Baltimore, MD
25 year veteran of commercial and equipment leasing seeking a senior management position with leasing or asset based financing company in the southeast (Florida preferred)
Email: kellogg_md@yahoo.com

Denver, CO.
Fortune 500 GM/SVP wants to team up with aggressive lender looking for Western expansion mid-market equip. finance/leasing. 20+ years experience within Rocky Mountain/Southwest and Ca markets.
Email: legal@csotn.com

Hope, NJ.
25 years in optimizing call center operations, collections, billing, and back end revenue generation. Experienced in $7 + billion dollar portfolios. Verifiable achievements.
E-mail: cmate@nac.net

Irvine, CA.
Credit executive, portfolio manager and syndication facilitator. Extensive business building experience in small and mid-ticket operations. Highly innovative. Fortune 100 audit and technology skills. Bottom-line manager.
Email: lenhubbard@bigfoot.com

Jacksonville, FL.
15+yrs Collections/Customer Service Expert. InfoLease, CARMS,managed staffs excess 100 VERY successfully - will relocate WITHIN Florida for right position ~ SIMPLY THE BEST
Email: rafftink@aol.com

Lawton, OK.
Twenty years, I have been the President of Cash Financial Services. I sold my loan portfolio.
email: bobmooreok@email.com

Long Island, NY
Degree Banking/Finance. 13 years leasing exp. Now prez young leasing company where promises were not met. Interested in joining established firm with future.
Email: bob33483@yahoo.com

New York, NY, NJ, Ct Tri-State
Top Exec. middle and big ticket, top skills treasury,funding, ops,transaction detail, syndication, ready to max profit, help build quality operation.
right now!
E-Mail: leasefinance@optonline.net

Orange County, CA
25+ years experience large ticket equipment finance companies and commercial banking. Operations, documentation, legal, credit, workouts, portfolio management. $2+Billion portfolio. Seeking CFO, COO or similar.
Email: finance1000@cox.net

Philadelphia, PA.
27 yrs. exp. sales, ops., credit, strategy, P&L mngmet. Most recently created & executed the biz plans for 2 highly successful Bank-owned small ticket leasing subsidiaries.
email: mccarthy2020@comcast.net

Portfolio Management Consultant;
25+years experience in Collections, Customer Satisfaction, Asset Management, Recoveries, Continuous Process Improvement, Back end Revenue Generation, Cost per Collection Analysis. $5+Billion Portfolio expertise.
Email: efgefg@rogers.com

Salt Lake City, UT
GM in Sales, Marketing & Operations for Several technology captives. Seeking new adventure in Western States. Consultant of full time.
Email: stevegbdh@hotmail.com

San Francisco, CA
description: 25+ years vendor leasing experience: sales management, business development, contract negotiation, transaction structuring, accounting, finance, credit evaluation and business process design / implementation. Stanford MBA.
E-mail: lease_manager@yahoo.com

San Francisco, CA.,
25 years experience w/global leasing company, sales,marketing,business dev., P&L responsibility, asset mgmt, brokering and re-marketing. Interested in joining an est. firm with a future.
Email: rcsteyer@yahoo.com

Syracuse, N.Y.
Int. equip. leasing exec. 25 yrs global P&L sr. mngt., including corporate turnarounds, strategic planning, new biz dev., structure finance, contract neg., vendor leasing specialist.
Email: jimh356094@aol.com

Wilmington, DE.
Over 15 years experience managing Credit, Risk Management and Fraud operations for large Financial Institution. Proven Results. Anywhere between NYC and DC for right opportunity.
Email: cklous@comcast.net

The Canadian Finance and Leasing Association 2005 Conference "Working smarter for tomorrow ~ Mieux travailler pour demain" & 32nd Annual General Meeting ~ September 14 -16, Westin Bayshore Resort & Marina, Vancouver, BC - Join us in Vancouver for the 2005 Conference and discover how businesses are Working smarter for tomorrow within the asset-based financing/leasing industry.

National Assocation of Equiment Leasing Brokers
joins with Eastern Association of Equipment
Lessors for Fall Expo 2005
September 19th, Teaneck, New Jersey

The event will also feature the exclusive buyout of the M.S. Dixie for the Saturday Sunset Dinner/Dance Cruise.

Make your room reservation as soon as possible at Caesars Tahoe (1-866-89-Tahoe for the UAEL block) as the hotel expects to be sold out.

Equipment Leasing Association
October 23-24
44th Annual Convention
Boca Raton Resort & Club
Boca Raton, Florida

Association of Government Leasing & Finance
November 9, 2005
Dana Point, California

These companies specialize in "C" and "D" credits, often news businesses, or businesses where the principal(s) have Beacon score around 600 or previous difficulties; meaning to become comfortable with the credit and financial situation you need to learn the "story" to make a positive decision, often requiring further security, shorter term, or additional guarantors. Many of these companies may also be a "B," but appear otherwise without the "story" to understand the full financial picture.

(To qualify for this list, the company must be a lessor and not a broker or superbroker, along with an acceptable Better Business Bureau Rating and no history of complaints at Leasing News. We reserve the right to not list a company who does not meet these qualifications.)

(A) Pawnee Leasing Corporation; Some times we go higher than $30,000, but our marketplace is from $1,000 to $30,000.

(C) Mesa Leasing, Inc., Industries served: Titled vehicles (Trucks, trailers, OTR, etc.), Construction, Restaurants, and all the other "hard to get approved" industries.

(D) ABCO Leasing, Inc. in Seattle area has been operating since 1974 serving the broker community. We required full financial disclosure on every transaction. We do story transaction, but do not like to refer to them as "C" of "D" credits. We think of therm as "A" type credits that have not been discovered yet. In actuallity, we do not really like to look at what most describes as "D" credits.

