Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Headlines---

Classified Ads---Senior Management
    UAEL-EAEL Merger Talks Official
        Placard—Road to Travel
    The Vultures Are Circling
“The Perfect Storm” happening again?
---Archives: November 23, 2001
    Regional Meetings: members/non-members
        Classified Ad---Help Wanted
    ELFA Survey Shows Up 4th Quarter
Sales makes it Happen--by Steve Chriest
“Measure more than Revenue”
    Fed expected to cut interest rates again
        News Briefs---
            You May have Missed---
California Nuts Brief---
    Sports Briefs---
        "Gimme that Wine"
Calendar Events
    Snapple Real Facts
        Today's Top Event in History
    This Day in American History
Football Poem
    SuDoku
        Daily Puzzle
    GasBuddy
News on Line---Internet Newspapers
Canada

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

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Classified Ads---Senior Management

Atlanta, GA
Strong sales and leadership skills; demonstrated with sales training and sales performance. Lead team in both regional and national operations and developed marking programs.
Email: mll1946@comcast.net

Europe
25+ yrs exper. management roles Chase, AT&T Capital, Heller Financial, SFS. Develop biz from “scratch to success”. Looking for challenging & pioneering job.
Email: frans@alliedproperty.net

Northern California
CLP - Director of Customer Finance for Fortune 500 manufacturer. Program development, credit, closing, sales training, portfolio mgt.
email: drdawkins@mac.com"

Philadelphia, PA
27 yrs. exp. sales, ops., credit, strategy, P&L mngmet. Most recently created & executed the biz plans for 2 highly successful Bank-owned small ticket leasing subsidiaries.
email: mccarthy2020@comcast.net

For a full listing of all “job wanted” ads, please go to:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted.htm

To place a free “job wanted” ad here, please go to:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted-post.htm

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UAEL-EAEL Merger Talks Official

by Christopher Menkin

Talked about for years, two leasing associations who are no longer the size they used to be, are officially talking about a merger.
The United Association of Equipment Leasing (formerly the Western Association of Equipment Leasing) (UAEL) last membership count was at the beginning of the year, when they reported 314 members. The Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors (EAEL), membership count has been relatively stable at the end of 2006 had 196 members.

There are many members who belong to both associations.
A guess is the new organization may be 350-375 at top, best estimate, when all is said and done with the main headquarters located in Southern California or New Jersey, or both? Basically one board count would be eliminated unless it becomes a 40 member board.

Perhaps the reduction in board members is good for UAEL. All too many directors get on boards for show. I’m sure that many of you know the type; they seldom come to meetings, don’t do their assigned jobs, don’t contribute any good ideas. They represent the 80% as 20% do most of the work.

One problem with this attitude is that these directors “follow the leader”. What the president
(or whatever his or her title)decides or proposes is just fine with them.

And often with brand-new directors as well, who haven’t yet learned the dynamics of the board and may act cautiously. This most likely happened with the alienation of Leasing News and its “Leasing
News Person the Year for 2007.” The current UAEL board is the old guard, status quo;
not too bright either.

January 28, 2008
 
To: All members of the EAEL
 
I would like to take this opportunity to report that the Executive Boards of the EAEL and the UAEL have established committees to explore the possibility of a merger of the EAEL and the UAEL.  The joint taskforce made-up of the two committees had its initial meeting this month. 
 
The taskforce is exploratory in nature, researching and assessing whether the sum of the two organizations would be greater than their respective parts, and would thereby offer the members of both organizations superior and enhanced services and opportunities.  I expect the taskforce will explore the pros and cons of a proposed combination throughout fiscal year 2008, with the goal of making a recommendation to the respective Boards by the end of the year. 
 
If you have any input or ideas, please contact Bruce Winter, who is serving as the EAEL Co-chair for the joint taskforce.  Bruce can be reached at 410-792-7400 x107, or bwinter@fsgleasing.com.
 
Sincerely,
Bruce Smith
President, EAEL

"Our membership has grown to about 15% from MD and PA, and about 65% coming from the Northeast ( NY, NJ, CT and MA,)" she said. “The remaining membership is from the rest of the US. We continue to be a regional association, not soliciting broker/lessor membership west of the Mississippi."

