Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968

Monday, January 15, 2007

Headlines---

Classified Ads---Credit
    Florida US Attorney Needs Your Help
        NorVergence BK Trustee seeks money from Tel. Providers
    RW Professional Trial Sentencing Coverage
Funder list Up-dated: TEAM Equip. Leasing
    Classified Ads---Help Wanted
        Top Stories----January 8-12
    Cartoon---Modern Blood Hound dogs
Leasing #102--"Lease Agreement"
    Help Wanted Advertising rates
        Genesis Lease Over-Allotment
ELFA Ken Bentsen featured Houston Chronicle
    News Briefs---
        California Nuts Brief---
    Sports Briefs---
"Gimme that Wine"
    Calendar Events
        Snapple Real Facts
Today's Top Event in History
    This Day in American History
        American Football Poem

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

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

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

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Classified Ads---Credit

Bode Ace Menkin with grandson Justin *

Atlanta, GA
10 yrs experience in credit/collections/recovery/documentation in the leasing industry. P&L responsibility, team builder & strong portfolio mgnt. skills.
email: mortimerga@adelphia.net

Corona, CA
VP credit Consumer Credit prime/sub prime Auto lending/leasing/mortgages. 20+yrs exp. If you are looking for someone to affect the bottom line I am that person. Will relocate.
Email: amosca2000@yahoo.com

Fort Lee, NJ
3 Years Experience credit/documentation. Looking in NJ/NY.
Email: angitravis@mail.com

Irvine, CA
I have over 16 years of Credit/Collection experience in the finance industry. Prompt results, extremely effective and knowledgeable, professional, excellent manager and team player.
Email: newportresources@sbcglobal.net

Los Angeles, CA
Over 15 years experience in Credit/Operations with Small Ticket and transactions up to $500,000.00. CLP, with excellent relationships with most major lenders.
Email: jonbh123@earthlink.net

New Jersey, NJ
Credit Analyst with 10+ years experience in small-ticket lending up to $500,000. Experience with both vendor-direct and with brokers.
Email: b.leavy@worldnet.att.net

New York, NY
V.P. Credit & Collections w/23 years exp. looking for a situation where I can utilize my varied & extensive knowledge of credit/collections/risk-management & leasing.
Email: rcouzzi@yahoo.com

Sausalito, CA
Sr. Corp. officer, presently serving as consultant, fin. service background, M&A, fund raising, great workout expertise, references
Email: nywb@aol.com

Orange, CA
Credit/Operations-15 years exper., looking for a new home. Have handled both middle/ large ticket transaction, plus muni & international finance.
email: equiplender@aol.com

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

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

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

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

* While there are many better photographs of Bode, this one shows the real dog, letting 1 ½ year old Justin jump on him, ride him, even hit him with toys ( we try to discourage this, but to the both, this is play.) Justin will put a ball in his mouth, then in Bode’s mouth, and then back in his mouth and they will then chase the ball and each other around the room.
Together they take a nap in Bode’s bed on the floor. The four year old grandson Sam throws the Frisbee and balls with Bode in the backyard, often for over a hour, and they also chase each other as if playing tag.

These are better pictures. Here is Bode up-close. I have many puppy pictures, and at my office. One of my favorites is with Sue and her daughter Katie, now living in New York City, teaching six month old Bode not to be afraid of water. They didn’t have to teach him to swim, but we did have to teach him not to jump into the swimming pool without permission as once he got the master of it, we at first couldn’t keep him out.
Kit Menkin

(Send us pictures of your dog and we will print them.)

[headlines]

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Florida US Attorney Needs Your Help

According to US Attorney Tom Lanigan, long time equipment leasing nemesis Paul Parker died in November, 2005, but his two sons and others have continued in the operations, he said.

Paul Parker of Parker Leasing and Financial Services, Florida, who started his business in 1969, kept many advance rentals and commitment fees without arranging the financing. Leasing News settled many complaints with Parker and his attorneys directly. Parker was easy to reach by telephone. He always promptly returned telephone calls. His manner and approach was as if he was everyone’s grandfather. He never raised his voice, nor made any threats, and often said, “I would like to be your best friend.”

As this trade publication began to receive more and more complaints, it appeared Parker began his deception in the international market place, which was wide open for his promises of easy money.

Paul Parker advertised in USA Today perhaps since the paper started in 1982, offering to train those in his office for $5,000. Former students have said today it is a one person office with an answering service and the manual was a mimeograph. There were never any claims against his company in the Better Business Bureau. He had so many addresses, he avoided BBB, who seems to have a “franchise type” operation, different in states, cities, and other areas. Parker figured this out as have several Orange County leasing companies. There are also other methods, too (on the greater majority, BBB reports are very accurate. editor)

Leasing News hired QuikTrak to visit his offices. He told Leasing News that he has many offices, some with one secretary, some with more, and that he visited them regularly. Leasing News found two closed, one an executive suite, and never located his main office. For legal reasons at the time, Leasing News never went ahead with the story.

Parker was never a member of any equipment leasing association, so any standards or ethics never meant anything to him, as evidently he and his sons did, too, according to US Attorney Tom Lanigan.

February 5th, 2007 Lanigan is taking them to trail. He is asking Leasing News readers for any information they may be able to provide.

Tom.Lanigan@usdoj.gov
954-520-2353

May 15, 2006 a forty-six (46) count Indictment, charging defendants Robert Parker, a/k/a Bob Parker, of Broward County, Gary Parker, of Greeneville, Tennessee, Hope Rocillo, a/k/a Hope Wiseman and Edward J. Annis, a/k/a Jason Annis, both of Forks, Washington, with various fraud and money laundering counts. Specifically, the defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, thirty counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, conspiracy to launder money, and twelve counts of money laundering.

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

“If convicted of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, the defendants face a statutory maximum sentence of five (5) years imprisonment. If convicted of the substantive mail and wire fraud and money laundering counts, the defendants face a maximum of twenty (20) years in prison per count. The defendants face a fine of up to $250,000 on each count of conviction and up to twice the amount of the money laundered on the money laundering charges.

