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Day in American History

Monday, December 6, 2004

Headlines---

Classified Ads---Operations
    Archives-December 6, 2000 - United Capital Against the Ropes???
        No Verbals When AMEX Turns Key over to Key Bank?
HP Financial Closes Colorado Small Ticket Operation
    NACM “Slight” Slowing Down in Manufacturing
        Press Release Errors re: Fisher to Tom Depping's Main St. Bank
Year-end special from leasingpress.com
    US Bank –Manifest Letter to Customers
        Marlin Announces New Additions to its Management Team
Fitch Ratings Affirms CIT; Rating Outlook Stable
    Fitch Upgrades Caterpillar Financial Asset Trust 2002-A
        Edmunds.com Reports True Cost of Incentives
CIT Names Flint Besecker to Lead Focus on Healthcare Sector
    Gibson Joins AIG Commercial Equipment Finance
        ORIX USA Hires Stephen J. Turpin
United Association of Equipment Leasing
    News Briefs---
        Sports Briefs---
            "Gimme that Wine"
                This Day in American History
                    American Football Poem

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

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Classified Ads---Operations

Orange County, CA.
Operations/Credit Manager with 15 Years Experience, Middle & Large Ticket, initiated policies for Patriot Act and Sarbanes Oxley, Team Motivator.
E-mail: equiplender@aol.com

Information System: Portland, OR.
Experienced Credit, Collections, lease and Finance operations. Manager w/expertise in improving bottom line performance, excellent trainer, manager, motivator. Get result/keep the customer coming back.
Email: rgmorrill@comcast.net

New York, NY.
10+ years in equipment leasing/secured lending. Skilled in management & training, documentation, policy and procedure development & implementation, portfolio reporting. Strong work ethic.
Email: dln1031@nyc.rr.com

New York/New Jersey
5+ years experience in leasing. Knowledge of positions: SMB Credit and Contract Administrator. Relocating to the NY/NJ area.
Email: LeaseOps2004@AOL.com

Operations: Wayne, NJ
20+ heavily experienced collection/recovery VP looking to improve someone's bottom line. Proven, verifiable track record. Knowledge of all types of portfolio. Will relocate
Email: cmate@nac.net

Full set of people seeking employment in the leasing industry with experience, please go here:
http://64.125.68.90/LeasingNews/JobPostings.htm

[headlines]

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Archives-December 6, 2000 - United Capital Against the Ropes???

“I have heard from several insiders that United Capital in Austin, Texas may be going out of business. They have supposedly been bouncing vendor checks and holding fundings since last week. Rumors that half of the staff are going to be let go this week are also being heard.”

Name Withheld

( We have tried to seek comment from United Capital for two days, but no confirmation or denial to date. We will print any comment they may have regarding these "rumors" ---editor )

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“Bank of America is pulling back from all equipment lessors even the good ones, because of the problems with the bad ones.”

Name Withheld

( his broker gave us other information, but to utilize it, may reveal who sent us the comment, so we are withholding it, but mentioning the comment about Bank of America---editor )

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Bad Checks

“Checks they wrote to us for leases we funded and assigned to them did not clear their account, and other checks we were supposed to receive today did not arrive. Calls throughout the day were not returned until our general counsel reached them. He was informed United experienced a trigger event with Lehman, and that all outstanding checks were "stopped" while Lehman could come in and assess the situation. Further, he was told there is no certainty any of these checks will be made good. All outstanding approvals will be reviewed and held to new credit standards. Thus, brokers and discounters who relied on these approvals and issued purchase orders may find their subject leases will not be funded.”

Name Withheld

(We also edited this and believe the comment reputable, or we would not use it---editor )
[headlines]

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No Verbals When AMEX Turns Key over to Key Bank?

“AMEX turned over control to Key Bank last night and on the way out the door AMEX funded EVERYTHING in the system,.....verbals where not completed on many transactions, nor had delivery of the equipment occurred for many deals as well.....random attempts were made to complete verbals however after a message was left the deal was BOOKED....

“Nice to see Integrity rises to the upper levels of management in this industry!!

“name and address withheld”

(This was received last week while I was on vacation. Making the Transition was more important than doing it right, it appears. Perhaps at this level, these few leases are “chump change,” but to the employees in the process, their viewpoint is different. And/or maybe this is one of the reasons why American Express turned their leasing operation over as it appears management didn't care about doing things “right.” editor)

[headlines]

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HP Financial Closes Colorado Small Ticket Operation

“HP Financial Services recently announced that they are closing their Colorado small ticket operations center and moving to Murray Hill, NJ. All of the employees in Colorado will be laid off.

“ Less than two years ago, HP moved its small ticket operations center from NJ to CO and all of the NJ employees were laid off.”

(Anonymous)

(This was received last week while I was on vacation. There may have been other reasons than costs as evidenced on the Leasing News Complaint Bulletin Board: too many brokers were disguising themselves as “dealers” to get transactions accepted. Or this may be simply the operation was moved here for a key management geographic reason or “none of the above.” The people at HP Financial are not talking, but if there is any comment, we would be glad to print it in full. Editor)

[headlines]

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NACM “Slight” Slowing Down in Manufacturing

The monthly National Association of Credit Managers notes in the latest report: “A slight slowing in the manufacturing sector growth was offset by a small gain in the service sector. There don't appear to be any major concerns as we head into December.”

Full report located here:

http://leasingnews.org/PDF/CMI_Nov2004.pdf

[headlines]

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Press Release Errors re: Fisher to Tom Depping's Main Street Bank

There were several inaccuracies in the press release received about the popular Bob Fisher, CLP, evidently now in charge of Tom Depping's leasing broker program. We hope to correct the omissions, after an interview, perhaps with both gentlemen.

One of the questions will concern broker protection (one of the main reported gripes about Sierra Cities, which was run by Mr. Depping, was once he bought the company, he often removed the founder, then ordered inside sales people to start calling the lessees and vendors for business direct. From memo's we printed, Depping never let go the reigns of his company's sales efforts.)

Many believe brokers have a short memory, especially if they receive low rates and favorable credit decisions.

Others believe the leasing market has changed, including the sharing of information over the internet, plus the growth of organizations who now protect leasing brokers, such as the National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers.

editor
[headlines]

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Year-end special from leasingpress.com

“All three of our best selling books may be purchased through the remainder of 2004, mixed as you wish for the following prices, which include free shipping to the same address:

“Power Tools for Successful Leasing
Technology Leasing: Power Tools for Lessees
Power Tools for Small Ticket Leasing
Regular price of each book is $79.95 plus s&h

“Through December 31, our prices have been reduced as follows:
5 or more copies--only $60 each (savings of $19.95 per copy)
10 or more copies--only $50 each (savings of $29.95 per copy)
20 or more copies--only $40 each (savings of$39.95 per copy)”

Best wishes,
James M. Johnson and Barry S. Marks

[headlines]

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US Bank –Manifest Letter to Customers

“To Our Valued Customers,

“Thank you for your continued support and our partnership together in 2004. This has been Manifest Funding Services' most successful year ever.

