Financial Funding Services, LLC

Sales/Regional Office Generous Compensation with above average industry commission splits/unlimited income potential, six figures plus and nationwide financing for A – D credit. Click here for more info.

www.willamette-financial.com

Friday, February 16, 2007

Besides airline passengers being stranded, many leasing companies, as well as other businesses, are closed or short staffed in mid-west and north east; long cold holiday week end ahead.

Headlines---

New President of Marlin Leasing
    Marlin Leasing Falls $ ½ Million short 4th Q
        Placard—the Boss is always Right
Archives—February 15, 2001--
Not a Valentine Day Massacre! More like Xmas!
    Classified Ads---Sales Managers
        Note: One World Leasing members
    Welcome to Leasing News and Mea Culpa
Leasing News Still Number #1 on Alexa
    Classified Ads---Help Wanted
        Leasing Associations-by Christopher Menkin
    Are you a Dummy? Take the Leasing Test
Essential Leasing and Finance Workshops
    BBB Issues Alert for Phishing Attack
        BB&T's leasing subsidiary renamed
    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
Winter Poem
    SuDoku
        Daily Puzzle

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

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

New President of Marlin Leasing

“What! Me Worry???”

[headlines]

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Marlin Leasing Falls $ ½ Million short 4th Quarter 2006

by Christopher Menkin

The good news, from the Marlin Business Services press release:
“For the year ended December 31, 2006, net income was $18.6 million compared to $16.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2005.”

The “not so good news”, from their press release, "Marlin Business Services Corp. (Nasdaq: MRLN) (Thursday) reported net income of $3.9 million for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2006, compared with net income of $4.4 million for the same period in 2005. Diluted net income per share was $0.32 for the fourth quarter of 2006, a decrease of 11.1% compared with $0.36 for the same period in 2005.

“The quarterly net income was impacted by a one-time after-tax charge of $0.9 million or $0.07 per share related to the departure of Marlin's President, reported in Form 8-K filed December 21, 2006."

The “bad news:”

The stock at the close of NASDAQ on Thursday, February 15, was down to $21.83.

In the last quarter compared to their third quarter of Marlin Business Services, their financial statements shows that the number of salesmen stayed at 100, while the number of leases increased by 163, with “equipment volume” also rising $4.8 million
($101,962,000 to $106,779,000 for the quarter.)

The fourth quarter trend should be compared with the dramatic increase in the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association /1 (ELFA) Monthly Leasing and Finance Index:

Perhaps as important the Marlin Business Services press release did not mention the name of a new president, if any, but did quote the chairman:

Dan Dyer

"Despite the pressure from a higher interest rate environment, 2006 marked another year of progress and growth in our business," said Daniel P. Dyer, Chairman and CEO of Marlin Business Services Corp. "New lease origination volume grew 22.0% and portfolio asset quality was exceptional. We're also pleased with our progress pursuing new opportunities to serve small businesses with the launch of our Factoring and Business Capital Loan products in 2006."

The financial statement facts are;
1. Earnings per share declined year over year for the first time in company history.
2. Growth is definitely slowing as volume was $106 million for the quarter vs. $102 for the
previous quarter.
3. Margins continue to shrink as yields were down and cost of funds increased.
4. Delinquencies are creeping up.

Factoring does not mix with equipment leasing at all; Pay Day
financing next? To enter the capital loan market is full of more competition than the small ticket marketplace. Looks like “My Way” will lead to the “highway” for Marlin Business Services.

Definitely look for some cost cutting this year to improve earnings as the fourth quarter financial statements show efforts to enhance growth have not been successful.

If you let go of one president, and right before Christmas, too, a new president and direction should have been immediately in place; in fact, waiting in the wings. There basically is no “board” but a “one man show.” If you disagree, you take the “highway.”

A telephone conference call was scheduled for 6am California time.
If you are up at this time, you might want to dial in:

How: Participant Dial in - 800-909-7113, 785-830-1914 (international)
Or live over the Internet -- Simply log on to the web at the address below.
Where: http://www.marlincorp.com
(Investor Relations section) or
http://www.InvestorCalendar.com

Copy of Press Release re: 4th Quarter/Year-end 2006
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/Marlin_Feb-07.pdf

Collection of recent stories on Marlin Leasing:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Marlin_Bennie.htm

Nine Month 2006 Article:
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/November%202006/11-03-06.htm#marlin

[headlines]

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[headlines]

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Archives—February 15, 2001--
Not a Valentine Day Massacre! More like Christmas!!!

First Sierra---Amex Merger
 
“You have to be kidding. This is the best possible news I can think of.
What, exactly, is American Express buying? Are they buying SierraCities' proprietary software? American Express already offers leases to customers holding their corporate card., so I assume they have their own software. Is American Express buying Sierra Cities' customer list? How many of SierraCities' customers already have American Express' corporate card? Is American Express buying SierraCities' lease portfolio? As far as I am aware the portfolio has already been securitized.
 
As far as I am concerned SierraCities, far from becoming more formidable as part of Amex, is in fact being taken "off the table." SierraCities has a good group of inside sales people. Is Amex going to let them sell? If not what do they have to sell?
 
I see this climate as being similar to the climate in 1997. In 1997, and into 1998, all the small leasing companies were getting bought up by First Sierra, UniCapital, and the other "roll ups," taking these lessors off the table. It made it that much easier for new companies to get up with funding sources that either might not have looked at a new company, or would not have wanted to upset one of their existing brokers.
 