(E) Black Rock Capital comment: We book anywhere between $15 to 20 million per year. We do no "app only" business and require a full financial package for each transaction. Our average size transaction is approximately $250k and, although, we concentrate in printing, packaging (steel rule die industry) and road construction equipment we do not rule out anything that makes sense. More information can be found at www.blackrockcapital.com.

(F) Black Rock Capital (Ireland) Limited and Black Rock Capital (UK) Limited provide the same services for small to middle market corporations in the European Economic Community and the United Kingdom.

(G) Cobra Capital, LLC. Comments: Our registered trademark "Making impossible possible" is our central marketing tagline for both strong and weak credits. I have developed a 10 year history, (from Cobra and my prior company GALCO), with specialty, non-conforming transactions (story credits) and have a solid reputation for candidly responding to our originators and lessees and working diligently to mitigate deal risk rather than making excuses to turn deals down. Our originators prefer our underwriting approach to non-conforming transactions since unlike most non-conforming funders, we prefer to mitigate risk versus jacking our return. Both Originators and Lessee's prefer our candid approach as we are also frequently asked to advise lessee's and lessors on the best way to structure their bank loans and raise capital due to our 25+ year banking and accounting backgrounds as my partner and I are both former bankers and CPA's.
| Partners Bio | LaSalle Bank Reference | Cole Taylor Bank Reference |

(H) Pentech is the lessor partner with Manifest Funding Services for their Navigator, Navigator Plus & Navigator Direct. This is through our sister company Pentech Funding Services, located in San Diego and headed up by Ron Wagner.

(I) Sunrise International Leasing Corporation Comment: The broker program is "...an informal program as our primary business is still vendor leasing."

(J) Boston Financial & Equity Corporation, most of our leases are venture capital backed startups and turnarounds. We require full financial disclosures, CPA and internal statements, no tax returns. We do not required additional collateral, no PG's or RE needed. Do not send deals with large tax liens, especially if they are payroll taxes.

(L) IFC Credit Corporation also services on a regular basis "A" and "B" credits, but it also considers "story credits." "As you say, we need to become comfortable with the credit and financial situation and learn the "story" to make a positive decision, often requiring further security, shorter term, or additional guarantors. I would describe the B and C type credits we fund as companies having 'checkered earnings'."

(M) Creative Capital Leasing Group: "We are able to fund tough deals, bad credits, BK's, past tax liens, start ups, used equipment, etc., because we look outside the transaction for real estate, and marketable securities to take as additional collateral."

(N) Blackstone Capital Partners, L.P. lends up to 50% of verified auction value for working capital and/or equipment financing requests (we of course include equipment to be acquired in our valuation). Using this formula, allows Blackstone to approve deals on the assets rather than the credit or cash flow that other lenders desire. Also being an asset lender, we are looking for hard assets i.e. yellow iron, machine tool, manufacturing lines, textile etc... We do not care for soft assets such as computers, furniture, restaurant, or "white elephants" (equipment that is too specific to the clients needs and was specially built for them - there would be no resell available and our liquidity if repossessed would be in jeopardy). If you have any questions, please feel free to call, we will do our best to help or seek the answer for you.

(O) Bankers Capital " We will do ANY Type of Equipment, in ANY industry, in ANY state. We especially like 6-figure transactions with full financial packages no matter how good or bad they look. We look to structure the story C&D credits with any kind of additional collateral that makes sense. It could be with 2nd or 3rd mortgages on residential or commercial Real Estate, additional equipment, cash value life insurance, security deposits, vendor agreements. We look for any way to make the deal work instead of looking for any way to decline the deal."

(P) Financial Pacific Leasing supports a nationwide network of Brokers and Lessors. We specialize in "B" and "C" credits for established companies as well as companies under two years in business.

Wanted: Energetic, self-motivated outside sales professional in Pacific NW.
For full job description go to http://www.dolsenleasing.com/Careers.cfm

In business since 1958, DLC is an independent funding source servicing the $10K-250K market in 11 western states.

www.dolsenleasing.com

Tax Manager

Tax Manager

Seeking Tax Manager for Marshall, MN Headquarters. Responsible for management of USBancorp small ticket leasing division for a multi - billion dollar portfolio including oversight of compliance with all sales, use, rental, property, excise and miscellaneous taxes pertaining to the business of leasing. Four-year college/ university degree; or 2-4 years related work exp. and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

For complete description and application, click here.

www.usbank.com

The CLP Foundation is very pleased to announce the addition of four new Certified Lease Professionals. We wish to thank Clune & Company LC, located in Mission, KS, for their support of the CLP Program and congratulate the following four Clune & Company employees for their achievement:

The CLP Foundation is the official governing body for the Certified Lease Professional ("CLP") Program. The CLP designation sets the standard for professionalism in the leasing industry. This designation identifies and recognizes individuals within the leasing industry who have demonstrated their competency through continued education, testing and conduct.

We invite you to visit our web site -- www.clpfoundation.org for detailed information about the CLP Foundation and the CLP Program. For further information about our Mentor Program and Anonymous Test take Program please contact:

Cynthia W. Spurdle
Executive Director
CLP Foundation
PH: 610/687-0213
FAX: 610/687-4111
E-mail: cindy@clpfoundation.org
http://www.clpfoundation.org

ECS Financial Services announced that Shari L. Lipski, CLP and principle of the firm, has been elected to the board of directors of the Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors (EAEL).

"Ms. Lipski's expertise and industry leadership have long benefited ECS Financial Services' clients," said Samuel N. Oliva, managing partner. "We're delighted that EAEL members have recognized Ms. Lipski's talents by electing her to their board."

