Leasing News

30 years in transportation Finance with strong management/ sales background. Represented company on national & region markets. Started two successful operations- produce profits and growth. Email:pml@mindspring.com

Sales Manager: Dallas/Fort Worth, TX.

Domestic-int'l exp. Small to middle ticket. 24 yrs with Fortune 500 firms(2). Consistently achieves margin/ volume goals. Email: mfdp1101@charter.net

Sales Manager: New York, NY

I have over 25 years owning an independent leasing company that specialized in truck leasing. Tow trucks, Limos, ambulances, tractors, etc.. Email:rfleisher@rsrcapital.com

Sales Manager: Pennsauken, NJ.

17 Years Leasing in all capacities from CSR and Collections to National Sales Management and Vice President Vendor Development. Exceptional People Skills. Many industry references. email: cherfurth1@aol.com

Sales Manager: Portland, OR. 18+ yrs w/ bank leasing company. Supervised 14- 20 sales people. Willing to relocate for the proper position. Email:pthygeson@netscape.net

Sales Manager: Seattle, WA

Senior level sales professional w/ (20) plus experience in mid market financing & leasing. The last (8) plus years being self employed in middle market brokerage. Email:markhenley@qwest.net

Full list of all jobs wanted: http://64.125.68.90/LeasingNews/JobPostings.htm

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Cartoon---10,000 For One Minute

http://two.leasingnews.org/cartoons/WALLST.jpg

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Fed Statement on Interest Rates

Here is the text of a statement released by the Federal Reserve after the Fed's monetary policy panel, the Federal Open Market Committee, decided to leave interest rates unchanged:

The Federal Open Market Committee decided today to keep its target for the federal funds rate at 1 percent.

The committee continues to believe that an accommodative stance of monetary policy, coupled with robust underlying growth in productivity, is providing important ongoing support to economic activity. The evidence accumulated over the intermeeting period confirms that output is expanding briskly, and the labor market appears to be improving modestly. Increases in core consumer prices are muted and expected to remain low.

The committee perceives that the upside and downside risks to the attainment of sustainable growth for the next few quarters are roughly equal. The probability of an unwelcome fall in inflation has diminished in recent months and now appears almost equal to that of a rise in inflation. However, with inflation quite low and resource use slack, the committee believes that policy accommodation can be maintained for a considerable period.

Voting for the F.O.M.C. monetary policy action were: Alan Greenspan, chairman; Timothy F. Geithner, vice chairman; Ben S. Bernanke; Susan S. Bies; J. Alfred Broaddus Jr.; Roger W. Ferguson Jr.; Edward M. Gramlich; Jack Guynn; Donald L. Kohn; Michael H. Moskow; Mark W. Olson; and Robert T. Parry.

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Fed Upbeat About Economic Rebound

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51517-2003Dec10.html

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America's Community Bankers, NASDAQ Launch Bank Index

America's Community Bankers (ACB), the national trade association for community banks, and The Nasdaq Stock Market have created the

nation's most broadly diversified stock index for community banks.

ACB and Nasdaq developed the America's Community Bankers Nasdaq Index as a yardstick for measuring the performance of community bank stocks. The index includes 545 Nasdaq-listed community banks, with a market capitalization of about $175 billion.

Based on FDIC data, the index excludes any of the 50 largest banks based on asset size, banks classified as having an "international specialization," and banks

classified as having a "credit card specialization."

The index, to be calculated once a day using Nasdaq official closing prices, is available at AmericasCommunityBankers.com or at nasdaq.com. Unlike other Nasdaq indexes, the index will be a total return index, which means companies' dividends will be reinvested and included in the index value as of the ex-dividend date. The index will be adjusted for splits and spin-offs. When a company is no longer listed, it will be removed from the index. Newly listed companies will be added periodically.

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Form to Help Brokers Cover Expenses and Costs

Leasing News is collecting forms in use that when signed by both parties

spell out what happens to the money advance whether it be

a “commitment fee,” “earnest money,” “advance rental,” “security

deposit.”

