Leasing News Legal Editor Tom McCurnin Hiking in Guatemala
   Photos with email from Dr. Thomas (edited, best editor could do!)

Getting ready to shove off

For Tom's next trip, he joined kids from Guatemala City primary school, along with their teachers. They packed provisions and met with the guides to drive as close as they could before the six day, 100 mile hike through the Guatemalan jungle.

His text message report:

It is a hard hike. Not difficult in the sense of being technically hard, but the environment tripled the effort required. Super-hot in the 90s most days with 50% humidity. Drinking water that is 90 degrees doesn't cool you off. Also the guides don't take breaks---they hike straight through at a pretty good clip. It is pretty grueling.

Lots of injuries. None to me. 3 blisters, one really bad, serious bee sting, diarrhea, and upset stomachs. My full size medical kit that I reluctantly brought along was well used. After lancing a boil and blister on a kitchen table at el Mirador, by flashlight with 15 people cowing in to see me work, they thought I was a doctor and started calling me Dr. Thomas. My new nickname stuck.

That said, we saw 4 Mayan cities. Actually they are all over the place. Every steep hill you see is a temple. Obviously el Mirador was spectacular and a good hike getting up the main temple. But Nakbe, a smaller temple was really cool because once you climbed the temple, you could see El Mirador from 20 miles away. It's that big.

David Henderson the guy that arranged the trip, was pretty cool. A former war correspondent in Viet Nam, Philippines, and Central America. He had some interesting stories.

This first day the kids let me ride the mule for an hour, I was so tired.
I thought it would be easy to keep up with a group of kids. The 9 year olds smoked us all. After 8 hours of hiking, for fun, they would run 500 yards as a “race.”

At base camp, eating dinner

The kids, their teacher and me.

La Danta is perhaps the largest pyramid in the world, including those at Giza, depending on how one measures “large.” Well over a third of it is still buried below the jungle. Here is where we traveled.

Here is a shot of the 2nd level. Some of the actual steps to the pyramid are to the right of the wooden stairs. Again, after 1,800 years, the jungle has reclaimed the face of this great structure. 

On top of La Danta.  This is what I came for.  This place, this time, this view.  Unless you want to hike 6 days and 100 miles in the Guatemalan jungle, you’ll never experience this.

Here is a view of the top third of La Danta.  The kids around me.  Bear in mind that what you see—the top third was only the top third, and 2/3rds of this structure is out of view.

Having checked off La Danta and El Mirador from our bucket list, we were off to Nakbe, pronounced Nahk-bay. Here’s a nice shot of a covered jungle trail.  A lot of the trails are ugly from a hiking perspective, but this one was noteworthy. Beautiful in a jungle sort of way. This was a long hike, about 15-20 miles today. No one will give me a straight answer how far anything is or when we will get there. 

Nakbe is unremarkable from an antiquity point of view. The pyramid is unrestored and while tall, is not particularly pleasing from an architectural point of view.  But if you climb it, it is daunting. That said, the next email will demonstrate why this might be my favorite pyramid. 

Once you manage to get to the top of this really tall pyramid, which is fairly hard in and of itself, you will be rewarded with an incredible view of El Mirador from 20 miles away. That’s La Danta on the right and its sister El Tigre on the left. In front of El Tigre, and closer to us, about 10 miles away is obviously another pyramid, covered in jungle, but I couldn’t get a straight answer what it was, where it was, or what it was called. I really have to learn Spanish.

This pyramid gives you some idea of the size of La Danta—it is huge from 20 miles away! Can you imagine it as a gleaming beacon of limestone in the sun 2,000 years ago. This stuff is amazing.

And what happened to the Mayans? It’s not like they were conquered or there is evidence of some widespread disease or famine (which would have affected the Aztecs and Incas, too, right). They just disappeared. Obviously, the people didn’t go away, the Mayan Indians are still here in the Yucatan today and you can spot them a mile away. So what happened? They were gone by 1000 A.D. and a mystery to even Columbus 500 years later. 

Anyone who knows me, knows that I just love homemade, hand patted out tortillas cooked over an open flame. Well, that’s just how they roll here in Guatemala. The Mayans “invented” maize or corn, and the tortilla is 2,000 years old, and is still an art practiced by Guatemalan women to this day. OK, I’m in heaven…where can I get a green card?

I ventured off early 5:30 am for the last day of this hike, to hike in solitude in the jungle at sun rise. The spider monkeys the howler monkey were all screaming around and jumping off branches above me. Birds were screaming, insects were making these annoying noises. There were these weird wild pigs about the size of a chicken, wild turkey, and this possum looking thing. The jungle was super loud; you wouldn’t be able to carry on a conversation. This was super trippy. 

I stared above and around me in bewilderment awestruck by the jungle.  Then I stepped on this---

It’s a coral snake. Super deadly. It didn’t seem to mind, and just went off in its own direction. Close call. I need to watch where I am putting my feet and pay more attention. I got distracted.

I’m back in the village of Carmelita, Guatemala. Safe and sound. I’m not sure I would even call this a village, as it is nothing more than about 4 buildings, with chickens and pigs running around. They don’t have electrical power, but do have a generator that runs a couple hours a day. Thankfully they have cold orange canned soda. I drank three.

Our guide’s sister cooked up some chicken, rice, and yes, hand patted out tortillas.

