Power Shutoff in California
Two Blocks Away

 

An estimated 2 million people — or 726,000 customers — were left without power at some point during the historic shut-offs, which hit parts of 34 counties. PG&E said Thursday evening that all counties had been approved for power restoration, a process could take days in some communities.

Pacific Gas and Electric said blackouts across parts of northern, central and coastal California would start shortly after midnight Wednesday in the largest preventive outage in state history.

We keep getting smartphone alerts and on the computer, too, that power was to be shutoff in Saratoga. Friends in more northern California areas, such as Windsor, had their power shutoff first due to fears of high winds and fires erupting. Many were told it would be two to five days, perhaps up to seven days, before it would be restored as power lines needed first to be inspected as being in working order.

We kept getting the alerts we would be shut off at this specific time, but the winds died down and the alerts were postponed. The last one was for 11:30pm that night. We had candles out, water saved, radio with battery. Luckily, when we woke up the power was still on. 

We are near the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains. right off Highway 9 and Quito. Seeing the final map on the computer, the shut off point for our area of Saratoga was two blocks away. Lucky us.

The final map from PG&E above shows out of the grid, but the original one from the San Francisco Chronicle indicates we are in the grid, planned for the shutoff, but it never happened:

More information on the PG&E experience is in the News Brief section on California.

 

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NEFA’s 2019 Funding Symposium
Achieves Record Attendance

Northbrook, IL.– Over 330 equipment finance professionals and service providers from across the U.S. and Canada attended the National Equipment Finance Association (NEFA) 2019 Funding Symposium on Wednesday, October 2nd through Friday, October 4th in Atlanta, GA – setting a record for Funding Symposium attendance. With over 70 first-time attendees and 49 exhibitors, this year’s Funding Symposium once again demonstrated the unparalleled and growing value proposition offered by NEFA to the equipment finance industry.

Attendees of the Funding Symposium enjoyed highly productive networking time, topical and informative educational breakout sessions – many of which were conducted in a new “town hall” format, opportunities to meet with exhibitors, and a spirited keynote presentation by motivational speaker Adam James of Sights, Sounds and Success.

This year’s Funding Symposium Co-Chairs, Shari Lipski, CLFP of ECS Financial Services, Inc. and Dale Kluga, of Providence Equipment Finance assembled a schedule of leading-edge educational sessions attracting the attention of attendees throughout the entire Symposium. 

Shari Lipski, CLFP,  ECS Financial Services, Inc. , said, “Thank you to Dale, the session presenters, attendees, and NEFA Board for the opportunity to help plan yet another fantastic, epic, record breaking conference. What an honor to be part of it all and especially share it with such a great group of people!”

Dale Kluga, President, Providence Equipment Financial Services, a Division of Providence Bank & Trust. added, “The Atlanta conference was terrific from all angles. I was very impressed not only with the talent and professionalism of our education session speakers, but also with the high caliber of our members who contributed valuable insights during the town hall sessions. A wonderfully interactive event that continued outside of the education sessions into advanced networking discussions. That’s exactly what we were looking for!”

NEFA’s Executive Director, Michael Toglia said, “The atmosphere at this year’s Funding Symposium was incredibly upbeat and energetic! The networking opportunities coupled with the strong educational sessions were fantastic. We are very pleased with the record attendance and thank all our sponsors,
exhibitors, conference Co-Chairs, educational program presenters, fundraiser volunteers and of course all our attendees for making the 2019 Funding Symposium such a tremendous success.” 
The Funding Symposium also serves as the Annual Business meeting for the National Equipment Finance Association, and Officers and Directors for the next twelve months were elected during the Symposium.

NEFA’s new President & Chairman of the Board is Daryn Lecy, CLFP, of Oakmont Capital Services, LLC, and he is joined on the Executive Committee by Laura Carini, CLFP, of Financial Pacific Leasing, Inc. as Vice President; James Jackson, of The Alta Group as Treasurer; and Guy Selinka, CLFP, of Streamline Financial Services as Secretary. Marc Keepman, CLFP, of KLC Financial, Inc. will remain on the Executive Committee as Immediate Past President.

President & Chairman of the Board is Daryn Lecy, CLFP, of Oakmont Capital Services, LLC ,Daryn Lecy said, “NEFA is a tremendous organization that I was fortunate enough to be referred to nine years ago. At that time, there were just over 100 attendees at the Equipment Finance Summit and during last week’s Funding Symposium in Atlanta, we welcomed over 330 attendees! I am honored and excited to serve as the next NEFA President and Chairman of the Board. We have a robust membership consisting of dynamic leaders who continue to bring new ideas to help all of us improve and expand our businesses. The energy at our Funding Symposium was very strong, and I look forward to working with all of you as we finish 2019 and set the stage for what 2020 will bring!” 

Directors of the association were also announced at this year’s Funding Symposium and include Jacklynn Manning, CLFP, of AMUR Equipment Finance;  Adam Peterson, of Channel Partners Capital; Robert Hornby, of Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC; Anne Dalgaard, CLFP, of ECS Financial Services, Inc.; Scott Lipka, of FirstLease, Inc.; Lori Littleford, CLFP, of NFS Leasing, Inc.; Beth McLean, CLFP, of Northland Financial Services, LLC; Scott Wheeler, CLFP, of Wheeler Business Consulting.
 
During the business luncheon, outgoing Executive Committee members Mike Coon, CLFP, of Hanmi Bank and Dennis Dressler, of Dressler & Peters, LLC were honored for many years of service to NEFA.

Robert J. “Bob” Hanna of Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co., L.P.A. was awarded the 2019 Chris Walker Memorial Member of the Year Award. The CLFP Foundation also presented awards during the Funding Symposium business luncheon.

This year’s Funding Symposium also included a fundraiser held Thursday night with over 150 people in attendance at the Park Bench Piano Bar for a night of music that raised funds for NEFA’s Chris Walker Education Fund.  

About National Equipment Finance Association  (NEFA) is a national association serving small to mid-sized independent equipment finance companies, bank-owned leasing companies, lessors, brokers and service providers. NEFA is a strong association offering educational programs and premium networking opportunities with broad geographic and industry segment diversity. The mission of NEFA is to provide a forum for members to pursue personal and professional growth and promote ethical business practices through advocacy, networking and industry involvement. 

For more information, visit: www.NEFAssociation.org or call: 847-380-5050.
 