“Members share information, have a close bond, and while it may not be as large as the others, the atmosphere is very ‘family’ and being of as much help to each other.

“There has been talk for years that this association would merge with another, but there is a closeness among members that would be lost, and as important, the membership dues overall are the lowest of the other three leasing organization who would be their suitors. The association is in a re-building phase under the leadership of President Nancy Pistorio, Madison Capital.”
Leasing News Association page

In the reporting of the "dis-invite" of Leasing News Person of the Year for 2007, retired FTC Senior Attorney Randy Brook, who is well-known for his position on NorVergence leases as well as taking several leasing companies to task, reportedly the merger of EAEL and UAEL came up.

"The name Bob Fine was brought up. I was told he was a "good guy" and a friend of several of the directors. Fine was the head of NorVergence Finance and vice-president of the parent organization. It was his role to sell the leases to leasing companies, presenting the "dog and pony" show that shows service was in the leasing contract; plus he made all the introductions to the leasing companies and banks. When the scandal broke out, he resigned as president of the Eastern Association of Equipment Leasing Association (EAEL.) He was well liked by several of the UAEL board of directors, I was told, and stories we had written were not accurate. Nor were the stories about NorVergence leases."
http://www.leasingnews.org/#uael

The board of directors of UAEL appear to believe the EAEL board of directors and/or members still support Bob Fine’s action, who lead many leasing companies to lose millions of dollars, plus perhaps have drawn more commercial law into consumer law decisions and regulations, including forum clauses and what was one time was consider “hell and high water, “ you pay if you sign no matter if there was misrepresentation, fraud, deception, hold backs or kickbacks by the seller of the equipment.
In the NorVergence case, the leasing companies were told by Fine in his “dog and pony” show there was service in the contract and they, NorVergence, would take care of that, plus their contact was “water tight.”

EAEL Dues

$395.00 FULL MEMBERSHIP (less than 3 employees)
$800.00 FULL MEMBERSHIP (less than 50 Employees)
$1,100.00 FULL MEMBERSHIP (more than 50 Employees)
$1,100.00 FULL MEMBERSHIP (funding source)
$1,100.00 SERVICE MEMBERSHIP (attorneys, accountants, etc.)

UAEL Dues

Broker/Lessor ($0-10 million in sales) $ 595.00
Broker/Lessor ($10-20 " " " ) $ 995.00
Broker/Lessor($20+million " " ) $1,295.00
Funder $1,995.00
Service Provider (less than 6 employees) $ 795.00
Service Provider (6 or more " " " $1,495.00

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The Vultures Are Circling

The ratio of distressed debt soars to its highest level in five years.

Stephen Taub
CFO.com | US

It's beginning to look a lot like a recession. The U.S. distressed-debt ratio leaped by five percentage points to 11.1 percent in January, from 6.1 percent in December, according to a new report from Standard & Poor's.

The ratio is at its highest level since September 2003, and the increase from the previous month was the greatest since October 2002, according to the debt rater.

As of Jan. 15 distressed issues cumulatively affected debt worth $64.5 billion, nearly $30 billion higher than in December.

Distressed credits are defined as speculative-grade rated issues that have option-adjusted spreads of more than 1,000 basis points relative to Treasuries.

S&P noted that the increase in distress follows continued widening in the spreads of non-distressed speculative-grade bonds, which rose nearly 100 basis points in one month to 637 basis points on Jan. 15, from 541 basis points on Dec. 12.

S&P last week forecasted that the U.S. speculative default rate will more than triple, to 3.4 percent, by the end of December.

It's small wonder, then, that private equity funds and hedge funds that specialize in distressed securities are talking up this asset class as the number-one opportunity to mine for investments over the next couple of years.

Indeed, at the beginning of January — before the latest S&P data was disclosed and before the global stock markets tanked — 20 percent of 41 hedge fund executives managing $227 billion said in a survey conducted by Lipper Inc. that distressed investing will be the top strategy over the next year.

