Leasing News - independent, inbiased, and fair news about the leasing industry<meta name="Meta1" content="leasing, news, reports, newsletter, lease, industry, inside, bulletin, list, broker, insider, link, archives, enews, online, about, current, today, association, lessor, Menkin, Kit, problem, complaint, consumer, lessee">

We are actively seeking experienced Account Executives as part of a significant growth initiative for 2004. Candidates must be self-motivated, hard working, and enjoy making some of the highest commission splits in the industry.
E-Mail: recruiter@gen-cap.com

About the Company: Genesis Commercial Capital, LLC; 17910 Skypark Circle, Suite 105; Irvine, CA. 92614 www.gen-cap.com

Leasing Industry Attorneys

California - statewide: CA "ELA"

5-attorney creditors rights law firm, in biz 25 yrs +, specialize all aspects of creditor representation. Primarily represent equipment lessors & funders,plus collection and creditor rep. in bankruptcy. Email:phemar@hemar.com

California - statewide: Encino, CA. "ELA"

24 Attorney AV-rated Lawfirm representing the Leasing Industry for over 25 Years. We specialize in Lease-enforcement, collection and representation in Bankruptcy Court. email:sjenkins@hemar-rousso.com

Connecticut, Southern New England: EVANS, FELDMAN & BOYER, LLC Collections, litigation, documentation, portfolio sales and financing, bankruptcy. We represent many of the national and local leasing companies doing business in this state. Past chairman EAEL legal committee. Competitive rates. email: rcfeldman@snet.net EAEL

Law Firm - Service, Dallas, TX. ELA

Mayer regularly practices in leasing, secured financing, project development and finance and corporate finance.

email: dmayer@pattonboggs.com

Los Angeles, Statewide: CA. "ELA"

Aggressive creditors rights law firm specializing in equipment leasing handling collection matters on a contingency, fixed fee or hourly basis. email:RGarwacki@prodigy.net

Los Angeles -statewide: CA "ELA "

Practice limited to collections, bankruptcy and problem accounts resolution. Decades of experience. 10-lawyer firm dedicated to serving you. Call Ronald Cohn, Esq. (818)591- 2121 or email. Email: rrcohn@aol.com

National: http://www.leaselawyer.com/

Full staff of attorneys and legal assistants work with Group Leader Barry S. Marks to ensure prompt, cost-effective responses to client needs: Email:bsm@blik.com

National: Coston & Lichtman: Business attorneys serving the lease-finance industry since 1980. Transactional, documentation, corporate; workouts, litigation, bankruptcy. Chicago & Florida offices. Jim Coston, CLP (Members: ELA/UAEL/MAEL)

email: Jcoston@costonlaw.com

Northern California - Statewide: CA "EAEL" "ELA" San Francisco expertise at Marin County prices; practice limited to equipment leasing and finance with 22 years experience, testimonials. Ken Greene, Esq.Vox: 415 461 3777 keng@kengreenelaw.com

NY Metro and National: Hackensack, NY

Attorney specializing in equipment lease matters for at least 10 years with a 50-State operating network of attorneys experienced in leasing matters. Email:wuscher@uqur.com "ELA"

This is for Attorneys to post their legal services. Only members of a non-profit leasing association may list their firm. This insures the firm abides by the standards of conduct and also indicates their specialty is the leasing industry.

http://64.125.68.90/LeasingNews/PostingFormAttorney.htm

[Headlines]

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

Wednesday---Odds and Ends

Capital Stream

In writing about the changes at Pure Markets, Michael Caglarcan replacing founder Jay Fudemberg as CEO (Pure Markets is the largest internet aggregate web base company --http://www.leasingnews.org/elease/elease.htm ---), it was rumored that Capital Stream was still in the market for an accounting and/or web based financial company since they did not win the bid for the US operation of Decision Systems. Several readers said this was not accurate, because the money was no longer available since the purchase did not go through. We checked with Capital Stream, and their response:

“Each acquisition is structured differently and the funds are invested according to the required structure. The money continues to be available from our investors to be reinvested for other acquisition opportunities."

Karen Thorsen

Capital Stream

----

Brokers going through Vendors-old trick, new again.

Looking to document the trend of brokers going through vendors. It appears

with many sources drying up to “tougher credit” or “new business,” vendors

often not only have lower rates, but a different credit system to help move

their product.

We have a story we are trying to document about a super broker in Southern

California even had a desk in their office for their vendor, who they considered

part of their sales staff.

Please send any leads to kitmenkin@leasingnews.org

Your confidential information will remain confidential.

----

Web Trend--Norvergence

We were one of the first 100 buyers of this internet program that interprets who

is visiting your web site and are grandfathered into a lot of features that are

now a lot more expensive and limited without further licenses. The report

tells us a lot. In the review of the month of January, it was surprising to learn

how many visits the web site receives on Saturday and Sunday.

This is an amazing fact to us.

The time factor appears to be PDT as the hours we get the most visits

are from 5:00am to 2:00pm. and it trails off quite a bit after that. We suspect

the East Coast opens up with our “on line” version, which is generally posted around

8:00am, California time---5:00am, East Coast time.

The report shows the browsers used to find us follow the most popular on the internet: Google, Yahoo, MSN. Of course, our name is number one in the request to find news about equipment leasing. Second last month was: Norvergence, followed by Commercial Money Center, Orix, among the names.