Far from being the St. Valentine's Day Massacre for leasing companies I think it is more like Christmas.
 
(name withheld)
 
+ + +
Regarding the First Sierra Purchase by American Express:
I don't think anyone needs to worry about AMEX. All you have to do is take a look at what they did when they purchased Rockford Industries several years ago. At the time, there were over 50 top leasing reps with solid vendor relationships who were all producing big numbers. AMEX came in and tried to turn leasing into a credit card process and all the reps left taking their vendors with them. We have been very successful when competing against an AMEX approval and I think anyone reading your newsletter will find what we have found. They know credit cards, they don't know leasing.
 
Regards
Chris Aragon
caragon@mpcleasing.com
 
+ + +
 
American Express' current attempts at small ticket leasing have been very clumsy. It is very hard to get a quote from them and if you can the rates haven't been anything special. Wasn’t there a major overnight carrier getting into leasing? I haven't run into them either. First Sierra aka Sierracities' back room was never very impressive. The only deals I lost were ones I tried to fund through FirstSierra. Bigger is not better and there will be plenty of room below their radar for quality service at competitive products. Bring it on!
Paul Knowlton
Bank of Walnut Creek
<knowlton@bowc.com>
 
(10/04)
American Express Business Finance Sold to Key Equipment Finance
(10/04)
Former Sierra Cities President Thomas J. Depping reportedly raises $21 million from investors and buys bank in Texas to go back into the equipment leasing business.
http://www.leasingnews.org/list_alpha_new.htm#amer2

[headlines]

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Classified Ads---Sales Managers

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

Chicago, IL
Successful sales manager has 15 years experience with captives and independents. Expertise in re-energizing existing sales teams and territories, also building teams from scratch. True Team Leader looking for new challenge.
email: Murph5553@aol.com

Geneva, IL
Leasing leader seeking sales manager, senior sales/business development, marketing or strategic planning opportunity. Twenty plus years in the business. Looking for a new challenge.
E-mail: edok@sbcglobal.net

Marlton, NJ
25 years exper. Promoted to sales manager after attaining highest percentage of quota for 2 years. Increased business by 50% over two years as sales manager.
Email: Sjgaul@aol.com

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

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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Note: One World Leasing members

Here is a more current list of members of One World Leasing:

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

Questions should be direct to:
Ira Z. Romoff
President
OneWorld Leasing, Inc.
201 995-9594
201 776 7040 cell
201 669-4049 fax
IRomoff@OneWorldLeasing.com

[headlines]

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Welcome to Leasing News and Mea Culpa

While I would like to welcome each reader personally, the task of managing the mailing list is now done automatically. I am informed who has joined, and who has left. Some directly e-mail to me to let me know why they are leaving. They don't like one story, so it is "good bye!" Others are leaving the leasing industry entirely and no longer need to be "in touch," they say. A lot of friends retired last year.

The fact is most who read our news edition go to our web site, as they bookmark it or mark it a “favorite” in their browser. There is a book mark button in the middle of the mast head on top ( @ book mark us!)

We strive to be controversial. Leasing News likes to print what others will not. Yes, on purpose we try to be thought provoking, tell the truth, be accurate and give all sides to a story.

Articles are also up-dated on line, and serious corrections appear in the next edition on top. Only my dog Bode thinks I am perfect, except when I don't feed him at 7am every morning.

Kit Menkin, editor

[headlines]

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Leasing News Still Number #1 on Alexa

by Christopher Menkin

It still surprises me to see Leasing News take the number one spot by Alexa/Google for equipment leasing web sites. Our goal is to break the 100,000 mark. We did it once. It is very difficult to do, especially when on the average we have only three news editions per week.

For a trade publication to get to below the 100,000 mark is quite something. In the ranking order, considering all the other web sites that appeal to a much wider audience, we are thankful to readers. We hope you spread the word to your other colleagues.

Alexa Ranks Leasing Media Web Sites

David G. Mayer's Business Leasing News is not included in the Alexa report list as it does not have its own individual site and Alexa finds Patton Boggs, LLP Attorneys at Law.  The rating is not valid as it includes all those who visit and communicate with the law firm.  When Business Leasing News has its own individual web site, it will be included in the Alexa survey.

*It should also be noted that two web sites have their "list serve" posted via their site, meaning their e-mails are counted as a visit to the site, whereas they are "list serve" communication.  These are technically visits to the web site, but primarily to use "list serve."

These comparisons are compiled by Leasing News using Alexa and should be viewed as a "sampling," rather than an actual count from the website itself.  Other than as noted above, we believe the ratings are reflective as most have stayed in the same position, basically, for over a year.

The Alexa tool bar works on most browsers.
They are partnered with Google.

You may download their free tool bar A graph and analysis of the last three months are available.

( Note: the lower the number, the higher you are on the list. It is based on all web sites. Leasing is only a very small part of the various sites such as Yahoo, MSN, Google, etc. )

[headlines]

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Classified Ads---Help Wanted

Sales Regional Office

Financial Funding Services, LLC

Sales/Regional Office Generous Compensation with above average industry commission splits/unlimited income potential, six figures plus and nationwide financing for A – D credit. Click here for more info.

www.willamette-financial.com

Sales Professionals

Top commission (75%) plus health and retirement benefits. Full back office, large book funding sources meeting all your clients requirements. Robert Piot: 714-573-9804 or e-mail rpiot@socalleasing.com

To learn more or for more info, click here www.socalleasing.com

[headlines]

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Leasing Associations

by Christopher Menkin

March 1, Leasing News will ask the non-profit leasing association for their latest information, particularly their membership. While some may wait another month before writing off a member for
not renewing dues, March 1 is the “on the record” date for most.