While we do not want to give legal advice, particularly realizing that

states differ and there are also licensing issue, we asked Ken Greene

for some "generic" help.

He has agreed to perform this service, review the forms, and then

devise a “generic one” to help brokers retain expenses, particularly

if an application is not approved or terms and conditions change.

“If 10 companies share the cost, it's only $200 each. I think you get what you pay

for, and if they want a "free" form, they will not get the comfort level I

would want if I was in their shoes, “ Ken said. “ And though they don't want to pay, I am sure the companies who have been sued on this issue, and who have paid

thousands of dollars in attorneys fees have ended up paying much much more,

not to mention the hassle of litigation.

“I am glad to help if a pool of leasing companies would like to get together

and hire me to put together a thorough form. It can still be simple, but it

should be internally consistent and not appear to be punitive in nature.”

Ken

Kenneth C. Greene

Law Offices of Kenneth C. Greene

980 Magnolia Avenue Suite 6C

Larkspur, CA 94939

Vox: 415 461 3777

Fax: 415 461 3733

E-Mail: keng@kengreenelaw.com

Website: www.kengreenelaw.com

We do need the help of other companies to both share what they utilize and

to help sponsor this "generic" form.

For those who participate, Ken Greene is willing to do extra work for a minimal fee on the form for their specific needs. Each company will sign an agreement regarding this form to cover expenses incurred should a lease not go forward, plus give other clauses for specific terms and conditions to be covered in the proposal. Should we not obtain the $2,000 needed, all money will be returned. As per our policy, we also reserve the right to refuse a sponsorship. editor

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Letters---We get eMail

“Re: ELFF article* in the Journal on Ethics....yes it is free but it can not

be published without contributions. The foundation provides valuable

articles, data and reports solely from contributions as it is a non profit

501C entity. Your contributions are welcome.

“Secondly....I agree with all those that said you should publish the name.

Your advisory board should be non biased...it is absolutely not fair to

those that are not a "FOTAB" (Friend of The Advisory Board).”

Sincerely,

Deborah J. Monosson

President

BOSTON FINANCIAL & EQUITY CORPORATION

1260 Boylston Street

Boston MA 02215

617-267-2900 Tel

617-437-7601

http://www.bfec.com

* article on Ethics and “enforcement in the leasing industry.”

http://two.leasingnews.org/loose_files/Ethical%20Decisions%
20as%20Value%20Maximizing%20Behavior.pdf

(We had sought the permission of the ELA communications director Amy Holmes, as we ask permission, even when the publication is “free” to

ELA Members.

(The Journal publishes articles of interest with each edition. Those in the

industry should subscribe and get the paper edition that you can read

in your comfortable arm chair, put down and take up. Non-members may subscribe at $40 per year. http://www.elaonline.com/ELAstore/index.cfm?
fuseaction=view_product&prod_id=51

I believe you can access editions “free” on the internet at their site:

http://www.leasefoundation.org/JELF/

editor)

“For you to publish the verbatim comments from several indignant readers who

were taking swipes at yourself, the editor, increases the credibility of

your newsletter.”

Bob Hatfield

Global Market Intelligence - IBM Brands Team Lead

IBM Global Financing

Ph: (847) 669- 8200 T/L 8/698-9622 Fax: (847) 669-6396

Notes ID: Robert A Hatfield/Armonk/IBM@IBMUS

Internet: hatfrob@us.ibm.com

* see: Readers Respond to “Leasing Company Name With Held”

http://www.leasingnews.org/#readers

(I know I am not liked by a good number of brokers who due to our involvement, returned over $300,000 in advance rentals in 2002, and this year, $325,000.

also have not been popular with companies we blew the whistle on early,

such as MSM Capital, SDI Capital, United Capital, Unicapital, to name a few.

At one these company leaders were active in leasing associations and very

highly regarded. Many are back in the leasing business today. I am sure

they don't think highly of Leasing News.

