Archives---September 24, 2001
Certified Leasing Professional Web Site

The CLP Foundation is proud to announce the arrival on the Internet of our own web site --- www.clpfoundation.org.

We would like all members of the leasing community to take a few minutes or more to visit the site to learn about the Foundation and exactly what the Certified Lease Professional (CLP) designation means and who the CLP's are in our industry.

With the changes in our industry over this past year, many of our CLP's have relocated and we have yet to catch up with them. As you are browsing through the list of our current CLP's and find an individual who you know is now with a new company please send me an E-mail with the updated information -- cindy@clpfoundation.org.

We want thank those who have supported us in our new endeavor and look forward to serving the leasing industry by helping to raise the professional standards and encouraging continuing education and greater industry participation by leasing professionals.

Thank you,
Cindy Spurdle, Executive Director
CLP Foundation

Today

Reid Raykovich, CLP
Executive Director
reid@clpfoundation.org
(206) 535-6281 - direct
(866) 795-5839 - fax

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

Classified Ads---Credit

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

Credit, syndication, workout experience Exceptional work ethic, common sense coupled with practical experience in equipment finance, consumer, commercial. Can interact with all levels of borrowers and intermediaries. Not an originator – but can help sales team close – great up sell ability. Will relocate for the right opportunity AND can work remotely.aaacorrespondent@gmail.com

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

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

 

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New Business in August Drops 11%
ELFA MFLI-25 Report

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) reports the MFLI-25 report shows New business volume dropped 11 percent in August compared with July and fell 7 percent year-over-year. It is the third month of decline in 2013: January went from $5.9 billion to $4.7 billion, June went from $8.5 billion to $7.2 billion in July.

ELFA president William G. Sutton said, “Uncertainty surrounding heightened U.S. involvement in the Syrian conflict coupled with a potential federal government shutdown and a looming debt-ceiling fight between Congress and the Obama Administration may be responsible for some businesses pulling back on their equipment acquisition plans.”

Leasing News will have more details in its next edition.

 

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Lease Companies on the Stock Exchange
Monday Comparison to Last 52 Weeks

Chesswood Group Limited

(Pawnee)
Canadian Dollars and stock exchange
Last Price 12.66
Day High 12.75
52Wk High 12.95
Volume 7.25k
% Change -0.63%
Prev Close 12.74
52Wk Low 8.10

CIT

Last Price: 46.84
Prev Close: 47.92
Open: 47.67
Bid: 42.73 x 100
Day's Range: 46.78 - 47.80
52wk Range: 36.02 - 51.52
Volume: 1,987,116
Avg Vol (3m): 1,254,260

Element Financial Corp

Last Price: 3.13
Prev Close: 13.30
Open: 13.25
Day's Range: 12.94 - 13.33
52wk Range: 0.12 - 13.65
Volume: 715,805
Avg Vol (3m): 955,902

Everbank Financial Corp.

Last Price: 15.24
Prev Close: 15.31
Open: 15.27
Day's Range: 14.94 - 15.30
52wk Range: 12.75 - 17.29
Volume: 745,173
Avg Vol (3m): 709,392

GATX
Last Price: 47.77
Prev Close: 48.07
Open: 48.06
Day's Range: 47.75 - 48.25
52wk Range: 39.83 - 54.19
Volume: 280,637
Avg Vol (3m): 298,878

General Electric

Last Price 24.28
Prev Close: 24.01
Open: 24.20
Day's Range: 24.15 - 24.38
52wk Range: 19.87 - 24.95
Volume: 41,329,198
Avg Vol (3m): 35,061,700

Huntington Bancshares

Last Price: 8.23
Prev Close: 8.38
Open: 8.37
Day's Range: 8.21 - 8.38
52wk Range: 5.81 - 8.78
Volume: 8,089,297
Avg Vol (3m): 10,328,200

KeyCorp

Last Price: 11.57
Prev Close: 11.57
Day's Range: 11.28 - 11.55
52wk Range: 7.81 - 12.63
Volume: 14,450,370
Avg Vol (3m): 10,626,300

Marlin Business Services

Last Prise: 25.87
Prev Close: 25.82
Open: 25.77
Day's Range: 25.51 - 26.02
52wk Range: 15.43 - 26.96
Volume: 43,085
Avg Vol (3m): 33,028

MicroFinancial

Last Price: 7.84
Prev Close: 7.80
Open: 7.82
Day's Range: 7.72 - 7.84
52wk Range: 6.51 - 9.50
Volume: 17,600
Avg Vol (3m): 46,278

US Bancorp

Last Price: 37.36
Prev Close: 37.85
Open: 37.75
Day's Range: 37.17 - 37.76
52wk Range: 30.96 - 38.23
Volume: 7,630,984
Avg Vol (3m): 7,836,300

Wells Fargo

Last Price: 42.31
Prev Close: 42.85
Open: 42.42
Day's Range: 42.06 - 42.52
52wk Range: 31.25 - 44.79
Volume: 16,458,957
Avg Vol (3m): 18,399,800

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Canadian Leasing and Finance Industry Annual Conference
by Hugh Swandel
Managing Director – Canada
The Alta Group

The Canadian equipment and vehicle finance industry gathered for their annual conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia late last week. There were over 300 attendees at the conference and the mood was very upbeat. The Canadian Finance and Leasing Association (CFLA) celebrated its 40th anniversary with a program of speakers and presenters who discussed a variety of issues. The theme of the conference was “Navigating Our New World” and attendees agreed that the materials presented provoked conversation about our industry and the many factors that influence the potential for success and failure of the firms who operate within it.

The conference sessions included presentations from Adam Warner, President of Key Equipment Finance and the incoming Equipment Leasing and Finance Chair and George Ashworth the Chair of the Asset Finance Division of the UK Finance and Leasing Association. The CFLA felt it important to include representatives from Europe and the U.S. as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations. Attendees were able to get a different perspective on issues impacting our industry around the world.

It was interesting to hear how increased regulation, Basel III and new lease accounting rules are viewed in other parts of the world. Although the issues are the same the impact in different countries is unique and the speakers gave excellent insights into how business practices are changing to meet these challenges.