An active member of the EAEL since 1999, Lipski will serve on the board for two years, during which time she will also chair the education committee. Lipski's experience includes serving as director of the Mid-America Association of Equipment Lessors, and active participation in the Equipment Leasing Association (ELA), the National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers (NAELB) and the United Association of Equipment Leasing (UAEL).

RICHMOND, INDIANA. First Federal Leasing has selected Vision Commerce to implement its front-end solution for the company's on-line lease origination, credit processing and documentation system. First Federal Leasing will employ Vision to serve their base of broker clients through Vision's web-enabled system.

According to Paul Witte, Chief Operating Officer of First Federal Leasing, “When making the decision to automate our origination processes, we focused on two major aspects. First, was to make the investment in the most current and robust technology available in the market. Second was to find people who understood our industry and how to employ that technology to help increase efficiencies and bottom line profitability. Many of the key people at Vision Commerce have been in the leasing industry for over twenty years. They understand our business and know how to provide the solution we need.”

Steve Lundergan, President of Vision Commerce stated, “It is always refreshing to do business with forward-thinking people who recognize the long term benefits of employing current technology and industry expertise. We are very excited to work with Paul Witte and his staff to deliver a powerful front-end solution to First Federal Leasing.”

First Federal Leasing (www.firstfederalleasing.com) was established in 1989 as a wholly owned subsidiary of First Bank Richmond, N.A. that was founded in 1887. First Federal Leasing specializes in documentation, funding and administering of small ticket leases from $5,000 - $150,000 with special emphasis on supporting the equipment leasing broker community.

Vision Commerce, Inc. (www.visioncommerce.com) was created to serve the leasing and finance industries. Vision's goal is to provide its clients access to e-commerce solutions that satisfy the diverse business requirements found in the equipment leasing industry. The company's philosophy is that technology should automate routine processes and provide real-time information, but can never replace industry experience and product knowledge. The leadership team offers finance industry experience, technology expertise and a commitment to listen to and learn from the customer. Vision Commerce is a closely held, employee-owned company.

Five Colorado high school students are one step closer to making their college aspirations a reality after attending a one-week Business Leadership Program at the University of Colorado at Boulder's Leeds School of Business. Each of the five students earned scholarships from Superior, Colo.-based Key Equipment Finance, an affiliate of KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY).

Toni Ortiz, Northglen High School, Westminster, Colo., and Charles Gilford, Grandview High School, Aurora, Colo.

Each student listed above won a $1,500 scholarship to CU's Leeds School of Business from Key Equipment Finance, the primary sponsor of the Business Leadership Program, for their efforts as a team to develop the best marketing plan for a local business. All plans included a print ad, video campaign and PowerPoint presentation.

All participating students demonstrated leadership potential, possessed an interest in business-related fields and maintained excellent academic standards. In addition, all of the students were prospective first-generation college students whose parents did not attend college, are economically disadvantaged or are members of groups typically underrepresented in the college environment.

The students were among 25 of their peers who were selected by the Leeds School of Business to get a firsthand look at the rigors of college life while learning key business and leadership skills. While staying in student housing on the CU campus recently, participants met with local business leaders, toured various corporations, attended lectures and interacted with current CU students.

“We commend all of this year's Business Leadership participants,” said Paul A. Larkins, president and CEO of Key Equipment Finance and member of the Business Advisory Council for the CU-Boulder Leeds School of Business. “Congratulations to Jia, Elizabeth, Jesus, Toni and Charles for standing out among this exceptionally talented and mature group. Each of these young men and women will make excellent college students and business leaders.”

Key Equipment Finance is an affiliate of KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) and provides business-to-business equipment financing solutions to businesses of many types and sizes. The company focuses on four distinct markets:
· businesses of all sizes in the U.S. and Canada (from small business to large corporate);
· equipment manufacturers, distributors and value-added resellers worldwide;
· federal, provincial, state and local governments as well as other public sector organizations; and
· lease advisory services for manufacturers' captive leasing and finance companies.

Headquartered outside Boulder, Colorado, Key Equipment Finance manages a $12 billion equipment portfolio with annual originations of approximately $5 billion. The company has major management and operations bases in Toronto, Ontario; Albany, New York; Chicago, Illinois; Houston, Texas; London, England; and Sydney, Australia. The company, which operates in 25 countries and employs 1,100 people worldwide, has been in the equipment financing business for more than 30 years. Additional information regarding Key Equipment Finance, its products and services can be obtained online at KEFonline.com.

Cleveland-based KeyCorp is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $91 billion. Key companies provide investment management, retail and commercial banking, consumer finance, and investment banking products and services to individuals and companies throughout the United States and, for certain businesses, internationally.

CONTACT:
Cori Keeton Pope
Keeton PR
Phone Number: 303-282-4981
E-mail: cori@keetonpr.com

WOBURN, Mass.--MicroFinancial Incorporated (NYSE-MFI) a financial intermediary specializing in vendor based leasing and finance programs for transactions in the $500 to $15,000 range, today announced that it has been notified by the New York Stock Exchange that it is not in compliance with the NYSE's continued listing standards. The Company is considered "below criteria" by the NYSE since over a consecutive 30 day trading period, its total market capitalization and its stockholder's equity were each less than $75 million.

While MicroFinancial was in full compliance with the previous continued listing standards set forth by the Exchange, the NYSE recently adopted new continued listing standards with which the Company is not currently in compliance. The notification date under the new standards was August 1, 2005, at which time the NYSE determined that the Company was not in compliance with the new standards.

In accordance with the continued listing criteria set forth by the New York Stock Exchange, the Company intends to present a plan to the NYSE within the 45 day required timeframe demonstrating how it intends to comply with the continued listing standards.

