Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Headlines---

Exclusive- Gerry Egan Next Wednesday
    Classified Ads---Controller
        Not Anti-Marlin Leasing - by C.Menkin
    Cartoon---No Data Today
Key Equipment Finance and Marlin Leasing
    Cartoon---Risk Management
        Advertising in Leasing News
    Classified Ads---Help Wanted
Sales makes it Happen---by T. Winders, CLP
What is the correct answer to “What is my rate?”
    Capps National Account Manager Trinity Vendor
        Mark Bittner VP American Bank Leasing
NFCC geared to slow down foreclosures
    Archives--Louis B. Funston (Funkenstein)
        Wall Street presses for rate cut
    Credit card default rate soars
News Briefs---
    "Gimme that Wine"
        Calendar Events
Snapple Real Facts
    Today's Top Event in History
        This Day in American History
Baseball Poem
    SuDoku
        Daily Puzzle

######## surrounding the article denotes it is a “press release”

www.SterlingBankLeasing.com

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A Leasing News First & Exclusive Coming Next Week...

Leasing News is pleased to announce that our popular ‘Sales Make It Happen’ column next week will be, for the first time, a video column!

On September 5th, Leasing News will present the first of four video Sales Make It Happen segments produced exclusively for Leasing News by popular industry trainer Gerry Egan. The other segments will debut on alternate Wednesdays over the next eight weeks.

Readers who have heard Gerry speak at industry conferences or seen his Distance Learning Videos, produced for the NAELB, know why Gerry’s dynamic, upbeat style and creative sales thinking have been an inspiration to so many salespeople. For readers who haven’t heard or seen him before, be prepared to be both challenged about how you may be selling now, and charged-up about how you could be. Gerry may be reached at:
mailto:GerryEgan@LearnLeasing.com.

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Classified Ads---Controller

    Boca Raton, FL
CPA w/ Sarbanes Oxley/ 15 years management exp. as CFO/ Controller/5 yrs w/ PWC Extensive exp providing accounting/ tax guidance for the equipment lease industry. Willing to relocate.
Email: bltushin@hotmail.com

    Chicago, IL
experienced in lease accounting, operations, management, and Sarbanes-Oxley. Seeking position with equipment lessor. Would consider contract assignments or relocating.
Email: leasecontroller@comcast.net

    Southeastern, MI
Controller & Management experience w/ equip lessors &broker. MBA, CPA w/ extensive accounting, management, securitization experience with public and private companies. Willing to relocate.
Email: Leasebusiness@aol.com

    West Palm Beach, FL
CPA/CFO/Controller/Due Diligence Officer/SOX Lead seeking position.
Email: obrienhowardj@aol.com

To place a free “job wanted” ad here, please go to:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted-post.htm

For a full listing of all “job wanted” ads, please go to:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted.htm

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Not Anti-Marlin Leasing

by Christopher “Kit” Menkin, Editor

First, congratulations to Gary Kester and Mike Bennie for starting
Latitude Equipment Leasing, LTD.

Best of luck to Dominic Janney, Tom Mancini, and Joe Gallo, who are trying to start a small ticket leasing company.

All five are from Marlin Business Services. Several readers told us they were going to start doing business with Kester and Bennie as they appreciate their “better service.” Let’s leave it at that
rather than print what they told Leasing News.

The Latitude press release was printed as received. There was no promotion or expansion of the release. No telephone number was included. At the request of several readers,
here is the telephone number:

Mike Bennie
Latitude Equipment Leasing
Phone Number: 866-936-0202
Fax Number: 866-936-0302
E-mail: mbennie@latitudeleasing.com

For the record, as the Leasing News editor, and particularly as writing under a “by-line,” we are not anti-Marlin Business Services. Our role is to be fair, accurate, and remain independent, meaning not take one side or another or represent one individual against another or promote one company
over another.

If it appears we are anti-Marlin, it is the fault of the officers who do not want to make a comment. As in this story, Leasing News has tried to get the officers at Marlin to make a comment. An effort is
made each time a story is written; often the “working draft” is sent to them in advance for a statement or comment.

The lack of a comment does not stop us from writing what we have learned. Such as when Dan Dyer, John Forsyth, Gary Kester, Gary Shivers, and Bill Waddell left Advanta in September, 1997, to start Marlin, several (not all) of them took some very valuable information with them. This was a very hot topic at the time. For the present management to be up in arms about it, having this knowledge, many who remember the controversy, find it quite “ironic.” They even tell us they are laughing out loud about it. One is crying. The people involved know why, and most likely can guess who.

This insider was willing to give his name: Dave Marbin:

“I am the gentleman who bought and sold Imperial Business Credit vendor division located in Atlanta to Marlin. Marlin never had to start up their division as one was already in place. They did not jumpstart Atlanta as we were doing $48 million a year hen they purchased us. They quickly turned the $48 million to les that $24 million. All of the best sales people have left the Atlanta region. These included Brian Montgomery, Shawn Kook, John Howting, Mike Lacagnin, and me Dave Marbin. I had 7 salesmen and myself doing $36-$48 million----they now have like 12-15 doing less than 2/3 of the volume.”

Another insider told Leasing News”... make it now six key people leaving recently:”

“Mike Sica, who along with Ken Sanders did all of the training of new reps in the old training department, has left Marlin. He resigned last week. Mike was with Marlin for 7 to 8 years. His wife still works in the credit department. 

“Marlin has a new training class coming in and Jordan Borenstein has the inside track on the job of head trainer. Jordan Borenstein has been with Marlin for nearly 9 years.   He started in late 1998.  He currently works in Utah. He has been looking for an opportunity to open up so he can return to New Jersey.

“Kester and Bennie are a good start to a leasing company that is friendly to customers as well as employees. There is going to be a giant sucking sound coming out of Marlin’s workforce and client base.”

