettes
Sail Along Silvery Moon - Billy Vaughn
Ballad of a Teenage Queen - Johnny Cash
    1960-Barrett Strong's "Money" enters the pop chart where it tops out at #23. On the R&B chart it climbs to #2. The song will be covered by the likes of the Beatles, Kingsmen, Flying Lizards and Jr. Walker and the All Stars.
    1962 -- Vietnam: First U.S. Army support companies arrive in Saigon. Weapons
were still M-1's and BAR's; no preparation for jungle war fare. The
military has not changed in all these years, still: SNAFU. Ask
any vet who was there.
    1962-Birthday of singer Garth Brooks; the biggest star to emerge from the "new country" movement of the 1990s, was born in Yukon, Oklahoma. He blended rock and country influences and his highly theatrical stage shows stemmed from his admiration for such groups as Queen and Kiss. Since his self-titled debut in 1989, sales of Brooks's albums have surpassed 50 million. His 1991 release "Ropin' the Wind" was the first album ever to debut at number one on both Billboard's pop and country album charts, a feat repeated by his 1993 album "In Pieces."
    1964 -- Cassius Clay becomes a Black Muslim.
    1964-The Beatles arrive at New York's Kennedy Airport for their first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show." They are greeted by thousands of screaming fans in what is the first demonstration of Beatlemania in America. It was also the day that Baskin-Robbins introduced "Beatle-Nut" ice-cream.
    1965 -- Vietnam: US Air force begins systematic saturation bombing & strafing of North Vietnam — as opposed to their special "festive" bombing & strafing — coinciding with Kosygin’s visit to Hanoi.
    1966-The Beatles' "Nowhere Man" is released.
    1966—Top Hits
My Love - Petula Clark
Barbara Ann - The Beach Boys
No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach’s In) - The T-Bones
Giddyup Go - Red Sovine
    1966-The Beach Boys album, "Summer Days" goes gold, it's their sixth album to do so.
    1968 -- After American & South Vietnamese air & artillery strikes level the city of Bentre, South Vietnam (pop. 50,000), a US Army major explains that
"it became necessary to destroy the town to save it."
http://www.namebase.org/nerve.html
    1969-- Diane Crump became the first woman jockey to ride in a pari-mutuel race at a US Track. Crump finished tenth in a field of 12 at Hialeah.
    1969 - The weekly TV music variety show ``This Is Tom Jones'' premieres on ABC-TV.
    1970-Johnny Cash's album, "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" goes gold. His label, Columbia, report his LPs "At Folsom Prison" and "At San Quinten" have sold over 2 million copies each and his "Greatest Hits" album has sold over a million copies.
    1970-Joe Cocker's version of the Beatles classic "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window" peaks at #30 on the pop chart.
    1974-Soul artist Barry White receives four gold records on this date: for the singles "Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up" (#7), "Love's Theme" (Number One by the Love Unlimited Orchestra, conducted by White), and the album's "Under the Influence of Love Unlimited" (#3) and "Sonte Gon'" (#20).
    1974—Top Hits
The Way We Were - Barbra Streisand
Love’s Theme - Love Unlimited Orchestra
Americans - Byron MacGregor
Jolene - Dolly Parton
    1974-- Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles" opens in movie theaters.
http://www.filmsite.org/blaz.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blazing_Saddles
    1976-Paul Simon's "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" peaks at #1 on the chart.
    1978 - The worst winter storm of record struck coastal New England. The storm produced 27.5 inches of snow at Boston, and nearly 50 inches in northeastern Rhode Island. The fourteen foot tide at Portland ME was probably the highest of the century. Winds gusted to 79 mph at Boston, and reached 92 mph at Chatham MA. A hurricane size surf caused 75 deaths and 500 million dollars damage.
    1979-- the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Darryl Sittler set an NHL record for most points in a game when he scored six goals and earned four assists in an 11-4 victory over the Boston Bruins. 1982, outfielder George Foster became baseball’s highest-paid player and the first $2 million man when he signed a five-year contract worth $10 million with the New York Mets. Free agent Foster left the Cincinnati Reds’ fabled “Big Red Machine,” but his offensive production with the Mets never reached expectations. New York released him before the last year of his contract expired.
    1979 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: ``Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?'' Rod Stewart. The song is an international success, reaching No. 1 in 11 countries.
    1980 -- Pink Floyd begins one of the more unusual coast-to-coast tours in rock history, playing the first of only 14 shows in Los Angeles. The only other city they played was New York. The stage, to promote the band's latest album "The Wall," features a 120 by 60 foot wall made of Styrofoam blocks, which gradually envelops the group as the show goes on.
