Salvation Army
Thank You

It is the only time of the year that the Salvation Army asks for donations for the operation of their mission. There are many centers, as well as specific operations, and you have the choice of the “general operation” or to a specific center or project, such as the Adult Rehabilitation Center or battered women, senior citizens, and many others, open to all regardless of race, religion, or sexual preference.

(Please click on Kettle to make a donation)

http://www.onlineredkettle.org/kitmenkin

Classified Ads---Senior Management

(These ads are “free” to those seeking employment or looking
to improve their position)

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

 

Free Posting for those seeking employment in Leasing:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted-post.htm

All “free” categories “job wanted” ads:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted.htm

 

 

Send Leasing News to a Colleague and ask them to subscribe.
Subscriptions are Free. Email kitmenkin@leasingnews.org
in the subject line, put: subscribe

 

 

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

Element Financials’ Hudson Changing His Image

                                         

                                                        

The recent announcement of purchasing Co-Active Partners from Marubeni to enter the United States vendor market is an echo of purchasing Alter Moneta, which was doing business in the United States. At the time Hudson said he was coming to the states.

His first moves was paying book value for the assets of Montreal-based Alter Moneta, a leasing firm that was started in 1998 with money from National Bank of Canada and the Caisse de depot et placment due Quebec. He then completed a $175.14 million private placement subscription.

Next was purchase of TLS Fleet Management from Scotiabank for $147-million plus debt , Mr. Hudson added a business with more than $430-million of assets. He then raised more money with warrants, and announced on September 1st Brad Nullmeyer was named president after purchasing 280,000 shares from $5.95 to $6.00. November the company placed a sales of 19.5 special warrants at $5.65, to specially gain proceeds of $110 million to help in its announced.

November 6th, announced $219.7 million of new originations booked in the third quarter, Element Finance contributed $86.7 million or 39.4%, Element Capital contributed $82.1 million or 37.4% and Element Fleet contributed $50.9 million or 23.2% During the period, Element completed the integration of the operations of TLS Fleet Management which the company acquired on June 29, 2012 adding more than $460 million of lease assets to Element’s portfolio at the end of the previous quarter.

Element Financial acquired on November 9th Co-Active Capital Partners, Inc. from Marubeni Corporation for $300 million including repayment of debt.

Element Financial web site states "Regional offices in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Montreal. The Company has more than 220 employees with direct expertise in a wide range of industries that invest heavily in capital equipment – from transportation and aerospace to mining and healthcare. Element uses this industry expertise to develop customized equipment financing solutions for its clients."

They now can add CoActiv Capital Partners, headquartered in Horsham, Pennsylvanian, who specialize in "private party label contracts," according to a company press release: "CoActiv specializes in designing and implementing private-label sales-aid finance programs to meet the needs of equipment manufacturers in specific industries and has particular expertise in customizing programs for the multi-tiered distribution channels within those industries."

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/coactiv-launches-new-office-products-group-immediately-secures-position-strength-marketplace-1524615.htm

According to the Element Financial web site:

"Element serves two groups of customers:

• "Equipment users look to Element to provide them with a competitive, flexible and independent source of equipment financing.

• "Equipment manufacturers and distributors engage Element to provide vendor financing programs that make it easier for their customers to acquire the equipment they need."

http://www.elementfinancial.ca/

Previous Stories:
http://leasingnews.org/archives/May2012/5_16.htm#hudson
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/hudson.html

Why Choose Advanced Property Tax Compliance?

Dedicated to the leasing industry click here to learn more.  Hear What Our Clients say about us  click here Gary DiLillo, President 440.871.0555 or gary@avptc.com

 

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

New Hires---Promotions

Bryan S. Grittner names as central region sales manager for Key Equipment Finance, Superior, Colorado." Grittner will be responsible for generating small- to mid-ticket IT equipment leasing and finance sales volume in the central region through national channel programs and regional business development efforts." Previously he was regional sales manager, GE Commercial Finance (February, 2007-November, 2012), account manager, Insight Global (August, 2005pJanuary, 2007), account manager, GMAC Homecomings (May, 2004-August, 2005).University of Oklahoma, Business (1999 – 2003) Activities and Societies: Member of Lamda Chi Alpha
www.linkedin.com/pub/bryan-grittner/12/140/b43

Eric D. Harkness, CFA, CPA, has been appointed vice president, treasurer, and chief risk officer for GATX Corporation, Chicago, Illinois. He joined GATX in April, 2007 as senior investment risk officer. Previously he was vice president and regional manager, business banking, Fifth Third Bank (2005-2007), senior vice-president, Academic Capital (1998-2005). The University of Chicago - Booth School of Business, MBA, Analytic Finance (1998 – 2001), Indiana University - Kelley School of Business, BS, Business (1991 – 1995).

He is a CFA charter holder and a member of the Investment Analysts Society of Chicago.
www.linkedin.com/pub/eric-harkness-cfa-cpa/8/36a/72a

David Lempko promoted to senior vice president and business bank sales director, Key Equipment Finance, Superior, Colorado. "In this new role, which begins January 1, Lempko will manage a team of leasing managers on the business banking team and will have responsibility for business bank production.

“Dave has been a high performer for Key Bank since he joined the company as a branch manager in 2007,” said Peter K. Bullen, senior vice president and national sales manager for Key Equipment Finance. “From that position he transitioned to Key Equipment Finance and became a top performer in our business bank segment, where he has become known for his exemplary sales process, deep bank relationships and leadership among his peers.”

Previously he was financial services manager, ADP (August, 2998-March, 2007), sales manager, AT&T Capital (November, 1994-August, 1998). Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Bachelors, Business Administration (1981 – 1985), Bishop Timon High School, High School Diploma, College Prep (1977 – 1981).
www.linkedin.com/pub/david-lempko/39/a02/b7a

David G. Mayer has joined the firm of Shackelford, Melton, McKinley, Dallas, Texas, to specialize in aviation and equipment finance practices. He is perhaps best known for his long time online monthly newsletter since 2002 "Business Leasing and Finance News" as well as his very popular book, now out of print "Business Leasing for Dummies."