Credit Officer Mentor, Ohio Small firm, 125 deals a month, help us grow, place leases, secure approvals. E-mail us to MattWelly@1acg.com or give us a call to (800) 830-0084 ext. 203. ACG Equipment Finance is a full service specialty finance and leasing company with an eye fixed firmly on the future.

www.1acg.com

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Key Equipment Finance and Marlin Leasing

There is a similar situation to executives leaving Marlin Leasing to start their own company with Key Equipment Finance and MeriCap.

In 2004, when Key Equipment Finance, Cleveland, Ohio, part of Key Corp., acquired American Express Business Finance Corp., they encountered perhaps a similar situation that "may" have happened at Marlin Business Services ( and allegedly occurred when the group left Advanta.)

After the acquisition, a key executive group that was part of the acquired company quit to form a new company: Ameri­Cap Credit, now in Oak Brook, IL. They acquired $80 million in financing and changed their name to MeriCap Credit. http://www.mericapcredit.com/
((The site says they are a member of ELA ( should be ELFA, but that is a minor point) and appears ironic since the former president of ELA now the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, is president of Key Equipment Finance: Paul A. Larkins, president/CEO, also 2007 Leasing News Man of the Year. editor))

When the key executives left, there were accusations that they had taken proprietary information with them. They proclaimed: "We deny it, but also prove it."

Attorneys may argue that an employee or partner who takes proprietary information, such as customer lists, or how credit is conducted, or the operation or manual of operations, is difficult to prove, but in this case, Key Finance prevailed because computer forensic examiner, Craig Ball found a trail of deleted electronic evidence, and that led to the case’s quick conclusion.

"Hughes says one reason he hired a forensic expert was that he could see an ugly fight breaking out, and he could see costs getting out of control. Even so, the discovery issues wound up costing well over $100,000. And that’s for a case that never got past the early phases of discovery. In the final accounting, AmeriCap paid the cost of discovery.

"On June 2, all of Ball’s work came to fruition at a contempt hearing with the defendants, their lawyers and the federal marshals listening in. Ball testified at length about his efforts but had to leave early for a speaking engagement. But observers say the defendants looked decidedly uncomfortable and, after a lunch recess, they decided to settle the case. Key Equipment Finance v. AmeriCap Credit, No. H-05-0585. AmeriCap and the attorneys who represented the company for most of the trial didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment. But it should be noted that this case is simply a business case that became hung up on some specific problems with spoliation, and Vetrics and AmeriCap never got a trial on the business dispute the case was really about. Instead, the actions of a few employees angered the judge and put the company in a difficult position. So they accepted arbitration.

"In the end, Key won an order prohibiting AmeriCap from using specific business or pricing information or from soliciting business from customers on Key lists. As for the role of digital data in the case, Ball had this to say: ‘Think of it this way—all the garbage you threw away in the last year was taken to the garage and stored. Some deteriorated, but all the wrappers, correspondence and bills were there. We keep such a wealth of information now, the variety of which is greater than ever before.’ ”
March, 2007 American Bar Association (ABA) Journal

Here is the full ABA article sent to Leasing News by an attorney who wanted readers to be aware of the use of technology in the court room:

http://leasingnews.org/PDF/ABA_Trail-of-Discovery.PDF

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Advertising in Leasing News

Help wanted ads start at $500 for four lines, spaces not counted and logo not counted nor company description (which cannot be longer than the ad.)  After four lines, it is $75 a line. The ad runs for 21 days on the web site, and is included in the news editions.
 
We recommend a "click to" for fuller description or your web site with this information, rather than spell out all the terms.  Everyone seems to do it differently and some want 10 to 12 lines and spell it all out and others like the shorter version. There is no “right” or “wrong,” just depends on your budget.
 
We have one year contracts, such as with BSB, Advanced Property Tax, and we have others on two and three month contracts, as well as American Lease Insurance who are “on” for three months,
then “off” for three months.
 
Pay in Advance
15% off for three months ad
20% off for six month ad

Banner ads come in three sizes. The $300 size is not discounted.
A 60 day continuous plan is available.

More information here on banner ads:

http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Banner/Banner_post.htm

Coda: Almost all the ads are designed and created by Maria Martinez-Wong
with copy the collaboration of Kit Menkin and the advertiser. The procedure takes generally three to five days, depending on the approval process of the advertiser.

kitmenkin@leasingnews.org

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Leasing Industry Help Wanted

Accounts Manager

ACCOUNT MANAGER Phoenix, AZ or virtual office Responsible for developing and managing high-end small ticket & middle-market Vendor Programs. Base plus commission. Click here for more detailed information. Manufacturers' Lease Plans Inc. (MLPi) is the pioneer of short-term rental and operating lease financing, funding high technology equipment manufacturers since the 1960s.

www.leaseplans.com

Busienss Developement Specialist

Credit Officer

Credit Officer Mentor, Ohio Small firm, 125 deals a month, help us grow, place leases, secure approvals. E-mail us to MattWelly@1acg.com or give us a call to (800) 830-0084 ext. 203. ACG Equipment Finance is a full service specialty finance and leasing company with an eye fixed firmly on the future.

www.1acg.com

Operations / Doc / Funding

OPERATIONS / DOC / FUNDING COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA Full Time Documentation / Funding Clerk START DATE: Position Available Immediately Ground floor opportunity to join fast growing Independent Lessor. Experience required. Word and Excel skills a must. Benefits provided. Bonus plan participation. Salary commensurate with experience. Please fax resume to 714-556-3765. Outline salary expectations.

Relationshio Manager

Relationship Manager Minneapolis, MN Primary contact for brokers/lessors. Coordinates development and execution of programs, represents Company at trade association conferences, implements strategy to best serve the brokers/lessor marketplace. Requires 4 year degree or equivalent industry experience. To apply e-mail resumes attention of Brad Peterson bpeterson@predictifund.com  and careers@advanceme.com. Background Checks are required.  EOE Predictifund, a subsidiary of Capital Access Network, Inc. (CAN) providing equipment financing and working capital options to brokers.

