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######## surrounding the article denotes it is a “press release” and was not written by Leasing News nor information verified, but from the source noted. When an article is signed by the writer, it is considered a “by line.” It reflects the opinion and research of the writer.

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Business Spending Plans Haven't Been
This High Since December, 2007
By Myles Udland, BusinessInsider.com

The National Federal of Independent Business (NFIB) published its latest small business optimism index, which showed that optimism in August rose to 96.1, the second-highest reading since October 2007.

The report's internals also had a piece of good news regarding one long-missing piece of the recovery: capital spending.

According to NFIB's report, 58% of survey respondents reported capital outlays, up 3 points from July and the second best reading since January 2008.

And the outlook for capital spending was even better, as the percent of owners planning capital outlays in the next 3 to 6 months rose to 27%, the best reading since December 2007. That was the last month of the last economic expansion.

In late August, we highlighted the increase in business investment seen with the second estimate for Q2 GDP, which showed investment rose 8.4%.

NFIB's report on Tuesday is yet another example that companies may have found the missing piece of the recovery puzzle.

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Classified Ads---Sales

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

Boston, Mass.
Accomplished Sales & Relationship Management Professional with business development experience in the financial services industry. Recognized by market leaders as industry expert in Professional Practice financing, as well as Residential Mortgage Lending. Keen insight and understanding of transaction process and financial requirements of customer. Proven record of exceeding sales goals. deb.harold@hotmail.com

Work Remotely
Business Development - Are you looking to enter/increase your Healthcare lending? Let me identify and qualify healthcare (all verticals) vendors, distributors, and end users who utilize leasing/financing as a tool to sell equipment for you. Many years experience - contact Mitchell Utz at mitutz@msn.com or
(215) 460-4483.

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

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

[headlines]
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Steve Crane, CLP, Retires from Bank of the West Leasing
To Remain on Leasing News Advisory Board

Steve Crane, CLP, Vice President & Market Manager, for Indirect Equipment Leasing Origination, Bank of the West, working out of San Ramon, California, announces his retirement. He met his 19 year anniversary at the bank June 26, 2014, and decided it was time to do something more entrepreneurial.

Crane, 55, is an original member of the Leasing News Advisory Board, joining in July of 2000.

He previously was at CIT and Taylor Financial. His wife, Cheryl is at First Republic, and plans to continue working. They have two sons, Ryan, who is a firefighter, CAL FIRE, and presently is fighting the Yosemite Fire. His other son, Alex, graduated The University of Oregon, applying to medical schools.

Ryan, Steve, Alex

An avid outdoorsman, Crane, enjoys backpacking, skiing, sailing, golfing and endurance sports. Since his sons have left the house, he has more time on his hands and has taken up the sport of triathlon. Steve has competed in numerous Olympic and Half Ironman distance races and completed two Full Ironman races, including the inaugural Ironman Los Cabos.

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Letters?---We get eMail!
(News and Reactions to News)

(Mostly Chronological Order as Received)

Patrick Byrne
Co-Founder, Balboa Capital

Balboa Capital Settles $36,454 Attorney Fee Complaint
After Getting Suit Dismissed Against Regents Capital
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Aug2014/8_25.htm#balboa

“Why no story on Balboa eliminating their "enterprise division" or remote "vendor group?"

“At least 15 people were let go in the enterprise group which targeting calling on large direct end users.

“The vendor group has two remote employees...down from 15 just over a yr ago.”

(Name With Held)

-----

“They are changing their model.....they want to get there salespeople they hired who were being paid on gross margin to volume based commission.

“They will give a lower cost of funds to sell to customer at but give you a sales goal that is unrealistic so you end up making $30-40 grand for doing $2-3 million in volume.

“By my count 7 sales reps made over $50K last year....not including the seven who left to form their own company.

“They accounted for between $3-4 million in gross margin.”

(Name With Held)

-----

“They state there is 98% customer satisfaction in there survey...I am unaware of any survey being completed and how realistic that any company could have a 98% satisfaction? When I asked Laureen in marketing for the customer info she told me one was never completed.

“They send out emails to your customers with your name & marketing dept phone number. Customer calls in & marketing takes the lead and you than find out after the fact or they will remove customers from your data base without alerting you.”

(Name With Held)

-----

“Attached please find the list of Balboa employees.

“Note that despite hiring hundreds of sales reps in the last 10 years how few actually stay for a year or more and how few actually stay at Balboa for a career.

“On the direct side Gregg F hired 62 reps last year and one is still with the company.

“As one who got out, I will say that ethics, poor management, stealing of leads and zero interest in customer service is why most leave at first opportunity.”

(Name With Held)

(Leasing News has been contacted by existing and former employees who offer the following observations about working at Balboa. Editor):

- Poor pay, no 401K match

- Sending emails out to customers with a salesperson’s name and a general number. When the customer calls back, the company gets the commissions not the salesman

- Refusal to Pay Expense Checks.

- Contesting Unemployment Benefits with the State

------

ELFA Reports July Business Fell 13% from June
But Historically this is Normal report Industry Leaders
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Aug2014/8_27.htm#elfa

In the beginning
Once upon a time, forty one years ago, there was a vehicle leasing company called Fox Valley Leasing. The company primarily leased vehicles to consumers and businesses. Over time, the company would lease word processors (a dinosaur term), copiers, and auto shop equipment. However, the business remained 90% vehicles.

The pictures attached are about 35 years old and reflect the company employees. Although, to make the company look larger, we borrowed a few bodies from a company with whom we shared space. In short, only half the employees were Fox Valley’s.

Fast forward to 1997, and Fox Valley merges with Harbor Leasing, thus Madison Capital LLC.

Madison is now a vehicle and equipment finance company with a nationwide footprint that includes Puerto Rico business and is one of the larger independent lease/finance companies. Surviving 40 years has not been easy, but it has been fun. What a great industry………..

Allan Levine
President
MADI$ON CAPITAL

----

1992--Pictures from the Past
Jeff Rudin and Rick Wilbur

"Funny photo. During the past 35 years, I have only been without facial hair for about 30 days, when my middle son asked to see what I looked like under there. I think he was 3 years old. So, I shaved and we all hated it, yet this silly photo has surfaced. lol

"Here is the latest:"

Jeff Rudin
CEO & Co-Founder
Quail Equipment Leasing

"I don’t remember EVER having that much hair!"

Rick Wilbur
Managing Partner
Charter Capital

----

Bad Guys: Companies who utilize Evergreen Clauses
for Extra Lease Payments
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Aug2014/8_15.htm#bad

“I am an avid reader of the leasingnews.org website and have been for many years. I appreciate you putting in the time needed to keep all of us in this industry informed on the latest going-on's.

“I read all of the articles on the site and really enjoy you exposing the abuse of evergreen clauses. I agree that the industry needs to do a better job treating our customers with with respect and being more transparent in our dealings with them.

“There is an issue that goes hand-in-hand with the evergreen issue that I would like to see more discussion on the website. It is the renewal of $1.00 out leases, which in my opinion is more unethical than the evergreen abuse that we see going on.”