(The person who made the strongest remarks did not sign their name, although

we did print it. Since our inception, we have always printed complaints or swipes at ourselves. If they are derogatory or libelous about others, in our opinion, we don't

print them as per our published policy. If in leasing netiquette form, we will continue to print “criticism” of our electronic newspaper. I don't look forward to them. editor.)

----

Excel Victim

“I just finished reading today's edition and I must say that you are getting brutally hammered by some of the "good old boys" out there. I want you to know Kit that if THEY had to put your shoes on as an Editor and take all the risks that go with the job such as lawsuits, they wouldn't be crying foul play now.

“I'm behind you 100% Kit. You investigate everything first and make sure the facts are the facts. You have no agenda but to be completely fair to all parties. Don't let them sucker-punch you.”

Rosanne Wilson, President

1st Independent Leasing, Inc.

rosanne@1stindependentleasing.com

Rosanne Wilson, President

1st Independent Leasing, Inc.

"Equipment Leasing Specialists"

(800) 926-0851

(Thank you. I followed all my previous procedures, of keeping the parties informed of who I was contacting regarding the complaint, which is S.O.P. You are personally aware of the procedures as the problems that were recently had with Excel, where they allegedly did not return many advance rentals, vendors not paid, nor commission paid to brokers. editor)

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Bulletin Board Complaint Comment from Curt Lynse

“At Colonial Pacific Leasing we stepped in when these things happened

and strong armed the lessor or if we were the lessor on the documents, resolved the matter directly with the lessee and that meant sometimes writing our own check to them.

“I do not know that the lending community today is taking a stance like

we did and unless these kind of situations are kept in check by the

leasing community, including the funding sources, and exposed in major

industry publications, such as Leasing News, they will become more

prevalent. Especially, with the economic conditions that exist in the

industry today, it is easy money to collect fees without regard for

consummating a viable lease transaction.

“I think the reason you had an astounding response from your readership

to disclose the names indicates the majority of professional lease

brokers understand the rules, and try to follow them.

“I have taken the past year couple of years off to spend more quality

time with my family. I still have a high school daughter living at home

and it has been good to be there for her more than I have ever been able

to before. The time has come for me to look for my next role; however,

and I hope to resurface in the leasing industry.

“Thanks for the opportunity to communicate my thoughts and much continued

success with your publication.”

**********

c.lysne@comcast.net

cell (503) = 866-1854

home = (503)697-2774

(Our best of luck to a man who did his best to help everyone when

GE purchased CPL. He has character. editor )

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Help Wanted Ads

Accounting Mgr/Bookkeeper: Will implement and monitor stringent financial policies, procedures and internal controls. Must have full understanding of the leasing operation to include income recognition, amortization, forecasting and budgeting. Exp with Lease Plus preferred. Have at least 5 years exp. in the small ticket leasing industry. BA in Accounting preferred. email: careers@fivepointcapital.com
REF: LNORG

About the company: Five Point Capital, Inc. is a rapidly growing San Diego based national equipment finance company. We are continually looking to add talented people to our growing force who have the same ambitions and drive to make Five Point Capital #1 in our industry. www.fivepointcapital.com

Senior Credit Analyst: Will be responsible for credit investigation, analysis and have the ability to assess the creditworthiness of our clients. Must have superb quantitative analytical skills and 2 yrs. exp in the small ticket leasing industry.
email: careers@fivepointcapital.com
REF: LNORG

Senior Funding/Doc Specialist: Will produce accurate documentation and provide support as the contact between our sales force, vendors and banks. Ensure doc requests are completed in an accurate and timely manner. Must be detail oriented and have at least 2 yrs exp, small ticket leasing industry preferred.
email: careers@fivepointcapital.com
REF:LNORG