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### Press Release ###########################

Trinity Vendor Finance names Capps National Account Manager

San Francisco, CA. – Trinity Vendor Finance, a division of Bank of the West, announced that Patti Capps has joined the company as a National Account Manager, specializing in financing automotive equipment. In this new position, Patti is responsible for expanding Trinity’s automotive equipment finance business, reporting to Nick Gibbens, Vice President of Vendor Finance.

Patti comes to Trinity with extensive background in equipment leasing and automotive vendor finance. Patti started her career at Dover Industries Acceptance and has been a successful equipment finance account executive for over 16 years, most recently with AXIS Capital.
“We are fortunate to have someone of Patti’s caliber and experience available to join Trinity and continue our expansion in the automotive equipment market,” said Gibbens. “Patti’s industry knowledge and Trinity’s vendor finance expertise make a powerful combination that will help our customers expand their businesses by providing the best finance programs available.”

About Trinity Vendor Finance: Founded in 1981, Trinity offers retail finance, funding and managed services programs nationwide. Trinity is a division of Bank of the West, a full-service financial services company with $58.4 billion in assets. Bank of the West and its holding company BancWest Corporation are part of the BNP Paribas global network. Trinity’s vendor finance affiliate, BNP Paribas Lease Group (BPLG), is the leading asset financing company in Europe, with a presence in 14 European countries.

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American Bank Leasing Names Mark Bittner VP of Asset Management and Collections

American Bank Leasing (“ABL”) announced the hiring of Mark Bittner as VP of Asset Management and Collections.

Bittner has over 20 years experience in commercial finance. He has held various positions with CIT Equipment Finance, Ryder Truck Leasing and other financial institutions specializing in asset management services and collections.

“We are delighted to have Mark join our team”, said EVP, Jeff Schubert, to whom Bittner will report. “His significant experience in asset management, collections and loss and litigation will be well utilized at ABL, as the Company continues to grow its portfolio at a rate of 25-30% per year”.

American Bank Leasing is a national commercial equipment finance company specializing in transportation, construction and other hard asset industries. Headquartered in Roswell, Georgia, the company was founded in 2001 and is comprised of 21 employees and generates business both directly and via equipment leasing brokers. To learn more about ABL, please visit our website at www.abanklease.com.

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NFCC geared to slow down foreclosures

Recent Government Data Shows, Among Counseling Sessions with Known Outcomes, more than 93 Percent of NFCC Clients Receiving Assistance Avoid Foreclosure*

Silver Spring, MD - The National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) has stepped up its counseling and education efforts in communities across the country to assist homeowners who are in danger of losing their homes. The NFCC network of nonprofit, community-based agencies has nearly 1,000 offices and more than 1,200 certified housing counselors who are ready to assist consumers avoid foreclosure now.

Consumers can receive immediate assistance by calling (866) 557-2227, an NFCC toll-free hotline that will connect them with an NFCC-certified housing counselor. Individuals in need can also receive assistance by logging onto www.nfcc.org.

Recent data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) shows that counseling is an extremely effective way to help consumers facing foreclosure and improve communication between consumers and lenders. In FY 2006, 93.1 percent of NFCC clients within the HUD Intermediary who received housing counseling and for whom the NFCC has confirmed outcomes, avoided foreclosure.

"For many years, our network of trained and certified counselors has helped consumers avoid foreclosure," said Susan C. Keating, president and CEO of the NFCC. "In this country's current housing crisis, we are prepared to stand by consumers to provide assistance and do everything possible to keep them in their homes."

Facts about the current situation:

. Americans owe close to $13 trillion in mortgage debt.
. The number of foreclosed homes in the first six months of 2007 surged by 58 percent. That equals approximately 573,397 homes in danger.
. Most analysts predict that the condition will worsen through the end of the year, with 2.5 million first mortgages defaulting in 2007.
. Close to 50 percent of consumers whose homes face foreclosure never speak to their lender prior to foreclosure.

For more than 50 years the NFCC has provided consumers with sound financial advice as the recognized leader in financial education and counseling services, assisting more than two million consumers a year. Housing counseling is a core service of nearly all NFCC member agencies and most are HUD-approved housing counseling services.

The NFCC Board of Trustees convened this past week to initiate a plan that will further mobilize its membership to expand services for consumers in need while bringing together representatives from the private and public sectors to directly address the crisis and create a long-term housing strategy.

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), founded in 1951, is the nation's largest and longest serving national nonprofit credit counseling organization. The NFCC's mission is to promote the national agenda for financially responsible behavior and build capacity for its members to deliver the highest quality financial education and counseling services. NFCC members annually help two million consumers through nearly 1,000 community-based offices nationwide.

* Based on FY 2006 HUD 9902 data.

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Archives--Louis B. Funston (Funkenstein)

Louis B. Funston (Funkenstein) August 21,1945---August 25,2003

by Christopher Menkin

The obituary in the South Carolina Anderson Independent-Mail newspaper read, “ Mr. Louis B. Funston, age 58, husband of Kathleen Ellis Funston of 36 Bay View, Belvedere, CA, died Monday, August 25,2003 at his residence.

I had met Louis Funkenstein in the early 1970’s, introduced him to Mac Pollack of Key Lease in Redwood City, California, and to Russ Rickards, then of Cenval Leasing to eventually become Bank of the West Leasing. He and Russ became very good friends. Steve Crane of Bank of the West Leasing said Louis was one of their top producers. He had visited Louis in the hospital two weeks ago where he had gone for one of his series of treatments.