Previously he was partner at Patton Boggs (1996-October, 2012), counsel at Hughs & Luce, LLP (1995-1996), deputy general counsel, Panda Energy Corp. (September, 1994-Feburry, 1996), senior counsel, GATX (1982-1994), associate, Battle, Fowler, Jaffin & Khell (1979-1982), associate, Bower & Gardner (1977-1979). Case Western Reserve University School of Law, J.D., Law (1974 – 1977)Activities and Societies: Case Western Reserve Law Review Ohio University, BA, Psychology & Government (1971 – 1974)Summa Cum Laude in 3 years - no summers. Activities and Societies: Omicrom Delta Kappa Honor Society.
www.linkedin.com/pub/david-g-mayer/8/b67/545

Richard "Dick" Maxwell has been promoted to vice president and national sales manager of commercial leasing at Fifth Third Bank, Cincinnati, Ohio.” He is responsible for managing national leasing and sales teams for Fifth Third Leasing Co., a subsidiary of the bank. He joined the bank in 2002. He previously worked for Heller Financial Inc. of Chicago. He is a graduate of Curry College in Milton, Mass. Before joining Heller, he held a variety of high level positions in syndications, marketing, and sales at leading finance and leasing companies in the U.S. He holds a B.A. in economics from Curry College, in Milton, Massachusetts.”
www.linkedin.com/pub/dick-maxwell/3a/52/a38

Jim Sadowski named vice president and group leader of Healthcare for SunTrust Equipment Finance & Leasing. Previously he was svp sales and marketing, Key Health(July, 2009-2012), vp healthcare, M&I Bank, Equipment Finance Company (2008-2009), marketing program manager, GE Healthcare Financial Services (2004-2007), national sales manager, Phillips Medical Capital (2002-2004), GEHFS-regional sales manager, business development manager, GE, (1997-2002). The University of Chicago - Booth School of Business MBA, Executive Program ' XP 56, (1986 – 1988)Activities and Societies: Class Officer, Marquette University, BS, Accounting (1972 – 1976). Activities and Societies: Beta Alpha Psi -Accounting Society.
www.linkedin.com/in/jsadowski

 

JP Morgan Chase Lose on Release of Lien case
By Tom McCurnin
Barton, Klugman & Oetting

2012 Ferrari 458 Spider
MSRP $257,000

Ford GT V6 Premium
MRSP $31,210

Bank’s Reckless Release of Ferrari Before Check Cleared Bars
Bank From Recourse Against Guarantor . Court Uses Doctrine From Magna Charta to Zing JP Morgan Chase

People get crazy when it comes down to luxury cars. If they treated the cars like any other collateral, things would be just fine. A case in point is the case of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. v. Jeffco, 2012 WL 996617 (N.J. Super. A.D. 2012) where the Bank stupidly released its lien on a Ferrari and Ford GT when it received a check from its customer’s broker. The check bounced. The Bank’s lawsuit against the borrower and guarantor was placed in jeopardy by the Appellate Division on two issues—The Bank’s stupidity and “impairment of collateral” which affected the liability of the guarantor.

Car dealer Jeffco and its principal Paul Andrews acquired two luxury automobiles and financed the same through JP Morgan Chase. The paperwork was confusing, as Jeffco was the borrower, but Andrews was either a co-borrower or co-signer (there were conflicts within the loan papers). The idea that Andrews might be a cosigner is important, because a cosigner is essentially a guarantor.

Jeffco entrusted the cars to another dealer, Scuba, who sold the cars on consignment. Oddly, when the vehicles were sold, Scuba paid off The Bank with a check drawn on Jeffco. The opinion is silent on this, but one assumes that Scuba sold the cars, pocketed the money, and used one of Jeffco’s blank checks that he had to pay the Bank.

The Bank discovered the problem months later, and sued Jeffco and Andrews.

The Court quickly disposed of any sympathy it might have had for the Bank, mocking the Bank for the “breakneck speed” in which it released the liens on a check drawn on its own customer.

Next the Court discussed the issue of “impairment of collateral” which for UCC nerds like me, is the interesting part of the case. You’ll find the word “impairment” in every personal guaranty and the language actually stems back to Article 12 of the Magna Carta, “Article 12: “We nor our bailiffs will not seize the lands or rent of a debtor for any debt so long as his goods are sufficient to pay the debt [creditor must resort to collateral first]. Thus, most States have statutes which forbid the secured creditor from releasing that collateral, because (a) it should be the primary source of repayment and (b) the guarantor could use the collateral to pay the debt or to reimburse himself.

Here, Andrews argued that the Bank stupidly released the collateral and therefore should be barred from pursuing the debt. The Bank argued that Andrews waived the defense, as a result of a settlement agreement, the terms of which did not specifically support a waiver. The Court held that the release of the two cars could exonerate Andrews from this debt, and sent the matter back to trial court for further proceedings. Here the New Jersey Court reached back to the Magna Charta to potentially hose JP Morgan Chase.

The lessons here are

• First, slow down. If the creditor receives a payoff from anyone other than an escrow or other bank, let the check clear before releasing the lien.

• Second, get your documents straight. The loans here were documented in two conflicting ways, one as Andrews being a co-borrower, and another with Andrews as a “co-signer” which under suretyship law is a guaranty. If this deal was documented as a guaranty, there certainly would have been impairment waivers in the document, and the Bank might have prevailed.

Tom McCurnin is a partner at Barton, Klugman & Oetting in Los Angeles, California.

Barton, Klugman & Oetting
350 South Grand Ave.
Suite 2200
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Tom McCurnin
Direct Phone: (213) 617-6129
Cell (213) 268-8291
Fax: (213) 625-1832
Email: tmccurnin@bkolaw.com
Visit our web site at www.bkolaw.com

Previous Tom McCurnin Articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/leasing_cases.html

 

 

 

 

Why I Became a CLP

 

 

Jim House
Vice-President, Business Development
GreatAmerica Financial Services

Just over two years ago, I remember Chris Walker, the former CLP President, my colleague at GreatAmerica, calling my cell phone while I was attending a trade show--- to congratulate me on passing the examination! I could hear the excitement in his voice as he broke the news to me. I no doubt looked silly as I stood in the crowded convention center pumping my fist up in the air after hanging up, but that was how I felt.

In the last twelve years at GreatAmerica I have held positions in both sales and operational capacities. During this time, I worked on a number of programs and projects with Chris. We had many adventures on sales calls, trade shows and attending industry events. Of course, there were also a few road trips to see concerts along the way. He and I both loved music. He passed away last year on November 18. I certainly miss him.