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News Briefs---

Democrat Wins San Francisco Mayor's Race

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/10/national/10FRIS.html?hp

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/12/10/MAYOR.TMP

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20031209-2259-
sanfranciscomayor.html

http://www.sfgate.com/election/races/2003/12/09/

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/12/10/ANALYSIS.TMP

Fiorina: Upbeat economy puts H-P on track for 20% growth

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2003-12-09-hp-outlook_x.htm

AOL lays off 450 people, will close San Diego and S.F. offices

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20031209-1344-aol-jobs.html

Tyco Witness Cross-Examined

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/10/business/10tyco.html

Peterson put BofA on world map

Oversaw bank's growth in '60s, influenced U.S. foreign aid policy

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-
bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/12/09/BUG793J4Q91.
DTL&type=business

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Sports Brief---

Spurrier Will Return Next Season

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50701-2003Dec9.html

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California Nuts Briefs---

State credit gets downgraded, stalled budget talks and tax cut blamed

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20031209-1503-
ca-statebudget.html

Schwarzenegger considering suspending school funding guarantee

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20031209-1906-ca-statebudget-prop98.html

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"Gimme that Wine"

Wine Enthusiast's 2003 Wine Awards

http://winemag.wineenthusiast.com/issues/dec03/wine_awards.htm

Massachusetts Permits Sunday Wine Sales http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Daily/News/0,1145,2280,00.html

Sweet Wines for After Dinner
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/10/dining/10WINE.html

http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/dining/20031210_
TASTING/tasting.html

Mendocino May Say No to Genetically Modified Vines http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Daily/News/0,1145,2276,00.html

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This Day in American History

1672- the first postal route between cities was the route between New York City and Boston, MA. Governor Francisco Lovelace of New York announced that monthly service would be inaugurated on January 1, 1673. The first post rider left New York City on January 22,1673, and arrived in Boston three weeks later.

1776- the Continental Congress authorized a loan of $181,5000 from

France, to be used for the purchasing of supplies and construction of cruisers. The length of the loan was indefinite. Bonds were sold at par. The rate of interest was 5 percent, payable annually. The loan was received on June 4, 1777. The final redemption was made on December 31, 1793, when the balance due was merged into the general account of the French debt. Alexander Hamilton was between

September 13,1789 and February 17, 1790 obtained loans from the Bank of New York and Bank of North America. The interest rate was six percent.

1787- birthday of Thomas Alluded, a hearing educator who, with Laurent Clerc, founded the first public school for deaf people, Connecticut

Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons (now the American School for the Deaf), at Hartford, CT, Apr 15, 1817. Gallaudet was born at Philadelphia, PA, and died Sept 9,1851, at Hartford, CT.

1819- African American Tom Molineux had a wide following by the time he left for England in 1810 to fight the English champion Tom Cribb on this day. Molineux, grew up in slavery, history records on a plantation in Virginia, and was said to have won his freedom by winning boxing bouts arranged by slave owners. He was very popular and the favored to win in the English champion fight

this date. Although he knocked Cribb out in the 23^rd round, he was falsely accused of using lead weights in his gloves, and the fight continued, ending in a victory for Cribb in the 40^th round.

1817- Mississippi became the 20^th state.

1830- birthday of one of America's greatest poets, Emily Dickinson, born at Amherst, MA She was reclusive. mysterious, and frail in health. Seven of her poems were published during her life, but after her death her sister Lavinia, discovered almost 2,000 more poems written on the backs of envelopes and other scraps of pa locked in her bureau. They were published gradually, over 50 years, beginning in 1890. She died May 1 1886, at Amherst, MA. The little-known Emily Dickinson who was born, lived and died at Amherst now is recognized as one of the most original poets of the English-speaking world.