Everyone came back safe and sound. I brought a full medical kit, costing several hundred dollars, which weighed a lot and took up a lot of space, and against my better judgment, I packed it. We used the dickens out of it. We had 3 blisters, one of which was really bad and infected, a boil, a bad bee sting, upset stomachs, diarrhea and headaches. I had to lance the blisters and boils on one of the tables, and apply moleskin to the blisters by flashlight with the guides, muleskinners, and kids crowding around muscling in to get a better view. Are you a doctor, they asked? I was called Doctor To-mas by the kids throughout the hike.

 End of the trip. I’m off to Merida tomorrow to see at least one, and perhaps two, Mayan cities in Mexico.

 

 

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Leasing News: Special Memorial Day Edition
By Fernando Croce

For this upcoming Memorial Day weekend, check out these patriotic classics from Netflix for a cinematic celebration of the courage and resolve of the men and women protecting country and freedom.

The Great Escape (John Sturges, 1963): Director John Sturges ("The Magnificent Seven") and an all-star cast celebrate the indomitable spirit of Allied forces in this suspenseful adventure yarn. Taken from a real-life story, the film unfolds largely inside a German POW camp in 1942, where escape is said to be impossible. That's a challenge accepted by a group of brave prisoners—including American captain Hilts (Steve McQueen) and British pilot Bartlett (Richard Attenborough)—who bond together to come up with a plan to break out. Pulling together their personal skills, the men forge ahead with a daring escape that will change their lives forever. Also starring James Garner, Charles Bronson, James Coburn and Donald Pleasence, the film has endured both as consistently engrossing entertainment and as an ode to human courage during wartime.

Patton (Franklin J. Schaffner, 1970): George C. Scott scored a Best Actor Oscar for his stirring portrayal of contentious WWII General George S. Patton in this muscular biopic directed by Franklin J. Schaffner ("Planet of the Apes"). Following the colorful tank commander across a series of campaigns, the film kicks off with a famous speech in front of a vast American flag and picks up Patton's career in North Africa, which will continue into Europe and build towards the Normandy Invasion in 1944. Watching him through his ups and downs, victories and defeats, glories and contradictions, is his second-in-command, General Omar Bradley (Karl Malden). Capturing Patton's bluster as well as his vulnerability, Scott's powerhouse performance carries Schaffner's blockbuster (also a Best Picture Oscar winner) from beginning to end.

Cross of Iron (Sam Peckinpah, 1977): Director Sam Peckinpah ("The Wild Bunch") was known for his knack for savage action, so it was only a matter of time before he turned his gaze to the violence of war. He did so in this grim and gritty view of the action from the Russian front, set in 1943 after the fall of Stalingrad. Witnessed through the eyes of a German platoon, the bloody conflict is reflected not only on the battles with Russian forces, but also on the various clashes between officers—namely no-nonsense Sgt. Steiner (James Coburn) and arrogant Capt. Stransky (Maximilian Schell). With Stransky becoming increasingly obsessed with winning the Cross of Iron medal and not caring about the safety of his own soldiers, it's up to Steiner to try to hold the men together. Though not as prominent as Peckinpah's more controversial work, the film is no less tough or powerful.

The Messenger (Oren Moverman, 2009): An often overlooked film about the effect of war on soldiers and their families, Oren Moverman's clearheaded and humane drama deserves recognition. Ben Foster stars as Will Montgomery, a young soldier who, after being wounded in Iraq, continues his service back home at as a  casualty notification officer. Teamed up with Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson, in an Oscar-nominated turn), a veteran with his own personal demons, Will struggles with his new position yet at gradually learns to cope with the pain. Things get complicated, however, when he becomes involved with a troubled widow named Olivia (Samantha Morton). Sidestepping politics to focus on the battered humanity that unites the characters, the film addresses its thorny issues with compassion and humor.

American Sniper (Clint Eastwood, 2014): Well into his 80s, Clint Eastwood proves he's still able to stir up controversy with this hot-button war film, based on the real-life story of the late Navy Seal marksman Chris Kyle. Played in an acclaimed, Oscar-nominated performance by Bradley Cooper, Kyle is depicted as a born warrior whose exploits on the battlefield are prepared by his early years in Texas, where he joins the military and marries his wife Tanya (Sienna Miller). When he's sent overseas for the Iraq War, his gun skills are put to the test in an environment of everyday tension and threat. But how deep does the horrors of war affect him once he's back home? A director of plainspoken starkness and moral force, Eastwood creates a powerful and vivid study that can stand side by side with such classics as "The Deer Hunter" or "The Hurt Locker."

Belgian Malinois Mix
Ventura County Adopt-a-Dog

Animal ID: A653675
Color: Brown
Gender: Female
Age: 2 years old
Size: Large
Weight: 56 lbs.
Arrival: 05-25-2016
Available: 05-25-2016
City Found: Simi Valley

Adoption Process:
http://www.vcas.us/adopt/how-to-adopt

Location:
Kennel: #043
Ventura County Animal Services
Camarillo Animal Shelter
600 Aviation Drive
Camarillo, CA 93010
Direct: 805-388-4341
Toll Free: 888-223-PETS

Monday thru Friday: 7:30 am to 5:30 pm (phone hours only)
Saturday and Sunday: 8 am to 4 pm (phone hours only)
(All Simi shelter calls are taken by the Camarillo shelter)

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

 

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Leasing/Finance Conferences --- 2016

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September 16-17, 2016
2016 Eastern Regional Meeting
Cincinnati Airport Marriott
Hebron, KY
Conference Chair:
Rodny Blecha, Precision Leasing

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Second Annual Conference
Announcing Our Second Annual 
October 4th - 6th, 2016
Red Rock Casino & Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada

Christopher "Kit" Menkin, Leasing News, will be speaking
at the  “Reporters Viewpoint” panel discussion to address the whole conference about the state of the leasing industry.