    1982—Top Hits
Centerfold - The J. Geils Band
Harden My Heart - Quarterflash
Turn Your Love Around - George Benson
Lonely Nights - Mickey Gilley
    1984---Navy Captain Bruce McCandless was the first and Army Lieutenant Colonel Robert Stewart were the second astronaut to fly free in space. While in orbit over the earth, McCandless exited Space Shuttle Challenger and maneuvered freely, without a tether, using a rocket pack on his own design. Stewart also sued the rocket pack to fly untethered later that day.
    1985 - "Sports Illustrated" released its annual swimsuit edition. This issue was the biggest regular edition in the magazine’s history, with 218 pages. On the cover, Paulina Porizkova joined Cheryl Tiegs and Christie Brinkley as the only models to make the cover more than once.
    1985 - "New York, New York" became the Big Apple's official anthem. Mayor Ed Koch made the announcement.
    1986 -- Haiti: After huge popular protests, dictator "Baby Doc" Duvalier (President-for-Life) flees the country, ending 35 years of this U.S.-sponsored terrorist dictatorship
    1987 - Madonna’s "Open Your Heart" hit #1 in the U.S. It was the third straight number-one single from her "True Blue" album.
    1988 - Twenty-two cities in the eastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date, including Binghamton NY with a reading of 5 degrees below zero. Snow blanketed southern Louisiana, with three inches reported at Cameron.
    1989 - Twenty-five cities in the western U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date. Lows of 16 at Las Vegas NV, 26 at Bakersfield CA, -29 degrees at Milford UT, and -16 degrees at Reno NV were February records. The low of 43 degrees below zero at Boca CA was a state record for the month of February. In Utah, lows of -32 degrees at Bryce Canyon, -27 degrees at Delta, -29 degrees at Dugway, and -38 degrees at Vernal were all-time records for those locations.
    1989 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: ``Straight Up,'' Paula Abdul.
    1990- Lisa Leslie of Morningside HS, Inglewood, CA, scored 101 points in the first half of a game against South Torrance HS. the game ended at the half with the score at 1023-24 as the South Torrance coach refused to let his team finish the game.
    1990
How Am I Supposed to Live Without You - Michael Bolton
Opposites Attract - Paula Abdul with The Wild Pair
Downtown Train - Rod Stewart
Nobody’s Home - Clint Black
    1994- Whitney Houston dominated the 21st annual American Music Awards, winning seven honors on the strength of "The Bodyguard" soundtrack and her version of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You." During the taping of the show in Los Angeles, Blind Melon lead singer Richard Shannon Hoon began mouthing off, then struck a security guard in the face. He was arrested and put in a police car, where he tried to kick out the partition between the front and back seats. After a further altercation at the police station, Hoon was charged with assault and battery. Blind Melon was a nominee for best new artist but lost to Stone Temple Pilots.
    1994-, Paul Anka was honored at the French music industry's annual awards in Paris for his song "My Way." It was in 1968 that Anka wrote new lyrics to the melody of a French pop hit "Comme d'habitude," which means "As Usual." Anka called his version "My Way," and it became Frank Sinatra's signature song.
    1998 - The XVIIIth Winter Olympic games opened at Nagano, Japan. Wind, rain, fog and lightning, with a mild earthquake thrown in, played havoc with Alpine skiing during the first five days. Then, good weather moved in and, when the games ended, the Japanese were hailed for their excellent show.
    1998-- NHL's Dallas Stars retire Neal Broten's #7

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Winter Poem

Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind

Blow, blow, thou winter wind
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude.

Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship if feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then heigh-ho, the holly!
This life is most jolly.

Freeze, freeze thou bitter sky,
That does not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp
As a friend remembered not.
Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship if feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then heigh-ho, the holly!
This life is most jolly.

William Shakespeare

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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?

http://leasingnews.org/Soduku/soduko-main.htm

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

Daily Puzzle

How to play:
http://www.setgame.com/set/puzzle_frame.htm

Refresh for current date:
http://www.setgame.com/set/puzzle_frame.htm

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