Broker Relations Manager Bothell , Washington Build/manage broker base. Provide guidance to new brokers. Work with "full financial" credit packages, “story” & non-standard credits from $25,000 to $450,000. e-mail jimb@abcoleasing.net or fax resume: 425.806.1813 . Our new business is sourced exclusively through brokers.

www.abcoleasing.net

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Headlines---

Why Pacific Capital Leasing not mentioned
    Classified Ads—Legal/Leasing Attorneys
        Bentsen attends White House HR 5140 signing
The man behind Lease Fleece?
Adam Zuckerman
Up-date: Two Bulletin Board Complaints
Southwest Credit, San Antonio, TX
    Comcast Introduces “Blast”
        Classified Ads---Help Wanted
Placard---In, Out, No Problem
    30-year and ARM rise to 5.72%
        Detroit had top foreclosure rate in 2007
Identifying Risky Mortgages on Credit Bureaus
    ELFF says: Alternative Energy Growing Market
        Airbus outpaced Boeing in January orders
    2008: Challenging for U.S. Airport Industry?
News Briefs---
    You May have Missed---
        Sports Briefs---
"Gimme that Wine"
    Calendar Events
        Snapple Real Facts
Today's Top Event in History
    This Day in American History
        Valentine Day Poem
SuDoku
    Daily Puzzle
        GasBuddy
News on Line---Internet Newspapers
Canada

######## surrounding the article denotes it is a “press release”

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

Why Pacific Capital Leasing not mentioned in release

In the media release from Resource American about the Parent of LEAF reports $6.4 million 1st Quarter Loss, the acquisition of Pacific Capital Leasing was not mentioned. Noted were November 30, 2007 Dolphin Capital acquisition as well as November 07, 2007 acquisition of NetBank Business Finance.

Paul Menzel, CLP, President, LEAF Third Party Funding, gave Leasing News the answer why Pacific Capital Leasing was not mentioned:

“Not included because closed June 07 in last FYE 9/30/07 and included then. Old news!”

Resource America press story, release:
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/February%202008/02-11-08.htm#leaf

[headlines]

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Classified Ads—Legal/Attorneys specialize in Leasing

San Diego, CA
Experienced in-house corporate, equipment leasing and financial services attorney seeks position as managing or transactional counsel. Willing to relocate. Cell Phone: 760-533-4058;
Email: sandidq@msn.com

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” ad here, please go to:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted-post.htm

[headlines]

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Bentsen attends White House signing of HR 5140

HR 5140 signed into law by President George Bush yesterday gives companies a 50 percent bonus deduction on new equipment that would normally be depreciated over five to seven. The new law also increases — to $250,000 from $128,000 in 2008 — the limit on expenses that small businesses can deduct from annual income, with a total cap of $800,000.

Equipment Leasing and Finance Association President Hon Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr., former congressman from Texas, was invited to the White House ceremony of the signing of HR 5140 into law representing the equipment finance sector.

(photo: ELFA)

“We believe the plan is well balanced to enhance personal and corporate consumption in the short run, " he said.” Specifically, the plan will allow for enhanced expensing of investment in plant and equipment and includes a 50% bonus depreciation provision designed to spur such investment. In our view, the expensing and bonus depreciation provisions could well maintain or enhance investment in capital goods that otherwise might not occur in 2008,” Bentsen said.

“U.S. business investment in plant, equipment and software accounts for between 15-17% of GDP and the bonus depreciation and expensing provisions could serve to incent businesses to continue to invest in plant and equipment. Throughout 2007 ELFA data showed continued willingness on the part of businesses to commit capital through either leases or loans of capital goods, although the growth in such investment began to slow in the fourth quarter of 2007. Fear of recession could cause businesses to postpone planned capital investments. These provisions could help with business psychology and have a positive impact upon aggregate demand.

“We commend the Administration and Congress who have acted at such a pace as to underscore the serious nature of their commitment to forestalling an economic downturn.”

Explanation of Provision
“The provision increases the $128,000 and $510,000 amounts under section 179 for taxable years beginning in 2008 to $250,000 and $800,000, respectively. The $250,000 and $800,000 amounts are not indexed for inflation.
Effective Date
The provision is effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2007.’
http://www.house.gov/jct/x-16-08.pdf

“The types of property eligible for bonus depreciation will be the same as those included in the previous depreciation packages: (1) tangible property that had a recovery period not exceeding 20 years; (2) purchased computer software; (3) water utility property; and (4) qualified leasehold improvement property. The bonus depreciation will be allowed under the alternative minimum tax (AMT). The proposal is effective for calendar year 2008 beginning after the date of first Committee action. This proposal is estimated to cost $43.9 billion in 2008, and $7.4 billion over ten years.” http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/files/economic_stimulus_summary.pdf

"The amount eligible to be expensed for a taxable year may not exceed the taxable income for a taxable year that is derived from the active conduct of a trade or business (determined without regard to this provision). Any amount that is not allowed as a deduction because of the taxable income limitation may be carried forward to succeeding taxable years (subject to similar limitations). No general business credit under section 38 is allowed with respect to any amount for which a deduction is allowed under section 179. An expensing election is made under rules prescribed by the Secretary. For taxable years beginning in 2011 and thereafter, other rulesapply.85"
http://www.house.gov/jct/x-16-08.pdf

One example may be a trucking company who qualifies for the taxable income phase can finance four trailers at $100,000 a piece. He can enter into new contracts with four independent owner-operator truck drivers to haul goods that he arranges with shippers, plus it may add another person to his administrative staff.

A company needs $1 million in up-dating its computer systems in various offices. The normal depreciation would be five years for the equipment and seven years for software (at this time, software is not in the stimulus package,) but the computers area.

If it is $1,000,000 in equipment, the company could claim depreciation in the first year of $200,000 (20 percent of $1 million). With the new 50 percent bonus depreciation, the company can deduct $600,000 in the first year (50 percent bonus depreciation of $500,000, plus $100,000, which is 20 percent of $500,000). The remaining cost can be depreciated over the remaining recovery period.
Since most leases, according to the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation study, 88% are capital leases, there does not appear to be much tax effect for leasing and finance companies. Companies that can pass the depreciation to single investors may realize benefits. The main benefit is to give businesses incentive to purchase $250,000 or more in equipment to deduct the cost in one year rather than spread the cost by depreciation over time schedule.

This stimulus appears aimed at larger companies who may qualify for the deduction as many companies who can take up to $175,000 depreciation, under certain provisions in 2007, will not meet nor qualify for the new tax stimulus.

HR 5140
http://www.finance.senate.gov/sitepages/leg/LEG%202008/020708%20Leg%20
Text%20Amend%20HR5140.pdf

[headlines]

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Adam Zuckerman: the man behind Lease Fleece?

by Christopher Menkin

There are three men who were behind what the FBI calls “Lease Fleece.” Two labeled by many as the “bad boys” of leasing are Jim Raeder and Mark McQuitty; CapitalWerks, Sierra Cities, Republic Leasing of Southern California. They both point to one man as the leader. This is his story.

Part I---Adam Zuckerman

"The FBI called me on September 21, 2005 at 2:47pm. I’ll never forget the feeling, as if I’d just been told I have less than a month to live -my life would never be the same”

"I've done what everyone who is faced with the worst of circumstances needs to do - make a decision to live or die, fight or fall, win or lose. I drown myself in Scotch for nearly a year, neurotically chasing ‘what ifs’ in the back corner of my house staring at the wall instead of the sunrise over the ocean. My wife and two dogs became my only friends. A year later I looked into the darkness and said 'I wont do this another day’. “

His companions Bishop and Goliath

37 year old Adam Zuckerman, who had great previous success in following his other business ideas, decided to cooperate with the FBI.

At the time, Adam Zuckerman says he did not know he was creating an operation that would become the backdoor to many leasing brokers anxious to fund sale/leasebacks on existing equipment as new equipment and make 20% commissions for the referral. His viewpoint was that he was helping lessees who could not get cash without his method that he had discovered. He made a living putting larger money deals together, so this was easy. Adam Zuckerman found himself not only encouraged by applicants, brokers, intermediaries, but funders and bankers, all in an irrational exuberance to create new business. His story on how he put this together, what he learned, and how it all worked may be of help in preventing this from happening again.