The conference was also an opportunity to hear from a leading economist, a former ambassador to the United States and an executive who spoke to the potential for compatibility between environmentalism and capitalism. The CFLA does an excellent job of providing content that goes beyond the day to day issues of our industry.

The balance of the conference agenda offered member led sessions on current issues facing the membership. These sessions were all well attended and the content produced by members presenting was excellent. Topics included legal, accounting, new financing opportunities and credit analytics. The agenda was an excellent balance of day to day operating issues and perspectives on business and economic issues beyond the leasing industry.

Perhaps the best part of the conference was the banquet which included a lobster dinner and a local comedian who provided attendees with an education on the unique language and culture of the region. The CFLA continues to set a standard for excellence that his second to no other industry association.

Hugh Swandel
http://www.leasingnews.org/Advisory%20Board/swandel_hugh.html

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Software Programmer Fort Collins, Colorado SQL & .Net programmer for Vision Commerce Platform, Min. 2yr. exp.,Bachelor’s degree ---or Course Work in related field Click here for more information www.pawneeleasing.com -Est. 1982, specializing in the under $75,000 marketplace to smaller, closely-held businesses--

 

 

“Position Filled---But Would Like to Work for this Company”
Career Crossroad---By Emily Fitzpatrick/RII

Question: The position I was hoping to interview for, has been filled. However, I am interested in working for this particular company. Do you have any suggestions?

Answer: Realize that not every company will have a job for you. If the position has been filled, continue to approach the company in a professional manner and see if there are other departments where you skills may be valuable – ASK!

The following are samples of interview-development questions and can assist you in getting an introduction/lead into another Department:

1. Who else in the company might need someone with my qualifications?

2. Does your company have any other divisions that might need someone with my attributes?

3. When do you anticipate an opening in your department / company?

Come up with at least three additional questions related to your skill set and industry expertise. Sell yourself and that you would like to work for this company, as you believe it is where you would like to have a career.

When you receive information/leads/introductions--- make sure to thank the person and request to use his./her name as an introduction – this personal introduction can be very valuable.

Emily Fitzpatrick
Sr. Recruiter
Recruiters International, Inc.
Phone: 954-885-9241
Cell: 954-612-0567
emily@riirecruit.com
Invite me to Connect on LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/pub/emily-fitzpatrick/4/671/76
Also follow us on Twitter #RIIINFO

Career Crossroads Previous Columns
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/crossroad.html

Ken Greene opens Law Offices of
Kenneth Charles Greene

Long time leasing attorney Ken Greene has opened his own
office in Southern California. began his leasing career with BankAmerilease. He has been a partner in several law firms (including Ross & Ivanjack, one of the first law firms in the country devoted exclusively to the equipment finance industry). He has been active in several leasing associations, and a frequent writer and lecturer on matters of leasing law and other related legal issues.

Ken is president of Apollo SoundKitchen (a music management company), general counsel and co-executive producer of Palm Beach Publishing Company, and general counsel to Ancient Films.


Ken Greene
Law Offices of Kenneth Charles Greene
345 Thousand Oaks Boulevard #6566
Westlake Village, California 91359
Tel: 415-858-9111
Skype: 424.235.1658
kenlaw100@gmail.com

Ken is an original member of the Leasing News Advisory Board.
Here is his biography:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Advisory%20Board/Greene_Law.htm

 

 

[headlines]
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Bree Johnson and Mike Willerer New CLP's

Bree Johnson
Senior Processor
Commerce National Bank

(A comment was requested, but not received. Editor)

 

Mike Willerer
Funding Team Manager
Direct Capital Corporation

“I wanted to become involved with the CLP Foundation as a way to help develop myself both professionally and personally and get more involved in the industry," Mike Willerer, CLP, said. "All of the CLP's I have met are a dedicated group of individuals committed to excellence in the industry. I am very excited to grow along with those in the CLP Foundation.”

There are currently 190 Certified Lease Professionals throughout the world. For more information, call Reid Raykovich, CLP at (206) 535-6281 or visit www.clpfoundation.org

Today’s Top Companies with more than one employee who are CLP:

1. Financial Pacific Leasing – 18
2. First American Equipment Finance – 10
3. Orion First Financial – 7
4. Arvest Equipment Finance – 5
5. Commerce National Bank – 5
6. Great American Insurance – 5
7. Ascentium Capital LLC – 4
8. Bank of the West – 4
9. ECS Financial Services – 4
10. First Star Capital – 4
11. Innovative Lease Services, Inc. – 4
12. Maxim Commercial Capital – 4
13. FSG Leasing - 3
14. Pacifica Capital - 3
15. PacTrust Bank - 3
16. Allegiant Partners -2
17. GO Capital - 2

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

Working Capital Loans $10,000-$250,000
www.channelpartnersllc.com p: (763) 746-7760 f: (763) 592-8297 information@channelpartnersllc.com

 

 

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Leasing 102
by Mr. Terry Winders, CLP

Purchase Money Security Interest (PMSI)

The current discussion on accounting rules is taking center stage on the concerns of the future of commercial equipment leasing. However, I think some of the new crop of lease employees fail to understand there are legal requirements as well and we have a large quantity of leases that are really disguised conditional sales contracts or are more legally called: “leases intended as a security.” These leases are governed by Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) and not Article 2A that is intended for legal leases. Article 9 commercial transactions require liens to protect the lender’s position.

In Article 9--- transactions the lessee is recognized as the owner of the equipment. In Article 2A ---the lessor is recognized as the owner. Therefore an Article 9 lease requires the lessor to file a lien to protect the asset until the lease is paid in full.

To understand ownership, the UCC recognizes three types of ownership:

1. real estate

2. titled assets

3. untitled assets.

Transportation assets usually have a title so the lien is placed on the physical vehicle.

An untitled commercial asset, which is virtually everything else that is not real estate, requires filing a lien (financing statement) at a State level. You must discover the State in which the lessee has filed their charter papers and file in that State.

Article 2A Lessors are allowed to file financing statements on leases without fear that the filing may be used as evidence that we made a loan instead of a lease (Article 9-505). Also, the financing statement must be in the State of incorporation because it is an Article 9 statement.

