Funding Specialist, Irvine, Ca Small ticket exp., min 2+ years with plenty of energy. Bachelor's Degree preferably in Finance or other Business discipline. Contact: pstuber@nationwidefunding.com About Us: Nationwide Funding, L.L.C. is a financial services company offering equipment financing and business capital to small business owners and municipalities in all 50 states.

www.nationwidefunding.com

Friday, December 22, 2006

Headlines---

Placard---Be Mellow
    Shivers resigns from Marlin Leasing
        CyberNET president sentenced
            News from Denver, Colorado
Vehicle Lessors Alert
    Classified Ads---Credit
        Cartoon---
            Bob Kieve, Mr. San Jose
Classified Ads—Help Wanted
    Huntington merges; face of banking changes
        Mortgage Applications Continue to Fall
            Delinquencies Rise Subprime Mortgages
Arizona outpaces Nevada in pop. growth
    Cartoon---
        Glen Wilson VP of Sales Key Lease
            Nicholas Carter Joins Travelers Acceptance
Commonwealth Cap. Promotes Lisa Renshaw
    News Briefs---
        You May have Missed---
            Sports Briefs---
"Gimme that Wine"
    Calendar Events
        Snapple Real Facts
            Today's Top Event in History
This Day in American History
    Differences between Christmas & Chanukah
        SuDoku—Oy Vey?

IFC Credit served with legal notice—News in next edition

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

“God bless us every one.”

Merry Christmas
   Happy Hanukkah
    Celebrate Kwanzaa

The Cratchit family drew round the hearth, in what Bob Cratchit called a circle, meaning half a one; and at Bob Cratchit's elbow stood the family display of glass. Two tumblers, and a custard-cup without a handle.

These held the hot stuff from the jug, however, as well as golden goblets would have done; and Bob served it out with beaming looks, while the chestnuts on the fire sputtered and cracked noisily. Then Bob proposed:

`A Merry Christmas to us all, my dears. God bless us.' Which all the family re-echoed. `God bless us every one.' said Tiny Tim, the last of all.

from   "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens

        From all of us at Leasing News---
    Kim McArthur, Kit Menkin,  Brian Wong, Maria Martinez-Wong;

and the Leasing News Advisory Board:

Chairman, Advisory Board
Bob Teichman, CLP Teichman Financial Training, Sausalito, CA.

Advisory Board

Bob Baker, CLP. Wildwood Financial Group, Wildwood, MO.
Edward Castagna Nassau Asset Management, Westbury, NY.
Steve Crane, CLP Bank of the West, Walnut Creek, CA.
Phil Dushay Global Financial Services, Manhattan, NY.
Steve Gabriel Porter Novelli-Advanced Tech Division,CA
Ken Greene, Esq. Larkspur, California
Shawn D. Halladay The Alta Group, Salt Lake City, UT
Theresa M. Kabot, CLP Kabot Commercial Leasing, Seattle, WA.
Robert S. Kieve Empire Broadcasting, San Jose, CA.
Bruce Kropschot Kropschot Financial Services, Vero Beach, FL.
Fred St. Laurent SFBI Recruiters, Atlanta, GA.
Andrew Lea, M.A. McCue Systems, Inc. Burlingame, CA.
Armon L. Mills, CPA San Diego Business Journal, San Diego, CA.
Dan Pulcrano Metro Newspapers, San Jose, California
Steve Reid, CLP Pacific Capital Bank, Santa Barbara, CA.
Ginny Young Brava Capital, Orange, CA.

“Peace on Earth”

[headlines]

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[headlines]

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Shivers resigns from Marlin Leasing

If you are on our mailing list, you received a copy of the SEC filing yesterday, with a lot more information than the company press release reported elsewhere.

“The Company estimates that the actions announced today will result in a one-time after tax charge in the fourth quarter of 2006 of approximately $880,000.”

“Mr. Pelose is paid an annual base salary of $275,000 and has a target bonus of 70% of base salary.

“The Separation Agreement provides for the payment to Mr. Shivers of a lump sum of $365,500.00 on August 1, 2007, and bi-weekly payments thereafter of $28,810.59 until the 18 month anniversary of the Separation Date.”

“The Separation Agreement further provides that upon his termination of employment, 18,365 unvested restricted shares and unvested options to purchase 35,501 shares of common stock, will become vested on the Separation Date. Options to purchase 138,390 shares will remain exercisable by Mr. Shivers for 90 days following the Separation Date, and options to purchase 45,191 shares will remain exercisable for two years following the Separation Date.”

“Mr. Shivers is subject to confidentiality provisions, an 18 month non-competition period, and a 24 month non-solicitation and no-hire period under the Separation Agreement. “

No one is talking about why he left, or the former CFO the previous year, although attorney and chief public relations office George Pelose has risen up in the ranks.

Stock closed Thursday at:

Last Trade: 22.94
Prev Close: 23.04
Open: 22.99
Volume: 161,412
Avg Vol (3m): 55,524.6
52wk Range: 19.35 - 24.35

Story sent out Thursday to readers on mailing list:
SEC filing and company press release:

http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/December%202006/12-20-06-flash.htm

[headlines]

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CyberNET president sentenced; others indicted

www.woodtv.com

GRAND RAPIDS -- One of the players in the CyberNET case was sentenced Thursday morning for his part in one of the biggest fraud scams ever seen in West Michigan.

Jim Horton, the company president, received a 7.5 year prison term under a plea deal.

After the sentencing, Horton spoke for the first time publicly. "Like I said in court, I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused all the people who were involved in this. And I'll be sorry for a long time."

He could have received up to 65 years in prison for his part in the scandal. Federal prosecutors say Horton helped them put cases together against other defendants, and that influenced the decision in the lighter sentence.

He is one of six people now charged in the scam. Three of those suspects, closest to the man behind the company, all face time behind bars after some big developments in the case.

Krista Watson and two others were indicted Wednesday morning for their role in the CyberNET fraud uncovered in 2004.

Watson, 39, her mother-in-law Geraldine and Paul Wright are charged in a criminal conspiracy to commit bank fraud, mail fraud and money laundering crimes. The charges lay out how they and others defrauded investors of approximately $100 million.

