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Day in American History

Thursday, December 8, 2004

Headlines---

Classified Ads---Sales
    Seeking Info Amex Biz Finance “Former Sales Team”
        Archives—Steve Dallas Denies His Company is Going....
Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!
    NYAG Will Run for Gov/Goes After 19 More Leasing Companies
GE Capital Settlement Reaction
    Cartoon
        Citi, Wells, BB&T Lead Industry in Insurance Fee Income
            FDIC-Insured Brokerage Sweep Accounts Surpass $350 Billion
Yancey To Retire From Synovus After 45 Years of Service
    AmSouth Names William Wells Chief Risk Officer
        News Briefs---
            Sports Briefs---
California Nuts Brief----
    "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---Sales

Every thirty to forty-five days we re-contact those who are advertising. We advise them that they can add their resume, a picture, or a blog, if they have one. Anything to catch a potential employers eye.

We are told that most of their contacts come either from recruiters, who evidently work the list, or “brokers,” look for them to work out of their house “commission” only. A few times, we are told, they have accepted this and have done quite well. One even told us he decided to become a “broker,” since he was commission only without any other benefits.

Others have left the leasing field entirely, many going into selling mortgages.

We advise that if the ad is not working, to re-write it, do something different than the rest, and “sell yourself.”

Sales

Atlanta GA. 10 years experience as bank, vendor and outside leasing rep (GE, ABN AMRO, etc.), strong resume, demonstrated track record of success, unique professional leader with personality. Email: gkealey2004@yahoo.com	Bakersfield, CA. I have an extensive sales and management background in equipment leasing. My work history exhibits my major strength in small ticket equipment leasing. Email: pangress@msn.com
Boston, MA. Middle market originator, construction/Trucks / Trailers w/ 8 years in territory, looking for company / bank with competitive products Email: mrichlease@comcast.net	Cedar Rapids, IA. Formally trained in Credit, Collections, & Sales with regional bank. Seeking sales or sales management. Over ten years in SM, vendor and end user. Email: mjrprime@yahoo.com
Cedar Rapids, IA. Formally trained in Credit, Collections, & Sales with regional bank. Seeking sales or sales management. Over ten years in SM, vendor and end user. E mail: mjrprime@yahoo.com	Central, NC. 7 yrs.equip leasing &finance; specialist in heavy construction equip for 2-top-5-specialty finance/lease companies, NC &VA territories. $10-15MM annual funding. Downsized in 2002, now independent broker with varied customer base. Email: sunriseleasing@aol.com
Chicago, IL. 12+ yrs multinational/national sales & business development. Seeking role with captive lessor or global leasing company. Will relo right opportunity. Experience structuring complex transactions. Email: leasingismylife@yahoo.com	Dallas, TX 30 years lease experience. Looking for Lender wanting to get into the Electronic Market can bring 11 years experience with national vendors and customers. Email: alpnb@msn.com
Denver CO. Experienced Equipment Leasing Broker looking for a in house leasing company. Can bring a book of business with me or develop new territory where needed. Email: Steven@eagle2.net	Detroit MI 5 yrs sales experience in IT small ticket leasing/Greenbelt Certified with Fortune 100 company/strong communication and negotiation skills/book of business available.scottpoko@comcast.net
Greensboro, N.C. Seeking direct & broker sales w/major finance companies in NC or southeast market. Small to mid-ticket range. Stable &family oriented. Will have series 6,63,65 license shortly. Email:kc1492@aol.com	Kansas City, MO. 15+ years in finance/leasing industry, extensive knowledge in sales and management. Specializing in construction, transportation and machine tool industries. Will re-locate for right opportunity. Email: Financerep@aol.com
Kansas City, MO. 20 years Senior Sales/Management experience in small ticket/government leasing. Program Management experience, managing 12 Reps. Credit Auth to $50K. Success in soliciting and maintaining accounts. Email: dhundley1@kc.rr.com	Los Angeles, CA. 12+years Leasing sales, underwriting/contract exper. including hi-tech, govt, direct & vendor leasing. Seeking role w/institution or captive. Exper. w/ complex transactions, including securities. Possible relocation. Email: rahlease04@hotmail.com
Los Angeles CA. 5 years experience structuring off-balance sheet finance solutions on computer and medical equipment. Perform detailed competitive analysis and market research. I uncover leads and sell. email: barretthawk@hotmail.com	Louisville, KY 27 years veteran of the construction, machine tool, manufacturing and transportation market. Located in Louisville , KY willing to transfer for the right company.  Looking for full time employment with base and benefits. Email: jim_jrd@msn.com Resume | Cover letter
Mission Viejo, CA Account Sales Executive with 10 years of leasing experience looking for company to bring existing customer base. Email:makelly21@hotmail.com	Montgomery, AL. Individual with 10 years advertising sales exp. & 7 years insurance sales exp. Wants independent contractor situation in Alabama. Work with leasing company or broker.334-281-5200 E-mail: billmcneal2003@yahoo.com
Nashua, NH. 10+ years sales experience small & mid-ticket hi-tech & telecom in a captive and vendor environment. Seeking new sales opportunity in New England. E-mail: RPepa@aol.com	Orange County, CA. Skilled deal-closer at above-average rates. Entrepreneurial. Accomplished lease-structurer specializing in transportation. Exp. in direct/captive & syndicator environments servicing vendors, brokers, & end-users. Email:originator@sbcglobal.net
Philadelphia , PA Seeking an open opportunity to advance in the automotive, commercial leasing & finance industry......... Email: alexe362002@yahoo.com	Portland, OR. "Exp. In direct sales and sales mgmt. I love Portland, but decent here jobs are few. Willing to be re-located, would like to work for you. Email: pthygeson@netscape.net"
Prairie Village, KS Have substantial deal flow and database of broker referral sources. Generated and closed over $22M LY. Seeking exclusive relationship w/direct founder. Email:fiergl@aol.com	San Bernardino, CA. Account executive w/4 years exp. in small ticket &lower end middle market lease transactions, Outstanding ACT database compiled of over 500 vendors. Seeking a career driven position w/a reputable lessor Email: moneytoloan@hotmail.com
San Francisco Bay Area, CA 10+ yrs in middle market leasing. Seek direct lessor only. Transaction size from $500M to $10.0MM. Client base: printing, food, retail, manufacturing. Email:edm173@sbcglobal.net	SF Bay Area, CA. 15+ yrs--mid mkt. $500M to $10.0MM. Seeking role w/ captive or global leasing firm. large book to bring with me! Debt, tax, 1st amendment, etc. Email: lac4002@yahoo.com
San Francisco, CA. Business Development "Hunter" with 20 years experience, 5 ½ in development of CONTRACTUALLY BASED VENDOR PROGRAMS primarily in high tech. Can bring rolodex, not programs. E-mail: BizDev7@aol.com	San Francisco, CA. 10 years of sales production to middle market technology credits. Strong Act, Goldmine and Microsoft Office Skills. Seeking position with direct lessor, captive or service provider. email: bamrborges@msn.com
South Central U.S. TX, OK, KS & AR Territory. Equipment finance and leasing professional, 20 years experience. Top producer in middle to upper middle markets. Extensive customer base. Email: leasingrep2004@yahoo.com

