Director, Vendor Relationship Development: Office Equipment Group. Accountable for originating/ maintaining volume from large Office Equipment dealers. Preferred locations - SW and Mid-Atlantic. Full descrip/to Apply, Click here GreatAmerica is a highly successful entrepreneurial company providing equipment financing to businesses across the United States.

www.greatamerica.com

Tuesday, September 20,2005

Headlines---

Welcome New Readers
    Classified Ads---Asset Management
        Don Flies back as Wehner Bros. Leave BSB
Karl Probst/Radiance Cap. "Story Credit"
    Lease Agreement
        American Bank Leasing joins "Funder Only"
Classified -- Help Wanted
   Last Week's Top Archive Picks
    Top Ten Stories Last Week
        FEMA Still FUBAR
ELA Begins Dialogue with SEC
    MicroFinancial NYSE Listing
        News Briefs---
You May Have Missed
    Sports Briefs---
        "Gimme that Wine"
Today's Top Event in History
    This Day in American History
        Baseball Poem-Kit Menkin

Track Rita's Path (see tracking map for latest location )

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/graphics/hurricane/2005_storms/flash_leader.htm?

######## surrounding the article denotes it is a "press release"

Note: The American Flag is at half-mast as President George W. Bush has ordered the US flag to be flown at half-mast on all government buildings and by the U.S. military until September 20 th as a mark of respect for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Welcome New Readers

While most who read Leasing News go to the web site first, many still join our mailing list. Our goal is to print daily from Monday to Friday, but most often it is only three or four times a week, so when you are on the mailing list, you are informed that the new edition is available.

We go to "press" when we think there is enough equipment leasing news to do so.

Readers on our mailing list also get notices of major events from time to time.

We welcome the new readers and hope you enjoy and find informative Leasing News.

[headlines]

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Classified Ads---Asset Management

Austin, TX .
20+ years exper. lease/finance. P & L responsibility, strong credit & collection management, re-marketing& accounting. Computers, construction, auto & transportation. Both commercial/ consumer portfolios.
Email: kmalone@austin.rr.com

Bloomfield Township, MI .
15+ yrs experience asset management and credit analyst. Leadership and training skills. Audited returns, max residual, lease end and resale negotiator.
E-mail: cmcozzolino@msn.com

Chicago, IL .
MBA, 15+ years exp. Long history of success in maximizing residual position through outstanding negotiation skills & lease contract management. Third party re-marketing, forecasting etc...
email: jgambla@aol.com

Hartford, CT.
7yrs exp structuring US Leveraged & Single Investor leases w/ pre-paid deferred rents, 467 loans & early buyouts. Engineer rv guarantees, synthetic leases, economic capital models & securitizations. E-mail: lease_structuring@yahoo.com

Princeton, NJ.
Asset management/credit/collection
20+ years experience in equipment financing. Last five years in Asset Management including remarketing, end of lease negotiations, equipment and market evaluations
E-mail: bgaffrey@earthlink.net

Wilton, CT.
18 years exp. in IT and High Tech leasing industry. Residual forecasting, workouts, off-lease sales, mid-term restructures, auctions, all aspects of remarketing and equipment management.
Email: charrer@hotmail.com

For a full listing of all "job wanted" ads, please go to:

http://216.66.242.252/AL/LeasingNews/JobPostings.htm

To place a free "job wanted" ad, please go to:

http://216.66.242.252/AL/LeasingNews/PostingForm.asp

[headlines]

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Don Flies back as Wehner Brothers Leave BSB Leasing

Skip Wehner, age 36, and Rick Wehner, age 31, have taken their combined twenty years of experience in the leasing industry and started their own company: 5280 Financial, LLC is up and running in Castle Rock, Colorado.

The company was named to honor the area, as Denver is a mile high; 5,280 feet.

Skip was in charge of direct sales at BSB Leasing, Denver, Colorado.

He joined the firm in December, 2002, and took over as Vice-President of Business Development takes over all sales responsibility for our broker network. Rich was the broker executive. L ong time Vice-President of Broker Services, Bruce Zwillinger moved into a new role as head of the Commercial Group handling commercial transactions from $50,000 to $1,000,000. Bruce, who lived through the UniCapital days, is coming back into this position.

The two brothers decided last Thursday they had enough savings, contacts, knowledge, and after an hour at Starbucks called their boss Don Myerson in Kauai, Hawaii, where he lives six months of the year (running his side from his home on Poipu Beach and gave him the news. They said they would stay as long as he wanted, appreciated his help, and wanted to do business with BSB, and left the time table up to him.

Myerson reportedly wanted a clean break and they all agreed.

"After having spent the last few years working with Don Myerson and BSB Leasing, we felt the time was right to follow both of our entrepreneurial spirit," Skip Wehner said. "We very much enjoyed working with the wonderful people at BSB Leasing, especially Don, who has taught us a lot and "wished us luck" in our new venture.