(Name With Held)

---

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jul/08/cupcake-fad-fades-crumbs-closing/

"On 5/7/10, you published an article about how I had dropped out of the leasing business after over 40 years as a broker, to help my wife Joanne with her cupcake business, Simply Cupcakes. Now, just a little over 5 years later, we have sold our business after a great run. During that time in addition to the stores we baked for in Southwest Florida, we trained and licensed 66 Simply Cupcakes locations worldwide.

"So here I am retired (or unemployed depending on how you look at it) in fairly good health and hoping that I never see another cupcake. The fact is that most of my life, I was a leasing salesman and I realize that while the money was good, I really enjoyed talking leasing to prospects. It’s who I am. Each approval was exciting (regardless of the size) and confirmation that I was doing something right. I miss it and I plan to reach out to people I have known in the industry to talk about possibilities.

"Thank you for helping me follow industry developments through Leasing News and realize that leasing will never return to the days of the “Wild West”. However, it seems there are still opportunities. Sadly, I also see that our industry has lost some of the people who started around the time I did in the "early days" and they will be missed.

"By the way, the news about the "cupcake bubble" bursting is inflated and based mostly on one company failing that had $18 million in debt. How many cupcakes is that? Cupcakes are part of the American culture like chicken wings and hot dogs and there will always be a demand. No business can survive with runaway debt, bad management and / or a lousy product. They are just thinning out the herd just like other industries did. Sound familiar?"

Ken Glasgow
Naples, FL

(Crumbcake may be coming back---as well as I didn't write the story, just ran a newspaper story on the close of the company, as well as from San Diego, troubles there. It's like Krispy Kreme that was supposed to go out of business because they opened too many stores and times were changing.

(By the way, here in Los Gatos our cupcake store has taken over the store next to them and you can often see lines out the store...they also sell cakes now and other things, and the price is high, in my opinion, but the products are in great demand.

(Can I print your letter in We get eMail? Editor)

("Yes, I would appreciate it if you would print my 'Letter' and hopefully I can reconnect with some of my old friends in the industry....wherever they are.
239-262-5184
ken@cclg.com "

Leasing Schools/Franchisors List—Only Three Now
http://leasingnews.org/archives/May2010/5_07.htm#leasing_schools

Ken Glasgow and Wife Going Gangbusters
Simply Cupcakes of Naples
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Apr2011/4_08.htm#cupcakes

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Leasing Industry Help Wanted

Collector, Atlanta, GA

Experienced, calling 11-90 day delinquent customers, assisting Asset Re-marketer with delinquency reporting, weekly reporting to home office.

Sales, Chicago, Atlanta

Work out of main office and satellite. Heavy phone sales calling on both independent dealers and end users (cold/warm calling), marketing, weekly reporting to management. Outside territorial salespeople will also be considered.

Contact: Michael Testa 312-881-3133 mtesta@secondcityleasing.com

www.secondcityleasing.com
Financing for Commercial Truck & Trailer, Exotic, High Line, Vintage & Classic Automobiles, Taxi, Livery & Paratransit

For information on placing a help wanted ad, please click here:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Hwanted/Hwanted-post.htm
Please see our Job Wanted section for possible new employ

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

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BBB Leasing Company Ratings
September 10, 2014

Changes

(Last ratings May 20, 2014)

Cornerstone Medical & Technology Finance
Lees Summit, Missouri from A to A+

TCF, Minnetonka, Minnesota from A to A+

------------------------------------------

May 20, 2014 BBB Ratings

A+

--Accredited 12/16/1997
21st Century Leasing, San Diego, California
http://www.bbb.org/san-diego/business-reviews/leasing-service/21st-century-leasing-in-san-diego-ca-10011418/

ACC Capital, Midvale, Utah
http://www.bbb.org/utah/business-reviews/financial-services/acc-capital-in-midvale-ut-5002457
Closed, lenders running off portfolio residuals, according to Loni Lowder, president.

--Accredited 9/10/2000
Advantage Leasing Corporation Milwaukee, Wisconsin
http://www.bbb.org/wisconsin/business-reviews/leasing-service/advantage-leasing-corporation-in-milwaukee-wi-1004216/

--Accredited 4/01/2002
Allegiant Partners, San Rafael, California
http://www.bbb.org/greater-san-francisco/business-reviews/leasing-service/allegiant-partners-incorporated-in-san-rafael-ca-46794

Alliance Funding Group, Orange, California
http://www.bbb.org/orange-county/business-reviews/office-furniture-and-equipment-rental-and-leasing/alliance-funding-group-inc-in-orange-ca-13096486

--Accredited 9/01/2008
Arvest Bank Leasing, Fayetteville, Arkansas
http://www.bbb.org/arkansas/business-reviews/banks/arvest-bank-in-sherwood-ar-5001142

--Accredited 8/27/1999
Axis Capital, Grand Island, Nebraska
http://www.bbb.org/nebraska/business-reviews/office-furniture-and-equipment-rental-and-leasing/axis-capital-in-grand-island-ne-104008575

BSB Leasing, Englewood, Colorado
http://www.bbb.org/denver/business-reviews/financial-services/b-s-b-leasinginc-in-englewood-co-26029

--Accredited 6/20/1996
Charter Capital, Scottsdale, Arizona
http://www.bbb.org/central-northern-western-arizona/business-reviews/leasing-service/charter-capital-in-scottsdale-az-89000861/

--Accredited 4/6/2010
Cornerstone Medical & Technology Finance, Lees Summit, Missouri
http://www.bbb.org/kansas-city/business-reviews/financial-services/cornerstone-medical-and-technology-finance-in, -lees-summit-mo-99153606

CSI Leasing, St. Louis, Missouri
http://www.bbb.org/stlouis/business-reviews/computers-dealers/cs-i-leasing-in-saint-louis-mo-110207320

De Lage Landen Financial Services, Incorporated, Wayne, Pennsylvania
http://www.bbb.org/washington-dc-eastern-pa/business-reviews/financing/de-lage-landen-financial-services-incorporated-in-wayne-pa-80012304/

Direct Capital, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
http://www.bbb.org/concord/business-reviews/financial-services/direct-capital-corporation-in-portsmouth-nh-3004519#

Enterprise Capital Partners dba Enterprise Leasing, Spokane, Washington
http://www.bbb.org/eastern-washington/business-reviews/investment-advisory-service/enterprising-capital-partners-in-spokane-wa-64002656/

--Accredited 3/10/2011
Financial Pacific, Federal Way, Washington
http://www.bbb.org/western-washington/business-reviews/consumer-finance-and-loan/financial-pacific-leasing-in-federal-way-wa-22025327

--Accredited 8/10/2011
Five Point Capital, San Diego, California
http://www.bbb.org/san-diego/business-reviews/financing/five-point-capital-inc-in-san-diego-ca-20001011/

--Accredited 12/27/2010
Great America Leasing, Cedar Rapid, Iowa
http://www.bbb.org/iowa/business-reviews/financing/great-america-leasing-in-cedar-rapids-ia-20000104

--Accredited 8/19/2011
iFinancial Group, San Clemente, California
http://www.bbb.org/orange-county/business-reviews/leasing-service/ifinancial-group-inc-in-san-clemente-ca-13077753

Innovative Leasing Services, Inc. Carlsbad, California
http://www.bbb.org/san-diego/business-reviews/leasing-service/innovative-lease-services-inc-in carlsbad-ca-10008827/