[headlines]

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Seeking Information on Amex Biz Finance “Former Sales Team”

This was sent third hand, as one of the other issues of the selling of the American Express Business Finance to Key Bank:

“ Supposedly KEY BANK did not honor the stock options that where given to many of the senior guys left over from First Sierra/Sierra Cities buyout.....the Car guys in Chicago ( allegedly) went in and demanded their stock option be honored or they will walk...they walked,” according to a reliable source, who added:

“PS: rumor has it those cars guys did $30-40 milion a year....”

If this is true, these salesmen are available, perhaps they may even be able to start their own brokerage company. Regardless, we offer them a free ad in our classified.
http://64.125.68.90/LeasingNews/PostingForm.asp

Any information “on” or “off the record” to kitmenkin@leasingnews.org

[headlines]

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Archives—Dec. 8,2001---Steve Dallas Denies His Company
is Going.... Going...

Dallas says United Capital "Kickin' and Scratchin'"... "We will survive!"

"We are only taking 'cream puff" deals now," Steve Dallas, President of United Capital says. " We are not downsizing. We are trying to take care of the 15 select advisors, our customers, who have been good to us and to lobby for their deals."

The main funding "partner" changed their leasing credit guidelines with less than a one day notice, throwing the operating into a turmoil "...with no time to plan or adapt to the rules that changed. "

During this time, only eight employees have been let go, according to Dallas, out of up to a 50 full time staff. "

We are going to survive, but we have issues that are very pressing to us now, " he says. " We are spending 100% of our time until the end of the year working on our portfolio, concentrating on the performance. This is our number one goal today."

Dallas says they are trying to comply with the current guidelines, understand them, see what transactions they have in the pipeline and work them into the system. He will be meeting with his underwriters in New York next week.

" Our customers have been very concerned and working with us, trying to help us get things done," he says. " We are going to survive, kicking and scratching... and the first of the year, 2001, we will be back stronger than ever... as we re-group, re-plan, get smarter, and ask our customers to hang in their with us."

( a sample of our United Capital Broker eMail)

“Confirmed with a former (as of today, Thursday) employee of United Capital. Lehman has been auditing for the past two weeks and apparently did not like what they saw. Approximately 50% of the staff is gone as of today (Thursday). Apparently, only collection and billing personnel remain

“Anyone know the legality/liability of not honoring a written approval? In our case, we have signed docs and have issued purchase orders. Our losses will surely extend beyond the individual commission in terms of lost vendors, etc.”

( name with held )

[headlines]

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Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!
NYAG Will Run for Gov/Goes After 19 More Leasing Companies

After issuing a press release that a settlement was reached with GE Capital over 100 NorVergence equipment leases in New York State, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has announced he is running for Governor. The New York Times reported:

“Elliot Spitzer, the New York state attorney general who has built a nationwide reputation as an aggressive pursuer of white collar crime, said today he is running for governor.

“Mr. Spitzer borrowed a page from another Democratic candidate, Howard Dean, who made an unsuccessful run for president, by announcing on his Website - as well as in phone calls to reporters and supporters - that he will be a gubernatorial candidate.

" ‘I'm running for governor," Mr. Spitzer said on www.spitzer2006.com, in a section called "Eliot's Blog." "I want to fix what's broken. It's what I do best'."

“In his statement posted today, he said that as governor, he would ‘bring people together whether they like it or not...We did it in the financial industry and other sectors and we can do it in government," he concluded.

After making the settlement with GE Capital, Spitzer now is joining the attorney general's of Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts and New Jersey with the intention to take legal steps to block 19 leasing companies in New York state from forcing small businesses to make payments on equipment leases that are no longer of use to them and were allegedly sold with “telephone service contracts” that no longer exist due to the bankruptcy of NorVergence.