"Please help us spread the word of our excitement. Below is our new contact information, please be sure to add us to your email newsletter list.

5280 Financial, LLC
7437 Village Square Drive, Suite 210
Castle Rock, CO 80108
(P) 303-309-6888
(F) 866-323-7805
www.5280financial.net
rickw@5280financial.net
skipw@5280financial.net

BSB Leasing, Inc. is a direct funder and syndicator serving lease brokers nationwide since 1982.

Ironically Don Myerson and Leasing News were working on a banner ad for BSB Leasing. On Thursday editor Kit Menkin left early for the wedding of a close family friends' daughter in the wine country, Healdsburg, California, with the ad then completed by Maria Martinez to run as soon as Kit returned and finalized with Don Myerson direct.

10:46pm, Monday evening

"I just got off the plane in Denver from Kauai not 10 minutes ago and I got your e-mail.

"Bruce Zwillinger is the Vice President of Broker Services (he maintained that title during his sabbatical) is back full time now. Remember, Bruce has been running our broker service area for over 10 years - even before UniCapital and Pegasus.

"I wish them both a lot of success. We'll miss them both on a professional level and a personal level. They'll do great. We look forward to doing business with them as brokers.
 
" Don  in Denver ! "

[headlines]

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

Karl Probst---Radiance Capital joins "Story Credit" list

News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Leasing Company Finds Niche Helping Small Businesses Innovate in Pacific Northwest and Beyond
Radiance Capital to Fund Equipment Leases Ranging from $5,000 to $50,000

Seattle, WA - September, 15 , 2005 - Radiance Capital, a premier equipment financing company soon to be headquartered in downtown Tacoma, today announced its public debut. The Company provides financing solutions to a wide-range of small businesses that have a need for new or used equipment.

"We understand the need of small businesses to finance their essential-use equipment," said Tim Cavanaugh, Radiance Chief Executive Officer. "These leases often get rejected or are poorly serviced by larger leasing companies as they are generally under $50,000. That's where Radiance Capital comes in. Radiance is a flexible organization without the significant overhead of a large corporation. We value integrity and can respond efficiently to small business needs.

Cavanaugh, a small business owner himself, built Radiance Capital to move ideas forward. With more than 18 years of senior management experience, Cavanaugh has spent the last six years focusing primarily on the creation and development of small companies within the financial industry. Cavanaugh has been actively involved in the establishment of a venture capital firm, Sunshine Capital, LLC, which solicits and funds forward-thinking individuals and organizations in the Pacific Northwest.

"Radiance has the internal lines of credit to fund these leases and help the businesses not only survive, but thrive," said Cavanaugh. "When you are an independent organization, you need your equipment, you need funding and you need it fast." Radiance Capital works with a network of well established brokers that have the ability to underwrite a wide array of transactions. Radiance provides a flexible payment structure where the lease or loan can be customized to best fit the borrower's needs.

"Many small, independent companies have a sound business plan, a high level of experience, a clean line of credit but not the asset base that would qualify them for a lower interest lease" said Meryl Newman, Radiance Chief Operations and Financial Officer. "While Radiance is taking on more risk, we are buying into the financial credibility of an experienced person. Our goal is to facilitate the lending process so qualified individuals can avoid the hard money rate that could keep them out of business."

About Radiance Capital:

Radiance Capital LLC is a privately held "B Credit" finance company currently based in Seattle, Washington with plans to relocate to Tacoma in October 2005. Radiance provides equipment financing through a broker channel for transactions ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 for companies based in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Alaska, Arizona and Colorado. Radiance's management team has over 80 years combined experience in commercial leasing with an emphasis on underwriting and servicing a wide range of credits. For more information on Radiance Capital, visit the company's website at http://www.radiance-capital.com .

Media Contact: Meryl Newman, Chief Financial and Operations Officer, 206.443.8455

To view entire "Story Credit" list:

http://www.leasingnews.org/Story_Credit/Story_Credit.htm

[headlines]

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(The great majority of complaints from lease applicants come from not returning their "advance rental" or "deposit. Often a large fee is kept by the broker or leasing company as "earned," but there is no agreement between the parties as to what the legitimate fee or cost will be. Often brokers think they have earned the money they have collected when they are unable to complete the transaction as the applicant lied, didn't tell the entire truth, or as often happens, does not qualify for the "automatic approval with rate and terms" that attracted them in the first place. )

[headlines]

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American Bank Leasing joins the "Funder Only" List

Funders Only - Update

A -Accepts Broker Business | B -Requires Broker be Licensed | C -Sub-Broker Program
| D -"Private label Program" | E - Also "in house" salesmen

(G) American Bank Leasing provides fast responses and high touch service for small ticket transactions. Our online system provides "almost instant" approvals up to $100,000 and the ability for you and your vendor to view transaction status. Our experienced staff is empowered to use a common sense approach to lending. Private label program reserved for our top producing partners.