--Accredited 7/20/2011
Jules & Associates, Los Angeles, California
http://www.bbb.org/sanjose/business-reviews/office-furniture-and-equipment-rental-and-leasing/jules-and-associates-in-los-angeles-ca-92003291

---Accredited 1/2/1993
Key Equipment Finance aka KeyBank Headquarters Location
http://www.bbb.org/cleveland/business-reviews/banks/keybank-in-cleveland-oh-6747

--Accredited 5/9/2003
Lease Corporation of America, Troy, Michigan
http://www.bbb.org/eastern-michigan/business-reviews/computers-software-and-services/lease-corporation-of-america-in-troy-mi-45000151/

Accredited since 08/01/1997
Lease $mart, Oro Valley, Arizona 85737
http://www.bbb.org/tucson/business-reviews/leasing-service/lease-mart-in-tucson-az-6762

Leasing Innovations, Inc., Solano Beach, California http://www.bbb.org/san-diego/business-reviews/financial-services/leasing-innovations-inc-in-solana-beach-ca-19005998

--Accredited 1/10/2013
Manufacturers' Lease Plans, Inc., Phoenix, Arizona
http://www.bbb.org/central-northern-western-arizona/business-reviews/leasing-service/manufacturers-lease-plans-inc-in-phoenix-az-88000426

---Accredited 2/22/2011
Marlin Leasing, Mount Laurel, New Jersey
http://www.bbb.org/new-jersey/business-reviews/business-consultants/marlin-leasing-in-mt-laurel-nj-80012102

Mazuma Capital Corp., Salt Lake City, Utah
http://www.bbb.org/utah/business-reviews/contractor-equipment-and-supply-rental-and-leasing-companies/mazuma-capital-in-draper-ut-22214565

---Accredited since 08/09/2007
North Mill Capital, LLC, Minneapolis, Minnesota
http://www.bbb.org/minnesota/business-reviews/loans-small-business/north-mill-capital-in-minneapolis-mn-96063541

Orion First Financial, Gig Harbor, Washington
http://www.bbb.org/western-washington/business-reviews/consumer-finance-and-loan-companies/orion-first-financial-in-gig-harbor-wa-37003864

Accredited since 09/02/1999
P&L Capital, Omaha, Nebraska 68137
http://www.bbb.org/nebraska/business-reviews/office-furniture-and-equipment-rental-and-leasing/p-and-l-capital-in-omaha-ne-104006668

Pawnee Leasing, Fort Collins, Colorado
http://www.bbb.org/wyoming-and-northern-colorado/business-reviews/leasing-companies/pawnee-leasing-corporation-in-fort-collins-co-46006417

---Accredited since 08/21/2007
Portfolio Financial Servicing Company, Portland, Oregon
http://www.bbb.org/oregon/business-reviews/financial-services/portfolio-financial-servicing-company-in-portland-or-22140131

---Accredited 8/20/2009
Providence Capital Funding, Brea, California
http://www.bbb.org/orange-county/business-reviews/office-furniture-and-equipment-rental-and-leasing/providence-capital-funding-inc-in-brea-ca-100085193

Radiance Capital, Tacoma, Washington
http://www.bbb.org/western-washington/business-reviews/office-furniture-and-equipment-rental-and-leasing/radiance-capital-in-tacoma-wa-22227403

---Accredited 03/03/1979
Steelcase Financial Services, Grand Rapids, Michigan
http://www.bbb.org/western-michigan/business-reviews/office-furniture-and-equipment-wholesale-and-mfg/steelcase-in-grand-rapids-mi-14000824

---Accredited 3/11/2005
Strada Capital Corporation, Laguna Hills, California
http://www.bbb.org/orange-county/business-reviews/office-furniture-and-equipment-rental-and-leasing/strada-capital-corporation-in-laguna-hills-ca-100005606

---Accredited 12/19/2007
Summit Funding Group, Cincinnati, Ohio
http://www.bbb.org/cincinnati/business-reviews/financing/summit-funding-group-inc-in-cincinnati-oh-1206757/

--Accredited 7/13/2001
Taycor Financial, Los Angeles, California
http://www.bbb.org/sanjose/business-reviews/office-furniture-and-equipment-rental-and-leasing/taycor-financial-in-los-angeles-ca-13125882

TCF Equipment Finance, Minnetonka, Minnesota
http://www.bbb.org/minnesota/business-reviews/consumer-finance-and-loan-companies/tcf-equipment-finance-in-minnetonka-mn-96072521

Tetra Financial Group, Salt Lake city, Utah
http://www.bbb.org/utah/business-reviews/credit-services/tetra-financial-group-in-salt-lake-city-ut-22186390

United Leasing, Evansville, Indiana
http://www.bbb.org/evansville/business-reviews/leasing-companies/united-leasing-in-evansville-in-99475

--Accredited since 12/13/1999
Balboa Capital Corporation, Irvine, California
http://www.bbb.org/orange-county/business-reviews/loans-small-business/balboa-capital-corporation-in-irvine-ca-13126386

---Accredited 8/12/2010
Navitas Lease Finance Corp., Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
http://www.bbb.org/north-east-florida/business-reviews/financial-services/navitas-lease-finance-corp-in-ponte-vedra-beach-fl-125716478/

Onset Financial, South Jordan, Utah http://www.bbb.org/utah/business-reviews/financial-services/onset-financial-in-south-jordan-ut-403

Southern California Leasing, Tustin, California
http://www.bbb.org/orange-county/business-reviews/computers-rent-and-lease/southern-california-leasing-incorporated-in-tustin-ca-13135867

“Factors that lowered the rating for Southern California Leasing Incorporated include:

BBB does not have a clear understanding of this business”

Varilease Finance, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah
http://www.bbb.org/utah/business-reviews/credit-services/varilease-finance-in-salt-lake-city-ut-22165465

A-

Dakota Financial, LLC., Los Angeles, California

http://www.bbb.org/sanjose/business-reviews/loans-small-business/dakota-financial-in-los-angeles-ca-13177252

(Note no complaints, no reason for the downgrade)

“Length of time business has been operating.

No complaints filed with BBB.

BBB has sufficient background information on this business.”

Equilease Financial Services, Norwalk, CT (now part of North Mill Equipment Finance, a subsidiary of Colford Capital. North Mill Capital is rated A+).
http://www.bbb.org/connecticut/business-reviews/financial-services/equilease-financial-service-in-norwalk-ct-1003628

Platinum Financial, Orange, California
http://www.bbb.org/san-diego/business-reviews/financial-services/platinum-financial-oc-in-orange-ca-100120358

LEAF Financial Corporation, Philadelphia, PA
http://www.bbb.org/washington-dc-eastern-pa/business-reviews/financial-services/leaf-financial-corporation-in-philadelphia-pa-55049028/

C +

TimePayment Corporation
http://www.bbb.org/boston/Business-Reviews/leasing-service/timepayment-corp-in-burlington-ma-117288/bbb-rating

NOT Rated

(Formerly Accredited 2/10/2007)
Ability Capital Solutions, Long Beach, California
http://www.bbb.org/sanjose/business-reviews/leasing-service/ability-capital-solutions-in-long-beach-ca-100046803

Atel Capital
http://www.bbb.org/greater-san-francisco/business-reviews/equipment-rentals-and-sales/atel-in-san-francisco-ca-76975

Bankers Capital
http://www.bbb.org/central-western-massachusetts/business-reviews/financing/bankers-capital-in-northborough-ma-262264

Business Leasing NorthWest, Seattle, California
http://www.bbb.org/western-washington/business-reviews/leasing-service/business-leasing-northwest-in-seattle-wa-22035387

Icon Capital Group, Harrison, New York
http://www.bbb.org/NYC/business-reviews/financing-consultants/icon-capital-corp-in-harrison-ny-27583/ (Icon Capital now into gas and oil).