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Archives: November 23, 2001---“The Perfect Storm”

( Leasing News writers at the end of 2006 predicted the subprime meltdown, and all the news, points that we are “in” a recession, not that we are going to have one. It does not appear that Congress will do much of any consequence, as they have not in eight years. Congress has a lower rating than President Bush, according to all the polls. Other countries think we are fools. They like us as “Americans,” I can personally testify, but they think our government representatives are stupid. The fact is the severity of the credit crisis has cost banks over $100 billion in “write downs” as buyers shun complex financial products linked to unpaid home loans. Some of us are not doing
as well as we did in previous years.

(It appears independent finance and lease negotiators and brokers will have a busy year if they have connections to money sources.
The money sources with good margins, a professional collection staff, top credit analysts, niche markets, should have a very good 2008.
To ignore the poor weather is not very smart. How stormy will it get is yet to be seen as a stimulus from the Fed and congress has been talked about, but results not experienced at this time. Certainly as we are experiencing here now in California the heavy rain and storm, those prepared did well. Those that did not batten down the hatches, did not.

(Written by the Alta Group, commissioned by the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation, the 52 page report examined why previously successful companies exited the marketplace in the two
years preceding the report. They found while each company story was unique, there were similarities. The study looked at the company business models and strategy, management experience, corporate infrastructure and accounting principals. Their discovers identify patterns and trends. It may have value again today. Editor )

Nuggets from “Why Successful Leasing Companies Exited the Marketplace”.

“The Perfect” storm was a book made into a movie starring George Clooney where the skipper takes his fishing boat out into a storm that unprecedented. They go beyond the grasp of the boat, led by one person who is “determined,” with a crew or board of directors who have little control nor knowledge and their catch (credit) begin to sour and basically they are caught in the “Perfect Storm” and perish.

The analogy is perfect for what has recently happened in the leasing industry, and this study by the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation of several of the major companies gives information that may help us not repeat history.

John Deane, Managing Principal, Alta Group, says it best, “ It is important to recognize the study for what it is---a post mortem analysis to be used as a learning tool for the industry. In completing the study and analysis, Alta had the benefit of hindsight. The managements of the Perfect Storm’s victims were not so fortunate.”

There were seven major casual themes for why these companies exited the industry:

--external factors
---flawed business models
---weak controls
---inadequate infrastructure
---rapid growth
---management issues, and
---divergence from core competencies

Choice Nuggets from this report in chronological order (follows the report):

“ One of these changes will be a renewed focus of value, for it is a focus on value that will determine the winners and victims of the next Perfect Storm.”

“Management’s belief that aggressive growth rates could be sustained indefinitely led to many of the decisions creating The Perfect Storm.”\

“:...significant credit losses were the trigger for FINOVA’s demise.”

“Key factors noted included negative working capital (inadequate cash from operations,) significant declines in retained earnings (mounting or continuing losses), an inability to raise additional
equity ( liquidity crisis/flight to quality), and debt maximization ( high leverage.).”

“ Management held stock ownership positions in many of the target companies. Management ownership in Comdisco, for instance, was both significant and widespread. Comdisco embarked on a strategy to transform itself into a sector that commanded higher price/earning multiples. Since higher multiples create direct pecuniary consequences for management, it is possible that management self-interest played a role in the direction this company was taken.”

“Some companies chose growth as the vehicle for increasing shareholder value. LSI sought growth both in the number of its vendor relationships and in the international market, while FINOVA and LINC chose to grow internally and through acquisitions. SierraCities.com and UniCapital, on the other hand, relied on acquisitions for their growth.

“T&W focused on rapid organic growth and, by using funds, raised through its IPO, portfolio acquisitions. As one T&W interviewee put it, “ imagine suddenly finding yourself with millions and millions of dollars to plow back in the business and couple that with the ‘grow or die” mantra of the rapid industry consolidation that was taking place in the late 1990s. They went on a buying spree...”

“ LINC, BankVest, SierraCities.com, T&W, and UniCapital all relied on gain-on-sale accounting to drive their earnings. Although acceptable under GAAP, total reliance on gain-on-sale accounting represents a flawed business model. This model is unsustainable, as it forces a company into a cycle of ever-increasing volume expectations. Due to the flight to quality in the capital markets, particularly after the Asian financial and Russian debt crises of 1998, these companies were forced to rely on bank lines.

“Because of the reliance on this flawed business model, they faced dramatic increases in borrowing costs and the slashing of margins and returns. The fallout from this tactic hastened the departure of these companies from the industry.”

