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My Husband Richard and the Veterans Administration
by Rosanne Wilson, CLP, BPB

(Leasing News urged Rosanne Wilson, CLP, BPB, long time leasing broker and active in the industry, to let readers know about her husband, Richard, a Vietnam vet, and his experience with the Portland, Ore. VA Hospital.)

I hope some of my colleagues in this industry who read this story will share their experiences. I know there are many veterans in the lease industry who are going through the same nightmare.

Perhaps Leasing News can continue this feature story. There are a couple of websites that went up last week where veterans can share their own horror stories.

Portland, Oregon Veterans Administration Hospital
3710 SW Us Veteran Hospital Rd, Portland, OR 97239

Some of you in the industry are aware that my husband had a massive heart attack this past October. He was rushed by ambulance to Tuality Community Hospital in Hillsboro, Oregon where we live. It is only about 12 blocks from our house and the VA is a 45 minute drive from our house. The ambulance driver told me there was NO WAY he would rush Richard by ambulance up to the VA because he might not make it.

A stint was put in one of his main arteries near his heart.Once the stint was placed in him, Tuality hospital called the VA and offered to drive him by ambulance up to the VA so they could take over from there. The VA told the hospital that they had no available beds in the Cardio unit and told the hospital to just keep him, which was lucky for us, as the hospital decided to run more testing on him. They discovered that Richard had a major blockage of his arteries in both of his legs. They sent an urgent request to the Portland, Oregon VA that Richard's VA doctor needs to schedule him to have stints put in both of his legs at the VA as soon as possible. That was back in October. Richard called the VA daily, and emailed them daily. In six months, no response. No appointment has been set since last October's heart attack. He is stuck on a waiting list for 6 months now and suffering daily.

Within weeks of his heart attack, he started experiencing what I call "mini heart attacks" and these became almost daily occurrences. These attacks would cause so much pain in his heart and he would struggle to breathe and he would grab his chest. I thank God we have Nitro tablets and it usually takes 4 or 5 Nitro tabs to get the pain to stop. He has been tortured by these attacks more and more with time. These attacks also occur in the middle of the night. He would wake up in horrible pain and gasping. More Nitro tabs. I would sit up with him until the pain would subside.

He continued his daily ritual of calling and emailing the VA. I was petrified to go to my office each day and I suffered so much anxiety and fear that he would die while I was at work. Richard wrote letters to our Senator and Congressman and the VA Advocacy office. No responses. Then suddenly with the news of the VA scandal in the Phoenix Veterans Administration, the whole nation became aware of the lack of care. As days wore by, more and more whistle blowers stepped forward. There are now 26 VA's under investigation including the Portland, Oregon VA that my husband is enrolled in.

A week and a half after the VA scandal broke on the news, Richard finally got a phone call from a brand new nurse practitioner who introduced herself to him. She said she had just been hired and was brand new. She had gone through his entire file and was very disturbed that nothing had been done for Richard, even though he complained about his daily heart pains and how short of breath he was.

She read the notes the hospital had sent over back in October, 2013, that they had discovered more blockages in his legs and that he needed to have stints put in his legs right away. She was alarmed that he had tried since last October to get an appointment with the cardiologist. She set an appointment for him to come in right away to have pressure checks done on both legs in order to locate the blockages.

That finally happened about 2 weeks ago and Richard got the findings this past week in a letter that confirmed he had massive blockages of his arteries in both legs and he had NO PULSE in his feet.

One of his toes is turning black, too. The findings said he has severe arteriosclerosis and needed to be scheduled for surgery within 14 days!

We are waiting for the notification for what day the surgery will be done. If he doesn't hear anything this week, they will have exceeded the 14 days. I pray that he gets a phone call this week to schedule him for the vascular surgery. The nurse practitioner was very alarmed at his situation and tried to assure him that he will get taken care of A.S.A.P. None of this would be happening right now if it had not been for the brave whistle blowers who brought this situation to light from all over the country.

No wonder Richard hasn't been able to even go to the grocery store with me on Saturdays. The last time he tried, he didn't even make it down the first aisle without having difficulty and had to go back to the car and lay down. I have been so frightened for months. Every day he deteriorates even more. It took a national scandal for things to start happening.

When Richard was at the VA for the pressure checks in his legs, he ran into one of his customers who actually works at the VA. He told Richard in a whispering voice that "this place is crawling with auditors," who are investigating the practices are at this VA. I was pleased to hear that.Portland has not been on the news yet, but I suspect it will. I wish just one brave person at the Portland VA would step forward and blow the whistle on how bad this VA has treated the vets.

I would think they would not have to fear losing their job now that the whole country knows about this. The intimidation of the employees by the VA administrators has been so bad that the employees are all afraid to speak out. This is an outrage. Our vets deserve far better. People are dying waiting for the care they need. My husband is a ticking time bomb.

This morning his pain was so bad I thought I should call 911, but he took his Nitro tablets (several of them) and finally it subsided. He could not even walk out to the driveway with me to say goodbye like he tries to do each morning. The pains in both legs are so bad. The blood just can't seem to pump up and down through his legs. Since the VA letter said surgery within 14 days, I am going to hold them to it. I will make a mighty noise with the media. I will not sit by and watch my husband go through such agony. He served two tours in Vietnam. He went through hell over there for his country and the enemy blew off one of his hips.

Our men and women who have served deserve the best of care when they come home. The VA should have brought him in for surgery the moment they got the test results last October. You or I would have been thrown into the hospital immediately in the private system.

Rosanne Wilson, CLP, BPB
1st Independent Leasing, Inc.
3800 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., Suite 165
Beaverton, OR 97005
(503) 626-3486
(800) 926-0851
Fax: (503) 626-1631
http://www.1stindependentleasing.com

These websites were created by various veteran advocacy groups who are gathering these stories to hold the government accountable and to prove how widespread this lack of care is for our veterans. I hope you will share your stories.

http://vaoversight.org/
http://iava.org/share-your-va-story-iava

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Bank Income Down 7.6%, but Loans and Leases Up
FDIC First Quarter 2014

Reporting Expanded to Include New Coverage of Community Banks

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) reported that over the last 12 months, loan and lease balances increased by 3.6 percent, the highest 12-month growth rate since before the recent financial crisis. “Total loan and lease balances rose by $37.8 billion (0.5 percent) in the first quarter to $7.9 trillion. Credit card balances posted a seasonal decline and banks continued to reduce their inventories of mortgage loans held for sale, but most other loan categories registered modest growth.”

Overall, U.S. bank earnings fell to $37.2 billion in the first quarter of 2014, a 7.6 percent dip compared to the same period a year earlier as mortgage revenue dropped sharply and trading income also declined.

