Hawaii Tsunami---

Readers not on the mailing list missed the reports on Saturday from Don Myerson, BSB Leasing, who lives in Kauai, Hawaii six months of the year. At first expected to be a major tsunami, it turns out to have been an excellent drill for the next time.

Reports also have an email about Chile:
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/myerson_flash.html

About Kauai:
http://www.examiner.com/x-29076-SF-World-Travel-Examiner~y2010m2d28-Kauai-Hawaiis-island-paradise

Classified Ads---Sales Manager

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

Other e-Mail Posting Sites:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Posting_sites.htm

Brican America another NorVergence or Recomm?
by Christopher Menkin, Publisher

(All the parties involved were asked for a statement or comment by email on Friday regarding comments in the three blogs as well as the dismissal of the court case as mentioned in this article. No statements or comments were received. - Editor)

When Brican America, Miami, Florida attorney Michael Leichtling of Troutman-Sanders recommended a law suit against Leasing News (as he did in the IFC Credit case regarding NorVergence before IFC Credit filed BK) for likening the Brican America situation to Recomm, he appears wrong for the second time.

The resemblance to Recomm centered on the co-founder of Recomm involved as a co-founder of Brican America. The law suit centered on Leasing News’ Alert regarding the case where NCMIC Finance Corporation dba Professional Solutions Financial Services (PSFS), Clive, Iowa filed a claim against Brican for $38 million involving 1672 leases. PSFS claimed not being made aware of a separate agreement regarding advertising making the payment to the lessee who in turn paid the lessor was not divulged. The case was dismissed. The latest internet blog has Doctors stating state they sent all signed agreements to “Professional Solutions” who knew about the advertising procedure and payment.

It appears the parent of PSFS is Professional Solutions, Clive, Iowa, whose web site states they provide insurance and financial solutions for health care professionals and small business professionals, including malpractice insurance, all types of business and personal insurance for professionals, credit card processing, SBA loans, as well as equipment financing. The doctors involved believed they were doing business with the recommendation of Professional Solutions, many who were provided other services by the company.

They didn’t look at the leasing company as separate but as part of Professional Solutions, which it really is.

It appears the holder of the overwhelming majority of Brican America leases is “Professional Solutions” whose clients believe they should be forgiven for leases that were underwritten by “Professional Solutions” that they believe should have done more due diligence and protected their clients, the doctors, who signed the lease documents because they felt PSFS stood behind them. They trusted “Professional Solutions.”

What now has happened are three internet blogs with the fastest one growing now over 300 at the time this was written, similar to what happened in NorVergence, and this email addressed to Leasing News explains the comments provided above, why, and the feelings of those joining the blog (http://groups.google.com/group/bricanviso):

"Our concern is that some of your subscribers (leasing companies) may unknowingly buy leases that are highly volatile at this time from Brican America and/or, Brican Finance. Many of the lease holders have requested a termination of the lease and some have just stopped paying.

The basis of the fall out is that many doctors were leased a package that included some video equipment, video software, video editing services and a marketing agreement with VisoLasik Medspas. Viso agreed to pay a marketing fee to the doc for a percentage of screen time in our offices. This was a significant amount and pretty much closed the deal.

"Brican just sent out letters on Viso's behalf that 'they' will no longer be able to pay the doctors. We now find out that the ownership of Brican and Viso is tied together by some of the players that own some of each company as reported in Florida's Sun Biz data. Brican apparently knew some time ago that payments were falling behind from Viso to doctors (since much of the check writing happened at Brican for Viso, based on the deposition of Brican employees, and Brican financed Viso), yet Brican continued to contract with doctors and then sell the leases if they could. 1672 leases were sold to NCMIC, the party that just settled the lawsuit with Brican with no details available yet. Many more leases exist with other companies and some remain with Brican Financial, LLC possibly because they could not find an outside buyer. It appears that the only way the Viso payments could continue is if more doctors were signed up!

"FYI - this Google group of doctors that are ready to hire counsel is over 300 members strong in just 11 days.

"Thanks for your interest in this case. It is not a highlight in the leasing industry."