"CyberNET is a local example of a national problem," said US Attorney Margaret Chiara. "Prosecuting corporate officers for committing unconscionable acts against the public remains a top priority of my office and the Department of Justice."

The three are also charged with defrauding Huntington National Bank over a $17 million line of credit, as well as individual acts of money laundering.

Krista Watson was arrested in Chicago. Additionally, she is charged with spending money received through bank fraud, and three counts of income tax evasion for 2002, 2003 and 2004.

Geraldine Watson, 77, also faces a charge of making a false statement to a firearms dealer related to a gun purchase. She said the gun was for herself, but it's alleged she bought the Remington shotgun for her son Barton. He couldn't buy a gun because of a previous felony conviction. She bought the gun on November 22, 2004 and gave it to Barton the same day. Two days later, he killed himself with that gun.

Wright, 57, is facing a mail fraud charge connected to his commercial mailbox accounts with CyberNET. He was arrested in Grand Rapids.

If convicted on all counts, the three are facing very long prison sentences as well as the forfeiture of $3,364,412.49 in nine bank accounts.

Previous articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/CyberNet.htm

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Merry Christmas/Happy New Year
Please send Leasing News to a colleague as we are trying to build up our readership.

[headlines]

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News from Denver, Colorado

Seasons Greetings Burrrrr Blizzard ! ! ! , BSB will be closed at noon December 20, 2006. A powerful winter storm is bringing heavy snow and strong winds to Colorado today.  The National Weather Service said up to 2 feet of snow could fall in the foothills west of Denver and up to 3 feet was expected in northern Colorado . Ron Gonzales, VP Operations BSB Leasing, Inc.

 

[headlines]

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Vehicle Lessors Alert

(Look for other states to follow:)

“We have talked with and discussed with the legal counsel of the Ohio Health Department the tentative rules drafted to implement the state-wide smoking ban enacted as Ohio law by voters on Nov. 7.

“It appears that vehicle lessors will have no problem with the rules or ban as the responsibility for enforcement is placed on the lessee.

“However, lessor owned vehicles used by the lessor in the course of its business (the vehicle would considered as an extension of the work place) would be required to follow the law which is not expected to be enforced until approximately June 2007.

“Look for more on this issue from YOUR Ohio Vehicle Leasing Association.”

Dick Lightner
Executive Vice President
The Ohio Vehicle Leasing Association
1.800.369.5633 ovla@uautolease.com
6083 O'Sweeney Lane, Dublin Ohio 43016

[headlines]

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Classified Ads---Credit

Denver, Colorado

Atlanta, GA
10 yrs experience in credit/collections/recovery/documentation in the leasing industry. P&L responsibility, team builder & strong portfolio mgnt. skills.
email: mortimerga@adelphia.net

Corona, CA
VP credit Consumer Credit prime/sub prime Auto lending/leasing/mortgages. 20+yrs exp. If you are looking for someone to affect the bottom line I am that person. Will relocate.
Email: amosca2000@yahoo.com

Fort Lee, NJ
3 Years Experience credit/documentation. Looking in NJ/NY.
Email: angitravis@mail.com

Irvine, CA
I have over 16 years of Credit/Collection experience in the finance industry. Prompt results, extremely effective and knowledgeable, professional, excellent manager and team player.
Email: newportresources@sbcglobal.net

Los Angeles, CA
Over 15 years experience in Credit/Operations with Small Ticket and transactions up to $500,000.00. CLP, with excellent relationships with most major lenders.
Email: jonbh123@earthlink.net

New Jersey, NJ
Credit Analyst with 10+ years experience in small-ticket lending up to $500,000. Experience with both vendor-direct and with brokers.
Email: b.leavy@worldnet.att.net

New York, NY
V.P. Credit & Collections w/23 years exp. looking for a situation where I can utilize my varied & extensive knowledge of credit/collections/risk-management & leasing.
Email: rcouzzi@yahoo.com

Sausalito, CA
Sr. Corp. officer, presently serving as consultant, fin. service background, M&A, fund raising, great workout expertise, references
Email: nywb@aol.com

Orange, CA
Credit/Operations-15 years exper., looking for a new home. Have handled both middle/ large ticket transaction, plus muni & international finance.
email: equiplender@aol.com

These job-wanted ads are free. We also recommend to both those seeking a position and those searching for a new hire
to also go to other e-mail posting sites:
http://64.125.68.91/AL/LeasingNews/Classified.htm

In addition, those seeking employment should go to the human resource departments on company web sites for funders, captive lessors, and perhaps “broker-lessors.”

To place a free “job wanted” ad here, please go to:
http://64.125.68.91/AL/LeasingNews/PostingForm.asp

For a full listing of all “job wanted” ads, please go to:
http://64.125.68.91/AL/LeasingNews/JobPostings.htm

[headlines]

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[headlines]

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Bob Kieve, Mr. San Jose

Bob Kieve joined the Leasing News Advisory Board on February 4,2005. He is most likely our oldest member,85; perhaps, one of the most experienced radio broadcasters, commentators, with the most public experience. Not only is his “Mr. San Jose,” an award given to him for all his community service, but has served in the ambassador category and was President Dwight Eisenhower’s speech writer for three years.

He was part of the San Jose Symphony Board of Directors who brought the organization into the black, served on many non-profits in active positions from president to chairman of committees, too numerous to mention. It is his writing skills, and as important, his ability as a commentator on San Francisco Bay area radio that he is most known to the local public.

He participates with his opinion on subjects and positions on Leasing News, although he is not in the equipment leasing business. He is a broadcaster. The internet is the newest median. He was one of the first to be “on line” and appreciate the direction the world wide web is heading.