“There is a point at which you realize that the story you’ve told yourself to rationalize the situation is not the truth.”

As of August 2007, enough evidence has been collected to convince 23 others to plead to an “information,” as the proof of the illegal activity was overwhelming.

During this time in discovering what he thought was a new concept by his new friends who were in equipment leasing, he never went to an equipment leasing association, did not know about the California Finance Lender's license requirements, and thought if banks gave fees to dealers who referred them business, or brokers, or discounted leases among themselves, why could he not do this? In addition he was not the leasing equipment broker so therefore he never saw nor signed any “representation and warrants” agreements.

He originally thought this was legal. After all, the attorneys he contacted said the concept was legal. Several told him this. He thought it was a “green light.” It was an easy way to make more money as he pursued his other endeavors.

"I started Heatrock after converting the building that formerly housed my previous endeavor, IntenseCity Sports Performance Centers, into an incubator/accelerator for small business,” he explains how this all happened. ”The entire facility was transformed from a 30,000 sq. ft state of the art sports training complex into a high-tech home for 20 small companies, where we would provide guided growth and support services to take them to the next level.”

“This is where I first learned about the leasing business second hand from Jim Reader (CapitalWerks/Preferred Lease/Republic Leasing of Southern California), where he negotiated space in our building for some a few of his ‘companies.’ Little did I know five years before I ever contemplate entering “the business,” that Jim was in fact housing some of the dirtiest players in the industry right under my roof.”

Nearly a year after first being approached with the idea of making money in leasing by Jim Raeder, he contacted his attorney, who suggested finding an expert in leasing law. He did an internet search and found who he thought was the top leasing lawyer. The person he chose is one of the top in the industry; particularly very active and well-known in the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (Leasing News is not disclosing his name at this time. editor.)

He had talked to several local attorneys, all telling him it was legal, as did the leasing expert lawyer. It also should be mentioned, the eMail to him had a caveat at the end, recommending "full disclosure" to all parties involved. Here is the eMail the attorney sent to another attorney as well as a cc: to Adam Zuckerman:

"Need to please get you involved on determining whether a client's financial transactions violate any laws. My initial read of the deals is that he's okay, but a lot of money is at stake and the client is a very straight guy who does not want to run afoul of the law whatsoever. Here's the layout:

"Adam Zuckerman's company in California serves as a marketing / broker ("Broker") who gets very good leads on customers interested in doing small ticket corporate lease deals. All of the corporate Customers have good enough credit scores that they would automatically qualify to do small ticket equipment lease deals per industry standard. Broker takes the list of Customers to a Vendor who works with a Manufacturer (i.e. Hewlett Packard) and then shops the deal to a Bank to see if they want to fund the deal. The Bank does its own due diligence and credit scoring as well on the Customer and equipment, and assuming the qualifications are right, they enter into a small ticket lease with the Customer where the Vendor, the Customer and the Bank all agree on the value of the equipment and usually $1.00 out leases are written, and the equipment schedules reflect the actual equipment leased with its then agreed to FMV per invoice. Critically, almost always, the Bank does its own independent assessment of the equipment, but notably, there is little doubt, the value of the equipment is somewhat inflated, which everyone knows, wink-wink, nod-nod. (This is common thru the equipment lease industry.) It is this FMV sum that the Bank lends on and Broker has no involvement in that deal or any contact with or relationship to Bank, except for providing the Customer lead to the Vendor.

"Now the fun part. On the side, the Manufacturer, Vendor, Broker and Customer agree that the Manufacturer will provide the Customer with a somewhat sizable cash rebate, that is actually often used for the Customer's working capital. (In fact, Broker gets paid the spread of difference from that loan amount - NOT disclosed to Bank - and a couple of points. He makes **** a month doing these deals.) But, remember, the bank is not lending on these sums. Also, the Bank has no relationship to Broker. The client strongly believes, however, that if the Bank knew this was Broker originated, or if the rebate was for working capital purposes, the loan/lease would not be approved. (My thinking is that there is no duty to disclose anything from the Broker to the Bank b/c they have no relationship AND in addition, it's irrelevant, bc the bank is lending on a fixed asset and they approved the deal based on their own due diligence and assessment of equipment value, totally independent of anything received from the Vendor.) FYI, so far the portfolios have been performing at a very high rate, which is what should be expected given the high average credit scores. Also, so far, Broker has been writing the rebate check to Customer, but the client believes that easily, the Manufacturer would write the check, which is what I'd prefer.

"I told him the safest thing to do, if there's a concern, is to simply make a FULL DISCLOSURE to everyone and to get the Manufacturer to write the rebate check. We want to make sure Adam's not doing anything illegal. So far I don't see it. I certainly don’t see fraud. I'd like to send you the client's memo to me and related documents, and to then follow up from there to determine if we're missing something.

"Adam, if I've missed something in my brief background statement above, please clarify it."

At first he was reluctant, but when the attorneys said it was not illegal, Adam Zuckerman viewed this as a green light, another idea that he could turn into success.

"In 1990 I became a fitness trainer at the Sporting House in Newport Beach, where I simultaneously became involved in sports and fitness industry. The result of this direction led me to become a consultant to The Sporting Clubs of America, where my charter was to implement programs for their trainers and sales people ((specifically sales-force automation (Goldmine)), now coined CRM, along with improvements to the related club operating systems. I was later asked by Jack Neiman to prepare financials and a take-over plan to present to Japanese investors, (multi-billion players) who at the time were buying up commercial real estate in California.

"In 1996 I bought out a training center called Athletic Performance Enhancement across the street from the Sports Club Irvine/Los Angeles where I consulted. The concept was geared toward working with professional Athletes and kids rather than soccer moms. I thought it was a terrible idea at first, but later learned that parents would spend an exhaustive amount of money on their kids and their dreams to become better athletes – so was born IntenseCity Sports Performance Centers. After great success in our 15,000 sq. ft. location and landing a contract with Disney for the Ducks and Angels, I decided to step it up, where I made some political plays with Irvine officials and was granted a 30,000 ft. building in the Irvine Spectrum. After raising and spending nearly $3M to build and equip, I was successful in creating the most amazing hi-tech athletic training center in the country, including a hockey treadmill that allowed athletes to skate on an acrylic surface uphill.

"Soon after we attracted many celebrities and technology players that wanted to step it up another notch, including Cal Ripken Jr., Chris Carter, Sinai of Baltimore Hospital, 24 hour fitness and IBM (the dot com days), where we positioned ourselves to evolve into website called ScorePlanet (an online scouting community for athletes all over world and those that trained at IntenseCity).

Part II—next week the story of Jim Raeder and Mark McQuitty
involvement in the new enterprise, according to Adam Zuckerman.

[headlines]

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

Up-date: Two Bulletin Board Complaints
Southwest Credit, San Antonio, TX

Southwest Credit, 13750 San Pedro, Suite #150, San Antonio, TX 78232 claims to be a direct funding source and in operations since 1999 on their web site:
http://www.swcreditlender.com/.

Here are the two complaints:
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/February%202008/02-08-08.htm#bbc

Here is a response from SouthWest Credit:

"First, Southwest Credit thanks your organization for the opportunity to respond to the bulletin board complaints that were filed on your website.

"On the bulletin board, it was reported by your organization that you had received two complaints 'that they have not responded to repeated e-mails and telephone calls.' As to both of the cases that were published on the board, this is simply not true. I personally had contacted both complainants prior to the time that I became aware of the postings to discuss with each of them the facts specific to each of their cases and to assure them if they had questions, they could contact me.

I have also spoken to Mr. Bennett since his complaint was posted, and he agrees that I have made reasonable attempts to keep him up to date and that he is satisfied. I urge you to contact him yourself to verify this statement.