A financing statement is a legal notice that a lender is placing a lien on an asset that they have taken as security for the repayment of a loan or lease (intended as a security).

Article 2A true leases do not require the filing of a lien because the lessor is recognized as the owner.

There are three types of liens. It is best to understand that first filed has first position if a default occurs. Generally speaking a lot of lenders file a “blanket lien” which means they have first position on all current assets plus any after acquired assets. This was done by the UCC so some minor assets could be sold without having the lien released so long as it is replaced by something of equal value. This means that a lease on new equipment could become covered by the blanket lien holder if there was not a procedure to allow the lessor to protect his position.

A “purchase money security interest filing” (PMSI) was established to allow a lender/lessor to file a lien and have a first position lien provided the lien was filed no later than 20 days after the lessee takes possession of the equipment. This poses a problem when vendors provide a trial period for the lessee to determine if the equipment will serve his needs. This is the reason we have a space on the acceptance agreement for possession/delivery date. But as you know lessees usually date everything the same as the acceptance date and unless you confirm the delivery date with the vendor, you could be late filed and you lose the asset to the blanked lien holder.

However, first filed is always first lien holder, so if no blanket lien exists you could be first lien holder even if you fail the PMSI filing deadline. It is very important to complete the filing within the 20 day period after possession. I can’t emphasize that enough.

Mr. Terry Winders, CLP, has been a teacher, consultant, expert witness for the leasing industry for thirty years and can be reached at terrywinders11@yahoo.com or 502-649-0448.

He invites your questions and queries.

Previous #102 Columns:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Leasing_102/Index.htm

Top Stories September 16--September 20
(You May Have Missed One)

Here are the top stories opened by readers:

(1) Blackstone Equipment Financing Leaves
"Funders Looking for New Broker Business" List
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2013/9_20.htm#blackstone

(2) Colorado 100 Year Flood Affects Leasing Companies
Pawnee Leasing/BSB Leasing
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2013/9_18.htm#pawnee

(3) Archives--September 15, 2005
List of 43 Funders who purchased NorVergence Leases
Today: Exclusive Comment on Conviction of Salzano
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2013/9_16.htm#archives

(4) 400+ Letters to FASB
Let's Clear Up Some Misconceptions
by Christopher Menkin
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2013/9_16.htm#letters

(5) Steven Udavar-Hazy: Richest Man in Leasing
Says Forbes Top 400---Aircraft Leasing
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2013/9_18.htm#forbes

(6) Leasing 102 by Mr. Terry Winders, CLP
How to Protect the Lessor
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2013/9_16.htm#how

(Tie) (7) The “Dawn of Wine” Wins 2013
Wine Spectator Video Contest
--"Godzilla takes on Napa Valley and learns to love wine"
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2013/9_18.htm#wine_video

(Tie) (7) Texas Bank Takes FDIC for $637.5 million DIF
(The Biggest Bank Failure in 3 Years)
Why Did Connecticut’s Only Minority Owned Bank Fail?
Bank Beat
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2013/9_16.htm#bank_beat

(9) Sales Makes it Happen by Steve Chriest
W ork on the Mighty Middle
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2013/9_18.htm#middle

(10) New Hires—Promotions
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2013/9_20.htm#hires

(Tie) (11) Leasing Association Conference—Update
Exhibitors/Hotel/Activities/Speakers
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2013/9_20.htm#conference

(Tie) (11) Premium Offer for Gas Station
How Maxim Commercial Capital Works to Help Clients
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2013/9_18.htm#maxim

 

• Contract Negotiations • Fraud Investigations  • Credit Investigations • Skip-tracing  • Third-party Commercial Collections John Kenny  Receivables Management For flat fee or commissions basis  john@jkrmdirect.com | ph 315-866-1167| www.jkrmdirect.com

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

 

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Subway Brings Credit Card Processing In-House
www.qsrmagazine.com

Subway is bringing payment processing
in house to save franchisees more
than $20 million each year
Franchisees save millions with in-house payment processing.

Many brands are happy to leave credit-card processing to the pros, but sandwich chain Subway is going against the grain. The brand’s Independent Purchasing Cooperative (ipc), its purchase and supply chain management arm, recently brought all payment processing in house.

The new system processes two million payment transactions per day for franchisees in the U.S. and Canada and will help Subway franchisees collectively save more than $20 million per year. The platform also allows Subway to match its customers with their payments in real time, creating opportunities for individualized marketing and personalized relationships.

“We’re going to be able to recognize customers by the cards they use and provide them with special offers right on the receipt at the point of purchase based on their purchasing patterns and habits,” says George Labelle, IPC’s chief information officer. “By understanding the needs of our customers on an individual basis, we can drive sales and profits.”

In the markets where this system has been tested, Labelle says, Subway franchisees have already seen increased revenues of 10.2 percent.

But Jeff Shanahan, president at payment processor CardConnect, says the move means Subway may be taking on a financial risk for all of its franchisees.

“From a software technical perspective, there’s always going to be a challenge to ensure that the system is 100 percent available,” he says. “If the system goes down, then the merchants are not able to accept payment, and that can be a disaster.”

Labelle says this challenge has been a concern for Subway. “We’re now in the business of operating a 24/7, mission-critical processing platform that can never go down,” he says. “That requires a lot of specialized expertise and knowledge, and that will always be a challenge for us, especially as the brand continues to grow.”

Fortunately, the brand hasn’t received any negative feedback from franchisees, Labelle says, which means the system is working.

“Franchisees swipe a credit card and the next day they receive payment in their bank account, so it’s business as usual for them,” he says. “Twenty million dollars is a lot of money, and our franchisees are very excited about those savings.”

 

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

 

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Online stock brokers see gains in trading
in typically slow August
By Rodger Nayak and Vipra Vora, SNF Financial

A SNL Feature Story

Daily average revenue trades [“DARTs”] at online brokers showed strong increases year over year in August, as client assets continued to show double-digit gains.

TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. saw DARTs climb 26.07% year over year in August to 382,000. E*TRADE Financial Corp. reported an increase in DARTs of 21.34% to 147,500.