To view the complete list, please click here.

[headlines]

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Classified -- Help Wanted

National Program Skills

Salesperson

"Tired of working for a broker or discounter at inflated buy rates?" We are a direct nationwide funder. Decisions are made here on "application only" up to $125,000. We are fast, too, and we will keep your vendors and customers happy with our efficient staff. Contact Jim Doster sales@abanklease.com "We want you to make as much money as you can."

www.abanklease.com

Vendor Relationship

Director, Vendor Relationship Development: Office Equipment Group. Accountable for originating/ maintaining volume from large Office Equipment dealers. Preferred locations - SW and Mid-Atlantic. Full descrip/to Apply, Click here GreatAmerica is a highly successful entrepreneurial company providing equipment financing to businesses across the United States.

www.greatamerica.com

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

Last Week's Top Archive Picks September 11-18

Our Web Trend reports that these were the most popular sites visited last week. They are found by subject, and there may have been more specific articles also read on the subject, but these have the highest repeat count:

capitalstream

http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/June%202003/06_27_2003.htm#dec

norvergence

http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Novergence_main.htm

Hansons/lawsuit

http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/alert_ty.htm

capitalwerks

http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/CapitalWerks_million_award.htm

[headlines]

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

Top Ten Stories from September 12-16

These stories had the most readers, according to Constant Contact and Web Trend, during last week, with the top one first:

Pictures from the Past, 1990

---Fromm/Salge/Pryor/Geller/Wilbourne/Eidelkind

http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/September%202005/9-16-05.htm#past

Classified Sales---Senior Management

http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/September%202005/9-14-05.htm#ads

Correction---Cartoon misplaced?

http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/September%202005/9-12-05.htm#correction

Story Credits

http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/September%202005/9-14-05.htm#story

"Legacy of Top Gun" "Me-Too" Players

http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/September%202005/9-14-05.htm#legacy

Funder Only List Up-Dated

http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/September%202005/9-12-05.htm#funder

Key Equipment Finance/Oracle

http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/September%202005/9-12-05.htm#key

Super Broker List

http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/September%202005/9-14-05.htm#super

Cartoon--Most Sales Calls

http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/September%202005/9-14-05.htm#toon

Funder Only List Up-Dated

http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/September%202005/9-16-05.htm#balboa

[headlines]

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

FEMA Still FUBAR

(Here are three stories from landlinemag.com, Owner and operator impendent drivers association

----Relief trucks in Baton Rouge to roll after all

landlinemag.com

(Owner and Operator Independent Drivers Association

A Baton Rouge trucking company says it has cleared up the snafu that stalled 100 trucks from hauling supplies for hurricane victims on Wednesday, Sept. 14.

Victory 1 Trucking told The Advocate in Baton Rouge that a miscommunication led to the truckers being turned away from a FEMA staging area after being told they didn't have authorization to work.

Victory 1 subcontracted the job - which involves hauling travel trailers to be used as housing for evacuees - from Fluor Corp., which had a contract with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The drivers were told Wednesday that they couldn't work because many of them did not have commercial driver's licenses.

Angela Elly, an attorney for Victory 1, told The Advocate that the matter had been resolved after representatives from Victory 1 and Fluor met on Thursday, Sept. 15 and came up with a new agreement.

Under the agreement, a three-quarter-ton or one-ton truck will be used, and a commercial drivers license will not be a requirement.

Elly said the drivers would be compensated for the time they were not allowed to work.

----Hundreds of relief trucks still awaiting orders in Mississippi

Though the situation in New Orleans is improving, the situation involving getting trucks to the areas stricken by Hurricane Katrina seems to be stagnating.

Two weeks after the Hurricane hit the Gulf Coast, more than 400 trucks filled with ice, water, food and baby supplies are still sitting at a FEMA staging area in Bay St. Louis, MS, according to news reports.

Local television station WRAL reported that some drivers said they were making as much as $600 a day to sit and wait.

One driver told the station he talked to two other drivers out of Oregon who were paid $8,000 to bring loads of ice from Oregon to the south.

"They're getting $60 an hour for sitting here," the driver said.

James Shabel, a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Atlanta, told WRAL that the supplies would not go to waste, and that the trucks would be moved out as soon as stricken communities were able to set up safe distribution sites.

-----Loaded relief trucks sitting still in Alabama

More than 100 trucks were still sitting at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base in Montgomery, AL, on Friday, Sept. 16, waiting to be deployed to areas hit by Hurricane Katrina.

The Associated Press reported that some of the trucks - which are carrying ice and water - have been waiting at the base for three or four days.

The supplies were intended for Alabama victims, but officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency at the site told The AP that there was an oversupply. The truckers could find themselves rerouted to Mississippi or Louisiana or even sent to aid victims of Hurricane Ophelia in North Carolina.