Additionally, on at least three occasions prior to your posting, I spoke with Mr. New about the lease in question. Since I regard Mr. New as an honorable man, if you make an inquiry to him I am sure he will confirm that he spoke to me about this matter. Although Mr. New and Southwest Credit disagree on the resolution of the situation, we did talk clearly and specifically about this matter. Unfortunately, Mr. New has compounded this incident by posting an incomplete document to your site in support of his allegation that Southwest Credit does not have a contractual right to its position. Our respect for the privacy of our clients does not allow us to post a lessee’s document on a public forum as Mr. New attempted to do. However, Southwest Credit can and does state that the document posted is not complete. Southwest Credit has a conditional acceptance contract that is very complete and clear on the procedure that must occur during the lease process. After evaluating all of the facts in this matter, Southwest Credit decided to exercise its contractual right to retain the payments made by the lessee. Mr. New disagreed with this decision; he certainly has the right to do. But to jump to the determination, based upon an incomplete document, that Southwest Credit has no contractual right to retain the funds is simply wrong. Southwest Credit is confident it has both the contractual and the factual basis to support its position in this matter.

As to the returned email sent to Mr. James Lopez, we are not sure how this occurred. We have confirmed via email with the NAELB that Ms. Jilma Gonzales is named as Southwest Credit’s NAELB contact in this organization’s database, not Mr. James Lopez.

David Kirkendall
General Counsel
Southwest Credit
13750 San Pedro Ste. 150
San Antonio, TX 78232
Phone: 210 490-7355

Bennet said this is his complaint:

“They claimed they couldn't fund the deal in December because they were changing banks lines. The vendors were okay with this. The vendors were promised they would be funded by January 11th. At this point they claim they are still trying to process the funding. All site inspection and verbal requirements have been done.”

He never said SouthWest was not communicating. He said the deal was not funded since December. If it has not funded, his complaint then is valid to Leasing News.

Mr. David Kirkendall's response:

"I will state that at the present time, Mr. Bennett and Southwest Credit have an agreement under which we are operating, and Mr. Bennett and I are staying in touch via phone, fax and email."

As to Mr. New, the check came from his company. He sent us a copy of the check cashed by SouthWest Credit. It was also stated in the complaint:

"Here is a front and back copy of our check that we sent to Southwest Credit functioning as agent for our potential lessee Cuauhtemoc Becerra."

Mr. Kirkendall's response:

"I am not surprised by his statement. Since I believe that Mr. New is an honorable man, I do not think for a minute that he would have posted a document on your website that he knew was not complete. Nonetheless, his document is incomplete and I think if he goes back to his client, he should be able to get the complete version."

The complaint to Leasing News remains legitimate as there is no bilateral document provided that allows SouthWest Credit to keep the deposit from Bob New, Inc.

Copy of Bob New, Inc. check (signature/bank number deleted):
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/Check_15448.pdf

[headlines]

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Comcast Introduces “Blast”

by Christopher Menkin

This is Comcast’s answer to AT&T’s DSL campaign at faster speeds and lower prices. Unfortunately, the AT&T offer is not good everywhere, or many places, although their prices are lower.

I have AT&T DSL in the garage as I can’t get a fourth line into my home office without having to drill through the foundation for a new telephone line. New houses today have six and twelve lines as standard, but ours is three lines: home, business, and dedicated alarm. The DSL is very fast, inexpensive, and always faster than Comcast, even though it is not their top of the line connection, but standard (wireless doesn’t go far enough to the office as it has to go through the garage firewall.)

Comcast recently came out and tweaked the connection, as it was dropping below 1gig. They did it at the telephone poll connection. It is supposed to be 6gig. They improved it slightly. The Comcast connection fails in the rain or storms and often the modem has to be reset. When this happens, I use the computer in the garage.

When the new Comcast Blast was introduced promising a 16 gig connection, I called right away. Wouldn’t you know it, not available in my area. I did sign up for the 8gig speed available in my area, for an extra $10, and when it becomes available, the tech told me it would go automatically to 16gig at no extra charge.

In testing, the download speed has doubled to 2gig, and upload depends on how far away the server is, San Francisco, St. Louis, or New York. It is the speed of a T1, 1500kb, one gig, so I can live with that. It is not the 8gig that was promised.

Often when I take my laptop out I get faster free speeds from WiFi. They are often faster than Comcast and DSl. The United States is way down on the list of countries with internet connections and speed. Even in Provence, France, in Mussane, a town of 2,000, you can sit in the square and get WifFi at 4gig connections. Portugal, too. Even Turkey.

As to VOIP, almost all the new generation does not have wire telephones, but communicates exclusively on cellular telephones, and our youngest daughter, who lives in Brooklyn and works
in New York City, uses text more than voice. I’ll stick with the wire telephone at business and home. Comcast goes down too often to rely on it exclusively. I do appreciate the faster internet speeds, however.

Maybe I’ll have Comcast come out again to see why the connection is not as fast as they promised.

I can remember when AOL went from 300 baud to 1200 baud. Man, we thought that was fast.

[headlines]

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Leasing Industry Help Wanted

Broker Relations Manager

Broker Relations Manager Bothell , Washington Build/manage broker base. Provide guidance to new brokers. Work with "full financial" credit packages, “story” & non-standard credits from $25,000 to $450,000. e-mail jimb@abcoleasing.net or fax resume: 425.806.1813 . Our new business is sourced exclusively through brokers.

www.abcoleasing.net

Controller

Controller Los Angeles, CA Require Great Plains & 5+ yrs of accounting exp.  CPA & exp. in equip. leasing are desired but not required.  Must have BA in accounting/finance field. Send resume to recruiting@julesandassociates. About the Company : Jules & Associates, Inc. is at forefront of the equipment finance industry.  Founded in 1989, we have been ranked twice by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S.

www.julesandassociates.com

Lease Officer

LEASE OFFICER SMALL TICKET LESSOR, providing superior service for 35+years Transactions- $10Kto $1MM, Seeks seasoned sales professionals To learn more: sandyspringbank.tms or contact Scott Wheeler at SWheeler@SandySpringBank.com

www.sandyspringbank.com

[headlines]

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

[headlines]

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

30-year and ARM rise to 5.72%

Average borrowing costs on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages, as well as for one-year adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) loans, are now at 5.72%, as the The Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted home loan application index fell 2.1% in the week ended Feb. 8 to 1,063.5. The rise in rate has cut back the demand for home loan applications, including refinancing. Credit tightening, including requirements such as down payment and other fees, continue on an increase. It was reported that half of the home sales last month were from foreclosed homes.

There also have been an increase of homeowners abandoning mortgages due to the drop in home prices, particularly condominiums. In the San Francisco Bay Area, condo’s which sold for $550,000 are
worth $350,000 to $400,000 and buyers who acquired them with 100% financing reportedly are finding it easier to walk away than pay the mortgage payment.

[headlines]

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

Detroit had top foreclosure rate in 2007

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2008-02-13-foreclosure-rates_N.htm

[headlines]

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

Identifying Risky Mortgages on Credit Bureaus

from Allegiant Partners Newsletter
www.allegiant-partners.com

Subprime was the word of the Year in 2007 and could potentially be the silver bullet of the leasing industry over the next 12-18 months as these teaser rate, interest only and negative amortization (NegAm) mortgages reset at an alarming pace. Many of these homeowners and investors can not and will not be able to service these debts and will force them into bankruptcy and/or foreclosure.

When Allegiant Partners underwrites a transaction we investigate each tradeline on their bureau and specifically the type of mortgage(s) the lessee has. We've passed on a number of "seemingly strong" transactions because they have NegAm mortgages combined with 100% financing that are ticking time bombs for these potential lessees.

A few tips on how to help you identify these risky mortgages and gauge the real strength of these lessees are highlighted below.

Look at the Loan Amount of the mortgage on the credit bureau and compare it to the current balance. If the current balance is larger than the loan amount this is a NegAm loan. (Equifax occasionally raises the original balance while Experian tends to keep the original balance.)

Divide the payment amount by the mortgage balance and multiply this number by 12. If this interest rate is below 6% and the mortgage is less than 2 years old it is potentially an interest only teaser rate mortgage.

If the property has been purchased since 2005 in high risk areas like California, Florida, Arizona, Nevada and Michigan we verify the amount of the mortgage against the current value of the property using tools like Zillow. Properties purchased with 100% financing in these areas may face a difficult time refinancing if they have an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) and/or they may be greatly inflating their PFS.

We acknowledge these techniques may not be 100% accurate however when used properly they can provide insight into potential financial hardship for these prospective lessee's and allow these transactions to be properly structured or avoided.

