Available by e-mail in a text format, sent out at 3:00am, free:

              http://www.leasingnews.org/addme-mailing-list.htm

 Headlines---

Classified Ads---Documentation/Finance/Legal

                        ELA 4th Q Lease Business Up  with Graphs                  

                          GE Vendor Finance/Direct Finance Merge

                            "Tax Me If You Can:" Leasing Tax Shelter Abuse

                               ELA Responds to Treasury Leasing Abuse Figures

                                 Nassau Asset Management 2003 Repro Report

                                    Don Bresina Joins Eagle Broadband as  GM

                                      New Research: Profiles of Vehicle Shoppers

                                          News Briefs---

                                             Sports Briefs---

                                               California Nuts Brief---

                                                 "Gimme that Wine"

                                     This Day in American History

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

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

Senior Sales Executive

            Classified Ads---Documentation / Finance / Legal

 101 Classified ads at: 

http://64.125.68.90/LeasingNews/JobPostings.htm

We help people find jobs.  Free posting for those looking for employment. Network, get active, start talking and practicing

your skills of selling yourself.  Give us a try---We do have

testimonials that we have helped not only those in sales but

credit, documentation, finance, even an attorney and CFO,

who found a major position via our free posting:

http://64.125.68.90/LeasingNews/JobPostings.htm

               Don't Give Up!!!!

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_______________________________________________________

Equipment Leasing Industry Quarterly Report Shows New Business Volume Up in 4^th Quarter 2003

   with Graphs

  ELT News

Arlington, Virginia –  – The Equipment Leasing Association's (ELA) 4Q 2003 Performance Indicators Report (PIR) shows new business volume grew at 4.0 percent when compared to the 4Q 2002. Total net portfolio slightly declined by 0.4 percent.

Other 4Q PIR Findings:

• Total number of employees declined 7.64 percent as companies continue to streamline staff. 

• Credit approval ratios are up 120 basis points, compared to the same quarter last year. 
• Average losses dropped 20 basis points when compared to the previous year. 
• Lease payments on-time (under 30 days) increased slightly when compared to 4Q 2002 by 60 basis points.

“All the key metrics are showing positive signs,” said Ralph Petta, Vice President of Industry Services for ELA. “The results show higher new business volume, stable net portfolios, lower charge-offs, higher credit approval ratios, and increased productivity. We expect this year to include more good news of this nature.”

Here are graphs that illustrate the changes:

Total Net Portfolio

Total New Business Volumes

Average Losses (Charge-offs) as a % of net receivables

Credit Approval Ratio

Total Number of Employees

http://www.leasingnews.org/articles.doc/feb-17-2004.htm

The PIR study is conducted quarterly by ELA, which provides a variety of data, including customized market analyses, to ELA members and organizations involved in the $218 billion equipment leasing industry. The survey is conducted among approximately 20 major leasing companies on a quarterly basis, affording trend analysis across all major performance areas.

Because the same companies were tracked and used in the analysis, the PIR provides fairly reliable trend analysis. Each illustration reflects the data provided by those companies responding to that particular question. Typically, not every company polled responds to every question.

About ELA

Organized in 1961, the Equipment Leasing Association (ELA) is the premier non-profit association representing companies involved in the dynamic equipment leasing and finance industry to the business community, government and media. As the voice of the leasing industry, ELA promotes the estimated $218 billion industry as a major source of funds for capital investment in the United States and abroad. Headquartered in Arlington, Va., ELA has more than 800 member companies and a staff of 25 professionals. For more information on ELA, please visit www.ELAOnline.com. 

  Account Executives

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

           GE Vendor Finance/Direct Finance Merge

DF and VF have merged in Chicago for all small ticket.  All business runs through the same people now for both vendor and broker.

"Today we are making an announcement on the continued refinement of our DF Platform. This will help us continue to focus our investment and efforts on the strategic and profitable growth areas within Diversified Flow.

"As part of this, please congratulate Rich Wargo who has accepted a position with GE Energy Financial Services and today will be his last day.

"Larry Kunkel will immediately assume responsibilities as the Broker Sales leader. He will report to Jim Madej.

"Overall DF is strong and growing at an expected rate of 10% in '04."

Thanks

Jim Madej

Growth Leader, Diversified Flow

Express Financial Solutions

847 283 6281

(Reportedly Rich Wargo was there for only 6 months, and another

source told us, "We heard this coming.  The only problem with Larry is he is inundated with deals.” Some problem?  editor)

    "Tax Me If You Can:" Leasing Tax Shelter Abuse

 Tax Me If You Can, Airs February 19,THURSDAY, PBS; Investigates Abuse of Tax Shelters

             AccountingWEB.com

It was one of corporate America's biggest hidden profit centers in the past decade -- the tax shelter -- and it became so lucrative that last year it helped major U.S. companies cut their tax rate to just half of what they had historically paid, leaving individual taxpayers to make up the difference. The General Accounting Office estimates that illegitimate tax shelters cost the government more than $85 billion in recent years.