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New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

Nick Arneson was hired as Vice President, Sales, Vendor Program Group, First Business Equipment Finance, LLC, a division of First Business Financial Services, a Wisconsin-based bank holding company, Madison, Wisconsin.  Previously, he was Sales Manager, Rhode's Auto & Truck Sales (November, 2015 - August, 2019); Territory Manager, Kellogg Company (2009). Certification: the Association for Finance and Insurance Professionals (AFIP). Education: Palmyra Area Senior High School. General studies, Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations (1992 - 1996). https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-arneson-83b92463/

Milvia Gomez was hired as Fraud Analyst, PAE, Falls Church, Virginia.  Previously, he was Fraud Analyst, SEC (2019). Prior, she was at OnDeck, starting June, 2011, as Collections Agent; promoted December, 2013, Fraud Expert; Collections Officer, MCT Federal Credit Union (June, 2009 - June, 2011); Delinquency Control Counselor, Navy Federal Credit Union (July, 2005 - May, 2009). Volunteer Experience: The 25th Project (December, 2017 - Present).  Member: Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) (August, 2017). https://www.linkedin.com/in/milvia-gomez-b0a28b96/

Steven Hoskins was promoted to Sales Manager, NewLane Finance, Philadelphia, New Jersey. He joined the firm April, 2019, as Senior Business Development Manager.  Previously, he was business Development Manager, Marlin Business Services Corp (March, 2015 - April, 2018).  He remains CEO/Owner Hoskins Studios, which he began March, 2014 (Group and private music instruction). Prior, he was Account Executive, iCore Networks (January, 2014 - May, 2014); Account Executive, iContracts, Inc. (July, 2012 - January, 2014); Software Support, Innovative Software Solutions, Inc., (2008 - July, 2012).  Education: University of Central Florida, Bachelor of Arts (B.A). (2003 - 2007).  Lakewood Ranch High School.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-hoskins-a2175950/

Dave Lafferty was hired as Chief Credit Officer, Can Capital, Kennesaw, Georgia. He is located in Swedesboro, New Jersey. Previously, he was at Marlin Business Services for 21 plus years, starting August, 1998, as Vice President Commercial Credit; promoted, September, 2016, Vice President of Capital Markets (September, 2016). Prior, he was Senior Credit Analyst, Advanta Business Services (August, 1997 - August, 1998); Information Consultant, Dun & Bradstreet (January, 1995 - August, 1997). Education: Pennsylvania State University (1990 - 1994). https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-lafferty-23707b7/

Sean McQuade was promoted to Loans Operations Analyst, Team Leader, OnDeck, New York, New York. He is located in their Denver, Colorado office. He joined the company June, 2016 as Senior Loans Operation Analyst. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-mcquade-ab322213a/

Eddie Sopena was hired as Sales Representative, Global Onboard Partners.  He is located in Lehi, Utah. Previously, he was National Account Executive, Onset Financial (March, 2019 - August, 2019); Account Manager, Progressive Leasing (April, 2017 - December, 2019); Account Development Manager, Solutionreach, Inc. (September, 2015 - April, 2017); Account Executive/Team Lead, Trizon, LLC (September, 2014 - September, 2015);  Account Executive, Hilton Grand Vacations (November, 2013 - August, 2014); Assistant Manager, Firehouse Subs (April, 2012 - October, 2013); Assistant Manager, Cicis (March, 2009 - April,2012). Education: Delaware County Community College. Associate’s degree, Hospitality Administration/Management (2006 - 2008).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddiesopena/

Yasman Vargas was hired as Documentation Specialist, Reliant Capital, Inc., Costa Mesa, California.  Previously, she was Client Support Administrator, Platinum Resource Group (May, 2019 - October, 2019). Prior, she was at Partners Capital Group, starting August, 2018 as Office Administrator; promoted October, 2018, Documentation Specialist.  Debate Coach, CL Academy, December, 2017 - August, 2018; Office Assistant, California State University, Fullerton, California (September, 2017 - August, 2018).  Intern: Student Assistant Director of Forensics (January, 2018 - May, 2018); Attraction Hostess, Disneyland, October, 2015 - June, 2017); Guest Services Associate, Target (August, 2014 - October, 2015).  Education: California State University, Fullerton, Bachelor of Arts, BA. Human Communication Studies (2014 - 2018). Activities and Societies: Forensics (speech and debate). California State University, Fullerton, Minor, Cultural Anthropology (2014 - 2018). https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasmin-vargas/

Help Wanted

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The Use of Lease Proposals

Sales Make it Happen by Mr. Terry Winders, CLFP

(Originally published March 7, 2006, but still useful today.)

The difference between a professional salesperson and an order taker has to do with how you discover the customer's true interest and what they will accept in a lease transaction. The proposal is an excellent tool to do this if you take the time to construct it wisely, include all of the differences that set you apart from your competition, and include complete explanation of the type of transaction you are proposing.

A lease proposal when presented correctly can properly present your terms and conditions to the potential lessee, however, it requires a complete presentation of all your terms and conditions. Space here does not lend itself to present a proper proposal so the discussion will address its purpose.
Some poorly presented proposals only discuss the rental terms and the three end of the lease options. While this may be acceptable in small ticket leases, it will lose you most middle market transactions where the average customer is searching for the best "deal" and only understands a little about what a lease can do for them.

A professional lease salesperson extracts as much information as possible from discussions with the customer but also knows the importance of discovering your differences, or advantages, from your competition. These differences cover a large area such as grace periods, stipulated loss requirements, late charge assessments, property tax procedures, differences in documentation, return conditions or location, and ease of doing business.

Differences are advantages if presented correctly and differences abound if you look for them.
One of the most important steps, is the last one, often over looked, and in the parlance, can be a "conditional close," if done properly:

Review the proposal with your customer to view their reaction to each of your terms or conditions.
Most professional salespeople will tell you that they only discover the customer's true interest as they review the terms of the proposal. They usually have to modify the proposal to reflect the new facts, from the presentation, and return at a later date with the corrected presentation.

One of the secrets of presenting a proposal is to only give the customer a proposal termination date that is shorter than they want. If your proposal is the best they have then they will argue with you about the date.

If the "conditional close" did not work, it may mean you are not competitive. They will disregard the date and this should ring an alarm bell in you mind. Don't be fooled that the sale is "closed."
Proposals are only a tool. They do not sell your lease  ---  you do.

It is common for customers to pick up suggestions from other presentations and change their minds. If you just send them your proposal thinking that it is only the rate or payment that is the determining factor, you are missing the boat.

Each day the customer is exposed to new ideals and is prone to have a new thought as to what they want. You have to stay on top of these changes if you are to succeed. Many top salesmen believe the sale is closed after the equipment is delivered and accepted, and their commission clears the bank,-not when the commitment letter is signed.

Terry now retired, photo with his granddaughter.

 

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Commitment to Lease or Make Loan Agreements
Often Have Full Disclosure

In small and medium size leases, the actual lease payment is often given and calls for the first and last payment as well as the documentation fee. Often a clause contains a "documentation" fee is noted, along with a clause that it is non-refundable if the lease is not approved. Often the wording is different and seems to be buried. Sometimes it is quite obvious and is spelled out as a processing fee.

This form was developed by Attorney Ken Greene, who is also a longtime advisor to Leasing News. It is aimed at keeping fees for working on an application.He is currently General Counsel for the American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (formerly the National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers) and has spoken at conference panels.