It is expected that the National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers (NAELB) membership will climb. Brokers join for $295 a year, while funders who want to meet the brokers pay more. They also
do not have a vote in the association. With all the member benefits from actual products to education, 2007 may see the membership breaking 1,000.

The Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors (EAEL) is growing under some excellent leadership. There is a new executive director at the Association of Government Leasing and Finance.

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) may see growth due to the new president Ken Bentsen being appointed last year. Perhaps 2007 will see a lot more members join than in past years. Bentsen is even speaking at the EAEL convention in May. He has brought a lot of excitement and enthusiasm to ELFA, plus with a “go to” board, including officers and committee chairs, this should be a banner year (hope they can keep him.)

In compiling the “broker/lessor” and “funder” lists, Leasing News found the successful leasing companies belong to two or more leasing associations. Many belong to three, and four or more is considered a “must” for the companies in the growth mode. If you only belong to one, perhaps you may want to explore another membership in another association.

[headlines]

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[headlines]

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The Cornerstone of an Equipment Leasing & Finance Career

Principles of Leasing and Finance Workshops
Advanced Leasing and Finance Workshops

Completely Updated for 2007!

Dates and Locations for the Principles of Leasing and Finance Workshops:

March 5-7 Hyatt Harborside Boston, Massachusetts
April 16-18 Sheraton Philadelphia City Center Hotel Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
April 23-25 Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco, California
May 7-9 Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel Chicago, Illinois
June 4-6 Wyndham Baltimore Inner Harbor Baltimore, Maryland
July 9-11 Marriott Suites Dallas Market Center Dallas, Texas
October 15-17 Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel Chicago, Illinois
December 3-5 The Westin Charlotte Charlotte, North Carolina

Dates and Locations for the Advanced Leasing and Finance Workshops:

March 19-21 Hilton Garden Inn Chicago, Illinois
May 21-23 Courtyard Marriott Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
September 17-19 Hyatt Harborside Boston, Massachusetts
December 10-12 The Palace Hotel San Francisco, California

Full brochure with all the details:

http://leasingnews.org/PDF/ELFW07_Brochure.pdf

About Instructors:

Terry Winders, CLP
Winders Consulting Co., Inc.
Mr. Winders will teach both the Principles of Leasing and Finance Workshop and the Advanced Leasing and Finance Workshop.

Mr. Winders is a 35-year veteran of the equipment leasing industry, and his insight into the "hows" and "whys" of leasing has been refined by 20 years as president and senior officer of both independent and bank leasing operations.
He is a well-known author and teacher on the subject, and has acted as a consultant to the World Bank, the U.S. Department of Commerce, ELFA, the FDIC and a select group of banks and leasing Companies. He is called upon to conduct audits of leasing companies to establish value prior to a sale or to qualify performance. He also acts as an expert witness on leasing for litigation in legal and tax disputes. Mr. Winders received his MBA and his BS degrees from the College of Notre Dame. His new book, “Introduction to Equipment Leasing” is available in CD format from his website.

H. Krollfeifer, Jr., CLP
D & H Enterprises, Inc.
Mr. Krollfeifer will teach the Principles of Leasing and Finance Workshop.

Mr. Krollfeifer is a Certified Lease Professional and executive VP of D&H Enterprises, Inc. an equipment leasing and financing consulting and training company. He retired in 1999 after thirty-five years in the leasing and finance industry, having held management positions in sales, credit, collections, and operations. He has served as Chairman or Member of the ELFA Credit and Collection Management Conference Planning Committee and has been instrumental in developing a number of ELFA training products, including the “Effective Credit Management Handbook,” the “Detecting Leasing Fraud” video program, the documentation video program “Getting It Right,” and the on-line, interactive training program “The Effective Credit Underwriter.” He also teaches the ELFA Fundamentals of Credit Workshop as an in-house program upon request, and taught intermediate accounting at the university level for five years. Mr. Krollfeifer has a BA in finance and accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University, LL.B. from Blackstone School of Law.

Cole Silver, Esq.
CIT Healthcare, LLC
Mr. Silver will teach the Principles of Leasing and Finance Workshop.

The vice president and senior counsel to CIT Healthcare, Mr. Silver has served in a variety of legal positions engaged in financial services, technology, and general corporate law for 25 years. He has served as general counsel to Princeton eCom Corporation and Advanta Bank Corp., and was a commercial litigator. He is a member of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey bars, as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Cole is also an author, arbitrator and mediator. A former chair of the ELFA Legal Committee, he is a frequent guest speaker for ELFA.

Shawn Halladay, CPA
The Alta Group
Mr. Halladay will teach the Advanced Leasing and Finance Workshop.

Mr. Halladay is a principal of The Alta Group and is the managing principal of its Professional Development Division. Over the past 20 years, Mr. Halladay has developed significant expertise in all areas of leasing, including accounting, pricing, tax, funding, and cost control, and has applied his knowledge on a practical basis in a smallticket equipment leasing company. He has consulted and taught numerous leasing subjects internationally in 22 countries. He is the author of the self-study booklet, “A Guide to Equipment Leasing,” the self-paced learning tool “An Introduction to Leasing,” the “Handbook of Equipment Leasing,” and “A Guide to Accounting for Leases.” Mr. Halladay, who holds an MBA, began his career in the audit division of Arthur Andersen & Co., where he earned his CPA certificate.