The interesting thing about this is we didn’t write any stories in January about Norvergence, but we did receive many e-mails and inquiries. The last story

we had written seemed to be October 17,2003 Robert J. Fine, Director of Bank Relations, made a statement:

http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/October%202003/10-17-03.htm#nove

Regarding the inquiries, the question of the “collateral” seemed to be the

central format. We tell those who inquire that software, computers, and equipment

with large installation costs or high obsolescence are often “leased.” The value of

the equipment is minimal in “small” leases. It is said that if the credit is good enough, a lessor will lease an ice cube. The “ice cube” may be an exaggeration, but who decides what the cost of a couch, a computer monitor, or even a painting, or chooses what

is to be leased is really up to the lessee and not lessor.

Nevertheless, Norvergence appears to be a “hot subject” as it appears high in all the

browser searches of Leasing News. For readers interested in more , perhaps the best resource on this question comes from :

Dan Baldwin 206-203-6115 x2

Telecom Agent Association
Founder & Editor-at-Large
31500 Grape Street #3-307

Lake Elsinore, CA 92532

If you want more specific information, you will have to sign up ( free) to obtain access to his site, as it is for registered users only ( most likely for legal purposes:)

http://www.telecomagent.org/norvergence.htm

----

Jim Halow-Trinity Capital

Maybe we shouldn’t give away one of our secrets. Returned mail. It tells

us about large layoffs or changes in management, or when someone retires.

Bank of the West purchased Trinity Capital as per our story October 18,2003.

http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/trinity.htm

Jim Halow was the president. We called the company to find out why the

e-mail was coming back. We were told, “He has retired.”

---

Download---“Growth of Independents”

“The download from ELT seems to have the wrong page 3.

”Just thought you would like to know the links are used and appreciated!”

Hugh Swandel
Ph. 204.477.0703
Fax. 204.453.5044
Cell. 204.799.7823

Swandel and Associates
Consulting Services for Lessors, Brokers and Technology Providers in the
financial services industry.

(We checked it out, and it appears page three was another story, and

there were no more pages. We had originally downloaded it from the Allegiant-Partners webs site, as ELT Magazine was not posted . I read the original story in the ELT Magazine, which was excellent. We wanted to give Hugh Swandel credit for

his discovery, so we asked him if we could quote him. editor)

“It would be a pleasure to be quoted as someone who read past the first
two pages! My former teachers and professors would be shocked!

”I thought the article was very timely. I have been contemplating writing
a similar article for the Canadian Finance and Leasing Association
Newsletter. In Canada there have been a large number of small regional
lessors set up shop in the past few years. We are back to a Whales and
Minnows situation.”

(We asked Shirley Bryant, Webmaster, Online Services, Equipment Leasing Association,

for help and Erica Washlack, who handles putting the ELT
articles into the Library, was kind enough to send the same day for all our readers to read

the full six pages ( not three.)

Note: The approximate file size is 3.3M. Readers should try to download the file instead of opening on line. You can save a lot of time by putting it to “save” and then opening

it, after it is saved. Don’t use “open,” use “save.” . A good trick, especially for those on dial-up. Just right click on the link and select Save Target As then

select the place where you want the file to download to. This way might be

faster that trying to view the file on line. Don’t open on line. Save the file., and then open it. This “trick” will save you a lot of down time.

http://two.leasingnews.org/loose_files/ELT%20jan04%20lead.pdf

---

Balboa Capital

Pat Byrne is back as CEO and has a number of new programs his company will be introducing. He said they received over fifty calls from our announcement about

Curt Lysne of GE-Colonial Pacific fame starting up a broker division. He added it was very hard to get back to everyone, particularly since they are just setting this program up He begged off an interview until some new announcements are made.

We know that Curt Lysne’s son was in town, helping his father put his new office together. He was planning on commuting home for three nights, and getting things

in order not just in his office but where he would be living during the week.

Leasing News did receive this e-mail from him:

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.

”I am intentionally going slow on this to allow our systems, processes and
the overall design of this program to take shape, be tested, and move
forward with controlled growth. For that reason, I am strong on the message
about Balboa, strong on what I intend to do here but cautious on implying
that we are ready for a full blown roll out. I am sure you can appreciate my
thoughts.

”I will be focusing people on that fact that we are not a super broker. In
fact, we are not even going to attempt to place these transactions with
other mainstream lenders. More on that thought next week.

”I continue to be amazed by the level of your readership Kit. Last time you
published something about me I received e-mails from all over...people I had
not spoken to or seen in years...including Johnny Johnson in Kuwait.

“I have already seen a similar response on Pat's message about me this time as well.
I am humbled by the many, many good people in this industry who have gone
out of their way to communicate with me. My wife tells me I have earned it
through my hard work and integrity...maybe I have.

”Thanks again....”

Curt Lysne

Curt Lysne
Vice President, Capital Markets
Balboa Capital
(949)399-6395 (direct line)
clysne@balboacapital.com

[Headlines]

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

CFC Changes Hands

ELA Online

Commercial Finance Capital, the asset finance house specialising in the printing industry, has been sold by owners Citigroup which has decided to back out of print.

CFC was first sold to the American Avco Trust 12 years ago and then sold on to Citigroup in 2000. But it was sold late last year as the giant US bank moved to divest itself of non-core businesses, such as asset finance, which it labeled "hobbies".

As of February 2, CFC is 60% owned by Daniel Stewart Securities plc and has changed its name to Commercial Finance Credit Ltd, retaining the initials CFC. The other 40% is owned by managers and one other shareholder.

Daniel Stewart is aiming for pounds 12-pounds 18m of new leases in the next year, a far cry from the pounds 70m that CFC used to turn over a few years ago. But printers who have current CFC leases will stay with Citigroup. CFC may diversify into other sectors.

"We specialise in leasing for small market sectors," says Peter Shea of Daniel Stewart. "What had put Citigroup off is exactly what attracted us.”