Interactive Brokers Group Inc., which is geared mostly toward professional traders, reported an increase in DARTs year over year of 32.30% to 471,000.

TradeStation Group Inc.'s DARTs climbed 13.89% to 172,200.

Charles Schwab Corp., which does not report DARTs on a monthly basis, reported an increase in DARTs in the second quarter of 6% year over year to 301,500.

Interactive Brokers reported the highest increase in monthly total client assets, at 30.59%. Charles Schwab saw the smallest increase, at 12.12%.

Sandler O'Neill analyst Richard Repetto in a Sept. 10 note said the typical summer slowdown in DARTs was not seen at TD Ameritrade, which saw trading rise sequentially. Only TradeStation, SNL data show, saw activity decline between August and July.

Interactive Brokers saw DARTs that exceeded Repetto's estimates, he said in a Sept. 3 note. Still, its DARTs on a sequential basis lagged the gains seen at other online brokers, likely because volatility declined substantially, and its active trading base stayed more subdued as a result, he said.

 

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The 2013 Toronto International Film Festival
By Fernando Croce, Leasing News Film Critic

The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the most respected fests not just because of the quality and variety of entries from all the corners of the world, but also because it allows audiences an early glimpse at many of the movies that will make news in the upcoming few months. Here’s a list of the most hotly anticipated titles.

Gravity: In his first film since “Children of Men,” cinematic virtuoso Alfonso Cuaron directs this visually astonishing drama. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney star as a medical engineer and a veteran astronaut who find themselves stranded when an accident destroys their space station. What follows is a struggle for survival among the stars that manages to be both emotional and technologically awe-inspiring. “Avatar” director James Cameron has already called it the best sci-fi film he’s ever seen.

Night Moves: Kelly Reichardt, a director that specializes in alienated characters, follows her unique Western “Meek’s Cutoff” with this strong, moody suspense drama. The plot follows a group of environmental activists (Dakota Fanning, Jessie Eisenberg and Peter Sarsgaard) who plan to blow up a dam in Oregon. It’s not long, however, before they’re chocked by doubt and guilt. Full of naturalistic performances and bleak compositions, it’s a powerful look at how idealistic goals are complicated by real-life consequences.

The Past: Oscar-winning director Asghar Farhadi (“A Separation”) serves up another emotionally gripping story of domestic turmoil. Berenice Bejo (“The Artist”) stars as a French woman whose Iranian husband (Tahar Rahim) leaves her and their children to return to his homeland. Her attempts to move on with a divorce and start a new life are made difficult, however, when he returns to Paris. Like “A Separation,” Farhadi’s film shines a harsh yet hopeful light on the difficult communication between people.

Only Lovers Left Alive: Jim Jarmusch (“Stranger Than Paradise”) crafts a modern-day vampire story without losing any of his trademark hipster cool. Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston are perfectly cast as a pair of centuries-old bloodsuckers who, instead of venturing into the night and attacking humans, prefer to listen to rockabilly records and reminiscence about the celebrities they’ve met. Featuring a killer soundtrack and that inimitable Jarmusch dry humor, this is a marvelously eccentric gem.

The Strange Little Cat: In the festival’s most remarkable film debut, director Ramon Zucher offers a beguiling little story full of hidden depth. Taking place in a cramped German apartment, the film chronicles one day in the life of a family. One daughter screams with joy whenever appliances are turned on, the mother gazes at everybody with enigmatic sadness, and their cat wanders in and out of rooms like a silent witness with a mysterious purr. It all adds up to a funny, peculiar, captivating film.

A Touch of Sin: Arguably the greatest Chinese director now working, Jia Zhangke (“Unknown Pleasures”) weaves a tapestry of insightful and often brutal glimpses at his country’s economic hardships. Split into four stories, the film follows several troubled characters—from a beaten-up factory worker to a greeter at a massage parlor—who are brought face to face with difficult options. A remarkable x-ray chart of Chinese social relations, this is a portrait as pitiless as it is fascinating.

12 Years a Slave: Director Steve McQueen and actor Chitewel Ejiofor are gathering early Oscar buzz for this harrowing story of slavery in 19th-century America. Ejiofor stars as a free New York man who, due to the color of his skin, is assumed to be a slave and sold as a servant in the Antebellum South. Working from one farm to another, he experiences a vast array of cruel behavior while always hoping to escape and get back to his family. With an all-star cast that includes Michael Fassbender, Alfre Woodard and Brad Pitt.

Under the Skin: Having vanished for a decade after “Sexy Beast” and “Birth,” British filmmaker Jonathan Glazer has become something of a mystery. The mystery isn’t going away with his astonishing new film, a blend of abstract science-fiction and hard-grain realism that must be seen to be believed. Scarlett Johansson stars as a gorgeous space alien who travels around Scotland in search of human bodies. This is a movie as hard to describe as it is impossible to forget.

The Unknown Known: A specialist in slippery, controversial subjects, Oscar-winning documentarian Errol Morris (“The Fog of War”) turns his curious gaze to former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Following some 30 hours of interviews, Morris offers a mosaic of concepts and images as Rumsfeld reflects on his decade-spanning political career and his decisions during the war on Iraq. The result is a mesmerizing portrait that should fascinate movie lovers on both sides of the political fence.

The Wind Rises: Beloved Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki (“Spirited Away”) has said that this will be his final film. If that’s true, then the veteran director has gone out with a bang. Following the life of a dreamy young engineer who’s fascinated by planes and in love with a pretty, ailing artist, the film showcases Miyazaki’s eye for strange beauty and unexpected emotions. Gorgeously animated and deeply moving, this is the perfect farewell from one of the medium’s masters.

Labrador Retriever/Mix
Toronto, Canada Adopt-a-Dog

Barney

Animal ID: 19479858
Breed: Retriever, Labrador/Mix
Age:8 years 5 months 22 days
Sex: Male
Size: Large
Color: Black
Declawed: No
Housetrained: Partially
No Small Kids
Site: Toronto Humane Society
Location: Room A 2
Intake Date 3/25/2013

Lab Mix - 8 years -Neutered -"Big Heart "Meet Barney an old soul with lots of love to give. This lovable guy needs a quiet adult home, with owners who understand his needs. If you have what it takes to give this older guy a forever home please come talk to one of our adoption counselors."

