IRS Urges Public to Stay Alert for Scam Phone Calls
We Got Four Such Calls on our Cell Phones Yesterday

Yes, we both got cell telephone calls at home from a caller identifying himself from the IRS.  He said they would be coming over to collect the money owed if we didn't pay now and they would be bringing the "cops" with them.  Well, that really made Sue laugh!  First, she said she knew it was fake with saying they were going to bring the “cops” with them. They called her back twice. She hung up on them each time.

Surprise, I got the same call a few hours later, hung up on them, too, as I have been audited by the IRS and know the real routine. Obviously they are working down the cell telephone numbers.

The IRS has an official warning for "Scam Calls and Emails impersonating IRS"

Scammers make unsolicited calls. Thieves call taxpayers claiming to be IRS officials. They demand that the victim pay a bogus tax bill. They con the victim into sending cash, usually through a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. They may also leave “urgent” callback requests through phone “robo-calls,” or via phishing email.
 
Callers try to scare their victims. Many phone scams use threats to intimidate and bully a victim into paying. They may even threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the license of their victim if they don’t get the money.
 
Scams use caller ID spoofing. Scammers often alter caller ID to make it look like the IRS or another agency is calling. The callers use IRS titles and fake badge numbers to appear legitimate. They may use the victim’s name, address and other personal information to make the call sound official.
 
Cons try new tricks all the time. Some schemes provide an actual IRS address where they tell the victim to mail a receipt for the payment they make. Others use emails that contain a fake IRS document with a phone number or an email address for a reply. These scams often use official IRS letterhead in emails or regular mail that they send to their victims. They try these ploys to make the ruse look official.

The IRS will not:

• Call you to demand immediate payment. The IRS will not call you if you owe taxes without first sending you a bill in the mail.

• Demand that you pay taxes and not allow you to question or appeal the amount you owe.

• Require that you pay your taxes a certain way. For instance, require that you pay with a prepaid debit card.

• Ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

• Threaten to bring in police or other agencies to arrest you for not paying.

If you don’t owe taxes, or have no reason to think that you do:

Do not give out any information! Hang up immediately!
 
(and that's what we both did, we hung up.)

    Kit Menkin

 

 

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Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

Adopters of Technology

Technology is rapidly disrupting the commercial equipment leasing and finance industry. Companies are introducing advanced technological platforms to improve the client experience. Many originators incorrectly perceive these changes as operational decisions, management's responsibilities, or some futuristic challenge that doesn't affect their world or their business opportunities. Technology is changing the sales and marketing processes right now. Your competitors are implementing new origination processes to better compete for your customers and adding greater value to the process for their customers. Sales professionals are participating in the customization of these platforms. These originators are technologically plugged in to the "real" world of competing for the best clients with advanced processes which distinguish them from all other competitors.

The time for excuses has passed. Top originators are becoming adopters of new technology. They are using their company's systems to full capacity. They are internal advocates of new technology. They are making suggestions to their IT departments regarding enhancements to their existing systems. Top producers are helping to develop new processes to gain better efficiencies within the sales process and the operational process. Technology is not just an operational concern - it is a sales necessity. Top producers are:

• Using their CRM systems at 80% to 95% capacity, not the normal 25% to 50% range that average originators use
• Advocating for efficient online portals
• Promoting e-documents
• Helping to develop A.I. criteria to mine for better databases
• Using technology to enhance internal and external communication
• Embracing technology
• Early adopters of technology to improve their personal value propositions.

The best sales technology is conceived in the field by an originator that understands the challenges and is willing to help develop solutions which will improve their value. What have you done lately to improve your company's technological advancements? What are your suggestions? How will you participate in the technological revolution which is current advancing the commercial equipment leasing and finance industry? Take responsibility and be part of the process. 

 Participate in the Revolution

Order via Amazon: https://www.createspace.com/5355516 

Scott A. Wheeler, CLFP
Wheeler Business Consulting
1314 Marquis Ct.
Fallston, Maryland 21047
Phone: 410 877 0428
Fax: 410 877 8161
Email: scott@wheelerbusinessconsulting.com
Web: www.wheelerbusinessconsulting.com

Sales Makes it Happen articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Legacy/index.html

 

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Leasing Industry Help Wanted

Credit Analyst Norwalk, Ct. Remote Location Considered 2 Years Min. Experience Collateral knowledge of over-the-road trucking assets, construction equipment, material handling, vocational units and machine tools is desired Call Maria Borges-Lopez: (203) 354-6090 or e-mail your resume to HumanResources@nmef.com Please click nmef.com/careers/ for more information www.nmef.com Providing small-ticket equipment financing for businesses across the country through our dedicated referral source network

 

 

 

Leasing #102---by Bob Teichman, CLFP

Verifying Financial Information

Prudent credit managers attempt to verify financial information provided by applicants, but sometimes that is difficult, if not impossible. The lessee company may have internally prepared statements and tax returns and, with no outside accountant, verification is unlikely. In those cases, IRS Form 4506 is the primary tax return verification method available to the lessor.

This form authorizes the IRS to provide a copy of the filed tax return (www.irs.gov) including all attachments. There is a $50.00 fee for each return requested.

Another useful form is IRS Form 4506-T. This authorizes the IRS to provide a transcript of a filed tax return, such as Forms 1040, 1065, 1120, etc. This allows the lessor or lender to verify that the copy of the tax return provided to the lessor by the prospective lessee is correct and contains the same numbers as in the filed tax return. This service is provided free of charge.

Other versions are Form 4506-F (regarding fraudulent returns) and Form 4506F-EZ, a short form request for an individual 1040 tax return. This latter is also a free request.

There are other similar forms available in the 4506 series. Information is available on the IRS website (www.irs.gov/forms). Search 4506 for a listing of various Forms 4506.

In all cases, the prospective lessee must provide written authorization. Depending on workload and other factors response time from the IRS may vary, but there is a faster method to determine whether or not the applicant has provided a true copy of the return. Since the applicant must sign the 4506 and knows what the lessor is requesting from the IRS, any refusal by the applicant to sign the form is a strong indication that the lessor should walk away from the transaction. On the other hand, if the applicant readily agrees to sign the form, the lessor can feel fairly confident that the copy of the return to be provided by the IRS will likely agree with the copy provided by the applicant.

Another alternative is to work with a service company, which may obtain the transcript or copy more quickly.

Verification of financial statements not prepared by an outside accountant is more difficult, but not impossible. The lessor can obtain copies of bank account statements, accounts receivable and payable aging’s, depreciation schedules, and other internal and external records. The lessor can also interview major customers and suppliers.

Part of mortgage meltdown was caused by over-reliance on “stated income” loans where the borrower provided information that was never (by design) verified by the lenders. Full-disclosure transactions, where the lessor carefully analyses the lessee’s ability to make payments, requires that the lessor exercise considerable due diligence, including verification of all information provided by applicants.

Bob Teichman, CLFP
Teichman Financial Training
BoTei@aol.com

Bob Teichman, CFLP, is celebrating his 56th year in the leasing business. He provides classes in the practical side of leasing to lessors, lessees, banks, associations and government agencies. He is co-author of the World Bank’s Global Leasing Toolkit and is a Senior Advisor to the US Agency for International Development (US-AID.)

He is also chairman of the Leasing News Advisory Board. He was an Officer and Board Member of the CLFP Foundation and served two terms as a Board Member for the United Association of Equipment Leasing, a predecessor of NEFA.

 

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The Online Battle Between Amazon and Walmart Grows
Walmart Grows Its Own e-Commerce Platform

Walmart withdrew from Google Express and Google Shopping Actions, according to Bloomberg, appearing to double down.

At the same time, 8,000 of their truckers will be getting an average raise to almost $90,000 a year.  They hired 1,400 new drivers in 2018 and have announced they want to hire 900 more and pay them an average of $90,000 a year.

Walmart has had its own trucking fleet since the 1970s, with drivers making deliveries to 4,700 Walmart and Sam's Club stores.