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

[Headlines]

Arizona concludes with a bang

ABS Net

PHOENIX, Ariz — As many as 2,700 delegates showed up last week for Information Management Network’s ABS West, the second round of winter ABS conference season, which has been a market tradition for roughly a decade. With the prior week’s 1,000-plus attendees at the American Securitization Forum’s Scottsdale gathering, this was quite possibly the greatest two-week blitz on Arizona the ABS market has ever delivered.

IMN said attendance exceeded last summer’s Barcelona show, which is typically the conference organizer’s largest securitization gathering.

Perhaps the opening ceremonies lacked the heated exchanges that generally kick off IMN ABS shows, but who would have guessed that an analogy of asset-backed to crack by one investor would be so well received by the crowd? This clearly is an industry with a sophisticated sense of humor. "Pretty soon you’re freebasing Oakwood triple-B manufactured housing and aircraft," the investor said.

In all seriousness, the analogy was akin to investors getting hooked on the spread pickup in previously unexplored asset classes and notches of the capital structure. Now, with too much money chasing yield, spreads are coming in, pushing investors into even riskier asset classes and further down the credit spectrum. And for what? Spreads continue contracting to historic lows.

During the second of the two opening panels, William Sidford of Mony Capital Management noted that multi-sector CDOs, which have yet to fully ramp up, might have trouble closing, if they close at all.

"I just don’t think the arbitrage is there," Sidford said.

An interesting situation would arise if several half-ramped CDOs unwound their positions at once.

ABS growth plateau reached?

Despite spread predictions, which varied widely from panelist to panelist, the opening discussions turned to the inevitable annual question: Can the market sustain the kind of growth it has seen in the past several years?

In previous years, panelists had suggested the rate of growth in the asset-backed market would have slowed by now. However, aside from the ABCP market, which leveled off last year (often attributed to accounting uncertainty), growth has continued surpassing expectations. In fact, even as home equity ABS issuance is expected to decline this year, Moody’s still predicts 2004 will be the second heaviest year of home equity ABS.

"So many thought this market couldn’t grow by this point," said Bob Malin, co-head, asset-backed finance at Citigroup Global Markets. "But notice, the size of the ABS market in a relative sense has increased."

Malin estimated that the size of the ABS market has reached 85% of the corporate market, compared to 60% five or so years ago.

Whereas 10 years ago, four out of the top 10 large-scale commercial banks were accessing securitization, Malin says he currently counts seven out of the 10 largest. "It’s actually created a need to securitize as a whole; you need to find places to grow," he told the audience.

The rate of growth in U.S. securitization has slowed a bit over the year, but 2003 was boosted tremendously by mortgage-related issuance, said session facilitator Michael Kanef, of Moody’s Investors Service. "Historically, home equity comprised about one-third of the market but in the most recent year it saw an explosion."

In fact, Moody’s estimates that even though it forecasts a decline in home equity issuance this year, it still expects 2004 to be the sector’s second biggest year.

As a whole, the 11 participants in the opening session expressed optimism for the market going forward, both in terms of dealing with current issues and with sustaining strong issuance numbers.

Also the crystal ball:

Bank One’s First Vice President Stephen Etherington noted that despite the usual stability in the credit card market, which typically hums along, there has been some noteworthy activity likely to affect 2004. "The smaller guys, in the end, didn’t have the better mousetrap," Etherington added. The distribution and execution ‘wars’ that have ensued between large- and small-scale firms have limited the growth of some credit card ABS issuers. Etherington also elaborated on an innovation he would like to see continue in the credit card market — de-linked issuance platforms, but the ability to spontaneously issue small sub classes, in the hypothetic range of $50 million, from master trusts.

Also offering his view on the near-term outlook, United Capital Markets’ John Devaney was, perhaps, the most candid. "I like to run completely against the herd," Devaney admitted, naming franchise bonds, manufactured housing and others as places where he’s found opportunity. "I like aircraft. I want to buy it all. I really love everything — it just depends on what the price is."

* Mark Adelson, director and head of structured finance research at Nomura Securities, is also optimistic about 2004, but feels that the off-the-run revolving assets could present more surprises.

* Michelle Russell-Dowe, director and portfolio manager at Hyperion Capital Management, would "take a little bit of profits right now," she said.

* Washington Mutual’s First Vice President Jeffery Sorensen believes NIMs will continue performing well.

* Ted Breck, managing director, Merrill Lynch continues to like the auto market. "I’m optimistic again...spreads are at all-time tights," he said.

* Nelson Soares, managing director, Lehman Brothers, sees a robust atmosphere in the ACBP market, accounting issues aside. Soares added, "One piece of good news we see going into 2004 is that credit seems to be moving in a better direction."

* Majorie Anderson, senior portfolio manager, Allstate Investments, would like to see more of a focus

on the transfer of servicing agreements embedded in deals.

* JPMorgan Trust Bank’s Senior Vice President Joseph Giordano would like to be paid more, should the market move toward an expanded role of the trustee in transactions. "We should get reasonably paid for it...[and] end duties should be spelled out in documents," Giordano said. — MG/CMO

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

[Headlines]

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

Marlene Young-Peel to Head Human Resources for Blackwell Consulting Services

CHICAGO, – Blackwell Consulting Services (BCS) announced that Marlene Young-Peel, AGE, has joined the company as human resources director. Reporting to president and chief operating officer Pamela Blackwell, Young-Peel, provides direction in all aspects of human resources, including recruiting, personnel, training and development, compensation and benefits and performance and resource management.

