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Sales Representative

We're a progressive leasing company with ambitious growth plans for 2008. If you're a proven sales rep in the small ticket arena and ready to join a winning team, contact us immediately. We offer a competitive comp plan, amazing work environment, and have strong relationships with the major funding sources.
E-mail: recruiter@gen-cap.com .

About the Company: Genesis Commercial Capital, LLC; Irvine, CA

 
Friday, June 20, 2008


Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr., “Lionel Richie,” singer, songwriter, tenor
sax player, born Tuskegee, Alabama, June 20, 1949. "Say You, Say Me",
"Dancing on the Ceiling," "Can't Slow Down," "All Night Long"
“Endless Love” with Diana Ross.

Headlines---

Correction— eMail Addresses
    Classified Ad---Documentation
        Archive---June 20, 2000 Jim Swander
            Flood in the Mid-West
                PFF to leave leasing???
NetSol goes from 9,000 to 24,000 Sq. feet
    Classified Ads---Help Wanted
        ELFA New Benchmarking Survey Available
Hot Deal: 20% off Help Wanted Ads
    Brazil Leasing going strong
        Leasing Association Conference Up-date
Home defaults continue up in California
    Flood breaches lower crest predictions
        Midwest flood victims feel misled by feds
    15 Int. leasing half of Europe Fleet Biz
Prosecutors Build Bear Stearns Case on E-Mails
    Mortgage fraud probe snares 406 suspects
        Citi More substantial write-downs in Q2
    WaMu cutting 1,200 jobs nationwide
Ad decline continues in printed newspapers
    Ex Citigroup Head Can't Sell Conn. Digs
        Williams to do 'Meet the Press' Sunday
    Placard ----In Memory of Tim Russert
News Briefs---
You May have Missed---
Battery leasing niche for hybrids
    California Nuts Brief---
        Sports Briefs---
"Gimme that Wine"
    Calendar Events
        Snapple Real Facts
Today's Top Event in History
    This Day in American History
        Baseball Poem
SuDoku
    Daily Puzzle
        GasBuddy
    Weather, USA or specific area
News on Line---Internet Newspapers
Mississippi Business Journal

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

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Correction— eMail Addresses

The correct e-mail address for Commerce National’s
Bob Robichaud and Steve Tidland are:

brobichaud@commercenatbank.com
stidland@commercenatbank.com

The e-mail addresses were corrected “on line,” as well as those who contacted Leasing News were given the corrected address, including 2005 Leasing News Person of the Year Paul Menzel, CLP, who responded:

“Congratulations to Steve Tidland and Bob Robichaud, both dedicated CLPs. I have known Steve for many years. He is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable professionals in our industry … and a gentleman to boot. Best wishes to them in their new roles.”

pmenzel@LEAF-Financial.com

Article on Robichaud and Tidland at Commerce National
http://www.leasingnews.org/#comm

[headlines]

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Classified Ad---Documentation

Irvine, CA
I have over seven years experience in the leasing industry working in
documentation & funding. Available for work immediately.
Email: jen@pwrcapital.com714-401-1132
[Resume]

For a full listing of all “job wanted” ads, please go to:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted.htm

Leasing Recruiters:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Recruits/index.htm

To place a free “job wanted” ad here, please go to:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted-post.htm

[headlines]

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Archive---June 20, 2000 Jim Swander

Jim Swander
jimswander@sprintmail.com

(His e-mail is the same as when he sent this, although he is now living in Thailand. He reports he continues to read Leasing News from time to time. This letter is as current as it was written eight years ago. Editor)

“I have been reading the comments regarding fraud, or poor business practices. I have to add my two cents worth. The lending industries have struggled with this problem, or in my opinion, too often looked the other way. Sure, we have "bad" people in all parts of our industry - brokers, vendors, lessees, funding sources and suppliers. Are we any different than other industries? Our industry has a very low barrier to entry. Some of us worked hard to establish the CLP program in 1984 as the industry attorneys felt "blackballing" was far too risky. The concept of the CLP program was to recognize those who took the extra effort to become certified. Certification has not worked. Is licensing the way to increase the barrier to entry?

“I keep writing good business and enjoy life. I enjoy being able to go to sleep at night knowing I've helped customers get their new equipment, given my funding sources good business, and made a reasonable commission. I'm sorry many of the people in our industry don't agree with me. I won't change my ethical business practices and won't trade my ability to sleep at night for a little extra money.

“When I joined the leasing industry, the association meetings were great place to find out who you could trust. It wasn't in the meetings, it was in the bar after the meetings. We all agreed that if someone wanted to cheat us, they could. I see several people circulating within the industry who leave a trail of problems. Do you believe they are going to change? If you see the same trail, and ignore it, shame on you! Question you own ethics and business practices not theirs or others.

“I will continue to help the people who help me. I will continue to laugh at the people who ignore the warning signals. I share two great situations for the new people in the industry:

“I warned a friend of mine that a broker has a "history" and he should ask more questions before he accept business. He ignored my warning. He has now written off a $250,000 fraud deal and is mad at all brokers. I reminded him - I told you so! We had a beer afterward.

“I saw a lessee submit an application claiming his brother as the principal of the business. I asked the owner why he was submitting the application in this manner. He was "coached" by the other leasing company - with his credit, he'd never get approved. I backed away from the transaction. My vendor was very upset as he lost the sale to a competitor. I was able to sleep at night. He never had a sale to be lost. I got his next lease application.

“There is plenty of good business to be had with good lessees, good vendors, and good funding sources. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Write good business and encourage you friends to do the same!”

(Leasing News provides this ad “gratis” as a means
to help support the growth of Lease Police)

[headlines]

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Flood in the Mid-West

As many readers know, who watch television, listen to the radio, or read in major publications, the flood is devastating several states in the middle of the country, primarily following the Mississippi River. Readers have contacted us wanted to know more. Basically what is on television, heard on the radio, or in the printed newspapers appears quite current.