The Justice Department is also reportedly opening a criminal probe into NorVergence, though people familiar with the case say charges may not be brought against NorVergence leader Peter Salzano or his brother Tom, who was a consultant (there is a controversy about who was really running the company. Both are allegedly back in the digital telephone business in New Jersey. Alex Wolf or Robert J. Fine may be named in the action. ) The company is in bankruptcy with the deadline to file a proof of claim is Feb. 28, 2005.

As Leasing News noted in previous editions, even New York Senator Hilliary Clinton has gotten into the act.

"I am extremely troubled by this situation," Clinton told the New York Daily News on October 7. "My office is currently looking into these serious complaints and has contacted the state Attorney General's office."

A spokesman for Eliot Spitzer confirmed the attorney general's office had received a call from Clinton's office and promised to share the results of the investigation with her.

Spitzer, 45, is so far the only declared candidate for the state's top job. Gov. George E. Pataki, a Republican who has been in office for nearly 10 years, has not said yet whether he will seek a fourth term in 2006.

According to "www.fightthescam.com," 41 leasing companies are involved:

1 ABB Equipment Leasing CT
2 Bank One IL
3 BB&T NC
4 CCL – Commerce Commercial Leasing PA
5 Celtic Bank UT
6 Cincinnati Financial Corp. OH
7 CIT Technology Financing NJ
8 CitiCapital
9 Court Square Leasing PA
10 Credential Leasing PA
11 Crown Bank Leasing FL
12 De Lage Landen PA
13 Dolphin Capital FL
14 First Corporation
15 First Lease
16 Firstcorp OR
17 GE Capital CT
18 IFC Credit Corp. IL
19 ILC – Information Leasing Corp. OH
20 Insight Financial Corp IL
21 Interchange Capital NJ
22 Irwin Business IN
23 Lakeland Bank NJ
24 Liberty Bank CT
25 Madison Capital IL
26 National Penn Bank PA
27 OFC Capital/ALFA Financial GA
28 Patriot Leasing PA
29 Penn Bank Leasing
30 PFG Commerical Finance
31 Popular Leasing MO
32 Preferred Capital, Inc. OH
33 Primary Financial Corp. PA
34 Source One Capital
35 Sterling National Bank NY
36 Studebaker – Worthington NY
37 TFC Express Leasing RI
38 Toshiba America Info Systems CA
39 US Express Leasing NJ
40 USbancorp MN
41 Wells Fargo Financial Leasing NY

[headlines]

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GE Capital Settlement Reaction

“What a brilliant move by GE Capital on the Norvergence matter!! I don't know if we will ever find out just who at GE made this decision but that person or persons should be up for a promotion. What did this cost GE Capital? I think your story said a mere $2MM. They couldn't buy the kind of good will and notoriety this will give them, let alone making friends in Elliot Spitzer's office.

“I assume they will do the same thing in all of the other states involved. I am sure that they are simply going to charge it to the advertising budget they had set up anyway.

“This puts incredible pressure on the other companies involved. Evidently Elliot Spitzer wasn't buying the "no warranties of merchantability" argument that they were trying to peddle.

“ Every business news reporter in the country will be looking to write an expose on some vendor or leasing company that is bilking the small business person. Anyone who operates anything that remotely resembles a "boiler room", high pressure sales organization will be fair game. Time to clean up your act if you fit the description. “

Bob Rodi, CLP
President
LeaseNOW, Inc.
drlease@leasenow.com
www.leasenow.com
1-800-321-LEASE

[headlines]

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[headlines]

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Citi, Wells, BB&T Lead Industry in Insurance Fee Income

U.S.Banker Weekly

New York-based CitiGroup, San Francisco-based Wells Fargo and Charlotte, N.C.-based BB&T Corp. lead bank holding companies in insurance brokerage fee income year-to-date through September 30, according to Michael White Associates.

CitiGroup reported insurance earnings of $1.16 billion as of September 30; Wells, owner of Acordia, one of the largest insurance brokerage firms in the country, reported earnings of $762 million; BB&T, which has acquired more insurance agencies than any other bank holding company, claimed $433.6 million.

Bank of America registered the largest percentage increase among the leaders, increasing its insurance fee income 135.5 percent to $141.3 million and ranking seventh nationally in the first three quarters of 2004. Much of this improvement is due to its merger with FleetBoston Financial, which merged with Bank of America on April 1. In 2003, FleetBoston ranked 10th and Bank of America ranked 11h nationally in insurance brokerage fee income. J.P.Morgan Chase & Co. earned $252 million, claiming fourth place. J.P.Morgan Chase acquired Bank One on July 1. In 2003, Bank One ranked fifth and J.P.Morgan Chase ranked eighth nationally in insurance brokerage fee income. Figures for past top performers MetLife, Inc and Greater Bay Bancorp were unavailable. However, at the end of the second quarter, MetLife reported $1.59 billion in income, and Greater Bay Bancorp earned $66.5 million. In 2003, MetLife ranked first and Greater Bay ranked ninth nationally in insurance brokerage fee income.

[headlines]

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FDIC-Insured Brokerage Sweep Accounts Surpass $350 Billion

U.S.Banker Weekly

A new study of retail FDIC-insured cash sweep reveals that assets exceed $350 billion and should surpass $400 billion in 2005, driven by growth of more than 53 percent annually since 2000. The study by iMoneyNet and sponsored by The Reserve Funds shows that $250 billion has been shifted to brokerage cash sweeps from money market funds, while another $150 billion of new assets has moved into these bank-like accounts, instead of into money market funds.