“Marlene brings more than fifteen years experience to BCS in all aspects of HR and will serve as an excellent driver for internal success,” said Pamela Blackwell. “Marlene’s extensive human resources management knowledge, as well as her diverse industry experience complements BCS in a way that is crucial to our long term success. As BCS continues to grow, it is important that the human resources department is led by someone who understands our diverse service offerings and our vision for the future. Marlene is just this person and we welcome her to the BCS family.”

Prior to joining BCS, Young-Peel has had an impressive history, holding various HR management and director positions. Most recently, she served as manager of employment and diversity at Exelon Nuclear, with division revenues exceeding $3 billion and 8,000 employees. Before that, Marlene was the director of employment and employee relations at Bombardier, Commercial Services.

“I chose to come to BCS because it is growing and diverse company through its people, the clients it serves and its needs,” said Young-Peel. “I am a results-oriented professional and BCS offers me the perfect environment to succeed and be a true business partner to the company.”

About Blackwell Consulting Services

Blackwell Consulting Services (BCS) is a full-service, full life-cycle management and information technology consulting firm, serving the government, education, insurance, equipment leasing and finance industries, among others. Headquartered in Chicago, it is the largest minority-owned IT consulting company in the Midwest. BCS is a privately held company with nearly 300 full-time consultants and technical professionals in the U.S., with remote offices in Atlanta; Bloomington, Ill., Cincinnati, Columbus, Ohio and Miami. For more information on the company, please visit www.bcsinc.com.

Contact: Erin Lombardo

312-240-2622

erin.lombardo@edelman.com

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

[Headlines]

Content and Curricula from Leasing Education Programs Now Available to Corporate Trainers

( Irwin, PA) XeC announces that the written and visual content from its Leasing Education Programs ( “Leasing Bootcamp”, “Leasing for IT Professionals”, and “Business Process Management for Leasing Companies” ) will be made available for purchase by corporate training groups and eLearning platforms. Previously the content was only delivered by XeC professionals.

“Many of the larger lessors and finance houses already have a dedicated staff for training their employees, ” stated John Voytko, President and COO of XeC, “ They do not need outside trainers for their people, but rather a way to continually create updated materials and to get expert advice on specific topics.”

Michael Pochan, CEO of XeC and an Adjunct Professor at Carnegie Mellon’s Graduate Business School, added, “Many corporate trainers and HR people are expert in the best delivery mechanisms for their internal training. What they want is expertise in leasing specifics, of which most is embedded in the course materials. We also get requests for ‘train the trainer’ and Faculty Guides.“

Voytko continued, “Plus, this way, they can select only what they need for their type of operation. And they can assemble it to best fit their people.”

The program content was developed by XeC’s senior experts who have implemented 451 lease and asset finance systems in 22 countries over the past 21 years. They have trained hundreds of lessors as well as dozens of their own employees who supported lease pricing and accounting software.

“This is similar to what happens in B-school”, said Pochan. “The professors look to the research and methods of their peers, plus their own work, to create courseware that meets their students’ specific needs.”

Companies interested in learning more about the service can contact John Voytko at 724-861-9953 or info@xec1.com.

XeC is a software consulting group specializing in lease and asset finance system implementations and IT education.

CONTACT:

John Voytko

Phone Number: (724) 861-9953

E-mail: jvoytko@XeC1.com

[Headlines]

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

BMW Dominates, Mercedes Almost Eliminated on LeaseCompare.com Top 10 List

CINCINNATI, ) -- Automobile Consumer Services, Inc. (ACS), the leader in online direct-to-consumer auto leasing, released a list of the top 10 most requested vehicles from its popular auto leasing website www.LeaseCompare.com for the fourth quarter of 2003. BMW models took three out of the ten spots on the new car list and half the spots on the used car list.

The Top 10 Most Requested Models

New Car Rankings

4th Qtr 3rd Qtr

2003 2003 Make & Model

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

1 1 Infiniti G35

2 6 BMW 5 Series

3 2 BMW 330 Series

4 3 Honda Accord

5 5 Audi A4

6 4 BMW 325 Series

7 10 Volkswagen Touareg

8 nl(a) Acura TL

9 7 Honda Pilot

10 8 Acura MDX

Used Car Rankings

4th Qtr 3rd Qtr

2003 2003 Make & Model

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

1 2 BMW 330 Series

2 3 Chevrolet Corvette

3 2 Porsche 911 Carrera

4 4 BMW 5 Series

5 7 BMW 7 Series

6 5 Porsche Boxster

7 nl(a) BMW X5

8 8 Porsche 911 Turbo

9 nl(a) BMW 325 Series

10 10 Mercedes Benz S Class

nl(a) = not previously listed

BMW's reputation for performance and dependability is reflected in multiple rankings on the list. In contrast, Mercedes with its recent reliability problems has virtually dropped off the list with only the S Class clinging to last place on the used listing.

The knowledgeable consumers distinguishing between BMW and Mercedes are savvy about their financing as well. "Alternative financing sources, like LeaseCompare.com, have shown steady growth," notes Tarry Shebesta, president and owner of ACS. "Even those consumers who choose to lease through the dealer are using online sources for information and price comparisons."

LeaseCompare.com, as the name suggests, provides a tool to instantly evaluate leasing options from a number of sources. Customers can lock in the lease quote they like and apply for credit online. As an independent leasing company, ACS facilitates the entire leasing process.

About Automobile Consumer Services, Inc. (www.acscorp.com)

Based in Cincinnati, Automobile Consumer Services, Inc. (ACS) is a leading provider of consumer automotive services, including car buying and leasing, vehicle remarketing, and used vehicle sales.