“Relaxing and/or ignoring credit controls. Nothing can be said to justify this tactic as being reasonable, yet it was utilized by several of the companies. BankVest employed relaxed credit parameters as a market tactic. This approach was a conscious decision, as opposed to a breakdown in control and governance. in several other instances, credit quality deteriorated as a result of lack of control due to high growth, but this not a tactic.”

“Rapid growth, for instance, was a contributing factor for exiting the industry in 70% of the companies studied.”

“The results of Alta’s interviews and analyses indicated a potential failure on the part of several Boards of Directors to exercise their fiduciary duty of control and governance. Interviewees also raised questions as to how the problems that were developing in some of the companies could be missed by the external auditors.”

“Management simply did not have the skills and leadership ability to contend with rapid changes. As one executive remarked, “ For the most part, I think these were good people trying to do the right thing. It is jus that their reach exceeded their grasp.”

“Seven of the ten lessors in the study experienced rapid to very rapid growth during the several years preceding their exit from the industry. Growth, for purposes of this study, means the volume of new business generation. Rapid growth refers to growth in excess of 25% per annum.

“ In some cases, growth was a central point in the lessor’s strategy. In others, growth was a byproduct of the lessor’s move into new markets or industries. In yet others, growth was a management tactic to address declining margins. Whatever the reason for the rapid growth, its existence often contributed materially to the company’s exit form the industry by exacerbating other issues.”
 
Page 28 beings with “Lessons Learned”.

“At lease 50% of the companies involved in the Perfect Storm became victims because substantive portions of their business cycle were inadequately managed.”

“ The strength and adequacy of senior management was a factor in 60% of the cases studied. These factors ranged from management experience that was not relational to the environment of the lessor, to situations where too much reliance was placed on too few executive managers, to situations where executive managers did not have, or did not require, sufficient support from second line managers.”

“Leverage works to the company’s advantage when things go well, but it magnifies and accelerates problems when they do not. As a result, much like a supertanker whose course has been set, these companies found themselves unable to turn quickly enough to avoid The Perfect Storm.”

“The captain of the Andrea Gail, was looking for the ‘big catch.’ In doing so, he took his boat and crew into waters outside his experience. Although there were more fish there, he increased the risks in a business already fraught with risk. Furthermore, he ignored the warning sings of impending trouble, thinking he could work his way through what turned out to be a dire situation.

“ The Perfect Storm in the equipment leasing and finance industry has many parallels with that of the movie. Many of these lessors, looking for the ‘big catch’, entered businesses outside their core competencies. Others created additional risks beyond those systemic to the industry. And, many ignored the warning signs when they came, hoping to work their way through the situation.

“ The combination of these factors with a cold front of inadequate infrastructure, a hurricane of external events, and a great Lakes gale of poor controls brought the seas crashing down upon them. In the end, Captain Tyne’s reach, like many of those in this study, exceeded his grasp.”

“Value is the key to continued financial health and viability. Equipment leasing and finance companies of the future must:

Create value to survive.
Add value to keep customers.
Prove value to attract capital.”

(Perhaps the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation will again commission the Alta Group for an up-date report. The weather is not good and boats putting out to sea may not be prepared for
what appears to be severe weather. editor)

“The Perfect Storm”
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/perfectstorm.pdf

http://www.thealtagroup.com/

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Leasing Association Events-Meetings Open to All

United Association of Equipment Leasing

Colorado Region Networking Event
Thursday, January 31, 2008
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Dave & Busters
2000 South Colorado Blvd
Denver, CO 80222

Attendee Cost
$25.00 (Member Price)
$30.00 (Non-Member Price)

To register for the event go to the Event Section of the website.

Event Description

Starting Great in 2008!

Enjoy an evening of networking, pool, video games and great food and drinks to start the
New Year off right!

Event Contact

Skip Wehner
5280 Financial
(303) 693-6400
skipw@5280financial.net

Scott Woodring
Dakota Financial, LLC
970-377-1439
swoodring@dakotafin.com

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Arizona Equipment Leasing Association

Tuesday, February 12 – 5 P.M.
Starfire Golf Club
11500 North Hayden RD
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
480-948-6000

Keynote Speaker:
Vickie Bouffard

Speaker, Performance Coach, Author

Vickie Bouffard is the author of the in-demand sales guide, “High Performance Results! A No Kidding Approach to Increasing Sales.” She also has extensive experience as both a sales person and sales trainer.