Kris Roglieri, Co-Founder of NACLB, says: "I think it would be wise for anybody to attend that provides capital to businesses or brokers capital to businesses. It does not matter what form of capital it is (leasing, working capital, factoring, etc.)...almost 90 percent of brokers and lenders are in the business financing space."

However, the primary benefit of the conference will be to provide enormous growth opportunities for both brokers and bankers to grow their loan portfolios and increase revenues and profits.

Now is your chance to get DEAL FLOW, QUALITY ISO’s and COMMERCIAL BROKERS
Go to our website for more information: www.naclb.org

Q&A with Kris Roglieri Co-Founder of NACLB
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/qa-session-naclb-co-founder-kris-roglieri-brittney-holcomb?trk=hp-feed-article-title-like


Register
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/naclb-2016-registration-24321457133

 

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Lend360
October 5 – 7
Chicago Marriott Magnificent Mile
Chicago, Illinois

Lenders/Venders/Investors
Agenda
http://www.lend360.org/

 

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October 23 -25th
2016  55th Annual Conference
Palm Desert Springs
Palm Desert, California

Keynote speaker Joe Scarborough will provide timely analysis 
and insight into the upcoming presidential and congressional elections.

 

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Money20/20
October 23 – 26
Las Vegas, Nevada
(75% of exhibit space/sponsorship booked)

http://www.money2020.com/

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October 24-26, 2016
100th Anniversary Annual Meeting
American Financial Services Association
The Breakers Palm Beach
Palm Beach, Florida

Join us for the latest on the political landscape, compliance and regulatory challenges, business trends, and enjoy plenty of networking opportunities.

Sessions will cover the overall industry challenges as well as operational issues relevant to specific market sectors. The final day of the meeting - called Spotlight Compliance - will shine light on the ever changing legal, regulatory and compliance realms that are so important in today's financial businesses.

 AFSA’s 350 members include consumer and commercial finance companies, vehicle finance/leasing companies, mortgage lenders, credit card issuers, industrial banks and industry suppliers. The association was founded in 1916 as the American Association of Small Loan Brokers. The group formed to promote state laws that would make small loans more readily available to average Americans, who had few options at the time to receive small personal loans.

info@afsamail.org

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November 11-12, 2016
2016 Western Regional Meeting
Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Anaheim-Orange County
Orange, CA

 

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

News Briefs---

Exclusive: New York financial regulator gearing up to probe online lenders
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-lending-new-york-probe-exclusive-idUSKCN0YG31O

TD Bank Profit Climbs 10%
“stronger-than-expected profit”
http://www.wsj.com/articles/td-bank-profit-climbs-10-1464263788

Bank jobs and branches in decline
"may not be such a great field to go into "
http://www.marketplace.org/2016/05/26/world/banking-jobs

Google scores a win in its battle with Oracle over Java
http://www.siliconbeat.com/2016/05/26/google-scores-win-battle-oracle-java/

American Families Overall Reported Mild Improvement
in Financial Well Being in 2015 --Federal Reserve Report
http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/press/other/20160525a.htm

New fund to help finance technology start-ups
http://www.businesspost.ie/new-fund-to-help-finance-technology-start-ups/

Financial tech compete for overlooked US immigrant market
Trump's campaign attacks a real threat to the remittance industry?
http://dailytimes.com.pk/business/25-May-16/financial-tech-startups-compete-for-overlooked-us-immigrant-market

Merchant Cash Advance Accounting Q&A
  What is Tax Liability? There is no Interest
http://debanked.com/2016/05/merchant-cash-advance-accounting-qa/

Credit/Syndication Analyst Position located in Denver, Colorado or Gig Harbor, Washington. For the right candidate ability to work remote may be an option. Commercial equipment leasing/finance experience preferred, but must have 2+ years commercial credit experience, strong knowledge of business and credit principles. For more information, please click here www.bsbleasing.com    A Funding Source for Small Business Since 1981

 

 
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--You May Have Missed It

Study: 62% of U.S. adults get news on social media
http://www.siliconbeat.com/2016/05/26/study/

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SparkPeople--Live Healthier and Longer

Summer Salad Recipes
  Low in Calories and Carbs

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Baseball Poem

The Night Game

by Robert Pinsky
 
Some of us believe
We would have conceived romantic
Love out of our own passions
With no precedents,
Without songs and poetry--
Or have invented poetry and music
As a comb of cells for the honey.

Shaped by ignorance,
A succession of new worlds,
Congruities improvised by
Immigrants or children.

I once thought most people were Italian,
Jewish or Colored.
To be white and called
Something like Ed Ford
Seemed aristocratic,
A rare distinction.

Possibly I believed only gentiles
And blonds could be left-handed.