Teaching Schedule

The Principles of Leasing and Finance Workshops
Terry Winders, CLP and Cole Silver, Esq. are scheduled to teach at the following 2007 dates and locations:

April 23-25 San Francisco, California
May 7-9 Chicago, Illinois
July 9-11 Dallas, Texas
October 15-17 Chicago, Illinois

*Mr. Winders teaches with emphasis upon tax, accounting and sales.

Howard Krollfeifer, Jr., CLP and Cole Silver, Esq. are scheduled to teach at the following 2007 dates and locations:

March 5-7 Boston, Massachusetts
April 16-18 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
June 4-6 Baltimore, Maryland
December 3-5 Charlotte, North Carolina

*Mr. Krollfeifer teaches with emphasis upon credit, collections, operations and sales.

The Advanced Leasing and Finance Workshops
Terry Winders, CLP and Shawn Halladay, CPA are scheduled to teach at the following 2007 dates and locations:

March 19-21 Chicago, Illinois
May 21-23 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
July 17-19 Boston, Massachusetts
December 10-12 San Francisco, California

Registration Fees
ELFA Member: $925 (1st person)
ELFA Member: $850 (each additional ELFA member attendee)
Non-member: $1,850*

(This is a very good opportunity to consider joining ELFA.
Please go here as the application gives a lot of information:
http://www.elfaonline.com/membership/MbrApp/MbrAppForm.cfm
or call Kit Menkin 408-374-3848 )

*Non-members: Please read carefully
Non-members are welcome to attend this conference and must register at the non-member rate. In addition, if you are employed by a company that has not renewed its membership in the ELFA, you must wait one year to attend this conference as a non-member.

Full brochure with all the details:

http://leasingnews.org/PDF/ELFW07_Brochure.pdf

[headlines]

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

BBB Issues Alert for Phishing Attack Targeting Thousands of Businesses and Consumers

Attack uses the “BBB” Name to Attract Victims

[Arlington, VA, – The Better Business Bureau System warns all businesses and consumers across the United States and Canada of a spoofing scam using the BBB name and a false BBB e-mail address to entice recipients to access potentially damaging hyperlinks.

A firm from Kennesaw, GA, had its computer system hacked last night. That firm’s system is now generating thousands of counterfeit messages to businesses and consumers, purporting to be a complaint filed with the BBB. The incident was first reported to the BBB serving Columbus, GA and the surrounding area by one its members.

The e-mail has a false return address of operations@bbb.org and a phishing hyperlink citing a BBB complaint case number, for example, “DOCUMENTS FOR CASE #263621205”. These links actually direct access to a subdirectory of the hacked firm’s website where users are asked to download documents related to the complaint. The download is actually an executable file that is believed to be some form of a computer virus.

All recipients are advised that any e-mail from the operations@bbb.org address is not coming from any BBB and should be considered counterfeit. The BBB strongly encourages recipients of any such message to delete the message immediately without clicking on the “DOCUMENTS FOR CASE” links.

The phishing e-mail return address of operations@bbb.org does not exist and is being "spoofed." Spoofing occurs when an e-mail address is altered to appear as if the message originated from a legitimate source. This is a common practice for both spam e-mail and phishing operations.

Phishing is a term coined by computer hackers, who use e-mail to fish the Internet hoping to “hook” recipients into giving them logins, passwords and/or other sensitive information. In all these scams, the phisher first impersonates a legitimate company. In a typical scam, the phisher instructs recipients to click on a convenient link to receive or provide information that can then be used by phishers to access the recipient’s sensitive personal or business information. For more information about phishing and for tips to avert other scams, please visit www.bbb.org.

An actual example of the false e-mail message is provided below. Names and other forms of identifying information have been removed from the example.

[headlines]

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

BB&T's leasing subsidiary renamed Equipment Finance Corp.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., / -- BB&T Corporation has changed the name of its leasing subsidiary to "BB&T Equipment Finance Corporation" to better reflect the subsidiary's business offerings.

The new name reflects a shift in the leasing industry in recent years toward a broader lineup of product offerings.

"In addition to traditional leasing, BB&T offers a wide range of products and services designed to meet the needs of our growing client base," said Joel Rutledge, president of BB&T Equipment Finance. "We believe our new name significantly enhances our marketing capabilities by providing prospective clients with a clear understanding of our business focus. And we expect that clearer understanding will translate to an increase in sales for 2007."

BB&T Equipment Finance Corporation specializes in commercial equipment financing and leasing. It offers direct financing, indirect sales financing and vendor financing programs in all major industry segments including transportation, manufacturing, construction, material-handling and technology.

"BB&T Equipment Finance tailors the best combination of product and service to each market segment," Rutledge said. "While we continue to offer capital, tax and operating leases, our new name illustrates the flexibility to meet our clients' needs with equipment finance agreements and loans. We'll continue to focus on meeting the equipment and vehicle needs of our clients regardless of the type of financing they desire."

BB&T Equipment Finance Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Branch Banking and Trust Company, the banking subsidiary of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based BB&T Corporation
(NYSE: BBT - News).

