Wednesday,
July 7,2004 Headlines--- Classified
Ads---Collector/Controller Norvergence
Closed !!! To Re-Open Today Marlin
Set to Join Russell 3000 Index Utility
Trailer Celebrates "90 Years Strong" El
Camino Resources Ramps up Mexican Leasing Edmunds.com
Reports True Cost of Incentives ######## surrounding the article denotes it is a “press
release” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Classified
Ads---Collector/Controller Collector:
Boston, MA. Challenging position where my skills, professional experience,
organization, leadership, strategic thinking, creativity, energy, passion,
competitive nature will enable me to define opportunities and personal
development. Email: bernd.janet@verizon.net Collector:
Jacksonville, East Brunswick, FL. 13 years experience
with collection, recovery, re-marketing and legal on commercial loans
and leases. Expertise with distressed portfolios, Six Sigma trained.
Willing to relocate. Email:RichardB12364@aol.com Collector:
Joplin, Mo. Will do car repossessions, willing to go about anywhere.
Have three years exp. thanks. Email: derekrgreen@yahoo.com Collector: West Hartford, CT. Credit/ Collections /Rental Management in leasing & construction fields. Looking for stable company that will appreciate my 20+ years of experience. Email: losterastringban@aol.com Controller:
Seattle, WA CPA w/ 15 years management exp. as CFO/ Controller/5 yrs w/ PriceWaterhouse Coopers. Extensive exp providing accounting/ tax guidance for the equipment lease industry. Willing to relocate. Email: bltushin@hotmail.com Controller:
Southeastern, MI. Controller &
Management experience w/ equip lessors &broker. MBA, CPA w/ extensive
accounting, management, securitization experience with public and private
companies. Willing to relocate. Email: Leasebusiness@aol.com Full listing of all classified ads: http://64.125.68.90/LeasingNews/JobPostings.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trucker
strike continues (Owner and Operator Independent Drivers Associatio0n---OOIDA) Strikes continued
at some of the nation’s ports July 1, but cooled some in other locations
as independent truckers continued their efforts to bring attention to
rising fuel costs, anti-union laws, unfair wages and inadequate surcharges
to offset the cost of fuel. Activity was reported
June 30 at the Port of Savannah, where about a dozen people stood outside
the port’s entrance in protest. Truck traffic was down about 15 percent
from last Monday, port officials told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Meanwhile, the Associated
Press reported that most of the independent truckers who boycotted the
Port of New Orleans on June 28 returned to work July 1. Nevertheless, some
stories reported more possible protests at ports in New Jersey, South
Carolina and other states at least through the July Fourth weekend.
Other ports involved are in Boston, New Orleans, Houston and Miami. For example, up to
100 drivers gathered outside the Port of Miami-Dade, and another protest
took place at Port Everglades June 30 Truckers told local
news outlets that a major issue there is that cargo-liability insurance
is being taken out of the drivers’ paychecks. Napoleon Founte,
who works for Quick Drayage, told The Miami Herald, “There are long
lines at the Port of Miami, and it takes us about three to four hours
to get in and out with our cargo, and we only get $50 per trip.” Meanwhile, sources
told Land Line there is speculation that some carriers are offering
incentives to get a few drivers to work. But, overall more truckers
stopped operating June 30 than on June 29. For example, the
port of Charleston, SC, reported slower-than-normal traffic. About 50
demonstrators carried placards and signs outside port terminals there. OOIDA’s view A major problem is
that owner-operators are considered independent businesspeople and are
forbidden by federal price-fixing laws from negotiating or banding together
to talk with employers. “The only bargaining
leverage that these guys have is to withhold services or to threaten
to withhold services,” said Todd Spencer, executive vice president of
the Missouri-based Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. Talk about a strike
has been rumored for more than two months. This latest round of activity
stems from protests that began in early May in Los Angeles and spread
to ports in Hampton Roads, VA, and Oakland, CA. Meanwhile, OOIDA
is using its lobbying muscle to push for meaningful surcharge legislation.
The association believes that with today’s high fuel prices, every shipper
should be paying a fuel surcharge adequate to cover drivers’ costs.
“For any middleman
to pocket all or part of the surcharge is a fraud on the shipper and
truck owner that should be punishable by law,” Spencer said. OOIDA has asked lawmakers
in Washington, DC, to pass fuel surcharge legislation that will provide
a permanent fix to this problem. While some legislators may still be
hesitant to offer a legislative fix, OOIDA says, the choice to ignore
high fuel prices that bankrupt truckers comes with perils for more than
just small-business truckers. “The entire economic
recovery for the nation may well be set back or stalled,” Spencer said.
“Port drivers have been among the most abused in years. Steamship lines
and railroads have taken full advantage of their bargaining position
to beat these guys down bad. It’s not surprising they are angry. And,
it’s shameful the only way their legitimate concerns will be addressed
is when they threaten drastic action.” In a related development,
a strike at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach is likely, according
to July 1 news reports. However, the issue at those two
ports involves representatives of 16 shipping companies and their clerical
workers who must agree to a new contract. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Norvergence
Closed !!! To Re-Open Today Norvergence A telephone call
to Norvergence answered that they are “closed, but will re-open on Wednesday,
July 7th.” E-mail to director
of strategic development Robert Fine came back as undeliverable, and
his voice mail said he was “out of the office.”
He stated to Leasing News on October 17,2003: “On a personal note,
I can assure you that my twenty-seven years of experience in the
equipment leasing industry, primarily working for commercial banks
have impressed upon me the need to know the people with whom you are
conducting business. Norvergence is an exciting and fast-paced company
and I am very happy to be a part of this organization and look forward
to its bright future. “If anyone has any
questions or would like more information, they may contact me directly
at 973-242-7500 (ext. 7293).” Sincerely, Robert J. Fine Director of Bank
Relations http://www.norvergence.com/ has no announcements of any changes This was posted on
New Jersey Channel 12 Web Site July 3, 2004 at: “I can't believe
that there are still some NorV employees out there that haven't realized
that IT IS OVER!!! Is there a rehab for that NorV kool-aid, because
they need to detox. “We're not getting
recalled, we're not getting paid. There is no NorVergence. Norvergence
has a trust fund in the name of Pete and Tom Salzano (money in a trust
can't be touched, even by bankruptcy) and Tom Salzano has been buying
up property in Florida (a homestead state, where bankruptcies and lawsuits
can't equal your house...that's why OJ lives there now). “The Salzanos have
been planning this forever, no doubt. I just hope they slipped up somewhere
and end up doing the hard time they so richly deserve. “Get it through your
head. We're not being "re-organized", we'll never be recalled
and if we ever do get paid, it is because when banks liquidate your
assets, the first thing they take care of is payroll and taxes. “The branch offices
are closed, the employees stole whatever they could carry out of there.