Already famous
After one year in the majors,
Whitey Ford was drafted by the Army
To play ball in the flannels
Of the Signal Corps, stationed
In Long Branch, New Jersey.

A night game, the silver potion
Of the lights, his pink skin
Shining like a burn.

Never a player
I liked or hated: a Yankee,
A mere success.

But white the chalked-off lines
In the grass, white and green
The immaculate uniform,
And white the unpigmented
Halo of his hair
When he shifted his cap:

So ordinary and distinct,
So close up, that I felt
As if I could have made him up,
Imagined him as I imagined

The ball, a scintilla
High in the black backdrop
Of the sky. Tight red stitches.
Rawlings. The bleached

Horsehide white: the color
Of nothing. Color of the past
And of the future, of the movie screen
At rest and of blank paper.

"I could have." The mind. The black
Backdrop, the white
Fly picked out by the towering
Lights. A few years later

On a blanket in the grass
By the same river
A girl and I came into
Being together
To the faint muttering
Of unthinkable
Troubadours and radios.

The emerald
Theater, the night.
Another time,
I devised a left-hander
Even more gifted
Than Whitey Ford: A Dodger.
People were amazed by him.
Once, when he was young,
He refused to pitch on Yom Kippur.

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Sports Briefs----

Warriors extend series with game 5 victory
http://www.sfgate.com/warriors/article/Warriors-extend-their-season-with-Game-5-win-over-7948609.php

Baylor Fires Football Coach Art Briles
   and Demotes President Kenneth Starr
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20160526-editorial-baylor-regents-finally-face-facts-clean-house.ece

 San Jose Sharks and their fans unleash 25 years of emotion
http://www.mercurynews.com/mark-purdy/ci_29941392/purdy-san-jose-sharks-and-their-fans-unleash

Raiders look ready to cash in on Las Vegas
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/columnist/bell/2016/05/25/las-vegas-raiders-mark-davis-move/84937410/

 

(Leasing News provides this ad as a trade for investigative
reporting provided by John Kenny)

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California Nuts Briefs---

Santa Cruz beach ranked worst in water quality in California
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Santa-Cruz-beach-ranked-worst-in-water-quality-7946189.php

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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Experts: Smaller 2016 crop may increase ‘buyer fatigue’
    from high grape, wine prices
http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/northbay/sonomacounty/5659083-181/smaller-2016-winegrape-crop-buyer-fatigue

Mondavis Discuss Generational Changes
http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=169331

Walla Walla Vintners 2013 Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, $30
http://www.greatnorthwestwine.com/2016/05/26/walla-walla-vintners-2013-merlot-walla-walla-valley-30/

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/

Leasing News Wine & Spirits Page
http://two.leasingnews.org/Recommendations/wnensprts.htm