Trucks have been gathered at the Air Force base for about two weeks. The AP reported that the number of trucks there changes daily, but some have been there longer than others.

Buck Hamilton, the president of Alabama Food Services, told The AP he has a contract with FEMA, and the agency typically pays the drivers about $600 a day at the staging areas.

( There are more stories and the drivers report the situation is still FUBAR )

See story in New York Times and St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

FEMA, Slow to the Rescue, Now Stumbles in Aid Effort
By JENNIFER STEINHAUER and ERIC LIPTON
FEMA is faltering in its effort to aid hundreds of
thousands of storm victims, evacuees, local and federal
officials say.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/17/national/nationalspecial/17fema.html?th&emc=th

FEMA puts mobile homes on hold: WHAT'S GOING ON? Manufacturers rushed to meet deadline but federal response is turtle-like.: WHAT'S THE HOLDUP? FEMA says its parent agency, Homeland Security, is to blame.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/stories.nsf/story/
99021CDF88D493F086257082000A3EE7?OpenDocument

[headlines]

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ELA Begins Dialogue with SEC

ELTnews

Lessors Make the Case

The first annual Equipment Leasing Association/Security Exchange commission liaison meeting was the beginning of an ongoing dialogue with important regulators.

On September 8, 2005, the ELA Financial Accounting Committee held its first annual liaison meeting with the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Office of Chief Accountant. In attendance were seven members of the SEC staff specializing in lease transactions, together with Michael Fleming and Ralph Petta from ELA staff, and Rod Hurd, Mindy Berman and Bill Bosco from the ELA Financial Accounting Committee. The intent of the meeting was to establish a relationship with the SEC similar to that ELA has enjoyed with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). ELA views these relationships as key to ensuring that any rules changes impacting the leasing and finance industry are based on market reality, have the appropriate cost/benefit considerations and take into account implementation challenges.

In these relationships, ELA offers to provide market data and review drafts of potential changes. We strive to get the "best" rules we can get for the industry. However, realizing that the "best" rules may not be the most favorable to the industry, ELA has adopted a "higher ground" philosophy in which we defend positions that have merit, are objective and have a solid foundation in accounting theory. Our relationship with FASB has been successful in that FASB consults ELA on lease accounting issues, and we and have access to the Board and staff when we need it.

In this first meeting with the SEC, the central focus was to educate SEC staff on the equipment leasing and finance industry and how it actually operates. In light of the SEC's recent critical report on off-balance sheet arrangements, the ELA representatives wanted to build a fact pattern and provide a counter view based on market information and industry data showing how off-balance sheet transactions actually worked in the marketplace to help companies acquire a variety of productive assets. Explaining the value of off balance sheet transactions was critical, particularly as the SEC prepares to participate in a major re-write of SFAS 13. The presentation, which relied on data from the ELA's 2005 Survey of Industry Activity and other sources, is available in the research section on the association's website, www.elaonline.com. It focused on the following:

. Real estate:

o The headline lease transactions have been real estate leases

o Real estate is estimated to be four times larger than equipment leasing when measured by operating lease rents reported in footnotes

. Transaction Types:

o Eighty percent of the new business volume are finance leases and conditional sales agreements

o Twenty percent of new business volume are operating leases

o The majority of operating leases are true leases that are "natural" operating leases requiring no financial engineering

o Only one percent of new business volume was synthetic leases and represents the structured operating leases maligned in the SEC off-balance sheet study

o Lease terms other than air and rail are on average three to four years in length

. Market segments

o Thirty-five percent of new business volume is small and micro ticket

o Sixty-one percent of new business volume consist of middle market transactions

o Only four percent of new business volume is large ticket, where the structuring takes place

o The vast majority of our customers are small and medium sized companies (SMEs)

o Over one million lease transactions are closed each year

. Reasons for leasing

o The need for low cost, 100-percent financing in a convenient form drives the majority of the business

o Asset risk management and tax reasons are also major drivers, but largely for larger, more sophisticated enterprises

o The accounting reasons for leasing are centered in the large ticket market segment and with publicly traded companies, which is a small segment of the equipment leasing industry

. Lease Models and Views of Other Disciplines

o Income tax and commercial legal systems recognize operating leases based on a risks and rewards model

o Rating agencies have developed methodology to incorporate the debt capacity impact of leases in their credit analysis using existing disclosures The net message was that most operating leases are not abusive, and that there is a place for operating lease accounting and short lease terms.

Both sides agreed that the meeting was a productive one, and is the beginning of a dialogue that will continue as the SEC and standards-setters deal with subsequent rules changes affecting the leasing and finance industry.