(name with held)

The blog has brought the group together, organizing, contacting other medical associations, and bringing other information to light, such as Gordon and Pat Roberts along with Chuck Brazier. Pat Roberts is president of M&R Leasing in Colorado, Gordon Roberts and Chuck Brazier worked together at Colonial Pacific Leasing, and Brazier worked as director of marketing at Centerpoint Leasing, where Roberts was convicted of theft (1). Chuck Brazier was marketing the portfolio and leases at Brican America with a Brican America email address.

Since there were several on the blog who stated they had leases with M&R Leasing, Pat Roberts was contacted. She responded:

"There is no relationship between M & R Leasing, Inc. and Brican, other than M & R, in the past, acquired a few leases from them. In the past 24 hours several doctors have contacted M & R inquiring about whether we acquired their leases and M & R never heard of any of the Doctors and has certainly not acquired their leases. I do not know where or why any of these people are getting our name."
Pat Roberts

Bringing this to the attention of one of the bloggers, they responded:

"They have my lease. I received a letter from Brican and M & R stating they were now my leasing company. M & R even mailed me a copy of lease that I had with Brican."

Since Chuck Brazier had worked for Centerpoint and was at Brican, Leasing News asked about the connection:

"They have my lease. I received a letter from Brican and M & R stating they were now my leasing company. M & R even mailed me a copy of lease that I had with Brican"

Another Blogger sent this email, which was "strange" as Chuck Brazier was aware of the advertising clause, according to several informed sources and other reports:

"I spoke with someone this a.m. from M&R Leasing by the name of Gordon. I asked him what his title is and he said he does everything. I asked him about Brican/Viso and he said another doctor had called this morning to inquire whether his lease had been bought by M&R. Gordon told me they had bought some leases , the one where doctors stopped paying Brican for several months already and then the leases were sold to them for that reason. Gordon said his company won't be buying any more leases from Brican since M&R knows about the Viso agreement. He quotes '"We don't want to be in their mess.'"

One of the two men behind Brican America is Jean-Francois Vincens, a Canadian and French citizen, according to his court deposition. The operation is very much like the recent Royal Links Golf Carts leased to country clubs based on advertising to pay for the carts and perhaps even make a profit. Jean-Francois Vincens was one of the principals in Recomm, who had over $125 million in losses involving over 30 leasing companies, including Colonial Pacific Leasing, Lease Partners, Bell Atlantic TriCon, Finova, GreatAmerica Leasing, Textron, among others.

As reported in Leasing News, International Display Corp. Recomm Operations, Inc, and Recomm Enterprises, Inc (hereafter referred to collectively with Optical Technologies, Inc., as “Recomm”). Recomm, in turn, convinced several advertising agencies of the merits of advertising via kiosks, and convinced pharmacists, veterinarians, optometrists, and others of the profits they would earn by locating the kiosks at their places of business. Having accomplished this, Recomm acquired the necessary kiosks, leased them to the pharmacists and others (the “Lessees”), assigned the leases to finance companies (the “Lessors”), and (4) entered into advertising contracts with the Lessees. These contracts provided that the Lessees would receive a stated percentage of fees Recomm received form the advertising agencies. Recomm, the Lessees, and the Lessors contemplated that the Lessees share of the advertising fees would more than cover the Lessees' lease payments.

“The scheme worked for the benefit of all parties for a few years, until mid-1995, when Recomm began to experience cash-flow problems and ceased remitting to the Lessees their portions of the advertising fees. The lessees responded in two ways. First, they quit paying the Lessors the rent due on the kiosk leases; then they sued Recomm. As the law suits multiplied, Recomm turned to the bankruptcy court for relief. In January, 1996, Recomm filed a Chapter 11 petition in the Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida.”