 

Full Story from Visual Capitalist
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/walmart-nation-largest-employers/

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In 2017, the U.S. imported 674 thousand barrels of crude oil and petroleum products per day from Venezuela, making the world’s oil-richest country the fourth largest provider of foreign oil to the United States. Thanks to an increase in domestic crude oil production, the United States is not as reliant on foreign oil as it once was. In 2017, net imports only accounted for 19 percent of U.S. petroleum consumption according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. This was the lowest percentage since 1967.

 

Felix Richter, Statista.com

Leasing News Advisor
Steve Crane, CLFP

Steve Crane, CLFP, is an original member of the Leasing News Advisory Board from July 2000. He is Executive Vice President and the Sales Manager for BSB Leasing, which is in Colorado, however, resides and works remotely in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Prior to joining BSB in September of 2014, Steve was Vice President and Marketing Manager for the Indirect Equipment Financing Group at Bank of the West where he worked for nearly 20 years.  He graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Finance and has held positions with numerous companies in his career, including Westinghouse Credit, Ingersoll-Rand Financial, CIT and Taylor Financial.  Steve has been an active volunteer in the Leasing and Financing community over the years, holding various positions with the Certified Leasing and Finance Professional Foundation, former Eastern Association of Equipment Leasing, National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers and National Equipment Finance Association.

Steve Crane, CLFP
Executive Vice President  & Sales Manager
BSB Leasing, Inc.
7921 Southpark Plaza, Suite 208
Littleton, CO  80120
scrane@bsbleasing.com   
303-376-4668
Fax: 303-329-0240
www.bsbleasing.com

Steve has been married to his wife Cheryl for 35 years and they have two sons, Ryan and Alex. Ryan is a firefighter in Northern California and Alex is in his first year of residency in Southern California with his wife Jess.

Steve with daughter-in-law Jess, son Alex, wife Cheryl and son Ryan

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Post-Petition Advances on Equipment Lease Requested by
 Debtor-Guarantor Are Non-Dischargeable in Bankruptcy

By Tom McCurnin
Leasing News Legal Editor

Bankruptcy Case Where Debtor-Guarantor Requested Funds for Equipment Leases Post-Petition, But Still Wanted Discharge of Guarantied Obligations

Thompson Tractor Co. v. Schleicher (In re Schleicher) 2018 Bankr. LEXIS 3559 (Bankr.N.D.Ala. Nov. 7, 2018, Nos. 16-41667-JJR7, 18-40002-JJR)

There is a fundamental law in bankruptcy that pre-petition debts are generally discharged. But what if the debtor makes a request for disbursement to his non-debtor company post-petition where the obligations are subject to a guaranty? Since the debtor’s pre-petition guarantied obligations are discharged, should the guarantor’s post-petition guarantied obligations also be discharged?  The answer is no. The facts follow.

Debtor Jeremy Schleicher is the principal of Dixie Logging Co. LLC.  In 2011, Dixie leased equipment from Thompson Tractor in Alabama. The lease also provided for additional advances for more equipment, essentially a master lease agreement similar to a credit line. The equipment lease was subject to a guaranty from Schleicher.

In 2018, Debtor and Guarantor Schleicher filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceeding. Prior to filing, Dixie owed Thompson $138,000. After filing bankruptcy, Dixie requested additional funding for more equipment, to the tune of $86,000. The lease obligations were subject to Schleicher’s guaranty.  Schleicher never revoked his guaranty. 

It seemed clear that Schleicher’s pre-petition guaranteed debt was subject to a discharge. But if Schleicher, acting as a principal of Dixie, requested more equipment, are the post-petition obligations of Dixie subject to Schleicher’s guaranty? 

Thompson Tractor filed suit in bankruptcy court, alleging that Schleicher’s post-petition guarantied obligations were non-dischargeable. Schleicher argued that the obligations were contingent and unliquidated and therefore not a “debt” as defined by the bankruptcy law. Moreover, Schleicher argued that since the guaranty is one obligation, and the pre-petition debts are discharged, all the debts evidenced by the guaranty, including those incurred post-petition, should be discharged. In other words, the bankruptcy court cannot split the guaranty into two parts.  Each party filed summary judgments. 

The bankruptcy court consulted Alabama law to determine the correct result. Citing a 2006 case, the bankruptcy court held that a guaranty contract is not a single obligation. Each advance subject to the guaranty is considered a separate debt. Since a discharge only is granted to pre-petition debts, the post-petition advances are not subject to a discharge. Thus the bankruptcy court ruled that the post-petition lease advances subject to the guaranty were not discharged. The equipment lessor won, and the guarantor lost. 

What are the takeaways here?

• First, For Equipment Lessors, I Don’t Understand Why the Leases Were Funded Post-Petition. I get it that the guaranty was not revoked and legally, the Lessor could enforce both the lease and the guaranty obligations, but how did it get that far? When funding a new lease subject to an old guaranty, underwriting should run a bankruptcy check, and if a bankruptcy is disclosed, a new guaranty should be executed. And, its not like the Lessor didn’t know the guarantor had not filed bankruptcy, since the guarantor scheduled the pre-petition debt on his petition and schedules and the Lessor received notice. 

• Second, Most Guaranties Have Language Covering This Situation. The typical guaranty has language stating that each advance under the principal obligation is to be considered a new and separate guarantied obligation as of the date of the advance. Such language essentially parrots the Alabama case cited by the bankruptcy court. If a lessor’s guaranty doesn’t have that language, then it should be in there. 

• Third, For Debtors, Revoke Your Guaranty When You File Bankruptcy. While the Debtor essentially implied that his guaranty was implicitly revoked, and the Lessor made the advance to the company without a guaranty. That is not a correct legal position. If a guarantor wants to terminate its guaranty, then revoke it writing. 

The bottom line to this case is that the bankruptcy court got it right. However, it shouldn’t have required full blown litigation to enforce this guaranty. The Lessor should not have funded the post-petition leases until a new guaranty was signed. 

Thompson Tractor Co. v. Schleicher (5 pages)
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/thompson_tractor_schleicher2019.pdf

Tom McCurnin is a partner at Barton, Klugman & Oetting in Los Angeles, California.

 

Tom McCurnin
Barton, Klugman & Oetting
350 South Grand Ave.
Suite 2200
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Direct Phone: (213) 617-6129
Cell (213) 268-8291
Email: tmccurnin@bkolaw.com
Visit our web site at www.bkolaw.com
Previous Tom McCurnin Articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org

Previous Tom McCurnin Articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/leasing_cases.html

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##### Press Release ############################

Top 10 Equipment Acquisition Trends for 2019
Equipment Leasing and Finance Association Report

ELFA Forecasts Generally Positive Economy
 and Solid Capital Investment with Building Headwinds
with Moderated Growth by Year End

Washington, DC— The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) which represents the $1 trillion equipment finance sector reports its Top 10 Equipment Acquisition Trends for 2019. Given U.S. businesses, nonprofits and government agencies will spend over $1.8 trillion in capital goods or fixed business investment (including software) this year, financing a majority of those assets, these trends impact a significant portion of the U.S. economy.

ELFA President and CEO Ralph Petta said, “Equipment acquisition plays a critical role in driving the supply chains across all U.S. manufacturing and service sectors. Equipment leasing and financing provide the source of funding for approximately 60 percent of U.S. businesses to acquire the productive assets they need to operate and grow. We are pleased to again provide the Top 10 Equipment Acquisition Trends to assist businesses with understanding the market environment and making their strategic equipment acquisition plans.”

ELFA distilled recent research data, including the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation’s 2019 Equipment Leasing & Finance U.S. Economic Outlook, industry participants’ expertise and member input from ELFA meetings and conferences in compiling the trends.