   1664 - Colonial theologian Increase Mather, 24, was installed as minister of Boston's Second (Congregational) Church. He remained there until his death in 1723.
   1679 – Habeus corpus, a tenet of the US Constitution, was passed by the British Parliament.
    1771 - 150 lives were lost in the Richmond, Virginia area in the Great James River Flood.
    1794 – American industrialist Cornelius Vanderbilt (d. 1877) was born, Staten Island, NY.   He built his wealth in railroads and shipping. Born poor and with but a mediocre education, his luck, perseverance and intelligence led into leadership positions in the inland water trade and the rapidly-growing railroad industry. He is best known for building the New York Central Railroad.  As one of the richest Americans in history, he provided the initial gift to found Vanderbilt University.
    1796 - James S. McLean patented his piano
    1813 - Americans captured Fort George, Canada. Fort George served as the headquarters for the Centre Division of the British Army. These forces included British regulars, local militia, aboriginal warriors, and Runchey’s corps of freed slaves. The U.S. forces used the fort as a base to invade the rest of Upper Canada; however, they were repulsed at the Battles of Stoney Creek and Beaver Dams. 
    1818 - American social reformer and women's rights advocate Amelia Jenks Bloomer (d. 1894) was born at Homer, NY. Her name is remembered especially because of her work for more sensible dress for women and her recommendation of a costume hat had been introduced about 1848 by Elizabeth Smith Miller but came to be known as the “Bloomer Costume” or “Bloomers.”
    1819 - Birthday of Julia Ward Howe (d. 1910), NYC.  Author, women's rights activist, and reformer who became a national institution, sometimes referred to as the Queen Victoria of the United States. She is best known historically for her poem “Battle Hymn of the Republic” (1862).   She edited the influential “Woman's Journal” (1870-1890), was the first woman member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and was the first president (1868-1877, 1893-1910) of the New England Woman Suffrage Association.  She worked hard for equal education and professional and business opportunities for women after seeing the terrible economic plight of Civil War widows.
    1836 – Birthday of American financier and railroad executive Jay Gould (d. 1892), Roxbury, NY.  He was a leading railroad developer and speculator, referred to as one of the ruthless robber barons, whose success at business made him the ninth richest U.S. citizen in history.  In 1859, Gould began speculative investing by buying stock in small railways. Gould's father-in-law, Daniel S. Miller, suggested that Gould help him save his investment in the Rutland and Washington Railroad in the Panic of 1857. Gould purchased stock for 10 cents on the dollar, which left him in control of the company.  Through the Civil War era, he did more speculation on railroad stocks in New York City. The Erie Railroad encountered financial troubles in the 1850s, despite receiving loans from financiers Cornelius Vanderbilt and Daniel Drew. The Erie entered receivership in 1859 and was reorganized as the Erie Railway. Gould, Drew and James Fisk engaged in stock manipulations with the result that in the summer of 1868, Drew, Fisk, and Vanderbilt lost control of the Erie, while Gould became its president.  It was during the same period that Gould and Fisk became involved with Tammany Hall, the New York City political ring. They made Boss Tweed a director of the Erie Railroad, and Tweed, in return, arranged favorable legislation for them.  In August 1869, Gould and Fisk began to buy gold in an attempt to corner the market, hoping that the increase in the price of gold would increase the price of wheat such that western farmers would sell, causing a great amount of shipping of bread stuffs eastward, increasing freight business for the Erie railroad. During this time, Gould used contacts with President Grant’s brother-in-law, Abel Corbin, to try to influence the president and his Secretary General Horace Porter. These speculations in gold culminated in the panic of Black Friday, on September 24, 1869, when the premium over face value on a gold Double Eagle fell from 62 percent to 35 percent. Gould made a small profit from this operation, but lost it to subsequent lawsuits. The gold corner established Gould's reputation in the press as an all-powerful figure who could drive the market up and down at will.
    1837 – Birthday of Wild Bill Hickock (d. 1876), born James Butler Hickok, Troy Grove, IL.  American frontiersman, army scout, marksman and gambler.  He fought (and spied) for the Union Army during the Civil War and gained publicity after the war as a scout, marksman, actor and professional gambler. Hickok was involved in several notable shootouts.  He was shot from behind and killed while playing poker in a saloon in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, by an unsuccessful gambler, Jack McCall. The hand of cards which he supposedly held at the time of his death (black aces and eights) has become known as the "Dead Man’s Hand."
    1850 - Mormon Temple in Nauvoo IL destroyed by tornado
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauvoo_Temple
http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/gal/hlewis54.html
http://www.americanwest.com/trails/pages/mormtrl.htm
    1863 - Chief Justice Roger B. Taney of Maryland issues Ex parte Merryman, challenging the authority of President Lincoln and the U.S. military to suspend the writ of habeas corpus (the legal procedure that prevents the government from holding an individual indefinitely without showing cause) in Maryland.  After Lincoln suspended the writ in parts of Maryland, Taney ruled that only Congress had the power to take this action. Lincoln ignored the court's order and continued to have arrests made without the privilege of the writ.
    1873 - The first running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Track, Baltimore, MD, was won by Survivor with a time of 2:43. The winning jockey was G. Barbee, and the winning owner took one-year possession of a Woodlawn Vase, a trophy created in 1860 by Tiffany and Co. The Preakness was named for the colt that won the Dinner Party Stakes on the day the track opened in 1870. Preakness was shipped to Europe after being purchased by the Duke of Hamilton, who, sometime later in a fit of pique, shot the horse dead.
    1878 – (or May 26) Isadora Duncan (d. 1927) was born in San Francisco.  World famous interpretive dancer who revolutionized the entire concept of dance. Bare-footed, freedom-loving, liberated woman and rebel against tradition, she experienced worldwide professional success and profound personal tragedy. Her two children drowned, her marriage failed and she met a bizarre death when the long scarf she was wearing caught in a wheel of the open car in which she was riding, strangling her in Nice, France.