“For the past several years Manifest has been driven by our commitment to your business…we call it “Focused on Your Success”. We are passionate about our commitment to work with you to create products that drive the success of your organization and our relationship together. This mutual commitment has helped create these important products and programs:

“Commercial Program (2004) - $75-250K leases & EFA's
Database Marketing (1998) – over $20 million booked in 2003 & 2004
WrapLease (2001) – over $35 million booked in 2003 & 2004
Marketing Coop (1997) – over $500K distributed in 2004
Navigator (2003) – B&C credits – over $30 million in 2004
Navigator Direct (2004) – rollout beginning in November 2004
Extended Exposure Guidelines (2003) – App only program to $125K
Graphics Design Support (1999) – over 400 broker projects in 2004
Turnkey Marketing (2000) – over 70 campaigns in 2004
Staffing Tool Kit (2000) – over 200 profiles completed in 2004
EFA's – over 3,000 written in 2004

“One of our goals for 2005 will be to evaluate many of the smaller funding relationships we have. For example, we will fund business with 166 brokers who will average less than $5,000 per month funded in 2004. An additional 124 companies did not fund a single transaction with Manifest even though they are active and submitting business to us. Collectively, these accounts have less than 40% approval and fund less than 18% of their submittals. These inefficiencies sometimes prevent us from providing the best service possible to our customers. This needs to be addressed…

“Over the next couple of weeks, we will be visiting with these accounts to either find a better fit for our services or to inactivate the funding relationship. As with all our customers, it is our desire to build a better relationship with these lower volume accounts and earn an acceptable share of their business. We will be asking for a minimum volume commitment of $20,000 per month.

“It is our sincere hope that we can continue our current relationships with every company now active with Manifest. In addition, we will be looking for new relationships that will help us learn and grow in this industry. We are also committed to making some tougher decisions so that we may provide the best service possible to our customers.

“We are looking forward to a terrific 2005. Our success will continue to be driven by your business, and that is why we will remain “Focused on Your Success”.

“Sincerely,

“Brad Peterson

Senior Vice President, General Manager

•  jb.peterson@manifestfunding.com ”

(This was printed with Brad Peterson's permission. )
“Yes, you may print it. Our initial feedback has been positive and I sincerely hope that we can find ways to continue to add value to our relationships.

”Hope all is well with you.  Happy holidays! “

Brad
[headlines]

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

Marlin Business Services Corp. Announces New Additions
to its Management Team

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J.------Marlin Business Services Corp. (NASDAQ:MRLN), a nationwide provider of equipment leasing solutions, announces the appointments of new members to its management team made over the past few months.

Kevyn Rakowski is the new Corporate Controller. Kevyn is a Certified Public Accountant with 15 years of financial reporting experience. Kevyn previously worked at InfraSource and the accounting firm of Arthur Andersen. Kevyn reports to Bruce Sickel, Chief Financial Officer.

Willie Kelly is the new Director of Human Resources. Willie brings 20 years of personnel management experience to the position and previously held senior level positions at Blue Cross and American Reinsurance. He reports to George Pelose, Senior Vice President and General Counsel.

Vince Drobniak is the new Chief Credit Officer. Vince has over 23 years of small and mid-ticket leasing credit & operations experience and has served in leadership roles with De Lage Landen, Tokai Financial Services, Citicorp & Manufacturers Hanover Bank. He reports to Daniel Dyer, Chief Executive Officer.

Steve Carr is the new Director of Northeast Retail Sales. Steve has 14 years of business to business sales experience and most recently worked at MicroWarehouse, a leading provider of computer solutions to small business. Steve reports to Gary Shivers, President.

Rob Herb is the new Director of Marketing. Rob has over 10 years of experience in sales and marketing and is a Six Sigma certified Green Belt. Rob previously worked at GE Commercial Finance, Canon Financial Services and Tokai Financial Services. Rob reports to Deborah Affonsa, Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

About Marlin Business Services Corp.

Marlin Business Services Corp. is a nationwide provider of equipment leasing solutions primarily to small businesses. The company's principal operating subsidiary, Marlin Leasing Corporation, finances over 60 equipment categories in a segment of the market generally referred to as "small-ticket" leasing (i.e. transactions less than $250,000). The company was founded in 1997 and completed its initial public offering of common stock November 12, 2003. In addition to Mount Laurel, NJ, Marlin also has regional offices in or near Atlanta, Chicago, Denver and Philadelphia. For more information, visit www.marlincorp.com or call toll free at (888) 479-9111.
Marlin Business Services Corp. Bruce E. Sickel, 888-479-9111

[headlines]

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

Fitch Ratings Affirms CIT; Rating Outlook Stable

Fitch Ratings-New York-: Fitch Ratings affirms CIT Group, Inc.'s (CIT) and related entities' ratings as follows:

--Senior debt 'A';
--Subordinated debt 'A-';
--Preferred stock 'A-';
--Commercial paper 'F1'.

Fitch has also affirmed the following ratings for Newcourt Credit Group Inc. and AT&T Capital Corp., both of which are guaranteed by CIT.

--Senior debt 'A'.

The subordinated debt rating has been withdrawn as all subordinated debt has been fully repaid. The Rating Outlook is Stable. Approximately, $37 billion of debt and preferred stock are covered by Fitch's actions.

CIT's ratings reflect its well-defined operating strategy and significant market share in selected businesses as well as its improved profitability, capitalization and leverage. The company's committed sources of liquidity, including bank credit facilities and conduits, and the regular use of conduit facilities are also important considerations in the ratings. Rating concerns center on the sustainability of the current favorable trends in asset quality and steps taken to reduce volatility over a full business cycle, asset growth well in excess of management's articulated targets, successful implementation of new CIT culture, and the long-term success of the diversified finance company business model.

Over the last 15 months, CIT's credit profile has trended upward to allow the company to be comfortably positioned in the 'A' category. While some of the company's financial metrics suggest a higher rating, commercial finance is a notoriously cyclical industry and CIT's ability to continue to operate at the current levels will be tested during the next U.S. economic downturn. Reducing the business volatility, particularly evident in asset quality, that CIT endured during the last domestic recession is a key focus for management. However, in many ways, CIT is a much different company than it was five or 10 years ago or even one year ago. As such, recent changes in management and CIT's evolving business profile will be the drivers of the company's ratings in the future.