As a salesperson, Vickie has sold residential mortgages, insurance, computer training, publishing and educational products and has been a top producer wherever she worked.

As a sales trainer, Vickie taught the 12-week-long Dale Carnegie Sales Course for seven years and has also worked as a corporate training manager responsible for training sales and operations personnel in all aspects of wholesale mortgages and basic sales training. Additionally, she has trained and coached communication and presentation skills to new and seasoned sales people.

Today, Vickie, who is a member of the National Speakers Association and the American Society of Training & Development, uses her sales and sales training experience to inspire others to greatness through personal coaching as well as numerous workshops, training sessions and motivational seminars that are held all over the country.

Fee: $20 payable in advance or at the door.

RSVP/Registration form to Patrick McCann universal5@cox.net or fax 480-218-0525

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Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors

February 12, 2008
Baltimore Networking Meeting

Hosted by: Nancy Pistorio, CLP Madison Capital and Bruce Winter, CLP FSG Leasing, Inc. and Scott Wheeler, CLP The Equipment Leasing Company

Members: $50
Non-Members: $65

5 to 8pm.
Clyde's of Columbia
10221 Wincopin Circle
Columbia, MD 21044
410.730.2829

Share Ideas--Make New Contacts at this great Networking event!

Alison Pryor
Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors
email: alison@eael.org
fax: 212.809.1650
web: http://www.eael.org

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To view Leasing Association Conferences in 2007, please click here.

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Leasing Industry Help Wanted

Documentation / Funding Manager

Documentation / Funding Manager Austin, Texas Great opportunity with well-respected company, working in the best part of the world. Click here for more information. Affiliated Investment Group has 22 years experience serving the broker community.

www.affiliatedinvestment.com

EFD Marketing Officer

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ELFA Survey Shows Up 4th Quarter

The fourth quarter average was $7.9 billion, up from the third quarter.The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s /1 (ELFA) Monthly Leasing and Finance Index (MLFI-25) attributes this to December, which was $10.6 billion compared to November $6.3 billion. The comparison to the previous December was down slightly from $10.4 billion. Overall 2007 was better than 2006, according to the survey.

It should be noted that among the 25 leasing companies who make this report, many are captive lessors, such as Catepillar, who reported an increase, but stated it primarily came from overseas. The mix is more a reflection of ELFA membership and those who would participate than the majority of leasing companies who's size is much smaller in comparison. It has value since it appears to be consistent, but should be viewed that it comes from a leasing association who’s prime purpose is to promote their members and their interests.

Charge offs are up.

The employee count continues downward.
(Note: In March, it was discovered one of the reporting companies was listing employees overseas, whereas the report is supposed to be employees in the United States.)

It also appears approvals were higher in 2006, yet business was up, leading again that the numbers are from larger ticket sales rather than to the small to middle market.

ELFA MLFI-25 Participants (all ELFA members; )

ADP Credit Corporation
Bank of America
Bank of the West
Canon Financial Services
Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation
CIT
Citicapital
De Lage Landen Financial Services
First American Equipment Finance
GreatAmerica
Hitachi Credit America
HP Financial Services
Irwin Financial
John Deere Credit Corporation
Key Equipment Finance
LaSalle National Leasing Corporation
Marlin Leasing Corporation
National City Commercial Corp.
RBS Asset Finance
Regions Equipment Finance
Siemens Financial Services
US Bancorp
US Express Leasing
Verizon Capital Corp
Volvo Financial Services
Wells Fargo Equipment Finance

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News Briefs----

Fed expected to cut interest rates again
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2008-01-29-fed-auction-meeting_N.htm

Consumer confidence falls in January on job worries
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2008/01/29/Economy_0129.html

Yahoo to cut 1,000 jobs as it reports fall in profits
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_8110483?nclick_check=1

Despite downturn, study shows many still can't afford homes
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20080129-0738-bn29housing.html

Mortgage Lender Posts $422 Million Loss
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/business/30lend.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=slogin

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You May have Missed---

Morse Code or Text Message—which is fastest
http://leasingnews.org/Audio/Technology1.htm

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Sports Briefs----

Peyton Manning, Tony Romo and Tom Brady go to heaven to visit God and watch the Celtics play a game.
 