Please note: In order to ensure a smooth and successful adoption, please remember to check all the basic requirements for adopting before coming in to the shelter. http://www.torontohumanesociety.com/adopt_process.htm Thank you and we hope to see you soon!

This pet also comes with 6 weeks of pre-paid pet health insurance. For more information please visit www.ospcainsurance.ca or call 1-866-600-2445.

The Toronto Humane Society
11 River Street,
Toronto, Ontario, M5A 4C2
Phone: 416.392.2273
Fax: 416.392.9978

Hours:
Monday to Friday - 11am to 7pm
Saturday and Sunday - 10am to 6pm

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

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

 

News Briefs----

Fleet Alliance wins Small Fleet Leasing Awards

BlackBerry Reaches $4.7 Billion Deal to Go Private

TD Bank to pay $90 million in U.S. settlements over Ponzi scheme

KeyBank Foundation awards JumpStart $300,000 continuation grant

Criticism Mounts Against New Accounting Rules for Lease

Federal Reserve considers explicit pledge: Low rates if inflation stays down

Who is Janet Yellen?

Apple's iPhone success takes its toll on Pandora, Microsoft, BlackBerry

New iPhone case packs stun gun, pepper spray

65th Emmy Awards 2013 - Complete Winner's List

$400M SC winner cashes in; will remain anonymous

[headlines]
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--You May Have Missed It

Warming planet could spawn bigger, badder thunderstorms

[headlines]
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SparkPeople--Live Healthier and Longer

10 Unexpected Sources of Probiotics

[headlines]
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Baseball Poem

The Catchers Learns the Motion

by Tim Peeler

and is often the hub of the movements,
he reads the morse code of the pitcher
and returns the speech of the dumb,

he loves the sphere and its ridges,
rips it from the tight mitt
with or against the seams
whistles it from a frog squat.

the catcher learns
he is the hat of the hat dance,
the pitcher may think himself
the center of gravity,
but the catcher
waits at the apex of the great angles,

slaps the leather trap
on the errant razor
as it spits up from the dust.

the catcher imprints the motions of the hitters,
checks the rhythm of their passages,
knows he must slip an extra measure
at the end of their cha-cha-cha,

the catcher is the great disturber,
can cock twice on his return throw,
spit on the plate, call for the "buzzer"
block the ump's clear visage,

bilingual kamikaze
chattering like a wired chimp,
muttering with silent busted digits,
sacrificing legs
to the varicose crouch and
the ruinous crunch
of the few that get through
to thin armor .

Touching All Bases
Poems from Baseball
Tim Peeler
www.mcfarlandpub.com

[headlines]
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Sports Briefs----

49ers make mistake by not benching Aldon Smith

Kawakami: 49ers' performance, handling of Smith case mark low point of Harbaugh era

Harbaugh offers few answers, hints at Jon Baldwin's 49ers debut

Manning, Broncos rip Raiders

Pirates reach playoff for first time in 21 years

Shaquille O'Neal becomes minority owner of Sacramento Kings

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

California Nuts Briefs---

Jerry Brown signs law requiring cars to give bicyclists space

Four Marin municipalities go hat in hand for sales tax hikes

 

[headlines]
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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Treasury Wine Estates CEO ousted after $33 million wine dump