“The action was the result of teamwork, including R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Jonathan I. Solomon, Special Agent in Charge, Miami Division, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Eileen J. O'Connor, Assistant Attorney General, Tax Division, United States Department of Justice, Brian J. Wimpling, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, and Broward County Sheriff Kenneth C. Jenne.”
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls/PressReleases/060518-02.html

February 5th, 2007 Lanigan is taking them to trial. He is asking Leasing News readers for any information they may be able to provide.

Tom.Lanigan@usdoj.gov
954-520-2353

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

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

[headlines]

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NorVergence BK Trustee seeks money from Tel. Providers

NorVergence Bankruptcy trustee Charles Forman originally sued Sprint and Nextel for $4.8 million and $88,000, respectively, to recover money NorVergence paid them in the 90 days prior to its bankruptcy filing in June 2004. The companies provided claims showing money owed by NorVergence and a settlement was reportedly made on the difference.

A court hearing requesting a bankruptcy judge approve the settlement is set for January 30.

Two cell-phone service providers have agreed to pay a total of $63,000 to settle claims with a bankruptcy trustee overseeing the estate of failed telecommunications firm NorVergence.

NorVergence lessors and lessees have been claiming from the start, what about the telephone service providers. It appears Bankruptcy trustee Charles Forman is taking action.

In the Bankruptcy filing, these telephone companies were listed as creditors:

Sprint $4,781,722
American Connections $557,991
T-Mobile $511,933
MCI $143,222
DHL Express $148,317
Covad $139,534
Citywide Communicatoin $75,889
A-1 Voice Data $51,329
EUS Communication $47,466
Verizon $43,460
Touchtel Technology $37,653
Prime Communications $33,632
Independent Telephones & Networking $20,533
Primary Cableworks $20,144

[headlines]

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RW Professional Trial Sentencing Coverage

Late Friday afternoon, January 12, Leasing News sent out to those on its mailing list that Barry Drayer was sentenced to 138 months (11 and a half years) in prison and 3 years of supervised release.

It appears those new in the leasing business are not concerned, and others not in the medical leasing profession not interested. Here is a five year case against a major fraud in the equipment medical
leasing trade that should be an example of those who think they can get away with it.

Trial sentencing coverage from www.newsday.com:

11 1/2 years for $28M bank fraud
Ex-chief of defunct Island Park leasing company gets prison term, lashes out at federal officials

BY ROBERT E. KESSLER
Newsday Staff Writer

The former head of an Island Park medical equipment leasing company, convicted of defrauding banks of $28 million, was sentenced to 11 1/2 years in prison yesterday by a federal judge, who said he believed the sentence recommended under the federal guidelines was excessive.

The guidelines called for between 15 years and 8 months to 19 1/2 years. But Barry Drayer, 67, of the now-defunct RW Professional Leasing, was given a lesser sentence by U.S. District Judge Arthur Spatt in Central Islip, despite Drayer's apparent lack of remorse for his conviction on charges of bank fraud and money laundering.

Drayer spent a half hour before he was sentenced reading a statement in which he accused federal officials of "suborning perjury and actively participating in falsifying evidence" so he did not get a fair trial.

Before Drayer lashed out at federal officials, one of his lawyers, Steven Zissou of Bayside, called his client "a broken man" who "really doesn't believe his intention was to hurt people."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lacewell, who prosecuted the case along with Steven Tiscione, said Drayer's claims the government manufactured a case were baseless.

Lacewell said evidence presented at the trial clearly showed Drayer had engaged in a number of schemes to deceive banks "lie by lie, fraud by fraud, deceit by deceit."

In imposing sentence, Spatt agreed with Lacewell, saying the verdict was correct and prosecutors and agents had conducted themselves in "the highest traditions of the U.S. attorney's office."

But Spatt said he was imposing the lesser sentence because he believed that given Drayer's age, more jail time might amount to a death sentence, that it was a first offense, and that no violence had been involved.

Most of the victims of the fraud scheme were small-town banks around the country that thought they were loaning money to be used to purchase medical equipment. But the funds were actually used for personal expenses or to keep the failing company afloat, according to prosecutors.

Elizabeth Macedonio, another of Drayer's attorneys, said that her client planned to appeal

(Leasing News is seeking information on the sentencing of others in the case, including Stephen Barker, as well as officers of RW Professional who were either given immunity or reduced sentences
for their testimony, including the former New York branch manager, Myrna Katz of Long Beach, who pleaded guilty to making false statements, four R.W. principals - Rochelle Besser (Barry Drayer’s
sister, who was president of RW Professional, in name only, her brothers Adam and Roger Drayer, all also of Long Beach, and Susan Cottrell, of Mansfield, Mass. – all who have pleaded guilty. They
do not appear to have received a sentence, and may have traded their testimony for “time served” or “immunity.” editor)

[headlines]

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Funder list Up-dated TEAM Equipment Leasing, Inc

A -Accepts Broker Business | B -Requires Broker be Licensed | C -Sub-Broker Program
| D -"Private label Program" | E - Also "in house" salesmen

To view the complete list, please click here.

[headlines]

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Classified Ads---Help Wanted

Account Manager

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

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

www.nslf.com

Sales Professionals

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

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

[headlines]

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Top Stories----January 8-12

Here are the top ten stories most "opened" by readers last week.

(1) No interim rent on deals $50,000+
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/January%202007/01-10-07.htm#cisco

(2) GE/Heller head now Prez CIT Corp. Fin
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/January%202007/01-08-07.htm#cit

(3) The Best Vs. The Rest in Leasing
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/January%202007/01-12-07.htm#best

(4) Theresa "Tree" Kabot, CLP, and Crosby
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/January%202007/01-08-07.htm#board

(5) Top Ten Bankruptcies
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/January%202007/01-12-07.htm#bank

(6) Leasing News Advisory Board Member
Ken Greene, Attorney
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/January%202007/01-10-07.htm#board

(7) Tie
Funder List Up-Date: Madison Capital
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/January%202007/01-10-07.htm#fund

(7) Tie
Leasing #102--Mr. Terry Winders, CLP
"Terms of Use in Sales"
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/January%202007/01-08-07.htm#102

(8) Leasing Biz down from $260 BB to $234 BB
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/January%202007/01-10-07.htm#obs