"Anything that's not being paid that should be paid, that's basically what the honest taxpayer is making up," asserts Charles Rossotti, a Republican businessman who became commissioner of Internal Revenue in 1997 and spent five years battling bogus shelters. Rossotti estimates that because the government is not collecting all that is owed -- the biggest piece of which is illegitimate tax shelters -- everyone else is paying 15 percent more than they should.

In "Tax Me If You Can," airing Thursday, February 19, at 9 P.M. on PBS (check local listings), FRONTLINE® correspondent Hedrick Smith investigates the rampant abuse of tax shelters since the late 1990s. Through interviews with government officials, tax experts, and industry insiders, Smith uncovers an avalanche of bogus transactions created by some of America's biggest and most-respected accounting firms, law firms, and investment banks that were then aggressively marketed to big corporations and wealthy individuals.

In "Tax Me If You Can," Smith follows the tax shelter trail to some surprising places. Smith discovers that sewer pipes in the city of Bochum, Germany, for example, have offered a huge tax write-off to the major American bank, Wachovia, of Charlotte, NC.

It was a deal that Bochum city officials couldn't refuse: Through a complex, long-term lease-and-service transaction, the city would lease out its underground sewer pipes to Wachovia for $500 million. The city would then immediately lease the pipes back, thus retaining use of its sewer system, and repay the lease over a period of many years. In return, Bochum was immediately paid a $20 million fee. Wachovia would eventually get its money back -- plus a fast, multi-million-dollar tax write-off. Wachovia declined to be interviewed by FRONTLINE. But working with Wachovia's annual reports, Robert McIntyre, director of the Institute for Taxation and Finance, details the payoff to Wachovia's bottom line from many leasing deals similar to the Bochum transaction.

"Amazingly, in 2002 -- even though it reported $4 billion in profits -- [Wachovia] reported that it didn't pay any taxes," McIntyre tells FRONTLINE. "They worked it by sheltering all of their income. They said they saved $3 billion in taxes over the last three years from leasing -- huge write-offs."

"Tax Me If You Can" also reveals how some of America's most respected accounting firms drove the tax shelter wave, generating dozens of shelters that were mass marketed and then found to be illegitimate by the IRS and the courts. In the documentary, Smith speaks with a former tax attorney for KPMG, who describes how the firm's accountants and attorneys were ordered by KPMG tax executives to design -- and market aggressively -- as many tax shelters as possible, since the firm made a profit based on how much it saved its clients in taxes. KPMG declined to speak to FRONTLINE. But recently the firm fired and/or retired several of its leading tax partners who had overseen KPMG's tax shelter operation, after they had been called to testify in a congressional investigation.

FRONTLINE's Smith notes, "Chasing bogus tax shelters for the IRS was like a game of cat and mouse. The IRS had a terrible time finding them because they were hidden deep in tax returns. Once the IRS spotted one type of shelter and issued a regulation to block it, the shelter promoters had designed a new one. The IRS was forever playing catch-up."

"Tax Me If You Can" concludes by reporting that while the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate has passed broad tax shelter reform legislation, both the Bush administration and private sector companies, such as accounting and leasing firms, oppose a Senate-backed provision requiring that shelters have economic substance and genuine business purpose to be legal. The House of Representatives has so far declined to pass such legislation, which remains bottled up in the Ways and Means Committee.

"You're talking about powerful accounting firms, powerful legal firms, powerful investment bankers in a conspiracy to promote these tax shelters," declares Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, who sponsored the Senate bill. "They also have a fourth arm. They hire some of the most powerful lobbyists in town to work against this legislation."

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

Equipment Leasing Association Responds to Treasury Department Testimony

Association Disputes $750 Billion Number for “SILO” transactions

Arlington, VA—The Equipment Leasing Association (ELA), a non-profit association representing the $218 billion equipment leasing and finance industry, has responded to new assertions by the Treasury Department regarding the scope of “SILO” transactions. In seeking to defend the Treasury's leasing tax-increase proposals, Treasury Assistant Secretary Pam Olson testified yesterday before the House Ways and Means Committee that as much as $750 billion of “SILO” transactions have been done in the past four years.

Aggregate leasing industry data clearly indicates that the value of assets involved in the types of transactions described by the Treasury Department is estimated to be $60-80 billion over a four year period. The Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation's 2003 State of the Industry Report estimates the size of the entire leasing industry to be $218 billion in 2004.

“Treasury is clearly overstating the size of these types of transactions, which account for only about 10% of all leasing transactions. We question how Treasury came up with their number, which more closely represents the size of our entire industry,” ELA President Michael Fleming. The association also expressed its willingness to work with Congress as it considers legislation in the tax-exempt leasing area.

