63 Banks, Finance, and Leasing Companies Hit
With Losses over $7 Million after Some Recoveries
By Bernie Boettigheimer, CLFP

Have you ever seen one of those old western movies showing a train wreck in slow motion? This was my impression as I received the following email: 

Good Afternoon, John,
I wanted to let you all know the status of the case, Davidoff and Pearson are in federal custody and have not been granted a bond. Search warrants were executed at both homes and a ton of evidence was located. This evidence will take some time to review and sort. But for now, they are behind bars, and I anticipate that Davidoff will plead and assist the government at some point.

Det. Fran Foster #1122
Duluth Police Department
Criminal Investigations Division

This case goes back one year ago when one of our clients called Lease Police in a panic, stating that they had just funded a six-figure fraud deal. Fortunately, we were able to assist in recovering 60% of the funds. We were able to uncover the identity of five conspirators and put in place a new credit step to prevent any recurrence of this disaster. It was at that time that we met Detective Foster and were able to compare notes and learn that these five conspirators had struck at least 10 other companies with losses approaching over $1 million.

Our client was already considering instituting a commercial fraud action against these perpetrators, but Detective Foster asked that we sit-down since the FBI has already taken over the case and would present this to the grand jury. They wanted to wait, investigate them all, and prepare to bring them all to court.

It feels like a slow train ride because here we are one year later with 63 banks and finance companies with losses of over $7 million! 

There are many facets to this case that we only can reveal from our files. Why did this take so long? How did these people operate and why did some banks, finance and leasing companies get hit multiple times? What corrective measures did we initiate with our client? All of this will take time to explain while new indictments are about to be made, so no press releases yet.

Investigations will be complete soon and the full story with more details will be revealed. Next issue: How the Fraud Worked.

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Top Six Leasing Company Websites
in North America 

These ratings are all from Alexa, November 5: Three Month Ratings. They are ranked with the lower number, meaning where they place on the USA list (the lower the rating, the more visitors. The numbers are not how many visitors, but ranking on the list.)

These are not ranked by a vote of who has the best website, but the ranking in conducted by Alexa, an Amazon company.

At one time, there were ten, then nine, and now six under 1,000,000.

In the realm of things, there are many public, retail, business, and even personal websites, many of them with an app.

Up in “page views” from August 1

Direct Capital
CIT
Financial Pacific

Down in “page views

Balboa Capital
Crest Capital
TimePayment

Direct Capital in New Hampshire gets most of its business via the use of the internet and was a leader in this field very early, one of the reasons for their success (purchased by CIT in March, 2015). They were number one of this list for a long time, and are back in that position.

Crest Capital fell from number 2 to now number 3, originally number one. The main reason is their website is disguised as a Section 179 website.

CIT is back in to second place.  FinTech Breakthrough named the CIT Point-of-Sale Platform as the "Best Small Business Lending Solution" in 2018.

TimePayment fell to number four.

Throughout the taking of the ratings about every three months, it should be noted that Financial Pacific has steadily improved their ratings. Their following is primarily from  “third party originators" who send them business, so they must be very active on the web.

www.directcapital.com
314,826

www.cit.com
344,826

www.crestcapital.com
469,812

www.timepayment.com
494,149

http://www.balboacapital.com/home.aspx
726,673

www.finpac.com
793,672

It should be noted that Alternate Finance Companies have many more “hits.” They obviously know how to promote to obtain business on the internet. For instance, OnDeck ranking is 121,334 and Rapid Advance is 645, 646. Both “page views” were better than August 1.

Some award winning sites did not get many” page views,” such as First America Equipment Finance at 5,857,187 or Ascentium Capital at 1,123,678

Many banks and bank affiliates companies are connected with the bank’s website and ratings for the affiliates are not available.

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Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

More Effort

The window of opportunity is wide open for those originators
 who are willing to give just a little bit more effort.

The fourth quarter of 2018 is shaping up to be one of the most active quarters in years for the commercial equipment leasing and finance industry.  The demand for new equipment is strong. The market is hot; and top originators are working harder than ever to capture their fair share.

A seasoned veteran recently contacted me seeking advice. His opening comment was that he had already worked 30 hours that week and it was only Wednesday evening. He had processed more applications by the 15th of the month than he had processed in any other month over the last three years. In addition to an increase in applications, he also had landed an opportunity with a large prospect that he had been calling on for over a year. The prospect had heard through the grapevine that this originator had become a "player" in his specific niche that he was the expert for getting deals done. His extra efforts were paying off. He asked for my advice regarding the opportunity. We spoke about designing a program to win this large relationship.

This originator explained that for the past 6 months he has been giving significantly more effort to building his business. He is committed to building his network and learning every day. He said, "I don't want to look back at 2018 in 2 to 3 years' time and not know that I gave it my all while the opportunities were so plentiful." This originator had already booked 50% more business in 2018 than he did in all of 2017 - and he has more than two more months to produce.

He reminded me that several years ago in a coaching session I had told him to keep fishing while the fish were still biting. Opportunities are plentiful to those willing to give the effort. Fill the boat to the brim.

Produce 50% more Business

Order via Amazon: https://www.createspace.com/5355516 

Scott A. Wheeler, CLFP
Wheeler Business Consulting
1314 Marquis Ct.
Fallston, Maryland 21047
Phone: 410 877 0428
Fax: 410 877 8161
Email: scott@wheelerbusinessconsulting.com
Web: www.wheelerbusinessconsulting.com

Sales Makes it Happen articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Legacy/index.html

 

 

 

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Why Leasing Desktops and Laptops is a
Particular Strategic Advantage for Today's Law Firms

By Scott McFetters, President, CoreTech Leasing

As a long-term business partner of Thomson Reuters Elite, CoreTech Leasing has been working with many partner firms to help finance the software and all related costs for their upgrade to 3E®. However, its important firms don’t leave hardware behind, including laptops and desktops. In the increasingly competitive business of law, tying up capital in a depreciating asset like computer hardware—desktops, laptops, tablets and servers—not only doesn’t make sense, but it’s a type of strategic negligence. Leasing is a much better option for a wide range of reasons, some of them
surprising.

Today’s lawyers practice in a dynamic and pressurized business environment. The ability to quickly adjust your firm’s operations in response to changes isn’t just a good idea. It can make the difference between hitting your targets and missing them. More specifically, it can make the difference between, say, accepting a great case that includes some contingencies and passing on it because your firm can’t afford the risk. Or it can have you deciding not to pursue a major new client because you can’t afford to staff it. Leasing your firm’s technology can make the unaffordable affordable and provide firm leadership with the flexibility to meet the ever-changing industry demands.

Law firms spend a lot on technology and the amount is increasing. According to a recent survey by the International Legal Technology Association, 83% of law firms spent at least $5,000 per lawyer on technology. 47% of firms spent between $8,000 and $21,000 per lawyer, and a surprising 14% of law firms spent more than $21,000 per lawyer. Of this spending, hardware was the biggest investment, with the top four items purchased being desktop hardware (including PCs) laptops and notebooks, servers, and printers. Equipping a lawyer is a major investment. And given this, leasing just makes sense both financially and strategically.

Leasing, first of all, means predictable monthly costs for IT. In a business environment where collections can take months and cash flow is critically important, being able to predict your monthly technology expenditure can spell the difference between being in the red and being in the black.

It also means that your firm can use best-of-breed equipment without the massive cash outlay that purchasing it would entail. Technology is a fact of law firm life now and one key to remaining competitive is equipping both your lawyers and your staff with top-of-the-line hardware. Leasing can often make that possible.

Because of the financial flexibility, leasing also enables firms to custom-design technology solutions that specifically fit their needs. The cash outlay involved in purchasing equipment often acts as a kind of financial straitjacket: to manage your spending, you may end up with a very limited set of options. Leasing is different. Without the big upfront cost, you can custom-tailor your technology infrastructure to your firm’s exact needs.