1845-- President James Polk makes a bold move to radically expand the burgeoning United States. Polk gave Congressman John Slidell the go-ahead to settle a border dispute concerning Texas, as well as to purchase New Mexico and California, from Mexico. As per Polk's demand, Slidell anted up $5 million for New Mexico and $25 million for California; however, Mexico refused the offer, emboldening the president to marshal a war effort in the name of "reannexing" the territory. We then annexed California and other land from Mexico with troops

in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

1850- Birthday of Jennie Augusta Brownscombe,- U.S. painter, specialist in scenes of early U.S. history. She was sought out by magazine and calendar publishers because of her meticulous perspective and realism. Huge numbers of reproductions of her paintings were also sold. Most buyers never knew her name. In all, she copyrighted more than 100 paintings. She lived simply with one companion/servant and died at 85. http://www.artoftheprint.com/artistpages/brownscombe_
jeannie_augusta_youngwomanhood.htm

http://www.artnet.com/ag/artistdetails.asp?aid=3197

http://www.malaspina.com/site/person_256.asp

http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/brownscombe_jennie_augusta.html

1851- birthday of American librarian and inventor of the Dewey decimal book classification system was born at Adams Center, NY. Born Melville Louis Kossuth Dewey, he was an advocate of spelling reform, urged use of the metric system and was interested in many other education reforms. Dewey died at Highlands County, FL, Dec 26,19Th

1864-Union General William T. Sherman completes his "March to the Sea" when he arrives in front of Savannah, Georgia. Since mid-November, Sherman's army had been sweeping from Atlanta across the state to the south and east towards Savannah, one of the last Confederate seaports still unoccupied by Union forces. Along the way, Sherman destroyed farms and railroads, burned storehouses, and fed his army off the land. In his own words, Sherman intended to "make Georgia howl," a plan that was approved by President Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of the Union armies. The city of Savannah was fortified and defended by 10,000 Confederates under the command of General William Hardee. The Rebels flooded the rice fields around Savannah, so only a few narrow causeways provided access to the city. Sherman's army was running low on supplies and he had not made contact with supply ships off the coast. Sherman's army had been completely cut off from the North, and only the reports of destruction provided any evidence of its whereabouts. Sherman directed General Oliver O. Howard to the coast to locate friendly ships. Howard dispatched Captain William Duncan and two comrades to contact the Union fleet, but nothing was heard of the trio for several days. Duncan located a Union gunboat that carried him to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Supply ships were sent to Savannah, and Duncan continued on to Washington to deliver news of the successful "March to the Sea" to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. For ten day, Hardee held out as Sherman prepared for an attack. Realizing the futility of losing in force entirely, Hardee fled the city on December 20 and slipped northward to fight another day.

1869---Women in Wyoming received the right to vote. Originally expressed

as a means of attracting women to this state where men overwhelming outnumbered the opposite sex, equality was a theme to be repeated over

and over again as Wyoming became the first to grant women many

equal rights.

( lower half of http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec10.html )

1873- Birthday of Janet Scudder , an American sculptor, born in Terre Haute, Ind., studied with Frederick MacMonnies in Paris. She is known for her medallions and relief portraits and especially for her fountains, usually with childish figures conceived in a playful manner. Notable examples of her art are the "Frog Fountain" in the Metropolitan Museum, New York; the "Fighting Boy Fountain" in the Chicago Art Institute; and "The Sun Goddess" on the facade of the Brooklyn Institute Museum. Miss Scudder received medals at Chicago in 1893, St. Louis in 1904, and San Francisco in 1915.

http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/scudder_janet.html

http://www.swope.org/main/collection/014coll.htm

http://askart.com/artist/S/janet_scudder.asp?ID=18320

1898- the “Treaty of Paris” was signed, which officially ended the Spanish-American War. American and Spanish ambassadors met at Paris, France, to negotiate a treaty. Under the terms of this treaty, Spain granted the US the Philippine Islands and the islands of Guam and Puerto Rico, and agreed to withdraw from Cuba Senatorial debate over the treaty centered on the US's move toward imperialism by acquiring the Philippines~ A vote was taken Feb 6,1899, and the treaty passed by a one-vote margin~ President William Mckinley signed the treaty Feb 10, 1899.

1904- the New York Police Department, New York City, appointed the first two motorcycle police officers, assigned to the police headquarters in the Bronx

and Manhattan. Respectively there were Anthony L. Howe and Eugene Case.