[headlines]

### Press Release ###########################
--------------------------------------------------------------

MICROFINANCIAL INCORPORATED - Company Presents Continued Listing Plan to NYSE -

WOBURN, Mass.----MicroFinancial Incorporated (NYSE:MFI) announced today that in accordance with the continued listing criteria set forth by the New York Stock Exchange, on September 15, 2005, the company presented a plan to the NYSE demonstrating how it intends to comply with the continued listing standards. The Company previously announced in a press release dated August 3, 2005 that the NYSE notified the Company that it was considered "below criteria" since over a consecutive 30 day trading period, its total market capitalization and its stockholders equity were each less than $75 million.

In accordance with the continued listing criteria set forth by the Exchange, the NYSE has up to 45 days to either accept or reject the plan. In the event that the NYSE does not accept the plan, the Company would seek an alternate trading market for its securities.

About MicroFinancial

MicroFinancial Inc. (NYSE: MFI), headquartered in Woburn, MA, is a financial intermediary specializing in leasing and financing for products in the $400 to $15,000 range. The company has been in operation since 1986.

CONTACT: MicroFinancial Inc.

Richard F. Latour, 781-994-4800

President and CEO

SOURCE: MicroFinancial Inc.

[headlines]

### Press Release ###########################
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News Briefs----

Fed Will Push Rates Higher, but When?

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-Fed-Interest-Rates.html

Kozlowski sentenced eight to 25 years; ordered to pay $239 million. IRS is next plus civil suits pending.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/19/business/19cnd-tyco.html?hp

Oakland seeks to run failing Port of Sacramento
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20050919-1334-ca-sacramentoport.html

Oracle Opens Up to WebSphere

http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/article.php/3549931

Bankruptcy Hike Drives Card Defaults

http://www.absnet.net/include/showfreearticle.asp?file=/headlines/aba1.htm

Looks like the new iPod's a hit

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2005-09-18-nano-hit_x.htm

[headlines]

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

You May Have Missed

Average family health policy nears $11,000

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2005-09-14-family-health-policy_x.htm

[headlines]

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

Sports Briefs----

Two views---

Redskins Leave It All Behind Team's Win In Dallas Is 1st Since '95

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/19/
AR2005091901120.html

Redskins stun Cowboys

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/
092005dnspocowlede.7533cdf1.html

Leasing News prints the stories of the pro football games from the city's newspapers. You often get a different view with more details from the local paper. Same with key college football games.

[headlines]

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

"Gimme that Wine"

Low: Napa Valley on $250 a Day
http://travel2.nytimes.com/2005/09/18/travel/18low.html

High: Napa Valley on $1,000 a Day
http://travel2.nytimes.com/2005/09/18/travel/18high.html

Better yet, try Sonoma---except for the traffic through Santa Rosa, bed and breakfast, hotels much cheaper, great restaurants in Healdsburg, beautiful country and often no fee for tasting wine, great wine prices, too.

Just spent three day weekend there. Great small shops in Healdsburg, too, will surprise you.

Opus One future to be announced this Thursday

http://www.decanter.com/news/68632.html

Wine-Drinkers Down by a Million in France

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-france-less-wine,
0,4428217.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines

[headlines]

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Today's Top Event in History

1885-Birthday of composer/singer/piano player Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton. He claimed to have "invented" jazz music. Many historians say he was not bragging when he made the claim.
"If you want my fricassee, you're going to have to chase me
down,
If you want my jelly roll, you're going to have to treat me better
Here's a nickel, send the boy down for another bucket of beer."
http://www.redhotjazz.com/jellyroll.html
http://www.jazzradio.org/jelly.htm
http://lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/tri007.html
http://atj.8k.com/noartist/atjmorton.html
http://www.duke.edu/~nbp/jellylife.html
http://www.redhotjazz.com/redhot.html

[headlines]