Leasing also makes periodically upgrading your equipment easy. When the lease period expires, the leasing company becomes responsible for the old equipment, and your firm is free to lease newer models. In an environment where hardware becomes obsolete in a matter of months, this is a big advantage. Your firm will always have the best equipment because it can afford to.

Maintenance becomes a non-issue as well. When you own equipment, if something goes wrong, repair or replacement is the firm’s problem, as are the bills that arrive. When you lease equipment, it’s a different story. The leasing company is responsible for maintaining and repairing its equipment and the burden and cost of keeping critical equipment humming is their problem, not yours.

The bottom line? Law firms are not in the business of owning assets. They’re in the business of generating and distributing revenue. It’s a very dynamic business environment, with a lot of variables in play that more conventional, asset-based business don’t experience. Key partners or practice groups can leave, taking revenue with them. Clients can demand concessions on rates or decide to take work in-house. New regulations or market entrants can completely change formerly stable areas of practice overnight. A major piece of litigation may require financial, personnel, or other
resources the firm hadn’t planned on. There is less and less margin for error, more and more competition, and a need for the firm to be agile as well as swift.

Leasing can deliver that agility. The days when firms could succeed through tradition, relationships, and ever-growing demand are over. Instead, firms need to equip their lawyers with top-of-the-line equipment. They need to manage their cash flow and spending carefully. They need to be able to change strategic direction on a dime, when the situation calls for it. They need to devote time, energy, and attention to clients, not managing inventories of computer hardware. And they need to focus on practicing law and developing business. Leasing can help them do that.

Thomas Reuters Elite Publication
Q4 2018 Edition

Scott McFetters
President, CoreTech
CoreTech Leasing, Inc.
949-723-2305: Direct
866-758-2673: Office Phone Ext. 204
714-343-1657: Cell Phone
www.coretechleasing.com

The U.S. midterms have always generated a weaker voter turnout than the country's presidential elections. Historically, around 40 percent of eligible voters headed to the ballot box in the midterms compared to between 50 and 60 percent for the presidential elections. This year could set a record for turnout, judging by a flood of early votes. There have been 35 million so far, eclipsing 2014's 20 million ahead of the midterms that year.

Despite the positive trend this time around, it is still far behind the 2016 presidential election which saw more than 46 million votes counted ahead of election day. Turnout tomorrow is also likely to be far lower than in major national elections in other developed countries. When turnout is measured as a share of the voting-age population, it was just 55.7 percent in the 2016 presidential election, according to Pew Research.

That is far behind Belgium which had a high turnout of 87.2 percent in its most recent election in 2014. However, it must be pointed out that the country has a system of compulsory voting, consistently resulting in high turnout figures. Many countries without such a system also experience high voting volumes with Sweden a notable example with 82.6 percent in 2014. South Korea also had an impressive turnout of 77.9 percent last year.

By Niall McCarthy, statista.com

https://www.statista.com/chart/15996/share-of-the-voting-age-population-that-voted-in-the-most-recent-national-election/ 

 

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

OnDeck Reports Third Quarter 2018 Financial Results
Business is UP

Net income* of $9.8 million, $0.12 per diluted share
Adjusted Net income* of $13.2 million, $0.17 per diluted share
Gross revenue of $103.0 million, up 8% sequentia and 23% from a year ago
Raised 2018 guidance for Net income to $20 to $24 million
and Adjusted Net income to $40 to $44 million

NEW YORK,  -- OnDeck® (NYSE:ONDK), the leader in online lending for small business, announced third quarter 2018 Net income of $9.8 million, Adjusted Net income of $13.2 million and Gross revenue of $103.0 million.

Noah Breslow, Chief Executive Officer, OnDeck, said, "We are pleased to report excellent third quarter results highlighted by record origination volume, improved margins and stable credit quality, all of which culminated in record profitability.

"We continued to improve our funding profile and advanced our strategic initiatives including our recent launch of ODX, our platform-as-a-service business, and announcement of PNC as ODX's second major bank client. We surpassed $10 billion of cumulative originations, we are on track to announce our next lending product before year-end, we are investing in the future and business momentum is strong."

Review of Financial Results for the Third Quarter of 2018
Net income was $9.8 million, or $0.12 per diluted share, improved from the Net loss of $4.1 million, or $0.06 per diluted share, in the year-ago period.

Adjusted Net income was $13.2 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, compared to the Adjusted Net loss of $1.0 million, or $0.01 per diluted share, in the year-ago period.

Unpaid Principal Balance grew 7% sequentially and 16% from a year ago to $1,096 million. Origination volume was an all-time high of $648 million, increasing 22% from a year-ago and 10% sequentially, with growth in term loans and lines of credit. Originations increased across all channels and all geographies from a year ago driven by increased unit volume as the average term loan size of $56 thousand was largely unchanged.

Gross revenue increased to $103.0 million, up 8% from the prior quarter and 23% from the year-ago quarter, driven by higher Interest income due to portfolio growth and higher yields. The Effective Interest Yield was 36.5%, up from 36.1% in the prior quarter and 33.1% in the year-ago quarter, primarily reflecting improved pricing and portfolio performance.

Funding costs decreased from the prior and year-ago quarters to $11.7 million despite higher debt balances to fund growth and higher market interest rates.  The Cost of Funds Rate of 6.0%, improved from 6.6% the prior quarter and 6.4% in the year-ago quarter. The sequential improvement in funding costs and the cost of funds rate was driven by the refinancing of two secured debt facilities in August with a new $175 million facility priced at 1-month LIBOR plus 3%.

Net Interest Margin increased to 32.9% from 32.0% in the prior quarter and 28.9% in the year-ago quarter reflecting the improvements in Effective Interest Yield and Cost of Funds Rate.

Credit quality was stable reflecting our continued underwriting discipline, improved collection processes, and ongoing strength in the small business lending environment. Provision for loan losses was $39.1 million, up $5.8 million sequentially reflecting increased origination volume and essentially flat from a year ago; the Provision Rate was 6.0%. The 15+ Day Delinquency Ratio improved to 6.4% from 6.8% the prior quarter and 7.5% a year ago, while the Net Charge-off Rate of 11.1% was essentially flat sequentially and improved considerably from a year ago. The Reserve Ratio of 12.2% was also essentially unchanged sequentially and up from 11.1% a year-ago.

Operating expense was $42.7 million and included $0.6 million of debt extinguishment charges related to the voluntary prepayment in full of two secured debt facilities. Our efficiency ratio, which is total operating expenses as a percentage of total revenue, improved to 41% excluding the debt extinguishment charge.

Total assets increased 6% sequentially and 12% from a year ago to $1,140 million driven by loan growth. Cash and cash equivalents were $71 million compared to $74 million in the prior quarter and $64 million a year ago. Funding debt of $812 million increased at a rate commensurate with the growth in loans over both periods.

Total OnDeck stockholders' equity of $285 million increased $13 million, or 5%, from the prior quarter and $31 million, or 12%, from a year ago, and book value per diluted common share outstanding of $3.58 increased from $3.46 the prior quarter and $3.31 a year ago.

2018 Guidance
OnDeck increased its guidance for the year ending December 31, 2018 as follows:

• Gross revenue of $392 million to $396 million, up from $380 million to $386 million,
• Net income of $20 million to $24 million, up from $10 to $16 million, and
• Adjusted Net income of $40 million to $44 million, up from $30 million to $36 million.

The 2018 guidance assumes higher operating expenses and relatively stable portfolio assets in the fourth quarter, a full-year Provision Rate near the low end of our guidance range of 6% to 7%, and approximately $7 million of real estate disposition, severance and debt extinguishment costs already incurred.

2019 Outlook
OnDeck expects current operating trends to extend into 2019 with ongoing strength in originations resulting in low double-digit loan growth, a stable net interest margin as higher market interest rates mitigate lower borrowing spreads, and a stable annual efficiency ratio as positive operating leverage in the U.S. lending business offsets approximately $15 million of incremental investment in our strategic growth initiatives including ODX. These expectations assume the macro-economic, small business lending and capital market environments remain favorable.

Refer to the Non-GAAP Guidance Reconciliation section below for a reconciliation of Net income guidance to Adjusted Net income guidance.