“I don't take any
pleasure in being the one to drive this home. I liked my job at NorV.
I made good money. They constantly screwed me by inventing new and improved
ways to take money out of my check, but all in all, it was a good job
and a GREAT product. There is no good reason for what has happened,
but it has happened. And if you're fool enough to stay at home waiting
for the phone to ring with your NorV job waiting on the other end, be
prepared to starve. “It's over....it's
just plain over.” From July 2: “What was actually
told to the employees is this... the banks which are funding Norvergence
believe in the product. After the temporary shut down last week, the
banks convinced the company to file chapter 11 in order to protect their
investments before moving forward. This also protects the customers
from losing service while the funding situation is being worked through.
When any company files chapter 11 (re-organization), the courts then
must review all payments before they are approved, including payroll.
Once the company gets approval, all employees will receive what is owed
them to date. Unfortunately, all employees had to be sent home by state
law until this takes place. The company will then re-organize internally
and continue to service their customers. We were told that we would
be contacted about when we would receive our paychecks, not if. It is
a frustrating situation for many who have not paid their bills yet this
month, I am one of them. But I have faith that we will all receive our
checks very soon and I cannot stand by and watch people lie publicly
about what has happened. Such negativity can only hinder our possibility
of being called back to work. Let's keep in mind that Norvergence pays
it's employees twice as much as other tel-com companies by using high
commission structures to motivate and reward. What other customer service
reps and telemarketers do you know that are making $7000 a month? You're
not going to make that much anywhere else.” “What non truths
are you talking about. The fact that the Salzano brothers have screwed
everyone over. I was lucky this is the first pay period where I did
not get paid and I never had any bounced checks, however there are people
who checks have bounced 2 times and this will make it 6 weeks with NO
PAY! They haven't paid their vendors nor have they paid us. Salzano
Brothers burn in hell for what you have done not just to the employees
and the vendors, but what about all the companies that have signed on
for o cents per minute. These people are never going to be able to recoup
their money either, because as you know the reimbursement checks are
bouncing too. I am no longer a Norvergence groupie I have stopped drinking
the Norv Kool Aid and have waken up I suggest you do the same. If we
had a 401k plan it would have been Enron all over again. The Salzano
Brothers took the money and ran.” “I was upset at first
about the whole ordeal. Having my check bounce, then making us work
2 more weeks and then the day before payday FIRING us. They has some
nerve. People have rent and mortgages to pay. TODAY! Norvergence is
in for $7000 to me. Instead of drawing it out, why not tell us to start
looking for jobs elsewhere, 2 weeks ago, so that if things don’t work
out, we are prepared. I want my money and I will get it somehow. Loyalty
gets you nowhere, especially with a company that has crooks and convicted
felons running it, let this be a lesson. An expensive one. If they supposedly
filed chapter 11, they have to give us that information. It's illegal
for them not to. But as I thought about it, I felt a sense of relief
to get out of that jungle we called a work environment. However I will
miss my some of my fellow co-workers, if any of you have families, and
are suffering right now, I hope everything works out. The lord works
in mysterious ways, don't worry they will get it in the end. What goes
around comes around. It's a wonderful thing to have access to company
files. Literally thousands of customers, are they in for a big surprise!
If any of you want to expose this company, post, I hope these people
rot in prison. How about you guys? Post if so.” More complaints are
being posted on the New Jersey News 12 Web Site and distraught customers
are looking for answers: “I would like to
add my complaints on Norvergence. Again similar story we signed up on
1/19/2004 with Norvergence telling us that we will save 30%, and even
today 6/16/2004 we still are not switched to Norvergence. However our
Long distance and 800 toll free was switched to Qwest for and like all
other Norvergence customers today, our toll free lines and all outgoing
long distance services were down. Norvergence claims that it is "national
long distance outage", but we checked with Qwest there is no such
interruption with their company. It is obviously Norvergence Internal
issues. “We are still getting
invoices from both Verizon and Norvergence as well as the Rental Bank
Preferred Capital. Fortunately we are not yet fully connected and we
still have all our lines with local Verizon company, we have requested
Verizon to switch our long distance back to them and get our toll-free
numbers back. This process will take 5 days which the damage is un-accountable.
I also requested Bill Freeze so they will not be able to switch me back. “I am going to refuse
paying all Norvergence invoices and since I can not get hold of any
customer service like all others, this should lead them to force someone
to call ME instead of trying to reach someone. With my phone lines back
with Local Carriers, We will not be interrupted with phone calls and
I will wait for them to send me to collection and take this to court... “Anyone filling a
lawsuit please add me to your list. “Eric Pomona, California U.S.A.” Please send this to a colleague as we are trying to build up our readership. Ask them to subscribe, as we are “free.” Dan’s
Cartoon’s
The first person
to take advantage of our new feature about ads in our “free ad” section
was Michigan based cartoonist Dan Rosandich. He can remember drawing
cartoons at an early age. "I recall as
a young child, maybe around 5 years old, drawing different animals for
my aunt, and she was laughing hysterically", says Rosandich who
now has over 26 years behind him as a fulltime freelance cartoonist.
