Bulletin Board Complaint--ACC Capital Corporation

This complaint concerns a residual not paid by ACC Capital Corporation, Midvale, Utah. Leasing News requested a statement from ACC Capital and received this from Loni Lowder, President:

"One time situation, no comment."

The following was sent to ACC Capital as received from Genesis Commercial Capital:

"I am writing you this letter in hopes that you might be able to intervene in a dispute between Genesis Commercial Capital, LLC and ACC Capital Corporation. Your significant influence has helped us achieve amicable resolutions in the past, and we think we were wronged by ACC in this situation.

"Genesis sourced, negotiated, and brokered a deal through ACC for back in 2005. Genesis and our representatives were responsible for closing and negotiating the terms of the contract with the lessee in full. Genesis and ACC agreed to a broker referral fee that was well below the norm on a deal of this nature and size in lieu of a residual sharing split of 40/60. The deal was negotiated directly by our President, Greg Rieke and their President, Loni Lowder.

"Approximately 90 days before the lease was set to mature I contacted Carrie Button at ACC (July 2010) to find out if they wanted us to collect the residual directly and remit funds to them or if they wanted to collect it on their end and remit finds back to Genesis,. She informed me that they would prefer to handle the negotiations directly and assured me that once the lease matured, ACC would have a negotiated residual in place and would forward us funds once they were remitted to ACC. We showed the lease maturing 11-01-2010 and when I spoke to her she told me that was a mistake and it should be 1-01-11. I contacted Carrie again this week to discuss the outcome of the residual negotiations and was referred to CEO Loni Lowder. Mr. Lowder advised me that nothing would be remitted to us as a result of him owing money to outside creditors. Since we have an outstanding relationship with the lessee we were able to reach out to them and discovered that the residual collected by ACC was for roughly $120,000, of which 40% is due to Genesis. We also learned this was collected back in November 2010 which was contradictory to what Carrie had told us the maturity date was.

"We have a document (1) signed by both parties that outlines the residual sharing in this case and Mr. Lowder has basically told me too bad, 'Genesis is not getting anything.' I was hoping you could help in this situation and at a minimum at least notify your readers of what kind of company ACC is. They regularly solicit broker business only to –defraud their brokers out of monies earned. The public needs to be aware of this situation and this company and needs to steer clear from sending them business. Signed agreements seem to mean nothing to Mr. Lowder and today’s day and age that is a sad scenario. I asked Mr. Lowder to reconsider his course of action and let him know that I felt what he was doing was wrong. He said 'things that are wrong happen all the time' and simply brushed me off. "

Sincerely,
Hunter Hill
GeNESIS COMMERCIAL CAPITAL
17551 Gillette Avenue
Irvine, CA 92614
Direct: 949.428.5533
Toll Free: 800.531.0371 x533
Fax: 949.419.0116
hunter.hill@gen-cap.com

(1)

 

Classified Ads---Credit/Operations

(These ads are “free” to those seeking employment

Seasoned Ops, Broker Development, Credit, Legal, Strategy, P & L Management detail oriented team player seeks position with Small ticket direct lender. Established remote office. Wgriffith61@yahoo.com Resume

SF Bay Area Contract Administrator. Formerly Documentation /Compliance , Pentech; American National Leasing, VP-Operations. 30 years Experience. Available now. Resume gbflinn@gmail.com

Acton, MA Strong experience in lease accounting, operations, & systems.   Implemented lease plus, Great Plains, networks. Excellent financial reporting and analysis skills. Looking for new opportunity. LinkedIn alexanderzlenz@gmail.com| Resume

Seasoned Ops, Broker Development, Credit, Legal, Strategy, P & L Management detail oriented team player seeks position with Small ticket direct lender. Established remote office. Wgriffith61@yahoo.com Resume

Willing to Relocate Experienced Operations Manager, Broker Development – credit & documentation small ticket specialist – team leader with strong analytical, organizational & management skills – willing to relocate f.macdonald@comcast.net

Free Posting for those seeking employment in Leasing:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted-post.htm

All “free” categories “job wanted” ads:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted.htm

ZRG Partners 4th Quarter Hiring Index Up 60%

Exclusive Report

The ZRG Leasing and Finance index posted a substantial 60% gain in new hiring opportunities for the fourth quarter and ended the year at a 457 level, the highest since October 2008.

While some of the larger firms in the index maintained steady hiring, the news this quarter is the broader based hiring trend across "other firms" outside of the top 10 volume players tracked in the index.

More companies are re-entering the market to hire new talent to achieve 2011 objectives. Hiring this quarter is not limited to just a few giants. Executive Search engagements during the first weeks of January also point to a marked increase in demand for hiring that is emerging in the industry.

While many employment openings in 2010 were operational, collections and risk focused, we are now seeing more "growth oriented" positions in the index in Q4, which points to further optimism for 2011.

The ZRG Hiring Index is in conflict with the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association MLFI-25 November figures and chart itself.

There is a difference between the ELFA and ZRG chart, as explained by Larry Hartman, Managing Partner:

Our index looks at “job opportunities” for future hiring while the ELFA looks at employee headcount.  Our index is future looking and jobs today will result  in headcount in 3-6 months while the ELFA is static and is looking at total employees/headcount in the rear view mirror.  

"Additionally, many member firms in the MLFI 25 might be reducing headcount in some areas but hiring now in others. For example, CIT announced this week that 123 people will be losing jobs in the “Express loan SBA Division” while at the same time, CIT is hiring in the leasing division.  In past years, both headcount and new hiring was down. Now, while headcount is still lagging, companies are once again looking to fill roles which will likely result in increased total headcount in 6-12 months."

The MLFI-25 numbers come from 31 members. The group has fluctuated over the years from 25, 26, 38, 30 and is now 31 (1). The companies have also changed due to merges or going out of business.

About the ZRG Partners and the Hiring Index
ZRG Partners is a global authority on talent management issues within the equipment finance and leasing markets. ZRG provides its clients with specialized market expertise in executive recruitment, consulting and advisory work with a focus on data and analytics to drive great business decisions.

The index is published quarterly and is based on several key proprietary data sources. These data sources include hiring data that comes directly from benchmark firms that make up the Index as well as 20 different National Job Boards and several leasing industry specific job sites. The sample group includes banks, captives and independents. The next update will be in April 2011. www.zrgpartners.com

Full Report with contact numbers:

(1)
MFLI-25:

1- ADP Credit Corporation
2- Bancorp South Equipment Finance
3- Bank of America
4- Bank of the West
5- BB&T
6- Canon Financial Services
7- Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation
8- CIT
9- De Lage Landen Financial Services
10- Dell Financial Services
11- EverBank Commercial Finance
13- First American Equipment Finance
14- GreatAmerica
15- Hitachi Credit America
16- HP Financial Services
17- John Deere Financial
18- Key Equipment Finance
19- M&I Equipment Finance
20- Marlin Leasing Corporation
21- Merchants Capital
22- National City Commercial Corp.
23- RBS Asset Finance
24- Regions Equipment Finance
25- Siemens Financial Services
26- Stearns Bank
27- Susquehanna Commercial Finance, Inc
28- US Bancorp
29- Verizon Capital Corp
30- Volvo Financial Services
31- Wells Fargo Equipment Finance

 

Is GLR by Sudhir a “revolutionary milestone?”