Leasing News has been trying to keep up with how it has affected leasing companies, such as the story in Wednesday’s edition with pictures of GreatAmerica in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Leasing News has asked readers if they know of other leasing or financing companies affected, to let us know. “News Briefs” has story and photographs.

Here is one report from a reader, Jack Kemp:

“One of the sadder facts of this disaster is the sudden realization by many that they have actually sustained substantial Losses when they had made it through this unaffected. Few people realize that safe deposit boxes are not water-proof. They are virtually theft and fire-proof but that is where the guaranty’s of the bank’s end.

“Many of the flooded banks in this area were built in the early 20th century and most have their vaults located in the basements to take advantage of the additional security afforded by the thicker concrete walls and surrounding earth. Given the historical flood levels most had never been bothered by any concerns about water, until now.

“Nearly every large bank in Cedar Rapids and Waterloo have at least had flooded basements. Consider some of the items most of you place in your safe deposit box. Old watches; Art work; car titles; stock certificates; marriage, military, religious documents; and the most priceless of all to most of us, family pictures and memento’s. All gone or severely damaged.

“The moral to the story is to remember to check all possibilities of loss should there ever be a projected disaster in your life.”

jakekemps@imonmail.com

(Please see most current coverage a press time in “News Briefs:”)

[headlines]

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PFF to leave leasing???

Looks like Ron Lear, who went to represent OFC Capital in Roswell, Georgia, and Bob Robichaud, CLP, who went to Commerce National, got out in time as PFF Bank and Trust issued an announcement ad in the Wall Street Journal that FBOP Corp., the parent company of CalNational Bank, will acquire PFF Bancorp. It certainly gives them both the “ethics” now to go after their previous customers due to the merger.

In the meantime, leasing companies with lines of credit, who also discount to PFF or have recourse lines, have been receiving this e-mail:

“PFF has reached a definitive merger agreement with FBOP Corp. and Cal National Bank. Under this agreement, higher levels of approval are now required in various aspects of our business. The banks current situation can be considered anything but business as usual, as the necessary protocols are put into place.

“Unfortunately our pending activity has been effected by the need to create and implement additional processes, however, I can assure you that we are working diligently to minimize delays, and ask for your patience as we move through a difficult, but exciting, period in PFF history.”

The Wall Street Journal ad says that in order to maintain PFF Bank & Trust’s "adequately capitalized" regulatory status, FBOP Corp. will loan $7 million to PFF Bancorp in exchange for a secured note convertible into preferred stock of the company.

"Our board of directors determined that this transaction is in the best interests of our stockholders, creditors, customers and employees,'' PFF president Kevin McCarthy said in a statement.

The merger, pending regulatory and stockholder approval, is expected to close by late September. Once the transaction occurs, PFF stockholders would get $1.35 in cash for each share of PFF Bancorp common stock held.

Facing problems with loans to companies involved in both consumer and commercial real estate companies, it is expected they will leave the leasing section, particularly with the loss of the two key people, Ron Lear and Bob Robichaud, CLP.

[headlines]

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NetSol goes from 9,000 Sq. feet to 24,000 Sq. feet

NetSol Technologies is moving on September 1 from its 9,000 square foot office in Burlingame, perhaps in the same immediate area since 1973, across the San Francisco Bay to Emeryville, signing a 10-year lease for the 23,908-square-foot 15th floor of the 16-story building at 2000 Powell St. in the Watergate Office Towers. Tenant improvements are under way to accommodate NetSol's approximately 50 employees, according to Tony Beatty, a broker with NAI BT Commercial.

"We've been at our present location the past 20 years," said Mitch Van Wye, NetSol COO of North America, "and it's been a good home to us during that time, but we realized several months ago, with our rapidly expanding business offerings, that we would need a much larger facility to support both existing and future clients."

Mitch Van Wye became COO of North America operations following the retirement of John McCue. With an abundance of available corporate real estate in the Bay Area, Van Wye and company decided that this would be a good time to take advantage of more favorable real estate costs for the additional square footage needed.

"After considering many possibilities, we found a location in Emeryville that is accessible by three international airports, major freeways, and public transportation, while still being close to both Downtown San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Emeryville, the second most densely-populated city in the Bay Area after San Francisco, is home to Pixar Animation Studios, Novartis, Peet's Coffee & Tea, LeapFrog, and many other corporations and is quickly becoming a premier headquarters location," Van Wye continued.

"We're very excited about the move," he added, "and we look forward to showing our clients the new facility. We feel that we have the room there to expand as our needs grow, and we expect this to be our home for many years to come."

The lease rate wasn't disclosed. The average asking rate for full-service office space in Emeryville was $2.69 per square foot, per month in the first quarter, according to NAI BT market research.

The lease brings occupancy at Watergate to 90 percent, said a spokesman for Hines Interests L.P., which acquired the four-tower, 1.2-million-square-foot complex in December 2006. Watergate Office Towers is located on 22.4 acres along Interstate 80, less than a mile from the eastern terminus of the Bay Bridge.

NetSol Technologies (NasdaqCM: NTWK) is a worldwide provider of global business services and enterprise application solutions. NetSol uses its BestShoring™ practices and highly-experienced resources in analysis, development, quality assurance, and implementation to deliver high-quality, cost-effective solutions. Organized into specialized practices, these product and services offerings include portfolio management systems for the financial services industry, consulting, custom development, systems integration, and technical services for the global Healthcare, Insurance, Real Estate, and Technology markets. NetSol's commitment to quality is demonstrated by its achievement of the ISO 9001, ISO 279001, and SEI (Software Engineering Institute) CMMI (Capability Maturity Model) Level 5 assessments, a distinction shared by fewer than 100 companies worldwide. NetSol Technologies' clients include Fortune 500 manufacturers, global automakers, financial institutions, technology providers, and governmental agencies. Headquartered in Calabasas, California, NetSol Technologies has operations and offices in London, San Francisco, Sydney, Beijing, Bangkok, and Lahore. To join the NetSol Technologies Inc. email distribution list please visit:
http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=897&to=ea&s=0.