“Despite the overall growth in loan and lease balances, income from mortgage-related activity remained well below the level of a year earlier,” FDIC reported. “Noninterest income from the sale, securitization and servicing of mortgages was $4.0 billion (53.6 percent) lower than a year ago. One- to four-family residential real estate loans originated and intended for sale were $323.6 billion (70.6 percent) lower than in the first quarter of 2013, as rising interest rates in the second quarter of 2013 reduced the demand for mortgage refinancings. Realized gains on available-for-sale securities also were lower than a year ago, as higher medium- and long-term interest rates reduced the market values of fixed-rate securities. Banks reported $827 million in pretax income from realized gains in the first quarter, a decline of $1.2 billion (60.1 percent) from the first quarter of 2013.”

“The decline in earnings was mainly attributable to a $7.1 billion (10.7 percent) decline in noninterest income. Lower income from reduced mortgage activity and a drop in trading revenue contributed to a year-over-year decline in noninterest income. Additionally, noninterest income was higher one year ago due to a one-time gain at one institution. Despite the decline in earnings, more than half of the 6,730 insured institutions reporting (54 percent) had year-over-year growth in quarterly earnings. The proportion of banks that were unprofitable during the first quarter fell to 7.3 percent from 8.5 percent a year earlier.”

"We saw further improvement in the condition of the banking industry in the first quarter," said FDIC Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg. "Asset quality continues to improve, loan balances are trending up, fewer institutions are unprofitable, and the number of problem banks continues to decline. However, industry revenue has been affected by narrow margins, modest loan growth, and a decline in noninterest income as higher interest rates have reduced mortgage-related activity and trading income fell."

“Community banks earned $4.4 billion during the quarter. The FDIC has added a new section to the Quarterly Banking Profile that reports on the performance of community banks – those institutions that provide traditional, relationship-based banking services in their local communities. Based on criteria developed for the FDIC Community Banking Study published in December 2012, there were 6,234 community banks (93 percent of all FDIC-insured institutions) in the first quarter of 2014 with assets of $2.0 trillion (14 percent of industry assets). Although net income at community banks of $4.4 billion was down $67 million (1.5 percent) from a year earlier, the percentage decline was far less than the 7.6 percent decline in earnings reported by the industry. The report also finds that loan balances at community banks grew at a faster pace than the industry, asset quality indicators continued to show improvement, and community banks accounted for 45 percent of small loans to businesses.

“The number of "problem banks" fell for the 12th consecutive quarter. The number of banks on the FDIC's "Problem List" declined from 467 to 411 during the quarter. The number of "problem" banks now is less than half the post-crisis high of 888 at the end of the first quarter of 2011. Five FDIC-insured institutions failed in the first quarter.

“The Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) balance continued to increase. The DIF balance (the net worth of the Fund) rose to $48.9 billion as of March 31 from $47.2 billion at year-end 2013. Assessment income was the primary contributor to the growth in the Fund balance. Estimated insured deposits increased 1.9 percent, and the DIF reserve ratio (the Fund balance as a percentage of estimated insured deposits) rose to 0.80 percent as of March 31 from 0.79 percent at the end of 2013. A year ago, the DIF reserve ratio was 0.60 percent. By law, the DIF must achieve a minimum reserve ratio of 1.35 percent by 2020.”

The complete Quarterly Banking Profile is available at http://www2.fdic.gov/qbp on the FDIC Web site.

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Bank M&A 2014 Deal Tracker
SNL Financial Report

Year-to-date through May 15, 95 deals were announced in the banking sector with a cumulative deal value of $4.3 billion and a median price to tangible book of 142.30%. Over the same period of 2013, the M&A market saw 74 deal announcements with an aggregate deal value of $2.4 billion and a median price to tangible book of 116.86%.

The first quarter closed with 57 bank deal announcements, compared to 50 deals in the first quarter of 2013. The aggregate deal value rose to $2.6 billion in the first quarter, compared to $1.8 billion over the same period of 2013. The median price to book value logged in the first quarter stood at 133.26%, and it was 142.63% in the second quarter so far.

There were 231 deals announced in 2013, up from 223 deals in 2012. The value of deals in 2013 totaled $14.2 billion, up from $12.8 billion in 2012. The improvement in pricing was substantial. Last year's median price-to-tangible book ratio of 124.71% stood in contrast to 115.08% in 2012.

The full SNL Financial report and analysis here:
http://www.snl.com/InteractiveX/Article.aspx?cdid=A-26653744-12330

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New Hires --- Promotions

Michelle Duran was hired as Sr. Vice President-Business Development Officer at Diversified Transportation Finance, Greater Salt Lake City area. Previously, she was Sr. Vice President Business-Development Officer Midland American Capital (November, 2012–April, 2014); Sr. Vice President-Business Development Officer, Midland American Capital (November, 2012–April, 2014); Business Development Manager, Transfac Capital (June, 2005–November, 2012).
www.linkedin.com/pub/michelle-duran/7/97b/5132012

Bree Johnson, CLP, was hired as Leasing Coordinator, Financial Pacific Leasing; based in Anaheim, California (Umpqua purchased Fin Pac as well as Sterling who purchase Commerce National). Previously she was Commercial Banking Rep., Sterling Savings Bank (October, 2013-May, 2014); Equipment Finance Processor, Commerce National Bank (December, 2009–October, 2013); Documentation & Funding Processor, Westover Financial, Inc. (July, 2006–May, 2009) She became a Certified Leasing Professional, September, 2013
www.linkedin.com/pub/bree-johnson-clp/80/a24/79a

“David D. McKerroll was appointed as President of Element Capital to oversee the further expansion and development of Element's Railcar Finance and Aviation Finance business units. (He) was one of the founders of Newcourt Credit Group, helping to lead the company from a start-up to having in excess of $25B in owned and managed assets and in excess of 5,000 employees. He was President of Newcourt Capital which provided financing to the following industry sectors; Aerospace, Rail, Power and Energy, Infrastructure, Communications and Media and Merchant Banking After the acquisition of Newcourt by CIT Group Inc (“CIT”), Mr. McKerroll became the Group CEO of CIT Structured Finance (formerly Newcourt Capital) and later the Group CEO of CIT Capital Finance after the combination of CIT’s Structured Finance and Capital Finance divisions. He was a member of the Board of Directors of Cossette Communication Group Inc., a publicly traded international communications firm for over nine years, where he was also Chairman of the Audit committee. Mr. McKerroll is the CEO of OTEC Research Limited (“OTEC”), a research driven company focusing on water technology. OTEC is the producer and distributor of GP8 Sportwater. Mr. McKerroll obtained his chartered accountant designation while working for Clarkson Gordon. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University.”
ca.linkedin.com/pub/david-mckerroll/22/73a/297

Sakone Phommasak was hired as Vice President of Sales at Ascentium Capital, Kingwood, Texas; based out of Orange County, California. Prior, he joined Balboa Capital as Account Executive II, November, 2012, and was promoted to Account Manager, July, 2013. Previously he was Account Executive, Taycor Financial (January, 2011–April, 2012); Finance Representative, Decada Financial Group (August, 2008–2011); Sr. Account Executive, Highland Financial Group (September, 2007–July, 2008); Commercial Finance Analyst Commercial Finance & Leasing, Bank of Cardiff (August, 2006–July, 2007). Education: Cal State Fullerton, Political Science/Econ.
www.linkedin.com/pub/sakone-phommasak/18/731/b50