(Formerly Accredited 12/13/2007)
Matrix Business Capital, Long Beach, California
http://www.bbb.org/sanjose/business-reviews/office-furniture-and-equipment-rental-and-leasing/matrix-business-capital-in-long-beach-ca-100041782

Newport Financial Partners, Newport Beach, California
http://www.bbb.org/orange-county/business-reviews/financial-services/newport-financial-partners-llc-in-newport-beach-ca-100100708

Somerset Capital Group, Milford, Connecticut
http://www.bbb.org/connecticut/business-reviews/leasing-service/somerset-capital-group-in-bridgeport-ct-1001573

Studebaker-Worthington Leasing Corp., Jericho, New York
http://www.bbb.org/NYC/business-reviews/financing/studebaker-worthington-leasing-corp-in-jericho-ny-21198/

Susquehanna Commercial Finance, Pottstown, Pennsylvania
http://www.bbb.org/washington-dc-eastern-pa/business-reviews/financial-services/susquehanna-commercial-finance-in-pottstown-pa-140042240/

Tri Star Capital, Santa Ana, California
http://www.bbb.org/orange-county/business-reviews/office-furniture-and-equipment-rental-and-leasing/tri-star-capital-llc-in-santa-ana-ca-13137212
(Note: company in wind down, no longer active)

Note: Many banks and financial Institutions with leasing entities evidently do not have their leasing divisions separated from bank and financial institutions ratings. No rating was found on the leasing divisions.

Find your company's BBB listing by going to www.bbb.org and using your zip code first for the right division.

To list your company in the next listing, please email rating to kitmenkin@leasingnews.org

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Complaints Bulletin Board BBB Ratings

The following companies appear on the Leasing News
“Complaints” Bulletin Board:
http://www.leasingnews.org/bulletin_board.htm

Also may appear on Evergreen Abuse List:
www.leasingnews.org/Pages/lease_expiration_evergreen_badguys.html

Ability Capital Solutions, Long Beach, California: Not Rated
ACC Capital, Midvale, Utah: A+
Balboa Capital, Irvine, California: A
De Lage Landen, Wayne, Pennsylvania: A+
iFinancial Group, San Clemente, California: A+
Integrity Financial Groups, Murray, Utah Warning
Leasing Innovations, Inc., Solano Beach, California: A+
Liberty Capital, Aliso Viejo, California N/R
MAC Financial Services, Scottsdale, Arizona: A+
Marlin Leasing, Mount Laurel, New Jersey A+
Jules and Associates, Los Angeles, California: A+
Matrix Business Capital, Long Beach, California: Not Rated
Newport Financial Partners, Newport Beach, California: N/R
Onset Financial, South Jordan, Utah A
Platinum Financial, Orange, California: A-
Proviso Financial Services, Coquitlam, British Columbia: N/R
Radiance Capital, Tacoma, Washington: A+
Tetra Financial Group, Salt Lake City, Utah A+

Complaints Bulletin Board
http://www.leasingnews.org/bulletin_board.htm

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

[headlines]
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An Inside Look At the Starbucks App
The Most Successful Mobile Payments System in the US
By John Heggestuen, Business Insider

Starbucks is doing 6 million in mobile app transactions weekly

While many mobile payment apps like Google Wallet have struggled to gain traction with consumers, the Starbucks mobile payments app stands out as a success.

At 6 million average weekly transactions in the U.S., it now accounts for a full 15% of transactions made at the U.S. Starbucks-operated stores.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the BI Intelligent note:

A billion-dollar volume driver: The Starbucks app is on track to process over $1.5 billion in payment volume in the U.S. in 2014, according to our estimates. In the second quarter it accounted for 15% of the transactions in U.S. company-operated stores, averaging 6 million transactions per week.

Customer loyalty to Starbucks plays a role: Starbucks stores are everywhere, coffee is purchased habitually, the app incentivizes regular purchases through its rewards-loyalty program, and the app works on the majority of smartphones. The app's success is not due to the ease of payment with a phone. So it has succeeded despite the fact that it is not more convenient than credit or debit cards or cash.

Opportunities for growth: There are a number of features that could help reinvigorate growth including order-ahead capability and beacon-powered alerts and offers.

Other retailers could emulate Starbucks' success: These retailers include quick service restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, and pharmacies. Starbucks has said it is in talks to license the app's technology as a white label solution.

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Sales Makes it Happen
by Steve Chriest

Negotiate Now!

How many times have you established an excellent rapport with a prospect, built credibility and trust, and reached an agreement on moving the sale forward, thinking it was a “done deal?” Then, from out of nowhere, the “done deal” bursts into flames during acrimonious negotiations over price, contract terms and other conditions, costs and fees.

Unfortunately, this happens all the time, but you can do something to prevent it from happening again.

Most selling organizations follow a traditional, and flawed, sales roadmap that positions “selling” early in customer interactions and leaves the negotiation of difficult issues, as well as T's and C's, to the technical “experts.” This approach, unfortunately, renders many potential sales vulnerable to surprise failure late in the game.

In most selling situations, negotiating and selling are inseparable - they occur simultaneously. Even minor decisions, like when and where to meet next, or who will attend future meetings, are made by negotiating. Selling and negotiating exist side by side and cannot be artificially separated, which is exactly what happens in many selling situations.

Because of their penchant for avoiding bad news at almost any cost, some salespeople avoid negotiating tough issues with customers. They fear that negotiating difficult issues early in the sales cycle can cause them to lose the sale. Perhaps they don't understand that there is no sale until everyone agrees on how to resolve the tough issues.

Some salesmen rely on their sales manager or even a documentation person to negotiate “issues” such as installation charges, training fees, warranty extension costs and charges for site inspections. The salesperson might even leave it up to a documentation person to break the news that a landlord waiver is required before equipment can be delivered to the lessee.

A good many salespeople have told me that they don't consider themselves to be good negotiators. Somehow they've bought into the notion that negotiating is a special skill that is best used by technical “experts” who are paid to negotiate with customers and to “tell it like it is.”

Understanding the symbiotic relationship between selling and negotiating will help you to better qualify selling opportunities and to facilitate and close more sales. Salespeople who are willing to negotiate the small issues as well as the tough issues early in the sales cycle increase the potential for smoother, quicker and more predictable back-end negotiations.

It just doesn't make sense to spend time, money and talent building goodwill with prospects and customers only to watch from the sidelines as that goodwill evaporates during tense negotiations over important issues. As the goodwill evaporates, so does the potential of repeat business from the lessee and your vendor.