To learn more about NetSol Technologies Inc, visit www.netsoltek.com

[headlines]

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Leasing Industry Help Wanted

Sales Representative


Sales Representative

We're a progressive leasing company with ambitious growth plans for 2008. If you're a proven sales rep in the small ticket arena and ready to join a winning team, contact us immediately. We offer a competitive comp plan, amazing work environment, and have strong relationships with the major funding sources.
E-mail: recruiter@gen-cap.com .

About the Company: Genesis Commercial Capital, LLC; Irvine, CA

 


VENDOR SALES SPECIALISTS
LEASING SALES PROFESSIONALS

Like selling vendor programs and large transactions?
Enjoy international financing programs?
Prefer the advantages of a commission only environment with the security of health and welfare benefits?

CLICK HERE to find out how to have fun again.

Please see our Job Wanted section for possible new employees.

[headlines]

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****Announcement****************************************

ELFA New Benchmarking Survey Available

ELFA's premier benchmarking survey has just been released. This survey covers all aspects of the Equipment Finance Industry, and it's a "must have" if your organization wants to benchmark itself against your peers. The survey presents the most comprehensive industry performance metrics available. This year, 154 member companies participated in the survey, the highest participation rate in 25 years. That means the data is more relevant and credible than ever!

Here are a few summary factoids found in the SEFA:

- New Business Volume experienced moderate growth, with an overall increase of 2%, but this growth was not shared by all.

- Profitability was constrained. While return on assets (ROA) remained strong at 1.9%, return on equity (ROE) dropped to 12%, levels not seen since 2003. Pre-tax spreads also continued their five-year trend of year-over-year compression.

- Key operating performance metrics, such as full-year loss (charge-offs) and current receivables, remain in line with prior levels, indicating stable portfolio health in 2007.

ELFA member-respondents have been sent complimentary copies of the Survey Report; in addition, confidential Individual Company Data Sheets, which show individual company statistics ranked against a peer group, has been sent to all respondents. Non-respondents may purchase the Survey Report from the ELFA by visiting
http://www.elfaonline.org/pub/pubs/ProductDetail.cfm?product_code=RSEFA2008

Pricing:

Member: $495.00
Non-Member: $695.00

Copies of previous surveys are available at a reduced rate. Please contact BChoi@elfaonline.org for more information.

For more information or to receive the table of contents of the report, please call Bill Choi at (202) 238-3413 or BChoi@elfaonline.org.

[headlines]

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Hot Deal: 20% off Help Wanted Ads

Summer Special---Also one full month!!!

Find out who is available. Find out who wants a new position.

Reach your Target Audience!!!

http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Hwanted/Hwanted-post.htm

[headlines]

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Brazil Leasing going strong

ELFA eNews Daily

Brazil is home to the world's 11th largest economy, with a 2007 GDP of $1.3 trillion, and it has a vibrant, established leasing and financing industry dating to the mid-1960s.

Company equipment financing portfolios totaled US$27.6 billion as of September 2007. (Source: The Carnival of Equipment Financing: Identifying Factors for Success in the Brazilian Equipment Leasing Market, 2008, Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation).

To find out more about equipment finance opportunities in Brazil, download the Foundation's newest study through the online library at
http://www.store.leasefoundation.org/product/brazil/

"World Leasing News is a separate entity and not affiliated with Leasing News "

[headlines]

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Leasing Association Conference 2008

September 25-28, 2008
United Association of Equipment Leasing
2008 Annual Conference & Exposition
Denver, Colorado For more information, please go here:
http://www.uael.org/events/event.php?ev_id=1

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

October 12-14
Equipment Leasing and Finance Association
47th Annual Convention
Hilton New Orleans Riverside
New Orleans, LA

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

November 5-7, 2008
Association of Government Leasing and Finance
28th Annual Fall Conference   
Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa
Phoenix, Arizona

Information at www.aglf.org 856.423.3259 aglfhq@talley.com

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

April 30-May 2, 2009
NAELB Annual Conference
Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa
Las Vegas, NV

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To view Leasing Association Events-Meetings Open to All, please click here.

[headlines]

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Home defaults continue up in California

Foreclosure real estate data in Northern California, according to Default Research found that Notice of Defaults and Notices of Trustee Sales in the area jumped 268 percent from the same time last year. According to Default Research (http://www.defaultresearch.com), the northern California region as a whole saw an increase of approximately 15 percent from April 2008 to May 2008.

“We expect these rates to remain constant for the coming months,” said Serdar Bankaci, founder of Default Research. “Even though housing prices have dropped nearly 25 percent in the past 12 months, we expect to see a leveling off of these markets within the next 9 to 12 months.”

The residents of Sacramento, the hardest hit area of the region with 4,070 households entering into foreclosure last month, would be happy to see an end to the escalating numbers. Of the more than 4,000 filings in the state capital, 2123 were Notice of Default recordings and 1947 were Notice of Trustee Sale recordings. In the past twelve months, over 32,000 foreclosure documents were recorded in Sacramento, equating to 6.16 percent of households. After Sacramento, the next highest county was San Joaquin County with 2,973 recording in May 2008.

Across the Bay Area, 25.6 percent of the homes that resold in May had been foreclosed on at some point in the past year -- up from 3.3 percent a year ago.

Sonoma County was among the regions registering a higher rate, with 26.6 percent of the existing homes sold in May foreclosed on in the past year. Solano County's foreclosure resales were 57.6 percent of existing home purchases, and in Contra Costa County they were 43.3 percent.

Buyers are drawn in by banks discounting foreclosed homes and homeowners cutting prices to sell and avoid losing properties to lenders.

(see full story in "News Briefs.")

Default Research reports the Notice of Defaults and Notice of Trustee Sales in Southern California were up in the region approximately 13 percent from the same time last year. Riverside County was the hardest hit county in Southern California with 9,350 foreclosure recordings. Of these recordings, 5,282 were Notice of Defaults and 4,068 were Notice of Trustee’s Sale.