Evelyn Doan Tade has joined Renasant, Birmingham, Alabama, as Senior Vice President and Commercial Relationship Manager for Equipment Finance & Leasing in its Nashville Main Office. “In her new role, Tade will offer financial structures for a range of commercial equipment types including vehicles, utility equipment, cranes, medical equipment, construction equipment, industrial equipment, machine tools and telecommunications to a wide variety of industries throughout Tennessee.” Previously, she was an Officer at Regions Bank (April, 1978-April, 2014); Accounting Department Manager Federal Reserve Bank, Nashville (March, 1967-May, 1975). Education University of Alabama Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.)
www.linkedin.com/pub/evelyn-evelyn-tade/45/841/a8b

Leasing Industry Help Wanted

For information on placing a help wanted ad, please click here:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Hwanted/Hwanted-post.htm

Please see our Job Wanted section for possible new employees.

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Letters? We get eMail

"These merchant account lenders are making up the bulk of the new lenders coming to the associations. They have found a hungry audience to help them sell their products (starving brokers).

"Please see the attached, as this is not good news for our industry. We could do without these players who are no different than pay day or title loan lenders. There may be a need for their services but not at those rates."

Small business owners see increase in ugly subprime lending tactics

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2014/05/small-business-owners-subprime-lending-cfpb-ondeck.html

Bob Underwood
Specialty Funding
Business Equipment Finance & Leasing

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Northern Leasing Brings up $2 Million Bond re: Ascentium New York Court of Appeals Case
By Tom McCurnin, Leasing News Legal Editor
http://leasingnews.org/archives/May2014/5_14.htm#northernleasing

“In March, Eric T. Schneiderman, the New York State attorney general, announced a settlement with a credit card processing company, Northern Leasing Systems, that was accused of skimming $3.6 million from mom-and-pop stores across the country. Northern Leasing agreed to refund the money and halt the skimming. Two of the company’s principals, Jay Cohen and Leonard Mezei, turned out to have Cook trusts. Neither was held personally liable. Their lawyer declined to comment, and the attorney general’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

Cook Islands, a Paradise of Untouchable Assets
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/15/business/international/paradise-of-untouchable-assets.html

(Name With Held)

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Marlin's CEO Blames Severe Winter for Temporary Impact
Turns $4.6 Million Profit for 1st Quarter, 2014
http://leasingnews.org/archives/May2014/5_02.htm#marlin

"A lot of us ex-Marlin employees loved how you pointed out that Dan Dyer chose to blame the weather and not the increased competition the lack of volume growth. That was priceless. Nicely done.

"We were joking about it because Dan is the same guy who fired half the company and gave himself a raise for 'weathering the storm in a difficult environment.'

(Name With Held)

	3/31	2014	2013	2012	2011	2010	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005	2003	2002	2001	2000
ELFA	540	574	583	565	582	604	700	741	768	817	780	732	862	873	85
NAELB	485	557	557	617	696	847	1021	1089	950	731	648	480	433	415	475
AGLFA	309	315	285	274	250	238	265	277	255	255	255	203	263	343	250
NEFA	*	207	193	191	210	274
EAEL	*	*	*	*	*	*	183	181	196	198	180	191	216	227	240
UAEL	*	*	*	*	*	*	289	314	314	314	297	248	378	379	589

Leasing Association Membership Down
http://leasingnews.org/archives/May2014/5_08.htm#membership

"As a broker, it is difficult to spend the $3,000 for membership, lodging and travel that it takes to attend one of the leasing association shows. Things have gotten better over the last few years, but brokers aren’t making the kind of money they were back in 2007.”

Brian Cornell
Bear Mountain Leasing

John Kenny
Receivables Management

• End of Lease Negotiations & Enforcement
• Fraud Investigations
• Credit Investigations • Asset Searches
• Skip-tracing • Third-party Commercial Collections

john@jkrmdirect.com | ph 315-866-1167| www.jkrmdirect.com

(Leasing News provides this ad as a trade for investigations
and background information provided by John Kenny)

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Eight Tips to Rethinking Work-Life Success
Crossing the Corner Office Chasm
By Teresa Taylor

In the United States, Women earn 57% of the undergraduate degrees, and 60% of the master’s degrees, yet few of them occupy the corner office of our corporations, or are on the Board of Directors.

According to a study published by Catalyst in 2012, only 21% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. In addition, women only hold 14% of executive officer positions, 17% of board seats; only 18% of our elected congressional officials are women. Our culture is ready to increase women’s role at the top, craving the unique perspective and diversity of thinking. In fact, research shows that companies run better with both women and men in leadership roles – important to both our economy and community.

So why do women get the education, enter the workforce and cannot cross the chasm to the corner office? One reason is that on their way to the corner office they begin to search for the mythical “balance.” They cannot find it because it does not exist--and they believe the only answer is to leave or step back in the journey. How do we help women realize that balance is just a myth, but leadership is possible with the right expectations, persistence and tools?

The following eight “life” and “work” tips will help women rethink their work success, while excelling at home and in the office. They are written from my personal and professional experiences and shared in my book, The Balance Myth: Rethinking Work-Life Success.

Stop searching for balance. One issue that holds women back is their search for balance. When it’s not there, they get frustrated – possibly turning down a promotion or leaving the workforce completely. By staying in the workforce, women can be successful in both their work and home life.
Make home life a priority. If there is something wrong at home, you need to work it out. Otherwise, it will always bother you at the office. You might change jobs, but your cornerstone is your home life – an important grounding point.
Manage your time more efficiently. Be present in what you’re doing, finish it and move on. I have my list of things to do, and I’ll assign time slots to it. If I have one hour to work on a presentation at work or one hour to clean at home, I do the best I can for that one hour.
Combine your work and family schedules. I used to keep two different calendars – one for home and one for work; but, I was missing work deadlines, my kids’ activities and other events. So I combined the calendars, which caused me to start talking about my family at work and integrating my two lives. It’s one life and one calendar! And, now, I don’t miss a thing.
Stay in the moment. When you’re at work in a meeting, be there. When you’re at home, be there. If you’re in a business meeting, don’t be wishing to be somewhere else. Be present where you are, and don’t feel guilty about where you’re not.
It isn’t just a job. Work at a place and on something that you are passionate about. Don’t just take a “job”. Then you aren’t choosing between work and life – it is your life.
Take the promotion. The only way that you are going to be able to effect change is to get yourself and other women in a place where you are making decisions and influencing change
Sponsor another women. It is lonely as you continue to move towards to corner office. Sponsor other women inside and outside of your company.