One of the many things Chris was passionate about was the importance of being a Certified Lease Professional from both the personal and professional standpoint. I realized that, and with his encouragement, I began to prepare for the examination. I was amazed at the depth of knowledge required to earn the designation. The review sessions became a very valuable way to augment the CLP book. More important, having industry experts like Scott Wheeler, Larry LaChance, Bob Teichman and Bernie Boettingheimer present the material was invaluable.

Through the process of attending review courses and self-study, I became better versed in all aspects of leasing, and was able to provide an even higher level of service to my customers. There are internal dividends as well, and I became a more valued resource to my co-workers.

Since passing the test, I have repeatedly drawn upon what I learned from my CLP training and membership. It is a cohesive group of people with the common goal of elevating the stature of our industry through education.

I urge anyone in the financial services industry to take a look at becoming a CLP so they can be a more informed salesperson to their customers and add value to their organization.

Why I Became a CLP Series---
http://www.leasingnews.org/CLP/Index.htm

 

Mr. Terry Winders available as a consultant regarding assisting attorneys in resolving disputes or explaining procedures or reviewing documents as utilized in the finance and leasing industry. He is the author of several books, including DVD's, as well as weekly columnist to Leasing News. He also performs audits of leasing companies as an expert on documentation, and has acted as an expert witness on leasing for litigation in legal and tax disputes, including before the IRS. He also has taught the senior bank examiners, how to review a bank leasing department, for the Federal Reserve in Washington D.C. and has trained the examiners for the FDIC on how to prepare a lease portfolio for sale. 502.649.0488/Leaseconsulting@msn.com

(This ad is a “trade” for the writing of this column. Opinions
contained in the column are those of Mr. Terry Winders, CLP)

 

 

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

California leads the pack in Q3 bank branch growth
By Tahir Ali and Lindsey White, SNL Financial

 

Banks continued to shutter branches across the U.S. during the third quarter, but at a much slower pace than in recent periods.

According to preliminary SNL data, banks and thrifts closed 352 branches in the third quarter — less than half the number of closures during the previous three months and slightly less than in the year-ago period. Banks closed more than 700 branches in the second quarter, more than 600 in the first quarter and more than 500 in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Meanwhile, branch openings tapered slightly to 241, compared to 299 in the linked quarter.

Ajay Nagarkatte, managing director and head of research at BAI, said the decrease in U.S. bank branches is unsurprising: For one thing, developments in online and mobile banking are giving tech-savvy customers the option to bank remotely. In addition, new regulations are putting pressure on the industry's bottom lines, leaving banks searching for ways to reduce their expense bases.

"A natural place for banks now to look is the branch distribution network, because that's a huge cost driver," Nagarkatte said. "So not surprisingly, a lot of banks are looking at it as potentially the first place to start to shave those expenses."

The Los Angeles metro area saw the biggest net increase in branches during the quarter, and California was once again the state that saw the most net growth. Meanwhile, New York state experienced the biggest net decrease in branches.

The usual suspects were the most active in opening and closing U.S. bank branches during the third quarter.

According to SNL data, Bank of America Corp. had the most net branch closures during the third quarter — perhaps unsurprising, given the company's recent focus on streamlining and cutting costs. The bank opened nine branches and shuttered 52, for a net loss of 43.

As BofA spokeswoman Betty Riess recently told SNL, the company is investing in new ways to serve customers, allowing them to bank through a combination of channels including branches, online banking, contact centers, ATMs and mobile banking.

Buffalo, N.Y.-based First Niagara Financial Group Inc. opened four branches and closed 21, for a net loss of 17 during the quarter.

Scott Fisher, First Niagara managing director of retail channels, told SNL via email that the branch consolidations related to the acquisition of 195 HSBC USA Inc. branches throughout upstate New York and Connecticut. "Due to the close proximity of some of the acquired branches, the company identified 35 HSBC and First Niagara locations which were consolidated in the second and third quarters of 2012," Fisher said. "Most consolidating locations were less than one mile away from receiving branches, including many which were across the street from each other or even in the same parking lot."

Fisher also noted that First Niagara continues to open branches in areas like western Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

KeyCorp opened one branch during the quarter while shuttering 16. Key Chairman and CEO Beth Mooney said during the company's third-quarter earnings call that the Cleveland-based bank plans to close an additional three branches during the fourth quarter.

Maria Coyne, head of Key's consumer and small-business banking segment, said the bank was overdue for some branch closures after several years of aggressive branch expansion. "Any good retailer every year is going to look at their stores and is going to open and close a certain amount," Coyne told SNL. "We had gotten so focused on the open piece that we just got a little behind on the close piece, and that's just where we're catching up now."

Of course, not all banks are shrinking their branch networks.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. opened 47 U.S. branches and shut 12, for a net gain of 35 during the third quarter — far more than any peer. The company has been outspoken about its strategy of expanding its branch network, especially in the growth markets of California and Florida.

Next up was Huntington Bancshares Inc., which added 22 branches during the third quarter and had no closures. On Huntington's third-quarter earnings conference call, CFO Donald Kimble noted that the company had opened 83 branches under its partnership with Giant Eagle and Meijer, and it plans to open another 44 by the end of next year.

Toronto-Dominion Bank also had no U.S. branch closures during the quarter, while opening 10 new locations. U.S. Bancorp opened 12 branches and shuttered four.

"There are some banks that are actually growing their franchises, their distribution systems, and that's because they are being opportunistic and think that they can indeed expand through new branches," Nagarkatte said.

But Nagarkatte expects the overall decline to continue, albeit gradually. "I think you'll see a steady decline in the total number of branches in the United States for the next few years, but I still think that the branch has a pretty important role," he said. "It continues to be the best source of new accounts and new households; it continues to be the best venue for conducting certain types of business … and it's also the best place for small businesses."

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)

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

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

Istanbul Operating Lease Conference a "Sell Out"

Sudhir Amembal

Amembal & Associates, the world's foremost authority in lease education, consultancy and publications, organized the first-ever leasing conference entirely devoted to operating leases. The conference was held in Istanbul, November 8 & 9, preceded by a one day workshop on operating leases, conducted by Sudhir Amembal. With the conference room capacity at 120, the event was attended by exactly the same number! The workshop attracted 40.