CIT is in the midst of a corporate 'rebirth' with Jeffrey Peek succeeding longtime CEO Albert Gamper. Although CEO for less than 12 months, Jeffrey Peek has begun to put his stamp on the company and his vision of CIT. Key initiatives include a renewed emphasis on corporate profitability, with a return on tangible equity target of 15%, changes in corporate fabric, as exemplified in the One CIT program, along with more emphasis on a performance culture, and annual asset growth in the 8%-10% range over a business cycle. In addition to the strategies to help improve CIT's financial metrics, several qualitative other initiatives have been introduced. Management's goal with the implementation of these programs is to drive CIT to be a better and stronger organization that is more responsive to the needs of its customers and stakeholders. Fitch favorably views these initiatives although recognizes that the success of the qualitative ones will be difficult to measure.

Operationally, CIT continued on the business momentum established in 2003 and reported record results for the nine month period ending Sept. 30, 2004. Net income for the 2004 period was $550 million, including a $26 million after-tax gain from the redemption of the public income notes (PINES) securities, versus $412 million for the same period in 2003. Based on CIT's nine month operating results, the company is likely to report record results for 2004 with net income exceeding $700 million. More importantly, CIT's profitability has been trending upward with return on managed assets and return on tangible equity (ROTE) of 1.57% and 14.10% annualized for the three month period ending Sept. 30, 2004 compared to 1.20% and 12.20% for the same period in 2003. The trend in ROTE is of particular importance in light of management's publicly announced profitability goal of 15%. While CIT benefited from lower credit costs and the gain from the redemption of $513 million of PINES in January 2004, improved lending margins and lower depreciation expense, due to a change in asset mix, partially offset by a sharp rise in operating expenses, were the primary drivers of the company's strong results. The sustainability of these trends in 2005 is likely, assuming the domestic economy remains stable. CIT should enjoy additional margin expansion as higher priced debt is refinanced while management strives to gain additional economies of scale through the company's existing infrastructure with headcount remaining constant.

Since Dec. 31, 2002, CIT's asset quality has improved markedly with delinquencies, nonperforming assets, and net charge offs declining significantly. Total net charge offs as a percentage of average owned receivables for the nine month periods ending Sept. 30, 2004 and 2003 were 1.06% and 1.45%, respectively. Core net charge offs, excluding telecommunication and liquidating assets, were 0.81% and 1.14% for these periods. While CIT management has indicated that over an entire business cycle they expect core net charge offs to be between 80 and 90 basis points given the current business mix, it appears that additional improvement is likely in the near term as delinquencies and nonperforming loans have trended downward throughout 2004. While the strengthening of CIT's asset quality is noted, it is unclear as to how much of the improvement is company specific or sector related. Additional data points over time are likely to help address this question.

Similar to the trends in asset quality, CIT's capitalization and leverage has generally improved since year-end 2002. Leverage, defined as total managed debt divided by tangible equity, stood at 8.34x at Sept. 30, 2004 down from 8.50x at Dec. 31, 2003. Similarly, tangible equity divided by managed assets increased to 9.39% at Sept. 30, 2004 from 9.13% at Dec. 31, 2003. Fitch believes that CIT, if it can fully execute on its business model, should be able to continue to manage leverage down and improve capitalization. The key drivers for accomplishing this will be maintaining the growth rate of internal tangible capital formation, adjusted for common share repurchases, in excess of the growth rate for assets.

Founded in 1908, CIT Group, Inc. (CIT) is the largest publicly owned domestic diversified finance company. With over $50 billion in managed assets, CIT provides a full array of commercial finance products and services as well as selected consumer finance offerings through a staff of about 5,700 employees throughout North America with strategic offices in Europe, Latin and South America, and the Pacific Rim.

Contact: Philip S. Walker, Jr., CFA +1-212-908-0624 or Matthew D. Gallino +1-212-908-0218, New York.

[headlines]

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

Fitch Upgrades Caterpillar Financial Asset Trust 2002-A

Fitch Ratings-Chicago-: Fitch Ratings upgrades the following class of notes for Caterpillar Financial Asset Trust 2002-A (CAT 2002-A).

--Class B asset-backed notes are upgraded to 'AAA' from 'AA';

Fitch affirms the class A-3 asset-backed notes at 'AAA'.

In its review of the CAT 2002-A transaction, Fitch noted increasing levels of credit enhancement available to each class of notes. Specifically, the current credit enhancement available to the class B notes as of Oct. 31, 2004 was 20.82% versus the original level of 2.75% at closing and 9.61% at the time of Fitch's last upgrade on Jan. 28, 2004. Both classes of notes also benefit from credit enhancement components that include a reserve account ($14,220,628), overcollateralization (OC) ($9,449,922), and excess spread.

The continued increase in credit enhancement is a result of better than expected portfolio performance as well as certain structural mechanics, such as a non-declining reserve account, which benefits both classes of notes. Portfolio delinquencies have been relatively consistent since transaction inception, with an historical average since close of 3.62% (30+ days) as of the period ended Oct. 31, 2004. Cumulative net default experience through 28 periods is .40%. As a result, the lifetime collateral losses for the transaction may yield an ultimate default number less than Fitch's original assumption. Fitch also analyzed current break even cash flow scenarios and noted that the class B notes currently can sustain several times more losses than the class A notes were expected to sustain at close.

Fitch will continue to closely monitor this transaction and may take additional rating action in the event of changes in performance and credit enhancement measures.

Contact: Du Trieu +1-312-368-2091, Joseph Tuczak +1-312-368-2083, or John Bella Jr. +1-312-368-2058, Chicago.

[headlines]

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

Edmunds.com Reports True Cost of Incentives:
Effect of Incentives Wearing Thin

SANTA MONICA, Calif., -- Edmunds.com (http://www.edmunds.com), the premier online resource for automotive information, reported today that the average manufacturer automotive incentive in the United States was $2,395 per vehicle sold in November 2004, up $9, or 0.4%, from November 2003, and down $260, or 9.8%, from October 2004.

Edmunds.com's monthly True Cost of Incentives(SM) (TCI(SM)) report takes into account all of the manufacturers' various United States incentives programs, including subvented interest rates and lease programs as well as cash rebates to consumers and dealers. To ensure the greatest possible accuracy, Edmunds.com bases its calculations on sales volume, including the mix of vehicle makes and models for each month, as well as on the proportion of vehicles for which each type of incentive was used.

Overall, combined incentives spending for domestic Chrysler, Ford and General Motors nameplates averaged $3,379 per vehicle sold in November, down $283 from October 2004. Chrysler lowered incentives spending in November by $215 to $3,429 per vehicle sold while increasing market share by 0.9% to 13.8%. Ford decreased incentives spending by $270 to an average of $3,141 per vehicle sold, while its market share fell by 0.4% to 18.0%. GM lowered incentives spending in November by $339 to $3,519 while its market share dropped 0.7% to 24.6% -- a historical low.