---

Useful Tips for Using Zillow

The home valuation website http://www.zillow.com/ has become a common tool for many underwriters, investors and real estate brokers. While the valuation itself may leave something to be desired there is some very valuable and easily accessible information that can help us make more informed decisions about the true value of the property. Some of the most relevant information we can gather from Zillow include:

Purchase Price

Purchase Date

Home Details (Sq. ft, Beds, Baths)

Sale History

Additional info that can be gathered from Zillow allow us to create our own desk top appraisal for properties which may or may not support the Zillow values. This information includes:

Recent Sales

Comparable Sales

"Birds Eye" pictures

Neighborhood Pricing info

--

Allegiant Partners is now funding transactions up to $400,000 so please contact Doug or Paul to preview your B&C credit commercial transactions.

For further information regarding Allegiant Partners, please contact:
Doug Houlahan at 415-257-4200 x 205 or
Paul Foster at 415-257-4200 x 206 or
Visit www.allegiant-partners.com

Allegiant Partners Inc.
900 4th Street Suite 200
San Rafael, CA 94901
phone: 415.257.4200
fax: 415.257.4201

[headlines]

---------------------------------------------------------------
### Press Release ###########################

Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation Report
Confirms Alternative Energy Increasingly
Important New Market for Equipment Finance Sector

Market Segment has Significant Growth Potential Despite Existing Limitations
for Clean Energy Development

Washington, DC, The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation/1 (Foundation) has released a new report, “The Future of Financing Alternative Energy Equipment,” which focuses on the current size of the market, both domestically and internationally, reviews transaction structures presently being used to finance alternative energy equipment, and evaluates the long-term future of this market for equipment finance companies. Alternative energy equipment/project finance has emerged as an important component of the equipment finance sector.

The study also reviews alternative energy generation and the specific conversion technologies that are most advanced and most prevalent today – electricity generated from biomass, geothermal resources, solar power, and wind power. Conducted for the Foundation by the Alta Group and Dr. Gilbert E. Metcalf of the Economics Department of Tufts University, the study also analyzes Europe’s experience and recommends U.S. policies that would encourage investment in renewable energy.

“The Foundation is committed to raising the equipment finance community's awareness of the important and expanding opportunities for investment in renewable and alternative energy,” said Foundation Chair Michael A. Leichtling, Troutman Sanders LLP. “Although power generation by ‘old fuels’ is projected to continue to grow moderately, companies are seeking renewable options to replace the power generated by those fuels that particularly contribute to global warming. We believe this market segment has significant growth potential and we want to encourage our members to develop appropriate financial products,” Leichtling said.

A survey accompanying the finance study shows that the respondents (senior executives from commercial banks or institutional lenders; independent leasing companies; captive equipment finance companies) are active in financing all types of alternative energy assets:

80 percent of respondents have each invested up to $10 million in alternative energy equipment and projects A number of companies have invested $50 million or more in these assets More than 71 percent of survey respondents who have invested in alternative energy equipment said they would continue to do so More than 90 percent responded that their level of investment in alternative energy, relative to their overall portfolio, is most likely to increase

While the development of renewable energy sources has taken significant leaps in the U.S., investment in renewable electricity generation continues to be lag behind other countries, such as Europe. For example, renewable capacity in the U.S. grew by 50 percent between 1990 and 2004, but grew by 750 percent in the EU during the same period, according to the study.

“Building new capacity for power through alternative sources of energy continues to grow and with it the interest that government subsidize greater use of alternative energy as prudent public policy,” said Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr., President of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association/2 which is affiliated with the Foundation. “The equipment finance sector sees this as a dynamic and promising area for the development of new financial products to support future investment in equipment,” Bentsen said.

Foundation donors receive copies of Foundation reports free of charge; non-donors may obtain a copy of the study for $200 through the Foundation online store at
http://www.store.leasefoundation.org/product/alternative_energy/

/1 The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization that provides vision for the equipment leasing and finance industry through future-focused information and research. Primarily funded through donations, the Foundation is the only organization dedicated to future-oriented, in-depth, independent research for the leasing industry. Visit the Foundation online at http://www.LeaseFoundation.org.

/2. The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association is the trade association that represents companies in the $600 billion equipment finance sector, which includes financial services companies and manufacturers engaged in financing the utilization and investment of and in capital goods. ELFA members are the driving force behind the growth in the commercial equipment finance market and contribute to capital formation in the U.S. and abroad. Based in Washington, D.C., ELFA has over 700 members including independent and captive lease and finance companies, banks, financial services corporations, broker/packagers and investment banks, as well as manufacturers and service providers. For more information,
please visit <http://www.elfaonline.org>
ELFA is also the premier source for statistics and analyses covering the equipment finance sector.
To access ELFA's comprehensive industry information,
please visit http://www.elfaonline.org/ind/research/

[headlines]

### Press Release ###########################
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News Briefs----

Airbus outpaced Boeing in January orders
http://www.kansas.com:80/business/updates/story/308536.html

Fitch Ratings: 2008 Could Be Challenging for U.S. Airport Industry
http://www.fitchratings.com/corporate/events/press_releases_detail.cfm?pr_id=405433

States Are Caught in a Debt Squeeze
http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/10683516?f=alerts

Morgan Stanley Cuts 1,000 Jobs
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-Morgan-Stanley-Jobs.html?_r=
1&ref=business&oref=slogin

[headlines]

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You May have Missed---

The Declining Dollar
---How companies are coping.
http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/10596975?f=alerts

[headlines]

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Sports Briefs----

Specter: Pats' taping dates to 2000; explanation 'invalid'
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2008-02-13-goodell-specter_N.
htm?loc=interstitialskip

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“Gimme that Wine”

Merlot Sales No Longer “Sideways”
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&
newsId=20080213005090&newsLang=en

You Tube--Who wants to be a winemaker
http://www.winebusiness.com/news/DailyNewsArticle.cfm?dataid=53135

Iowa Grape Industry Provides Significant Economic Activity
http://wallacesfarmer.com/index.aspx?ascxid=fpStory&fpsid=32207&fpstid=2

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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Calendar Events This Day

Arizona: Admission Day
Became 48th state in 1912.

Bulgaria: Viticulturist’s Day (Trifon Zarezan)
Celebrated since Thracian times. Festivities are based on cult of Dionysus, god of merriment and wine.

Ferris Wheel Day
Anniversary of the birth of George Washington Gale Ferris, American engineer and inventor, at Galesburg, IL. Among his many accomplishments as a civil engineer, Ferris is best remembered as the inventor of the Ferris Wheel, which he developed for the World’s Columbian Exposition at Chicago, Il, in 1893. Built on the Midway Plaisance, the 350-feet-diameter Ferris wheel (with 36 coaches, each capable of carrying 4r0 passengers) proved one of the greatest attractions of the fair. It was America’s answer to the Eiffel Tower of the Paris International Exposition of 1889. Ferris died at Pittsburgh, PA, No 22, 1896.

Race Relations’ Day
A day designated by some churches to recognize the important of interracial relations. Formerly was observed on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday or on the Sunday preceding it. Since 1970, observance has generally been Feb. 14.

Valentine’s Day
St. Valentine’s Day celebrates the feasts of two Christian martyrs of this name. One, a priest and physician was beaten and beheaded on the Flamianian Way at Rome, Italy, Feb 14, AD269, during the reign of Emperor Claudius II. Another Valentine, the Bishop of Terni, is said to have been beheaded, also on the Flaminian Way at Rome. Feb 14 (possibly in a later year.) Both history and legend are vague and contradictory about the details of the Valentines, and some say that Feb 14 was selected for the celebration of Christian martyrs as a diversion from the ancient pagan observance of Lupercalia. An old legend ha sit that the birds choose their mates on Valentine’s Day. Now it is one of the most widely observed unofficial holidays. It is an occasion for the exchange of gifts ( usually books, flowers, or sweets) and greeting cards with affectionate or humorous messages.