Founded in 1989, ACS's mission is to provide services that enhance the experience of buying or leasing a car. ACS achieves this by leading the industry with innovative proprietary technology, superior customer service, and years of industry experience.

SOURCE: Automobile Consumer Services, Inc.

Automobile Consumer Services, Inc.

Tarry Shebesta, 513/527-7700, ext. 11

[Headlines]

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

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

"Sr.Sales Exec. 5+yrs exp. 10-150K market. Current deal flow and superior closing skills a must. No geo. restrict./satellite office ok. Use our internal line/prefund ability, provides support you need to reach W2 goal. Our 16 years TIB stands alone."
Contact: jobs@balboacapital.com

About the Company: Balboa Capital. 2010 Main Street 11th Floor Irvine, CA. 92614 www.balboacapital.com

News Briefs

Greenspan seen underlining Fed's patience on rates

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/fed/2004-02-10-greenspan-preview_x.htm

Newfoundland named Josh Wins Westminster Kennel Club's best in show

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/11/sports/othersports/11DOGS.html http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/photos/0204/westminster/2image1.html

http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/

Microsoft warns users of 'critical' security flaws http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2004/02/11/
microsoft_warns_users_of_critical_security_flaws/

Amtrak Asks Congress for $1.8 Billion

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30047-2004Feb10.html

Ex-Financial Officer of Tyco Testifies on His Own Behalf http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/11/business/11tyco.html?pagewanted=all

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/manufacturing/2004-02-10-tyco-tue_x.htm

Fitch Lowers Sun Microsystems to 'BBB-'; Outlook Stable

http://www.fitchratings.com/corporate/events/press_releases_detail.cfm?pr_id=106802

Tower Records/Pioneer music retailer files for Chapter 11
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-
bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/02/10/BUGMD4SG301.DTL&type=business

[Headlines]

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

Sports Brief---

Tiger Woods surely knows Cypress won't return to AT&T

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/golf/7917796.htm

[Headlines]

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

“Gimme that Wine”

Wine Business Drives Vineyard Values Up After Poor Years

http://www.bergmanvineyards.com/tug/tug.html

2003 Grape Crush Report:Average Prices Fall Everywhere But Napa http://www.winebusiness.com/news/sitearticle.cfm?AId=83122&issueId=83069

Winemaking at Jekel Suspended As Brown-Forman Cuts Costs

http://winebusiness.com/html/InsiderCover.cfm

Champagne Top 5 Listings

http://wine.about.com/library/encyc/bl_ch_top5.htm

He Changed the Way America Cooks: Willliams-Sonoma

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/11/dining/11CHUC.html

[Headlines]

This Day in American History

1751- the first hospital to open in the United States was the Pennsylvania Hospital, opened in Philadelphia, PA, through the efforts of Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond. A temporary hospital was erected in 1751 in a private house on High ( now Market ) Street before the permanent building opened on February 11,1752. This was the first hospital to give free treatment to the poor and to offer humane treatment to the insane.

1790 -- Pennsylvania Society of Friends petition Congress to emancipate slaves.

1801- President elected by the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives started debating who would be president.. After the election of 1800, the electoral vote stood as follows: Thomas Jefferson 72, Aaron Burr 73, John Adams 65, Charles Cotesworht Pinckney 64, and John Jay 1. It was quite a debate, with Alexander Hamilton working behind the scenes to elected Thomas Jefferson. Hamilton detested Burr and his principals, who’s dislike for each other led Aaron Burr to challenge him to a pistol duel on July 11, 1804. There were 35 ballots, all deadlocked as each state had one vote. On the 36^th ballot, February 17, barely two weeks before a new president was to be inaugurated, Jefferson was elected President. Delaware and South Carolina cast blank ballots, with the result that the vote was 10 states for Jefferson and 4 for Burr. Aaron Burr was elected vice-president.

1805 -- Sacajawea gives birth to Jean-Baptist Charbonneau while leading Lewis & Clark Expedition . Mother and son both were invaluable to the expedition. As hoped, Sacagawea's services as a translator played a pivotal role in securing horses from the Shoshone. Jean Baptiste's presence also proved unexpectedly useful by helping to convince the Indians the party encountered that their intentions were peaceful-no war party, the Indians reasoned, would bring along a mother and infant. When the Corps of Discovery returned east in 1805, Charbonneau, Sacagawea, and Jean Baptiste resumed the fur-trading life. Little is known of Sacagawea's subsequent fate, though a fur trader claimed she died of a "putrid fever" in 1812 at a Missouri River trading post. True to a promise he had made to Sacagawea during the expedition, Clark paid for Jean Baptiste's education at a St. Louis Catholic academy and became something of an adoptive father to the boy. A bright and charismatic young man, Jean Baptiste learned French, German, and Spanish, hunted with noblemen in the Black Forest of Germany, traveled in Africa, and returned to further explore the American West. He died in 1866 en route to the newly discovered gold fields of Montana.

1808 - Judge Jesse Fell experimentally burned anthracite coal to keep his Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania home warm on this winter day. He showed how cleanly and cheaply the coal burned as heating fuel. As a result, that area of northeast Pennsylvania would become an important coal mining area for generations. Those who came to the area to work the coal mines were called ‘coal crackers’.