* Net income (loss) as used in the narrative of this release is Net income (loss) attributable to On Deck Capital, Inc. common stockholders in the accompanying tables.  Adjusted Net income (loss) is a Non-GAAP financial measure based on Net income (loss) attributable to On Deck Capital, Inc. common stockholders.  See "About Non-GAAP Financial Measures."

Conference Call
OnDeck will host a conference call to discuss third quarter 2018 financial results on November 6, 2018 at 8:00 AM ET. Hosting the call will be Noah Breslow, Chief Executive Officer, and Ken Brause, Chief Financial Officer. The conference call can be accessed toll free by dialing (866) 393-4306 for calls within the U.S., or by dialing (734) 385-2616 for international calls. The Conference ID is 7087747. A live webcast of the call will also be available at https://investors.ondeck.com under the Press & Events menu.

About OnDeck
OnDeck (NYSE: ONDK) is the proven leader in transparent and responsible online lending to small business.  Founded in 2006, the company pioneered the use of data analytics and technology to make real-time lending decisions and deliver capital rapidly to small businesses. Today, OnDeck offers a wide range of online term loans and lines of credit customized for the needs of small business owners.  The company also offers bank clients a comprehensive technology and services platform that facilitates online lending to small business customers through ODX, a wholly-owned subsidiary.  OnDeck has provided over $10 billion in loans to customers in 700 different industries across the United States, Canada and Australia. The company has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and is rated 5 stars by Trustpilot. For more information, visit www.ondeck.com.

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ELFA Updates Mission Statement and Strategic Plan,
Affirming Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association  announced that it has added new language to its mission statement and 2019-2021 Strategic Plan that explicitly embraces diversity and inclusion. Earlier this year the ELFA Board of Directors established a Diversity Work Group, and at its October meeting the Board accepted the Work Group’s recommendation to update the mission statement and strategic objectives. The new language affirms ELFA’s commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion across the association and the industry.

The updated mission statement reads (new language in bold): “The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association is the trade association representing financial services companies and manufacturers in the $1 trillion U.S. commercial equipment leasing and finance sector. ELFA exists to provide member companies a platform to promote and advocate for the industry, including attracting and developing new and diverse talent; a forum for professional development and training; and a resource that develops information about, and for, the industry.” The updated 2019-2021 Strategic Plan is available at www.elfaonline.org/strategicplan.

ELFA Chairman Jud Snyder, President of BMO Harris Equipment Finance Company, said, “Diversity and inclusion are easy to say but are often harder to achieve. I am proud that the ELFA Board of Directors has adapted, and adopted, both our mission statement and our goals to make a difference for our member companies. By focusing on increasing the engagement of diverse talent at all levels in our association and member companies, we are putting a stake in the ground to say that our work here is not done yet.

“As we look at the future of our industry, it’s clear that if we stand still, we’ll be left behind. Innovation only happens with different voices coming from different backgrounds.”

ELFA President and CEO Ralph Petta, commented, “We are proud to represent and serve the diverse and vibrant equipment finance industry. Our aspiration as an association is that the people powering this great sector—including our members and their customers—will represent a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives. We believe that by focusing on diversity and inclusion, we’re empowering not only the people who make up our member organizations and the markets they serve—but also our entire industry.

“Together with our member companies, ELFA looks forward to advancing further initiatives to support diversity and inclusion across the association and the industry. As we grow these efforts, we believe they will not only result in better decision-making, but also are the right thing to do. In the wake of recent tragedies that have taken place around the nation, ELFA reaffirms its commitment to diversity and inclusion and denounces intolerance of all types.”
 
ELFA will be pursuing a number of strategies and tactics to advance this effort. The association has formed the ELFA Women’s Council, which is working to increase the participation and leadership of women across ELFA and the equipment finance industry. The association also established the Emerging Talent Advisory Council, which is working to encourage new and diverse industry professionals to get involved in the association early in their careers and attract the best and brightest to the industry.

About ELFA
The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) is the trade association that represents companies in the $1 trillion equipment finance sector, which includes financial services companies and manufacturers engaged in financing capital goods. ELFA members are the driving force behind the growth in the commercial equipment finance market and contribute to capital formation in the U.S. and abroad. Its 575 members include independent and captive leasing and finance companies, banks, financial services corporations, broker/packagers and investment banks, as well as manufacturers and service providers. For more information, please visit www.elfaonline.org.

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Australian Shepherd/Cattle Dog
Princeton, Minnesota  Adopt a Dog

Aries
#180898
Female
Age: 2 years
Size: 35 lbs.
Color: Tri-Color
(Tan/Brown & Black & White)
Declawed: No
Houstrained: Yes
Spayed: Yes
Exercise Needs: Moderate
Reaction to New People: Friendly
Location: 56401
Adoption Fee: $350

 Home body seeking another home body. The outside world can be scary for me but my foster family is really helping me come out of my shell but I still prefer the comfort of home where I can sit and relax in a dog bed or on the couch where we can watch movies and just hang out snacking on treats. I have lived with a pack of dogs my entire life and I feel much more confident with another dog in the home so I do need a dog buddy that can live with me.  Dog parks and children are too chaotic for me so a quiet home without a lot of commotion is my dream and I hope you can make my dreams come true.

A note from Aries Foster family- Aries is nearly perfect. She's so sweet she makes our teeth hurt the sweetness just pours out of her. She craves attention and affection and loves to snuggle. She's leashed trained, crate trained, and potty trained on a schedule. She listens very well and lives with 2 German Shepherds, a Boxer, and 2 Chihuahua's. She's very respectful of each of them and is very submissive. 

 More about Aries
Good with Dogs, Good with Cats, Good with Older/Considerate Kids Only, Good with Adults, Quiet, Does Good in the Car, Leashtrained, Cratetrained, Timid, Eager To Please, Gentle, Needs a companion animal

An adoption application is the best way to show your interest in an animal. Once we receive your application, a placement coordinator will be in contact with you as soon as possible.

Ruff Start Rescue Adoption Policies:  http://www.ruffstartrescue.org/info/display?PageID=11744

Write Us:
Ruff Start Rescue
PO Box 129
Princeton, MN 55371-0129
Call Us:
(763) 355-3981
Email Us:
info@ruffstartrescue.org

 

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Most Influential Lawyers
in Equipment Finance and Leasing

Stewart Abramson
Andrew Alper
Thomas V. Askounis
Julie Babcock
Joe Bonanno, CLFP
Bill Carey
Richard Contino
James Coston, CLFP
Jonathan Fleisher
Marshall Goldberg
Kenneth Charles Greene, Esq.
Michael A. Leichtling
Malcolm C. Lindquist
Barry Marks, Esq., CLFP
David G. Mayer
Allan J. Mogol
Frank Peretore
John G. Sinodis
Mark Stout
Kevin Trabaris
Allan Umans
Mark Wada
Michael J. Witt
Irwin Wittlin

Full List:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Pages/top_lawyers.html 

 

 

News Briefs----

SoFi CEO Ponders Opening Physical Locations
  By Todd Stone, deBanked.com
https://debanked.com/2018/11/sofi-ceo-ponders-opening-physical-locations/

Sears boss Eddie Lampert accused of possibly profiting
    from retailer's decline
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/11/06/sears-bankruptcy-eddie-lampert/1903950002/

Janet Yellen is absolutely right about the federal deficit
  US debt is now nearly $21.7 trillion, and it’s growing fast
https://nypost.com/2018/11/06/janet-yellen-is-absolutely-right-about-the-federal-deficit/

Fast-food chains now hiring more senior citizens than teens
  the reasons for seniors outpacing teen hires are many
https://nypost.com/2018/11/05/fast-food-chains-now-hiring-more-senior-citizens-that-teens/

 

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You May Have Missed---

Amazon's new goal: Teach 10 million kids a year to code
https://www.sfgate.com/business/technology/article/Amazon-s-new-goal-Teach-10-million-kids-a-year-13353903.php

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American Football Poems
Poems by
--Vince Lombardi
(1913-1970) US football coach

If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score?