“Over the past twelve months, 8.59 percent of households faced some sort of foreclosure activity in Riverside County,” said Serdar Bankaci, founder of Default Research. “This is the highest rate we have seen in any area that we have covered since our inception in May 2004. Prices haven’t hit the bottom yet and we are still seeing home inventories climbing.”

Southern California as a whole saw an increase in foreclosures of approximately 13 percent from April 2008 to May 2008, and an increase of 219 percent from May 2007 to May 2008. Los Angeles County had 11,770 foreclosure documents (6,396 Notices of Default recordings and 5,374 were Notice of Trustee Sales recordings) filed in May 2008. According to Bankaci, home prices in L.A. County have come down about 18 percent in the last year, and they continue to decline.

Full foreclosure information at: http://www.defaultresearch.com/

[headlines]

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(This ad is a “trade” for the writing of this column. Opinions contained in the column are those of Mr. Terry Winders, CLP)

News Briefs----

Flood breaches lower crest predictions
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stcharles/story/7D020AD5A1A4D
B458625746D0015102D?OpenDocument

Midwest flood victims feel misled by feds
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080619/D91DDG5O2.html

Europe's 15 largest international leasing and fleet management companies account for half of all company cars and vans funded by operational leasing.
http://www.pr-inside.com/the-european-market-for-fleet-leasing-r651046.htm

Prosecutors Build Bear Stearns Case on E-Mails
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/business/20bear.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=slogin

Mortgage fraud probe snares 406 suspects
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2008-06-19-mortgage-fraud-arrests_N.htm

Citi's CFO: More substantial write-downs in Q2
http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/earnings/2008-06-19-citigroup--q2_N.htm

WaMu cutting 1,200 jobs nationwide
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008006857_webwamu19.html

Ad decline continues in printed newspapers
http://www.newspaperdeathwatch.com/2008/06/17/has-the-death-spiral-begun/

Ex Citigroup Head Can't Sell Conn. Digs
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06192008/business/a_prince_ly_manor_116175.htm

Williams to do 'Meet the Press' Sunday
http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2008-06-19-williamsmeet_N.
htm?loc=interstitialskip

[headlines]

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Placard ----In Memory of Tim Russert

[headlines]

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You May have Missed---

Battery leasing could help ease anxiety about hybrids
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2008-06-19-hybrid-battery-lease_N.htm

[headlines]

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Sports Briefs----

It's not pretty, but Germany advances on Ballack's kick
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/16/sports/vienna16.php?WT.mc_id=
glob_mrktg_lead&WT.mc_ev=click

Greatest of the green
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/06/19/
greatest_of_the_green/

Revelations of Tiger's true grit
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_9628065

Phar Lap died of arsenic poisoning
http://sports.yahoo.com/rah/news?slug=ap-australia-pharlap&prov=ap&type=lgns

[headlines]

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California Nuts Briefs---

Home sales hit 13-year low in Calif.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/index.html

One-fourth of all SF Bay Area homes sold in May had been in foreclosure during the past year
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20080619/NEWS07/806190337/1033/NEWS

[headlines]

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“Gimme that Wine”

Schwarzenegger, Bachelet back California-Chile agreement
http://www.decanter.com/news/258949.html

Montes wines to release first Napa Cabernet
http://www.decanter.com/news/258926.html

Home of White Zin now a haven for boutique wine
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/19/WIAL11AJE3.DTL

Gretzky holds court at new winery
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1078391

Wine grape production increases in Va.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/06/19/ap5134374.html

Washington grenache worthy of good reviews
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/foodwine/2008002833_winecol18.html

Wine Prices by vintage
http://www.winezap.com
http://www.wine-searcher.com/
US/International Wine Events
http://www.localwineevents.com/
Winery Atlas
http://www.carterhouse.com/atlas
Leasing News Wine & Spirits Page
http://two.leasingnews.org/Recommendations/wnensprts.htm
The London International Vintners Exchange (Liv-ex) is an electronic exchange for fine wine.
http://www.liv-ex.com/

[headlines]

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Calendar Events This Day

Argentina: Flag Day
National holiday. Commemorates the death in 1820 of Manuel Belgrano, the designer of the Argentine flag.

Ice Cream Soda Day
http://holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/June/icecreamsodaday.htm

National Vanilla Milkshake Day

Summer
June-20-September 22. In the Northern Hemisphere summer begins
today with the summer solstice at 7:59 PM, EDT.

Take Your Dog to Word Day
www.petsit.com

United Nations: World Refugee Day
A day to bring attention to the situation of refugees—their rights, as well as their suffering.

West Virginia: Admission Day
Became 35th state in 1963. Observed as a holiday in West Virginia. The state of West Virginia is a product of the Civil War. Originally part of Virginia, West Virginia became a separate state when Virginia seceded from the Union.
http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/unitssubjgeog/a/suswv.htm

Saint feast Days

http://www.catholic.org/saints/f_day/jun.php

[headlines]

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The last thing to happen is the ultimate. The next-to-last is the penultimate, and the second-to-last is the antepenultimate.

[headlines]

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Today's Top Event in History

1950 - Willie Mays graduated from high school this day and immediately signed with the New York Giants for a $6,000 bonus. The ‘Say Hey Kid’ would play most of his career for the Giants -- in both New York and San Francisco -- becoming a baseball legend. As his career came to a close, Mays was traded to the New York Mets. Mays, an all-star center fielder, is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He lives on the San Francisco Peninsula.