Women can be their own worst enemy in the workplace; but they can also be the inspiration for change – that is, for their own change. And with this cultural shift, more companies in the United States will see a different view from the top, with more women executives leading the way.

About the Author:

Teresa Taylor is a nationally recognized, Fortune 500 executive who brings integrity, focus, vision and agility to corporate leadership, while advising companies, government agencies and others on a successful business model. Her book, The Balance Myth: Rethinking Work-Life Success, is inspiring women to succeed professionally and personally.

Fernando's View
By Fernando F. Croc

Releases both mega-sized ("Godzilla") and intimate ("The Immigrant") come to theaters, while new DVDs offer heartache ("Her"), comedy-drama ("The Monuments Men") and classic action ("Red River").

In Theaters:

Godzilla (Warner Bros.): The screen’s most beloved, city-stomping gargantuan reptile, Godzilla returns in this terrifically crafted blockbuster update. Beginning in 1999 with a prologue that establishes the monster’s radioactive origins, the story quickly jumps to present day, when obsessive scientist Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston) and his estranged son Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) are reunited as Japanese authorities accidentally release a slew of creatures onto the world. The race to save the planet takes the characters to San Francisco, where Ford’s wife (Elizabeth Olsen) awaits and the mythical Godzilla finally makes his much-awaited entrance. Though an outline suggests a standard mega-budget demolition derby, director Gareth Edwards (“Monsters”) keeps the spectacle grounded with a genuine gravity that the 1998 “Godzilla” never had. The result is a smash hit that both compels and thrills.

The Immigrant (The Weinstein Company): Considered by several critics to be one of the best living filmmakers, writer-director James Gray serves up a deeply personal drama with this richly textured, intimate epic. Set in the early 1920s, the film follows the life of Polish immigrant Ewa (Marion Cotillard, in a heartbreaking performance), who comes to Manhattan with her sister and soon becomes involved with the alternately charming and abusive Bruno (Joaquin Phoenix). When things are at their darkest, however, Ewa meets Bruno’s cousin Orlando (Jeremy Renner), a street magician who may be able to rescue her from her nightmarish descent. Getting away from the gangland tales that made his name (“Little Odessa,” “The Yards”), Gray chronicles an arrestingly acted, profoundly moving vision of the American Dream.

Netflix Tip: One of the most respectable visual stylist of the last four decades, cinematographer Gordon Willis (1931-2014) was known as a master of light and shadow. Check out Netflix for some of his greatest films, which include "The Godfather," "All the President's Men," "Annie Hall" and "Pennies From Heaven."

On DVD:

Her (Warners): Better known for his imaginative music videos and odd humor, director Spike Jonze ("Being John Malkovich") delivers a gentle and haunting comedy-drama set in the near future. In a complete reversal of his vehement last performance in "The Master," Joaquin Phoenix stars as Theodore, a meek and lonely man who makes his living writing romantic letters for other people. His life takes a sudden turn, however, when he receives a new, all-purpose operating system named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). As the computer seems to develop feelings, their friendship slowly transforms in provocative, beguiling and, finally, melancholy ways. Enriching his usual whimsy with light-fingered surrealism and poignancy, Jonze serves up a meditation on the strange ways of love that has won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

The Monuments Men (Sony): George Clooney returns to the director's chair with this enjoyably seriocomic tale of art in wartime. Based on a true story, the film takes place during World War II, when the devastation of Nazi rule threatens to claim the artworks that are the cultural heritage of Europe. With the President's approval, Frank Stokes (Clooney) recruits a group of men to head behind enemy lines in Germany and return these masterpieces to their rightful owners. Unfortunately for him, this treasure hunt is complicated by the fact that these men aren't soldiers, but instead meek historians and curators who are much more comfortable in museum halls than out in the battlefield. With an all-star supporting cast that includes Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray and Cate Blanchett, Clooney crafts a sturdy yarn that combines intriguing history with mischief.

Red River (Criterion): A stunningly versatile old master, Howard Hawks made masterpieces in just about every genre, from gangster films to musicals. So it goes with this 1948 Western, being re-released in a restored Criterion disc as a reminder of one of John Wayne's greatest roles. Wayne plays Thomas Dunson, an ambitious rancher who builds a vast cattle empire with his adopted son Matt (Montgomery Clift, in his film debut) by his side. The men embark on a tough journey when they must relocate cattle from Texas to Missouri, and during the trip Matt becomes increasingly aware of Thomas' borderline tyrannical ways. An act of rebellion puts the two men against each other, with a brutal conclusion looming on the horizon. Overflowing with robust action and sly humor, this is a magnificent Wild West ride that every movie lover should take.

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Modern Law Group Joins Leasing Attorneys Group
Attorneys/Law Firms who specialize in the equipment leasing industry

Leasing Attorneys

Birmingham, Alabama
The lawyers of Marks & Associates, P.C. have over 30 years experience in dealing with virtually every type of equipment financing and are recognized throughout the industry for prompt, practical solutions and exemplary service. They offer cost-conscious, effective lease enforcement and good counsel.
Email: Barry@leaselawyer.com
Website: www.leaselawyers.com

California, National: city: Riverside
Ellen Stern - get results, reasonable pricing; numerous industry contacts, nearly 30 yrs exp.in SoCal, 20 yrs equip.: CFL license specialist, documentation, work-outs, litigated collections, recoveries; deal-maker.
Email: leaselaw@msn.com

Kenneth C. Greene

California & Nevada
Leasing and Financial consultant, active in several leasing
associations, as well as involved in music and film productioncin LA. Mention "Leasing News" for a free consultation.
415-858-97111
Skype: 424.235.1658
or kenlaw100@gmail.

Connecticut, Southern New England:
EVANS, FELDMAN & BOYER, LLC Collections, litigation, documentation, portfolio sales and financing, bankruptcy. We represent many of the national and local leasing companies doing business in this state. Past chairman EAEL legal committee. Competitive rates.
email: rcfeldman@snet.net

Los Angeles, Southern CA
Seasoned attorney representing secured creditors in auto finance and truck/equipment lease industry. Bankruptcy and State Court litigation.
Vincent V. Frounjian (818) 990-0605
or email: vvf@pacbell.net.

