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You May Have Missed ---
Trust the Models? In This Economy?
...Three Years into the Pandemic

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

ELFA Reports November Business Down 24%
Echoing ELFF 2023 1st Quarter Prediction

(Leasing News Chart)

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s (ELFA) Monthly Leasing and Finance Index for November new business volume was down to $8.6 billion from $11.3 billion in October, a 24% decrease..

(ELFA Chart)

The numbers echo the pessimistic 2023 Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation press release (see Leasing News Press Release Section).

In their report, the Secured Finance Network was optimistic as the country wrestles with inflation and rising interest rates in their report. The SFNet third quarter press release saw continued confidence in the asset-based lending market. (See Leasing News Press Release).

ELFA President and CEO Ralph Petta was definitely optimistic in the press release, stating: “Moving into the final month of the year, equipment finance companies report solid performance. Rising interest rates seem to have little or no effect on origination volume in November. The economy grew in Q3—albeit slowly—and is expected to do so again in the current quarter. Labor markets are stable, inflation woes appear to be abating, consumers are spending, and businesses continue to expand and grow: a recipe for stable growth by providers of equipment financing.”

Patrick Hoiby, President, Equify Financial, LLC, was also optimistic: “New volume continues to be very strong despite continued rate hikes. Charge-offs and delinquency are remaining in check and overall credit quality is good. Employee count is hard to measure because many companies wish to expand, but are having hard times finding people.”

Note in the following charts to follow:

Receivables over 30 days were 1.7 percent, unchanged from the previous month and down from 2.2 percent in the same period in 2021. Charge-offs were 0.27 percent, up from 0.26 percent the previous month and up from 0.20 percent in the year-earlier period.

Credit approvals totaled 77.7 percent, up from 77.0 percent in October. Total headcount for equipment finance companies was down 4.7 percent year-over-year.

Separately, the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation’s Monthly Confidence Index (MCI-EFI) in December is 45.9, an increase from the November index of 43.7.

(ELFA Chart)

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New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

Nancy Brady was hired as Commercial Credit Analyst, Mitsubishi HC Capital Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Previously, she was Manager, Credit and Collections, Harbour Edge (May, 2016 - December, 2022); Manager, Credit and Collections, Capmor Financial Services Corp. (July, 2006 - April, 2018); Regional Sales Manager, VFC, Inc. (April, 1999 - June, 2006); Branch Manager, Superior Acceptance Corporation (March, 1993 - April, 1999).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-brady-792a01ab/

Ryan Byrne was promoted Senior Vice President of Sales, Vision Financial Group, Inc., a Civista Bank Company, Dover, New Hampshire. He joined the company December, 2014, Vice President of Sales. Previously, he was Business Development Representative, Direct Capital Corporation (June, 2014 - September, 2014); Brokerage Assistant Intern, CBRE (September, 2013 - December, 2013); Sales Rep Intern, Liberty Mutual Insurance.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rbyrne9/

Gabriella Cafaro was hired as Sales Support Specialist, 36th Street Capital Partners, LLC., Morristown, New Jersey. She joined Ascentium Capital October, 2018, as Relationship Manager, promoted September, 2019, Regional Sales Manager; promoted December, 2019, Sales Assistant, promoted January, 2022, Sales Coordinator. She joined GSG Financial July, 2014, Transaction Manager, promoted January, 2017, Sales Representative.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriella-cafaro-a7945751/

Joseph Francia was hired as Account Manager, North Mill Equipment Finance LLC, Norwalk, Connecticut. He is located in Huntington Beach, California. Previously, he was Mortgage Loan Processor III, Network Capital (November, 2019 - August, 2022); Consultant Processor, R3 Processor {October. 2018 - October, 2019); Chief Financial Officer, National Student Loan Advisor (February, 2016 - October, 2019). Full Bio:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joefrancia/details/experience/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joefrancia/

Jim Howard, CLFP, was promoted to Vice President of Finance Operations, Approve, Wilmington, North Carolina. He joined the firm October, 2020, Account Executive, promoted March, 2022, Director of Finance Operations. Previously, he was Demand Management, New England at Citrix (September, 2019 - September, 2020); Sales Director, True Influence (November, 2018 - April, 2019). He joined Dzone, Inc., as Account Executive, April, 2014, promoted February, 2015, Account Executive, promoted January, 2016, Senior Account Executive, promoted August, 2018, Key Account Manager; Sales Consultant, Crossroads, Infiniti (April, 2014 - February, 2015).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimhoward16/

James Wollweber Jr. was hired as Vice President, 36th Street Capital Partners, Morristown, New Jersey. He is located in Massapequa, New York. Previously, he was Investment Analyst, St. John's University (November, 2021 - December, 2022); Valuation Analyst, VRC (Valuation Research Corporation) (April, 2021 - December, 2021); Credit Analyst, Underwriter, Sterling National bank (June, 2019 - April, 2021).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-wollweber-jr-mba/

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

SFNet Reports Confidence
in Asset-Based Lending Market

Survey shows industry is well positioned
to help businesses weather a recession

NEW YORK, NY, ─ The third quarter saw continued confidence in the asset-based lending market, according to data released by the Secured Finance Network, and that was welcome news as the country wrestles with inflation, rising interest rates and a slowed economy.

SFNet surveyed bank and non-bank asset-based lenders (ABLs) on key indicators for its quarterly Asset-Based Lending Index and SFNet Confidence Index.

SFNet CEO Richard D. Gumbrecht, noted, “Despite the challenges, the all-weather asset-based lending industry remains on solid footing.

“Portfolio performance is strong by historical standards, commitments are up, and lenders anticipate strong demand. Overall, the industry is built to withstand worsening business conditions and provide essential capital into a potential recession.”

Lenders are confident in the value and resiliency of the industry in a difficult economy, he added. The most positive expectations were in demand for new business and hiring. Expectations for client utilization remained in the increase territory, but expectations dropped from the prior quarter, the report said. But lenders had lower expectations for general business conditions.

