Friday, March 2, 2007

Headlines---

Classified Ads—
Documentation Manager/Finance/Legal
    Aggregate Funding Sources down to three
        Turning your declines into cash
CIT Global Branding, how and why---
Part I--by Christopher Menkin
    Leasing Assoc. Spring Conferences---up-date
        Help Wanted--- Classified Ads
Rudy and Lee Trebels win Award
    "To Tell the Truth"--by Ken Greene, Esq
    Thinking outside of the Coconut
        Did you know?---Terry Winders, CLP
Equilease Gets another $20 Million
    Nick Tupper GE'S Equipment Services Leader
        SunTrust Revises 2006 Results
Sterling Financial reports Dividend
    Netsol receives Best Software Exporter Award
        Dell earnings plunge 33% as sales drop
NACM Reports Drop in Credit Applications
    Greenspan Is Still Able to Move Markets
        BoA Credit Card illegal immigration debate
News Briefs---
    You May have Missed---
        Sports Briefs---
"Gimme that Wine"
    Calendar Events
        Snapple Real Facts
Today's Top Event in History
    This Day in American History
       Winter Poem

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

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Classified Ads—
Documentation Manager/Finance/Legal

Credit

Documentation Manager: New York, NY 10+ years in equipment leasing/secured lending. Skilled in management & training, documentation, policy and procedure development & implementation, portfolio reporting. Strong work ethic. Email: dln1031@nyc.rr.com	Finance: Austin, TX 20+ years all facets of lease/finance. Collection and credit management. Equipment & rolling stock structuring. $150k credit authority, $100 million portfolio management. Email: texmartin@juno.com
Finance: Chicago, IL Experienced in big ticket origination, syndication, valuation and workout. Twenty five years, MBA, CPA, JD, LLM (Tax), structuring specialist. Inbound and outbound transactions. Email: pal108381@comcast.net Transaction Summary | The Lechner Group Website: www.tlgattorneycpa.com	Finance: Sausalito, CA Sr. Corp. officer, presently serving as consultant, fin. service background, M&A, fund raising, great workout expertise, references Email: nywb@aol.com
Finance: Toronto Long diverse career financial services industry. Executed billions of dollars of leases over 20 years; structuring, executing and pricing US/Canadian transactions. Per Diem or full time. E-mail: eslavens@eol.ca	Legal: Los Angeles, CA Experienced in-house corporate and financial services attorney seeks position as managing or transactional counsel. Willing to relocate. Email: sandidq@msn.com

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

[headlines]

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Aggregate Funding Sources down to three

Since Leasing News started this Aggregate Funding Sources page in 2000,
it has diminished from 25 to 3.

eMarketCapital is now off the list, as they appear to have merged or are now http://www.internetcapital.com/, a company that states they are "owning and building" leasing companies and are on NASDAQ as ICGE. No one returned calls to talk about eMarketCapital or why their old web site goes to Internet Capital.

The same with efinance.com, which goes to http://www.identrust.com/, which seems to be involved with "OnDemand Bank Systems and Technology." No one contacted leasing news as to the status of efinance.com

Another change has occurred to Captara, formerly known as puremarkets.com, as now "Captara now offers a single solution from which to manage all company-wide leasing activity including real estate, equipment, information technology, transportation and telecommunications assets."

It appears the eLease brokers/online brokers/super brokers did not work very well. The ability to go on line and get the best rate and quickly via an internet software program did not work as wells as talking directly with a human being, particularly one with "account executive" skills.

eLeasing- aggregate funding sources

( Soley eLease brokers/online brokers/super brokers )

Top eLeasing companies as ranked by employees and volume

[headlines]

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Turning your declines into cash

"The Leasing Store is running a program which can supplement any lease approval or decline by offering the lessee the option to take cash funding against their credit card processing volume", says principal Jason M. Geraci, active in the leasing industry. "Basically we can offer the business owner a check equal to up to 150% of their average monthly Visa and MasterCard processing volume. “

Bob Rodi, CLP, Mount Pleasant Capital, among others in the industry recommend Jason Geraci.

"All of us equipment leasing brokers try to cultivate live leads to then offer our financing services to," Geraci says. "One of the hardest parts of our business, if not the hardest, is making the phone ring. Once a live lead comes in, it's always a let down to have that potential payday end in a decline. At that point, what do we do? We thank the client for their time, we apologize for not being able to help them, and then we file their lease app in the "decline file" or perhaps we just shred it."

"Here's where my program comes in. It can act as an alternative to lease financing when a prospect is declined, and it can act as a supplement to a lease approval when a client is approved. I feel this is very relevant to all leasing brokers in that it is an avenue for them to maximize their commissions on a lead they've already cultivated."

"Any referral commissions I can pay out to a broker on a decline are much better than what they stand to make on a dead application, and of course getting a second check from me on an approval who signed with me for additional funding is also very nice, "he concludes." Of course I'm promoting my new program, but at the same time I am trying to promote it in a way which encourages leasing professionals to think beyond the finality of a decline and create revenue from dead leasing leads once considered worthless."

Geraci says, “There are no restrictions on use of the funds, as owners are welcome to use them to expand their business, buy out a partner, pay off old debts, purchase new equipment, take a vacation, etc. Bad credit is not a problem, only four month's processing history is needed, and there's no personal guarantee or collateral required. Approval is primarily based on credit processing volume and the amount owed gets paid back over the next six to nine months through us taking a portion of future credit sales volume."

Jason M. Geraci
The Leasing Store
(877) 256-9304 toll free
(401) 241-5900 direct
(401) 244-5902 fax
jason@leasingstore.com

[headlines]

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CIT Global Branding, how and why---

by Christopher Menkin

Part I

Readers can learn much from the new CIT global brand campaign.

In an exclusive interview with Thomas B. Hallman, CIT Vice Chairman, Specialty Finance, regarding the strategic vision behind CIT’s acquisition of Barclays UK and German vendor finance businesses, Hallman outlined the success of his program:

"We developed a core set of principles," he explained, "unifying sales and credit. We took our model to other countries, hired local sales and credit talent and trained these ‘in country’ operations so well that they began to train new employees in other countries as we expanded."

Thomas B. Hallman

Advanced systems handle the array of currencies involved and produce leasing documents in the various languages of the countries served. These systems are key to the local sales teams in supporting their deep relationships with manufacturers, dealers, and brokers.

"This acquisition represents a significant step for CIT in our strategic effort to increase our presence in key global markets,” he said. ”This complements our significant presence in the EU, China, Australia, and Latin America, having used the same successful approach that we developed in the U.S. over the last ten years. It’s our goal to bring the success we created in these markets to all the countries
we serve.”

CIT is successful because its press and public relations department is active telling its story. They not only have a dedicated press release section, but an active group that responds very quickly. From personal experience, it appears the staff, including Curt Ritter, Director of External Communications and Media Relations, returns e-mails and calls during all hours, meeting West Coast deadlines and even European deadlines, as if he is in the office 24/7. He follows up on all details, almost with the attitude "if I don't get it done now, it will never get done." The new global brand program is brilliant,
with press kits, e-mails, and telephone call follow-up.

Jeffrey M. Peek, CIT Chairman/CEO

"Capital Redefined is based on what we do best...deliver relationship capital, intellectual capital, and financial capital to our customers, ," said Jeffrey M. Peek, CIT Chairman and CEO, formerly a successful Merrill-Lynch executive.” We know the middle market and understand that our customers expect more than just ‘traditional financing’."

CIT then announced the launch of its new global brand campaign.

"This campaign highlights our unique go-to-market strategy and reflects our rich heritage and strong competitive position in the middle-market," Peek continued.

With 7,300 employees in locations throughout the world, with more than $74 billion in managed assets, the theme is not to judge by the balance sheet alone, but by having strong customer relationships and having employees who deeply understand their business/industry have more influence over success.