You be the judge! Sign Up Now.

Sudhir Amembal's Global Leasing Resource (GLR) is to launch Tuesday, January 11th. Is it a milestone as Sudhir claims?---

“A revolutionary, comprehensive database of over 375 companies; almost equally divided between the United States and the rest of the world.”

GLR does not sponsor and is not responsible for listings as a leasing association would be or able to make a recommendation as they are best known to do. There also is no recourse as a leasing association offers regarding complaints about members listed, such as the National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers is known for (ask Joe Bonanno’s question, “Is the funding a member of NAELB?”) It was one of the key elements in the formation of the association to do business only with those who belong because if there is a problem, the association can get involved.

The list does not include all banks, only those who pay, nor does it include without payment those seeking broker business, captive lessors, consultants, service provider; many of the categories who belong to leasing associations (see related story on leasing association membership.)

Leasing companies, including brokers, (and not others) who submit a completed listing by June 30, 2011 are entitled to a free single subscription to GLR through December 31, 2011. Otherwise a fee is required. The site will require a subscription in 2012.

In addition to leasing and specific equipment associations, news media, specialty industry directory publications (and there are many of them) perhaps the closet competition is from the World Leasing Book. It is a printed by Euromoney Yearbooks with “over 85 authoritative articles, 6,500 contracts from over 4,900 companies active in the sector “(compared to GLR at 375).

http://www.euromoney-yearbooks.com/default.asp?page=5&pcID=13823

Pricing for the 2011 World Leasing Yearbook is $450

Leasing Companies NOT Listed with GLR the first year

“If a lessor but not listed with GLR you can subscribe for the charter price of US$150/year. This subscription is for multiple users of a single organization at a single physical location.” It will be higher in 2012.

If not a leasing company or broker:

“If your organization is any other entity, such as a service provider, vendor, or bank, you can subscribe for the charter price of US$295/year. This subscription is for multiple users of a single organization at a single physical location.

“For multiple users of a single organization at all physical locations, please contact Kelly Farnham at kelly@globalleasingresource.com information on obtaining an Enterprise Subscription.” http://www.globalleasingresource.com/subscriptions

Lessor Directory	Substantive details are presented by leasing companies from throughout the world. An exhaustive search function enables lessors, brokers, vendors, lessees and other users to pair up with the most suited listed lessors, thereby facilitating business to business objectives and networking. What makes GLR unique is that the listings are input and updated online and contain meaningful information, including key contacts.
Country Reports	Emerging and mature market intelligence is presented for dozens of countries. The information includes key market data as well as succinct information regarding the tax, regulatory and legal issues in each country. Financial details, such as margins and returns, facilitate benchmarking. What makes GLR unique is that the information presented is standardized, complete and periodically updated.
Weekly News	Current and relevant industry happenings are posted weekly. This helps to keep readers informed. The weekly news is focused solely on the leasing industry. What makes GLR unique is that no other entity in the world presents significant industry highlights on a weekly basis.
Articles	Thought provoking and useful articles from industry practitioners and others are posted periodically. What makes GLR unique is that articles are selectively sought and macro in concept.

ACCESS TO GLR

GLR is available as follows:

Listed Lessors	Have full access to GLR, at no cost, through December 31, 2011.
Subscribers	Have full access.
Visitors	Have access to all of GLR except the lessor directory and country reports.

 

To learn more or make up your mind if this is a milestone, please go here to subscribe (free if leasing company or broker): http://www.globalleasingresource.com/

Previous story, more about GLR:
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2010/12_15.htm#launches

 

[headlines]
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Leasing Industry Help Wanted

Sales Manager – Houston Office 5 years+ equip fin/leasing experience Player/Coach 3-4 Rep’s, Energy Experience+ Must have track record of overachievement Controller – So California Office AR, AP,Tax,Fin-Statement Prep/Internal Controls Treasury Mgmt/Lease Acct and IT knowledge all++ Please submit resume to mcurtis@firstncc.com FIRST NATIONAL CAPITAL CORPORATION Is the 5th Largest Privately Held Equipment Finance Company In the United Stateswww.firstncc.com

Transportation Focused Company seeks Credit Manager. Knowledge of automated scoring as well as subjective credit underwriting a must. Compensation commensurate with experience. Located in the Inland Empire, please email wdalton@crlease.com

Please see our Job Wanted section for possible new employees.

Leasing Association Membership Count
by Christopher Menkin

696	National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers (NAELB)
582	Equipment Leasing and Finance Association  (ELFA)
250	Association of Government Leasing and Finance  (AGLFA)
210	National Equipment Finance Association (NEFA)

While the year-end numbers are down, there are less leasing companies and associates who service them; however, in reality the numbers are UP from the first quarter of 2010. In making the comparison, while they appeared to lose members when compared to the end of the year, they actually grew from the low of 3/31/10, which should really be viewed from this mark than the mark at the end of the previous year.

	2011	3/31/10
AGLFA	250	215
ELFA	582	490
NAELB	696	640
NEFA	210	184

The chart above should be viewed as positive and optimistic when comparing the first quarter of 2010 to year-end 2010, as looking to year-end 2011 not as good as year-end 2010:

	2011	2010	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005	2003	2002	2001	2000
AGLFA	250	238	265	277	255	255	255	203	263	343	250
EAEL	*	*	183	181	196	198	180	191	216	227	240
ELFA	582	604	700	741	768	817	780	732	862	873	850
NAELB	696	847	1021	1089	950	731	648	480	433	415	475
UAEL	*	*	289	314	314	314	297	248	378	379	589
NEFA	210	274

(Dates are the beginning of the year and show the
number of members brought in the previous year)

While the year-end numbers are down, there are less leasing companies and associates who service them; however, in reality the numbers are UP from the first quarter of 2010.

In interpreting the comparison, while associations did lose members when compared to the end of the year, they actually grew from the low of 3/31/10. It will be interesting to learn the 3/31/11 compared to the first quarter of the last two years.

As reported in previous editions, the merger of the Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors and United Association of Equipment Leasing to create the National Equipment Finance Association happened just at the down turn, coupled with the personalities of the East and West Coast members. It appears Randy Haug and his board turned things around, and now especially with the hiring of well-known Gerry Egan, ironically past president of the NAELB, and a young, dynamic president and board, look for growth this year.

While the numbers are sometimes off one or two, the previous year numbers were all from the associations, and for some reason, appear to get "adjusted."