What began as a hobby,
turned into an obsession over the years. "I was constantly
drawing and sketching, even in school, when I should have been studying"
Dan says. "What else was I going to do with my life?" After a few odd jobs
he decided to try sending in gag panel cartoons to magazines like those
you see in the back pages of Saturday Evening Post and others. He picked
out a few obscure publications to send his work where the competition
was less. The first to send him a check
was Mechanics illustrated bought one out of his
first submission of 10 cartoons. That was back in 1976 when $35 for
one cartoon (which is what Mechanics Illustrated paid) was a decent
price for a cartoon. With this incentive,
hey went to work creating new back up cartoons and slowly built up a
large arsenal of cartoons that were circulating to dozens of magazines
at anytime. It wasn't unusual to have well over 1,000 cartoons circulating
in the mail at any given time. Financial publications like Barron's,
Cash flow, and dozens of regional banking magazines were buying Dan's
work regularly. With the advent of technology, Rosandich has built his own online
catalog of cartoons he offers for publishers, designers, webmasters,
editors, presentation specialists, consultants, speakers and other professionals
and business people. His website DANSCARTOONS.COM (http://www.danscartoons.com)
offers an extensive selection of cartoons to choose from which are categorized
for easily locating the type of cartoons a person may want to license
for a specific usage. Dan's licensing fees are negotiable based on a
specific usage and he also specializes in creating custom cartoons to
use in print ads, manuals, fax forms, intranets, books etc. Dan can
be reached anytime at: dan@danscartoons.com The cartoons that
we “leased” from Dan are at: http://two.leasingnews.org/Danscartoon/
Classified
Ads---Help Wanted Account
Executive
Business
Development Office
Marketing
Indirect Origination
Sales
Specialist
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Monitor 100 The Monitor 100 is
in the June magazine edition. The
thirteenth annual ranking of the 100 largest equipment finance/leasing
companies in the U.S. How they
rank by asset size, new business volume and overall growth.
Inserted into the
publication is an excellent twenty page report. Here are two of the
reports. Note: in viewing this, we suggest when open, increase the
PDF viewing size. The actual
printed version has a much better
definition, and not only has a lot more information, charts,
comparisons, but is much more attractive and much earlier
to read than we present here: http://www.two.leasingnews.org/loose_files/Monitor_100.pdf http://www.two.leasingnews.org/loose_files/Monitor_100_comp_info.pdf If you are not a
subscriber, you should subscribe, if only to receive this annual report. The New 2004 Monitor
100 Report is Now Available! Includes Top 50 U.S.
Bank Report. To place an order,
please call 1.800.456.2570, ext. 125 Become a Monitor
subscriber and receive the 2004 Monitor 100 Report PDF 3-Years -- BEST VALUE* Save 61% 3-years $125 2-Years ave 53% 2-Years
105 1-Year ave 32% -Year$85 To place an order,
please call 1.800.456.2570, ext. 125 Monitor 100 Report 2004 Monitor 100
Report (PDF) Subscriber $20 Non-Subscriber $60 Monitor 100 Archives
(PDF) (2004 plus 1997-2003) Subscriber $40 Non-Subscriber $120 *Annual subscription
rates for 30 Issues at $3.67 per issue (includes $20 savings for 2004
Monitor 100 PDF) versus $9.50 per issue (10 issues) at our standard
one-year rate of $95. Special subscription
rates apply to U.S. residents only -- international subscribers please
call 00.1.610.293.1300 x125 for prices.
Card
Lenders Shirk Off Losses ABSnet Losses started rising
again last month among securitized credit-card accounts, but the troubles
aren't expected to last long. According to a monthly
survey by S&P, the amount of card accounts deemed uncollectible
rose by 23 bp, to 6.99%, during the 30-day period ended June 15. The
rising losses erased improvements from the previous month, when cardholder
defaults dropped to their lowest point in almost two years. Market players shrugged
off the deteriorating performance as a temporary blip - since losses
among securitized accounts are expected to fall steadily during the
second half, thanks to the strengthening economy. That view seems to
be supported by delinquency rates, which have been improving since early
this year. In fact, the average amount of securitized accounts falling
more than 30, 60 or 90 days past due decreased again during the May-June
stretch, for the fourth month in a row. The credit protections
built into credit-card securitizations also improved slightly last month,
helping to offset losses. Excess spreads averaged 6.97% as of mid-May,
up 16 bp from a month earlier. Those cushions will likely start going
downhill over the next month or so, as short-term interest rates rise.
However, the harm caused by sliding excess spreads will probably be
countered by lower losses. Last month's improvement
among excess spreads, which represent an issuer's profits and act as
the first layer of protection for bondholders, were largely attributable
to rising yields. On average, yields on securitized card accounts jumped
40 bp, to 17.5% - mainly because there were more business days than
usual in last month's collection cycle. S&P's index measures
a number of performance factors for $414 billion of securitized credit-card
receivables. A link to the full reports on S&P's past surveys can
be found at standardandpoors.com by clicking "Indices" and
then "Structured Finance." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### Press Release
############################# Marlin
Business Services Corp. Set to Join Russell 3000 Index MOUNT LAUREL, N.J.----Marlin
Business Services Corp. (NASDAQ:MRLN) was added to the Russell 3000(R)
Index on June 25, 2004 when Russell Investment Group reconstituted its
family of 21 U.S. indexes. Membership in the Russell 3000, which remains
in place for one year, means automatic inclusion in either the large-cap
Russell 1000 or small-cap Russell 2000 as well as the appropriate growth
and style indexes. Marlin Business Services Corp. will be included in
the Russell 2000(R) Index. "As a new public company, we are truly excited at our inclusion
in this year's Russell indexes and the prestige it offers," said
Dan Dyer, Chairman and CEO of the company. Membership in Russell's 21 U.S. equity indexes is determined primarily
by objective market capitalization rankings and style attributes. Russell
indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors
for index funds and as benchmarks for both passive and active investment
strategies. More than $360 billion is invested in passive funds based
on Russell's indexes and an additional $1.4 trillion is benchmarked
to them. Investment managers who oversee these funds purchase shares
of member stocks according to that company's weighting in the particular
index. Annual reconstitution of Russell indexes captures the 3,000 largest
U.S. stocks as of the end of May, ranking them by total market capitalization
to create the Russell 3000. The largest 1,000 companies in the ranking
comprise the Russell 1000 while the remaining 2,000 companies become
the widely used Russell 2000. About Marlin Business Services Corp. Marlin Business Services Corp. is a nationwide provider of equipment
leasing solutions primarily to small businesses. The company's principal
operating subsidiary, Marlin Leasing Corporation, finances over 60 equipment
categories in a segment of the market generally referred to as "small-ticket"
leasing (i.e. leasing transactions less than $250,000). The company
was founded in 1997 and completed its initial public offering of common
stock on November 12, 2003. In addition to Mount Laurel, NJ, Marlin
has regional offices in or near Atlanta, Chicago, Denver and Philadelphia.
For more information, visit www.marlincorp.com
or call toll free at (888) 479-9111. About Russell Investment Group
Russell, a global leader in multi-manager investment services,
provides investment products and services in more than 35 countries.