(9) Six New CLP’s--(all pass the test)
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/January%202007/01-12-07.htm#clp

(10) A Bust for Subprime Loans
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/January%202007/01-10-07.htm#bust

Does not include flash, sent out late Friday afternoon, many on East Coast ( and West Coast ) were not at their computer:
RW Professional Leasing Sentence
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/January%202007/01-12-07-FLASH.htm

[headlines]

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[headlines]

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Leasing 102

Lease Agreement

by Mr. Terry Winders, CLP

Many times I am asked what language a good lease agreement should contain. I usually point out that the newer the lease company the shorter their lease agreement and the older they are the longer their leas agreement. This usually occurs as defaults occur and deficiencies in the lease agreement are changed to protect against those specific problems. I have long been an advocate of lease agreements that are designed for specific equipment markets. The lease requirements for equipment maintenance, use, and equipment return conditions need to be designed for each type of equipment to protect the Lessor. These can be attachments or schedules to make a standard lease more adaptable but a generic lease can only lead to increased losses.

I have listed the minimum subjects here that should be included in a lease agreement so you can use them as a check list against your current documents. If you are missing any of these subjects you should consider redrafting your lease.

Date of Agreement
Lease Account number for reference
Names of Lessee and Lessor
Type of Company each is (corporation, partnership, etc.)
Definition of terms used in agreement
Identify Equipment or Attached Schedule
Rent and Term Requirements
Late fees and/or collection fees
Notice period for termination (90) day notice of termination
Net lease; lessee's obligations absolute and unconditional
Obligation to pay rent Unconditional
Disclaimer of Warranties (in Larger or Bold type = conspicuous)
Declaration of “Finance Lease” status (Article 2A)
Equipment Use provisions including alterations and attachments
Equipment maintenance and operation provisions
Equipment Return provisions (including location)
Equipment loss or Destruction provisions
Tax Indemnity (Corporate Tax Rate)
General Indemnity
Insurance Requirements
Inspection Requirements
Quiet possession
Inspection Fee
No Assignments or Sublease without permission
Events of Default
Remedies
Lessee’s Cooperation in certain maters
Lessor’s Right to Perform for Lessee
Security Deposit/commingling agreement
Representations and Warranties of Lessee
Cross default provisions
Venue
Location for notices
Non-Cancelable Agreement

Of course you need signature lines and it is important that you follow State Laws regarding the location of required statements like “Non- Cancelable” and the size of the type and conspicuous nature of the liability disclaimers.

Many of our brethren like to “adopt” the documents of others instead of using legal counsel to develop their own, but if you do not understand the requirements of the State you are operating in then your documents may be a perilous venture. Also using poor documents to sell to an inspecting funding source may come back at you because of its un-collectability.

I would also suggest that you contact the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (www.elaonline.) or one of our many lease trade associations to determine where you can find good legal counsel in your area that understands leasing to help you design your documents. Some of the documents that I have seen from lawyers that have good intentions but are more money lending orientated and do not grasp equipment leasing have been very inadequate.

Mr. Terry Winders has been a teacher, consultant, expert witness for the leasing industry for thirty years and can be reached at leaseconsulting@msn.com or 502-327-8666.
He invites your questions and queries.

[headlines]

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Help Wanted Advertising rates

[headlines]

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

Genesis Lease Limited Announces Exercise of Over-Allotment Option by Underwriters

LIMERICK, Ireland, -- Genesis Lease Limited (NYSE:GLS) announced that the underwriters of its recent initial public offering exercised in full their over-allotment option to purchase from Genesis an additional 4,179,000 common shares in the form of American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") at a price of $23.00 per ADR before deducting underwriters' discounts and commissions.

An affiliate of General Electric Company ("GE") has previously agreed to purchase a number of ADRs from Genesis concurrently with the closing of the exercise of the over-allotment option at a price of $23.00 per ADR such that GE will continue to hold approximately 11% of the issued and outstanding ADRs following the exercise of the over-allotment option and purchase of shares by GE.

The closing of the exercise of the underwriters' over-allotment option and the purchase of additional ADRs by GE is expected to occur on January 16, 2007.

CONTACT: Genesis Lease Limited, Limerick, Ireland
John McMahon, Chief Executive Officer
+353-61-633249
john.mcmahon@genesislease.com

[headlines]

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

ELFA Ken Bentsen, Jr. featured Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/4468034.html

GE Close to Buying UK Smiths Aerospace Unit: Paper
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-smiths-ge.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Asian Development Bank Does Not Expect Dollar Fall This Year
http://voanews.com:80/english/2007-01-13-voa11.cfm

Dubai: Sky's no limit
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0701140224jan14,0,4391766.story
?coll=chi-business-hed

[headlines]

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Sports Briefs----

Gould boots Bears into conference title game
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/cs-070114bearsgamer,1,
501613.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Patriots refuse to give up in win
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/01/14/
patriots_refuse_to_give_up_in_win/

Classic rivalry in AFC: Brady vs. Manning---Ira Miller
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/16462591.htm

[headlines]

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California Nuts Briefs---

Gov. Schwarzenegger to Present Golden Globe for Best Picture
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=entertainment&id=4853676

[headlines]

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“Gimme that Wine”

What's in your wine?
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070114/NEWS/
701140375/1036/BUSINESS01

Wine Tastings Loosen Up. Butter Pecan with That Cabernet?
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/13/business/13wine.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=slogin

Latest Franchise taking off—140 to date: Winestyles
Crisp-Silky-Rich-Bubbly-Fruity-Mellow-Bold-Nectar
www.winestyles.net

A Toast to Valentine Romance
http://winecountry.com/exclusive-experiences/offers/CF00006/

Regular domestic beer loses its grip on U.S. market
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/12/WIG4INFQM21.DTL&hw
=wine&sn=003&sc=671

“Gimme that Wine”

Trinchero to sell, lease back Zinfandel Ranch vineyard and wine production facility
http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2007/01/08/
daily57.html?jst=b_ln_hl

Wine Prices by vintage
http://www.winezap.com
http://www.wine-searcher.com/
US/International Wine Events
http://www.localwineevents.com/
Winery Atlas
http://www.carterhouse.com/atlas/\
Leasing News Wine & Spirits Page
http://two.leasingnews.org/Recommendations/wnensprts.htm
The London International Vintners Exchange (Liv-ex) is an electronic exchange for fine wine.
http://www.liv-ex.com/

[headlines]

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Calendar Events This Day

Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday
A National Holiday

http://www.nps.gov/malu/
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-bio.html
http://www.time.com/time/time100/leaders/profile/king.html

[headlines]

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Ounce for ounce, strawberries have more vitamin C than oranges
(more than a half-cup of strawberries in size to equal a medium orange.)