The days of "hell and high water" lease contracts appear over and the dentists, optometrists, physicians with Professional Solutions may have a good case. This position was discussed in a recent column by attorney Jim Coston:
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2010/1_15.htm#special_report1

Gordon Roberts/Chuck Brazier:
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/August%202005/8-10-05.htm#theft

Jim Coston
Special Report: Part I -- Could Church Kiosks,
Royal Link Carts, NorVergence results been avoided?
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2010/1_15.htm#special_report1

Special Report: Part II
Bank of the West
Equipment Lease Agreement (EFA)
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2010/1_15.htm#special_report2

Brican America Exposed
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/brican_america.htm

NorVergence
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Novergence_main.htm

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

Leasing 102
by Mr. Terry Winders, CLP

"The Ignorance Plea"

Once in a while we forget that the Lessee must be given the lease documents with sufficient time for them to read, and hopefully understand, the transaction. Many times we place the documents in front of the Lessee and say sign here, here, and here. We may even put an “x” where they are to sign. Then we grab them back and head for the door. Then later on, when everything goes sour, the Lessee stands in front of a judge and pleads Ignorance. The usual statement is; that they were not given time to read the documents, and even if they did, they did not understand its content. If you are dealing with a small company be prepared for this argument.

You should always give the Lessee a completed copy of the documents with all signatures and dates completed. This may not happen until the deal is funded so a good check list of facts should be explained to the Lessee at the time of closing. Here is a list of the proper comments and it would not be a bad idea to have a Lessee sign the list after every comment has been checked off.

[] This is a non-cancelable contract
[] The Lessor is not the supplier of the equipment and you must look to the dealer or distributor for equipment defects or performance issues.
[] This is a net lease and you must provide insurance against the loss, theft of or damage to the Equipment, for the amount of the applicable casualty value from time to time, naming Lessor as a loss-payee, and in addition; general liability, public liability, workers' compensation liability, environmental hazard liability and property damage insurance, naming Lessor as an additional insured.
[] You will be responsible for property taxes which will be paid by the Lessor and then billed to you with immediate payment responsibility
[] You may not relocate or sublease the equipment without our permission
[] You must maintain the equipment through out the lease term according to the maintenance requirements of the manufacture.
[] You acknowledge that the lessor is the owner of the equipment and you may not encumber it with any mechanic or lender liens.
[] Your obligation to pay rent is unconditional
[] Any additions or modifications to the equipment require our permission and will become Lessor property at termination.
[] The equipment will be inspected by an industry expert, at termination, to determine if it meets the return conditions.
[] All payments must be made on time or a late charge will be assessed.
[] We will stop by from time to time, with notice, to inspect our equipment.

Or……. another approach I have used is to place the following statement at the bottom of the acceptance agreement …

“Lessee acknowledges that it has received a copy of this document as executed by Lessee, with all blanks completed. Lessee acknowl­edges that it (a) has READ THIS DOCUMENT, HAS CAUSED THIS DOCUMENT TO BE EXAMINED BY LESSEE'S REPRESENTATIVES OR ADVISORS; (b) is thor­oughly familiar with the transactions contem­plated in this document; and (c) together with Lessee's representa­tives or advisors, if any, has had the opportunity to ask such questions to representatives of Lessor, and receive answers thereto, concerning the terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated in this document as Lessee deems necessary in connection with Lessee's decision to enter into this Lease and any Schedules and/or Supplements. “

This may seem a bit much for small ticket Lessor’s but it is important that the Lessee understand the content of the lease agreement. The court system takes a dim view of Lessor’s that “prey” on the ignorance of the lessee and get them to agree to transactions that they expect to function just like a loan because the Lessor’s salesperson said so. Salespersons for leasing need to be trained in the rules and regulations of leasing so as to not jeopardize the legal standing of you documents. Most of all they need to be trained in how to close a lease. If you fully explain the type of transaction the Lessee is about to sign, many current and future problems will be eliminated.

Mr. Terry Winders, CLP, 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.

Previous #102 Columns:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Leasing_102/Index.htm

Equipment Acquisition Resources Equipment being Sold?

(This information is unsubstantiated, however, comes from two reliable sources known to Leasing News. It appears strange, although many things with Sheldon Player and Equipment Acquisition Resources (E.A.R.) involved are strange. - Editor)

All the equipment and parts at E.A.R. are now crated and ready for shipment.  A major buyer from Germany has made a bid on the lot. It is also reported E.A.R. has been granted an 18 month extension on their "legal" problems which the reliable source indicated to him meant that the "creditors" would be happy to take the bid from the company in Germany.