"The kind of incentives that helped to jump start the automotive industry from its lull three years ago has lost its effectiveness to create new potential buyers. The domestic automakers have made the most of incentives in recent years, and are beginning to accept that consumers, who have been bombarded with messages of cash back and special financing, are becoming relatively insensitive to those offers," stated Dr. Jane Liu, Vice President of Data Analysis for Edmunds.com. "It's supply and demand: the continued success of models like the Chrysler 300 and the Dodge Magnum, and brands like Mini and Scion, prove that consumers will enthusiastically purchase an exciting, high-quality product even in the absence of any incentives. GM and Ford, aware of the need to reduce the supply of less popular models, recently announced that they will be cutting production."

In November 2004, Korean automakers reduced incentives spending by $357 to average $1,828 per vehicle sold, European automakers reduced incentives spending by $565 to average $1,765 per vehicle sold and Japanese automakers reduced incentives spending by $41 to average $888 per vehicle sold in October.

From October to November, Korean and European manufacturers grew their market share from 4.15% to 4.44% and 7.25% to 7.53%, respectively. At the same time, Japanese and domestic manufacturers both lost market share, with the Japanese dropping from 31.9% to 31.5% and the domestics falling from 56.51% to 56.3%.

"The decline in average TCI from October to November reflects a seasonal trend, as this time of year many new model year vehicles are being sold with relatively low incentives," explained Dr. Liu. "Gains in market share for Koreans and Europeans can partially be attributed to strong sales of new and redesigned vehicles like the Hyundai Tucson and the Volvo S40."

Comparing all brands, in November Mini spent virtually nothing on incentives and Scion spent only $83, while Lexus spent only $164 per vehicle sold. At the other end of the spectrum, Lincoln was the biggest spender at $4,949 in November, followed by Jaguar at $4,872 and Cadillac at $4,184 per vehicle sold.

Among vehicle segments, in November large SUVs continued to offer the highest average incentives, $4,364 per vehicle sold. Other segments with high incentives were large cars at $3,004 and large trucks at $2,856 per vehicle sold. Compact cars had the lowest average incentives at $1,492, followed by luxury sports cars at $1,653 and luxury SUVs at $1,782 per vehicle sold.

Midsize cars have lost the most market share since November 2003, decreasing from 16.4% to 14.6%, while large cars have gained the most market share during that period, up from 4.2% to 6.1% of the new vehicle market.

About Edmunds.com True Cost of Incentives(SM) (TCI(SM))

Edmunds.com's TCI(SM) is a comprehensive monthly report that measures automobile manufacturers' cost of incentives on vehicles sold in the United States. These costs are reported on a per vehicle basis for the industry as a whole, for each manufacturer, for each make sold by each manufacturer and for each model of each make. TCI covers all aspects of manufacturers' various incentives programs (except volume and similar bonus programs), including dealer cash, manufacturer rebates and consumer savings from subvented APR and lease programs (including subvented lease residual values used in manufacturer leasing programs). Data for the industry, the manufacturers and the makes are derived using weighted averages and are based on actual monthly sales and financing activity.

About Edmunds.com, Inc.

Edmunds.com is the premier online resource for automotive information. Its comprehensive set of data, tools and services, including Edmunds.com True Market Value(R) pricing, is generated by Edmunds.com Information Solutions and is licensed to third parties. For example, the company supplies over 800,000 pages of content for the auto sections of AOL and NYTimes.com, provides weekly data to Automotive News and delivers monthly data reports to Wall Street analysts. Edmunds.com was named "best car research" site by Forbes ASAP, has been selected by consumers as the "most useful Web site" according to every J.D. Power and Associates New Autoshopper.com Study(SM) and was ranked first in the Survey of Car-Shopping Web Sites as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif. and maintains a satellite office outside Detroit.

[headlines]

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

CIT Names Flint Besecker to Lead Focus on Healthcare Sector

NEW YORK / -- CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT), a

leading provider of commercial and consumer finance solutions, announced that it has appointed Flint Besecker as President, CIT Healthcare Financial Services, effective December 6, 2004.

In the newly-created position, Mr. Besecker will report to Frederick

(Rick) Wolfert, Vice Chairman of CIT's commercial finance businesses. He will lead CIT's focus on providing a broad range of financing products and services to meet the large and diverse commercial financing needs of customers in the healthcare industry. The group will offer equipment finance and leasing, working capital loans, acquisition finance and real estate finance, along with selected advisory and capital markets services.

Mr. Besecker's appointment further underscores CIT's strategy of targeting high-growth economic sectors and increasing operating efficiencies through synergistic industry alignments that provide enterprise-wide financing solutions for customers.

"We believe the healthcare industry presents a significant opportunity for CIT to build our existing knowledge base, deepen our client relationships and further leverage our core capabilities in healthcare," Mr. Wolfert said. "We are very pleased to have Flint join a team that is already a recognized leader in this industry. His depth of experience and strong track record of delivering customized solutions to healthcare companies is ideally suited to lead CIT's focus on this important growth sector."

Mr. Besecker is a 15-year veteran of the healthcare finance industry, bringing a wealth of experience in all facets of healthcare financing. Most recently, he was Managing Director and Group Head at GE Healthcare Financial Services. Prior to GE, he served as Executive Vice President & Chief Risk Officer for Heller Healthcare Finance. He received a B.S. in Accounting from Canisius College and is a Certified Public Accountant.

About CIT:

CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT), a leading commercial and consumer finance company, provides clients with financing and leasing products and advisory services. Founded in 1908, CIT has approximately $50 billion in assets under management and possesses the financial resources, industry expertise and product knowledge to serve the needs of clients across approximately 30 industries. CIT, a Fortune 500 company, holds leading positions in vendor financing, factoring, equipment and transportation financing, Small Business Administration loans, and asset-based lending. CIT, with its principal offices in Livingston, New Jersey and New York City has approximately 5,800 employees in locations throughout North America, Europe, Latin and South America, and the Pacific Rim. For more information,
visit http://www.cit.com .

[headlines]

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

Gibson Joins AIG Commercial Equipment Finance

Mark J. Gibson has joined AIG Commercial Equipment Finance, Inc. (AIGCEF) as Vice President – Capital Markets. Mr. Fluharty comes to AIGCEF with over nineteen years experience in the financial services industry. Gibson earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from The Ohio State University. As Vice President – Capital Markets, Gibson will responsible for developing new business for AIGCEF through qualified intermediaries and brokers. He is based in Plano, TX and can be reached at (972) 987-3711.

[headlines]

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

ORIX USA Hires Stephen J. Turpin

Stephen J. Turpin has joined ORIX USA's Structured Finance division located in Kennesaw, GA. Turpin is responsible for the development of the division's Specialty Finance origination for the Gaming, Broadcast/Media, Entertainment and Sport's Franchise industries.