About The Equipment Leasing Association

Organized in 1961, the Equipment Leasing Association (ELA) is the premier non-profit association representing companies involved in the dynamic equipment leasing and finance industry to the business community, government and media. As the voice of the leasing industry, ELA promotes the estimated $208 billion industry as a major source of funds for capital investment in the United States and abroad.

ELA provides its members with comprehensive services, assists in the resolution of industry issues, educates financial decision-makers on the benefits of leasing and promotes high standards of business practices within the industry. ELA maintains an informational portal for financial decision-makers to learn more about leasing and find a leasing company at http://www.LeaseAssistant.org. Headquartered in Arlington, Va., ELA has more than 800 member companies and a staff of 25 professionals. For more information on ELA, please visit ELA Online at http://www.ELAOnline.com.

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

Repossession Trends 2003: Outlook for Trucks, Printing, and Construction Brightened, But Some Other Equipment Categories Took Hits

Nassau Asset Management Releases Results for 2003

ROSLYN HEIGHTS, N.Y.,  -- Repossessions of trucks and trailers declined throughout all four quarters of 2003, signaling good news for the U.S. trucking industry, according to Nassau Asset Management's NasTrac Quarterly Index (NQI).  In other positive economic trends, repossessions involving printing presses and construction equipment dropped off during the final three quarters.  Still, 2003 was not a turnaround economic year for all types of equipment repossessions.

"Just as the overall economy strengthened in 2003, we noted significant improvements in three of the five top equipment repossession categories that we resell -- trucks, printing presses, and construction.  But 2003 was not completely rosy when you analyze repossessions of some other types of equipment," says Ed Castagna, senior vice president of Nassau Asset Management.

"While there were 46 percent fewer repossessions of machine tools overall in 2003, they had a roller-coaster year -- a very strong start followed by a weaker showing in the final three quarters.  This may reflect the uneven recovery of the manufacturing industry as a whole.  Members of the Turnaround Management Association, who are corporate renewal specialists, recently picked manufacturing as one of the industries that suffered the most during 2003," Castagna explains.  "In addition, there were actually more repossessions of medical devices in 2003 than in 2002.  This may have been due in part to continuing regulatory and insurance pressures on the industry."

Nassau Asset Management has tracked equipment for several decades as a function of its nationwide remarketing operation, which resells all types of assets including trucks, construction equipment, printing presses, machine tools, medical devices, and buses.  The company in 2003 launched NQI, which reports on equipment types generating the greatest volume of liquidations.

NQI's public data provides a snapshot of recent recovery and sales activity compared with the same time frame a year before, helping equipment leasing and finance companies forecast current market conditions so they can evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their portfolios.  When viewed over time, NQI also can be leveraged as one of several components to help gauge the economic health of individual industry sectors.

Nassau clients can obtain more detailed information as part of the NQI service, including customized data on specific types of equipment and their values extending back to 2000.

Top Repossessions in 2003 

The NQI 2003 year-end analysis reports on trucks/trailers, printing presses, medical devices, machine tools, and construction equipment.  These were the top five repossessed capital assets in 2003, according to Nassau's internal records on liquidations.

Castagna says the 2003 data, when compared with 2002, indicates:

* a 56 percent overall decrease in repossessions of trucks and 

trailers.  Trucks and trailers were the only one of the five top 

equipment categories tracked that showed improvement over all four

quarters.  Other positive trends within the industry include the 

growth in commercial trucks sales over the latter part of 2003 and

projected into 2004, according to the Truck Renting and Leasing 

Association (TRALA).

* a 63 percent overall drop in repossessions of printing presses.

Printing presses overcame a poor showing in Q1 2003 (up 141 percent 

compared with Q1 2002) to improve over the last three quarters of 

the year.  This correlates with findings from the National 

Association of Printing Leadership (NAPL), which reported in 

November that the printing industry was "finally showing signs of 

what may be a sustainable upturn, following more than two years of 

steep and broad sales declines."

* a 24 percent overall decline in repossessions of construction 

equipment.  Construction equipment had a rough first quarter, (up 

452 percent from Q1 2002) but improved over the final three 

quarters.  Other signs of a strengthening construction industry 

include a U.S. Commerce Department report released Feb. 2 that 

showed construction spending in January rose for the seventh 

consecutive month.

* a 16 percent overall increase in repossessions of medical devices, 

despite a strong first quarter (down 63 percent from Q1 2002).  This 

may reflect a number of pressures within the industry.  A 2003 

survey of members of the Advanced Medical Technology Association 

(AdvaMed), for example, painted a picture of "a highly competitive 

industry that is increasing its focus on developing next-generation 

and breakthrough technologies.  The findings also paint a picture of

an industry that is encountering significant FDA regulatory hurdles 

in getting these advances approved as well as intense pressure to 

assure that their technologies are cost saving or cost effective."

* a 46 percent overall decrease in repossessions of machine tools.