Again, whether this is a “done deal” or a proposal to be executed or is just “talk,” is not known, but both sources believe it to be true.

Leasing Industry Help Wanted

Sales

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Please see our Job Wanted section for possible new employees.

Bank Beat---Up to 22 in Two Months

The 14 branches (11 in Pierce County, 3 in Federal Way) of Rainier Pacific Bank, Tacoma, Washington, were closed Friday by the Washington Department of Financial Institutions, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver. To protect the depositors, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with Umpqua Bank, Roseburg, Oregon. This is the 22nd FDIC-insured institution to fail in the nation this year, and the fourth in Washington.

FDIC records indicate 27 of the remaining 91 banks and thrifts in the State of Washington, almost 30%, are on the watch list under enhanced regulatory scrutiny.

Equity of the bank had gone from $28.5 million to a minus $11 million after a charge off of $17.8 million ($14.5 million Construction and land development and $568,000 in residential 1-4 family properties) including a loss of $13.9 million in 2008 and loss of $69.9 million in 2009.

In addition to residential and commercial loan losses, the write downs came from the purchase of securities called trust preferred collateralized debt obligations — bundles of debt issued by banks and insurance companies. At one time they were worth $108.8 million on the books, but were down to $17.1 million.

Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio 1.55%.

December31, 2008 the bank had 223 full time employees and December 31, 2009: 191 full time employees.

Umpqua Bank will pay the FDIC a premium of 1.04 percent to assume all of the deposits of Rainier Pacific Bank. In addition to assuming all of the deposits, Umpqua Bank agreed to purchase approximately $670.1 million of the failed bank's assets. The FDIC will retain the remaining assets for later disposition.

The FDIC and Umpqua Bank entered into a loss-share transaction on $578.1 million of Rainier Pacific Bank's assets The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $95.2 million.

http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2010/pr10041.html

Carson River Community Bank, located on Highway 395 next to Home Depot and Target, Carson City, Nevada closed with Heritage Bank of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, to assume all of the deposits.

A young, small bank founded October 16, 2006 down to 11 full time employees; bank equity dropped from $5.5 million the end of 2008 to $889,000 the end of 2009. 2008 saw a net loss of $2.9 million to $4.7 million loss end of 2009 with a like minus operating income. Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio 2.19%.

Carsonnow.org reports, “Carson River Community Bank was one of many local banks that got wrapped up in the commercial real estate boom prior to the beginning of the recession. When the recession hit, Carson River Community Bank was caught with a large portfolio of non-performing commercial loans that prompted an order for them to stop making any further commercial loans and that the current CEO/Manager of the bank be replaced. He was.”

As of December 31, 2009, Carson River Community Bank had approximately $51.1 million in total assets and $50.0 million in total deposits. In addition to assuming all of the deposits, Heritage Bank of Nevada agreed to purchase approximately $38.0 million of the failed bank's assets. The FDIC and Heritage Bank of Nevada entered into a loss-share transaction on $28.5 million of Carson River Community Bank's assets.

The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $7.9 million http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2010/pr10040.html

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

Hawaiian banks bruised but not broken
By Kevin Dobbs, SNL Exclusive

Hawaii's banking system is bumping along the bottom of the credit cycle, grappling with souring assets and steep loan losses. But its woes are hardly among the nation's worst, and as it emerges from the downturn, analysts say, it likely will have an easier climb back to prosperity than hard-hit states in the West.

Aaron Deer, an analyst at Sandler O'Neill & Partners who tracks the Hawaii market, noted that the depths of the state's problems have not approached that of California, its closest mainland neighbor. "Hawaii has its issues; the credit environment is not good," Deer said. "But it is not like it compares" to battered areas of the West Coast.

While the banking sector as a whole in Hawaii saw earnings drop notably last year, the two largest banks in the state, First Hawaiian Bank, a unit of BNP Paribas SA's BancWest Corp., and Honolulu-based Bank of Hawaii Corp., made money throughout 2009, according to data compiled by SNL Financial. Seven banks based in Hawaii hold about 90% of the state's deposits, according to the FDIC, so one particularly weak — or strong — showing from any given bank can have a big impact on averages.