[The most successful sales people I have known take full responsibility for the complete sales continuum. The basic premise is: “better to confront the deal breakers early, try to resolve them to everyone’s satisfaction, than to find out late that I have spent months on a deal that had no chance!” That includes discussion the client’s contract negotiation and management process, the decision makers, and how to educate them on the deal so they comfortable early. While they may defer to legal for the boiler plate, they are actively involved in the negotiation of the business deal. Finally, they take pride in delivering the contracts for execution and packaging them when executed for internal timely processing. THAT is the consummate sales professional in any business. Ralph Mango, Assoc. Editor]

About the author: Steve Chriest is the founder of Selling UpTM (www.selling-up.com), a sales consulting firm specializing in sales improvement for organizations of all types and sizes in a variety of industries. He is also the author of Selling The E-Suite, The Proven System for Reaching and Selling Senior Executives and Five Minute Financial Analyst, Basic CREDIT & Analysis Tools for Non-Accountants. He was the CEO of a very successful leasing company and executive at a major company. You can reach Steve atschriest@selling-up.com.

Sales Makes It Happen Articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Legacy/index.html

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       1565 - Billiards was played in St. Augustine, Florida, brought to America by the Spaniards who were the first to settle the area.
    1570 - Spanish Jesuit missionaries land in present-day Virginia to establish the short-lived Ajacan Mission.
    1608 – English adventurer John Smith is elected council president of Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in North America.
    1718 – The Collegiate School at New Haven, CT, changed its name to Yale. (Congregationalists, unhappy with an increasing religious liberalism at Harvard, had founded the school, the third oldest college in America, in 1701.)
    1776 – George Washington asks for a spy volunteer for the Continental Army; Nathan Hale volunteers.
http://www.odci.gov/hale.html
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=grandGRid=2306
http://www.seanet.com/Users/pamur/nhale.html
    1794 - Blount College is the first nondenominational church was charted at Knoxville, TN (now the University of Tennessee). The charger provided that the college “ take effectual care that students of all denominations may and shall be admitted to the equal advantages of a liberal education and to the emoluments and honors of the college, so that they shall receive a like, fair, generous, and equal treatment during their residence therein.” The first president was Samuel Carrick.
    1813 - The American naval officer Oliver Hazard Perry left Erie, PA, with a fleet of nine ships and encountered a squadron of six British warships off Put-in-Bay, Ohio, today, which history calls “ The Battle of Lake Erie.” Perry’s attack was hampered by his short-range guns, and his ship was battered to a hulk with only a handful of capable men left. He left his flagship Lawrence and renewed the fight from a sister ship, the Niagara, and had the satisfaction of seeing the British strike their colors. He returned to the Lawrence to accept the British surrender, and then sent to Gen. William Henry Harrison, commander in the west, the victory dispatch containing the words, “We have met the enemy and they are ours.” The Americans gained control of Lake Erie, and the British were obliged to withdraw from Detroit, further strengthening the U.S. position in the Great Lakes.
    1820 - Missouri entered the Union under the Missouri Compromise of 1820, admitting Missouri as a slave state while admitting Maine as a free state, and prohibiting slavery in Louisiana Territory north of the parallel 36º 30', Missouri's southern border.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/aug10.html
    1846 - Following the failure of all Mormons to leave Nauvoo, Illinois in May as agreed to after the assassination of Joseph Smith and his brother in Carthage, Illinois two years ago, a thousand anti-Mormon "Regulators" led by Colonel Thomas Brockman order the first assault on the remaining Mormons at Nauvoo. Regulator cannon fire drives Mormon families from their homes towards the Mississippi River.
    1846 – Elias Howe is granted a patent for the sewing machine.
      1848 - Gold dust price set at $16 per ounce; San Francisco citizens demanded that the United States open a branch mint in San Francisco.
    1852 - Birthday of Alice Brown Davis, who was a leader and, for a short time, the chief of the Seminole Indians. She married a white man who deserted her and their 11 children when the youngest was three. They had operated a trading post for the Seminoles in Oklahoma where ABD's family had settled after the Civil War. Most of the children became prominent community and government leaders. She reportedly became an amazing symbol of strength among her people who resided near the Cherokee in Oklahoma. She even went with a group as an interpreter to seek land in Mexico. Her people's self-government was effectively abolished when the State of Oklahoma set up counties that submerged the Indian population with white voters. Because the U.S. government needed a chief's signature for a piece of Florida property, President Warren G. Harding appointed her chief of the Seminoles. She had previously visited the "lost" group of Seminoles who had hidden in the Florida Everglades to escape the forced migration that became the Trail of Tears and established a dialogue between the two groups. Instead of signing, ABD demanded reparations and she was summarily removed and a U.S. government official illegally signed the deed. The Seminoles, under her guidance took the matter to court and finally won a settlement in 1946, 11 years after Davis' death.
http://www.seminolenation-indianterritory.org/alice_brown_davis.htm
    1857 - US: Mountain Meadows Massacre. Mormons offer to escort a Gentile train passing through Utah to safety from the Indians, then line up all the adult males in single file with a Mormon guide on each side, and, at a prearranged signal, massacre them all in cold blood. Mormon Militia, disguised as Indians and the real Indians, moved in on the women and older children, shooting, clubbing and tomahawking them to death.
http://members.aol.com/tnf49/mm.html
http://www.xmission.com/~country/reason/lee_mm.htm
    1862 - Rabbi Jacob Frankel of Philadelphia, PA became the first Jewish Army chaplain, four months after Congress amended its law of 1861 requiring chaplains to be Christians. Frankel served from 1863 through 1865 at the United States Hospital in Philadelphia.
    1877 - Katherine Sophie Dreier, U.S. painter and modern art museum founder, was born in Brooklyn. Instead of focusing on her considerable artistic talent, KSD turned most of her energies towards gaining acceptance in the United States for modern art. Independently wealthy, she - along with artist Marcel Duchamp - established Societe Anonyme in 1920, New York City's first museum of modern art. She published material and held lectures and the like to encourage acceptance of the new art forms. When the Museum of Modern Art opened in 1928, it eclipsed her museum and she later donated the collection to Yale University. Her sisters were Mary Elizabeth Dreier and Margaret Dreier Robins, both active in art and in social concerns. All three were active in the women's suffrage and rights movements.
http://www.variant.ndtilda.co.uk/14texts/William_Clark.html
http://etrc.lib.umn.edu/travbio.htm#dreier
http://askart.com/artist/D/katherine_sophie_dreier.asp
http://www.brickhaus.com/amoore/magazine/Davis.html
    1884 - Mississippi African-American Congressman John R. Lynch was temporary chairman of the Republican National Convention, providing over the meeting for a short period.
http://blackhistory.eb.com/micro/362/20.html
http://www.duboislc.org/BlackPerspective/BlackPerspectivePart9.html