Here are the numbers provided by NEFA for year-end 2010:

"I see some real positive signs here already," NEFA Executive Director Gerry Egan said. "We have had a number of folks who have been out for a couple of years come back. I take that as a good sign for NEFA and for the industry and economy at large. We've also had some folks who hadn't been members of our group but are looking to make connections with some new broker/lessors. That's another real good sign up..."

The make-up of the association shows almost half are broker/lessors in the under $10 million a year range. There are 36 funding members, 17% with eight over $50 million a year, and 55 service providers or 26%, which would be attorneys, back office companies, software companies. Reflecting the market place there were more broker/lessor members joining than funding source.

It is interesting to note an association that only allows brokers to vote, meaning gives no voice to its funder members, has 78 funding sources (the end of 2009, they had 92 funding source members). Of course, many here, as well as perhaps with other associations, are not what Leasing News would consider as a true "funder," continuing recourse on over 50% of their transaction.

NAELB has powerful cash equity, although records show a poor financial year in 2010, but they have added new programs such as the brokers exchange and have new programs in the works, plus continue their education and meet the funder series, as well as offer discounts and savings on many services and products for their members.

While NAELB may have more members, it does not have the diversity or the products that are offered by ELFA and its large staff as reflected in their membership breakdown. They are the only leasing association with a full time “communications vice-president,” who handles and generates public relations, as well as several independent public relation firms to reach all news media as well as assist in publication of their magazine and other publications. They are the only association with a full time person who is responsible for both state and federal legislation, very active, seeming to travel all the time. A staff that serves the various active committees and sub-committees.

Perhaps as important is the mix of the membership which are quite different than the other leasing associations, as they include Captive Lessors (65), Law Firms (95), Software Providers (26) and a host of others, including the largest employers in the finance and leasing fields. At the same time, ELFA lists only 11 "broker/packagers."

AGLF works closely with ELFA in conferences and perhaps also in membership. It certainly is a specialty field and with all forms of government having financial difficulties, perhaps more are leasing, and unfortunately more are being turned down than in previous years.

This group is perhaps the most stable with its membership.

99		Basic
100		Industry Leader
22		Individual & Governmental
4		Emeritus
25		Limited

The CLP Foundation is another example of a comeback from the economic downturn. Chris Walker, CLP, and his board should be given credit for the turn around:

2007:	204
2008:	179
2009:	182
2010:	159
2011:	174

Arizona Equipment Leasing Association at one time has an estimated 25 members. No official count is available at this time. The group is active. They get together for social and business meetings during the year, even invite speakers.

The Equipment Financing and Leasing Foundation does not have members. It does have a board of directors as well as contributors but is not a “membership organization.” It is currently looking for an executive director. The person may come from the industry itself as Gerry Egan came to NEFA.

http://www.elfaonline.org/pub/about/PDFs/ELFFExecutiveDir.pdf

New Company: LEAF Commercial Capital?
by Christopher Menkin

Crit DeMent, Chairman, CEO, LEAF Financial Corporation
and LEAF Commercial Capital

LEAF Financial, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania issued a press release with an announcement of $236 million of equity and debt capital to its "lease origination and servicing subsidiary, LEAF Commercial Capital."

Can this mean LEAF Financial can’t access lease funding anymore under its own business platform. Notice also that they are capitalizing the new company with non-cash subordinated debt.

"LCC is a joint venture among LEAF, Resource Capital Corporation and Guggenheim Securities. Resource Capital and Guggenheim committed to investing over $44 million of capital in the form of preferred stock and subordinated debt, respectively, into LCC."

Again the statements from Crit DeMent, chairman and CEO of LEAF Financial, mention a "long range business plan," but at the time it doesn't explain why the company is down to about 15 in staff in Collections and another 5 in Litigation within Jim Grant Collections and Litigation department; that’s about 1/3 of staff left, according to Leasing News sources.

DeMent says in the press release: "This increased capacity combined with LEAF's well established, programmatic access to the asset backed securitization market will allow us to continue to provide outstanding service to our many current equipment vendor partners and also to be able to take advantage of many new opportunities brought about by the recent dislocation in our industry. The increased ability to fund leases will also enhance the base from which LEAF continues to manage its partnership programs."

Questions remain, such as what is LEAF Financial going to be doing if Leaf Commercial (LCC) is doing the new lease originations and servicing? That's what Leaf Financial was doing. Certainly the addition of Guggenheim will add more oversight control over LEAF's business operations because they are going to be at risk. Does it also mean LEAF will become less competitive with higher money costs and more restrictive credit and operational policies?

Accessing funds through Leaf Commercial Capital is adding an extra layer of costs by bringing Guggenheim into the formula. On the surface this may look like Leaf is getting a breathe of fresh air, but with a higher costs of funds it and coming oversight, it may add not eliminate the difficulty to growing their already declining business model as evidenced by the employee layoffs that first began with the sales staff.

The facts remain that Bob Hunter, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing, on the Executive Board, is gone, Bill Conway laid off, Vice-President of Credit, Colleen White, Director of Operations laid off, and a host of others, as well as the 2009 SEC LEAF filings showed 377 employees; February down to 271; reportedly to 113 in July, closes down LEAF Specialty, 80 in Missouri, and with the latest cuts, what then is really the long range plan for LEAF Financial in Philadelphia. Will the spin off then be LEAF Commercial Credit as DeMent has done in the past.

Coda:
"Lease Equity Appreciation Fund II, under the guidance of LEAF Asset Management, has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to sell some of its limited partnership interests to raise up to $60 million for equipment leasing. With the sale proceeds, Lease Equity plans to purchase equipment for leasing and to acquire existing equipment portfolios from other lessors. The fund says that about 67 percent of its acquisitions could be financed through securitizations, and says it plans to focus on medical, industrial, and climate control equipment. LEAF has assembled a team of principles and executives with equipment leasing experience to run the fund once it enters the asset-backed securities market. LEAF Vice President of Finance and Treasurer Matthew Goldenberg, who joined the company last October, previously was the director of structured finance at DVI Financial Services. Crit DeMent and Miles Herman, previously of Fidelity Leasing, are slated to be principles at LEAF."
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/June%202004/6-29-04.htm

Resource America Reports $8.6 million loss for Fiscal Yr. Ended:
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/June%202004/6-29-04.htm

John Kenny Receivables Management • End of Lease Negotiations & Enforcement • Fraud Investigations • Credit Investigations • Asset Searches • Skip-tracing • Third-party Commercial Collections john@jkrmdirect.com | ph 315-866-1167| www.jkrmdirect.com

(Leasing News provides this ad as a trade for investigations
and background information provided by John Kenny)

Bank Beat---Florida, Florida, Florida

Florida becomes the first to report a bank failure in 2011.

The fourth largest populated state (13 million) Florida had 29 banks failures last year, the largest followed by Georgia with 21 (10th with 7 million), Illinois with 14 failures (6th with 11.7 million) California with 12 (1st with $31.4 million) and Washington with 11 (15 with 6 million)

The nine branches of First Commercial Bank of Florida, Orlando, Florida were closed with First Southern Bank, Boca Raton, Florida, to assume all of the deposits. Founded April 21, 1999, there were 87 full time employees with two branches in Orlando and a branch each at Deltona, Edgewood, Kissimmee, Lake Mary, Saint Cloud, Winter Garden, and Winter Park.