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

Robert S. Kieve
Empire Broadcasting
San Jose, California

Born Jersey City, NJ: 85 years ago
BS Harvard College: 1943
Information Officer American Embassy, Madrid: 1943-47
Author: El Arte Radiofonico, Spain's first book on radio broadcasting
Program Manager: WGVA, Geneva, NY
Promotion Writer: CBS, New York
Special Assistant in White House Office under Eisenhower: 1953-56
General Manager WBBF-AM_FM, Rochester: NY 1967-67
President, Empire Broadcasting Corporation, San Jose, CA:
1968-present

[headlines]

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Classified Ads---Help Wanted

Controller

Controller, Irvine, CA Requirements: - BA/BS in Finance or Accounting - CPA Required - Current working knowledge of Tax Laws - Prior leasing experience preferred - Proficient with Great Plains and Excel - Strength in LeasePlus and Access are preferred. pstuber@nationwidefunding.com About us: Nationwide Funding, LLC is a leading provider of equipment financing and leasing solutions for businesses nationwide, and the vendors who serve them. With its prime location in Southern California and offices in Chicago's downtown financial district, Nationwide Funding, LLC has been able to secure specialized credit facilities and create funding partnerships with a wide variety of financial institutions.

www.nationwidefunding.com

Funding Specialist

Funding Specialist, Irvine, Ca Small ticket exp., min 2+ years with plenty of energy. Bachelor's Degree preferably in Finance or other Business discipline. Contact: pstuber@nationwidefunding.com About Us: Nationwide Funding, L.L.C. is a financial services company offering equipment financing and business capital to small business owners and municipalities in all 50 states.

www.nationwidefunding.com

[headlines]

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Huntington merges; face of banking changes

www.woodtv.com

By ANNE SCHIEBER

GRAND RAPIDS -- Huntington Bank is the latest to get on board. Wednesday, the Columbus, Ohio bank announced that it is acquiring Ohio based Sky Financial in a $3.6 billion stock and cash deal.

It is the largest bank acquisition within the Midwest in quite some time. The acquisition will probably have more impact on Sky Financial than Huntington's operation in Michigan. In any case, the merger highlights changes in the banking industry in general, in particular the impact on competition.

Bank mergers started accelerating in 1994 when federal lawmakers lifted a ban on banks from operating across state lines. In West Michigan, Old Kent became Fifth Third. Bank One is now Chase. First of America morphed into National City.

"All of the banks we used to know as kids are gone," said costumer Mary Gilbert outside Huntington's downtown Grand Rapids branch.

Costumer Chip Behler concurs. When asked if he could name the banks in West Michigan today, Behler said he probably couldn't list half of them

Consolidation typically means reduced competition and to consumers, higher fees. A review of federal deposit data over the past 12 years shows mixed changes in West Michigan.

The area had a lost just two banks in that time. In 1994, there were 35 banks. Today, there are 33. The mix between local and national banks didn't change much either. In 1994, 37% of the banks were local. Today, 38% are in that category.

Where there has been change is in the names of the banks and their marketshare. In 1994, Old Kent controlled more than 40 percent of the market. Today, the bank, which was acquired by Fifth Third, has a 28% share. The number two bank in the market in terms of deposits didn't even exist 12 years ago. That is Mercantile Bank.

Trying to determine what impact the changes have had on banking fees is harder to determing. There are two forces keeping banks in line, internet banking and credit unions.

Dan Guideman is a Grand Valley State University economist who has researched banking competition.

"Even if we have these large banks, and we're worried that they might exploit their market power, we have other options for consumers. The large banks are not going to be able to do this (raise fees)," says Guideman.

Guideman believes the Huntington acquisition might be a good thing for Michigan consumers. For one, they'll have more ATM's to use. Sky Financial has operations in Pennsylvania, a state where Huntington presently has no banks.

[headlines]

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CLICK IMAGE TO MAKE AN ONLINE DONATION SAN FRANCISCO---In the winter of 1891, Salvation Army Captain Joe McFee put a crab pot on the San Francisco docks and asked citizens to "keep the pot boiling" by making donations so he could feed the needy at Christmastime.These days, we all know this "crab pot" to be The Salvation Army Christmas Kettle

Mortgage Applications Continue to Fall

Despite the lower mortgage rates, applications last week continued to plumet as the demand for home refinancing also went down The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted index of mortgage application activity, which includes both refinancing and purchasing loans, tumbled 10.2 percent to 647.6 for the week ended Dec. 15 from the previous week's 721.2, which was its highest level in over a year.

Douglas Duncan, MBA's chief economist, said the indexes tend to be volatile, but higher interest rates played a large role in the drop in demand.

"You did see a little bit of a [interest] rate reversal last week," he said. He said subprime mortgage holders are particularly rate sensitive and "jump in" whenever rates fall.

Foreclosures of subprime mortgages are rising as houses are not selling as fast, it was also reported.

[headlines]

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Special Servicing To Gain Focus As Delinquencies Rise

ABSnet

Special servicing of residential mortgages is set to gain focus as economic conditions worsen and delinquencies rise. Special servicers are typically defined as servicing loans that are 90 days or more delinquent. As more borrowers get behind in payments, more emphasis will be put on keeping those delinquent borrowers in their homes "Once a home gets repossessed everybody loses," said Paul Ullman, ceo of Highland Financial Holdings. He underscored that the process is very expensive for lenders.

While much of the securitization market has been keeping an eye on home price appreciation, Highland has been watching personal income and employment figures. "If your house falls 1% in value you're not going to stop making payments. Who is going to stop making payments is the guy who loses his job or gets divorced?" Ullman said.

With delinquencies rising, servicers will be putting more resources toward keeping tabs on these sub-prime borrowers. Special servicers use different tactics to keep delinquent borrowers making payments, including face-to-face contact, special calling campaigns, tailored letters or the use of third parties, such as credit counseling agencies.

Special servicing groups could see increased staff and greater spending on technology. "Servicing would continue to become more important as the delinquency cycle moves upwards, resulting in increased need for staffing, technology and attention from management," said Michael Drucker, assistant v.p. at Moody's Investors Service.

[headlines]

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Arizona outpaces Nevada in population growth

U.S. Census Bureau 2006 State Population Estimates

Top 10 Numeric Gainers State Change

1. Texas 579,275
2. Florida 321,697
3. California 303,402
4. Georgia 231,388
5. Arizona 213,311
6. North Carolina 184,046
7. Washington 103,899
8. Colorado 90,082
9. Nevada 83,228
10. Tennessee 83,058

full story:
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=
/www/story/12-22-2006/0004495887&EDATE=

[headlines]

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[headlines]

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

Key Equipment Finance Names Glen Wilson VP of Sales

Key Equipment Finance announces Glen Wilson as vice president of sales. In this capacity, he is responsible for leading the company's national direct and indirect sales force. He brings more than 20 years of commercial experience in product development, credit and sales in the middle market. His office is located at Key Equipment Finance's Canadian headquarters in Burlington, Ontario. Key Equipment Finance provides innovative financing solutions to corporate and commercial clients for equipment acquisitions. The company also partners with leading vendors of technology and capital asset equipment, providing lease financing to their business customers. Key Equipment Finance, an affiliate of KeyCorp ($96B U.S. assets), manages a $12.6B U.S. equipment portfolio, operates in 26 countries, and has been in the equipment financing industry for more than 30 years.