God decides who will sit next to him by asking the boys a question.

God asks Peyton Manning first. "Peyton,” God says, “what do you believe?"
 
Peyton thinks long and hard, looks God in the eye, and says, "I believe in hard work, and in staying true to family and friends. I believe in giving. I was lucky, but I always tried to do right by my fans."
 
God can't help but see the essential goodness of Manning, and offers him a seat to his left.

Then God turns to Tony Romo and says, "Tony, what do you believe?"
 
Tony says, "I believe passion, discipline, courage, and honor are the fundamentals of life. I too have been lucky, but win or lose I've always tried to be a true sportsman, both on and off the field."
 
God is greatly moved by Tony's sincere eloquence, and he offers him a seat to his right.

Finally, God turns to Tom Brady and says, "And you, Tom, what do you believe?"
 
Tom replies, "I believe you're in my seat."

Dickey: Commish must save Raiders
http://www.examiner.com/a-1187019~Dickey__Stop_Al_Davis__please.html?LFS=y

Cheap and easy fix to Raiders' woes
http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/knapp/

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California Nuts Briefs---

Senate kills Schwarzenegger health bill
(Largest legislative defeat as Governor)
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/668531.html

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“Gimme that Wine”

Drought hits Australian wine prices
http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gk1CfxmwmzQH0wBreU39e5excFDA

The Wine World Gathers in Sacramento for the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&
newsId=20080128005248&newsLang=en

Daniel: Viognier confounds California vintners
http://www.mercurynews.com//ci_8052118?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com
-www.mercurynews.com

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/

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Calendar Events This Day

Croissant Day
http://homeschooling.about.com/od/unitssubjhol/qt/jan30a.htm

Inane Answering Message day
Annual the day to set aside regular message and make them crazy.
http://holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/January/inanemessage.htm

Saint feast Days

• St. Hippolytus
• St. Aldegunais
• St. Aleaunie
• St. Alexander
• St. Armentarius
• St. Armentarius
• St. Barsimaeus
• St. Bathildis
• St. Tudy
• St. Savina
• St. Felician
• St. Hyacinth
• St. Martina
• St. Matthias
• St. Mutien-Marie Wiaux

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

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In most advertisements, including newspapers, the time displayed on an analog watch is 10:10 because it make the watch look like it's smiling.

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Today's Top Event in History

1882- Franklin Delano Roosevelt birthday, 32nd president of the US (Mar 4, 1933-Apr 12, 1945). 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 WWII 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. Born at Hyde Park, NY, he died a few months into his fourth term at Warm Springs.

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This Day in American History