ELFA forecasts the following Top 10 Equipment Acquisition Trends for 2019:

1. Capital spending will remain in solidly positive territory. The first half of 2018 saw strong growth in equipment and software investment, driven by a healthy U.S. economy and more preferable tax treatment. Growth slowed in the second half of the year, providing a less robust jumping off point for 2019. After 7.9 percent growth in equipment and software investment last year, look for still healthy, though more moderate, 4.1 percent growth in 2019.
2. The share of equipment acquisitions that are financed will likely remain stable. Equipment leasing and finance will remain the most common payment method used by businesses to acquire equipment and software. The propensity of businesses to finance will continue despite rising interest rates, lower tax rates and a strong economy that’s resulted in many companies with cash on hand.
3. A majority of key equipment verticals will have solid investment growth. Through the first half of 2019 many equipment verticals will build on or hold steady with the previous year’s positive investment gains, including aircraft, construction, computers, software, materials handling, and ships and boats. Equipment types likely to peak include agriculture, trucking and medical equipment. Investment growth in some verticals may weaken this year as the business cycle matures further.
4. U.S. businesses will feel the impact of global economic headwinds. U.S. firms will find conditions in international markets increasingly factoring into their own business decision-making in 2019. Slowdowns in China in particular, Europe and other major emerging markets; the conflict in U.S.-China trade policy; and global credit tightening will be among the global effects that will drag on the U.S. economy and capital spending decisions.
5. Leased and financed acquisitions will get a boost from regulatory and legislative changes. The combined impacts of changes in lease accounting standard ASC 842 and the new federal tax law have provisions that maintain, and in some cases improve on, previous benefits of financing, such as 100 percent bonus depreciation and expensing of used and new equipment. More precise balance sheet calculations for ratings agencies, lower capitalized asset costs vs. loan or cash purchase, and higher deductibility of interest expense are just a few of the new advantages.
6. Technological advancements and avoiding obsolescence will be top priorities of capital spending. Equipment finance businesses across all industries will seek out new technologies for everything from enhancing the end-user experience to increasing efficiencies to managing obsolescence. The ability of these organizations to successfully implement technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence and robotics will continue to differentiate market leaders from also-rans.
7. Innovations in equipment management will accelerate to meet the growing complexity of setting residual values. Faced with globalization of markets and rapid technological developments that shorten industry cycles and rapidly shift asset values, equipment managers will deploy robust technology platforms and data analytics in combination with their industry expertise to provide residual values. End-users acquiring new and used equipment will benefit from stiff competition and enhanced customer service capabilities.
8. Uncertainty around interest rate hikes will have eyes on Fed activity. Downgraded expectations from as many as five interest rate increases to two in 2019 will impact both equipment suppliers and end-users that seek funding. A softening global economy could further delay planned hikes. Regardless, businesses will stay tuned so they can plan accordingly.
9. Federal government activity will pose opportunities and challenges to capital spending. As businesses continue to realize the benefits of federal deregulation, the results of how a divided Congress acts could dampen momentum. Political brinksmanship and dysfunction could make collaboration on legislation more challenging. Bipartisan cooperation could support a long-awaited infrastructure spending bill, but proposed legislation this year is still an unknown.
10. External “wild cards” will factor into capital spending decisions. While the outlook for capital spending remains generally positive, there are additional areas businesses will keep an eye on for the potential to impact their equipment acquisition strategies. Modest to moderate growth forecast for business investment could decelerate if trade tensions and tightening credit conditions continue to erode business confidence. The oil sector has exposure to uncertainty resulting from numerous factors, including falling oil prices, surging U.S. production and a cooling global economy. The weak housing sector shows no clear indications of a rebound as headwinds inhibiting growth remain. Finally, global developments including Brexit terms or the deteriorating economies of some of our trading partners could impact growth in equipment investment in the U.S.

For a video and an infographic highlighting the Top 10 Equipment Acquisition Trends for 2019, go to www.EquipmentFinanceAdvantage.org/rsrcs/articles/10trends.cfm.

More Information
ELFA has an informational website for businesses that want to learn more about how they can incorporate equipment financing into their business strategies. For resources about equipment financing, including a digital toolkit, videos and infographics, go to www.EquipmentFinanceAdvantage.org.

For forecast data regarding equipment investment and capital spending in the United States, see the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation’s 2019 Equipment Leasing & Finance U.S. Economic Outlook at www.leasefoundation.org/industry-resources/u-s-economic-outlook/.

About ELFA
The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) is the trade association that represents companies in the $1 trillion equipment finance sector, which includes financial services companies and manufacturers engaged in financing 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. Its 575 members include independent and captive leasing and finance companies, banks, financial services corporations, broker/packagers and investment banks, as well as manufacturers and service providers. For more information, please visit www.elfaonline.org.

# # #### Press Release ############################

Labrador Retriever Mix
Santa Clara, California  Adopt a Dog

Scooter
ID #A1114075
Male
Brown
7 months old
$150.00

Shelter Staff made the following comments about this animal:

"Hi there, my name is Scooter - wow, the world is quite big out there! I am very excited about discovering all the world has to offer and finding my forever family! I am quite happy with simply being given affection and love, but let's not forget about some fun puppy toys too!

"If you are ready to welcome a new canine companion into your family, please don't hesitate to come on down and meet me for a bit! For more information contact the Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority (SVACA) at 408-764-0344 or visit www.svaca.com."

Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority
3370 Thomas Road
Santa Clara, Ca. 95054
Telephone (408) 764-0344
Email staff@svaca.com

Animal Care Center Hours
Tuesday, Thursday - Sunday: 11:00am to 5:00pm
Wednesday: 11:00am - 6:30pm
Closed on Mondays (Phones are answered 8am - 5pm)

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

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The women of leasing and commercial finance are invited to attend a special luncheon to enjoy good food and fellowship to kick off the fun and networking at the 2019 American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers Conference.

Due to the generous sponsorship of Channel Partners Capital, this event is FREE for ladies to attend, however RSVPs are required to reserve a seat.

Attendees can register for the luncheon on the conference registration form. The deadline to register for the luncheon is
April 26, 2019.

Registration:
https://annualconference.aacfb.org/registration

Exhibitors to Date
https://annualconference.aacfb.org/exhibitors

News Briefs----

Apple Reports 1Q 2019 Results: Nearly $20B Profit
 on $84 Revenue, 2nd Best Quarter Ever Despite Earnings Warnings
https://www.macrumors.com/2019/01/29/apple-1q-2019-results/

Madam May wins MPs' backing to renegotiate Brexit deal
 ... but EU slaps her down immediately
https://www.yahoo.com/news/theresa-may-faces-latest-commons-test-mps-vote-amendments-brexit-deal-075222783.html 

Intel officials reveal the greatest threats
    to US national security
https://nypost.com/2019/01/29/intel-officials-reveal-the-greatest-threats-to-us-national-security/

NABE Report: 2018 tax cuts didn’t boost business spending
or hiring - 84 % of respondents said they had not changed plans
https://nypost.com/2019/01/28/report-says-2018-tax-cuts-didnt-boost-business-spending-hiring/

States with Most Credit Card Debt
  Average Balance, Average Credit Score
https://247wallst.com/special-report/2019/01/28/states-with-the-most-credit-card-debt/

How online platforms shook small-business lending in America
   New names step up to fuel America’s engine
https://www.ft.com/content/5c68d948-1efb-11e9-b126-46fc3ad87c65

CIT Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2018 Results
  posted fourth-quarter profit that beat analysts’ expectations
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cit-announces-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2018-results-300785553.html

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You May Have Missed---

Americans stopped buying homes in 2018, mortgage lenders
 are getting crushed, and an economic storm could be brewing
https://www.businessinsider.com/falling-home-sales-could-signal-us-recession-2019-1

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--Vince Lombardi
(1913-1970) US football coach

“Winning is not a sometime thing; it is an all the time thing. You don’t win once in a while; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do them all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game and that is first place.”

If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score?

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.

We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time.

Fatigue makes cowards of us all.

The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.