First Hawaiian and Bank of Hawaii, which together hold the majority of the state's deposits, had relatively strong showings last year. First Hawaiian said it finished the year with net income of $230.5 million, up 4% from the previous year, while Bank of Hawaii posted full-year net income of $144 million, down about 25% from the previous year but strong given the credit environment, its chief executive said.

Honolulu-based American Savings Bank FSB, a unit of American Savings Holdings Inc. and Hawaii's third-largest bank by deposit market share, reported that, excluding special charges that affected results the past two years, adjusted net income was $41.1 million last year and $53.4 million the previous year.

The sustained profitability "increased our prospects" for long-term growth, Hawaiian Electric CEO Constance Lau said in the company's latest earnings report.

But, echoing colleagues, Lau also noted that his company's bank has endured "economic pressures" that have dinged its balance sheet. Its 2009 results included a provision for loan losses of $32 million, triple the level of the year before, reflecting an increase in nonperforming residential lot loans, mortgages on one- to four-family properties and a $10 million provision for a troubled commercial loan.

There are of course pockets of severe distress. Central Pacific Financial Corp.'s Central Pacific Bank, which posted a steep loss in 2009, finished the year beaten down, with nonperforming assets more than 90 days past due topping 10% of its total assets, the highest in the state, according to SNL analysis.

Central Pacific's nonperformers in the quarter rose two percentage points from the previous quarter alone, the results of "further deterioration" in Hawaii construction loans, the company said. Its net loan charge-offs in the fourth quarter totaled $83.9 million, a twelvefold increase from a year earlier.

Regulators took notice of what was happening. In December of last year, Central Pacific Bank was delivered a consent order from the FDIC and the Hawaii Division of Financial Institutions that required it to boost capital to offset its mounting losses and to distance itself from troubled commercial real estate loans.

To be sure, Central Pacific helped to drag down the state's overall performance. By contrast, First Hawaiian's nonperforming assets more than 90 days past due were about 0.38% of total assets, according to SNL, and Bank of Hawaii's were about 0.56% of its total.

But each of those figures marked a rise over the previous year. Executives, while optimistic long-term, are cautious about their 2010 outlooks, saying they expect only slow economic recovery over the next several months, with struggling consumers pressuring consumer credit. They also are watching closely for signs that a building commercial real estate problem could spread yet this year, causing further losses.

"We certainly have not been immune," to credit headwinds, Bank of Hawaii CEO Allan Landon told SNL in an interview after reporting fourth-quarter and year-end results.

Again, Central Pacific amplifies the concern. The bank sold $204.4 million of commercial real estate loans in the fourth quarter of last year. The loans, of which $53.1 million were nonperforming, were sold at an aggregate discount of 18.9% compared to their book values at the time of the sales, the company said. "We will continue to pursue loan sales, along with other measures, to improve our asset quality," CEO Ronald Migita said in a release.

Broad economic malaise is expected to fester. While Hawaii's unemployment rate was 6.9% at the end of 2009, well below the national rate and the level in California, which topped 12%, it is about double where it was at its lowest prior to the recession.

Hawaii's tourism industry — its largest sector — is linked closely to the U.S. mainland, most notably California. "And so the slump in California, especially, has had a big impact on the economy there," Deer told SNL.

Indeed, spending by tourists last year in Hawaii was down 12.8% through November when compared with the previous year, according to Bank of Hawaii. Such sluggishness translates into weak earnings for resorts, hotels, shopping malls and other businesses that cater to tourists, hurting both their employees' income potential and their own ability to stay afloat and pay off debt, explaining concerns about commercial real estate. From the perspective of banks generating income, the slump has meant weak loan demand.

"The Hawaii economy just isn't giving us much growth opportunity," Landon told SNL. "Loan demand is very slow." Bank of Hawaii's average loans and leases totaled about $5.8 billion at the end of the fourth quarter last year, down from $6.5 billion a year earlier.

Deer said Bank of Hawaii is "among the most conservative banks out there, and in this environment that's the right way to be" in terms of forming an outlook for this year.

But the analyst also emphasized that, when conditions do improve, Bank of Hawaii and many of its top competitors will have only a shallow hole to dig out of — relative to the worst-off areas of the country — and should be able to meet credit demand when it returns.