Repossessions of machine tools dropped dramatically in Q1 (down 76 

percent from Q1 2002), increased slightly by 4 percent in Q2 

compared with the same timeframe the previous year, then jumped 

significantly during the final two quarters (up 83 percent from Q3

2002 and 52 percent from Q4 2002).  Despite some positive news in

the machine tool industry during 2003, including reports of 

increased demand in November, members of the Turnaround Management 

Association recently picked manufacturing as one of the industries

that suffered the most during 2003.

Readers should keep in mind that the assets NQI covers may change from quarter to quarter since Nassau plans to feature only the largest asset groups in its multimillion dollar portfolio.  Additionally, results must be viewed over several quarters to establish reliable trends since all industries experience cyclical changes.

To view NQI charts on repossessions as they are available, please visit the Web sites of equipment leasing and finance industry trade journals or contact Nassau.

About Nassau 

Nassau Asset Management of Roslyn Heights, NY, has been providing full- service asset management, including asset recovery, collections, remarketing, full plant liquidations, and appraisals for more than 25 years to the equipment leasing and finance industry.

 For more information, please visit www.nasset.com or call 1-800-4.NASSAU.

Edward Castagna
Senior Executive Vice President
Nassau Asset Management
1-800.4.NASSAU, ext. 301
ecast@nasset.com

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

         Don Bresina Joins Eagle Broadband as General Manager

Eagle Broadband, a leading provider of broadband and communications products and services, announced the appointment of Don Bresina, formerly with Koch Industries and Crocker National Bank, as general manager of security and financial services, effective immediately.

In this newly created position, Bresina will report directly to CEO Dave Weisman and will be responsible for leading Eagle's security division, the company's strategic business investment and M&A activities as well as assisting Eagle's broadband customers with their financing needs. In managing Eagle's security business, strategic investments and financial services functions, his responsibilities will include:

Full profit-and-loss responsibility for Eagle's security business with a focus on rapidly growing subscribers nationwide (both standalone and as part of our “four-play” suite of Bundled Digital voice, video, high-speed data and security services).

Evaluating, structuring and financing strategic investment, mergers and acquisition opportunities that can drive short- and long- term revenue and earnings growth.

Assisting Eagle's broadband municipality, utility district, real estate developer and hospitality customers with a comprehensive range of public and private financing, underwriting and leasing services.

“Don brings a truly unique combination of senior executive management, financing and strategic investment experience to Eagle Broadband,” said Weisman. “He has a proven track record of growing businesses and creating value for investors and shareholders. With a blue chip public and private sector client list, deep investment banking relationships, access to a myriad of capital sources and the knowledge and experience to structure and close innovative accretive transactions, he brings a range of strategic capabilities to Eagle enabling us to better meet customer needs and achieve our aggressive revenue and profit goals.”

“I have been very impressed with Eagle's vision, their team and industry-leading capabilities and am very excited about joining the company,” said Bresina. “Eagle has gained tremendous momentum and is in a unique position to capitalize on its strong partnerships and highly competitive product portfolio. I look forward to working with Dave and the entire Eagle team to fully capitalize on the company's terrific market opportunities,” Bresina added.

Bresina brings more than 25 years of proven executive management and financial experience growing and operating businesses in telecommunications, electronic security, energy, merchant banking, public and private financing, and equipment leasing. He has led or participated in transactions totaling more than $5 billion. Bresina currently leads a private investment group, Sweetwater Ventures, LLC, focusing on strategic investments in electronic alarm monitoring and will continue to serve as its Chairman. Sweetwater has made five acquisitions in the past 18 months, growing to one of the top 50 (out of more than 14,000) alarm companies in the U.S.

Prior to Sweetwater, Bresina held senior executive positions at Koch Industries, Inc., a $35 billion private energy and commodity trading company which served large consumers of natural gas and power. While at Koch he developed commodity-based trading, hedging and asset optimization strategies for industrial customers, investor-owned and municipal utilities and cooperatives. Bresina-led investments included profitable ventures in energy development and technology and specialty finance and he also managed a $255 million private equity investment fund. He served on the boards of directors of several portfolio investments; as executive vice president of $2 billion Koch Energy, Inc.; as president of Koch Industrial & Utility Services, Inc.; and as managing director of Koch Ventures, Inc.

Bresina also was president and founder of Public Leasing Corporation which provided financing and leasing services for state and local governments, municipalities, public utilities and educational institutions. At Public Leasing, he led more than 15 equity investments and more than 100 debt transactions. Public Leasing was also was selected as a joint marketing partner by Pacific Bell to provide financing to state and local governments for telecommunications services. While at Public Leasing, he developed an innovative approach to the securitization of telecommunications services as an emerging securitization asset class by issuing Centrex contract-backed bonds and assisted a number of California state and local governments with a range of financing needs. Bresina was also president of R.H. Moulton an underwriter of municipal and government securities which he grew to become the nation's 10 largest underwriter of multifamily housing bonds. Bresina also was vice president/manager of the capital markets division at Crocker National Bank where he led the municipal and U.S. government bond trading department.