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Sports Briefs---

Rams WR Brandin Cooks arranged for team custodian
   son to attend Super Bowl
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/super-bowl/2019/01/29/super-bowl-2019-brandin-cooks-custodian-los-angeles-rams/2711580002/

Is the $2.4 billion Atlanta paid for new sports stadiums
    the last two years worth it?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/super-bowl/2019/01/29/super-bowl-liii-atlanta-rams-patriots/2704906002/

Improbable Super Bowl path? Why Rams RB C.J. Anderson
   doesn’t see it that way
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/super-bowl/2019/01/29/super-bowl-2019-cj-anderson-los-angeles-rams/2715059002/

Sandy Alderson returns to Oakland A’s in advisory role
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/01/29/oakland-as-hire-sandy-alderson-as-senior-advisor/

Warriors win battle with Celtics, 115-111
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/sports/9215597-181/warriors-win-battle-with-celtics

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California Nuts Briefs---

Sacramento Mayor proposes spending $36 million
  on homeless shelters over next two years
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/homeless/article225246910.html

Insurance claims from California’s November wildfires
    total $11.4 billion
https://www.sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/11-4-billion-in-insurance-claims-filed-after-13567670.php

PG&E wildfire-linked bankruptcy
  sparks warnings of higher utility bills, harm to fire victims
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/01/29/pge-files-for-bankruptcy-facing-massive-wildfire-costs/

Why PG&E’s bankruptcy won’t please
   California wildfire victims, ratepayers or investors
https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/fires/article225112025.html

What PG&E’s bankruptcy could mean for its 24,000 employees
https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/What-PG-E-s-bankruptcy-could-mean-for-its-13570603.php

Revenge of the businesses:
  Thousands of scooters towed and held for ransom
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/technology/sd-fi-scoot-scoop-tow-scooters-20190129-story.html

 

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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Texas House Legislation Would Repeal Antiquated “Blue Law’’
    and Allow Package Stores to Open on Sundays
https://www.distilledspirits.org/news/texas-house-legislation-would-repeal-antiquated-blue-law-and-allow-package-stores-to-open-on-sundays/

Nation's Largest Wine and Grape Industry Gathering Opened
 Tuesday in Sacramento
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=208980

Iowa’s wine industry continues to grow
https://www.farmprogress.com/grapes/iowa-s-wine-industry-continues-grow

Sonoma County wineries increase direct-to-consumer sales
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/9199433-181/viticulture-briefs-sonoma-county-wineries

Direct Sales Alters US Wine Market
https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2019/01/direct-sales-alters-us-wine-market

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Finds Its Balance
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/24/dining/drinks/wine-review-chateauneuf-du-pape-2016.html