Survey highlights

For banks, asset-based loan commitments (total committed credit lines) were up 3.3% in Q3 compared to the previous quarter. Outstandings (total asset-based loans outstanding) grew by 1.3%.

Commitment runoff increased by 12.9% quarter over quarter but is 19.8% lower than it was a year ago for banks reporting for Q3 2021 and Q3 2022, the report said. “Lower new commitments and higher commitment runoff reduced net commitments in Q3, but the level remained just below a multi-year high.”

Non-bank lenders, meanwhile, saw total commitments drop 2.4% from the previous quarter. Total outstandings were down as well, as well, falling 1.7%. But compared to the same quarter last year, total outstandings remain significantly elevated, up 29.7%.

“Though slightly more than half of non-banks reported an increase in new commitments compared to the prior quarter, new commitments decreased significantly quarter-on-quarter among those reporting for both Q2 and Q3,” the report said. “With a sharp drop in new commitments and an increase in runoffs, net commitments turned negative.”

In terms of credit-line utilization for bank lenders, the rate fell to 42% for banks after increasing for six consecutive quarters. For non-banks, utilization rose to a multi-year high of 58.7% in Q3, as the drop in commitments exceeded the dip in outstandings.

“Both bank and non-bank utilization rates remain near or above historical standards, underscoring the general health of the industry,” the report said.

Portfolio performance held steady in the third quarter. Banks reported lower levels of non-accruing loans compared to last quarter, but there were higher levels of criticized and classified loans and gross write-offs.

Non-bank trends were similar. There was an equal share of non-banks with increased and decreased non-accruing loans compared to Q2, the report said, though the majority of survey respondents reported no change in non-accruing loans.

The asset-based lending market now has its eye on a new year and remains hopeful for a strong 2023 despite persistent fears of recession.

“Although the U.S. economy posted negative growth in the first half of 2022—caused in large measure by spiking energy prices—steady gains in the labor market and resilient consumers have helped to bring a modest rebound in the second half of the year,” the report said. “The economy also appears to be moving past the worst of COVID-caused supply chain disruptions that challenged businesses. Meanwhile, most measures of severe financial stress – including consumer and business delinquencies and defaults as well as home foreclosures and bankruptcies – remain subdued by historical standards.”

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

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

ELFF Release Quarter 1, 2023
Industry Snapshot

The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation has released the Q1 2023 Equipment Leasing & Finance Industry Snapshot, an indispensable information resource for industry participants. Designed for use in executive briefings and presentations, the presentation slide deck summarizes the current conditions and projections for the U.S. economy and equipment finance industry with clear, easy-to-digest charts and short narratives of key trends.

Among the range of details in the Q1 Snapshot:

Overall, the Foundation projects the U.S. economy will grow by just 0.9% in 2023 due to a possible recession that could start in Q2 2023.

The economy expanded in Q3 2022 mainly due to robust net export growth, healthy consumer spending, and robust equipment and software investment.

Economic tailwinds for growth in 2023 include:

A strong labor market, which added 261K jobs in November 2022 and still has job openings well above pre-pandemic levels.

Post-COVID supply chain shifts prompted by manufacturers rethinking globally distributed supply chain models.

A pro-industrial legislative boost from Congress passing three major bills over the last 18 months, which collectively authorize at least $600 billion in new spending for a variety of industrial and infrastructure projects.

Economic headwinds include:

The global economy slowing sharply, as rising interest rates and geopolitical turmoil take their toll. Other risk factors, such as a slowdown in China, threaten to worsen the decline in growth. Fortunately, the U.S. remains relatively insulated from the slowing global economy for now.

A sharply slowing housing sector, where quickly rising interest rates have dampened demand for housing and led to price drops, plummeting homebuilder sentiment, and record declines in mortgage applications.

Financial market turmoil with the market for U.S. Treasury bonds experiencing collapses in liquidity, and the potential for a divided Congress facing another debt ceiling showdown.

Recession risk:

Currently, six of 10 indicators tracked in the Foundation-Keybridge Recession Monitor have exceeded the threshold Keybridge considers “recessionary.”

High inflation pushing the Fed to raise interest rates is negatively affecting the housing market as well as businesses’ plans to invest.

Wage growth has lagged inflation for 20 consecutive months, and real hourly earnings for private-sector employees are at levels last seen in January 2020.

Equipment and software investment is expected to grow at a 4.2% pace in 2023.

Equipment and software investment growth is forecasted to slow as the Fed’s rate hikes weigh on economic growth and cool business investment.

New business volume growth reported in ELFA’s Monthly Leasing and Finance Index was up 6% year over year in October. Healthy NBV growth throughout 2022 has been supported by the unwinding of supply chains which has finally allowed many firms to acquire the equipment they need.

Prepared by Keybridge Research and updated quarterly, the snapshot is available for free download at https://www.leasefoundation.org/industry-resources/industry-snapshot/

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

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

California DFPI Revoke BlockFi’s
California Financing Law License

SACRAMENTO – The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) announced that Commissioner Clothilde V. Hewlett has moved to revoke BlockFi Lending LLC’s (BlockFi) California Financing Law (CFL) license.

The move to revoke is the result of the department’s examination, which found that the New Jersey-based finance lender failed to perform adequate underwriting when making loans and failed to consider borrowers’ ability to repay these loans, in violation of California’s financing laws and regulations.

The Commissioner may issue an order revoking BlockFi’s license if the company does not request a hearing by Dec. 30, 2022. BlockFi reports to the DFPI that it has ceased offering loans in California and asks clients not deposit to the BlockFi Wallet or its interest accounts.

On Nov. 11, one day after BlockFi paused all withdrawals from its crypto asset platform citing “significant exposure to FTX” and affiliated entities, the department issued a notice of intent to suspend BlockFi’s CFL license. BlockFi did not request a hearing, and the department suspended the license through Dec. 18, 2022. BlockFi filed a petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in New Jersey on Nov. 28, 2022.

In February 2022, the Commissioner entered into a settlement with BlockFi resolving BlockFi’s alleged violations of California’s securities laws. Under this settlement, BlockFi agreed to desist and refrain from offering or selling unqualified, non-exempt securities in the form of BlockFi interest accounts in California.