As of September 30, 2010, First Commercial Bank of Florida had approximately $598.5 million in total assets and $529.6 million in total deposits.

Net equity went from $48 million year-end 2008 to $40.2 million year-end 2009 to $12.1 million September 30, 2010.

Again it is land development and construction causing the financial problems. Perhaps the bank which was trying to raise capital and also talked about merging or opening a new branch should have been put out of their misery two years ago. The investors lost everything, and after looking at the statistics, it is easy to see why they had trouble raising sufficient capital to stay in business.

The bank lost $5,700 year-end 2008 after $17.5 million in charges offs, lost $13.5 million year-end 2009 with charge offs of $31.2 million ($16.3 million in construction and land development, $8.6 million secured by 1-5 family residential properties, $5.6 million in nonfarm nonresidential properties. $315,000 commercial and industrial loans, $302 in loans to individuals. September 30, 2010 noncurrent loans were $114,480 with the bank showing a loss of $27.88 million dollars following charge offs of $16.3 million ($10.1 million in nonfarm nonresidential property, $2.9 million in construction and land development, $1.3 million secured by 1-4 family residential properties, $1.7 million to commercial and industrial loans.

Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio: -2.13%

The FDIC and First Southern Bank entered into a loss-share transaction on $484.3 million of First Commercial Bank of Florida's assets.

The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $78.0 million.
http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2011/pr11002.html

The two branches of Legacy Bank, Scottsdale, Arizona were closed today by the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver. To protect the depositors, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with Enterprise Bank & Trust, St. Louis, Missouri, to assume all of the deposits of Legacy Bank.

Founded January 3, 2005, the bank had 20 full time employees at its two branches in Scottsdale.

Again, it is land development and construction that is closing the banks in Arizona, and perhaps hurting all smaller and regional banks who are unable to raise sufficient capital to survive, and perhaps should not survive as they made poor credit risk decisions compared to those who are still in business.

Bank equity dropped from year-end 2008 to 2009, from $8.5 million to $7 million as it showed a loss of $7.2 million after charges offs $5.9 million in 2008 to a loss of $8.68 million after charges offs of $6.85 million year-end 2009 ($3.3 million in construction and land development, $2.95 million in commercial and industrial loans were the primary write-offs.)

Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio 2.73%

Bank equity had dropped to $3.3 million September 30, 2010 with $6.6 million in noncurrent loans, a loss of $3.5 million following $3.3 million in charge offs ($1.95 million in construction and land development, $1.12 million in commercial and industrial loans and $226,000 in loans secured by 1-4 family residential property.

As of September 30, 2010, Legacy Bank had approximately $150.6 million in total assets and $125.9 million in total deposits. Enterprise Bank & Trust will pay the FDIC a premium of 1.0 percent to assume all of the deposits of Legacy Bank. The FDIC and Enterprise Bank & Trust entered into a loss-share transaction on $119.8 million of Legacy Bank's assets. Enterprise Bank & Trust will share in the losses on the asset pools covered under the loss-share agreement.

The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $27.9 million.
http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2011/pr11003.html

Tracking Bank Failures Map:
http://graphicsweb.wsj.com/documents/Failed-US-Banks.html

List of Bank Failures:
http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/banklist.html

Bank Beat:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Bank_Beat.htm

((Please Click on Bulletin Board to learn more information))
(Leasing News provides this ad “gratis” as a means
to help support the growth of Lease Police)

Alexa Finance/Leasing Web Site Report
Dec. 9—Jan. 9

Alexa Ranks Leasing Media Web Sites
US rankings

Rank	1/9/2011	12/9/2010		WEBSITE NAME
1.	30,201	28,144		www.leasingnews.org  Leasing News
2.	74,494	69,967		www.lessors.com  eLessors Networking Association
3.	88,465	124,158		www.monitordaily.com Monitor Daily
4.	179,287	157,916		www.icba.org Ind Community Bankers of America
5.	181,740	206,586		www.elfaonline.org
7.	241,491	273,986		www.naelb.org* National Assoc. of Equip Leasing Brokers
8.	267,184	263,154		www.Worldleasingnews.com World Leasing News
9	302,046	no data		www.clpfoundation.org   CLP Foundation
10.	310,459	504,585		www.nefassociation.org National Equipment Finance Assoc.
	no data	no data		www.cfa.com  Commercial Finance Association
	no data	no data		www.executivecaliber.ws  Exec Caliber-Jeffrey Taylor
	no data	no data		wwww.leasefoundation.org Equip. Leasing & Fin Fndn
	no data	no data		www.iicl.org  Institute of International Container Lessors
	no data	no data		www.aglf.org  Assoc of Government Leasing  Financing
	no data	no data		www.Leasingpress.com Leasing Press
	no data	no data		www.leasingnotes.com Leasing Notes
	no data	no data		www.leaseassistant.org Lease Assistant
	no data	no data		www.leasecollect.org Lean -Lease Enforcement Att Net
	no data	no data		www.nationalfunding.org
	no data	no data		www.lesseeadvocate.com Lessee Advocate
	no data	no data		www.leasingavenues.com/Leasing Avenues

Alexa Ranks Leasing Media Web Sites
World rankings

Rank	1/9/2011	12/9/2010		WEBSITE NAME
1.	147,517	150,578		www.leasingnews.org  Leasing News
3.	394,878	404,791		www.lessors.com  eLessors Networking Association
4.	494,856	506,751		www.monitordaily.com Monitor Daily
5.	682,882	756,032		www.icba.org Ind Community Bankers of America
6.	783,969	863,329		www.elfaonline.org
8.	896,491	932,543		www.naelb.org* National Assoc. of Equip Leasing Brokers
9.	1,210,609	973,556		www.Worldleasingnews.com World Leasing News
10.	1,760,481	2,650,023		www.nefassociation.org National Equipment Finance Assoc.
11.	1,775,545	1,481,552		www.cfa.com  Commercial Finance Association
12.	2,510,146	3,864,605		www.clpfoundation.org   CLP Foundation
13.	3,010,451	3,398,038		wwww.leasefoundation.org Equip. Leasing & Fin Fndn
14.	5,758,457	6,401,843		www.nationalfunding.org
15.	6,288,140	7,765,039		www.aglf.org  Assoc of Government Leasing  Financing
16.	10,023,252	11,773,027		www.iicl.org  Institute of International Container Lessors
17.	10,552,487	17,303,320		www.leasingnotes.com Leasing Notes
18.	10,769,339	18,914,729		www.Leasingpress.com Leasing Press
19.	14,371,680	22,621,813		www.leasecollect.org Lean -Lease Enforcement Att Net
20.	14,396,666	11,198,252		www.leasingavenues.com/Leasing Avenues
21.	21,892,297	12,982,116		www.lesseeadvocate.com Lessee Advocate
22.	no data	9,126,555		www.executivecaliber.ws  Exec Caliber-Jeffrey Taylor
23.	no data	no data		www.leaseassistant.org Lease Assistant

www.assetfinanceinternational.com has a new url address and is "too young" an address to rate. www.leasinglife.co.uk is a section of http://www.vrl-financial-news.com/ and the rating is not accurate as it gives the rating not of the leasing site specifically, but the entire financial site, and therefore is not in the count.