Nearly all national, full-service brokerage houses and 18 of the top 25 regional full service and discount brokerage firms offer such accounts. Bank savings products have been set up to replace or complement money market mutual funds in brokerage sweep accounts. "Broker-sold, FDIC-insured cash sweep accounts are the biggest trend in cash investing since the invention of the money market fund in 1971,” says Peter Crane, vp and managing editor of iMoneyNet. According to the study, insured cash accounts help brokerage firms attract key clients with flexible yields, integrate banking and brokerage services into a single account, insure larger cash balances up to $1,000,000, and enable independent and smaller brokers to compete with larger firms.

[headlines]

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

Yancey To Retire From Synovus After 45 Years of Service;
Will Retain Position as Chairman of the Board

COLUMBUS, Ga)----Synovus (NYSE:SNV) announced the retirement of James D. Yancey, as an executive employee, effective December 31, 2004. Yancey will continue to serve as a director and Chairman of the Board for Synovus.

In making the announcement, Synovus CEO James H. Blanchard stated, "Jimmy is a person who, throughout his entire career, has embraced, nurtured and lived the Synovus culture everyday. During his career he changed the face of this company by standing on his convictions and focusing on doing the right thing for our customers, shareholders, team members and our community. He is an icon in this company for what exceptional customer service is all about. He genuinely cares about the individuals around him and truly invests himself in helping others achieve their goals and dreams. Jimmy has been an incredible strength for our family of companies for 45 years, and we will continue to look to him for his guidance."

Jimmy Yancey, in his role as Chairman of Synovus' Board of Directors, will continue to manage Synovus' relationship with its board members, participate in customer relationship building, and provide guidance to both internal and external audiences on what he has learned about banking and customer service throughout his successful career.

Blanchard continued, "In October of 2003, we began implementing the first steps in a carefully developed, long-range succession planning process which has allowed us to add breadth and depth to our most senior executive leadership roster. As a result, we are prepared for Jimmy's retirement and the changes it brings. His continued involvement in this organization, along with that of our tremendous executive leadership team, will enable us to continue moving towards our ultimate vision of being the finest financial services company in the world."

Prior to Yancey's position as Chairman of the Board, he served for five years as President and COO. His service with Synovus began in 1959 when he joined the company as a teller for Columbus Bank and Trust, Synovus' Columbus, Georgia-based bank. He was promoted to President of CB&T in 1983 and later became Synovus Vice Chairman of the Board in 1992. In 1998, Yancey was elected President and Chief Operating Officer of Synovus and Chairman of the Board in 2003.

Yancey career highlights:

-- When Yancey began his career with Synovus, total assets for the company were $38 million. Today Synovus has $25 billion in total assets.

-- When Yancey began working at CB&T in 1959, the company had a total workforce of less than 100 team members. Today, Synovus employs more than 12,000 team members in five U.S. states and in three continents around the world.

-- In 1995, Yancey helped develop Synovus' People Development Exponent (PDE) which brought incredible movement in the company's workplace environment and led to the launching of key leadership development programs, such as the Leadership Institute and Foundations of Leadership.

-- In 2001, Yancey led the effort to codify our commitment to deliver exceptional customer service, resulting in Our Customer Covenant. It is Synovus' banner for the kind of customer service team members deliver each day.

For more information on Jimmy Yancey, please refer to the attached biography.

Synovus (NYSE:SNV) is a diversified financial services holding company with $25 billion in assets based in Columbus, Georgia. Synovus provides integrated financial services including banking, financial management, insurance, mortgage and leasing services through 40 banks and other Synovus offices in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida and Tennessee; and electronic payment processing through an 81-percent stake in TSYS (NYSE:TSS), the world's largest third-party processor of international payments. In 2004, FORTUNE magazine named Synovus as one of "America's Most Admired Companies" and also ranked Synovus No. 20 on its list of "The 100 Best Companies To Work For". See Synovus on the Web at www.synovus.com.

James D. Yancey

Chairman of the Board

Synovus

Experience:

Jimmy's service at Synovus began in 1959 when he joined the company as a teller for Columbus Bank and Trust Company, Synovus' Columbus, Georgia-based bank. He was promoted to President of CB&T in 1983 and Synovus Vice Chairman of the Board in 1992. He was elected President and Chief Operating Officer of Synovus in 1998 and Chairman of the Board in 2003.

Date of Birth:
July 12, 1941

Education:

A.S., Columbus State University, Columbus, Georgia, 1964
LSU - School of Banking of the South
Rutgers University - Stonier School of Banking
Honorary Doctorate Degree, Columbus State University, 1997

Current Affiliations:
-- Chairman of the Board, Synovus
-- Chairman of the Board, Columbus Bank and Trust Company
-- Director, TSYS
-- Chairman, Columbus State University Capital Campaign

Summary:

Jimmy joined Columbus Bank and Trust in 1959. He was promoted to President of CB&T in 1983. He was first elected President of Synovus in 1990 and Vice Chairman of the Board in 1992. Jimmy reassumed his role as President and Chief Operating Officer of Synovus in 1998 and was elected Chairman of the Board of Columbus Bank and Trust Company in 1998. Jimmy was elected Synovus Chairman of the Board in 2003. He is Chairman of the Columbus State University Capital Campaign, serves on the board of directors of TSYS, and is a former Board of Regents member appointed by Governor Roy Barnes in 1999.

Jimmy received an A.S. degree from Columbus State University in 1964 and, in 1987, he received the Thomas Y. Whitley Distinguished Alumnus award, the highest honor bestowed by the CSU Alumni Association. In 1997, Jimmy received the first Honorary Doctorate awarded by CSU. He is a graduate of the School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University and the Stonier School of Banking at Rutgers University. He is a graduate of the School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University and the Stonier School of Banking at Rutgers University. In 2004, he received the Regents' Hall of Fame Alumni Award given by the University System of Georgia Foundation, Inc., to recognize excellence throughout the University System of Georgia.