Russell manages more than $107 billion in assets and advises clients
worldwide representing $1.8 trillion. Founded in 1936, Russell is a
subsidiary of Northwestern Mutual and is headquartered in Tacoma, Wash.,
with additional offices in New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Singapore,
Sydney, Auckland and Tokyo. For more information, go to www.russell.com. CONTACT:Marlin Business
Services Corp., Mount Laurel Bruce Sickel, 888-479-9111 X4108 ### Press Release
############################## Senior Management Team of Utility Trailer Celebrates the Contribution of its Dealers in Making Utility Trailer "90
Years Strong" with Cake Cutting at Annual Dealer Meeting CITY OF INDUSTRY,
Calif.-- UTILITY TRAILER RECOGNIZES TOP DEALERS AT THE UTILITY TRAILER 90TH
ANNIVERSARY DEALER MEETING Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company, which is celebrating its
90th year as America's oldest trailer manufacturer, recently recognized
the distinguished commitment of its more than 100 dealers to serving
Utility customers at the recent Utility Trailer 90th Anniversary Dealer
Meeting held in May in Virginia. With a slogan of "90 Years Strong" as the central theme
for this year's event, the meeting provided a forum for Utility executives
to recap the events of the prior year and to provide an outlook for
the coming year. Senior Utility executives who attended included Paul
Bennett, Chairman of the Board and CEO, and his wife Beatrice, Hal Bennett,
President, and his wife Pamela, and Craig Bennett, Senior Vice President,
Sales and Marketing, and his wife Stephne. Attendees, representing dealers from nearly every state in the
nation, as well as from Canada and Mexico, came to Virginia to attend
the Utility Trailer Dealer Meeting and listen to key-note presentations
by Utility executives. Presentations included a recap of Utility's record
of strong year-to-date sales of its market-leading 3000R reefer, a summary
of this year's record after-market parts sales, and a review of the
new 4000 D-X which was unveiled recently at this year's Mid America
Truck Show in Louisville. Other presentations focused on Utility's plans
for plant expansion, the new Wide Track System which utilizes Michelin's
X-One tire, purchasing and manufacturing updates. Keith Vieth III, Vice
President of America's Commercial Transportation (ACT) Publication,
was a guest speaker. Among the highlights at this year's festivities for the attendees
was the recognition of several dealers who achieved the status as "Goal
Achievers", and/or "Top Volume Roundtable", and were
acknowledged for their individual accomplishments. Among the dealers
recognized for performance excellence were:
-- Action Trailer Sales,
Utility Trailer Sales of Utah, Utility
Trailer Sales of Mississippi, Utility Sales of Dallas, Mid-West Utility, Utility Trailer Sales
Southeast Texas, Utility
Tri-State, Utility Trailer Sales of Central California, Valley Equipment, Interstate Trailer & Equipment,
Midwest Utility, Utility Trailers de Mexico S.A. deC.V.,
Utility Trailer Southwest Sales Co., Ocean Trailer, Mid-States Utility Trailers Sales, Inc., Badger
Utility, Utility Trailer Sales
of Washington, C.R.T.S., Utility Trailer Sales of Boise, Craftsmen Industries, Utility Trailer
Sales of Sikeston, Hawkeye
Utility Trailer Sales, Utility Trailer Sales Company of Arizona, Allstate Sales and Leasing Corp., and General
Trailer Services. "We have always been proud of the commitment to serving our
customers exhibited by our dealers and we wanted to give them the recognition
they so richly deserve," said Craig Bennett. "As we enter
our 90th year we wanted to express our sincere thanks to those who have
contributed greatly to making Utility 90 years strong." About Utility Trailer Based in City of Industry, California and celebrating its 90-year
anniversary building trailers, Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company
is America's oldest privately owned, family-operated trailer manufacturer.
Building trailers since 1914, the company designs and manufactures dry
freight vans, flatbeds, refrigerated vans, and Tautliner(R) curtainsided
trailers. Utility is the largest producer of refrigerated vans and the
third largest trailer manufacturer overall in the U.S.A. Utility currently
operates five regionally placed trailer factories: two for refrigerated
trailers, located in Marion, Virginia and Clearfield, Utah; two for
Dry Vans, located in Glade Spring, Virginia and Paragould, Arkansas,
and a Flatbed and Tautliner(R) factory in Enterprise, Alabama. Utility's
historical position as America's largest producer of refrigerated vans
is a direct result of its management's focus on providing innovative
solutions to customer problems. Utility's extensive dealer network has
over 100 locations throughout the USA, Canada and Mexico and South America.
For more information, contact Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company
at (626) 965-1541, or visit the company's web site at www.utilitytrailer.com. CONTACT:Utility Trailer
Manufacturing Company Chuck Cole, 626-965-1541 ccole@utm.com ### Press Release
#############################
El
Camino Resources Ramps up Mexican Leasing WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.---El
Camino Resources, Ltd. today reported that it has experienced strong
leasing activity within its Mexican subsidiary over the last several
months. "In our most recent fiscal quarter, we achieved $25 million
in new lease originations in Mexico," noted David E. Harmon, president
and chief executive officer of the California-based lessor and technology
services provider. El Camino Resources ramped up its Mexican operations following
a 12-month period of reduced activity, and is now a leader in independent
leasing, enjoying strong relationships with a number of leading banks.
El Camino is focused on multinational companies located in Mexico, as
well as companies listed on the country's stock exchange (BOLSA). Its
largest account is a recognized leader in Mexican retailing. "We are pleased with our recent results in Mexico," Harmon
added. "If the present business pace continues, I expect that we
will comfortably exceed our goal of booking $50 million in lease receivables
in Mexico during this current fiscal year. In fact, it is conceivable
that we might reach the $75 million level." Harmon also noted that El Camino is on schedule in rebuilding its
United States leasing business. Since announcing the completion of a
corporate realignment in April, the American operation has concentrated
on staffing key positions, primarily in the sales area, and identifying
solutions and services areas for future emphasis. In its first few weeks
of operation, the United States operation was responsible for $4 million
in leased assets. It expects that figure to increase as activities move
into high gear. According to Harmon, early signs indicate that United States leasing
will be successful in the middle or mid-sized business market (defined
as companies with between 100 and 999 employees). This is an area that
industry analysts have identified as a major source of information technology
business between now and 2008. Areas of growth include Unix- and Linux-based
servers, expected to be an almost $61 billion market by 2008, and business
process integration/ consolidation. "We can provide leases for
hardware needed by mid-size companies, and our Infinite Computer services
subsidiary can assist in the integration and server consolidation areas." About El Camino Resources International, Inc. El Camino Resources International, Ltd. (ECR) was founded in 1979
to provide technology equipment leasing/financing and computer trade-in
opportunities for businesses and organizations. ECR specializes in mainframes,
workstations, client/servers, storage devices and peripheral equipment
from such industry leaders as IBM, Sun, and other selected manufacturers.