Grape growers unfazed by rain

Washington State Grape harvest in full swing

S. Oregon vintners see early grape harvest

In France, Delayed Champagne Harvest Gets Go-Ahead

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

Wine Prices by vintage
http://www.winezap.com
http://www.wine-searcher.com/

US/International Wine Events
http://www.localwineevents.com/

Winery Atlas
http://www.carterhouse.com/atlas/\

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

       1625- Dutch attack San Juan, Puerto Rico.
http://www.cr.nps.gov/habshaer/habs/absprw.htm
http://www.nps.gov/saju/saw13.html
    1657-The first autopsy with a verdict of a coroner’s jury was recorded in Maryland. The surgeon received his fee of “one hogshead of tobacco” for “dissecting and viewing the corpse” of an African-American slave thought to have been murdered by his master. It was proven he was beaten to death, which was against the law, even for a “slave.”
    1683- Jews are expelled from all French possessions in America
http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/History/timeline.html
    1734-Members of the Schwenkfelder Society gave thanks for their deliverance from Old World persecution as they prepared to take u new lives in the Pennsylvania Dutch counties of Pennsylvania. Still celebrated.
    1742-Faneuil Hall at Boston, MA, opened to the public. Designed by painter John Smibiert, it was enlarged in 1805 according to plans by Charles Bullfinch. Today it is on the Freedom Trail, as part of the Boston Historical Park, administered by the National Park Service.
    1755- birthday of John Marshall, Fourth Chief Justice of Supreme Court, born at Germantown, VA. Served in House of Representatives and as Secretary of State under John Adams. Appointed by President Adams to the position of chief justice in January 1801, he became known as “The Great Chief Justice.” Marshall’s court was largely responsible for defining the role of the Supreme Court and basic organizing principles of government in the early years after adoption of the Constitution in such cases as Marbury v Madison, McCulloch V Maryland, Cohens v Virginia and Gibbons v Ogden. He died at Philadelphia, PA, July 6,1835.
    1789 - Congress passes the Judiciary Act of 1789, establishing a strong federal court system with the powers it needs to ensure the supremacy of the Constitution and federal law. The new Supreme Court will have a chief justice and five associate justices.
    1825--Birthday of Frances Ellen Watkins (Harper) - Afro-American activist. She helped organize the National Association of Colored Women after a lifetime devoted to the cause of abolition. Her story "The Two Offers" in the Anglo-African Magazine (1859) is considered the first story written by an African-American woman to be published in the U.S.
    1855-The head of Joaquin Murietta Joaquin Murieta was a notorious and romantic figure in the early history of California. Murieta’s head, preserved in a jar, became a lucrative public attraction, until the public’s fancy turned to other affairs. While alive, the reward for Murieta's capture had risen as high as $5000. At auction, the preserved heads of Joaquin Murieta and Three-Fingered Jack" were sold for $36 to satisfy a judgment.
    1868-Birthday of ragtime pianist Scott Joplin, Bowie City, TX
    1869- Black Friday, a day of financial panic of Wall street caused by the manipulation of Jay Gould and James Fisk, ruined thousands of gold speculators. In an attempt to corner the gold market, Gould and Fisk tried to keep President Grant from selling government gold and assured the public that they had been successful. However, Grant ordered the sale of $4,000,000 in gold, forcing the price down.; Wall St panic after Gould & Fisk attempt to corner gold.
    1896- birthday of F. Scott Fitzgerald, American short story writer and novelist; author of This Side of Paradise, The Great Gatsby and Tender Is the Night. His short stories are worth reading again and are now in one collection. The last series about Hollywood in the 1940’s are not very well respected by college professors, but the seventeen Pat Hobby stories about a writer down on his luck are both terrific and very revealing about his life. Born Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, at St. Paul, MN, he died at Hollywood, CA, Dec 21, 1940.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/sep24.html
    1912-Birthday of pianist Teddy Wilson, Austin, TX
    1918-Birthday of pianist/organ player/arranger Wild Bill Davis, Glasgow,MO
    1923-Birthday of the great baritone sax player Serge Chaloff, Boston, MA
    1923 Trumpet player Fats Navarro Birthday
    1926 - The temperature at Yellowstone Park dipped to nine degrees below zero. It was the coldest reading of record in the U.S. during September. Severe freezes were widespread over the northwestern U.S. causing great crop destruction. In Washington State, Spokane County experienced their earliest snow of record. Harney Branch Experiment Station in Oregon reported a temperature of 2 degrees above zero to establish a state record for the month of September.
    1931- Don Redman records “Chant of the Weed”.
    1931 -- Birthday of Cardiss Collins - U.S. Congressional Representative from Illinois. 1973-1997. She was the longest serving black woman in the history of the Congress. In 1979 CC was elected chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, the first woman to head it. 
    1934 - Babe Ruth bid farewell to the New York Yankees. It was his last game in Yankee Stadium and for the team. The Yankees lost to the Boston Red Sox, 5-0. 
    1936- birthday of Jim Henson, puppeteer, born at Greenville, MS. Jim Henson created a unique brand of puppetry known as the Muppets. Kermit the Frog, Big Bird, Rowlf, Bert and Ernie, Gonzo, Animal, Miss Piggy and Oscar the Grouch are a few of the puppets that captured the hearts of children and adults alike in television and film productions including “Sesame Street,” “The Jimmy Dean Show,” “The Muppet Show,” The Muppet Movie, The Muppets Take Manhattan, The Great Muppet Caper and The Dark Crystal. Henson began his career in 1954 as producer of the TV show “Sam and Friends” at Washington, DC. He introduced the Muppets in 1956. His creativity was rewarded with 18 Emmy Awards, seven Grammy Awards, four Peabody Awards and five ACE Awards from the National Cable Television Association. Henson died unexpectedly May 16, 1990, at New York, NY.
    1931- Don Redman records “Chant of the Weed”. (Gil Evan’s did a new arrangement of this, I think it was in “Old Wine, New Bottle.”
    1938 - Tennis champion Don Budge won the U.S. Tennis Open at Forest Hills, NY. The win made Budge the first player to win all four major titles (he also had won the Australian Open, the French Open and the British Open). 
    1940- Jimmie Foxx of the Boston Red Sox hit the 500th home run of his career against pitcher George Caster of the Philadelphia Athletics. Foxx’s former team. Ted Williams hit three homers in the same game, the first half of a doubleheader. Foxx played in the majors form 1925 through 1945 and hit a total of 534 homes.