Harris Interactive, in a survey commissioned by CIT, found "Three out of four respondents (75%) agreed that networking with customers/prospects is more effective than traditional marketing (ads, brochures, direct mail, etc.) Surprisingly those who responded to this, only half (55%) only attend 1-5 networking events annually.

Here are the 45% responses:
--25% attend 6-10 events per year
--12% attend 11-25 events
---1% attend 26-50 events per year
---2% attend more than 50 events per year
---5% don't participate in any networking events

More on the CIT Brand Campaign in the next edition, including how branding can help your company, no matter its size, plus perhaps one of the great reasons for success, the CIT people, such as:

James J. (Jim) Duffy, executive vice president and global head of Human Resources. He is responsible for the tradition of developing strategies and programs that unify, engage and develop employees. He continues the culture of building a corporate culture that aligns employees with business goals and facilitates sustained growth.

[headlines]

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Leasing Association Spring Conferences---up-date

Take the tip from the CIT networking information above.
It also applies to your profession: meeting your colleagues, service providers, clients, and funding sources will improve you personally, as well as your company.

Leasing Association Conference 2007

UAEL Spring Leadership Conference Betty Kerhoulas & Doug Houlahan—Conference Co-Chairs The Westin Casuarina Hotel & Spa, Las Vegas, NV April 12 –15, 2007 Saturday Night Event The Beatles™ LOVE™ by Cirque du Soleil® Available to the first 150 registered attendees & registered guests staying at the conference hotel (The Westin Casuarina Hotel & Spa). LOVE brings the magic of Cirque du Soleil together with the spirit and passion of The Beatles to create an intimate and powerful entertainment experience.       Hotel Registration The room block is filling rapidly! Make your hotel reservations at (702) 836-5900 Hotel Website (Mention the UAEL Conference ) Attendee Cost $895.00 (Attendee from UAEL member firm) $695.00 (Member firm attendee after early registration discount) $600.00 (Member firm additional attendee after early registration discount) $1295.00 (Attendee from non-member firm) $165.00 (Guest of registered attendee) Description Conference registration includes two breakfasts, two luncheons, afternoon breaks, all receptions and the entire 2007 Spring Conference. Full cancellation before March 10, 2007 will be subject to a $50 service fee for the registration. 50% refund for cancellations before March 20, 2007. No refunds after March 20, 2007. All registrations MUST be paid in full prior to the conference. Registration is transferable. Cancellations must be in writing. Sign up at the UAEL Conference Registration section of the website or call the UAEL office at 760-564-2227 or email at info@uael.org . To opt out of UAEL promotional emails please reply back to this email address info@uael.org UAEL 78120 Calle Estado #201 La Quinta, CA 92253

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April 15-17

Equipment Leasing and Finance Association
Four Seasons Las Colinas Resort & Club
Dallas, TX
Large Ticket/Bank Leasing Conference
(newly combined conference)

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FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS CONFERENCE REGISTRATION OPENS
**************************
Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Richard Fisher to Deliver Keynote Address

The ELFA Financial Institutions Conference (the newly combined Bank and Large Ticket Conferences), April 15-17, 2007 at the Four Seasons Las Colinas Resort & Club in Dallas is now open for registration. To download a copy of the conference brochure, please go here: http://www.elfaonline.org/events/2007/FIC/FIC07_Brochure.pdf

By merging the bank and large ticket conferences into one event, ELFA has developed a conference with greater substance and broader appeal.

For the rest of this story, go to:
http://www.elfaonline.org/news/MembersOnly/news_report.cfm?id=7094

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April 18-19

Equipment Leasing and Finance Association
Fairmont Hotel, Chicago, IL
National Funding Exhibition

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FUNDING EXHIBITION ATTENDEE REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
********************************

35 (and counting) Funding Source Exhibitors are ready to take your appointments!
Go to http://www.elfaonline.org/events/2007/NFE/ today to register and immediately start scheduling appointments with the funding sources you want to see. All the choice timeslots are still open, so don't wait!

Brochure:
http://www.elfaonline.org/events/2007/NFE/NFE07_AttendBroch.pdf

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April 22-24

Equipment Leasing and Finance Association
Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress
Orlando, FL
Captive and Vendor Finance Conference

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May 6-9

Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors
Seaview Resort & Spa
Marriott Resort
Galloway, New Jersey
The EAEL 2007 Conference Chaired by Paul Meyer

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May 17-19, 2007
Broker 101:The Foundation

Hotel Information
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
2800 Opryland Drive
Nashville , TN 37214

To make hotel reservations at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel
call 1-615-883-2211 and reference the NAELB Group Code - XELB7 .

You may also book your reservations online by clicking the link below. Enter the Online NAELB Group Code - ELB . The group rate is $165 per night for a traditional view room.

The deadline for reserving sleeping rooms is March 22, 2006.
Click Here To Make Your Hotel Reservations Online

Airline Information

Northwest Airlines is offering a 5 - 12 % discount on their fares for air travel to and from the conference.

You or your travel agent may call Northwest Airlines at 1-800-328-1111 and reference the WorldFile code, NYUYD .

You may also visit Northwest's website at www.nwa.com. Under the Flights tab at the bottom, click on NWA Discount Travel E-Cert Redemption.

Login as a guest. Complete the flight search section and navigate to the bottom where you will see “Click here if you have a Northwest meeting agreement WorldFile number.” Enter the WorldFile code, NYUYD and complete your transaction.

Travel agents should visit www.worldagentdirect.com.
Details

10 th Annual NAELB Golf Tournament information:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Pages/NAELB_Annual_Conference.htm

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National Vehicle Leasing Association
Annual Conference & Exposition 2007

June 6th - June 9th, 2007
The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino
3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89109

Brochure, to enlarge the information on the pages, increase the size of the page on your tool bar:

To see a brochure for this event, click here.

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October 4-7

United Association of Equipment Leasing
Fall Annual Conference

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October 28-30

Equipment Leasing and Finance Association
Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort
Orlando, Florida
46th Annual Convention

[headlines]

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Leasing Industry Help Wanted

Credit Analyst

Credit Analyst Irvine, California Southern California candidates only--Minimum two years experience with leasing credits, $40-$45K base depending on experience. Call or e-mail: Pamela Stuber 800-234-0136 ext. 243 pstuber@nationwidefunding.com About Us: As a leader in equipment financing we have created funding partnerships with a wide variety of financial institutions and specialized credit facilities. This diversity allows us to be a complete funding partner for your business.

www.nationwidefunding.com

Sales Regional Office

Financial Funding Services, LLC

Sales/Regional Office Generous Compensation with above average industry commission splits/unlimited income potential, six figures plus and nationwide financing for A – D credit. Click here for more info.

www.willamette-financial.com

Small Ticket Specialists

Three Small Ticket Specialists Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Nashville, TN, and Richmond, VA. Click here for more information.

www.suntrust.com

[headlines]

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Rudy and Lee Trebels win Award

(left) Rudy (president, IFC Credit Corp.) and his wife Lee Trebels, recipients of the Joseph S. Kearney Sr. Heart of Gold Award; Hillary and Tom Pontarelli ( Chicago Sun Times)

Chicago Sun Times story:

Students get a hand from Boys Hope Girls Hope gala February 28, 2007 BY LISA LENOIR Sun-Times Columnist Drake University. Clark Atlanta. Bradley. Marquette. Scholars supported by Boys Hope Girls Hope of Illinois recited the names of their prospective colleges like badges of honor during their speeches at the charity's annual gala, held this year at the Four Seasons Hotel. Their attentive audience saluted them with rousing applause.
PARTY FILE Ticket price: $325. Guests: More than 400. Amount raised: $330,000.	"I am so proud of the scholars when they get up and talk in front of these people," said Pat Hughes , Boys Hope Girls Hope of Illinois executive director. "They [supporters and mentors] can see the result of the work they have done." The Women's Board also lauded the efforts of Lee and Rudy Trebels , recipients of the Joseph S. Kearney Sr. Heart of Gold Award. Since 1993, the couple has cultivated relationships with Drake University and organized the dinner dance, auction and golf outings. Tom Pontarelli , CNA Insurance executive vice president and chief administration officer, accepted the Paul G. Sheridan, S.J., Leadership Award for his company.
The event had an Italian theme, including topiary centerpieces accented with lemons, and a menu of ravioli, grilled filet mignon, Parmesan whipped potatoes and miniature pastries. The big-ticket item of the live auction: $15,000 for first-class American Airlines tickets. Event chairs were Neilly Hallermann and Mimi Petrakis, and co-chair was Aurieann LaPata . Women's Board president is Stella Boyle . Making music for Misericordia America's next top models weren't the svelte mannequins on the runway at "With a Song in Our Hearts," the annual Misericordia Women's Auxiliary luncheon and fashion show. The Heartbreakers were handsome gents and ladies in their tuxes and gowns dancing as Dennis Tufano of the Buckinghams sang a few tunes. The group remains the showstopper at this event, held at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers this year. Other highlights were clothes from the spring 2007 collections at Saks Fifth Avenue, selected by Nena Ivon , Saks' manager of public relations special events/fashion. Sister Rosemary Connelly , Misericordia executive director, spoke of her determination to help people in society who are "wounded by limitation of mind and body." Operated by the S of Mercy, Misericordia assists infants and children with developmental disabilities. Misericordia hopes to build seven more homes to serve 600 people waiting for service. Denise Cozzini is Women's Auxiliary president, and co-chairs were Tina Lawrence, Lindy Salvi and Carol Whiting. Guests included Sun-Times columnist Carol Marin and WGN-Channel 9's Merri Dee. PARTY FILE Ticket price: $125. Guests: About 980. Amount raised: $350,000.

[headlines]

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“Thinking outside of the Coconut”

By Ken Greene

Having moved to a corporate counsel position after more than two decades of private practice, I thought I would write about the benefits to those in the leasing business about having an "in house" attorney.
 
The in-house relationship nurtures trust, respect, industry-specific knowledge and an intimate familiarity with the fundamentals of the business.

The company with corporate counsel may get better results than those relying upon outside counsel for legal advice. This assertion is based in part upon a parable I discovered while reading Robert Pirsig’s “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”. It is called the “South Indian Monkey Trap”.

The people of South India have been pestered by monkeys for years. They developed a monkey trap consisting of a stake, a rope, a hollowed out coconut, and some rice. A hole is made in the coconut and the rice is placed inside. The hole is big enough for the monkey’s hand to reach in, but too small for its fist to pull out. While the monkey is struggling to withdraw its fist full of rice, it is captured.

If you had to impart one bit of specific advice to the monkey, what would it be? If your answer, like that of most people, is to let go of the rice, consider this: rice, to the monkey, is currency. The monkey will relinquish his grip on the rice about as willingly as you or I would drop a briefcase full of money out of a plane. Not likely. But, if you can convince the monkey that there is something more important than rice, i.e. life, it will open its fist and escape.

You can’t change the monkey’s behavior until you change its mind. Only when then the monkey realigns its value system will it will change its behavior.

This can be applied to law as perhaps the cost of the case in time, dollars, and danger of bad facts over ride what the truth may be.

The poor trapped monkey needs to recognize that the issue is bigger than the rice in hand. It’s a matter of re-thinking the situation.

Before the client will let go of his receivable, or the monkey his rice, a paradigm shift must occur. An attorney, who’s thought process is different from that of his client (and, hopefully, the monkey), is well situated to instigate that change of attitude.

Corporate counsel is in still a better position. He or she is familiar with his client’s way of thinking and understands the intricacies and idiosyncrasies of the business.

These special attributes, absent in the external attorney-client relationship, make it that much easier for the attorney to persuade the client to relinquish his grip on the old value system.

The lesson of the monkey trap illustrates the critical importance of understanding the decision making process before contributing to it. This is, of course, a two-way street. The attorney and client who truly understand each other’s value system yield the most successful marriage of the legal and business minds necessary for the effective governance of any company.

Leasing News Advisory Board’s Ken Greene is a well-known jazz piano player and attorney. He lectures on leasing law and documentation, litigation and collection matters, and has produced and presented seminars to leasing companies on enhancing the attorney-client relationship. He has also instructed on law and documentation for the United Association of Equipment Leasing's Institute for Leasing Professionals, with courses leading to the Certified Leasing Professional exam, and has taught nationally for Euromoney Lease Training. 
 
Ken welcome questions:
 
Kenneth C. Greene
Corporate Counsel
Creative Capital Leasing Group, LLC
P.O. Box 751
Kentfield, CA 94914-0751
Tel: 415.259.5494
Fax: 415.924.0971
Email: ken@creativeclg.com or kenlaw100@aol.com

[headlines]

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Did you know?---Terry Winders, CLP

This was sent by Terry Winders, CLP, who writes a column for Leasing News every Monday:
Leasing #102.

Many will find it “scary,” others quite “eye opening,” or “overwhelmed.” It is quite informative, and worth the six minutes it takes to view (if you don’t have time now, then send to your home computer to view over the weekend:)

http://leasingnews.org/Audio/didyouknow.wmv

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Please send to a colleague our news edition as we are trying to build up our readership.

[headlines]

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

Equilease Financial Services Raises an Additional $20 Million in Growth Capital
from Cambridge Place Investment Management

Gary N. Silverhardt, President and CEO of Equilease Financial Services, Inc. (“Equilease”), announced today that funds managed by Cambridge Place Investment Management LLP (“Cambridge Place”) have agreed to increase their minority interest in Equilease by investing an additional $20 million of capital in Equilease. Cambridge Place had previously invested $20 million of equity and subordinated debt earlier in 2006; this new round of investment had an initial closing in December 2006, a second closing this week, and will have subsequent closings throughout 2007 as capital is required by the Company. The investment consists of common stock and a subordinated debt facility to support the company’s strategic growth. Carl Marks Advisory Group LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to Equilease for the transaction.

Gary N. Silverhardt

Equilease plans to use the capital to continue expansion of its middle ticket and small ticket equipment leasing origination activities and its acquisition of equipment lease portfolios in the secondary market. Mr. Silverhardt said, “We are gratified that Cambridge Place has demonstrated continued confidence in Equilease. This new investment fuels our continued growth and further cements our strategic relationship with a partner that knows our industry well.”

Headquartered in South Norwalk, Connecticut, fifty-year-old Equilease has a successful history in the specialty finance industry as an originator and servicer of middle and small ticket equipment leases and loans, and as a purchaser of existing equipment lease portfolios in the secondary market. In its middle and small ticket lease origination business, the company offers financing nationwide for essential-use commercial and industrial equipment directly to end users and through equipment dealers and manufacturers.

The Cambridge Place Investment Management group is a leading global investment management firm concentrating on the structured finance product market. Cambridge Place employs approximately 90 people located in London and Boston who provide local coverage of principal markets. The firm has gross assets under management of approximately $7 billion across three investment platforms: hedge funds, CDOs and a closed-end London Stock Exchange listed investment company.

For further information, contact:

Gary N. Silverhardt
President and CEO
Equilease Financial Services, Inc.
50 Washington Street
South Norwalk, CT 06854
(203) 354-3654
Email: gsilver@eqfsdirect.com

[headlines]

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

GE'S Equipment Services, Rail Services Unit Appoints New Commercial Leader

-- Nick Tupper brings decades of industry experience to the growing Rail Services unit of GE --

CHICAGO----GE's Equipment Services, Rail Services unit announced that Nick Tupper has been named to lead the railcar commercial team in the unit's Eastern Sales Region. Mr. Tupper, based in Atlanta, Ga., will be responsible for providing commercial leadership and driving customer loyalty programs for this growing region.
ADVERTISEMENT

Mr. Tupper will also be responsible for expanding Rail Services' presence throughout the region and providing value-added products and services to customers. He brings more than 23 years of experience in the rail industry. In his most recent role, he was senior account manager for Rail Services' Food, Agriculture and Mineral Business Segment. Prior to joining GE in November 1997 as a director of marketing at Rail Services, Mr. Tupper held positions of increased responsibility in sales, marketing and logistics with Southern Pacific Railroad, Union Pacific Railroad and Union Carbide. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Maine and a master's of business administration from the University of Oregon.