http://www.goantiques.com/texis,john_lynch_autograph,3d09410a0.html
    1908 - Composer/Band Leader/Inventor Raymond Scott Birthday in Brooklyn. His music is familiar to millions because of its adaptation in over 120 classic Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, and other Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies animated shorts. In addition to his music, he was an early electronic music pioneer and sound engineer. During the 1930s and 1940s, many of his band's recording sessions found the bandleader in the control room, monitoring and adjusting the acoustics, often by revolutionary means. In 1946, Scott established Manhattan Research, a division of Raymond Scott Enterprises, Incorporated, which he announced would "design and manufacture electronic music devices and systems." As well as designing audio devices for his own personal use, Manhattan Research Inc. provided customers with sales & service for a variety of devices "for the creation of electronic music and musique concrete" including components such as ring modulators, wave, tone and envelope shapers, modulators and filters. http://www.raymondscott.com/
    1909 - Dr. Judith Kaplan Eisenstein birthday: U.S. author, musicologist, and composer. In 1922, Dr. Eisenstein was the first woman to have a bat mitzvah. "No thunder sounded,” she said in 1992, recalling the ceremony. "No lightning struck." Allowing women the rite that had long marked the passage of Jewish males into religious adulthood proved to be the first of many changes broadening the role of women in Judaism. The changes now included their ordination as rabbis. She was the oldest daughter of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of the Reconstructionist branch of Judaism. Today the bat mitzvah ceremony (bar mitzvah is for boys) is an established practice within the Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist branches of Judaism, and parallel celebrations are common in some quarters of Orthodox Judaism as well. From 1929 to 1954, Dr. Eisenstein taught music education and the history of Jewish music at Jewish Theological Seminary's Teacher's Institute, now known as the Albert A. List College of Jewish Studies in New York City. While there, she published a Jewish songbook for children, “Gateway to Jewish Song”, which was followed by other books of Jewish music and musical history for young people. From 1942 to 1974, she wrote seven cantatas on Jewish themes, among them is the frequently performed, “What Is Torah”, which she wrote with her husband, Rabbi Ira Eisenstein. In 1959, at the age of 50, Dr. Eisenstein, who had earned a Master's degree in music education at Columbia University's Teachers College, began work for her Ph.D. at the School of Sacred Music of Hebrew Union college-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. After receiving her degree, she taught there from 1966 to 1979, and also taught at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia. Ceremonies like bar mitzvahs were often overshadowed by lavish parties. "Bat mitzvah began not just as a statement of feminism,” she said, "but as a statement of dedication to something larger than oneself."
http://www.rrc.edu/journal/recon62_1/eisenstein3.htm
    1910 - Great Idaho Fire destroys 3 million acres of timber
http://www.forestsoils.org/esc110/2001Spring/projects
%20010501/028/Idaho.html
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/2000/wwsternfire823.htm
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/fires000820.html
http://www.nifc.gov/stats/historicalstats.html
    1913 - The Lincoln Highway, a 3,300 mile highway stretching from Times Square, New York City to Lincoln Park, San Francisco, CA was opened, becoming the first coast-to-coast paved road. It was formally dedicated on October 31, 1913. It was originally proposed by Carl Graham Fisher. The highway traversed 13 states—New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California ---and cost about $10 million. Most of US Route 30 from Philadelphia to western Wyoming, portions of I-80 in the western United States, most of US Route 40 in Nevada and California, and most of old decommissioned US Route 40 in California are alignments of the Lincoln Highway.   It was also the first national memorial to President Lincoln. The first complete coast-to-coast run over the official route was made by Neil Patterson.
    1919 - A hurricane struck the Florida Keys drowning more than 500 persons.
    1924 - Leopold and Loeb found guilty of murder. They were two wealthy University of Chicago students who kidnapped and murdered 14-year-old Robert "Bobby" Franks in 1924 in Chicago in pursuit of the perfect crime. Loeb was killed by a fellow prisoner in 1936; Leopold was released on parole in 1958.
http://www.suba.com/~scottn/explore/scrapbks/leo_loeb/ll_txt14.htm
http://www.suba.com/~scottn/explore/scrapbks/leo_loeb/ll_txt16.htm
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAleopold.htm
http://www.jurist.law.pitt.edu/trials5.htm
http://www.leopoldandloeb.com/
http://crimelibrary.com/loeb/loeb/loebmain.htm
http://store.aetv.com/html/catalog/vp01.jhtml
http://douglass.speech.nwu.edu/darr_b17.htm
http://www.suba.com/~scottn/explore/scrapbks/leo_loeb/ll_txt11.htm
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/leoploeb/LEO_PHO2.HTM
    1924 – Slugger Ted Kluszewski, mostly of the Cincinnati reds, was born in Argo, IL. At 6’2”, 240, he was huge compared to his contemporaries and his biceps were so large, he cut the sleeves off his uniform to fit them. His 15 year career ended in 1961 and he died in 1988.
    1929 - Birthday of golfer Arnold Palmer, Latrobe, PA. Arnie was perhaps the first pro golfer of the television age. His common man background popularized the sport for the masses, bringing it out of the realm of a rich man’s sport. His popularity was evidenced by galleries…Arnie’s Army…that followed him around the courses during tournaments. His awards are numerous and include 4-time Masters Champion, 3-time PGA Champion, 2-time (British) Open Champion and the US Open Championship.
    1932 – NYC’s third subway, the city-owned IND, opens. Now, the city owns and runs the entire subway system.
    1934 - Birthday of Roger Eugene Maris, Hibbing, MN. In 1961, Maris broke one of baseball’s sacred records, hitting 61 home runs to surpass the mark of 60 set by Babe Ruth in 1927. For years, the record was clouded by the asterisk, later removed, assigned by then Commissioner Ford Frick, because Maris hit 61 in the newly-expanded 162 game season. Ruth hit his 60 in a 154-game season. He won the American League MVP award in 1960 and in 1961 and finished his career with the St. Louis Cardinals. During his career, he was on seven teams that went to the World Series, five with the Yankees and two with the Cardinals, to whom he was traded in 1966. As a high school footballer, he still holds the national record for most return (two kickoff, one punt, one interception) touchdowns, 4, in a game. Despite his hitting prowess, he is also remembered for his fielding. In the 1962 World Series, he made a game-saving play in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7 against the San Francisco Giants. With the Yankees leading 1-0 and Matty Alou on first, Willie Mays doubled down the right-field line. Maris cut off the ball and made a strong throw to prevent Alou from scoring the tying run; the play set up Willie McCovey’s series-ending line drive to second baseman Bobby Richardson, capping what would prove to be the final World Series victory for the "old" Yankees. A heavy smoker, he died of cancer at Houston, TX, Dec 14, 1985.
    1939 - Charlie Barnet records “The Duke’s Idea.” (Bluebird 10453)
    1940 – Kansas City Chiefs’ Linebacker Buck Buchanan in Gainesville, AL. Part of Coach Hank Stram’s Chiefs who defeated the Vikings in SB IV. Elected to several Halls of Fame, including the NFL and College Football halls. Died of lung cancer diagnosed a week prior to his induction to the NFL Hall, in 1992.
    1941 - Woody Herman records “Blues in the Night”
    1945 - Birthday of Jose Feliciano, singer, musician “Light My Fire, “Hi-Heel Sneakers”, born Lares, Puerto Rico.