BB&T Corporation and its subsidiaries offer full-service commercial and retail banking and additional financial services such as insurance, investments, retail brokerage, corporate finance, consumer finance, payment services, international banking, leasing and trust.

BB&T operates more than 1,450 financial centers in the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Indiana and Washington, D.C.

With $121.4 billion in assets, BB&T Corp. is the nation's 11th largest financial holding company. More information about BB&T Corp. is available at www.BBT.com.

[headlines]

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

Blue Cross and Blue Shield approved to start special savings bank
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/02/14/business/bank.php

Bank of America to offer bank accounts, credit cards to illegal immigrants
http://www.wwaytv3.com/node/396

Fed Chairman Is Optimistic About Economy
http://finance.myway.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_rt.jsp?section=news&feed=ap&src=
601&news_id=ap-d8n9ifv00&date=20070214

Tale of Marooned Passengers Galvanizes Airline Opponents
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/15/
AR2007021501853.html

Buffett's Berkshire buys up U.S. Bancorp, Wells Fargo, drops stake in H&R Block, Ameriprise
http://www.snl.com/interactivex/article.aspx?CdId=A-5355545-11108

Industrial production plunges by largest amount in 17 months
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070215-1331-economy.html

Home Prices Fall in More Than Half of Nation’s Biggest Markets
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/16/business/16home.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=slogin

Retail sales slowed at start of '07
http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/02/15/
retail_sales_slowed_at_start_of_07/

Buyback may cost Cat $7.5 billion
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-070215caterpillar,0,3184853.
story?coll=chi-business-hed

Atlanta Journal-Constitution cut-backs, restructuring
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2007/02/15/0216bizajc.html

Candy maker Hershey to cut jobs, send some manufacturing to Mexico
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/manufacturing/2007-02-15-hershey-cuts_x.htm

[headlines]

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You May have Missed---

Giants meet to counter US power
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1386812.ece

[headlines]

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Sports Briefs----

Buddy Ryan's son, Norv Turner interview for Chargers' job
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/chargers/20070215-1922-fbn-chargers-ryan.html

Bonds, Giants finally have their deal
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/16707378.htm

[headlines]

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“Gimme that Wine”

February 23, Mustard Festival Grand Dinner, Napa $350 person
http://www.mustardfestival.org/show/xmlsite/xml-standard.xml/xsl-event.xsl/start_id-pfm
bbgkjmpdjbmaogmbmijgklhkhoboikofbngah/

Expanded trade show reflects rapid growth of wineries beyond the West Coast
http://info.detnews.com/wine/columns/silfven/details.cfm?id=382

Oregon House Bill Would Increase Beer and Wine Taxes
http://politicsupdates.blogs.oregonlive.com/default.asp?item=493792

Appellation America Wine Store tops 100 wineries from across America on heels of site redesign.
http://www.financevisor.com/market/news_detail.aspx?rid=52200

3 liter wine box promotion for the Grammy’s (drinks now, don’t hold)
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&
newsId=20070214005090&newsLang=en

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

Lithuania: Independence Day
National Day, anniversary of independence in 1918. In 1940, Lithuania became a part of the Soviet Union, under an agreement between Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler. On March 11, 1990, Lithuania declared its independence from the Soviet Union, but not recognized until August 19,1991.

Saint’s Feast Days

· St. Daniel
· St. Gilbert of Sempringham
· St. Jeremy
· St. Aganus
· St. Elias & Companions
· St. Honestus
· St. Julian of Egypt
· St. Juliana of Cumae
· St. Onesimus
http://www.catholic.org/saints/f_day/feb.php

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There are no natural lakes in the state of Ohio, every one is manmade.

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Today's Top Event in History

1932-The first fruit tree patent was issued to James E. Markham and assigned to the Stark Brothers Nurseries and Orchards Company of Louisiana, MO. The patent was obtained on a peach tree, the fruit of which ripened later than ordinary peaches.

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This Day in American History