His leadership roles in the community have included serving as a Director of the Business Council of Georgia; Campaign Chairman of United Way; President of Metropolitan Boys Club; Director of YMCA; Vice Chairman of the Southern Open; President of the Green Island Country Club; President of Historic Columbus Foundation; Trustee of Brookstone School; Trustee of St. Francis Hospital; Chairman of the Columbus State University Board of Trustees; Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce; a member of the Financial Services Roundtable and Director of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

[headlines]

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

AmSouth Names William Wells Chief Risk Officer

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-----William C. Wells, II, has joined AmSouth Bancorporation (NYSE:ASO) as senior executive vice president and chief risk officer.

"Bill's depth of knowledge, breadth of experience and proven risk management skills will be an asset to our company and I'm delighted to have him on board," said Dowd Ritter, AmSouth's chairman, president and chief executive officer.

As chief risk officer, Wells leads the bank's Risk Management Group, which includes the Credit Division, Credit Review, Corporate Compliance, Insurance Risk Management, Regulatory Relations and Risk Communications. Internal Audit, which reports directly to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, reports to Wells for administrative purposes. Wells is also a member of the Management Committee, which is composed of the bank's most senior leaders.

Most recently, Wells served as chief risk officer for SouthTrust Corp., which he joined in 1998. Prior to that he was a commissioned National Bank Examiner with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency serving as Examiner-In-Charge of multi-billion dollar regional banking institutions. Wells began his career in 1980 as an auditor with First Columbus National Bank, in Columbus, Miss. He earned his bachelor's degree in Banking and Finance from Mississippi State University in Starkville.

About AmSouth

AmSouth is a regional bank holding company with $50 billion in assets, more than 670 branch banking offices and over 1,200 ATMs. AmSouth operates in Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Georgia. AmSouth is a leader among regional banks in the Southeast in several key business segments, including consumer and commercial banking, small business banking, mortgage lending, equipment leasing, annuity and mutual fund sales, and trust and investment management services. AmSouth also offers a complete line of banking products and services at its web site, www.amsouth.com.

AmSouth Bancorporation, Birmingham News Media: Rick Swagler, 205-801-0105 or Investment Community: List Underwood, 205-801-0265

[headlines]

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

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News Briefs----

Rising Rate Tide Lifts All Floaters In US Corp Debt Mkt
http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/041207/15/3p3o7.html

Growth in Productivity Slows; Consumer Borrowing Rises 4.4%
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/08/business/08econ.html?
oref=login&pagewanted=all

Firms' capital expenditures fall short of expectations
http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/
2004-12-07-capex_x.htm

AOL Cuts 750 Jobs; Most Are in Virginia
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43585-2004Dec7.html

Oil Prices Touch a New Three-Month Low
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45879-2004Dec8.html

NY Times: Spitzer, With Little Fanfare, Says He Will Run for Governor
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/08/nyregion/08spitzer.html?hp&ex=
1102568400&en=6e5167697d80322d&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Dell cites lower component costs in price cuts
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/
20041207-1356-dell-prices.html

Dell Dismisses IBM's PC Demise
http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3444831

Banking's soldiers of fortune
Foreign exchange traders on front line of currency war
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/
2004/12/07/ BUGE2A7GCJ1.DTL&type=business

Twain's 'Come on Over' Hits 20 Million in U.S.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/arts/entertainment-music-sales.html

[headlines]

Sports Briefs----

Braves lose Wright to Yankees
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/1204/08braves.html

Donahue, Erickson deny rift
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/football/
nfl/san_francisco_49ers/10357664.htm

[headlines]

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California Nuts Brief----

At tribute for women, governor derides protesting nurses He dismisses group opposing his policy as 'special interests'
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/
2004/12/08/GOVERNOR.TMP

[headlines]

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“Gimme that Wine”

Lift limits on wine sales
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/
2004-12-06-our-view_x.htm

Supreme Court should end legacy of Prohibition
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/
2004/ 12/07/EDGPAA65RD1.DTL

Supreme Court Questions Direct Wine Shipment Ban
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&
storyID=7019681

An Apple Orchard in a Glass
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/08/dining/08WINE.html

Two Amador Wineries Lead Wine Industry With State-Of-The-Art Screw Cap Seals
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/12/prweb185276.htm

China was drinking wine 9,000 years ago
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/
12/07/wine07.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/12/07/ixworld.html

[headlines]