El Camino's Infinite Computer business unit provides a range of maintenance
and information technology services to companies based in Southern California,
and El Camino Resources Mexico is responsible for leasing transactions
within that country. El Camino Resources is qualified and prepared to offer quotations
for the sale, purchase or lease of new and used information technology
equipment. The Company has a strong commitment to customer satisfaction
and has enjoyed long-standing relationships with companies of all sizes
and types. El Camino Resources is headquartered at 6233 Variel Avenue, Woodland
Hills CA 91367, and can be reached by telephone at 818.226.6600. CONTACT:El Camino
Resources, Ltd. Peter E. McGuirk, 760-323-1309 ( Read our exclusive
interview: Harmon on His Way Back!!! http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Harmon-his_way_back.htm
0 ### Press Release
############################## Edmunds.com Reports True Cost of Incentives: Industry Spent at Record Levels in June; Minivans
Thrive Despite Low Incentives SANTA MONICA, Calif., -- Edmunds.com (http://www.edmunds.com),
the premier online resource for automotive information, reported today
that the average manufacturer incentive per vehicle sold in the United
States reached a record high of $2,747 in June 2004, up $123, or 4.7%,
from June 2003, and up $240, or 9.6%, from May 2004. Overall, combined
incentives spending for domestic Chrysler, Ford and General Motors nameplates
also reached an all-time high at $3,819 per unit in June, up $358 from
May 2004. Chrysler increased
its incentives spending in June by $321 to $3,569 per vehicle and gained
1.1% of market share. Chrysler's current market share of 14.5% is the
highest since Edmunds.com started tracking industry trends in January
2002. In June, GM's market share receded by 1.4% to 25.6% despite increasing
incentives spending for the third month in a row, raising its average
by $389 to $4,312 per vehicle. Ford
offered the largest monthly increase in incentives spending of any domestic
manufacturer in June, raising its average by $401 to $3,328 per vehicle,
but its market share remained largely unchanged at 18.1%. Import automakers
also felt the pressure In June 2004.
Korean automakers spent $1,868 -- up $55 for the month -- and
European automakers spent $2,335 -- up $293 per vehicle sold.
European incentives levels have not been this high since May
2002, according to Edmunds.com. Japanese automakers spent $921 per vehicle
sold in June, up $22 from the prior month. Of all brands, Mini
spent the least on incentives per vehicle sold, $41, while Scion spent
only $101 per vehicle and Porsche spent only $266.
At the other end of the spectrum, Cadillac spent the most incentives
dollars per vehicle for the fourth consecutive month, $6,325, followed
by Lincoln at $5,610 and Oldsmobile at $4,939. Among vehicle segments,
large SUVs continued to offer the highest average incentives in June
at $4,774 per vehicle. Other
segments with high incentives were large cars at $3,754 and luxury cars
at $3,680. Compact cars had the lowest average incentives
at $1,706, followed by luxury sport cars at $1,931 and compact SUVs
at $1,945. Midsize SUVs have
lost the most market share since June 2003, decreasing from 12.7% to
10.9%, while their average incentives increased from $2,903 to $2,949
during the same period. Meanwhile, minivans have gained the most market
share, climbing from 6.8% to 7.7%, while their average incentives decreased
from $2,807 to $2,678. "The gas price
hike seems to have encouraged consumers to strongly consider the practicality
of minivans -- a competitive segment that has recently introduced many
new, appealing products," remarked Dr. Jane Liu, Vice President
of Data Analysis for Edmunds.com. "Fortunately
for automakers, currently minivans are about as profitable as SUVs." About Edmunds.com
True Cost of Incentives(SM) (TCI(SM))
Edmunds.com's TCI(SM)
is a comprehensive monthly report that measures automobile manufacturers'
cost of incentives on vehicles sold in the United States. These costs are reported on a per vehicle basis for the industry
as a whole, for each manufacturer, for each make sold by each manufacturer
and for each model of each make. TCI
covers all aspects of manufacturers' various incentives programs (except
volume and similar bonus programs), including dealer cash, manufacturer
rebates and consumer savings from subvented APR and lease programs (including
subvented lease residual values used in manufacturer leasing programs). Data for the industry, the manufacturers and
the makes are derived using weighted averages and are based on actual
monthly sales and financing activity. About Edmunds.com,
Inc. Edmunds.com is the
premier online resource for automotive information. Its comprehensive
set of data, tools and services, including Edmunds.com True Market Value(R)
pricing, is generated by Edmunds Data Services and is licensed to third
parties. For example, the company supplies over 800,000
pages of content for the auto sections of AOL and NYTimes.com, provides
weekly data to Automotive News and delivers monthly data reports to
Wall Street analysts. Edmunds.com was named "best car research"
site by Forbes ASAP, has been selected by consumers as the "most
useful Web site" according to every J.D. Power and Associates New
Autoshopper.com Study(SM) and was ranked first in the Survey of Car-Shopping
Web Sites as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif. and maintains
a satellite office outside Detroit. SOURCE Edmunds.com
### Press Release
############################## News
Briefs--- Economy at midyear
on track for best growth in two decades http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20040706-1041- Southwest to reduce
airfares systemwide up to 65% http://www.usatoday.com/money/biztravel/2004-07-06-sw-fares_x.htm Australian Carrier
May Serve United States http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32797-2004Jul7.html Big financial firms
step up pace of offshoring jobs Survey finds 400%
jump in outsourcing, especially to India http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/07/06 /BUG297EQKJ1.DTL&type=business Firms that sell push
to join bank business—“Industrial Banks” http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2004/07/06/firms_that_sell_ Look for higher gas
prices before long http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2004-07-06-oil_x.htm Substation fire poses
blackout threat in Phoenix http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news/story.jsp?id=2004070620580002900 121&dt=20040706205800&w=RTR&coview= Archdiocese of Portland,
Ore., Declares Bankruptcy http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31266-2004Jul6.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Gimme
that Wine” Shimmery Rosés in
the Midday Sun---Eric Asimov http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/07/dining/07WINE.html History, personality
play second fiddle to a free tasting in Calistoga http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/06/17/WIGD276N911.DTL Hanzell Vineyards,
founded by a former U.S. ambassador and one of Sonoma County's oldest
wineries, has spent $4.1 million http://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/news/06hanzell_e1e01_biz_e1streete.html Sierra Club challenges
plant to be built in south Napa County October 22 and 23 The Culinary Institute
of America to Host Robert Parker Wine Advocate 25th Anniversary http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId= news_view&newsId=20040702005331&newsLang=en A Californian vineyard
is turning to wi-fi technology to help it grow better grapes. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3860863.stm In Apulia, Emancipation for the Grapes http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/07/dining/07PUGL.html Ice Cubes in Wine (Many people do this on inexpensive wine) http://wine.about.com/od/storage/a/icecubes.htm
Plastic Ice Cubes “I just ordered myself
a fresh, new set of nautical plastic ice cubes from the Oriental Trading
Co. They're VERY cute and feature little fish and shells in easy to
wash plastic. This is a great way to keep your wine chilled without
diluting it. I had a set of these a few years ago but managed to lose
them all. I think my guests were walking off with them ...”