MicroFinancial Inc. (NYSE: MFI), headquartered in Woburn, MA, is a financial intermediary specializing in leasing and financing for products in the $500 to $15,000 range. The Company has been in operation since 1986.

Statements in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In addition, words such as "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "views," "will", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The Company cautions that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of the Company. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect the management's view only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. The Company cannot assure that it will be able to anticipate or respond timely to changes which could adversely affect its operating results in one or more fiscal quarters. Results of operations in any past period should not be considered indicative of results to be expected in future periods. Fluctuations in operating results may result in fluctuations in the price of the Company's common stock. Statements relating to past dividend payments or the Company's current dividend policy should not be construed as a guarantee that any future dividends will be paid. For a more complete description of the prominent risks and uncertainties inherent in the Company's business, see the risk factors described in documents the Company files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

NACM's Credit Manager's Index (CMI) for July 2005: Overall CMI Continues To Reflect Reasonably Strong Economic Growth.

Columbia, MD—The National Association of Credit Management (NACM) Credit Manager's Index (CMI) for July 2005 stood at 56.7 percent, firmly entrenched above the 50 percent level, which implies economic growth. Although the CMI did slip 1.1 percent from June, Dan North, Chief Economist with credit insurer Euler Hermes ACI, believes the decline was largely the result of two highly correlated components: the amount of credit extended, and sales, the component that shows the most monthly variation. "This data suggests that the decline was more related to volatile top-line growth as opposed to a more deeply rooted deterioration in credit conditions. While downward trends in many of the other components of the Index could represent headwinds arising from tightening monetary conditions, higher energy prices, and weakness in Europe, the overall Index continues to reflect reasonably strong economic growth," says North.

The manufacturing sector continued its downward slide, ending the month of July at 56.9 percent, down 40 points from just one month ago. Lower sales and amount of credit extended pushed favorable factors down 240 points, while lower amounts of customer deductions and accounts placed for collections helped boost the unfavorable factors up 90 points.

NACM's Service CMI finished at 56.6 percent, a 180-point drop from June 2005. Although there was erosion in both factors, it was the drop in favorable factors that greatly impacted the overall decline in the service sector. All four favorable factors contributed equally to the 350-point drop in the favorable index. Overall, erosion was found in eight of the 10 service factors.

The CMI, a monthly survey of the business economy from the standpoint of commercial credit and collections, was launched in January 2003 to provide financial analysts with another strong economic indicator.

The CMI survey asks credit managers to rate favorable and unfavorable factors in their monthly business cycle. Favorable factors include sales, new credit applications, dollar collections and amount of credit extended. Unfavorable factors include rejections of credit applications, accounts placed for collections, dollar amounts of receivables beyond terms and filings for bankruptcies.

A complete index including results from the manufacturing and service sectors, along with the methodology, is attached. A complete view of the index can be viewed online at

The National Association of Credit Management (NACM), headquartered in Columbia, Maryland supports more than 25,000 business credit and financial professionals worldwide with premier industry services, tools and information. NACM and its network of Affiliated Associations are the leading resource for credit and financial management information and education, delivering products and services which improve the management of business credit and accounts receivable. NACM's collective voice has influenced legislative results concerning commercial business and trade credit to our nation's policy makers for more than 100 years, and continues to play an active part in legislative issues pertaining to business credit and corporate bankruptcy. www.nacm.org.

Avolent Inc., the leading provider of Interactive eBilling software, today announced that Xerox Capital Services, LLC (a joint venture of GE Commercial Financial Services and Xerox Corporation), has selected Avolent's BizCast™ web-based invoicing solution. Xerox Capital Services will be the first in the industry to offer customers online self-service to review, parse, dispute, approve and pay invoices. Using BizCast, Xerox Capital Services anticipates significantly reducing invoice process costs, streamlining IT operations, and lowering Day Sales Outstanding (DSO), while setting new industry standards in customer service.

Equipment leasing is a $200 billion industry in the U.S. with over 35% of all business capital being leased. With “commoditized” products and aggressive competitors, leasing firms can no longer depend on winning deals based on price or products, but must focus on operational efficiency and customer service to maintain a competitive edge. Xerox Capital Services realized that one area of high operational costs and immense frustration for both leasing firms and their customers was the manual and complex invoicing process, where the invoices vary significantly each month based on usage of the equipment (i.e. number of copies) and how companies charge back equipment within their organization.

“With millions of invoices sent every year, billing represents a critical interaction with our diverse group of customers and their specific product and service needs”, stated Kevin Divine, eBusiness Leader at Xerox Capital Services. “We believe that Avolent's online solution can help XCS reduce the cost and administrative workload for invoice processing.” Xerox Capital Services successfully deployed the application in April of 2005.

"Xerox Capital Services understands that you don't have to sacrifice raising the bar on customer service to achieve operational effectiveness," stated Doug Roberts, chief executive officer of Avolent. "We are pleased to support Xerox Capital Services in leading the industry in this effort – minimizing the back-office financial cost and resource commitment of invoice processing and payment.”

Xerox Capital Services, LLC (XCS) is a joint venture owned 81% by GE Capital and 19% by Xerox Corporation. With over 1,800 employees in four major locations, XCS is a world-class provider of specialized administration, financing and servicing programs for Xerox, its vendors, distributors, dealers and resellers in the United States.