"Overall, it should be a good place to be," he said.

Robert Clark contributed to this article.

Top Stories February 22--26

Here are the top ten stories opened by readers:

(1) "Complaints" Bulletin Board
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_26.htm#complaints

(2) Archive--February 24, 2003
On the Pawnee Website
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_24.htm#pawnee

(3) Pawnee Lease Press Release to attract business
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_22.htm#pawnee

(4) Lawsuit between Brican America and PSFS Dismissed
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_26.htm#dismissed

(5) Leasing 102 by Mr. Terry Winders, CLP
End of the Lease Option “the Up-Grade Option”
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_22.htm#option

(6) Sales make it Happen by Gerry Egan
“Listening to Zig Ziglar”
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_24.htm#ziglar

(7) Bank Beat---A real mixture of four failed banks
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_22.htm#bank_beat

(8) From the Desk of Michael J. Witt, Esq.
Helping a New Broker
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_26.htm#new_broker

(9) Ex-Arrow Truck drivers w/lease purchase get trucks back
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_22.htm#arrow

(10) Triton Financial Receiver has his eye on Axis Capital
http://www.statesman.com/news/local/as-regulators-closed-in-triton-ceo-moved-property-261854.html

St. Louis, Missouri---Adopt-a-Pet


Charlie

Pet ID #: 2241436-A013974
Breed: Labrador Retriever / Australian Cattle Dog Mix
Size: Med. 26-60 lbs (12-27 kg)
Color: Unknown
Sex: Male
Age: Young

CHARLIE is:
already neutered

CHARLIE's story...
"CHARLIE IS A REAL SWEET GUY! HE IS HOUSETRAINED. HE LOVES PEOPLE." Contact this shelter to adopt CHARLIE ...
Shelter: Animal Protective Association of Missouri
Phone: (314) 645-4610 - Let 'em know you saw "CHARLIE" on Adopt-a-Pet.com!

Website: http://www.apamo.org
Address: 1705 South Hanley Road
St. Louis , MO
63144

http://www.adoptapet.com/pet-search-display?clan_id=1&clan_name=dog&country_code=US& end_number=50&geo_range=35&geo_range_km=55&is_dog=1& postal_code=63105&start_number=1&state_code=MO

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

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

Georgia banks lose $3.3 billion in 2009
http://www.ajc.com/business/georgia-banks-lose-3-337103.html

70.5 is the new 65
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/is_the_new_NmI8R39wO68VchbX8zDp8N

The Crisis Is in the Mail
http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/14479347/c_14479673?f=home_todayinfinance

Survey: 26% get news via cell phone
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0301-pew-mobile-news--20100301,0,6931753.story

Stanford survey finds iPhone habit-forming
http://www.contracostatimes.com/top-stories/ci_14470072?nclick_check=1

Honolulu to become one newspaper town
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2010/02/27/State-unlikely-to-block-newspaper-deal/UPI-47101267295387/

Wi-Fi Turns Rowdy Bus Into Rolling Study Hall
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/12/education/12bus.html?scp=1&sq= arizona%20school%20bus%20wifi&st=cse

• Google is reportedly the first to do this on their company buses for employee transportation. It is not also common on commuter trains and being introduced on airplanes for a fee. Wireless is free, almost everywhere, including laundramats; now some school buses.
  

Winter Poem

Canadian Winter

by Jelaluddin Rumi

Sometimes it feels like
it is always winter here
In our "snowy north"
as others call it
while they ask us, with sly smiles,
if we live in igloos, and use dogsleds
to get around.

I could move, I suppose.
Someplace warm, where
I could grow
Morning Glories instead of Marigolds
And not have to read about hockey
eight months of the year.

But here, there is a breathless anticipation
of the seasons change.
We are all watchful eyes
for the first buds on trees,
And the last of the ice
flowing away down the river.

So I think I will stay
In my "snowy north".
Where the hoarfrost on the trees stands out
so clear against the cold air
it makes your heart hurt just to look at them
And the borealis dance over the fields in May
Calling me to remember
the joyous flow of life.