David G. Mayer's Business Leasing and Finance News is not included in the Alexa report list as it does not have its own individual site and Alexa finds Patton Boggs, LLP Attorneys at Law.  The rating is not valid as it includes all those who visit and communicate with the law firm.  When Business Leasing and Finance News has its own individual web site, it will be included in the Alexa survey.

*It should be noted that NAELB web site "list serve" requires logging onto their site, meaing their e-mails are counted as a visit to the site, whereas they are "list serve" communication.  These are technically visits to the web site, but primarily to use "list serve."

The Alexa tool bar works on most browsers. They are partnered with Google.

You may download their free tool bar A graph and analysis of the last three months are available.

Top Stories --January 4--January 6

Here are the top ten stories opened by readers:

(1) Leasing 102 by Mr. Terry Winders, CLP
Lease vs. Loan (Capital Lease)
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2011/1_04.htm#capital_lease

(2) Reaction to Curt Ritter 2010 Leasing Person of the Year
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2011/1_06.htm#reaction

(3) Leasing Person of the Year for 2010: Curt Ritter
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2011/1_04.htm#ritter

(4) Benchmark Financial Bulletin Board Complaint Update
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2011/1_06.htm#bench_complaint

(5) New Hires---Promotions
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2011/1_06.htm#hires

(6) Operation Lease Fleece---2011 Update
by Christopher Menkin
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2011/1_06.htm#fleece_update

(Tie)(7) D.B. Harris Faces Prison for Filing False Tax Returns
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2011/1_04.htm#false

(Tie)(7) Herm Roberts Passed Away
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2011/1_04.htm#roberts

(8) AXIS Capital receives a majority equity investment
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2011/1_06.htm#axis

(9) Very Good News from NACM
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2011/1_04.htm#news

(10) ELFA Continues Lack of Notice Drive: Evergreen Clauses
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2011/1_06.htm#elfa_evergreen

Orlando, Florida---Adopt-a-Dog

Mickey

"Hi I’m Mickey. I am a 6 year old male corgi mix who came to the shelter on 12/8/10. I’m housebroken! I am very friendly and love to play ball! I am already neutered and ready for you take me home! My ID# is 170578."

Shelter: Orlando
2727 Conroy Road
Orlando, FL 32839
(Across from new Millenia Mall)
P) 407-351-SPCA (7722) F) 407-352-2070

Adoption Process:
http://www.ohs-spca.org/adoption_process.htm

http://www.ohs-spca.org/

Adopt-a-Pet by Leasing Co. State/City
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Adopt_Pet.htm

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

You May have Missed---

Philippines passes India in call-center jobs
http://www.usatoday.com/money/world/2011-01-10-callcenters10_CV_N.htm

 

 

Sports Briefs----

Packers' unpredictable defense confuses Vick
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/113153604.html

The Huddle
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/index

 

California Nuts Briefs---

S.F. Police chief new S.F. District Attorney
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/01/09/MNNR1H6GN9.DTL&tsp=1

“Gimme that Wine”

China to become biggest Bordeaux importer
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/01/06/1316083/pacific-rim-winery-bought-up-by.html

Pacific Rim winery bought up by Banfi
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/01/06/1316083/pacific-rim-winery-bought-up-by.html

Wine Spectator 2011 Wine Predictions
http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/44298

Free Mobile Wine Program
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_26.htm#mobile