http://www.sfmuseum.org/bio/isadora.html
http://www.isadoraduncan.org/
    1894 - Dashiell Hammett (d. 1961) was born in St. Mary’s County, MD.  My son is named after him. He is best known as the author of “The Maltese Falcon.” He lived with writer Lillian Hellman and worked with her on many of her plays. His first two novels, “Red Harvest” (1929) and “The Dain Curse” (1929) were based on his eight years spent as a Pinkerton Detective in San Francisco. Hammett is recognized as the founder of the "hard-boiled" school of detective fiction. All his books were made into movies and it was not until he was called to testify but refused to name members of an alleged subversive organization during House Un-American Activities Committee hearings in the early 1950s, that he stopped writing. It is a longer story than this, outlined in Lillian Hellman's autobiography.
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/dhammett.htm
    1896 - First major tornado to strike urban US (St Louis, MO & E. St Louis, IL). Labeled a cyclone, in less than fifteen minutes, reportedly killed 256 in St. Louis and East St. Louis, 85 missing, killing over 40 in remote towns, and leaving thousands homeless.
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/county/stlouis/cyclone.htm
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lsx/climate/torcli/violent.htm
    1904 – Dennis McGann of the NY Giants set the Major League record for stolen bases with 5 against the Brooklyn Superbas. The feat was not duplicated until 1974 by the Dodgers’ Davey Lopes.  Otis Nixon eventually set a new mark with six stolen bases on June 16, 1991.
    1907 - Birthday of American scientist and author Rachel Louise Carson (d. 1964), at Springdale, PA. Author of “Silent Spring” (1962), a book that provoked widespread controversy over the use of pesticides.
http://www.rachelcarson.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=bio
    1907 – Bubonic plague broke out in San Francisco, barely a year after the great earthquake and fires destroyed the town. 
    1911 - Birthday of Hubert Horatio Humphrey (d. 1978), born Wallace, SD. Mayor of Minneapolis, MN (1945-48). Humphrey successfully led the fight for a strong party stand on civil rights at the 1948 Democratic National Convention. He was elected to the US Senate in 1948, the first Democratic senator to come from Minnesota since the Civil War. He served five terms; in 1961 he was the Senate Democratic whip. In 1964, he was elected Vice President under Lyndon Johnson. As the Democratic nominee for President, he was narrowly defeated by Richard Nixon in 1968.
    1911 - Birthday of actor Vincent Price (d. 1993) at St. Louis, MO.  Best known for his portrayal of sinister villains in horror films.
    1912 - Birthday of “Slammin” Sam Snead (d. 2002), the winningest US tour golfer of the 20th century, at Hot Springs, VA. He turned pro in 1934 and went on to become the only golfer to win tournaments in six different decades. He won 84 US Tour events and 182 tournaments in total. Snead always wore a snappy straw hat and was a favorite on the Tour. He was one of the founders of the U.S. Senior Tour.  At the 1952 Jacksonville Open, Snead forfeited rather than play an 18-hole playoff against Doug Ford after the two golfers finished in a tie at the end of regulation play. The forfeit stemmed from a ruling Snead received during the tournament's second round of play. On the 10th hole, Snead's drive landed behind an out of bounds stake. While Chick Harbert, who was playing with Snead, thought the ball was out of bounds, a rules official ruled differently due to the starter not telling players the stakes had been moved since the previous day's play had ended. Afterwards, Snead explained why he forfeited even though Ford suggested they play sudden death for the title. "I want to be fair about it. I don't want anyone to think I took advantage of the ruling."
    1912 – Birthday of John Cheever (d. 1982) at Quincy, Massachusetts. American writer, wrote of the emptiness of middle-class, suburban America and portrayed its manners and morals with ironic humor. His career began with expulsion from the Thayer Academy in his junior year -- the subject of his first short story, "Expelled."
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/cheever.htm
    1915 - Author Herman Wouk was born in The Bronx. His best-selling 1951 novel “The Caine Mutiny” won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. His first novel thereafter was “Marjorie Morningstar” (1955), which earned him a Time magazine cover story.  His other works include the highly acclaimed “The Winds of War” and “War and Remembrance,” historical novels about World War II, reflective of his service as an officer aboard two destroyer minesweepers during World War II.
    1917 - 67 people were killed and 345 were injured when an F4 tornado tracked 50 miles through Lake County in Tennessee and Fulton, Hickman, and Graves Counties in Kentucky
    1923 - Birthday of Henry Kissinger, former US Secretary of State during the Nixon Administration. He was born Heinz Alfred Kissinger in Fuerth, Germany. History generally credits Kissinger as the leader of the talks that led to the end of the Vietnam War.
    1926 - Alto Sax player Bud Shank (d. 2009) birthday, born Clifford Everett Shank, Dayton, OH.
http://www.budshankalto.com/Bio.html
http://www.npr.org/programs/jazzprofiles/archive/shank.html
    1927 - Birthday of Ralph Carmichael, Quincy, IL.  A popular sacred composer whose works flourished most during the 1960s-1970s. Among his often sung arrangements are "The Savior is Waiting" and "He's Everything to Me."
    1927 – Ford Motor Company ceased manufacture of the Model T and began to retool plants to make the Model A.  The Model T is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, the car that opened travel to the middle-class American.  Some of this was because of Ford's efficient fabrication, including assembly line production instead of individual hand crafting.  The Ford Model T was named the most influential car of the 20th century in the 1999 Car of the Century competition; with 16.5 million sold, it stands eighth on the top ten list of most sold cars of all time as of 2012.  
    1930 - Richard Gurley Drew received a patent for his adhesive tape, later manufactured by 3M as Scotch tape.
    1930 – The Chrysler Building opened to the public in NYC, then the tallest man-made structure at 1,046 feet.
    1931 - A tornado struck the "Empire Builder" near Moorhead, Minnesota. Five coaches weighing 70 tons each were lifted off the track. One was carried 80 feet. 57 of the 117 passengers were injured and one was blown through a window and killed.