This Day in American History

    1850-The first college graduate who was African-American woman was Lucy Ann Stanton of Cleveland, OH, who graduated this day from Oberlin College, Oberlin OH, receiving the Bachelor of Literature degree.
http://www.oberlin.edu/archive/holdings/finding/RG5/SG4/S3/
graduates.html
    1863- President Abraham Lincoln issued a" proclamation of amnesty and reconstruction," offering full pardon to all southerners who voluntarily took a "prescribed oath." When the Civil War was over, there was great political strife toward forgiving the South and various plans that Abraham Lincoln had in place were ignored, except for this proclamation, which also halted the hanging of Jefferson Davis as hatred was more popular at the time than coming together as one nation. Historian believe that if Abraham Lincoln were not assassinated, he would have changed the history of Southern reconstruction and would have united the nation with this action. President Lincoln issued another proclamation on March 26,1864. President Andrew Johnson issued supplemental proclamations on May 29,1865: September 7,1867; July 4,1868: and December 25,1868.
    1861-William “Billy “Durant birthday, almost forgotten by US history. He was a leading producer of carriages at Flint, Michigan; promoter of the Buick car; co founder of Chevrolet and founder, in 1908, of General Motors. He lost, regained and again lost control of GM, after which he founded Durant Motors, went bankrupt in the Great Depression, and operated a Flint bowling alley in his last working years. He died in New York, New York, 1947, basically a penniless man.
http://www.classiccar.com/articles/william_durant.asp
    1879-Louisiana ratifies a new state constitution, also moving the state capital from New Orleans to Baton Rouge
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec08.html
    1886-Birthday of Diego Rivera, Mexican painter whose murals became center of political controversy, born at Guanajuato, Mexico. Died in his studio at San Angel, near Mexico City, Nov 25, 1957.
http://www.diegorivera.com/
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/rivera_diego.html
    1894-James Grover Thurber, American humorist and artist, long-time contributor to the New Yorker, born at Columbus, OH. Died at New York, NY, Nov 2, 1961.
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/thurber.htm
http://home.earthlink.net/~ritter/thurber/index.html
    1894-Popeye creator Elzie Crisler Segar was born at Chester, IL. Originally called Thimble Theater, the comic strip that came to be known as Popeye had the unusual format of a one-act play in cartoon form. Centered on the Oyl family, especially daughter Olive, the strip introduced a new central character in 1929. A one-eyed sailor with bulging muscles, Popeye became the strip's star attraction almost immediately. Popeye made it to the silver screen in animated form and in 1980 became a movie with Robin Williams playing the lead. Segar died Oct 13, 1938, at Santa Monica, CA.
http://home.earthlink.net/~thimbletheatre/ecsegar.html
    1912-Clarinetist Irving Fazola (Irving H. Prestopnik ) born, New Orleans, La. Died 29 March 1949.
http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/fazola_irving/bio.jhtml
http://www.centrohd.com/biogra/f2/irving_fazola_b.htm
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/artist/glance/
-/195844/104-3191958-8595946
    1913-Trumpeter-violinist Ray Nance born Chicago, Ill ( with Duke Ellington from 1940 to 1963).
http://www.artistdirect.com/music/artist/bio/0,,472065,00.html?
artist=Ray+Nance
http://trumpetjazz.netfirms.com/Artists/Ray_Nance.html
    1917 -a severe winter storm struck the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes. Buffalo, NY was buried under 25 inches of snow with wind gusts to 78 mph. 26 inches fell at Vevay, IN with drifts to 14 feet
    1923-Norman Rockwell's “Christmas,” one of his earliest covers for the Post when they were still in black and red, Norman Rockwell's 1923 Christmas cover for the magazine depicted a trio performing Christmas carols. In Rockwell's biography he reveals that not one of his three models had an iota of musical talent.
http://posters.barnesandnoble.com/search/Product.asp?userid=
4Z1KKRMDX1&WRK=3346590
http://www.satevepost.org/
http://www.nrm.org/norman/
    1925-Birthday of Sammy Davis, Jr., born at New York, NY, Sammy Davis, Jr, was the son of vaudevillians and first appeared on the stage at the age of four. He made his first film appearance in Rufus Jones for President in 1931. He then joined the Will Mastin Trio. The popular song-and-dance team was popular on the night club circuit; as Davis matured, his singing, dancing and impersonations became the center of the act. Davis began performing on his own in the 1950s, headlining club engagements, appearing on television variety shows and making numerous records. His Broadway debut came in 1956 in the hit musical Mr. Wonderful, and in the late '50s and early '60s he starred in a number of films, including a series with Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack. Davis died at Los Angeles, CA, May 16, 1990. Sammy Davis, Jr
http://www.sammydavisjunior.com/ http://www.celebritystorm.com/bluesandjazzandfolk/
pics/SammyDavisJr/
    1926-Guitarist Slim ( Eddie Lee Jones) born Greenwood, MS
    1927-bassist George Tucker born Palatka ,FL
http://www.mosaicrecords.com/DisplaySelectionDetail.asp?
SelectionID=1002
http://www.bostonphoenix.com/archive/music/00/09/14/
horace_parlan.html
http://www.fantasyjazz.com/catalog/woods_j_cat.html
    1932-bassist Bob Cranshaw born Evanston IL
http://www.artistdirect.com/music/artist/bio/0,,418363,00.html?
artist=Bob+Cranshaw
http://www.centrohd.com/biogra/c1/bob_cranshaw_b.htm
    1937-composer Don Sebesky born Amboy, NJ
http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/sebesky_don/bio.jhtml
    1937-Birthday of James MacArthur ( “Book ‘em Danno.”) Los Angeles, California.
http://www.jamesmacarthurfanclub.com/biography.shtml
http://www.jmdigitalscrapbook.com/javaindex.html
    1938 - The temperature at La Mesa, CA, soared to 108 degrees to set a U.S. record for the month of December.
    1940—Birthday of David Carradine, “grasshopper,” born Hollywood, California.
http://www.ieway.com/~ckbales/david.html
http://www.davidcarradine.org/
    1940-The most lopsided victory: The Chicago Bears won the NFL championship by defeating the Washington Redskins, 73-0, the most one-sided victory in the league's title game. Played at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC, the Bears won the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy. This game was also the first professional football championship game broadcast on radio. The Mutual Broadcasting System paid $25,000 for the rights to the game, which was broadcast by Walter Lanier “Red” Barber.
    1941-Jimmy Dorsey band records, “Tangerine,” Decca 4123
    1941-trumpet/flugelhorn player Franco Ambrosetti born Lugano Switzerland
http://www.weinmanntours.ch/current/artists/franco_ambrosetti/
franco_ambrosetti.html
http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/ambrosetti_franco/bio.jhtml
    1943-Birthday of James Morrison, Singer, songwriter, known as "The Lizard King," lead singer of The Doors, Jim Morrison is considered to be one of the fathers of contemporary rock. Born at Melbourne, FL, and died at Paris, France, July 3, 1971.
http://www.americanlegends.com/morrison/
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/morrison.htm
http://www.thedoors.com/band/jim/?fa=home
    1945---Top Hits