    1946 - While riding a train to Darjeeling, Sister Teresa Bojaxhiu of the Loreto Sisters' Convent claimed to have heard the call of God, directing her "to leave the convent and help the poor while living among them". She would become known as Mother Teresa.
      1949 – TV host, author, political columnist and commentator Bill O’Reilly was born in NYC.
      1950 - Eddie Cantor moved from radio to TV, as he hosted the "Colgate Comedy Hour" on NBC.
     1950---CRAIG, GORDON M. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Reconnaissance Company, 1st Cavalry Division. Place and date: Near Kasan, Korea 10 September 1950. Entered service at. Brockton, Mass. Born: 1 August 1929, Brockton, Mass. G.O. No.: 23, 25 April 1951. Citation: Cpl. Craig, 16th Reconnaissance Company, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. During the attack on a strategic enemy-held hill his company’s advance was subjected to intense hostile grenade mortar, and small-arms fire. Cpl. Craig and 4 comrades moved forward to eliminate an enemy machine gun nest that was hampering the company’s advance. At that instance an enemy machine gunner hurled a hand grenade at the advancing men. Without hesitating or attempting to seek cover for himself, Cpl. Craig threw himself on the grenade and smothered its burst with his body. His intrepid and selfless act, in which he unhesitantly gave his life for his comrades, inspired them to attack with such ferocity that they annihilated the enemy machine gun crew, enabling the company to continue its attack. Cpl. Craig’s noble self-sacrifice reflects the highest credit upon himself and upholds the esteemed traditions of the military service.
      1950 - In New York's 8-1 victory over the Senators at Washington, D.C.'s Griffith Stadium, Joe DiMaggio becomes the first major leaguer to hit three home runs in the 39-year history of the ballpark. It is the third time that Joltin' Joe has hit a trio of round-trippers in a game, but he has never accomplished the feat at Yankee Stadium.
    1950 - Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry is born in Boston.
    1951 - Florence Chadwick of San Diego, CA, became the first American woman to swim the English Channel from both coasts.
    1952 - Top Hits
“Auf Wiedersehn, Sweetheart” - Vera Lynn
“Walkin’ My Baby Back Home” - Johnnie Ray
“Wish You Were Here” - Eddie Fisher
“Jambalaya (On the Bayou)” - Hank Williams
    1954 - Swanson sells its first "TV dinner,” turkey and gravy. Chicken came a few years later; remember no microwave in the early days. 1962 Swanson stopped calling them TV dinners.
http://www.naplesnews.com/today/business/d248291a.htm
http://www.foodreference.com/html/arttvdinners.html
    1954 - “Gunsmoke” premiered on TV. “Gunsmoke” was TV’s longest-running western, moving from radio to TV. John Wayne turned down the role of Marshall Dillon. James Whitmore was then chosen, but he declined, recommending his neighbor James Arness ( Whitmore lived across the street from us on Latimer Road and Arness a few blocks away---he drove my brother and I to high school for several years in his station wagon on his way to work ). Other regulars included Amanda Blake as Kitty Russell, saloon-owner, Dennis Weaver as Chester B. Goode, Dillon’s deputy, and Milburn Stone as Doc Adams. In 1962, a fifth character was added---the “rugged male.” Burt Reynolds played Quint Asper, followed by Roger Ewing as Thad Greenwood, and Buck Taylor as Newly O’Brien. In 1964, Ken Curtis was added as funnyman Festus Haggen, the new deputy. “Gunsmoke” was incredibly popular, both as a half-hour and hour-long show, as the number-one rated series for four seasons, and top ten hit for six seasons. My father Lawrence Menkin wrote a number of the episodes. The last telecast was September 1, 1975.
    1955 - Bert Parks began a 25-year career as host of the "Miss America Pageant" on NBC. The show became a TV tradition as Parks sang to the newly-crowned beauty queen, “There She is ... Miss America”. The song was composed by Bernie Wayne and was sung for the first time on this day. Sharon Kay Ritchie was the first Miss America to be honored with the song. When she married singer Don Cherry ("Band of Gold"), "There She Is" was part of the wedding ceremony.
    1955 - Chuck Berry's "Maybellene" peaks at #5 on the pop chart.
    1956 - Record stores are swamped with requests for Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender." The song, which is the title track of his next movie, had not been released.
    1960 - Hurricane Donna struck the Florida Keys, with winds gusting to 180 mph and a thirteen foot storm surge. The hurricane then moved north along the western coast of Florida and inundated Naples before moving out to sea. Hurricane Donna claimed fifty lives, injured 1800 others, and caused more than 300 million dollars damage. The Marathon/Tavernier area was almost completely destroyed, and in the Citrus Belt, most of the avocado crop was blown from the trees. Hurricane Donna wreaked havoc from Florida to Maine, with wind gusts to 100 mph along much of the coast. Hurricane Donna produced wind gusts to 121 mph at Charleston, SC on the 11th, and wind gusts to 138 mph at Blue Hill Observatory, MA on the 12th. The hurricane finally died over Maine two days later, producing more than five inches of rain over the state.
    1960 - Top Hits
“It’s Now or Never - Elvis Presley
“The Twist” - Chubby Checker
“Volare” - Bobby Rydell
“Alabam” - Cowboy Copas
    1960 – The Yankees’ Mickey Mantle hits one over the roof and out of Tiger Stadium in Detroit, estimated to have travelled 643’.
    1961 - Mickey Mantle hammers his 400th career round-tripper, becoming the 7th player in MLB history to do so. Coincidentally, Mantle wore #7.
     1963 - Maj. Gen. Victor Krulak, USMC, Special Assistant for Counterinsurgency and Special Activities to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Joseph Mendenhall of the State Department report to President John F. Kennedy on their fact-finding mission to Vietnam. The president had sent them to make a firsthand assessment of the situation in Vietnam with regard to the viability of the government there and the progress of the war. Having just returned from a whirlwind four-day visit, their perceptions differed greatly. Krulak concluded that progress was being made in the war against the Viet Cong, but Mendenhall perceived from talks with bureaucrats and politicians that the Diem regime in Saigon was near collapse and lacking popular support among the South Vietnamese people. A frustrated Kennedy responded, “You two did visit the same country, didn’t you?” This was emblematic of the problem that faced the American president as he tried to determine what to do about the situation in Vietnam. Two months later, the Kennedy administration decided that the Diem government was too far gone to save and told opposition South Vietnamese generals that they would not oppose a coup. The coup began on November 1, 1963, and Diem and his brother were murdered in the early morning hours of the following day. President Kennedy was assassinated shortly thereafter on November 22. His successor, President Lyndon B. Johnson oversaw a steady escalation of the war that ultimately involved the commitment of more than half a million U.S. troops.
    1963 – “The Big Unit”, Randy Johnson was born in Walnut Creek, CA. Over a 22-year Major League career with several teams, Johnson won the Cy Young Award five times, second most in Major League history. His record is impressive, certainly Hall of Fame worthy, for which he becomes eligible in 2015: 303-166 to a 3.29 ERA. 4,875 strikeouts are second in MLB history to Nolan Ryan. Two no-hitters including a perfect game in 2004 at the age of 40
    1963 - Twenty black students entered public schools in Alabama.
President John F. Kennedy federalizes Alabama's National Guard to prevent Governor George C. Wallace from using guardsmen to stop public-school desegregation.
http://www.stanford.edu/~tommyz/1960's/Birmingham.htm
    1964 - Rod Stewart recorded his first tune, titled "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl", for Decca. It was not one of his more successful recordings.