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

This Day in American History

1519 - Magellan started the first successful circumnavigation of the world.
1565 -Spaniards capture Fort Caroline, Florida and massacre the French.
1777- Paoli massacre; American troops surprised in midnight raid while they slept by overwhelming British troops.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A482410
http://www.sar.org/history/paoli.htm
http://buckconner.tripod.com/
http://www.ushistory.org/march/phila/paoli_1.htm
1797- US frigate Constitution (Old Ironsides) launched in Boston
1830 -First National Black convention meets .Philadelphia, Pa.
1845-the Adirondack Tornado traveled on a 275 mile long track starting as a waterspout over Lake Ontario and then traveling as a tornado through New York State to exit as a waterspout again on Lake Champlain. The tree fall in the forest is still discernible
1850-Washington, DC-one of the provisions of the Compromise Act of 1850 abolished the slave trade in the country's capital.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/sep20.html
1854-Otis opens his factory to produce freight elevators.
(Bottom half of: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/sep20.html
1845-The Adirondack Tornado traveled on a 275 mile long track starting as a waterspout over Lake Ontario and then traveling as a tornado through New York State to exit as a waterspout again on Lake Champlain. The tree fall in the forest is still discernible
1863-After disastrous moves by Union General William Starke Rosecrans, a career officer, Confederate forces appeared to be carrying the third day at the Battle of Chickamauga in Tennessee. With Rosecrans in flight to Chattanooga, Union General Henry Thomas and his men held their position and repeatedly turned back a series of Southern attacks until being reinforced. Thomas's actions saved the Union forces from a complete rout and earned him the nickname, " Rock of Chickamauga." Rosecrans was relieved of his command.
http://ngeorgia.com/history/chicka.html
http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/civilwar/chickamauga/
http://www.southernbattlefieldtours.com/
http://www.jatruck.com/stonewall/chickamauga.html
http://www.wright.edu/~martin.maner/morton.html
1873-To avoid Financial Panic, it was announced the Stock Market would close for ten days. For the first time in its history, the New York Stock Exchange was forced to close because of a banking crisis. Although the worst of the panic and crisis was over within a week, the psychological effect on businessmen, investors and the nation at large was more lasting during.
1878- Birthday of Upton Sinclair, American novelist and politician born at Baltimore, MD. He worked for political and social reforms, and his best-known novel, The Jungle, prompted one of the nation's first pure food laws. Died at Bound Brook, NJ, Nov 25, 1968.
1884- The Equal Rights Party was formed at San Francisco, CA. Its candidate for president, nominated in convention, was Mrs. Belva Lockwood. The vice presidential candidate was Marietta Stow.
1885-Birthday of composer/singer/piano player Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton. He claimed to have "invented" jazz music. Many historians say he was not bragging when he made the claim. "If you want my fricassee, you're going to have to chase me down, If you want my jelly roll, you're going to have to treat me better Here's a nickel, send the boy down for another bucket of beer."
http://www.redhotjazz.com/jellyroll.html
http://www.jazzradio.org/jelly.htm
http://lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/tri007.html
http://atj.8k.com/noartist/atjmorton.html
http://www.duke.edu/~nbp/jellylife.html
http://www.redhotjazz.com/redhot.html
1879- US President U.S. Grant comes to SF for elaborate extended visit.
1909-A strong hurricane made landfall in southeastern Louisiana. A 15 foot storm surge flooded the Timbalier Bay area. 350 people perished
1916- Anniversary of first meeting of National Research Council, at New York, NY. Formed at request of President Woodrow Wilson for".., encouraging the investigation of natural phenomena. .. "for American business and national security.
1920- Trumpeter Joe Guy born.
1934-Birthday of Sophia Loren, Italian-American actor of great earthy beauty and outstanding acting ability. She won Academy Award for her work in Women (1961) and was nominated for her work in Marriage Italian Style (1964). She got her start in Italian movies as a sex-kitten, developed into a strong actor, and aged into a role model. In 1991, she was awarded an honorary Oscar for her outstanding career. Her Italian comedies, especially Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (1963) show her great versatility.
1940- Claude Thornhill Band cuts first records in Hollywood, 1940. Gil Evans joins him next year, and some plays in his band included Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Lee Konitz, Gerry Mulligan, and many other post bop modernists.
1945 -- Rocket scientist Von Braun arrives in the U.S.A. under the auspices of "Operation Paperclip" - a program that was supposed to exclude Nazis, but in fact became a cover for "rehabilitating" them. His dossier was rewritten so he didn't appear to have been an ardent Nazi. See the NASA site for the sanitized Werner.
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/history/VonBraun/VonBraun.html
Operation Paperclip case file
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Paperclip
http://members.austarmetro.com.au/~hubbca/operation_paperclip.htm
1946---Top Hits
To Each His Own - Eddy Howard
Five Minutes More - Frank Sinatra
Surrender - Perry Como
Wine, Women and Song - Al Dexter
1948 - The Four Freshmen, one of the most popular singing groups of the 1950s, got their first gig in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They went on to major success with Capitol Records. Hits included "It's a Blue World", "Charmaine" and "Love is Just Around the Corner".
1953- "The Loretta Young Show, "NBC half-hour dramatic anthology series (initially titled "Letter to Loretta") hosted by and frequently starring Oscar-winning actress Loretta Young. At the beginning of each episode Young would swirl through a door in a spectacular gown. Young garnered two Emmys during the show's eight-year run. In 1972 it was reported that Young had been awarded $559,000 in a suit against NBC for syndicating reruns of the show without her permission. Young did not want them shown because her clothes and hairstyles in the shows were long out of date by the 70s.
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/L/htmlL/lorettayoung/lorettayoung.htm
1954---Top Hits
Sh-Boom - The Crew Cuts
Skokiaan - The Four Lads
The High and the Mighty - Les Baxter
I Don't Hurt Anymore - Hank Snow
1954- First FORTRAN computer program run.
1955- "The Phil Silvers Show" premiered. This popular half-hour sitcom starred Phil Silvers as Sergeant Ernie Bilko, a scheming but good-natured con man whose schemes rarely worked out. Guest stars included Fred Gwynne, Margaret Hamilton, Dick Van Dyke and Alan Alda in his first major TV role. The character of Sergeant Bilko was featured in a movie of the same title in the mid-90s.
http://www.classictvhits.com/shows/philsilvers/
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/P/htmlP/philsilvers/philsilvers.htm
http://www.timvp.com/bilko.html