    1690-French and Indian forces from Montreal attacked and burned Schenectady, New York. This was known as King William's War (1689-1697) named after an Indian leader. It was also known as the French and Indian Wars. These were a series of military conflicts between Great Britain and France that lasted three-quarters of a century. Hostilities in King William's War began in 1690, when in the course of a few months Schenectady, N.Y., was burned by the French and Indians, and colonial English forces launched attacks on Port Royal (now Annapolis Royal), Nova Scotia, and on Quebec. Despite further raids by the French and Indians, the war ended in a stalemate. The Treaty of Ryswick, by which were ended the war and its European counterpart, the War of the Grand Alliance, restored after colonial possessions to their prewar status. In the 1720’s the French would expand and entrench the Mississippi Valley, erecting forts at the Kaskaskia and Illinois rivers, Cape Breton Island, Lake Champlain and the Wabash River, making more friends with the Indians.
    1719--Fraunces Tavern, the earliest residential building remaining in Manhattan, was built at Pearl and Board streets in New York, Originally built as a residence for Stephen De Lancey, it was purchased for a tavern by Samuel Fraunces in 1762. , where he opened it as the Queen's Head Tavern. It became famous for its wines and food and was a gathering place for the Sons of Liberty and other organizations before the American Revolution and for British officers during their occupation of the city. Fraunces himself was a patriot, and his tavern was the center of the celebration on the occasion of the British evacuation of New York. In its Long Room, George Washington bade farewell (1783) to his officers. Fraunces sold the tavern in 1785. When Washington returned (1789) to New York as president, Fraunces became steward of his household, maintaining that position even after Philadelphia was made the capital. The tavern, extensively restored after a devastating 1900 fire, is now owned by the Sons of the Revolution (not the Sons of the American Revolution). For many years it was open to the public as a restaurant, and it continues to house many historical objects and documents.
http://www.frauncestavern.com/fraunces_history.htm
http://www.frauncestavernmuseum.org/
    1741 - Benjamin Franklin published what was to be America’s second magazine, "The General Magazine and Historical Chronicle".
1760 Cherokee Indians held hostage at Fort St. George are killed in revenge for Indian attacks on frontier settlements.
    1804-The first Marine Corps commando raid was made in North Africa by Lieutenanet Stephen Decatur, who led 74 volunteers, including 8 Marines under Sergeant Solomon Wren, in a 20-minute raid to burn the U.S.S. Philadelphia, which had been captured by the Tripolitans and was lying under the protection of their shore guns. The raiders killed or captured all the enemy but two and set the Philadelphia afire. During the First Barbary War, US Lieutenant Stephen Decatur leads a military mission that famed British Admiral Horatio Nelson later calls the "most daring act of the age." In June of 1801, US President Thomas Jefferson ordered US Navy vessels to the Mediterranean Sea in protest of continuing raids against US ships by pirates from the Barbary states — Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, and Tripolitania. US sailors were often abducted along with the captured booty and ransomed back to the US at an exorbitant price. After two years of minor confrontations, sustained action began in June of 1803 when a small US expeditionary force attacked Tripoli harbor in present-day Libya. On 31 October 1803, the US frigate Philadelphia ran aground near Tripoli and was captured by Tripolitan gunboats. The Americans feared that the well-constructed warship would be used not only as a formidable addition to the Tripolitan navy, but also as an innovative model to build future Tripolitan frigates.
On 16 February 1804, hoping to prevent the Barbary pirates from gaining this dangerous military advantage, US Lieutenant Stephen Decatur led a daring expedition into Tripoli harbor to destroy the captured American vessel. After disguising himself and his men as Maltese sailors, Decatur’s force of seventy-four men, which included nine US Marines, sailed into Tripoli harbor on a small two-mast ship. The Americans approached the USS Philadelphia without drawing fire from the Tripoli shore guns, boarded the ship, and attacked its Tripolitan crew, capturing or killing all but two. After setting fire to the frigate, Decatur and his men escaped without the loss of a single American. The Philadelphia subsequently exploded when its gunpowder reserve was lit by the spreading fire. Six months later, Decatur returned to Tripoli Harbor as part of a larger US offensive, and emerged as a hero again during the so-called "Battle of the Gunboats," a naval battle that saw hand-to-hand combat between the Americans and the Tripolitans.
(Thus in the Marine’s Hymn, “…to the shores of Tripoli.”)
    1810-Congregationalist missionary Cushing Eells, founder of Whitman College, the oldest educational institution in Washington State, was born in Massachusetts. Whitmans helped open Oregon Territory to U.S. settlement.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/feb16.html
    1812-Birthday of Henry Wilson, 18th vice-president of the US (1873-75.) Born at Farmington, NH, died at Washington, DC, November 22,1875. He changed his name in 1833 to Jeremiah Jones Colbathm, moved to Massachusetts where he was ran and was elected to the U.S. Senate. Shortly after taking office he suffered a stroke which he kept as secret as possible, but he died after suffering a second stroke in 1875
http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000585
http://www.usatrivia.com/Vpndth.html
    1862-Surrender of Fort Donelson. With Confederate troops evacuating Bowling Green, KY, and other points along the Kentucky line, General Ulysses S. Grant’s forces circled Fort Donelson, KY. After fighting on land and on the Cumberland River, Grant requested surrender of Fort Donelson, stating that “No Terms except unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted.” This earned him the nickname Unconditional Surrender Grant. Confederate General Simon Buckner surrendered the fort, in essence giving the Union army control of Tennessee and Kentucky and the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. Disruption ensued and civilians attempted to flee the area occupied by Federal Troops. Grant was following out his over all strategy to cut supplies to Confederate troops. Some 15,000 Confederate soldiers under General Simon B. Buckner surrender unconditionally at Fort Donelson, Tennessee. Only 3000 rebs escape. (Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's victory earned him the nickname "Unconditional Surrender Grant.")