On box wine or Toasted Head Chardonnay, you won’t taste the plastic; try
in a cheap sweet wine especially. This
Day in American History 1586- Birthday of Thomas Hooker, colonial American pastor
and an originator of the earliest system of federal government in America. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h544.html http://nvnv.essortment.com/thomashooker_rlfj.htm http://www.famousamericans.net/thomashooker/ http://www.colonialwarsct.org/1636.htm 1754
- In New York City, Kings College opened. For its first year of operation,
the institution admitted eight students and one faculty member, Dr.
Samuel Johnson, who would also serve as the school president. In 1784,
Kings College was renamed Columbia College, and later would became Columbia
University. Many prestigious awards hail from the university today,
including the Columbia Award for Journalism and the Pulitzer Prize for
Journalism that was named after former Columbia professor, Joseph Pulitzer.
1802
- Created by Robert Rusticoat in Hudson, New York, the first comic book
to ever be published was "The Wasp." 1846
- Commander J.D. Sloat of the United State Navy raised the American
flag in Monterey, proclaiming United States citizenship for California. 1851-birthday
of Lillian Jane Martin, founder of Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco,
the first mental hygienic clinic for normal pre-school children, famed psychologist who started the field of gerontology by opening
a clinic for the aged in 1929, when she was 78. She lived to an advanced
age, doing such things as traveling through the jungles of South America
at 87. In her "before"
career, she worked through the ranks at Stanford to become a full professor
of psychology in 1911. She was the first woman to head any department
there. After mandatory retirement at 65, she got
bored and began feeling old so she taught herself to type and then did
strenuous exercises to strengthen her body. In 1920 (at 69) she founded Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco, the
first mental hygienic clinic for normal pre-school children. In 1929 at 78, she started the work which has
resulted in reinventing old age. http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/martin.html 1851- Birthday of Charles A. Tindley, African-American Methodist
preacher and songwriter. His most enduring gospel hymns include 'Stand
By Me,' 'Nothing Between,' 'Leave It There'and 'By and By.'
Died July 26, 1933, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/t/i/tindley_ca.htm http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/1903 /Charles_A_Tindley_was_a_servant_of_the_Lord http://www.templeumc.org/archives/Charles_Tindley.html 1861-Birthday
of Dr. Nettie Maria Stevens - U.S. biologist who in 1905 announced that
chromosomes X and Y were responsible for the sex of the individual.
She was never rightfully given full credit for her discovery. Although Carson's
unit saw action in the New Mexico battles of 1862, he was most famous
for his campaign against the Indians. Despite his reputation for being
sympathetic and accommodating to tribes such as the Mescaleros, Kiowas,
and Navajo, under orders of the US Military, Carson waged a brutal campaign
against the Navajo in 1863. When bands of Navajo refused to accept confinement
on reservations, Carson terrorized the Navajo lands--burning crops,
destroying villages, and slaughtering livestock. Carson rounded up some
8,000 Navajo and marched them across New Mexico for imprisonment on
the Bosque Redondo, over 300 miles from their homes, where they remained
for the duration of the war. Kit Carson guided
Stephen W. Kearny's party from New Mexico to California during the Mexican
War and his bravery saved the company.
Kit Carson was appointed in 1853 as Indian agent for Taos, New
Mexico. Kit Carson was extremely qualified and helped calm the Apaches
on several different occasions that appeared nearly hopeless short the
entrance of his masterful skills During the Civil War Kit Carson joined the Union's Army 1st New
Mexican Volunteers he was
promoted to brigadier general for his outstanding campaign record After the Civil War Kit Carson commanded
Fort Garland garrison in Colorado. When he retired, he moved his family
back to Taos, New Mexico, where he died May
23, 1868. http://members.aol.com/RVSNorton/Lincoln5.html http://www.civilwarphotos.net/files/images/201.jpg http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/jan/papr/kitcarson.html
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gsrandGScid=38154 1865
- Mary E. Surratt became the first woman to be executed by the US government
after being found guilty of conspiring with John Wilkes Booth to assassinate
Abraham Lincoln. Her conviction was a subject of controversy as the
only crime she appeared to have committed was to own the boarding house
where Booth planned Lincoln's assassination.
The president and those living in the area condemning her for
allowing the plot to be hatched in her house.
Whether she was part of the plot
or knew of it was never proven. Three
others, also convicted in the conspiracy, were hanged along with Mary
E. Surratt: Lewis Payne, David E. Harold and George A. Atzerodt. This
took place at Buzzard Point, site of the first U.S. Penitentiary. She
was the first woman hanged in the United States. The complicity of
Mary Surratt in the plot was never completely proven. Sightings of the
ghost of Mary Surratt have been made here, at her boarding house on
K Street, and at the site of the Old Brick Capitol (now the site of
the Supreme Court). The ghost of Anna Surratt, is said to be heard occasionally
banging at the White House door to plead for the life of her mother
as she did in fact on the eve of the execution. http://members.aol.com/RVSNorton/Lincoln26.html http://www.surratt.org/documents/dmarye.html 1876
- The most notorious train robber of the American West, Jesse James,
held up the Missouri-Pacific train and robbed about $15,000. Accompanied
by his gang, Jesse James came to typify the hazards of the 19th-century
frontier as it has been portrayed in motion-picture Westerns. 1887-
Beatrice Fox Auerbach birthday - Hartford, Connecticut, business executive
and philanthropist who established a foundation to train women's groups
in the techniques of community organization. She succeeded her father as president of Hartford's G. Fox and
Company and developed it into the largest privately- owned retail store
in the nation. Died 1968. 1898-Hawaii
was annexed by the US. President William McKinley signed a resolution annexing Hawaii.