    1933 – The Federal Securities Act was signed into law requiring the registration of securities using the means and instrumentalities of interstate commerce be registered with the Securities Exchange Commission.
    1937 - Ceremonies marking the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge were held in San Francisco, California and the first pedestrians crossed the Golden Gate, so many that the normally curved surface roadway was flattened. The bridge has been called one of the greatest engineering marvels in the world.
http://www.goldengatebridge.org/research/Walk.jpg
http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Golden_Gate_Bridge.html
    1937 – ‘King’ Carl Hubbell of the NY Giants won his 24th consecutive victory over two seasons, defeating the Cincinnati Reds, 3-2, in relief.
    1941 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt announces a state of unlimited national emergency in response to Nazi Germany’s threats of world domination on this day in 1941. In a speech on this day, he repeated his famous remark from a speech he made in 1933 during the Great Depression: ‘The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”  Across to the North Atlantic, the German battleship, Bismarck, was sunk, killing almost 2,100 men.  She was attacked by obsolescent British biplane bombers from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal; one scored a hit that rendered the battleship's steering gear inoperable. The following morning, Bismarck was neutralized by a sustained bombardment, was scuttled by her crew, and sank.   
    1942 - The Japanese invasion fleet for Midway puts to sea from Saipan and Guam with troop transports carrying 5000 men. They are escorted by cruisers and destroyers. Likewise, the invasion force for the Aleutians sets sail in two groups from Ominato. 
    1943 - The first president of an African country to visit the United States was President Edwin James Barclay of the Republic of Liberia, who addressed the Senate on May 27, 1943, the day following his arrival. The President and Vice-President elect accompanied him after he was welcomed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
    1945 - For the first time in history, an entire army is moved by air transport. American aircraft fly the Chinese 6th Army from Burma to China.
    1950 - Frank Sinatra made his TV debut as he appeared on NBC's "Star-Spangled Review" with show biz legend, Bob Hope.
    1955 - Top Hits
“Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” - Perez Prado
“Unchained Melody” - Les Baxter
“Learnin' the Blues” - Frank Sinatra
“In the Jailhouse Now” - Webb Pierce
    1957 - Buddy Holly and the Crickets, "That’ll Be the Day," written by Holly and Jerry Allison.  It was certified gold - for over a million US sales - in 1969 by the RIAA and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.  In 2005, the recording was placed in the National Recording Registry, a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States."  The song had its genesis in a trip to the movies by Holly, Allison and Sonny Curtis in June, 1956. The John Wayne movie, “The Searchers” was playing. Wayne's frequently-used, world-weary catchphrase, "that'll be the day" inspired the young musicians.
    1960 – Orioles’ catcher Clint Courtney used an oversized mitt in an effort to handle the pitches of knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm. The mitt, designed by Baltimore manager Paul Richards, was 50 percent larger than the standard. Courtney handled Wilhelm's pitches flawlessly in a 3-2 win over the Yankees. The oversized mitt was later banned.
    1961 - Ralph Boston of the US, sets the long jump record at 27' ½".
He broke the world record six times in his career.
http://vm.mtsac.edu/relays/HallFame/Boston.htm
    1962 - Anton Webern's "Eight Early Songs" & "Langsamer Satz" premier, Seattle, Washington.
    1962 - At the Grammy Awards in New York, Andy Williams' "Moon River," from the movie “Breakfast at Tiffany's”, is named both Record and Song of the Year.
    1963 - Bob Dylan releases his second album, “The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan,” which goes on to transform him from a popular local act to a global phenomenon.
    1963 - Top Hits
“If You Wanna Be Happy” - Jimmy Soul
“Surfin' USA” - The Beach Boys
“Foolish Little Girl” - The Shirelles
“Lonesome 7-7203” - Hawkshaw Hawkins
    1964 – The second of the Bond franchise of movies, Ian Fleming’s "From Russia with Love" premieres in US.  It is based on the Ian Fleming novel of the same name, written in 1957.  In the film, James Bond is sent to assist in the defection of Soviet consulate clerk in Turkey, where SPECTRE was planning to avenge Bond's killing of Dr. No.  Following the success of “Dr. NO” which launched the franchise in the US, United Artists approved a sequel and doubled the budget available for the producers. “From Russia with Love“ was a critical and commercial success, taking over $78 million in worldwide box office receipts, more “Dr. No.”
http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/f/from_russia.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057076/
    1967 - FLEEK, CHARLES CLINTON, Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U .S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Binh Duong Province, Republic of Vietnam, 27 May 1967. Entered service at Cincinnati, Ohio. Born: 28 August 1947, Petersburg, Ky. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Fleek distinguished himself while serving as a squad leader in Company C, during an ambush operation. Sgt. Fleek's unit was deployed in ambush locations when a large enemy force approached the position. Suddenly, the leading enemy element, sensing the ambush, halted and started to withdraw. Reacting instantly, Sgt. Fleek opened fire and directed the effective fire of his men upon the numerically superior enemy force. During the fierce battle that followed, an enemy soldier threw a grenade into the squad position. Realizing that his men had not seen the grenade, Sgt. Fleek, although in a position to seek cover, shouted a warning to his comrades and threw himself onto the grenade, absorbing its blast. His gallant action undoubtedly saved the lives or prevented the injury of at least 8 of his fellow soldiers. Sgt. Fleek's gallantry and willing self-sacrifice were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
    1967 - Columbia and RCA announce plans to raise the price of long-playing LP (33 rpm) records one dollar to a high of $4.98.
    1968 – For the first time in history, Major League Baseball expanded outside the US, granting a franchise to Montreal as they also admitted San Diego.  The Expos would become the property of MLB due to financial difficulties and eventually the team was sold in 2004 to the Lerner family who moved it to Washington, DC, currently the Nationals.