It's Been a Long, Long Time - The Harry James Orchestra (vocal: Kitty Kallen)
That's for Me - Dick Haymes
It Might as Well Be Spring - The Sammy Kaye Orchestra (vocal: Billy Williams)
It's Been So Long Darling - Ernest Tubb
    1946-The first snow-melting apparatus using pipes embedded in the sidewalk was test by Best and Company, a department store in New York City, which installed a system of 15 coils comprising 4,530 feet of pipe. A solution of about 67 percent water and 33 percent antifreeze by volume was circulated as protection against freezing temperatures as low as five degrees below zero. The system was put into full operation during a blizzard on December 26.
    1950-Ralph J Bunche becomes the first Black person awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.
http://www.michmarkers.com/startup.asp?startpage=S0363.htm
http://www.nobelprizes.com/nobel/peace/1950a.html
http://www.ralphbunche.com/
http://www.pbs.org/ralphbunche/
    1953---Top Hits
Rags to Riches - Tony Bennett
Many Times - Eddie Fisher
Vaya Con Dios - Les Paul & Mary Ford
There Stands the Glass - Webb Pierce
    1953 - Los Angeles, California became the third largest city in the United States, edging out Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the distinction in a special census. Today Los Angeles is the second largest United States' city, and the 16th most populated city in the world.
    1953-Singer Diane Schuur born Seattle, WA http://www.arizonamusicscene.com/bios/bio_dianeschuur.htm
http://www.delafont.com/music_acts/Diane-Schuur.htm
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=
831749&sourceid=1500000000000000294900
    1959-The first movie with scent was “Behind the Great Wall, “ a travelogue of modern China, presented at the De Mille Theatre, New York City. The film depicted a tiger hunt, fishing with cormorants, a May Day parade in Beijing and other scenes. The scent was forced through ceiling vents by the Aromarama process.
http://www.tvguide.com/movies/database/showmovie.asp?MI=19386
    1961---Top Hits
Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes
Goodbye Cruel World - James Darren
The Twist - Chubby Checker
Big Bad John - Jimmy Dean
    1961 - "Surfin'", the Beach Boys' first record, was released on Candix Records, becoming a local hit in Los Angeles, California, but only making it to #75 nationally in the Untied States. The surfing music craze wouldn't sweep across America for another year. By the time "Surfin' Safari" hit Top 40, in September 1962, the Beach Boys were riding a wave of popularity.
    1962 - International Typographical Union's striking workers closed nine New York City newspapers. The strike lasted 114 days, before it ended on April 1, 1963, affecting a total of 5,700,000 readers. The loss of coverage made people turn on radio and television. The San Francisco Chronicle basically just closed this department as they announced all typeset is now digital, not with film or negatives that made print. Hot lead typesetting, linotype, went out in the early 1960's.
    1963 - Frank Sinatra, Jr., 19-year-old son of singer Frank Sinatra, was kidnapped on from a hotel in Lake Tahoe, California. Three days later he was released, unharmed, after his father paid a $240,000 ransom. Most of the money was later recovered and the three kidnappers were arrested and given long prison terms.
http://www.geocities.com/surfinagain/arch08-1.html
    1963 - Lightning caused the crash of a jet airliner killing 81 persons at Elkton, MD
    1964-Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Dr Martin Luther King Jr,
http://www.almaz.com/nobel/peace/MLK-nobel.html
    1965 - On Broadway, Humphrey Bogart's wife, Lauren Bacall, opened in "Cactus Flower", also starring Barry Nelson. The production ran for 1,234 performances, and was awarded Best Play honors.
    1969---Top Hits
Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye - Steam
Leaving on a Jet Plane - Peter, Paul & Mary
Down on the Corner/Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Okie from Muskogee - Merle Haggard
    1977---Top Hits
You Light Up My Life - Debby Boone
Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue - Crystal Gayle
How Deep is Your Love - Bee Gees
Here You Come Again - Dolly Parton
    1980 - Former Beatle John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, arrived at New York's Dakota, the apartment house in which they lived, after an early-evening recording session. As they walked through the apartment gates, a lone gunman stopped and fired five bullets into Lennon, killing him almost instantly. The gunman, a crazed fan named Mark David Chapman, did not attempt to escape and was immediately apprehended. Lennon's untimely death set off a week of worldwide mourning, and the murder was considered to be the most shocking in the history of rock music.
    1985---Top Hits
Broken Wings - Mr. Mister
Never - Heart
Say You, Say Me - Lionel Richie
I Don't Mind the Thorns (If You're the Rose) - Lee Greenwood
    1987-Ron Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers became the first goalie in NHL history to shoot the puck into the opposing team's net in a 5-2 victory over the Boston Bruins.
    1987 - A cold front crossing the northwestern U.S. continued to produce high winds along the coast, and heavy snow blanketed parts of the western U.S. Snowfall totals in the mountains of western Nevada ranged up to 18 inches at Heavenly Valley, and near the Boreal Ski Resort, and winds at Reno NV gusted to 56 mph. Thunderstorms over southern Florida deluged the Florida Keys with up to five inches of rain. Strong winds, gusting to 48 mph at Gage OK, ushered wintry weather into the Central High Plains. Goodland KS, which one day earlier was 63 degrees, was blanketed with two inches of snow.
    1988 - Santa Ana winds buffeted southern California, with gusts to 92 mph reported at Laguna Peak. The high winds unroofed buildings, and downed trees and power lines, igniting five major fires, and numerous smaller ones. Damage was estimated at 15 to 20 million dollars
    1991-The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ceased to exist, as the republics of Russia, Byelorussia and Ukraine signed an agreement at Minsk, Byelorussia, creating the Commonwealth of Independent States. The remaining republics, with the exception of Georgia, joined in the new Commonwealth as it began the slow and arduous process of removing the yoke of Communism and dealing with strong separatist and nationalistic movements within the various republics. Khrushchev was long buried as were many communist leaders who had threatened to “bury the U.S.”
    1991-Kimberly Bergalis, the first patient believed to have contracted the AIDS virus from a health care professional, died at Fort Pierce, FL. It is theorized she was infected from her dentist while receiving dental care Her case sparked controversy over how the disease is transmitted and incited calls to ban infected health care professionals form the workplace.
http://www.aegis.com/news/mh/1991/MH911212.html
    1993-President Clinton signed the North American Free Trade Agreement which cut tariffs and eliminated other trade barriers between the US, Canada and Mexico. The Agreement went into effect Jan 1, 1994.
    1994---Top Hits
On Bended Knee- Boyz II Men
Here Comes The Hotstepper (From "Ready To Wear")- Ini Kamoze
Another Night- Real McCoy
Always- Bon Jovi
    1999---Top Hits
Smooth- Santana Featuring Rob Thomas
Back At One- Brian McKnight
I Wanna Love You Forever- Jessica Simpson
My Love Is Your Love- Whitney Houston