When I had met him, he had just left U.S. Leasing as a salesman. He wanted to become a leasing broker. He chose the name Western Leasing. At first, it was computers, then metal working machinery. Later he was to find a major niche in bakery equipment, food processing and packaging equipment that kept him very busy. He and I along with Mont Gates of Utah started a California broker’s association in the late 1970’s that grew into over 60 members until the then Western Association of Equipment Leasing decided they would allow brokers to join. I think one of the reasons for the disbandment was we had let funders into the group and it changed the meetings and thrust of the organization. Louis was president for several years. Also many of us decided to become lessors, on a limited scale, and some on a major scale, such as A.J. Batt, then of San Mateo, California, and Jim Harris of Oregon.

I spoke to Lou about ten days ago by telephone. His voice was raspy. He did not want anyone to know he was sick. He had pancreatic cancer. He thought he would arrest it. It was under one of his chemotherapy treatments at the hospital that he caught an infection, that reportedly cost him his life, only a few days after he had turned 58 years old.

I ran into him at 49er games. One of his vendors had seats about six rows from ours. He often would take his son, Robert Louis, now in junior high school. His girl, Blake Ellis, is in the eighth grade, I believe. Louis was very athletic. In the seventies, ran, rode a bicycle, was in great physical shape, played all types of sports very competitively.

I had introduced him to my late wife’s sister. They were going to get married. Let’s just say he was serious, and she was not. He wanted a prenuptial agreement. She did not. He met his present wife, Kathleen Ellis, and as I understand it, the only condition she had was that he change his name from Funkenstein to Funston.

Lou was born in Anderson, South Carolina, and still had his thick Southern Jewish accent. He was a graduate of Baylor School for Boys in Chattanooga, Tennessee and the Georgia Institute of Technology. He was a manager of the Georgia Tech Basketball Team. The obituary said when he died he was coach for the Catholic Youth Organization Basketball League of Marin County, California, and an active member of the Temple of Israel.

He had a great sense of humor. He had a soft voice, and with his Southern Jewish accent, he could make any joke sound funny. He could also talk you into most anything. You knew he was getting ready to close you when he lowered his voice, so you had to lean closer to hear what he had to say. Sometimes to make his point, it would become a whisper, like he was telling you a secret, taking
you into his confidence. Telling a joke, his voice would get louder and louder until the punch line. He could orchestrate the volume, and I think sometimes he made his accent stronger on purpose, as if add another nuance to the point he wanted to make. There is no doubt he had Southern charm. You looked forward to seeing him, visiting with him, enjoying his company.

He cared about his customers. Funding sources loved him as he not only had very high approval rates, but got the leases signed. He was a person both his customers and funding sources trusted. He had integrity. He made money.

He enjoyed spending time with his family. His office was not far from his beautiful house, and when the economy turned around, he moved the office into his home. He died at his residence on Monday.

The funeral was yesterday at the Old Silverbrook Cemetery, Anderson, South Carolina officiated by rabbi James Cohn.

The family suggested that flowers be omitted and memorials be made to the American Cancer Society, 154 Milestone way, Greenville, SC 29615, the Hospice of the Upstate, 1835 Rogers Road, Anderson, SC 29621 or Hospice of Marin, 150 Nellen Avenue, Core Madera, California 94925

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News Briefs----

Wall Street presses for rate cut
http://www.usatoday.com/money/markets/2007-08-28-wall-street-tuesday_N.htm

Credit card default rate soars as bankruptcy filings pour in
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070828-1345-creditcarddefaults.html

Consumer Confidence Down in August
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-Economy.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Home Prices: Steepest Drop in 20 Years
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070828/home_price_index.html?.v=3

CIT Group closes its mortgage unit
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2007-08-28-cit-mortgage-close_N.htm

2 Big Law Firms Announce Merger
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/28/business/28law.html?ref=business

Caterpillar plans to build diesel engines in China to lease
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070828/bs_nm/caterpillar_china_dc_2

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“Gimme that Wine”

A tale of two estates in Alexander Valley and one shared goal: Excellence in cabernets
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20070822/NEWS04/708220303/-1/
SPECIAL&THEMES=FOODWINE

Busting Vineyard Myths
http://winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=50015

SIP! Mendocino County's First Comprehensive Tasting Room Launches in Hopland
http://www.winebusiness.com/news/DailyNewsArticle.cfm?dataid=50010

September Is California Wine Month
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,167373.shtml

Wine Prices by vintage
http://www.winezap.com
http://www.wine-searcher.com/
US/International Wine Events
http://www.localwineevents.com/
Winery Atlas
http://www.carterhouse.com/atlas
Leasing News Wine & Spirits Page
http://two.leasingnews.org/Recommendations/wnensprts.htm
The London International Vintners Exchange (Liv-ex) is an electronic exchange for fine wine.
http://www.liv-ex.com/

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Calendar Events This Day

Chop Suey Day
http://www.snopes.com/food/origins/chopsuey.asp
http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodasian.html#chopsuey

Lemon Juice Day
http://www.practicallyedible.com/edible.nsf/encyclopaedia!openframeset&frame=Right&Src
=/edible.nsf/b57cddf6e7c6a7aa852571df00724bfd/55e9c19505ed46248525725c0008f938
!OpenDocument

More Herbs. Less Salt Day
It’s healthier, zestier and lustier.
http://holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/August/herbsaltday.htm

Slovakia: National Uprising Day
National holiday. Commemorates resistance to Nazi occupation in 1944.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/lo.html

Spain: La Tomatina
Bunol(near Valencia). the world’s biggest food fight takes place today as 35,000 revealers hurl 120 tons of tomatoes at each other (and in the town) for two hours. La Tomatina (Tomato Festival) occurs annually the last Wednesday of August. Festivities kick off with a competition to see who can reach a ham at the top of a greased pole. With the ham secured, the trucks arrive with tomatoes.