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

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

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

This Day in History

     1749 - Thomas Isaiah’s (d. 1831) birthday at Boston, MA.  He was a printer, editor, almanac publisher, historian and founder of the American Antiquarian Society.
    1798 - The first brawl to break out on the floor of the US House of Representatives occurred at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The fight was precipitated by an argument between Matthew Lyon of Vermont and Roger Griswold of Connecticut. Lyon spat in Griswold's face. Although a resolution to expel Lyon was introduced, the measure failed and Lyon maintained his seat.
    1806 - The original Lower Trenton Bridge, with the sign proclaiming “Trenton Makes the World Takes” and spanning the Delaware River between NJ and PA, was opened.
    1815 - President James Madison approved an act of Congress appropriating $23,950 to purchase Thomas Jefferson's library of 6,487 volumes. The British had destroyed the 3,000 book collection of the Library of Congress when they burned Washington, D.C. in 1814.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jan30.html
    1835 - President Andrew Jackson was attacked in the first attempt on the life of a U.S. President. President Andrew Jackson attended a congressional funeral in the Capitol building. As he exited, Richard Lawrence, an unemployed house painter, pointed a pistol at Jackson and fired. The percussion cap exploded, but the bullet did not discharge. The enraged Jackson raised his cane to throttle his attacker, who fired again. The second weapon also misfired and the sixty-seven-year-old President escaped unharmed, but angry as hell, and chased the would-be killer with his cane until others captured him. The deranged Lawrence believed Jackson had conspired to keep him poor and out of work. Jackson was convinced that Lawrence was hired by his political enemies, the Whigs, to stop his plan to destroy the Bank of the United States. Lawrence spent the rest of his life in jails and asylums. Here is a bit of trivia for fans:  in the trial that followed, at the first attempted assassination of a US president, the prosecuting attorney was Francis Scott Key. (Some interesting additional trivia: Jackson was the only President to pay off the National Debt. He is also the only President to have been a prisoner of war, and is the only President to have fought in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.
http://www.geocities.com/presfacts/jackson.html )
    1839 - Samuel Armstrong (d. 1893), the founder of Hampton Institute, was born in Maui.  After graduating, Armstrong volunteered to serve in the Union Army.  Armstrong subsequently rose through the ranks to lieutenant colonel assigned to lead the 9th Regiment, US Colored Troops (USCT) in late 1863. At the end of the war, Armstrong joined the Freedman’s Bureau. With the help of the American Missionary Association, he established the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute - now known as Hampton University - in Hampton, VA in 1868. The Institute was meant to be a place where black students could receive post–secondary education to become teachers, as well as training in useful job skills while paying for their education through manual labor.
    1844 - Richard Theodore Greener becomes the first African American to graduate from Harvard University.
    1847 - Yerba Buena was renamed the Town of San Francisco by order of Alcalde Bartlett. The order was published in the "California Star," the first newspaper in San Francisco, later known as The Alta Californian, published by Samuel Brannan with Elbert P. Jones as editor.
    1858 - Birthday of William Wells Brown (d. 1884) near Mt. Sterling, KY. African-American novelist and dramatist, he published the first Black drama, “Leap to Freedom.”
http://vi.uh.edu/pages/mintz/28.htm
http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Cyberia/RiverWeb/History/brown.html
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASbrownW.htm
http://docsouth.unc.edu/brownw/about.html
    1862 - US Navy's first ironclad warship, Monitor, launched at Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York into the East River.
http://www.navalships.org/ussmonitor.html
http://www.mariner.org/monitor/04_revunion/des_monitor.html
http://havenworks.com/military/uss-monitor/
http://www.civilwarhome.com/monitor.htm
http://members.aol.com/wfmarabknt/ironclads.html
    1866 - Gelett Burgess (d. 1951) was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the author of the whimsical quatrain:
I never saw a purple cow,
I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one.
In 1897, he began to publish self-illustrated whimsical writings, the best known being, “Goops & How to Be Them.”   He coined the word “Blurb” and was an iconoclast poet and cartoonist.
http://www.toonopedia.com/burgess.htm
    1867 - The American branch of the Evangelical Alliance was organized at the Bible House in New York City, with William E. Dodge elected president.
    1882 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s (d. 1945) birthday at Hyde Park, NY.  The 32nd President of the US (Mar 4, 1933-Apr 12, 1945), he is the only President to serve more than two terms.  FDR was elected four times. He is credited with bringing the country out of depression and was an extremely popular President. He supported the Allies in World War II before the US entered the struggle by supplying them with war materials through the Lend-Lease Act.  He became deeply involved in broad decision-making after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Dec 7, 1941. He died a few months into his fourth term at Warm Springs, GA on April 12, 1945.
    1883 - James Ritty and John Birch received a U.S. patent for the first cash register.
    1894 - C.B. King received a patent for the pneumatic hammer.
    1900 - William Goebel was shot, one day before being sworn in as Governor of Kentucky.  In 1895, he killed a factional rival, John Stanford, in a political quarrel but was never tried. While contesting the outcome of a gubernatorial election, Goebel was shot and mortally wounded in front of the old Kentucky State Capitol.  He was declared elected and sworn in as Governor before he died four days later, in Frankfort, on February 3.   He was born in Sullivan County, PA on January 4, 1856. Lawyer; member of Kentucky Senate; a statue of him stands at Old State Capitol Grounds in Frankfort.
http://www.louisville.edu/library/ekstrom/govpubs/states/
kentucky/kygovernors/goebel.html
http://unusualkentucky.com/goebel.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0813102405/inktomi-bkasin-20/
002-1241397-9042458
    1910 - Work began on the first board-track automobile speedway. The track was built in Playa del Ray, CA.
    1911 - Roy Eldridge’s (d. 1989) birthday in Pittsburgh. (“Have you ever been uptown, Roy?”).  Jazz trumpet player. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos exhibiting a departure from the smooth and lyrical style of earlier jazz trumpet innovator Louis Armstrong, and his strong impact on Dizzy Gillespie mark him as one of the most influential musicians of the swing era and a precursor of bebop.
http://trumpetjazz.com/dbman/db.cgi?db=default&uid=default
& Name=Roy+Eldridge&Birth=
& Death=&Images=&Info=&Links=&keyword=&mh=1&sb=---&so=ascend&view_records=
View+Records
http://www.harlem.org/people/eldridge.html
    1911 - The first airplane rescue at sea was made by the destroyer "Terry." Pilot James McCurdy was forced to land in the ocean about 10 miles from Havana, Cuba.
    1912 - Barbara W. Tuchman’s (d. 1989) birthday at New York, NY.  An historian and journalist, Tuchman's most famous works were her Pulitzer Prize-winning books “The Guns of August” (1962) and “Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911-45” (1971). Tuchman was known for making history live, never dry. Other well-known books included “The Proud Tower” (1966) and “The First Salute” (1988). Tuchman was the daughter of the banker Maurice Wertheim, a first cousin of New York district attorney Robert M. Morgenthau, Jr., a niece of Henry Morgenthau, Jr., and granddaughter of Henry Morgenthau, Sr., President Woodrow Wilson’s Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. 
    1919 – The Cincinnati Reds hired Pat Moran as manager because Christy Mathewson was still in France with U.S. Army.  Moran guided the Reds to 96 victories and the World Series championship, tainted as it was by the Black Sox scandal.  Easily one of the greatest pitchers in the game’s history, Mathewson served in the Chemical Warfare Service and was accidentally exposed to chemical weapons during training.  Despite a weakened respiratory system from which he contracted TB, he served admirably in World War I but subsequently died of the disease in Saranac Lake, NY in 1925.    
    1922 – Comedian Dick Martin (d. 2008) was born in Battle Creek, MI.  In 1952, Martin and Dan Rowan formed the comedy team Rowan and Martin and played in nightclubs across the United States and overseas.  Rowan and Martin teamed with producers Ed Friendly and George Schlatter to create “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In” (1968–1973) on NBC. The comedy show was an immediate hit, becoming the #1 American television program within two months of its debut. It was the top-rated show in each of its first two seasons. 
    1925 – Actress Dorothy Malone (d. 2018) was born in Chicago.  She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for “Written in the Wind” (1956), and was a hit in the TV series, “Peyton Place.”  She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and lives near Dallas.
    1926 - The Major League Rules Committee agreed that pitchers may have access to a rosin bag. The American league refused at first but on April 28, gave, but discouraged its use by players. The Committee also discussed the possible elimination of the intentional walk, a topic that has come up before, by making the pitcher throw to the batter. Calling a balk on the catcher if he steps out of the catcher’s box had not eliminated the intentional walk as intended. No action is taken however.
    1928 - Birthday of Ruth Brown (d. 2006), the most-recorded female rhythm-and-blues singer of the 1950's, in Portsmouth, Virginia. Her total of 87 songs for the Atlantic label between 1949 and 1962 surpassed the number of songs recorded by such other Atlantic artists as Ray Charles and The Drifters. Brown's first record to top the R&B charts was "Teardrops from My Eyes," in 1950.
    1928 - Birthday of vibe player Buddy Montgomery (d. 2009), Indianapolis, IN
http://www.jazzcorner.com/montgomery/