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.

Gentleman, this is a football.

We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time.

Fatigue makes cowards of us all.

The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.

If you can't accept losing, you can't win.

Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.

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Sports Briefs---

NFL power rankings: Saints take top spot from Rams,
  battered Redskins plummet from top 10
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2018/11/06/week-10-nfl-power-rankings-saints-rams-redskins/1900468002/

USOC begins process of revoking USA Gymnastics' status
    as national governing body
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2018/11/05/usoc-begins-process-revoking-usa-gymnastics-status/1896795002/

QB Nick Mullens to get 2nd start for 49ers
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/sports/nfl/8920523-181/qb-nick-mullens-to-get?artslide=1

Troy Aikman Thinks Cowboys Need Total 'Overhaul'
   of 'Entire Organization' Going Forward
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/troy-aikman-thinks-cowboys-total-180548306.html

Eli Manning clings to quarterback job after stern warning
https://nypost.com/2018/11/06/the-giants-are-not-touching-eli-manning-yet/

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California Nuts Briefs---

Orchard Supply Hardware’s vintage sign
    has disappeared from San Jose store
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/11/06/orchard-supply-hardwares-vintage-sign-has-disappeared-from-san-jose-store/

Avery Ruzicka and Manresa Bread ready to open third South Bay cafe
https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/Avery-Ruzicka-and-Manresa-Bread-ready-to-open-13364630.php

Sacramento Zoo sees Kings’ old Arco Arena site
 as a good fit for its new home - 180 acres
https://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/living/family/article221160195.html

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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Winery postfire rebuilding progresses at Signorello Estate in      
  Napa, Paradise Ridge in Santa Rosa
https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/northbay/sonomacounty/8899440-181/signorello-napa-paradise-ridge-sonoma-winery-wildfire-rebuild

 New Spray Film for Grapes Cuts Water Need
https://www.winesandvines.com/news/article/205517/New-Spray-Film-for-Grapes-Cuts-Water-Need