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/strawberries/nutrition.html
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Vitamin_C.asp?sitearea=ETO
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5552.html

[headlines]

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Today's Top Event in History

1929- birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Black civil rights leader, minister, advocate of nonviolence and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (1964). Born at Atlanta, GA, he was assassinated at Memphis, TN, Apr 4, 1968. After his death many states and territories observed his birthday as a holiday. I remember interviewing Dr. King in the early 1960's at KFRC radio when a group Harold Light introduced me to who had brought Dr. King to the Bay Area, which I assumed was more public relations than a fund raiser. He was a shy man, the first time I met him. The second time, he was more vocal, and after the Selma march, there were press conferences, not single radio interviews. He was a excellent dresser, very articulate, very attractive, very handsome in person, and grew into a statesman for freedom for all and equal opportunity for all. In 1983 the Congress approved HR 3706, "A bill to amend Title 5, United States Code, to make the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a legal public holiday." Signed by the president on Nov 2, 1983, it became Public Law 98-144. The law sets the third Monday in January for observance of King's birthday. First observance was Jan 20, 1986
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jan15.html
http://www.thekingcenter.com/
http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/hum/mlk/

[headlines]
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This Day in American History

    1697- The citizens of Massachusetts spent a day of fasting and repentance for their roles in the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. Judge Samuel Sewall, who had presided over many of those 20 capital judgments, published a written confession acknowledging his own "blame and shame."
    1716- Birthday of Phillip Livingston, merchant and signer of the Declaration of Independence, born at Albany, NY. Died at York, PA, June 12, 1778.
http://www.philiplivingston.com/
    1762- Fraunces Tavern opens in New York City NY, owned by “Black Sam,” one of the most prominent Blacks involved in the American Revolution ( thought to be born in the West Indies). The tavern was a prominent place with George Washington, and main meeting place for the Sons of Liberty.
http://www.nyfreedom.com/Frauncestavern.htm
http://www.fieldtrip.com/ny/24251778.htm
http://www.frauncestavernmuseum.org/
    1777 - Vermont declared its independence from Britain and established a republic, which lasted until the state joined the Union in 1791.
    1781 - A British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burned Richmond, Virginia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedict_Arnold
    1825- the first tax enacted by a state to support public schools was “ an act providing for the establishment of free schools” by Illinois. It provided for a common school in each county, open to every class of white citizens between the ages of 5 and 21 years and supported by a tax of $2 of every $100 and five-sixth of the interest from the school fund. 1852, the first hospital under Jewish auspices was Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, organized as the Jews’ Hospital in New York City for “benevolent, charitable and scientific purposes.”
    1844- The University of Notre Dame was chartered under Roman Catholic auspices in Indiana.
http://www.nd.edu/
    1852 -Mt. Sinai Hospital was incorporated by Sampson Simson and eight associates in NY City. It was the first Jewish hospital in the U.S.
http://www.mountsinaihospital.org/msh/msh-home.jsp
    1862- the first ironclad naval vessels were the Benton and the Essex, 1,000 tons each, and seven others of 512 ton s each, delivered at St. Louis, MO, where they were accepted fro the government by Captain Andrew Hull Foote and made part of the Western Flotilla, also known as the Gunboat Flotilla on Eastern Waters, or the Mississippi Squadron.
    1863 - In the United States, "The Boston Morning Journal" became the first paper in the country published on wood pulp paper.
    1865- Fort Fisher in North Carolina falls to Union forces, and Wilmington, the Confederacy's most important blockade-running port, is closed. When President Lincoln declared a blockade of southern ports in 1861, Rebel engineers began construction on a fortress at the mouth of New Inlet, which provided access to Wilmington. Fort Fisher was constructed of timber and sand, and it posed a formidable challenge for the Yankees. The walls were more than 20 feet high and they bristled with large cannon. Land mines and palisades made from sharpened logs created even more obstacles for potential attackers. Union leadership did not make Fort Fisher a high priority until the last year of the war. After the Federals closed Mobile Bay in August 1864, attention turned to shutting down Wilmington. Union ships moved into place in December and began a massive bombardment on Christmas Eve. The next day, a small force failed to capture the fort but the attempt was renewed in January. On January 13, a massive three-day bombardment began. On the third day, 9,000 Yankee infantry commanded by General Alfred Terry hit the beach and attacked Fort Fisher. The Confederates could not repulse the attack. The damage was heavy on both sides: the Union suffered more than 900 Army casualties and 380 Navy casualties, and the Confederates suffered 500 killed or wounded and over 1,000 captured. After the loss of this last major Confederate port, it was only three months before the war concluded.
    1870 - A Thomas Nast cartoon titled, "A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion", was printed in "Harper's Weekly". The cartoon symbolized the Democratic Party with a donkey, a concept still in use today.
    1885- tenor Henry Burr, the most prolific recording artist of his day, was born in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. He began his recording career for Columbia in 1902, and is estimated to have recorded an astounding 12,000 titles for dozens of companies. From 1910 to 1928, Burr also managed a vocal group which recorded for Columbia as the Columbia Male Quartet and for Victor as the Peerless Quartet. After his recording career waned, he was a great favorite singing old-time ballads on the "National Barn Dance" from radio station WLS in Chicago. Henry Burr died in New York City in 1941.
    1888- birthday of folksinger Huddie William Ludbetter (Lead Belly ),Shiloh, LA Died Dec. 6, 1949.
http://leadbelly.lanl.gov/leadbelly.html
http://www.wchandyfest.com/delta/people/ledbettern.htm
http://www.malaspina.com/site/person_748.asp
http://www.geocities.com/joseph_1949/Leadbelly.html
    1899-Birthday of Goodman Ace, radio and TV writer, actor, columnist and humorist. With his wife, Jane, created and acted in the popular series of radio programs (1928-45) “Easy Aces, “ Called “America’s greatest wit” by Fred Allen, Born at Kansas City, MO, died at New York, NY. March 25, 1982, soon after asking that his tombstone be inscribed, “ No flowers, please, I’m allergic.”
    1907- William H. Taggart, a Chicago dentist, invented dental inlay made of gold, and presented the technique to the New York Odontological Society; a method of casting gold inlays by the inverted pattern procedure, using the ancient principle of “disappearing core.”