"We are delighted to have Nick join our Rail Services commercial leadership team as we focus our business on growth, specifically services growth," said Kareen Gray, executive vice president of sales and services for Rail Services. "Nick brings a wealth of experience and an in-depth knowledge of the industry, as well as a clear understanding of customer needs and market issues."

About GE Equipment Services, Rail Services

A unit of GE's Equipment Services business, Rail Services, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, leases approximately 170,000 railroad cars--including grain hoppers, coal hoppers, tank cars, boxcars, plastics and other specialty hoppers, mill gondola, intermodal flat cars that carry highway semi trailers and intermodal containers. Additionally, the company leases 150,000 intermodal trailers, containers and chassis to shippers and railroads. For further information, visit
http://www.ge.com/railservices.

About GE Equipment Services

A $7 billion unit of GE (NYSE:GE - News), Equipment Services is a global provider of transport solutions for the world's supply chains. Offering a full range of equipment leasing and intelligence-based asset management and logistics services for manufacturers, retailers and shippers, Equipment Services enables the timely movement of raw materials and cargo for the global economy.

[headlines]

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

SunTrust Revises 2006 Results

Increased Loan Loss Provision Reflected in Revised '06 Results Reported in Form 10-K

ATLANTA, -- In its 2006 Form 10-K filed yesterday, SunTrust Banks, Inc. (NYSE: STI - News) reported net income available to common shareholders of $2,109.7 million, or $5.82 per diluted common share, for the year ended December 31, 2006. For the fourth quarter of 2006, SunTrust reported net income available to common shareholders of $498.6 million or $1.39 per diluted common share. These results have been revised from the earnings results the Company reported in its January 19, 2007 press release in which the Company reported net income available to common shareholders of $2,134.8 million, or $5.88 per diluted common share for the year ended December 31, 2006 and net income available to common shareholders of $523.6 million, or $1.46 per diluted common share for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2006.

SunTrust said its revised results were prompted by developments that occurred in February 2007 in connection with resolution of a previously disclosed large commercial loan which has been on non-accrual status since August 2006. This resolution resulted in a $40 million increase in the provision for loan losses. The borrower, which has not been identified for reasons of customer confidentiality, signed a definitive agreement to sell the majority of its assets, primarily customer contracts, to an unrelated third party. In connection with that sale, the SunTrust loan was partially repaid and the remainder of the Company's exposure to this borrower, $69 million, was charged off.

SunTrust provided the financing to the purchaser. SunTrust believes the purchaser is financially stable and the new financing reflects market terms and conditions. Under the terms of the definitive sale agreement, the ultimate amount of repayment of a portion of the financing is contingent upon future performance of the purchased customer contracts in to the third quarter of 2007. Accordingly, SunTrust has temporarily classified approximately $31 million of the new financing as non-accrual and assigned a specific reserve based on the Company's projection of the actual repayment amount. SunTrust noted that nonperforming loans declined $131 million from the level reported January 19, 2007, as a result of the definitive agreement and new financing. SunTrust management determined that in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles that it was appropriate to revise its 2006 financial statements since these events occurred prior to the filing of the Company's 2006 Form 10-K. SunTrust emphasized that the revision to management's estimate subsequent to year end does not constitute a control deficiency. Rather, it is a reflection of the extremely fluid nature of the workout activities associated with this particular loan which have now been essentially concluded, and specific events which took place subsequent to year end.

SunTrust Banks, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, is one of the nation's largest banking organizations, serving a broad range of consumer, commercial, corporate and institutional clients. As of December 31, 2006 SunTrust had total assets of $182.2 billion and total deposits of $124.0 billion. The Company operates an extensive branch and ATM network throughout the high- growth Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states and a full array of technology-based, 24-hour delivery channels. The Company also serves customers in selected markets nationally. Its primary businesses include deposit, credit, trust and investment services. Through various subsidiaries the Company provides credit cards, mortgage banking, insurance, brokerage, equipment leasing and capital markets services. SunTrust's Internet address is suntrust.com

[headlines]

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

Sterling Financial Corporation of Lancaster, Pa., Announces Quarterly Dividend

LANCASTER, Pa., -- The Board of Directors of Sterling Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: SLFI - News), at their regular meeting on February 27, 2007, declared a $0.15 per share cash dividend for the first quarter of 2007. This $0.15 per share quarterly dividend is the same as the preceding two quarters and represents a 7.1 percent increase in the quarterly dividend over the dividend of $0.14 declared in the first quarter of 2006. In addition, it represents a dividend yield of 2.81 percent, based on Sterling's closing market price of $21.35 on Feb. 27, 2007. The first quarter dividend is payable on April 2, 2007, to shareholders of record on March 15, 2007.

With assets of $3.3 billion and investment assets under administration of $2.8 billion, Sterling Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: SLFI - News) is a diversified financial services company based in Lancaster, Pa. Sterling Banking Group affiliates offer a full range of banking services in south-central Pennsylvania, northern Maryland and northern Delaware. The group also offers correspondent banking services in the mid-Atlantic region to other companies within the financial services industry, and banking related insurance services. Sterling Financial Services Group affiliates provide specialty commercial financing; fleet and equipment leasing; and investment, trust and brokerage services. Visit www.sterlingfi.com for more information.

Banking Group -- Banks: Pennsylvania: Bank of Lancaster County, N.A.; Bank of Lebanon County; PennSterling Bank; and Pennsylvania State Bank. Pennsylvania and Maryland: Bank of Hanover and Trust Company. Maryland: Bay First Bank. Delaware: Delaware Sterling Bank & Trust Company. Correspondent banking services: Correspondent Services Group (provider of Sterling services to other financial institutions). Insurance services: Lancaster Insurance Group, LLC (independent insurance agency) and Sterling Financial Settlement Services, LLC (title insurance agency).

Financial Services Group -- Specialty commercial financing: Equipment Finance LLC (commercial financing company for the forestry, land clearing and construction industries). Fleet and equipment leasing: Town & Country Leasing, LLC (nationwide fleet and equipment leasing/financing company). Trust, investment and brokerage services: Sterling Financial Trust Company (trust and investment services), Church Capital Management, LLC (registered investment advisor) and Bainbridge Securities Inc. (securities broker/dealer).

[headlines]

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

Netsol Techologies receives Best Software Exporter Award

CALABASAS, CA – – NetSol Technologies, Inc. (“NetSol”) (NASDAQ: NTWK), a multinational provider of enterprise software and IT services to the financial services industry, today announced that it received the Best Software Exporter Award for the period August 2004 – July 2005 at the 7th NCR National IT Excellence Awards ceremony. The Award was presented to Mr. Salim Ghauri, president of NetSol Technologies (Pakistan), by Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, Federal Minister for Information Technology, at the ceremony in Islamabad attended by senior ministers, top bureaucrats, foreign diplomats, business leaders and members of the press.

The NCR National IT Excellence Awards are considered the most prestigious IT awards in Pakistan. The Awards recognize people in the IT industry at a national level who are instrumental in introducing, promoting and implementing IT in Pakistan, including software developers, researchers, electronic and print media journalists, exporters and pioneers in the disciplines of IT. The Best Software Exporter Award is conferred to the company with the highest software export earnings as per the State Bank report.

Najeeb Ghauri, chairman and CEO of NetSol Technologies, Inc., remarked, “We are very pleased and honored to receive this prestigious, national award, the second in as many months, for the work we are doing in the IT industry in Pakistan. In the past 10 years, NetSol has evolved from a small start-up operation to the largest exporter of software in the country. As a result, we now attract and retain the nation’s best available talent pool of IT professionals.