[headlines]
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This Day in American History

    1675 - Abenaki, Massachusetts, Mohegan & Wampanoag Indians formed an anti English front. Wampanoag warriors attacked livestock and looted farms.
    1782 - Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States and the eagle as its symbol.
    1819 - The 320-ton paddle-wheel steamship Savannah became the first steamship to cross the Atlantic. It arrived in Liverpool after a journey from Savannah, Georgia, of 27 days 11 hours.
    1856-In San Francisco, Committee of Vigilance headquarters was fortified with sandbags to stop any attacks by troops sent by the Governor to quell the insurrection. Cannons are mounted on the roof to forestall bombardment.
    1858- Birthday of Charles W. Chestnutt, who is considered by many as the first noted black novelist in American Literature. His collections of short stories included “The Conjure Woman (1899)” and “the Wife of His Youth and other Stories of the Color Line(1899). “ The Colonel’s Dream (1905) dealt with the struggles of the freed slave. His work has been compared to later writers such as William Faulkner, Richard Wright, and James Baldwin. http://www.eden.rutgers.edu/~c350445/witter1.html
    1863- West Virginia became the 34th state. Observed as a holiday in West Virginia. The state of West Virginia is a product of the Civil War. Originally part of Virginia, West Virginia did not secede from the Union, but joined officially as the 35th state. Charleston is the capital of the Mountain State which boasts of having the most rugged terrain of any state east of the Mississippi. Throughout the forested hills of West Virginia, you’ll also find many cardinals (the state bird) and multitudes of the state flower, the big rhododendron.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jun20.html
    1867-the first territory that was noncontiguous was annexed to the United States. Alaska was purchased from Russia for $7.2 million. General Lovell Harrison Rousseau, the first military governor of the territory, took formal possession of Alaska in October, 1867.
http://www.state.ak.us/?TTFUID=2545
    1885-- A band of Moravian missionaries landed on the shores of Alaska and founded the Bethel Mission. During the first year of their mission work among the, Eskimos, winter temperatures outside their makeshift housing plummeted to 50 degrees below zero!
    1893 -- Eugene Debs forms the American Railway Union (ARU).
In just a few months the union leads an 18-day strike against the Great Northern Railroad, forcing management to reverse three wage cuts. The victory against a railroad with 2,500 miles of track & 9,000 employees was so remarkable — especially during a depression — that the union signs up 2,000 members a day. This sets the stage for Chicago's Pullman Strike of     1894 — the first organized nationwide strike in US history.
    1893-Spectators at her trial cheered when the “not guilty” verdict was read by the jury foreman in the murder trial of Lizzy Borden. Elizabeth Borden had been accused of and tried for the hacking to death of her father and stepmother in their Fall River, MA, home, Aug 4,1892.
    1894-birthday of Dr.Lloyd A. Hall, African-American pioneer in food chemistry, Illinois http://scienceu.fsu.edu/content/scienceyou/meetscience/hall.html
    1894 - During the summer of 1894, the Pullman Palace Car Company was embroiled in what proved to be one of the most bitter strikes in American history. The strike was a direct response to company chief George Pullman and his hardball tactics, most notably his decision in the midst of the Depression of 1893 to preserve profits by slashing wages and hiking up workers' rents. Though Pullman's cars didn't carry any mail, the scheme proved effective: in early July, the government banned the boycotts and swiftly shipped troops to Chicago. Fighting broke out shortly after the government forces hit the scene; by the time the militia left Chicago on July 20, the "war" between the troops and the strikers had left thirty-four men dead. But, the damage had already been done to the Pullman strikers: their ranks and clout had been depleted, and, when American Federation of Labor chief Samuel Gompers' refusal to lend them any substantial support, the rail workers were forced to capitulate to management. In the wake of the settlement, many of the strikers were barred from working in the rail industry.
    1895- Caroline Willard Baldwin became the first woman to earn a doctor of science degree at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. (sorry could not find any biography or whatever happened to her.)
    1898-Having not known that a war was in progress and having no ammunition on the island, the Spanish commander of Guam surrendered to Captain Glass of the USS Charleston. Guam later became a protectorate of the US.
    1901-Charlotte Manye becomes the first native African to graduate from an American University http://www.greatepicbooks.com/epics/march98.html
    1905 -- Playwright Lillian Hellman born, New Orleans. American playwright/memoirist. Had lifelong relationship with mystery writer Dashiell Hammett until his death (1961). Died 1984.
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/lhellman.htm
http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/hellman-today.html
    1907 -- First Portland Oregon Rose festival.
    1910 - Singer and comedienne Fanny Brice made her debut in the Ziegfeld Follies. She received rave reviews from the Broadway critics.
    1911-The National Association of Advancement of Colored People incorporates in New York City, NY
http://www.naacp.org/
    1912—trumpeter Lammar Wright, Sr. born Texakana, Texas ( with Benny Moten, Cab Calloway for 17 years).” Benny Moten's band is now a solid New Orleans style group even though they are from Kansas City. The trumpeter Lammar Wright is now playing with a fast terminal vibrato. 18th Street Strut uses Oliver-style phrases.”
    1915-The St. Louis Browns arrived in Detroit for a game against the Tigers without their uniforms. The Tigers lent the Browns spare uniforms and then beat them, 1-0.
    1917-Birthday of guitarist/singer Jimmy Driftwood, Mountain View, AR, Died 1998.
http://www.billslater.com/driftwood.htm
    1920-Trumpet player Doc Evans birthday
http://www.docevans.com/
    1920--Race riots in Chicago, Illinois leave two dead and many wounded.
    1920 -- Actor DeForest Kelley born at Atlanta, Georgia; perhaps best known for his role in Star Trek as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy.
    1921-Miss Alice Robertson of Oklahoma became the first woman to preside in the US House of Representatives. Miss Robertson president for half an hour.
http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=R000318
    1924 - Audie Murphy was born in Kingston, Tx. He became the most decorated American soldier of World War II who went on to make movies and write a book about his war experiences called “To Hell and Back.”
    1924-birthday of guitarist Chet Atkins, Luttrell, TN
http://www.misterguitar.com/caas.html
    1928-birthday of alto sax/flute player Eric Dolphy, Los Angeles, Ca. Died, 1964.
    1929 -- Louis Armstrong and an all-black cast open in "Hot Chocolates," New York City.
    1931--Birthday of Olympia Dukakis, stage and screen actor, won Academy Award for best supporting actress for her work in Moonstruck (1987).
    1936-- Billy Guy, baritone singer with the 1950's group the Coasters, was born in Los Angeles. The Coasters, formed in 1955, had a series of hits with novelty songs written by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. The group achieved widespread popularity with their first releases in 1956 - "Down in Mexico" and "One Kiss Leads to Another." The Coasters' other hits included "Yakety Yak," "Charlie Brown" and "Poison Ivy." Many of the sax breaks on the Coasters' records are played by King Curtis.
    1940 - President Roosevelt strengthens his Cabinet by bringing in two prominent Republicans. Henry Stimson becomes Secretary for War and Frank Knox becomes Secretary for the Navy. Stimson is strongly against America's isolationist tradition and will be a champion of Lend-Lease.
    1942- Brian Wilson, lead singer and main songwriter for the Beach Boys, was born in Hawthorne, California. Wilson's songs - such as "Surfin' USA," "I Get Around" and "Help Me, Rhonda" - were all about being a teenager in California in the early 1960's - about surfing, driving and dating. The group turned to more grown up topics later in the decade, but the Beach Boys have survived mainly as a nostalgia act. They have sold more than 65 million records worldwide. Brian Wilson became a virtual recluse in 1970 when his neuroses and drug abuse got the better of him. He has since done the odd live show, and released a solo album in 1988.