Greene Agreement to Keep Expenses
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/GreeneAgreementExpenses2016.pdf

In larger ticket size leases, a form as this is often used, which specifically charges a fee to process the application:

Charges a Fee Form
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/ChargesFeeForm2016.pdf

Business Loans or "Working Capital" loan commitment letters are explicit.  This is a form most often used by California License Finance Lenders:

Authorization to Find Lender
pdf

The dollar size of the lease proposal often dictates the details and length of the commitment letter.

This form is one of the most widely used in the leasing industry for leases $50,000 and above and covers most of the bases. Note: Last sentences about the signatures makes this more a “proposal,” than commitment. If required, these sentences may be removed.

Lease Commitment Agreement
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/LeaseCommittmentAgreement2016.pdf

It is a good idea to have the form you use reviewed by an attorney with equipment leasing experience. This does not mean your college friend who became a lawyer. You wouldn't take your children to an Endodontist to get braces on their teeth, although the practitioner is a "dentist." The same with going to an attorney. You go to a specialist who has experience in the leasing and finance industry.

Some things to consider in your form.

#1: ACH---If you are going to require it or may require it, you should have this spelled out in the agreement. If not in the contract and becomes a requirement of the lease, the proposal is invalid.

#2 Date---It is a good idea to have a time period involved. This can be  based on completion of all the documents and/or lease contracts. The time factor may be important, particularly if the matter goes to small claims court, or a higher court, depending on the money involved.
(Attorneys most likely will have different opinions on this, but it is important to let the applicant know there is a time frame involved in conducting credit or having to re-do credit and even ask for more current financial information, due to the time involved in collecting what you originally required.)

#3 Personal guarantees---of all officers who own 10% or more of a privately held corporation. (This will protect if the final approval comes in with terms and conditions but requires other guarantors who are not named on the application or in the proposal.)

Ken Greene
Law Offices of Kenneth Charles Greene
5743 Corsa Avenue Suite 208
Westlake Village, California 91362
Tel: 818.575.9095
Fax: 805.435.7464
Skype: 424.235.1658
ken@kengreenelaw.com
kenlaw100@gmail.com

 

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Today’s visualization comes to us from HowMuch.net, and it breaks down foreign reserves held by countries — but what is a reserve currency, anyways?

In essence, reserve currencies (i.e. U.S. dollar, pound sterling, euro, etc.) are held on to by central banks for the following major reasons:

• To maintain a stable exchange rate for the domestic currency
• To ensure liquidity in the case of an economic or political crisis
• To provide confidence to international buyers and foreign investors
• To fulfill international obligations, such as paying down debt
• To diversify central bank portfolios, reducing overall risk

Not surprisingly, central banks benefit the most from stockpiling widely-held reserve currencies such as the U.S. dollar or the euro.

Because these currencies are accepted almost everywhere, they provide third-parties with extra confidence and perceived liquidity. This is a network effect that snowballs from the growing use of a particular reserve currency over others.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-worlds-most-powerful-reserve-currencies/?mc_cid=b7585c524e&mc_eid=67933d51ed

 

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Add me to mailing list
Subscription is Free

Any comments or suggestions are appreciated. Any news leads or tips are also appreciated. We will keep all "leads" in the strictest of confidence.

To subscribe: e-mail kitmenkin@leasingnews.org

 

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Ascentium Capital Reports
30% Growth During Third Quarter

Ascentium Capital LLC, an award-winning commercial lender, today announced funding volume of $392.4 million during third quarter representing a 30% increase over the same period last year and reached $2.4 billion in managed assets.

Tom Depping, Chief Executive Officer at Ascentium Capital, declared, “I’m proud of Team Ascentium delivering a finance experience that outperforms the competition while managing risk. We’re pleased about the large national programs we are winning with equipment providers and our repeat business efforts that are key drivers of growth.”
The Company is experiencing growth in the key markets it serves including commercial vehicle, franchise, healthcare, hospitality and technology. Recent growth milestones for the Company include:

• Reached $1.1 billion YTD in funded volume
• Surpassed 100,000 unique SMB clients since inception
• Achieved 48% growth in funded volume over last year in direct sales channel

All departments within Ascentium Capital take a disciplined approach to drive the organization’s organic growth. Business development managers focus on winning business that meets the Company’s ideal vendor profile. The use of data-driven decision-making is used to capture new and repeat business. The success of this discipline has driven the demand for Ascentium’s finance products. As result, the Company is recruiting across the country for vendor and direct sales personnel with equipment financing experience.  

Richard Baccaro, Chief Sales and Marketing officer at Ascentium, said, “The skill and dedication of our employees enables us to significantly differentiate ourselves and bring lasting value to our customers. We look forward to a successful fourth quarter including celebrating women in business in honor of October’s National Women’s Small Business Month.”

As a direct lender, Ascentium Capital LLC specializes in providing a broad range of financing, leasing and small business loans. The Company’s offering benefits equipment manufacturers and distributors as well as direct to businesses nationwide. Ascentium Capital is backed by the strength of leading investment firm Warburg Pincus LLC. For more information, please visit www.AscentiumCapital.com.

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Banks and Independents Report Strong Performance
In Secured Finance in First Half of 2019

• Secured Finance Network Releases Quarterly Data for Q2,
• Providing Key Indicators, Economic Insights and First Hints of Future Stress

NEW YORK,  ─ In the second quarter of 2019, banks experienced the largest quarterly net increase in asset-based lending loan commitments and outstandings since data collection began in 2016 ─ $3.6B and $2.5B, respectively, according to the latest Quarterly Asset-Based Lending (ABL) Index survey from Secured Finance Network (SFNet).  Non-bank lenders reported a strong quarter, too. The association also released its business confidence index.

Richard D. Gumbrecht, SFNet CEO, said, “The data show quarter-over-quarter growth and strong year-over-year comparisons along with perhaps the first indications of future economic stress since the inception of our Confidence Index in April 2018. Overall, though, members remain bullish on the economy and prospects for continued growth.” 

SFNet data provide key business indicators for institutions involved in secured finance, which represents a half-trillion-dollar industry that provides working capital to a broad array of industries and businesses from energy and retail to construction and technology.

Q2 Results: Mostly Positive
Banks’ net increase in loan outstandings in Q2 shows continued ABL expansion since Q2 2018. This likely indicates a greater willingness of corporate bank customers to use asset-based lending products to finance current activities or prepare for uncertain economic times, Gumbrecht said.
Non-bank lending continued unabated with commitments and outstandings both reaching a new high in 2Q 2019, and utilization rates swelling to pre-recession levels. These independents recorded quarterly net growth in commitments of $210.6M and loan outstandings at $129.8MM. Non-bank ABL portfolio quality was high with lower levels of non-accruals than in Q1.

For all lenders, 62.5% enjoyed an increase in new credit commitments versus 30.4% in Q1.
There were two weak spots noted in the data. While bank ABL loan portfolio quality remained high by most historical measures, more banks experienced greater levels of both non-accruals (35.3% versus 17.6% in Q1) and write-offs of non-performing loans. (23.5% versus 17.6% in Q1).  Even with this increase, however, non-accruals and write-offs remain at historic lows.