Najeeb Ghauri, Chairman/CEO

“Honors such as this Best Software Exporter Award acknowledge the success NetSol has achieved in establishing LeaseSoft, the Company’s flagship product, as the preferred vehicle finance accounting and portfolio management system for leasing companies throughout the world. We are confident that as more organizations come to know and recognize our world-class products and service capabilities, our business will continue to expand and prosper,” concluded Mr. Ghauri.

In January, NetSol received the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (“FPCCI”) Best Export Performance Award from the Information Technology Services Sector.

About NetSol Technologies

NetSol Technologies is a multinational provider of enterprise software and IT services to the financial services industry. NetSol helps clients to identify, evaluate and implement technology solutions to meet their strategic business challenges and maximize their bottom line. By utilizing its worldwide resources, NetSol delivers high-quality, cost-effective equipment and vehicle finance portfolio management solutions. The Company also delivers managed IT services ranging from consulting and application development to systems integration and development outsourcing. NetSol’s commitment to quality is demonstrated by its achievement of both ISO 9001 and SEI (Software Engineering Institute) CMMI (Capability Maturity Model) Level 5 assessment, a distinction shared by only 94 companies worldwide. The Company’s clients include global automakers, financial institutions, technology companies and governmental agencies. NetSol’s largest customer, DaimlerChrysler Services, ranks the Company as a preferred vendor in 40+ countries. Headquartered in Calabasas, CA, NetSol Technologies also has operations and/or offices in London, San Francisco, Adelaide, Beijing, Toronto, and Lahore and Karachi, Pakistan. To learn more about NetSol Technologies, visit the Company’s web site at www.netsoltek.com.

[headlines]

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

Dell earnings plunge 33% as sales drop
http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/earnings/2007-03-01-dell_x.htm

NACM Reports Drop in Credit Applications
http://www.nacm.org/resource/press_release/CMI_current.shtml

Greenspan Is Still Able to Move Markets
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/02/business/02greenspan.html?_r=1&ref=
business&oref=slogin

Bank of America finds itself in illegal immigration debate with new credit card
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070301-1222-bank
ofamerica-immigrants.html

January new home sales fall 16.6 percent
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=businessNews&storyid=
2007-02-28T150248Z_01_N27422284_RTRUKOC_0_US-USA-ECONOMY-NEW
HOMES.xml&src=rss&rpc=23

GDP revised down to 2.2% in 4th quarter
http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/03/01/
gdp_revised_down_to_22_in_4th_quarter/

'Zodiac' a puzzle riddled with holes
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/03/02/ZODIAC.TMP

American Idol: Sanjaya, Antonella survive
http://www.myajc.com/post/idolblog/31_four_more_out.html

[headlines]

---------------------------------------------------------------

You May have Missed---

Girl's 5 weeks of hiccups finally end
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/16814513.htm

[headlines]

---------------------------------------------------------------

Sports Briefs----

49ers release Antonio Bryant
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/01/SPGEIOE3A34.DTL

Garcia interested in Raiders, agent says
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/football/nfl/oakland_raiders/16807337.htm

Packers have interest in Moss, but receiver would bring lots of baggage
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=571398

Steelers cut LB Joey Porter
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/steelers/2007-03-01-porter-cut_x.htm

Drew Bledsoe Released By Cowboys
http://www.kltv.com/global/story.asp?s=6166429

[headlines]

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“Gimme that Wine”

Spottswoode's milestone
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070228/NEWS04/
702280395/-1/SPECIAL&THEMES=FOODWINE

Alexander Valley Winery dinners mark pioneer's birthday
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070301/NEWS04/
703010392/-1/SPECIAL&THEMES=FOODWINE

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

Banana Cream Pie Day
http://southernfood.about.com/od/bananapierecipes/r/bl30621t.htm

Ethiopia: ADWA Day
Ethiopian forces under Menelik II inflicted a crushing defeat on the invading Italians at Adwa in 1896.

NEA’s Read Across America Day
A national reading campaign that advocates that all children read a book on March 2. celebrated on Dr. Seuss’s birthday. www.nea.org

Texas Independence Day
Texas adopted Declaration of Independence from Mexico

World Day of Prayer
An ecumenical event that reinforces bonds among peoples of the world as they join in a global circle of prayer. Annually, the first Friday in March. www.churchwomen.org

Saint Feast Days
· Bl. Charles the Good
· St. Agnes of Boheinia
· St. Willeic
· St. Chad
· St. Cynibild
· St. Fergna
· St. Gilstlian
· St. Jovinus & Basileus
· Martyrs of Campania
· St. Paul, Heraclius, and Companions
http://www.catholic.org/saints/f_day/mar.php

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There are seven letters that look the same upside down as right side up.

(A search finds five letters. l, o, s, x, and z. In addition: m, n, b

The letter “m” becomes “w,” “n” becomes “u,” and “b” becomes “q.”
This makes eight Real Fact errors. editor)

[headlines]

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Today's Top Event in History

1877 - A United States electoral commission declared Rutherford B. Hayes president, the only American president to be elected this way. The original result had been too close to call, with several disputed ballots. The nation had never before faced a dispute over the results of a presidential election, although elections had been decided by congress several times due to electoral procedure results, but this was the first where a dispute was settled. A candidate needed 185 electoral votes to win and Samuel J. Tilden, the Democratic candidate, clearly had 184. In dispute were the 19 electoral votes of three states still under carpetbag rule—Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina-plus one vote in Oregon. In Congress both parties agreed on January 29 to establish an electoral commission to decide the issue. The commission, with five members from each house of Congress and five members from the Supreme Court, was made up of eight Republicans and seven Democrats. All the commission’s decisions were to fall along party lines. On March 2, Congress accepted the commission’s decision, which awarded all the disputed votes to the Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes, who thus received 185 electoral votes to Tilden’s 184. The Republicans were accused of offering southern Democrats economic favors for their region if they supported Hayes’s claim. In any event, the new president showed a conciliatory attitude toward the South: the last Federal troops were withdrawn and there was no further effort to protect the rights of blacks. Reconstruction was over.

[headlines]
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This Day in American History