[headlines]

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

Nicholas Carter Joins Travelers Acceptance Corporation
as Director of Credit & Risk Management

Vancouver, BC – Travelers Acceptance Corporation is pleased to announce that Mr. Nicholas Carter has joined the company as Director of Credit & Risk Management. In this newly created position, Mr. Carter reports directly to Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Karl Sigerist, and is responsible for the continued development and ongoing review of credit and risk management strategy to support Travelers business processes.

“I am very pleased to welcome Nick Carter to our organization”, said Sigerist. “Nick Carter has the extensive industry experience and senior Credit and Risk management capabilities to proactively protect the interests of Travelers Acceptance Corporation and its stakeholders.”

Nicholas Carter

“It’s great to have the opportunity to work with the Travelers management team given the company’s vibrant growth and expansion plans”, said Carter. “The ongoing enhancement of credit and risk management systems is a vital component in today’s financial marketplace and I welcome my role in supporting best practices for Travelers Acceptance Corporation and its initiatives.

Nick Carter is a Senior Financial Professional with extensive bank and non-bank financial experience. Most recently he managed Credit & Risk initiatives for Teligence Communications in Vancouver. Prior to this Mr. Carter worked within the TD Financial Group as Director of Credit Risk Management & Modeling, Director for Personal Credit Policy in Group Risk Management, Director of Risk Management for TD Retail Credit Solutions Group – all in Toronto, and Manager of Financial Services & Real Estate Operations in Calgary.

Mr. Carter holds a Masters of Business Administration and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta, a Diploma in Urban Land Economics from the University of British Columbia and has completed courses for his Master of Economics from the University of Calgary, and the Canadian Securities Course. He is a Platinum Member of the Retail Risk Council, member and past Board Member of The Credit Scoring and Risk Strategy Association, and a member of the Risk Management Association, Past Vice Chairman of the North Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board.

About Travelers: Travelers Financial Group is a leader in the provision of financial solutions and services to organizations, dealers, consumers, vendors and financial intermediaries in Canada. Travelers focuses on providing financial choice and the generation of value through the application of experience, service and innovation. Travelers Acceptance Corporation, a member of the Travelers group of companies, provides Consumer Finance solutions and services specifically tailored to vendors of consumer products and services - including Canadian consumer portfolio acquisitions, and term financing for education, vacation ownership, home improvement, healthcare, memberships, consumer durables, automotive aftermarket and repair, and power products.

[headlines]

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

Commonwealth Capital Promotes Lisa Renshaw to VP

Clearwater, FL,– Commonwealth Capital Corp. (CCC) is pleased to announce that Lisa Renshaw has been promoted to Vice President. Ms. Renshaw, age 50, joined Commonwealth in 2006 and serves as Vice President and Senior Lease Acquisitions Manager of CCC. Ms. Renshaw, based in Wilmington, North Carolina, brings over twenty years of leasing experience to CCC and is responsible for spearheading lease acquisitions efforts and will be the primary liaison with Lessors in the Eastern United States. Ms Renshaw will continue to strengthen CCC’s relationships and customer base on the east coast.

Previously, Ms. Renshaw was employed by IBM Global Finance from 2002 to 2006 with responsibilities for pricing lease transactions. She supported IGF sales representatives in the East and Central region as well as third party business partners and IBM Global Services by structuring FMV leases, upgrades, extensions, hybrids and migrations.

Prior to IGF, Ms. Renshaw owned her own company for ten years -- Carrier Capital Resources, where she brokered lease transactions between lessors and funding sources on a nationwide basis. During this time, Ms. Renshaw also served on the Board of Directors of the EAEL.

Married with two children, Ms. Renshaw earned her BA in psychology from American University, graduating Cum Laude.

Founded in 1978, Commonwealth Capital Corp. has acquired more than $450 million of leases in 46 states. Commonwealth focuses on information technology equipment because it represents a niche market in which they’ve been operating since inception. Their 12 to 36-month leases often end with renewal or outright purchase by the owners of the equipment. To date, Commonwealth has offered more than 23 investment programs to thousands of investors.

From the two office locations, Pennsylvania and Florida, Commonwealth has grown slowly over the years, according to plan, with a focus on quality leasing and investor service, rather than quantity. Currently, Commonwealth employs a staff of approximately 70 in both its locations.

Commonwealth’s management team consists of men and women with strong backgrounds in all facets of the leasing and securities industries, from acquisitions, finance, portfolio management, residual value forecasting and asset remarketing, due diligence and compliance. This team, possessing a combined 100+ years of experience, manages the entire lease acquisition, operation and liquidation processes.

[headlines]

### Press Release ###########################
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News Briefs----

Seattle Overnight storm mild, but mountain passes get lots of snow
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003488778_webweather21.html

Thousands stranded in Denver Blizzard closes airport.
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/stormcenter/2006-12-21-colorado-blizzard_x.htm

A Slow Start for Holiday Travelers
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/21/
AR2006122100237.html

Growth trends could mean power shift in Congress after 2010 Census
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-12-21-census-congress_x.htm

Incoming Dell CFO will receive $700,000 salary
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/16295020.htm

Housing slump weighs on economic activity
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20061221-1407-economy.html

Economic Growth Slows to 2 Percent Pace
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-economy,0,6851408.story?
coll=chi-business-hed

FCC plan to juice cable competition
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2006/12/21/
fcc_plan_to_juice_cable_competition/

[headlines]

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You May have Missed---

Questions Couples Should Ask (Or Wish They Had) Before Marrying
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/17/fashion/weddings/17FIELDBOX.html?em&ex=
1166763600&en=eb5457e2929f1d3f&ei=5087%0A

[headlines]