Those attending were mostly high level leasing professionals from 28 countries across the globe. Speakers at the conference included expert operating lease practitioners as well as service providers. The conference also attracted eight sponsors.

The conference was very well received by the delegates.

Testimonials include:

"One of the best conferences I have ever attended."

Phil Gerrard, Associate Director - Leasing & Consumer Finance Team, Grant Thornton UK LLP, UK

"Excellent content covered by expert speakers."

Bulent Tasar, Managing Director, Siemens Finansal Kiralama A.Ş. (Siemens Leasing), Turkey

“When you squeeze a lemon, it gives you all it has got; that is what this conference was - a squeezed lemon of operating leases!"

Ahmed Deif, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, A.T. Leasing Company, Egypt

In light of the sell out as well as the fact that the conference was extremely well received, Amembal & Associates announces that the Second Annual Operating Lease Conference will be held next November, again in Istanbul.

For those who wish to receive ongoing details about the forthcoming conference in 2013, please contact Kelly Farnham at kelly@amembalandassociates.com.

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

Australian Cattle Dog/Beagle Mix
Cincinnati, Ohio Adopt-a-Dog

Molly
ID#: Clifton
Female
Medium size
Tricolor (Tan/Brown & Black & White)
Six Months Old

Molly: 6 months’ Story...

"Guess what? I have been saved from death row and am now being cared for by Ohio Hound Rescue. I am really grateful that I was chosen, and am now ready to find a forever home. If you think you might like to adopt me all you need to do is fill out the application on our home page. The nice foster moms at OHR will call you. I'm friendly and housebroken. Requested adoption donation is $150."

Contact This Rescue Group...
Rescue Group: Ohio Hound Rescue/ Bast's Bastion/ Three Sisters
Pet ID #: Clifton
Contact: Susan Hergert
Phone: (513) 503-7234
Let 'em know you saw "Molly: 6 months" on Adopt-a-Pet.com!
E-mail: skhergert@yahoo.com
Let 'em know you saw "Molly: 6 months" on Adopt-a-Pet.com!Website:
http://www.threesisters.petfinder.com
Address: 3838 Red Bank Road
Cincinnati, OH 45227

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

Adopt a Pet
http://www.adoptapet

 

(Leasing News provides this ad “gratis” as a means
to help support the growth of Lease Police)

Fernando's View Special Thanksgiving Edition

By Fernando F. Croce

As end-of-year holidays quickly pile up, it’s important to not lose track of the things that really matter, like health, family, and a good movie. So for this upcoming Thanksgiving, we’re recommending a slew of savory cinematic treats to go with your turkey gravy and pumpkin pie. Enjoy!

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (Bill Melendez & Phil Roman, 1973): No holiday gathering is complete without a visit from the Peanuts gang. In this short but delightful animated TV special, Charles M. Schultz’s characters come to face such Turkey Day challenges as getting the family together and getting the right meals cooked. When Peppermint Patty and friends invite themselves over to Charlie Brown’s house, he must whip up a holiday special even though he’s supposed to be going to his grandmother’s house. Throw in lessons about what Thanksgiving really stands for and Snoopy and Woodstock in pilgrim costumes, and you have a tip-top Peanuts feature.

.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles (John Hughes, 1987): Steve Martin and John Candy make a n unbeatable odd couple in this hilarious and ultimately poignant comedy from director John Hughes (“The Breakfast Club”). Smooth advertising exec Neal (Martin) and brash salesman Del (Candy) make unlikely traveling companions, but when their flight is grounded by snow, the two are stuck on a madcap road trip. Can they make it home in time for Thanksgiving—or, more to the point, before they kill each other? There are several unforgettable jokes and characters along the way, but what makes the movie such an enduring treat is the warm and expert chemistry between Martin and Candy.

 

Addams Family Values (Barry Sonnenfeld, 1993): A rare sequel that’s wittier than the original, this dark-humored gem boasts what is possibly the funniest Thanksgiving pageant on record. While Gomez (Raul Julia) and Morticia (Anjelica Huston) deal with a conniving babysitter (Joan Cusack) back home, their children Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and Pugsley (Jimmy Workman) endure the horrors of a tacky summer camp. The film’s comic high point comes when the kids take part in the camp’s play about the first Thanksgiving (titled “A Turkey Named Brotherhood”) and turn traditions upside down. Without giving too much away, let’s just say you won’t look at pilgrims and Indians the same again.

What’s Cooking? (Gurinder Chadha, 2000): Set in Los Angeles’s ethnically diverse Fairfax district, this underrated comedy envisions Thanksgiving as a time that can bring people from different ages, nationalities and cultures together. At the center of a vast and colorful gallery of characters are Lizzy (Mercedes Ruehl), Audrey (Alfre Woodward), Trinh (Joan Chen) and Ruth (Lainie Kazan), women struggling to put together a feast that will bring their respective families home despite their difficulties. Despite the numerous plotlines, director Gurinder Chadha keeps a quick pace and warm tone, forging a tremendously appealing combination of laughs and tears.

 

The New World (Terrence Malick, 2005): No film more movingly depicts the first interactions between Native Americans and European settles than this beautiful epic from master director Terrence Malick (“Days of Heaven,” “The Thin Red Line”). Offering a sweeping panorama of the nation’s nascent period, it sensitively depicts the relationship between explorer John Smith (Colin Farrell) and young native princess Pocahontas (Q’Orianka Kilcher), who develop a profound love for each other despite the many and often violent differences between their cultures. Offering an emotional, visually sublime vision of hope between human beings and nature, this masterpiece is certainly something for every movie lover to be thankful for.