Bresina holds a B.S. in Business Administration and Accounting from the University of Kansas.

For more information about Eagle Broadband, visit www.eaglebroadband.com.

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

New Research Reveals Profiles of Vehicle Shoppers by Make/Model or Segment

Monthly AutoVIBES Report Provides Demographics of Vehicle Shoppers 

Before Cars Hit Marketplace

IRVINE, Calif.,  -- AutoVIBES, a monthly automotive omnibus study from Harris Interactive(R) and Kelley Blue Book tracking new vehicle nameplates, now provides customized shopper profiles for vehicle and vehicle segments before the first vehicle is ever sold.

Since October of 2003, AutoVIBES has tracked car shoppers' awareness, attribute ratings, favorability and buying intentions of new vehicle nameplates before they hit the marketplace.  Detailed demographic information is collected as part of the study allowing Harris Interactive and Kelley Blue Book to identify profiles of shoppers of each new vehicle.  Additionally, data can be compiled and trended beginning several months before a vehicle is sold and tracked all the way through its consumer introduction and sale.

"Many marketers look at the demographics of vehicle registrations months after a car has been in the consumer marketplace to determine whether or not it's being purchased by its intended segment," said Rick Wainschel, director of marketing research at Kelley Blue Book.  "Through AutoVIBES, manufacturers and vehicle marketers can see intender profiles long before the first car is ever sold."

SAMPLE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA AVAILABLE

Demographic Information by Make/Model 

Chevy Aveo: 41% of those considering an Aveo are age 45 or older 

Ford Freestar: 44% of Freestar considerers do not have kids under the 

age of 18 living in the household 

Kia Amanti: 20% of those considering an Amanti are African American 

Nissan Pathfinder Armada: 52% of shoppers considering the Armada 

are women 

Scion xA: 75% of xA intenders are male and 41% are age 45 or older

- Above data is a compilation of results from 

AutoVIBES October 2003 through January 2004.

DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION BY VEHICLE SEGMENT

Among those who intend to buy a hybrid vehicle: 

61 % are men 

71 % are age 35 or older 

56 % are college graduates 

35 % have an annual household income under $50,000 

75 % are Caucasian 

83 % are considering a Toyota 

61 % are considering a Honda

- Above data is a compilation of results from 

AutoVIBES October 2003 through December 2003.

AutoVIBES is a monthly omnibus survey of 1,500 - 2,000 in-market vehicle buyers who plan to purchase or lease a new vehicle within the next 12 months. The survey is conducted on Kelley Blue Book's Web site, (www.kbb.com) the most visited Web site among in-market vehicle buyers, and is designed and analyzed jointly by Harris Interactive and Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research.  Based on the first several months of AutoVIBES, 15% of omnibus respondents are within one week of purchasing or leasing a new vehicle and 50% are between eight and 90 days of purchasing or leasing a new vehicle.

"AutoVIBES truly offers a prescient view of consumer attitudes and vehicle buying intentions in this ultra-competitive U.S. auto industry," said Scott D. Upham, senior vice president of Automotive & Transportation Research for Harris Interactive.  "Not only are there standard questions regarding new nameplates, but AutoVIBES also allows manufacturers to insert any vehicle related question for proprietary marketing needs."

For more information on AutoVIBES or obtaining customized demographic intention profile reports for specific makes, models or vehicle segments, contact Harris Interactive or Kelley Blue Book at: 1-877-919-4765, autovibes@kbb.com or autovibes@harrisinteractive.com.

About Harris Interactive(R) 

Harris Interactive (www.harrisinteractive.com) is a worldwide market research and consulting firm best known for The Harris Poll(R), and for pioneering the Internet method to conduct scientifically accurate market research.  Headquartered in Rochester, New York, U.S.A., Harris Interactive combines proprietary methodologies and technology with expertise in predictive, custom and strategic research.  The Company conducts international research through wholly owned subsidiaries -- London-based HI Europe (www.hieurope.com) and Tokyo-based Harris Interactive Japan -- as well as through the Harris Interactive Global Network of local market- and opinion- research firms, and various U.S. offices. EOE M/F/D/V 

To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited to participate in future online surveys, visit www.harrispollonline.com.

About Kelley Blue Book (kbb.com) 

Kelley Blue Book is the most trusted vehicle information resource by both consumers and the auto industry, providing research tools and up-to-date pricing on thousands of new and used vehicles, including the company's New Car Blue Book Value, which reveals what a new car is actually selling for.  Since 1926, car buyers and sellers have relied upon Kelley Blue Book for authoritative and unbiased information to make well-informed automotive decisions.  The company reports vehicle prices and values via products and services including the famous Blue Book Official Guide(TM), software and Internet site, kbb.com.  Kbb.com has been rated the No. 1 automotive information site by Nielsen//NetRatings and No. 1 and first visited automotive site by J.D. Power and Associates five years running.  No other medium reaches more in-market car-buyers than kbb.com; one in every four American car-buyers complete their research on kbb.com.