Avolent provides application software for Interactive eBilling for large organizations that want to connect with customers online. Avolent's award winning BizCast software product suite streamlines all processes in the invoice-to-cash cycle through real-time electronic invoicing and payment, customer self-service, cash management, forecasting, and a unique patent-pending ability to dynamically adjust trade terms to meet corporate financial goals. Avolent's BizCast processes over $44 billion in invoices annually for customers such as AT&T, MasterCard, Highmark, Do It Best, Office Depot, PacifiCare, Xerox Capital Services, Unisys, Wells Fargo, and two of the three largest PC suppliers. For more information call (800) 553-5505 or visit www.avolent.com.

CONTACT:
Rich Koch
Avolent
Phone Number: (415) 553-6974
Fax Number: (415) 553-6499
E-mail: rkoch@avolent.com

1910-Birthday of American composer William Howard Schuman who won the first Pulitzer Prize for composition and founded the Juilliard School of Music, born at New York . His compositions include American Festival Overture, New England Triptych, the baseball opera The Mighty Casey and On Freedom's Ground, written for the centennial of the Statue of Liberty in 1986. He was instrumental in the conception of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and served as its first president. In 1985 he was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize for his contributions. He also received a National Medal of Arts in 1985 and a Kennedy Center Honor in 1989. Schuman died at New York City , Feb 15, 1992.