    1776-Charleston, South Carolina, set up an independent government under a temporary local constituti8on that was to be in effect until an agreement with England could be reached. John Rutledge was chosen president on Marcy 17. The government, said to be the first independent government within the recognized borders of the colonies, successfully defended Charleston against the British army and fleet on June 28, 1776, thus freeing the South from attack for nearly three years.
http://www.edwardrutledge.com/
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/eveolasovrealtor/page1.html
    1776- Americans begin shelling British troops in Boston. On March 17, the British evacuated Boston after American forces seized and fortified Dorchester Heights on March 4. General Howe sailed for Halifax, Nova Scotia, to await reinforcements.
    1793-Birthday of Sam Houston, famed American patriot. Houston was a congressman (1823-27) and governor (1827-29) of Tennessee. He resigned his office as governor in 1829 and rejoined the Cherokee Indians (with whom he had lived for several years as a teenage runaway), who accepted him as a member of their tribe. Houston went to Texas in 1832 and became commander of the Texan army in the War for Texan Independence, which was secured when Houston routed the much larger Mexican forces led by Santa Ana, April 21,1836, at the Battle of San Jacinto. After Texas admission to the Union, Houston served as US senator and later as governor of the state. He was deposed in 1861 when he refused to swear allegiance to the Confederacy.
    1807-The African slave trade was prohibited after January 1,1808 by an act of Congress, which outlawed importation of slaves into any place within the jurisdiction of the U.S.
    1815--- To put an end to robberies by the Barbary pirates, the United States declares war on Algiers.
    1819- Territory of Arkansas organized . The eastern U.S. was slowly becoming urbanized, but the frontier, moving ever westward, was still the place for the vigorous outdoor activities associated with newly settled rural areas. Marksmanship was highly prized and involved such sports as squirrel shooting by four-man teams. On one occasion, a team shot 152 squirrels by nightfall and the other, 141. Considered a brutal sport was the rough-and tumble fight. There were no rules and the two contestants were free to bite off ears or gouge out eyes until a fighter gave up or was knocked unconscious. By the way squirrel shooting is still popular today in many regions.
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/ctd/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=140823&category=Game+Call
s&dept%5Fname=Squirrel+Calls&mscssid=470F59DW6NAP8JGM8NWTV7NWC6XPDWJ4
http://www.viriato.net/airgunning/hunting/sr.html
http://www.funsupply.com/airguns/longrange.html
http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ar/state/history/terr/chron.txt
    1819-The first immigration law enacted by Congress established rules and procedures for passenger ships brining immigrants to the U.S. The most t important procedure was the numerical registry of immigrations, which made it possible to compile accurate statistics on immigrations in later years.
    1828-Melissa Burton Coray born at Mersey, Ontario, Canada. At the age of 18 she accompanied her Mormon Battalion soldier husband, William Coray, on a 2,000-mile military march on foot from Council Bluffs, IA, to San Diego, CA, then 1,500 more miles across the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Nevada desert to Salt Lake City, UT, the only woman to make the entire trip. On July 30, 1994, a mountain peak near Carson Pass was named for her, the 2nd peak in California to be named for a woman.
    1829-Birthday of Carl Schurz, American journalist, political reformer and army officer in Civil War. Born near Cologne, Germany, he died at New York, NY May 14,1906.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAschurz.htm
http://www.germanheritage.com/biographies/mtoz/schurz.html
    1836- Texas adopted Declaration of Independence from Mexico.
    1846 - A great storm hit Virginia and the Carolinas. The storm caused half a million dollars damage, and in North Carolina drowned fifty families and a thousand cattle on Notts Island.''
    1850-First masquerade ball in San Francisco with 600 guests. The event was organized by Tiffany Shlain and in 1998 moved to the Palace of Fine Arts with 2,000 guests.
    1853- Territory of Washington organized after separating from Oregon Territory.
http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ar/state/history/terr/chron.txt
    1861-The US Congress creates Dakota and Nevada Territories out of the Nebraska & Utah territories. One of the many things leading up to the Civil War were territories and states being created that would become “free states” and thus the “slave states” would lose their leverage in Congress, and the fear that “slavery” would be abolished. On February 4, the Confederacy was formed and earlier in the year states started seeding from the Union. The creation of these territories was signed by President James Buchanan. Nevada Territory was formed from Utah Territory; Dakota Territory from Nebraska Territory. Abraham Lincoln would be inaugurated president in two days; Hannibal Hamlin was his vice-president.
http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ar/state/history/terr/chron.txt
    1867- Jesse James-gang attempts to rob bank in Savannah MO, 1 dead. The attempted robbery on a private bank occurred 2:30 pm. March 2, 1867 in Savannah, east of St. Joseph, Missouri in Andrew County. There were five men in the gang, four men dismounted and entered the bank. Judge McClain refused to be robbed and put up an admirable defense. During the attempt Judge John Mc Clain was shot but lived. No money was stolen.
http://web.islandnet.com/~the-gang/rob.htm
http://www.ci.st-joseph.mo.us/history/jessejames.asp
http://www.granburytx.com/docs/james.htm
    1877 - A United States electoral commission declared Rutherford B. Hayes president, the only American president to be elected this way. The original result had been too close to call, with several disputed ballots. The nation had never before faced a dispute over the results of a presidential election, although elections had been decided by congress several times due to electoral procedure results, but this was the first where a dispute was settled. A candidate needed 185 electoral votes to win and Samuel J. Tilden, the Democratic candidate, clearly had 184. In dispute were the 19 electoral votes of three states still under carpetbag rule—Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina-plus one vote in Oregon. In Congress both parties agreed on January 29 to establish an electoral commission to decide the issue. The commission, with five members from each house of Congress and five members from the Supreme Court, was made up of eight Republicans and seven Democrats. All the commission’s decisions were to fall along party lines. On March 2, Congress accepted the commission’s decision, which awarded all the disputed votes to the Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes, who thus received 185 electoral votes to Tilden’s 184. The Republicans were accused of offering southern Democrats economic favors for their region if they supported Hayes’s claim. In any event, the new president showed a conciliatory attitude toward the South: the last Federal troops were withdrawn and there was no further effort to protect the rights of blacks. Reconstruction was over.
    1888-The Grand Fountain Savings Bank, also known as the True Reformers Savings Bank, was chartered. It was the first bank for African-Americans operated by African-Americans. It began operations on April 3, with a paid-up capital of $4,000. The first day’s deposits were $1,268.69. The board of directors was elected by the society of the United Order of True Reformers, a group founded by William W. Browne.
http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/1990/
William_W_Browne_a_businssman_ahead_of_his_time
    1899-Mt.Ranier National Park established, located in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state, this is the fourth oldest national park.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/mar02.html
    1904-Theodor Seuss Geisel birthday, the creator of The Cat in the Hat and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, was born at Springfield, MA. Known to children and parents as Dr. Seuss, his books have sold more than 200 million copies and have been translated into 20 languages. His career began with And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, which was turned down by 27 publishing houses before being published by Vanguard Press. His books included many messages, from environmental consciousness in The Lorax to the dangers of pacifism in Horton Hatches the Egg and Yertel the Turtle's thinly veiled references to Hitler as the title character. He was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1984 "for his contribution over nearly half a century to the education and enjoyment of America's children and their parents." He died Sept 24, 1991, at La Jolla, CA.
    1909-Melvin “Mel” Ott birthday, Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder born at Gretna, LA. Playing for the New York Giants, Ott hit 511 home runs, a National League record until Willie Mays surpassed it in 1966. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1951. Died at New Orleans, LA, Nov 21, 1958.
    1912-drummer Red Saunders born, Memphis TN
http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~campber/saunders.html
http://www.theiceberg.com/artist.html?artist_id=25418