The DFPI expects any person offering securities, lender, or other financial services provider that operates in California to comply with our financial laws. If you have been impacted by these events, please contact the DFPI online (https://dfpi.ca.gov/file-a-complaint/) or call toll-free at (866) 275-2677.

The DFPI administers the state’s lending and banking laws, the recent California Consumer Financial Protection Law, and the state’s securities laws, which govern broker-dealer https://dfpi.ca.gov/file-a-complaint/ , investment advisers, and commodities. Learn more at https://dfpi.ca.gov

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

Rottweiler and Border Collie Mix
Scottsdale, Arizona Adopt-a-Dog

Female
Two Years Old
Spayed
Good in a Home
with Other Dogs, Children

You can fill out an adoption application online on our official website. Panda was adopted at 2 months old by a loving family who unwittingly nurtured all her worst qualities. This resulted in an insecure and entitled dog who behaved poorly in the home.

Since being surrendered back to Paw Placement at 2 years old, Panda has come a long way. She's currently in a home with multiple dogs, lots of structure and calm, assertive leadership. Panda plays with dogs of all sizes and ages, she's gentle when necessary and can get rowdy with dogs who enjoy a rougher play style. She loves to chew bones and antlers, and rarely displays her resource guarding tendencies these days. She'll do best in a home that sets boundaries - no dogs on the couch, lie down while people are eating - and is willing to enforce those boundaries. She walks nicely on a leash, is mastering her obedience (sit, down, place, etc.) and is crate and house trained.

Panda has some stranger danger, has done well meeting people who initially ignore her, and has been ready to receive affection from them within 15 minutes or so. She's the same with new dogs and, though she loves dogs and thrives with them in a home with strong leadership, in the absence of that leadership, she'll need a home where she's the only pet.

Paw Placement
Scottsdale, Arizona
mjandersson@cox.net
(480) 580-7440
https://www.pawplacement.org

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Watch at Home
by Fernando Croce, Leasing News Movie Reviewer

Special Christmas Edition, Part Two:

When it comes to celebrating Christmas with your loved ones, a great movie is as much of a seasonal staple as eggnog and mistletoe. So check out the rest of our Yuletide recommendations!

Christmas in Connecticut (1945): Though not as well known as other Yuletide offerings from the Golden Age, this likable holiday comedy benefits mightily from the scintillating Barbara Stanwyck’s presence. She plays Elizabeth Lane, a magazine columnist who, with her cozy farm and perfect family in Connecticut, is a model for her many readers. Among them is Jefferson Jones (Dennis Morgan), a war hero who, in a publicity stunt, gets a chance to spend Christmas at her family home. Only problem is that there’s neither home nor family, as Elizabeth’s image is a sham. As she scrambles to keep up the charade by taking cooking lessons and borrowing babies, she and Jefferson naturally fall in love. Directed by Peter Godfrey, the movie also features classic character actors Sydney Greenstreet and S.Z. Sakall.

Stalag 17 (1953): Legendary writer-director Billy Wilder (“Some Like It Hot”) mines for laughter in a scabrous setting in this classic comedy-drama, which won William Holden a Best Actor Oscar. Unfolding during Christmastime in a German prisoner camp during World War II, the story follows a group of American airmen and their attempts to escape from the ruthless Nazi commander (Otto Preminger). As the possibility of sabotage grows, the men become suspicious of J.J. Selfton (Holden), a proudly cynical sergeant who’s not above making deals with his captors. With the day of the escape drawing closer, it’s up to him to uncover the real traitor. Full of suspense, barbed wit, and memorable characters (including Robert Strauss and Harvey Lembeck as rowdy inmates), this is one of Wilder’s most popular films.

Black Christmas (1974): If you're looking for a little seasonal counter-programming to the usual crowd-pleasers, you can't go wrong with this 1974 Canadian shocker, helmed by none other than "A Christmas Story" director Bob Clark. Set at a college sorority house during Christmas break, the story follows a group of students lead by the feisty Barb (Margot Kidder), and how they're affected by a series of threatening phone calls. In between arguments with her boyfriend, coed Jess (Olivia Hussey) helps the police in the search for the maniac who's been killing people around the campus. The closer they get to the truth, the more dangerous things become. Made with tension and a welcome sprinkling of dark humor, this underrated thriller supplies a nifty shiver in times of Yuletide warmth.

Gremlins (1984): Cuteness and terror are mixed with riotous results in this gleeful horror-comedy from the imaginative Joe Dante (“The Howling”). With Christmas just around the corner, small-town teen Billy (Zach Galligan) gets a unique gift: a furry and adorable little critter known as Mogwai, who becomes his beloved new pet. However, when an accident causes the tiny guy to release dozens of ferocious gremlins, the peaceful town is overrun by mischievous monsters. Can Billy and his girlfriend Kate (Phoebe Cates) put a stop to this invasion before it’s too late? Sending up the season’s conventional wholesomeness with subversive delight, director Dante packs the story with movie-buff jokes and cameos, including a story involving a chimney that would send chills up Santa Claus’ spine. A wicked and witty ride.

Mean Girls (2004): Lindsay Lohan shines in this fast-paced high school comedy, which frequently drew comparisons to the dark classic “Heathers” when first released. Lohan stars as Cady, a teenager who, after spending most of her life in Africa with her researcher parents, gets to have the high school experience when the family moves to Illinois. It’s there where she witnesses the hierarchy of cliques, as embodied by a group of students known as “The Plastics”: Insecure Gretchen (Lacey Chabert), dim Karen (Amanda Seyfried), and cruel Regina (Rachel McAdams). Directed by Mark Waters (“Freaky Friday”) from a tart screenplay by Tina Fey, this is a brash send-up of teenage mores that slyly spikes glossiness with edginess. Keep an eye out for a memorable rendition of “Jingle Bell Rock.”

Fernando Croce is a nationally recognized film reviewer and has been contributing to Leasing News since the summer of 2008. His reviews appear each Friday.