    1944-SCHAEFER, JOSEPH E. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company I, 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Stolberg, Germany, 24 September 1944. Entered service at: Long Island, N.Y. Birth: New York, N.Y. G.O. No.: 71, 22 August 1945. Citation: He was in charge of a squad of the 2d Platoon in the vicinity of Stolberg, Germany, early in the morning of 24 September 1944, when 2 enemy companies supported by machineguns launched an attack to seize control of an important crossroads which was defended by his platoon. One American squad was forced back, another captured, leaving only S/Sgt. Schaefer's men to defend the position. To shift his squad into a house which would afford better protection, he crawled about under heavy small-arms and machinegun fire, instructed each individual, and moved to the building. A heavy concentration of enemy artillery fire scored hits on his strong point. S/Sgt. Schaefer assigned his men to positions and selected for himself the most dangerous one at the door. With his Ml rifle, he broke the first wave of infantry thrown toward the house. The Germans attacked again with grenades and flame throwers but were thrown back a second time, S/Sgt. Schaefer killing and wounding several. Regrouped for a final assault, the Germans approached from 2 directions. One force drove at the house from the front, while a second group advanced stealthily along a hedgerow. Recognizing the threat, S/Sgt. Schaefer fired rapidly at the enemy before him, killing or wounding all 6; then, with no cover whatever, dashed to the hedgerow and poured deadly accurate shots into the second group, killing 5, wounding 2 others, and forcing the enemy to withdraw. He scoured the area near his battered stronghold and captured 10 prisoners. By this time the rest of his company had begun a counterattack; he moved forward to assist another platoon to regain its position. Remaining in the lead, crawling and running in the face of heavy fire, he overtook the enemy, and liberated the American squad captured earlier in the battle. In all, single-handed and armed only with his rifle, he killed between 15 and 20 Germans, wounded at least as many more, and took 10 prisoners. S/Sgt. Schaefer's indomitable courage and his determination to hold his position at all costs were responsible for stopping an enemy break-through. 
    1951- “Love of Life” premiered on television. This serial, which began as a 15-minute show, ran for 28 years. It was set in the town of Barrowsville at first and later moved to Rosehill; the story lines also shifted from a focus on two sisters to a larger number of characters. The diverse cast included such notables as Christopher Reeve, Karen Grassle, Roy Scheider, Dana Delaney, John Aniston, Marsha Mason, Bert Convy, Warren Beatty and Barnard Hughes.
    1951-Birthday of American composer S.K. Waller, Ventura County, CA.
    1951- Dr. Chritian Hamburger at Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark, performed the first sex-change operation on an American. The patient was George Jorgensen of New York City, 25 years old, who later adopted the name Christine Jorgensen. Two additional operations were needed to complete the change. The first hospital to offer sex-change surgery was the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, which began performing operations in September, 1966. The cost was about $1,500.
    1955 - Millions of Americans tuned in to watch Judy Garland make her TV debut on the "Ford Star Jubilee". The CBS show received the highest television ratings to that time. 
    1955 - President Eisenhower suffered a heart attack while on vacation in Denver. The illness didn't prevent Eisenhower from being re-elected to a second term the following year.
    1957-Racial violence in Little Rock, Ark, prompted President Dwight Eisenhower to send a force of some 1000 U.S. Army paratroopers to enforce the desegregation of Central High School. The president said that violence had caused the removal of nine black students in the newly integrated school. The students entered the guarded school on September 25. 
    1957 -- Legendary DJ Alan Freed debuts his fourth movie, Mister Rock And Roll, at New York City's Paramount Theatre. The film, named after Freed's nickname, features Alan playing himself and also several musical performances by Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Brook Benton, LaVern Baker, Ferlin Husky, Lionel Hampton, and, for some reason, former middleweight boxing champion Rocky Graziano. 
    1958 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: ``It's All in the Game,'' Tommy Edwards.
    1961 - Bullwinkle J. Moose and his friend, Rocket J. (Rocky) Squirrel, were seen in prime time for the first time on NBC-TV. The Sunday night cartoon (7-7:30 p.m.) was called "The Bullwinkle Show". Originally Bullwinkle and Rocky appeared on ABC in a weekday afternoon series, "Rocky and His Friends". 
    1962 - The University of Mississippi agrees to admit James Meredith as the first black university student, sparking more rioting.
    1963 - Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and Gen. Maxwell Taylor, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrive in Vietnam. At President John F. Kennedy's request, they were to determine whether South Vietnam's military situation had deteriorated as a result of the continuing clash between the Ngo Dinh Diem government and the Buddhists over Diem's refusal to institute internal political reform. Earlier in the month, Kennedy had sent Marine Corps Gen. Victor Krulak and State Department official Joseph Mendenhall to Saigon on a fact-finding mission. They returned with a conflicting report that left Kennedy unsure of the actual situation in Saigon. Consequently, Kennedy dispatched McNamara and Taylor in an attempt to clarify the situation. They were accompanied on the eight-day trip by William Bundy of the Defense Department, William Colby of the Central Intelligence Agency, White House advisor Michael Forrestall, and diplomat William Sullivan. Again, the individual perceptions of the group differed. Gen. Paul Harkins, commander of the U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) convinced General Taylor that the war against the Viet Cong was progressing on schedule, even to the point that Harkins thought that 1,000 advisors might be sent home by the end of the year. The civilians in the party were not so optimistic, agreeing with Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge's assessment that the Diem government was very fragile.
    1964- “Daniel Boone” premiered on television. It was a huge success, based loosely on the life of pioneer Daniel Boone, who helped settle Kentucky in the 1770s. Fess Parker starred as the American hero. Ed Ames played Mingo, Boone’s friend, an educated Cherokee and Pat Blair played his wife, Rebecca. Also featured were Albert Salmi, Jimmy Dean, Roosevelt Grier, Darby Hinton, Veronica Cartwright and Dallas McKennon.
Parker settled into Santa Barbara, built a well-known resort
http://www.fpdtr.com/index3.html,
grows grapes for wine he bottles, plus has a famous inn and spa
http://www.caohwy.com/f/fepawico.htm
    1964- “The Munsters” was a half-hour sitcom about an unusual family who thought they were ordinary. Each family member resembled a different type of monster: Herman Munster (Fred Gwynne) was Frankenstein’s monster, Lily, his wife (Yvonne DeCarlo) and Grandpa, her father (Al Lewis) were vampires and his son Eddie (Butch Patrick) was a werewolf. Only their niece, Marilyn (Beverly Owen and Pat Priest), looked normal, and they considered her the unattractive family member. Most of the show’s laughs came from the family’s interactions with outsiders. The last telecast was on 
Sept 1, 1966.
    1966- Top Hits This day
Cherish - The Association
Sunshine Superman - Donovan
Bus Stop - The Hollies
Almost Persuaded - David Houston
    1966-The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" peaks at #11 on the singles chart.
    1966-Stevie Wonder's "Up-tight Everything's Alright" enters the LP chart. It features the top-10 hits, "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" and a remake of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind."
    1966 -- En route from New York to London with his new manager, Chas Chandler, the guitarist formerly known as Jimmy James decides to change his name to Jimi Hendrix. Upon arrival, Jimi ends up in a jam session with British bluesman Zoot Money, witnessed by Andy Summers, later the guitarist for the Police.