    1914-Martin Ritt birthday, American film and television director born at New York, NY. His best-known films are Hud (1963), Sounder(1972), and Norma Rae(1979.) He is perhaps best know
for his innovative television drama’s in the 50’s and 60’s. During the 1950’s he was blacklisted by McCarthy’s anti-Communist crusade. Died December 8,1990, at Santa Monica, CA.
    1917 -- Congress passes the Jones Act making Puerto Rico a territory of the United States and makes the inhabitants U.S. citizens.
    1917-Desi Arnaz birthday. Born at Santiago, Cuba, as Desidero Alberto Arnaz y Acha III, to a wealthy family. The 1933 revolution sent them ( now improvished) to Miami, FL, and the young Arnaz sought a music career. Arnaz led his own band and introduced the conga line to America. He had several musical hits including “Babalu.” He moved into acting, meeting his future wife, Lucille Ball, at RKO. Ball and Arnaz created one of the great TV comedies, “ I Love Lucy,” 1951-1957) and started the innovative Desilu TV production company. Ball and Arnaz divorced in 1960. Arnaz died on December 2, 1986 at Del Mar, Ca.
    1923- Arthel “Doc” Watson birthday, singer, musician (Riding the Midnight Train, Then and Now), born Deep Gap, NC. He first gained notice in 1961 with an engagement at Gerde's Folk City in New York's Greenwich Village. And his reputation was solidified with an appearance at the 1963 Newport Folk Festival. Watson relied heavily on traditional material - songs such as "Tom Dooley" and "Shady Grove." He recorded for Folkways and Vanguard records in the '60s. In the early '70s, Doc Watson's career was revived by a guest appearance on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's three-album set, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken."
    1923-Orrin Keepnews, co-founder of Riverside Records, jazz writer and reviewer born New York City, NY.
http://www.jazzweek.com/news/article/1_000416.html
http://www.highbeam.com/library/doc0.asp?refid=ovav_key&docid=1G1:19341648
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0195063309/inktomi-bkasin-20/ref%3Dnosim/
104-4344982-0045565
    1924-Harmonica player Alexander “Papa George” Lightfoot born Natchez, MS died 1971 Campbell, MS
http://www.eharmonica.net/alexander_lightfoot.htm
    1924---Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis birthday
Tough tenor Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis is a gutsy hard-driving swinger who displays raw lyricism and real energy in his playing. Admired by all his fellow musicians, he was for a while closely associated with the Count Basie band, but also formed small bands with fellow tenor player Johnny Griffin in the 60s and Roy Eldridge in the 70s.
http://www.artistdirect.com/music/artist/bio/0,,420939,00.html?artist=
Eddie+%22Lockjaw%22+Davis
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search/102-0189534-1011323?tag=
drjohnholleman&keyword=eddie+lockjaw+davis&mode=music
    1925-Highway Numbers introduced. A joint board of state and federal highway officials created the first system of interstate highway numbering in the US. Standardized road signs identifying the routes were also introduced. Later the system would be improved with the use of odd and even numbers that distinguish between north-south and east-west routes.
    1927 - Raleigh, North Carolina was buried under 17.8 inches of snow in 24 hours to establish a record snowfall for the city. Nashville, North Carolina received 31 inches of snow.
    1931-Tom Wolfe birthday, author, journalist (The Bonfire of the Vanities, The Right Stuff), born Richmond, VA.
    1934 -Birthday of Dottie Rambo, contemporary gospel singer and songwriter. She has authored such country gospel favorites as "In the Valley He Restoreth My Soul," "Build My Mansion Next Door to Jesus" and "I Just Came to Talk With You, Lord."
http://www.dottierambo.net/dotnew.htm
http://www.dottierambo.org/booking.asp
http://www.worshipmusic.com/dottie-rambo.html
    1936-Andy Kirk Band records,” Walkin’ and Swingin’’ Decca 809.
    1942-musician Eddie Money born Brooklyn, NY
    1943- Protected by American and Australian fighters, 137 American Flying Fortress and Liberator bombers attacked a Japanese convoy en route from its base at Rabaul to New Guinea today 1943. All the transports and four of the destroyers were sunk and 3,500 Japanese troops were drowned. Of the 150 Japanese aircraft involved in the fighting, 102 were shot down. Of the 150 Japanese aircraft involved in the fighting, 102 were shot down. The Battle of Bismarck Sea was a major victory for the Allies, ending any efforts by the Japanese to send reinforcements to New Guinea.
    1944- rock singer Lou Reed was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was lead singer and songwriter of the Velvet Underground in the late 1960s. The group's bleak outlook captured the attention of Andy Warhol, who made them a part of his "Exploding Plastic Inevitable" multi-media show, which toured the US and Canada in 1966. Lou Reed made a bitter departure from the Velvet Underground in 1970, living in seclusion for a couple of years. His solo career began in 1972, and his second album, "Transformer," was produced by David Bowie. From this LP, came Reed's only top-ten single, "Walk on the Wild Side." Reed's later albums ranged from commercial rock to grating instrumental noise. A live concert LP, "Rock 'n' Roll Animal," was certified gold in 1974.
    1948-Guitarist, Larry Carlton born, Torrence, Ca.
http://guitar.about.com/library/weekly/aa051099.htm
http://www.larrycarlton.net/
http://www.fourplayjazz.com/larryhome.htm
http://www.gibson.com/whatsnew/pressrelease/2001/apr3a.html
    1949 - Eddie Money (Edward Mahoney) is born in Brooklyn, N.Y. His biggest hit is the No. 4 song ``Take Me Home Tonight.''
    1949- The first automatic streetlight system in which the streetlights turned themselves on at dark is installed in New Milford, Connecticut, by the Connecticut Light and Power Company. Each streetlight contained an electronic device that contained a photoelectric cell capable of measuring outside light. By November of 1949, seven miles of New Milford’s roads were automatically lit at dusk by a total of 190 photoelectric streetlights. No longer would the proud men of New Milford be forced to don stilts in order to light their streetlamps.
    1950-Birthday of singer Karen Carpenter. She teamed with her pianist brother as the Carpenters who became a highly successful pop duo during the 1970s. KC died in 1983 from anorexia nervosa. The Carpenters had 19 hits including "Close to You," and "We've Only Just Begun." Her battle with the disease that led to her death has been the subject of several TV movies and documentaries.
http://www.leadsister.com/timeline/index.htm
http://atdpweb.soe.berkeley.edu/quest/Mind&Body/Carpenter.html
http://www.geocities.com/Nashville/Stage/4933/LeAnnsKarena.index.html
    1951-The first All-Star Game of the National Basketball Association was played at the Boston Garden, Boston, MA, before a crowd of 10,094 patrons. The East team, coached by Joe Lapchick, defeated the West team, coached by John Kundla, by the score of 111-94.
    1951-George Wettling’s Jazz Band (Sullivan, Hall, Davison) cut “Collier’s Climb.”
    1957 - Teenage heartthrob Tab Hunter’s song "Young Love" was number one in the U.S.
and stays there for the entire month.
http://www.tabhunter.com/
    1957---Top Hits
Young Love - Tab Hunter
Teen-Age Crush - Tommy Sands
Butterfly - Charlie Gracie
There You Go - Johnny Cash
    1959- Miles Davis cuts "Kind of Blue" for Columbia. It is considered the number one jazz album best seller today. It was originally released as a Columbia Jazz Club Member alternative, and was considered advant guarde in its day.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000002ADT/thejazzfiles/
104-4344982-0045565
http://www.thejazzfiles.com/JazzDavis.html
March 2
    1960- Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia) sets NBA playoff record of 63 points.
    1962-Jon Bon Jovi ( real name John Bongiovi) singer, songwriter ("You Give Love a Bad Name"), born Sayreville, NJ. Bon Jovi's melodic heavy metal on such chart-toppers as "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Livin' on a Prayer" made them America's hottest rock band in 1986. Albums such as "Slippery When Wet" and "New Jersey" were multi-million-sellers.
    1962-Wilt Chamberlain poured in 100 points, an NBA record, as the Philadelphia Warriors defeated the New York Knicks, 169-147, in Hershey, PA. Chamberlain made 36 field goals and a record 28 foul shots and set yet another record by scoring 59 points in the second half.
    1962 - Jon Bon Jovi (John Francis Bongiovi, Jr.), lead singer of the group Bon Jovi, is born in Perth Amboy New Jersey. He scores a solo No. 1 hit in 1990 with the million-selling ``Blaze of Glory,'' the theme song of the film ``Young Guns II.''
    1963- Chubby Checker hosts "The Limbo Party" at San Francisco's Cow Palace. His special guests include Marvin Gaye, the Four Seasons, the Crystals, Lou Christie, Dick & Dee Dee, Paul & Paula and Herb Albert & the Tijuana Brass.
    1964 - The Beatles "Twist and Shout" backed with "There's a Place" is released in the U.S. on Tollie Records, the fourth label to release a Beatle record in America. Also on this day, shooting began on The Beatles' first feature film A Hard Day's Night. The film was a black-and-white semi-fictional account of "a day in the life" of the Beatles, and included eight songs written specifically for the film. Richard Lester was director.
    1965---Top Hits
This Diamond Ring - Gary Lewis & The Playboys
My Girl - The Temptations
The Jolly Green Giant - The Kingsmen