1811- President Madison prohibits trade with Britain for 3rd time in 4 years. On June 1, 1812, he asked Congress to declare war. The young Nation was not prepared to fight; its forces took a severe trouncing. The British entered Washington and set fire to the White House and the Capitol. But a few notable naval and military victories, climaxed by Gen. Andrew Jackson's triumph at New Orleans, convinced Americans that the War of 1812 had been gloriously successful. An upsurge of nationalism resulted. The New England Federalists who had opposed the war--and who had even talked secession--were so thoroughly repudiated that Federalism disappeared as a national party.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/jm4.html

http://courses.smsu.edu/ftm922f/Documents/madBritdoctrine.htm

1812 - Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry signed a law changing the state's electoral boundaries to ensure a Republican majority. One grotesquely shaped new district, described as looking like a salamander, results in the coining of the word gerrymander. The move gave rise to the term "gerrymandering."

1847-Birthday of Thomas Edison, American inventive genius and holder of more than 1,200 patents ( including the incandescent electric lamp, phonograph, electric dynamo and key parts of many now-familiar devices such as the movie camera, telephone transmitter, etc. ) Edison said, “ Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.” His birthday is now widely observed as Inventor’s Day. Born at Milan, Oh, and died at Menlo Park, NJ. Oct. 18, 1931.

1882-Birthday of Joe Jordan, piano player, songwriter, Cincinnati, OH

http://www.jass.com/jordan.html

1889-First Woman Episcopal Bishop. The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, Bishop Edmond L. Browning, consecrated the reverend Barbara Clementine Harris a bishop of the Episcopal Church.

1899 -15ºF (-26ºC), Washington DC (district record)
1899 -61ºF (-52ºC), Montana (record low temperature in this century,

lowest to date, January 20, 1954: -70 degrees, Rogers Pass) Perhaps the greatest of all arctic outbreaks commenced on this date. The temperature plunged to 61 degrees below zero in Montana. At the same time a "Great Eastern Blizzard" left a blanket of snow from Georgia to New Hampshire. The state of Virginia took the brunt of the storm, with snowfall totals averaging 30 to 40 inches.

1908-Birthday of Philip Dunne, American screenwriter and director Phillip Dunne, born at New York, NY. In 1947, he joined directors John Huston and William Wyler to found the Committee for the First Amendment which campaigned against the committee for the First Amendment, which campaigned against the “blacklisting” in Hollywood of anyone suspected of being a communist by the House Un-American Activities Committee. He was also a founder of the Screen Writers Guild. Dunne died June 2, 1992 at Malibu, CA.

1910-Birthday of singer, guitarist, arranger John Mills, Jr.

(Mills Brothers ) Piqua, OH

http://www.themillsbrothers.com/

http://www.themillsbrothers.com/phototour.htm http://www.nextag.com/serv/main/buyer/productm.jsp?product=3184022&template=dec6

1911—Emma Goldman is arrested in New York for distributing information

on family planning (birth control.)

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/feb11.html

1913 -- IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) leads rubber strike in Akron, Ohio. The Akron Rubber Workers will do it again in 1936-37, at the General Tire Company of Akron, scene of the first sit-down strike in rubber. The first major strike, in 1913, represented an end of innocence. The action, which included workers from all of Akron's rubber shops, began after the introduction of machinery that made tires easier to build and resulted in lower piece rates for the workers. The strike was loosely directed by the Industrial Workers of the World, a radical group nicknamed the "Wobblies." It lasted more than five weeks. The workers made no gains -- they didn't even manage to shut down the rubber shops. The strike served chiefly to disillusion company executives.

1914-Birthday of guitarist Josh White, Greenville, SC

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAwhiteJ.htm

http://www.folkways.si.edu/40081.htm

http://www.umass.edu/umpress/fall_00/wald.html

(he was one of my late father’s favorite folksingers along with

“Leadbelly” that I can remember his playing when I was very small,

maybe five years old.)

1914-Birthday of song writer Matt Dennis http://www.melbay.com/authors/denn.html

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000056314/ref=pd_sxp_f/102-2783041-0221764 Wrote “Angel Eyes,” “Everything Happens to Me,” “Will You Still Be Mine?”

1916 -- Black feminist & civil-rights activist Flo Kennedy is born in Kansas City, Missouri. As a lawyer, Kennedy represented Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker and H. Rap Brown. In 1966, she founded the Media Workshop to confront racism in media & advertising. In 1972 she forms the Feminist Party and files an Internal Revenue Service complaint alleging that the Catholic Church violates tax-exempt requirements by spending money to influence political decisions. Kennedy describes herself (quote) "I'm just a loud-mouthed middle-aged colored lady . . .and a lot of people think I'm crazy. Maybe you do too, but I never stop to wonder why I'm not like other people. The mystery to me is why more people aren't like me." Died December 22,2000

http://rwor.org/a/v22/1090-99/1095/flo_kennedy.htm http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0131523716/avsearch-df1-2-20/002-5861649-1425657 http://www.writetools.com/women/stories/kennedy_flo.html

1918-Birthday of country music publisher Wesley Rose. Wesley and his father Fred are credited with demolishing the barriers between pop and country music by successfully selling the songs of Hank Williams in the pop market. When Williams wrote "Cold, Cold Heart," Wesley Rose traveled from Nashville to New York to try to sell the song. The only person who would listen to him was Mitch Miller, director of pop music at Columbia Records. Miller gave the song to an aspiring young singer named Tony Bennett. Bennett's 1951 recording of "Cold, Cold Heart" sold a million copies. Wesley Rose died on April 26th, 1990.