Saint feast Days

• Sts. Cyril and Methodius
• Sts. Cyril and Methodius
• St. Maro
• St. Abraham of Carrhae
• St. Antoninus of Sorrento
• St. Auxentius
• St. Theodosius
• St. Conran
• St. Dionysius
• St. Eleuchadius
• St. Nostrianus

http://www.123greetings.com/events/
http://www.theonlinerecipebox.com/?page_id=11
http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/unitssubjhol/a/fundaysfeb.htm
http://holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/february.htm

http://www.catholic.org/saints/f_day/feb.php

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Today's Top Event in History

1970-- In US, 55% oppose immediate withdrawal from Vietnam. Despite an increasingly active antiwar movement, a Gallup Poll shows that a majority of those polled (55%) oppose an immediate withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam. Those that favored American withdrawal had risen from 21 percent, in a November poll, to 35 percent. President Nixon had taken office in January 1969 promising to bring the war to an end, but a year later the fighting continued and support for the president's handling of the war had begun to slip significantly.

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This Day in American History

    1760- Birthday of Richard Allen, the first black ordained in the Methodist Episcopal Church (1799), and founder of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in 1816, was born in slavery in Philadelphia.
http://www.brightmoments.com/blackhistory/nrallen.html
http://earlyamerica.com/review/spring97/allen.html
    1779-A monument in Waimea, Kauai notes the spot of the death of Captain James Cook. Not the chamber of commerce statue in the middle of town, but by the actual landing spot where the river meets the ocean. It was quite defamed and the islanders to this day obviously still have no respect for him. The Kauai islanders in Wampei evidently still hold a grudge about the way they were treated. Investigating the alleged theft of a boat that had landed from his ship, he was stabbed to death by natives this date. There were many explorers of the new world who did not make it home. He was one of them.
http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/95oct/jcook.html
    1784- James Davenport received a patent for a carding and spinning machine, the first textile machinery patent. He later established the Globe Mills, Philadelphia, PA..
    1797 --Battle of Cape St Vincent, known as Nelson’s forgotten battle. It was a great and welcome victory for the Royal Navy - 15 British ships had defeated a Spanish fleet of 27, and the Spanish ships had a greater number of guns and men. But, Admiral Jervis had trained a highly disciplined force and this was pitted against a Spanish navy under Don José Cordoba that was little more than a panic stricken mob. Of 600-900 men on board his ships, only some 60 to 80 were trained seamen, the others being soldiers or inexperienced landsmen. The Spanish men fought courageously but without direction. After the San Josef was captured it was found that some her of guns still had their tompions in the muzzles. The confusion amongst the Spanish fleet was so great that they were unable to use their guns without causing more damage to their own ships than to the British. This was a turning point that affected the colonies as Britain began her dominance over the seas and fight for real estate in the new world from the Spanish and French, who would rather see the United States obtain the land than the British.
http://www.stvincent.ac.uk/Heritage/1797/battle/index.html
    1801- Birthday of Mary Ann Prout, known as “ Aunt Mary Prout.” It is believed most likely that this American--social activist, humanitarian, educator--was born free on this date at Baltimore, MD. Prout became a teacher and in 1830 founded a day school. Actively involved in her church, she founded a secret society that became the Independent Order of St. Luke to help with the cost of medical care and burial services for needy blacks, an organization that grew to have 1,500 chapters across the nation by 1900. Prout died at Baltimore in 1884.
    1805- Colonial American theologian Henry Ware, 41, was confirmed as the first Unitarian professor to teach at Harvard University. Soon after, the Trinitarian Congregationalist teachers began withdrawing from the school, and in 1808 established Andover Theological Seminary.
    1817-Believed to be the birthday of Frederick Douglas, perhaps the beginning leader of the Civil Rights movement; a confident of President Abraham Lincoln.
http://www.history.rochester.edu/class/douglass/home.html
http://www.frederickdouglass.org/douglass_bio.html
http://www.americancivilwar.com/colored/frederick_douglass.html
http://www.nps.gov/frdo/freddoug.html
http://www.baltimoremd.com/monuments/douglass1.html
    1819-Birthday of Christopher Sholes, a printer and newspaper editor by trade, developed a page numbering machine in the mid-1800s. A friend suggested he modify the machine into a letter-printing device. Sholes patented the typewriter in 1868 and sold the rights to Remington in 1873. The typewriter served as the basis for the modern computer keyboard.
    1824-Birthday of Winfield Scott Hancock, born at Montgomery, PA, died Feb 9, 1886 at Governor’s Island, NY. After serving as Union general in the Civil War, his command of the military division of Texas and Louisiana won him much favor form the Democratic Party because he allowed local civil authorities to retain their power. He pleased the Democrats so well they made him their presidential candidate in 1880. The presidential nominations of 1880 were wide open. The tariff was the only major issue and Hancock was inept at discussing it. The candidates for the most part stayed home, and for the first time interested supporters came in large numbers to visit them at their homes. James A. Garfield especially received gifts and poems composed for the occasion, watching silently as supporters trampled his flowers and shrubs. Garfield was elected president and Chester A. Arthur was elected vice president. The electoral vote was Garfield, 214; Winfield S. Hancock, 155. The popular vote was Garfield 4,449,053; Hancock, 4,443,035, a very narrow victory. Less than six months in his office, President Garfield would be shot July 2, 1881 at the Washington, DC railroad station. Chester A. Arthur would be acting president until Garfield’s death on September 19, 1881.
    1842-Fans of Charles Dickens organize the Boz Ball, an elite party for the celebrated writer who had arrived in the United States in January for a five-month tour. (Dickens' earliest works had been published under the pseudonym Boz.) Only members of New York's aristocracy were invited to the ball, with each guest's background and pedigree thoroughly inspected. Tickets were priced at the outrageous sum of $10. The event, held at the Park Theater in New York, sold out, and event organizers later held two more sold-out balls, open to the general public.
    1849-President James Polk became the first US president to be photographed while in office. The photographer was Mathew B. Brady, who would become famous for his photography during the American Civil War.
http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3g00000/3g06000/3g06700/3g06742v.jpg
http://www.whitehousehistory.org/08/subs/08_b.html
    1859- Oregon became the 33rd state in the Union. Oregon’s many national parks and recreational areas are home to the state animal, the beaver, which also provides the state with its nickname, the Beaver State. Oregon’s agricultural industry raises more hazelnuts than any other state, hence the state nut is the hazelnut. The fishing industry is also very large in this northwestern state, making the Chinook salmon the official fish. The Douglas fir, a popular Christmas tree in many American households, comes from the forests of Oregon and is the state tree. Other official Oregon state symbols are state bird: western meadowlark; state flower: Oregon grape; state insect: swallowtail butterfly. “She flies with her own wings” (Alis volat Propriis) is Oregon’s state motto. The state gemstone: sunstone; state rock: thunder egg; state song: "Oregon, my Oregon"; and state dance: square dance. Contrary to popular belief, Portland is not the capital; it is Salem.
    1859- Birthday of George Washington Gale Ferris, American engineer and inventor, at Galesburg, IL. Among his many accomplishments as a civil engineer, Ferris is best remembered as the inventor of the Ferris wheel, which he developed for the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago, IL, in 1893. Built on the Midway Plaisance, the 250-feet-in-diameter Ferris wheel (with 36 coaches, each capable of carrying 40 passengers), proved one of the greatest attractions of the fair. It was America's answer to the Eiffel Tower of the Paris International Exposition of 1889. Ferris died at Pittsburgh, PA, Nov 22, 1896.
    1864-Union General William T. Sherman enters Meridian, Mississippi, during a winter campaign that served as a precursor to his "March to the Sea." This often-overlooked campaign was the first attempt by the Union at total warfare, a strike aimed not just at military objectives but also at the will of the Rebel population.
Sherman launched the campaign from Vicksburg, Mississippi, with the goal of destroying the rail center at Meridian and clearing central Mississippi of Confederate resistance. Sherman believed this would free additional Federal troops that he hoped to use on his planned campaign against Atlanta, Georgia, in the following months.
Sherman led 25'000 soldiers east from Vicksburg and ordered another 7000 under General William Sooy Smith to march southeast from Memphis, Tennessee. They planned to meet at Meridian in eastern Mississippi. The Confederates had few troops with which to stop Sherman. General Leonidas Polk had less than 10'000 men to defend the state. Polk retreated from the capital at Jackson as Sherman approached, and some scattered cavalry units could not impede the Yankees' progress. Polk tried to block the roads to Meridian so the Confederates could move as many supplies as possible from the city's warehouses, but Sherman pushed into the city on 14 February under a torrential rain.
After capturing Meridian, Sherman began to destroy the railroad and storage facilities while he waited for the arrival of Smith. Sherman later wrote: "For five days, 10'000 men worked hard and with a will in that work of destruction...Meridian, with its depots, storehouses, arsenals, hospitals, offices, hotels, and cantonments no longer exists." Sherman waited until 20 February for Smith to arrive, but Smith never reached Meridian. On 21 February, Confederate troops under General Nathan Bedford Forrest waylaid Smith at West Point, Mississippi, and dealt the Federals a resounding defeat. Smith returned to Memphis, and Sherman turned back towards Vicksburg.
Ultimately, Sherman failed to clear Mississippi of Rebels, and the Confederates repaired the rail lines within a month. Sherman did learn how to live off the land, however, and took notes on how to strike a blow against the civilian population of the South. He used that knowledge with devastating results in Georgia later that year.
    1867-Less than two years after the Civil War ended, Morehouse College was founded as Augusta Institute in Augusta, Georgia. The college was relocated to Atlanta in 1879 and received its present name in 1913. Morehouse is the nation's only historically black, all-male, four-year liberal arts college. Prominent alumni include Martin Luther King Jr., JET magazine publisher Robert Johnson, two-time Olympic gold medal hurdler Edwin Moses, former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson, filmmaker Spike Lee, and actor Samuel L. Jackson.
http://www.morehouse.edu/
    1870 -- Esther Morris becomes the nation's first woman justice of the peace.
Morris is credited with winning women's suffrage in Wyoming territory last year. She arm-twisted two Democratic lawmakers into sponsoring legislation giving women the vote after giving a dinner for twenty ( one of those who did not attend, opposed the legislation, some feel because he was not invited to the dinner; or perhaps he knew what was the purpose of the dinner and did not want to attend). Most Wyoming lawmakers treated the measure lightheartedly, hoping their bold step would attract more women to the territory. Democrats, for their part, were counting on a veto by Governor John Campbell. After the bill passed, however, Campbell promptly signed the bill, making Wyoming the first state or territory to enact women's suffrage. In 1872, the Democrats try to repeal the bill, offering Campbell 2,000 dollars to cooperate. The governor firmly refused.
http://www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/photos9.html
http://www.aoc.gov/cc/art/nsh/morris.htm
    1880-Birthday of Dei Gratia Emperor Norton of the United States & Protector of Mexico.
http://www.zpub.com/sf/history/nort.html
http://www.discordia.org/~keeper/norton.html
http://jubal.westnet.com/hyperdiscordia/principia.html
http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist1/norton.html
http://www.notfrisco.com/nortoniana/index.html
    1886-. Destined to become one of the state's major exports, the first trainload of oranges grown by southern California farmers left Los Angeles this day via the transcontinental railroad.