http://www.brianwilson.com/
    1943-Federal troops put down racial riot in Detroit 30 dead.
http://www.ustrek.org/odyssey/semester2/022801/022801nickdetroit.html
    1944 - The Japanese fleet withdraws to refuel, believing that their aircraft have landed safely on Guam. US Task Force 58 (Admiral Mitscher) launches an air strike on the Japanese fleet in the late afternoon. The 216 American aircraft encounter 35 defending fighters and sink the carrier Hiyo. Two other Japanese aircraft carriers are damaged as are a battleship and a cruiser. US loses amount to 20 planes shot down and 72 crashing while attempting to land on their carriers in the dark. During the night, the Japanese fleet withdraws and are not pursued. The battle of the Philippine Sea ended with Japan losing almost all its remaining trained pilots and at least 4,000 seamen.
    1944--*O'BRIEN, WILLIAM J. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 105th Infantry, 27th Infantry Division. Place and date: At Saipan, Marianas Islands, 20 June through 7 July 1944. Entered service at: Troy, N.Y. Birth: Troy, N.Y. G.O. No.: 35, 9 May 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty at Saipan, Marianas Islands, from 20 June through 7 July 1944. When assault elements of his platoon were held up by intense enemy fire, Lt. Col. O'Brien ordered 3 tanks to precede the assault companies in an attempt to knock out the strongpoint. Due to direct enemy fire the tanks' turrets were closed, causing the tanks to lose direction and to fire into our own troops. Lt. Col. O'Brien, with complete disregard for his own safety, dashed into full view of the enemy and ran to the leader's tank, and pounded on the tank with his pistol butt to attract 2 of the tank's crew and, mounting the tank fully exposed to enemy fire, Lt. Col. O'Brien personally directed the assault until the enemy strongpoint had been liquidated. On 28 June 1944, while his platoon was attempting to take a bitterly defended high ridge in the vicinity of Donnay, Lt. Col. O'Brien arranged to capture the ridge by a double envelopment movement of 2 large combat battalions. He personally took control of the maneuver. Lt. Col. O'Brien crossed 1,200 yards of sniper-infested underbrush alone to arrive at a point where 1 of his platoons was being held up by the enemy. Leaving some men to contain the enemy he personally led 4 men into a narrow ravine behind, and killed or drove off all the Japanese manning that strongpoint. In this action he captured S machineguns and one 77-mm. fieldpiece. Lt. Col. O'Brien then organized the 2 platoons for night defense and against repeated counterattacks directed them. Meanwhile he managed to hold ground. On 7 July 1944 his battalion and another battalion were attacked by an overwhelming enemy force estimated at between 3,000 and 5,000 Japanese. With bloody hand-to-hand fighting in progress everywhere, their forward positions were finally overrun by the sheer weight of the enemy numbers. With many casualties and ammunition running low, Lt. Col. O'Brien refused to leave the front lines. Striding up and down the lines, he fired at the enemy with a pistol in each hand and his presence there bolstered the spirits of the men, encouraged them in their fight and sustained them in their heroic stand. Even after he was seriously wounded, Lt. Col. O'Brien refused to be evacuated and after his pistol ammunition was exhausted, he manned a .50 caliber machinegun, mounted on a jeep, and continued firing. When last seen alive he was standing upright firing into the Jap hordes that were then enveloping him. Some time later his body was found surrounded by enemy he had killed His valor was consistent with the highest traditions of the service.
    1945 -- Abbott & Costello's "Who's on First" routine is first seen, in the film "The Naughty Nineties".
    1945-Birthday Anne Murray, one of the most popular female singers in the world, was born in Springhill, Nova Scotia. In 1966, she became a member of the chorus of "Singalong Jubilee," a CBC TV show from Halifax. Murray continued as a featured performer on the show until 1970, the year the success of her recording of "Snowbird" caused a dramatic increase in her popularity. It was the first disc by a Canadian female vocalist to earn a gold record in the US. During the 1970's, Murray developed into Canada's most popular female singer. And she began enjoying great success with pop and country audiences in the US and Britain. She began appearing frequently on "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour" on CBS TV. Her hits included "Talk It Over in the Morning," "What About Me" and "You Needed Me," a 1978 million-seller. In 1986, she opted for a new, more contemporary image, with the hit "Now and Forever," produced by David Foster.
    1946 - Singer Anne Murray (Morna Anne Murray) is born in Springhill, Nova Scotia. Her biggest hit is the million-selling No. 1 single ``You Needed Me'' in 1978.
    1948 - President Harry S. Truman institutes a military draft with a proclamation calling for nearly 10 million men to register for military service within the next two months. Truman's action came during increasing Cold War tensions with the Soviet Union.
    1948-“The Ed Sullivan Show” premiered on television. It was officially titled “Toast of the Town” until 1955. We all watched it, especially since we were living in the early 1950’s in Port Chester, NY, where he also lived. It was the longest-running variety show (through 1971) and the most popular for decades. Ed Sullivan, the host, signed all types of acts, both well known and new, trying to have something to please everyone. Thousands of performers appeared, many making their television debut, such as Irving Berlin, Victor Borge, Hedy Lamarr, Walt Disney, Fred Astaire and Jane Powell. Two acts attracted the largest audience of the time: Elvis Presley and the Beatles.
    1949-birthday of Lionel Richie, Tuskegee, AL ; Tenor sax, songwriter, the son of a retired U.S. Army captain and a teacher. The former lead singer of the Commodores has five No. 1 hits, including "Endless Love." That duet with Diana Ross sells more than 2 million copies and in 1981 tops Billboard's Hot 100 for nine weeks, longer than any other duet.
http://www.alamhof.org/richiel.htm
http://www.lionelrichie.com/
    1950 - Willie Mays graduated from high school this day and immediately signed with the New York Giants for a $6,000 bonus. The ‘Say Hey Kid’ would play most of his career for the Giants -- in both New York and San Francisco -- becoming a baseball legend. As his career came to a close, Mays was traded to the New York Mets. Mays, an all-star center fielder, is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He lives on the San Francisco Peninsula.
    1953-Cyndi Lauper is born in New York City. Her first single, ``Girls Just Want to Have Fun,'' sells more than 2 million copies and reaches No. 2 on Billboard's Hot 100. Two later releases, ``Time After Time'' and ``True Colors'' top the chart.
    1955---Top Hits
Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White - Perez Prado
Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley & His Comets
It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie - Somethin’ Smith & The Redheads
Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young - Faron Young
    1957 -A violent tornado, rated F5 on the Fujita scale, tore through Fargo, North Dakota. 10 people were killed and 103 injured. Over 1300 homes were damaged or destroyed.
    1960-Floyd Patterson became the first boxer to regain the heavyweight championship when he knocked out Ingemar Johansson of Sweden at 1:51 of the fifth round. Patterson won the crown for the first time on November 30, 1956, defeating Archie Moore. Johansson scored a TKO over the champion on June 26, 1959. Johansson also lost a third fight on March 13, 1961.
    1963 - The United States and the Soviet Union established a hot-line to serve as an emergency communications system between the two superpowers during the Cold War. While the system was tested, it was never used.
    1963---Top Hits
Sukiyaki - Kyu Sakamoto
You Can’t Sit Down - The Dovells
Blue on Blue - Bobby Vinton
Act Naturally - Buck Owens
    1965 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Mr. Tambourine Man," The Byrds.
    1966 - The U.S. Open golf tournament was broadcast from San Francisco, with something extra for the nation’s golf fans. It was the first time TV had beamed a golf event in color.
    1967---Boxing champion Muhammad Ali is convicted of refusing induction into the American armed services.