No change in government took place until 1900, when Congress
passed an act making Hawaii an “incorporated” territory of the US. This
act remained in effect until Hawaii became a state in 1959. 1905---
127ø F (53ø C), Parker Arizona (state
record) 1906-Birthday
of legendry pitcher Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige. Sometimes I feel
like I will never stop http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jul07.html 1907
-- Robert A. Heinlein birthday (1907-1988). Prolific American writer,
grand master of science fiction. His first stories appeared in action-adventure
pulp magazine "Astounding Science Fiction" in 1939.
His first novel, Rocket Ship Galileo appeared in 1947 and paved
way to children's science fiction. Wrote The
Green Hills of Earth, the militarist Starship Troopers, and the 60s hippie oriented
Stranger in a Strange Land
(a favorite of mass murderer Charles Manson). In 1975 Heinlein
was awarded the first Grand Master Nebula. http://www.nitrosyncretic.com/rah/ http://www.wegrokit.com/ http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0451912535/inktomi-bkasin-20/002-2909458-5798421 1908-
Harriette Louisa Simpson Arnow birthday - U.S. author who described
the Souther Appalachian life and people with honesty and authenticity.
She earned a college degree, which shocked her family who were
descendants of original Kentucky settlers that didn't believe in women's
education. She had to move to Cincinnati to live. Her most critically
acclaimed best seller was Hunter's Horn (1949) http://athena.english.vt.edu/~appalach/writersA/arnow.html http://www.oriscus.com/kywriters/arnow.htm http://webpages.marshall.edu/~broyles2/overv1.html 1913-Birthday
of sax player Hank Mobley, Eastman GA Died May 30, 1986 http://members.tripod.com/~hardbop/mobley.html http://www.wright.edu/~martin.maner/mobley.htm http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/11.20.97/jazz-9747.html 1915-birthday
of black author Margaret Walker, writer, born Birmingham, Alabama, died November 30, 1998 http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/english/ms-writers/dir/alexander_margaret_walker/ http://www.ibiblio.org/ipa/walker/ http://dept.english.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/walker-margaret.html 1917-Birthday
of jazz guitarist Lloyd "Tiny" Grimes guitar Newport News
VA Played with Charlie
Parker and later became a rock’n’roll guitarist. http://www.geocities.com/bighollowtwang/TinyGrimes.html http://www.geocities.com/bighollowtwang/TinyGrimes.html http://www.centrohd.com/biogra/g2/tiny_grimes_b.htm http://www.geocities.com/doo_wop_gino/cats.htm 1917-
John (Lonzo) Sullivan of the country comedy duo of Lonzo and Oscar was
born in Edmonton, Kentucky. John's Brother, Rollin, was Oscar. The brothers'
original songs included such ditties as "I'm My Own Grandpa"
- a hit before the Second World War - "You Blacked My Blue Eyes
Too Often" and "Take Them Cold Feet Out of My Back."
In 1947, Lonzo and Oscar began a 20 year association with the Grand
Ole Opry which ended in June 1967 with John Sullivan's death. Died June
5, 1967. 1923-Famed
San Franciscan Lefty O'Doul, who will become an outstanding major
league hitter later in his career, gives up 13 runs in the sixth
inning as the Indians rout the Red Sox, 27-3. He will finish his 11-year
stint in the majors with a lifetime batting average of .349. 1927-
trumpeter and conductor Doc Severinsen born Arlington, Oregon, perhaps best known
as the band leader for the “Johnny Carson Show.” http://www.delafont.com/music_acts/Doc-Severinsen.htm http://www.pianodesk.com/oldpage/doc.htm 1928-
singer Mary Ford, who had a series of pop hits with her husband, guitarist
Les Paul, in the 1950's, was born in Pasadena, California. Their successes
included "Mockin' Bird Hill," "How High the Moon"
and "Waiting For the Sunrise." Their recordings were among
the earliest to use the technique of multitracking, and featured Ford's
voice answering Paul's talking guitar. The hits stopped in 1961, and
Les Paul and Mary Ford were divorced two years later. Ford died on September
30th, 1977. http://us.imdb.com/Name?Ford,+Mary+(I) http://www.reevesaudio.com/visitlesandmary.html http://www.gould68.freeserve.co.uk/Les'n'MaryCol.html 1934
-- F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Wolfe, & Maxwell Perkins, lunch together.
Fitzgerald advises Wolfe, struggling with Perkins over revisions to
Of Time & the River: "You never cut anything out of a book
you regret later." 1937-
With President Franklin D. Roosevelt in attendance at Griffith
Stadium in Washington, Yankees' first baseman Lou Gehrig drives in four
runs with a home run and a double to lead the AL to an 8-3 victory over
the National League in All-Star action. 1948
- Satchel Paige was signed to pitch for the Cleveland Indians. Paige,
who became a baseball legend playing in the Negro leagues, put on a
major league uniform for the first time in his 23-year career. While
he claimed to be 39, many speculated that he was actually in his 50's.
1946-Pope
Pius XII presided over the canonization ceremonies for Mother Frances
Xavier Cabrini, as she became the first American to be canonized. She
was the founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
and her principal shrine is at mother Cabrini High School, New York,
NY. Carbrini was born at Lombardy Italy., July 15, 1859 and died at
Chicago, IL, December 22,1917. Her feast day is celebrated on December
22. 1948---Top
Hits You Can’t Be True,
Dear - The Ken Griffin Orchestra (vocal: Jerry Wayne) Nature Boy - Nat
King Woody Woodpecker
Song - The Kay Kaiser Orchestra (vocal: Gloria Wood and The Campus Kids) Bouquet of Roses
- Eddy Arnold 1949
- Jack Webb’s "Dragnet" made its radio debut on NBC radio.
This was the first program to dramatize actual cases from police files.