Encino, California: Statewide “ELFA”
Hemar, Rousso & Heald, LLP 30 yr excellent reputation Lessor representation commercial litigation, debt collection, and bankruptcy.
Call Stephen E. Jenkins Esq (818) 501-3800

Los Angeles, Statewide: CA. "ELFA" Aggressive creditors rights law firm specializing in equipment leasing handling collection matters on a contingency, fixed fee or hourly cbasis. email:RGarwacki@prodigy.net

Los Angeles -statewide: CA "ELFA"
Practice limited to collections, bankruptcy and problem accounts resolution. Decades of experience. 10-lawyer firm dedicated to serving you. Call Ronald Cohn, Esq. (818)591-2121 or email. Email: rrcohn@aol.com

Los Angeles- Statewide, CA
Lawyer specializing in banking and leasing issues statewide. Documents and litigation.
Tom McCurnin, Barton, Klugman & Oetting. Voice: (213) 617-6129
Cell:(213) 268-8291
Email:
tmccurnin@bkolaw.com

California & National
Paul Bent – More than 35 years experience in all forms of equipment leasing, secured lending, and asset based transactions. Financial analysis, deal structuring, contract negotiations, documentation, private dispute resolution, expert witness services. (562) 426-1000.
www.paulbentlaw.com

Illinois
Trabaris, P.C.: Finance attorney with 24 years’ experience with transactional, documentation, secured financing and workouts/restructurings. Kevin Trabaris. Phone: 847-205-4377. Email:kevin@trabaris.com

Website: www.trabaris.com. Blog:trabaris.com/info/blog/

Law Firm - Service, Dallas, TX. "ELFA"
Mayer regularly practices in leasing, secured financing, project development and finance and corporate finance.
email: dmayer@pattonboggs.com
Website: www.pattonboggs.com

Massachusetts (collection/litigation coast to coast)
Modern Law Group focuses its practice on collections, lease enforcement and asset recovery. For the past five years, our attorneys have helped clients recover millions of dollars. We are able to cover your needs coast to coast.
Email phone 617-855-9085www.modernlawgroup.com

National: The OMEGA Network Group-nationwide legal representation of small and mid ticket equipment lessors-flat fee bankruptcy & replevin, contingent collection,
billable litigation (704-969-3280)
tong_92@yahoo.com

National: Coston & Rademacher: Business attorneys serving the lease-finance industry since 1980. Transactional, documentation, corporate/finance, workouts, litigation, bankruptcy, portfolio management. Chicago-based national practice. Jim Coston, CLP (Members: ELFA, NEFA).
email: Jcoston@costonlaw.com
Website:www.costonlaw.com

St. Louis County , MO. - statewide:
Schultz & Associates LLP., collections, negotiation, and litigation. Also register and pursue recovery on foreign judgments. Contingency and reasonable hourly rates.
Ronald J. Eisenberg, Esq.
(636) 537-4645 x108
reisenberg@sl-lawyers.com
www.sl-lawyers.com

NJ,De,Pa: Specializing in leased equipment/secured transactions. Collections, replevins/workouts reasonable rates. Sergio Scuteri/Capehart & Scratchard, PA
sscuteri@capehart.com/ www.capehart.com

New York and New Jersey
Peretore & Peretore, P.C. documentation, portfolio purchase & sale, replevin, workouts, litigation, collection, bankruptcy. Aggressive. Over 25 years experience.www.peretore.com

Thousand Oaks, California:
Statewide coverage Spiwak & Iezza, LLP 20+ years experience,Representing Lessors banks in both State/ Federal Courts/ all aspects of commercial leasing litigation.
Nick Iezza 805-777-1175
niezza@spiwakandiezza.com

Free Posting:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Attorney/Attorney-post.htm

News Briefs----

Serious Conditions' at Phoenix Veterans Affairs Office, Watchdog Says
http://online.wsj.com/articles/serious-conditions-at-phoenix-veterans-affairs-office-watchdog-says-1401297619

Squire Sanders, Patton Boggs agree to merger that will create a firm with 1,600 lawyers
http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20140527/

Is Air Lease Corp Leveraging Too Much?
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/05/27/is-air-lease-corp-leveraging-too-much.aspx

Greenbrier lands splashy $1B railcar leasing deal
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/morning_call/2014/05/greenbrier-lands-splashy-1b-railcar-leasing-deal.html

Blight removal in Detroit to take 5 years, cost $850M, task force reports
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20140527/NEWS/140529896/blight-removal-in-detroit-to-take-5-years-cost-850m-task-force

[headlines]
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--You May Have Missed It

“Bankers’ hours” takes on new meaning
http://www.ababj.com/component/k2/item/4646-bankers-hours-takes-on-new-meaning

[headlines]
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SparkPeople--Live Healthier and Longer

Dealing with Hunger and Food Cravings
Eat Better and Manage Your Weight without Deprivation
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1436

[headlines]
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Baseball Poem

Baseball

Written by Don Angel © in 08-1997

Published: Baseball Almanac (08-2003)

The sun is shining bright
No clouds are in sight
Pitching would be the key
Innings one, two and three
Inning four
Visitors strike a 1-0 score
Inning five
Bats come alive
Eight batters would come to the plate
Three runs being the fate
Being down by four
The home team needs to score
A single to left
Eyeing a base running threat
The pitcher's attention is slow
So off to second the runner goes
On the catcher's attempted throw
Sailing into the shortstop to low
Line drive up the middle
Another run is whittled
As a result of a homerun
Now entering the sixth, down one
Visitors still winning
Sixth, seventh and eighth inning
At the start of inning nine
It is up to the relief to shine
A strikeout of the side
Brings the bottom of the ninth in stride
As the closer comes into put out the fire
Team members are asked to show their desire
The batter takes his stance
Giving the third base coach a glance
Three balls, two strikes
Hoping for one he likes
An umpire's call

"A ball"
First base on a walk
Second base on a balk
With runner intact, the crowd reacts
When a feared slugger comes to bat
Wishing for a seventh game remembrance
Broadcasters giving those not in attendance
"It's a long fly,
and Aloha, means good-bye"

[headlines]
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Sports Briefs----

Clippers hurried sale is expected to draw bids up to $2 billion
http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-clippers-sale-bidders-20140528-story.html

Miami case involving 49ers' Colin Kaepernick goes to state attorney's office
http://www.contracostatimes.com/49ers/ci_25851026/miami-case-involving-49ers-colin-kaepernick-goes-state

Earl Thomas wants new job: Seahawks’ punt returner
http://seattletimes.com/html/seahawks/2023708885_seahawks28xml.html

[headlines]
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California Nuts Briefs---

San Francisco offers site near Bay Bridge for George Lucas museum
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-san-francisco-george-lucas-museum-20140528,0,4185064.story

How Bad Is the Drought? Water Thieves In No. California
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20140527/articles/140529584

Craigslist ad offers most ridiculous S.F. rental yet
http://blog.sfgate.com/ontheblock/2014/05/28/craigslist-ad-offers-most-ridiculous-sf-rental-yet/

Ownership change for Hotel del Coronado
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/may/27/hotel-del-coronado-ownership-blackstone-oceanfront/

[headlines]
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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Ownership Transitions in the Wine Industry 2014
http://www.svb.com/Blogs/Rob_McMillan/
Ownership_Transitions_in_the_Wine_Industry_2014/

The Sancerre Moment
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/07/dining/the-sancerre-moment.html?ref=dining

Frank M. Woods, Vintner and Ambassador for Sonoma, Dies at 81
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/26/business/frank-m-woods-ambassador-for-sonoma-wines-dies-at-81.html

Free Mobile Wine Program
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_26.htm#mobile