http://www.jazzcanadiana.on.ca/_Montgom.HTM
    1928 – Hal Prince, producer and director associated with many of the best-known Broadway musicals productions of the past half-century, was born in NYC.
    1930 - Edmundo “Sandy” Amoros (d. 1992), baseball player, was born at Havana, Cuba.  Amoros made a sensational catch in Game 7 of the 1955 World Series for the Brooklyn Dodgers against the New York Yankees, helping Brooklyn to win its only World Series. Playing left field at Yankee Stadium, he was shifted far into left center as the batter, Yogi Berra, was a dead pull hitter to right field.  Berra lofted a lazy opposite field fly down the left field line, after which Amoros sprinted and caught just short of the fence.  He whirled and threw to SS Pee Wee Reese, who threw to Gil Hodges at 1B to double up Gil MacDougald, who was running on the play.  This play broke the Yankees’ backs and allowed pitcher Johnny Podres to continue and complete the game, a 2-0 win.  It remains one of the great plays in Dodgers history.  I was there and remember how important this was at the time. The Dodgers moved to Los Angeles and were never the same as the Brooklyn team that finally beat the Damn Yankees (name of a Broadway show, so can use it. Editor). Career:  Brooklyn Dodgers (1952-57), Los Angeles Dodgers (1959-69), Detroit Tigers (1960).   517 Games, 1311 AB, 215 Runs, 334 Hits, 43 HR, 180 RBI.
http://www.sportslegendsphotosinc.com/
proddetail.php?prod=SandyAmorosBW
    1930 – Actor Gene Hackman was born in San Bernardino, CA.  In a career spanning five decades, Hackman has been nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, including Best Actor as Popeye Doyle in “The French Connection” (1971). In addition, Hackman has won three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs. He first came to fame in 1967 in “Bonnie and Clyde.” His major films also include “The Poseidon Adventure” (1972); “The Conversation” (1974); “Superman” (1978); “Hoosiers” (1986); “Mississippi Burning” (1988); “Unforgiven” (1992); “The Firm”(1993); “Crimson Tide” (1995); “Get Shorty” (1995); “The Birdcage” (1996); “Enemy of the State” (1998); and “The Royal Tenenbaums”(2001).
    1931 - Charlie Chaplin's film "City Lights" premiers at Los Angeles Theater.
http://www.filmsite.org/city.html
    1931 - The United States awards civil government to the Virgin Islands.
    1933 – “The Lone Ranger,” with George Seaton as the Ranger and John Todd as Tonto, debuted on radio station WXYZ in Detroit.  It became a national favorite, ran for 2,956 episodes and ended in 1955.
    1933 - Adolf Hitler was named the German Chancellor.
    1934 - Birthday of Tammy Grimes (d. 2016), actor, singer, comedian in Lynn, MA. She won the 1961 Tony for her title portrayal in “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.”
    1935 - Poet and fascist-sympathizer Ezra Pound meets Mussolini, and reads aloud several lines from a draft of the Cantos which he gives to him as a present. Ezra Loomis Pound was born in Hailey, Idaho in 1885. In 1924, he moved to Italy and became involved in Fascist politics, and did not return to the United States until 1945, when he was arrested on charges of treason for broadcasting fascist propaganda via radio to the United States during World War II.  In 1946, he was acquitted, deemed unfit for trial, and declared insane. He was committed to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, D.C. After many letters and appeals from friends and writers, including Robert Frost, Ezra won his release from the hospital in 1958. He soon returned to Venice, where he died a recluse in 1972. Despite his politics and “craziness,” he is considered one of American's most brilliant and well-read poets.
http://www.internal.org/list_poems.phtml?authorID=1 
http://www.lit.kobe-u.ac.jp/%7Ehishika/pound.htm
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/m_r/pound/pound.htm
http://www.jargonbooks.com/ep.html
http://www.historyguide.org/europe/lecture9.html
    1937 – Actress Vanessa Redgrave was born in Greenwich, London, England.  She has starred in more than 80 films and is a six-time Oscar nominee, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the title role in the 1977 film ”Julia.”  Redgrave was proclaimed by Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams as "the greatest living actress of our times," and she remains the only British actress ever to win the Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Olivier, Cannes, Golden Globe, and the Screen Actors Guild awards.
    1941 – Former Vice President Richard Cheney was born in Lincoln, NE.  He began his political career as an intern, eventually working his way into the White House during the Nixon and Ford administrations, where he later served as the White House Chief of Staff from 1975 to 1977. In 1978, Cheney was elected to the House representing Wyoming’s at-large congressional district from 1979 to 1989; he was reelected five times, briefly serving as House Minority Whip in 1989. Cheney was selected to be the Secretary of Defense during the first President Bush’s administration for the majority of Bush's term from 1989 to 1993. During that time, Cheney oversaw the 1991 Operation Desert Storm among other actions. Out of office during the Clinton administration, Cheney was the Chairman and CEO of Halliburton Company from 1995 to 2000.  In July 2000, Cheney was chosen by presumptive Republican Presidential nominee George W. Bush as his running mate in the 2000 President election. In 2004 Cheney was reelected to his second term as Vice President.  He played a lead behind-the-scenes role in response to the September 11 attacks and coordination of the War on Terror.
    1943 - Birthday of Marty Balin (d. 2018), born Martyn Jerel Buchwald in Cincinnati.  Vocalist with both the Jefferson Airplane and its successor, Jefferson Starship, Balin was the originator, with Paul Kantner, of the Airplane, the group which epitomized the psychedelic culture of the late-1960's. Balin left the Airplane in 1971, but joined the Starship for three hit albums, beginning in 1975. Marty Balin departed the Starship in 1978, and in 1981 had a hit single, "Hearts."
    1944 - Birthday of Sharon Pratt Kelly in DC.  She was first woman and third mayor of the District of Columbia, elected in 1991.
    1944 - DROWLEY, JESSE R., Medal of Honor.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, American Infantry Division. Place and date: Bougainville, Solomon Islands, 30 January 1944. Entered service at: Spokane, Wash. Birth: St. Charles, Mich. G.O. No.: 73, 6 September 1944. Citation: For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy at Bougainville, Solomon Islands, 30 January 1944. S/Sgt. Drowley, a squad leader in a platoon whose mission during an attack was to remain under cover while holding the perimeter defense and acting as a reserve for assaulting echelon, saw 3 members of the assault company fall badly wounded. When intense hostile fire prevented aid from reaching the casualties, he fearlessly rushed forward to carry the wounded to cover. After rescuing 2 men, S/Sgt. Drowley discovered an enemy pillbox undetected by assaulting tanks that was inflicting heavy casualties upon the attacking force and was a chief obstacle to the success of the advance. Delegating the rescue of the third man to an assistant, he ran across open terrain to 1 of the tanks. Signaling to the crew, he climbed to the turret, exchanged his weapon for a submachine gun and voluntarily rode the deck of the tank directing it toward the pillbox by tracer fire. The tank, under constant heavy enemy fire, continued to within 20 feet of the pillbox where S/Sgt. Drowley received a severe bullet wound in the chest. Refusing to return for medical treatment, he remained on the tank and continued to direct its progress until the enemy box was definitely located by the crew. At this point he again was wounded by small arms fire, losing his left eye and falling to the ground. He remained alongside the tank until the pillbox had been completely demolished and another directly behind the first destroyed. S/Sgt. Drowley, his voluntary mission successfully accomplished, returned alone for medical treatment.
    1944 - HAWKS, LLOYD C., Medal of Honor.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Medical Detachment, 30th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Carano, Italy, 30 January 1944. Entered service at: Park Rapids, Minn. Born: 13 January 1911, Becker, Minn. G.O. No.: 5, 15 January 1945. Citation: For gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. On 30 January 1944, at 3 p.m., near Carano, Italy, Pfc. Hawks braved an enemy counterattack in order to rescue 2 wounded men who, unable to move, were lying in an exposed position within 30 yards of the enemy. Two riflemen, attempting the rescue, had been forced to return to their fighting holes by extremely severe enemy machinegun fire, after crawling only 10 yards toward the casualties. An aid man, whom the enemy could plainly identify as such, had been critically wounded in a similar attempt. Pfc. Hawks, nevertheless, crawled 50 yards through a veritable hail of machinegun bullets and flying mortar fragments to a small ditch, administered first aid to his fellow aid man who had sought cover therein, and continued toward the 2 wounded men 50 yards distant. An enemy machinegun bullet penetrated his helmet, knocking it from his head, momentarily stunning him. Thirteen bullets passed through his helmet as it lay on the ground within 6 inches of his body. Pfc. Hawks, crawled to the casualties, administered first aid to the more seriously wounded man and dragged him to a covered position 25 yards distant. Despite continuous automatic fire from positions only 30 yards away and shells which exploded within 25 yards, Pfc. Hawks returned to the second man and administered first aid to him. As he raised himself to obtain bandages from his medical kit his right hip was shattered by a burst of machinegun fire and a second burst splintered his left forearm. Displaying dogged determination and extreme self-control, Pfc. Hawks, despite severe pain and his dangling left arm, completed the task of bandaging the remaining casualty and with superhuman effort dragged him to the same depression to which he had brought the first man. Finding insufficient cover for 3 men at this point, Pfc. Hawks crawled 75 yards in an effort to regain his company, reaching the ditch in which his fellow aid man was lying.
    1950 - Top Hits 
“Dear Hearts and Gentle People” - Bing Crosby 
“The Old Master Painter” - Richard Hayes 
“A Dreamer's Holiday” - Perry Como 
“Take Me in Your Arms and Hold Me” - Eddy Arnold
    1950 - NBC-TV debuted the drama series, "Robert Montgomery Presents." The well-received show played for seven seasons.