Fernando's Reviews: https://leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Fer-Review.htm

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deBanked Connect: Miami 2023
January 19th, Miami Beach Convention Center
This Will Sell Out, Advice: Register Now

Connect all over again at the Miami Beach Convention Center for one of the best experiences in the alternative finance industry.

This is the industry's go-to South Florida event. In addition to being a major alternative finance hub, companies from all across the nation descend on Miami each January to learn, grow their business, and CONNECT

The Broker Fair is the largest gathering of MCA and business loan brokers in the country. Focused on commercial finance and small business lending alike, this exclusive one-day event offers brokers, lenders, funders, and service providers education, inspiration, and opportunities to connect and grow their business.

Register:
https://www.debankedmiami.com/page/2322141/register

News Briefs---

Wells Fargo slammed with $3.7B penalty,
in record CFPB settlement
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/20/wells-fargo-cfpb-settlement-00074740

Green Rides: China Leads the World in EV Adoption
EVs sold worldwide 6.6 million in 2021
https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/11/27/green-rides-china-leads-the-world-in-ev-adoption/

Squeezed by temp nurse costs,
hospital systems create staffing agencies
https://www.ajc.com/life/health/squeezed-by-temp-nurse-costs-hospital-systems-create-staffing-agencies/66W25CW56JDRZMGOSE4FKZQTYU/

It’s Time for New Yorkers to Mask Up Again,
Mayor Adams Says
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/20/nyregion/nyc-covid-flu-rsv-eric-adams.html

US Postal Service fulfills top Biden climate goal
with deployment of 66,000 electric delivery trucks
https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/20/politics/usps-electric-vehicle-fleet/index.html

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Trust the Models? In This Economy?
...Three Years into the Pandemic
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/19/business/economy/recession-economy-forecast-2023.html

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Sports Briefs---

Depleted Warriors face NBA’s hottest teams
in back-to-back games after rare road win
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/12/20/depleted-warriors-must-ride-rare-road-win-into-back-to-back-vs-nbas-hottest-teams/

Packers defeat Rams 24-12 to keep playoff hopes alive
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/sports/packers-defeat-rams-24-12-to-keep-playoff-hopes-alive/

Had Patriots-Raiders been on ‘Sunday Night Football,
that Keelan Cole touchdown review might have gone differently
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/12/20/sports/patriots-raiders-touchdown-replay/

Jerry Jones says likelihood of Cowboys signing
Odell Beckham Jr. is diminishing
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/cowboys/2022/12/20/jerry-jones-odell-beckham-cowboys-decreasing/10932316002/

There's one tiny flaw in the 49ers’ Death Star
https://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/49ers-death-star-flaw-17665124.php

San Jose State lays an egg in Potato Bow
https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/12/20/san-jose-state-lays-an-egg-in-potato-bowl/

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California Nuts Briefs---

Two dead in 6.4 magnitude California earthquake
that causes widespread damages widespread damage
https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/6-4-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-Northern-17666216.php

Maps show where California’s Asian Americans live
and how that’s changed over time
https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2022/california-asian-population/

Puppy abandoned at SFO adopted by airline captain and family
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/Puppy-abandoned-at-SFO-adopted-by-airline-captain-17665103.php

16 long-lived San Francisco Bay Area restaurants
we said goodbye to in 2022
https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/12/19/16-long-lived-bay-area-restaurants-we-said-goodbye-to-in-2022/

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"Gimme that wine"

A Winemaking Conference in Vermont?
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/265456

Top Wholesalers Weigh In On Holiday Conditions
https://www.shankennewsdaily.com/index.php/2022//9/32376/
p-wholesalers-weigh-in-on-holiday-conditions/

Santa Barbara Wine Auction Raises $815,000
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/265467

The 50 Great Canned Wines of the World Competition
winners 2023 by Wine Pleasures
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/265480

Where to Drink Anything but Wine
in Napa, Sonoma, and Marin
https://sf.eater.com/maps/spirits-tasting-rooms-napa-sonoma-marin

Secrets you’ll uncover at top sparkling wine houses
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/lifestyle/secrets-youll-uncover-at-top-sparkling-wine-houses/