SOURCE  Kelley Blue Book 

CO:  Kelley Blue Book; Harris Interactive

ST:  California, New York

SU:  SVY

Web site:  http://www.hieurope.com

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

                     News Briefs---

Short-term T-bill rates dip   http://www.boston.com/business/markets/articles/2004/02/18/short_term_t
_bill_rates_dip/

Fannie Mae Jan duration gap at minus one month   

http://www.absnet.net/include/showfreearticle.asp?file=/headlines/.htm

Two banks offering small businesses free checking          http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2004/02/17/two_banks_offering_
small_businesses_free_checking/

Court upholds do-not-call list     http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2004/02/18/court_upholds_
do_not_call_list/

Tyco Officer Tells of Board Reaction to Fee                     http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/18/business/18tyco.html?pagewanted=all

http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/040217/crime_kozlowski_5.html

Accusations against Tyco executives

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/2002-09-13-tycolist4.htm

Tyco probes alleged improper payments

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/manufacturing/2004-02-17-tyco
-probe_x.htm

Survey of about 900 people age 50 and older

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49870-2004Feb18.html

Working on wellness                             http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20040217-9999-1b17obesity.html

Strong sales boost Deere profits 151 percent in first quarter

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20040217-1325-earns-deere.html

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

                    Sports Briefs---

Bonds's Trainer Admitted Giving Steroids to Major League Players

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/02/18/BALCO.TMP

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48827-2004Feb17.html

Rodriguez T-Shirts a Hot Item              http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/18/sports/baseball/18UNIF.html

Greg Maddux Signs Deal With Chicago Cubs

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-BBN-Cubs-Maddux.html

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

                        California Nuts Brief--

Schwarzenegger encourages San Francisco officials to obey that law                            http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/02/18/SAMESEX.TMP

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

                    “Gimme that Wine”

German scientists say they have come up with a way to stop wine tasting of cork.

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_866947.html

Brentwood farmer-developer Ron Nunn and Rosenblum Cellars plan $1/2 Billion 481-acre development in East Contra Costa

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/7971119.htm

Armagnac, Cognac's Country Cousin

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/18/dining/18WINE.html

                This Day in American History

     1571- A group of Spanish Jesuits in the Chesapeake Bay area, led by Fray Batista Segura, were murdered by the Indians they had come six months earlier to convert. The massacre led ultimately to the withdrawal of all Jesuits living in Florida as well. On September 8, 1565, the first white colony in what is now the US was founded At. St. Augstine, FLA, by the Spanish under Pedro Menendez de Aviles.  The first Catholic parish was founded by Fr. Don Martin Francisco Lopez de Mendozo Grajales, chaplain of the Spanish expeditionary forces. The first introduction of European livestock such as black cattle, horses, sheep and swine, into America was made by the Spanish in Florida. The Spanish began to settle the area, including fighting all those who had laid claim to the land.  On September 20^th, Mendendez destroyed Fort Caroline, and massacred most of its inhabitants.  He renamed it San Mateo and in the next two years built a strong of Forts to Tampa Bay while looking for a water passage across Florida. The once “peaceful” Indians were either converted to Christianity or tortured and killed by the Spanish on their quest in the New World.

1668-Protest against slavery of importance was made by the German Friends, or Quakers, at a meeting in Germantown, PA.  They protested against the “traffic in the bodies of men” and considered the question of the “lawfulness and unlawfulness of buying an keeping Negroes.” Some of the protesters were Francis Daniel Pastorius, Dirck opden Graeff, Abrahama op de Graeff, and Gerhard Hendricks. 1678- John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" was first published, in England. Bunyan was frequently imprisoned for preaching without a license. During these sequestered times, between 1660-72, Bunyan collected the ideas enabling him to pen this masterpiece of Christian literature. It was the most popular book

in the new colonies.

http://www.orionsgate.org

http://www.hcis.net/users/miltozah/pilgrim1.htm

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/025201894X/avsearch-df1-2-20/102-1682336-8966565

    1685 -Explorer Renee-Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle established a French colony at Fort St Louis in Texas.