    1951 - *McGOVERN, ROBERT M., Medal of Honor.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company A, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. Place and date: Near Kamyangjan-ni, Korea, 30 January 1951. Entered service at: Washington, D.C. Birth: Washington, D.C. G.O. No.: 2, 8 January 1952. Citation: 1st Lt. McGovern, a member of Company A, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an armed enemy of the United Nations. As 1st Lt. McGovern led his platoon up a slope to engage hostile troops emplaced in bunker-type pillboxes with connecting trenches, the unit came under heavy machine gun and rifle fire from the crest of the hill, approximately 75 yards distant. Despite a wound sustained in this initial burst of withering fire, 1st Lt. McGovern, assured the men of his ability to continue on and urged them forward. Forging up the rocky incline, he fearlessly led the platoon to within several yards of its objective when the ruthless foe threw and rolled a vicious barrage of hand grenades on the group and halted the advance. Enemy fire increased in volume and intensity and 1st Lt. McGovern realizing that casualties were rapidly increasing and the morale of his men badly shaken, hurled back several grenades before they exploded. Then, disregarding his painful wound and weakened condition he charged a machine gun emplacement which was raking his position with flanking fire. When he was within 10 yards of the position a burst of fire ripped the carbine from his hands, but, undaunted, he continued his lone-man assault and, firing his pistol and throwing grenades, killed 7 hostile soldiers before falling mortally wounded in front of the gun he had silenced. 1st Lt. McGovern's incredible display of valor imbued his men with indomitable resolution to avenge his death. Fixing bayonets and throwing grenades, they charged with such ferocity that hostile positions were overrun and the enemy routed from the hill. The inspirational leadership, unflinching courage, and intrepid actions of 1st Lt. McGovern reflected utmost glory on himself and the honored tradition of the military services.
    1951 - Birthday of singer Phil Collins, in Chiswick, England. He joined the art-rock group Genesis in 1970 as drummer, replacing John Mayhew. Collins became the lead vocalist for Genesis after the group's front man, Peter Gabriel, left in 1974.   With Collins fronting the band, Genesis began to score hit singles, starting with "Follow You, Follow Me" in 1978. Collins, while remaining with Genesis, started a solo career in 1982. His first album, "Face Value," sold two-million copies. He's had numerous single hits as well, including such chart-toppers as "Against All Odds," "One More Night," "Sussudio" and "Separate Lives," a 1986 duet with Marilyn Martin.
http://www.philcollins.co.uk/
    1953 - President Dwight Eisenhower announces that he will pull the Seventh Fleet out of Formosa to permit the Nationalists to attack Communist China.
    1954 - Big Joe Turner's "TV Mama" enters the R&B charts.
    1956 - As Martin Luther King, Jr. stands at the pulpit, leading a mass meeting during the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott, his home is bombed. By chance, King's wife and 10-week-old baby escape unharmed. Later that night, a thousand angry African-Americans assemble on King's lawn. When King appears on his devastated front porch, he tells them: "If you have weapons, take them home. . . . We cannot solve this problem through retaliatory violence . . . We must love our white brothers, no matter what they do to us." King's speech lifts the nonviolent protest movement to new levels of effectiveness.
    1956 - Elvis Presley records a cover version of Carl Perkins "Blue Suede Shoes" which will reach number 20 on the US Pop chart in April.
    1956 - Billy Lee Riley records "Red Hot."
    1958 – MLB Commissioner Ford Frick announced that players and coaches, rather than the fans, will vote on selections for the All-Star Game. The vote will not return to the fans until 1970, when Commissioner Bowie Kuhn reversed Frick's action. The decision was a reaction to alleged ballot box stuffing by Cincinnati fans before last year's Game that resulted in the entire Reds infield being selected as the starting NL infield.
    1958 - The first two-way moving sidewalk was placed into service at Love Field Air Terminal, Dallas, TX. The walk was also known as a passenger conveyor.
    1958 - Top Hits 
“At the Hop” - Danny & The Juniors 
“Don't/I Beg of You” - Elvis Presley 
“Stood Up/Waitin' in School” - Ricky Nelson 
“The Story of My Life” - Marty Robbins
    1958 - Dore Schary's "Sunrise at Campobello" premieres in New York City NY on FDR's birthday.
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/5212/campobello.html
http://www.imdb.com/Title?0054354 
    1959 - Birthday of vocalist Jody Watley, Chicago, IL
http://missjodywatley.com/
http://www.americamodels.com/jodywatley/index2.html
http://www.starsofhollywood.com/jody_watley.html
    1960 - Carol Heiss won the women's singles United States figure skating championship.
    1961 – “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” by The Shirelles, hit Number 1 on Billboard's hit record charts, and remained in the top spot for 2 weeks.  They became the first girl group to have the number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 and they would go on to place ten more hits in the Top 40.
    1962 - Two members of Flying Wallendas' high-wire act were killed when their 7-person pyramid collapses while performing at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit.  The front man on the wire faltered and the pyramid collapsed. Three men fell to the ground, the rear anchorman alone remained standing on the wire. Karl and his brother Herman fell to the wire from the second level. The girl at the top level landed on Karl as he miraculously held her until a makeshift net could be held beneath her. Two of the three men who fell to the earth died that night.  The third, Karl's son Mario, survived, though he is paralyzed from the waist down.
http://www.wallenda.com/history.html
http://www.who2.com/theflyingwallendas.html
    1964 - Beatles, "Please Please Me" released this day.
    1965 - Leroy “Satchel” Paige, Major and Negro League baseball player, named all-time outstanding player by National Baseball Congress.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jul07.html
http://www.nbcbaseball.com/history/
    1965 - Following her 1963 #8 hit "The Nitty Gritty," Shirley Ellis reaches #3 on the Billboard Pop chart and #4 on the R&B chart with a novelty tune called "The Name Game."   “...If the first two letters are ever the same, drop them both then say the name, like Bob, Bob, B, O Ob or Mary, Mary, M, O, ary...”
    1966 - -19ºF (-28ºC), Corinth MS (state record) 
    1966 - -27ºF (-33ºC), New Market AL (state record)
    1966 - Top Hits 
“We Can Work It Out” - The Beatles 
“Barbara Ann” - The Beach Boys 
“No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)” - The T-Bones 
“Giddyup Go” - Red Sovine
    1968 - The TET offensive began: Vietnamese general staff headquarters. Costing as many as 40,000 battlefield deaths, the offensive was a tactical defeat for the Viet Cong and North Vietnam. The South Vietnamese held their ground and the US was able to airlift troops into the critical areas and quickly regain control. However, the offensive is credited as a strategic success in that it continued the demoralization of American public opinion. After Tet, American policy toward Vietnam shifted from winning the war to seeking an honorable way out.
    1968 – Bobby Goldsboro recorded “Honey”
    1969 - The Beatles give their last public live performance on the roof of their own Apple Studios, 3 Saville Row, London. The band had come up with the idea of a rooftop performance a few days earlier, but the roof had to be shored up first in order to handle the weight of the group's equipment. Filmed for the movie that eventually became Let It Be, the set performed was as follows: "Get Back" (take 1), "Get Back" (take 2), "Don't Let Me Down," "I've Got A Feeling" (take 1), "One After 909," "Dig A Pony," "I've Got A Feeling" (take 2), "Don't Let Me Down" (take 2), "Get Back" (take 3). (The band also does a version of "God Save The Queen" that is not recorded.) The concert, which lasts 42 minutes, comes to an abrupt end when police, tipped off by the complaints of a nearby shop owner, shut the concert down.  The Beatles managed to carve their place in music history in a career that lasted seven years, counting from the recording of their first hit single, "Love Me Do," in 1962.
    1970 - For the second time in six months, rioting erupts during an anti-war protest in East Los Angeles.
    1971 - Janis Joplin, "Me and Bobby McGee" released.
    1973 – In the continuing Watergate scandal, James W. McCord and G. Gordon Liddy, former members of the Nixon reelection campaign, were convicted of breaking into and illegally wiretapping Democratic Party headquarters in 1972. Five others involved had earlier pleaded guilty.
    1973 - KISS played their first show at Popcorn (The Coventry Club) in Queens. The band performed 2 sets at the club that night for a crowd of under 10 people.
    1974 - Top Hits 
“You're Sixteen” - Ringo Starr 
“The Way We Were” - Barbra Streisand 
“Love's Theme” - Love Unlimited Orchestra 
“I Love” - Tom T. Hall
    1974 – Bob Dylan made his first New York concert performance in eight years at Madison Square Garden.
    1974 – Actor Christian Bale was born in Wales, UK.  At age 13, he was cast in the starring role in Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun” (1987). In 2000, he garnered critical acclaim for his portrayal of serial killer Patrick Batemen in “American Psycho” (2000). Bale went on to receive greater commercial recognition and acclaim for his performance as the lead in “Batman Begins” (2005), “The Dark Knight” (2008) and “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012). He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, and the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of Dicky Ecklund in the biopic “The Fighter” (2010). In 2013, he starred in the comedy-drama “American Hustle,” for which he received his second Academy Award nomination, his first in the Best Actor category, in addition to a nomination for the Golden Globe.
    1975 - The Bee Gees begin recording "Jive Talkin," which will become their second US chart topper and their fourteenth Billboard Top 20 hit. Barry Gibb's inspiration for the song came when his wife commented on the sound their car made while crossing a bridge over Biscayne Bay into Miami. She noted, "It's our drive talkin'." 