    1966 - The Association's "Cherish" hits #1
    1967 -- The Beatles film the (in) famous "Your Mother Should Know" dance segment of their film Magical Mystery Tour at the West Malling Air Force Station in Kent, England. Paul wears a black carnation when the group runs out of red ones, creating more "clues" for the "Paul is Dead" theorists.
    1968 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: ``Hey Jude,'' The Beatles. The song is the biggest for the best-selling rock group of all time. It stays at No. 1 for nine weeks.
    1968- “60 Minutes” premiered, TV’s longest-running prime-time program was originally hosted by Harry Reasoner and Mike Wallace. Dan Rather and Diane Sawyer were also reporters on TV’s first news magazine. Today the show’s correspondents include Ed Bradley, Steve Kroft, Lesley Stahl, Morley Safer, Andy Rooney and MikeWallace.
    1968-The Vogues received a Gold record for "Turn Around Look at Me", which reached #7 on the Billboard Pop chart. 
    1969 - The trial of the "Chicago Eight" (later seven) began. Demonstrations began outside the court house, with the "Weatherman" group proclaiming the "Days of Rage" in protest of the trial. The Chicago Eight staged demonstrations at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to protest the Vietnam War and its support by the top Democratic presidential candidate, Vice President Hubert Humphrey. These anti-Vietnam War protests were some of the most violent in American history as the police and national guardsmen confronted antiwar protesters. Five defendants (Tom Hayden, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Rennie Davis) were convicted of crossing state lines to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic national convention; the convictions were ultimately overturned.
    1971-the World Hockey Association was formed with 12 teams scheduled to begin play in 1972. The WHA lasted seven seasons after which four surviving teams entered the National hockey League.
     1971 - The Jackson 5 appear on the cover of Life magazine, with the headline "Rock Stars At Home with Their Parents."
    1973-Birthday of foot ballplayer Eddie George, born Philadelphia, PA.
    1974- Al Kaline of the Detroit Tigers doubled off Dave McNally of the Baltimore Orioles in the fourth inning of a 5-4 Orioles win. The hit was the 3,000th of Kaline’s career which began in 1953 and ended in 1974.
    1974-Top Hits This Day
Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe - Barry White
Rock Me Gently - Andy Kim
I Honestly Love You - Olivia Newton-John
I Wouldn’t Want to Live if You Didn’t Love Me - Don Williams
    1975-Birthday of American composer Greg Robbin, Chicago, IL.
    1977- “ The Love Boat” premiered. This one hour comedy-drama featured guest stars aboard a cruise ship, the Pacific Princess. All stories had to do with finding or losing love. The ship’s crew were the only regulars (though there were occasional recurring roles, like Charo as April): Gavin MacLeod as Captain Merrill Stubing, Bernie Kopell as the often-divorced Doctor Adam Bricker, Fred Grandy as assistant purser Burl “Gopher” Smith, Ted Lange as bartender Isaac Washington and Lauren Tewes as cruise director Julie McCoy. Also featured were Jill Whelan as Vicki, Stubin’s daughter , Pat Klous as Julie, who replaced Tewes and Ted McGinley as photographer Ashely Covington “Ace” Evans. The series ended with the last telecast on September 5, 1986, but three tow-hour specials were broadcast the next year. MacLeon, Lange, Kopell and Whelan were reunited in a Love Boat special in 1990.
    1977-Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" peaks at #3 on the singles chart while E.L.O.'s "Telephone Line" peaks at #7
    1977-Styx' "Come Sail Away" is released.
    1977- Rev. John T. Walker was installed as the sixth -- and first African American -- bishop of the Episcopal diocese in Washington, D.C.
    1978 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: ``Kiss You All Over,'' Exile.
    1983-Billy Joel's "Tell Her About It" hits #1 on the singles chart.
    1983-The Moody Blues' "The Present" enters the LP chart.
    1885-The preserved heads of Joaquin Murieta and Three-Fingered Jack" were sold at auction today for $36 to satisfy a judgment 
    1987- “A Different World” premiered. It was spin-off from “The Cosby Show,” Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) goes off to Hillman College. The first season’s cast included Marisa Tomei, Dawnn Lewis, Jasmine Guy, Loretta Devine, Amir Williams, Kadeem Hardison, Darryl Bell, Marie-Alise Recasner, Mary Alice and Sinbad. Bonet left the series and returned to “The Cosby Show.” Returning for a second season were Lewis, Guy, Hardison, Bell, Alice and Sinbad, plus Charnele Brown, Cree Summer and Glynn Turman. Aretha Franklin (Turman’s wife) sang the show’s theme song.
    1988- Barbara C. Harris was elected suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Massachusetts, the first female Episcopal bishop.
    1988 - Seoul Summer Olympics flashes: 1) Carl Lewis ran the fastest 100 of his life, 9.92 seconds, but was beaten by Canadian Ben Johnson’s 9.79. “I ran the best I could, and I'm pleased with the race.” Lewis said. (Lewis did become the recipient of the that gold medal when Johnson tested positive for steroids, a banned substance for Olympic athletes.) 2) Jackie Joyner-Kersee amassed a world-record score (7,291) in the heptathlon (seven different track-and-field events for women). 
    1988-Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" hits #1 on the singles chart.
    1989 - Forty-seven cities between the Rockies and the Appalachians reported record low temperatures for the date. Lows of 38 degrees at Abilene TX, 34 degrees at Jackson KY, and 36 degrees at Midland TX established records for the month of September. The low of 36 degrees at Midland smashed their previous record for the date by thirteen degrees. Fayetteville AR and Springfield MO reported their earliest freeze of record. Thunderstorms produced torrential rains in northeastern Florida. Jacksonville was deluged with 11.40 inches of rain, and flash flooding resulted in two deaths.
    1990-- Rev. Barbara Clementine Harris was elected Episcopal Bishop in Massachusetts. Her mother Beatrice was a church organist.
    1997--The Rolling Stones start their Bridges To Babylon tour at Chicago's Soldier Field. They begin the show with "Satisfaction" and close it 2½ hours later with "Brown Sugar". A great show!!! We had seats five rows up front where Jaggers spent a lot of time singing, and I swear looking right at me, as we were literally sat on seats placed in the aisle. 
    2005-- Hurricane Rita made landfall just east of Sabine Pass, on the Texas-Louisiana line, as a Category 3 hurricane with top sustained winds of 120 mph. Coast Guard units still in the area from Hurricane Katrina rescue and relief efforts responded, saving138 lives and evacuating 53 people.     2005- Averaging more than 50,000 fans per game, the Yankees become the third franchise in major league history, and the first since the 1994 strike, to pass the four-million attendance mark. The 1993 Colorado Rockies and the 1991-1993 Toronto Blue Jays are the other teams which have reached the milestone. 
    2011 -In a pre-game ceremony before a nationally televised game with Boston, the Yankees celebrate the 50th anniversary of Roger Maris's record breaking 61st home run. The festivities include New York captain Derek Jeter carrying the bat to home plate that the Rajah used to hit the Tracy Stallard pitch on October 1, 1961, and Sal Durante, the 19-year fan old who caught the historic homer in the right field stands, bringing the ball onto the field.