Steve Crain, President of Structured Finance said, “We are pleased to have Steve on our team and look forward to utilizing his marketing and development skills as we continue to grow the specialty finance segment of our business.” Turpin was most recently with CIT and brings over 25 years of experience in new market development with a proven track record of performance. Turpin reports to Blair McBeth, Senior Vice President, managing the direct marketing team for Structured Finance.

Structured Finance specializes in providing equipment financing and leasing to middle market and larger business enterprises with core competencies in manufacturing, energy, mining, business aircraft, rail, marine and other capital intensive industries. Additionally, Structured Finance provides “turnkey” financing (land, building and equipment) of facilities (refineries, manufacturing plants, grocery stores, processing plants and other facility-related business locations).

Structured Finance is part of the Corporate Finance Group of ORIX USA Corporation. The Corporate Finance Group provides senior secured, unsecured, mezzanine and structured finance credit products to companies throughout the U.S. and Canada. ORIX USA Corporation, together with its wholly owned subsidiaries, is a division of ORIX Corporation, Japan's leading diversified financial services provider. Based in Tokyo with operations in 23 global markets, ORIX Corporation is a publicly traded company listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York Stock Exchanges (Ticker: IX)

CONTACT:
Steven K. Crain
ORIX USA Corporation - Structured Finance
Phone Number: 770-970-6400
Fax Number: 770-970-6900
E-mail: structured @orix.com

[headlines]

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

United Association of Equipment Leasing
78-120 Calle Estado Suite 201
La Quinta, CA 92253
Phone: (760) 564-2227
Fax: (760) 564-2206
www.uael.org

UAEL Staff

Joe Woodley
Executive Officer / jwoodley@uael.org

Bill Grohe
Director of Membership and Marketing / bill@uael.org

Mike Wood
General Manager/mike@uael.org

Originally the Western Association of Equipment Leasing (WAEL,) the organization grew to a true national association where the eastern membership now equals western membership.

[headlines]

News Briefs---

Bush to Replace Treasury's Snow
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/
A38528-2004Dec6.html

The Successor to Greenspan Has a Very Tough Act to Follow
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/06/business/
businessspecial2/06fed.html

Jobs numbers fall short
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/
10335033.htm

IBM's future in PCs cloudy
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/1204/04ibm.html

[headlines]

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Sports Briefs----

NBA - Suns Scorch Trail Blazers, Kings Beat Celtics
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/sports/sports-nba-sunday.html

Patriots crush Browns, 42-15
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/
2004/12/05/patriots_42_browns_15/

Steelers win squeaker in Jacksonville, 17-16
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04341/422508.stm

Redskins dominate Giants in team's first offensive explosion of the season.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37196-2004Dec5.html

The Pack Can't Keep Up With the Soaring Eagles
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/06/sports/football/06eagles.html

Rams' bullpen does the job
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/rams/story/
6ECD49ACF680CE2186256F620019BD25?OpenDocument&
Headline=Rams'+bullpen+do+their+job

Healthy Pennington Refocuses Jets' Trajectory
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/06/sports/
football/06jets.html?oref=login

Bolts manage to corral Broncos in 20-17 victory to take control of AFC West By Bernie Wilson
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/chargers/
20041205-1831-fbn-broncos-chargers.html

Riled-up Brooks, Bucs prevent Falcons from clinching
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/1204/06falcons.html

NFL Scoreboard
http://sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=nytimes&page=
nfl/scores/live/scoreboard.aspx?date =

[headlines]

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

“Gimme that Wine”

Winebanking leaves good taste
http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2004/11/29/daily32.html

Laws on shipping wine hurt producers, buyers
http://www.masslive.com/editorials/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1102063542221830.xml

Napa Valley auction retools event and raises ticket prices
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/
2004/12/02/WIGGNA46NA1.DTL

Brother Timothy, legendary winemaker, dies
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CA_OBIT_BROTHER
TIMOTHY_CAOL-?SITE=CASRP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Fire causes $750,000 damage at Sycamore Farms
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/local/10319699.htm

Postcard From Paris: We Drank! W e A te!—Frank J. Prial
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/01/dining/01WINE.html?
pagewanted=allPoppingCorks.com:

The Internet's Wine Review Directory
http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2004/12/emw183711.htm

[headlines]