“Over the years we’ve witnessed ABL market resilience during times of economic uncertainty…. With an uncertain outlook, it will be interesting to see how the ABL market performs in the back half of 2019 and into 2020,” according to a summary analysis of the ABL Q2 Index.

Q2 Confidence: Moderate
Non-bank lenders reported a slightly more optimistic business outlook than bank lenders in Q2 in all five categories measured by the SFNet Confidence Index: economy/business conditions; portfolio performance; demand for new business; utilization; and hiring expectations. They were most positive about demand for new business, and slightly more reserved about business conditions.

Bank lenders had a moderate business outlook overall in Q2, perhaps reflecting the recent data on non-accruals and write-offs, the summary analysis noted. They were most optimistic about hiring expectations, and most reserved about portfolio quality. Compared with Q1, scores increased in two categories and declined in three.

Details and Analysis

The Quarterly Asset-Based Lending Index and Secured Lending Confidence Index are conducted for SFNet by Westat, an independent market research firm. Follow the links for details and analysis for Q2 2019.  

For a broader view of ABL trends and the composition of this industry, visit SFNet’s 2019 Market Sizing and Impact Survey. This study reported asset-based lenders in recent times have benefited from a strong economy, low default rates, an abundance of complementary capital and easing regulatory hurdles, but over the years SFNet also points out the ABL market has been resilient during times of economic uncertainty. 

About Secured Finance Network
Founded in 1944, the Secured Finance Network (formerly Commercial Finance Association) is an international trade association connecting the interests of companies and professionals who deliver and enable secured financing to businesses. With more than 1,000 member organizations throughout the US, Europe, Canada and around the world, SFNet brings together the people, data, knowledge, tools and insights that put capital to work. For more information, please visit SFNet.com 

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Fernando's View
By Fernando F. Croce

An Antonio Banderas double-bill (“Pain and Glory,” “The Laundromat”) hits theaters, while DVDs bring top animation (“Toy Story 4”), harrowing horror (“Midsommar”), and a striking discovery (“The Cloud-Capped Star”).

In theaters:

Pain and Glory (Sony Pictures): A veteran in mixing subversion with poignancy, Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar (“All About My Mother”) goes autobiographic in this emotionally rich, gorgeously crafted drama about an aging director reflecting on his life and career. Antonio Banderas gives a heartfelt performance as Salvador Mallo, whose concerns as a man and an artist are compounded by physical pains and unsettled feelings. With an upcoming screening of one of his films scheduled, he finds himself trying to reconcile with his former star, Alberto (Asier Etxeandia). All the while, Salvador looks back at his youth, especially his relationship with his mother (Penelope Cruz). Structurally complex, heartbreakingly honest, and featuring plenty of Almodovar’s trademark sly humor and vibrant colors, the film is one of the year’s best. With subtitles.

The Laundromat (Netflix): Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh (“Traffic”) and a sprawling, all-star cast tackle an international scandal in this half-satirical, half-furious analysis of the Panama Papers dossier. Bringing that global money-laundering scheme to human level, the film offers a string of semi-connected plots involving different people affected by it in different parts of the world. There’s Meryl Streep as a widow determined to uncover the web of financial dishonesty; there’s also Sharon Stone as a Las Vegas realtor, Matthias Schoenaerts as an English lawyer, and Rosalind Chao as a Chinese politician’s wife, among others. Watching them all with cocktail in hand are grifting lawyers Jurgen Mossack (Gary Oldman) and Ramon Fonseca (Antonio Banderas). Suggesting a meta-version of Soderbergh’s own “Erin Brockovich,” the film is an agitprop screed against greed.

Nextflix: A graceful screen presence and a trailblazer, Diahann Carroll (1935-2019) left behind a rich oeuvre for cinema as well as TV. So check out Netflix for her finest roles, which include “Carmen Jones” (1954), “Paris Blues” (1961), “Claudine” (1974), and “Eve’s Bayou” (1997).

On DVD:

Toy Story 4 (Walt Disney Studios): Pixar’s most beloved series, the animated “Toy Story” franchise gets a visually inventive, emotionally rich sendoff with this fourth installment. When last seen, Woody (once more voiced by Tom Hanks) and the other toys were bidding farewell to Andy and finding new keepers. Now something of a relic, he watches over a makeshift toy named Forky (Tony Hale), who disappears during a family outing. The search leads to a fortress presided over by a doll named Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) and her army of ventriloquist dummies. With the help of his friends Buzz (Tim Allen) and Bo Peep (Annie Potts), can Woody return to his heroic old ways? Brimming with sight gags and narrow escapes and a surprising melancholic streak, the film is an irresistible box of toys.

Midsommar (A24): After the harrowing debut of “Hereditary,” director Ari Aster spins another hallucinatory tale of fright and sorrow with this intense follow-up, which has invited comparison with the classic “The Wicker Man.” The traumatized heroine this time around is Dani (Florence Pugh), a student freighted with concern about a suicidal sister and a bad relationship with her boyfriend. Said boyfriend, Christian (Jack Reynor), hopes that their romance can be saved by a visit to a Scandinavian village, where a placid community gets ready for a special festival. What seems like a relaxing trip quickly spirals into a waking nightmare as the villagers’ true intentions emerge. Using unnerving cinematic style to give terror a palpable form, Aster’s darkly-humored fable plays on the audience’s nerves and builds to a dread-chocked climax.

The Cloud-Capped Star (Criterion): Though Indian cinema remains one of the biggest and most successful in the world, many of its classics are still unknown to Western audiences. So it’s a special treat to finally get this excellent 1960 drama available, from Bengali director Ritwik Chatak. Set in a tiny, poverty-stricken town, the story centers on Neeta (Supriya Choudhury), the eldest daughter in a struggling family. Her brother (Anil Chatterjee) dreams of being a singer. and becomes Neeta’s closest friend as her dreams are crushed by one tragedy after another. Though not as regarded as his fellow countryman Satyajit Ray, Chatak proves to be even more cinematically adventurous, using offbeat techniques to express the hopes and anxieties of his characters. The results are striking, rewarding, moving. With subtitles.

Labrador Retriever / Great Dane / Mixed
San Diego, California  Adopt-a-Dog

King

Male
General Color: Black
Current Size: 80 Pounds
Potential Size: 80 Pounds
Current Age: 4 Years 2 Months (best estimate)
Location: 92082
Housetrained: Yes
Reaction to New People: Friendly

More about King:
King is about four years old and a big strong 80 lbs. dog but so so sweet and eager to please! King is house broken, crate trained, walks well on the leash, knows his basic commands and LOVES to cuddle and play! King is good with people, kids and other dogs. He is and active boy who is looking for an active family to take him on lots of adventures and give him daily exercise to help him be the best boy!

King was originally adopted from us as a puppy in 2016.  Sadly his family had to return him due to a Military transfer out of the country and now we really want to get King back in to a loving active home because he is that AWESOME!

Email dogs@labradorsandfriends.org or fill out our online application at www.labradorsandfriends.org.  King is located in Southern California.