    1907-Dr. Lee De Forest, widely regarded as the "father of radio and the grandfather of television," patented the Audion radio tube, which turned radio into a practical transmission device for voice and music. Previously, wireless technology was primarily used for telegraph signals. Unfortunately, De Forest's business partners were prone to fraud: The De Forest Radio Telephone Company began to collapse in 1909, leading to De Forest's indictment for promoting a "worthless device"--the Audion tube. De Forest was later acquitted. Several years later, De Forest devised a way to connect a series of Audion tubes in order to amplify radio signals far beyond what a single tube could do. This process was essential in the development of radio and long-distance telephone. De Forest, despairing of business success, sold his patents at bargain-basement prices to several companies, including American Telephone and Telegraph, which used the repeating Audion tube as a key component in long-distance telephone technology.
    1908- the first sorority for African-American students was Alpha Kappa Alpha, founded at Howard University, Washington, DC by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle. The first president was Lucy Slowe.
http://www.aka1908.com/aka/index.htm
    1909-- Gene Krupa birthday, the premier drummer of the big band era, was born in Chicago. Besides leading his own band, he is best known for his work with Benny Goodman. After most of the big bands disbanded, Krupa led small jazz groups through most of the 1950's and '60s. A film loosely based on his life, "The Gene Krupa Story," starring Sal Mineo, was released in 1959. Gene Krupa died of leukemia in 1973.
http://www.redhotjazz.com/krupa.html
http://www.gkrp.net/genebio.html
http://www.harlem.org/people/krupa.html
http://www.provide.net/~jdmig/
    1915-Brithday of folk music collector Alan Lomax.
http://www.memphisguide.com/guide/guide0942.htm
http://www.alan-lomax.com/home.html
    1920 -- The Dry Law goes into effect in the United States. Selling liquor and beer becomes illegal.
    1927 --- The Dumbarton Bridge opens in San Francisco carrying the first auto traffic across the bay.
    1929- birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Black civil rights leader, minister, advocate of nonviolence and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (1964). Born at Atlanta, GA, he was assassinated at Memphis, TN, Apr 4, 1968. After his death many states and territories observed his birthday as a holiday. I remember interviewing Dr. King in the early 1960's at KFRC radio when a group Harold Light introduced me to who had brought Dr. King to the Bay Area, which I assumed was more public relations than a fund raiser. He was a shy man, the first time I met him. The second time, he was more vocal, and after the Selma march, there were press conferences, not single radio interviews. He was a excellent dresser, very articulate, very attractive, very handsome in person, and grew into a statesman for freedom for all and equal opportunity for all. In 1983 the Congress approved HR 3706, "A bill to amend Title 5, United States Code, to make the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a legal public holiday." Signed by the president on Nov 2, 1983, it became Public Law 98-144. The law sets the third Monday in January for observance of King's birthday. First observance was Jan 20, 1986
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jan15.html
http://www.thekingcenter.com/
http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/hum/mlk/
    1933- After nearly a century of cooperative living, the utopian Amana colonists of Iowa begin using U.S. currency for the first time. The wide-open spaces of the West have always appealed to visionary reformers attempting to start new societies. Among others, the Mormons in Utah, the Hutterites in South Dakota and Montana, and the Swedenborgians in California all moved West for the same reason: cheap land and freedom from interference. Most reformers moved west after the Civil War, when travel became easier and the threat of Indian resistance was declining. As with the Mormons, the Amana colonial movement began in New York. Christian Metz, taking his cue from the writings of 18th century German mystics, established the group in 1842 on 5,000 acres near Buffalo, New York. Metz and his followers were similar to the Mormons in their rejection of the selfish individualism and dog-eat-dog competition of capitalism in favor of a more cooperative economic system. They isolated themselves from national and global markets and built a largely self-sufficient means of meeting their agricultural and material needs. Barter within the community helped them avoid using American currency. The community's agricultural and craft operations grew so quickly that the members soon found they needed more land than was cheaply available in New York. Like many of other land-hungry Americans, they looked westward. In 1855, the first members began setting up a new colony in Iowa called Amana, purchasing 30,000 acres of contiguous land as a base for their agricultural and craft operations. Amana (located near modern-day Iowa City) flourished in the decades to come. By the turn of the century, the colonists had built seven largely self-sufficient villages with farms, stores, bakeries, woolen mills, wineries, furniture shops, and the other necessities of independent living. The Amana community thrived for nearly 80 years, but its isolation from the rest of the world inevitably began to wane during the 20th century. In the early 1930s, the colony experienced severe economic problems, in part due to the Great Depression. The people voted to abandon their communal life in 1932, and they reorganized the colony on a capitalist basis with each member receiving stock in a new community corporation. The people of Amana began using American currency in January 1933. Although it violated the original precepts of their founders, the decision to bring Amana into the national marketplace actually saved the community. Today, the Amana colony is the center of a thriving business empire of woolen mills, meat shops, bakeries, and wineries. Though its original vision is no longer the same, visitors to the colony will still find a communal society dedicated to preserving many elements of Old World life and craftsmanship.
http://www.amanasociety.com/
http://www.iowa-city.com/amanas/historical/index.html
http://www.jeonet.com/amanas/welcome/index.html
    1936- Owens Illinois Glass of Toledo, HO completed the first all-glass windowless structure, using eight thousand translucent water-clear hollow glass blocks wearing about 150 ton for a two-story building, which had 39 rooms and an aggregate floor area of 20,000 square feet. Do not know if the building is still standing.
    1937 - 1.77 inches of rain fell at Washington, DC, making it the wettest inaugural day of record. Temperatures were only in the 30s as Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn in for his second term.
    1937 -the record low temperature for the state of California was set at Boca when the thermometer dropped to 45 degrees below zero.
    1942- Benny Goodman Band records “Jersey Bounce.”
    1942--The Glen Gray Orchestra records their hit "It’s the Talk of the Town"
    1943- Pentagon completed: the world's largest office building with 6.5 million square feet of usable space, the Pentagon is located in Virginia across the Potomac River from Washington, DC, and serves as headquarters for the Department of Defense.
    1943 - Famous temperature antics occurred in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The temperature was 52 degrees above zero at Lead and 16 degrees below zero degrees at Deadwood simultaneously. The places are only 1.5 miles apart, but there is an elevation difference of 600 feet.
    1947-Birthday of trumpet player/composer Baikida Carroll, St. Louis. MO
http://www.baikida.com/bio.html
http://www.omnitone.com/marionettes/carroll-bio.htm
http://artists.spun.com/baikida_carroll