 

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

Happy Thanksgiving from Leasing News

 

News Briefs----

H-P Blames $8.8 Billion Charge on Bad Deal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100014241278873

HP’s Accounting Claims Are Seen as Cover for Bad Deals
(Meg Whitman was on the board and voted for the purchase)
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-20/hp-s-accounting-claims-are-seen-as-cover-for-bad-deals.html

World Bank: Climate change could cause massive damage
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/11/19/world-bank-warns-climate-change/1715165/

Fleet equipment financing
http://www.fleetequipmentmag.com/Item/107170

Ex-AIG CEO loses $25 billion Fed suit
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/ex_aig_ceo_loses_fed

Cisco to buy Meraki for $1.2 billion
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_22029536/cisco-buy-meraki-1-2-billion

40 potential buyers bid for BK Upper Crust, bk pizza chain
http://www.boston.com/businessupdates/2012/11/20/bidders-have-expressed-interest-buying-upper-crust-the-bankrupt-pizza-chain/YMKVZV52x0cSZ2RpJqMNQO/story.html

 

 

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

Unaired 'SNL' Fieri sketch
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20121120/MULTIMEDIA/121129979

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

SparkPeople--Live Healthier and Longer

SparkPeople--Live Healthier and Longer

Quiz: Holiday Food Calories
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/quizzes_questions.asp?quizid=38

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

 

Sports Briefs----

San Francisco 49ers new South Bay stadium gets college bowl game
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_22034293?source=source=inthenews

Poole: Jeff Tedford and Cal got left in the dust
http://www.contracostatimes.com/monte-poole/ci_22034496/poole-jeff-tedford-and-cal-got-left-dust

 

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

 

 LEIF ERICSON

Leif the Viking bent his knees
And prayed to God in ten-o-three
"With your help I’ll set the sail
With your wisdom we’ll prevail."

Across the sea to a far off land
The Vikings sailed under Leif’s command
In winds and waves the ship was tossed,
But through it all the bark did cross.

A new world waited for Leif to view
Adventure, wonder, farmland too
Clear waters, fish and hunting grounds
A finer land could not be found

A man of courage, faith, and prayer
Leif the Norseman did his share
To open the worlds beyond the sea
A noble Viking, great was he!

Written by Carol Naevestad-Billings of Oxford, CT

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

California Nuts Briefs---

Public nudity ban passed by the S.F. Board of Supervisors
http://blog.sfgate.com/cityinsider/2012/11/20/public-nudity-ban-passed-at-the-board-of-supervisors/

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

“Gimme that Wine”

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

There’s One Thing You Left Out
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/21/dining/thanksgiving-wines-for-when-you-didnt-plan-ahead.html?ref=dining&_r=0

Napa and Sonoma Estimate Harvest
http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section

Wine magazine names Joseph Gallo of Modesto its person of the year
http://www.modbee.com/2012/11/19/2462947/wine-magazine-names-joseph-gallo.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]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Thanksgiving in American History

    1621-History records the earliest American harvest festival was celebrated in early December by the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Mass. A peace treaty and defensive alliance between the Wampanoag Indians and the Pilgrims was con­cluded at Strawberry Hill, Plymouth, Mass. Arranged by Squanto, an English-speaking Indian, it was one of the earliest recorded treaties between Europeans and Indians in North America. Squanto had been kidnapped and sold as a slave in Spain. He escaped to Eng­land, where he learned English, and lived in New­foundland for a time before returning to Massachusetts in 1619.

Meat and bird were rare. Turkeys flourished in Pennsylvania, but not in New England. Seafood was the main source of nutrition women and children arriving in New England to join their Pilgrim husbands and fathers. Settlers were feasted with “a lobster or a piece of without bread or anything else but a cup of spring water.” Many lobsters weighed 25 lbs. and were so abundant that the smallest child could catch them. Clams, mussels, and fish stew were also popular dishes.

The coastal Indians, diminished by a viral hepatitis, needed the Europeans to help protect them from “inland” Indian tribes and approached the “Pilgrims” to aid them offering food and fur as blankets for small trinkets that was their main reason for the relationship. Many of the blankets unknown to all carried measles, chicken pox, and other European diseases unknown to the New World (See the December, 2005 edition of Smithsonian Magazine. The Indian population on the East Coast was ten million and within one hundred years diminished to one million.)
    1631-The first public thanksgiving, a fast day, was celebrated in Massachusetts Bay Colony, on February 22, though history records many private celebrations before this date.
    1789- Thanksgiving Day was celebrated for the first time as a national holiday. Pres. Washington, at the request of Congress, had proclaimed it a day of thanksgiving for the Constitution. Anti-Federalists protested that his proclamation violated states rights.
    1864- Oct 3, Thanksgiving Day was proclaimed a national holiday by Pres. Lincoln, to be observed on the last Thursday in November. In 1939, Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving Day one week back to stimulate Christmas shopping. In 1941, Congress adopted a joint resolution confirming the fourth Thursday, not the last Thursday, as Thanksgiving Day. In most states, the Friday after Thanksgiving is also a holiday. In Nevada, it is called Family Day.