    1795-  George Peabody birthday, American merchant philanthropist, born at South Danvers, MA.  He endowed the Peabody institute in Baltimore, museums at Harvard and Yale and the George Peadbody College for Teachers at Nashville, TN. Died at London, England, Nov 4, 1869

   1834- 1st US labor newspaper, "The Man", published, New York NY

   1839 -Detroit Boat Club forms (still exists today). http://www.detroitboatclub.com/

   1841- First Continuous filibuster in the Senate began over the issue of dismissal of the printers of the Senate. The filibuster continued until March 11. The first extended filibuster, debating the establishment of a national bank, began on June 21 and lasted fourteen days. First continuous filibuster in US Senate began, lasting until March 11

http://www.historychannel.com/cgi-bin/frameit.cgi?p=http%3A//www.historychannel.com/cgi-bin/today_relocate.cgi%3Fmonth%3D10%26day%3D11%26section%3Dthisday%26x%3D17%26y%3D7

http://www.newsaic.com/ftvww39n.html

http://wing_nuts.tripod.com/issue.html

   1848- Louis Comfort Tiffany birthday, American artist, son of famed jeweler Charles L. Tiffany. Best remembered for his remarkable work and with decorative iridescent “vavrile” glass. Born at New York, NY, died there Jan 17, 1933.

   1859-Scholem Aleichem birthday , pen name of Russian-born author and humorist Solomon Rabinowitz. Affectionately known in the US as the “Jewish

Mark Twain,”  Died at New York, NY. 1916

   1861-Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as President of the Confederate States

of  America.  In the years before the Civil War, Senator Jefferson Davis was the acknowledged leader of the Southern bloc and  champion of states' rights, but he had little to do with the secession movement until after his home state of Mississippi joined the Confederacy January 9, 1861.  Davis withdrew from the Senate that same day.  He was unanimously chosen as president of the Confederacy's provisional government, actually surprised with the news

while he was pruning the roses for the winter with his wife, and was inaugurated at Montgomery, Alabama this day. Within the next year he was elected to a six-year term by popular vote and inaugurated a second time February 22, 1862 at Richmond, VA.

   1865 - In the American Civil War, the Unionist fleet took the town of Charleston, South Carolina. In Columbia, SC, the fires still burned from the prior day invasion by federal troops under Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman. Bales of cotton were put to the torch, perhaps by Confederates to prevent their falling into federal hands. Strong winds scattered the burning cotton across most of the city.  The entire south was becoming scorched earth as Gen. Grant's plan was to cut off all supplies and food, blockade ships from Europe or free Southern ports.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/feb18.html

   1867- Morehouse College: The Augusta Institute was founded in Georgia. Established as an institution of higher learning for black students, it moved to Atlanta in 1879, and in 1913 changed its name to Morehouse College.

http://www.morehouse.edu/

    1874- Mary Williams Dewson birthday, political reformer. Her studies helped pass the Massachusetts minimum wage law in 1913 (the first in the U.S.), instrumental in the passage of New York State's unemployment insurance program and helped establish minimum wage laws in other parts of the country. While superintendent of the Massachusetts State Industrial School for Girls made statistical studies to better understand the cause and rehabilitation of female delinquency.   Recruited by her friend Eleanor Roosevelt, she organized Democratic women for Alfred E. Smith's campaign of 1928 and did the same for Franklin Roosevelt in his 1930 gubernatorial campaign and later for his campaign for president.  Eleanor Roosevelt got Dewson a position with the women's division of the Democratic National Committee and in her reorganization she used her influence to get government jobs for women party workers and with ER was probably the most powerful force in gaining the Secretary of Labor appointment for Frances Perkins. Under her tutelage, the women's division became a guiding force of the democratic party. Instrumental in the adoption of the Democratic rule that gave equal representation to women on the platform committee.   Her appointment to the Social Security Board in 1937 finally got things moving with Congress and she formed a working relationship with the states. Because of heart problems she retired to Maine with Mary Porter with whom she had shared a home since 1913.

 http://www.nps.gov/elro/glossary/dewson-mary.htm

   1882- violinist Alfred De Seve, a native of Montreal, appeared with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Mendelssohn's "Concerto in E Minor." His appearance was among the earliest by a Canadian soloist with a US orchestra.

   1885 - Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published in the United States for the first time. At the time, the book was banned by many libraries for its racial-equality overtones. One hundred years and eleven years later, the book was again in the headlines, targeted to be banned from school reading lists because of its racial inequalities

   1892-Wendell Wilkie birthday, American lawyer, author, public utility executive and politician, born at Elwood, IN. Presidential nominee of the Party in 1940.  Remembered for his book, ‘One World,” published in 1943.”

He ran for the nomination in 1944 but suffered a series of four heart

attacks and lost to New York Governor Thomas Dewey.

   1899 -San Francisco, California hit its warmest temperature ever recorded for the month of February. The mercury soared to 80 degrees.

    1908 - For the first time, United States' postage stamps were sold. They cost a penny.

    1928- Tenor Sax player Harold Land birthday, Houston, TX

http://members.tripod.com/~hardbop/land.html
http://www.view.com/land-bio.html

http://artists.spun.com/harold_land

   1928-Drummer Frank Butler birthday, Kansas City, MO http://www.centrohd.com/biogra/b2/frank_butler_b.htm

http://www.artistdirect.com/music/artist/bio/0,,410461,00.html?artist=Frank+Butler

   1924-Bix Biederbecke and the Wolverines cut first records in Richmond, Indiana, for Gennett ( Fidgety Feet, Jazz Me Blues, Lazy Daddy.)