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

[headlines]
----------------------------------------------------------------

   1736--Birthday of Patrick Henry, American Revolutionary War leader and orator, born at Studley, VA, and died near Brookneal, VA, June 6, 1799. Especially remembered for his speech (Mar 23, 1775) for arming the Virginia militia, at St. Johns Church, Richmond, VA, when he declared: "I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death." It is not known if Patrick Henry ever spoke these words. His biographer William Wirt made up so many facts, the phrase is it "it is fact or is it Wirt" became a popular saying among American historians. There is nothing recorded in Virginia or by contemporaries who were there who make mention of this statement by Patrick Henry. That also does not disprove it, either, some historians note. Even his painting was done sixteen years after he died by an artist who based the picture on a painting of Captain James Cook, whom Henry was said to resemble. Only later, when a genuine real-life miniature of Henry suddenly surfaced, was it discovered that Henry looked nothing like Cook, although that is the painting reproduced in school history books and is taken to be Patrick Henry (it is not). Richard Shenkman, "Legends, Lies & Cherished Myths of American History."
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/may29.html
    1765 - Patrick Henry denounced the Stamp Act before Virginia's House of Burgesses. Henry responded to a cry of "Treason!" by saying, "If this be treason, make the most of it!"
    1787- Just five days after the Constitutional Convention met at Philadelphia, PA, the “Virginia Plan" was proposed. It called for establishment of a new governmental organization consisting of a legislature with two houses, an executive (chosen by the legislature) and a judicial branch.
    1790- Rhode Island, the last of the 13 original states, ratified the Constitution. Known as the “Ocean State". Named by Italian Explorer Giovanni da Verrazano who noted that, the area we know as Rhode Island, looked about the size of the tiny Greek Isle of Rhodes. Rhode Island's capital city is Providence. The violet is the state flower. Probably the most famous variety of chicken, the Rhode Island Red, is the state bird. http://visitri.com/ http://www.lihistory.com/2/hs213a.htm
http://www.lihistory.com/vault/hs215a1v.htm
http://www.italianhistorical.org/verrazzano.htm
    1843 – John C. Fremont again departs from St. Louis to explore the West, having only recently returned from his first western expedition. With the help of his wife, Jessie, Fremont wrote a detailed account of his western adventures. The report made some notable errors. Fremont foolishly identified the country around the Great Salt Lake as fertile-a mistake that contributed to the Mormons decision to migrate to the area. However, Fremont’s account did provide the first comprehensive scientific survey of vast areas of the West. Fremont went on to lead two other successful expeditions to the West. His reports of these and his earlier journeys made him a national hero and he later went into politics. He lived into his early 70s, but the four western journeys he made before he was 40 remained his greatest achievements.
    1844--The first "dark horse" presidential candidate was James Knox Polk. His name appeared for the first time on the eighth ballot at the Democratic convention in Baltimore, MD. On the ninth ballot, amid great confusion, the convention stampeded for him. http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/jp11.html
http://www.americanpresidents.org/presidents
/president.asp?PresidentNumber=11
    1848-The "Californian" complained: "The whole country from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and from the sea shore to the base of the Sierra Nevada's, resounds with the sordid cry of gold, “GOLD, GOLD!”, while the field is left half-planted, the house half built, and everything neglected but the manufacture of shovels and pickaxes." "The Californian" also announced suspension of publication because of staff leaving for the diggings. In reality, most of the gold discovered was squandered and bars, gambling joints, suppliers, merchants, and others did better selling to the gold seekers than the gold seekers themselves.
    1848- Wisconsin became the 30th state. The nickname is the Badger State. It is not named after the small animal, but the many lead miners in the grass lands who were called badgers in the early 1800's. The land of lakes and large expanses of green gave name to Wisconsin, thought to be the Chippewa Indian word for "grassy place". The wood violet is the state flower. The robin is the state bird. Madison is the capital city. [delete-redundant] Wisconsin's nickname is the Badger State, but it is not named after the little animal, as you might have thought. It seems that the many lead miners in the Wisconsin grass lands in the 1830s were called -- badgers. Following approval of statehood by the territory's citizens, Wisconsin enters the Union as the 30th state. In 1634, French explorer Jean Nicolet landed at Green Bay, becoming the first European to visit the lake-heavy northern region that would later become Wisconsin. In 1763, at the conclusion of the French and Indian Wars, the region, a major center of the American fur trade, passed into British control. Two decades later, at the end of the American Revolution, the region came under U.S. rule and was governed as part of the Northwest Territory. However, British fur traders continued to dominate Wisconsin from across the Canadian border, and it was not until the end of the War of 1812 that the region fell firmly under American control. By 1840, population in Wisconsin had risen above 130,000, but the people voted against statehood four times, fearing the higher taxes that would come with a stronger central government. Finally, in 1848, Wisconsin citizens, envious of the prosperity that federal programs brought to neighboring Midwestern states, voted to approve statehood. Wisconsin entered the Union the next May. http://www.wistravel.com/wisconsinhistory.htm
http://www.wisconsin.gov/state/core/wisconsin_state_symbols.html
(also the lower part of: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/may29.html)
    1865- President Andrew Johnson issued a proclamation giving a general amnesty to all who participated in the rebellion against the US. High ranking members of the Confederate government and military and those who owned more than $20,000 worth of property were exempted and had to apply individually to the President for a pardon. Once an oath of allegiance was taken, all former property rights, except those in slaves, were returned to the former owners.
    1903-Birthday of Bob Hope (Leslie Townes Hope), in England. Comedian, entertainer, actor: 'Road' series with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour: “The Road to Singapore”, “…Zanzibar”, “…Morocco”, “…Utopia”, “…Rio”, “…Bali”, “…Hong Kong”; a multitude of other films; nightclub entertainer, countless TV specials; host of The Academy Awards. He is possibly best known for his USO tours and entertaining of troops overseas and on the front lines during World War II, the Korean War, the Viet Nam War and even during Desert Storm; "If I could live my life over, I wouldn't have time!" http://www.screentalk.org/art010.htm
    1912--- Curtis Publishing, publishers of the Ladies Home Journal fires 15 women for dancing the "Turkey Trot" on their lunch hour. The magazine would not have a woman editor until the 1970s.
    1917-Birthday of President John F. Kennedy. Many of us know where we were the time we learned of his death. On the Tonight Show, Jay Leno asks people on the street if they know what the Berlin Wall was or who Kennedy defeated in the bid for president. One young person said he was the husband of Jackie Kennedy. 35th president of the US (1961-63), born at Brookline, MA. Assassinated while riding in an open automobile at Dallas, TX, November 11, 1963. (Accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald was killed at the Dallas police station by a gunman, Jack Rubenstein (Ruby), two days later). Kennedy was the youngest man ever elected to the presidency, the first Roman Catholic, first to win Pulitzer Prize for “Profiles in Courage” and the first president to have served in the US Navy. He was the fourth US president to be killed by assassin*, and the second to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery (first was William Howard Taft). 1
    1919-Charles Strite of Stillwater, MN, received a patent for a toaster with a pop-up action. His device could both toast and eject bread when positioned over a fire.
    1922-The Supreme Court, in a decision written by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, declared that baseball "would not be called trade or commerce in the commonly accepted use of those words." The Court rejected the suit of the Baltimore Federal League Club that wanted baseball made subject to federal antitrust legislation and interstate commerce regulation.
    1925-Fletcher Henderson records " Sugar Foot Stomp"