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

This Day in History

     1637 - Anne Hutchinson, the first female religious leader in the American colonies, was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for heresy, preaching that faith alone was sufficient for salvation, a belief that contradicted Puritan orthodoxy. She was condemned by an ecclesiastical synod at Newton, Mass, and fled to Rhode Island. She and her family were later massacred by Indians in the wild, “untamed” part of New England.
http://www.annehutchinson.com/
http://www.forerunner.com/forerunner/X0193_Anne_Hutchinson.html
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=33955947
    1700 - The population of the colonies was sparsely scattered over a large area. Below the Delaware River, an isolated farm was the usual settlement, save for Charleston, which had about 250 families. Philadelphia had approximately 700 houses, New York about 5000 inhabitants, Newport, RI less than 200, and Boston, the largest city, about 7000. There were approximately 275,000 inhabitants in the colonies. In 1701, the naming of streets was authorized by the Boston Town Meeting. Previously, only Newport and Philadelphia had officially assigned street names. At the end of seven years, 109 names were submitted for ratification.
    1775 – John Murray, the Royal Governor of the Colony of Virginia, started the first mass emancipation of slaves in North America by issuing Lord Dunsmore’s Offer of Emancipation, offering freedom to slaves who abandoned their colonial masters in order to fight with Murray and the British.   
    1776 - Congress chose Richard Bache to succeed his father-in-law, Ben Franklin, as postmaster general. Franklin had sailed for France on behalf of the Continental Congress the previous month.
    1786 – The oldest musical society in the US is founded as the Stoughton Musical Society.
    1805 - Lewis and Clark reached the Pacific Ocean. Their survival over the ‘04-’05 winter was attributed to the help of the Nez Perce Indians.
    1811 – William Henry Harrison, commander of 800 U.S. soldiers fighting marauding Indians organized by Tecumseh, beat off a surprise attack led by Tecumseh’s brother Tenskwatawa, called the Prophet, at Tippecanoe River in north central Indiana. The toll of U.S. soldiers was 61 dead, 127 wounded. Subsequently, Harrison’s troops destroyed the Indian confederacy. Tecumseh and many of his followers crossed over into Canada and joined British forces in the War of 1812.  The fame for this feat later helped him gain the U.S. presidency.
    1814 - Andrew Jackson attacked and captured Pensacola, Florida, without authorization from his superiors. His aim was to end a threat posed by a small British garrison that had caused trouble in the area. Unknown to Jackson, Major General Sir Edward Pakenham had prepared 3,000 soldiers in Jamaica and was sailing to New Orleans to open a British offensive in the South. Pakenham’s army was supplemented by other soldiers brought from England. The opposing armies met in the famed January 1815 Battle of New Orleans.
    1820 – James Monroe was elected the fifth President of the US.
    1832 - Andrew D. White (d. 1918) was born in Homer, NY.  An educator and diplomat, White was co-founder and the first president of Cornell University.  In 1863, upon his election to the New York Senate, he first met fellow senator Ezra Cornell, a farmer from Ithaca who had made a modest fortune in the telegraph industry.   Around this time, the senators were debating how to best use the higher education funding provided by the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act, which allocated money in the form of timber land in the Midwest that could be sold as states saw fit. Through effective management by Cornell, New York generated about $2.5 million from its allotted scrip, a greater yield per acre than any state. White and Cornell argued that the money would be more effectively used if it endowed only one university rather than several as was being debated.  The two then combined their efforts to form a new university.  Cornell insisted that the university be located in Ithaca on his large farm on East Hill, overlooking the town and Cayuga Lake…”Far above Cayuga’s waters…” White ultimately agreed and convinced Cornell to give his name to the university "in accordance with [the] time-honored American usage" of naming universities after their largest initial benefactors.  On February 7, 1865, White introduced a bill "to establish the Cornell University" and, on April 27, 1865, New York Governor Fenton signed into law the bill endowing Cornell University as the state's Land-Grant institution. 
    1837 - United States abolitionist Elijah Lovejoy was attacked and killed by a pro-slavery mob at his printing works in Alton, Illinois, attempting to protect his printing shop from being destroyed a third time.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/nov07.html
    1845 - The first presidential voting nationwide took place.  On January 23, 1845, “an act to establish a uniform time for holding elections for electors of President and Vice President in all the states of the Union” was approved.  The day selected for voting was “the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November of the year in which they are to be appointed.” Zachary Taylor was elected President and Millard Fillmore was elected Vice President. The electoral vote was Taylor, 163, Lewis Cass, Democratic candidate, 127. The popular vote was Taylor, 1,370,101: Cass, 1,220,544: Martin Van Buren, Free-Soil and Barnburners candidate, 291,263. Taylor, the second and last Whig president, died after 16 months in office. He died of cholera at the age of 55. Vice-President Millard Fillmore was sworn in on July 10, 1850, as the 13th president of the United States.
    1847 - Lotta Crabtree (d. 1924) was born Charlotte Mignon Crabtree in NYC to English parents and raised in the gold mining hills outside San Francisco (where she first rose to fame).  She went on to become one of the wealthiest and most beloved American entertainers of the late 19th century. Taught by the legendary Lola Montez, she was the rage of the English and American stage; with her petite size, she became a favorite for her portrayals of children. The late 1860s would see the "Lotta Polka" and "Lotta Gallup" as quite the rage in America. At age 20, she was a national star. By 1875, Lotta was touring the nation with her own theatrical company.  The 1880s saw her perennially as the highest paid actress in America, earning sums of up to $5,000 per week. Her mother Mary Ann was still managing Lotta's affairs: booking plays, finding locations, and organizing troupes of actors. She invested Lotta's earnings in local real estate, race horses and bonds. As well as investing, some of the money, upwards of $4 million in a trust, was used to support local charities (the Massachusetts Society for Aiding Discharged Prisoners - est. 1846 - still receives annual grants) and build fountains. Lotta’s Fountain, the most famous of these fountains, still stands at the intersection of Market and Kearny Streets in San Francisco and is the site of meetings every April 18 marking the anniversary of the 1906 Earthquake.
http://www.sfmuseum.org/bio/lotta.html
http://www.standingstones.com/crabtree.html
http://www.ncgold.com/History/LottaCrabtree/lotta.html
    1864 – The second Congress of the Confederate States of America reconvened.
    1861 - In Belmont, Missouri, Union forces led by Gen. U.S. Grant overrun a Confederate camp but are forced to retreat when Confederate reinforcements arrive.
    1867 - Marie Curie, the Polish-born French physicist twice awarded the Nobel Prize for her work on radioactivity, was born Marie Sklodowska (d. 1934) in Warsaw. She was the First woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person and only woman to win twice, the only person to win twice in multiple sciences, and was part of the Curie family legacy of five Nobel Prizes. She was also the first woman to become a professor at the University of Paris, and in 1995 became the first woman to be entombed on her own merits in the Pantheon in Paris.
    1874 - The Republican Party elephant was born on this date. It was created by Thomas Nast's political cartoon in Harper's Weekly, attacking a possible third term for Republican President Ulysses S. Grant. 
    1876 - Albert H. Hook of New York City patented the cigarette manufacturing machine.
    1876 - The presidential election gave Samuel J. Tilden, the Democratic candidate, a popular vote plurality of 250,000, but Republicans refused to concede on the grounds that returns from Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Oregon were in dispute. Hayes needed the electoral votes of those states to win. On December 6, two different sets of electoral returns were reported from the four states. The electoral vote ultimately was determined by a special 15-member electoral commission. The nation had never faced a dispute over the results of a presidential election. The commission was divided by party lines, and deals were made, it was said, as Rutherford B. Hayes, received 185 electoral votes to Tilden’s 184. Historians state
Hayes made a bargain with Southern Democrats. It is recorded the new president showed a conciliatory attitude toward the South: the last federal troops were withdrawn and there was no further effort to protect the rights of blacks. Reconstruction was over. 
    1876 - Edward Bouchet, became the first African-American to receive a PhD from a U.S. college, Yale.
    1885 - At 9:30 AM, the last spike was driven at Craigellachie, British Columbia, completing the Canadian Pacific Railway’s 2,980-mile transcontinental railroad track between Montreal, Quebec, in the east and Port Moody, British Columbia, in the west.
    1893 - The state of Colorado granted women residents the right to vote, the second state to do so.
    1907 – Delta Sigma Pi fraternity is founded at NYU.
    1908 – Butch Cassidy and The Sundance kid are reportedly killed in Bolivia.
    1910 – The first air freight shipment, from Dayton to Columbus, OH, is undertaken by the Wright Brothers and department store owner Max Moorehouse.
    1913 - A massive blizzard, the Great Lakes Storm that ultimately killed 250, caused over $5 million (about $118,098,000 in 2013 dollars) damage. Winds reached hurricane force.
    1914 – The first issue of The New Republic magazine is published.