1957- "The Thin Man, " the famous crime-solving duo of Nick and Nora was brought to TV after appearing in a novel by Dashiell Hammett ( whom my son was named after ) and a film series. This half-hour crime series featured Peter Lawford as Nick Charles, a former private eye who still engaged in it for fun, and Phyllis Kirk as his wife and partner Nora. Jack Albertson played Lieutenant Harry Evans, and their pet dog Asta was played by Asta.
http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-4845
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050067/
1957-" M Squad" premiere on television. My father Lawrence Menkin wrote many episodes. This half-hour crime series had a catchy theme song composed by Count Basie and Lee Marvin ( who lived down the street from us ) as Lieutenant Frank Ballinger, a Chicago cop assigned to a unit that investigates murders (the M Squad). Paul Newlan played his supervisor Captain Grey. In one episode, "The Teacher" (1959), Burt Reynolds played one of his first major roles.
http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-10833/
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0050035/
http://www.classicthemes.com/50sTVThemes/themePages/mSquad.html
http://www.robertsvideos.com/browse.php3?alpha=M&PHPSESSID=
903bb0eba588af838544f84de9843928
1961- Roger Maris hits home run # 59 & barely misses # 60 in game 154 of the season. Yanks clinch pennant #26.
1962---Top Hits
Sheila - Tommy Roe
Ramblin' Rose - Nat King Cole
Green Onions - Booker T. & The MG's
Devil Woman - Marty Robbins
1967-Hurricane Beulah struck south Texas with gusts to 136 mph near Brownsville. The storm was a slow mover and Pettus, TX had 27.38 inches. The hurricane also spawned 115 tornadoes in south Texas, the greatest ever for a hurricane. 13 people perished and damage was set at $200 million
1968-Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees hit the final home run of his career against Jim Longborg of the Boston Red Sox. Mantle finished with 536 homes.
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/plaques/mantle_mickey.htm
http://www.mickeymantle.org/index2.html
http://www.themick.com/
1969 - "Sugar, Sugar", by the Archies, hit number one in "Billboard". The Archies sat at the top of the hit heap for four weeks.. The pop group never actually existed, as it was based on the popular comic strip. Two studio singers did all the vocals. Sugar, Sugar sold over 3 million copies, and according to Billboard, was the top-selling single for the year.
1970---Top Hits
Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Diana Ross
Lookin' Out My Back Door/Long as I Can See the Light - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Patches - Clarence Carter
For the Good Times - Ray Price
1973- Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in the nationally televised "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match in three straight sets.
1975-- "Fame" by David Bowie topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.
1976 -Playboy releases Jimmy Carter's interview that he lusts for women.
1977- "Lou Grant" premiered . This hour-long dramatic series was a spin-off of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Ed Asner reprised his role as newspaper editor Lou Grant, now a city editor for the Los Angeles Tribune. The show tackled many serious issues, including child abuse, gun control and the plight of Vietnamese refugees. The cast included Mason Adams, Nancy Marchand, Jack Bannon, Robert Walden, Daryl Anderson, Rebecca Balding, Linda Kelsey, Allen Williams and EmHio Delgado. This series was an unusual spin-off because it was the first time a character left a sitcom to headline a drama.
http://www.cinerhama.com/tvpage/seventies/lougrant1.html
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/L/htmlL/lougrant/lougrant.htm
1978---Top Hits
Boogie Oogie Oogie - A Taste of Honey
Three Times a Lady - Commodores
Hot Blooded - Foreigner
I've Always Been Crazy - Waylon Jennings
1980-Billy Joel's "Don't Ask Me Why" peaks at #19 on the singles chart while Peter Gabriel's "Games Without Frontiers" peaks at #48, The Kinks' "Lola" re-enters the chart and peaks at #81; Bob Seger's "You'll Accomp'ny Me" peaks at #14 and Pete Townshend's "Let My Love Open The Door" peaks at #9
1982-Joan Jett and the Blackhearts' "I Love Rock and Roll" is certified platinum. The hit is the title track from Jett's second album with the Blackhearts.
1983 - The temperature at West Yellowstone MT plunged to six degrees below zero, while the temperature at San Francisco CA soared to 94 degrees.
1984- Four days of heavy rains come to an end in extreme south Texas. Port Isabel recorded a total of 21.27 inches while Brownsville, TX had 15.19 inches. Brownsville International Airport was closed for 4 days due to extensive flooding. Total damage $30 million
1984-"The Cosby Show" Premiers on Television. The Emmy Award-winning comedy set in New York City revolved around the members of the Huxtable family. Father Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable was played by Bill Cosby, his wife Clair, an attorney, was played by Phylicia Rashan. Their four daughters were played by Sabrina Le Beauf(Sondra), Lisa Bonet ( Denise) Tempest Bledsoe( Vanessa) and Keshia Knight Pulliam (Rudy)(. Malcolm-Jamar Warner played son Teheo. By the end of the series in 1992.The two oldest daughters had finished college and were married. "A Different World" was a spin-o0ff set at historical-black Hillman College where Denise was a student.
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0086687/
http://www.tvland.com/nickatnite/cosby_show/
http://www.museum.tv/ETV/C/htmlC/cosbyshowt/cosbyshowt.htm
1982-Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker's "Southern Accents" LP is certified platinum.
1986 - The number one pop hit in the U.S. was "Stuck With You", by Huey Lewis & The News. The song, from the multi-platinum album "Fore!", was stuck at #1 for three weeks.
1986---Top Hits
Stuck with You - Huey Lewis & The News
Dancing on the Ceiling - Lionel Richie
Friends and Lovers - Gloria Loring & Carl Anderson
Got My Heart Set on You - John Conlee
1988 -Red Sox Wade Boggs becomes first player in this century to get 200 hits in six consecutive years.
1994---Top Hits
I ll Make Love To You- Boyz II Men
Stay (I Missed You) (From "Reality Bites")- Lisa Loeb
Endless Love- Luther Vandross
When Can I See You-Babyface
1995 - AT&T announced that it would be splitting into three companies: today's AT&T (communication services); Lucent Technologies (systems and technology communications products); and NCR Corp. (computer business).
1996 - The hit comedy film, The First Wives Club, starring Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, Diane Keaton, Dame Maggie Smith, and Sarah Jessica Parker, opened in United States theaters.
1998- Cal Ripken's streak ends at 2,632 consecutive games as he does not appear in the lineup for the first time since May 29,1982.
1999---Top Hits
Unpretty- TLC
She s All I Ever Had- Ricky Martin
Bailamos- Enrique Iglesias
Genie In A Bottle- Christina Aguilera
2003- When Marcus Giles sends Brad Penny's 3-2 pitch into the stands, the Braves tie the National League record by having six players to hit at least 20 home runs in season. Along with the Atlana's second baseman , Javy Lopez, Gary Sheffield, Andruw Jones, Chipper Jones and Vinny Castilla equals the mark established by Eddie Mathews (32), Hank Aaron (32), Joe Torre (27), Felipe Alou (23) Mack Jones (31) and Gene Oliver (21) of the 1965 Milwaukee Braves.
2003---Top Hits
Shake Ya Tailfeather- Nelly, P. Diddy & Murphy Lee
Baby Boy- Beyonce Featuring Sean Paul
Right Thurr- Chingy
Disturbing Tha Peace | 77995 | Capitol
Get Low- Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz Featuring Ying Yang Twins