Saint feast Days

• St. Sabina
• St. Medericus
• St. Adelphus
• St. Basilla
• St. Velleicus
• St. Sebbi
• St. Candida
• St. Edwold
• St. Hypatius and Andrew
• St. Hyperdulia
• Bl. Richard Herst
• St. Nicaeas and Paul

http://www.catholic.org/saints/f_day/aug.php

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Honeybees are the only insects that create a form of food for humans.

The intention is clear here, but it is not true in the United States, as many insects are edible themselves. And anyone who watches
Andrew Zimmer of the Travel Chanel, they know how many insect species produce a form of food for humans:
http://travel.discovery.com/tv/bizarre-foods/bizarre-foods.html

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Today's Top Event in History

1839-In Jan­uary , 53 Africans were seized near modern-day Sierra Leone, taken to Cuba and sold as slaves. While being transferred to another part of the island on the ship Amistad, led by the African, Cinque, they seized control of the ship, telling the crew to take them back to Africa. However, the crew secretly changed course and the ship landed at Long Island, NY, where it and its ‘cargo” were seized as salvage this day. The Amistad was towed to New Haven, CT where the Africans were imprisoned and a lengthy legal battle began to determine if they were property to be returned to Cuba or free men. John Quincy Adams took their case all the way to the Supreme Court, where on Mar 9, 1841, it was determined that they were free and could return to Africa.

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This Day in American History