    1693 - It is believed that a monk named Dom Perignon invented champagne at the Benedictine Abbey of Hautvillers in the region of Champagne , northern France . He made the first champagne by re-fermenting a certain wine in the spring and then placing it in strong, sealed bottles so that the wine would become sparkling. Dom Perignon was the Cellar master for 47 years until his death in 1715. The sparkling wine was crude and perhaps the first one to produce what we drink today was Mme. Nicole-Barbe Clicquot, who developed the sur pointe process that clarified the sediment out of sparkling wines. She was also an astute business person, especially in a day that women did not run business. Nicole Barbe Clinquot was the daughter of the mauor of Reims who at 20 was widowed with a daughter after three years of marriage to a vintner. She vowed to carry on her husband's business. She developed the process of remuage (moving) in which the bottles of wine are stored upside down (on their corks or sur pointe) and then the bottles are shaken periodically and then rotated to force the sediments in the wine to settle down on the cork. After a certain period, the cork is quickly removed, the sediment is expelled by the wine gases and then the bottle is quickly re-corked. The widow Clinquot also invented pink champagne. My favorite in Louis Roederer, but a Grand Madame Clinquot, now that is a fine sparkling wine! Here is a secret. You can serve “ Champagne ” with everything. If you cannot match a wine to a food, serve “ Champagne .” Next, a very good beer. Don't laugh, some fine beer goes with everything ( especially if it is “fresh.”)
http://www.umc.fr/encyclopedie/vignes_au_plaisir/veuve_clicquot.htm
    1735 - Freedom of the press was established in the United States when John Peter Zenger, publisher of the New York Weekly Journal, won an acquittal of the libel charges placed by Gov. William Crosby. The royal governor had tried to censor Zenger's attacks on the British crown.
    1753 - George Washington became a Master Mason.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/aug04.html
1790-U.S.Coast Guard founded.
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/history/collect.html
    1810-Birthday of abolitionist Robert Purvis. He ran all the Underground Railroads from his home and was the founder of the American Leasing Anti-Slavery Society.
http://www.nyjournalnews.com/blackhistory/purvis.html
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASpurvis.htm
    1830- Plans for the city of Chicago laid out.
http://www.1upinfo.com/encyclopedia/C/Chicago-history.html
http://www.aviewoncities.com/chicago/chicagohistory.htm
    1838-Emancipation of slaves in the Bahama's and Grenada this day by the British . A rumor started in the South that salves would try to escape to the Bahama's and fear of this lead to stricter attitudes and positions of slavery, especially by the many large slave owner who relied on the “free” labor at their farms, called plantations.
    1873- While protecting a railroad survey party in Montana , Custer and his 7th Cavalry clash for the first time with the Sioux Indians, who will defeat them three years later at Little Big Horn. During the previous two years, Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and his 7th Cavalry had not fought a single battle against the hostile Indians of the western Plains. Hungry for action, Custer was pleased when the 7th Cavalry was ordered to help protect a party of surveyors laying out the route for the proposed Northern Pacific Railroad. The new transcontinental railroad (the third in the United States ) was to pass through territory controlled by hostile Sioux Indians. Custer was optimistic that the assignment would give him a chance to improve his reputation as an Indian fighter. Initially, the military escort saw little action. The hostile Indians seemed to be avoiding or ignoring the survey party. For Custer, the mission turned into something of a lark. He spent much of his time shooting buffalo, antelope, elk, and other animals. To find good hunting, he often led the 7th Cavalry far away from the survey party and the main body of the military escort. On this day in 1873, Custer was far ahead of the rest of the force, camping along the Tongue River in southeastern Montana . Suddenly, a large band of Sioux warriors appeared on the horizon and attacked. The Indians were led by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, but the young braves seemed to have attacked impetuously and with little planning. Custer, who had been taking an afternoon nap, reacted quickly and mounted an effective defense. After a brief skirmish, the Indians withdrew. Since only one soldier and one Indian were killed in the skirmish, Custer's short battle along the Tongue River seemed relatively insignificant at the time. However, Custer's easy escape in his first encounter with Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse may have given him a dangerously scornful view of their fighting abilities. It helped to confirm his belief that the Plains warriors tended to flee rather than fight. As a result, when Custer again encountered Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse at the Little Big Horn River three years later, his greatest fear was that they would withdraw before he could attack, and he rushed in without proper reconnaissance. That time, though, the Indians stood and fought, leaving Custer and more than 200 of his men dead.
    1874 -Methodist clergyman John H. Vincent (1832-1920) and Ohio manufacturer Lewis Miller established the Chautauqua Assembly in northwest New York state a summer retreat center combining recreational activities with the training of Sunday School teachers and other church workers.
    1875 - The first Convention of Colored Newspapermen was held in Cincinnati , Ohio . The convention's aim was to promote the establishment of United States newspapers that would focus on the African American community.
    1881- 122ø F (50ø C), Seville , Spain (European record)
    1897-Blackman Henry Rucker appointed Collector of Internal Revenue for Georgia
http://www.ga3d.net/sweetauburn/rucker.htm
    1882 - A vivid aurora was visible from Oregon to Maine , down the east coast as far as Mayport , FL , and inland as far as Wellington KS . Observers at Louisville KY noted "merry dancers" across the sky, and observers at Saint Vincent , MN , noted it was probably the most brilliant ever seen at that location.
    1900-Louis Armstrong, Jazz musician extraordinaire born at New Orleans , LA. For years, he had told reporters that he was born on July 4 th , but actual records show August 4, which he realized later in life, noting his orphan home had told him otherwise. Died at New York , NY , July 6, 1971. Perhaps the greatest jazz trumpet player who ever lived. Asked to define jazz, Armstrong reportedly replied, "Man, if you gotta ask, you'll never know." The trumpet player was also known as Satchmo. He appeared in many films. Popular singles included "What a Wonderful World" and "Hello, Dolly" (with Barbra Streisand) and “High Society.” Two of my favorite albums are “Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy” and “Ella and Louis.”
http://www.satchmo.net/
http://www.redhotjazz.com/louie.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/
103-5362656-4423850
Best Louis Armstrong Vocal:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004RD5E/qid=1059868750/
sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_2/103-5362656-4423850
My favorite single Armstrong Album:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000002ADP/qid=
1059868810/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-5362656-4423850?v=
glance&s=music
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000047FO/qid=
1059868625/sr=10-2/ref=sr_10_2/103-5362656-4423850?v=
glance&s=books
    1904-Trumpet player Bill Coleman birthday, Centreville, KY1904-pianist/alto sax/trumpet player Kenneth Anderson born Pittsburgh , PA (see the list:) http://jazzinstituteofchicago.org/index.asp?target=
/jazzgram/bronzeville/union/part3.asp
    1905- Piano player Joseph Louis “Red” Cayou born New Orleans , LA ", LA Died May 12, 1994.
    1910-Birthday of American composer William Howard Schuman who won the first Pulitzer Prize for composition and founded the Juilliard School of Music, born at New York . His compositions include American Festival Overture, New England Triptych, the baseball opera The Mighty Casey and On Freedom's Ground, written for the centennial of the Statue of Liberty in 1986. He was instrumental in the conception of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and served as its first president. In 1985 he was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize for his contributions. He also received a National Medal of Arts in 1985 and a Kennedy Center Honor in 1989. Schuman died at New York City , Feb 15, 1992.
    1916 - Denmark agreed to cede the Danish West Indies, including the Virgin Islands, to the United States for $25 million. The deal took effect the following March 31.
    1919-Birthday of Glenn Clarence Cunningham, the "Kansas Ironman," American track athlete and 1934-37 world record holder for the mile, member of the US Olympic teams in 1932 and 1936, was born at Atlanta , KS . On June 16, 1934, at Princeton , NJ , Cunningham set a world record for the mile (4:06.7 min). Cunningham died at Menifee , AR , Mar 10, 1988.
    1920- Birthday of Helen Thomas - U.S. journalist.. One of nine children of Lebanese immigrants who arrived in the U.S. with $17, she worked her way through college. Her parents ran a grocery store. Her parents kept the accounts in their heads because they could not read or write. Like typical immigrants who wanted a better life for their children, they encouraged Helen Thomas and all of her sisters and brothers to get an education She went to Washington, DC got a job for the-then United Press (later United Press International) to write women things for radio but her ambition and willingness to work on her own enabled her to move up to covering the Justice Department, various government agencies, even Congress. After covering, mostly on her own, the newly elected John Kennedy, she began attending White House press conferences, also on her own. She was promoted to White House correspondent in 1970 just in time for the Watergate scandals. She was the only member of the print media to accompany President Nixon on his noted trip to China in 1972. She became bureau chief in 1974, the first woman to ever hold such a post with any news service. She made friends with Martha Mitchell, the wife of Nixon's attorney general John N. Mitchell who was jailed for his involvement in the Watergate break-in cover-up. Martha Mitchell, in late night phone conversations, confided to her suspicions and outrage over the Watergate incident and attempts to hide it.
A determined feminist, she forced the National Press Club to "allow" women journalists to attend the luncheon that would be address by visiting Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev. Thomas later became an officer with the Press club and would become president of the Gridiron Club, an exclusive press organization.