Labradors Friends Dog Rescue
2307 Fenton Parkway #107-160
San Diego, CA. 92108
(No Dogs here)
Phone
(619)990-7455
Email
dogs@labradorsandfriends.org

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October 24, 2019

Broker registration May be Sold Out
Non-Broker General Attendance Open

Hard Rock Hotel
207 Fifth Avenue
San Diego, California 92101
This chic, rock 'n' roll-themed hotel is 6 minutes' walk from the lively Gaslamp Quarter,
and a mile from shopping and eateries in Seaport Village
http://www.hardrockhotelsd.com/

At the Hard Rock in San Diego, deBanked will bring together brokers, funders, and folks from the MCA and small business lending industry for an evening of education, networking, and cocktails.
This is a half-day event.

These U.S. deBanked Connect events have a reputation for selling out early, as attendance is set at a limited number.

Don’t wait!

General Information:
https://www.debankedsandiego.com/

News Briefs----

For the first time in history, U.S. billionaires paid a lower
     tax rate than the working class last year
https://www.businessinsider.com/american-billionaires-paid-less-taxes-than-working-class-wealth-gap-2019-10

We Finally Understand How Destructive
   Negative Interest Rates Actually Are
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/we-finally-understand-how-destructive-negative-interest-rates-actually-are

Opportunity Knocks in Casual Dining’s 'Second Coming'
 "Well Positioned to Grow in Quality-Driven Restaurant Landscape”
https://www.fsrmagazine.com/chain-restaurants/bostons-opportunity-knocks-casual-dinings-second-coming

 

Ralph Mango Editor/writer of diverse business content: business plans, policy/process, and training. GM delivers results above plan. Associate Editor Leasing News, responsible for proofreading and editing each news edition, as well as contributing content. Available for Projects ralphmango@hotmail.com

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

You May Have Missed---

Happy New Year! – Prepare to Track Time
   of More Employees or Increase Salaries
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/happy-new-year-prepare-to-track-time-more-employees-or-increase-salaries

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

National Pastime

anonymous

Somewhere in the summer city...
someone's stoop... mid 50's,
when gods wore pinstripes,
and kids crammed their mouths
full of cloyingly sticky gum.
Got it... need it... want it.

Could have been anywhere, really.
Babe's House, Duke's Domain,
The Polo Grounds... Fenway Park.
The voices... Red Barber, Mel Allen,
statically beautiful.
Going... going.... gone!

Stark, white powder... highlighting
base lines, connecting the bags.
Irish-green outfields...
their warning tracks beckoning
that high, fly ball...
Holy cow... Oh, Momma, Touch 'em all!

Thurman and Roberto... gone too soon.
Mickey's left the reminiscing to Yogi.
Oh... for a ten-cent Coke, a shoe box,
crammed with flip-worn icons,
and somebody's mother...
calling him in to dinner.

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

Simone Biles stuns fans and crushes 2 more records
  at the world gymnastics championships. And it's not over
https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/10/sport/simone-biles-all-around-world-championships-2019/index.html

Nearly 15,000 pairs of fake Nike shoes seized
    at California port by U.S. Customs
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/10/10/nearly-15000-pairs-of-fake-nike-shoes-seized-at-port-of-los-angeles-by-u-s-customs/

49ers lose another offensive starter to injury
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/sports/10156942-181/49ers-lose-another-offensive-starter

Raiders are developing into an AFC contender
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/sports/10148304-181/raiders-are-developing-into-an

NFL's 100 worst teams of all time:
   Could Dolphins, Redskins join most hopeless in history?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2019/10/09/nfl-worst-teams-all-time-history-dolphins-browns-redskins-lions/3826706002/

Steelers OC "not sure" who will start at QB this week
http://www.theredzone.org/Blog-Description/EntryId/78662/Steelers-OC--not-sure--who-will-start-at-QB-this-week

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

California Nuts Briefs---

San Francisco Pier 39 Fleet Week Events
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/Pier39_FleetWeek2019.pdf

Second phase of blackouts puts hundreds of thousands
 more San Francisco Bay Area residents in the dark
https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/PGE-power-shutoff-phase-two-Bay-Area-14506358.php

PG&E begins power restoration after mass shutoffs
   across Bay Area/ 600,000 customers still without power
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/10/09/bay-area-on-edge-waiting-for-strong-winds-pge-power-shutoffs/

Did the wind that prompted the PG&E power shut-offs
   live up to the hype?  PG&E, meteorlogists weigh in
https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/PGE-power-shutdown-wind-was-it-a-strong-event-14506572.php

PG&E loses exclusive control of bankruptcy as blackouts roll on
https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/PG-E-loses-exclusive-control-of-bankruptcy

Santa Clara County worker strike postponed amid power outages
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/10/10/santa-clara-county-worker-strike-postponed-amid-power-outages/

California bans little plastic bottles in hotels
https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/California-ban-hotel-bottles-14507254.php

 

Big office tower may sprout near downtown
    San Jose convention center
More than one million square feet would be developed at choice site
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/10/10/big-office-tower-sprout-downtown-san-jose-convention-center-google-tech/

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

“Gimme that Wine”

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

Women of the Vine & Spirits Announces the First-of-its-Kind List
  of Women Leaders in the Alcohol Beverage Industry, Worldwide
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=220603