[headlines]

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American Football Poem

Bob Whitsitt

President & General Manager, Portland Trailblazers
President, Seattle Seahawks

( abbreviated speech)

May 14, 2000

Thank you, Chancellor George, for inviting me to speak today!

This is the first time I've been invited back into the state since I hired Mike Holmgren away from the Packers.

We led the NBA. We had the best record in the league (63-19). We won the Pacific Division Championship for the first time ever. The year before we had won 55 games, but we lost in the conference finals in game seven to Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns. And, we were the favorite to win the NBA championship. My two young superstars that I drafted back then were the keys to our team, but they were still pretty young guys named Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp. Well, Gary had a distant cousin, a fellow named Walter Peyton. As you know “Sweetness” played for the Chicago Bears and has recently past away, (he played on a Super Bowl championship team). So we called Walter up and had him come out and spend some time with our team before the playoffs started in ‘94. It was kind of ironic for me because Walter got our team together and he spent the whole time together talking about “this group of people."

“You need to trust each other as players. You are playing for yourselves. A lot of people will follow you when you are having success, but you need to be together. There will be a lot of adversity. It's difficult to win a championship. There's a lot of pressure. There's a lot of media scrutiny. There's a lot of fragile psyches. Your confidence comes and goes.” Walter did this beautiful speech. It took away a lot of those memories because that's really what it's all about. It's about working together and trying to accomplish something together. The interesting thing is that we won the first two games in the first round quite easily. We went on to lose the next three games and we lost in the first round of the playoffs.

The next day the owner called me into the office. He wanted me to fire the coach. I told him that I didn't agree with that – it wouldn't be a good idea. We talked again the next day. He wanted the same thing done. I got him to agree to talk again in about a week when the emotions calmed down.

Monday, I went into my office and it was cleaned out. I had the best year of my life – the best record ever; we had made the most money ever; we sold out the building every day. I was the Executive of the Year and I didn't have a job!

So, that was kind of humbling for me to learn that even when you think you're on top, or it's going good, don't get too high when things are going good for you. And try not to get too low when you think the world's going to end tomorrow because it's not going to end. You are going to be just fine. I did land on my feet. Obviously I have a job now where I work for a wonderful guy named Paul Allen where we are involved in a lot of wonderful things. I keep doing this job because I have the passion for it. The day I don't have that excitement or the energy, “I'll hang it up.”

I'd like to just close here and read half a poem to you. The poem is called, “Kindly Unhitch that Star, Buddy.” It's by Ogden Nash. I'm going to pick it up, about half way through.

Indeed, everybody wants to be a wow,
But not everybody knows exactly how.
Some people think they will eventually wear diamonds instead of rhinestones.
Only by everlastingly keeping their noses to their grindstones
And other people think they will be able to put in more time at Palm Beach and the Ritz.
By not paying too much attention to attendance at the office,
But rather in being brilliant by starts and fits.
Some people after a full day's work sit up all night getting a college education by correspondence,
While others seem to think they'll get just as far by devoting their evenings to the study of the difference in temperament between brunettance and blondance.
Some stake their all on luck,
And others put their faith in their ability to pass the buck.
In short, the world is filled with people trying to achieve success,
And half of them think they'll get it by saying no and half of them by
saying yes.
And if all the ones who say no said yes, and vice versa,
Such is the fate of humanity that 99% of them still wouldn't be any
better off than they were before,
Which perhaps is just as well because if everybody was a
success nobody could be contemptuous of anybody else and
everybody would start in all over again trying to be a bigger success
than everybody else so they would have Somebody to be
contemptuous of and so on forevermore,
Because when people start hitching their wagons to a star,
That's the way they are.

I want to congratulate all the graduates, and please kiss somebody tonight.

Thank you.

[headlines]