http://www.civilwarhome.com/donelson.htm
http://www.nps.gov/fodo/
    1861 -- The Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho peoples sign the Treaty of Fort Wise, agreeing to cede their land and live on a small reservation in southwest Colorado. U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs Colonel A.B. Greenwood issues medals, blankets, sugar and tobacco. But only six of 44 Cheyenne chiefs sign the treaty, casting doubt on the gala affair's legality.
http://members.tripod.com/~mr_sedivy/colorado2.html
http://www.dickshovel.com/was2.html
    1868-The first Elks meeting that organized the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks took place in New York City. It derived from an older social and benevoletn organization, the Jolly Corks. The first Exalted Ruler was George W. Thomopson, the Grand Lodge was incorporated on March 10,1871, in New York and the first Grand Exalter Ruler was George J. Green.
    1884-Birthday of American filmmaker, explorer and author Robert Flaherty, called “father of the documentary film.” Born at Iron Mountain, MI, deied at Dunneston, VT. July 23,1951. Films included Nanook of the North, Moana and Man of Aran.
    1899 - Washington D.C. received 1.26 inches of rain in six hours atop a snow cover more than 30 inches deep making it the soggiest day of record.
    1901-Birthday of Wayne King, American saxophonist and bandleader, widely known as “ the Waltz King,” born at Savannah, IL. His own composition, “the Waltz you Save for Me” was his theme song.
Died at Paradise Valley, Arizona, July 16,1985.
    1903 -59º F (-51º C), Pokegama Dam MN (state record)
    1914- singing cowboy Jimmy Wakely was born in Mineola, Arkansas. He made more than 70 movies, and was ranked just below Gene Autry and Roy Rogers in popularity. He is best remembered for his 1940's duets with Margaret Whiting - "Slipping Around" and "I'll Never Slip Around Again." Wakely died in 1982.
    1916 –Baritone sax player Charlie Fowlkes birthday
    1916—Birthday of rocker Bill Doggett, “Honky Tonk.”
Bill Doggett, Died November 13, 1996
http://theatreorgans.com/grounds/doodlin/doggett.html
http://www.history-of-rock.com/doggett.htm
    1920- Patti Andrews, lead singer of the Andrews Sisters, was born in Minneapolis. The trio was extremely popular, beginning in the late 1930s and lasting through the next decade. Among their big sellers - "Bei Mir Bist du Schon (BYE MEER BIST DU SHANE)," "Rum and Coca-Cola" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," which was revived by Bette Middler in 1973.
    1932-The first fruit tree patent was issued to James E. Markham and assigned to the Stark Brothers Nurseries and Orchards Company of Louisiana, MO. The patent was obtained on a peach tree, the fruit of which ripened later than ordinary peaches.
    1935- Singer Sonny Bono was born in Detroit. He first gained success as a songwriter, writing the 1963 hit "Needles and Pins" for the Searchers. In 1964, Bono married his girlfriend Cher, and the couple began recording under the direction of Phil Spector. Sonny and Cher scored a million-seller in 1965 with "I Got You Babe." As the duo's string of hits continued, Cher became the main attraction. Following a two-year TV show in the early '70s, Sonny and Cher split, both professionally and personally. In 1988, Sonny became mayor of Palm Springs, California. Six years later, he was elected to the US Congress. On January 5, 1999, Sonny Bono was killed in a skiing accident in South Lake Tahoe, while on vacation.
    1937-The first synthetic fiber produced entirely from chemicals was nylon, invented by Dr. Wallace Hume Carothers, a chemist at E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, DE, who opbtained a patent for it this day. The patent covered synthetic linear condensation polymers capable of being drawn into strong pliable fibers, as well as the process for making them.
    1942 - On Bluebird Records, Shep Fields and his orchestra recorded "Jersey Bounce".
    1943 - Record cold prevailed in the northeastern U.S. The mercury plunged to 43 degrees below zero at Concord NH, and to -39 degrees at Portland ME. The morning low of -32 degrees at Falls Village CT established a state record, yet the afternoon high that day was 20 degrees above zero
    1948-The first newsreel telecast presented daily was the 20th Century-Fox Movietone News telecast, first presented over the National Broadcasting Company’s East Coast network. The program was sponsored by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
    1951---Top Hits
My Heart Cries for You - Guy Mitchell
Tennessee Waltz - Patti Page
If - Perry Como
There’s Been a Change in Me - Eddy Arnold
    1955-- Elvis Presley performs two shows at the Odessa Senior High School Field House in Odessa, TX. In the audience is local singer Roy Orbison, who would later recall: "His energy was incredible. His instinct was just amazing."
    1957- The Del Vikings' "Come Go With Me" enters the pop charts
    1957-Elvis Presley's "Too Much" enters the pop chart. It will become the first of four chart toppers for Presley this year
    1957- Tab Hunter's "Young Love" hits #1
    1958 - one of the greatest snowstorms of the mid 20th century struck the northeast. 39 inches of snow fell at Callicoon, New York. Boston, Massachusetts recorded 19.4 inches which was the greatest 24 hour snowfall ever recorded until January 1978. The same storm dumped 14 inches at Washington, DC and 15.5 inches at Baltimore, Maryland. 43 people were killed as a result of the storm and damage totaled $500 million.
    1959—Birthday of Ice T, rap singer and actor, born Tracy Morrow, Newark, NJ.
    1959 - Fidel Castro was sworn in as prime minister of Cuba, replacing Miro Cardona, after leading a guerrilla campaign that ousted right-wing dictator Fulgencio Batista on January 1. He will soon place all industry under the direction of Cuba that he controls in the name of the people, he declares, creating what he calls a Communist government with ties to the USSR, who financially subsidizes his efforts, and has the long range goal to establish a military base against the United States, as the United States has established surrounding the Soviet Union.
    1959---Top Hits
Stagger Lee - Lloyd Price
16 Candles - The Crests
The All American Boy - Bill Parsons
Billy Bayou - Jim Reeves
    1963- the Beatles' first big hit, "Please, Please Me," reached number one on the British charts. Another song from the pens of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, it stayed at the top spot for only one week. When it was released in the US the following year, sales totalled more than one-million. "Please, Please Me" was on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 13 weeks, getting as high as number three.