In 1880, just before the first trainload of oranges departed, Los Angeles had 11,183 inhabitants A decade later, the population had ballooned to 102,479. By 1920, there would be more than half a million residents. Los Angeles was already well on its way to becoming the largest urban center in the American West. The Spanish had established Los Angeles, one of the oldest cities in the Far West, in 1781 to help colonize the region. For several decades, the city was the largest center of population in Mexican California. Mexican settlement and development of California, however, proceeded very slowly, and Los Angeles developed little real economic or political power during this period. By the time the U.S. took control of California in 1848, Los Angeles still only had just over 1,610 inhabitants. As Anglo-Americans began to assert their control over California, they gradually broke up the large Hispanic ranches and replaced them with a more diversified farming economy. With irrigation, southern California proved an ideal environment for growing many crops, particularly valuable fruits like oranges. During the 1870s and 1880s, state railroad lines linking Los Angeles into the new system of transcontinental railways created additional moneymaking opportunities. Settlers, tourists, and health seekers all boarded trains to travel to the Pacific, where the sunny climate and beautiful scenery promised a new and better life. The healthful new California lifestyle became closely associated in the public mind with the sweet fruits that grew so abundantly in the orchards around Los Angeles. Taking advantage of the rapid transportation capabilities of the transcontinental lines, Los Angeles area orchard owners began shipping their oranges to the East in 1886. As the city grew, it subdivided many nearby orchards and pushed the orange growers out into regions like Orange County. There the orange growers steadily increased the size of their orchards to the point where local supplies of water for irrigation were inadequate. Determined to sustain their agricultural and real estate booms, Los Angeles residents undertook a massive program of hydraulic engineering in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Engineers took water from the distant mountains to transform the arid southern California ecosystem into a green agricultural and residential paradise. The resulting growth was astonishing.
    1893-Birthday of singer/pianist/songwriter Perry Bradford, Montgomery, Al
http://www.redhotjazz.com/bradford.html
http://www.jass.com/lonesome.html
    1894-,Jack Benny Birthday, American comedian. Born Benjamin Kubelsky, Jack Benny entered vaudeville at Waukegan, IL, at age 17, using the violin as a comic stage prop. His radio show first aired in 1932 and continued for 20 years with little change in format. He also had a long-running television show. One of his most well-known comic gimmicks was his purported stinginess. Benny was born at Chicago, IL, and died Dec 26, 1974, at Beverly Hills, CA.
    1899 - A great blizzard struck the eastern U.S. Washington D.C. received 20.5 inches of snow to bring their total snow depth to nearly three feet. The storm produced 36 inches of snow at Cape May NJ
    1912 – Arizona became the 48th state (in Indian, Arizona means ‘little or young spring’). From its beautiful deserts come the state bird: the cactus wren; the state flower: the saguaro cactus’ flower, the state reptile: Arizona ridge nose rattlesnake; state fossil: petrified wood; state gem: turquoise; the oasis, the capital city of Phoenix. More American Indians live in Arizona than any other state, representing over 14 different tribes. But the Spanish influence is everywhere, including the official state neckwear: the bolo tie. State motto: Ditat Deus (God enriches).
    1913 –Birthday of American labor leader (gangster) Jimmy Hoffa lives, born Brazil, Indiana. Died we do not know date nor where. (Where is this guy?)
http://boozers.fortunecity.com/brewerytap/586/hoffa.html
http://www.hoffa.com/
http://www.who2.com/jimmyhoffa.html
    1914- Birth of Ira F. Stanphill, Assemblies of God clergyman and song evangelist. He is best known today for the hymn, "Room at the Cross," which he penned in 1946.
1946, Edith Houghton - signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as the first woman to scout for a major league baseball team.
    1918 - The film, "Tarzan of the Apes", was released. It was based on stories written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The movie centered on 10-year-old Gordon Griffith who played the young Tarzan, the older Tarzan was played by Elmo Lincoln. Famous baseball player, Lou Gehrig, turned down an offer to play Tarzan. Four Tarzan actors have won Olympic medals: Johnny Weissmuller, Herman Brix, Buster Crabbe and Glen Morris. Johnny Weissmuller made the Tarzan yell famous.
    1920- Leaders of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) approved the formation of a new organization-the League of Women Voters. With the vote for women just a few months away, the new organization was created to help American women exercise their new political rights and responsibilities. www.lwv.org
    1921 -- In New York, Jane Heap & Margaret Anderson face obscenity charges for publishing a portion of James Joyce's Ulysses in the Little Review. They got fined $50. Here is a picture of the "Little Review" reunion:
Jane Heap, Mina Loy, & Ezra Pound, Paris, c. 1923
    1922- Murray “The K” Kauffman, WINS NYC DJ, born Richmond, VA.
    1925 -- A close-up of a lottery list shows the winning numbers drawn in the Mexican National Lottery, dated February 14, 1925. The camera pulls back to the hands of a man holding a lottery ticket. The scraggly-looking bum, a dirty, ragged scrounger [later identified as Fred C. Dobbs "Dobbsie" (Humphrey Bogart)], tears his losing ticket to pieces.
--- From John Huston's film script of the anarchist B. Traven's book, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
http://www.riverart.com/books/traven.htm
    1925-Birthday of bandleader Elliot Lawrence (Broza).
http://www.jazzmanrecords.com/ellawbigban.html
http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?PID=1020872
    1928- the Dorsey Brothers record their first record, Okeh Label.
    1929- in the gangland struggle for control of the Chicago trade in bootleg liquor, gunmen in the employ of mobster Al Capone machine-gunned seven members of the George “Bugs” Moran gang in garage on North Clark Street. It made national headlines as the “the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.”
    1930—The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett is published. Ex-Pinkerton agent turned author Dashiell Hammett’s crime novel introducing Sam Spade was published this day by Alfred A. Knopf in New York, NY. ( The novel has been serialized in Black Mask magazine in the fall of 1929, but Hammett revised the text.) The novel was a milestone in American literature, offering the model by which all “hard-boiled” crime fiction would follow. And in terse tough guy San Spade ( who “looked rather pleasantly like a blood satan.”, the world found a new pop icon. The notably dark haired Humphrey Bogart played Spade in the 1941 film version directed by John Huston.
    1930-Birthday of trumpet player Dwike Mitchell, Dunedin, FL
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0966491343/inktomi-bkasin-20/
002-5861649-1425657
    1931-Ted Lewis' "Just A Gigolo" hits #1 on the pop singles chart. Over a half century later, "Diamond" David Lee Roth scores a major hit with the same song
    1932 - The U.S. won its first Olympic bobsled competition (both the two-man and four-man races) at the Winter Olympic Games at Lake Placid, NY. Twelve other teams competed in the event. This was also the first bobsledding competition in the United States. The four-man team included Edward Eagan, who was also the 1920 Olympic light heavyweight boxing champion. Eagan's winter gold medal made him the first person to take home gold in both the Summer and Winter Olympics.
    1935-Birthday of trombonist Rob McConnel, London, Ontario
    1933 –FEB 14- Chicago Mayor Anton J. Cermak of Chicago is fatally wounded in Miami, Florida, by an assassin's bullet intended for President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt.
http://cermak.com/mayor/
http://www.iarelative.com/cz1933/cermak.htm
    1940 - The first porpoise born in captivity arrived at Marineland in Florida.