    1932 – At the height of the Great Depression, the so-called “Bonus Expeditionary Force,” a group of 1,000 World War I veterans seeking cash payments for their veterans’ bonus certificates, arrive in Washington, D.C. One month later, other veteran groups spontaneously made their way to the nation’s capital, swelling the Bonus Marchers to nearly 20,000 strong, most of them unemployed veterans in desperate financial straits. Camping in vacant government buildings and in open fields made available by District of Columbia Police Chief Pelham D. Glassford, they demanded passage of the veterans’ payment bill introduced by Representative Wright Patman. On July 28, President Herbert Hoover ordered the army, under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, to evict them forcibly. MacArthur’s men set their camps on fire, and the veterans were driven from the city. Hoover, increasingly regarded as insensitive to the needs of the nation’s many poor, was much criticized by the public and press for the severity of his response.
    1935-Jimmy Lunceford Band records "Four or Five Times."
    1935- The first occupants arrived at the first drug treatment center for addicts established by Congress: U.S. Narcotics Farm at Lexington, KY, which covered 100 acres of a 1,050-acre plot.
    1938 – Birthday of former Major League Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent. Vincent presided over the 1989 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A’s that was interrupted by the Loma Prieta earthquake. The Series resumed after seven days, for which he was criticized by many.
    1939 – Indy race car driver Al Unser is born.
    1942 - The biggest selling record of all time was recorded. A little out of season, perhaps, but "White Christmas", the Irving Berlin classic, was recorded by Bing Crosby for Decca Records. The song was written for the film "Holiday Inn". More than 30-million copies of Crosby's most famous hit song have been sold and a total of nearly 70-million copies, including all versions of the standard, have been sold.
    1943 - Norman Rockwell's portrait of "Rosie the Riveter" appeared on the cover of "The Saturday Evening Post." Rockwell's model was Mary Keefe (19) of Arlington, Vermont. In 2002 the painting sold at auction for $4,959,500.
    1944--GALT, WILLIAM WYLIE Medal of Honor Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army, 168th Infantry, 34th Infantry Division. Place and date: At Villa Crocetta, Italy, 29 May 1944. Entered service at: Stanford, Mont. Birth: Geyser, Mont. G.O. No.: 1, 1 February 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Galt, Battalion S3, at a particularly critical period following 2 unsuccessful attacks by his battalion, of his own volition went forward and ascertained just how critical the situation was. He volunteered, at the risk of his life, personally to lead the battalion against the objective. When the lone remaining tank destroyer refused to go forward, Capt. Galt jumped on the tank destroyer and ordered it to precede the attack. As the tank destroyer moved forward, followed by a company of riflemen, Capt. Galt manned the .30-caliber machinegun in the turret of the tank destroyer, located and directed fire on an enemy 77mm. anti-tank gun, and destroyed it. Nearing the enemy positions, Capt. Galt stood fully exposed in the turret, ceaselessly firing his machinegun and tossing hand grenades into the enemy zigzag series of trenches despite the hail of sniper and machinegun bullets ricocheting off the tank destroyer. As the tank destroyer moved, Capt. Galt so maneuvered it that 40 of the enemy were trapped in one trench. When they refused to surrender, Capt. Galt pressed the trigger of the machinegun and dispatched every one of them. A few minutes later an 88mm shell struck the tank destroyer and Capt. Galt fell mortally wounded across his machinegun. He had personally killed 40 Germans and wounded many more. Capt. Galt pitted his judgment and superb courage against overwhelming odds, exemplifying the highest measure of devotion to his country and the finest traditions of the U.S. Army.
    1944 – About 400 American bombers attack German synthetic fuel works and oil refineries at Polits and other locations. The damage caused sets back aircraft fuel production.
    1945 – American B-29 Superfortress bombers drop incendiaries on Yokohama, burning 85 percent of the port area.
    1949-Hermosa Beach's Lighthouse starts Sunday jams and West Coast jazz is born. In the late fifties and early sixties, we would go here to see Shelly Manne, Art Pepper, Andre Previn, Jimmy Giuffree, and others.
    1949---Top Hits
Riders in the Sky - Vaughn Monroe
Again - Doris Day
Some Enchanted Evening - Perry Como
Lovesick Blues - Hank Williams
    1951-MORELAND, WHITT L. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Kwagch’i-Dong, Korea, 29 May 1951. Entered service at: Austin, Tex. Born: 7 March 1930, Waco, Tex. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an intelligence scout attached to Company C, in action against enemy aggressor forces. Voluntarily accompanying a rifle platoon in a daring assault against a strongly defended enemy hill position, Pfc. Moreland delivered accurate rifle fire on the hostile emplacement and thereby aided materially in seizing the objective. After the position had been secured, he unhesitatingly led a party forward to neutralize an enemy bunker which he had observed some 400 meters beyond, and moving boldly through a fire-swept area, almost reached the hostile emplacement when the enemy launched a volley of hand grenades on his group. Quick to act despite the personal danger involved, he kicked several of the grenades off the ridge line where they exploded harmlessly and, while attempting to kick away another, slipped and fell near the deadly missile. Aware that the sputtering grenade would explode before he could regain his feet and dispose of it, he shouted a warning to his comrades, covered the missile with his body and absorbed the full blast??of the explosion, but in saving his companions from possible injury or death, was mortally wounded. His heroic initiative and valiant spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of certain death reflect the highest credit upon Pfc. Moreland and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
    1952-Charlies Parker opens at the Tiffany Club, Los Angeles. http://www.acns.nwu.edu/jazz/artists/parker.charlie/
http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/5066/
    1953- New Zealand explorer Sir Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay, a Sherpa guide, became the first team to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain.
    1953 - A tornado, 600 yards wide at times, killed two persons on its 20 mile path from southwest of Fort Rice ND into Emmons County. Nearly every building in Fort Rice was damaged. The Catholic Church was leveled, with some pews jammed four feet into the ground.
    1957---Top Hits
All Shook Up - Elvis Presley
Love Letters in the Sand - Pat Boone
A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation) - Marty Robbins
Four Walls - Jim Reeves
    1958- Kenny Washington Birthday
http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Kenny_Washington.html
http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/washington_kenny/bio.jhtml
http://www.artistdirect.com/music/artist/bio/0,,5
07593,00.html?artist=Kenny+Washington
   1959 - Herndon Stadium in Atlanta holds one of the first outdoor rock concerts, featuring Ray Charles, Jimmy Reed, and B.B. King. Nine thousand people attend.
    1961 - Ricky Nelson reached the top spot on the "Billboard" singles chart with "Travelin' Man". It was Nelson's second chart-topping hit. "Poor Little Fool" made it to the top in August of 1958. http://www.ricknelson.com/
    1961-Chubby Checker wins a Grammy Award for Best Rock and Roll Recording for "Let's Twist Again" and Ray Charles is given the nod for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording for "Hit the Road Jack".
    1961--Birthday of Rock'n'Roll singer Melissa Etheridge, who openly declared her lesbianism in the album, “Yes I Am” (1993). It went platinum, the same as her others. After an eight -year relationship with film editor Julie Cypher, the actual birth mother, the two had a baby girl in 1997, Bailey Jean, an event that rated huge coverage in most of the news magazines.
    1962 - John (Buck) O'Neil became the first African-American coach in major-league baseball. He accepted one of the six coaching jobs with the Chicago Cubs. O'Neil had previously been a scout with the Cubs organization. The first African-American manager of a major league team was Frank Robinson, who was hired by the Cleveland Indians as player-manager on October 3, 1974. As in perhaps the great majority of the sports, while many African-American players, there are in proportion few African American coaches. http://www.annonline.com/interviews/960715/biography.html
http://www.blackbaseball.com/books/iwasright.htm
    1965---Top Hits
Help Me, Rhonda - The Beach Boys
Back in My Arms Again - The Supremes
Wooly Bully - Sam The Sham and The Pharoahs
Girl on the Billboard - Del Reeves
    1965 - Ralph Boston set a world record in the broad jump at 27-feet, 4-3/4 inches, at a meet held in Modesto, CA. http://www.modestorelays.org/home/history.html
    1965-"Help Me Rhonda", featuring the lead vocals of rhythm guitarist Al Jardine, became The Beach Boys’ second Billboard chart topper.
    1968-The Chambers Brothers appearing at Fillmore Auditorium. Hear this concert is free, but you will need to register.
http://concerts.wolfgangsvault.com/dt/the-chambers-brothers-concert/462-7230.html
    1970 - Mike Cuellar of Baltimore became one of just 11 major-league hurlers since 1900 to strike out four batters in one inning -- because the catcher dropped the third strike of the third out.