    1949—Birthday of Ronnie Van Zandt, lead singer of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, born in Jacksonville, Florida. The band built a loyal following, beginning in the American South in 1973. Their best known songs were "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird," a tribute to Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band. Lynyrd Skynyrd seemed on the verge of superstardom in 1977 when a plane crash in Mississippi killed Ronnie Van Zandt and five others, including Skynyrd guitarist Steve Gaines.
    1951---Top Hits
Tennessee Waltz - Patti Page
The Thing - Phil Harris
My Heart Cries for You - Guy Mitchell
The Golden Rocket - Hank Snow
    1954-the coldest temperature ever recorded in the 48 contiguous states was recorded at Rogers Pass, MT. The temperature dropped to 69.7 degrees below zero.
    1955---A young singer named Elvis Presley performs at the Louisiana Hayride, Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport, LA, performing "Hearts Of Stone," "That's All Right, Mama" and "Tweedle Dee." In the audience is "Colonel" Tom Parker, who was witnessing Elvis for the first time.
    1958--Elvis Presley records "Hard Headed Woman," "Trouble," "New Orleans," "King Creole," "Crawfish"
    1959—Top
The Chipmunk Song - The Chipmunks
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - The Platters
My Happiness - Connie Francis
City Lights - Ray Price
    1961 - the "Kennedy Inaugural snowstorm" belted the mid Atlantic area and New England. Up to 29 inches of snow fell in northern New Jersey and southeastern New York. Areas north and west of Boston, MA received over two feet. This was the second of three major snowstorms during the 1960-61 winter season in the northeastern U.S.
    1964-- Giant outfielder Willie Mays, the highest paid player in baseball, signs for $105,000.
    1965- The NFL teams pledged not to sign college seniors until completion of all their games, including bowl games.
    1966-- The Supremes' "My World is Empty Without You" enters the pop charts.
    1966-The Rolling Stones receive their third gold record for the album "December's Children." It features the tunes "Get Off My Cloud," "Route 66," "As Tears Go By" and "I'm Free."
    1967--The film The Fastest Guitar Alive, starring Roy Orbison and Sheb Wooley,
premieres in New York City.
    1967--Ed Sullivan refuses to let the Rolling Stones sing their big hit "Let’s Spend the Night Together" on his CBS show of the same name unless they change the title and lyrics to "Let's Spend Some Time Together." The band does as it's told, but lead singer Mick Jagger mocks the censorship by making faces at the camera while he sings the cleaned-up line.
    1967-considered the “First Super Bowl:”*** the Green Bay Packers won the first NFL-AFL World Championship Game, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Packers quarterback Bart Starr completed 16 out of 25 passes and was named the game's Most Valuable Player. Pro football's title game later became known as the Super Bowl and is now played on the last Sunday in January.
    1967---Top Hits
I’m a Believer - The Monkees
Tell It Like It Is - Aaron Neville
Good Thing - Paul Revere & The Raiders
There Goes My Everything - Jack Greene
    1967 - Ed Sullivan told the Rolling Stones to either alter the lyrics and the title of the song, "Let's Spend the Night Together", or not perform on his show. The Stones actually agreed, and changed the tune to "Let's Spend Some Time Together".
    1968- Elvis Presley records "Too Much Monkey Business"
    1969- Elvis Presley records--"A Little Bit of Green," "Gentle on My Mind"
    1971-George Harrison releases "My Sweet Lord".
    1972 - Elvis Presley, was censored from the waist down by Ed Sullivan, but still reportedly brought in largest audience for a single television show, to that time, in a live worldwide concert from
Honolulu, Hawaii.
    1972 - Don McLean's classic single, American Pie, jumped to Number 1 on Billboard's popular record charts, and stayed there for 4 weeks.
    1973-Citing "progress" in the Paris peace negotiations between National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho of North Vietnam, President Richard Nixon halts the most concentrated bombing of the war, as well as mining, shelling, and all other offensive action against North Vietnam. The cessation of direct attacks against North Vietnam did not extend to South Vietnam, where the fighting continued as both sides jockeyed for control of territory before the anticipated cease-fire.
    1974 -- During the Watergate affair, an expert testifies before the House Judiciary Committee that an 18-1/2-minute gap discovered during a critical subpoenaed recording of a White House conversation between President Richard M. Nixon & White House staff member H. R. Haldemen caused by “deliberate & repeated erasures. The White House fails to satisfactorily explain the long silence during the key conversation between Nixon & Haldeman.
    1974- “Happy Days” premiered on TV. This nostalgic comedy set in Milwaukee in the 1950s starred Ron Howard as teenager Richie Cunningham with Anson Williams as his best friend "Potsie" Weber and Don Most as his best friend Ralph Malph. Tom Bosley and Marion Ross played Richie's parents and his sister, Joanie, was played by Erin Moran. The most memorable character was The Fonz--Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli--played by Henry Winkler. In 1977, it remained number 1 in the Neilsen ratings for the season. "Happy Days" remained on the air until July 12, 1984, and has been in syndication ever since. The comedy launched two spin-offs: Laverne and Shirley and Joanie Loves Chachi. Happy Days originated as a 1972 skit on Love, American Style.
    1974-Expert testifies on gap in Watergate tape.
During the Watergate affair, an expert testifies before the House Judiciary Committee that an 18½-minute gap discovered during a critical subpoenaed recording of a White House conversation between President Richard M. Nixon and White House staff member H. R. Haldeman was caused by 5 deliberate separate erasures. The Watergate affair began after a break-in to the Watergate Hotel by White House officials was uncovered by journalists and the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, and then escalated when President Nixon attempted to use executive privilege and national security as reasons to suppress the subsequent investigation. On July 16, 1973, former White House aide Alexander P. Butterfield brought the existence of official recordings of Nixon's White House conversations to the attention of the Senate committee investigating Watergate, and on July 26, the Senate subpoenaed the nine Watergate tapes. Nixon failed to comply with the subpoena, and on August 9, the Senate committee filed suit against the president. Finally, on October 23, Nixon agreed to turn over the tapes, but when the tapes finally arrive at the Capitol, two of the nine are missing, and an eighteen-and-a-half-minute gap on one of the tapes is discovered. The White House fails to satisfactorily explain the long silence during the key conversation between Nixon and Haldeman, although an expert determined that the gap had been deliberately erased. Nixon's failure to comply in a timely fashion to the subpoena for the Watergate tapes contributed to the articles of impeachment voted against him on July 30, 1974, and helped force his resignation one week later
    1975---Top Hits
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - Elton John
You’re the First, the Last, My Everything - Barry White
Junior’s Farm/Sally G - Paul McCartney & Wings
Ruby, Baby - Billy "Crash" Craddock