     1729-Birthday of Josiah Bartlett (also the name of the “president” in the TV series, “West Wing.” President of New Hampshire, Signer of the Declaration of Independence.
http://www.josiahbartlett.com/
    1784 -- James Armistead is cited by French General Lafayette for his valuable service to the American forces in the Revolutionary War. Born into slavery 24 years earlier, had worked as a double agent for the Americans while employed as a servant of British General Cornwallis.
http://staff.harrisonburg.k12.va.us/~paigner/gifted/James_Armistead_Lafayette/
JamesLafayette.html
http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0886828.html
http://russell.gresham.k12.or.us/Colonial_America/James_Armistead_.html
    1785-Birthday of William Beaumont, US Army surgeon whose contribution to classic medical literature and world fame resulted from another man's shotgun wound. When Canadian fur trapper Alexis St. Martin received an apparently mortal wound June 6,1822---a nearly point-blank blast to the abdomen---Dr. Beaumont began observing his stomach and digestive processes through an opening in his abdominal wall. His findings were published in 1833 in” Experiments and Observations on the Gastric Juice and the Physiology of Digestion. St. Martin returned to Canada in 1834 and resisted Beaumont's efforts to have him return for further study. He outlived his doctor by 20 years and was buried at a depth of eight feet to discourage any attempt at posthumous examination. Beaumont, born at Lebanon, CT, died April 25, 1853 at St. Louis, Mo.
    1789- North Carolina becomes the12th state to ratify the Constitution. 
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/nov21.html
    1800- Congress met at Philadelphia from 1790 to 1800, when the north wing of the new Capitol at Wash­ington, DC, was completed. The House and the Senate had been scheduled to meet in the new building Nov 17, 1800, but a quo­rum wasn't achieved until Nov 21, 1800. Primary reason was the poor travel and highways became a priority with the new congress.
    1800-formation of the Society of the Sacred Heart, a Roman Catholic religious order of women pledged to the education of girls. Founded by Madeleine Sophie Barat, it was brought to the U.S. at New Orleans in 1818 by Rose Philippine Duchesne.
    1801 -- "Federal Bonfire Number Two", a mysterious fire swept the offices of the Department of Treasury, destroying books and papers, after Republicans demanded proof that the expenditures of Timothy Pickering, the recently replaced Federalist Secretary of War, could be properly accounted for. Most records in War Department custody were destroyed by fire, November 8, 1800. Many of the remaining Revolutionary War records were lost during the War of 1812. As a result there were, until 1873, few records for the period before 1789 in War Department custody. In 1873 Secretary of War William Belknap purchased for the Federal Government the papers of Timothy Pickering, who between 1777 and 1785 had been a member of the Board of War, Adjutant General of the Continental Army, and Quartermaster General; the papers of Samuel Hodgdon, Commissary General of Military Stores for several years during the war; miscellaneous contemporary papers; and some minor groups of records and single record items.
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/revwar/image_gal/indeimg/pickering.htm
http://www.qmfound.com/COL_Timothy_Pickering.htm
    1820 -- Thirteen-year-old Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's first poem, "The Battle of Lovell's Pond" is published in the Portland, Maine, Gazette.
http://classicreader.com/author.php/aut.58/
    1824-The first Jewish congregation in the Reform movement was the Reform Society of Israel­ ites, organized by dis­sident members of Congregation Beth Elohim of Charleston, SC, an Orthodox synagogue that had been founded by Sephardic Jews in 1750. The group was formed after the trustees of the synagogue refused a request to modernize the prayer service. Its leader was Isaac Harby, a teacher and journalist. The society disbanded in 1833, but many of its members rejoined the synagogue after the arrival of Rabbi Gustav Poznanski, who approved radical alterations in the service.
    1835-Birthday of Henrietta Howland Robinson Green, better known as Hetty Green, reported to have been the richest woman in America, was born at New Bedford, MA. She inherited a large fortune from her father and invested it so shrewdly that she was considered the greatest woman financier in the world. She was an able financier who man­aged her own wealth, which was estimated to have been in excess of $185 million in today's money. At one point in time, Hetty Green held the mortgages on 60 churches. Died at New York, NY, July 3, 1916.
http://www.brfwitness.org/Bread/witchws.htm
http://www.scripophily.net/wesshorrrsto.html
    1852- Union Institute was chartered by the Methodists in Randolph County, NC. Renamed Trinity College in 1859, the campus moved to Durham in 1892. Tobacco magnate James B. Duke endowed the school with $40 million in 1924, upon which its name was changed to Duke University.
    1861-Confederate President Jefferson Davis names Judah Benjamin the secretary of war. A Sephardic Jew from South Carolina, Judah Benjamin was an exception to the rule in the Protestant South. As a young man, he moved to New Orleans and lived in a largely Jewish community. He married the daughter of a wealthy Catholic couple, but the marriage was distant--Natalie Benjamin moved to Paris soon after the birth of their daughter and the couple spent little of their fifty-plus-year marriage together. Benjamin practiced law and bought a sugar plantation near New Orleans. He became a representative in the Louisiana state legislature in 1842, and he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1852. While there, he became a close friend of Jefferson Davis, who was then a Mississippi senator. Benjamin resigned during the secession crisis of 1860 and 1861, even before Louisiana officially left the Union. Davis selected Benjamin as the Confederacy's first attorney general, and he quickly became the president's most trusted advisor. After the Battle of First Bull Run, Secretary of War Leroy Walker resigned amid criticism that the Confederate army did not pursue the defeated Yankees. Davis appointed Benjamin to the position. Although Benjamin had no military experience, his appointment allowed Davis to dominate Confederate military affairs. Placing his trusted friend in the position of secretary of war ensured that Davis would not be challenged on important military decisions. Benjamin efficiently managed the day-to-day work of the war department, but he began to quarrel with some of the top generals who resented taking orders from a non-military bureaucrat. Benjamin also drew unfair criticism because of his religion--many openly questioned his loyalty because of his Jewish faith. When Roanoke Island fell to the Yankees in March 1862, criticism of Benjamin peaked. Many censured him for not sending men and supplies to the island's garrison. Furthermore, the war was going badly for the Confederates in the West. Davis recognized that the storm of complaints was crippling Benjamin's ability to perform his duty, so he appointed Benjamin secretary of state when Robert M. T. Hunter resigned that position. As the outlook for the Confederacy grew bleaker in 1863 and 1864, Benjamin floated the idea that the South could obtain foreign recognition only by promising emancipation. This radical concept fell on deaf ears until the last weeks of the war. When the Confederacy finally collapsed, Benjamin fled with the rest of the Confederate government to Danville, Virginia. When President Lincoln was assassinated, it was discovered that Benjamin had ties to the Surratt family, which was implicated in the conspiracy. Fearing capture and prosecution, Benjamin fled the country. He settled in England and practiced law there, often visiting his wife and daughter in Paris. During the rest of his life, Benjamin rarely spoke of his service to the Confederacy. He died in Paris in 1884.