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Sports Briefs----

Favre Leads Packers Past Vikings 9 – 7
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-FBN-Vikings-Packers.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Eagles vs. Cowboys is perfect Christmas gift
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/16293507.htm

T.O.-Garcia still a hot topic
http://www.cowboysplus.com/topstory/stories/122206cpcowlede.31a2c34.html

Raiders deny report that Shell will be fired
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/16294288.htm

[headlines]

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“Gimme that Wine”

Unprecedented Price Paid for Extraordinary Wine Collection
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061221/ukth011.html?.v=85

The World in a Glass: Knights Valley winery plans scaled back
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2006/12/21/columnists/jack_heeger/
doc458a95d954196121507898.txt

Bringing new life to a ghost winery
http://www.sthelenastar.com/articles/2006/12/21/features/food_and_wine/
doc458ac743b46e7749089061.txt

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

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

Winery Atlas
http://www.carterhouse.com/atlas/\

Leasing News Wine & Spirits Page
http://two.leasingnews.org/Recommendations/wnensprts.htm

The London International Vintners Exchange (Liv-ex) is an electronic exchange for fine wine.
http://www.liv-ex.com/

[headlines]

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Calendar Events This Day

Abilities Day
Celebrates all people with disabilities and their caregivers. To celebrate this day wear a white ribbon.
www.disabilitygrapevine.com

Capricorn, the Goat
December 22-January 19. In the astronomical and astrological zodiac that divides the sun’s apparent orbit into 12 segments, the period Dec. 22-January 19 is identified, traditionally, as the sun sign of Capricorn, the goat. The ruling planet is Saturn.
http://www.horoscopematch.com/horoscope/zodiac/Capricorn.php
http://www.astrologycom.com/cap.html

Christmas Light Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD8_7c36yfw

Winter
December 22-March 20,2005. In the Northern Hemisphere winter begins today with the winter solstice at 7:22pm est. Note that in the Southern Hemisphere today, is the beginning of summer. Between Equator and Arctic Circle, the sunrise and sunset points on the horizon are farthest south for the year, and daylight length is minimum
( ranging from 12 hours, 8 minutes, at the equator to zero at the Artic Circle.)
http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/astronomy/WinterSolstice.html

Yule
Yule was the winter solstice celebration of the Scandinavian Norse mythology and Germanic pagans.
http://www.candlegrove.com/yule.html

[headlines]

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A tune that gets stuck in your head is called an earworm.

http://www.wordspy.com/words/earworm.asp
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/61/67505.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3221499.stm

[headlines]

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Today's Top Event in History

1944 - During the Battle of the Bulge, General Anthony McAuliffe responds to a German surrender request with a one word answer: "Nuts!"

[headlines]
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This Day in American History