“Gimme that Wine”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJnQoi8DSE8

Free Wine App
https://www.nataliemaclean.com/mobileapp/

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

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

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This Day in History

    1620 - According to Governor William Bradford’s “History of Plymouth Plantation,” the Pilgrims, aboard the Mayflower, reached Plymouth, MA, “sounded ye harbor, and founde fill for shipping; and marched into ye land, & founde diverse cornfields, and ye best they could find, and yea season & their presente necessitie made them glad to accepte of it.... And after wards tooke better view of ye place, and resolved wher to pitch their dwelling; and them and their goods.” Plymouth Rock, the legendary place of landing since it first was “identified” in 1769, nearly 150 years after the landing, has been a historic shrine since. Contrary to common belief, the Pilgrims tried several locations first, including Provincetown Harbor, Mass, where the first social contract for a New England colony was drafted and signed by 41 adult males. The Pilgrims did not settle there but went on after a time to Plymouth. Physician Dr. Samuel Fuller was on board, in fact one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact. For some time, he was the sole physician in Massachusetts. In a letter dated June 28, 1630, written at Salem, MA, to Governor William Bradford of Plymouth, he described one of the customary treatments, in which he “let some twenty of these people blood.”
    1790 - Samuel Slater's thread-spinning factory goes into production, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, beginning the Industrial Revolution in America. The workers at his machines are 4 to 10 years old.
http://www.woonsocket.org/slaterhist.htm
http://john.ourjourneys.org/slater/early.html
http://inventors.about.com/cs/inventorsalphabet/a/textile_2.htm
    1826 - American settlers in Nacoqdoches in Mexican Texas declared their independence, starting what is known as the Fredonian Rebellion. The first attempt by Anglo settlers in Texas to secede from Mexico, the settlers, led by Empresario Haden Edwards, declared independence and created the Republic of Fredonia near Nacoqdoches. The short-lived republic encompassed the land the Mexican government had granted to Edwards in 1825 and included areas that had been previously settled. Fearing that through the rebellion, the United States hoped to gain control of Texas, the Mexican government severely curtailed immigration to the region from the US. The new immigration law was bitterly opposed by colonists and caused increasing dissatisfaction with Mexican rule. Some historians consider the Fredonian Rebellion to be the beginning of the Texas Revolution. In the words of one historian, the rebellion was "premature, but it sparked the powder for later success."
    1829 - Birthday of Laura Dewey Bridgman (d. 1889), Hanover, NH. Struck deaf and blind at two, she was the first blind-deaf mute to be taught successfully. She eventually helped teach others with disabilities. She learned to read through a Braille-like system and "spoke" through tapping out an "alphabet." as taught her by Samuel Gridley Howe at the Perkins Institute for the Blind, Boston. Howe's methods of teaching her are still being studied today and his journals as well as Bridgman's are carefully read for their insight and aid for teaching all those with disabilities. The records kept by Howe and by Bridgman's teachers are invaluable to modern researchers investigating the education of the disabled, as they are the first detailed records of the education of a deaf-blind person." She lived her entire life at Perkins, dying at age 60.
http://library.pittstate.edu/spcoll/ndxbridgman.html
http://library.pittstate.edu/spcoll/bridgman1.html
http://www.highbeam.com/library/doc0.asp?DOCID=1P1
:30431105&num=3&ctrlInfo=
Round9c%3AProd1%3ASR%3AResult&ao=
    1830 - Birthday of early American author Mary Virginia Hawest Terhune (d. 1922), Amelia County, VA. Her novels often centered around southern plantation life. Her first novel, “Alone” (1854), sold more than 100,000 copies. She also wrote advice books and popular biographies. She wrote syndicated columns on women's affairs for the Philadelphia North American (1900-10) and the Chicago Tribune (1911-17).
http://www3.telus.net/womenswork/mary_virginia_terhune.htm
http://mn.essortment.com/maryvirginiate_rapi.htm
http://web.ask.com/searchcp?q=Mary+Virginia+Terhune&t=Mary+Vir
ginia+Terhune&cache=
00*2s45u99erpnnw&url=
http://www.math.ttu.edu/~wlewis/family.htm&page=&ws=1
    1850 - Celia, a black slave is hung for killing her master. Her tragic story and the underlying cruelty and the societal-approved prerogative of the male to sexually satisfy himself with his property - slave or wife - was told in Meltan A. McLaurin's historically accurate book “Celia, A Slave,” New York: Avon Books, 1991. Robert Newsom, a widower, bought Celia when she was about 14, raping her for the first time on the way back to his Missouri plantation. He set her up in a cabin behind the main house and, in time, she bore two children. As the trial transcripts relate, in trying to resist her master's advances, she killed him with a stick. White women rallied to her side claiming that women had a right to resist rape whether they were slaves or not. Not surprising in the all-male judicial system, the male prerogative and the right of ownership prevailed in court. All appeals failed and she was hanged for murder. McLaurin's book attracted a great deal of interest when it was first published because it was the first time anyone had attempted to reconstruct the life of an "ordinary" slave, a woman at that. All the real facts that are known about Celia are taken from the transcripts of her trial. At about 19, she began developing a mind of her own and became involved with another slave, George.
http://www.click2famoustrials.com/celia/celia.htm
http://www.jacksonvillestory.com/Celia%27s%20Sad%20Fate.htm
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=4641
14&sourceid=1500000000000001827190&dest=9999999997
    1864 - Sherman takes Savannah. Despite efforts by Confederate General William Hardee to defend the city of Savannah, GA, Confederate troops were forced to pull out of the city, and Union forces under William Tecumseh Sherman captured the town. By marching from Atlanta to the coast at Savannah, Sherman had cut the lower South off from the center. Contrary to Southern belief on history, it was the Confederate troops who, upon leaving the city, began the fires so Union troops would not food or supplies or goods held in stores or warehouses in the city. They also burned farms on their journey to cut supplies from Union troops.
    1892 - Walter Charles Hagen (d. 1969), golfer born at Rochester, NY. Hagen won two US Opens, four British Opens and five PGA Championships. He was extraordinary in match play, including the Ryder Cup, because he was a master scrambler and absolutely unflappable. He was also a colorful showman who brought the game to the masses and helped to increase prize money.
    1892 - Portland, OR, was buried under a record 27.5 inches of snow.
    1903 – American detective writer Lawrence Treat was born Lawrence Arthur Goldstone (d. 1998), NYC. Often called the "father" of modern police procedural novel.
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/treat.htm