1919 -- Seattle General Strike ends.
Harvey O'Connor's sympathetic Revolution in Seattle remains the best book on this event. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0939306018/inktomi-bkasin-
20/002-5861649-1425657
Another perspective: Howard Zinn's People's History of the U.S. http://free.freespeech.org/americanstateterrorism/books/PeoplesHistory.html

Seattle General Strike

http://faculty.washington.edu/gregoryj/strike/
http://www.washington.edu/uwired/outreach/cspn/curcan/main.html
http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/hist_texts/seattle1919.html

1935-Birthday of singer Gene Vincent, whose full name was Vincent Eugene Craddock, born in Norfolk, Virginia. He was signed by Capitol Records as an answer to Elvis Presley, and his career was launched in 1957 with "Be Bop a Lula." Vincent is supposed to have written the song after reading a Little Lulu comic book. He had only two major hits, then began drinking heavily. A comeback attempt in the late '60s failed, and Gene Vincent died of a bleeding ulcer in October 1971. He was only 36.

http://www.rockabillyhall.com/gvbebop.html

http://www.webspawner.com/users/GeneVincent/

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/rockin.paul/gene.htm

1937 -- United Auto Workers sit-down victory in Flint, Michigan, forcing General Motors to recognize them. The 40-day action at Fisher Body Plant Number One is the longest sit-down strike in history. Employees inside are protected by 5,000 armed workers circling the plant. After police tear-gas attacks, workers fight back with fire hoses. Gunfire wounds 13 workers, but the police are driven back. By the time the National Guard arrives, the strike spreads to GM plants across the nation.

http://bss.sfsu.edu/tygiel/Hist427/1930sphotos/flintsitdownstrike.htm

1938-Larry Clinton Band with Bea Wain records “Martha.”

1939-Birthday of pop songwriter Gerry Goffin was born in New York City. Goffin has been the lyricist for dozens of pop, rock and soul hits, many of them written with Carole King, his former wife. Among the hits the duo wrote were "The Locomotion" for Little Eva, "Up on the Roof" for the Drifters and "One Fine Day" for the Chiffons. A note for trivia buffs - Little Eva was Goffin and King's babysitter at the time of her hit, 1963.

1940-Birthday of singer Bobby (Boris) Pickett, whose novelty "Monster Mash" was a number-one hit in 1962.
http://www.classicbands.com/boris.html http://www.themonstermash.com/mmdex.html

http://www.themonstermash.com/cgi-bin/store/agora.cgi?cart_id=K90m3W.a4873*Ho5ewWHj7
sHz.a4873*3C1zVI&product=Music

1941-Birthday of Brazilian musician and singer Sergio Mendes.

http://www.spaceagepop.com/mendes.htm

1944-Birthday of drummer Martin Drew, Northampton, England

http://homepages.tesco.net/~martindrew/

http://www.p2c2e.freeserve.co.uk/mdbiog.html
http://www.317x.com/albums/m/sergiomendes/card.html

1945-Yalta Agreement singed: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin signed an agreement at Yalta, a Soviet city of the Black Sea in the Crimea. The agreement contained plans for new blows at the heart of Germany and for occupying Germany at the

end of the war. It also called for a meeting in San Francisco to draft a charter for the United Nations.

1946—Top Hits
Symphony - The Freddy Martin Orchestra (vocal: Clyde Rogers)
I Can’t Begin to Tell You - Bing Crosby with the Carmen Cavallaro Orchestra
Let It Snow - Vaughn Monroe
Guitar Polka - Al Dexter

1948- U.S. Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall prayed: 'We ask Thee not for tasks more suited to our strength, but for strength more suited to our tasks.'

1950-- "Rag Mop" by The Ames Brothers hit #1

http://www.dirtywater.com/a2z/a/amesbros/

http://www.singers.com/jazz/vintage/ames.html

1953-Chris Connor, with the Stan Kenton Band, cuts “And the Bull Walked Around, Ole.”
1954—Top Hits
Oh! My Pa-Pa - Eddie Fisher
Make Love to Me - Jo Stafford
Young-at-Heart - Frank Sinatra
Bimbo - Jim Reeves

1956-Birthday of jazz violinist Didier Lockwood, Calais, France

http://www.ejn.it/mus/lockwood.htm

http://www.jazzvalley.com/musician/didier.lockwood

1958-The first African-American Woman hired as a flight attendant was Ruth Carol Taylor, a graduate nurse from Ithaca, NY, who made her first flight from Ithaca, New York City on Mohawk Airlines.

1960-Water Closet Incident: Jack Paar, then host of “The Tonight Show,” walked out of his late-night TV show on this date. The incident was prompted by NBC’s censoring of a slightly off-color “water closet” joke the previous night. After a meeting with the network officials, Paar agreed to return to the show on March 7.

1961- Robert C Weaver sworn in as Administrator of the Housing and Home Finance Agency with then highest federal post by a black

1962-Birthday of singer Sheryl Crow.

http://www.sherylcrow.com/

1962—Top Hits
Peppermint Twist - Joey Dee & The Starliters
Duke of Earl - Gene Chandler
Norman - Sue Thompson
Walk on By - Leroy Van Dyke

1963-The Beatles record "I Saw Her Standing There," "Boys," "Do You Want to Know a Secret," "There's a Place," "Twist and Shout" and other songs for their first British album, "Please Please Me" at EMI's Abbey Road studios in London. The session lasts 14 hours despite John Lennon's cold.

1966 - Willie Mays became the highest-paid baseball player in both leagues when he signed a two-year contract with the San Francisco Giants for an estimated salary of $130,000 a year.

1968 -Peggy Fleming wins Olympics figure skating gold medal, Grenoble, France.

http://espn.go.com/abcsports/wwos/peggyfleming.html

http://www.peggyfleming.net/

1968 - In New York, the new 20,000 seat Madison Square Garden officially opened, making it the fourth arena to be named Madison Square Garden. The arena for sports and entertainment opened with a gala hosted by Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.