Day in American History

    1628- Thomas Beard began manufacturing shoes. He came over on the Mayflower. Prior to that date, shoes were imported from England. The colonists also learned from the Native Americans how to make moccasins, which were so well liked that as early as 1650 they were exported to Eng­land
    1787- Delaware became the first state to ratify the federal Constitution by unanimous vote. It was signed on December 7 by all 30 members of the Constitutional Convention. Thomas Collins, who was president of Delaware at that time, automatically became the first state governor.
    1820- James Monroe was re-elected president of the United Sates. Daniel D. Tompkins was re-elected vice-president. The electoral vote was Monroe, 231; John Quincy Adams, a Federalist and Monroe's secretary of state, 1 electoral vote. The panic of 819 had wrought great changes in people's economic status. A period of wild speculation had ended with wholesale foreclosures by banks, and much property in the South and West reverted to the national bank. To add to this, at the end of 1818 the Union consisted of 11 free and 11 salve states. Ready to be a state, Maine, would be a free state, but it would be offset by creating the state of Missouri from Louisiana, otherwise known as the Missouri compromise. The fourth U.S. Census recorded a population of 9,638,453. The center of population was 16 miles east of Moorefiled, W.Va.
    1864- Abraham Lincoln appointed Ohio Senator Salmon P. Chase chief justice of the United States, a strong advocate of African-American rights.
( lower half of: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec06.htm http://www.abbess.demon.co.uk/brubeck/discog/ l )
    1865-The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, abolishing slavery in the US. "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, save as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." In 1860, the US Census recorded a population of 31,443,321. There were 448,070 free blacks and 3,953,760 slaves in the country, the overwhelming majority were black.
    1884-Washington Monument is “topped.”
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec06.html
    1865-Eight months after the end of the Civil War, Georgia became the last state to ratify the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, officially ending the institution of slavery in the United States. "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." With these words, the single greatest change wrought by the Civil War was officially noted in the U.S. Constitution.
    1876 –The presidential election held on November 7 had given Governor of New York Samuel J. Tilden, the Democratic candidate, a popular vote plurality of 250,000, but Republicans refused to concede on the grounds that returns from Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Oregon were in dispute and thus their 19 electoral votes. Hayes need the electoral votes of those states to win. On December 6 two different sets of electoral returns were reported from the four states. The electoral vote ultimately was to be determined by a special 15-members electoral commission with five members from each house of Congress and five members form the Supreme Court, made up of eight Republicans and seven Democrats. On March 2, Congress adopted the commissions decision, Rutherford B. Hayes received 185 electoral votes and Tilden 184. The Republicans were accused of offering southern Democrats economic favors for their region if they supported Hayes's claim. In any event, the new president showed a conciliatory attitude toward the South: the last federal troops were withdrawn and there was no further effort to protect the rights of blacks. All government programs for equality were ended. Reconstruction was over.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/rh19.html
http://www.ipl.org/div/potus/rbhayes.html
http://gi.grolier.com/presidents/ea/side/tilden.html
http://gi.grolier.com/presidents/ea/side/elecollg.html
    1877- Washington Post publishes 1st edition
    1877 -First sound recording made (Thomas Edison) http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/
    1886-Birthday of Joyce Kilmer, American poet most famous for his poem “Trees, which was published in 1913, was born at New Brunswick, NJ. Kilmer was killed in action near Ourcy, France, in World War I, July 30, 1918. Camp Kilmer was named for him.
    1886 - A great snowstorm hit the southern Appalachian Mountains. The three day storm produced 25 inches at Rome GA, 33 inches at Asheville NC, and 42 inches in the mountains. Montgomery AL received a record eleven inches of snow. Columbia SC received one to two inches of sleet. (4th-6 th )
    1892-Birthday of Theodore Lawless, African-American medicine pioneer, born Thibodeaux, Louisiana . He was a dermatologist who became a millionaire form his studies, practice and development of medicines. He also contributed to the better understanding of syphilis, a venereal disease; and leprosy, a disease which wastes away the muscles of the body. Setting up his offices in the heart of Chicago's Black community, he established one of the largest and best known skin clinics in the city. For many years, men and women and children, both black and white, crowded his waiting room from morning until night. But he still found time to teach at Northwestern University, work with the staff of Chicago's Provident Hospital, and share his knowledge with other doctors. In 1954, he was awarded the NAACP's Springarn Medal. In 1970 at his seventy-eighth birthday celebration on Dillard University's campus, Lawless shared the philosophy that directed his life:
“I sought my soul,
But my soul I could not see,
I sought my God, but my God eluded me,
I sought my neighbor, and I found all there.”
Died May 1, 1971 http://www.africanpubs.com/Apps/bios/1057LawlessT.asp?pic=none
    1896-Birthday of Ira Gershwin, Pulitzer Prize—winning American lyricist and author who collab­orated with his brother, George, and with many other composers. Among his Broadway successes: Lady Be Good, Funny Face, Strike Up the Band and such songs as “The Man I Love,” “Someone to Watch Over Me.”
    1898-Birthday of American photojournalist Alfred Eisenstaedt, born Dirschau, Prussia. One of the greatest photojournalists in US history he is best known for his 86 photos that were used on covers of Life magazine, including the photo of the sailor kissing a nurse in New York's Times Square at the end of World War II. He died August 23, 1995, at Martha's Vineyard, MA.
    1920—Pianist/composer Dave Brubeck birthday
http://www.schirmer.com/composers/brubeck_bio.html
http://www.brubeckmusic.com/dave.html
http://www.downbeat.com/artists/window.asp?aid=
143&aname=Dave+Brubeck
    1921 -- Otto Graham, the Hall of Fame quarterback who ran and passed the Cleveland Browns to seven league championships in 10 seasons (1946-55), was born.
http://images.nfl.com/history/images/1206.jpg
    1922 -- William P. McGivern lives. American novelist, screenplay writer, who published over 20 novels covering the wide genre of thrillers — homicide detection, espionage, political corruption, the world of psychopath, & the crooked cop.
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/mcgivern.htm
    1922-The first electric commercial power line was placed in operation by Utica Gas and Electric Company, Utica, NY. The plant was build by the General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY, and consisted of the transmitters, the power lines, and the associated receives. The transmission lines carried both voices and power. A single power line could carry several different carrier frequencies simultaneously, making possible distant supervisory control of various types of electric equipment. This opened the United States, and the world to cheap electrical power, transmission, and changed lifestyles. The first hydrogen-cooled turbine generator for cities was built by GE, who lead the field in innovation and relatively low cost for consumers
    1925-Tenor sax and flute player Bob Cooper born, Pittsburgh, PA, 1925, died August 5, 1993.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/x.dll?p=amg&sql=B6335
http://shopping.yahoo.com/shop?d=product&id=
1927005436&clink=dmmu.artist&a=b
    1928-Birthday of drummer Frank Dunlop, Buffalo, NY
http://www.audiophilia.com/software/ac2.htm
    1937-Birthday of drummer Eddie Gladden, Newark, NJ
http://shopping.yahoo.com/shop?d=product&id=1927063655
    1940-Birthday of bass player Jay Leonhard, Baltimore, MD
    1940- Nat King Cole Trio cuts first Decca recordings.
    1941-President Roosevelt-convinced on the basis of intelligence reports that the Japanese fleet is headed for Thailand, not the United States-telegrams Emperor Hirohito with the request that "for the sake of humanity," the emperor intervene "to prevent further death and destruction in the world." The Royal Australian Air Force had sighted Japanese escorts, cruisers, and destroyers on patrol near the Malayan coast, south of Cape Cambodia. An Aussie pilot managed to radio that it looked as if the Japanese warships were headed for Thailand-just before he was shot down by the Japanese. Back in England, Prime Minister Churchill called a meeting of his chiefs of staff to discuss the crisis. While reports were coming in describing Thailand as the Japanese destination, they began to question whether it could have been a diversion. British intelligence had intercepted the Japanese code "Raffles," a warning to the Japanese fleet to be on alert-but for what? Britain was already preparing Operation Matador, the launching of their 11th Indian Division into Thailand to meet the presumed Japanese invasion force. But at the last minute, Air Marshall Brooke-Popham received word not to cross the Thai border for fear that it would provoke a Japanese attack if, in fact, the warship movement was merely a bluff. Meanwhile, 600 miles northwest of Hawaii, Admiral Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese fleet, announced to his men: "The rise or fall of the empire depends upon this battle. Everyone will do his duty with utmost efforts." Thailand was, in fact, a bluff. Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii was confirmed for Yamamoto as the Japanese target, after the Japanese consul in Hawaii had reported to Tokyo that a significant portion of the U.S. Pacific fleet would be anchored in the harbor-sitting ducks.
    1947- Stan Kenton cuts “ Peanut Vendor.”
http://www.mamajazz.org/pages/biokenton.html http://business.baylor.edu/Phil_VanAuken/kenton.html
http://music.bizrate.com/marketplace/product_info/overview/
index__cat_id--5209,prod_id--1007232,name-The%20Best%
20Of%20Stan%20Kenton%20%28Blue%20Note%29.html
    1947- Everglades national Park was established.. Part of vast marshland area on southern Florida peninsula, originally authorized May 30,1934.
    1950 -Duluth, MN had their greatest 24 hour snowfall when 25.4 inches fell
    1951---Top Hits
Sin (It's No) - Eddy Howard
Because of You - Tony Bennett
Down Yonder - Del Wood
Slow Poke - Pee Wee King
    1959---Top Hits
Mack the Knife - Bobby Darin
Don't You Know - Della Reese
In the Mood - Ernie Field's Orch.
Country Girl - Faron Young
    1960 - Gene Autry was attending the 1960 baseball winter meetings hoping to secure a broadcasting contract for KMPC, his Los Angeles radio station. The ‘Singing Cowboy' wound up as the owner of the expansion Los Angeles Angels (when no one came forward to bid for the team, Autry made a bid of his own). The team became the showpiece for KMPC. The Angels played their first season in Wrigley Field (capacity 22,000), then rented Dodger Stadium and later moved to Anaheim. In 2002, they won the World Series, beating the San Francisco Giants. 1960-500 store owners in Tucson, Arizona sign pledges of non-discrimination. In 1994 a black chamber of commerce was formed in Tucson, the 33 rd largest city in the United States. One of the “hold out” states, it was not until 1993 that Arizona observed its first statewide Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. June 7, 1993, Governor Jean Shaheen of New Hampshire signed the King Holiday legislation into law, completing enactment of holiday in all states.