    1976 - George H.W. Bush becomes 11th director of CIA.
    1977 - The final episode of “Roots,” the milestone mini-series on ABC, was watched on this date by an estimated 80 million viewers. It was the highest-rated mini-series in television history.
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/R/htmlR/roots/roots.htm
http://www.socialistworker.org/2002-1/392/392_09_Roots.shtml
http://www.gale.com/free_resources/bhm/bio/haley_a.htm
    1977 - The great "Buffalo Blizzard" finally abated after three days. The storm added a foot of new snow to 33 inches already on the ground. Winds gusting to 75 mph reduced visibilities to near zero, produced snow drifts twenty-five feet high, and kept wind chill readings 50 degrees below zero. The blizzard paralyzed the city and caused $250 million damage.  The snow that was removed from streets and parking lots was dumped into Lake Erie and any open space, including parks and golf courses.  Because of this, it was reported that no Buffalo area golf course opened that summer.
    1978 – Mutual Broadcasting Network began airing “The Larry King Show” on radio.
    1978 – Reminiscent of Philadelphia A’s owner Connie Mack’s trading of many of his stars due to the Great Depression in the 1930s, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn canceled the recent trade that sent pitcher Vida Blue from the Oakland A’s to the Cincinnati Reds for first baseman Dave Revering and $1.75 million in cash. Believing that the Athletics did not receive adequate compensation and concerned that A’s owner Charlie Finley was conducting a fire-sale due to financial reasons, Kuhn suggested that the trade be restructured. On February 25, Oakland will acquire Revering in a different trade, this time for pitcher Doug Bair. On March 15, the Athletics will once again trade Blue, this time to the San Francisco Giants for seven players and $400,000. Blue won win 18 games for the Giants this season.
    1979 - African-American Franklin Thomas named president of The Ford Foundation, a position he held for 17 years. In his retirement, he was named Chairman of the September 11 Fund in 2001.
http://user.intersatx.net/jc/thomas.html Foundation.
http://www.unitedwaywaukesha.org/UWNews/pressreleases/
former_ford_foundation_president.htm
    1982 - Top Hits 
“I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)” - Daryl Hall & John Oates 
“Centerfold” - The J. Geils Band 
“Harden My Heart” - Quarterflash 
“The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)” - Juice Newton
    1982 - Hall & Oates' "I Can't Go for That" hit number one on the Billboard Pop chart and the R&B chart simultaneously, one week after hitting number one on the Disco chart. It becomes only the fourth single by a white act to reach the top of the R&B chart since 1965. 
    1983 - The Washington Redskins defeated the Miami Dolphins, 27-17, to win Super Bowl XVII. Washington, in winning its first NFL title in 40 years, was led by fullback John Riggins, who rushed for 166 yards on 38 carries and was named the game's Most Valuable Player.
    1986 - The "Love" stamp, featuring a little dog, went on sale as the fifth in the continuing series. As of that date, over 302 million "Love" stamps had been sold.
    1989 - "When I'm With You," a seven-year-old song by the defunct Toronto band Sheriff, hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The song's belated success brought its writer, Arnold Lanni, millions of dollars in royalties. Lanni went on to form the band Frozen Ghost.
    1989 - George Michael has a big night at the 16th American Music Awards, winning Favorite Album for "Faith" and Favorite Male Artist in both the Pop / Rock and Soul / R&B categories.
    1989 - The US closed its embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.
    1989 - Joel Steinberg was found guilty of first degree manslaughter of daughter.  A former criminal defense attorney, he attracted international attention when he was accused of murder in the November 1, 1987, death of a six-year-old girl, Elizabeth ("Lisa"), whom he and his live-in partner Hedda Nussbaum had claimed to have adopted, although no adoption ever took place. Steinberg had reportedly been hired by a single mother to locate a suitable adoptive family for Lisa, but instead took the child home and raised her with Nussbaum, never filing formal adoption papers and therefore never being scrutinized as adoptive parents.  Steinberg was specifically accused of hitting Lisa on the head and then not seeking medical attention for the child, supposedly because he was under the influence of crack cocaine. She died at St. Vincent Hospital after being removed from life support on November 4, 1987 three days later after the attack.   The judge then sentenced him to the maximum penalty then available for that charge — 81⁄3 to 25 years in prison. On June 30, 2004, he was paroled under the state's "good time" law
    1990 - Bob Dylan is awarded France's highest cultural honor when he is named Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by The Minister of Culture, Jack Lang.
    1990 - Top Hits 
“How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” - Michael Bolton 
“Downtown Train” - Rod Stewart 
“Just to Make It Right” - Seduction 
“Nobody's Home” - Clint Black
    1990 - A major winter storm produced heavy snow from Indiana to New England. It was the biggest storm in two and a half years for eastern New York State. Snowfall totals in the mountains of Maine ranged up to 20 inches at Guilford and Lovell. Other heavy snowfall totals included 17 inches at Utica, NY, and 19 inches at Bethel, VT, Ludlow, VT, and New London, CT. The storm claimed three lives in eastern New York State, and four lives in Vermont. 
    1992 - The Guthrie Center is dedicated, a non-profit organization, put together by folksinger Arlo Guthrie. It is housed in the church building that provided the setting of his best known story-song, “Alice's Restaurant.”
“I am out to sing songs that will prove to you that this is your world and that if it has hit you pretty hard and knocked you for a dozen loops, no matter what color, what size you are, how you are built, I am out to sing the songs that make you take pride in yourself and in your work.  And the songs that I sing are made up for the most part by all sorts of folks just about like you. I could hire out to the other side, the big money side, and get several dollars every week just to quit singing my own kind of songs ... But I decided a long time ago that I'd starve to death before I'd sing any such songs as that. “---Woody Guthrie
http://www.guthriecenter.org 
http://www.inkblotmagazine.com/rev-archive/guthrie.htm
    1994 - Super Bowl XXVIII Dallas Cowboys beat Buffalo Bills, 30-13 in Atlanta; Super Bowl MVP: Emmitt Smith, Dallas, Running Back.
    1994 - Dan Jansen skates to Olympic gold in the 1000 meters.  He took his victory lap with baby daughter Jane, named after his sister who died from leukemia, in his arms; won 1994 Sullivan Award.
http://www.usolympicteam.com/athlete_profiles/d_jansen.html
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/02oljansen.html
http://www.sportsstarsusa.com/olympians/jansen_dan.html
    1994 - The Boston Celtics retire No. 32, the jersey worn by forward Kevin McHale for 13 seasons, in a halftime ceremony. McHale scored 17,335 points, made seven All-Star teams and helped the Celtics win three NBA championships.
    1994 - Natalie Cole sings the national anthem at Super Bowl XXVIII in Atlanta, GA.
    1995 - The U.N. Security Council authorized the deployment of a 6,000-member U.N. peace-keeping contingent to assume security responsibilities in Haiti from US forces.
    1995 - Researchers from the US National Institutes of Health announced that clinical trials had demonstrated the effectiveness of the first preventative treatment for sickle cell anemia.
    1997 - A New Jersey judge ruled that the unborn child of a female prisoner must have legal representation. He denied the prisoner bail reduction to enable her to leave the jail and obtain an abortion.
    1998 - Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Indianapolis IN on WNAP 93.1 FM 
http://www.howardstern.com/
http://www.eonline.com/On/Howard/index.html 
    2000 - Super Bowl XXXIV (at Atlanta): St. Louis Rams 23, Tennessee Titans 16. Rams' QB Kurt Warner (MVP) completed 24 of 45 passes for a record 414 yards (breaking Joe Montana's mark of 357 yards). Plays of the game: 1) Warner to Isaac Bruce for a 73-yard touchdown pass in the 4th quarter and 2) St. Louis linebacker Mike Jones stopping Tennessee's Kevin Dyson just short of the goal line as time expired. Tickets: $325.00 to $400.
    2002 - Freddy Fender was released from a San Antonio, TX, hospital after having a kidney transplant the week before. Fender had been having problems related to diabetes and hepatitis C.
    2003 - Richard Reid, a British citizen and al-Qaeda follower, was sentenced to life in prison by a federal judge in Boston for trying to blow up a trans-Atlantic jetliner with explosives hidden in his shoes.  Prior to sentencing, Reid admitted his guilt, his allegiance to Osama bin Laden, Islam, and Allah, stating, “I think I will not apologize for my actions as I am at war with your country.”  To this US District Court Judge William Young forcefully replied, “…We are not afraid of you or any of your terrorist co-conspirators, Mr. Reid.  You are not an enemy combatant.  You are a terrorist.  You are not a soldier in any war.  You are a terrorist.”  Young went on in a soliloquy that continued to denigrate Reid’s assertions as a soldier.
    2007 - Brandy (Brandy Norwood) was sued for wrongful-death by the parents of a woman who was killed in a car crash involving Brandy on December 30, 2006.
    2008 - Madonna topped Forbes magazine's list of the 20 top grossing females. The 49 year old Material Girl banked $72 million between June 2006 and June 2007, while Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion followed, taking home $60m and $45m, respectively.
    2012 - Occupy DC activists were prohibited from camping in Freedom Plaza and McPherson Square in DC.
    2014 - Royal Caribbean's cruise liner, Explorer of the Seas, returned to port after 700 of its 3,050 passengers became ill with gastroenteritis; the illness is suspected to be the Novovirus, a variant strain of the species Norwalk virus.
    2014 - Google sold Motorola Mobility to Lenovo for $2.91 billion after purchasing it three years ago for $12.5 billion, and selling off its cable-box division for $2.4 billion.   

Super Bowl Champions:
    1983 - Washington Redskins (Washington 27-Miami 17)
    1994 - Dallas Cowboys (Dallas 30-Buffalo 13)
    2000 - St. Louis Rams (St. Louis 23-Tennesse 16)