    1916 - Woodrow Wilson, 28th U.S. President, was reelected. The outcome of the election was one of the few in U.S. history that hinged on foreign affairs. Europe was fighting a world war, and so far, President Wilson had kept the U.S. neutral. Running with the slogan, "He Kept Us Out of War," Wilson was re-elected by a narrow margin. The very next year, Wilson’s neutrality in the European war ended. The Germans refused to curtail their submarine warfare after 120 Americans were killed aboard the British liner, Lusitania. Congress voted overwhelmingly to go to war and Wilson proclaimed American entrance into World War I a crusade to make the world “safe for democracy.” Thomas R. Marshall was reelected vice president. The election was so close that the outcome was uncertain for three days, when it became clear that Wilson had carried California, but by fewer than 4000 votes. The electoral vote was Wilson, 277: Charles Evans Hughes, Republican candidate, 254. The popular vote was Wilson, 9,128,837: Hughes 8,536,380. In congressional elections, the Democrats lost three seats in the Senate but maintained a 53-42 majority, with one seat going to a minor party. In the House, the Democrats again narrowed their majority over the Republicans, 216-210, with six seats held by minor parties.  On October 2, 1919, he suffered a serious stroke, leaving him paralyzed on his left side, and with only partial vision in the right eye.  He was confined to bed for weeks and sequestered from everyone except his wife and physician.  The immediate cause of Wilson's incapacity in September 1919 was the physical strain of the public speaking tour he undertook in support of ratification of the Treaty of Versailles. In Pueblo, CO, on September 25, 1919, he collapsed and never fully recovered.  For some months Wilson used a wheelchair and later he required use of a cane. His wife and aide were said to have helped a journalist, Louis Seibold, present a false account of an interview with the President.  He was insulated by his wife, who selected matters for his attention and delegated others to his cabinet. Wilson temporarily resumed a perfunctory attendance at cabinet meetings.  By February 1920, in an election year, the President's true condition was publicly known. Many expressed qualms about Wilson's fitness for the presidency at a time when the fight for the League of Nations was reaching a climax, and domestic issues such as strikes, unemployment, inflation and the threat of Communism were ablaze. No one close to him, including his wife, his physician, or personal assistant, was willing to take responsibility to certify, as required by the Constitution, his "inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office."  Because of this complex case, Congress ratified the 25th Amendment to control succession to the presidency in case of illness.
    1916 - Republican Jeannette Rankin of Montana became the first woman elected to Congress.    
    1917 – While this is not American, its impact on us in the 20th century cannot be minimized.  Russia's Bolshevik Revolution took place as forces led by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin overthrew the provisional government of Alexander Kerensky.
    1917 - Bassist Howard Rumsey (d. 2015) born, Brawley, CA.
http://members.tripod.com/~hardbop/rumsey.html
    1918 - Birthday of evangelist Billy Graham (d. 2018) in Charlotte, NC.  Graham has been a spiritual adviser to several Presidents including Eisenhower and Nixon.  Before the civil rights movement, he supported integrated seating for his revivals and crusades; in 1957 he invited Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. to preach jointly at a revival in NYC. Graham bailed King out of jail in the 1960s when he was arrested in demonstrations.  Graham has repeatedly been on Gallup’s list of Most Admired Men and Women. He has appeared on the list 55 times since 1955 (including 49 consecutive years), more than any other individual in the world.  In his retirement, Graham had Parkinson’s disease since 1992, hydrocephalus, pneumonia, broken hips, and prostate cancer. 
http://www.billygraham.org/mediaRelations/bios.asp?p=1
    1918 – Physicist Robert Goddard first demonstrated tube-launched solid propellant rockets.
    1918 – Germany’s chancellor, Prince Max von Baden, sent delegates to Compiegne, France, to negotiate the agreement to cease hostilities in World War I; it was signed at 5:10 a.m. on the morning of November 11.
    1922 - Al Hirt (d. 1999), great trumpet player and bandleader who gave us "Java", was born in ‘Nawlins.’  Nicknamed “Jumbo” and “The Round Mound of Sound.” http://www.epluri.com/NOTfolder/Acts/AlHirtFolder/AlHirtSalute.html
    1929 - The Museum of Modern Art in New York City was opened to the public with the help of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller and friends. Abby was the wife of John D. Rockefeller Jr. The Museum was devoted exclusively to modern art and the largest and most comprehensive of its kind in the United States. 
    1930 - Wayne King recorded what would become his theme song, "The Waltz You Save for Me," on Victor records. 
    1932 - CBS radio first aired "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century." Between 1932 and 1947, Matt Crowley, Curtis Arnall, Carl Frank and John Larkin played Buck over the years.
    1933 – Birthday of composer and conductor John Barry (d. 2011) in Yorkshire, England.  Barry was the composer and musical genius of many of the scores in the James Bond franchise between 1963-1987:  beginning with “Dr. No” through “The Living Daylights.”  Lesser known are his compositions that include “Born Free,” “The Lion in Winter,” “Dances with Wolves” and “Out of Africa.”
    1933 - Pennsylvania voters overturned blue laws, thereby permitting Sunday sports.
    1933 – Fiorello H. LaGuardia is elected the 99th mayor of New York.
    1937 - Mary Travers’ (d. 2009) birthday in Louisville, KY.  Travers was an author, composer, and best-known as the female singer, of “Peter, Paul, and Mary,” one of the most successful folk groups in music history.  Peter, Paul and Mary formed in 1961, and were an immediate success. They shared a manager with Bob Dylan and their success included multiple recordings of Dylan songs.  An AP obituary noted: “Their first album, “Peter, Paul and Mary” came out in 1962 and immediately scored hits with their versions of "If I Had a Hammer" and "Lemon Tree." The former won them Grammys for Best Folk Recording and Best Performance by a Vocal Group.  Their next album, “Moving,” included the hit tale of innocence lost, "Puff, The Magic Dragon," which reached No. 2 on the charts.  Their third album, “In the Wind,” featuring songs by Dylan, "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" and "Blowin' in the Wind," reached the top 10, bringing Dylan's material to a massive audience.  The latter shipped 300,000 copies during one two-week period…at one point in 1963, three of their albums were in the top six Billboard best-selling LPs as they became the biggest stars of the folk revival movement and were constants in the nascent college concert tours that proliferated in the period.  Their version of "If I Had a Hammer" became an anthem for racial equality, as did "Blowin’ in the Wind,” which they performed at the August, 1963 March on Washington. 
The group broke up in 1970, and Travers subsequently pursued a solo career and recorded five albums.  The group re-formed in 1978, toured extensively and issued many new albums. The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999.
    1938 - Nazis launched the campaign of terror against Jewish people and their homes and businesses in Germany and Austria. The violence, which continued through November 10 and was later dubbed "Kristallnacht," or "Night of Broken Glass," after the countless smashed windows of Jewish-owned establishments left approximately 100 Jews dead, 7,500 Jewish businesses damaged and hundreds of synagogues, homes, schools and graveyards vandalized. An estimated 30,000 Jewish men were arrested, many of whom were then sent to concentration camps for several months; they were released when they promised to leave Germany. Kristallnacht represented a dramatic escalation of the campaign started by Hitler in 1933 when he became chancellor to purge Germany of its Jewish population.
    1938 – Singer Dee Clark (d. 1900) ("Raindrops") was born in Blytheville, AR.
    1940 - Duke Ellington records at Crystal Ballroom, Fargo, ND.
    1940 - 'Galloping Gertie' Bridge at Tacoma, WA collapsed in gale force winds, resulting in a $6 million loss. The bridge, crossing the Tacoma Narrows, opened 4 weeks early. The winds caused the evenly spaced spans of the bridge to vibrate until the central one finally collapsed. From that time on, bridges were constructed with spans of varying length.
    1942 – Singer Johnny Rivers was born John Henry Ramistella in NYC.  Rivers was hot in the mid-late 1960s with hits like, “Memphis,” "Mountain of Love," "The Seventh Son," "Secret Agent Man," "Poor Side of Town (a US #1), "Baby I Need Your Lovin’," and "Summer Rain."
    1942 – Author Tom Peters was born in Baltimore.  Remember “In Search of Excellence” and “A Passion for Excellence” in the 1980s?
    1942 – FDR became the first US President to broadcast in a foreign language - to the French.
    1943 - Folk singer Joni Mitchell was born Roberta Joan Anderson in Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada.
    1943 – An early snowstorm from South Dakota to Minnesota and Wisconsin. 22 inches fell at Faribault and Marshall, MN, 20 inches at Redwood Falls, MN and 10.1 inches at Minneapolis, MN. Snow drifts 15 feet high were reported in Cottonwood County. Up to 2 feet of snow fell in eastern South Dakota smothering a million thanksgiving turkeys
    1943 - THOMAS, HERBERT JOSEPH, Medal of Honor.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born: 8 February 1918, Columbus, Ohio. Accredited to: West Virginia. Citation: For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 3d Marines, 3d Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the battle at the Koromokina River, Bougainville Islands, Solomon Islands, on 7 November 1943. Although several of his men were struck by enemy bullets as he led his squad through dense jungle undergrowth in the face of severe hostile machinegun fire, Sgt. Thomas and his group fearlessly pressed forward into the center of the Japanese position and destroyed the crews of 2 machineguns by accurate rifle fire and grenades. Discovering a third gun more difficult to approach, he carefully placed his men closely around him in strategic positions from which they were to charge after he had thrown a grenade into the emplacement. When the grenade struck vines and fell back into the midst of the group, Sgt. Thomas deliberately flung himself upon it to smother the explosion, valiantly sacrificing his life for his comrades. Inspired by his selfless action, his men unhesitatingly charged the enemy machinegun and, with fierce determination, killed the crew and several other nearby-defenders. The splendid initiative and extremely heroic conduct of Sgt. Thomas in carrying out his prompt decision with full knowledge of his fate reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