1905-- "The Gift of the Magi," a short story by William Sydney Porter, 43, was first published. Known by his pen name, O. Henry, Porter's writings were characterized by trick endings, making him a master of short story telling.

http://www.auburn.edu/~vestmon/Gift_of_the_Magi.html

1906 -First American awarded Nobel Peace Prize - President Theodore Roosevelt

1914-Birthday of Dorothy Lamour (Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton ) born New Orleans,LA.- U.S. singer-actor and wearer of a sarong in many of her movies. Sheis most renowned for her "road" films with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby and Hurricane (1937). One of the big questions was what held up the sarongs - she said muscle control had a lot to do with it. During the Second World War she auctioned two of her sarongs as part of fund-raising efforts that collected more than $2 million for the war effort. She was a native of New Orleans and never saw the South Pacific until she was 70 when she said it looked as pretty as the back lot of Paramount. Died Los Angeles, Ca. 22 September 1996

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/2440/lamour.html

zehttp://us.imdb.com/name/nm0483787

1931- the first Nobel Peace Prize awarded to an American woman was awarded to Jane Addams, the pioneering social worker who founded Hull House, In Chicago, ILL, to serve the city's poor residents. She received the award jointly with Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler, president of Columbia University, for her leading role in the women's peace movement. She chaired the Woman's Peace Party in 1915, presided over the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom from 1919 to 1929 and helped to found the American Civil Liberties Union in 1920.

1932-Birthday of bass player Bob Cranshaw, Evanston, Il

http://shopping.yahoo.com/shop?d=product&id=1927028789&
clink=dmmu.artist&a=b

1938-Filming finally begins on Gone with the Wind after years of delay. Producer David O. Selznick had not yet cast an actress to play the leading role of Scarlett O'Hara, so the first day's shooting was of the burning of Atlanta, which didn't require close footage of Scarlett.

1938- Pearl S.Buck becomes the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

http://www.nobel.se/literature/laureates/1938/buck-bio.html

http://www.pearl-s-buck.org/psbi/PearlSBuck/about.asp

1941 -Jimmy Dorsey Bank records “Tangerine.” Decca 4123

1941-4,000 Japanese troops land on the Philippine Islands, while Japanese aircraft sink the British warships Prince of Wales and Repulse. Guam, an American-controlled territory, was also seized. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill finally exclaims, "We have lost control of the sea."

The attack on Pearl Harbor was only one step in a larger plan to dominate the Pacific, which entailed knocking out first American, then British, naval opposition. Japanese bombing raids on Guam, Midway Island, and Wake Island followed the attack on the American fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor. American airfields there were destroyed, as were Clark and Iba airfields in the Philippines, wiping out more than half of the United States' aircraft dedicated to the Far East. These bombing raids were followed up, on December 10, by 2,000 Japanese troops that landed on the Philippine island of Luzon in the north, and another 2,000 that landed at Vigan on the western coast. And in Guam, 700 Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces invaded and occupied the American-controlled military outpost of Guam after only a 25-minute military engagement, resulting in the capture of 500 Americans soldiers.

The United States was not alone in its struggle for the Pacific. Great Britain had also declared war on the Empire of Japan on December 8. The next day, Japan occupied the capital of Thailand and then landed in the Malay Peninsula, which could not be repulsed by the outmatched Australian and Indian troops. Britain responded by dispatching Force Z, their Royal Navy unit dedicated to supporting Singapore, when Japanese bombers spotted Z's battleship, the Prince of Wales, and its sister ship, the Repulse, sailing for Kuantan on the eastern coast of the Malay Peninsula, on the erroneous belief that the Japanese had just put troops ashore there. The bombers rained down torpedo bombs on the British warships, sinking them and killing 840 men. "In all the war, I have never received a more direct shock," Churchill lamented. And the Japanese were far from finished: The humiliation of the United States in the Philippines and a more extensive occupation of Indochina and the South Pacific were still to come.