Wine Prices by vintage
http://www.winezap.com

http://www.wine-searcher.com/

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

Winery Atlas
http://www.carterhouse.com/atlas/\

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

    1776- Thomas Paine published "Common Sense" The pamphlet, 50 pages, according to Chase, contained the first demand for independence for the American colonies, sold 100,000 copies the first three months and up to 500,000 before the year-end. No other book in the U.S. has had such a quick or large sale relative to population. The pamphlet was highly influential in swinging the tide of the popular opinion toward a clean break with the mother country. It is said the pamphlet influenced the authors of the Declaration of Independence who followed its objectives very closely.
Paine was born in England in 1737 and worked as a corset maker in his teens. He also worked as a sailor and schoolteacher before becoming a prominent pamphleteer. In 1774, Paine arrived in Philadelphia and came to support American independence. His 47-page pamphlet sold some 500,000 copies and had a powerful influence on American opinion. Paine served in the U.S. Army and worked for the Committee of Foreign Affairs before returning to Europe in 1787. Back in England, he continued writing pamphlets in support of revolution. He released The Rights of Man, supporting the French revolution in 1791-2, in answer to Edmund Burke's famous Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790). His sentiments were highly unpopular with the British government, so he fled to France but was later arrested for his political opinions. He returned to the United States in 1802 and died in New York in 1809.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jan10.html
    1800 - Savannah, GA, received a foot and a half of snow, and ten inches blanketed Charleston SC. It was the heaviest snowfall of record for the immediate Coastal Plain of the southeastern U.S.
    1847-Gen. Kearny and Commodore Stockton recaptured Los Angeles from California rebels.
    1860 -- Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, Massachusetts, suddenly collapses, trapping 900 workers, mostly Irish women. Fire breaks out, adding to the terror and destruction. 116 women are seriously hurt, while 88 are killed. The fire inquest reveals the cast-iron pillars used to support construction were too weak for the brick walls and heavy machinery..
    1861 - Florida became the third state to secede from the Union to join the Confederacy.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jan10.html
    1864-George Washington Carver, scientist and discoverer of over 300 products from the peanut and sweet potato, may have been born (Carver was apparently born a slave, and we don't know even the year of his birth; however, it seems to have been between 1858 and 1865)
http://www.princeton.edu/~mcbrown/display/carver.html#birthdate
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0810661.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0826207855/inktomi-bkasin-20/
104-3547695-1517507
    1880 -- American Emperor Norton I, self-proclaimed, is buried today at Masonic Cemetery in San Francisco. The funeral cortege was two miles long, 10,000-30,000 people turned out to pay homage and celebrate.
http://www.zpub.com/sf/history/nort.html
http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist1/norton.html
http://www.notfrisco.com/nortoniana/index.html
    1887- Robinson Jeffers, American poet and playwright, born at Pittsburgh, PA. He died at Carmel, CA. Jan 20,1962.
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/jeffers.htm
http://norton3.wwnorton.com/naal/explore/jeffers.htm
http://www.jeffers.org/
http://www.torhouse.org/
    1897-Birthday of guitarist Sam Chatman, Bolton, MS Died 2/2/83
http://cedar.olemiss.edu/depts/art/MVAI/C/CooperB_5.html
    1904-Birthday of Ray Bolger (Raymond Wallace Bulcao), Dancer, actor in The Wizard of Oz.
    1908- Birthday of actor Paul Henried, Trieste, Austria. He once estimated that he had played in or directed more than 300 feature or made-for-TV films. Though a staunch anti-Nazi, his early film roles included a number of German roles, including Goodbye Mr. Chips and Night Train. He eventually moved away from the German stereotype in such films as Of Human Bondage, and The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse . His film career cut short by the anti-Communist blacklist in Hollywood during the 1940s, Henried found a second calling as a director, directing more than 80 episodes of TV’s “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.” Born at Tri. He is perhaps best known however for his role as Victor Laslo in "Casablanca." He is best known to me as I dated his daughter in high school. He died Mar 29,1992, at Pacific Palisades, CA.
    1910-Birthday of sax player Budd Johnson, Dallas, TX
http://artisttv.artistdirect.com/music/artist/bio/0,,449700,00.html?artist=Budd+Johnson
    1911 - The temperature dropped 47 degrees in 15 minutes at Rapid City, SD.
    1920- Due to the Treaty of Versailles, the League of Nations came into existence. Fifty nations entered into a covenant designed to avoid war. The US never joined the League of Nations, which dissolved April 18,1946
    1925—Birthday of jazz drummer Max Roach.
http://www.duke.edu/~kmg6/Roach/
http://www.thejazzfiles.com/JazzRoach.html
http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Max%20Roach.html
http://members.tripod.com/~hardbop/roach.html
    1927- blues singer Johnny Ray born, Dallas, Oregon
http://www.johnnieray.com/
    1927-Birthday of sax player Allan Eager, New York.
    1931-Birthday of Marlene Sanders, pioneering American woman broadcast journalist (the first woman to anchor a network evening news broadcast). She became a vice president and director of TV documentaries.
    1935- singer Eddy Clearwater, Macon Mississippi.
http://www.eddyclearwater.com/eddy/bio.html
http://www.drbillbluesafterhours.com/Music-EddyTheChiefClearwater2.htm
http://search.centerstage.net/music/whoswho/EddyClearwater.html
http://www.jellyroll.com/03/clearwater.html
http://www.guitar-masters.com/Players/Player-Eddy_Clearwater.html
http://www.blindpigrecords.com/artists/Clearwater,+Eddy.html
    1935- Ronnie Hawkins, a pioneer of rock 'n' roll in Canada, was born in Huntsville, Arkansas.  Hawkins has been a father figure to many of Canada's leading rock musicians, and the graduates of his bands include the groups Crowbar and The Band, as well as Dom Troiano, King Biscuit Boy and David Clayton-Thomas.    (Rompin') Ronnie Hawkins began touring the Ontario night club circuit in 1958 with his band the Hawks. In 1959, he scored on the US charts with "Mary Lou" and "40 Days." Hawkins has remained in Canada since then, leaving his Ontario base only occasionally, as he did in 1976 to appear at The Band's farewell concert in San Francisco.
    1937-Birthday of Gisele Mackenzie, Canadian singer, star of Your Hit Parade TV show during the 1950s.
    1938- Willie McCovey, Baseball Hall of Fame San Francisco first baseman born in Mobile, AL
    1939- actor-singer Sal Mineo was born in New York City. Better known for his acting than his singing, he did manage a top-ten record in 1957, "Start Movin'." On February 12th, 1975, Mineo was found murdered in Los Angeles.
    1943- Singer Jim Croce was born in Philadelphia. His narrative songs, such as "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" and "You Don't Mess Around With Jim," were extremely popular in the early '70s. Like Otis Redding, Croce's greatest popularity came after his death. And like Redding, Croce was killed in a plane crash - in 1973.
http://www.jimcroce.com/
    1943--FOURNIER, WILLIAM G. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company M, 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Mount Austen, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 10 January 1943. Entered service at: Winterport, Maine. Birth: Norwich, Conn. G.O. No.: 28, 5 June 1943. Citation: For gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. As leader of a machinegun section charged with the protection of other battalion units, his group was attacked by a superior number of Japanese, his gunner killed, his assistant gunner wounded, and an adjoining gun crew put out of action. Ordered to withdraw from this hazardous position, Sgt. Fournier refused to retire but rushed forward to the idle gun and, with the aid of another soldier who joined him, held up the machinegun by the tripod to increase its field action. They opened fire and inflicted heavy casualties upon the enemy. While so engaged both these gallant soldiers were killed, but their sturdy defensive was a decisive factor in the following success of the attacking battalion.
    1943-HALL, LEWIS Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Technician Fifth Grade, U.S. Army, Company M, 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Mount Austen, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 10 January 1943. Entered service at: Obetz, Rural Station 7, Columbus, Ohio. Born: 1895, Bloom, Ohio. G.O. No.: 28, 5 June 1943. Citation: For gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. As leader of a machinegun squad charged with the protection of other battalion units, his group was attacked by a superior number of Japanese, his gunner killed, his assistant gunner wounded, and an adjoining gun crew put out of action. Ordered to withdraw from his hazardous position, he refused to retire but rushed forward to the idle gun and with the aid of another soldier who joined him and held up the machinegun by the tripod to increase its field of action he opened fire and inflicted heavy casualties upon the enemy. While so engaged both these gallant soldiers were killed, but their sturdy defense was a decisive factor in the following success of the attacking battalion.