    1965 - Hurricane Betsy slammed Louisiana with winds gusting to 130 mph at Houma. There were 58 deaths and over 17,500 injured. The storm surge and flooding from torrential rains made Betsy the first billion dollar hurricane was losses exceeding $1.4 billion
    1966 - “Star Trek” premieres on TV. The first of 79 episodes of the TV series ‘Star Trek” was aired on the NBC network. Although the science fiction show set in the future only lasted a few seasons, it has remained enormously popular through syndication reruns. It has been given new life through six motion pictures, a cartoon TV series and the very popular TV series “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” It has consistently ranked among the biggest titles in the motion picture, television, home video and licensing divisions of Paramount Pictures.
    1966 - The Monkees' "The Last Train to Clarksville" is released.
    1966 - The Supremes' "You Can't Hurry Love" hits #1
    1966 - Wilson Pickett's "Land of 1000 Dances" peaks at #6 on the chart while The Troggs' "With A Girl Like You" peaks at #29 on the chart.
    1966 – Neil Diamond hits the charts for the first time with “Cherry, Cherry.”
    1967 - “Gentle Ben” premiere on TV. This show was about the adventures of a boy, Mark Wedloe (Clint Howard) and his pet bear, Ben. Also featured were Dennis Weaver as his father, Tom, a game warden. Beth Brickell played his mother Ellen, Jack Worley as Tom’s friend Spencer, and Angelo Rutherford as his friend Willie. It was filmed on location in Florida.
    1968 - Top Hits
“People Got to Be Free” - The Rascals
“Born to Be Wild” - Steppenwolf
“Light My Fire” - Jose Feliciano
“Mama Tried” - Merle Haggard
    1971 - At Metropolitan Stadium in Minneapolis, Harmon Killebrew becomes the tenth player to join the 500 home run club as hits the historic homer in the first inning off Mike Cuellar. Later in the game, the 36-year old first baseman connects for #501, but 'Killer's' two round-trippers are to no avail as the Twins lose to the Orioles in 10 innings, 4-3.
    1972 - Muhammad Ali defeated Ken Norton in a heavyweight boxing match and avenged a loss to Norton the previous March.
    1972 - The United States lost its first basketball game in Olympic history, snapping a streak going back to 1935, when the Soviet Union won the gold medal game at the Munich Summer Games, 51-50. The game was quite controversial. After the clock expired with the US ahead, International Amateur Basketball Federation officials intervened and required the referees to replay the last three seconds. This time, the Soviets scored to eke out the victory. US officials protested in vain. The American team refused to accept the silver medal.
    1973 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “Delta Dawn,'' Helen Reddy. Reddy is the fifth female vocalist to record the song.
    1974 - Lou Brock of the St. Louis Cardinals broke Maury Wills’ 1962 major-league record for stolen bases in a season. ‘Lightning’ Lou stole his 105th base on his way to a career total of 938 stolen bases.
    1976 - Top Hits
“You Should Be Dancing” - Bee Gees
“You’ll Never Find Another Love like Mine” - Lou Rawls
“Let ’Em In” - Wings
“(I’m A) Stand by My Woman Man” - Ronnie Milsap
    1978 – Game 4 of what became the Boston Massacre sees the Yankees beat the Red Sox, 7-4 to tie them for first place. On July 14, the Red Sox held a 14 game lead over the Yankees. They would remain tied for first at season’s end, necessitating a playoff, that gave us Bucky Dent’s HR (ask a Red Sox fan what his middle name is…hint, it’s the same as Aaron Boone’s) to send the Yanks to the playoffs against Kansas City.
    1980 - The Rolling Stones release "She's So Cold."
    1983 - Jackson Browne's "Lawyers in Love" peaks at #13 on the singles chart while Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" peaks at #84.
    1983 - AC/DC's "Flick of the Switch" LP enters the chart.
    1984 - The Federal Communications Commission changed the rules. The FCC allowed broadcasters to own 12 AM and 12 FM radio stations. The previous limit was 7 of each.
    1984 - Top Hits
“What’s Love Got to Do with It” - Tina Turner
“Missing You” - John Waite
“She Bop” - Cyndi Lauper
“Tennessee Homesick Blues” - Dolly Parton
    1986 - During Billy Martin Day at Yankee Stadium, the Bronx Bombers retire uniform #1 to honor their scrappy second baseman and four-time manager.
    1986 - Birthday of American Composer Jason Rudolf, Decatur, Illinois
    1987 – Pope John Paul II starts his 11-day papal visit to Ft Simpson, Canada and afterwards to several southern and western cities in the United States.
    1988 - Steffi Graf wins US Open, 1st woman Grand Slam since Court (1970)
    1988 - Robert Palmer's "Simply Irresistible" peaks at #2 on the singles chart while Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine" hits #1 and Van Halen's "When It's Love" hits #5.
    1989 - After fifteen months of recovery from cancer surgery to his arm, Dave Dravecky pitches one-hit baseball for seven innings, blanking the Reds to get the victory. The Giant bullpen holds on for a 4-3 win at Candlestick Park.
    1989 - Light snow fell in Montana overnight, with three inches reported at Fairfield. Billings, MT reported a record low of 33 degrees. Unseasonably warm weather prevailed in the northeastern U.S., with record highs of 86 degrees at Caribou, ME and 90 degrees at Burlington, VT.
    1990 - 19 year old Pete Sampras beats Andre Agassi to win the US Open
    1990 - First time in NY Yankee history they are completely swept in a season series, Oakland A's beat them 12 games to 0
    1990 - Hard Rock Cafe opens in Las Vegas Nevada.
    1992 – Bud Selig of the Milwaukee Brewers is appointed interim Commissioner of Major League Baseball.
    1993 - “The X-Files” TV Premiere. “The Truth is Out There” was the mantra of FOX’s scary and brainy sci-fi drama. Special FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) solved cases too weird for the Bureau and also uncovered a vast conspiracy involving aliens and human-alien hybrids. TV Guide named “The X-Files” one of the greatest TV shows of all time. A feature-length file was created as well. The series ended in 2002.
    1995 - Cyndi Lauper wins an Emmy for her guest appearance on "Mad About You.”
    1997 - In a 7-6 loss to the Giants, Cardinal Mark McGwire becomes only the second player in major league history to hit 50 home runs in consecutive seasons. Babe Ruth accomplished the feat twice in 1920-21 and 1927-28 seasons.
    2002 - Sammy Sosa hits three home runs in consecutive at-bats in the third, fourth and fifth innings, tying a Cubs' record with nine RBIs established by Heinie Zimmerman in 1911. With his sixth career three-homer game performance, the Chicago right fielder also ties the major league record set by Johnny Mize and he also becomes only the fifth player in big league history to homer in three straight innings.
    2003 - Rafael Furcal becomes the 12th player to turn an unassisted triple play in big league history. With Cardinals runners on first (Orlando Palmeiro) and second (Mike Matheny) in the fifth inning, the Braves shortstop makes a leaping catch of pitcher Woody Williams' liner steps on second base to double up Matheny before tagging out Palmeiro who is attempting to get back to first base.
      2010 - In San Bruno, California, a fire begins with a massive explosion in a natural gas line, kills 4 people, destroys many homes, and continues burning. On Sept 3, 2014, California regulators imposed $1.4 billion in penalties against Pacific Gas & Electric. A 2011 investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the rupture occurred in a weak weld in a pipeline that PG&E records had shown as being smooth and unwelded. PG&E neglected to shut off natural gas feeding the fire until 95 minutes after the blast, the federal investigators said.

The object is to insert the numbers in the boxes to satisfy only one condition: each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 exactly once. What could be simpler?

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