    1969 - American astronaut Neil Armstrong, 240,000 miles from Earth, speaks these words to more than a billion people listening at home: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." A moment later, he stepped off the lunar landing module Eagle and became the first human to walk on the surface of the moon. The American effort to send astronauts to the moon has its origins in a famous appeal President John F. Kennedy made to a special joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961: "I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth." At the time, the United States was still trailing the Soviet Union in space developments, and Cold War-era America welcomed Kennedy's bold proposal.
    1969--The three day Newport Festival began in Northridge, California, featuring such performers as Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker and Ike and Tina Turner. Hendrix was paid $135,000, at the time the most ever paid to a rock performer for a single performance. Like the notorious Altamont Festival later in the year, there were violent gate-crashing incidents and a motorcycle gang had been hired for security.
http://www.jimi-hendrix.com/
    1970 - Beatles tune "The Long and Winding Road" began its second week on the pop music charts number one spot. It would be the last song released by The Beatles.
    1970-Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" goes gold.
    1971---Top Hits
It’s Too Late/I Feel the Earth Move - Carole King
Rainy Days and Mondays - Carpenters
Treat Her Like a Lady - Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
When You’re Hot, You’re Hot - Jerry Reed
    1972 - Pres. Nixon recorded on tape information relating to the Jun 16 Watergate break-in. Sections of the tape were later erased, allegedly accidentally by sec. Rose Mary Woods. A panel of experts examined the tape to see if the 18-minute gap was intentional. Richard H. Bolt (d.2002 at 90), acoustic expert at Bolt, Beranek and Newman, later said that if it was an accident than it was committed at least 5 time in the 18 minutes.
    1975—Jaw’s Film released: With its tagline, “Don’t go in the water” and its ominous cellomusic, the Steven Spielberg-directed thriller shocked audiences on this date. Adapted from a Peter Benchley bestseller, Jaws, showed a great white shark preying on the beachgoes of a New England town. It won three Oscars—best editing, best sound and best original score ( by John Willaims)—and was a blockbust success.
    1977-Former White House chief of staff HR Haldeman enters prison, Died 1993.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/watergate/stories/halobit.htm
    1977 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Got to Give It Up (Pt. 1)," Marvin Gaye.
    1979---Top Hits
Hot Stuff - Donna Summer
We are Family - Sister Sledge
Ring My Bell - Anita Ward
She Believes in Me - Kenny Rogers
    1980- "It's Still Rock & Roll" becomes Billy Joel's first #1 hit.
    1985 - Coach Rollie Massimino told reporters, "I just can’t leave Villanova," when he turned down a $2.1 million over ten years offer to coach basketball for the New Jersey Nets.
    1987 - Whitney Houston’s album, "Whitney", debuted on "Billboard" magazine’s album chart at number one. Houston became the first female to have an LP debut at the top. The singer, daughter of Cissy Houston and cousin of Dionne Warwick, began her singing career at age 11 with the New Hope Baptist Junior Choir in New Jersey. Houston first worked as a backup vocalist for Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls; entered modeling in 1981, appearing in "Glamour" magazine and on the cover of "Seventeen". Whitney married soul singer, Bobby Brown, in the late 1980s.
    1987---Top Hits
Head to Toe - Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) - Whitney Houston
In Too Deep - Genesis
Forever and Ever, Amen - Randy Travis
    1988-A law to force the admission of women to private clubs was upheld unanimously by the Supreme Court. At issue was a New York City law requiring women to be admitted to large, private clubs that are said to play important roles in business and professional life. In New York, the University Club had already voted to admit women. By the end of August, the Union League Club, the Century Association, and the Friars Club in New York agreed to admit women. The Friars Club in California admitted its first female member in 1987. On June 18, the exclusive Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C.C. unassailably male for 110 years, voted by a large majority to accept women. It too had been threatened with legal action.
    1988 - Thirty-eight cities in the central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Afternoon highs of 97 degrees at Flint, MI, and 104 degrees at Chicago, IL, equaled records for the month of June. Thunderstorms in North Dakota produced baseball size hail near Kief, and wind gusts to 100 mph near McGregor
    1993- With a four-games-to-two victory over the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association (NBA) finals the Chicago Bulls earned their third straight NBA title, defeating the Phoenix Suns, 4 games to 2. The Bulls became the first team to win “three ‘peat” since 1966, when the Boston Celtics won their eighth in a row. In 1996 the Bulls won the NBA title for a fourth time, in 1997 for a fifth and in 1998 for a sixth, for another three-in-a-row sweep.
    1994 - U.S. athlete O.J. Simpson pleaded innocent to murdering his ex-wife and her friend.
    1994-- Geffen Records offered the estimated two million subscribers to the CompuServe computer bulletin board an opportunity to download a previously unreleased Aerosmith song, "Head First." The track was recorded during the band's sessions for the 1993 album "Get a Grip." It was one of the first times that subscribers to a bulletin board service could download an entire song over computer lines.
    1995-- Michael Jackson's "HIStory - Past, Present and Future: Book One" was released. The double CD, Jackson's first album since child molestation allegations two years earlier, debuted at number one on the Billboard chart. Initial sales in the US were strong but dropped off sharply in subsequent weeks. Canadian record stores reported only moderate sales. Jackson had to battle controversy over anti-Semitic lyrics in the song "They Don't Care About Us." He said he used the words to illustrate the evils of prejudice. Jackson promised to include a written explanation in albums already produced and not shipped and to re-record the song with new lyrics for future releases.
    1995 -A supercell thunderstorm dumped unusually large hail for New England in Connecticut. Baseball size hail fell at Vernon, Manchester, Deep River, and Old Saybrook. At deep river, the large hail lasted for 20 minutes, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. Some automobiles were totaled. In one historic building, 25 windows were broken, including a 100 year old curved window.
    1995 - Legendary country duo George Jones and Tammy Wynette release reunion album "One."
    1999 - Payne Stewart made a 15-foot par putt on the 18th hole at famous Pinehurst Resort & Country Club's No. 2 course in Pinehurst, North Carolina. The putt was just enough to win the U.S. Open by one stroke over Phil Mickelson. Stewart, one stroke behind with three holes to play – and apparently heading for a play-off round the next day -- made a 25-foot putt for par to catch Mickelson, a 3-foot birdie putt on No. 17 to take the lead, and then his 24th putt of the day to win the championship. He tragically died in a plane crash October 25, the same year, 1999.
    2001-- Hitting his 38th homer of the season, Barry Bonds breaks the major league mark established by Reggie Jackson (1969) and Mark McGwire (1998) for home runs hit before the All-Star game. The Giants' left fielder still has 17 games to add to the record.
    2004-- On Father's Day with his dad present, Ken Griffey, Jr. nails a 6th inning fastball of Cardinal hurler Matt Morris over the right field wall at Busch Stadium for his 500th career home run. The Reds' center fielder becomes the 20th major leaguer and the sixth youngest (34) to reach the milestone.
    2006 - An album of jazz standards Diana Ross recorded more than 30 years earlier finally sees the light of day. "Blue" was intended as a companion to the hit 1972 soundtrack to "Lady Sings the Blues," in which Ross portrayed jazz legend Billie Holiday. However, Ross instead followed up the project with the pop album "Touch Me in the Morning," which reached No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. In its wake, "Blue" was shelved.