    1943 – The last scoreless tie in the NFL was played between the Detroit Lions and the New York Giants.
    1944 - NISHIMOTO, JOE M., Medal of Honor.
Private First Class Joe M. Nishimoto distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 7 November 1944, near La Houssiere, France. After three days of unsuccessful attempts by his company to dislodge the enemy from a strongly defended ridge, Private First Class Nishimoto, as acting squad leader, boldly crawled forward through a heavily mined and booby-trapped area. Spotting a machine gun nest, he hurled a grenade and destroyed the emplacement. Then, circling to the rear of another machine gun position, he fired his submachine gun at point-blank range, killing one gunner and wounding another. Pursuing two enemy riflemen, Private First Class Nishimoto killed one, while the other hastily retreated. Continuing his determined assault, he drove another machine gun crew from its position. The enemy, with their key strong points taken, was forced to withdraw from this sector. Private First Class Nishimoto’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.
    1944 - STRYKER, ROBERT F., Medal of Honor.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Loc Ninh, Republic of Vietnam, 7 November 1967. Entered service at: Throop, N.Y. Born: 9 November 1944, Auburn, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Stryker, U.S. Army, distinguished himself while serving with Company C. Sp4c. Stryker was serving as a grenadier in a multicompany reconnaissance in force near Loc Ninh. As his unit moved through the dense underbrush, it was suddenly met with a hail of rocket, automatic weapons and small arms fire from enemy forces concealed in fortified bunkers and in the surrounding trees. Reacting quickly, Sp4c. Stryker fired into the enemy positions with his grenade launcher. During the devastating exchange of fire, Sp4c. Stryker detected enemy elements attempting to encircle his company and isolate it from the main body of the friendly force. Undaunted by the enemy machinegun and small-arms fire, Sp4c. Stryker repeatedly fired grenades into the trees, killing enemy snipers and enabling his comrades to sever the attempted encirclement. As the battle continued, Sp4c. Stryker observed several wounded members of his squad in the killing zone of an enemy claymore mine. With complete disregard for his safety, he threw himself upon the mine as it was detonated. He was mortally wounded as his body absorbed the blast and shielded his comrades from the explosion. His unselfish actions were responsible for saving the lives of at least 6 of his fellow soldiers. Sp4c. Stryker's great personal bravery was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
    1944 - President Franklin Roosevelt won an unprecedented fourth term in office, defeating Thomas E. Dewey. Roosevelt only lived long enough to serve 53 days of this fourth term. Harry S. Truman was elected Vice-President. The electoral vote was Roosevelt, 432: Gov. Thomas E. Dewey, Republican, 99. The popular vote was Roosevelt 25,602,504, Dewey 22,006,285. In congressional elections, the Democrats lost two senate seats but held a 56-38 majority. In the House, they gained 24 seats for a 242-190 lead, with two seats held by minor parties.
    1946 - Top Hits
“Five Minutes More” - Frank Sinatra
“South America, Take It Away” - Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
“You Keep Coming Back like a Song” - Dinah Shore
“Divorce Me C.O.D.” - Merle Travis
    1950 - Voters in the Hawaii Territory ratified a state constitution, a major step in becoming the 50th state on August 21, 1959.
(Lower half: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/nov07.html)
    1951 - Frank Sinatra marries his second wife, actress Ava Gardner. The marriage, her third, lasts six years and is credited for moving Sinatra into his "mature" phase as a singer, with Nelson Riddle stating: "It was Ava who did that, who taught him how to sing a torch song. That's how he learned. She was the greatest love of his life and he lost her."  Gardner’s Hollywood contacts are also credited with getting Sinatra in front of the studio for a test in what would become his Academy Award-wining role as Private Maggio in “From Here to Eternity.”  This was at a time when his recording career was at its lowest and the film’s success and his role are credited with ‘bringing him back.’
    1951 – Rep. Emanuel Celler's committee continued its investigation into antitrust violations involving Major League Baseball.  Celler says that evidence in his committee suggests altering the reserve clause in that it does limit players.  Removing the reserve clause from player contracts became the primary goal of negotiations between the Major League Baseball Players Association and the owners. The reserve clause was struck down in 1975 when arbitrator Peter Seitz ruled that since pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally had played for one season without a contract, they could become free agents. This decision essentially dismantled the reserve clause and opened the door to widespread free agency within North American professional baseball.  Other sports soon followed suit.
    1953 - Birthday of American composer Ken Hedgecock in Monticello, AR.
    1954 - “Face the Nation” premiered on TV. The CBS counterpart to NBC’s “Meet the Press,” this show employed a similar format: panelists interviewed a well-known guest. In 1983, the panel was changed to include experts in addition to journalists when Lesley Stahl succeeded George Herman as moderator. Though usually produced at Washington, DC, the show occasionally interviewed people elsewhere (such as Khrushchev in Moscow in 1957).
    1954 - Top Hits
“I Need You Now” - Eddie Fisher
“This Ole House” - Rosemary Clooney
“Papa Loves Mambo” - Perry Como
“More and More” - Webb Pierce
    1954 - Cleveland Browns' Chet Hanulak set a club record with 7 punt returns, leading the Browns to their largest margin of victory (59) beating the Washington Redskins, 62-3.
    1954 – Armistice Day became Veterans’ Day.  Called Armistice Day, in order to celebrate the end of World War I, since another major world war had passed, it was time for the new name. This first Veterans’ Day celebration scheduled honored veterans from the Civil War, World War I, World War II and the Korean War.  Subsequently it has embraced those from the ensuing conflicts in Vietnam, Desert Storm and the ongoing actions in the Middle East.
    1956 - Elvis Presley hit the charts with "Love Me," the first million-seller to chart without being a single. It was an EP (extended play) 45 rpm, with three other songs: "Rip It Up," "Paralyzed" and "When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again" all on RCA Victor.
    1957 - The final report, the Gaither Report, from a special committee called by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to review the nation's defense readiness indicates that the United States is falling far behind the Soviets in missile capabilities and urges a vigorous campaign to build fallout shelters to protect American citizens.
    1958 - Eddie Cochran debuts on UK chart with ‘Summertime Blues.’
    1959 - Smokey Robinson marries Claudette Rogers, who was still a member of the Miracles and the eventual inspiration for his song "My Girl," made famous by the Temptations. The two would divorce in 1985.     
    1960 - Elvis Presley "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" is released.
    1960 - Hank Ballard and the Midnighters were at #1 for a third week on the R&B chart with “Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go.”
    1960 – Top Hits
"Save The Last Dance For Me" – The Drifters
"I Want to Be Wanted" - Brenda Lee 
"Poetry in Motion" - Johnny Tillotson
"Georgia On My Mind" - Ray Charles
"You Talk Too Much" – Joe Jones  
    1961 - California fires broke out in addition to the ones that had destroyed the homes of many celebrities on the day before. Stars affected by these blazing flames included Burt Lancaster, Joe E. Brown, and Zsa Zsa Gabor. Ex-Vice President Richard M. Nixon also suffered fire damage to his home.
    1961 - Ray Charles is arrested for possession of drugs in Indianapolis, IN, after local authorities discover marijuana and heroin in his hotel room.
    1962 - Richard M. Nixon, having been narrowly defeated in his bid for the presidency by John F. Kennedy in the 1960 election, returned to politics two years later as a candidate for governor of California in the election of Nov 6, 1962. Defeated again, this time by incumbent governor Edmund G. Brown, who built the public university and college system in California, Nixon held his “last” press conference with assembled reporters in Los Angeles at mid-morning the next day at which he said: “Just think how much you’re going to be missing. You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference.”   They lie even when saying goodbye!   
    1962 – Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt died at the age of 78.
    1962 - Top Hits
“He’s a Rebel” - The Crystals ”Only Love Can Break a Heart - Gene Pitney
“All Alone Am I” - Brenda Lee
“Mama Sang a Song” - Bill Anderson
    1963 - New York Yankee Elston Howard, the first black Yankee, was named the American League’s Most Valuable Player, making him the first black player to receive the award.
    1964 - The Braves, for the second time in eleven years, receive permission to shift their franchise to another city.  Originally in Boston, Hank Aaron and company will move from Milwaukee to Atlanta after the 1965 season.
    1964 - The Marvelettes' "Too Many Fish in the Sea" enters the Billboard Hot 100 where it will reach #25. The song will be the fifth of the group's ten US Top 40 Pop hits.
    1964 - Barbra Streisand's LP “People” hits #1
    1964 - Gale Garnett’s seventh week at #1 on the Easy Listening chart with "We'll Sing in The Sunshine.”
    1964 - The Shangri-Las shot into the Top 10 with "Leader of the Pack."
    1964 - The latest U.S. intelligence analysis claims that Communist forces in South Vietnam now include about 30,000 professional full-time soldiers, many of whom are North Vietnamese. Before this, it was largely reported that the war was merely an internal insurgent movement in South Vietnam opposed to the government in Saigon. This information discredited that theory and indicated that the situation involves North and South Vietnam. In Saigon, the South Vietnamese government banned the sale of the current issue of Newsweek because it carried a photograph showing a Viet Cong prisoner being tortured by South Vietnamese army personnel.
    1965 - A drag racer from Ohio named Art Arfons set the land-speed record - an average 576.553 miles per hour - at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats.
    1967 - The first African-American mayor, Carl Stokes, a Democrat, of a major city was elected by the citizens of Cleveland, OH.