    1865-Shaw University founded, oldest black university in the South.
http://www.shawuniversity.edu/profile.htm
    1871 - The cigar lighter was patented by M.F. Gale of New York City.
    1877- Thomas Edison announced his invention of the phonograph, Menlo Park, NJ.
    1902- Phoebe Jane Fairgrave Omlie birthday, aviator, used an inheritance at age 17 to buy her own plane and then sold stunt flying to a movie studio to justify the expense. Her mother supported her endeavors. Her diminutive size handicapped her. She and her husband did barn-storming, which included walking on wings and other death-defying acts that were the mainstays of early aviation exhibitions. She was the first woman to get a federal pilot's license. With Amelia Earhart she painted markers on roofs throughout the country that guided pilots to the nearest airport (long before radar and plane-to-ground radios); headed and coordinated a project to train 5,000 airport ground personnel. She also opened a school for the training of women instructors after the Civilian Pilot Training schools fired all women instructors.
http://www.anb.org/articles/20/20-00742.html
    1904 --Coleman Hawkins Birthday 
http://www.redhotjazz.com/hawkins.html
    1905- Frederick Charles (Freddie) Lindstrom, Baseball Hall of Fame third baseman and outfielder born at Chi­cago, IL. Lindstrom played for the New York Giants in the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1924 World Series, a ground ball hit a pebble and bounced over his head, allowing the run that gave the championship to the Washington Sen­ators. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1976. Died at Chicago, Oct 4, 1981.
    1908- birthday of Paul Rapier Richards, baseball player, manager and executive born at Waxahachie, TX. Richards was a catcher with marginal ability, but an innovative man­ager and executive. He invented the oversized catcher's mitt to handle knuckleball pitchers and the “Iron Mike” pitching machine. Died at Waxahachie, May 4,1986.
    1920 – Birthday of Stan ‘The Man' (Stanley Frank) Musial (Baseball Hall of Famer, born Donora, PA.: SL Cardinals outfielder, first baseman [World Series: 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946/all-star: 1943, 1944,     1946-1963/Baseball Writers' Award: 1946, 1948]; topped .300 mark 18 times, won seven N.L. batting titles with his famed corkscrew stance and ringing line drives; 3-time MVP played in 24 All-Star games; nicknamed ‘The Man' by Dodger fans for the havoc he wrought at Ebbets Field)
    1925-Birthday of guitarist Sal Salvador, born Monson, MA.
    1934- The New York Yankees paid the San Francisco Seals $25,000 and four players for Joe DiMaggio. Despite DiMaggio's 61-game hitting streak in 1933 and his .341 batting average in 1934, the Yankees kept him with the Seals for 1935. He hit .398.
    1934 - Cole Porter's "Anything Goes" opened at the Alvin Theatre in New York City. The show ran for 420 performances.
    1934-The New York Yankees paid the San Francisco Seals $25,000 and four players for Joe DiMaggio. Despite DiMaggio's 61-game hitting streak in 1933 and his .3451 batting average in 1934, the Yankees kept him with the Seals for 1935. He hit .9398.
    1940-Birthday of piano player Dr. John ( Malcom John Rebennack), New Orleans, LA
( also known as “The Night Tripper.”)
http://www.jazzvalley.com/musician/dr.john
http://www.frankspicks.com/reviews/doc.htm
    1942—The Alcan Highway opens, Alaska
( lower half of: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/nov21.html )
    1944---*MINICK, JOHN W. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company I, 121st Infantry, 8th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Hurtgen, Germany, 21 November 1944. Entered service at: Carlisle, Pa. Birth: Wall, Pa. Citation: He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, in action involving actual conflict with the enemy on 21 November 1944, near Hurtgen, Germany. S/Sgt. Minick's battalion was halted in its advance by extensive minefields, exposing troops to heavy concentrations of enemy artillery and mortar fire. Further delay in the advance would result in numerous casualties and a movement through the minefield was essential. Voluntarily, S/Sgt. Minick led 4 men through hazardous barbed wire and debris, finally making his way through the minefield for a distance of 300 yards. When an enemy machinegun opened fire, he signaled his men to take covered positions, edged his way alone toward the flank of the weapon and opened fire, killing 2 members of the guncrew and capturing 3 others. Moving forward again, he encountered and engaged single-handedly an entire company killing 20 Germans and capturing 20, and enabling his platoon to capture the remainder of the hostile group. Again moving ahead and spearheading his battalion's advance, he again encountered machinegun fire. Crawling forward toward the weapon, he reached a point from which he knocked the weapon out of action. Still another minefield had to be crossed. Undeterred, S/Sgt. Minick advanced forward alone through constant enemy fire and while thus moving, detonated a mine and was instantly killed.
    1944---Top Hits 
The Trolley Song - Judy Garland 
I'll Walk Alone - Dinah Shore 
Together - Helen Forrest & Dick Haymes 
Smoke on the Water - Red Foley
    1948- The Sunday morning religious program "Lamp Unto My Feet" first aired over CBS television. It became one of TV's longest running network shows, and aired through January 1979. 
    1948-Birthday of drummer Alphonse Mouzon, Charleston, SC
http://www.tenaciousrecords.com/bio.html
http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers2/Alphonse_Mouzon.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000003P0Q/inktomi-musicasin-20/
104-6368463-9838304
http://www.angelfire.com/mac/keepitlive/drummers/Mouzen/mouzen.htm
    1952---Top Hits 
You Belong to Me - Jo Stafford 
Glow Worm - The Mills Brothers 
Because You're Mine - Mario Lanza 
Jambalaya (On the Bayou) - Hank Williams
    1953--- "Rags to Riches" by Tony Bennett topped the charts and stayed there for 8 weeks.
    1955 - The first lady of the American stage, Helen Hayes, was honored for her many remarkable years in show business, as the Fulton Theatre in New York City was renamed the Helen Hayes Theatre
    1956- Don Newcombe of the Brook­lyn Dodgers won the first Cy Young award, given to the most outstanding pitcher in the major leagues. He added the National League Most Valuable Player Award to his trophy case as well
    1959 - Following his firing from WABC Radio in New York the day before, Alan Freed refused “on principle” to sign a statement that he never received money or gifts (payola) for plugging records. Incidentally, few may remember, but Freed left WABC while he was on the air. He was replaced in mid-record by Fred Robbins, who later became a nationally-known entertainment reporter for Mutual Radio.
    1960- "Stay" by Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs topped the charts and stayed there for a week. 
    1960---Top Hits 
Stay - Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs 
Are You Lonesome To-night? - Elvis Presley 
Last Date - Floyd Cramer 
Wings of a Dove - Ferlin Husky
    1964 - The Verrazano Narrows Bridge opened. Actually, the upper deck was opened to traffic on this day. The bridge, linking Brooklyn and Staten Island, was the world's longest suspension bridge at 4,260 ft. 1980 - The largest TV audience ever, an estimated 82 million people, watched as Sue Ellen's sister, Kristin Shepard, shot J.R. Ewing on "Dallas". The jilted mistress was seen holding the smoking gun after a summer of viewers asking that haunting question, “Who Shot J.R.?” Eighty percent of all viewers watched the show.