    1940 - A "Saint Valentine's Day Blizzard" hit the northeastern U.S. Up to a foot and a half of snow blanketed southern New England, and whole gales accompanied the heavy snow stranding many in downtown Boston
    1941 - Frank Leahy was named head football coach at the University of Notre Dame.
    1941- Anita O’Day joins Gene Krupa’s Band. ( as I compile this, I am listening to “Anita O[Day swings Cole Porter with Billy May.” I think I like Ella singing the songs better, but the arrangements here are the best Billy May---Lean, Baby, Lean.)
    1945--Allied fire-bombing of Dresden, killing more than 135,000 German citizens, enters into its second day. Many die of suffocation as firestorms, purposely created by dropping incendiary bombs in the raids, consume all the oxygen over large areas of the city. Hitler’s days are numbered as he believes the V-3 will soon be dropping over
the United States.
    1946- J.Presper Eckert and John W. Mauchly demonstrated the Electronic Numerical integrator and Computer (ENIAC) for the first time at the University of Pennsylvania. This was the first electronic digital computer. It occupied a room the size of a gymnasium and contained nearly 18,000 vacuum tubes. The Army commissioned the computer to speed the calculation of firing tables for artillery. By the time the computer was ready, World War II was over. However, ENIAC prepared the way for future generations of computers. Compare today's 32mb Palm Pilot with the .5kb ENIAC.
    1949—Top Hits
A Little Bird Told Me - Evelyn Knight
Powder Your Face with Sunshine - Evelyn Knight
Far Away Places - Margaret Whiting
I Love You So Much It Hurts - Jimmy Wakely
    1951- Sugar Ray Robinson, often regarded as the greatest boxer of all time, won the world middleweight championship by knocking out Jake LaMotta in the 15th round of a fight in Chicago.
    1953- Teresa Brewer's "Till I Waltz Again with You" hits #1.
    1956- birthday of Dave Dravecky, former baseball player, Youngstown, OH.
    1957 - Lionel Hampton’s only major musical work, "King David", debuted at New York’s Town Hall. Dimitri Mitropoulos conducted the four-part symphony jazz suite.
    1957 -- Georgia Senate unanimously approves Senator Leon Butts' bill barring blacks from playing baseball with whites.
    1957—Top Hits
Too Much - Elvis Presley
Young Love - Tab Hunter
You Don’t Owe Me a Thing - Johnnie Ray
Young Love - Sonny James
    1962 - A televised tour of the White House, led by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and hosted by Charles Collingwood, was broadcast simultaneously by CBS and NBC. The tour was watched by an estimated 46,500,000 viewers, offering them their first opportunity to see many of the rooms of the President's home. The First Lady was praised on her astute knowledge of the antique furniture in the White House, as she explained the history of many of the pieces during the tour.
    1962-President John F. Kennedy authorizes U.S. military advisors in Vietnam to return fire if fired upon. At a news conference, he said, "The training missions we have [in South Vietnam] have been instructed that if they are fired upon, they are of course to fire back, but we have not sent combat troops in [the] generally understood sense of the word." In effect, Kennedy was acknowledging that U.S. forces were involved in the fighting, but he wished to downplay any appearance of increased American involvement in the war. The next day former Vice President Nixon expressed hopes that President Kennedy would "step up the build-up and under no circumstances curtail it because of possible criticism." Contrary to popular belief, it was not President Kennedy who authorized the first military assistance to the government of Viet Nam. It was President Harry S. Truman in 1946. Each president since then inherited this decision to halt communism and increased participation in the South East.
    1965—Top Hits
You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’ - The Righteous Brothers
This Diamond Ring - Gary Lewis & The Playboys
All Day and All of the Night - The Kinks
You’re the Only World I Know - Sonny James
    1966-Simon and Garfunkel receive their first gold record for "Sounds of Silence," which had hit Number One on the pop charts on the first day of this year.
    1966 - Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia 76ers set a National Basketball Association record when, after 7 seasons of pro basketball, he hit a career high of 20,884 points.
    1967 -- Jim Morrison and The Doors performed at Whisky A-Go-Go, 568 Sacramento St., San Francisco, California.
http://www.thedoors.com/
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palms/2914/
http://doors.iscool.com/
    1967-Aretha Franklin records her signature song "Respect" at New York's Atlantic Studios
    1968 – Tired of traveling, The Jefferson Airplane opens at the Carousel Ballroom, Van Ness Avenue and Market Street, Frisco, California.
http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/id_10021/bio.jhtml
http://grove.ufl.edu/~number6/Jefferson.Airplane/airplane.html
    1968-Frank Zappa releases “We’re Only in it for the Money” album.
http://www.science.uva.nl/~robbert/zappa/
    1968-The Airplane opens at the Carousel Ballroom at Van Ness Ave. and Market Street, San Francisco.
    1970—45% favor or “have no opinion” regarding the war in Viet Nam. Despite an increasingly active antiwar movement, a Gallup Poll shows that a majority of those polled (55 percent) oppose an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam. Those that favored American withdrawal had risen from 21 percent, in a November poll, to 35 percent. President Nixon had taken office in January 1969 promising to bring the war to an end, but a year later the fighting continued and support for the president's handling of the war had begun to slip significantly.
    1970 -- The Chicago Seven Trial, case goes to the jury. http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/Chicago7/chicago7.html
http://lists.village.virginia.edu/sixties/HTML_docs/Exhibits/Track16.html#Poster
http://theaction.com/Abbie/
http://lists.village.virginia.edu/sixties/Graphics/Track16/chicago_8.gif
    1970-- In US, 55% oppose immediate withdrawal from Vietnam. Despite an increasingly active antiwar movement, a Gallup Poll shows that a majority of those polled (55%) oppose an immediate withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam. Those that favored American withdrawal had risen from 21 percent, in a November poll, to 35 percent. President Nixon had taken office in January 1969 promising to bring the war to an end, but a year later the fighting continued and support for the president's handling of the war had begun to slip significantly.
    1970- Sly and the Family Stone's "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" hits #1.
    1971 – President Richard Nixon orders secret taping system in the white House. Instructs Bob Haldeman to install it also in the Nixon’s White House office. The purpose was to obtain historic information for his autobiography and the idea of a Nixon Library. There are those who say it was also a device to spy on his staff, which Nixon avertedly did, not trusting anyone, including his own Secretary of State Henry Kissinger ( as the tapes eventually revealed.)
    1972 - The musical, "Grease", opened at New York's Eden Theater, a musical with a 1950's rock score by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, opened off-Broadway. The play later moved to Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre Among the original cast members were Barry Bostwick and Adrienne Barbeau. The show moved to Broadway later in 1972, and when it closed in 1980, it was one of the longest running musicals in history with 3,388 performances. A hit movie based on the play starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John produced the hit songs: "Grease" The movie included several additional songs. Among them were Barry Gibb's title tune, which became a hit for Frankie Valli, and John Farrar's "You're the One That I Want," a million-seller for the film's stars, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. by Frankie Valli, "You’re the One That I Want" and "Summer Nights" by Travolta and Newton-John.
    1972-Birthday of football player Drew Bledso, Ellensburg, WA.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=2359
http://www.shopthedotcoms.com/drew_bledso_jersey.htm
    1973- birthday of football player Steve McNair, Mount Olive, MS.