I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail - Buck Owens
    1966-Left wing Bobby Hull of the Chicago Blackhawks became the first NHL player to score 50 goals in a season twice when he scored his 50th goal of the 1965-66 season in a 5-4 win over the Detroit Red Wings.
    1966 --215,000 US soldiers in Vietnam.
    1967-Senator Robert Kennedy (D-New York) proposes a three-point plan to help end the war. The plan included suspension of the US bombing of North Vietnam and the gradual withdrawal of US and North Vietnamese troops from South Vietnam with replacement by an international force. Secretary of State Dean Rusk rejected Kennedy's proposal because he believed that the North Vietnamese would never agree to withdraw their troops.
    1967- Winners of the ninth annual Grammy Awards for 1966 are announced. Record of the Year is Frank Sinatra's "Stangers in the Night." "Sinatra, a Man and His Music" is tabbed Album of the Year and Song of the Year is John Lennon and Paul McCartney's "Michelle." Herb Alpert wins a Grammy for ``What Now My Love,'' Best Non-Jazz Instrumental. The Mamas & the Papas wins a Grammy for ``Monday Monday,'' Best Contemporary Group Performance.
    1968-Blue Cheer's "Summertime Blues" is released as is Simon & Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair."
    1969-Phil Esposito, center of the Boston Bruins, became the first player in National Hockey League history to score 100 points in a season when he scored a goal in Boston’s 4-0 victory of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
    1972-Pioneer 10: This unmanned probe began a journey on which it passed and photographed Jupiter and its moons, 620 million miles from Earth, in December 1973. It crossed the orbit of Pluto, and then in 1983 become the first known Earth object to leave our solar system. On Sept 22, 1987 Pioneer 10 reached another space milestone at 4:19 PM, when it reached a distance 50 times farther from the sun than the sun is from Earth. It was also the first spacecraft to carry a message intended to be read by living beings elsewhere in the universe. Bolted to the probe’s exterior wall was a gold-anodized plaque, six by nine inches in area, that carried a number of illustrations: drawings of a human man and woman, a star map marked with the location of the sun, and a second map showing the flight path of Pioneer 10. The message was designed by astronomer Carl Sagan.
    1973---Top Hits
Killing Me Softly with His Song - Roberta Flack
Dueling Banjos - Eric Weissberg & Steve Mandell
Could It Be I’m Falling in Love - Spinners
Rated "X" - Loretta Lynn
    1974 --A grand jury in Washington, D.C. concludes that President Nixon was indeed involved in the Watergate cover-up.
    1974--Stevie Wonder takes home five Grammy Awards during ceremonies held at the Hollywood Palladium. The singer is honored for Album of the Year ("Innervisions"), Best Pop Vocal Performance ("You Are the Sunshine of My Life"), Best R&B Song ("Superstition"), Best R&B Vocal Performance ("Superstition") and Best Engineered Recording ("Innervisions"). Says Wonder on his five trips up to the podium: "I would like to thank you all for making this the sunshine of my life tonight." Gladys Knight & the Pips wins Grammys for ``Neither One of Us'' (Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group or Chorus) and ``Midnight Train to Georgia.'' (best R&B vocal performance by a group). 1974 - Neil Diamond wins a Grammy for ``Jonathan Livingston Seagull,'' Best Film Soundtrack.
    1975- Roberta Flack won three Grammy Awards for "Killing Me Softly With His Song." Best new artist was Bette Midler.
    1978 - The coffin containing the body of actor-director Charlie Chaplin was stolen from a Swiss cemetery. Chaplin, who had died a year earlier, is considered one of the great geniuses of cinema. His body was recovered three months later, found in a cornfield 10 miles from the cemetery in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland, and the grave robbers were arrested. Chaplin's body was reburied in a vault surrounded by cement.
    1979 -Over 1,100 Christian organizations combined to form the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). This oversight agency was created to demonstrate to the public that religious groups wanted to make themselves accountable for the funds they raise and spend.
    1979- The three-day Havana Jam, sponsored by CBS Records and the Cuban government, began in the 5,000-seat Karl Marx Auditorium in Havana. Among the acts appearing were Weather Report, Stephen Stills and Billy Joel. They were the first US pop artists to appear in Cuba in more than 20 years.
    1981---Top Hits
I Love a Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbitt
Woman - John Lennon
Keep on Loving You - REO Speedwagon
Southern Rains - Mel Tillis
    1983-- Sony and Philips introduced their jointly-developed compact disc system.
The CD is a digital medium in which sound waves are replicated as a series of binary numbers on the 12 cm disc. A laser in the CD player reads the digital information, which is then translated into sound.
In contrast, vinyl records were traditionally recorded using analog technology, which replicates sound waves in the grooves of a record. The sound is transmitted through a needle vibrating in a groove via a cartridge to an amplifier. The major advantage of digital recording over analog is that it eliminates extraneous noise. In analog recording, a noise reduction mechanism is needed to minimize hisses and crackles. Within a decade of the CD's introduction, vinyl records had virtually disappeared from stores.
    1984 - After 30 years in business, the first McDonald’s franchise closed in Des Plaines, Illinois. A new drive-in McDonalds opened right across.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/ILDESmcd.html
    1985 - For the first time, country singer, Gary Morris hit #1 on the country charts with "Baby Bye Bye" from his album, "Faded Blue".
    1986 - Queen Elizabeth signed the Australia bill, formally severing the last constitutional ties with Britain.
    1987 - Two sets of quintuplets were born, one set to Rosalind Helms in Peoria, Illinois, and another set to Robin Jenkins of Las Vegas, Nevada.
    1987 - United States Government officials said the median price for a new home topped $100,000 for the first time. The six-figure price of $110,700, was up from $94,600.
    1988-Grammy news: U2's "The Joshua Tree" wins Best Album, while Paul Simon's "Graceland" wins Best Record. Jody Watley wins Best New Artist.
    1989---Top Hits
Straight Up - Paula Abdul
Lost in Your Eyes - Debbie Gibson
The Lover in Me - Sheena Easton
I Sang Dixie - Dwight Yoakam
    1991- Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Aspects of Love" closed in New York after 377 performances. It was the shortest run of any Lloyd Webber musical on Broadway. "Aspects of Love" was said to be the most expensive play in Broadway history, costing about two million dollars to open and running up expenses of eight million by the time it closed. Little of the investment was recouped during the show's nearly 11-month run. The British production was much more successful, running for more than three years.
    1992- Second baseman Ryne Sandberg signed a four-year contract with the Chicago Cubs worth $28.4 million to become baseball’s highest paid player at the time, passing Bobby Bonilla of the New York Mets. The eight-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner retired in the middle of the 1994 season but retuned to the game ( at a far lower salary) in 1996.
    1996- Another east coast snowstorm deposited 4.6 inches of snow at Central Park in New York City to bring its seasonal snowfall total to 66.3 inches, breaking the old season snowfall record of 63.2 inches set in 1947-48.
    1998-In a surprise announcement, Apple Computer said it would stop producing its Newton handheld computer. The ill-fated Newton, which cost an estimated $500 million to develop over ten years, got off to a bad start when it debuted in 1993. The press panned its much ballyhooed handwriting recognition capability, and although later versions corrected some of the problems, the product never quite recovered from its traumatic entry into the marketplace. In the late 1990s, the Newton was overtaken by new products like 3Com's PalmPilot, which sold one million units during its first two years on the market, compared with 200,000 Newtons sold in five years.
    1999-Bob Dylan is the opening performer at the House Of Blues at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. During the encore, Dylan performs with U2's Bono for a rousing rendition of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door.
    2001 ---Yahoo stock (YHOO on NASDAQ) loses $2.75 to close at $21.69. On a split adjusted basis, it had traded as high as high as $237.50 on 03 January 2000, and as low as $1.32 on 22 September 1996.

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Winter Poem

We've Only Just Begun

by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols

We've only just begun to live,
White lace and promises
A kiss for luck and we're on our way.
And yes, We've just begun.

Before the rising sun we fly,
So many roads to choose
We start our walking and learn to run.
And yes, We've just begun.

Sharing horizons that are new to us,
Watching the signs along the way,
Talking it over just the two of us,
Working together day to day
Together.

And when the evening comes we smile,
So much of life ahead
We'll find a place where there's room to grow,
And yes, We've just begun.

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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]