[headlines]

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Baseball Poem

Barry Bonds Hits his 700th Home Run

by Kit Menkin

He swaggered to the plate,
like Elvis Presley going on stage
Joe Louis entering the ring,
Taking care of business

The fans knew he would hit 700---
They stood as the Giants were leading
in the first inning
But the Pitcher hit Bonds in the chest

He shrugged it off,
like Elvis Presley going on stage,
Walking to first base,
Knowing he would score a run.

The field was more lit up than Las Vegas,
Bright, surreal, as if this was a movie set,
The players moving in slow motion
as the pitcher tried to take control.

The third inning the fans stood up again,
This time the ball came in for a strike,
as the pitcher had the guts with a fast ball,
It happened so fast.

Bonds swung in stride,
Moving in this baseball ballet,
Knowing the ball was his,
Taking care of business.

He ran the bases,
Went back to the dug out,
as the crowd went wild,
699 was changed to 700,
a new "legend" sign was revealed.

He did not come out again,
until the new inning
Walking to the right field,
next to the new "legend" banner.

He threw the ball several times
to the coach on the side line,
As the crowd continued to roar,
camera flash lights from the stadium.

He popped out the next time,
almost as if he swung too soon.
His run to first was fast than slow
as he watched the ball tell him no.

He came up to bat one more time,
Determined, seemingly angry,
Ready to make up for the last time,
It wasn't a swagger.

Don't treat me this way,
I'm going to hit it far,
Two strikes and he swung so hard,
if he had connected,
It would have gone to Treasure Island,
The swing had so much power,
You could feel it in the stands.

Afterwards he was happy,
His team won Four to One;
on Saturday he hit 701
Taking care of business.

[headlines]