    1909 - Barney Ross, boxer born Barnet David Rosofsky (d. 1967) at New York, NY. Ross was the first boxer to hold two titles simultaneously. He won the lightweight crown in 1932 and the welterweight crown in 1934. He also won a Silver Star during World War II as a Marine.
    1909 - Although called introductory high schools, the McKinley and Washington schools of Berkeley, California, were the first authorized junior-high schools in the United States. They taught grades 7, 8 and 9.
    1912 - Joshua (Josh) Gibson (d. 1947), Baseball Hall of Fame catcher born at Buena Vista, GA. Gibson is regarded as the greatest slugger to play in the Negro Leagues and perhaps the greatest ballplayer ever. Gibson starred with the Pittsburgh Crawfords. His long home runs are the stuff of legend. In 60 recorded at bats against big league pitching, Gibson batted .426. He died at 35 years old just three months before the integration of baseball in the Major Leagues. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.
http://www.blackbaseball.com/gibsonjo.html
    1913 - The first crossword puzzle was compiled by Arthur Wynne and published in a supplement of New York World. He basically redesigned a Victorian-era game called The Magic Square as a feature for the Pulitzer newspaper.
    1914 - Marie Dressler, Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand and Mack Swain appeared in the first feature-length comedy that was six reels long. Mack Sennett directed the film called, "Tillie's Punctured Romance."
    1929 - The first hospital insurance group plan was effected by Baylor University Hospital, Dallas, Texas. The plan was inaugurated by Dr. Justin Ford Kimball, executive vice president of Baylor University. The first group insured were the Dallas public school teachers, who paid 50 cents per month for 21 days of hospital treatment.
    1929 - An exceptional snowstorm swept across the southern Plains through Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. 26 inches fell at Hillsboro, TX and 18 inches fell at El Dorado, AR.
    1937 – “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” was exhibited in Los Angeles, CA. It was an instant hit. Disney took a tremendous gamble with this 3-year artistic venture, as fantasies usually did not fare well at the box office. He had much of his own money tied up in the film and “Snow White” had the potential of financially ruining him. The film was originally budgeted for $250,000 but ended up costing $1,480,000. The film utilized the talents of 570 artists and contained 250,000 drawings. Would adults sit through a cartoon that ran nearly an hour and a half? The pre-release fears were unfounded. The public and most critics were enchanted and impressed with Disney's painstakingly crafted fairy tale. Never before had anyone so successfully produced a full-length animation film and it was quickly dubbed into 10 languages. In England, children under 16 were not allowed to see the film unless accompanied by an adult and it was under partial ban in South Africa and the Netherlands. The film ran for 5 weeks at New York's Radio City Music Hall and for 31 weeks in Paris. “Snow White” set new attendance records around the world, marking the dawn of a new age in animation. It became the first movie to earn $1 billion. In its nine theatrical releases, it earned approximately $1 billion in 1994 US Dollars. The home video version of “Snow White” was officially released on October 28, 1994, after receiving about 27 million retail orders, making it the top-selling video up to that time.
    1937 - Birthday of Jane Fonda, NYC, considered a controversial figure because she visited Hanoi during the Viet Nam war. She won Academy Awards for her work in “Klute” (1971) and “Coming Home” (1978) and she was nominated three more times. She won the Emmy for “The Dollmaker” (1984). One of the nation's most distinguished actors, she may never be fully honored because of her anti-war activities during the Viet Nam war. She went to Hanoi and through radio broadcast begged America to stop the bombing. She has been called Hanoi Jane ever since by the right wing extremists who distorted her message and purpose. Her workout books and videos became very popular in the 1980s. She dropped out of films when she married Ted Turner, the TV mogul, in 1991 (divorced in 2001). In 1994, she narrated “A Century of Women,” a TV series that celebrated women's achievements in the 20th century.
    1938 - Cootie Williams's Rug Cutters record “Delta Mood.”
    1940 - Rock singer and composer Frank Zappa (d. 1993) was born in Baltimore. The oldest of four children, Zappa and his family moved to California while he was still in his teens. After graduation in 1958, he played with various lounge bands and began composing songs, one of which, "Memories of El Monte," was recorded by the Penguins of "Earth Angel" fame. In 1964, Zappa took over a rhythm-and-blues band called the Soul Giants and turned them into the Mothers of Invention. Their irreverent blend of satire and rock 'n' roll was featured on half a dozen albums in the '60s. Zappa began a solo career in the '70s, and made a surrealistic film of rock 'n' roll life called "200 Motels." All told, he released more than 50 albums, including "Jazz from Hell," which won a Grammy Award for best rock instrumental in 1988.
    1942 - Soul singer Carla Thomas was born in Memphis, the daughter of veteran performer Rufus Thomas. She was the first Memphis soul artist to have a national pop hit, "Gee Whiz" in 1961. The success of that disc led to the formation of the Stax Records Company. Thomas had another pop hit in 1966 with "BABY," and the following year recorded two duets with Otis Redding, "Tramp" and "Knock on Wood," both of which made the Billboard Top 30.
    1943 - Birthday of guitar player Walter “Wolfman” Washington, New Orleans, LA
http://www.xtrememusician.com/info/artists/profiles/2659.html
http://www.offbeat.com/text/wolfman.html
http://walterwashington.com/index1.html
    1944 - CURREY, FRANCIS S., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company K, 120th Infantry, 30th Infantry Division. Place and date: Malmedy, Belgium, 21 December 1944. Entered service at: Hurleyville, N.Y. Birth: Loch Sheldrake, N.Y. G.O. No.: 69, 17 August 1945. Citation: He was an automatic rifleman with the 3d Platoon defending a strong point near Malmedy, Belgium, on 21 December 1944, when the enemy launched a powerful attack. Overrunning tank destroyers and antitank guns located near the strong point, German tanks advanced to the 3d Platoon's position, and, after prolonged fighting, forced the withdrawal of this group to a nearby factory. Sgt. Currey found a bazooka in the building and crossed the street to secure rockets meanwhile enduring intense fire from enemy tanks and hostile infantrymen who had taken up a position at a house a short distance away. In the face of small-arms, machinegun, and artillery fire, he, with a companion, knocked out a tank with 1 shot. Moving to another position, he observed 3 Germans in the doorway of an enemy-held house. He killed or wounded all 3 with his automatic rifle. He emerged from cover and advanced alone to within 50 yards of the house, intent on wrecking it with rockets. Covered by friendly fire, he stood erect, and fired a shot which knocked down half of 1 wall. While in this forward position, he observed 5 Americans who had been pinned down for hours by fire from the house and 3 tanks. Realizing that they could not escape until the enemy tank and infantry guns had been silenced, Sgt. Currey crossed the street to a vehicle, where he procured an armful of antitank grenades. These he launched while under heavy enemy fire, driving the tank men from the vehicles into the house. He then climbed onto a half-track in full view of the Germans and fired a machinegun at the house. Once again changing his position, he manned another machinegun whose crew had been killed; under his covering fire the 5 soldiers were able to retire to safety. Deprived of tanks and with heavy infantry casualties, the enemy was forced to withdraw. Through his extensive knowledge of weapons and by his heroic and repeated braving of murderous enemy fire, Sgt. Currey was greatly responsible for inflicting heavy losses in men and material on the enemy, for rescuing 5 comrades, 2 of whom were wounded, and for stemming an attack which threatened to flank his battalion's position.