Her questioning of presidents, demanding that they be held accountable made her many enemies, but she was seen as one of the most reliable reporters in Washington . Because of her Lebanese ethniticity, she was accused of being pro-Arab, which she was not. Such as charge of prejudice was never made towards any male reporter no matter what their religion, ethnic background, or social connections were. Because of her seniority, she had the singular honor of being the regular whose dignified "Thank you, Mr. President" signaled the end of White House press conferences. But before the honored phrase, she was known to ask devastating and perceptive questions of all eight of the presidents she reported on. She was tough, shrewd, and always fair gaining respect from all of the eight presidents she made squirm with her no nonsense questions. She was one of the few reporters who sought answers rather than positioning themselves for promotions. When UPI was sold in May 2000 to a communications corporation with ties to the Unification Church that owns a right-wing newspaper, MT, 79, said she'd step down. She said she intends to write a book, may syndicate a column, and give speeches. "Presidents come and go, but Helen's been here for 40 years now, covering eight presidents and doubtless showing the ropes to countless young reporters and, I might add, more than a few press secretaries," President Clinton said at her retirement. "Whatever she decides to do, I'll feel a little better about my country if know she'll still be spending some time around here at the White House. After all, without her saying, 'thank you, Mr. President,' at least some o us might never have ended our news conferences," he said. "Even though she has her own opinion, her reporting is straight down the middle and it's all hard news - none of this analysis and chin-stroking that goes on in journalism today," former White House press secretary Mike McCurry said.
    1921-guitarist Herb Ellis born McKinley , Texas
http://www.arjazz.org/artists/hof/1994/94_herb_ellis.html
http://www.classicjazzguitar.com/artists/artists_page.jsp?artist=12
http://www.guitar-masters.com/Players/Player-Ellis.html
http://www.canuck.com/jazz/Ellis.html
    1927 - The General Electric Station in Schenectady , New York , station 2XAG which was later named WGY, began experimenting with operations from a 100,000-watt transmitter. The FCC would later regulate the power of AM radio stations to not go over 50,000 watts on "clear channels" where few stations would interfere with each other.
    1927 - For Victor Records in Bristol , Tennessee , singer Jimmie Rodgers recorded his first songs. On the record he sang "Sleep Baby Sleep" and "Soldier's Sweetheart".
    1930 - The temperature at Moorefield , WV , soared to 112 degrees to establish a state record, having reached 110 degrees the previous day. Widespread drought after April of that year caused some towns to haul water for domestic use, and many manufacturing plants were barely operational.
    1933-Sax player Sonny Simmons born Sicily Island , Louisiana .
http://www.gallery41.com/JazzArtists/SonnySimmons.htm
http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/simmons_sonny/bio.jhtml
http://www.hollowear.com/reviews/simmons.html
http://ubl.artistdirect.com/music/artist/bio/0,,493395,00.html?
artist=Sonny+Simmons
    1934 - The first major league baseball player to score 6 runs in one game became Mel Ott today.
    1936-"Long" John Woodruff wins an Olympic gold medal in the 800-meter run
http://www.fay-west.com/connellsville/historic/woodruff.php
http://www.greaterconnellsville.org/woodruff/commemorativeprintform.htm
    1940 - "Crime Doctor" introduced a new radio hero. CBS radio presented Dr. Benjamin Ordway, the show's main character, as an amnesia victim. A former criminal, he got hit on the head, and began to work as a crime fighter.
    1944 - Nazi police found Anne Frank and her family, hiding in secret rooms above her father's factory in Amsterdam , Holland . Anne was 15 years old at this time and had kept a diary during the two years of hiding from the Nazis. After the arrest, Anne and her sister were taken to a concentration camp. Anne Frank would die at Bergen- Belsen. Later Anne's diary was found and has since been translated into 30 languages, and adapted as both a play and a Hollywood film.
    1947---Top Hits
Peg o' My Heart - The Harmonicats
That's My Desire - The Sammy Kaye Orchestra (vocal: Don Cornell)
I Wonder, I Wonder, I Wonder - Eddy Howard
Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) - Tex Williams
    1953-drummer Jeff Hamilton born Richmond , Indiana
http://www.hamiltonjazz.com/hamiltonbio.html
    1954 - In Saskatchewan , Canada , the uranium rush began.
    1955---Top Hits
Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley & His Comets
Ain't That a Shame - Fats Domino
Learnin' the Blues - Frank Sinatra
I Don't Care - Webb Pierce
    1955 - To Catch a Thief, starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, debuted in New York on this date. The film later received an Oscar for Best Color Cinematography.
    1956 - at Wendover , Utah , Wilhelm Herz was clocked at 210 miles per hour, making him the first person to race a motorcycle over 200 miles-per-hour.
    1957 - A world record was set by Florence Chadwick who swam the English Channel in 6 hours, 7 minutes.
    1957 - Juan Fangio won his last car race, winning the world auto driving championship for the fifth consecutive year.
    1957---The Everly Brothers make their second appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show and introduce their upcoming single, "Wake Up Little Susie," a song which would go on to cause some major controversy and be banned from some radio stations
    1958- Billboard magazine introduces its "Hot 100" chart, a list of the 100 best-selling pop singles in the country. This list replaced multiple charts the magazine had previously published, including Best Sellers in Stores and Most Played in Juke Boxes. The first song to top the Hot 100 list was "Poor Little Fool" by Ricky Nelson.
    1958- Dumont TV Network crumbles. My father was a producer/writer/director for the Dumont network, creating among shows such as “Harlem Detective,” “Captain Video,” “Hands of Murder.” He met often with Dr. Dumont, who he once gave one of the exploding cigars I put in his pocket as a kid. Dumont was a scientist and not a “showman,” losing Jackie Gleason among others. My father worked right under Ted Bergman, who I remember my father respected, but Dr. Dumont was not a businessman ( nor was my father. )
http://members.aol.com/cingram/television/dumont2.htm
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/D/htmlD/DuMont/DuMont.htm
    1961- 108ø F, Spokane , WA (record)
http://aviationweather.gov/wxfact/AUG.html
    1962-Jamaica Independence Day. National holiday observing achievement of Jamaican independence form Britain August 6, 1962. Annually the first Monday in August.
    1963---Top Hits
So Much in Love - The Tymes
Fingertips - Pt 2 - Little Stevie Wonder
(You're the) Devil in Disguise - Elvis Presley
Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash
    1963- In his first at-bat in two months after breaking his left foot, Mickey Mantle slams a pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning to beat the Orioles,
11-10.
    1964-After disappearing on June 21, three civil rights workers were found murdered and buried in an earthen dam outside Philadelphia, MS. The three young men were workers on the Mississippi Summer Project organized by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) to increase black voter registration. Prior to their disappearance, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner were detained by Neshoba County police on charges of speeding. When their car was found, burned, on June 23, President Johnson ordered an FBI search for the men.
    1971---Top Hits
You've Got a Friend - James Taylor
Mr. Big Stuff - Jean Knight
Draggin' the Line - Tommy James
I'm Just Me - Charley Pride
    1972 - Superfly, starring Ron O'Neal, opened in theaters. Starring Ron O'Neal and directed by Gordon Parks, Jr., Superfly's success at the box office and unexpected acclaim prompted two sequels. The plot centers on a Harlem drug dealer who wants to retire. Curtis Mayfield's dynamic soundtrack set it apart from similar low-budget films.
    1974- Paul Simon's "Love Me Like A Rock" is released.
    1979---Top Hits
Bad Girls - Donna Summer
Good Times - Chic
Ring My Bell - Anita Ward
You're the Only One - Dolly Parton
    1980 - A record forty-two consecutive days of 100 degree heat finally came to an end at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport . July 1980 proved to be the hottest month of record with a mean temperature of 92 degrees. There was just one day of rain in July, and there was no measurable rain in August. There were 18 more days of 100 degree heat in August, and four in September. Hot weather that summer contributed to the deaths of 1200 people nationally, and losses from the heat across the country were estimated at twenty billion dollars.
    1981 - A United States court ordered striking air traffic controllers back to work and fined their union $2.4 million a day for the duration of the strike.
    1983 - During warm-ups, New York Yankee outfielder Dave Winfield threw a baseball and accidentally killed a seagull. When the game was over, Toronto police surrounded the batter and arrested him for "causing unnecessary suffering to an animal."
    1987---Top Hits
Shakedown - Bob Seger
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2
I Want Your Sex - George Michael
Snap Your Fingers - Ronnie Milsap
    1989 - Thunderstorms produced severe weather from eastern Nebraska and northeastern Kansas to the Great Lakes Region, with 150 reports of large hail or damaging winds during the afternoon, evening, and nighttime hours. Thunderstorms produced tennis ball size hail at Claremont , MN , and wind gusts to 75 mph at Milwaukee , WI . Thunderstorms representing what once was Hurricane Chantal produced five inches of rain at Grant , MI , and deluged Chicago , IL , with more than three inches of rain in three hours
    1995- Long time coach Jimmie Reese, whose 23 years in an Angels uniform equals longest in club history is inducted into the Angels' Hall of Fame. The former roommate of Babe Ruth began his career as a batboy for the Pacific Coast League's Los Angeles Angels in 1917.
    1995 - Babe, the charming sleeper hit about a pig who learns to be a sheep dog, debuted in United States movie theaters. The gentle film, with state-of-the-art computer technology, thrilled audiences young and old, and the film garnered many awards and nominations, including the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Comedy/ Musical, and it was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. Veteran actor James Cromwell received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Farmer Hoggett, and director Chris Noonan received the New York Film Critics Circle Awards for Best New Director. The National Society of Film Critics declared it Best Film of the Year. Christine Cavanaugh supplied the voice of the hero pig, and Roscoe Lee Browne was a moving narrator. Babe was based on the book "The Sheep-Pig" by Dick King- Smith.
    1997 - The world's oldest person, Jeanne Calment, died aged 122 years and 164 days in Arles , France.
    1998 -Yankees' slugger Darryl Strawberry hits a game-tying pinch-hit grand slam in the ninth inning of New York 's 10-5 win becoming the second major leaguer to hit two pinch-hit grand slams in one season.
    2000-- With 32 home games remaining, the Astros, who moved from the pitcher-friendly Astrodome to homer-haven Enron Field this season, set a franchise-record by already hitting 83 homers at home this season.