1948 -- United Nations passes Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

1950- Dr. Ralph Johnson Bunche became the first African-American awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Bunche was awarded the prize for his efforts in mediation between Israel and neighboring Arab states in 1949.

1953 - With an investment of $7,600, Hugh Hefner published the first "Playboy" magazine. There is no date printed on the first issue -- now a collector's item. The reason, according to Hef, is that he doubted anyone would expect a second issue to be printed. Included in this first issue: A classic, nude, calendar photo of actress Marilyn Monroe.

1953 - Harry Belafonte debuted on Broadway in "Almanac" at the Imperial Theatre. Critics hailed Belafonte's performance as “electrifyingly sincere.” Also starring in the show: Hermione Gingold, Billy DeWolfe, Polly Bergen and Orson Bean.

1955—Top Hits
Sixteen Tons - Tennessee Ernie Ford
Memories are Made of This - Dean Martin
Nuttin' for Christmas - Barry Gordon
Love, Love, Love - Webb Pierce

1955 - "The Big Surprise" on NBC-TV awarded the largest amount of money given away on television. Mrs. Ethel Park Richardson of Los Angeles, CA may have needed an armored truck to carry away her $100,000 in cash.

1963—Top Hits
Dominique - The Singing Nun
Everybody - Tommy Roe
Louie Louie - The Kingsmen
Love's Gonna Live Here - Buck Owens

1964 - Rev. Martin Luther King became a recipient of the Nobel Prize for Peace. He was the youngest person to have earned the award.

1965 -- Bill Graham holds second benefit for SF Mime Troupe, at Fillmore (first time there) Fillmore and Geary — 3,500 turn out. Warlocks become “The Grateful Dead,” and debut with the new name at the Fillmore Auditorium for the second San Francisco Mime Troupe Appeal Party. The Jefferson Airplane, The Great Society, the John Handy Quintet, the Mystery Trend, and Sam Thomas also appeared.

1966 - The Beach Boys made a one-week stop at the top of the "Billboard" Hot 100 as "Good Vibrations" made it to #1. It was the third #1 hit the group scored. The others were "I Get Around" and "Help Me, Rhonda".

1967 - Otis Redding and four members of the Bar-Kays (Otis' backup group) were killed in the crash of a private plane near Madison, Wisconsin. Redding was 26 years old. His signature song, "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" was recorded three days before his death. It was #1 for four weeks beginning February 10, 1968. Redding was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. The Bar-Kays biggest hit was in July, 1967: "Soul Finger". James Alexander, bass player for the group, was not on the plane. Ben Cauley, trumpet player, survived the crash. The group played for a time with various new members.

1970-The defense opens its case in the murder trial of Lt. William Calley. Charged with six specifications of premeditated murder, Calley was a platoon leader in Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry, 11th Infantry Brigade (Light) of the 23rd (America) Division. He was tried because of his leadership role in the My Lai massacres. On March 16, 1968, Calley led his troops to murder innocent Vietnamese civilians living in a cluster of hamlets located in Son Tinh District in Quang Ngai Province in the northern coastal lowlands.

Citing "superior's orders," Defense Attorney George Lattimer contended that Capt. Ernest Medina, Calley's company commander, told his men that they were finally going to fight the enemy. He reportedly ordered "every living thing" killed. Lattimer also cited poor training of the platoon, the rage of the men who had seen their buddies killed, and the expectation of fierce resistance as additional factors contributing to the incident. The lawyer also charged that higher commanders on the ground and in the air observed the episode but did nothing.

Despite Lattimer's argument, Calley was found guilty of murdering 22 civilians and sentenced to life imprisonment. His sentence was reduced to 20 years by the Court of Military Appeals and further reduced to 10 years by the Secretary of the Army. Proclaimed a "scapegoat" by much of the public, Calley was paroled by President Richard Nixon in 1974, after serving about a third of his 10-year sentence.