Free Wine App
https://www.nataliemaclean.com/mobileapp/

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

     1614 – Adriaen Block and 12 Amsterdam merchants petitioned the States General in Amsterdam for exclusive trading rights in the New Netherland colony in North America, a 17th-century colonial province that was located on the East Coast that extended from the Delmarva peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod, while the more limited settled areas are now part of the Mid-Atlantic States with small outposts in Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.  The colony was conceived as a private business venture to exploit the fur trade with the native tribes.
    1767 - Surveying for the Mason-Dixon Line, the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland was completed.  The survey was conducted between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in the resolution of a border dispute involving Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware in the colonies.  Royal Charter grants gave overlapping territories and the survey was the result of negotiations begun after the problem was discovered in 1681.
    1776 - Brigadier General Benedict Arnold, with a force of 15 gunboats, attempted to block the British from New York at the battle of Valcour Island. The British under Carleton pursued Arnold over two days after which practically all Arnold's ships were destroyed.
    1779 - The Polish nobleman Casimir Pulaski was killed fighting for American independence at the battle of Savannah, Georgia. He is credited with many cavalry victories and assistance in battle. This day honors his memory.
http://www.chipublib.org/003cpl/pulaskibiog.html
    1809 - Along the Natchez Trace in Tennessee, explorer Meriwether Lewis died under mysterious circumstances at an inn called Grinder's Stand.  On September 3, 1809, Lewis set out for Washington, DC, where he hoped to resolve issues regarding the denied payment of drafts he had drawn against the War Department while serving as governor of the Upper Louisiana Territory, leaving him in potentially ruinous debt. Lewis carried his journals with him for delivery to his publisher. He decided to make an overland journey via the Natchez Trace, an old pioneer road, and then east to Washington. Robbers preyed on travelers on that road and sometimes killed their victims.  After dinner, he retired to his one-room cabin. In the predawn hours of October 11, the innkeeper's wife heard gunshots. Servants found Lewis badly injured from multiple gunshot wounds, one each to the head and gut. He bled out on his buffalo hide robe and died shortly after sunrise. The Nashville Democratic Clarion published the account, which newspapers across the country repeated and embellished. The Nashville newspaper also reported that Lewis's throat was cut.  Money that Lewis had borrowed from Major Gilbert Russell at Fort Pickering to complete the journey was missing.
    1811 - Revolutionizing transportation and commerce, engineers John Stevens and Robert Livingston Stevens, father and son, launched the first steam-propelled ferryboat, “Juliana,” between Hoboken, NJ and New York City.
    1844 – Henry J. Heinz (d. 1916) was born in Pittsburgh.  Founded the H.J. Heinz Company.  He began packing foodstuffs on a small scale in 1869. There he founded Heinz Noble & Company with a friend, L. Clarence Noble, and began marketing horseradish. The company went bankrupt in 1875, but the following year Heinz founded another company, F & J Heinz, with his brother John Heinz and a cousin Frederick Heinz. One of this company's first products was tomato ketchup.  The company continued to grow, and, in 1888, Heinz bought out his other two partners and reorganized the company as the H.J. Heinz Company, the name it carries to the present day.
    1846 - A very intense hurricane caused great destruction on the Florida Keys. Key West was virtually destroyed with 5 feet of water reported in the city. Fort Taylor was reduced to ruins.
    1862 - Confederate cavalry leader General J.E.B. Stuart loots Chambersburg, Pennsylvania on a daring raid in the aftermath of the Battle of Antietam. Stuart left Virginia on October 9 with 1,800 cavalrymen. At the time, the Union Army of the Potomac was still camped in western Maryland. Its commander, George McClellan, was reluctant to pursue General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia back across the Potomac after Antietam on September 17. Stuart was trying to gather information on McClellan's army and harass his supply lines. As the Rebels rode through Maryland, they captured any male travelers they saw in order to keep their activities secret, though Stuart refused to detain women. On the evening of October 10, the Confederate troopers entered Chambersburg. About half of the supplies for the Union army came through the rail center, and Stuart planned to destroy a railway bridge in the town. Local officials fled, and there were no Federal troops to be found when Stuart's men rode in on the evening of October 10. On the morning of October 11, they began cutting telegraph lines, seizing horses and any supplies they could carry, and destroying everything else. The railway bridge proved to be more than the Rebels could handle. Attempts to destroy the steel structure failed, and Stuart ordered his men to turn back to Virginia by the afternoon of October 11.  Stuart's men headed back through Emmitsburg, Maryland, where he learned that a Federal cavalry force was waiting for him at Frederick, 20 miles south. Stuart used backroads and wove between two Union forces before crossing the Potomac River on October 12. The three-day raid covered nearly 130 miles, netted 1,200 horses, and captured 30 local officials to be exchanged for Confederate civil prisoners. Stuart also destroyed many machine shops at the rail center in Chambersburg. His force suffered just one man wounded and two missing.
    1865 - President Andrew Johnson paroles Confederate States of America Vice-President Alexander Stephens
http://www.aoc.gov/cc/art/nsh/stephens.htm
http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/brady/gallery/98gal.html
http://www.civilwarhome.com/stephens.htm
http://hometown.aol.com/jfepperson/aleck.html
    1868 - Thomas Edison received a patent for his first invention, the electric voice machine.
    1881 - David Henderson Houston of Cambria, IW, obtained a patent for a “photographic apparatus,” popularized as the name “film roll.” He had a camera with a receptacle or box at its inner end containing a “roll of sensitized paper or any other suitable tissue, such as gelatin or any more durable material that may be discovered, and an empty reel, upon which the sensitized band is wound as rapidly as it has been acted upon by the light.” The purpose of the camera was “to facilitate taking a number of photographic views successively in a short time.” In 1884, George Eastman of Rochester, NY, obtained a patent for paper-strip photographic film, consisting of paper coated with an insoluble sensitive gelatin emulsion, and in 1888 he introduced it in a box camera and thus the “Kodak Moment” was born.
    1884 - Birthday of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (d. 1962), wife of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd president of the US, was born at New York, NY. Roosevelt was a member of the prominent American Roosevelt and Livingston families and a niece of President Theodore Roosevelt.  FDR was her fifth cousin once removed, whom she married in 1905. She led an active and independent life and was the first wife of a president to give her own news conference in the White House (1933). Widely known throughout the world, she was affectionately called “the first lady of the world.” She served as US delegate to the United Nations General Assembly for a number of years before her death at New York, NY, Nov 7, 1962.  A prolific writer, she wrote in “This Is MyStory,” “…No one can make you feel inferior without your con­sent…”
(lower half of: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/oct11.html )
    1887 - Dorr Eugene Felt received a patent for the "Comptometer," which was the first adding machine known to be absolutely accurate all the time.
    1887 - Alexander Miles patented an improved elevator.
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_Alexander_Miles.htm
    1887 - Birthday of William F. “Willie” Hoppe (d. 1959), billiards champion born in Cornwall on the Hudson, NY. He won tournaments from age 18 until age 64.
    1890 - In Washington, D.C., the Daughters of the American revolution was founded. A lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' struggle for independence.  A non-profit group, they work to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism. The organization's membership is limited to direct lineal descendants of soldiers or others of the Revolutionary period who aided the cause of independence; applicants must have reached 18 years of age and are reviewed at the chapter level for admission. It currently has approximately 180,000 members in the United States and in several other countries.1890 - John Owens ran the first 100-yard dash under 10 seconds at an AAU track meet in Washington. Owen's time was 9.8 seconds.
    1899 – In Major League Baseball, the Western League was renamed the American League.  A minor league originally founded on February 11, 1885, and focused in the Midwest, after several failures and reorganizations, the most notable version of the league was organized by Ban Johnson on November 20, 1893. With the new name, it declared its Major League status in 1901 against the older National League of 1876, which was centered in the American Northeast states.  After the 1899 season, the National League announced it was dropping four of its franchises, reducing its membership from 12 to 8 teams, eliminated were: Baltimore, Cleveland, Louisville and Washington. This afforded an opportunity for the Western circuit to expand into those vacated cities.  The League pledged to stay out of Philadelphia and St. Louis unless the National League started a fight. The teams in the League at this time were:

• Detroit Tigers (only Western League charter member remaining in its original city; retains original team name).
• Chicago White Sox.
• Milwaukee Brewers (became St. Louis Browns (1902), Baltimore Orioles, (1954).
• Cleveland Blues, 1900 (known as Cleveland Broncos by 1902, Cleveland Naps from 1903, and named Cleveland Indians, 1915).
• Kansas City Blues (Washington Senators, 1901 and Minnesota Twins, 1961.
• Buffalo Bisons were dropped in 1901 for Boston Americans.
• Minneapolis Millers dropped 1901.
• Indianapolis Indians dropped 1901. 