    1964 - Because of the extraordinary success of their first appearance the week before, Ed Sullivan promptly signed the Beatles for a second television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The return visit received the second-highest ratings ever for the show (the highest was from the week before), and became one of the highest- rated shows in the history of television.: 70 million.
    1967---Top Hits
I’m a Believer - The Monkees
Georgy Girl - The Seekers
Kind of a Drag - The Buckinghams
Don’t Come Home a’Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind) - Loretta Lynn
    1968-US officials report that, in addition to the 800'000 people listed as refugees prior to January 30, the fighting during the Tet Offensive has created 350'000 new refugees. The communist attack known as the Tet Offensive had begun at dawn on January 31, the first day of the Tet holiday truce. Viet Cong forces, supported by large numbers of North Vietnamese troops, launched the largest and best-coordinated offensive of the war, driving into the centers of South Vietnam's seven largest cities and attacking 30 provincial capitals ranging from the Delta to the DMZ.
    1968 - Elvis Presley was awarded a gold record for his album of hymns, "How Great Thou Art". Although he was popular in the pop music world, Elvis only won 3 Grammy Awards: one for this album, the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1970, and one for "He Touched Me" in 1972. He did receive over a dozen Grammy nominations.
    1968-At the US Indoor Championships at Salisbury, MD, the longest match in US Tennis Association history pitted Englishmen Mark Cox and Bob Wilson against Americans Charlie Pasarell and Ron Holmberg. After six hours and 23 minutes, Cox and Wilson emerged victorious, 26-24, 17-19,30-28.
    1971- Aretha Franklin records "Spanish Harlem."
    1972 - Wilt Chamberlin became the first player in NBA history to score 30,000 points. He accomplished this while playing against the Phoenix Suns in Phoenix, Arizona, with the Suns winning, 110-109.
    1972-- During his week-long stint as host of the syndicated Mike Douglas Show, John Lennon performs "Memphis" and "Johnny B. Goode" with Chuck Berry, who Lennon refers to as "my hero."
    1974-- Elton John releases "Bennie and the Jets."
    1975---Top Hits
You’re No Good - Linda Ronstadt
Pick Up the Pieces - AWB
Best of My Love - The Eagles
Devil in the Bottle - T.G. Sheppard
    1975 - The music variety series ``Cher'' premieres on CBS-TV.
    1980-Led Zeppelin's "Fool in the Rain" from "In Through The Out Door" peaks at #21 on the pop chart.
    1983---Top Hits
Down Under - Men at Work
Baby, Come to Me - Patti Austin with James Ingram
Shame on the Moon - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
’Til I Gain Control Again - Crystal Gayle
    1984-Skier Bill Johnson became the first ( and thus far, the only) American to win the Olympic downhill. Johnson’s victory came at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.
    1985 - In what would be his last fight, Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini lost the World Boxing Association lightweight championship crown to Livingston Bramble. In August of 1985, the fighter retired.
    1985 - Telly "Who Loves Ya Baby!" Savalas brought "Kojak" back to network television after a seven year absence (1973-1978.) "Kojak: The Belarus File", was aired as a special on CBS-TV, the network that gave "Kojak" its stardom.
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0089434/
    1985 - Coach Lefty Driesell got his 400th career victory as the University of Maryland defeated Davidson by a score of 65-63.
    1985-Hall & Oates' "Method Of Modern Love" peaks at #5 on the chart
    1985-Journey lead singer Steve Perry 's "Foolish Heart" peaks at #18 on the chart.
    1987 - a massive ice storm struck Kentucky, Virginia, and the Carolinas. In some areas, ice accumulations reached 3 inches. Across south central Kentucky, 16,000 people were without power for 3 days, making this the worst ice storm in 35 years for the area. In North Carolina, 5 inches of sleet fell at Raleigh and up to 8 inches was reported in Person and Granville counties. Roadways were made impassable due to the thick coating of ice.
    1988-George Harrison's "Got My Mind Set On You" hits #1 on the chart.
    1990 - Strong thunderstorms developing ahead of an arctic cold front produced severe weather across the southeastern U.S. between mid morning on the 15th and early evening on the 16th. Thunderstorms spawned thirteen tornadoes, including one which, prior to dawn on the 16th, injured eleven persons near Carrollton GA. There were also 121 reports of large hail or damaging winds. A late afternoon thunderstorm on the 15th produced baseball size hail at Jackson MS, and prior to dawn on the 16th, a thunderstorm produced high winds which injured four persons at Goodwater AL
    1991---Top Hits
Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) - C & C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams
All the Man that I Need - Whitney Houston
One More Try - Timmy -T-
Brother Jukebox - Mark Chesnutt
    1993-- At London's Brit Awards, Rod Stewart invites former members of his old band, The Faces, onstage for an impromptu reunion. Original members Ronnie Wood, Ian McLagan, and Kenney Jones join Stewart for renditions of "Stay With Me" and "Sweet Little Rock and Roller." Former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman sits in for original Faces bassist Ronnie Lane, who is ill with Multiple Sclerosis.

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Winter Poem

    Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind

Blow, blow, thou winter wind
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude.

Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship if feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then heigh-ho, the holly!
This life is most jolly.

Freeze, freeze thou bitter sky,
That does not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp
As a friend remembered not.
Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship if feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then heigh-ho, the holly!
This life is most jolly.

William Shakespeare

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SuDoku

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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Daily Puzzle

How to play:
http://www.setgame.com/set/puzzle_frame.htm

Refresh for current date:
http://www.setgame.com/set/puzzle_frame.htm

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