1970- 26.37 cm (10.38") of rainfall, Mt Washington, NH (state 24-hour record)

http://americasroof.com/nh.html

1970—Top Hits
Venus - The Shocking Blue
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again)/Everybody is a Star - Sly & The Family Stone
I’ll Never Fall in Love Again - Dionne Warwick
A Week in a Country Jail - Tom T. Hall

1970 - "Variety" reported this day that Walt Disney had secretly taken its movie, "Song of the South", out of circulation back in 1958. Originally released in 1946, the live-action/animated flick featuring Brer Fox, Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear, Uncle Remus and kids, Johnny and Ginny, won an Academy Award in 1947 for the song, "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah". James Baskett won an Oscar for his Uncle Remus role. "Variety" said "Song of the South" was pulled because of ...racist attitudes reflected in the Negro roles in the film.

1975 - The movie, "Shampoo", opened. Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, Jack Warden, Lee Grant (who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress), Tony Bill, William Castle and Howard Hesseman starred. And, making her film debut a year before "Star Wars" made her famous: Carrie Fisher.

1977--Clifford Alexander Jr. becomes the first Black Secretary of the Army.

http://www.army.mil/CMH-PG/books/Sw-SA/Alexander.htm

http://www.africanpubs.com/Apps/bios/1004AlexanderClifford.asp?pic=none

http://www.pfdf.org/leaderbooks/alexanderc/

1977- 20.2-kg lobster caught off Nova Scotia (heaviest known crustacean in this century. Settlers in the United States report catching 25lb lobsters off the coast of Maine and Massachusetts as “common.”) The first thanksgiving with the Indians was mainly fish and shellfish. Lobster was so common it was considered

poor man’s food and served indentures servants until they rebelled that

they did not want it more than three times a week.

http://octopus.gma.org/lobsters/allaboutlobsters/lobsterhistory.html

http://www.parl.ns.ca/projects/lobster/history.htm

http://octopus.gma.org/lobsters/allaboutlobsters/lobsterhistory.html

http://octopus.gma.org/lobsters/allaboutlobsters/society.html

1978—Top Hits
Stayin’ Alive - Bee Gees
(Love Is) Thicker Than Water - Andy Gibb
Just the Way You Are - Billy Joel
I Just Wish You Were Someone I Love - Larry Gatlin with Brothers & Friends

1978 -- "Longest Walk" begins, 300 Native Americans start march from Alcatraz, in San Francisco, California, to Washington D.C. Organized by American Indian Movement (Aim).

1979- "Elvis," a biography of the late singer, was shown on ABC television. The program won the largest share of the audience in competition with the blockbuster films "Gone with the Wind" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" shown on the other networks.

1979 - Birthday of Brandy Norwood (Grammy Award-winning singer: The Boy Is Mine [w/Monica: 1999]; I Wanna Be Down, Baby, Best Friend, Brokenhearted, Sittin’ Up in My Room, Never S-A-Y Never, Top of the World, Have You Ever?, Almost Doesn’t Count, U Don’t Know Me (Like U Used To), What About Us?)

1982 - ABC-TV’s presentation of "The Winds of War", the miniseries, came to an end. The 18-hour miniseries totaled $40 million in production costs, and, to that time, was the most-watched television program in history; topping another ABC presentation, Alex Haley’s "Roots". An estimated 140 million people watched one or more nights of the program.

1983- the Rolling Stones documentary, "Let's Spend the Night Together," directed by Hal Ashby, opens in New York during the city's heaviest snow storm this century. The Middle Atlantic Coast States and southern New England were in the midst of a major snowstorm. In Pennsylvania, the storm produced 21 inches at Philadelphia, 24 inches at Harrisburg, and 25 inches at Allentown, establishing record 24 hour totals and single storm totals for those locations. New York City received 22 inches of snow, and 35 inches was reported at Glen Gary, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of West Virginia. Windsor Locks CT received a record 19 inches of snow in 12 hours. The storm resulted in forty-six deaths, thirty-three of which occurred when a freighter capsized and sank off the Maryland/Virginia coast. Heavy snow was reported from northeastern Georgia to eastern Maine. (

1985 - Kent Hrbek became the first Minnesota Twins player ever to sign a $1 million contract. As the Twins celebrated their 24th year as a franchise of the American League, the first baseman signed a five-year, $6-million pact.

1986-The Chicago Bears' "Super Bowl Shuffle" is certified gold.

1986—Top Hits
That’s What Friends are For - Dionne & Friends
Burning Heart - Survivor
I’m Your Man - Wham!
Hurt - Juice Newton

1989- The Rev. Barbara C. Harris, 55, of Boston, was confirmed as the first female bishop in the 450-year history of the Anglican Church. Harris has long advocated social change in the church and society. She's also a long-time member of the Union of Black Episcopalians, a group formed to promote the participation of blacks in the church and eradicate racism in society.

http://www.diomass.org/EpisTimes/Harris_10th_Sched.htm

1990-Nelson Mandela, leader of movement for democracy in South Africa, released from prison after 27 years, a major sign of the changing times in the world toward segregation.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/mandela/etc/cron.html

1990-- US male Figure Skating championship won by Todd Eldredge

http://www.toddeldredgenews.com/

http://www.leigh-i-am.com/todd.shtml

1995-- US male Figure Skating championship won by Todd Eldredge

http://www.toddeldredgenews.com/

http://www.leigh-i-am.com/todd.shtml

2000-Space Milestone: Endeavor Mapping Mission. This manned flight spent 11 days in space creating a 3_d map of more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. It will be the most accurate and complete topographic map of the Earth ever produced.

[Headlines]