    1708 - Haverhill, Mass., was destroyed by French & Indians.
    1758 - New Jersey Legislature formed the 1st Indian reservation.
    1776 - General George Washington retreated during the night from Long Island to New York City withdrawing from Manhattan to Westchester.
    1786- Shay’s Rebellion: Daniel Shays, veteran of the battles of Lexington, Bunker Hill, Ticonderoga and Saratoga, was one of the leaders of more than 1,000 rebels who sought redress of grievances during the depres­sion days of 1786—87. He began organizing his followers with speeches this day. They prevented general court sessions and on Sept 26 they prevented Supreme Court sessions at Spring­field, MA. On Jan 25, 1787, with 1100 men, they attacked the federal arsenal at Springfield; Feb 2, Shays’s troops were routed and fled. Shays was sentenced to death but pardoned June 13, 1788.The uprising had been caused by the harsh economic conditions faced by Massachusetts farmers, who sought reforms and the issuance of paper money. Shay later he received a small pension for services in the American Revolution.
http://www.shaysnet.com/dshays.html
    1809-Birthday of Oliver Wendell Holmes, physician and author, father of Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, born at Cambridge, MA. Died at Boston, MA, Oct. 8,1894. “ A moment’s insight, “ he wrote, “ is sometimes worth a life’s experience.”.
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.com/owholmes.htm
http://www.eldritchpress.org/owh/owhhes.html
    1815- Anna Ella Carroll birthday, writer and publicist for Union cause during the Civil War. She is best known for her pamphlet which outlined the proposition that the Southern states would resume their original places in the United States once the rebellion of the Civil War was over, precisely the course adopted by Abraham Lincoln in superseding Congress in the conduct of the war. She is credited with the plan to invade the South along the Tennessee river. Her tombstone reads "Maryland's Most Distinguished Lady." However, she died financially poor and anonymous in 1893.
http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/educ/exhibits/womenshall/html/carroll.html
http://nabbhistory.salisbury.edu/Wroten/AnnaEllaCarrollAugust.htm
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search/103-5362656-4423850?tag=fast-b
kasin00-20&keyword=Anna%20Ella%20Carroll&mode=books
    1817-The first “abolition” newspaper was the Philanthropist, published and edited by Charles Osborn, which appeared in Mount Pleasant, OH. It published “ An Appeal to Philanthropists” by Benjamin Lundy, which is said by some to be the most powerful abolition appeal ever made.
    1839-In Jan­uary , 53 Africans were seized near modern-day Sierra Leone, taken to Cuba and sold as slaves. While being transferred to another part of the island on the ship Amistad, led by the African, Cinque, they seized control of the ship, telling the crew to take them back to Africa. However, the crew secretly changed course and the ship landed at Long Island, NY, where it and its
‘cargo” were seized as salvage this day. The Amistad was towed to New Haven, CT where the Africans were imprisoned and a lengthy legal battle began to determine if they were property to be returned to Cuba or free men. John Quincy Adams took their case all the way to the Supreme Court, where on Mar 9, 1841, it was determined that they were free and could return to Africa.
    1852- The Latter Day Saints first published their doctrine of "celestial marriage," popularly known as polygamy. The Mormon Church maintained this teaching until the Manifest of 1890 (and later Congressional legislation) outlawed the practice.
    1861- The first Confederate forts to surrender in the Civil War were Fork Clark and Fort Hatteras on Hatteras Island, NC, guarding Pamlico Sound. They surrendered to Flag Officer Silas H. Stringham and General Benjamin Franklin Butler, who had captured the garrison with 715 men, 31 heavy guns, and 1,000 stands of arms.
    1862-(29th-30th) At the second Battle of Bull Run, the maneuvers of General Stonewall Jackson and his teamwork with General Robert E. Lee were too much for the 45,000 Union troops under General John Pope, who broke and retreated to Washington, DC. Union losses were 1724 killed, 8372 wounded, 5958 missing. Confederate losses stood at 1481 killed, 7627 wounded, 89 missing. Second Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) begins.
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0857066.html
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0839705.html
http://columbiad.com/reviews/bk_colwinter002.htm
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0252023633/jimbo2/104-1979401-1205565
    1894-Birthday of African-American sociologist E. Franklin Fraiser..
    1896-History records chop suey was concocted in New York City by the chef of Chinese Ambassador Li Hung-chang, who devised the dish to appeal to both American and Asian tastes. Chop suey was unknown in China at the time.
    1904-Third modern Olympic Games opens in St Louis .These Games were originally scheduled for Chicago. However, President Theodore Roosevelt intervened on behalf of St. Louis so that the Games would be in conjunction with the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition. Again the Games were upstages, this time by the St. Louis World's Fair, and critics believed this would kill the fourth Olympics from taking place. The marathon included the first two black Africans to compete in the Olympics - two Zulu tribesman named Lentauw (real name: Len Taunyane)and Yamasani (real name: Jan Mashiani). They wore bibs 35 and 36, respectively. 
The only problem was that these two tribesmen were not in town to compete in the Olympics - they were actually the sideshow! Yes, they were imported by the exposition as part of the Boer War exhibit (both were really students at Orange Free State in South Africa, but no one wanted to believe that these tribesmen could actually be educated - it would have ruined the whole image). 
Lentauw finished ninth and Yamasani came in twelfth. This was a disappointment, as many observers were sure Lentauw could have done better - that is if he had not been chased nearly a mile off course by a large, aggressive canine! 
The marathon was over, but there is still one more little story to go along with this: 
It seems that two of the patrolling officials driving in a brand-new automobile were forced to swerve to avoid hitting one of the runners - they ended up going down an embankment and were severely injured. 
In the end, the St. Louis Olympics (along with the previous Paris games) proved to be such a disaster that the Olympic Committee was forced to hold interim Olympic games in 1906 at Athens, in an attempt to revive the flagging Olympic movement. These games were not numbered, but were attended by twenty countries and put the Olympics back on a steady course to success. 
An interesting useless side note: Iced tea made its debut at the 1904 Exposition. It seems that it was so hot during the Expo that the staff at the Far East Tea House couldn't even give away their product. 
http://www.asama.org/GABARRON/1904.HTM
http://www.sfo.com/~csuppes/Olympics/misc/index.htm?../1904St.Louis/index.htm
http://www.umich.edu/~bhl/bhl/olymp2/ol1904.htm
    1920-Birthday of Charlie Parker. Clint Eastwood made a movie about his life. Known as "The Bird," he and Dizzy Gillespie, trumpet player extraordinaire and great showman, are credited with "inventing" the style "Be-Bop." Definitely way ahead of his time, and quite melodic ( his record albums with strings from 1947 to 1952 produced by Norman Granz are jazz classics ). There is controversy on how he got his name. Some say it was from sitting in the backyard of "speakeasies" in Kansas City, Kansas, where he was raised, fingering his alto sax. Others say it was his love of chicken. He was addicted to Heroin, as many of the "Be-Bop" players were. The movie "The Man with the Golden Arm" was a take off of his life, not Chet Baker, according to the writer of the movie. He was taken to Camarillo for the Insane, where he kicked the habit, for a short time. The club Birdland in Manhattan was named after him. It is told one of his ideas to make the club more profitable was to have a Country and Western band come and play during the breaks. Parker was a profound influence upon Miles Davis, who started playing with his band at the age of 17.