1971 - Three dozen audiences members attending today's Grateful Dead show at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom are treated for hallucinations after drinking apple juice purposefully spiked with LSD (some say by the band themselves).
    1972-President Richard Nixon and Soviet Party Leader Leonid Brezhnev released a joint communiqué after Nixon's weeklong visit to Moscow. During the visit the two men acknowledged their major differences on the Vietnam War, signed a treaty on antiballistic missile systems as well as an interim agreement on limitations of strategic missile sand an agreement for a joint space flight in 1976. This was the first visit ever to Moscow by a US President (May 22-30, 1972).
    1972 - The Osmonds received a gold record for the album, "Phase III".
http://www.osmondmusic.com/
    1973---Top Hits
Frankenstein - The Edgar Winter Group
My Love - Paul McCartney & Wings
Daniel - Elton John
Satin Sheets - Jeanne Pruett
    1977-A. J. Foyt became the first driver to win four Indianapolis 500's, but he had to share headlines with Janet Guthrie, the first woman to drive in the famous race. Foyt won his first Indy in 1961 and repeated in 1964 and 1967. Guthrie was forced out of the race after 27 laps because of mechanical problems. She finished 29th out of 33 entries. The following year, she qualified again, and finished ninth. Guthrie was an aerospace engineer before she started competitive driving in the 1960's. http://search.eb.com/women/articles/Guthrie_Janet.html
     1978 - The 13-cent postage stamp became the 15-cent postage stamp when new U.S. rates to mail letters went into effect.
    1981---Top Hits
Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
Being with You - Smokey Robinson
Stars on 45 medley - Stars on 45
Seven Year Ache - Rosanne Cash
    1987 - Thunderstorms in West Texas produced softball size hail at Lamesa, and hail up to twelve inches deep east of Dimmitt. Thunderstorms also spawned seven tornadoes in West Texas, including one which injured three persons at Wolfforth. Thunderstorms deluged the Texas Hill Country with up to eleven inches of rain. Severe flooding along the Medino, Hondo, Seco, Sabinal and Frio rivers caused more than fifty million dollars damage.
    1988 – President Ronald Reagan travels to Moscow to begin the fourth summit meeting held in the past three years with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Though the summit produced no major announcements or breakthroughs, it served to illuminate both the successes and the failures achieved by the two men in terms of U.S.-Soviet relations.
     1989---Top Hits
Forever Your Girl - Paula Abdul
Rock On - Michael Damian
Soldier of Love - Donny Osmond
After All This Time - Rodney Crowell
    1990-Ricky Henderson of the Oakland A's stole the 893rd base of his career, thereby breaking Ty Cobb's American League record, in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays. http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/players/1650/
    2002 - Yankee fireballer Roger Clemens becomes the third major leaguer to strike out 10 or more batters in at least 100 games. Nolan Ryan (215) and Randy Johnson (175) are the other two hurlers to have accomplished the feat.
    2009-69 year old music producer Phil Spector was sentenced to 19 years to life in prison for the murder of 40 year old Lana Clarkson. The actress died of a gunshot to the mouth, fired from Spector's gun in the foyer of his castle-like home outside Los Angeles on February 3rd, 2003. The two had met just hours earlier at a Hollywood nightclub. Spector must now spend at least 19 years in prison before being eligible for parole. If parole is denied, he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
    2010 - The Giants call up Buster Posey to start at first base, and the 23-year old rookie responds going three-for-four with three RBIs in a 12-1 rout of the Diamondbacks at AT&T Park. The Leesburg, GA native, who will be selected as the National League's Rookie of the Year at the end of the season, will not become the team's starting catcher until Bengie Molina is traded to Texas at the end of June

* Presidents killed by their doctors:
George Washington - bled to death by his doctors as treatment for "inflammatory quinsy"
James Garfield - whose doctors contaminated his bullet wound so that he died of infection.
Assassinated presidents
Abraham Lincoln - assassinated by John Wilkes Booth
James Garfield - assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau
William McKinley - assassinated by Leon F. Czolgosz
John Kennedy - assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald
Presidents who suffered attempted assassinations
Andrew Jackson - would-be assassin: Richard Lawrence (both derringers misfired)
Harry Truman - Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola attempted to storm Blair House, residence of Truman
Gerald Ford - would be assassins: Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme and Sara Jane Moore, in two separate incidences
Ronald Reagan - shot and wounded by John W. Hinkley, Jr
Presidents who died in office of natural causes
William Henry Harrison - died of "bilious pleurisy"
Zachary Taylor - died of cholera morbus
Warren Harding - died of pneumonia or stroke
Franklin Roosevelt - died of cerebral hemorrhage

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