1971—Top Hits
Family Affair - Sly & The Family Stone
Have You Seen Her - Chi-Lites
Got to Be There - Michael Jackson
Kiss an Angel Good Mornin' - Charley Pride

1971 - William H. Rehnquist was confirmed by the Senate, 68-26, as U.S. Supreme Court Justice. He replaced Justice John Harlan who resigned in September 1971. Rehnquist joined the Court on January 7, 1972, the same day as Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr.

1971- In one of the worst deals ever made, the Mets trade Nolan Ryan and three prospects to the Angels for six time all-star third baseman Jim Fergosi. The fireballer from Texas will set the all-time strike out record (5,714) and will become a member of the Hall of Fame while Fergosi will provide little help for New York.

1972 - The longest non-scoring pass in NFL history was made as Jim Hart of the St. Louis Cardinals passed from his own one-yard-line to Bobby Moore, known now as Ahmad Rashad, who was tackled on the Los Angeles Rams' one-yard-line. The pass officially went for 98 yards.

1974 -- Representative Wilbur D. Mills, Democrat from Arkansas, resigns as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee in the aftermath of the first truly public sex scandal in American politics.

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/legacy/portraits/1899-2000/mills.htm

http://mullings.com/dr_05-10-00.htm

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/politics_condit010711.html

1977 - In only his second year of riding, Steve Cauthen became the first jockey to win $6-million in a single season. Cauthen was dubbed ‘The Six Million Dollar Man', and ‘Stevie Wonder' by his admirers and was named 1977 Sportsman of the Year by "Sports Illustrated", the Associated Press, "ABC's Wide World of Sports" and "The Sporting News".

1979—Top Hits
Babe - Styx
Still - Commodores
Please Don't Go - K.C. & The Sunshine Band
I Cheated Me Right Out of You - Moe Bandy

1982 - Heavyweight Michael Dokes knocked out Mike Weaver at 1:03 of the first round to win the WBA heavyweight title in Las Vegas.

1985 - The R.H. Donnelley Corporation announced plans to bring full color to its phone books, with red, blue and green ... along with the traditional Yellow Pages; and it wasn't long before ads printed in the Yellow Pages began sprouting up with red, blue and green accents (which cost more than the traditional, black-only print).

1987—Top Hits
Heaven is a Place on Earth - Belinda Carlisle
Faith - George Michael
Should've Known Better - Richard Marx
Somebody Lied - Ricky Van Shelton

1988 - Chicago's "Look Away" was the #1 single in the U.S. It was one of three top-ten hits from the "Chicago 19" album (the others were "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" and "You're Not Alone").

1991 - The U.S. Supreme Court struck down New York's "Son of Sam Law" that forced criminals' profits for selling their stories to be seized and given to their victims. The High Court held that the New York law was inconsistent with the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

1991 - Alan Freed, the disc jockey credited with giving ‘Rock and Roll' its name, was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (Freed died Jan 20, 1965.)

1993—Top Hits

Again- Janet Jackson

I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)- Meat Loaf

All That She Wants- Ace Of Base

Hero- Mariah Carey

Shoop- Salt-N-Pepa

1994 - Kenny G's "Miracles: The Holiday Album" was number one in the U.S. It became the best selling Christmas album in history, selling over 8 million albums as of 2000. The tracks: "Winter Wonderland", "White Christmas", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "Silent Night", "Greensleeves", "Miracles", "Little Drummer Boy", "The Chanukah Song", "Silver Bells", "Away in a Manger" and "Brahms Lullaby".

1995-- Worst snowstorm in Buffalo history, 37.9" in 24 hours (Starting Dec 9 at 7 PM, breaks previous record of 25.3" in 1982). December 26-29, 2001,they get 80 inches of snow.

http://www.cybervox.org/archive/stormreports/200111-200112/0052.html

1998- After 24 years and 1,071 appearances, Dennis Eckersley, 44, who has pitched in more major league games than any other player retires as an active player.

1998-Top Hits

I m Your Angel- R. Kelly

Nobody s Supposed To Be Here- Deborah Cox

Lately- Divine

Doo Wop (That Thing)- Lauryn Hill

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