    1975- "I've got bad news and I don't expect any applause," President Gerald Ford warned Congress before launching into his very first state of the union address. During the ensuing speech, Ford painted a grim portrait of America's economic woes. The state of the union, he confessed, was "not good. Millions of Americans are out of work. Recession and inflation are eroding the money of millions more. Prices are too high and sales are too low." Along with these problems, Ford offered an ominous budget estimate that showed the government running increasingly in the red over the next few fiscal years. However, Ford, who had recently been installed as the President after Richard Nixon's scandal-ridden resignation, attempted to balance the bad news by offering a remedy for the America's fiscal ailments. He unveiled a relief package that featured a few rounds of tax cuts for individuals and corporations, as well as an energy program that promised to raise money, albeit through raising costs and taxes on oil for consumers and businesses. James Earl “Jimmy” Carter, Jr was elected president of the United States in 1976 with 297 electoral votes to outgoing president Ford 240.
    1977-- Leo Sayer's "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" hits #1
    1977-- The Eagles' Hotel California album hits #1
    1978 - Super Bowl XII (at New Orleans): Dallas Cowboys 27, Denver Broncos 10. The first Super Bowl played without a sky. This one opened the Louisiana Superdome. Tom Landry was the Cowboys’ coach, Roger Staubach was their quarterback. Co-MVPs: DT Randy White and DE Harvey Martin (only co-MVPs in Super Bowl history). Tickets: $30.00.
    1978 - snowblitz! -- a paralyzing nor'easter blasted New England and the mid Atlantic states. Boston, MA recorded 21 inches in 24 hours to set a new record 24 hour snowfall amount -- only to have it broken 2 weeks later. Snowfall was under forecast since a predicted changeover from snow to rain did not occur.
    1981--Minutes after the presidential inauguration of Ronald Reagan, Iran releases 52 Americans held 444 days in exchange for the release of $8 billion in frozen Iranian assets seized by the U.S. Later, it's revealed that the release was delayed until the first hours of the administration by Reagan's transition team, in order to make him look good.
    1981- “Hill Street Blues” premiered on TV. This Immensely popular NBC police series created by Stephen Bochco and Michael Kozoll that focused more on police officers than on crime. The show was very realistic and highly praised by real policemen. Hill Street Blues was set in an anonymous northern city (the exteriors were actually filmed in Chicago) and was the first real attempt by television to portray police officers as fallible human beings. Each episode began with the 7 a.m. roll call led by Sergeant Ezterhaus. He closed the roll call with his trademark refrain, "Let's be careful out there." Hill Street Blues not only changed the way that Americans viewed police officers, it also revolutionized the television drama itself. The show resisted formula and introduced the ensemble cast. Whereas early cop shows like Dragnet and Adam-12 were centered around a couple of officers who always got their man by the end of the hour, the full squad house of regulars on Hill Street Blues rarely resolved cases in one episode.
It won a slew of Emmys and ran for seven seasons. Cast: Daniel J. Travanti as Captain Frank Furillo, Veronica Hamel as public defender Joyce Davenport, Michael Conrad as Sergeant Phil "Let's be careful out there" Esterhaus, Barbara Bosson as Fay Furillo, and as the wonderfully drawn cops, Bruce Weitz (Mick Belker), Taurean Blacque (Neal Washington), Kiel Martin (Johnny LaRue), Joe Spano (Henry Goldblume), James B. Sikking (Howard Hunter), René Enríquez (Ray Calletano), Michael Warren (Bobby Hill), Betty Thomas (Lucy Bates), Ed Marinaro (Joe Coffey) and Charles Haid (Andy Renko).
The last telecast was on May 19, 1987.
http://www.tripletsandus.com/80s/shows/hill.htm
    1983---Top Hits
Down Under - Men at Work
The Girl is Mine - Michael Jackson /Paul McCartney
Dirty Laundry - Don Henley
I Can’t Even Get the Blues - Reba McEntire
    1985 - At Carnegie Hall, in New York, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored 79 year old actress, Myrna Loy, who never received an Academy nomination although she appeared in 120 films.
    1987 - Paramount Home Video said, for the first time, it would put a commercial at the start of one of its video releases. The movie "Top Gun" had a 30-second Diet Pepsi ad tacked on to its beginning. The idea behind adding something else to be fast forwarded through was to reduce the price of the video by $3. The difference to Paramount would be made up by Pepsi money. It was also thought more consumers would buy the Tom Cruise picture rather than paying more for videos without the commercial.
    1988 -Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder makes racist remarks about black athletes
http://www.goodbyemag.com/apr/snyder.htm
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment050200d.html
    1990 - ‘Big’ George Foreman, on the comeback-trail at 42 years of age, knocked out Gerry Cooney in the second round at Atlantic City, NJ. (Foreman became the oldest [age 45] ever to win the heavyweight title when he knocked out Michael Moorer on Nov 5, 1994.)
    1991---Top Hits
Justify My Love - Madonna
High Enough - Damn Yankees
Love Will Never Do (Without You) - Janet Jackson
Unanswered Prayers - Garth Brooks
    1992-- The Seventh Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are held in New York City. Inductees include Bobby "Blue" Bland, Booker T. and the MGs, Johnny Cash, The Isley Brothers, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Sam and Dave, and The Yardbirds.
    1992- Tim Berners Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, released a simple line-mode Web browser on the Internet. Berners Lee had first proposed the Web in 1990 and had presented early versions of Web clients, servers, and browsers to his colleagues throughout 1991. http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/berners-lee.htm
Until then you needed the actual address or had to rely on Archer or Gopher to search for a website which basically was cumbersome and very slow.
http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/
http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/ShortHistory.html
    1993 - In the southern U.S., train echo thunderstorms drenched Lafayette and Baton Rouge, LA with 10.83 and 9.02 inches of rain in 24 hours, respectively.
    1994 - Frigid conditions persisted over the northeastern U.S. Rangeley, ME reported 45 degrees below zero for a morning low for the cold spot in the nation. First Connecticut Lake, NH dropped to a frigid 44 degrees below zero. Both Pittsburgh, PA and Cleveland, OH completed their longest stretch of subzero readings on record, with 52 and 56 consecutive hours, respectively.
    1994- "Dazzey Duks" by Duice was on the Billboard Hot 100 for the 54th consecutive week, the longest run ever on any of the magazine's charts. Also on the Hot 100 that week, Tag Team's "Whoomp! (There It Is)" was in the top-ten for the 24th week - another record.
    1995 - The San Francisco 49ers beat the Dallas Cowboys 38-28 in the NFC championship game and the San Diego Chargers edged the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-13 in the AFC title game. (The 49ers beat the Chargers 49-26 in Super Bowl XXIX.)
    1995 - The Golf Channel began on some U.S. cable systems. Four years later, the world’s first 24-hour golf network was seen in over 30,000,000 homes.
    1997 - During a heated Chicago vs. Minneapolis basketball game, Chicago Bulls star Dennis Rodman brazenly kicked a courtside cameraman in the groin. Rodman later claimed it was an accident, but the incident was captured from several angles by other cameramen, and was seen by millions of people across the country. Eugene Amos, the cameraman, was treated at a hospital and then released - the extent of his injuries were not released. Prosecutors told the press later that they were considering assault charges against Rodman. If suspended, it would be the second of the season for the temperamental, flamboyant athlete. Rodman was later suspended from 23 games and heavily fined; the suspension was the second-longest in NBA history. A few days later, a financial settlement between Amos and Rodman was reached; Amos received $200,000 from Rodman.