    1967---Top Hits
Daydream Believer - The Monkees
The Rain, the Park & Other Things - The Cowsills
I Say a Little Prayer - Dionne Warwick
It's the Little Things - Sonny James
    1967- the first heart transplant in the Untied States was performed at Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn, New York City. Dr. Adrian Kantrowitz was the surgeon and the patient was a two-week-old baby boy, who lived for 6.5 hours after the operation. The transplant took place three days after Dr. Christian Barnard performed the first heart transplant in history in Cape Town, South Africa. The first heart transplant performed on an adult in the United States took place on January 6, 1968, at the Stanford Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA. The patient was Mike Kasperak and the surgeon was Dr. Norman Shumway.
    1969- Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, in Livermore, , a free concert featuring performance by the Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplanes, Santana, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and the Flying Burrito Brothers turned into tragedy. The "thank you" concert for 300,000 fans was marred by overcrowding, drug overdoses and the fatal stabbing of a spectator by a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, who had been hired as security guards for the event. The murder is filmed and included in the film "Gimme Shelter" which premiers exactly one year later.
    1969 - Musician Cab Calloway turned actor as he was seen in the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" presentation of "The Littlest Angel" on NBC. The big band singer, known for such classics as "Minnie the Moocher", became a movie star in "The Blues Brothers" (1980) with John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd.
    1969 - "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye", by Steam, reached the #1 spot on the top 40. It stayed at the top for two weeks and was the only major hit for the group that later ran out of ... steam.
    1970-"Gimme Shelter," the documentary film about the Rolling Stones' 1969 tour of the U.S. debuts on the anniversary of the Altamont concert.
    1971 - It was payday for Jack Nicklaus. He received $30,000 for capturing the first Disney World golf tournament. His earnings for the season totaled $244,490.
    1971- Ryan Wayne White born with hemophilia, later to contract AIDS from blood-clotting products.
http://teenink.com/Past/1999/10658.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0451173228/
inktomi-bkasin-20/103-8044451-6791041
    1973- Gerald Ford was sworn in as vice-president under Richard Nixon, following the resignation of Spiro Agnew who pled no contest to a charge of income tax evasion. 1973 Gerald Rudolph Ford became the first vice president chosen under the 25th amendment when he was sworn into office as President Richard Milhous Nixon's vice president. The 25 th amend, ratified on February 10, 1967, enables the president to appoint a vice president in the event that the office becomes vacant. On October 10, 1973, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew resigned to face charges of income tax evasion, leaving the vice presidency open for the first time since the passage of the amendment. When President Nixon resigned Gerald Ford became the first president of the United States never elected to the office He later pardoned Nixon after his resignation as president. Some say it was this act that elected Jimmy Carter president of the United States in 1976. The electoral vote was Carter, 297; Pres. Ford, 240. the popular vote was Carter, 40,828,929; Ford 38,148,940. In congressional elections, the Democrats kept a 2-Senate majority, 61-38, with one seat going to an impendent, and a House Majority o4 2192-143. Yet Carter was considered by historians as a very ineffectual president and leader.. Some say it was the challenging of his chief campaign manager who became director of the Officer of Management and budget, Bert Lance. Never the less, in the first months of Pres. Jimmy Carter's administration, most Vietnam-era draft resisters were pardoned, the planned pullout of U.S. forces from South Korea was announced, and administration officials spoke out against human rights violations worldwide. Vernon Jordon of the National Urban League charged the administration with not doing enough to reduce unemployment among blacks. In his second year, national unemployment reached 7% and the Dow Jones declined, while the U.S. faced a high trade deficit, primarily because of oil imports and the falling value of the dollar.
    1973-Steve Miller who'd been laying low for most of last year and this year, gets a gold record for "The Joker," his most successful LP to date. The title track becomes Miller's first chart-topping hit and gives cameo roles to some of his previous in-song personas, like "Maurice" and "The Gangster of Love."
    1975 - Paul Simon's album, "Still Crazy After All These Years", was number one in the U.S. It was Simon's first #1 solo album and it contained his first recording with Art Garfunkel since their 1969 breakup ("My Little Town", which was also included on Garfunkel's "Breakaway" album).
    1975- Senator Robert Dole & Elizabeth Hanford marry.
http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/candidates/republican/
dole/timeline/index.shtml
    1975---Top Hits
Fly, Robin, Fly - Silver Convention
Sky High - Jigsaw
Let's Do It Again - The Staple Singers
Secret Love - Freddy Fender
    1979-AC/DC's big breakthrough comes with his fifth U.S. album, "Highway to Hell." It turns gold and happens to be the last album recorded with original vocalist Bon Scott, who dies two months later.
    1983---Top Hits
All Night Long (All Night) - Lionel Richie
Say Say Say - Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson
Uptown Girl - Billy Joel
A Little Good News - Anne Murray
    1984- The longest winning streak in the history of women's tennis came to an end when Helena Kuova defeated Martina Navatilove, who had won 74 matches in a row, starting January 15, 1974.
    1986 - University of Miami quarterback Vinny Testaverde won the Heisman Trophy on this day.
    1987 - Another in a series of storms brought high winds and heavy rain to the northwestern U.S., with heavy snow in some of the higher elevations. In northern California, Crescent City was drenched with 2.58 inches of rain, and winds gusted to 90 mph. Up to fourteen inches of snow blanketed the mountains of northern California, and snow and high winds created blizzard conditions around Lake Tahoe NV.
    1989 - Heavy snow blanketed the Central Rocky Mountain Region. Totals in the southern foothills of Colorado ranged up to 17 inches at Rye. Arctic air invaded the north central U.S. Lincoln NE, which reported a record high of 69 degrees the previous afternoon, was 35 degrees colder. International Falls MN was the cold spot in the nation with a morning low of 9 degrees below zero, and temperatures in northern Minnesota hovered near zero through the daylight hours.
    1991---Top Hits
Set Adrift on Memory Bliss - PM Dawn
Black or White - Michael Jackson
Blowing Kisses in the Wind - Paula Abdul
Forever Together - Randy Travis
    1994-Financial disaster hit Orange County on December 6, 1994, as a dalliance with high-risk investing forced the affluent California community to file for bankruptcy. The move, which marked the single biggest bankruptcy filing by a municipality, capped off a disastrous run for Orange County and its multi-billion-dollar investment fund.
    1998 - Astronauts on the U.S. space shuttle "Endeavour" completed the most difficult task of their 12-day mission, mating modules from Russia and the United States to create the first two building blocks of International Space Station. “We have capture of Zarya,” Commander Robert Cabana announced when the two pieces came together at approximately 9:07 p.m. EST. “Congratulations to the crew of the good ship Endeavour,” replied Mission Control. “That's terrific.”
    1999 - The U.S. airline maintenance company SabreTech was cleared of conspiracy charges in the crash of a plane belonging to cut-rate carrier ValuJet, which killed 110 people. The company was convicted on a series of less serious charges, including the improper packaging of the oxygen canisters thought to be responsible for the crash. The case involved 144 oxygen generators removed by SabreTech from other ValuJet planes and delivered to the ill-fated flight without the required safety caps or any markings indicating the canisters were hazardous. Investigators blamed the generators for starting a 2,200-degree cargo fire that brought down the DC-9 on May 11, 1996.
    1998-Comedian and actor Bill Cosby receives the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors. Cosby was born in Philadelphia in 1937. He dropped out of high school and joined the navy in 1956, later getting his high school degree by correspondence. In 1960, he entered Temple University on a football scholarship, but by the following year he had become more interested in comedy and began performing regularly in a Greenwich Village nightclub. He went on to pursue a career in show business and was cast in 1965 as the partner of a white undercover agent in I Spy, which ran until 1968. The first network TV show to portray a natural working relationship between white and black colleagues, I Spy co-starred Robert Culp. (The first black-white TV show was “Harlem Detective” written-produced-directed by my father in the early 1950's in New York.) Cosby starred in numerous other TV shows throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including The Bill Cosby Show, from 1969 to 1971, a situation comedy in which Cosby played a high school coach, and The New Bill Cosby Show, a variety show that lasted only one season (1972-73). Meanwhile, Cosby released a series of hit comedy recordings, winning eight Grammies, and earned a doctorate in education. In 1972, he launched an animated cartoon series called Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, which ran until 1984. In the 1970s and '80s, he made many appearances on children's TV shows, including The Electric Company and Sesame Street .In 1984, The Cosby Show debuted, a series featuring obstetrician Cliff Huxtable, his attorney wife, and their houseful of children. Rejected by ABC and NBC when Cosby pitched a similar concept based on a blue-collar family, NBC agreed to try the show once Cosby made the main characters an affluent family. The show, which ran until 1992, became one of the most popular programs on television. From 1994 to 1995, Cosby starred in The Cosby Mysteries, playing a forensic expert, and launched Cosby, about downsized airline worker Clinton Lucas, in 1996. Cosby also starred in several movies, including Leonard, Part 6 (1987), which he produced, and Ghost Dad (1990), but his movies generally failed to make a splash at the box office.
http://www.delafont.com/comedians/Bill-Cosby.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Cosby
http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-649/
http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-14611/
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/C/htmlC/cosbyshowt/cosbyshowt.htm