    1966-Birthday of Troy Kenneth Aikman , football player, star Dallas quarterback now sportscaster, West Covina, CA.
    1967-Gen. William Westmoreland, commander of U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam, tells U.S. news reporters: "I am absolutely certain that whereas in 1965 the enemy was winning, today he is certainly losing." Having been reassured by the general, most Americans were stunned when the communists launched a massive offensive during the Vietnamese Tet New Year holiday on January 30, 1968. During this offensive, communist forces struck 36 of 44 provincial capitals, 5 of 6 autonomous cities, 64 of 242 district capitals and about 50 hamlets. At one point during the initial attack on Saigon, communist's troops actually penetrated the ground floor of the U.S. Embassy.
    1968 -- A portrait of Frederick Douglass appears on the cover of Life magazine. The cover story, "Search for a Black Past," is the first in a four-part series of stories in which the magazine examines African-Americans, a review of 50 years of struggle, with interviews of Jesse Jackson, Julian Bond, Eldridge Cleaver, Dick Gregory, & others.
http://www.life.com/Life/covers/1968/cv112268.html
    1968---Top Hits 
Hey Jude - The Beatles 
Those Were the Days - Mary Hopkin 
Love Child - Diana Ross & The Supremes 
I Walk Alone - Marty Robbins
    1969-The “internet” began when the first computer network was ARPANET, a data communications net­work developed by J.C.R. Lieklider, Robert Taylor, and other researchers for the Depart­ment of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency. The first ARPANET link was put into service on November 21, 1969. It connected a computer in the computer science department at the University of California at Los Angeles with a laboratory computer at the Stanford Re­search Institute, Stanford, CA. Over the next decade, ARPANET grew to include many gov­ernment and university computers. In 1973, Dr. Vinton Cerf and Robert E. Kahn were commis­sioned by the federal government to create a national computer network for military, govern­mental, and institutional use. The network was based on ARPANET sites and employed pack­et-switching, flow-control, and fault-tolerance techniques developed by ARPANET. Historians consider this world wide network the origin of the Internet.
    1970-Two months after launching their TV series, The Partridge Family reaches the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with "I Think I Love You". The only members of the cast who actually sang on the record were David Cassidy and his real-life step mother, Shirley Jones..
    1976---Top Hits 
Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright) - Rod Stewart 
The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald - Gordon Lightfoot 
Love So Right - Bee Gees 
Somebody Somewhere (Don't Know What He's Missin' Tonight) - Loretta Lynn
    1981 - Olivia Newton-John started the first of 10 weeks at the top of the pop music charts when "Physical" became the music world's top tune.
    1982- After a strike that commenced on September 23, the NFL resumed play with the seven intervening weeks of the season having been canceled.
    1984---Top Hits 
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham! 
Purple Rain - Prince & The Revolution 
I Feel for You - Chaka Khan 
Give Me One More Chance – Exile 
    1986-National Security Council member Oliver North and his secretary, Fawn Hall, begin shredding documents that would have exposed their participation in a range of illegal activities regarding the sale of arms to Iran and the diversion of the proceeds to a rebel Nicaraguan group. On November 25, North was fired but Hall continued to sneak documents to him by stuffing them in her skirt and boots. The Iran-Contra scandal, as it came to be known, became an embarrassment and a sticky legal problem for the Reagan administration.Only six years earlier, Iran had become an enemy of the United States after taking hostages at the U.S. embassy in Tehran. At the time, President Reagan had repeatedly insisted that the United States would never deal with terrorists. When the revelation surfaced that his top officials at the National Security Council had begun selling arms to Iran, it was a public relations disaster. 
During the televised Iran-Contra hearings, the public learned that the money received for the arms was sent to support the Contras in Nicaragua, despite Congress' Boland Amendment, which expressly prohibited U.S. assistance to the Contras. Though the communist Sandinistas had been legitimately elected in Nicaragua, the Reagan administration sought to oust them by supporting the Contras, an anti-Communist group. During the Iran-Contra hearings, North claimed that the entire Reagan administration had known about the illegal plan. After admitting that he had lied to Congress, he was convicted of shredding documents, obstruction of justice, and illegally receiving a security fence for his own residence. He received a light sentence of a fine and probation. A year later in July 1990, an appellate court voted 2-1 to overturn his conviction based on the possibility that some of the evidence may have come from testimony that Congress had immunized in their own hearings on the matter. President Reagan and Vice President George Bush maintained that they had no knowledge of the scheme. In fact, when Reagan was deposed, he claimed to have little memory of anything that happened in the White House in the mid-1980s.
    1987 -- Cuban prisoners at a detention center in Oakdale, Louisiana riot & take control when the US announces reactivation of a 1984 agreement allowing Cuba to take back 2,000 "undesirables" in the U.S. A federal prison in Atlanta was commandeered two days later. The Oakdale standoff ended 29 November with release of hostages; the Atlanta crisis was resolved 4 December after the government agreed to grant a fair review of each Cuban's case.
http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_Archives/bright/dolgoff/cubanrevolution/toc.html
    1987- "Mony Mony" by Billy Idol topped the charts and stayed there for a week.
    1992- "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston topped the charts and stayed there for 14 weeks.
    1995 - The Beatles' "Anthology I" sold 450,000 copies in its first day of release. According to Capitol Records, it was the most single-day sales ever for an album. Yeah, yeah, yeah...
    1995-The first entirely computer-animated movie “ Toy Story,” 81 minutes long, was re­leased Walt Disney Pictures, Burbank, CA. It was produced at Pixar Corporation and directed by former Dis­ney animator John Lasseter. The plot involves the adventures of two dolls, a cowboy and a space hero, who are rivals for the attention of a young boy. Toy Story was one of the year's top-grossing films, earning close to $300 mil­lion worldwide in its first 12 months of release.
    1995- The Dow-Jones Index of 30 major industrial stocks topped the 5,000 mark for the first time.
    1996- CompuServe announced it would shut down its family-oriented service, WOW!, just eight months after it was launched. The company had tried to enter the family market and enhance its computer presence earlier in the year, but it backed off after investing some $70 million in the high-profile launch. The service attracted only about 100,000 subscribers during its short life.
    2002 -In an effort to appeal more to women and families, Major League Baseball announces a partnership with 5-year-old Women's Pro Softball League recently renamed National Pro Fastpitch. MLB will provide sponsorship support along with giving the softball players a presence at big league events.