NBA Finals Champions This Date

    1993 Chicago Bulls
    2006 Miami Heat

[headlines]

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Baseball Poem

– Old Timer’s Day, Fenway Park, 1 May 1982

Donald Hall, U.S. Poet Laureate

When the tall puffy
figure wearing number
nine starts
late for the fly ball,
laboring forward
like a lame truckhorse
startled by a garter snake,
– this old fellow
whose body we remember
as sleek and nervous
as a filly’s –

and barely catches it
in his glove’s
tip, we rise
and applaud weeping:
On a green field
we observe the ruin
of even the bravest
body, as Odysseus
wept to glimpse
among the shades the shadow
of Achilles

Fathers Playing Catch with Sons
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0865471681/poetsorg-20/002-5217827-16
79236?creative=327641&camp=14573&adid=08JM7ZJZFGQ1Q258X4D7&link_code=as1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/061853721X/002-5217827-1679236?v=
glance&n=283155

About the new US Poet Laureate Donald Hall, avid Boston Red Sox fan.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/14/books/14poet.html?hp&ex=1150344000&en=
1aca3b325c00a10b&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[headlines]

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SuDoku

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

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

[headlines]

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Daily Puzzle

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

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

[headlines]

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http://www.gasbuddy.com/
http://www.gasbuddy.com/GB_Map_Gas_Prices.aspx
http://www.gasbuddy.com/GB_Mobile_Instructions.aspx

[headlines]

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Weather

See USA map, click to specific area, no commercials

http://www.weather.gov/

[headlines]

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News on Line---Internet Newspapers

Mississippi Business Journal

http://msbusiness.com/

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[headlines]

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