    1945 - BENJAMIN, GEORGE, JR., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 306th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division. Place and date: Leyte, Philippine Islands, 21 December 1944. Entered service at: Carney's Point, N.J. Birth: Philadelphia, Pa. G.O. No.: 49, 28 June 1945. Citation: He was a radio operator, advancing in the rear of his company as it engaged a well-defended Japanese strong point holding up the progress of the entire battalion. When a rifle platoon supporting a light tank hesitated in its advance, he voluntarily and with utter disregard for personal safety left his comparatively secure position and ran across bullet-whipped terrain to the tank, waving and shouting to the men of the platoon to follow. Carrying his bulky radio and armed only with a pistol, he fearlessly penetrated intense machinegun and rifle fire to the enemy position, where he killed 1 of the enemy in a foxhole and moved on to annihilate the crew of a light machinegun. Heedless of the terrific fire now concentrated on him, he continued to spearhead the assault, killing 2 more of the enemy and exhorting the other men to advance, until he fell mortally wounded. After being evacuated to an aid station, his first thought was still of the American advance. Overcoming great pain he called for the battalion operations officer to report the location of enemy weapons and valuable tactical information he had secured in his heroic charge. The unwavering courage, the unswerving devotion to the task at hand, the aggressive leadership of Pfc. Benjamin were a source of great and lasting inspiration to his comrades and were to a great extent responsible for the success of the battalion's mission.
    1945 - The FCC assigned television channels to several licensees, including CBS and NBC in New York City and Radio Corp. of America in Camden, New Jersey.
    1946 - Louis Jordan's single, "Let the Good Times Roll," debuted on the Rhythm and Blues charts.
(Lower half of: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec21.html )
    1946 - Guitarist Carl Wilson (d. 1998) of the Beach Boys was born in Hawthorne, California. The three Wilson brothers - the others were Dennis and Brian - formed a group called Carl and the Passions with Mike Love and Al Jardine in 1961. The band's name was changed to the Beach Boys to take advantage of the surfing craze in southern California. Among their surfing hits for the Capitol label - "Surfin USA," "Surfer Girl" and "I Get Around." The Beach Boys turned in a more experimental direction in 1966, recording "Good Vibrations," a number-one song that took six months to produce and was at the time the most expensive single ever made. The Beach Boys continue to perform, primarily as a nostalgia act.
    1947 - Metronome All-Stars record “Metronome Riff.”
    1950 - Top Hits
“Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” - Gene Autry
“White Christmas” - Bing Crosby
“Nevertheless” - Jack Denny
“If You've Got the Money Honey I've Got the Time” - Lefty Frizzell
    1954 - Chris Evert was born in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. An all-time tennis champion, she had 125 consecutive clay-court victories and has been called the world's best clay-court woman player of all time. She was ranked the world's best player 1974 to 1978 and in 1980 and 81. She was the U.S. singles champion 1975-78, 80, 82; Wimbledon champion 1974, 76, and 81, and won at least one Grand Slam singles title for 13 consecutive years. Between 1973 and 1979 Evert won a record 125 consecutive clay-court matches, and won the French Open on clay a record seven times.
    1958 - Top Hits
“The Chipmunk Song” - The Chipmunks
“Problems” - The Everly Brothers
“One Night” - Elvis Presley
“City Lights” - Ray Price
    1960 - Elvis Presley was inducted into the Los Angeles Indian Tribal Council on the day his movie “Flaming Star” opened.
    1961 - One of Rock and Roll's strangest oddities happened when "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," by Marvin Gaye, hit number one on the Cash Box music chart. The same song was also a number one hit for Gladys Knight and The Pips exactly one year earlier. The tune would also turn up on the chart by Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1976.
    1964 - A great warm surge from the Pacific Ocean across Oregon and northern California brought torrential rains on a deep snow cover resulting in record floods.
    1965 - An overflow crowd of 76,251 jams the Cotton Bowl, giving Dallas its first home sellout. The Browns beat the Cowboys 24-17.
http://images.nfl.com/history/images/1121.jpg
    1966 - The Beach Boys receive three gold-record citations for the single "Good Vibrations," which hit Number One eleven days ago and the albums "Little Deuce Coupe" and "Shut Down, Vol. 2."
    1966 - Top Hits
“Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron” - The Royal Guardsmen
“Winchester Cathedral” - The New Vaudeville Band
“That's Life” - Frank Sinatra
“Somebody Like Me” - Eddy Arnold
    1967 - SMEDLEY, LARRY E., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Company D, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Place and date: Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam, 21 December 1967. Entered service at: Orlando, Fla. Born: 4 March 1949, Front Royal, Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a squad leader with company D, in connection with operations against the enemy. On the evenings of 20-21 December 1967, Cpl. Smedley led his 6-man squad to an ambush site at the mouth of Happy Valley, near Phouc Ninh (2) in Quang Nam Province. Later that night an estimated 100 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army regulars, carrying 122mm rocket launchers and mortars, were observed moving toward Hill 41. Realizing this was a significant enemy move to launch an attack on the vital Danang complex, Cpl. Smedley immediately took sound and courageous action to stop the enemy threat. After he radioed for a reaction force, he skillfully maneuvered his men to a more advantageous position and led an attack on the numerically superior enemy force. A heavy volume of fire from an enemy machinegun positioned on the left flank of the squad inflicted several casualties on Cpl. Smedley's unit. Simultaneously, an enemy rifle grenade exploded nearby, wounding him in the right foot and knocking him to the ground. Cpl. Smedley disregarded this serious injury and valiantly struggled to his feet, shouting words of encouragement to his men. He fearlessly led a charge against the enemy machinegun emplacement, firing his rifle and throwing grenades, until he was again struck by enemy fire and knocked to the ground. Gravely wounded and weak from loss of blood, he rose and commenced a l-man assault against the enemy position. Although his aggressive and singlehanded attack resulted in the destruction of the machinegun, he was struck in the chest by enemy fire and fell mortally wounded. Cpl. Smedley's inspiring and courageous actions, bold initiative, and selfless devotion to duty in the face of certain death were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