    1696-Birthday of William Oglethorpe, English general, author and colonizer of Georgia. Founder of the city of Savannah. Oglethorpe was born at London. He died June 30, 1785, at Cranham Hall, Essex, England.
http://www.ourgeorgiahistory.com/people/oglethorpe.html
http://www.cviog.uga.edu/Projects/gainfo/hogarth3.htm
    1727-Birthday of William Ellery, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, born at Newport, RI, and died there Feb 15, 1820. During the British occupation of Rhode Island, Mr. Ellery's house was burned and much of his other property “injured.”
http://www.williamellery.com/
http://www.colonialhall.com/ellery/ellery.asp
    1770 -Birth of Father Demetrius Gallitzin, a Dutch Catholic priest. Arriving in America in 1792, he spent his remaining years as a frontier missionary, building up the Catholic church in parts of PA, MD, VA and WV. Gallitzin became known as the "Apostle to the Alleghenies."
http://www.slider.com/enc/21000/Gallitzin_Demetrius_Augustine.htm
http://www.gsd1.org/business/GlendaleBoatSales/history.htm
http://www.catholicism.org/PAGES/gallitzin.htm
    1775-Esek Hopkins of Rhode Island became the first Commander-8in-chief of the Continental Navy and severed until January 2, 1778. He also got into trouble with Congress for interpreting his orders rather broadly in diverting his fleet from its announced destination of Charleston to the Bahamas, where he made a successful raid on military stores. Congress sacked him anyway. Some say his real crimes were a hot temper and an unguarded tongue. Others say he had secret orders. Among his officers was First Lieutenant John Paul Jones, who helped take New Providence. This was the first American naval victory. Commodore Hopkins flew on this first and on other voyages the Gadsden flag, designed by a man from Charleston, Carolina, with a coiled rattlesnake and the motto ``Don't Tread on Me.''
http://www.worldsfinestnavy.com/EsekHopkins.html
http://www.famousamericans.net/esekhopkins/
http://www.sat.quarterman.org/who/essexhopkins.html
http://www.sat.quarterman.org/gif/gadsden1.gif
    1807 -- Congress passes the Embargo Act, which halts all trading completely. It is hoped that the act will keep the United States out the European Wars.
    1815-Birthday of Henry Highland Garnet, early Black abolitionist leader, leader of both emigration to Liberia and freedom in the United States.. Later in life, Garnet turned to religion and lost a lot of his influence on the issue of slavery, but he continued to fight for the cause and helped to improve the lives of former slaves. In 1881 he was appointed to a position in Liberia, but died only two months after he arrived in 1882.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2949.html
http://www.africawithin.com/bios/henry_garnet.htm
http://www.ugrworkshop.com/hgarnet.htm
http://raider.muc.edu/~horninme/G7%20henry_highland_garnet.htm
    1829 - The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad opens the first passenger railway line.
    1833- Mercer University was chartered in Penfield, Georgia under Baptist support. In 1871 the college moved its campus to Macon, Georgia.
http://www2.mercer.edu/About_Mercer/default.htm
    1839 - The second of triple December storms hit the northeastern U.S. The storm produced 25 inches of snow at Gettysburg, PA, and gales in New England, but only produced light snow along the coast.
    1862-Birthday of Connie Mack,, Baseball Hall of Fame manager and executive born Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy at East Broofield, MA. Mack was a mjajor league catcher who became the original manager and co-owner of the Philadelphia Athletics in 1901. He managed the team, always wearing street clothes and signaling to his players with a scorecard, through the 1950 season and retired after the 1953 season The Mackmen often finished as also rans, but his te4ams did win nine pennants and five world Series. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1937. Died at Germantown, PA, PA. Feb 8,1956.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec22.html
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/hofer_bios/mack_connie.htm http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/M/Mack_Connie.stm
    1869-Birthday of Edward Arlington Robinson, three-time Pulitzer Prize winner best known for his short dramatic poems, including "Richard Cory" and "Miniver Cheevy." Born at Head Tide, ME, and died at Los Angeles, CA, Apr 6, 1935.
http://robinson.bokardo.com/biography.phtml
    1883-Birthday of Arthur Wergs Mitchell, leading “New Deal” Black politician, from Illinois. Died May 9, 1968
http://www.system.missouri.edu/upress/spring1997/nordin.htm
http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000805
http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/493/Arthur_W_Mitchell_political_pioneer
    1886-The first accounting society (national) was the American Association of Public Accountants, formed in New York City. The first president was James Yalden.
    1888-Birthday of Dr Chancellor Williams, historian and author of “Destruction of Black Civilization.”
http://saxakali.com/Saxakali-Publications/runoko8.htm
http://www.raceandhistory.com/Historians/chancellor.htm
http://aalbc.com/reviews/chancell.htm
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/search-ng.gsp?search_constraint=3920&
search_query=Williams%2c%20Chancellor
    1894-The United Sates Golf Association, the governing body for golf in the US, was founded at a meeting of representatives from five golf clubs.
    1904-Birthday of Kenneth Rexroth, Beatnik Poet. Well-known San Francisco personaltiy,died June 6, 1982 in Montecito, California.
http://www.charm.net/~brooklyn/People/KennethRexroth.html
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/m_r/rexroth/rexroth_lif
http://www.rooknet.com/beatpage/writers/rexroth.html e.htm
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1556591713/
102-8569588-7388914?v=glance
    1910-Birthday of trumpet player Reunald Jones (Count Base Band) born Indianapolis, In. Died, 1989. One of the “Jones Boys.”
http://www.centrohd.com/biogra/j2/reunald_jones_b.htm
http://www.52ndstreet.com/reviews/mainstream/vajonesboys.html
    1913-Pianist Dudley Alonzo Brooks(Elvis Presley band) born Los Angeles, Ca.
    1914-The mood to ban alcohol as a means of ending alcoholism and its abuse
in the United States had it first test in the first alcohol prohibition vote taken in Congress that showed the House of Representatives with a dry majority. The representatives voted 197-189 in favor of a resolution to provide a constitutional amendment banning the manufacture and sale of intoxicating beverages. The resolution, offered by Representative Richmond Pearson Hobson of Alabama, failed to win the necessary two-thirds majority, but the mood and politics regarding prohibition was certainly changing. Hobson became known as the anti-alcohol crusader. Richmond Pearson Hobson was one of the great heroes of the Spanish-American War, following only Theodore Roosevelt and George Dewey. Hobson's fame and popularity was the result of leading an unsuccessful attempt to block the harbor of Santiago de Cuba by sinking the collier MERRIMAC in the entrance. Despite the fact that the effort was a failure, and Hobson and his crew were captured by the Spanish, he became a hero anyway. As a result of his status as a war hero, he was later elected to Congress, and became a prominent crusader for alcohol prohibition. He introduced the first national alcohol prohibition bill in 1911.
http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000667
http://www.samford.edu/groups/amhf/id35.htm
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/people/hobson/
    1919-Singer Lil Green ( Lillian Johnson) born Clarksdale, MS “Why Don’t You Do Rights” was her big hit, later to be the theme song of Peggy Lee.
http://www.oafb.net/once29.html
http://www.geocities.com/theblueslady.geo/LilGreen.html
http://www.artistdirect.com/music/artist/bio/0,,551235,00.html?artist=
Lillian+%22Lil%22+Green
    1921- The first U.S. commercial radio license assigned to a religious broadcaster was awarded to the National Presbyterian Church of Washington, D.C. Within five years, there were over 60 other licensed religious broadcasters, including KJS_Biola (L.A.), KFUO_Concordia Seminary (St. Louis), and WMBI_Moody Bible Institute (Chicago).
    1921- Country singer Hawkshaw Hawkins was born Huntington, West Virginia. A recording contract in the late 1940's with the King label yielded such hits as "I Wasted a Nickel," "Slow Poke" and "Sunny Side of the Mountain." Hawkins had little success in the 1950's, but on March 3rd, 1963, his "Lonesome 7-7203" entered the charts on its way to number one. Two days later, Hawkins was dead, a victim of the same plane crash in Kansas that killed Patsy Cline and Cowboy Copas.
    1937- Lincoln Tunnel (New York NY) opens to traffic
http://www.nycroads.com/crossings/lincoln/
    1938-Birthday of Mateo “Matty” Alou, former baseball player, born Haina, Dominican Republic.
http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/A/Alou_Matty.stm
http://www.yankeeinfo.com/master.asp?id=alouma01
http://www.angelfire.com/va3/steelerchief/images/Matyalou.jpg
    1939- drummer Nick Ceroli born Warren OH Died August 11,1985 He began his professional career with the Ray Anthony band in the late '50s, and progressed through the bands of Lionel Hampton, Terry Gibbs, and Stan Kenton. Never a fan of rock or "pop" music, but rather a mainstream jazz and big band player, Nick nonetheless joined Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass in 1965. He spent five years with that incredibly successful group, lending his talent to an act once described as having "single-handedly returned instrumental music to the American popular consciousness."
http://www.centrohd.com/biogra/c3/nick_ceroli_b.htm
http://members.aol.com/jnetsites/ceroli2.html
    1941 - On Decca Records, Jimmie Lunceford and his orchestra recorded "Blues in the Night", which became one of Lunceford’s biggest hits. From 1934 to 1946 Jimmy Lunceford racked up 22 hits more hits.
http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_lunceford_jimmie.htm
    1943-WEB Du Bois elected First black member, National Institute of Arts and Letters
http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap9/dubois.html