    1906 – San Francisco public school board sparked a diplomatic crisis between the United States and Japan by ordering Japanese students to be taught in racially segregated schools.
    1910 - Former President Theodore Roosevelt became the first U.S. President to fly in an airplane. He flew for four minutes with Arch Hoxsey in a plane built by the Wright Brothers at Kinloch Field, St. Louis.
    1918 - Choreographer Jerome Robbins (d. 1998) was born New York City. One of the few modern choreographers to have conquered both classical ballet and the Broadway stage. His hits included “West Side Story,” “Gypsy,” and “Fiddler on the Roof.”
    1919 – Birthday of jazz Drummer Art Blakey (d. 1990), Pittsburgh, PA. Credited as one of the creators of bebop, best known as the founder of the Jazz Messengers. The band was a proving ground for some of the best modern jazz musicians, including Horace Silver, Hank Mobely, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Sonny Rollins, Wynton Marsalis, and Branford Marsalis.
http://www-music.duke.edu/jazz_archive/artists/blakey.art/02/
    1925 - An early season snowstorm dumped up to 2 feet of snow in New Hampshire and Vermont.
    1925 - Birthday of novelist Elmore Leonard (d. 2013), New Orleans, LA. He first started writing Westerns, churning out eight. One of his books, “Hombre”(1961), was voted one of the best 25 westerns of all time by the Western Writers of America. It was made into a film in 1967. Leonard married and had five children. To support the family, he worked as a copywriter at an advertising agency full time and on his novels every morning between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. Westerns peaked in popularity in the late 1960s, so he turned to detective fiction. His first mystery, “The Big Bounce”(1969), was rejected by 84 publishers before it was published as an original paperback. Meanwhile, Leonard began writing educational films for Encyclopedia Britannica. In the 1980s and 90s, the quality of his writing and originality of his plots finally began to gain serious recognition among critics, who had previously dismissed his work as typical western or mystery-suspense fare. By 1983, he had written 23 novels, including “Fifty-Two Pickup”(1974), “Swag”(1976), and “Stick”(1983), which became a bestseller. His 1992 novel, “Rum Punch,” was made into the movie “Jackie Brown,”directed by Quentin Tarantino. His 1990 novel, “Get Shorty,”was made into a movie starring John Travolta in 1995.
http://www.randomhouse.com/features/elmoreleonard/about/
http://www.authorsontheweb.com/features/authormonth/
0201leonard/leonard-elmore.asp
http://www.elmoreleonard.com/
    1939 - Tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins records the great jazz class, “Body and Soul.”
    1944 - The murder-romantic classic, “Laura,” starring Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, and Vincent Price, opened in United States theaters. Based on the Vera Caspary novel, the film also featured David Raksin's haunting theme. Rouben Mamoulian started directing the film, then Otto Preminger took over. Joseph LaShelle's lush black-and-white cinematography earned an Oscar. Webb's performance was critically acclaimed, and he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Preminger, too, received a nomination for Best Director.
    1944 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "I'll Walk Alone," Dinah Shore.
    1946 – Daryl Hall, of Hall & Oates, was born Daryl Franklin Hohl in Pottstown, PA.  Hall & Oates have sold more albums than any other duo in music history and they were inducted into the Rock and roll Hall of Fame in 2014. 
    1947 – Thomas Boswell was born in Washington, DC.  He has spent his entire career with The Washington Post, becoming a Post columnist in 1984, writing primarily about baseball.
    1950 - CBS's mechanical color system became the first licensed for broadcast by the FCC.
    1951 - Top Hits
“Because of You” - Tony Bennett
“I Get Ideas” - Tony Martin
“Cold, Cold Heart” - Tony Bennett
Always Late (With Your Kisses) - Lefty Frizzell
    1954 - Chicago, IL was deluged with 6.72 inches of rain in 48 hours with up to 10 inches reported. The Chicago river flooded with damage of $10 million.
    1958 - Spencer Tracy was virtually the whole movie in “The Old Man and the Sea,” which opened in United States theaters on this date. Based on Hemingway's novel, critics were of mixed opinion on the film. Dimitri Tiomkin's expressive score later won an Oscar.
    1959 - Top Hits
“Mack the Knife” - Bobby Darin
“Put Your Head on My Shoulder” - Paul Anka
“Teen Beat” - Sandy Nelson
“The Three Bells” - The Browns
    1961 - Birthday of San Francisco 49er Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young, Salt Lake City, Utah.  He played 15 seasons in the NFL and retired with the highest passer rating among NFL quarterbacks with at least 1,500 passing attempts (96.8). As of October, 2015, he is ranked fourth all-time, and is ranked highest amongst retired players. His 43 career rushing touchdowns is second among quarterbacks, while his 4,239 rushing yards ranks third all time.  Young also won a record six NFL passer rating titles. Young was named the NFL's MVP in 1992 and 1994, and was the MVP of Super Bowl XXIX, after leading the San Francisco 49ers to their last Super Bowl win, defeating San Diego, 49-26. He threw a Super Bowl-record six touchdown passes, and completing 24 out of 36 passes for 325 yards. He is a member of the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
    1961 - “David Brinkley's Journal” premiered. Newscaster David Brinkley anchored this NBC public affairs show which covered a range of issues, both serious and light. There were also filmed features. “Journal” won both an Emmy and a Peabody in 1962 and was widely respected by the critics.
    1964 - In Game 4 of the World Series, Ken Boyer's sixth inning grand slam off Yankee starter Al Downing gives the Cardinals a 4-3 victory over the Yankees. The St. Louis third baseman is the second National Leaguer to hit a post-season bases-loaded round-tripper.
    1965 – “El Duque,” Orlando Hernandez was born Orlando Hernandez Pedroso in Villa Clara, Cuba.  His greatest success came as a New York Yankees starter during that team's run of World Series championships in 1998-2000. He also won a championship in 2005 with the Chicago White Sox. He is the half-brother of pitcher Livan Hernandez, who defected in 1995. On Christmas Day, 1997, Hernández defected, departing on a boat that was interdicted by the U.S. Coast Guard in Bahamian waters, delivering the entire party to Bahamian authorities in Freeport, who confined them in a detention center for illegal immigrants pending eventual repatriation to Cuba, the usual outcome of such cases.  Hernández eventually accepted an offer of asylum in Costa Rica. If he had immediately become a U.S. resident, he would have been subject to baseball's regular draft and could only have negotiated terms with the team that picked him. As a non-U.S. resident, however, he was able to negotiate as a free agent. After two months in Costa Rica, Hernández entered the U.S. on a visa arranged by the New York Yankees, with whom he had negotiated a four-year, $6.6 million contract.  He compiled a 90-65 record with a 4.13 ERA and 1086 strikeouts over his 10-year career.  His postseason record is 9-3 having won his first 8 decisions while with the Yankees.
    1966 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Reach Out, I'll Be There," The Four Tops.
    1967 - Top Hits
“The Letter” - The Box Tops
“Never My Love” - The Association
“Little Ole Man (Uptight-Everything's Alright)” - Bill Cosby
“Turn the World Around” - Eddy Arnold
    1968 - Another gold record for Aretha Franklin. Her seventh is her recording of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "I Say a Little Prayer."