Super bowl Champions This Day

    1967 Green Bay Packers
    1978 Dallas Cowboys

**** Super Bowl

The year was 1966, and war was raging in professional football. It was a bidding war for talent and it had been going on since the American Football League came onto the scene in 1960 to challenge the National Football League, 40 years its senior.
At first, the battles were for college players, and the AFL scored an early victory when a court ruled in favor of the Houston Oilers over the NFL's Los Angeles Rams after both clubs had signed Billy Cannon, the Heisman Trophy winning halfback at Louisiana State.
Although the leagues agreed to a "no tampering" rule on existing player contracts, the stakes became high for college talent. Bonuses went sky-high. The AFL's New York Jets signed Alabama quarterback Joe Namath in 1965 to a $400,000 contract, the largest amount ever for a collegian. In 1966, the NFL's Atlanta Falcons gave Texas linebacker Tommy Nobis a $600,000 package and the Green Bay Packers forked over $711,000 to Texas Tech running back Donny Anderson.
Meanwhile, veteran players were settling for small raises on relatively small salaries. For example, John Brodie, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback, received $35,000 in 1965 and was asking for a raise to $65,000 after leading the NFL in completions, completion percentage, yardage and touchdown passes.
Then came a back-breaker. Buffalo place-kicker Pete Gogolak, who had played out his option in 1965, signed with the NFL's New York Giants. The "no tampering" code had been broken. The conflict was in the open, and it was time for action.
On April 7, 1966, peacemaker Joe Foss resigned as AFL commissioner and the next day Al Davis, general manager of the Oakland Raiders, took over. Davis was a hawk in regard to the NFL, and he had a plan.
Davis organized an AFL war chest and urged owners to start talking to established NFL stars. The NFL had bragged of its superiority because of the caliber of its quarterbacks. Davis wanted to sign those quarterbacks for the AFL.
The Raiders quickly signed Los Angeles quarterback Roman Gabriel to a commitment starting in '67. Houston offered the 49ers' Brodie $75,000, spread over 10 years, to sign a five-year deal with the Oilers. Reportedly, eight of the NFL's starting quarterbacks were dickering with the AFL.
The NFL had no choice. On June 8, 1966, two months after Davis became the AFL commissioner, a merger agreement was announced. There would be a common draft starting in 1967, interleague preseason games starting in '67 and regular-season play combining the leagues in 1970. Territorial indemnification of $18 million was to be paid to the 49ers and Giants over a 20-year period.
Most important, from the standpoint of football fans, was the immediate establishment of a championship game between the leagues. This was the AFL-NFL World Championship Game -- which was popularized as the Super Bowl from its inception.
Gabriel never went to the Raiders and Brodie never left the 49ers, but Brodie collected a million dollars on the agreement he had made in his talks with Houston.
Davis resigned as AFL commissioner a month after the merger. He clearly had won his battle.

[headlines]

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American Football Poem

Coach Bear Bryant’s Poem

This is the beginning of a new day.
God has given me this day to use as I will.
I can waste it or use it for good.
What I do today is important as I am
exchanging a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever.
Leaving something in its place I have traded for it.
I want it to be a gain, not loss--good, not evil.
Success, not failure, in order that I shall not forget
the price I paid for it.

[headlines]

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SuDoku

The object is to insert the numbers in the boxes to satisfy only one condition: each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 exactly once. What could be simpler?

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

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[headlines]