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/dubois
    1944 - During the Battle of the Bulge, General Anthony McAuliffe responds to a German surrender request with a one word answer: "Nuts!"
    1944-Birthday of Steven Norman “Steve” Carlton, baseball Hall of Fame pitcher, born Miami,Fl. http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/hofer_bios/carlton_steve.htm
    1946-Birthday of Diane Sawyer, journalist ("60 Minutes," "Prime Time Live"), born Glasgow, KY.
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/GoodMorningAmerica/GMA_diane_sawyer_bio.html
    1946 -- Otto Graham leads the Cleveland Browns to a 14-9 victory over the New York Yankees at Cleveland Stadium in the first All-America Football Conference championship game
    1947-Drummer Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers cut first record, Blue Note Label.
http://www.audiogalaxy.com/bands/artblakeysjazzmessengers/
http://www.playjazz.com/DR005.html
http://home.ica.net/~blooms/Art1.html
http://800-buy-movies.com/GeneralDVD/gr107322D1.htm
    1948-Birthday of Steve Garvey, former baseball player, born Tampa, Florida.
http://www.thebaseballpage.com/past/pp/garveysteve/
http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/garvest01.shtml
    1949--Robin and Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees were born on the Isle of Man. The Gibb family moved to Australia in 1958, and the twins, along with brother Barry, began performing together. The family returned to England in 1966, where the Gibb brothers were signed by producer Robert Stigwood. A hit single, "New York Mining Disaster 1941," and a hit album followed within a year. The teenaged stars were unprepared for their sudden success, and the Bee Gees fell apart in the early 1970s. But in 1977, they contributed several songs to the soundtrack of "Saturday Night Fever." "How Deep is Your Love," "Stayin' Alive" and "Night Fever" all became number-one hits. And the "Saturday Night Fever" album was the biggest-selling L-P of all time, until Michael Jackson's "Thriller" came along.
    1951---Top Hits
Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry
White Christmas - Bing Crosby
Slowpoke - Pee Wee King
Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way - Carl Smith
    1952—“Ding Dong School” Premieres on TV. Named by a three-year-old after watching a test broadcast of the opening sequence (a hand ringing a bell), "Ding Dong School" was one of the first children's educational series. Miss Frances (Dr. Frances Horwich, head of Roosevelt College's education department at Chicago) was the host of this weekday show.
http://www.richsamuels.com/nbcmm/dds.html
http://www.missfrances.com/memorabilia_cartoons.htm
http://www.skypoint.com/members/schutz19/dingdon1.htm
    1952-The Modern Jazz Quartet cuts first recording,Prestige label.
http://www.holeintheweb.com/drp/bhd/MJQ.htm
http://www.jazclass.aust.com/lewis.htm
    1956-Elvis Presley had the most charting records this year with 17. Billboard reports Pat Boone was next with five, followed by Fats Domino, Little Richard and the Platters with three each.
    1957 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "April Love," Pat Boone.
    1958- "Chipmunk Song" reaches #1
http://www.poplyrics.net/waiguo/compilations/xmascarols/012.htm
http://www.psci.net/~aa9ai/chip.ra
    1959---Top Hits
Heartaches by the Number - Guy Mitchell
Why - Frankie Avalon
The Big Hurt - Miss Toni Fisher
El Paso - Marty Robbins
    1962-The Rebels' instrumental "Wild Weekend" is released on Swan Records. It makes it to #8 on the pop chart.
    1962-The Tornadoes' "Telstar" becomes the first record by a British group to top the American pop chart. The song was inspired by the launching of the Telstar commu-satellite in July.
    1963- Oakland Raider Tom Flores passes for 6 touchdowns vs. Houston (52-49)
http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/florestom.shtml
http://www.frameposters.com/Posters_Tom_Flores.html
http://www.geocities.com/madnessmike/tom_flores.htm
    1963 -Official 30-day mourning period for President John F Kennedy ends.
    1965 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Over and Over," Dave Clark Five. The song is the group's only No. 1 hit.
    1967---Top Hits
Daydream Believer - The Monkees
Woman, Woman - The Union Gap
Boogaloo Down Broadway - The Fantastic Johnny C
It’s the Little Things - Sonny James
    1968-President-elect Richard Nixon’s younger daughter, Julie, was married in New York City to Dwight David Eisenhower II, grandson of the former president.
http://www.jag.org/jn_eisenhower.htm
    1969 -In San Francisco, Radio Free Alcatraz broadcast for first time on Berkeley radio station KPFA.
    1972 - Folk singer Joni Mitchell was awarded a gold record for her album, "For the Roses"; which included the song, "You Turn Me on, I’m a Radio".
http://www.jonimitchell.com/
    1973 - Barbra Streisand's hit record, The Way We Were, from the movie of the same title that she starred in with Robert Redford, debuted on Billboard's pop record charts on this date. The song was on the charts for 17 weeks total, and for 3 weeks was Number 1. It was later certified gold, and it won the Academy Awards for Best Song and for Best Original Dramatic Score. The music was written by Marvin Hamlisch, and the lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman.
    1974-Center Phil Esposito of the Boston Bruins scored the 500th goal of his career in a 5-4 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Esposito played from 1963-64 through 1980-81 and finished with 717 regular season goals.
    1975 - On CBS-TV's "All In the Family," Mike and Gloria Stivic, played by Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers, had a baby.
    1975---Top Hits
That’s the Way (I Like It) - KC & The Sunshine Band
Let’s Do It Again - The Staple Singers
Saturday Night - Bay City Rollers
Convoy - C.W. McCall
    1976 - Production of "Let’s Make A Deal" came to an end. During the games show's 3,200 episodes, Monty Hall gave away an estimated $35 million in prizes and over 20,000 kisses. The show's announcer was Jay Stewart, and Carol Merrill was the spokesmodel.
    1976-Bob Seger begins his breakthrough to stardom as his album, "Live Bullet," goes gold. The album features in-concert versions of "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man," "Beautiful Loser," "Get Out of Denver," "Travelin' Man" and "Katmandu."
    1977-Not everyone who jumped from the top of the Empire State building committed suicide, as 26-year-old Thomas Helms, who jumped from the observation deck oon the 86th floor landed on a narrow ledge on the85th floor, about 20 feet lower down. He was knocked unconscious for half an hour, but was not seriously injured.
http://www.hockey-fans.com/players/esposito.php
    1978-Faces drummer Kenney Jones becomes the Who's drummer, replacing the late Keith Moon who died two months earlier.
    1979-Linda Ronstadt, the Eagles and Chicago played a political benefit for California Governor Jerry Brown in Las Vegas. That show, and one the night before in San Diego, raised 150-thousand dollars.
    1983---Top Hits
Say Say Say - Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson
Say It Isn’t So - Daryl Hall-John Oates
Union of the Snake - Duran Duran
Black Sheep - John Anderson
    1984 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Like a Virgin," Madonna. Billboard ranks the song as the top single of 1984.
    1984 - CBS Records it would release Mick Jagger, of the Rolling Stones, first solo album, set for release in February, 1985. After a 20-year career with the self- proclaimed “greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world,” Jagger went solo with the album: "She’s the Boss".
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000002IXG/
102-8569588-7388914?v=glance
http://www.sweetstar.com/song/b000002ixg
    1986 - "Sports Illustrated" magazine named Joe Paterno Sportsman of the Year; whose naming marked the second time a coach won the honor. The first coach to do so was UCLA basketball legend, John Wooden. For this issue, the magazine chose to change its logo to a two-line design.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/2002/sportsman/master_list/
http://www.gopsusports.com/football/people/paterno/paternobiobody.cfm
http://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/Wooden.htm
    1989- 137 cities set record lows for this date. 35 of those cities established new lows for December. New all-time records were set -4ºF in Oklahoma City OK, -6ºF in Tulsa OK, -12ºF in Pittsburgh PA, -18ºF in Denver CO, -23ºF in Kansas City MO, -42ºF in Scottsbluff NE, -47ºF in Hardin MT & -60ºF in Black Hills SD.
    1991---Top Hits
Black or White - Michael Jackson
It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday - Boyz II Men
All 4 Love - Color Me Badd
My Next Broken Heart - Brooks & Dunn
    1991-Gregg Allman makes his acting debut as a drug kingpin in the flick, "Rush." Eric Clapton did the excellent music score.
    1993-lake effect snows buried Turin, NY under 45 inches of snow with 5 inches falling in just 20 minutes. Boonville, NY had 31 inches in two days.
    1996-Right wing Brett Hull of the St. Louis Blues became the 24th player in NHL history to score 500 regular-season goals. He tallied goals Nos.498,499 and 500 in a 7-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Another goal, originally thought to be No. 500 was later credited to teammate Sepahne Matteau. Hull and his father Bobby thus became the first father-and-son duo in NHL history to score 500 goals each.
http://www.hockey-fans.com/players/brett-hull.php
    1998 -- U.S. Woman Combat Pilot Sees Action -- December 22, 1998 -- ABOARD THE USS ENTERPRISE (AP) -- The first American woman fighter pilot to see combat action took part in the air strikes on Iraq. Navy Lt. Kendra Williams, 26, flew her FA-18 fighter-bomber as part of the attack force launched from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in the Gulf. Williams, who was raised in Anchorage, Alaska, was among the first group of women allowed to train for fighter duty, military officials said Tuesday. She graduated from jet training at the Naval Air Station in Kingsville, Texas, in 1997.
http://www.ctie.monash.edu/hargrave/williams_k.html