Each episode, on both radio and television, began with the announcement:
"The story you are about to hear [see] is true; the names have
been changed to protect the innocent;" and ended with the sentence
the criminal was given. After a successful television preview on "Chesterfield
Sound-Off Time," "Dragnet" made the permanent leap to
television in January 1952. From 1952 to 1956, the show enjoyed simultaneous
runs on radio and television, continuing on television until 1959. After
a seven year hiatus, the show resurfaced as "Dragnet ’67"
to distinguish itself from its own reruns. This first real-life police
drama series was such a success that it remains in syndication today. 1953-
R'n'B singer Peter Brown, who had a Top Ten hit in 1978 with "Dance
With Me." http://www.oldies.com/product/index.cfm/id/003497.html http://www.ostlyrics.com/s/summerofsam/007.htm 1954--Two
versions of "Sh-Boom" hit the top-10. The original version
by the Chords was at #9 and the cover version by The Crew Cuts was at
#5 1954-
Memphis disc jockey Dewey Phillips became the first DJ to play an Elvis
Presley record when he premiered "That's All Right" on his
"Red, Hot and Blue" show on station WHBQ. Phillips also interviewed
Presley on the program. "That's All Right" and its flip side,
an updating of the country tune "Blue Moon of Kentucky," were
hits in the Memphis area. 1956--
The Platters' "My Prayer" is released. 1956---Top
Hits The Wayward Wind
- Gogi Grant Be-Bop-A-Lula - Gene
Vincent and His Blue Caps Born to Be with You
- The Chordettes Crazy Arms - Ray
Price 1962
- With "The Stripper," orchestra leader David Rose reached
the number 1 spot on the popular music charts. The song stayed at the
top spot for one week. Rose’s previous success on the music charts was
with "Holiday for Strings" in 1944. 1962
- Riding Big Steve at Chicago, Illinois's Arlington Park, jockey Bill
Hartack won his 3,000th race. 1964---Top
Hits I Get Around - The
Beach Boys My Boy Lollipop -
Millie Small Memphis - Johnny
Rivers Together Again -
Buck Owens 1971--
Commissioner Kuhn and Hall of Fame president Paul Kirk announce former
Negro League players will have full membership in the Cooperstown shrine,
not a separate wing as previously planned. 1972---Top
Hits Song Sung Blue -
Neil Diamond Outa-Space - Billy
Preston Lean on Me - Bill
Withers Eleven Roses - Hank
Williams, Jr. 1975-“Ryan’s
Hope” premiered on TV. This ABC soap ran until 1989 and was set mostly
at the fictional Ryan’s Tavern on Riverside Hospital at New York City. 1980---Top
Hits Coming Up - Paul
McCartney and Wings The Rose - Bette
Midler It’s Still Rock and
Roll to Me - Billy Joel He Stopped Loving
Her Today - George Jones 1981
- President Reagan nominated Sandra Day O'Connor to become a Supreme
Court justice; she became the first woman member of the Supreme Court
in September. 1984
- 1984--"When Doves Cry," the first single to be released
from Prince's 1984 album Purple Rain, hits the top of the charts. The
song stayed on top for five weeks and became the best-selling single
of 1984. Meanwhile, the album topped the charts for 24 weeks and sold
more than 10 million copies. 1986
- Jackie Joyner-Kersee was the United State's biggest success at the
Goodwill Games. At the event held in Moscow, Russia, she broke the heptathlon
world record with 7,148 points. The same year, Jackie broke her own
record when she scored 7,158 points in the United States Olympic Sports
Festival where she won all the heptathlon's seven events. 1988
- Thirty-eight cities in the north central and northeastern U.S. reported
record low temperatures for the date. Youngstown, OH, hit 100 degrees,
and for the second day in a row, Flint, MI, reached 101 degrees, equaling
all-time records for those two cities. 1988---Top
Hits Dirty Diana - Michael
Jackson The Flame - Cheap
Trick Mercedes Boy - Pebbles If It Don’t Come
Easy - Tanya Tucker 1989
- Thunderstorms produced severe weather during the day, with more than
100 reports of large hail and damaging winds from Ohio to Massachusetts
and New Hampshire. Thunderstorm winds reached 90 mph in Sullivan County,
NH, and golf ball size hail was reported in Pennsylvania. Twenty-four
cities, mostly in the southwestern U.S., reported record high temperatures
for the date. Afternoon highs of 105 degrees at Cedar City, UT, and
114 degrees at Moab, UT, were all-time records for those locations 1990-
the world's three most famous tenors - Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo
and Jose Carreras - performed their first concert together. The performance,
in Rome on the eve of the World Cup soccer final, earned millions of
dollars for charity. An album of the event, "Carerras-Domingo-Pavorotti
in Concert," was a surprise hit on the pop charts, and eventually
became the best-selling classical album of all-time. 1998
-In the highest-scoring game in All-Star history, the American League
beats the senior circuit, 13-8 in the thin air at Coors Field in Denver.
The 21-run total surpasses the previous record set in 1954 when the
American League beat the Nationals,11-9 in Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. 1999
- The soundtrack album from Disney's film "Tarzan" was certified
platinum on this date. 1999--
The Rockies tie a 1903 major league record scoring in 15 consecutive
innings. Phillies' ace Curt Schilling ends the streak. Baseball
Poem Baseball: a Poem
by Nancy Pham Baseball is a simple
game, It’s hard to find
someone who does not know the name, of Ruth or Gehrig
or Mays baseball can go back
to the days of horse drawn, up
to horsepower an amusement used
to pass the hours and minutes, and
days, through a lifetime like mine the wonderful joy
of horsehide on cowhide the bat on the ball spikes on the bag dirt in your palms grass under your
feet the white of the
lines the black on the
plate the mound, that’s
just there the cap on your head the wood in your
hands the perfect throw
from center to home from third to first or that little flip
from short to second to complete the most beautiful
thing in the game the double play one…then two perfection like 90 feet in a
faultless diamond or 60 feet 6 in between it’s exciting, the rundown the homer the triple or triple play the double down the
left field line the stolen base or pickoff it’s boring, the walk the force play the infield fly rule, the ground-rule double it’s the stuff dreams
are made of Game 7 Bottom of the 9th 2 outs bases loaded and you hit the game
winning homer nothing nothing nothing is better than that nothing is better
than baseball a pure pastime a childhood memory a grown passion
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