[headlines]

American Football Poem(s)

http://home.comcast.net/~midimusic2000/mp3/big12/
Oklahoma__Boomer_Sooner.mp3
http://home.comcast.net/~midimusic2000/mp3/big12/
Oklahoma__Nine_and_Swing.mp3

Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner,
Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner,
Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner,
Boomer Sooner, O-K-U.

Oklahoma, Oklahoma,
Oklahoma, Oklahoma,
Oklahoma, Oklahoma,
Oklahoma, O-K-U.

I'm a Sooner born and a Sooner bred
And when I die I'll be a Sooner dead!
Rah Oklahoma, Rah Oklahoma,
Rah Oklahoma, O-K-U!

Arthur M. Alden, a student of history and
physiology and the son of a Norman
jeweler, wrote the lyrics to the Oklahoma's
"Boomer Sooner" in 1905. He borrowed the
tune from Yale University's "Boola Boola,"
but improvised the words. A year later, an
addition was made to the song that was
roughly based on North Carolina 's "Tarheels are Great."
The combination of these two forms Oklahoma's battle
song as Sooners know it today.

[First Verse]
From the hillsides, from the prairies,
Comes a song that never wearies
Loyalty that never varies.
Oklahoma, hail!

Ivied walls and stately towers,
Campus fair 'neath sun or showers,
All the love we bear thee flowers
And will never fail.

[Chorus]
Shout the chorus loudly
Bear the emblem proudly
Army vast, we march at last
And lift our voices stoutly.

On we march for Alma Mater,
On we march nor ever falter
Singing loud, each son and daughter,
Oklahoma, hail!

[Second Verse]
From thy gracious font of learning,
We will quench our thirst so burning
Kindly Mother to thee turning.
Oklahoma, hail!

Wisdom brought from out the ages,
Truth of saints and laws of sages
Ours to take from glitt'ring pages,
Never growing stale.

[Chorus]

"Oklahoma Hail!" is the original Oklahoma alma
mater song. Louise B. Adams wrote the words and
R. H. Richards arranged the tune, which is a Welsh air
called "Men of Harlech." It was performed as early as 1928.

The most famous---Oklahoma!!!

Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain
And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet
When the wind comes right behind the rain.
Oklahoma, ev'ry night my honey lamb and I
Sit alone and talk and watch a hawk
Makin' lazy circles in the sky.

We know we belong to the land
And the land we belong to is grand!
And when we say
Yeeow! A-yip-i-o-ee-ay!

We're only sayin'
You're doin' fine, Oklahoma!
Oklahoma O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A
OKLAHOMA!

To create the musical Oklahoma!, Rodgers and
Hammerstein added lyrics, music and dance to a
play written by Lynn Riggs, who was a native of Claremore,
Oklahoma and an O.U. graduate. The title song of the
revolutionary musical was adopted by the State of Oklahoma
as its official song and anthem on May 6th, 1953.

[headlines]