    1969 - PHIPPS, JIMMY W., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, Company B, 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place and date: Near An Hoa, Republic of Vietnam, 27 May 1969. Entered service at: Culver City, Calif. Born: 1 November 1950, Santa Monica, Calif. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a combat engineer with Company B in connection with combat operations against the enemy. Pfc. Phipps was a member of a 2-man combat engineer demolition team assigned to locate and destroy enemy artillery ordnance and concealed firing devices. After he had expended all of his explosives and blasting caps, Pfc. Phipps discovered a 175mm high explosive artillery round in a rice paddy. Suspecting that the enemy had attached the artillery round to a secondary explosive device, he warned other marines in the area to move to covered positions and prepared to destroy the round with a hand grenade. As he was attaching the hand grenade to a stake beside the artillery round, the fuse of the enemy's secondary explosive device ignited. Realizing that his assistant and the platoon commander were both within a few meters of him and that the imminent explosion could kill all 3 men, Pfc. Phipps grasped the hand grenade to his chest and dived forward to cover the enemy's explosive and the artillery round with his body, thereby shielding his companions from the detonation while absorbing the full and tremendous impact with his body. Pfc. Phipps' indomitable courage, inspiring initiative, and selfless devotion to duty saved the lives of 2 marines and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
    1971 - Top Hits
“Joy to the World” - Three Dog Night
“Brown Sugar” - The Rolling Stones
“Me and You and a Dog Named Boo” - Lobo
“I Won't Mention It Again” - Ray Price
    1972 - Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev and U.S. President Richard Nixon, meeting in Moscow, sign the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) agreements. At the time, these agreements were the most far-reaching attempts to control nuclear weapons ever.
    1974 - Lisa Marie Presley, then five, meets an 11-year-old Michael Jackson for the first time when Elvis brings her to the Jackson 5 show at the Sahara in Vegas. 
    1977 - Val-Kill Cottage in Hyde Park, New York, was named a National Historic site. The only residence Eleanor personally owned, it would be her home after the death of her husband. Eleanor Roosevelt used it as a retreat in her younger years with her woman friends and made it her home in later years. It was a gift from her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, near his family's estate in Hyde Park. He wanted her to have a private place. He had a special bridge built that rumbled to warn of visitors.
http://www.nps.gov/elro/ 
http://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/abouteleanor/q-and-a/glossary/val-kill.htm
http://www.ervk.org/ervkhistory.htm
http://www.sodamail.com/cgi-bin/gt/tpl.h,content=6899
    1979 - Top Hits
“Reunited” - Peaches & Herb
“Hot Stuff” - Donna Summer
“Love You Inside Out” - Bee Gees
“If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me” - Bellamy Brothers
    1984 - Thunderstorms unloaded 8.63 inches of rain on Tulsa, Oklahoma in only 6 hours. The resultant flash flooding killed 14 people and total damage was $89.6 million.
    1985 - The Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 148-114, in the first game of the NBA championship series, setting a new record for total points by a team.
    1987 - Severe thunderstorms in West Texas produced baseball size hail at Crane, hail up to 3.5 inches in diameter at Post, and grapefruit size hail south of Midland. 5 days of flooding commenced in Oklahoma. Thunderstorms deluged Central Oklahoma with 7 to 9 inches of rain. Oklahoma City was drenched with 4.33 inches of rain in just 6 hours.
    1987 - Top Hits
“With or Without You” - U2
“The Lady in Red” - Chris DeBurgh
“You Keep Me Hangin' On” - Kim Wilde
“Can't Stop My Heart from Loving You” - The O'Kanes
    1997 – Revenue sharing in Major League Baseball began.  The New York Yankees paid almost $28M.
    1997 – Seattle Mariner Ken Griffey, Jr., broke his own Major League record for HRs hit through May by connecting for his 23rd.
    1997 - The Supreme Court ruled that Paula Corbin Jones can pursue her sexual harassment lawsuit against President Bill Clinton while he is in office.  The case precipitated Clinton's impeachment and acquittal by the Senate on February 12, 1999. Charges of perjury and obstruction of justice were brought against Clinton but the court dismissed the harassment lawsuit, before trial, on the grounds that Jones failed to demonstrate any damages. However, while the dismissal was on appeal, Clinton entered into an out-of-court settlement by agreeing to pay Jones $850,000, in exchange for her agreement to drop the appeal.  In April 1999, Clinton was declared in civil contempt of court for misleading testimony in the Jones case and was ordered to pay $1,202 to the court and an additional $90,000 to Jones's lawyers for expenses incurred. Clinton's conduct was referred to the Arkansas Bar for disciplinary action, and on January 19, 2001, the day before Clinton left the office of president, he entered into an agreement with the Arkansas Bar under which Clinton was stripped of his license to practice law in Arkansas for a period of five years.
    1998 – Michael Fortier was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined $200,000 for failing to warn authorities about the terrorist plot that was the Oklahoma City bombing, carried out by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols.  Fortier and McVeigh were Army roommates.  In October 1994, McVeigh showed Michael Fortier and his wife, Lori, a diagram he had drawn of the bomb he wanted to build.
     2000 - The Cardinals pay tribute to Hall of Famer hurler Dizzy Dean by dedicating a statue, created by sculptor Harry Weber, outside of Busch Stadium. The colorful character joins Enos Slaughter, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Stan Musial, and Red Schoendienst to be honored in such a manner by the Redbirds.
    2008 - Famous director and producer Sydney Pollack died at the age of seventy-three from cancer. The Oscar-winning director died surrounded by family only ten months after being diagnosed with cancer. He had directed such films as “Out of Africa,” “Tootsie,” and “The Firm.”
    2011 – Crew members of the Endeavour space shuttle Mike Fincke and Greg Chamitoff took what is potentially the last spacewalk ever conducted by a space shuttle crew.
    2014 - Google revealed its self-driving car.  The prototype can drive 25 miles per hour and safely respond to a variety of situations; it should be road-ready sometime after 2016; Ford, Tesla and other firms are also working on self-driving technology 
Stanley Cup Champions:
    1975 - Philadelphia Flyers