   1930-Cow milked while flying in an airplane.  Elm Farm Ollie became the first cow to fly in an airplane. During the flight, which was attended by reporters, she was milked and the milk was sealed in paper containers and parachuted over St. Louis, MO.

   1930-Planet Pluto discovered.  Pluto, the ninth plant, was discovered by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory at Flagstaff, AZ. It was given the name of the Roman god of the underworld.  Some astronomers don't accept Pluto as a planet.

   1931-Toni Morrison birthday, Nobel Prize-winning novelist (Beloved, Jazz Tar Baby, Sual), born Lorain, OH.

http://www.historychannel.com/cgi-bin/frameit.cgi?p=http%3A//www.historychannel.com/cgi-bin/today_relocate.cgi%3Fmonth%3D10%26day%3D11%26section%3Dthisday%26x%3D17%26y%3D7

   1932 - In Montreal, Canada, Sonja Henie won her 6th world women's figure skating title.

  1938 –“The Big Broadcast of 1983” was released, one of the most famous motion pictures of all time hit the silver screen, as "The Big Broadcast of 1938" was released. The film featured Bob Hope singing his version of, "Thanks for the Memory", which got an Oscar for Best Song. Also starring in the film were Dorothy Lamour and W.C. Fields.

   1939- Golden Gate International Exposition opens on Treasure Island.

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/EART/digital/general/goldengate-lg.gif

.htmlhttp://www.sfmuseum.org/hist6/ti-statue.html

http://www.sfmuseum.org/views/ggieviews.ppt

   1942 – The Mills Brothers on Decca records recorded one of their three all time greatest hit, "Paper Doll". The other two classics by the Mills Brothers are: "You Always Hurt The One You Love" (1944) and "Glow Worm" (1952).

   1945---Top Hits

Don't Fence Me In - Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters

Accentuate the Positive - Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters

I Dream of You - The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (vocal: Freddy Stewart)

I'm Losing My Mind Over You - Al Dexter

   1949 - On CBS radio, "Yours Truly Johnny Dollar" debuted on CBS radio, starring Charles Russell as the insurance investigator. The show was the last of radio's major, dramatic network programs. Johnny Dollar continued until 1962.

http://www.wayback.net/jd.htm

   1953---Top Hits

Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes - Perry Como

Till I Waltz Again with You - Teresa Brewer

Keep It a Secret - Jo Stafford

I Let the Stars Get in My Eyes - Goldie Hill

   1953 – 3D, the new fad in America , as demonstrated in the movie, "Bwana Devil". The three-dimensional feature opened at Loew's State Theatre in New York City. Arch Oboler directed the movie which starred Robert Stack and the three-dimensional Barbara Britton along with Nigel Bruce and Ramsay Hill.. It was a Natural Vision-Magnetic Sound Track picture requiring Polaroid views.  It was the story of a  British engineer who tracked two man-eating lions that were disrupting the construction of the first railroad in East Africa at the run of the century. ON April 10, “The House of Wax,” another 3-D film was exhibited

at Paramount Theater, New York City, starring Vincent Price.  It was also

seen through Polaroid viewers.  Historians believe the advancement of

color, sound, and now 3-D was to combat the emergence of television,

which they thought would put the motion picture industry out of business.

http://www.indiana.edu/~t311/timeline/1950DeArmitt.html

   1953 - Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz signed a contract worth $8,000,000 to continue the "I Love Lucy" TV show through 1955. The deal was the richest contract in television. “Babaloo!”

 The hour TV Show: http://timstvshowcase.com/lucydesibak.jpg  

   1953-Robbie Bachman birthday, drummer for Bachman-Turner Overdrive, was born in Winnipeg. The Canadian rock band, which also included Robbie's brothers Randy and Tim on guitars, was internationally popular in the 1970's with such hits as "Blue Collar," "Let It Ride," "Takin' Care of Business" and "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet," a 1974 million-seller. At its peak, BTO won many polls and honors in the US, as well as seven Juno Awards.

   1955-John Travolta birthday; dancer, singer, actor John Travolta ( Pulp Fiction, Look Who's Talking, Urban Cowboy, Saturday Night Fever, “Welcome Back Kotter) Born, Englewood, NJ.

   1956-The Platters hit "The Great Pretender" peaks at #1 on the pop chart.

   1956-Pat Boone's cover version of Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" hits #12 on the pop chart.

   1957-Birthday of Vanna White ( Wheel of Fortune), born Conway, SC.

http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/5304/vanna.html

http://us.imdb.com/Name?White,+Vanna

    1959-some of the higher elevations of California were in the midst of a 5 day snowstorm which produced 189 inches of snow -- a single storm record for North America.

   1960-The first artificial ice skating rink of Olympic size was formally opened by Vice President Richard Milhous Nixon at Squaw Valley, CA., for the Eighth Oly