    1945--BERTOLDO, VITO R. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company A, 242d Infantry, 42d Infantry Division. Place and date: Hatten, France, 9-10 January 1945. Entered service at: Decatur, 111. Born: 1 December 1916, Decatur, 111. G.O. No.: 5, 10 January 1946. Citation: He fought with extreme gallantry while guarding 2 command posts against the assault of powerful infantry and armored forces which had overrun the battalion's main line of resistance. On the close approach of enemy soldiers, he left the protection of the building he defended and set up his gun in the street, there to remain for almost 12 hours driving back attacks while in full view of his adversaries and completely exposed to 88-mm., machinegun and small-arms fire. He moved back inside the command post, strapped his machinegun to a table and covered the main approach to the building by firing through a window, remaining steadfast even in the face of 88-mm. fire from tanks only 75 yards away. One shell blasted him across the room, but he returned to his weapon. When 2 enemy personnel carriers led by a tank moved toward his position, he calmly waited for the troops to dismount and then, with the tank firing directly at him, leaned out of the window and mowed down the entire group of more than 20 Germans. Some time later, removal of the command post to another building was ordered. M/Sgt. Bertoldo voluntarily remained behind, covering the withdrawal of his comrades and maintaining his stand all night. In the morning he carried his machinegun to an adjacent building used as the command post of another battalion and began a day-long defense of that position. He broke up a heavy attack, launched by a self-propelled 88-mm. gun covered by a tank and about 15 infantrymen. Soon afterward another 88-mm. weapon moved up to within a few feet of his position, and, placing the muzzle of its gun almost inside the building, fired into the room, knocking him down and seriously wounding others. An American bazooka team set the German weapon afire, and M/Sgt. Bertoldo went back to his machinegun dazed as he was and killed several of the hostile troops as they attempted to withdraw. It was decided to evacuate the command post under the cover of darkness, but before the plan could be put into operation the enemy began an intensive assault supported by fire from their tanks and heavy guns. Disregarding the devastating barrage, he remained at his post and hurled white phosphorous grenades into the advancing enemy troops until they broke and retreated. A tank less than 50 yards away fired at his stronghold, destroyed the machinegun and blew him across the room again but he once more returned to the bitter fight and, with a rifle, single-handedly covered the withdrawal of his fellow soldiers when the post was finally abandoned. With inspiring bravery and intrepidity M/Sgt. Bertoldo withstood the attack of vastly superior forces for more than 48 hours without rest or relief, time after time escaping death only by the slightest margin while killing at least 40 hostile soldiers and wounding many more during his grim battle against the enemy hordes.
    1945-Erskine Hawkins records “ Tippin’ In.” Victor 20-1639
    1945-Birthday of singer Rod Stewart, London, England.
    1946- on the 26th anniversary of the establishment of the unsuccessful League of Nations, delegates from 51 nations met at London, England, for the first meeting of the UN General Assembly.
    1946---Top Hits
Symphony - The Freddy Martin Orchestra (vocal: Clyde Rogers)
It Might as Well Be Spring - The Sammy Kaye Orchestra (vocal: Billy Williams)
I Can’t Begin to Tell You - Bing Crosby with the Carmen Cavallaro Orchestra
White Cross on Okinawa - Bob Wills.
    1947-U.S. Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall prayed: 'May we resolve, God helping us, to be part of the answer, and not part of the problem.'
    1949 - The Radio Corporation of America, known as RCA, announced the new 7-inch, 45 rpm phonograph record. Known familiarly as the 45, the record with the big hole in the middle, the invention would forever change the pop music business. RCA manufactured a record player that would only play 45s, that had a fat spindle to made "stacking wax" easy and automatic.
    1949 - Snow was reported at San Diego, CA, for the first and only time since 1882. Snow was noted even on some of the beaches in parts of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Burbank reported 4.7 inches, and Long Beach and Laguna Beach received one inch of snow.
    1952 - Cecil B. DeMille's circus extravaganza, The Greatest Show on Earth, opened in the United States. Starring Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde, Charlton Heston, and Dorothy Lamour, the film did well at the box office, and won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Writing. Famous clown Emmett Kelly appeared in a cameo.
    1953- Perry Como's "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" hits #1
    1954---Top Hits
Oh! My Pa-Pa - Eddie Fisher
Changing Partners - Patti Page
The Gang that Sang ‘Heart of My Heart’ - The Four Aces
Bimbo - Jim Reeves
    1956 - Elvis Presley made his first recordings as an RCA Victor artist. At sessions in Nashville, Tennessee, Elvis recorded "Heartbreak Hotel", "I Was the One", "I’m Counting On You", "I Got a Woman" and "Money Honey". By April 11, 1956, "Heartbreak Hotel" was #1, staying there for eight weeks. It was #1 on both the pop and rhythm and blues charts, as well at placing fifth on the country music list.
    1956 -- The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously strikes down two Alabama laws requiring racial segregation on public buses.
    1958- "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis became the number-one song in the US. Later in the year, many radio stations began banning his records because of his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin.
    1960 - To this date, Marty Robbins' "El Paso", held the record for the longest #1 song. The song was 5 minutes and 19 seconds long, sending radio station Program Directors into fits; because the average length at that time was around 2 minutes. Formats at stations didn’t allow for records much longer than that. For example, 2-minute record, 3 minutes for commercials, 60 seconds for promo, 2-minute record, etc. DJs quickly got used to the longer length, realizing it gave them time, to think of what to say next.
    1962---Top Hits
The Lion Sleeps Tonight - The Tokens
The Twist - Chubby Checker
Peppermint Twist - Joey Dee & The Starliters
Walk on By - Leroy Van Dyke
    1967- the National Educational Television (NET), New York City, interconnected 70 of its 100 independent affiliated educational stations for a live broadcast and analysis of President Lyndon Baines Johnson’s State of the Union message. Regularly scheduled noncommercial network broadcasting began on November 5, 1967, with the premiere of the Public Broadcast laboratory over the NET network. Until around this time television news went from 15 minutes to 30 minutes formats.
The only long standing news programs were “60 Minutes” and “ Meet the Press.”
    1967 -- Lester Garfield Maddox, a restaurant owner and avowed racist with an axe to grind who made national headlines for his opposition to desegregation, is sworn in as governor of Georgia. Maddox, a high school dropout, achieved notoriety in 1964 when he used violence to drive African Americans from his Pickrick Restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia. In defiance of federal civil rights legislation calling for desegregation of restaurants and other public places, he passed out ax handles to white customers at his eatery to prevent its integration. Later in the year, he closed the establishment rather than be forced to serve African Americans.
   1967 - President Johnson, in his annual State of the Union message to Congress, asks for enactment of a 6 percent surcharge on personal and corporate income taxes to help support the Vietnam War for two years, or "for as long as the unusual expenditures associated with our efforts continue." Congress delayed for almost a year, but eventually passed the surcharge. The U.S. expenditure in Vietnam for fiscal year 1967 would be $21 billion.