(This is an acrostic poem, in which the first letter of each line spells out a clue into the poem's meaning.)

Victor suffers
In his room, with
Old World strains
Long studied ...
In his hands,
Never mastered.

Boys!
Are better busied
Slinging bats and stealing bases;
Even measuring odds,
Batting averages
Angles and trajectory and ...
Losers, unknown to composers of
Lovely concertos.

The burden of hard hitting. Slug away
Like Honus Wagner or like Tyrus Cobb.
Else fandom shouteth: "Who said you could play?
Back to the jasper league, you minor slob!"
Swat, hit, connect, line out, goet on the job.
Else you shall feel the brunt of fandom's ire
Biff, bang it, clout it, hit it on the knob –
This is the end of every fan's desire.

The burden of good pitching. Curved or straight.
Or in or out, or haply up or down,
To puzzle him that standeth by the plate,
To lessen, so to speak, his bat-renown:
Like Christy Mathewson or Miner Brown,
So pitch that every man can but admire
And offer you the freedom of the town –
This is the end of every fan's desire.

The burden of loud cheering. O the sounds!
The tumult and the shouting from the throats
Of forty thousand at the Polo Grounds
Sitting, ay, standing sans their hats and coats.
A mighty cheer that possibly denotes
That Cub or Pirate fat is in the fire;
Or, as H. James would say, We've got their goats –
This is the end of every fan's desire.

The burden of a pennant. O the hope,
The tenuous hope, the hope that's half a fear,
The lengthy season and the boundless dope,
And the bromidic, "Wait until next year."
O dread disgrace of trailing in the rear,
O Piece of Bunting, flying high and higher
That next October it shall flutter here:
This is the end of every fan's desire.

Ah, Fans, let not the Quarry but the Chase
Be that to which most fondly we aspire!
For us not Stake, but Game; not Goal, but Race –
THIS is the end of every fan's desire.