http://www.kcpl.lib.mo.us/sc/bio/parker.htm
http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/5066/
http://www.cmgww.com/music/parker/parker.html
http://www.changingtones.com/trmpt02.html
http://www.duke.edu/~rw5/parker.html
http://www.bigmagic.com/pages/blackj/column4.html
http://www.downbeat.com/artists/window.asp?action=new&aid=117&aname=Charlie+Parker
http://www.charlieparkerresidence.net/
    1921 – Birthday of Wendell Scott (auto racer: first black stock-car driver; NASCAR champion [12-1-63]: won race but because of racial tensions did not receive honor until Jan. 1964 when NASCAR officials admitted the flagman’s intentional error; died Dec 22, 1990)
http://www.pbs.org/tal/racecars/wscott.html
http://www.polepositiondistributing.com/newsletter/-3.htm
http://www.stonebridgefarmpro.com/page635373.htm
    1922—New Orleans Rhythm Kings cut first records for Gennett.
    1924 – Birthday of singer Dinah Washington (Ruth Lee Jones) born Detroit, Michigan ( What A Diff’rence a Day Makes, It Could Happen to You, Our Love is Here to Stay, For All We Know, Baby [You’ve Got What It Takes], A Rockin’ Good Way [To Mess Around and Fall in Love], Baby Get Lost, This Bitter Earth; w/Lionel Hampton band [1943-46]; died Dec 14, 1963)
http://www.p-dub.com/thang/dinah.html
http://www.ddg.com/LIS/InfoDesignF96/Ismael/jazz/1950/Washington.html
http://www.rockhall.com/hof/inductee.asp?id=207
    1939-A typical day at the Graham dairy farm in Georgetown, North Carolina.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/aug29.html
    1944- For the sake of diplomacy, Paris was liberated on August 25, when the German commander General Dietrich von Choltiz surrendered to French General Jacques-Phillipe Leclerc. On this day, the 15,000 American troops taking part in the liberation marched down Champs Elysees.
    1944-*McVElGH, JOHN J. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U .S. Army, Company H, 23d Infantry, 2d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Brest, France, 29 August 1944. Entered service at: Philadelphia, Pa. Birth: Philadelphia, Pa. G.O. No.: 24, 6 April 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty near Brest, France, on 29 August 1944. Shortly after dusk an enemy counterattack of platoon strength was launched against 1 platoon of Company G, 23d Infantry. Since the Company G platoon was not dug in and had just begun to assume defensive positions along a hedge, part of the line sagged momentarily under heavy fire from small arms and 2 flak guns, leaving a section of heavy machineguns holding a wide frontage without rifle protection. The enemy drive moved so swiftly that German riflemen were soon almost on top of 1 machinegun position. Sgt. McVeigh, heedless of a tremendous amount of small arms and flak fire directed toward him, stood up in full view of the enemy and directed the fire of his squad on the attacking Germans until his position was almost overrun. He then drew his trench knife. and single-handed charged several of the enemy. In a savage hand-to-hand struggle, Sgt. McVeigh killed 1 German with the knife, his only weapon, and was advancing on 3 more of the enemy when he was shot down and killed with small arms fire at pointblank range. Sgt. McVeigh's heroic act allowed the 2 remaining men in his squad to concentrate their machinegun fire on the attacking enemy and then turn their weapons on the 3 Germans in the road, killing all 3. Fire from this machinegun and the other gun of the section was almost entirely responsible for stopping this enemy assault, and allowed the rifle platoon to which it was attached time to reorganize, assume positions on and hold the high ground gained during the day.
    1945- Wyomia Tyus birthday, Afro-American U.S. sprinter who was the first person to win Olympic gold medals in back-to-back competitions: the 100m dash in 1964 and in 1968, setting a new world's record the second time.
http://search.eb.com/blackhistory/micro/610/19.html
http://www.multirace.org/firstday/sport14.htm
    1948- In St. Louis, Jackie Robinson hits for the cycle, drives in two runs, scores three times and steals a base helping the Dodgers to beat the Cardinals, 12-7.
    1948- Carol Bartz birthday, American CEO and chair of Autodesk, one of the world's largest manufacturers of computer-design software. Only 2 percent of technology company chief executives are women. As CEO of Autodesk, Carol Bartz runs the fourth largest PC software company in the world, with 3 million customers in nearly 140 countries. She is also a strong role model for other aspiring women in the software Industry. Bartz led the effort to re-architect Autodesk's flagship product AutoCAD, and continues to lead the corporation towards further innovation and diversification of its product line.
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?id=348263&siteID=123112
http://www.directionsmag.com/article.php?article_id=229
    1953--Birthday of American composer William Copper,Virgina.
    1954-Birthday of Flora “Flo” Hyman, volleyball player born at Inglewood, CA. Hyman stood 6’5” and was regarded as the best player in the US, starring on the 1984 Olympic team that won the silver medal. She suffered from Morfan’s syndrome, a hidden congenital aorta disorder. Died at Matsue, Japan, Jan 24, 1985.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/siforwomen/top_100/69/
    1954-San Francisco International Airport (SFO) opens. It has been continually “under construction” since this date. San Francisco has had at least three airports within the city limits during the twentieth century. Crissy Field at the Presidio dates from World War I, the Marina Flying Field from 1915, and the late 1930s saw development of the Seaplane Harbor at Treasure Island. Ingleside racetrack was also used for aviation purposes in the early part of the twentieth century. Commercial and general aviation ultimately moved to Mills Field in San Mateo County in the 1930s, which originally was temporary as the originally international airport was to be built on Treasure Island..Crissy Field at the Presidio was the last airport within the city, and ended limited operations in the 1980s.
http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist/airport.html
http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist2/airfield.html
http://www.san-francisco-sfo.com/
http://www.worldairportguide.com/Airports/sfo/sfo.asp
    1956---Top Hits
My Prayer - The Platters
Hound Dog/Don’t Be Cruel - Elvis Presley
Allegheny Moon - Patti Page
I Walk the Line - Johnny Cash
    1958- Air Force Academy moved from Denver to its present site in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
http://www.usafa.af.mil/pa/media/facts/history.htm
    1958 – Birthday of singer/dancer Michael (Joe) Jackson (‘King of Pop’), Gary, Indiana: group: The Jackson Five: I Want You Back, ABC, The Love You Save, I’ll Be There, solo: Ben; Grammy Award: Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough [1979]; 5 Grammy Awards in 1983: Thriller, Billie Jean, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial; 2 in 1984: Beat It; another in 1985 [w/Lionel Richie]: We are the World); 1989 Best Music Video/Short Form Grammy: Leave Me Alone; The Legend Award Grammy; The Girl is Mine, Stay, Stay, Stay [w/Paul McCartney], I Just Can’t Stop Loving You [w/Siedah Garrett], Rock with You, Bad, Smooth Criminal, Ease on Down the Road [w/Diana Ross - from Broadway’s The Wiz]; Captain Eo in Epcot Center’s multimedia show; married and divorced Lisa Marie Presley; inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Mar 19, 2001)