    1968 - The first Astronauts to orbit the moon were Colonel Frank Borman, Captain James Arthur Lovell, Jr., and Major William Alison Anders, who made 10 lunar orbits in Apollo 8, launched by a three-stage Saturn 5 rocked from Cape Canaveral, FL, at 7:51am. The spacecraft reentered the atmosphere and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean 147 hours 11 seconds later.
    1968 - David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash performed together for the first time at a concert in California. Nash had announced his departure from the Hollies earlier in the month, while Crosby had played with the Byrds and Stills with Buffalo Springfield. Another former member of Buffalo Springfield, Neil Young, joined Crosby, Stills and Nash in 1969.
    1968 - Janis Joplin made her first appearance after leaving Big Brother and the Holding Company. Joplin performed in Memphis at the "Yuletide Thing" event sponsored by the Stax-Volt record labels. Also on the bill were such leading Stax acts as the Bar-Kays, Booker T. and the M-G's, and Rufus and Carla Thomas.
    1969 - Diana Ross and the Supremes make their final television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, singing "Someday We'll Be Together," which would be the last of their 12 number one singles.
    1970 - Elvis Presley met US President Richard Nixon in the Oval Office at the White House. They posed for a photo that Nixon aides hoped would boost the president's image with America's youth. All the singer wanted was a Drug Enforcement Agency badge for his collection. Presley, according to most accounts high on pills at the time, lectured Nixon on the evils of drugs, the Beatles, hippies and communists. Nixon had Presley shown the door as soon as he'd presented him with the badge and made him an honorary federal agent.
    1974 - Top Hits
“Cat's in the Cradle” - Harry Chapin
“Angie Baby” - Helen Reddy
“You're the First, the Last, My Everything” - Barry White
“I Can Help” - Billy Swan
    1974 - Harry Chapin enjoys his only number one single with "Cat's In The Cradle." The song's theme about a distant father and son relationship was suggested to Harry by his wife, after he expressed disappointment about being on tour instead of attending his son's birth.
    1979 - The Eagles, Chicago and Linda Ronstadt perform at a benefit show for the presidential campaign for California governor Jerry Brown, who also happens to be Ronstadt's boyfriend. The show at the San Diego Sports Arena is followed-up by a similar show at the Aladdin Theater in Las Vegas. The two shows bring in over $450,000.
    1979 - Willie Nelson's movie debut, "The Electric Horseman," which also starred Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, opened in North American theatres.
    1979 - Frank Zappa's "Baby Snakes" premiered on Zappa's 39th birthday. The film combined concert footage, backstage antics and animated clay figures.
    1982 - Top Hits
“Maneater” - Daryl Hall & John Oates
“The Girl is Mine” - Michael Jackson/Paul McCartney
“Steppin' Out” - Joe Jackson
“Somewhere Between Right and Wrong” - Earl Thomas Conley
    1985 - Bruce Springsteen's album, "Born in the USA," surpassed Michael Jackson's "Thriller," making it the second longest-lasting LP in the top 10. Springsteen’s album lasted at its peak for 79 weeks, and was second to "The Sound of Music" with Julie Andrews that lasted: 109 weeks.    1986 - Atlanta center Jeff Van Note, who at 40 was the oldest pro football player, played his 246th and last NFL game as Atlanta beat Detroit, 20-6.
    1988 - Pan Am World Airways Flight 103 was the victim of a terrorist attack when the jet exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland. The 258 passengers, crew, and several people on the ground at the site of the crash were all killed. Flight 103 was a regularly scheduled flight from Frankfort to Detroit via London and New York City. The aircraft operating the transatlantic leg of the route was destroyed by a bomb, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew. With a total of 270 fatalities, it is the deadliest terrorist attack in the history of the UK. Following a three-year joint investigation, arrest warrants were issued for two Libyan nationals in November 1991. In 1999, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi handed over the two men for trial after protracted negotiations and UN sanctions. In 2001, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a Libyan intelligence officer, was jailed for life after being found guilty of 270 counts of murder in connection with the bombing. He died in May 2012 as the only person to be convicted for the attack.
    1988 - Seven cities in the eastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date, including Charleston, SC with a reading of 78 degrees. A storm in the northwestern U.S. produced 22 inches of snow at Idaho City, ID in two days, and up to two feet of snow at Happy Camp, CA. Ski resorts in Idaho reported three to six feet of snow on the ground.
    1989 - Forty cities in the north central U.S., including thirteen in Iowa, reported record low temperatures for the date. Havre and Jordan, MT, tied for honors as the cold spot in the nation with morning lows of 43 degrees below zero, and the temperature remained close to 40 degrees below zero through the daylight hours. Dickinson, ND reported a morning low of 33 degrees below zero and a wind chill reading of 86 degrees below zero. The high for the date of 16 degrees below zero at Sioux Falls, SD was December record for that location.
    1990 - Top Hits
“Because I Love You” (“The Postman Song”) - Stevie B
“Justify My Love” - Madonna
“Impulsive” - Wilson Phillips
“I've Come to Expect It from You” - George Strait
    1997 - Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions became the third player in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season when he gained 184 yards against the New York Jets. The Lions won, 13-10. He reached the 2,000-yard mark with a 2-yard run with just over two minutes left in the game. On the next play, he broke free for 53 yards, a gain that allowed the Lions to run out the clock and clinch a playoff berth. The other members of the 2,000-yard club then were O.J. Simpson, who rushed for 2,003 yards in 1973, and Eric Dickerson, who ran for 2,105 yards in 1984. Since Sanders’ feat, four others have surpassed 2000 rushing yards in a season.
    2006 - The Beatles' "Love" sat at #1 on the European Top 100 Albums chart. The album was produced by George Martin and his son Giles Martin and features music compiled and remixed for the Cirque du Soleil show of the same name. The disc would quickly be certified Platinum and won Grammys in two categories - Best Compilation Soundtrack Album and Best Surround Sound Album at the 50th annual Grammy awards on February 10th, 2008.
    2009 - A snow storm embattled the East Coast, closing airports, raising havoc in many states, affecting Christmas shopping and closing many businesses.

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