    1968--SASSER, CLARENCE EUGENE Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Specialist Fifth Class (then Pfc.), U.S. Army, Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division. Place and date: Ding Tuong Province, Republic of Vietnam, 10 January 1968. Entered service at: Houston, Tex. Born: 12 September 1947, Chenango, Tex. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp5c. Sasser distinguished himself while assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion. He was serving as a medical aide man with Company A, 3d Battalion, on a reconnaissance in force operation. His company was making an air assault when suddenly it was taken under heavy small arms, recoilless rifle, machinegun and rocket fire from well fortified enemy positions on 3 sides of the landing zone. During the first few minutes, over 30 casualties were sustained. Without hesitation, Sp5c. Sasser ran across an open rice paddy through a hail of fire to assist the wounded. After helping 1 man to safety, was painfully wounded in the left shoulder by fragments of an exploding rocket. Refusing medical attention, he ran through a barrage of rocket and automatic weapons fire to aid casualties of the initial attack and, after giving them urgently needed treatment, continued to search for other wounded. Despite 2 additional wounds immobilizing his legs, he dragged himself through the mud toward another soldier 100 meters away. Although in agonizing pain and faint from loss of blood, Sp5c. Sasser reached the man, treated him, and proceeded on to encourage another group of soldiers to crawl 200 meters to relative safety. There he attended their wounds for 5 hours until they were evacuated. Sp5c. Sasser's extraordinary heroism is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
    1968-Aretha Franklin earns her fourth gold single with "Chain of Fools." The record goes on to win the 1968 Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a female.
    1969 - Elvis Presley’s, "Don’t Cry Daddy" entered the pop music charts' Top 10. The song contains a duet with country artist Ronnie Milsap.
    1969 - After 147 years in publication, the final issue of "The Saturday Evening Post" was produced, although years later it would return in limited publication. Norman Rockwell’s art was popular in the "Post".
    1970---Top Hits
Raindrop Keep Fallin’ on My Head - B.J. Thomas
Someday We’ll Be Together - Diana Ross & The Supremes
I Want You Back - The Jackson 5
Baby, (Baby I Know You’re a Lady) - David Houston
    1972- the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 120—104, to snap the longest winning streak in major professional sports at 33 games. Milwaukee’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, later to play for the Lakers, scored 39 points to hand Los Angeles its first loss since Oct 31, 1971.
    1975 - The "Storm of the Century" hit Minnesota. A severe blizzard moved northward across the state producing up to two feet of snow. High winds drove wind chill readings to 80 degrees below zero, and at Duluth MN the barometric pressure dipped to 28.55 inches. The storm, which claimed 35 lives, occurred on the 102nd anniversary of the infamous "Pioneer Blizzard" in Minnesota.
    1975- Al Green earns his 12th gold record for the album "Al Green Explores Your Mind." Twelve days later, he earns his 13th gold record for the album's hit single, "Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)."
    1978---Top Hits
How Deep is Your Love - Bee Gees
Baby Come Back - Player
You’re in My Heart (The Final Acclaim) - Rod Stewart
Take This Job and Shove It - Johnny Paycheck
    1980- composer John Williams succeeded the late Arthur Fiedler as the conductor of the Boston Pops.
    1981- John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy" goes platinum, a little over a month after Lennon's assassination. The album is Number One for eight weeks.
    1982- San Fran­cisco 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark jumped high in the Candlestick Park end zone to snare a touchdown pass from Joe Montana as the 49ers defeated the Dallas Cow­boys, 28-27, in the NFC championship game. “The Catch,” as the play came to be called, propelled San Fran­cisco to Super Bowl XVI, which they won, 26—2 1, over the Cincinnati Bengals.
    1982 -- Cincinnati defeats San Diego 27-7 in the coldest game in NFL history. The temperature at kickoff of the AFC Championship Game is -9, with a wind-chill factor of -59.
http://images.nfl.com/history/images/0110.jpg
    1982 - The temperature at O'Hare Airport in Chicago, IL, plunged to an all-time record of 26 degrees below zero, and high winds drove the wind chill reading to 77 degrees below zero. The temperature in Downtown Chicago reached 23 degrees below zero. A week later a second arctic surge sent the temperature plunging back down to 25 degrees below zero
    1984-Cyndi Lauper becomes the first female recording artist since 1967 to be nominated for five Grammy Awards, for her debut album, She's So Unusual. Lauper was nominated for Album of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Performance (Female), Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. She won the Best New Artist award. Lauper became the first artist in rock history to achieve four Top 10 singles from a debut album, including "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," "She Bop," and her first No. 1 single, "Time After Time."
    1986---Top Hits
Say You, Say Me - Lionel Richie
Party All the Time - Eddie Murphy
That’s What Friends are For - Dionne & Friends
Morning Desire - Kenny Rogers
1987- Madonna's video about a pregnant teenager, "Papa Don't Preach," won the top award on the first World Music Video Awards. The three-hour program was co-produced by Canada's MuchMusic Network and Europe's Sky Channel. It was telecast live via satellite to five continents.
    1989 - The first documented January tornado of record in Utah struck the south part of Sandy. Asphalt shingles were driven one half inch into a fence. (The Weather Channel) Clear skies, light winds, and up to 24 inches of snow cover, allowed the temperature to plunge to 45 degrees below zero at Roseau MN, and to -43 degrees at Warroad MN. The afternoon high at Grand Forks ND was 16 degrees below zero.
    1990 - Strong southerly winds ahead of a Pacific cold front helped temperatures in the central U.S. soar as much as 50 degrees during the day. A total of fifty cities in the central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date, with afternoon highs in the 70s reported as far north as Nebraska and eastern Colorado. Highs of 53 at devils Lake ND, 76 at Grand Island NE, 73 at Lincoln NE, and 73 at North Platte NE, established records for the month of January.
    1991- Clint Black became the 66th member of the Grand Ole Opry during the taping of the show's 65th anniversary celebration.
    1993-the greatest single snowstorm ever at Salt Lake City, UT came to an end. The four day storm dumped 23.3 inches of snow on the city breaking the previous record of 21.6 inches set from March 12th to the 15th, 1944.
    1994- WordPerfect announced it would begin charging for telephone support. Previously, the company had not only provided free support but also picked up the tab for the phone call through a toll-free line. The move reflected the growing battle for revenue in the software business, as lower prices hurt profit margins. It also was a poor business judgment as it drove more users toward Microsoft Word.
    1995- "Late Late Show" with Tom Snyder premieres on CBS at 12 30 AM
    1995—Top Hits
On Bended Knee- Boyz II Men
Creep- TLC
Another Night- Real McCoy
Always- Bon Jovi
    1996 - a clipper-type system produced more snow over the mid Atlantic and northeast. On the 9th, 3-6 inches of snow fell in the Washington, DC-Baltimore, MD area, still digging out from the blizzard just two days earlier. The clipper intensified over the waters just east of New England on the 10th and produced up to 9 inches of snow over northeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod. The 5.4 inches at Boston raised its snowcover to 32 inches -- its greatest depth ever recorded. The 2.6 inches at Philadelphia brought its monthly snow total to 33.7 inches -- its snowiest month on record. This was the third snowstorm to affect the region in a week.
    1997- Arnold Palmer, perhaps the most charismatic golfer of all time, was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Palmer underwent surgery at the Mayo Clinic on Jan 15, and on Mar 20 he returned to golf, carding an 81 in the first round of the Bay Hill Invita­tional. He also became a spokesman for the prevention of prostate cancer.
    1997-James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, gets his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
    2000 - America Online, “the company that brought the Internet to the masses,” announced that it had agreed to buy Time Warner, the largest traditional media company in the U.S., for $165 billion.
    2000—Top Hits
What A Girl Wants-- Christina Aguilera
Smooth- Santana Featuring Rob Thomas
Back At One- Brian McKnight
I Knew I Loved You- Savage Garden

American Football Poem

A champion is one who gets up when he can't.

Jack Dempsey

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Take pride in how far you have come; have faith in how far you can go.

Unknown

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Tough times don't last, tough people do.

Unknown

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If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you think you'd like to win, but you think you can't,
it's almost certain you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you've lost.
For out in the world you'll find,
success begins with a fellow's will.
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you're outclassed, you are
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of yourself,
before you can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go,
to the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later the man who wins,
is the man who thinks he can.

Unknown