    1958--Alan Freed's "Big Beat Show" opens at the Fox Theatre in Brooklyn. The usual venue, The Paramount, is vacated because management didn't like the fact there was a riot after Freed's Boston concert. The opener in Brooklyn brought in $200,000 and those performing included Frankie Avalon, Jimmy Clanton, Bobby Freeman, the Elegants, Bill Haley & the Comets and Chuck Berry.
    1958-John Lennon and Paul McCartney of a Liverpool band called the Quarrymen, welcome George Harrison to the group.
    1959-Horace Silver Quintet records “ Blowin’ the Blues Away.”
    1960-Birthday of American composer William Susman, Chicago, IL.
    1962- Malvin Russell “Mel” Goode of Pittsburgh, PA, became the first African-American to be a television news commentator when he was assigned by WABC-TV to the United Nations staff, New York City.
    1964---Top Hits
Where Did Our Love Go - The Supremes
The House of the Rising Sun - The Animals
C’mon and Swim - Bobby Freeman
I Guess I’m Crazy - Jim Reeves
    1964- Walt Disney's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious "Mary Poppins" released.
http://us.imdb.com/Details?0058331
    1964 - Roy Orbison’s "Oh, Pretty Woman" was released. It hit number one (for 3 weeks) on September 26th and became the biggest of his career. "Oh, Pretty Woman" was Orbison’s second #1 hit. The other was "Running Scared" (6/05/61).
    1965- Giant Willie Mays breaks former Pirate Ralph Kiner record for home runs in the month of August when the 'Say Hey Kid' connects for his 17th round tripper in an 8-3 victory over the Mets.
    1965-cool wave brought 2.5 inches of snow to Mt. Washington for an August record. It reached 25 in Vermont, the earliest freeze on record in many locations.
    1966 - The Beatles performed at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, CA. It was the group’s last live appearance before they disbanded in 1970. 1966- Beatles last public concert, (Candlestick Park, San Francisco) Also appearing were The Ronettes, and the Remains. Ticket purchases by mail were available from KYA, No. 1 Nob Hill Circle, San Francisco
http://www.televideos.com/prod01.htm
http://www.acuity4u.net/EREPORT/BEATLES/852077179.html
    1967- Final TV episode of "The Fugitive". The series originally started on September, 1963. Dr. Richard Kimble ( David Janssen) was wrongly convicted and sentenced to death for his wife’s murder, but escaped from his captors in a train wreck. This popular program aired for four years detailing Kimble’s search for the one-armed man(BillRaisch) who had killed his wife, Helen ( Diane Brewster). in the meantime, Kimble himself, was being pursued by Lieutenant Phillip Gerard ( Barry Morse). The final episode aired this day in 1967 featured Kimble extracting a confession from the one-armed man as they struggled form the heights of a water tower in a desert amusement park. That single episode was the highest-rated show ever broadcast until 1975. The TV series generated a hit movie in 1993 with Harrison Ford as Kimble and Oscar-winner Tommy Lee Jones as Gerard. (Feb. 28,1983, M*A*S*H, concluding a run of 255 episodes, this 2 ½ hour finale became the most-watched television show at that time---77 percent of the viewing public was tuned in. Cheers last episode on August 19,1993 did not beat this rating nor did Seinfield last on May 14, 1998 nor did my most favorite show, “Mad About You.” on May 24, 1999.
http://www.tvtome.com/MadAboutYou/
http://www.landfield.com/faqs/tv/mad-about-you/faq/part4/
(Helen Hunt and co-star, Paul Reiser, were both given $1,000,000 per episode salaries for the 1999 TV season of "Mad About You".
    1968-Democratic Party National Convention: Antiwar protesters clashed with police and national guardsmen in the streets outside, and hundreds of people, including innocent bystanders and members of the press, were brutally beaten by Chicago’s finest.
    1968-Cream and Electric Flag opened at Fillmore West, San Francisco.
    1969 - To compete with Johnny Carson (NBC) and Joey Bishop (ABC), CBS-TV presented Merv Griffin on late-night TV. Johnny ruled -- staying on top for almost 23 years to come.
    1971 - Hank Aaron became the first baseball player in the National League to drive in 100 or more runs in each of 11 seasons.
    1972---Top Hits
Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) - Looking Glass
Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O’Sullivan
Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) - The Hollies
If You Leave Me Tonight I’ll Cry - Jerry Wallace
    1972-Preisdent Richard Nixon announced that a White House investigation of the Watergate break-in, conducted by White House counsel John Dean, revealed that administration officials were not involved in the burglary.
    1974- 600 Catholic nuns adopt a resolution calling for the ordination of women priests in the Roman Catholic Church.
    1974-Moses Malone became the first basketball player to jump from high school to professional basketball, skipping college to sign a contract with the Utah stars of the ABA.
    1977- Lou Brock stole the 893rd base of his career, surpassing Ty Cobb’s modern record for career stolen bases. Ricky Henderson in 1982 breaks Brock’s for stealing the most bases in
one season with 122.
    1979-Sheridan Broadcasting Corp purchases Mutual Black Network, making it the first completely Black owned radio network in the world.
    1980---Top Hits
Magic - Olivia Newton-John
Sailing - Christopher Cross
Take Your Time (Do It Right) - The S.O.S. Band
Drivin’ My Life Away - Eddie Rabbitt
    1981-The Pretenders "II" LP enters the chart.
    1981-The soundtrack to the film, "Heavy Metal" enters the album charts. The LP features tracks by Stevie Nicks, Cheap Trick, Devo and Sammy Hagar.
    1984 - Edwin Moses won the 400-meter hurdles in track competition in Europe. It was the track star’s 108th consecutive victory.
    1984-high temperatures at Topeka, KS reaches 110 degrees for the first time since the dust bowl of the 30's.
    1986 - The former "American Bandstand" studio, at the original home of WFIL-TV in Philadelphia, PA, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The studio is located at 4548 Market Street.
    1987-Los Lobos' remake of Ritchie Valens' 1959 classic, "La Bamba" hits #1 on the pop singles chart and stays there for three weeks.
    1988---Top Hits
Monkey - George Michael
I Don’t Wanna to Go on with You like That - Elton John
I Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love - Chicago
The Wanderer - Eddie Rabbitt
    1989-- In a special election, Ileana Rose Lehtinen (R-FL) becomes the first Cuban-American elected to the U.S. Congress.
    1990 -Saddam Hussein declares America can't beat Iraq. By the end of 1990, 580,000 Iraqi troops were believed to be in Kuwait or southern Iraq. Facing them were 485,000 troops of 17 allied countries. Earlier, on August 10 at a meeting in Cairo, only 12 of the 21 member nations of the Arab League voted to support American troops.
    1991- the Soviet Communist Party suspended parliament, thus ending a 75-year control of the USSR. Democratic change was sought and the struggle still continues today. Perhaps ending the hunt in the United States to “halt” communism. Capitalism won out.
    1992-Guns'n'Roses "November Rain" peaks at #3 on the pop singles chart.
    1998---Top Hits
I Don t Want To Miss A Thing- Aerosmith
The First Night- Monica
Crush- Jennifer Paige
My Way- Usher
    2002- To show their displeasure about tomorrow's impending strike, fans at Devil Ray-Angel game begin throwing foul balls back onto the field at Edison Field and over a100 people are ejected for throwing trash. New words are added to the traditional seventh-inning rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" as many of the fans in attendance begin to chant, "Don't strike! Don't strike! Don't strike!".

*** When Charlie Parker died, this was found written on my sidewalk streets
in New York City: “The Bird Lives! “

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