    1749- Thomas Isaiah birthday, American printer, editor, almanac publisher, historian and founder of the American Antiquarian Society. Born at Boston, MA; died Apr 4, 1831, at Worcester, MA.
    1781- Maryland becomes the 13th original state to begin a union.
    1798- The first brawl to break out on the floor of the US House of Representatives occurred at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania this day in 1798. 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.
    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 interested other 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 )
    1847-Yerba Buena renamed 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, was published by Samuel Brannan with Elbert P. Jones as editor.
    1858-Birthday of William Wells Brown, African-American novelist and dramatist, publishes first Black drama,
“Leap to Freedom.”
http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Cyberia/RiverWeb/History/brown.html
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASbrownW.htm
    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 born 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 coin the word “Blurb” and was a 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 birthday, 32nd president of the US (Mar 4, 1933-Apr 12, 1945). 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 WWII 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. Born at Hyde Park, NY, he died a few months into his fourth term at Warm Springs.
    1900 -- William Goebel shot, one day before being sworn in as Governor of Kentucky. In 1895, he killed a factional rival, John Stanford, in a political quarrel; never tried. While contesting the outcome of a gubernatorial election, 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, Franklin County, Ky., February 3, 1900, after serving three days of his term. Born in Sullivan County, Pa., January 4, 1856. Lawyer; member of Kentucky state senate; statue at Old State Capitol Grounds, Frankfort, Ky.
http://unusualkentucky.com/goebel.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0813102405/inktomi-bkasin-20/
002-1241397-9042458
    1911-- Roy Eldridge Birthday ( “Have you ever been uptown, Roy? ) 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
    1912- Barbara W. Tuchman birthday Historian and journalist Barbara 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). Barbara Wertheim Tuchman was born at New York, NY, and died at Greenwich, CT, Feb 6, 198, GA, Apr 12, 1945.
    1917- Original Dixieland Jazz Band makes first records, NYC, “Darktown Strutter’s Ball,” Indiana ( Col A-2291) Some historians consider this to be the earliest commercially made jazz record. "Darktown Strutter's Ball" was written by Shelton Brooks, who was born in 1886 in Amherstburg, Ontario. The song was inspired by a ball at the 1915 Pacific-Panama Exposition in San Francisco.  
    1928-Birthday of Ruth Brown, the most-recorded female rhythm-and-blues singer of the 1950's, born 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-and-b charts was "Teardrops From My Eyes," in 1950.
    1928-Birthday of vibe player Buddy Montgomery, Indianapolis, IN
http://www.jazzcanadiana.on.ca/_Montgom.HTM
    1928---Birthday of American composer Mitch Leigh, Brooklyn, NY.
    1930- Edmund “Sandy” Amoros, baseball player 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. 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 ) Amoros died at Miami, FL, June 27, 1992 and is today an unforgotten man ( except for hereJ) Brooklyn Dodgers (1952-57), Los Angeles Dodgers (1959-69), Detroit Tigers (1960) 517 Games, 1311 AB, 215 Runs, 334 Hits, 43 HR, 180 RBI, .255
Brooklyn Dodgers (1952-57), Los Angeles Dodgers (1959-69), Detroit Tigers (1960) 517 Spiele, 1311 AB, 215 Runs, 334 Hits, 43 HR, 180 RBI, .255
http://www.sportslegendsphotosinc.com/proddetail.php?prod=SandyAmorosBW
    1931 -- Charlie Chaplin's film "City Lights" premiers at Los Angeles Theater.
http://www.filmsite.org/city.html
    1933 - The Lone Ranger, with George Seaton as the Ranger and John Todd as Tonto, debuted on radio on this date. It became a national favorite.
    1935 -- Poet and fascist-sympathizer Ezra Pound meets Beloved and Respected Comrade Leader Mussolini, 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 for broadcasting fascist propaganda via radio to the United States during WWII, on charges of treason. 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.historyguide.org/europe/lecture9.html
    1943-Birthday of Marty Balin, vocalist with both the Jefferson Airplane and its successor, Jefferson Starship, born in Cincinnati. 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, first woman mayor of the District of Columbia (1991).
    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 handgrenades 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, born 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/
    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 & 10-week-old baby escape unharmed. Later tonight, 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.
    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://www.americamodels.com/jodywatley/index2.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.     1965-Leroy “Satchel” Paige, major 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/
    1962 -- Two members of Flying Wallendas' high-wire act 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.
    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.
    1969- -- The Beatles give their last public live performance on the roof of their own Apple Studios, 3 Savile 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 this day.
    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.
    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
    1976 -- George 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
    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 dollars damage.
    1979-African-American Franklin Thomas named president of the Ford. In his retirement, he was named Chairman of the September 11th Funds, 2001 Foundation.
    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 
    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.
    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 NH. The storm claimed three lives in eastern New York State, and four lives in Vermont.
    1992 -- The Guthrie Center is dedicated. The Guthrie center is 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 & 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. & 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
    1993- subway service in Los Angeles began. It consisted of a single route, a 4.4 mile, five-station track connecting Union Station with MacArthur Park. An expanded system with 22 miles of track and 20 stations was planed to be completed by 2001. The web site says 17.4 miles have been completed.
    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 world record 500m (35.76) . 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.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 McHall for 13 seasons, in a halftime ceremony. McHall scored 17,335 points, made seven All-Star teams and helped the Celtics win three NBA championships.
    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.

Superbowl Champions This Date

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

http://www.superbowl.com/xxxvi/history/recaps/sbxxxiv.html

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