[headlines]

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Differences Between Christmas and Chanukah

by Dave Silverman

Christmas is one day, same day every year. December 25. Jews love Dec. 25th. It's another paid day off work. We go to movies and out for Chinese food, and Israeli dancing. Chanukah is 8 days. It starts the evening of the 24th of Kislev, whenever that falls. No one is ever sure. Jews never know until a non Jewish friend asks when Chanukah starts, forcing us to consult a calendar so we don't look like idiots. We all have the same calendar, provided free with a donation from either the World Jewish Congress, the kosher butcher, or the local Sinai Memorial Chapel (especially in Florida).

Christmas is a major holiday. Chanukah is a minor holiday with the same theme as most Jewish holidays. They tried to kill us, we survived, let's eat.

Christians get wonderful presents such as jewelry, perfume, stereos.... Jews get practical presents such as underwear, socks, or the collected works of the Rambam which looks impressive on the bookshelf.

There is only one way to spell Christmas. No one can decide how to spell Chanukah, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Channukah, Hanukah, Hannuka, Hannukah.

Christmas is a time of great pressure for husbands and boyfriends. Their partners expect special gifts. Jewish men are relieved of that burden. No one expects a diamond ring on Chanukah.

Christmas brings enormous electric bills. Candles are used for Chanukah. Not only are we spared enormous electric bills, but we get to feel good about not contributing to the energy crisis.

Christmas carols are beautiful. Silent Night, O Come O Ye Faithful.....Chanukah songs are about dreidels made from clay or having a party and dancing the horah. Of course, we are secretly pleased that many of the beautiful carols were composed and written by our tribal brethren. And don't Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond sing them beautifully? Don’t forget, Irving Berlin wrote “White Christmas.”

A home preparing for Christmas smells wonderful. The sweet smell of cookies and cakes baking. Happy people are gathered around in festive moods. A home preparing for Chanukah smells of oil, potatoes and onions. The home, as always, is full of loud people all talking at once.

Women have fun baking Christmas cookies. Women burn their eyes and cut their hands grating potatoes and onions for latkes on Chanukah. Another reminder of our suffering through the ages.

Parents deliver to their children during Christmas. Jewish parents have no qualms about withholding a gift any of the eight nights.

The players in the Christmas story have easy to pronounce names such as Mary, Joseph and Jesus. The players in the Chanukah story are Antiochus, Judah Maccabee, and Matta whatever. No one can spell it or pronounce it. On the plus side, we can tell our friends anything, and they believe we are wonderfully versed in our history.

In recent years, Christmas has become more and more commercialized. The same holds true for Chanukah, even though it is a minor holiday. It makes sense. How could we market a major holiday such as Yom Kipppur? Forget about celebrating. Think observing. Come to synagogue, starve yourself for 27 hours, become one with your dehydrated soul, beat your chest, confess your sins, a guaranteed good time for you and your family. Tickets a mere $200. per person.

Next year: I’m putting up a Christmas tree!

[headlines]

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SuDoku: Oy Vey!

The object is to insert the numbers in the boxes to satisfy only one condition: each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 exactly once. What could be simpler?

http://leasingnews.org/Soduku/soduko-main.htm

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