http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/1069
    1973—Top Hits
Crocodile Rock - Elton John
Why Can’t We Live Together - Timmy Thomas
Oh, Babe, What Would You Say? - Hurricane Smith
She Needs Someone to Hold Her (When She Cries) - Conway Twitty
    1974- Daryl Dragon and Toni Tennille - the Captain and Tennille - were married in California.
http://www.captainandtennille.net/
http://www.tonitennille.net
Feb 14
    1977- Clifford Alexander, Jr. first Black Secretary of Army State, confirmed.
Retired October 1, 2003 as Chairman of Moody’s Investment Firm.
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/sw-sa/Alexander.htm
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m0EIN/2003_August_1/106171152/p1/article.jhtml
    1978 -- First 'microcomputer on a chip' patented by Texas Instruments
http://www.ti.com/corp/docs/company/history/tihistory.htm
    1980 - As Walter Cronkite announced his retirement from the "CBS Evening News", Dan Rather was chosen to replace television’s most trusted journalist. Cronkite announced Rather would take over the anchor desk in 1981.
    1981—Top Hits
Celebration - Kool & The Gang
9 to 5 - Dolly Parton
I Love a Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbitt
Who’s Cheatin’ Who - Charly McClain
    1984- the publicly bisexual Elton John married sound engineer Renate Blauel in an Anglican church in a suburb of Sydney, Australia. Their engagement was a mere five days. The pair seldom lived together and they divorced in 1988. Blauel was reported to have received a 45-million-dollar divorce settlement.
    1985- The U.S. Rabbinical Assembly of Conservative Judaism announced their decision to begin accepting women as rabbis.
    1986- Frank Zappa appeared on "Miami Vice" as a crime boss named "Mr. Frankie."
    1987- Singer Paul Simon performed before 20,000 people in the first of two shows at a soccer stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe. Sharing the stage with Simon were the black South African artists who helped him record his best-selling "Graceland" LP. Simon performed for free, and proceeds from the concerts went to charity.
    1987- George Strait became the first artist to debut an album at number one on Billboard's country chart when "Ocean Front Property" went to the top spot in its first week.
    1987 - The largest crowd to see an NBA game was at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, as 57,745 people watched the Detroit Pistons beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 125-107.
    1987 - A powerful storm spawned severe thunderstorms in Texas and Oklahoma, and produced heavy snow in the Rocky Mountain Region. Snowfall totals in Colorado ranged up to 27 inches at Telluride. Straight line winds gusting to 104 mph howled through Guadalupe Pass in West Texas.
    1987 - Dick Baldwin beat Adolph Rupp’s record for the most college career coaching wins as his Broome County Community College won game number 876. Baldwin was with the Upstate New York college for New Jersey's hometown favorites
    1987- Bon Jovi hit #1 with their tune "Livin' On A Prayer." It was from their album "Slippery When Wet" which went to #1 for 8 weeks and sold over 9 million copies!!!
    1988- Bobby Allison became the first 50-year old driver to win the Daytona 500 when he out dueled his 26-year-old son Davey.
    1989—Top Hits
Straight Up - Paula Abdul
Wild Thing - Tone Loc
Born to Be My Baby - Bon Jovi
Song of the South – Alabama
    1990 - Valentine's Day was a snowy one for many parts of the western and central U.S. Five to ten inches of snow fell across Iowa, and 6 to 12 inches of snow blanketed northern Illinois, and strong northeasterly winds accompanied the heavy snow. Air traffic came to a halt during the evening at O'Hare Airport in Chicago, where 9.7 inches of snow was reported. More than 250 traffic accidents were reported around Des Moines IA during the evening rush hour. An ice storm glazed east central sections of Illinois, causing twelve million dollars damage in Champaign County alone.
    1994- Michael Jackson sang a cappella passages from his songs "Billie Jean" and "Dangerous" in a Denver, Colorado, courtroom while testifying in a copyright infringement case. Crystal Cartier had claimed Jackson stole one of her songs but the case was dismissed. The court later began selling audio transcripts of Jackson's testimony, including his singing, at $15 a tape.
    1996 - The artist formerly known as Prince, age 37, returned to his hometown of Minneapolis and, under his given name Prince Rogers Nelson, married his backup dancer Mayte Jannell Garcia, age 22. Church workers were not allowed to watch the 40-minute candlelight service in the sanctuary, which was decorated with pink and white roses. It was the first marriage for both. The eccentric artist had announced a few years earlier that he would no longer use the name "Prince", and would be known by an unpronounceable sign that merges the symbols for male and female.
    1998 - Eric Rudolph was declared the suspect in the bombing of a Birmingham, Alabama abortion clinic. A $100,000 reward was offered for his arrest and conviction. As of early 2002, Rudolph was still at large, among the top ten most wanted.
    1999-Elton John plays himself in animated from for a Valentine's Day episode of "The Simpsons."
    1999-Matt Drudge reports:
<BILL GIVES HILLARY LOVE PIN, VOWS NEVER TO CHEAT AGAIN
On Sunday evening in Mexico, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was spotted wearing a heart-shaped gold pin on her dark suit — a pin, sources say, that was given to her by her husband with a vow that he would never cheat on her again!
"It was a Valentine's Day gift," says a well-placed White House source traveling with the president. "He promised her that he will not hurt her anymore. The pin was a gift from his heart that came with a promise that he would remain faithful."
En route to Mexico, Mrs. Clinton walked through the press cabin aboard Air Force One and showed off the pin. But one reporter who witnessed Mrs. Clinton's walk through the cabin felt that the First Lady was deliberately displaying the pin to show that all is now well between her and her husband. "I think they were spinning us with all the fuss surrounding the pin," a network reporter e-mailed the DRUDGE REPORT from Mexico. "Monica's book is about to come out, and then the TV interview. I think they are trying hard to diffuse all of that." Also on the plane ride down to Mexico the president shared a huge box of candy with reporters. "Happy Valentine's Day," the president smiled.
    2001- The two astronauts from the space shuttle Atlantis took the 100th space walk; the first had been taken by American Edward White in 1965. On their excursion Thomas Jones and Robert Curbeam Jr. put the finishing touches on the International Space Station's new science lab Destiny.

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Valentine Day Poem

The Passionate Shepherd to His Love

  Christopher Marlowe

  (the original version in olde English)

COME live with me and be my Love,
And we will all the pleasures prove
That hills and valleys, dale and field,
And all the craggy mountains yield.

There will we sit upon the rocks
And see the shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow rivers, to whose falls
Melodious birds sing madrigals.

There will I make thee beds of roses
And a thousand fragrant posies,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle
Embroider'd all with leaves of myrtle.

A gown made of the finest wool
Which from our pretty lambs we pull,
Fair linèd slippers for the cold,
With buckles of the purest gold.

A belt of straw and ivy buds
With coral clasps and amber studs:
And if these pleasures may thee move,
Come live with me and be my Love.

Thy silver dishes for thy meat
As precious as the gods do eat,
Shall on an ivory table be
Prepared each day for thee and me.

The shepherd swains shall dance and sing
For thy delight each May-morning:
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me and be my Love.

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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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Daily Puzzle

How to play:
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Refresh for current date:
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News on Line---Internet Newspapers

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