    1967 - The Beatles record "Magical Mystery Tour"
    1967 – St. Louis Cardinals 1B Orlando Cepeda is the second unanimous National League MVP.
    1967 – President Lyndon Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, a bill establishing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
    1969 - Having tracked down Paul McCartney and wife Linda at their farm in Glasgow, Scotland, to disprove the rumors of his death, Paul is the featured cover story of this week's edition of Life magazine, which carries the headline "Paul Is Still With Us." In the interview, Paul debunks several "clues" and adds: "Perhaps the rumor started because I haven't been much in the press lately. I have done enough press for a lifetime, and I don't have anything to say these days. I am happy to be with my family and I will work when I work. I was switched on for ten years and I never switched off. Now I am switching off whenever I can. I would rather be a little less famous these days."
    1970 - Top Hits
“I’ll Be There” - The Jackson 5
“We’ve Only Just Begun” - Carpenters
“Fire and Rain” - James Taylor
“I Can’t Believe That You’ve Stopped Loving Me” - Charley Pride
    1972 - President Richard Nixon was re-elected, in the greatest Republican landslide, defeating Democrat George McGovern. Spiro T. Agnew was re-elected Vice-President. The electoral vote was Nixon, 521: Sen. George S. McGovern, Democrat, 17. The popular vote was Nixon, 45,767,218: McGovern, 28,357,668. The Democrats picked up two Senate seats for a 57-43 majority. The Republicans gained 13 seats in the House, but the Democrats still led 255-179, with one seat going to an independent.  In August, 1974, Nixon became the first President to resign the office.
    1973 - New Jersey became the first state to allow girls to play on Little League baseball teams.
    1976 – “Gone With the Wind” was aired (over two nights) on NBC-TV. The showing was the highest-rated TV show in history. 65 percent of all viewers turned on their sets to watch Scarlet O’Hara and Rhett Butler.
    1976 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright),'' Rod Stewart.
    1976 – The thriller “Carrie” by Brian dePalma was released, starring Sissy Spacek.
    1977 – Elvis’ version of the Paul Anka song, "My Way," was released posthumously.
    1978 - Top Hits
“You Needed Me” - Anne Murray
“MacArthur Park” - Donna Summer
“Double Vision” - Foreigner
“Sleeping Single in a Double Bed - Barbara Mandrell
    1978 - In a controversial selection, Red Sox outfielder Jim Rice was named AL MVP over Yankees’ lefty pitcher Ron Guidry. Rice led the league in home runs (46), RBI (139), hits (213), triples and slugging percentage (.600), and became the first AL player to accumulate 400 total bases in a season since Joe DiMaggio in 1937.  Guidry posted a 25-3 record with 248 strikeouts and a 1.74 ERA for the pennant-winning Yankees, taking the AL Cy Young Award.
    1979 – “The Rose,” starring Bette Midler, got star treatment with a world premiere in Los Angeles. The movie was modeled after the life of Janis Joplin.
    1979 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit:  “Pop Muzik,'' M. The performer's real name is Robin Scott. This is his only song to make the Hot 100.
    1981 - “Private Eyes" by Daryl Hall & John Oates topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.
    1983 – A bomb is exploded at the United States Senate building by members of a group claiming to be the "Resistance Conspiracy" in protest to U.S. military involvement in Grenada and Lebanon. Members of the terrorist group were charged and bought to trial and found guilty for the U.S. Senate bombing and bombings of Fort McNair and the Washington Navy Yard.
    1985 - Former middleweight boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter was released from Rahway State Prison in NJ after serving 19 years for a triple murder committed in a Paterson, NJ, bar in 1966. US District Court Judge J. Lee Sorokin ruled that prosecution had violated the civil rights of Carter and a co-defendant during their trials in 1967 and 1976. Denzel Washington later starred in a movie, “Hurricane” about his life.
    1986 - Temperatures reached a daily record 86 at New Orleans, LA. It equaled the highest ever for November
    1986 - The longest high school football winning streak to date ended. Canyon High, of Canyon Country, California, lost to Antelope Valley High, 21-20. Canyon High racked up 46 consecutive wins before this.  The streak however, would be broken by De La Salle High School in Concord, CA that holds the national record at 151 games spanning from 1992 to 2004.
    1986 - Top Hits
“True Colors” - Cyndi Lauper
“Typical Male” - Tina Turner
“I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On” - Robert Palmer
“It’ll Be Me” – Exile
    1986 - Willie Nelson guest stars as a corrupt cop on tonight's "El Viejo" episode of NBC-TV's “Miami Vice.”
    1987 - A sixteen year old singer named Tiffany had the top tune in the US with a cover version of Tommy James' 1967 hit, "I Think We're Alone Now." His rendition stalled at number four. Tiffany became the youngest act to score a US #1 since a 14-year-old Michael Jackson with did it with "Ben" in 1972.
    1987 - Bruce Springsteen’s "Tunnel of Love" was the #1 album in the U.S. The rest of the top-five for the week: 2) "Bad" (Michael Jackson); 3) "Dirty Dancing" (soundtrack); 4) "Whitesnake" (Whitesnake); 5) "A Memory Lapse of Reason" (Pink Floyd).
    1988 - John Fogerty won his self-plagiarism court battle with Fantasy Records. The label claimed Fogerty copied his own song, "Run Through the Jungle" when he wrote "The Old Man Down the Road."    
    1989 - L. Douglas Wilder was elected governor of Virginia, becoming the first elected black governor in US history. Wilder had previously served as lieutenant governor of Virginia.
    1989 - Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg asked President Reagan to withdraw his nomination to the United States Supreme Court, citing the clamor that arose over Ginsburg's admission that he had smoked marijuana on occasion.
    1989 - The first African-American Mayor of New York City, David N. Dinkins, 63, the Manhattan borough president, was elected this day as a Democrat. He served one term. He was defeated in his 1993 bid for reelection by Republican candidate Rudolph Giuliani, whom he had beaten in 1989.  NYC also elected its first female Comptroller, Elizabeth Holtzman.
    1989 - Shortly after daybreak, strong thunderstorms developed in an east-west band across New Orleans and southeastern LA. Rains of 8 to 12 inches deluged a 5 county area from 9 am and 6 pm. The two-day total ending 7 am on the 8th ranged up to 19.78 inches between Lake Lexy and Lake Borgne. 6000 homes reported water damage. The rainfall of 19.81 inches at New Orleans for the month was a record for any month.
    1991 - Ervin “Magic” Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers retires from basketball after announcing that he had tested positive for HIV. Despite his retirement, Johnson played in the 1992 NBA All-Star game and in the 1992 Olympics as a member of the first US Dream Team. He coached the Lakers for part of the 1993-94 season and played part of the 1995-96 season before retiring again.
    1994 - "The Electrical Engineering Times" ran a cover story about flaws in Intel’s Pentium computer chip. The bug, an obscure flaw that caused extremely rare computation errors when performing certain types of mathematical calculations, eventually caused Intel to replace any Pentium processor affected by the flaw, regardless of whether the user was a mathematician or not. Intel took a $475 million charge against earnings for the quarter to cover the expense of replacing all of those chips.
    1994 - WXYC, the student radio station of the University of North Carolina, provides the world's first internet radio broadcast.
    1995 - The Carolina Panthers win an expansion record fourth game in a row, defeating the San Francisco 49ers, 13-7, at 3Com (formerly Candlestick) Park.
    1995 - The Captain (Daryl Dragon) and (Toni) Tennille renew their vows in Virginia City, NV on the occasion of their 20th anniversary.  They divorced early in 2014.
    1995 - Howard Stern’s Radio Show premiered in Pittsburgh on WXDX 105.9 FM.  His second book, "Miss America," was released and became the fastest selling ever.
    1998 – Mayor Willie Brown was hit with 3 pastry pies by the Biotic Baking Brigade in protest for "skyrocketing evictions" and his "collusion with big business to perform an economic cleansing of SF." In Feb 1999, Gerard Livernois, Rahula Janowski and Justin Gross were sentenced to 6 months in County Jail for battery after the 3 refused to accept 3 years’ probation.
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    1998 - House Speaker Newt Gingrich resigned following an election in which the Republican House majority shrunk from 22 to 12.
    2000 - Republican George W. Bush was elected President over incumbent Democratic Vice President Al Gore, though Gore won the popular vote by a narrow margin and had conceded. The winner was not known for more than a month because of a dispute over the results in Florida (again! see 1876 above). Ultimately, it was the Supreme Court that ‘validated’ the election results after both sides debated voters’ intentions of ballots with ‘hanging chads’ among other issues.
    2000 - Hillary Rodham Clinton was elected to the U.S. Senate from New York, becoming the First Lady to win public office.
    2000 - The Drug Enforcement Administration discovers one of the country's largest LSD labs inside a converted military missile silo in Wamego, KS.
    2003 - In a desperate effort to reassure visitors that the SARS outbreak is no threat, Hong Kong officials invite the Rolling Stones, among others, to play a massive concert in the city. The total cost for appearance fees tops $100 million.
    2006 - Orleans lead singer John Hall is elected to the US House of Representatives from his home state of New York.
    2006 - Keith Ellison, a Democrat from Minnesota, became the first Muslim elected to Congress.
    2009 - The Democratic-controlled House narrowly passed, 220-215, landmark health care legislation to expand coverage to tens of millions who lacked it and placed tough new restrictions on the insurance industry.
    2011 - Physician Conrad Murray is found guilty of manslaughter in the death of the Michael Jackson.
    2012 - Voters in Massachusetts approved a referendum legalizing the use of medical marijuana; Colorado and Washington approved the legalization of recreational use of the drug.
    2012 - Election results in three states approved same-sex marriage: Maine, Maryland and Washington.
    2013 - Senate passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). The bill banned gay and transgender discrimination in the workplace.