    1968 – NASA launched Apollo 7, the first successful manned Apollo mission, with astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele and Walter Cunningham aboard.
    1969 - Grand Funk Railroad's debut LP, "On Time," enters the chart at #65, much to chagrin of rock critics, who launch an all-out assault on the group. Within the year, Grand Funk will be among the best-selling acts in rock history.
    1969 – Muddy Waters was severely injured in a car crash just outside Chicago that left three other passengers dead. Waters was absent from music for about a year, and will rarely stand up on stage again.
    1971 - Hugh Downs left his spot at the "Today" show and "Concentration", "...to spend the next year or so just milling around." He would come back as a part of ABC's "20/20," which he has hosted since its second show.
    1972 – A race riot occurred on the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk off the coast of Vietnam.
    1975 - Top Hits
“Bad Blood” - Neil Sedaka
“Calypso/I'm Sorry” - John Denver
“Mr. Jaws” - Dickie Goodman
“Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” - Willie Nelson
    1975 - “Saturday Night Live” Premiered on TV with guest host George Carlin. The very first musical guest was Billy Preston, who performed his hit "Nothing from Nothing." Later in the show, Janis Ian performed her hit "At Seventeen." Through the years, this show has been through numerous cast, writing, producing and musical staff changes. However, its format has remained the same: skits, com­mercial parodies, recurring characters and news parodies, with a different guest host and musical guest performing every week— live. It used to be known for its outrageous comedy topics and parodies that almost bordered on slander, and for having the best in unusual musical groups. Its title was originally titled “NBC's Saturday Night,” with its first host being comedian George Car­lin. Notable cast members included: Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Joe Piscopo, Eddie Murphy, Mary Gross, Tim Kazurinsky, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jim Belushi, Billy Crystal, Martin Short, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Joan Cusack, Robert Downey, Jr, Nora Dunn, Jon Lovitz, Dana Car­vey, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Victoria Jackson, Dennis Miller, Chris Farley and Kevin Nealon. The show really takes off the following week when it highlighted by the reunion of host Paul Simon with his former partner, Art Garfunkel
http://www.saturday-night-live.com/snl/guestsbyseason.html
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/about/index.html
http://www.saturday-night-live.com/snl/castsbyseason.html
    1976 – President Gerald Ford approved a joint congressional resolution that posthumously appointed George Washington to the grade of General of the Armies, 177 years after his death.
    1976 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Disco Duck (Part 1)," Rick Dees & His Cast of Idiots. A morning DJ at Memphis, Tenn., radio station WMPS, Dees gets fired when he mentions his novelty song on the air.
    1983 - Top Hits
“Total Eclipse of the Heart” - Bonnie Tyler
“Making Love Out of Nothing at All” - Air Supply
“King of Pain” - The Police
“Don't You Know How Much I Love You” - Ronnie Milsap
    1984 - Kathryn D. Sullivan became the first United States female astronaut to walk in space when she exited the space shuttle Challenger. Attached only by a narrow life-support tether, Sullivan worked in space for three-and- one-half-hours before returning to Challenger's controlled environment.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2004-10-06-spacewalk-fix_x.htm
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/sullivan-kd.html
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2004-10-06-spacewalk-fix_x.htm
    1986 - The Pretenders release their single, "Don't Get Me Wrong." It peaks at #10.
    1987 - First public display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt on the National Mall in Washington, DC during the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.
    1987 - More than thirty cities in the Upper Midwest reported record low temperatures for the date, including Waterloo, IA and Scottsbluff, NE where the mercury dipped to 16 degrees. Tropical Storm Floyd brought heavy rain to southern Florida, moisture from Hurricane Ramon produced heavy rain in southern California, and heavy snow blanketed the mountains of New York State and Vermont.
    1987 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Lost in Emotion," Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam.
    1988 - Low pressure brought gale force winds to the Great Lakes Region, with snow and sleet reported in some areas. Unseasonably warm weather prevailed in the north central U.S. The mercury hit 84 degrees at Cutbank, MT and Worland, WY. The temperature at Gunnison, CO soared from a morning low of 12 degrees to a high of 66 degrees.
    1989 - Much of the nation enjoyed "Indian Summer" type weather. Nine cities in the central U.S. reported record highs for the date as temperatures warmed into the 80s and 90s. Record highs included 90 degrees at Grand Island, NE and 97 degrees at Waco, TX. Strong winds along a cold front crossing the Northern High Plains Region gusted to 80 mph at Ames Monument, WY during the early morning.
    1990 - Oil hits a record $40.42 per barrel.
    1991 - Playing at Sunrise Golf Club, Chip Beck, shot 59 in the third round of the Las Vegas Invitational to equal Al Geiberger's record for lowest score in a single round of PGA tournament. But he did not win the tournament. Andrew Magee did, defeating D. A. Weibring on the second hold of a sudden-death playoff.
    1991 - Top Hits
“Good Vibrations” - Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch/Loleatta Holloway
“Emotions” - Mariah Carey
“Do Anything” - Natural Selection
“Where Are You Now” - Clint Black
    1991 - Apple Computer and Apple Corp., the record company founded by the Beatles, settled their lawsuit. Apple Corp. had filed the suit in 1989, alleging that Apple Computer improperly used the Apple logo. The tension between the two companies dated back to the launch of Apple Computer in 1977, when Apple Corp. requested a royalty for the use of the name. A 1981 agreement barred the computer company from using the name and logo on equipment designed to synthesize music. This agreement proved to be a problem when Apple created a Macintosh capable of recording and synthesizing sound. The computer company reportedly paid about $29 million to settle the suit
    1995 - Jim Manzi, head of Lotus, resigned four months after IBM acquired the company. Lotus had grown powerful off the success of its spreadsheet, Lotus 1-2-3, but lost ground to Microsoft Excel in the early 1990s. The company reasserted its success, however, when it developed Lotus Notes, networking software that made it easy for many people to work together on the same document. Manzi had been appointed president of Lotus in 1984, at age thirty-two. When IBM purchased the company, Manzi at first promised to stay but lasted only ninety-nine days under the new regime.
    2001 – Polaroid sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
    2004 - After seven tries during their 43-year history, the Astros finally win a post-season playoff series as they eliminate the Braves in the deciding Game 5 of the NLCS,12-3. It is the third consecutive year Atlanta has lost Game 5 of the division series at Turner Field.
    2006 – Yankees Pitcher Cory Lidle was killed when a small plane he is in crashes into a residential building in New York City.
    2012 - The U.S. court ruling banning the sale of Samsung's Galaxy Nexus was overturned, winning a round for Google's Android against Apple.
World Champions:
    1913 - Philadelphia Athletics
    1918 - Boston Red Sox
    1943 - New York Yankees
    1948 - Cleveland Indians